What is the worth of future people, and do we owe moral duties to such individuals? Based on African ethics, i.e., the “Ubuntu” ethic, I seek not only to show the worth of people not yet born but also to consider duties of the poor and the state towards future generations. “Ubuntu” is a moral term that is common in sub-Saharan African states, particularly South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. A person who embodies “Ubuntu” is an individual who honours our human dignity and relations in society. The originality of this research emanates from my consideration of why people not yet born merit dignity. I demonstrate that future generations have dignity because they belong to the community, and they influence communal activities. Additionally, besides revealing why it is wrong for the state, particularly South Africa, which is my chief example, to discourage the poor from reproducing, I demonstrate why the thriving of future generations would be determined by the affordability of resources, e.g., land.
The accelerating entanglement of global and local dynamics has generated pressing challenges for both the philosophy of science and human rights. Universalist frameworks in each field aspire to global applicability, yet often falter when confronted with culturally embedded practices and contested realities. This paper explores whether methodological tools from the philosophy of science can enhance the justification and application of human rights within glocalized contexts. Building on conceptual insights from positivism, interpretivism, and critical realism, the study develops novel analytical indices – the Deliberative Diversity Score, Inclusion and Representation Ratio, Transformative Policy Index, and Deliberative-Contextual Integration – to operationalize glocalization in human rights research. These indices were applied to three illustrative domains: environmental justice, digital rights, and healthcare access. The results demonstrate uneven patterns of glocal integration. Environmental justice revealed strong global commitments but weak local representation, digital rights showed structural deliberation alongside significant exclusion of marginalized groups, and healthcare governance displayed comparatively higher levels of inclusion and transformative policy adoption. The findings confirm that philosophy of science tools can enhance human rights analysis by testing empirical claims (falsifiability), amplifying marginalized perspectives (standpoint epistemology), and revealing structural causes of exclusion (critical realism). The scientific novelty of the study lies in embedding glocalization within a measurable methodological framework, while its practical significance rests in providing policymakers and advocates with tools for culturally responsive, evidence- based rights evaluation. The research concludes that glocalization constitutes not a superficial compromise but a methodological necessity for strengthening universal rights in diverse cultural settings.
This contribution engages with recent scholarship on technology, environment, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence that have highlighted their manyfold historical, political and conceptual entanglements on a global scale. These include the way technologies over time have contributed to shape the human and natural environment; how they are changing political and scientific representations of the environment and of its transformations; the ecological costs of contemporary capitalism that exploits data and largely relies on digital technologies. Through this survey of texts and theories – mainly advanced by scholars at the Divison of History, Science, Technology and Environment of the Kth Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden – this contribution aims at pointing at the major strands of critical understanding of contemporary digital technologies from a global and ecologist point of view, also in order to highlight some of their theoretical further possible developments.
In today’s tightly interconnected world, the complexity of global and local dynamics emerges with particular clarity in the realm of education, culture, and social groups, where glocal tensions challenge the rigid universal frameworks and demand nuanced, context-specific adaptations. In an era shaped by rapid technological change, widening social inequalities and shifting geopolitical landscapes, educational systems and institutions worldwide face mounting pressure to rethink how learning is designed, delivered and anchored in lived experience. This issue of Glocalism. Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation investigates these topics by examining how global dynamics intersect with local specificities to shape pedagogical models, redefine cultural belonging and influence political agency of societal groups. The contributions herein offer specialised analyses across various disciplines, collectively enhancing our understanding of social structures in the contemporary glocal world.
Classics of historiography are not all the same. As with classics in literature, or in any other human expression, their status depends on both the historical and cultural context within which they were produced and the historical and cultural context within which they have been appointed as such. When we think of classics, the concept of canon arises. However, even in this case, it is important to consider not only the context in which the book belonging to the canon was written, but also the different historical contexts in which the same book was recognised as a classic: the history of the fortune and misfortune of these works is relevant to understanding it. Like the classics, each canon is not necessarily an enemy of intercultural dialogue because it may be used as a tool to express a clear cultural identity to interact with other cultural identities. Classics and canons are representatives of local cultural identities that cannot and should not be erased by global classics and a global canon. To improve our understanding of other cultures, we need to preserve both our own and other identities, represented by their different canons, with their slow-changing nature. In the future, global classics may arise as expressions of global intellectual dialogue, but the other classics will keep their value as manifestations of specific cultural identities.
