Mutual Interdependence Research Articles

Ubuntu/Botho: Ideologie oder Versprechen?

Abstract This article investigates the concept of Ubuntu/Botho as a possible foundation for an African moral theory. It departs from an analysis of the idea of “human personhood” as a basis for moral agency, which is controversially debated within African philosophy. This notion of personhood relies on an understanding of the mutual interdependence of human beings. As a next step, the author critically assesses the discursive function of Ubuntu/Botho in African societies and its misuse by political elites as ideological cover for exclusionary and violent practices. By way of conclusion, the article stresses restoration as a key value associated with African humanism based on Ubuntu/Botho.

Ukrainian

Th e article is devoted to the systematization of modern theoretical views on the role of institutions in social development. Th e relevance of the topic is determined by the need for a thorough analysis of modern views on the role and place of institutions in social development in the conceptualization of diff erent approaches to the development of institutional theory. Th e novelty of the work lies in the substantiation of the directions of use in domestic science and practice of modern approaches to institutionalism in general and various institutions in particular in order to improve the economic and social development of the country, its regions and communities. Th e purpose of the article is to summarize the main latest theoretical views on institutional theory and the practical use of its components in the formation of state development policy in various spheres of public life. Іn the process of preparing the article, such basic research methods as systematic and multidisciplinary, as well as comparative analysis were used, the joint application of which allowed to fully explore and generalize the multifaceted and complex nature of the components of institutional theory and its use. Scientifi c approaches to key components of institutional theory are considered. Th e main characteristics of the concept of institutions as a common phenomenon in the social, political and economic spheres are highlighted. Emphasis is placed on the coordinating role of institutions, the importance of studying the impact on public policy-making of both formal and informal institutions. Th e approach to the analysis of institutions from the point of view of rational and sociological behavioral models is systematized. Various scientifi c interpretations of institutional theory on an interdisciplinary basis — from the point of view of organizational institutionalism, institutional economics and comparative institutionalism — are characterized and analyzed. Th e author identifi ed provisions of these theoretical approaches, which seem relevant and are of greatest interest to scientists, politicians, practitioners in the framework of institutional analysis. In particular, the importance of socially responsible investment in the development of person, separate territory, country as a whole, as interconnected and interdependent processes that characterize the development of self-regulation of the business environment as a form of informal institutions. It is found that from the point of view of formation and implementation of public policy by authorities of diff erent territorial levels, it is important to use the ideas of comparative institutionalism, in particular on the mutual conditionality and interdependence of institutions in diff erent spheres of public life. Th e generalization of research on the implementation by countries of various institutional forms for the improvement of development policy is out, on the basis of which the importance of complementarity of institutions, dialectically interconnected, is determined. In this context, the key functions of institutions that are critical for the formation and implementation of development policy are described. Th e introduction of such an approach to evaluating the eff ectiveness of institutions as “institutional distance” is analyzed.

“I appreciate your body, because…” Does promoting positive body image to a friend affect one’s own positive body image?

Research has shown that individuals with a positive body image promote positive body image to others, yet also have close others who unconditionally accept their body and feel positively about their own body, too. This mutual interdependence between the individual and the environment with respect to positive body image has been termed reciprocity. Inspired by this research, we investigated whether promoting positive body image to others leads to improvements in one’s own positive body image. To do so, undergraduate women (N = 154) were randomised to write a letter to a friend, expressing either appreciation for their friend’s body functionality (experimental group) or appreciation for their shared memories (control group). Participants completed pretest and posttest measures of state functionality appreciation and state body appreciation, and filler items. Unexpectedly, there were no group differences in state functionality appreciation and state body appreciation. Instead, participants within both groups experienced medium to large improvements in state functionality appreciation and state body appreciation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test the effects of promoting positive body image to others. Future research can shed further light on the effects of promoting positive body image to others in particular, and on the phenomenon of reciprocity more broadly.

