bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constitutions and Political Reconstruction? Israel's Quest for a Constitution
Authors: Gavison Ruth
Published: July 2003

Israel's Declaration of the Foundation of the State of 14 May 1948 specified, as required by UN Resolution 181, that Israel be a constitutional democracy. The constituent assembly was only elected in 1949, after the 1948 war, and made itself into the first Knesset, thus conflating constitution-making and regular legislative authority. In 1950, the young state decided not to enact a constitution at once but to enact special basic laws, which together might form a constitution. Attempts to enact a constitution gathered momentum in the last two decades of the 20th century but were defeated. The enactment, in 1992, of two basic laws related to human rights was declared a `constitutional revolution' by some. This article argues that Israel's constitutional history reflects two anomalies: in 1948 there was a major social and political change, which was implemented without a constitution; in the 1980s and 1990s there was a constitutional process designed to arrest - rather then facilitate and reflect - social, political and demographic changes.
The Rule of Law and the Politics of Reform in Post-Revolutionary Iran
Authors: Tabari Keyvan
Published: July 2003

This is a study of the jurisprudence of a political system in the throes of post-revolutionary reconstruction. For its analytical framework, it employs the emerging universal definition of the rule of law. It finds the main fault line for the instability of the Iranian system in the fissure caused by those who wish to reform the Islamic Republic. In the rule of law they have sought protection against the arbitrary exercise of power by the conservative clerical elite. Emboldened by electoral victories, the Reformists have pressed for the full implementation of the Islamic Constitution. That document, however, favors the hierocracy of the conservative clerics. Therefore, they too have come to employ the law as an instrument of politics. The conservative clerical jurisprudence is different from that of the Reformists. Both are rooted, however, in the unique political Islam bequeathed by Khomeini's radical revision of Iran's Shi`ism.
Constitutionalism and the Presidency in the Russian Federation
Authors: Fogelklou Anders
Published: July 2003

The general tendency for post-Communist states has been to adopt strong or `thick' constitutions. This article explains the kind of constitutionalization which will achieve strong constitutional protection. The Russian Federation has chosen to adopt a strong presidential regime together with a potentially `thick' constitution which gives far-reaching human rights protection and constitutionalization possibilities. The result is a rather thin constitution, but which at present seems to conform to the political culture of the Russian state.
Constitutional Negotiations
Authors: Scheppele Kim Lane
Published: July 2003

Constitutional courts in a number of new democracies have become very powerful institutions with a wide range of capacities. But how have they been able to achieve this power politically? This article examines the Hungarian and Russian constitutional courts in their political contexts and shows how these courts have both shaped the political environments in which they have worked and have been shaped by them. Rather than finding that the courts are an anti-democratic check on democratic governments, this analysis concludes that courts can be the strongest advocates of the demands of democratic citizenries against governments that stray from their promises. The theory of the `counter-majoritarian difficulty' developed to understand US judicial review, therefore, does not work well to explain the rise of the new constitutional courts.
Women and the Cost of Transition to Democratic Constitutionalism in Spain
Authors: Rubio-Marín Ruth
Published: July 2003

There is overall consensus that the Spanish Constitution of 1978 has played a crucial role in consolidating Spain's democracy, and that, women, as a group, have largely benefited from this transition to a new democratic order. Indeed, the connection between constitutional democracy and the conditions for women's emancipation, although not completely unchallenged, is generally made. However, the tensions brought about by the process of structural adaptation to the modern anti-discrimination doctrine are rarely, if ever, raised, as a specific constitutional concern. In this article, the author discusses a line of constitutional cases in response to pre-constitutional legislation that forced women to abandon their employment at marriage, and criticizes the Spanish Constitutional Court for not having been sufficiently sensitive to the intergenerational and transitional aspects involved. The author concludes that new constitutions and constitutional courts, with the task of legally framing a society's transition to a new political regime, should address this and similar issues, identifying an agenda of items of `transitional constitutionalism', which reflects the phenomenology of major political transformations and discusses, among other things, the minimal obligations of fairness in the transitional process.
Dissolution of Political Parties by the Constitutional Court in Turkey
Authors: Kogacioglu Dicle
Published: July 2003

In this article the author examines the constitutional court cases that led to the dissolution of two political parties in Turkey: Halkin Emek Partisi (People's Labor Party) a leftist, pro-Kurdish party and Refah (Well-Being/Welfare Party) a center-right Islamist party. These two decisions set constitutional milestones that not only affected later similar cases, but more generally also shaped the constitutional trajectory of Turkey. The author examines these cases along three main axes: procedural foundations, substantive constructions of `threats', and the international context. She offers an analytic approach that treats the constitution not merely as text but as a hub of multiple themes, multiple venues for action, deployed by multiple actors for multiple ends. She shows how various venues of action and interpretation respond to a larger framework consisting of an unstable thematic assortment of Kemalist ideology, international treaties and the legacy of the 1980 military intervention. By following the ways in which the court responded to such venues of interpretation, the author establishes the crucial coordinates of the intricate relation between the domains of law and politics as it has been played out on the constitutional level.
Elastic Strips: A Framework for Motion Generation in Human Environments
Authors: Brock Oliver , Khatib Oussama
Published: July 2003

