Memes and Other Strange Things...

From the Introduction:

"The term ‘meme’ was first coined by Richard Dawkins, to refer to an information ‘virus’, or a unit of cultural evolution. What distinguishes a meme from other forms of information or cultural values is that they seem to have a life of their own. At the level
of information, the term meme is used to explain phenomena such as urban legends and melodies that you can’t get out of your head.

At the level of culture, memes are those values and worldviews that seem to permeate and inform all perceptions of it’s

bearers.

The concept of memes was further expanded and included in a psychosocial development model called Spiral Dynamics, first proposed

by Clare Graves, and expanded upon by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. Essentially, the model proposed a range of colour-coded

(Beige, Purple, Red, Orange, Green, Yellow, etc) memes – each nested within each other – to explain the spectrum of cultural worldviews and development.

This model has subsequently refined by Ken Wilber, the most widely published academic writer in the world today, as the basis for his Integral Approach. In this theory, Wilber proposes that all individual, group, corporate, organisational and cultural experiences and development can be adequately understood – and thus appropriately responded to – with a recognition of it’s memetic structure and nature.

We have found that the basic premises of the Integral Approach make profound common sense in the arena of HIV/AIDS prevention, and general empowerment within diverse groups. It explains, for example, why Orange (technological, factual, rational) solutions – such as condoms – simply fail to be accepted within other memes (E.g., Blue, which is largely religious). In the same breath, it also
explains why other interventions succeed within cultures dominated by such memes (e.g., be faithful, abstinence).

Fundamentally, the Integral Approach asks us to step out of our personal (or organisational) meme worldview, and to seek to honour the meme of others. By so doing, we can finally ask questions such as 'What will work here?', versus simply imposing what will work for us."

The authors describe two broad perspectives of assessing where people 'are' under the heading: "Meeting People Where They are – an Integral approach to Empowerment " (At this point in the paper they also define "rapport" as "communicating – verbally and/or nonverbally – within the same type of consciousness; Connecting.")

• 1.1 Width (Horizontal Assessment):
  What are the dimensions of experience? There are three general areas: (a) “I” … Inside myself; (b) “Us” … relationships; (c)“It” … body, environment
• 1.2 It’s not working...
  
  What few approaches recognise is that the very consciousness – the language and worldview - of its horizontal assessment, theory and cosmology, is defined in terms the vertical focus of the consciousness of the communicator
• 1.3 Depth (Vertical Assessment): Memes
  
  What is the person’s dominant focus of consciousness, that determines his/her world view, value system of interpretation, and what realities and issues are real to them? This aspect is called their ‘Meme’ (a term used by Ken Wilber, the pioneer of the Integral Approach. Refer: A Theory of Everything, K. Wilber, 2001, Gateway). Examples: Survival, Safety in a hostile world, Strength and freedom, Order and Truth, Striving and analyzing to prosper, Explore inner Self, Equality, Synergy.
• 1.4 Empowerment in terms of vertical and horizontal assessment of consciousness:
  
  To follow is a very brief summary of the various Memes, which are essentially modes of consciousness, where each Meme includes and

  expands upon the previous ones (nested hierarchies). One of the basic objectives of empowerment is based upon the understanding that: each and every mode of consciousness (meme) is totally necessary and desirable, for the health of the entire spectrum/range of consciousness. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that each Meme represents a separate development entity, where you leave the previous one behind. On the contrary: Each step involves incorporating the previous Meme.

• 1.5 Development and motivation for change: Completion/Desire or Pain/Fear.
  
  At a macro level, we all contain the full potential for all levels of consciousness. This does not mean that we operate at all

  levels in this present reality. Instead, it is a process of unfolding, one layer at a time, one layer revealing the next.

The authors provide full descriptions of Memes. In brief they are:

1. Beige: Survival-focused.
   
   Social: A person, group or society that is operating at the level of survival: Food, water, warmth, sex, and safety. Habits and

   behaviour are directed at survival.

2. Purple: Magical Forces.
   
   Social: The person, group or society operates within a view that events are determined by ‘magical forces’, such as

   curses/blessings, spells, good/bad luck, all determined by mysterious ‘magical’ unseen forces.

3. Red: Power Gods and Leaders.
   
   Social: One or more individuals are considered to be powerful, heroic, and have more magic and favour from the Gods than others.
4. Blue: Righteous Order
   
   Social: Here, we have the introduction of codes of conduct – usually rigid – of what is right or wrong
5. Orange: Truth as independent (Scientific Achievement)
   
   Social: The shift is towards the rational, observable, measurable, as the basis for dialogue and agreement.
6. Green: The Sensitive Self
   
   Social: Emphasis upon lateral networking, and deconstruction of hierarchies.
7. Yellow: Integrative
   
   This is the first step in the Integrative Approach, and the emergence into the second tier of development.

Please contact the authors for the 15 page article in its entirety.