Using an analytical narrative approach to understand policy change, this paper explores the Brazilian government decision to create a digital TV policy initiating major reforms in this sector. The analysis is centered...Using an analytical narrative approach to understand policy change, this paper explores the Brazilian government decision to create a digital TV policy initiating major reforms in this sector. The analysis is centered on the actors, preferences, and choices. The article is divided into three parts： （1） We address the historical institutionalism assumptions; （2） We focus on the politics of digital TV policy in Brazil; and （3） The results are highlighted, and ＂winners＂ and ＂losers＂ are identified. Actors, preferences, and choices are historically observed and related to the government decision about rules of digital TV exploitation. It provides configurational evidence that makes it possible to associate major changes to two presidential decrees （n° 4.901/2003 and n° 5.820/2006） that reflect the preferences and behavior of the main actor （broadcasters, social movements, and federal government） around the new digital TV issues. The Brazilian case shows an institutional model in which federal government＇s decisions are strongly connected with the preferences of the actor broadcasters and goes against the actor social movements.展开更多
Utopian visions between China and Western society differed in their early stage. Words reflecting early Chinese utopian visions scattered in many ancient classics. Most of them were general depiction of an ideal socie...Utopian visions between China and Western society differed in their early stage. Words reflecting early Chinese utopian visions scattered in many ancient classics. Most of them were general depiction of an ideal society featured with equality, sympathy, preference for community autonomy and the social order ＂the whole world as one community＂. Early Western society witnessed many utopian monographs. Most of them offered detailed construction of social frame with emphasis on social function division, request for ideal authority, and property co-ownership as core of an ideal society.展开更多
Ever since Lawrence Goodwyn published The Populist Moment, social historians have been keenly aware of the power culture represents when it comes to resistance. Historically, ＂movement culture＂ has been used to crea...Ever since Lawrence Goodwyn published The Populist Moment, social historians have been keenly aware of the power culture represents when it comes to resistance. Historically, ＂movement culture＂ has been used to create a collective climate and offered political activists a springboard to discuss with the masses the benefits of joining a social movement. ＂Beyond the Dreams of Loveliness＂ uses the cultural outlet of film and the labor movement in the city of Detroit as analytical tools to examine working class community resistance throughout the 1930s. In the midst of the ＂golden age of film＂ community activists and union organizers--some of whom were well-known radicals and some of whom were mainstream unionists--used the institution of cinema to instill a level of class consciousness in the masses and mobilize the working class community against exploitation of employers, reactionary politicians, and white supremacist organizations. Movie-going had been a very popular form of recreation in Detroit since the 1920s and downtown theatres increasingly became the destination of an eclectic array of workers. Movie theaters themselves were bastions of community activity around the thirties and many were located in the heart of the city＇s working class district. Yet it was the films themselves that offered community activists and unionists a chance to converse with workers regarding the socio-economic matters of the day. Hollywood released a good number of films that dealt with working class issues and provided activists with ample opportunities to ＂instruct＂ the audience and carry on the discussion into the factory or union halls. ＂Beyond the Dreams of Loveliness＂ relies on a combination of oral histories, movie reviews, film clips, and union and/or working class organizational records to illuminate how activists in Detroit＇s working class community used film as an outlet to inspire working class resistance. In sum, film provided an accessible form of entertainment that proved to be effective on two fronts： It promoted increased group cooperation, friendship, and alliances while it also fostered a shared culture, making it easier for activists to organize workers in the coming struggles for unionism.展开更多
The success of the Hunger Games trilogy to the young readers is its distinctive blending of science fiction elements with protagonist Katniss＇ initiation. The trilogy suffices youth＇s interest to embrace a fiction t...The success of the Hunger Games trilogy to the young readers is its distinctive blending of science fiction elements with protagonist Katniss＇ initiation. The trilogy suffices youth＇s interest to embrace a fiction that dramatizes both realistic and fantastic portray of the world. Through depicting the intellectual and social development of protagonist Katniss who, after experiencing both defeats and triumphs in a dystopian world, Suzanne Collins successfully conveys the coming-of-age theme under the veil of science fiction in the Hunger Games trilogy.展开更多
