bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Liberal Peace with Alternative Specifications: Trade Still Reduces Conflict
Authors: Oneal John R. , Russett Bruce
Published: March 2007

Some recent analyses challenge previous reports which show that economically important trade significantly reduces the probability of militarized disputes between countries. Beck et al. (1998) address the effect of temporal dependence in the time-series data on empirical support for the liberal peace, while Barbieri (1998) makes a number of important changes in theoretical specification and measurement. Using data for nearly the entire post-World War II era (1950-92), we first replicate the specifications of the challengers. When analyzing all dyads, we find no relationship between interdependence and peace, but the pacific benefits of trade become evident among the politically relevant dyads (those including a major power, or two contiguous states), among whom the great majority of disputes occur. Subsequently, we introduce, in stages, an alternative method of controlling for temporal dependence, our theoretically preferred measures of interdependence and proximity, and new dyadic estimates for unreported trade. With these sequential modifications we find increasingly strong support for the liberals' belief that economic interdependence and democracy have important pacific benefits. This support is largely robust to the methods of controlling for temporal dependence and to whether an attempt is made to explain involvement in disputes or merely their onset. We find no evidence that asymmetric trade increases conflict.
Correctional Research and Correctional Decision-Making: Some Problems and Prospects
Authors: Carney Francis J.
Published: March 2007

This examination of the relationship between research and decision-making is based primarily on experience in the Massa chusetts correctional system, where a program of evaluative and operational research was recently established. Research findings have not been readily incorporated into the decision-making con text, particularly where findings have implications for changes that do not jibe with the basic assumptions or orientations of correctional administrators. What seems to be necessary is the development of a research orientation within the correctional setting wherein research would be considered an essential ingre dient of the overall correctional enterprise. Research leading to the development of a prescriptive penology or differential treat ment model could make a significant contribution to correctional decision-making.
Police Perception of Riot Activity
Authors: Kitch Thomas D.
Published: March 2007

Police departments are usually viewed as monolithic institutions, and the attitude of policemen toward the function of the police depart ment in society is often described as authoritarian. The latter descrip tion is challenged in this report, which reveals extensive division of opinion among policemen about major policy issues and about the nature of their own department. During the riots which followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Thursday, April 4, 1968, the Chicago Police Department attempted to mobilize sufficient manpower to quell disturbances in the city's Black communities. The partial success of this attempt is described in detail in order to establish a background for the discussion of police attitudes toward police and riot activity during the period which followed Dr. King's death. The pressure of service during the riot caused many policemen to form definite opinions. The divergence of these opinions does much to dis pel the myth of a police monolith.
Statistical Methods of Making Prediction Instruments
Authors: Simon Frances H.
Published: March 2007

A comparison of several multivariate methods for combining variables into a prediction instrument, including points scores, multiple linear regression, and hierarchical configurations, suggests that in practice they all work equally well.
Some Implications for North Carolina of Recent Research in Juvenile Delinquency
Authors: Clarke Stevens H.
Published: March 2007

In the late 1960's and early 1970's, "youth service bureau" programs were widely implemented as a solution to the delinquency problem. A re cent national study indicates that these programs' clients are predomi nantly juvenile status offenders such as truants and runaways rather than youth who commit criminal acts. The concentration on status of fenders is based on the desire (1) to reduce damaging involvement with the formal justice system; (2) to intervene early, on the theory that status offenses otherwise "escalate" into true criminal behavior; and (3) to avoid the greater risks involved in dealing with more serious juvenile of fenders. This policy needs to be re-examined in light of the Wolfgang- Figlio-Sellin cohort data. Boys in the cohort whose first offense was a sta tus offense were much less likely to recidivate than those whose first of fense was a criminal act. The data show no evidence whatever of "escala tion" and indicate that most boys who committed criminal acts did not be gin by committing status offenses. These findings plus the concentration of criminal offenses in a relatively small group of repeat offenders sug gests that concentrating resources on juveniles who have committed their first criminal offense may be a more effective means of reducing delin quency than concentrating on status offenders.
Certainty of Arrest and Crime Rates for Major Felonies: A Research Note
Authors: Bailey William C.
Published: March 2007

A recent investigation by Tittle and Rowe (1974) examining the deterrent effect of the certainty of arrest on felony rates in Florida is briefly summarized and critiqued. Examination shows their analysis to suffer from serious theoretical and methodological limitations. To extend their investigation and thus better understand the deterrent effect of arrest we examine the relationship between arrest rates and offense rates for cities and counties of Florida for seven major felonies. Analysis lends general support to the deterrence argument, but shows that the effect of arrest is not uniform for each offense, with different levels of arrest (certainty of apprehension) required to reduce rates for different crimes.
Signal Detectability Theory and the Evaluation of Prediction Tables
Authors: Fergusson D.M. , Fifield J.K. , Slater S.W.
Published: March 2007

The Theory of Signal Detectability (TSD) is a branch of information theory devised to handle problems in the study of communication between information sources and receivers over noisy channels. The user of a criminological prediction device faces a similar problem in having to make decisions, with associated costs and pay-offs, from uncertain evidence.

