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Author Archives: PIF12

Women Rights versus Cultural Identity?

The author of an article Culture versus Rights Dualism: a myth or a reality? in openDemocracy web, Yakin Ertür, claims that women’s human rights discourse and movements have become entangled within a culture-versus-rights dualism. The author argues that this is a false dualism which serves both private patriarchy and public patriarchy of neo-liberal globalisation.

“Blaming culture for the disadvantages faced by women, minorities, and other vulnerable groups is an appealing ideology for proponents of contemporary neoliberal globalisation. It blames the havoc wreaked by expansive capitalism and global conflicts on the culture of the other”.
Hence, the cultural authenticity discourse provides a perfect alibi for the traditional patriarchs to evade any responsibility to accommodate women’s rights claims; cultural interpretation of women’s subordination relieves rich countries of the responsibility for dispossessions caused by capitalism, neoliberalism, militarism, occupation and armed conflicts.
The good news is, women have not passively submitted to such encroachments. Individually and collectively they have always negotiated hegemonic value. In confronting the culture of domination they have organised and redefined culture and religion to promote women’s rights.
On the other hand, the international human rights framework which women rely on in holding their respective governments accountable to their international commitments, remains abstract, legalistic and distant to women’s lives.
Furthermore, the hierarchical treatment of rights in the human rights system which privileges civil and political rights over economic, social and cultural rights, reinforces neoliberal globalisation.
These will require strategic engagement with the international human rights framework in order to transform the human rights culture, and to ensure that governments comply with their international commitments. With respect to the former, it is important to strategise beyond CEDAW, which women now use effectively. In this regard, the committees monitoring the Twin Covenants are particularly important in challenging the hierarchy and fragmentation of rights. Women’s rights will remain aspirational if women are not empowered through access to housing, land, credit, income and authority.

You will find full article here:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/yakin-erturk/culture-versus-rights-dualism-myth-or-reality

openDemocracy publishes high quality news analysis, debates and blogs about the world and the way we govern ourselves. openDemocracy is committed to human rights and democracy. They aim to ensure that marginalised views and voices are heard.They believe facilitating argument and understanding across geographical boundaries is vital to preventing injustice. openDemocracy encourages special editorial projects which are part of openDemocracy but are run autonomously with their own funding.


The International Metropolis Project – Migration and Diversity

The International Metropolis Project is a forum for bridging research, policy and practice on migration and diversity. The Project aims to enhance academic research capacity, encourage policy-relevant research on migration and diversity issues, and facilitate the use of that research by governments and non-governmental organizations.

The International Metropolis Project is an international network of researchers, policy makers, and community groups engaged in identifying, understanding, and responding to developments in migration and diversity. Through our efforts, we encourage the production and effective communication of policy-relevant knowledge amongst decision-makers, thought leaders, and practitioners. Our network includes partners from across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific and is growing in Africa and Latin America. Our international conferences are the largest annual gathering of experts in the fields of migration and diversity. In addition to a comprehensive study tour program, and just under 100 workshops, our plenary programme offers access to the insights, challenges, and prescriptions of some of the world’s key experts.

In addition to our conferences, the network comes together through shared research projects, publications and informal policy discussions. Exchanges of policy and research expertise is also fostered by smaller Inter-Conference Seminars and publications, including the Journal of International Migration and Integration, that showcase international research on migration and diversity.

Our efforts are governed through a Secretariat, jointly located in Ottawa and Amsterdam, as well as biannual meetings of our International Steering Committee.

The next annual Metropolis conference will return in 2013 with a full event In Tampere, Finland from September 9 to 13.

During 2012 Metropolis will arrange a series of regional Metropolis Inter-Conference Seminars that will be announced in their web.


Design and Cultural Identity – A Return to Fundamentalism?

David Report is an influential blog and online magazine that since 2006 writes about trends in the intersection of design, culture and business. Their readers share their interest and curiosity in everything from art, architecture, culture, design and fashion to food, innovation, music, sustainability and travel.

Their biannual in-depth reports offer cutting-edge critical thought. The reports are trying to make a difference by challenging the conventional mindset.

One of their reports treats the connection between design and culture and the new cultural strands re-appearing related with the idea of national design focused on authenticity and meaningful use of identity.

Design and Culture have always been closely interrelated, but in many instances design is flaunted as the true measure of culture, rather than belonging to part of cultural context of the society. Design has become the embodiment of a larger process of creative ‘culture-mongering’ that has become a means to capture ideation, innovation and enterprise and made to stand for cultural identity.

The comprehensive scale and the rapid growth of globalism has undermined independent cultural identities, due to the disparate nature of where design and production takes place, and lack of knowledge concerning the true origin of materials and products. This is further confused by a combination of diverse sourcing, and unsustainable methods of labour and manufacture.

In addition, the world financial crisis of the last three years has seriously undermined the traditional sense of culture in the West, giving rise to a myriad of niche sub-cultures. Niches that are primarily sourced and transacted digitally over the Internet, and whose origin and sourcing are both hybrid and the result of fusion. These products are largely concealed in processing and fabrication techniques, and are non-brands that are camouflaged.

However, there are signs that despite this confusion and fusion of cultural identities, new cultural strands are being revived and are re-appearing. Some are intended and strategically driven, and some indirect reactions to the desire to reclaim a more long lasting cultural integrity. There has been a return to a type of ’Cultural Fundamentalism’ which has been prompted by a reconsideration of the roots of national design in Europe, led by Dutch Design, and more  recently by Flemish and Scandinavian Design. With new Swedish Design in furniture and product leading areas of sustainability, use of materials and relating to areas of cultural nostalgia and design anthropology.

You will find full version of David Report’s article here:
http://davidreport.com/the-report/design-culture-time-cultural-fundamentalism/


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