Moral Ideologies Research Articles

Orientalist Desires and Gothic Manifestations: A Study of William Beckford's 'Vathek'

This study offers a critical analysis of Gothic motifs and Orientalist themes in William Beckford’s Vathek with a view of how the latter contributes to the construction and reproduction of the ideological boundaries between the East and the West which are underpinned by cultural and moral differentialism. This way, the research illustrates how fear, horror and the supernatural are mobilised by Beckford to represent the Oriental as a space that is inherently dangerous and spiritually degenerate. The focus is also made on how the settings of the novel the confusing, infernal halls of Eblis, the vast, mysterious landscapes are not just the background, but characters themselves who embody and intensify the main character’s moral and spiritual degeneration. Furthermore, the penetration provided by the study gives insights as to how figures such as Nouronihar and Carathis exemplify yet disrupt the Orientalist stereotype of the fatal female. Due to this research, the interconnectivity between Gothic and Orientalist Studies has been presented, and it gives an insight into how socio-political imperialisms such as culture supremacy are perpetuated by Vathek. In other words, the findings enrich extant scholarly debate by offering an analytic of how the two architectonic styles weave together in the novel, to create cultural and moral ideologies.

New age spectacles: Understanding the semiotics of cricket through Roland Barthes’ ‘The World of Wrestling’

ABSTRACT Though written in 1957, Roland Barthes’ ‘The World of Wrestling’ from Mythologies resonates with sports even today. As a choreographed fight between a pre-assigned hero and villain, wrestling plays out the archetypal moral narrative using the bodies of the participants. With exaggerated gestures and expressions, these bodies send clear messages to the surrounding audience, who aggressively cheer them on even as they know the fabricated nature of the entire event. This paper seeks to identify the semiotic structures underlying these performances using Barthes’ views on signification, denotation/connotation and ‘myth’. This framework is juxtaposed with contemporary cricket to illustrate how cricket adapts similar semiotic structures into its spatiotemporal setup, players, body politics, media representation, appearance, choreography and spectatorship. It also examines the moral ideologies governing cricket, especially notions of heroism, justice and the spectacle that can be traced back to ancient theatre. It ends with an understanding of how Barthesian wrestling can be used to analyse other contemporary sports too, suggesting directions for further research in this area.

Prejudices on In-vitro Fertilization: Experiences from Couples Struggling with Fertility of Urban Dhaka

The biomedical treatment of infertility has spread throughout the world rapidly, though the cultural understanding of its techniques stagger in various cultures and societies. The local moral ideologies and cultural urge of fertility have treated the infertile people miserably. In Bangladesh, biomedical treatments of infertility are being introduced, and many are approaching it, depending upon not only their affordability but also on various socio-cultural factors. The cultural interpretation of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) depends on various social components, like patriarchy, moral values, and belief system related to childbirth. Thus, the social exposure and moral pioneers of the recipient of treatment play significant roles in postulating the conception of IVF. This paper identifies the cultural interpretation of IVF among the infertile couples of urban Dhaka through their experience in addressing biomedical infertility treatment. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 41-55

An argument for using the Earth Charter Principles as ideological framing in award winning children’s literature

As long as literature has been specifically aimed at children questions have been raised about ideological representations in children’s literature. Award-winning children’s literature generally upholds contemporary standards of moral ideologies in the text. Ideological representations of sustainability and justice are yet to be fully accommodated in the judging criteria of children’s literary awards. The Earth Charter proposes a framework of responsibility for ‘a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace’. This paper proposes an argument for adopting the sixteen principles of the Earth Charter as an ideological framework for selecting award-winning children’s books. The 2018 Australian Children’s Book Council Award for Early Childhood is used as the case for analysis. The award-winning book is analysed using an Ideological Framework for Earth Charter Principles. This framework is adapted from McCallum and Stephens’ (2011) model of Ideological Framing in Children’s Literature. Our analysis revealed that this award-winning book both upholds and violates Earth Charter principles. This paper provides an argument for excluding books from award honours if they violate the principles of the Earth Charter without redefining or resolving the violations. For award-winning children’s literature to stand the test of time, the selection of texts could be referenced to an aspirational document like the Earth Charter that advocates justice for a sustainable future.

