Political Change Research Articles

All we want is, free, safe, legal, local abortion access for everyone who needs it: An examination of the Northern Ireland decriminalisation of abortion campaign

The decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland in 2019 was politically complex. This paper presents an overview from my perspective as the co-convenor of Alliance for Choice (AfC), the primary abortion activist group in the North, focusing on the socio-political background, then analysis via key themes. It considers abortion law in Northern Ireland as British colonialism in Ireland; it then follows the recent political crisis in the British government that offered abortion activists an unprecedented opportunity for restitution via decriminalisation. There is an examination of the influence of SisterSong’s work, which informed Alliance for Choice’s (AfC) campaign for decriminalisation (Bloomer & Pierson 2020). The article critically examines multiple barriers to abortion faced by people in Northern Ireland, where navigating complex abortion health systems for access to abortion care leaves too many behind. Finally, it illustrates how the needs of abortion seekers are better addressed by focusing on decriminalisation. It concludes by identifying how this can inform reproductive justice campaigns elsewhere and recognises the intersectional work that remains to be done. Together it illustrates how in Northern Ireland, multiple layers of campaigning and political change were utilised to bring forth significantly greater bodily autonomy within a human rights and grassroots framework.

Climate change as fake news. Positive attribute framing as a tactic against corporate reputation damage from the evaluations of sceptical, right-wing audiences

PurposeThe paper aims to examine whether CSR communication about a company’s support for climate change created using different content framing categories (positive vs negative) can lead climate change-sceptical audiences to positively influence their evaluations of the credibility of CSR communication, of a company and its actions, and lead to higher purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper used an experimental design. About 266 respondents recruited via the Prolific platform were invited to participate in an online study. A between-subject design was used, and data was analysed using the bootstrapping technique, allowing to identify moderators of the relationship between CSR communication framing and different evaluations of a company.FindingsThe paper provides empirical support for the role of political preferences and climate change beliefs in predicting the preference for positive attribute framing among climate change sceptical audiences. It is argued that climate change sceptics are still in the process of deliberation about whether climate change is occurring.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings may not be generalizable to countries where support for climate change is low, and a technique like attribute framing may not lead to noticeable differences in message reception.Practical implicationsThe paper underscores the impact of the type of attribute framing in CSR communication on different aspects of company evaluations depending on beliefs in climate change. Commercial communicators should additionally invest in climate change education to address the climate change challenge.Social implications Addressing climate change effectively requires support from companies to communicate their CSR efforts purposefully and to address climate change sceptical audiences.Originality/valueThe paper identifies beliefs in climate change as an important moderator of CSR communication attribute framing effectiveness.

Zjawisko bałkanizacji na przykładzie wojen bałkańskich 1912–1913

Balkanization is defined as a political-geographical and political-legal term describing the complex specificity of the Balkan region. In particular, researchers point to the five most relevant phenomena and processes, the existence of which determines a holistic description of the concept. The Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 (their course and aftermath) led to significant political, social and economic changes in the Balkans, which implied: political-geographical fragmentation of the region as well as its separation and disintegration in political, cultural, economic dimensions. It should therefore be pointed out that they have had a significant impact in fully defining the definitional basis of the term “Balkanization”.

От Санкт-Петербурга до Неаполя: исторический анализ российско-неаполитанской дипломатии в период Рисорджименто

<p>The article analyzes Russo-Neapolitan relations in the context of the Risorgimento — a period of Italian unification marked by significant social and political changes in 19th-century Europe. We explore how the geopolitical situation, particularly following the Franco-Austrian War of 1805-1806, catalyzed Neapolitan closeness with the Russian Empire, viewed as a potential protector against aggression from France and Austria. Amidst instability, Neapolitan leadership sought reforms, including the abolition of feudalism and the introduction of new legal norms, aligning with Russia's ambitions to strengthen its positions in Italian territories. However, French and Austrian influence, along with internal conflicts in Naples, hindered deeper connections with Russia. As a result, despite initial enthusiasm, Russian-Neapolitan diplomacy encountered significant obstacles, leading to the search for alternative alliances with other powers. The article highlights the interconnection between internal reforms and foreign policy, examining the influence of foreign nations on the Italian unification process and the political dynamics of Naples.</p>

THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MODERN RUSSIA UNTIL 2016

This article is devoted to the analysis of the key stages of the development of higher education in Russia after the collapse of the USSR. The paper examines the factors that influenced the transformation of the system, from political and economic changes to social and cultural influences. The author examines the main reforms of higher education carried out in the 90s and in the 2000s, with an emphasis on their impact on the structure, content and financing of educational programs. The article analyzes the changes in the role of the state and the private sector in education, as well as the impact of globalization and international standards. Special attention is paid to the processes that have influenced the availability of higher education, the quality of training of specialists and their demand in the labor market. The article highlights the main problems faced by the higher education system in Russia during this period and analyzes the prospects for its further development.

