Hope, A.(under review) Countours of a Postsecular Feminism: Fourth Wave Theory and Praxis, Submitted to Theory, Culture & Society

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In light of the present hegemony of secular feminism in academia and the Western body politic, the author suggests there is a critical need for postsecular feminists to attest to their own unique theoretical and methodological approaches by generating systematized literature that compels (secular) mainstream feminists to acknowledge the legacy and contribution of postsecular feminism and that subverts the secular feminist supremacy.  Drawing on postsecular theory and existent spiritual feminist literature, this essay contours central elements unique to postsecular feminist theorizing building upon the work of Rosi Braidotti.  The first section offers background information on postsecular theory which lies in the tradition of critical theory.  Then shifting to postsecular feminist theorizing, the importance and need for de-centering and de-secularizing ‘secular’ feminism is highlighted along with articulating the claim that religious subjectivity cannot be contained or separated from feminist praxis. Next, the integral position of society’s cultural religion in both the constitution and de-constitution of patriarchy is expounded, particularly its ideology of citizenship, symbolism, and doctrine. The importance of mobilizing alternative religious/spiritual symbolism and doctrine that can thwart the patriarchal tendencies inherent within not only cultural religion, but also civil society is then highlighted.  The author concludes calling for future theorizing within postsecular feminism and future research that investigates the current social movements that can be characterized as postsecular and feminist.  The author proffers that the recent rise in postsecular feminist popular activism possibly indicates the advent of the new fourth wave of feminism within North America.

Keywords: feminist theory, postsecular theory, critical theory, women’s public sphere, contemporary activism, citizenship, subjectivity

Hope, A. (under review) Postsecular Theory: New Directions in Social Theory. Submitted to Theory, Culture, & Society

Hope, A. (2011). The Body: A Review and a Theoretical Perspective. In E. Jeanes, D. Knights, & P. Martin. Handbook of Gender, Work, and Organization. Blackwell/Wiley Publishing

This chapter opens with a review of the body in social theory, feminist theory, and lastly in organization studies. The approaches to the body in these three fields are critiqued for their efficacy in empowering the body and subverting dualism. Throughout this literature review, I iterate the notion that the seat of agency lies in the flesh in organizations. Then, I depict how bodies are corporeally managed in the organization, specifically how bodies become subordinated, violated, and even traumatized. This process, referred to as ‘corporeal scapegoating, is situated at the intersection of the body, gender, work, and a religio-cultural informed episteme. Future implications for research are offered.

Hope, A. (2010). Redemption at Work: Exploring the Theological Aspects of the Postsecular Organization. Submitted to 'Organization'

This article is an attempt to excavate the Christian theological elements of the Western organization. The sacred and secular, even in the West, can no longer be understood as mutually exclusive distinctions, but intermingled in society and the organization.  The concept of a postsecular organization is constructed which positions the so-called ‘secular’ organization as underpinned by theological aspects. This article examines the influence of these theological elements, specifically understandings of redemption, on a case-study organization, employing a postsecular approach. A postsecular approach, which utilities the method of narrative analysis, is positioned as a useful methodology not only for understanding organizational behavior from a different light in terms of how (Christian) theology impacts the organization, but more importantly, for engaging in ethical discernment. The author concludes with a theological reflection, suggesting alternative constructions of redemption that may be more relevant to the contemporary postsecular context and more efficacious in recreating a just organization. 

Keywords: redemption, theology, corruption, wrongdoing, postsecularism, narrative analysis, organizational behavior

Hope, A & Eriksen, M. (2009). From military sexual trauma to ‘organization-trauma’: Practicing ‘poetics of testimony’. Culture & Organization. (15)1

