Critical Analysis Research Articles

Seeking asylum during a pandemic: A postcolonial media discourse analysis

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw an increase in people seeking asylum in the UK via small boats across the English Channel. The small boat arrivals reported in the news were analyzed using critical discourse analysis to investigate how different outlets framed people seeking sanctuary both visually and linguistically, as well as how postcolonial theory assists an understanding of such discourses. This research conceptualizes common findings in the literature of forced migrants as dehumanized and “othered,” arguing that humanitarian securitization is not an oxymoron but an extension of colonial logic in post-Brexit Britain. The article ends with recommendations for critical reporting of forced migration and for representing people seeking sanctuary in more humanizing ways.

State and Fiqh: Examining the Legal Status of Divorce in Verstek Decision Number 2939/Pdt.G/2023/PA.Mdn

This research is grounded in Decision Number: 2939/Pdt.G/2023, wherein the presiding magistrate rendered a verdict of Verstek in his consideration of the case. In such cases, the decision is rendered by the court in the absence of either the defendant or their legal representative. The validity of a verstek verdict in the context of the legitimacy of a marriage may be contingent upon the applicable legislation within the jurisdiction in question; thus, this investigation will consider both positive law and Islamic law. The objective of this article is to undertake a critical analysis of the decision rendered in Decision Number: 2939/Pdt.G/2023, which pertains to the use of a verstek decision to terminate a marriage due to childlessness, followed by disputes and quarrels. This research is a normative legal study with a case-based approach. The principal data source is derived from court decisions in the field of marriage law. The analysis reveals that, in Decision Number: 2939/Pdt.G/2023, a verdict of divorce by verstek is considered valid if the stipulated procedures have been followed correctly and the party who is required to be present or provide a defence does not do so without a valid reason. Islamic law also establishes principles of justice and protection of individual rights, including in the marriage process. Accordingly, the legitimacy of a marriage concluded through a verstek verdict may be contingent upon the interpretation of Islamic schools of thought and the legal principles that are embraced. Likewise, in the context of marriage law in Indonesia, a verstek decision in a verstek divorce case can be recognized as valid if it has fulfilled the requirements stipulated in the law. Thus, to determine whether a verstek decision in a marriage is valid or not, it is necessary to consider the applicable legal context, both in terms of civil law and in terms of Islamic law (fiqh) or the applicable marriage law.

Investigating Power and Control: Uses Of ‘Invariant Tag’ Questions in Malaysian Criminal Trials

This paper examines invariant tag questions in the 16 Malaysian criminal proceedings (MAYCRIM) corpus, focusing on their role in cross-examination. Cross-examination questions are pivotal as they elicit information and confirmations from witnesses while allowing them to narrate events. Using a corpus-based forensic discourse analysis, the study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to uncover patterns in tag question usage. Five common agreement tags—do you agree, agree/setuju, correct/betul, particle tak/not, and do you know—are identified as tools for Malaysian barristers to exert coercive pressure on witnesses. The critical analysis reveals a preference for the tag do you agree due to its coercive power. The paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and pragmatic implications of these findings for bilingual adversarial systems or postcolonial jurisdictions. It also highlights the disadvantaged position of laypeople in bilingual courtrooms, offering insights and proposing potential solutions to address these challenges.

A complementary approach to Critical Frame Analysis and ‘what is the policy represented to Be?’

ABSTRACT Critical Frame Analysis (CFA) is a method for analyzing policy framing by excavating rhetorical meaning. In contrast, ‘What is the Problem Represented to Be?’ (WPR) is a method for critiquing common assumptions underpinning public policy by questioning unexamined knowledges. CFA is constructivist WPR is constructionist. Can two policy methods from different research paradigms be used in tandem? Scholars do not agree if this is possible; those who do say little about why and how to do it. I argue that although CFA and WPR have distinct metatheoretical foundations, process-oriented researchers doing single case and small n studies can use both in tandem to produce more rigorous, critical scholarship. I explain why using them in a complementary fashion is not only possible but also desirable and illustrate how to do it by drawing on examples from three dissimilar policy debates about controversial gender practices like veiling.

