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The many aberrations of Donald Trump's political career are important to analyze not only with regard to the state of the union but also for how they challenge existing theories of rhetoric, power, and performance. Among the studies conducted during and after Trump's presidential term to explain his persistent appeal to millions of Americans, scholars have constructively focused on his particular style of authoritarian populism, his revival of a premodern form of charisma, and his entanglements with professional wrestling. Taken together, these theoretical foci inform my approach to an underexamined subset of Trumpian utterances: those that simultaneously evoke entirely incompatible meanings, from the frivolous to the aggressive. Examining a series of such perplexing verbal and visual rhetorical moments through the lenses of the carnivalesque, the berserk charismatic, and the fractal fictions of kayfabe, I develop a theory of the delegation of intellectual labor through ludic layering that accounts for some of the power of Trump's rhetorical performances and is potentially applicable to understanding polyvocality in other populists' rhetoric. I further show how this concept suggests improvements on existing recommendations for listening to and reporting on an authoritarian figure like Trump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike other medieval English mystics, Richard Rolle does not tell us anything about what he saw in his rapturous experiences of the divine. There are no fantastic God-given images on which to meditate in his corpus, just as there are no clear equivalents to what Julian of Norwich called "words formed in [her] understanding," such as her well-known teaching, "All manner of thing shall be well." Instead, Rolle's experiences involved his other senses—especially in his sensations of divinely granted heat and sweetness—while the angelic song he heard was, he says, nonverbal. This essay explores the ways in which Rolle's unusual mystical claims set his writings apart from other examples of later medieval religious literature, focusing above all on the cultivation of the hermit's presence by means of his textual surrogates. Drawing on recent historicist approaches to charismatic appeal, I argue that this presence-in-absence was both sought by Rolle and recognized as a unique source of his authority by readers across the fifteenth century. Ultimately, this writerly charisma helped to establish Rolle as what I call a "public contemplative," crafting religious attitudes that were at once rarefied and accessible, transmitted and experienced in his writings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populist leaders are often described as "strongmen," receiving a somewhat two-dimensional Western press coverage that cannot explain their local popularity. Based on visual and textual analysis of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Facebook, we argue that he has a more complex social media persona. Orbán's Facebook shows him as (1) a fighter against a variety of enemies, (2) a symbolic condensation of the nation, (3) a relatable politician with (4) a gentleness toward children and animals, and (5) a strong competence in elite political contexts. Orbán uses his charismatic authority on Facebook to draw the boundaries of the Hungarian nation, presenting himself as the iconic representation of "Hungarian-ness." The building blocks of his image are constantly being adapted to the current political situation and to shifts in public opinion. The Orbán image is, thus, a fluid and pragmatic material with only a few core principles and its popularity remains steadfast despite the brand's contradictions. Understanding the appeal of Orbán's self-representation may help us better grasp populist regimes' variation and success worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the upcoming election and the role of Taylor Swift and her fans, known as Swifties, in the political landscape. It explores the potential impact of Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris and the organized antitrust campaign led by Swifties against Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The article also reflects on the uncertainty of the election and the potential for it to either continue the patterns of the past or bring about transformative change. Additionally, the article highlights the research articles featured in the issue, covering topics such as political theory, imagination, religious debates, individual responsibility for structural injustice, and the relationship between Engels, Marx, and Malthus. The article concludes by expressing gratitude to the reviewers and acknowledging the contributions of the graduate assistant and the associate editor. [Extracted from the article]

The first transfer of power presents unique challenges to terrorist groups. Four challenges of succession are more manifest the first time a terrorist group undergoes transition: first, a lack of precedent creates greater uncertainty about the group's ability to survive leadership change; second, where the new leader replaces a mythical founder, there is an inevitable negative comparison to the predecessor; third, the successor must prevent infighting and splintering that results when the glue that held the group together is lost; and fourth, a first successor often has to shift the source of organizational authority from charismatic leadership to a rational-bureaucratic model. This article argues that the shadow of the departing leader and his actions in preparation for power transition affect the magnitude of the challenges his successor faces. Three case studies—al-Qaeda, the Peruvian Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), and the Abu Nidal organization—demonstrate both first succession challenges and the role of founders in shaping these challenges' magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-seeking personal profiles on social media increasingly define successful political