H E N T N E W S
Sept 5th, 2005 Send this email to a friend
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H E N T N E W S |
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Sept 5th, 2005 Send this email to a friend |
Issue 15: Integral Theory - Part 3
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Values and vMemes Recent curriculum design in Tasmania has been built on shared underpinning values. However some educators are concerned that we have not taken into account the diversity of value systems held by students. This might be addressed by considering the implications of different value-memes for learning and teaching. The term 'meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins who used the analogy of a gene to refer to units of cultural meaning that evolve over time. Within Integral Theory memes can refer to beliefs about what is real or worldviews in general. One popular model colour-codes eight memes from beige to turquoise, each new level of meme being inclusive of the previous. This can be represented in a nested way as follows:
Within each meme people have different values (v-memes), different ways of thinking and acting, and a different sense of life meaning.
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Spiral Models of Memes Memes are often represented as a dynamic spiral in a field called Spiral Dynamics.
See the following link for an animated flash graphic of a spiral. (Allow a couple of minutes for the page to complete its download). Spiral Dynamics Flash Interactive Model
Spiral Dynamics Poster
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Memes and Learning and Teaching This more complex integral view of values may better reflect what teachers experience in classrooms and goes someway towards responding to the criticism that curriculum might only “reflect the middle-class value system of its writers.” For example, consider the concept of empowerment and how it might be approached within each meme:
A memetic perspective can clarify different approaches to empowerment and value them all within a curriculum. Different memes/worldviews are also associated with particular needs and learning and teaching preferences.
It is important to note that any one individual usually operates across several memes and cannot be labeled as 'Orange'. An individual often has different memes (or worldviews) in different areas of human experience. For example a person may hold ‘traditional-driven’ family values, ‘success-driven’ professional values and ‘order-driven’ political values. The following example shows how memes can be mapped across the quadrants according to Integral Theory.
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Spiral Dynamics and Integral Theory Quadrants
Click here for an excellent graphic that looks at memes across the quadrants. Includes advantages and pitfalls for each meme.
Allow a few moments for the page to
complete loading before moving your mouse over the words on the right.
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Have we been a little too simplistic in our discussion of the values underpinning curriculum? |
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