In this descriptive essay, the authors attempt to demonstrate the inadequacy of positivist and modern theoretical approaches to understand and respond to sexual trauma and other forms of traumatic organization violations, which occur before and in the aftermath of sexual trauma, in the armed forces. Modern theories which advance colonizing rationalities, positivist epistemes, and male-identified narratives are contested in their ‘thrones of privilege’ to no longer remain the dominant and “only” legitimate judgers of what is deemed “true” knowledge and reality, specifically in the context of sexual trauma and violations in organizations, who is violated, what constitutes a traumatic violation, and its effect on the victim.  Building upon the work of critical management scholars, knowledge/language around the topic of traumatic violations committed by the organization itself as the unit of analysis and how this relates to military sexual trauma in total institutions, specifically the armed forces, is constructed using the concept of ‘organization-trauma.’  This concept is crafted using the discursive practice coined by Rebecca Chopp, a contemporary constructive theologian, as the ‘poetics of testimony’ which is employed by the authors in a particular application.  The interdisciplinary practice of poetics of testimony is proposed as an alternative discourse for both scholars and practitioners (psychologists, managers, chaplains) to employ when inquiring into the nature and processes of the sexual trauma experience in totalized institutions, particularly, but not exclusively, the armed forces.  This discursive praxis provides space for survivors to narrate their own traumatic experiences including the processes which lead to traumatic experience, the nature of the trauma, and the post trauma experience.  This type of engagement is important for not only understanding trauma in organizations, but for preventing and meaningfully responding to its occurrence.

Key words: organization-trauma, military sexual trauma, poetics of testimony, workplace violence

Hope, A. (2007). Restructuring god ideologies in work spaces: A critical catholic perspective. Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion. 4(4)

This paper attempts to unveil new ways of making sense of our organizational realities through theology. As someone trained in theology, I would like to offer fresh insights related to the intersectionality of theology and work. I start from the assumption that theologies as ideologies cannot be viewed as distinct or set apart from the structural frameworks by which the  capitalist system and many work organizations are formed and by which they operate. A careful and critical approach to theology will reveal that certain, privileged theo-ideologies inform the structures of many workplaces.  This dominant god ideology is reinforced in the Catholic social teaching on work, enabling the marginalization and dehumanization of workers on the basis of their socio-economic status.  A call for a restructuring of our theo-ideologies is port forth.  I offer an alternative representation of the divine through feminist and process theological insights rooted in a post-structuralist framework.


Key Words:
Feminist Theology, Process Theology, Classical Theology,

Hope, A. (2010) Toward a Corporeal Feminist Ontology: Overcoming the Mind/Body Dualism. Submitted to Body & Society

Abstract: This essay addresses the tendency for the body to be subordinated to the mind and reduced to mere representation in feminist thought, modern and postmodern, both implicitly and explicitly.  Although postmodern and poststructuralist feminists voice and critically address these tendencies (e.g. Elizabeth Grosz, Genevieve Lloyd, Moira Gatens), popular American feminism and much American scholarship maintains the privileging of the mind over the body, advocating feminist perspectives rooted in liberal and representational frameworks.  This essay posits that a feminist analysis which does not adequately and meaningfully empower the body is problematic and reinforces Western dualism which only serves to perpetuate women’s oppression. As such, it is proposed that future feminist theorizing and praxis, must be corporeal in nature. The next part of this article constructs a corporeal feminist ontology of the subject referred to as the Diotimean subject. This corporeal ontology incorporated within corporeal feminist theorizing and praxis can more suitably challenge dualistic, static, and teleological conceptions of the being, and disrupt the dominant Western phallogocentric ontology of the mind(soul)/body—a dichotomy which arguably is the root of women’s oppression.


Key words: Dualism, Body, Diotima, Plato, Corporeal Feminism, ontology

Eriksen M., Hope, A., Chaves, W., & Dugal, S. (2007). Creating a Community of Critically Reflexive Feminist Scholars. Tamara: Journal of Critical Organization Inquiry. (6)4.

In this paper, the authors explain and display their process for becoming more criticallyreflexive scholars (Cunliffe, 2003). This is accomplished through creating a community of critically reflexive scholars. Within this community of inquiry (Eriksen, 2001), participants attempt to go beyond a simple awareness of their ontological and epistemological assumptions and to reflex upon their individual uniqueness as a human being who is engaged in scholarship. In other words, each participant jointly attempts to understand his or her self as a scholar.
Specifically, in this article, the authors critically reflex upon their selves within the context of their roles as feminist scholars. The process of inquiry consists of ongoing four stages: giving an account of one's self with respect to a particular area of scholarship, reading everyone else's account, and responding to reading each others account, and finally sharing these responses with one another. Through this process, the authors not only became more critically reflexive scholars but were also personally transformed and obtained a deeper understanding of feminism.

