Social trends and new geographies

This opening chapter sets the scene for subsequent more detailed analysis of many of the issues raised here. We start by discussing in Section 1 the tension in the current era between humanity’s simultaneously standing at “the peak of possibilities” while also, possibly, facing an abyss due to growing inequalities, political conflict and the ever-present danger of climate catastrophe. We turn in Sections 2 and 3 to the main social and spatial transformations that have characterised the last twenty five years. Again we see advances and regressions, above all uneven and fragile development. These sections set the scene for a consideration of three specific challenges: the tension between capitalism and democracy (Section 4); that between production and reproduction with an emphasis on gender relations (Section 5); and that between demographic change and sustainability (Section 6). We then conclude with a sober appraisal of the prospects for the emergence of viable agents for social transformation (Section 7) before making some general remarks on the challenges and possibilities for social progress (Section 8). The underlying hypothesis for social progress is that development is, and always has been, contradictory. Poverty amongst plenty, individual advancement versus collective regression and repression intertwined with liberty. If the industrial era emerged through what Karl Polanyi called a “great transformation” are we headed towards, or do we need a ‘new’ great transformation? We posit a general need for the market to be re-embedded in society if social progress is not to be halted or even reversed. In terms of the political order we find that the recent transformations of democracy and capitalism have had hugely ambiguous features. It is not wrong to say that the planet is currently both more democratic and more affluent than it was three decades ago. But the ways in which such progress has come about endangers not only future progress, it even puts past progress at risk. In political terms, the increasing diffusion of democracy means that more people across the globe have a say on the collective matters that concern them. But under current circumstances, their participation may not be able to reach the kind of decisions that one would understand as collective self-determination. In economic terms, material affluence is being created in unprecedented forms and volume. But, first, this affluence is so unevenly generated and distributed that poverty and hardship do not disappear and are even reproduced in new and possibly more enduring forms. And second, the continuing production of this material affluence may/will endanger the inhabitability of the planet, or large parts of it, even in the short- or medium-term. We have seen our task as one of offering a complex assessment of the current situation that has not been over-determined by our own political preferences. The positive and negative components of the picture we offer are constitutive of the ambivalent nature of the social progress. We are acutely aware that the world looks very different according to our standpoint geographically, socially and by our social and cultural identity. So we have not posed a false unity in terms of outlook. We consider it useful to pose the key questions as clearly as possible from a collective perspective that includes many diverse disciplinary and subject stand-points. We also seek to avoid an analysis determined by either a depressed Weltanschauung that sees only catastrophe ahead given recent political developments or what some have called a Polanyian Pollyanna tendency that is emotionally committed to positive social transformation regardless of the evidence. Quite simply, neither pessimism nor optimism are adequate diagnostic tools. This is particularly the case when we turn to the possible agents of the ‘new’ social transformation we advocate. While we show the decline of 20th-century agents of social change we also try to bring to life the new potential actors for redistribution, social justice and recognition

Gender education and equality in a global context: conceptual frameworks and policy perspectives

What does gender equality mean for young men and women in poor communities across different countries? The Millennium Development Goals aim to achieve basic education for all by 2015. But can such global agendas address national and local gender inequalities and will they empower women through education? New research on gender education makes an important contribution to this global debate. Shailaja Fennell and Madeleine Arnot have brought together leading international scholars and a new generation of researchers working within development studies, gender studies and education. The result is a thought-provoking book that offers an opportunity to engage critically with existing and emergent conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches

Routledge Handbook of Development Ethics

The Routledge Handbook of Development Ethics provides readers with insight into the central questions of development ethics, the main approaches to answering them, and areas for future research. Over the past seventy years, it has been argued and increasingly accepted that worthwhile development cannot be reduced to economic growth. Rather, a number of other goals must be realised: Enhancement of people's well-being Equitable sharing in benefits of development Empowerment to participate freely in development Environmental sustainability Promotion of human rights Promotion of cultural freedom, consistent with human rights Responsible conduct, including integrity over corruption Agreement that these are essential goals has also been accompanied by disagreements about how to conceptualize or apply them in different cases or contexts. Using these seven goals as an organizing principle, this handbook presents different approaches to achieving each one, drawing on academic literature, policy documents and practitioner experience. This international and multi-disciplinary handbook will be of great interest to development policy makers and program workers, students and scholars in development studies, public policy, international studies, applied ethics and other related disciplines

The body project : transhumanism, posthumanism and modification in twentieth century cyberpunk

