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Disappointment and bitterness, mixed with envy and a desperate hope for a better future, are the night soil in which demagogues are hatched. But despite their populist bluster, demagogues are saboteurs of democracy, driven by an urge to ditch and destroy the checks and balances vital to restraining abuses of power. Unless checked, demagogues are the harbingers of a new, 21st-century form of despotism: a corrupted, phantom democracy in which periodic elections are held but the rich become super-rich and omnipotent—while most of the populace is gripped by feelings of powerlessness when it comes to the big decisions shaping everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Identifying the determinants of performance is fundamental to talent identification and individualizing training prescription. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine whether estimated muscle typology is associated with the key mechanical characteristics of track sprint cycling. Methods: Sixteen world-class and elite track cyclists (n = 7 female) completed a laboratory session wherein torque–cadence and power–cadence profiles were constructed to determine maximal power output (Pmax), optimal cadence (Fopt), and maximal cadence (Fmax), and fatigue rate per pedal stroke was determined during a 15-second maximal sprint at Fopt. Muscle typology was estimated by measuring carnosine content via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the gastrocnemius and soleus. Results: Using partial correlation analysis to account for sex, greater muscle carnosine content (ie, greater estimated proportion of type II fibers) was associated with a greater Pmax (r =.68, P =.007), Fmax (r =.77, P =.0014), Fopt (r =.61, P =.0196), and absolute fatigue rate (W·stroke−1; r = −.55, P =.0418) but not relative fatigue rate (%peak power·stroke−1; r = −.33, P =.246). Conclusions: The findings from this study substantiate the mechanical differences in muscle-fiber types derived from single muscle-fiber studies and highlight the importance of estimated muscle typology for sprint cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how watching international sports is related to the identity of overseas Chinese. Starting from the social significance of mediated sports, the article constructs its conceptual framework through the symbolic power of sports, media events, imagined community, networked publics, and characteristics of the diasporic community. Based on this, the study carried out 10 interviews on the Chinese diaspora in the United Kingdom, summarized the mechanisms and ways of linking mediated sports with national unity, and revealed the factors that will probably cause change to this connection. The results show that the symbolic power of sports and the consciousness as Asian are ties of diaspora identity construction and form patriotism in sporting contexts. Meanwhile, the degree of integration into local society and their community preference are influencing the status of collective identity enhancement brought by mediated sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Has China become a neo-colonizer, exporting its cultural and economic power to the world based on its agenda of building soft power? Existing scholarship on neocolonialism and data colonialism largely focuses on how China's infrastructural expansion and increasingly platformised cultural sectors can achieve its ambitious platformised cultural sectors overseas. Yet, how China's cultural power is manifested, negotiated, or resisted in people's daily lives in a South–South setting remains under-researched and under-theorised. This article uses everyday fashion in Kenya as a case study to investigate China's cultural and economic power expansion in the Global South. We examined how cultural differences are negotiated and mediated on two Chinese(-invested) e-commerce platforms. Through focus groups and platform walkthrough method, our findings serve to enrich existing theories of cultural production–platform relationships applicable in the study of various cultural and creative sectors, to offer new understandings of how symbolic, sociopolitical and cultural meanings of fashion are constructed through divergent platform affordances, and to reveal the various forms of cultural negotiations and resistance in different contexts, multiplying our frames of reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper investigates the burgeoning role of video games as a strategic instrument of soft power, with a particular focus on China’s utilization of the gaming industry to extend its cultural and political influence on a global scale. Through a comprehensive analysis of Chinese gaming giant Tencent, the study reveals how these companies embed Chinese cultural elements and narratives within their games, effectively turning them into vehicles for cultural exchange and soft power projection. The paper categorizes video games as an emerging source of soft power by examining the strategies of Chinese video games and their impact on global gaming trends. It further explores the symbiotic relationship between these gaming strategies and China’s broader soft power objectives under the Digital Silk Road initiative, illustrating how digital entertainment mediums can contribute to the country’s international diplomacy efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective social and political imaginaries of energy transitions are underpinned by a particular temporality of linear, teleological paths of progress and modernity, conjuring an abstract future. But what happens when the future is suddenly here? Drawing on sociological and related literatures on ruination and decay, this article offers insights into how different actors respond when they find the temporalities through which they understand the world disrupted. Using empirical insights from the coal phase out process in Alberta, Canada, I analyse how different actors navigate temporal disorder and seek to re-instate temporal order. In doing so, I argue that the temporal is political, offering a novel lens for examining the power dynamics entangled in the phase out of fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a new theory – cloud theory – using Druze society in the Middle East as a test case. The theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding unique dynamics regarding the resilience, adaptability, and influence of Druze society – a minority group in the Middle East. As such, the article aids understanding of the importance of social