Search Results (442)

This essay examines two hybrid poetic texts that emerged from a period of feminist activism in U.S. and global poetry communities from 2014 to 2017: the collaboratively, anonymously authored “No Manifesto” (2015) and the radically revised second edition of the book of poetry and visual art YOU DA ONE by Jennif(f)er Tamayo. “No Manifesto” and YOU DA ONE embrace the hybrid tactics of collectivity, incongruity, and nonresolution as ways of protesting sexism and sexual violence in poetry communities. Synthesizing theories of hybridity from poetry criticism as well as immigrant and borderlands studies, the essay defines hybridity as a literary representation of cultural positions forcefully imposed upon subjects. Born out of the domination of sexual and state violence, hybridity marks the wound that remakes the subject, who develops strategies for resistance. By refusing to play by the rules of poetic or social discourse—the logics of domination that would have them be singular, cohesive, and compliant—Tamayo and the authors of “No Manifesto” insist on alternative ways of performing activism, composing literature, and entering the public sphere. These socially engaged, hybrid poetic texts demonstrate the power of the collective to disrupt the social and literary status quo. Full article

When designing, implementing and assessing public policies, and, in particular, those affecting the public management of religious diversity, it is increasingly common to include ethnographic approaches from the field of social anthropology and the broader social sciences. Ethnographic practice can provide more representative and accurate perspectives on the actors, settings, and social phenomena subject to regulation. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study on two minority religious communities, conducted by a team of anthropologists within the framework of a broader research project on religious freedom in Spain, led by jurists. Based on two case studies—the teaching of Evangelical religion in state schools and Islamic burial practices—our study analyses the implications of the varying degrees of public recognition, as well as how this recognition actually manifests in the everyday practice of religious groups within a context of religious diversity. The study also examines the barriers to the full participation of these communities in public institutions and civil society, as well as the discourses, strategies, and practices they develop to overcome these challenges. Full article

This paper examines the political discourse of South Korean conservative Christianity, focusing on its alignment with far-right ideologies that undermine both democratic norms and the theological integrity of faith. Triggered by recent constitutional crises involving former President Suk-yeol Yoon, far-right Protestant groups have engaged in mobilisations marked by hate speech, disinformation, and theological politicisation. Drawing upon Heinrich Bedford-Strohm’s model of public theology, the study critiques this trend and argues for a reconfiguration of Christian public engagement toward justice, inclusion, and rational dialogue. It further explores the blurred boundaries between conservative and far-right Christian movements, the distortion of the public sphere, and the impact of digital misinformation. Ultimately, the paper proposes a theological and ethical roadmap for restoring the credibility of Christianity in South Korea’s pluralistic democracy. Full article

In recent years, the concept of the commons has gained relevance across academic, legal and civic spheres as an alternative framework for managing shared resources. Rooted in Elinor Ostrom’s seminal work on collective governance, contemporary debates on the commons increasingly challenge the traditional binary of private versus public ownership by foregrounding the social function of these resources and the role of their communities in their administration. Urban commons, in particular, have emerged as dynamic spaces of experimentation, where local actors reclaim underutilised or abandoned assets and activate them through bottom-up processes of care, cultural production, and civic innovation. While international literature provides a robust conceptual foundation for understanding commoning practices, their practical implementation mostly depends on local specificities, such as legal and social contexts. Despite the important milestone of the Rodotà Commission’s proposal (2007) and Law 168/2017 on collective domains, the Italian regulatory framework remains highly fragmented, with regional and municipal regulations pioneering policies and practices frequently driven by community-led efforts to redefine the use and governance of public assets. This paper contributes to the growing debate on urban commons by investigating how, since 2011, experiences of collaborative care of the commons in Southern Italy have rekindled interest in the issue raised in 2007, highlighting a strong connection between the regulatory and social dimensions of these processes. The study develops a methodological framework—the COMmons Places ASSessment (COMPASS)—to evaluate the enabling conditions and governance dynamics of these processes. The research specifically focuses on five case studies in the Campania region, where diverse actors have mobilised to reclaim and transform public heritage through cultural, social, and creative activities. From the results, insights on collective management practices emerge potentials and criticalities of the analysed governance, as well as of the designed decision-making process and their effectiveness for the open, participatory, and sustainable management of urban commons. Full article