Robotic applications are expanding into dynamic, unstructured, and populated environments. Mechanisms specifically designed to address the challenges arising in these environments, such as humanoid robots, exhibit high kinematic complexity. This creates the need for new algorithmic approaches to motion generation, capable of performing task execution and real-time obstacle avoidance in high-dimensional configuration spaces. The elastic strip framework presented in this paper enables the execution of a previously planned motion in a dynamic environment for robots with many degrees of freedom. To modify a motion in reaction to changes in the environment, real-time obstacle avoidance is combined with desired posture behavior. The modification of a motion can be performed in a task-consistent manner, leaving task execution unaffected by obstacle avoidance and posture behavior. The elastic strip framework also encompasses methods to suspend task behavior when its execution becomes inconsistent with other constraints imposed on the motion. Task execution is resumed automatically, once those constraints have been removed. Experiments demonstrating these capabilities on a nine-degree-of-freedom mobile manipulator and a 34-degree-of-freedom humanoid robot are presented, proving the elastic strip framework to be a powerful and versatile task-oriented approach to real-time motion generation and motion execution for robots with a large number of degrees of freedom in dynamic environments.
Computing Wrench Cones for Planar Rigid Body Contact Tasks
Authors: Balkcom Devin J. , Trinkle J.C.
Published: July 2003

The contribution of this paper is the expansion of the range of possibilities in the analysis, planning, and control of contact tasks. The successful execution of any contact task fundamentally requires the application of wrenches (forces and moments) consistent with the task. We develop an algorithm for computing the entire set of external wrenches consistent with achieving a given augmented contact mode (e.g., sliding at contact 1, rolling at contact 2, and approaching potential contact 3) for one fixed and one moving part in the plane.

Unfortunately, because of the problem of frictional indeterminacy, it is usually not enough to determine the set of wrenches consistent with achieving a contact mode. Some of the computed wrenches may also be consistent with other undesirable contact modes. However, set operations on the cones returned by our algorithm can be designed to find the wrenches consistent only with desired contact modes.

In this paper we also present some applications of the algorithm to analysis and planning problems. We show how to use set operations to compute the set of external wrenches with respect to which a fixtured part is `strongly stable'. If the applied external wrench is in this set, the part is guaranteed not to move. We also show how the algorithm may be used to create sensorless plans that guarantee that a workpiece will be correctly inserted into a fixture.
Dynamic Sensor Planning and Control for Optimally Tracking Targets
Authors: Spletzer John R. , Taylor Camillo J.
Published: July 2003

In this paper, we present an approach to the problem of actively controlling the configuration of a team of mobile agents equipped with cameras so as to optimize the quality of the estimates derived from their measurements. The issue of optimizing the robots' configuration is particularly important in the context of teams equipped with vision sensors, since most estimation schemes of interest will involve some form of triangulation.

We provide a theoretical framework for tackling the sensor planning problem, and a practical computational strategy inspired by work on particle filtering for implementing the approach. We then extend our framework by showing how modeled system dynamics and configuration space obstacles can be handled. These ideas have been applied to a target tracking task, and demonstrated both in simulation and with actual robot platforms. The results indicate that the framework is able to solve fairly difficult sensor planning problems online without requiring excessive amounts of computational resources.
Type Synthesis of Symmetrical Lower-Mobility Parallel Mechanisms Using the Constraint-Synthesis Method
Authors: Huang Z. , Li Q. C.
Published: July 2003

The lower-mobility parallel mechanism (PM) has fewer than six degrees of freedom (DoFs) and requires fewer links, joints and actuators than its 6-DoF counterpart. Hence, the use of the lower-mobility PM may save much cost in those applications requiring less mobility. In this paper, the type synthesis of symmetrical lower-mobility PMs is performed systematically using the constraint-synthesis method. First, some important theoretical fundamentals of type synthesis of lower-mobility PMs are investigated, including a classification of symmetry of lower-mobility PMs, the identification of instantaneous mechanisms and input selection method. Moreover, the difficult problem of how to correctly apply the general Grübler-Kutzbach criterion to lower-mobility PMs is solved. A mobility analysis of PMs with a closed loop in the limbs is also presented to demonstrate the validity. The type synthesis of 5-DoF and 4-DoF PMs is then dealt with in detail. Enumerations of novel 5-DoF and 4-DoF PMs are presented. The characteristics of constraint and structure of 5-DoF and 4-DoF PMs are also proposed. In addition, some novel 3-DoF PMs are presented.
Quantification and Estimation of Differential Odometry Errors in Mobile Robotics with Redundant Sensor Information
Authors: Rudolph Alexander
Published: July 2003