Legal boundaries: Ensuring protection amidst threats to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine

This article aims to examine the protection accorded to nuclear power plants in international law, based on the example of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in the context of the current Russian aggression against Ukraine and the ensuing international armed conflict. The authors attempt to answer the question of the legality of the attacks against the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The research methods used are institutional-legal analysis and, supplementarily, a critical literature analysis. The institutional-legal analysis focuses on the examination of international treaties like Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which constitutes the main legal reference point in this article, as well as on other documents that may not be binding (such as resolutions adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference or the Board of Governors, as well as statements and reports of other International Atomic Energy Agency's and United Nations' bodies). The main conclusion is that Russian attacks against the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant were and continue to be illegal on multiple fronts. While the legal regulations appear adequate and capable of meeting the challenge posed by Russian attacks and occupation of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the problem lies with the political will of Russia to respect these rules.

Teaching Bayard Rustin to Kindergarteners: A Collaborative Self-Study into the Planning Process of a Queer Counternarrative

The authors of this self-study set out to examine their own process of developing queer counternarrative lesson plans for use in early elementary social studies classrooms. Having designed and tested a set of kindergarten lesson plans about Bayard Rustin and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, we sought to answer the question: As teacher educators, how might we improve the practice of designing and teaching elementary, social studies curriculum using queer counternarratives for young learners? We explain the current political context for teaching LGBTQ+ history and the specific context of teaching in elementary classrooms. We examine the theoretical underpinnings of both Queer Pedagogy and child development of young learners. Using a critical friends protocol and constant comparative analysis for examining our learning, we determine that this work, rather than controversial, should be viewed as revelatory, steeped in queer pedagogy and centered in queer transgressive capital.

Ethical issues of social media in Nigeria

This study sought to analyse ethical concerns of social media in Nigeria. The theoretical framework adopted is the Source Credibility Theory. The study employed Critical Discourse Analysis. The population of the study consisted of the top four (4) social networking sites in Nigeria. Out of these, Twitter was purposively selected for its widespread use for youth activism, particularly within the context of the #EndSARS protest; and for being the only social media platform the federal government had temporarily banned for ethical violations. A convenient sample of ten (10) tweets, which included retweets with text and images posted both during and within 18 months after the protest, was used to collect secondary data. Findings demonstrated a mix of ethical and unethical use of Twitter within the context of the protest. The result also revealed that although Twitter is a credible source of information, there were instances of anonymous tweets, which cast some doubts on the credibility of that specific source. The study recommends that beyond social media regulations, there is a need for the promotion of media literacy in Nigeria’s workplaces and educational system. In addition, the form of self-regulation inherent in African ethics should be applied by users of social media to facilitate harmonious communication. This study has made a modest contribution in the area of source credibility theory by proposing a conceptual framework within the context of the study.

Studying Chinese, studying in Chinese and studying with the Chinese: international students’ experiences and identity construction in Chinese-medium instruction (CMI) programs

ABSTRACT While extensive studies have been devoted to English-medium instruction (EMI) in the internationalisation of higher education, only a few studies have investigated the language-related experiences and perceptions of international students in non-Anglophone contexts where the local/national language(s) serve as a medium of instruction for academic purposes. Given that Chinese universities have adopted a strong Chinese-medium instruction (CMI) initiative for international students in the past decade, this article makes a critical analysis of interviews with 48 African students to uncover CMI implementation in Chinese universities. The findings reveal that the students generally held positive attitudes towards the top-down CMI policy being implemented, despite the challenges encountered. However, the uncritical curriculum ‘Sinicisation’ also raised concerns about Chinese-only practices, the absence of appropriate learning materials and testing regimes, a lack of institutional support for using Chinese as an academic lingua franca, epistemic and social marginalisation of international students. As such, the article presents a complex interplay of language attitudes, language practices and identity construction in CMI programs, highlighting a hiatus between policy intentions and actual practices in classrooms. I conclude the article with recommendations for policymakers and future research on CMI policies and practices in China.

