Missouri 1861

Decision model to integrate community preferences and nudges into the selection of alternatives in infrastructure development

Published two decades after Kenya's independence, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye's Coming to Birth and The Present Moment are post-colonial writings that explore the struggle for both national and personal identity. Through the eyes of Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, the mentioned texts explore the construction of women's identity through social and cultural dynamics. Leaning on the Feminist Theory that seeks to provide an understanding of the women's and girls' situations, roles and responsibilities in the societies they live in, within the cultural and societal dynamics and expectations, this paper seeks to analyze the social and cultural dynamics in the post-colonial societies the two texts are set in, in relation to the individual identity of the female characters. The paper has the objective of interrogating how the social and cultural dynamics work to shape the identity of female characters. Consequently, this paper concludes that the identity of the female characters in Coming to Birth and The Present Moment is shaped by societal social and cultural dynamics and norms. The female characters, through self-autonomy and active participation in societal aspects, reassert themselves in a bid to reconstruct and accord themselves a new image, different from that which had been shaped and distorted, given the patriarchal socio-cultural dynamics. The paper concludes that the female characters in Coming to Birth and The Present Moment remain resolute to eventually egress from the subjective societal demands and dictates to attain cultural and social independence

While in the beginning of the environmental debate, conflicts over environmental and technological issues had primarily been understood in terms of ‘‘risk’’, over the past two decades the relevance of ignorance, or nonknowledge, was emphasized. Referring to this shift of attention to nonknowledge the article presents two main findings: first, that in debates on what is not known and how to appraise it different and partly conflicting epistemic cultures of nonknowledge can be discerned and, second, that drawing attention to nonknowledge in technology conflicts results in significant institutional effects and new constellations of actors in public debates. To illustrate and substantiate this political dynamics of nonknowledge we draw upon examples from the areas of agri-biotechnology and mobile phoning. In a first step, we develop in greater detail the concept of scientific cultures of nonknowledge and identify three such cultures involved in the social conflicts within the two areas. Subsequently, we analyze the specific dynamics of the politicisation of nonknowledge looking at the variety of actors involved and the pluralisation of perceptions and evaluations of what is not known. Then, we point out some of the institutional reactions to the political and cultural dynamics of scientific nonknowledge. We argue that the equal recognition of the diverse cultures of nonknowledge is a key prerequisite for socially legitimate and ‘‘robust’’ decision-making under conditions of politicised scientific nonknowledge.

In The Horoscope of Emperor Baldwin II Filip Van Tricht presents a microstudy of political, social and cultural life in Latin-Byzantine Constantinople and Romania. A 'new' set of sources is used to question the traditionally negative view of the Byzantine capital under Latin rule. Combined with an analysis of other underused historical materials, mid-13th century Latin-Byzantine Constantinople is redefined as a city that—in spite of the Western conquest during the Fourth Crusade—remained dynamic, with vibrant internal and international politics, and with interesting developments in the social, religious, artistic, and scientific spheres. Against the background of a shared Roman past the metropolis on the Bosporus became a fascinating laboratory of Latin-Byzantine interaction.

This paper is aimed to study the contestation between state and civil society in zakah management in Indonesia as a part of socio political dynamic of secularization of zakah as an Islamic economy instrument in Indonesian situation. More specifically, about how the state of Indonesia manages to secularize the zakah as a divine instrument into a country which adopt semi-secular system. The research scrutinizes the contestation between state and civil society in zakah management through the cases and trial observation at Indonesian Constitutional Court (on judicial review the Law No. 23/2011 on Zakat Management) and Supreme Court (judicial review Government Regulation No. 14/2014 on Zakat Management). Some resistances to local ordinances on zakah management in various places in Indonesia are also being studied. The research has shown that the practice of zakah in Indonesia is specific and different from the practices in other Muslim countries. In a predominantly Muslim country, zakah practices in Indonesia are actually a product of Indonesian Muslims’ social, cultural, and political dynamics. The research employs Joel S. Migdal theory on contestation. In these Migdalian’s “junctures” between state forces and social forces, these non-state zakah agencies naturally launch contestation in both forms of struggle and accommodation. These non-state agencies accommodate their survival through modernization of their daily operation to reach more sources of funds and targets as well as launch a legal struggle to annul some disadvantageous parts within the newly arrived secularization of zakah management through the politicization of zakah. In the meeting grounds for state and social forces, the results vacillate - depending on the place and context of the contestation - between what Migdal (1994) calls the state’s appropriation of social forces or symbols and the dominant social forces’ adaptation to the presence of a state’s components. In this set of mutual accommodation strategies, all become possible: co-optation, creation of multiple networks of clients, and corruption.