Landscape, Memory, Heritage and Identity (Historiographical Overview)

Introduction. UNESCOs adoption of the Convention “Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage” of 1972 led to the discussion on the issues of mutual influence and interdependence of humankind and nature and human perception of the environment and his own ecological niche. As a result of these discussions, the term “cultural landscape” came into use, and became part of the world cultural heritage. Methods and materials. This study is based on the combination of the general, special historical and cultural methods. The central place among them was occupied by the comparative, analytical, historical-genetic, comparative analysis methods and some methods of historical cultural studies. Analysis. The evolution of the cultural landscape took place throughout human history and is a unique blend of not only human development. It also reflects, on the one hand, national culture and mentality, and on the other, shows the influence of natural factors on their development. It also helps to understand the mentality of various ethnic groups, similarities and differences in their perception of the world and attitude. The development of the cultural landscape concept has become an integral part of the Anthropocene theory, based on the teachings of V.I. Vernadsky, about the impact and intersection of the geo-, bio- and noosphere in the fate of humankind. Results. The article considers the development of the “cultural landscape” theory mainly in English and American historiography which conclusively demonstrates how natural factors impact on changes in culture of the same ethnos. Through historiographic studies and comparisons, it becomes possible to trace the importance of preserving and studying the cultural landscapes of the past and present, in order to understand ourselves and be responsible to the world around us.

COVID‐19 and Global Governance

Abstract The COVID-19 epidemic has sent economic and social shockwaves reverberating across the globe, and has shaken governance institutions at every level and across a range of issues, from trade to health and climate change An important question is whether COVID will accelerate, slow, or perhaps reverse some key trends in global governance Most prominently, the global and multilateral governance regimes that developed post-World War II were already weakening and fragmenting before COVID (Acharya, 2016) In a closely related phenomenon, cosmopolitan liberalism, as a set of institutions and ideologies committed to a democratic open society, human rights, and multiculturalism, has also retreated in the face of rising populism and authoritarianism in recent years (Norris and Inglehart, 2019) COVID could also affect a third important trend, the decline of state regulation and the rise of private, voluntary, and disclosure-based governance (Levy, Brown, and de Jong, 2010) The impact of COVID on these trends suggests some fruitful new directions for scholars of global governance and organizations

Twelve Years after the Financial Crisis – Too-big-to-fail is still with us. Comments on the Financial Stability Board’s Consultation Report ‘Evaluation of the Effects of Too-big-to-fail Reforms’

The paper contains comments made on the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) Consultation Report concerning the success of regulatory reforms since the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. According to these comments, the FSB’s assessment of the role of equity is too narrow, being phrased in terms of bankruptcy avoidance and risk taking incentives, without attention to debt overhang creating distortions in funding choices, as well as the systemic impact of ample equity reducing deleveraging needs after losses and equity contributing to smoothing of lending and asset purchases over time. The FSB’s treatment of systemic risk pays too little attention to mutual interdependence of different parts of the system that is not well captured by linear causal relationships. Finally, the comments point out that bank resolution of systemically important institutions is still not viable, for lack of political acceptance of single-point-of-entry procedures, for lack of funding of banks in resolution (in the EI), for lack of fiscal backstops (in the EU), and for lack of political acceptance of bank resolution with bail-in.

Eliza Haywood’s Love in Excess: Women, the Enlightenment, and the Trap of Reason

This paper examines the contribution of Eliza Haywood’s first work of amatory fiction, Love in Excess; or the Fatal Enquiry, to the tradition of women’s critical writing that have questioned the hidden exclusions at the core of the European Enlightenment. Love in Excess addresses the dichotomy of reason versus emotion and the paradoxical expectations it imposed upon upper-class women during the European Enlightenment. Haywood’s exploration challenges this binary construction by showing the mutual interdependence of reason and passion, and by exposing the double standards on the basis of which women’s and men’s desires were regulated.

Nation branding in the COVID-19 era: South Korea’s pandemic public diplomacy

In a global pandemic, public health outcomes are not the only variables at stake. Also at stake are countries’ nation brands and influence, which hinge on how a country responded to the crisis. Based on a case study of a middle power, South Korea, one of the more successful COVID-19 national responses so far, we offer an exploratory conceptual explication of pandemic public diplomacy that is grounded in a normative framework of substance, information, trust, collaboration, and mutual benefit. Sentiment analyses of social media and international news media suggest that the country is perceived as a model on how to cope with the pandemic by international audiences. Unlike other public diplomacy contexts, pandemic public diplomacy challenge conventional assumptions about public diplomacy and nation branding. As nation-states confront a common enemy, how public diplomacy and nation branding play out in COVID-19—arguably the most socially disruptive event in modern history—helps to shed light on the dynamics of mutual interdependence in an interconnected yet competitive world fraught with fear, uncertainty, and information deficiency.

