Modern Politics Research Articles

In search of decolonised political futures: Engaging Mahmood Mamdani's neither settler nor native

This text offers a brief overview of the Special Issue on Mahmood Mamdani's book, Neither Settler Nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities (2020), and a reading of the contributions and of Mamdani's plea for the historic importance of epistemological revolution and of learning to imagine a community of survivors. My reading is mediated through an autobiographical critique of political modernity and ongoing state violence. I explore more deeply what Mamdani calls ‘settler autobiography’ and a community of survivors, other than a community of memory that is unified and homogenised. By turning to unauthorised autobiographies, the autobiographies of those subjected to colonialism as annihilatory violence, I take up Mamdani's call to rethink political violence and the possibility of living together as survivors in Iran as a ‘decolonised political community’. In order to do so I turn to memories of irredeemable destruction, displacement and incalculable losses that live on in our (my mother's and my) deferred autobiographies, alongside the epistemological revolution in Iran—Women. Life. Freedom.

Prospects for Investigations of Political Discourse (Review of a Monograph by Prof A.A. Romanov and O.V. Novosiolova “Constructions of Threat in Pre-electoral Discourse. Linguocognitive Analysis of papers and programs of presidential campaign in 2018”. Moscow: URSS, 2021. — 440 p.)

This article presents a review of the monograph titled “Constructions of Threat in Pre-electoral Discourse. Linguocognitive Analysis of papers and programs of the 2018 presidential campaign” by A.A. Romanov and O.V. Novosyolova. The authors examined different factors related to pre-election communication, such as cognitive-discursive, psycholinguistic, and pragmalinguistic factors. They analyzed representative material and used topical linguistic analysis methods, including Diatone, an automated program for analyzing textual data in pre-election communication. They also examined the emotional-suggestive impact of pre-election programmes. Prof. A.A. Romanov and O.V. Novosyolova’s monograph is topical since it is grounded upon present-day trends of conducting linguistic analysis on the basis of one of the genres of political discourse in a comprehensive manner. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first time such a massive investigation has been completed. The results of the book under study significantly contribute to further development of various linguistic theories, such as pragmalinguistics, speech act theory, functional semantics, communication theory as well as political discourse, cognitive semantics, and communicative-pragmatic constructivism. The practical value of this research is evident in the sphere of political linguistics as well as in teaching courses such as “Topical Issues of Present-day Linguistics”, “Methods of Linguistic Analysis”, “Modern Political Discourse”. It also contributes to integration of new courses into programmes that explore interaction between language and thinking, language and speech, and language and society from a political science perspective.

From totalitarianism to populism: Claude Lefort’s overlooked legacy

This article recovers Claude Lefort’s engagement with the issue of populism, which was inspired by the emergence of Jean-Marie Le Pen as a major figure in French politics during the late 1980s. I show how Lefort developed both an analysis of populism as a pathology of modern politics and a new vision of representative democracy as the alternative to populism. In doing so, Lefort drew upon his more familiar theory of democracy and totalitarianism, his study of the history of French political thought, and his partnership with Pierre Ronsanvallon, who was also developing an analysis of populism in response to Le Pen. Lefort’s approach to populism has outlived the context in which he first expressed it. Over the last decade, a number of prominent political theorists have drawn on Lefortian themes to formulate their own accounts of populism and democracy. In many cases, their arguments are quite similar to those that Lefort was expressing in the late 1980s and 1990s. A particular version of Lefortianism, which was foreshadowed in the writings of Lefort himself, has become one of the defining democratic theories of our political moment.

Juan Donoso Cortés and Political Theology

AbstractThe article offers a reconstruction of Donoso's idea of political theology by analyzing his main work, the 1851 Essay on Catholicism, Socialism, and Liberalism. Commentators have often confined the role of Donoso to a footnote in the literature on Carl Schmitt. To better appreciate his original thought, this article analyzes his account of the secularization of theological ideas. Donoso understands modern politics as a confrontation between the philosophies of socialism, liberalism, and Catholicism, which diverge on questions about the nature of man, of evil, and of society. Modern worldviews are thus read through simplified Catholic dogma. Donoso's vision of politics as secularized theology develops in dialogue with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. The Donoso-Proudhon-Schmitt rapport allows a consideration of political theology in terms of metaphor and literary device. Within this larger story, Donoso represents the moment when a traditionalist figure of thought slowly detaches itself from its historical foundations.

