This article was originally presented as a keynote speech on 27 July 2006 at the World TA Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, the theme of which was “Trust and Uncertainty in the 21st Century.” Drawing on Eric Berne's vision of transactional analysis as a social psychiatry, the speech is grounded in the idealism that fueled the creation of transactional analysis. It examines the darker, more conflictual, often hateful aspects of life in and among groups. The author proposes the need for group leadership that provides a vital base that can embrace conflict and facilitate shifts in frames of reference. The article expands the concept of Cultural Parent and script to that of cultural character.
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