Activism Research Articles

Imagining alternative climate futures in higher education

AbstractAcross the globe, interdisciplinary and creative approaches to climate change education are crucial at all levels, particularly in higher education. In this article, I draw from insights working with a class at New Mexico State University in the United States. The aim was to examine approaches to understanding, communicating, and representing climate change. Each student was asked to compose a narrative in which they imagined the year 2100 as a time when we have adequately mitigated and/or adapted to the climate crisis. The assignment set the tone for collective action and foregrounded the importance of story and imagination in building just and sustainable futures. The class complemented a public climate change speaker series and, as a second assignment, students suggested which speakers to invite to shape the series in the future. The two assignments opened new spaces to empower, learn with and from, and build connections between university students and academic staff to shape climate discourse and action in communities. Reflecting on what was learned, sharing an example of a climate futures assignment, and presenting views on a collaborative approach to climate change education all add, I hope, to the literature on imagining futures, empowerment, and authentic learning in climate change education.

Water Drops

This article examines how individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds in Norway participate in anti-racist activism via social media. It investigates the nature of digital activism compared to traditional paradigms, highlighting the varied forms of engagement enabled by digital technology. Drawing on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork among individuals in the arts and cultural sector, it reveals how seemingly minor actions on social media can spark organized activism, unveiling the political activism inherent in daily life and social media practices. The article argues that individuals not identifying as political activists still contribute to political change through everyday social media activities, suggesting that contemporary activism can exist without activists. Introducing the metaphor of ‘water drops’ the article conceptualizes everyday politics as small contributions that may collectively shape meaningful change. Small acts can be merely drops in a vast ocean without major significance. However, if sustained over time, efforts across disparate online spaces can coalesce to challenge and subvert dominant social narratives regarding difference, racism, discrimination, and exclusion. Thus, contemporary activism can thrive with ordinary people who contribute to collective social transformation through digital and mundane interactions.

(Dé)cloisonnements et résistances interstitielles

This article is part of a research project looking at the home as a space for resistance and politicisation. Based on a field study of alternative forms of cohabitation, the aim is to rework the very definition of the home, which thus acts as a conceptual operator for rethinking a set of dichotomies that structure political philosophy: the private and the public, the personal and the collective, the intimate and the institutional, the domestic and the political. From this perspective, two types of (de)partitioning are involved: conceptually, the aim is to undo the construction of a threshold that has excluded the home from the political domain, relegating it to an apolitical, pre-political or even anti-political sphere. In so doing, we will be trying to think what kind of resistance can emerge from within the alternative home; how can we think the ability to make a world from the very margins of the world? In architectural terms, the question of partitions, the ones we add, the ones we remove, appears to be one of the recurring reasons for the appropriation and hijacking of the space by its residents. This raises the question of the insistence of a preexisting materiality - that of space, and that of a socio-political order - against which strategies of subversion inevitably clash. How can we think about the ambiguity of resistance - that of contestation and that of conservation - as a dual requirement, without losing the meaning of all political action? In the final analysis, this problematic should be seen as one of articulation between resistance and its framework, and it invites us to rethink that framework.

Leveraging Dissent: A Policy Narrative's Power to Sow Distrust

AbstractThe rise of political polarization and disagreement within the United States and other democracies indicates an erosion of the social contract, a deterioration exacerbated by the balkanization of social media, that can negatively impact our social relationships. Recent anti–Critical Race Theory (CRT) narratives in education provide insights into how policy narratives can be used to sow distrust in an educational context. In this paper Jane Lo and candace moore argue for the ways policy narratives can sow distrust as opposed to mistrust. Mistrust points to an ongoing process of determining trustworthiness, while distrust connotes a more decisive and deliberate lack of trust in a person or institution. Lo and moore argue that educational research should pay more attention to the building of trust or mistrust in schools in the current context, where the anti‐CRT policy narrative, through amplifying and manipulating existing anxieties and fears in order to motivate political action, capitalizes on and seeks to reinforce the natural mistrust of schooling.

