Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Commentary On Business And Knowledge Opportunities For Africa’S Rise, Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

Fareed Zakaria’s insightful and fascinating book, The Post-American World (2008) deals with the gradual demise of America’s power and global dominance and the consequent rise of marginal or regional powers, which include Africa. Zakaria’s hypothesis about the ‘‘post- American world’’ resides principally in America’s weakening domestic and international prowess associated with her fighting prolonged wars in recent time, dwindling manufacturing scale, weakening domestic economy and the rise of Asian Tigers as well as China. This postulation also deals with the gradual manifestation of periphery countries’ potential or ability to lead the global economy with their natural endowments, rapid wave of …

Fabricating Unease: Intertextuality, The Nation And Intellectual Leadership Crisis In No Longer At Ease, Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

The subject matter of the nation is a usual staple on the menu of postcolonial Nigerian fiction. In this sense, the repertoire of Chinua Achebe’s art echoes an incurable preoccupation with Nigeria’s postcolonial condition as a nation. Also, this paper explores the centrality of intertextuality in the production of Achebe’s fiction, primarily his political novel about crisis plaguing intellectual leadership, No Longer at Ease (1960). Intellectual leadership deals with championing the espousal of intellectual development for societal alchemy; it also deals with mental or intellectual engagement capable of raising awareness as well as educating people about societal issues for change. …

A Decisive Social Media: Domination Of Social Media In Deciding News Content-A Case Study Of American Media And Trayvon Martin Tragedy, Ratnesh Dwivedi Mr

Ratnesh Dwivedi

More than a quarter of Americans (27%) now get news on mobile devices, and for the vast majority, this is increasing news consumption, the report finds. More than 80% of smartphone and tablet news consumers still get news on laptop or desktop computers. On mobile devices, news consumers also are more likely to go directly to a news site or use an app, rather than to rely on search — strengthening the bond with traditional news brands. Almost immediately after the February 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin, the conversation about the case began simmering on Twitter. But it was nearly …

An Assessment Of The Influence Of Advertisement On Patronage Of Beauty Care Products In Lokoja Metropolis, Kogi State, Nigeria, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

In order to survive and successfully operate in a competitive environment, makers of beauty care products attach great importance to advertising products. The essence of advertising product is to provide consumers with product information as well as persuading them to buy. The consumers of beauty care products on the other hand dissect relevant information passed on in an advertisement in order to meet their beauty needs. The article intends to find out consumers expectations from beauty care products, and what aspect of advertisement influences patronage of beauty care products of their choice. It is also aimed at determining the extent …

An Investigation Of Causal Relationship Between Fiscal Deficits, Economic Growth And Money Supply In Nigeria (1970-2009), Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

This study posits to investigate the relationship between fiscal deficits, economic growth and money supply in Nigeria. In Nigeria, huge fiscal deficits had been recorded over some years. What has been the nature of the relationship between fiscal deficits, economic growth and money supply in Nigeria? To answer this question, Granger causality test was conducted to see whether fiscal deficits granger cause economic growth and money supply or economic growth and money supply granger cause fiscal deficits. The results show that fiscal deficits granger causes economic growth and broad money supply in Nigeria. This implies that fiscal deficits positively affect …

-“An Analysis Of Concepts,Componants And Tools Of Research Process And Methodologies”, Ratnesh Dwivedi Mr

Ratnesh Dwivedi

Research is an endeavor to discover answers to intellectual and practical problems through the application of scientific method. “Research is a systematized effort to gain new knowledge”. -Redman and Mory. Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information (data) in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon about which we are concerned or interested. The purpose of research is to discover answers through the application of scientific procedures. The objectives are: To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it – Exploratory or Formulative Research. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular …

Higher Education In India : The Glory Of Past,The Challenges Of Today And The Road For Tomorrow, Ratnesh Dwivedi Mr

Ratnesh Dwivedi

Universal education of all children in literacy has been a recent development, not occurring in many countries until after 1850 CE. Even today, in some parts of the world, literacy rates are below 60 per cent (for example, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh). Schools, colleges and universities have not been the only methods of formal education and training. Many professions have additional training requirements, and in Europe, from the Middle Ages until recent times, the skills of a trade were not generally learnt in a classroom, but rather by serving an apprenticeship. Each generation, since the beginning of human existence, has …

