Showing papers on "Vision published in 2011"

Programmed Visions: Software and Memory

Abstract: New media thrives on cycles of obsolescence and renewal: from celebrations of cyber-everything to Y2K, from the dot-com bust to the next big things--mobile mobs, Web 3.0, cloud computing. In Programmed Visions, Wendy Hui Kyong Chun argues that these cycles result in part from the ways in which new media encapsulates a logic of programmability. New media proliferates "programmed visions," which seek to shape and predict--even embody--a future based on past data. These programmed visions have also made computers, based on metaphor, metaphors for metaphor itself, for a general logic of substitutability. Chun approaches the concept of programmability through the surprising materialization of software as a "thing" in its own right, tracing the hardening of programming into software and of memory into storage. She argues that the clarity offered by software as metaphor should make us pause, because software also engenders a profound sense of ignorance: who knows what lurks behind our smiling interfaces, behind the objects we click and manipulate? The less we know, the more we are shown. This paradox, Chun argues, does not diminish new media's power, but rather grounds computing's appeal. Its combination of what can be seen and not seen, known (knowable) and not known--its separation of interface from algorithm and software from hardware--makes it a powerful metaphor for everything we believe is invisible yet generates visible, logical effects, from genetics to the invisible hand of the market, from ideology to culture.

Spectacular Rhetorics: Human Rights Visions, Recognitions, Feminisms

Abstract: Spectacular Rhetorics is a rigorous analysis of the rhetorical frameworks and narratives that underlie human rights law, shape the process of cultural and legal recognition, and delimit public responses to violence and injustice. Integrating visual and textual criticism, Wendy S. Hesford scrutinizes “spectacular rhetoric,” the use of visual images and rhetoric to construct certain bodies, populations, and nations as victims and incorporate them into human rights discourses geared toward Westerners, chiefly Americans. Hesford presents a series of case studies critiquing the visual representations of human suffering in documentary films, photography, and theater. In each study, she analyzes works addressing a prominent contemporary human rights cause, such as torture and unlawful detention, ethnic genocide and rape as a means of warfare, migration and the trafficking of women and children, the global sex trade, and child labor. Through these studies, she demonstrates how spectacular rhetoric activates certain cultural and national narratives and social and political relations, consolidates identities through the politics of recognition, and configures material relations of power and difference to produce and, ultimately, to govern human rights subjects.

Public Visions of the Human/Nature Relationship and their Implications for Environmental Ethics

Abstract: A social scientific survey on visions of human/nature relationships in western Europe shows that the public clearly distinguishes not only between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism, but also between two nonanthropocentric types of thought, which may be called “partnership with nature” and “participation in nature.” In addition, the respondents distinguish a form of human/nature relationship that is allied to traditional stewardship but has a more ecocentric content, labeled here as “guardianship of nature.” Further analysis shows that the general public does not subscribe to an ethic of “mastery over nature.” Instead, practically all respondents embrace the image of guardianship, while the more radical relationships of partnership and participation also received significant levels of adherence. The results imply that ethicists should no longer assume that the ethics of the public are merely anthropocentric. Finally, they call into question the idea of a single form of ecocentrism and favor a hermeneutic virtue ethics approach to the study of the interface between ethics and action.

Negotiating Plausibility: Intervening in the Future of Nanotechnology

Abstract: The national-level scenarios project NanoFutures focuses on the social, political, economic, and ethical implications of nanotechnology, and is initiated by the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University (CNS-ASU) The project involves novel methods for the development of plausible visions of nanotechnology-enabled futures, elucidates public preferences for various alternatives, and, using such preferences, helps refine future visions for research and outreach In doing so, the NanoFutures project aims to address a central question: how to deliberate the social implications of an emergent technology whose outcomes are not known The solution pursued by the NanoFutures project is twofold First, NanoFutures limits speculation about the technology to plausible visions This ambition introduces a host of concerns about the limits of prediction, the nature of plausibility, and how to establish plausibility Second, it subjects these visions to democratic assessment by a range of stakeholders, thus raising methodological questions as to who are relevant stakeholders and how to activate different communities so as to engage the far future This article makes the dilemmas posed by decisions about such methodological issues transparent and therefore articulates the role of plausibility in anticipatory governance

