Legitimating Myths and Educational Organization: The Relationship Between Organizational Ideology and Formal Structure

Kamens, David H.

doi:10.2307/2094601

Cited by 119 publications

(34 citation statements)

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“…However, education is more than just an indicator of material welfare and learned behavioural patterns. Education, and in particular educational diplomas, also creates socially meaningful membership categories by ritually certifying individuals as members, and legitimates the social rights and meanings associated with these categories (Kamens, 1977). It is (using the terminology of Borocz and Southworth, 1996) an individualised cultural capital which grants the holder a certain role (prestige, rights, obligations) irrespective of his/her ability to realise the implied material potential in the labour market (Apodaca, 1998).…”

Section: Other Social Correlatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Migrant Mortality Advantage: A 70 Month Follow-up of the Brussels Population

Anson

2004

European Journal of Population

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There is considerable evidence that first generation immigrants to developed countries tend to have lower mortality than does the population as a whole at their destination. This advantage is usually ascribed to a selection process which makes migrants more robust than the local population and/or an acculturation process whereby third-world migrants lose their natural healthy life style as they take on modern urban dietary and living habits. We investigate immigrant-local mortality differences using a 6-year follow-up of the complete Brussels population aged 25-55, as enumerated at the Belgian census, 1991. We show that adult migrants have lower mortality than their native-born counterparts, despite their often poorer living arrangements, work status and human capital. This effect differs by origin group. The effects of age on mortality are similar for all groups, with mortality increasing about 8% a year. This increase is slightly greater for the Belgian born than for immigrants, which makes the selectivity explanation unlikely. Years since migration does not significantly increase the mortality risk for most groups, contradicting the acculturation hypothesis. Thus, explanations ascribing immigrants' mortality advantage to migrant selectivity, pre-modern cultural practices, or an artefact of population recording practices are insufficient. We propose, instead, an explanation based on the meaning migration has for the immigrant, and the hope engendered in the move, particularly that from a lesser to a more developed country. Anson, J., 2004. La sous-mortalite´des migrants. Une enqueˆte suivie de 70 mois sur la population de Bruxelles. Revue Europe´enne de De´mographie, 20: 191-218.Re´sume´. Selon de nombreuses e´tudes, dans les pays de´veloppe´s, les immigrants de premie`re ge´ne´ration ont une mortalite´plus basse que celle des autochtones. Cet avantage est habituellement attribue´a`un effet de se´lection qui fait que les migrants sont plus robustes que la population locale et/ou a`un processus d'acculturation qui fait progressivement perdre aux migrants un mode de vie plus sain au profit de modes de vie et d'alimentation typiques de la vie urbaine moderne. Nous e´tudions les diffe´rences de mortalite´entre immigrants et autochtones at ravers les re´sultats d'une enqueˆte suivie de l'ensemble de la population bruxelloise aˆge´e de 25 a`55 ans au recensement belge de 1991. Les migrants adultes ont une mortalite´plus basse que 191 les autochtones, en de´pit de conditions de logement et d'emploi plus pre´caires et d'un moindre capital humain. L'effet varie selon l'origine des migrants. L'influence de l'aˆge sur la mortaliteé st le meˆme pour tous les groupes, avec une mortalite´augmentant d'environ 8% par anne´e d'aˆge. Ce rythme est le´ge`rement plus rapide pour la population ne´e en Belgique que pour les immigrants, ce qui rend peu vraisemblable l'hypothe`se de la se´lection. Dans la plupart des groupes, le nombre d'anne´es e´coule´es depuis la migration n'augmente pas significativement le risque de de´ce`s, cont...

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Section: Other Social Correlatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Migrant Mortality Advantage: A 70 Month Follow-up of the Brussels Population

Anson

2004

European Journal of Population

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“…We have shown examples, such as Seadle and Griefeneder (2007), where attempts are made to redefine the qualities and skills of graduates in iSchools compared to traditional LIS, well in line with Kamens' (1977) analysis of "legitimating myths". This does not seem to be a big issue in the Scandinavian schools.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…The conceptual framework is basically put together by two sets of theoretical consideration, firstly by Alvesson (1991) focussing on general organizational theory, and secondly by Kamens (1977) addressing educational organisations. Methods used will be discussed in detail as introduction to the results in each part.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If not, the iSchool movement may just be seen as an attempt to create a sort of levelling (an A-team and a B-team) among Information Studies departments of all sorts, primarily however within the LIS community. Kamens (1977) in a classical article in organizational studies analyses processes leading to the formation of elite departments in educational settings. When analysing the expansion of the iSchool movement, both within the USA and internationally, we need to consider this as an analytical option as well.…”

Section: Social Factors Includementioning

confidence: 99%

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Cult of the “I”

Golub

Hansson

Seldén

2017

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Cult of the "I": Organizational symbolism and curricula in three Scandinavian iSchools with comparisons to three American. Journal of Documentation, 73(1): 48-74https://doi.org/10.1108/JD- 04-2016-0042 Access to the published version may require subscription. N.B. When citing this work, cite the original published paper. Permanent link to this version:http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-59563 1 Cult of the "I" -Organizational symbolism and curricula in three Scandinavian iSchools with comparisons to three American. Structured Abstract:Purpose: The purpose of the research reported in this article is to analyze three Scandinavian iSchools in Denmark, Norway and Sweden with regard to their intentions of becoming iSchools and curriculum content in relation to these intentions. By doing so, a picture will be given of the international expansion of the iSchool concept in terms of organizational symbolism and practical educational content. In order to underline the approaches of the Scandinavian schools, comparisons are made to three American iSchools. Methodology:The study is framed through theory on organizational symbolism and through the intentions of the iSchool movement as formulated in its vision statements. Empirically, the study consists of two parts: (1) Close readings of three documents outlining the considerations of three Scandinavian LIS schools before applying for the iSchool status, and (2) statistical analysis of 427 syllabi from master level courses at three Scandinavian and three American iSchools.Findings: All three Scandinavian schools analyzed have recently become iSchools, and though some differences are visible it is hard to distinguish anything in their syllabi as carriers of what can be described as an iSchool identity. In considering iSchool identity, it is instead benefits on a symbolic level that are most prominent, such as branding, social visibility and the possible attraction of new student groups. The traditionally strong relation to national library sectors are emphazised as important to maintain, specifically in Norway and Sweden. Research limitations/implications:The study is made on iSchools in Denmark, Norway and Sweden with empirical comparison to three American schools. These comparisons face the challenge of meeting the educational system and programme structure of each individual country. Despite this, findings prove possible to use as ground for conclusions, although empirical generalizations concerning, for instance, other countries must be made with caution. Practical implications:This study highlights the practical challenges met in international expansion of the iSchool movement, both on a practical and symbolic level. Both the iSchool Caucus and individual schools considering becoming iSchools may use these findings as a point of reference in development and decision making. Originality/valueThis is an original piece of research from which the results may contribute to the international development of the iSchool movement, and extend the theoretical 2 unde...

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“…Their analysis was guided by a key insight, namely: formal structures have symbolic as well as action-generating properties. In other words, structures can become invested with socially shared meanings, and thus, in addition to their 'objective' functions, can serve to communicate information about the organization to both internal and external audiences (Kamens 1977). Explaining formal structure from this vantage point offered organizational researchers the opportunity to explore an array of new insights into the causes and consequences of structure.…”

Section: Symbolic Properties Of Structurementioning

confidence: 99%