Resistance Quotes

As I read the following quotes this morning, I immediately thought of 
resistance-as-a-resource.  The quotes are from the final chapter of 
Parker Palmer's "The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape 
of a Teacher's Life."  The chapter discusses social reform, focusing 
on Rosa Parks, and then applying these ideas to education reform.

"Grant, for the moment, that institutions are as powerful and 
resistant as the pessimists say they are.  The question then 
becomes, 'Has significant social change ever been achieved in the 
face of massive institutional opposition?'  The answer seems clear: 
*only* in the face of such opposition has significant social change 
been achieved.  If institutions had a capacity for constant 
evolution, there would never have been a crisis demanding 
transformation."  (page 164)

"My understanding of movements began with an observation and a 
question: many people give up in the face of institutional 
resistance, but others seem to find in that resistance a source of 
energy for the campaign.  Why?

I began to see that there is a 'movement mentality,' in which 
resistance is received as the place where everything begins, not 
ends.  In this mentality, not only does change happen in spite of 
institutional resistance, but resistance helps change happen.  The 
resistance itself points to the need for something new."  (page 165)

I recommend Parker's book to anyone who has a passion for their 
vocation and would like to further develop their ability to teach or 
mentor.

Sincerely,

Dave Hoover
http://redsquirrel.com/


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