Social movements and the 2030 Agenda: the correlation between the progressist agendas and the Sustainable Development Goals

Since World War II, as of the Declaration of Human Rights, several social movements have undergone restructuring, encompassing multiple agendas that have solidified as catalysts for broad social and political changes. The social movements also played an important role in defining the current global agendas, such as the 2030 Agenda. To highlight the protagonism of social movements in the current Sustainability Agenda, this research presents progressist movements that emerged from the late 1940s, establishing a correlation with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. A narrative literature review was conducted, integrating definitions, concepts, and guidelines of the social movements. The results demonstrate the considerable role of social movements in reshaping the civilizational process that led to significant societal advancements across various fronts, including gender relations, racial, labor, and environmental issues.

Феномен релокации (Модели экономического поведения российских мигрантов после февраля 2022 г.)

The events of February 2022 became the starting point of a new wave of Russian emigration. On the one hand, this phenomenon can be considered within a series of previous migration waves, on the other hand, the modern context leaves its imprint on the current migration process, making it very special from the economic and sociocultural perspectives. The article presents an attempt to analyze this specificity with an emphasis on the characteristics of the economic behavior of emigrants. Empirically, the study is based on a series of in-depth interviews with people who left Russia after February 2022. On the basis of these interviews, the authors built idealized cognitive models of possible options for the economic behavior of migrants. The authors considered a total of four models: relocation, which involves searching for a job in the host country; relocation, which involves remote work for a Russian company; relocation, which involves creating or moving one’s own business; relocation to a branch of a Russian company. Since the economic strategies of migrants are influenced by signals broadcast by the Russian government structures, the article analyzed the statements of representatives of these structures using the method of network cognitive mapping, which made it possible to reveal two types of official discourse in relation to those who left Russia, which differed in the extent of their criticism towards them. In general, the study showed that migrants of the latest wave are internally heterogeneous and fall into several groups that differ markedly in their motivation and patterns of economic behavior. At the same time, a significant part of them continues to cooperate with Russia in one way or another and, in principle, is ready to return to Russia. For them, migration is driven largely by security and/or economic reasons. Only a minority of emigrants left the country due to their disagreement with the current political course and consider the possibility of coming back only if the political course changes radically.

Uncertainty amid political changes

Uncertainty amid political changes

Переосмысление места человека в социокультурном контексте в концепте режиссуры Владимира Тюлькина

The article investigates the evolution of documentary cinematography of Kazakhstan during the period of independence through the prism of films by Vladimir Tyulkin. The work analyzes how the reflection of the country’s socio-cultural changes expresses itself through the documentary films, revealing the connection between the director’s personal interpretation and historical transformations.The use of Eduard Dubrovskiy’s methodology such as “problem statement”, “hero reflecting the essence of the problem”, “primary dramatic situation” and “method of embodiment” allows us to identify the main dramaturgical categories in Tyulkin’s films, as well as to explore how the director builds a dialog with the audience, unfolding social and historical narratives. The documentary films chosen for art historical analysis are: Lord of the Flies (1991), It’s not about Dogs (2010), and 13 Kilometers (2018). These films have not yet received a sufficiently deep and comprehensive analysis in academic literature. They show various aspects of Kazakhstan’s reality, including political changes, social challenges and personal stories of ordinary people influenced by big historical processes. The analysis focuses on the visual and narrative strategies that the filmmaker uses to create a powerful emotional impact and a deep understanding of the events context.The novelty of the study lies in the exploration of these three works that reveal the author’s concept of directing, aimed to the psychological review of a human being and his interaction with the surrounding world. It opens new horizons for understanding the interaction of cinema with the socio-cultural context.

