Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has become
omnipresent in migration control an... more Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has become omnipresent in migration control and mobility surveillance, with AI systems now deployed across all aspects of migration management. Critics of such trends typically examine questions of ethics and rights from the vantage point of regulatory mechanisms and the limited venues for the redress of grievances. But if legal frameworks are as of yet forthcoming and do not necessarily apply to migrants, are there alternative mechanisms to critique algorithmic decision making? To explore this and related questions, this paper engages one such alternative by taking a ‘visual turn.’ In asking ‘what can AI see’ the paper interrogates the role of images in constructing AI’s capacity to both understand migration and make appropriate decisions about migrants. In addition, a visual turn allows for exploration of an emergent age of post-visualization: a phenomenon whereby the values and meanings of what we see will be increasingly imparted to us by AI systems. The paper examines what AI sees with the help of an experiment, prompting an AI generative platform to draw distinctions between migrants, refugees, and people.
What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to ... more What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to rise above the geopolitics of the day and trigger alignment between rival powers? This paper argues the Cold War joint space exploration program between the United States and USSR provides a lesson on the limits of cooperation. These limits, I suggest, are not only a matter of power preferences, institutional differences, material disincentives, or even a consequence of a tendency for free-riding. Rather, they are also the result of incompatible “common sense” perceptions. Cooperation, even if institutionally viable, as in the case of the joint space program, can be constrained due to a lack of popular endorsement and legitimacy. To develop the argument, I examine the aesthetics of cooperation rendered through widely circulated media images associated with space cooperation during the Cold War. I argue the Cold War imaginary can serve as both critique and inspiration for today’s attempts...
What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to ... more What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to rise above the geopolitics of the day and trigger alignment between rival powers? This paper argues the Cold War joint space exploration program between the United States and USSR provides a lesson on the limits of cooperation. These limits, I suggest, are not only a matter of power preferences, institutional differences, material disincentives, or even a consequence of a tendency for free-riding. Rather, they are also the result of incompatible "common sense" perceptions. Cooperation, even if institutionally viable, as in the case of the joint space program, can be constrained due to a lack of popular endorsement and legitimacy. To develop the argument, I examine the aesthetics of cooperation rendered through widely circulated media images associated with space cooperation during the Cold War. I argue the Cold War imaginary can serve as both critique and inspiration for today's attempts to legitimize cooperation on global issues such as climate change. It provides insights on the role of "common sense" perceptions and the ways in which they inform questions concerning universality, the role of affect, and the alure of competition.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the phenomenon of simultaneous and widespread activation o... more The Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the phenomenon of simultaneous and widespread activation of different ‘faces’ of citizenship. Citizenship as restriction played a major part in enacting government-imposed restrictions to mobility and public interactions; and citizenship as social protection was essential criteria for the allocation of social benefits. At the same time, citizenship also inspired radical opposition to governments’ impositions and experts’ opinion; and, citizenship as care reflected the enactment of collective identity, forged on principles of reciprocity and mutual aid. This article contends the concurrent activation of disparate ‘faces’ of citizenship during the pandemic provides an opportunity to consider both the distinctive character of each ‘face’ as well as the points of dynamic overlap and co-constitution amongst them. Building on studies of complex systems, the article argues that how we see citizenship influences the types of questions and analysis we set to explore. Using the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the article lays out an initial approach to seeing citizenship from the vantage point of complex integrative thinking. Upholding both the singularity and multiplicity of the different ‘faces’, the article engages in preliminary examination of both their distinctiveness as well as points of overlap, co-constitution, and synergy.
By taking the 2014 US Customs and Border Protection 'Dangers Campaign' as an exemplar of what we ... more By taking the 2014 US Customs and Border Protection 'Dangers Campaign' as an exemplar of what we see as an emerging new form of border control management, we argue that the sovereign state is re-branding the politics of migration under the guise of a humanitarian imperative. Three intertwined phenomena allow for this humanitarian and moralistic shift: first, a strategic designation and staging of a state of nature; second, an emphasis and utilization of the materiality of death; and third, the de-branding of state sovereignty so as to employ neoliberal market mechanisms as means to depoliticize its strategy for migration control.