Sino-Iranian Strategic Partnership: Prospects and Challenges

China and Iran have developed mutual inter-dependence and bilateral cooperation in several fields. Though China and Iran are closer to sign 25 year strategic partnership, yet the final draft of the deal is being negotiated between the two parties. The expectations are high on Iranian side, however one or anotherway there are multiple factors associated with such developments. For instance; Chinese image in contemporary international system, US factor, international sanctions against Iran, Iranian perception and role in the region, and Chinese ambitious Belt and Road initiative is supposed to determine the depth and sustainability of this strategic partnership. This paper argues that the apprehensions attached to the deal are reflecting western perception whereas China’s interest are more economic/commercial and business oriented, thus limiting their cooperation in other fields. This paper addresses the prospects of these negotiations considering the impact of afore mentioned factors on the background of their relations, thus articulates challenges faced by both the parties for expected enhanced strategic partnership. The paper concludes that Sino-Iranian cooperation is not only confined to economic field rather expands to socio-cultural and technological fields as well, but this must also be viewed as part of China’s over all Middle East policy considering her economic might and investment posture through Belt and Road initiative.

The Problem of Cooperatives and Housing Cooperatives Policy Towards the Millennium in Turkey

Kooperatifçilik dünya ve Türkiye açısından son derece önemli bir olgudur. Kooperatifler aynı amaçla güçlerini birleştiren bireylerin, belediye, köy, il özel idaresi gibi kamu kuruluşlarının, dernekler, sendikalar gibi özel hukuk tüzel kişilerinin de üye olduğu, kâr amacı gütmeyen, özüne yardım, karşılıklı yardımlaşma ve dayanışmaya dayalı örgütler olup bir sermaye ortaklığı değildir. Dolayısıyla kooperatif örgütlerle sermaye ve kâr birbirlerinin tersi amaçlara sahiptirler. Konut kooperatifçiliği ise kooperatif sektörünün tek başına lokomotifi gibidir. Bu yönüyle hem ülke ekonomisine katkıları hem genel kooperatifçilik sektörü içindeki yeri hem de konut hakkı gibi bir insani hakkı eldeki tüm olanaklarla karşılamaya çalışan araçlar olması yine toplumsal dayanışmayı artırması bakımlarından son derece önemli ve gerekli olduğu ortadadır. Bu çalışmada ikibinli yılların başındaki kooperatifçilik alanından seçilen bir kamu politikası analizinin bulgularına yer verilmektedir. Kooperatifçilik hareketi belirgin olarak ilk kez, Avrupa’da, 19.yüzyılın ortalarından itibaren görülmeye başlamıştır. Bu anlamda Türkiye’deki kooperatifçiliğin ortaya çıkışı da aynı döneme rastlamakta, 1863 yılında, “Memleket Sandığı” adı altında bu yönde ilk örgütlenme gerçekleştirilmiş bulunmaktadır. İlk örgütlenme nitelik itibariyle tarım alanında olsa da benzer yapıların kısa bir süre konut alanında gerçekleştirildiği de görülmektedir. Türkiye’de konut kooperatiflerinin kuruluş ve işleyişi 1969 tarihli 1163 sayılı Kooperatifler Kanunu ile düzenlenmiştir. Kamu politikası anlamında böylesi bir geçmişi olan kooperatifçiliğin ve özelde de konut kooperatifçiliğinin bu çalışmada incelenmesinin gerekçesi özellikle ikibinli yıllardaki hızlı gelişmelerin varlığı ve etkisinin çokluğudur.

Spirituality-Based Counseling Improves Family Relationships and Quality of Life among Cohabiting South Asian Mothers-in-Law and Daughters-in-Law

This article reports a study on the effect of a joint online spirituality-based counseling (OSC) intervention in improving the relationship quality and quality of life of South Asian mothers-in-law (MILs) and daughters-in-law (DILs) dyads. The OSE was effective (Cohen’s d range = 1.44–3.76, p≤.01) and post-test scores were higher for Hindu and Buddhist dyads, middle class, MILs-DILs with better education, widowed MILs and currently married DILs. OSC attendance and self-practice mediated the relationship between socio-demographic predictors and outcomes. Relationship quality outcomes of the MILs-DILs were interdependent, associated and in turn predicted quality of life outcomes of the dyads and the mutual interdependence.

