Revolutions of the heart : cultivating love as a means for personal & collective transformation

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of people and places who, through our own lived experiences, have come to realize that the physical, ideological, and institutional separation caused by dominant American cultures and institutional arrangements has had injurious effects on ourselves and our society. By listening to our own hearts and finding fellowship with others who are on a similar path of reconciliation to self and others, we have recognized the need for and power of human connection. I begin with a discussion of the manifestations of our disconnection through the particular example of my home, Oakland, California. I outline how our disconnection has affected us in terms of disparate geographic, economic, education, and health outcomes. I then analyze how we came to be so disconnected, focusing on two strands in particular: American political economy and modernist concepts of self. I then transition to a discussion of love and how, theoretically, a love-infused praxis can be an antidote to the disconnection discussed earlier. My cases provide a space to explore theory in action. The cases are: East Point Peace Academy, the East Bay Meditation Center, and the KPFA Apprenticeship Program - all of which are in Oakland. I pay close attention to how the cases operationalize the elements of a love-infused praxis and provide some reflections on what this means for planning.