This application of signal detection theory in the criminological context is discussed with particular reference to (a) the well known base rate problems in prediction studies; (b) the problem of finding indices of predictive power which are independent of the base rate; (c) the various implications and uses of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve in evaluating prediction devices. These properties are illustrated by reference to an example taken from research into the area of juvenile offending.
Spatial Distribution of Criminal Offenses by States, 1970-76
Authors: Kowalski Gregory S. , Dittmann Robert L. , Bung Wayne L.
Published: March 2007

The geographic, or spatial, analysis of crime in the United States has been relatively slighted by investigators interested in criminality and criminal justice. This paper treats the distribution of crime across the fifty states using crime rates from the Uniform Crime Reports, 1970-76. Our analysis indicates the pattern in which vi olent crime, with the exception of homicide, and property crime of all types are shifting away from the North and East to the Sun Belt and West. These shifts have definite policy implications for the criminal justice system. Effective responses to criminal activity must begin with an overall assessment of a locality's, state's, or region's major crime problem. This paper is one initial effort in this direction.
Geographic Correlates of Police Shooting: a Microanalysis
Authors: Fyfe James J.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the geographic distribution of all reported shootings by New York City police officers during the years 1971-75 (n = 2,746) and indices of police exposure to violent crime (rates of arrest for violent felonies) and public safety (rates of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter). The research finds that both these indices are closely related to police shooting rates. The theoretical and administrative implications of these findings are then discussed.
A Differentiated Approach To Juvenile Diversion
Authors: Palmer Ted B. , Lewis Roy V.
Published: March 2007

This article reports on evaluations of several California diversion projects, con ducted by means of quasi-experimental designs. The delinquent behavior of diver sion clients was reduced relative to that of a matched comparison group. Modest financial savings resulted for justice system referrals. No single type of program— voluntary or otherwise—and no single program setting were found to be optimal for all or even most youths deemed appropriate for diversion; however, a series of pro grams and settings are recommended for specific groups of youths. The recommen dations are designed to strike a balance between five valid but often conflicting goals of diversion: avoidance of negative labeling, reduction of unnecessary social control, reduction of recidivism, provision of service, and reduction of justice sys tem costs. Using this balanced-goals approach, the researchers also focus on the question of when intervention in a youth's career might be most desirable.
Testing a General Model of Fear of Crime: Data from a National Sample
Authors: BAUMER TERRY L.
Published: March 2007

In recent years, research on fear of crime has converged on a cognitive model that suggests that fear is a rational response to a subjectively defined threat of victimization. However, the data have come almost exclusively from urban neighborhoods. Using data from a national sample, this article tests the applicability of the model in the general population. The model is advanced by identifying relevant variable interactions and testing the stability of the model across social context. The results indicate that a simple additive model is appropriate only in large cities. In all other areas the model must be modified and/or significant variable interactions are present. The implications of these results for public programs are discussed.
Effects of Criminal Punishment on Perceived Threat of Punishment: Toward an Understanding of Specific Deterrence
Authors: BRIDGES GEORGE S. , STONE JAMES A.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the relationship between the experience of punishment for crime and the perceived threat of punishment. The study uses data from a survey of criminal offenders to test whether punishment is associated with levels of perceived threat. Punishment is found to be weakly associated with perceived threat for most offenders. Other factors, including educational attainment, beliefs about immunity from punishment, and persons' offense histories are strongly associated with threat perceptions. The implications of these findings for the study of deterrence and criminal recidivism are discussed.
Testing Structural Strain Theories
Authors: BERNARD THOMAS J.
Published: March 2007

The strain theories of Merton, Cohen, and Cloward and Ohlin do not assert an individual relationship between crime and frustration. The theories assert an aggregate relation between crime and social structural characteristics, but at the individual level those characteristics are neither necessary nor sufficient for criminal activity. These theories cannot be falsified with individual-level data, although they can be falsified with aggregate data. Specific aggregate predictions are derived from each theory and strategies for testing those predictions are discussed.
Community Corrections as an Organizational Innovation: What Works and Why
Authors: MUSHENO MICHAEL C. , PALUMBO DENNIS J. , MAYNARD-MOODY STEVEN , LEVINE JAMES P.
Published: March 2007