Breadth of external knowledge search in service sectors

PurposeThere is a dearth of empirical research on the impact of external knowledge search on innovation performance in different categories of service firms. This study explores the effectiveness of the breadth of external search on product and process innovations in German firms. In particular, the author modelled a non-linear relationship between the breadth of knowledge and product and process innovations.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the Mannheim Innovation Panel (MIP) data for the German service firms in the period 2014–2016, the author reported findings from a bivariate probit model which took into account mutual interdependence between product and process innovations. Moreover, the model was separately estimated for knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and other services. For comparative purposes, the author also estimated the model for manufacturing firms.FindingsEmpirical findings uniformly indicated an inverted U-shaped effect of the breadth of knowledge on both product and process innovations. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that using up to three knowledge sources increases the probability of a joint implementation of product and process innovations. These findings hold for both KIBS firms and other services. However, those service firms that focussed on a single type of innovation experienced diminishing returns to external knowledge when exploiting more than one source of knowledge. These results indicated that a simultaneous introduction of different types of innovation required diverse knowledge sources. In contrast, when focussing on a single type of innovation, service firms experienced diminishing returns when multiple sources were used. However, this finding was only partially found for manufacturing firms. Accordingly, this study’s findings provided support for the demarcation approach, insofar as the breadth of knowledge had a heterogenous impact on innovation in manufacturing relative to service firms.Originality/valuePrevious studies on the breadth of knowledge search mostly examined its influence on innovation performance without separately analysing manufacturing and service firms. The present study focussed on service firms that were further divided into KIBS and other service firms. By investigating potentially non-linear relationships between knowledge breadth and product and process innovations, it illustrated how different innovation strategies were affected by a diverse pool of external knowledge sources.

Plant community and soil properties drive arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity: A case study in tropical forests

The mutual interdependence of plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is important in carbon and mineral nutrient exchange. However, an understanding of how AMF community assemblies vary in different forests and the underlying factors regulating AMF diversity in native tropical forests is largely unknown. We explored the AMF community assembly and the underlying factors regulating AMF diversity in a young (YF) and an old-growth forest (OF) in a tropical area. The results showed that a total of 53 AMF phylogroups (virtual taxa, VTs) were detected, 38±1 in the OF and 34±1 in the YF through high-throughput sequencing of 18S rDNA, and AMF community composition was significantly different between the two forests. A structural equation model showed that the forest traits indirectly influenced AMF diversity via the plant community, soil properties and microbes, which explained 44.2% of the total observed variation in AMF diversity. Plant diversity and biomass were the strongest predictors of AMF diversity, indicating that AMF diversity was dominantly regulated by biotic factors at our study sites. Our study indicated that forest community traits have a predictable effect on the AMF community; plant community traits and soil properties are particularly important for determining AMF diversity in tropical forests.

Understanding inclusion in collaborative governance: a mixed methods approach

ABSTRACT Who should be included in collaborative governance and how they should be included is an important topic, though the dynamics of inclusion are not yet well understood. We propose a conceptual model to shape the empirical analysis of what contributes to inclusion in collaborative processes. We propose that incentives, mutual interdependence and trust are important preconditions of inclusion, but that active inclusion management also matters a great deal. We also hypothesize that inclusion is strategic, with ‘selective activation’ of participants depending on functional and pragmatic choices. Drawing on cases from the Collaborative Governance Case Databank, we used a mixed method approach to analyse our model. We found support for the model, and particularly for the central importance of active inclusion management.

Entanglement in Cyberspace: Minding the Deterrence Gap

ABSTRACT Conventional models of deterrence focus on the ability to deter adversaries through ex-ante threats that impose ex-post costs or through the elevation of ex-ante costs through strategies that deny. The imposition of costs on adversaries in cyberspace is complex and the establishment of deterrence by threat or denial is constrained by problems associated with resource asymmetries, attribution, and a diverse set of actors with overlapping capabilities. Due to these challenges, conventional models of deterrence have seen limited success in cyberspace. Rather than building more robust defenses or threatening retaliatory actions, entanglement within cyberspace offers an alternative approach that might affect the decision-matrix of adversary states. This paper examines the concept of entanglement as a way of altering how states conceptualize offensive actions in cyberspace and works toward building mutual interdependencies to make actions that disrupt, degrade or deny within cyberspace undesirable.

