Professional blinders? The novel as an eye-opener in organizational analysis

ABSTRACT

Scholarly textbooks often follow a logic where suitable empirical cases are selected to illustrate the theoretical and analytical points that we as scholars want to make. But what would happen if we would do the opposite: build a textbook on a novel written by a novelist for such purpose and let the theories explain the actions and emotions of fictional characters? In this article, we share and reflect upon our experiences of co-authoring a textbook in organization theory together with a professional novelist. We argue that the novel can function as an eye-opener in organizational analysis, forcing us to look beyond more static and rationalistic perspectives on organizations as well as the stereotypes of such. We build and relate our experiences to the growing literature about using fiction in scholarly work and discuss the potential of such genre-bending work when we bring in flesh and blood into the analyses.     

Contextual identity experiencing facilitates resilience in Native American academics

This article discusses the socio-cultural dynamics that interact with ethno-racial identity experiencing in a previously under-researched group. A qualitative interdisciplinary study with 40 Native American academics from 28 mainstream universities across the U.S. served as a case example with findings that contrasted with historically influential theoretical frameworks postulating identity confusion and conflicts at the intersection of one’s mainstream education and profession versus one’s ethno-racial community grounding. Instead of feeling pressure to identify with only one worldview, the contextual, dynamic identities associated with the inclusive and flexible self-concept of tribal participants allowed them to in turn take advantage of two divergent cultural meaning systems pertaining to their distinct socio-cultural contexts. These shifts were experienced as not endogenous but rather exogenous variables, which did not cause the historically theorized issues. Participants felt their tribal identities instead facilitated meaningful integration of the existing incongruences, which resulted in unexpectedly resilient subjective experiencing.     

Becoming Custodial Dads: Exploring Parenting Among Low‐Income and Working‐Class African American Fathers

The authors use an ecological framework and grounded theoretical analysis to explore the circumstances in which working‐class and low‐income custodial African American fathers gain custody of their children, their transition from part‐time to full‐time parents, and the role of support networks in enhancing or inhibiting these men's parenting. Twenty‐four men from an impoverished Midwestern urban area participated in the study. The findings suggest that these men, and perhaps others sharing their demographic profiles, generally become parents by default and are often reluctant to take on a full‐time, single parenting role. Adaptation to the role seems to be enhanced by these men's use of extended kin support networks and shared living arrangements. However, low wages, a lack of sufficient assistance from public assistance programs, and informal custody arrangements often inhibit their fathering.     

The African Evaluation Guidelines: 2002. A checklist to assist in planning evaluations, negotiating clear contracts, reviewing progress and ensuring adequate completion of an evaluation

A review of the US ‘program evaluation standards’ (PES), undertaken in a series of workshops and meetings of networks of evaluators in Africa, resulted in modifications to those standards. The result was presented to a plenary session of the Inaugural Conference of the African Evaluation Association in September 1999, attended by over 300 evaluators from 35 countries. The AfrEA Conference decided that a systematic effort should be made to produce a list of African evaluation guidelines, similar to the PES, and that this checklist should be reviewed by national evaluation associations and networks in Africa and field tested in several countries. Ten national and regional networks and associations suggested modifications to the text and endorsed the final version of the guidelines.     

东西方影响下努力走向世界的文学——中国20世纪文学论

20世纪的中国文学是在东西方文化文学影响下努力走向世界的文学,它的发生、发展都离不开西方文化与文学影响,在借鉴接受西方文化文学的影响中,在传承中国文化文学的传统里,努力走向世界。它是努力走向大众雅俗流变互动的文学,在走向大众化的路途上,将求雅与随俗努力结合起来,构成其独有的面貌和特点。     

书写的欲望——论20世纪中国女性文化与女性话语权力

本文在 2 0世纪的文学背景下 ,系统梳理了女性文学发展的脉络 ,指出女性书写是一个男性无法进入而又实际存在的生命空间 ,这一世界相对于男性是“盲区”,女性写作便在这“盲区”中生长、发展 ,形成潮流 ,目的是颠覆男权文化的霸权地位 ,为自己争取话语权力     

全球化语境与文学的民族性

全球化与文学的民族性 ,从根本上说是一个历史问题在当前新的历史语境下的重新言说。它既表现出作为历史问题的滥觞所提供和积累的经验性意义 ,又由于历史境遇的深刻变化而必然呈示出“新质” ,并由此构成对世界现实秩序的挑战。我们既要坚持以“国家和民族”的范式参与“世界文学”的对话 ,又应积极地把握“全球化”态势以激活民族的文学     

从"唐人选唐诗"看王昌龄在唐代诗坛地位的变迁

“唐人选唐诗”录王昌龄诗歌作品的情况反映出唐代不同时期人们对王昌龄诗歌接受态度及其在唐代诗坛地位的升降变迁。总体而言 ,昌龄因其五言古诗对盛唐诗风的开拓之功而受到当时选家普遍重视 ,有“诗家夫子”之称 ,中唐以后选家则独重昌龄七言绝句 ,虽以“七绝圣手”誉之 ,但其诗歌地位已非显著。文章同时指出 ,作为古代诗歌批评的一种特殊形态 ,唐诗选本所蕴含的诗学价值应受到重视 ,成为唐诗学研究的一个方向     

游于艺:徐渭的艺术精神

徐渭虽然是明代文坛的边缘人 ,但却代表着明代文学的一种新精神 ,就是以“玩文学”的方式消解“诗言志”、“文载道”的传统。他的诗文创作既非源自某种使命感或道义精神 ,也非社会的写照或干预生活的武器 ,而是一种游戏人生自得其乐的生存方式。他拒绝崇高拒绝深刻 ,化神圣为笑谈 ,化正经为滑稽 ,在明代文学特定的语境中横空出世 ,开启了晚明“独抒性灵”的诗风与文风     

文学缪斯的女性解读--评《找寻夏娃--中国当代女性文学透视》

赵树勤的新著《找寻夏娃———中国当代女性文学透视》对当代女性文学的历史衍变、主题话语、语言特质、诗学模式、文体风貌等问题作了深入的文化诠释和诗学建构 ,体现了建构中国化女性主义诗学体系的学术自觉。