Political Objectives Research Articles

Political conflict on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe: challenges of a cross-country comparison of visual content

ABSTRACT Research on political conflict often overlooks the role of visual-based platforms like Instagram in expressing political discontent, focusing primarily on textual content from newspapers and social media. This paper examines the practicalities and challenges of conducting visual research on Instagram, particularly in the context of comparative studies. We highlight the difficulties associated with sampling representative visual content. Through a small case study, we illustrate how hashtags associated with a single country can generate multiple conflicts, using indicators developed in political protest research and contentious politics. The existence of diverse debates within and across hashtags complicates cross-country comparisons of Instagram content and conflict dynamics. To address this issue, we propose an analytical tool for cross-hashtag analysis, allowing for the assessment of degrees of conflict.

Communities of Practice in World Politics: Advancing a Research Agenda

Abstract This special forum focuses on international communities of practice (CoP) as a concept and an object of inquiry in International Relations (IR). The Introduction discusses the concept’s origins and how it has entered the field of IR. It addresses why and how CoPs matter to IR scholars by looking at how structure, agency, processes, institutions, and knowledge manifest themselves in communities. This special forum’s main contributions are: (1) capturing the political and economic effects of shared knowledge creation and diffusion through practices; (2) identifying the sources of knowledge production and learning, as well as the normative and political contestation within and between CoPs; (3) studying the social processes that originate at the boundaries between CoPs; (4) examining how people and processes generate, transform, and communicate knowledge; and (5) exploring how CoPs cultivate global governance’s norms, values, and practices from the bottom up. The Introduction also helps distinguish CoP from other relational concepts in IR such as networks, fields, regimes, and epistemic or security communities. It ends by way of situating the contributions to the special forum and outlining a research agenda on CoPs in world politics.

Firm financial performance in the wake of political turmoil; whether political connection is propitious?

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effect of political turmoil on the firm financial performance, particularly in presence of politically affiliated board of directors.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied panel regression analyses on a data set of Pakistan’s listed companies ranged over 14 years, spanning from 2007 to 2021. Political turmoil was first gauged through three determinants, i.e. political protest, government election and constitutional reform, and thereafter, economic uncertainty index was used as a proxy for political turmoil. For the purpose of political connection, the study used political affiliation of the board of directors.FindingsThe study finds that political turmoil has deleterious effect on the return on assets and Tobin’s Q. The study further unveils that politically affiliated firms are relatively insulated from the volatility posed by the political uncertainty and exhibit significantly better financial outcomes.Practical implicationsFindings of the study suggest that appropriate composition of the board is imperative in offsetting the risk posed by the political turmoil. Hence, the results are useful for investors, policymakers and regulators to ensure financial soundness of firms in the wake of political turmoil.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the moderating impact of political connection on the performance of companies in presence of political turmoil.

“100,000 Unarmed Men in Washington”: Public Opinion and the 1876 Election Compromise

Abstract This article examines how public opinion—notably political activism and protest, as well as threats of violence, and violence itself—shaped the eventual resolution of the 1876 election. While not discounting the bargaining or machinations of party elites in forging an ultimate compromise, the standard explanation in the scholarly literature, the emphasis here adds important texture and nuance to the conversation, and strongly suggests that public opinion (broadly construed) played a significant, if not exclusive, role in pressuring party leaders to compromise on the eventual Electoral Commission Act that resolved the crisis. In particular, a series of January 1877 demonstrations held across several key states, coupled with the threat of “menace” at the heart of the Southern rifle clubs that were prominent in the campaign and its aftermath, provided strong incentives to partisan leaders and especially members of Congress to seek compromise to resolve the electoral crisis. The article also addresses the contested nature of mass meetings and protests in this era—and in general—and how partisans seek to define terms and behaviors to suit their political positions.

