Activism Research Articles

To Reform the Child Protection System in Portugal—Stakeholders’ Positions

Notwithstanding the legal milestones observed in the Portuguese child protection system (CPS), several concerns call for political action to ensure the effective guarantee of children’s rights. In this context, it is imperative to discuss proposals for reforming the CPS. Agreement on these proposals by the stakeholders in the system is key to validating and improving the system. Therefore, the main research questions of the present study are (1) what is the level of agreement among stakeholders in the CPS on certain proposals for child protection reform? and (2) what are the positions on those proposals? Mixed methods were conducted based on an online survey (n = 292), supported by Qualtrics, and eight focus groups involving stakeholders as former beneficiaries, families, practitioners and academics (n = 18). Findings show a harmonious alignment with the proposals, justifying an urgent reform of the CPS and the need to strengthen a child-centred system. Three themes emerged: promotion of quality family-based care and promotion of adoption; development of child-friendly terminology; and improvement of the CPS administration. The conclusions highlight implications for policy and practice.

Narrating refusals of work: Feeling through two European novels and the organizing potential of sharing stories

This article is about telling stories about refusals of work. It investigates storytelling about refusals of work as powerful political responses to precarization. Workers, this article posits, learn through listening to each other’s refusal narratives about (1) the conditions of their work, (2) the precariousness it organizes, and (3) the possibilities for refusal. Through storytelling, this learning also happens on an affective level: possibilities can be made to feel real. To work through this problem in more detail, the article focuses on learning from the narratives in two literary works: Heike Geißler’s Saisonarbeit, translated from German to English as Seasonal Associate (2018), and Ali Smith’s Hotel World (2001). The article concludes that in telling stories about refusals of work, workers may find a potential for collaborative political action and potentially collective action in a time when unions are struggling and it is becoming harder for workers to survive.

JAVIER MILEI AND MANAGERIAL POPULISM IN ARGENTINA: “THE SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR AS A SOCIAL BENEFACTOR”

Introduction: Javier Milei, leader of La Libertad Avanza (LLA), has become the first president in history to define himself as a liberal libertarian. Mieli’s leadership is marked by his media projection as a political outsider capable of creating an antagonistic divide between the virtuous people and the corrupt establishment. This study aims to identify and analyze the characteristics of the phenomenon known as managerial populism in the Argentine president, Javier Milei, based on three significant interventions: 1)his first speech as President of Argentina on December 10, 2023; 2) the speech delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 17, 2024; and 3) the address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington on February 25, 2024. Methodology: A qualitative approach will be undertaken using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This methodology Will allow us to move beyond a formalistic study of language, connecting our discourse analysis with the growing phenomenon of managerial populism. Results: At this point, we will demonstrate the three pillars upon which Milei’s managerial populism rests: a) the construction of a virtuous people in opposition to the parasitic establishment; b) the notion that social justice is neither just nor social; and c) the defense of free-market capitalism, identifying entrepreneurs as social benefactors. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that Milei’s political objective is the construction of a popular ideology based on entrepreneurial elements, positioning the economic entrepreneur as a social benefactor.

Circuits of capital, the socio-ecological fix and power relations in a rural area. The genealogy of socio-ecological transformations of the upper Saône valley (France)

Although the circuits of capital model emphasizes the part played by the overaccumulation of capital at the core of capitalistic development, scientific research has seldom used this framework for analysing rural dynamics. After proposing a theoretical approach involving circuits of capital, rural areas and the socio-ecological fix, we draw on different historical sources, semi-directive interviews and press articles to understand how circuits of capital largely altered the socio-ecosystem of France’s upper Saône valley until the mid-nineteenth century before being directed instead towards other more urban areas. The marginalizing of this rural space by the third circuit of capital tended to reduce the socio-ecological transformations expected of capitalistic development in the twentieth century. Political actors at all levels then played a decisive role in the circulation of capital and the shaping of the river and its floodplain. Inclusion in the fourth circuit of capital is an objective for some political actors today who are developing strategies for branding and marketing the local area. If it develops successfully, this fourth circuit of capital will make a sizeable impact on the urbanization of this rural area, setting it on a new trajectory in terms of transformations of the river. It seems that each generation of circuit of capital involves greater socio-ecological impacts than the previous one, forming a palimpsest of capitalistic development.

