| 1. |
- Arsovski, Slobodan, et al.
(författare)
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Can urban environmental problems be overcome? The case of Skopje—world’s most polluted city
- 2018
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Ingår i: Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series. - : Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika/Nicolaus Copernicus University. - 1732-4254 .- 2083-8298. ; 40:40, s. 17-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The condition of the environment is one of the most fundamental concerns of cities worldwide, especially when high levels of pollution and environmental destruction exert immense impact on people’s quality of life. This paper focuses on Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, which often tops the charts as the world’s most polluted city. Despite associated problems such as congestion, ill health, and premature death, Macedonia’s scarce resources are instead spent on controversial projects, such as ‘Skopje 2014’, involving creating a national identity through massive and extremely costly constructions of neo-classical government buildings, museums and monuments. The aim of this paper is to compare the situation of Skopje to environmentally oriented activities conducted in several Polish cities and to discuss the possibility of their implementation in Skopje. Considering the scale and scope of Skopje’s environmental problems, the paper offers some priorities for action, including solutions that emphasize institution building, technical input and self-governance. It also highlights a number of economic, ecological, and socio-cultural contradictions involved in the process of achieving sustainable development.
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| 2. |
- Arsovski, Slobodan, et al.
(författare)
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Universities, the categorical imperative and responsible research
- 2021
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Ingår i: Book of Abstracts 19th STS Conference Graz 2021,Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies, Graz, Austria,3–5 May 2021.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Universities, as Western cultural institutions, can look back on a long development spanning several centuries. In terms of cultural significance, this puts them into the same league as the church, the state or major banks, to mention but a few. In our modern world of increased globalization and digitalization, universities are tasked with educating an ever-growing number of students. Inadvertently, this also leads to an inflation of the value of academic degrees, let alone to mention the actual quality of the skills that are being taught to students. Governments and other stakeholders are increasingly becoming interested in responsible research and innovation practices. This presentation looks into the consequences of the so called “impact agenda” and what it signifies for the trustworthiness of scientific knowledge. We understand the impact agenda to be the push to evaluate the quality of research based on its outcome (end), compared to its rigor (mean). Departing primarily from research conducted at European universities, we contend that reducing the role of the university to that of mere impact facilitation, accreditation and skills acquisition for its students, may prove detrimental to the respect for the university as an institution. Not only are universities running the risk of underappreciating what they do, but they are also fueling a greater division of society in which the citizenry is trained to use highly sophisticated conceptual tools without being provided the complex understanding needed to wield it competently egged on by research chasing an ever elusive ‘impact’. We argue that the society-wide increase of polarization – fueled by such a dynamic – will increase unless the universities actively acknowledge and embrace their role as shapers and stewards of Western culture. Within our analysis, we discuss the emergent ‘impact or starve’ paradigm to explain why such transgression of the categorical imperative are normalized and not widely publicized and problematized. We reflect both on the individual and collective consequences for knowledge production. Specifically, we draw attention to the unintended consequences that arise when the external value hierarchy of society rewards such an end focused assessment structure in terms of student numbers, research funds, and prestige, which supposedly justifies such ends. Inadvertently, such development ossifies contemporary values in the long term, and devalues the contribution of universities to the development of ideas.
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| 3. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek, et al.
(författare)
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Atavism, layering and subversion : Understanding great social challenges of today through the lens of cultural contingents
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geographical Reviews. - : Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. - 1409-908X. ; :52, s. 157-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Great social challenges of today no longer come one by one. What makes them great is their ever-greater entanglement in one other and across multiple levels, including landscapes, regimes and niches. To this background, a major challenge facing many countries today is how to successfully address issues of interlocking problems of unsustainability caused by cultural contingents. We argue that while the social problems of today have gone wicked, we still imagine them as if they were tame. Tame approaches to wicked problems, in turn, are likely to spawn “wicked solutions”, i.e. purported counteractions that are so conceptually unsuitable for the problem at hand that they can even overwhelm the wickedness of the wicked problem. This makes it so much more difficult to resolve. In this paper, we present three conspicuous examples in this dimension: cultural atavism, artificial layering and pathological subversion. We argue that acknowledging wicked solutions as different from wicked problems is a first step to mitigate the daunting effects that may arise when the two intertwine.
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| 4. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek, et al.
