THE NEED FOR FEAR EDUCATION

IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I have written about my educational and political agenda around the topic of fear. I am searching for the harness that may best fit the work I perceive needs to be done on improving the collaborative efforts of fear researchers/practitioners on this mail list and beyond, to all those who are dedicated to a better fear education for everyone in this world. This bulletin No. 4 initiates an international scale project of advocating for fear education and setting up a website on the Internet to locate this project.

        What Is A Better Fear Education?

Preliminary basic definitions: (‘education’ means from cradle to grave)

1. “Fear Education” —is the unsystematic, often habitual, way that cultures pass on (teach) information about fear and how best to handle it; in formal learning sites this may include information from psychology (primarily) but without a critical analysis of the knowledge of fear and prescriptions that follow from that knowledge
2. (Integral or Better) Fear Education —is the systematic, critical, holistic study of the diverse knowledges of fear (beyond psychology and common cultural biases) and the various ways to handle it within a developmental and evolutionary framework of understanding; this curriculum would be designed with the assistance of expertise (you folks on this list) and with the awareness of the 21st century demands upon us all. Currently, the fear researchers/practitioners on this list include professionals from Organizational Development, Business Management and Leadership Training, Security and Military, Sociology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Education.

What if a group of us was willing to offer a concrete action focus to our network. This would be an initiative to guide a project of action in the world? I would be interested to hear all suggestions and coordinate a discussion around them. I am going to start by sharing one seed idea that just won’t leave me alone. I’ll keep it overly simple and state some loose premises that have arisen from my research. In the future this will all be documented and supported more carefully.

ADVOCATING FOR FEAR EDUCATION: CREATING A WEB SITE

        Some Research Findings And Premises

The war without end, declared in a post-9/11 world, is the “War on Terror.”   I have followed the discourses of leaders and popular culture and noticed that the original “War on Terrorism” shifted to “War on Terror.” The latter description either equally or predominantly was commonly used. I believe all wars, violence, propaganda, (and “evil” itself) are a lot about fear, and many observers have suggested likewise.

For the first time, internationally, the world community (led by the American elite) have called-up the reality of the grand scale by which the world is controlled by those who can make others afraid, more than they are afraid of the others. But there are no escapes from terrorism and fearism—the cycle of violence is supported by the deeper more invisible cycle of fear, and the successful production/consumption of “discourses of fear”(1) in the mass media. I call it Fear Wars, of which nobody wins.

It seems humanity now has a vivid and explicit codifying label and sign (9/11= Terror) to remind us what we need the most help with, if we are to ever find peace and freedom for all. F.D. Roosevelt’s fourth freedom is “freedom from fear” (which became part of the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1943). I do not believe we have ever had the adequate fear education to bring Roosevelt’s dream to reality and in a post-9/11 world our fear education is more lacking than ever.

Between 1998-2000, in graduate school, I critiqued conflict education/ management teaching models and between 2000-2002, I examined fear education/management models—the latter, with relatively few actual models or manuals to critique. My quick finding: is that our fear education (in the largest sense of those words) in contemporary W. societies is about as inadequate as was sex education (generally speaking) 100 years ago.

The politics (power and fear) involved in the control of sex education is no different than with fear education. The controversies over them are likely to be the same, and with fear education I suspect even more contested. The difference being that fear education is 100 years behind the development of sex education and the current Fear Wars problematic is telling us this loud and clear (or not so clear). If sexuality was eventually codified into ‘normal’ discourse and study, then why not fearuality? The future of humanity may be more influenced by the goings on of the latter, than of the former… whatever the case, it is time to BEGIN A CAMPAIGN, on the web first (building expertise advisors and grassroots movement), and then direct our campaign to our leaders, to everyone, to begin a quality fear education (Fear Studies) field. We have conflict education, peace education, AIDS education, religious education, health education, driver’s education and so on… it is time for fear education(2) (at all levels, appropriately and developmentally designed).

        What I Will Do? What You May Do?

I will happily coordinate our energies, encourage and lead when appropriate, follow when it is advisable, and work my ass off to pull this off. I have dedicated my career since 1989 to this work, and I am in for the long haul.

