Articulation Of Policy Research Articles

Local Content Requirements in Nigeria's Extractive Sector and the Implications for Sustainable Development

AbstractThis article examines the framework of Nigeria's local content laws and policy, and the implications for sustainable development. The legislation is geared towards safeguarding local productivity and aiding the progressive aspirations of Nigeria's citizens. While commendable in principle, there have been questions about policy articulation, implementation and enforcement mechanisms, especially with regard to the Sustainable Development Goals. The article examines the local content legislation in Nigeria, and how policies have shaped the community-corporate nexus. This exposes the challenges facing extractive resource governance in a jurisdiction such as Nigeria and the discourses that have permeated legal scholarship on the practical deference to local content by non-state actors. It considers that well designed and implemented local content requirements are catalysts for structural development. To achieve sustainable development of its extractive sector, Nigeria requires state-led determination to stimulate economic growth and development. The article argues for continuous consultation as a bedrock for meaningful engagement.

Coordination and crisis management. The case of the federal Government and two sub-national governments in Mexico

The article analyzes how the Mexican subnational governments responded the COVID 19 outbreak during the first stage of the crisis. The response of two subnational governments whose territory is part of the largest metropolitan area in the country that has been the focus of the pandemic is presented. We ask about the coordination instruments to face COVID-19 between the federal policy and programs with the subnational governments and argue that, during the first stage of the management of the COVID-19 crisis the institutional and organizational design of the Mexican political-administrative system has had a relevant impact on the government’s response, as well in the coordination policies. The article demonstrates that in a crisis, coordination instruments do not depend on political parties but consist of a blend of weak and suitable articulation of policies of the subnational governments with the federal strategy, as well as the need to improve the instruments of collaboration between the various levels of government in the context of a healthcare system in transformation.

The role of British Schools Overseas in promoting and upholding British values: using transmission context in policy analysis

With their central position in society as facilitators of information, schools and teachers play a key role in the articulation and embedding of government-driven policy targeted at school-age children; under the British government, this key role extends beyond the borders, to British Schools Overseas. In the last decade, this has been especially prevalent in the dissemination of anti-terrorism rhetoric and policy, created to prevent the radicalisation of students; most recently, this has involved the inclusion of ‘fundamental British values’ (FBV) in policy and curriculum. Using the work of Basil Bernstein and, in particular, the model of transmission context which sits within his theories on pedagogic discourse, this paper analyses the discourse embedded in multiple FBV policies. Through a focus on classification and framing of the discourses embedded in the policies, this paper highlights the transmission of power in these policies, with a focus on language used to convey this power; and conveys an understanding of the positioning, role and ‘responsibilisation’ of British schools, located outside of the United Kingdom, as central to FBV education as well as the solution to terrorism in Britain.

Frictions in the bioeconomy? A case study of policy translations and innovation practices

AbstractBuilding on a case study of a strategic funding initiative for biotechnology research and innovation, the paper analyses how policy objectives concerning innovation and value creation are responded to within the practices of researchers and governance actors. The paper employs an analytical perspective that centres on the interrelation between policy articulations and actors’ daily work practices and provides a novel study of how innovation demands are negotiated and made sense of within the context of three different empirical sites: national policy and science governance, intermediary science governance, and research practices. The paper addresses a problematic ‘hopeful’ mode of governance in today’s policy that is based on the idea of filling innovation deficits in current practices. As an alternative to this mode, the paper argues for the need for a more empathetic and practice-oriented policy discourse on innovation and value creation.

