bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dunking the Doughnut: Discretionary Power, Law and the Administration of the Canadian Immigration Act
Authors: Pratt Anna C.
Published: April 2009

Three main assumptions are embedded in the conventional view of discretion - that law is the primary instrument of social regulation, that discretion is a residual category of law and that this discretion is exercised by individuals who are essentially autonomous. While recent scholarly analyses of discretion have begun to unsettle this view, its core assumptions nonetheless remain largely undisturbed and continue to guide policy debates to such an extent that they set the parameters of imagined reforms related to its use. This is the case despite contemporary and historical experiences which cast some doubt on the potential of law to effectively address the ‘problem’ of discretion. This article aims to contribute to the unsettling of this conventional view of discretion through a preliminary analysis of the uses of discretion in the context of the administration of a body of law in which discretion is particularly important but has not been much examined - the enforcement provisions of the Canadian Immigration Act. This study proposes that discretion be regarded as a form of constitutive power, the workings of which cannot be adequately understood in the abstract. It begins to explore the ways in which this discretionary power facilitates the translation of shifting societal anxieties and priorities into exclusionary immigration law and policy.
Policing the Affective Society: Beyond Governmentality in the Theory of Social Control
Authors: Watson Sean
Published: April 2009

This article argues that certain consistent themes are evident in police studies research (including my own) with respect to the issue of emotion. I have described these ‘emotional repertoires’ as paranoid in character. By this I mean that it is a milieu which overvalues order, homogeneity and stasis while being suspicious of difference, fluidity and change. It tends to split the world into good and bad parts with very rigid boundaries, and it projects negative qualities onto those groups and individuals imagined to be ‘bad’. It is also a milieu which strongly displays a collective desire to order, control or, sometimes, attack outgroups onto which bad qualities have been projected. The article develops an initial theoretical framework for understanding this apparent linkage between a particular occupational milieu and a specific range of emotional orientations to the world. I argue that we might think in terms of the institutional production of affective subject positions - and use ideas taken from Jacques Lacan, Slavoj Žižek, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and Elizabeth Grosz for this purpose.
Constructing a New Rights Regime: Promises, Problems and Prospects
Authors: Shivji Issa G.
Published: April 2009

This article reflects on the interface between issues of poverty and deprivation which is the life-condition of the large majority in the countries of the South, and the approaches to human rights which have attempted to take on board such issues. The article consists of three sections. The first section is an introduction which presents the basic premise of the discussion in the article. The second section outlines the key elements defining the human rights and development debates. The third section examines in some detail approaches to litigation practices developed in India and elsewhere, which take into account notions of human rights and the right to development introduced in earlier sections of the article.
Visions of Normality: Peace and the Reconstruction of Policing in Northern Ireland
Authors: Mulcahy Aogán
Published: April 2009

While all regimes of social control require normalisation, this need is particularly acute in deeply divided societies where the maintenance of social order is a highly contested activity. In the aftermath of a protracted conflict, as the boundaries of ‘normality’ are blurred, disputes over the nature of ‘normal policing’ reflect broader conflicts over the competing visions of normality which shape the emerging social order. This paper considers the visions of normality articulated in Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) discourse within the broad context of the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland. As the conflict appeared to draw to a close following the 1994 paramilitary ceasefires and related political developments, the RUC’s role came under intense scrutiny. The visions of normality privileged in RUC discourse functioned to ensure the force’s organisational survival and institutional outlook by consolidating its role within the emerging social and political orders of Northern Ireland. In this context, the articulation of normal policing is synonymous with policing the boundaries of that normality.
Learning to Be Professional
Authors: Dannels Deanna P.
Published: April 2009

Instruction in the technical and scientific disciplines often provides students with the technical skills necessary to succeed in industry. However, these disciplines also focus on socializing students into professional identities. This study examines one exemplar discipline, mechanical engineering, to see how classroom discourse and practice construct professional identities for students (as future engineers) and their customers. Results suggest that although students' conceptions of the customer provided glimpses of professional identity, design processes in these classrooms were ultimately driven and shaped by academic communicative practices, audiences, and goals. Given this, instructional interventions are provided to integrate professionalization processes within classrooms where situated learning is apparent.
Russian Teaching Contracts
Authors: Stevens Betsy
Published: April 2009

