bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Unspeakable Agony of Kiddusth ha-shem: Forced Jewish Infanticide during the First and Second Crusades
Authors: Simms Norman
Published: March 2007

Though often noted that Crusaders slaughtered Jews en route to the Holy Land, it is not appreciated that the Jewish response turned a passive acceptance of martyrdom into active 'Sanctification of the Name' in which parents killed their children. Modelled on the Binding of Isaac and the cult of temple sacrifices, it sought to parody the crucified saviour of the Christians; it also reversed traditional rabbinical ethics, putting bloody self sacrifice at the heart of a new theology. This temporary transformation of Judaism changed the way in which Jews identified themselves in Christian Europe. The massacres were not minor digressions during the Crusades but key events.
Theodelinda, 'Most Glorious Queen': Gender and Power in Lombard Italy
Authors: Balzaretti Ross
Published: March 2007

Theodelinda, Queen of the Lombards (590-628), has been known for long to historians through the portrait depicted by Paul the Deacon in his Historia Langobardorum. However, as this was written some 150 years after the queen's death, its evidence needs to be treated with great caution. In this essay, the earliest contemporary evidence of Theodelinda's life is examined and compared to Paul's account. The latter turns out to be a highly-gendered representation, made up largely by Paul. Nevertheless, the early evidence (Gregory the Great's letters and various short historical texts) does show that she was a 'most glorious queen'.
Islamic Civilisation's Role in the Waning of the European Middle Ages
Authors: O'Brien Peter
Published: March 2007

This essay argues that the experience of acquiring indisputably superior know ledge and technology from Muslim rivals led Latin Christian leaders to seri ously doubt themselves. The essay details various experiences that Latins had with Islamic civilisation between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. These caused a virtual avalanche of doubts in Western Europe over a wide array of topics ranging from political authorities to religious orthodoxies. I further contend that much of the scepticism which allegedly made the European Pen aissance possible, resulted from Western Christendom's intense interaction with Islamic civilisation in those centuries. Conventional Euro-centric read ings of the Renaissance as sui generis notwithstanding, Islamic civilisation played a major role in the death of the Middle Ages and the birth of the Renaissance.
MIS for Health Care Human Resource Management: A Case
Authors: Ghosh Basu
Published: March 2007

Human resources (HR) represent a key resource for the health care system in any coun try. Its development and management are considered vital for establishing a sustain able health system infrastructure. A human resources management information system (MIS) is essential for sound planning and management of a health system. This paper briefly discusses the conceptual development of health care human resource manage ment (HRM) in a global context, and then goes on to present a case of a functioning HR MIS in an oil-rich Middle Eastern country. The case is intended to stimulate dis cussion on the scope of such an information system and how it may be developed in a ministry of health.
Institutionalisation of User Charges in Government Hospitals in Rajasthan
Authors: Mangal D.K.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the processes adopted for the institutionalisation of user charges in government hospitals in the state of Rajasthan. The framework developed and actions taken by the state on the essential elements for institutionalisation are discussed. It is observed that the medical department provided much-needed support for effective implementation of user charges. Although there are several challenges yet to be adequately addressed, these are not insurmountable. There is great potential for enhancing revenue generation by government hospitals and improving the quality of care.
The Target-Free Approach: An Overview
Authors: Sangwan Naveen , Maru Rushikesh M.
Published: March 2007

In 1996 the Government of India initiated the Target-Free Approach (TFA) in family planning as a result of dissatisfaction with over-emphasis on demographic targets, leading to a numbers game, insensitivity to client needs, low demographic impact, violation of reproductive rights, neglect of the quality aspect, and stagnation of the programme. The process and the results of implementation, as documented in vari ous reports, have been analysed to learn lessons from the pilot and the expanded programmes. There were periodical reverses, and the implementation has been un even. The following factors are critical for the success of the TFA: Commitment of the top bureaucratic leadership; political, administrative and academic support; lo cal adaptation of the approach; effective communication and training; thorough assessment of the clients' needs; effective monitoring and evasion systems; and mobi lisation of community support.
Sustainability of Private Voluntary Health Organisations in India: Some Methodological Issues
Authors: Kanjilal Barun , Sharma Suneeta
Published: March 2007

