Chapter One: Beneath the Spanish Moss: The World of the Root Doctor

The spiritual practice of the Shaman is most likely the oldest spiritual tradition on Earth. Shamanism is a way in which humanity has sought a psychic connection to the world of healing, life and death, as well as a sense of social and individual balance. It is a complex psychological grammar that allows the Shaman to function in both the conventional and an alternative spirit view of reality. Shamanisn has been a part of American culture since the colonial settlement and continues today despite technology and modern scientific rationalism. This chapter is a brief social history of the African-American shamanic experience called Hoodoo and Conjure found in the Southeastern United States

The Role of Organizational Culture in Effective Team Development

The concepts surrounding team management and organizational culture may seen unrelated when initially considering the implementation of some form of team management however in fact both concepts are intimately connected. The success of any team management effort may depend on the successful identification, understanding and management of that wide variety of social and procedural elements collectively known as the organizational culture. This paper examines the role of organizational culture and how it impacts a manager or administrator introducing and implementing team management concepts to their workplace. The author will examine the definition of organizational culture, the various types of cultures and the author also suggests ways to operate within an organizational culture and successfully implement a team management program within one’s culture

Java City: Developing a Successful Cultural Center

Introduction: Western Kentucky University Library had a large two-level, but largely unused lobby that had once been the library’s entrance but had been closed as a new entrance was created. By 2002, it sat empty and all but devoid of human traffic just outside our Reference area. Also, in 2002, Reference statistics were down, as was Circulation and library usage in general. Dean Binder believed that with the renovation and development of this former lobby, the library would realize an increase in campus visibility and library usage would increase