The purpose of this study is to illustrate that Reformism dominates much of Arab thought, and it has continued to be a major source of inspiration for contemporary Islamic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to illustrate that Reformism dominates much of Arab thought, and it has continued to be a major source of inspiration for contemporary Islamic philosophy. Thereafter, it shows that Amin Elkholy was a pioneer of reformism whose innovative thinking led Abd-el-Jabaar Elrefa’I and others to recognize him as the first hermeneuticist in the history of Islam.
Design/methodology/approach
The research traces Islamic Reformism's rise and development, evaluates its status in the map of modern Arab/Islamic thought and determines its main figures until arriving at Amin Elkholy. Then, it shows that through evolutionism and a comprehensive evolutionistic approach, Elkholy undertook renewal in Islamic reformism as a multidimensional innovation. So, the interaction between traditional renovation and Western evolutionism produced a highly fruitful philosophy of innovation and progress.
Findings
First, Islamic Reformism contains potential for continuous advancement and development. Second, Amin Elkholy has introduced a model of Islamic Reformism and achieved the situation of authenticity/modernization in a way that seems very compatible with our postmodernism era and postmodernist philosophy.
Research limitations/implications
The research framework has been Modern Arab Thought and Contemporary Islamic Philosophy since the beginning of the 19th Century. The approach entails some future expectations.
Practical implications
The approach entails some future expectations and suggests topics for further research.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, it is the first time to notice some compatibility between Islamic Reformism and postmodernism.
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In this paper I discuss how feminist research focusing epistemological issues can be used within computer science (CS). I approach and explore epistemological questions in…
Abstract
In this paper I discuss how feminist research focusing epistemological issues can be used within computer science (CS). I approach and explore epistemological questions in computer science through a number of themes, which I believe are important to the issues of what knowledge is produced as well as how it is produced and how knowledge is perceived in CS. I discuss for example paradigms and metaphors in computer science, the role of abstractions and the concept of naturalisation. In order to illustrate epistemological views in CS and how these can be questioned from the viewpoints of feminist epistemology, I also do a close reading and commenting of a recent book within the philosophy of computing.
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This chapter addresses growing concerns that, despite being a radically intentioned community, Critical Management Studies (CMS) lacks an orientation to achieve pragmatic change…
Abstract
This chapter addresses growing concerns that, despite being a radically intentioned community, Critical Management Studies (CMS) lacks an orientation to achieve pragmatic change. In response I argue that the failure to address the continuing marginalisation of the subaltern is key to CMS being negatively represented as an elitist self-preoccupied endeavour. This state of affairs is linked to a legacy of the ‘postmodern’ turn, which emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, as evidenced by the nature of contemporary debates continuing to reflect the stylistic fetishes of that time. I contend that the ghost of postmodernism is evident in the continuing predilection to produce signification discourses marked by symbolic absences, which politically confine such texts to the level of epistemology. The lack of integration of ontological concerns means that corporeal aspects of daily life are neglected, resulting in an abstracted ‘subjectless’ mode of representation. To address these limitations, a feminist activist version of post-structuralism (PSF) of the time is revisited, which through its distinctive attention to community concerns, enabled the linking of epistemological and ontological representations; thereby facilitating the creation of a framework for pragmatic change. As the chapter demonstrates, by drawing attention to the integral relationship between the modes of representation, power relations and subsequent social effects, poststructuralist feminists were able to achieve praxis outcomes. Accordingly, I argue this treasure house of ideas needs to be reclaimed and provides illustrations of the design principles proffered to support my contentions.
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Donald Tomaskovic-Devey and Dustin Avent-Holt
After multiple decades stumbling in the status attainment wilderness, the sociological study of inequality is now cultivating a new garden: the workplace generation of…
Abstract
After multiple decades stumbling in the status attainment wilderness, the sociological study of inequality is now cultivating a new garden: the workplace generation of inequalities. While our theories have long focused on contextually embedded social relations – often in production – as generating inequality, our methods have lagged, focusing instead on individual status attainment, abstracted from social relations including those at work. In this chapter, we outline first how we got into this mess, and then advocate a principled comparative methodological framework for studying the organizational generation of durable inequalities. We highlight the particular contribution of Randy Hodson to the original critique of individualistic status attainment research and his role in developing alternative methodologies, some of which we think should be further developed today.
Kramer and Kramarae have identified four sets of masculine gendered ideas that are used in conceptualising the Internet: anarchy, frontier, democracy and community. These are…
Abstract
Kramer and Kramarae have identified four sets of masculine gendered ideas that are used in conceptualising the Internet: anarchy, frontier, democracy and community. These are constitutive ideas as opposed to regulative ones; in other words they constitute the Internet. I suggest two alternative constitutive ideas, but not necessarily ‘feminine’ ones, that might be used as constituent parts of the Internet. These are reflexivity, or examining what we are about, and pluralism. The more widespread adoption of these two principles as constitutive ethics would have a profound effect on teaching and practice of using not just the Internet, but developing and using ICT more generally.
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Denise Faifua and Sandra Harding
The purpose of this paper is to argue that the legacy of instrumental rationality has had a profoundly impoverishing effect on rational accounts of organisation, and that even…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue that the legacy of instrumental rationality has had a profoundly impoverishing effect on rational accounts of organisation, and that even though non‐rational accounts move beyond instrumental rationality, they remain tied to economist assumptions. The paper outlines the broader Weber and Habermas's model of rationality, and demonstrates its application.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on verbatim quotes from a sampling of 35 in‐depth interviews, the paper reveals the range of very different rationalities expressed in the social relations of work, of four very specific types of organisation: a bureaucracy, an entrepreneurial unit, a producer co‐operative and a worker co‐operative.
