Ideological Power Research Articles

Национальная государственность в Центральной Африке: Габон

The article deals with the Gabonese history in the years of postcolonial development. The author also examines the current socio-political situation in Gabon, a former French colony and France’s stronghold in Central Africa. The Gabonese Republic celebrated sixty years of independence in 2020, as 1960 was proclaimed the “Year of Africa”. Given the controversial regional and international context, attention is drawn to Gabon’s peripheral and unequal status in the global economy and politics. Being rich in oil, gas, manganese, uranium, forests, water, other natural resources Gabon demonstrates deep economic and social imbalances. The country’s economy is showing symptoms of the “Dutch disease”: the discovery of significant reserves of natural resources has led to the outpacing development of the extractive industry to the detriment of other sectors, especially agriculture. Gabon occupies a relatively high position in the list of countries by the HDI though about a third of the Gabonese population is below the national poverty line. The article analyzes the problems of decolonization, regional integration, sovereignity, tribalism, nation-building, and the choice of the course towards capitalism, with almost no socialist ideas in Gabonese public discourse and, at the same time, flourishing concepts of “national unity” and “troisième voie”. The text also addresses the issues of statehood, ideology and institutions of power in independent Gabon while the France’s presence in the African and Gabonese economy and politics seems purely neo-colonial. The article examines the process of establishment and functioning of the Bongo family political regime as well as the phenomenon of dynastic rule in a system with formal democracy.

The Reuse of Red Imperial Porphyry in the West from the End of the Ancient World

The red imperial porphyry is a rare, appreciated and expensive marble of the antiquity. The ideology of imperial power is symbolically expressed by the purple color. Therfore, the Porphyry, for the obvious chromatic similarity, is closely linked with the concept of royalty. This combination was transmitted not only to Byzantium, which is direct continuation of the Empire. It was also used in more recent times, whenever there was the need to emphasize the sacredness of power (in the Church, in the time of Carolingian Empire, of the Ottonian dynasty, of the Norman kings of Sicily, of the Swabian emperors or in the Ottoman Empire). Throughout the Middle Ages the difficulty of working the porphyry, a very hard marble, meant that almost all reused pieces were fragmentary: this is the case of the basins, reused as sepulchres or inserted in the altars, of the columns reused in the churches, of elaboration of the floor decorations (rotae porphyreticae, Cosmatesque floors) and so on. Only in the Renaissance the techniques of porphyry working were rediscovered. In Florence, the material was very popular among the artists of the court of the Medici. Soon after, the use of the material spread to the French court, and it also found great success among the families of the European nobility. The last attempt to revive the use of the ancient porphyry was made between the middle of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century, but it failed due to the impossibility of finding blocks of good quality and sufficient size. In addition, the new European porphyries were now available at more competitive prices and therefore there was no extensive use of this ancient material, which thus acquired more and more prestige.

Kings of Chaldea and Sons of Nobodies: Assyrian Engagement with Chaldea and the Emergence of Chaldean Power in Babylonia

From the ninth century until the last quarter of the seventh century BCE, the Assyrian Empire first extended its power over Babylonia and then engaged in a prolonged effort to retain control. The patchwork nature of Babylonian society—divided as it was between the traditional urban centers, territories controlled by five distinct Chaldean tribes, and regions inhabited by Aramaean tribes—presented opportunities and challenges for Assyria as it sought to assert its dominance. Assyrian interactions with the Chaldean tribes of Babylonia redefined the Chaldeans’ place within power relationships in southern Mesopotamia. Starting in 878, Assyria first perceived Chaldean territory as distinct from what they defined as Karduniaš, the land ruled by the king of Babylon. Shalmaneser III exploited and accentuated this division by recognizing the Chaldean leaders as kings and accepting their tribute even as he concluded a treaty with the Babylonian king, Marduk-zakir-shumi I. By decentralizing power in Babylonia, Assyria was able to assert indirect control over Babylonia. However, periods of Assyrian weakness created opportunities for several Chaldeans—drawing upon the economic and military power they could muster—to claim the title of king of Babylon with all the accompanying ideological power. These new developments prompted Assyria under the Sargonids to create counter-narratives that questioned the legitimacy of Chaldeans as kings of Babylon by presenting them as strange and inimical to the Assyrian order even as Assyrian interactions with the Chaldeans improved Assyrian familiarity with them.

