Consumer agency and social change: Experiences from post-World War South Africa

[eng] This study proposes a novel approach to understanding the contribution that consumer action makes to social change, both at the level of conceptual generalisation and when applied to institutionalised practices in particular historical settings. Conceptually, I develop an anthropologically generalisable account of consumption, drawing especially on Marshall Sahlins’ pioneering Culture and practical reason (1976). Against economistic understandings of consumer agency, we do better to defend a more culturally self-aware and ethically articulate mode of explanation. From this perspective, I argue, it is the expressive potential of consumer practices that most fundamentally sets them apart from productive practices. In making this argument I nonetheless avoid the excessive culturalism that arises when ignoring both the effect of economic variables on consumer agency and the manner in which consumption is tied up with relationships of power. When analysing the institutional dimension of consumption, most existing literature approaches it as a form of action limited to the market, while taking the market to be synonymous with the economic domain as such. This way of approaching the subject draws attention to significant forms of consumption but obfuscates the historically specific and contingent complexity of human livelihoods even in societies in which market exchange and capitalist forms of market-oriented production are firmly established. In particular, such approaches tell us very little about how those poor in financial resources consume, both within societies characterised by comparatively high average income and beyond. Consumption is better approached as a form of action exercised within all three institutional spheres of the “human economy” discussed in Karl Polanyi’s later work: not only the market, but also redistribution and reciprocity. Prima facie significant fields of consumption can then be analysed in terms of their ability to create, alter or destroy widespread forms of social integration and political mobilisation, but such analysis must proceed in a manner that is fully alive to the peculiarities of given social formations. Drawing on both political-economic and ethnographic literature, I illustrate this approach by examining three fields of consumption in South Africa from 1948 to the present: clothing, housing and faith healing. These consumer practices have been dynamically bound up with both class and racial power dynamics, while leading to the formation of novel forms of solidarity of the sort commonly discussed in terms of sub-cultures, new social movements and sects or kinship groups. In light of these case studies, it is necessary to challenge three misleading but pervasive claims about consumption that continue to inform contemporary critical social theory. Firstly, the economistic dogma that the market form of integration, and market-oriented production in particular, has the capacity to systematically structure consumer practices offers little purchase on how people really behave when consuming. Secondly, conceptualising consumption as a form of reproduction of an entire social order is a functionalist canard that critical social theory still needs to disown. We encounter this tenet even in the sophisticated work of Pierre Bourdieu, which remains enormously influential throughout the contemporary social sciences and which is invoked in all major studies of consumption. A third problem, also perpetuated by Bourdieu’s thinking on the subject, is the critical tendency to reduce all consumer agency to a form of instrumental domination. This can only be sustained as a valid generalisation by offering a flattened account of consumer motivation that ultimately negates agency and that collapses qualitatively distinct ethical modes of evaluation and action into one another. While such an approach is of some limited use for unmasking the domination that reciprocity can entrench, the price one pays for generalising such claims is, ultimately, an inability to recognise the gift when one sees it

Arguing from identity: ontology to advocacy in Charles Taylor's political thought

In this thesis I discuss three normative claims that I take to be central elements of Charles Taylor’s political thought. The first of these is Taylor’s contention that, in contemporary pluralistic societies, justifying socially prevailing norms by appealing to universally binding moral values is unlikely to promote social solidarity. Because this approach tends to downplay the goods that people realise through membership in particular associations, Taylor believes we must adopt a model of justification that does not prioritise universal over particular goods if we are to further social co-operation. A second claim Taylor defends is that commitment to the liberal value of collective self-rule implies treating patriotically motivated public service as a non-instrumental good. We should not, Taylor argues, regard collective association as nothing more than a means to satisfying private goals. Taylor advances a third claim, that is, he maintains that liberal toleration for diverse ways of life may require a perfectionist state that supports particularistic ways of life when they are threatened by decline. I offer a qualified defence of the first two claims, but suggest that the third is less compelling. I attempt to do this by evaluating Taylor’s claims against the standards of lucid argumentation that he himself lays down. In discussing social and political norms, which he describes as “advocacy” issues, Taylor argues that our normative commitments necessarily rely on an underlying social ontology. More specifically, Taylor argues that the political values we defend are those that enable us to secure the interests we have as the bearers of an identity possessing both individual and collective dimensions. In setting out the conditions that favour integrated and free identity formation we may thereby reach a clearer understanding of the political norms that we wish to endorse. I argue that, while Taylor’s ontological reflections might well incline us to accept his model of justification and his account of patriotic social commitment, they do not of themselves dispose us to accept state perfectionism

