The Influence of C.G. Jung in SPoR

One is not likely to read the works of C.G. Jung or consider such works as relevant if one is committed to the dominant paradigm of risk and safety – Behaviourism & Positivism. Similarly, if one has a worldview anchored to Scientism and Engineering one is not likely to give any metaphysical view the time of day.

However, for those interested in a Transdisciplinary view of the world (https://safetyrisk.net/transdisciplinary-thinking-in-risk-and-safety/ ), there is much to gain from studying disciplines that Safety fears. When one observes the many silences of Traditional Safety (https://safetyrisk.net/safety-culture-silences/) one realises very quickly that Safety has little interest in learning outside of its own bubble. We observe this in the S2, SD, RE, NV, HOP discourse where most of the language reinforces all the values of traditional safety.

Unless Safety is able to step outside of its mono-disciplinary bubble, nothing will change except the volume and rhetoric of ‘different’. The emperor’s new clothes indeed.

Of course, there are other worldviews than those proposed by traditional safety. Unfortunately, if you speak a view that contests the dominant worldview you are quickly dismissed as anti-safety. A wonderful binary view to prevent thinking and learning.

So rather than actually seeking something outside the scope of traditional safety what we have is not innovation or creativity but more noise like ‘punk rock safety’ that throws in a few swear words as if this is different. The last thing the S2, SD, RE, NV, HOP fad wants to do is seek a Transdisciplinary understanding of risk. Instead, it just returns to the safety favourites: performance, counting, performance, hazards, performance, behaviourism, performance, engineering, performance, systems and performance.

For those who can consider disciplines outside of the safety bubble, there is much to learn.

For those who know, there is much to learn about persons beyond the objectivization of Safety. Even when Safety tries to tackle psychosocial risk, its focus is hazards (https://safetyrisk.net/what-is-psychosocial-safety/).

Of course, this is why Safety (the Archetype) cannot consider an Ethic of Risk (https://safetyrisk.net/ethics-morality-and-an-ethic-of-risk/ ). This is why Safety cannot tackle to challenges of fallibility (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/fallibility-risk-living-uncertainty/). This is why Safety constantly uses the discourse of metaphysics (https://safetyrisk.net/no-end-of-heaven-nor-scientific-age-for-safety/ ) in what it does and remains completely ignorant of it (https://safetyrisk.net/the-language-of-saving-lives-doesnt-help-safety/). This is why Safety=Zero is consumed with theological language and discourse (https://safetyrisk.net/safetyzero-culture/).

In SPoR, we take seriously the claims of many disciplines outside of the safety comfort zone. We know that a study in Semiotics, Linguistics, Poetics, Ethics, Social Psychology, Education and Learning, Curriculum, Philosophy and History can offer massive changes to the way we tackle risk.

One of the many sources of inspiration and innovation in SPoR are the works of C.G. Jung. You can read an overview of Jung here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Jung

You can read books by Jung for free download here:

• https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65903
• https://fleurmach.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/jung-the-undiscovered-self-1957.pdf
• https://archive.org/details/B-001-004-443-ALL

There is no cost impediment for people in Safety to read outside of their comfort zone. Indeed, many of the products produced in SPoR are free.

When SPoR disagrees and criticises Safety, this is not to be contrary but rather because it has a completely opposite view of the world to the seductions of Scientism and Behaviourism. In SPoR, we have a Body of Knowledge (https://safetyrisk.net/social-psychology-of-risk-body-of-knowledge/ ) that is completely different to traditional safety that continues to seek difference in the works of Reason, Dekker, Heinrich, Conklin, Petersen etc.

And, this worldview produces a methodology and methods that work (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/it-works-a-new-approach-to-risk-and-safety-book-for-free-download/).

When one applies a Transdisciplinary approach to risk in a new Ethic and Methodology, one approach to persons is radically different. And so, in SPoR, there are many influential studies, disciplines and sources foreign to Safety that we study that make a huge different to how one practices safety.

However, in order to learn a new worldview, one has to un-learn much of the indoctrination of Safety to be open to new learning. This means letting go of old familiar securities and propaganda held, even if clothed in new rhetoric.

So, just in Jung, there are many concepts that are valued in understanding personhood, risk and decision-making that are of immense value. In SPoR, we use the works of Jung in the following way:

 However, there are many other influential disciplines we also consider as outlined in the SPoR Body of Knowledge. These too make a huge difference to how we approach risk, personhood and an ethical approach to safety.

If any of these interest you, then a change is as easy as an email and question that seeks learning. You can start that positive and innovative journey by emailing here: admin@spor.com.au

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Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

• When Risk Doesn’t Make Sense - December 7, 2024
• How to Enable Unethical Practice in Safety - December 7, 2024
• Mapping an Ethic of Risk - December 6, 2024
• Principles for Safety - December 6, 2024
• Causation Myths, Stop Looking for Linear and Root Cause - December 4, 2024

PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.