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1. The Role of Mass Media Propaganda in Shaping American Culture: A Study on the Torches of Freedom

Author:
Oğuz Kartav and Mikail Uğuş
Publication Date:
01-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Rest: Journal of Politics and Development
Institution:
Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis (CESRAN)
Abstract:
This study examines the profound impact of mass media propaganda on American culture, with a particular focus on the iconic Torches of Freedom campaign. Originating in the late 19th century and led by Edward Bernays, this campaign aimed to reshape social norms surrounding women and smoking. Initially, a societal taboo prevailed, suggesting that respectable women did not smoke. Although tobacco consumption was common in America during the late 19th century, women were neither expected nor permitted to partake in the consumption of tobacco products until 1929. Women were eventually allowed the option to smoke discreetly, but even then, it was considered taboo by American society due to its perceived unfeminine nature. Particularly in North America and Europe, women’s smoking had long been associated with immorality and questionable sexual behaviour. Through the analysis of historical documents, media artefacts, and scholarly literature, this research examines the multifaceted impact of the Torches of Freedom campaign on American culture. It explores how mass media, through carefully crafted messages and imagery, played a significant and influential role in shaping public perceptions and behaviour. By examining the campaign’s relationship with dominant cultural ideologies and its effects on gender roles, the research aims to illuminate the complex interplay between propaganda, cultural values, and social change. The study focuses on advertising, consumerism, and cultural practices in the United States by examining the strategies employed in the Torches of Freedom campaign through the lens of propaganda.
Topic:
Mass Media, Culture, Propaganda, and Advertising
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

2. Bodies on Fire: Toloposungo’s Trans-Marika Abolitionist Performance

Author:
Cecilia Azar
Publication Date:
03-2025
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
In Colombia, a trans-marika vogue collective takes to the streets to denounce state violence and call for police abolition.
Topic:
Culture, State Violence, Transgender, and Abolitionism
Political Geography:
Colombia and South America

3. Forbidden African Legacies in the Dominican Republic

Author:
Patricia Rodríguez
Publication Date:
02-2025
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
Despite the ongoing criminalization and racist persecution of African tradition, from the criminalization of Vodou to restrictions against Gagá, Afro-Dominican culture persists.
Topic:
Culture, Racism, Tradition, Criminalization, and Vodou
Political Geography:
Africa, Latin America, and Dominican Republic

4. Breaking the Silence: The Fight Against Gender-Based Violence in Tanzania

Author:
Wilifrida S. John
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR)
Abstract:
This policy brief examines the ongoing issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in Tanzania, despite the country's ratification of comprehensive international, regional, and national legal frameworks. It explores how harmful cultural practices such as unyago, vigodoro, and chagulaga; alongside entrenched patriarchal norms and contradictions between statutory and customary laws, continue to undermine protections for women and girls. The brief argues that legal commitments alone are insufficient without effective enforcement, structural reform, public education, and stronger institutional accountability. It offers evidence-based recommendations to better align the legal system with cultural change, survivor-centred support services, and coordinated, cross-sector responses. By situating Tanzania's case within the wider Sub-Saharan African context, it illustrates how legal pluralism, and socio-cultural dynamics contribute to the persistence of GBV across the region.
Topic:
Education, Culture, Reform, Women, Gender Based Violence, and Girls
Political Geography:
Africa and Tanzania

5. The Gendered Impact of Social Norms on Financial Access and Capital Misallocation

Author:
Arti Grover and Mariana Viollaz
Publication Date:
01-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS)
Abstract:
This paper provides evidence on the nature of financial constraints faced by women entrepreneurs, especially in contexts of stringent social norms. Using micro-data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys for 61 countries, the analysis shows that formal firms managed by women do not face credit constraints on the extensive margin. They are equally likely to apply for credit as their male counterparts and experience lower rates of credit rejection, with a higher likelihood of opening credit lines. However, on the intensive margin, firms managed by women receive lower credit amounts, indicating signs of credit constraints. This disparity in access to credit cannot be explained by gender differences in risk profiles, profitability, or productivity. However, firms managed by women have lower sales per worker, suggesting challenges in accessing product and labor markets. The paper finds suggestive evidence of capital misallocation based on gender, particularly in countries with more restrictive gender and cultural norms. Firms managed by women demonstrate a 15 percent higher average return on capital compared to firms managed by men, indicating the potential benefits of increased access to credit for women-led businesses. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing gender-specific constraints to accessing finance and promoting gender-inclusive policies to enhance firm growth and reduce capital misallocation.
Topic:
Culture, Fiscal Policy, Credit, Capital, Gender, and Social Norms
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6. Informe sobre el estado de la cultura en España 2025: Cultura para la paz

