scholarly journals RELIGION AND POLITICS IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

Author(s):  
Danoye Oguntola Laguda

The interaction between religion and politics has been a subject of debate among scholars of religion, political scientists and sociologists. The arguments have generally been that of total or partial dis-interaction between the two phenomena. To the protagonists, religion should not be corrupted with the tricks, intrigues and challenges of politics. On the other side of the divide, the opinion is that the two institutions should relate to each other for the benefits of humanity. Our observation has shown that the nature of the society is a determinant factor if the relationship should ever be allowed to exist. It has been argued that in homogenous societies, politics and religion can relate to each other as suggested by the protagonists. However, in pluralistic societies like Nigeria, secularism has been suggested as an alternative. In Nigeria, our case study, it is noted that religions have always played significant roles in the political process, policy formulations and their implementation.

Author(s):  
Liubov Prokopenko

The article examines the problem of growing politicization in some religious confessions, primarily Christianity, in the process of democratization that began in Zambia in the early 1990s. Zambia is one of the African countries whose religious leaders have played a prominent role in social life throughout their history. It is especially noted that the proclamation of Zambia a Christian nation in 1991 by President Frederick Chiluba contributed greatly to the strengthening of mutual influence between politics and religion. In modern Zambia religious organizations adhere generally to neutrality, the liberal part of all confessional groups seeing their task in solving primary social problems. In recent decades there have been no pronounced ethnic and religious contradictions in the country which could contribute to an emergence of open bloody conflicts threatening internal security and stability. The article shows that with Edgar Lungu’s (Patriotic Front, PF) coming to power in 2015, Zambia was proclaimed a Christian nation again, which was enshrined in the new edition of its Constitution. The campaigns for presidential elections in 2015 and for general elec-tions in 2016 have shown that “religion-politics” discourse has become relevant in the political process, regarding primarily multiple rela-tionships between religion, ethnicity and politics. The country is on the eve of new general elections due in August 2021. In a difficult economic situation, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemics, Zambian government and Church officials are calling on voters to ensure peaceful electoral process.


Author(s):  
Alan Santana Rauschkolb ◽  
José Reinaldo Felipe Martins Filho

Abstract: this article is at the point of convergence between the universes of politics and religion, trying to demonstrate the limits of one against the other, especially in view of the growth of "ideologically converted" initiatives within the current Brazilian political scenario. To this end, it pursues and exposes the understanding of the English philosopher John Locke regarding the relationship between politics and religion from the concept of religious tolerance. For Locke, politics and religion represent two distinct spheres of human action, each of which is governed by an internal logic both as to its scope over individuals and as to its social role - the first directed to the sphere of security , order and maintenance of life and property and the second to the internal forum and the search for the salvation of souls. At the end of this study we intend to highlight how Lockean thought can contribute to the construction of a posture of openness to dialogue with differences, which the author has named: tolerance.Sobre os Limite entre a Religião e a Política: contributos de John Locke para se pensar o presenteResumo: o presente artigo situa-se no ponto de confluência entre os universos da política e da religião, procurando demonstrar os limites de um em face do outro, sobretudo em vista do crescimento de iniciativas “ideologicamente convertidas” dentro do atual cenário político brasileiro. Para isso, persegue e expõe o entendimento do filósofo inglês John Locke no que tange à relação entre política e religião a partir do conceito de tolerância religiosa. Para Locke política e religião representam duas esferas distintas da ação humana, sendo cada uma gerida por uma lógica interna tanto no que diz respeito ao seu alcance sobre os indivíduos, quanto no que se refere ao seu papel social – a primeira dirigida à esfera da seguridade, da ordem e da manutenção da vida e da propriedade e a segunda ao foro interno e à busca pela salvação das almas. Ao término deste estudo pretende-se realçar em quê o pensamento lockeano pode contribuir na construção de uma postura de abertura ao diálogo com as diferenças, o que o autor nomeou: tolerância.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Mathias Daven