Hegemonic Rivalry in a Peripheral Region: An Assessment of Nigeria–South Africa’s Role in African Politics

Nigeria’s claim as the giant of Africa is evident in her foreign policy articulation of African Centre Piece. From 1960, Nigeria has championed the project of Africa through different diplomatic engagements across the continent of Africa most especially under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian administration. Nigeria’s unwavering support against the apartheid regime in South Africa led to the termination of apartheid government in 1994. However, the post- apartheid politics in Africa as well as the post-Cold War politics changed the dynamics of African politics. Nigeria’s claim as the giant of Africa became more contested and hypothetical with the emergence of notable countries such as Ethiopia and South Africa posing serious challenges to Nigeria’s hegemony in the continent. The most viable and notable threats came from South Africa following the end of apartheid regime in South Africa and coupled with its good governance rating, which had heightened the status of the country as a notable continental leader. This article attempts to explain the leadership roles of Nigeria and South Africa in a peripheral region of Africa with the view of analysing who has the sway to lead the affairs of Africa to the path of prosperity. Through the secondary method of data collection and qualitative method of data analysis (discourse analysis), the study concludes that Nigeria and South Africa roles in Africa were motivated by realist considerations. The study, however, recommends concerted efforts between Nigeria and South Africa in addressing socio-economic challenges in the African continent.

ANÁLISE DA SÍFILIS CONGÊNITA E SUA CORRELAÇÃO COM A ATENÇÃO À SAÚDE DA MULHER NO MUNICÍPIO DE BOM JESUS DO ITABAPOANA – RJ.

The congenital syphilis results from hematogenous dissemination of Treponema pallidum, from the infected mother to fetus, across placenta, that can affect multiplus systems. Because it is a disease that can be prevented, mainly through the proper monitoring of the pregnant woman to perform prenatal care, there is still a need for better articulation of public policies and programs. The present task is a scientific investigation based on an approach about congenital syphilis and its correlation with women's health care. The epidemiological data collected, for statistical elaboration, were extracted from government platforms, in which notifications of cases of congenital syphilis from 2016 to 2018 were analyzed, in the municipality of Bom Jesus do Itabapoana / RJ. The present study is of fundamental importance regarding the responsibilities of primary health care in the municipality of Bom Jesus de Itabapoana and the state of Rio de Janeiro in the social perspective, bearing in mind that gestational syphilis and congenital syphilis have been growing significantly due to the lack of care and support for women's health.

Broomscapes: racial capitalism, waste, and caste in Indian Railway Stations

ABSTRACT Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with cleaning workers in the railway stations of Hyderabad, I present a “minor theory of racial capitalism” centring the humble jhadu or broom as a heuristic tool to understand how racialization and racial capitalism intersect with caste. Employing a relational approach to study how caste intersects with gender, capitalism, sanitation, and labour, I demonstrate the perpetuation of caste and gender-based practices in railway stations. I argue that racial capitalism is operationalized through management practices related to cleaning activities, differential allocation of spaces and technologies, and the purposeful absence of cleaners from policy articulations on cleaning. My research places racial capitalism in conversation with caste and extends its application beyond the Atlantic, to demonstrate that caste is instrumental in organizing space and labour within urban public infrastructure like Indian railway stations.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environment: a wake-up call for concerted action in India

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) used as flame retardants in the products utilized in day-to-day life. Their bioaccumulation, low volatility, and high persistence in the environment have led to their global spread even to remote and distant regions. The present study identifies gaps in the investigation of the neurotoxic potential of PBDEs, their effects on brain development, toxicokinetic, and their potential as a carcinogen. In India, to date, only human breast milk was assessed for levels of PBDEs, and it is suggested that other human tissues can also be explored. No data on the reproductive toxicity of PBDEs are reported from Indian cohorts. Long-range transport and deposition of PBDEs in colder regions necessitates monitoring of Himalayan regions in India. An inventory of PBDEs is required to be made for addressing the worrisome situation of the unregulated import of E-waste from the developed countries in India. The study also emphasizes providing guidelines for the articulation of policies regarding sound surveillance and management of PBDE production, consumption, and release in the Indian context. It is recommended that a separate cell for monitoring and follow-up of PBDEs should be established in India. Also, the development of better alternatives and environment-friendly remediation technologies for PBDEs is the need of the hour.