Chicago Police Torture and the Limits of Human Rights Enforcement in Liberal Democracies

From 1972 to 1991, a network of Chicago Police detectives used torture to force confessions from over 100 criminal suspects. Almost all were Black men, and many were wrongly convicted, some for capital offenses. I synthesize insights from comparative research on human rights, state abuse, and police violence in democracies to explain why, for nearly two decades, liberal institutions in Chicago failed to stop the torture. I argue that the nature of state violence in this case—targeting marginalized individuals uninvolved in political activity—intensified the practical, affective, and informational obstacles that are inherent to activating liberal institutions—courts, elected officials, media, and civil society—to fulfill their roles as rights enforcers. Applying these literatures to a type of case they typically overlook—a wealthy liberal democracy—contributes to understanding why state violence persists in such states and why it tends to concentrate on marginalized populations.

Political Clientelism in Rural Areas: Understanding the Impact on Regional Head Elections in Indonesia

Political clientelism is a strategy often used by candidates or political parties to gain electoral support by offering goods, money, or services in exchange for votes. In the rural context, this patron-client relationship develops more strongly due to the high economic and social dependency between communities and political actors. This research focuses on the phenomenon of political clientelism in rural areas and its impact on regional head elections in Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive approach. Research findings show that political clientelism in rural Indonesia, especially in agrarian areas, strengthens patron-client relationships in which political elites exploit the economic dependence of communities to gain support through material promises. This causes voters to vote based on short-term favors rather than the quality of the candidate, thereby exacerbating transactional politics and undermining the integrity of the election. Factors such as low political education, limited access to information, and economic instability reinforce citizens’ dependence on local patrons, including village heads, who have access to favors. As a result, the democratic process in rural areas is distorted, focusing more on the distribution of resources than on the vision of candidates, making systemic change difficult to achieve .

Causes and Effects of Waithood and Youth Mobility: Comparing the Youth in South Korea and the Middle East

Waithood, as a social phenomenon, has emerged in this complex, contentious, and uneven global political-economic environment. This paper discusses the phenomenon of waithood faced by youth in Egypt and South Korea. Waithood describes the inability of young people to achieve true economic or social independence at the expected age, resulting in restricted social mobility. This period is often viewed as “waiting for adulthood.” Through a comparative study, this research systematically elucidates the specific manifestations of waithood among Egyptian and Korean youth. Economically, they struggle to find suitable formal employment and are heavily involved in informal activities. Politically, they express their political demands and participate in political activities in various ways within their respective countries. Additionally, this study examines and compares the causes of waithood in both nations, identifying commonalities. Based on these findings, the paper proposes relatively feasible policy recommendations to mitigate the waithood phenomenon, offering insights for future research.

Religious monoglossia/heteroglossia and discourses of women leadership in Pakistani higher education

A growing body of literature reveals how women in higher education are either excluded from leadership roles or face challenges when they take such responsibilities. The role of religion in Muslim societies is vital to understand Muslim women's sense of “self” and their academic leadership roles and engagement in social and political activities. This study uses Bakhtin's writings as well as a feminist perspective in Islam to unpack how religious discourses shape and construe Muslim women's leadership roles in a public university in Pakistan. Data in this study was drawn from two sources: (a) semi-structured interviews with women academic leaders and academics and (b) focus group discussions with postgraduate students. Findings suggest that discourse around women's leadership in higher education in Pakistan is influenced by a male-centric religious monoglossia characterized by discourses on the hijab, masculinist religious epistemologies, and male-centric divine imagery. In addition, the study points to heteroglossic de-centering of the religious monoglossia by suggesting heteroglossic fluidity in Pakistani religious ethics that favors women's roles as leaders in higher education. A heteroglossic fluidity is characterized by how Islam is viewed as a national project, interpreted along sectarian and gendered lines, and often misused to discourage women from assuming leadership roles.

