Digital Commons Network^™

Notoriously Ruthless: The Idolization Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lucille Moran

Political Science Honors Projects

It is now a fixture of mainstream commentary in the United States that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become a popular idol on the political left. Yet, while Justice Ginsburg’s image and story has reached an unprecedented level of valorization and even commercialization, scholars have yet to give sustained attention to the phenomenon and to contextualize it: why has this idolization emerged within this context, and what is its impact? This paper situates her portrayal in the cultural imagination as the product of two political forces, namely partisanship and identity politics. Considering parallel scholarly discourses of reputation, celebrity, …

An Addiction To Capitalism: A Rhetorical Criticism Of Mainstream Environmentalism, Jake Engel

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

Infinity Wars: Post 9/11 Superhero Films And American Empire, Peter J. Bruno

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the last two decades, superhero films have accounted for some of the most popular and financially lucrative films of all time. This thesis analyzes some of the aesthetic and ideological dimensions of various superhero films following their post 9/11 boom. Beginning with America’s response to the events of 9/11 and a subsequent retreat into a Manichean world of good versus evil, I introduce the term “empirical reality” in order to account for the ways daily American life is shielded from the worst effects of U.S. foreign policy. On screen this manifests by perpetuating the myth of the “clean war” …

Human Rights, Emotion, And Critical Realism: Proposing An Emotional Ontology Of International Human Rights, Ben Luongo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a critical realist framework of human rights and argues that emotion plays a foundational role in constituting a human rights ontology. I build this framework as a critical response to other IR human rights theories which have largely been developed in accordance with either empiricist or rationalist paradigms. Both empiricist and rationalist theories fail to articulate a firm ontological foundation which can support their human rights claims.

This ontological concern may not seem too important for human rights scholars interested in more substantive political issues, but it does lead to problems because no human rights theory is …

The Trojan Horse In Your Head: Cognitive Threats And How To Counter Them, Lora Pitman

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Vulnerabilities of the human mind caused by the way it is designed to process information have always been exploited in warfare, since the dawn of humanity. History is marked with frequent use of deceits and manipulations over the centuries, with examples ranging from the use of the Trojan Horse to Facebook’s user-profiling. While largely used over time, these tactics, that I call cognitive threats, have not been collectively examined. I hypothesize that they pose a security issue to which prevention strategies on different levels could be successfully applied. The research questions that this study asks are what the characteristics of …

Media Discourses That Normalize Colonial Relations: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of (Im)Migrants And Refugees, Meng Zhao, Jorge Rodriguez, Lilia D. Monzó

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The im(migration) and refugee crisis that are being exacerbated under the Trump administration, is a manifestation of empire-building and the long history of colonization of the Global South. A Marxist-humanist perspective recognizes these as consistent aspects of a clearly racist global capitalism that functions in the interest of multibillion dollar U.S.–based corporations and increasingly transnational corporations. Trade agreements, international economic policy, political intervention, invasion or the threat of these, often secure corporate interests in specific countries and regions. The authors use critical discourse analysis to examine the discourses around Mexican, Central American, and Syrian im(migrants) and refugees as examples of …

The Fear And Biopolitical Control Of The ‘Terrorist Other’, Percy Percy Sherwood

Western Research Forum

“I think Islam hates us,” Donald Trump said as a presidential candidate in a CNN interview in March 2016, conflating the religion with ‘radical Islamic terrorism.’ Trump’s statement exemplifies the prevailing fabricated enemy and resulting Islamophobia in the context of the ‘global war on terror.’ Since 9/11, powerful actors are using abstractions, ideologies, and narratives—that are usually defined along racial lines—to conjure up a fear so permeable that it serves to legitimize massive levels of violence in the name of self-righteousness. How do the racist abstractions, ideologies, and narratives that are associated with Islam and Muslims produce fear and insecurity …

Speech We Hate: An Argument For The Cessation Of International Pressure On Japan To Strengthen Its Anti-Child Pornography Laws, Alison Rapp