The Influence of Family Leadership Style in Encouraging Awareness and Action on Household Waste Management

Family leadership style has an important role in encouraging concrete action regarding household waste management. Parents or heads of households who set a good example and provide active encouragement to family members to participate in environmentally friendly waste management practices can form positive and sustainable habits in the household environment. Thus, it is hoped that this research can make a significant contribution to the role of families in encouraging concrete actions related to household waste management. This research aims to analyze the role of family leadership style in encouraging awareness and action regarding household waste management in a community in Padang City. This research uses a quantitative approach with a causal associative type of research. The sampling method used was a saturated sample, with 63 participants from the local community. The data obtained was described, then a description of the research results was carried out using the TCR technique. The determination analysis technique uses simple linear regression to test the extent of the causal influence between variable (X) on the resulting variable (Y). The research results show that the family leadership style among the community is considered very good, with the respondent's achievement level reaching 90.66%. Meanwhile, awareness and action regarding household waste management is also considered high, with the respondent's achievement level reaching 92.11%. The family leadership style variable was proven to have an influence of 28.4% on community awareness and action regarding household waste management, while the rest was influenced by other factors such as motivation, education level and other environmental factors.

The Involvement of the Pechenegs in the Ethnopolitical Processes of the Southern Russian Steppes

Examining the involvement of the Pechenegs in the ethnopolitical processes of the Southern Russian steppes is crucial for understanding the formation of the ethnic and political map of Eastern Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. The impact of the Pechenegs on the political situation in this region remains significant for historians and ethnologists. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of the Pechenegs in the ethnopolitical processes of the Southern Russian steppes from the mid-10th century to the mid-11th century. The research focuses on the Pechenegs' contributions to ethnopolitical changes and their interactions with other peoples and states in the region. The study utilizes the works of prominent historians such as N. M. Karamzin, P. A. Golubovsky, S. M. Solov'ev and G. Manuku-Adameshteanu, as well as research by Turkish and Hungarian scholars. The analysis is based on primary sources, including chronicles and archaeological data, as well as secondary historical materials. The study addresses the origin of the name "Pecheneg" and their early homeland. Historians like Tatishchev, Karamzin, and Solovyov present different views on the origins and initial territories of the Pechenegs. Tatishchev associates the Pechenegs with the Sarmatians, while Karamzin and Solovyov identify them as Turkic peoples. The research examines the Pechenegs' influence on ethnopolitical processes in the Southern Russian steppes, including their conflicts with the Bulgars, Hungarians, Khazars, and the Rus state. Golubovsky and Manuku-Adameshteanu highlight the Pechenegs' significant impact on the Hungarians and other regional peoples. The article also explores the Pechenegs' settlement in modern Hungary and their roles as both vassals of the Kievan state and independent political actors in the region's political life. The article concludes that the Pechenegs played a significant role in the ethnopolitical processes of the Southern Russian steppes during the 10th and 11th centuries. Despite losing their political power by the mid-11th century, they had a considerable impact. Further research is needed to fully understand their role in the history of Eastern Europe.

From planetary scenarios to planetary sensing: Models, observations, and political legibility

This paper explores the political uses of images generated by Earth System science. It argues that images of possible climate futures, maps of potential worlds of heatwaves and wildfires, are made legible to policymakers by an alliance with a class of climate-economy models that associate scientific estimates of climate impacts with a prescribed international policy and technology mix. While environmental models have successfully mobilized policymakers in the past by providing images of “planetary scenarios” accompanying different emissions pathways, with climate change a political actor outside the administrative state is required to overcome the entrenchment of fossil capital. The paper suggests such actors are empowered not by the rhetoric of scenario modeling but by the emerging practice of “planetary sensing,” where activists and stakeholders directly mobilize the planetary images generated by Earth System science as they work to evacuate prisons, track pollutants, and repair pipelines.

