Hand Metaphor, Five Perspectives, and Conceptual Speed Dating: Course Notes

Bateson’s hand metaphor

Hand only makes sense in context; meaning emerges from motion (gesturing, reaching, resisting).
Addiction understood through patterns and interactions, not isolated symptoms or a single system.
Five fingers represent five perspectives in addiction studies; addiction is a relational, unfolding practice, not a static condition.

Five perspectives and ecological view

Purpose of the course: view addiction through five lenses and connect to mental health.
Emphasis on ecological context: addiction arises from interactions and patterns within a world and objects that elevate intensity.
Addiction as a story told through movements and gestures; the hand’s motions help redefine addiction.

Currery method and learning philosophy

Curriculum shifts from content delivery to developing lived learning experiences.
Ask: how are you moving through the material? what new perspectives arise? what resistance or surprises show up?
Learning is a practice of growth as a practitioner, shaping your own understanding of addiction and mental health.

Rhizome and nonlinear patterns

Rhizome concept: roots of addiction are nonlinear, moving, entangled, yet can become routinized and patterned.
Caution against a single, routinized treatment program; need for flexible approaches that account for diverse paths.
Addiction branches and extends in many directions, not a straight line.

Relational practice and cross-disciplinary thinking

Addiction studies, mental health research, and scholarship should not be a generalized map.
Critique of mental monocropping: avoid one-discipline dominance; cultivate diversity and cross-pollination across disciplines.
Synthetic method: learners become co-creators, sharing experiences to expand practice.

Course structure: assignments overview

Assignment 1: form groups of four; establish groups via forum; biweekly group work; conceptual speed dating; four concepts per week; video vlogs preferred.
Assignment 2: storyboard reflections leading to a final group digital story; five biweekly storyboard drafts culminating in a final storyboard due in week 10.
Overall goal: scaffold learning across the term so groups produce a coherent hand-shaped project (thumb, fingers, etc.).

Conceptual speed dating methodology

Posts anchor the discussion to a common text; flows bring new perspectives.
Treat concepts as seeds to be activated through conversation; ideas evolve as they circulate.
Classroom becomes a relational laboratory for thinking; drawing on Montreal roots and thinkers like Manning and Masumi.
Allows participants from diverse backgrounds to contribute meaningfully, countering silencing or dominance of a single perspective.

Posts and flows mechanics

Work in groups of four; divide into roles a, b, c, d; four concepts per week; present one concept each week.
Next week: flows respond to two posts each, ensuring broad engagement.
Use Currery: connect posts/flows to lived experiences; move from regressive -> analytic -> synthetic, etc.
Posts should be under ~3 minutes; flows ~1–2 minutes.

Quotation analysis (Assignment 1 essentials)

Choose a key passage; provide contextual analysis relative to surrounding text.
Stay close to the author’s meaning; make a conceptual link to a related mental health reading.
Describe how readings relate to the transdisciplinary nature of mental health and addiction.
Include regressive and progressive reflections; allow nonlinear thought and future-oriented practice.

Lenses: regressive, progressive, analytic, synthetic

Regressive: free association, images, sensory impressions, emotional tone.
Progressive: how the concept might shape future practice/values in mental health or addictions work.
Analytic: deconstructive critique; identify tensions or contradictions.
Synthetic: dialogue, inquiry, or creative expression; open-ended, future-oriented thinking.
Posts/flows should explore these lenses; keep within time limits; aim for clarity.

Storyboard reflections and final project (Assignment 2)

Part 3: create individual storyboard reflections from posts/flows; connect to personal digital story development.
Group storyboard: combine individual ideas into a shared group storyboard for the final project.
Purpose: document how concepts relate to the hand/fingers and to overall understanding of addiction and mental health.
Visual/creative elements: images, sounds, metaphors, scenes that articulate understandings and questions.

Group formation and roles

Form groups of four; first week all participants work on the thumb; then assign a finger for each member in the group.
Use forum to connect, consider time zones, and choose based on shared passions or complementary strengths.
If some students are unpaired, the instructor will assist to form groups so everyone participates.

Four anchors for the module (concept prompts)

Plane of eminence, rhizome, lines, map are four recommended concepts to explore.
Start with any four; you will later connect them to the hand framework in your storyboard.
These concepts act as seeds for post/flow discussions and final projects.

Key terms and cross-disciplinary goals

Mental monocropping: avoiding dominance of a single disciplinary view; encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue.
Addiction and mental health treated as interconnected, relational, and generative practices.
Shared process of becoming through a synthetic method, not isolated expertise.

Closing notes and expectations

Early weeks emphasize playfulness and engagement over perfection.
Slides and readings will be posted; expect gradual deepening of understanding as the hand unfolds across the fingers.
The course builds toward a coherent, collaborative digital story through iterative storyboard drafts.