This paper interweaves an ancient conceptualization of movement and mobility with the paradigmati... more This paper interweaves an ancient conceptualization of movement and mobility with the paradigmatic case of early twentieth-century Chinese migration to the USA in order to explore migrants’ ability to both re-interpret institutional control of movement and generate identities that garner institutional and community acceptance. By not ‘settling’ migrants into the discourse of (undocumented) immigrants, the paper (i) develops a framework for the study of migrants–state interactions that goes beyond claims to citizenship and demands for rights and (ii) explores practices and means through which migrants gain access to restricted territories and maintain presence in otherwise unwelcoming communities. The paper argues that such practices explicate the autonomy of migration: a phenomenon that is constitutive to processes of political transformation and is critical to the study of state sovereignty, citizenship rights, and political agency.
This review forum brings together seven critics, namely Henryk
Alff, Mark Frost, Marina Kaneti, T... more This review forum brings together seven critics, namely Henryk Alff, Mark Frost, Marina Kaneti, Tim Oakes, Jonathan Rigg, Alessandro Rippa, and June Wang. They have different backgrounds ranging from anthropology and geography to history and political science. This diversity is deliberate, as Geocultural Power fundamentally crosses disciplines as it weaves together cultural and heritage studies with international relations and the study of diplomacy.
With geopolitical and economic pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in South... more With geopolitical and economic pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in Southeast Asia now have the unique opportunity to actively shape a new type of relationship with China: one that is not based on dependence, but instead leverages China’s proposed language of interdependence. Certainly, it is never an easy task to engage China on equal terms. Nevertheless, as Beijing to strives to become the leading proponent of multilateralism in the post-COVID world, the parameters and rules of interdependence need not be shaped by China alone. Here, Beijing’s ability to engage with its regional partners can serve as a litmus test to the possibilities and limits of the much-touted vision to “build a community with shared future.” For it still remains the case that such vision is only as good as the willingness of others to endorse and implement it.
Dams have a contentious reputation. Symbols of independence, progress, and prosperity to some, th... more Dams have a contentious reputation. Symbols of independence, progress, and prosperity to some, they are a lived reality of displacement, obliteration of sacred sites, and environmental degradation to others. Given the massive expansion of dam construction in recent years, this article engages in a critical assessment of the institutional limitations to dam opposition and explores alternative venues for anti-dam mobilization and the voicing of claims to environmental justice. The article argues that a potentially effective means of dam opposition requires the alignment of both environmental justice and rights claims with mainstream societal conversations and government priorities. In order to resonate with a broader community vision of national interests and priorities, anti-dam opposition also needs to integrate a message of collective duties and responsibilities.
Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has become
omnipresent in migration control an... more Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has become omnipresent in migration control and mobility surveillance, with AI systems now deployed across all aspects of migration management. Critics of such trends typically examine questions of ethics and rights from the vantage point of regulatory mechanisms and the limited venues for the redress of grievances. But if legal frameworks are as of yet forthcoming and do not necessarily apply to migrants, are there alternative mechanisms to critique algorithmic decision making? To explore this and related questions, this paper engages one such alternative by taking a ‘visual turn.’ In asking ‘what can AI see’ the paper interrogates the role of images in constructing AI’s capacity to both understand migration and make appropriate decisions about migrants. In addition, a visual turn allows for exploration of an emergent age of post-visualization: a phenomenon whereby the values and meanings of what we see will be increasingly imparted to us by AI systems. The paper examines what AI sees with the help of an experiment, prompting an AI generative platform to draw distinctions between migrants, refugees, and people.
What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to ... more What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to rise above the geopolitics of the day and trigger alignment between rival powers? This paper argues the Cold War joint space exploration program between the United States and USSR provides a lesson on the limits of cooperation. These limits, I suggest, are not only a matter of power preferences, institutional differences, material disincentives, or even a consequence of a tendency for free-riding. Rather, they are also the result of incompatible “common sense” perceptions. Cooperation, even if institutionally viable, as in the case of the joint space program, can be constrained due to a lack of popular endorsement and legitimacy. To develop the argument, I examine the aesthetics of cooperation rendered through widely circulated media images associated with space cooperation during the Cold War. I argue the Cold War imaginary can serve as both critique and inspiration for today’s attempts...
