Excavated sixteenth century glass from five English towns: a preliminary investigation of status and the role of the glass in the social context of dining.

This thesis addresses two broad aims. Firstly it attempts to construct a typology of glass vessel types used in England in the sixteenth century. There is no comprehensive guide to the glass from this period commonly found in archaeological contexts and this thesis goes some of the way to redressing this imbalance. Secondly this research undertakes a preliminary investigation of the social context of the glass. It attempts to ascertain what cultural value it would have had within the sixteenth century and this is achieved by examination of its context in archaeological excavations. For the purpose of this thesis glass from five urban centres in the south east of England are examined, these being Southampton, Winchester, Oxford, Northampton and Colchester. Several groups of glass from each town are taken from sites with good contexts and are examined not only in isolation but also in consideration of the site as a whole. This approach allows the construction of a typology of vessel types based upon the glass found at these five centres. This covers almost all of the most commonly found vessel forms and includes a variety of imported vessels as well. The establishment of this initial typology provides a framework onto which further research can be based. It is the first stage in the greater understanding of the chronology and development of vessel forms in the sixteenth century. Finally this thesis examines the wider cultural context of the glass. The types of vessels made in glass are explored and a predominance of vessels associated with liquids noted. Variations between the form of the vessel and type of glass used to make it are observed. The deposition of groups of drinking vessels, apparently in good condition, are considered whilst conclusions concerning the general increase in the occurrence of glass from around 1550 onwards are discussed. Finally comparisons concerning social theory and dining are contrasted with the material found from the study sites

Tudor and early Stuart vessel glass: an archaeological study of forms and patterns of consumption in England, 1500 to 1640

The aims of this thesis are twofold. The first is concerned with the establishment of a typology for vessel glass in England between 1500 and 1640. There has been no morphological classification for glass of this period and one is constructed in this thesis from museum collections, published and unpublished material derived from archaeological excavations. The second aim of this thesis is to explore the way that glass vessels were used in Tudor and early Stuart society. The rise of consumerism and role of consumption in early modern Europe has been explored by a number of scholars, but there has been little attempt to link these ideas with excavated material culture. To achieve these aims twelve groups of glass from a variety of well contexted sites have been examined. The glass from these, in conjunction with seventy-four published excavation reports, forms the basis for the vessel classification. Although classified primarily by their form the typology considers questions concerning the manufacturing provenance and the decorative techniques used on the vessels. Likewise the twelve study sites are used as the basis for a more contextualised material culture study. Differences between assemblages from urban and elite sites are considered, as are their relative forms of disposal. Further questions concerning the role of glass during dining and the importance of vessel decoration as a means of conveying social messages are addressed. Finally contrasting patterns of repair and conspicuous consumption are considered. Whilst providing a framework for future research into the glass used in Tudor and early Stuart England, this thesis advocates a new methodological approach for material culture studies. It has demonstrated that through a more contextualised study of artefacts, a greater understanding of material culture use can be achieved

Desiring Agency

In this paper we explore the relation between agency and the (pathological) inclinations that lurk beneath the agent’s acts. We draw on the work of Jacques Lacan to argue that an adequate understanding of agency demands attentiveness to desires, the unconscious and the intimate relation between the subject and the Other. Based on some of the key features of the Lacanian subject we suggest agency to be (1) symbolic, (2) imaginary, or (3) ethical. This typology of agency, we argue, has far-reaching implications for social analysis in which we include the project of critical management studies

From high finance to the debacle: a tale of two wannabe banks

Este artículo tiene como objetivo examinar la influencia de la desregulación neoliberal en el brote de desmutualizaciones que tuvieron lugar en los años noventa. Explora hasta qué punto la desmutualización de dos sociedades de crédito o cajas de ahorros - Northern Rock y Bradford & Bingley- y su consiguiente desaparición, en la estela de la contracción del crédito, ejemplifican características clave del experimento neoliberal, con un énfasis particular en sus modelos de negocio posteriores a dicha desmutualización. En el artículo se argumenta que la desmutualización de Northern Rock y Bradford & Bingley formó parte de un movimiento neoliberal más amplio que tenía como centro a los procesos de financiarización. Al convertirlos en bancos, las antiguas cajas de ahorros consiguieron un acceso mayor a préstamos en los mercados financieros, a nuevos tipos de inversores y a un uso sin restricciones de instrumentos financieros como las titulizaciones. El colapso de Northern Rock y Bradford & Bingley será interpretado a la luz de su acceso a estas nuevas fuentes de financiación y su uso de unos instrumentos financieros que o bien no habían estado disponibles, o eran antitéticos para las operaciones de las cajas de ahorros.This paper aims to examine the influence of neoliberalist deregulation on the rash of demutualisations of the 1990s. It explores the extent to which the demutualisation of two building societies – Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley – and their subsequent demise in the wake of the credit crunch exemplify key features of the neoliberalist experiment, with a particular focus on their post-mutualisation business models. The paper argues that the demutualisation of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley was part of a broader neoliberal movement which had processes of financialisation at its centre. By converting into banks, former building societies gained greater access to wholesale borrowing, to new types of investors and to the unrestricted use of financial instruments such as securitisation. The collapse of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley is interpreted in the light of their access to these new sources of funding and their use of financial instruments which were either unavailable for, or antithetical to, the operation of mutual societies

