scholarly journals The (de)legitimation of torture: rhetoric, shaming and narrative contestation in two British cases

2020 ◽  
pp. 135406612095001
Author(s):  
Frank Foley
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Narrative Form ◽  
Rhetorical Strategies ◽  
British Government ◽  
It Impacts ◽  
Wide Scale ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
The Government

Existing studies on democracies’ involvement in torture emphasise how governments have been able to circumvent the international anti-torture norm and shape public discourse on the issue through powerful rhetorical strategies of denial and exception. Less attention has been paid, however, to the rhetoric of opponents of torture and how it impacts on governments and security agencies. This article proposes a typology of four common arguments against torture, which make use variously of ethical, utilitarian and ‘shaming’ rhetoric. These arguments often take a narrative form and are extensively contested by governments. Drawing on the literature on rhetorical coercion, I argue that anti-torture narratives can play an important role in constraining democratic states and significantly reducing their perpetration of torture. Yet the multiplicity of narratives at play opens up opportunities for governments to accept some messages against torture while simultaneously contesting others in a way which enables them to continue their involvement in torture. I develop this argument through a comparative analysis of the role of torture in two British counterterrorism campaigns – against Irish republican terrorism in the 1970s and against jihadist violence after 9/11. Differences in the content and salience of the narratives advanced by critics of the government during the two time periods explain much about why the British government contested some arguments against torture, but accepted others. This variation helps to explain in turn why British security agencies carried out coercive interrogations on a wide scale during the 1970s, while their perpetration of torture was significantly reduced in the post-9/11 case.

The role of graining in ensuring food security

2020 ◽  
pp. 75-79
Author(s):  
R. M. Gambarova
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
The Government ◽  
Favorable Conditions ◽  
Grain Farms

Relevance. Grain is the key to strategic products to ensure food security. From this point of view, the creation of large grain farms is a matter for the country's selfsufficiency and it leading to a decrease in financial expense for import. Creation of such farms creates an abundance of productivity from the area and leads to obtaining increased reproductive seeds. The main policy of the government is to minimize dependency from import, create abundance of food and create favorable conditions for export potential.The purpose of the study: the development of grain production in order to ensure food security of the country and strengthen government support for this industry.Methods: comparative analysis, systems approach.Results. As shown in the research, if we pay attention to the activities of private entrepreneurship in the country, we can see result of the implementation of agrarian reforms after which various types of farms have been created in republic.The role of privateentrepreneurshipinthedevelopmentofproduction is great. Тhe article outlines the sowing area, production, productivity, import, export of grain and the level of selfsufficiency in this country from 2015 till 2017.

scholarly journals Under the spotlight: understanding the role of the Chief Medical Officer in a pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2021-216850
Author(s):  
Margaret MacAulay ◽  
Anna K Macintyre ◽  
Aryati Yashadhana ◽  
Adèle Cassola ◽  
Patrick Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Medical Officer ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Ongoing Study ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020, Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) entered the public spotlight like never before. Amidst this increased visibility, the role is deeply contested. Much of the disagreement concerns whether CMOs should act independently of the government: while some argue CMOs should act as independent voices who work to shape government policy to protect public health, others stress that CMOs are civil servants whose job is to support the government. The scope and diversity of debates about the CMO role can be explained by its inherently contradictory nature, which requires incumbents to balance their commitments as physicians with their mandates as civil servants who advise and speak on the government’s behalf. The long-haul COVID-19 pandemic has further tested the CMO role and has shone light on its varying remits and expectations across different jurisdictions, institutions and contexts. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that calls to amend the CMO role have emerged in some jurisdictions during the pandemic. However, any discussions about changing the CMO role need a stronger understanding of how different institutional and individual approaches impact what incumbents feel able to do, say and achieve. Based on an ongoing comparative analysis of the position across five countries with Westminster-style political systems, we provide an overview of the CMO role, explain its prominence in a pandemic, examine some debates surrounding the role and discuss a few unanswered empirical questions before describing our ongoing study in greater detail.

