bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muslims and Democracy an Empirical Critique of Fukuyama’s Culturalist Approach
Authors: al-Braizat Fares
Published: July 2005

This paper intends to demonstrate three objectives: (1) Fukuyama’s theory of the triumph of liberal democracy is cross culturally plausible at the attitudinal level; (2) Fukuyama’s claim that Islam is resistant to modernity (characterized by liberal democracy and capitalism) does not hold up to empirical testing. That is, using Islam as an explanatory variable of democracy/authoritarianism is largely uncorroborated; and (3) Explore alternative explanations for the absence of democracy in most of Middle Eastern countries. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of Human Development and Political Opportunity Structure for the explanation of democracy/authoritarianism. The main conclusion of the paper is that Islam is largely irrelevant as an explanatory variable for authoritarianism/democracy.
Trends in Political Action: The Developmental Trend and the Post-Honeymoon Decline
Authors: Inglehart Ronald , Catterberg Gabriela
Published: July 2005

More than two decades ago, the authors of Political Action (Barnes et al. 1979) predicted that what was then called “unconventional political participation” would become more widespread throughout advanced industrial societies, because it was part of a deep-rooted intergenerational change. Time series data from the 1974 Political Action survey, together with data from four waves of the World Values Surveys demonstrates that this change has indeed taken place—to such an extent that petitions, boycotts, and other forms of direct action are no longer unconventional but have become more or less normal actions for a large part of the citizenry of post-industrial societies.

This type of elite-challenging actions also played an important part in the Third Wave of democratization—but after the transition to democracy, most of the new democracies subsequently experienced a post-honeymoon phase of disillusionment with democracy, in which direct political action declined. This paper analyzes data from more than 70 countries containing more than 80 percent of the world’s population, interpreting the long-term dynamics of elite-challenging political participation in both established democracies and new democracies. Our interpretation implies that the current decline in direct political action in the new democracies is a “post-honeymoon” period effect; in the long run, we expect that elite-challenging activity will move on an upward trajectory in most of the new democracies, as has been the case in virtually all established democracies.
Attitudes Toward Democracy: Mexico in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Moreno Alejandro , Méndez Patricia
Published: July 2005

Mexico’s gradual democratization had a critical point in 2000, when the presidential election brought about political alternation in that country. If democracy requires a compatible value system that helps such a system endure, how democratic are Mexicans today and what implications does this have for democratic consolidation in Mexico? This article examines new survey data to address this old question. Our findings reveal that the prevailing political culture in Mexico expresses comparatively low support for democracy and relatively high support for non-democratic government, on the one hand, and low interpersonal trust, low levels of tolerance, and a strong emphasis on deference, on the other. Education is an important determinant of democratic values, and individual variation is significant on a wide range of attitudes. Changes over time also indicate that Mexicans have reinforced both democratic and non-democratic values in the last few years, which makes it hard to assess whether, overall, Mexico’s democratic values are expanding or shrinking.
Intergenerational Differences in Political Values and Attitudes in Stable and New Democracies
Authors: Siemienska Renata
Published: July 2005

The examination of the intergenerational differences in two groups of democratic countries (traditional democratic countries and countries that began to establish democratic systems a little more than 10 years ago, when communist systems were overthrown in Central and Eastern Europe) shows growing similarities in attitudes and behaviors among young generations. The process is a consequence of cultural and economic globalization that encourages processes of change and adaptation in the new democracies.
Why are Some Women Politically Active? The Household, Public Space, and Political Participation in India
Authors: Chhibber Pradeep
Published: July 2005

Women in India do not participate in political life to the same extent as men. While a fair number of women turn out to vote they have little representation in legislative bodies at the national and state level. This paper attributes the limited presence of women in legislative bodies to the fact that many women are still confined to the household. Evidence to support this claim comes from an analysis of a survey that was conducted in a state of Northern India to assess which women have been able to take the opportunity to join local bodies where, one-third of all seats, are now reserved for women. The analysis suggests that even after controlling for demographic factors, only those women who have an identity that is independent of the household are likely to avail the opportunity to contest elections for local bodies. The paper then extends the findings from the Indian case to other nations by analyzing the World Values Survey and finds that similar patterns exist globally. It is women who have an identity outside the household who are more likely to be politically active.
Regions and Interaction Networks: An Institutional-Materialist Perspective
Authors: Chase-Dunn Christopher , Jorgenson Andrew
Published: July 2005

We contend that interaction networks are far superior to cultural area and regional approaches for bounding human social systems. This article discusses methodological and conceptual issues in bounding human social systems and their interactions with the natural environment and examines several recent innovations in information technology that facilitate the study of interaction networks.
Structural Impediments of the Civil Society Project in Iran: National and Global Dimensions
Authors: Chaichian Mohammad A.
Published: July 2005