By the extrapolation of movement increments detected by differential encoders, the position of a mobile robot can be easily computed. However, the encoders suffer from various systematic errors resulting in an increasing error of the obtained robot position. This problem is also known from the scope of inertial navigation, but the transfer of the respective concepts of maintaining merely errors to mobile robot localization has, with few exceptions, been neglected so far. In this paper, the position error is related to the encoder errors in an augmented state-space system. As done in inertial guidance, the position error is estimated by an error-state Kalman filter making use of general complementary sensor information as, for example, absolute position measurements or redundantly detected movement increments. Specifically, the usage of a rate gyroscope as a complementary sensor is examined. This case is somehow special, as it implies a correlation of the overall error model and the observation, demanding a modification of the Kalman filter equations. The derived filter is embedded in the localization scheme of the robot in partly closed-loop mode allowing a mutual online-correction of the encoder readings and the gyroscope output. As demonstrated by exemplary trajectories, the proposed localization scheme can substantially improve the position estimation. Furthermore, it can easily be modified to accept, for example, absolute position measurements as a complement to its own position estimation.
Sens Commun et Réalité Sociale: Perspectives Sociologiques et Philosophiques
Authors: Keucheyan Razmig
Published: July 2003

The aim of the present article is to submit to criticism the idea, originally taken from Durkheim, that commonsense reasoning errs radically when it comes to social reality. We will begin by proposing an interpretation of Durkheim's theory of “prenotions” or preconceptions. We will then compare this theory with the conception of common sense of the philosopher G.E. Moore, who, contrary to Durkheim, maintains that the ordinary view of the world is basically true. Comparison of Durkheim's and Moore's theories will enable us to distinguish between ordinary individual concepts (concepts ordinaires individuels, COI), which are connected with the individual and his or her immediate environment, and ordinary social concepts (concepts ordinaires sociaux, COS), which have as their object collective facts. We will then attempt to explore the relationship between these two kinds of ordinary concepts. The conception of common sense that results from this reflection will be described as gradualist and evolutionist.
Market Order and Justice in Hayek's Political Theory: The Exclusion and Requirement of Substantive Politics
Authors: Papaioannou Theodoros
Published: July 2003

The article approaches Hayek's ideas on the market and procedural justice through his epistemology and methodology, providing an immanent critique of these ideas. It argues that the concept of the market as a catallaxy and the idea of justice as a system of general rules of conduct reflect a moral dimension that excludes but also requires substantive politics. The latter is a kind of politics that pursues goals which are formed through a normative/evaluative conception of social good. The moral dimension of Hayek's theory excludes substantive politics because such politics can never be explained in terms of the praxeological presuppositions of social spontaneity and cultural evolution. At the same time, that dimension requires substantive politics because only through it can social spontaneity and cultural evolution be preserved as a social good in terms of liberalism.
A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Family, Friends, and School Experiences on the Psychological Adjustment of Ethnic Minority, Low-SES Adolescents
Authors: Way Niobe , Robinson Melissa G.
Published: July 2003

This study examined the independent and combined influence of demographic variables (gender and ethnicity) and contextual variables (perceived family and friend support, and school climate) on changes in psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptoms) over a 2-year period. The sample included 100 Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents from low-income families. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the increase over time in reported levels of self-esteem was significantly greater for those who reported more positive perceptions of school climate at Time 1. Unexpectedly, the increase in self-esteem and the decrease in depressive symptoms over time were also significantly greater for those who reported lower family support at Time 1. Post hoc analyses were conducted to better understand the patterns detected. Findings underscore the importance of positive school experiences for students' psychological well-being and the need to examine the meaning of family support.
Resilience Processes in Adolescents: Personality Profiles, Self-Worth, and Coping
Authors: Davey Maureen , Eaker Dawn Goettler , Walters Lynda Henley
Published: July 2003