Key words: self-reflexivity, self-awareness, dialogue, inquiry, feminism

Hope, A. (2006). Fully Warrior: Cooperative Unity. Tamara: Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry. (5)2.

This critical analysis will argue that ideological assumptions rooted in the dominant discourses of white-male-theologies and theory-based-scientific ideologies are foundational to the rationalities of the exclusionary policy in relation to the female body. Once these assumptions have been stated, they will be critiqued using a hermeneutics of disruption with the tools of warstory-telling, feminist theory, and feminist theology and ethics.  Throughout this paper, I will reconstruct, reclaim, and resacralize the female body making the case that collectively women can, already have (for centuries now), and will continue to be effective combat warriors.  While the full integration of women in the combat arms may threaten masculinity codes, it certainly does not serve as a threat to military organizational effectiveness.  Furthermore, if integration is conducted in a right manner, it can improve the lives of individual soldiers (men and women) as well as organizational effectiveness.

Key words: combat, body, feminism, female soldier

Hope, A & LeCoure, J. ( 2009). Hermeneutics. In A Mills, G. Durepos, & E. Wiebe. (Eds.). Encyclopedia for Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

The task of the hermeneutist is to engage in the interpretation of texts informed by the epistemological insights of hermeneutic philosophy.  These insights encourage reading between the lines or ascertaining the subtext of the text.  This particular method is useful for case study research if the researcher is investigating any sort of textual documents for a deeper understanding into human behavior, actions, organizational culture, and communication.

Hope, A & LeCoure, J. (2009). Dramaturgy. In A. Mills, G. Durepos, & E. Wiebe. (Eds.). Encyclopedia for Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Through employing the metaphor of ‘life as theater’, dramaturgical sociology is concerned with how certain understandings of reality are negotiated, maintained, sustained, and negated through human interaction.  In dramaturgy, the micro-level interactions, the acts performed by various actors/actresses, are what constitute the human experience and create, rather than signify, the social order. 

Hope, A. (2010). Disgruntled Employee or Abusive Organization?: Theoretical Addenda to Our Understanding or Organizational Aggression, Violence, and Abusive Supervision. Submited to Human Resource Management Review

Workplace violence, aggression, and abusive supervision comprise some of the most troubling threats to organizations. Despite this reality, these topics are still relatively new in the field of management and organization studies. Moreover, most of the present literature explores this topic from an individual or group-level perspective in which the organization always is depicted implicitly and explicitly as the victim, and violence is committed from the ‘bottom up.’ This article takes an alternative theoretical trajectory towards addressing the ontological nature of workplace violence and aggression, exploring the dark side of managerialism and aggression from a different level of analysis—the organizational-level.  Theoretical addendums are applied to the understanding of abusive supervision. New theoretical constructs called organization aggressive behavior (OAB) and organization violent behavior (OVB) are developed referring to aggressive and violent actions committed at the organizational-level in which a subordinate(s) is the intended target. An added fifth category to the California Occupational Health and Safety Administration (COHSA) typology is proposed as Type V violence called ‘organization-driven violence.’ Lastly, a theoretical framework is proposed integrating OAB and OVB which can be utilized for future empirical research.  It is argued that these theoretical addendums provide a more balanced view of the nature of workplace violence, aggression, and abusive supervision which does not paint workplace aggression and violence as the exclusive domain of the ‘disgruntled’ employee. This serves to benefit organizations as scholars can explore ways to prevent this form of violence from hindering the organization’s reputation.

Keywords: aggression, violence, abusive supervision, organization aggressive behaviors (OAB), organization violent behaviors (OVB), corruption, conceptual

From Military Sexual Trauma to 'Organization-Trauma': Practising 'Poetics of Testimony'