Pengembangan Pariwisata Melalui Penggunaan dan Pengoptimalan Media Digital

Knowledge and understanding about how to use and apply social media in promotional or business activities for tourism actors or the public is very important. Some of the main problems faced by service partners are related to the use and optimization of social media. If the community or tourism actors already have an understanding of these things, their business can grow more rapidly. The aim of implementing this community service is to provide strengthening and understanding of management concepts such as marketing, use of digital media, to develop business for the community or tourism actors in promoting tourist attractions in Tlogokotes Village as service partners. The activity mechanism uses lecture and discussion methods as well as practice or simulation. Each session ends with a question and answer session to find out how far the participants' level of understanding is in responding to the material that has been presented. This community service activity was carried out in three sessions by each team member, and it was carried out well. As a result, service partners can have better knowledge and understanding of management concepts, because the response and enthusiasm of service partners to understand the material presented is quite high. As a recommendation, community service with this theme can be carried out with other service partners such as home industry groups, street vendor groups, traditional market trader groups and so on, so as to expand understanding of management concepts such as Sharia marketing, product packaging and financial management. business better.

“Let Us… Take Our Places in Public Affairs:” Black Women’s Political Activism in the Pacific Northwest, 1870–1920

“Let Us… Take Our Places in Public Affairs:” Black Women’s Political Activism in the Pacific Northwest, 1870–1920

The forgotten wartime letters of Abraham Benaroya (1943–1945): an unusual story of Jewish resistance in Greece and Nazi-Germany

ABSTRACT Focusing on Abraham Benaroya, a prominent labor leader in southeastern Europe, this research examines his experiences during World War II, a period often neglected in prior studies. Existing scholarship has predominantly highlighted Benaroya's contributions to the Pan-Hellenic labor movement from 1909 to 1924/5, incorrectly assuming that his removal from political power signaled the end of his influence on both Jewish and non-Jewish historiography; however, his wartime writings challenge this notion, revealing a compelling story of individual and familial resistance against Nazi Germany. During the tumultuous years of 1942–1945, amidst the Nazi occupation in Greece, Benaroya's fate took a unique turn. Despite being Jewish, he avoided extermination, and as a Greek Socialist activist he escaped execution and survived internment in various German prisoner-of-war camps. By employing the biographical turn approach and exploring Benaroya's forgotten Holocaust-era letters from captivity, this study presents a narrative of Greek-Jewish individual and familial struggles, choices, and resilience. In doing so, it contributes fresh perspectives to the current bottom-up scholarship, which moves beyond the generalized narrative of Jewish passivity. Instead, the current study offers a profound discourse on the complexities of Jewish survival and resistance under the extraordinary circumstances of the Nazi regime in Occupied Greece.

Ill-informed or ideologically driven? Climate change awareness and denial in Europe

Understanding and accepting climate change is crucial for individuals to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors and support political actions aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. In this cross-national comparative study, we explore factors associated with both climate change denial and awareness. We analyze data from the European Social Survey (Wave 8) and additional country-level data to identify factors associated with each of these outcomes. We measure awareness as a composite index that aggregates multiple indicators, including beliefs about the existence of climate change, concern, causes, impact, and responsibility. Our findings indicate that climate change denial and awareness do not exist on a single scale. Climate change awareness is strongly influenced by individuals' socio-demographic characteristics, values, and political orientation. Higher levels of awareness are found among those who are more receptive to educational efforts that promote scientific knowledge. In contrast, climate change denial is weakly related to socio-demographic and political factors and is more influenced by individuals' worldviews and detachment from mainstream society. European post-socialist countries demonstrate distinct attitudes towards environmental issues, with lower average climate change awareness and a higher proportion of individuals denying climate change.

Political Connection and BPD Performance

The political situation that stable and conducive simplify business activities of a company politics and vice versa can be facilitated by the existence of good business. The relationship is what eventually called a political connection. Business relationship with politics has a very close relationship to harmony of an economy. The sample in this study is board members in 26 BPD during the year 2010 to 2014. We use political connected as an independent variable, the political connected is the board are coming from government, BPD is owned by government so the board with government background is identified as a political connected. The dependent variables are return on asset, return on equity and non-performing loan. This study uses firm size as a control variable. This study is expected to give a contribution to the topics of political connection and give a recommendation to government how to choice the member of board.

Assessment of seasonal variations in soil heavy metal concentrations and potential health risks in Gujarat, India.