(författare)
-
Atavism, layering and subversion: Understanding great social challenges of today through the lens of cultural contingents
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Geographical Reviews. - 1409-908X. ; 52, s. 157-170
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Great social challenges of today no longer come one by one. What makes them great is their ever-greater entanglement in one other and across multiple levels, including landscapes, regimes and niches. To this background, a major challenge facing many countries today is how to successfully address issues of interlocking problems of unsustainability caused by cultural contingents. We argue that while the social problems of today have gone wicked, we still imagine them as if they were tame. Tame approaches to wicked problems, in turn, are likely to spawn “wicked solutions”, i.e. purported counteractions that are so conceptually unsuitable for the problem at hand that they can even overwhelm the wickedness of the wicked problem. This makes it so much more difficult to resolve. In this paper, we present three conspicuous examples in this dimension: cultural atavism, artificial layering and pathological subversion. We argue that acknowledging wicked solutions as different from wicked problems is a first step to mitigate the daunting effects that may arise when the two intertwine.
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| 5. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek, et al.
(författare)
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Insights from the world’s most polluted city : Understanding great social challenges of today through the lens of cultural contingents
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We live in times of rapid changes and unpredictability. Great social challenges of today no longer come one by one. What makes them great is their ever-greater entanglement in one other and across multiple levels, including landscapes, regimes and niches. To this background, a major challenge facing many countries today is how to address interlocking problems of unsustainability caused by cultural contingents, as this dimension is not yet fully understood amidst a plethora of literature on systems thinking and complexity science. Drawing on insights from 35 in-depth interviews with residents and specialists, this research seeks more human-cantered explanations for the retention of undesired ways of thinking. This is done through the example of Skopje (North Macedonia), a city embroiled in a host of economic, ecological, and social contradictions. Considering the scale, scope, and character of problems in Skopje, we seek to develop a deeper understanding of the situation to outline priorities for action. By conducting a multilevel analysis, the aim of this study is to investigate the role of personal and cultural narratives upon scenarios of unsustainability. The following research questions form the bulk of this study: (1) What are the residents' views on (un)sustainability and (un)sustainable development in Skopje? (2) What are the residents' assessments of their (im)possibility to influence change? (3) What is the role of culture upon the developments in Skopje? Using Skopje as an example, this presentation elaborates on the concept of 'modern outpost of unsustainability', a locality exhibiting a complex web of social entanglements that cause and maintain several dilemmas at once. By focusing on the formation of individuals through cultural carriers of meaning, this presentation explores ways in which particular discourses and social contracts can create clusters of unsustainability, and what socio-material effects they may incur upon institution building, technical input and self-governance.
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| 6. |
- Dymitrow, Mirek, et al.
(författare)
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Insights from the world’s most polluted city: Understanding great social challenges of today through the lens of cultural contingents
- 2020
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Ingår i: 34th International Geographical Congress: “Geography: Bridging the Continents”, The International Geographical Union (IGU) / Istanbul University, 16–20 August 2021, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We live in times of rapid changes and unpredictability. Great social challenges of today no longer come one by one. What makes them great is their ever-greater entanglement in one other and across multiple levels, including landscapes, regimes and niches. To this background, a major challenge facing many countries today is how to address interlocking problems of unsustainability caused by cultural contingents, as this dimension is not yet fully understood amidst a plethora of literature on systems thinking and complexity science. Drawing on insights from 35 in-depth interviews with residents and specialists, this research seeks more human-cantered explanations for the retention of undesired ways of thinking. This is done through the example of Skopje (North Macedonia), a city embroiled in a host of economic, ecological, and social contradictions. Considering the scale, scope, and character of problems in Skopje, we seek to develop a deeper understanding of the situation to outline priorities for action. By conducting a multilevel analysis, the aim of this study is to investigate the role of personal and cultural narratives upon scenarios of unsustainability. The following research questions form the bulk of this study: (1) What are the residents' views on (un)sustainability and (un)sustainable development in Skopje? (2) What are the residents' assessments of their (im)possibility to influence change? (3) What is the role of culture upon the developments in Skopje? Using Skopje as an example, this presentation elaborates on the concept of 'modern outpost of unsustainability', a locality exhibiting a complex web of social entanglements that cause and maintain several dilemmas at once. By focusing on the formation of individuals through cultural carriers of meaning, this presentation explores ways in which particular discourses and social contracts can create clusters of unsustainability, and what socio-material effects they may incur upon institution building, technical input and self-governance.
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| 7. |
- Kwiatkowski, Michał, et al.
