Chained Together: National Populism and the Working Class in the Era of Globalization

One of the paradoxes of our full of controversies and drastic changes era was the union formed by national populists and a certain group of workers who just a few decades ago had been stalwart proponents of left-wing parties. Workers were the ones who secured Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential elections and also were responsible for the rise of such populist parties as the National Rally (formerly, the National Front) and the Freedom Party of Austria in Europe. This paper is an attempt to analyze the reasons behind this alliance, the nature of relationships between workers and far-right populists and the prospects of cooperation in the future. In particular, there is an indication that the negative effects of globalization (delocation of production, increasing social inequality, and etc.), an actual switch by social democratic and center-left parties to neoliberalist views and an active utilization of social rhetoric by the “new right” politics have caused a certain part of workers to join their ranks. However, having secured the power, these national populist parties and politics mostly carried out reforms that favored the interests of business rather than those of ordinary voters. At the same time, a conclusion is drawn that the alliance between far-right populist parties and workers will continue in the near future. Both the crisis amidst “old” leftwing parties and social and economic problems will contribute to this eff ct.

The social theory of the business model of Huawei and its implementation

The social component of the personnel policy of Huawei Technologies is considered. As the largest international, multinational telecommunications corporation, Huawei successfully solves the problem of forming corporate unity. The directions of its effective social strategy are of scientific and practical interest. In the article, based on official data on the personnel structure, it is revealed that the principle of personality psychotypes is used in the practice of creating a stable structure, which determines the novelty of the material. One of the directions of this research is to clarify the special social rhetoric used in verbal and nonverbal communication. Since Huawei has many educational centers on the territory of Russia based on domestic universities, the authors of the article see their task to acquaint today’s students – potential employees of the company with the social policy of their future employers.

Application of Interdisciplinary Theory of Genres in LIS

Purpose/Thesis: The article presents the possibilities of using the interdisciplinary theory of genres, developed in the study of linguistics, literary studies, rhetoric, sociology, philosophy, psychology and other disciplines, in library and information science (LIS). The article argues the application of genre theory to LIS offers a new and interesting interdisciplinary perspective.Approach/Methods: A critical analysis of the literature on the subject introduces the basic premises of the interdisciplinary theory of text/information genres in its historical development in the world and in Poland. A similar method was used to present the most important directions genre theory opens to LIS.Results and conclusions: Before genre theory was first applied to LIS, it was developed in disciplines such as linguistics, literature, rhetoric, communication and media, discourse analysis, sociology, pedagogy and others and in many countries on all continents (mainly in the USA, Australia, Brazil and Scandinavian countries). The theory’s success is a result of its interdisciplinary development, beginning from linguistic and classical rhetorical genres approach and problems of categorizing texts to “de facto genres” and their function in everyday communication activities (social/rhetoric approach). Applied to LIS, it frames information objects as social constructs whose meaning is constructed in social discourse, driven by genre knowledge. The library and other information systems should be treated as a social communication activity in the recurrent situation of organizing and retrieving information. It means that the work of a librarian (or other information organizers) involves rhetorical activity of creating information objects, as does the work of other information creators, e.g. authors of scholarly publications. The functioning of information system, i.e. production and organization of textual information should be investigated using methods applied in other disciplines, especially humanities and social sciences, as it allows for a broader research perspective.Originality/Value: The article describes the possibilities of applying genre theory in LIS research, which still do not receive the attention they merit. A wider knowledge of the genre theory would make possible collaborative research involving scholars of other disciplines such as linguistics and sociology.

New Rhetoric and the Socio-Rhetorical Method: As a Modern Approach to Biblical Literary Criticism

The new rhetoric studies the discursive practices present in a text and tries to understand them as a literary method to persuade a specific audience to accept a new law or change their behavior, assuming a worthy moral, philosophical or religious truth. The new rhetoric covers the literary or rhetorical analysis of discourse while analyzing the elements proper to the social and cultural milieu of its intended audience. The aid of the human sciences, especially cultural anthropology and the sociology of religion, is necessary to capture better the world the loci of the speaker and the audience of the text. The method, which combines social and anthropological analysis with the new rhetorical analysis, is called social rhetoric. The social rhetoric analysis aims to hit the socio-cultural context in which the texts were conceived, especially when the text does not give any clues of it. In Biblical interpretation, these two forms of literary analysis will help to understand the relationships existent between the author of a discourse and its readers (the intended audience). Such an approach will not only study the social history and social aspects where the books of the Bible were born, but will also see the rhetoric of the texts as an essential component of the text’s social, political, cultural, and ideological context. After all, the Word of God became flesh and dwelt in a particular culture, with a specific language and in a precise historical time.