What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to ... more What does cooperation between rival superpowers look like? Do global issues have the capacity to rise above the geopolitics of the day and trigger alignment between rival powers? This paper argues the Cold War joint space exploration program between the United States and USSR provides a lesson on the limits of cooperation. These limits, I suggest, are not only a matter of power preferences, institutional differences, material disincentives, or even a consequence of a tendency for free-riding. Rather, they are also the result of incompatible "common sense" perceptions. Cooperation, even if institutionally viable, as in the case of the joint space program, can be constrained due to a lack of popular endorsement and legitimacy. To develop the argument, I examine the aesthetics of cooperation rendered through widely circulated media images associated with space cooperation during the Cold War. I argue the Cold War imaginary can serve as both critique and inspiration for today's attempts to legitimize cooperation on global issues such as climate change. It provides insights on the role of "common sense" perceptions and the ways in which they inform questions concerning universality, the role of affect, and the alure of competition.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the phenomenon of simultaneous and widespread activation o... more The Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the phenomenon of simultaneous and widespread activation of different ‘faces’ of citizenship. Citizenship as restriction played a major part in enacting government-imposed restrictions to mobility and public interactions; and citizenship as social protection was essential criteria for the allocation of social benefits. At the same time, citizenship also inspired radical opposition to governments’ impositions and experts’ opinion; and, citizenship as care reflected the enactment of collective identity, forged on principles of reciprocity and mutual aid. This article contends the concurrent activation of disparate ‘faces’ of citizenship during the pandemic provides an opportunity to consider both the distinctive character of each ‘face’ as well as the points of dynamic overlap and co-constitution amongst them. Building on studies of complex systems, the article argues that how we see citizenship influences the types of questions and analysis we set to explore. Using the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the article lays out an initial approach to seeing citizenship from the vantage point of complex integrative thinking. Upholding both the singularity and multiplicity of the different ‘faces’, the article engages in preliminary examination of both their distinctiveness as well as points of overlap, co-constitution, and synergy.
By taking the 2014 US Customs and Border Protection 'Dangers Campaign' as an exemplar of what we ... more By taking the 2014 US Customs and Border Protection 'Dangers Campaign' as an exemplar of what we see as an emerging new form of border control management, we argue that the sovereign state is re-branding the politics of migration under the guise of a humanitarian imperative. Three intertwined phenomena allow for this humanitarian and moralistic shift: first, a strategic designation and staging of a state of nature; second, an emphasis and utilization of the materiality of death; and third, the de-branding of state sovereignty so as to employ neoliberal market mechanisms as means to depoliticize its strategy for migration control.
This paper interweaves an ancient conceptualization of movement and mobility with the paradigmati... more This paper interweaves an ancient conceptualization of movement and mobility with the paradigmatic case of early twentieth-century Chinese migration to the USA in order to explore migrants’ ability to both re-interpret institutional control of movement and generate identities that garner institutional and community acceptance. By not ‘settling’ migrants into the discourse of (undocumented) immigrants, the paper (i) develops a framework for the study of migrants–state interactions that goes beyond claims to citizenship and demands for rights and (ii) explores practices and means through which migrants gain access to restricted territories and maintain presence in otherwise unwelcoming communities. The paper argues that such practices explicate the autonomy of migration: a phenomenon that is constitutive to processes of political transformation and is critical to the study of state sovereignty, citizenship rights, and political agency.
This review forum brings together seven critics, namely Henryk
Alff, Mark Frost, Marina Kaneti, T... more This review forum brings together seven critics, namely Henryk Alff, Mark Frost, Marina Kaneti, Tim Oakes, Jonathan Rigg, Alessandro Rippa, and June Wang. They have different backgrounds ranging from anthropology and geography to history and political science. This diversity is deliberate, as Geocultural Power fundamentally crosses disciplines as it weaves together cultural and heritage studies with international relations and the study of diplomacy.
