“Unrealistic Realities”: Child Abuse and the Aesthetic Resolution

Abstract

This article addresses the complex social realities of organizational life through aesthetic theory. After reviewing aesthetic theory and its relationship to organizational communication, we discuss the issue of suspected child abuse as a social and organizational communication concern. Suspected child abuse is considered a socially constructed phenomenon surrounded by multiple realities. Two such realities are the naturalized inclination and the simulation. A third reality is discussed‐the aesthetic reality. The aesthetic reality is exemplified in this case through the stories collected from former elementary school teachers who discuss the topic of child abuse and at times create aesthetic narratives that serve multiple functions.