Teaching business communication in Russia involves operating in a high-context, oral culture where few documents are created. However, this article analyzes two Russian teaching contracts, rhetorically comparing purpose and audience, culture, gender, and the role of the individual versus the state. For historical, political, and economic reasons, less documentation is used in business transactions in Russia than is used in the United States. Subsequently, communication scholars have been afforded little opportunity to analyze Russian business documents. This study uses anecdotal episodes as a framework for examining Russian culture and analyzing university teaching contracts, concluding that the contracts are not only brief and factual but also reflect a more oral, less litigious environment than Western countries like the United States.
Toward a Feminist Rhetoric of Technology
Authors: Koerber Amy
Published: April 2009

This article extends current thinking about the rhetoric of technology by making a preliminary inquiry into what a feminist rhetoric of technology might look like. On the basis of feminist critiques of technology in various disciplines, the author suggests three ways in which feminist approaches to building a rhetoric of technology might differ from current nonfeminist approaches to this task. First, feminist scholars should adopt a more expansive definition of technology than that which informs current rhetoric of technology research. Second, feminist scholars should ask research questions different from those being asked by current rhetoric of technology researchers. Third, feminist scholars should move beyond the design and development phases of technology, which most of the current research on the rhetoric of technology emphasizes.
“You Will”
Authors: Kitalong Karla Saari
Published: April 2009

Technology is commonly described in magical terms, not only in advertising but also in journalism and technical communication. This article provides some background on the use of magical language in technical contexts, gives examples of magical discourse in technology advertisements and newsmagazine articles, and proposes a technical communication pedagogy of media analysis. The proposed pedagogy involves students in conducting diagnostic critiques of media texts and affords them the opportunity to examine critically their own unwitting use of magical language in technical discourse.
Using Interactive Television to Teach Professional Communicators
Authors: Racine Sam J. , Dilworth Denise
Published: April 2009

As an educational medium, interactive television (ITV) is shaped by perceptions that all participants bring into the ITV classroom. Many articles, handbooks, and other support material already deal with standard operating advice for leading courses using ITV; here, the authors focus on the physical and mental spaces produced by ITV and explore the expectations created by the presence of such technological artifacts as television screens, microphones, and lighting banks. They explain the roles that teachers and students may assume in the ITV classroom and discuss how lack of familiarity with the technology's purpose and potential tends to reify those roles and the interactions they proscribe. Finally, they offer suggestions for responding to these issues by concentrating on students’ crucial first impressions with the technology—impressions that instructors can help negotiate so they and their students can engage in pedagogically sound, education-ally rich interactions in the ITV classroom.
Tactics for Building Images of Audience in Organizational Contexts
Authors: Hovde Marjorie Rush
Published: April 2009

Discourse theories frequently emphasize the importance of understanding audience but seldom delve into how writers form conceptions of their audiences, especially in organizations. This study examines computer documentation writers’ tactics for conceiving of their audiences. Based on two ethnographic case studies and insights from activity theory, the author describes and evaluates technical communicators’ tactics for understanding audiences, constrained and supported by their organizations. She discusses the advantages and limitations of each tactic, looking at how each tactic might answer questions about audience. This research should be useful to technical communication educators as they expand students’ options for audience research in nonacademic settings. In addition, the findings of this study can enhance theories about the ways writers create images of their audiences.
Seventeenth-Century Technical and Persuasive Communication
Authors: Tolbert Jane T.
Published: April 2009

Finding a method to determine terrestrial longitude was critical in the early seventeenth century as countries attempted to establish territorial boundaries. The magistrate and natural philosopher Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580-1637) spent much of his life working on a solution to this problem. As an early technical communicator, he was concerned with the criteria of acceptable observations, the standardization of materials and methods, and the communication of results. He refined a variety of strategies to obtain these observations and ensure their accuracy. He persuaded missionary priests to make observations throughout the Levant by promising patronage and gifts or stressing practical applications in the solution to the problem of longitude and church calendar reform. Although Peiresc did not resolve the issue of determining longitude, his efforts did provide the basis for work by later astronomers.
Some Reflections on Explanation in Negative Messages
Authors: Limaye Mohan R.
Published: April 2009

Scant research exists about explanation in negative messages. An important cause of this is the lack in extant literature of theory or conceptualization of explanation. This commentary provides two conceptual frameworks for thinking about explanation in negative messages: opportunity cost, from economic theory, and attribution, from marketing theory. Both frameworks help define the situations in which explanations for rejection should be provided to the targets of bad news. When applications are solicited, for instance, opportunity costs incurred by targets of bad news should be offset by senders with an offer to provide explanation. The construct of attribution is adapted here to suggest that senders of negative messages can benefit by supplying reasons for their denial of requests because, in the absence of the reasons, the rejectees will attribute motives and create reasons, thus depriving the senders of their control over the explanation portion of the messages.
A Review of Technical Communication Programs outside the United States
Authors: Alred Gerald J.
Published: April 2009

