Ideological Shift Research Articles

The potential of peacebuilding education interventions in societies facing the risk of extreme ideological shifts

The potential of peacebuilding education interventions in societies facing the risk of extreme ideological shifts

Modern ultra-orthodoxy? A critical reassessment

ABSTRACT In the study on Ultra-Orthodox society in Israel, there is a consensus that processes such as acquiring higher education, entering the workforce, and increased direct contact with mainstream Israeli society herald the “modernization” of segments within the Haredi community. This paper aims to critically reconsider this concept through research among activists and leaders of Haredi civil society, who could potentially serve as agents of change, liberalism, and democracy. This study, based on a survey of 142 ultra-orthodox civil society activists and semi-structured interviews with 40 leaders of ultra-orthodox civil society organizations, challenges the existing literature and the notion of “modern Ultra-Orthodoxy.” It proposes a re-examination of these processes. The research investigates the extent to which increased integration into Israeli society truly reflects modernization or liberalization of ultra-orthodox worldviews. By focusing on those at the forefront of ultra-orthodox civic engagement, this study provides new insights into the dynamics of change within Ultra-Orthodox communities. The findings suggest a more nuanced understanding of ultra-orthodox adaptation to challenges, revealing that increased participation in secular spheres does not necessarily correlate with ideological shifts. This research contributes to the debate on religious conservatism and offers a fresh perspective on change within Haredi society.

The Challenge of “Chineseness”: Taiwan’s Identity and Education Policy for Hua-ch’iao and Malaysian Chinese from the 1990s to 2000s

Abstract This manuscript delves into the complexities of imagined hua-ch’iao identity and its interplay with the Taiwanese education policies for overseas Chinese in Malaysia from the 1990s to the 2000s. By examining the shift in Taiwan’s stance toward Chinese in diaspora, the study underscores the devolution of hua-ch’iao education within the broader context of Taiwan’s quest for a distinct national identity from China. We explore the historical underpinnings and the ideological shifts that informed the policies under the Kuomintang (kmt) and the Democratic Progressive Party (dpp), highlighting the contentious debate over “Chineseness” and its implications for overseas Chinese communities. By tracing the changes in educational policy, the study reflects on the broader questions of identity, nationalism, and the politics of belonging in the era of globalization. It raises critical inquiries about Taiwan’s engagement with overseas Chinese communities and the conceptual challenges of defining “Chineseness” since the twenty-first century.

Pill epistemology

ABSTRACT The rise of social media and the internet as predominant modes by which most Americans access and communicate information has transformed how we understand knowledge. Coterminous with such technologies is a widespread turn toward conspiracy theories and extremist politics as explanatory mechanisms for current events. This article theorizes a newly emerging mode of knowledge characterized by the speed and scope of information technology and predicated on dramatic shifts in behavior and ideology. I argue that this mode of knowing is a form of epistemology, a theory of knowledge which seeks to understand how humans experience and process information. Framing this emerging mode of knowledge as epistemology, this article develops a theory of the rise and predominance of what I call “pill epistemology,” a powerful and dangerous model for seeking and sharing knowledge online. Using discussions of “redpilling” in online conspiracy theories, I map four stages of pill epistemology: awakening, becoming, behaving, and communicating. I argue that pill epistemology masquerades as a process of reason and knowledge but contains logical jumps into paranoid delusion, which are difficult to identify but which lead into the realm of conspiracy theory and which will continue to impact the health of our information ecosystems.

From confronted to confronter? Examining the enduring effects of prejudice confrontations

Prejudice confrontations are an interpersonal strategy to reduce bias in perpetrators, including up to 1 week later. Despite confrontations serving as an effective method to reduce bias, it is unclear if being confronted also motivates active allyship by becoming a confronter of prejudice. Replicating past research, White participants who were confronted for using negative Black stereotypes immediately reported greater negative self-directed affect and used fewer stereotypes 1 week later compared to participants who were not confronted. Novel to the present research, confronted White participants were more likely to confront prejudice in a hypothetical scenario, but not in self-reports of behaviors, and were more likely to indicate ruminating on their biases 1 month later compared to participants who were not confronted. Critically, the initial negative self-directed affect and prolonged rumination mediated the effect of confrontation on participants’ becoming confronters in a hypothetical scenario and self-reported monitoring of themselves and others for bias. Thus, our findings suggest that prejudice confrontation may not be limited to just a tool for encouraging stereotype inhibition in White people, but rather an ideological shift toward thinking and behaving in egalitarian ways.

