The enclavisation paradox: everyday insecurity and the perpetuation of violence in Karachi

Karachi is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Its residents are frequent victims of crime, terrorism, and other forms of urban violence. In her recent article titled ‘Enclaves, Insecurity, and Violence in Karachi’, Sobia Ahmad Kaker uncovers the paradox of Karachi’s enclavisation, where insecurity and violence motivates the creation of defensive enclaves but these in turn perpetuate the violence and reinforce the sense of insecurity amongst urban residents

Enclavisation and violence in Karachi

Sobia Ahmad Kaker describes Karachi’s enclaves and considers implications for security in one of the world’s ‘most dangerous’ cities

Book review: Infrastructural Lives: Urban Infrastructure in Context

Review of Infrastructural Lives: Urban Infrastructure in Context Graham Stephen & McFarlane Colin , Infrastructural Lives: Urban Infrastructure in Context, Routledge: London and New York, 2015; 280 pp.: ISBN: 978 0 415 74853 7, £41.99/US$67.95 (pbk

Enclaves, Insecurity and Violence in Karachi

This paper analyses conditions of insecurity and violence in Karachi in relation to an emerging geography whereby the city is fragmented into various enclaves of business, leisure, and residence. Although enclavisation is largely viewed as a response to heightened urban crime and violence, the paper argues that socio-political conditions generated by processes of enclavisation themselves create circumstances that generate a continuum of violence. Qualitative data from two selected residential enclaves within Karachi illustrate the argument. The experience of residents, visitors and workers within the two enclaves is relationally reviewed within the context of urban politics in Karachi. The conclusion highlights the agency of urban space in structuring conflict in Karachi by exacerbating differences, heightening vulnerabilities, and reconfigurestate society relations

Contemporary Yugoslavian sociopolitical propaganda posters

Diplomsko delo povzema pregled in razvoj politicˇno-sociolosˇkih propagandnih plakatov v obdobju hladne vojne v nekaterih komunisticˇnih drzˇavah ter opredeljuje plakat kot pomemben graficˇni medij takratne politicˇne oblasti, namenjen oglasˇevanju ter ozavesˇcˇanju drzˇavljanov o razlicˇnih politicˇno-sociolosˇkih temah. Na zacˇetku se delo osredotocˇa predvsem na pomen propagande in propagandnih plakatov, nato pa predstavi kratek pregled razvoja propagandnih plakatov v Sovjetski zvezi in Nemsˇki demokraticˇni republiki. Temu sledi podrobnejsˇi pregled slovenskih politicˇno-sociolosˇkih propagandnih plakatov v cˇasu Jugoslavije in njihov razvojod vpliva Sovjetske zveze in Nemsˇke demokraticˇne republike do popolnoma samosvojih plakatov ? konkurencˇnim graficˇnim plakatom zahodne Evrope. Kasneje delo konkretno predstavi nov polozˇaj plakata v 21. stoletju, kjer je poleg plakativnosti pomembna tudi njegova prepoznavnost na razlicˇnih druzˇbenih omrezˇjih. Na podlagi teoreticˇnega dela se v eksperimentalnem delu sprva osredotocˇi na analizo 12 slovenskih plakatov v Jugoslaviji med obdobjem hladne vojne. Nato izpostavi dva dobra primera, ki ju sˇe podrobneje analizira in primerja. To je predvsem dobra osnova za boljsˇe poznavanje slogovnih smeri takratnega cˇasa in vir kreativnega razmisˇljanja. Sledi sam postopek oblikovanja petih plakatov, kjer je vedno najprej predstavljen inspiracijski postopek obravnavane problematike. Ta postopek je pomemben za utemeljitev graficˇnih elementov nasˇe analize, ki so vkljucˇeni v nasˇ plakat in razlago njihove zanimivosti za obravnavano problematiko. Diplomsko delo tudi na kratko pregleda sodobne smernice oblikovanja plakatov, saj zˇeli pretekle elemente interpretirati na moderen nacˇin. Vsakemu inspiracijskemu procesu sledi avtorski odziv na oblikovanje politicˇno-sociolosˇkih plakatov. S celotnim eksperimentalnim delom smo ugotovili, da je prireditev ali popolno prevzemanje preteklih graficˇnih elementov mozˇno in jih na atraktiven nacˇin sodobno upodobi.This diploma thesis summarizes the development of sociopolitical propaganda posters of the Cold War era in the Communist countries to identify the poster as an important graphic medium for advertising the totalitarian political system and to raise awareness of various socio-political issues. The first section focuses especially on the topic of propaganda itself and propaganda posters. It is followed by a brief overview of propaganda posters in the Soviet Union and in the German Democratic State. Afterwards there is a closer look at Slovenian socio-political propaganda posters in the Cold War era and their development from the influence of the Soviet Union, and how they became highly competitive graphic posters to Western Europe graphic design. Finally, there is a look into the new era of the poster in the 21st century, where the striking presence of posters in the streets is no longer the only important factor because of the increasing power of social media. Later on, it is followed by a brief analysis of 12 examples of posters during the Cold War in Slovenia from which 2 were selected, redundantly analyzed and compared to each other. This was especially important for a good understanding of the stylistic directions of those times and so that the creative process was made easier later on. In the experimental part, there is a focus on 5 bigger socio-political problems of modern times, where the problem itself is briefly presented. To trace the detailed descriptions of the research process, where it explored past Slovenian graphic elements of various posters, which later on inspired ideas for our posters. The thesis also focuses on the research in modern poster design guidelines, the interpretation of past graphic elements in a modern way was one of the bigger parts of this thesis and each research work is followed by the author\u27s personal response to the creation of socio-political posters. Throughout our experimental work we have found that it is possible to adapt or completely retrieve past graphic elements and present them in an attractive contemporary way