This review identifies technical communication programs outside the United States and comments on such features as their location in the university structure, links with public relations, the inclusion of internships or practicums, the balance of theory and practice, and typical course offerings. It also provides a listing (including Web addresses) of a dozen major programs in seven countries. The review concludes that programs abroad share many features and goals with programs in the United States and suggests how international programs can illustrate the value of technical communication in the global marketplace.
IText
Authors:   IText Working Group, Geisler Cheryl , Bazerman Charles , Doheny-Farina Stephen , Gurak Laura , Haas Christina , Johnson-Eilola Johndan , Kaufer David S. , Lunsford Andrea , Miller Carolyn R. , Winsor Dorothy , Yates Joanne
Published: April 2009

Most people who use information technology (IT) every day use IT in text-centered interactions. In e-mail, we compose and read texts. On the Web, we read (and often compose) texts. And when we create and refer to the appointments and notes in our personal digital assistants, we use texts. Texts are deeply embedded in cultural, cognitive, and material arrangements that go back thousands of years. Information technologies with texts at their core are, by contrast, a relatively recent development. To participate with other information researchers in shaping the evolution of these ITexts, researchers and scholars must build on a knowledge base and articulate issues, a task undertaken in this article. The authors begin by reviewing the existing foundations for a research program in IText and then scope out issues for research over the next five to seven years. They direct particular attention to the evolving character of ITexts and to their impact on society. By undertaking this research, the authors urge the continuing evolution of technologies of text.
Professional Identities
Authors: Faber Brenton
Published: April 2009

Professional communication is a growing component of English departments and other communication programs. Yet, in most cases, the term professional communication is used as a catchall term for various types of workplace and occupational writing. As such, professional communication, as it is currently framed, seems to have little to do with professionals or the process of professionalization. This article calls for a more thorough examination of the concept of professional communication by reviewing (1) the ways in which researchers have used this term to describe the rhetoric of professionals who communicate, (2) the democratic and knowledge-based contradictions between rhetorical scholarship and professional powers, and (3) the current challenges facing professional workers, including deprofessionalization and proletarianization. The author argues that if professional communication research and teaching are to remain prominent parts of academic programs, researchers, theorists, teachers, and students must become more aware of conceptual issues that inform and define professional work.
Psychosocial Adjustment of Patients on Home Hemodialysis and Their Dialysis Partners
Authors: Courts Nancy Fleming
Published: April 2009

When hemodialysis (HD) became practical as an intervention for patients with end-stage renal disease, most were on home HD. The numbers of patients requiring dialysis are increasing as the resources for them are decreasing. Simultaneously, there is a move toward home health care. This study investigated the psychosocial reactions of patients on home HD and their dialysis partners, how decisions were made to choose home HD, and the patients’ perception of HD stressors. The participants were 14 patients on home HD and their dialysis partners; 7 were husband-wife pairs, 2 mother-daughter pairs, 1 sister pair, and 1 friend pair. Instruments included the Clinical Anxiety Scale, the Generalized Contentment Scale, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale Self-Report, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and the Hemodialysis Stressor Scale. Interview data and the psychosocial adjustment levels of patients and partners support the effectiveness of HHD. Further research with a larger sample is needed.
The Effectiveness of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Self-Efficacy and Exercise Tolerance
Authors: Cheng Tavia Yuk Ling , Boey Kam Weng
Published: April 2009

This study evaluates the effectiveness of graded physical exercise on self-efficacy and exercise tolerance among a group of cardiac patients (N = 43). These patients were aged from 41 years to 82 years (mean age = 63.5 years, SD = 10.0 years). Results of the study show that efficacy of physical activity was significantly associated with exercise tolerance. After a 3-month rehabilitation with graded physical exercise, both efficacy of activity and exercise tolerance were significantly enhanced. The enhancement was relatively independent of patients’ gender, age, education, and diagnostic category. Limitations of the study are discussed and future research suggested.
The Effect of Social Support on Exercise Behavior in Older Adults
Authors: Resnick Barbara , Orwig Denise , Magaziner Jay , Wynne Carol
Published: April 2009

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship among social supports related to exercise (family, friends, and expert support), self-efficacy expectations, outcome expectations, and exercise behavior in a sample of older adults living in a continuing care retirement community. The sample included 74 older adults with a mean age of 85.6± 5.5. Path analysis using Amos 4.0 was done. The model fit the data (chi-square = 4.6, df = 3, p = .21, normed fit index of .99, relative fit index of .98, and root mean square error of approximation of .08) and explained 53% of the variance in exercise behavior. Five of the seven hypothesized paths in the model were statistically significant. Friend support indirectly influenced exercise through self-efficacy and outcome expectations. This suggests interventions to improve exercise behavior in older adults should incorporate social supports to strengthen self-efficacy and outcome expectations related to exercise.
Nonfatal Injury Experiences among Women on Family Farms
Authors: Carruth Ann K. , Skarke Lana , Moffett Barbara , Prestholdt Cynthia
Published: April 2009

