Effect of Climate Change and Selected Macroeconomic Variables on Food Security in South Africa

Ensuring a balanced and economically healthy environment is paramount for attaining zero hunger in Africa. This vision is threatened by climate change, a multivariate concept which impacts different sectors, most notably the agri-food sector. This study examined the effect of climate change and selected macroeconomic variables on food security in South Africa, focusing on developing relevant policy decisions to promote sustainable food systems in one of Africa's most industrialised economies. Time series data on South Africa, covering the period of 1990 to 2022, were sourced from the World Development Indicators database. The study applied the ADF unit root test to examine their stationarity properties. At the same time, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach to cointegration (ARDL) was used to investigate the long-run and short-run relationships of the selected climate and macroeconomic variables and food security in South Africa.Results from the short-run dynamics revealed that past changes (lagged values) in CO2 emissions, food import index, and particulate emission damage significantly impact food security. The error correction term indicated a strong adjustment to the long-term equilibrium, suggesting that food security responds quickly to deviations from its long-term trend. The high R-squared and adjusted R-squared values indicated that the model explains a substantial portion of the variance in food security. The model's diagnostics revealed no significant issue of autocorrelation in the residuals. At the same time, the absence of an ARCH effect indicates that the variance of the residuals is constant over time, and conditional heteroskedasticity is equally not an issue in the fitted model

Chinese Revolutionaries' Imagination Between Sun Yat-sen and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Chinese progressives and revolutionaries have drawn parallels between the Chinese Revolution and the Turkish Revolution in the early 20th century by assessing the historical and political contexts and the nations' stances against imperialism. The primary reason for this situation is that the Ottoman Empire and the Qing Dynasty, both formidable empires of their time, began to disintegrate concurrently, experienced semi-colonization by Western powers, and underwent revolutionary processes that occurred nearly simultaneously with analogous aims and objectives. The two states, located at the western and eastern extremities of the continent, were designated by the West as the "sick man of Asia." The revolutionaries in both states sought measures to salvage and rejuvenate the failing state. The Turkish and Chinese revolutions, occurring concurrently, aimed to exchange insights and enhance their movements. Members of the Communist Party of China and Kuominang authored multiple papers highlighting the historical parallels between Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Sun Yat-sen. This study aims to examine the perceptions of revolutionaries in China on Sun Yat-sen at the onset of the 20th century, as well as the historical connection between him and the Turkish Revolution and Atatürk

Gendered Zootopia on Instagram: Curation of Pet Accounts and Identity Representation

The social media landscape is replete with images of animals that users share, repost, and like. The various nonhuman species that have become a part of the social media ecosystem are no longer merely models for different content formats but have their own accounts and become influencers almost like humans. Instagram's gender-related politics do not regulate images of animals; one can hypothesize that pet accounts could serve as spaces, tools, and sources of creative content for gender representations free from stereotypes or undermining gender norms. This article aims to answer two main research questions: In what sets of actions is gendered human–animal identity performed in pet accounts? What curating strategies and platform tools are selected by owners to perform gender in pet accounts, within the limits of the platform affordances? To answer these questions, the article addresses three theoretical fields: (a) human-animal relationships, (b) the representation and performing of identity, and (c) the politics and affordances of digital platforms. Based on previous research in these fields, the authors suggest an analytical approach comprising account architecture (content of the header, saved/pinned stories, and relationships with other pet accounts) and account content (format in which content is created and presented). The empirical part is based on the analysis of six regularly updated accounts run on behalf of pets that were active at least three months prior to the beginning of the research

Language Advertisement in Vanguard and Punch Newspapers: A Semantic Approach

This study investigates the semantic features and language strategies employed in advertisements within two prominent Nigerian newspapers, Punch and Vanguard. Anchored in linguistic theories such as the Denotational, Mentalist, Sense, and Use Theories of Meaning, the research explores how lexical and semantic choices shape consumer perceptions and engagement. The study focuses on three advertisements: Wema Bank, The Alternative Bank (Punch), Blue Diamond Logistics, and Lagos Internal Revenue Service (Vanguard).Findings reveal distinct differences in language use, reflecting the newspapers' editorial styles and target audiences. Punch adopts direct, action-oriented language, appealing to a pragmatic readership by emphasising immediacy and clarity. For example, Wema Bank's "5 for 5 Promo" employs transactional terms like "daily draws" and "N135,000,000 prize," creating urgency and excitement. Similarly, The Alternative Bank uses aspirational phrases like "Be Unstoppable," encouraging empowerment and professional growth.Conversely, Vanguard employs emotive and sophisticated language, resonating with an urban, aspirational audience. Blue Diamond Logistics emphasises credibility and expertise through terms like "global logistics services" and "30-year track record," projecting reliability and international competence. The Lagos Internal Revenue Service ad promotes its eTax platform using language highlighting civic responsibility and convenience, framing tax compliance as a moral obligation.The study underscores the role of semantics in aligning advertisements with cultural and cognitive contexts, demonstrating how language constructs meaning to influence consumer behaviour. Advertisers effectively engage diverse demographics by tailoring linguistic strategies to specific audience profiles. Recommendations include a deeper exploration of cultural and regional factors in advertising language and expanding research to digital media platforms.In conclusion, the nuanced lexical and semantic choices in Punch and Vanguard advertisements exemplify the strategic interplay between language, meaning, and audience engagement in Nigerian print media

