scholarly journals The masculine logic of DDR and SSR in the Rwanda Defence Force

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Duriesmith ◽  
Georgina Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Field Research ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Critical Studies ◽  
Training Materials ◽  
Political Conditions ◽  
Historical Accounts ◽  
Relations Of Power ◽  
The Military ◽  
Men And Masculinities

Since the 1994 genocide and civil war, the Rwandan government has implemented an externally funded disarmament, demobilization and reintegration/security sector reform (DDR/SSR) programme culminating in the consolidation of armed groups into a new, professionalized Rwanda Defence Force. Feminists argue that DDR/SSR initiatives that exclude combatant women and girls or ignore gendered security needs fail to transform the political conditions that led to conflict. Less attention has been paid to how gendered relations of power play out through gender-sensitive DDR and SSR initiatives that seek to integrate women and transform hyper-masculine militarized masculinities. This article investigates how Rwanda’s DDR/SSR programme is governed by an oppressive masculine logic. Drawing on critical studies on men and masculinities and feminist work on peacebuilding, myths and the politics of belonging, it argues that Rwanda’s locally owned DDR/SSR programme places the military and militarization at the centre of the country’s nation-building programme. Through various ‘boundary-construction’ practices, the Rwandan government attempts to stabilize the post-1994 gender order and entrench the hegemony of a new militarized masculinity in Rwandan society. The case study draws on field research conducted in 2014 and 2015 and a discourse analysis of historical accounts, policy documents and training materials of the Rwanda Defence Force.

scholarly journals A gang of ironworkers with the scent of blood: A participation observation of male dominance and its historical trajectories at Swedish semi-professional ice hockey events

2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022199857
Author(s):  
Daniel Alsarve ◽  
Emma Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Historical Context ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Critical Studies ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Male Dominated ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Men And Masculinities

Ice hockey has traditionally been a male-dominated culture that has both promoted and legitimised masculine dominance and gender inequality. The question is, how might ice hockey games, or other male-dominated sports, be organised differently and thus become more gender equal? Our ambition in this article is to initiate a discussion about how the construction of gender in ice hockey events operationalises or opposes the dominance of men and the marginalisation of women. The specific purpose is to identify techniques that configure men/masculinities as dominant in the ice hockey culture. Taking critical studies of men and masculinities as the point of departure, with a specific focus on the situational aspects of gender construction, this case study makes use of participatory observations of eight qualification games in Swedish semi-professional ice hockey. Our results show that men and certain types of masculinity dominate in the events framing the game and how this links the ice hockey players and the club with the local body-worker culture and its industrial, economic and historical context. Identification with these men is ideally created amongst male spectators, given that children and women do not have the same obvious place in the event’s narrative. Some clubs seek to include women and children in their matches, which affects both the atmosphere and the situation. By focusing on the events’ introductions and general narratives, and how they make use of a (masculine) version of the place’s past in the present, we discuss how the ice hockey culture contributes to the current hegemony of men and masculinities.

Motivating Growth in Low-tech Manufacturing Industries

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi HERTZ
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Manufacturing Plants ◽  
Footwear Industry ◽  
Technological Platform ◽  
Qualitative Methodologies ◽  
Developed World ◽  
Depth Interviews

Intensive manual labor enterprises in the developed world face challenges competing with products imported from countries where manufacturing costs are low. This reduces the volume of domestic production and leads to rapid loss of knowledge and experience in production processes. This study focuses on the Israeli footwear industry as a case study. Qualitative methodologies were applied, including in-depth interviews and field observations. A literature review on previous research, and contemporary trends was conducted. The field research examines challenges along the value chain in small factories. It finds that mass production paradigms impose a decentralized process between designers and manufacturers and therefore do not leverage local potential into a sustainable competitive advantage for small factories. The proposed solution is a digital and technological platform for small manufacturing plants. The platform mediates and designs the connections between production, technology, and design and enables the creation of a joint R&D system.