The paper discusses the key methodological steps to assess and improve the sustainability profile of private voluntary health organisations (PVHO) on the basis of a comprehensive conceptual framework. Sustainability is seen as a natural product of the transformation process—the transformation of the PVO-community relationship over time. Sustainability requires that the PVO move away from its original role of a provider, towards a role which is more facilitative, institution- based, strategically broader, and has a longer term horizon.
Achieving Total Quality Management in Public Health Systems
Authors: Satia Jay , Dohlie Maj-Britt
Published: March 2007

Considerable attention is being paid to improving quality of care in public health systems because of both the need to respond to customer concerns and cost consider ations. Many governments, following industrial organisations, have been attempting to implement total quality management (TQM). The experience of TQM implementa tion has been mixed, however. The paper reviews the Malaysian experience of imple menting TQM. It also reviews the experience of interventions to improve quality of care in family planning and reproductive health programmes to illustrate what is needed to improve quality of care for public health programmes. Based on the review the paper suggests that an incremental approach, realistic expectations, building on what exists, and persistence would result in reduced frustrations in improving quality of care and ultimately lead to TQM.
Managing Brains
Authors: Albach Horst
Published: March 2007

Classical economic theory distinguished between two factors of production: capital and labour. Alfred Marshall added a third factor: management. Gary Becker, in distinguishing between unskilled and specialized labour, emphasized the importance of investment in special human capital. Dieter Sadowski showed that investment in general human capital increases the ability to move but reduces the willingness of the employee to move.

In the 'New Economy' the willingness of the employees to move has increased significantly. On the other hand, the firms have become interested in flexibility: Project management requires combining different skills in individual projects and assigning different individuals to ever-changing projects. These individuals may be found inside or outside the firm. In this sense we talk about the virtual firm.

In the article, a generalized assignment problem is developed to capture the process of managing special skills of individuals for changing projects in a virtual company.
Global Media Corporations and the Nation-state: Balancing Politico-economic and Socio-cultural Globalization
Authors: Thomas Amos Owen
Published: March 2007

Socio-cultural change is an invariable concomitant of the politico-economic globalization being embraced by most countries. Yet the interrelated roles of global media corporations and nation-states in the process of globalization have been relatively untouched in global business research. This article examines the role of the global media industry as a cultural change-agent, even a source of cultural imperialism. Drawing on a critical analysis of literature from other social science disciplines, this article argues that media corporations are not solely responsible for the socio-cultural upheaval that accompanies politico-economic globalization. There is also insufficient evidence for the homogenization or Westernization of cultures via the media. Still, given the sensitivity of nation-states to national culture, this article concludes that the impact of the conver gent media, information and communications industry needs to analyzed in the wider context of the global ization of their politico-economic and socio-cultural environments.
Development Financial Institutions, Financial Constraints and Growth: Evidence from the Indian Corporate Sector
Authors: Bhandari Laveesh , Dasgupta Sudipto , Gangopadhyay Shubhashis
Published: March 2007

In many countries, Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) have been major conduits for channelling funds to particular firms, industries and sectors during the latter's process of development. In India, DFIs have been a more important source of long-term funds (mainly debt) for industry than bank loans or other sources of debt. Using data from the Indian corporate sector, we evaluate the role of DFIs in India for the period 1989-97 by examining how firms' investment decisions are affected by their ability to access DFIs. We find that firms that had prior access to DFIs continue to receive funds from these sources only if they can be classified as a priori more financially constrained. Access to DFIs for funds spurs investment. These results suggest that DFI lending is not governed by considerations of lobbying, precedence or even to sponsor particular types of projects that might be socially desirable but not privately profitable. Rather, the primary role of DFIs has been to reduce financial constraints faced by firms. We also find that the drastic contraction of long-term bank lending to industry in India in the early nineties had adverse consequences for firms that were particularly bank-dependent, but only if these firms could be classified as a priori more financially constrained. Together, these results support the view that in contrast to firms in well-developed capital markets, in emerging markets, firms with growth potential are likely to rely significantly on debt financing, especially debt that is channelled through financial inter mediaries.
PLAYING HURT
Authors: Roderick Martin , Waddington Ivan , Parker Graham
Published: March 2007