The Myth of American Religious Freedom

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: THE AMERICAN MYTHS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PART I: MORAL LAW 1. Contested Liberties and Religious Establishment 2. The Irrelevant First Amendment 3. The Moral Establishment PART II: SONS OF HAM 4. The Moral Purpose of Slavery 5. The Moral Purpose of Abolition 6. Morality and Segregation PART III: FAMILY VALUES 7. Moral Reproduction and the Family 8. Woman's rights, Woman's Individuality, and the Bible PART IV: GOD'S COUNTRY 9. The Separation of Church and State? 10. Religion, Morals, and Common Sense PART V: SOWING AND REAPING 11. The Ethics of Jesus and the Gospel of Wealth 12. Liberal and Conservative Moral Visions PART VI: A MORAL MAJORITY? 13. The Decline of the Moral Establishment 14. The Religious Right and the Challenge of Moral Pluralism

Critical adaptation to hurricanes in the Mexican Caribbean: Development visions, governance structures, and coping strategies

Abstract: The need to tackle climate hazards and development efforts simultaneously is widely acknowledged. However, the possibility of alternative visions of development is seldom contemplated. Instead, adaptation research usually assumes monolithic claims about development constructed from the status quo of global capitalism. This paper outlines a critical approach to adaptation and explores the interplay between visions of development, governance structures, and strategies to cope with hurricanes in the Mexican Caribbean, a region at the ‘front line’ of both globalization and climatic extreme phenomena. Critical adaptation formulates the experiencing of hazards as essentially political and tied to contingent development paths, which may eventually become hegemonic. Over a hundred semi-structured and open interviews were held in Cancun, Mahahual, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum including academics, businesspeople, bureaucrats, journalists, non-governmental organizations and tourism workers in order to characterize development visions in the Mexican Caribbean. Findings show a prevalent hegemonic vision supporting mass tourism growth which encourages hurricane coping strategies based on effective evacuation and attracting investments for rapid economic recovery. The actual implementation of this vision increases social inequalities, degrades ecosystems, and amplifies overall exposure to extreme events. Mass tourism is enforced by undemocratic governance structures sustained by a coalition of government and tourism corporations (a government-capital bloc in Gramsci's sense). Some weak signs of counter-hegemony were identified in Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Mahahual. These isolated episodes of resistance might have triggered alternative coping strategies despite having little effect in altering the overall course of development. Further critical research is needed to unveil the socio-political foundations of development visions and their influence on capacities to cope with climatic extreme events.

Educational Futures: Dominant and Contesting Visions.

Abstract: This book provides an overview and analysis of current tensions, debates and key issues within OECD nations, particularly Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK, with regard to where education is and should be going. Using a broad historical analysis, it investigates ideas and visions about the future that are increasingly evoked to support arguments about the imminent demise of the dominant modern educational model. Focusing neither on prediction nor prescription, this text suggests the goal is an analysis of the ways in which the notion of the future circulates in contemporary discourse. Five specific discourses are explored: globalisation; new information and communications technologies; feminist; indigenous; and spiritual. The book demonstrates the connections between particular approaches to time, visions of the future, and educational visions and practices. The author asserts that every approach to educational change is inherently based on an underlying image of the future.

