Rabbi Michael Kagan
Dept. of Philosophy
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, NY  13214-1399

This discussion is based on the work of Eric Berne and Claude Steiner as illustrated in the following books. Page cites are from editions marked with an asterisk (*).

What Do You Say After You Say Hello?--The Psychology of Human Destiny (Bantam, 1973*; a version was released in 1981 according to the search engine at www.amazon.com)
Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships (Grove Press, 1964; Dell, 1967*; reissued by Ballantine in 1996 (according to amazon.com)).
Scripts People Live: Transactional Analysis of Life Scripts by Claude M. Steiner (Bantam, 1974*; according to amazon.com there is a reprint published by Grove Press, 1990).
 

What I find most useful for our purposes is the construction of a  framework in which people set themselves up to receive a certain kind of response by taking certain positions in life, reflected by games and scripts. Discuss philosophical issues concerning psychodynamic models; discuss paradigm theory; and the utility of translating into different paradigms.

Briefly describe framework of parent, adult, child; relate to psychoanalysis. Illustrate with examples.

Discuss concept of game; illustrate with "yes, but" (GPP., pp. 58, and 115ff), and "Ain't it awful" (GPP, 109ff).

Set up framework of persecutor, rescuer, victim. Discuss Scripts, winners and losers. Begin with WDYS, ch 12, A & B; continue with the Rescue game in Steiner, ch. 11.

Some internet links with information about Berne, Steiner, and their work can be found at the International Transactional Analysis Association.  

Summary remarks on scripting in terms of what can happen depending on what stories one believes about one's self.  (Credit and explain Card's discussion of stories and self in his Maps in a Mirror. )