Search Results (182)

This article examines European policies blocking migration. It outlines a theory of borders and bordering that conceptualizes both as being far more complex and consequential than the mere regulation of conventional national frontiers. Although due attention is paid to efforts at the formal frontiers of Europe, the bulk of the analysis focuses on the effective externalization of Europe’s borders into African and Asian states that European governments pay (in kind or cash) to stop migrants from ever reaching Europe’s shores. The essay goes on to introduce the notion of Anglo-European hegemony to explain why postcolonial states, despite having achieved formal independence from colonial rule, continue to contribute to and even emulate patterns of blocking migration that originate in the Global North. Blocked migration casts doubt on Europe’s democratic credentials—so much so that efforts to reduce, end or evade blocked migration should be reinterpreted as necessary steps in the ongoing decolonization and democratization of European politics. Full article

Social Work, which is a profession and an academic discipline, has two major contradictions that pertain to its co-dependency with the capitalist hegemony and its inconsistent ontology, epistemology, and methodology. Addressing these contradictions is essential for Social Work to achieve its current mission and core mandate of promoting social change, social development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. In this theoretical paper, we argue that Social Work can address its contradictions by adopting Critical Realism as a philosophical foundation and learning lessons from its Hull-House tradition and current endeavors of the Social Solidarity Economy. Doing so helps Social Work realize its full potential and contribute more to sustainability transformation, as it has a crucial role to play in addressing the multiple crises of our time. Full article

This paper revisits Saudi Arabia’s religious statecraft through the lens of Pax Wahhabica, interrogating the transnational diffusion, strategic reconfiguration, and evolving instrumentalisation of Wahhabism as a modality of imperial theopolitics and a conduit of ideological projection. Tracing Wahhabism from its eighteenth-century roots, through its Cold War entrenchment as a bulwark against secular nationalism, to its post-9/11 fragmentation, this study offers a conceptual re-evaluation of Wahhabism not as a fixed theological doctrine but as a malleable constellation of norms and discourses continuously calibrated to state interest. Theoretically anchored in soft power analysis, constructivist norm diffusion, Gramscian hegemony, and Foucauldian governmentality, this paper examines how religious norms are mobilised through affective discourse, institutional socialisation, and securitised governance to advance regime resilience. Through empirical case studies on Bosnia, Indonesia, and Nigeria, it elucidates how Wahhabi norms were localised, hybridised, and, in some instances, weaponised against their progenitors. Finally, this paper examines the domestic reconfiguration and international repositioning of Wahhabism under Muḥammad bin Salmān, arguing that contemporary Saudi theopolitics marks not the abandonment of Wahhabism but its reconversion into a strategically curated, domesticated ideology. Pax Wahhabica, thus, persists—not as an unbroken theological doctrine but as a hybrid ideational empire in which Islam is strategically retooled as an instrument of hegemonic statecraft. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of virtual internationalization (VI) in higher education institutions (HEIs). Yet, how it becomes normalized and how digital governance factors collectively address the challenges arising from its implementation remain underexplored, particularly in non-Anglophone contexts. This qualitative study draws on eight focus group discussions involving 46 participants from Austria, Belgium, China, Portugal, Poland, and Türkiye. Guided by Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the study reveals that VI has been widely normalized through pandemic-driven adaptations. While its conceptual boundaries remain contested and continually negotiated amid rapid technological advancement, the findings illuminate VI’s expansive international outreach and potential for building institutional global visibility and national soft power. Despite the normalization of VI, its implementation is constrained by pedagogical, technological, and cross-cultural factors, alongside governance and management complexities. An interdependent system of digital governance factors has also been identified across strategic, operational, human, and collaborative dimensions. This study concludes that effective VI implementation does not arise from static policies but from the continuous negotiation and coordinated alignment of these digital governance factors. Full article

