This PhD project is undertaken by publication and thus this exegesis offers an explication and linking interpretation of the publications and DVD's listed in section two. The exegesis 'frames-up' what has been an ongoing interpretive inquiry exploring constructive frontline child protection social work undertaken by the author in collaboration with practitioners in Europe, North America and Australasia that has given rise to the publications and DVDs. Taking the lead from Geertz's ideas of interpretive anthropology the aim of this inquiry and publication work is to develop descriptions and theories of practice drawing upon insiders' local knowledges and sense-making of what constitutes good child protection social work. 'The natives' or insiders toward which this interpretive project directs its attention are first and foremost, frontline child protection social workers and wherever possible the child protection service recipients who have experienced the practice of those workers. The publication component of this project is a vital and integrated part of the research process since it is through the writing and production work that the usually overlooked, often deemed 'tacit' knowledges of service delivers and recipients are brought into the formal domain and made accessible to others. / This project is undertaken with transformative intent. The first intent being to distil the wisdom of insiders' knowledges into richly detailed formal accounts of good practice that speaks directly to the practitioner's condition thereby enhancing their professional reflexivity, hope and capacity. The second intent is to provide constructive on-the-ground 'news of difference' for a child protection field that is over-organised by anxiety, worst-case outcomes and an obsession with managers' measures. The exegesis is formulated around the research question, What potential does interpretive social theory have for transforming child protection social work? My conclusion is that while interpretive social theory offers significant epistemological and methodological resources for transforming the practices and orientation of child protection social work, this potential will not be realised until the social work displays renewed ontological commitment and faith in the knowledges and everyday experience of frontline practitioners.

