Alternative Rationalities Research Articles

Encountering gender: resisting a neo-liberal political rationality for sexuality education as an HIV prevention strategy

ABSTRACTGlobally, sexuality education is framed as a key programmatic strategy for achieving HIV prevention among youth. In particular, sexuality education is positioned as a way to address gender inequalities and promote youth empowerment in relation to gendered identities. In this paper, I argue that the focus on what content should be taught and what is the effectiveness of that content serves to mask how sexuality education itself is always a political project. Specifically, I problematise a neo-liberal 'political rationality,' following Wendy Brown, operating through sexuality education in this particular globalised moment. Drawing on data from an ethnographic study conducted in South Africa, I use the notion of encounters with gender to mobilise understanding of gender with(in) the inevitable risks of knowing and being known through educational research and practice. I argue that holding sexuality education responsible to the complexity of lived lives necessitates proposing alternative political rationalities to guide its encounters.

Enantioselection mechanism in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

Combined experimental and computational study of the Rh-BenzP*-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation (BenzP* is 1,2-bis(tert-butylmethylphosphino)benzene) of five structurally different enamides showed significant diversity in the mechanism of hydrogen activation. In neither case, the mode of the coordination of the C=C double bond or the structure of the most reactive species corresponded to the stereochemical outcome of the reaction product. This fact proved the loss of the chiral information acquired in the resting state and/or in the oxidative addition step and determination of the stereoselection on a later stage of the catalytic cycle. Quantum chemical computations showed that in all cases the stereoselection takes place on the stage of the coordination of the C=C double bond to Rh in a RhIII non-chelating octahedral complex. The sense of enantioselection is determined via the relative easiness of the chelate cycle formation in a less hindered quadrant of the catalyst. In the case of phenyl-, 4-nitrophenyl-, and 3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)-substituted enamides, the formation of the α-dihydride intermediate in the less hindered quadrant is directed by C—H...π interaction of the tert-butyl group of the catalyst and the aryl substituent of the enamide leading to high R-enantioselectivity. In the case of the tert-butyl-substituted enamide, the formation of α-dihydride is strongly disfavored by steric hindrance and the formation of β-dihydride in the less hindered quadrant results in high S-enantioselectivity. Comparative quantum chemical computations of the asymmetric hydrogenation of the classic system DIPAMP-Rh—methyl (Z)-α-acetamidocinnamate (DIPAMP is 1,2-bis[(2-methoxyphenyl)(phenylphosphino)]ethane) revealed essentially the same mechanism of enantioselection. Early experimental results received alternative rationalization according to our computational data.

In-situ study of substrate – catalyst interactions in a Juliá–Colonna epoxidation using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation

Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) analysis of the hexa-l-Leucine (PLL)-catalyzed epoxidation of chalcone gives in-situ experimental evidences which demonstrate that the reaction proceeds mainly via the formation of a PLL-bound hydroperoxide complex followed by the reversible addition of chalcone. The observations offer an alternative rationalization for the viability of the preferred catalytic pathway.

Practices of standard-setting – An analysis of the IASB's and FASB's process of identifying the objective of financial reporting

In their revised conceptual frameworks, the IASB and FASB pronounce that in their view valuation usefulness is the single objective of financial reporting. The present paper addresses the question how this decision was made by the boards and why stewardship was not identified as a separate objective. Drawing on Flyvbjerg's work on rationality and power, the paper analyses the practices of standard-setting in the specific case of the framework revision. The qualitative empirical study is based on the material which is publicly available from the due process of the IASB and FASB and also builds on interviews with board members, staff members and constituents. This paper finds that the decision usefulness programme, developed in the US in the 1970s, was the body of knowledge which primarily shaped and limited the debates during the framework revision. While decision usefulness was taken for granted by all participants, even by those who were arguing for a separate stewardship objective, no alternative rationality or programme associated with stewardship was discussed in the standard-setting arena. The paper also shows that a “mundane” organisational structure put the staff in a crucial position to influence board debates and sheds light on how disciplinary and self-disciplinary techniques affected board members' decision-making in the framework project.

Central banks’ inflation forecasts under asymmetric loss: Evidence from four Latin-American countries

We study the rationality of the inflation forecasts of the central banks of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. We reject rationality under a symmetric (Chile is an exception) but not under an asymmetric loss function. An overprediction implies a larger loss than an underprediction. We also analyze alternative rationality tests, growth forecasts, and private-sector forecasts.

