Penn Journal of Philosophy: Volume 17, Issue 1
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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
Publication A Letter from the Editor(2022-04-20) Liu, AndrewPublication Investigating Host Countries’ Refugee-Related Policies and Its Effect on Lived Experiences of Rohingya Refugees(2022-04-20) Puapattanakajorn, NichanunRohingya refugees are one of the most discriminated against and vulnerable populations in the world. As a consequence of being persecuted in their homeland by the Myanmar government, many Rohingya have fled their homes to seek refuge in neighboring countries. However, the acceptance of Rohingya refugees has varied in different locations, resulting in the subpar treatment of the refugees. This paper explores how the host state government’s policy and stance on migrants and migrant protection within a country influences the level of violence faced by Rohingya refugees residing in their country. The host states chosen for the study include Bangladesh, Malaysia, and India. The two main types of violence Rohingya refugees face residing in the host states include: (1) state-inflicted violence such as through detention centers and police harassment; and (2) policies, or the lack thereof, that facilitate the occurrence of violence such as human trafficking and inhumane living conditions. The paper exposes how the international community and host countries’ soft stance towards supporting Rohingya refugees and lack of harsh condemnation towards Myanmar has shaped the violent experiences of Rohingya refugees.Publication For the Economy or for Security? Using 5G to Explain Federal Intervention in US-China Technological Competition(2022-04-20) Matheson, WillThe United States under the Trump administration shifted federal policy toward greater state intervention in the technology innovation economy in response to perceived advances in this space by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This shift is noteworthy given the free-market orthodoxy that traditionally defines US politics and has persisted despite similar perceptions of competition from more state-driven economies in the past (e.g., Japan in the 1980s). This paper seeks to understand why this shift in American economic orthodoxy appears to be occurring now, in reaction to Chinese technological innovation. It does so by beginning to investigate the motivations for shifting US federal 5G policy. It evaluates two explanations for the shift: that the economic relationship with China and broader domestic backlash to globalization have initiated a genuine shift in economic thinking toward industrial policy, or that perceptions of great power competition with the PRC create a national security impetus for intervention in the technology space that supersedes economic orthodoxy. While both trends likely play a role in the shift in federal innovation strategy, I find that the national security dimension of the US-China relationship plays the most significant role in shaping this federal policy change.Publication Mask-wearing and Trustworthiness in a Modified Investment Game: A Pilot Study(2022-04-20) Ryan, Noah; Panganiban, Joselle; Velasquez, Sophia; Cook, LiamSince the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic, face masks have emerged as a flashpoint of controversy in public discourse. While most Americans appreciate the public health importance of mask-wearing, some view masks as an unwanted imposition; some still, an affront to deep-seated values of individual liberty. In this paper, we present the results of an experiment aimed at assessing what effects, if any, face mask usage has on perceptions of an individual’s trustworthiness. While previous studies have used images of masked faces to elicit survey responses, this experiment used self-reported mask usage as a primer in a modified investment game to assess potential relations between mask usage and perceived trustworthiness. We find evidence to suggest individuals who report wearing masks more frequently are trusted more than individuals who report seldom wearing masks. Given the importance of trust between often-masked medical professionals and the public in the setting of infectious disease outbreaks, we believe the findings of this experiment may prove fruitful in elucidating the effects of personal protective equipment (PPE) usage on perceptions of trustworthiness.Publication Platform Injustice: Material Imbalances and Epistemic Injustice on Digital Discursive Platforms(2022-04-20) Singh, SahajIn this paper, I argue that the existence of material power imbalances in systems of discourse represents a novel concern in the literature on epistemic injustice. This epistemic injustice, which I call Platform Injustice, arises from the undue assertion of agency over the background features of a system of discourse, in order to manipulate, diminish, or magnify the vocalization and reception of speech-acts. First, I demonstrate the unprecedented nature of platform control as an epistemic wrong. Next, I identify case studies of platform injustice in modern social media. Then, I situate platform injustice within Dotson’s typology of epistemic injustices; so, I can finally, identify paths to achieving platform justice and an epistemology of liberation.Publication Political Partisanship, Extreme Polarization and Youth Voter Turnout in 2020(2022-04-20) Khosla, VinayThe 2010s saw a rapid increase in political partisanship and subsequent extreme polarization in the United States and its political institutions and systems. Additionally, political apathy among young adult and teenage voters has long been beleaguered as a source of low voter turnout in the United States, at least comparatively when considering other developed democracies. Considering these points, this research paper seeks to identify whether rising political partisanship and extreme polarization affect the disillusionment of teenage voters in the political process of voting; do these phenomena discourage eligible teenagers from exercising their right to vote? Previous research on the effect of extreme polarization and partisanship on voting trends focuses on the voting eligible population (VEP) as a whole, with no studies concerning the teenage (18-19) voting demographic specifically. The vast majority of such studies have concluded that increases in the aforementioned phenomena are correlated with higher voter turnout, suggesting possible causation. In conducting subject interviews with fifteen eligible teenagers who voted in the 2020 presidential election, content and correlational analyses were used to identify whether this trend was similarly present among youth voters. The resulting study found that, in line with the VEP as a whole, teenage voters cited an increased likelihood to vote as a result of increasing partisanship and polarization within the political climate, suggesting a positive correlation. Positive statistical correlations were noted between the perceived levels of polarization and the phenomenon’s influence on the likelihood to vote, as well as between partisanship and the same effect. The results of this research imply that voter turnout efforts have no cause to especially focus on youth voters in regard to polarization. Instead, charged political climates will increase youth turnout as they do with the VEP as a whole, suggesting that as polarization persists in the United States, there will be a concurrent increased political engagement among youth voters.