Political Class Research Articles

Climate change, counter-terrorism and capitalist development in Somalia

ABSTRACT Somalia is often referred to as a ‘failed state’. In addition to ineffective governance, feeble economic development, and a large anti-government insurgency, it faces increasingly severe climate change-induced devastation. This article offers a critical discussion of the role of capitalist interests and ideology as a factor in the climate crisis. It explores interlocking issues of (1) the relationship between the ruling political class of Somalia and capitalist mining interests; (2) the largely covert US-backed ‘war on terror’ in Somalia; and (3) the ongoing, capitalism-induced climate crisis. The article analyses current US and Somali proposals to address these issues. Many of these proposals remain trapped in the politico-ideological deadlock of capitalist developmentalism, oriented towards fossil fuel extraction and militarised accumulation. The trajectory of this current path in Somalia is leading to immiseration, oppression, displacement for millions of people, and the destruction of an already deteriorating environment. Alternative paths to avert these catastrophes require transnational solidarity, cooperation and assistance.

Naked, authentic, classless? Reading Naked Attraction

At first glance, Naked Attraction seems to be another example of a type of reality television that is often criticised as ‘voyeuristic’, ‘tasteless’ or transgressing bourgeois boundaries of shame. In this article, however, I want to show how class differences that play a vital part in reality television, are made invisible with great effort and translated into questions of ‘authenticity’, ‘privacy’ and supposedly classless forms of ‘desire’. The argument is developed in three steps. First, I outline my theoretical approach, which combines a material and symbolic understanding of class. Building on this, I will show that the connection between seemingly ‘private’ and ‘intimate’ spheres of life and the fabrication of class, which is central to Naked Attraction, is based on a structural relationship. In the third section, I analyse Naked Attraction in more detail, suggesting that the programme can be read as the (doomed) notion of a seemingly ‘classless’ society. This is where the class politics of the show (and, more broadly, of contemporary neo-liberal imaginaries since New Labour) can be found.

III. György és Lord Bute szerepe a Pitt–Newcastle koalíciós kormány felbomlásában

The resignation of William Pitt the Elder in October 1761 and that of the Duke of Newcastle in May 1762 had serious consequences: Britain became diplomatically isolated after losing its only ally, Prussia, while in domestic affairs a period of utter instability started, which did not come to an end until 1770. The inexperienced new ruler, George III (1760-1820) had a lot to do with all this. He detested the ministers he inherited and he adored his former tutor, Lord Bute. The study describes the process that led to the breakup of the Pitt-Newcastle coalition government, one of the most successful administrations of the early modern period, which won the Seven Years’ War (1756-63) for Britain. It explains why the young king was unable to trust the politicians he inherited, why he insisted on making Lord Bute Secretary of State, and what other factors resulted in the serious political and social instability of the 1760s. George III did not act unconstitutionally when he dismissed some of the members of the Whig oligarchy and chose new ministers. Nevertheless, he had to face the serious consequences of his decisions. The ministerial appointment of Lord Bute – who was Scottish, a personal confidant of the king and by no means a prominent politician – was an affront to the political class. The disgruntled Whig politicians were determined to discredit the new government and they were able to take advantage of the difficulties that emerged at the end and after the Seven Years’ War.

An Exposè on Encumbrance in Political Parties' Financing and Electoral Credibility in Nigeria

