Digital Commons Network^™

Case Study On Sasha Skochilenko: Anti-War Russian Political Prisoner, Sofia Semenova

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

Sasha Skochilenko was incarcerated in a Russian prison for more than two years for the act of placing anti-war leaflets, disguised as price tags, on goods in a grocery store in St. Petersburg, Russia. This case study, prepared by Sofia Semenova, documents the harsh conditions of Skochilenko’s imprisonment and its effects on her physical and mental health. It also examines the questionable evidence and processes used to prosecute her case, arguing that during Skochilenko’s trial, the principles of adversarial process and equality between the prosecution and the defense were constantly violated.

Thinking Blue / Writing Red: Marxism And The (Post)Human, Stephen C. Tumino

Publications and Research

Thinking Blue/Writing Red interrogates contemporary culture across a range of texts, from the pandemic (‘Covid’ and ‘Trump Speak’) to high theory (Melville's narratives) and popular culture (Beyoncé's ‘Formation’ and Super Bowl performance, Twin Peaks , metamodern ‘cli-fi’ films). Inspired by Derrida’s idea of the secret, Tumino examines the significance of social movements (Black Lives Matter, Occupy, alter-globalization) and naïve art (Darger, Ryden) to argue that these texts speak of the secrets that capitalism cannot speak. Contending that the cultural surfaces narrate only the ‘nonsecret,’ that to see the social logic of the culture one must dig into what Bruno Latour …

Summary Report Of Discussions At The Ana Forum 2024, Berkeley, Ca “How Can The North American Nepali Diaspora Contribute To Nepal’S Economic Development?”,, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

The ANA 2024 annual convention, organized on ANA’s 42nd founding anniversary, was held in the San Francisco Bay Area (Berkeley and Oakland) in California, where hundreds of ANA members and friends had gathered. The convention consisted of several forums, sessions, and cultural programs. As always, the convention included a Nepal-related forum “How Can the North American Nepali Diaspora Contribute to Nepal’s Economic Development?” The Forum took place from 1:30-2:30 pm on Saturday July 20, 2024. Four panelists, including the moderator, spoke at the forum. About 45-50 individuals attended the session. Guest panelist, Dr. Minendra Rijal sent a message as he …

Narratives On Nepal’S Coalition Politics, Ashis Adhikary

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

On 2nd July 2024, the Communist Party of Nepal- United Marxist Leninist (UML) struck a power-sharing deal with its earlier nemesis, the Nepali Congress (NC), and formed a new coalition. Surprisingly, UML left its ruling ally, the Maoist Center (MC) barely four months after joining hands. Coalition politics in Nepal ages old but this newly formed coalition nonplussed the analyst and political sphere. There are scattered and obstinate market narratives regarding this coalition. A gap exists in thematically framing those narrations. Therefore, this paper thematically presents those scattered narrations under three levels: individual, state, and system. At the individual level, …

Indonesia’S Development Strategy: The Path Of State Owned Enterprises Global Expansion, Farahdiba Rahma Bachtiar

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

Following the Asian Crisis, many believed that the era of the developmental state model had ended. However, amidst debates of pros and cons, there was a strong tendency to observe that, before the Jokowi administration, several Indonesian government policies were highly interventionist. This article examines the possibility that the developmental state model will no longer continue in Indonesia, which is merely a myth. Using a qualitative research approach that draws on various literature, including data from 2022–2024 and field research findings in Indonesia during the 2015–2021 period, this article argues that the developmental model has evolved toward a more practical …

Self-Defense In The Face Of Genocide: A Comparative Study Of The Rwandan Patriotic Front And The March 23 Movement, Frank Okyere Osei, Samuel Budoi

The Microdynamics of Mass Atrocity Working Paper Series

This paper examines the narratives underpinning two cases of self-defense in response to the threat or occurrence of genocide. It delves into the nuances of two movements: the Rwandan Patriotic Front in Rwanda (RPF) and the March 23 Movement (M23) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both movements emerged in response to perceived genocidal threats and adopted self-defense narratives to justify their actions. The paper traces the historical contexts, key actors, and agendas that shaped these movements, highlighting the RPF's evolution from a military group into a dominant political force in Rwanda, and the M23's role in protecting Tutsi communities …

In Defense Of Identity: A Comparative Analysis Of Indigenous Self-Defense Movements In North America, Chloe Cairncross, Dana Dougherty

