Redefining Freedom: Sociological Transformations from Ancient Liberties to Global Interdependencies

There is an imminent relation between transport, sustainable urban planning and the global ecological crisis. Additionally, an academic trend can be observed towards the decolonisation of knowledge. Within this context, work remains regarding the praxis of knowledge from the Global South, especially regarding transport. This article addresses the gap by drawing on results of an interdisciplinary workshop that centred on transport, was held in a university of the Global South, and included students from the Global North. First, an overview of Ecuador and the rights of Mother Earth is given. Second, transport in the capital city, Quito, is summarised. Third, the parish of Nayón in the suburbs is described, which was the intervention area for the workshop. The design and results of the workshop are described, whereby the conclusions related to the objective of this study are drawn. Whilst no claim can be made to have solved the problem of decolonisation and the global ecological crisis, a meaningful step forward was made. This highlights the importance of education and collaborative knowledge creation between the Global South and North for advancing sustainable transport within planetary boundaries.

This article examines the intertwined dynamics of ecological crisis, digitalisation, and techno-primitivism through a genealogical and syncretic lens. It argues that the global ecological crisis is rooted not in a generalised “human impact,” but in the historical processes of colonialism and capitalist extractivism that have systematically depleted the Global South while concen-trating power and privilege in the Global North. As digital infrastructures expand, new forms of extractivism – especially data colonialism and digital colonialism – have intensified these global inequalities and externalised environmental harms. The paper critically assesses tech-no-primitivism as a reaction to technological alienation, highlighting its risk of reproducing co-lonial logics of othering by framing “primitive” or non-Western lifeways as static alternatives. Instead of technocratic or primitivist solutions, the study advocates for a transformative re-sponse based on decolonisation and relationality. Drawing on Indigenous, African, and plural philosophical traditions, it proposes centring the knowledge, rights, and agency of those most affected by ecological and digital injustices. The article contends that only by dismantling ex-tractivist, dualistic, and colonial paradigms and fostering reciprocal, relational approaches can more just, sustainable, and inclusive futures be achieved in both ecological and digital do-mains.

В настоящее время человеческая деятельность постепенно охватывает весь объем Мирового океана, включая его центральные части и глубинные слои. Состояние Мирового океана всегда являлось важнейшим фактором, определявшим условия существования всей биосферы. По этой причине изменение его гидрологической структуры и свойств в прошедшие геологические эпохи неоднократно приводило к глобальным экологическим кризисам и вымиранию большинства существовавших в то время организмов. Современный техногенез Мирового океана может иметь аналогичные катастрофические последствия. Развитие этого кризиса будет скачкообразным. На его первом этапе последствия техногенной трансформации локализованы в границах отдельных участков акватории Мирового океана. Но их количество непрерывно возрастает. В определенный момент времени совокупный эффект этого процесса в течение относительно короткого времени может вызвать разрушение Мирового океана как единой системы, перехода ее в новое состояние. Это неизбежно приведет к нарушению условий на большинстве участков планеты, вызовет глобальный экологический и социально-экономический кризис. Вместе с тем остановить процесс техногенеза Мирового океана в условиях непрерывного роста народонаселения Земли и его потребности в природных ресурсах невозможно. Единственным реальным путем предотвращения катастрофических последствий является разработка механизмов управления процессами техногенеза. На практике эта задача может быть решена на основе создания управляемых природно-технических систем. В этих системах благоприятные экологические условия и сохранение биоразнообразия обеспечиваются работой технических объектов экологических регуляторов. В качестве них могут использоваться технические системы и сооружения, создаваемые для других целей (искусственные острова, морские электростанции и др.). Мировой океан является достоянием всего человечества, но его прибрежные акватории и острова принадлежат отдельным государствам. По этим причинам управление техногенезом Мирового океана обусловливает необходимость развития специального направления в сфере международного права, консолидации усилий различных стран по комплексному решению экологических, экономических и геополитических проблем. The condition of the World Ocean has always been the most important factor living conditions of all Biosphere. For this reason change of its hydrological structure and properties during past geological eras repeatedly led to global ecological crises and extinction of the majority of the organisms existing at that time. The modern technogenesis of the World Ocean can have similar catastrophic consequences. The development of this crisis will take place in a hopping manner. At its first stage, the consequences of technogenic transformation are localized within the boundaries of individual sections of the World Ocean. But their number is constantly increasing. At a certain point in time, the cumulative effect of this process for a relatively short time can cause the destruction of the World Ocean as a single system, and its transition to a new state. This will inevitably disrupt conditions in most parts of the planet, and will cause a global ecological and socio-economic crisis. At the same time, it is impossible to stop the process of technogenesis of the World Ocean under the conditions of continuous growth of the Earths population and its need for natural resources. The only real way to prevent catastrophic consequences is to develop mechanisms for controlling the processes of technogenesis. In practice, this problem can be solved by creating managed natural-technical systems. In these systems, enabling ecological conditions and biodiversity conservation are ensured by the operation of technical facilities ecological regulators.

