273 Matching Annotations
  1. May 2022
    1. rovide to the Field Group representative serving on the ad-hoc committee the names of persons outside the Claremont Colleges qualified to review the candidate’s scholarly and/or artistic contributions.

      field group rep to APT to share with me, then i share with Shelva. deadline in june 1.

    2. submit a current curriculum vitae that will be sent out to these individuals.

      barbara will share current CV in invitation/request to potential reviewers.

    3. three individuals outside the Claremont Colleges who are qualified to evaluate his or her scholarly or artistic contributions

      external reviewers list due 06.01

  2. Dec 2020
    1. We also felt it was important to apply these metaphors to something that isn’t niche, fast fashion is something that most people have contributed to at some point, even without knowing

      yes, opening our eyes to re-see!

    2. Tasha Alexandra Lily

      hi, friends, could you change the title and add your full names as co-authors?

      also a brief and enticing summary to invite outside readers to listen?

      finally, some key words?

      i watched the video and like what is there, but it's so short... and it starts in the middle of a sentence? i wasn't sure if there is more? i am hungry for more :)

  3. pressbooks.claremont.edu pressbooks.claremont.edu
    1. Danny

      hi, Danny--

      i love the use of the three metaphors and how you explain them in your own voice and in a totally accessible way. i also appreciate that your view of the machine is more biological and positive than my view.

      i would love to see a bit more in the summary text you provide--invite readers who don't know anything about our class the young Dems or what you are doing in this project --get us curious, entice us to listen to your presentation :)

      also, could add key words? finally, could you add a title and add your full name as author?

      thanks so much for this, i love the political strategy you hope the Young Dems will embrace, i love the contrasting view of functional/traditional machine of CHS/education and your vision of a different kind of machine that counters domination and hegemony. i love your voice, your energy and excitement. thank you!

      have a lovely rest, don't be a stranger!

      all my very best, barbara

    1. Amara and Ari

      dear Ari and Amara, i love this--it says a lot and conveys the power of each metaphorical lens without a lot of text. the bold coloring really grabs readers' attention. the reframing our thinking along the lines of organism and meeting community needs rather than punitive/dominating approaches that we are trapped in accepting as normal is so powerful.

      one thing that i, as someone who knows about this in general but doesn't know about what good resources for dismantling the psychic prison that i sometimes fall into, despite my best efforts, is some links to programs and organizations that are enacting and pushing for the reimaginization that you offer us here. it would be great, for example, if you could include some links to organizations, activists, scholars, innovative schools or school districts… that would really nicely round out your analysis and the connection for readers. hope this helps, and thanks so much! sending all my best, over the break and always, barbara

    2. dear Ari and Amara, i love this--it says a lot and conveys the power of each metaphorical lens without a lot of text. the bold coloring really grabs readers' attention. the reframing our thinking along the lines of organism and meeting community needs rather than punitive/dominating approaches that we are trapped in accepting as normal is so powerful.

      one thing that i, as someone who knows about this in general but doesn't know about what good resources for dismantling the psychic prison that i sometimes fall into, despite my best efforts, is some links to programs and organizations that are enacting and pushing for the reimaginization that you offer us here. it would be great, for example, if you could include some links to organizations, activists, scholars, innovative schools or school districts... that would really nicely round out your analysis and the connection for readers. hope this helps, and thanks so much! sending all my best, over the break and always, barbara

  4. pressbooks.claremont.edu pressbooks.claremont.edu
    1. Hannah

      dear Hannah, this is wonderful! the combination of your deep knowledge and love for the RMB and the application of our metaphors really shines here. i see at the end, in the acknowledgments, that you were stressed by this assignment, but it came together so beautifully and lovingly, and with passion and compassion, with an understanding of how powerful org metaphors can be in our own lives. you accomplished so much in this one chapter, thank you! i amsending you and your family lots of love, and best wishes for a restful and restorative break!

    2. tension between performing as a machine and being an inclusive and supportive organization.

      yes, absolutely. this is one of the biggest strengths of your approach

    3. I never considered the topics we discussed in class before, in relation to this organization, yet after studying the topics this semester, I realized just how easily they fit together, and I finally understood some of the reasonings behind the problematic aspects of the organization.

      so glad! and you show the power of the metaphors in combination so well!

    4. take upon themselves to individually support and coach the members that may be struggling, rather than assuming there is no easy way to increase competition scores without kicking out unproductive members

      this is like a psychic prison--a strengths/build on assets, try to build capacity approach is hard to enact when people are tired and don't have energy to take on even more... but it could be re-energizing if they would give it a try!

    5. the leadership reflects the program director’s bias. This means, that while I was a part of the program, no women were chosen for drum major, even as many auditioned for the position.

      !!!

    6. Because there is less competition, both between members of the organization, and within the organization’s goal as a whole, the environment created is one full of community.

      nice!

    7. I was shocked, as I had grown to accept that we had to have four hour practices with limited water breaks and constant movement, and would not have even considered it to be comparable to what the cross country team was doing.

      you internalized the machine!!!!

    8. All band members are acting as a coordinated whole in identical outfits, moving in measured steps, the performance in sync with the music, and no notes, or feet are out of place—completely mechanical.

      it must be amazing to watch and even more so to be part of!