Findings
The paper outlines two ideal sets of findings, ideal in the sense that in two of the organisations the rationalities, social relations of work and associated outcomes fit well with the Weber and Habermas model of instrumental strategic action and social strategic action.
Research limitations/implications
This study shows the potential for broader rationality as it plays out in the workplace. The notion of workplaces that free workers to contribute in socially strategic ways points to new approaches to management and organisation.
Practical implications
The paper offers practical insights into social relations built on co‐operation, moral judgement and communication.
Originality/value
The power of the idea of broader rationality is that being more rational, i.e. attending to more than a narrow impoverished view, provides the prospect of action advancing the social and the economic in a profound way.
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Belen Fraile-Rojas, Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero and Mariano Mendez-Suarez
This article explores the use of natural language processing (NLP) techniques and machine learning (ML) models to discover underlying concepts of gender inequality applied to…
Abstract
Purpose
This article explores the use of natural language processing (NLP) techniques and machine learning (ML) models to discover underlying concepts of gender inequality applied to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in female social media conversations. The first purpose is to characterize female users who use this platform to share content around this area. The second is to identify the most prominent themes among female users’ digital production of gender inequality concepts, applied to AI technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
Social opinion mining has been applied to historical Twitter data. Data were gathered using a combination of analytical methods such as word clouds, sentiment analyses and clustering. It examines 172,041 tweets worldwide over a limited period of 359 days.
Findings
Empirical data gathered from interactions of female users in digital dialogues highlight that the most prominent topics of interest are the future of AI technologies and the active role of women to guarantee gender balanced systems. Algorithmic bias impacts female user behaviours in response to injustice and inequality in algorithmic outcomes. They share topics of interest and lead constructive conversations with profiles affiliated with gender or race empowerment associations. Women challenged by stereotypes and prejudices are likely to fund entrepreneurial solutions to create opportunities for change.
Research limitations/implications
This study does have its limitations, however. First, different keywords are likely to result in a different pool of related research. Moreover, due to the nature of our sample, the largest proportion of posts are from native English speakers, predominantly (88%) from the US, UK, Australia and Canada. This demographic concentration reflects specific social structures and practices that influence gender equity priorities within the sample. These cultural contexts, which often emphasize inclusivity and equity, play a significant role in shaping the discourse around gender issues. These cultural norms, preferences and practices are critical in understanding the individual behaviours, perspectives and priorities expressed in the posts; in other words, it is vital to consider cultural context and economic determinants in an analysis of gender equity discussions. The US, UK, Australia and Canada share a cultural and legal heritage, a common language, values, democracy and the rule of law. Bennett (2007) emphasizes the potential for enhanced cooperation in areas like technology, trade and security, suggesting that the anglosphere’s cultural and institutional commonalities create a natural foundation for a cohesive, influential global network. These shared characteristics further influence the common approaches and perspectives on gender equity in public discourse. Yet findings from Western nations should not be assumed to apply easily to the contexts of other countries.
Practical implications
From a practical perspective, the results help us understand the role of female influencers and scrutinize public conversations. From a theoretical one, this research upholds the argument that feminist critical thought is indispensable in the development of balanced AI systems.
Social implications
The results also help us understand the role of female influencers: ordinary individuals often challenged by gender and race discrimination. They request an intersectional, collaborative and pluralistic understanding of gender and race in AI. They act alone and endure the consequences of stigmatized products and services. AI curators should strongly consider advocating for responsible, impartial technologies, recognizing the indispensable role of women. This must consider all stakeholders, including representatives from industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), civil society and academia.
Originality/value
This study aims to fill critical research gaps by addressing the lack of a socio-technical perspective on AI-based decision-making systems, the shortage of empirical studies in the field and the need for a critical analysis using feminist theories. The study offers valuable insights that can guide managerial decision-making for AI researchers and practitioners, providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic through a critical lens.
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The article argues for the necessity of theory within sociology, in general, and metatheory, in particular. It explores how theoretical, metatheoretical, and philosophical…
Abstract
The article argues for the necessity of theory within sociology, in general, and metatheory, in particular. It explores how theoretical, metatheoretical, and philosophical background conditions affect sociological research. It makes the case for why attending to background conditions is important for both the sociologist as an individual and also sociology as a collective and a discipline. In this context, it makes the case for critical realism as a useful program of metatheoretical reflexivity that focuses upon the more philosophical dimensions of sociology including the place of ontology and even how theory itself should be understood.
The purpose of this paper is to critique the argument that research methodology is gendered and present a post‐essentialist understanding of research methods.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critique the argument that research methodology is gendered and present a post‐essentialist understanding of research methods.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual paper which engages with the feminist debate over the gendering of methodology.
Findings
The paper begins by discussing the feminist critique of positivism that quantitative methodologies embody patriarchal assumptions. Then, drawing on contemporary attempts by feminists to rehabilitate quantitative research, and developments in organizational research methods, it counters the argument that methodologies are gendered. Specifically, it argues the idea that methods embody gendered assumptions is founded on essentialist reasoning and treats them as having immutable characteristics. Moving on, the paper offers a post‐essentialist understanding of “methods as text”. Key advantages of this metaphor are that it acknowledges the interpretative flexibility of research methods and illustrates the rhetorical function descriptions of them perform in particular contexts. Finally, the contributions and limitations of this perspective and its implications for future research are summarised.
Research limitations/implications
Further research is needed to understand how research methods are discursively constructed and the rhetorical functions descriptions of them perform in specific contexts.
Originality/value
The paper critiques the view that research methodology is gendered and offers a novel metaphor for understanding research methods. It is likely to be of most value to social scientists with an interest in research methods and/or feminist epistemologies.