Concerned Citizens Research Articles

Ten years of PEGIDA: a reflection on “deutsche Zustände”

ABSTRACT Ten years after the beginning of the PEGIDA protests in Dresden, the German far right is making one breakthrough after another in the electoral arena. The starting point for this reflection is the notion of deutsche Zustände (“German conditions”), which took on renewed relevance amid the emergence of PEGIDA: both in reference to Heitmayer’s studies on far-right attitudes in German society (Deutsche Zustände) and Marx’s famous notion that Germany lagged behind the flow of history with its lack of a bourgeois revolution (“Krieg den deutschen Zuständen!”). Indeed, in the context of the post-2010/11 global protest wave that saw the “movements of the squares” emerge around anti-austerity and/or democratizing demands, Germany presented a striking anomaly with large protest rallies of ordinary “concerned citizens” on public squares around a far-right, anti-egalitarian agenda. In reading the emergence of PEGIDA within this protest conjuncture, I argue that this seeming paradox of the “German condition” was born not least out of the failure of a square movement of the left in the form of the Blockupy protests in Frankfurt starting in 2012 and their reliance on the methods of the late 1990s alter-globalization protests in challenging the German-led Eurozone crisis management regime from within.

Learning to Live-with Climate Change through Film: The Arche-Cinema of Gummo as Climating and Becoming-Climate

Abstract I am a cinematic being of the Anthropocene. As a concerned citizen and environmental educator, I immerse myself in film. Gummo is a 1997 film by Harmony Korine that deeply resonates with me as a testament to the capacity and desire for humanity to realise the potential to rise from the epochal fall of the Anthropocene. I propose that my relationship with Gummo as arche-cinema is not just a process of watching and interpreting Korine’s cinematic world, but also (re)projecting my dreams of a new reality for the whole-Earth ecosystem onto the world-out-there. I suggest that my entanglement with Gummo exemplifies my climating and becoming-climate as film in our current human-induced climate crises, and in this way, I argue that I am learning to live-with climate change through film.

Reconsidering Disaster Management in Terms of New Public Service Approach

Public service refers to services carried out directly by the state or institutions under the control of the state. The state provides public services through public administration. Therefore, public administration has a primary role in the production of public services. The needs of citizens constitute the essence of public services and indicate the nature of the services to be provided by the public administration. The dynamic nature of citizens needs has caused the services offered by public administration to change and diversify over time. Public administration has adopted different service delivery approaches throughout history in order to meet the needs of citizens effectively and efficiently. This situation has brought about the emergence of different management paradigms in public administration. Every paradigm change in public administration is effective in the production of public services and brings about a transformation. The relevant change also applies to disaster and disaster management. Because disaster-related services are services that directly concern citizens and are public services. Therefore, it can be stated that all services provided by public administration regarding disasters are affected by the paradigm transformations. The New Public Service approach, which has become effective in public administration in recent years, emerged as a result of the paradigm shifts experienced by public administration. The New Public Service approach has an impact on the logic of providing public services with principles such as adopting active participation based on democracy, emphasizing a strong citizenship instead of the concept of customer, adopting the public interest as the basic principle, emphasizing a heavy responsibility for public services and attributing a superior value to people. This study, conducted in the light of this information, focuses on the possible effects of the New Public Service approach on disaster management. In the study, disaster management is rethought within the framework of the core values of the New Public Service approach and its role in successful disaster management is discussed.

A Study of the World Wide Consequences of Populism on Democracy

This article explores the profound and far-reaching consequences of populism on democracy across the globe. Populism, characterized by its appeal to the masses and vilification of established elites, has become a potent force in shaping political landscapes worldwide. Through an interdisciplinary lens drawing on political science, sociology, and economics, we analyze how the rise of populism challenges the fundamental pillars of democracy. We investigate its impact on democratic institutions, governance structures, and political culture, highlighting its tendencies to exacerbate polarization, erode trust in democratic processes, and undermine the rule of law. Moreover, we examine the economic ramifications of populist policies, often marked by protectionism and short-termism, which can destabilize economies and exacerbate social inequalities. Additionally, we explore the implications of populism for international relations, including its potential to disrupt diplomatic norms and alliances. By synthesizing empirical research and theoretical insights, this article provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted consequences of populism on democracy, offering insights for policymakers, scholars, and concerned citizens seeking to safeguard democratic principles in an era of populist resurgence.

