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Immigrants in the transnational far right: integration through racisms and negotiating white supremacy in a migratory context
No full textDespite the historical and contemporary instances of immigrants and their descendants engaging with the far-right, whether through long-distance nationalism or country of residence politics, migration scholarship has surprisingly paid very little attention to this process. In this paper we argue that insufficient engagement with instances of the far-right attracting and mobilizing immigrants and ethnic minorities is a theoretical omission in both migration scholarship and scholarship of the far-right and is related to the reproduction of reified notions of "majority" and "minority", normative assumptions about immigrants’ political activism as inevitably progressive, and methodological nationalism implicit in studying the far-right from a political science perspective. Through an analysis of a case study of Polish immigrants and their descendants in Britain, we demonstrate that these omissions can be bridged by paying more attention to relational processes of constructions of whiteness, the role of systemic racism, and the increasing transnationalization of the far-right. The cases we describe, captured through the notion of integration-through-racisms, are therefore a symptom of both increasing complexities of migration-driven diversity with threatened white privilege as the focus and dynamic changes in global far-right ideologies and strategies
Ultrasound-compatible 3D-printed Franz diffusion system for sonophoresis with microbubbles
Get PDFSonophoresis is a topical drug delivery approach that utilises ultrasound as a physical stimulus to enhance permeation of active pharmaceutical ingredients through the skin. Only limited research has however been conducted to evaluate the potential of ultrasound-responsive drug carriers, such as gas microbubbles, in sonophoresis. Franz diffusion cells have been extensively used for measuring drug permeation in vitro; however, traditional systems lack compatibility with ultrasound and only limited characterisation of their acoustical behaviour has been carried out in previous research. To overcome this limitation, we designed and manufactured a novel Franz cell donor compartment coupled with a conventional glass receptor, and performed a functional characterisation of the assembly for application in sonophoresis with ultrasound-responsive agents (specifically imiquimod-loaded gas microbubbles). The donor was fabricated using a photoreactive resin via 3D printing and was designed to enable integration with a therapeutically relevant ultrasound source. The assembly was capable of effectively retaining liquids during prolonged incubation and the absorption of imiquimod onto the 3D-printed material was comparable to the one of glass. Moreover, a predictable ultrasound field could be generated at a target surface without any significant spatial distortion. Finally, we demonstrated applicability of the developed assembly in sonophoresis experiments with StratM®, wherein ultrasound stimulation in the presence of microbubbles resulted in significantly enhanced drug permeation through and partitioning within the membrane (2.96 ± 0.25 μg and 3.84 ± 0.39 μg) compared to passive diffusion alone (1.74 ± 0.29 μg and 2.29 ± 0.32 μg), over 24 h
“British English is much more prestigious, everybody knows that!”: reproducing and resisting hegemonic language ideologies in Chilean English teacher education
Get PDFIn Chile, a country where English has no official status or colonial history, English Language Teaching (ELT) programmes are responsible for providing prospective teachers of English with the linguistic and methodological tools that they need to become competent English language practitioners and users. As prospective teachers usually spend four to five years in training, teacher educators play a crucial role in the formation and transformation of their trainees’ beliefs about English language use and users (Gimenez et al, 2018). Since prospective English teachers in Chile are expected to achieve a C1 level of proficiency at the end of their training (Ministerio Secretaría General de la Presidencia, 2014), they are inevitably exposed to ideas of what counts as correct and desirable English. As such ideas are directly connected with social structures, it is therefore expected that the beliefs about English - or language ideologies - that circulate in these programmes have profound implications for the practices of future English teachers, which may result in the preference and promotion of certain ways of speaking English and the stigmatisation of others. This is particularly relevant for the English language teaching profession due to the large number of teachers who are non-native speakers of the language, since these ideologies have the power to influence ideas regarding (self-)efficacy, employability, and even discrimination (Holliday, 2015).
The purpose of this chapter is to explore how teacher trainers at teacher education programmes in Chile conceptualise the English they speak, teach, and expect their students to acquire. Since the focus of the study reported here is on how English language professionals (co)construct their notion of English use(s) and users, this paper will focus on data that was collected through semi-structured interviews. 27 teacher trainers from three universities from Santiago, the capital of Chile, took part in this research which was part of a broader multiple case study. Using Irvine and Gal’s (2009) framework of linguistic differentiation – iconisation, fractal recursivity and erasure – as an interpretive tool in the analysis of the interview data, I investigated the extent to which and how language ideologies regarding English operate in a group of Chilean ELT programmes.
