Guy to Heidi
Integrative Power
Caution Tricky Word!!????
Integrative power is an extremely important concept which, unfortunately, can be
difficult to explain and even more difficult to translate. To reduce the risk of
misunderstanding we will try to explain the term in several different ways. We ask readers
to go through all of the explanations to make sure that they understand what we mean. It
is also important to note that our use of the term is likely to be somewhat different that
the definitions in standard translation dictionaries. Remember also that this is one of
the most important and often misunderstood concept in this training program.
Key points to make
- Integrative power is what binds a group together and makes everyone think that they are
on the same side.
- With integrative power people do things because they "want to" not because
they are being forced to or paid to. Or, put another way, they do things because they
believe that it is the "right" thing to do.
- Integrative power changes behavior through conversion and persuasion.
- Integrative power has a moral foundation based upon broadly accepted principles of
justice and fairness and not purely selfish motives.
- Different social groups believe in different conceptions of justice and these
differences are often at the core of intractable conflict.
- One example of integrative power is the commitment that family members make to one
another.
- Integrative power is also reflected in the common bond between members of the same
community and people who adhere to the same religion or have the same national identity.
- Most people have a large number of integrative relationships based upon different areas
of common interest. Occasionally these integrative relationships my bind people to groups
that come into conflict with one another.
- Sometimes integrative relationships are voluntarily chosen. Sometimes they reflect an
individual's origins and position within society (racial, ethnic, and class identities for
example.)
- There are also disintegrative forces which play a major role in identity based conflicts
and contribute to many intractable conflicts.
- Integrative power is based upon fundamental principles of justice and fairness which
people often neglect as they pursue more.
- Integrative power can often be strengthened through actions (such as public
demonstrations) which force by to acknowledge their own hypocrisythe fact that their
actions violate their acknowledged beliefs.