The moral economy of labour and resistance to commoditisation in the Matagalpa highlands of Nicaragua

ABSTRACT Nicaraguan campesinos partially resist the commoditisation of labour through different ways of valuing, pricing and prioritising their work. Resistance is enabled by everyday practices, moral ideologies and social norms regarding labour exchange. Moral norms simultaneously enable safety nets for emergencies and the destitute, and allow people to participate in capitalist labour markets with a degree of autonomy. However, these moral economies disguise class and gender conflicts. This article breaks down the idea that market exchanges are only profit-seeking and gift-giving is solely the product of mutuality: labour exchanges are a contested battlefield, where exploiters can portray themselves as helpers.

The Implementation of Asian Value on the Democratic System of Southeast Asia

The dichotomy between the east and the West has become a salient aspect in politics, where people tend to politicize the term to gain power or maintain any other movement. Democracy—as it has been a fascinating long-term issue to discuss—is a state system and the foundation of the establishment of the modern state nowadays. As the concept is constantly developing from time to time, it has been taken as a concern of leaders to implement the democratic ideology in their states—as the voices of people are now becoming the significant consideration in the term of rights where every human deserves the right to speak and right to decide, which apparently comes in the form of democracy. Learning on the condition of current states with the democratic system, sophisticating is to find Southeast Asia with democracy as a prominent actor in the system of the state. Nevertheless, the region has also implemented a value created by the moral and behavioral beliefs of the Asians, namely the Asian value. The value contains a plethora of moral and historical ideologies, and it maintained the establishment of states in Asia for decades since the monarchy era. However, given that there are some biases found due to the dichotomic perceptions between freedom in the democracy and the maintained culture in the Asian value, this study will elicit more on the discussion about these aspects using the method of qualitative literature review

Ideology in the Time of Pandemic: A Filipino Experience

This paper attempts to hermeneutically explore and understand Filipino moral ideologies in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study frames its ideology from the conceptual tradition of Karl Marx and other philosophers who shared the common idea that ideology has material existence. As Althusser put it, ideology does not exist in the ‘world of ideas’ conceived as a ‘spiritual world,’ but “ideology exists in institutions and the practices specific to them.” This paper discusses first the concept of moral ideology. The discussion focuses morality as ideology that causes a gap between the rich and the poor. Next, it discusses certain Filipino moral ideologies: Utang na Loob (debt of gratitude), Sakop (group)-oriented and Bahala Na. At the same time, it presents how some politicians and high public officials have taken advantage of these ideologies to promote self-interest. Lastly, the relation between Filipino moral ideologies and politics are manifested in the current situation. As a whole, this paper intends to address the question: “what is wrong with the Filipino system that it seems caught unprepared?”

Are the World’s National Cultures Becoming More Similar?

Globalization is highlighting existing cultural differences between nations, but what is the future of these differences? We attempt to answer this question by analyzing the evolution of cultural convergence-divergence across 18 select countries representing the existing cross-national cultural diversity across the globe in a balanced way. Using World Values Survey data (28,051 respondents in 18 countries from 1995 to 1998 and 30,453 from the same 18 countries in 2010–2014), we find evidence for a global shift in the direction of cultural traits typical of the rich Western individualist countries. However, different types of traits evolve differently and different national cultures change at different speeds. Thus, we find evidence of global convergence in terms of qualities that parents would like to see in their children (especially a shift away from religion and obedience toward independence and responsibility), divergence in terms of moral ideologies (such as homosexuality, abortion, divorce, and suicide, despite the growing acceptance of these, especially homosexuality), and distance stability in terms of key personal values (such as religion, work, family, friends, and leisure, despite the falling importance of the first two and the growing importance of the last three). Thus, there is no simple single answer to the convergence-divergence question and no evidence allowing us to predict full cultural convergence across the world in the foreseeable future.

