Art learning is an embodied practice learned through praxis. An unconventional style of conducting research on such learning is presented, in which doing the work changes the intent, which in turn changes the work, subsequently changing the intent again, and so on. The process leads to discovery and new insights. (TD)

Piaget's theory has been characterized as descriptive and not explanatory, not qualifying as causal explanation. Piaget was consistent in showing how his theory was both explanatory and causal. Vygotsky also endorsed causal-genetic explanation but, on the basis of knowledge of only Piaget's earliest works, he claimed that Piaget's theory was not…

Describes two interpretive methodological directions available to organizational assessors: textual analysis, or hermeneutics; and ethnomethodology. Explains that to apply these methods, assessment of organizational symbols in messages requires emphasis on three types of data: researcher observations; member responses; and transcripts of…

Replies to Jeffery Bineham's critique of intersubjectivist rhetoric (presented in a previous article in this issue). Argues that rhetoricians must (1) examine world views and more particularly views of human nature which are presumed by rhetorical theories; and (2) come to a better understanding of what is entailed by a spiritual dimension to…

Discusses consensus ontology and contrasts it with alternatives. Responds to four previous articles in this issue (by D. Tukey, J. Hikins, R. Scott, and D. Zarefsky) by discussing the nature of rhetoric, the possibility of nonsocial influence, and the possibility of ethical judgment. (KEH)

Suggests that technical communication teachers view sales proposals as aimed toward the construction and maintenance of long-term relationships. States that hermeneutic theory offers technical communication instructors a valuable perspective from which to teach sales proposal writing because it can help clarify the process by which "ethical…

Asserts that it is as historical creatures that humans have the power of choice; language--the means of naming and renaming, or representing and articulating the options--provides the saving image of transformation. Argues that consciousness of the power of language liberates the imagination, the active mind with its power of memory and…

Responds to Lynda Stone's comments on the author's essay on the interpretation of history. Demonstrates the linkages between his argument and those of Stone. Concludes by contesting some of her interpretations of his philosophical forebear, Edmund Husserl, and by pointing to the common objectives of both his and Stone's research. (DSK)

Presents selected literature that exemplifies (in theory and in practice) four methodological frameworks that have found wide application in qualitative studies: symbolic interactionism, phenomenological description, constructivist hermeneutics, and critical studies. (Author/LRW)

Considers how in the classroom, dealing with conservative Christian belief, progressive writing instructors confront "problems of meaning" just as perplexing and urgent as those that trouble evangelical students. Offers some stories that show how the author analyzed her own recurring "problems of meaning," some theoretical (and…

Design of an introductory organizational behavior course contrasted a Cartesian scientific approach with phenomenological and hermeneutic perspectives intended to overcome limits of traditional approaches. The new course situates management in an historical context and focuses on management, then organizations, then the self. (SK)

In this response to Muis et al. (2006), I draw on the writings of Dewey to explore three critical questions. The first question is what is gained or what is lost when the study of epistemology moves from philosophy to psychology and eventually to educational practice? The second asks whether the primary question under examination should be "if"…

Ever since the irruption of Pentecostal spirituality within Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations, there has been a gradual emergence of what might be called "charismatic theology". To be sure a lot of this theology is and has been written at a popular level, but within the last twenty years there has evolved a distinct theology with…

Purpose: From an exploratory study of 37 large multinationals, this paper aims to report key findings, derive learnings for the design of corporate leadership systems and identify future research issues for a better understanding of individual leadership in corporate leadership systems. Design/methodology/approach: The study reported builds on ten…

Until recent times, it seemed evident that to study another culture successfully, one was obliged to understand it clearly and accurately, exactly as it understood itself, with all its inherent contradictions. Lately that paradigm has changed to an almost exclusive and unquestioning focus on the grievances of the other culture and the oppression…