Political Issues Research Articles

Examining opinion journalism in the United Arab Emirates national press: A comparative analysis

This study provides a comprehensive examination of the primary characteristics of opinion journalism within two prominent newspapers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Utilizing a content analysis approach, a systematic random sample comprising 560 opinion articles published in 2022 was analyzed from these two printed newspapers in the UAE. The findings unveiled a predominance of male columnists (87%) and a predominant focus on international issues (67%) within opinion journalism featured in the leading UAE newspapers. Interpretation emerged as the primary goal (37%), with political topics ranking highest on the agenda (37%). Noteworthy differences were observed between the newspapers at the individual level, with nearly half of Al-Ittihad’s columnists being local, while The National’s writers exhibited a more international profile. Moreover, issues pertinent to the Emirates garnered less attention in The National compared with Al-Ittihad. In addition, while The National prioritized interpretation, Al-Ittihad leaned toward providing information. Furthermore, The National predominantly addressed political and conflict issues, whereas Al-Ittihad focused on political and social issues. The study’s implications and limitations are deliberated upon in further detail.

Analyzing the Interactions among Barriers to the Use of Solar Energy for Heating in Residential Buildings in Van, Türkiye

In terms of environmental sustainability, the barriers—and interactions between these barriers—to the use of solar energy for active and passive heating in residential buildings stem from location-specific housing production patterns and the actors involved in these patterns. A clear definition of hierarchies and priorities between barriers helps managers set strategic priorities and action plans to find solutions. After the earthquake in Van in 2011, 6000 hectares of land were opened for new development, and research using the sampling method discovered that the most common type of housing production in the city is the build-to-sell housing production method. The actors involved in build-to-sell housing production are technical staff, local–central administrations, entrepreneurs, end users, landowners, financial companies, non-governmental organizations, and building inspection institutions. This article examines the barriers to the use of solar energy for active and passive heating purposes, the interactions between these barriers using ISM and MICMAC methods, and the build-to-sell housing production method and actors. Barriers were identified through a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The barriers were further categorized under eight main headings according to their subject matter. The hierarchies of barriers in creating problems and solutions were determined using ISM and MICMAC methods and the findings were interpreted. In the City of Van, with regard to the houses produced via the build-to-sell production method, the barriers against the use of solar energy for heating purposes in houses considering active and passive methods are ranked in order of priority in creating the problem and the solution. Barriers caused by political and administrative issues are ranked first; barriers caused by social awareness and end users are ranked second; barriers caused by social and sociological events are ranked third; barriers caused by laws and regulations are ranked fourth; barriers caused by the knowledge, skills, and awareness of designers are ranked fifth; barriers caused by deficiencies in technical issues are ranked sixth; and barriers caused by economic and financial issues are ranked seventh. Even though the barrier caused by the working mode of build-to-sell productions is the largest in creating the problem, it is the least effective barrier to solving the problem in the ISM hierarchical and MICMAC schemes. The research process is presented in the Methods section.

The Political Socialization of University Students: A Case Study of the University of Dhaka

Political socialization is required in order to develop a civic culture among the citizens and instill into youths a cognitive, affective, and evaluative orientation towards the political objects and leaders of any state. This study aims to explore the nature of the political socialization of students at the University of Dhaka. In order to collect the primary data, 400 students from four faculties of the University of Dhaka were surveyed purposively. The study argues that the students at the University of Dhaka are politically socialized, although their degree of political socialization varies among the students according to whether their educational background is in the arts, social sciences, science, or business. Of all the agents, the media impacts the most on the process of students’ political socialization. The study found that most of the students at this university possess the cognitive, affective, and evaluative capacities to understand political issues and objectives. The media, their family, and the university play prominent roles in developing the students’ attitudes and knowledge about political objects and issues. The findings indicate that the media play the most influential role in generating cognitive, affective, and evaluative attitudes and orientations towards the political leaders and political institutions.

Reputational costs of receptiveness: When and why being receptive to opposing political views backfires.