Agricultural injury occurrence was determined among 1,096 working farm women in Texas and Louisiana. The 1-year cumulative incidence was 4.8%. Lower extremities were the body parts most frequently injured. The leading external causes were contact with foreign object, followed by falls and overdoing/lifting. The seasonal pattern of injury was consistent with warm weather. The factors predictive of increased injury risk in multiple logistic regression included large animal farm type, greater time commitment, recurrent or persistent back conditions or weakness during the previous 12 months, hauling goods to market, and driving a tractor more than 52 days per year. Most women consulted a physician as a result of the injury. Resolving the problem of preventable farm-related injuries will require a major and coordinated effort aimed not only at farm women themselves but also at multiple variables that profoundly affect the underlying conditions and behaviors that lead to farm-related injuries.
Screening and Assessing Adult Asthmatics for Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Davis Terry M. A. , Ross Carolyn J. M. , MacDonald G. Fred
Published: April 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a strategy designed to permit early detection of anxiety disorders in asthmatics. Ninety-one adult asthmatics were screened for anxiety disorders using the Sheehan Patient Rated Anxiety Scale (SPRAS) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and then individually evaluated by a nurse trained in the administration of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-IV (ADIS-IV). Thirty-five (38%) of the participants met the diagnostic criteria for one or more anxiety disorders. Comparison of the SPRAS and ASI findings revealed that the SPRAS was more effective in detecting asthmatics likely to be suffering from coexisting anxiety disorders. Comparison of the nurses’ diagnostic formulations with those of an expert revealed that trained nurses using the ADIS-IV can diagnose anxiety disorders in the asthmatic population with a high degree of accuracy. These results have implications for resolving the problem of unrecognized and untreated anxiety disorders in the asthmatic population.
Culturally Competent Care for Psychiatric Clients Who Have a History of Sexual Abuse
Authors: Austin Wendy , Gallop Ruth , McCay Elizabeth , Peternelj-Taylor Cindy , Bayer Margaret
Published: April 2009

Canadian psychiatric nurses (N = 1,701) participated in a survey in which theyassessed their ability to nurse clients with a history of sexual abuse when cultural differences are present. Thirty-nine percent worked at a facility having a significant number of clients from a different culture. Only 4.6% rated themselves as “very competent.” Four themes emerged from nurses’ assessment of their ability: culture is not the problem, culture is not an issue, culture influences perspective and responses, and culturally specific competence. Only one cultural group, First Nations, was identified by sufficient numbers of nurses to generate themes concerning the challenge of working with clients from a particular culture. These themes (abuse as a cultural norm, concurrent and related health and social problems, reluctance to talk about problems, a need to learn about First Nations culture, and developing culturally competent caregivers), critical areas of concern, and possible solutions suggested by the nurses are discussed.
Size-effect Prediction from the Double-K Fracture Model for Notched Concrete Beam
Authors: Kumar Shailendra , Barai S.V.
Published: April 2009

The size-effect predictions from double-K fracture criterion, characterized by two parameters: the initiation toughness and the unstable toughness, are compared with the fictitious crack model or cohesive crack model for practical (laboratory) size range of three-point bend test notched specimens. Both the fracture models, although, adopt different crack propagation criteria, they yield indistinguishable crack initiation and unstable fracture loads for usual laboratory size specimens. Notable difference in the predicted crack initiation and unstable fracture loads are observed for asymptotic large size specimens and these loads are more conservative than those obtained using the fictitious crack model by ∼20 and 22%, respectively.
Axial Force-Bending Moment Limit Domain and Flow Rule for Reinforced Concrete Elements Using Euro Code
Authors: Chandrasekaran S. , Nunziante L. , Serino G. , Carannante F.
Published: April 2009