    9. daptation has always been one of its main strengths. Decision making is often in reaction to an imposed requirement or environment change coming abruptly from the school leadership. From learning the night before that the call time has changed to be three hours earlier, to the vice principal announcing that “the band must perform at the pep rally in two days”—RTMB’s structure allows it to respond quickly.

      nice, and something to be proud of

    10. My aspirations for this organization involve recognition of the issues that are holding the program back, a stronger support foundation for the student leaders, and an understanding of when extra attention is needed to be given by the adult supervisors.

      feel the hope and the pain here

    11. The RT Marching Band overlaps with quite a few different parts of the high school as a whole. Though typically listed as an extracurricular activity, RTMB and a few of the other performing arts programs are taken as “classes” (with grades and expectations), thus allowing them to also be a part of the Academics on campus. It can also fit into the category of “sports” within the extracurriculars, as the Marching Band allows students to petition the class to count as the Physical Education credits needed to graduate. Also, the program is influenced by the “Terrier Band Boosters”, a parent-run organization that is focused on fundraising and focusing the program from year to year—and this is assumed to be within the circle of “Parent Organizations.”

      this whole description is fascinating

    12. fundamental flaws

      this is also a beautiful sentence. it shows that many of the orgs that are impt to us could be improved, should be improved, and our critique is only out of love, not dismissal or deprecation

    13. Making specific efforts to create an inclusive community, I am proud of the state of the organization in its current form in comparison to how it functioned my first year, yet I still recognize that issues often arose—whether between individual students, or between the student and staff leadership teams.

      did the practices you put in place remain, do you recognize them there today?

    14. nly functions as an organization because of goal to perform as a machine, and its ability to adapt to a changing environment, as if it were an organism. The marching band wants to be a machine, but is it human, and struggles with the intersection of its goals with a natural human system.

      beautiful

    1. to be replaced with video of presentation

      thank you so much for this, Lauren--i learned a lot about NFAS and Pitzer through your slides, and i look forward to the video or audio component that will accompany the slides. i also know that the Young Dems will really appreciate the connections that you make and feedback/lessons that they can take into their own activism and organizing work. i am sending all my best to you and yours, hope you have a restful and restorative break!

  5. pressbooks.claremont.edu pressbooks.claremont.edu
    1. I challenge you to come up with other examples present in your life and apply the metaphors. Organism, domination, and psychic prison are functions of the Laney College football program. For better or for worse, that’s how the organization stays afloat.

      i love this challenge, what a way to end a powerful analysis!

    2. the current foundation supports and promotes those behaviors. Social and cultural change can only happen from the bottom up and it might require ripping the roots out of the soil and replanting a new seed instead.

      beautiful

    3. The aggressive nature of male-led coaching was also present and made to feel like an honor because we were being treated like the guys without having the respect the guys had.

      !!!!

    4. gender. They’re a men’s program. I’m a woman. That being said, I’m a woman who played a male dominated sport and has only ever been coached by men. 

      !!!!

    5. it controlled the next decade of my life. For a very long time, being an athlete was the only identity I had or at least cared about so doing this project brought up a lot of memories.

      thank you for sharing this

    6. It is imperative that an organization that is meant to foster the personal growth of its participants, equips them with tools to be Good People. There should be systems and resources put in place for players to get the mental health care they need.

      i love this--we are in a psychic prison where we think people can j8st leave their difficulties behind and come to work and be productive/

    7. Something upsetting were comments made similar to “I didn’t have to care about anxiety 20 years ago when I was coaching” or “this generation of players are so soft“.

      i know--these points made me really dislike the coach

    8. This involves a fantasy where members of the group come to believe that a messiah figure will emerge to deliver the group from its fear and anxiety.”

      what a great quote--i had totally forgoten about that part

    9. the organization nature of athletics

      dear Esma, this is such a good analysis! i can't wait to see where it goes... the question is, where to stop? i like the expansive approach and the conversational tone, inviting really, a lot. i also think that the chapter could take a lot, could cover a lot.... so the question for you in my opinion is where do you want to draw the line? maybe outline two more points you wish to make and tailor the rest of the chapter to them? otyerwise, i feel you could cover a lot--maybe too much?--ground in one chapter. i see organism and domination clearly... will Dior's story shed light on domination more or will it be used to illustrate machine? and your own story/experience? will it be used to illustrate all three or one or two?

      as i said, i like what you have a lot, i just worry it might become overwhelming for you/be hard to decide where to end?

      hope this makes sense, sending all my best, barbara

    10. The direction I’m trying to lead you to is the topic of whether student athletes should get paid or not. NCAA says no. Others say yes. Even more others say it’s complicated. It currently is a work in process. And of course, it has domination written all over it.

      a great example--i like this organismic way you present all these things as interrelated. they are, but sometimes we are too narrow in focus. your expansive approach reminds us of their interdependence

    11. Players get punished for not performing well. Or for disagreeing. Or for being late. Or taking back. The list goes on and on.  Punishments can look like more repetitions, longer practices, no breaks.

      powerfully. put

    12. The culture around athletics is dominating. It’s supposed to be brutal. It’s supposed to hurt. It’s the cliche of if it were easy, everyone would do it. 

      yes

    13. As a social critic,

      i see what you are saying here but i am not sure if readers outside our class will... maybe you don'tneed this phrase? instead, your analysis will DO that work?

