Decolonizing the Anthropocene:

Risk, Blackness, and Postcolonial StudiesAn Introduction Shona N. Jackson (bio) The critical arguments against postcolonial studies are well rehearsed and have led to a double approach to the field in academia. Some have advocated, for instance, for the rejection of postcolonial studies and its incursion into disciplines created out of the late-twentieth-century protest movements that spawned Black, Indigenous, and Ethnic Studies programs across the United States. These programs are in fact indebted to the global change wrought by the post WWII independence movements of Third World states and thus always already implicated in theoretical formulations of the postcolonial that return to them. They have done so with the hope of reviving the more decisively oppositional positions of the anticolonial era. Others have advocated the incorporation of postcolonial studies into predominant subfields already established in curricular areas such as Modern British Studies or for stand-alone programs. This latter approach is both allied with and critical of colonial and imperial epistemologies as they have shaped the academic disciplines; it thus lacks the oppositional situatedness that was possible in the anticolonial moment and that present-day Black Nationalist positions seek to recover. Thus the field is arguably characterized by what we can call, after Paul Gilroy, a hegemonic “melancholia.” As an explanatory tool that tries to make sense of anticolonial power struggle and postindependence, late capital transformations of power, what we term postcolonial theory shares an intimacy with power that renders it ineffective as a real-world oppositional strategy. The status of blackness in these debates is often neglected, specifically the way in which the creation of fields and subfields that examine race and power fragment and compartmentalize blackness. What are deemed diasporic investigations of black identity are often detached from United States based projects and programs. Indeed, outside of dedicated black diaspora programs, postcolonial studies is often the only place that those working on blackness outside the United States can become intelligible to US based institutions. Further, its methodologies are instrumental for grasping the formulation of power dynamics in social worlds that do not fit North American racial frameworks. Despite all its constitutive problems, the field continues to prove productive of thinking beyond singular modes of opposition and instead reconsider the range of complex and often contradictory positions held by those critical of late imperial and neocolonial power. It remains essential for making visible and intelligible research that does not fit into the balkanized categories of difference produced by predominantly white, academic departments, social worlds, and ways of knowing the colonial world. From this vantage point, blackness must be viewed not in terms of a singular dimensionality vis-à-vis white power and history but as a condition of being across time and within various moments, both antithetical to and generative of regimes of power. [End Page 63] To untangle the imbrication of blackness and postcoloniality in the early-twenty-first century, our section focuses on the question of risk. One can conceptualize risk in the field in manifold ways. While it is primarily understood in terms of economic theory, here I use it to rethink blackness in terms of broad and complex forms of subordination across time and within and outside nation-states. It is a way of accounting for the cultural and political distinctions that separate the anticolonial periods and strategies from the postcolonial; it is also a way of establishing links between the jeopardies endured by the black body in these moments as both distinct and continuous. Thinking risk in this manner may allow us to discern commonalities between various moments of crisis for blackness, such as the events around hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the recent anti-black legal rulings in the Dominican Republic. Katrina exposed the underbelly of black poverty in the United States and the risk faced by the black poor. It revealed clearly the continued subordination of blackness to white power and capital; it revealed, in other words, the United States’s own internal colonialism and was a sharp reminder of the fact that the coloniality of blackness in the United States was not eradicated by the Civil Rights gains of the 1960s. The 2013 decision by the Supreme Court to strike...

The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and communication around it has evolved into a “booming industry” over recent decades (Nerlich et al., “Theory and Language” 97). Language, in particular, influences how individuals perceive and respond to environmental challenges. Specific linguistic constructions– such as temporal framing – shape perceptions of urgency, responsibility, and impact, particularly as they relate to the climate crisis (see Weinrich). Thus, this chapter explores the complex relationship between climate change communication, language, and temporal perspectives, focusing on representations of the concept of futurity in media coverage surrounding the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) and the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). Through an analysis of English-language media outlets across diverse regions, this study seeks to uncover patterns in how language, particularly with respect to futurity, may shape public perceptions of the ongoing climate crisis. Despite its relevance, the topic of how the climate crisis is represented has only recently attracted attention within ecolinguistic research, a field traditionally centered on human-nature relationships within language (Fill and Penz). Therefore, this chapter aims to bridge that gap by examining the role of future-oriented discourse in climate communication. By investigating how temporal language is used to frame climate issues in media, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how ecological and linguistic perspectives intersect. This analysis is crucial not only for advancing climate change communication within ecolinguistics but also for enhancing public understanding of environmental issues. By examining how language frames climate discourse, this interdisciplinary approach demonstrates how strategic linguistic choices in media can encourage a more informed and proactive public response to the climate crisis.