NATIONAL ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF UKRAINE IN THE CONDITIONS OF INNOVATIVE ECONOMY FORMATION

The article outlines key issues that need to be accelerated in the direction of national interests positioning in the formation of an innovative economy, including: assessing the priority of economic interests and conflicts that need to be resolved from the standpoint of further improving economic and social relations, involving regulatory practices both state and regional strategizing and formation of active European models of innovative development, protection of the national producer in the conditions of open markets, increase of positive shifts potential in maintenance of national security.
 The generalized understanding of "national economic interest" as a consolidated system of socio-economic needs of subjects to achieve common goals of state development in the paradigm of relations between national, foreign and international economic actors on production, distribution, exchange and consumption of GDP in the future vision of national economy as a holistic, harmonious and competitive organism in the conditions of formation of innovative economy, globalization, informatization and resistance to new challenges of society. It is noted that the world system of economic interests is dynamic and in today's conditions is undergoing evolutionary changes under the influence of such key factors as: scientific, technological and technological progress; informatization; Covid-19 as a threat to national security; mastering the sixth technological innovation system, the drivers of which are the network economy, virtualization of production and services, digitalization of national economy management, knowledge progress, artificial intelligence systems and quantum technologies. The main features of national economic interests are highlighted. Contradictions that provoke conflicts of economic interests among the economic entities of the world economy are outlined. The key components of the national economic interest are identified. It is noted that the interests of regions as localized manifestations of consolidated national interest are gaining independent recognition. It is proved that the foundation of the national economy should be a new ideology of power in the implementation of national interests in economic, social and innovative development, based on the concepts of innovation cluster policy.

The Horned Horse in the Coinage of Seleucus I Nicator

The motif of the horned horse on the coins of Seleucus I is characteristic for the coinage of the first Seleucid king. Its meaning is still unclear in spite of many attempts to interpret it. The horned horse is associated with Dionysos, or Alexander the Great. Most of the coins featuring this motif were minted in the Iranian part of the empire of Seleucus I and this fact suggests that it should be interpreted in the context of Iranian culture in which a horse featured significantly and could symbolize royal power and authority. Horns as an iconographic element were characteristic of Babylon and were typical attributes of gods and kings in their representations. This publication focuses on the interpretation of the motif of the horned horse and horseman within the context of the Iranian religion and Achaemenid royal tradition and its influence on Seleucus’ ideology of power.

The Relationship between the Improvement of Foreign University Leadership and the Modernization of University Governance

Universities are leading, leading, basic, and monopolistic in terms of high-tech knowledge production and productivity transformation, knowledge innovation talents and high-tech research and development talents, which determine that universities have become a national economy. A productivity element with dynamic value that is indispensable for take-off, social progress and its stability and sustainable development. On the basis of discussing "why the modernization of university governance capabilities is so important" and clarifying the "relationship between university leadership and university governance capabilities", the paper starts with "ideological power", "organizational power", "Decision-making power", "institutional power", and "resource power". The 7 aspects of "cultural power" and "principal power" construct and interpret the university leadership element model.

Rivalry in the Time of Pandemic: COVID-19 Impact on the Balance of Power between the United States and China

In 2020, humanity witnessed with perplexity the expansion of the largest pandemic outbreak in the last century. The coronavirus crisis would have tragic effects on society and healthcare throughout the world, but its consequences go far beyond these two areas. In the field of international relations, the pandemic has impacted the balance of power between the United States and China, whose relationship was already facing rising tensions. While the former was unable to control the spread of the virus in its territory, the second managed to curb it after the initial bewilderment. In order to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the balance of power between both countries, this paper will focus on three areas: economic power, ideological power, and international maneuverability. The results indicate that China has been relatively favored, but also that the United States still has opportunities to preserve its international leadership.

The Two Faces of the ‘Global Right’: Revolutionary Conservatives and National-Conservatives

Studies of the Global Right usually trace its intellectual underpinnings to the revolutionary conservative New Right and its ideas claiming to defend an ‘ethno-pluralist’ European identity from the multiculturalist threat of a ‘Great Replacement’ through immigration. A second lineage, which we refer to as ‘national-conservative’, is less explored and is more concerned with threats to moral order and the loss of moral bearing due to liberalism’s relativism. These two intellectual lineages, and corresponding political alignments, engender different political projects of the Global Right, which is not that coherent as it seems. Taking a long-term historical-ideational perspective that underlines the power of ideologies as templates, we argue that a closer look at the different intellectual traditions of the Global Right can help explain the contrasting political preferences for socio-economic action, institution-building and transnational cooperation.

The Ideological Background of Japanese Expansionism, C. 1900

Abstract This paper examines the ideologies informing the expansion of Japanese rule at c. 1900. The core feature discussed is the idea of tenka (天下; literally translated: all under heaven), constituting the group of ruled in terms of a universalist indigenat (kokumin 国民), which allowed its expansion beyond the Japanese archipelago at government discretion. The concept of the universalist indigenat, having been tied to the Confucian perception of the world as a well-ordered and change-absorbing entity, conflicted with the European concept of the nation as a particularistically conceived type of group, tied to the perception of the world as a dynamic and largely unruly entity. During the latter third of the nineteenth and the early years of the twentieth century, some Japanese intellectuals came to appreciate the dynamism enshrined in the European perception of the world and worked it into established universalism. The fusion produced a powerful ideology of colonial expansion targeted primarily at East and Southeast Asia as well as the South Pacific. By contrast, European military strategists and political theorists, unaware of the Japanese strategic conceptions, expected that solely Russia formed the target of Japanese military expansion.

