Credit Where
Credit Is
Due
The underlying
concepts of WvS were developed by the late
Clare W. Graves, Professor
Emeritus Psychology at Union College in NY. Dr. Graves developed a
spectrum of progressive values systems called "Emergent, Cyclical, Levels of
Existence."
In his own words, Dr. Graves describes the basis for
his theory:
The psychology of the mature human
being is an unfolding, emergent, oscillating, spiraling process marked
by progressive subordination of older, lower-order behavior systems to
newer, higher-order systems as man's existential problems change.
It is not surprising
that Graves was not the first one to see this truth. In fact, the
Bible frequently reveals these "Levels of Existence" in its narrative and
discourse. Many of the systemic solutions of the Bible deal directly
with dysfunction caused by and related to these levels. One primary
difference between the Bible's perspective and Graves', is that the Bible
sees an end to the spiral.
Graves once said
mankind "finds at every stage that the solution to existence is not the
solution he has come to find. Every stage he reaches leaves him
disconcerted and perplexed. It is simply that as he solves one set of
human problems he finds a new set in their place. The quest he finds is
never ending."
On the other hand,
Scripture tells us that it is the failure of mankind to depend on God for
his existence and the resulting brokenness that forces the emergence of
new systems. Mankind's healing and the answer to his existence is
the reconciliation and re-creation available in Christ.
Even though the
final outlook of WvS and Graves' theory are different, it was Graves'
research that initially identified this systemic approach to human
thinking. Since the completion of Grave's work many have forwarded and applied this theory in
helpful ways. Michael C. Armor and Don Browning have applied this
system to church leadership in Systems Sensitive Leadership (SSL):
Empowering Diversity without Polarizing the Church (Joplin: College
Press, 2000). Much of WvS is based on their descriptions of the
interactions of the systems. Also,
Brain Technologies Corporation
has developed an assessment tool that was very helpful in the development
of our own.. |