Governing public nuisance: Collaboration and conflict regarding the presence of homeless people in public spaces of Montreal

Exclusionary policing has been a strong, enduring trend for responding to the presence of marginalised groups in public spaces of Western cities – at times so dominant that it overshadows the existence of alternative rationalities such as public health and social justice. Are such alternatives simply powerless? Are they mere auxiliaries of exclusive strategies? In Montreal, public order, public health and social justice have been embodied by a variety of stakeholders and strategies, thereby offering the chance to explore the intercourse between the three rationalities in a situated way. While public health and social justice have long supported each other, relationships with public order have often presented conflict. The case of Montreal, however, also reflects some shifts towards balanced collaboration under certain circumstances that will be scrutinised.

Cultura organizacional e avanço do management na Marinha do Brasil

Este artigo debruça-se sobre o avanço do gerencialismo norte-americano e seus reflexos sobre a administração pública brasileira. Mais especificamente, o foco concentra-se na introdução da cultura do management por meio do novo sistema de custos, apresentado pelo Governo Federal como forma de subsidiar a tomada de decisão e alocação eficiente do gasto público. A Marinha do Brasil e as Organizações Militares Prestadoras de Serviços (OMPS) estão imersas nesse contexto que reproduz acriticamente modelos de gestão e desconsidera aspectos relacionados à cultura organizacional. Portanto, o objetivo da pesquisa é investigar como as características culturais de uma OMPS se aproximam ou se afastam daquelas necessárias à adoção do método de custeio variável. O estudo foi desenvolvido por meio de pesquisa de campo, com entrevistas em profundidade. As falas dos sujeitos foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo e, para evitar uma abordagem monolítica e simplificadora da cultura organizacional, agrupadas de acordo com a proposta multiparadigmal de Meyerson e Martin (1987). Os resultados sugerem que profissionalismo e criatividade vêm sendo disseminados dentro da organização. Entretanto, essas características, que estão em conformidade com o culto da excelência alinhado ao management, contrapõem-se a peculiaridades das OMPS, como respeito à hierarquia e disciplina. Hierarquia e disciplina dificultam descentralização, delegação e implantação da cultura de apuração e cobrança de resultados. Por fim, argumenta-se que uma abordagem de controle por resultados, em sintonia com os princípios do management, mostra-se pouco adequada às OMPS, sendo necessário recuperar noções alternativas de racionalidade que respeitem o conhecimento local.

Intuitive decisions and heuristics – an alternative rationality

Two ways of making a decision are objectively using formal analysis and subjectively using intuition. Psychological research has shown that the latter leads to better decisions in complex situations. Intuitive decision-making uses simplified rules of thumb heuristics. In engineering terms, complexity implies complex systems. A set of rules and principles – heuristics – is presented as a guide for making subjective decisions in complex system contexts, one aspect of which is to provide quality control and guard against bias and error. An extended practical example of the use of these heuristics is given involving assessment of the safety of nuclear-powered ships.

Abordagem crítica nos estudos organizacionais: concepção de indivíduo sob a perspectiva emancipatória

O objetivo deste ensaio teórico é debater a necessidade de considerar racionalidades alternativas à instrumental nos Estudos Organizacionais, em favor do exercício da cidadania do indivíduo como ator social, com papel ativo e não sujeito da ciência e do mundo. São resgatados pressupostos teóricos dos Estudos Organizacionais críticos, no contexto paradigmático do humanismo radical, para responder porque fazer uma análise crítica. A justificativa é a de que a Ciência Social estabelecida tornou-se um meio legítimo de controle do mundo natural e a conduta humana. Apoiando-se em pressupostos teóricos ingênuos, na visão de Alberto Guerreiro Ramos, a Ciência da Administração se desenvolveu com base na racionalidade instrumental inerente à Ciência Social dominante no Ocidente, não sofrendo críticas até 1970 porque funcionou até ali. As críticas mais atuais não foram suficientes para romper a corrente principal, talvez porque a razão deslocada do psiquismo humano transformou-se em um atributo da sociedade. No entanto, há concepções epistemológicas alternativas ao funcionalismo e a abordagem crítica é caminho possível, podendo trazer avanços aos Estudos Organizacionais, constituindo um dos caminhos possíveis na busca da emancipação do homem em direção a uma sociedade melhor e mais justa.

Mapping the Territory: Contextual Jurisprudence, Legal Pluralism and WTO Law and Development

In this article, I respond to Twining's lecture, ‘Globalisation and Legal Scholarship’. Through an overview of the effect these changes had on the WTO I will describe how a lawyer or scholar of an ‘established transnational field’ experienced the phenomenon of globalisation. In the WTO, the question of meaningful integration of developing countries has been central to negotiations in the last two decades. After engaging in a mapping exercise with respect to development in WTO law, I will propose a method for Twining's ‘systematic rethinkings’ and ‘review of the Western Canon’: scholars and lawyers need to map their fields and the relevant debates in other disciplines. They should proceed to engage with the alternative rationalities of politics, history and economics that are relevant to their work. Engaging with cross-disciplinary debates has the potential to refine our legal arguments, expose hidden assumptions, reveal blind spots in legal theory and provide innovative solutions to legal problems.