capital and the factors supporting its development and maintenance, with potential to improve support for other minority cultures worldwide. Cloud theory can be implemented in other fields, such as international relations and organisational behaviour, to elucidate the dynamics of power and influence in various contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Justice and the Politics of Feminist Philosophy" by Mary Hawkesworth discusses Iris Marion Young's groundbreaking work in reconfiguring justice through insights from feminism, Black liberation, LGBTQ mobilizations, and other social movements. Young's critique of mainstream philosophy and her distinction between the politics of identity and identity politics shed light on the complexities of social hierarchies and the need for collective action to address oppression and domination. Her work challenges traditional conceptions of justice and advocates for participatory democracy and collective self-determination to combat systemic inequities and foster social transformation. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This study explores the practices of Chinese community nurses in hypertension management, using Pierre Bourdieu's theory of practice to understand how their routines are shaped by sociocultural and institutional forces, along with their professional dispositions. Design: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in Shenzhen, China, between March and June 2024, and is reported following the COREQ guidelines. Sample: Eighteen nurses, each with at least 1 year of full‐time experience in hypertension care within the local community healthcare system, were recruited from a participant pool established through prior research. Measurements: Face‐to‐face individual semistructured interviews were conducted using a structured interview protocol, and data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: Community nurses face tensions between traditional health beliefs and modern hypertension care, as well as institutional pressures that prioritize efficiency over personalized care. Power imbalances, particularly the authority of doctors, complicate their role. However, nurses adapt their care strategies through embodied practices, balancing clinical standards with patient needs. Conclusions: Community nurses are not mere enforcers of guidelines but adaptive professionals who navigate complex sociocultural norms, institutional demands, and power dynamics in hypertension care. This study underscores the necessity for flexible, culturally sensitive practices to improve public health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the Test Identification Parade (TIP) within Indian evidence law must be contextualised considering the intensification of atrocities and brutalities against oppressed caste communities in India. Despite the existence of a separate law – Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 – to adjudicate caste-based atrocities, its implementation has been met with severe obstacles. Studying how evidentiary practices encounter the Act reveals how the law of evidence, too, participates in the playing out of a caste crime. It is in this regard that the discussion surrounding the Test Identification Parade must be infused with a political character, surfacing the power relations and structural aspects surrounding testimony and memory within crimes. Through the TIP, evidence law constitutes the nodal site upon which the dominant caste police and judiciary collude to deprive marginalised castes of just outcomes. This piece examines the jurisprudence of the TIP in caste atrocities judgments, in order to investigate the various ways in which the law plays out a caste atrocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Working in inpatient mental health settings is often characterised by highly emotive work and staff shortages. Despite the suggested benefits of reflective practice groups on staff well-being and clinical practice across healthcare settings, to date, there have been limited empirical studies on reflective practice groups in inpatient mental health settings, especially on group engagement and improvement. Methods: We interviewed fifteen participants, including both facilitators and attendees of reflective practice groups. Participants were from eight inpatient mental health wards across two National Health Service settings in the UK. We analysed interview transcripts using thematic analysis. Result: We deductively organised the data into themes and subthemes under three overarching domains–"Impact", "Factors on Engagement", and "Improvement". Theme development was generated inductively from the data. For impacts, we found reflective practice groups may bolster staff reflective capacity and team cohesion. The groups may help attendees create appropriate distance from their emotions and overcome power hierarchies. We discovered that the availability of reflective practice, sense of containment in groups, and team composition may influence group facilitation and engagement. For improvements, different measures could be adopted to improve access and engagement of staff with difficulties attending. Facilitators may benefit from more support to establish a reflective culture and experiment with new ways of facilitating. Discussion: Our findings add to the growing evidence base of the potential value of reflective practice groups in inpatient settings and elaborate on novel mechanisms of their potential impact. This study highlights changeable factors for engagement, concrete recommendations for improvements, and opportunities for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-third of all US counties have enacted Second Amendment Sanctuary (2AS) ordinances, preventing the enforcement of state and federal gun control laws. We test two theories to explain 2AS enactment. First, 2AS may be a manifestation of partisan federalism. This perspective predicts that the nationalization of policy issues has led partisan groups to support "sanctuary" policies in friendly jurisdictions to frustrate the opposition. Second, given the close link between gun policy preferences and racial identities, 2AS enactment may be related to racial dynamics and especially the declining political power of White Americans. Thus, we should expect that 2AS adoptions will occur in majority White counties with declining White populations. We leverage a unique dataset of county-level 2AS enactments to test these hypotheses. We find strong evidence for the partisan federalism hypothesis. In contrast, we find weak