Global aspects of measure preserving equivalence relations and graphs

This paper is an introduction and survey of a “global” theory of measure preserving equivalence relations and graphs. In this theory one views a measure preserving equivalence relation or graph as a point in an appropriate topological space and then studies the properties of this space from a topological, descriptive set theoretic and dynamical point of view.

Transcending path dependencies: Why the study of post-socialist cities needs to capitalise on the discussion on urbanisation in the South (and vice versa)

Recently, the theoretical relevance and utility of the regionalised notion of post-socialist cities have been questioned. The ensuing debate has resulted in several positions, including suggestions to drop the term entirely or to create a distinctive narrative based on the concept of a Global East, in order to position the knowledge as equal vis-a-vis discourses originating from Western power centres. This article responds to this call through efforts to transcend the dominant frames of research on post-socialist cities. However, I argue that the first step in overcoming the subaltern positioning of local knowledge is to refocus attention on previously marginalised urban phenomena, and to link the post-socialist research agenda to existing empowering discourses. The importance of creating linkages with the research originating from the South, and the potential for such joint engagements to contribute to global theory-making are discussed in the context of the study of urban informality.

The nine development bands: A conceptual framework and global theory for waste and development

Solid waste management (SWM) is an essential utility service. More than two to three billion people worldwide still lack basic services, whereas some countries are already moving beyond SWM towards waste and resource management (WaRM) and a circular economy. This paper sets out a novel conceptual framework and global theory of waste and development, providing a road map, allowing a country or city to locate their current position and plot their way ahead. We identify nine development bands (9DBs) with significant commonalities in terms of critical challenges and developmental pressure points. DB1–DB4 reflect stepwise improvement towards the new baseline of meeting the SDG 11.6.1 indicators of universal collection and management in controlled facilities (DB5). Countries can then choose to move towards environmentally sound management and the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ (3Rs) (DB6-9), with an ultimate aspiration of ‘zero waste’. We test the 9DBs conceptual framework against historical journeys of higher income countries. The main application will be in low- and middle-income countries striving towards SDG 11.6.1, where it fills a key gap in the practitioners’ toolkit by enabling initial framing/scoping of the problem and smarter interventions to be designed and sense checked. Key insights include targeted governance/institutional reforms, appropriate and affordable systems/technology and adapting solutions to a diversity of local needs and realities.

Global Theory Does Not Believe in Tears

This text is Martin Müller’s response to the comments on his article “In Search of the Global East” by Adam Leszczyński, Jan Sowa, Magda Szcześniak, and Tomasz Zarycki. The author defends in it the perspective of the Global East, advocating for three ways to further intervene in the geopoli-tics of knowledge: revising existing concepts and theories (instead of emulating them), conducting comparative rese-arch beyond the Global East, and extending the theory to geographic areas other than Eastern.

Reconciling Locality and Globalization through Sense of Planet in Kiana Davenport’s the House of Many Gods

This study positions the House of Many Gods, a novel written by Kiana Davenport as a possible area of intersection between globalization and environmental/eco-criticism. The primacy of locality within American environmental discourse hinders the acceptance of global theory under the assumption that embracing the global will lead into the erasure of the local altogether. In her book, Sense of Place and Sense of Planet (2008) Ursula K Heise asserts that what she considers as sense of place is incomplete without considering ourselves as a part of a global ecosystem, which she considers as sense of planet. The reading of the House of Many Gods contextualizes sense of place and sense of planet through the perspective of Ana, in which she complements her adherence of Native Hawai’ian epistemology of place with a broader outlook of environmental crisis. A global outlook of perceiving environmentalism also aligns with Transnational American Studies which perceives America from an internationalist perspective. The paper concludes that sense of place and sense of planet provides a possible intersectionality of conceptualizing local discourse of place within a global outlook of environmentalism.

Field Observations of a Multilevel Beach Cusp System and Their Swash Zone Dynamics

This paper presents the observed morphological evolution of a multilevel beach cusp system in Long Strand, Co. Cork, Ireland. The surveys were carried out with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system between March and September 2019. From this site, three levels of beach cusps on the beachface (i.e., lower beach level, mid beach level and upper beach level), and critical cusp parameters are reported, including cusp spacing, cusp elevation, cusp depth, and cusp amplitude. Thus far, such an extensive dataset has not previously been reported in the literature from a single site. The evolution of the different cusp parameters is then linked with the hydrodynamics in the study area, and new prediction theories are proposed for the different cusp parameters. The Lower beach level cusps (1 < z < 2.5 m Irish Transverse Mercator (ITM)) changed with every tide and appeared when surf-similarity parameter -ξ0 < 1.55. These cusps had a mean cusp spacing of λmean = 11.09 m, which are closely linked with the predictions of the self-organisation theory (p < 0.05). In contrast, the Mid beach level cusps (2.5 < z < 3.5 m ITM) are less dynamic compared to the Lower beach level cusps and can persist between spring tidal cycles. They had a mean cusp spacing of λmean = 18.17 m. The Upper beach level cusps (approximately z = 6 m ITM) are above astronomical tide levels and have a mean cusp spacing of λmean = 40.26 m. They did not change significantly over the survey period due to a lack of major storm events. These findings give a better understanding of the evolution of different cusp parameters for a multilevel beach cusp system and can be used to formulate a global theory regarding their change over time.