Professional football is, in terms of the risk of injury, a high-risk occupation. The objects of this study are to examine the ways in which professional footballers respond to and cope with injury and, in this context, we focus on the culture of `playing hurt' in football. The study involved semi-structured interviews with former and current professional footballers as well as interviews with club doctors and physiotherapists. The interviews focused centrally on the players' experiences of injury and rehabilitation, the attitudes of players, coaches/managers and others towards injury, and their relationships, particularly in the context of injury, with the club doctor and physiotherapist(s). Our findings indicate that incurring an injury has a number of well-understood meanings for players. The meanings associated with pain and injury, as well as the status of players who are unable to play because of injury, can only be fully understood by locating these shared meanings within the network of social relations characteristic of professional football. It is argued that the almost unrelenting pressure on players to continue playing through injury exacts a heavy cost from many players in terms of pain, injury and long-term chronic disability.
ING-GER-LAND AT EURO 2000
Authors: Weed Mike
Published: March 2007

Incidents involving England's football fans at the Euro 2000 championship were widely portrayed as full-scale riots that brought disgrace upon the nation. Yet there is evidence that this portrayal does not accurately represent these incidents, and that little actual violence took place. This article identifies the tactics of the Belgian police, the threat from UEFA to expel England from the tournament and the reputation of the English fans as violent supporters, as factors leading to the exaggeration of these incidents. However, it also discusses a culture among a significant element of England's travelling support, reinforced by elements of English national culture generally, that leads to a propensity to join in with the aggressive behaviour of the small minority of hardened hooligans without wishing to get involved in any actual physical violence. In addressing these issues, a range of explanations for football hooliganism is reviewed, and the work of Marsh et al. is found particularly useful in providing insights in this case. In conclusion, football hooliganism is identified as a heterogeneous phenomenon and, consequently, the potential of each of the theoretical approaches to provide insights in relation to the particular settings in which such approaches were developed is recognized.
Is It Time for a Victory Lap?
Authors: Bernstein Alina
Published: March 2007

From a feminist perspective sport has been viewed for a long time as a sexist institution, male-dominated and masculine in orientation. And yet, in recent years, women have truly advanced in organized, competitive sport. In this context this article looks at the role of the media in relation to women and sport, reflecting on the literature which has accumulated over the past two decades in this field and considering the notion that more recently a shift in the coverage of women’s sports and female athletes has occurred. Through examining changes that did take place, this article shows that although women have gained some ground as far as media visibility is concerned, especially in major sporting events, it is far too early for a ‘victory lap’. By looking at findings of studies from the late 1990s and examining the media coverage of Marion Jones and Anna Kournikova this article shows that the type of coverage female athletes get has still a long way to go.
Quality Assurance in South African Universities: Global Perspectives and Reflections on the Future
Authors: Lategan Laetus O.K.
Published: March 2007

This article reflects on the state of quality assurance activities in South African universities. Reflections on developments and practices within the system are made from international quality assurance systems and practices. The article also highlights the role that the Quality Promotion Unit—the official body for quality assurance in South African Higher Education-plays in the enhancement of quality. The article concludes with perspectives on the relationship between the government and universities regarding quality, the format of a quality assurance system, as well as the understanding of quality as good practice. Concluding remarks on the key principles underpinning any quality assurance system within universities are also made.
Recognition of Credits in the Framework of Socrates. A Dutch Case Study
Authors: Bremer Liduine , Scholten Astrid
Published: March 2007