Trends in resilience research are shifting from identifying characteristics of children who are resilient in the face of adversity to identifying processes that promote resilience under normative conditions. The authors examined the potential for different associations of two correlates of resilience (self-worth and coping) with a third (personality dimensions). Specifically, the authors used cluster analysis to identify three discrete personality profiles using data from 181 11th-grade students (48% male, 78% White). Discriminant function analysis was then used to investigate the association of these three personality profiles with two variables that have characterized resilient youth: self-worth and coping. Consistent with prior research, the combination of being extroverted, agreeable, and open to new experiences was associated with high self-worth. Additionally, positive coping was also associated with compensatory mechanisms for adolescents who were high on disagreeableness and emotional instability. These findings suggest that there may be different compensatory mechanisms operating for adolescents with different personality profiles.
The Association of Low Parent-Adolescent Reciprocity, a Sense of Incompetence, and Identity Confusion with Disordered Eating
Authors: Wheeler Heather A. , Wintre Maxine Gallander , Polivy Janet
Published: July 2003

This study examined the role of late adolescent females' ongoing perceived reciprocity in their relationships with parents, their sense of incompetence (in terms of an impersonal-causality orientation), and their identity style and commitment in predicting disordered eating symptoms. Some variables were also examined from the mothers' perspectives to consider the potential impact of mother-daughter discrepancies on symptomatology. This questionnaire-based study used a multicultural sample of 256 female university students. Disordered eating was inversely related to the perception of reciprocity with parents and positively related to a sense of incompetence, an avoidant identity style, and a lack of identity commitments. Further analyses revealed that both perceived parental reciprocity and an avoidant identity style are related to disordered eating indirectly through their relation to personality variables linked to eating disorder psychopathology. Mother-daughter discrepancies were not significant predictors of symptoms. Implications for identifying females at risk for disordered eating are discussed.
Milled Glass Fiber Filled-Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate-co-Isophthalate) Composites - Thermal and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Velasco J. I. , Arencón D. , Sánchez-Soto M. , Gordillo A. , Maspoch M. Ll.
Published: July 2003

Fracture and thermal behavior of injection-molded poly (ethylene terephthalate-co-isophthalate) filled with milled glass fiber has been studied as a function of fiber content in the range 0-40% by weight. Composite Young's modulus and tensile strength increased with fiber percentage, and good agreement was found with theoretical predictions. Low rate fracture tests were carried out on injection-molded SENB specimens. Fracture toughness ( K ic ) and fracture energy ( G ic ) could be obtained by applying Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM). Results seemed to indicate improved fracture toughness if compared with homopolymer poly (ethylene terephthalate) composites. The reason was attributed to a lower crystallinity developed in the matrix, which promoted higher plastic strain.
The Neuman Systems Model Institute: Testing Middle-Range Theories
Authors: Gigliotti Eileen
Published: July 2003

The credibility of the Neuman systems model can only be established through the generation and testing of Neuman systems model-derived middle-range theories. However, due to the number and complexity of Neuman systems model concepts/concept interrelations and the diversity of middle-range theory concepts linked to these Neuman systems model concepts by researchers, no explicit middle-range theories have yet been derived from the Neuman systems model. This article describes the development of an organized program for the systematic study of the Neuman systems model. Preliminary work, already accomplished, is detailed, and a tentative plan for the completion of further preliminary work as well as beginning the actual research conduction phase is proposed.
Theory and Practice: A Discussion by William K. Cody
Authors: Fawcett Jacqueline
Published: July 2003

This edited transcript of an electronic mail generated discussion by William K. Cody presents Dr. Cody's ideas about nursing theory, nursing practice, and the relation between theory and practice. Dr. Cody asserts that theory, in some form, is a fundamental guide for all professional practice. He posits that if nursing theory is not the basis for one's practice, then nursing theory is extremely unlikely to arise from that practice. Reflecting on the historical vicissitudes of nursing theory-guided practice, Dr. Cody proposes that the nursing theory-guided practice movement constitutes an unfinished revolution that may yet transform healthcare for the betterment of humankind.
Health-Promoting Self-Care Behaviors, Self-Care Self-Efficacy, and Self-Care Agency
Authors: Callaghan Donna M.
Published: July 2003

The relationships among health-promoting self-care behaviors, self-care self-efficacy, and self-care agency were investigated. The purpose of the study reported here was to explore conceptual integration that could be useful in determining interventions that enhance self-care agency. The sample consisted of 379 adult subjects. The instrumentation scales included: Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices, and Exercise of Self-Care Agency. A canonical correlation identified a significant variate with a correlation of .76 (p< .001) accounting for 58% of the variance explained. The loading variables included: spiritual growth, self-concept, initiative, and responsibility. Therefore, spiritual growth was more strongly related to self-care agency than self-efficacy.
Psychological Distress: Testing Hypotheses Based on Roy's Adaptation Model
Authors: Yeh Chao-Hsing
Published: July 2003

