Glasgow Open Journals
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The legacy of sovereignty: how the interwar years have shaped democratic transition in Lithuania and Belarus
Get PDFThe study of democratic transition, or what makes some nations more conducive to the rise of democratic institutions than others, is vitally important in the modern world. Lithuania and Belarus are generally overlooked by literature on the subject of democratisation, but, due to their long historical ties and very different political paths since they established independence from the USSR, they provide an interesting case study into the historical reasons for the adoption of certain political systems. In brief, this article will deal with why since 1991 Lithuania has become democratic, whilst Belarus has become increasingly autocratic. To do this I compared the historical legacy of the interwar years in both states and focussed on the effects this period had on post-independence politics. This research revealed crucial differences, in that Lithuania’s experience of independent statehood laid the foundations for the later transition to democracy, whilst the failure to establish a sovereign Belarusian state made continued authoritarian rule far more likely. Overall this showed the importance of historical legacies when attempting to establish democracy
Positive liberty: a foundation for modern democracy
Get PDFFreedom is a word we hear a lot. Yet it is often unclear what is meant by it. Recent anti-terrorism laws have been argued by some as safeguarding freedoms and argued by others as restricting them. In this paper, I aim to create and defend an explanation of the nature of freedom that is practical and useful. Through offering a set of criteria, and answering potential criticisms, I conclude that “freedom” must consider people’s strongest desires and take into account the multitude of internal barriers to the fulfilment of these desires. Such a definition will hopefully help us gain a clearer understanding of when our liberty is under threat: putting us in a better position to defend it
Political representation and revolution: reconciling law, political will and constitutional reason
Get PDFAt the heart of the idea of constitutionalism lies a paradox: on the one hand, the legitimacy of governmental power rests on the consent of individuals; on the other, such consent can only be expressed indirectly through already-established institutional forms. The political will, whether as a product of political representation, or as a rare moment of revolution, seems to be in a relationship of mutual antagonism with individual liberties. But if the moral reasoning underlying rights can only be the product of politics, then it is clear that politics must prevail over law and constitutional reason
Eyes: Identity and Commemoration in British 18th and 19th Century Sculpture
Get PDFWhile staring right at us, the varied representations of eyes in sculpture have largely gone unrecognised. Their consideration is essential, however, for the contemporary viewer’s perception of, and identification with, the political and mythology subjects of eighteenth and nineteenth century statuary. A historical overview of the depiction of eyes reveals contradictions in neo-classical sculptural practices: a move from the emulation of the antique, with coloured eyes, to the presentation of uncarved marble eyeballs. This is highly significant for the individualisation of a statue is most achieved through the expression of the eyes both in facial appearance and gaze
Inequality and Identity in Contemporary Processes of Labour Market Restructuring
Get PDFContemporary processes of labour market restructuring have resulted in increasing social and spatial inequalities in the United Kingdom. While the well-discussed issues of class, race and gender continue to be correlated to inequality, the decline in numbers of manufacturing jobs and rise in low-level service work has brought a new reality of identity-correlation. To remain employed, workers must increasingly present an identity that is appealing to employers: one that transcends geography and current job role. Thus, in today’s labour market with its increasing economic polarisation, previously strong social and work identities are challenged by the logic of capital
Russian Nationalism: Creating a Civic Identity
Get PDFA shared sense of identity within a state is a stabilising structure allowing a focus for citizens to rally around. As a multi-ethnic state Russia has always been faced with the problem of how to imbue its citizens with a sense of identity that strengthens the state without causing dissent among the majority ethnic Russians or the many different minorities encapsulated within its territory. The choice between a civic based identity and an ethnically based national identity has faced the ruling apparatus for hundreds of years, and still poses a problem for both the people and the government of today’s Russia
Muriel Spark as Auto-Biographer in Curriculum Vitae
Get PDFExamining Muriel Spark’s main aims as an auto-biographer in her work Curriculum Vitae brings important resources in the exploration of the genre of autobiographical writing. This, with theoretical engagement, allows consideration of the critical issues surrounding the roles of author and reader in the construction of the literary self. Spark demands the reader participate in the construction of textual meaning; overturning the conventions of autobiography, satirising its claims to omniscience and highlighting the impossibility of an authentic voice with regards to the self
The Impacts of Colonial Law and Policy on Indigenous Family Life in Australia
Get PDFFrom the moment that Britain colonised the landmass of Australia, the continuation of traditional Indigenous family life was threatened. It has even been argued that the policy and legislation of successive governments attempted to destroy the rights of Indigenous peoples to their children. Indigenous children were removed from their communities. These children are now known as the Stolen Generations. Past colonial law and policy continues to impact upon the enjoyment of traditional family life with disproportionately high removal rates of Indigenous children from their families and communities. Nationwide solutions such as the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle have gone some way in redressing this issue. In its present form, however, it remains a victim of poor implementation, funding, and inadequate consultation with Indigenous communities
The Evolution of Morality
Get PDFMorality is essential to human identity. Since Darwin and Wallace proposed natural selection to explain the complexities of organisms, evolutionary biologists have sought explanations for all aspects of human nature including morality. One way to establish how far morality is exclusive to humans is to examine moral precursors in closely-related species. The advantage of such a characteristic initially seems contrary to the ‘selfish’ process of natural selection, however various ways in which such a trait has adaptive value have been proposed. Also, the extent to which morality is actually part of human identity, a product of sophisticated human culture rather than being hard-wired into our minds by evolutionary process, is a fascinating and current area of scientific dialogue
Making History: Post-Historical Commemorations of the Past in British Television
Get PDFThe postmodernist re-evaluation of historical study has led to an awareness of the value of the moving image to the historian. Film can present us with glimpses of a past independent of discourse and its unique link with reality carries with it inevitable assumptions of authenticity. Yet the selection and manipulation of material by the filmmaker, and the dependence on causality or the establishment of ‘fact’, makes historical documentary as problematic as any other mode of historiography. National history is shaped as national identity, and, ultimately, acts of commemoration say as much about the present as the past