This study investigates the prevalence, distribution, and ecological consequences of 21 heavy metals (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in the soils between the Mahi and Dhadhar rivers in Gujarat, India. It aims to assess the seasonal variations in soil contamination and the potential human health risk associated with the heavy metal exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact pathways. Soil samples were collected from 57 sites across three distinct seasons and analyzed using indices such as the geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, pollution load index, ecological risk factor, and global potential ecological risk. Human health risks were also evaluated for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. The findings reveal significant soil contamination, especially during the Monsoon and Post-Monsoon seasons, with heavy metals like Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, and Pb posing considerable ecological threats. Cr and Ni were identified as presenting the highest carcinogenic risks, while Fe and Cr posed major non-carcinogenic challenges. Seasonal variations significantly influenced heavy metal concentrations and distribution patterns. The study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive policies and sustainable practices to mitigate soil contamination and protect environmental health. It emphasizes the critical role of human activities, such as industrial, agricultural, and mining operations, in soil degradation and calls for increased community awareness and action to address these challenges.

Влияние социально-экономической дифференциации молодежи на ее политическую идентичность

This article examines the features of the political identity of provincial youth based on socio-economic differentiation. It is noted that the youth environment is not homogeneous in its socio-economic status and such differentiation in the context of a Special Military Operation, an unstable political situation, and social tension presupposes a different political identity. In turn, this leads to destructive activity of young people in relation to government officials, as well as to intergroup conflicts. This assumption formed the basis of the author’s analysis in considering the possible dependence of the ideological identification of young people on their place in the social structure of society. The scientific tasks to be solved by the analysis are the understanding and conceptualization of the political and ideological orientations of modern youth in the context of socio-economic differentiation. The working hypothesis was that the least financially protected groups of young people are the most radical in relation to the authorities. Therefore, the author conditionally distinguishes two groups of young people. The first group of young people are those who have a low standard of living, suffer from a lack of social elevators and social injustice, do not have the opportunity to get a good education and are ready to change their position in society during protest actions. The second group of young people is the generation that grew up as “qualified consumers”, who saw risks in reducing their consumption levels and are therefore ready for protest actions in order to defend their rights as consumers. However , the study of this problem revealed that modern youth are quite apolitical, this was shown by answers to the question about choosing an ideology whose values are closest to the respondent, as well as a rather low percentage of radically minded youth, regardless of financial situation, which does not significantly affect the political process. At the same time, in conditions of political instability and elite conflict, these groups of youth can become a destructive resource for political actors in the conflict.

‘A cultivated leader and sensible spokesman for black African views’1: Britain's Courting of KaNgwane Chief Minister Enos J. Mabuza

AbstractThis article analyses British policymakers’ efforts to court Enos John Mabuza, Chief Minister of the self‐governing South African homeland of KaNgwane, in the final years of apartheid. It contends that despite taking place nearly 30 years apart, there were striking similarities between British policy at the end of apartheid and in the era of decolonisation, particularly the efforts to build relations with moderate nationalists in an effort to maintain long‐term influence. While KaNgwane was a small territory lacking in material resources, Mabuza, as a moderate Black leader working within the law to challenge apartheid, took on greater importance in the minds of British policymakers seeking a peaceful transfer of power in South Africa. This was helped by Mabuza's ability to maintain relations with a diverse range of important political actors including the South African government, KwaZulu Chief Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and the African National Congress in exile. Additionally, KaNgwane's close proximity to Mozambique, which at the time was in the midst of a civil war, also gave the territory greater prominence. This article will highlight how Mabuza used these interconnecting factors to demonstrate his value as an important ‘interlocutor’ for Britain, which in turn saw him extract important resources for both the KaNgwane people and his own family, as well as a degree of protection from interference by the South African government.

