#Samsa Dilemma

[kutmusic]

Here’s Samsa Dilemma’s brand new single, titled “Kodama”!

[catinfroghat]

Synopses copied from wikipedia below.....

Crime and Punishment follows the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in Saint Petersburg who plans to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker, an old woman who stores money and valuable objects in her flat. He theorises that with the money he could liberate himself from poverty and go on to perform great deeds, and seeks to convince himself that certain crimes are justifiable if they are committed in order to remove obstacles to the higher goals of 'extraordinary' men.

Six years after the events of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley is now in his early 30s, living a comfortable life in France with his heiress wife, Héloïse Plisson. The lifestyle at his estate, Belle Ombre, is supported by Dickie Greenleaf's fortune, occasional fence work with an American named Reeves Minot, and Derwatt Ltd. — an art forgery scheme that Ripley helped set up years before as a silent partner.

One of Kafka's best-known works, Metamorphosis tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect (German: ungeheueres Ungeziefer, lit. "monstrous vermin") and subsequently struggles to adjust to this new condition.

The novel is set in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, and written in the second person. The central character, Maali Almeida, is a dead photographer who sets out to solve the mystery of his own death and is given one week ("seven moons") during which he can travel between the afterlife and the real world. In this time, he hopes to retrieve a set of photographs, stored under a bed, and to persuade his friends to share them widely to expose the brutalities of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

I love you if you vote ❤️

[maxcatz]

>chat i wanna get into vocaloid where do i start.

Hello, person on my feed! I saw vocaloid mentioned and here I am.

If you wanna start with the classics: World is Mine, Tell Your World, Miku, Meltdown, Rollin Girl.

My personal facorites though? Samsa, Better Off Worse, Volt Tackle, Jigsaw Puzzle, Suna no Wakusei, Hibana, Dilemma

Thank you so much !!! I’ll check them out later :)

[the-art-of-being-idiot]

Today,

In the first light of the morning,

I realized that what I had thought was a home was, in fact, a house of cards, with nothing around and no sky above.

I was robbed of any possibility of experiencing even a glimmer of happiness.

As quickly as she arrived,

She is now gone..

Forever..

Taking with her another monumental piece of my shattered heart.

This is the closest i have been to be a parent.

And yet..

Here im running from the early hours just because i heard her calls screaming from distances..

That voice rumbled my world..

She was calling me for help..

No one taught me how to help someone in need.

No one taught me how to be a parent.

And yet, here i am..

Passing all cars..

Breaking all the rules..

Going above and beyond the red lights so i can reach her.

A tear drop from her eyes when she saw me lamenting ..

I was crying like i was watching all my sins flashs before my eyes..

She was looking at me like she was blaming me for not being with her in her last hours..

So she can tell me how wonderful our days were.

And how hard she kept that secret deep down so she can spend more time with me.

I thought i was ready for death.

No one is ready for death..

And yet..

Here im facing that scene again.

Someone is going forever and we'll never gonna meet again..

Ever..

The anesthesia went through my vins before her's stopping my consciousness from taking a choice of dilemma..

Either to let her go or to let her suffer..

What i thought it was a bright light coming from the end of the tunnel, was indeed, a frantic train coming on in my way..

The world was waiting for my word..

I couldn't say yes..

I couldn't let her suffer..

Then.. the poison comes to tattoo my eyes black..

Samsa is gonne..

A joy left this earth to make more room for pain..

Gone forever and never coming back..

She will be in heaven..

And im going back to the oblivion.

She was one of those, blessed with soul of an angel and a touch to make me cry.

My love for her is an anger..

It will never set free..

[vixxiedust]

The Scholar’s Love Ch. 2

Genre: Romance, Drama, Alternate universe

Pairing: KenxOC

Warning: none

Summary:    

“You seem pretty passionate about politics, my lady,” Prince Jaehwan broke the silence.

“It has always been my dream to be an official, Your Highness,” I nodded.

“You can call me by my name when it`s only the two of us,” he smirked when I gave him a blank confused look, “After all didn`t have an unspoken agreement to get married?”

part one

Two. 

Which of the princes was he exactly? It couldn`t be Jongsu because he was only fourteen which meant that he was either Junho, the Crown Prince, or Jaehwan, the second Prince. I bit the end of my brush and chewed on it.

