Seed has developed a body of work, including practices and processes, teaching and trainings, mixed method assessment to action, and strategic planning–that have grown out of the foundational work and scholarship developed by Seed co-founder, john a. powell, and his colleagues at the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley (OBI). All of Seed’s work is rooted in Belonging without Othering, Bridging rather than Breaking, and Seeing the Humanity and Dignity of All.
A deep bow of appreciation for the following resources and teachings, which we whole-heartedly share. We want to uplift and give particular acknowledgement to OBI colleagues, Ashlin Malouf, Wendy Ake, Ashley Gallegos, Rachelle Galloway-Popotas, and Stephen Menendian, for their partnership, research, co-authorship, OBI University trainings, and so much more.
Bridging & Belonging
Books
- “Belonging without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and The World” by john a. powell and Stephen Menedian
- “The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong” by john a. powell and Rachelle Galloway-Popotas.
Articles
- Eight Keys to Bridging Our Differences, Greater Good Science Center
- Bridging or Breaking? The Stories We Tell Will Create the Future We Inhabit, Nonprofit Quarterly
- Bridging and Breaking Curriculum from OBI
- Belonging Design Principles – Othering and Belonging Institute
- Places to belong: Practical considerations for creating inclusive and impactful places of work. Anderson, Ryan, Jolene De Jong, and Joseph White. 2022. Cooperative Real Estate Journal 12, no. 1 (Autumn): 65-75.
Podcasts
Who Belongs? A Podcast on Othering and Belonging: A podcast series by the othering and belonging institute that interviews various community leaders on how to develop communities and a broader society that centers belonging and equity. Topics cover belonging in the context of faith based institutions, creating public spaces of belonging, as well as key aspects of belonging and how it plays with society. The podcast aims to encourage public dialogue across groups in society with the aim of bridging between groups.
Video
Building Belonging in a Time of Othering, with john a. powell
Case Studies and Interactive Materials
- “Poverty and race through a belongingness lens.” powell, john a. 2012. Northwest Area Foundation, Policy Matters 1, no. 5 (April).
- “Targeted universalism and bridging.” powell, john a., Jeff Raikes, and Jenn Hoos Rothberg. 2021. Filmed 9 November 2021 at the Social Impact Exchange, Exchange 2021: The Systems Summit. Panel conversation, 1:04:23.
Targeted Universalism
Targeted Universalism (TU) provides a framework that helps combat divisiveness and structural inequality, while promoting bridging and belonging for all, by setting universal goals pursued by targeted strategies to achieve those goals. Data-driven and community-designed, TU is an adaptable process designed to address today’s complex problems and build institutions, structures, systems and cultures of fairness, care and opportunity where all people can thrive.
- Targeted Universalism Primer, powell, john a., Stephen Menendian, and Wendy Ake. 2019. “Targeted Universalism: Policy and Practice.” Othering & Belonging Institute.
- The Othering & Belonging Institute’s Targeted Universalism HUB
Articles
- “Equity 2.0: What is Targeted Universalism and How Does It Address Inequality?” powell, john a. 2022., Nonprofit Quarterly, 08 June 2022.
- Getting to Yes: How to Generate Consensus for Targeted Universalism: A case study from FSG on how to generate consensus support for Targeted Universalism, using a case study from Staten Island on reducing inequities within the public education system. The study highlights the three main steps on developing support for using a TU model, including the essential role of in-depth disaggregated data to highlight present inequities, clarifying the application of TU compared to other models, and allowing for difficult conversations and community voices to be centered throughout the process.
- “Achieving Equity Amid Difference: The promise of targeted universalism,” Nonprofit Quarterly, 26 January 2022.
- Targeted Universalism: Our Path Forward An overview of TU by the National Equity Project, with an applied example of implementation in the K-12 education space
- Health Equity and the Circle of Human Concern: An in-depth article on the benefits of TU in the context of health equity.
- Beyond Equity: Targeted Universalism and the Closing of the Racial Wealth Gap: The article discusses the idea of Targeted Universalism in the context of closing the racial wealth gap, which highlights the need to go beyond an equity framework and towards a framework of TU and Belonging.
Podcasts
- Podcast: Targeted Universalism with john. a powell, OBI podcast
- Interview with john a. powell. “Economics & Beyond for the Institute for New Economic Thinking.” Podcast audio, with Rob Johnson. 1:05:00. 25 January 2021.
Research toolkit
Transformative Research Toolkit, OBI
Case Studies/Practical Applications
Implementing Targeted Universalism
Take a Seat at Oregon’s Kitchen Table: Adapting Targeted Universalism for Broad and Deep Civic Engagement: An article discussing the application of a TU model in the state of Oregon for “Oregons Kitchen Table”, a civic engagement program meant to gather feedback from a wide array of community members to engage more civic participation and to bridge the gaps of civic participation. The article discusses the ways in which a TU approach may struggle in a political context, such as bringing together a large group of differing stakeholders due to logistical and group constraints.
Francis-Oliviero, Florence et al. 2020. “Theoretical and practical challenges of proportionate universalism: A review.” Rev. Panam Salud Publica 44: 110 https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2020.110.
Jacques, Olivier and Noël, Alain. 2021. “Targeting within universalism.” Journal of European Social Policy 31, no. 1 (February): 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928720918973.
Fuentes-Rohwer, Luis, and Guy-Uriel Charles. 2021. “Pathological racism, chronic racism, and targeted universalism.” California Law Review 109, no. 3: 1107. https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3997&context=facpub.
Godwin, Katherin. 2023. “Targeted universalism uses social capital to increase equity in COVID-19 recovery.” ncIMPACT Initiative, University of North Carolina, https://ncimpact.sog.unc.edu/2022/12/targeted-universalism-social-capital-increases-equity-in-covid-19-recovery/.
Farmer, Thomas W, et. al. 2022. “The Developmental Dynamics of Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties of Youth of Color: Systemic Oppression, Correlated Constraints, and the Need for Targeted Universalism.” Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 30, no. 2: 71–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266211068892.
Farmer, Thomas W., David L. Lee, William J. Therrien. 2022. “Targeted universalism and tiered systems of adaptive support: Centering intervention on the developmental needs of students with exceptionalities. In Handbook of special education research, edited by Thomas W. Farmer, et. al. Oxfordshire: Routledge.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003156857-29/targeted-universalism-tiered-systems-adaptive-support-thomas-farmer-david-lee-william-therrien.
Leubolt, Bernhard, Karin Fischer, and Debdulal Saha. 2014. “Are targeting and universalism complimentary or competing paradigms in social policy? Insights from Brazil, India, and South Africa.” International Journal of Labour Research 6, no. 1: 75-94. https://labordoc.ilo.org/permalink/41ILO_INST/1s2ok2m/alma994847783402676.
Perry, Ravi K. 2013. “Deracialization Reconsidered: Theorizing Targeted Universalistic Urban Politics.” In 21st Century Urban Race Politics: Representing Minorities as Universal Interests, edited by Ravi K Perry, xxiii-xliii. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0195-7449(2013)0000018004.
Perry, Ravi K. 2013. “Epilogue: Future Prospects for Targeted Universalism.” In 21st Century Urban Race Politics: Representing Minorities as Universal Interests, edited by Ravi K. Perry, 297-300. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0195-7449(2013)0000018018.