Purpose: This study examines political party financing and voting behaviour in north-central Nigeria, with particular focus on the level of financing in the region, the underlining motivations for such financing, and insight into the benefits or otherwise of political party financing on governance and development in the region vis-à-vis electoral process credibility. Theoretical framework: Electoral window in Nigeria political terrain is conceived by the elite as investment venture of which profit is to be maximized by means of exchange of electorates voting power for money, entrenchment of poverty and by extension hold the electoral system to hostage via manipulation, corruption and election irregularities and weak judicial system. According to the investment and social exchange theory, the political class are to business of investment for profit and exchange of services (voting power/vote buying) transaction politics for elite interest aggregation and articulation. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses using survey and in-depth interview. The research work was carried out across three dominant political parties in north-central Nigeria, namely the All Progressive Congress (APC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP), in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The research follows three stages of random sampling. Stage one involves the random sampling or selection of two local governments across Benue, the Plateau, and Nassarawa, totaling six units of study. Stage two involves the random selection of two council wards from each of the six (6) identified focus areas, for a total of twelve (12) council wards. Stage three involves the selection of 18 respondents from each unit sampled, making a total of 216 respondents for the study. The study made use of descriptive statistics (Graphs) to analyse the data obtained from a field survey and interview analysed thematically. However, 200 questionnaires were valid for analysis after two weeks of administering the questionnaire. Findings: Findings reveal that unregulated political party financing undermines Nigeria electoral process vis-à-vis electoral credibility. It promotes political patronage and clientele networks; thus, political or electoral funders control and select politicians, thereby sacrificing good governance and development. Excessive and unregulated financing breaks the link between the electorate and politicians, leading to unequal participation, making it difficult for new political forces to emerge. Politicians with large resources often give preferential treatment to their backers, and politicians abuse their access to state resources to maintain power which in turns undermines the electoral process due to transactional (party with big money bags wins’ election) political nature in Nigeria. Research, Practical & Social implications: This study shows that political elites has weaponized transactional politics and corruption to hold on to power and by extension undermines the electoral process which in turns gave rise to bad governance, corruption and poverty in Nigeria and Nigeria is currently suffering from institutional fragility (INEC) and if proactive measures is not taken to suppress these menace in Nigeria political landscape, the country is heading to banana republic. This study helps policymakers to be in the know of the impending disaster that awaits Nigeria in the near future if proactive measures are not taking to quell this menace of transactional politics. Originality/Value: The findings suggest several consequences for the electoral processes in Nigeria and by extension Africa on how eexcessive political party financing affects the performances of eventual winners and electoral outcomes and this transactional politics does not does not benefit the north-central zone as it concerns service delivery oriented governance and development.

Revisiting Urban Secularism

Abstract In this piece, I revisit my work in Urban Secularism by addressing the main critical points raised by five generous critics. These concern issues about the theoretical framing of the book, its methodological design and implementation as well as points concerning the findings of the book and some aspects that would have required more attention, such as the relevance of the far-right, race and class in urban secular politics. In the last section of this piece, I take on the invitation of two of the commentators to explore new questions that arise from their reading of the book.

Paved Over: At the Intersection of Urban Mobility, Class Politics, and the Limits of Power in Mexico City, 1920s-1960s

The mid-twentieth-century history of urban modernization and mobility in Mexico City was intertwined with political violence. It ranged from the forceful clearing of a working-class community to make way for a stadium parking lot to the “slow violence” of denying people access to trolleys to transport their goods or weaponizing transit policy to reward friends and punish rivals. This article shows how these activities reflected the increasingly violent decisions of an indifferent national and local elite rooted in Mexico City’s political reorganization, which created a powerful, centralized, and unelected bureaucracy: the Department of the Federal District. Public officials, engineers, business leaders, everyday citizens, and newspapers contested issues related to urban mobility. These engagements shaped how people lived and moved in the district and were affected by class politics. They also provoked new configurations for democratic intervention that led people to organize, protest, and resist state power in Mexico City.

FROM NGUYEN AI QUOC'S POLITICAL TRAINING CLASS IN GUANGZHOU (CHINA) TO LESSONS FOR INNOVATION IN CURRENT TEACHING METHODS

Ho Chi Minh's ideology is a system of comprehensive views on the Vietnamese revolution. Among these views, the content of his ideology on education has great theoretical and practical significance for the education sector. From inheriting national traditions to absorbing the quintessence of human culture on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, teacher Vuong applied that ideology to the politics class in Guangzhou (China). Although his study time was short, Nguyen Ai Quoc trained a generation of core cadres for the Vietnamese Revolution. Nearly a century has passed, but his content and methods of education still have special significance for innovating teaching methods in the education sector in the current context of international integration.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0011/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Polynesian Agency and the Establishment of the French Centre for Pacific Tests