Charlotte Gilman＇s utopian masterpiece Herland （1915） dramatizes a confrontation between three men and an all-female society. Gilman not only creates a political vacuum, where the whole patriarchal civilization, in...Charlotte Gilman＇s utopian masterpiece Herland （1915） dramatizes a confrontation between three men and an all-female society. Gilman not only creates a political vacuum, where the whole patriarchal civilization, including patriarchal system, superstructure, ideology, influence, and consciousness have ceased to exist, but also men are done away with all together. Most reviews claim that Herland criticizes the patriarchal tradition and manifests concern for humanity and some even regard Herland as the first truly feminist work in the American tradition. But this supposedly utopian world is actually static, without possibilities of growth and even inhuman, gothic, and nightmarish. And this is because Gilman constructs the women＇s utopia out of the conviction in women＇s superiority over men. Herland is a little paradise that is designed too perfect. Women＇s utopias still need to promote social change in the real world展开更多
The publication of Out of Africa in 1937 won Baroness K. Blixen-Finecke worldwide fame because the novel caused wide public concern among both critics and readers. The story unfolds a poetic picture which reveals the ...The publication of Out of Africa in 1937 won Baroness K. Blixen-Finecke worldwide fame because the novel caused wide public concern among both critics and readers. The story unfolds a poetic picture which reveals the natural peace and harmony in Africa through the narrative angle of the heroine--Karen Blixen. In Out of Africa, the author, from multipoint viepoints, knits the legendary plot to display a picture of a community with the features of spiritual utopia, which is an ideal place for men to escape from the outside disturbance. The present paper, first, gives a brief introduction to the plot of the story. Then, it discusses the characteristics of spiritual utopian community on the African land from the following three perspectives： Karen Blixen is a pursuer to go after self-integrity so as to protect the harmony of spiritual utopian land in Africa; Africans are the paragons of self-integrity to pursue freedom on their homeland; and the western settlers are the dominators who have lost self-integrity in the spiritual utopian community because they have almost destroyed the ecological and social banlance on African land.展开更多
The paper presents an analysis of the selected stanzas of Siva Satakam （One Hundred Verses on Siva）--the most important hymn devoted to Siva composed in Malayalam by Narayana Guru. The analysis shows that there is a...The paper presents an analysis of the selected stanzas of Siva Satakam （One Hundred Verses on Siva）--the most important hymn devoted to Siva composed in Malayalam by Narayana Guru. The analysis shows that there is a tendency in the hymn to emphasise the equal status of Sanskrit and Dravidian literary tradition. Several stanzas are constructed on the basis of Sanskrit stories or myths; however, this ＂classical＂ scheme is filled with Tamil or Malayalam concepts, ideas, and key words. What is more, Narayana Guru employs so called twilight language used by authors of Tamil philosophical works in order to provide a receiver of the poem with the opportunity to interpret some stanzas in accordance with Sanskrit as well as Dravidian tradition. The introduction of a person belonging to lower caste of South India as the one who is able to attain liberation, as well as presentation of the welt-known philosophical concepts as equal or even subordinated to the Dravidian ideas could become a significant contribution to the social activity of Guru comprising among others the concern for spiritual and social uplift of the lower caste people of Kerala.展开更多
Our studies about safety in society lead us to the most popular book by Karl Mannheim： Ideology and Utopia. This work envisages the discrepancies between social knowledge and the material world itself. The crucial co...Our studies about safety in society lead us to the most popular book by Karl Mannheim： Ideology and Utopia. This work envisages the discrepancies between social knowledge and the material world itself. The crucial conclusion reads as follows： Our image of reality is mostly based on our interests and desires and does not rely on thorough research. There are two types of such representations： utopia and ideology. The first of them, less interesting for us, is the type of ideas which can revolutionize a social being. The second one is a particular set of visions which can never be realized but on the other hand they act as common knowledge （general knowledge of the world）--stabilizing the social structure by presenting it with a holistic image of the world. Taking the above into consideration, how is it possible that representations, being so distant from reality （creating a completely separate ＂world＂）, basically enable efficient functioning in it？ Ideology, being the foundation of the society＇s functioning space, should always be tautological, in the sense that for the participants of the given world＇s image （creation as it is）, it should define the being in a comprehensive and adequate way （in Thomas Aquinas spirit）. What is more, it would always be true. We should also mention that the main tools of ideology, understood this way, are specific definitions and the extrapolation of sense. The purpose of this lecture is to prove that it is possible for ideology to come to life, only when the individuals who acknowledge it will consider their image of reality proper. The above ideological system should be understood as the obviousness of description of the surrounding world which in return makes unreflective functioning in reality possible. This obviousness of the presented world will be referred to as social safety.展开更多
