Political Theory Research Articles

Beyond Semiotic Representation: A Study of Emotion in Ukrainian Children’s Paintings

<p>As part of the project of Ukrainian children support, <em>Mom, I See War</em> presents, on its official website and social media, more than 4,000 drawings by children from war-affected areas (mainly Ukraine). Based on the artworks in this platform, the study goes deeper from the mere symbolic interpretations, and discusses the various stages of emotional expression within. Through a close-reading of different aspects within the drawings, the study is performed within the theoretical framework of emotion study, political and cultural theory. While each painting contains a complex combination of various personal emotion, the paper makes a general outlining of all the paintings as a whole, and analyses the various stages of emotional expression among the whole group. In a reaction towards war conditions, four stages of emotion are presented, including fear, pain, anger and hope.<strong></strong></p>

Political skill and informal leader emergence: The role of relationships, competence and outcome interdependence

AbstractPolitical skill facilitates political influence, enabling individuals to distinguish themselves within an organization. The influence of political skill operates through three primary processes: interpersonal, behavioural and intrapsychic. These processes provide a comprehensive understanding of how political skill functions within an organizational context. According to political influence theory, we propose that political skill can promote informal leader emergence through its interpersonal process, which enhances team member relationship quality, and its behavioural process, which demonstrates peer‐perceived competence. Furthermore, by integrating political influence theory with social interdependence theory, we identify outcome interdependence as a mechanism that elicits intrapsychic processes, specifically as a moderator that influences the indirect effect of political skill on informal leader emergence. Results from two multi‐wave, multi‐sourced studies provide empirical support for the notion that political skill encourages employees to emerge as informal leaders within a team by increasing team member relationship quality and peer‐perceived competence. Additionally, outcome interdependence amplifies the indirect and positive effects of political skill on informal leader emergence. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Durkheim’s Empire: The Concept of Solidarity and Its Colonial Dimension

This article challenges prevailing national interpretations of solidarity by examining its colonial dimensions. Employing the Durkheimian school as a historical lens, I demonstrate how the colonial context during the Third Republic shaped the emergence and application of solidarity as a scientific concept. Informed by colonial ethnographies, solidarity was not merely a sociological self-description within European nations; it also formed part of political agendas beyond Europe. I illustrate how Durkheim’s concept was utilized to enhance scientific understanding of colonized societies, aiding French colonial administrators in promoting developmentalist reforms. As national models extended internationally, solidarity evolved from social cohesion to economic integration within the international legal order. This progression toward modern solidarity—and the injustices it entailed—appeared inevitable, masking political struggles for self-determination. By critically recontextualizing solidarity, this analysis contributes to contemporary political theory debates, demonstrating its application in supporting an inclusive legal-economic agenda while failing to systematically confront colonial injustices.

June Jordan’s Political Theory of Redesign

This essay examines June Jordan’s design writings to elaborate a political theory of redesign in her work. I show that Jordan’s redesign offers political principles for reimagining space at multiple scales and speaks to the question of how more livable, beautiful worlds may be wrought from the material contexts in which we presently live. Against the grain of the dismantling of public goods in the late twentieth century, Jordan re-envisioned public city spaces and housing with dignity and room for human flourishing. Her primary barometer for design was the fullest expression of human aliveness—she insisted that the built environment should “[cherish] as it amplifies the experience of being alive.” Jordan’s visionary pragmatism anticipates what Deva Woodly calls the “radical Black feminist pragmatism” of the twenty-first century’s Movement for Black Lives and speaks to contemporary abolitionist thought and struggles over the future of public goods.

The Cognitive Trap of Rousseau's "Organic Metaphor" and the Construction of U.S. Policy in Europe and Eurasia

The ideological dimension of international relations and foreign policy represents a distinct area of interaction, often situated at the intersection of political theory and philosophy. This study explores how metaphors, particularly Rousseau’s Organic Metaphor and its adaptation by Woodrow Wilson in his conceptualization of nationalism, function as powerful cognitive tools within the political sphere. These metaphors can act as "cognitive keys" that shape the perception of socio-political realities, influencing both the understanding and actions of political actors. However, while they provide a framework for understanding the internal logic of events, they also limit cognitive freedom by acting as implicit filters. This article traces the instrumental use of these metaphors in U.S. foreign policy, particularly how Wilson’s conceptualization of nationalism, derived from Rousseau’s metaphor, was utilized to reshape the ideational landscape of European politics in the 20th century and is now being applied in Eurasia. The concept of nationalism allowed for the fragmentation of competing political entities, aligning with the U.S. strategy of divide et impera to oppose integration movements. The article further examines how these strategies, which once targeted European empires, are now being employed against emerging integration unions in Eurasia, thereby highlighting the continuity of ideological tools in American foreign policy across different historical contexts.

