The quantum model of transformative action, authored by Margaret Wheatley, theorizes that change is stabilized at a lower level, and indicates a focus on the local/micro which patterns across the mass as a whole. Working at Project Sentinel, the widespread inter/intra-personal disarray I witnessed was made sense of using theories such as the Shadow State and principles of reification, but the quantum model of change is what brought empowerment in a time where the vast stressors were paralyzing. 

In my research, I found that personal meaning making was a core tenant that drove agency in PS. One worker exemplified that they worked cases so hard because they work cases how they would want their case to be worked - "that's my personality." This reality presents insight to the complex motivations of creating social change. Helping workers connect to what drives them in justice work is a key tenet in building sustainable action. 

In order for critical connections to be formed, and complex meaning to be shared across workers, I believe a reformation in remote infrastructure is necessary. We must adapt remote infrastructure to mirror natural tendencies of interaction. One example might be randomized opportunities for partnership, simulating 'water-cooler talk', which may drive casual talk that can build community and provide sparks of solutions for potentially distant cases. However, as a whole, functional systems are created through common meaning and collaboration in the local style of the community members themselves. Societal models and leadership models may bring to light pressures not readily apparent, yet each organization and/or community must do the work of designing a system that works for them, through building the atomic relationships that will comprise a larger order.

While working at Project Sentinel, I found myself among a group of highly motivated, intelligent, and often overqualified peoples with a passion for nonprofit and justice work. In praxis, I found that many principles such as Wolch's Shadow State and Marxist analysis of state capitalism rang true - but that my coworker's multiplicity and complex personhood subverted reductionism within the nonprofit community. Working in spite of feeling burnt out, one worker detailed how in the midst of the pandemic, they would drive out to deliver packages to clients unfamiliar with internet interfaces. In another interview, one new worker shared that some of their proudest moments have been when they're told that the way they interact with their clients has 'restored [the client's] dignity'. 

Another critical connection I witnessed was PS networking with federal representatives. By building good relations with government entities, PS was able to better understand the guidelines for contract cases, and work collaboratively to build audits that provide new and useful information for the communities they serve. Is this an example of reproducing power dynamics between the state and the citizen? In truth - I do not know. What I have learned, however, is that each relationship to any given part of a community is much more valuable than is immediately apparent. I have affirmed through praxis that we must actively recruit imagination, because critical theory without the ability to creatively transform our future is often a means without an end.