Status stress and social structure - Lisa Iland's teen social skills as a model

[Tess Doucet]

Hi all!

I have been wondering: why is it so hard to make status interactions work to the group's advantage?

Yesterday, I stumbled upon "Girl to Girl: Advice on Friendship, Bullying, and Fitting In", by Lisa Iland. Its a chapter in Asperger's in girls, by Tony Attwood.

Lisa Iland describes social status in teen girl groups in highschools - who hasn't seen a movie or TV series about that? The difference is, Iland wrote this piece (in a solution focussed way, coincidentally) when she was a teen girl herself, to help her Asperger brother fit in. Aspergers typically have trouble with social interactions.

Finding this article was a bit of a Eureka!- moment for me - like finding that missing puzzle piece. What I love about it, is that it contains both some simple models (on social structures and relationships) and behavior examples (scripts). Also, typical "hit" and "miss" examples.

The problem with focussing (a group) on status without offering some sort of motive, direction or framework is, in my experience, that it will actually increase insecurity, fear and stress. That's also why status transactions can seem so invisible, intangible. The taboo protects group cohesion, shielding it from hidden status stress. So the taboo would hold especially (paradoxically) for groups with a lot of status stress!

I would suggest (and will try) copy/pasting Iland's approach to working with/training an existing team, to make members' roles explicit and thereby resolve "status stress" issues, creating a (hopefully lasting) safe group environment that will enable more cooperation. I would say, information about status transactions should be left out of the training. The difference between Keith Johnstone's actors and real life colleagues being, that the acting provides a safe fake world, a refuge, the real life colleagues do not have (or are not used to having), and moreover, have not chosen to enter/create.

I am working on a case that may illustrate this approach - I hope, successfully! If not, I hope I shall dare share my failure, too... : )

Please share your thoughts, hints, warnings and experiences!

Thanks,

Tess

Tess

[Craig R. Tavani]

Every person, on-stage or off, should act to create the optimum environment for right relationship. I find it interesting that you write, "acting provides a safe fake world, a refuge ..." You go on to comment on how "real life colleagues ... have not chosen to enter/create."

Doesn't the whole concept of "status transactions" deal with perceived reality? Resolution of "status stress" is found in how one plays status oneself. If I insist on playing a certain status without regard to the other who is facing me, then I will find myself under more duress than if I am more willing to adjust my status to the other (Keith Johnstone makes this very clear in his book). Of course, one must be sensitive to the other, something those on the autistic spectrum find difficult.

[Ruthie Levikoff]

Contact Carol Moog on the AIN from BalaCynwyd, PA (near Philadelphia). She uses improv with Aspergers youth in a school.