Conceptual Strands Research Articles

Exploring the responses of non-churchgoers to a cathedral pre-Christmas son et lumiere

Two conceptual strands of research within the field of cathedral studies have theorised the capacity of Anglican cathedrals to engage more successfully than parish churches with the wider non-churchgoing community. One strand has explored mobilising cathedral metaphors, and the other strand has explored the notion of implicit religion. Both strands illuminate the power of events and installations to soften the boundaries between common ground and sacred space. Drawing on a quantitative survey among 978 people who attended the pre-Christmas son et lumiere at Liverpool Cathedral during December 2022, the present study analyses the qualitative responses of 123 participants who never attend church services. Three categories of themes emerged from these data, concerning the Cathedral itself, the installation, and discordant experience.Contribution: Situated within the science of cathedral studies, this article draws on original qualitative data to illuminate the experiences of participants who never attend church services when engaging with the pre-Christmas son et lumiere at a major cathedral. Conceptualised within the framework of implicit religion, these data confirmed how the son et lumiere succeeded in softening boundaries between the sacred and the secular and provided a deeply moving experience. As one participant said, ‘I am not religious, but I had the best experience ever’.

Discerning Philosophy in the Uttarāmnāya Liturgies of the Newars

Although the Kaula literature of the Newars did not give rise to a systematic philosophical school like that of their Kashmiri counterparts, I will argue in this article that philosophical thinking can be detected in Newar ritual texts. I do this by translating and analysing the unpublished Kālīsūtra, an important hymn found in Newar Uttarāmnāya liturgies whose transmission and composition will also be touched upon. This hymn indicates that the cult of Kālī in Nepal had a distinct ontological stance tending towards a non-dualism which was world-affirming while also seeing consciousness as the ultimate reality. Several key conceptual strands of the Sūtra such as the relationship between transcendence and immanence, reality and cognition and the divine and the body will be elaborated upon. In the process, I will show that the Kālīsūtra’s philosophy brings into sharper focus doctrines already present in the canonical Krama and thus displays many affinities with the Pratyabhijñā, a school which shares its cultic backdrop.

Campsite revenue management decision-making–A semi-systematic review

This paper provides a semi-systematic review of the extant literature surrounding the concept of camping and campground revenue management from 1984 until 2023 and presents a conceptual model that encircles and categorizes all the subjects treated in the previous research which was found to be disparate and multidisciplinary in nature. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state of knowledge in the field and a conceptual structuring of the topic which was previously lacking. By synthesizing the various disparate conceptual strands of the topic that have developed over time, the paper presents a revenue management decision-support tool tailored for campsites that organizes the camping revenue management literature around its own conceptual model whilst also highlighting areas for future research.

Visual Necropolitics and Visual Violence: Theorizing Death, Sight, and Sovereign Control of Palestine

Abstract The Israeli military’s occupation of Palestinian territory relies heavily on its ability to shape the visual environment and set the terms of how Palestinians may see and be seen. However, the relationship between violent occupation and violent visualities has yet to be fully theorized. This article gathers several conceptual strands—biopolitics, visual biopolitics, and necropolitics—to theorize what I term “visual necropolitics.” Visual necropolitics is proffered as an analytical tool that furthers our understanding of the violent visual regulations that enable and sustain the conditions for the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and the subjugation of the Palestinian people. To illustrate this, three distinct but related forms of visual violence will be analyzed: the deliberate infliction of ocular trauma through targeting of the eyes, the strategy of maiming in order to prevent telegenic death, and the imposition of visual regulations to govern the death of captured bodies. This theorization allows us to move beyond considering the politics of sight, vision, and representation only as an artifact of the colonial power relations that govern life and death in Palestine, towards understanding how visual violence is a constitutive dimension of occupation. Not only does colonial occupation use visual violence, but it cannot be sustained without it.