    14. This leads him to not have a deep connection to his organization let alone their needs and wants. And, like biological organisms, organizations operate best when their needs are met and individuals within the organization are most effective when their needs are met as well

      good

    15. RJ’s “various needs” included playing. The team’s “various needs” included winning. When RJ would play, he did not help the chance for the team to win. Enter the disconnect. 

      clear

    16. But things start to get complex when the desired outcome for one individual member either doesn’t match with the overall shared goal or impedes on achieving the overall goal. 

      more foreshadowing, i like it!

    17. Being alive and having multiple parts is already part my schema but to challenge myself, I focused on the last part of the Morgan quote above that was taken from our textbook: “…they depend for the satisfaction of various needs.”

      wonderful--i like the step by step and the challenge

    18. called a schema. The characteristics of my personal schema for organisms include it being natural, being alive, and having multiple components to make it function.

      nice

    19. I’ll also use my own athletic “career” as another lens and later on, I’ll explain why I feel the addition is important to note.

      also excellent--i love the voice and the tone, the invitation extended to readers to connect with you and the show

    20. The football players are not just football players but are students, husbands, and/or fathers as well. The season touches on heavy subjects like gentrification, homelessness, racism, and gun violence.

      excellent summary

    1. Annabel and Makensey

      dear A&M, this is really beautiful, both in content and visually presented. it was easy follow, the incorporation of metaphors was clear and accessible, and i was able to stay focused and you kept my. attention throughout.

      the topic is obviously important for office settings, but i think your analysis extends to other settings, as well, including college online. the focus on relationships and support is insightful, and again, i think this applies to all kinds of organizations. since online work, school, clubs, etc are likely to stay with us, your analysis is very helpful in re-thinking what we/org leaders/those who seek to foster a healthy org culture should be thinking about. i definitely will be taking your suggestions into account in my classes and committees at pitzer.

      the topic you chose is also impt because it's something we ar all struggling with, and thus somethng we can all identify with and are wondering how to make life online better (or less awful :)

      i just have one question: could you also change the title of the chapter? thank you so much for the love, passion, and thought that you put into this capstone!

      in appreciation to you both, sending all my best to you and your loved ones. hope the break is restful and restorative!

    1. Setting the Scene: Prison Labor and California Wildfires in Context 

      this is a wonderful diagrammic "map" of all the parts that go into the problem. it really helps me understand how complex the issue is and how things that might seem unrelated are deeply connected.

    1. Laila and Katherine

      hi, friends--

      could you add a title and your full names as co-authors? also maybe a bit more in the summary to entice outside readers to take a listen? :)

      and one last thing: how about some key words?

    2. viewed via YouTube here!

      i was able to access it! it is wonderful, Katherine and Laila--i love the topic and the organizational metaphors you chose to help us understand the history of domination and the path forward of defunding rather than reforming the police. the argument is powerful and interestingly presented. i feel the passion, the research, the imagination, and the love that you put into this project. i learned so much from your 20-minute presentation; you not only use the metaphors to help your audience understand the entrenched problem and solution to it, but you also help us understand the key elements of the metaphors. and you do this all so seamlessly and engagingly. thank you so much, am sending all my best to you and yours, and hopes for a restorative break!

    1. Mikaela and Denise

      hi, friends--

      i loved the parts of your presentation that i was able to access :) which was about half i think... the choice of metaphors is strong, the layout and structure are well thought out and easy to follow. i think many people have had similar experiences and it's wonderful that you are using the language of our class to highlight in a systematic way that shared experience. i was wondering if you could either upload your presentation to your pressbooks chapter or link to it. in the latter case, the presentation should be open access/have open permissions to view so readers can benefit from your story and analysis. i was also hoping you could give your chapter a title and include your full names as co-authors.

      an enticing summary to give your outside audience a good sense of what this is about and why they should listen to it would be helpful.

      some key. words might also be good.

      thank you, i look forwward to hearing the whole thing!

      all my best, barbara

    1. Click to view the document:

      this is wonderful--a careful documentation of what you each seek/imagin-ize and what is important to you, but also a shared vision of how to not only use collaborative inclusivity in the founding but in the ongoing functioning. a powerful reminder that practices must be that--lived practice!

    1. Aloha, Sophia, Jackie, Morgan, Shania

      hi, friends--if you choose "page notes" option above, you'll see more from me. here i just wanted to suggest a title and your full names as coauthors

    2. here are my notes from listening to the podcast :)

      COVID has uprooted the whole system--it's a moment for re-imaginization!

      education is described as agent of mobility, but in so many ways education is a force for domination and exclusion, reproduction of power, class, elite, wealth.

      what would equity in school look like? how do we escape the narrow lens of domination... how do we reimagine education as a space and force for equity, rigor, and empowerment? this is the central question of the group's podcast.

      education and schooling as a machine, routinization, clockwork--how can the machine accommodate diverse student needs, talents, and promise? it can't; it isn't designed to function this way--it sees students as interchangeable parts/cogs in the machine; it can't take into account variation in people's lives and home situations. the result: mischaracterization of students who can't fit as bad--the problem is not in the mechanistic approach but in the child.

      some schools--private ones for affluent students--have escaped the machine approach. but these are what feed into domination, as noted above.

      one alternative to organizing schooling as domination and machine is to approach it as a brain. more often than not schools are not adaptable and lack neuro-plasticity because their foundations are designed to create order, control, and obedience (machine and domination yet again!). the capacity for rewiring of schooling declines with time, as the years of domination that accumulate become engrained/embedded as "normal."

      to ask the question, is this way of doing things, are the values that motivate school, the best way? to get out of the trap of single-loop thinking, we need to ask ourselves this crucial question. re-imagining schools has to begin at this point.