Book Review Political political theory: essays on Institutions

Political Political Theory: Essays on Institutions" by Jeremy Waldron delves into the complexities of political theory and institutions, emphasizing their central role in modern politics. The book discusses various democratic institutions and the challenges of exercising political power in a diverse society. Generally, Waldron notes the existence of a consensus in defending rights. However, he acknowledges that disagreements persist, especially when it comes to specific rights and policy frameworks. The author proposes that the solution to these disagreements lies in institutional design. Yet, he acknowledges the fragility and ineffectiveness of some regimes, complicating the practical application of political theory in this context. Waldron highlights the paradox in democratic decision-making when faced with disagreements about what should be done. He argues that democratic institutions must be transparent and trusted to maintain their integrity in enforcing potentially unpopular decisions. Despite the imperative for resolution, disagreements over rights continue to persist. Nonetheless, the author suggests that (re)centering the normative dimension may provide a basis for collective action amid democratic disagreements. In summary, "Political Political Theory: Essays on Institutions" offers profound insights into political theory and the challenges of implementing it in diverse democratic institutions, with specific focus in the need for navigating disagreements through normative dimensions.

Prophet and politician dining around the same table: God’s message in conflict?

The research problem in this article is the modern prophets who rub shoulders with politicians. The focus is on the prophets found in New Prophetic Churches (NPCs). These prophets seek favours as much as politicians seek favours that are divinely sanctioned by prophets. The objectives here include ensuring that God’s message is not conflicted because of this prophet–politician symbiosis. It warns Christians not to commodify faith in order to achieve some political ambitions. The foundation is laid on biblical teachings on prophets and prophecy. There are two identified categories of the Old Testament prophets. Those who feasted with the kings at dinner tables and those who suffered under the status quo. These were banished, exiled, always on a run, and sometimes beheaded. Real-world examples of modern politicians who visit prophets on a regular basis are offered using social media and literature evaluations as resources. These politicians do so for a variety of reasons, including seeking spiritual affirmation and expressions of appreciation, praying for divine intervention during times of crisis that may affect their political careers or performances, and eventually soliciting favours. These favours are sought in some ungodly exchanges with expectations of some kickbacks. The solution to this compromise is the calling for the revisit of application of doctrinal and ethical dealings in and by the church and the government. Theology’s task is to clarify to citizens the relationship between church and government. The debate between these two powers (prophet and politician) should continue towards amicable understanding. The church must redefine its political involvement to avoid being swallowed up, and to remain the salt of the earth and a light in the world.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article’s intradisciplinary implication is realised through the literature and social media platforms reviews to enhance social and some theological disciplines such as biblical studies, church history, ecclesiology and pneumatology. Social disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology combined with theological disciplines argue that prophets and politicians should not become bedfellows unless for enacting social justice and this to be done ethically without any compromise to morality.

The Management of a Modern Political Party (A Study on Recruitment Model of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in West Java)

Objective: This article will discuss the recruitment model for members/cadres and prospective candidates of general elections, either legislative or executive of PDI-P in West Java, as well as its challenges in becoming a modern political party in Indonesia. Method: This research uses a qualitative method with data collection dominantly using a literature review related to the recruitment model of modern political parties and interviews with cadres of PDI-P in West Java. The analytical tools used are the scheme of recruitment model of modern political parties by Pippa Norris (2006), the concept of modern political party management by Hofmeister & Grabow (2011), also the 10 principles of the ideal party by Bhakti & Nurhasim (2016) to explain the recruitment model of PDI-P in West Java as one of the modern parties in Indonesia. Result: The result found that the recruitment of PDI-P in West Java has used the principles of the modern political party in the process, such as opening the opportunity widely for the public to join the party, opening the chances for non-cadre to be nominated by the party as well all the procedure is based on the party Memorandum of Association/ Articles of Association (AD/ART). Conclusion: Nevertheless, there are problems that have not been accommodated by the party, such as the quota for people with disabilities, young people, and the mechanism of special quota fulfillment for women that have not been given the overall clarity.

Notas teórico-metodológicas para o estudo do pensamento político brasileiro

The article explores some theoretical- methodological problems for the study of Brazilian political thought, focusing on three main axes. Firstly, understanding the context problems for the interpretation of the transformation, circulation and reception of ideas. Secondly, the formulation of a political development model as an organizing axis for a comparative interpretation of political thought, in relation to the constitutive problems of political modernity (the formation of the State, constitutionalism, the construction of representative government, the expansion of representation, etc.). Thirdly, the development of a notion of “peripheral condition” that allows us to understand the comparative specificities of the displacement of ideas in relation to their canter of origin. In the end, we intend to offer some contribution to a type of practice of political thought that lies between political theory and the history of ideas.