The Covid-19 pandemic in Greece through the lens of methodological synergy: Combining corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis approaches

The Covid-19 pandemic in Greece through the lens of methodological synergy: Combining corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis approaches

ONTOLOGY OF DIGITAL OBJECTS AND TECHNOLOGICAL NORMATIVITY: NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR DIGITAL ETHICS

Purpose: Development of conceptual approaches to the understanding of ethical aspects of digital technologies, based on the ontological turn in the understanding of technological normativity.Design / Method / Approach: The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach combining philosophy of technology, ethics, social philosophy, science and technology research, computer science and cognitive psychology. Methods of conceptual analysis, phenomenological description, critical discourse analysis and comparative analysis are used.Findings: The ontological status of digital objects and their role in the formation of ethical experience is analyzed. The forms of normativity of digital technologies are revealed: interface, algorithmic and infrastructural.Theoretical implications: The research contributes to the development of conceptual approaches to the ethical aspects of digital technologies, creating a basis for the integration of various philosophical traditions and expanding the possibilities of ethical analysis in the digital era.Practical implications: The proposed approach can be used to develop strategies for ethical design and management of digital technologies, including creating ethical guidelines, conducting ethical audits, designing interfaces, and developing educational programs on digital ethics.Originality / Value: A comprehensive approach to the consideration of the ethics of digital technologies is proposed, taking into account the ontological turn in the understanding of technological normativity. The novelty lies in the integration of the ideas of postphenomenology, object-oriented ontology and philosophy of information for the analysis of the ontology of digital objects and their normative force.Research limitations / Future research: Prospects include empirical studies of various forms of technological normativity, in-depth study of the ontological status of specific types of digital objects, and analysis of the relationship between the ontology of digital objects and their normative force in various contexts. The limitations are related to the theoretical nature of the study, which requires further empirical verification.Paper type: Theoretical.

Leveraging history to invoke nationalism: from the annals of history to social engineering of present and future in Hindi cinema

ABSTRACT Nationalism calls for one’s loyalty and affiliation towards their chosen nation. Various versions of nationalism emphasise that one must prioritise said nation above themselves and their personal ethics, hence, allowing the nation to overpower the nationalist’s individuality. In this article, we use Critical Discourse Analysis to deconstruct the narratives of nationalism as portrayed in two popular films, viz. The Kashmir Files and Uri: The Surgical Strike, which are based on real historical events – the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus and the surgical strike by the Indian Army in retaliation to the Uri attack. Both films use narrative strategies to frame key historical events into certain ideological contexts, and hence they serve the populist purpose of swaying viewers’ opinion in favour of the dominant socio-political class.

Systematic Cholecystectomy During Cytoreductive Surgery Plus HIPEC: A Critical Analysis of an Empirical Tradition.

Some procedures performed during cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are based on empirical data. One of these procedures is systematic cholecystectomy. This study aimed to perform a critical analysis of the need for systematic cholecystectomy during CRS+HIPEC of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis using long-term follow-up data. Patients with peritoneal surface malignancies who were candidates for CRS+HIPEC and underwent surgery between January 2008 and December 2022 were analyzed. For patients with gallbladder involvement due to the disease or for patients whose preoperative study showed the presence of cholelithiasis, cholecystectomy was performed as part of the surgery, which was avoided for the remaining patients. All postoperative adverse events that occurred in the first 90 days were recorded, and clinical records focused on the development of biliary pathology during the follow-up period were studied. The results from a consecutive series of 443 patients with peritoneal surface malignancies who underwent surgery between January 2008 and December 2022 were analyzed. The average age of the cohort was 50 years. The median follow-up period for the cohort was 41 months (range, 12-180 months), with a disease-free survival of 17 months. For 373 of the patients, CRS+HIPEC was completed without an associated cholecystectomy, and in 16 of them, the appearance of cholelithiasis was detected during the follow-up period. Only two patients in the series showed complications derived from gallstones and required a delayed cholecystectomy. Although cholecystectomy is a safe procedure in the context of CRS+HIPEC, it is not risk free, and its routine performance may be unnecessary.