      schools can also be seen through the lens of organism: students have different needs (Maslow's hierarchy, too) and schools as currently configured are not tuned in to this. schools are also located in a broader environment--you can't ignore the world outside of the school that affects school resource availability and student lives. to function optimally, schools need to be closely tied to the community, teachers should come from the community, teachers and families should be working together; schools should adapt to meet the changing needs of the community over time. the goal is to create a structure and subsystems and coalitions that work together to promote student wellbeing and thriving.

      this metaphor (and brain too), in contradisctinction to dominating and machine organizations provides a sense of hope moving forward:

      • teachers who care about their students and getting to know students as whole, unique people is key. bringing creativity to the classroom and focus on students' strengths and passions and find a way to engage these in teaching and learning.
      • our ideal school is about breaking away from quantitative, standard, evaluative measures.
      • cultures of school--emphasize exploration and creativity without consequences for mistakes--actually mistakes and vulnerability without punishment is in the real world how innovation happens, why don't schools embrace this?
      • students/humans have lots of needs at different levels--schools/classrooms as spaces for growth, exploration, contribution and value that students bring with them.
      • what about grading? there are so many. different factors the reinforce a focus on grading... but wouldn't it be freeing to think of alternative 'assesments.'
      • students' human and social needs are so much more important than evaluating their performance/meeting standards that don't take into account real-life variation--if these realities were centered in how schooling is organized we would have such different educational experiences than we do now.
      • so much of schooling currently revolves around punishment and conformity instead of creativity and exploration.
      • children are not machines, people are not machines, so why are schools organized as machines?
      • we can't forget that the government plays a role--the state has a responsibility for meeting citizens' needs/providing safety net... schools can't do all of this on the budgets they have...
      • imporance of small class sizes--you can't develop close caring relationships in classes of 35 students. here the state/ government comes into the analysis yet again!
      • just as students need space for exploration and liberation, teachers also need this!
      • schools could be and should be spaces for getting to know oneself, for reducing stress, for making exploration and learning joyful, for building relationships and students' sense of their own power.
      • we could also use our powers of imagination to rethink how we train and prepare and support teachers!
      • there is also an issue of motivation and engagement; schooling is often painful and dreary, rote memorization and competition for grades... how do we change this??

      the administration of any school should think of itself as a brain! and to do this comes from listening to and learning from students. students should be in decisiommaking bodies and share their voice and perspective and this should be not only heard but incorporated. do we want a hierarchical structure or do we imagine a school in which at all levels and all stages learning, experimentation, and growth happen?

    1. The organism metaphor helps us to understand how ROCK students interact with and adjust to their environment (blended classrooms and group projects). The metaphor also shows how individual organisms need to have their needs met and come to a type of self actualization in order to work productively. ROCK achieved this through point dividing and the six different thinking hats.

      should this be a summary at the end?

  6. Nov 2020
    1. We hope that you now have a better understanding of the importance of this issue and start demanding change!

      maybe remove this since you use it after the link to the video?

    2. When in reality we have important representatives already making changes to solve the issue by approving bills, creating new policies and taking a step back to acknowledge what is not working in the current system.

      i like this part and how it was incorporated in the path forward part--what wasn't 100% clear to me was how these kinds of changes in legislation are challenges to machine and psychic prison or something else? i felt like to metaphorical analysis got lost there :)

    3. Dealing with issues like slavery, capitalism, and climate change are mistakes that our political systems continue to make. That being said this organization uses forms of slavery, capitalism and climate change to permit them to have the hierarchy between incarcerated firefighters. That is why they put so much emphasis on utilizing the three organizational metaphors organism, psychic prison and machine within their atmosphere to enhance having power over incarcerated firefighters.

      good point

    4. The legislators need to realize that this doesn’t just affect the prisoners in the work field but in the present right now due to COVID-19 with the prisons being crowded it spreads the virus quickly. Though these same legislators are the ones not supporting bills dealing with climate change policies which would prevent wildfires from even happening in the first place. These types of legislators need to recognize that using their control and disregarding science within this climate crisis has its consequences now and it will only have greater consequences in the future. By believing in science and taking precaution within these prisons by permitting prisoners to join the Conservation Fire Camp Program. Not only would more bills like this give incarcerated firefighters the opportunity to seek job opportunities it will also help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

      good--you are showing a pattern of thought and reminding readers of where you started--with the interconnection that organism highlights!

    5. This is where capitalism comes into play because it’s a form of domination that prevents organizations from being able to break from psychic prisons and a machine routine.

      good--maybe make this the start of a new paragraph.

    6. when the prisoners were incarcerated they should be given that second chance to fight but once their released it isn’t considered the same no more.

      good-- maybe "once released, their brave contributions are forgotten" or something like that.