The contemporary emphasis of criminal justice policy on incapacitation of felony offenders has ironically opened up a window of opportunity for the expansion of alternatives to incarceration, including community corrections. This study analyzes the organizational diffusion of state-mandated community corrections policy in Connecticut, Colorado, and Oregon. Specifically, we measure the degrees of implementation in each state and analyze the organizational conditions that contribute to successful implementation. Also, we present a model of transformative rationality that points to the theoretical underpinnings of successful implementation. It identifies organizational conditions that are necessary to maintain a commitment to the fundamental premises of policy while simultaneously encouraging constructive adaptation of the policy to local environments.
Motives for Rape
Authors: FELSON RICHARD B. , KROHN MARVIN
Published: March 2007

We develop a socio-sexual model and a punishment model of rape, borrowing from the theoretical literature on other forms of violence. Preliminary tests of these models are performed using victimization data from the National Crime Survey. In support of the socio-sexual model, younger women are more likely to be raped than older women during a robbery, suggesting a preference for younger women even when opportunity is controlled. In addition, nonstrategic violence is less likely during rapes involving younger offenders and victims, suggesting that these crimes are more likely to be sexually motivated. There is also evidence for the punishment model: Injury is more likely when the offender and victim are an estranged couple, suggesting that some men use rape and violence during rape to punish the victim for some grievance. Further, in contrast to robbery, offenders with weapons are more likely to injure victims, suggesting the nonstrategic use of violence.
Rape and Dimensions of Gender Socioeconomic Inequality in U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Authors: PETERSON RUTH D. , BAILEY WILLIAM C.
Published: March 2007

There is a growing consensus that a major cause of the rape problem is the subordinate position of women in the social, political, and economic order. Despite this consensus, there have been few structural analyses of rape and inequality. Further, extant investigations suffer from a number of serious shortcomings such that, at present, there is not a sound basis for accepting, or rejecting, rape and inequality arguments. Correcting for many of the limitations of previous studies, this investigation extends our understanding of the role of gender socioeconomic inequality and other structural factors in the etiology of rape. The authors examine the relationship between rape rates and various measures of general, racial, and gender socioeconomic inequality for U.S. metropolitan areas. Their findings show that gender income inequality is a significant contributor to rape, but gender inequities in educational attainment and occupational status do not contribute significantly to this offense. The analysis also points to a number of other structural factors, including general income inequality, that are powerful predictors of rape.
Ecological and Behavioral Influences on Property Victimization at Home: Implications for Opportunity Theory
Authors: LYNCH JAMES P. , CANTOR DAVID
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to test criminal opportunity theories of victimization for the crimes of burglary and household larceny. Using the National Crime Survey and the Victim Risk Supplement, this test includes direct behavioral and ecological measures of concepts central to the theory. Ecological concepts are measured at several different levels of aggregation. Of particular importance is the introduction of a control for the dangerousness of the block in which the housing unit is located. Other ecological variables include (a) the environmental design of the housing unit (location, protective practices, single family versus other), (b) the degree of social disorganization in the neighborhood, (c) the location of commercial establishments in the neighborhood, and (d) the perceived dangerousness of the neighborhood. Measures of key behavioral concepts include (a) time spent in the house during the day, and (b) time spent in the house during the evening. None of the environmental design variables have a significant effect on victimization. The significance of the other ecological and behavioral measures differ by type of crime. These results are discussed in light of the importance of refining opportunity concepts, especially with respect to how they apply to different types of crime.
Routine Activities and a Subculture of Violence: A Study of Violence on the Street
Authors: KENNEDY LESLIE W. , BARON STEPHEN W.
Published: March 2007

Research using the routine activities perspective has relied on official crime statistics, victimization surveys, and demographic variables for data. Findings from this work indicates that the degree of exposure that individuals experience following certain lifestyle patterns increases property and personal crime victimization. A qualitative study of a delinquent street group reveals that the routine activities approach is insufficient in explaining how interactions escalate to violence. Instead it points to the need to expand the routine activities approach to include a choice component and integrate it with a subcultural approach. Subcultural norms influence actors' routine activities that, in turn, influence exposure to victimization and shape the behavioral choices available to members in response to victimization. Subcultures, routines, and choices also influence offending patterns. Subcultural values affect the choice of victims, and third parties appear to influence the “rules of the game,” and the amount of violence that takes place. Third parties offer subcultural support for violence, serving as allies, and helping to instigate conflict at the same time as serving as capable guardians to reduce victimization.
The New Criminal Conspiracy? Asian Gangs and Organized Crime in San Francisco
Authors: JOE KAREN A.
Published: March 2007