Optimization Research on Integrating Mental Health Into Ideological and Political Theory Courses Through Deep Learning Network Applications

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating mental health education into ideological and political theory classrooms using speech emotion recognition technology from the field of human-computer interaction. Mental health education is essential for students' well-being, and this study establishes a theoretical framework for its integration into the curriculum. Utilizing recurrent neural networks (RNNs) augmented with attention mechanisms, the research demonstrates the model's proficiency in identifying subtle emotional cues within speech data. The model achieves an average recognition accuracy of 87.21% on the RAVDESS speech emotion corpus, showing particular strengths in detecting emotions like happiness and boredom. The findings suggest that this technology can be effectively employed to gauge student satisfaction with different teaching methodologies post-integration, offering valuable insights for refining educational practices in ideological and political theory classes through improved mental health education initiatives.

Political Epistemology without Apologies

AbstractPolitical epistemology has become a popular field of research in recent years. It sets itself the ambitious task to intertwine epistemology with social and political theory in order to do justice to the relationships between truth and politics, or reason and power. Yet many contributions either expand arguments and concepts from traditional epistemology to political phenomena or use existing theories and frameworks from social and political theory to address the politics of epistemological questions. The former approach (prominent, e.g., in the epistemic injustice debate) leads to an epistemisation of political phenomena and concepts coupled with their de‐politicization, the latter approach (prominent, e.g., in Frankfurt School critical theory) leads to a politicization of epistemic phenomena and concepts coupled with their de‐epistemisation. Instead, it is argued that political epistemology requires reworking even basic concepts, due to its three foundational commitments: It is committed to the claim that socio‐material conditions of existence matter epistemically (minimal materialism), to the self‐reflection of the socio‐material conditions of political epistemology's own arguments and theories (radical self‐reflexivity), and to a specific form of epistemic humility (epistemic non‐sovereignty). Using the notion of normativity as an exemplary problem, the article closes by highlighting the difficulty of maintaining these three commitments.

Ladies and (White) Gentlemen, Introducing Political Theory: Activist Learning and Teaching the Political Theory Canon

This paper seeks to enumerate the unique problems associated with teaching introductory political theory courses and offers a new framework for more inclusive teaching. It notes three problems associated with teaching introductory political theory: the importance of the “canon” of political thought, the lack of representation in the canon, and the canon’s emphasis on abstract and universal theory. I consider arguments that hope to challenge the canon such as attempts to deparochialize, creolize, and reanimate. The paper draws on these arguments to offer the framework of activist learning that can mitigate the challenges of the canon as they relate to the classroom. Activist learning borrows strategies from active learning pedagogy but addresses the specific problems of political theory. It takes the study of politics as itself a moment of political praxis and the student as an already aware agent in politics. What this means is that the canon and the material of introductory courses in political theory are subjects and sites of political contestation. Students are invited not only to collaborate in their own education but also to actively shape the field of political theory through their engagement.

Moving the goalposts in Qatar: Tracing the labour reform process by and through transnational players

This article traces the process which led the state of Qatar to take steps towards reforming its labour laws that had historically severely restricted the rights and freedoms of migrant workers who make up the majority of its workforce. Our premise is that the 2022 World Cup served as a catalyst for Qatar to enact significant labour reforms due to a complex array of events harnessed by the actions of key actors, notably the global labour movement. We use political process theory which we operationalise in a novel manner, that is, through the process tracing methodology which allows us to demonstrate that it was a combination of internal and external factors (events, actors, strategies) which ultimately pushed Qatar to rapidly introduce legal and policy changes as well as taking steps to amend its hostile institutional environment.

Technology and Progress in Islamicate Political Thought

Abstract This study compares how technology is theorised in an early sixteenth-century description of China, ʿAlī Akbar Khaṭāyī’s Khaṭāy-nāmeh (‘Book of China’), and two major works of late medieval Islamic political theory, Ibn Khaldūn’s (d. 1406) Muqaddimah and Jalāl al-Dīn Davānī’s (d. 1502) Akhlāq-i Jalālī (‘Jalālian Ethics’). Concepts of artifice and distinctions between the natural and artificial, as well as the social division of labour, are critical to all three authors’ views of political authority and statecraft. Khaṭāyī and Ibn Khaldūn express diametrically opposed views within a common theoretical framework concerning the effects of artificial law and technical training on social relations, a difference in attitude likely due in part to the great importance Khaṭāyī attributed to Chinese firearms.