In this paper, I propose a critical approach that attunes attention to networks that connect forms and degrees of Othering, refusals of Otherness, and formations of dominance. I call these networks processes of “relational Othering.” Drawing from anti-racist praxis, critical race feminism, Indigenous studies, and postcolonial theory, I propose three lines of inquiry to critically track relational Othering. I then apply the tool of relational Othering to a contemporary case study of the relations between particular Indigenous nations, Chinese temporary workers, and the Canadian state over liquefied natural gas development. This case study illustrates that relational Othering provides a way to evaluate multiple systems of rule and control that operate for the purposes of variously governing subjugated Others.

Labor has been and continues to be an indispensable category of analysis for radical scholars, as evidenced by the proliferation of new terms—“affective” labor, “immaterial” labor, “digital” labor, and so forth—developed to describe the asymmetrical relations of capital and labor in and across contemporary settings. This essay traces the recent advent of the concept of “biological” or “clinical” labor, exploring (a) the utility of the concept for radical historians and (b) the utility of perspectives from labor history to the studies of “biocapital” found in recent science and technology studies (STS). Placing labor history and STS in conversation (without presupposing clear or stable boundaries around either field of scholarship), the essay probes the meanings and limitations of the concept of “biological labor” from the vantage points of both fields, drawing in particular on critiques of human exceptionalism generated by scholars in animal studies, critical race studies, indigenous studies, postcolonial studies, queer and trans studies, and feminist new materialisms.

In its second edition, this book provides a comprehensive Indigenous perspective on Latin American political, social, and economic changes from pre-colonization to the present. Set within a postcolonial framework and enhanced by interdisciplinary insights from anthropology, economics, sociology, and religion, the book delivers a unique understanding of Indigenous histories, resistance movements, transculturation, labor, and political organizations. Its innovative organization into 50-year historical periods facilitates semester-long classroom discussion, while images, maps, textboxes, and linked documents in every chapter support active learning. A new final chapter brings the work up to the present. This approach enables readers to contextualize major historical events and cultural changes within manageable timeframes, providing fresh perspectives that broaden traditional Latin American historical narratives. This textbook is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying Latin American history, Indigenous studies, postcolonial studies, and related fields. It provides an ideal introduction for students.

The sociological construct of investment is widely employed to examine language learning and usage in the context of global mobility. However, its application to multilingual learning, especially within inter-Asian international student mobility, remains underexplored. This chapter addresses this gap by examining the case of Renée, a Thai student fluent in Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and English who aspires to learn Italian and German at her host institution in mainland China. Drawing on poststructuralist theories of ideology, capital, and identity, this qualitative study investigates how these factors shape Renée’s investment, agency, and multilingual learning experiences. The findings highlight that her multilingual investment was influenced by two primary language ideologies: nationalism and economic pragmatism. However, Renée’s self-perception and how others positioned her resulted in identity tensions. While her multilingual abilities supported an aspirational identity tied to cosmopolitanism, they were also constrained by interactions with (near-)native peers, teachers, and unequal linguistic power dynamics. This chapter illuminates the complex sociolinguistic dynamics within Asia, where mobile students navigate multiple regional and global languages shaped by political, cultural, and economic factors. It further contributes to the sociological understanding of multilingual learning in a study-abroad context.

Mapping Jewish American Literary Studies in the New Century

This paper studies the differential practices of change management in organizations of western origin and compares it with the best practices prevalent in Indian organizations, with special emphasis on social and cultural challenges faced in these countries. Since Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), as part of an information and communication technology (ICT) initiative, is frequently associated with organization change and transformation in relation to its adaptation, it has been used as the context in this study. The impact of social factors and cultural challenges on change management processes and elements are compared and contrasted using multiple case studies from USA, Canada, European (Western/Eastern) and Indian organizations who have adopted ERP technologies. The conceptual framework highlights cultural and social factors that affect ERP implementation, and offers suggestions to researchers to empirically test these influences using sophisticated analytical methods and develop change strategies and practices in response to these challenges. Further, it also draws attention to the need for a contemporary, result-oriented, quantitatively measurable framework of change management at the individual and enterprise levels. It is expected that such an approach would result in better buy-in from all stakeholders in terms of increased accountability.