This study examined the relationships among social support, parenting stress, coping style, and psychological distress in parents caring for children with cancer. The hypothesis that coping style plays a mediating role between social support and parenting stress, and psychological distress was tested for both mothers and fathers. In total, 246 mothers and 195 fathers of 270 children participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis. The findings indicate that the hypotheses derived from the Roy adaptation model were supported for both mothers and fathers. A longitudinal study is suggested to examine the circular process of stimulus, coping process, and adaptation outcomes.
A Decade of Charter Schools: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Bulkley Katrina , Fisler Jennifer
Published: July 2003

Charter schools have become an increasingly significant aspect of the educational landscape. After a decade of implementation and research, this article returns to some of the original ideas underlying charter schools—including autonomy, accountability, and performance outcomes—to assess what progress has been made and what is still unknown. Although some successes are evident, there is still much to learn about the quality of charter schools and the experiences of charter school stakeholders. There is strong evidence that parents and students who remain in charter schools are satisfied and that charter schools are more autonomous than other public schools. But the jury is still out on some of the most important questions, including those about innovation, accountability, equity, and outcomes. This article provides a framework for examining research on charter schools and some guiding questions for future work.
Is there a Trade-Off between Pensions and Home Ownership?
Authors: Fahey Tony
Published: July 2003

It has been argued that, in countries with high levels of owner occupation of housing, home ownership can serve as a substitute for generous pensions for older people. Two possible linking mechanisms have been posited in this context, one focusing on budget constraints (high housing costs associated with home purchase makes the funding of generous pensions unaffordable), the other on needs or incentives (high home ownership gives older people material security and so makes generous pensions unnecessary). This article examines Ireland as a test case in this context. It finds no evidence that either of the posited linking mechanisms were present in Ireland. House purchase costs historically have been too low to constrain pension development, while the distributive benefits for the elderly have been too modest to obviate the need for higher pension income. However, other distributive effects emerge as important, particularly the positive historical consequences of inflation and low real interest rates for home purchasers of all ages and the implicit subsidy to home ownership provided by savers.
Whitehead's Unconscious Ontology
Authors: Mills Jon
Published: July 2003

Alfred North Whitehead's process metaphysics remain largely unknown to psychology despite his treatise on human consciousness, perception and the nature of the soul. What is of greater significance is that his process reality is governed by unconscious forces that form the a priori foundation for all modes of human experience to manifest. In this article, I attempt to show how Whitehead's unconscious ontology has direct implications for the way in which we understand his philosophical psychology, and specifically how this bears on the mind-body problem. I further show compatibilities with psychoanalytic thought on the nature and constitution of the psyche, thus demonstrating how process is an indispensable construct in the way we conceptualize the mind.
Cyber-Flirting
Authors: Whitty Monica Therese
Published: July 2003

While there exists some research on offline flirting, there is currently little in the way of conceptual theory or empirical research on flirting in cyberspace. This paper attempts to help redress this balance. The paper initially presents a summary of the behaviour of offline flirting and particularly identifies what constitutes offline flirting signals. Given this background context, suggestions are made as to how we might better conceptualize online flirting. The prevailing wisdom has been that we should focus on the absence of the body in cyberspace. This view is challenged here. Instead, it is argued that researchers should re-orient their focus to how the body is reconstructed online. Winnicott's notions of `potential space' and `transitional objects' are drawn upon in this paper to advance an argument that online flirting should be considered as a form of play. In making this argument, it is contended that online flirting has unique aspects in comparison to offline flirting. In particular, while realistic elements are present in online flirting, there is a blurring between what is reality and fantasy when one engages in flirtatious behaviour on the Internet.
Coherent Constructivism
Authors: Raskin Jonathan D. , Neimeyer Robert A.
Published: July 2003

In this article we outline a response to Mackay's (2003) critique of constructivism as anti-realist, anti-determinist and anti-scientific. We argue that Mackay and constructivists operate from very different theoretical premises. Whereas Mackay sees his philosophical bases as foundational absolutes, constructivists see theirs (as well as Mackay's) as postulated premises. Thus, Mackay's theoretical assumptions, in combination with his construction of a `straw figure' version of his opponents, lead him to see constructivism as incoherent. However, this tells us more about Mackay's point of view than it does about constructivism's coherence. In our view, constructivism is not hostile to scientific discourse, and, indeed, converges at important points with Mackay's own treatment of `experiential meaning'. Ultimately, however, constructivists attempt to stretch the boundaries of permissible scholarly discourse beyond the realist bases advocated by Mackay, in order to analyze and critique the social epistemology by which both psychotherapeutic and scientific processes are constructed.
On `Just Not Getting It'
Authors: Mackay Nigel
Published: July 2003

