Streaming feminism? South Asian TV series by/about women

Films and TV series by and/or about women are among the most widely circulated content within South Asia. This is not a coincidence. The global expansion of VOD since the 2010s has coincided with the rise of a new global wave of militant feminism. Drawing on a long history of regional and intersectional alliances, in India and other South Asian countries the new feminist generation has been one of the most vociferous opponents of increasingly repressive forms of state power and socio-political control. ‘What a woman can and cannot do’ continues to be one of the most threaded discursive terrains over which national and regional politics are debated. And VOD-circulated TV series by and/or about women today fuel those debates. And yet within the film industries of South Asia the rate of creative positions held by women barely reaches 10 percent. Corporate VOD platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Zee5 claim to promote women's access to the industry, but these claims remain unsubstantiated. To date no research exists on the impact of VOD on women’s access to creative roles or the percentage of content by women in VODs' libraries. Taking off from the findings of the AHRC-funded South Asian Cinema and VOD Research Network (http://southasiavod.com/), this chapter asks: are the new forms of cultural exchange enabled by VOD entirely mediated by VOD companies? Can they be channels of transnational feminist dialogue, exchanges that are taking place across the region, below the radar of corporate interests and state control? By examining the circulation and aesthetics of a range of women-centred South Asian VOD series, the author considers how women filmmakers are moving within this new landscape, and how the pressures and opportunities that characterise it shape the VOD content they make

Leveraging diaspora finance for inclusive and sustainable rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab

Diaspora finance has been studied extensively for fostering inclusive economic participation, supporting innovation and value addition. The extent and seminal literature indirectly present diaspora finance as an informal source of finance for the families and relatives of the diasporan population. There is extensive research on the flow of diaspora remittances to the home country, but less is known about the utilisation of diaspora funds as a formally organised alternative financing source for promoting entrepreneurship, especially rural entrepreneurship and farming. However, the use of diaspora finance in rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab is amiss. Therefore, this chapter reaches out to explores the linkages between diaspora finance and rural entrepreneurship by analysing the challenges and opportunities of utilising formally organised diaspora finance to promote rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab. Using the qualitative approach, the findings suggest that remittances and transnational philanthropy provide critical financial resources that supplement inadequate domestic funding, especially in rural areas where formal financial services are limited. An innovative conceptual framework has been developed to conceptualise the utilisation of diaspora finance for empowering rural entrepreneurship to foster economic growth. The conceptual framework provides the context and explains the factors that inhibit the Punjabi diaspora's large-scale engagement in rural entrepreneurship and farming specifically. This study advances the understanding of the underutilisation of diaspora finance for rural entrepreneurship in the Indian Punjab. It emphasises the need for a supportive policy framework to leverage diaspora finance for sustainable rural entrepreneurship, inclusive growth and reducing rural-urban disparities

Urban Shakespeare: Civic and Public Art in England's Second City

Widely regarded as England’s second city, Birmingham is just thirty miles north of William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. As one enters the ceremonial county of Warwickshire in the West Midlands region where Birmingham lies, the road sign welcomes people to “Shakespeare’s county.” Yet, beyond the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the industrial city of Birmingham boasts a long, fascinating, and often overlooked history with Shakespeare

What are the functions of daily prayers?

Ṣalāt, the daily obligatory prayers, according to Muslims, is the most regular form of worship and a highly praised pillar of faith leading to salvation

Forensic expert evidence: research approaches to judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making

In the United States, forensic experts routinely testify in legal proceedings to help solve crime. In doing so, forensic experts interact with key legal actors. Judges will determine the admissibility of the expert’s evidence, deliver jury instructions, and decide appeals. Lawyers will present and challenge the expert evidence, and jurors will weigh the evidence as part of determining a verdict. In this space, advances in DNA testing have led to concerns about the reliability of expert opinions concerning forensic comparison techniques like fingerprint and firearm analysis, which have served the criminal justice system for decades. The National Academy of Sciences has reported on these concerns, including the limitations of judges, lawyers, and jurors when it comes to understanding forensic science evidence. Against this backdrop, this chapter shares three research approaches developed by the authors to deepen understanding of judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making about forensic science in context. It concludes with ideas for future research, including the relevance of these approaches to legal debates in England and Wales, Canada, and Australia

Political Composition: A Creative Exploration of Global Socio-Political Issues through Contemporary Classical Composition

