Symbolic Issues Research Articles

Spirited away: Access to alcohol and support for the populist radical right

Does the availability of alcohol influence support for radical right-wing parties, and if so, why? Drawing parallels to the UK, where pub closures led to increased support for UKIP, this study investigates similar trends observed in Sweden. Utilizing a novel dataset of over 50,000 alcohol-serving permits and electoral data from 2002 to 2018, the study finds that a reduction in permits is associated with a 3.7% increase in support for the Sweden Democrats (SD). To explain this, it is argued that bar closures politicize alcohol regulation and serve as a symbolic issue linked to the populist radical right. Survey data from over 20,000 respondents reveal that individuals in municipalities with a decreasing number of permits are more likely to support alcohol deregulation policies, and these voters become more likely to support SD. These findings underscore how perceptions of government overregulation drive support for radical right-wing parties.

Tallinn’s Freedom Square as a heterogeneous public space

ABSTRACT The paper looks at the mental and physical transformations of Freedom (Vabaduse) Square, the main square of Tallinn, in the 1980s–1990s transition period, analyzing developments that were at times antagonistic and conflictual, and at times a mutually supportive dialogue of architectural and artistic projects with the everyday space. In these dialogues, the square appears as an important locus of the construction of the public sphere and a place for the formation and negotiation of different publics and counter-publics. The analysis also reveals the developmental dynamics of the period, with the beginning of the 1990s manifesting more openness and more social antagonisms but also more pragmatic and commercial attitudes, and the end of the decade showing a shift to concerns about representational and symbolic issues.

Exploring linguistics landscapes in Depok City Square Park

This research aims to explore the language use and cultural symbols in public spaces in Depok City Square Park, West Java Province. The research raised the issue of language signs and cultural symbols in Depok City Square Park. This research uses a qualitative approach. It uses the observation method through photography techniques. The photo taken serves as image data. Photos are classified into five taxonomies of Spolsky and Cooper (1991) signs, namely road signs, advertising signs, information signs, warning and prohibition signs, and warning signs. Data were analyzed using a Linguistic Landscapes approach. From the data analysis, the conclusion is obtained: Depok City Square Parks is open: Tuesday to Friday at 07.00 am-17.00 pm. Saturday and Sunday at 06.00 am to 18.00 pm, the park equips a children’s playgound, BMX Area, sports fields and park benches. The language signs displayed in the park area are in the form of writing and text accompanied by pictures. Writing words, phrases and sentences complies with Indonesian language rules; The Depok City Government conveyed messages to visitors in the form of warnings and prohibitons. Linguistic Landscapes tends to use monolingual Indonesian. Betawi cultural symbols can be found in the area of this park called Gigi Balang.

La simbolica dello straniero nel Salterio

Who is a foreigner in the Hebrew Psalter? The article answers this question in two sections. First, seven terms referring to “foreigner” are examined to determine their individual characteristicsin the Psalms and their correspondence to biblical texts outside the Psalter. Second, other literary motifs are analyzed in a cursory reading of Psalms 105, 106 and 137. The Psalter outlines a partial picture of the foreigner, which is subordinated to theological and symbolic issues. The Psalms primarily recall the adventures of Israel, which had to frequently change its place of residence for various reasons. As a foreigner, deprived of land and permanent residence, he experienced the ups and downs of migrant life and ultimately strove to integrate into a new socio-cultural environment. Defending one’s identity and maintaining national and religious integrity is portrayed as a difficult process, at risk. Another type of foreigner in the Psalms is the non-Jew, individually or communally, who enjoys the social and legal protection to which the poor are entitled. Either he is a well-integrated member of society, or he remains unassimilated. In the latter case, his false words, harmful actions and physical hostility toward Israel come to the fore. Finally, in the Book of Psalms, terms associated with “foreigner” are part of figurative language. The vocabulary sometimes either evokes non-literal associations with foreign countries, nations and foreign gods, or denotes an emotional state of suffering and isolation. Moreover, key lexemes symbolize the transitory human condition, emphasizing the marginalization and even segregation of the petitioner from the household.