Assessment Practices in the Policy and Politics Cycles: A Contribution to Reflexive Governance for Sustainable Development?

This article examines systematic assessment practices linked to sustainable development policies. We consider five types of assessment — monitoring, policy evaluation, formal audit, peer review, and specialist reporting — and explore their fate in the policy and electoral politics cycles. In contrast to traditional views of the policy cycle, we note that systematic assessments provide complementary feedback around the entire policy cycle. However, despite this omnipresence, their policy relevance is usually severely limited, inter alia because the policy cycle captures only parts of the political reality. A major concern for politicians (but not necessarily for policy or governance scholars) that goes far beyond the formulation and implementation of policies is the broader cycle of electoral politics that determines the state's political personnel as well as government priorities. Here, we highlight that the findings of systematic assessments are often lost in a cacophony of voices to which politicians are more carefully attuned, such as media responses and opinion polls, implying that scientific evidence is simply ‘overwritten’ with other kinds of evidence representing alternative rationalities and priorities. Despite numerous shortcomings, the true value of systematic assessment practices lies in their potential to furnish ammunition to state and non-state actors interested in securing change.

Assessment practices in the policy and politics cycles: a contribution to reflexive governance for sustainable development?

ABSTRACTThis article examines systematic assessment practices linked to sustainable development policies. We consider five types of assessment—monitoring, policy evaluation, formal audit, peer review, and specialist reporting—and explore their fate in the policy and electoral politics cycles. In contrast to traditional views of the policy cycle, we note that systematic assessments provide complementary feedback around the entire policy cycle. However, despite this omnipresence, their policy relevance is usually severely limited, inter alia because the policy cycle captures only parts of the political reality. A major concern for politicians (but not necessarily for policy or governance scholars) that goes far beyond the formulation and implementation of policies is the broader cycle of electoral politics that determines the state's political personnel as well as government priorities. Here, we highlight that the findings of systematic assessments are often lost in a cacophony of voices to which politicians are more carefully attuned, such as media responses and opinion polls, implying that scientific evidence is simply ‘overwritten’ with other kinds of evidence representing alternative rationalities and priorities. Despite numerous shortcomings, the true value of systematic assessment practices lies in their potential to furnish ammunition to state and non-state actors interested in securing change.

“Land is Our Mother”: Alternative Meanings of Development in Subaltern Organizing

Land grab has emerged as an increasingly key component of neoliberal frames of development, resulting in large-scale displacement of rural populations. The discourses of farming communities living on lands threatened by these neoliberal reforms reflect an alternative rationality around land, and critique the dominant understanding of development by foregrounding local cultural meanings. Based on a culture-centered engagement with a subaltern movement opposing land grab in Singur, India, this research informs participatory development communication and offers alternative meanings of development.

The Moral Economy Is a Double-edged Sword: Explaining Farmers’ Earnings and Self-exploitation in Community-Supported Agriculture

In this article I develop a political economic understanding of community-supported agriculture (CSA). I first develop the relevance of three concepts—economic rents, self-exploitation, and social embeddedness—to CSA and then introduce a framework that relates CSA farmers’ earnings to the average rate of profit, economic rents, and self-exploitation. I then examine qualitative and quantitative data from a study of 54 CSAs in California’s Central Valley and surrounding foothills to explain the wide range of farmers’ earnings in relation to the characteristics of production of CSAs, the social embeddedness of CSAs, and the farmers’ motivations and rationalities. Qualitative data from interviews are used to interpret the results of an ordinary least squares regression analysis showing that (1) farmers’ age, number of employees, and type of CSA strongly shape farmers’ earnings; (2) the moral economy of CSA cuts both ways economically, allowing for the capture of economic rents but more often resulting in self-exploitation because of farmers’ strong sense of obligation to their members; and (3) farmers’ motivations are diverse, but tend toward low and moderate instrumentalism, meaning that earning an income is often not a high priority relative to other values. The conclusion recommends the need to recognize alternative rationalities but also to discuss and confront strong self-exploitation in alternative food networks because of the broader political economic context in which they exist.