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of globalisation on the state’s ability to fight crimes. Given the complicated dynamics of the global market influence on crime control and prevention, the paper has analysed the theory of globalisation and how it manifests itself across or within different states. While, it is internationally acclaimed that globalisation has become a fact of life, it needs to be noted that not all countries have been able to harness its benefits. Therefore, globalization has manifested itself differently in different states. This paper examines the dynamics of globalization on sovereign states in the context of their ability to control and prevent crimes, the influence of open border controls, the new crimes typologies, articulating whether modern state approaches are adequate to caution them against contemporary global challenges. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is written drawing on experiences of the UK, the European Union and in other jurisdictions farther afield. I have used a range of secondary data sources such as analysing data in newspaper, journal papers, textbooks and online sources. The paper has also drawn on some of my earlier scholarly work but internalised to suit the purposes for writing it. Findings – This paper finds that unless states first position themselves properly to pervasive global changes and challenges, they risk being continuously sidelined (swamped). Globalisation and its offshoot effects on traditional states approaches have elicited a wide range debates and controversies. The conclusion one draws in the analysis of the global influence in fighting traditional and non-traditional crimes would usually depend on where one stands/leans in contemporary debate on these twin issues. Research limitations/implications – The study was undertaken using a qualitative research methodology, relying heavily on the analysis of secondary data sources. By the very nature of this methodology, it would have been better to carry out interviews and to gain a first hand experience on issues this paper was written on. This is because qualitative research methodology thrives in a natural setting where the researcher interacts with his/her constituent subjects directly. This would also have mitigated the potential for bias inherent in the use of secondary data sources. Practical implications – The paper is important in demonstrating that states need to be more proactive to benefit from globalisation and its influences. They cannot afford to be laid back lest they are submerged by pervasive global influences in its various manifestations. The paper has highlighted that relaxing border controls could be bad for states because it has the potential to send wrong signals to dangerous criminals. The state needs to reclaim some of its lost sovereign space to remain relevant in asserting its influence on what happens and does not happen inside its borders. Social implications – States have no choice but to come together and forge common interstate initiatives. This will enable them to deal with overlapping global exigences effectively. There is no state (whether it likes or not) that can afford to act unilaterally when it come to overlapping global exigences. Originality/value – The analysis of the paper is based on contemporary challenges and narratives of globalisation and its influence on crimes control. It is nevertheless written in a distinctive way to foster the objectives of writing it.