Performance-based design approach of special moment-resistant reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures demands a thorough understanding of axial force—bending moment (P—M) yield interaction of RC elements, particularly when the structure is subjected to seismic loads. Latest design approach includes desirable features of both ultimate strength and working stress to ensure a suitable ductile deformation response. This demands a detailed understanding of nonlinear response of P—M interaction. A complete set of analytical expressions for P—M yield interaction are proposed in a closed form by defining the limit boundary with ten sub-domains based on Euro Code currently in prevalence. P—M interaction relationships are also verified for plastic flow-rule in two main sections namely: (i) tension failure resulting in yielding of steel; and (ii) compression failure resulting in crushing of concrete. The conventional limit P—M domain is described based on Euro Code as long as the plastic strain increment becomes nearly normal to the yield domain over the part of bending response in the presence of axial force. The verified flow rule shows a close agreement in all sub-domains of tension failure, while does not qualify in few of the sub-domains of crushing failure. Practical examples of RC sections are chosen to illustrate the influence of different parameters namely: (i) cross-section dimension; (ii) percentage of tension and compression reinforcements; and (iii) properties of constitutive materials on the P—M boundary. Mathematically developed P—M interaction model is capable of identifying the damage mechanism of different sub-domains in RC sections; damage identification is made on the basis of strain profile of concrete and reinforcing steel.
Does School, Compared to Home, Provide a Unique Adaptive Context for Children's ADHD-Associated Behaviors? A Cross-Cultural Test
Authors: Brewis Alexandra A. , Meyer Mary C. , Schmidt Karen L.
Published: April 2009

Adaptive explanations of the high frequency of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in contemporary settings propose that the disorder represents otherwise normal behavioral strategies that become maladaptive in such evolutionarily novel environments as the formal school classroom. The authors use cross-cultural testing to assess whether classrooms are a uniquely maladaptive context for these behaviors when compared to home. The sample was 1,209 Colombian and U.S. children ages 6-11 years. Using psychometric scales, parents reported children's characteristic behavior at home, and teachers reported it for school. Statistical models describe relationships between children's normal hyperactive and inattentive behavior in the two locations, and some adaptive correlates. Inattention is associated with poorer social functioning in both. Hyperactivity appears to be at least as problematic at home as at school. Counter to the suggestions of some adaptive models of ADHD, school is not an especially or uniquely maladaptive context for hyperactive and inattentive behaviors when compared to home.
Competitive Societies Are Happy If the Women Are Less Competitive Than the Men
Authors: Van de Vliert Evert , Janssen Onne
Published: April 2009

Societies are less happy to the extent that their members are more competitive. A 42-nation regression study, based on aggregated indicators of female competitiveness, male competitiveness, four components of happiness, and national development restricts this negative cultural link between overall competitiveness and average happiness to certain countries. A more competitive society is less happy only if its members deviate from the stereotype that women are less competitive than men. A populace is least happy if both genders are highly competitive.
Parental Investment, Human Capital, and Cross-National Differences in Wealth
Authors: Barber Nigel
Published: April 2009

Economists have recently turned to family variables in search of explanations for why the economies of some countries grow more rapidly than others. This research tested the hypothesis that crossnational indicators of parental investment and human capital would be predictive of GNP per capita of 147 countries. Regression analysis found that close to two thirds of the variance in GNP was explained by parental investment factors (including total fertility rates, the adult sex ratio, polygyny, contraception, and school attendance rates). The effects of parental investment/human capital on wealth remained after controlling for climate, geography, endemic diseases, religion, and government policies, even though each of these was predictive of GNP. The data support the hypothesis that wealth differences between countries are associated with human capital differences accruing to differential parental investment.
On the Relationship Between Country Sex Ratios and Teen Pregnancy Rates: A Replication
Authors: Barber Nigel
Published: April 2009

The hypothesis that a low ratio of men to women both destabilizes marriages and makes it more likely that young women will reproduce early outside of marriage was supported by an analysis of 42 societies for which the United Nations published detailed information on population structure and teen childbearing. This study attempted to replicate the earlier finding using sex ratios for 0- to 14-year-olds (as a proxy for teen sex ratios) and a larger sample of 185 countries. Several measures of economic development, population density, and latitude were used as control variables in the regression analyses. Teen births were inversely related to the sex ratio, to urbanization, and to latitude. The sex ratio explained 38% of the variance in teen birth rates, thus providing a clear replication of the earlier study. Early childbearing can be seen as an adaptive response to poor marital opportunity.
Family Size and Community Organization: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Authors: Bondarenko Dmitri , Korotayev Andrey
Published: April 2009

The communal democracy is shown to be significantly and negatively correlated with the family size. The correlation between these two variables cannot be completely explained by the fact that both of them have a similar curvilinear relationship with cultural complexity (measured here by the number of supracommunal levels and the community/settlement size). Hence, family size has some independent influence on communal democracy.
Polygyny and Democracy: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Authors: Korotayev Andrey , Bondarenko Dmitri
Published: April 2009

