Specific Agency Research Articles

How to Analyse the Gap: Lost Knowledge and Migration – An Introduction

Abstract Knowledge is not only relevant to migrants themselves, who have acquired, moved, translated, or adapted bodies of knowledge throughout history. The spatial dimension of migrating knowledge has two sides, since knowledge always originates from specific local or regional settings, including practical or everyday-life knowledge. In many cases, such bodies of knowledge are transported by migrants with specific agency, depending on the context of migration. However, the history of migrant knowledge is mainly written and understood as a story of negotiation, adaptation or ignorance. Consequently, research on migrant knowledge and its application is usually limited to processes during, and especially after, migration, the places of arrival, the ‘import’ of knowledge through migrants and their adjustment, or the translation of old bodies of knowledge to a new social environment to prevent devaluation or ignorance. The origins of migrating knowledge, however, often remain unexamined. This oversight leaves crucial questions unanswered in understanding the complex processes of knowledge transfer. This special issue is particularly interested in ‘lost knowledge’ as a new field of historical migration studies. This introduction and the contributions ask what happened to the places of origin after the departure of local or regional knowledge agents? How did the outflow of knowledge and ideas affect the development of these places? What coping strategies can be observed to replace or substitute the knowledge lost through outward migration?

Farming Technologies, Migration and Left‐Behind Women in China: A Socio‐Technical Perspective

ABSTRACTThis article sheds new light on the connection between agriculture and rural‐urban migration in contemporary China. Focusing on migrants' places of origin and the case of paddy rice fields, it investigates how rural families cope with the dual challenges of migrating to cities for employment and preserving their fields as safety net resources. In the absence of the middle generation, and especially men, due to migration, it is especially older women who face a double burden of caring not only for the fields but also for their grandchildren. This article is based on multi‐sited ethnographic fieldwork in rural and urban China, including participant observation and interviews with migrating and left‐behind farmers, as well as the analysis of local gazetteers, media reports, agricultural reports and statistics. Taking a socio‐technical perspective on migration, which is also relevant beyond China, the article discusses three exemplary land‐use strategies with a focus on the gendered implications of these strategies. It demonstrates how women who stay draw strategically on available manual and industrial farming technologies and knowledge to actively deal with their households' predicament. It argues that paying more attention to those who stay and their material world enables a better understanding of migration processes and the specific agency of left‐behind women. Moreover, this provides insights into subtly changing family and gender dynamics, including challenging the binary division of technologies used for productive or reproductive labour. In so doing, this article contributes an original, qualitative exploration of the understudied rural side of migration.

Empowering the unseen: the agency of women with disabilities in tackling poverty across rural and urban landscapes

Despite increasing recognition of the agency of marginalised groups, the specific agency of women with disabilities from a poverty perspective remains underexplored in academic research. This study addresses this gap by investigating how women with disabilities navigate and mitigate poverty in both rural and urban settings. Drawing on qualitative research conducted with women from resource-constrained contexts, this paper examines the varied experiences and strategies that women with disabilities use to overcome systemic barriers. Our work contributes to an understanding of how agency is exercised by women with disabilities across different contexts, demonstrating their resilience and resourcefulness in the face of intersecting challenges. The analysis places this discussion within the broader discourse on disability and intersectionality, examining the complex relationships between gender, disability, and poverty, and emphasising the role of agency in these experiences.

Hiring With a Bias: How Government Ideology Shapes Professional Bureaucratic Composition

An understudied aspect of patronage practices worldwide is how the ideological leaning of governments shapes the professional composition of the bureaucracy. This article explores this question, aiming to determine whether left-wing and right-wing administrations differ in their preferences for hiring from various academic or professional disciplines. Using Chile as a case study, we leverage a rich individual-level dataset of bureaucrats’ careers, covering nearly 15,000 upper- and upper-middle-level bureaucratic hires from 2010 to 2020 across nearly all central government ministries. Utilizing mixed-effects logistic regression models, we find that left-wing governments substantially increase the hiring of social scientists, while right-wing governments favor economists and elite management professionals. These distinct hiring patterns affect top and upper-middle-ranking positions and are not confined to specific agencies or ministries. These results underscore the significant impact of government ideology on the professional composition of bureaucracies, with potentially substantive impacts on policy design and implementation.