Gender equity is one of the most complex contemporary challenges, encompassing political, economic, labor, and cultural dimensions. This study aims to analyze the impact of public policies, labor practices, and social movements in promoting gender equity across various socio-political contexts. To answer the central question of how these elements influence a reduction in gender inequalities, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted, complemented by a Bibliometric Analysis, following PRISMA protocol guidelines. The bibliographic search, carried out in the Scopus database, covered the period from 2015 to 2025 and identified 26 relevant studies that met the predefined inclusion criteria. The results reveal that, despite progress in formulating policies aimed at combating gender-based violence and promoting equality, the implementation of these measures is hindered by a lack of inter-institutional coordination and the persistence of deeply rooted cultural norms. Likewise, structural inequalities in the labor sphere are evident, such as the gender wage gap and barriers to professional advancement. On the other hand, social movements have emerged as key actors—including governmental institutions, civil society organizations, and healthcare providers—in highlighting and transforming these disparities by driving changes in political agendas and increasing women’s representation in decision-making positions. In summary, this study underscores the need to adopt intersectional and comprehensive approaches to achieve effective and sustainable gender equity, while comparing the influence of policies across different global regions. Full article

Reviews of literacy coaching show positive outcomes for teaching and learning, yet also that coaching’s impact varies widely, especially at increased scale. Thus, some scholars argue the quality of coaching interactions may matter more than broad coaching actions (e.g., co-planning, observing). Situated within Habermas’s notion of “public sphere”, we used discourse analysis to examine video-recorded pre- and post-interviews, coaching meetings, and coach retrospective think-aloud protocols of a literacy coach and elementary school teacher who described their partnership as “successful”. We examined participants’ values expressed about coaching; how each participant positioned themselves, each other, and the coaching context; and the nature of the coach–teacher discourse therein to answer the following question: what occurs in the interactional space between a coach and teacher when engaged in coaching meetings? We found four categories of values focused on participatory choice, their sense of connectedness, knowledge development, and their approach to working with/as a coach. Further, participants’ positionings signified agency for both the coach and teachers in the interactional space. While bracketing and leveraging their own authority, the coach’s language choices promoted teachers’ agency within the interactional space, providing insight into how language functions to shape the “public sphere” of coaching interactions. Full article

The rapid development of urban subway network is prompting higher requirements for daylighting in subway stations. The skylight daylighting space of shallow buried subway stations not only improves the quality of light environment but also brings challenges for the optimization of light and thermal performance, especially in areas with hot summers and cold winters. In this paper, key parameters such as illumination, air temperature, and the black sphere temperature of skylight and artificial lighting areas at stations A and B in Shanghai were tested with a field test system. The results show that the light environment in the skylight areas was significantly improved, but the need for regulation and control of the thermal environment increased. Combined with response surface analysis, 10 sample models for two types of daylighting space (partitioned and open atrium styles) were studied and constructed, including 254 simulated working conditions. The results reveal that design parameters such as the number, aspect ratio, depth of light openings, and skylight angle have significant effects on combined energy consumption. The decentralized double slope roof daylighting space has the best performance in partitioned and open atrium-style public areas, and combined energy consumption can be reduced to 385.14 kWh/m². The optimization strategies proposed in this study can provide a quantitative basis for the skylight design of shallow buried subway stations and an important reference for the design of low-carbon and energy-saving underground spaces. Full article

This article examines the interplay of religion, nationalism, and identity in contemporary Sweden, focusing on the rising phenomenon of Christian nationalism. Our analysis of editorials and opinion pieces from major Swedish newspapers reveals a significant shift towards a more pronounced Christian influence in public discourse, suggesting a renegotiation of the sacred–secular divide. This shift highlights a growing intertwining of religious narratives with national identity, raising questions about whether Sweden should embrace its Christian heritage or maintain religious neutrality and plurality. Our findings indicate that expressions of individual faith emerging in cultural discussions are not merely personal; they also foster organized religion, contributing to the construction of new communal identities. This relocation of the sacred from the private to the public sphere signifies a renewed world-building potential for religion, particularly in urban settings, challenging classical secularization theories. The increasing prominence of Christian perspectives reflects discontent with “secularized Christianity-as-culture”, signaling a desire for a more foundational Christianity. Furthermore, the integration of spheres, where discourse on values and societal crises fosters a renewed demand for religion, leads to a need to reinforce a religious identity which results in a “cultural defense” that effectively supports Christian nationalism. Full article