and inconsistent evidence for the racial threat hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the everyday, informal politics of service work for young people, and suggests new research agendas in the area of youth, citizenship and work. In youth studies, perspectives on citizenship and work remain based on a paradigm focused on the formal entitlements granted to male industrial workers by the post-war welfare state, and therefore regard citizenship as a normative status that has been eroded by precarity. In contrast, this paper develops concepts of everyday or lived citizenship to explore how service workers critically engage with the power relations they encounter at work. The paper explores how workers make (or are prevented from making) claims for just treatment, how their informal relationalities and modes of belonging shape their working conditions, and how the dynamics of racialisation and everyday multiculturalism shape young people's capacity to exercise political agency. It therefore shows that informal citizenship is foundational to the power relations and working conditions of contemporary youth labour and re-positions of paid employment work as critical to discussions of everyday citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A renewed interest in the concept of ideology is evident in recent constitutional theory. Ideology has featured prominently not only in restatements of traditional Marxist positions and attempted retrievals of the material conception of the constitution, but also in democratic critiques of liberal constitutionalism and theories of constitutional identity. The intention of this article is twofold. Firstly, the article defends the explanatory power of a conception of constitutional ideology that is centred on political domination and the 'universalisation' of contingent power relations, rather than more diffuse notions like the symbolic construction of reality or worldviews. Secondly, the article considers distinctive ideological dimensions of modern constitutionalism. An analysis of these dimensions, I contend, confirms modern constitutionalism's strong ideological 'potential'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates the evolving composition of stakeholders in SM Entertainment, a leading agency in the K-pop sector. This article aims to provide an overview of the company's strategic growth initiatives and its adept maneuvering within the framework of global capitalism. It demonstrates the increasing mix of domestic and international entities within SM Entertainment's ownership, analyzing how this diversified blend is influencing the power dynamics in the global entertainment industry. The research methodically gathers and analyses data from a variety of sources, including SM Entertainment's official website, its annual financial reports, and various news outlets. The research provides concrete empirical data on the strategic balancing undertaken by SM Entertainment as it transitioned from a regional entertainment firm to an international force. It examines in detail the company's diverse ownership composition and the intricate mechanisms driving this change. The study sheds light on the wider consequences of this transition in the entertainment sector, touching upon both cultural and business aspects, within the framework of an increasingly globalized world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of self-authenticity have been well-documented, although courage is needed to be true to oneself. The present work aims to test whether courage is associated with and promotes self-authenticity. This hypothesis was confirmed across six studies (N = 3868). Study 1 showed that courage was positively related to self-authenticity. Having participants recall courageous (vs. cowardly or neutral) acts, Study 2 showed that temporarily heightened courage could enhance self-authenticity. Studies 3–5 further showed that sense of power could mediate the effect of courage on self-authenticity both at the trait and the state levels. Study 6 demonstrated the causal effect of sense of power on state self-authenticity by manipulating the sense of power. Overall, the current findings provide empirical evidence for the classic wisdom that courage enables one to be authentic and reveal the mediating role of sense of power in this process. Implications and limitations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This hermeneutical review of biblical discourse of disability seeks to promote inclusive religious participation. Although the Bible is a religious book among Ugandans, there is limited discussion on how it can enhance social and religious participation of persons with disabilities. The review revealed that disability representation, human dignity and essence, divine human integrity and social empowerment dominate biblical discussion of disability. So, the article asserts that disability interpretation and representation shapes the construction of social identities and enhances inclusive participation for persons with disability. Therefore, an African disability hermeneutics is recommended to transform religious teachings and theological interpretations of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have discussed the ethics of care and safe learning environments in relation to educational experiences. Yet, there is a dearth of literature on such aspects in vocational, non-western higher education contexts. This paper examines how students and teachers view entanglements of the ethics of care and safe learning environments in forming notions of teaching effectiveness in Indonesian vocational higher education settings. Utilising interview data from students and teachers in Indonesian higher education vocational institutions, the study draws upon Hofstede et al. Dimensions of National Cultures and Faranda and Clarke's framework of effective teaching. The findings illuminate balanced power distance, communicative participation and pedagogy of care as fundamentals of the ethics of care that correspond with notions of safe learning environments to inform effective teaching in the Indonesian higher education vocational space. Illustrating social-educational contestations in the vocational classroom, implications suggest the need to minimise the existing large teacher-student power distance and transform the role of teachers as 'object-givers' and students as 'object-takers' into caring partnerships that promote vocational knowledge and practice. The study holds promise for educators, teacher educators and policymakers seeking to buttress