Research indicates that there is wide variation in the social organization of gangs in relation to drug sales. Few attempts have examined Asian gangs in this regard, despite the prevalence of the conspiratorial view among some police, policymakers, and journalists that Asian gangs are intricately connected to organized crime groups in Chinese communities and Asia and to heroin trafficking. This article examines the relationship between Asian gangs and organized crime in light of current theoretical frameworks. The analysis is based on data from an ethnographic study and suggests that the connections between Asian gangs and organized crime operations are not at all clear and are best conceptualized as associations between individuals in groups rather than as criminal conspiracies. The discussion provides several reasons for the absence of a formal organizational structure.
Gender, Power, and Alternative Living Arrangements in the Inner-City Crack Culture
Authors: MAHER LISA , DUNLAP ELOISE , JOHNSON BRUCE D. , HAMID ANSLEY
Published: March 2007

Impoverished crack-abusing women are usually without a regular place to live, sleep, relax, bathe, eliminate, eat, and store possessions—but most are not homeless persons on the streets because they find alternative living arrangements. This article draws from a rich descriptive repository of field notes, field diaries, and transcribed tape-recorded interviews from two ethnographic studies in New York City, focused upon crack users and sellers. The most common alternative living arrangement was for women to live in the household of an older male with a dependable income for a period of time. Women typically provided the men with sex, drugs, cash (less often), domestic service, or companionship. Several women lived in freakhouses (locales where several women entertained sexual customers and shared crack or other drugs) but tried to avoid crack houses or shooting galleries as residential locations. These alternative living arrangements reflected the women's powerlessness and the high levels of sexual exploitation and degradation of women in the inner-city crack culture.
The Southern Subculture of Punitiveness? Regional Variation in Support for Capital Punishment
Authors: BORG MARIAN J.
Published: March 2007

This study explores the relevance of the “southern subculture of violence” thesis in a context not previously examined: attitudes toward capital punishment for convicted murderers. If southerners are more aggressive in their interpersonal relationships, then to what degree do cultural factors affect their punishment decisions? Analysis of data from the 1990 General Social Survey indicates little overall variation in levels of support for the death penalty between southerners and nonsoutherners. However, separate analyses of southerners and nonsoutherners indicate that region conditions the effects of racial prejudice, religious fundamentalism, and political conservatism on support for capital punishment. The results suggest the importance of recognizing not only the contextual nature of “southern violence” but also the variability of southern identity as well.
Return to the Scene of the Punishment: Recidivism of Adult Male Property Offenders on Felony Probation, 1986-1989
Authors: BENEDICT W. REED , HUFF-CORZINE LIN
Published: March 2007

Felony probation has become a prominent alternative for overcrowded prisons in the United States. Using a national sample, the results of this felony probation study indicate a recidivism rate of 31.2 percent among male property offenders sentenced to felony probation. Extending past research, we also look at White, Black, and Hispanic male probationers separately. Recidivism among White, Black, and Hispanic felony probationers is 25, 35.8, and 39.8 percent, respectively. More importantly, following prior studies of recidivism using state-level samples, equations were designed to examine the influence of race, ethnicity, drug abuse history, age, marital status, education level, employment history, prior felony convictions, probation term, and supervision level on felony rearrests. Overall, this study indicates that supervisors of felony property offenders need to pay particularly close attention to those probationers with a drug-abuse history, who have shorter probation sentences, and, perhaps, to those who are older.
Explaining the Gender Gap in Delinquency: Peer Influence and Moral Evaluations of Behavior
Authors: MEARS DANIEL P. , PLOEGER MATTHEW , WARR MARK
Published: March 2007

Gender is one of the strongest correlates of delinquent behavior, but gender differences in delinquency have proven difficult to explain. Some analysts have called for gender-specific theories of delinquency, whereas others argue that males and females are differentially exposed to or differentially affected by the same criminogenic conditions. Building on the latter approach, this article draws on Sutherland's theory of differential association and Gilligan's theory of moral development to argue that males and females are differentially affected by exposure to delinquent peers. Analysis of data from the National Youth Survey supports the hypothesis that moral evaluations act as a barrier to reduce or counteract the influence of delinquent peers among females, thereby producing large observed sex differences in delinquent behavior.
The Time to Rob: Variations in Time of Number of Commercial Robberies
Authors: VAN KOPPEN PETER J. , JANSEN ROBERT W. J.
Published: March 2007

This article reports a study on daily, weekly, and seasonal variations of the number of commercial robberies perpetrated in the Netherlands during the period 1988 to 1994. Results show that daily and weekly peaks depend on the kind of premises targeted. These peaks are explained by robbers' expectations of the amount of money available at the robbery target. The number of robberies in winter is distinctly higher than in summer, explained by the increased number of dark hours during the day. The explanation of changes in the number of robberies during the day, the week, and the year is straightforward: availability of suitable targets and adequate guardianship. The study shows that there is no reason to seek more complicated and less elegant explanations for daily, weekly, and seasonal variations, like cash flow in commercial targets, the cost of living during the winter, bad weather, or changes in the unemployment rate.
Gang Resistance Education and Training (Great): Results from the National Evaluation
Authors: ESBENSEN FINN-AAGE , OSGOOD D. WAYNE
Published: March 2007