Augsburg Honors Review

One can hardly mention child pornography, even as a subject of serious academic research, without receiving questioning, fearful, or even disgusted looks. The creation, dissemination, and possession of child pornography is severely criminalized in many countries, and continues to be a topic of intense controversy in countries that have "lagged" in passing laws condemning the trade (though the word "trade" is misleading, as most child pornography is created, disseminated, and consumed almost entirely free of charge). Yet, there is also a great deal of confusion, misunderstanding, and sheer ignorance surrounding child pornogaphy and its connections (or lack thereof) to lowered …

“Be Authentic”: Authenticity Norms In German Politics And Self-Idealizations Of Members Of The Bundestag, Alexander Geimer, Steffen Amling

The Qualitative Report

This contribution goes back to a study of the formative power of identity norms in professional fields of occupation (fine arts and politics). In this article, we focus on the understanding of identity norms that members of the German Bundestag have to meet and/or to cope with. Thus, our research question is which demands professional politicians encounter and which ways of dealing with them are established. Operating at the intersection of governmentality studies, subjectivation analysis and qualitative inquiry, and based on narrative interviews with MPs, this paper demonstrates how in the field of German politics (at federal level) the MPs …

Space And Identity: Mexican-American Dance Halls In The Quad Cities, Crystal Salazar

Celebration of Learning

Community space has much influence in the creation and shaping of a person’s identity along with serving as a reflection of their identity. Space and identity are two important factors in understanding a person’s sense of self. Who you are can be determined by your chosen surroundings. Looking at community space within the Quad Cites' Mexican-American community the intersection of identity and community are closely looked at to see how they influence one another.

The Caged Bird Still Sings: The Poetics Of Peace, Sofia Diane Skavdahl

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Although poetry has been used as a method of peacemaking since Homer’s Iliad, little research, theory, or analysis has been done evaluating precisely what role poetry holds in the realms of peacemaking and conflict resolution. Poetry, along with other arts-based practices of peacemaking, is beneficial because of its ability to encourage personal autonomy and emotional communication, while offering an open and creative space to heal from violent conflict. In terms of the arts, poetry is especially unique because it holds the ability to transform relationships between adversaries and the relationship with the self. This paper seeks to analyze both the …

Cosmopolitan Democracy: Re-Evaluation Of Globalization And World Economic System, Muhammad Dalhatu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines cosmopolitan democracy theory as a method of addressing the problems of globalization. I begin by introducing the concept of “cosmopolitan democracy.” I then proceed to discuss contemporary political climate and its relation to critiques of globalization. Finally, I conclude by examining the elaborations of cosmopolitan democracy by various theorists as a way of addressing these problems. Chapter 1 introduces the work of David Held who introduced the concept in his book, Cosmopolitan Democracy and the Global Order: Reflections on the 20^th Anniversary of Kant’s “Perpetual Peace.” Cosmopolitan democracy refers to global governance through democratic theory. Held …

Political Conjuncture And Scholarly Disjunctures: Reflections On Studies Of The Philippine State Under Marcos, Jr. Aguilar

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

This professorial address contends that a scholarly, systematic, and impartial study of Marcos’s authoritarian rule is necessary, given the highly politicized interpretations of the past bequeathed to younger generations through textbooks and social media as well as the Philippine academic community’s general inability to analyze the defunct regime and to influence public discourse and shape public history. Social scientists must tap new sources of information, such as the Marcos Papers, to produce truthful and nuanced narratives of the past, even as they must endeavor to understand the Marcosian social fantasy and the sources of Filipino authoritarianism, which can illumine both …

The Role Of Religious Reformist Discourse In Regime Resilience In Iran, Fatemeh Jamali

Theses and Dissertations

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran has been seen as the primary bastion of radical Shi‘a Islam and a force which fosters the Middle East instability. The Iranian regime has often been labeled as a theocracy, which often overshadowed the attention to nuances about its polity and its mechanisms of survival. The main purpose of this thesis is to shed light on the political system of Iran and its survival mechanism while situating it in the hybrid regime category. Hybrid regime framework is especially useful since it allows us to better understand the resilience of the hybrid political structure …

When Faced With A Democracy: Political Socialization Of First-Generation Ethnic Russian Immigrants In Central And South Florida, Marina Seraphine Mendez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is a qualitative study about political socialization of first-generation ethnic Russian immigrants in Central and South Florida. The method used is a constructivist grounded theory with two-level coding. Based on data collected in forty in-depth interviews, I constructed a model of political socialization. It incorporates a starting point (the legal status in the US), triggers (English language proficiency, spousal support, and parenting), political socialization agencies (English as Second Language classes, a spouse, volunteering, the church) and output structures (bureaucratic institutions). Using respondents’ opinions about American vs. Russian political systems and mass media, their political participation, and views about political …