This paper critically explores the intersection of neurodivergence, disability, decoloniality, and lived religion through the praxis of organizing a day conference: BSA SocRel Chair’s Response Day on Religion, Neurodiversity, and Disability. It argues that neuroqueering and radical inclusivity offer transformative possibilities beyond tokenistic EDI frameworks, especially when grounded in collaborative, community-led organizing. Drawing on ethnographic reflection and activist theology, the paper highlights how structural ableism persists within academic and religious institutions, while also revealing spaces of resistance, care, and political imagination. It calls for abolitionist approaches that center neurodivergent experience, not as a deficit but as a generative force, for reshaping both scholarly and spiritual life. Full article

Although there is growing agreement between scholars about the crucial role of Maraimalai Adigal in the early stage of the Tamil nationalist movement, the state of current understanding of this “religious phase of Tamil nationalism” is far from satisfactory. Authors of this article focused on three important claims in the currently accepted view on the character and goals of Adigal’s religious reform. The first stance portrays his efforts for purification of the Tamil language from foreign influences as “anti-Aryan” and “anti-Sanskritic.” The second claim describes the reformer’s efforts as a move from polytheism to “Shaiva monotheism”, and builds on ideas of the early Orientalists and Christian missionaries in India who formulated the “Sanskritic hegemony” thesis. As an assumption running through the debates about Adigal’s reforms, there is conviction that the Tamil intellectual basically accepted the crystallizing Aryan Invasion Theory as true description of both Ancient India and roots of the social problems in Tamilnadu of his times. In their thorough analysis of Adigal’s work and scholarly debates, authors of this article disclose the role of unexamined assumption about religious competition being the main form of cultural encounters in India, and argue for very different understanding of Adigal’s efforts to revive Shaivism. Full article

In the 2021 summit, ASEAN leaders acknowledged the ocean as an essential driver of economic recovery post pandemic, leading to the ASEAN Declaration on the Blue Economy for the responsible management of marine resources. As an ASEAN nation with a long history in the fishing sector, Indonesia then actively spread this concept across the region. The hegemony theory of Gramsci, which considers the interaction of a nation’s material resources, ideational influence, and institutional strategy, is further used to assess Indonesia’s leadership dynamics in the ASEAN to obtain consensus-based power. In this study, Joko Widodo’s speeches from 2023 are taken out and coded to determine the narrative that Indonesia constantly reinforces. With thematic analysis, speech data is processed to generate keywords such as unity, cooperation, and shared responsibilities, which Indonesia often uses to advance its regional agenda. By aligning member states’ interests with regional goals, Indonesian governance creates common ground for a blue economy and emphasizes how the sea is an integral source of opportunity for the region’s position as the Epicentrum Of Growth. Instead of pushing countries to agree with directives, Indonesia effectively advocates for regional agreements and ASEAN-led structures through the blue economy framework, with the ABEF emerging at its 2023 ASEAN chairmanship deliberations. Full article

The Republican era of China witnessed three primary positions regarding Buddhist monastic robe reform. Taixu advocated preserving canonical forms (法服) for ritual garments while adapting regular robes (常服) to contemporary needs; Dongchu proposed diminishing ritual distinctions by establishing a tripartite hierarchical system—virtue-monk robes (德僧服), duty-monk robes (職僧服), and scholar-monk robes (學僧服); and Lengjing endorsed the full secularization of monastic robes. As a reformist leader, Taixu pursued reforms grounded in both doctrinal authenticity and contextual responsiveness. His initial advocacy for robe modifications, however, rendered him a target for traditionalists like Cihang, who conflated his measured approach with the radicalism of Dongchu’s faction. Ultimately, the broader Buddhist reform collapsed, with robe controversies serving as a critical lens into its failure. The reasons for its failure include not only wartime disruption and inadequate governmental support, but also the structural disadvantages of the reformists compared to the traditionalists, which proved decisive. This was due to the fact that the traditionalists mostly controlled monastic economies, wielded institutional authority, and commanded discursive hegemony, reinforced by lay Buddhist alignment. These debates crystallize the core tension in Buddhist modernization—the dialectic between “disenchantment” and “preservation of monastic discipline”. This dynamic of negotiated adjustment offers a vital historical framework for navigating contemporary Buddhism’s engagement with modernity. Full article