Religious Speech in Public Discourse

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-113
Author(s):  
Nicholas Hatzis
Keyword(s):  
Free Speech ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Safe Space ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Deliberative Process ◽  
Religious Speech ◽  
Governmental Power ◽  
The Government

The thesis that the government is justified in restricting insults to religious feelings implies a broader view about the place of religious speech in public discourse, and about the nature of public discourse itself. The implication is that it should be possible to be critical or negative about religion provided that this is expressed in a moderate and respectful manner, but the speaker who disregards norms of civility can be legitimately silenced by the state. This means that public discourse is seen as a highly regulated space for orderly discussion, with the role of the regulator played by the government. The chapter argues that there are good reasons to adopt a different view of public discourse and think of it as the safe space for an open deliberative process where all citizens have an equal claim to speak even if what they say is abusive or offensive if judged by the prevailing civility standards. This is a necessary condition for allowing a society to reflect upon its values, and change. Further, this understanding of public discourse grounds two important limitations on governmental power to regulate speech. First, the procedure and agenda of public debate are not neutral, value-free issues situated outside public discourse and reserved for the government. Rather, they are substantive questions, part of the debate itself, and subject to constant reinterpretation. Secondly, free speech includes, and the legal right to freedom of expression ought to protect, both the substance and the manner in which an opinion is expressed.

The financial crisis as a heart attack

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Pühringer ◽  
Katrin Hirte
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Rhetorical Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
Economic Thinking ◽  
Dominant Paradigm

The article analyzes the role of economists in public discourse with regard to the financial crisis. Specifically, it focuses on the prevailing rhetorical strategies and the economic convictions of leading German-speaking economists as they appear in seven leading newspapers and magazines in the German-speaking area. Special attention is given to the prevailing rationales and explanations for the financial crisis as well as on the metaphors used for describing specific economic events in particular and the market economy in general. The results of this article show that while the financial crisis could have offered a possibility for a paradigm shift in economic thinking, there is not much evidence for such a shift among German-speaking economists. The observed stability of the dominant paradigm is attributed primarily to the very stable role of certain basic economic convictions, which are exposed through the use of specific metaphors as well as a characterization of the financial crisis as a series of extraordinary and exogenously given events. (e.g. “a tsunami” or “earthquake”)

Public discourse, political legitimacy, and collective identity: Cases from Iraq, Brazil and China

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (s1) ◽  
pp. 560-585
Author(s):  
Max Hänska ◽  
Ahmed Bahiya ◽  
Fernanda Amaral ◽  
Yu Sui
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Collective Identity ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
Communication Space ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Government

AbstractThrough the examination of recent developments in Iraq, Brazil and China, this paper explores the role of public communication in a) generating, corralling, and buttressing political legitimacy, and b) negotiating, demarcating, and reproducing collective identities. The transformation of Iraq’s public sphere after the fall of the Ba’ath regime saw it shift from a tightly controlled and unified communication space to unencumbered yet fragmented spheres split along ethno-sectarian lines, buttressing sectarian politics and identities. The emergence of subaltern publics in Brazil’s favelas empowered residents to express public dissent, assert their voice, and develop pride in their community. Chinese efforts to control online public discourse provide the government with ways of managing its perceived legitimacy and foster patriotic fellowship online. Legitimation and the affirmation of identity interact and support one another in public discourse, as we illustrate.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis between the Role of Local Communities in Regional Development inside Japanese and Russian UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves: Case Studies of Mount Hakusan and Katunskiy Biosphere Reserves

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10422
Author(s):  
Aida Mammadova ◽  
Christopher D. Smith ◽  
Tatiana Yashina
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Regional Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Biosphere Reserves ◽  
The Government

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization has designated the Man and Biosphere Program to foster a better relationship between the environment and people. The topic of this study is to elucidate the role of local communities in the regional development of Biosphere Reserves with a focus on management roles (top-down or participatory) and the motivational drivers of the people involved (ecocentric or anthropocentric). Based on qualitative interviews taken from the two case studies of the Mount Hakusan Biosphere Reserve in Japan and the Katunskiy Biosphere Reserve in Russia, a comparative analysis was conducted to explore the differences between the engagement of locals in the management of their biosphere reserves. This analysis examined relationships between the government and the local communities, the attitudes of the locals towards the biosphere reserves, and the historical perception on nature protection for each community. The findings showed that Russian biosphere reserves are mainly managed by local people who live inside the protected area while Japanese biosphere reserves are governed by local authorities and administration offices. This allows the Russian communities to have greater access to management processes, and therefore play a larger role in regional development.

scholarly journals Pension Systems Compared: A Polarised Perspective, a Diverse Reality

2020 ◽  
pp. 419-451
Author(s):  
Patricia Scarponetti ◽  
Leandro Sepúlveda ◽  
Antonio Martín-Artiles
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Similar Pattern ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
International Competition ◽  
Pension Systems ◽  
Reform Processes ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Perspectives

