Arts & Humanities

The archaeology of political corruption in Nigeria

The research of Arno Boenner focuses on political corruption in Nigeria, widely regarded as a major issue. The analysis of this topic, however, often neglects to explore the role played by imperialism. Dr Boenner considers whether there is a causal connection between colonialism and political corruption, before offering an ethics based form of governance as a potential solution. By applying […]

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Arts & Humanities

The historical writings of Djiguiba Camara (Guinea)

Dr Elara Bertho, of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and Dr Marie Rodet, at SOAS University of London, have rediscovered, studied, edited, and annotated the historical work of Djiguiba Camara (c. 1885-1963), a writer and historian from Upper Guinea. Camara’s fascinating local history, “Essai d’histoire locale”, was used without direct acknowledgement by French historian Yves Person more than […]

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Arts & Humanities

The wisdom of the crowd: A new typology for crowdsourcing

Dr Helen K. Liu from the National Taiwan University provides a typology for crowdsourcing public services based on theories of coproduction, public sector volunteerism, and government–citizen relations. Having carried out an extensive review of existing literature on crowdsourcing, she systematically examined the fundamental concepts applied to defining the role of citizens engaged in crowdsourcing practices in the public sector. The […]

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Arts & Humanities

The Algorithm that Ate the Street: A Recursive Urbanism

Paul Guzzardo’s work examines the intersection of artificially intelligent machines and the City Street. The impact of each on the other is explored through probes, or what he calls The Storyboards. Guzzardo’s storyboards simultaneously examine and sketch the digitisation of the human experience. As artists, architects, and writers explore the world of “machines and us,” Guzzardo is keen to find […]

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Arts & Humanities

The evolution and spiritual journey of two former Black Panther Party members: George Jackson and Eldridge Cleaver

Dr Trevin Jones is an English Professor at St. Louis Community College. In his dissertation on African American prison writers, he explores how different African American male prison writers explore issues of activism, masculinity, identity, and spirituality. In particular, he focuses on two former members of the Black Panther Party: George Jackson and Eldridge Cleaver. Although coming from similar perspectives, […]

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Arts & Humanities

Open range cattle herding in Texas: A very European affair

Cowboys on horseback are an icon of Texas. The commonly accepted scenario is that cattle herding, first introduced into Mexico, expanded northward via the arid central highlands. However, Professor William E. Doolittle (University of Texas at Austin), has revealed a much more important route via the tropical lowlands of Mexico’s east coast. Cattle were first introduced to this region by […]

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Arts & Humanities

Doing good: Social change initiatives and ethical thinking

Social change is complex. Program designers and implementers need to deal with complexity in ethical ways. Ms Susan Igras and Dr Anjalee Kohli at Georgetown University and their co-authors examine the power dynamics of norms-shifting interventions in fostering health improvement. Their aim is to develop an approach to designing and carrying out interventions which more systematically take into account values, […]

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Arts & Humanities

Twittering away our deliberative capacity: Social media and the threat to democracy

Communication technologies lie at the heart of every society, and their structural biases contribute to many of our social biases. The use of social media, and especially Twitter, by former US president Trump offers a case study in how the rise of social media is driving populism, divisive rhetoric, and harm to our socio-political landscape. Dr Brian Ott at Missouri […]

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Arts & Humanities

A place of knowledge and connection: Developing a health and wellbeing framework for public libraries

Debra Rosenfeldt, Head of Library Sector Engagement at State Library Victoria and Jane Cowell, CEO, Yarra Plenty Regional Library Corporation are part of a team of library professionals who are developing a Health and Wellbeing Framework for public libraries in Victoria, Australia. The research undertaken demonstrates how libraries, through collaboration with their health and community partners, can deliver in the […]

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Arts & Humanities

The rocky road to justice for atrocities committed during the Kosovo war

The Kosovo war marked a period of unimaginable violence. The Serbian campaign of ethnic cleansing of Kosovar Albanians, overseen by then-president of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, met with retaliatory atrocities by opposing forces, led by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). In the years since, various tribunals and organisations have been created to deliver justice, but they have been hampered by continued […]

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