    7. Newsom said that their reasoning for not supporting the bill was because, “They didn’t feel it was appropriate to give these folks a second chance, and that was unfortunate, but the good news, what’s fortunate, enough did” (McNamara, 2020).

      yes, and i think this is a common sentiment among americans generally :(

    8. They can’t allow themselves to be trapped within a psychic prison or machine atmosphere because it solely benefits them. They need to recognize that in order for this system to benefit incarcerated firefighters in the long run they need to stop thinking that these prisoners only represent cheap labor and start concerning themselves on how to reduce overcrowded prisons like Kamala Harris.

      ohhh, i think this could go earlier... also it might be good to remind readers that we are all in a psychic prison when it comes to the penal system/carceral state... we all/most folks/society think(s) that incarcerated people are disposable and that their lives have little value... we don't see that it is our collective responsibility to create opportunities for re-entry and reintegration post-incarceration. and we don't see how these positive changes for incarceated and formerly incarcerated folks would in turn create a better society and stronger communities

    9. to benefit the system and not take advantage of cheap labor. Her logic and reasoning of how this pandemic situation is affecting overcrowded prison facilities as well contributes to why this legislation needs to demand that change.

      i feel a bit lost here--in what ways did Kamala Harris's approach fit with or challenge the metaphors currently structuring how prison officials and the taxpayers approach the issue of prison labor to fight fires?

    10. In order for state leader Kamala Harris to be able to recognize that she used her jurisdiction in a positive way. Instead of allowing her team to get stuck in a psychic prison and machine atmosphere that would allow the system to continue drawing back incarcerated firefighters from job opportunities in the future.

      i think something might be missing here--seems like two incomplete sentences?

    11. demand a change in legislation to provide a pathway of future employment for these incarcerated firefighters. Incarcerated firefighters are consistently putting their life on the line and are often praised for their work when fighting emergencies yet are often overlooked once they are released from  prison for new job opportunities.

      call to action

    12. Mike, and a number of others, see the inmates as a means to the end of wildfires, and not individual people with their own safety and wellbeing that is threatened by the pandemic. Instead, they’re more worried about money. The California prisons department estimates that using prison labor to fight wildfires saves California taxpayers tens of millions of dollars a year (Fuller, 2020). Any system that is arguing for the priority of saving money over the safety of vulnerable laborers is mechanistic.

      yes

    13. sing this metaphor, we can more closely understand the use of prison labor from the perspective of those controlling the system: the California government. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) works in cooperation with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LAC FIRE) to operate 43 conservation camps, commonly known as fire camps, located in 27 counties, with 1,800 inmates as of October 2020 (California Government, 2020). Because California uses prison labor to supplement their supply of firefighters, critics argue that the state sees these inmates as the easy way out. The state doesn’t have to worry about unions, fair wages, benefits, or usual employer burdens when using prison labor to fight fires. Simply put, the state sees them as cheap fire fighting machines to take out when needed, and forget about when the fires are extinguished.

      this is a wonderful paragaph--illuminates the horrific nature of the sytem that is construed by proponents as a "win-win"

    14. In September 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom finally signed legislation that expunges the records of nonviolent offenders who have fought fires for the state while incarcerated, which allows them to pursue careers as firefighters and first responders upon their release (McNamara, 2020). This legislation is a great start to further unpacking the use of prison labor in fighting California wildfires, and a great example of what the psychic prison tries to hide from sight. The most important analysis of this system needs to include the bad with the good, and the dismantling of the psychic prison that incarcerated firefighters and California residents alike fall into.

      i love this--looking at the issue from multiple angles and lenses reveals what is otherwise hidden.

    15. Incarcerated firefighters can get caught in the psychic prison of viewing their work as a great opportunity for greater freedom and excitement, when in reality it is exhausting, dangerous, and close to slave labor.

      here is the pivot!

    16. incarcerated firefighters do not have a path to working as full firefighters upon their release. There are multiple barriers to using their training and experience to their fullest extent. Former convicts released on parole often have travel limitations that restrict them from even going near the wildfires. In addition, convictions often bar people from earning EMT certification, a requirement for most city and county fire departments (Mota, 2020). The skills and training that inmates gather while in prison are suddenly useless when they return to daily life, and so they struggle.

      more domination and social death here

    17. ncarcerated firefighters are allowed to be paid close to nothing, while non-incarcerated firefighters can earn six-figure salaries and receive excellent benefits

      yes

    18. Inmates even receive praise from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which is uncommon for a prison and prisoner relationship: “While out with the strike team recently, CAL FIRE Chief Jeremy Brandt commended the crews for their incredible work and bravery” (Instagram, 2020). Overall, the combined rewards make fighting fires into a very compelling opportunity for inmates.

      yes, all of this nicely fits with organism--and i like that there is a pivot here--that these understandable needs for affirmation and value can also become a psychic prison that hides the domination in fact taking place. all aspects can be true at the same time!

    19. Amika also describes another, more surprising, advantage of being with people on the outside again: “When the car carrying the daughter and grandchild of a correctional officer ran off the road and into the almond orchards surrounding our prison, it was my crew and I who responded to the scene. As we prepped the baby for airlift, I was moved to have a small child in my arms after so long away from my own kids” (Mota, 2020).

      wow

    20. I did it because it made me feel like I was contributing to my state and a part of the community around me

      also reminds me of organism--the need to belong, to have value, to make a contribution

    21. Our authors from “Chapter 2: Organization as Psychic Prison” describe the org-as-psychic prison metaphor as “when people become trapped (‘imprisoned’) in ways of thinking”.

      nice--such a great reference to what has come earlier in our book

    22. To most effectively improve these experiences, we will be analyzing their stories through the lens of a social critic seeking to re-envision the systems that we are describing.

      nice-- you remind us of the assignment's urging to take perspective but not in a forced or awkard way

    23. Utilizing prison labor to fight fires also benefits the entire community. The California and US governments are able to slow their search for more labor, and the greater people (and their property) benefit from the extinguishing of wildfires.

      here you show how we are all implicated in this system and rely upon it.