McNamee (2003) and Raskin and Neimeyer (2003) largely bypass my analysis (Mackay, 2003) of the uses and misuses of `meaning' in psychotherapy, and of why the philosophy of the meaning-makers has no implications for therapy, tolerant or otherwise. They focus on my critique of constructionism and constructivism. Their responses repeat rather than address errors of which I criticized constructionism/ivism. Justifications of discourse pluralism end either in self-contradiction or in infinite regress. They ignore this and multiply their difficulties by treating rationality and logic as discourse-specific and optional. They neither `bridge incommensurate discourses' nor offer a `coherent constructivism'. Further, they identify me with a `familiar realism' of their own construction, misattributing to me such doctrines as foundationalism, essentialism, absolutism and belief in transcendent reality. Raskin and Neimeyer, in particular, compound these misconstructions by misrepresenting and distorting my terms and phrases. Thus they undermine their claims to both the epistemic and practical tolerance.
`Rage at Westsinster': Sociolegal Reflections on the Power of Sale
Authors: Cowan Dave
Published: July 2003

This article analyses several diverse strands of Westminster City Council's unlawful policy of selling off council homes, one of the most significant political scandals of the 1980s and 1990s. After setting out the story of the events and adjudications in this saga, the article considers three discursive sites: political constructions of ownership, law's constructions, and constructions of law. The latter two sites are located within a discussion of law's power and law's powerlessness.
New Security Challenges in the Balkans
Authors: Stefanova Radoslava
Published: July 2003

The Balkans no longer make international news headlines, and the region's stability seems to have been consolidated over the past year. Since 1999, Kosovo has been under UN and NATO administration. In 2001, US and EU mediation helped reverse rising tensions in Macedonia, where implementation of the Ohrid accords will provide for adequate respect for minority rights. Firm pressure from the EU in 2002 avoided further fragmentation of the rump Yugoslavia and ensured the continued union of Serbia and Montenegro. However, peace in the Balkans is unstable, as many of the underlying causes of war still persist. This article identifies three instability indicators and examines them in the light of the relatively peaceful developments over the last year. The recent history of conflict in Kosovo and Macedonia reinforced negative imagery constructions between ethnic groups. In addition, continued lack of clarity over the future status of Kosovo creates perceptions of opportunities for power consolidation. If violence is to be ruled out in the Balkans, the international community needs to begin the complex negotiations for Kosovo's sovereignty, both with the parties concerned and with relevant international actors. A clear perspective in Kosovo will also help stabilize Macedonia and southern Serbia.
The Provision of Lethal Military Equipment: French, UK, and US Peacekeeping Policies Towards Africa
Authors: Berman Eric G.
Published: July 2003

Western capacity-building programs designed to support African peacekeeping efforts have focused on classroom instruction, field training, and the provision of military equipment. These policies are significant given the numerous threats to peace and security throughout the continent and given the United Nations Security Council's continued reliance on African regional organizations and arrangements in the event of armed conflicts and humanitarian crises. Initially, only France's program included the provision of small arms and light weapons, and then on a rather limited scale. Subsequently, the United States and the United Kingdom have developed programs that have provided substantial quantities of lethal materiel. This article documents what has been provided and to whom. It reviews the oversight mechanisms used to ensure that equipment is used as intended, and asks whether the programs have served to promote peace and security as intended. The article argues that, while it is too early to determine the effectiveness of these programs, the checks and balances created to ensure that training and weapons are used as intended should be strengthened.
India's National Security Council: Stuck in the Cradle?
Authors: Shyam Babu D.
Published: July 2003

In 1999, India constituted its National Security Council (NSC) to fill a widely felt vacuum in the country's higher defence management. It was reasoned that having become a de facto nuclear power, India could no longer afford to ignore vital issues affecting its security. India's small but articulate security community also demanded the establishment of the NSC in response to criticism that the country lacked long-term security perspective and planning. However, even a cursory look at the organizational structure and functions of the NSC will expose so many shortcomings that it can rightly be questioned whether sufficient thought was given to such basic issues as the kind of national security council the country needed and how such a body could be integrated into India's parliamentary system. On the whole, existing institutions were either slightly modified or simply renamed as NSC institutions. Structurally, the NSC is unlikely to be effective in discharging its mandated functions: formulating long-term strategic policy and promoting `integrated thinking' in national security affairs. On the other hand, the present ineffective NSC is better than an independent and overarching body that might upset the balance among institutions concerned with national security within India's parliamentary democracy.
Communitarianism, Sport and Social Capital
Authors: Jarvie Grant
Published: July 2003

The contribution that sport can make to community has been a contemporary theme within both sociological and political thinking about sport. This paper examines assumptions that are often associated with communitarianism as a basis for thinking about aspects of sport in Scotland. It is argued that it is unrealistic to expect sport to sustain a notion of social capital or civic engagement or communitarianism without addressing the issue of ownership, obligations and stakeholding in Scottish sport. Case-study research is used to substantiate the arguments made about Scottish sport.
The Logic of Collective Belief
Authors: Caplan Bryan
Published: July 2003

