THE WORLD IS IN CRISIS, SO THE UN IS IN CRISIS.
In: The current digest of the Russian press, Band 76, Heft 5, S. 18-18
In: The current digest of the Russian press, Band 76, Heft 5, S. 18-18
In: Social policy and administration
ISSN: 1467-9515
AbstractThis article examines the history of the National Health Service from the perspective of the 'crises' it has experienced almost continuously since its foundation in 1948. Three themes are examined: scientific revolution, professional bodies, and, especially, political economy. A concluding discussion suggests that there is scope for rethinking how we envisage the NHS, and the ends it pursues.
In: Journal of contingencies and crisis management, Band 32, Heft 1
ISSN: 1468-5973
AbstractLevi Strauss & Co., a popular fashion label commonly known as Levi's, was involved in a crisis situation in March 2023 as a result of their partnership with Lalaland.ai, an artificial intelligence (AI) company. The partnership was created with the intention of using AI‐generated models to show more diversity in Levi's modelling. However, the brand received intense backlash and criticism following the partnership's announcement for cheapening diversity by failing to use real models. In the format of a case study, this paper describes the situation and evaluates Levi's crisis response in this relevant and dynamic dilemma.
In: Current history: a journal of contemporary world affairs, Band 123, Heft 851, S. 89-94
ISSN: 1944-785X
While many other democracies in the world celebrate or simply tolerate public expressions of difference, France has traditionally remained hostile toward them in the name of republican universalism. The rise of identity politics in recent decades, however, has posed a serious challenge to this position. Today, France is torn between republican values that do not reflect the complexity of a multicultural society, and a global culture war that has supercharged local disagreements and polemics.
In: Social policy and administration, Band 58, Heft 2, S. 228-247
ISSN: 1467-9515
AbstractIn this article, we analyse how different governments have dealt with situations, labelled as 'crises' in the international and national discourses. More specifically, we analyse how the Czech, Hungarian and Slovak governments framed and dealt with their social policies during the 2008 'financial crisis', the 2015 'refugee crisis', and the 2020 'Covid crisis'. We argue that sometimes governments and the mass media frame the situation as a crisis, when objectively it would be hard to argue empirically that there really was a crisis. At other times, according to objective criteria, there is ample evidence that there is indeed a crisis, but the government tries to deny it for political reasons. Despite differences in objective conditions and differences in political constellations, none of the policymakers in the three countries took advantage of the windows of opportunity that the alleged crises presented to carry out path‐changing social policy? changes. Instead, the changes we rather small and usually only temporary; thus, showing the importance of path dependency even during crisis situations.
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In: Journal of contingencies and crisis management, Band 32, Heft 1
ISSN: 1468-5973
AbstractAt the onset of a crisis, an initial organizational statement sets the tone for subsequent discussion. While existing literature provides strategic guidance, it offers limited insight into the message‐level execution of such statements. This study synthesizes insights from literature and trade publications to complement strategic literature by proposing a practical set of 'crisis essentials' which practitioners can leverage in composing an initial crisis statement. Upon identification of these elements from scholarly and industry literature, two online surveys presenting a hypothetical crisis scenario are released to Gen Z stakeholders and crisis communication practitioners in the United States; respondents rate the relative importance of each element. Gen Z was selected as the stakeholder population of interest due to their high activity on social media, their role as the talent which will be entering the workforce and eventually leadership roles, and the more limited existing analysis of this segment. Comparative analysis is conducted, based on two online surveys among adult individuals from these two populations, to evaluate whether gaps exist in stakeholder expectations and practitioner approaches. Findings reveal: the proposed elements (e.g., statement of the crisis, attribution, expert quote; 11 in total) were of nonzero importance to both Gen Z stakeholder respondents and crisis communication practitioner respondents, essentials related to the assuring stakeholders (e.g., action steps) were rated more highly than informational essentials (e.g., timeline), and importance ratings across survey samples were generally consistent. Practitioners should consider each of these proposed essentials when developing communication materials, and that while stakeholders expect sufficient information to understand a crisis event, they ultimately care about what the crisis means for the future of the organization. This study, grounded in crisis communication theory, provides a relevant, practical contribution to the implementation of effective strategic crisis communication in situations concerning Gen Z stakeholders.
