CEO

Preface to Interdependence

By Al Condeluci, Ph.D.

"I invent nothing. I rediscover." -Auguste Rodin

This work is a synthesis. That is why Rodin’s quote is such a good starting point. Over my 20 years in human services, I have been hunting and searching. I entered the human service field at an exciting time, the late 60s, as an undergraduate student at Youngstown State University. Intrigued by human behavior and driven by the broader ideas to better the world, I made my way. First, as an orphanage volunteer, and then after graduation with a larger geriatric hospital. In 1973, I moved to a community based agency focused on disability issues. In between, and along the way I continued formal studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

In this journey, I have met people, read many books, attended many conferences, and heard many speeches. I have related with thousands of agency representatives, spent time with countless people with disabilities and families, and scores of public officials. I have been a student and a teacher, a giver and a taker, a thinker and a doer. I have researched, written, defended, and critiqued. I have been in front and behind. Most of all, I have thought.

In a way, this book is a reflection of this journey. It is an amalgamation of many thoughts, ideas, and innovations. Some come from the great thinkers, those that have literally revolutionized their fields. Other ideas come from simple folks, ones that are not found in the literature; from common people who are struggling, or have struggled and have learned from the experience.

As I have found, heard, or read these ideas, I have taken the ones that seem to fit my reality and have organized them into a flow that works for me. In this organization, I have had opportunity to share and discuss them with friends and associates around the United States and Canada. In this effort, others have found my synthesis to make sense to them as well. I was invited to share more and then to write.

And so, what you have in front of you is a humble effort to capture and organize these thoughts and ideas. I have woven them in a way that fits for me. Written in a style that is natural for me. To this extent, you are not getting the typical, academic perspective, but a more folksy blend of ideas and stories. I have referenced specific authors and their work, as well as identified important passages from their work. Still, I see this book as an informal reflection on a vexing challenge. I have written it in a way that I hope appeals to all of us who related to people who have been devalued or disenfranchised.

Interdependence is about relationships. It is a composite blend of a number of viable concepts into a rational approach to the human elements of devaluation. Built from the works of sociologists, systems analysts, educators, organizers, urban planners, psychologists, politicians, academicians and some common folk, interdependence attempts to make practical sense out of our current state for people who are disenfranchised from society. Despite some academic components, interdependence is, in essence, a simple concept; one that subscribes more to the wisdom of common sense and plain speaking. In a best case scenario, it applies and integrates theoretical concepts into an approach that is basic to understand and utilize.

View a Printer-Friendly Version

E-mail to a Friend