Revolutionizing Academic Activism: Transpraxis,Critical Pedagogy,and Justice for a People Yet to Be

One strain of thought that is both consistent with and an amplification of academic activism (Belknap in Criminology 53(1):1–22, 2015) is the critical criminological literature on transpraxis. As a theory of change, transpraxis advances a thesis on the dialogical and relational pedagogy of mutual struggle, of shared being and becoming. In addition, this literature critiques the dominant philosophy of human risk management and the current culture of captivity politics in which the struggle for transformative (i.e., interdependent and collective) change is “finalized.” We argue that, in the present era, processes of humanness and expressions of culture de-vitalize (e.g., homogenize, normalize, territorialize) this existence. In so doing, humanness and culture tend toward Hegelian reaction-negation dynamics, thereby forestalling and/or foreclosing justice for an awaiting people. Accordingly, this article outlines the dimensions of transpraxis as theory, explains how revolutionary academic activism necessitates a critical pedagogy for a people yet to be, and it reconceives the educational terrain of criminological activism as the pedagogy of becoming. We argue that the transpraxis properties of this pedagogy facilitate revolutionary academic activism and further the radical potential of transformative justice. This activism and potential exist for the multitude.     

A Chinese View of China's Energy Security

This article attempts to examine how China perceives its energy security issues. A survey of its research on energy issues offers hints on how experts influence the Chinese leadership. This article briefly looks at the assessment of the energy situation in China and the policy programmes released to tackle the problems. It then analyses the policy programmes and evaluates the overall strategy. It mainly relies on published data from China to reflect a Chinese view. China in some ways would like to follow Japan's example in response to the international oil crises in the 1970s, i.e. upgrade its industrial structure, introduce energy conservation measures, develop new sources of energy supply, and engage in an ‘energy diplomacy’ to diversify and guarantee its energy supply.     

A global and historical exploration: Legislative reform in Muslim family laws in Muslim-majority versus Muslim-minority countries

Thirty-five Muslim-majority and 18 Muslim-minority countries formally integrate Muslim Family Laws (MFLs) into their legal systems and enforce them through state courts. Both Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority governments have undertaken legislative reforms to alleviate the effects of religious laws on fundamental human rights, increase accountability and accessibility, and strengthen the rule of law within their MFL systems. Extant literature is silent on whether MFLs are more reformed or more human rights and the rule of law compliant in Muslim-majority or Muslim-minority countries. Utilizing a novel methodological tool, the MFL Index, this exploratory article surveys cross-national and historical trends in MFL reform (1946–2016). It shows that Muslim-majority and -minority governments have opted for different forms of legislative reform. Muslim-majority countries favored substantive reform, while Muslim-minority states prioritized exit reforms. The type and extent of reform were strongly associated with colonial heritage, secularism, women's activism, ethnoreligious diversity, and prevailing multicultural arrangements. These findings have implications for studying multicultural theory, human/women's rights, and democratization in the Muslim world and beyond.     

Characteristics of cybercrimes: evidence from Chinese judgment documents

ABSTRACT

China has witnessed a rapid growth in internet use alongside an unprecedented increase in cybercrimes. Although studies have suggested that there are many factors that may contribute to the growing number of cybercrimes, such as the widespread use of online gaming, the low average income of internet users, and an increased access to IT skills, systematic analyses of actual convictions are rare. As the level of domestic cybercriminal activities increases rapidly, there is a growing call for empirical studies on cybercrime in China.

Through the extraction of data from China Judgements Online, the newly released Chinese judgements service, this study examines the basic characteristics of cybercrimes in China by analysing 448 sentencing documents that cover four types of computer crimes: online frauds, real asset theft, virtual asset theft, and stolen accounts. We analyse cybercrime cases from the perspective of the underground economy, focusing on the roles that cybercriminals play in the value chains of the online underground market; more specifically, what kind of products and services are enabled through cyber theft, and how those products and services are integrated as components of the underground economy.     

Results of the 2008 Colombian paternity testing quality control exercise

The Reference National Laboratory, Genes Ltda, designated by the Commission of Accreditation and Alertness created by Law 721 of 2001 of Republic of Colombia, organized and coordinated the Quality Control Exercise of 2008 for laboratories undertaking paternity and maternity tests with DNA markers. The Quality Control Exercise included both practical and theoretical exercises. For the practical exercise, three blood samples in FTA Classic Card were sent to each participating laboratory to be genotyped for DNA markers using the routine methodologies in their laboratories. For the theoretical exercise, it was asked to the participating laboratories to calculate the partial and final paternity indexes based on two genetic profiles of an alleged biological father and his son. Allele frequencies were made available to the participants, as well as Y chromosome haplotype database. A total of 12 laboratories have participated with data from 57 STRs, including autosomal and sex chromosome markers. Consensus was found in 37 STRs, 21 in autosomes and 16 Y chromosome linked. The rate of reporting errors was 3.1% (concentrated in just one laboratory). The theoretical exercise had consensus.     

A Longitudinal Investigation of Cognitive Self-schemas across Adolescent Development

Research in developmental psychology highlights youth’s self-schemas as one possible pathway to improve adolescents’ functioning and promote positive developmental outcomes. Despite this, the trajectory of positive and negative self-schemas is relatively understudied. This study addresses this limitation by empirically examining the trajectory of self-schemas in a community sample of 623 youth (M?=?13.04 years; 54% female; 49% African American, 4% Biracial, 47% European American) who were followed over a seven-year period. Caregivers completed measures of parenting practices, maternal rumination and negative inferential style, and adolescents completed a computerized behavioral task assessing self-schemas (i.e., mental frameworks that guide attention, interpretation, and memory of one’s experiences). Multilevel growth curve modeling results demonstrated a quadratic slope for negative self-schemas and no mean-level change for positive self-schemas. These trajectories did not vary by gender or racial group. However, parenting factors differentially influenced the trajectories. Specifically, higher levels of parental involvement at baseline, or an active interest and engagement in a child’s experiences and activities, related to lower levels of negative self-schemas during adolescence. Additionally, higher levels of parental rumination and parental negative control at baseline related to lower levels of youth positive self-schemas at baseline. These findings contribute to models of youth cognitive development.

     

Emulating Erasmus? Turkey’s Mevlana exchange program in higher education

Asia Europe Journal - In today’s world, globalization and internationalization of education necessitate new initiatives to catch the new era. Turkey, as a country in between the east and the...     

China’s development: a new development paradigm?

The emergence of China as a development actor across the global South has raised significant questions regarding the extent to which the country presents new development opportunities to its compatriots in the South. My aim is to reflect on and parse out the experiences and policies that have shaped China’s development to assess how it can inform the field of development studies. I argue that we need to critically engage in China’s development process, as China’s own development has led to the emergence of many more problems than solutions, ranging from increasing inequality to exclusionary development practices pertaining to ethnic minorities.