Social work as art revisited

In this article we revisit 'social work as art', noting that it is just over 20 years since England's book on the subject provided a direction for the profession's early defence against empiricism. Those who picked up the ball handed to them by England tended to focus discussions of social work's 'art' on its soft side, embedding it in notions of 'creativity', 'meaning', 'self-expression', 'intuition' and 'quality', all of which were said to characterise the 'aesthetic dimensions' of social work practice as a counterpoint to the rising tide of hard empiricism, proceduralism and managerialism. Within these 'aesthetic dimensions', proponents of social work as art sought to resolve tensions through advocating a value-based 'artistic' approach to care. Against this we argue that art is struggle and resolution, soft and hard, joy and grief. Further, we posit that social work's art lies not in the social worker as artist but rather in social work as the 'work' of art, which is implicitly a 'non-productivist' endeavour. In a fundamental sense we argue that it is the art of social work and not the social worker that assembles what is practice, that provides bounds and lets everything stand in relation to everything else. This enables us to construct a speculative 'radical agonistics' for social work that draws attention to the relation between art, truth and event. In so doing, we substitute a subjectivist reading of social work as art with an ontological analysis drawing on Heidegger's phenomenology, supplemented by the work of Alain Badiou, to cast social work as art first, as artistic attunement, and second, as an art in the service of a politics of liberation.     

革命—路线—范式——从人体教学相关的三个事件探讨美术教育“西化”模式的演进

人体艺术作为近代中国现代美术从西方引进的艺术形态,通过美术院校的教育传播开去,人体课在中国教学中的演进,对应着中国绘画现代化的曲折进程。从20世纪美术教育的一桩官司、二次批示、一场展览等三场与人体教学有关的事件切入,可以揭示人体教学发展的基本轨迹模式:革命—路线—范式,同时,这种"西化"模式也对应着美术演进的内在轨迹,文章还展望以人体教学为代表的美术教育,能走出"器用"型的单向之维。     

Synesthesia and Cross-Modality in Contemporary Audiovisuals

ABSTRACT

This paper considers contemporary practice in “fused” or transcoded audiovisual art, focusing on the work of Australian artists Robin Fox and Andrew Gadow. In this practice sound and image are tightly linked by a cross-wiring of media signals. Synesthesia is often invoked around such work, proposing a parallel between perceptual and technical cross-wiring. This synesthetic analogy provides a historical context as well as an analytic frame; it is tested here through a reading of relevant neuro- and perceptual science that illustrates some striking parallels. Ultimately, however, an alternative model is proposed based on cross-modal binding, where stimuli in different modalities are “bound” into correlated wholes. Understood as cross-modal objects, transcoded audiovisuals direct us to the signal that underpins both sound and image, as well as to the map, or domain of correlation, between modalities. The wider significance of this practice, it is argued, lies in its ability to provide an aesthetic and affective manifestation of these abstract structures—structures that are central to new media culture, but largely imperceptible.     

自我行动与自主经营理解中国人何以将自主经营当作其参与市场实践的首选方式

是什么决定着中国人将自主经营当作其参与市场实践的首选方式?本文的假设是,自我行动是影响和决定中国人选择自主经营这一市场实践方式的根本力量. 其中,源于自我主义的自治感是引导中国人偏爱以自主经营的方式参与市场实践的主观力量;而来自关系理性的亲友关系运作则是决定个体能否获取社会资源, 从而决定其能否实现自主经营的客观力量. 这一假设给出了有关中国私营企业成长的两个显著特征,即增长迅速,但其组织规模偏小的解释,同时,也使我们得以对中国人参与市场实践的两类变通性策略行动（即合伙经营和打工）及其后果作出一种延伸性的解释.     

美的本质:从美的本源转向艺术--康德对美的本质的二重解构

康德认为,美的本源出自于人的理性能力与知性能力之间的审美判断力,但美的本源决非美的本质.美的本质是审美判断力在其判断活动中展开的涉及到质、量、关系、模态四个方面的规定性.美的本质可以深刻地应答美的本源问题.同样,对美的本质的界定只是问题的开始,美的本质问题只有在关于艺术本体的阐释中才能得到终极解决,从美的本源到美的本质,再从美的本质到艺术,康德通过对美的本质的二重解构,重新打开了美的本质之门.     