This article is dedicated to the analysis and review of documentation relating to sexual abuse by clergy, most of which is already known but has previously been presented in an incomplete manner. A comprehensive examination of these documents allows us to make some observations regarding the global management by the ecclesiastical institution of clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the 20th century, providing a different interpretative key and opening up further reflections from the point of view of theoretical and conceptual analysis.
This article delves into the “Integrated Deterrence of the United States”, unveiled at the XV Conference of Ministers of Defense of the Americas (CMDA) in 2022, which sparked numerous international debates and led to varied interpretations regarding its implications. This study aims to examine this discourse by highlighting Latin America’s distinct characteristics and conducting an in-depth analysis of security and defense challenges projected over the forthcoming decade. A range of bibliographic sources were reviewed to understand the concepts and implications and to envision the strategic concept’s applicability. The U.S. proposal was juxtaposed with contemporary risks, threats, and factors that enhance risk, which diverge from traditional elements. Consequently, it was determined that the U.S. strategy does not allow for a comprehensive application of the strategic model in the region, given the distinct characteristics present in each territory.
This section of Glocalism focuses on security challenges of or related to South America. It studies security using a widened security agenda, based on the sectoral theory of the Copenhagen School, including not only military security, but also political, economic, societal and environmental security sectors.
In 1981, the metropolitan areas of Montpellier and Chengdu signed the first French-Chinese sister city (SC) agreement. This type of relationship has historically led to what is termed as “decentralized cooperation” (DC), a concept that has been simplified following the enactment of French decentralisation laws in 1992. The primary purpose of sister city agreements was to enable French local administrations to establish formal cooperation and DC projects with foreign local authorities (Tulard 2006: 7-12, 15-55). Regarding SC and DC, the political ambitions of mayors have facilitated the development of a “global village” since the 1950s across various domains, including bilateral economic cooperation, student exchanges, local and international festivals, among others. Consequently, this article examines the role of sister city relationships as a potential means of safeguarding international relations (IR) through a microscale perspective. This study adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on the results of thirty interviews conducted in France and China between 2020 and 2023. In the context of the competition between the “West” and the “Global South,” sister city partnerships are increasingly confronted with crises within a complex global landscape characterized by tensions between deglobalization and European strategies of de-risking. While shifts in the global order remain uncertain, glocal tensions persist, oscillating between cooperation and competition (Bartsch, Wessling 2023: 19-55).
Review of the book "Goodbye Globalisation: The Return of a Divided World" by Elisabeth Braw
The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (Bajmc) program can be termed as professional or vocational course systematically designed to make students industry ready by inculcating specialised knowledge and training along with building practical skills. The syllabus caters to diverse subjects and has integrated the element of internships, workshops and certifications. The following research is conducted with a purpose to evaluate the integration of Work-Integrated Learning (Wil) in Mass Communication Education through the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (Bajmc) program at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University using Dee Fink’s Significant Learning Taxonomy and the Work-Integrated Learning Curriculum Classification (Wilcc) Framework. Hybrid Analytical Approach is used which combines both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The objectives of the syllabus are reviewed using Dee Fink’s taxonomy, defined into clusters by Wilcc framework and are assessed on the basis of credit weightage. Faculty interviews conducted for understanding the delivery of the content from work integrated perspective are analysed using thematic analysis. The result shows the strong presence of foundational as well implementation of practical knowledge. The syllabus has the flexibility to strategically cater to real-world projects and students taking free lancing projects leading to their holistic development. However, the curriculum lacks professional and embedded Wil demands improvement and requires workplace exposure to promote coordinated co-curricular activities. Fink’s taxonomy can be a guiding template for creating a comprehensive skill spectrum and using Wilcc framework can be vital for aligning the credit-based subjects with the industry standards and working systems and can stimulate students for the dynamic media industry. Regular assessment considering the Wilcc framework can be crucial for aligning credit-bearing subjects with the workplace engagements.
