SIUE Arts & Issues Opens Season Oct. 1 With Adlerian Psychologist Bluvshtein

EDWARDSVILLE – Marina Bluvshtein, PhD, director of the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship at Adler University in Chicago, is the recipient of the 2021 Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs Visiting Scholar Fellowship at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

She will deliver a free public lecture entitled “Belongingness as a Goal of Personality Development and Social Evolution” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1 in the Dunham Hall Theater on the Edwardsville campus. This event will open the 2021 season of Arts & Issues, now in its 37^th year.

Bluvshtein’s lecture will address psychologist and physician Alfred Adler’s and Dreikurs’ writings about the direction of individual development and the fate of humanity, with the theme of the feeling of belongingness constantly present. It is tied to the Adlerian concept of social interest and is a key to human striving to contribute. This lecture will address the origins and development of the Adlerian concept of belongingness, its implications for mental health, and the role it plays for individuals, families, and society as a whole. Guidance on how to promote belongingness for oneself and others will also be discussed.

Adler promoted the concept of Individual Psychology a century ago. Adlerian Psychology places a strong focus on counseling and social dynamics, and applies to all areas of social relations, especially in the workplace, schools, and the practice of psychotherapy. Dreikurs expounded upon Adler’s work and founded the Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago in 1952, which is now known as Adler University.

As part of the fellowship, Bluvshtein will spend two weeks on SIUE’s campus visiting psychology, social work, and art therapy classes and interacting with students and faculty.

“This event is a collaboration between the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences and the SIUE Foundation, the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, and the Department of Psychology,” explained Grant Andree, director of Arts & Issues. “It is the first time Arts & Issues has been involved with a speaker who could spend two weeks interacting with a department. This visit wouldn’t be possible without the Dreikurs Visiting Scholar Fellowship and the generosity of Eva Ferguson and her family.”

Tickets are required for this free public event, and seating will be limited. There are pods of two, three, and four seats together, as well as single ticket options. Masks are required. Contact gandree@siue.edu for tickets, and to provide a name, email, and phone number for each attendee.

This event is sponsored by the Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs Visiting Scholar Fellowship, which was established at SIUE in 2017 by Dr. Eva Dreikurs Ferguson, daughter of Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, and her family. Ferguson retired in 2019 as a professor and distinguished scholar in the Department of Psychology after more than 54 years at SIUE.

Arts & Issues is tied to the academic mission of the University. For 37 years, the series has presented some of the world’s finest performing artists and showcased speakers from across the spectrum in areas such as science, history, literature, and politics. The program also offers unique opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and the community to engage with these performers and speakers through master classes and special sessions.

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