Do Asian Men Face Wage Discrimination In The United States?, Marlene Kim

Marlene Kim

Currently there is a debate regarding whether Asian men suffer from workplace discrimination on account of their race. The research findings have been mixed. Cabezas and Kawaguchi (1988) found that in the San Francisco Metropolitan Area, both foreign-born and U.S.-born men who were of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Korean descent earned less than similarly qualified U.S.-born white men, although they did not examine the statistical significance of these findings. Using the same 1980 census data on a national sample of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Asian Indian, and Korean men, Duleep and Sanders (1992) find differences in earnings by race that are …

Finger Lickin’ Good: An Analytical Investigation Into The Urban Diet, Jennifer T.R. Tomlinson

Jennifer T.R. Tomlinson

In this analysis, the origins, customs and implications of fast-food culture will be explored with important focus on the customs of fast-food urban eating. Research indicates that lower-income urban areas are more likely to consume fast-food. The high consumption of fast-food subsequently results in the development of social and economical implications, which include health implications, economic dilemmas, a disconnection between consumers and their consumption and issues of social classification. This analysis also explores the customs of fast-food culture of Pine Hills, Florida with added emphasis on Pine Hills’ cultural uniqueness.

Housing Affordability For Households Of Color In Massachusetts, Michael Stone

Michael E. Stone

While housing is deeply significant for all of us, in our society it tends to pose particular challenges to many, if not most, people of color. For one thing, households of color continue to have considerably lower incomes, on average, than White-headed households. This means that households of color can, on average, afford less and therefore have fewer housing choices available, just for economic reasons alone. Yet we are not in a world where differential housing choices are determined only by ability to pay. Residential segregation by race persists and is not merely a consequence of unacceptable practices of the …

New Orleans Unveiled: Fanon And A Reconceptualization Of The Performative, Lynnell Thomas

Lynnell Thomas

This article examines Frantz Fanon's "Algeria Unveiled" as a reconceptualization of J. L. Austin's theory of the performative. Austin, whose examples of the performative all assume an equal, if not harmonious, relationship, overlooks instances of incompatibility and inequality. Fanon's post-colonial framework, in contrast, illustrates the markedly different types of intentions, uptake, and conventions which inform the speech act in cases of extreme inequality. In these cases, the powerless and seemingly voiceless use tacitly agreed upon conventions inappropriately to attain what they would not be able to have otherwise. Fanon's notion of the performative is used to explore the performative resistance …

Gadaa (Oromo Democracy): An Example Of Classical African Civilization, Asafa Jalata

Asafa Jalata

The paper briefly introduces and explains the essence of indigenous Oromo democracy and its main characteristics that are relevant for the current condition of Africa in general and Oromo society in particular. It also illustrates how Oromo democracy had functioned as a socio-political institution by preventing oppression and exploitation and by promoting relative peace, security, sustainable development, and political sovereignty, and how the gadaa system organized Oromo society around economic, cultural and religious institutions. Finally, the paper explores how the Oromo movement for national self-determination and multinational democracy struggles to revive and revitalize the Oromo democratic tradition.

A People's History Of Baseball, Mitchell J. Nathanson

Mitchell J Nathanson

Baseball is much more than the national pastime. It has become an emblem of America itself. From its initial popularity in the mid-nineteenth century, the game has reflected national values and beliefs and promoted what it means to be an American. Stories abound that illustrate baseball's significance in eradicating racial barriers, bringing neighborhoods together, building civic pride, and creating on the field of play an instructive civics lesson for immigrants on the national character. In A People's History of Baseball, Mitchell Nathanson probes the less well-known but no less meaningful other side of baseball: episodes not involving equality, patriotism, heroism, …

An Inconvenient Image Of Nigeria’S Environment – A Commentary On Peter Maass’S Crude World: The Violent Twilight Of Oil (2009)., Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