The origins of the “civil society” concept can be traced to the nineteenth century European political thought. But in the last two decades the concept has been revived in an eclectic and non-critical fashion by Western governments and affiliated donor agencies with vested neo-colonial and economic interests in Eastern Europe, former Soviet republics, and developing countries. This article argues that as an alternative to radical ideologies and revolutionary processes of social change, the civil society concept has been transformed into a neutral and allegedly non-ideological pragmatic “project” for establishing democracy and promoting market-based economies in developing nations. The article entails two components. First, it traces historical origins of the civil society concept from Locke, Hegel and Marx to Gramsci and Habermas, as well as resurrection of the concept by western governments, particularly in the United States and Britain. Second, it examines the feasibility of establishing civil society in developing countries by using the Islamic Republic of Iran as a case study, particularly since the victory of Mohammad Khatami and pro-reform factions in the 1997 presidential elections. Using Antonio Gramsci’s interpretation of civil society and providing a conceptual model, the article concludes that the civil society project in Iran and other developing countries is a recipe for failure due to both internal and external structural impediments.
Three against Four: A Cultural Analysis of the Disappearance of Women in Kalabari
Authors: Wariboko Nimi
Published: July 2005

In Kalabari there is a remarkable pervasiveness of tripartite schemes. This was not the situation centuries ago, and it is at variance with the baseline culture in the Niger Delta. In the past, and still among other Ijo communities, number three and odd numbers in general were associated with men; and even numbers and four in particular were associated with women. This paper investigates why the number-symbolism changed and "feminine" numbers disappeared from the traditional religious cosmology. Our analysis suggests that the transformation of Kalabari society from fishing village to trading state altered the gender balance in favor of men. With their newly found dominance in long-distance trade, which relied on violence for success, the reproduction of social relationships was structured in various ways to produce and maintain the worldview that what was masculine and strong was good for the governance of society. The prominence of number three in Kalabari social relations is, therefore, an "archaeological" artifact of historic transformation of gender relations.
New Theory or New Dogma? A Tale of Social Capital and Economic Development from Gujarat, India
Authors: Gidwani Vinay
Published: July 2005

The quest to discover the most robust predictors of economic development continues unabated. Social scientists have run the gamut, for instance, from demographic pressure to the degree of price distortion, and savings rate to the rate of technical innovation. Currently, the attention is on "social capital." Although empirical studies operationalize social capital in an almost bewildering number of ways, the shared impulse of these studies, the article suggests, has been to parlay "culture" in a form sensible to economics and policy science: in terms of its capacity to generate economic returns. While there is a pressing need to recognize the discursivity (linguistic and social embeddedness) of economic categories, "culture" translated as "social capital" is a sorely inadequate formulation. Bourdieu's notion of "symbolic capital" is, theoretically and empirically, far more instructive. Employing primary and archival evidence, the article demonstrates how the pursuit of "symbolic capital" by the dominant Patel caste has produced an unexpected trajectory of agrarian change in the Matar subdistrict of Gujarat, India; and, in so doing, it indicates how the analysis of "social capital" could be revised.
Alienated Life: Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Ultra Poor in Thailand
Authors: Krongkaew Medhi
Published: July 2005

This paper analyzes socioeconomic characteristics of more than 1,300 extremely poor households randomly selected from rural areas in four regions of Thailand in 1999. These "ultra poor" households are observed to share the same demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as the ordinary-poor households in Thailand, such as relatively large family sizes, large demographic dependency ratios, household heads with low or no schooling, and lack of land assets. However, unlike the general poor, the ultra poor are more likely to be general laborers (instead of farm laborers), have a higher incidence of widows as heads of households, fewer number of working days, and greater burden of chronically ill and disabled persons in the family. Surprisingly, despite the Thai government's large number of social assistance schemes, very few of the ultra poor report receiving any assistance. A large proportion of the ultra poor are very pessimistic about their prospects for escaping poverty. To help the ultra poor, the paper concludes that the government will need to maintain macroeconomic and sectoral policies that bring about economic growth, adopt general anti-poverty policies that promote income-generating opportunity and capability of the poor, and provide safety nets for those whose family members suffer from catastrophic and chronic illnesses and disabilities.
The Rural Road to Poverty Reduction: Some Lessons from the Philippine Experience
Authors: Balisacan Arsenio M. , Pernia Ernesto M.
Published: July 2005