Agreeing to pay under value disagreement: Reconceptualizing preference transformation in terms of pluralism with evidence from small-group deliberations on climate change

Plural values contribute to multiple arrays of expressed preferences. Conventionally, preference convergence toward consensus among initially disagreeing decision makers is understood in terms of diminishing value differences. A cogent account of consensual decision that respects non-diminishing value plurality is lacking. Instead there is a theoretic expectation for categorical consistency between subjective values and expressed preferences. Valuing agents in social interaction are expected to indicate identical preference orderings only if they hold correspondingly identical categories of values. This expectation precludes meaningful conceptualization of preference convergence under divisive normative dispositions. An alternative framework is proposed and illustrated by results from a designed deliberative forum on Australia's climate change policy. Data were analyzed based on Q methodology. Results show that small-group deliberations enabled effective communication between distinctive subjective positions and broadened understandings between individuals. While a consensual decision gained progress, no identified value discourse diminished below a significant degree. Observed changes in values did not run parallel to the converging preferences, suggesting a decline in value-preference consistency. These changes nonetheless are amenable to the principle of value pluralism. An alternative rationality concept is needed to account for this moral ideal within economics.

Voices of the Poor From the Margins of Bengal

In opposition to the traditional approaches to health communication that treat the subaltern sectors as passive recipients of messages of enlightenment configured in top-down interventions, the culture-centered approach foregrounds the importance of listening to subaltern communities at the margins through dialogue. We build on earlier culture-centered projects in rural communities of West Bengal, India, to develop participatory research strategies for understanding the local processes through which the structural marginalization of the poor plays out in rural Bengal. Study results point toward the marginalization of the poor both communicatively and economically, attending to the ways in which communicative marginalization lies at the heart of economic oppressions. Through locally articulated concepts of "health as shortage" and "communication as shortage," community members put forth alternative rationalities of health that highlight structural resources at the heart of health. These local articulations of shortage offer an alternative rationality for organizing health promotion efforts in the rural margins of Bengal through the foregrounding of discourses of shortage.

Hunger as Health: Culture-Centered Interrogations of Alternative Rationalities of Health

What are the experiences of health at the margins of the globe? How do the material inequities in the distributions of resources across the globe play out in the expressions of the experiences of health in the localized contexts of the global margins? In this synthesis essay, I draw upon three interconnected ethnographies conducted over several villages in West Bengal, India, over a decade-long period to explore the alternative rationalities of health that emerge at the margins. At the heart of these ethnographies is the commitment to culturally center narratives of health as hunger, foregrounding the everyday experiences of hunger and the expressions of agency at the margins in securing access to food resources. Based on the synthesis of the ethnographies, entry points are suggested for the praxis of social change communication that builds on the articulation of health as hunger and imagines localized strategies of collective resistance.

A Racionalidade e o Debate Ambiental Contemporâneo

In the subtext of the contemporary environmental debate are hidden and restores values, beliefs and practices that can be characterized as expressions of rationality. In this context, the article proposes to rehearse answers for the following questions: what is reason? Is it possible to think an environmental rationality that is not centered on the market? Or, that does not serve as ideological legitimation of the society centered on the market? To this end, the first part reviews the origins of the classical concept of reason; in the second one, it explains the process of formation and consolidation of modern instrumental rationality and the marginalization of substantive rationality; in the third one, it rescues the reconstitution of rationality substantive as an objective possibility of expansion of spaces for human self-realization; in the fourth one, it makes visible some connections between human substantivity and environmental rationality; and finally, it concludes in part that environmental rationality, which is understood as an alternative rationality of production, cannot be centered on the market.

A conceptual framework of impression management: new insights from psychology, sociology and critical perspectives

In this paper we develop a conceptual framework, based on the concepts of rationality and motivation, which uses theories and empirical research from psychology/behavioural finance, sociology and critical accounting to systematise, advance and challenge research on impression management. The paper focuses on research that departs from economic concepts of impression management as opportunistic managerial discretionary disclosure behaviour resulting in reporting bias or ‘cheap talk’. Using alternative rationality assumptions, such as bounded rationality, irrationality, substantive rationality and the notion of rationality as a social construct, we conceptualise impression management in alternative ways as (1) self-serving bias, (2) symbolic management and (3) accounting rhetoric. This contributes to an enhanced understanding of impression management in a corporate reporting context.

Beyond Design Principles: Subjectivity, Emotion, and the (Ir)Rational Commons

Common property debates are dominated by approaches that seek to demonstrate how cooperation is “rational”; by working together under appropriate institutions, the commons becomes a viable management strategy. This article seeks to expand the commons debate by arguing that more attention is needed on the emotional and “ir-rational” reasons people cooperate. Drawing from feminist theory, subjectivity, and power, I explore how subjectivity is bound up in kinship and community obligations, such that people draw from alternative rationalities to develop informal modes of cooperation. These affective relations are important for people's willingness (or not) to cooperate in more organized contexts, demonstrating the importance of thinking about gender, community, and space as productive of subjectivity, rather than roles or structures in order to understand how particular forms of cooperation emerge. The result is a new understanding of cooperation that incorporates new feminist research on emotion and subjectivity with institutional studies.