Although youth delinquent gangs have received considerable academic and media attention during the past decade, there has been a paucity of research evaluating prevention and intervention programs. In this article, the authors report the results of the National Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program, a school-based gang prevention program in which uniformed law enforcement officers teach a nine-week curriculum to middle-school students. Results from a survey of 5,935 eighth-grade students in 11 sites indicate that students completing the program had more prosocial attitudes and lower rates of some types of delinquent behavior than did students in the comparison group. Although the evaluation is limited to a cross-sectional design without random assignment, it gains internal validity from a low rate of sample attrition and from comparable treatment and comparison groups. The geographically dispersed and demographically diverse research sites support the external validity of the study as well.
Is Experience the Best Teacher?
Authors: Gallego Margaret A.
Published: March 2007

Dewey argued that personal experiences in schools are critical to the education of teachers; however, he also argued that all experiences are not necessarily educative. This study examines the potential of a novel approach to providing prospective teachers with experiences with children. This article describes the benefits of teacher education students’ participation in concurrent field placements, one in the conventional classroom setting and the second in a community-based after-school program. Prospective teachers’ reflections on these experiences indicated that contrasting settings for learning and teaching were instrumental in their understanding the multiple sources of influence that create both opportunities and constraints to teaching and learning at each site.
Research on Learning To Teach: Implications for Teacher Induction and Mentoring Programs
Authors: Huling-Austin Leslie
Published: March 2007

Research on learning to teach has implications for the design of induction and mentoring programs: (a) Giving beginning teachers difficult teaching assignments (multiple preparations, subjects out of their field, or demanding extracurricular assignments) is not only stressful for them but impedes the process of learning to teach; (b) to survive the shock of classroom reality, novice teachers need collegial support from experienced teachers and peers; (c) in addition to training in how to provide support, mentor teachers can benefit from learning about cognitive theory and how to integrate subject matter into discussions with novice teachers; (d) beginning teachers should be evaluated differently than experienced teachers because learning to teach is a highly complex process that takes time to master.
Surviving in Urban Schools: A Collaborative Model for a Beginning Teacher Support System
Authors: Colbert Joel A. , Wolff Diana E.
Published: March 2007

The goals of a collaboration between a large urban school district and a state university school of education included increasing the retention of beginning teachers, providing them with systematic support and assistance, and reducing their feelings of isolation through cooperative team planning. Over 95% of the beginning teacher participants (both elementary and secondary) were still teaching in their urban classrooms after 3 years. Cost effectiveness is discussed, and recommendations are made for future policy.
Professional Partnerships and Educational Change: Effective Collaboration Over Time
Authors: Smith Sara Dawn
Published: March 2007

Program directors of 38 collaborative award-winning ATE programs from 1977-1989 were surveyed to determine which programs still existed, which had changed and why. Of the 38 programs, 31 were still in operation. Reasons for program termination included changes in program emphasis, loss of funding, loss of key personnel, and lack of administrative support. Characteristics of successful school/university partnerships are discussed, and a holistic approach to teacher education collaboration is recommended.
Models of Inflation in the United Kingdom: an Evaluation
Authors: Henry S.G.B. , Sawyer M.C. , Smith P.
Published: March 2007

In this article re-estimates are made of some of the main econometric models of inflation that have been proposed for the UK. Primarily these are wage inflation models, though reference is also made in the article to price equations. Estimates for each model are provided for a number of different post-war samples to investigate the reliability of each model and their adequacy in the light of recent high rates of inflation. The results for most of the models we consider are generally negative, except a wage inflation equation based on the hypothesis of a target rate of increase in real net earnings desired by workers which shows a great deal of consistency over the different sample periods.
Social and Economic Cohesion Among the Regions of Europe in the 1990s1
Authors: Begg lain , Mayes David
Published: March 2007

With completion of the EC internal market in sight and economic and monetary union by the end of the decade looking probable, concern about social and economic disparities within the European Community has been growing. In the single market, the intensification of competition can be expected to expose the weakness of regions in difficulty, while the transition to EMU will place considerable burdens of adjustment on inflation-prone economies. On the whole, it is parts of the Community which are already disadvantaged, such as Greece or the South of Italy, which are most vulnerable to these changes.
Fiscal Policy and EMU
Authors: Allsopp Christopher , Vines David
Published: March 2007

