bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Making Mysteries. From the Untergang der Mysterien to Imperial Mysteries – Social Discourse in Religion and the Study of Religion
Authors: van den Heever Gerhard 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis article considers the ‘fate’ of Graeco-Roman mysteries in late Antiquity in the context of the gradual Christianising of the Roman Empire. It is argued that the mysteries of the imperial era were themselves contributing to and demonstrative of the social ideology underlying the making of the Roman Empire. The mysteries were embedded in the imperial performance of Saturnalian good times. In order to see this one should change the perspective to study them ﬁrst and foremost as imperial performances. Concomitantly, one should also study the constructions of mysteries in scholarship in order to understand the birth of our conventional understanding of the mysteries in the context of the social ideologies of the 19th century. In this way the Graeco-Roman mysteries serve as a useful case study of the constructedness of religion as social discourse as well as scholarship on religion as equally a social discourse.
Rethinking the Study of Gnosticism
Authors: Desjardins Michel 
Published: March 2006

AbstractPointing to parallels in the study of Jesus traditions and Pauline literature, but focusing explicitly on Gnosticism, it is argued that the Gestalt of ancient religions are often the result of ideological projections into the texts and the assumed religious traditions standing behind them by modern scholars. Dealing more appropriately with such a problematic phenomenon as Gnosticism, would entail reconsidering the conceptual categories employed in the description and interpretation of the phenomenon, as well as an object lesson in scholarly humility to avoid the hybris of colonising ancient texts and the communities who produced and valued them.
‘Witless in your own Cause’: Divine Plots and Fractured Characters in the Life of Aesop and the Gospel of Mark
Authors: Elliott Scott S. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractJuxtaposing the Life of Aesop and the Gospel of Mark, this article explores how ancient ﬁction destabilizes characters, which function as complex and shifting products of storied intersections. Characters are conscripted by discursive plots reﬂecting both the mysteries of divine ‘providence’ and the interpellative power of ‘discourse’ itself. Plots are neither propelled by pre-existent ‘characters,’ nor connotative of the essence of ‘characters;’ rather, ‘subjects’ are continually constructed and deconstructed in the fractured and ambiguous play of events and context. Ancient novels (reﬂecting the eﬀects of empire, cultural displacement, and dialogism) represent human subjects as neither purely active nor purely passive. The article implicitly critiques biblical narrative criticism while reading the Gospel of Mark vis-à-vis ancient novels to model a diﬀerent approach to ancient narrative that problematizes both notions of literary characters as autonomous agents or subjects, and treatments of literary characters as historical referents.
Redescribing Graeco-Roman Antiquity: on Religion and History of Religion
Authors: van den Heever Gerhard 
Published: March 2006

AbstractIn introducing the theme ‘Redescribing Graeco-Roman Antiquity’ this article shows how conventional claims to uniqueness of early Judaism and early Christianity misconstrue religious history. In fact, the conventional portrayal of early Judaism, early Christianity, and Graeco-Roman religions (especially, in this case, the mystery religions) is in itself a social discourse. This is set in the context of the Graeco-Roman constructions of deity, which is demonstrated to be in themselves, too, social discourses, more speciﬁcally, an imperialising discourse. Attention is paid to the discursivity of the phenomena under consideration and it is argued that history of religion is both a study of the construction of the historical ‘object’ as well as the construction of the construction of the historical ‘object’.
Dealing with Psychological Tensions
Authors: Rogers Carl R. 
Published: March 2006

The behavioral sciences have made modest but real progress in learning to deal with psychological tensions within the individual; with tensions between individuals; with tensions between small groups. We have practical skills which permit us to create deep and harmonious relationships in a group of diverse individuals. We have even made a small beginning in dealing with international tensions on a simulated basis. What is needed is a concerted effort-an interdisciplinary task force-to push out the boundaries of such knowledge and to apply these growing skills to existing tensions-interracial, international, and other.
The Union-Management Intergroup Laboratory: Strategy for Resolving Intergroup Conflict
Authors: Blake Robert R. , Mouton Jane Srygley , Sloma Richard L. 
Published: March 2006