ABSTRACT Since the 1960s, the installation of the Centre for Pacific Tests (Centre d’expérimentation du Pacifique or CEP) in French Polynesia has given rise to important debates concerning the agency of the populations in relationship to a decision on which they were not consulted. Until now, these debates have often focused on the reactions of the political class. In this article, we propose another approach to these issues by focusing on economic and social questions, with particular attention paid to the multiple strategies implemented by Polynesian workers. As this article demonstrates, while local actors had no say in the decision to set up the CEP in French Polynesia, the actual process of infrastructure construction, the interactions induced by these activities and the transformation of local power relations constituted opportunities for Islanders to develop their own strategies based on their interests and desires, their opinions, and the constraints that weighed unequally on them.

Business Leaders and Nationalism in Japan’s Oil Diplomacy in the Middle East

ABSTRACT This article examines Japan’s resource diplomacy in the Middle East by focusing on the activities and ideologies of business leaders before the First Oil Crisis in 1973. By analysing the roles played by four prominent leaders in the oil industry (Idemitsu Sazō, Yamashita Tarō, Tanaka Seigen, and Sugimoto Shigeru), the article illustrates how the beliefs of these leaders intersected with those of the political class in Japan’s oil diplomacy towards Middle East. The approach they took to oil diplomacy reflected the notion of Kōdōshugi (Imperial Way principles and ethics). This form of nationalism had some continuity with the prewar Greater Asianism insofar as it was infused with the religious ethics and doctrines of the ‘Japanese Imperial Way’ and the avoidance of dependence on the West.

Analysis on the Path of Optimizing the Ideological and Political Wisdom Classroom Teaching in High School under the Background of Education Digitization

The report of the Party's 20th National Congress for the first time included "education digitization" in the report, and education digitization has increasingly become the focus of education reform and development. Under the background of the digital era, the ideological and political wisdom classroom in high school has its value implications. This paper explores the teaching practice of using the intelligent classroom teaching platform to achieve interactive communication before, during and after class in the actual teaching of ideological and political classes in high school, so as to improve the quality and efficiency of ideological and political classes in high school and cultivate new people in the era needed by society.

Downplaying Euroscepticism in Mainstream Media: The Schengen Accession of Romania and Bulgaria

Scholars have expressed concern about the growth of Eurosceptic discourses in the media since Taggart’s (1998) article on Euroscepticism. While some progress has been made in understanding the media’s role in increasing Euroscepticism, previous studies have primarily focused on Western European media discourses. This research aims to address the knowledge gap on Eurosceptic discourse in Eastern Europe by analysing the impact of the veto against Romania and Bulgaria’s application to join Schengen, as reflected in mainstream media. The research question is: To what extent the Eurosceptic discourse arose in both countries in the weeks before and after the Justice and Home Affairs Council (8–9 December 2022)? The findings indicate that mainstream-mediated discourse employed a strategy of downplaying Euroscepticism. The Romanian and Bulgarian political class labelled the failure to join Schengen as “disappointing,” “unfair,” “unjustified,” and “regrettable.” This research provides evidence of how mainstream media discourses addressed the issue while promoting the European integration project by minimising Euroscepticism.

Research on practical teaching of Ideology and politics in higher education institutions based on VR technology in the information age

Abstract The application of VR technology to the teaching of college Ideology and politics classes not only brings new opportunities for college education innovation but also innovates the Ideology and politics teaching mode. This paper first introduces the principle of image acquisition and the presentation of virtual reality technology. After determining the parameters of left and right viewpoints, the scene images are acquired through graphic rendering technology, and then the final synthesis of left and right images is carried out. Then the determination of the comfort zone of the stereo display is introduced, using the correspondence between stereo depth and γ to determine the comfort zone. Finally, the effect of virtual reality devices in practical teaching of Ideology and politics is analyzed in terms of student performance, students’ perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and classroom acceptance of VR devices. Regarding perceived usefulness, 41% of students strongly agreed, and 30% agreed with the question, “I think the technology provides a better virtual learning scene”. The integration of VR technology into the practical teaching of Ideology and politics in higher education institutions has broken through the traditional teaching mode of Ideology and politics in higher education and improved the experience of Ideology and politics in higher education.