The Microdynamics of Mass Atrocity Working Paper Series

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of two significant historical events of Indigenous resistance in North America: the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 in Canada and the Wounded Knee Occupation of 1973 in the United States. The Métis during the Northwest Rebellion and the Lakota Oglala along with American Indian Movement activists during the Wounded Knee Occupation both sought to assert their rights against encroaching government policies and settler expansion. By examining the actors, agendas, actions, and outcomes of these movements, the paper explores the nuanced nature of self-defense within a settler-colonial context. Comparative analysis highlights the persistent efforts of Indigenous …

Profiled Pickpockets: Seattle's Black Community & 1890s Habeas Mobilization, Zoë Williams

Digital Legal Research Lab

The Petitioning for Freedom project examines habeas corpus in the American West, 1812–1924 to highlight the legal mobilization of marginalized people. This study uses habeas petitions to identify Black people's response to racial profiling in Seattle.

Research poster titled Profiled Pickpockets: Seattle's Black Community & 1890s Habeas Mobilization; presented via the Digital Legal Research Lab NSF REU Site, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, August 2024.

Advisors: Katrina Jagodinsky and William Thomas

Displacement, Social Justice, And The Right To The City: A Review And Critical Reflections In The 21st Century, Tara Fitzgerald, Brij Maharaj

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This paper aims to review the literature and themes relating to displacement, social justice, and the right to the city in the 21st century. Displacement, in its various forms, is central to understanding the human rights abuses and livelihood implications when urban rights are revoked, forcing inhabitants to the periphery, and is the focus of this paper. Whereas the city’s services, resources, and opportunities should be a collective right advanced by local authorities for all who occupy urban space, displacements lead to resettlement and impoverishment, especially as livelihoods are disrupted. Urban renewal, through mega-projects, clean-up campaigns, and speculative gentrification processes, …

A Theory Of Conditional Party Opposition, Samuel Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper takes a critical look at executive power in the United States. Recent years have shown an increase of executive power that many people including: scholars, media, and the public have become skeptical of. The new norm has been for the executive to bypass Congress in order to accomplish policy goals. Traditionally the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches has been the remedy to executive power. This thesis, however, argues that scholarship has largely ignored the role of political parties in government. Due to this, scholarship has misunderstood the role parties play in the separation …

Labour And Democracy, Kate Andrias

Faculty Scholarship

Democracy has always been a central project of labour law, but it is all the more important today, with authoritarianism on the rise and democracy under threat across the globe. This chapter examines the relationship between labour law and democracy. It explores the central tension between democracy and labour under capitalism; traces how ideas and arguments about workplace democracy have evolved over time; and explores the relationship between workplace democracy and political democracy, including how and when unions serve as a bulwark against authoritarianism. Ultimately, it argues that a critical task for labour law scholarship is to rethink the body …

Notes On The Future Possibilities Of Engaged Anthropological Research: Why Decolonizing Anthropology Needs Black Diasporic Feminist Theory And Methodologies, Meryleen Mena

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

While in the past decade there have been more ethnographic accounts that shed light on minoritized stories and demystify the specific challenges that women and femmes experience during their research, much is desired to prepare students and junior scholars from marginalized identities for fieldwork research. Reflecting on a moment of precarity in the context of pre-impeachment São Paulo, I explain why the integration of Black diasporic feminist thought, method, and praxis is critical to further decolonizing efforts in anthropology. Beyond reflection, this narrative calls for sustained politically active engagement to establish an anthropology of liberation.

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The Twitter Blackout: Do Congressional Rules Influence The Cyberworld?, Carlos Gutierrez-Mannix, Thomas R. Gray

Political Science Faculty Publications

Intro

Communication is understood to be a pillar of democracy. Therefore, governments around the world enact laws which make it easier for politicians to communicate with their constituents. However, some governments also restrict this ability during campaign seasons as a way of unclogging the media. In the United States, congressional election blackout dates are periods in which politicians are not allowed to engage in mass unsolicited mailing of political advertising. Because the prohibition only applies to unsolicited media, we theorize that we should see the transition from one type of communication to another.