THE EVALUATION OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM FROM THE BOLOGNA PROCESS (1999) TO TODAY: SOME REFLECTIONS ON IMPROVEMENT APPLICABLE TO THE ITALIAN MODEL

The Bologna Process was born in 1999 as an intergovernmental collaboration agreement in the Higher Education sector. The initiative was launched with the Bologna Conference at the conference of European Higher Education Ministers, signed in Bologna in June 1999 and inspired by the previous meeting of the Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom in 1998 (Sorbonne Declaration 1998). The objective was precisely to build a European Higher Education Area that was based on principles and criteria shared between the participating countries. Subsequently, the inspiring principles of the reform were implemented by the various countries adhering to the reform. At a European level, both specific agencies operating in the field of evaluation of Higher Education and research systems (e.g. ANVUR, ARACIS, etc.), as well as regulatory bodies (e.g. ENQA, EQAR. etc.), have been created. In Italy, the reform was started by Law 30/12/2010, n. 240, “Regulations regarding the organization of universities, academic staff and recruitment, as well as delegation to the Government to encourage the quality and efficiency of the university system”: Law no. 240/2010 therefore represents the starting point of the reform launched in Italy. The objective of the paper is to offer an overview of the state of the art of the application of the reform in Italy 25 years after the start of the Bologna Process.

Jurisdiction, Legal Form, and the Transition to Capitalism Debate: Recovering Agency and Discontinuity

Abstract The increased interest in law and capitalism has not translated into an engagement in legal scholarship with the transition-to-capitalism debate. This article contributes a critique of commercialisation approaches to the history of capitalism and law from a Political Marxist perspective. It argues that combining jurisdiction and legal form provides a more flexible conceptual architecture to account for early-modern juridical practices. Conceptually, this enables an encounter between the structural and subject-centred commodity-form theory of law (cftl) and the more granular, agentic, and class-centred Political Marxist approach. Empirically, exploring two key institutions – property and sovereignty – provides an opportunity to focus on their jurisdictional dimensions driven by specific class struggles and agencies. These reflect, through the concept of jurisdiction, the ruptures and discontinuities of the transition, while form analysis accounts for the more continuous and structural processes of key institutions shaping the apparent linearity of law.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF EUROPOL, FRONTEX, EPPO AND EUROJUST IN THE AREA OF FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE

The aim of this paper is the critical presentation of the European Union (EU) legal texts and especially of the main European Organizations that are activated in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) [Schengen Area] and specifically in dealing with organized crime and terrorism in the EU [Europol, Eurojust, Frontex as well as the recent institution of the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO)] and in particular the powers and duties assigned to them and the efficiency related to their action in the area in question. Research has been carried out in the areas of freedom, security and justice: general aspects, asylum policy, immigration policy, management of external borders, judicial cooperation in criminal cases, and police cooperation at the EU level by evaluating EU legal texts, scientific articles and literature and drawing on data from the EU specific Agencies.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0774/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The system of international legal norms and principles – the basis of legal regulation of the activities of national law enforcement bodies

It is indicated that the introduction of advanced international and European norms regarding the functioning of law enforcement agencies into Ukrainian legislation is a key indicator that the country not only declares a sustainable course for the democratization of all aspects of public life, but also takes concrete measures for its implementation. Ukraine has made significant progress in this direction, but there are still a number of challenges, the legal analysis of which will contribute to the further approximation of the domestic system of law enforcement agencies to global and European standards. In this context, one of the priority areas of scientific research is the justification of the need to update and improve the ethical codes of conduct of law enforcement officers based on international standards. This task becomes particularly relevant in view of the need for constant improvement of professional ethics and standards of behavior in the law enforcement sphere. This approach will not only improve the efficiency of law enforcement agencies, but also strengthen public trust in them, which is crucial for building the rule of law and civil society. In addition, it will allow Ukraine to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of the rule of law and the protection of human rights in the international arena. The article examines the system of international legal norms and principles that form the basis of legal regulation of the activities of national law enforcement agencies. Two groups of international standards are distinguished. The first group includes international legal acts that declare human rights and freedoms, primarily those that may be violated by the unethical behavior of law enforcement officers as representatives of state bodies. The second group represents international legal standards of professional and ethical behavior of employees of a specific law enforcement agency, the norms of which directly indicate the proper behavior of law enforcement officers in a specific area of law enforcement activity (judicial, prosecutorial, police, investigative, etc.). The main emphasis is on the need to cover the rules of professional ethical behavior of employees of all law enforcement agencies without exception, including those legally endowed with special rights and competence.