The global emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii (CRAB) represents a significant public health threat. In the summer of 2022, a polyclonal CRAB outbreak occurred in our hospital, marking the first detection of an NDM-1 plus OXA-23 co-producing A. baumannii strain in Spain. The aim of this study was to phenotypically and genotypically characterize the clonal spread of NDM-1 and OXA-23 co-producing A. baumannii isolates and to describe the infection control measures implemented to contain the outbreak. Patients with multidrug-resistant A. baumannii isolates (July 2022–May 2023) were included in the study. Isolates were identified via MALDI-TOF, and antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using a broth microdilution method (DKMGN SensititreTM panels). Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 24 representative isolates. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Ridom SeqSphere+ (cgMLST), while sequence typing was performed using ARIBA (Pasteur and Oxford schemes). A. baumannii isolates from the affected patients belonged to five different sequence types. The two main STs were ST1Pas/ST231Oxf (NDM-1- and OXA-23-co-producing), which accounted for 58%, and ST136Pas/ST406Oxf (OXA-23-producing), which accounted for 21%. All isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, aminoglycosides, and carbapenems. In addition, 8% were resistant to colistin and 17% to cefiderocol. Finally, the affected patients were cohorted, and a thorough cleaning of the affected units was carried out. This study documents the clonal spread of an NDM-1- and OXA-23-co-producing A. baumannii strain in Spain, linked to a Libyan patient, highlighting the risk of cross-border spread. Although infection control measures successfully contained the outbreak, surveillance is essential as the incidence of CRAB infections is expected to increase. Full article

While digital religion and digital protest can ideally serve the common good, religious nationalist and fundamentalist movements have exploited these tools to disrupt the social fabric and create dangerous political outcomes. This paper examines how religious communicators within Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Alternative for Germany (AfD) perceive and enact their responsibility within digital spaces, leveraging the power of “networked communities” and the collective identity of the digital “crowd” to advance their agendas of religious fundamentalism and political conservatism. Bypassing traditional media, groups like the AfD and TLP exploit digital religion to build communities, spread propaganda that merges religion with national identity, frame political issues as religious mandates, and mobilize collective action. Campbell’s concept of the “networked community” demonstrates how digital technologies form decentralized, fluid, and global religious communities, distinct from traditional, geographically bound ones. Both the TLP and AfD have tapped into this new digital religious space, shaping and mobilizing political and religious identities across virtual borders. Gerbaudo’s idea of the “digital crowd” complements this by examining how collective action in the digital age reshapes mass mobilization, with social media transforming how political movements operate in the 21st century. Although the AfD’s platform is not overtly religious, the party strategically invokes ethno-Christian identity, framing opposition to Islam and Muslim immigration as a defense of German cultural and Christian values. Similarly, the TLP promotes religious nationalism by advocating for Pakistan’s Islamic identity against secularism and liberalism and calling for strict enforcement of blasphemy laws. Recognizing digital spaces as tools co-opted by religious nationalist movements, this paper explores how communicators in these movements understand their responsibility for the social and long term consequences of their messages. Using Luhmann’s systems theory—where communication is central to social systems—this paper analyzes how the TLP and AfD leverage individuals’ need for purpose and belonging to mobilize them digitally. By crafting emotionally charged experiences, these movements extend their influence beyond virtual spaces and into the broader public sphere. Finally, this paper will reflect on the theological implications of these dynamics both on and offline. How do religious communicators in digital spaces reconcile their theological frameworks with the social impact of their communication? Can digital religious communities be harnessed to foster social cohesion and inclusivity instead of exacerbating social divisions? Through this lens, the paper seeks to deepen our understanding of the intersection between digital religion, political mobilization, and theological responsibility in the digital age. Full article

The various definitions of academic freedom in the United States reflect the influence of social and political norms in its interpretation as both a professional and legal right. Yet, underlying these interpretations is the operational understanding, which includes both legal and professional considerations, that academic freedom is a widely recognized principle that grants professors the autonomy and authority to explore intellectual questions within their academic disciplines, conduct professional work, and express their views in the public sphere without undue interference or suppression. In other words, academic freedom is a foundational principle rooted in legal and institutional frameworks that safeguards professors’ ability to engage in intellectual inquiry, professional practice, and public discourse without undue interference. This principle extends beyond mere professional courtesy. It is recognized as essential to the functioning of higher education institutions and the broader democratic exchange of ideas. The public (including policymakers, industry leaders, media, and students) generally acknowledges academic freedom as an inherent protection that protects from unjustified interferences. By doing so, professors can participate in governance, disciplinary leadership, and extramural activities without the fear of retaliation or coercion. By insulating academic work from ideological, political, or economic constraints, academic freedom maintains the legitimacy and independence of scholarly inquiry in service to both knowledge advancement and the public good. Full article