‘WHERE CIVIL BLOOD MAKES CIVIL HANDS UNCLEAN’: THE MODEL OF STASIS IN SALLUST

AbstractThe following paper proposes that Sallust offers a conceptualization of civil conflict more in line with the Greek paradigm of stasis than with its Roman counterpart bellum ciuile. In doing so, it argues for the actual coexistence of these two differentiated conceptual strands in the political thought of the Late Republic. To this end, Sallust's corpus is analysed to identify the main threads that articulate civil strife in its multifarious manifestations: how it arises and who its protagonists are or, conversely, how it is kept in check, how it is connected to the human passions that drive ideology, and the violence that stems from the clash between political and familial spheres of influence. The article shows how the pathos of familial drama is what characterizes civil conflict for Sallust, rather than the struggle for legitimacy found in Cicero's narrative.

Taking the temperature of employability research: a systematic review of interrelationships across and within conceptual strands

ABSTRACT Employability concerns an individual’s potential in the labour market. This potential has been interpreted along three strands: (I) in terms of personal strengths that increase employment potential; (II) in terms of self-perceived employment opportunities; and (III) in terms of job transitions as a realization of employment potential. The risk of using different approaches is fragmentation of the research field. In response, we aim to study the extent to which fragmentation is an issue and the potential for integration both across and within strands. We achieve this aim through a systematic review of 71 empirical studies on employees’ employability that reports on the interrelationships across and within strands and instruments used within strands. Our review shows that the different strands are connected, yet evidence mostly comes from cross-sectional studies. In addition, relationships within strands are typically stronger than across strands. However, there are many different instruments used, and this is a key barrier for integration.

DIRECTIONS FOR RENEWAL OF THE UKRAINIAN SYSTEM OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION ON THE BASIS OF US EXPERIENCE

The need for renewal of Ukraine’s education is objectified by the necessity to reach its compatibility with the global educational process. The article aims at outlining the trajectories of renewal of the national system of foreign language teacher education based on the experience of the USA. In the study the methods of comparative analysis and extrapolation were utilised. It was concluded that transformation of the foreign language teacher education system in Ukraine should be carried out along conceptual, legislative and organizational-content strands, at the state, institutional and personal levels. At the state level: development of legislative basis that would stipulate the establishment and work of professional public agencies in the sphere of foreign language teacher education; development and implementation of standards of foreign language teacher preparation; monitoring the quality of language teacher preparation and certification of its applicants by autonomous professional organizations; reconsideration of specializations and qualifications of specialists in the field of foreign languages in accordance with the requirements of the labour market; preparation of foreign language acquisition specialists («foreign language pedagogical linguistics») as a subspecialisation of «applied linguistics»; introduction of pedagogical internship. At the institutional level: diversification of forms and types of educational programmes (academically oriented/ applied, interdisciplinary, multilevel, combined); introduction of interdisciplinary educational programmes with integrated teaching of disciplines and foreign/second languages; diversification of didactic approaches to the development of language teachers’ professional competencies; increasing the number of credits allocated for school practicum and rationalization of its organizational forms and didactic approaches; development of integrated courses with the parallel study of foreign languages and the content of professional disciplines. At the personal level: developing student teachers’ motivation, the need for continuous professional development.

Boss was not yet pleased; Did the performance matter?