Privacy Awareness and Social Media: Personal Data Protection among Facebook** and Instagram** Users

This study investigated the level of awareness of personal data protection among Facebook** and Instagram** users. The research evaluated the number of Facebook and Instagram users who have taken precautions to secure their personal data, why they did so, and the identification of regulatory authorities responsible for data protection in Nigeria. The Privacy Calculus Theory was used as the theoretical framework. The survey research design was used for this study, with the web-based questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. A sample size of 396 was drawn from the student population at the University of Port Harcourt. The data were analyzed in tables using frequency and percentage. The results indicated that users are strongly aware of the significance of safeguarding personal data on Facebook and Instagram. The users acknowledged implementing precautionary steps to safeguard their personal data. However, they still need to determine the specific agencies and regulatory entities accountable for ensuring the safety of personal data. In order to tackle this problem, the study recommended that the University management and student bodies should organize specific educational workshops to promote understanding of the pertinence of safeguarding personal data on social media platforms (Solove, 2021), create easily accessible materials and guidelines on the University of Port Harcourt portal designed for social media users, outlining the best methods for protecting personal data, including personal data protection awareness in its orientation programs and student events and also set up a system for reporting potential data breaches and offer assistance to affected users. ** – A social network owned by “Meta”, which is recognized as extremist in Russia

Analisis dan Perancangan Usaha Pembukaan Cabang Baru pada Konveksi XYZ di Kota Bandung

Konveksi specific industry or agency. The problem with convection piling up and not making convection operational activities efficient. The aim of this study is to consider market aspects, technical aspects and financial aspects. By carrying out this feasibility analysis, convection can find out what needs to be prepared and know what risks will occur in order to avoid or minimize existing risks in the longer term. This financial aspect approach uses calculations of the Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period (PBP), and Profitability Index (PI). The benefit of the proposed design results is that it can estimate the size of market demand for the opening of a new branch of XYZ Convection in Bandung City, namely 8,513 pcs in 2025, it can design the technical and operational aspects of opening a new branch of XYZ Convection in Bandung City by determining an investment of IDR 153,738,772, it can measure the financial feasibility of opening a new branch of Konveksi sensitivity of four variables, including sensitivity to decreasing demand levels, decreasing product selling prices, decreasing, increasing raw material costs, and increasing direct labor and indirect labor costs. Can identify the risks of opening a new branch of Konveksi XYZ in Bandung City with a percentage of 4.9%, and for entrepreneurs, it can be used as a consideration in making decisions in the business of opening a new branch of Konveksi. Based on the results of a feasibility study carried out taking into account market aspects, technical aspects and financial aspects, opening a new branch at XYZ Convection in Bandung City is feasible.

한국과 일본의 중앙지방협력회의법의 비교연구

The National-Local Cooperation Council Act is the “Act on the Composition and Operation between the National and Local Government Cooperation Council (hereinafter referred to as the National-Local Cooperation Council” in Korea, and the “Act on Place of consultation between National and Local Government” in Japan. The purpose of enacting the National-Local Government Cooperation Council Act in Korea is to determine matters necessary for the composition and operation between the National and Local Government Cooperation Council, which is established to strengthen communication and cooperation between the state and local governments and to deliberate on important policies related to balanced development between local autonomy and regions. The purpose of enacting the Act on the Place of Japanese Consultation is to promote effective and efficient national and local government policies in consultation with relevant ministers and local representatives on the planning, formulation and implementation of national policies affecting local autonomy. The venue for consultation in Japanese law means a place of opportunity for the state (National government) and provinces to exchange opinions on an equal footing, that is, a “place of joint decision” through mutual consultation (meeting), and does not refer to a specific administrative agency. Korea's National and Local Government Cooperation Council is used in the same sense as the venue for Japan's consultation. Comparing the purpose of enacting the two laws, Japan, as the legal name implies, focuses on the meaning that the National and Local governments consult to effectively and efficiently promote specific policies, while Korea includes balanced regional development beyond the scope of discussing other policies, including the purpose of Japan's enactment. It can be said that the purpose of enacting the law is much wider and more diverse. Although Korea and Japan have slightly different legal names, this study aims to analyze the pros and cons of the National and Local Government Cooperation Council Act, which has similar legislative objectives and contents, and derive suggestions for Korean law.