Communal democracy is shown to be significantly and negatively correlated with polygyny. In turn, communal democracy is demonstrated to be positively correlated with the democracy of supracommunal structures. Consequently, it is suggested that the fact that modern democracy developed in Europe (i.e. the very region that by the Late Middle Ages was already characterized by the highest proportion of complex societies with small monogamous families and democratic communities) might not be a coincidence.
Culture-Bearing Units and the Units of Culture: An Introduction
Authors: Chick Garry
Published: April 2009

The articles that follow explore two issues. First, is it possible to differentiate empirically useful culture-bearing units from one another? If it is possible in principle, how can it be accomplished in practice? Second, are there operationalizable and empirically useful units of culture itself, and are such units necessary? Or, is it possible—and preferable—to construct a theory or theories of cultural evolution, transmission, and information management without particulate units of culture?
Marital Opportunity, Parental Investment, and Teen Birth Rates of Blacks and Whites in American States
Authors: Barber Nigel
Published: April 2009

This study used parental investment theory to identify predictors of teen pregnancy rates for Blacks and Whites for 41 U.S. states for which data were available for 1995. Regression models were built that predicted Black teen births, White teen births, and both together using indices of parental investment (unemployment, prison incarceration rates, poverty, marital opportunity for women as indexed by gender ratios) and controlling for economic development (urbanization, infant mortality rates). White teen births increased with state poverty rates and incarceration rates and decreased with marital opportunity for teens. Black teen births increased with incarceration rates and decreased with marital opportunity. In the joint model, all measures of parental investment predicted teen births, and they explained all of the Black and White differences therein. Early reproduction and its variation across states and racial groups can be seen as an adaptive response to diminished prospects for parental investment.
A Comparative Investigation of the Semantic Structure of Language
Authors: Hanson Robert C. , Rose Edward , Little Zeke
Published: April 2009

The results of a semantic analysis of 20 languages established quantitative parameters intended to describe the semantic structure of language in general. Representative languages were drawn from nine different language families, both literate and nonliterate populations, ancient civilizations and contemporary nations and ethnic groups. Random samples of 100 word and phrase units were drawn from bilingual dictionaries. Each word was classified into one of 34 semantic categories. A reference guide to categories with codes and definitions and examples of coded words with the classification logic displayed are provided. Some major results are: (a) Words referring to activities of all sorts occur with the highest frequency in vocabularies (44%), mostly human activities (39%, 34% physical, 5% mental). (b) Various sorts of people (9%) and nature agents (7%) are involved in these activities. (c) The products of human activities (22%) are about equally divided between nonmaterial mental products and man-made material things.
Restriction of Sexual Activity as a Partial Function of Disease Avoidance: A Cultural Response to Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Authors: Mackey Wade C. , Immerman Ronald S.
Published: April 2009

Across cultures, sexual relations are expected between husbands and wives. This expectation is virtually a constant, a universal. On the other hand, sexual relations between two persons who are not married to each other is much more of a variable across cultures. It is argued that part of the differences among cultures in their treatment of extramarital sexual activity is a function of the presence or absence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Because of the serious sequelae of STDs on fertility, multiple sexual partners in the presence of STDs threatens the ability of a community to replace itself. Hence, restrictions on the number of partners act to limit the adverse consequences of the STDs. In the absence of STDs in the breeding pool, no such restrictions are needed. Ethnographic data are provided in support of the thesis.
Worldwide Mental Health Correlates of Parental Acceptance-Rejection: Review of Cross-Cultural and Intracultural Evidence
Authors: Rohner Ronald P. , Britner Preston A.
Published: April 2009

Cross-cultural and intracultural evidence converges on the conclusion that four classes of mental health issues are possible worldwide correlates of parental acceptance-rejection. Strongest evidence supports parental acceptance-rejection theory's personality subtheory that postulates a universal relationship between perceived parental acceptance-rejection and psychological adjustment. Substantial evidence also supports the likelihood of worldwide correlations between parental acceptance-rejection and three other mental health issues: (a) unipolar depression and depressed affect; (b) behavior problems, including conduct disorder, externalizing behaviors, and delinquency; and (c) substance abuse. Finally, limitations in this body of research and implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.
Cross-Cultural Testing of Intelligence
Authors: Bleichrodt Nico , Hoksbergen René A. C. , Khire Usha
Published: April 2009