The American industrialist and oil dealer Paul J. Getty’s statement that ‘‘the meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights’’ reverberates with the message of Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil (2009). In this masterfully written and provocative piece on the blessings and curses of oil, global oil politics and mineral-induced conflicts as well as socio-economic disequilibrium following oil exploration, Peter Maass, brings once more to light the contradictions inherent in oil deposits. In the words of the Venezuelan oil minister, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, oil is ‘‘the devil’s excrement’’, a metonymy for gold, which is the …

Sustaining Development Through Servant-Leadership: A Commentary On Nnamdi Azikiwe’S My Odyssey: An Autobiography (1970)., Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

The thrust of this paper is a commentary on Nnamdi Azikiwe’s My Odyssey: An Autobiography (1970) as a reflection of a template for sustaining development in Africa through the prism of personal journey (odyssey) that resonates with servant-leadership. Although written over four decades, My Odyssey offers a vignette of how leadership ought to be envisioned in the present time for Africa’s development through an accomplished leader’s personal experience. Another point worth noting here is that a commentary on this book will be made, not a review of the book per se, going by the fact that book reviews tend to …

Going Anti-Postal: What Kind Of Nation Won't Fund A Post Office, Michael I. Niman Ph.D.

Michael I Niman Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Grassroots, Professor Vibhuti Patel

Professor Vibhuti Patel

Self-help groups, milk cooperatives, the increasing participating of women in political activity, agitation against deforestation and alcoholism by selfhelp groups, the educational status of women and their children, accessibility to infrastructural activity, improved decision-making capacity, and the knowledge and use of contraceptives show positive changes in the socioeconomic status of tribal women in Valod. The improvement has not taken place overnight. Gandhian ideology defi nitely played a very important role. So, too, did self-help goups who are emerging on a large scale in Valod Taluka. Development from the grassroots, a dream of Gandhiji, is now becoming a reality. It noteworthy …

The Latino Immigrant Labor Experience As Depicted In Film, Duane Wright

Duane E Wright II

The author argues that traditional macro-level methods of gathering data on populations create an impersonal depiction of the group. A useful pedagogical tool for teachers to counter this is to use fictional accounts in film and literature to put a more human face on the subjects being studied. Two films, Bread and Roses and El Norte, are used in this way to enhance or add another dimension to studies of the labor experience of Latino immigrants in the United States. The films are looked at through various sociological theories, Assimilation, Competition, and Neo-Marxist. The author concludes that Neo-Marxist theory best …

Ron Paul + Potheads = Racist Dopes, Michael I. Niman Ph.D.

Michael I Niman Ph.D.

Ron Paul’s popularity, given his history of racism, is troubling. More troubling, however, is the willingness of his supporters, an odd coalition of one-percenter corporatists and anti-war pothead libertarians, to ignore or excuse these views. Read more: http://artvoice.com/issues/v11n5/getting_a_grip

Writing Indigenous Activism In Brazil: Belo Monte And The Acampamento Indígena Revolucionário, Tracy Devine Guzmán

Tracy Devine Guzmán

Claiming the authority to adopt the pen (and the laptop) on behalf of their communities and in the interest of “all humanity,” Native Brazilian writers call into question the nationalist rhetoric, colonialist rationale, and neoliberal math that have been used by the state and propped up by its dominant majority to justify recent anti-indigenous public policies in the name of Brazilian sovereignty and development. Key among these is the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, revived from military rule by the administration of President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, and currently a lynchpin of the Rousseff administration’s Accelerated Growth Program (PAC). In …

"Whence Amazonian Studies", Tracy Devine Guzmán

Tracy Devine Guzmán

A brief account of the history of Amazonian Studies and the current state of the field.