In the winter of 2022, I had planned a place-based literature course on Providence at the Rhode Island School of Design. A series of outings formed the backbone of the class: my aim was to have students connect to the place where they lived through experiences like standing atop the landfill to understand the afterlife of their waste and touring a colonial house to trace the violent foundations of the city's wealth. Instead, due to the omicron-variant surge, the course was largely conducted over Zoom and all but one outing became virtual. I found that a disorienting, nearly absurd sensation clouded the course when we discussed places that we should have been inhabiting together; instead of bridging the distance between the texts and the world, in the end, the course only accentuated that distance. Postcolonial/ecocritical place-based teaching is challenging for the precise reason that it is based on place and our places are changing now more than ever. And yet, as the kind of teaching the planet needs becomes more difficult, it also becomes more essential. In his foreword to Teaching Post colonial Environmental Literature and Media, Graham Huggan asserts that "teaching is the most valuable thing we postcolonial/environmental scholars R e v ie w

At present, the globalization ecological crisis is increasingly serious; then, human have to review their own behavior activities, and start to appeal to construct a new civilization mode-Ecological Civilization, Ecological civilization is a civilization manna that can realize sustainable development and achieve harmonious development between man and the natural environment, and ecological civilization is the most important approach to solve the globalization ecological crisis. Extensive researches and practices show that the corporation is the mainstay of the market, their activities have an important influence on the development of the whole community; meanwhile, corporation social responsibility is the main reason of global and critical ecological crisis, especially, the corporation green responsibility is the most important reason. So, the corporation green responsibility construction becomes the necessary measure and course in the process of ecological civilization construction. At first, this paper expatiates on the correlative concepts of ecological civilization and corporation green responsibility, and analyzes the real status of our corporation green responsibility; then, this paper put forward some suggestions on building Chinese corporation green responsibility system for helping the construction of ecological civilization.

Background: Health as a biosocial phenomenon is studied across multiple scientific disciplines, yet increasing specialization has resulted in fragmented knowledge and a loss of holistic perspective. Contemporary global challenges - including climate change, pandemics, and artificial intelligence - demand a new integrative ethical framework. Objective: This article introduces anthropoetics as a super-system approach to public health, aiming to unify existing ethical systems (bioethics, technoethics, noetics) into a comprehensive paradigm addressing modern civilizational risks. Methods: The study employs: Bioethical and systems theory analysis (ISO 9001:2015 standards). Ontological modeling (STCHH - space-time continuum of human health). Historical-dialectical review of ethical systems evolution Results: Anthropoetics emerges as an ethical super-system based on four pillars: Interconnectedness of all life and cosmic elements. Sustainable development principles. Consciousness as a foundation for ethical norms. Humanism respecting all life forms Conclusions: Anthropoetics provides a transformative paradigm for public health research and policy, requiring international collaboration for implementation. Its super-system structure offers novel solutions for harmonizing scientific progress with ethical imperatives in the Anthropocene era.

This article examines social design as a vital approach to addressing complex, socially significant challenges. The first section offers a retrospective analysis of the origins of socially oriented design, tracing its conceptual foundations, defining characteristics, and related fields. The second section delves into technological discourses — specifically techno-optimism and technological skepticism — while critiquing the phenomenon of technological solutionism. It explores the ethical dilemmas inherent in innovation and underscores the role of speculative design in shaping discussions about the future. The argument posits that modern technologies not only expand design’s instrumental capabilities but also reshape its fundamental nature. This evolution compels researchers and practitioners to critically assess how proposed solutions impact society, infrastructure, and natural systems, positioning social design as a bridge between innovation and human needs. The third section showcases projects by students from the HSE Art and Design School, illustrating how the next generation of professionals employs speculative design tools to grapple with contemporary global challenges — such as social isolation, cultural erosion, and environmental degradation, driven by the rapid integration of technology into daily life. These projects reflect broader trends in socially oriented design while emphasizing the importance of embedding technological literacy into educational and professional practice. Ultimately, the article frames social design as an essential framework for understanding the present and forging a future that is equitable, inclusive, and sustainable amid ongoing digital transformation.