The recognition of credits across borders, in particular in theframework of the Socratesprogramme, is the subject of a recent study undertaken by the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic). This articlepresents the results of that study andformulates recommendations to institutions to improve the situation. The study has shown that, after ten years of Socrates exchanges, recognition still leaves much to be desired; only half students obtain sufficient credits, in relation to the duration of the studyperiod abroad Although no very strikingpatterns could befound which couldserve as major determinants of recognition, itti evident that students receive insufficient information beforehand on the content of the study period abroad, and that arrangements and agreementsfor the recognition of credits are. on the one hand, often too lax and insufficiently elaborated and, on the other hand, too inflexible to adapt to the changes that almost inevitably occur in study programmes.
HISTORY EFFECTS IN SOCIAL DILEMMA SITUATIONS
Authors: Gautschi Thomas
Published: March 2007

It is well known that the `shadow of the future' affects behavior in social dilemma situations such as the Prisoner's Dilemma or the Trust Game (e.g. Axelrod 1984). How past experience, stemming from interactions with other subjects (`history' or `shadow of the past'), is influencing a subject's current behavior in social dilemma situations is less well known. In this article, we distinguish between situations with and without such a history. The simple theory we lay out here predicts no effects of the past on current behavior in dilemma situations. However, we present experimental evidence on behavior in social dilemma situations that is in conflict with this theory, revealing that history effects do indeed influence a subject's behavior. Two main elaborations of the theory are suggested which stem from the past of these dilemma situations, namely, additional and more complex utility arguments and additional and more complex information structures. We discuss how these arguments can be taken into account, leading to a more accurate analysis of behavior in social dilemma situations.
INFORMATIONAL CONSTRAINT AND FOCAL POINT CONVERGENCE
Authors: Abizadeh Arash
Published: March 2007

Plurality-rule national Baha'i elections are an anomaly among democratic elections, providing the opportunity for novel insights into institutional theory: while the pool of candidates consists of several thousand individuals, there are tight institutional constraints on information and communication regarding voters' preferences - nominations and campaigning are banned. Contrary to the expectations of received rational choice institutional theory, however, no institutional mechanisms facilitating organizational forms such as parties have arisen to yield Pareto-superior outcomes via explicit vote coordination. To address this anomaly, an analytical constrained-information model of Canadian Baha'i elections with endogenous preference formation is used to develop the notion of focal point convergence, and to defend sociological institutionalism's view of instrumental rationality as socially constructed and only one among several possible cultural meanings that may constitute institutions.
COLLECTIVE PRECOMMITMENT FROM TEMPTATION
Authors: Glenn Brian J.
Published: March 2007

The literature on precommitment in order to avoid temptation has provided a powerful analytical tool in explaining individual behavior. However, a thorough discussion is lacking of how groups of like-minded individuals work together to bind themselves through even more powerful strategies. There are binding strategies, and combinations of strategies, that are difficult (if not impossible) to pursue individually. Thus, by working together, individuals may increase the chances of successfully resisting temptation while lowering the costs of doing so as well. One example of collective precommitment is the case of the Amish and Social Security. Social Security not only went against the religious beliefs of the Amish, but threatened their very society as well. By studying the Amish case, we can see how individuals working collectively can bind themselves more effectively than they can by working alone.
INDIVIDUAL RISK PREFERENCES AND COLLECTIVE OUTCOMES IN THE EVOLUTION OF EXCHANGE NETWORKS
Authors: Flache Andreas
Published: March 2007