Dialogue in Silence: Inter-American and Brazilian Protection of the Human Rights of Older Persons

As society needs to face ageing as a plural process that goes beyond biological and chronological aspects, it is recognised that it also has societal, political, judicial, and psychosocial changes and consequences. Imposing a social clock of expected normative behaviors, understanding older persons as inactive citizens and mere objects of legal protection instead of social actors and specialised human rights’ holders is a critical problem to be confronted in the upcoming years as the global population becomes older. This article aims to comparatively analyse the legal aspects of the protection of older persons in the Brazilian and Inter-American legal framework, perceiving a movement of dialogue in silence, opposing moments of resistance and periods of adequacy between international and national jurisdiction, allowing the analysis of how it impacts the enforcement of these rights. In order to evaluate this phenomenon, this article analyses bibliographic and legislative material, focusing on a human rights-based approach of older persons and an older persons perspective. Firstly, it discusses the social construct of old age, followed by the comparative analysis of Brazilian and international legal framework on the topic of ageing. Finally, it establishes the contours of the ‘dialogue in silence’ between Brazilian and Inter-American protection of older persons’ rights. Results show that a better cross-fertilisation and dialogical approach is needed, overcoming the legislative resistance and difficulties in implementation of rights and policies relating to older persons.

Crises of Authority in the Arab World: Readings from Contemporary Tunisia

Antonio Gramsci’s thought has increasingly inspired the study of the contemporary MENA, reaching far beyond the complex and specific details of politics, history, and culture in which his writings are steeped. Taking the cue from a new generation of Gramscian research, this article provides an additional temporal and geographical test case for such critical scholarship. Through primary and secondary sources, it deploys a Gramscian toolkit to empirically explore the first post-2011 uprisings decade in Tunisia. It argues that the country is mired in an ‘interregnum’ condition due to the combined effect of a ‘crisis of authority’ from above and lacking viable alternatives from below. Since opposing masses advanced disorganized yet revolutionary claims, leadership hinging on consensus to pursue ‘great political feats’—from delivering substantive democracy through political and socio-economic change to navigating the country during Covid-19—continued to fail. Whereas protests persistently pointed to the distance between political elites and the ‘people,’ the hyper-homogenizing look at the latter unmasked citizenry’s lack of cohesion and homogeneity. This ‘double fragmentation’ of the ruling—and, eventually, dominant—classes and the subaltern groups adds to the unbridged disjoin between them for the crisis to persist, and thus reopens the way to coercion.

The changing politics of road death in Britain: from policy action to kicking the can down the road

Britain has one of the lowest road casualty rates globally, yet tens of thousands of people are killed or seriously injured annually, and numbers have plateaued since 2012. Despite the consequential impact of road trauma, there has been limited evaluation of Britain's policy response. This paper uses Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model to understand agenda setting and analyses how road safety policies were made or not made over time. Critical discourse analysis evaluates patterns and themes in new data acquired via thirty-five interviews with politicians and policy participants, and data from Parliamentary debates and policy documents, spanning the period between 1987 and 2021. The data suggests two distinct time periods: 1987 to 2002, the policy problem was accepted, policy solutions advanced, when policy windows opened as political discourse was constructive, the multiple streams coupled, and policy change resulted. Policy development in road safety is therefore possible when it is viewed as an important policy agenda in need of attention. After 2003, there was a perception the problem had been resolved. Road safety lost out to a dominant mobility framing, road deaths were reframed as accidental and so unavoidable, solutions were contested, the politics stream flowed slowly, and from 2011, with the tight fiscal environment, discarded targets, and significant competition for attention from alternative policy areas, policy stasis resulted. The prevailing politics meant that the policy problem remained sidelined and policy solutions continued to be kicked down the road. The paper explores how this shift occurred and the consequences on the politics of road death.

Health survey on anxiety, depression, and stress in Afghanistan: A large-scale cross-sectional study amid ongoing challenges

BackgroundOne of the most significant events in recent Afghan history is the rise of the Taliban and the war that followed, which had profound impacts on the lives of Afghans. The present study examined the mental health of Afghans living under the Taliban government.MethodsBetween June 5, 2023 and February 12, 2024, a cross-sectional study was conducted among the Afghan population in three key regions of Afghanistan. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21) was utilized to assess depression, anxiety and stress of the Afghan population. Ethical permission for this study was granted by the Afghanistan Center for Epidemiological Studies (ACES). Logistic regression models were employed to explore the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and depression, anxiety, and stress among 2,698 participants.ResultsThe prevalence of depression was 72.05%, anxiety was 71.94%, and stress was 66.49%. Multiple regression analysis indicated that gender (being female), economic status (being poor), residency (living in rural areas), education level (being illiterate), being a cigarette smoker, and having experienced a bad event during the past month were significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress.ConclusionThe findings of the present study show very high levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, most likely reflecting the profound impact of recent political, social, and economic changes. Notably, a significant majority of participants, particularly females and individuals above 35 years of age, reported severe to extremely severe mental health symptoms. The mental health crisis in Afghanistan is a complex and urgent issue that requires a comprehensive and compassionate response.

