Catalyst For Social Change Research Articles

Partnerships and ports: Negotiating climate adaptive governance for sustainable transport regimes

ABSTRACTPorts are a key driver of change in global transport contexts; they are also affected by and a contributor to climate change. This article, drawing on an international review of ports and climate change activity, and then an Australian case study, shows that ports across the world are important catalysts for social change and governance reform in sustainable transport contexts. Specifically, it is argued that ports are hubs that facilitate governance flow in innovative ways. The article concludes with the suggestion that port governance structures, in facilitating regional, national and transnational networks and governance flows, can become cornerstones for future decision making about climate change in local to international contexts.

TED Talks on International Development: Science Communication, Digital Solutionismm and Social Change

Despite their global popularity and relevance to Communication for Development (C4D), TED talks have not yet been systematically examined from the vantage point of C4D. We offer the first theoretical and empirical investigation of both the content and structure of talks on international development by leveraging definitions of C4D as well as literature on mediatization, rituals in international relations, and online activism. Our analysis suggests that TED talks succeed in disseminating ideas and sparking public interest. At the same time, they reflect institutionalized, corporatized modes of mass communication rooted in elitist discourses and practices. Contrary to popular perceptions, we therefore conclude that while TED talks are an effective vehicle for information dissemination, they are an unlikely catalyst for social change.

Terrorism, Religious and Ethnic Intolerance Issues in the Syllabuses and Textbooks of Bengali and English Medium and Madrasha Education in Bangladesh An Appraisal

Bangladesh, a seventh largest populous and fourth largest Muslim country in the World, is often facing the problems of terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance. There are many cases of terrorist activities, religious and ethnic intolerance in the recent past. Like many of the post-colonial societies, various national policies were adopted towards facing the challenges of terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance in Bangladesh. One of the most important policies was formulating National Education Policy (NEP)-2010 though there are a large number of contradictions about the implementation of the NEP. Needless to say peoples of Bangladesh are the victims of terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance. The Author’s perception is education itself a catalyst for social change and it is a powerful instrument in the process of overcoming the problems. In other words, author of this paper believe that syllabuses and text books of both general and madrasha education streams of Bangladesh have significant role in educating people to counter terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance. However, an attempt has been made in this paper through reviewing the current syllabuses and text books of general and madrasha education streams and also through assessing the peoples’ opinions of Bangladesh to know whether the syllabuses and text books are adequately addressing the issues of terrorism, religious and ethnic intolerance or not. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hjsa.v6i0.10715 Himalayan Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol.6 2014: 146-165

Changing the Lens

This paper discusses an action research project in which the making and screening of a film was conceived as a catalyst for social change in a deeply divided community. The context is the history of segregation of Indigenous peoples and settlers in Canada. Is there a decolonizing role for planning, beginning with the work of healing and reconciliation? And, is there a role for film as a methodological tool in such a process? Our findings suggest a very necessary role for therapeutic planning, albeit with caveats; and, that film can be an effective catalyst for creating this therapeutic space.

The Return of Displaced Nuer in Southern Sudan: Women Becoming Men?

ABSTRACTConceptualizing war‐time displacement as a catalyst for social change, this article examines the gendered emplacement experiences of returnee displaced women in the aftermath of the recent (1983–2005) civil war in South Sudan. The article attempts to shed light on the strategies of returnee women in transforming and contributing to their communities in the context of an independent South Sudan. It focuses specifically on their gendered emplacement strategies to access land, livelihoods and political rights. Through these diverse actions, some women contest and reconfigure gender identities while others reinforce unequal power relations within their households and communities. These gendered emplacements emphasize the hybridity of place, identity and self in processes of social transformation.

