Immigration has always occurred. Yet, it has not always been at the centre of political debates. This is because immigration has tended to happen according to flows of supply and demand in a natural way. If there was unemployment or famine in one place, and work or population shortage in another, it was only natural that people would relocate. Immigration to the US was only really regulated once the need decreased.
Immigration tends to be politicized when the going gets tough — when unemployment is high, when pandemics hit or when natives are otherwise uncertain about their future or are just angry and bitter. As socio-economic problems arise, so does a fear that immigrants are thoroughly incompatible with the native culture. However, the causal link in this is far from obvious: are socio-economic reasons to oppose immigration linked with cultural fears? Therefore, there is an ongoing debate in the social sciences about whether people oppose immigration primarily for cultural reasons arising out of a fear of losing one’s culture, or for economic reasons arising out of a fear of losing one’s job.
Read moreIn early March when COVID-19 became a pandemic, most of us did not know what to expect, and neither did our policymakers. Heads of governments were suddenly confronted with a situation they had not previously encountered and which they did not expect. This is partly the reason for different policies with regard to public measures against the virus. Some countries began shutting down in March while others remained open for a much longer period. The outcomes have thus been quite different. By August 2020 the pandemic had spread across the world. With a view to the current time period since March, policymakers have begun discussing the most effective measures towards the spread of the pandemic. One country has drawn the attention of the critics. The country is Sweden.
Read moreHow do we make business and climate each others’ prerequisites?
Simply by designing for circularity. That is how we can harness the extraordinary powers of business as a source of good, and make sure we are incentivized to keep on the trajectory of creating a regenerative society for all to thrive in and ultimately ensure a livable and sustainable future for business, earth and humankind.
Sounds too good to be true? It does not have to be. With circular economy we can go beyond the traditional notion of economic growth opposing environmental protection. Instead, we can turn the tables and start treating them as natural prerequisites. As two elements that go hand in hand, strategically integrated sustainability makes viable businesses which drive sustainable development. It’s really that simple.
Read moreA Finnish news article recently talked about the Estonian architect Allan Strus known for his traditionalistic design. Whilst much of today’s Tallinn, like other Northern European cities, is mainly fashioned in a modernist style, Strus designs his buildings to lie in harmony with their local history. This he accomplishes so successfully that many are led to the false belief that the buildings have always stood there. “Why is it more important to create contrasts in a neighborhood than build harmony with what already exists?”, Strus asks. Further look at some of Strus’ architecture reveals modesty, tradition, and harmony. Unsurprisingly in some, particularly modernist, architectural circles, Strus’ work is not much appreciated. One critic, with a derogative tone, described his work as pseudo-historical.
Read moreTo those of us who live in modern democratic societies, it can seem obvious that democracy is the right form of government. Democracy respects the equality of citizens and our freedom to govern ourselves.
But the superiority of democracy is not obvious to everyone. Even today, many societies are not democratic and these governments survive not merely by force of arms, but also because some people believe that democracy is not the best form of government.
In ancient Athens, democracy was a fleeting and tentative experiment with many detractors. By many accounts, Plato was no fan of democracy. Plato compared democracy to a ship of driven by fools.
Read moreWe are facing perhaps unprecedented social change. Even a quick glance at something as prosaic as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals gives the gist of it: If we wish to continue thriving as a species on this bounded planet, societies must learn to respect global equity, nurture regenerative ecosystems, and develop institutions and social norms to ensure peace on Earth. In other words, we require what is often called systems change.
However, a much more obscure question is how systems change might ever be instigated, and whose responsibility anything of the sort would be. This question is often framed as one between private and public responsibility. Either individuals should show the way, or politicians or decision-makers should be held primarily accountable. Frankly, I believe this is a harmful false dichotomy that pays very little attention to a pivotal process underlying the cultural evolution any human society: social learning in local communities.
Read moreSee if you can solve the following problem:
A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
Most people are tempted to say that the ball costs 10 cents. If that was your answer, think again. A few people resist the initial temptation, do some calculation, and discover that the ball in fact costs 5 cents. But however you answered, take comfort. Even at elite universities, most people get this question wrong.