Externalized Within, Everyday Bordering Processes Affecting Undocumented Moroccans in the Borderlands of Ceuta and Melilla, Spain

ABSTRACT This article proposes the notion of ‘externalized within’ to trace the implications of Ceuta and Melilla becoming frontlines of Fortress Europe in the context of entrenched postcolonial hierarchies. While building on previous contributions around ‘internal externalization’, this article goes beyond the policy analogy that led to the coining of this phrase in order to focus on the social implications of this phenomenon in terms of everyday bordering. This article explores how exclusionary policies specific to Spanish borderlands impede undocumented migrants from accessing social services through concrete legal, economic and social barriers, leading them to become ‘externalized within’. The cases of children’s admission to school and pregnant women’s access to healthcare are highly symbolic issues, as these groups tend to be portrayed as vulnerable and tend to benefit from some forms of inclusion both in mainland Spain and many other European settings. In the context of Ceuta and Melilla, the marginalisation of undocumented Moroccans is intensified by the divisive effects of border fortification, to be seen in the weaponizing of basic social services. The article relies on qualitative fieldwork conducted with undocumented Moroccan women, NGO members, social workers and healthcare professionals and managers in 2016 and 2017.

Symbols of National Minorities in the Czech Republic, Their Use, and Legal Protection

The article focuses on the issue of symbols of national minorities in the Czech Republic. The issue of symbols of national minorities, their use and legal protection is not given an attention in the Czech Republic—neither in literature nor incaselaw. Czech legislation is also silent in relation to this issue. Even so, we cannot give up on solving that issue. Therefore the article tries to include the right to use the symbols of national minorities under some of the explicitly enshrined rights of members of national minorities and subsequently derive from the general legislation the basic principles and rules for the use of these symbols by members of minorities in practice. In the next part of the article, the author tries to point out the means of protecting the symbols of national minorities and their use—both from the point of view of constitutional, administrative and criminal law. However, even here, the legal regulation is very unsystematic and very fragmented. Based on the above analysis, problematic aspects of the current legislation and practice are pointed out in the conclusion, and proposals and recommendations de lege ferenda are formulated.

Gender, Body and Subjectivity: A Study of Ballroom Gender Culture from the Perspective of Post-Modern Gender Theory

With the in-depth discussion of individual independence and self-consciousness in the post-modern social context, the construction of social identity has increasingly become an important part of individuals seeking their own interests and the legitimacy of existence. The problem of social identity essentially points to social stratification and the flow of social structure, and it is social culture and mass culture that play a key role in it. Corresponding to the mainstream mass culture, the minority culture and subculture accommodate the marginalized groups. Among them, ballroom culture is an important foundation for homosexual and other sexual minorities and vulnerable groups to resist the mainstream cultural discipline. Ballroom provides certain material and spiritual support for the marginalized vulnerable groups in society, which is the cultural space for the survival of sexual minorities. This article attempts to start from the theoretical writings of Foucault, Butler and other scholars in postmodern gender theories, and explore the corresponding issues of gender, body symbols and subject identity involved in ballroom culture.

CHINA AND APPROACHES TO THE FORMATION OF THE STATE IMAGE

The author attempts to identify how the image of the state is formed on the example of China. The article reveals theoretical approaches to the concept of “the image of the state” and demonstrates how it can be used in practice. In particular, the author examines the issues of symbols, stereotypes that are formed by the state. The author analyzes the influence of culture as the most important tool of “soft power” on the image of China. The article notes the significance of the semantic content of the political image, which can be compared with a kind of source, which at the subconscious level sets a certain angle of perception of new information about this political object. The choice of an image that will then be purposefully formed in the mass consciousness and forms the image of both all states in general and China in particular. And the more precisely the compliance of the environmental, political, economic, demographic and other situations in the country with the interests of the public is manifested, the more positive the image of the country, the more

Period politics and policy change: the taxation of menstrual products in the United Kingdom, 1996–2021

ABSTRACT How, when and why do policies change? This article engages with this question through a focus on the taxation of menstrual products in the United Kingdom from its initial emergence as an issue in 1996 through to the eventual abolition of the ‘tampon tax’ on 1 January 2021. Despite the significance of this topic for broader debates concerning gender inequality, political efficacy and social change it is not one that has been the focus of close historical analysis. The research presented in this article fills this gap in the existing research base and reveals (inter alia): (i) the ebb-and-flow of the issue-attention cycle; (ii) the grating of domestic pressures against international obligations; (iii) incremental policy change in an attempt to assuage campaigners; (iv) the co-option of ‘period poverty’ as a strategic and symbolic issue by Brexit campaigners; (v) and the eventual resolution of the issue a quarter of a century after it was first raised. As such the politics of policy change vis-à-vis the taxation of menstrual products in the United Kingdom fits within a number of broader debates concerning: how, when and why policies change; the complexities of multi-level governance; and interpretations of policy success and policy failure.

ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОЕ ВОСПИТАНИЕ ДОШКОЛЬНИКОВ И МЛАДШИХ ШКОЛЬНИКОВ С ПОМОЩЬЮ СКАЗОК В ГЕОЛОГИЧЕСКОМ МУЗЕЕ

The article is devoted to the problem of environmental education and organizing events in natural science museums on the basis of scientific knowledge about mineral resources. The main trends and methods of ecological education of preschool and primary school age children are analyzed. The issues of symbolism of minerals and terrains in fairy tales are considered. The possibilities of using fairy tale therapy in the museum exposition are shown. Further the author discusses the possibility of the use of the legitimacy of introducing fairy tales about stones into the concept of sustainable development of environmental education and museology.

A Man Behind Everything? Motivational Sources of Metal Listening Among Female Audiences

The term “female metalhead” may sound rather abstract. What does she look like and what does she think? Is there a typical female metalhead? This article summarizes qualitative research on woman’s motivational resources for participation in the contemporary Czech metal subculture. It discusses factors related to why women listen to metal and the role of men in this process. The research is based on seventeen semi-structured interviews with women in Czech metal. Respective research questions focus on female metalheads’ understanding of their position inside the subculture, their visual appearance, reasons for inclination to metal(e.g., partner’s influence or an attraction to the metal community), the issue of sex symbols in the metal industry, and issues of elitism and exclusivity. Results show that women within the metal subculture strike a balance between masculinity and femininity and often judge their surroundings from the perspective on these two poles. However, the primary inspiration still drives from the male perspective with its typical visual and musical characteristics.

Emotional experiences of elderly patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease using extended home oxygen therapy: A qualitative study on reports at a university specialized outpatient clinic in Brazil

IntroductionWhat do patients talk during a clinic evaluation? What do they report besides referring physical complaints? It is crucial to value ’hidden’ symbolic issues under a conversation between patient and his/her doctors and nurses. Elderly people are at increased risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that requires the management of associated emotions. In advanced stages, they need to use Long-term Home Oxygen Therapy (LTOT) as part of treatment. Patients perceive difficulties with its use, generating anguish.ObjectivesTo explore meanings of emotional experiences as reported by patients regarding LTOT, seen in a public university outpatient service.MethodsQualitative design. Semi-directed interviews with open-ended questions were carried out with seven elderly patients at Pulmonology Outpatient Clinic at General Hospital at University of Campinas, diagnosed with COPD and using LTOT in period 2019 to 2020. Data were analyzed using Content Analysis with the support of Webqda software. COREQ checklist was used.ResultsThree categories emerged from interviews: (1) Changes of self-image perception with great dissatisfaction in not recognizing their selves physically. (2) Sadness with social isolation and feelings of awkwardness regarding themselves. (3) Affective aspects bringing the need to re-mean old family supports.ConclusionsSimply listening to reports of emotional complaints implies only a description of a clinical condition of the psychic sphere. Elderly patients with COPD bring psychological representations of their clinical condition that call for a symbolic interpretation. If such patients become aware of hidden meanings, they can better manage their fears and other uncomfortable feelings.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

The Real Consequences of Symbolic Politics: Breaking the Soviet Past in Ukraine

Conflicts over symbolic issues are prominent in public affairs, but do they have wider political consequences, and if so, why? We study the electoral effects of Leninopad (“Lenin’s free fall”), a sudden wave of demolitions of Soviet monuments in Ukraine. Difference-in-differences estimates show that the removals of the Soviet symbols mobilized supporters for parties with a relatively sympathetic view of Ukraine’s Soviet past. We attribute this backlash effect to a signaling mechanism: the removals indicated the weakening power status of the Soviet legacy parties, which motivated their supporters to turn out in elections. This backlash dissipated once the Soviet symbols ceased being a contentious partisan issue due to the escalating war in eastern Ukraine. Symbolic politics has real, nonsymbolic consequences, but only when it maps onto partisan cleavages.