Diane Victor, Tracey Rose, and the Gender Politics of Christian Imagery

In this paper I propose that transgressive interpretations of Christian iconography provide a valuable strategy for contemporary women artists to engage with perceived social inequalities in post-apartheid South Africa. South Africa’s new constitution is one of the most progressive in the world, with legislation banning all forms of discrimination, including gender-based discrimination. Despite the constitutional guarantee of freedoms indicated in the excerpt above, however, there are ongoing injustices and inequalities, with both women (particularly rural women) and the gay community facing continuing violence, intolerance, and the threat of political and social suppression, due largely to patriarchal traditionalism and prejudice. In addition, continuous reports of domestic violence against women and children and the highest number of rapes reported for any country not currently engaged in armed conflict1 raise doubts about the implementation of the constitution and the effects of legislation impacting on lived experience. I would argue, therefore, that in South Africa today feminist strategies exposing patriarchal controls are still a necessary response to local conditions. The examples by Diane Victor and Tracey Rose,2 discussed in this paper, function as a catalyst for social change by exposing the inherent unequal power relations that have been promoted and normalized through centuries of Christian imagery. They approach Christian imagery using parody and satire to disturb complacent viewing, rather than for the purposes of indicating any devoutness on the part of their makers. Parody works through a system of quotation or repetition. It is a form of self reference that has become a popular aspect of postmodern artworks as the reuse of a work in another context automatically carries the nuances of that work from its original manifestation, while simultaneously imbuing it with new meaning in its borrowed form. Parody thus allows for conceptual richness in works of art through this layering, which Linda Hutcheon (1985:6) has defined succinctly as “repetition with critical distance, which marks difference rather than similarity” or “imitation characterized by ironic inversion.” The kind of parody that Hutcheon (1985:11) identifies as crucial in contemporary artworks is “an integrated structural modeling process of revising, replaying, inverting, and ‘trans-contextualizing’ previous works of art.” This does not rely on mere quotation or imitation but infers building up layered associative meanings that resonate with each other and with the original text through ironic “trans-contextualization” with each coded discourse. Hutcheon (ibid., p. 38–40) notes that parody implies intent on the part of the artist; it functions as a form of “authorized transgression” (ibid., p. 104) where the author/artist acknowledges the contribution of the original work and its meaning in the ultimate understanding of the parody, thus clearly differentiating parody from plagiarism. This is why it is also vitally important for the functioning of parody that the viewer has knowledge of the original. In fact, the success of parody is dependent on a culturally sophisticated viewer who is able to identify the textual references and understand the ironic inversions with which they are employed. Gender and South African Art

Light Rail Transit in Hamilton: Health, Environmental and Economic Impact Analysis

Hamilton’s historical roots as an electric, industrial and transportation-oriented city provide it with a high potential for rapid transit, especially when combined with its growing population, developing economy, redeveloping downtown core and its plans for sustainable growth. This paper explores the health, environmental, social and economic impacts of light rail transit, a component of the City of Hamilton’s rapid transit initiative. It performs a comparative analysis with other major North American cities that have successfully implemented this form of mass transit. The analysis concentrates on three main areas: urban development and land values, health and environmental impact and socio-economic factors. The results of the research on light rail transit (LRT) and its possible benefits indicate overwhelming support for the economic, health, environmental and social benefits of LRT, especially when compared to other forms of transit, including rapid bus and local transit schemes. According to the results, LRT in a medium sized, growing city such as Hamilton should be considered a viable and desirable transit option; a catalyst for transit oriented, high density, mixed use development; an economically sound investment opportunity, providing a return on investment to property owners, businesses and the municipality; and a catalyst for social change, improving the health, environment and connectivity of the community.

Poverty eradication: The role of youth participation as a catalyst for social change

Youth are becoming the frontiers and catalysts of positive social changes through their participation. This paper examines youth involvement in the society to get a better understanding of the process of youth participation in development programs, and to investigate the perceptions of youth regarding the poverty issue in the world. Two different methods were applied in the study: a critical in-depth literature review was conducted followed by a validation process to better elaborate the process of youth participation in development programs. Questionnaires and an analysis of the findings were also used. The results show that the youth who live in poor countries are more used to poverty and consider it as an inevitable part of their lives. Besides, the more that youth think about and are aware of poverty in the world, the more responsible they feel towards it. Also, those youth who believed in the important role of holding conferences and events in making young people aware of the necessary actions to era...

