Season 04 Episode 03: Sara provokes thought on rites of passage by asking, “What are we holding on to in work and education simply because of a social construct established by rites of passage?” and, “Are the rites of passage of old still useful now?” Sara challenges the notion of adhering to rites of passage versus embracing transformative, generative work or education system re-design. She provides healthcare examples and asks how work designers effectively elicit knowledge to inform their design. She wonders how facilitators masterfully transfer that knowledge to those who need that information. She questions, also, whether those with the power to make changes will redesign the conventions of work to provide a better user experience.
Trajce reflects on the way that the WhyWork Podcast considers caselaw and the realities of life, or “the non-vanilla spice of life that challenges conventions.” Historically, the legal institutions prohibited women from practicing law, for example. “Hell,” Sara complains, “Australian establishments did not allow women in pubs not too long ago!” The trio, Alan, Trajce, and Sara, dissect rites of passage in social systems that diminish a population group, reflect power disparity, and can cause humility among people with diminished power. They call for the compelling need for organisations and educators to identify and absolve the rites of passage that cause harm and to protect workers and students from the occupational psychosocial hazard exposures with consequences of trauma.
