Butch Jones, the Vols, and the difference culture makes

[kamoshika]

Throughout last season--especially in the miserable stretch from late October through mid-November--Butch Jones kept harping on how he needed to change the culture at Tennessee. This is not surprising. After all, when's the last time you saw a coach take over an unsuccessful team without harping on changing the culture? It's one of the standard new coach talking points.

...This year? It's not a work in progress. The team is a work in progress, but according to Jones, the culture is in place. This particular comment came a couple weeks ago in response to a team that hasn't had one player come late to a meeting, but -- while this team, like every team, has had some off practices -- Jones has consistently praised the Vols' work ethic in every area.
Butch Jones, the Vols, and the Difference Culture Makes - Rocky Top Talk

 

[buckfama]

Team 118 seems hungry this year. This is year 2 of CBJ and his system and I think this team has completely bought in. From what I have seen from the practice videos and from what the players are saying this team is hungry and ready to start learning how to win. I hope we can shock a couple teams this year and show the rest of the SEC that when they play Tennessee that it's not going to be as easy to get that win against us as it has been the last few years.

 

[Power T-Rev]

We gonna be whooping azz for years to come

 

[MR_VOL]

Winning starts at the top and flows down. Simply put, Butch is a winner thus the players (team) shall become/be winners as well.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

 

[nagle]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

your volology is misplaced..

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Nope. I was a Vol long before I became a cultural anthropologist. I am, however, a stickler when it comes to gross misuse of vocabulary specific to that discipline.

 

[thebjd]

We aren't talking anthropology. We are talking about the Webster's definition of culture.

cul·ture noun \ˈkəl-chər\ : the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time

: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.

: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)

 

[nagle]

Nope. I was a Vol long before I became a cultural anthropologist. I am, however, a stickler when it comes to gross misuse of vocabulary specific to that discipline.

lol..the world has ended.... gross..?.. lol rex..get a life ..put the books down and go have a drink..let your brain rest..

 

[AdmiralVFL98]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

Halfway through reading your post the voice in my head turned british. Thanks.

None of the things that Alanis Morrisette sings about in "ironic" are actually ironic either. But I digress. We are all sick of losing. As they say losing is contagious, and Dooley was the Ebola virus of losers. But his influence on the program is fading fast, and CBJ and his staff seem to have a fresh approach to the process that may just instill the winning attitude/approach/behavior/mindset/lifestyle that we so desperately need. What is a more consice way to say attitude/approach/behavior/mindset/lifestyle?

CULTURE!

Go VOLS!!

 

[oldfartvol]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

Riviting!!












Now get over yourself.:thud:

 

[Rudy123]

We gonna be whooping azz for years to come

Yes, we are going to be successful for years to come but we have to prevent bUTch from even interviewing for other job openings in the future. Michigan or Florida etc. etc.

 

[vavolunteer]

Speaking of Webster's, if we'll all turn to the page with the term "offseason thread" I think we'll find a screen shot of this little gem. :banghead2:




Please baby Jesus, bring on VOL FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!

 

[Brave Volunteer]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that i wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir edward tylor, an english anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. A tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” more specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." see culture - anthrobase - dictionary of anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow vol fans but, for the record, neither butch jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” i wholeheartedly agree that butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but butch is not engaged in culture change.

huh!?!?!

 

[ManchesterV]

Losing is a disease... ...as contagious as bubonic plague... ... attacking one... ... but infecting all.

 

[Rifleman]

Interesting discussion, but I believe Coach is using the term properly within the context. This way of talking about culture, which is distinct from Culture, is something that has fed through from the business world and it is just part of the lexicon now for better or worse.

Butch obviously is a study of successful enterprises in a number of fields. In any successful enterprise, core ideas have to followed in all aspects of that enterprise.

Neyland had the maxims for guidance. Butch has added a number of useful ideas to the Vol enterprise.

The number of reps a player gets per practice, for instance, has to be 3 times greater than in a Dooley practice. Small things like that accumulate into large differences in player development all the way down the roster. Player evaluations are more sophisticated because the coaches get much more feedback. Players find their true position quicker as well. This an example of the Brick by Brick cliche in action.

The end result of all this will be a lot of winning football, no matter what terms we use to describe the Butch Jones system. In the end, that's what we all want.

 

[Swan Ronson]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

:bs:

 

[EZE]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

Says the one who has had his head stuck in too many books and never played a sport...or hoisted enough beers on the Strip...or....

I understand exactly what "changing the culture" means in the sports vernacular. Now, that might not mesh with your Western Civ textbooks, but how does that matter? The Tennessee football program was in desperate need of a culture or attitude--or whatever you want to call it--change. And, fortunately, it looks like it is getting there.