support for ethical caring initiatives to enhance teaching effectiveness in the vocational non-western space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This practitioner essay will discuss the evidence base for an Australian trauma-informed kickboxing program, The Fight Back Project. We share key differences and adjustments while delivering this program in the Salvadoran context. We consider practitioner assumptions and limitations when transferring trauma-informed practice principles from the Global North to the Central American setting, and the criticality of gender-responsive adaptations. Drawing from existing research on the benefits of trauma-informed martial arts as a form of physical exercise, we describe the collaborative development and implementation of a trauma-informed kickboxing program alongside a local, community-led organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public condemnation of high-profile men accused of gendered violence in 2017 resulted in an upsurge of women labelling past experiences as sexual harassment. This study used Q methodology to explore understandings of sexual harassment in the UK. Forty participants sorted 62 statements into quasi-normal grids which were factor analyzed (by person). Eight factors were identified which were titled: Sex Not Sexism, Sexualized Discriminations, Victim Voice, Sameness and Difference, Power/Sex, Repeated Power Abuse, Personal Boundaries, and Masculinity and Heterosexism. Taken together, they signal that feminist efforts to articulate the experience of sexual harassment have gained ground during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the experiences, expectations and needs of mothers from low‐socioeconomic status at 1 month postpartum. Design: Descriptive qualitative. Methods: Mothers from low‐socioeconomic status and irrespective of their parity were invited to participate in one‐to‐one interviews at 1 month postpartum. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted until data saturation. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Written informed consent was obtained. Results: Twenty mothers participated and six themes were identified: (1) No choice but to find meaning; (2) Father as a major pillar of support; (3) 'Kampung' Spirit; (4) Trials and Tribulations of Transition to Motherhood; (5) Shame, guilt and internalized stigma and (6) Reclaiming the power. Conclusion: This study reflected the unique struggles of mothers from low‐socioeconomic status with pregnancy, childbirth and early postpartum and the wider health inequities within Singapore's maternal health system. To provide much‐needed support and improved care, the stakeholders within government, healthcare providers and social organizations should consider the niche needs of this community. Implications for Patient Care: Nurses need to reflect on their own biases and ensure consistent care delivery regardless of socioeconomic status. When delivering patient education, patient‐centred and sincere advice rooted in personal experience can help to establish rapport. Impact: This study is the first to explore the experiences of mothers from low‐socioeconomic status in the Singapore context. Low‐socioeconomic status mothers experienced less autonomy over their health, the care they received and their childcare options. As mothers adjusted to their new roles, they struggled to cope. However, as they were wary of the stigma surrounding poverty and their guilt of not being a 'good mother', they preferred to seek informal support from their family, friends and self‐help through learning from social media, as compared to formal, external help. Reporting Method: COREQ checklist. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book review discusses "L2 Writing Assessment: An Evolutionary Perspective" by Anthony Green, which explores the evolution of second language (L2) writing assessment practices over more than a century. Green delves into the social, economic, political, and educational forces that have shaped L2 writing assessment, providing insights into current practices and potential future directions. The book highlights the challenges and solutions that have emerged in L2 writing assessment, offering valuable historical context for scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the field. Green's work is relevant for both newcomers and seasoned professionals in L2 writing assessment, providing a critical understanding of the field's current state and offering optimism for its future. [Extracted from the article]

Educating young people about sexual consent aims to help them develop healthy relationships and prevent sexual harm. Yet, there remains no consensus on how to define consent nor the connection between consent and sexual harm. This article discusses findings from qualitative research conducted with young people in England that has explored issues of sexual consent. It engages with tensions around the so-called 'grey areas' and oft-critiqued 'miscommunication model' of consent and suggests that some form of 'miscommunication' may underpin some, albeit not all, experiences of sexual harm among young people. Young people may experience problems articulating and interpreting consent not because of malintent or substandard or disparate communication skills but because of interpersonal and sociocultural power dynamics that constrain the communication and operation of consent. Consent education needs, therefore, to support young people develop the socio-emotional skills and literacy required to navigate gendered and heterosexual (inter)personal pressures, expectations, and sexual scripts. It should involve active participation of young people whereby they identify the conditions in which sexual activity unfolds and the power dynamics that constrain the operation of consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public discourse is rich in meaning, reflecting consensus, dissent, and change. Yet, very little public discourse on the humanitarian sector has been authored by aid workers themselves. We conducted a thematic analysis of the 'Secret Aid Worker' (SAW) series, published in The Guardian newspaper between 2015 and 2018, the only corpus of data on humanitarian life experiences publicly accessible through mainstream media. Our research questions were twofold: how did authors frame their work and appraise humanitarian structures?; and how did they reflect and amplify humanitarian issues of the time? The main themes included: personal challenges of humanitarian life; characterisation of stakeholders; and