Donnelly Roark

Our divided politics, unable to solve the challenges we face concerning society’s hierarchies of injustice, poverty, endless war, and climate change, are now backtracking to even more division. But the reality goes far deeper than the simple politics of left and right. For true change, we need something more profound: a culture shift, a collective change of consciousness.

Fearless Change and Social Action in Difficult Times argues that culture shifts don’t just happen, they require a strong focus on social and cultural human connection which neither political nor economic power can provide alone. It is only deep participation and social integrative power which have the capacity to create these necessary cultural and societal transformations. Developing awareness in participatory groups of thought-worlds which remain out-of-sight but give cover to the implicit rules of culture and society is the first step to creating shared awareness of constructs and negative thought-worlds that subconsciously support inequality. Consciously putting aside those that are negative allows for the emergence of new positive realities and social movements. Thus, the real revolution is of the mind. It does take courage, but this is the process by which better futures are created.

Offering significant contributions to sociology and social theory, this book promotes an understanding that societal change is rooted in social power and cultural shifts. Inclusive in its presentation, students, professors, NGO professionals, volunteers, activists, and interested observers will find this book of high interest.

Paula Donnelly Roark is a social science researcher, writer, and activist. She previously served as a senior social scientist at the World Bank, and as an advisor to the British government, the United Nations, and UNICEF. She is the author of Social Justice and Deep Participation: Theory and Practice for the 21st Century (2015).