At base, modern culture is a culture that evolves through the frame of managing non-violent normative conflict. With the acknowledgement of religious freedom as a basic human right, the state and religion have been distinguished institutionally: politics and the state no longer deal with truth, but rather with peace between people of different persuasions. In reality, the institutional distinction between religion and politics/the state has been translated into a variety of different political arrangements, including within the Muslim world; the relationship between politics and religion cannot return to a single (Western) model as the norm. Therefore an analysis of the correlation between religion and politics assumes an appropriate understanding about the relationship between religion and culture, for an analysis of the ties between religion and culture will more or less indicate the ambivalence of religion: on the one hand religions have the potential to critique culture; but on the other hand, religions play a very problematic role: they can take up a sacred form and tend to make absolute areas that are in fact relative, including politics. Religion refers to absolute truth and can be (mis)used in the interests of a religious political elite who collaborate with the political elite of the state which may be far from the key message of the religion in question. Nevertheless, an awareness of the ambivalence of religion and politics encourages us to collaborate between religions and cultures in order to lessen human suffering. <b>Kata-kata Kunci:</b> agama, politik, sekularisasi, modernisasi, ambivalensi, demokrasi, Sekularitas, hak asasi manusia, benturan peradaban, Fundamentalisme, dialog, etika derita.


Author(s):  
Kristina Dietz

The article explores the political effects of popular consultations as a means of direct democracy in struggles over mining. Building on concepts from participatory and materialist democracy theory, it shows the transformative potentials of processes of direct democracy towards democratization and emancipation under, and beyond, capitalist and liberal democratic conditions. Empirically the analysis is based on a case study on the protests against the La Colosa gold mining project in Colombia. The analysis reveals that although processes of direct democracy in conflicts over mining cannot transform existing class inequalities and social power relations fundamentally, they can nevertheless alter elements thereof. These are for example the relationship between local and national governments, changes of the political agenda of mining and the opening of new spaces for political participation, where previously there were none. It is here where it’s emancipatory potential can be found.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 276-291
Author(s):  
Chatarina Natalia Putri

There are many factors that can lead to internship satisfaction. Working environment is one of the factors that will result to such outcome. However, many organizations discarded the fact of its importance. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant relationship between working environment and internship satisfaction level as well as to determine whether the dimensions of working environment significantly affect internship satisfaction. The said dimensions are, learning opportunities, supervisory support, career development opportunities, co-workers support, organization satisfaction, working hours and esteem needs. A total of 111 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and were processed by SPSS program to obtain the result of this study. The results reveal that learning opportunities, career development opportunities, organization satisfaction and esteem needs are factors that contribute to internship satisfaction level. In the other hand, supervisory support, co-workers support and working hours are factors that lead to internship dissatisfaction. The result also shows that organization satisfaction is the strongest factor that affects internship satisfaction while co-workers support is the weakest.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Herup Nielsen ◽  
Niklas Andreas Andersen

Studier, der analyserer det sociale med inspiration fra Foucaults tanker om governmentality, kritiseres i stigende omfang for at afskære sig fra at analysere de praktiske relationer, som politisk styring konkret indlejres i. I artiklen tager vi afsæt i denne kritik og viser, med et studie af forholdet mellem et kommunalt jobcenter og et lokalt beskæftigelsesråd, hvordan governmental magtanalyse kan indfange styringens uforudsigelige, mangefacetterede og immanente karakter ved at fokusere på styringsintentionernes møde med den praktiske virkelighed, der søges styret. Formelt er rådet nedsat til at overvåge og kontrollere jobcentret, men i den praktiske relation er det snarere jobcentret, som overvåger og kontrollerer rådet. Artiklen viser, hvordan dette er muligt ved at analysere jobcentrets arbejde med rådet ved hjælp af en række centrale begreber fra Foucaults forfatterskab. Empirisk trækker studiet foruden formelle myndighedsdokumenter, der beskriver rådets tiltænkte rolle, på praksisinformerende empiri i form af kvalitative interviews og mødereferater over en fire-årig periode. ENGELSK ABSTRACT: Mathias Herup Nielsen and Niklas Andreas Andersen: When Praxis Challenges the Ambitions of Governing. Analyzing the Space between the Intentions of Governing and Situational Praxis Studies working with the Foucauldian concept of ”governmentality” are frequently criticized for their apparent disregard of empirical reality. This article takes this critique as its point of departure and demonstrates the application of the concept of governmentality in a concrete empirical case study in order to grasp the unpredictable and multifaceted nature of modern day power. The case investigated here is the relationship between a Danish Jobcentre and a so-called local employment council (LBR). The latter was created to ”control” and ”monitor” the former organization. However, in practice, it is rather the other way around – the Jobcentre is controlling and monitoring the members of the LBR. This article draws on a number of well-known Foucauldian concepts to show how this relation of power is practically structured. Empirically the article draws on documents from central authorities as well as on a number of qualitative interviews with the actors involved – hence, the article attempts to meet with the dominant overall critique of the governmentality perspective for disregarding empirical reality. Keywords: governmentality, Michel Foucault, unemployment policy, jobcentre.