SWOT-analysis: Remote monitoring of blood pressure

Global political and socioeconomic changes have caused a huge strain on the healthcare system. To transition into a new level of medical care, modern technological solutions are needed. Accelerated development of innovations in medicine and the formation of a personalized approach will improve the quality and accessibility of medical services. One of the directions of healthcare development is the use of digital technologies and remote monitoring in assessing the health indicators of citizens. Currently, the federal project of remote monitoring of patients with arterial hypertension, named, “Personal Medical Assistants,” is being implemented in the Russian Federation. Similar to any new technology, remote monitoring has advantages and disadvantages. In this article, a strategic analysis (SWOT-analysis) was performed, considering medical, economic, social, and political aspects that may affect the results of the federal project. For effective implementation of remote monitoring technology in clinical practice, the strengths and weaknesses in the healthcare system and the state as a whole must be emphasized. SWOT-analysis can be used in formulating strategies for the widespread use of new digital technologies in clinical practice.

Social Role of the Tradition of Protest Song Tradition of Popular Music mid-20th century in the United States

Introduction. The article considers the integrating social role of the tradition of protest songs in the period 1950–1970 on the example of the United States of America. This period was characterized by a series of military conflicts against the background of geopolitical confrontation between the USSR and the USA, which was reflected in creative and sociocultural movements for peace and contributed to social and political changes in the USA. Protest music not only contributed to a positive influence on political decision-making, but also became a powerful means of expressing public opinion and feelings.Methodology and sources. The methodology and theory is based on comparative historical analysis of socio-cultural, political and historical events and facts related to the period covered. The material for the study was also made up of biographies, descriptions of events by eyewitnesses and documents of secondary analysis, telling about the social and musical impact of the phenomenon of protest songs of folk music and rock'n'roll counterculture on American society, as a reaction to the political decisions of the U.S. government to create hotbeds of military conflicts in the world.Results and discussion. The period from the late 1940s to the 1950s in the United States was marked by an acute confrontation between communism and capitalism, which was reflected in the culture and music of the time. The emergence and proliferation of protest songs, as well as other forms in the arts, occurs because of important crisis events on a global scale, or when people begin to see these events as such. Because of the impact the conflict between the two superpowers and their allies had on the world, people began to react to it in their own way. Music reacted to the events instantly and vividly. Although most protest songs were not a national success and their message was mostly appreciated by radicals, the songs united people and helped them express their discontent with what was happening.Conclusion. Folk and rock music became an integral part of life during the Cold War within the United States. Musicians and poets protested against the administration's policies, against unnecessary military conflicts, and warned against the possible destruction of the world. As a result, these genres became a powerful means of expressing public feelings, opinions, and influenced the formation of public consciousness right up to our time.

Decarbonization under geoeconomic distress? Energy shocks, carbon lock‐ins, and Germany's pathway toward net zero

AbstractHow can decarbonization governance endure under increasing geoeconomic distress? Global tensions threaten to divert financial and political resources from the green transition toward national security issues. However, we lack the analytical tools to assess decarbonization governance in this age of global rivalries. To address this gap, we develop an analytical framework to study the effects of geoeconomic shocks through investment, operational, and political channels. Using macro‐ and company‐level data and document analysis, we empirically test our framework using Germany's decarbonization governance following the cutoff of its Russian gas supply in 2022 as a case study. We find that this shock had negative short‐term effects on decarbonization via the operational channel, mixed effects via the political channel, and positive long‐term effects via the investment channel. Our framework and findings contribute to establishing climate change and energy politics as core issues for future political economy research.

