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UMI/ProQuest URL |
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http://80-wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/3032092 |
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PUBLICATION NUMBER |
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AAT
3032092 |
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TITLE |
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Becoming
a grantmaker: Learning the craft of grantmaking. A grounded theory study |
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AUTHOR |
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Mayer, Kristina Lynn |
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DEGREE |
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EdD |
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SCHOOL |
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FIELDING GRADUATE INSTITUTE |
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DATE |
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2001 |
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PAGES |
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125 |
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ADVISER |
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ISBN |
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0-493-44651-6
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SOURCE |
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DAI-A
62/11, p. 3939, May 2002 |
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SUBJECT |
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SOCIOLOGY,
GENERAL (0626); EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION (0514); EDUCATION, FINANCE (0277) |
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ABSTRACT |
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Using
the grounded theory method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), this study explored
the socialization and professional development of education grantmakers. The grantmakers
included in the study were all involved in grantmaking
at private, corporate, or family foundations. The purpose of this study was to
generate a grounded theory that accounted for the patterned behaviors of participants as they continually resolved
their professional circumstances. Data were derived from open-ended,
intensive interviews, participant observation, journalizing, and document
reviews gathered over a 5-month period. Through constant comparative analysis
(Glaser & Strauss, 1965) of the data, a basic social process (Glaser,
1978) emerged. This basic social process is characterized as becoming a
grantmaker. Becoming refers to the process of
entering the field as a novice and learning the skill and artistry used by grantmakers in the performance of their professional endeavors. Foundations are part of a relatively new
stratum in American society, an endeavor at the
intersection of public and private interests. Foundations are surrounded by a
great deal of secrecy and mystique, and are privately concerned about image
and success. The professional performance of grantmakers
takes place within the context of the organizational culture of foundations,
which is highly symbolic and theatrical. Perceptions of reality and success
are created through good drama (Bolman & Deal,
1997). Socialization is a major dimension of the transformative process of
becoming. This study focuses on three major tenets of socialization,
including the content, the context, and role taking. Becoming has two primary
phases, not knowing and knowing. Within these two phases, there are various subphases such as suspicion awareness and sense making.
The two major phases of not knowing and knowing incorporate several
strategies such as masquerading, creating perceptions, and apprenticing.
Becoming is best described as a recursive process in which the grantmaker moves repeatedly between the unknown and the
known. Grantmakers employ these tools, as well as a
broad array of others, in their quest to actualize foundation goals. |