communication. But Angela Merkel, during her 16-year chancellorship, has come to stand for the opposite. The first woman to ever fill the office, she built a reputation for rational, evidence-based decision-making and predictable performances. Based on a visual discourse analysis of Angela Merkel's official Instagram account, this article shows how her authenticity was strategically built through performances of ordinariness and consistency, without relying on more emotional aspects of presentation such as immediacy and intimacy. Instead of shaping her online persona according to the traditions and style of Instagram, Merkel attempted to bend Instagram to host her unique persona. Instead of "instagramizing" Merkel, she "merkelized" Instagram. This finding complicates understandings of social media and contemporary politics as being focused on relatability, spectacle, and drama. It also questions the close conceptual connection of authenticity and intimate, emotional representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Current Research in Dental Sciences is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines the emergence of munhwaŏ ("Cultured Language") in relation to the primacy of the leader in the DPRK. The articulation of the linguistic and cultural policies of munhwaŏ was inseparable from the development and formalization of the political leadership. The active translation, reception, and development of the Stalinist and Soviet linguistic tradition by North Korean intellectuals, together with the death of Stalin in 1953, importantly shaped the state's quest for linguistic modernity. By tracing the "rhetorical turn" in North Korean linguistics in the 1960s, the author explores the development of munhwaŏ and its relation to the distinctive development of a charismatic oratory and a linguistic etiquette for the leader. One significant feature of North Korea's quest for linguistic modernity is the way in which it diverges from its Soviet counterpart. By meticulously theorizing the language to be used of and for the leader, or what the author describes as the linguistic ritualization of charisma, North Korea offered an original contribution to the field of charismatic rhetoric. A comprehensive manual describing this rhetoric was developed, serving as a guide to the "sacred text" of the leader and describing how to articulate and express the presence of the leader in the public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Folklor / Edebiyat is the property of Cyprus International University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The term “charisma” is recognized as sociology's most successful export to common speech. While sociologists habitually dismiss popular uses of the word, we address its vernacularity head on as a worthy object of study and as a potential resource for conceptual development. Using machine learning, we locate “charisma” within the wider discursive field out of which it arises (and continues to arise) across four corpora; namely: Weber’s major writings; social scientific research (123,531 JSTOR articles); and social media (“X”) posts containing of “charisma” (n=77,161) and its 2023 variant, “rizz” (n=85,869). By capturing meaning structures that discursively suspend “charisma” across multiple dimensions, we discern three spectra that help to distinguish charisma’s sociological and non‐sociological uses. Spectrum one differentiates perspectives which see charisma as having either a structural or individual‐level range of efficacy. Spectrum two differentiates indifferent/analytical perspectives on charisma from perspectives which see it as desirable but also morally conservative. Spectrum three differentiates between relational and individualized ontologies for charisma. We find that, rather than hewing closely to the Weberian formulation, social scientific uses exist in an intermediate position vis‐à‐vis these three spectra. Thus, scholars participate in what they otherwise criticize as charisma’s vulgarization. The article concludes with recommendations for how to constructively interact with ‘popular charisma.’ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed social preferences toward vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants in a biodiversity hotspot in Chile. We asked respondents (n = 662) to rank species based on their preferences and to select one subset to protect and another subset to remove. We identified four species clusters based on preferences: charismatic animals, plants, less popular animals, and animals that cause phobia/rejection. Preferences to protect were higher in the charismatic animal cluster, whereas preferences to remove were concentrated in the phobic cluster. Stakeholders with environmental occupations selected species to protect from the "less popular animals" and "animals causing phobia" clusters more often than other stakeholders, whereas society in general tended to select species from the "charismatic animals" cluster. Our results suggest that factors different from conservation priorities – like charisma – guide social preferences for biodiversity, and this needs to be considered when planning management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the characteristics of Generation Z and how these characteristics can inform preaching approaches that resonate with this generation. Generation Z, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, values authenticity, diversity, social consciousness, and individuality. They are drawn to visual content, short-form communication, and interactive experiences. The article suggests incorporating elements of transformational leadership, such as intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence, into preaching practices for Generation Z. It also emphasizes the importance of authenticity, transparency, relatable language, and addressing doubt and difficult questions in preaching to this generation. By incorporating these strategies, preachers can effectively connect with Generation Z and create a meaningful and transformative experience for them. