Human development and community participation: some ideas from Paul Goodman's gestalt approach

Abstract

In this article we try to create a link between Paul Goodman’s gestalt approach and human development through the concept of community participation. Paul Goodman’s social criticism is connected to gestalt therapy’s central ideas as a way to show the importance of community participation in a possible definition of human development. John Dewey’s conception of institutions as tools for development is utilized as a linking point between Goodman’s propositions and the problem of social organization. Finally, we show the importance of considering education and social responsibility as a way to avoid an individualistic point of view regarding human development.