NEW FOR 2021
ONLINE COURSE: COMMUNITY IN THEORY AND PRACTICE
OUTLINE
The pandemic has exposed and intensified the existing inequalities of an already profoundly unfair society. Many people who were precarious and isolated before the coronavirus struck now feel even more marginalised. We are living through a social transformation whose outcome is uncertain: it is doubtful whether the “new normal” will actually improve the conditions of ordinary life. One thing is clear, however: more of our time is going to be spent online. Sociologists have even begun to speak of the Internet as our “home”, though for some this means the boredom and blurred boundaries of work-from-home. Psychotherapists and other practitioners who have moved their practice onto digital platforms such as Zoom may never fully return to face-to-face work, and this is just as big a shift for those who use their services as it is for the practitioners themselves.
Our habits and relationships are going to continue to be transformed in the “long Covid” aftermath. Looked at from one point of view, accelerated technological consolidation is damaging already threadbare communities by isolating people, meaning that there are fewer experiences of coming together in a real shared space. But looked at from another angle, online communication has the power to create new forms of dialogue and debate. People who might otherwise never meet can now talk via Zoom and other platforms. Do virtual platforms offer the opportunity for meaningful connection through online conversation? This is a question to be explored in both theory and practice by this new course. As part of the PA’s study programme, this online course has been developed to meet the demand for those interested in the PA’s work (and our continuing enquiry into the assumptions we carry about ourselves and others) who aren’t able to attend our established in-person courses in London. Building on the PA’s one-year introductory courses, the online course will offer an opportunity to all involved for prolonged reflection on the positive and negative aspects of online work at a time of change and crisis.
The course will comprise of three terms of seven Wednesday evenings (seminar and experiential group) plus one weekend per term. Programme to follow shortly.
APPLICATION AND FEES
Application is by interview. The course costs £640 plus a £50 interview fee. There are a limited number of bursaries available for students surviving on low income.
COURSE DATES 2021/22
20 OCTOBER - 1 DECEMBER + WEEKEND 11/12 DECEMBER 2021
19 JANUARY - 2 MARCH.+ WEEKEND 12/13 MARCH 2022
27 APRIL - 8 JUNE + WEEKEND 18/19 JUNE 2022