Sociological Ambivalence and Funeral Consumption

Sociological Ambivalence and Funeral Consumption

This article builds on Hillcoat-Nallétamby and Phillips' (2011) conceptualization of sociological ambivalence within the relational framework to examine a particular consumption practice, the funeral. We develop understanding of social, cultural and relational issues that arise from the experience associated with funeral-arranging. This is not a voluntary behaviour but one engaged with through ...

The Sociological Ambivalence of Bureaucracy: From Weber via Gouldner to Marx

Reports of the demise of the bureaucratic form of organization are greatly exaggerated, and debates about bureaucracy’s functions and effects therefore persist. For many years, a broad current of organizational scholarship has taken inspiration from Max Weber’s image of bureaucracy as an “iron cage” and has seen bureaucracy as profoundly ambivalent— imposing alienation as the price of efficienc...

PERSPECTIVE - The Sociological Ambivalence of Bureaucracy: From Weber via Gouldner to Marx

Reports of the demise of the bureaucratic form of organization are greatly exaggerated, and debates about bureaucracy’s functions and effects therefore persist. For many years, a broad current of organizational scholarship has taken inspiration from Weber’s image of bureaucracy as an “iron cage” and has seen bureaucracy as profoundly ambivalent – imposing alienation as the price of efficiency. ...

You cannot choose your family: sociological ambivalence in the hemodialysis unit.

Living with end-stage renal disease is challenging and requires a great deal of self-management, but little is known about the experiences of patients and staff around the subject. We held six focus groups in three hemodialysis units, each unit hosting 1 staff and 1 patient focus group. A total of 15 staff members and 15 patients participated. We employed thematic analysis using a priori and em...

A Christian Funeral Director's Reflections on the Modern Funeral