Europe, public opinion, and Brexit

ABSTRACTThe construction – and deconstruction – of Europe is a spatial democratic process, and public opinion is central to it. One part of public opinion is fuelled by pragmatic – either economic (the search for prosperity) or strategic (the need for security) – arguments. Another is fired by political, moral and religious ideologies and identities (and utopian views of Europe in particular). Attitudes concerning Europe were never identical in the Western or Eastern halves of the continent, or in Britain. They evolved in connection with processes of economic change (from the second to the third phase of the Industrial Revolution), and latterly in relation to globalization and its geographic impact. Euroscepticism demands a deep adjustment of Europe to its current political-intellectual scene and geographic organization.

‘Shama will not dance’: University of Khartoum politics, 1964–69

AbstractIn 1968, the Democratic Front organized a folkloric dance recital at the University of Khartoum as a prelude to the upcoming student union elections, a recital that was opposed by the Islamic Movement. This dispute culminated in a riot in which a student was killed, an event referred to as the ‘Ajakoincident’, which is discussed as the first recorded instance of inter-student violence at the university. Drawing on newspaper accounts from the time, secondary sources and first-hand interviews with participants, this article explores the clashing political and moral ideologies at stake within the University of Khartoum, and their links and affective power in relation to Khartoum politics more widely. In the process, it argues that the student political sphere did not simply function as a mirror to the wider political environment, but rather as a mobilizing ground for ideologically based parties, allowing more radical youth groups to influence national dialogues and put pressure on national political actors.

THE DETERMINANTS OF CSR ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES IN RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Building on insights from motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) theory, we explore the antecedents and conditions through which entrepreneurs within small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Seeing how current research is almost exclusively dominated by investigating the activities of multinational or large organizations, we shift the attention to the social responsibility initiatives of the individual entrepreneur, seen as a moral, social and environmental champion. This study contributes to marketing and international business literature by advancing knowledge of the determinants of responsible entrepreneurship across different research settings. We highlight the importance of personal entrepreneurial values and moral ideologies and their impact on CSR engagement. From this perspective, we first applied an exploratory/qualitative research method to focus on the CSR initiatives of entrepreneurs in the UK by conducting series of interviews to identify various individual, firm and external level determinants that influence the implementation of responsible entrepreneurship practices. Second, we completed a large scale survey among 224 UK entrepreneurs. Preliminary results demonstrate that others-centered values, entrepreneurial alertness, competence, availability of resources and stakeholders influence, are important antecedents of both intentional and actual engagement in CSR practices, which in turn leads to improved performance.

Ann S. Blum (1950–2015)

Ann S. Blum (1950–2015)

A Moral Economy of Water: Charity Wells in Egypt's Nile Delta

ABSTRACTThough commonly viewed as a human right, access to water is often difficult and highly unequal within and between communities, depending on various social and power relations, access mechanisms and property rights regimes. However, moral norms and subsistence ethics can also play a balancing role, enhancing access to water for vulnerable groups and individuals, particularly in contexts of water scarcity. Using the example of a Nile Delta village, this article explores the role of charitable water wells (sobol) in influencing both irrigation and drinking water access relations, by understanding their different modes of governance and the motivations behind their emergence. The article argues that charitable norms underlying sobol are dynamic. They stem from certain moral ideologies concerning religion, property and reciprocity, and while they do greatly enhance access to water, it is with varying degrees, limitations and remaining access discrepancies. Sobol alter property rights relations, extending entitlements to water, but their effectiveness is also limited by existing property rights regimes. Sobol are also limited by existing anti‐cooperative actions, and being embedded in an inequitable access system, they may not fully counterbalance inequitable water access. The limitations of cooperative water access arrangements should be counterweighed and complemented by overarching and equitable water distribution systems.

Investigating the influence of religion, ethical ideologies and generational cohorts toward consumer ethics: which one matters?

