Home and Dwelling: Re-Examining Race and Identity Through Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Paul Beatty’s The Sellout

The question of how to exist, to dwell, within one’s physical and psychological home has become an urgent one in an increasingly globalized world. Yet the answer to this question has never been more fleeting. Lacking universal political or sociological narratives in what can be oversimplified as a post-colonial or post-modern milieu, reformulating the question of how one dwells within one’s home has become both relevant and essential. This essay explores a return to the question of how one dwells, not in pursuit of a theoretical harmonizing answer, but to reevaluate how the question is generally framed—a return to the foundation of how one exists, or more precisely, how a one exists. Through Martin Heidegger’s essay on dwelling and Michel Foucault’s understanding of history as power, my reading of two works of modern fiction captures the struggles of subjects attempting to define their place in the world. Examining how the protagonists of Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Paul Beatty’s The Selloutdwell within their homes provides much insight into how race, identity, and history impact dwelling in a global age

La presencia del tiempo en el pensamiento de Nimio de Anquín

Fil: García Astrada, Arturo

The Nature of the Judicial Process: A Complex Systems Analysis of Checks & Balances & Separation of Powers in the Present Political Context

Justice Cardozo’ s prescient inquiry in The Nature of the Judicial Process nearly a century ago merits revisiting and analysis in light of the present political climate. Under the new administration, the Executive Branch has characterized a judicial opinion from the U.S. District Court of Hawaii’ s as emanating from “an island in the Pacific,” suggested the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals should be fragmented, and subjected judges who disagree with the constitutionality of the administration’ s immigration policies to ridicule, vilification, or disparagement. When contemplating the nature of the judicial process, it is time to reassess the courts\u27 systemic policymaking function in the constitutional system via checks and balances and separation of powers. This article, therefore, analyzes the principles of checks and balances, separation of powers, and the policymaking courts through the lens of complex systems analysis. The complex and systemic interactions between the courts, Congress, and the Executive Branch give rise to an intricate sociopolitical, legal, and economic system. In the present political context, a complex systems analysis reveals that the courts’ power to check, balance, and maintain the separation of powers is a legitimate and necessary exercise within the constitutional schema. Here, complex systems analysis is employed to explore how courts are acting properly when reviewing, checking, and balancing the power of the competing branches. Further, this analytical approach re-conceptualizes “judicial activism” as constitutional interpretation explicitly reflecting the policymaking role of the courts and their work to preserve the integrity of the constitutional system. From this perspective, the role of the courts can be viewed as policymaking not from any particular ideological position, but rather from the structural systemic values and norms that bind the constitutional order

Evaluación de un sistema silvopastoril sobre vinalares en Formosa, Argentina

El vinal (Prosopis ruscifolia), afecta campos ganaderos y cultivos abandonados. Los métodos tradicionales para eliminarlo son costosos e ineficientes. Se analizó la factibilidad económica del modelo silvopastoril alternativo, el mismo consta de 10 módulos de 3 ha. que se instalan a razón de 1 módulo por año. Se realizan intervenciones forestales de saneamiento y aprovechamiento quinquenales, el componente ganadero se mejora con enriqueciendo del estrato herbáceo y apotreramientos. Estas intervenciones logran mejorar considerablemente la capacidad productiva del campo. Analizando el flujo de caja durante 20 años, se observa que las mejoras representan un incremento del ingreso predial de 9000 dólares/ año. En la actualidad el modelo es implementado por 40 productores con distintas situaciones socioproductivas en la provincia de Formosa (Argentina)