Sistem Dakwah Pondok Pesantren At-Tawazun dalam Mengatasi Problematika Santri

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-346
Author(s):  
Iyam Marhamah ◽  
Yaya Yaya ◽  
Asep Sodiqin
Keyword(s):  
Output Feedback ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Boarding School ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
The Times ◽  
Considerable Benefit

Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan sistem dakwah Pondok Pesantren At-Tawazun ditinjau melalui sistem terbuka mulai dari tahap input, conversion, output, feedback, hingga environment dalam upaya mengatasi problematika santri yang dipengaruhi oleh perkembangan zaman. Penelitian yang dilakukan ini menggunakan metode studi kasus dengan pendekatan kualitatif dan spesifikasi penelitian field research (penelitian lapangan). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa keberadaan pondok pesantren At-Tawazun dirasakan cukup besar manfaatnya oleh orang tua maupun masyarakat. Lembaga dakwah dan pendidikan ini telah ikut berkontribusi dalam menanggulangi masalah sosial dan kenakalan remaja yang semakin rumit, sehingga mampu memberikan lulusan santri yang brakhlak, berbudi luhur dan mampu mengamalkan ilmunya di masyarakat. Lebih dari itu, kehadiran pondok pesantren At-Tawazun diharapkan dapat mengatasi akulturasi budaya yang menyimpang di era sekarang ini. Sehingga semangat generasi muda kita dapat disalurkan terhadak hal-hal positif, untuk kemajuan Agama dan Negara. This paper aims to describe the da’wah system of At-Tawazun Islamic Boarding School through an open system starting from the input, conversion, output, feedback, and environment stages in an effort to overcome the problems of santri that are influenced by the times. This research uses case study method with qualitative approach and field research specification (field research). The results of this study indicate that the existence of the At-Tawazun Islamic Boarding Scool was felt to be of considerable benefit by parent and community. This da’wah and education institution has contributed to tackling social problems and juvenile delinquency that are increasingly complicated, so as to be able to provide graduates who are morally, virtous and able to practice their knowledge in the community, moreover, the presence of the At-Tawazun Islamic Boarding School is expected to overcome the deviant cultural acculturation in the present era. So that the spirit of our young generation can be channeled suddenly to positive things, for the advancement of Religion and the state.

A LOOK INTO THE EARTH: EVALUATING THE USE OF MAGNETIC SURVEY IN AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGY

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Magnavita ◽  
Norbert Schleifer
Keyword(s):  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Magnetic Survey ◽  
The Past ◽  
Common Technique ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Prehistoric Settlements ◽  
Present Case Study

In the last decades, geophysical methods such as magnetic survey have become a common technique for prospecting archaeological sites. At sub-Saharan archaeological sites, however, magnetic survey and correlated techniques never came into broad use and there are no signs for an immediate change of this situation. This paper examines the magnetic survey undertaken on the Nigerian site of Zilum, a settlement of the Gajiganna Culture (ca 1800-400 BC) located in the Chad Basin and dated to ca 600-400 BC. By means of the present case study, we demonstrate the significance of this particular type of investigation in yielding complementary data for understanding the character of prehistoric settlements. In conclusion, we point out that geophysical methods should play a more important role in modern archaeological field research, as they furnish a class of documentation not achievable by traditional survey and excavation methods, thus creating new perspectives for interpreting the past of African societies.

scholarly journals Attrition as a bottom-up pathway to subnational democratization

2021 ◽  
pp. 019251212110192
Author(s):  
Trix van Mierlo
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Causal Process ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
System A ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
Democratic System

Oftentimes, democracy is not spread out evenly over the territory of a country. Instead, pockets of authoritarianism can persist within a democratic system. A growing body of literature questions how such subnational authoritarian enclaves can be democratized. Despite fascinating insights, all existing pathways rely on the actions of elites and are therefore top-down. This article seeks to kick-start the discussion on a bottom-up pathway to subnational democratization, by proposing the attrition mechanism. This mechanism consists of four parts and is the product of abductive inference through theory-building causal process tracing. The building blocks consist of subnational democratization literature, social movement theory, and original empirical data gathered during extensive field research. This case study focuses on the ‘Dynasty Slayer’ in the province of Isabela, the Philippines, where civil society actors used the attrition mechanism to facilitate subnational democratization. This study implies that civil society actors in subnational authoritarian enclaves have agency.