I could use a little help. I am a professional educator and I love doing the research and developing the curriculum and pedagogy required to do this well. I already have accumulated enormous resources in articles, books, contacts, but now I need financial support and your spirit to go the next steps. The web site I have envisioned would be extensive in complexity but with a clear message, interactive, archives, and room for experts, and for grassroots input and exchanges… that is, fear researchers/practitioners, and concerned citizens.

I am asking that YOU CONSIDER STARTING THIS ALL OFF BY BEING WILLING TO PLACE YOUR NAME ON THE ADVISORY MEMBERS list which will be shown on the front home web page… as sponsors of this movement/ campaign, at least in principle or however you would like to be so located as experts/supporters. With that credibility and your help (to varying degrees), I will get busy on all the rest of the work and present a proposal for you all to comment on. Some of you will have more time and energy for this than others, and that is completely OK with me. The website will be top notch (I do not have details of that yet). AT THIS TIME, ANY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS as commitment statements would be very helpful to my going ahead and gathering the rest of the information required to build this website. I am thinking that you could be a FOUNDING MEMBER ($250 U.S.) to provide the start up ‘seed’ money. Other memberships can be offered in the future as the campaign enlarges and becomes financially sustainable.

In a year or so, the formation of the design of the Fear Education curriculum can start to come together, and your input (more or less) will be integral in that design. The pedagogical framework will be based on integral critical theory (Ken Wilber’s work(3) and others), which basically boils down to ensuring the knowledges on fear are brought together from all 4-quadrants of knowing (subjective, objective, individual, collective) which is another way of saying transdisciplinary. I am fighting for a critical pedagogy and curriculum here that would be exemplary of the highest quality because the content (fear) is of utmost importance to our well-being. People of all ages and backgrounds, need to learn to be curious and critical as to the nature and role of fear (and knowledges about fear) in our world. That is it in a nutshell. I want it universal but locally sensitive and flexible. I think this is my New Year’s Resolution.

I look forward to hearing from you and critical comments are welcomed. I greatly appreciate your work on fear in the world and your willingness to stay in contact with me and the movement.

Editor,
R. Michael Fisher, Ph.D. Cand.
Centre for the Study of Curriculum & Instruction,
Faculty of Education, The University of British Columbia
604 255-7996 Send financial contributions to: R.M. Fisher
#317, 1650 E. 5th Ave. Vancouver, BC, Canada. V5N 5K2

[If you want more information on my background/resume and publications let me know and I’ll send you more on e-mail]

Footnotes

1. See Altheide, D. (2002). “Constructing fear: News and the construction of crisis. NY: Aldine de Gruyter.
2. Some may think emotional or social education or emotional intelligence initiatives (or conflict resolution, anti-violence programs) are already in place and adequate to the study of fear. I could launch a long critique on that material. Basically, those forms of education are virtually enclosed in psychologism (the domination of psychological information, methods and discourse)—over, and above all other ways of knowing. I refuse to let this happen to fear education (although, the implicit “fear education” we get is already overwhelmed by psychologism). The integral (transdisciplinary) approach is my solution.
3. Wilber, a contemporary American philosopher, has published for the past 30 years an East-West synthesis of the evolution of consciousness. His latest books include “A Theory of Everything” and “Boomeritis.” Check the internet for more information or I would be delighted to chat with you more on this. I have just sent a review article to Harvard Education Review (a professional educational journal) examining Wilber’s work as applied to education (for adults and youth) and I could send you a copy of the draft.

FEAR RESEARCHERS / PRACTITIONERS BULLETIN

Bulletin #3

2002

Hi. This is the third issue of the 'Fear' Researchers and Practitioners bulletin in the past year and a half. I have been working on my dissertation mainly. But the thinking never stops as to what to do about 'fear' ... and especially, as I think about all you folks (13 of you) on this network. I have not yet been clear on what I want to do with you and your offers to help out. I assure you, I treasure your presence, and I think about you lots. Some of you I e-mail now and then, but for the most part, I am uncertain where to go next. I appreciate having you there to bounce ideas off, and to know that you are working in the world on 'fear' in some capacity. Let's keep in touch.

