Level 3 - Structural Features, Part 2

🖥 Naming and tracing non-values

Example: Structural features which generate norms

Social Space: Criminal Records, Forum Thread

SF Consequences: Durability - Permanent

Norm Generated: Self Censorship

Social Space: A community center dinner party

SF Contributions: Pretext - Unclear

Norm Generated: Defaulting to a safe conversation, Small talk

Social Space: Ted/ Ted X Stage

Audience: Size - Big

Norm Generated: Polished work

Example: Political debate on Facebook

• Overriding Expectations

I need to come off as smart and informed (and think of myself as such)

I need to have a sense of orientation and understand how the world works

• Overriding Goals and Ideologies:

Ideology. Many, with a tendency to defend or support others in your own "tribe"

Goal. Running up points on the like button, feeling liked by others and liking myself in a medium where more controversial posts get more likes — this setup easily spins into hyperbole, ad hominem attacks and other unproductive forms of conversation

Goal or ideology. It seems incredibly important to win this tiny thread resulting in Salted-earth strategy, mic drop contribution, so I can leave this thread alone

Do those overriding norms evolve because of some structural features?

Expectations

• I need to come off as a smart/informed person (and think of myself as such)
• I need to have a sense of orientation/understand how the world works

SF:

!Status - Celebrity,

!Time Together - None

Depth - Mixed

Organisation - in my friend list

Ideologies

• Many, with a tendency to defend or support others in your own "tribe"

SF:

Connectivity - In pairs

!Gestures - like, love, haha, wow, sad, angry — follow, don't show, block

!Stakes - low,

Status - Celebrity,

Time Together - None,

Depth - Mixed,

Goals

• Goal of running up points on the like button, feeling liked by others / liking myself — this setup easily spins into hyperbole, ad hominem attacks and other unproductive forms of conversation

SF:

!Timing - Off the cuff,

!Organization - Shared topic - original post?? Is it even shared? Conversation drift / Lack of Shared Goal,

Gestures - like, love, haha, wow, sad, angry — follow, don't show, block

😱 A meaningless time you would like to redesign

💩 Meaningless Time (one that felt empty, pointless, shitty):

🌳 Personal Value that was suppressed (way you couldn't be/approach things/treat people):

...treat people with ...act ...approach things ...keep things

‣

Is it a value?

Let's clarify your value to make sure that it isn't polluted with norms, goals, fears, etc. Note that your value might already be on spot, in which case you don't need to answer the questions below.

• Would it still be worth doing independent of the outcome? If so, continue to the next bullet point. If not, it's a goal or fear! Take notes below.

"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if I couldn't affect the outcome?"

• Would still be worth doing if no one knew you did it? If so, continue to the next question. If not, it's a social norm. Take notes below.

"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if no one noticed?"

• Do you believe you could still be a good person even if you failed to be this way? If so, continue to the next question. If not, it's an internalized social norm. Take notes below.

"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if there were no rules?"

• Would it still be worth being this way if no one else ever joined in? If so, (after all the questions above) it's probably a value! If not, it’s an ideological commitment. Take notes below.

"How would I want to approach things/treat people/etc. if I couldn't influence anyone?

Write your clarified 🌳 Personal Value in the box below using one of the following pre-fixes.

approaching things ___, treating people ___, acting ___, keeping things ___, living life ____

💍🛃 Expectations that suppressed the value (following social norms / promoting ideologies):

📈 Goals/Fears that suppressed the value (strategies to get certain outcomes):

🕵 Goals & Expectations, Structural Features & Salvage

List each of the social norms, expectations, goals or fears in a grey box

Do those overriding norms, expectations, goals or fears emerge because of some structural features?

Click each toggle below and write the corresponding structural features that create those norms, expectations, goals or fears below

1) Expectation / Goals

Emerge from what structural features?

‣

Cheat Sheet

2) Expectation / Goals

Emerge from what structural features?

‣

Cheat Sheet

3) Expectation / Goals

Emerge from what structural features?

‣

Cheat Sheet

4) Expectation / Goals

Emerge from what structural features?

‣

Cheat Sheet

5) Expectation / Goals

Emerge from what structural features?

‣

Cheat Sheet

🃏 Joker-ing

Player one picks a scenario they want to disrupt. Player two play-acts their role in the scenario for about 30-60 seconds to set up player one with a game they can change. Once player one has made their move, they point out what structural features they changed. Take turns!

Pick A Scenario

‣

Teachers Notes

What value would you like to live by in that environment? How do you need to change the SF to make that possible?

2 person version - other person guesses what move they played.

🤔 Reflection questions

Think back to a recent situation when an expectation or goal crowded out a personal value of yours. Can you identify the structural features that were linked to this expectation or goal?

Think back to a norm that has been with you for a long time, e.g. one you picked up from your parents. Can you think of the structural features of the situation where it first emerged in?

At the end of this class, what questions remain open? What would you like to practice more?

🕵 Homework: Fieldtrip!

Pick one or two places this weekend to analyse, with the help of structural features.

Where did you go?

Generate a new template by clicking on the grey line beneath and answer the following questions in the grey boxes:

• What norms, ideological commitments, expectations, goals are prevalent in this space?
• Can you tie them to structural features they emerge from?
• How can you change these structural features to deescalate this non-value?

Bonus question

Name a personal value that is supported in this space. Can you guess some values that would be difficult to practice here?