Contemporary political theory annual prize 2024 (volume 22)

Contemporary political theory annual prize 2024 (volume 22)

„Eine Sprache ausstellen“

Abstract In their attempt to reposition Germany in an international context after World War II, actors from both the fine arts and the literary scene turned to the idea of art as a universal language. Two major projects that shaped the West German cultural sphere in the 1950 s and 1960s – the contemporary art exhibition documenta 2 and Hans Magnus Enzensberger’s anthology Museum der modernen Poesie – placed this idea at their conceptual core. The debates surrounding these projects show, however, that the notion of art as a universal language was as contested as it was compelling. In close readings of paratexts, including previously overlooked archival material, it becomes evident that very different conceptualizations of monolingualism and community are attached to the idea in each context. Evaluating these differences through the lens of translation studies, curatorial studies, and political theory enables a more nuanced discussion of the concept’s post-war renaissance and its ideological implications.

Gilroy's Black Atlantic diaspora: climate displacement and rights‐bearing beyond the nation

AbstractNationalism studies have only recently started to grapple with the Anthropocene as a foundational shift for the discipline. One of the effects of climate change is the forced displacement of large populations, and if access to rights cannot be ensured outside the structures of territorial sovereignty, this migration could easily translate into widespread rightlessness. I argue that this necessitates a rethinking of how communities become rights‐bearing and how such rights‐bearing communities have existed outside the structures of the nation‐state. Specifically, I propose looking to Paul Gilroy's account of the Black Atlantic diaspora as an example of a rights‐bearing community that successfully claimed “the right to have rights” through a concerted effort of vocalising experiences of displacement. Reading Gilroy through rights‐scholarship in political theory I argue that the Black Atlantic can inform work on climate diasporas and their latent political potential as rights‐bearing communities.

Effect of Political Stability on International Tourism in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of political stability on international tourism in Kenya. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Political stability is essential for international tourism in Kenya, as stability fosters a sense of safety that attracts foreign visitors. During peaceful periods, Kenya sees growth in tourist arrivals and revenue, while political unrest, such as the post-election violence in 2007-2008, results in sharp declines as safety concerns deter tourists. Tourism in Kenya is highly sensitive to political fluctuations, with even minor instability affecting tourist perceptions. To sustain and grow its tourism sector, Kenya must prioritize political stability through effective governance, peaceful elections, and strong conflict resolution strategies, which will help build a resilient tourism industry. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social conflict theory, political economy theory & the institutional theory may be used to anchor future studies on the effect of political stability on international tourism in Kenya. Implementing robust governance practices, such as transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption measures, will enhance the overall tourist experience and foster trust among potential visitors. Formulating policies that promote good governance and strengthen institutions will create a conducive environment for political stability.

Motions in Pictures: From Habermas’s Informal Political Sphere to Formal Politics in the Films Footloose, Land and Freedom and The Beguiled

This article analyses three historical fiction films, Footloose, Land and Freedom and The Beguiled, to help illuminate aspects of politics and political theory. We study them to explore the relationship between Habermas’s concepts of the lifeworld and political spheres, which analysts have critiqued as opaque. Drawing on Habermas’s theory of communicative action, we debate prevailing understandings of the implications of his work for deliberative democracy via an exploration of the films. By expanding the definition of the term ‘motion’ (otherwise known as ‘draft resolution’), we relate this concept to these Habermasian themes. Thus, this paper analyses feature film case studies as they incorporate motions into fictionalised accounts. We suggest that focusing on these movies’ motions, embedded in unfolding narratives, can help reconceive Habermas’s work to illustrate fluidity in how people and ideas may move between informal and more formal spheres. Ultimately, by showcasing the importance of motions in political participation, via these movies, we advance the idea that motions may be seen as part of a ladder of involvement, providing further opportunities for encouraging participation.

Face to Face in Freedom: Beauvoirian Ambiguity in Sophocles’ Antigone

Abstract In my examination of Sophocles’ Antigone, I use Beauvoir’s existential philosophy as a lens and hermeneutic model and apply her language and terms—immanence, transcendence, and ambiguity—to the original ancient text to understand the gendered metaphors of the play and to reveal an area of oversight in her superficial treatment of the tragedy. Taking this theoretical approach, I use “feminist” or “existentialist” Beauvoir (The ethics of ambiguity, The second sex) against herself, that is, her interpretation of the Antigone in “Moral idealism and political realism,” to show how existentialist freedom is achieved in the tragedy. In my reading, I cast Antigone as a figure of ambiguity, situated in an oppressive context, and I argue that she creates her own project and strives towards freedom, in the Beauvoirian sense. I also extend the subjectivity of ambiguity to Ismene and illustrate the course of her own existential freedom to portray the reversibility of the transcendence/immanence polarity in these two figures and, ultimately, to suggest that the sisters are intertwined. Inscribing my reading in a tradition of feminist interpretations surrounding the Antigone, I advance a new reading that finds in the play a feminist political theory of existentialism, inclusive of the sororal pair.