Undi 18 di Malaysia: Pasca Pelaksanaan dan Cabaran Berterusan

Most countries in the world have already allowed their 18-year-old citizens to vote in the country’s general elections; however, there are also countries that allow citizens as young as 16 to vote. The readiness of young voters is an issue highlighted by many researchers through post-implementation analysis of UNDI18 in Malaysia. This is due to the involvement of young voters which affects the legitimacy of the newly formed government. Additionally, existing research narratives focus on context from a specific demographic point of view or the analysis of topical issues in general. The objective of writing this article is to analyze the implementation of ‘UNDI18’ as well as the challenges and post-challenges faced by young voters in this country presented by previous researchers and provide new findings in the aspects discussed by the Parliament of Malaysia. This qualitative study highlights the ‘desktop research’ strategy with thematic, narrative and descriptive analysis. This article presents three main syntheses on ‘UNDI18’ and the legitimacy of the government formed through the themes generated from the content analysis. The article also discovered that social elements shape the difficulties faced by young voters in this nation, with external factors taking the lead. The article concluded that we need to develop a strategic policy that educates young voters on political and democratic issues, empowering them to make more persuasive decisions. This also entails the government’s obligation to address the issue of political education or elections for young people, and to identify specific departments or agencies that are responsible for this task.

Multi-agency counter-terrorism in Britain and Norway: Intelligence agencies and the administration of welfare

This article explores the emergence of new counter-terrorism programmes in the Britain and Norway through which intelligence and security agencies administer welfare. Support and resources are covertly allocated to persons identified as potential threats, through multi-agency structures led by intelligence and security agencies. Unlike Countering Violent Extremism programmes, this multi-agency management is not led by the local municipality; nor are its participants asked to consent to participation. These new programmes are covert. To conceptualize the significance of intelligence agencies entering the space of welfare administration, Mitchell Dean’s work ‘Liberal Government and Authoritarianism’ is used to underline the traditional separation of agencies within liberal governmentality. Governing through freedom entails the ostensible separation of policing, education and care agencies – reflecting the categorization of the population into groups requiring varying levels of coercion to self-govern. To avoid governing too much, each category of population is allocated a specific agency. Traditionally, intelligence and security agencies have been positioned at the highest tier of repression. By entering the space of welfare administration (and thus social policy), intelligence and security agencies have disturbed the sectoral separation integral to liberal governmentality, leaving care and repression in an ever more ambiguous relationship.

Институциональная среда и институционализация поведенческого регулирования: теоретические основы экономического развития

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the intensification of the use of appropriate Nudge technologies and their combination with classical technologies of behavioral economics have led in many countries of the world to the institutionalization of behavioral regulation in centralized or decentralized models. The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of the models of institutionalization of «behavioral» regulation at the macroeconomic level in the countries of the world. At the same time, the tasks set are solved: the theoretical essence of institutions and the institutional environment is generalized, as well as the features and problems of its formation are considered. Behavioral nudging is considered as a potentially promising approach to improving government regulation both in academic discussion and in practice. Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research was the fundamental works of Russian and foreign authors. Along with traditional methods of scientific research, systemic and institutional-evolutionary approaches, dialectical methods of cognition and interdisciplinary methods of analysis are used. Results. Increasing the effectiveness of the practice of using the behavioral motives of economic entities in the process of developing state economic policy is due to the application and introduction of techniques of influence of the theory of nudging, which determines the choice of a more rational solution that meets the interests of the individual and society. The institutionalization of behavioral regulation in a centralized model is represented by specific government agencies or departments specializing in the development of solutions using the theory of behavioral economics. Institutions of the decentralized model are independent commercial organizations that are not part of the structure of government agencies. Conclusion. It was found out that the process of formation and functioning of institutions of behavioral regulation in different countries of the world has its own specifics, and the bodies themselves are constantly changing. However, all options for institutionalizing behavioral regulation at the macro level leave the risk of using «dark nudging», which requires the creation of special institutions to mitigate or eliminate its negative consequences. The most important principle in the development of behavioral tools is compliance with universal and personal interests at the same time

Interbranch Competition Over Control of Federal Agencies and the Selection of Career Executives

In this article, I explore how presidential administrations may use career civil service appointments, in contrast to political appointments, to compete with Congress over the control of federal agencies. Focusing on career members of the Senior Executive Service, I highlight the hiring of officials from outside the federal government or different agencies rather than promoting from within because outside candidates are more likely to be in stronger agreement with administration policy. By analyzing data on career SES hiring and legislative records, I find that administrations hire more officials without previous federal government experience when congressional competition over agency control is intense, as measured by the number of legislative directives in enacted bills that require or prohibit specific agency actions. I also find that more promotions from different agencies occur when congressional competition is intense relative to within-agency promotions. These findings suggest that administrations use career appointments to assert control over agencies against congressional competition, with implications for the political significance of policy professionals’ career mobility.