BODIES AGAINST MODERNITY: Politics of Slum Rehabilitations in India

AbstractIndia continues to modernize, and the legacy of political modernity rooted in the European Enlightenment continues to reify itself in India through the performative practices of the body politic. The body politic is a totalized conceptualization of a society imagined in the form of a body, with real exclusionary effects on those without citizenship rights. This body politic is made real through performances of popular sovereignty, bureaucratic state practices and liberal democratic electoral procedures performed during urban development processes. Ethnographic accounts of politics of slum rehabilitations in Pune show that the modern body politic is indeed performatively practised, and reshaped, by the very bodies that are expected to be alienated for the making of the body politic. Bodies meet one another in different spaces and times and generate the possibility of reshaping the liberal body politic into relational and affective bodily politics. Together, bodies become both the site and the means through which political modernity is reshaped in India.

Криминологические риски сексуальных девиаций в сети Интернет

Introduction. In the modern world, the public’s understanding of sexual hobbies, sexual freedom, and erotic preferences is undergoing significant changes caused by the influence of telecommunications systems, the modernization of moral values, and a change in moral guidelines. Tolerance to sexual deviations has a negative impact on the normal physical, mental, spiritual, and moral development of citizens and deforms the consciousness of minors, which can have an extremely negative impact on their further social adaptation in society. The purpose of the research is to study the complex criminological characteristics of the sexual services provided, the systematization and typologization of the modern sex industry as a social phenomenon and its criminological consequences, the obtaining of new knowledge about this phenomenon, and the development of general social proposals for the prevention of sexual deviations among young people that meet modern political, ideological, legal, and socio-economic conditions of modernity. Research methods: a special formal-logical method is used to collect, process, generalize, analyze, and interpret empirical material; the general scientific methods such as comparison and description; the general logical methods: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, etc. As a result of the study, a broad description of the types of sexual services provided quid pro quo is presented, the threats of widespread and uncontrolled consumption of sexual services are identified, the authors’ classification of activities aimed at satisfying sexual needs is proposed, as well as the measures to prevent sexual deviant services provided quid pro quo.

Online foreign language teaching: challenges and solutions

This paper is devoted to the vital problem of foreign language teaching in the context of organizing online distance learning. The unfavorable epidemiological situation, modern political and economic transformations in the world have also had an impact on the sphere of education: online learning has received a powerful impetus for rapid development. Currently the digitalization of language education is one of the global trends, which is reflected in the requirements of the modernized Federal State Educational Standards of vocational and higher education. The development of digital didactics as a new essential branch of pedagogy touches upon the foreign language teaching process. At the same time, the implementation of innovations causes many difficulties and challenges for specialists who are used to traditional teaching methods and are trying to avoid reducing the quality of education. In this regard, the topic of this study is of particular relevance. The paper studies the benefits and drawbacks of foreign language teaching in educational institutions of various types, implemented with the help of distance technologies and modern teaching software. Both the teacher questionnaire and the survey made it possible to identify and describe in detail the advantages and disadvantages of conducting online classes in a foreign language in the Yaroslavl Town Planning College (Yaroslavl) and the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Moscow). The issue of increasing the effectiveness of the implementation of distant foreign language teaching was also considered by solving a number of methodological problems, such as the use of specific Internet discourse and clichs as part of communication in a foreign language at different class stages. The solution to this problem will let eliminate a number of psychological difficulties that all subjects of educational process face during online communication, and make communication more emotional.

Reimagining modern politics in the European mountains: confronting the traditional commons with the neo-rural conception of the common good

Since at least the 1970s, the countryside of Western Europe has been the site of a myriad of “new” communal initiatives. Rural areas that were abandoned during the last century have witnessed the arrival of new inhabitants. These newcomers often flock to the mountains escaping urban lifestyles characterized by individualism, mass-oriented livelihoods, and isolation. Many of these individuals move to areas like the Catalan Pyrenees, where common property and communal institutions have had a strong historical presence. In embracing rural life, these new inhabitants are looking for a more integrated social life in which the commons are, on the one hand, a form of collective private property, and, on the other, represent a more egalitarian way of life in which contributing to the collective effort is not only an efficient way of dealing with particularly harsh ecological conditions, but also an ideological statement that defines the community as something different: an alternative to urban capitalism. Two definitions of the commons are colliding in these mountains; two longstanding lines of political thought are converging and establishing a dialogue that is not always easy: (1) traditional ideologies of land ownership that defined common property over the centuries, not based on economic equality, but on private property and locally shared responsibility on the economic base of the community; and (2) utopian anti-capitalism that views the commons as an alternative mode of social organization and ownership based on egalitarianism.