Accumulation by contamination: Worldwide cost-shifting strategies of capital in waste management

With this article, we propose an analytical and conceptual tool to illuminate connections between capital development and environmental injustices. The research examines how capital-driven industrial policies foster changes in social metabolisms and cause new socio-environmental impacts, leading to ecological distribution conflicts. It also explores why diverse actors mobilise and resist these changes. Building on Kapp’s ecological economics theory of social costs and David Harvey’s concept of accumulation by dispossession, we highlight the role of capital accumulation in environmental injustices through cost-shifting strategies, terming it “Accumulation by Contamination” (AbC). In this context, AbC refers to the process wherein capital socialises the costs of contamination, degrading the means of existence and bodies of human beings who oppose these processes of capital valorisation and engage in environmental conflicts. We make a compelling case for AbC by exploring waste-related conflicts at various industrial developmental stages. Waste, viewed as a ’common bad,’ emerges as a strategic realm for capitalists seeking to expand the scale and scope of accumulation. The intricacies of waste management, its market potential, and guaranteed profitability through subsidies and processes of financialisation attract significant investments globally. Quantitative and qualitative waste management assessments demonstrate that waste policies often favour businesses, leading to cost-shifting of waste management to society (in Naples, Italy; and Delhi, in India) and the dispossession of waste-pickers (in Delhi). More broadly, we emphasise the importance of integrating ecological economics and Marxist critical geography to address environmental challenges. We also analytically study the diverse actors responding to various capital strategies, fostering transformative political actions for a sustainable future. Climate change is arguably the most significant waste disposal conflict due to excessive carbon dioxide production, representing a quintessential example of Accumulation by Contamination (AbC).

Who Gives to American Trade and Professional Association Political Action Committees and Why?

Who Gives to American Trade and Professional Association Political Action Committees and Why?

Halting and re-issuing of the Zambia community health strategy (2017–2021): a retrospective analysis of the policy process and implications for community health systems

BackgroundOver the years, low-and middle-income countries have adopted several policy initiatives to strengthen community health systems as means to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In this regard, Zambia passed a Community Health Strategy in 2017 that was later halted in 2019. This paper explores the processes that led to the halting and re-issuing of this strategy with the view of drawing lessons to inform the development of such strategies in Zambia and other similar settings.MethodsWe employed a qualitative case study comprising 20 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who had participated in either the development, halting, or re-issuing of the two strategies, respectively. These stakeholders represented the Ministry of Health, cooperating partners and other non-government organizations. Inductive thematic analysis approach was used for analysis.ResultsThe major reasons for halting and re-issuing the community health strategy included the need to realign it with the national development framework such as the 7th National Development Plan, lack of policy ownership, political influence, and the need to streamline the coordination of community health interventions. The policy process inadequately addressed the key tenets of community health systems such as complexity, adaptation, resilience and engagement of community actors resulting in shortcomings in the policy content. Furthermore, the short implementation period, lack of dedicated staff, and inadequate engagement of stakeholders from other sectors threatened the sustainability of the re-issued strategy.ConclusionThis study underscores the complexity of community health systems and highlights the challenges these complexities pose to health policymaking efforts. Countries that embark on health policymaking for community health systems must reflect on issues such as persistent fragmentation, which threaten the policy development process. It is crucial to ensure that these complexities are considered within similar policy engagement processes.

The Relationship between Institutional Trust and Online Political Activity

The Relationship between Institutional Trust and Online Political Activity

Social entrepreneurship: recognition of sociocultural competencies in the higher education future

PurposeThe present study aimed recognition sociocultural competencies in social entrepreneurship of higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a qualitative content analysis technique. In order to identify and select information-rich cases, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 22 experts among the social activists in Iran’s public and private universities based on the criterion-dependent targeted sampling method. Four credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability criteria were used to increase the accuracy of qualitative data the findings were analyzed using thematic analysis through open, axial and selective coding.FindingsSociocultural competencies in social entrepreneurship of higher education are categorized into three cognitive (cognitive requirements of entrepreneurship, sociocultural values) emotional (emotional integration, positive emotions) and behavioral (interactive communication, professional life, entrepreneurial social traits) levels at 34 subcomponents.Originality/valueHigher education with the growing trend of the challenge of cultural diversity and fusion caused by intercultural communication requires competencies that prepare social entrepreneurs for the future of higher education with the lens of socio-cultural capabilities. The neglected gap in the higher education system has empirical value for executive managers. The approach of preparing future higher education leaders for social and human benefits beyond political boundaries and cultural and social tensions, sociocultural competencies have an exclusive appeal.