The competence‐control dilemma and the institutional design of European Union agencies

AbstractIn the past decades, European Union (EU) agencies have proliferated to address a plethora of governance problems. When designing EU agencies, EU legislators confront a tension: Legislators want agencies to be competent problem‐solvers, but they also want to keep agencies under control. How do EU legislators balance these two imperatives? We argue that agencies' political principals do not necessarily have to trade competence for control, and vice versa, but can draw on different institutional strategies – manipulating agencies' decision‐making and decision‐maker independence – to mitigate the competence‐control dilemma. Drawing on an original dataset on EU agencies' formal independence, we demonstrate empirically that principals customize EU agencies' independence to match the respective competence and control demands that come with specific agency tasks: regulation, authorization, implementation and information. The paper makes an important contribution to the literature on the drivers of the EU's agencification and to debates on the institutional design of regulatory institutions in the EU and beyond.

Assemblages as Ecologies

In this essay I draw on my art research and installation ‘Earthly Bodies, Subterranean Rhythms’ to posit assemblages as ecologies: platforms where specific agencies and interactions occur at different scales, including microscopic levels. Based on documentation images of my creative process, I delve into my experience exploring sculptural building and creative possibilities in more-than-human collaboration. This research involved observing subterranean bodies and temporalities, rhizomatic growth and mycorrhizal interactions as well as working in interspecies cooperation with oyster mushroom mycelium and wheatgrass roots. As spatial practices, architecture and sculpture have developed specific building methods. I expand on assemblage, the building method I worked with, seeking to articulate three lenses: sculptural, material and philosophical. Technically, an assemblage is a piece made by bringing together disparate elements. In this case it consisted mainly of ceramics, different earthly substrates, mycelium spawn, soil and seeds. Borrowing from Bennet’s ‘Vibrant Matter’ (2010) and Tsing’s ‘The Mushroom at the End of the World’ (2015) I reflect on living sculptures as interspecies assemblages: spaces of collaboration, cooperation and contamination between living and non-living bodies, matter and forces, human and more-than human agencies. From this perspective, assemblages are more than the sum of their parts as they have the capacity to re-make and transform us through encounters. A polyphony of worlding processes makes the collective architecture we live in: our shared world. Working in interspecies assemblages may enable more respectful and enjoyable ways of collective dwelling.

South African Government Functionality Assessment through the Eyes of Ordinary Citizens

While there are promises of improving in areas such as creation of jobs, law enforcement, education and other fields by government representatives, it seems as if the targeted beneficiaries or citizens no longer believe in government interventions. They see the government deteriorating in general service delivery and many believe the government functionality in providing safety and better life to all citizens is compromised and in downward trajectory as this is even widely reported by South African media.
 This qualitative study was intended to stipulate different works done by different government departments and agencies and use the beneficiaries accessible for participation to share their views in service delivery as received from specific agencies. In simple terms, this study focusses on understanding how ordinary citizens rate government delivery in general and how this is depicted by the media sources. In majority, the study is based on desk top data with limited observation and some face-to-face interviews. The study revealed that indeed there are levels of dissatisfaction from members of the community, and some believe the functionality of the government of South Africa is questionable. Some even compare the first ten years of the democratic South Africa ending up in 2004 to the rest and argue that things are going to worse situations in South Africa as they feel no longer protected and no longer gearing to the creation of better life. There are citizens who believe South Africa has become kakistocracy state as it seems unable to come with effective plans in many areas of service delivery. On the other hand, this provides media with multiple negative headlines.

Nannies Go Rogue? A Call for Research into Nanny-Induced Elderly Abuse in China.

Older people often face varied and vicious abuse from care workers. Situations are often more pronounced for older people who live with additional cognitive or physical difficulties, such as dementia and disabilities, the prevalence of which has been on the rise in China and elsewhere. Recent discoveries of elderly abuse in China, which span from alarming levels of verbal, physical, psychological, financial, to sexual abuse, are all caused by nannies or "bao mu". Different from Western countries, the word nanny is often used to refer to people who offer caregiving help in residential settings at large, regardless of the age of the care recipients. What is also different is the lack of regulations or even rigorous training and evaluation processes for nannies in China: almost anyone could become a nanny-even though a background check is often required for nannies, this process is often highly variable and dependent on the specific labour agencies that nannies are registered with. Yet without structured studies and systematic data, little is known about the extent and severity of nanny-induced elderly abuse in China. To this end, this paper aims to discuss the unique elderly care environment-such as the "721 Rule"-in China, particularly in the post-COVID era, and highlight the critical need for timely and rigorous studies on the potential prevalence and severity of nannies' abuse and neglect of older people.

Ghost-Stitching American Politics

Ghost-Stitching American Politics