This paper examines how government policies and institutional arrangements affect rural welfare outcomes. Reviewing the Philippine experience, it shows that inappropriate policies and institutions stifle the response of the rural sector to agricultural growth, with adverse effects on the rural poor and overall economic development. Besides economic growth, policies that foster rural infrastructure, favorable agricultural terms of trade, and agrarian reform lead to poverty reduction. However, weak institutions slow the implementation of agrarian reform. Thus, unless agrarian reform can be achieved swiftly, rural development strategies should better focus on investments in physical and social infrastructures, research and technology transfer, SME development, and enforcement of contracts.
Introduction: Globalization and Post-Apartheid South Africa
Authors: Zegeye Abebe
Published: July 2005

The articles in this special edition all relate in diverse ways to the present incapacity of governments, especially the South African government, to execute internal reform programs that have traditionally been their preserve, but have changed in the face of global demands requiring the often scarce resources needed for such programs. One of the most important of these since the first democratically elected government came into power in South Africa has been the attempt to create greater equality, while at the same time leading the country successfully into the global era. The articles appearing here inform the reader of the state of progress made towards greater equality in South Africa in spite of the conflicting demands made by global capital and the population of South Africa on a weakened state structure.
Globalization, Global History, and Africa
Authors: Dedering Tilman
Published: July 2005

This analysis of African identities in view of globalization focuses on the historical roots of globalization, treating the effects of globalization on the African continent as a whole. The article explores how Eurocentric and Afrocentric ideas have influenced the debate about how Africa could be positioned in the face of global challenges. These ideas of cultural or racial “exceptionalism” frequently rely on ahistorical perceptions of “fixed” identities, which fosters a unilinear concept of historical continuity that extends from colonialism to globalization. In the South African context, however, it is difficult to invoke “traditional” sources of power because of the proliferation of identities.
New Methods, New Motives? Appraising Police Behavioral Change in a Post-Apartheid Police Unit
Authors: Marks Monique
Published: July 2005

This study of policing in Durban, finds that, in keeping with the representative elections in 1994 that led to a new, more democratic political dispensation in South Africa, policing has become more tolerant and democratic. However, some repressive, authoritarian, and violent responses to the public still occur. In the context of the transition to democratic governance, this paper reviews the conduct of the Public Order Police (POP), a unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Observations of the unit and interviews with members of all ranks demonstrate that significant change in police responses toward the public has taken place, but sometimes members of the unit repeat past behavior despite organizational reform processes. Drawing on the work of Janet Chan, this resistance to change is explained in terms of deeply held assumptions, attitudes, and values.
The Farce of Homeland Independence: Kwa-Ndebele, the Untold Story
Authors: Phatlane Stephens Ntsoakae
Published: July 2005

This article analyzes the events leading to the aborted attempt to enforce “independence” on Kwa-Ndebele, a small area not far from Pretoria. These events are related to the youth-led revolt shaking South Africa after 1976, also emphasizing aspects relating to similar issues involved in independence in other homelands. By doing this, this study not only contributes to establishing the high priority that should be given to development of former homeland areas, but also provides guidelines regarding how such development should take place.
Fracture and Fatigue Tests and Analysis of Composite Sandwich Structure
Authors: Berkowitz C. Kyle , Johnson W. Steven
Published: July 2005

A composite sandwich system is investigated in this research. Quasi-static fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth experimental and analytical approaches are the focus. The particular system studied is comprised of a Nomex (aramid fiber) honeycomb core with graphite/epoxy facesheets (skins).

A modified version of the double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen geometry is used for experimentation. The critical strain energy release rate, Gc, is used to characterize the fracture toughness of the facesheet-core joint. Fatigue crack growth testing is also performed. Novel analytical and experimental techniques are coupled and utilized to address challenges presented by the material system, especially difficult crack visualization. Crack length and growth can be estimated with an empirical approach, employing a compliance calibration. Experiments can also be simulated once several constants are estimated, aiding design. Many of these techniques can be generalized to other adhesive DCB experimentation.

Results show that cold tests result in higher fracture toughnesses and slightly slower fatigue crack growth rates than room temperature tests. The hot temperature has less significant impact. Although only a limited amount of very slow growth data (<10−6 mm/cycle) is measured, the material appears to behave with a fatigue threshold of ≈7% of fracture toughness; and a Paris crack growth model is successfully fit with an exponent of ≈3.2. Results also show the failure of this system is always in the aramid paper core material.
Characterization of the Electron Beam Curing of Cationic Polymerization of Diglycidylether of Bisphenol A Epoxy Resin
Authors: Ribeiro Rahul , Morgan Roger J. , Bonnaud Leila , Lu Jim , Sue Hung-Jue , Choi Jin , Lopata Vincent
Published: July 2005