记忆研究的“社会-文化”范式:对“哈布瓦赫-阿斯曼”研究传统的解读

通过分析“哈布瓦赫-阿斯曼”研究路径中有关社会、文化等概念,可以得出一个较为清晰的记忆研究的“社会-文化”范式,从而弥补当下记忆研究无范式的缺陷。这一范式尤其体现在与神圣记忆密切相关的“社会框架论”、社会品质,以及卡农、神话、节日等概念中。从社会学角度看,能够促发人们回忆的社会力来自涂尔干所谓的“神圣社会”。哈布瓦赫记忆理论中的“社会框架论”和“社会品质”概念是涂尔干的“社会本体论”思想的核心表现,由此形成一种哈布瓦赫的“神圣记忆观”。扬·阿斯曼文化记忆理论中的重要概念“卡农”,也是一种神圣记忆。卡农等概念是扬·阿斯曼对哈布瓦赫的“社会框架论”的继承和推进。上述要素构成记忆研究的“社会-文化”范式的基础。从“取向”讨论转向“范式”分析,有助于推进社会记忆研究传统的生成和发展。     

An Analysis of Stability Sets in pure Coordination Games

We calculate the Lebesgue–measures of the stability sets of Nash-equilibria in pure coordination games. The results allow us to observe that the ordering induced by the Lebesgue–measure of stability sets upon strict Nash-equilibria does not necessarily agree with the ordering induced by risk–dominance. Accordingly, an equilibrium selection theory based on the Lebesgue–measure of stability sets would be necessarily different from one which uses the Nash-property as a point of orientation.     

以作品存在为核心的美学——加达默尔艺术理论的基本框架

加达默尔的艺术理论改变了读者在整个艺术活动中的地位 ,为文艺研究范式的转换带来了新的可能性 ,但其艺术理论却并非以读者为核心。本文在澄清这一事实的基础上指出 ,加达默尔的艺术理论是作品存在论 ,具有显著的辩证特性 ,据此 ,才与作者中心论、读者中心论、作品形式论具有了本质区别 ,从而成为 2 0世纪西方独树一帜的理论流派     

Improving judgment by reconciling incoherence

This paper discusses how a subject's judgments about his actions, uncertainties and values may be improved by seeking out and reconciling inconsistences between related judgments. Decision theory tells us that there are relationships between coherent judgments, such as between a prior, likelihood and posterior, but does not tell us how a subject is to reconcile his own, possibly incoherent, views. The role of coherence in improving judgments is not clear. This paper discusses whether there is a unique, best reconciliation of incoherent judgments and how such reconciliation could improve decision-making. The basic principles of the coherent view are explained and a language developed in which the problem of reconciliation can be discussed. The practical importance of the problem is emphasized, illustrated by several examples and possible solutions are explored.     

汉语定中短语通感隐喻探微

传统语言学对通感的定位,其视角在于其修辞方法和修辞功能,从本质上来说,通感也是一种隐喻,是人类重要的认知方式之一.汉语定中短语通感隐喻包括感官感觉范畴向心理感觉范畴的映射和感官感觉范畴之间的映射,无论是用一种感官感觉去描述另一种感官或心理感觉的单一通感隐喻,还是用两种感官感觉去描述第三种感官或心理感觉的复合通感隐喻,汉语定中短语通感隐喻中各感觉范畴的修饰等级都遵循着由低级向高级的分布规律,这种等级分布符合隐喻的映射规律和人类的认知规律.     

非自主回忆：普鲁斯特论个体记忆的社会性

哈布瓦赫集体记忆理论提供了“社会性”的视角,但没能深描个体创造社会的过程。普鲁斯特的记忆理论虽然也包含“社会性”维度,但并没有止步于此,而是呈现出社会与个体混融的社会形象,其中,不仅有社会的限制和引导二重性,还有个体的主动适应和创造：社会也内在于个体,个体也非纯粹的心理学意义上的个体,个体的创造离不开社会环境。这源于主客融合的立场,在这一视点下,普鲁斯特的社会形象不是二重性,而是多重的,甚至有无限可能。社会是在个体创造过程中的产物,在这一过程中,社会呈现出丰富的形象,社会的无限可能性蕴含在个体的创造过程中。     

Aspects of Social Work on a Cancer Research and Treatment Unit in a London Teaching Hospital

Summary With the rapid growth of technology and science in society today,an increasingly large number of people are becoming patientsin specialized research and treatment units. The reorganizationof social work support to the health service is upon us, andgreat care must be taken to ensure that this important groupof clients will receive the social work help it needs. The paper is based on work in a cancer unit in a London teachinghospital and seeks to illustrate ways in which the work is specialized     

“鬼行贱业”的救赎与转型：新旧之交下的梅兰芳游美记

近代中国特殊的历史背景使传统艺术走上了与西方艺术不同的现代性建构道路。通过对1930年梅兰芳赴美演出前筹备过程的梳理,可以看到京剧现代转型的机制、特点与得失。从以齐如山为代表的近代知识分子对梅兰芳与京剧的改造中可见,近代中国传统艺术探索出了一条以新知识分子为参与主体,以“中西结合、古今共用”的艺术理论为革新理念,以推动艺术成为跨越阶级和国家的大众时尚为革新目的,以“救亡图存、发扬国光”为最高理想的转型道路,由此在“为艺术而艺术”与“为社会而艺术”之间找到了现实平衡,成为了兼具国际性与民族性的大众时尚。因此,梳理和分析近代京剧的改革史可以为当下探寻“文化自觉”的方向提供指引。     