Recent research argues that individual risk aversion favors cooperation in social dilemmas. The argument focuses on conditional cooperation in repeated interaction. The more risk averse actors are, the less they are inclined to put at risk ongoing cooperative relationships by attempts at unilateral exploitation. I argue that this reasoning may not suffice to capture risk effects in exchange networks, where actors face both decisions about cooperation and decisions about selection of new partners. I present a model that combines both decisions. Consistent with previous analyses, the model predicts that individual risk aversion favors rational cooperation in ongoing dyadic exchanges. However, simulations also reveal that risk aversion may negatively affect cooperation through reduced mobility in partner search. If actors consider partner change as risky, then risk-averse actors may stick to sub-optimal relationships, even if better alternatives are available that allow for higher levels of cooperative exchanges. Further simulations show nonlinear effects of individual risk preferences on the density and efficiency of exchange networks.
Buying a Lottery Ticket to Help the Poor
Authors: Jankowski Richard
Published: March 2007

A core problem of rational-actor models for politics is the seeming irrationality of voting, namely, that it is irrational for voters to vote and to be informed about politics. A simple cost-benefit analysis indicates that the probability of one's vote being decisive is so small that the costs of voting exceed the benefits. Some authors propose that civic duty or expressive voting explain why individuals vote. However, these explanations are not completely satisfactory. Five facts characterize American voting behavior: (1) the costs of voting, e.g. registration, etc. affect the probability of voting; (2) turnout varies substantially according to the type of election. In the United States, turnout for presidential elections is about 50%; for off-year elections it is about 35%; and for state and local elections it is about 25%; (3) more educated voters have a higher probability of voting; (4) individuals have a tendency to abstain from voting for races appearing lower on the ballot (the roll-off phenomenon); and (5) voters often vote strategically when their most preferred candidate has no chance of winning. Neither civic duty nor expressive voting can explain all five of these facts of voting. I argue that any successful analysis of voting must not only explain the positive turnout in elections, but also these five facts of voting. I expand the basic voting calculus model by incorporating both a pure altruistic motive and a more extensive incomplete-information component. The incorporation into the standard rational-actor model of voting of a low-grade sense of altruism is essential. The resulting analysis allows me to explain the five facts of American voting behavior.
Games in Networks
Authors: ABELL PETER
Published: March 2007

This article explores the implications of the use of time (the scarce input) in voluntary associations where members are rational maximizers but use time both “egoistically” and by “helping” others. The model leads to a picture of individuals subject to an internal prisoners' dilemma. In addition, the association is assumed to operate a division of labor where the use of “egoistic” time by one member impacts upon the utility of others. The interplay of three interrelated games is studied and implications for the use of time in associations are derived.
On the Formation of Exchange Relations in Political Systems
Authors: PODOLNY JOEL
Published: March 2007

Structural analysis has paid little attention to the formation of social ties. This article inquires into the origin of one type of tie, the exchange relationship, in a specific context, the political arena. The article focuses on the link between the configuration of actors' interests and the likelihood of exchange. Using the conceptual framework underlying Coleman's model of purposive action, two aspects of the interest configuration are specified: complementarity and ideological dissimilarity. Complementarity refers to the extent to which actors attach dissimilar importance to events in the political system, while ideological dissimilarity reflects the extent to which actors have different preferences for event outcomes. Prior work on social exchange makes the importance of complementarity clear, but this article holds that ideological dissimilarity impedes formation of exchange relations because it creates a lack of trust and a fear of harmful externalities. Informal experimental results are presented which provide initial support for this hypothesis. Possible extensions of the work are discussed.
“Social Production Functions, Deficits, and Social Revolutions”
Authors: Brough Wayne T. , Elliott V. L.
Published: March 2007

The Forum consists of comments on previously published papers and responses by authors. Unlike the Comment section in many other academic journals, the Forum includes solicited as well as unsolicited contributions. We encourage debates by actively seeking points of view contrary to those expressed in articles published in the journal. The Forum section is intended to promote an open and critical debate that contributes to the intellectual vitality and further development of rational-choice-based theory and research.