Learning outcomes To evaluate a difficult career choice under compelling organizational circumstances. To analyse a complex organizational culture to understand the nuances of career decisions. To relate career dilemmas to relevant conceptual and theoretical strands of organizational behaviour. To interpret the leadership style and its interaction with organizational culture. To determine possible strategic recourses to deal with the dynamics of destructive leadership and toxic cultures. Case overview/synopsis The case is about the experiences of Raamit Pell, a Middle-level Executive at Accadia Management Services, and his encounters with a new boss, Pret Sohn. Raamit Pell had joined Accadia at a time when the organization was undergoing some political and cultural turmoil. When Pret Sohn came in as the new Chief Executive Officer six months later, there were a lot of expectations. But, Pret Sohn too began following Accadia’s existing political culture, indulging in unhealthy organizational practices. He caused mental harassment to many executives. One such executive was Raamit Pell. Despite Raamit’s excellent performance, Pret Sohn denied him a well-deserved promotion. Sohn justified it by saying that performance alone did not matter. Raamit felt deeply disturbed and considered quitting Accadia. He was reluctant to leave as a defeated man. Subsequently, he received an offer from another subsidiary of Accadia’s holding agency. As he was undergoing a three-month mandatory notice period for his release, Raamit became concerned about his decision to leave Accadia. Deep in his mind he longed to redeem his hurt pride at Accadia. So, he was pondering whether he had taken the decision to resign in haste. Complexity academic level Level: Post-graduate/doctoral and executive education programmes in management and allied subjects. Courses: Courses in Career Decisions, Organizational Behaviour, Leadership, Organizational Culture and Organizational Ethics. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 7: Management Science.

State legitimacy and government performance in the Horn of Africa

ABSTRACT This article examines state legitimacy and government performance in the Horn of Africa (HOA). Drawing on the literature of the state and specifically on the HOA, as well as on primary research, this article seeks to examine the nature of state legitimacy. The wider literature indicates that state legitimacy derives from two sources: domestic and external. In an ideal situation, a symmetry exists between the two. In reality, however, there is usually an inverted relation. The notion of inverted legitimacy describes a reality where only one source of legitimacy, either domestic or external, prevails at a time. The inverted nature of state legitimacy causes chronic state crisis. The article provides a theoretical and conceptual analysis of legitimacy followed by empirical illustration. To that end, it discusses a number of theoretical and conceptual strands of state legitimacy. It argues that the origin of the state and consecutive external interventions destabilise and distort state legitimacy in the HOA. The article concludes that inverted legitimacy leads the state to malfunction and crisis. It further argues that state legitimacy determines government performance, as the latter also determines the former.

“Notre irrépressible désir du seuil”: Theory at the Threshold, Now

ABSTRACTAs Derrida points out in his famous polemic against Agamben in The Beast and the Sovereign I, the latter’s conceptual frivolity and historical reductionism point to the essential claim to sovereignty inherent in theory itself, driven by “our irrepressible desire for the threshold.” This article responds to Derrida’s call for a rethinking of the figure of the threshold as a way of conceptualizing our position vis-à-vis the past. The article explores how a certain highly potent and reductive version of the concept ended up in the theory toolbox. At the same time, it suggests how other meanings in the term’s history can lead us towards a humbler threshold, one that includes a sense of stumbling, failure, and creaturely entanglement. Mobilizing a popular folk etymology of the word, these two conceptual strands might be labeled “threshing” (referring to the utilitarian, outcome-oriented movement of the threshold as deployed within a muscular narrative of radical change), and “holding” (for a less muscular mode of inquiry predicated on slowing down and lingering at the threshold, which is no longer a foundation). In fact, the article proposes, theory in the mode of “holding” is increasingly the “way we do theory now.”

Markets, consumers and society in the age of heteromation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is not to present a crystal ball, but to outline the conceptual strands – some already evident, others only dimly perceivable in emergent forms – that might drive the coming transformations and to weave the strands into a preliminary framework. The stance (and the political perspective) of the paper is informed by critical marketing studies (Tadajewski, 2010), the subfield of marketing that is vibrant in Europe but not yet well developed in other regions of the world.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical contribution, relying on discursive analysis.FindingsBefore an era of full and all-pervasive automation arrives, there will be a decades-long transitional stage of heteromation. In the heteromation, machines and humans will have to coexist adaptively. The spheres of production and consumption will be affected radically by the patterns of people-machine interactions, including coexistence, cooperation, adaptation, adjustments and conflicts. As the connective tissue between the spheres of production and consumption, marketing would also undergo major transformations in the age of heteromation.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper lays out the grounding concepts useful for how heteromation and the subsequent era of full automation could impact organizations and markets. It provides the stepping-stone for further work on how marketing could, would or should transform in relation to the challenges of heteromation and automation.Practical implicationsThe paper offers some guideposts for public policymakers, public intellectuals and thought leaders and social activists. It also points to action options for visionary corporate leaders and for researchers wishing to explore the heteromation–automation futures from critical-social perspectives.Originality/valueUsing the concept of heteromation, this paper presents hitherto unexplored and critical implications of potentially epochal transformations for marketing.

