Citing history

ABSTRACT

Although rarely considered within the existing scholarship on social movements, even a cursory analysis of protest activity suggests that movements regularly invoke historical citations (whether consciously or not) while working to clarify aims and mobilize constituencies. In order to make sense of this process, and to account for the variations that arise among the different citation modalities favored by movements on opposite ends of the political spectrum, I draw upon the theoretical contributions of Marxist cultural critic Walter Benjamin and, in particular, on his exploration of ‘wish images’ and ‘dialectical images,’ their attributes, and their interrelationship. According to Benjamin, such images summoned the past either to project visions of future happiness (as with the wish image) or to deposit the witness before a moment of decisive, present-tense reckoning. After outlining the role of historical citation in social movements and in the broader cultural field through which these movements find expression, I analyze two recent protest events – the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, VA, in which wish images were actively deployed, and the 2017 Women’s Strike in New York City, where a dialectical image arose from the constellated nodes of the march’s route – to consider the relationship between citation modality and protest outcome. Following from this analysis, and in keeping with the unapologetically partisan nature of my investigation, I conclude by advancing some strategic recommendations for movements seeking – as Benjamin once enjoined – to ‘improve our position in the struggle against Fascism.’     

Progesterone: the forgotten hormone in men?

‘Classical’ genomic progesterone receptors appear relatively late in phylogenesis, i.e. it is only in birds and mammals that they are detectable. In the different species, they mediate manifold effects regarding the differentiation of target organ functions, mainly in the reproductive system. Surprisingly, we know little about the physiology, endocrinology, and pharmacology of progesterone and progestins in male gender or men respectively, despite the fact that, as to progesterone secretion and serum progesterone levels, there are no great quantitative differences between men and women (at least outside the luteal phase). In a prospective cohort study of 1026 men with and without cardiovascular disease, we were not able to demonstrate any age-dependent change in serum progesterone concentrations. Progesterone influences spermiogenesis, sperm capacitation/acrosome reaction and testosterone biosynthesis in the Leydig cells. Other progesterone effects in men include those on the central nervous system (CNS) (mainly mediated by 5α-reduced progesterone metabolites as so-called neurosteroids), including blocking of gonadotropin secretion, sleep improvement, and effects on tumors in the CNS (meningioma, fibroma), as well as effects on the immune system, cardiovascular system, kidney function, adipose tissue, behavior, and respiratory system. A progestin may stimulate weight gain and appetite in men as well as in women. The detection of progesterone receptor isoforms would have a highly diagnostic value in prostate pathology (benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer). The modulation of progesterone effects on typical male targets is connected with a great pharmacodynamic variability. The reason for this is that, in men, some important effects of progesterone are mediated non-genomically through different molecular biological modes of action. Therefore, the precise therapeutic manipulation of progesterone actions in the male requires completely new endocrine-pharmacological approaches.     

A study in family planning communication—Direct mailing

It is sometimes stated that direct mailing to individuals in developing countries like India may be wasteful due to the low literacy rate among village people. Direct mailing is a relatively new development in India and comparatively a newer channel of communication. An exploratory study was carried out by the Central Family Planning Institute to test this hypothesis. The observations made showed that direct mailing is practical, controllable, inexpensive, and useful.The information provided by direct mailing seems to cross the barriers of illiteracy. Based on this experience, the Central Family Planning Institute has initiated a large-scale communication action research project in Meerut district in North India where the impact of direct mailing on specific groups is being studied further. It is hoped that such studies would help in developing prototype information material and would provide a methodology to supplement the available channels of communication in a nation-wide family planning program.     

From the ‘crevices in dominant memories’: virtual commemoration and the 1984 anti-Sikh violence

Dominant collective memories around the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 are mostly dichotomous. The official state memories of 1984 are replete with omissions about the attack on Sikhs and several human rights violations. On the other hand, the counter-mobilisations that developed in the aftermath of 1984 are largely focused on the demand for a separate state of Khalistan. I problematise these dichotomous framings by examining what I call present-day ‘virtual commemorative crevices’. I suggest that these crevices are transnational, sacred or set-apart and liminal fissures in hegemonic memories and institutionalised forms of commemoration. I examine eight websites focusing on 1984 and the role of the Sikh diaspora in disrupting older temporal fixities and spatially rooted narratives. Virtual fissures mark a subtle, but significant shift from polarised hegemonic narratives to a more differentiated, future-oriented activism.     

Technologie,délocalisations et tâches constitutives des professions au Royaume‐Uni

Les auteurs examinent l'évolution des tâches accomplies par les travailleurs au Royaume‐Uni entre 1997 et 2006, qu'elle soit due à une reconfiguration des professions elles‐mêmes (marge intensive) ou à une variation de leur part respective dans l'emploi (marge extensive). Ils se fondent notamment dans cet examen sur des données de la Skills Survey, enquête britannique sur les compétences. Leur analyse montre que la variation à la marge intensive est notable et aussi importante que la variation à la marge extensive. Une analyse économétrique fait ressortir en outre que le progrès technique joue un rôle dans l'évolution à la marge intensive, mais pas les délocalisations.     

Technology,offshoring and the task content of occupations in the United Kingdom

The authors analyse change in employment levels and in the task content of occupations, both within occupations (i.e. at the intensive margin) and between occupations (i.e. at the extensive margin) in the United Kingdom over the period 1997–2006 using data from the national Skills Survey, which has comparable within‐occupation task data for three waves: 1997, 2001 and 2006. They find that within‐occupation task content changed significantly, and that the magnitude of change was similar to that found at the extensive margin. Their econometric results suggest that these intensive‐margin shifts can be explained by technological improvements but not by offshoring.     

International doctoral students as knowledge brokers: reciprocity,trust and solidarity in transnational networks

In this article, we examine the role of brokerage, the knowledge that brokers transfer and the social conditions of that transfer. Previous research suggests that highly skilled migrants spanning multiple locales have the advantage of being able to transfer knowledge as they move from one place to another. In this study, using a network perspective, we look at the activities of international doctoral students in their transfer of knowledge and illustrate the underlying social conditions of knowledge transfer through transnational friendship networks. Using a qualitative methodology, we examine the research questions and 35 in‐depth interviews, as well as egocentric network analysis conducted in Germany. In the findings, we explore the social conditions of knowledge brokerage, including trust, reciprocity and solidarity. Finally, we discuss the implications for further research on knowledge sharing among brokers and international students.