The Phenomenon of Fear of Missing Out Instagram Social Media in Generation Z in the 2024 Presidential Election

In the current digital era, Instagram is not only a place to share personal moments but also a political arena where individuals participate in discussions, campaigns, and other political activities. This research aims to understand the phenomenon of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on social media, Instagram, among Generation Z during the 2024 presidential election using Alfred Schutz's phenomenological theory. This research employs the phenomenological method, where data collection techniques used are interviews, observations, and documentation. The study uses an interpretive paradigm to allow the researcher to observe and understand the meanings, values, and behaviors of Generation Z in using Instagram to spread campaign tweets and even comment during the 2024 presidential election. The results of this research show that Generation Z feels a greater desire to use Instagram during the presidential election period. FoMO is a common experience among the informants, particularly related to the fear and anxiety of missing out on important information or discussions happening on Instagram during the 2024 presidential election. The FoMO experienced by the informants indicates a pressure to always stay up-to-date with the latest information, which can negatively impact the informants.

VALUATION OF ETHNIC-CULTURAL IDENTITY: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EXPERIENCE REPORTS ON VISITS TO QUILOMBOS IN THE STATE OF PARÁ AND RIO DE JANEIRO

The article "Valorization of Ethnic-Cultural Identity: comparative analysis of experience reports during visits to quilombos in the states of Pará and Rio de Janeiro" analyzes visits to quilombola communities, comparing the realities of two states. In Pará, the quilombola communities of Perpétuo Socorro do Tauerá, São Raimundo do Taperú and Maripí face a lack of cultural appreciation, especially among the younger generations, who tend to reject or be unaware of their Afro-descendant heritage. On the other hand, the quilombo of São José da Serra, in Rio de Janeiro, shows a strong connection with Afro-Brazilian culture and identity, valuing traditions and memory. The research addresses the importance of educational actions in the quilombola communities of Pará to rescue and strengthen ethnic-cultural identity, proposing measures such as teacher training and the inclusion of practical activities based on Afro-Brazilian history and culture, following the National Curricular Guidelines. The technical visits carried out by pedagogy students allowed a detailed analysis of the cultural dynamics and challenges faced, highlighting the need for integration between school and community to rescue these traditions. It is suggested that strengthening relationships between younger and older generations, through discussion groups and cultural practices, could help reverse the process of denying Afro-Brazilian identity. The valorization of emotional intelligence in interpersonal relationships within the school is also highlighted as fundamental to the success of these initiatives, promoting a positive and respectful organizational climate.

China's Response to the Expansion of U.S. Influence in Asia: The Intersection of Religion and Governance in Afghanistan (2011-2019)

Research Problem: The article addresses China’s concerns regarding the expansion of U.S. influence in Asia, particularly focusing on Afghanistan's strategic importance in the geopolitical competition between the two powers. The U.S. military presence and Afghanistan’s religiously influenced governance pose a significant challenge for China, which must navigate both political and religious dynamics to secure its interests in the region. This research investigates how these factors shape China’s foreign policy and its interactions with Afghanistan. Research purposes: The study aims to explore how China’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan has evolved in response to the geopolitical and religious landscape influenced by U.S. actions. Specifically, it examines China’s strategic calculations regarding Afghanistan’s religious governance and how this affects its efforts to engage with Afghan political actors, such as the Taliban, while maintaining its broader geopolitical and economic goals, including the Belt and Road Initiative. Research methods: The research employs a historical and analytical approach, drawing on data from 2011 to 2019 to examine China's foreign policy shifts in response to U.S. actions in Afghanistan. The study relies on secondary sources, including policy papers, academic works, and governmental reports, to assess China’s evolving role and strategies concerning the religiously influenced political structures in Afghanistan. Results and Discussion: The findings show that China’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan is significantly influenced by its concerns over U.S. military presence and alliances in the region. China’s engagement with Afghanistan has been shaped by the need to navigate the religious-political dynamics, particularly with the rise of religiously motivated actors such as the Taliban. China’s strategic responses include strengthening diplomatic ties, economic investments, and engaging with both Afghan religious and political leaders to secure its geopolitical interests. The article discusses how China's secular approach to governance contrasts with Afghanistan’s religious influences, affecting its foreign policy strategies. Research Implications and Contributions: This study contributes to the broader understanding of how religion, politics, and governance intersect in Afghanistan’s international relations, particularly with China. It provides insights into how China adapts its foreign policy to account for religiously motivated governance, while also pursuing its geopolitical goals in the region. The research offers valuable perspectives for policymakers and scholars on the interplay between religion, governance, and foreign policy in a strategically significant context like Afghanistan.