Affective Arrangements and Disclosive Postures

In this paper, I explore links between the phenomenology-inspired philosophy of emotion, especially discussions of affective intentionality and situated affectivity, and those strands of work in the field of cultural affect studies that take their inspiration fromSpinoza and Deleuze. As bridges between these fields, I propose the concepts ‘disclosive posture’ and ‘affective arrangement’. ‘Disclosive posture’ condenses insights from phenomenological work on affectivity, especially those pertaining to what Heidegger calls Befindlichkeit. ‘Affective arrangement’ is a descendant of Deleuze and Guattari’s term agencement. It refers to heterogeneous ensembles of elements coalescing into a sphere of heightened affective intensity in a local setting. I develop this notion into a tool for analyzing situated affectivity. As it does not yet figure prominently within debates in the philosophy of emotion, I will outline what is meant by ‘affective arrangement’ in some detail. Throughout, I discuss a productive tension between these two conceptual strands.

Moderní teorie formování evropských států: čtyři teoretické tradice

This paper deals with the question of theoretical classification of main research approaches to European state-formation. In this review author selects the most conceptual strands and examine research in state formation in last forty years. For this purpose author applies specific analytical model, which is based on three institutional dimensions (economic, politics and culture). Through this model he could draw main theoretical traditions to problem of state-formation, which are in this case: 1) Economical approach to state-formation. From this point of view states are products of economic dynamic. 2) Political approach, which focus on internal social regulation. 3) War approach, which concentrate on war and external social regulation. 4) Cultural approach, which sees state-formation such as product of cultural factors.

Human Dignity in an Age of Autonomous Weapons: Are We in Danger of Losing an ‘Elementary Consideration of Humanity’?

Military investment in robotics technology is leading to development and use of autonomous weapons, which are machines with varying degrees of autonomy in target, attack, and infliction of lethal harm (that is, injury, suffering or death). Examples of autonomous weapons include weapons systems involving levels of automation and remotely controlled human input, unmanned armed aerial vehicles (uav), remotelycontrolled robotic soldiers, bio-augmentation, and 3D printed weapons. Autonomous weapons generally fall into one of two categories: semi-autonomous, involving some degree of autonomy in certain critical functions such as acquiring, tracking, selecting, and attacking targets, along with a degree of human input or remote control (for example, uav or ‘drones’); and autonomous, involving higher levels of independent thinking as regards critical functions without the need for human input or control (for example, US Navy X-47B uav with autonomous take-off, landing, and aerial refuelling capability). The trend is clearly towards developing autonomous weapons. Development of new weapons aimed at reducing costs and casualties is not a new phenomenon in warfare. Technological advances have created greater distance between the soldier and the battlefield. A bullet fired from a rifle handled by a human has been superseded by a missile fired from a remotely controlled or autonomous machine. So what makes autonomous weapons different? What particular challenge do they pose international law? Although autonomous weapons may be employed to attack nonhuman targets, such as state infrastructure, here I am primarily concerned with their use for lethal attacks against humans. In this chapter I focus on autonomous weapons (both semi-autonomous and fully autonomous) and their impact on human dignity under two of Kant’s conceptual strands: (1) human dignity as a status entailing rights and duties; and (2) human dignity as respectful treatment. Under the first strand I explore how use of autonomous weapons denies the right of equality of persons and diminishes the duty not to harm others. In the second strand I consider how replacing human combatants with autonomous weapons debases human life and does not provide respectful treatment. Reference is made to contemporary development of Kant’s conceptual strands in icj and other international jurisprudence recognising human dignity as part of ‘elementary considerations of humanity’ in war and peace.