Many political failure arguments implicitly assume that voters are irrational. This article argues that this assumption is both theoretically and empirically plausible: in politics, rationality, like information, is a collective good that individuals have little incentive to supply. In consequence, voters are frequently not only rationally ignorant but also `rationally irrational'. Rational irrationality leads to both demand-side and supply-side political failures: competition not only pressures politicians to act on voters' biased estimates, but selects for politicians who genuinely share those biases. The analytical framework also sheds new light on log-rolling, political shirking and advertising, and politicians' human capital.
The Effect of Structural Embeddedness on the Division of Household Labor: A Game-Theoretic Model Using a Network Approach
Authors: Youm Yoosik , Laumann Edward O.
Published: July 2003

Various economic and sociological approaches have attempted to solve the puzzle of persistent gender inequality in the division of housework, but with mixed results. We propose a game-theoretic model in which the structural embeddedness of the partners is the key contingency predicting family members' behavior. Under the condition of strong embeddedness, partners behave as if they share a unitary utility function because they can safely assume their partners' gain will be their own gain. Under the condition of weak embeddedness, however, partners can no longer assume a flow of future fair rewards and thus they are in a bargaining situation. They try to decrease their share of housework by using their resources (options outside marriage/cohabitation) as threats in their bargaining with their partners. A representative sample of Chicago from the Chicago Health and Social Life Survey is analyzed as illustrative evidence for the model.
La Uniendo de Fronteras: Collaboration to Develop HIV Prevention Strategies for Mexican and Latino Youth
Authors: Villarruel Antonia M. , Gallegos Esther C. , Cherry Carol J. Loveland , de Duran Maria Refugio
Published: July 2003

AIDS is a global epidemic. Regardless of the present incidence of AIDS, all countries must confront the threat of this devastating disease. The shared border and continued migration between Mexico and the United States as well as shared concerns about HIV/AIDS are compelling reasons to promote AIDS prevention as an important public health endeavor for both countries. This article describes collaborative efforts between nurse researchers in the United States and Mexico to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection among adolescents. The significance of this effort to both countries and the processes and preliminary work that led to the development of a study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research are discussed.
Community Readiness to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence in Bexar County, Texas
Authors: Brackley Margaret , Davila Yolanda , Thornton Joe , Leal Christina , Mudd Gia , Shafer Jane , Castillo Patricia , Spears William
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this article is to describe the Community Readiness Model implemented by the San Antonio Safe Family Coalition in Bexar County, Texas, a coordinated community response to prevent intimate partner violence. The project used a participatory action process to (a) determine the city's and county's stage of readiness to prevent intimate partner violence; (b) identify differences in the city and county by dividing the area into sectors for the assessment; (c) engage the community in determining the accuracy and usefulness of the results of the assessment; (d) develop targeted strategies to move the city and county to a higher stage of readiness for prevention of intimate partner violence; and (e) evaluate the results of the project.
Report of Workplace Violence by Hispanic Nurses
Authors: Anderson Cheryl , Parish Melinda
Published: July 2003

Workplace violence (WPV) against nursing professionals is common. This pilot study explored the association between WPV and victim characteristics including the interpersonal risk factor of prior childhood or adult violence and gender characteristics among 90 Hispanic nurses practicing in Texas. Personal factors such as the nurses' age, clinical setting worked, years of experience, and basic education were not found to be associated with WPV. Gender and a history of violence were found to be significantly associated with WPV. Recommendations include recognition of history of childhood and/or adult violence and gender as risk factors in orientation and health care-training programs for violence prevention.
Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors of Spanish-Speaking Hispanic Adults
Authors: Hulme Polly A. , Walker Susan Noble , Effle Kathy J. , Jorgensen Leah , McGowan Mary G. , Nelson Judith D. , Pratt Elizabeth N.
Published: July 2003

The study purpose was to determine (a) health-promoting lifestyle behaviors of Spanish-speaking Hispanics, (b) differences in these behaviors by demographics and acculturation, and (c) the extent to which perceived health status, demographics, and acculturation explain health-promoting lifestyles. The Spanish-language Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII) and other instruments were completed by a convenience sample of 545 Hispanic adults recruited in several midwestern communities. Of the six behavioral dimension scores of the HPLPII, scores were lowest for physical activity and highest for spiritual growth. They differed by age, gender, employment status, marital status, and acculturation. Perceived health status, demographics, and acculturation explained 12% of the variance in overall health-promoting lifestyle. These findings can help guide culturally appropriate interventions designed to improve this population's overall health.
Identifying and Recruiting Mexican American Partners and Sustaining Community Partnerships
Authors: Crist Janice D. , Escandón-Dominguez Socorro
Published: July 2003