Cultural Foundations Of Contentious Democracy In South Korea, Youngho Cho, Mi-Son Kim, Yong Cheol Kim

Political Science Faculty Publications

This study takes a cultural approach to examine the unstable and contentious nature of Korean democracy. Analyzing an original nationwide survey conducted in 2015, we find that the democratic and participatory culture of the Korean people underlies Korean democracy. This finding suggests substantial tension between the participatory orientation of the public and Korean representative democracy.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: Prospects For An Ethical Theory Of Accountability, Melvin Dubnick

Faculty Publications

This paper is intended to restate the case for the development of an "ethical theory of accountability" as an alternative to current theoretical frames being applied by students of accountable governance. I would emphasize the word "alternative" at this juncture, noting that an ethical theory should not be regarded as replacement for current models; rather it is offered as a reframing of accountability that can provide a significantly different perspective -- one rooted in (and built upon) ontologically distinct presuppositions about the nature of account-giving/receiving.

Central to the effort is establishing accountability as the capacity to engage in account-giving/receiving behavior …

Space And Identity: Mexican-American Dance Halls In The Quad Cities, Crystal Salazar

Eddie Mabry Diversity Award

No abstract provided.

Special Issue, December 2018

International Journal on Responsibility

Contents:

5 – 7 Terry Beitzel, Gjylbehare Muharti, and Hysen Nimani, Responsibility in the Balkans: Justice, Media and Arts.

8 – 22 Mujë Ukaj and Qendresa Jasharaj, International Criminal Responsibility in Kosovo: Establishment of the International Criminal Court - de lege lata, de lege ferenda.

23 – 41 Avdullah Robaj and Sabiha Shala, Responsibility in Building Rule of Law: Kosovo Challenges.

42 – 54 Mujë Ukaj, The Irresponsible Persons: the Imposition and Execution of the Mandatory Treatment Measures on Criminal Procedure of Kosovo.

55 – 64 Gani Asllani, Bedri Statovci, and Gentiana Gega, Development and Protection of Economic …

การปกป้องสิทธิมนุษยชนของหญิงบำเรอ: การศึกษาเปรียบเทียบระหว่างบทบาทกลุ่มสมาคมชาวเกาหลี กับ รัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้, ภัทรพร ลีห์อร่ามวัฒน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์ฉบับนี้ มุ่งศึกษาถึงการเปรียบเทียบความแตกต่างของจุดประสงค์การเรียกร้องระหว่างกลุ่มสมาคมชาวเกาหลีเพื่อผู้หญิงที่ถูกใช้บำเรอทหารญี่ปุ่น กับ รัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้ ต่อกรณีหญิงบำเรอทหารญี่ปุ่น ในช่วงสงครามโลกครั้งที่ 2 ภายใต้การเรียกร้องเพื่อสิทธิสตรี โดยศึกษาวัตถุประสงค์ในการเรียกร้องของกลุ่มสมาคมชาวเกาหลี ซึ่งศึกษาจากพลวัตการรวมตัวของกลุ่มเรียกร้องและข้อเรียกร้องที่ทางกลุ่มต้องต่อรองกับรัฐบาลญี่ปุ่นหรือแม้แต่กับรัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้เอง เพื่อวิเคราะห์วัตถุประสงค์ของกลุ่มในการเรียกร้องในประเด็นหญิงบำเรอ โดยทำการศึกษาเปรียบเทียบกับวัตถุประสงค์ในการเรียกร้องในประเด็นหญิงบำเรอของรัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้ ซึ่งถูกใช้เป็นเครื่องมือเพื่อผลประโยชน์แห่งรัฐ โดยพบว่ารัฐได้ใช้การเรียกร้องทางสตรีนิยมมาเพื่อสร้างความน่าเชื่อถือรวมถึงเป็นการเรียกคะแนนนิยมแก่พรรคการเมือง และยังมีการยกประเด็นหญิงบำเรอมาเพื่อยุติความขัดแย้งระหว่างกับญี่ปุ่นด้วย

Caribbeanomics: Assessing The Effectiveness Of U.S. Foreign Aid In The English-Speaking Caribbean, John Keane

Honors College Theses

No abstract provided.