Human Dignity in an Age of Autonomous Weapons: Are We in Danger of Losing an 'Elementary Consideration of Humanity'?

Military investment in robotics technology is leading to development and use of robot weapons, which are machines with varying degrees of autonomy in target, attack, and infliction of lethal harm (i.e. injury, suffering or death). Examples of robot weapons include automated weapons systems, unmanned armed aerial vehicles (UAV), remotely-controlled robotic soldiers, bio-augmentation, and 3D printed weapons. Robot weapons generally fall into one of two categories: semi-autonomous, involving levels of automation and remotely controlled human input (e.g. UAV or “drones”); and autonomous, involving higher levels of independent thinking as regards acquiring, tracking, selecting and attacking targets, without the need for human input (e.g. USA Navy X-47B UAV with autonomous take-off, landing, and aerial refueling capability). The trend is clearly towards developing autonomous weapons. Development of new weapons aimed at reducing costs and casualties is not a new phenomenon in warfare. Technological advances have created greater distance between the soldier and the battlefield. A bullet fired from a rifle handled by a human has been superseded by a missile fired from a remotely controlled or autonomous machine. So what makes robot weapons different? What particular challenge do they pose international law? Although autonomous weapons may be employed to attack non-human targets, such as State infrastructure, here I am primarily concerned with their use for lethal attacks against humans. In this paper I focus on autonomous weapons and their impact on human dignity under two of Kant’s conceptual strands: 1) human dignity as a status entailing rights and duties; and 2) human dignity as respectful treatment. Under the first strand I explore how use of autonomous weapons denies the right of equality of persons and diminishes the duty not to harm others. In the second strand I consider how replacing human combatants with autonomous weapons debases human life and does not provide respectful treatment. Reference is made to contemporary development of Kant’s conceptual strands in ICJ and other international jurisprudence recognizing human dignity as part of “elementary considerations of humanity” in war and peace.

National stereotypes in the context of the European crisis

ABSTRACTIn this article we position the contributions to our special issue in relation to existing scholarship on racism and stereotypes. We pay close attention to conceptual strands in the literature that emphasize two cognitive-discursive characteristics of stereotypes: their essentialist reductions and projections and their metonymical qualities. We then extend our conceptual and thematic map further to include recent discussions of the relationships between national and European identifications, particularly in crisis contexts, and the role of memory politics in them. We conclude with a brief mention of the scope and potential dangers of historical analogies in moments of crisis and fragmentation.

Continental Divides in an Age of Technology:Unanticipated Consequences of Emigration and Implications for the Economic, Political and Socio-Cultural Arrangements in the Home Country

This paper reflects an extensive and in-depth review of the literature on the role of hyper-reality in our contemporary lives and its impact on our migratory decisions. Hyper-reality is defined as the somewhat surreal ability to peer into living rooms thousands of miles away using state-of-the-art communication technology such as Skype Examining development issues, one could highlight groups of individuals for whom living conditions have improved substantively back home and who choose not to migrate, based on what they see in the receiving country, in terms of reversal of cultural norms and erosion of traditional values. Or, migrants in the receiving country might choose to turn their attention homeward to take advantage of upbeat economies, viewing the increase in material prosperity firsthand through the new informational communication technologies. The paper includes aspects of material, including a chapter by Buzzi & Megele on “hyper-reality” in our upcoming co-edited book, an anthology of global writings on migration, technology and transculturation (Lindenwood University Press, 2011). The paper concludes with perspectives on reversing the “brain drain” which has created pockets of wealth in educated new-immigrant communities in the developed world while creating shortages in the developing world. The paper builds on the three conceptual strands in the German & Banerjee co-edited book, starting with material on “digital diasporas” (technology), moving into material on “social networks” and “chains of migration” from certain locations (transculturation or social perspective) to future migration scenarios (as in reversing the “brain drain”).