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Educational Academic Research is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Considering two hotels that sell substitutable rooms through the same online travel agency (OTA), we study the optimal supply chain structure for a fixed‐capacity hotel to introduce a livestreaming channel (LC). First, ideal pricing and room allocation are explored through four scenarios: (a) a single channel with no introduction, (b) a dual channel with a hotel‐operated LC, (c) a dual channel with an OTA‐operated LC, and (d) a dual channel involving an influencer retailer. Upon comparing each model's supply chain performance, we find that small and large hotels prefer influencer retailers, while medium‐sized hotels favor a self‐operated LC when influencers cannot demonstrably extend the market. An OTA‐operated livestreaming service is only appropriate for a declining economy because the platform's reputation and livestream presentation can inform consumers' travel intentions after recovery. Furthermore, OTAs may only suffer during the introductory period, whereas a supply chain system will benefit from celebrities' charisma and impulsive consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The messianic structure of human experience is manifest in the form of waiting—for an object who will alleviate suffering, and thereby, bring about change. The underpinning of such waiting is imagined here as messianic hope. In individuals, families, cults, religion, and politics, we may detect such hope—one that perhaps makes the unbearability of life bearable. This longing may get concretized in the shape of a person who comes to represent a link with God. From different vertices, messianic power may get located in the analyst, patriarch, the godman, or the political leader. Links that get forged between such figures and those who are waiting, may be thought of as messianic links. As a messianic group gets consolidated, it often displays certain primitive features. Such groups tend to veer towards a display of omnipotence, resolute action, a solution‐driven language. They may seek to cut off contact with painful reality and anoint someone who can enable that. Ideas of time are wrenched away from its painful association with loss. Time is made predictable and repetitive. Deliverance is promised, incertitude discarded. Messianic language is often evocative and enigmatic. It can be an expression of impotency. But language may also be used to fuel omnipotent longing, as with the use of omniscience by the anointed messiah. Such messianic groups may come together with shared magical beliefs in the annointed figure. But links by their very nature are dynamic and so, a link fueled by awe may also devolve into paranoia or else dependency or may be discarded altogether. This paper looks at two documentaries, and a novel, to give shape to messianic links. Here we see instances of how enigma may be replaced by charisma, and strength by hypervigilance. In that sense it seems that regardless of how they originate, they are condemned to move towards what Bion (1962) calls “minus links” or links that lead away from truth and the growth of the mind. We see that messianic links may either end catastrophically, or decay and degenerate to the point of disappearing, or else, lose the kernel, but assiduously preserve the shell, or finally institutionalized as deifying links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its great popularity in both the scientific and non-scientific fields, Max Weber's concept of "disenchantment" remains mostly obscure and in recent years it has become the center of an interdisciplinary debate on modernity involving both Weberian specialists and non-specialists. The aim of the article is to return to Weber's text and analyze Weber's use of the term and the meaning of what he calls the "disenchantment of the world." To do so I follow Taylor's and Schluchter's insight and investigate how Weber would picture an initial condition of enchantment. However, while these interpreters did not explore the Weberian perspective on magic, I instead show that not only Weber had a precise and original conception of magic as the primitive attitude toward the world, but also that this conception may clarify the meaning and dynamics of the process of disenchantment in both the spheres of religion and of science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many authors argue that candidates are more popular among voters from their own region. Two potential explanations have been suggested: voters' identification with their home region, and the representation of regional interests. The information on candidates' residence can be transmitted to voters in different ways, the most easily accessible way being information printed on the ballot paper. However, most studies on "friends and neighbour voting" use aggregate data. Studies that rely on individual level data usually put respondents in hypothetical situations and confront them with synthetic candidates, reducing their realism. To bridge this gap and to test the effect of providing information on the candidates' residence, we use data from a survey experiment to analyze voters' responses to ballot paper information on the regional background of real candidates in the 2014 European election in Germany. We find that voters in an open list PR election are more likely to support regional candidates if ballot paper information on the candidates' geographic background helps them to do so. The appeal of personal ties is a stronger explanation for vote preference than the one based on regional interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper narrates the concept of Sustainable Peace Leadership and examines how three prominent Peace Activists from South and Southeast Asia measure up to the concept. The article will consider the works and ideas of Mohandas K. Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), Lhamo Thondup (The 14th Dalai Lama), and Nguyen Xuan Bao (Thich Nhat Hanh). Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in achieving Indian independence from the British Empire. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and has managed a difficult relationship with the Chinese government following the occupation of Tibet. Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist and is known as the 'father of mindfulness'. The paper identified several characteristics of Peace Leaders. These include being a charismatic leader who motivates their followers to achieve their goals in a non-violent and inclusive manner. Peace leaders meditate and spend time developing inner peace which then leads to outer peace. The paper also asserts that peace leaders are capable of recognizing the humanity in their opponents and seek a mutually beneficial solution. The three chosen individuals are all recognised as being charismatic leaders who were prominent peace leaders. All were deeply spiritual and practiced meditation and other inner work on a regular basis. They stressed the humanity in their opponents, based on their religious beliefs and the concepts of non-duality and interdependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception of leaders as charismatic personalities has been linked to the level of (positive) emotion in their messages. The present paper reports a cross-modal perception study on the relationship between perceived charisma and positive as well as negative emotions. One hundred forty-nine participants listened or read Brexit speeches by four British politicians (David Cameron, Nicola Sturgeon, Nigel Farage, Theresa May) and rated their charisma using a 7-point Likert scale. Emotions in speeches were quantified on three dimensions (valence, arousal, dominance) and supplemented by analyses of person deixis (I vs. we). Results revealed that effects of emotions on perceived charisma are moderated by the modality of speeches. Emotionally positive words as well as inclusive person deixis increased charisma ratings in written messages, but the effect was reduced or not present in auditory versions of these messages. Implications arise for studies of political discourse that tend to focus on scripted speeches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "The Crisis of Authority" analyzes the relationship between authority and citizenship in political systems, highlighting the decline of obedience and the spread of popular protest as a reflection of a critical citizenship. It presents the book "The Crisis of Authority" by Natalia Velilla, which addresses the crisis of authority from an updated and original perspective, proposing the concept of "celebritas" as a new form of authority based on charismatic figures and populist leaders. The crisis of authority is analyzed from three interrelated areas: education, political institutions, and the search for an alternative form of authority. The author reflects on the weakening and erosion of democracy and advocates for education in freedom of criticism as a way to protect the democratic system. [Extracted from the article]

Improvisation ability has become an important competency for employees to adapt to dynamic, volatile work environments. However, the effect of charismatic leadership style on the improvisation ability of employees is yet to be revealed. We used self-determination theory and conservation of resources theory to explore the effect of charismatic leadership on employees' improvisation ability, with job insecurity as a moderator and harmonious passion as a mediator. Our goal was to enrich research on leadership styles shaping employee behavior and employee competencies. We collected 267 valid questionnaires through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform, and conducted model testing using SPSS 25.0. Results of empirical analysis showed that charismatic leadership positively affected employees' improvisation ability. Employees' harmonious work passion mediated the effect of charismatic leadership on employees' improvisation abilities, and job insecurity played a moderating role in enhancing the positive effect of charismatic leadership on employees' improvisation ability. We discuss the practical implications for how organizations can improve employees' improvisation ability in a dynamic and changing internal and external environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constantin Iordachi's book, "The Fascist Faith of the Legion 'Archangel Michael' in Romania, 1927-1941: Martyrdom and National Purification," offers valuable insights into the Legionary worldview and the history of Romanian fascism. The book explores the Legion's political faith, which incorporates theological elements and emphasizes martyrdom, sacrificial violence, and a crusading spirit. Iordachi's research is based on extensive archival sources and takes a culturalist approach to the history of fascism. The book delves into the rival national projects in Romania, the formation and growth of the Legion, its ideological characteristics, and its social networks. The text also examines the incorporation of various mythologies into a national epic by the Legion, its use of terrorism and violence, and its appeal to different social groups. Additionally, it explores the Legion's relationship with the Romanian Orthodox Church and its attempts to align the church with fascist ideology. The text concludes by discussing the legacy of Legionarism and its relevance in contemporary society. Overall, this text provides valuable insights into Romanian fascism and its impact on society. [Extracted from the article]