Implementing heuristic-based multiscale depth-wise separable adaptive temporal convolutional network for ambient air quality prediction using real time data

In many emerging nations, rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to heightened levels of air pollution. This sudden rise in air pollution, which affects global sustainability and human health, has become a significant concern for citizens and governments. While most current methods for predicting air quality rely on shallow models and often yield unsatisfactory results, our study explores a deep architectural model for forecasting air quality. We employ a sophisticated deep learning structure to develop an advanced system for ambient air quality prediction. We utilize three publicly available databases and real-world data to obtain accurate air quality measurements. These four datasets undergo a data cleaning to yield a consolidated, cleaned dataset. Subsequently, the Fused Eurasian Oystercatcher-Pathfinder Algorithm (FEO-PFA)—a dual optimization method combining the Eurasian Oystercatcher Optimizer (EOO) and Pathfinder Algorithm (PFA)—is applied. This method aids in selecting weighted features, optimizing weights, and choosing the most relevant attributes for optimal results. These optimal features are then incorporated into the Multiscale Depth-wise Separable Adaptive Temporal Convolutional Network (MDS-ATCN) for the ambient Air Quality Prediction (AQP) process. The variables within MDS-ATCN are further refined using the proposed FEO-PFA to enhance predictive accuracy. An empirical analysis is performed to compare the efficacy of our proposed model with traditional methods, underscoring the superior effectiveness of our approach. The average cost function is reduced to 5.5%, the MAE to 28%, and the RMSE to 14% by the suggested method, according to the performance research conducted with regard to all datasets.

Examining the Roles and Contributions of Evergreen Music in Archiving Nigerian Music

This study focused on the roles and contributions of Evergreen Music Company in the archiving and documentation of music in Nigeria. It is observed that there is paucity of literature on archiving of Nigeria popular music. This underscores the need for this study. In carrying out this study, oral interviews, and available literature were utilised as sources of data. Respondents were selected from the staff of Evergreen Music Company. The study revealed that Late Mr. Femi Esho, the founding chairman of the Evergreen Musical Company, out of passion, started collecting several Nigerian popular music. Today, the company invariably owns the largest collection of Nigerian music of yesteryears. The study also highlighted the need for preservation of musical heritage and discussed the processes, challenges and importance of archiving music. Music archiving studies and activities should be encouraged by both public and private institutions as a way of promoting National heritage. Government at all levels and concerned citizens should provide adequate funding for researches into Nigerian music practices, especially in music archiving and documentation in order to have them documented and archived for future use.

Global evaluation of the natural environment and household income for sustainable development

With global economic growth, the burden on the natural environment is severe, and more and more attention is paid to sustainable development that enhances the economic growth and sustainability of the natural environment. This study aims to show the concern of global citizens regarding the natural environment and household income. It used worldwide individual interview data from 149 countries between 2007 and 2021, with 2,450,043 observations (Gallup World Poll surveys) and an original large-scale internet- and face-to-face-survey from 37 nations with 100,956 observations. Using a binary logit regression model, this study also analyzes public sentiment regarding who should bear the financial burden for environmental conservation. We found that 60 % of citizens showed that their current income provides a comfortable life; on the other hand, 49 % of the respondents were dissatisfied with conservation of the natural environment. The satisfaction with household income was much greater than satisfaction with natural environmental conservation, leaving space for improvement in environmental stringency. For citizens’ preferences regarding financial responsibility, the government and companies are expected to afford conservation costs.

