The Body Dances: Carnival Dance and Organization

Abstract

Abstract. Building on the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Maurice MerleauPonty we seek to open up traditional categories of thought surrounding the relation ‗body-organization' and elicit a thought experiment: What happens if we move the body from the periphery to the centre? We pass the interlocking theoretical concepts of object-body/subject-body and habitus through the theoretically constructed empirical case of ‗carnival dance' in order to re-evaluate such key organizational concepts as knowledge and learning. In doing so, we connect with an emerging body of literature on ‗sensible knowledge'; knowledge that is produced and preserved within bodily practices. The investigation of habitual appropriation in carnival dance also allows us to make links between repetition and experimentation, and reflect on the mechanism through which the principles of social organization, whilst internalized and experienced as natural, are embodied so that humans are capable of spontaneously generating an infinite array of appropriate actions. This perspective on social and organizational life, where change and permanence are intricately interwoven, contrasts sharply with the dominant view in organization studies which juxtaposes change/ creativity and stability.

Dancing in the office: A study of gestures as resistance

“…Dance is both discipline and overflow, closing and opening of the body; it makes it possible to explore the silenced areas of the body as a spontaneous, experimental and creative force that challenges organisational life. Carnival dance for example consistently has taken its energy from the human bodily capacity to overflow its own limits and to refuse confinement (Slutskaya & De Cock, 2008). This identifies the body as the primary site of resistance, and especially the dancing joyful body, which resonates with our argument that dance could be linked to postrecognition resistance in office work.…”

A Multi-layered Exploration of the Diversity Management Field: Diversity Discourses, Practices and Practitioners in the UK

“…Several scholars commended the use of Bourdieu's concepts as a way forward in different areas of management research (e.g. Everett, 2002;Golsorkhi et al, 2009;Ozbilgin and Tatli, 2005;Prieto and Wang, 2010;Slutskaya and De Cock, 2008;Townley, Beech and McKinlay, 2009). Nevertheless, only a few empirical studies have used Bourdieu's concepts in order to explore and explain organizational and management issues (see Doherty and Dickmann, 2009;O'Mahoney, 2007;Robinson and Kerr, 2009).…”

A ‘clash of civilizations’ on Mafia Island? The story of a dance festival (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)

“…The promoters also built on notions of nature ('untouched') and an ahistorical 'tradition' ('little changed', 'detached from the outside world'), which they saw as fitting in with their own trance-dance counterculture in opposition to the state and various aspects of modernity. 16 The festival was to have elements of carnival as identified by anthropologists: subversion, transgression and popular resistance to authority (see for example Slutskaya and de Cock 2008). Once questions began to be asked about sustainability and environmental effects, the emphasis shifted towards addressing these concerns and towards the idea of 'developing' Mafia through the 'charitable' activities of volunteers from the festival.…”