John Foot's book, "Blood and Power: The Rise and Fall of Italian Fascism," offers a fresh perspective on the history of Italian fascism. It delves into the violence and personal stories of those involved, aiming to redefine the identities of both fascists and their victims. The book covers the origins, rise to power, and brutal tactics employed by the regime, as well as the role of anti-Semitism and the Italian state's surrender during the March on Rome. It explores various aspects of Italian fascism, including its political and ideological nature, impact on the Church, expansionist policies, and anti-Semitic tendencies. The text also examines the resistance against the regime and the moral complexities faced by its opponents. It sheds light on the violence and atrocities committed by the fascist regime, particularly during World War II, and the lasting impact of fascism in modern Italy. Overall, this text provides valuable insights into the history and consequences of Italian fascism. [Extracted from the article]

The research focuses on the impact of transformational leadership on the decision to stay mediated by commitment after a court refusal regarding illegal extraordinary congress involving the outsiders of a political party in Indonesia (in this case, it is the Democratic Party currently led by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono), where this phenomenon is classified as a crisis. Theories and the previous literature pointed out that transformational leadership would significantly affect an individual's decision to stay with the institution through commitment. Therefore, this research empirically analyzes the hypotheses using quantitative methods on 349 respondents who are central (DPP) and local (DPD and DPC) active committees of the Democratic Party. Respondents are collected using cluster random sampling. Referring to theories and the previous literature, the latent variables of this research are constructed using dimensions. Transformational leadership (TL) has four dimensions which are charisma (idealized influence), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual considerations. Commitment has three dimensions which are affective, normative, and sustainable commitments. The decision to stay has two dimensions, which are intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. By using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Square (SEM–PLS), the research revealed that the direct effect shows that transformational leadership and commitment significantly influence the decision to stay. On the other hand, the indirect effect indicates that commitment significantly mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and the decision to stay. The result indicates strong transformational leadership performed by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono as the chief of the Democratic Party in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociologists have productively theorized power and politics via typologies and genealogies. This article combines these theorizing modalities to analyze the election of Joseph Biden in the 2020 US presidential election. Thinking about presidential genealogy, the semiotics of sequence and succession favored humility over hubris in the victory of Biden after Donald Trump. As well, drawing on Weber's three types of authority (traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational) and Fred Block's elaboration of a flexible but constrained and accountable missing fourth type, this article terms that fourth type anticharisma and reads Joe Biden as an anticharismatic aspirant. Whereas charisma draws its strength from the monopolization of attention by the leader, rupture, and crisis, anticharisma aspires to domestic tranquility, competence, familiarity, and empathy. The elaborated typology of authority presented here provides important angles into both the election of Joe Biden as the anticharismatic candidate and the constraints on democratic leadership in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of the companions to the correct understanding of the hadiths and their transmission to the next generation is indisputable. For this reason, in the tradition of Islamic thought, a religious charisma was attributed to the companions. However, Muslim scholars discussed the issues that the companions were the subject of, especially the identification of the companions, justice of the companions and the legal value of the word of the companions. In discussions, it is important to determine the approaches and main arguments of the parties. Therefore, in this study, the approaches of Zâhirî scholars, who are considered within the tradition of Ahl al-Hadith, to the mentioned issues will be examined. In this research, it is aimed to determine the Zâhirî' perception of the companions and to determine whether they have a homogeneous structure in their approach to the companions. In this context, after giving the generally accepted approaches on every issue that the companions are the subject of, the understandings of the Zâhirî scholars were examined. Then, the approaches of Zâhirî scholars were compared with the understanding of the majority. It has been concluded that the Zâhirî scholars are allies on the definition of the companions, their acting against their own narrations, and the issue of the companions' justice, as well as agreeing with the majority of the hadith scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon Stanley J. Tambiah's idea of "world conquerors" and "world renouncers," this article examines the Burmese political festival (nainganyei pwe) as a ritual, affective, and material space where former political prisoners reinterpret violence and engage in forms of collective and personal "world‐making." The article focuses on one practice in particular: the ritual wearing of white shirts by the 88 Generation. It is argued that there are psychological benefits to donning this symbolic attire. Like sacred amulets described by Tambiah, the white shirt provides ontological security to former political prisoners. For leaders (gaungzaungs) in the movement, the white shirts are integral to how they create and embody power, becoming conduits of charismatic authority. Within the context of the nainganyei pwe and when combined with other "technologies of the self," the white shirts create a feeling of inviolability and allow survivors of political violence to reassert personal and collective agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In human subjects, celebrity is an active, yet predictable, phenomenon, one that is a carefully structured and managed experience designed to evoke ideas of talent, of charisma that is presented as distinct from the machinations that generate fame, even as it is obliquely acknowledged to depend on these very factors. Celebrity, therefore, is a reactive phenomena that helps define cultural norms. This essay suggests that Shakespeare plays are celebrities in their own right and accrue particular stage histories that are actively perpetuated as 'Shakespearean'. Stagings of famous plays are expected to visually embody an idea of Shakespeare that is faithful to, not the original text, but a rich and often hegemonic cultural mythology that is embedded in the collective understanding of a particular play. For canonical plays, celebrity manifests in the competing assumption that a Shakespeare play's fame stems from its universal timelessness and that it can be mobilised to speak to the current political moment or changing cultural practices. If embodied fidelity, then, is when a celebrity play is expected to look, feel, and be acted a particular way, theatre's capacity as memory machine means that lineages develop that can actively dictate performance and casting strategies, making implicit decisions about who is granted access to 'authentic' Shakespeare – and who is not. This essay uses appropriation theory to suggest that the stakes of embodied fidelity are high, as it dictates conditions of performance along lines of race and gender, ability, and class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countless articles and books have been written about transformational leadership theory since the late 1970s when it first appeared in the literature. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to illustrate that transformational leadership contains both logical and psychological problems when explaining the nature of leadership and as an empirically supportable and verifiable construct. It aims to show that its failure to garner evidence from a scientific methodological analysis may not invalidate its efficacy if it is viewed from an alternative lens, such as aesthetics. An aesthetic frame is one that recognizes sensuous ways of knowing since feelings and emotions are just as important as reason and logic. An aesthetic approach to leadership would see leadership as more of an art than a science. This paper is not arguing for the abandonment of transformational leadership theory; rather it is saying that an aesthetic lens is likely to yield a richer, more artistic, and more nuanced account of what is understood and enacted as transformational leadership. This way, the manifestations of transformational leadership may live on in the arts and continue to inspire and motivate us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines crowds, leaders, and media after the 1979 Revolution of Iran. It focuses on media that contests hegemonic power by acting as a "guide" for an otherwise "leaderless movement," especially in contexts where conventional "guides" are illegitimate or absent. It argues that such media reveals the partisan reality of political order obscured by the myth of leadership, the idea that the presence of a leader implies a political order. I focus on International Women's Day 1979 when crowds protesting the Ayatollah Khomeini's decision to enforce the mandatory veil were caught in a paradox: as subjects of history and objects of representation. With focus on the non-partisan newspaper Ayandegan, the article shows how the crowds, objects of representation, became political subjects, as potential guides. Despite its efforts to remain neutral, Ayandegan became partisan when it unwittingly challenged the "charismatic leader" by giving presence to the partisan crowds. The mediated relation between leader and led on 8 March 1979 and after is instructive for our understanding of the role media can play in leaderless movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates a neglected aspect of charismatic authority: the problem of economic practices of charismatic leaders and their communities. Drawing on Weber's classical theory of charisma, I argue that charismatic communities and their ideologies economically operate on principles of gift and bounty. I demonstrate the value of this analysis on a contemporary case of Elon Musk's charisma and his involvement with the Dogecoin cryptocurrency through Twitter. Through analysis of Musk's performances and his admirers' online activity, I argue that to those who believed in Musk, his involvement constituted either a gift to the community or a bounty-hunter-like feat that further enhanced his charismatic authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Chinese government has initiated assertive centralization efforts in its approach to environmental governance. However, the efficacy of these initiatives demonstrates marked variability across different sectors. While the central-local relational framework has traditionally been employed to elucidate these disparities, its explanatory power is showing signs of strain. This paper, through policy analysis and field interviews, investigates regulatory conflicts in land use for ecological and agricultural purposes within China. The findings highlight instances of overlapping jurisdictions and discordant policy objectives among agencies responsible for delineating ecological spaces and agricultural zones. While these conflicts seem to stem from the dynamics between the central and local governments, they more accurately reflect the inherent characteristics of fragmented authoritarianism. This paper aims to expand the theory of fragmented authoritarianism by incorporating the dimension of inter-departmental competition into environmental governance, moving beyond the traditional binary analysis framework of central-local relations. It seeks to understand and critique its limitations from a broader perspective, emphasizing