This article is a philosophical study that examines power and resistance within the conceptual network of post-phenomenological theories of technological mediation. In the contemporary landscape, the interaction between human beings and technology plays a crucial role in shaping social, cultural, and political dynamics. As human beings increasingly emerge into a world permeated by technological innovations, it becomes essential to understand the complex power relations that arise from this intertwining. In this context, post-phenomenological theories of technological mediation offer a valuable theoretical framework capable of exploring the nuances of these interactions. The study begins by positioning power and resistance within this conceptual network. It then explores the complex interactions of power in technologically mediated relationships, with particular emphasis on the technologies incorporated into social media platforms, i.e., algorithmic recommendation systems. Drawing on the concepts of power as defined by Michel Foucault and Byung-Chul Han, the paper challenges conventional understandings of productive power by examining how these platforms shape and exert influence. Ultimately, it introduces the concept of intelligent power as a means to better understand the power dynamics inherent in algorithmic mediation.

Abstrak Salatiga as one of the oldest cities in Central Java has a deep history from the colonial era to modern development. The city initially developed as an important administrative and economic center under Dutch colonial rule, with many colonial architectural monuments still standing today. Research in Salatiga aims to explore the social, cultural, and political dynamics that shape the city's identity through various methods, such as literature studies, interviews with community leaders, and archaeological analysis. Its strategic location between Semarang and Solo also strengthens its historical role as a communication and operational center in the region.

The application of Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems (RAAIS) to agricultural adaptation to climate change in Kazakhstan: A critical evaluation

The operation of criminal governance within formal-legal industrial contexts connected to global supply chains remains insufficiently theorized in management and organization studies (MOS). How such governance legitimizes violence against marginalized workers both within and beyond organizational boundaries also remains critically underexplored. By analysing the paradoxical normalization of criminality and violence within Bangladesh’s garment industry, this study exposes the systemic embeddedness of mastans , politically connected criminals, within export-oriented industrial governance. We conceptualize this entanglement as mastanocracy , a hybrid political formation of violent criminal governance that operates legitimately at the nexus of corruption, democratic erosion, elite power and social polarization, advancing the neoliberal economic and political agendas of dominant actors. This research extends MOS by broadening the boundary conditions under which criminal governance is legitimized in a formal-legal industrial environment in the Global South. It also advances the discourse on violence in contemporary organizations by revealing the broader cultural, social and political dynamics that normalize violence within and beyond organizational boundaries, compelling millions of marginalized workers to live and work under regimes of criminal governance.

Area and International Studies: Archaeology

The research is an inquiry to understand the socio-cultural interaction between the native Yogyanese and the incomers within multiculturalism. The focus of the study is the perception of the incomers toward Yogyakarta and Yogyanese. Considering pluralistic and multicultural Yogyakarta’s society is predominantly Muslim, the research explicitly detects the perception of non-Muslim incomers (pendatang), particularly Christians. The result of the study exposes the complexity of interaction between the natives and the incomers. The mood celebrates diversity, acceptance, cordial relationship, tension, and distance. The pressure might occur through the cultural contrast of Javanese and non-Javanese and the social, cultural, religious, and political dynamics at the local and national levels. However, the dynamic is an ongoing socio-cultural negotiation that attempts to befit the best molding.