He promised that he`d come again but he never did. I knew that it was stupid of me to want to see him again yet I found myself waiting for his return. I tried to reason with myself that it was probably because it was my very first encounter with a man, so it felt new and exciting.

“Congratulations,” Adra interrupted my inner dilemma.

“On what?”

She sat on the cushion next to mine.

“On your essay, of course,” she placed her head on my shoulder and let out a deep sigh, “Why are you so talented?”

I chuckled. It was true that our teacher praised me for my last essay and he was not a man who`d speak empty words. But before I received the slightest of compliments, I`d get scolded daily. But recently I had gotten better both when it came to writing and debates. The amount of books piled on my desk along with the hundreds of burned candles were finally bearing fruit.

“You don`t seem to enjoy it here very much,” I said softly stroking her hair as if she was my younger sister, “Why didn`t you apply for a lady-in-waiting?”

“I mustn`t disappoint Father,” Adra whispered.

“Yes, we mustn`t disappoint Father,” I repeated automatically.

“Lady Nala,” I heard a boy calling me and when I raised my head I saw my teacher`s servant, “My master wants to see you.”

I nodded quickly but my heart sunk. I exchanged a quick glance with Adra and followed the boy.

What would teacher want with me? Did I not perform satisfactory? I strived with everything I could to be one of the best students in our group and it wasn`t easy. We were daughters and sons of scholars after all. All of us had had access to the best tutors. We came prepared to the Palace.

My teacher`s study was almost dark despite today being a lovely sunny day. He usually kept the curtains drawn. The aroma of calming incense hit my nose upon entering.

He was standing by his desk idly practicing calligraphy. He often said to us that nothing much was left for him to do since he was in the fall of his life. But we saw him working tirelessly despite the casual façade he`d put on.

I bowed.

“Master”

“You still have a lot to learn,” my heart sunk by the way he acknowledged my presence and I mentally prepared myself to be scolded, ”You are showing some advancement, of course, but far from perfect.”

“Yes, Master,” I replied as humbly as I could and stared at the tips of my shoes.

“Your father is a great scholar, so I believe you are not completely hopeless. In fact you`re less hopeless than many of my pupils,” he continues while his brush painted with beautiful steady strokes.

I inhaled the incense hoping to help me soothe my nerves.

“It`s my fortune to be your student, Master.”

He groaned and a drop of ink fell on top of his creation.

“You talk too much. I lost my concentration because of you.”

I bowed deeply sensing my impending doom. Teacher sighed and sat on his chair.

“Anyway, Minister Ha is sick. The weather has been so horrid lately and he has cold. He won`t be able to come to the Palace for the time being and the Imperial Doctor advised him that he should stay in bed.”

I blinked a couple of times. What had Minister Ha`s illness had to do with me? He was a powerful politician and I was a mere student of his friend.

“He needs someone to do the writing for him. Someone who can come to his manor daily,” teacher looked at me and I finally understood.

“Thank you, Master,” I bowed a couple of times, ready to shed a few tears of joy.

Writing instead of someone else was a simple task anyone could do. Any of his students could do it but teacher wanted me to meet influential people in court. He was taking care of my future.

“Don`t thank me,” he interrupted my erratic and excited mumbling, “Your writing is like a child`s and I hope your don`t embarrass me in front of him.”

“I will never to something like this on purpose,” I quickly tried to reassure him, “I will  do my best to uphold the prestige of our institu..”

“Alright, alright!” he waved dismissively but I knew that he wasn`t really annoyed with me, “Go away already and prepare yourself.”

It was stupid but I felt some tears of gratitude threatening to burst from my eyes. I brushed them quickly.

“Thank you, Master, I will not disappoint you.”

And before he could nag me again, I turned on my heel and ran outside.

---  

“That would be all,” Minister Ha said and managed to stand help from a maid.

I curtsied and started picking up my brushes.

“I should be heading to bed now,” he added quietly, his voice quite raspy from all the talking.

“Take care of your health,” I bowed again.

He didn`t go much further since a servant announced someone`s arrival. I heard Minister Ha coughing and instructing him to welcome the guest.

