Market men and station women: changing significations of gendered space in Accra,Ghana

It is impossible to understand the gendered relation between women and public space without taking into account its other, that is, male engagements with and in space. Our joint paper contrasts the public spaces of a market and a bus station in central Accra, Ghana. While the former is historically associated with female entrepreneurship, masculinity is deeply inscribed in the activities defining the latter. However, recent developments gradually undermine these gendered divides. By focusing on interpersonal claims to entrepreneurial places in the two locations, we illustrate how the configurations and co-constructions of gender and space are exposed to on-going, often subtle shifts, which are impelled by dialectically grounded transformations of quotidian spatial practices and social relations. Expanding upon the notion of viri–/uxorilocality, we explore shifts in the gendered strategies of newcomers establishing their presence in the two spaces and the extent to which these practices may alter gendered spatial significations.     

Between Russia and Estonia: narratives of place in a new borderland

The Russian–Estonian border has undergone radical changes in the past two decades – from an integrated borderland between two Soviet republics to a border between nation-states and the new EU external border. Until the present day, it is a discursive battlefield that reflects the difficult relations between Russia and Estonia after the restoration of Estonia's independence. While much research has concentrated on antagonistic projects of identity politics and state-building from a top-down perspective, this paper asks how people living in the borderland make sense of the place they live in and negotiate shifts in the symbolic landscapes. Based on life-story narratives of Russian-speakers, it analyzes different ways of narrating and framing place and argues for a consideration of the plurality and ambivalences of place-making projects on the ground. Furthermore, it argues for a more balanced account of continuity and discontinuity in memory narratives by taking into account how the socialist past continues to be meaningful in the present. As the interviews show, memories of the socialist past are used for constructing belonging in the present both by countering and by reproducing national narratives of boundedness.     

Eurasian integration: elite perspectives before and after the Ukraine crisis

A European scholar explores the changing dynamics of integration processes within the Eurasian Customs/Economic Union in the new context created by the Ukraine crisis. The article examines positions adopted by member states Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus before and after onset of the crisis in Ukraine. Several rationales for justifying the Union are derived from international relations theory and documented in the rhetoric of actors from these three countries. The evolution of conflicting rhetorical postures mirrors a slowdown of the Eurasian integration process and growth in the bargaining leverage of Belarus and Kazakhstan vis-à-vis Moscow.     

Qualitative Exploration of the Influence of Domestic Violence on Motherhood in the Perinatal Period

The perinatal period may include domestic violence (DV). In this study, the perinatal period extends from the start of pregnancy to the end of the child’s second year of life. DV places the safety of both mother and child at risk and undermines the mother–child attachment bond. In this article, we look at the challenges for motherhood in a context of domestic violence during the perinatal period (DVPP). In semi-directed interviews, 17 mothers shared their stories of DVPP. Interview questions focused on the trajectory of DVPP, perceptions and occupation of motherhood within two years of childbirth and the associated challenges. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and discussed in a feminist conceptual framework and a parental theoretical model. DVPP negatively influences the experience and practice of motherhood, in addition to increasing parental responsibility to protect the child. Three main themes were noted: 1) A parental experience impoverished by the context of DVPP, caused by an increase in tasks, a weakened bond with the child and a loss of self-confidence; 2) Parenting responsibility in a context of DVPP is expressed as greater vigilance and the need to protect the child from violence; and 3) Parenting practices: the children as targets and victims of violence, resulting in additional child needs that mothers must meet. The results underscore the need for early detection of DVPP and a trauma-informed approach in health services. Specialized support services should be provided to help mothers cope with violence.

     

Bystanders’ Supportive and Passive Responses to Cyberaggression

Bystanders in cyberaggression can support the victim, join the aggressor, or remain passive. We examined how supportive and passive adolescent Czech cyberbystanders (N = 443, ages 12–18) differ in terms of individual characteristics, emotional responses, and contextual factors. The most substantial distinguishing factor between the two groups turned out to be whether they had received a request to help the victim. After such a request, cyberbystanders supported the victim; moreover, most of those who had not been asked reported that they would have actively reacted to a request for help. The findings also showed the significant role of immediate empathic response, which increased the odds of support even after controlling for individual characteristics. The results are discussed with regard to prevention and intervention efforts.