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Abstract
This paper reconsiders a well-known Diophantine problem-"the coconut puzzle"-with two philosophically humorous motives. The first motive is methodological; the second, ontological. First, different methodological approaches to solving this problem, namely those of the stereotypical engineer, physicist, and mathematician, are informed by different conceptualizations of the mathematical puzzle itself. This is illustrated by comparing stereotypical solutions by an engineer, a physicist, and a mathematician. Second, ontological implications of Dirac's unorthodox (negative) solution precipitate heuristic questions concerning correspondence between mathematically admissible answers and physically possible states. An anecdotal history of this problem is also cited, in order to prepare the ground for a concluding satirical solution by an erstwhile Carlylean economist.

Commitment problems make civil wars difficult to end. Research on overcoming commitment problems focuses on warring parties, however civilians' perceptions are central to successful transitions from war to peace. While civilians residing in areas previously controlled by armed groups may be highly distrustful that governments will implement peace agreements, I argue that some armed groups are both motivated and capable of improving trust in the state. Using survey data from civilians in the Bangsamoro, Philippines, I show that civilians that experienced rebel security provision or rebel justice provision from the MILF are more likely to trust that the Government of the Philippines will fully implement the peace agreement than civilians that did not experience rebel governance provision.

AbstractOur study aims to assess the state of knowledge on the performance of international small and medium‐sized (SME) firms, and formulate a relevant research agenda. We review 231 contributions published between 1993 and 2019, and identify the main theoretical debates, key success factors and measures of international SME performance, and the theoretical and methodological approaches used in this literature. Based on our analysis, we propose a definition of performance factors according to the theoretical frameworks identified, and the overall determinants and performance measures identified. For future research, we suggest a more holistic theoretical and empirical perspective, a qualitative and longitudinal approach, and a greater focus on developing country SMEs.

Metaphilosophy as a research discipline is concerned with the overall metatheoretical reflection of philosophy on its own subject matter, assumptions, methodology, and goals guiding this form of human intellectual activity. The aim of this article is to present a cross-sectional analysis of the main stages in the historical development of this discipline, and offer a general characterization of the current state of research. The means to achieving this goal of study is a confrontation between two partly competitive and partly complementary paradigmatic approaches to metaphilosophical reflection which currently determine a relatively wide range of interests in this theoretically promising and heuristically fertile field of philosophical analysis.

AbstractThis article aims to describe how contemporary societies dominated by racial capitalism and heteropatriarchy view and treat silence as an emptiness to be avoided. Without denying the importance of breaking from the silence of oppression, I argue that the dialectic between norms and silences is at the foundation of sociocultural life. Moreover, silence in feminist theory can be understood as a form of décrochage (lit. "unhooking") from hegemonic norms, thus opening spaces of doubt and questioning (or spaces of vraisemblance). Dwelling in these spaces, which I believe is the predicament of feminist anthropology, allows us to craft the sociocultural, artistic, and theoretical tools to engage in a state of becoming and emancipation.

This article reviews the literature on historical persistence in political science and the related social sciences. Historical persistence refers to causal effects that ( a) operate over time scales of a decade or more and ( b) explain spatial variation in political, economic, or social outcomes. Although political scientists have always drawn from history, the historical persistence literature represents a new approach to historical research in the social sciences that places a premium on credible research designs for causal inference. We discuss regional and national coverage, state-of-the-art research designs, analytical and inferential challenges, and mechanisms and theories of persistence, drawing broadly from the contemporary literature in political science and economics.

Organizations today are in a dynamic state and in need to constantly change. This study aims to determine the mediating role of mindfulness in the relationship between perceived organizational support and individual readiness for change. This research was conducted by distributing questionnaires to 175 employees who work in service companies determined by the purposive sampling technique. The existing data is then processed using Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS 3.0 software. The results show that perceived organizational support has a positive effect on individual readiness for change, and mindfulness mediates the direct effect of perceived organizational support on individual readiness for change. Implications and suggestions for future research are also given.

Delisting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as a terrorist organization would be a bold, imaginative move by Turkey, the European Union (EU), and the United States (US), among others, that might contribute to the peace process and benefit all concerned parties. However, Turkey presently does not want to acknowledge collective rights for its ethnic Kurds, and is willing to grant merely limited and begrudgingly individual rights such as mother-tongue language in the schools and a Kurdish TV channel, among a few others. Thus, there remains a very long way still to go, but delisting the PKK is surely one important start along this necessary journey.