Methods

To test this effect, we created …

How Threat Mobilizes The Resurgence And Persistence Of Us White Supremacist Activism: The 1980s To The Present, Pete Simi, Robert Futrell, Adam Burston

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Despite a centuries-long history of violent mobilization, white supremacist activism (WSA) has received relatively little sociological attention outside a small, specialized subfield. Disciplinary interest began to change after Trump's 2016 election; the 2017 violent attack in Charlottesville, Virginia; and the January 6, 2021, insurrection. In recognition, this review article focuses on what has been learned about contemporary WSA since the 1980s. We categorize studies by their unit of analysis—individual or micro, meso, and macro levels—to highlight analytic commonalities and distinctions and to underscore the central role that threat plays in the ebb and flow of WSA. As part of our …

Fantastic Trolls And Where To Find Them: Problem Framing In The Defense Against The Informational Dark Arts, Jayson M. Warren

All Dissertations

In the wake of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the notion of state-sponsored trolls engaging in information operations on social media has captured the attention of society. Yet eight years after this policymaking focusing event, sustainable solutions prove elusive and there is still much that is not known about the underlying phenomenon. This dissertation is part explanatory and part exploratory in its attempts to answer the overarching research question: What is the Relationship Between How the Problem of State-Sponsored Trolls on Social Media is Framed & the Way U.S. Federal Policy Attempts to Solve It? Using …

A New Look At Russia-China Relations: Implications, Expectations And Reality, Aidana Bolat

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis examines the nature of the evolving relationship between Russia and China from 2018 to 2024, focusing on political, economic, and security aspects. The research aims to determine whether their interactions are an alliance, a partnership, or a more complex arrangement. The study takes a multidimensional approach: analyzing political cooperation through their participation in international organizations such as the UN, SCO, and BRICS, mutual support in UN voting records, diplomatic commitments, and regional political strategies. Economic cooperation is assessed through trade dynamics and analysis of official trade data. Security cooperation is examined by examining arms sales, joint military exercises, …

Mind-Body Bridging (Mbb) Techniques And Emotional Regulation In Political Discourse And Confidence In Political Talk, Joseph Ofori Acheampong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In today's politically divided landscape, conversations across political lines can often provoke intense feelings of anger and anxiety, making productive dialogue difficult. This polarization not only dampens the quality of public discourse but also affects individual emotional well-being and the broader societal cohesion. This study explores a novel approach to alleviating the negative emotional effects caused by political polarization, using Mind-Body Bridging (MBB) techniques. It specifically targets emotional regulation- how we control and manage our feelings- during political discussions, without attempting to change participants' political beliefs. The study involved participants from Utah State University setting who engaged in MBB training. …

Political Constructions Of People Who Use Drugs In The Philippines: A Qualitative Content Analysis, Gideon Lasco

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Background

This paper examines the political constructions of people who use drugs in the Philippines throughout the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022), during which the government engaged in a ‘war on drugs’ and promoted a punitive drug regime.

Methods

Building on and drawing inspiration from the global drug policy scholarship that has looked at the ways in which drugs are framed and problematised in various domains, this study used qualitative content analysis to review 96 documents from national government agencies - including strategic action plans, directives, memorandums, guidelines, annual reports, and legislative measures.

Results

Foremost, the study finds that various …

Cultural And Political Perspective On Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" As The European Union's Anthem, Teodore Ignatius Minaroy, Henny Saptatia Drajati Nugrahani

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

ABSTRACT. The aim of this research is to explore the cultural and political significance of the Ode to Joy, a tune included in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, so that tune can become an anthem for the European Union. Following the MEPs from Nigel Farage's Brexit party turning their backs on the playing of the European anthem, a discussion on this subject started. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative approach and literature review. The research's conclusions demonstrate that both musically and politically, Ode to Joy has its significance. Ode to Joy had already come to represent Germany in …

Ideational Basis Of Civil Society Supporting The Sustainable Development Agenda, Demeiati Nur Kusumaningrum, Dyah Estu Kurniawati

Cities and Urban Development Journal

Background: In discussing consumption and the environment as part of social change, Malang City and Regency become a study of the relationship between the state and civil society in efforts to overcome the challenges of climate change, one of which is the waste problem. Unfortunately, less attention to analyze how and why civil society supports the global development agenda.

Aims: This article attempts to discuss the intersubjective factors that encourage the role of civil society in supporting the achievement of sustainable urban development targets.