انتحال الشعر الجاهلي في طبقات ابن سلّام الجُمَحيّ قراءة بنيويّة تكوينيّة في طبقات فحول الشعراء

يحاول هذا البحث تقديم قراءة بنيويّة تكوينيّة في "كتاب طبقات فحول الشّعراء" لابن سلّام الجمحي (ت231 هـ) في قضيّة من قضايا الشّعر الجّاهليّ، إنّها الانتحال. وذلك من خلال رصد العلائق الدلاليّة للجملة النقديّة ضمن سياق الكتاب، ثم رصدها في سياقها النّقدي الخاصّ المرتبط ارتباطاً تفاعليّاً على مستوى الحركة النقديّة آنذاك، وربط ذلك كلّه بالسياق العام لحركة التدوين؛ إذ يسعى البحث إلى تدوين الجديد في القضيّة ببلوغ الأهليّة التحكيميّة المحقِّقة لشرطي التقصّي والحياد العلميين، وانتهاج بعض المبادِئ؛ أهمُّها البعد عن إغواء الافتراضات النظريّة الناتجة عن الانبهار بالآخر، وإعطاء تلك القضيّة مداها الأقصى بقصد تمكينها ومنحها الفرصة؛ لأنَّ البحث يقرأها قضيّةً، فيها الانتحال مُدَّعٍ عليه

The Role of Cdc42 and Gic1 in the Regulation of Septin Filament Formation and Dissociation

Septins are guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that polymerize into filamentous and higher-order structures. Cdc42 and its effector Gic1 are involved in septin recruitment, ring formation and dissociation. The regulatory mechanisms behind these processes are not well understood. Here, we have used electron microscopy and cryo electron tomography to elucidate the structural basis of the Gic1-septin and Gic1-Cdc42-septin interaction. We show that Gic1 acts as a scaffolding protein for septin filaments forming long and flexible filament cables. Cdc42 in its GTP-form binds to Gic1, which ultimately leads to the dissociation of Gic1 from the filament cables. Surprisingly, Cdc42-GDP is not inactive, but in the absence of Gic1 directly interacts with septin filaments resulting in their disassembly. We suggest that this unanticipated dual function of Cdc42 is crucial for the cell cycle. Based on our results we propose a novel regulatory mechanism for septin filament formation and dissociation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01085.00

The Hsp70-Hsp90 co-chaperone Hop/Stip1 shifts the proteostatic balance from folding towards degradation.

Hop/Stip1/Sti1 is thought to be essential as a co-chaperone to facilitate substrate transfer between the Hsp70 and Hsp90 molecular chaperones. Despite this proposed key function for protein folding and maturation, it is not essential in a number of eukaryotes and bacteria lack an ortholog. We set out to identify and to characterize its eukaryote-specific function. Human cell lines and the budding yeast with deletions of the Hop/Sti1 gene display reduced proteasome activity due to inefficient capping of the core particle with regulatory particles. Unexpectedly, knock-out cells are more proficient at preventing protein aggregation and at promoting protein refolding. Without the restraint by Hop, a more efficient folding activity of the prokaryote-like Hsp70-Hsp90 complex, which can also be demonstrated in vitro, compensates for the proteasomal defect and ensures the proteostatic equilibrium. Thus, cells may act on the level and/or activity of Hop to shift the proteostatic balance between folding and degradation

Structure of human RNA polymerase III

In eukaryotes, RNA Polymerase (Pol) III is specialized for the transcription of tRNAs and other short, untranslated RNAs. Pol III is a determinant of cellular growth and lifespan across eukaryotes. Upregulation of Pol III transcription is observed in cancer and causative Pol III mutations have been described in neurodevelopmental disorders and hypersensitivity to viral infection. Here, we report a cryo-EM reconstruction at 4.0 Å of human Pol III, allowing mapping and rationalization of reported genetic mutations. Mutations causing neurodevelopmental defects cluster in hotspots affecting Pol III stability and/or biogenesis, whereas mutations affecting viral sensing are located in proximity to DNA binding regions, suggesting an impairment of Pol III cytosolic viral DNA-sensing. Integrating x-ray crystallography and SAXS, we also describe the structure of the higher eukaryote specific RPC5 C-terminal extension. Surprisingly, experiments in living cells highlight a role for this module in the assembly and stability of human Pol III

DNA origami-based single-molecule forcespectroscopy elucidates RNA Polymerase IIIpre-initiation complex stability