A pragmatic analysis of selected ASUU strike memes motivated humour on social media

Memes, as humorous and visually captivating pieces of content, have revolutionized the way people communicate and express themselves on social media platforms. During times of academic unrest caused by the recurring ASUU strikes, these memes have played a pivotal role in providing a creative outlet for expressing frustrations, criticisms, and solidarity among students, educators, and concerned citizens. This paper, therefore, undertook a pragmatic analysis of selected 5 (five) ASUU strike memes sourced from WhatsApp, Facebook, Google, and Twitter aiming to unravel the underlying motivations behind their creation and dissemination, with a particular emphasis on the role of humor as a primary motivator. The used critical qualitative research and purposive sampling technique to select five ASUU memes. Acheoach's Pragma-crafting theory was adopted as the theoretical framework of the study. Findings reveal that the nuanced satirical techniques embedded within the memes, including the use of humorous images, wordplay, and linguistic ambiguities, capture and reflect the sentiments and experience of students and educators during the ASUU strikes. The study revealed the significance of communication acts and non-communication acts features such as indexicals (INDXL), shared macro-knowledge (SMK), shared contextual knowledge (SCK), shared knowledge of emergent context (SKEC), contextual presupposition (CP), geoimplicature (GI), behavioural implicature (BI), pragma-deviant (PD), object referred (OR), operative language (OL), and other discourse components were used by encoders (ENCs) of verbal elements (VEs) and non-verbal elements (NVEs) in understanding the interpretation of the sense of the act in ASUU strike memes. The study concludes that the humorous responses to the ASUU strike on social media shed light on the vigorous mix of words, images, and gestures.

Causes and Consequences of Cyberbullying Against Women in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Study

Cyberbullying has emerged as a significant threat to women in Bangladesh, with the digital realm becoming a new battleground for harassment and intimidation. With the rapid advancement and widespread integration of information and communication technology (ICT), a unique form of wrongdoing has emerged within the virtual realm of the internet. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as cyberbullying, has gained widespread prevalence, particularly on social media platforms, where individuals readily participate in activities such as verbal abuse, dissemination of false information, and propagation of hate speech. In the context of Digital Bangladesh, where the use of the internet and social media is experiencing rapid growth, cyberbullying has become a frequent and noteworthy occurrence. The consequences of cyberbullying are enduring and multifaceted. This article seeks to explore the global issue of cyberbullying, with a specific focus on the situation in Digital Bangladesh, particularly concerning women. The primary aim of this article is to scrutinize cyberbullying, comprehending its underlying causes and investigating its widespread consequences. Additionally, the article directs attention to the legislative measures in Bangladesh designed to address this global issue and examines how the country is addressing cyberbullying in the current and forthcoming periods. The insights derived from this study can serve as a valuable reference for young individuals, educators, lawmakers, advocates, and concerned citizens, offering them a comprehensive understanding of the prevailing cyberbullying landscape in Digital Bangladesh.

Contemporary Aspects of Legal Doctrine and Interpretation - Challenges and Perspectives

In the countries where we have the construction of the legal system with the new laws, the ambiguity of the legal norms in the new laws in some cases is almost inevitable. But commenting on laws and judicial practice will be of great help to bring about the implementation of all legal norms as was the intention of the legislator, because the correct interpretation of legal provisions is a necessity of any legal order that creates a legal security for all citizens equally. Of course, the object of legal interpretation or clarification is not only written legal-civil norms, but also those that are part of customary law. The issue of interpretation of laws currently represents a fundamental concern for citizens and legal institutions, looking for a smart and innovative approach to address this issue effectively and sustainably. In this context, this paper aims to identify and analyze the advantages and challenges of legal doctrine and interpretation in the contemporary context.