This thesis focuses upon the social, cultural and political implications of employing radical body modification practices through an analysis of late twentieth century cyberpunk texts. Using the early works of William Gibson, Rudy Rucker and George Alec Effinger, the aim of this thesis is to demonstrate the ways in which cyberpunk writing works to critique the inherently transhumanist desire for creating technologically advanced societies in which the human race will potentially come to be replaced by a far superior race of posthumans. The thesis begins with an examination of the history of transhumanist thought, and applies the central tenets of transhumanism to the cyberpunk works of Gibson, Rucker and Effinger to illustrate the ways in which cyberpunk critiques the concept and deployment of revolutionary technologies in its analyses of near-future technologically advanced societies. The subsequent chapters of this thesis focus upon specific aspects of selected cyberpunk texts, including the commodification and fetishisation of the modified body; theologically-informed technological transcendence; the assertion of identity and sense of self in the modified subject; and the treatment of women in the race towards posthumanity. While a great deal of critical attention has been paid to the work of high profile cyberpunk writers such as Gibson, the works of other writers such as Rucker and Effinger have been comparatively ignored. The aim of this thesis is to address this imbalance, and to provide in-depth analyses of not only Gibson’s well-known Sprawl Trilogy (1984- 1988), but also of Rucker’s Ware Tetralogy (1982-2000) and Effinger’s Marîd Audran series (1986-1991). All three sets of texts challenge the reader to consider not only the personal, but also the social, cultural and geopolitical implications of both the local and global employment of radical technologies, and this thesis analyses these implications using a transhumanist framework

Gasping for Breath: Women’s Concerns and the Politics of Community Development in Rural Ghana

This transnational feminist study described and interpreted the experiences of women within the context of community development in rural Ghana. The purpose of this study was to empirically ascertain the barriers faced by women within the community development processes in rural Ghana. With this goal, women from three randomly selected rural communities in Ghana were sampled and interviewed. A concurrent triangulation mixed method research design was adopted. The main instruments used were a questionnaire and an in-depth interview for the collection of the quantitative and qualitative data respectively. A total of two hundred women participated in the study. The findings implicate Western influence and structural factors in the low participation of women in community development processes in Ghana. This study found that Western interference in the form of the superimposition of a neoliberal capitalist agenda has had a negative consequence on the level of participation of women in their communities. This ideology has imbued in women individualistic ideals to the detriment of traditional communal life. The women were particularly disadvantaged by the reliance on level of education and fluency in English, as requirements for local government positions since English is the national business language. The existing patriarchal norms and values in rural communities such as traditional gender roles and ‘name calling’ militate against women within the context of community development. The imperative of policy and practice reforms such as the need for local women to have conversations around constructive patriarchy and global inequalities, raising awareness about the need to get women involved in the community development process, the provision of leadership opportunities for women, setting up structurally transformative policies, and the promotion of Girl-Child and Adult Literacy Education were highlighted. The usefulness of allowing the ordinary Ghanaian women to keep their spaces, define their priorities within those spaces and control the transformation process is a major contribution of this research

In the Balance

As jobs disappear and wages flatline, paid work is an increasingly fragile basis for dignified life. This predicament, deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic, is sparking urgent debates about alternatives such as a universal basic income (UBI). In this incisive new book, Hein Marais casts the debate about a UBI in the wider context of the dispossessing pressures of capitalism and the turmoil of global warming, pandemics and social upheaval. Marais surveys the meaning, history and appeal of a UBI before even-handedly weighing the case for and against it. The book explores the vexing questions a UBI raises about the relationship of paid work to social rights, about prevailing notions of entitlement and dependency, and about the role of the state in contemporary capitalism. Along with cost estimates for different versions of a basic income in South Africa, it discusses financing options and lays out the social, economic and political implications. Highly topical and distinctive in its approach, In the Balance: The Case for a Universal Basic Income in South Africa and Beyond is the most rounded and up-to-date examination yet of the need and prospects for a UBI in a global South setting such as South Africa