The Effect of Widespread Social Divides Due to Polarizing Social Media Perspectives on Economic Growth

Widespread access to social media technology and increasing political polarization has facilitated instruments that create social divide. The economic implication from increasing polarization is the focal point of the study. Analysis was made of producer and viewer biases, political consumption’s implication on behavior, and the economic reactions due to polarization. The review found that social divide is perpetuated by social media regardless of content’s intention due to the concept of political self-preservation. Political polarization in the most radical context can have a large and direct effect on businesses in the rapid short-term context. Company reaction, however, proves that political identity is more centrally identified as a marketing strategy. Overall revenue is the determining factor of political affiliation, companies will not relinquish potential profit and will oscillate political standing to appeal to the most promising circumstances. Findings show how businesses will have increased difficulty marketing to appease increasingly separated social factions without certain objections. Current findings are still limited by the sample of social media platforms and generalized with a few accepted trends in a limited industry scope. Political polarization due to social media and its connection to technology also opens a broader conversation of the potential lack of objectivity and productivity for all future technology and controversial topics when polarization is at the forefront in consumer reaction. Further research into elasticity of products and political polarization, increased reliance and objectivity in viewership, and solutions to identity preservations will provide greater context for future economic trends.

Tilting at Windmills – A Qualitative Study about Family Caregiver Interactions and Perceptions in Forensic Mental Health Care

In forensic mental health care (FMHC), family caregivers perceive themselves as burdened in their relationships with the service user (the family member with mental illness) and by difficult collaboration with healthcare professionals (HCPs). There is a political objective to involve this group in the care and treatment of the service user in mental health care. To improve family caregiver involvement in care and treatment in FMHC, research about their perceptions is needed. This study aims to explore family caregivers’ perceptions of their interactions with the service user and HCPs. The method used was qualitative. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 12 family caregiver participants were carried out and analyzed thematically. The analysis resulted in three interrelated main themes: Strategies to normalize everyday living; Distrust of the quality of care; and Loss and grief. Family caregiver feelings of loss and grief may be suppressed, which additionally could prevent them from supporting the service user.

Religion, Perceived Unfairness, and Political Protest: Empirical Evidence From East Asian Countries

Religion is considered to have different aspects of influences on political protest, and some have argued that religious participation often mobilizes collective political actions by enhancing individuals’ civic skills and political efficacy. By contrast, religious values and beliefs that emphasize the importance of traditional norms and conformity tend to reduce individuals’ propensities to participate in political protest. The influences of religion on individuals’ attitudes toward coping with injustice and unfairness can be critical for explaining their propensities to participate in political protest. Using data from the fourth wave of the Asian Barometer Survey, this study investigates the role of perceived unfairness in shaping the link between religion and political protest in 13 East Asian countries. In accordance with the arguments of mobilizing and conforming effects, we find that religious attendance increases individuals’ propensities to engage in political protest, while religiosity has a negative effect on political protest. In particular, the results show that the perceived unfairness of income distribution mediates the indirect effects of religion on political protest. They also present that religious affiliations mitigate perceived unfairness and indirectly reduce individuals’ propensities to participate in political protest. Nevertheless, the direct effects of religious attendance on mobilizing political protest are stronger.

Populist political masculinities, gender equality, and norm contestation in Armenia and Georgia

ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, the literature on norm diffusion in the post-Soviet space has grown dramatically. Increasingly, scholars have stressed the role of geopolitical competition between powerful international actors, notably Russia and the European Union (EU), in achieving and/or resisting liberal-democratic reform in the region. This article contributes to this recent research by adding a corrective to the literature, exploring the agency of local rather than external actors in the contestation of global gender equality norms through the high-value cases of Armenia and Georgia. By uncovering taken-for-granted gendered power dimensions in local norm contestation – a subject barely addressed in the norm diffusion literature – the article offers an explanation for the persistence of non-democratic trends in the post-Soviet space as a whole. Specifically, the article examines populist political masculinities contesting EU gender equality policies and related norms concerning violence against women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) rights, arguing that in Armenia and Georgia, it is local populist actors, using taken-for-granted patriarchal and heterosexual discourses to reclaim local masculinities and their political legitimacy, who represent a major challenge to gender equality norms.