Forum contributions should follow the form used by Rationality and Society and should not exceed five double-spaced pages.
Why is Information Asymmetrical?
Authors: BAILEY F. G.
Published: March 2007

Much of the information that passes up and down the hierarchy in formal organizations is not of the referential kind taken for granted in theories about the interaction of principals and agents. It is less factual than it is persuasive. To have practical application, at least at the microlevel, theories of organizational behavior need to comprehend rules which govern the composition of persuasive messages; that is, they should take account of the rhetoric (especially the poetics) of organizational communication. Persuasive communication is described in the context of military organizations.
A Threshold Model of Electoral Policy and Voter Turnout
Authors: KAEMPFER WILLIAM H. , LOWENBERG ANTON D.
Published: March 2007

Voter turnouts differ significantly across societies, and in some polities voting is compulsory. To explain differences in voter turnout it is necessary first to explain the variation in compulsion policies that exists across societies. A threshold model of collective action is used to provide an explanation for compulsion policies, which are treated as endogenous. Governments and parties are viewed as “demanding” turnout as a means to enhance political support. This theory suggests that voter turnout is high, and possibly government mandated, in societies that have high levels of political polarization and that use proportional representation. The predictions of the theory are tested using cross-country data.
Hamlet and the Psychology of Rational Choice Under Uncertainty
Authors: ORBELL JOHN
Published: March 2007

Shakespeare's Hamlet is the classic case of an individual who cannot make a decision, and classic explanations are in terms of “deep psychology”—a paradigm that searches for causes of behavior deep within the individual's psyche. This article shows, however, that the play can be coherently and simply understood in terms of “shallow psychology”—a paradigm that turns attention to the difficulties attendant on rational decision making, emphasizing, most importantly, constraints on information that is necessary for good decision making. Hamlet is shown to be a case of decision making under uncertainty, where the consequences of error are unthinkable and where a decision cannot be avoided. Far from showing us a personality constitutionally unable (for whatever deep reason) to decide, the play shows us the difficulties attendant on this class of decision problems—a demonstration highlighted by the fact that those difficulties must be faced by an individual better equipped than most for decisive action. The play also shows us the only satisfactory way for resolving such a problem. A de-emphasis on personality and a turning of critical attention to the structure of situations that normal people confront might contribute not only to an understanding of this particular play and of dramatic tragedy but also to our understanding of decision making in general.
The Comedy of the Commons
Authors: MESTERTON-GIBBONS MICHAEL
Published: March 2007

The Forum consists of comments on previously published papers and responses by authors. Unlike the Comment section in many other academic journals, the Forum includes solicited as well as unsolicited contributions. We encourage debates by actively seeking points of view contrary to those expressed in articles published in the journal. The Forum is intended to promote an open and critical debate that contributes to the intellectual vitality and further development of rational-choice-based theory and research.

Forum contributions should follow the form used by Rationality and Society and should not exceed five double-spaced pages.
GROUP SIZE AND THE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE ACTION:
Authors: Sandell Rickard , Stern Charlotta
Published: March 2007

In this paper we address the free-rider problem from a network perspective. We suggest that individuals' groups of relevant others are considerably smaller than is usually assumed in the Olsonian tradition. Instead of focusing on the interest group as a whole, we argue that a group of relevant others consists of those to whom the individual is tied through various social bonds. Since these groups tend to be small, social selective incentives are likely to be efficient in inducing individual participation. In testing these ideas empirically, we use microdata on members of a Swedish temperance movement organization during the period of 1896-1937. We estimate how individuals' groups of relevant others are composed with respect to membership in the movement organization and how the composition of the groups affects individuals' decisions to join the movement organization. The results of the analysis support our thesis that additional movement members in the group of relevant others increase an individual's propensity to join a social movement organization. However, the results also lend support to Olson's free-rider thesis: When controlling for the composition of the group of relevant others, additional members in the movement as a whole decrease an individual's propensity to join the movement.
Culturally Sensitive Caring for Saudi Patients
Authors: al-Shahri Mohammad Zafir
Published: March 2007