A fast-growing body of research finds that receptiveness to opposing political views carries reputational benefits. A different body of research finds that opposing political views and the people who hold them are seen as repugnant. How could it be that people receptive to opposing political ideas are viewed positively when the political opponents they are receptive to are seen negatively? In seven main (N = 5,286) and nine supplemental studies (N = 3,983 participants in online studies; N = 124,493 observations in field data), we reconcile this tension by arguing that the identity of the person one is receptive to determines whether receptiveness carries reputational benefits or costs. When the information source belongs to the opposing party, receptiveness to opposing political views often carries reputational costs. We find these reputational costs across both strong and weak signals of receptiveness, eight different political and social issues, and multiple types of prototypical out-party sources. We argue that these costs arise because members of the opposing party are frequently stereotyped as immoral, and thus receptiveness to their ideas is seen negatively. As a boundary condition, we find that the costs of receptiveness are pronounced for sources who are prototypical of the out-party and attenuate (or even reverse) for sources who are nonprototypical. These findings resolve a seeming contradiction between two distinct literatures in psychology, contribute to a rapidly expanding literature on the interpersonal consequences of receptiveness, and lay the groundwork for understanding novel barriers to, and ultimately solutions for, the lack of cross-party openness and political polarization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Adverse childhood experiences in a london-based forensic CAMHS population

Youth crime is a serious political and social issue, impacting significantly on the young person’s identity, and their community and societal integration and development (Rutter, 2010). Recently, London has experienced some of the highest recorded rates of crimes committed by youth resulting in many custodial settings being at full capacity. Significant attention has been attributed to formulating why some young people become involved in criminal behaviour and many recognise the role of early adversity, which may act as a vulnerability or precipitating factor for some. The association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and youth crime has been researched in many countries and helps to formulate why some young people may engage in crime. This paper investigates the ACEs in a sample of 164 London-based youth who were referred to Forensic Child and Mental Health Service (FCAMHS), by local services. Results indicated that all young people referred had experienced at least one ACE. Those presenting with eight or more ACEs were referred for engaging in serious community violence. While this does not predict or show causation, it is helpful in considering the level of vulnerability and adversity in this cohort of young people. These findings have important implications in the assessment and management of these young people, who may be seen as both victims of adversity and perpetrators of possible crime. Further, these findings can help promote a balanced way of thinking about the whole young person, not just the part that may have committed a crime.

The perception of Ukrainians about political life in the post-war period and the prospects for the spread of populism

The non-acceptance by the majority of the population of Ukraine of the idea of elections during a full-scale war is a forced prolongation of the legitimacy of existing state institutions. Ukrainians understand all the risks of such elections for the political system under martial law, agreeing to the norms of legislation and compliance with democratic procedures. At the same time, a sufficiently significant number of the population is forming, which does not share the monopolization of power during the war by one political force. Accumulation of political issues, which will be expressed in the post-war period, will become a significant challenge for the political class of Ukraine. The low level of trust in existing political parties and the growing demand for new political forces can become a favorable background for the spread of anti-elitist ideas of populism. In public opinion, there is a demand mostly for politicians from the military environment and to a lesser extent from expert and civil sectors, intelligentsia, and volunteers. Reconstruction of the post-war economy will require non-standard solutions, in particular, optimization of expenditures in the social sphere and maximum liberalization. Several innovations will not have support in the mass consciousness. In particular, Ukrainians are mostly in favor of free medicine and education, a ban on the sale of land to foreigners, and assigning responsibility for increasing people’s incomes to the state, not to the individual. The lack of financial resources after the end of the war can accelerate the growing social deprivation. The combination of these potentially conflicting attitudes with a high level of antagonism and intolerance to a different political point of view can be skilfully «warmed up» by populist forces.

The rise of TikTok elections: the Australian Labor Party’s use of TikTok in the 2022 federal election campaigning

ABSTRACT TikTok is an influential social media platform. During the 2022 Australian Federal election, the major political parties used TikTok as a campaigning tool. This research analysed the TikTok videos from the Australian Labor Party (ALP). The analysis primarily considered how the posts use visibility labour and other TikTok-based performance tools. It was found that they actively engaged in visibility labour, and employed popular culture to frame political issues. For youth who may not be politically active, cultural references can serve as a shared symbolic resource, aiding them in navigating political expression. This makes such references crucial, as they can help engage young users. Although TikTok utilises a short-form approach, the videos can contain substantial content that has the power to persuade viewers. The ALP used popular culture trends and more traditional techniques such as negative campaigning and humour, to attract supporter attention, denigrate the opposition and, attract the attention of all voters.