I quickly wrapped my used brushes in a thick cloth and put them in their box. I was so excited when this morning I was presented with a badge which allowed me to exit the Palace. For the first time in months I felt important and it lasted until I stood before the minister. He was an imposing man of forty and even sick and pale he still acted with so much authority that I didn`t dare to say anything except answer his occasional questions.

I tucked the box in my bag and took the time to straighten the crinkles of my dress because I didn`t want to embarrass myself in front of Minister Ha`s guest. I wasn`t allowed to wear my uniform outside the Palace so instead I opted for one of my own dresses. It was a simple light green one that I hoped made me look trustworthy and serious.

I was about to made my exit when I heard the visitor`s voice and it made me stop abruptly behind the bead curtain which divided the study and inner hall. It sounded familiar and I couldn`t remember where I had heard it exactly but it made my heart beat a lot faster than usual.

I peeked carefully and saw him. The Prince.

He was sitting there, smiling at the Minister and discussing the current problem that plagued the government – the flood in the Eastern region.  

I quickly took a step back and hid behind a decorative screen. I never expected to see him again. Too much time had passed since that afternoon in the library and it was evident that he had just flirted with me out of boredom and then quickly forgot about it. I, on the other hand, notoriously famous for not caring about love and romance, couldn`t do it. I felt my cheeks burning with shame.

I contemplated on the thought of remaining hidden there until he left but the Minister knew that I was still in his study. It would be awfully impolite not to leave.

Just take your own advice and be brave, you wretched girl. All you have to do is be polite and exit gracefully.

I took a deep breath and entered the inner hall with a steady moderately fast pace.

“Minister Ha, I bid you farewell,” I bowed, keeping my head down.

“Since you are training to be an official,” his voice rang in my ears painfully before I could even attempt to exit, “Please give us your opinion of the flood situation. Let us see if it coincides with Prince Jaehwan`s.”

I raised my head just a tiny bit and risked a quick glance towards the young man. Prince Jaehwan. This means he was the second in line.

I fell on my knees and made an unnecessarily formal bow.

“Forgive me for not greeting you before, Your Highness,” I croaked because my mouth suddenly went dry.

“Please, stand,” he said and I rose shakily.

The Prince looked amused and pleasantly surprised. His full soft lips were curved in a subtle smile. At least he remembered me. It didn`t, however, erase the fact that he just used me to waste some of his free time.

“The flood,” Minister Ha reminded and I stopped staring like an idiot, “In your opinion how is Crown Prince handling the situation?”

That was a tricky question. Crown Prince was entrusted with this task from the King. I couldn`t afford to criticize him severely especially in front of his brother. Be brave. You`ve done this many times before in the classroom with the other students. It`s no different now.

“His Highness has acted in timely fashion,” I said carefully, ”But building the dams takes time and resources the Eastern region doesn`t really have. I would suggest relocating man power from the Southern province.”

“King Samsa is waiting to attack us and weakening the South is not a good idea,” Prince Jaehwan objected, “They can only provide food for the hungry families. But keeping enough men at our borders is crucial for long-lasting peace.”

“The faster the Eastern region recovers, the quicker it will start producing weapons for our army. I believe that His Majesty hasn`t forgotten that our iron mines are there.”

“I haven`t, of course, but I`d rather transfer men from elsewhere or slow down the building process than leave our borders unprotected.”

“Potential war conflict is not worth an internal one and the citizen are suffering,” I was speaking louder and more confidently now.

“So you`re saying that my brother isn`t doing his job properly and the common people are paying the price?” Prince Jaehwan raised an eyebrow, a devilish smile plastered on his lips.

For a moment I had forgotten who I was speaking to. I bowed hastily.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, I am young and ignorant still,” I spewed the words trying to sound as humble as possible, “I am in no place to criticize your brother. May the gods punish me for this.”

He tried to suppress his laughter and I felt like an idiot. Minister Ha also seemed to take our discussion as entertainment.

“On account of your youth and ignorance, I forgive you,” Prince Jaehwan said barely trying to conceal his smile.

I hated him vehemently in this very moment. He was sitting casually, in his luxurious robes, being handsome and of royal blood and I was standing before him and patiently enduring everything while he was making a fool out of me in front of Minister Ha.