Study and Analysis of Cyberterrorist Attacks from Hybrid Computer Systems under the Quantum Spectrum of Software Development and Data Processing; Colombia National Police

Today's technologicalsociety understands cybercrime as a growing phenomenon, because it implies a context where people are dependent on information and communication technologies (ICTs). Computer security reveals that 78% of IT security indicates that organizations do not have sufficient protection against cyber-attacks, therefore, more than 90% of organizations have reported a cybersecurity breach and 62.7% are a product of the pandemic crisis, 43% of cyberattacks affect small businesses along with the decoction of malware and ransomware observed between 2020 and 2021.The research is to analyze cyberterrorist attacks from hybrid computer systems under the quantum spectrum of software development and data processing. Methodology: qualitative approach under the interpretative-positivist paradigm in order to demonstrate knowledge through hypothesis predictions for better future understandings of reality. Discussions: Computer actors modify and access computer systems based on the different variations, because they are not always terrorist in nature, they can be actors knowledgeable about information systems, subjects who are skilled with network actions that dominate the network, that is, they are the mechanism for the achievement of objectives in the network. Conclusions: The phenomenon of cyberterrorism arises as a consequence of the development of technology and information sedimented from the cognitive, behavioral-behavioral and motivational triad, as well as the base tool for the perpetration of terrorist acts and with it the achievement of some political and ideological objective as mentioned before to cause fear in society.

“I Would Prefer Not To”: Establishing the Missing Link between Invalid Voting and Public Protest in Latin America

ABSTRACTWhile invalid voting is often treated as protest behavior in an electoral context, its association with actual political protests has not yet been empirically demonstrated. The relative scarcity of research on the topic is likely due to the hybrid nature of invalid voting as a both formal and informal political gesture. The novel availability of event-based data for public protests in Latin America allows for testing whether their occurrence is connected with changes in spoiled and blank ballots. Using an appropriate dynamic regression model covering variations in the 148 intervals between Latin American legislative elections in the 1979–2021 period, this study finds a strong connection between the emergence of antigovernment protests and surges in invalid voting (and vice versa). This relationship still holds at parity of economic conditions and it is reinforced by a lack of alternation in the party of power. Conversely, the appearance of workers’ strikes appears to work as a substitute for this behavior, which is also chosen by voters when democracy deteriorates, while corruption has no independent impact on invalid voting. Overall this work’s findings promise to send the research agenda on invalid voting in a new direction, previously unexplored because of an absence of fitting data.

Cold War Geopolitics

Swiftly following World War Two, the Cold War between a Soviet-led alliance and an American-led one might appear to be a clearcut case of a continuity with Mackinder’s 1904 perspective. In practice, there was the significant intervening stage of the earlier ideological political contest of 1918-41 between the Soviet Union and a British anti-Communist system.

The Political Dimensions in Discourses of Youth Organizations Operating in Poland: Scope and Dynamics of Changes in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War

In this article, the research aim was to reconstruct the political characteristics of the discourses of four youth organizations operating in Poland in three intertwined dimensions: content, structure and time. In the content dimension, by using the analysis of the discursive strategies, the focus was on political goals and political features of collective identities. In the structure dimension, by using the analytical tool provided by discursive institutionalism, the internal dynamics of discourses were explored. In the dimensions of structure and time, an attempt was made to capture the discursive change as a reaction to the war in Ukraine. Over 700 texts posted by the organizations’ websites or Facebook pages were analysed. Three types of discourses were identified, which show various ways of representing political objectives and collective identities. Furthermore, all of the discourses reacted to the war in Ukraine. The results show the scope and dynamics of such changes.