Author:
Diego López Garrido
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
El Informe sobre el Estado de la Cultura en España 2025, elaborado por el Observatorio de Cultura y Comunicación de la Fundación Alternativas alcanza su duodécima edición. En él se aborda el horizonte de desafíos que atraviesan las sociedades actuales: la crisis del multilateralismo, la aceleración digital y la emergencia de desafíos geopolíticos y «guerras culturales» regresivas. Nuestro análisis se orienta a revitalizar la cooperación cultural, trascendiendo la lógica sectorial para posicionar la cultura como un bien público global y un eje de bienestar social, desarrollo sostenible y paz. En sintonía con el espíritu de MONDIACULT 2025 en Barcelona, el informe subraya que las políticas culturales deben rearmar a la ciudadanía ante los discursos de exclusión y odio. Se profundiza en la cohesión entre salud, cultura y paz, y se exige a los poderes públicos considerar a la cultura como un servicio público esencial, garantizando los derechos culturales como derechos humanos fundamentales. En un momento marcado por la fragilidad institucional y los movimientos autoritarios que atacan las políticas culturales, se reivindica la urgencia de que la Cultura sea un Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible independiente (ODS – Cultura) en la agenda post-2030. La cultura se erige como el principal baluarte contra la polarización y los discursos de exclusión, siendo el segundo factor más contrario a la guerra después de la paz misma.
Topic:
Human Rights, Culture, Digital Culture, and Sustainable Development
Political Geography:
Europe and Spain

7. The Principle of ‘Brotherly Preservation’ Among Intergenerational Groups Within the Druze Community in Israel

Author:
Shadi Halabi
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
Abstract:
In the latest issue of al-Durziyya: Druze in the Middle East Shadi Halabi focuses on the core of Druze identity, the principle of Brotherly Preservation (ḥifẓ al-ikhwān), and examines whether this principle, which has served for generations as a central cultural anchor, maintains its stability in the modern era.
Topic:
Culture, Minorities, Druze, and Identity
Political Geography:
Middle East, Israel, and Palestine

8. Dünyada ve Türkiye'de Zaman Kapsülleri'nin Gelişimi

Author:
Mutlu Erbay
Publication Date:
06-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
AURUM Journal of Social Sciences
Institution:
Altinbas University
Abstract:
Bu çalışma, zaman kapsülleri konusunu gündeme getirerek bu konuya dikkat çekmeyi hedeflemektedir. Makalede, zaman kapsüllerinin Amerikalılar ve Türkler için sosyo-kültürel açıdan önemi vurgulanmakta ve önemli örnekler ele alınmaktadır. Zaman kapsülleri, Amerikan kültüründe hatırlama, hatırlatma ve anma yöntemi olarak kullanılmaktadır. Hatıraların anılması, düşünülmesine ve bu yolla anlamlandırılmasına sebep olur. Kültürler, kendi öz hedeflerine yönelik hatırlatma ve hatırlamalar yapabilmektedir. Bu hatırlamalar, geçmişi gelecek kuşaklara tanıtır ve aktarmada önemli bir rol oynar. Zaman kapsülleri, geleceğe gönderilen mektuplar aracılığıyla gelecek temennilerini yansıtmakta; kişilerin ve kurumların geleceği öngörme ve şekillendirme çabalarını simgelemektedir. Yeni açılan bir fabrika, yeni üretilen bir ürün, borsa için yazılan mektuplar, yeni hammadde üretimleri veya uzaya gönderilen yeni araçlar gibi çeşitli sebeplerle zaman kapsülleri hazırlanabilmektedir. Amerika Birleşik Devletleri'nde devlet kurumları, yüksek enstitüler ve fabrikalar tarafından zaman kapsülleri oluşturulmakta, kayda geçirilmekte ve belirlenen tarihte açılması planlanmaktadır. Zaman kapsülleri, Amerikan tarihinin önemli kültürel davranışlarından biri olarak kabul edilmektedir. Aşağıdaki makalede, önemli zaman kapsülleri ele alınarak incelenmiştir. Gelecekte açılmak üzere hazırlanan bu kapsüller, geleceğe bir not düşmekte ve bu yönüyle geleceği planlama ve öngörme amacı taşımaktadır. Türkiye’de de hazırlanmış zaman kapsülleri mevcuttur. Çalışma, bu örneklere de kısaca değinerek zaman kapsüllerinin Türk kültüründeki yeri ve önemini ortaya koymaktadır.
Topic:
Culture, Memory, Tradition, and Time Capsules
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, North America, and United States of America

