Re-opening the field and epistemic justice: An anthropophagic framing of Robert Cooper.

In this essay, we conduct an anthropophagic framing of Robert Cooper's insights on social systems in order to illuminate issues of epistemic justice within the realm of Organization and Management Studies (OMS). By delving into Cooper's previously unpublished works, first published in this issue of ephemera, namely 'Notes on organizational kitsch' and 'On closed and open systems', we read his work through a decolonial lens that aims at promoting epistemological justice. Anthropophagy, a conceptual practice rooted in Brazilian thought, embraces irreverent and radical hybridization as a means of deconstructing Western dominance in various fields (including academia). While Cooper's insights touch upon the notion of closed social systems or what he terms 'totalitarian kitsch', which tend to perpetuate the status quo in academic disciplines, an anthropophagic reinterpretation prompts critical questioning of how these ideas intersect with promoting epistemic justice. First, through the lens of anthropophagy, OMS becomes an open system where the concept of Otherness assumes a pivotal role, both structurally and ethically. Second, the process of reclaiming the position and role of the Other involves dismantling restrictive Western cultural elements grounded in 'fictional' or 'authoritative' foundations (kitsch) that underpin closed systems. Lastly, the ongoing practice of 'anthropophagy' involving concepts, value systems, and cultural elements, regardless of their geographical origins or other privilege markers, becomes a necessary step in maintaining openness and an anti foundational spirit. In conclusion, this reading of Cooper illuminates pathways toward the creation of non oppressive knowledge systems that nurture fresh ideas capable of addressing unprecedented and persistent challenges in novel and unforeseen ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]