Advancing insights into non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A critical analysis of ultrasonography and beyond

Advancing insights into non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A critical analysis of ultrasonography and beyond

INTERPRETATION OF THE PHENOMENON OF SOCIAL CONTROL IN POSTMODERNISM AND METAMODERNISM

The paper presents a comparative analysis of the interpretation of the phenomenon of social control in postmodernism and metamodernism. The similarities and differences in the description of social control mechanisms are identified. The concepts of “society of the spectacle” (G.Debord), “society of surveillance” (M.Foucault) and “society of control” (J. Deleuze) are analyzed, which show the evolution of postmodernists’ views on social processes.. The concept of the “listening society” (G.Freinacht) as a metamodern alternative to the development of modern society is presented. Postmodernism focuses on criticizing society, drawing attention to its increasing fragmentation, the crisis of metanarratives, and the growing role of the media as a tool for social control. In contrast, metamodernism tries to balance modern and postmodern theories, recognizing the importance of centralized and decentralized forms of social control. This allows simultaneously taking into account the diversity of identities of a modern person and the possibility of his or her integration into society through the adoption of common norms and rules. Metamodernism seeks to reconstruct metanarratives that can contribute to new forms of social control based on cooperation and common interests. It emphasizes the importance of empathy in social control, whereas postmodernism rejects it as a false, simulated form of social relations. While postmodernism focuses more on critical analysis of existing structures, metamodernism aims to find hybrid and adaptive forms of control that combine traditional methods with the latest technologies. All these differences in the interpretation of the phenomenon of social control reflect the paradigm shift from postmodern deconstruction to synthesis and reconstruction within metamodernism.

Assessment Tool of Portfolios: Enhancing Primary School Students' English Reading Proficiency

This study aims to explore the use of portfolios as an assessment tool to enhance primary school students' English reading proficiency. Portfolio assessment offers a more comprehensive and continuous approach compared to traditional assessment methods, which tend to measure students' abilities at a single point in time. By using portfolios, teachers can collect various types of student work that demonstrate their progress and understanding in reading, such as book summaries, text analyses, and personal reflections. This research employs a qualitative method. Data is collected through classroom observations, interviews with teachers, and analysis of students' portfolio documents. The findings indicate that using portfolios as an assessment tool provides several significant benefits. First, portfolios allow for a more holistic evaluation of students' reading abilities, encompassing various aspects such as text comprehension, critical analysis, and reflective skills. Second, portfolios offer students the opportunity to see and recognize their own progress, which can boost their motivation and confidence in learning. Overall, this study concludes that portfolios are an effective assessment tool for enhancing primary school students' reading proficiency in English. The use of portfolios not only aids in more comprehensive assessment but also supports deeper and more sustained development of reading skills. Therefore, it is recommended that schools and educators consider integrating portfolios into their English teaching curriculum.

The modern and the Monster: heritage activism in the post-socialist city between performance and performativity

ABSTRACT This paper explores the role of urban grassroot movements in the social configuration of contentious heritage and multiple temporalities and political articulations of heritage defense activism. Using the case study method, the paper traces the genealogy of one urban movement in defense of socialist modernist heritage in contemporary Montenegro, shedding light on the process of slow political recognition as opposed to the wide and rampant repertoire of urban contention and socio-cultural appropriation. Focusing on the events following the announcement of the construction of the 12-floor skyscraper (colloquially dubbed “the Monster”) in the immediate proximity of the iconic modernist Hotel Podgorica, the paper theorizes the capacity of urban activism in the contemporary post-socialist city to activate heritage dynamics and leverage urban knowledge as a tool of cultural control. Relying on a multi-method approach including participatory observations, interviews, urban and critical discourse analysis, and the archival research, this paper provides a multi-perspectival analysis of the complex interactions between contentious heritage, grassroot movements and political performativity in the post-socialist city. The results shed light on the evolving role of citizenship in urban development, signaling a paradigm shift towards engaged architecture and emancipatory urban activism as mechanisms for mitigating institutional inefficiencies and political performativity.