9. A Comparative Analysis of the Piece “Op. 6 No: 2 Nocturne” by Clara Wieck Schumann, one of the Female Composers of the Romantic Period, with the Nocturnes of Frederic François Chopin

Author:
İlayda Çetin and M. Nevra Küpan
Publication Date:
04-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Academic Inquiries
Institution:
Sakarya University (SAU)
Abstract:
This study includes a comparative analysis of the composition titled "Op.6 No.2 Nocturne" by Clara Wieck Schumann, a female composer from the Romantic era, with the nocturnes of Frederic François Chopin. The purpose of this research is to determine the similarities and differences between Clara Wieck Schumann's aforementioned work and the works of Frederic François Chopin, who is an important male composer of the same period, in the same form. In this study, firstly a literature review was conducted. Then, in line with the purpose of the research, a comparison of Clara Wieck Schumann's composition titled "Op.6 No:2 Nocturne" with Frederic François Chopin's compositions titled "Op.27 No:2 Nocturne" and "Op.9 No:2 Nocturne" was carried out using harmonic, form and style analysis methods. When examining the harmonic analysis of the compositions, including accompaniment and chord styles, ornaments, rhythmic structures, and stylistic features, it is observed that they exhibit a similar emotion and style. Accordingly, it can be inferred that Clara Wieck Schumann was influenced by Frederic François Chopin in her composition. The conducted analysis is of importance not only in determining the similarities and the differences between the works of both composers, but also in terms of increasing the visibility of female composers in the music world.
Topic:
Culture, Music, Frederic Chopin, and Clara Schumann
Political Geography:
Global Focus

10. Is Liberalism as an Ideological Assumption Over?

Author:
Marlène Laruelle
Publication Date:
03-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Brown Journal of World Affairs
Institution:
Brown Journal of World Affairs
Abstract:
Much ink has been spilled debating the implications of the results of the U.S. November 2024 elections. In Europe, following the June 2024 elections, more than 40 far-right parties hold seats in the European Parliament, a growth from 25 the previous term. The far right also managed to increase its vote share in nine out of the 13 European states that held legislative elections in 2024.1 Compared to a decade ago, analysts understand that these events are not exceptional mo- ments, glitches in the system, or accidents of history. Nonetheless, many still prioritize short-term explanations such as, in the United States’ case, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ weak campaign performance, high levels of inflation, and unprecedented influxes of irregular migration. Others attribute far-right victories to either morally unacceptable sentiments such as racism and xenophobia or brainwashing via fake news and social media propaganda—whether through X (in the United States’ case and in Germany’s February 2025 elections)2 or TikTok (as in Romania’s first round of presidential elections).3 In both cases, these explanations provide moral reassurance: only citizens with bad intentions, victims of propaganda, or those unable to appreciate lib- eralism’s idealistic goals could vote for the far right. However, these arguments are insufficient in understanding the wave of rejection that societal order seems to be arousing amongst citizens. If one thinks that Donald Trump won only because his voters are systemic racists or susceptible to fake news, then one does not see that he may have won because his political program spoke to a multiracial coalition of blue-collar and white-collar voters and resonated with a growing number of Hispanics and young African American men.4 Our interpretation of Trump’s victory impacts the search for solutions: in the first scenario, the Democrats are not held responsible for their defeat; in the second, they must engage in a deep rethinking of their political platform. Far-right electoral gains are no accidents of history. Illiberal leaders and parties have expanded electorally worldwide in many countries beyond the United States and Europe in varying cultural contexts, such as in Turkey, India, the Philippines, and El Salvador. This suggests that the explanation for their success must be found in structural transformations of our socioeconomic and political landscape, not in one-off sets of issues or grievances. To truly understand the rise of illiberalism, citizens and activists anxious to defend liberal demo- cratic principles must analyze these broader systemic evolutions be- fore discussing what they mean for our vision of liberalism. They should grasp why these systemic challenges have so far been more successfully addressed, electorally speaking, by the right than by the left. The main argument of this paper is that liberalism’s cultural hegemony is over, and those defending liberal principles must recognize that they are now in genuine competition with other political ideologies. To this end, they must abandon the notion that liberalism represents “common sense,” while its op- ponents embody “nonsense.” Ironically, this very contrast is mirrored by illiberal voters, who see their recent electoral success as a return to politics grounded in reality and opposing liberal “wokeness.”
Topic:
Politics, Culture, Elections, Ideology, Voting, and Liberalism
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America