the role of departmental competition within fragmented authoritarianism. By analyzing this internal mechanism, the paper reveals a more nuanced governance landscape, essentially replacing the traditional central-local paradigm with a model that situates departmental competition within the overall context of fragmented authoritarianism. We propose two models for delineating competition among governmental institutions: the bureaucratic model and the charisma model, thereby advancing and deepening the application of fragmented authoritarianism theory in China's environmental governance. This provides new theoretical insights for understanding the current challenges and developments in China's environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans show strong preferences for large, "charismatic" animals. However, the ultimate reasons for these innate preferences remain unclear.In our research, we investigate the affective components of human attitudes toward animals, as well as the willingness to pay (WTP) for their conservation in a sample of N = 549 Slovak people using an online questionnaire.From the use of structural equation modelling, we discovered that particularly large animals trigger both biophobic (fear) and biophilic (admiration) emotions in humans, and as a result, these emotions have contrasting effects on the WTP for animal conservation. Both fear and admiration of animals were influenced by the same emotions triggered by non‐animal objects. Beliefs in the magical power of animals did not directly influence the WTP animal conservation, but was mediated by the admiration of large, non‐animal objects. Females showed greater WTP animal conservation than males, irrespectively of the size of the species.Therefore, we believe that biophobic responses from large animals and non‐animal objects in contemporary humans were inherited from our mammalian ancestors, who were targets of predation by large prehistoric reptiles throughout a significant part of mammalian evolutionary history. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We analyze the extent to which the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were personalized during the tenures of India's two most famous populist prime ministers, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi, respectively. Methods: We use findings from contemporary Indian historiography and journalism, as well as academic secondary sources, to analyze the degree of personalization in both the INC and the BJP based on three separate dimensions of party institutionalization: internal institutionalization, external institutionalization, and objective durability. Results: We find evidence of partial personalization in both the INC and the BJP. To the extent that personalization took place in both cases, it involved an informal and temporary concentration of power in the hands of one leader. Both parties' formal structures remained largely constant and both parties remained valued as institutions by both voters and party members. Conclusion: Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi both became two of India's most powerful prime ministers through charismatic populist appeals and cults of personality. While meaningful and important, these outward appearances still give a somewhat misleading image of the degree to which their respective parties underwent personalization during their tenures. Both the BJP and the INC saw a temporary and personal personalization during their time in office while remaining institutionalized parties with objective durability even after their charismatic leaders leave office. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on Franklin Roosevelt's influence on the Democratic Party. It brings to light the significant, but underexamined "Third New Deal," the controversial program Roosevelt pursued during his second and third terms. Shortly after his landslide 1936 re‐election, Roosevelt pursued three polarizing initiatives: the Court‐Packing Plan, the 1937 executive reorganization bill, and the 1938 "purge" campaign. These measures, while far from completely successful, began an important transformation that replaced the decentralized, patronage‐based party system, which had dominated the 19th century and remained regnant through the first three decades of the 20th century, with an executive‐centered partisanship, which subordinated parties to the ambitions of the White House. Roosevelt's assault on existing partisan practices—most notably, the unprecedented "purge" campaign—imposed his personal brand on the Democratic Party. More broadly, his profound influence on the Democratic Party led to what Max Weber called the "routinization of charisma," whereby the disruptive leadership of a charismatic leader is displaced by a "mechanism of rules" that transcend "personal authority." The deinstitutionalization of the Democratic Party was part of a broader objective to build an executive‐centered administrative state that Roosevelt and his political allies considered a more effective means to pursue their partisan objectives. Ronald Reagan's presidency signaled that Republicans, no less than Democrats, embraced executive‐centered partisanship. Eventually, as became all too clear during the presidency of Donald Trump, the fusion of executive prerogative and partisanship resulted in a "personal president," as Theodore Lowi termed it, and a plebiscitary politics that denigrated political parties as collective organizations and threatened to turn political parties into cults of personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the production of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's saintly charismatic avatar and the mediations of this avatar that seek to bestow him with exceptional authority. It shows how Modi's avatar is being incarnated along three intersecting axes. The first axis comprises the broader historical, cultural and religious discursive frameworks that construct Modi as an incarnate charismatic leader. It focuses on his strategic invocation