The ‘government of men’: Moving beyond Foucault’s binaries

Recent controversies surrounding Michel Foucault suggest tensions and unresolved issues in his unfinished work. Here we interrogate Foucault’s legacy in relation to his claim that the welfare-state is a secularization of the Christian pastorate. We challenge Foucault’s binary narrative of the Christian flock versus the Graeco-Roman citizen and expand the focus to other ‘technologies of power’ in medieval Islam. Rather than an outburst of governmentality in modernity, we suggest a transregional and longue durée history of which the Christian pastorate was merely one facet. This non-binary framework indicates that Foucault’s claim of a ‘demonic’ fusion of sovereign and pastoral power in modern politics requires significant revisitation. Finally, we claim that Foucault’s much-discussed fascination with neoliberalism may have roots in this one-sided narrative regarding the birth of the welfare-state.

Directions of the policy of unshadowing of the Russian economy

The context of unprecedented character of modern political and economic conditions requires the conduction of ongoing studies and renewal of the strategy and tactics of unshadowing, as well as the search of relevant methods and tools for carrying out this process. The analysis of several indicators demonstrated the absence of efficient policy of unshadowing national economy, which, along with other factors, has a negative influence on the rates of economic growth in Russia. The notion of “unshadowing of the economy” was defined in the course of the study, as well as the importance of the unshadowing process in the way of economic growth. A conclusion was drawn that shadow economy is the symbiosis of economic, legal, financial and institutional relations, which have various nature and occurrence prerequisites, goals and motives. Therefore, the degree of restriction of the rates of economic growth as a result of shadowing economy is determined by the level of deviation of behavior of economic entities from the existing legal norms, as well as law and rules of competitive environment. Therefore, the choice of tools and mechanisms of unshadowing is determined by the state and scales of shadow activity. The authors note that the significant scales of the shadow sector in Russia became a serious threat to the sustainable social and economic development. Following the study the factors shadowing economy were revealed and several scientific recommendations regarding the leading of the Russian economy out of the “shadow” were formulated. Certain priorities were defined, including legalization of financial flow and labor market. A conclusion was drawn that the countermeasures against the negative factors, analyzed in the study, should be complex, which will ensure containment of development of the shadow sector and create necessary conditions for sustainable economic growth of Russian economy.

Book review: B. S. Sherin, Gendering Minorities: Muslim Women and the Politics of Modernity

B. S. Sherin, Gendering Minorities: Muslim Women and the Politics of Modernity. Orient BlackSwan, 2021, 240 pages, ₹615 (Hardbound). ISBN: 978-93-5287-669-3.

ОНТОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ СЛОМЫ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ФИЛОСОФИИ ПОЛИТИКИ

The article is devoted to the problem of the current state of political philosophy. It is proved that destructive conclusions in theory regarding the status and essence of the modern political sphere are determined by transformations in the fi eld of social existence. This article proceeds from the assumption that the deep ontological foundations are in the essence of actual social relations. Hence, the role of modern politics cannot be reduced to the tools of social games. In a comparative analysis of the achievements of modern sociological thought, exploring the specifi cs of a communicative society, and the conclusions of political philosophy in the fi eld of social methodology, the main trends in the transformation of the political sphere are revealed. An attempt is made to criticize the concept of landfi ll philosophy, which provokes the recognition of politics as a policy of nihilism. Variants of modern classifi cations of policy levels are traced. The essence of the ontological foundations of the «death» of political philosophy is revealed. It is shown that a certain belittling of the status of politics and attempts to replace its managerial functions, for example, with an emotional intelligence system, translates politics into the status of a simulacrum. In this context, an attempt is made to return the traditional consideration of politics in the dialectic of private and public. The risks of social uncertainty of the policy are evidently determined. Special attention in this analysis is paid to the infl uence of transformations of modern man on the state of the political sphere. The evolution of nihilism has been specially traced and the risks of replacing the traditional ideological shells of politics with this social trend have been identifi ed. The aspects of the interaction of politics with the sphere of freedom are touched upon and the signifi cance of the infl uence of politics on the areas of social existence is revealed. In particular, the interrelation of politics and transformations of the economic sphere of society is traced.