This conceptual paper explores how artificial intelligence—particularly machine learning-based algorithmic systems—is reshaping cultural transmission and symbolic power in the digital age. It argues that algorithms operate as cultural agents, acquiring a form of operative agency that enables them to intervene in the production, circulation, and legitimation of meaning. Drawing on critical pedagogy, sociotechnical theory, and epistemological perspectives, the paper introduces an original framework: Critical Algorithmic Mediation (CAM). CAM conceptualizes algorithmic agency through three interrelated dimensions—structural, operational, and symbolic—providing a lens to analyze how algorithmic systems structure knowledge hierarchies and cultural experience. The article examines the historical role of media in cultural transmission, the epistemic effects of algorithmic infrastructures, and the emergence of algorithmic hegemony as a regime of symbolic power. In response, it advocates for a model of critical digital literacy that promotes algorithmic awareness, epistemic justice, and democratic engagement. By reframing education as a space for symbolic resistance and cultural reappropriation, this work contributes to rethinking digital literacy in societies increasingly governed by algorithmic infrastructures. Full article

This study presents an exhaustive analysis of LGBTQIA+ audiovisual production available on the main streaming platforms in Spain, covering both Spanish and international content. Using a sample of 1490 works from ten video-on-demand services (Apple TV+, Disney+, Filmin, FlixOlé, Max, Movistar Plus+, Netflix, Prime Video, Rakuten, and SkyShowtime), this study examines how the offered catalogues are configured and structured in response to the commercial dynamics of the LGBTQIA+ production market. Using quantitative methodology, the research addresses the industrial production models, the agents involved and the characteristics of the most widely offered narrative genres and formats, highlighting distribution patterns and visibility in the catalogues. The findings include a marked international abundance, a reflection of the global market guidelines and the hegemony of narratives aimed at transnational audiences. National productions, although less numerous, are a significant contribution to the audiovisual landscape, incorporating cultural identities with an LGBTQIA+ representation that is more aligned with local realities. The central role of independent producers is observed in production models where international agreements are outlined as a key strategy. In addition, it highlights the prevalence of genres such as drama and comedy, together with that of the film format. The visibility and representation of sexual and gender diversity indicates a positive commercial response, although with considerable challenges. Full article

There is a debate on the role of education as a tool to challenge or enforce authoritarian attitudes. Many posit that education, particularly higher education, reduces authoritarianism; whereas vast research indicates that education can be used as an authoritarian tool for regime survival. This suggests that there are other intervening factors, such as the curriculum used, the teaching methodology implemented, and the educational administration employed, to securitise the academic space and impose authoritarian attitudes. Informed by the notion of hegemony and the banking concept of education, this article explores the nexus between education and authoritarianism, determining the role of education as an authoritarian tool for regime survival. We use the case of Eritrea, a country that has been under authoritarian government for more than two decades. The article is based on a literature review because it is risky to conduct an objective empirical study on the “politics of education” in Eritrea, given the country’s political sensitivity. The findings suggest that the Eritrean government politicises the curriculum and militarises secondary and higher education levels to create false consciousness and maintain power. The article contributes to advancing knowledge regarding the nexus of authoritarianism and education, helping people understand the state of the politics of education. Full article

In Esther 3:8–9, the central conflict of the book is introduced through the antagonist, Haman the Agagite, who argues through half-truth that because the Jews are scattered and separated amongst the people and have different laws from every other people, they should not be tolerated and instead should be annihilated. Although there is disagreement about when the book was written, the Persian kingdom is featured narratively as in power; King Ahasuerus is depicted as accepting genocide as an appropriate peacekeeping method. Many discussions on the central conflict focus on Haman, as Persia and its hegemony are depicted in the book as emotional and farcical, leaving many to dismiss its impact. Too often, with emphasis on Persian power at this time as generally benevolent, gracious, and accepting toward Others in biblical texts and scholarship, much is missed involving the insidious nature of how hegemonic powers still code and reify what differences ‘we’ deem threatening. Comparing, then, the discussions and use of multiculturalism in Western empires in current social scientific studies to rhetoric and practice in the scholarship and book of Esther, this article will address the underlying issues less discussed regarding Haman’s polemic, and the cost of “being tolerated” amongst the minoritized, including Haman. Full article

