Suchergebnisse

1. Introduction: Making the Case for Reimagination -- 2. Narrative IR, Worldly IR -- 3. Postcolonial Literature and the Task of (Re)imagining the Maghreb -- 4. History and Narration as Weapons of Decolonization: Kateb Yacine's Nedjma -- 5. Language and the (Im)possibility of Translation in Derrida's Monolingualism of the Other and Khatibi's Love in Two Languages -- 6. East and West Encounters and Double Critique in Fatema Mernissi's Writings -- 7. IR and the Need for Reimagination – Concluding Remarks

Abstract This article focuses on the problem of regarding regions as secondary features of the international/global dimension, and on the prevailing geopolitical imagery for thinking about and arguing with regions in IR. However, in contrast with the supposedly value-free vocabulary utilised for discussing regions in IR, the act of defining them in cartographic terms, or as a middle ground between national and international politics, is always a political one. In this article, I explore the politics of scaling in respect of regions and regional politics, and suggest that, if regions are understood as artifacts instead of self-evident entities fitting into a neat framework of levels, and disconnected from political struggles, this would assist the analysis and discussion of regions in theory as well as highlight other dynamics surrounding the complex and varied political projects, geographies and subjectivities that could be characterised as 'regional'.

Recent changes in the local finance system in Portugal are analysed as is the impact of present government proposals. A brief description of local finance in Portugal reveals a system structured into three main components, showing an increase in local taxes and a relative decrease in grants since 1979. Taxes on immovable property are dominant as are unconditional block grants in state budget transfers. Another characteristic is a clear geographical differentiation in most municipal revenue components. The importance of local government expenditure in relation to total government expenditure is one of the lowest in Europe. The reform in preparation will result in an increase in local government expenditure as a proportion of total public expenditure, the percentage being expected to double to 15%, representing an increase in the overall weight given to local taxes and a diversification of taxes. In the second part of the paper the author discusses the impact this will have on the financing of municipal planning and urbanisation, with the issue of equity a central point.

THE PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTIONS OF 16 AUGUST 1994 IN SRI LANKA TOGETHER WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS OF 9 NOVEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR, LED TO THE END OF A CONTINUOUS 17-YEAR PERIOD OF RULE BY THE UNITED NATIONAL PARTY. THESE ELECTIONS DENOTED A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE POLITICAL SCENE. THEY MARKED THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW APPROACH TO THE CIVIL WAR IN WHICH THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL ELAM HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR A SEPARATE STATE IN THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE COUNTRY. ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT IS IN MINORITY POLITICS WHICH INCLUDE A LIMITED RE-EMPOWERING OF THE FINAL COMING OF AGE OF THE SRI LANKA MUSLIM CONGRESS.

In this paper, we explain conceptually how income requirements for citizens of a country to sponsor visas of foreign family members discriminate against certain groups of the population. Then, we analyse the case of an annual income requirement of £18,600 adopted by the UK Government in 2012 to sponsor visas of non-EEA partners and children in order to show the degree to which the policy discriminates against women and ethnic minorities. Results suggest that, controlling for relevant socio-demographic characteristics, British working women are 30 percentage points less likely to earn enough to sponsor a non-EEA partner compared to males, while working British ethnic minorities are 7 percentage points less likely to earn enough compared to the British White group. In order for the income requirement to have the same impact on men and women's ability to sponsor their partner, it would in theory be necessary to reduce the annual income threshold to £15,550 for British women and raise it to £24,600 for British men. Given the conceptual problems with such an approach, we also explore whether there are other ways to reduce the indirect discriminatory effects of the threshold. Specifically, we show that the practice of not accounting for the potential earnings of the non-EEA spouse in the UK when considering visa applications likely penalises women more than men.

Skill availability is an important component in the uptake of prefabrication and plays a crucial role in housing supply. However, the challenge is that the demand for housing has outgrown the availability of specifically trained workers. This challenge is not unique to New Zealand; many developed countries worldwide are facing similar issues. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine relevant skills in the prefabricated residential construction sector in New Zealand (NZ) and suggest improvement measures from the standpoint of industry stakeholders. The study adopted a semi-structured online survey and administered it to multiple construction industry practitioners. The study found the training of the construction workforce as one significant area of focus. In addition, external sourcing of international prefabrication-specific skilled workers could improve the issues of skill shortages in the residential prefabrication sector. Furthermore, the study revealed that the barriers to healthier prefabrication uptake are closely linked to shortages in management, digital architecture and design, and vocational skills related to residential construction. The study has contributed to the current pool of knowledge by identifying skill issues in NZ's prefabricated residential construction sector, classifying the major restraints limiting prefabrication implementation, and determining measures for increasing industry uptake. It is anticipated that this will help construction organizations and the wider industry develop strategic goals and a roadmap for meeting the skill requirements in NZ. Training policies and programmes can be developed with focus on crucial prefabrication skill requirements at governmental level. Curriculum reviews are recommended for uptake by academic and vocational institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the globe affecting countries worldwide. However, several differences have been observed in the number of daily new cases, the COVID-19 reproduction rate, and the severity of the disease in different countries. Previous studies have mostly highlighted government restriction policies to mitigate the pandemic effects as reasons for such differences. This study focuses on 101 countries and proposes that each country's cultural background is also accountable for such differences. We considered the six Hofstede's cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation, and indulgence) and statistically analyzed their correlation with several COVID-19 impact metrics in comparison to several restriction policies. Our results support our claim that national culture influences both acceptance and subsequent adoption of restriction policies and the implementation by each government of those policies. We highlight that the attitudes towards and trust in political institutions, policies and governance is influenced by the cultural background, which is reflected in the pandemic numbers. As a main takeaway from this study, we conclude that data-driven models which aim at predicting the pandemic impact evolution at a global scale should also include variables that reflect the cultural background of each nation. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased public awareness of the extent to which the economy relies on a low-wage workforce. Many of those lower-waged occupations that have been recognised as essential in the emergency are heavily dependent on migrant workers. We explore the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for future immigration policies and provide an example using data for the UK. We suggest that there are three key considerations for governments in this context. First, whether the management of emergencies themselves requires a certain type of immigration policy. Second, whether the experience of the current pandemic brings to light new information about the 'value' of certain types of immigration. Finally, whether immigration is the right response to pandemic-driven increases in labour demand.