“Don't Call Me A Student-Athlete”: The Effect Of Identity Priming On Stereotype Threat For Academically Engaged African American College Athletes, Keith Harrison

Dr. C. Keith Harrison

Academically engaged African American college athletes are most susceptible to stereotype threat in the classroom when the context links their unique status as both scholar and athlete. After completing a measure of academic engagement, African American and White college athletes completed a test of verbal reasoning. To vary stereotype threat, they first indicated their status as a scholar-athlete, an athlete, or as a research participant on the cover page. Compared to the other groups, academically engaged African American college athletes performed poorly on the difficult test items when primed for their athletic identity, but they performed worse on both the …

Reconstructing Race: A Discourse-Theoretical Approach To A Normative Politics Of Identity, Andrew Pierce

Andrew J. Pierce

This paper aims to get clear on the normative implications of the idea that race is a “social construction,” not just for political practice in non-ideal societies where racial oppression remains, but in “ideal” (presumably non-racist) societies as well. That is, I pursue the question of whether race and/or racial identity would have any legitimate place in an ideally just society, or to state it another way, whether the concept of race can be extricated from the history of racial oppression from which it arose. The position I defend is a version of what has come to be called a …

The Scramble For Lugard House: Ethnic Identity Politics And Recurring Tensions In Kogi State, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Successive Nigerian constitutions have always sought to legally prevent identities such as ethnic, religion, and regionalism from being the basis of political organisation and contest for state power. In Kogi state, Nigeria, the reality of the situation has been, however, far from its outward appearance. This is because, ethnic identity politics have not only proved to be resilient, but a in a wave of resurgence, have fast become a common feature in its body politics leading to incessant ethno-factionalism and tension in the state. This article explores the linkage between the nature of Nigerian democracy, ethnic identity politics, and escalating …

Boko Haram And The Recurring Bomb Attacks In Nigeria: Attempt To Impose, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Attempt to forcefully impose religious ideology and or belief on Nigeria’s secular society is not new. The leader of the Maitatsine sectarian group attempted it in 1981 and eventually led to large scale uprisings. Since the early 1980s and 2012, Nigeria has witnessed other uncountable religious related crises. Beginning from 2009, the country once again, has been stormed by large scale and unimaginable bomb attacks by the Boko Haram movement. Although Boko Haram can be compared in terms of philosophy and objectives to the Maitatsine sectarian group, its organisational planning, armed resistance, and modus operandi is Taliban and attacks executed …

Normative Approaches To Ethnic Recognition And Accommodation:Their Applicability To The Nigerian Experience, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

This article explores the central theme in the normative philosophy arguments of Michael Walzer; Charles Taylor; and Will Kymlicka and their applicability to the state building processes and constitutional politics in Nigeria. The main argument of these scholars is that, in a multicultural society, equality and justice; unity and stability are likely to prevail if state building and constitutional processes of a country recognises and accommodates ethnic diversity. Critically applied, the article observes that since liberal democratic values are not well rooted in the Nigerian body politics, the specifi city of the Nigerian state would have to be recognised for …

The Clinical Gaze In The Practice Of Migrant Health: Indigenous Mexican Migrants In The United States, Seth M. Holmes Phd, Md

Seth M. Holmes PhD, MD

This paper utilizes eighteen months of ethnographic and interview research undertaken in 2003 and 2004 as well as follow-up fieldwork from 2005 to 2007 to explore the sociocultural factors affecting the interactions and barriers between U.S. biomedical professionals and their unauthorized Mexican migrant patients. The participants include unauthorized indigenous Triqui migrants along a transnational circuit from the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, to central California, to northwest Washington State and the physicians and nurses staffing the clinics serving Triqui people in these locations. The data show that social and economic structures in health care and subtle cultural factors in biomedicine keep …

Identifying Self-Perceived Hiv-Related Stigma In A Population Accessing Antiretroviral Therapy, D. Tzemis, J. Forrest, C. Puskas, W. Zhang, Treena Orchard, A. Palmer, C. Mcinnes, K. Fernandes, J. Montaner, R. Hogg

Dr. Treena Orchard

No abstract provided.

'So It's Always A Dance': The Politics Of Gifts And Governance At A Drop-In Centre For Vulnerable Women In London, Ontario, Treena Orchard, Sara Farr, Susan Macphail

Dr. Treena Orchard

No abstract provided.

Slaves, Cannibals, And Infected Hyper-Whites: The Race And Religion Of Zombies, Elizabeth Mcalister

Elizabeth McAlister