COVID-19 pandemic influence on perceived exposure to chemical substances in Latvia: data from a focus group discussion and the HBM4EU citizen survey

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has globally influenced the exposure of populations to chemical substances through various channels. This study aims to evaluate the tendencies of the use of chemical products in Latvia amidst the pandemic. Answers from 597 respondents (26.6% male, 73.4% female, mean age 46.0 ± 12.2) which were gathered as part of the HBM4EU (Human Biomonitoring Initiative) citizen survey and 8 focus group participants were used.MethodsThe study utilized data from the HBM4EU citizen survey and conducted focus group discussions to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on chemical product usage in Latvia. Survey responses were analyzed to identify changes in exposure to chemicals, particularly in relation to disinfection agents and household products.ResultsMore than two-thirds of survey participants reported increased exposure to chemicals during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly related to the use of disinfection agents and household products. About 2-in-5 (39.8%) of survey respondents considered that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased their interest in exposure to chemicals. The excessive use of disinfectant products is the main concern of citizens (mentioned by 66.7%, n = 389). Also, two focus group participants noted that the use of disinfectant products is too widespread and should be minimized.DiscussionThe findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only increased the use of chemical products in Latvia but also promoted an interest in safe and healthy use of chemicals which could be useful to raise the awareness of the general public.

Future perfect climates: A phenomenological rejoinder to the performativity of climate change mitigation pathways

From charting out climate change mitigation pathways to estimating price risks associated with the social cost of carbon, as environmentally concerned citizens of the twenty-first century, we live in a culture of foresight. Because of a growing integration of an ever-wider sample space of possible climate futures into the present, historical experience has become seemingly irrelevant for effectively predicting where our climate transitions are headed, in effect restricting our sense of futurity to its performativity in the present. What has been surprisingly absent as a theoretical and methodological approach among sociologists, however, are treatments of the performativity of the future as the expression of a historical praxis for prognosis, with its own mode of disclosure. By interrogating the temporal structure of anticipation that characterizes computer-based simulations of emissions scenarios, the paper illustrates how this praxis discloses the future in accordance with the grammatical tense of the future perfect. It then argues that this relationship between past and future is the cultural product of a historically particular set of prognostic techniques and technologies, namely, model-based scenario analysis. Against this background, the paper seeks to contribute to the rehabilitation of the relevance of historical experience by historicizing the social ontological status of the future that theories of performativity take as their starting point.

Causes and Consequences of Cyberbullying Against Women in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Study.

Cyberbullying has emerged as a significant threat to women in Bangladesh, with the digital realm becoming a new battleground for harassment and intimidation. With the rapid advancement and widespread integration of information and communication technology (ICT), a unique form of wrongdoing has emerged within the virtual realm of the internet. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as cyberbullying, has gained widespread prevalence, particularly on social media platforms, where individuals readily participate in activities such as verbal abuse, dissemination of false information, and propagation of hate speech. In the context of Digital Bangladesh, where the use of the internet and social media is experiencing rapid growth, cyberbullying has become a frequent and noteworthy occurrence. The consequences of cyberbullying are enduring and multifaceted. This article seeks to explore the global issue of cyberbullying, with a specific focus on the situation in Digital Bangladesh, particularly concerning women. The primary aim of this article is to scrutinize cyberbullying, comprehending its underlying causes and investigating its widespread consequences. Additionally, the article directs attention to the legislative measures in Bangladesh designed to address this global issue and examines how the country is addressing cyberbullying in the current and forthcoming periods. The insights derived from this study can serve as a valuable reference for young individuals, educators, lawmakers, advocates, and concerned citizens, offering them a comprehensive understanding of the prevailing cyberbullying landscape in Digital Bangladesh.

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

An ethnographic study of police culture in a rural Kansas police agency

PurposeThe study examined rural police culture in one Kansas police agency.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative ethnographic approach using in-depth interviews and non-participant observations to construct and interpret the culture of rural police through the lens of officers working in one rural police agency.FindingsFive themes were found that described the complexities rural police officers face at this research site, including the law being at the center of officers’ actions, the nature of crime, officers serving as jack of all trades, community relationships and enforcement of crimes by teenagers, and how outside pressures from the community and increased concern for citizens' safety affect officers' daily lived experiences.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of scholarly literature addressing rural and small-town policing. This study is the first known qualitative study to be conducted on rural Kansas police, allowing a snapshot of the workings of rural Kansas police.