This article considers the role of fiscal policy within a European Monetary Union. There are two quite different issues. The first is the medium-term problem of deficits and debt. The Maastricht fiscal convergence criteria are usually seen as an imperfect response to the need to contain potentially ‘irresponsible’ fiscal authorities. It is argued here that they should be seen as reflecting a coordinated response to the generalised objective of fiscal consolidation and restraint in Europe: similar rules are likely to be a feature of Stage 3. There is a danger that governments are underestimating the difficulties of fiscal consolidation in a large area such as Europe. In practice, success would require a sustained rise in private sector investment and growth (or reduced private savings). The monetary coordination to go with generalised fiscal restraint appears to be lacking and we suggest a preemptive cut in interest rates. A more complete view of the causes of rising debt stocks in Europe is needed, and we suggest that a reframing of the problem of deficits and debt in terms of the needed (counterpart) private sector responses would be helpful in highlighting the coordination problems and avoiding adverse dynamic reactions. The medium-term problems interract unfavourably with the second set of issues-the need for fiscal policy to be used more actively for short-term stabilisation in a future common currency area. Fiscal offsets are an appropriate response to domestic demand shocks, but not to others, such as those requiring a change in the real exchange rate. Contrary to the ‘fiscal federalist’ position, such stabilisation need not involve centralisation. But there are serious difficulties. Without care, needed stabilisation will be prevented by the Maastricht criteria or the rules likely to follow them. And without coordination, independent stabilisation of common shocks will tend towards too little fiscal activism rather than too much.
The Effects of British Industrial Relations Legislation 1979-97
Authors: Brown William , Deakin Simon , Ryan Paul
Published: March 2007

The recent change of government brings to an end a sustained attempt to transform British industrial relations by legislative action. This article explores the consequences. It explains the cumulative effect of the legal changes since 1979, including the growing influence of the European Community, and examines the economic and social results. While legal intervention has had an impact on the institutions of industrial relations, most notably in reducing the power of organised labour, this cannot be isolated from wider structural changes in labour and product markets. A review of research on economic outcomes suggests an uneven and tenuous link between institutional change and economic performance.
Family-friendly management: testing the various perspectives
Authors: Wood Stephen
Published: March 2007

The emphasis in recent research on family-friendly practices has been on the determinants of their use rather than on the nature of this usage. Yet within the institutional-based organisational adaptation perspective, adopted in recent research, the existence of a family-friendly management cannot be automatically assumed from the use of certain practices. This article explores through latent trait analysis whether there is any pattern to the use of family-friendly practices, and then, having found there is, uses regression analysis to assess the determinants of family-friendly management.
Associational Membership and Social Capital in Comparative Perspective: a Note on the Problems of Measurement
Authors: DIEZ de ULZURRUN LAURA MORALES
Published: March 2007

Organizational membership seems to be linked to a more participatory and informed political culture, to foster electoral participation, and to promote positive feelings toward democracy. More recently, the social capital and associative democracy debates have introduced new arguments about the positive effects of associational involvement. However, little attention has been paid to the problems of measuring associational involvement and to their consequences for our theories. This article discusses the various problems of validity and reliability of our measurements of associational membership. It is shown that different questionnaire formats produce substantially different results. The article also addresses the issue of measurement errors and emphasizes the problems they introduce when doing cross-national comparisons.
Is English Needed in a Malay Workplace?
Authors: Ting Su-Hie
Published: March 2007

Research has indicated that support staff are less likely to speak English in the workplace (e.g. Morais, 1990; 1998; Nair-Venugopal, 1997; Tiong, 1996). The present study examines whether support staff need to use English in a predominantly Malay organisation, and how they cope with the English language demands of the workplace. The questionnaire and interview results show that communicating in English with the public posed a problem for the support staff although the nature of their work did not require them to read or write in English. They found ingenuous ways of coping with the situation, but their work performance was affected. The findings suggest that it is worthwhile to give greater emphasis to the teaching of English oracy skills in school to students who may enter the workforce as support staff so that they have a sufficient command of English for basic communication.
An Introduction To Data-Driven Learning
Authors: Hadley Gregory
Published: March 2007

This paper studies the rationale for allowing Data-driven learning (DDL) more prominence in the EFL classroom. After covering some pertinent issues and developments in the field of pedagogic grammar (PG), the case for DDL will be discussed. The last part of this paper features uses of data-driven learning with Japanese university students, with special consideration given to their reactions to this new form of grammar learning.
Developing Cooperative Learning in the Efl/Esl Secondary Classroom
Authors: Sachs Gertrude Tinker , Candlin Christophe N. , Rose Kenneth R.
Published: March 2007