During the last two decades, Latin American scholars have shown an increasing interest in the region’s crime control fields as an object of study. Nonetheless, the analysis of crime, violence, and social control in Latin America is still marginal in Global North discussions. In the cases that Global North criminologists acknowledge the Global South, it is often depicted as an imperfect realization of universal theories and laws of development. This rhetorical device marshals the assumption that Global South countries are bound to follow the path of Global North societies to reach modernity as a superior stage of development. This setup has cleared the way for the ‘standard’ perspectives and highly punitive penal policies that predominate in Latin American societies. These policies and practices are not simply the reproduction and adaptation of discourses that travel from Global North countries. Instead, they lay roots in a colonial past that is still felt in the present-day realities of many Global South countries through global hierarchical market relations, extreme forms of inequality, injustice, and violence that constitute neocolonial forms of unequal power relations. This chapter focuses on some of the most salient features of Latin American crime control during the last three decades. It discusses how these fields of crime control are deeply connected to Latin American countries’ historical trajectories and the dynamics of colonialism and neocolonialism. The latter is not just a remnant of the past but an acting force that profoundly affects the political economy of Latin American societies.

A significant and growing number of authors and commentators have proposed that ecologically enlightened (‘greened’) religion is the solution or at least a major part of the solution to the global ecological crisis. These include Birch, 1965 p90; Brindle, 2000; Callicott, 1994; Gardner, 2002, 2003, 2006; Gore Jr., 1992; Gottlieb, 2006, 2007; Hallman, 2000; Hamilton, 2006b, a, 2007b; Hessel & Ruether, 2000b; Hitchcock, 1999; King, 2002; Lerner, 2006a; McDonagh, 1987; McFague, 2001; McKenzie, 2005; Nasr, 1996; Oelschlaeger, 1994; Palmer, 1992; Randers, 1972; Tucker & Grim, 2000; and White Jr., 1967. Proponents offer a variety of reasons for this view, including that the majority of the world’s and many nations’ people identify themselves as religious, and that there is a large amount of land and infrastructure controlled by religious organisations worldwide. However, the most important reason is that ‘religion’ is said to have one or more exceptional qualities that can drive and sustain dramatic personal and societal change. The underlying or sometimes overt suggestion is that as the ecological crisis is ultimately a moral crisis, religion is best placed to address the problem at its root. Proponents of the above views are often religious, though there are many who are not. Many proponents are from the USA and write in the context of the powerful role of religion in that country. Others write in a global context. Very few write from or about the Australian context where the role of religion in society is variously argued to be virtually non-existent, soon to be non-existent, or profound but covert. This thesis tests the proposition that religion is the solution to the ecological crisis. It does this using a case study of mainstream religion in Australia, represented by the Catholic, Anglican, and Uniting Churches. The Churches’ ecological policies and practices are analysed to determine the extent to which these denominations are fulfilling, or might be able to fulfil, the proposition. The primary research method is an Internet-based search for policy and praxis material. The methodology is Critical Human Ecology. The research finds that: the ‘greening’ of these denominations is evident; it is a recent phenomenon in the older Churches; there is a growing wealth of environmentalist sentiment and ecological policy being produced; but little institutional praxis has occurred. Despite the oftenstrong rhetoric, there is no evidence to suggest that ecological concerns, even linked to broader social concerns (termed ‘ecojustice’) are ‘core business’ for the Churches as institutions. Conventional institutional and anthropocentric welfare concerns remain dominant.

Though most cities, particularly in the Global North, have been intensely modified by human activities certain locations still exist in varied forms of abandonment or disinvestment, often allowing for new species assemblages to flourish. These urban novel ecosystems or informal wild spaces are often perceived as in-between or overlooked, calling into question their value and social-ecological role, while also creating tensions amongst different groups and stakeholders who share different visions for their use and management. Within these tensions, issues of justice and equity can be more pronounced and surface historic legacies of environmental contamination, inequitable development, and extraction. Despite this, very little is known about the social-ecological role informal wild spaces play in urban areas, and how best to interrogate and understand the equity and justice dimensions they elicit. To fill this gap in knowledge, this paper critically examines the literature on urban novel ecosystems in relation to justice, with a particular interest in multispecies justice. Through this analysis, gaps in the literature are exposed, while also arguing the informality, neglect and contestation of wild urban spaces provides opportunities to explore issues of access, benefits and harms, particularly in light of global climate and ecological crises. A systematic approach is utilized to search the literature, identifying 45 papers which are thematically analyzed under a justice lens. The study identifies three themes that thread throughout the literature: distributional injustices relate to perceptions and attitudes, which give rise or arise from injustices; the regeneration discourse focuses on a ‘new nature’, which is based on social-ecological displacement and devaluation; and the potential of urban wild spaces to generate new multispecies sensibilities. The paper concludes by discussing trends, gaps, and emerging discourses, and proposing a multispecies justice approach for urban planning through the learnings and engagement with urban wild, novel ecosystems.