The characterization of electron beam (E-beam) curing of diglycidyl-ether of bisphenol A-diaryliodonium hexafluoroantimonate epoxy resin-initiator system is reported as a function of (i) diaryliodonium hexafluoroantimonate catalyst (initiator) concentrations of 0.1-10 parts per hundred (phr) and (ii) total electron beam doses of 5-150 kilogray (kGy). The in situ E-beam temperature of the resin is monitored as a function of dose-time characteristics. The degree of cure is monitored after radiation exposure by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and the glass transition temperatures (Tg) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The degree of cure and cure rate increased with total dose exposure and initiator concentration. The maximum cure rate occurred at 5 kGy exposure and, thereafter, decreased as reactive species concentration decreased. The maximum in situ E-beam temperature of 76°C was recorded for the resin containing 10 phr of initiator, with a maximum degree of cure of 94% and a glass transition temperature of 86 C, indicating that the cure reactions under E-beam are glassy state diffusion controlled.

The resin glass transition temperatures are considerably lower than the thermally cured glass transition temperatures of 170 C because of H2O termination reactions at the lower E-beam cure temperatures that result in a poor cross-linked network. In addition, the diaryliodonium hexafluoroantimonate catalytic activity for epoxide cationic polymerization is retarded by H2O.

E-beam exposure causes the diaryliodonium hexafluoroantimonate to dissociate into active catalytic species, such as HSbF6, well below 100°C compared to catalytic thermal induced dissociation near 200°C.

The E-beam cure reaction rate is modeled as a function of degree of cure and dose exposure by a standard autocatalytic kinetic model.
Dynamic Response and Fracture Characterization of Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites with Mode-I Crack
Authors: Yao X. F. , Yeh H. -Y. , Zhao H. P.
Published: July 2005

In this paper, the synthesis and micro/nanoscopic characterizations of polymer-clay nanocomposites are briefly introduced. Dynamic response for mode-I crack tip in polymer-clay nanocomposite is studied by combining high speed photography with optical caustic method. A series of caustic spots surrounding the crack tip are recorded, which can reflect the dynamic stress concentration at the crack tip. Some valuable fracture parameters such as the maximum caustic characteristic size and stress intensity factor are extracted. The influence of the weight content of nanoparticles on dynamic response of the nanocomposite is shown. Microscopic fracture images of nanocomposites are analyzed by SEM. These results are useful for the reliable design of nanocomposite techniques and the evaluation of dynamic properties of nanocomposites.
Tic or Compulsion?
Authors: Mansueto Charles S. , Keuler David J.
Published: July 2005

A subgroup of individuals suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently present to treatment with an atypical yet distinguishable array of symptoms akin to both Tourette’s disorder (TD) and OCD. These individuals often receive standard treatments for OCD (or less likely, TD) that fail to address the blended features of their presentation. It is argued that these individuals would be better served, both psychotherapeutically and pharmacologically, by the adoption of a Tourettic OCD (TOCD) conceptual framework.
Barriers to Product Innovation in Small Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Freel Mark S.
Published: July 2005

MARK S. FREEL IS A LECTURER IN THE Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. This paper seeks to understand the nature and extent of barriers to innovation within a sample of small manufacturing firms. After identifying from the literature four broad categories of constraint (finance, management and marketing, skilled labour, and information) it is found, inter alia, that:

* while the sample provides no evidence that innovators are more likely to apply for external finance (as a proxy for greater need), the data does suggest that, of those firms who had applied for external funds, innovators were less likely to have been successful than their less innovative peers. This latter finding is tempered by generally low levels of applications and application failures. However, perhaps of more concern, there remains a heavy reliance on short-term debt funding for innovation.

* improving in-house technical and marketing competencies are identified by the firms as key to improving their innovative activity rather than accessing external skills and increasing the number of internal 'experts' and in preferen-ce to managemenit, finanice and exporting skills.

* the study also signals the eiiployment of graduates as imnportan-t to innovation, although the nature of cause and effect is unclear.

* finally, the study suggests that the level of firm interaction with external agencies is disappointingly low and that the principal barriers to collaboration are "lack ol trust" and "inability to find suitable partner", Public policy may find such intangible 'barriers' somewhat intractable.
SME Policy, Academic Research and the Growth of Ignorance, Mythical Concepts, Myths, Assumptions, Rituals and Confusions
Authors: Gibb Allan A.
Published: July 2005

PROFESSOR ALLAN A. GIBB IS chairman of the Foundation for SME Development at Durham University, England. This paper focuses upon the value of academic research to policymakers and stakeholders in Small and Medium Enterprise Development. It argues that alongside the substantial growth in SME research and publication in the past two decades there has been a parallel growth of ignorance. As exemplars of this the paper examines a number of 'mythical concepts' and 'myths' that are used as a basis for key areas of policy development. It seeks to demonstrate how these have arisen. It also shows how these have led on to certain kinds of priorities being established and certain assumptions about development processes implicitly adopted. Finally, the paper explores three key issues which it is argued are at the core of this problem: first, the way in which academe interfaces with the SME, its stakeholders and policymakers; second, the assumptions that are made about the processes by which policy is arrived at; and, finally, academic approaches to research in the social sciences.
Innovation Strategies of SMEs in Cyprus, a Small Developing Country
Authors: Hadjimanolis Athanasios , Dickson Keith
Published: July 2005

