Negotiating authenticity: a negotiated order study of Valley View Summer Camp

Abstract

The negotiated order framework has frequently been raphics. used to examine the social order of organizations such as hospitals and police departments. It is proposed that negotiation is necessary in order for work to take place because of ambiguities in the work place regarding such things as rules, policies, ideologies, and career lines. This study examined the negotiated order of a summer camp. Participant observation, formal interviews, and document analysis were the methods used to explore the negotiated order of Valley View's summer camp from June 1998 until August 1998. Economic needs, organizational growth, the increasing violent behavior of children, and the mission and history of the camp were aspects of the structural context impacting the negotiated order at Valley View. Camp administrators focused on creating a community atmosphere where stall-members are teem members. This created a structural context for negotiations characterized by a democratic approach to decision making. The negotiation context that emerged from my research was characterized by Valley View's desire to provide an authentic experience for campers. Negotiating authenticity therefore could also be conceptualized as a negotiation among past, present, and future. The negotiation context was symbolically represented by the rituals and ceremonies connecting campers to one another and to Valley View. The addition of a new element in 1997 to the ceremonies and rituals presented a challenge to the authenticity of campers' and leaders' experiences. The negotiation for authenticity also played a part in the formation their desire to lead certain trips.