scholarly journals Investigation of Nanogrids for Improved Navy Installation Energy Resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4298
Author(s):  
Alissa Kain ◽  
Douglas L. Van Bossuyt ◽  
Anthony Pollman
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Critical Loads ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Military Bases ◽  
Specific Interest ◽  
The Military

Military bases perform important national security missions. In order to perform these missions, specific electrical energy loads must have continuous, uninterrupted power even during terrorist attacks, adversary action, natural disasters, and other threats of specific interest to the military. While many global military bases have established microgrids that can maintain base operations and power critical loads during grid disconnect events where outside power is unavailable, many potential threats can cause microgrids to fail and shed critical loads. Nanogrids are of specific interest because they have the potential to protect individual critical loads in the event of microgrid failure. We present a systems engineering methodology that analyzes potential nanogrid configurations to understand which configurations may improve energy resilience and by how much for critical loads from a national security perspective. This then allows targeted deployment of nanogrids within existing microgrid infrastructures. A case study of a small military base with an existing microgrid is presented to demonstrate the potential of the methodology to help base energy managers understand which options are preferable and justify implementing nanogrids to improve energy resilience.

Erosion of Civilian Control in Democracies: A Comprehensive Framework for Comparative Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 001041402198975
Author(s):  
Polina Beliakova
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Civilian Control ◽  
Intrastate Conflict ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Large N ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
The Military ◽  
New Framework

Civilian control of the military is a fundamental attribute of democracy. While democracies are less coup-prone, studies treating civilian control as a dependent variable mostly focus on coups. In this paper, I argue that the factors predicting coups in autocracies, weaken civilian control of the military in democracies in different ways. To capture this difference, I advance a new comprehensive framework that includes the erosion of civilian control by competition, insubordination, and deference. I test the argument under conditions of an intrastate conflict—a conducive environment for the erosion of civilian control. A large-N analysis confirms that while intrastate conflict does not lead to coups in democracies, it increases the military’s involvement in government, pointing to alternative forms of erosion taking place. Further case study—Russia’s First Chechen War—demonstrates the causal logic behind the new framework, contributing to the nuanced comparative analysis of civil-military relations across regimes.

scholarly journals From Black to Blue Skies: Civil Society Perceptions of Air Pollution in Shanghai

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Amanda K. Winter ◽  
Huong Le ◽  
Simon Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Ecological Civilization ◽  
Civil Society Participation ◽  
Quality Indexes

Abstract This paper explores the perception and politics of air pollution in Shanghai. We present a qualitative case study based on a literature review of relevant policies and research on civil society and air pollution, in dialogue with air quality indexes and field research data. We engage with the concept of China's authoritarian environmentalism and the political context of ecological civilization. We find that discussions about air pollution are often placed in a frame that is both locally temporal (environment) and internationally developmentalist (economy). We raise questions from an example of three applications with different presentations of air quality index measures for the same time and place. This example and frame highlight the central role and connection between technology, data and evidence, and pollution visibility in the case of the perception of air pollution. Our findings then point to two gaps in authoritarian environmentalism research, revealing a need to better understand (1) the role of technology within this governance context, and (2) the tensions created from this non-participatory approach with ecological civilization, which calls for civil society participation.

Queering the New Woman: Ideals of Modern Femininity in The Ladies’ Journal, 1915–1931

NAN Nü ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-362
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Hubbard
Keyword(s):  
New Woman ◽  
Chinese Woman ◽  
Sexual Morality ◽  
Sexual Liberation ◽  
Social Trends ◽  
The New Woman ◽  
Competing Models ◽  
Political Conditions ◽  
Over Time

This case study of Republican China’s most widely read women’s periodical, The Ladies’ Journal (Funü zazhi), argues that the New Woman remained a highly contested ideal throughout the journal’s publication from 1915 to 1931. Editors and contributors endorsed competing models of modern femininity that shifted over time, shaped by volatile political conditions and social trends. With a focus on sexual morality, this article subjects normative visions of the modern Chinese woman, as depicted in The Ladies’ Journal, to a queer reading. By exploring the tension between widely circulated heteronormative discourses and their inherent slippages that revealed and fostered subversion, this article demonstrates that, rather than advocating for a clearly defined and radically new icon of sexual liberation, The Ladies’ Journal presented a vision of the New Woman that was capricious, contested, and in some ways conservative.


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