End-of-life experiences: reaching out for compassion, communication, and connection-meaning of deathbed visions and coincidences

Abstract: A recent study shows that the greatest fear for many Britons is to die alone. More than half the complaints received by the UK National Health Service (NHS) concern end-of-life care, with an emphasis on spiritual matters. Much has been written on the spiritual needs of the dying, but many doctors and nurses still find this a difficult area to approach. They lack the confidence and/or training to recognize or discuss spiritual aspects of death and dying or to affirm the spiritual needs of the dying person. Our end-of-life experience (ELE) research suggests that deathbed visions (DVs) and deathbed coincidences (DCs) are not uncommon, and that the dying process appears to involve an instinctive need for spiritual connection and meaning, requiring compassionate understanding and respect from those who provide end-of-life care.

What Do We Know About Vision

Abstract: Given the criticality of vision to leadership, the paucity of research into vision is surprising. This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on vision, highlighting early concepts of vision, vision definitions and components before proposing future research directions, including looking at what the components of an “effective” vision are, identifying the attributes and content of visions associated with desirable performance and ability to sustain it.

Reclaiming the Vision Thing: Constructivists as Students of the Future

Abstract: This article argues that constructivists committed to reflexivity should be students of the future. It notes that both conventional and critical approaches do not sufficiently engage with the problem of future uncertainty in the process of identity formation and neglect its behavioural implications. Against this backdrop, the article regrounds constructivism in a temporal ontology and the argument that humans, in the face of contingency, seek to establish visions of a meaningful future. It discusses how visions, as utopias and/or dystopias, define possibilities of being and thereby provide actors with a sense of direction, and it differentiates between “robust” and “creative” visions to highlight two ways in which such possibilities are manifested. In doing so, the article encourages constructivists to become more attentive in identifying the visions which enable and bind creative agents in the process of realization.

Faculties of education and institutional strategies for knowledge mobilization: an exploratory study

Abstract: The goal to enhance the impacts of academic research in the ‘real world’ resonates with progressive visions of the role of universities in society, and finds support among policy makers who have sought to enhance the ‘transfer’, ‘translation’, ‘uptake’, or ‘valorization’ of research knowledge in several areas of public services. This paper reports on an exploratory study of the strategies used by selected Canadian and international faculties of education to mobilize research knowledge. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with senior administrators of 13 faculties of education, the analysis reveals several themes. Academic leaders recognize knowledge mobilization as a desirable institutional mission, but they identify a number of barriers to greater efforts in this area. Although a number of strategies are employed, changes across multiple organizational dimensions to encourage and support knowledge mobilization were reported at only two institutions. These results are relevant to faculty administrators, scholars, and policy-makers interested in understanding the role of academic institutions in the mobilization of research knowledge to the broader education community.

Afro and Indigenous Life-Visions in/and Politics. (De)colonial Perspectives in Bolivia and Ecuador

Abstract: Ancestral cosmologies or “life visions” are increasingly visible today, both within the realm of Afro and Indigenous community-based struggles, and within the frame of State constitutions, rights, and politics. This article looks at what happens when ancestral life–visions are positioned as central principles of State and of State politics and public policies. Can these philosophies, rationalities and logics otherwise guide the remaking or re–founding of society and State, and how, particularly when the authority, organization, and practice of politics and State remain bound to Western frames and capitalist interests?

Religion and development : ways of transforming the world

Abstract: Until recently, policy-makers and academics generally saw religion as something that would disappear as countries made economic progress. But we now know that this rarely happens in fact. People in most countries continue to look at the world through the prism of religion even when they develop modern lifestyles. Religion and Development looks at the ways in which a religious worldview influences processes of development. Its great originality is that it does not concentrate primarily on religious institutions and organisations but on religious ideas themselves. In the final resort, it is people's ideas that motivate them. Their worldview stimulates them to act in specific ways. Religion is a dimension of life that often lies behind qualities such as social trust and cohesion that are vital to development. This is of growing importance in a world where technocratic visions of development have lost their way. For communities where religious belief is accepted as a fact of everyday life, religion constitutes a major resource. It can be employed by people who want to destroy society as well as those who want to build it. The contributors to this book explore how religious resources can be harnessed for development. Many of the world's people believe that the material advancement of both individuals and communities is inseparable from their spiritual improvement. The essays in this volume take this point of view seriously.