Cooperative Learning (CL) has been adopted in many countries in recent years. This pilot study looked at a one-year investigation into the teaching of English in Hong Kong secondary school classrooms. The teachers were given support to assist them in designing and carrying out group learning activities. These were organized so that learning was dependent on the socially structured exchange of information between learners in the groups. The data indicated that there were no significant differences in the per formance of the experimental group. However, what did become clear were the difficulties of transferring laboratory-based studies of task performance to the realities of the curriculum-in-action in normal classroom conditions.
Examining Learners' Language Learning Strategies
Authors: Hashim Rosna Awang , Sharifah Azizah Syed Sahil
Published: March 2007

A number of researchers have examined variables/factors that affect the choice of language learning strategies. Some of the variables, such as language teaching method, language learning level, field of specialization and national origin are claimed to correlate with learners' choice of language learning strategies. This paper aims at investigating the types of language learning strategies usedby students at tertiary level and discusses whether variables such as sex, race and programme of study influence the choice of language learning strategies. The instrument for data collection was the SILL (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning) adapted from Oxford SILL version 7.0. The findings are discussed. Implications forthe teaching and learning of English in EFL/ESL situations are suggested.
From Religious Conformity to Innovation: New Ideas of Religious Journey and Holy Places
Authors: INOUE Nobutaka
Published: March 2007

The author addresses recent changes in religion in Japan, and in particular the likely emergence of new spaces for the location of the sacred and changes in the nature of religious journeys. It is argued that these new dimensions of religious perception can be understood as responses to globalization and new forms of communication. The new elements of sacred place, to or from which journeys take place, are (i) the expanding popularity of inner space as sacred space; and the new developments of (ii) outer sacred space and (iii) virtual sacred space.
Le Réveil Politique des Indiens Protestants de L'Equateur
Authors: ANDRADE Susana
Published: March 2007

The recent appearance of the indigenous evangelical movement on the Ecuadorian political scene (2000) is a historic fact that highlights two important aspirations of the Indian people. One is to recover the people's right to freedom and justice, and to reject all forms of exploitation and violence imposed by the current governing culture, modelled on neo-liberal economic principles. The other tendency that emerges from this movement is new forms of political organization based on a religious and ethnic identiy, from which has resulted a rupture from the ideological control of the North American missionaries, who maintain that participation in political activities is contrary to God's teachings and should consequently be seen as demonic. The division between “things of the world” and “things of God” forged by the missionaries has begun to be examined and questioned with respect not only to political activity, but also to indigenous culture and religiousness.
Croyants Non Pratiquants: La Religiosité de la Jeunesse Iranienne et Ses Implications Pour la Théorie de la Sécularisation
Authors: SERAJZADEH Seyed Hossein
Published: March 2007

Experiencing a mass Islamic revolution in the late 1970s, Iranian society has become known as strongly religious. Now, nearly 20 years after the revolution, it is relevant to examine the extent of religiosity among Iranian youth. Applying a multi-dimensional scale of religiosity (Glock and Stark's model), the religiosity of a sample of 391 high school students in Tehran was measured. The data revealed that the respondents tended to be highly religious. However, this was more pronounced in the area of beliefs and feelings than in following religious codes in everyday life and religious practices. Moreover, some elements of the religious attitudes of these young people seem paradoxical and need further explanation. The author presents a picture of the religiosity of Iranian youth and attempts to draw out the implications of this religiosity for secularization theory.
La paroisse, moyen d'intégration religieuse et sociale
Authors: Lercaro G.
Published: March 2007

Bologna, with its 410,000 inhabitants, faces a number problems on account of its rapid growth. Many immigrants, coming from the countryside around Bolo na, from Ferrara and from the South of Italy, have settled on its rapidly growing borders.

Living conditions often leave much to be desired. They certainly do not favour social integration.

A campaign to build a number of new churches was launched in the Diocese of Bologna. A plan fort the creation of thirty new parishes was adopted in 1955. It indicated the site of each of the new churches according to sound town planning principles.

The new parishes, as the various witnesses show, call for team work directed to build up new commu nities. The faithful take an active part in this effort. Integration is achieved on the social as well as at the religious level. This is particularly due to a series of efforts realised at the parish level and directed towards young men and women.
Reflexions sur la sociologie des dissidences chrétiennes en France
Authors: Séguy J.
Published: March 2007

An analysis of the origin and development of religious sects is necessary for an understanding of the progress of « dechristianization ». The author notes the tendency of French research and the typologies which were employed. He tries to estimate the members in the various sects and makes some reflections on the condi tion and growth of these sects.
The ups and downs of the Psychology and Sociology of Religion
Authors: Fortmann H.M.M.
Published: March 2007

Après avoir décrit le contenu du livre du R.P. Carrier, l'auteur regrette la difficulté de la synthese, malgré la richesse de l'analyse.
The Reshaping of Social Values in Developing Societies
Authors: Simey Lord
Published: March 2007