The TATA-binding protein (TBP) and a transcription factor (TF) IIB-like factor are important constituents of all eukaryotic initiation complexes. The reason for the emergence and strict requirement of the additional initiation factor Bdp1 in the RNA polymerase (RNAP) III system, however, remained elusive. A poorly studied aspect in this context is the effect of DNA strain arising from DNA compaction and transcriptional activity on initiation complex formation. We made use of a DNA origami-based force clamp to follow the assembly of human initiation complexes in the RNAP II and RNAP III systems at the single-molecule level under piconewton forces. We demonstrate that TBP-DNA complexes are force-sensitive and TFIIB is sufficient to stabilise TBP on a strained promoter. In contrast, Bdp1 is the pivotal component that ensures stable anchoring of initiation factors, and thus the polymerase itself, in the RNAP III system. Thereby, we offer an explanation for the crucial role of Bdp1 for the high transcriptional output of RNAP III

Structural basis of RNA polymerase III transcription initiation.

RNA polymerase (Pol) III transcribes essential non-coding RNAs, including the entire pool of transfer RNAs, the 5S ribosomal RNA and the U6 spliceosomal RNA, and is often deregulated in cancer cells. The initiation of gene transcription by Pol III requires the activity of the transcription factor TFIIIB to form a transcriptionally active Pol III preinitiation complex (PIC). Here we present electron microscopy reconstructions of Pol III PICs at 3.4-4.0 Å and a reconstruction of unbound apo-Pol III at 3.1 Å. TFIIIB fully encircles the DNA and restructures Pol III. In particular, binding of the TFIIIB subunit Bdp1 rearranges the Pol III-specific subunits C37 and C34, thereby promoting DNA opening. The unwound DNA directly contacts both sides of the Pol III cleft. Topologically, the Pol III PIC resembles the Pol II PIC, whereas the Pol I PIC is more divergent. The structures presented unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the first steps of Pol III transcription and also the general conserved mechanisms of gene transcription initiation

Porto - staden som vaknade till liv : Hur och varför kulturlivet i Porto har förändrats under början av 2000-talet

I det här examensarbetet undersöker jag den drastiska förändringen i kulturlivet som skett i staden Porto i Portugal under det senaste decenniet. Målet med mitt arbete är att definiera faktorerna bakom förändringen i kulturlivet. Kulturlivet i Porto är koncentrerat till innerstadsområdet, kallat Baixa (Downtown). I arbetet har jag valt att avgränsa min undersökning till det området, eftersom Porto även är ett storstadsområde som omfattar nio kommuner. Som material har jag använt mig av böcker, artiklar och undersökningar inom urbanteori och stadsutveckling av kända urbanteoretiker såsom Richard Florida, Charles Landry och Jinna Tay. Jag har ytterligare använt mig av en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med intervjuer med personer som arbetar inom konst- och kulturbranschen i Porto. Utgående från intervjusvaren har jag kommit fram till att en omfattande stadsutveckling, gentrifiering av downtown samt en ny våg av turism på ett omvälvande sätt har förändrat kulturlivet i Porto under det senaste decenniet (ca 2004-2010).Tässä opinnäytetyössä tutkin muutoksen kulttuurielämässä joka tapahtui kaupungissa Portossa, Portugalissa, viime vuosikymmenellä. Tavoitteena työssäni on määritellä tekijät muutokseen Porton kulttuurielämässä. Porton kulttuurielämä on keskittynyt kaupungin keskustassa, joka tunnetaan nimellä Baixa (Downtown). Tässä opinnäytetyössä olen päättänyt rajoittaa tähän alueeseen, koska Porto on myös suurkaupunkialue joka kattaa yhdeksän kuntaa. Materiaalina olen käyttänyt kirjoja, artikkeleita ja tutkimuksia kaupunkiteoriasta ja kaupunkien kehittämisestä tunnetuista kaupunkiteoreetikoista kuten Richard Florida, Charles Landry ja Jinna Tay. Olen myös käyttänyt kvantitatiivista tutkimusmenetelmää kuten haastattelut ihmisistä jotka työskentelevät taide ja kulttuurialalla Portossa. Haastatteluvastauksien perusteella olen todennut että tekijät muutokseen Porton kulttuurielämässä viime vuosikymmenellä ovat muun muuassa Porton kattava kaupunginkehittäminen, keskustan gentrifikointi sekä uusi aalto Porton matkailussa.In this thesis I examine the drastic change in the culture life that occurred in the city of Porto in Portugal the past decade. The goal of my work is to define the factors that changed the culture life. The culture life in Porto is concentrated in the downtown area, known as the Baixa. In the work I have chosen to limit my research specifically to downtown, because Porto is also a metropolitan area that covers nine municipalities. As material I have used books, articles and studies in urban theory and urban develop-ment by known urban theorists such as Richard Florida, Charles Landry and Jinna Tay. I have further used a quantitative research method with interviews of people working in the arts and cultural industry in Porto. Based on interview responses I concluded that a comprehensive urban development, gen-trification of downtown as well as a new wave of tourism changed the culture life tre-mendously in Porto over the course of a decade (ca 2004-2014)

