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2019 research outputs found
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Coda: the experience of war beyond exceptionalism
Full text linkWhen linked to the context of war, fun can be understood as an expression of both direct and indirect communication, a manner of public engagement as well as a ‘ritual of inversion’ in which the proprieties of structure (the declared mandate and rules of war) are lampooned and violated, yet the finalities of the project of war (dominion, control, violence, and so on) remain intact. The focus on fun is not meant to trivialise the suffering war produces. On the contrary, it encourages a more honest and accurate analysis of what actively experiencing war entails. There are different reasons for pursuing a line of research that delves into the articulation of different emotions, moralities, and fighters’ perspectives, for instance the need to de-exceptionalise war’s brutality
Schlagfertigkeit. A soldier skill
Full text linkAre soldiers funny? On the face of it, fun is antithetical to the serious trade of the military profession, models of the decent and responsible soldier, and the strains of military life. However, military scholars acknowledge that humour forms an integral part of soldier culture. Still, these works largely highlight the psychological and social functions that humour serves in other social contexts as well. Instead, the paper examines the cultural peculiarities of soldier humour. The argument is that the German notion Schlagfertigkeit captures the humour style that prevails in the military because it encapsulates several soldierly virtues. Through exploring the semantics and performance of Schlagfertigkeit the article thus demonstrates how humour practices produce the soldier subject
Angola after dos Santos: An anthology on continuity and change
No full textAs Angola celebrates its 50th anniversary as an independent nation, it is timely to provide an assessment of the state of political, social, and economic affairs. Just over half of the life of the independent state was dominated by a civil war that contested the power of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola; since its military victory in 2002, the MPLA has, in common with other ruling parties on the continent, consolidated its power to become a hegemonic power within a nominal multiparty system.
Following the course set by the founding father Agostinho Neto (1975–79), José Eduardo dos Santos stayed in power for 38 years, through war and peace. The focus of this anthology is on the regime of the country’s third MPLA president, João Lourenço, elected in 2017, re-elected in 2022, and due to end his term in 2027. Initial hopes that Lourenço might become a transformational leader and implement deep structural reforms by distancing himself systematically from his predecessor, seem to have been aborted after Lourenço obtained full control of the party and the security institutions. This volume analyses patterns of continuity as well as the occurrence of change in Angola after dos Santos.
Most of the authors belong to a research team of Angolan and Norwegian social scientists who have worked together for four years in a research programme financed by the Norwegian Embassy in Angola, joined by a few international scholars. The anthology’s 19 chapters explore a range of issues grouped into four main topics: the economy, the rural and urban world, governance and accountability, and the new political regime.
The authors offer up-to date insights on important developments in Angola after the end of the dos Santos regime. This book fills a scholarly and empirical vacuum in the understanding of recent developments in Angola.
ISBN 978-82-8062-859-6 (PDF
Environment, resources and fishers in and out of the South China Sea: understanding the illegal Vietnamese harvest of marine goods in Northern and Northeastern Australia
Full text linkThe article explores Vietnamese fishing activities in and out of the South China Sea. It considers the historical and economic trajectories of fishing communities in the region and the role of Vietnam's subsidies and engagement as a maritime militia in drawing detrimental harvesting and transgressing into other countries' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Zooming in on northern and northeastern Australia, I apply the concept of 'occupational slippage' to explain a large influx of Vietnamese fishing fleets harvesting giant clams and other marine goods in its EEZ. Firstly, I show that while maritime militia status carries benefits, it requires fishers to fish offshore, thereby serving Vietnam's goal of bolstering its territorial claims in the South China Sea and incentivizing fishers to apply for state subsidies that enable rendering their boats seaworthy for these more dangerous operations. Secondly, I argue that sensitivity to past dynamics and inter-ethnic networks sheds light on how territorial disputes and securitization of maritime borders intensify long-established patterns of maritime livelihoods, extending now to other seas and oceans. By tracing historical legacies through the lens of occupational slippage, I offer a nuanced understanding of Vietnamese fishers' expansions and their shifts between 'legal', 'illegal' and 'licit' activities, beyond the conceptualization of the sea as a zone of conflicts and securitization
Who decides in the household when risk preferences conflict?
