Science Fiction and Administrative Truths: The Short Story and Novella as Administrative Cases

Public Voices ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Nolan J. Argyle ◽  
Lee M. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Organizational Complexity ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Hands On

Pre-service and in-service MPA students share a common desire for hands-on, real world instruction related to their professional career goals, leading to a pedagogic discounting of fiction as an appropriate tool for analyzing and "solving" problems. However, several factors weigh heavily in favor of using science fiction short stories and novellas in the MPA classroom setting. These include the need for interesting case scenarios exploring various administrative issues; leveling the playing field between the two types of students by de-emphasizing the use of "contemporary" cases; access to literature that explores the future shock of increasing organizational complexity; and the desirability of Rorschach type materials that facilitate discussion of. values and administrative truths. The discussion proceeds by tracing the development of the case study technique, its advantages and disadvantages in the classroom, addressing the utility of "fiction" as an educational resource, and showing how the science fiction literature has matured to the point where it can be applied in all of the major sub-fields of public administration. Several outstanding examples are detailed, and a thorough bibliography is provided.

scholarly journals Beautiful destruction

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Vanessa Cirkel-Bartelt
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Scientific Misconduct ◽  
Popular Literature ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
Large Audience ◽  
Headline News ◽  
Near Future

Though the term ‘science fiction’ was coined somewhat later, the early twentieth century saw an enormous rise in an interest in technological tales set in the near future, mirroring a general awareness of the growing importance of science. Hans Dominik was one of the most prolific – and successful – German authors of this kind of popular literature. According to estimates millions of copies of his books have been sold, making Dominik’s work an interesting case study illustrating the sorts of ideas about science that German-speaking audiences entertained. Being a trained engineer and a public relations officer by profession, Dominik drew heavily on scientific topics that were headline news at the time and yet he also managed to create something new on the basis of these. One of the methods he employed was the use of religious motifs and topoi. Dominik magnified the relevance of scientific enterprises and depicted the consequences of science – or scientific misconduct, rather – as the beginning of a catastrophe, or even an apocalypse. By the same token, Dominik often introduced the figure of the scientist as a protagonist who would save the world. Thus Dominik was able to draw the attention of a large audience to concepts of the use of atomic energy or nuclear weapons – to name only two – and their creative or destructive potential, decades before such devices were technically feasible.

scholarly journals Transgression and Empowerment in Sarah Hall’s Short Fiction

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-172
Author(s):  
Ana Raquel Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Short Fiction ◽  
Narrative Structure ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Identity Representation ◽  
The Way

Abstract This essay delivers an analysis of the innovative short fiction of contemporary British writer Sarah Hall. It gives particular consideration to the first two collections of short stories published by the author, The Beautiful Indifference (2011) and Madame Zero (2017), as well as looking into the possibilities offered by her latest collection, Sudden Traveler (2019). Hall focuses attention on such varied contemporary preoccupations as identity, gender, violence and death. My goal is to discuss the way that identities are subverted or transgressed in her short stories and how the topic of identity representation intersects with other themes becoming a fundamental and empowering factor in the narrative structure. Hall’s short story collections present an interesting case study, not only because they display the writer’s quest for a unity of subject-matter, but also because they evince the strength and vitality of the short story as a genre.

Doing ethnography in a paranoid organization: an autoethnographic account

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne Frandsen
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Distinct Features ◽  
Rail Service ◽  
Empirical Material

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine what we can learn from an autoethnographical approach about public administration. In this context it presents and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of autoethnography. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a case study of E-rail, a European national rail service subject to extensive negative press coverage. The autoethnographic accounts, based on interviews, observations, phone calls, e-mails, and other informal interactions with the organizational members, highlight the researcher’s entry to and exit of the organization. Findings – The paper mobilizes fieldwork access negotiation and trust building with participants as empirical material in its own right, arguing that challenges involving “being in the field” should be explored to provide new types of knowledge about the organizational phenomenon under study – in this case the rise of organizational paranoia. Originality/value – This paper uses autoethnography, which is rare in public administration studies, and discusses the distinct features of autoethnography as an ethnographic approach to public organizations. It argues that autoethnographic accounts of fieldwork relationship highlight and challenge the boundaries of the kind of research questions we might ask – and the kind of answers we might provide – about public administration.