Findings from this study revealed the existence and promotion of opposing language ideologies that coexist within and across the teacher education programmes under scrutiny. On the one hand, a considerable number of teachers associated an idealised notion of “British English” with deeply-rooted ideas of tradition and prestige in ELT, and therefore, perceived it as a desirable way of speaking to acquire for prospective English teachers. Consequently, forms of speaking English that are evidently influenced by (Chilean) Spanish tended to be perceived as undesirable and unprofessional (iconisation), supporting the idea that the efficacy of a teacher lies on how close to an idealised model their English is. Furthermore, the data analysis provides evidence of the existence of a false duality regarding the models of English that trainees are expected to follow and consistently develop in their training (fractal recursivity). As a result, variations from these normative models are usually overlooked (erasure). On the other hand, this paper presents evidence of a growing discourse of resistance among some of these teacher educators that reveals an awareness of and opposition to hegemonic language ideologies in the English language teaching profession in Chile. Finally, this chapter argues that increased awareness of language ideologies can help practitioners and other stakeholders tackle implicit issues of inequality and discrimination that operate in ELT contexts.
References
Gimenez, T., Salles El Kadri, M., and Cabrini Simões Calvo, L. (eds) (2018). English as a Lingua Franca in Teacher Education, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.
Holliday A. (2015) Native-speakerism: Taking the Concept Forward and Achieving Cultural Belief. In: Swan A., Aboshiha P., Holliday A. (eds) (En)Countering Native-speakerism. Palgrave Advances in Language and Linguistics. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Irvine, J. and Gal, S. (2009) 'Language ideology and linguistic differentiation', in Duranti, A (ed.) Linguistic Anthropology: A Reader. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Ministerio Secretaría General de la Presidencia, Ministerio de Educación, Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo (2014). National English Strategy 2014 – 2030. Available: http:// www.economia.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/140307- Documento-Estrategia-Nacional-de-Ingl%C3%A9s-2014-2030.pd
Over-efficiency in the lower criminal courts: understanding a key problem and how to fix it
No full textIn our pursuit of efficiency in the lower criminal courts, have we lost sight of quality justice? Through the critical examination of original stenographic data, this book demonstrates how an English Magistrates' courthouse often pursued managerial efficiency to the detriment of social justice and procedural due process values.
Given that these courts process more than 95% of all criminal cases, this ‘over-efficiency’ problem has the capacity to cause significant social harm. Yates’ work concludes by providing socio-legal and criminological readers with ways to fix this over-efficiency problem. This accessible work is of value to policy makers and post-graduate students alike
Exploring UAE's transition towards circular economy through construction and demolition waste management in the pre-construction stage–A case study approach
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This paper aims to explore UAE's transition towards circular economy (CE) through construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in the pre-construction stage. The extent of circularity is assessed by five key aspects of CE, such as policies and strategic frameworks, design for waste prevention, design for disassembly or deconstruction, use of prefabricated elements and CDW management plans.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple case studies were conducted in the context of the Dubai construction industry (UAE). Three significant and unique construction projects were selected as the cases. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect data, and the thematic analysis technique and NVIVO 12 software were used for data analysis.
Findings
Findings reveal several positive initiatives towards CE in the UAE context; yet it is identified that the transition is still at the initial stage. Selected case studies, the best-case scenarios of UAE (i.e. influential cases), demonstrated adequate measures in relation to four key CE aspects out of five. For instance, (a) policies and strategic frameworks such as lean standards, green building standards and standards developed by the local authorities, (b) design for waste prevention (e.g. adherence to the 3R principle, and construction planning with BIM), (c) use of prefabricated elements and application of innovative construction technologies (e.g. 3DPC, DfMA) and (d) CDW management planning such as 3R principle were evident. However, the selected cases hardly showcase designing for disassembly or deconstruction.
Research limitations/implications
The existing CDW practices are mostly conventional, as most constructions in UAE are procured through conventional building materials and methods. Therefore, there is a necessity of encouraging CE principles in CDW management. Even though the transition towards CE was evident in four key CE aspects out of five, the UAE construction industry has yet to adopt more effective CE-based CDW management practices to accelerate the circularity. Hence, it is necessary to enforce standard waste management guidelines, including the 3R principle, to standardise CDW management in UAE and encourage construction practitioners to adhere to CE principles.