Your logic fails because you are comparing the proverbial apples to oranges.

 

[Voluble2]

This is a prime example of being educated beyond one's comprehension. Everyone knows what Jones is talking about. Everyone knows how the word in question is most commonly used and defined. And everyone knows that cultural anthropology is just a way of saying, "I do not ever want to be gainfully employed and prefer to spend four more years after high school drinking and annoying people on message boards while blowing through as much of my parent's money as is humanly possible."

Thankfully, students of other professions are better acculturated and have a better grasp of both context, and the English language, or else we would be getting lectures on coulombs and current whenever Butch says the team put on an electrifying performance.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

I also know precisely what Butch means when he uses this term and, yes, he is using it in a manner that is consistent with similar contexts. However, neither maxims, corporate philosophy, or "organizational culture" constitute legitimate uses of the term "culture," regardless of what Webster includes as a tertiary definition. These forms of information are shared by far too small a subset of the population and they encompass far too small a range of cultural phenomena to be defined as "culture" or an exercise in "culture change."

You gentlemen are free to bash me all you want on this point, but it does not change the fact that this use of "culture change" is quite simply inaccurate, notwithstanding the fact that Butch is far from alone in adopting this phrase.

 

[Sikerth]

I also know precisely what Butch means when he uses this term and, yes, he is using it in a manner that is consistent with similar contexts. However, neither maxims, corporate philosophy, or "organizational culture" constitute legitimate uses of the term "culture," regardless of what Webster includes as a tertiary definition. These forms of information are shared by far too small a subset of the population and they encompass far too small a range of cultural phenomena to be defined as "culture" or an exercise in "culture change."

You gentlemen are free to bash me all you want on this point, but it does not change the fact that this use of "culture change" is quite simply inaccurate, notwithstanding the fact that Butch is far from alone in adopting this phrase.

If you are so well versed in culture, you obviously must understand the concept of dialects.

Even if culture was not an accurate term for what they are doing according to our standard language, which I believe it is and that you're just being jack***, "a variety of a language used by the members of a group" perfectly describes the situation of coaches, corporations, pretty much everyone except for you, etc. using the word "culture" in this new way.

 

[RiotVol]

‘tis a good article but, as a cultural anthropologist, the concept of “changing the culture” is one that I wish had never entered into the coaching vernacular. It is typically used to signify a fundamental change in attitude or mindset, often in a comparatively brief period of time, whereas concepts of culture advanced by anthropologists have far more expansive reference to the totality of knowledge collectively shared by members of a particular ethnic group or nation-state. Consider, for example, the following:

Sir Edward Tylor, an English anthropologist who is often considered to be the founder of cultural anthropology, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Ecological anthropologists adhere to a more mechanistic model of culture, i.e. a tool which “comprises concrete, physical tools, but also knowledge, skills and forms of organization.” More specifically, this theoretical perspective perceives culture as “a part of the distinctive means by which a local population maintains itself in an ecosystem and by which a regional population maintains and coordinates its groups and distributes them over the available land."

Symbolic anthropologists emphasize the cognitive aspects of culture more explicitly. Clifford Geertz, for example, described culture as “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life." See Culture - AnthroBase - Dictionary of Anthropology: A searchable database of anthropological texts.

I realize that this information will be of no interest whatsoever to most of my fellow Vol fans but, for the record, neither Butch Jones nor any other college football coach is engaged in “changing the culture.” I wholeheartedly agree that Butch has done a superb job of changing the collective attitude or mindset of his players and, by all accounts, the boys in orange are truly taking his message to heart, but Butch is not engaged in culture change.

Who are you? I got my Bachelor's and Master's in Anthropology from UT.

 

[Rooster1]

Winning starts at the top and flows down. Simply put, Butch is a winner thus the players (team) shall become/be winners as well.

Is Richt a winner? Spurrier? Saban? Butch has to play those "winners" every year.

 

[sjt18]

Nope. I was a Vol long before I became a cultural anthropologist. I am, however, a stickler when it comes to gross misuse of vocabulary specific to that discipline.

Very, very, very few people care about the technical jargon you are taking way too seriously.

"Culture change" is a very appropriate term in this case when relating to organizational leadership and management. This is NOT a misuse of vocabulary. Your profession does not have dibs on the use of this term.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Who are you? I got my Bachelor's and Master's in Anthropology from UT.

Doug Schmittou. I completed my M.A. in Anthropology at UT in '96 and attended Indiana University for doctoral study.