Biocultural Taphonomies and Analysis of an Emerging Terminal Classic (750–900 CE) Maya Deathway

In bioarchaeology, funerary taphonomy and preservation become part of the biocultural narrative of the dead. We evaluate the role of these factors in reconstructing the identities of those buried in an emerging deathway, the ventrally placed legs flexed (VPLF) burial position, during the Terminal Classic (750–900/1000 CE) period at the Maya polity of Lower Dover in western Belize. The term “VPLF” describes a divergent burial practice which may have resulted from intentional binding prior to burial. In our analysis of VPLF burials (n = 12), we use a two-step process to reconstruct the social identities and potential meaning of the burial pattern: (1) interpretation of the archaeological context based on excavation observations and biogeochemistry and (2) osteological analysis of curated individuals to reconstruct their biological profiles and post-mortem/post-excavation histories. Osteological analyses included age and sex estimation, paleopathological assessment of frailty and trauma, and skeletal modifications from cultural and taphonomic forces. Radiocarbon dating and ceramic analyses were used to date the burials. Stable and radiogenic isotopic analyses were applied to reconstruct diet and mobility for a subset of the VPLF burials. Our results show that individuals were buried in the VPLF position irrespective of age, sex, or social status, consistent with patterns at other Terminal Classic and Postclassic Maya sites, although VPLF interment may have been practiced earlier at Lower Dover. We hypothesize that the appearance of VPLF burials in the Terminal Classic period signified an ideological shift in light of emerging social and environmental pressures in the region.

“Using Students’ L1 Would Become a Problem”: Practical Discrepancies and Ideological Challenges in Teacher candidates’ Translanguaging Pedagogy

ABSTRACT While previous studies have addressed shifts in teacher candidates’ (TCs) translanguaging stance and their pedagogical knowledge (PK), research in this area is still limited. Using a participatory research design, this study explored how a group of general education TCs implemented translanguaging and the underlying justifications for their practices. Data included lesson plans, reflections, and self-assessments. The findings indicate that although the TCs adopted an asset-based perspective in their reflections and self-assessments, their actual practices as revealed in the lesson plans reflected monolingual ideologies. Despite initial progress in understanding translanguaging, this discrepancy highlights the necessity of probing deeper into TCs’ translanguaging stances and language ideologies prior to focusing on pedagogical implementation. Our study suggests that to fully embrace the ideological and pedagogical shifts advocated by translanguaging, it is crucial to integrate translanguaging pedagogy throughout the teacher education program, including training for teacher educators who are not yet familiar with translanguaging.

Are the Ideology, Values, Principles, and Identity of Cooperatives Shifting? A Lesson from Indonesia

Cooperatives have been a foundation for the Indonesian economy, however, there is a change in their operations. Therefore, this study aims to comprehend the implementation of university cooperatives toward the dynamic changes and explores the shift in ideology, values, principles, and identity of cooperatives. This study used a qualitative study with a phenomenology approach and involved eight selected informants to be interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The results disclosed that there is cooperatives identity transformation, shifting in cooperative principles, and mutual cooperation practice. In addition, it found challenges in maintaining cooperative ideology and deliberation value in decision-making. Lastly, identity and relevance crises are also the main issues in the majority of cooperatives in Indonesia. The insights gained will enable some parties, including government, academics, practitioners, and members to jointly revitalize the cooperative spirit, and ideological substance, and assert its relevant values.