Profiling Holiday Home Owners in Namibia

Holiday homes have been part of the tourism industry over a period of years, but there is little documented research regarding holiday home ownership, its value and impact in Namibia, therefore, the study is significant to this topic. The main aim behind this research study is to profile holiday homeowners and identify their motivation for purchasing these homes in Namibia. The results of the study focus on exploratory factor analysis which outlines four motivational factors and the correlation results to determine the demographic and psychological characteristics motivating the ownership of holiday homes. The study concluded that most holiday homes are owned by high income earners, who purchased these homes in coastal towns for the purpose of investment, income generation and recreation. The study thus recommends that these results be made available to policy planners and researchers in the local authorities and other stakeholders, in order to assist with the articulation of policies and the creation of a framework to monitor the sustainable growth of holiday home ownership that benefits the community.

Sex Trafficking of Women. Civil Society Activism Against Sexual Slavery Between the 19th and the Early 20th Century

The struggle against human traffickig is not unique to our time. Nowadays, social initiatives and policies are greatly influenced by civil society activism against sexual slavery that emerged between the 19th and the early 20th century. This article presents an analysis and selection of historical landmarks from that period that achieved social and political impact in different countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Spain. To do so we followed different strategies including the review of scientific literature and relevant academic historical databases, the examination of theoretical contributions from intellectuals, social reformers and feminist activists from that time, and we also searched for international and national legislation from the early 20th century. Findings show a) the influence of the transatlantic anti-slavery movement in the rise of the feminist movement; b) the evolution of the civil society struggle against sexual exploitation within the feminist movement; c) the arrival of the anti-sex trafficking movement in Spain; d) the political impact of early civil society organizations against sex trafficking in the articulation of policies at the beginning of the 20th century. To acknowledge these historical legacies can contribute to the development of current anti-sex trafficking initiatives.

The economic security of the Russian Federation: An innovative aspect

Subject. The article focuses on the articulation of the innovative policy in maintaining the national security of the Russian Federation. Objectives. We evaluate the current situation in the Russian Federation in terms of innovative development and compare it with other countries. The study also determines what impedes the deployment of innovation across regions. Methods. The methodological framework is based on the comparative analysis of innovative development indicators of Russia and countries all around the world. Results. We examined key economic security imperatives of the Russian Federation. The development of innovation is proved to be the only vector that will help Russia remain competitive worldwide. The national economic security is found to mainly depend on the efficiency of innovative activities in the real economy. We provide the comparative description of innovation indicators of China, Germany and the Russian Federation. The article also analyzes changes in the innovative development of the Russian regions, illustrating the case of the Bryansk Oblast. Conclusions and Relevance. China is an undeniable leader by the number of patent applications for inventions, utility models, industrial specimens. As the analysis shows, there is a close and direct relationship in China between resident’s patent applications and GDP. The fact signifies that the economic growth of the country does not draw upon innovation. Notwithstanding efforts, Russia’s Global Innovation Index has remained almost the same for the recent years, with Innovation Output sub-index even falling.

Examining exceptionalism in national security cultures: a comparative study of the United States and India

ABSTRACT The idea of American exceptionalism in guiding US national security concerns has often come under scrutiny in the past from security analysts and policy makers alike. The US is not alone in projecting its exceptional values in its foreign policy articulations. Indian foreign policy assertions also stress India’s unique civilizational qualities that make it capable of pursuing a “peaceful” modernity as opposed to the “violent” modernity of the West. The aim of this paper is to analyze how the idea of exceptionalism impacts the national security cultures of the two biggest democracies of the world. What are US and Indian exceptionalism in the context of international relations? How do they translate into the national security cultures of a superpower and a rising power? Is their national security culture driven by fear or hope, trust or mistrust, flexible or rigid strategies? These are some of the issues that this paper seeks to address.

The Role of Local Government in the Drive for Sustainable Development Public Policies. An Analytical Framework Based on Institutional Capacities

The role of local governments in promoting policies to combat climate change is critical. In order to play this role, local administrations must have different capacities that allow them to analyze, manage and transform their environment through public policies. This article aims to contribute to the academic debate on the role of local governments in the articulation of climate change policies and sustainable development. The proposal combines a conceptual and analytical contribution, which is illustrated by means of a case study analysis. At the conceptual and analytical level, the article proposes a review of the contributions from the perspective of public policies and organizational management models in order to introduce an analytical framework based on four capacities: strategic, analytical, managerial and collaborative. This framework is developed based on the design of a strategy to measure the existence of these capabilities in a given local government by means of specific indicators. This analytical framework is applied through a case study of Barcelona City Council and its policies to combat climate change and promote sustainable development. The results of the analysis highlight the importance of the combined action of the four management capacities mentioned as a precondition for the articulation of this type of policies at the local government level.

