Understanding STAT II - A Federation of Loyalty Units

Many STAT members know nothing about us in the ITM. It is not their fault (for reasons I explain below) and it is not our fault either. But as you get to meet STAT members, it is important to understand 'where they are coming from' if they seem to be un-accepting of our right to exist and un-accepting of our right to practise as fellow Alexander Teachers. I hasten to add that we meet many STAT teachers who do know of us and are accepting of us, but there are some who might express some puzzlement. Here's why they might be puzzled.

STAT itself does not run training courses, but it approves the setting up of training courses, and moderates many of its training courses. And graduates of their (now twenty-one) courses in the UK and Ireland usually become members of STAT once they have earned their training-course certificates. They recognise STAT as the ultimate upholder of standards in the Alexander world. Some (perhaps many) of their members believe that only teachers from STAT approved training courses are legitimate teachers of the Alexander Technique. They are wrong in believing this - there are in fact three other professional associations in addition to STAT that certificate and publish registers of teachers to standards that are at least as high (ATI, ITM, PAAT). And their registers are equally legitimate. But awareness of the legitimacy of other registers is not widespread. Part of the reason for this can be found in the notion of a 'loyalty unit'.

In our regulatory discussions, it has been explained to us that the 'loyalty unit' of STAT members is their training course, not STAT itself. As I mentioned earlier, there are now twenty-one STAT approved training courses, and the characterisation of each training course as a 'loyalty unit' indicates that STAT teachers feel a strong bond to the training course, to their fellow trainees, and to their trainers, rather than a strong bond to STAT itself*. Forgive me for going to that wonderful source of comparisons and similes, the United States of America, to explain further.

It's as if each training course is a state (New Jersey, Nebraska, Ohio) and STAT represents the federal government in Washington. Each citizen is loyal to their state, and regards the citizens of other states as somewhat wierd, less intelligent (Don's home state, Ohio, suffers particularly in this regard) and 'out there' but they nevertheless - perhaps grudgingly - recognise that they are the same sort of entity. Though different in size, history, and demographics, New Jersey Nebraska and Ohio are all states, and their citizens have equal rights.

As well as not thinking well of other states, many US citizens regard the federal government, based in Washington, with suspicion. It is seen as a soaker up of funds, as a source of decision making which is unfair to each individual state, and a source of intrusion on the individual state's and the individual citizen's rights. Nevertheless, the citizens acknowledge the federal government as the ultimate source of authority, and their defender in case of international disputes. When push comes to shove internationally, they rally around the federal government - 'My country right or wrong'. So their perspective, their view of the world, is dominated by the large number of states of equal status, and a federal government with an umbrella role. The size of the USA makes it difficult for many citizens, therefore, to accommodate, in their world view, the notion of countries beyond their borders - there is simply so much of 'America', and so much to 'American-ness' that 'America' occupies almost the whole of their attention. [This is a charicature, I know, Don - sorry honey - but I hope you'll agree there's sufficient truth in it to warrant its use in this comparison]

And this is somewhat the same with the relationship between STAT (federal government) and its training courses (states) and STAT teachers (citizens). On the one hand they love and respect (by and large*) their own training course, have reservations about other training courses, are suspicious of STAT, but on the other hand they acknowledge that the other training courses are legitimate, and accepts STAT's authority over them.

The point to remember is that many STAT members' views of the Alexander world is dominated by STAT. They know nothing about us, and it is our job, when we meet them, to tell them - smilingly, understandingly, sweetly of our existence, and of our right to exist. Because yes, just as the USA is not the only country in the world, STAT is not the only authority on the Alexander Technique. It is the oldest and largest professional association, and if it had not come into existence, there would be no ITM - so they are worthy of our respect and gratitude. But they need to know about us.

*Of course there will always be a few people who graduate from their training courses not feeling well-disposed towards the course they have just left, but these cases do not affect my argument