    24. Prisoners are motivated to put their lives on the line for these meager salaries simply to leave horrifying conditions in the prison. While they’re risking personal injury and death, they’re able to be outside and given slightly more freedom, giving them an escape from the US industrial prison complex.

      yes, another important point

    25. This frustrating situation goes back to capitalism. Those in power want skilled workers (firefighters, artisans, laborers, etc) to do their jobs when it benefits them, but not when the workers themselves benefit from their own sweat and tears. We can compare this to slavery, when slaveowners wanted enslaved people to do good work for the slaveowners, but not for the actual worker to receive recognition or compensation for their labor.

      great point

    26. Some may make $2 an hour, and others pocket just dimes and nickels (Fang, 2017). In addition, incarcerated firefighters receive nearly the same training as free firefighters, but are prohibited from joining the fire department when they are released from prison.

      infuriating!

    27. This system doesn’t just stop when inmates sign up to join the firefighters. They are trained, equip themselves with protective gear and hoses, and help to extinguish the fires that destroy lives and homes. They put their lives on the line for the greater good, and when they’re done, they go back to their cells. When the great state of California is burning again, they’re allowed to come back out and risk themselves all over again, with little in return.

      powerful

    28. capital plays a large role in the US prison industrial complex, a term that describes “the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social and political problems” (What is the PIC? What is Abolition?). This system has led to poor treatment of inmates, including solitary confinement, lack of healthcare, excessive displicine, and more (Human Rights Watch), in addition to extremely high incarceration rates for the US (Wagner & Bertram, 2020).

      excellent point--and really great sources, esp the use of Human Rights Watch!

    29. However, the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution clearly states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (University of Texas at Austin). The 13th Amendment makes legal and possible the practice of enslaving prisoners. This allows the prisons to use inmates as firefighters when there is a need for them, without proper compensation or labor benefits to the inmates

      yes, so well explained

    30. Reaching back to the capitalist themes prevalent in American society, we can see two paths that lead to this informal organization of incarcerated firefighters.

      i love this

    31. With more and more fires, the existing supply of firefighters has been stretched thin. In 2020, California firefighters are calling out for more help, but weren’t receiving much of an answer until inmates stepped in (Woolfolk, 2020).

      i see where you are going! the argument is building organically!

    32. Figure 1 above uses our metaphor of org-as-organism to bring together different aspects of prison labor and wildfires and show the relationships between these many systems and incarcerated firefighters. If we begin our scene with the concept and processes entangled with capitalism, there are two primary chains that lead to the use of incarcerated individuals as firefighters.

      so clear and nice use of existing diagram using the organism lens

    33. First, we view this system as an organism, acknowledging the factors and organization that contribute to its existence. Then, we see it as a psychic prison, where even those most harmed by this system sometimes fail to see the full consequences, and a machine, where humans are simply ways of saving time and money. Once we understand incarcerated firefighters to a greater extent, we’ll discuss where to go from here – what are the solutions? By the end of this chapter, we hope that you have a greater understanding, respect, and energy when it comes to this important issue.

      i love this roadmap. i love the tone, it is serious and imperative but also conversational and human

    34. enslaving prisoners is completely acceptable in the eyes of our criminal justice system, and putting them in direct danger is considered an easy way to solve our wildfire problem. While using prison labor to extinguish fires does have benefits to the environment, California residents, and arguably the inmates themselves, we found that too few people acknowledge the consequences.

      powerful

    35. urge you to rethink the use of prison labor in fighting California wildfires and support these pieces of legislation that begin to build a better system for us all.

      good--i like the connection to the reader, am looking forward to learning what you found!

    1. ment/d/1woBrHZSKOnPOTJR-0323JYzX7XOuUhfbS0OPH8FvraM/edit?usp=sharing  

      don't forget at the end to include sources cited and also this chapter was curated by and your names

    2. Our overreliance on machines is consuming us as a society.

      good point--is there a way to add an interactive exercise that asks readers to consider how what they take for granted as a consumer "right" like coffee is evil. also Geogia suggested adding prison labor here.

    3. In order to answer this question and think about the future of work as it relates to the machine metaphor, it is important to zoom out and analyze how on a macroscale we got to this present moment.

      i like this

    4. fictional character.

      instead of describing is there a way to help us imagine ourselves in these shoes or to see how this is not as far-fetched for our own lives as it might sound?

    5. unimaginable reach. Companies are forcing employees to adopt more invasive measures than ever to ensure their productivity doesn’t decrease during WFH and the result looks less like an employee boss relationship and more like ownership.

      explain to readers what WFH is

    6. ruthless practices

      this is my conception of machine. it seems so contradictory to the first conception presented in the chapter, is there a way to reconcile these opposing frames or to help me as a reader see their connection?

    7. As we continue in our examination of organizations as machines, we may not answer that question, but we will go on a journey to hopefully better understand the function of machines in an organization — whether that be in ourselves or our functions within the machine that is an organization.

      nice transition

    8. they can easily be found elsewhere. Can you guess where? Well, the ability for you to even guess could be a process of qubits being directed through biological superconductors where superpositioning and quantum entanglement is occurring. In other words, your brain’s neurotransmitters

      i do like this--it's not as science fictiony as it sounds

    9. There’s this new computer that is being developed called a quantum computer; maybe you’ve heard of it?

      this is the part Georgia is talking about, i think... is there a way to make it more accessible or as Georgia suggested digestable?