Research on China-Sri Lanka Economic and Trade Cooperation Based on SWOT Analysis

This paper systematically explores the economic and trade cooperation between China and Sri Lanka based on the SWOT analysis framework. Against the backdrop of globalization and the “Belt and Road” initiative, China-Sri Lanka economic and trade cooperation shows great potential and broad prospects. By using the SWOT analysis method, the paper comprehensively analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of China-Sri Lanka economic and trade cooperation. The strengths include complementary geographical locations, complementary trade structures, and a solid foundation of political mutual trust; the weaknesses mainly lie in trade imbalances, unstable investment environments, and cultural and communication barriers; opportunities mainly arise from the promotion of the “Belt and Road” initiative, the deepening of regional cooperation, and changes in the global trade pattern; threats mainly come from changes in the international political and economic environment, external shocks such as pandemics, and the rise of trade protectionism. Finally, the paper proposes targeted strategic suggestions based on the actual situation, aiming to promote the sustainable and healthy development of China-Sri Lanka economic and trade cooperation and enhance the economic prosperity and well-being of the two countries.

More and Happier Women: On the Political Significance of Wittgenstein and Hinge Epistemology

Abstract The paper presents a Wittgensteinian account of the concept woman, in terms of family resemblance. This approach is deemed superior to the Carnapian account, championed by Sally Haslanger, in that it allows for more inclusivity and to locate the source of sexism not so much in the very concept of woman but in the beliefs sexist people have about women. The compatibility of this account with semantic externalism is explored, as well as its relationship with stereotypes and paradigmatic examples of women. It is further shown how present-day attempts to extend the application of the concept of woman beyond human females may be made sense in terms of a change of hinges—that is, of the rules of evidential significance, which a community of speakers brings to bear on the determination of whether a person is a woman. Finally, it is argued that, despite Wittgenstein's metaphilosophical quietism, such an account is politically significant. This in turn shows that in fact Wittgenstein's metaphilosophical pronouncements far from being inimical to political and societal change may in fact be conducive to it.

The Influence of Colonial Trauma on the Masculine Characteristics of Georgian Identity

The present paper explores two Georgian literary texts written at the beginning of the twentieth century, at the early stage of Sovietization: Sanavardo by Demna Shengelaia, and Jaqo’s Dispossessed by Mikheil Javakhishvili. I aim to explore the traumatic effects of colonization on Georgian national consciousness and analyze its influence on the masculine characteristics of the Georgian identity. The issue of national self-identification has been raised, with all its sharpness, at every stage of fundamental historical and political changes in Georgia. The permanency of the issue is an indication of the fact that the national self-identification process has been associated with certain historical facts and events that have not been fully realized and existed as not overcome trauma, by society. Such an event is the Russian occupation of Georgia at the end of the nineteenth century. Based on trauma theory, the research shows that in both novels, the writers describe the lives of the main characters who lost their abilities and were unable to make purposeful use of their potential. Therefore, their political and social functions were represented by disregarding reality and distancing themselves from the present. The reasons for the negation of the present refer to the so-called existential fear of reality, which has caused a weakening or disappearance of masculine characteristics of identity such as power, assertiveness, desire to own and control, and individual initiative.

Development of Internationalization Process Model of Thai Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Emerging Markets: A Study of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS)

According to modern organizational theory, the growth of companies in developing nations is due to the coming together of public and private sector interorganizational networks and globalization. Within an open system and a very dynamic environment, a corporation cannot work autonomously. Here are the objectives of the study: The goals of this research are threefold: first, to learn how Thai SMEs expanded into BRICS countries; second, to find out what kinds of inter-organizational networks Thai SMEs relied on when going global; and third, to give some advice to Thai SMEs that want to expand internationally in BRICS and to the Thai government on how to set up management networks that help with investment and internationalization. Documentary analysis of the database from the office of small and medium enterprise promotion and in-depth interviews were among the qualitative approaches employed in this study. This study examined 76 individuals from Thailand who were considered significant informants due to their extensive understanding of developing markets, namely those in the BRICS countries. A total of 63 executives responsible for overseeing their businesses' activities in the BRICS nations, together with 10 operational officers and 3 government officials, were chosen as key informants. In order to get trustworthy information for this study, the researcher used the triangulation method. Executives and government officials with operational responsibilities inside government agencies were interviewed in-depth, and their data was cross-referenced with that from pertinent papers. Thai SMEs were affected by the BRICS countries' political, legal, and socio-cultural frameworks, according to the study. Companies in the BRICS countries went global for three main reasons: to tap into untapped markets, to boost operational efficiency, and to secure access to critical resources. For Thai SMEs looking to grow their business in BRICS nations, the following factors were crucial to their success: 1) The network between different organizations; 2) the capacity to adjust to political and legal changes in BRICS countries; 3) non-formal ties; 4) the capability of local employees; 5) the appropriateness of the entrance method approach; and 6) knowledge gained from past mistakes.