THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN RELATIONS

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THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN RELATIONS

• TIM DAVIDSON, PH.D.

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UNIT 1/ SECTION 1

• DEFINING HUMAN RELATIONS

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INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH

• A FAVORITE QUOTE (and why it is important to
  you), OR
• A FAVORITE HUMAN RELATIONS THEORY, OR
• A STATEMENT OF YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE.

e-mail your classmates your answer
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Readings (1)

• In Chapters 1-3 of Coreys text you will find
  important themes on theory, professional helpers
  and ethics for counselors.
• Expand your research to include the ethical codes
  for your chosen career. (See Corey, p. 59 and
  following)
• For those interested in classic texts, check out
  Carkhuff, R. (1969). Helping and human relations
  (Vols. 1 2). Troy, MO Holt, Rinehart
  Winston.
• Think about applying the lessons of counseling
  theory and practice to other human relations
  fields

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Readings (2)

• When you read Ch 14 of Coreys text, you have a
  synopsis of the book. This should be good food
  for thought prior to writing your paper on
  helping. Study the overview of The Basic
  Philosophies and Key Concepts carefully to
  determine what orientation is most aligned with
  your own preferred theoretical foundation. Then
  examine Goals of Therapy, The Therapeutic
  Relationship, and Techniques of Therapy to see
  if your preferred theory matches with your
  preferred practice.

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Readings (3)

• Ch 15 takes an integrative approach to the case
  of Stan that is followed throughout Coreys text.
  Think about Coreys organizing format for
  therapies as thinking, feeling and doing
  perspectives.
• Check out some of the Useful links (or do your
  own internet search on multiculturalism,
  diversity and change). If you find something
  interesting, e-mail the rest of us with your
  source.

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A FACULTY DEFINITION OF HUMAN RELATIONS(1)

• Human Relations combines theoretical perspectives
  from humanistic psychology, multicultural studies
  and other social sciences the humanities
  organizational studies and the world of work and
  service.

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A FACULTY DEFINITIONOF HUMAN RELATIONS (2)

• Human Relations creates a unique framework for
  understanding personal, social and organizational
  issues. The emphasis is on social justice,
  advocacy and proactive change to confront
  systemic discrimination and oppression.

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Q Does this definition of human relations fit
your understanding of the discipline?

• Q What would you add to it?
• Q What would you delete from it?

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Q What is your understanding of social justice?

• Q What examples do you think of on a personal,
  social and organizational level that have to do
  with social justice?
• Q Race, class, gender Are these your key
  concepts when considering oppression? What about
  sexual orientation? What about religion?
• Q How do you understand systemic problems and
  institutionalized oppression?

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ANOTHER DEFINITION OF HUMAN RELATIONS

• Human Relations is an inter- or
  cross-disciplinary, applied social science that
  focuses upon helping people through facilitation
  of understanding, communication and appreciation
  of diversity and change.
• Q How do you approach understanding and
  communication in your workplace? In your
  family? With your peers? Are you a better
  facilitator in one arena than the others?

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Commentary

• Think about the act of facilitating. Why is
  that a key term for a human relations
  professional?
• In what ways are the following (potential)
  facilitators different, and in what ways are
  they similar? A Master Sergeant? A high school
  teacher? A chemical dependency counselor? An
  executive officer in a corporation?

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Segue

• We will examine the concepts of diversity (Unit
  2) and change (Unit 1) in considerable detail.
  In this introduction, however, think about the
  following RESPECTFUL acronym.

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Ten Factors in aModel of Diversity(M. Andrea
and J. Daniels)

• Rreligious/spiritual identity
• Eeconomic class background
• Ssexual identity
• Ppsychological maturity
• Eethnic/racial identity
• Cchronological/developmental challenges
• Ttrauma (various forms)/threats to well-being
• Ffamily background and history
• Uunique physical characteristics
• Llocation of residence/language differences

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An aside

• The R-E-S-P-E-C-T-F-U-L model can be found in A.
  Ivey, M. DAndrea, M. Ivey L. Simek-Morgan,
  Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy A
  Multicultural Perspective
• Check out the Useful Links at the start of Unit
  1 Theories of CounselingMulticultural for this
  source.

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HUMAN RELATIONS

• Human Relations can be practiced in many
  settings. Its primary tools include
• Individual, Group Family Counseling
• Inter-group Cooperation
• Organizational Development and Transformation
• Q Can you see why Human Relations is such a
  broad field of study? Are you studying to be
  competent with all three tools?

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Human Relations Professionals rely on three
things

• KNOWLEDGE
• SKILLS
• VALUES
• Q Can you distinguish between these? What
  examples of knowledge, skills and values fit
  your chosen career?

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ESSENTIAL HUMAN RELATIONS AREAS OF THEORETICAL
STUDY

• Personality theory and major conceptual
  approaches to helping
• Classic traditions in human relations
  organizational and management theories
• Multicultural orientations to human experience
• Q Are you approaching your Human Relations
  study in a cross-disciplinary or
  inter-disciplinary manner?

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Conclusion of Unit 1/Section 1

• Hopefully, these ideas and questions will
  generate some of your own thinking about the
  field of Human Relations. Some of your thoughts,
  reading and research in this section will help to
  prepare you for the formal paper and informal
  writing exercise later on in this unit, as well.
• If you have comments to share with your
  classmates, send a note to the e-mail list-serve
  and see what happens The value of the learning
  process is always enhanced by dialogue.