Tag: Political Science

What Participatory Democracy Looks Like: Occupy Wall Street and the Myth of Leadership

November 9, 2011

Occupy Nashville protesters at the state capitol. While media pundits look for a single “heroic” leader in the Occupy Wall Street movement, others point to a reclamation of participatory democracy and an emerging model of distributed leadership. Image from AP. BY DANA D. NELSONProfessor of English and American studies at Vanderbilt University Since just about … More What Participatory Democracy Looks Like: Occupy Wall Street and the Myth of Leadership

New bill shines a light on how the law looks at sex trafficking

August 17, 2011

A graphic showing global human trafficking patterns, with specific focus on women and children. Julietta Hua discusses a new anti-trafficking law and its implications for mainstream assumptions. Image from Creative Commons. BY JULIETTA HUA Assistant professor of women and gender studies at San Francisco State University With the implementation of Senate Bill 1037 beginning in … More New bill shines a light on how the law looks at sex trafficking

"Glamour" has it wrong; to tackle relationship violence, one must take agency as a victim (and no, the two terms are not mutually exclusive).

July 27, 2011

A 2008 neighborhood sign reads “North Hampton is a Domestic Violence-Free Zone.” Carisa Showden points out that in situations of relationship violence, agency must be shared with concerned others. Image from Creative Commons. BY CARISA R. SHOWDENAssistant professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro In its May 2011 issue, Glamour … More "Glamour" has it wrong; to tackle relationship violence, one must take agency as a victim (and no, the two terms are not mutually exclusive).

Working conditions, the battle at Tyson, and the Wisconsin moment

April 7, 2011

In Breaks in the Chain, Paul Apostolidis investigates the personal life stories of a group of Mexican immigrant meatpackers who are at once typical and extraordinary. After crossing the border clandestinely and navigating the treacherous world of the undocumented, they waged a campaign to democratize their union and their workplace in the most hazardous industry … More Working conditions, the battle at Tyson, and the Wisconsin moment

Egypt Q&A: Unrelenting protests are rooted in many years of civil unrest and bear the marks of a social revolution.

February 3, 2011

In Cairo, Egypt, a big banner that spells out “Leave,” in reference to Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak, appears on Feb. 1st, 2011. Throughout the Mubarak regime’s tenure, citizens have experienced violations of their civil rights on a daily basis. Photo by Essam Sharaf, courtesy of Creative Commons. Photo from Flickr. BY SALWA ISMAILProfessor of politics … More Egypt Q&A: Unrelenting protests are rooted in many years of civil unrest and bear the marks of a social revolution.

How widespread protests in Tunisia and Egypt could lead to a rapid transformation of geopolitics in the Middle East.

January 31, 2011

After this month’s uprising in Tunisia, many scholars and journalists pondered whether its example could spark other revolts. Still, many were taken by surprise when massive protests erupted in downtown Cairo on January 25th, 2011. Photo from Flickr. BY WALEED HAZBUNAssistant Professor of International Relations, American University of Beirut Watching Al Jazeera English in the … More How widespread protests in Tunisia and Egypt could lead to a rapid transformation of geopolitics in the Middle East.

Zombies and Other Strangers: Thoughts on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead

January 26, 2011

Actors Steven Yeun (from left, “Glenn”) and Andrew Lincoln (“Rick Grimes”) struggle to survive an undead apocalypse in AMC’s The Walking Dead. The author wishes to thank Mark Heimermann and Michael Lang for introducing him to the series. BY PETER Y. PAIKAssociate professor of comparative literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and author of From … More Zombies and Other Strangers: Thoughts on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead

CITY feature: Edward W. Soja and justice struggles in the contemporary world.

November 22, 2010

The following is a guest post from Andrea Gibbons, co-editor at the journal CITY: Analysis of urban trends, culture, theory, policy, action. CITY‘s current issue features leading urban theorist Edward Soja and his most recent book, Seeking Spatial Justice (Minnesota 2010), in which Soja argues that justice has a geography and that the equitable distribution … More CITY feature: Edward W. Soja and justice struggles in the contemporary world.