This thesis explores the research question: ‘how can the composition of contemporary classical music be an effective vessel for the exploration of socio-political issues?’ It consists of a folio of compositions, recordings, and an accompanying commentary. The compositions range from small solo study pieces to instrumental chamber music with fixed media and an orchestral piece. This research straddles two distinct fields of composition – referential music and political music. Throughout music history, composers have not been afraid of referencing socio-political issues in their music. Examples can be seen in the academic discourse around composers such as Richard Wagner and antisemitism (Parsifal),1 Hans Eisler and Marxism (Hangmen also Die),² and Frederic Rzewski and social justice (Coming Together).³ This practice research does not attempt to persuade a listener into following a political ideology; it instead engages with socio-political themes in the compositional process. It uses a practice-based reflexive methodology of composition, score analysis and reflection on my own thoughts through elements of autoethnography to develop a toolkit of rhetorical devices in compositional contexts as an investigation into the research question. The socio-political backdrop of our world is ever-evolving. The compositions in this research specifically focus on events from 2019 to 2024. This includes the UK formally leaving the EU (On Leaving You), the COVID-19 pandemic (From Home and The Anti-Masker) and its political fallout (Wonderland), our continued attempt to grapple with climate change (Drift), the changes in American politics (Our Better History and Equals), the Middle East crisis (For Gaza), and the culture wars (An Attack is Taking Place). The research concludes that composition can be used successfully as a vessel to explore global socio-political issues. The project provides a foundation for additional practice and research in this and related areas

Fixed Identities, Zero-Sum Games and Oppression Hierarchies: The Impasses of Current Debates About Race and Their Consequences for Contemporary Politics

This article examines the persistence of common-sense conceptions of race and ethnic identity and the role they play within contemporary politics in the UK. Drawing on the work of Claire Alexander and Rogers Brubaker, the article reflects on why we continue to see ethnic identity as something fixed and static, and why this persists despite theoretical developments which have drawn attention to identity’s fluidity and contingency. Using a conjunctural analysis, the article examines how such conceptions of ethnic identity intersect with two other aspects of the current conjuncture: firstly, neoliberal individualism; and secondly, culture war politics. Consistent with neoliberal individualism, it is assumed that groups compete with each other for recognition and success, mostly within the framework of nation states. Within the divisive politics of culture wars, competition and fixed identities harden into a zero-sum game: greater recognition and rights for one group becomes, by definition, a loss of rights and recognition for another. Solidarity and collectivity become inconceivable, and international politics—particularly international solidarity—becomes unrecognisable within this framework. Ethnic disparity reports are considered, and how these draw attention to how racism is experienced by different groups, but in ways that make it difficult to consider what might be shared. The article then considers two examples from contemporary politics. First of these is a recent controversy surrounding Diane Abbott MP and her claims that racism experienced by those racialised as Black is different from those who can pass for white. Secondly, the article explores reactions to independent candidates in the 2024 election who called for a ceasefire in Gaza. These reactions framed the situation as sectarian politics relating to the ‘Muslim vote’. In both examples, where fixed identities, competitive individualism and zero-sum games are mobilised to narrow the scope of debate, misrepresent people and situations and exclude important political questions from discussion, especially international politics. The article ends by reflecting on the continued appeal of fixed identities, and also what narrow discussions about race can exclude. It calls for a reconsideration of anti-racism to move beyond these impasses and categories

Associations between epileptic seizures in pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Epileptic seizures during pregnancy may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Socioeconomic disparities in epilepsy incidence may extend to seizure control. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between epileptic seizures during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We also evaluated the association between socioeconomic and individual-level factors and seizure occurrence. Methods and findings We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases from inception to May 2025 for observational studies on pregnant women with epileptic seizures. We compared maternal and foetal outcomes in pregnant women with and without seizures and assessed the association between seizure occurrence and socioeconomic or individual-level factors. We used the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analyses using random effects model were performed to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). From 13,381 identified publications, 25 studies (24,596 pregnancies) are included in this analysis. In pregnant women with epilepsy, women with seizures compared to those without had increased odds of caesarean birth (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.30, p = 0.007), peripartum depression (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.65, p = 0.04), and small for gestational age baby (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.69, p = 0.03). The odds of preterm birth (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.15, p < 0.001), low birthweight (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.93, p = 0.006), and small for gestational age baby (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.74, p < 0.001) were higher in women with seizures compared to women without epilepsy. The risk of seizures was greater in pregnant women with epilepsy with low income compared to those with higher income (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.02, p < 0.001), and in women with focal epilepsy compared to those with generalised epilepsy (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.20, p < 0.001). The number of studies for some outcomes was small, limiting subgroup analyses and detection of heterogeneity. Conclusion Epileptic seizures are associated with increased risks of adverse maternal and foetal outcomes. Risk assessment to identify women with epilepsy at highest risk of seizures is needed to optimise care