Full text linkWomen’s low involvement in household decisions is an important cause of the persistence of gender inequality in developing countries, as it constrains women’s access to resources and opportunities. Despite its importance, little is known about the behavioral mechanisms behind women’s low involvement. Guided by a simple theoretical model, we hypothesize that women may refrain from participating in household decisions to avoid spousal conflict, the likelihood of which increases with spousal differences in risk preferences. Using survey data from both spouses of 675 couples in rural Tanzania, we find that spousal differences in risk preferences are associated with a lower likelihood that spouses make decisions jointly and a higher likelihood that decisions are made by the husband alone. These relations are stronger in couples where women are more conflict-averse
Juizas em Angola
Full text linkAs mulheres entraram em força no sistema judicial angolano desde a independência, há cinquenta anos. Milhares de mulheres passaram pelas faculdades de direito; centenas passaram para o judiciário e algumas para os dois dos tribunais superiores – Supremo e Constitucional* – incluindo para posições de liderança. Em todos os níveis do judicial, as mulheres constituem, actualmente, quase metade de todos os juízes em Angola. Este número compara-se favoravelmente com a maioria dos países africanos vizinhos, bem como com democracias bem estabelecidas noutras partes do mundo.
Como explicar o afluxo de mulheres para o judiciário em Angola, num contexto de reconstrução pós-guerra? Neste Insight, sugerimos que é necessário examinar tanto a oferta de candidatas elegíveis como a procura de juízes e juízas.
* Embora se conheçam também os Tribunais de Contas e Supremo Tribunal Militar como superiores, o estudo centrou-se nestes considerando o papel relevante que desempenham no sistema da administração da justiça comum e de matérias jurídico-constitucionais
Ukraine and Africa: the influence of geopolitics on Scandinavian development policies
No full textThis article compares and analyses how the war in Ukraine and evolving geopolitics have impacted on Scandinavian aid policies and disbursement priorities. We find that there are more similarities than differences among the Scandinavian donors who have all so far maintained their ODA at 0.7% of GNI or more, recognising humanitarian and development needs, and probably reflecting a political awareness of the international recognition this entails. The impact of geopolitics, however, is still notable and can be seen not only in a significantly larger share of ODA to Ukraine, but also in the new strategic focus on Africa and a wish to be visibly present on the continent with political and economic cooperation, development assistance and private investments. At the same time, increased aid for Ukraine has meant relatively reduced allocations for Africa. To some extent though, even in Scandinavia, strategic or geopolitical concerns seem increasingly to become more important than concerns for development effectiveness. Such change raises the need for a debate on what effective development cooperation means in the 2020s
Between morality and reality: Muslim students’ dilemma regarding interest-based loans in Norway
Full text linkMaster’s Thesis in Intercultural Studies at NLA University College, Bergen IKF_THE 60 ECTS
Abstract
The act of receiving or paying of interest, known as riba , is considered a grave sin in Islam, and its prohibition is a defining principle of Islamic finance. Muslims living in predominantly non-Islamic countries face a dilemma when confronted with the problem of financing their higher education. The question of whether to take interest-based educational loans remains largely unexplored. This thesis examines cultural and religious understandings of Islam that influence Muslim students in Norway and their willingness or reluctance to take student loans. It also investigates informal financing alternatives that Muslim students consider. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach and semi-structured interviews with twelve Muslim students, the study reveals that students’ views on student loans vary from viewing them as a necessity to considering them a sin.
The key findings from this study highlight the reasons for both accepting and avoiding interest-based student loans in Norway. Through the concept of lived religion, this study finds how some Muslim students produce and reproduce Islamicness in everyday life by justifying their decision to abstain from interest-based student loans. Moreover, the study suggests that, despite being haram, student loans are a necessity for many Muslim students in Norway due to the absence of alternative Islamic financing. Similarly, the findings indicate that some Muslim students, particularly those that align with Islamic modernist perspectives, choose to take interest-based student loans, as their minority status in Norway leaves them with no viable alternatives. Given the lack of Islamic financing options in Norway, students report relying upon family and friend networks for meeting day-to-day economic needs. Ultimately, the results of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the moral and practical d
Women on the Bench in Angola
Full text linkWomen have made a forceful entrance into the Angolan judiciary since Independence fifty years ago. Thousands of women have moved through law school; hundreds on to the bench; and quite a few to the two highest courts – including to top leadership positions. Across all court levels, women now make up around nearly half of all judges in Angola. This compares favourably with most neighbouring African countries as well as with well-established democracies in other parts of the world.
How do we explain the influx of women judges in Angola, in a context of post-war reconstruction? In this Insight, we suggest that we need to examine both the supply of eligible law candidates and the demand for judges
Introduction to the special issue. War and Fun: Exploring the Plurality of Experiences and Emotional Articulations of Warfare and Soldiering
Full text linkIn this text, we introduce the Special Issue ‘War and Fun: Exploring the Plurality of Experiences and Emotional Articulations of Warfare and Soldiering’ by highlighting the need to challenge, expand, and reorient public and scholarly debates in order to address the complex interplay of emotions, moralities and agency that characterise the human experience of war from the perspective of those who fight