Minangkabau is one of the regions in Indonesia known for its strong Islamic religious traditions that are closely intertwined with customary values. However, in the development of modern society, social, political, and cultural dynamics often give rise to new challenges to maintaining the balance between tradition, religion, and national values. One organization that plays an important role in promoting religious moderation in Minangkabau is Muhammadiyah. The purpose of this study is to examine how Muhammadiyah contributes to the success of religious moderation in Minangkabau. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method with a library research approach. Data were collected from relevant articles and academic journals. Several efforts undertaken by Muhammadiyah to promote religious moderation in Minangkabau include: (1) calls and appeals from Muhammadiyah leaders regarding religious moderation; (2) efforts in the field of education through schools and higher education institutions that are open to followers of all religions; (3) social and humanitarian activities through various humanitarian aid programs without regard to religious affiliation; (4) the use of social media and print media; and (5) interfaith forums. The concept of moderation from Muhammadiyah’s perspective consists of several aspects. First, in the realm of faith (ʿaqīdah) and worship (ʿibādah), Muhammadiyah emphasizes the importance of deep, balanced, and comprehensive internalization, so that faith is not merely symbolic and worship does not stop at ritual practices alone. Second, in terms of morality (akhlak), Muhammadiyah believes that emulating the Prophet Muhammad should not be limited to outward attributes, but must be manifested in good moral conduct (ḥasanah). Third, in the area of social relations (muʿāmalah), Muhammadiyah adopts a progressive and dynamic stance, adapting Islamic teachings to the demands of the times without abandoning the principles of Islamic law (sharia).

During the last decade, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of Syrian asylum seekers, including forced displaced academics (FDAs), in Turkey. Along with providing essentials, there is the issue of social integration for these people. To efficiently deal with this problem, Turkish authorities have developed both educational policies and some legal arrangements to accommodate the employment process for FDAs. This study aims to investigate Turkey’s higher education policy for FDAs by examining the lived experiences of these academics based on political, social, and cultural dynamics. The findings illustrate major themes surrounding the academic identity of FDAs and what distinguishes them from other international academics, as well as their experiences in the Turkish higher education system, and the challenges they have faced. The study provides important implications for the purpose of generating effective policies and practices regarding the successful integration of FDAs into the higher education system both in Turkey and worldwide.

This research focuses on the materiality of street art and its contribution to shaping public spaces and representing the social identity of urban communities. In contemporary urban landscapes, street art practices reflect the complexity of social, political, and cultural dynamics, where material elements—such as paint, wall planes, and urban spatial textures—are not positioned solely as visual mediums but rather as entities that play an active role in shaping spatial meaning and experience. This study utilized a qualitative approach through the narrative literature review method, accompanied by thematic analysis of various scientific sources that examine the relationship between urban art, materiality, and social space. The findings show that street art has a dual function as both aesthetic and social practice; it presents a space for dialogue and resistance to symbolic domination in urban spatial planning while strengthening collective identity through participatory interaction between human subjects and material objects. The results confirm that materiality in street art contains agency that can reconfigure the relationship between art, space, and urban society. The contribution lies in integrating materiality theory, public space concepts, and participatory aesthetics to build a comprehensive understanding of street art as a social-material phenomenon. Thus, this study enriches theoretical discourse and practices in urban art studies while encouraging the formulation of urban policies that are more inclusive of participatory public art practices

This study concerns a group of objects excavated in First World War trenches in France and Belgium and brought for conservation to the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. These objects were associated with unidentified human remains thought to be of soldiers killed in battles between 1914 and 1918. The contribution of the Institute to this project was to investigate the objects in relation to their context in an attempt to identify the human remains with which they were associated. The experience of working on sensitive material in a very particular context is discussed, and how this influenced the conservation context in which the decision-making process happened is described. It also addresses how some conservation boundaries were crossed, in order to contribute to a better understanding of life during the First World War, and discusses how material culture is valued differently in different contexts (and how this will influence conservation decisions). It concludes that neither object meaning nor conservation decisions can be viewed objectively and that conservation has to be viewed as a social process governed by economic, political, religious, social and cultural dynamics, rather than a primarily technical process.