“Please allow me to take my leave,” I cleared my throat, “I have work waiting for me in the library.”

“Go. You did well today,” Minister Ha dismissed me with a gesture.

Relieved I curtsied first to the Prince and then to him and quickly made my exit.

The cool spring wind hit my face and I instantly felt relieved. As bad as it was, it was over now and could go back to the Palace and enjoy some quiet time with my books. I wasn`t a person of importance now but later when I became a real official I could face the royals without any fear and they`d take my words seriously.

I reached the front gate of the manor and as I was about to step out, I heard someone calling me. It was Prince Jaehwan. I sighed mentally stopped so that he can come to me.

“Your Highness?”

“Miss Nala,” he gave me the most charming innocent smile, ”Allow me to escort you to the Palace.”

I took a sharp breath. On one hand I was flattered since I never told him my personal name which meant that he had been asking around but on the other, I didn`t want him to take advantage of me anymore.

“I am not worthy,” I said bowing.

He lightly touched the sides of my arms helping me up.

“Miss Nala, you bow and apologize too much. Or at least ever since you found out who I really am,”  he stated.

“I am your subject. I ought to pay my respects.”

The corner of his lips curved in a smile but he didn`t seem happy. He nodded.

“It`s dangerous for a noble lady to walk alone. I`ll escort you.”

I couldn`t say no to him anyway but part of me was happy that we were about to spend some time together.

The main street was bustling with life and everyone was trying to make the most of the nice weather: street vendors, mothers with children, beggars, young men gambling… The occasional smell of food reached my nose whenever we passed by a food stall.

I hadn`t had much chance to stroll outside ever since grew old enough  to be considered a woman, and now was my time to enjoy this tiny bit of freedom. It felt strange to have a man by side though. No one knew that weren`t married, of course, or siblings, but the thought of us walking together openly made my face hot.

“You seem pretty passionate about politics, my lady,” Prince Jaehwan broke the silence.

“It has always been my dream to be an official, Your Highness,” I nodded.

“You can call me by my name when it`s only the two of us,” he smirked when I gave him a blank confused look, “After all didn`t have an unspoken agreement to get married?”

“Your Highness, I don`t think that promises are your strong point,” I objected, “You also promised that you`d come and see me again. I do not recall you visiting me.”

“Ah, so you`ve been waiting for me, Miss Nala?”

I said nothing. His hand brushed against mine as we were walking and I felt something. A spark, a spark which triggered an entire storm in my body. I was pretty sure that he felt it too. This gentle accidental touch changed rapidly the atmosphere between us.

“You don`t want to answer, I see,” Prince Jaehwan whispered smugly.

His finger touched my hand again but this time it wasn`t an accident.  He gently traced a couple of circles over my knuckles. I sneaked a glance and he was so focused on it that he nearly bumped into someone.

“I imagine you`re too busy, Your Highness,” I withdrew my hand and he returned his gaze to me.

“It`s true, I`m busy,” the prince admitted. “I have to assist my brother and my father because Jongsu is still young. That`s why certain promises slip from my mind from time to time.”

I nodded silently. Honestly, I didn`t expect him to start caring genuinely about me. We both had our own destinies anyway. And to add to that my father was only a third rank official, not even remotely enough for me to deserve a prince.

“That, however will change today!” he suddenly proclaimed and grabbed my hand, “From now on I will visit my lady pretty regularly.”

“Your Highness!” I pulled my hand in horror.

“Ugh, no… not Your Highness! Jaehwan, simply Jaehwan,” he whined.

“People are watching, Your Highness!” I cut him off, “You can`t touch me in public.”

“In private then?” he grinned.

“Anywhere.”

He stopped and gave me a thoughtful look.

“Yes, I know. Propriety is important, of course, but I have decided to be very serious about you.”

He sounded genuine but I knew he couldn`t be. Such marriage would never be allowed and I`d never risk losing my position as an official to become someone`s wife.

“Please, don`t joke around,” I managed calm myself down at last, “I`m honored to have attracted   your attention and it`s enough for me.”

“You sound so formal again and I just want us to be friends,” he moaned, “In fact I think it`s necessary to give you a token of my affection.”

The prince gently caught me by the sleeve and led me to a stall with lots of different trinkets.