Regulation of septin filament formation and cholesterol production by DHCR7

Elektronenmikroskopie (EM) ist eine hervorragende Methode um die Struktur von Proteinkomplexen in ihrer nativen Umgebung zu studieren. In dieser Arbeit verwendeten wir zum einen Einzelpartikelelektronenmikroskopie und Elektronenktomographie um die Struktur von Septinfilamenten und deren Interaktion mit anderen Proteinen zu untersuchen. Zum anderen züchteten wir zweidimensionale Kristalle der Dehydrocholesterinreduktase DHCR7, um in Zukunft deren Struktur elektronenkristallographisch bestimmen zu können. Septine gehören zur Familie der GTPasen und bilden große Polymere, deren Untereinheiten aus nichtpolaren Multimeren bestehen. Die Polymere wiederum bilden Filamente, die im Knospungshals von sprossenden Hefen zu finden sind. Die Rekrutierung der Septine zum Knospungshals ist abhängig von dem Signalprotein Cdc42p und zwei seiner Effektoren, Gic1 und Gic2. Die Septinfilamente lagern sich auf der Oberfläche von Membranen an und bilden dadurch zum einen ein Gerüst und zum anderen eine Diffusionsbarriere für Proteine. Obwohl man weiß, dass Gic-Proteine direkt mit Septinen interagieren, sind die strukturellen Gegebenheiten und die Signifikanz dieser Bindung bislang unbekannt. In dieser Arbeit konnten wir zeigen, dass Gic1 an der Bindungsfläche zwischen den Septinen Cdc10- Cdc10 bindet und dabei bis zu sechs Septin-Filamente zu einem flexiblen Septin-Gic-Komplex verbindet. Die Bindung von Cdc42p(GDP) an die ersten 29 Aminosäuren von Cdc10 induziert die Dissoziierung der Septinfilamente. Cdc42p(GppNHp) hingegen interagiert nicht mit Septinen, sondern bindet direkt an Gic1. Interessanterweise führen hohe Konzentrationen von Cdc42p(GppNHp) dabei zu einer Dissoziierung des Septin-Gic-Komplexes. Ebenso haben wir den Effekt von GTP auf die Filamente selbst untersucht. GTP ersetzt GDP in Cdc11 und verursacht eine Konformationsänderung an der Bindungsfläche von Cdc11-Cdc11 was zu einer Dissoziierung der Septinfilamente führt. Die vorliegende Studie liefert ein Modell für den durch Cdc42p, GTP und Gic1 gesteuerte Auf- und Abbaus von Septinringen während des Zellzyklus. Die Dehydrocholesterinreduktase DHCR7 reduziert im letzten Schritt der Cholesterin-Biosynthese die C7-C8-Doppelbindung von 7-Dehydrocholesterin unter Verbrauch von NADPH. Eine Fehlfunktion der DHCR7 führt beim Menschen zu dem Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrom (SLOS). Eine atomare Struktur der DHCR7, die es bislang nicht gibt, würde die mechanistischen Grundlagen der enzymatischen Funktion des Proteins erklären und Aufschlüsse über dessen Fehlsteuerung im Krankheitsfall geben. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigte sich deshalb mit der Isolierung, Aufreinigung und zweidimensionalen Kristallisation der menschlichen Dehydrochlosterinreduktase-7 und deren bakteriellen Homologe aus Coxiella burnettii und Plesiocystis pacifica. Für DHCR-7 aus Coxiella burnettii konnten kleine zweidimensionale gezüchtet werden, die allerdings in Zukunft verbessert werden müssen, um sie elektronenkristallographisch zu analysieren. Um die Funktion der Reduktase in vivo zu studieren, wurde die DHCR-7-katalysierte Umwandlung von Ergosterol zu Brassicasterol mit Hilfe von Gaschromatographie gekoppelt mit Massenspektrometrie (GC-MS)quantifiziert. Des Weiteren zeigte eine Lokalisationsstudie in HEK293-Zellen, dass DHCR7 neben dem ER auch im Golgi-Apparat lokalisiert ist