Option “Erich”

Erich Fromm Society of North America

(Participatory Structure, 10/26/22)

The Society will consist of 4 committees, with these features:

  • Each committee will welcome all members to participate fully in all meetings.
  • Each committee will have 3 facilitators who will help with the meetings’ effectiveness.
  • Committee facilitators can self-nominate, or accept nomination from others.
  • Facilitators will carry forward the work of the committees between meetings.
  • Facilitators will serve for one year, unless a committee chooses other terms.
  • Each committee will choose how to organize its meetings and decisions,
  • Committees will do their own outreach to other groups, organizations, and individuals.
  • Ad hoc committees can be formed as needed for specific purposes.
  • Each committee will choose one of their facilitators to serve on the Coordinating Committee.

The Social Inquiry Committee will organize scholarly conferences , publications, and manage other academic affairs.  Its purpose is to insure that Fromm and Critical Theory continue to be studied and applied.  This includes initiating research.

The Clinical Practice Committee will organize projects, activities, and education about Fromm’s ideas relevant to therapeutic theory and practice.

The Social Action Committee will work wherever possible in society to advance human, social, political and environmental betterment, including contributions to the creative arts and literature.

The Coordinating Committee will consist of one facilitator from each of the other Committees. The Committee facilitators on the Coordinating Committee may rotate in/out to give more opportunity to serve and learn from the experience.  This rotation can be flexibly determined by all parties.

The Coordinating Committee will:

  • coordinate initiatives across the domains of the other Committees, and be helpful to the Committees,
  • draft Society by-laws, principles, and actions for votes by the whole membership (as necessary),
  • interface with the International Erich Fromm Society, and communicate that to all Committees,
  • address concerns or adjudicate complaints from the membership at large,
  • manage outreach or public/online representation of the Society,
  • convene quarterly membership meetings for all members,
  • revisit the organizational structure as needed as the Society learns about itself, at least every 2 years,
  • organize Committee elections yearly, and
  • employ foresight and strategy in leading the Society toward its vision and mission, in dialogue with all members and Committees, and share learnings across all parts of the Society.

Note: individual member social or public action:

  • Members only take public action under the mantle of the Society when asked to do so by the Society.