Hopes will be dashed: Brexit and the ‘Merkel myth’

ABSTRACT The United Kingdom’s strategy for negotiating Brexit involved a misapprehension: that the EU-27 would divide and concede to UK demands. In this article, we provide one explanation for this misapprehension: a pervasive ‘Merkel myth’ widely accepted within the British political class. That myth skewed British understanding of the European Union’s power balance and priorities. It privileged an interpretation of Merkel as a decisive influence in Europe, well-disposed to the UK. Alongside this was the belief that Merkel would come under pressure from Germany’s manufacturing giants to grant the UK a relatively generous deal. The Merkel myth reinforced a political strategy that, by all accounts, never came close to success. Yet these beliefs affected the approach of three prime ministers. Employing the distinctive analytical lens of ‘political myth’ to explain the judgements of actors, the article contributes to a growing literature on the role of ideas in political strategies.

Exploring the Path of Integrating Chinese-style Modernization Theory into the Activity-based Classroom of High School Ideological and Political Lessons

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) outlines and elaborates the theory of Chinese-style modernization, a creative theoretical innovation, which is of great significance for today. The activity-based classroom of high school ideological and political class is the basis for cultivating students' core literacy, and it is necessary to tell the right history of Chinese-style modernization, tell the story of Chinese-style modernization, tell the reason of Chinese-style modernization, tell the faith of Chinese-style modernization, and tell the right voice of Chinese-style modernization in the activity-based classroom of high school ideological and political class. This is also the proper choice to run a good ideological and political class in high school under the new situation on the new journey of building a socialist modernized country in an all-round way.

Coups d'État, Political Legitimacy, and Instability in Mali

Abstract: Mali, once argued to be a democratic model for Africa, is in a state of perennial crisis, the result of poor governance, unmet democratic expectations, and competition for domestic political legitimacy among the political class, the military, and religious leaders. After the 1991 revolution, international donors poured money into Mali to promote democratization. Meanwhile, most Malian citizens were becoming increasingly disconnected from a growing political class dependent on these funds. This article shows how popular protests led to both the reversal of family-law reform and the instigation of military coups d'état. The lack of accountability of the political class and the influx of donor money have contributed to increased popular perceptions of state corruption and impunity. Peace and security are impossible amid governance failures and serial coups d'état. This article explains the political consequences of the breakdown of popular trust and political legitimacy of the ruling elite and argues that restoring trust and legitimacy is a critical element to rebuilding Mali.

Governance, Recycled Politicians and Recycling Politics in Nigeria

The politics of recycling, a political system where the same set of people continue to dominate the political affairs of a given country, is one of the challenges undermining political development and good governance in Nigeria. The study, therefore, analyzes the effects of the politics of recycling on Nigeria's governance and administrative system. The qualitative study covers Nigeria's Second Republic from October 1, 1979, to Nigeria's Fourth Republic, which commenced on May 29, 1999 – 2022. The data for the study were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were gathered through interviews with a number of respondents comprising a Journalist, Engineer, Lecturer, Doctoral Student, Administrator, Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, and Businessmen. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the available and willing respondents to participate in the study. In addition, the researcher's close observations of events in Nigeria form part of the data for the study. The secondary data were gathered through official documents, textbooks, journals, and internet sources. The data collected were analyzed using the content analysis method. The study adopted the Recycling Theory of Abiku to analyze recycled politicians and their antecedents in Nigeria's political activities. According to African mythology, Abiku personifies a child who dies and is reborn repeatedly into the same family and causes pain to its hosts each time the child comes. Nigeria's political class, in a similar manner to Abiku, has continued to play recycling politics without offering anything towards the progress and development of the country, thereby repeatedly leaving a cycle that causes pain to Nigerians. The study concluded that recycling or parading the same set of politicians in the governance and administrative affairs of the country is inimical to the country's political, social, and economic development. The study recommended that the electorates must rise to crush the recycled politicians' antics and tactics and vote for new-breed politicians with impeccable character and proven integrity. Pressure should be mounted on the Independent Electoral Commission by journalists, civil society, national and international observers, as well as other stakeholders on the need to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

MIDDLE CLASS IN UKRAINE: GOVERNMENT OR OPPOSITION?

