William Golding

Sir William Gerard Golding (1911–1993), the writer of Lord of the Flies (LOTF), occupies a pivotal position within the post–World War II canon of writers. Though Golding does not seem to belong to any particular “school” or movement of fiction writers who wrote at the height of Cold War and its aftermath per se, he is a staple in high school, college, and university curricula all over the globe. His magnum opus, Lord of the Flies (1954), transformed him into a writer who commands worldwide attention. In the book he attacked the belief in any stable notions of civilization, society, and culture, and was keen to show the innate depravity of the human spirit. His trilogy To the Ends of the Earth, which comprises Rites of Passage (1980), Close Quarters (1987) and Fire Down Below (1989), further explores his themes of the civilizing process and class consciousness, while the travelogue An Egyptian Journal (1985) shows his fascination for the ancient land and his journey there after he won the Nobel Prize in 1983. His famous quote about humanity, “Man produces evil as a bee produces honey,” speaks of his disbelief in the progress and the health of modern civilization and any stable notions of human progress. His Nobel Prize citation stated it was given “for his novels which, with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and the diversity and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in a world of today,” thus summarizing his lifelong mission as a writer. Golding’s themes are class consciousness, human society (particularly what happens to it in isolation), modern and postmodern trauma with respect to human dreams and aspirations, and, lastly, the entire notion of “civilization” itself. His fiction has been analyzed with recourse to anthropology, psychoanalysis, postmodernism, narratology, trauma studies, and queer scholarship. Critical commentary on Golding continues to grow, especially around LOTF, due to its continued relevance owing to themes of violence, totalitarianism, queer studies, and its apocalyptic vision. It should be stressed, however, that compared to LOTF, his only play, The Brass Butterfly (1958), his Poems (1934) and his other nonfiction, such as A Moving Target (1982) and The Hot Gates (1965), the three short narratives in The Scorpion God (1971), and even his posthumous The Double Tongue (1995), have received scant attention. Though the themes of the essential drama of human conflict played against the backdrop of morality, human choice, and postmodern trauma that remain foundational to human existence might be applied to any 20thcentury writer, they are particularly germane to Golding’s works.

The human-elephant conflict: mapping the elephant area and the level of conflict vulnerability in the Mila Landscape, Pidie District, Aceh, Indonesia

Elephants are designated as endangered animals because their population in the wild continues to decline. One of the causes of its extinction is the threat of conflict between elephants and humans. The conflict between Sumatran elephants and humans in Aceh continues to increase every year, but there is no resolution to this conflict. This study was aimed to analyse the level of risk of elephant-human conflict in the Mila area and map the conflict areas. The method used was the observation method with the purposive sampling technique. The data was analysed using the disaster risk formula. The results of the analysis of the risk level of elephant-human conflict in Mila District showed that the high-risk level was in Tuha Lala Village (35.24%), Babah Jurong Village (35.22%) and Kumbang Village (35.04%). The level of risk was moderate in Krueng Lala Village (27.64%), Andeue Mosque Village (30.38%) and Dayah Andeue Village (33.38%). Meanwhile, areas with a low-risk level were Kulu Village (21.65%) and Dayah Sinthop Village (20.32%). The mapping of conflict risk areas was coloured red for high risk, yellow for medium risk and green for low risk. The conclusion in this study is that Tula Lala Village, Babah Jurong Village and Kumbang Village are areas with high conflict marked in red. Krueng Lala Village, Andeu Mosque Village and Andeue Dayah Village are areas with moderate conflict which are marked in yellow. Meanwhile, Kulu Village and Dayah Sinthop Village are areas with low conflict marked in green.

The ‘Changing Status’ of Women w.r.t. Gentrified Urban Spaces of Mumbai

Reinforcement of inequality and rise in human conflict across society, culture, political economy and gender relations is a characteristic feature of globalisation which is an apparent process of development. This inequality becomes more evident in a globalising city like Mumbai because the capitalist expansion within Mumbai has been defragmented and worrisome. Girangaon in Mumbai (spread over E, F and G wards within MCGM- Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) is a case reflecting a similar inconsistency because this is a core area which has been undergoing so called urban renewal since the closure of cotton textile mills since 1980s. More livelihood opportunities in Mumbai have been created in the informal tertiary sector as compared to the formal traditional occupations. Urban poverty, income disparities and deprivations are issues which remain unaddressed. Women who are an important part of the urban economy and who remain behind the veils when it comes to assessment and calculation of real income are not left behind from this brunt. The present paper therefore is an attempt to understand the participation and contribution of women in Mumbai’s economy. It also tries to study whether there has been any change in the socio-economic status of women from Girangaon especially with two important processes- closure of mills and the initiation of gentrification. For this purpose a questionnaire survey was conducted in Girangaon and the collected data has been analysed qualitatively to understand the dynamics of capital and gender relations.

Climate Change and Human Conflict in the Sahel

Most climate models predict more rain in the future in the Sahel, but with more concentrated rainfall. Since the droughts of the 1980s, rains have increased, which has led to a regreening of the entire region. There is, however, a dominant narrative postulating that climate change will lead to drier conditions and desertification in the Sahel, which again will lead to resource scarcity, widespread migration, and more conflicts. This chapter critically investigates this narrative based on a review of international research. It considers conflict between farmers and herders, between the state and armed groups, in addition to jihadi violence that has increased in region in recent years. It concludes that the droughts in the 1980s only played a minor role in explaining conflicts, while the root causes were political and historical. State policies tend to lead to the marginalization of pastoralists. In areas where pastoralism and farming overlap as the main forms of land use, there are continuous conflicts of varying scale and intensity. These conflicts are primarily caused by politics, not climate change.