In the wake of the incursion by Hamas militants into Israel in the early hours of 7 October, a deluge of disinformation in the form of videos and photographs purporting to depict the conflict has inundated various social media platforms, thereby creating a significant challenge for global observers attempting to differentiate between actual occurrences and fictionalised representations. Fake news often appeals to emotions and instincts. During periods of war, strife and disagreement, it is common for misinformation and counterfeit news to circulate with great speed and ease, prompted by escalated sentiments and a lack of certainty. Journalists, governmental bodies, individuals, and organisations circulated inaccurate and misleading information for various reasons, including spreading propaganda, manipulating public opinion, or provoking discord. The paper aims to study the impact of fake news and deepfakes during the Israel and Hamas conflict in 2023 and discuss India’s stance in the ongoing war. The paper aims to analyse the reason behind misinformation in the ongoing war, understand how media literacy can help debunk fake news and learn techniques to approach online misinformation during a conflict. The researchers have adopted framing analysis and thematic analysis to identify and analyse the fake news identified by two fact-checkers in India. Digital media literacy is an effective solution to fight against misinformation, especially during a global crisis.
This essay discusses globalization and glocalization as crucially important concepts for the Social Sciences and Humanities, thereby distinguishing between globalization/ glocalization as research methodology (hermeneutics) and as historical process unfolding through time. For many SSH scholars the term globalization evokes historical processes that likewise spanned the globe and were (apparently) directed from above, such as imperialism, Westernisation and modernisation. Defining globalization as glocalization, which it is by nature, might help to overcome this (incorrect) association and make it into an important instrument of the (decolonial) SSH toolbox. After discussing the content of the Handbook of Culture and Glocalization, edited by Victor N. Roudometof and Ugo Dessì (2022), to show what glocalization entails and how the concept is fruitfully used over a variety of fields already, I focus on the idea of “arrival” as a next step in our research agenda. Glocalization, I argue, is very much about the impact of globalization, in local contexts, in cognitive terms of experience. Increasing global dynamics demand embedding practices to make globalization work on the ground, in the lives of people, as glocalization. To a successful outcome of these inherently difficult processes, often fraught with anxiety and friction, anchoring is key.
The history of pandemic outbreaks is replete with disruptions that resonate beyond the immediate realm of health and wellness. The outbreak of COVID-19 triggered unprecedented consequences across the world. In parts of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, compulsorily enforced lockdown, alongside the void created by inadequate policing, caused widespread insecurity and crimes linked to so-called “one million boys”. Traditionally, the menace of area boyism is rife in Lagos and extant literature has focused on the groups’ acrimonious history of violence, extortion and crime. This paper examines the nexus between COVID-19 lockdown, rampant insecurity and area boys’ interventions in Fadeyi, Mushin and Ojuelegba areas of Lagos. It argues that, despite their flawed reputation, area boys became instrumental in residents’ search for an unconventional solution to rising crime rates in Lagos in line with the popular Yoruba saying: “Olè ló mọ ẹsẹ̀ olè tọ̀” (it is a thief that knows how to catch another thief). The study draws from a number of sources – archival materials, in-depth fieldwork, and secondary materials and adopts the qualitative and descriptive research method. Its finding indicates that COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos State did not only stimulate widespread insecurity and criminal activities, but also prompted unconventional security intervention from the most unlikely sources. It concludes that the sheer degree of energy currently being misapplied by area boys can be harnessed to further the course of national development in several crucial areas.
Following the October Revolution and a brief period of civil unrest, Soviet leaders, architects, and engineers initiated a comprehensive reconstruction of the architectural landscape to sever ties with capitalism and align it with socialist-communist ideology. The ideology needed to be imbued within the architecture and built spaces. The paper explores the intricate relationship between architecture and ideology within the context of Soviet architecture from 1917 to 1953, a period characterized by significant socio-political transformations after the Bolshevik Revolution. Using a framework that integrates architectural semiotics and critical theory, the study examines how architectural forms and functions not only reflect but also propagate ideological narratives. To this end, official documents, archival materials, historical maps and photographs from the Soviet era on urban planning and design have been analysed. Additionally, Lenin’s theory of reflection, and Stalin’s socialist realism form the part of critical analysis for the study revealing the profound influence they project on architectural practices. As a method of study, one representative architecture has been selected from each of the three most prominent building types viz. “communal housing”, “workers’ clubs”, and “Stalin skyscrapers” to illustrate how these structures embody socialist principles and contribute to the construction of a new Soviet identity. Thus, the study underscores architecture’s role as a powerful tool for ideological dissemination, shaping social values and collective memory while serving as a medium for both power and resistance in the evolving landscape of Soviet society.