In this article, how community partners were identified and recruited and how community partnerships have been sustained during a current program of study designed to eliminate health and use disparities are described. Hispanic elders use in-home community services less often than do Anglo elders. The critical social paradigm, community development theories, and participatory research methods have guided a partnership with Mexican American elders and their caregivers during five research studies. Although the process of partnering with communities evolves within specific contexts and cannot be precisely predicted, strategies can be transferred to research and transcultural nursing practice to improve preventive care and sustainability of healthful changes in vulnerable populations.
The Consular Program for Mexican Communities Abroad: A Source of Outreach for Health Workers
Authors: Cesarman-Maus Gabriella
Published: July 2003

The Program for Mexican Communities Abroad offices, which are located throughout the United States, represent an ideal site for outreach for both Mexican- and United States-based governmental and nongovernmental organizations interested in the well-being of Mexican migrants working in the United States. A brief overview of the PCME and the health-related programs in which it is involved is provided.
Does the Fact that a Client has Failed to Provide Requested Information Predict Severity of Suicidal Thinking?: A Criterion Validity Study of Missing Client Information
Authors: Nugent William R. , Williams-Hayes Mona
Published: July 2003

A study was conducted to investigate the validity of missing information on a client background questionnaire as an indicator of suicidal thinking. Method: Four hundred six responses on a client background questionnaire and on the Multi-Problem Screening Inventory were obtained and analyses conducted to test the relationship between missing client information on the background questionnaire and the severity of suicidal ideation. Results: Results suggested that missing information on education, income, and/or number of persons living with the respondent were valid indicators of the severity of suicidal thinking and that the relationship between depression and severity of suicidal ideation, and between aggression and severity of suicidal ideation, may be stronger for clients who fail to report their income than for those who do. Conclusion: Missing information on intake forms may be useful as both an early screening tool for suicidal thinking and as important information when conducting in-depth suicide risk assessments.
The Validity of the Shortform Assessment for Children (SAC)
Authors: Hemmelgarn Anthony L. , Glisson Charles , Sharp Shannon R.
Published: July 2003

This study tests the validity of the Shortform Assessment for Children (SAC), a one-page, 48-item measure of a child's overall mental health. Designed as a rapid assessment instrument for child welfare and juvenile justice systems, the SAC measures the broadband constructs of internalizing and externalizing problems using either parents or teachers as respondents. Method: The convergent, divergent, and criterion validity of the SAC (completed by both parents and teachers) was assessed with data gathered on 188 children in two urban child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Results: The validity of the SAC was supported for both parent and teacher respondents. Conclusions: The SAC's brevity, validity, and utility (completed by a teacher or parent) provide an efficient and effective assessment tool for child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
A Review Committee's Guide for Evaluating Qualitative Proposals
Authors: Morse Janice M.
Published: July 2003

Although they complain that qualitative proposals are not reviewed fairly when funding agencies use quantitative criteria, qualitative researchers have failed the system by not developing alternative criteria for the evaluation of qualitative proposals. In this article, the author corrects this deficit by presenting criteria to assess the relevance, rigor, and feasibility of qualitative research. These criteria are not a checklist but rather a series of questions that can aid a reviewer, adept in qualitative methods, to comprehensively evaluate and defend qualitative research.
Within-Case and Across-Case Approaches to Qualitative Data Analysis
Authors: Ayres Lioness , Kavanaugh Karen , Knafl Kathleen A.
Published: July 2003

The generalizations developed by qualitative researchers are embedded in the contextual richness of individual experience. Qualitative data management strategies that depend solely on coding and sorting of texts into units of like meaning can strip much of this contextual richness away. To prevent this, some authors have recommended treating individual accounts as whole cases or stories, but whole cases are difficult to compare with one another when the goal of the research is to develop generalizations that represent multiple accounts. In this article, the authors describe the ways in which three different qualitative researchers combined across-case coding and sorting with a variety of within-case data management and analysis techniques to produce contextually grounded, generalizable findings.
Access to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services among Women Receiving Welfare in Detroit
Authors: Allard Scott W. , Rosen Daniel , Tolman Richard M.
Published: July 2003

Provision of social services that can help welfare recipients overcome barriers to employment has become an important challenge for welfare-to-work programs, yet there is relatively little understanding of how spatial proximity to social services varies across welfare recipients in urban America. In this study, the authors examine the spatial proximity of welfare recipients in the three-county Detroit metropolitan area to mental health and substance abuse service providers. They find that spatial proximity to mental health services varies by geography and race among welfare recipients in Detroit, with evidence indicating that spatial trends in service accessibility are shifting in favor of suburban areas.