Residents' Perception on the Authenticity of Christmas Markets in Transylvania: The Case of Cluj-Napoca

Local events associated with religious holidays or holiday seasons provide a suitable context for the analysis of authenticity. In such regards, we conducted a survey among the visitors of the Christmas market held in ClujNapoca, Romania. The aim was to certify the authenticity of the elements of a local event as perceived by the visitors representing the local urban community. The analysis examined responses from 585 participants, exploring both qualitative and quantitative aspects. We identified seven key elements of authenticity defining the Christmas market. The study found no statistically significant differences in the perception of authenticity according to the demographic profile of the respondents.The overall opinion of the participants was that local traditional elements should predominate in an authentic Christmas market.This study could represent a ready-made tool for the decision-makers and event organisers, who should consider a participatory approach when engaging in the organisation of such events, ensuring the active involvement of the local community from the design to the implementation stage

Serious Games, Conceptual Blending, and Creative Learning

Background: Many efforts have been put into using serious games for education over the past two decades. Although there are different definitions for serious games, there is a relative agreement that the education of knowledge or skills through or by means of entertainment is at the heart of every serious game. However, educational capacities of serious games and learning strategies exploited in them require further studies. Aims: Considering the capacities of Fauconnier and Turner’s Blending theory, this paper aims to show that the learning strategies in serious games can have other dimensions. Methodology: This paper employs a conceptual and theoretical analysis methodology, drawing on Fauconnier and Turner’s Conceptual Blending Theory to examine the learning strategies embedded in serious games. Additionally, it utilizes a case study approach, analyzing the serious game FLIGBY to illustrate how structural and conceptual blending contribute to creative learning. Findings: The focus point of the paper as the source of the generation of different kinds of unconscious learning processes will be conceptual blending. In the end, the paper will also introduce the serious game FLIGBY from the perspective of Fauconnier and Turner’s blending theory at both structural and conceptual levels. Conclusions: By means of blending theory, it will be discussed that the elevation of serious games to a higher level is possible; a level that will not only reduce the tiredness of serious games but also pursue a more innovative learning, happening at two levels of structural and conceptual

The Missing Link: International Law, Administrative Power, and European Social Rights

Social security for migrant workers was the first truly integrated European policy. The form that this "coordination" has taken since 1958 has proved remarkably stable right up to the present day. Migrant (nowadays "mobile") workers within the territory of the European Union (EU) have benefited from "deterritorialized" and "denationalized" rights in a profound break with the national and territorial logic of social states. This article shows that the implementation of this policy was the work of a small group of national civil servants. These officials imported elements from treaties and agreements negotiated in other international organizations since 1945 into the architecture of the EU. Constituted as an "administrative commission," their group acquired a transnational administrative power. They thus created one of the first international redistribution mechanisms, a sort of social state beyond borders. The article is based on the national archives of several of the founding member states of the EU (here I am drawing in particular on the French national and diplomatic archives), as well as the archives of the International Labour Organisation, the EU, and the British National Archive. The article uses scientific articles written by the civil servants it deals with and by their contemporaries as well

Conference Report: Mapping Situational Analysis - An International Conference

In this conference report we provide insights into some of the key topics presented at the first international conference on situational analysis in Germany, held in November 2024 in Magdeburg. Central issues discussed include collaborations and feminist perspectives in practice for power-sensitive knowledge production, nonhumans and how they can be included in situational analysis through all types of mappings as well as methodical and methodological questions regarding mapping processes, interdisciplinary mapping, and the conceptualization of space in and through situational analysis. Adele CLARKE and her work were honored and celebrated at the conference.In diesem Tagungsbericht geben wir Einblick in einige der zentralen Themen, die während der ersten internationalen Tagung zur Situationsanalyse im November 2024 in Magdeburg diskutiert wurden. Hierzu gehörten insbesondere Kollaborationen und feministische Perspektiven in der Praxis, nichtmenschliche Akteure und wie diese in Mapping-Strategien der Situationsanalysen aufgenommen werden können, aber auch methodische und methodologische Fragen, interdisziplinäres mappen und Raumkonzepte der Forscher*innen. Die Konferenz wurde in Gedenken an und zu Ehren von Adele CLARKE organisiert