This paper analyses Colombia’s experiences with international arbitration in disputes with foreign investors. Three periods of roughly 30 years were chosen: a) diplomatic protection of great powers’ expatriates in Latin America (Colombia) in the era of Imperialist rivalry: the last decades of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth. This protection (sometimes with naval interventions) was meant to uphold a minimum standard of treatment for foreigners and gave rise to the Calvo doctrine as its counter-current protecting Latin American economic sovereignty; b) interregnum between the 1960s and 1980s: Calvo (prevalent in Latin America) reincarnated in an economic emancipation drive by postcolonial countries at the United Nations. Yet, the doctrine suffered a setback in the World Bank where the Icsid Convention was adopted despite a collective No vote by Latin American members on an earlier draft in Tokyo; c) investor-state arbitration under international investment agreements: expansion and retreat, from 1990 to present. Expansion of such agreements and emergence of a kind of arbitral case-law occurred between the early 1990s (when the Latin American mainstream abandoned Calvo) and the late 2000s. Counter-currents appeared since the early 2000, including treaty clarifications, public policy carve-outs, and withdrawals of Latin American, North American and European states. This periodization allows for comparing Colombia’s international investment arbitration consents, relevant awards, treaties, legislation and constitutional case-law over time.
Previous research has provided compelling accounts of how the alter-globalization movement develops alternative visions of globalization that are firmly rooted in local struggles and place-based politics, celebrating cultural distinctions and local idiosyncrasies, while at the same time embracing global movement building and place-based globalism and expressing both local and cosmopolitan identities and values. Given these findings of previous research, how do alter-globalization movement participants think about place identity, place meaning, and place attachment? What is their sense of place? We explore these questions in the context of the Slow Food movement, a global network that brings together many locally-oriented activists to transform the food system. Our semi-structured interviews with Slow Food movement participants provide evidence and examples that are indicative of the presence of place-based politics and place-based globalism in the Slow Food movement. This research contributes to the literature in two ways: It synthesizes and applies place-based concepts to the study of highly diverse transnational movement spaces to generate a deeper understanding of transnational social movement participants’ sense of place and of the solidarities and shared identities that they develop, and it highlights the voices and personal stories transnational food movement participants shared during interviews as they reflected on issues of place.
This paper delves deeply into the forces of globalization, leveraging The handbook of culture and glocalization (2022), edited by Victor N. Roudometof and Ugo Dessì, as both a resource and a subject of critique. While the handbook provides an expansive view of global influences across diverse sectors, it overlooks the power asymmetries embedded in glocalization. By examining theoretical gaps, conceptual ambiguities, and uneven engagements with global-local dynamics, this research uncovers a need for a more incisive framework to address the realities of power within globalization. To bridge this gap, the study introduces “assimilative glocalism”, a theoretical model designed to illuminate the strategic incorporation and subtle subordination of local elements within global structures. Through this, the paper presents a sophisticated balanced analysis of glocalization, revealing how integration often disguises underlying hierarchies. This research offers a pioneering perspective, re-envisioning glocalization as a complex interplay that simultaneously celebrates and constrains diversity. This contribution not only enriches the discourse but also enhances the theoretical tools available for studying globalization.
A critical feature of our interconnected world seems particularly relevant nowadays: the inherent tension between glocal reality and a rigid geopolitical order. In a world that appears increasingly closed within national or regional borders, we are faced with a transformation of the relationship between global and local and the intellectual, cultural, and political challenges that such a transformation brings. The perpetual endeavour to traverse the chasm between glocal tensions and the concrete realities of heterogeneous societies, cultures, and political terrains is of paramount importance.
In a globalized postmodern world, the metanarratives of modernity are contested and have been paving the way for a patchwork of cultures and subcultures. In this overarching context, subcultures represent values, norms and practices divergent, at the fringes of, or alternative to the dominant cultures, and thus are crucial to map the “cal” in glocal in a globalized world. In efforts to “make sense” of a postmodern glocal world, I argue that mapping the missing kaleidoscope of “cals” around the world is important more than ever. I examine in this article the youth subcultures specifically in the context of Turkey and discuss the potential of Turkish youth to form subcultures within the framework of the internet, and digital or “net subcultures”. To this end, the first part of the present study unpacks the concepts of “subculture”, “youth subculture” and digital “net subcultures” from a theoretical perspective. Next, I discuss why Turkish youth have been unable to form subcultural emergences throughout various historical periods. In the final section, I analyse whether technological innovations such as the internet, which allow for immediate access to different cultural forms, offer Turkish youth the possibility of creating nascent subcultures, and drawing from the particular contexts of the Gezi Protests in 2013 and the “Youth and Social Media Research” published that same year.