Resilience: A Review Using a Grounded Integrated Occupational Approach

Resilience, the ability to adapt to adversity and endure job demands, is growing in prominence in the management literature with limited regard to occupational influences. Often examined at the individual level with fragmented conceptualizations, it can be a trait, capacity, or a process. We conduct a review of (1) management studies and (2) content from O*NET for 11 occupations and disciplinary studies taking a grounded approach to synthesize themes to develop an integrated occupational resilience framework. Our review suggests that resilience is individually and occupationally determined as part of a multi-level system. Our review shows that specific occupational tasks and contextual demands imply different connotations of what exactly “resilience” means and how contexts may constrain or foster resiliency. Occupational resilience involves (1) multiple conceptual strands related to accessing resources (trait, capacity, and processes); (2) positive and negative triggers that are occupationally distinguished; (3) different resilience types (cognitive, emotional, and physical) that vary in need, breadth, and importance across occupations; (4) a dynamic phenomenon that occurs within and across career stages; (5) both content-general, and job-specific occupational tensions; and (6) work and nonwork domains. Multi-level occupational-specific and comparative studies, adaptive performance and risk taking across the work–nonwork interface are highlighted areas for future research.

Realising demand-driven care: participation of patients and family carers in integrated care

Introduction: In the ongoing scientific debate concerning the future of health care models, two trends can be discerned. On the one hand, integrated care is considered as the solution to current issues, such as the fragmentation of care, the lack of coordination and the evolution from acute to chronic care. On the other hand, participation of patients and family carers in health care decisions on various levels (micro, meso, macro) is considered as an important value. In other words, integration and participation seem to be two guiding principles when organising care. But it is unclear which connections are made between both evolving conceptual and empirical research strands. Purpose and objectives: The aim of this contribution is to examine whether the participation of patients and family carers is studied in the literature on integrated care, on which level this involvement is realised and what kind of methods and strategies are described. Method: We conducted a systematic review of empirical studies focusing on the relationship between integrated care and participation of patients with chronic care needs. For describing the different ways in which patients and family carers can be involved a conceptual framework of participation will be applied. Results and conclusions: Integrated care models aim to realise demand-driven care. Our findings give an overview of the current evidence on the methods and the effects of patients’ and family carers’ involvement in integrated care. Lessons Learned: Integrated care places patients at the centre of the care process. More attention must be paid in research and practice to the question how and on what levels patients and family carers can play an active role in integrated care initiatives. This research is part of the multidisciplinary research project CORTEXS that studies integrated care initiatives (1). 15th International Conference on Integrated Care, Edinburgh, UK, March 25-27, 2015 1 International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 15, 27 May – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-117077– http://www.ijic.org/ Keywords integrated care; demand-driven care; participation; literature review

The Many Faces of Culture: Making Sense of 30 Years of Research on Culture in Organization Studies

AbstractThe study of culture is on the rise; still, this popularity comes with the cost of increasing fragmentation, as definitions and conceptualizations proliferate. The objectives of this review are twofold: first, we set out to disentangle the multiple conceptual strands used to describe culture, and second, we examine how culture relates to other key constructs, particularly identity, institutions, and practices. To start, we build from extant work in sociology to identify and discuss five prominent ways in which culture has been theorized in the management literature—values, stories, frames, toolkits, and categories—and we organize these into a framework that hinges on values and toolkits as anchors. Second, we examine the relationship between culture and theorizations of identity, institutions, and practices in organization studies. We focus on these three dimensions because their vicinity with culture often leads to conceptual slippage, as debates in the extant literature document. Finally, we ide...