Bulletin #3: What Is "Integral 'Fear' Management"?

I thought I would share with you a first draft of some ideas for a book that is brewing (a couple of pages), as it expresses my 'fear' research interests at this time and a few generalizations from that research. Of course, your feedback and critique are welcome on anything in this bulletin and what I am up to.

BOOK TITLE (proposed): GUIDEBOOK TO 'FEAR' MANAGEMENT FOR EVERYBODY.

PREFACE

For many years I have been involved in an independent research and educational campaign to better understand fear and how to best handle it. The easiest part of this research has been to collect information on what people write and say about fear. My obsession to read everything I can about fear, from anybody, have proven useful in creating a wide and deep transdisciplinary theory on fear. I call this an integral theory, following the lead of the American integral philosopher Ken Wilber and spiral dynamics/values memetics theory by the American integral psychologist Don Beck.

Reading and writing alone doesn't make for a good theory. So, I've allowed myself to also learn about fear from my everyday experiences and those of others. But the hardest part of this research has involved the decision (and practice) of keeping an open mind, as much as possible, in pursuing this passion; because fear generally seems to close the mind to overly simplistic (often convenient and habitual) ideas, thinking, analysis, and partial solutions to problems. Such partial solutions often turn out to create worse problems. Long ago, I knew that fear was creating lots of problems in our world, and at times, I and other authors, have suggested that fear is the cause of all "evils." Since that conclusion, I've come to think it is overly simplistic, even close-minded, and probably fear-based itself-- or at least, I find it isn't a very useful conclusion in practical applications to our everyday world.

When I talk to people about my work, they are usually interested to some degree, but virtually all people I meet do not want to know any more than the smallest surfaces of what I am discovering. Authentic curiousity about fear research and fear education is a rare bird indeed. In the past decade or more, the general 'educated' emphasis of curiousity has been more on "love" and the hopeful-- that is, things that are "positive." It is virtually impossible to get people talking about fear itself, let alone fear management theory, without them trying every defensive strategy to avoid the word fear, because they complain to me that fear is "too negative" and by focusing on fear you will only attract more of it. Those who like to talk about fear, talk about their fears narcissistically and endlessly. They seem unwilling or incapable to talk about fear itself, or what I prefer to talk systemically and universally about under the labels 'Fear' Project, spectrum of 'fear', "culture of fear," 'Fear' Matrix and so on. In this book I suggest that a concept like fearuality (equivalent in importance to sexuality) may provide a more desirable entry point to research and learn more about 'fear.' I have no one solution to these problems. But I do have a particularly active imagination to reconceptualize and disrupt common ways of knowing fear, and it is a lot of fun when you get the hang of it.

Thus, the climate for the study of fear has been strongly resistant to further development of more complex and subtle theories of fear. I have often felt that fear itself has prevented the improvement of the knowledge about fear and how best to manage fear. I have a hunch that fear itself cannot see fear itself. My thesis is that the greatest universal fear is that fear is not what we think it is (or is supposed to be). Because of this conundrum in doing fear research and in teaching about fear and its management, I decided to re-label fear as 'fear.' The latter, is the term I prefer to use, as it indicates that maybe we don't know quite as much about 'fear' as we thought we did. I am convinced after 15 years of research on this topic, that 'fear' is much more complex and subtle than fear. Managing 'fear' therefore brings us to critically assess all the writing humans have ever done regarding fear and all the derivative practices prescribed of how to best handle it.

INTRODUCTION

I imagined one day that all that is written and know about fear is exactly what is not known about 'fear.' That confused me more than ever. I think that is also a good place to start 'fear' research and education. Today, I know, with a good deal of certainty, that there is a serious lack of critical evaluation (perspective) of everything everybody knows about fear and how to best handle it. I envision, with a lot of supportive evidence from cultural and media studies especially, that fear has changed into a new "species" unlike anything that all the past writing on fear has known, or could have predicted. This book is a search for that new "species" (I label 'fear') and an attempt to relate to you what I know about it, so far.