Family language policy: The case for a bottom-up approach in conserving Zimbabwe’s minoritised languages

This article focuses on the perspectives of selected members drawn from three language and culture associations to understand their bottom-up initiatives in the conservation of minoritised languages in Zimbabwe. By triangulating the reversing language shift theory and the concept of family language policy, the study sought to discuss the contributions of ZILPA, KLCDA and TOLACCO as bottom-up players in language policy. Language and culture associations are considered important reversing language shift agents whose language awareness and language ideologies potentially impact family language policy and encourage the use of minoritised languages by all three generations in the family. Findings of the study demonstrate that language and culture associations are vital cogs in the articulation of family language policy. They deploy a range of language intervention measures to enthuse minoritised language families to use their heritage language at home. The study concludes by making a case for further exploration of family language policy as a bottom-up approach in minoritised language conservation, given that the core component of language transmission is its use in homes.

Fear and empathy in international relations: Diplomacy, cyber engagement and Australian foreign policy

Emotions in international relations, as in human relations, are invisible but leave traces in the policy articulation. Such traces can reveal how emotional interpretations of the environment in which national states operate shape and frame certain policy and strategic choices. Drawing on the concept of the “institutionalisation of empathy and fear” developed by Crawford (Int Theory 6(3):535–557, 2014), I first operationalise and then apply this concept to the Australian foreign policy. This framework is applied to the analysis of the foreign policy documents and strategies published by the Australian government in the last decade. In particular, I focus on Australia’s foreign policy articulation and interpretation of the internet and digital technologies. New, pressing problems are emerging in the digital environment due to a range of cybersecurity threats, including an increase in the frequency of automated accounts and the dissemination of fake news and digital propaganda. From perceiving the internet as a communication platform that allows for listening to and dialogue with foreign publics, Australian foreign policy is increasingly framing the internet as strategic infrastructure that requires defending and guarding. The attention is, thus, moving towards short-term ‘defensive’ goals—as a result of a higher perceived fear of the latest evolution in the geopolitical context. The shift in Australian foreign policy indicates a form of institutionalisation of fear in response to the challenges emerging from the digital environment. I conclude by arguing that a more belligerent international environment highlights the tension between national interest—which evolves and changes due to political shifts and contextual elements—and the understanding of public diplomacy engagement as mutual understanding and mutual influence.

Antibiotic resistance in the environment: a critical insight on its occurrence, fate, and eco-toxicity.

The overuse, misuse, and underuse of antibiotics tend to increase the antibiotic burden in the environment resulting into the evolution in microbial community to possess resistance that renders antibiotics ineffective against them. The current review recapitulates the present state of knowledge about the occurrence and fate of antibiotics in various environmental matrices. Also, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria/antibiotic-resistant genes (ARB/ARGs) in various biological and non-biological systems, eco-toxicity of antibiotics on non-target organisms, and remediation methods for antibiotics and ARB/ARGs removal were critically reviewed. Furthermore, a comparison of various technologies for their efficiency to eliminate antibiotic residues and ARB/ARGs is made. The study identified gaps in the investigation of toxic effects of low concentration of antibiotics and the mixture of multiple antibiotics on non-target organisms. The study of antibiotics' phytotoxicity and toxicity towards sediment and soil-dwelling organisms are also recognized as a knowledge gap. The review also details policies implemented across the globe to fight against antibiotic resistance, and the scarcity of data on lab to land transferred remediation technology was identified. The present study entails a critical review of literature providing guidelines for the articulation of policies for prudent use of antibiotics, limits on the amount of antibiotics in pharmaceutical formulations, and regular surveillance in the Indian context.