Acreditación de saberes e inclusión digital en Uruguay: la incidencia de las habilidades digitales en la aprobación de AcreditaCB

This article presents some findings on the impact of the digital component on the performance and success of young people and adults who seek to accredit basic secondary education in Uruguay through the AcreditaCB test. The aim of the research that supports this article is to explore if the fact that the test is taken online, especially in a computer, represents an additional difficulty for the people who take it. It is concluded that digital skills and the frequency of computer use are the most relevant variables to approach the phenomenon.The work intends to give some answers not only for the implementation and evaluation of these political actions, but of all those that contribute to the citizenship training of people, which, in these times, undoubtedly, implies considering the digital dimension.

O herói improvável e o elixir das concórdias

The reproduction of pleasant myths, the fabrication of heroic predecessors for present political movements and the upkeep of useful lies for the defence of noble causes should not constitute the aim of legal historians. On the contrary, it is their scientific duty to point out the inappropriateness of such conducts and the lack of plausibility of narratives produced this way. Showing how the legal community of São Paulo has reconstructed its memory, the article offers a new interpretation about the path of Goffredo Telles Junior as a political militant and State theorist. Re-examining forgotten remains of such path and reinterpreting the already known sources, we aim at demonstrating that his adhesion to Integralismo, far from having been an insignificant and episodical juvenile whim, was a decisive moment which affected his ideological views along four decades. From the thirties to the hardest times of the Military Dictatorship, his texts abounded with typical elements of the far-right antidemocratic thought: the obsession with corporatism as a supposed antidote against class struggle, the repugnance for liberal democracy, the disdain for the opinions of the average citizen, the strong attachment to hierarchy and to the “Principle of Authority”, the rejection of individualism and the belief that small élites, superior to the “mass”, should show the Nation its way. Obvious as well in the first integralist party as in its postwar successor, Goffredo’s longstanding loyalty to that far-right movement tends to be disregarded by his admirers, thus wiping out decades of the jurist’s political activity.

Analyzing Process Types in Nigerian Newspapers Political Headlines Using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) Transitivity Approach

Purpose: This study aims to examine the use of process types in Nigerian political headlines using the transitivity approach within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). The purpose of the research is to understand how language is used to construct political narratives in Nigerian newspapers, focusing on the different process types—material, mental, relational, verbal, behavioral, and existential—that shape public perception of political events and actors. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative method, analyzing 50 political headlines from five major Nigerian newspapers: Vanguard, Leadership News, Punch, Daily Trust, and The Guardian Nigeria. The headlines, selected from articles published between January 2024 and September 2024, are categorized and analyzed based on Halliday's transitivity framework. Findings: The findings reveal that material processes are the most frequently used, representing 48% of the headlines, followed by mental (32%), verbal (20%), and relational processes (10%). Existential and behavioral processes were minimally represented. These results suggest that political discourse in Nigeria is predominantly action- and belief-oriented, with a focus on tangible actions and the intentions of political figures. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study makes a unique contribution to theory by applying the SFL transitivity framework to Nigerian political headlines, expanding the understanding of how process types reflect political actions, intentions, and relationships. The findings have practical implications for media practitioners and politicians in crafting messages that effectively engage the public, emphasizing actions and beliefs to influence perception. From a policy perspective, the study suggests the need for greater media literacy to enable the public to critically assess political communication and its impact on public discourse.