This paper presents some results of sustainable urban-planning development in Moscow Capital Region. Moscow City and Moscow Region （Moscow Oblast） are the parts of the Moscow Capital Region. According to the Constit...This paper presents some results of sustainable urban-planning development in Moscow Capital Region. Moscow City and Moscow Region （Moscow Oblast） are the parts of the Moscow Capital Region. According to the Constitution of Russia, adopted in December 1993, Moscow Region and Moscow City are two independent federal subjects of Russian Federation. The sustainable development of Moscow City and Moscow Region as an integrated regional economic and natural complex which plays the most important part in Russia＇s economy must be based on the integrated solution to the problems of environmental protection, social equity, and economic feasibility. The latest initiative of Russian Government concerns the creation of the Greater Moscow within the new borders of Moscow. Making the decision on the extension of the city limits and stimulation of the Moscow Agglomeration development provides the real way of resolution of the accumulated problems and provides enormous impetus to the sustainable development. The key task of the environmentally sound development of the Greater Moscow is to relieve the historical center of Moscow City; maintain the rational balance of built-up areas, natural and rural landscapes; ensure joint control of the urban development and economic activity; and create the favorable environment for the population.展开更多
During the 1960s, many changes reshaped the economy, the society and the arts. The Cold War, the Space Race, the construction of a new middle class in most western societies led by the postwar economic prosperity with...During the 1960s, many changes reshaped the economy, the society and the arts. The Cold War, the Space Race, the construction of a new middle class in most western societies led by the postwar economic prosperity with unprecedented urban growth followed by severe environmental problems fostered the design of spectacular urban utopian cities and mega-architectures. In those years, Japan was the source of highly influential bold and visionary urban and architectural ideas which relied on advanced technology. These ideas were conceived on the thought that cities could be seen as gigantic but impermanent entities able to transform itself according to an organic process of adaptation of its elementary components. This paper briefly revisits and critically discusses the legacy of the iconic mega-strnctural projects of Japanese Metabolist Movement and other visionary architects and planners of the 1960s, such as Paolo Soleri, Buckminster Fuller, Archigram. It attempts to enlighten the continuity with contemporary innovative and experimental urban models and ideas for the society and the city of the future, such as the Smart Cities, Eco-Cities, Green Urbanism, whose design is led by concerns related to climate change, the necessity of energy efficiency, the improvement of urban landscape and the valorization of depleted natural resources.展开更多
文摘Using an analytical narrative approach to understand policy change, this paper explores the Brazilian government decision to create a digital TV policy initiating major reforms in this sector. The analysis is centered on the actors, preferences, and choices. The article is divided into three parts： （1） We address the historical institutionalism assumptions; （2） We focus on the politics of digital TV policy in Brazil; and （3） The results are highlighted, and ＂winners＂ and ＂losers＂ are identified. Actors, preferences, and choices are historically observed and related to the government decision about rules of digital TV exploitation. It provides configurational evidence that makes it possible to associate major changes to two presidential decrees （n° 4.901/2003 and n° 5.820/2006） that reflect the preferences and behavior of the main actor （broadcasters, social movements, and federal government） around the new digital TV issues. The Brazilian case shows an institutional model in which federal government＇s decisions are strongly connected with the preferences of the actor broadcasters and goes against the actor social movements.
文摘Utopian visions between China and Western society differed in their early stage. Words reflecting early Chinese utopian visions scattered in many ancient classics. Most of them were general depiction of an ideal society featured with equality, sympathy, preference for community autonomy and the social order ＂the whole world as one community＂. Early Western society witnessed many utopian monographs. Most of them offered detailed construction of social frame with emphasis on social function division, request for ideal authority, and property co-ownership as core of an ideal society.
