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What is a critical journal?

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Parker, Martin, 1962- and Thomas, Robyn. (2011) What is a critical journal? Organization, Vol.18 (No.4). pp. 419-427. ISSN 1350-5084

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1350508411403535

Abstract

Most competent editors should be able to make a clear statement about the scope, purposes and
values of their journal.
The boundary that they then draw provides a ground for justifications of
acceptance and rejection, as well as a description of some sort of community, or a group that
broadly recognizes itself as such. Sometimes, the community might be primarily articulated as
oppositional, in the sense that it relies on not being something else. Organization, as a ‘critical’
journal with a strong statement about its distinctiveness, often seems to fall into this category.
Implicitly or explicitly, ‘they’ are conservative whilst ‘we’ are radical. One term is defined by its
other, and so a description of the conservatives is the antonym of the radicals. There is something
comforting, even pious, about such a logic, suggesting, perhaps, that ‘they’ are stupid, narrow
minded or deluded whilst ‘we’ are clear sighted and pure of heart. The logic is reversible of course,
since the other side usually claims those virtues too. Such is the way that community and identity
are often built, but it’s an unstable set-up.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Organization, Business -- Periodicals, Periodicals -- History and criticism
Journal or Publication Title:	Organization
Publisher:	Sage Publications Ltd.
ISSN:	1350-5084
Official Date:	2011
Volume:	Vol.18
Number:	No.4
Page Range:	pp. 419-427
Identification Number:	10.1177/1350508411403535
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/39463