With geopolitical and economic pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in South... more With geopolitical and economic pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in Southeast Asia now have the unique opportunity to actively shape a new type of relationship with China: one that is not based on dependence, but instead leverages China’s proposed language of interdependence. Certainly, it is never an easy task to engage China on equal terms. Nevertheless, as Beijing to strives to become the leading proponent of multilateralism in the post-COVID world, the parameters and rules of interdependence need not be shaped by China alone. Here, Beijing’s ability to engage with its regional partners can serve as a litmus test to the possibilities and limits of the much-touted vision to “build a community with shared future.” For it still remains the case that such vision is only as good as the willingness of others to endorse and implement it.
Dams have a contentious reputation. Symbols of independence, progress, and prosperity to some, th... more Dams have a contentious reputation. Symbols of independence, progress, and prosperity to some, they are a lived reality of displacement, obliteration of sacred sites, and environmental degradation to others. Given the massive expansion of dam construction in recent years, this article engages in a critical assessment of the institutional limitations to dam opposition and explores alternative venues for anti-dam mobilization and the voicing of claims to environmental justice. The article argues that a potentially effective means of dam opposition requires the alignment of both environmental justice and rights claims with mainstream societal conversations and government priorities. In order to resonate with a broader community vision of national interests and priorities, anti-dam opposition also needs to integrate a message of collective duties and responsibilities.
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omnipresent in migration control and mobility surveillance, with
AI systems now deployed across all aspects of migration
management. Critics of such trends typically examine questions of
ethics and rights from the vantage point of regulatory
mechanisms and the limited venues for the redress of grievances.
But if legal frameworks are as of yet forthcoming and do not
necessarily apply to migrants, are there alternative mechanisms to
critique algorithmic decision making? To explore this and related
questions, this paper engages one such alternative by taking a
‘visual turn.’ In asking ‘what can AI see’ the paper interrogates the
role of images in constructing AI’s capacity to both understand
migration and make appropriate decisions about migrants. In
addition, a visual turn allows for exploration of an emergent age
of post-visualization: a phenomenon whereby the values and
meanings of what we see will be increasingly imparted to us by AI
systems. The paper examines what AI sees with the help of an
experiment, prompting an AI generative platform to draw
distinctions between migrants, refugees, and people.
Alff, Mark Frost, Marina Kaneti, Tim Oakes, Jonathan Rigg, Alessandro
Rippa, and June Wang. They have different backgrounds ranging from
anthropology and geography to history and political science. This diversity
is deliberate, as Geocultural Power fundamentally crosses disciplines
as it weaves together cultural and heritage studies with international
relations and the study of diplomacy.
omnipresent in migration control and mobility surveillance, with
AI systems now deployed across all aspects of migration
management. Critics of such trends typically examine questions of
ethics and rights from the vantage point of regulatory
mechanisms and the limited venues for the redress of grievances.
But if legal frameworks are as of yet forthcoming and do not
necessarily apply to migrants, are there alternative mechanisms to
critique algorithmic decision making? To explore this and related
questions, this paper engages one such alternative by taking a
‘visual turn.’ In asking ‘what can AI see’ the paper interrogates the
role of images in constructing AI’s capacity to both understand
migration and make appropriate decisions about migrants. In
addition, a visual turn allows for exploration of an emergent age
of post-visualization: a phenomenon whereby the values and
meanings of what we see will be increasingly imparted to us by AI
systems. The paper examines what AI sees with the help of an
experiment, prompting an AI generative platform to draw
distinctions between migrants, refugees, and people.
Alff, Mark Frost, Marina Kaneti, Tim Oakes, Jonathan Rigg, Alessandro
Rippa, and June Wang. They have different backgrounds ranging from
anthropology and geography to history and political science. This diversity
is deliberate, as Geocultural Power fundamentally crosses disciplines
as it weaves together cultural and heritage studies with international
relations and the study of diplomacy.