A Critical Analysis of the Liberal International Order

People generally understand that the liberal international system came about after World War II and reached its peak around 1990. As the Soviet Union or what is called the Eastern campus fell apart, it paved the way for the US-led Western nations to take over and become the main driving force in international politics, changing the dynamics of the international system, and shifting the way things work on the global stage, moving from a bipolar into a unipolar system, making the United States the sole power. In addition, spreading the political and economic principles of liberal international order where the foundation of the system is shaped by these twofundamental pathways. However, over the last few years, the United States has encountered certain difficulties in upholding its dominance and advocating for its established system. The economic path might be manageable, but the political approach of democratic peace seems to be creating more divisions around the world. Difficulties, such as the emergence of influential regional players such as China and Russia, as well as the war in Ukraine, which is not just a regional conflict but a trial for the position of the existing global system. Therefore, the paper sheds light on the challenges confronting the current international order and the role of American leadership by analyzing historical developments, geopolitical dynamics, and ideological shifts, and the paper aims to illuminate the intricacies of this transition.

Exploring the changing of name as a socio-cultural adaptation strategy of the Javanese Diaspora in Sabah Borneo-Malaysia.

This research explores the evolution of personal names within the Diaspora Jawa Sabah (DJS) community, focusing on how historical events, social changes, and cultural practices have influenced DJS names, particularly after Sabah joined Malaysia in 1963. Using content analysis and in-depth interviews, the study investigates the migration history and cultural factors shaping the linguistic aspects of DJS names in Sabah. The findings reveal four key points: (1) the distinct migration histories of Javanese people to Sabah compared to the Malaysian Peninsula, (2) the impact of historical, social, and cultural phenomena on DJS names before and after 1963, (3) the transformation of DJS names into modern Malay Islamic names reflecting personal aspirations, and (4) the collective cultural and ideological shifts within the DJS community. This research contributes to the understanding of personal names as a reflection of cultural identity, illustrating the dynamic relationship between linguistic forms and broader social, historical, and cultural contexts. The study enhances the theoretical and practical knowledge of naming practices as indicators of societal changes within the DJS community.

HIJRAH AND RECTIFICATION OF MUSLIM IDENTITY: The Case of Campus Da’wah Activists in Pontianak City

<p>From its inception, hijrah in Islamic tradition referred to the Prophet Muhammad’s geographical migration from a perilous environment to a place of peace. Over time, however, hijrah has evolved to encompass broader notions of transformation, including shifts in lifestyle, adoption of Islamic attire, and changes in social relationships. These developments illustrate that hijrah is a fluid and multifaceted concept. It explores how these activists experience and manage hijrah in terms of acceptance and supervision. Key questions addressed include: How do campus da’wah activists construct and sustain their identity through hijrah in the context of modernity? What role does the state play in shaping religious life? The article argues that hijrah represents not only a journey of self-improvement but also a subtle form of resistance to state influence in regulating religious practices, particularly as communities navigate the negative aspects of modernity. The interplay between hijrah, the state, and modernity is characterized by selective engagement, prioritizing lifestyle changes over ideological shifts. Using Peter L. Berger’s social construction framework—encompassing externalization, objectification, and internalization—the article concludes that the spirit of hijrah within this framework significantly shapes perspectives on the state’s role in religious affairs.<br /><strong>Keywords:</strong> Hijrah; identity, state role, Islamic thought, modernity.</p>

Preserving Language Heritage for Socio-Economic Survival: A Case Study of the Indigenous Vedda Community in Sri Lanka