文摘Ever since Lawrence Goodwyn published The Populist Moment, social historians have been keenly aware of the power culture represents when it comes to resistance. Historically, ＂movement culture＂ has been used to create a collective climate and offered political activists a springboard to discuss with the masses the benefits of joining a social movement. ＂Beyond the Dreams of Loveliness＂ uses the cultural outlet of film and the labor movement in the city of Detroit as analytical tools to examine working class community resistance throughout the 1930s. In the midst of the ＂golden age of film＂ community activists and union organizers--some of whom were well-known radicals and some of whom were mainstream unionists--used the institution of cinema to instill a level of class consciousness in the masses and mobilize the working class community against exploitation of employers, reactionary politicians, and white supremacist organizations. Movie-going had been a very popular form of recreation in Detroit since the 1920s and downtown theatres increasingly became the destination of an eclectic array of workers. Movie theaters themselves were bastions of community activity around the thirties and many were located in the heart of the city＇s working class district. Yet it was the films themselves that offered community activists and unionists a chance to converse with workers regarding the socio-economic matters of the day. Hollywood released a good number of films that dealt with working class issues and provided activists with ample opportunities to ＂instruct＂ the audience and carry on the discussion into the factory or union halls. ＂Beyond the Dreams of Loveliness＂ relies on a combination of oral histories, movie reviews, film clips, and union and/or working class organizational records to illuminate how activists in Detroit＇s working class community used film as an outlet to inspire working class resistance. In sum, film provided an accessible form of entertainment that proved to be effective on two fronts： It promoted increased group cooperation, friendship, and alliances while it also fostered a shared culture, making it easier for activists to organize workers in the coming struggles for unionism.
文摘The success of the Hunger Games trilogy to the young readers is its distinctive blending of science fiction elements with protagonist Katniss＇ initiation. The trilogy suffices youth＇s interest to embrace a fiction that dramatizes both realistic and fantastic portray of the world. Through depicting the intellectual and social development of protagonist Katniss who, after experiencing both defeats and triumphs in a dystopian world, Suzanne Collins successfully conveys the coming-of-age theme under the veil of science fiction in the Hunger Games trilogy.
文摘Charlotte Gilman＇s utopian masterpiece Herland （1915） dramatizes a confrontation between three men and an all-female society. Gilman not only creates a political vacuum, where the whole patriarchal civilization, including patriarchal system, superstructure, ideology, influence, and consciousness have ceased to exist, but also men are done away with all together. Most reviews claim that Herland criticizes the patriarchal tradition and manifests concern for humanity and some even regard Herland as the first truly feminist work in the American tradition. But this supposedly utopian world is actually static, without possibilities of growth and even inhuman, gothic, and nightmarish. And this is because Gilman constructs the women＇s utopia out of the conviction in women＇s superiority over men. Herland is a little paradise that is designed too perfect. Women＇s utopias still need to promote social change in the real world
文摘The publication of Out of Africa in 1937 won Baroness K. Blixen-Finecke worldwide fame because the novel caused wide public concern among both critics and readers. The story unfolds a poetic picture which reveals the natural peace and harmony in Africa through the narrative angle of the heroine--Karen Blixen. In Out of Africa, the author, from multipoint viepoints, knits the legendary plot to display a picture of a community with the features of spiritual utopia, which is an ideal place for men to escape from the outside disturbance. The present paper, first, gives a brief introduction to the plot of the story. Then, it discusses the characteristics of spiritual utopian community on the African land from the following three perspectives： Karen Blixen is a pursuer to go after self-integrity so as to protect the harmony of spiritual utopian land in Africa; Africans are the paragons of self-integrity to pursue freedom on their homeland; and the western settlers are the dominators who have lost self-integrity in the spiritual utopian community because they have almost destroyed the ecological and social banlance on African land.