Climate-amplified emergencies are vital sites for Indigenous resistance and resurgence, even as climate change compounds layers of colonial oppression. Drawing on the experiences of the Tŝilhqot’in Nation before, during and after record-breaking wildfires in the Nation’s territory (in British Columbia, Canada), this article describes how the Tŝilhqot’in employ strategies of resistance to presumed state authority and resurgence of their own laws and jurisdiction in response to the climate emergency. These record-breaking wildfires vividly illustrate how colonial laws and policies have converged over a century to produce the climate emergency. And yet, dominant discourses around climate change and emergency reproduce Indigenous erasure, vulnerability and marginalization. Counter to these discourses, the Tŝilhqot’in Nation has advanced sophisticated emergency responses in relation to the state. Moreover, the wildfires have prompted Tŝilhqot’in communities to revitalize deep-seated fire stewardship laws and responsibilities to properly care for the land, wildlife and each other in the face of the accelerating climate crisis. The Tŝilhqot’in Nation’s experiences reclaiming fire show how Indigenous resurgence provides pathways out of the climate crisis while also attending to its colonial roots and decolonizing the responses to it.

The Anthropocene concept raises awareness of human-induced planetary changes but is criticized for being 'too global'. We examined the social-ecological memory that emerges from people-tree relationships in South American temperate territories, Chile. We integrated dendrochronology (analysis of tree rings of 35 memorial trees; 17 species) with dendrography (participant observation complemented with semi-structured and go-along interviews with 14 interviewees; six women, eight men). We found that assemblages of people-tree relationships reflect marked historical changes in the territory, associated with the historical clearing of forests, which may be imprinted in both tree growth rings and in the social meanings and practices associated with memorial trees. In devastated territories, practices of tree care emphasize interconnectedness, multispecies collaborations, and the blurring of boundaries between humans and other-than-humans. We discuss some of the interdisciplinary and relational insights of our study, which may prove valuable for future research, political agendas, and educational programs in South America and beyond.

The multilingual and multicultural workforce of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) relies on English as the primary medium for communication across diverse professional settings. However, linguistic and cultural barriers significantly challenge effective communication within multinational teams. "Learning agility, which encompasses adaptability and openness to new experiences, is essential for employees to navigate the complexities of a multicultural work environment, particularly in dynamic settings like the UAE" (De Meuse, Dai, and Hallenbeck 2010). This study explores these barriers by examining the dynamics of English communication among expatriates working in the UAE. Specifically, it investigates the communication challenges arising from varying levels of English proficiency, accents, cultural norms, and differing communication styles in the workplace. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive methodology, data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires from 20 participants of various nationalities, providing insights into their experiences with linguistic and cultural challenges. The findings reveal how disparities in English proficiency, pronunciation differences, cultural norms, and varied communication styles frequently result in misunderstandings, inefficiencies, and workplace conflicts. These factors not only impede collaboration but also limit opportunities for individual career growth. As Hofstede (1980) asserts, differences in cultural values, such as high power distance, can hinder open communication, affecting problem-solving and innovation. By offering a nuanced analysis of the chemistry between linguistic and cultural factors, the research presents insightful recommendations aimed at mitigating communication challenges, thereby fostering an inclusive and harmonious working atmosphere in the UAE’s multinational settings.

