Showing posts with label justification. Show all posts
Showing posts with label justification. Show all posts

Wednesday, 27 November 2019

Publics and their Problems: Notes on the Remaking of the South Bank, London

an article by Alan Latham (University College London, UK) and Jack Layton (Affiliation unknown) published in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research Volume 43 Issue 6 (November 2019)

Abstract

Cities are full of disputes about organizing public life. These disputes are important for deciding how spaces get used, and they are integral to how publics form and develop. In all sorts of ways they define the potentialities of urban public life.

This article tells the story of the Southbank Centre's plans to redevelop their central London site, and Long Live Southbank's protest of these plans to save their skateable space.

Through this detailed case study the article develops a distinctive conceptual apparatus for making sense of public disputes.

Drawing links between Deweyan pragmatism and assemblage theory, the article explores how publics were drawn together as assemblages of humans and non‐humans with the capacity to act and argue. It follows the arguments that each side made – and the justifications underpinning them – to explore the different ideas of public‐ness that were at stake in the disagreement.

This also helps highlight the space for cooperation that existed.

The article emphasises the part affect played in shaping the dispute; recognising its role in public reasoning, and in how people get pulled into different publics. This is a story not only of disputation, but of how a corner of London expanded its public‐ness.


Friday, 6 April 2018

Dealing with Difficult Family Members: Don’t Justify, Argue, Defend, or Explain

a post by Sharon Martin for the Happily Imperfect blog [via World of Psychology]

Are you repeatedly drawn into conversations or arguments that seem to go nowhere?

Do you feel compelled to respond to accusations that you know are false?

Do you feel like you have to justify your behavior or choices?

Do you have a difficult family member who picks fights or “gaslights”?

Continue reading to find some suggestions about reacting to accusations etc. All very useful stuff!