“Choose whatever you like,” he smiled at me.

I scanned the jewelry and shook my head.

“It`s not necessary.”

But he was already browsing around the different bracelets.

“Is this jasper?” he asked the vendor holding a reddish brown one.

“Yes. You have such a good eye, mister,” the man said in a well-rehearsed voice, “It will suit your wife so much.”

“Right?” Prince Jaehwan exclaimed happily, “My wife will look splendid in it!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Your wife doesn`t need a bracelet because she doesn`t wear jewelry. And she is going home.”

I left him at the stall and started walking.

“Hey, hey! Wait for me! You can`t leave without me,” I heard him shouting.

I saw him hastily shoving some coins in the vendor’s hand.

“Catch me then,” I yelled and ran towards the Palace.

---

It was raining quietly outside and I was so close to dosing off but there were books waiting to be catalogued. Adra and I also had to transcribe a couple of books that our teacher needed so both of us were lacking sleep.

I stretched in my chair. The library was almost empty today except for a few scholars who had a quiet discussion in the corner.

I yawned discreetly and headed towards the door. If I was lucky enough I could catch a passing maid to ask for some tea. It took me some time and wandering around but eventually I saw a young woman dressed in brown. She quickly curtsied upon my request and ran down the corridor towards the kitchens.

I rubbed my temples and returned went back to the library. I had to finish things as fast as possible here because I needed sleep. I couldn`t present myself in this state in front of Minister Ha tomorrow.

I sat on my chair with a deep sigh. There was something left on the sheet that I was currently transcribing. A jasper bracelet. I touched it and strangely enough it didn`t feel cold. Someone had been holding it until a moment ago. Probably the Prince or at least I was hoping that it was him.

I looked around and he wasn`t in sight but his gift still brought a smile on my face. This time he didn`t about forget me and it was all that mattered.

[tempi-dispari]

New Post has been published on http://www.tempi-dispari.it/2017/11/21/fluttering-of-lonely-flag-video-del-primo-singolo-tratto-wake-gregor-dei-samsa-dilemma/

Fluttering of a Lonely Flag, video del primo singolo tratto da Wake Up Gregor dei Samsa Dilemma

Riccardo Pro: Serve un videoclip. Sempre grazie alla mia figlia undicenne Elena, mi metto in contatto con la scuola di circo che lei frequenta da anni. La scuola di circo Bolla di Sapone di Trento è una realtà impagabile. Oltre a sfornare artisti di grandi capacità, è anche un esempio di spirito collaborativo, amore per le arti dello spettacolo, motore di crescita sociale e umana per l’intera città di Trento. Ci mettono a disposizione la sala per le riprese, due ballerini acrobati e la loro costumeria. Incarichiamo l’eccellente videomaker di Trento Claudio Vinco di occuparsi delle riprese e di sfogare tutta la sua creatività tecnica per mettere in sequenza la sceneggiatura che nel frattempo ho scritto. E’ un video sulla cattiva coscienza dell’Occidente raccontata per espressioni, immagini e figure di ballo acrobatico sul brano Fluttering of a Lonely Flag.

Questa bandiera che sventola solitaria è un presidio di orgoglio e di resistenza, quando le ingratitudini e le delusioni sembrano abbatterci, la solitudine incalza e tutti intorno a noi sembrano impazziti. Noi restiamo lì, ben piantati a terra ad aspettare il vento che ci farà tornare allegramente a sventolare. Prima o poi, tutti voi siete stati o sarete quella bandiera.

Dall’aprile 2016 parte da Riccardo Pro il progetto Samsa Dilemma. Coadiuvato dal chitarrista Daniel Sartori (Otterloop) e dall’esperto di programming Marco Ober, Riccardo registra un nuovo album, nel quale suonano il chitarrista experimental-noise Enrico Merlin – eletto, nel 2015 e nel 2016, dai lettori della rivista Jazzit tra i dieci migliori chitarristi dell’anno -, al violino Vanessa Cremaschi – Orchestra di Musica leggera della RAI, negli ultimi anni ha lavorato con Blixa Bargeld e Teho Teardo -, al pianoforte il maestro Enrico Dal Fovo. Nel 2017 si aggiungono Fabrizio Costantino al basso e Fabrizio Keller alla batteria.