of Mahatma Gandhi through political and persona branding. Next, it unveils how Modi's charismatic avatar is shaped through embodied performances and the management of bodily optics. Finally, it analyzes the platforming of Modi's charismatic avatar, which takes place through organized public relations machinery operating in digital realms. Together, these mediations work to advance a Moditva-oriented populist politics that promotes ideological salvation for the nation via a leader whose persona and authority are conceptualized in divine terms undermining the pluralist and inclusive tenets of the Hindu religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text attempts to analyze the competition for the leadership role in the young Bábí religious community after the execution of their leader, Báb (1819–1850). With the elimination of many leaders, a small group stood out who were willing to replace the absent leader. Two preferences arose within the Babi community: forceful and pacifist. Motivated by the hunger to settle scores, supporters of the first option wanted to fight and reach the victory predicted in the Shiʻite tradition. The second option's followers, however, rejected all acts of violence, preferring to look at the Báb's texts, calling their worshipers to lofty ideals as a method of luring other people to the new religion. Presently, after the sentencing to punishment of the Prophet Báb, several people emerged among the former Shiʻites' group who made claims to authority in the community. Nevertheless, quite quickly, the main confrontation came down to a conflict between two outstanding personalities. Mírzá Yaḥyá Núrí (1831–1912), representing the radical trend of Babism, nicknamed Ṣubḥ-i Azal, was fighting for leadership with Mírzá Ḥusajn-'Alí Núrí (1817–1892), his half-brother, belonging to the peaceful Bábí party. This article describing the rivalry between two relatives for the leadership position also allows us to see the process of writing down, codifying and spreading the young Bayán religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the verbal engagement strategies that EFL instructors adopt when teaching English over Instagram. These instructors create videos where they teach English and share them on Instagram. Twenty-five highly engaging English teaching videos on Instagram were used as the data of this study. To discover the engagement strategies that the instructors used, a combination of Hyland's Engagement Model and Martin and White's Appraisal Model, was applied to the teachers' talk. The results indicated a slight difference in the frequency of engagement resources between the two models. Moreover, the results related to Hyland's framework revealed that listener pronouns (second person pronouns) had considerably higher frequency than other engagement devices in the instructors' speech. Nevertheless, personal aside and appeals to shared knowledge were used to a limited extent. Regarding the model of Martin and White, the result indicated that the overall engagement resources of heterogloss were about twice those of the monogloss. Moreover, between two broad categories of heterogloss, the resources of the contract category were significantly more common than those of the expand category in the teachers' talk. The findings of this study have fruitful pedagogical implications. As the results suggest, teachers can bring the learners to discourse using listener pronouns, and in this way increase learner engagement in lessons. Moreover, the heterogloss resources, specifically the contract ones, can assist teachers in engaging learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research shows that atypical actors who defy established contextual standards and norms are subject to skepticism and face a higher risk of rejection. Indeed, atypical actors combine features, behaviors, or products in unconventional ways, thereby generating confusion and instilling doubts about their legitimacy. Nevertheless, atypicality is often viewed as a precursor to sociocultural innovation and a strategy to expand the capacity to deliver valued goods and services. Contextualizing the conditions under which atypicality is celebrated or punished has been a significant theoretical challenge for organizational scholars interested in reconciling this tension. Thus far, scholars have focused primarily on audience-related factors or actors' characteristics (e.g., status and reputation). Here, we explore how atypical actors can leverage linguistic features of their narratives to counteract evaluative discounts by analyzing a unique collection of 78,758 narratives from crafters on Etsy, the largest digital marketplace for handmade items. Marrying processing fluency theory with linguistics literature and relying on a combination of topic modeling, automated textual analysis, and econometrics, we show that categorically atypical producers who make more use of abstraction, cohesive cues, and conventional topics in their narratives are more likely to overcome the evaluative discounts they would ordinarily experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, scholars examining charisma within the context of leadership have provided an ambiguous definition of charisma pertaining to a leader's ability to influence followers around collective goals. Charisma can become quite convoluted and ambiguous within the context of leadership. One reason for the ambiguity is no unified conceptualization of charisma exists. Herein is an examination of charisma considering its historical footings and its underpinnings related to people's propensity to be emotionally influenced and aroused to gain a deeper understanding of charismatic leadership. Overall, the purpose of the article was to systematically review, organize, and present a body of literature exploring charismatic leadership. The following research questions guided the systematic literature review: What is charisma within the context of leadership, and how is it measured? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]