Assessing Urban Mobility Resilience: An Exploratory Approach Using Hazard-Based Duration Models

Urban systems are vulnerable to disturbances from both natural and human origins, which can disrupt their normal functioning. Evaluating the resilience of these systems, particularly the main transportation networks and their usage levels, is crucial and innovative for understanding the impacts of such disturbances. Thus, this work aims to assess resilience in urban mobility through the probability of a particular journey using a specific mode: “surviving” through critical travel time. To achieve this, a methodology was developed based on the Weibull model with gamma heterogeneity (hazard-based duration models), which was applied to a medium-sized Portuguese municipality. Eighteen groups representing active populations were set and compared. The results indicated that using the bus and cycling are the most resilient modes of transport, whereas walking is the least resilient. Additionally, a specific group was identified as having lower mobility resilience, making them more vulnerable to disruptions in the transport system. Finally, the findings of this study demonstrate the practical application of this methodology, which relies on travel time to assess resilience and, thus, guide political attention and actions to the less resilient mode. Future research should aim to develop a comprehensive framework that incorporates several variables to fully describe the complex nature of transport systems and their resilience.

Social Media Shaping Youth’s Perception of Moroccan Female Political Leaders

This paper addresses the role of social media consumption amongst youth and its implications in shaping their perceptions of Moroccan female political leaders. Based on examining previous scholarly works, this research investigates a large body of literature including how social media platforms impacts youth’s engagement in political and civic activities. The role of social media in shaping perceptions about female political leaders is also discussed from a theoretical standpoint. Aiming to identify, the influence of a number of identified form the literature, this paper adopted a quantitative strategy utilizing a survey that was addressed to (N=309) participant targeted on both social media platforms and within university campus. Based on the descriptives, the correlation analysis and regression analysis of the data gathered, this study identified that the level of education, social media exposure, online interactions, political awareness, and cultural factors significantly influence youth’s perceptions of female political leaders. These findings highlight the factors influencing young adults’ perceptions about the Moroccan political landscape and the importance of media education and literacy to enhance critical thinking skills amongst Moroccan youth.

Strengthening urban deer management with structured decision making

Urban deer management (UDM) decision‐makers face social, ecological, regulatory, and economic pressures when creating an agreeable deer management plan for stakeholders. Historically, decision making techniques (e.g. consensus‐based analyses) have not effectively balanced UDM elements leading to short‐lived management progress. Structured decision making (SDM) is a formal, values‐based approach to identifying an optimal management solution. Although SDM has been applied to other wildlife management decisions, it has not been applied in UDM. We provide the first case‐study of SDM‐based UDM and streamline the process for wildlife managers. We focused on one suburban and one semi‐rural community near Atlanta, Georgia, USA. We established a problem statement to capture what decision‐makers must address in UDM programs and reviewed the primary literature and UDM plans from five states to establish four fundamental objectives. We then utilized a support–effectiveness analysis to identify acceptable UDM alternatives and gathered expert insights to calculate the consequences of alternatives on objectives. Finally, we asked each community's decision‐makers to weigh objectives against each other. Using this framework, education was the most optimal UDM technique to implement in the suburban community, and sharpshooting was the most optimal UDM technique to implement in the semi‐rural community. This paper positions SDM as a transparent, defensible, inclusive, and adaptive approach to UDM. Furthermore, our SDM framework provides managers with the means and justification to create an optimal plan of action for communities in need of UDM.

Revealing the influence of food industry actors in relation to nutritional policies in Belgium