In: Global studies quarterly: GSQ, Band 4, Heft 1
ISSN: 2634-3797
Abstract
This article explores state responses to a major ontological crisis, which produces insecurities requiring contradictory foreign policy responses. I propose that leaders in such dire situations may respond by compartmentalizing insecurities, articulating distinct narratives relevant to different insecurities. Such a split might seem inconsistent for leaders within the same government, but it can enable them to navigate a precarious crisis by exploiting the state's internal complexity to address the contrasting insecurities that a crisis generates. I explore this approach by analyzing Georgia's response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which created a major ontological crisis in Georgia. Its two most prominent leaders (the president and the prime minister) reacted by consistently voicing contradictory positions about the country's foreign policy. This divergent messaging becomes comprehensible when we see them as responses to different concerns: one responding to deep ontological insecurities over Georgia's relationship with other states, its place in the international system, and the coherence of its dominant autobiographical narrative; the other responding to the threat of war and related existential concerns at the individual and collective levels. Problematizing the state as a unitary actor, this article demonstrates how unpacking its constitutive agents can help us better understand how leaders navigate complex ontological crises.
In: Policy & politics, Band 52, Heft 1, S. 2-23
ISSN: 1470-8442
Policy advisory systems, which provide evidence-informed policy advice to governments, are put under great pressure in times of crisis. Crisis situations may engender conflicting interpretations by stakeholders about how to respond. These conflicts are compounded by inevitable gaps in knowledge and uncertainties about how the crisis might develop. All governments face challenges beyond their control which can take many forms, ranging from financial and political disruptions through to health pandemics, natural disasters, and threats to national security. Such decision-making pressures were especially evident during the COVID-19 crisis and followed different trajectories in different countries. This introductory article frames a group of research studies that brings new insights into various aspects of how governmental policy advisory systems responded to this crisis. Policy advice was formulated against a backdrop of controversies about how to prioritise health outcomes, economic livelihoods and social interaction. These studies analyse policy advisory systems with particular attention to the quality of the available knowledge base, the disciplinary mix of expertise within advisory bodies, the roles of experts as either trusted insiders or as external commentators, as providers or 'shapers' of knowledge, and the degree of (in)formality in their relationships with politicians. These issues are also investigated in the context of creeping crises, such as climate change. Taken together, the special issue provides new insights into how knowledge provided through policy advisory systems informs crisis governance. In this way, it advances our knowledge of the relationship between experts in policy advisory systems and political decision-makers in times of crisis.
"This book examines the growing phenomenon of armed banditry in Nigeria and its implication for national security. Nigeria's bandit conflict and deepening security crisis is fuelled by the existence of vast ungoverned trans-border spaces where various non-state armed groups operate unhindered and outside of the law, engaging in various forms of transnational crime. This book explores the activities of these groups to assess the nature and significance of banditry as a complex threat to security. It does so against the backdrop of reports of increased bandit attacks on farms, markets, mining sites, villages and rural communities, and the rising tide of violent crimes in Nigeria, especially the northern region. The book analyses the factors that are responsible for the emergence of banditry as a recent national and transnational security threat and outlines the contemporary dynamics of Nigeria's banditry crisis and how it can be mitigated. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in the field of African Studies, International Relations, Security and Strategic Studies, Political Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, as well as policymakers and practitioners interested in complex security threats and their implications in Nigeria and beyond"--
In: Africa research bulletin. Economic, financial and technical series, Band 61, Heft 1
ISSN: 1467-6346
In: Boston University Public Interest Law Journal, Band 33
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Blog: Reason.com
Plus: A listener asks if libertarians are too obsessed with economic growth.
In: George Mason Law Review, Band 31, Heft 1
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Blog: The Polish Politics Blog
Poland's bitter political and systemic conflict has been exacerbated by the fact that the two sides appear to increasingly operate within different legal orders. Although the government has resolved this legal dualism for now by using the state apparatus to enforce its will, such a stand-off could continue at least until the current President's term […]