The power of communal grief rituals across cultures

Organizational Dimensions

In organizations, cultures of power mean all employees have a voice in decisions that affect them. This is not the same as voting on every decision. It is meaningful participation in decision-making. Research shows that organizations where employees have voice in decisions: - Are more resilient to disruption because employees understand the reasoning behind decisions. - Solve problems better because more perspectives are included. - Have lower turnover because people feel valued. - Have better customer service because employees care about outcomes. Building cultures of power in organizations requires: - Transparency about decisions. Why was this decision made? What were the alternatives? Who was involved? What did we learn? - Mechanisms for voice. How do employees contribute to decisions? Are there suggestion systems? Are there meetings where decisions are discussed? Can employees challenge decisions they disagree with? - Distributed leadership. Different people lead on different things. Employee leads project, middle manager leads on budgeting, senior leader leads strategy. Power is shared. - Support for learning from failure. When something goes wrong, is the focus on punishment or on learning? Cultures of power ask: what can we learn from this?

Community Dimensions

In communities, cultures of power mean people have say in decisions affecting their neighborhood or community. This goes beyond voting on candidates—it includes decisions about land use, resource allocation, community priorities. Communities with cultures of power have: - Town halls that are real dialogue, not speeches from officials. - Community members involved in planning. - Neighborhood initiatives led by residents. - Community support for individual projects. Building cultures of power in communities requires: - Accessibility. Decision-making happens at times and places where people can participate, not at times that exclude working people or caregivers. - Resources for participation. Childcare so parents can participate. Translation so non-English speakers can participate. Venues accessible to people with disabilities. - Leadership development. Supporting people to develop skills to lead, facilitating learning on the job. - Power analysis. Explicit discussion of power: who benefits from the current arrangements? Who is harmed? How is power distributed? How can it be more distributed?

Educational Dimensions

In schools, cultures of power mean students have agency in their own learning. Not complete freedom—there are still structures and guidance—but genuine agency. Schools with cultures of power have: - Student participation in decisions about curriculum, about classroom norms, about how conflict is resolved. - Project-based learning where students direct their own investigation, rather than just receiving information. - Mentoring relationships where teachers support students in following their interests and developing their capacities. - Multiple ways to demonstrate learning rather than standardized testing. Building cultures of power in education requires: - Teacher autonomy. Teachers cannot foster student agency if they have no agency themselves. Teachers need autonomy in how they teach and what they teach. - Trust. Trust that students want to learn, that teachers will teach responsibly, that learning is more important than test scores. - Structural support. Reasonable class sizes, adequate resources, time for teachers to collaborate and plan. - Professional development. Teachers need training in how to facilitate learning rather than just deliver information.

Artistic Dimensions

In artistic communities, cultures of power mean artists have agency in what they create. This is threatened when art becomes primarily about market or about gatekeepers deciding who deserves support. Artistic communities with cultures of power: - Support multiple artistic visions. Not just commercially viable art or art approved by critics, but diverse artistic expression. - Provide resources. Space to create, materials, funding that allows artists to create without depending on market success. - Build artist networks. Creating connection among artists so they support each other. - Make art-making accessible. Not just for wealthy people or those with credentials, but for anyone who wants to create.

Activist Dimensions

In movements for justice, cultures of power are essential. Movements where power is concentrated in leaders become vulnerable to co-optation and burnout. Movements with cultures of power: - Distribute leadership. Different people lead on different things. Leadership is developed in all members. - Rotate roles. So people do not get locked into particular positions and burned out. - Make decisions collectively about strategy and priorities. - Support members. Making sure people can sustain involvement without sacrificing their own wellbeing. - Invest in skills. Training people in movement skills: how to organize, how to strategize, how to facilitate, how to communicate.

Digital and Virtual Dimensions

Online communities can either concentrate or distribute power. Some platforms and spaces concentrate power in administrators or in the algorithms that determine visibility. Digital spaces with cultures of power: - User control. Users determine what they see, not algorithms determining what is shown to them. - Distributed moderation. Moderation decisions made by community members, not by platforms or corporations. - Transparency. Visible rules about what speech is allowed and how decisions are made. - User-owned. Communities own the platforms they use rather than depending on corporations that can change rules at will.

Systemic Dimensions

At the systemic level, cultures of power require: - Rights and protections. Formal rights to participate, to organize, to speak, to association. These are not enough but they are necessary. - Economic structures that enable power. People who are economically desperate cannot exercise agency. Universal basic income, healthcare, housing, education—these enable agency. - Literacy and education. People need knowledge and skills to participate meaningfully in decision-making. - Free time. People who work all their waking hours cannot participate in building community. Shorter working hours and reasonable scheduling enable participation.

Relational Dimensions

Cultures of power are ultimately built on relationships of mutual respect. Structures are important, but they emerge from and are sustained by relationships. Building cultures of power requires: - Seeing each other. Actually knowing the people in your community or organization, not just roles. - Appreciation. Making visible the contributions people make, often invisible labor. - Accountability. Being willing to admit mistakes and repair harm when we cause it. - Commitment to growth. Being willing to learn and change, to see people as capable of growth.

Maintenance Dimensions

Cultures of power are not stable. They face constant pressure to concentrate back into hierarchies. Maintaining them requires ongoing work: - Regular reflection. Asking: are decisions still distributed? Are all voices still heard? Where is power concentrating? - Rotation of leadership. Preventing any person from becoming indispensable. - Continuous learning. As new people join, they need to learn the culture and skills. As situations change, the community needs to learn new ways. - Celebrating and renewing. Cultures of power are sustained by people believing in them and wanting to maintain them. This requires celebrating successes and finding meaning in the work. ---

Citations

1. Ostrom, E. (1990). Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press. 2. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Herder & Herder. 3. Alinsky, S. D. (1971). Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. Random House. 4. Horton, M., & Freire, P. (1990). We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change. Temple University Press. 5. Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press.