Purpose In the debate whether ethics should be separated from religion or otherwise, few have investigated the impact of religious beliefs and ethical ideologies on consumer ethics. Thus, the purpose of this study to investigate the influence of consumers’ religion, moral philosophy and generational cohort on their perception toward various consumers’ ethical behavior practices. Design/methodology/approach The study uses sample from three different cohorts (Generation Y, Generation X and Baby boomers) in Australia. The final numbers of respondents are 251. Male and female respondents are almost equal in number (52 and 48 per cent, respectively). Most participants are single (56 per cent), and 24 per cent are married. The age cohorts are Gen-Y (70 per cent), Gen-X (16 per cent) and Baby boomers (14 per cent). In terms of religion, 46 per cent of the respondents were identified as Christian or Catholic, whereas 42 per cent reported having no religion. Findings The results show that religiosity had the strongest effect compared to moral ideologies and generation cohorts. It can be assumed that at least for religious consumers, when two ideas collide between religion and ethical ideologies, religious principles may supersede ethical ideologies. The study offers several implications for marketers, educators and public policy makers. Research limitations/implications The current study has several limitations, especially the use of convenience sampling that may limit the generalizability of the findings. Consumers in Australia may behave differently from general consumers or other cohorts with regard to their ethical judgments. Originality/value This is one of the first few studies exploring consumer ethics in Australia. We may conclude that in some ethical situations, religion will supersede ethical ideologies. Accordingly, it is important not to remove religion from ethics education, especially for religious consumers.

Who is more ethical? Cross‐cultural comparison of consumer ethics between religious and non‐religious consumers

AbstractReligion is a significant part of daily life that affects consumers' decisions and behaviors. Religious consumers are predicted to be more ethical than non‐religious consumers. Nonetheless, past research suggests mixed results. Hence, the present study has two main objectives: (1) to examine differences in moral ideologies and ethical beliefs among religious and non‐religious consumers in Indonesia and Australia and (2) to investigate the impact of moral ideologies and religiosity on consumer ethical beliefs. This is one of the first cross‐cultural studies to compare consumer moral ideology (specifically, idealism and relativism) and consumer ethical beliefs between religious and non‐religious consumers. The results show that religious consumers tend more toward idealism than relativism and have stronger ethical beliefs regarding negative consumer ethical behaviors compared with non‐religious consumers. However, for ethical beliefs regarding specific consumer behaviors, namely, recycling and software piracy/buying counterfeit, the effect of religion was overshadowed by cultural differences between the two countries. This study contributes to the debate on the impact of moral ideologies and religiosity on consumer ethical beliefs. The findings may assist managers and public policymakers in their efforts to mitigate unethical consumer activities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘WHOEVER LEAVES THEIR TRADITIONS IS A SLAVE’: CONTEMPORARY NOTIONS OF SERVITUDE IN AN EAST AFRICAN TOWN

ABSTRACTThis article examines contemporary discourses on and conceptions ofutumwaor ‘slavery’ on the Indian Ocean island of Lamu. It discusses how residents of this Swahili town use historical understandings of servitude as moral rather than mere physical subjugation to formulate judgements on current processes of change within the town. Central to the discussion are ideologies ofuungwana(civilization) andheshima(respectability) that historically shaped social stratification in Lamu, and particularly the enduring views that an embodiment ofheshimaand its visible mediation within material practices facilitate a distinction between nobleman and slave. By examining how these norms are currently incorporated within everyday assessments of young people's public behaviour, I argue that the moral ideologies that shaped social structure during the era of slavery meaningfully influence ascriptions of social standing within contemporary Lamu. Specifically, the article explores how discourses aboututumwaare grafted onto contemporary moral assessments of ‘beach boys’ or Lamu youth working in the local tourism industry. I suggest that the ideologies ofutumwa, and the moral values that accompany it, motivate and facilitate the discursive constructions of beach boys’ work as idleness rather than gainful employment.

Victim of your dreams: A review of negativity and melancology in black metal theory and the arts of Xasthur

Abstract The inherent criticisms presented by black metal and black metal theory demonstrate that the fallacies of ontology rest upon the illusion of coherent organization. This blackness consumes the human perspective and reveals a nothingness that penetrates all interpretations and purpose. In melancology, this epistemic darkness of black metal is directed upon the false human foundations of identity and orientation, negating the principles from which notions of value and agency originate. Black metal is then a misanthropic art that demonstrates the futility of moral ideologies. The present discussion examines these criticisms and explores the themes of pessimism, melancology, and misanthropy in examples derived from the black metal music of Xasthur.