Insight is sought into the usefulness and comparability of an intelligence test for schoolchildren living in India and in the Netherlands. A Dutch test, the Revisie Amsterdamse Kinder Intelligentie Test (RAKIT), was adapted to the Indian situation (Indian Child Intelligence Test [ICIT]). Using the ICIT and the RAKIT, 612 Indian children and 1,007 Dutch children were tested, respectively. The average test scores for the ICIT group were lower in a number of subtests; however, coefficients of internal consistency and stability for the ICIT and RAKIT were satisfactory, varying from 0.84 to 0.94. Results of a factor analysis showed that both test batteries have a clear psychometric equivalence, making comparable test interpretations possible. Predictive validities for ICIT and RAKIT were high (0.56 and 0.48, respectively), with reading ability as a criterion.
Who Weaves and Why? Weaving, Loom Complexity, and Trade
Authors: O'Brian Robin
Published: April 2009

In this article, I examine the interrelationship between craft specialization, technological complexity, the gendered division of labor, and the role of trade. I take as my example the craft of weaving, a gendered craft that has long been associated with women (Barber, 1994). I examine the argument regarding technological complexity and craft specialization and also address how these issues affect the gendered division of labor.
Computer Enumeration of Significant Implicational Universals of Kinship Terminology
Authors: Valdés-Pérez Raúl E. , Pericliev Vladimir
Published: April 2009

The discovery of general patterns and their subsequent explanation is a familiar method in linguistics and other cross-cultural research. This article addresses the computerized enumeration of significant cultural and linguistic patterns, specifically implicational universals. We dispute published suggestions that the mechanical generation of universals is inadvisable by arguing that such claims do not distinguish clearly the noticing of a pattern with its explanation. We make use of a simple, principled method that uses permutation tests to estimate whether the discovered universals are significant. Finally, these methods are used to mine the rich kinship data set contributed by G. P. Murdock in 1970 and to report 15 universals found therein.
Assumptions on Sex and Society in the Biosocial Theory of Incest
Authors: Hendrix Lewellyn , Schneider Mark A.
Published: April 2009

The biosocial theory of incest holds that the universal aspect of the taboo grows from innate sexual inhibitions triggered by intimacy in early childhood relationships everywhere. Much evidence suggests that this sexual inhibition does occur. However, the theory contains problematic assumptions that either interfere with the logic of the theory or are empirically questionable. We suggest that more attention to variation in early intimacy, sexual inhibitions, and taboos is needed for further development of the theory. We discuss sibling marriage in Egypt to suggest how research might be more fruitful if it were centered on variation in this way.
Sexual Equality and Romantic Love: A Reanalysis of Rosenblatt’s Study on the Function of Romantic Love
Authors: de Munck Victor C. , Korotayev Andrey
Published: April 2009

The authors propose that the importance of romantic love as a basis for marriage will occur only in societies that allow both males and females to give or not give love freely. Based on their belief that sexual attraction or passion is a primary criterion of romantic love, the authors hypothesize that there will be a positive correlation between the importance of romantic love and social indicators of sexual equality. Rosenblatt’s 11-point rating scale of romantic love is used to test this hypothesis. The authors find that societies that allow premarital and extramarital sex for both males and females rate romantic love significantly higher than societies that have a double standard or have strong sanctions against female sexuality out of wedlock. It is concluded that the type of sanction against female sexuality is the critical factor for predicting the cultural importance of romantic love as a basis for marriage.
Discovery-Mode Teaching Using the Electronic Human Relations Area Files for Cross-Cultural Comparison
Authors: Caulkins D. Douglas , Andelson Jonathan G. , Bentley-Condit Vicki , Kamp Kathryn A.
Published: April 2009

To promote active, discovery-mode learning, the authors have experimented with the SilverPlatter Cross-Cultural Data Base and the electronic Human Relations Area Files in a variety of courses, from introductory to advanced. These include classes in cultural anthropology, archaeology, and ecological anthropology. The Probability Sample Files of 60 cultures has been used both as the central focus of the class and as a supplementary focus. After describing several of these classes, the authors review some of the decisions that must be made in designing a course using one or both of the databases. Both the benefits and the problems of this teaching approach are discussed.
Too Close for Comfort? The Proximity of Industrial Hazardous Wastes to Local Populations in Tijuana, Baja California
Authors: Kopinak Kathryn , Barajas Ma. Del Rocio
Published: April 2009

This article assesses the location within Tijuana, Baja California, of those industrial hazardous wastes reported in compliance with the law in 1998. Although only a little more than 10% are high risk and very high risk, the plants generating the riskiest wastes hire the most employees and are clustered next to areas of population density and the highest concentrations of children younger than 14. Patterns of proximity are explained in terms of the decisions of key people such as maquiladora managers, engineers, and urban developers. The majority of workers prefer their workplace located close to home, although parents with children at home express much less preference. Longtime residents and those with better jobs live farther away. The actions of civil society groups to inform and empower affected communities are reviewed, especially in the case of abandoned hazardous waste. Policies for avoiding and reducing risks and directions for future research are recommended.
The Environmental Cooperative: Self-Governance in Sustainable Rural Development
Authors: Glasbergen Pieter
Published: April 2009