Abstract Unhealthy food is one of the prevailing risk factors of NCDs and cancers, making the food industry a key player in their prevention. However, evidence-based public health policies aimed at reducing consumption of unhealthy food, may threaten industry sales. In response, food industry actors try to influence the development and implementation of these nutritional policies by engaging in corporate political activities (CPA). As part of the Joint Action PreventNCD, the CPA of relevant food industry actors in relation to public health nutritional policies will be assessed. In Belgium, strategies of Fevia, the umbrella organization of the food industry, are examined. This study analyses publicly available information collected from Fevia’s website, social media accounts (i.e. X and LinkedIn), newsletters and newspapers. A thematic qualitative analysis is conducted using established frameworks to categorize both framing and action strategies used by the industry. The categorization of framing strategies reveals how the food industry presents the actors, problems, and solutions. The framework of action strategies categorizes the CPA of the food industry under the following six strategies: information and messaging; financial incentives; constituency building; legal action; policy substitution; opposition fragmentation and destabilization. Preliminary results indicate that the industry often frames itself as ‘the good actor’ and primarily uses strategies such as ‘information and messaging’, ‘constituency building’ and ‘policy substitution’ to influence policies in Belgium in their favor. In the next phase, interviews with stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, politicians,...) will be performed to collect undocumented information. Overall, this research sheds light on the ongoing CPA of the food industry and will increase transparency in their influence on the development and implementation of effective nutritional policies aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs and cancers. Key messages • This study reveals how the umbrella organization of the food industry in Belgium influences public health nutritional policies through various corporate political action and framing strategies. • Identifying these CPA increases awareness of the industry’s influence, but also promotes their transparency and accountability, which is crucial for reliable and effective nutritional policy.

Leveraging Marketing Techniques for Disseminating Malaria Messages in Northern Nigeria: A Case Study

Malaria intervention in Northern Nigeria had several gaps because transmission of the disease was aggravated by the warm weather which promoted mosquito breeding, and social determinants like malnutrition, which weakened immune systems, making people more vulnerable to illness. This study examined the application of marketing principles within the Community-led Monitoring (CLM) project, a Global Fund initiative to improve malaria interventions. CLM, among other things, was a development, health communication project that employed principles of marketing to communicate malaria prevention and treatment in some communities across Nigeria. The study used Social Cognitive Theory to analyse how health communication and community engagement influenced behaviour change. The CLM project used the four Ps of marketing – product, price, place, and promotion - to address gaps in existing interventions that focused on preventing and treating malaria. The results showed that the project empowered communities, leading to improved health systems driven by community members. This integration of marketing and health communication effectively mobilised community action and achieved positive health outcomes. Thus, the research demonstrated the potential of combining marketing strategies with health communication to combat important public health issues such as malaria. Considering the CLM model's success, incorporating marketing principles in health communication was recommended.

Reinterpreting the NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program as a corporate political activity

Abstract Background In the US firearm injuries are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. However, and despite there being limited evidence to support the adoption of gun safety education programs, firearm industry-funded groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) promote the delivery of their education-based Eddie Eagle Gunsafe® program while lobbying against other firearm policies less favourable to the firearm industry. The study aimed to address an important research gap by examining how the NRA frame gun ownership, safety and the role of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program as an effective firearm safety intervention and whether the design, promotion and delivery of the program serves the corporate political interests of the firearm industry, and if so, how. Methods We conducted a critical analysis of program-related texts and films and the NRA’s practices to promote its legitimacy and effectiveness, guided by the application of published taxonomies of corporate framing and action strategies. Data was collected from the program-specific websites and other NRA outlets to capture the breadth of strategies used to promote their education program. Results The NRA’s practices support the corporate political agenda of the firearm industry. The NRA adopts framing and action strategies that present the presence of firearms in homes and communities as inevitable and normal and the education of children through the delivery of their “lifesaving” program as the common-sense and effective way of keeping children safe from firearm injuries. They make misleading claims about the effectiveness of the program while undermining the credibility of those who advocate for the safety of children and adolescents. Conclusions The ongoing delivery of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program needs to be questioned. Policies based on a recognition that children and adolescents are safest when their homes and communities are free of firearms are needed to prevent firearm injuries. Key messages • The NRA makes misleading claims about their program’s effectiveness and distorts understanding of what is needed to prevent firearm injuries and ensure the safety of all children. • The firearm industry needs more attention from the global public health community. Evidenced policy measures that prioritize the prevention of firearm injuries are needed to save children’s lives.