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A Stand-Off between Unequal Partners: What Trump Means for Mexico
Full text linkWhen Donald Trump begins his second term in office on 20 January 2025, Mexico will face immense pressures to stop the flow of legal and illegal goods, people, and jobs. While by and large these threats will likely not materialise, as many proposals would be immensely costly for both sides, they will present formidable challenges for a Mexican government already dealing with its own problems. Regardless of Trump being elected, Mexico’s new president Claudia Sheinbaum has to confront a number of domestic challenges herself such as criminal violence, high levels of informality, low levels of taxation, and the continued production and trafficking of illicit drugs. With Trump set to return, Mexico's situation has become more complicated. Mexico is more exposed to Trump's proposed policies than any other country, not just because of its close economic relations with the United States but also because he has repeatedly singled it out for criticism regarding migration as well as drug manufacturing and smuggling. If Trump follows the script from his first term, there will be a gulf between rhetoric and reality. Nevertheless, managing her US counterpart and his policies will probably be the single-biggest challenge Mexico’s new president has to confront. The stakes are immense given the costs that would be incurred if some of Trump's proposals were indeed enacted. Trump must be able to show something for all his posturing and blustering. For the US to save face and Mexico to avoid the worst of it, there will have to be concessions from both sides - although Trump may present any outcome as "his" policy win
Beyond Numeracy, a Data Literacy Topical Scoping Review (2011-2023)
Full text linkIndividuals' proficiency in using and understanding data becomes crucial due to society increasingly recognising the importance and value of data. However, there is not one agreed upon definition for data literacy. This study therefore addresses the topical evolution of data literacy within social and educational sciences from 2011 to 2023. The review focuses on the key themes and areas of research interest and the trends in the discourse around data literacy. We synthesise the body of literature on data literacy, whilst discerning consensus definitions and core themes associated with this competence cluster. Using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, we selected 210 English-language, peer-reviewed, and open and early access articles on data literacy. Our findings reveal a dynamic field, with the evolution of data literacy mirroring past discussions on media and digital literacy. There has been a substantial increase in attention to data literacy, particularly in 2019 and 2020, underscoring its recognition as a distinct competence cluster from media literacy. The scoping review identifies diverse competences and highlights a growing recognition of data literacy as a crucial component in educational settings, with attention on data analytics and data usage skills. However, we see a move towards topics like 'critical thinking' and 'awareness' in the discourse. Notably, within social sciences publications, our findings indicate a growing interest in the societal implications of data literacy, emphasising how individuals and communities engage with and understand data
Gesellschaftsgeschichte à la Luhmann: Rezension zu "Gesellschaft ohne Zentrum: Deutschland in der differenzierten Moderne" von Benjamin Ziemann
Full text linkBenjamin Ziemann: Gesellschaft ohne Zentrum: Deutschland in der differenzierten Moderne. Ditzingen: Reclam 2024. 978-3-15-011423-
Freizügigkeitsmonitoring: Migration von EU-Staatsangehörigen nach Deutschland; Halbjahresbericht 2024
Full text linkDer Bericht zeigt die Entwicklung der Zu- und Fortzüge von EU-Staatsangehörigen nach bzw. von Deutschland im ersten Halbjahr 2024
Contemporary Political Discourse in Digital Games: A Systematic Approach
Full text linkThis study reviews existing literature on how video games are being used to convey contemporary political discourse. Digital games, as meaningful cultural artifacts, have become a communication medium in their own right. They can serve as social mirrors, framing contemporary reality through metaphors that represent and recreate transcendent events or social facts through immersive experiences. Likewise, video games have played a significant role in shaping our current politics and culture. This article seeks to answer the research question: How has contemporary political discourse been explored through digital games in academic literature? To do so, we conducted a systematic literature review following the SALSA (search, appraisal, synthesis, and analysis) framework. We identified N = 25 journal articles written in English and Spanish, published between January 2013 and September 2023. We found that first-person shooter games were the most frequently discussed game genre in the academic literature, followed by newsgames. We propose a new method for categorizing political messages in digital games, which we have called the PRICE dimensions model (participation, representation, ideology, conflict, and education). The studied papers were classified into five main thematic groups: (a) video games as a tool for digital propaganda; (b) video games aiming to raise awareness of political issues; (c) games and gamification elements for radicalization; (d) game design that justifies, minimizes, or downplays violence; and (e) players' role in conveying political messages
Past, Present, and Future Perspectives on the Integration of AI Into Walkability Assessment Tools: A Systematic Review