Methods: The research applies qualitative methods with content analysis referring to primary data sourced from interviews, …

Culture, Catalan And Cultural Diversity In Catalonia: The Growing Challenge For Cultural “National” Affirmation Of Catalonia, Alexandre Couture Gagnon, Joaquim Rius Ulldemolins, Mariano Martín Zamorano

Political Science Faculty Publications

Catalonia has formally acknowledged cultural diversity in its cultural and linguistic policies since the 1990s. The parliament has enacted laws protecting the Aranese language in the Val d’Aran, and the Generalitat has integrated immigrants thanks to interdepartmental programmes. Around 2010, Catalonia and Spain entered a political crisis, which was intensified by the central government’s recentralization, notably in cultural and linguistic policies. Spain ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in 2006, but did not facilitate a wider Catalan action, oriented to promote the use of Catalan language in public and economic spheres. …

Waging Peace On The Final Frontier 64th Academy Assembly Proceedings, Space And Defense, Madison Walker

Space and Defense

In October 2022, the 64th annual Academy Assembly at the U.S. Air Force Academy took up the theme of “Waging Peace on the Final Frontier.” The following are proceedings of roundtables held by select undergraduates from around the country on questions of space policy & strategy.

Capability Gaps In Allied Space Deterrence, Mary A. Black

Space and Defense

U.S. predominance in space power is undermined by two capability gaps: the transatlantic gap for interoperability and the authoritarian gap for defense against asymmetric threats.

Consulting To Avoid Kessler, Madison Walker

Space and Defense

The consultation obligation of Article IX from the Outer Space Treaty may be used to create a framework for sharing space situational awareness data, globally, with the intention of facilitating enduring coordination agreements for collision avoidance.

American Sanctions On China's Space Program: Effective Economic Statecraft?, Paul J. Bolt

Space and Defense

American economic statecraft as a tool to manage competition with China’s Space Program is likely to remain contentious as it amplifies enduring debates in U.S. foreign policy: i) the tension between international realism and American liberalism; ii) the questionable benefit of government involvement in picking winners and losers from the private sector; and iii) the difficulty of defining long-term success in foreign policy outcomes.

Pushing Boundaries: Feminism, Female Leaders, And The Fate Of Feminist Foreign Policy, Sannia Abdullah

Space and Defense

The study challenges the clearest, unqualified liberal claim on feminist foreign policy: namely, women equal peace and security while men equal war. In fact, women approach foreign policy challenges as judiciously as men and have proven their statesmanship. Feminist foreign policy promotes gender equality, women empowerment, and socio-economic parity based on a non-hierarchal system, but it fails to offer a resilient, conflict preventing, and environmentally friendly alternative framework capable of reducing contemporary foreign policy challenges.

Space And Defense Volume 15 No. 1 Spring 2024 (Whole Issue), Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Stable Autocracy In Saudi Arabia: The Failure Of Arab Spring Democratisation, Adhi C. Fahadayna

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

STABLE AUTOCRACY IN SAUDI ARABIA: THE FAILURE OF ARAB SPRING DEMOCRATISATION

Adhi Cahya Fahadayna

Universitas Brawijaya

Email: [email protected]

Submitted: 7 October 2023; Accepted: 10 July 2024

ABSTRAK

Arab Saudi mempertahankan stabilitas sistem autokrasi sebagai landasan fundamental dalam sistem politik dan sistem pemerintah. Arab Saudi memiliki cadangan minyak bumi yang tinggi. Selain itu, Arab Saudi dipandang sebagai sekutu yang memiliki kedekatan dengan Amerika Serikat. Secara historis, Arab Saudi dikenal sebagai pusat peradaban agama Islam. Namun, pun ketika gelombang demokratisasi di Timur Tengah semakin menguat, Arab Saudi tetap mempertahankan eksistensi monarki absolut sebagai sumber utama stabilitas politik dan ekonomi negara. Hal tersebut …

Achieving U.S. Preeminence In The Space Domain, Mohammad Durrani

National Security Affairs and International Relations Theses

As an expansion of the geopolitical theatre, the space domain has become fully integrated into the modern world, providing essential services such as communications, navigation, intelligence, and security for both civil and military purposes. With this integration, the fragility of the space domain becomes visibly apparent. Advancements made by U.S. adversaries, specifically China and Russia, in both satellite and counterspace weapons technologies, present a unique challenge that threatens to undermine U.S. dominance in the space domain. These threats may place the United States under severe constraints if conflict were to arise, potentially compromising critical nodes that are central to its …