This paper lays some groundwork for a critical theory of trust. It challenges widespread assumptions in trust research according to which “thick” forms of trust emerge in socially and culturally homogeneous communities, which regard trust and conflict as opposing terms, or that view trust generally as a value. The paper suggests a distinction between a general, non-normative concept and various normative conceptions of trust, depending on context. With regard to the justification of trust, a distinction between particular and full justification is introduced, and the justification of trust is linked to relations of justification between trusters and trusted. Finally, it argues that trust in conflicts emerges where such relations exist among the parties of a conflict.
This paper examines the utopian character of John Rawls’ political philosophy and its enduring influence on Anglo-American political thought. It argues that Rawls’ conception of justice as “the first virtue of social institutions” and his detachment from the concrete realities of political life place his work within the tradition of utopian thinking. Despite this detachment, Rawls’ systematic approach and focus on justice resonated deeply with political philosophers seeking a normative framework to defend liberal democracy in the post-war era. The paper explores the philosophical and historical reasons behind Rawls’ appeal, critically assesses the conceptual foundations of his theory—particularly the role of “basic intuitive ideas”—and reflects on the broader implications of grounding political philosophy in abstract moral ideals. Ultimately, it proposes that Rawls’ enduring significance lies in how his utopian vision redefined the aims and methods of political philosophy in the twentieth century.
The construction industry has a significantly contribute to the economy of Sri Lanka. However, in recent years, its overall share of the national output has declined, primarily due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, and ongoing economic challenges. Many construction firms halted projects and laid off employees, highlighting the critical need for effective risk management during crises to predict and mitigate risks. This study explores emerging risk factors in Sri Lanka's construction sector post-crisis. Using a three-phase linear decision-making model, the research combines a literature review, a survey of 290 construction professionals, and structural equation modelling (SEM) to identify major risk factors across four phases of risk management. Key risks out of 23 include general factors like health and safety issues, material costs, regulations, political interference, corruption, and labor shortages, while phase-specific risks involve delays, budget overruns, payment delays, and cancellations. The study revises the risk registers to improve risk management strategies. While the findings are context-specific to Sri Lanka, they may offer indicative insights for other developing countries facing similar crisis-driven disruptions. The practical implications extend to multinational and local companies, supported by data from 22 countries, offering a comprehensive framework for addressing construction industry challenges in volatile environments. The novelty of this study lies in its use of theoretical triangulation to align Classical Risk Management theory with real-world operational risk factors, revealing critical overlaps, behavioral influences, and contextual gaps in traditional frameworks.
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities, Social sciences (General)
Public discourse about technological accidents is dominated by the popular explanation through the "human factor". It makes the essential assertion that a human, by definition, is prone to error, but a machine is not. In the field of autonomous vehicles, it emerged as a result of first the US media- and subsequently, stakeholders-demodalizing the results of a 2008 US National Highway Safety Administration study that claimed drivers were the critical cause of 94% of all road traffic accidents. In this article, we want to show what theoretical and socio-political problems exist with an explanation through the "human factor”. To this end, we consider an alternative in the form of the concept of a technological system as a conflicting set of rules that follow the contextualizing practices proposed by the British sociologist Brian Wynne. We compare this interpretation with Robert Merton's explanation of deviant behavior in the 1930 s. Criticizing the utilitarians, Merton shows that deviations are caused by contradictions in the socio-cultural structure of society. In both conceptual schemes, failures are presented as the result of relational effects of tension and contradiction between the elements of the systems. For a different and more realistic alternative of dealing with accidents, we highlight the ideas of Annemarie Mol and John Law. The latter, analysing accidents, identified four modes of determining the good within disputes after accidents: mobile utopia, absolutism, managerialism, and practical manipulation. We show that both the explanations through the human factor, Merton's theory of deviation-and, to some extent, STS-lean towards utopian regimes (the first three), while the latter regime, based on an ontological turn, proposes a radical project of changing the modes of explanation and accusations of accidents: this makes it possible to articulate different relationships between the ontologies of accidents, to make non-utopian versions of technologies more real and public.
Youth engagement in agribusiness is a strategic priority for addressing unemployment and ensuring food security in Nigeria. However, the persistence of high failure rates among youth-led enterprises suggests that conventional support models, predominantly focused on financial provision, are insufficient. Therefore, this study investigates the multidimensional drivers of empowerment and performance among youth agripreneurs in Jigawa State, Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 286 young agribusiness entrepreneurs selected through a multistage sampling technique. The survey was conducted in the year 2025, and it lasted for a period of three months (May-July). An easy-cost-route approach, a well-structured questionnaire complemented with an interview schedule, key informants, and a focus group discussion were the tools used for information synthesis. Furthermore, a structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyse the relationships within four theoretical frameworks: the Agripreneurship Empowerment Dimension Theory (AEDT), the Youth Agency Dimension Theory (YADT), the Youth Agripreneurship Performance Theory (YAPT), and the Agripreneurship Resource Construct (ARC). The results revealed that psychological empowerment and self-efficacy were the strongest and most significant predictors of empowerment, far surpassing the impact of economic factors, which were statistically insignificant. Political empowerment and autonomy also showed significant positive effects. Regarding performance, customer-oriented factors and social resources, such as networks and mentorship, were the most critical drivers, while financial resources alone showed no significant direct effect. The study concludes that empowerment and performance are intrinsically linked to intrinsic psychological assets and social capital rather than purely financial inputs. Consequently, it recommends a paradigm shift in policy and practice towards integrated interventions that prioritise mindset development, leadership training, political inclusion, and the strengthening of social networks to build resilient and empowered youth agripreneurs capable of transforming Jigawa State's agricultural landscape.