The Impact of World Cup 2002 on the Bilateral Relationship Between South Korea and Japan

The purpose of this study was to provide an analysis of an international sporting event as a possible catalyst for social change. Because of the unique circumstances surrounding the bid process, the dual hosting of the World Cup 2002 by Korea and Japan was seen as a unique opportunity to examine the power of sport as a catalyst behind change. Longitudinal secondary data were consulted to look at the economic, social and cultural impact of the event, while interviews with respondents in both nations gave more insight on how the respondents viewed the relationship between the two nations. Economic, social and cultural indicators all reflected an impact of the World Cup on the bilateral relationship. The interviews suggested that there were two main barriers to an improved relationship between the two nations (Victim mentality of the Korean toward the Japanese, Lack of awareness of Korea in Japan), and that it was not necessarily the organization of the event that alleviated these barriers, but the performance of the Korean football team.

NGOs, the Judiciary and Rights in Bangladesh: Just Another Face of Partisan Politics?

On 16 December 1971, Bangladesh emerged as an independent state after a 267-day war against Pakistan. The Bangladesh Liberation War is known as one of the worst genocides of the 20th century that killed, according to some estimates, 3 million Bengalis.1 Bangladesh’s independence came from a legacy of rights violations through internal colonization and against the backdrop of genocide. Formerly known as East Bengal and East Pakistan, Bangladesh operated under colonial rule for centuries: the loss of Nawab Sirajjudawllah’s throne to the British was followed by the exploitation of its eastern territory by West Pakistan. After living under the domination of the British, Bengali Hindus and West Pakistani Muslims, Bangladeshis became their own masters under the leadership of Bengali Muslims for the first time in 1971.2 Under British colonization and West Pakistani economic colonization, Bangladeshis experienced rights only as the subjects of an imperial ruler and had few opportunities for self-realization. Kamal Hossain, an eminent Bangladeshi jurist, notes that ``in a colonial society, a person was the subject of an imperial ruler, whose viceroys exercised executive authority without constitutional limits. They were thus under no constitutional obligation to respect the fundamental rights of their subjects, nor in these societies could the subjects seek judicial protection of their rights.’’3 1 Bangladesh Genocide Archive [last accessed on 2 May 2012]. 2 S. Ahmed, Bangladesh: Past and Present (APH, 2004) at 1. 3 K. Hossain, `The Role of the Judiciary as a Catalyst of Social Change’ [last accessed 27 October 2012]

Of Sensual Matters: On Audre Lorde's "Poetry Is Not a Luxury" and "Uses of the Erotic"