Some States Stepping In: Politics and Discourse in Foreclosure Prevention Legislation Outcomes During the Financial Crisis

ABSTRACT At the core of the 2008 global financial crisis was a foreclosure crisis in the United States. The federal government focused on responding to the concurrent banking crisis, leaving foreclosure prevention to the states. Despite a nationwide crisis, only some states advanced foreclosure prevention policies. Political theory scholars argue that political ideology and economic interests are the primary drivers of policy outcomes, while discourse scholars argue that themes in the public discourse shape policymaking. In this article, I integrate these literatures to develop and test an account of foreclosure prevention policymaking. To measure discourse, I scrape the text of over 20,000 state-level media publications and inductively code them using Structural Topic Modeling. Using event history analysis, I examine the relationship between discourse themes, political factors, and the timing of foreclosure prevention policymaking by state legislatures. I find that states where a “markets” theme was more prevalent in the foreclosure discourse were less likely to advance foreclosure prevention policies, whereas states with discourse focused on “intervention” were more likely to do so. Results also corroborate previous scholarship showing that political ideology and special interest group activity impacted these policy outcomes.

Making Waves: A justice-centred framework for wastewater-based public health surveillance

Since 2020 wastewater-based surveillance has quickly been established as an effective and cost-efficient tool for monitoring global public health. In this Making Waves article, we argue that these programs must be grounded in principles of justice to achieve global water and health equity. Ethics initiatives to date have focused primarily on privacy, legality, and institutionalised research reviews, often, if not exclusively, in North America and Western Europe. We draw from our interdisciplinary, multisectoral, and international expertise and experience to develop a justice-centred framework for wastewater-based surveillance. First, we identify common concerns across diverse surveillance programs including: defining community, transparency and accountability, and uneven geographies. Second, we draw on political theorist Nancy Fraser's framework of justice to evaluate site-specific practices identifying maldistribution, misrecognition, and exclusion. We suggest that Fraser's framework offers a common approach for evaluating just outcomes rather than specific regulations for governing wastewater surveillance across different and unequal contexts.

Rethinking the theory of quiet politics: bad corporate behavior and the failure of quiet politics in the east coast gas crisis in Australia, 2022

Abstract The theory of quiet politics has two propositions; first, that business interests prefer to engage with governments in ‘quiet’ arenas shielded from the media and the day-to-day political fray, and second that business interests exert power over governments in quiet politics. We counter the second proposition, arguing that business generally exercises influence rather than power in quiet politics. One precondition for the successful exercise of influence is the acceptance by business of certain protocols of behavior in interactions with governments. In this paper we underline the importance of such protocols by exploring the dynamics of a conflict between the east coast gas industry and the federal government in Australia amidst steep rises in domestic gas prices and supply restrictions in 2022. The gas industry behaved badly in the economy and in politics and did not abide by the relevant protocols of engagement with the government. The government responded aggressively and quiet politics failed. The paper underlines the importance of the behavioral pre-conditions for business influence in quiet politics and what can go wrong if this fails.

The Practice Path of Integrating Chinese Excellent Traditional Culture into Ideological and Political Education in Colleges

The excellent traditional Chinese culture has the educational value of never fading. Integrating the excellent traditional Chinese culture resources into ideological and political education can not only provide rich nourishment for college students to practice the socialist core values, but also provide a solid foundation for teachers and students to enhance their cultural self-confidence, and provide useful reference for colleges and universities to improve the quality of ideological and political work. Colleges and universities should create a strong traditional culture environment, into the practice activities of college students; Strengthen the construction of ideological and political teachers and integrate them into the ideological and political theory courses; To innovate the ways and methods of ideological and political education, integrate excellent traditional Chinese culture into various media and other ways to achieve effective integration, so as to innovate the practice path of integrating excellent traditional Chinese culture into ideological and political education, promote the inheritance and innovation of excellent traditional Chinese culture and continue to burst out the vitality of The Times, and promote the high-quality development and enhancement of ideological and political education in the new era.