The Politics of Accountability in Southeast Asia: The Dominance of Moral Ideologies

Calls by political leaders, social activists, and international policy and aid actors for accountability reforms to improve governance have never been more widespread. For some analysts, the unprecedented scale of these pressures reflects the functional imperatives and power of liberal and democratic institutions accompanying greater global economic integration. This book offers a different perspective, investigating the crucial role of contrasting ideologies informing accountability movements and mediating reform directions in Southeast Asia. It argues that the most influential ideologies are not those promoting the political authority of democratic sovereign people or of liberalism's freely contracting individuals. Instead, in both post-authoritarian and authoritarian regimes, it is ideologies advancing the political authority of moral guardians interpreting or ordaining correct modes of behaviour for public officials. Elites exploit such ideologies to deflect and contain pressures for democratic and liberal reforms to governance institutions. The book's case studies include human rights, political decentralization, anticorruption, and social accountability reform movements in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. These studies highlight how effective propagation of moral ideologies is boosted by the presence of powerful organizations, notably religious bodies, political parties, and broadcast media. Meanwhile, civil society organizations of comparable clout advancing liberalism or democracy are lacking. The theoretical framework of the book has wide applicability. In other regions, with contrasting histories and political economies, the nature and extent of organizations and social actors shaping accountability politics will differ, but the importance of these factors to which ideologies prevail to shape reform directions will not.

When and for Whom Moral Proximity Matters: Measuring the Economic and Moral Distances between Citizens and Candidates, and Their Effects on Voting

Substantively, this paper seeks to refine what we know about the weights placed by voters on House candidates' moral and economic preferences. Which voters value the moral and social positions of candidates more than or as much as candidate economic preferences? Results suggest that the traditional dominance ascribed to voters' economic concerns is misplaced. So that the economic and moral ideologies of candidates and voters can be directly compared, their preferences must be assessed on the same scale. Herein lies this paper's methodological contribution. 20 question across the 2004 ANES and NPAT adequately paralleled one another so as to make candidate and citizen responses directly comparable after some coding adjustments. Factor analysis of the merged dataset allows positioning of candidate and citizen ideal points along the same dimensions, making it possible to measure a representative's ideological proximity to her constituents as opposed to their ideological correlation. Such capabilities (i) permit investigating the representativeness of legislative outcomes, and (ii) provide some means of validating the assumptions of otherwise theoretic majority rule solution concepts such as the uncovered set and strong point.

The politics of accountability in Southeast Asia: the dominance of moral ideologies

Calls by political leaders, social activists, and international policy and aid actors for accountability reforms to improve governance have never been more widespread. For some analysts, the unprecedented scale of these pressures reflects the functional imperatives and power of liberal and democratic institutions accompanying greater global economic integration. This book offers a different perspective, investigating the crucial role of contrasting ideologies informing accountability movements and mediating reform directions in Southeast Asia. It argues that the most influential ideologies are not those promoting the political authority of democratic sovereign people or of liberalism's freely contracting individuals. Instead, in both post-authoritarian and authoritarian regimes, it is ideologies advancing the political authority of moral guardians interpreting or ordaining correct modes of behaviour for public officials. Elites exploit such ideologies to deflect and contain pressures for democratic and liberal reforms to governance institutions. The book's case studies include human rights, political decentralization, anticorruption, and social accountability reform movements in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. These studies highlight how effective propagation of moral ideologies is boosted by the presence of powerful organizations, notably religious bodies, political parties, and broadcast media. Meanwhile, civil society organizations of comparable clout advancing liberalism or democracy are lacking. The theoretical framework of the book has wide applicability. In other regions, with contrasting histories and political economies, the nature and extent of organizations and social actors shaping accountability politics will differ, but the importance of these factors to which ideologies prevail to shape reform directions will not.