《大师和玛格丽特》的宗教神话主题

《大师和玛格丽特》错综复杂的人物情节和时空结构,体现出作者敏锐大胆的艺术思维和渊博的欧洲文化背景知识,尤其是其中潜在的神话传说背景更是给这部离奇的作品蒙上了一层神秘的面纱。它对《圣经》故事的演义和神话式的浪漫情节建立在西方基督教文化背景之上,其中的神秘主义因素以及玄奥的逻辑关系又使阅读者和研究者有理由对作品的艺术内涵做多种角度的理解和领会。     

Autism, Empathy and Questions of Moral Agency

In moral psychology, it has long been argued that empathy is a necessary capacity of both properly developing moral agents and developed moral agency ( Blair, 2008 ; Hume et al., 1978 ). This view stands in tension with the belief that some individuals diagnosed with autism—which is typically characterized as a deficiency in social reciprocity (including empathy)—are moral agents. In this paper we propose to explore this tension and perhaps trouble how we commonly see those with autism. To make this task manageable, we will consider whether high functioning individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder are capable of empathetic responses. If they are, then they possess a capacity that, on the view above, is required for moral agency. If they are not so capable, and yet sometimes engage in moral behaviour, this casts some doubt on the claim that empathy is required for moral agency. This second possibility will necessitate an exploration of the capacity of some individuals with autism to engage in moral behaviour, giving us further grounds to re-see these individuals as moral agents.     

The Functions of Child Care Reviews in Scotland A Preliminary Investigation

Correspondence to Dr A. J. Kendrick, Research Fellow, Department of Political Science and Social Policy, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland. Summary In this second article based upon the first stage of a researchproject on statutory child care reviews in Scotland we explorethe perceptions of the functions of reviews. We identify a numberof primary functions which can be viewed together as elementsin a rational model of decision-making. With certain provisosthis model allows us to distinguish analytically the explicitpurpose of child care reviews. We show that although a numberof other functions take place in reviews these are not perceivedas necessary to reviews and as such can be considered secondaryfunctions.     

Power inequalities

This paper aims to give determinate sense to the claim that there are inequalities of power by outlining a procedure in terms of which individual acts of power can be measured. Noting that problems in the definition and measurement of power are closely related, the paper criticizes one analysis of power which defines the notion in purely causal terms. It argues that such a definition inevitably leads to difficulties in quantifying power, and is in any case deficient. Power is instead defined by reference to the notion of coercion, where this idea is itself explicated in terms of threats. A measure of power is developed from this definition, so that power is quantified by the degree of deprivation that one person can impose upon another. The paper concludes by noting that an adequate measure of power at the social level depends upon inter-personal welfare comparisons, but that this does not mean that the idea of power inequalities cannot be given determinate sense.     

Why Aesthetic Patterns Matter: Art and a “Qualitative” Social Theory

This paper argues that an explanation of the role of aesthetic patterning in human action needs to be part of any “qualitative” social theory. It urges the social sciences to move beyond contextualism and to see art as visual, acoustic and other media that lead to heightened sensory perception and the coordination of feelings through symbols. The article surveys the argument that art provides a basic model of how the self learns to interact with external environments; and the complementary thesis that art could be seen as integral to the emergence of systems of human knowledge, communication and economy. Ornamentation and stylization are advanced as two concrete devices through which human attention is captured and experience is ordered through aesthetic patterns. The conclusion is drawn that art offers the social sciences a meaningful account of the perceptual or “qualitative” dimensions of social interactions; and that this is much needed today.     

从洛克到休谟：论英国政治社会思路的转向

从洛克到休谟,英国政治社会的思路发生了重要转向。洛克从基督教的信仰结构中构建自由宪政的根基,但为后世的党派之争埋下了激进的种子。休谟从经入史,经史结合研究政治社会,在历史中寻找事物变易的轨迹和哲学推理的经验基础,开辟了英国新的自由传统。本文以对洛克和休谟的思想诠释为出发点,重返英国政治社会的经典问题,借此来为理解英国社会理论中更为丰富的面向提供某种线索,也为中国现代转型问题提供某种治学启发。     

Navigations between regulations and gut instinct: the unveiling of collective memory in decision‐making processes where teenagers are placed in residential care

The decision to take a young person away from his or her family into out‐of‐home care and treatment is the most drastic intervention within the statutory powers bestowed upon social services. The results of reports on the quality of residential treatment reveal that state supervision has not proven to be a good substitute for parental care. In this paper we analyse the decision‐making process when young persons are placed in residential care. Focus groups and individual interviews with different stakeholders were conducted. The results show that the placements are a collective process involving negotiations between the different parties with a coordinating social worker in the middle, with the aim to bring something to build hope on in often desperate situations, regardless of the specific treatment method used. To inform the process, the social workers draw on a ‘collective memory’ shared among colleagues in the department. Important signs of quality of a residential unit were the relational and collaborative competence from the staff. The inclination to use soft, diffuse information in decision‐making shows a striking lack of evidence upon which social workers can build well‐informed and knowledge‐based decisions.