A comprehensive review study of cyber terrorism and novel developments in the current scenario

The widely held of global trade and industry, profitable, traditional, communal, and administrative connections and actions—those of people, governments, and political organizations—now take place accessible. In recent years, cyber-attacks and the dangers of wireless message tools have become challenges for numerous viable enterprises and constitutional organizations all over the world. In contemporary culture, electronic technology is widely employed. Therefore, safeguarding sensitive data from cyber-attacks is a challenging task. Cyber-attacks may also be employed to further military or political objectives. These are a few effects of data distribution services (DDS), computer viruses, knowledge gaps, and other attack vectors. Numerous businesses have a variety of defenses against cyber-attacks. In real time, cyber security keeps up with the most recent information technology developments. Researchers from all around the world have put forth several strategies up until recently to inhibit cyber-attacks or diminution the destruction they reason. Although certain systems are presently in custom, others are quiet being investigated. The objective of this study is to analyses and carefully analyses the regular developments prepared in the zone of cyber safety as well as appearance into the challenges, benefits, and detriments of the proposed solutions. Furthermore, recent advances in cyber security, security problems, and threats are explored.

The Steep Challenge of Increasing the Electability of Female Legislative Candidates in the 2019 General Election

This study examines how the movement of modalities owned by female candidates in the midst of a patriarchal habitus which is still developing in the 2019 elections in Indonesia. Despite obtaining the highest representation of women in parliament throughout history, in reality the increase that has occurred cannot be significant but tends to be ups and downs. The increase in the representation of female candidates in parliament in 2019 is inseparable from several factors, one of which is the capital owned by female candidates. Using the theory from Pierre Bourdie, he explained that capital is indeed very important for women candidates in Indonesia to get elected, but they also have to pay attention to the arena and their developing habits. The researcher uses the literature study method which is quoted from various sources of scientific studies that can be proven valid to answer research questions. This study found that capital (social capital, political capital, and economic capital) is indeed capable of getting candidates elected, but in reality there are still many female candidates who have high modality unable to win political contestation. This is because the capital owned by female candidates has so far been controlled by a patriarchal class system which causes modality to not develop optimally and the increase in the electability of women candidates in parliament in Indonesia cannot be significant.

The opacity of a system T.R. Malthus and the population in principle

ABSTRACT This contribution analyses the scientific and political meaning of the concept of ‘population’ within Thomas Robert Malthus’ thought. It is here argued that by encapsulating ‘population’ in a scientific principle, the author not only aimed at contrasting radical and revolutionary theories of his time; he was also looking for a renovation of the role principles hold in scientific reasoning. He considered this crucial for delineating a plausible science for such an elusive political object as society. Through an examination of key passages of Malthus’ theoretical production – his critique of previous definitions of ‘population’, his reassessment of the natural history of society, and the use of selected metaphors to explain his political thought – it is possible to observe how the author attempted to naturalize society and the inequalities arising from its historical laws. As shown in the conclusions, Malthus’ scientific and political effort was directed towards questioning possibilities to reduce the history of social relations to a path of rational progress, which is consistent with the way he re-conceptualized ‘population’ as regarding the fate of the people and their chances to transform the future in the plausible outcome of their political action in the present.

Interrogating the standardisation of surveillance in 5G amid US–China competition

ABSTRACT In this article we show that the 5G competition between the United States and Western Europe versus China is not reflected in the standardisation of lawful interception (LI) technologies in the world’s leading telecommunications standardisation body, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Guided by the concept of infrastructure as a site and tool of political contestation, we develop a new approach to the study of Internet governance and standard-setting processes that leverages web scraping and computer-assisted document set discovery software tools. We bring these methods into conversation with theoretical approaches from material media studies, science and technology studies, and international relations. The 3GPP is the main telecommunications standardisation body and the only consortium developing standards to fulfil the ITU’s criteria for the 5th generation of telecommunications technology (5G). The 3GPP therefore is a strategic venue to observe and interpret the politics of standardisation processes. As such, the LI-related work conducted in 3GPP exemplifies public and private actors’ capacity to influence global surveillance standards and export their surveillance technologies. While European and United States governments engage in the standardisation of surveillance technologies, the Chinese government does not do this in the 3GPP. This fuels distrust in 5G technologies. We argue that further integration of China in standardisation could function as a trust-building measure.