Integral 'Fear' Management (IFM) is one of the forms of developing Integral 'Fear' Theory (IFT). IFM is the most pragmatic and technical form aimed at the everyday handling of 'fear'-- of managing 'fear' by everybody. The Guidbook To 'Fear' Management For Everybody is one of the important resources required in the IFM Movement to improve the everyday handling of 'fear' at the individual and collective levels around the world. It is a guidebook that is first and foremost for those who can understand the necessity of managing systems of complexity. Thus, this book is likely to appeal to facilitators, managers and leaders in various domains of social life.

This book is for learners and for teachers of 'fear' management. 'Fear' management is a term that is not commonly used in most places of our lives. It is not mentioned in conflict and peace studies texts. Most often we use language like "stress management," "coping with fear," or "building security" to name programs and curriculum that attempt to help us handle 'fear' effectively and/or better than we currently are. This book is based on the view that humanity now requires a clear declaration of its major problems and their intimate relationship to 'fear' management.

A significant turning point in human evolution, at least from a Western perspective, is taking place as the world is being coerced into the American-led "War on Terror(ism)"-- which officially became titled after the September 11th attack on the United States, by what have been called by many observers, "Islamic extremists" or "terrorists." Terror, a form of 'fear,' is now front and center in public life and international political affairs, perhaps, unlike any other time in history. The other day, the president of the United States gave a national speech to Americans in which he declared "We refuse to live in a future of fear!" He was referring to the current "War on Terror(ism)" and the plans to possibly attack Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Today's international landscape has shown all of us the direct relationship of 'fear' to violence and war. How we manage these difficult problems in the future will determine our quality of life, our children's lives, and the generations to come, if not our very survival as a species. IFM is the first systematic and holistic approach to the management of 'fear' for everybody.

 ;   to be cont'd....

FEAR RESEARCHERS / PRACTITIONERS BULLETIN

Bulletin #2

September 2001

This is the second communique re: 'Fear' Researchers'/Practitioners' Network. The first communique included nine assumptions and a "dream list" for this beginning network.

BEGINNING FEAROLOGY: THE WORLD HAS CHANGED

Terms:  

fear - refers to what we commonly think of with this word 'fear'- refers to what we may not commonly think of with this word, acknowledging that we may conceptualize it very differently across disciplines, and cultures etc.; it means something expanded beyond normal use of fear

fearology - the study of fear/'fear' (and fearlessness) in relation to Life.

Although these three terms above may sound simple, I have found them to be the most complex and intriguing of all ideas to investigate. In our current world of terror(ism), I have thought we ought to have the concept of fear(ism) but for some reason we don't. We do have the discipline of errorology (and killology, victimology, traumatology etc.) but for some reason no one has suggested we ought to have the discipline fearology. We have a large body of research and writing on conflict management to guide us but we have virtually nothing called "fear management". That seems odd to me. That seems a problem, based on the type of new world we are entering. So, today, officially, I begin to introduce the discipline of fearology into a post-Sept. 11th, 2001 (NY/Pentagon) world. Everything has changed.

If the world has changed today, then the way we study and talk about fear has to change. At this moment I suggest 'fear' as one way to designate symbolically the post-Sept. 11th deconstruction of the term fear. At this moment, especially in North America, we are seeing the current state of 'fear' and the current way we handle it (and ourselves) based on our current methods of conditioning/learning and available knowledges about fear. It is a tragic time and my grief is deep but not fundamentally new or different because of my long involvement in researching this topic. I also feel strongly that we have, perhaps, come to the 'wake-up call' that the historical world story has long been one massive FEARWAR. We are going to watch another variation of the same massive theme unfold in the weeks and years to come. How will we ever get out of the cycle of violence of FEARWARS? How can terror(ism) be best defined, fought and eradicated (or, is it even possible), without the imposition (oppression) of a global 'New Order' that has all the features of a 'fear'-driven totalitarian police/ military state-- or, a world where a professional/consumer "industry" thrives on treating our 'fear' (dis-eases)?