We are very familiar with the philosophical discussion about the relationship between the senses and the intellect. After all, writers such as Spinoza, Hume, Saussure, and Freud acquainted us with the idea that the intellect and the senses are in conversation with one another. Far from being a purely philosophical matter, though, the connections between the senses and the intellect were very much a part of the social movements of the late 1960s and afterward. Indeed, we can safely argue that those movements - in their own ways - represented a rehabilitation of the senses for the purposes of revolutionary change. One of the exemplars of this way of thinking was the writer, teacher, and artist Audre Lorde. As her classic essays Poetry Is Not a Luxury and Uses of the Erotic demonstrate, hers would be a progressive vision with certain affective and sensual mobilizations.Poetry Is Not a Luxury: Senses, Self, and Affect in Social TransformationPoetry Is Not a Luxury was first published in 1977 in Chrysalis: A Magazine of Female Culture. As Alexis De Veaux writes in her biography of Lorde, this feminist quarterly was important because it provided a platform for an emerging body of feminist cultural (2004, 177), publishing writers and theorists such as Michelle Cliff, Adrienne Rich, Mary Daly, and Lucy Lippard. Assuming the position of poetry editor in 1977, Lorde used that post to advance a theory of poetry that was personally and socially meaningful for women and to seed the very ideas that would culminate in her classic essay.Defining poetry as illumination, she begins the essay by arguing, quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes which we hope to bring about through those lives. It is within this light that we form those ideas by which we pursue our magic and make it realized (Lorde 1984, 36). For Lorde, poetry was a way to enact an intimate scrutiny needed for personal and social transformation, a way to critically engage the to set the stage for new interventions and articulations. In this way, poetry would be the linchpin between the personal and the social, [giving] name to those ideas which are - until the poem - nameless and formless, about to be birthed but already felt (36).Lorde s theory about engaging the as a way to initiate social transformations was part of a historical moment that placed new emphasis on connections between self- and collective transformations, emphases produced by a variety of social movements in the post- 1960s moment. In her own reflections about the 1970s, for instance, Toni Cade Bambara observed this about the as a catalyst for social change:The energy of the seventies is very different from that of the previous decade - The of American-style democracy, the bold analytical and passionate attention to our condition, status, and process - the whole experience ofthat era led to a particular spot in time, in the seventies. Some say it's been a period of retreat, of amnesia, of withdrawal into narcissism. I'm not so sure. I'd say the seventies is characterized by a refocusing on the self, which is, after all, the main instrument for self, group and social transformation. ( 1983, 13)Bambara in the passage sees the turn toward the revision of the as a means of critically attending to structural revisions. As a figure that arose in the demystification of American-style 'democracy,' the self that Bambara posits is not at all the of liberal individualism. Not willing to frame the revision of the as part of the declension of revolutionary ideals or as a capitulation to liberal democratic ideology, Bambara - like Lorde - understands the attention to the as an aesthetics of existence with personal and collective intentions, intentions that are appointed not for the continuation of liberal social formations but for their abolition. …

Silent Rage and the Politics of Resistance: Countering Seductions of Whiteness and the Road to Politicization and Empowerment

Feminist theorists of color (Lorde, hooks, Collins) have provided a framework for addressing how rage can serve as a tool of empowerment. These authors focus explicitly on expressed rage. Instead, in this article, I ask, what happens to that silent rage—rage that remains unspoken? I define silent rage as a space . . . that inside space in which women of color define the self . . . a place in which we make ourselves subject, determining who we are spiritually, emotionally . . . a space in which rage can work to decolonize ourselves . . . a space in which we refuse to concede to White dominance. By addressing the use of how silent rage serves as a path to empowerment for women of color, I envision this work to be an intervention in much of the educational discourse that valorizes speech as the primary means of empowerment. It is my goal to reinscribe the potential of silence as a strategy of resistance, particularly for women of color in the academy. Through narrative, I complicate rage in a modest way, by conducting a self-excavation of sorts. I address how silent rage has served the following purposes for me: as a possible road to empowerment/transformation; it has helped me gain clarity as to making sense of racism; and has served as a reminder of the need to re(politicize) self, essentially being a catalyst for social change. However, I also warn that while silence may serve as a source of empowerment, there are also several dangers of remaining silent, which may occur when being seduced by whiteness, and hegemonic ideology overall.

Migrant Women, Care Work, and Women's Employment in Greece

This contribution is about women's paid and unpaid work in the context of rapid socioeconomic change in Greece between 1983 and 2008. Drawing on feminist analyses of women's employment and the care sector, it highlights the link between women's paid employment and the supply of affordable immigrant (female) labor in Greece in the sphere of care provision. It examines three issues: the acceleration of women's involvement in the paid labor force after 1990; the parallel influx of immigrants, a quarter of whom are women involved in service provision for households, into Greece; and finally, the “big picture” of the demand for care (both paid and unpaid, childcare as well as eldercare) in the context of an aging population and women's rising participation in paid work. The analysis highlights the key contribution of migrant women acting as catalysts for social change.