DR. ATHANASIOS HADJIMANOLIS IS technical sales manager with D. J. Shukuroglu Ltd., Cyprus, who recently completed his doctoral research under the supervision of Professor Keith Dickson, Deputy Head of the School Business and Management, Brunel University, England. From this research a case study based qualitative analysis of small firms' innovation strategies within the context of a small developing country has been distilled as the basis of this paper. A comparative analysis of 25 case studies of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Cyprus is presented with particular reference to their innovative behaviour and management practices. The context for this analysis is Cyprus, a small developing economy, which serves to highlight the influence that particular economic circumstances have on innovative activity. A simple typology of the case firms with three categories (proactive innovator, reactive innovator and non-innovator) is proposed with each category having distinct characteristics and practices related to innovative behaviour.
Growth of the Smallest: Determinants of Small Firm Growth During Strong Macroeconomic Fluctuations
Authors: Kangasharju Aki
Published: July 2005

AKI KANGASHARJU IS AN ECONOMIST AT Pellervo Economic Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland. The present paper investigates the determinants of small firm growth in Finland during the strong economic fluctuations of the years 1988- 1995. The paper uses longitudinal data on 26,057 owner-managers and their associated small firms. Results support the life-cycle effect of a firm, i.e. new firms have a higher growth probability than older ones, providing that the firms considered survive. In a similar vein, firms run by younger owner-managers have higher growth probability than those run by older counterparts. Results also indicate that economic fluctuations strongly affect the growth probability of small firms. On the other hand, results indicate that once corrected for the level effects, the probability of growth was affected by the firm and owner-manager characteristics virtually the same way over the entire business cycle.
Contracting Practices in Professional Accounting SMEs: An Analysis of New Zealand Firms
Authors: Van Peursem K A. , Wells P K
Published: July 2005

K. A. VAN PEURSEM AND P. K WELLS ARE with the Department of Accounting, University of Waikato, New Zealand. This study reports on the results of selected interviews and a survey of 280 New Zealand professional accounting firms. The purpose is to explore the characteristics that distinguish these firms in terms of their use of and perceptions towards outside expertise. The findings indicate distinctive practices by small (one owner), medium (up to four partners) and large firms. Vertical integration distinguishes the practices of larger firms; medium-sized firms participate and, to some extent, provide consulting services to other professionals; the small firm respondents indicate more resistance to the concept and they participate less in its practice. Given the results of the study, it is illustrated how a firm's formal networking practices contribute to understanding of the small business.
HEI and SME linkages: Recommendations for the Future
Authors: Johnson David , Tilley Fiona
Published: July 2005

Dr. David Johnoson is dreector of the barclays center for enterpreneruship at the Durham University Businessschool and Dr. Fiona Tilley is a research asssociate in the foresigght reserach Center at Durham University business School, England. ovedr the coming years ther is almst certain to be an increase in the level of interaction between higher education institutons (HEIs) and industry. the evidence for this is clear, what is les clear is what makes for effective intereactions between an institute of higher education and the industrial community. Morever, how wil this process affect the overall level of HEI provison. This paper presents a model derived from a research project whch explored current linkages between institutions of higher education and in a particular the small busines sector. out of the research three specific outcomes emerged: A model conceptualising the relationship between small firms and universities within the Uk context A strategic and operational framework to underpin the successful iimplementation and continutation of the univeristy/SME linkages. A series of recommendations to the policymaker who seeks to guide developoment specifically in the fields of small busines development and higher educations. this final area is of paramount concerns as certainly the first five yars of thwenty-first centrury will see support being proffered to a whole raangeo f hel-sme initiatives. In a view of the substantial financial nvestment involved there needs to be a significant benefit for the competitiveness of UK plc resulting from the quality of provison, coming out of the universities, directed at the ndustrial community. that theresearch model presented focuses on conceptual, strageic and policy levle, ensures that the obervation made within this paper will at least in par be gnerlised to other countries.
Financial Reporting to Financiers Australian Manufacturing SMEs
Authors: McMahon Richard G.P.
Published: July 2005