Language-in-education policies often serve hidden political and economic agendas, and thus language policy research must examine policies beyond official state discourse. This article critically analyzes Morocco’s Language Alternation Policy (LAP), introduced in 2019, using the historical–structural approach. It examines the broader historical context and structural factors that shape the adoption and implementation of LAP. While the official policy discourse frames LAP as an egalitarian reform aimed at promoting balanced multilingualism by alternating instructional media in science education, its de facto implementation reveals a stark contradiction. The ideological underpinnings of LAP are the resurgence of French as the exclusive medium of instruction in science and technology classrooms. This policy undercuts a decades-long Arabization of science and the promotion of the Amazigh language, as well as denying Moroccans the potential advantages of learning English. The disparity between official policy discourse and implementation reveals the influence of France’s neocolonial agenda, exercised through Francophonie, international clientelism, and financial patronage. Through implementing LAP to align with France’s interests in Morocco, French-trained political actors undermine the country’s decolonization efforts and preserve the long-standing socioeconomic privileges of the francophone elite. We analyze how LAP functions ideologically to resolidify France’s cultural and linguistic hegemony and reinforce pre- and post-independence linguistic and social inequalities. Full article

Deep, potent silences sometimes underlie thoughts of suicide. This paper presents a personal reflection of silence as a form of expression, and examines how engaging in expressive arts activities may reveal and help in processing feelings of distress and thoughts of suicide. There is an additional layer of hegemony that the use of words adds to discussions of suicidality, which makes these discussions inaccessible to many of the disenfranchised, including people from a refugee background for whom English is not a first language. But, for those struggling with speaking the (English) language in the first place, at what level of language acquisition can they be deemed fit to express and accurately represent their thoughts and ideas about suicide? Does their silence count? And so, by tackling this dilemma, this paper seeks to examine alternative ways of expression that do not heavily rely on words. It explores how, in our undertaking of suicidality studies creatively, we may embody and dignify the ways of the marginalised that have been devalued by a colonialist or interventionist agenda. The paper is an exercise in re-writing their experiences from the critical consciousness of coloniality. It is a disassembling of the control, domination, and exploitation that words can have. It is an attempt to shift the source and profile of knowledge about suicide from those who wield the power and privilege of words to those who live in the margins, shielded by silence. Full article

As museums serve as major tourist destinations, ensuring the sustainable presentation of exhibits addressing social justice issues, such as colonial legacies, is increasingly critical. This study examines how one destination museum engaged with its colonial past through a temporary exhibit designed to challenge traditional narratives and amplify marginalized perspectives. The primary objective is to assess whether such temporary interventions foster lasting engagement with colonial histories or risk becoming fleeting gestures that ultimately reinforce hegemonic narratives. Using Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and the concept of moral licensing as analytical frameworks, this research systematically analyzes the content of both original and supplementary exhibit labels to evaluate their impact on visitor engagement with colonial histories. Specifically, this study addresses two key research questions: (RQ1) What new historical narratives and perspectives on colonialism did visitors encounter through the inclusion of supplementary museum labels addressing colonial legacies? (RQ2) What insights can be drawn from the addition and subsequent removal of these labels to inform future strategies for fostering sustained critical engagement with social justice issues, particularly colonial histories, in museum settings? Findings indicate that the addition of supplementary labels provided tourists with a deeper, more critical understanding of the museum’s colonial history and helped disrupt hegemonic narratives. However, as the exhibit was temporary, the removal of these labels revealed the risks of moral licensing, where short-term efforts may justify a return to dominant perspectives. This research contributes to the literature by demonstrating that to effectively and sustainably engage visitors with social justice issues, destination museums must integrate marginalized narratives into permanent or recurring exhibits. While even modest interventions, such as additional museum labels, can challenge established narratives, sustained efforts are essential to ensure that tourists continue engaging with critical social justice issues. Full article