Vision, Vulnerability, and the Victorian Marketplace in Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market’

This article traces connections between nineteenth-century concepts of physiological sight and philosophies of vision in order to argue that Christina Rossetti’s much discussed and debated depiction of women in the marketplace in ‘Goblin Market’ should be framed by Victorian beliefs about vision and its moral extensions. I establish a historical, medical, and social context for the evolving views on vision in response to advancements in the visual sciences, particularly focusing on social responses to the physiological findings that allied the physical and psychological understanding of vision and knowledge creation in new ways. These theories of visuality within the medical and scientific communities affirmed the social rhetoric of female fragility, connecting frail female sight with precarious judgments and undermined morality outside the protected domestic sphere. I use this context to show that, although ‘Goblin Market’ clearly acknowledges potential dangers in the market for women, Rossetti ultimately presents a tale in which Lizzie is able to successfully participate in markets and in which feminine strength is shown to be a tool for self-governance more broadly. While keeping the moral values tied to female vision and public participation intact, Rossetti nonetheless undermines theories of simple determinism in the female body and mind. ‘Goblin Market’, I argue, can be viewed as a challenge to accepted beliefs about the vulnerability of physical and moral degeneration for women in the marketplace, a challenge that both operates within the social values of moral vision and offers a guide to an empowering public participation.

Relatos de inmigración en la Pampa Gringa argentina

Some of the first European migrating groups in Argentina in the 19th century have settled around the territory known as Pampa Gringa – this area extends in Santa Fe’s plains, originating in the forming of agricultural colonies. The phenomenon of migration leaves its trail in social rhetoric, literary included. There were in Santa Fe a vast number of literary productions as well as essays that account for migration’s phenomenon. Gastón Gori (1915-2004) is a representative figure of this investigative and production range. This paper will cover a journey through the part of Argentinian literature referred to migration, with a special focus in a turning point for the productions on the subject led by Gastón Gori.

Aging with Technology: Seniors and Mobile Connections

This research tells a story of age, aging, and evolving with mobile technologies in a single Canadian community. Using data from 2005 and 2012, we critically analyze seniors’ use of mobile technologies by applying Taylor’s information use environment. The article seeks to understand the influence of context in studying user behaviour vis-à-vis a) device ownership, b) communication practices, and c) technology preferences. Findings suggest that while the social rhetoric of seniors as adopters of mobile technologies (i.e., silver surfers) is premature, there is evidence of seniors leapfrogging older mobile devices and acquiring smartphones—with consequential complications for catching up to widening skills gaps. We also identify a variability of experiences within this generational group suggesting that there may be an additional digital divide among seniors.Cet article porte sur l’âge, le vieillissement et l’évolution des technologies cellulaires dans une communauté canadienne spécifique. En recourant à la théorie de Taylor sur l’environnement d’utilisation d’information, nous effectuons l’ analyse critique de l’usage de technologies cellulaires par les aînés. Nous examinons le contexte influençant les comportements de ceux-ci en fonction : 1) de la possession d’appareils; 2) des pratiques communicationnelles; et 3) des préférences technologiques. Bien que la rhétorique selon laquelle les seniors sont des adeptes de technologies cellulaires soit prématurée, nos indications suggèrent que ceux-ci sont en train d’ignorer les vieux appareils cellulaires en faveur des téléphones intelligents. Nous identifions d’autre part une diversité d’expériences parmi ces aînés, ce qui nous porte à croire qu’il existe un fossé numérique entre eux.

The phenomenon of skin lightening: Is it right to be light?

Chemicals capable of lightening the skin – variously known as skin-bleaching, skin-lightening, depigmenting, skin-evening and skin-brightening agents – are among the most commonly used skin preparations in the world. Globally, Africa reportedly exhibits a high prevalence of skin lightener use. In this review, we provide both clinical and social perspectives on skin lightener use in Africa, with particular emphasis on South Africa. We narratively explore the timeline associated with skin lightener use in South Africa and attempt to interweave the social rhetoric of this specific paradigm. Despite the risks associated with exposing the skin to known constituents of these formulations, such as hydroquinone and mercury, chronic use continues. In spite of legislation banning hydroquinone and mercury in cosmetics in South Africa, these ingredients are present in widely available products. We recommend better implementation of policies and greater ethical responsibility of multinational cosmetic companies in addition to the initiation of a system of random product testing and penalties that could improve industry compliance.

Le paradigme esthétique: la sociologie comme art

En s’appuyant sur l’exemple de G. Simmel, qui fut l’inspirateur d’une « sociologie des sens », on veut faire ressortir d’une part l’importance de la jouissance dans la vie sociale, ce qui d’autre part induit un mode d’analyse sociologique qui sache intégrer la dimension esthétique de l’existence. Le devenir communicationnel de nos sociétés devrait nous inciter à être attentif à ce que l’on peut appeler la rhétorique sociale et à l’intersubjectivité qui en est la conséquence directe. Le paradigme esthétique n’est cependant pas synonyme d’une abdication de la pensée d’où l’élaboration d’un « formisme » sociologique.Palavras chave : Esthétique. Connaissance. Formisme. Socialité. Intersubjectivité.The aesthetic paradigm: sociology as artAbstract On the basis of G. Simmels’s example, who was the inspiration for a « sociology of the senses », we wish, on the one hand, to emphasize the importance of pleasure in social life, which has the effect, on the other hand, of bringing about a type of sociological analysis with the capacity of integrating the aesthetic dimension of existence. The evolution in communications in our societies should encourage us to be attentive to what might be called social rhetoric and to intersubjectivity which is its direct consequence. The aesthetic paradigm is, however, not synonomous with an abdication of thought, the result of this being the development of a sociological « formism ».Key words: Aesthetics. Knowledge. Formism. Sociality. Intersubjectivity.