My 12 years of systematic research on 'fear' (and fearlessness) has led me down many paths of interests and applications. My original questions have never left me but they have taken different forms over time: first, wanting to know why 'fear' is the opposite of 'Love' and second, trying to discover what 'fear' actually is and third, I have most recently shifted to think about the way a "culture of fear" behaves and constructs knowledge about 'fear' (and fearlessness). I have come to assume that the quality of 'fear' knowledge (and how we talk about 'fear') may be equally, or more important to understand and critique, than the ways we have been taught to cope with or manage fear/'fear' (and fearlessness). You can see my bias as an educator here. Fearology is a discipline and strategy to improve the quality of our knowledge about fear/'fear' (and fearlessness). From this discipline, and I imagine it as fully inter-/ transdisciplinary in scope and method, can come 'fear' theories and fearanalysis (analogy to psychoanalysis). A critical understanding of 'fear' and 'fear' knowledges can be the subject of a proposed 'Fear' Studies Program; and, following with a 'Fear' Education (analogous to Sex Education) as part of universal education worldwide.

Now, I am interested in YOUR RESPONSE to the world post-Sept. 11th. You are on this list of 'Fear' Researchers/Practitioners because I see you are doing some of the most important work on this topic. Send me a few words, a few lines, a few pages (and/or supportive funds and/or suggestions). At a later stage, I'll edit and collate your responses and initiatives on the topic of 'fear' and share them in a following bulletin no. 3 to you all. I also am planning to do a synopsis of who each of us (approx. 15 people at this time) is and our work-- all in time. I look forward to hearing your feelings, thoughts and initiatives on any of the above.

In The Spirit Of Fearlessness,

R. Michael Fisher

[feel free to pass this on to any networks or others]

FEAR RESEARCHERS / PRACTITIONERS BULLETIN

Bulletin #1

August 2001

As a 'fear' researcher and/or practitioner keenly interested in the nature, role and impact of 'fear' (in the largest sense), I would like to invite you to be part of making up an international (interdisciplin- ary) informal body of colleagues who wish to support and participate in an ongoing dialogue on 'fear' and fearlessness. This introductory letter to you comes from reading your important work and my 15 years of interest in this endlessly fascinating topic. I have currently attained a $52,000 Doctoral Fellowship for the next three years to conduct an inter-/ transdisciplinary study 'fear' and fearlessness related to violence and Education (including ethics, politics & public policy).

At this time I am soliciting responses from you and others who may be interested (more or less) in the following agenda and beginning assumptions (rough draft):

1. 'fear' is a critical phenomena in human affairs everywhere
2. 'fear' is often avoided as a research topic and discussion thereby suppressing the improvement of knowledge about it (about us)
3. no systematic or scholarly research on 'fear' has been initiated nor sustained that could pool together 'fear'knowledges from across time, disciplines, cultures, and honor all voices (marginal and mainstream, radical etc.)-- such a collection would require a database and clearing house functions for networking and advising on social change
4. 'fear' is now poorly understood, and prescriptions of how to handle 'fear' (individually and collectively) likewise
5. 'fear' and fearlessness are equally important to study as a dialectic (also include insecurity/security, trust etc.)
6. 'Fear' Studies ought to be a program in all educational institutions (just like Conflict Studies etc.)
7. a research bulletin and/or journal ought to be produced and distributed based on the above
8. conferences, think-tanks etc. ought to be designed on the above
9. perhaps a non-profit formal organization could be formed to assist the above

This is a "dream list" I foresee, but for now, I'm interested to gather the support and coordinate energies for nurturing the basics of the ideas behind this larger project. To keep things simple, I am willing to do the leg work to get a list of interested people together and we'll go from there with your ideas and interests. So, do drop me a line. I'd love to hear your feedback. Feel free to send this letter onto others (listserves etc.) you think might be interested. Thanks.

p.s. A favorite quote of mine from Albert Camus, writing in his underground paper "Combat" (French Resistance movement):

"The 17th century was the century of mathematics. The 18th century physics. The 19th century was the century of biology and the 20th century is the century of fear."

In The Spirit Of Fearlessness,
R. Michael Fisher, MA