The Saudi Arabian health system is mainly staffed by non-Saudi health professionals recruited from all over the world. At times, inadequate cultural awareness by health professionals can render their caring for Saudi patients more challenging than joyful. It is possible, however, that this equation can be easily reversed should the Saudi culture be introduced to health professionals planning to care for Saudis. In this article, a Saudi health professional describes some of the pertinent cultural aspects that could help non-Saudi health professionals improve their awareness about Saudi culture. The religion of Islam is the main, though not the only, factor that shapes the Saudi culture. This article, therefore, could also interest those caring for Arab and Muslim patients worldwide.
Transcultural Nursing: Providing Culturally Congruent Care to the Hausa of Northwest Africa
Authors: Chmielarczyk Vincent
Published: March 2007

Research around the world is now beginning to validate the theory of Cultural Care as an important means to provide culturally congruent care to clients, families, and groups of diverse cultures. Knowledge of Leininger's Theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality can provide meaningful care to clients who have different traditional and current beliefs and values. The Leininger Sunrise Model can serve as a valuable guide to discover care meanings and practices related to the theory, and to provide practical and meaningful culture specific care decisions and actions by nurses. The three major modes of action, namely, cultural care maintenance or preservation, accommodation or negotiation, and repatterning or restructuring, are important differential means to provide culturally congruent care to clients within their own cultural setting. This article considers the application of such care for the Hausa of Northwest Africa. The author was enrolled in the transcultural nursing course at the College of Nursing, Wayne State University, and this paper was written as a term paper activity. The author is presently employed in King Faisel's Specialist Hospital and Research Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Transcultural Nursing Care Values, Beliefs, and Practices of American (USA) Gypsies
Authors: Bodner Annette , Leininger Madeleine
Published: March 2007

This ethnonursing qualitative investigation was focused on the domain of culture care values, expression and meanings of selected American Gypsies. The purpose of the study was to explicate culture care American Gypsy lifeways in order to help nurses understand this largely unknown culture, and to offer guidelines for providing culturally congruent nursing care. Leininger's theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality was the appropriate theory to use for this study, along with the ethnonursing research method to generate emic and djtij grounded data. Findings substantiated that the world view, ethnohistory, religion (moral code), kinship and cultural values, and generic folk practices were powerful influencers of Gypsy lifeways and supported culture congruent nursing care. Ethnohistorical facts strongly buttressed the cultural values, norms, and moral codes for culture specific care practices. Several Gypsy culture specific and dominant care meanings, expressions, and actions were confirmed and made credible from raw data and thematic analysis. They were: 1) protective in-group caring; 2) watching over and guarding against Gadje; 3) facilitating care rituals; 4) respecting Gypsy values; 5) alleviating Gadje harassment; 6) remaining suspicious of outsiders; and 7) dealing with purity and impurity moral codes and rules. Culture specific and congruent care generated from Leininger's theory with the three predicted modes were identified to guide nursing decisions and actions.
Impressions of Nursing in China
Authors: Douglas John
Published: March 2007

This is the first of a series of reflections on a trip a group of nurses made to China in June 1994. John Douglas, a science writer who accompanied the group, wrote the first article in this series. He shares his reflections on the Chinese health care system and interviews conducted with several Chinese nurses. Dr. Grayce Roessler, an internationally known transcultural nursing leader, directed the tour. She has traveled extensively in China (some 30 trips over twenty years) and has worked with Chinese nurses to establish transcultural educational exchange programs between the United States and China. In a future issue of this journal, Dr. Roessler will present her reflections on nursing in China from a transcultural nursing leader's perspective. In the final article in this series Dr. Julianna Finn, a transcultural nurse educator who also made this trip, will present some reflections on nursing in China from a transcultural nursing theoretical perspective using Leininger's Culture Care Theory.
Nurse Miss Sahib: Colonial Culture-Bound Education in India and Transcultural Nursing
Authors: Basuray Joanna
Published: March 2007

