scholarly journals “Calling it a Crisis”: Modes of Creative Labour and Magic in an Elite Architect Company

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aina Landsverk Hagen

In recent years we have seen a resurfacing of magic as an analytical category in anthropological literature, with particular emphasis on modern forms of occultism and witchcraft. Magic has yet to prove itself a useful analytical tool within the anthropology of organizations, and this article aims at understanding everyday work processes through the concepts of myth and magic. The discussion is based on empirical data from an internationally acclaimed architect company based in Norway, with a particular focus on a period of downsizing in the aftermath of the global financial crisis in 2008. The architects try to uphold an egalitarian, social-democratic ideology of creativity within a capitalist system and make use of a range of magical practices in order to succeed. The article shows how narrative flexibility transforms the brutality of downsizing into a mode of creative labour, and concludes that the internal dynamic between risk taking and risk reducing is inherent in both magical practices and capitalist systems.

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohana Othman ◽  
Nooraslinda Abdul Aris ◽  
Rafidah Mohd Azli ◽  
Roshayani Arshad

The global financial crisis that devastated many of the worlds financial systems in a manner never seen before exposed the glaring weakness in risk management and interest-driven policies. The crisis brought the collapse of several iconic financial institutions once perceived to be too strong to capitulate. The crisis engulfed one economy after another from corporations to eventually bring about the collapse of governments of countries reeling from the impact of the crisis. Asset values plummeted and the crisis clearly demonstrated the fragility of the western capitalist system and the free market economy. The Islamic economic and financial system is anchored on universal honorable values, ideals and morals - honesty, credibility, transparency, co-operation and solidarity. These fundamental values uphold stability, security and safety in any financial transactions. Of paramount consideration is that the Shariah prohibits any economic and financial transactions that involve usury, lying, gambling, cheating, unsubstantiated risk or uncertainty (gharar), monopoly, exploitation, greed, unfairness and taking other peoples money unjustly. Another key aspect to the philosophy behind the Islamic financial system is money issued must be fully asset backed. It is impermissible to allow money to be traded for money except at par. Islam is not just the prohibition of riba and zakah (alms); it is a comprehensive system to fulfill societys basic necessities (food, clothing and shelter). History has demonstrated that Islam has the capacity to deliver and has succeeded in providing a viable economic system.


2013 ◽  
pp. 152-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Senchagov

Due to Russia’s exit from the global financial crisis, the fiscal policy of withdrawing windfall spending has exhausted its potential. It is important to refocus public finance to the real economy and the expansion of domestic demand. For this goal there is sufficient, but not realized financial potential. The increase in fiscal spending in these areas is unlikely to lead to higher inflation, given its actual trend in the past decade relative to M2 monetary aggregate, but will directly affect the investment component of many underdeveloped sectors, as well as the volume of domestic production and consumer demand.


ALQALAM ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
Budi Harsanto

The fall of Enron, Lehman Brothers and other major financial institution in the world make researchers conduct various studies about crisis. The research question in this study is, from Islamic economics and business standpoint, why the global financial crisis can happen repeatedly. The purpose is to contribute ideas regarding Islamic viewpoint linked with the global financial crisis. The methodology used is a theoretical-reflective to various article published in academic journals and other intellectual resources with relevant themes. There are lots of analyses on the causes of the crisis. For discussion purposes, the causes divide into two big parts namely ethics and systemic. Ethics contributed to the crisis by greed and moral hazard as a theme that almost always arises in the study of the global financial crisis. Systemic means that the crisis can only be overcome with a major restructuring of the system. Islamic perspective on these two aspect is diametrically different. At ethics side, there is exist direction to obtain blessing in economics and business activities. At systemic side, there is rule of halal and haram and a set of mechanism of economics system such as the concept of ownership that will early prevent the seeds of crisis. Keywords: Islamic economics and business, business ethics, financial crisis 


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-167
Author(s):  
Kevin Garlan

This paper analyses the nexus of the global financial crisis and the remittance markets of Mexico and India, along with introducing new and emerging payment technologies that will help facilitate the growth of remittances worldwide. Overall resiliency is found in most markets but some are impacted differently by economic hardship. With that we also explore the area of emerging payment methods and how they can help nations weather this economic strife. Mobile payments are highlighted as one of the priority areas for the future of transferring monetary funds, and we assess their ability to further facilitate global remittances.


2020 ◽  
Vol 119 (820) ◽  
pp. 310-316
Author(s):  
Alasdair Roberts

Since the 1990s and Bill Clinton’s embrace of key parts of Ronald Reagan’s legacy, mainstream US governance has been guided by a bipartisan consensus around a formula of shrinking the federal government’s responsibilities and deregulating the economy. Hailed as the ultimate solution to the age-old problem of governing well, the formula was exported to the developing world as the Washington Consensus. Yet growing political polarization weakened the consensus, and in a series of three major crises over the past two decades—9/11, the global financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic—US policymakers opted for pragmatism rather than adherence to the old formula, which appears increasingly inadequate to cope with current governance challenges.


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