P(ROFE SS()w Rt CHARI) G. P. MCMAH1ON 1S hlead of the Sc(hool of Cominerce at the Fl incle rs t.J"niversity of South Austrialia. Alsti-alba. The obj ctiXe of this papet is to preselmt nieNv empirical evideince oii financial r eporting to financiers by small and mnedilun-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are engaged in imianufactttring it) A,ustralia and which are legally organisedl as pr oj)iictarvx com-lpanies. The pr imiary c o0nc c rn is xv ith pi eparation and lisseminiation to extet nal providers of finanic e of general purpose financial i eports thiat imiay be historical and/oi litture olienited. The niature and(l frtecqencx of formal financial repor tinig, illnclel takinig financial audits, the closetiess of ielationships with financiers o'tside of fornmal financial reporting, iespondents' xiews oIn how well their financiers appear to understand theii busillesses, and the propensity for the imaniufactturinig SMEs studied to change their finian-icicrs are all considered. The fin-idings suggest that compared with other Atustralian SME research, finianicial r eporting to financiers by the collaborating businesses is evidentix, eiv conmprehensive. This mutst be secen as encouraging from a finiancial conitrol viexpoinlt anid in terims of facilitatinig ac(ess to essenitial growth fuindingo
Serono Case Study: Global Performance, Evaluations and Compensation
Authors: Coleman Thomas , Chambers Todd
Published: July 2005

Serono S.A., a large Swiss biotech company with dozens of locations throughout the world, had implemented a bold initiative to train its work-force so that it could hire and promote from within as it entered new lines of business. In so doing, Serono elevated human resources from a largely administrative function to a key player in the company’s corporate strategy. The program was successful; nevertheless, Serono decided that it needed an IT system to automate compensation and performance management for its global operations, allowing HR to focus even more tightly on strategic work. The company selected a software vendor and brought together a multinational team to oversee the successful deployment. Looking back on the process, Serono recommends that companies considering a similar IT project set a realistic but meaningful one-year goal for the initial roll-out, make sure the team isn’t dominated by people from headquarters, and select a platform that’s flexible enough to incorporate changes to local laws and overall strategy.
Rhetorical stylistics
Authors: Fahnestock Jeanne
Published: July 2005

This article explores the nature of the stylistics embodied in the classical and early modern rhetorical tradition and argues that rhetorical stylistics differs in its assumptions and purposes from contemporary literary stylistics. Three areas of difference are discussed. First, rhetoric was a productive not an analytical art, and its criteria for language choices were radically functional and audience-based. Rhetoricians like Quintilian, for example, favored choices for ease of comprehension. Second, rhetorical stylistics, while recognizing genre differences, did not distinguish a separate domain of the literary. The system of rhetorical pedagogy incorporated ‘fictional’ genres and considered texts of every variety as potential ‘donors’ of examples of effective language use. Early modern rhetoricians considered all texts secular by default in comparison to the unique category of language in the Bible. Third, the language arts from antiquity through the early modern period were taught in three overlapping disciplines: grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic. In the last of these arts, the least understood today, stylistic advice played a surprisingly formative role in the construction of arguments. Figures of speech understood in this last context encode specific lines of arguments. A reassessment of the rhetorical tradition on the part of contemporary proponents of stylistics requires an appreciation of these differences.
Echolocation, figuration and tellings: rhetorical strategies in Romeo and Juliet
Authors: Hunter Lynette
Published: July 2005

Romeo and Juliet has often been considered one of Shakespeare’s most self-conscious explorations into language and how it signifies. This article explores what three specific rhetorical strategies imply about how language communicates. First, it looks at the logical power of figuration and how it breaks down language into ambivalence, ambiguity and double-meaning. Second, it introduces the term ‘echolocation’ to allow for a study of the way patterns of repetition of identical or similar sounds and words within different figures can convey argument, and follows the indications of crisis, balance and stasis in the language of the text, and third it examines tellings, retellings and foretellings, as they expose language attempting to determine and simultaneously destabilize significance. While the focus of the study is on the action of language, some consideration is made of the way that identity and language are open to analogous patterns of construction and limitation, and how the reader, audience and theatre practitioner may use those patterns in building a sense of character-part.
A cognitive rhetoric of poetry and Emily Dickinson
Authors: Hamilton Craig
Published: July 2005

In this article, I examine three poems by Emily Dickinson. The poems are F372, ‘After great pain, a formal feeling comes’, F598, ‘The Brain - is wider than the Sky’, and F1381, ‘The Heart is the Capital of the Mind,’ from the Franklin edition. In particular, I study the figurative language in these poems, but rather than simply identify figures, I attempt to explain how they function persuasively in cognitive terms. This approach is meant to move rhetorical criticism beyond an exercise in figure identification and towards an exercise in the explanation of the persuasive function of figures. The emphasis on figures owes something to the prominence they play not only in Dickinson’s poetry but in all poetry. One implication of cognitive linguistic theories of figures is that they point towards what I envisage as a cognitive rhetoric of poetry. A cognitive rhetoric of poetry ought to be grounded in classical theories of rhetoric and poetics on the one hand, and in cognitive linguistic theories of figures on the other. Such scope would reveal continuity between the concerns of current critics and the concerns of classical rhetoricians. It would also place equal emphasis on the poet’s production of figurative language and the reader’s comprehensive processing of it. What Dickinson’s poems are meant to reveal, ultimately, is poetry’s profoundly rhetorical nature.
‘As Nearly as May be’: Debating Women’s Human Rights in Pakistan
Authors: Mullally Siobhán
Published: July 2005

Tensions between the constitutional commitment to equality and the politicization of Islam create conflicting claims for Pakistan’s legal system. These claims have focused, in particular, on the sphere of intimate domestic and sexual relationships. Although the fundamental rights chapter of the Constitution guarantees equality before the law, the pursuit of gender equality has frequently been sacrificed to religious-cultural claims defining and limiting women’s status. Yielding to such claims has served the interests of nation-building while at the same time guarding against any serious threat to the modernizing agendas of Pakistan’s political élite. Lost within such compromises is the recognition of women as bearers of rights, with equal rights to participate in the definition of religious-cultural norms. Lost also is a recognition of difference. Feminists, Islamic reformists and secularists have all been marginalized and excluded from a state that claims to guarantee equality to all. This article examines the strategies pursued by feminist movements within Pakistan and within the legal profession in attempting to resist the demands of conservative Islamist movements.
Extraordinary journeys: An exploratory cross-cultural study of tourists on the frontier
Authors: Laing Jennifer H. , Crouch Geoffrey I.
Published: July 2005

Tourists are now visiting some of the most remote and amazing places on earth, travelling to 'frontiers' on journeys that are psychological and emotional as well as geographical. These extraordinary journeys to the poles, the peaks of the highest mountains in the world, harsh deserts and even outer space test both physical and mental endurance and can be characterized as 'unique' even in this day and age. The frontier traveller's experiences often attract extensive media coverage and form the basis of popular books and documentaries, conferring on the traveller a form of 'prestige' as a result of the relative rarity and difficulty of their experiences.

Little research to date has focused on 'prestige-worthy' forms of travel, particularly with reference to individuals who venture to some of the most inhospitable, remote and dangerous locations on the globe, despite their importance to the study of tourism as 'destination pioneers'. Motivations for undertaking frontier travel experiences have also yet to be studied in depth from a tourism research perspective. This paper discusses some of the preliminary findings from an exploratory study of frontier travellers from the USA, UK and Australia, as part of an ongoing research project. It compares and contrasts the potential motivation behind frontier travel as well as making some speculative comments on the role culture may play in this form of travel and considering the implications of the findings for tourism marketing. Some of the key motivations behind frontier travel experiences identified by this exploratory study are challenge/goal setting, self-actualization, novelty and adventure, highlighting a message or cause or educating others and influences and inspiration for this type of travel stemming from childhood or early adulthood.
Do US tour operators' brochures educate the tourist on culturally responsible behaviours? A case study for Kenya
Authors: Pennington-Gray Lori , Reisinger Yvette , Kim Jung Eun , Thapa Brijesh
Published: July 2005

This exploratory study examined the extent to which US tour operators promote culturally responsible behaviours to tourists who plan trips to Kenya. An examination of the travel brochures containing information on Kenya was performed to understand the role tour operators play in educating tourists. Brochures were examined for specific words, such as ethics, values, tolerance, respect, religion, moral beliefs, social and cultural traditions, responsible tourism, customs, rules and guidelines and education and training. Content analysis was used to analyse data. The results revealed that US tour operators do not effectively communicate culturally responsible behaviours to tourists. The implications of the results are discussed.
Constructing a Cosmopolitan Public Sphere
Authors: Kögler Hans-Herbert
Published: July 2005

Democratic politics might be defined as the agonistic struggle of different parties, groups or individuals over resources, recognition and influence under reciprocal and inclusive conditions. It is based on an unconditional orientation to equality as well as freedom of all those involved to consent to - or dissent from - the norms, policies and practices that are established in the process of public dialogue. This article reconstructs the general agent-based capabilities required for a democratically defined public sphere under conditions of globalization. Making capabilities central is intended to correct a certain over-emphasis regarding institutional macro-structures in the discourse on globalization and cosmopolitanism. After setting the stage with a critical analysis of Martha Nussbaum’s concept of capabilities, the analysis proceeds in two major steps. In the first part, a notion of hermeneutic agency is introduced that avoids a Foucauldian reduction of agency to power structures, while thoroughly situating agency in a symbolically mediated social context. The symbolic mediation of agency is, in the second part, taken as a ground of potentiality for reflexive capabilities that, once actualized and enacted, allow for a normatively satisfying process of public deliberation. The aim of the analysis is to relate a normative model of value-orientation to the linguistically grounded empirical resources of social agents. The core argument lays out as basic capabilities (1) to be able to normatively orient oneself at contextually defined yet universally open postconventional commitments, (2) to be able to engage in an interpretive and dialogical perspective-taking vis-a-vis differently situated agents and backgrounds, and (3) to be able to critically distance oneself from one’s taken-for-granted assumptions and background structures via a power-alert social reflexivity.
The difference sameness makes
Authors: Louis Brett
Published: July 2005

