Tame, erode, rupture or exit: strategies for transformative change

Erik Olin Wright described four kinds of transformation: anarchic change, which occurs when people choose to exit an existing system; ruptural or revolutionary change through protest or seizing power; interstitial change, which happens in the soft alternatives to existing policy and has the effect of eroding societies' harms for some; and symbolic or negotiated change, which depends on taming existing systems, usually through legislative change. Transformative leadership aligns with the latter - bringing about change in social policies to alleviate the suffering of many rather than just a few. This chapter reflects on Wright's and others' theories and compares these with the strategies for change described in this book, and more broadly on the African continent. Drawing inspiration from both Desmond Tutu and Julius Nyerere, it challenges change-makers to focus on negotiated, policy-driven efforts to ensure that people's suffering is alleviated and conditions encourage thriving.