Realizing Peace in the Digital World

The dissemination of messages of peace on social media has a significant impact on shaping public opinion and attitudes toward social and political issues. However, there is still limited understanding of how messages of peace are disseminated and received by social media users. This research aims to explore and understand how messages of peace are disseminated and understood by social media users, as well as the factors influencing this process. A qualitative approach is used in this research with data collection procedures through online observation and in-depth interviews with 30 social media users. Data were analyzed through data restatement, data display, and data verification steps. The findings of the research indicate that social media users have various ways of disseminating messages of peace, ranging from sharing positive content to debating controversial issues with a peaceful approach. Factors such as content, social context, and user identity influence the effectiveness of messages of peace in achieving their dissemination goals. This research concludes that the dissemination of messages of peace on social media is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors. However, with a deeper understanding of patterns and factors influencing the dissemination of messages of peace, more effective strategies can be developed to promote peace and tolerance in the online world.

Az alexandriai zsidóság hatalomhoz való viszonya a Példabeszédek könyve Septuaginta-fordításának tükrében

It is not typical to draw conclusions from a translation regarding an ancient social and political issue. However, I will attempt to do it in this paper: on the basis of one of the most freely translated book of the Septuagint, the Paroimiai (Greek version of the Proverbs), I will try to get an answer to the question of how certain Jewish intellectuals saw the problem of proper relationship to pagan rulers in Alexandria in the second century Bc. As an introduction, I will outline the main events of the Jews’ stay in Egypt from the sixth century Bc to the Ptolemaic Age. Subsequently I will illustrate through some characteristic examples how far the translators went within the Torah if they wanted to update the text. Turning to the Paroimiai, I will show the most important features of the Greek text through some typical examples. Finally, I will present the passages where the attitude towards the king as well as the right behavior in civil life is concerned. One can clearly recognize the tendency that loyal relationship as well as the avoidance of riots or conflicts are even more emphasised in the Greek version. From this point of view, the text of the Paroimiai is unique; no similar tendency can be noticed in any of the Septuagint books, and this is only partly due to content reasons.

BANDUNG’s POLITICAL AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN THE DIGITAL SPHERE

The development of political information media has progressed very rapidly. This research tries to explore and measure the political literacy and political participation of young people in Bandung City. The theory then used is cyberdemocracy to see the development of information space. The article uses a qualitative method based on library research to collect and analyze data from various literature sources, complemented by survey results from IPRC, to explore Cyberdemocracy theory and its application to social realities in Bandung City. The results show that the level of political literacy and political participation of the younger generation in Bandung City towards political information is still low. The results show that the advancement of information media only goes linearly with the increase in political literacy and political participation in virtual public spaces. As many as 42.3% of young people in Bandung City have been exposed to doubtful news or information. Exposure in this context is like receiving, reading, or even spreading information that is still doubtful and 52.4% have never expressed an opinion about political issues on digital sphere.

Modernizing cocoa production in Ghana: successes, constraints, and future possibilities of innovation diffusion in the cocoa sector

ABSTRACT This paper employs the political settlement framework, diffusion theory, and data generated through a mixed methods design to examine the adoption of innovations and technology in Ghana’s cocoa sector, with particular reference to the Juaboso district, a major cocoa producing area. The findings indicate that while most farmers have adopted improved cocoa planting methods in rows, the use of hybrid varieties and application of chemicals because of perceived benefits of these innovations and state support in adopting them, the use of fertilizers on cocoa farms is very low due to political economy issues, economic challenges, and neopatrimonialism. Historically, corrupt state politicians have used the fertilizer subsidy programme to strengthen patronage networks and reward crony capitalists. We conclude that the socio-political dimension of innovation-diffusion overrides the technical-economic reasons often cited in the literature for the failure of cocoa farmers to adopt these technologies. Addressing neopatrimonialism and recent politicization of input distribution is needed to enhance adoption of innovation and improved technology in Ghana’s cocoa sector.