systemic issues within the humanitarian sector. The SAW narratives reveal a powerful discourse of discontent. They planted seeds of change regarding shifting power, coloniality and racism, sexual abuse, and duty of care. We argue that such public discourse has symbolic power, calling for greater accountability, equity, and justice in remaking the future of the humanitarian sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We invite you to explore with us the enchanting affects that move us, through ordinary moments in writing for children. Enchantment shows how we are entangled with the world, that which surprises us and builds a sense of wonder. A wind in the trees, a gentle smile, a look of horror. The smell of fresh coffee and the final words of a manuscript. We explore enchantment as mundane but gendered experiences which entail a promise and a potentiality, one that is part of power relations, and where an ethical possibility to engage in the world differently emerges. This paper shows how enchantment is not a detachment from, but a connection to the world. Through interviews with children's writers, we ask how enchanting affect can help us to see work through a different ethical lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Digital Nationalism and Global Capitalism: The Cases of Spain and Catalonia" published in Ethnopolitics explores the intersection of digital technologies, nation-building, and sovereignty in the global capitalist era. It discusses how states are privatizing national resources and territories, leading to a loss of popular sovereignty and a rise in demands for public institutional capacities for self-government. The text also delves into the concept of digital sovereignty, digital nationalism, and the specific cases of Spain and Catalonia, highlighting the impact of digital technologies on political, economic, and geopolitical affairs. [Extracted from the article]

The text explores the complexities of Shanghai's urban history through three monographs: "Improvised City" by Cole Roskam, "Shaping Modern Shanghai" by Isabella Jackson, and "Scythe and the City" by Christian Henriot. Roskam delves into the architecture and governance of Shanghai, Jackson focuses on colonial governance in the city, and Henriot uncovers the social history of death in Shanghai. Each book offers unique perspectives on Shanghai's development, shedding light on the city's diverse and interconnected historical narratives. These works provide valuable insights for researchers interested in urban history, colonialism, and architecture in modern China. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the concept of epistemic injustice in the neglected tropical disease (NTD) knowledge ecosystem, highlighting how power dynamics and biases influence scientific research and policies. It explores testimonial and hermeneutical injustices, emphasizing the marginalization of local knowledge and experts from endemic countries in global health research. The piece calls for reforms to address epistemic injustice, advocating for diversifying leadership, enhancing transparency, and promoting anti-oppressive teaching to create a more just NTD knowledge ecosystem. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding diverse knowledge systems and supporting a critical mass of thinkers to disarm injustice in the global knowledge ecosystem. [Extracted from the article]

This survey of archaeological and onomastic evidence, prominently including Style I–III animal art, aims at identifying the most promising locations where elite manorial settlements of the period AD 375–1125 can be expected in the Medieval Swedish province of Närke. One such site of c. AD 600–800 has been partly excavated at Husby in Glanshammar. This parish is one of six that stand out by their unusually rich, numerous and sustained elite indications. A recent campaign of large intensive metal detector investigations has proven both a boon and a bias in terms of new evidence. None of the six most promising parishes would however fall off the elite map even without the new metal detector finds. Of the place names, Tuna appears to be irrelevant to Närke's elite, while two out of three Husby names correlate with Viking Period elite indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of scholarly literature on the mother of the Zulu nation, Emperor Shaka’s mother, Queen Nandi ka Bhebhe. In the precolonial Zulu Kingdom, royal women enjoyed various privileges and responsibilities and contributed significantly to the Kingdom’s aggrandisement, but written sources of detailed accounts of their contributions were limited. Queen Nandi, who, as a single mother, raised Shaka and nurtured him into adulthood is not sufficiently celebrated in the available scholarly literature. Although Nandi’s history is intertwined with Emperor Shaka’s history, in the available mainstream historical literature, she is mentioned merely as Shaka’s mother, and her sacrifices in raising and protecting him are consigned to the background. This article pays due homage to Queen Nandi using the available oral accounts and secondary data sources. It explores her historical background as a Langeni Princess, how as a single mother she raised an emperor and her political influence in the Zulu Kingdom. It adds that besides being Shaka’s mother, Nandi was a strong-willed woman who served as a bridge between Shaka and relevant stakeholders. The article concludes that the rise and growth of the Zulu Kingdom must also be credited to her motherhood account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contemporary world is facing multiple crises, from pandemics to wars, from climate change to forced migration. Many of them are closely interlinked and bring to the fore and enforce existing inequalities. Although these crises are often global in scale, they are dealt with differently in specific, local contexts. Regardless of nature and scope of the crisis, affected people often rely on brokers to create meaning, mitigate the disruptive and disturbing impacts, or find ways to cope with them and survive. While brokers play important roles as intermediaries and facilitators in a wide range of settings, their knowledge and skills are particularly relevant in rapidly emerging, volatile as well as continuing crisis settings, where established mechanisms to settle conflict or restore order no longer work. People with relevant knowledge, skills and networks become brokers to help those affected to navigate the crisis by mediating between clashing ‘worlds’, between the specific locality