ภาษาเหยียดเม็กซิกันของประธานาธิบดีโดนัล ทรัมป์ ในฐานะวาทศิลป์แบบเจ้าจักรวรรดิ, ภครินทร์ เรืองศิริสุวรรณ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์ฉบับนี้ มีวัตถุประสงค์ในการศึกษาความคล้ายคลึงกันทางวาทศิลป์ระหว่างศัพท์แสงของทรัมป์ที่มีต่อเม็กซิโกในปีค.ศ. 2017-2019 กับวาทศิลป์แบบเจ้าจักรวรรดิ สารนิพนธ์ฉบับนี้มุ่งศึกษาเพื่อตอบคำถามว่า ศัพท์แสงของทรัมป์มีความคล้ายคลึงกับวาทศิลป์แบบเจ้าจักรวรรดิอย่างไร และเม็กซิโกตอบสนองต่อศัพท์แสงที่สะท้อนการเหยียดผิวของทรัมป์อย่างไร โดยสารนิพนธ์เล่มนี้เป็นการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพที่วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลผ่านคำแถลงการณ์อย่างเป็นทางการรวมทั้งสุนทรพจน์ของประธานาธิบดีโดนัล ทรัมป์ และเป็นการศึกษาและวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยใช้แนวคิดของ David Spurr ที่เกี่ยวกับวาทศิลป์แบบเจ้าจักรวรรดิ คือ การนำเสนอวาทศิลป์ผ่านการสอดส่อง, การจำแนกแบ่งแยก, การลดคุณค่าและเหยียดอาณานิคม, การเปลี่ยนแปลงข้อเท็จจริงของอาณานิคมไปเป็นตรงกันข้าม, การยืนยันสถานะของตะวันตกในการปกครองอาณานิคม และการกำหนดบริบททางเพศต่ออาณานิคม เป็นกรอบความคิด โดยผลการศึกษาพบว่า ศัพท์แสงของทรัมป์มีลักษณะคล้ายคลึงกับวาทศิลป์แบบเจ้าจักรวรรดิ ที่สะท้อนให้เห็นถึงแนวคิดความเกลียดกลัวชาวต่างชาติ แนวคิดชาติภูมินิยม และลัทธิคนผิวขาวสูงส่งยิ่ง ซึ่งเป็นปัจจัยสำคัญที่ส่งผลต่อการเปลี่ยนแปลงทางด้านความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างสหรัฐฯกับเม็กซิโก และนำไปสู่การตอบโต้กลับของเม็กซิโกในตอนแรก แต่ต่อมาในปี ค.ศ. 2019 ท่าทีการตอบโต้กลับของเม็กซิโกเปลี่ยนแปลงเป็นการส่งเสริมและการสร้างความสัมพันธ์ทางการทูตที่ดีกับสหรัฐฯแทนที่การตอบโต้กลับด้วยความรุนแรง การตอบโต้กลับทางการทูตของเม็กซิโกจึงเป็นการเน้นย้ำถึงอำนาจที่เหนือกว่าของสหรัฐฯต่อเม็กซิโก ตลอดจนอำนาจทางวาทศิลป์แบบเจ้าจักรวรรดิผ่านการแสดงออกทางศัพท์แสงของทรัมป์ในปัจจุบัน

Visions Of The Future In Budgetary Discourse, Ewan Macdonald, Brendan O'Rourke, John Hogan

Conference papers

Whilst there is ample precedent to argue against the common-sense notion that the ideological leanings of political parties are congruent with their implementation of fiscal policy (Boix, 2000; Garrett & Lange, 1991; Hibbs, 1977; Liargovas & Manolas, 2007), there is a relative dearth of research on the role of discourse in shaping fiscal policy with one notable exception by Maatsch (2014). With this in mind, we approach the issue of examining fiscal policy through a fixed, contested and subverted within particular texts” (Howarth, 2005, p. 341). This paper examines how the future is constructed in Irish budget speeches delivered between …