MIDDLE CLASS IN UKRAINE: GOVERNMENT OR OPPOSITION?

The Economic Failures of Bessarabia in the Proximity of the Soviet State (1921–1940)

Until 1918, Bessarabia was a guberniya of Russia and had the development specific of a periphery. On the one hand, this resulted in the lack of an economic dynamic in the region, and on the other hand, it ensured a climate of stability and a moderate growth in certain branches of the light industry. The neighbouring areas, on the left bank of the Dniester River, with the exception of the port city of Odessa, were even more autarchical than Bessarabia. The Union of March 1918 brought Bessarabia in an entirely new economic situation. Compared to the other Romanian provinces (Banat, Bukovina, Western Moldavia, Greater Wallachia and Transylvania) it was the least industrialised and developed. Furthermore, the Eastern “wall”-border – with the emerging Bolshevik state – led to the loss of access to the Eastern market for the agricultural products and food industry of Bessarabia. There only existed some contraband channels which functioned intermittently. The climate in Bessarabia was not favourable to investments, in the context of constant rumours of a possible Soviet invasion.
 Bessarabian economists worked to find solutions in the new conditions. They mainly insisted on the export of grapes, wines, nuts, dried fruit, furs, etc. One of the priority destinations was the Polish market. As a result of the different views of the Polish and Romanian political classes, the market share of Bessarabian products went down after 1926. Regarding imports, there was a competition between Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The Bessarabian market was used as a testing ground for different marketing strategies, mostly for agricultural technology, footwear, ceramic, perfumes, fertilisers, fish, etc. In the second half of the 1920s, Poland and the port of Danzing (Gdańsk), Czechoslovakia and Austria were the largest importers. The main destinations of Bessarabian export were Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Great Britain. The present work outlines the appraisals and perspectives reflected in the Bessarabian economics journals in the interwar period.

Defending the Right to Protest

Amid rising global protests, the right to protest is being increasingly objected to by business interests and curtailed by governments and legislatures. This article contends that confronted by this political reaction, the right to protest can only be defended through mass struggles rather than legal challenges – although these struggles may well include related legal battles. As history suggests, while legal cases may be important at times, ultimately their outcome will be determined by the sway and swell of political social and class forces.

Reclaiming space: enacting citizenship through embodied protest during the British suffragette movement

The British suffragettes are remembered for their dramatic and visually striking protests, such as their act of chaining themselves to public railings. However, this paper argues that the suffragettes’ protests were embodied acts of citizenship that disrupted the existing political order and laid claim to full participation in the Edwardian polis. Drawing on Jacques Rancière’s work, this paper argues that Edwardian women used their embodied protests to lay claim to political space and stage a scene of ‘dissensus’ and rewrite the political common sense and gendered norms of political participation at the time. Extrapolating on Judith Butler’s performative theory of assembly and Rancière’s performative theory of rights, this paper frames the suffragettes’ protests as attempts to lay claim to political rights and citizen status through the enactment of these rights. In order to contest their gendered exclusion from the political realm, the suffragettes forcibly inserted themselves into masculinised political space through political techniques like heckling politicians, public speaking, and petitioning the king. Nonetheless, while the suffragettes actively laid claim to their own political rights, they also attempted to act for others, specifically other women who they saw as downtrodden, vulnerable, and oppressed. Although the suffragettes’ attempts to act for other women demonstrated a degree of gender-based solidarity, it also illuminated the complicated class politics of the movement, and the tensions inherent in laying claim to rights on behalf of others.