    10. And just like most machines, we need to refuel to maintain our energy to function. We put gas in the machine that is our car and we put food and water into the machine that is our body.

      this part seems super important. i think it needs more emphasis

    11. Computers do a lot for us. In fact, our brains and computers aren’t too different. Well, other than the human brain is biological and not man-made – right?

      it's interesting that what i assume to be mechanistic and limiting this chapter presents in a more organic and biological way. i like that my conception is being challenged

    12. Yes, ALL THINGS. The objective of this chapter is to help you use your imagination to explore life as a machine and relate that to the subjectiveness of organizations being a system of machines.

      beautiful

    13. important when considering the machine metaphor to be open-minded and to be creative in how you think about the machine.

      i love this caution note because i tend to dislike the machine and view it warily

    1. dentification and recruitment of women and minority candidates does not occur automatically as a result of following routine procedures but depends upon the initiative and effort of each field group and every individual faculty member.

      we could extend this concern to retention

    2. cover the faculty member’s performance during the preceding year in the three areas listed as the criteria for personnel recommendation: a) teaching and academic advising; b) scholarly and artistic activities; c) service to the College and other communities.

      here could be another place for conversation about inclusive teaching

    3. consult and incorporate into its report information from the self-evaluation statement,annual reports and teaching evaluations for the period since the faculty member’s previous review that are in the faculty member’s personnel file, as well as evidence of advising effectiveness (once these procedures are developed).

      ONCE THESE ARE DEVELOPED!!!

    4. the faculty member will prepare for the ad hoc committee an up-to-date curriculum vitae and a written statement reviewing the course of his/her career at the College since the previous review. The statement should address, but not limit itself to, the criteria described in Section V A of the Faculty Handbook, and should include a self-evaluation of the person’s contributions to the College.

      here is another place for diversity statement

    5. Comments received about the candidate’s personality should not be included in the report unless they bear directly on the candidate’s performance in meeting the criteria

      interesing!

    6. Request written statements or completed core questionnaires (in accordance with Section V.B.1.c above). Normally, responses must be received from at least 25 students.

      again, just to highlight, we can use the core questions and written statements to elicit student input/reflection about inclusive/culturally informed teaching and advising

    7. list of up to five students (including alumni if desired) with whom the faculty member has worked during the period covered by the review and who are, in the opinion of the faculty member, able to judge his or her qualifications.

      here, too, as in core questions, we can add language about DEI in the students' comments about the faculty member

    8. a statement of his or her achievements with respect to the criteria for contract renewal, promotion and tenure. The statement shall cover the period since the faculty member’s most recent review, or from the date of appointment in the case of a first review, and be accompanied by a current curriculum vitae and supporting materials such as course syllabi, exams, reading lists, assignments, manuscripts and reprints of articles, books, portfolios, evidence of community participation, and any other material that the faculty member wishes to bring to the attention of the review committee.

      here is the self-statement! broad description and no mention of DEI... this seems like an important place for added language about the inclusive classroom

    9. send to all students (including those from the other Claremont Colleges) enrolled in courses taught by the faculty member under review during the preceding four semesters of teaching (excluding any interceding summer courses unless requested by the faculty member), as well as send to all advisees of the faculty member during the period of review, a copy of the core questions

      look at these to see if we can add/modify existing questions to create space specifically for faculty approach to/care for DEI

    10. participation in the governance of the college (e.g., faculty meetings, college council) - service on college and intercollegiate committees and contributions to college and intercollegiate programs - service to field group(s) - acting as an intellectual resource for colleagues, students and the community - serving as a mentor to other faculty members -participating in the governance of professional associations - public, campus-or community-based projects that advance the educational objectives of the College - facilitating public access to academic knowledge, art, and resources - participation in public or community-based initiatives

      what about here?

    11. Through the annual review process, field groups, as well as the Dean of Faculty, are expected to provide early and ongoing guidance to colleagues

      i'd like to see analogous language in the section above on teaching and advising.

    12. campus- or community-  based scholarship, artistic activities, or other forms of engaged and applied scholarship

      also scholarship about pedagogy and mentoring, and in particular inclusive/anti-bias/anti-racist pegagogy?

    13. b. Academic Advising - effectiveness in orienting first year students to the Pitzer experience - helping students design courses of study appropriate to their interests and needs - assuring that advisees meet concentration requirements and the educational objectives of the college - assisting students in establishing summer and post-graduation plans

      could be added here, too

    14. Teaching - effectiveness inside and outside the classroom  - curricular contributions to the faculty member’s field group - curricular contributions to the educational objectives of the college - curricular innovation and development - non-traditional means of teaching and learning - supervising student participation in research projects - teaching, mentoring, or overseeing students in the context of public, campus- or community-based courses or projects

      no mention of diversity and inclusion or "increased curricular attention to minority issues and in ensuring a community environment which welcomes and values diverse perspectives and individuals of diverse backgrounds"(from DC charge in FH)

    1. 5

      i think most readers will need a little coaxing to find value in the politics metaphor... most might think politics as dirty, as morgan says, something distasteful or something they want to avoid. others might not have considered that politics can be part of organizations except in the sense of back-stabbing "office politics." morgan is trying to tell us that we are all political beings whether we recognize it or not, and all organizations are inherently and inextricably political because they are collectives where members compete over diverse interests, over resource allocation/decisions about who gets what when and how, and where power (and how it's distributed) is called upon to resolve such conflicts. here is always an element of struggle and voice, though to different degrees depending on the organization.

      i wonder if you could begin with a thought experiment... for example someone applying for a job and getting the job and walking into the office on day one--in what ways are all these steps political? in what way to they help us see resources, interests, conflict, and power?

      maybe you could open with such a scenario and ask the reader to imagine how all these steps are political--give them space to interact with the scenario. and then you could explain how the key elements of resources, interests, conflict, struggle, voice, and power are all present?

      and then divide the chapter into sections where you describe these elements in a bit of detail?

      and then at the end choose a couple of the podcasts and again ask readers to listen and to tease out where they see politics come into play?

      or give readers a chance to express/share a time when politics was something they engaged with productively, suffered from, or ran from?

      and conclude with your pros and cons?

      what do you think?