Simboli religiosi e accomodamento ragionevole ‘all’italiana’ nella recente giurisprudenza di legittimità

SOMMARIO: 1. Introduzione - 2. L'accomodamento ragionevole: cenni - 3. Dalla laicità come metodo alla reasonable accommodation - 4. (segue) Limiti e aporie - 5. Spunti conclusivi.
 Religious symbols and reasonable accommodation ‘all’italiana’ in the recent jurisprudence of legitimacy
 ABSTRACT: With the judgment no. 24414/2021, the United Sections of the Court of Cassation identified reasonable accommodation as a possible solution to the issue of religious symbols in public school classrooms. The application of the instrument (traditionally used to protect freedom of religion and belief in the workplace) to the case at hand is undoubtedly characterized by original features that this paper aims to analyze. After having reconstructed the model of reasonable accommodation proposed by the Court, this article tries to verify whether the use of this instrument can be effective and applicable, from a technical-legal point of view, even in the public-school context, which involves principles endowed with axiological primacy, such as that of ‘laicità’. Brief concluding remarks will be addressed to the possible effects of this ruling in those areas of Law and Religion which are characterized by regulatory gaps and/or a high degree of conflict.

KEGAGALAN KETERLIBATAN POLITIK: DARI KESENJANGAN DIGITAL MENUJU KESENJANGAN DEMOKRASI

Almost all political scholars have proven that Facebook has an important role in seizing the public’s political engagement in political campaign agenda. However, the differences in voter segmentation and the internet capacity do not make all cases are all the same phenomenon. This study used a mixed research method to find out the Facebook's role in shaping the online political engagement from the Bantul community to the official accounts of candidates in Bantul Local Election 2020 for Bantul regency. The result of this research led to a conclusion that there was a digital divide that resulting in the democratic divide in the Bantul Regency. This democratic divide caused the lack of understanding of the local community towards the issue raised by the candidates. Furthermore, all the political candidates in the Bantul regency that competed in the local election 2020 had used symbolic issues for their political campaign agenda in this election such as religion-tolerance and other cultural-social issues.

Il crocifisso ‘accomodato’. Considerazioni a prima lettura di Corte cass., Sezioni Unite civili, n. 24414 del 2021

SOMMARIO: 1. Introduzione - 2. La decisione (in sintesi): una soluzione subottimale - 3. Il ruolo determinante del principio supremo di laicità - 4. Laicità sostanziale, laicità procedurale, accomodamento ragionevole - 5. Discriminazione diretta e indiretta. - 6. Conclusioni.
 The crucifix ‘accommodated’. Considerations at first reading of the judgment no. 24414/2021 by the United Sections of the Italian Supreme Court of cassation
 ABSTRACT: With decision no. 24414/2021 the United Sections of the Italian Supreme Court of cassation have provided an unprecedented solution to the issue of religious symbols in the classrooms of public schools. In this essay the author analyses the judgment, focusing in particular on three aspects: the relationship between the so-called ‘Italian principle of secularism’ and the reasonable accommodation; the existence or not of discrimination against the teacher who has been obliged to teach under the crucifix; the practical ways in which this ruling can become 'living law' in the Italian legal system.

Queer Space: Toilet Provision, Access and Inclusion in the West Midlands

IntroductionThis article explores issues relating to toilet provision in queer spaces. With a specific focus on the implementation of gender neutral toilets, it interrogates both practical and symbolic issues of inclusivity and accessibility.MethodsThe findings presented in this paper are based on 12 semi-structured interviews that were conducted and analysed in 2020. The data was analysed thematically, utilising an inductive approach to analysis.ResultsThe results from this study highlight that spaces often considered ‘inclusionary’ operate within a number of ‘exclusionary’ frameworks. These unspoken and informal ‘rules’ and practices operate to exclude people considered ‘undesirable’ and function to uphold power structures that privilege cisgender, white gay men.ConclusionsThis article extends our understanding of the ways in which people engage with, and access, both gender neutral and sex-segregated toilets. Through an analysis of complex issues relating to accessibility, inclusivity and the politicisation of queer spaces, this article argues that the implementation of gender neutral toilets holds strong practical and symbolic power within a heteronormative, cis-normative society.Policy ImplicationsThe results from this study indicate that providing more gender neutral spaces improves accessibility for a range of people, but also has significant political power in challenging cis-normative, heteronormative standards.