Participatory scenario development for integrated sustainability assessment

Abstract: The paper discusses the role of visions within sustainability assessment and governance for sustainable development in Europe. Currently, our societies (still) develop along an unsustainable path, which results in a number of persistent problems (climate change, loss of biodiversity, poverty, etc.). Integrated sustainability assessment (ISA) is one approach designed to initiate transitions towards sustainability. Visions of a sustainable future form an important part of ISA. These visions support the process of discussing how the transition from today’s societies/systems to a sustainable future can be achieved. According to the principles of ISA, visions should be developed in a participatory way, thus including the ideas and perceptions of stakeholders, decision-makers, experts and/or citizens. The paper starts with an introduction of the concepts of visions and scenarios and describes exemplary methods for their participatory development. Then, the main concepts for integrated sustainability assessment in comparison with other impact assessments are discussed. The main body of the paper presents experiences in three projects (ARTEMIS, ALARM, ECOCHANGE) in which visions and scenarios of sustainable futures were developed with stakeholders. The paper concludes with lessons learned and suggestions for future applications for participatory scenario development.

Ottoman Ulema, Turkish Republic: Agents of Change and Guardians of Tradition

Abstract: To better understand the diverse inheritance of Islamic movements in present-day Turkey, we must take a closer look at the religious establishment, the ulema, during the first half of the twentieth century. During the closing years of the Ottoman Empire and the early decades of the Republic of Turkey, the spread of secularist and anti-religious ideas had a major impact on the views and political leanings of the ulema. This book explores the intellectual debates and political movements of the religious establishment during this time. Bein reveals how competing visions of development influenced debates about reforms in religious education and the modernization of the medreses. He also explores the reactions and changing attitudes of Islamic intellectuals to the religious policies of the secular republic, and provides a better understanding of the changes in the relationship between religion and state. Exposing division within the religious establishment, this book illuminates the ulema's long-lasting legacies still in evidence in Turkey today.

Energy impacts of the smart home - conflicting visions

Abstract: To support the transition towards an energy system that is based 100 percent on renewable energy sources, the smart grid is presently undergoing rapid development in Denmark – a hype that can also be seen in the rest of the world. Many actors are playing in the field, and the present situation is characterized by great uncertainty as to the direction of the development. The paper focuses on the role of households in the smart grid visions proposed by a broad range of stakeholders. It has two aims: first, to sort out the threads of the discussion; what visions are formulated regarding the role of households in the smart grid? What visions are articulated for the functionalities of the smart home? Secondly, we critically investigate these visions to explore if they support the development of sustainable energy consumption. We claim that the smart home in the smart grid is the latest addition to a family of ideas emerging in relation to the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the home. The smart home is thus a melting pot of such different trends as automation of household chores, entertainment and energy management. These different ingredients of the melting pot co-evolve, we argue, and we suggest that the coevolution may well have negative consequences for the overall energy impact of the transition. The smart grid could become a dynamic that constructs and normalizes new energy-demanding practices and facilitates escalating expectations to comfort. This paper only begins the exploration of the reported discussions; much more research in this area needs to be done.

Beyond Delinquent Citizenships: Immigrant Youth's (Re)Visions of Citizenship and Belonging in a Globalized World

Abstract: Using ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a public high school located in the greater Barcelona area, Anne Rios-Rojas focuses on the experiences of immigrant youth as they negotiate a sense of belonging in an ever more globalized society. Rios-Rojas pays particular attention to the multiple and at times contradictory ways in which youth maneuver within a social landscape that is flooded with confusing messages about what it means to belong (or not) in a new society. Drawing richly on their voices, she describes how these youth navigate through discourses that at times locate them as delinquents and terrorists and, at other times, as victims who require saving—but always as outsiders. She concludes with an exploration of the theoretical and practical implications of attending to youth's (re)visions of belonging and citizenship within an increasingly complex globalized world.