Uno degli incipit più celebri della letteratura mondiale suggerisce il nome del gruppo: il dilemma di un uomo, Gregor Samsa, che come tale si mette a letto la sera e si sveglia al mattino – dopo sogni travagliati – trasformato in un mostruoso insetto. Sono ancora un uomo in qualche modo o sono davvero diventato un mostro? Questo il dilemma che si pone davanti all’umanità intera, mentre scatena i più terribili drammi della storia, materia su cui si riflette troppo poco. Purtroppo non è solo la storia ma anche l’attualità a imporci ancora oggi questo dilemma.

Wake Up Gregor!! (Kutmusic, 01/12/2017) è un album di totale home-recording. Il titolo dell’album indica la volontà di svegliare il Gregor de La metamorfosi prima che sia troppo tardi. Con le buone o con le cattive, come indicano i passaggi umorali in tracklist. Simbolicamente, certo, perché l’invito al risveglio salvifico a un nuovo umanesimo è indirizzato all’ascoltatore, chiunque egli sia.

[penhive]

Literary Themes in Kafka’s Metamorphosis

Kafka is a prolific writer and is regarded as an early writer of existentialism and its ensuing character of angst.

Let me brief you with story and how it goes. One, early morning, when the sales man Gregor Samsa wakes up, to his surprise he finds himself to be a transformed into a gigantic insect. And it’s early morning, and he has to go to work. When he is not time, an officer comes to find out what happened. The parents and sister are worried as he is the sole provider of the household.

The major themes through which Kafka’s literary oeuvre can analyzed are lethargy, nausea, anxiety.

The first that creeps up is lethargy or boredom. Kafka becomes fed up with every day routine of life. The familiar surroundings of his house, room are all appearing to be an irritating symptom of the mind. Yes, Kafka is a visionary that mankind has failed to understand. Kafka is at a loss to speak as his voice transforms into an insect squeak. There is no room for Kafka to explore the realms of an aesthetic consciousness. The morbidity of life is an affected ailment. We have to ask whether Kafka is fed up with the identity of his own body. He is living in a Waste Land as proposed in Eliot’s poem. In the metamorphosis, life is meaningless and harsh and caricatures the sensitivity of an affected soul. Life is a tempted poison drowning itself into a  sea that itself is polluted. The charisma to live life to fullest is shadowed into a dark eclipse, into a stream where there is no hope. Kafka was sinking into a political and cultural dystopia and could not emerge from his self-created literary black hole.

The second theme of Metamorphosis is nausea or angst. The famous philosopher Schopenhauer said: ‘the will to live or the will to die’. The will of the writer is drowning in the personification of consciousness. It’s through the transformation of the body into an insect that Kafka epitomizes the negativity of the soul. Is the writer’s body an unrequited fountain of love?  Throughout the career of the writer, Kafka had troubled feelings with the father. Is he a being with narcissistic delusions of an oedipal conflict? Is the angst a plague to disguise the hidden existential trauma in the mind of the writer? The Metamorphosis as a grandeur oeuvre is caught up in the narratives of guilt and shame. The being is fictional self, warped, caught up in the anthropic dilemma which poses questions that cannot be proved or answered.

To conclude: Kafka is a metaphoric self of our being, our travails, or defeats, our isolations which make us humanely imperfect.  

[kutmusic]

Copies of Samsa Dilemma’s brand new CD have arrived! More news soon!

[pursuitofdoctorate]

Transformative Learning

When I think of a significant transformation, I am reminded of Kafka’s description of Gregor Samsa transforming into a giant insect in the novella The Metamorphosis. Upon reflection of this story, my adult interpretation is that it’s a commentary on the human condition and the mundanity of work. This is just one idea that comes to mind when I first think of transformative learning. However, transformative learning as a theory is about a different kind of change within people. A change that can result in altering perspectives, identity, and even society. Transformative learning theory has been the most popular theory since Knowles popularized andragogy in the 1970s. This theory has to do with how learning shapes people into something different than they were before. Because of this, transformative learning has in many ways replaced andragogy as something unique to adults. 

What is Transformative Learning?