This article explores the advantages and risks of a new form of self-regulation in the Netherlands. The focal point is the environmental cooperative: a regional organization in which farmers collaborate to integrate environmental values into their production process. The body of this article begins with a discussion of the background of these innovative collectives. It then examines a few concrete examples in greater detail. The question guiding the discussion is if and how the environmental cooperative can contribute to such a broad national planning goal as a more sustainable development of the rural area.
Nongovernmental Organizations and Models of Development in India
Authors: Manzo Kate
Published: April 2009

This article draws on academic writings in international relations and development studies and on primary research conducted in India. Three particular nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) discussed in the article are the Pan-Himalayan Grassroots Foundation (PHGF), Development Alternatives (DA), and Lokayan. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the idea of a singular model of NGO development (sometimes called alternative or people-centered development), as well as the factors that account for existing similarities and differences among NGOs. The article shows that NGOs can share the same political ideals (such as empowerment of the poor) yet vary widely in how they theorize and operationalize development. It is important, therefore, to distinguish the unity exhibited in collective opposition to conventional development from the diversity of alternative philosophies and approaches. In conclusion, the article summarizes the main findings and draws broader lessons about ambiguity and contradiction from the Indian case studies.
Closing the Deception Gap: Accession to the European Union and Environmental Standards in East Central Europe
Authors: Lynch Diahanna
Published: April 2009

This article examines the impact of accession to the European Union (EU) on environmental standards in three candidate countries: Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. It argues that we must look beyond adoption of environmental standards to their implementation, and it suggests that there is a “deception gap” between what is said on paper and what is actually done in practice. Two sets of factors internal to the East Central European countries work against closing this deception gap: their historical legacy of environmental practice and the interests of domestic producers and environmental groups. Pressure from the EU is the main force in attempting to close the gap, that is, to foster compliance with environmental standards. Domestic producers in East Central Europe could potentially be a force for closing the gap as well.
Confronting Nonregimes: Science and International Coral Reef Policy
Authors: Dimitrov Rado S.
Published: April 2009

Scientific communities and policy makers alike portray the worldwide degradation of coral reefs as a global issue that requires a policy response. Yet, an international legal regime on coral reefs is not on the global agenda, and no state considers it necessary. The absence of a regime is puzzling given a number of favorable factors that should facilitate the creation of a treaty. Moreover, existing theoretical explanations of international cooperation cannot adequately account for the case. This pioneer study on international coral reef management considers current policy-making activities in conjunction with information provided by multilateral scientific assessments. It offers a modified knowledge-based explanation of the case that relies on the distinction between different types of information. Missing knowledge about the transboundary effects of the problem impedes the formation of common interests and does not easily justify the need for a binding international agreement.
A Multilateral Agreement on Investment: Would It Undermine Subnational Environmental Protection?
Authors: Singer Thomas O. , Stumberg Robert
Published: April 2009

Investors in the United States and other countries have a significant and growing stake in overseas business operations. The U.S. government is a leading proponent of a proposed OECD agreement to protect foreign investors from “discriminatory and distorting” government practices and to assure the free flow of capital across international borders. This agreement, a proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), would give cross-border investors greater protections than currently provided by NAFTA and the Uruguay Round agreements. OECD negotiators have stated that one of their goals is to curtail the powers of subnational governments in ways that go beyond NAFTA and the World Trade Organization. This article's purpose is to examine the potential impact of a proposed MAI on state and local environmental policies and practices and identify actions state policy makers can take to preserve their authority to accommodate local preferences in protecting natural resources and the environment.
Floating Fiasco: The Environmental and Social Impacts of the Nago Heliport
Authors: Appel Robert
Published: April 2009

Since the end of the Second World War, Okinawa, the southernmost region of the Japanese archipelago, has hosted the majority of U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan. An unfortunate incident involving three U.S. servicemen and a Japanese schoolgirl thrust the Okinawan effort to reduce the U.S. military presence into the international spotlight. A special action committee, convened by the Japanese and U.S. governments to address the U.S. presence on Okinawa, decided to relocate the heliport capacity of Marine Air Station Futenma to a floating airbase in a lagoon off the east coast of Okinawa. The construction of this facility will have disastrous effects on the island's delicate natural environment and will further subject the rights of the Okinawan people.