De-territorialized digital capitalism and the predicament of the nation-state: Netflix in Arabia

In 2018, Saudi Arabia and Netflix were forced to confront the limits of freedom of speech online. The kingdom requested that the streaming giant remove a critical episode of the satirical show Patriot Act with Hassan Minhaj from its local service, and the latter complied at the risk of reputational damage. Focusing on the controversy surrounding this case, this article explores how both state and business adopt and adapt to changes in technology and how each reasserts its sphere of influence in the digital era. We argue that state and business are developing a symbiotic relationship in the context of de-territorialized digital capitalism. Such a relationship allows both entities to engage in mutual interdependence that accommodates the interests of the other while avoiding harmful consequences and deleterious effects. In practice, the state exercises targeted censorship while businesses abide by controlled compliance. The account and analysis presented regarding the logic of symbiotic relationship draws attention to the various ways in which global media players in the digital era have navigated territoriality and the extent of state–business mutual accommodation.

Uptake and implementation of Nature-Based Solutions: An analysis of barriers using Interpretive Structural Modeling

Cities increasingly have to find innovative ways to address challenges arising from climate change and urbanization. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been gaining attention as multifunctional solutions that may help cities to address these challenges. However, the adoption and implementation of these solutions have been limited due to various barriers. This study aims to identify a taxonomy of dominant barriers to the uptake and implementation of NBS and their relationships. Fifteen barriers are identified from the literature and expert interviews and then ranked through a questionnaire. Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) serves to identify the mutual interdependencies among these barriers, which results in a structural model of six levels. Subsequently, Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC analysis) is used to classify the barriers into four categories. The results suggest that political, institutional and knowledge-related barriers are the most dominant barriers to NBS. Cities that intend to apply NBS can draw on these findings, especially by more effectively prioritizing and managing their actions.

INTERNATIONAL MACROECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND ITS INTERACTION: EVIDENCE FROM US, JAPAN, GERMANY, CHINA, INDIA AND RUSSIA

Using the Diebold and Yilmaz (2012) spillover method, this study attempts to evaluate the strength and direction of cross-country interactions of macroeconomic activity across US, Japan, Germany, China, India and Russia. Apart from a base model, it frames two alternative models; one is based on principal component analysis (PCA) incorporating important macroeconomic variables from each country and another model is based on industrial production index; both evaluate the robustness of our empirical findings. It finds that 62% of variations in growth rates of all six countries are due to their mutual interdependence among them and it also reflects that the emerging economies like China and Russia take the lead in influencing foreign economic activities. It suggests that the concrete policy action is required to diversify the international market interdependency of a domestic economy as it may jeopardise the macroeconomic stability when uncertainty is generated in foreign economies. The empirical analysis is found to be robust.

Différance as Temporization and Its Problems

ABSTRACT Derrida’s philosophy is usually known as a form of critique of metaphysics. This article, however, argues that Derrida’s deconstructions do not only dismantle metaphysics from within, but also remain in themselves thoroughly, and problematically, metaphysical. Its goal is to determine exactly where the metaphysical features of Derrida’s work can be found. The article starts with an analysis of Derrida’s understanding of metaphysics, as well as its deconstruction, by explaining the working of différance, mainly focusing on its temporality. Further, it will demonstrate how in the temporization or deferral of différance a metaphysical desire for purity remains effective. In readings of several texts, the mutual interdependence of metaphysics and deconstruction will be sketched. Then the ethical side of deconstruction will be highlighted, both in Derrida’s early work as well as in the slightly different elaboration of différance in the later ethical notions like justice, the gift and the messianic. This results in a distinction of three versions of différance. Finally, a critical discussion of the metaphysical side of deconstruction will be followed by a comparison of different readings of deconstruction and différance.

Phenomenology, Politics, Education

Between education and politics there is an original and undeniable relationship: each civilisation reproduces and recreates itself through education (which is why politics is interested in education) and education is the basis of civil coexistence (that’s why politics depends on the quality of education). In the framework of this mutual interdependence, education may assume towards society a “subversive” or a “countercyclical” role (Neil Postman), according to whether the historical moment is characterised by stability or quick and deep changes. In any case, education is always “political”, since upon it depends the process of “democratization of democracy” (Anthony Giddens) that society should provide in order to avoid the decline and pervertion of the spirit and values of the democratic citizenship. From this viewpoint, phenomenology contributes to the training of feeling and thinking underlying the critical exercise of reason and choice.