On change

[edricus]

Some of my friends on FB write about that the SCA is falling appart and that E-SCA is breaking the fun.

In my mundane life I work with organizational development and at times with Change management which also means trying to understand why certain responses show up.

My feeling is that many of us who are a bit older in the SCA feel that the discussions that are being held are emotionally difficult, we might not be consious of the respons or why we feel the way we do. Now of course discussions about racism and sexism are difficult subjects to get to grips with. We have most likely allways has had the problems but that is a different issue, I am trying to understand the respons to the situation.

So in a way I beleive that the SCA (or any hobby) has been a place where you actually could turn off the outside world and not have to care about it. The problems of everyday were simply left at the door, everybody could leave their luggage, come in rest and recouperate and then go back to the outside world feeling a bit refreshed.

But now suddenly this calm haven of life has left the door wide open and all of the problems from the outside come into this in someway sacred space. You suddenly encounter the discussions you have at work and read of in the newspapers and hear on the news, in this part of your life that before you saw as safe.

I believe that the discussions happening now are necessary, but I understand that they will be painfull. I wrote this down in order to have an idea of why certain responses show up. It is not that people disagree on the issues as much as they most likely have an unconcious emotional respons to a difficult question and most people act on change and problems with a form of denial.

Change takes time, it is not just a matter of changing a policy, this deals with culture, and in general culture eats strategy for breakfast.

Comments

[annaw]

Interesting! My view has been that the move to E-SCA delayed this conversation by about three months, as we all sort of collectively shifted our attention to trying to keep the hobby together in an environment where we can't travel.

[edricus]

That might very well be true, I did not think about the timing but I believe that the effect would have been similar.

Tough I believe that the "blame" put on the E-SCA is more of a symptom of FB as a forum for discussions and that the subjects would still make people look for the good old days.

[gothwalk]

To be honest, I'm deeply uncomfortable with the idea that the SCA can be (or ever was) in some way insulated from the rest of the world - it seems to me that that's an attitude that can only be taken by the people who are at the apex of privilege externally, and just don't want to hear about less advantaged people's problems for a while.

It's pretty clear - even without being on FB at the moment - who's complaining, and they're mostly well-established people who resent being asked to change anything ("SCA falling apart" is so characteristic that I was able to identify the writer immediately). They're also almost all people who are positions of supposed role modelling and responsibility, which I find almost grimly amusing.

So my sympathy for the people who are only now finding accommodating the less fortunate a little bit difficult is really limited.

[edricus]

Interesting my mind do not tend to work in those ways, but I do see you point.

I have a tendency to analyse situations and trying to understand them without really considering if that is good or bad. More as a way of trying to facilitate change rather than find blame in individuals, who most likely are acting within the paramaters of a system or organization.

When I look at the situation I get the feeling there are many who belive that the SCA has been insulated from the outside world, even if it is true as you point out that is very unlikely that this has ever been the case, more like "those who stay in bias" than reality. And that people also belive it should be insulated.

For those individuals who perhaps have been trying to avoid the exposure of the discussion/ questions it will be a tougher journey.

I think it is quite possible that those who objected simply decided to leave over they years.

[gothwalk]

I strongly suspect we've lost a lot of people over the years due to established people enacting privilege in comfort, to be honest. The very low number of women involved in armoured combat until very recently is one indicator of this; the very low number of women reaching the higher levels of fencing ranks is another.

I know of a few cases (mostly second hand) where people came in, looked at the "non-political" position taken, decided (pretty reasonably) that that equated to support of the status quo, and went elsewhere. I know of a few more people who went away after some time because they felt they weren't being accepted, that they were still being treated as token representatives of their gender, sexuality or race, and weren't included in the same way.

And while the invisibility of this to the established folk is absolutely the case, once they're told it's there, they should be able to see the outlines at least. At an absolute minimum, pretending that there is no bias or privilege in the world has to go.

The recent evidence arising of a knight and royal peer actively working against minorities is, of course, a whole new level of fetch-the-petrol-can.

[edricus]

Good observations. I believe you are correct in your suspicions.

[evaelisabeth]

I think part of the dynamic is also that we like to think our friends and acquaintances are at least similar in their values and morals as we are. When that turns out to not be the case it's extremely hurtful and distressing. It's a difficult and painful process breaking that SCA bubble but I think it needs to be done.