Migraine affects over 40 million Americans and is the world’s second most disabling condition. As the majority of medical care for migraine occurs in primary care settings, not in neurology nor headache subspecialty practices, healthcare system interventions should focus on primary care. Though there is grade A evidence for behavioral treatment (e.g., biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and relaxation techniques) for migraine, these treatments are underutilized. Behavioral treatments may be a valuable alternative to opioids, which remain widely used for migraine, despite the US opioid epidemic and guidelines that recommend against them. Identifying and removing barriers to the use of headache behavioral therapy could help reduce the disability as well as the personal and social costs of migraine. These techniques will have their greatest impact if offered in primary care settings to the lower socioeconomic status groups at greatest risk for migraine. We review the societal and cultural challenges that impose barriers to optimal use of non-pharmacological treatment services. These barriers include insufficient knowledge of migraine/headache behavioral treatments and insufficient availability of clinicians trained in non-pharmacological treatment delivery; limited access in underserved communities; financial burden; and stigma associated with both headache and mental health diagnoses and treatment. For each barrier, we discuss potential approaches to minimizing its effect and thus enhancing non-pharmacological treatment utilization.Case ExampleA 25-year-old graduate student with a prior history of headaches in college is attending school in the evenings while working a full-time job. Now, his headaches have significant nausea and photophobia. They are twice weekly and are disabling enough that he is unable to complete homework assignments. He does not understand why the headaches occur on Saturdays when he pushes through all week to get through his examinations that take place on Friday evenings. He tried two different migraine preventive medications, but neither led to the 50% reduction in headache days his doctor had hoped for. His doctor had suggested cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) before initiating the medications, but he had been too busy to attend the appointments, and the challenges in finding an in-network provider proved difficult. Now with the worsening headaches, he opted for the CBT and by the fifth week had already noted improvements in his headache frequency and intensity.

European Union (EU) cohesion policy in particular and the idea of European integration in general are currently facing some challenges of ability and willingness, both determined by economic, political and cultural factors. Some factors, however, continue to hold EU countries together. The economic crisis of 2008-10 and its aftermaths further reduced ability and readiness of net contributors to the EU budget to finance EU cohesion policy, even more because these countries have to save indebted eurozone periphery. The economic crisis and problems of the euro further weakened ability and willingness of some countries, like Poland, to join the euro- zone, thus strengthening the internal division of the EU. Growing unemployment and sense of insecurity in richer EU member states and the increased immigration to these countries from poorer new member states have produced negative attitudes towards immigrants and Eastern in general. The absence of a clear-cut enemy of and the variety of external political challenges differently interpreted by governments and societies of individual states hinder the development of a common external policy and sense of internal solidarity. Europe is becoming playground for world powers: USA, Russia and China. Different responses to external challenges, e.g. increased migration from Northern Africa, put at risk some European achievements like the Schengen treaty. The Eastern enlargement together with economic problems revealed weakness of the sense of European identity, and especially unwillingness of Western societies to accept Eastern Europeans as Europeans. Even within the old Europe the divide between hard working North and leisure South is becoming more evident. In such circumstances the ability and willingness to continue generous cohesion policy is declining. However, deep changes in the European cohesion policy or disintegration of the EU are unlikely as European leaders fear of taking dramatic decisions given economic interdependence of EU countries.

Managing supply chain risk requires assessing the exposure a firm faces to various risks and allocating resources to reduce the impact of a disruption. It also requires coordinating risk mitigating strategies across the echelons of the supply chain and business partners. Coordinating risk management with external suppliers and customers exposes the process to bias by contextual factors. These biases may be in the form of environmental factors related to location or cultural factors. We explore how these two factors impact the perception of risk and methods for mitigating it by conducting a survey in three countries: Japan, the United States of America, and Australia. We show that Japan has a significantly higher level of perceived supply chain risk and significantly lower application of risk mitigation strategies than two western culture countries, the USA and Australia.

In recent years there have been several calls in professional and academic journals for healthcare personnel in Canada to raise the profile of postcolonial theory as a theoretical and explanatory framework for their practice with Indigenous people. In this paper I explore some of the challenges that are likely to confront those healthcare personnel in engaging with postcolonial theory in a training context. I consider these challenges in relation to three areas of conflict. First I consider conflicts around paradigms of knowledge, wherein postcolonial theory operates from a different base from most professional knowledge in health care. Second I consider conflicts of ideology, wherein postcolonial theory is largely at odds with Canada’s political and popular cultures. And finally I consider issues around the question of Canada’s legitimacy, which postcolonial theory puts in doubt. I suggest ways in which these conflicts might be addressed and managed in the training context, and also identify potential positive outcomes that would be enabling for healthcare personnel, and might also contribute to an improvement in Canada’s relationship with its indigenous peoples.