Author(s):  
Ericka A. Albaugh

This chapter examines how civil war can influence the spread of language. Specifically, it takes Sierra Leone as a case study to demonstrate how Krio grew from being primarily a language of urban areas in the 1960s to one spoken by most of the population in the 2000s. While some of this was due to “normal” factors such as population movement and growing urbanization, the civil war from 1991 to 2002 certainly catalyzed the process of language spread in the 1990s. Using census documents and surveys, the chapter tests the hypothesis at the national, regional, and individual levels. The spread of a language has political consequences, as it allows for citizen participation in the political process. It is an example of political scientists’ approach to uncovering the mechanisms for and evidence of language movement in Africa.


2021 ◽  
pp. 136754942199423
Author(s):  
Anne M Cronin ◽  
Lee Edwards

Drawing on a case study of public relations in the UK charity sector, this article argues that cultural intermediary research urgently requires a more sustained focus on politics and the political understood as power relations, party politics and political projects such as marketization and neoliberalism. While wide-ranging research has analysed how cultural intermediaries mediate the relationship between culture and economy, this has been at the expense of an in-depth analysis of the political. Using our case study as a prompt, we highlight the diversity of ways that the political impacts cultural intermediary work and that cultural intermediary work may impact the political. We reveal the tensions that underpin practice as a result of the interactions between culture, the economy and politics, and show that the tighter the engagement of cultural intermediation with the political sphere, the more tensions must be negotiated and the more compromised practitioners may feel.


2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-58
Author(s):  
Emilio Dabed

This article sheds new light on the political history of legal-constitutional developments in Palestine in the fourteen years following the Oslo Accord. It examines the relationship between the unfolding social, political, and economic context in which they arose, on the one hand, and PA law-making and legal praxis, on the other. Focusing on the evolution of the Palestinian Basic Law and constitutional regime, the author argues that the “Palestinian constitutional process” was a major “battlefield” for the actors of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Thus, changes in the actors' political strategies at various junctures were mirrored in legal-constitutional forms, specifically in the political structure of the PA. In that sense, the constitutional order can be understood as a sort of “metaphoric representation” of Palestinian politics, reflecting, among other things, the colonial nature of the Palestinian context that the Oslo process only rearticulated. This perspective is also essential for understanding the evolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after Oslo.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pier Francesco Cherchi ◽  
◽  
Marco Lecis ◽  
Marco Moro ◽  
◽  
...  

This paper illustrates a case study of teaching and research applied to the abandoned mining landscapes of the Sulcis area, located in the south-east side of Sardinia, one of the poorest in Europe. Although the region’s critical condition in the present, the area is nevertheless extremely rich in fascination and history. It offers unique natural landscapes, mostly pristine, a variety of archeological sites and, as mentioned, the ruins of the mining installations. All of this makes fore-seeable a concrete possibility of regeneration for the area, based on tourism, one of the island primary resources. The local institutions of Sulcis started a partnership with the University of Cagliari aiming to pursuit not just a practical and economical outcome in the immediate present, more a cultural and deeper rescue with a wider perspective. In the following pages, we present our academic activities in this mark and how we managed to guarantee fruitful superpositions of pedagogy, design, and research in our work within this kind of cooperation.Our focus is, therefore, the relationship between researching and teaching activities and the actions in support of the territory, pursued in a joint venture with the political institution. During these experiences, we defined a strategy to intercross these different layers, bringing the real and concrete dimension into our classroom, sharing our work with the students, and, at the same time, transferring the fruits of the teaching experiences to the territory. The correspondence between these two levels is not free of ambiguity and contradictions, however, we are convinced that it might show very important and fruitful outcomes.


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