Mezirow who first articulated transformative learning as cognitive, rational process, studied the experiences of women who return to school to prepare for jobs.  He found that their experience of returning to school made them question assumptions about who they were and how they were products of sociocultural expectations of women at the time.  

Mezirow’s early description of transformative learning included a 10-step process beginning with heat he called a “disorienting dilemma.” This is a significant personal life event such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, sustaining a critical injury, etc. Although a disorienting dilemma is often categorized as an “event” it can also be a series of experiences over a span of time that culumate into transformation. 

For example: 

After being subject to discrimination for a period of time, a woman may begin to question assumptions about equity in society. 

Self-examination with feelings of guilt or shame (upset this happened to me)

Questioning is the third step in the process critically assessing the assumptions you have been living with prior to the disorienting dilemma (that all people, regardless of their gender identity, are treated equally). 

Recognizing that this discontent is shared (i.e. there are other women who have experienced discrimination because of their gender; 

Exploring options for new roles, relationships and actions (i.e. learning about my identity as a woman and building relationships with other women); 

Planning a course of action (addressing sexism and gender discrimination in everyday life)

Acquiring knowledge and skills for implementing roles (learning about microaggressions and how to respond to them)

Trying out new roles (calling out a situation when witnessing  someone making a sexist remark); 

Building confidence in new roles (taking a stand in changing workplace culture)

Reintegrating new perspectives into one’s life (constantly noticing problematic sexist behaviors). 

In later writings, Mezirow discuss the role of reflection explaining:

Content reflection is what we perceive, think, feel

Process reflection is how we perceive, think, feel

Premise reflection is why we perceive, think, feel

He also notes that social action is not the goal of transformative learning; rather personal transformation results in connecting with others who have a shared mind which might result in social action.

In contrast to Mezirow’s cognitive and rational process, Drikx considers transformative learning as emotional soul work. In his view, epiphanies are the ego making conscious connection with the psychic content that was previously unconscious. These experiences are connected to emotions such as surprise of excitement. Attending to these emotions or “messengers of the soul”  rather than ignoring them is what makes our learning more powerful. For example, the person who experienced discrimination might have a visceral reaction of shame or anger which would need to be attended to, brought into consciousness, and examined as to why they felt this way. Dirkx explains that soul work is not intended to replace the more cognitive understanding of transformative learning but rather make it more holistic.

Transformative Learning can also be viewed from a social change or socio-emancipatory perspective. The primary goal here is to challenge and transform system of oppression. According to Paulo Freire,  a person must first become aware of power and oppression in their own lives and them work to change these structures. In Freire’s view the personal is inextricably linked to the political and in order to transform self, one must also transform society. In Freires’s model, conscientization where through dialogue and critical reflection, participants move from fatalistic, passive acceptance or their situation to realizing they can have some influence, to critical consciousness. 

Sites of Transformative Learning 

Transformative learning has been studied in a myriad of contexts including individual to classrooms. 

Individual learning is the heart of the process. No matter if it’s cognitive, emotional “soul work” or social change, transformative learning always begins with the individual. 

Higher education is a natural site for transformative learning because it offers an invitation to think, be, and act in new ways. These settings challenge learners to go beyond their learning. Activities to engage learners in transformative learning in the classroom might include dialogue, mentoring, experiential learning, and using art.

When teaching online, Dirkx suggests incorporating the six instructional design elements: (1) use of messy, practice-based problems (2) interactive and collaborative learning (3) group writing (4) individual and group debrief (5) reflective activities and (6) journaling.

Adults spend most of their time in work-related activities. While transformative learning isn’t always central in the workplace, it can usually emerge when getting workers to reflect on their role in perpetuating inequitable practices in the workplace. Brookfield explains that critical reflection in the workplace can be a very difficult process as workers are often, by virtue of their roles, colluding in their own oppression. Critical reflection in these moments can be in opposition to the interests of the company or organization.On the basic level, it’s important for workers to challenge the “this is the way things are” model by at least asking the question “why.” Some strategies that might lead to transformative learning in the workplace include modeling and peer learning, storytelling and dialogue ,coaching, and action learning.  