Complex Human-Shark Conflicts Confound Conservation Action

Human-wildlife conflicts are a growing phenomenon globally as human populations expand and wildlife interactions become more commonplace. While these conflicts have been well-defined in terrestrial systems, marine forms are less well-understood. As concerns grow for the future of many shark species it is becoming clear that a key to conservation success lies in changing human behaviors in relation to sharks. However, human-shark conflicts are multidimensional, each with different ecological, social and economic implications. Sharks have functional roles as occasional predators of humans and competitors with humans for fish stocks. In addition, and unlike most terrestrial predators, sharks are also important prey species for humans, being a source of animal protein and other products taken in fisheries. These functional roles are complex and often inter-dependent which can lead to multiple kinds of conflict. Shark management for conservation and human safety is also leading to conflict between different groups of people with different values and beliefs, demonstrating that human wildlife conflict can be a proxy for human-human conflict in the marine domain. Sharks are iconic species in society, being both feared and revered. As such human beliefs, attitudes and perceptions play key roles that underpin much human-shark conflict and future work to understanding these will contribute significantly to solutions that reduce conflict and hence improve conservation outcomes.

ANTIGONE FOR THE AGE OF TERROR: TRANSTEXTUALITY IN KAMILA SHAMSIE’S HOMEFIRE

Purpose: The current qualitative study attempts to explore intertextuality in Kamila Shamsie’s novel Homefire, published in 2017. This paper attempts to analyze the role it plays in the creation and understanding of meaning by employing Gerard Genette’s theory of Intertextuality (Genette’s Transtextuality). Methodology: For this purpose, the study is conducted from the postmodern theoretical perspective of Intertextuality. Homefire is a modern retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone. The novel captures the enigma of British Muslims struggling to defend their loyalty to the crown while maintaining their unique cultural and religious identities, in the wake of rising islamophobia in Britain. Main Findings: The study finds that the interwoven intertextuality not only provides a basic framework for the plot and characters, but also juxtaposes the ancient world with the contemporary world along with the invariable conflicts, complexities, and similarities. Implications: This study shows that the face of human conflict might get changed but the integral emotions and conflicts remain the same. This implies that using intertextual references enhances the text with poignant meanings through ages. Novelty/Originality: Homefire as a recent text talking about islamophobia in Britain being a retelling of a classical Sophocles play is something that.

An Assessment of Municipal Capacity for Human-Wildlife Conflict Management in Selected Urban Areas of Southern Ontario

Recently many Canadian municipalities have begun to experiment with urban naturalization programs. Consequently, many urban environments are now inhabited by a much larger wildlife population than they were several decades ago. The more species present in the city, the greater the potential for human-wildlife interaction and/or conflict. Current municipal capacity for human-wildlife conflict management is generally insufficient to deal with growing problems. New solutions for human-wildlife conflict are needed. Using selected municipalities in southern Ontario as an example, this thesis research explores the development and application of principles for wildlife-human conflict management in urban areas. A literature review, media analysis and interviews with key municipal stakeholders were used to identify best management practices. Recommendations for the development of integrated nuisance management (INM) systems are proposed based on study findings.

An Assessment of Municipal Capacity for Human-Wildlife Conflict Management in Selected Urban Areas of Southern Ontario

Recently many Canadian municipalities have begun to experiment with urban naturalization programs. Consequently, many urban environments are now inhabited by a much larger wildlife population than they were several decades ago. The more species present in the city, the greater the potential for human-wildlife interaction and/or conflict. Current municipal capacity for human-wildlife conflict management is generally insufficient to deal with growing problems. New solutions for human-wildlife conflict are needed. Using selected municipalities in southern Ontario as an example, this thesis research explores the development and application of principles for wildlife-human conflict management in urban areas. A literature review, media analysis and interviews with key municipal stakeholders were used to identify best management practices. Recommendations for the development of integrated nuisance management (INM) systems are proposed based on study findings.

Contingency, Absurdity and Human Conflict in Sartre’s Philosophy

This article is centered on two of Sartre’s literary works: “Nausea” and “No Exit” along with his dialectical theory of the ‘Look’ in Being and Nothingness. I believe that these three texts represent not three distinct perspectives but rather different sets of approach to the same problem i.e. the phenomenon of human relationship. It is with this point in mind that I develop the following interrelated claims. First, even though Sartre intended to bring a new language and mode of articulation in his later works, the fundamental features of his philosophy remained the same. Thus, issues that are foundational to his early writing including the self/other relationship, the for-itself as project, the contingent reality of the world, the resistance of the in-itself/ materiality all figure high in his later writings as well. Second, as opposed to any social philosophy which accepts the possibility of a harmonious relation between human beings Sartre perceived the essence of human relations not as mitesein (‘being-with’), but rather as conflict. I submit that the source of Sartre’s problem lies in his very model of social relations given that his social ontology does not allow him to incorporate what Maurice Marleau-Ponty calls the "inter-world". This paper is also informed with the belief that although Sartre the intellectual and the creative artist are closely joined together, essentially, the novelist is much more assuring than the philosopher. Thus, even when he is not writing a literary composition proper he displays a unique talent of putting his philosophical ideas in artistic and dramatic terms. I use Sartre’s phenomenological description of the dialectic of the "look" (Le Regard) to demonstrate this point. The final section of the paper is devoted to a critical examination of Sartre’s philosophical positions developed in the works discussed above.