Recent evidence suggests that only about 1 in 5 U.S. adults has a friend on the political “other side” (Dunn, 2020). Although these interpartisan friendships are uncommon, they play a critical role in catalyzing empathy, reducing prejudice, furthering justice, and even restoring democracy, as suggested by the theory of civic friendship (Goering, 2003; Kahane, 1999; Rawlins, 2009). In the present study, we drew on national data from the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) to examine the personal and contextual factors that predict interpartisan friendship formation among 5,762 college students attending 118 higher education institutions in the United States. The findings revealed the constellation of individual, social, and institutional contributors to students’ capacities to reach across political differences in their friendships. We offer guidance for how college educators can support the development of these relationships that may open a path toward empathy and healing in our polarized society.
The article compares and analyses two approaches to the production of subjectivity — Foucauldian and Girardian — within the context of contemporary political philosophy and philosophical anthropology. These two theories—which are arguably dominant in their respective fields—are compared due to their shared focus on the role of power and violence in the formation of the subject. Both approaches acknowledge the importance of power in shaping the self, but they differ in their emphasis on specific aspects of this process. In the Foucauldian approach, power is seen as a pervasive and complex force that permeates all aspects of society, while in Girardian theory it is understood as a more localized and intentional form of domination. Despite these differences, both approaches share a common understanding that the subject is shaped through the application of power techniques, including the use of violence. However, each approach places a different emphasis on the role of these techniques in the formation of identity and agency. Thus, in Foucauldian thought, violence internalized and instrumentalized by power through its localization in institutions is external to the individual — who appears to be a passive recipient of subjectifying practices; this also reflects the “political capture of the body” by biopower as the infection of the individual by power and self-control, and, consequently, becoming a mediator of power oneself. In contrast, the Girardian perspective—in which mimesis is the primary condition for the formation and operation of society—asserts the supremacy of violence around which institutions form, due to which violence is only partially removed from the individual. Thus the role of being violence’s operator is imposed upon them — though in a depoliticized form not directly linked to power structures. Both theories of the reproduction of subjectivity, in one way or another, diagnose and describe the crisis of the individual. They therefore propose their own solutions for overcoming this crisis. However, they share the common understanding that subjectivity is rooted in the individual. As a result, the strategies proposed by Foucault and Girard, such as self-care practices and radical Christianity, which are not formed by external power, do not transcend power or mimesis.
There is no unified theory that can explain both voter choice and where choices come from. Hinich and Munger fill that gap with their model of political communication based on ideology.Rather than beginning with voters and diffuse, atomistic preferences, Hinich and Munger explore why large groups of voters share preference profiles, why they consider themselves "liberals" or "conservatives." The reasons, they argue, lie in the twin problems of communication and commitment that politicians face. Voters, overloaded with information, ignore specific platform positions. Parties and candidates therefore communicate through simple statements of goals, analogies, and by invoking political symbols. But politicians must also commit to pursuing the actions implied by these analogies and symbols. Commitment requires that ideologies be used consistently, particularly when it is not in the party's short-run interest.The model Hinich and Munger develop accounts for the choices of voters, the goals of politicians, and the interests of contributors. It is an important addition to political science and essential reading for all in that discipline."Hinich and Munger's study of ideology and the theory of political choice is a pioneering effort to integrate ideology into formal political theory. It is a major step in directing attention toward the way in which ideology influences the nature of political choices." --Douglass C. North." . . represents a significant contribution to the literature on elections, voting behavior, and social choice." --Policy CurrentsMelvin Hinich is Professor of Government, University of Texas. Michael C. Munger is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina.
O instituto da modulação de efeitos, antes aplicável apenas às Ações Diretas de Inconstitucionalidade, ganhou novas formas e passou a integrar as decisões judiciais com maior amplitude, especialmente para os processos com formação de precedentes qualificados ou de efeitos vinculantes, nos termos do Código de Processo Civil de 2015 (CPC/2015). Assim, conhecer as possibilidades e os efeitos decorrentes da modulação faz do instituto objeto de pesquisa para o presente artigo, com foco em compreender se a modulação temporal de efeitos pode ser realizada em favor do Estado, verificando-se erros e acertos decorrentes das decisões do STF nesse sentido.
Jurisprudence. Philosophy and theory of law, Political institutions and public administration (General)
Alireza Nafissi, Seyed Hossein Akhavan Alavi, Ali Maleki
Purpose: Authors intended to identify the main bases of local development and present a framework for better understanding of its theoretical process from the perspective of the activists in the community-based development process in Iran.
Methodology: This qualitative research used the Grounded Theory method. Data were collected from deep interviews with community-based development activists in five successful case studies in Iran and then were analyzed.
Findings: The results, validated by respondent validation and triangulation methods, demonstrate that local development with a community-based approach is appreciated by Iranian activists more of a human and social phenomenon than an economic, political, and environmental issue. Results also show that human capital is identified by concepts like accountability, proactiveness, and psychological empowerment rather than the common indicators emphasized by international organizations. Moreover, social capital and participation are evaluated by such concepts as positive relations, collective actions, positive norms, bridging social capital, and by institutionalization and mobilization of national resources. The final theoretical framework of the article shows that both human capital and social capital not only enhance local participation which can improve economic, political, and environmental indicators, but also are themselves promoted through the reinforcing loops and consequently can enable the ongoing running of the development engine.
Originality: Despite the considerable literature existing on community-based development, the authors could not reach any published article involving relations among fundamental concepts of community-based development in Iran, nor did they come across a general understanding of its process by the relevant activists. The suggested framework in this paper well supports the understanding of the process.
Economic growth, development, planning, Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils