bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Estimation of the Number of Persons Entering and Leaving Crime Annually
Authors: Willmer M.A.P.
Published: March 2007

As time passes, some people start to commit crime for the first time while others drop out of crime. Despite the large amount of data relating to crime and criminals that is collected by official agencies each year, limited attention so far has been paid to such questions as: (1) how many persons actually started to commit crime in contrast to the number of "first offenders" recorded? (2) how many persons actually gave up crime in a given year compared with those who simply avoided arrest?

This paper explores the possibility of developing a method of answers to such questions—a method which, if successfully developed, could lead to an improvement in our understanding of the criminal justice system.
On the Victimization of Juveniles: Some Preliminary Results
Authors: Feyerherm William H. , Hindelang Michael J.
Published: March 2007

Victim surveys have recently enjoyed an increased popularity as a method of obtaining information about the extent and na ture of illegal activities, as well as characteristics of those vic timized. It is somewhat surprising, however, that most published victim surveys have not made adequate provisions to assess the victimizations of juveniles.

In the present study, a questionnaire administered to high- school students was used to elicit information regarding the vic timizations of juveniles. Victimization was found to be rather extensive among these respondents. Males reported more victim izations than did females, while age and father's occupation showed little relationship to victimization. Most victimizations were not reported to the police.

The respondents—females to a greater extent than males— indicated some fear of walking in their own neighborhoods alone at night and also believed that there was a chance of being robbed or attacked in their own neighborhood; these two fears were found to be related to certain recent victimizations.
The Effects of Juvenile Legal Procedures on Juvenile Offenders' Self-Attitudes 1
Authors: Gibbs Leonard E.
Published: March 2007

There is good evidence that boys who conceive of themselves as being delinquent and bad are more likely than others to be involved in delinquent behavior. Possibly the stigma of deten tion, interviews with a probation officer, and juvenile court procedures contribute to such deviant self-conceptions. The re sults of this study do not support this assertion.
Internal versus External Control of Defendants Studied in a Probation Setting
Authors: Henderson Harold L. , Steiner Nolan J.
Published: March 2007

The Rotter I-E Scale was given to 84 defendants referred from the Lucas County Common Pleas Court; a revision of the same scale (revised for lower educational level) was given to 76 similar defendants. Seven variables were analyzed with the Internal- External variable to determine whether there was any significant relationship between them and the I-E variable. Multiple of fenses were significantly related to the Internal variable on the revised I-E Scale (an unexpected direction). Age approached significance in that almost four times more of the older de fendants scored higher on the Internal variable than the External variable on the revised I-E Scale (an unexpected direction). The original I-E Scale did not discriminate on any of the variables studied. The data suggest that as the defendants grow older, commit more offenses, they come into contact with social agen cies which teach Internal values, and respond with "institution alized" answers.
The Impact of Behavior Modification and Transactional Analysis on Institution Social Climate
Authors: Jesness Carl F.
Published: March 2007

Data are presented showing the impact of two experimental programs on the social climates of two institutions for male delinquents. As part of a research project in which behavior modification was introduced in one institution and transactional analysis in another, the Correctional In stitutions' Environment Scale was administered once early in the study and again more than two years later. Large differences in the perceptions of residents were obtained on posttests, with those in the transactional analysis program expressing more positive opinions about their relation ships with staff and the usefulness of the program.
The Appliance Repairman
Authors: Vaughan Diane , Carlo Giovanna
Published: March 2007

White-collar crime victimization is a pervasive but little-researched phenomenon in criminology, because of the difficulties, among others, both in proving the occurrence of a crime and in identifying the victims. This case study of complaining victims of appliance repair fraud pro vides an opportunity to examine victim-offender interaction, victim- responsiveness, and impact of victimization. Contrasting the victim sam ple with a comparison sample on relevant variables reveals that the only significant difference between groups is in reporting of past victimiza tion. Both the victim complaint patterns and criminal justice in adequacies revealed by this study must be addressed if programs of social action are to deal effectively with white-collar crime victimization.
Imprisonment and Recidivism: A Quasi-experimental Study
Authors: Hopkins Andrew
Published: March 2007

Current evidence suggests that imprisonment is, if anything, less effective than non-institutional treatment in the preven tion of recidivism. However, the research on which this con clusion is based contains serious methodological flaws. A quasi-experimental technique, not subject to these weak nesses, is developed here and applied to data on Connecticut offenders. Although subject to difficulties of their own, these data suggest that imprisonment is indeed less effective than its alternatives in preventing recidivism.
Community Prevention and Treatment of Juvenile Delinquency
Authors: Wright William E. , Dixon Michael C.
Published: March 2007

A survey was made of the literature on juvenile delinquency preven tion efforts over the past ten years. From approximately 6,600 abstracts, only 96 reports were found which contained some form of empirical data of project effects. Each report was rated for internal and external validity and for policy utility. Overall, the literature was low in both scientific validity and policy utility. The findings are discussed in relation to three general categories of problems—political, methodological, and theoreti cal. Political pressure may force outcome evaluation when process evaluation would be more appropriate. Methodological problems arise from unclear and varying definitions of prevention, delinquency, and treatment. Simplistic and nonexistent theoretical perspectives lead to unrealistic expectations for success.
Cognitive Barriers to Equal Justice before the Law
Authors: Albrecht Stan L. , Green Miles
Published: March 2007

Recently there has been growing concern with the degree to which the legal needs of the American public-and, more particularly, the poor in America-are being met. The inpetus for such concern has been the realization that if the protection of individual rights depends on income or social class, many individuals will not be guaranteed equal rights. Several studies have documented some of the structural barriers (primarily of an economic nature) to equal justice before the law. Others argue that while economic theories may help account for the adequacy of legal services, they do not fully explain patterns of contact between the public and attorneys. Instead, the overall social organizational characteristics of legal institutions are seen to best account for legal service utilization. We argue that a third set of variables are critical in understanding legal service outcomes. These are labeled social psycho logical disincentives for seeking legal assistance. At the affective level one finds deeply ingrained negativism toward lawyers and the broader legal system more generally. At the cognitive level, there are at least two major problems: 1) lack of information as to the availability of legal aid, and 2) lack of information on basic rights. The assumption guiding the present study is that injustice may be too frequently tolerated because of ignorance of both basic rights and of avenues for the redress of injustice. To test this assumption, data are examined from interviews conducted with four subsamples (total sample size was 398 respondents) selected from several communities in a Rocky Mountain state. Results indicate that ignorance of basic rights is widespread among all samples but is very closely related to such socio-economic characteristics as education and income levels. Some consequences for the functioning of the system are examined.
Answers to Three Questions about Juvenile Diversion
Authors: Bohnstedt Marvin
Published: March 2007

This article reports on an evaluation of eleven California diversion projects and presents answers to the following three questions: (1) How many clients did the program actually divert? (2) How much money did the program save? and (3) Did the program reduce recidivism?

In answer to these questions, the research findings indicate that only half of the clients were diverted from the justice system. The other half would not have been processed further if the projects had not been available. Since so few of the clients would have been processed further, there were no net savings. Program costs were greater than savings. With regard to recidivism, most of the diversion project clients were rearrested within six months at about the same rate as the matched comparison cases which were processed tradition ally. However, three individual projects did reduce recidivism during the six- month follow-up period.

The researchers recommend that diversion projects concentrate services on clients who otherwise would be processed beyond probation intake. This con centration should accomplish the following: (1) increase the number of clients actually diverted from justice system processing, (2) increase savings to the justice system (which savings could be used to fund diversion services), and (3) increase the probability of reducing recidivism.

The researchers also suggest that diversion projects provide services simi lar to those offered by the projects which reduced recidivism—long-term in dividual contact and counseling or specialized family crisis counseling, de pending upon the characteristics of the client, his or her family, and the staff person assigned. These services should be supplemented with recreation, tutor ing, and other school-related support as needed.
I m proved Statistical Techniques for the Measurement of Recidivism
Authors: Harris Carl M. , Moltra Soumyo D.
Published: March 2007

In a recent paper in this journal, Kantrowitz discussed the use of cohort conditional-life tables in the analysis of correctional outcomes, and referred to some related work by Stollmack and Harris on failure-rate analysis. These two approaches are indeed closely related, but the latter does provide some important additional statistical power not otherwise available. These kinds of methodologies provide key insights on program performance and ultimately permit more appropriate statistical assessment of alternative correctional pro grams. The purpose of this paper then is to bring the criminal justice, and crime and delinquency research, communities up to date on developments in the application of failure-rate methods. The fundamental concept used in the approach is the modeling of program outcomes as failure patterns or rates over time. The method has been applied in a number of specific cases, includ ing to the data from Kantrowitz's California parole study.

It is our view that the general adoption of this kind of methodology would lead to the development of standardized techniques of evaluation and more effective data-base management. The proper use of failure-rate methods per mits the handling of alternative definitions for program results and allows analysis of existing data in a more accurate and sensitive way. This should help to solve current problems of comparability and validity of program assessments, to identify significant parameters associated with recidivism, and to make more accurate population projections.
The Conceptualization and Measurement of Citizens' Crime Prevention Behaviors
Authors: Lavrakas Paul J. , Lewis Dan A.
Published: March 2007

During the last decade scholars have begun to investigate crime prevention behav iors among citizens. Various classification schemes have been proposed in implicit and explicit attempts to conceptualize "what people do to reduce the likelihood and/or impact of criminal victimization."A review of four such classification sys tems—avoidance/mobilization activities; access control/surveillance/territori ality; individual/collective behaviors; and public-minded/private-minded activities—finds that in no case was the validity of the distinctions sup ported by empirical evidence. The present paper offers the results of secon dary analyses of data from four surveys—a 1972 Kansas City survey, a 1974 Portland survey, a 1975 Hartford survey, and a 1977 Philadelphia-Chicago-San Francisco survey—each of which included items that measured various crime pre vention behaviors by citizens. A factor analysis and internal consistency check were performed on the relevant set of items from each survey. Results provide pre liminary evidence of what a reliable conceptualization of citizens' crime prevention behaviors may include, and how the dimensions can be measured. It is suggested that future policy making, program planning, research, and evaluation in crime prevention by citizens should consider more fully the uncertain validity of past conceptualizations.
Discretion in the Prison Justice System
Authors: Flanagan Timothy J.
Published: March 2007

Much research in the past decade has focused on decision making at various stages of the criminal justice process, but decisions made within prisons have been examined relatively little. This study investigates dispositional decisions in disciplinary infraction proceedings in a state prison system. It examines the distribution of types of infractions committed and dispositions received, and identifies variables related to different disposition outcomes. Four variables are significantly related to dispositional outcome: the inmate's age and marital status at admission, the inmate's overall disciplinary record, and the type of infraction charged. Although the findings varied across infraction categories, inmates who were young, never married, or had six or more infractions during the current sentence received more severe dispositions. The relationship between seriousness of the infraction and severity of disposition was significant but not strong enough to imply a scaling of penalties relative to the harm pre sented by the offender's conduct. Implications for future research are discussed.
The Corporation in Criminology: New Directions for Research
Authors: FARRELL RONALD A. , SWIGERT VICTORIA L.
Published: March 2007

Beginning with the work of Edwin Sutherland, contributions to the study of corporate crime have been prescriptive in orientation. Such a value stance, it is argued, has clouded empirical investigation of the issue. This article suggests an alternative approach, one oriented toward a definitional perspective on crime. Within this framework, attention may be shifted to empirically neutral questions regarding the causes and processes of changing conceptions of corporate liability.
Delinquency, Crime, and Development: A Case Study of Iceland
Authors: SKINNER WILLIAM F.
Published: March 2007

Despite the voluminous body of literature that has developed around the area of juvenile delinquency in a variety of countries, very little research has specifically focused on this behavioral problem in Iceland. This research addresses this issue by presenting distributional, correlational, and multivariate data on the occurrence of 17 types of delinquency among a sample of young adolescents residing in Reykjavik. It is argued that the demographic and sociocultural characteristics of Iceland set it apart from other modern countries and provide insight to why this country has minimal problems with delinquency. Alcohol and tobacco use occur with the greatest frequency among Icelandic adolescents whereas the least frequent type of delinquent behavior is drug use. Peer group associations and school-related outcomes were found to be the important predictors of delinquency. These findings are discussed in terms of other research in Scandinavian countries and future etiological research.
Geographic Mobility and Criminal Behavior
Authors: TITTLE CHARLES R. , PATERNOSTER RAYMOND
Published: March 2007

A structural model portraying the processes through which geographic mobility presumably affects individual criminal behavior is derived by amalgamating twelve theoretical statements from the literature. The model is then estimated using self-report data from a three-state survey, focusing on four self-projected offenses and change in residence over a ten-year period. The results show no direct influences of mobility but they do indicate the presence of a fairly general indirect effect through the intervening linkage of moral commitment to conventional norms. Thus, in general, mobility appears to reduce moral commitments that, in turn, increase the chances of offense. Yet the discovery of an inverse effect of mobility on the offense of marijuana smoking suggests that the effects of mobility may vary somewhat by type of offense under consideration. We conclude that the mobility/crime linkage merits further attention, especially in an effort to build more specific and conditional theory.
The Impact of Race and Gender on Correctional Officers' Orientation to the Integrated Environment
Authors: VAN VOORHIS PATRICIA , CULLEN FRANCIS T. , LINK BRUCE G. , WOLFE NANCY TRAVIS
Published: March 2007

The effects of race and gender on the work experiences and professional orientations of correctional officers were tested using data obtained from 155 front-line staff in a southern U.S. correctional system. Main effect and interaction multivariate tests were conducted, and both organizational and individual effects were observed. Racial correlates showed that Black officers were significantly more likely to perceive peer support, to perceive their job as dangerous, and to espouse a rehabilitation orientation. Gender was correlated only with supervisory support. Two organizational correlates were found. The first, maximum security placement, adversely affected officers' perceptions of danger and work stress but favorably affected their perceptions of peer support; the other, night shift, showed that workers on that shift were significantly more likely to have a custody orientation. Upon controlling for supervisory support and peer support, R2 values increased for job dissatisfaction, work stress, and role conflict regressions and race and gender effects emerged or became stronger. Specifically, Blacks were more likely to perceive their work as dangerous and dissatisfying and women were more likely to experience work stress. Interaction analysis revealed an interaction between race and peer support and between race and gender on perceptions of danger.
Linking Time and Place: Dynamic Contextualism and the Future of Criminological Inquiry
Authors: SAMPSON ROBERT J.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the author proposes dynamic contextualism as a promising paradigm for future criminological inquiry. This approach recognizes and attempts to join developmental and historical insights, event structures and community context, qualitative narratives and causal explanation, and ultimately, time and place. At core, the author focuses on the unfolding of human lives in particular contexts, but argues that one must also come to grips with social change and the simultaneous—sometimes asynchronous—changing of lives and macrolevel forces (e.g., community, societal). In making his case, the author highlights the key limitations of current community-level and longitudinal approaches, and then presents concrete alternative strategies for future research designs.
A Normative Theory of the Relationship Between Crime Rates and Imprisonment Rates: An Analysis of the Penal Behavior of U.S. States from 1972 to 1992
Authors: OUIMET MARC , TREMBLAY PIERRE
Published: March 2007

In this study, the authors regressed state imprisonment rates on three crime rates (homicide, robbery, burglary) at three points in time (1972, 1982 and 1992). They show that states that experience higher crime rates have higher imprisonment levels at all three periods. The authors also show that a basic pattern governing imprisonment trends is determined by the states' relative punitiveness scores: States found to be overpunitive, given their crime rates, tend to increase their imprisonment rate at a lower rate than other states. Conversely, states found to be underpunitive tend to increase their imprisonment rate in subsequent years at a faster pace than others.
Burglary Victimization, Perceptions of Crime Risk, and Routine Activities: A Multilevel Analysis Across Seattle Neighborhoods and Census Tracts
Authors: ROUNTREE PAMELA WILCOX , LAND KENNETH C.
Published: March 2007

This study extends previous research on the effects of victimization in terms of fear of crime and constrained behavior by examining both micro- and macrolevel factors. In particular, we address the way in which contextual indicators of ambient risk can affect individuals' perceived risk and lifestyles through both main effects and moderating effects—where the latter cause the effects of individual-level factors on risk perception and routine activities to vary across residential communities. Results presented here suggest that increased levels of crime (as indicated by tract-level burglary rates) and disorganization (as indicated by high levels of neighborhood incivilities, for instance) have important direct positive effects on perceived crime risk, whereas neighborhood social integration decreases perceived risk. Further, tract-level crime rates have direct positive effects on protective behaviors, but community disorder, for the most part, does not lead to an increase in precautionary measures. Important moderating effects of crime and disorganization are also found. For instance, the tendency for non-Whites to perceive lower crime risk (or to feel less unsafe) than Whites is intensified in disorderly areas.
An Application of Stafford and Warr's Reconceptualization of Deterrence to Drinking and Driving
Authors: PIQUERO ALEX , PATERNOSTER RAYMOND
Published: March 2007

In a recent restatement of the deterrence doctrine, Stafford and Warr (1993) argued that deterrence is felt through a mixture of personal and vicarious experiences with punishment and the avoidance of punishment. An implication of the premise that persons may be affected by both what they directly experience and what they only indirectly experience through others is that they may be influenced by both general and specific deterrence mechanisms. In an empirical test of this reconceptualization, the authors found that persons' expressed intentions to drink and drive are affected by (1) personal and vicarious experiences and (2) punishment and punishment avoidance. Strong deterrent effects were found for the perceived certainty of punishment that is directed at one's self. The authors also found that moral beliefs that prohibit drunk driving are an effective source of inhibition. In addition, the social control of drunk driving seems to operate equally well for men and women.
Childhood Risk Factors for Adolescent Gang Membership: Results from the Seattle Social Development Project
Authors: HILL KARL G. , HOWELL JAMES C. , HAWKINS J. DAVID , BATTIN-PEARSON SARA R.
Published: March 2007

Adolescents who join gangs are more frequently involved in serious delinquency compared with those who do not, yet few studies have conducted a prospective examination of risk factors for gang membership. The present study uses longitudinal data to predict gang membership in adolescence from factors measured in childhood. Data were from the Seattle Social Development Project, an ethnically diverse, gender-balanced sample (n = 808) followed prospectively from age 10 to 18. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors at ages 10 through 12 predictive of joining a gang between the ages of 13 and 18. Neighborhood, family, school, peer, and individual factors significantly predicted joining a gang in adolescence. Youth exposed to multiple factors were much more likely to join a gang. Implications for the development of gang prevention interventions are discussed.
The Impact of Probation on the Criminal Activities of Offenders
Authors: MacKENZIE DORIS LAYTON , BROWNING KATHARINE , SKROBAN STACY B. , SMITH DOUGLAS A.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the impact of probation on the criminal activities of offenders using self-report and official records. In comparison to the year before arrest, the number of offenders self-reporting criminal activity declined, as did the rate of offending among those who continued to offend. Investigations of the different crime types revealed that the crime reduction effect of probation was mainly a result of its effect on property and dealing crimes. Probation was not significantly associated with reductions in person or forgery/fraud offenses. A Linear Structural Relationships (LISREL) analysis of the agent-response model investigated the impact of probation on self-reported criminal activities and probation violations during the first 6 months of probation. The analysis indicated that probation violations were associated with criminal activity. However, increases in the intrusiveness of conditions, in the agent's knowledge of misbehavior, or in how the agent responded to misbehavior were not associated with either criminal activity or violations of conditions.
How Teacher Education Matters
Authors: Darling-Hammond Linda
Published: March 2007

Despite longstanding criticisms of teacher education, the weight of substantial evidence indicates that teachers who have had more preparation for teaching are more confident and successful with students than those who have had little or none. Recent evidence also indicates that reforms of teacher education creating more tightly integrated programs with extended clinical preparation interwoven with coursework on learning and teaching produce teachers who are both more effective and more likely to enter and stay in teaching. An important contribution of teacher education is its development of teachers’abilities to examine teaching from the perspective of learners who bring diverse experiences and frames of reference to the classroom.
The Growth of for-Profit Higher Education
Authors: Morey Ann
Published: March 2007

The article examines the recent growth of for-profit higher education in the United States with a special emphasis on teacher education. Recent increased interest in for-profit education accompanied by the availability of venture capital has focused discussion and debate on this growing segment of American education. Supporters of for-profit education point to the benefits that accrue from competition in a free market scenario, most importantly, the improvement of education and potential reduction in costs. Educators argue that public schools and universities play a critical role in a democratic society by providing education for citizenship and access to opportunity—functions rarely addressed by for-profit firms. At the higher education level, for-profit universities are beginning to offer teacher education programs specifically designed to meet state requirements only. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these developments for traditional colleges and universities.
Cohesive Features in the Expository Writing of Undergraduates in Two Chinese Universities
Authors: Meisuo Zhang
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the use of cohesive features in the expository compositions of Chinese undergraduates, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. One hundred and seven essays were collected from two Chinese universities and assessed by three raters. Halliday and Hasan's (1976) taxonomy of cohesive devices and their framework for analysis were used. Students employed in their writing a variety of cohesive devices with some categories of ties used more frequently than others. Lexical devices were the most frequently used, followed by conjunctions and reference devices. In terms of tie distances, the majority of the cohesive ties were either immediate or remote. There was no statistically significant relationship between the number of cohesive ties used and the quality of writing. Certain cohesive features were identified in the expository writing of Chinese undergraduates which included ambiguity in reference, overuse and misuse of conjunctions, and restricted use of lexical cohesion.
Research Into Chinese Efl Learner Strategies: Methods, Findings and Instructional Issues
Authors: Zhang Lawrence Jun
Published: March 2007

Spearheaded by Rubin (1975) and others (e.g. Stem 1975), extensive re search into language learner strategies (LLS) has been conducted to investi gate successful and less successful learner behaviours in the West in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). Research into EFL learner strategies in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is beginning to gain some momentum and can be roughly divided into two major strands. One is some sporadic writings about language learners' learning methods possibly without the writers being explicitly exposed to influences from this learning theory. The other is empirical research through different data elicitation methods in the Western empirical research tradition. While the first strand relies heavily on anecdotal evidence on general learner behaviours, the other has explored, so far, different skill areas, including strategies for oral communication, listening strategies, vocabulary learning strategies, reading strategies, writing strategies, LLS in general, and learner metacognition of learning processes. It seems that almost all the studies have tried to establish correlations between learner strategies and language learning achievements. This article examines how research into Chinese EFL learner strategies has contributed to the understanding of Chinese EFL students, trying to find a link between this information and its insight into peda gogical practices in the classroom.
Language Choices in the Foreign Language Classroom: Target Language or the Learners' First Language?
Authors: Crawford Jane
Published: March 2007

Second language acquisition research has led to a major emphasis on the need for learners to experience the target language (TL) in use if they themselves are to become users of the language. At the same time, there is discussion of the role of the first language (L 1) as a tool in the processing of language/culture experiences. Achieving optimal levels ofTL and L1 use is particularly important in school-based foreign language programs where the teacher is often the only proficient speaker and opportunities for TL use beyond the classroom may be limited. This paper presents the results of a survey of language teachers' attitudes to and use of the target language in Queensland, Australia. The responses suggest that many teachers continue to make extensive use of the learners' L 1. Such practices make the move to approaches involving learning through the language problematic. The findings suggest, also, that many teachers see the learners' L1 as the appropriate medium for cross-lingual, cross-cultural comparisons. While the teachers' own level of proficiency had some influence, experience in the target culture seemed to be more influential both on teachers' attitudes to proficiency as a goal and their reported use of the TL.
English as the International Language of Research
Authors: Swales John
Published: March 2007

The annual world output of research papers and scholarly ar ticles is large and increasing, and there is little doubt that English is the medium of publication for the majority of such papers. However, closer analyses of the available data reveal rather few papers from non- native speakers, especially from the Third World. This imbalance sug gests that English is only the International Language of Research in a receptive sense. It needs to become so in a productive sense as well if Third World investment in doctoral scholarship etc. is to remain justified. Unfortunately, the ESP profession has concentrated on undergraduate teaching programmes and rather neglected the teaching of Research English. However, there are now welcome signs of change, which may therefore aid a process of making English a truly international language rather than one over-restricted in terms of publication sources to the Northern Hemisphere.
Analyzing Input and Interaction in Second Language Classrooms
Authors: Amy Tsui Bik-may
Published: March 2007

Current theories of language input, interaction and second language acquisition have claimed that the kind of language input that has been made available to the learners and the kind of interac tion that they have been involved in have important effects on the language acquired. It has been hypothesized that input which is com prehensible and interaction which has been modified best facilitate second language acquisition. Since the classroom is one of the few places where comprehensible input and modified interaction are made available, and since the teacher is an important source of in put, this paper suggests that it is essential for ESL teachers to analyze what actually has gone on in their own language classrooms. It pro poses a system for analyzing input and interaction in the classroom. This system is then applied to two English lessons in secondary schools in Hong Kong. The observations are discussed in the context of current theories of input, interaction and second language acquisi tion.
The Case for a Pedagogy of Pragmatics in Foreign or Second Language Teaching
Authors: Blanche Patrick
Published: March 2007

Not everyone can use pragmatic competence to maintain a conversa tion as a cooperative venture, and comparatively few attempts have been made to account for the development of the linguistic abilities that one may need to have in order to exhibit such competence. Yet many pragmatic components of language are probably acquired in learning sequences which correspond to successive stages in the development of children. In this article, the author (summarizes cur rent linguistic theory in the area of pragmatics,) reviews the empirical evidence which suggests that the acquisition of pragmatics is a developmental process and comes to the conclusion that teachers could and should include pragmatic components in the language cur riculum.
Realizations of English Final Stops by Chinese Speakers in Taiwan
Authors: Pennington Martha C. , Ku Pei-yu
Published: March 2007

This study examines the production of English final stops /p, b, t, d, k, g/ by native Chinese speakers in Taiwan. Sixteen females in four age groups performed structured production tasks involving the reading of CVC items in a word list, sentences, and a connected prose passage. Results show variation for task, final stop, age, and native linguistic variety (Amoy vs. Mandarin).
The Quality of Software for Computer-Based Literacy Learning
Authors: Winser Bill , Cheung Wing
Published: March 2007

Literacy learning programs using computers have been developed on a variety of assumptions about language, language learning and instructional design. This paper will explore a number of criteria for the assessment of computer assisted language learning (CALL) programs based first, on a functional model of language and literacy and second, on a number of criteria for good instructional design. The first criterion, language learning, derives from the insights obtained from a functional linguistics which links texts to cultural context, and views language as a set of resources for use. Reading and writing are seen as learned social and cultural practices, so that cultural concerns of, for example, the local region or community, have a systematic and specifiable realisation in texts, language use and students' understandings. Criteria obtained from the field of instructional design are also used to evaluate the software programs. They are the purpose, content, structure, navigation, learner control, presentation style, and feedback. From the above evaluation, we provide insights for making decisions about the quality and usefulness of software programs for language-based literacy learning, and list some programs that rate moderately on these criteria.
In Search of Identity within the Hare Krishna Movement: Memory, Oblivion and Thought Style
Authors: SQUARCINI Federico
Published: March 2007

In its early days, the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON) was considered by its members to be an ideal micro-society that, once developed, would replace the existing “materialistic” social structure. Although this aspiration now appears “utopic” even to most of the membership, it is still useful as a model in which the accuracy of certain new social theories related to identity and knowledge can be tested: in particular, the phenomenon known as “thought style” finds a striking application in the approach that both institutional and individual ISKCON members have taken to the world. The Hare Krishna movement has undergone several important changes in a relatively brief history, and these are all well documented. In this article the author illuminates the various transformations of Hare Krishna thought style, and the complex dynamics that have accompanied them.
Rational Choice or Sacred Contagion? “Rationality”, “Non-rationality” and Religion
Authors: MELLOR Philip A.
Published: March 2007

Drawing from the utilitarian tradition of economics to propose the leanest formal theoretical models for sociology, “rational choice theory” rejects the Durkheimian interest in society as a reality transcendent of the individual in favour of a revitalization of individualist and rationalist conceptualizations of social order. This theory has, arguably, had one of its strongest substantive applications within the sociology of religion, though Durkheim's focus on the idea that religion is an elementary part of the collective constitution of societies is rejected in favour of the view that religion is just one of many products that can be consumed by individuals as they seek to satisfy their self-interests. In this paper, the fundamentally non-social character of the rational choice approach is examined. Through an examination of the difficulties surrounding the notion of “rationality” and the residual category of the “non-rational” in rational choice models, it will be suggested that it is a reassessment of the Durkheimian tradition rather than a revival of rationalistic utilitarianism that provides a more valuable theoretical direction for the future development of the sociology of religion.
The Significance of Exoteric and Esoteric Imagination in Psychological Development
Authors: CHIRICO Donna M.
Published: March 2007

The author proposes two forms of imagination inherent in the psychological development of the individual. These complementary aspects are an exoteric, secular dimension of imagination and an esoteric, transcendent dimension. Both are essential, but it is the latter spiritual imagination that is the catalyst in transcending the everyday as well as achieving ultimate goals. The author explores the relationship between transcendent imagination and its pervasive influence on the achievement of valued goals by evaluating educational attainment among Americans of Italian descent as a function of esoteric imagination. Although this group has achieved economic parity with other immigrant groups, it still lags behind in occupational and educational attainment. The conclusion drawn is that when an individual possesses a heightened sense of transcendent imagination, that person is able to break away from conventional roles by envisioning creative possibilities that come from within the psyche rather than the surrounding social milieu.
Rationalité et Connaissance Face à Une Mystique Grandissante
Authors: JACOPOZZI Alfredo
Published: March 2007

In this essay, the author discusses the need to view rationality and mysticism in terms of their fundamental elective affinities. He then analyses this type of configuration from a theoretical point of view through one of the key episodes in the history of western thought, highlighting the affinities of design and structure between mysticism and illuminism. This is followed, in conclusion, by some considerations on their intrinsic dialectic within the postmodern sphere. After a conception that tended to freeze the infinite variety of life and its forms of expression into the abstract uniqueness of a universal grammar, this critical-mystical reasoning opens the way for new and different languages that can aid us in rethinking the destiny of humans and society.
Les problèmes d'adaptation en Islam
Authors: Dobretsberger Josef
Published: March 2007

Profound changes in politics, the structure of internal affairs and culture during recent decades have led inside Islam to the problem of the "Aggiornamento" — the adjustment to a knowledge of the demands of the times and the adaptation and practice of religion in a new industrial milieu — in a way similar to what happened within the Catholic Church. The charismatic period of primitive Islam is recalled. In Egypt especially, which is the centre of efforts at reform, the connection between Socialism and Islam is a point of interest. Political factors (Colonialism) and matters of domestic economy did not result for Islam, as they frequently did for Christian Europe, in a conflict between the political demands of the working class and religious allegiances. One can speak of Islam as "system neutral". At the same time there is taking place, to use Bultmann's terminology, a "demythologising". The teachings of the Koran are explained in terms of modern thought and the traditional exposition of them is criticised. The old mysticism and asceticism still survive alongside this rationalism, together with the forms of their degeneration. A particular tendency is the close connection between Sufism and Pantheism observable today in Iraq and Persia. The Muslim Brotherhood can be held up as an example of a political offshoot of Sufism. The picture of Islam which the European has is even today stamped with prejudices dating back to the time of the Crusades, whereas Islam has in its favour, by reason of its recognition of the New Testament as valid revelation, a certain tolerance with regard to Christ which formerly was only broken with for purely political motives. Various problems of adjustment reveal themselves in situations of everyday life; co-education for men and women in schools, the form in which prayer shonld be performed — here one discerns even stronger resistance of Orthodoxy. But efforts will be made during the transitiou to a mass society to prevent the kind of friction and estrangement between Church and State which took place in 19th century Europe. Islam could, through adjustment to modern life, win a new missionary attractiveness, especially among the peoples of Central Africa.
Spiritual leadership and organizational leadership
Authors: Imse Th P.
Published: March 2007

Le conflit des rôles, quoique fréquent, offre un caractère plutôt excep tionnel en ce qui concerne le Pape. Dans son cas, il ne s'agit pas du conflit type entre rôle principal et secondaire, mais du conflit possible entre ses deux principaux rôles. Toute action accomplie par lui peut être interprêtée par l'observateur comme allant dans le sens ou à l'encontre du rôle particulier que, lui observateur, choisit de déclarer comme étant le plus important en ce moment. En tant que leader spirituel, on attend du pape qu'il soit un guide et que vis-à-vis du monde il se prononce et lui montre la voie de la Vérité. En tant que leader d'une organsation massive, d'une bureaucratie, il doit protéger et conserver sa continuité. Les deux rôles entrent aisément en conflit. Dans le cas du contrôle des naissances, il se trouve devant la nécessité d'amener le peuple à affronter un problème et à envisager la possibilité d'un changement nécessaire. Mais, en même temps, il est tenu par la crainte que l'Eglise en tant qu'institution perde respect, force ou continuité. Cette situation présente donc dans son aspect de conflit des rôles un caractère angoissant car les personnes concernées par l'un de ces deux rôles en appellent, chacune dans le sens qui est le sien, au leadership du Pape. La comprehension du conflit entre les rôles spirituel et bnreaucratiqrie suggère des implications spéciales pour l'interprétation théologique.
Structure et Signification : problème de méthode en sociologie des organisations claustrales
Authors: Servais Emile , Hambye Francis
Published: March 2007

In adopting a structural point of view in order to analyse institutionalized forms of religious life, we were led not only to show the totality or the system from which the different elements take their meaning, but also we had the possibility of comparing organized religious life with other forms of social organizations.

Using this method, it becomes possible, on the one hand, to bring to light the latent functions of certain elements of the system ; and on the other hand, to question the credibility of the meanings which are officially attributed to organized religious life.

Among the elements which go to make up the meaning of religious life, this study is concerned with the model of authority.

In order to describe the tensions which organized religious life is undergoing at the moment, one can separate the various institutions by treating them as systems which are evolving under the single pressure of internal forces.

However, if we wish to explain such phenomena, it is indispensable to reinsert the structure which is being studied into a larger cultural setting, the dominant culture of the period.

In fact, organized religious life confers a positive meaning on its institutions in taking up again in an unconscious way the cultural models which have been interiorized by the whole of society in a diffused manner, which because of this possess es a high credibility.
Reasons for the Retention of Religiosity in the Psychology of the Kolkhoz Peasantry and Ways of Overcoming it
Authors: Alekseev N.P.
Published: March 2007

A partir d'un échantillon de 1522 croyants et 1367 non- croyants, l'auteur essaye de corréler la religiosité avec l'âge, le sexe, l'éducation et le statut professionnel. Seul 1 % de l'échantillon est de confession orthodoxe russe. L'auteur montre que les croyances des kolkhoziens sont passives et ir raisonnées, attachées superficiellement à la tradition. La pro pagande athée devrait ainsi tenir compte de certains fac teurs socio-démographiques propres à la campagne russe.