Opportunities for Solidarity and Consolidation of Students on the Basis of University Student Associations in the Conditions of Modern Political Reality

Introduction. The relevance of the research is mainly due to the need to consolidate and solidarize the modern Russian students in the interests of the state and society development, especially in the context of the current social, political and economic turbulence of the current time. The purpose of the article is to identify the potential of solidarity and consolidation of students through their involvement in the activities of student organizations and associations (using the example of universities of the consortium of universities “Upper Volga – the Territory of innovation”). Materials and Methods. The research is based on two theoretical and methodological approaches: the theory of collective action and the theory of collective identity. The empirical basis of the research is the data arrays obtained during a series of 12 focus group interviews among university students of the consortium of universities “Upper Volga – the Territory of innovation” and interviews with experts who directly interact with students or study the problems of modern Russian students. Results. The study has revealed a significant potential of student associations for consolidation and solidarity of students through extracurricular activities. However, it also has made it possible to identify a number of deficits that reduce their effectiveness in this direction, the overcoming of which seems relevant in the modern social and political situation. Discussion and Conclusion. Student and youth associations are an important institution for the consolidation and solidarization of Russian students. They form not only value-orientational attitudes, which a significant part of young people can accept and include in the concept of their own worldview, but are also able to organize various forms of activity for the practical activities of Russian students. The results of the study will be useful for improving the effectiveness of the work of youth public associations with students, as well as student associations in universities, involving young people in the activities of youth public organizations and consolidating Russian students in the interests of the country’s development.

Towards a Conceptual-Historical Critique of the Essentialist and Teleological Interpretations of Russian History. Part 2

Continuing to question some traditional historiographical theses, in this second part, the author discusses the common assertion that “popular” praxis is dependent on naïve belief in the benevolent tsar: on the contrary, the subjects of action adapt their beliefs to their needs. A still very influential historiography considers that illusions, naïve, popular, and false as well as passivity would constitute the plurisecular “mentality” of the Russian peasantry. But mentality is a category that is deficient in the explanation of historical dynamics, especially when it comes to change. Against the verdict “false” applied to the myth of the benevolent tsar, the author explains why a myth is neither true nor false and stresses that it should not be considered as a stage in a history of thought that would lead to a scholarly representation but it is necessary to understand its origin, its logic and the usefulness of its use by human beings, in particular its role in the production of modern political thought. Against the positivist historiography’s disdain for popular metaphors, the author highlights the “truth” of the autocratic system that this linguistic figure expresses and the permeability between metaphor and action. The study concludes by tracing, based on the material analyzed, Russian history’s own path towards a political modernity that by its reality inhibits the existence of any central modernity and situates the moment at which this Russian modernity appears in the light of day.

The politics of drama: How Hegel’s aesthetics inform contemporary theories of radical democracy

The history of political philosophy is marked by a conception of politics as inherently tragic. As such, it has hardly ever been systematically contrasted with the other model of dramatic art, comedy. In this article, I explore the relation between Hegel's twofold notion of drama as an ordered genre of disorder – what he considers to be the highest form of self-reflective art – and the post-foundational concept of radical democracy. After outlining the interplay between order and disorder in post-foundationalist theories of political difference, I summarize the way in which the steps of Hegel's poetics consecutively build on each other and elaborate the role of the dramatic genres. By means of a genealogical reconstruction of the respective concepts of democracy and drama, I demonstrate the extent to which these two methodologies correspond to poetic and political order formation in a structural homology. This conceptualization concludes with the assertion of a constitutive dramatization of political modernity which does not, however, culminate in the concept of political tragedy but points towards a still-to-be-realized, comically ordered democracy.

Regional features of the demographic processes in the Russian-Kazakh cross-border regions

Formation of new borders has transformed the adjacent territories of Russia and Kazakhstan into a new political and socio-economic space. The purpose of the work is to analyze demographic processes with the account of the territorial features of the Russian-Kazakh border area in the conditions of modern political, economic and social integrations. The use of methods of economic and statistical analysis made it possible to identify the vector and dynamics of the demographic processes in the adjacent border territories. Based on the analysis of spatial differentiation of population changes by administrative entities of the Russian-Kazakh cross–border area in the period 1989–2021, there were identified six regional groups with different character of the demographic situation — from critical to most favorable. As a result of the analysis of demographic indicators, significant differences were revealed depending on the level of the studied territories. At the macro level, on both sides of the Russian-Kazakh border, there is generally a similar demographic situation both in its orientation and in the relative values of the main demographic indicators. At the meso level, there is a multidirectional dynamics of regional indicators. The leaders of population growth are mainly resource-producing regions. The regions, in which the population has decreased most of all, are adjacent border territories, between which there is a low asymmetry of indicators and almost complete synchronicity of the ongoing processes. At the micro level, comparing cities and districts, there are significant contrasts in almost all demographic indicators. Moreover, in the Kazakh part of the border area, these differences are more significant. In general, there is the same trend throughout the border regions — the population is moving to more developed areas — from depressed rural areas to district centers and small towns, from small and medium-sized cities to large regional centers and big cities.