Recontextualizing Barstool Sports and Misogyny in Online US Sports Media

This critical qualitative case study interrogates the roles Barstool Sports and its founder, Dave Portnoy, serve in reaffirming the narrative power of conservative cultural ideology in mainstream US sports media. Portnoy’s targeted harassment of female journalists is analyzed as examples of how the outlet alienates critics of heteronormative, hypermasculine discourse within relevant cultural arenas in digital sports media. To examine how the company deflects criticisms of misogyny, we explore Barstool Chicks—an alternative version of the company’s website targeting female audiences. Resultantly, Barstool and Portnoy undermine the potential for feminist-driven narratives in sports media and contribute to the normalization of repressive conditions within cultural industries that perpetuates the continued dominance of conservative ideology.

One Does Not Simply Teach Idioms: Meme Creation as Innovative Practice for Virtual EFL Learners

To maximize the advantages of virtual learning, the present study highlights the potential for Internet meme design and creation in English language learning (ELL) courses as an innovative activity that raises student agency, increases multimodal literacy, inculcates intercultural communication, and teaches idiomatic expression. Memes resonate a multimodal feedback loop of popular culture. In the context of language education, multimodal literacy is a necessity for 21st-century education because the affordances of digital learning platforms present the world told alongside the world shown. While some studies feature the usefulness of memes in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning, none have underscored meme creation as a learning activity. To demonstrate the activity in situ, a vignette at two Korean universities features two instructors who ask their respective students ( N = 49) to design one meme using an idiom discovered in their ELL materials from a prescribed list, then asks: 1) What common power relations and ideologies emerge in the multimodal discourse of the collected pool of student “idiomemes”? 2) What do the findings tell us about student attitudes and engagement with the activity? 3) What do the findings tell us about the importance of multimodal discourse in EFL learning? Using a multimodal critical discourse analysis of the student-created Internet memes, the findings reveal that students chose culturally familiar images to complete the assignment, suggesting that their engagement and understanding of multimodal, English discourse increases commensurately with content intuitive to their culture. The implications suggest that empowering students with a measure of agency in expressing culturally relevant, multimodal discourse in ELL course content increases their engagement in virtual classrooms. Designing idiomemes, as a virtual learning activity, is further explored as a curricular augmentation that increases the value of a student's language-learning investment.

Demigods and Gender Roles: Non-Heteronormative Gender Expressions and the Works of Rick Riordan

Gender serves as a powerful ideology to systematically oppress minorities, such as women and people within the LGBTQ+ community. This ideology is learned at a young age through media such as fantasy literature. By analyzing several fantasy texts through a lens of gender politics, I track the history of gender in the fantasy genre and posit that inclusive works such as those of Rick Riordan influence children and adolescents to become more accepting of sexual and gender minorities.

The Land and Its Kings: 1–2 Kings

The Land and Its Kings: 1–2 Kings

The Detrimental Dialogue Between Indian Women, Beauty Discourse, Patriarchy and Indian Feminism

This framework article analyses the established connection of body image and skin tone to the ideology of power and status and the need for Indian women to achieve those beauty standards to be celebrated in their field. Even though women have gained more power, they are still defined by and in the context of men in India. Men have subtly and constructively translated this power discourse over women that has been stretching across centuries through the channels of art, literature and the portrayal of the goddesses. This pressure to continually conform to beauty’s cultural ideals and sculpt oneself to those unattainable standards leads to body dissatisfaction. It affects the image the woman has of herself. The patriarchal structure that dominates the Indian women habitus has translated the ideology of this Western concept of beauty into a ‘common sense’ that has compelled women to impose a ‘self-hegemonic’ stance and the role of Indian feminism in fighting this emerging oppressive structure.

Let boys explain the world to girls who do not know - visual representations of gender and diversity in Austrian primary textbooks and implications for diversity-sensitive education

Let boys explain the world to girls who do not know - Visual representations of gender and diversity in Austrian primary textbooks and implications for diversity-sensitive education Textbooks do not only offer information on specific topics and delineate competence development but provide insights into a society’s socio-cultural norms and values by means of representations . In particular, this refers to the diversity with which classrooms, groups of friends and families are depicted in textbooks. The contribution at hand presents a critical analysis of current Austrian textbooks for the subjects German, Science, Maths and English as a Foreign Language used in primary education. Our analysis reveals a strong tendency towards the depiction of able, white and male protagonists as the norm, presenting an ideology of power from which they explain the world. Female characters are mainly reduced to the activities of wondering, listening to their male counterparts and following their lead. While there are few exceptions, further identities such as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPoC) or people with physical and/or mental varieties can hardly be found. Applying a qualitative and quantitative content analysis, this study not only considered a numerical diversity in terms of gender, BIPoC and physical and/or mental variety but also investigated the agency of respective characters. Thus, disempowerment amplifies when identity markers intersect.