Behavioral science concepts and theories are rapidly finding increased application in business, government, and other organizations and institutions. The following article is a description of a recent step in applying behavioral science theories and research findings to a concrete organization situation. Described is a systematic approach for confronting the intense intergroup hostility between a management and an international union and moving the relationship toward a sound problem-solving one. Following a brief description of the setting in which this intergroup situation is embedded, a "blow-by-blow" accounting of the events that occurred during a Union-Management Inter-group Laboratory is presented. The attitudes, assumptions, values, misunderstandings, and goals of each group are brought into bold relief as they jointly examine their present relationship. Through a series of systematic steps, the two groups, working independently and jointly, examine their relationship in depth. Specific or concrete issues are set aside to focus underlying barriers that are causing eruption of conflict at the surface level. The Intergroup Laboratory permits groups in conflict to come together to work through tensions and frictions that have builtup over an extended period of time. Confrontation at this level permits group representatives to get beneath the issues separating them. Once areas of misunderstanding and sources of tension have been identified and resolved, it is possible for the two groups to more effectively deal with the day-to-day operational problems shared by them.
East-West Conflict and Sino-Soviet Relations
Authors: Hoisti Ole R. 
Published: March 2006

The hypothesis that a high level of intercoalition conflict tends Studies in to increase intracoalition unity, whereas more relaxed relations International between blocs tend to magnify differences within the alliance, Conflict and was examined in the context of Sino-Soviet relations. Seventy Integration eight documents written by leading Chinese and Soviet decision Stanford makers in five periods during the years 1959-1963 were content University analyzed through the Stanford version of the "General Inquirer" on the IBM 7090. The data revealed that during the most intense period of the Cuban crises of 1961 and 1962 both Chinese and Soviet perceptions of American policy were overwhelmingly on the negative, strong, and active ends of the evaluative, potency, and activity dimensions. During the three periods of lower East-West tension, differences between Chinese and Soviet perceptions were greater than in the high tension periods on all three dimensions.
Individual Applications of Laboratory Training
Authors: Bunker Douglas R. 
Published: March 2006

Laboratory Training has roots in the blending of research and action. Application interest took precedence in its early development, and the present need is to advance scientific knowledge of training processes and outcomes. Recent studies toward an empirical foundation for training theory are reviewed. Data are presented from a study of perceived behavior changes one year after participation in training. Participants are seen by co-workers as increasing significantly more than controls in cognitive openness, behavioral skill, and understanding of social processes. Long-range changes are correlated with learning measures at time of training. The clear evidence for the impact of laboratory methods for some subjects must be followed by further inquiry which will explicate processes and conditions.
Explorations in Interpersonal Competence—II
Authors: Argyris Chris 
Published: March 2006

Part I A set of categories is presented designed to measure interpersonal competence. The primary plus categories on the individual and interpersonal levels are owning up to, openness, and risk taking. On the norms level they are individuality, concern, and trust. The primary minus categories on the individual and interpersonal levels are not owning up to, not being open, and rejecting risk taking. On the norms level they are conformity, antagonism, and mistrust. Exploratory research suggests that the categories can be used (1) with an encouraging degree of reliability, (2) with an encouraging degree of predictive validity, and (3) as the basis to describe increases or decreases in individual and group competence during T-Group and other training. Part II The categories are used as a basis to evaluate the relative effectiveness of lecture versus laboratory education in the subject areas of interpersonal relationships and group dynamics. The study suggests that processes are generated in the lecture approach similar to those which create difficulties in backhome groups but without providing opportunity to explore these processes in a way that might confront participants with inconsistencies between rational analysis and actual behavior. The data suggest that a laboratory approach, with its emphasis upon such exploration and confrontation, seems to produce more behavioral change.
Personal Style, Group Composition, and Learning
Authors: Harrison Roger , Lubin Bernard 
Published: March 2006

Part I This is an investigation of differences in interpersonal behavior and learning in a sensitivity training laboratory between highly person-oriented and highly work-oriented participants (identified through the Person Description Instrument III). Second, it is a study of the effects of a training design that involves both heterogeneous and homogeneous training groups. It was expected, and confirmed at satisfactory levels of significance, that the person-oriented members would be seen as behaving more expressively and warmly and that they would be more comfortable and would feel stronger interpersonal ties within their homogeneous group than would the work-oriented members. It was expected, but with results approaching significance in the opposite direction, that person-oriented members would be seen as learning more than would the work-oriented members. It is hypothesized that the person-oriented group found the laboratory a kind of psychic home without much challenge, whereas the work-oriented members experienced "culture shock," and that this in fact pushed them toward change. Part II To test the learning model, data were examined from a laboratory in which each participant was assigned to a heterogeneous training group and to an experimental group composed in terms of preference for high, low, or moderate structure. The statistical and impressionistic data collected through member ratings of one another and through interviews with staff and participants strongly suggest that homogeneous groups do not provide the confrontation needed for optimum learning. The superiority of the mixed high-and low-structure (and more stressful) groups in terms of member learning suggests that feelings of completion, cohesion, and emotional satisfaction may not be the appropriate criteria for evaluating the impact of a training group experience.
An Organization Improvement Program in a Decentralized Organization
Authors: Beckhard Richard 
Published: March 2006