Cet article examine les problèmes sociaux découlant des changements radicaux des valeurs dans les pays en voie de développement. Il s'agit d'un exemple d'analyse de la signification des valeurs pour le chercheur en sciences sociales et notamment des responsabilités qu'il doit assumer à l'egard des groupes dont les manifestations de vie sociale font l'objet de ses recherches. On a assisté à une véritable 'explosion' des tensions raciales dans les événements tragiques qui se sont succédés au Congo, aux Etats-Unis et ailleurs: pourtant les sociologues n'ont en rien aidé à les prévoir. Le problème de la responsabilité du sociologue face à ces formes extrèmes de mouvements sociaux est donc jusqu'ici resté sans réponse. Pour une bonne part, cette situation doit etre imputée à l'ambition des sociologues de développer une science 'pure'. D'autre part, c'est l'étude des valeurs et des mobiles explicites incitant à l'action qui reste le secteur le plus sous-développé des sciences sociales. Or, ce qu'il importe de clarifier, ce sont les fondements moraux de l'action ainsi que les méca nismes et moyens de leur mise en oeuvre dans les contextes historiques particuliers que l'on veut étudier. La sociologie ne se développera à l'avenir que si l'on parvient à expliciter les concepts à base rationnelle et morale susceptibles de rendre compte de la nature et de la signification des valeurs. Si l'on veut que la recherche sociologique porte réellement sur les manifestations de vie sociale dans le monde d'aujourd'hui plutôt que sur un monde fabriqué de toutes pièces pour raison d'étude, c'est sur l'engagement' davantage que sur l''objectivité' qu'il faut insister.
Parental Images and Representations of God
Authors: Vergote Antoine , Aubert Catherine , Houard Jean
Published: March 2007

Depuis une dizaine d'années, le « Centre de Psychologie de la Religion » de Louvain s'est attaché à l'étude empirique des figures parentales en tant que médiatrices de la repré sentation de Dieu chez les sujets contemporains. L'instrument élaboré consiste en une liste de 36 qualités, 18 qualités ex pressément paternelles, c'est-à-dire attribuées généralement à la figure du Père, et 18 qualités maternelles, que les sujets doivent associer d'abord aux deux images parentales et ensuite à la figure de Dieu. Et ce, sur une échelle unipolaire à 7 degrés. L'analyse des données fut réalisée essentiellements grâce à la technique des différences sémantiques de Osgood, qui permet de soumettre des significations à des mesures quantitatives et de comparer des profils en terme de distance sémantique. L'échelle sémantique fut élaborée en langue néerlandaise et adaptée ensuite en français. espagnol et anglais.

Un des résultats les plus importants fut l'établissement expérimental de la plus grande complexité de la figure pater nelle par rapport à la netteté de la figure maternelle et, par là, du pouvoir symbolique plus grand de l'image du Père dans la médiation de la figure divine. Outre cette analyse globale, les différentes recherches se livrèrent à une étude différentielle très poussée, axée sur les variables pertinentes du sexe, de l'âge et de la formation intellectuelle des sujets. Ensuite, on mit au point un instrument plus complet (32 qualités) et surtout mieux validé grâce à une série d'analyses factorielles. Ce questionnaire, réalisé en langue anglaise, reflète plus étroite ment de la mentalité nord-américaine que le questionnaire original établi sur une population belge néerlandophone.

Enfin, receuillant toutes les données fournies par les travaux antérieurs, on entreprit une étude interculturelle, faisant inter venir 4 continents, dans le but de vérifier dans quelle mesure les résultats obtenus par les recherches précédentes étaient dépendants de facteurs culturels.
Religion et bureaucratie — Le problème de l'organisation religieuse
Authors: Kaufmann Franz Xavier
Published: March 2007

The author notes that despite the work of Troeltsch and Weber, later sociology did not provide substantial treatment of the organizational aspects of religious phenomena. This shortcoming both on the theoretical and empirical level can perhaps be explained by the fact that churches have a ten dency to conceal the problems of their organization behind a quasi-theology, and sociologists do not always avoid the images and interpretations that the churches provide of them selves.

The author then cites three reasons which seem to militate in favor of a more thorough analysis of the organizational and bureaucratic aspects of the churches' activity. He also pro poses several ways of reflecting on the faithful's changing per ception of the Catholic Church as well as its democrati zation.
Formes liturgiques et symboliques sociales
Authors: Remy Jean , Servais Emile , Hiernaux J. Pierre
Published: March 2007

The following article applies to the study of liturgical forms an analysis that takes into consideration the impact of the concrete social contexts and social symbols which influence both these contexts and the liturgical forms themselves.