Full text linkThis study employs a systematic literature review (PRISMA methodology) to investigate the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in walkability assessments conducted between 2012 and 2022. Analyzing 34 articles exploring data types, factors, and AI tools, the review emphasizes the value of utilizing diverse datasets, particularly street view images, to train supersized AI models. This approach fosters efficient, unbiased assessments and offers deep insights into pedestrian environment interactions. Furthermore, AI tools empower walkability assessment by facilitating mapping, scoring, designing pedestrian routes, and uncovering previously unconsidered factors. The current shift from large-scale spatial data analysis (allocentric perspective) to a ground-level view (egocentric perspective) and physical and perceptual features of walking introduces a subjective lens into current walkability assessment tools. However, the efficacy of current methods in addressing non-visual aspects of human perception and their applicability across diverse demographics remains debatable. Finally, the lack of integration of emerging technologies like virtual/augmented reality and digital twin leaves a significant gap in research, inviting further study to determine their efficacy in enhancing the current methods and, in general, understanding the interaction of humans and cities
Nepal's Status‐Seeking Endeavors: Between Normative Convergence and Geopolitical Interests
Full text linkDue to limited material and geopolitical factors, the agency of small states is limited in international politics. As such, these states may seek to mitigate such weaknesses through status-seeking, adopting peculiar foreign policy approaches or international commitments to signal to more powerful actors about specific political or normative affinities. In this article, the conceptual framework of social identity theory, specifically social mobility, is used to assess Nepal's foreign policy choices. It is argued that Nepal pursues the identity management strategy of social mobility in the form of normative conformance with more powerful actors to reinforce its status in the international community but not necessarily to rise up in the hierarchy of states. Social mobility through normative conformance not only allows Nepal to elevate its status with higher-status groups like the EU, the UN, and US (which are the country's primary development partners), but it also reinforces Nepal's interest in maintaining (and if possible, expanding) its agency as a sovereign state which is constrained due to its geopolitical location in between much larger neighbors, India and China. Nepal's normative convergence efforts are broadly categorized into two specific types of commitments: (a) multilateralism and (b) normative congruence with development partners. Both of these normative conformance approaches seek to emulate the values and practices of the higher-status group - the US, the UN, and the EU
Hamburg-Hammerbrook: Raum im Wandel der Zeit
Full text linkDieser Essay fasst drei Studien über Hammerbrook, einem ehemaligen Hamburger Arbeiterstadtteil, zusammen. Dabei wird die Bedeutung des Raums und seiner Bewohner von der Entstehung bis zur Zerstörung im Rahmen der "Operation Gomorrha" 1943 beleuchtet.This essay is a summary of three Papers according to the main theme: The "old, perished" Hamburg working class district Hammerbrook. In reference to the "Agency" of the space and its inhabitants; from its emergence to the destruction of its old structures during "Operation Gomorrha" 1943
Investigating Publics' Communicative Action in Problem Solving (CAPS) Through Data Science
Full text linkThis study examined the communicative action in problem solving model through data science-driven approaches to enhance the understanding of online publics' communication behaviors. Using ChatGPT, the study analyzed YouTube comments from news channels that covered a contentious entertainment issue with multiple related events. The findings indicated that communication behaviors changed over time and manifested in diverse combinations. In addition, the study demonstrated that aware publics in the digital era were not merely passive; rather, they engaged in communication activities similar to active publics. Furthermore, it identified distinct communication behaviors associated with certain types of publics, indicating that public types also evolve dynamically across events. The results suggested that the communicative action in problem solving model served as a valuable framework for examining online communication behaviors in the digital era. Based on these insights, this study offered both academic and practical contributions to the field
Homeofficenutzung von Eltern: Ein Instrument zur Optimierung von Vereinbarkeit und Partnerschaftlichkeit?
Full text linkIm Rahmen dieser Studie soll der zentralen Frage nachgegangen werden, ob und inwiefern elterliche Homeofficenutzung die Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Erwerb unterstützt, wie sich die Arbeitsteilung zwischen Elternpaaren sowie die Partnerschaftsqualität mit und ohne Homeoffice gestaltet. Dabei werden unterschiedliche Merkmale und Lebensumstände der Homeofficenutzer:innen in die Analyse miteinbezogen.This study focuses on the question whether and to what extent parental use of home office supports the compatibility of family and employment and how the division of labour between parents as well as the quality of their partnership differs with and without home office. Various characteristics and life circumstances of home office users are included in the analysis