“The Price of Disaster”: The Charter School Authorization Process in Post-Katrina New Orleans

Charter schools because of their entanglements with privatization remain one of the most publicly contested and controversial educational reform initiatives. Charter schools, in theory, are to balance autonomy and accountability in order to provide students with innovative learning environments and increased achievement on traditional academic measures. The governance of charter schools and the vision espoused in the charter application are central in determining the organization and operation of charter schools. As such, connected to charter schools are the actors that envision them and the processes and policies that enable them. Utilizing the case of post-Katrina New Orleans, I examine the charter authorization process, an understudied aspect of charter school policy. Understood as an objective, colorblind process in mainstream policy articulations, the authorization process regulates entry into educational markets. This paper applies a Critical Race Theory analysis to the authorization process. I argue the charter school authorization process is a foundational gatekeeping mechanism that structures charter markets. In so doing, the charter school authorization process is embedded within and constitutive of on-going processes of racial formation and racialized power solidification. Moreover, I argue mainstream policy articulations situate the charter school authorization process as an accountability mechanism that is neutral, benign, and objective; such articulations distort and distract from the racial antagonisms upon which neoliberal reform projects are built.

What Do They Know of Canada Who Only Canada Know? An Immigrant’s Guide to Multiculturalism and Shy Elitism

This article examines how multiculturalism has overflowed from its governmental and policy articulations into Canadian society and culture more broadly. In doing so, it brings together three fields of research that are often separated and disarticulated from each other. Firstly, it draws on oft-overlooked archival material from agencies, departments and ministries of anti-racism, heritage, human rights, immigration, labour, multiculturalism, race relations, settlement and the status of women between 1971 and 2001. Secondly, it engages with the political and academic careers of “immigrant women” who navigated the credentialism, anti-intellectualism and “shy elitism” that courses through official and corporate forms of multiculturalism, and were recognized by prize-giving institutions for their contributions to Canadian society. Finally, it thinks with and through Black Atlantic intellectuals and an “anti-hierarchical tradition of thought that probably culminates in C.L.R. James’s idea that ordinary people do not need an intellectual vanguard to help them to speak or to tell them what to say” (Gilroy 1993, 79).

LAS TECNOLOGÍAS DE LA INFORMACIÓN Y COMUNICACIÓN (TIC) EN EL DESARROLLO RURAL: RETOS Y OPORTUNIDADES PARA MÉXICO

La expansión de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC) en todos los ámbitos de nuestra sociedad se ha producido a gran velocidad y está en constante evolución. Este artículo presenta un análisis documental sobre el papel de las TIC en el desarrollo rural, donde la literatura muestra que las TIC pueden ser una herramienta para promover el desarrollo en condiciones adecuadas de acceso y uso, no obstante, las zonas rurales de los países latinoamericanos y en particular México, muestran disparidades estructurales que limitan el acceso y el uso a estas tecnologías. Por lo tanto, para la obtención de beneficios a través del uso efectivo de las TIC por parte de la población y los sectores productivos rurales, se requiere de políticas públicas con pertinencia local que aumenten la cobertura de los servicios de telecomunicaciones y las iniciativas de alfabetización digital, así comola articulación de la política de TIC con otros programas sociales que contribuyan a una mejor calidad de vida.

Change or Consistency? A Historical Overview of South Africa's Post-apartheid Foreign Policy

This study examines the trajectory of South Africa's post-apartheid foreign policy by establishing the extent of change or consistency in its implementation since 1994. Under the ruling African National Congress (ANC), South Africa has emerged as a promising international actor, particularly within the Southern African region and on the African continent in general. The authors provide a historical analysis of the major trajectories of foreign policy articulation under the administrations of Presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma spanning the period 1994 to 2018. In investigating the conception and execution of foreign policy under these dispensations, the authors unravel a consistent but skewed pattern of national role conception that underscores Pretoria’s vision to be a major actor in international affairs, both regionally and globally. We conclude that South Africa’s foreign policy during this period was marked by Mandela’s altruism, Mbeki’s Afrocentrism and the antediluvian signature of Zuma.