Renewing strength: Corporate culture revisited

The management of corporate culture is explored through a series of reflections upon literature that has fashioned and addressed this field. Specifically, the article considers the motivation, key elements and continuing relevance of the critique made in “Strength is Ignorance; Slavery is Freedom” (Willmott, 1993) where, by pointing to their incipient totalitarianism, the ethics of “Excellence” philosophies and their culture change programmes were questioned. The analysis offered in “Strength” is shown to have continuing relevance for the contemporary examination of developments characterised as “post-bureaucracy”; and this claim is illustrated by reference to current pronouncements on “The End of Management”

De las altas finanzas a la debacle: un relato sobre dos aspirantes a bancos

Este artículo tiene como objetivo examinar la influencia de la desregulación neoliberal en el brote de desmutualizaciones que tuvieron lugar en los años noventa. Explora hasta qué punto la desmutualización de dos sociedades de crédito o cajas de ahorros - Northern Rock y Bradford & Bingley- y su consiguiente desaparición, en la estela de la contracción del crédito, ejemplifican características clave del experimento neoliberal, con un énfasis particular en sus modelos de negocio posteriores a dicha desmutualización. En el artículo se argumenta que la desmutualización de Northern Rock y Bradford & Bingley formó parte de un movimiento neoliberal más amplio que tenía como centro a los procesos de financiarización. Al convertirlos en bancos, las antiguas cajas de ahorros consiguieron un acceso mayor a préstamos en los mercados financieros, a nuevos tipos de inversores y a un uso sin restricciones de instrumentos financieros como las titulizaciones. El colapso de Northern Rock y Bradford & Bingley será interpretado a la luz de su acceso a estas nuevas fuentes de financiación y su uso de unos instrumentos financieros que o bien no habían estado disponibles, o eran antitéticos para las operaciones de las cajas de ahorros

From Demutualisation to Meltdown:A Tale of Two Wannabe Banks

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the influence of neoliberalist deregulation on the rash of demutualisations of the 1990s. It explores the extent to which the demutualisation of two building societies – Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley – and their subsequent demise in the wake of the credit crunch exemplify key features of the neoliberalist experiment, with a particular focus on their post-mutualisation business models. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis draws on literature that examines the neoliberal development of the financial sector and examines the media coverage of the financial crisis of 2007/2008 to study the discursive and material conditions of possibility for the development and implosion of the business models used by Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley. Findings – The paper argues that the demutualisation of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley was part of a broader neoliberal movement which had processes of financialisation at its centre. By converting into banks, former building societies gained greater access to wholesale borrowing, to new types of investors and to the unrestricted use of financial instruments such as securitisation. The collapse of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley is interpreted in the light of their access to these new sources of funding and their use of financial instruments which were either unavailable for, or antithetical to, the operation of mutual societies. Research limitations/implications – The paper comments on the contemporary features and current effects of the 2007/2008 crisis of liquidity, whose full long-term consequences are uncertain. Further research and future events may offer confirmation or serve to qualify or correct its central argument. The intent of the paper is to provide a detailed analysis of the conditions and consequences of building society demutualisation in the context of the neoliberal expansion of the financial sector that resulted in a financial meltdown. It is hoped that this study will stimulate more critical analysis of the financial sector, and of the significance of financialisation more specifically. Originality/value – The paper adopts an alternative perspective on the so-called “subprime crisis”. The collapse of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley is understood in relation to the expansion, and subsequent crisis, of financialisation, in which financial instruments such as collateralized debt obligations and credit default swaps were at its explosive centre, rather than to the expansion of subprime lending per se. Demutualisation is presented as a symptom of neoliberalism, a development that, in the UK, is seen to have contributed significantly to the financial meltdown

Embedded Agency in Institutional Theory: Problem or Paradox

In “Beyond Constraining and Enabling: Toward New Microfoundations in Institutional Theory” Professor Cardinale (2018) seeks to expose and correct “shortcomings” (p.133) in institutional theory’s conceptualization of structure, agency and their relationship. To this end, he theorizes the “different mechanism[s] through which actors are embedded in structure” (p.134). We agree that institutional theory’s microfoundations merit theoretical attention and development. However, we question the premise that the issue of agency in institutional theory is adequately, or even plausibly, formulated as one of “embeddedness”. We also challenge the relevance of Professor Cardinale’s engagement of Husserl to help solve what we argue to be a phantom problem central to his theory