The Dethronement of Bernardo II in 1615. The Role of a Violence and Christianity in Ideology of Power in Kongo in the first half of the 17th century

The article presents a spectacular occurrence of violence in Kongo during the first half of the 17th century related to power struggles, shown mainly on the example of Bernardo II being dethroned by Álvaro III. Executing rivals in such a striking fashion was both meant as a warning to potential rebels against taking similar actions, and as a way to emphasize the monarch’s power. Christianity played also important role in Kongolese ideology of royal power, which obviously did not exclude referring to pre-Christian customs. Despite such actions, the Kongolese monarchs did not manage to gain full control of the territory during the first half of the 17th century or to counteract the revolts.

Virginia Woolf and the police: banality, ideology and the scene of interpellation

ABSTRACT In Between the Acts, Virginia Woolf exposes a bleak and chilling vision of the police. Bulge, an actor disguised as a policeman, presents his work as a ‘whole-time, white man’s job’ supervising the toil and suffering of the oppressed. The violence of this statement begs the question: what was Woolf’s own attitude towards the police? In this respect, it is possible to find a certain continuity in her fiction. Although they mainly appear as banal, sometimes reassuring, background presences, policemen are also keepers of the social order. Their actions are shown to buttress ideological forces, especially those of patriarchy and Empire. However, this paper argues that Woolf’s understanding of the role of the police in relation with these powers evolved throughout her works – from a mere analogy in Jacob’s Room, to a much more concrete system of rituals and interpellations, resembling those theorised by Louis Althusser and Jean-Jacques Lecercle. Furthermore, this change in style accompanied a change in stance: as she realised the extent of ideological power on individuals, Woolf’s notion of resistance also shifted, from a focus on wandering and personal evasion to a more communal and political approach, which crystallised in a form of artistic ‘counter-interpellation’.

Women in Public Sphere after The Implementation of Islamic Sharia in Aceh

This article discusses several activities intended for Acehnese women after the implementation of Islamic sharia. Activities aimed at women in public spaces have an impact on the marginalization and narrowing of women's public spaces. This article also explicitly provides an overview and analysis of what actually happened to Acehnese women so that it appears that there is a problem of the domination of male power over women based on religious, cultural, and political arguments. The purpose of this article is for the public to understand that the Aceh government has made policies aimed at women in the public sphere with the support of Wilayatul Hisbah, which has an impact on the marginalization of women. It is found that after the implementation of Islamic law in 2001 until now, in Aceh, there have been domestication of women with various regulations (qonuns) as well as text interpretations which are used as legitimacy by the power of conservative ideology on progressive understanding. This article makes Aceh a focus area. This article is based on the literature as a secondary source as well as interviews with experts.

CULTURAL MATERIALIST READING OF DEALING WITH CLAIR

Throughout history, an authority with certain rules has governed all societies, and each authority has had different impacts on society. Since theatre is a reflection of society and culture, it carries the traces of the development and changes of political and ideological concepts over time. With the emergence of playwrights such as Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, and Martin Crimp in the British political theatre after 1970, a new era has begun in British theatre. The purpose of this article is to explore the interconnection between the political and social changes of the period through the lens of Martin Crimp’s play Dealing with Clair (1988). Moreover, in the light of cultural materialist critics (e.g. Alan Sinfield, Jonathan Dollimore, and Raymond Williams), it will put forth Crimp’s perspective against power ideologies in the late twentieth century.

Marketing the Wang-chobo Identity: Problematic Construction of English Learner Identities in the Advertising Discourse of South Korea’s English Learning Platforms

The purpose of this study was to analyze the advertisement discourse of the three most popular online English learning platforms in South Korea and problematize their framing of Koreans as incapable learners of English. The method of critical discourse analysis and multimodal discourse analysis were used to examine how text and visuals in the advertisement discourse portrayed three powerful ideologies of neoliberalism, native- speakerism, and self-deprecation in play. It was found that the idealization of the native speaker standard was interconnected with the self-deprecating tendency of Korean learners of English, who are pressured by the neoliberal logic of self- development to learn English but are not able to attain the unreachable goal of native-like proficiency. Likewise, the study problematized language ideologies in the discourse around English learning in South Korea in order to help Korean learners of English see their English learning experience as valid and valuable, and themselves as capable English speakers.