Study on the magnetic properties and critical behavior of CoFe2−x Al x O4 (x = 1.0 and 1.2) spinel ferrite

Abstract We have examined the behavior of CoFe2−x Al x O4 (x = 1.0 and 1.2) ferrite close to the transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phases (T C). The findings indicate that at a temperature of T C = 314 K (x = 1.0) and T C = 224 K (x = 1.2), there is a second order magnetic phase transition. We used various methods, including modified Arrott plot, Kouvel–Fisher method, and critical isotherm analysis, to determine the critical exponents which were found to be similar to those expected for the Tricritical Mean-field model (β = 0.288, γ = 1.057, and δ = 4.665) for the x = 1.0 sample. The critical exponents for the x = 1.2 sample (β = 0.771, γ = 1.081, and δ = 2.403) belonged to a different universality class. These results suggest that the replacement of Fe ions with non-magnetic Al ions decreases the Co–Fe, Fe–Fe, Co–Co interaction sites in the CoFe2O4 spinel ferrite, increasing magnetic disorder.

Prabowo Gibran's Local Language Campaign On The Tiktok Account Fillixpratama

This research analyzes the impact of the local language campaign conducted by Prabowo Gibran through the TikTok account @fillixpratama25, which demonstrates adaptation to digital trends and the preferences of young voters. Unlike previous studies that focused on political image and campaign strategies in other contexts, this research offers a new approach by emphasizing the use of local language on TikTok. The methodology used is a qualitative approach with a constructivist paradigm, utilizing field research methods. Data was collected through direct observation, document analysis, and interviews with relevant stakeholders. Critical discourse analysis by Teun A. van Dijk was used to understand how local language in this campaign builds or undermines social dominance and reflects power structures. The results of the study indicate that the use of local language and a relaxed communication style create emotional closeness with the audience, increase political awareness among young voters, and leverage the viral potential of TikTok to expand the reach of political messages. This campaign combines media ecology theory and social media campaign theory, highlighting how new media transforms the political communication environment and enables more direct interaction between politicians and the public. The conclusion shows that adaptive strategies in using social media with relevant local languages can strengthen the connection between candidates and voters, increase political awareness, and open new opportunities in political communication in the digital era.

Legalization and Decriminalization of Drugs. A Critical Analysis of Foreign Experience

Legalization and Decriminalization of Drugs. A Critical Analysis of Foreign Experience

Experience design of lifestyle communities: the future of hospitality and tourism

Purpose This paper aims to provide a critical reflection on the experience design of the lifestyle communities in the hospitality and tourism industry. Specifically, this paper proposes a conceptual model that governs experience design in creating unique and memorable experiences for lifestyle communities. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a critical analysis of emerging phenomena, related literature and researchers’ experiences and insights. Findings The lifestyle community is conceptualized as a group of people who share a specific interest, value or activity and the type of its existence can be classified as physical, virtual or hybrid. As the importance of experience design has been highlighted in the hospitality and tourism industry, the study provides the guest experience design framework of lifestyle communities that suggests an operationalization of experience design that touches shared values of customers within lifestyle communities. Research limitations/implications This study introduces a framework that highlights the role of experience design in the development of lifestyle communities, thereby enriching the emerging body of knowledge. Additionally, the research illustrates how lifestyle communities diverge from traditional hospitality business models by using distinctive positioning strategies. Practical implications This study provides practical implications on how to capture the growing number of customers represented by lifestyle communities in the future. A deep understanding of frameworks may be crucial to establishing the experience design of lifestyle communities to correspond to the future of the hospitality and tourism industry. Originality/value This study remarks an initial attempt to provide a critical reflection of a rising contemporary issue: experience design and lifestyle communities. Conceptualization through a profound reflection of the issue offers insights to define existing phenomena and suggestions to capture future opportunities and actual management. Furthermore, future research directions in hospitality and tourism are elucidated by the provided conceptual frameworks.