Liberalism, imperialism and the historical imagination: nineteenth century visions of a Greater Britain (supplementary materials)

Abstract: These supplementary notes consist primarily of extended references and explanations that were cut from the original book manuscript for reasons of space. In a few instances, however, they constitute more extended subordinate narratives (with accompanying references), which are related to the book's themes, but were left out because they would have deflected from the central argument and analysis of the volume. These supplementary notes are coordinated to the footnote numbers for the Introduction to Liberalism, Imperialism and the Historical Imagination: Nineteenth Century Visions of a Greater Britain, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011).

Consuming the public school

Abstract: In this essay David Labaree examines the tension between two competing visions of the purposes of education that have shaped American public schools. From one perspective, we have seen schooling as a way to preserve and promote public aims, such as keeping the faith, shoring up the republic, or promoting economic growth. From the other perspective, we have seen schooling as a way to advance the interests of individual educational consumers in the pursuit of social access and social advantage. In the first half of the essay Labaree shows the evolution of the public vision over time, from an emphasis on religious aims to political ones to economic ones and, finally, to an embrace of individual opportunity. In the second half, he shows how the consumerist vision of schooling has not only come to dominate in the rhetoric of school reform but also in shaping the structure of the school system.

Designing for player experience : How professional game developers communicate design visions

Abstract: Designing for player experience : How professional game developers communicate design visions

Environment at the Margins: Literary and Environmental Studies in Africa

Abstract: Environment at the Margins brings literary and environmental studies into a robust interdisciplinary dialogue, challenging dominant ideas about nature, conservation, and development in Africa and exploring alternative narratives offered by writers and environmental thinkers. The essays examine how geographers, anthropologists, and historians make use of literature and how they apply theories and ideas drawn from their respective fields in the study of both African and colonial literatures. Contributors analyze the writing of Nadine Gordimer and J. M. Coetzee and the intersections between literary and policy devices in the works of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Zakes Mda, Mia Couto, Ben Okri, and Wangari Maathai. These postcolonial ecocritical discussions focus on dialogue among disciplines and among different visions of African environments. Through its cross-disciplinary approach, Environment at the Margins moves African ecocriticism beyond the marginalized visions of the imaginary Africa.

Developing a Transformative School Vision: Lessons From Peer-Nominated Principals

Abstract: Scholars argue or imply that schools should build transformative school visions that promote equity, diversity, and social justice. However, little empirical research has investigated the principal’s role in this endeavor or analyzed the practical dimensions of transformative vision statements. This study re-examined relevant data from two qualitative studies of school principals who were peer-nominated for exemplary transformative practices. The findings delineate principals’ practices in developing a transformative vision and suggest several useful dimensions of transformative vision statements. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Preparing Rural Music Teachers: Reflecting on “Shared Visions”

Abstract: This article provides a view of rural music teacher preparation through the lens of critical social theory, drawing from literature about rural schools and social class, and the author’s experience as a rural student, teacher, and music teacher educator. It brings to light patterns of privilege and oppression within current ideals, standards, and practices, particularly as they might relate to “shared visions” in music education and/or music teacher education. The overall aim, nonetheless, is practical—identifying specific problems in preparing rural music teachers and suggesting a range of possible solutions.

Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform

Abstract: List of AbbreviationsPreface1. Introduction: A Comforting Explanation for Calamity2. Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Iraq War3. Alternative Visions of the Iraq War4. Congress and the Politics of the Iraq War5. Great Decisions and the Irrelevance of Intelligence6. Politicization7. Scapegoats and Spectator Sport8. The Never-Ending Issue9. Catharsis and 9/1110. Responses to Catharsis11. The Illusion of Reform12. Real Reform13. Adapting Policy to UncertaintyNotesIndex