Communities of Discourse: Religious Authority and the Role of Holy Women in the Later Middle Ages
This essay considers the teachings of Angela of Foligno, Clare of Montefalco, and Margaret of Faenza, and how these pedagogical endeavors were both negatively and positively received by their male contemporaries.
Men of learning in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages
Mediaevalists prefer that we not view the Middle Ages in a static frame but rather a dynamic one. They want us to be aware of the shifts and changes that characterize the period. In "Men of Learning in Europe at the Close of the Middle Ages", Jacques Verger provides us with an important look at the evolution of social classes and an essential chapter in the study of cultural history. By the end of the Middle Ages, societal categories which were adequate for earlier periods - "those who pray, those who fight, those who work" - no longer allowed for the growing complexity of Western society. One of the key new groups which emerged was that of the learned men. Through their intellectual competency and their ability to build a social and political utility, these men came to be important figures. The fledgling modern state found them to be helpful allies and favoured their ascension among the traditional elite. Thus, they contributed not only to the advancement of knowledge, making the Renaissance period possible, but also to the reshaping of late mediaeval political structure. Combining cultural, social and political history, "Men of Learning in Europe at the Close of the Middle Ages" measures the influence acquired by certain disciplines - in particular religious, literary and legal - in the organization of European society. Anyone interested in the Middle Ages or intellectual history should enjoy this book.
Professional tensions in client-centered practice: using institutional ethnography to generate understanding and transformation.
For almost 20 years, occupational therapists have advocated client-centered practice. Yet client-centered practice is fraught with tensions that arise outside the practice of individual occupational therapists. This paper is guided by two questions: What produces professional tensions in client-centered practice? and What understanding and change might be generated using institutional ethnography? The sociological theory and method of institutional ethnography are described using data from an ongoing investigation of mental health services as a social institution. Illustrated are the research aim, research questions, and institutional analysis that distinguish institutional ethnography from conventional ethnography. Two professional tensions are associated with attempts to fulfill client-centered practice in mental health. One is that of working at cross-purposes with the prevailing hierarchical structure; the other tension is that of being celebrated yet subordinated in the medical and management hierarchies of health services. Although client-centered practice is difficult to do, the authors recommend institutional ethnography as a research approach to generate understanding and transformation of the context and practice of occupational therapy.