Brilliance of a Fire: Innocence, Experience and the Theory of Childhood

This essay offers an extensive rehabilitation and reappraisal of the concept of childhood innocence as a means of testing the boundaries of some prevailing constructions of childhood. It excavates in detail some of the lost histories of innocence in order to show that these are more diverse and more complex than established and pejorative assessments of them conventionally suggest. Recovering, in particular, the forgotten pedigree of the Romantic account of the innocence of childhood underlines its depth and furnishes an enriched understanding of its critical role in the coming of mass education––both as a catalyst of social change and as an alternative measure of the child-centeredness of the institutions of public education. Now largely and residually confined to the inheritance of nursery education, the concept of childhood innocence, and the wider Romantic project of which it is an element, can help question the assumptions underpinning modern, competence-centred philosophies of childhood.

A Brief History of Time (review)

Reviewed by: A Brief History of Time Jessie Janeshek (bio) Shaindel Beers . A Brief History of Time. Salt Press. When I initially saw the title of Shaindel Beers's first poetry collection, A Brief History of Time, I was leery. It sounded too epic, too glorious, and perhaps indicative of a poet with an inflated head. I feel like our—allow me to be post(post)modern and say it—"fragmented" society precludes such a sweeping, all-inclusive title. To whose history is Beers referring? To what time? My questions were quickly put to rest by the title poem, first in the collection, which is not only impressive in its scope but accessible, funny, tender, and profound. Beers immediately proves herself to be a mistress of the Whitmanesque long line and the language of the "common [hu]man," although her poetic mission is not that simple. Merging "personal" experiences and "impersonal" terms and statistics across the page, her first poem gives us entry into the mind of a speaker who is completely immersed in her emotional, intellectual, and physical worlds and who draws meaningful and startling connections among them. I think I'm through with being in love with peoplethough I'll love mountains as only a flatlander can. To be awedby something so big and unyielding that your desireto conquer it never dies, though you know in your heart,liver, neurons, axons, dendrites, and womb, that it willnever happen. Because the Rockies, my latest non-human love,were born 65 million years ago, maybe the same year a meteor crashednear the Yucatan, rendering the dinosaurs irrelevantexcept to squirmy kindergarteners who love themand to paleontologist Paul Sereno, who was named one of People magazine's"50 Most Beautiful People" which, unfortunately, isprobably how most people know him . . . ("A Brief History of Time") The poems are somewhat confessional, but even more importantly, they are wholesome, and I don't mean wholesome in just the corn-fed sense, though with Beers's midwestern farm-girl background, that's part of it. "First Love," "Red Heifer," "Why Gold-digging Fails," and other early poems in the book seem channeled through the voice of—as Beers describes her in "Would you know me"—a girl [End Page 159] wearing the uniformof the hardworking rural poor—straight-legged jeans, plaid flannel,ponytail pulled through the backof a John Deere cap,a nondescript girl with hair as dun as after-harvest fieldseyes the color of a Midwestern sky . . . Like the rolling plains among which many are physically set, Beers's poems are often vast, all encompassing. Long lines reach admirably to the "real" world, that is, the world beyond academia; events and situations "out there" are relevant and political, yet the characters in the poems are undoubtedly flesh and blood. We sympathize with these characters; they maintain their dignity as human beings; and we recognize the poems in which they live as catalysts for social change, all at the same time. "'HA!'" one of my favorites, is told through the voice of a Dollar General cashier whose co-worker is battling ovarian cancer and who "wish[es] I . . . could give Ann money / . . . or find her a real job somewhere / where she doesn't have to work with junkies / and get yelled at by people who don't understand / that if the sign says '3 for 1,' you have to buy three." Beers's startling forays into the traditions of poetic form are perhaps even more notable than her revisions of the long line. She personalizes the sestina and the villanelle in ways that echo Elizabeth Bishop—form and subject matter coexist seamlessly—but she takes her sestinas to destinations where Bishop never would have dared venture: the antiwar protest, the bedroom, and, most memorably, the strip club. "Weekend Rain Ghazal" is a thoughtful and delightful interpretation of the ancient Persian form; Beers incorporates the custom of the poet including his or her name within the ghazal via her last couplet: "Surgery scars can make a man look like a baseball, a warrior, a map. / When I was eight, I sewed split seams of stuffed toys...

