Book Review: Gorana Ognjenović and Jasna Jozelić (ed.), Education in Post-Conflict Transition: The Politization of Religion in School Textbooks

One of the undeniable facts of the modern era is that education is the key to the past, the present, and the future. In the aftermath of apartheid and the quest for the freedom from racial segregation, Nelson Mandela has spoken the truth when he said: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Rethinking these words in the light of recent conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia raises many concerns, since education, as powerful as it may seem, can be easily abused and become a source of divisions. Memory is often interpreted and therefore politicized by the ruling political or religious elites. Concerns are deepened, even more, when it comes to religious education and the way textbooks are ethically or historically biased

Embracing the political in technology and transition studies: a response to Philip Vergragt and Bram Bos

This article is a short reaction to the comments of Vergragt (Found Sci, 2012) and Bos (Found Sci, 2012) on my article “Sustainability transition and the nature of technology” (Paredis in Found Sci 16(2–3):195–225, Paredis 2011). I start by situating current transition research in the sustainability debate. The relation between the two is simultaneously specific and vague: specific about processes at work during transitions, vague about the content and direction of the change. I then move on to a discussion of how a better conceptualisation of technology could strengthen the transition framework. I want to thank the two reviewers for their critical remarks, that stimulated me to better explain my position

A post-accession crisis? Political developments and public sector modernization in Hungary

The paper examines the relationship between the political system and the public administration modernization in the Hungarian transition. Its intention is to point out that there are various shortcuts and bottlenecks of the Hungarian modernization and the cumulative impacts of these deficiencies have caused characteristic difference of the Hungarian modernization trajectory from the typical Western trajectories. --Hungarian incomplete modernization trajectory,phases of modernization and their international contexts,politization,Neo-patrimonialism versus Neo-weberian synthesis

Політичний іслам – маркер кризового суспільства

В статье Н.Кирюшко «Политический ислам - маркер кризисного общества» анализируются процессы политизации и радикализации ислама в мире и в Украине в частности; раскрываются предпосылки, причины и возможные последствия деятельности религиозно-политического движения «Хизб ат- Тахрир» на территории Украины. Ключевые слова: политический ислам, политизация ислама, исламская политика, религиозная партия «Хизб ат-Тахрір», мусульманская среда.In the article of M.Kiryushkо «Political Islam is a marker of crisis society» the processes of politization and radikalization of Islam in the world as a whole and in Ukraine in particular are analysed. The author also defines pre-conditions, reasons and possible consequences of activity of the religious and political movement of «Khizb ut-Takhrir» in Ukraine. Keywords: political islam, politization of Islam, Islam policy, religious party of «Khizb ut-Takhrir», Muslim society

Insurgent participation: consensus and contestation in planning the redevelopment of Berlin-Tempelhof airport

Despite decades of debate, participatory planning continues to be contested. More recently, research has revealed a relationship between participation and neoliberalism, in which participation works as a post-political tool—a means to depoliticize planning and legitimize neoliberal policy-making. This article argues that such accounts lack attention to the opportunities for opposing neoliberal planning that may be inherent within participatory processes. In order to further an understanding of the workings of resistance within planning, it suggests the notion of insurgent participation—a mode of contentious intervention in participatory approaches. It develops this concept through the analysis of various participatory approaches launched to regenerate the former airport Berlin-Tempelhof. A critical reading of participation in Tempelhof reveals a contradictory process. Although participatory methods worked to mobilize support for predefined agendas, their insurgent participation also allowed participants to criticize and shape the possibilities of engagement, challenge planning approaches and envision alternatives to capitalist imperatives