Premodernism
Disccussion
Premodernism
(written in the context of therapeutic practice)
By Emiliano Gonzalez & Marie Faubert:
"People with premodern perspectives tend to not separate the spirit world from the physical world (Crouse, 2013; Feldman, 2000). One of the most important aspects to keep in mind about this way of thinking, the premodern perspective, is people think in terms of the whole rather than the division between body and soul or the physical and spiritual (Crouse, 2013). They embrace a holistic view of the world. Premodern perspectives can be understood as including both/and instead of either/or. Premodern perspectives do not see things as good or bad, beautiful or ugly; rather, aspects of life can be both good and bad, beautiful and ugly simultaneously. People who hold premodern views are not necessarily or strictly dichotomous. They were not influenced by the duality of René Descartes (1596-1650) and other thinkers and writers of the Enlightenment, which was at its height in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and emphasized individual rights and freedoms. Premodern thinkers construe the self as interdependent (Matsumoto, 1994); the group comes before the individual. Integral unity is part of identity when everyone depends on the whole community for survival (Levi-Strauss, 1966). The sense of the “other” (as different from “me”) was further strengthened by the scientific process of classification, which focuses on distinctions rather than similarities between phenomenon (Spary, 1999). When things are unclassified, they are left open to new possibilities and are undefined, whereas classifications lead to preconceptions and are often limiting. Crouse (2013) and Feldman (2000) describe the premodern framework of individuals as one that does not separate the spirit world from the physical or material world and frames explanations in spiritual terms. History shows that agrarian societies had a close relationship between the cosmological cycle of the days and change of seasons and their daily activities, and relationship between production and their livelihoods (Havens, 2015). This intimate connection with the forces of nature seemed to influence how people viewed the supernatural powers working behind the scenes. Premodern perspectives involve a way of making meaning of the world. Some may say, “My daughter is possessed”, or “my grandmother put a hex on me and I want to get rid of it.” Clients who embrace a premodern perspective may integrate prayer and God’s will into their stories or understandings of their lives. This follows the idea that spiritual beings are universal to all human cultures, understanding experience as an interaction of the spirit world and the physical world based on what can be gleaned from the earliest literature from China and Africa, and ethnographic studies carried out by anthropologists over the past century (Crouse, 2013; Feldman, 2000; Bellah,1964). Premodern thought has no problem with what cannot be counted and measured, and what cannot be verified. There are influences over which people do not have control. Instead, being able to interpret the environment in which one lives according to the spirit world brings peace and harmony to many clients. Counselors will encounter clients who will depend upon their faith and prayer to make major decisions. Collaborative-dialogic counselors use their professional understanding of premodern thinking to walk with their clients. The premodern perspectives presented by clients most likely will integrate other ways of thinking in their stories and ways of making decisions. The both/and perspective of premodern thinking is very different from the either/or thinking of the modern perspective. The philosophical underpinning of premodern philosophy does not challenge what is understood. No theory of counseling is premodern, but counselors will meet premodern thought among their clients. For instance, recently, a gentleman said, “I am doing what my grandfather and father have done before me. All I want is for them to be proud of me.” For this person, choice is limited to what was expected of him, and he is comfortable with fulfilling the expectations of his grandfather and father."
Characteristics:
1. Human behavior is highly influenced by the spirit world; people have a strong inclination to be fatalistic, that is, take life as it comes as shown by Evo;
2. People are part of a community in which they have influence on one another and are expected to meet the folk ways and mores of their society, especially in their close relationships in a given culture or familial connections;
3. People explain what happens to them as the Will of God. Many believe some members of the community have a special relationship with God and can act as a liaison between them and God;
4. The history of many people is transmitted by word of mouth who have learned it by hearing it through stories passed from one generation to another without questioning it;
5. Facts are explained by the “Power of God” over them. There are evil spirits, and some people believe they or others have access to the spirits. When a client says that a hex has been put on them, and only their grandmother can remove it, they are speaking within a premodern perspective. Such clients may find it difficult to relate to the idea of individual choice, especially when they come from a collectivist group;
6. What is expected of human behavior is embedded in family, community, and being in harmony with the world; and
7. Persons and environment are not separate; they are interacting in harmony, (Watters, 2010)."
More information
See: Transmodernism