Indigenous Vedda language in Sri Lanka is recognized as critically endangered and many argued that it is on the verge of disappearance. After decades of debates, the Veddas are still alive luckily and their language is still been spoken at least partially. The paper examined the factors that drive existence/ disappearance of Vedda language. The study was conducted in Dambana Vedda village and Pollebadda Vedda village. Field surveys took place in July 2024, utilizing a specially designed questionnaire to gather information on the use of the Vedda language. The questionnaire included items rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, covering various aspects of the language. A total of 25 interviews were conducted in Dambana and Pollebadda Vedda villages. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure access to the most reliable sources of information. The sample consisted of 80% male and 20% female respondents. Regarding age distribution, 10% were below 25 years, 60% were between 25 and 50 years, and 30% were over 50 years old. The study reveals that Veddas today speak Sinhalese better than their native language. Compared to Dambana, more Veddas in Pollebadda, where modernization is apparent, demonstrate weak fluency in their native language. The Vedda children, compared to their parents, have poor knowledge in Vedda language, though they have acquired fluency in all domains of Sinhalese. The poor Vedda language knowledge is highly prevalent among Pollebadda children. Majority of the Veddas accept that younger generation is not interested in learning the language, the absence of elders to teach it, their language is disappearing and their language should be preserved. Though it does not help them finding jobs, as Veddas believe, the Vedda language carries economic benefits and they remain vital for learning it. The Pollebadda Veddas are more interested in economic benefits of the language. The Veddas, again with more support from Pollebadda, reckon that their language helps them earning from tourism. The Veddas strongly agree that their language is essential for the protection of their priceless intangible cultural heritage. Thus, this paper recommends an ideological shift and resulting policies to look at the Veddas, and their language too, as an inherent asset than something to be modernized and assimilated.

Crises and Reforms of the Body

The use of the body – whether it referred to representations of the leader through media or artistic image, sculpture, photography, or specific choreographed manifestations – is a recognizable tool for building and nurturing the personality cult of Josip Broz Tito and communicating with the People. The crisis of the socialist society and the ideological shift was therefore accompanied by sudden changes, neglect, even literal cutting and melting of the monumental heritage, removal, and destruction of Tito's representations, and the forced oblivion of collective performances that once celebrated Yugoslavia and its leader. In this paper, the Museum of Yugoslavia in Belgrade and its surroundings will serve as the point of departure for further reflection on the creation of a personality cult, as well as its subsequent deconstruction and recontextualization followed by the notion of the body's bond to this space. Starting from the appearance of the literal and the symbolical body of the leader, as well as the collective body in the context of the 25th of May performance and commemoration happening in the same area, we will follow how these bodies transform over time at the same place through the medium of contemporary art and curatorial practice.

Ideological indoctrination and propaganda in the anti-Kemalist press of the early 1930s

In the article, that author presents a detailed analysis of the propaganda tactics employed by both Kemalist and anti-Kemalist forces during the early 1930s. It draws upon a diverse array of source material, including the Turkish newspapers, such as “Nation” (Ulus), “Time” (Vakit), “Republic” (Cumhuriyet), and the opposition daily “Free Republic” (Serbes Cumhuriyet), which ran from October 1930 to January 1931. The latter was established as the official print media of the Free Republican Party (FRP), which was headed by a close associate of the President, Ali Fethi (Okyar). The daily became the mouthpiece of moderate liberal movement, while concurrently turning into a weapon of ideological confrontation between the FRP and the incumbent Kemalist Republican People’s Party (RPP). The study of the opposition newspaper represents a novel approach within the Russian academic literature, as there have been no previous attempts to examine the perspective of those opposed to the Kemalists, or to analyse the representation of the main ideas of the FRP in the press. The research focuses on the analysis of anti-Kemalist propaganda in the “Free Republic” newspaper. The plethora of propaganda clichés present on its pages renders “Free Republic” a valuable source for studying the ideological shift that occurred during the early 1930s. It demonstrates the efforts to devise an alternative programme for the development of the Turkish Republic and enables the reconstruction of the ideological and political context of the Kemalist unsuccessful endeavour to establish a controllable opposition in 1930. Although it had the potential to gain a foothold in the market, the “Free Republic” newspaper ultimately succumbed to the forces of pro-government press propaganda. Despite its ambitious and courageous editorial stance, the opposition daily could not withstand the formidable and sophisticated propaganda apparatus of the Kemalists.