2018 Fiji Election Results: Patterns of Voting by Provinces, Rural-Urban Localities, and by Candidates

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruo Nakagawa
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
The Political ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Election Results

Akin to the previous, 2014 event, with no data on voter ethnicity, no exit polls, and few post-election analyses, the 2018 Fiji election results remain something of a mystery despite the fact that there had been a significant swing in voting in favour of Opposition political parties. There have been several studies about the election results, but most of them have been done without much quantitative analyses. This study examines voting patterns of Fiji’s 2018 election by provinces, and rural-urban localities, as well as by candidates, and also compares the 2018 and 2014 elections by spending a substantial time classifying officially released data by polling stations and individual candidates. Some of the data are then further aggregated according to the political parties to which those candidates belonged. The current electoral system in Fiji is a version of a proportional system, but its use is rare and this study will provide an interesting case study of the Open List Proportional System. At the end of the analyses, this study considers possible reasons for the swing in favour of the Opposition.

Toward a Philosophical Approach of the Hermeneutics of the Qur’an

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Aliaa Ibrahim Dakroury
Keyword(s):  
Modern Technology ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
True Meaning ◽  
Flow Of Information ◽  
The Relationship

Although claims questioning whether religious sacred books can be “translated” or not have been heard for quite some time, they have increased with the emergence of globalization and the increasing openness and flow of information due to modern technology. In the context of the relationship between hermeneutics and communication, one could argue that interpreting the Qur’an is an interesting case study for many reasons. Among them is the number of debates and discourses that have been raised both for and against its translation. Another reason, perhaps one of the largest barriers according to some religious Muslim groups, is that the Qur’an is fundamentally revealed and written in Arabic, and, therefore, its true meaning cannot be translated into another language. Certain verses, such as “It is a Qur’an in Arabic, without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against evil” (28:39), have been presented to support this argument.

Management of Optic Neuritis in Ayurveda - A Special Case Report

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Harsha S. ◽  
Dr. Mamatha KV.
Keyword(s):  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Optic Neuritis ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Special Case

The optic nerve carries visual information from your eye to your brain. Optic neuritis is when your optic nerve becomes inflamed. Optic neuritis can flare up suddenly from an infection or nerve disease. The inflammation usually causes temporary vision loss that typically happens in only one eye. Those with Optic neuritis sometimes experience pain. As you recover and the inflammation goes away, your vision will likely return. There are no direct references in our classics regarding optic neuritis but can be contemplated as a condition by name Parimlayi Timira. The specific management as such is not cited but a transcendence approach can be done with adopting the treatment which has the ability to pacify the already occurred pathology and prevent the further development of the disease. One such interesting case study on Optic neuritis is elaborated here where in specific treatment modalities (Shodana, Shamana and Kriyakalpas) played role in pacifying the condition.

Design process for serious activities inspired by play and games: a problem solving with a board game from disengamement and gamification processes (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane Goria ◽  
Louise Dupet ◽  
Maëva Négroni ◽  
Gabriel Sega ◽  
Philippe Arnoux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Detection ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Diagnostic Method ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Board Game ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Design Result

BACKGROUND most serious games and other game-based tools are designed as digital games or escape games. They are designed for learning or sometimes in the field of medicine as an aid to care. However, they can also be seen as an aid to research, in our case, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of imaging techniques for cancer detection. OBJECTIVE we present a case study of action research on the design of a serious board game intended to consider the advantages and weaknesses of a diagnostic method in a different ways. The goal was to better understand the principles of designing a tool using game or play. METHODS we explicitly implemented another process than gamification to develop a structure reminiscent of the game to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of different imaging techniques from the point of view of the respondents (in this case specialists not directly involved in the project). Based on this feedback and the scientific literature on this subject, we detail the main categories of games and games developed for serious use in order to understand their differences. Concerning the cancer research part to which game contributes, our method is based on questions asked to experts and practitioners of this specialty. RESULTS an expert point of view translation tool in the form of a game has been realized to apprehend a research in a different way. CONCLUSIONS we show with the help of a diagram, some possible design paths leading to this type of design result including two hidden dimensions to consider (the awareness of the game or play by the "player" and his role as a contributor or recipient).

Case Study #4: Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry

Public Voices ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Ken Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Star Trek ◽  
Government Organization ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Gene Roddenberry ◽  
Common Goals

Star Trek began as a 1960s television series led by a swashbuckling starship Captain, an intellectual off-world first officer, and a multicultural, heart-of-gold crew. In the third of a century since its appearance on our home screens, the series Gene Roddenberry created has become a world-wide phenomenon.Star Trek is also a rich treasure trove of administrative literature: The setting — usually a starship, sometimes a planetary government organization. The characters are clearly delineated, colorful, share common goals, distinguish between their personal and professional roles and concerns, and serve well as archetypes for distinct organizational personalities. And the missions are clear, benevolent, in the public interest, and frequently controversial.As you watch an episode of one of the four Star Trek series, how many of these facets can you observe?That’s public administration, all right, but in a very different wrapper

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