A community itself can be a site for transformative learning. Community activists and social activists seeks a transformation at the community or societal level (Me Too Movement, Black Lives Matter, Climate Change, etc.). The goal of these individuals participating in movements is to create broader social change which, given what has been shared about transformative learning and the individual, links back to the people behind the movement having experienced some type of transformation. A movement can also be a trigger for an individual’s transformation as well. 

Promoting & Evaluating Transformative Learning

There are several underlying components of instruction necessary to facilitate transformative learning including critical reflection, storytelling, artistic expression, dialogue, the facilitator intentionally creating space for transformative learning. 

While there are many pedagogical strategies to engage transformative learning, there are very few ways to evaluate this type of learning. Some scholars have argued that transformative learning doesn’t exist because it can’t be evaluated. However, there are ways in which to assess or evaluate this process. One method is to use interviews with learners and ask them to tell their stories. Keep in mind that Mezirow himself first development this theory after interviewing a group of women. 

In many ways, the emancipatory nature of transformative learning is deeply personal and varies according to each individual. As a result, an instructor can not necessarily state that transformative learning will be an “learning outcome.” Educators can create an environment to foster transformative learning but can not make it happen. In these settings, the instructor can usually determine if transformative learning has occurred based on the learners shift in perspective. 

Critiques of Transformative Learning

Newman, the critic who questioned if transformative learning exists because it can’t be evaluated, wrote an article which essentially stated that people are applying the label of transformative learning to all types of learning. Additional, Newman raises questions about transformative learning failing to differentiate between the transformation of identity or consciousness, if learning is finite or flowing, if there are ideal conditions for discourse to exist, if mobilization is necessary, and the inclusion of spirituality in the discourse of transformative learning. Many respondents to Newman state that he relied heavily on Mezirow’s early work. 

Nevertheless, some of the critiques are valid. For example, is transformative learning really a linear 10-step process as defined by Mezirow or can individuals move back and forth through various stages. Once a transformation has occurred, can it be reversed. For example, a politically moderate person has an experience which leads them to become more radical and then, at some point, they revert back to a moderate. 

Another assumption is that transformative learning results in a more open  and inclusive perspective. But what happens when the disorienting dilemma, such as an assault, results in a transformative where a person as a fear of a particular group of people. This could potentially result in the development of bias instead of a more “open” perspective. 

There is also the important ethical questions of facilitators as change agents. What if, for example a person works with victims of domestic violence and transform them to become empowered. However, the result might be that they require to their abuser. What are the ethical considerations for this type of transformation? An important part of being ethical is remaining transparent about your role as an educator in these spaces and set the stage for open dialogue to discuss these important issues.

Theory to Practice

Tell a story about a time you have experienced transformative learning. Did your experience follow the series of steps outlined by Mezirow? 

For fun, read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The last time I read this was in grade school so re-reading as a working adult has an entirely different meaning and interpretation: https://www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/the-metamorphosis.pdf

[ricpro]

[kutmusic]

“Everyday Struggle” is the second release by Samsa Dilemma, in which the band expands upon the kafkian theme started three years ago in “Wake Up Gregor!!”. This time «Gregor the insect has crawled down from the bed, is in the street, speaking, screaming, and telling his pains and even making fun of you while you giro while you pass by, a little distracted» and «on the whole album hovers a feeling of ‘tempus fugit’, an everyday struggle to draw what’s good in life».

[koufax73]

Samsa Dilemma: "Fluttering of a Lonely Flag" è il nuovo video #TRAKOFTHEDAY

Samsa Dilemma: “Fluttering of a Lonely Flag” è il nuovo video #TRAKOFTHEDAY

E’ online Fluttering of a Lonely Flag, il nuovo video dei Samsa Dilemma, primo estratto da Wake Up Gregor!!, l’album d’esordio della nuova band di Riccardo Pro (Mahatma Transistor, Pugaciov sulla Luna) uscito per Kutmusic.

Così lo racconta Riccardo Pro: “Serve un videoclip. Sempre grazie alla mia figlia undicenne Elena, mi metto in…

[kutmusic]

The Samsa Dilemma project, helmed by singer Riccardo Pro, is back with another brand new song.

[kutmusic]

Retailers, take note: Samsa Dilemma’s CD “Everyday Struggle” and The Rolling Stones’ “Andrew’s Blues” 7″ vinyl are now available at Space1999!