Abstract
The increasing visibility of halal (meat) products in non-Muslim countries, such as Denmark, highlights the central and controversial role of Muslim authority in the regulation/certification of halal products along two axes: Muslims/non-Muslims and divergent Muslim groups/organisations. Using qualitative data gathered through participant observation and interviews conducted at Muslim organisations and businesses in and around Copenhagen, I argue that halal production and regulation is a constructive lens through which to explore why and how Muslim authority and legitimacy are generated and contested in contemporary Denmark. Muslim authority within the halal market evidently emerges at the interface between local and international Muslim organisations/certifiers, the state and consumers.

This paper shows that racial composition shocks during the Great Migration (1940–1970) reduced the gains from growing up in the northern United States for Black families and can explain 27 percent of the region's racial upward mobility gap today. I identify northern Black share increases by interacting pre-1940 Black migrants' location choices with predicted southern county out-migration. Locational changes, not negative selection of families, explain lower upward mobility, with persistent segregation and increased crime and policing as plausible mechanisms. The case of the Great Migration provides a more nuanced view of moving to opportunity when destination reactions are taken into account. (JEL H75, H76, J15, J62, K42, N32, R23)

AbstractAcross disciplines and contexts, scholars vary in their conception of politicization. This variation reveals a need for more consistent concept definition and measurement of the extent to which politics influence administration. We engage this need by providing a typology of politicization that includes consideration of the actions of elected officials, political appointees, and merit‐based administrators. We then assess dynamic differences across the typology in the United States using personnel records spanning four decades, measures of insulation derived from statutory language, and three surveys of senior federal executives. Our analysis provides a research agenda for scholars who seek to examine the politicization of the executive branch.

This choice board explores how to: Describe the life of the first Black woman pilot Bessie Coleman and construct their own paper planes and fly them inside and outside.Design a digital story about Marian Anderson, a singer and Civil Rights activist, that connects her experiences to the experiences of Black people today.Explore the history of redlining in their state and draft a law that would address the issues that redlining has caused.Curate a digital collection about Black baseball players who weren't allowed to play in the majory leagues.And explore many more topics covered in Building Democracy for All "Black Lives Matter" Learning Pathway. ; https://scholarworks.umass.edu/tecs_ed_materials/1004/thumbnail.jpg

This paper investigates the characteristics of resource-backed lending across Sub-Saharan Africa. To shed light on this type of lending, the paper presents new information on 30 resource-backed loans between 2004 and 2018, identified through publicly available information. These loans were concentrated in a few countries, where they represented a sizable fraction of all borrowing and were typically taken by central governments and state-owned enterprises. Although the loan terms are mostly opaque, where data are available, the study finds that such loans are not cheaper than regular loans. The paper highlights opportunities to transparency and offers some suggestions for improving the governance of collateralized borrowings across developing countries.

Notable studies have pointed out the growing prevalence rate for common medical conditions. Among these featured in the studies include zoonotic diseases, retinitis pigmentosa, cleft lip, and palate, which affect millions of people worldwide. In addition, other scholars have expounded on diabetes, cancer, the outbreak of Covid-19 and ultimately demonstrated that how the world responds to the pandemic has consequences. As such, to uphold a state of normalcy, it is recommended that academia, governments, and the health industry work together to develop and test vaccines speedily. Moreover, herd immunity, which was also applicable in fighting measles, rubella, and influenza, should always be sought as an effective and ideal preventive strategy.

Separating Isotope Facts from Fallacies compares how intelligence agencies have performed in assessing the nuclear proliferation intentions of other countries. Using original archival and declassified documents from the Cold War era, the study appraises the accuracy of American, British, and West German intelligence proliferation assessments of India and Argentina. Contrary to pervasive scepticism, the available historical documentation shows that intelligence agencies did not habitually inflate their assessments of proliferation risks unless they anticipated arms race dynamics. Second, target state attitudes toward the nonproliferation regime provide essential clues to their nuclear intent. Third, more information about intentions did not inherently improve accuracy. ; ISSN:0268-4527 ; ISSN:1743-9019