Virtual healthcare communities of practice: An Italian experience during the Covid-19 pandemic

Recently, the literature observed a significant growth of studies on the healthcare communities of practice, above all for their contribution in addressing the health crises, and in particular the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the literature on the topic is still fragmentary, especially with concern of the bottom-up citizens' engagement approach. This study aims to explore the contribution of healthcare communities of practice in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic through the citizens engagement. Based on the casestudy method, we conducted a qualitative analysis on the community created in Italy named "Comitato Cura Domiciliare Covid" (Covid Home Care Committee). The paper focuses on the experience of this health care community of practice, seeking to identify major challenges and opportunities for supporting policymakers and clinicians dealing with a health crise.

The Economic Impact Of Coronavirus To The Economic Fallout And The Education System Of The World

The purpose of this study is to assess the pandemic's impact on the worldwide education system, including student participation declines, adult learning difficulties, and late enrollments. The research methodology that is used is devising educational solutions based on technology and increasing student capacity to strengthen the educational system against future crises. The study's conclusion is to recommend economic and educational reforms to policymakers and concerned citizens, with an emphasis on improving the economy and educational systems. This study's application is the use of technological and pedagogical solutions to support more rapid system development in education.

“My goal is to make sustainability mainstream”: emerging visual narratives on the environmental crisis on Instagram

IntroductionIn the face of the current climate crisis, environmental communication can contribute to providing new frames of understanding and promoting social change and positive citizen action. Through social media, on platforms like Instagram, concerned citizens embrace environmental communication activism ultimately reshaping the narratives regarding the climate crisis. These individuals, who we identify as both activists and environmental influencers, are challenging the established media narratives with their posts and stories, thus offering alternative narratives. Accordingly, this paper aims to elaborate an incipient characterization of a communicative agenda that includes the emerging elements of these visual narratives in social media as potentially able to engage citizens to take action in their ordinary lives.MethodsOur research draws on a qualitative methodological approach, based on: (1) a digital ethnography carried out on 60 Instagram accounts devoted to the dissemination of environmental concerns and contents, (2) a visual narrative analysis of 281 selected posts of the previous accounts, and (3) 14 in-depth interviews conducted with digital activists.ResultsWe have identified the main traits of these emerging visual narratives: the use of positive visuals and content; first-person accounts highlighting the small actions and achievements (propositive narratives) that can be carried out in our daily lives; and/or the use of memes, humor, and other elements of popular culture to make the environmental cause mainstream.DiscussionThe study underscores a notable divergence between established environmental narratives and those curated by eco-influencers on social media. These influencers strategically leverage emotionally resonant, positive visual narratives, departing from fear-inducing content. They emphasize individual actions and solutions rather than collective interventions, personalizing the climate crisis. Additionally, their narratives engage in a nuanced dialogue with nature and integrate popular culture, humor, and memes to effectively reach diverse audiences. This shift reflects a broader cultural change in communication strategies, signaling a novel approach to mobilize audiences toward environmental engagement.

Citizen or Professional: Exploring Heroic Moral Choice Motivations in Photojournalism

Photojournalists make serious and often heroic split-second decisions when covering scenes. One of the dilemmas they might encounter is the choice between humanitarianism, which favors the subject in need, versus professionalism, which focuses on telling the story. This exploratory study aims to understand the moral decision-making situations encountered by professional photojournalists and how they process decisions in these situations. We interviewed nine professional photojournalists and surveyed the moral intensity of the situations they encountered. The results identified three types of situations where photojournalists encounter citizen vs. professional moral dilemmas. We found that most participants situationally prioritized the subject’s needs and emotions in line with postconventional moral development, and preferred to act as concerned citizens rather than exclusively acting as committed professionals.