REACHING INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL IN A COMPLEX SOCIAL WORLD

REACHING INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL IN A COMPLEX SOCIAL WORLD—a program taught at Strafford County Jail

Professor:  Candace       

The format of this educational experience is actually a series of workshops which will build upon each other, designed with three main objectives.

1. To enable the participant to recognize, evaluate and modify psychological and personal characteristics as they desire to maximize their abilities to succeed in the outside world.
2. To understand society, its dynamics and institutions, to maximize the individual’s ability to successfully interface with society to achieve worthy goals and to maximize cooperation.
3. To understand dynamics and particularities of small groups, families and relationships to enable the individual to maximize the potential for good relations and outcomes through interaction.    

A wide variety of practical, career, academic and scientific information will be presented.  Materials will be drawn from psychology, social psychology, rehabilitation research,  social psychology,  philosophy, history, cultural studies, political science, economics, ecology, career development research, resiliency research, health psychology and other fields to meet the goals of the course.

It is expected that, after each session, participants will have learned skills and information that will help them fulfill their personal life goals and better understand people around them and the society in which we live.

All that is required of any participant is that they question, discuss, argue, share, respectfully in class and that they develop significant journal entries on each topic.  To continue in the course, each participant must complete a thoughtful, insightful journal essay after each meeting.  This is your ticket to admission into the next meeting.  Without that journal essay, you will not be allowed within the next class meeting.  Any participant who repeatedly turns in “lazy” work that does not really include in depth thoughts and insights on the subjects discussed will be terminated from the class.  I am not asking for perfect sentences or grammar here, but I am demanding proof that you have thought about the material and can analyze it insightfully.  Tips on how to do that will be taught as we go forward.

There will be times when we work in small groups.  It is expected that each person will be treated with respect during these times, regardless of affiliations or relationships outside this room.  This room is an oasis wherein outside relationship dynamics will not be allowed to jeopardize the work we are doing.

Be engaging in this series of workshops, each participant gives his/her permission for me to copy and use material from their essays in my personal research, knowing that I will disguise identities in any case wherein anything you write is quoted or used in one of my speeches/writings.  Copies of your journaling will not be given to jail officials unless content threatens yourself or others, or otherwise includes information that is illegal or against jail rules.