An attitudinal evaluation of collaboration in the community economic development process in southwestern Ontario

Many small communities in Southwestern Ontario suffer from economic decline. Several areas have faced devastating plant closures and layoffs. In response, communities have been encouraged to adopt a community economic development strategy by senior levels of government. This strategy focuses on community participation, entrepreneurship and the retraining of the workforce. This thesis examines the accomplishments of eight predominantly rural areas in Southwestern Ontario. Attitudes and perceptions of sixty-four local actors involved in the CED process were evaluated. These eight areas received similar levels of funding and all have mechanisms in place for community economic development. However, the extent of CED activities in each community was quite different. Why? In order to answer this question local participants were interviewed to determine to what extent they thought their community\u27s progress was related to four dimensions of collaboration: economic viability, local participation, organizational interaction and political efficacy. Local participation, and political efficacy were identified as prerequisites to progress

Performing Civility:International Competitions in Classical Music

Although competitions in classical music have a long history, the number of contests has risen dramatically since the Second World War, all of them aiming to launch young artists\u27 careers. This is not the symptom of marketization that it might appear to be. Despite the establishment of an international governing body, competitions are plagued by rumors of corruption, and even the most mathematically sophisticated voting system cannot quell accusations that the best talent is overlooked. Why do musicians take part? Why do audiences care so much about who wins? Performing Civility is the first book to address these questions. In this groundbreaking study, Lisa McCormick draws from firsthand observations of contests in Europe and the US, in-depth interviews with competitors, jurors and directors, as well as blog data from competition observers to argue that competitions have endured because they are not only about music, they are also about civility. The first academic study to examine classical music competitions from a sociological perspective Provides a unified history of the emergence of classical music competitions, including a previously unpublished record of historical membership in the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) Based upon firsthand observations, as well as interviews and conversations with participants about sharing their personal experiences and opinion

The performative power of ideas:Jeffrey Alexander as an iconic intellectual

Abstract This paper considers Jeffrey Alexander's role in the past, present and future of the strong program in cultural sociology. The central argument is that Alexander is becoming an iconic intellectual, but that the process is not yet complete. Drawing on first-hand observations gathered through my long-term affiliation with the "Alexander group", I trace the development of Alexander's social authority and intellectual influence through the establishment, institutionalization and globalization of the strong program. Descriptions of his charismatic intellectual performances provide further insight into iconization. The conclusion identifies some of the challenges that must be overcome for further theoretical development of the strong program, and the conditions that must be met for Alexander's iconization to reach completion