Power relation and knowledge: linking Islamic education to socio-political reform in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Vision 2030, conveived by His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS), represents a transformative initiative to foster openness and shift away from Wahhabism to establish a more moderate Islam. As part of this vision, the reform of the Islamic education curriculum plays a crucial role. This study examines the curriculum reform processes and strategies, focusing on Dirasat Islamiyah textbooks addressing inter-religious and intrareligious relations. Employing a qualitative approach and text analysis, the research applies Michel Foucault's theory of power-knowledge relations to analyze the state's role in shaping educational content. The findings reveal that the reformed curriculum seeks to construct and internalize ideologies that align the younger Saudi generation with the moderate Islam agenda of MBS's government, supporting Saudi Vision 2030. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on power-knowledge dynamics by showcasing education's role in advancing state-driven ideological shifts during significant socio-political reforms.

Artistic Inactivism. Some Remarks on the Importance of Doing Nothing and Discussing Everything

Arguably, one of the core impulses of modern art and of the 20th century avantgarde, was to abandon its contemplative nature and align itself with the productivist paradigm of industrial societies. In this paper, I will argue that by affirming work, production and social activity as the liberatory horizon of modernity, art conceals and naturalizes the fact that these concepts are themselves embedded in capitalist social relations. I will then turn to artistic gestures of inactivity and non-production to examine their critical potential within the framework of conceptual and postconceptual art practice. The examples I consider register the contradictions and shifts in contemporary social technologies and ideologies of labor and, in doing so, help establish (in)activity as a critical and problematic category. Through the temporality of inactivity, these gestures can serve as critical models for a different rationale of social production.

Populism and ideological convergence: Evidence from a multiparty system

Populism and ideological convergence: Evidence from a multiparty system

The Evolution of Activism: From Civil Rights to Digital Advocacy

This paper investigates the transformation of activism from the Civil Rights Movement to the modern era of digital advocacy. Activism has historically served as a powerful catalyst for societal change, shaping public policy, social norms, and cultural values. From civil rights demonstrations in the mid-20th century to today’s online campaigns, the methodologies and mediums of activism have evolved significantly, mirroring shifts in technology, political ideologies, and social dynamics. The paper traces these changes, highlighting key historical movements, the integration of environmental and social justice issues, and the rapid rise of digital platforms as vehicles for mass mobilization. Despite the efficiency and global reach of digital activism, challenges such as misinformation, digital privacy, and the sustainability of online engagement persist. Examining the interplay between technology and activism, the study ultimately considers the opportunities and limitations that digital platforms present for the future of social advocacy. Keywords: Activism, Civil Rights Movement, Social Justice, Digital Advocacy, Environmental Activism.

The Islamic Worldview and Language Proclivity: The Case of Modern Brunei

Brunei is undergoing a language transition, with younger generations favoring English over Malay, raising concerns about the potential impact on the Islamic worldview traditionally tied to Malay. This study examines the relationship between language preference and the Islamic worldview among 67 young female Bruneian Muslims, using an online survey to assess their language use, religious identity, and perspectives on Islamic and Western ideologies. Findings reveal strong alignment with Islamic beliefs on divine matters but ambivalence on contemporary social issues like gender and dating, particularly among English-preferring participants. While a weak association between English proclivity and a Western worldview was observed, it was not statistically significant. This study highlights the complexities of language and religious identity in a globalized context, emphasizing the need for further research and adaptive strategies in Islamic education to address linguistic and ideological shifts.

Social work, personalisation, and the : A Bourdieusian analysis

Abstract This article considers the role of social work in English social care within the context of the Care Act 2014 and related policy agendas. This is achieved through a theoretical analysis of English social care policy and legislation rooted in the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Having been contextualized in the consolidation of neoliberal hegemony in Britain, particular focus is given to social care reforms stemming from the 2010–2015 Coalition Government, including the implementation of the Care Act 2014 and its associated personalisation principles. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘habitus’, ‘field’, and ‘capital’, social care policy and reform is viewed as embodying an ongoing ideological shift in the ways in which the state, and its social care professions, are envisaged as functioning and interacting with its citizens. From this, the role of social work in English social care is considered in relation to policy agendas underpinning the Care Act 2014 and more recent policy reviews and proposals. This article concludes by drawing on Bourdieu’s notion of ‘hysteresis’ to conceptualize a profession facing a complex negotiation of its skills and values within destabilizing political, economic, and ideological framings of practice.