The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2 - 62

Jane Fried

meaningful experiences related to the purpose of a group among its members. Transcendence occurs when the group experiences communion and is lifted to a sense of the greater whole.

The IDC model is particularly relevant to the learning community movement right now because of the political context of the nation and the world. When President Obama stated that this is the time for all of us to contribute to solving the problems in our own communities, he signaled a change of political and cultural milieu for the United States . Rarely is a political pivot point as obvious as this one.

life staff. These primary groups represented the structured method of supporting the reflection and problem-solving aspects of the community. The purpose of these groups was to enhance communication among all segments of the community and to provide opportunities for members to share reactions to community events. Since the University of Connecticut IDC housed 120 people, primary groups were considered essential to building community cohesion. In our 24/7 wired world, primary groups require rethinking. Will social network sites replace primary groups, or can they serve as a supplement? Is face-to-face communication still essential, and does this generation of students need a different approach to learning about effective face-to-face communication? These issues are being widely discussed in conversations about the millennial generation, whose members are often considered to be relatively unskilled in face-to-face communication (Alsop, 2008). Although transcendence and communion were not fully developed in the Crookston writings, they are represented in current conversations about learning communities. Maslow (1962) believed that this sense of participating in a larger whole was essential for self-actualization. Block (2008) refers to community transformation as a citizen-building process that “ shifts the context from a place of fear and fault, law and oversight ...to one of gifts, generosity and abundance; social fabric and chosen accountability...(and) conversations about ownership and possibility” (p. 73). On the national level, President Obama’s public remarks often reflect a shift in our dialogue from an emphasis on individual and national autonomy to

Transcendence also refers to the experience of feeling a sense of larger purpose to one’s life, anchored in the common work of the community in which one is engaged (Maslow, 1962). Ongoing process is self-explanatory. Throughout the model Crookston emphasizes the importance of shared experience, common values, and ongoing communication throughout the community. Every member of the community was required to belong to a smaller primary group made up of about 10 students and a facilitator from the residence
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THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITy STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2

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