Absence of symbolic and sustainable aspects in recommendations for healthy eating: a qualitative analysis of food-based dietary guidelines

ABSTRACT Objective Was analyzed the contents of the main messages of food-based dietary guidelines to promote healthy eating, identifying nutritional, symbolic, and sustainable recommendations. Methods Food-based dietary guidelines from 90 different countries were analyzed. These guidelines were selected from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization database. For data extraction, all messages were exported to the Nvivo software and, after repeated readings, were grouped into predefined categories and corresponding dimensions based on the literature. The categories were created according to the mixed model, that is, they were created before data analysis was performed, but modified if necessary. Results Was identified 1,982 messages grouped into the following dimensions: nutritional (n=73.9%); sustainable (3.2%); symbolic (3.3%), and others (19.7%). All food-based dietary guidelines addressed nutritional aspects, and the most frequent recommendation was regarding the consumption of fats, followed by the consumption of salt and vegetables and fruits, cited by at least 75 food-based dietary guidelines. Less than half (n=40) of the food-based dietary guidelines addressed sustainable or symbolic aspects of food and 13 of the food-based dietary guidelines addressed both aspects. However, these messages represented only 6.5% of the total messages in the documents. Conclusions The recommendations for healthy eating in the food-based dietary guidelines are incipient in terms of sustainable and symbolic issues. Recommendations for adopting healthy diets need to consider the completeness of the food and its various combinations, dietary patterns, and the factors associated with their consumption, as well as the individual’s relations with food, environment, and society.

Between Outdated Morality and Evolutive Interpretation: The Concept of 'Honour' under Article 27(2) of the Fourth Geneva Convention

This paper focuses on Article 27(2) of the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the prohibition of sexual violence against women in armed conflict. One specific aspect of the norm is particularly controversial: the term “honour” as an allegedly obsolete concept related to an outdated view of female morality. This paper investigates whether the criticisms to the concept of honour have a merely symbolic-linguistic value or whether they also have a legal relevance in terms of impact on the effective protection of women from conflict-related sexual violence. To this end, interpreting the term “honour” in a gender-oriented way sheds light on the question whether the gendered limits of the norm may be overcome in order to better protect women from conflict-related sexual violence. Since sexual violence usually implies a gendered character, the analysis of Article 27(2) also contributes to reveal significant aspects on the conception of women under IHL in general. Ultimately, it is claimed that the term “honour” raises complex symbolic issues. However, the legal analysis of the concept suggests that it is possible to interpret it in an evolutive manner in so to give the term a meaning that accommodates gender-sensitive concerns.

Dyscalculia: What We Must Know about Students' Learning Disability in Mathematics?

Dyscalculia is one of the less well-known learning problems in mathematics due to lack of exposure and study. Children with dyscalculia usually face arithmetic and symbolic number comparison issues, with about 3-6 percent of individuals affected. The lack of wide-ranging study and inconsistency in the condition's characterizations through studies have impeded progress in identifying the root causes of dyscalculia and how best to handle it. This problem can be more serious because it can prolong up to adulthood. Therefore, this paper will discuss the general aspects related to dyscalculia problems and their effects on children in their lives. This paper also explains the signs and symptoms that are needed to understand children who may have dyscalculia. Finally, this paper discusses what treatments or methods can be used significantly to help children improve their mastery and mathematical skills, including treatment for co-occurring issues. The implications are society should be aware of possible problems with their children related to dyscalculia and should always increase their initiative to use various methods to address the symptoms of dyscalculia, especially for children who also have other learning problems such as dyslexia and ADHD. Besides, increased knowledge of this distinction going forward, combined with longitudinal observational studies, provides tremendous potential to deepen our understanding of the condition and establish successful educational approaches.