Originality/value
The findings of this study provide valuable insights for decision-making processes around CDW management towards a CE. This paper contributes to the literature by bridging the CE concept with CDW management in the pre-construction stage. The study provides insights for industry practitioners for planning CE in terms of policies and strategic frameworks, CDW management planning, construction planning and application of innovative construction technologies
Book review : Language, logic, and mathematics in Schopenhauer
Get PDFThis is a book review of "Language, Logic, and Mathematics in Schopenhauer" edited by J. Lemanski (Springer Studies in Universal Logic, Cham, Birkhäuser, 2020).
Schopenhauer is best known as the metaphysician of the will and ethicist of its negation. Studies of his thought naturally gravitate towards these two, dramatic portions of his system, regarding the epistemological framework he outlined in the first book of The World as Will and Representation as little more than the prelude or overture to the central acts concerning the will’s objectification, its gradual withdrawal through art and morality, and his system’s soteriological finale
Moon jam: enhancing welfare for nocturnal species
Get PDFThis workshop will use a zoo jam methodology to explore how technology can support the design and management of systems that enhance visitor experiences while supporting the enrichment and welfare of nocturnal species. Animals that are active in the dark can sometimes be overlooked by humans, simply because we do not perceive them, or we are not being active ourselves. During the event, participants will collaborate to address a series of workshop-themed briefs provided by animal experts from zoos and conservation organisations, with the aim of designing technology-enhanced solutions to the challenges expressed
Access, dignity, and choice: social supermarkets and the end of the food bank model in the UK?
Get PDFLevels of food insecurity (FI) and the need for food support have increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. These crises also enabled substantial innovation in food support provision, including a move away from more traditional food bank models toward social supermarkets (SSM). These are characterized as not-for-profit social enterprises that sell mostly food, at low or symbolic prices to those living near or in poverty. In this article we provide a timely empirical account of SSMs and the experiences and perspectives of their members, focusing on three key themes: access, dignity, and choice. We use a mixed-methods approach based on questionnaires (n = 111) and interviews (n = 25) with SSMs members, engaging with local priorities and perspectives in the active co-creation of the research. Our findings demonstrate that SSM’s provision is more inclusive and mindful of the diversity and agency of their members, doing away with pre-conceived ideas of food support recipients as passive citizens. While not a panacea, we argue that SSMs offer an alternative model for providing food support and one that could be replicated broadly or used side-by-side with food banks
Information hiding and copyrights
Get PDFThis chapter explores the use of steganography on digital files and produces an enhanced technique that addresses the major vulnerabilities that make algorithms less reliable in securing data. Through a review of historical techniques in the field, the study identifies weaknesses in the algorithms to improve security and increase capacity using different techniques. One of the approaches proposed in this study involves a distributed method, which is simple, clear, low-cost, and agile. The study also analyses data manipulation and embedding processes in different files and for different purposes, such as vulnerabilities or placeholders exploited by criminals distributing viruses over the internet using Steganography. The results of the study can help forensic analysts identify secret content and raise awareness about protecting against eavesdropping data on devices. The study proposes a new scheme to improve Steganography called DSoBMP, together with guideline materials that have been published in four international peer-reviewed journals, including Springer and used as a stepping stone to collaborate in a worldwide book publication
Working with violent men: from resistance to change talk in Probation Domestic Abuse Programmes
No full textWorking with Violent Men gives a detailed insight into working with men who have been violent towards intimate partners. As such this monograph aims to contribute to a gap in knowledge and understanding within an important social and criminal justice topic.
The book is underpinned by research based on participant observation at domestic abuse groups, allowing for direct observation of behaviours and interactions, including gestures and emotional responses, as well as semi-structured interviews with group facilitators and participants. It also draws on the author’s experience of working with domestically abusive men, as a probation officer and facilitator of domestic abuse programmes. He argues that groups involve a micro social order, involving rules and rituals. These are continuously constructed and negotiated by participants, against a backdrop of ideas about masculinity, and involve the performance of gendered roles. Understanding the perspectives of these men, as well the interactional rules, rituals, and dynamics of programmes, enables facilitators to navigate the hostility that men display and engage them in a process of change. Attention to these considerations has implications for the effectiveness of group-based interventions in reducing violence against intimate partners and the training of those who deliver programmes. More general extrapolations are also drawn, about contemporary understandings of gender, masculinity, identity, and effective communication within groups.
This book will be of value to undergraduate and postgraduate students with interests in domestic violence, gender, probation, and the rituals of social interactions. It will also be useful to academics, researchers, and policymakers wishing to explore and develop approaches to work with domestically violent men