Higher Education in Uttarakhand: Problems and Prospects of The Government Degree Colleges

Higher education plays the role of leadership in society. Education is a catalyst of social change and the successful spread of education in a society is the foundation of success in countries that are latecomers to development. In the road to development, primary education is absolutely essential because it creates the base. But higher education is just as important, as it provides the cutting edge. Higher Education provides people with an opportunity to reflect on the critical, social, economic, cultural, moral and spiritual issues facing humanity. It contributes to national development through dissemination of specialized knowledge and skills. It is therefore a crucial factor for survival. In the present paper an attempt has been made to assess the problems and prospects of Higher Education in Uttarakhand State with special reference to Government degree colleges located in the rural areas.

Harry Aaron Director: The Coming of Age of a Reformer Skeptic (1914–24)

This article concentrates on the life of Aaron Director at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon (1914–21), and at Yale University (1921–24). Its primary purposes are to examine the juvenilia of Director in order to analyze the evolution of his worldview and to shed light on Director's life at this time through the use of archival and secondary sources. Tracing the evolution of Director's worldview leads to three claims. First, Director maintained that the individual or an elite group of individuals was the catalyst for social change and expressed skepticism toward governing structures as means to make improvements in society. Second, Director believed that open-minded educators who challenged social injustice and prejudice were essential for social and economic reform. Third, Director adopted the critical and skeptical social philosophy of Thorstein Veblen and H. L. Mencken. In conclusion, this essay maintains that the worldview of Director's youth motivated and empowered his postwar efforts at Chicago.

The University as a Catalyst for Social Change: A Case Study

The University as a Catalyst for Social Change: A Case Study

Amul India: A Social Development Enterprise

Amul initiated as an experiment in two villages, collecting 250 kg of milk per day. As the cooperative expanded its branches over the course of its 50-year journey, Amul boasts of more than six million kilograms of milk collection daily. What had initiated as a process of liberation from the Dairy King, brought a revolutionary transformation across the country. This case provides a vivid example of how a cooperative can become the catalyst for social change and rural development. This case takes us through the journey of Amul, from its dawn period when it was attempting to take root, through its progression along the enterprise life stages and the associated challenges. Insights into the quality of leadership and the farmer/management relationships are its defining characteristic. The Amul Model narrowed the gap between the producer and the consumer, connecting the dairy farmer to the consumer through its organic network. The success of this model ignited interest across India, where this model was replicated, in essence leading to the White Revolution. The case provides sufficient insights and learnings to develop a framework to comprehend the basic essence of a prosperous social enterprise — factors that make it successful. It is this learning that this case desires to impart to its readership, enhancing interest in this rather lively subject of social enterprises.

Reconstructing a Community, Reclaiming a Playground: A Participatory Action Research Study

This article describes a participatory action research study that examined participants' perceptions of community and of the West End neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the study took place. It is argued that oppressive situations have developed strong collective identities and social capital among residents, which can lead to the development of community art as a catalyst for social change and inform community-based art education. An asset-based community art curriculum was implemented and two murals were developed. Results from the study indicate that participants conceive of community, in general, as a safe, happy place that is clean and green, and the West End as a place with strong social bonds despite suffering from trash, violence, and drugs. Results also indicate that participants increasingly realized their own ability to affect change in their community to improve the landscape and promote a cleaner, greener place through art. Data reveal that the community art curriculum contributed to social change in the neighborhood by highlighting the role of neighborhood children and reclaiming a playground that had been associated with drugs and violence.