The study deals with the problem of applicability of two anthropological theories, structural functionalism and interpretive anthropology of Clifford Geertz. By applicability is meant what concrete difference using of one or the other theory brings about in ethnography. Each of the theories is at first thoroughly examined with emphasis on its possible aims, assumptions, and consequences for an ethnographer. Then each theory is put to test in examination of one particular ethnography associated with the theory. Evans-Pritchard's The Nuer serves as an instance of structural functionalism. Clifford Geertz's Negara as an example of interpretative analysis. Structural functionalism is shown to provide an ethnographer with a much more definite guidance which contributes to better possibilities of verification and comparability of the results than interpretive anthropology. Apart from the main subject, the study is concerned with more general questions, especially related to non-existence of a paradigm in anthropology and some of its causes.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Understanding enterprise and performing actions to achieve the desired goals is to unravel the rules, customs, habits, social rules, dreams, emotions and meanings that constitute it. It is to recognize that economic rationality is intertwined with subjectivity, ultimately. It is to understand the individuals and the relationships they build their organizational culture. Interpreting the culture of an organization is to recognize the ambiguities arising from experiences that are unique to each individual who composes it and cannot be given a concept that refers only to homogeneity. The culture is heterogeneous, composed simultaneously by consensus, clarity and consistency of events. It is formed by the differences, making subcultures and it is ambiguous in that consensus, clarity and consistency exist in certain circumstances, being ephemeral.In a family business functions and activities of the company are fostered by relatives. The enterprise starts the process of growth and there are multiple challenging and limiting factors to their continuity, allowing or not that the business can persist over generations and by time developing activities toward the future and achieving long-term success. Organizational culture may be indicated as a factor taxpayer of the continuity of family businesses, emerging from the need to understand which would be the events in those companies that interfere in its perpetuity. Therefore, the aim of this study is to answer as the cultural events, from the standpoint of integration, differentiation and fragmentation of a family organization at Uberlandia, act limiting and/or enabling its continuity? The study has a qualitative approach and it is descriptive. The method of procedure used was based in ethnography. The case study was used as a strategy to reach the proposed objective. As regards to techniques for data collection were used non-participant observation, participant observation and search for documents focusing on five categories: How Things Work, The jokes that people make; Adequacy of Physical Structure and Equipment, Remuneration Policy and Relationships Among Pairs and Other Groups. For data interpretation, a content analysis and discourse analysis were performed. The choice of object was caused by information that characterized the enterprise declaredly a family organization. It was noted that the marked influence of organizational culture in the universe of these enterprises as well as revealed characteristics associated with cultural events which unveiled topics allowing the enrichment of literature and contributing to studies on family businesses. The presence of an organizational culture from the perspective of integration, differentiation and comminution could be verified. At the same time the culture had demonstrations that can enable its continuity. Other events that go against them, limiting perpetuity, were found. Or due to interweaving of family and business, that permeates the culture of the organization, constantly linking the two institutions, there is the presence of events, which limit both its continuity as possible, simultaneously. It was noted that relative influence not only is one of these enterprises but also is essential, directing and motivating the harmony of the organizational system / Compreender uma empresa e executar ações para alcançar os objetivos desejados, é desvendar as normas, costumes, hábitos, regras sociais, sonhos, emoções e significados que a constituem; é reconhecer que a racionalidade econômica se entretece com a subjetividade; enfim, é entender os indivíduos e as relações que constroem a sua Cultura Organizacional. Interpretar a cultura de uma organização é reconhecer as ambiguidades resultantes das experiências que são próprias a cada indivíduo que a compõe, não podendo assim, ser-lhe atribuída uma noção que remete apenas à homogeneidade. A cultura é heterogênea, composta simultaneamente pelo consenso, claridade e consistência das manifestações; é formada pelas diferenças, compondo subculturas; e é ambígua, em que o consenso, a clareza e a consistência existem em determinadas circunstâncias, sendo efêmeros. No negócio de família as funções e atividades da empresa estão amparadas pelos familiares. A empresa inicia o processo de crescimento e surgem múltiplos fatores, instigantes e limitantes de sua continuidade, permitindo, ou não, que o negócio possa se perpetuar por gerações e pelo tempo desenvolvendo as atividades em direção ao futuro e obtendo sucesso em longo prazo. A cultura organizacional pode ser apontada como fator contribuinte da continuidade das empresas familiares, emergindo a necessidade de compreender quais seriam, então, as manifestações imbricadas nessas empresas que interferem em sua perpetuidade. Assim, a proposta deste trabalho é responder como as manifestações culturais, sob a perspectiva da integração, diferenciação e fragmentação, de uma organização familiar de Uberlândia, atuam limitando e/ou possibilitando à sua continuidade? O estudo possui abordagem qualitativa e é descritivo. O método de procedimento utilizado buscou aporte na etnografia. O estudo de caso foi utilizado como uma estratégia para alcançar o objetivo proposto. No que se refere às técnicas para coleta de dados foram utilizadas a observação não participante; observação participante e; pesquisa de documentos, centradas em cinco categorias: Como as Coisas Funcionam; As Brincadeiras e Piadas que as Pessoas Fazem; Adequação da Estrutura Física e Equipamentos; Política de Remuneração; e Relacionamento Entre os Pares e Outros Grupos. Para interpretação dos dados, foi realizada a análise de conteúdo e análise de discurso. A escolha do objeto se deveu por informações que caracterizavam a empresa, declaradamente, uma organização familiar. Foi constatada a influência marcante da cultura organizacional no universo dessas empresas, bem como reveladas características associadas as manifestações culturais, que desvendaram temas, possibilitando o enriquecimento da literatura e contribuindo com os estudos sobre empresas familiares. Pôde ser verificada a presença de uma cultura organizacional sob a perspectiva da integração, diferenciação e fragmentação. Ao mesmo tempo em que a cultura apresentou manifestações que podem possibilitar sua continuidade, foram encontradas outras manifestações, que vão de encontro destas, limitando a perpetuidade. Ou ainda, devido ao entretecimento entre família e empresa, que perpassa pela cultura da organização, estar constantemente associando ambas as instituições, há a presença de manifestações, tanto que limitam como possibilitam sua continuidade, simultaneamente. Pôde ser verificado que a influência familiar não só faz parte dessas empresas, como também são imprescindíveis, direcionando e motivando a harmonia do sistema organizacional. / Mestre em Administração

Proceeding from the premise that the meaning of performances flows from contextual, textual, and nonverbal elements, this dissertation explores layers of meaning arising from performances of selected South African struggle songs, poems and plays. In particular, it focuses on performances of the Mayibuye Cultural Group which functioned as an adaptive mechanism in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s, and on contemporary performances. The analysis of the songs, poems and play underscores the importance of nonverbal elements for the interpretation of performances, and proposes that performances functioned as debate and as a discursive presence in the public sphere. In particular, the performances glorified a masculine conception of the struggle and of South African society which highlighted the fragile gender politics in South Africa, and functioned as a vibrant mechanism for the expression of sanctioned criticism especially for the marginalised and for those at the fringes of power. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)

Proceeding from the premise that the meaning of performances flows from contextual, textual, and nonverbal elements, this dissertation explores layers of meaning arising from performances of selected South African struggle songs, poems and plays. In particular, it focuses on performances of the Mayibuye Cultural Group which functioned as an adaptive mechanism in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s, and on contemporary performances. The analysis of the songs, poems and play underscores the importance of nonverbal elements for the interpretation of performances, and proposes that performances functioned as debate and as a discursive presence in the public sphere. In particular, the performances glorified a masculine conception of the struggle and of South African society which highlighted the fragile gender politics in South Africa, and functioned as a vibrant mechanism for the expression of sanctioned criticism especially for the marginalised and for those at the fringes of power. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)