Journalists have incorporated social networks into their work as a standard tool, enhancing their ability to produce and disseminate information and making it easier for them to connect more directly with their audiences. However, this greater presence in the digital public sphere has also increased their exposure to harassment and hate speech, particularly in the case of women journalists. This study analyzes the presence of harassment and hate speech in responses (n = 60,684) to messages that 200 journalists and media outlets posted on X (formerly Twitter) accounts during the days immediately preceding and following the July 23 (23-J) general elections held in Spain in 2023. The results indicate that the most common forms of harassment were insults and political hate, which were more frequently aimed at personal accounts than institutional ones, highlighting the significant role of political polarization—particularly during election periods—in shaping the hostility that journalists face. Moreover, although, generally speaking, the total number of harassing messages was similar for men and women, it was found that a greater number of sexist messages were aimed at women journalists, and an ideological dimension was identified in the hate speech that extremists or right-wing populists directed at them. This study corroborates that this is a minor but systemic issue, particularly from a political and gender perspective. To counteract this, the media must develop proactive policies and protective actions extending even to the individual level, where this issue usually applies. Full article

The Druze community has survived for a thousand years, during which it witnessed the emergence of female political and religious leaders. However, the Isma‘ili foundations of the Druze religion favored women without offering them considerable rights. This study describes the political actions of women leaders who are considered unique and outstanding leaders in the history of Druze society. The women discussed in this article share some features: all came from an elite social background; all were endowed with outstanding leadership qualities, which gave them status and prestige in the community; and, in keeping with Druze female leadership, all were identified with female sanctity and spirituality. Additionally, these women were portrayed in folk stories and biographies as women characterized by boldness, courage, leadership, and especially charisma to lead in the public sphere and not just the private one, in contrast to what is expected of Druze women as belonging to the private sphere, the family. This article argues that the combination of the level of positive consciousness toward women in the Druze religion and the elite status of these women, in addition to being unique charismatic personalities in Druze society and in their era, explains how they acquired their leadership role in the Druze community. Furthermore, while engaging in social and political activism, these women never employed their privileged status to promote gender equality in their societies. Full article

The Catholic Church in Denmark hosts several migrant communities, with the Polish-speaking group among the largest and most visible. Institutionally, Catholic priests from Poland serve as chaplains for migrant congregations, accompanying these mobilities and providing educational practices (e.g., family guidance, biblical teaching). This paper examines how perspectives on Catholic scriptural authority differ between the Church’s institutional representatives and its members, revealing tensions between biblical authority, social accommodation, and family values in a migratory setting. Based on 20 months of fieldwork in a Polish Catholic community in Copenhagen, this paper highlights the dynamic interplay of how Church members assess scriptural authority as evaluative engagement in their transnational lives in the Danish public sphere, illustrated through interconnected ethnographic excerpts. This article illustrates how scriptural engagement offers a productive lens to explore divergent notions of Polish Catholic diasporic life and the tensions between transnational religion, national belonging, and moral navigation. Full article

From the Christian heartland of Europe emerged the techno-scientific culture borne from the Enlightenment movement. Prior to this cultural outlook that severed culture from its foundational roots in religion, it was the case that religion was not only a crucial agent in the shaping of culture, but in many ways, the heart of culture. With secular rationality and its underscoring of the techno-scientific mindset, a growing privatization of religion has become the acceptable ethos of contemporary Western culture. Secularism, largely understood in terms of a naked public sphere, is increasingly perceived to be the only form of rationality that can guarantee societal cohesion and the democratic spirit. But as Ratzinger pointed out in his 1993 Hong Kong Address to the Doctrinal Commissions of the Bishops Conferences of Asia, this Western understanding of culture that is governed by a hermeneutic of suspicion towards religion, and which seeks to replace the heart of culture with autonomous reason a la Kant, ends up leaving culture in a winter land of existential frostiness. By depriving culture of its roots in the transcendental dimensions of human experience, much of the wisdom and riches that have been accumulated in the pre-techno-scientific cultures—regarding fundamental questions such as “Who am I?”, “Why am I here?”, “What is the meaning of life?”, “What happens when I die?”, “Does life make sense?”, “Do I have a destiny?” and more—are now left to the manufactured logic of the techno-scientific with its anthropological reductionism that fails to offer the big picture of the cultural outlook that did not construe the scientific and the technological as antithetical to religion. This essay seeks to unpack the arguments Ratzinger made in this Address at Hong Kong, with the hope that this theological exegesis of the Hong Kong lecture could once again offer an invitation to the world of the techno-scientific, the world of secular rationality, to open up to the world of faith, so that together, the breadth and depth of the human culture would once again flourish in its greatness. Full article