This article examines the form and effects of differentiation that surface within the artifice of racial sameness. Using contemporary debates between ‘native-born’ and ‘foreign-born’ blacks in the USA over the right to ‘African American’ identity and the socioeconomic threat posed to the former by the latter, I show how the operation of the logic of race internally within a racial group reiterates familiar effects of racialization. Drawing on Freud’s notion of the ‘narcissism of minor differences’ as a framing device, I point out that this difference/sameness relation is not simply antagonistic through an analysis of the ambiguity of Africa as posing a socioeconomic threat in the migrants it sends while also presenting the historical and symbolic basis for African American claims to cultural distinctiveness. The article builds a critique of the invention of sameness that makes difference in two key ways: first, through the representation of difference as an antithesis that affirms the racialized self characterized by sameness; and second, that this makes a political difference in the sense that this dialectic of black as self and other reifies the social problematic of its sameness/difference relation as intrinsically (intra)racial to the extent that the substantive socioeconomic causality of racial stratification and racism are obscured.
Blindness and Visual Culture: An Eyewitness Account
Authors: Kleege Georgina
Published: July 2005

This essay comments on W.J.T. Mitchell’s statement that ‘Visual culture entails a meditation on blindness, the invisible, the unseen, the unseeable, and the overlooked’. If visual studies entails a meditation on blindness, it is this article’s hope that it will avoid some of the missteps of similar meditations of the past. Specifically, it hopes that visual studies can abandon one of the stock characters of the western philosophical tradition: the ‘Hypothetical Blind Man’, who serves as a prop for theories about consciousness. This figure is considered briefly in the theories of Descartes, Locke and Diderot, then it is compared with first-hand accounts of blindness from the autobiographies of blind people written in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Performing Show and Tell: Disciplines of Visual Culture and Performance Studies
Authors: Jackson Shannon
Published: July 2005

This article analyzes parallels and discontinuities between performance studies and visual culture studies, arguing that a comparison between the two newer fields provides a way of foregrounding the stakes faced in their shared consolidation. It considers the ways that the turn from art history to visual culture studies parallels a turn from theater studies to performance studies. However, it also shows places where the parallels break down, especially when we consider how the threat of theatricality has inflected a longer tradition of visual art criticism. Positioning performance as a ‘mixed media’ form in both its traditional and contemporary guises, it considers how the conventions of visual and theatrical criticism vary in their terms, histories and formal vocabularies. It argues that we could do a better job of attending to these legacies, both in the perceptual analyses that we employ and in the relevant object histories that we deploy as scholars within and between disciplines in the humanities.
CGH-Profiler: Data mining based on genomic aberration profiles
Authors: Schubert Falk , Tausch Bernhard , Joos Stefan , Eils Roland
Published: July 2005

Background

CGH-Profiler is a program that supports the analysis of genomic aberrations measured by Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (CGH). Comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) is a well-established, molecular cytogenetic method that allows the detection of chromosomal imbalances in entire genomes. This technique is widely used in routine molecular diagnostics. Typically, chromosomal imbalances are described in a complex syntax based on the International Standard for Cytogenetic Nomenclature (ISCN). This semantic description of chromosomal imbalances hinders a large-scale statistical analysis across different experiments, e.g. for finding aberration patterns associated with a particular disease type or state.

Results

CGH-Profiler circumvents the semantic ISCN description by importing data from different CGH system vendors and by directly transferring the data into a table format that is readily accessible for subsequent statistical analysis. CGH-profiler comes with different consistency checks, calculates various statistics and automatically assigns a median copy number ratio to each chromosomal band.

Import of CGH profiles from different CGH system vendors is already supported; its extension to other systems can be readily achieved through Perl scripts.

CGH profiler can also be used to analyse comparative expressed sequence hybridisation (CESH) data. CESH reveals gene expression patterns according to chromosomal locations in a similar manner as CGH detects chromosomal imbalances.

Conclusion

CGH-Profiler is a useful tool for processing of CGH and CESH data.