Note The Change: A Comparative Study Of Demonetization Efforts In India And Sweden, Danielle Browske

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On the evening of November 8th, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to a shocked India that the two most common banknotes would thereafter cease to be legal tender. Newly designed notes were printed and dispersed to Indians who were forced to wait in long bank and ATM lines, which frequently ran out of cash due to such high demand. There were reports of people dying in lines, not getting paid their salaries due to the chaos, and losing everything in the resulting inflation that plagued rural farmers. Since then, India has seen a rise in cash usage rates compared …

Pendekatan Konsep Harmoni Dalam Manajemen Konflik Oleh Jepang Dalam Isu Sengketa Senkaku/Diaoyu Dengan Tiongkok, Rudi Saeputra

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

The Senkaku dispute refers to a territorial claim between China and Japan over a group of eight pinnacle islands in East China Sea. Japan has taken a valid control over the Senkaku Islands since 1895. Yet, in the light of historical records, China claims the islands as a part of its ancient territory. This article aims to analyze Japan’s motives in taking repetitive peaceful measure in handling the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute. Most of existing academic writing about China-Japan discord put emphasize on the findings related to mutual aid and regime, strategy and policy, power projection and threat perception, and interaction …

Globalisasi Industri Hiburan Jepang Dan Korea: Pengaruh Terhadap Perspektif Publik Antar Negara, Annisa Kemala

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

Meski dengan status kedua negara sebagai kekuatan besar di Asia Timur, hubungan bilateral Jepang dan Korea Selatan seringkali menemui tantangan dengan masih terdapatnya ketegangan yang disebabkan sejak masa Perang Dunia II. Kedua negara sama-sama menonjol dalam produk budaya populernya, termasuk dalam hal industri hiburan. Dengan semakin terlibatnya aktor-aktor non-negara dalam Hubungan Internasional, para aktor dalam industri hiburan Jepang dan Korea Selatan mendapatkan peran tersendiri sebagai pelaku diplomasi publik yang bertujuan untuk mengubah perspektif publik dari masyarakat yang menjadi negara tujuannya. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa ketenaran industri hiburan kedua negara berhasil memunculkan kelompok-kelompok penggemar yang memiliki pandangan positif terhadap masing-masing negara …

(De)Humanization And Onticide: Lexicography For Ontology, Sommer Mahoney

CLAMANTIS: The MALS Journal

n/a

The Composition Of History: A Critical Point Of View Of Michel Foucault's Archaeology, Javier Gálvez Aguirre

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The author discusses in "The composition of History: a critical point of view of Michel Foucault's archaeology" a very specific aspect within the work of Foucault: the role of the philosophies of history in the composition of historical discourse. The philosophies of history of pre-revolutionary Europe were able to show a discursive continuity that does not tally with the discontinuities that are sought in Foucault’s archaeological and genealogical project. The question that is asked following the analyses of these discourses does not fully escape from the analyses of the knowledge-power apparatuses: how is it possible that the practical-political nature of …

The Eventualization Of Political Thinking: From The Arab Revolutions To The Trump Era, Oscar Barroso

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article, "The Eventualization of Political Thinking: From the Arab Revolutions to the Trump Era", Óscar Barroso maps out some of the most important contemporary philosophies of the Event: those of Rancière, Badiou, Hardt and Negri and Žižek. These philosophies of the event are defined as post-humanist political proposals that entrust emancipation not to the realization of anthropological ideas but to the emergence of difference. Examining the pessimistic interpretation that these authors make of what has happened since the events of 2011, the author questions whether too much trust has been placed in the supposed virtue of difference and, …

Islam & Interfaith Dialogue: Innovative Diplomacy Between The United States And Islamic Republic Of Iran, Kristyn Rohrer

Honors Student Research

This meta-communicative study provides an analysis of global interfaith dialogue as it pertains to peace and conflict, with a primary focus on Islam. The Islamic Republic of Iran and United States have a complicated history. Their diplomatic relationship is rife with manipulation, radicalism, and a disregard for human dignity. Currently, the US is imposing hundreds of sanctions and restrictions on Iran, from nuclear energy to medicine, as a result of President Trump’s decision to back out of the Iran Deal. However, other forms of dialogue are affecting positive relations between the two countries. Interfaith dialogue between North American Mennonites and …