AbstractGlobalisation and international competition have a spillover effect on the reforms of pension systems that imposes a similar pattern of dismantling, hardening access to pensions, reducing expenditure and retrenchment in said reforms. The comparative analysis of four countries with different pension systems: two liberal (United Kingdom and Chile) and another two with contributory-proportional systems (Spain and Argentina) serves to determine the details of the reform processes, which discursively seem to have a shared pattern recommended by the international financial and economic institutions.But the reality of the four case studies shows considerable differences in the implementation of the pension reform policies. The reforms depend on the societal context, institutions, history, the role of unions, the government in power, demographic factors and economic perspectives, among other matters. Many countries need to sustain pension systems because they are associated with many pensioners’ political vote. Therefore, the spillover effect of globalisation and the convergence in certain uniform patterns of reforms is far from reality in the four countries, and as such, the measures adopted are specific for each country.

scholarly journals Telaah Ekonomi Politik Peran Investor Dalam Pembangunan Transportasi Publik Di Daerah Wisata Kuta Bali

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-108
Author(s):  
Emma Ratna Sari Moedy
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Traffic Jam ◽  
Transportation Modes ◽  
The Face ◽  
Strict Enforcement ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
The Government

Traffic jam is sosial problem in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. The congestion problem has taken root in tourism destination . The causes are complex. The role of investors in governance in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, was appointed in the form of writing about public discourse primarily about the implementation of public policy. This discussion and social research was made for business people in Kuta. Comprehensive handling is needed so   it is not only handled from one side only. The synergy of the government, private sector and investors is urgently needed in order to be able to provide guarantees for smoothness, certainty, comfort, affordability and better safety. This can only be achieved if the concept of planning is correct, actors are united, government policies support, high public obser- vance and strict enforcement of law enforcement. Continuity and integration between transportation modes is also a prerequisite for better quality levels. Thus, effectiveness and efficiency will be achieved which in turn will support efforts to overcome congestion and ultimately improve the welfare of the community. The face of traffic and public trans- portation is a reflection of Bali’s face as a world tourist destination.

scholarly journals A comparative analysis of consumer awareness in South Africa during 1992 and 1994: Implications for the reconstruction and development programme (r.d.p.)

1996 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. G. Rousseau ◽  
D. J. L. Venter
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Consumer Awareness ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
The Government ◽  
Different Levels

This article describes the measurement and comparison of different levels of consumer awareness in an empirical study carried out in South Africa during 1994. The study investigates the role of various demographic variables on the construct, compares the results with those of a previous study and analyses the implications of the findings for the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), launched by the Government of National Unity. Findings confirm the reliability of the instrument to measure the five factors of consumer awareness identified in previous studies. Different levels of consumer awareness emerged from the sample. These differences can be attributed to demographic variables such as household size, income, education and area. Findings further suggest that levels of consumer awareness have changed by area since 1992. These changes imply a need for consumer education to be incorporated into the RDP, should the government wish to enhance levels of consumer awareness in the country. Opsomming Hierdie artikel beskryf die meting en vergelyking van verskillende vlakke van verbruikersbewustheid in 'n empiriese studie uitgevoer in Suid-Afrika gedurende 1994. Die rol van verskeie demografiese faktore op die konstruk word ondersoek, die resultate vergelyk met die van 'n vorige studie en die implikasies daarvan ontleed in terme van die Heropbou en Ontwikkelingsprogam (HOP) deur die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid ingestel. Bevindinge bevestig die betroubaarheid van die instrument om die vyf faktore van verbruikersbewustheid soos geidentifiseer in vorige studies, te meet. Verskeie vlakke van verbruikersbewustheid het na vore getree uit die steekproef. Hierdie verskille kan toegeskryf word aan demografiese faktore soos huishouding grootte, inkome, opvoedingspeil en woongebied. Bevindinge suggereer verder dat vlakke van verbruikersbewustheid verander het sedert 1992, volgens gebied. Hierdie veranderinge impliseer 'n behoefte om verbruikersopvoeding in die HOP in te sluit, sou die regering vlakke van verbruikersbewustheid in die land wil verhoog.

The Role of the Zakat System during the Colonial-period in Malaysia and Uzbekistan: A Comparative Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 04 ◽  
pp. 40-54
Author(s):  
Avazbek Ganiyev Oybekovich ◽  
◽  
Hassan Shakeel Shah ◽  
Mohammad Ayaz ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Colonial Period
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