Scientific provisions on the social development of mankind in the third millennium in Ukraine and in the world are revealed. It is established that this direction is the result of the emergence in this period of a global continuous ecological, natural and socio-economic crisis of all mankind. In particular, the socio-economic crisis is manifested in the deterioration of socio-economic conditions of the vast majority of people and arise through the private-individual economic system of capitalism based on private ownership of means of production and class division of economic spheres. It is in this environment that the social contradictions between the two classes of owners for the means of production and the labor force, which can be reconciled in an evolutionary way under the influence of objective economic laws and the universe, mature. Such laws include such as the universal law of equilibrium, the law of human evolution, the social development of production relations in accordance with the level and quality of achievement of productive forces. Therefore, the progress of social relations is seen as a derivative of the development of productive forces, as a historical inevitability. The quantitative expression of the combination as the level of productive forces and production relations in the article considers the category of labor potential of society, in relation to which social development and change are determined, so the formula of its quantitative definition is revealed.

The following editorial introduces the special issue (SI) on “Work, Environment and Planetary-scale Computation in Political-Economic Evolution”. Here, however, we go beyond an outline of what each contribution to the SI addresses, and attempt to draw a more pronounced shared embedding of the arguments that have come to the fore. The original idea of this SI was to synthesize a range of contemporary global political-economic challenges, i.e. (1) technology (esp. digital transformation), (2) nature (esp. ecological crisis) and (3) work (esp. precarization via the evolving platform economy). The main argument developed in this editorial reflection focuses on the common ground and origin of those processes found in the complex evolution of capitalist development. We frame the latter by assigning it a new term, i.e. “planetary carambolage”.

Contemporary extensions of Leon Trotsky’s argument have seen the introduction of uneven and combined development (UCD) into the field of International Relations (IR) as a theory that is uniquely able to unite sociological and international processes. Yet, despite UCD’s historical materialist foundation, its contemporary applications have been largely abstracted from ecological issues. This presents the theory with a problem that it needs to overcome if it wishes to retain explanatory relevance in a future of ecological uncertainty and crisis. This paper argues that UCD’s historical materialist basis includes a distinctly ecological dimension, which—if recovered—may enable the theory to make sense of contemporary environmental problems and also provide IR with an approach that unites international, sociological and ecological factors. The argument proceeds in three steps. It begins with an overview of UCD and its contemporary omission of ecological processes. To recover the theory’s deep ecology, it then foregrounds the ecological dimension of Karl Marx’s historical materialism, showing how an eco-socialist analysis reveals the capitalist nature of the ecological crisis. Finally, it demonstrates that an enhanced version of UCD—re-grounded in this “ecologized” historical materialism—is uniquely able to integrate the international into a Marxist socio-natural reading of the global ecological crisis.

This paper examined some aspects of contemporary global challenges that have mostly been occasioned by anthropogenic factors which have uncoupled ecological equilibria. These have been made more severe by pressure from the rapidly increasing human population. Some of these global challenges include deforestation, climate change, pollution of air and soils, ground and surface water scarcity/contamination, food shortages, decreased food quality, extreme poverty and decreased overall health and wellbeing. Plants provide a veritable resource for mitigation of these challenges if they are sustainably exploited to provide qualitative food, raw materials, medicine and ecosystem services. The paper also examined the trends and impacts of these global challenges and concluded that it is imperative for research and development efforts to be directed at the restoration of ecosystem balances, where stability has been disrupted, and to maintain such stability in pristine environments.