Our Political Ecotone Dilemma

Ann Pendleton-Jullian in Design Education and Innovation Ecotones writes [emphasis mine]:

Ecotones are typologically unique ecosystems connecting two distinctly different plant and animal communities and the physical characteristics that support those communities.

But these zones are more than just zones of transition. They are areas of disturbance, catalyzed by the differences in the two ecosystems, and they are often zones of conflict as well. The word’s etymology derives from a combination of two Greek words: eco(logy) and—tone, from tonos or tension; ecologies in tension. Ecotones are not merely the blending of two habitats and their characteristics, but actually a third thing. “Although ecotones share some characteristics and species with the habitats on either side of them, ecotones also have their own distinct characteristics and species.”

I have been in that place where a number of ideas and notions are swirling around and around (collaboration, national identity, partisan politics, complex systems, learning communities, liminal spaces, socio-political transformation et al).  One knows they are inter-related, but cannot somehow pull them together in a meaningful and concise way. Then something pops into the consciousness, something one has not been thinking about, that offers a nearly perfect metaphorical grounding for all those ideas and notions.   For me today that was the ecotone. 

There it was – the memory from my academic days in environmental studies of how the transition area between two distinct ecosystems tends to contain the most biological diversity.  This easily led to the concept of Ecotones.

And like the concept of biological concept of evolution, there is a quick jump to applying the concept of ecotones to an understanding of culture and society.

Ann Pendleton-Jullian explains much better than me [emphasis mine]:

Much discussion in terms of accelerating capability-building in business, sports, government, education, disciplinary entities, or subjects even, focuses on the value of activities that operate at the edge. In this discussion edge can mean many different things, from the edge of an enterprise, the edge of methods and processes associated with the enterprise, geographic edges, demographic edges—a “whole set of edges that create the opportunity for capability-building.”

The implication within all these discussions is that work at the edge is unfettered and unencumbered by the inertia of core activity. It is more open to radically transformative and innovative forces and processes. These forces and processes, if tapped into, can re-shape and transform the core, something that the core will not do under its own constraints and conditions—under the shear inertia of its own historical operations. In these discussions edge and core are separate and unique fields of activity—discrete in their operations except for moments of catalytic communication.

Her description focuses on the positive facets, the opportunities, that the notion of ecotones offer those dealing with the issues of enterprises and activities.  This is something I wish to do, but this will wait for another blog.

People are fond of saying in one way or another if we see ourselves facing a problem, we should see it as opportunity to be seized.  But faced with opportunities we are are likely facing a problem or problems; and if opportunities are to be effectively seized we need not only to recognize a problem exists, but also the nature and characteristics of that problem (or problems).  

 Ecotone Physical Theater, photo by Pat Barrett

The Political Ecotone Dilemma

The dilemma continuously emerging on our political landscape starts with the inertia of the core activity of any community.  In this particular case the focus is on the activity of our political communities (those complex adaptive systems) and the term "inertia" refers to the resistance or disinclination to change. 

Ecotone Physical Theater, photo by Pat Barrett

The clash between conservatives and liberal is a well documented phenomenon: two sides of the aisle.  We are also aware of similar clashes with these two camps.  At the moment, the spotlight is on the social conservatives locking horns with the establishment Republicans over the presidential nominee in South Carolina.  It is likely this spotlight will head south to Florida tomorrow (especially if Romney fails to win). Self-identified liberals and progressives are taking delight in this clash if only because it weakens this coalition in electoral contests.

But liberals and progressives are no strangers to consequences of of the circular firing squad syndrome.

The Republican factions experiencing this syndrome out in the open is a rare phenomenon thanks to the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

We usually speak of such clashes through the framework of power and dominance. And this reveals a truth regarding group objectives to impose their cultural as well as political agenda(s) on others. 

The value of the notion of ecotones, however, is it re-focuses us on the inherent tension arising from the encounter. This emergent feature of relational tension -- both problem and opportunity -- is unavoidable due to the dynamics of transformation. 

Xdrop, photo by Randy Johnson

The Eco-Tone group which is based at Nottingham Trent University expound [emphasis mine]:

The ecotone is a place of transition, of shadings into ... and out of ..., a place of troubled boundaries and unlikely associations where being and becoming remain in constant tension. In the undulations and hollows of the ecotone light and texture blend and pool. Unfamiliar topographies and unexpected resonances disaggregate our methodologies, provoking a response. Abandoning oneself to this web of undecided interrelations, thinking beyond centrism (most pressingly beyond anthropocentrism), constitutes both threat and opportunity....

When being and becoming are in tension the threat goes to the heart of the individual's self identity.  Not only the identity related to the characteristics that define the group, but the foundation which provides the coherence of the sense of "I."  It takes the individual into the liminal space, a concept which I delved into in an earlier blog.

ReadyMade Dance Theater Company, photo by Zsolt Palcza

What we see in the encounter a group individuals faced with what I refer to as the struggle to appear.

Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project, photo Steven A. Gunther

As a general rule, we humans to do not like struggle, tension, and threats, especially when our selves are a stake (that ole existential threat).  We resist.  We seek to remain among our own ilk.  We seek to convert those others outside the group to our way, to become like us - in a seemingly primordial, emotional reflex.

That these emotions arise nebulous, nameless, we confront a tension that is difficult to seize as an opportunity.  Rather the conflict remain unresolved, intensifies.

I would posit we are witnessing the ecotone dilemma play out in South Carolina, but also with such movements as Occupy Wall Street.

Although strange bedfellows may experience the centripetal forces of a common agenda matter or concern, eventually, sooner or later, the forces of the encounter within the ecotone will arise.  In a movement like Occupy, which shuns an authority to suppress these forces, the consequences of tension will arise sooner than later.

PTERO Dance; photo Sylvia Spross

But it doesn't have to be this way.  In the undulations and hollows of the ecotone there is an opportunity.  The epigraph of Pendleton-Jullian's opening chapter "Emancipation" sum up the challenge and prize:

The emancipation of both nature and the human imagination depends first on the

capacity to ‘unsay’ the world and, second, on the ability to image it differently so

that wonder might be brought into appearance.

~ James Corner

Jacqueline Garcia’s LOTUS; photo by Travis