Theorie und sozialistische Strategie

Hier werden Etappen der Krise des Marxismus rekonstruiert. Im Zentrum steht eine Auseinandersetzung mit der Diskurstheorie von E. Laclau und Ch. Mouffe: In »Hegemony and Socialist Strategy« haben die beiden Autoren versucht, den literarischen und philosophischen Post-Strukturalismus für eine methodologische und epistimologische Kritik des historischen Materialismus zu mobilisieren. Sie verfechten das Primat des Kulturellen über die Ökonomie, lehnen dessen a priori-Hegemonie der Arbeiterklasse ab und begreifen Demokratie als Alternative zum Sozialismus. - Ein interessanter Versuch, der aber zu vieles draußen läßt (z.B. den Diskurs der Politischen Ökonomie) und dem u.a. die Perspektive einer »moralischen Hegemonie ohne Herrschaft« verloren geht- wodurch er auch die Rolle der Intellektuellen in den sozialen Bewegungen von Ländern wie Brasilien, Polen oder Südafrika mißversteht

Transformative sensemaking: Development in Whose Image? Keyan Tomaselli and the semiotics of visual representation

The defining and distinguishing feature of homo sapiens is its ability to make sense of the world, i.e. to use its intellect to understand and change both itself and the world of which it is an integral part. It is against this backdrop that this essay reviews Tomaselli's 1996 text, Appropriating Images: The Semiotics of Visual Representation/ by summarizing his key perspectives, clarifying his major operational concepts and citing particular portions from his work in support of specific perspectives on sense-making. Subsequently, this essay employs his techniques of sense-making to interrogate the notion of "development". This exercise examines and confirms two interrelated hypotheses: first, a semiotic analysis of the privileged notion of "development" demonstrates its metaphysical/ ideological, and thus limiting, nature especially vis-a-vis the marginalized, excluded, and the collective other, the so-called Developing Countries. Second, the interrogative nature of semiotics allows for an alternative reading and application of human potential or skills in the quest of a more humane social and global order, highlighting thereby the transformative implications of a reflexive epistemology.Web of Scienc

The collapse of intermediate structures?

How can we explain the rise of President Trump and the attraction of his campaign behavior before and since he took office? We argue here that the collapse of ‘intermediate structures’ has been a key factor; that the associations and groups which are building blocks of pluralistic politics have been eroded to such an extent that Trump’s personality politics have been able to take over the political stage

Epidemiologic and clinical updates on impulse control disorders: a critical review

The article reviews the current knowledge about the impulse control disorders (ICDs) with specific emphasis on epidemiological and pharmacological advances. In addition to the traditional ICDs present in the DSM-IV—pathological gambling, trichotillomania, kleptomania, pyromania and intermittent explosive disorder—a brief description of the new proposed ICDs—compulsive–impulsive (C–I) Internet usage disorder, C–I sexual behaviors, C–I skin picking and C–I shopping—is provided. Specifically, the article summarizes the phenomenology, epidemiology and comorbidity of the ICDs. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between ICDs and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Finally, current pharmacological options for treating ICDs are presented and discussed