and forces or interventions meant to trigger or alleviate the crises, and to regain control. Through their centrality in processes of translation, information dissemination and connection of disparate actors, they are important agents of social change, impacting power dynamics. As introduction to a special issue, this article develops a conceptual framework for ‘Crisis Brokers’. It takes a critical look at the notion of crisis and analyses the phenomenon of brokerage in the context of crises. Time and temporality then serve as analytical tools that allow us to better understand the significance of brokerage in crises contexts. We are interested in how brokers respond to temporal aspects of crisis and how they can change ensuing temporalities. The framework allows us to explore ways in which crises create spaces for brokers to emerge and operate and to make novel contributions to both the crisis and brokerage literature in ‘times of crises’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Truth is a contested concept, yet the current contest takes place within an idealistic picture that accords all conceptions of truth three features: truth is singular, atemporal and independent. Because of these features, conceptions of truth within the idealist picture are ‘sovereign’ conceptions of truth that lead to serious obstacles in different parts of philosophy, e.g. regarding the concept of normativity or the relationship between truth and politics. The article makes a case for changing the underlying philosophical picture in which truth is conceptualised. To that end, it sketches a materialist picture that can account for the contextuality, historicity and plurality of truth, leading to ‘non-sovereign’ conceptions of truth. Thinking of truth as a force that emerges from social practices but is not reducible to them, that is weak in comparison to other forces (like affects or social power), that exclusively targets subjectivities and that has a ‘ratchet effect’ on these subjectivities provides enough details of the materialist picture to overcome the obstacles mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPre-electoral opposition coordination is the most effective strategy to counter contemporary forms of autocratisation. While scholars have recently begun to explore the factors that lead to the formation of pre-electoral alliances in competitive authoritarian regimes, the high variation in terms of their composition and effectiveness is generally neglected in the existing scholarship. There is a lack of research on why some inter-party coalitions have limited effectiveness in the electoral arena while others nominate optimal candidates through routinised and transparent procedures and run cohesive campaigns. Through a detailed analysis of the Nation Alliance (2018–2023) in Turkey, we argue that in the context of high regime vulnerability, power asymmetry between alliance partners and a high level of leadership control over candidate nomination in opposition parties hinder the potential effectiveness of formal pre-electoral alliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of female puppeteers in cultural diplomacy through the performing arts of wayang skin in Central Java. Wayang leather, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, functions as a medium of cultural communication rich in educational, moral, and historical values. The role of female puppeteers, despite facing patriarchal challenges, is increasingly growing thanks to the use of digital technology such as social media. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method, using interviews, observations, and documentation analysis to understand the contribution of female puppeteers in promoting Indonesian culture at the global level. The results show that female puppeteers not only maintain traditional arts, but also introduce new, more inclusive narratives in cultural diplomacy. Through platforms such as YouTube, female puppeteers are able to reach global audiences, strengthen Indonesia's positive image, and influence international perceptions of gender equality in art and culture. This study enriches the literature on cultural diplomacy by highlighting the power of femininity as soft power in international relations, especially in facing the challenges of modernization and cultural globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the budding Sino-African relations has drawn enormous attention in the media and the academia, there is little empirical understanding about the acculturation of Chinese values and the effectiveness of China’s soft power in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria. This article investigates the cognitive, affective, and behavioural intentions of Lagos residents (Lagosians) towards China. Based on Nye’s conceptualisation of soft power, a theoretical model was developed to explore how engagement with China’s soft power instruments and media exposure to Sino-African-related information influence Lagosians’ attitudes towards China on the three attitudinal levels. Findings from a clustered random survey (n = 624) drawn from Lagos residents reveal that their attitudes and behavioural intentions towards China are multidimensional and majorly predicted by their personal experience (engagement with China’s presence) and their second-hand experience (exposure to China-related news in local media), rather than by the intensity and tenacity of China’s diplomatic strategies in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the liminal position of “fixers” in global news reporting and critically examines the very term “fixer”. Building on existing research in the field and ongoing discussions about its inherent inequalities, we address the following questions: How do “fixers” enact their liminality in everyday work? What does the liminality inherent to the term “fixer” say about the positionalities of local media workers and the politics and ethics of transnational collaborations? Based on ten semi-structured interviews with local media professionals – “fixers” – based in Beirut, Dutch, and American reporters, we argue that the problem with the much-contested term “fixer” resides in the reproduction and reification of the presupposed West–East or North–South power relations and in neglecting the power dynamics following from specific roles and experiences. The term thus hinders the understanding of the complex reality of (local) media work and the diverse roles fulfilled. Therefore, we argue that to understand the crucial roles of local media workers in ongoing international