    1. This chapter is curated by Niyati Merchant, Noah Parsons and Holly Miller.

      nice :)

      i wonder if there is a way. to present readers with a typical, non brain like organization... maybe one you've been a part of... that lacks the essential things that make learning possible.

      and then ask readers to reimagine an organization that is holographic, where knowledge is dispersed and talents tapped into, where hierarchy falls away (one of my fav quotes from this chapter is something like in a brain org its hard to know who is the boss and who is the worker--see quotes in the sticky notes for this week in the box folder), where double loop learning is embedded in the culture...

      and then to ask readers what do they love about the idea of being in a brain org and what would make them worry or anxious if they actually worked in a place like that?

    2. Single and double loop learning 

      to me, this is the heart of the brain metaphor. what if you started the chapter with the question you pose and then do a little intro explaining/guiding readers through the chapter's highlights and why this metaphor is powerful, and then go into the difference between single and double loop? you could also begin by saying that most orgs don't act like brains but just go through the same processes over and over on auto pilot because we always did it this way or bc they are too busy with day to day work to think about how to do things differently or better. double loop learning sounds so good! but its hard to do...

    3. Genghis, the mobot cockroach developed at MIT is a practical application of the organization as a brain metaphor. Genghis has six legs and no brain. Each of his legs functions as a microprocessor and a sensing device allowing it to use piecemeal intelligence to think for itself. Rather than using a centralized process to coordinate the six legs and walk, out of the independence of each leg emerges a sort of pattern. Through this simple routine, the cockroach walks without knowing how it does so.

      interesting--is there any way the reader can be drawn in to think about our own experiences with orgs as brains (or our lack of experience with it?) or some kind of interactive question early on to draw readers in to thinking about the power of this metaphor?

    4. The brain as an information processing system  

      i think some kind of transition or an intro that tells us what specifically this chapter is going to cover and why. those things are important would be helpful. assume i don't know anything about this metaphor--how can you hold my hand and guide me through it?

    5. Is it really possible to have organizations with the flexibility, resilience and inventive ability of our brain? Such an organization would need to be able to distribute its intellectual capabilities throughout so that challenges can be tackled as a whole.

      nice--that is the kind of organization i want to be part of!

    1. Using politics in the workplace could be beneficial–for example, trying to gain favor for one idea over another, if that idea will benefit the organization. However, if politics become too widespread in an organization, this time-pull could negatively affect the organization in terms of productivity, accomplishments, etc.

      this was also raised for me earlier--maybe move this part up there and modify to fit?

    2. Why is it important to identify our sources of power?

      nice--i wonder if you could ask Jen to create something where people can respond and responses will be saved?

    3. You may have thought about different sources of power, which is also a valid response. Your power most likely comes from a variety of sources. This is reflected in the complexities of the social relations within and between organizations.

      yes, this is what i was alluding to previously--maybe this and the last section could be combined? what do you think?

    4. 13. Power One Already Has

      i like this one--we often don't think of ourselves as having power--i wonder if readers could be persuaded to think about the kinds of power they wield?

      i also wonder if we could divide power into formal and informal as broad categories and then include different kinds within those two? like a table or a chart? and then have readers think about their own experience and when was power wielded for negative outcome and when was it used toward a positive outcome?

    5. power is the medium through which conflicts of interest are ultimately resolved. Power influences who gets what, when, and how” (166)

      never mind--i see we need to have interests first to discuss power. is there a way to indicate that interests come first and power is the way to deal with competing interests or to resolve these?

    6. INTERESTS

      could you add an activity here? something interactive for readers to really see how they have interests, that interests are particular and specific and not abstract phenomena?

    7. But what is political about having a boss? Diverse interests! You want to get paid as much as you can with adequate breaks and sick leave while your boss is likely hoping to pay you as little as possible with minimal time off.

      so true!!

    8. All activities of an organization are interest based. But, people often have divided interests, and therefore organizations are not always rational.

      this is the heart of morgan, and you encapsulated it in two sentences. nice

    1. Colleges are a great example of this. As colleges become increasingly diverse and value diversity more than ever, the white male leadership norm has stayed relatively constant. 

      good

  7. Oct 2020
    1. having a more diverse leadership? Or is it more radical, like getting rid of the leadership and letting students make their own decisions? 

      i like this!

    2. Now let’s look at a more complex example at an organizational level. The “preferences and fears of white European descended people overwhelmingly shape how we organize our work and institutions, see ourselves and others, interact with one another and with time, and make decisions.”

      i really like how the flow transitions from "mundane" decision-making to the overarching complexity of orgs based on the dominant culture and its blindspots and assumptions, which hamper learning and adaptation.