Social Structure, Identification and Change in a Treatment-Oriented Institution

Adamek, Raymond J.; Dager, Edward Z.

doi:10.2307/2092684

Cited by 8 publications

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“…They may even enhance it by delegating some decision-making power. Such participation may increase retention in addition to occupational commitment which fosters adult socialization (Adamek and Dager, 1968). Organizational researchers may, therefore, expect decentralized seminaries to be more effective than centralized seminaries at socializing seminarians to the priesthood.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Career Commitment among Continuing and Exiting Seminary Students

Ventimiglia

1977

Sociological Analysis

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To study the relationship between commitment and staying in 0 r leaving the seminary, the author administered a questionnaire to a reconstituted student body of 93 dropouts and 124 stay-ins from Lakeside (a pseudonym) Catholic diocesan seminary. The questionnaire included measures of two kinds of commitment, intrinsic and extrinsic. Stay-ins were generally more committed than dropouts but dropouts tended to be more extrinsicall~, committed than stay-ins. Particularly, dropouts seemed to enter training for the priesthood earlier than did stay-ins, and mothers of dropouts seemed to have encouraged the vocation more than mothers of stay-ins. Demographic variables and community influence could not account foj differences in commitment. The findings were interpreted as underscoring the importance of attribution of freedom of choice to one5 self for continuance in a career leading to the statu.~ of priest.The priesthood has long been considered the embodiment of dedication and commitment. Popular opinion considers practitioners literally to have a "calling." Once seminarians take Holy Orders, they are obliged to practice celibacy and saya daily prayer (Breviary) for the rest of their lives. In the major seminary seminarians have the last opportunity to opt out of the priestly career without obligation. The seminary should, therefore, serve asa crucible for the study ofcommitment.Some students continue, others drop out. In what ways do these students differ? Specifically, what attitudinal and behavioral differences are shown in a comparison between stay-ins and dropouts from a Catholic maior diocesan seminary? Reviewing studies of student dropout from college, Boocock (1972) concluded that dropout occurs largely because the goal of the individual does not mesh with the goal of the educational program. Likewise, Thomas (1968) suggests that dropping out from seminary may be a function of"role personality malfit." The dropout may come to see his personality as so different from the role of the priest as he perceives it that staying in seminary is contraindicated.The notion of commitment thus acknowledges that the process of socialization is bilateralothe student is an active agent nota passive pawn. By the act of entering seminary, he opens himself to socialization influence; by the act of exiting, he closes off such influence. By virtue of the choice to continue or to exit, the student in effect conditions the official attempt of the seminary at professional socialization. The Background of CommitmentCommitment has been conceived in the scientific literature in a way that needs simplification and in popular parlance in a way that needs specification. Some

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Career Commitment among Continuing and Exiting Seminary Students

Ventimiglia

1977

Sociological Analysis

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“…On the other hand, ‘people changing institutions’, which I will discuss more specifically in this article, ‘change the behavior of people directly’ (Hasenfeld, 1972: 256): they genuinely transform people themselves, and they do not only make something with people, they make them. Typical examples of these institutions studied in the 1960s and 1970s include schools (Becker et al, [1961] 2004; Janowitz, 1969; Merton et al, 1957), mental hospitals (Goffman, 1961; Strauss et al, 1964), prisons and correctional institutions (Adamek and Dager, 1968; Street et al, 1966). Here, I suggest expanding this concept in two directions.…”

Section: A People Changing Institutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A people thinning institution: Changing bodies and souls in a commercial weight-loss group

Darmon

2012

Ethnography

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Some institutions use people as the material of their action and have the project of transforming individuals. This article aims to show that a commercial weight loss group, insofar as its explicit aim is to make members lose weight, is a genuine 'people changing institution', or more specifically a people thinning institution. Based on a 14-month ethnographic study of a commercial weight-loss group, this article analyses how such an organization operates. The article shows that it relies on specific modes of surveillance aimed at controlling the participants' attitudes and behaviors, and insists on the role played by writing and written materials as key tools in enforcing body discipline. It also argues that the change at issue is class-oriented, and more precisely is one oriented towards the middle and upper regions of the social space. These findings have implications for research on institutions, socialization and individual change.

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“…Their norms and values are utilized as criteria for judging his behavior, and in time, are adopted as his own. Thus, the people-changing institutions attain their goal to the extent their programs foster identification (Adamek and Dager, 1968: 931-944).…”

Section: Uygawization Design F or Human Service Organizationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Perspective On Organization Design for Human Service Organizations

Dubey

1981

International Social Work

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F ORMAL organizations are organized to JL achieve a set of objectives. They are believed to be more efhcient than any other form of organization of activities because they create conditions which facilitate optimal attainment of objectives. These conditions include throughput processesdivision of work (or organization of units), decision-making, communication, coordination, leadership, feedback, etc. Thus, designing of organization involves the grouping of activities or what Lawrence and Lorsch call differentiation (1976: 141-165)~ developing integrative mechanisms (or coordination), decision-making structure (centralized or decentralized), delineation of work procedures (flexible or rigid), etc. This paper has two purposes: ( 1 ) To develop an analytical framework for the development of organizational designs by integrating existing theories and concepts and (2) to apply the analytical framework in proposing organizational design models for human service organizations.The classical organization theorists devoted a great deal of effort in determining the principles for division of work in organizations. Gulick and Urwick, for example, identified four bases, useful in determining work units: (1) The major purpose, (2) the process to be used, (3) the clienteles to be served and (4) the place where the activities will take place (1937: 15-30). The main idea in using these bases is to combine homogenous units and to separate heterogenous ones.A review of the works of the prominent writers in the management science reveals the commonly cited bases of division of activities in the organization are purpose and f unction. Under the former the units are organized on the basis of products; and specialists engaged in its production report to the product unit manager who, in turn, reports to the general manager. In the latter, the units are organized on the basis of functions : sales, manufacturing, engin'eering, finance, etc.; and the functional managers are responsible to the general manager. Thus, each functional unit serves all line departments.The question : when should one use product or function as a basis for designing work structure? -has consistently troubled the administrators. Lawrence and Lorsch observe that each unit should have an organization design which fits its particular external environment and its members' predispositions because of relationship between organization design and the behaviors of the members working in it.

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Social Structure, Identification and Change in a Treatment-Oriented Institution

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Career Commitment among Continuing and Exiting Seminary Students

Career Commitment among Continuing and Exiting Seminary Students

A people thinning institution: Changing bodies and souls in a commercial weight-loss group

A Perspective On Organization Design for Human Service Organizations

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