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Distribution by Scientific Domains

Humanities and Social Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

The Relationships Between and Among Teachers' Narrative Knowledge, Communities of Knowing, and School Reform: A Case of "The Monkey's Paw"

CURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 3 2001
Cheryl J. Craig
Centering on the monkey's paw metaphor, this narrative inquiry links teachers' pedagogical practices with their professional-development experiences associated with a national reform movement that, in this situation, acted in a top-down manner. The longitudinal study illuminates the short- and long-term influence that the state-directed national reform initiative had on the story of a diverse, U.S. middle school and on the stories its teachers subsequently lived and told. The work particularly focuses on the relationships between and among teachers' knowledge developments, their knowledge communities, and their attitudes toward school reform. [source]

Hill of Thorns: Custom, Knowledge and the Reclaiming of a Lost Land in the New South Africa

DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2000
Deborah James
This article provides a detailed ethnographic exploration of a case of land restitution in South Africa. It shows how the development discourse invoked during the process of reclaiming land, rather than being imposed in an entirely top-down manner, has been the result of negotiations between those claiming and those , in government and NGOs , who have helped them claim. The resulting knowledge about the ownership and appropriate governance of land reveals a complex and often contradictory understanding of concepts like ,custom', ,community' and ,power'. [source]

Policy Autonomy and the History of British Aid to Africa

DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 6 2005
Tony Killick
This article utilises historical information to throw light on the forces shaping British aid policies towards Africa. It outlines key long-term policy developments, summarises the influences shaping these policies and comments on the present juncture of UK policies. It shows that, while there have been many influences, governments have enjoyed considerable policy autonomy, being largely unconstrained in pursuing their preferences in a top-down manner. This autonomy has mainly been used for the pursuit of long-term development, as against the promotion of the UK's national interest. The present thrust of UK policies to achieve massive increases in aid to Africa is a prime example of this policy autonomy. [source]

Macro and Micro Goal Setting: In Search of Coherence

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2000
Marco De Haas
In this article we discuss macro and micro goal setting approaches, focusing on the relations between goals at different organisational levels. Translating strategic goals in a top-down manner throughout the organisation is a rather complex process. In organisations, at least one intermediate level between macro (i.e. strategic) and micro (i.e. operational) goals can be distinguished: the level of meso (i.e. tactical) goal setting. The process of a strategic dialogue is introduced to arrive at organisational goal coherence, which is defined as consensus on goal priorities within single constituencies and between multiple constituencies at different organisational levels. This process is illustrated in a case study, in which the CATPCA method has been applied to empirically operationalise degrees of consensus. Effects of the strategic dialogue on organisational goal coherence are demonstrated. Dans cet article sont discute´s les approches de la fixation d' objectifs macro et micro et privile`gie´s les relations entre ces objectifs, aux diffe´rents niveaux de l'organisation. Traduire les objectifs strate´giques de haut en bas de l'organisation est un processus assez complexe. On peut distinguer au moins un niveau interme´diaire entre les objectifs macros (c'est a` dire strate´giques) et micro (c'est a` dire ope´rationnels): le niveau des objectifs meso (c'est a` dire tactiques). On pre´sente le processus d'une concertation strate´gique pour parvenir a` une cohe´rence des objectifs organisationnels. Ce processus est illustre´ par une e´tude de cas. La me´thode ,CATPCA' y a e´te´ applique´e pour rendre ope´rationnels les degre´s de consensus. On a ainsi de´montre´ les effets d'un dialogue strate´gique sur la cohe´rence des objectifs organisationnels. [source]