Book Review of Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City

Book Review of Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City, by Laurent Gayer, London, C. Hurst & Co., 2014, 256 pp., £25.00 (paperback), ISBN 978184904311

WORK SATISFACTION AND BURNOUT SYNDROME AMONG HEALTH CARE SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

Cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati razinu zadovoljstva poslom i razinu sagorijevanja na poslu te istražiti povezanost zadovoljstva poslom i sagorijevanja socijalnih radnika u zdravstvu u Republici Sloveniji. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 57 socijalnih radnica i socijalnih radnika koji su zaposleni u zdravstvu Republike Slovenije. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su nezadovoljstvo plaćom, uvjetima rada, pogodnostima, napredovanjem i nagrađivanjem. Socijalne radnice i socijalni radnici zadovoljni su komunikacijskim vještinama, nadređenima, kolegama i obilježjima posla. Kod ispitanika prisutna je srednja razina iscrpljenosti i cinizma te visoka razina profesionalne učinkovitosti. Statistički najizraženija povezanost, i to negativna, pokazala se između cinizma i obilježja posla, iscrpljenosti i uvjeta rada, dok se kod profesionalne učinkovitosti nije pokazala statistički značajna povezanost sa zadovoljstvom poslom. Prisutnost visokog stupnja korelacije između cinizma iscrpljenosti te obilježja posla/uvjeta rada sugerira potrebu za kvalitetnim i kontinuiranim praćenjem problema sagorijevanja i (ne)zadovoljstva poslom socijalnih radnika u zdravstvu. Rana detekcija sagorijevanja i (ne)zadovoljstva poslom jedan je od mogućih načina skrbi za mentalno zdravlje pomagača i osiguranja bolje skrbi za pacijente.The aim of the research was to explore the level of work satisfaction and the burnout syndrome at work as well as to investigate the correlation between the work satisfaction and the burnout syndrome among health care social workers in the Republic of Slovenia. The participants of the research were 57 female and male social workers employed in the health care system of the Republic of Slovenia. The research results revealed dissatisfaction with the salary, working conditions, benefits, advancement and rewards. The social workers are satisfied with their communication skills, superiors, colleagues and work characteristics. A moderate level of exhaustion and cynicism as well as a high level of professional efficiency are also present. Statistically the most significant correlation, a negative one, was found between the cynicism and work characteristics, exhaustion and working conditions. As far as professional efficiency is concerned, the correlation is not significant with the work satisfaction. High levels of correlation between cynicism, exhaustion and work characteristics/working conditions suggest that continuous monitoring of burnout problems and dissatisfaction/satisfaction with work among health care social workers is required. An early detection of the burnout syndrome and dissatisfaction/satisfaction with work enables maintaining mental health of helpers and securing better care for patients

Circulating Uncertainty: Information and Insecurity in Karachi

Over the years karachiites have developed a sensibility- a learning of the city- based on patterns of past events. They use these past experiences to think one step ahead and to anticipate the next unknowns, knowing that official authorities are unable to do so or protect them in times of crisis. As a result, Karachiites are naturally oriented to staying up to date with information relating to pasts, presents and unknown futures. This is essential for helping them navigate the spatio-temporal uncertainties of life in Karachi. This article highlights how such processes of managing uncertainty are political in nature, and how they in turn exacerbate uncertainties over Karachi's insecurity and urban future