From the Gezi Park Protests to the Akbelen Forest: Care in the Context of Democracy and Political Dissent

ABSTRACT In this essay, a brief history of environmental protests in Turkey will be followed by a discussion connected to two central frameworks: the logic of extractivism and care. Specifically, we argue that analysis of events such as the recent protests in the Akbelen Forest, just as the Gezi Park protests over a decade ago, need to account for the fact that a great deal of environmentalism and environmental activism is linked to broader social and political critique, particularly in countries such as Turkey with what is described as a “neo-authoritarian” or “new authoritarian” administration. We argue that these events and the ways in which they have materialized point to the need to pay further attention to intersections such as narrated space and spaces of narrativity, in this particular case, vis-à-vis care, democracy and political dissent.

Blater's power in local politics, village head election in Madura

The involvement of elite groups or certain groups in winning political contests is often carried out by candidates for political office. This also happens in local political contestations, village head elections. This research was conducted to reveal the role and behavior of blater in village elections in Sumenep, Madura, East Java. This research uses a descriptive qualitative model. The data collection technique was carried out using in-depth interviews with various informants involved in the election, such as blater, village head candidates and voters. Apart from that, document searches were also carried out regarding village election activities and after the election of the village head. To obtain accurate data, the research cross-checked the data collected, between the data obtained through in-depth interviews, and the documents traced and obtained by the researcher. From the research conducted, blater has an important role in the election of village heads. This is caused by several factors. Blater has influence, blater also has a strategy for carrying out his role, blater has certain preferences when the village head election takes place, and blater's role has an impact on the village head election process. Apart from that, the blater has a network that shapes the winning process.

Digital Rights and the State of Exception. Internet Shutdowns from the Perspective of Just Securitization Theory

Abstract Addressing cases from Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, Togo, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe, this article discusses the global phenomenon of internet shutdowns (ISs) from the normative perspective of Just Securitization Theory (JST). It focuses on the conflict between arguments used to justify ISs and the negative impact of ISs regarding fundamental and human rights. This article develops strict criteria for when ISs might be legitimate as extraordinary security measures in emergency situations. Following JST, these criteria are based on citizens’ right to physical integrity, the expectation of reasonable success, proportionality, harm minimization, and specificity. I argue that it is not legitimate to use ISs to enact collective punishment, preemptive censorship, or hamper legitimate political protests. While denying the legitimacy of the vast majority of ISs on these grounds, I sketch four exceptional scenarios (“WhatsApp lynchings,” “US Capitol 2021,” “Computer virus,” and “False alarm”) in which ISs can be legitimate. JST also includes states’ duty to desecuritize once a threat has been neutralized. In this way, a balanced discussion of ISs as an exceptional measure from the perspective of JST contributes to the establishment of a customary positive human right to digital connectivity in the normal situation.

When pesticide reduction objectives meet business as usual: Possible impacts on the crop sector in Latvia

The European Union (EU) has set forth ambitious political objectives aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of agriculture on climate, environment, and human health. Among the measures which are expected to help reach the goals, an important objective is significant reduction of pesticide usage, as outlined in the EU’s ”From Farm to Fork” strategy. This study seeks to assess the potential financial implications of the reduction of pesticide use, focusing on the major crops cultivated in Latvia. Scenario simulations have been conducted to examine the consequences of pesticide usage intensity on profitability, yields, and consumption of fertilisers. The evaluation encompasses winter and spring wheat, along with winter rapeseed, which account for 80% of the total pesticide usage in Latvia. It is assumed that farmers continue to produce the same crops, using their current level of knowledge and adjusting production technology to the reduced pesticides application rates. The analysis leads to the conclusion that in order to attain a reduction in pesticide use by 61% from the 2021 level (or 53% from the 2015–2017 level), the application rate of pesticides needs to be limited to 0.78 kg ha −1 of active substance for conventionally produced winter and spring wheat as well as winter rapeseed, and in addition to that the area used for these crops should be reduced by 33% (replaced with organic production). However, if the market prices of crops, the amount of public support and production costs do not change, the financial implications for the agricultural sector could be severe — yearly farm profit in the analysed sector could decrease by 41% or by EUR 130 mln.