The Contrasts between Traditional and Modern Diplomacy

Throughout history, diplomacy has been served as a means of creating and managing connections between nations, addressing requirements, and resolving a range of political, economic, social, and cultural issues. It is an axiom that the organization and establishment of states in ancient times differed from the structure of contemporary states. Hence, the nature of their interactions, diplomatic strategies and the appointment of representatives and their roles in foreign countries are entirely distinct from those of the past time. In the past, state diplomacy was temporary, confidential, conducted between two parties, and solely aimed at resolving political issues. Following the Treaty of Westphalia and the subsequent formation of the nation-state system, diplomacy has evolved into its contemporary form. This transformation has been influenced by the advent of modern technology and the proliferation of information and communication tools, which have significantly impacted various facets of human life at both national and international levels. Consequently, there has been a fundamental shift in the nature, scope, participants, objectives, influential factors, and operational mechanisms of diplomacy and diplomatic interactions among nations. This study aims to examine the topic of political science, with a specific focus on international relations professionals. It seeks to explore the distinctions between historical and contemporary diplomacy and to provide a comprehensive and effective response to this inquiry.

Views toward Education and the Impact of Education in Kazakhstan: What Are the Salient Factors?

Abstract In the literature on education in Central Asia, the existing scholarship largely focuses on reform processes and administrative issues in the post-Soviet context. There is thus a lack of scholarship that focuses on both how students view the purpose of education and the relationship between education and political engagement in the region. This article aims to address that gap in the literature by presenting findings from a survey we conducted at KIMEP University in Kazakhstan on the issue of how our sample views education and the impact of education on political issues. While we found that majoring in the social sciences, the more time spent at university, and selecting a Western democracy as the country the person admires most are all salient in terms of how a person views the beneficial impact of education on political issues, we found that majoring in the social sciences is the most important factor. Regarding the debate on the impact of education, our argument is that the type of education one receives (i.e. an individual’s major) is more salient than time spent at university.

Relational trust and the politics of evidence use: School boards navigate policymaking and equity during and after the pandemic

ABSTRACT This article examines how school boards in New Jersey navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, which also coincided with the national trauma and reactions related to the George Floyd murder and subsequent backlash. The politicization of issues during that first year of the pandemic foreshadowed profound changes in the world of many school boards in New Jersey over the ensuing 3 years. These changes have dramatically affected relational trust in school districts and the use of evidence in educational policymaking.

In the Labyrinth of Remembrance: Historical Thinking and the Pluralism of past-interpretation

The study explores the issues of European remembrance politics and common culture of remembrance, analysing the relationship between collective memory and historiography. It points out that history is a constructed narrative that serves political ends and that national identity is closely intertwined with the national image of history. The study takes stock of the dilemmas of a common remembrance policy at the European level: the divergence of national narratives and the question of a single European identity. Finally, presents the issues of European memory culture, from the Holocaust to EU integration and migration, and makes proposals for an unbiased, diverse and common European memory policy.

Switzerland: Political Developments and Data in 2023

AbstractIn 2023, Switzerland's profound integration into the globalized world was particularly evident, fundamentally challenging the notion of political sovereignty. Yet, this interconnectedness also means that Swiss domestic rules strongly reverberate around the world, such as in the case of policy failure regarding financial regulation. This article explores how global developments shape Swiss politics, from campaign dynamics ahead of the 2023 federal elections to externally imposed legislative agendas. Even the notorious “Swiss” direct democracy no longer solely reflects citizen‐initiated proposals as further evidenced that year. The article also underscores the inertia of Swiss‐style consensus democracy in gearing up its institutional design for polycrisis. It concludes with a discussion of two major political issues: the collapse of Credit Suisse, one of Switzerland's two leading banks, which marks the most far‐reaching shake‐up of the global banking sector since the 2008 financial crisis, and a potential break‐through in the longstanding stalemate in Swiss–EU relations.

THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND POLICY IN SPORTS SAFETY

The growing and deepening geopolitical differences suggest a growing threat to international security. People often ask us if there is still a cold war. With the involvement of regional and international forces, crises are becoming more widespread and conflicts are becoming more transnational. This is confirmed by the situation in Ukraine, as well as by the rising tensions and conjecture on a European military confrontation. Even in 2021, with fewer people traveling across EU borders due to the COVID-19 epidemic, migration remains one of the most contentious issues in European politics. In an attempt to slow the spread and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, nations have limited international, transnational, and domestic travel. This has had an impact on migration and human mobility in the European region. Safety in sports is of paramount importance to ensure the well-being and longevity of athletes across various disciplines.

Bridging gaps in image meme research: A multidisciplinary paradigm for scaling up qualitative analyses

AbstractThis paper outlines a multidisciplinary framework (Digital Rhetorical Ecosystem or DRE3) for scaling up qualitative analyses of image memes. First, we make a case for applying rhetorical theory to examine image memes as quasi‐arguments that promote claims on a variety of political and social issues. Next, we argue for integrating rhetorical analysis of image memes into an ecological framework to trace interaction and evolution of memetic claims as they coalesce into evidence ecosystems that inform public narratives. Finally, we apply a computational framework to address the particular problem of claim identification in memes at large scales. Our integrated framework answers the recent call in information studies to highlight the social, political, and cultural attributes of information phenomena, and bridges the divide between small‐scale qualitative analyses and large‐scale computational analyses of image memes. We present this theoretical framework to guide the development of research questions, processes, and computational architecture to study the widespread and powerful influence of image memes in shaping consequential public beliefs and sentiments.

Reconstructing the sound speed profile of South China Sea using remote sensing data and long short-term memory neural networks

IntroductionSound waves are refracted along the direction of their propagation owing to spatial and temporal fluctuations in the speed of sound in seawater. Errors are compounded when sound speed profiles (SSPs) with low precision are used to detect and locate distant underwater targets because an accurate SSP is critical for the identification of underwater objects based on acoustic data. Only sparse historical spatiotemporal data on the SSP of the South China Sea are available owing to political issues, its complex atmospheric system, and the unique topography of its seabed, because of which frequent oceanic movements at the mesoscale affect the accuracy of inversion of its SSP.MethodIn this study, we propose a method for the inversion of the SSP of the South China Sea based on a long short-term memory model. We use continuous-time data on the SSP of the South China Sea as well as satellite observations of the height and temperature of the sea surface to make use of the long-term and short-term memory-related capacities of the proposed model.ResultIt can achieve highly accurate results while using a small number of samples by virtue of the unique structure of its memory. Compared with the single empirical orthogonal function regression method, the inversion accuracy of this model is improved by 24.5%, and it performed exceptionally well in regions with frequent mesoscale movements.DiscussionThis enables it to effectively address the challenges posed by the sparse sample distribution and the frequent mesoscale movements of the South China Sea.

PROGRESSIVE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN THE ELIMINATION OF RABIES AMONG THE STRAY DOG (CANIS FAMILIARIS) POPULATION IN PAKISTAN

Stray dogs are integrally linked with rabies transmission, and a sizeable unmanaged dog population hinders rabies control program planners. Dog population management (DPM) is one of the best strategies to control rabies transmission, improve health management, and lower the population size of stray dogs. The threat of rabies is very serious due to free-roaming dogs. Foxes, skunks, groundhogs, raccoons, and house bats are rabies vector species and can carry rabies virus without showing any symptoms. Rabies is a life-threatening disease that affects thousands of losses worldwide every year. World Rabies Day is an international awareness campaign coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC). In Pakistan, there are reportedly 3 million stray dogs. More than one million dog bite cases are reported annually throughout Pakistan. About 600 dog bite cases are reported daily in the Sindh province, Pakistan. Due to an uncontrolled number of stray dogs, many serious problems arise related to public health, socio-economic, and political issues. The Animal Act of 1890 provides a specific defense against cruelty and establishes its importance in Pakistani culture. Developing long-term and supportable strategies is imperative to overcome the stray animal population worldwide. To overcome the rabies issue in Pakistan, the government should implement projects on breeding control of stray dogs through spaying and neutering surgeries. The government should also provide proper shelters for dogs and rabies vaccines. There is a need to be aware of basic preventive measures such as disinfectants and rabies vaccination. Public awareness, rabies vaccination, and dog sterilization at the national level are crucial factors in preventing rabies and managing the dog population in Pakistan.