conflicts, it is imperative to carefully consider this linguistic entry point. Finally, we discuss how job titles manifest hierarchies and power relations within foreign reporting ecosystems and in the journalistic field more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe premise of this article is that the concept of the Global South cannot be solely analyzed based on economic factors. Instead, it encompasses a wide range of aspects, including political, economic, historical, identity based, and epistemic factors. This article aims to provide a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to identifying and acknowledging the actors of the Global South through three axes: its political, economic, and cooperative role. It takes into account the dynamic nature of the term and emphasizes its heuristic relevance as a valuable tool for understanding the current power dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to examine the complex linguistic and cultural dynamics of recruitment interviews where recruiters played multiple roles of gatekeepers and facilitators by unpacking how “cultural fit” is co‐constructed in recruitment interviews. Drawing on ethnographic data collected from one of the world's largest recruitment agencies, we explore how power dynamics manifest in “friendly” rapport‐building interview conversations between interlocutors of diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds in an Inner Circle context. Our analysis shows that candidates are required to play a power game, demonstrating alignment with recruiters’ agendas and complying with recruiters’ dictated level of appropriateness in conversational style, such as formality and code. Candidates who are less familiar with their roles in the power game masked by the conversation style of faking friendship are left at a disadvantage and labeled as unsuitable cultural fit. These findings highlight the previously overlooked influence of recruiters in shaping interview outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT There is a consensus that power is central to sexual harassment. Research has focused most heavily on the bases of power upon which harassment is perpetrated. However, a feminist poststructural view locates power everywhere, suggesting that people encountering sexual harassment also have power. This study focuses on an encounter with sexual harassment experienced by a woman, whom we name Beth, while working for the government. We use deconstruction to understand how power manifests in Beth's narrative of sexual harassment by a congressman. Our deconstruction uncovers the complex manifestations of power in encounters with sexual harassment. We follow our deconstruction with a reconstruction, a fictional restory that demonstrates how power dynamics could ideally shift. Our findings shed light on the many ways in which power operates and highlight the ineffectiveness of current best practices around workplace sexual harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis scholarship has so far remained inattentive to the uneven entanglements and encounters that operate in what are designated as times or spaces of crisis, such as conflict and war. Indeed, scholarship on crisis suffers from a division between scholars who study the effect of crisis on privileged groups and locations and those who research marginalized communities. This has led the first to approach crisis as an exceptional moment, and the latter to argue that crisis is a semi-permanent condition. The lack of exchange between these two bodies of crisis scholarship has resulted in insufficient consideration of the divergent experiences of the nature and temporalities of crisis by unequally situated actors. This article looks at the contact zone forged by the 2001–2021 Afghanistan war to demonstrate that temporalities of crisis manifest themselves in varied and uneven ways, depending on the positionality of actors. Empirically, this article draws on interviews conducted with western Afghanistan veterans and with Afghan interpreters who worked as linguistic and cultural brokers. By contrasting the experiences of Afghan interpreters with that of the international soldiers who were dependent on their brokerage, I show how differential structures of power and privilege shape what constitutes a crisis, who is touched by it and how and when crisis makes itself felt. Close analysis of the narratives of Afghan interpreters also challenges scholarship which presents brokers as crisis opportunists, who subsequently experience an existential crisis and tragic demise (Distiller and Samuelson 2005, Gaskill 2023). Instead, I develop the argument that brokers’ relationship to crisis can be better understood when the relational and spatio-temporal frames to situate their actions are expanded. I suggest that the cliché of the tragic broker is unsettled when tracing the strategies of Afghan interpreters over time and with attention to the interactions with those for whom they broker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the complex landscape of human interaction, bullying and cyberbullying emerge as profound social, educational, and psychological challenges. These acts, whether rooted in physical space or the boundless realm of cyberspace, reflect deeper issues related to power dynamics, identity, and the human condition. The ‘1nessuno100Giga’ project, implemented in Sicily (2023–2025) offers an innovative intervention aimed at addressing these issues through a holistic and collaborative educational methodology. This paper focuses on the teacher training component conducted in 2024, which involved 150 educators from primary and secondary schools. The training programme adopted experiential learning methodologies, emphasising active participation, reflective practices, and collaborative project development. The primary aim of this approach was to move beyond the traditional notions of bullying and cyberbullying, focusing instead on cultivating care, kindness, and respect within human relationships. The results of this study indicate that teachers experienced a significant shift in perspective, recognising the importance of addressing power dynamics and social norms in managing bullying. This study underscores the effectiveness of experiential teacher training in not only addressing bullying and cyberbullying, but also in promoting a supportive and inclusive educational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Spatial Mapping, History, and the Witch in Winterson’s The Daylight Gate" explores the evolving representation of witches in literature, focusing on gender, power, and identity. It discusses how the novel uses liminal identities to critique historical power dynamics and societal norms. By blending historical events with Gothic fiction, the author challenges readers to reconsider societal structures and power dynamics. The article also delves into themes of monstrosity, resistance, illness, and queerness in the novel, highlighting how space is used as a narrative tool to critique historical memory and societal oppression. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT This study compares the Indian Lunacy Act (ILA) 1912 with the Mental Health Ordinance (MHO) 2001 to demonstrate the (dis)continuity of colonial practices in the context of postcolonial Pakistan. This analysis is informed by Foucauldian power/knowledge nexus making a unique contribution to the broader field of mental health policy. The discursive continuity of the colonial legacy involving the legal structures in the mental health system, where the state uses psychiatric knowledge to legitimize the detention of individuals, echoes the Foucauldian concept of the power/knowledge nexus. Scrutinizing the words used in both legislations, it has been understood that language is not neutral; rather it is suffused with meaning, creating knowledge and truths. This is seen through the offensive words used in the ILA 1912 that denote degradation, disdain, and contempt toward the “insane,” “dangerous,” and “lunatics.” Although MHO 2001 adopted a more neutral language, a continuation of the mechanism of control is seen during the admitting process, in which the opinions and statements of medical professionals play an important role. The marginalization of alternative mental health practices, in the form of indigenous and communal mental health practices in both mental health legislations, showcases the dominance of the biomedical model, enforcing a particular form of epistemic control. Nonetheless, the relative improvement of the MHO 2001, as opposed to the ILA 1912, has been seen in terms of the language used and the inclusion of community‐based mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses an interview with Tom Powell about the Korean War, bacteriological weapons, and the national security state. Powell's research exposes the US's use of bacteriological weapons during the Korean War, supported by evidence and testimonies from various sources. The article also touches on the connection between the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and biological weapons, as well as Powell's thoughts on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Powell is working on a sequel to his book, offering a different perspective on the Korean War and emphasizing US imperialism's attempts to subjugate Korea. [Extracted from the article]

AbstractThis article comprises a lyrical exposition of the ‘in-betweenness’ that underlies pedagogical relations and musical practice. The latter comprises making, performing, teaching, and indeed listening to music, phenomena encapsulated in the term ‘musicking’, first coined by the musicologist Christopher Small in 1999. Improvisatory practice is inscribed into the very process of writing as a means of mainstreaming the power of connection; and troubling the notion of seeking as the hallmark of ‘poor pedagogy’ (Masschelein, 2010) or weak education (Ingold, 2018). Drawing inter alia on a scintillating improvisational performance by the musician Bobby McFerrin, we argue that pedagogical relations, construed as the art of encounter, are about finding rather than seeking. Finding implies experiencing a sense of connection, ‘that feeling of landing in the present tense’, of being immersed in whatever occupies you, paying close attention to the details of experience’ (Tempest, 2020, p. 5). This is a far cry from education in a major key, the secure territory of understanding that is premised on codified knowledge that pre-empts attention or marginalises it altogether. We draw on examples from music education to explore the deleterious effects of power dynamics. We end with a rallying cry for education as a common chorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores REDD+ practices through an intersectionality lens to unpack socially differentiated lived subjectivities in southern Tanzania. It draws from the trial of a carbon forestry project in the selected villages in the Lindi district to explore the intersection of multiple social dimensions and inequality through the production of REDD+ spaces and lived subjectivities to forest-dependent communities. To date, there has been less theorisation of REDD+ schemes under Community Carbon Enterprises (CCEs) within multiple axes of power and subjectivities in Tanzania. This paper contributes to power relations scholarship by examining how power structures such as class, gender, and age shape the everyday experiences of REDD+ subjects. An extended case study illustrates how intersectional axes of power were contested, negotiated, and lived through multiple performativity and practices of everyday subjectivities against exclusions produced through new carbon forestry spaces with restricted access and use of forest resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes how transnational actors navigate the tensions between federal policy, more localized power structures, and informal forms of authority in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State (SRS). The concept of ‘diaspora capture’ foregrounds the efforts of state officials and transnational elites to take control of processes through which diaspora identities and patterns of coordination are formed and negotiated within webs of kinship and economic relations. Somali social structure has often been described as essentially ‘stateless’ or democratic to the point of anarchy, and Somali transnationalism is marked by webs of kinship-based reciprocity and informal economic practice. Nevertheless, we show that in eastern Ethiopia, post-conflict diaspora engagement since 2010 is characterized by persistent efforts of government elites and diaspora actors to gain influence over each other, reshaping the transnational terrain. We argue for more attention in transnational studies to how the conflicts and tensions between national or federal policy environments and subnational authority structures can create new fields of transnational interaction and unexpected collaborations between local governments (including autocratic ones) and diaspora constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]