Theorising poverty and inequality in the case of rural women in Mungwi District in Zambia: a grounded theory approach.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Poverty and inequality are undesirable, and nations strive to reduce them. The government of Zambia continues to try to alleviate poverty and inequality among rural women, but prospects of succeeding are still distant. This study was aimed at theorising poverty and inequality using a grounded theory approach in Mungwi District in Zambia. The following were the objectives of the study: To Investigate the perceptions of the rural women in Mungwi district regarding poverty and inequality; to examine the challenges faced by rural women due to poverty and inequality; to evaluate current interventions aimed at alleviating poverty and inequality among rural women; to develop a framework of interventions to reduce poverty and inequality in Zambia and to develop elements of theorises of poverty and inequality using a grounded theory approach. Three theoretical framework namely sustainable livelihoods approach, liberal feminist theory and Abraham Maslow’s human needs theory were used. The study adopted an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative case study research design. Also, a grounded theory methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Data was collected using semistructured interviews, focus groups interviews and observation. The sample comprised of 64 women aged between 20 years and 65 years from Mungwi District in Zambia. This study applied purposive sampling to reach the target group which provided the required information to address the research questions of the study. The key findings are that poverty and inequality are complex and are understood in many ways. The women of Mungwi District comprehend poverty not just as a lack of income and wealth, but also being unable to afford rudimentary commodities and resources coupled with the failure to sustain life. For them, poverty amounts to powerlessness, voicelessness, isolation, exclusion and a loss of confidence, inasmuch as it is a lack of education and healthcare. Similarly, Inequality for these rural women is experienced via unequal treatment, dissimilar opportunities, and differences in the delivery of resources. They also expressed inequality as oppression, discrepancies in development, and exclusion from community development. These findings do not just mirror rural women’s poverty and inequality but reveal unfathomable abasement of the rural women of Mungwi District. Consequently, the researcher recommends that social protection in form of a Social Cash Transfer, Pension Fund, and other social grants be allocated to all women who do not have reliable sources of income as in permanent jobs. Likewise, the government ought to consider employment opportunities for rural women and discourage negative cultural norms that stifle women’s upward mobility. The researcher’s contribution to body of knowledge in this study lies in the presentation of Intricate Poverty and Inequality Reduction Framework (IPIREF) and in the postulation of the social capacitation theory and approaches such as the Balance of Dominance Approach (BDA), the Co-holding Approach (CoHA), Devoted Rural Leadership Approach (DRLA) and Women Income Support Approach (WISA). The IPIREF is useful for stakeholders because it points to the needs of the rural women in Mungwi District, transforming structures that can assist, and the expected results after intervention

ADVOCACY AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN LAGOS AND OGUN STATES, NIGERIA (1999-2015)

The need to promote and protect women’s rights has occupied the frontline of global development agenda for over four decades. From the Millennium Development Goals (SDGs) to the ongoing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the gender question and its intersection with women’s rights have been linked with the attainment of sustainable development around the world. Despite the use of varied unilateral and multilateral advocacy tools by state and non-state actors in addressing the question of women’s rights over the years, violation of women’s rights is still on the increase. In Nigeria, civil and political rights of women are underrepresented in governance and leadership position. Similarly, economic and socio-cultural rights of women remain deplorable due to the consequences of urban renewal efforts, discriminatory cultural beliefs, and gender biased laws (for example section 353 and 360 of the Criminal Code). This study, relying on feminist theoretical framework, which emphasizes the necessity of respect and protection of women as vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed group, examines the effectiveness or otherwise of selected advocacy tools (namely E-advocacy, celebrity advocacy, non-profit and policy advocacy) in the promotion and protection of women’s Civil and Political Rights (CPR), and Economic, Cultural and Social (ECOSOC) rights in Lagos and Ogun States Nigeria, between 1999 and 2015.The study employed a mixed method design which include 614 structured questionnaire, 5 Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and 15 interviews to investigate the effectiveness of these advocacy tools. The formulated hypotheses was tested using logistic correlation, cross tabulation, and chi-square, while the qualitative data gathered from interview and FGD sessions were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis and narrative techniques. The research findings revealed that a critical and creative engagement of the four advocacy tools selected for the study could be useful in promoting women’s rights but not necessarily in enforcing protection. This was corroborated by empirical data gleaned from the use of primary sources adopted above. The challenges of advocacy in protecting women’s rights amongst others was due to discriminatory nature of the tripartite legal system in Nigeria, overriding influence of religion and patriarchy, inability to domesticate international legal frameworks well as the lack of political will to make gender question a national priority. The study further showed that most respondents and key informants considered E-advocacy as the most viable tool for promoting women’s rights although the effectiveness of e-advocacy could be limited by issues of access, availability and affordability. The study recommends amongst others that E- advocacy as well as other advocacy tools studied, all of which constitute promotional tools should be complemented with the instrument of protection such as strengthening the democratic institution (i.e judiciary, executive,) with capacity and modern technological tool to promote and enforce women’s rights, repeal discriminatory laws and code, and empower the law enforcement agencies to deliver on their mandate of protecting women’s rights in all its ramification

Feminists and neo-Malthusians: Past and present alliances

This article examines a century of interactions between American feminists and American social movements seeking to influence population trends. The historical analysis focuses on relations between feminists and neo-Malthusians and attempts to determine when they are likely to enter into alliances. The two movements are found to be neither natural allies nor natural enemies. Sturdy alliances arise when both movements agree on certain ideological premises, share a common demographic goal, and perceive mutual benefit in an alliance. The origin of the common ground alliance between American feminists and American neo-Malthusians that was so prominently displayed at the International Conference on Population and Development at Cairo is examined. Since the two movements currently are found to possess no clear common goals, to share no basic ideological beliefs, and to have entered a relationship of questionable mutual benefit, the alliance is considered to be fragile