What’s going on here? It’s not that the question is particularly difficult. Here is a tougher version of the original problem:
A banana and a bagel cost 37 cents. The banana costs 13 cents more than the bagel. How much does the bagel cost?
Most people get this question right. What is so challenging about bats and balls?
Read moreThe year is 630 BCE. Ashurbanipal, the last ruler of the mighty Neo-Assyrian Empire, spanning from Egypt to Babylonia and Persia, has garnered through conquest and systematic collection a royal library of a scale perhaps never witnessed before. Among this selection, consisting largely of divinations, rituals and incantations, are ten to thirty thousand clay tablets, including the famous Epic of Gilgamesh.
Return to 2019 CE. At the heart of Helsinki, Finland, opposite the Parliament House, rises a colossal wooden structure, its architecture resembling that of Noah’s Ark. If this Ark, however, surfs any waves, it is those of the information age. Behold Oodi, or Ode, the new Helsinki Central Library. Like Ashurbanipal’s library, Ode too houses a collection of tablets — although these digital devices are not made of clay and are, unlike Ashurbanipal’s, open to the public.
Read moreLoneliness refers to a mismatch between the types of relationships that we want to have versus the ones that we perceive that we actually have. Loneliness is on the rise, particularly in the West, with Japan being the exception where the loneliness epidemic is a serious issue. The most effective coping strategies have involved talking therapies that help individuals to reconsider their relationships more positively. Furthermore, dialogue on the subject of how we cope with loneliness is increasingly important, because it can help us to reach out in positive ways and cope ‘consciously’, rather than “reach for the bottle”, smoke, binge watch Netflix or dwell in feelings of sadness.
Read moreHalf a century ago, a wave of student protests swept over Europe and the Americas. Sparked by the Vietnam War and social and racial injustice, the protests saw the widespread emergence of social, ecological and political movements and reforms.
Today, students are once again spearheading a new social and ecological revolution. A notable difference, however, to the 60’s protests is that this time the students revolting are not in college — they are schoolchildren.
Read moreA curious trait of our time is that we so stubbornly confuse lack of imaginative capacity with realism. I was reminded of this after visiting an arts exhibition centered on metaphysical art, 'Pittura Metafisica', an early 20th century Italian movement developed by artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Carlo Carrà and Felice Casorati.
This artistic movement, also known as magical realism, sought to illustrate the strange bind between the external world and the world of imagination. "The art of magic realists," described the curator, "is simultaneously realistic and far removed from reality." The metaphysical artists depict the world it was manifested to them, a world in movement, a world shrouded with dreamlike layers of imagination and meaning, one which invites curiosity and oftentimes evokes detachment.
Read moreLast year, I was assigned with the task of overseeing the registration desk at an academic conference. Finding this a rather dull affair, I chose to employ my time doing what idle observers often do best: people watching.
The registration desk was preceded by a door – not just any door, but a very cumbersome door designed in the late 1930’s (which, ironically, is representative of the architectural style of functionalism). Now, the door had an obvious protrusive vertical handle, designed for grabbing and pulling. What mad the door unique, however, was the sticker next to the handle. In bold capital letters, it read: “PLEASE TURN THE HANDLE”. This pointed to another unremarkable horizontal handle hidden behind the more obvious vertical one.
Read moreImpact. The fleeting quantity by which scientists, academic journals and universities are ranked to direct research funding. For a 21st century academic, this elusive entity should simultaneously pervade research motivation, method, output and outreach. In some it raises eyebrows and suspicion just like any other buzzword, in others it raises hope for making a difference in an increasingly complex and deranged world. There’s much ado about impact, but what exactly is it, and how, if at all, should it be measured?
To begin with, I’ll start with a disclaimer: if by impact we mean having positive and high-quality influence with our research, I’m all in for impact. In fact, as someone working in environmental research, I’d be absolutely thrilled to see our work having more impact. Unfortunately, however, “impact” isn’t always what it seems to be. Therefore, a critical dissection of the notion of impact seems to be in place.
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