文摘The paper presents an analysis of the selected stanzas of Siva Satakam （One Hundred Verses on Siva）--the most important hymn devoted to Siva composed in Malayalam by Narayana Guru. The analysis shows that there is a tendency in the hymn to emphasise the equal status of Sanskrit and Dravidian literary tradition. Several stanzas are constructed on the basis of Sanskrit stories or myths; however, this ＂classical＂ scheme is filled with Tamil or Malayalam concepts, ideas, and key words. What is more, Narayana Guru employs so called twilight language used by authors of Tamil philosophical works in order to provide a receiver of the poem with the opportunity to interpret some stanzas in accordance with Sanskrit as well as Dravidian tradition. The introduction of a person belonging to lower caste of South India as the one who is able to attain liberation, as well as presentation of the welt-known philosophical concepts as equal or even subordinated to the Dravidian ideas could become a significant contribution to the social activity of Guru comprising among others the concern for spiritual and social uplift of the lower caste people of Kerala.
文摘Our studies about safety in society lead us to the most popular book by Karl Mannheim： Ideology and Utopia. This work envisages the discrepancies between social knowledge and the material world itself. The crucial conclusion reads as follows： Our image of reality is mostly based on our interests and desires and does not rely on thorough research. There are two types of such representations： utopia and ideology. The first of them, less interesting for us, is the type of ideas which can revolutionize a social being. The second one is a particular set of visions which can never be realized but on the other hand they act as common knowledge （general knowledge of the world）--stabilizing the social structure by presenting it with a holistic image of the world. Taking the above into consideration, how is it possible that representations, being so distant from reality （creating a completely separate ＂world＂）, basically enable efficient functioning in it？ Ideology, being the foundation of the society＇s functioning space, should always be tautological, in the sense that for the participants of the given world＇s image （creation as it is）, it should define the being in a comprehensive and adequate way （in Thomas Aquinas spirit）. What is more, it would always be true. We should also mention that the main tools of ideology, understood this way, are specific definitions and the extrapolation of sense. The purpose of this lecture is to prove that it is possible for ideology to come to life, only when the individuals who acknowledge it will consider their image of reality proper. The above ideological system should be understood as the obviousness of description of the surrounding world which in return makes unreflective functioning in reality possible. This obviousness of the presented world will be referred to as social safety.
文摘This paper presents some results of sustainable urban-planning development in Moscow Capital Region. Moscow City and Moscow Region （Moscow Oblast） are the parts of the Moscow Capital Region. According to the Constitution of Russia, adopted in December 1993, Moscow Region and Moscow City are two independent federal subjects of Russian Federation. The sustainable development of Moscow City and Moscow Region as an integrated regional economic and natural complex which plays the most important part in Russia＇s economy must be based on the integrated solution to the problems of environmental protection, social equity, and economic feasibility. The latest initiative of Russian Government concerns the creation of the Greater Moscow within the new borders of Moscow. Making the decision on the extension of the city limits and stimulation of the Moscow Agglomeration development provides the real way of resolution of the accumulated problems and provides enormous impetus to the sustainable development. The key task of the environmentally sound development of the Greater Moscow is to relieve the historical center of Moscow City; maintain the rational balance of built-up areas, natural and rural landscapes; ensure joint control of the urban development and economic activity; and create the favorable environment for the population.
文摘During the 1960s, many changes reshaped the economy, the society and the arts. The Cold War, the Space Race, the construction of a new middle class in most western societies led by the postwar economic prosperity with unprecedented urban growth followed by severe environmental problems fostered the design of spectacular urban utopian cities and mega-architectures. In those years, Japan was the source of highly influential bold and visionary urban and architectural ideas which relied on advanced technology. These ideas were conceived on the thought that cities could be seen as gigantic but impermanent entities able to transform itself according to an organic process of adaptation of its elementary components. This paper briefly revisits and critically discusses the legacy of the iconic mega-strnctural projects of Japanese Metabolist Movement and other visionary architects and planners of the 1960s, such as Paolo Soleri, Buckminster Fuller, Archigram. It attempts to enlighten the continuity with contemporary innovative and experimental urban models and ideas for the society and the city of the future, such as the Smart Cities, Eco-Cities, Green Urbanism, whose design is led by concerns related to climate change, the necessity of energy efficiency, the improvement of urban landscape and the valorization of depleted natural resources.