(författare)
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Solving the unsolvable? Pollution as a factor creating the modern outpost of unsustainability : Решавање на нерешливото? Загадувањето како фактор што создава модерено упориште на неодржливост
- 2018
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In December 2017 Skopje topped the charts as the world’s most polluted city. And while this was merely a fleeting moment, Skopje’s case is emblematic of a much more common and disturbing phenomenon: an increasingly complex web of entanglements that both cause and maintain what could be described as ’modern outposts of unsustainability’. In the case of Skopje, specifically, pollution does not come isolated, but appears onto an equally alarming canvas of geopolitical disrepute, identity crisis, acute poverty, staggering corruption and ethnic tensions. In times of rapid changes and unpredictability, great social challenges no longer come one by one; what makes them great is their ever-greater entanglement in one other, in the vein of Rittel’s now classical concept of a ‘wicked problem’. This means that we may have to embrace the dynamism it involves, without ever satisfying any particular standard for completeness. To this background, the challenge undertaken in this presentation is to address Skopje’s pollution problem eclectically, by addressing its interlocking problems of unsustainability through the prism of cultural contingents. By comparing Skopje’s dire situation to solutions implemented in other parts of Europe, the presentation makes a signal contribution to the sustainability agenda by proposing a number of priorities for action, including an emphasis on institution building, technical input and self-governance. The presentation also highlights a number of economic, ecological, and social contradictions involved in the process of striving for sustainable development.
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| 8. |
- Sofeska, Emilija, et al.
(författare)
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Solving the unsolvable? Pollution as a factor creating the modern outpost of unsustainability : Решавање на нерешливото? Загадувањето како фактор што создава модерено упориште на неодржливост
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Conference “Pollution of cities in the Republic of Macedonia: What are the solutions?”, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts / Research Center for Environment and Materials, 1–2 November 2018, Skopje, Macedonia.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In December 2017 Skopje topped the charts as the world’s most polluted city. And while this was merely a fleeting moment, Skopje’s case is emblematic of a much more common and disturbing phenomenon: an increasingly complex web of entanglements that both cause and maintain what could be described as ’modern outposts of unsustainability’. In the case of Skopje, specifically, pollution does not come isolated, but appears onto an equally alarming canvas of geopolitical disrepute, identity crisis, acute poverty, staggering corruption and ethnic tensions. In times of rapid changes and unpredictability, great social challenges no longer come one by one; what makes them great is their ever-greater entanglement in one other, in the vein of Rittel’s now classical concept of a ‘wicked problem’. This means that we may have to embrace the dynamism it involves, without ever satisfying any particular standard for completeness. To this background, the challenge undertaken in this presentation is to address Skopje’s pollution problem eclectically, by addressing its interlocking problems of unsustainability through the prism of cultural contingents. By comparing Skopje’s dire situation to solutions implemented in other parts of Europe, the presentation makes a signal contribution to the sustainability agenda by proposing a number of priorities for action, including an emphasis on institution building, technical input and self-governance. The presentation also highlights a number of economic, ecological, and social contradictions involved in the process of striving for sustainable development. ................................................................................................................................................................................................... Во декември 2017 година Скопје се најде на врвот на листите како најзагаден град во светот. И додека ова беше само минлив момент, случајот на Скопје е симбол на многу почест и вознемирувачки феномен: се создава се повеќе комплексна мрежа на нестабилност која предизвикува и одржува она што може да се опише како "модерно упориште на неодржливост". Во случајот со Скопје, конкретно загадувањето, не е повеќе изолирана појава, туку истото се појавува на подеднакво алармантно поле на геополитичко загрозување, криза на идентитетот, акутна сиромаштија, корупција во запрепастувачки размери, како и етнички тензии. Во време на брзи промени и непредвидливост, големите социјални предизвици повеќе не доаѓаат еден по еден; она што ги прави велики е нивното сè поголемо меѓусебно испреплетување, а во духот на сега веќе класичниот концепт на Рител (Rittel) за "зол проблем". Ова значи дека можеби ќе треба да ја прифатиме динамиката што ја вклучува, без да се задоволи некој посебен стандард за комплетноста. Во таа смисла, предизвикот што го преземаме во оваа презентација е на еклектичен начин да го посочиме проблемот со загадувањето на Скопје, преку нагласување на проблемите поврзани со неодржливост и преку призмата на културните контингенти. Преку споредба на алармантната состојба за Скопје со решенија кои се спроведени во другите делови/градови на Европа, оваа презентацијата дава иницијален придонес кон агендата за одржливост, предлагајќи бројни приоритети за превземање на активности, ставајќи акцент и на зајакнување на институциите, технички допринос и самоуправа. Преку оваа презентација, исто така, се нагласуваат бројни економски, еколошки и социјални противречности вклучени во процесот на стремеж кон одржлив развој.
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