Presented here is a description of a planned organization improvement program in a medium-sized decentralized organization. The program had as its goal the improvement of organization effectiveness along the following lines: Improved communications among various parts of the organization Change in managerial style from management by control to management by objectives Improved operating efficiency Increased problem-solving skills of the total management Establishment of a systematic program of growth and development for management executives. This paper deals with the program which the organization followed in working toward its objectives and with the role of the educational consultant in the process. The paper has been organized into five parts: assumptions about organization change, a description of the organization's mission and structure, the identification of the need for improvement, first phases of the program, and a redefinition of the change goals and the program of activities used to implement these new goals. While it is impossible to correlate dramatic profit improvement and measurable increase in operating efficiency fully with this educational effort, there seems to be clear evidence that the program contributed significantly.
T Group for a Work Team
Authors: Kuriloff Arthur H. , Atkins Stuart 
Published: March 2006

This case history tells of the use of T-Group training to improve interpersonal competence in a small manufacturing company. The beneficial effects enabled the company to accomplish specific and general tasks, producing economic gain, which would not have seemed possible prior to the T Group. Specific examples of such accomplishments are given. Certain findings are reported about the methods used in this T Group. These suggest that effective results in a T Group for a work team may be attained by (i) a prior level of trust in the boss, (2) presence of the boss in all T-Group sessions, (3) intensive and consecutive sessions followed by immediate application of learning on the job, (4) emphasis on improving individuals' interpersonal competence primarily for the sake of the business, (5) confrontation of each person as seen by others, and self-disclosure of personal feelings between people. The case history is in two parts-the company background prior to the T Group, and the day-by-day account of the dramatic highlights of each session.
Change in Self-identity in a Management Training Conference
Authors: P. French John R. , Sherwood John J. , Bradford David L. 
Published: March 2006

In this experiment, the amount of feedback (communicated objective public identity-COPI) was systematically varied and was related to responses on questionnaires asking about self-perception. Three hypotheses were tested: (i) the major hypothesis-the greater the amount of COPI, the greater the change in self-identity; (2) the greater the centrality (importance) of a dimension of self-perception to the subject, the greater the change in his self-identity on that dimension; (3) the lower a person's selfevaluation (or the higher his dissatisfaction) on a dimension of self-perception, the greater the change in his self-identity along that dimension. The setting for the experiment was a two-week conference in human relations training for 20 middle-management personnel. Questionnaire measurements of self-identity were made at the beginning, half way through, and at the end of the conference. In addition, a follow-up questionnaire was mailed to all participants ten months after the end of the conference to measure the permanence of change in self-identity. Major support for the hypotheses was expected during the second week of the conference (by which time the experimental manipulations had been introduced), with less change for the postconference period and little, if any, change during the first week. Some support for the first and third hypotheses was found, while there was no support for the second hypothesis.
On the Future of Laboratory Education
Authors: Argyris Chris 
Published: March 2006

The primary reason for the creation of laboratory education was to help human beings to deal more effectively with complex human relationships and problems. As such, laboratory education shares the same goals with many other types of education. What distinguishes laboratory education from most other education is its basic assumptions concerning the process of education. The traditional educational methods primarily emphasize substance, rationality, the in-appropriateness of feelings, direction and control by the teacher, and so on. Laboratory education assumes that these emphases are not adequate by themselves. New ones need to be added such as the importance of maintaining the effectiveness of the learning groups, the admission of all data that are relevant, including feelings, and the enlargement of responsibility by giving the students greater direction and control over their education (Bradford, Gibb, & Benne, 1964; Schein & Bennis, 1965). Because feelings, group maintenance, and student control are so completely ignored in the traditional process, their emphasis in laboratory education may be easily mistaken by some as an overemphasis. This misperception is partially supported by the proponents of laboratory education who, in their striving to gain recognition (the hostility was so great in the early days that one might have placed his professional reputation in jeopardy by attending a laboratory), had to emphasize the differences in their approach. In the early days an informal norm developed among the participants in laboratory education of constant inquiry into new methods and the encouragement of differences. It is well known that, to date, the National Training Laboratories is the best and largest ex- ample of a behavioral science organization that is still growing, serving its professional network and the public with the largest variety of educational experiences developed by its members. This diversity has been and continues to be an important strength, for one of the greatest dangers in any new profession is a two-quick jelling on any one set of concepts or methods. As much as I admire and respect diversity, there comes a time when its forces can create disintegration and confusion. Diversity should be questioned, I believe, when the basic assumptions and values that underlie different methods seriously conflict with one another. In the physical and biological sciences, when the theories available make fundamentally contradictory assumptions about matter or the nature of the physiology of man, then research is necessary -to integrate by modification of one or both competing theories, to eliminate one of the points of view, or to find a theory that comprehends both. I believe that the field of laboratory education is entering an era where research is necessary so that intelligent choices can be made. The purpose of this paper is to try to identify some of the issues with the hope that it will generate dialogue and research.
Comparison of Behavioral Changes Resulting from Human Relations Training Laboratories of Different Lengthsa
Authors: Bunker Douglas R. , Knowles Eric S. 
Published: March 2006

The present paper reorts a comparative study of enduring behavior changes following human relations training laboratories of three weeks' and two weeks' duration. A behavior change description questionnaire was used eight to ten months after training to elicit descriptions of a subject's postlaboratory behavior changes as seen by the subject himself and seven of his co-workers (including superiors, peers, and subordinates). A matched control sample was obtained and assessed in the same manner. Two interrelated measures of change were derived from the questionnaires: the "total change score," composed of the total number of different changes mentioned by a subject and his co-workers; and the "verified change score," composed of those behavior changes which are mentioned by two or more persons in a set of descriptions. A set of 17 inductively derived content categories were also used to make a qualitative analysis of the changes. While both laboratory trained samples differed from the control sample on both measures, they also differed significantly from each other. Both the perceived change score and the verified change score reveal more changes made by the three-week sample. The content category analysis suggests that the three-week laboratory participants made more overt, pro-active changes, as opposed to the more passive, attitudinal changes made by the two-week sample. Analysis of changes by broad occupational groupings shows differences in response to training which interact with the samples studied. The training designs of the three-week and two-week laboratories are discussed and shown to confound the duration variable. The greater relative emphasis on back-home application of laboratory training in the three-week program is suggested to be a major contributor to the qualitative differences in the kinds of changes made.
A Moment in Forever (The Personal Story of a Trainer)
Authors: Atkins Stuart 
Published: March 2006

There are many dimensions to the application of laboratory training in our work and in our personal lives. Many of the articles that have appeared in this journal have explored the improvement of individual skills and abilities in work roles. This article explores a deeply personal side of the application of laboratory training. It is a frequent occurrence that individuals have intense and moving experiences in laboratory T Groups composed of persons who have never met one another before and who have no reason to believe that their paths will cross again. There is also the persistent dilemma of learning how to build into the enduring and significant relationships of our lives the same elements of openness, honesty, closeness, and caring that emerge in the T Group. This article-or perhaps what might better be described as an autobiographical essay-is published with the hope that it illustrates both the possibilities and the dilemmas of using the momentary laboratory training experiences as a springboard for enriching our more enduring relationships. Carl Rogers describes it this way: I have learned that if I can be close to what's going on in me and can communicate that to the other person, it is very likely to strike some deep note in him and to advance our relationship.... One of the things I have gradually learned is that what is most private to me is also most universal. The Editor
First Reports from an Experimental College
Authors: Sewell Elizabeth 
Published: March 2006

The following items depart from the usual form of an "article." Yet they are pregnant with the experience and growth of a highly creative change agent. Dr. Elizabeth Sewell is a poet, a literary scholar, and the head of Bensalem College, which was launched on its uncharted path by Fordham University in the summer of 1967. Each paragraph contains ideas which many a writer would expand into a full essay. The poems carry their own impact; comment would be superfluous. The Editor