Dynamics Of Loyalty Research Articles

Das Familiengefühl – Entwicklungslinien und Probleme

The Sense of Family - Developmental Lines and Problems In spite of multiple criticism and diversification of family types family remains a "destination of yearning". Family stays always in contradiction to the culture of the surrounding society. The sense of family describes the sense of one's own family as a whole. It is composed of the experiences in dyads, triads, tetrades and polyades as well as the emotional atmosphere and the life style of the family as a whole. To the construction of the family as a whole as an internal object, the inner self-image of the family and corresponding the sense of family contribute the "missions" the family passes on to the children, the dynamics of loyalty, the multigenerational network, family narratives and family myths as mediators of the collective memory as well as the active shaping of relationships by the activity of the child itself. The change of family structures by "verticalisation", new communication technologies, and the "anthropo-technologies" of reproduction are still to be explored in respect to their possible consequences for the sense of family.

From rebel governance to state consolidation – Dynamics of loyalty and the securitisation of the state in Eritrea

This paper discusses Eritrea as a contemporary case of state-making grounded in war, a fact that has resulted in the emergence of one of the ‘hardest’ states in sub-Saharan Africa. The state-making process in Eritrea is looked at with a focus on the legacies of liberation movement governance in the changing dynamics of state consolidation from 1993 to this day. Those dynamics are analysed by reverting to Hirsch-man’s categories of ‘loyalty’, ‘exit’ and ‘voice’. Hirschman’s framework is chosen because the category of loyalty and resulting dynamics illuminate particularly well the transitions within the Eritrean state making process.It is shown that the parameters of war that have resulted in the creation of the Eritrean state have led to a particular kind of state characterised by a high degree of loyalty, visible in the propensity of large segments of the population to associate with state activities. Over time and partly based on military defeat in renewed warfare, the exit option has gained prominence particular among the young generation. This has resulted in a drive towards state securitisation combined with measures to make exit a pillar of power consolidation. Those dynamics have not considerably altered the loyalty of Eritrea’s transnational citizenry to the wider project of state consolidation. The paper concludes that state consolidation in Eritrea can thus far be analysed as a successful shift from fostering voice via politics of mobilisation to controlling exit and voice in ways that keep citizens tied to the state project.

The ambivalent dynamics of loyalty in mentorship

This investigation shows that mentorship loyalty is an ambivalent source of tension in the relationship. Data from in-depth interviews show that the mentoring attachment that is rooted in a protective, devoted, affectionate side of loyalty can also compel conformity, suppress dissent, and curb professional growth. The ambivalence stirred up by loyalty issues manifests itself in the nuts and bolts of ordinary interaction. Consideration about what each party `does' for the other, what they are willing to give up or sacrifice for the other, and what each party comes to expect from the other in return evoke conflicts between strategic, emotional, and normative strivings. Ritualized expressions of loyalty — involving material and emotional work — reflect the asymmetry in the mentor—protege authority relationship. Implications for mentoring theory and practice are discussed.