Suchergebnisse

As Malaysia recorded its first deaths from Covid-19 in mid-March 2020, media coverage drew attention to the approximately four million undocumented migrant workers and over 160,000 refugees excluded from state-provided basic support services, including healthcare. The spread of the virus across informal settlements and marginalized populations severely tested Malaysia's governance capabilities. It underscored the importance of accounting for and supporting all Malaysian residents in order to successfully respond to the pandemic. The government's early response to the pandemic involved a lockdown and the provision of food and supplies to vulnerable communities via local distribution centres. Initially, these vital resources were delivered by the military because officials believed that the army was best placed to effectively distribute essentials while containing the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, however, military control over distribution centres discouraged many undocumented migrants and refugees from going to the centres out of fear of being arrested and potentially detained or deported. This fear of accessing food and supplies compounded the already precarious situation of many thousands of residents who also lacked adequate access to healthcare or social welfare services. Fortunately, local authorities swiftly recognized this error and allowed local civil society organizations (CSOs) that had established trust with migrant and refugee communities to take charge of food distribution at the centers. Shortly afterwards around 120 local CSOs collaborated with the Malaysian Welfare Department to provide food, essential supplies, and medical services.

This issue looks at the multidimensional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in eight cities across Asia. It draws on research conducted between October 2020 and April 2021, in partnership with Kore Global, that focused on the perspectives and experiences of those who receive the fewest benefits of urbanization due to a range of intersecting marginalized identities and experiences, such as their gender, ethnic identity, low remuneration levels, and insecure employment status. We explore the drivers of current inequalities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which will likely contribute to future and more rapidly growing inequalities. We hope to encourage government officials and development practitioners to look beyond reductive economic indicators and apply a multi-dimensional lens to better recognize and address the pandemic's impacts on human and financial capital and capacity, now and in the future.

Cyberspace, the cyborg and cyberpunk have given feminists new imaginative possibilities for thinking about embodiment and identity in relation to technology. This is the first anthology of the key essays on these potent metaphors. Divided into three sections (Technology, Embodiment and Cyberspace; Cybersubjects: Cyborgs and Cyberpunks; Cyborg Futures), the book addresses different aspects of the human-technology interface. The extensive introduction surveys the ways cyborg and cyberspace metaphors have been used in relation to current critical theory and indicates the context for the specific essays. This is an invaluable guide for students studying any aspects of contemporary theory and culture.Brings together in a unique collection the work of key authors in feminist and cyber theoryDemonstrates the wide range of contemporary critical workChallenges constructions of gender, race and classAn extensive introduction surveys the ways cyborg and cyberspace metaphors have been used in relation to current critical theoryBrief section introductions indicate the context for the specific essays