This paper explores the relevancy of ethnohistory as a context in understanding the nature of social oppression in colonized countries. Colonization affects the social, political, and cultural fabric significantly. Nightingale's model of nursing prevailed through European colonial and post colonial period. Nurse Miss Sahib in the title is intended as an icon of the juxtaposition of caring and social oppression in a culture-bound education process in India. Leininger's Theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality (1991) opens the door for understanding caring in the United States, and other countries where many recipients of caring have experienced various forms of social oppression, causing them to perceive and interpret actions of the care giver through the oppressed individual's lenses. Theory of oppression as conceptualized by Freire is drawn upon to examine how caring filters through each person's cultural lenses. Complex social phenomenon of education and health care in India illustrates the colonial cultural pattern as a dominant force. The nurse providing culturally congruent care must advocate empowering the care receiver through the nurse's awareness of the powerful impact of social oppression on health beliefs and practices which are guided by individuals' recollections and perceptions.
Transcultural Nursing with Native Americans: Critical Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes
Authors: Weaver Hilary N.
Published: March 2007

Native American nurses are in an ideal position to articulate how to serve Native people in ways that respect indigenous cultures. Forty Native American nurses and nursing students completed a survey on knowledge, skills, and attitudes/values necessary for culturally competent service provision to Native patients. Four knowledge themes, four skill themes, and three attitude/value themes were identified. Nurses must know about and show respect for the culture and history of Native groups, including culturally specific health beliefs and healing practices. Skills must be tailored for work in a non-Western context, and containment skills become particularly important. Additionally, respecting diversity and traditions and being open-minded and nonethnocentric are fundamental. This study provides valuable information nurses can use to enhance their work with indigenous people.
Beliefs about Childhood Immunisation among Lebanese Muslim Immigrants in Australia
Authors: Brooke Deborah , Omeri Akram
Published: March 2007

The aim of the study was to describe and analyse care values, beliefs, and practices relating to immunisation by Lebanese Muslim immigrants in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This ethnonursing study explored the importance of care related to immunisation, knowledge of informants relating to vaccines, diseases, side effects, and contraindications. Family responsibilities relating to immunisation care services as well as expectations and evaluations of care services provided were also examined. Data were collected via observation-participation-reflection, including in-depth interviews. The findings revealed significant care themes for Lebanese Muslim informants based on their cultural values, beliefs, and practices related to health and immunisation. Culturally congruent nursing care practices related to immunisation for Lebanese Muslims in NSW, Australia, were identified.
Miranda Revisited: The Erosion of a Clear Standard
Authors: Garcia Alfredo
Published: March 2007

In Miranda v. Arizona, the United States Supreme Court erected safeguards designed to protect a criminal suspect's Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. In a series of decisions issued since Miranda, however, the Court has diluted the effect of Miranda by refusing to extend its application and by creating a "public safety" exception to the Miranda safeguards. This article will examine the decisions which have eroded Miranda's impact and will assess the policy implications of the Court's restrictive interpretation of Miranda.
Using State Constitutions to Extend The Rights of Suspects in Criminal Proceedings
Authors: Hickey Thomas J.
Published: March 2007

Throughout the Twentieth Century, the United States Constitution has been regarded as the primary source of constitutional rights in this country. During Earl Warren's tenure as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court most of the provisions in the Bill of Rights involving criminal procedure were held binding on state proceedings through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Since the early 1970s, a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has been inclined to restrict procedural rights of the accused. In an effort to circumvent the U.S. Supreme Court and expand the rights of suspects, a movement to view state constitutions as sources of individual rights has developed. Though in its infancy, the movement toward state constitutional analysis is regarded as important because it may permanently alter the nature of legal analysis in the United States.
Standing Trial versus Copping a Plea: Is There a Penalty?
Authors: Walsh Anthony
Published: March 2007

Approximately 90% of all felony criminal defendants across the United States give up their right to a jury trial and plead guilty. They do so because of perceptions that they will be penalized by harsher sentences if they exercise this right. This study explores the issue of whether or not these perceptions are true. It was found that there is a non-significant tendency for trial defendants to be imprisoned more often after adjusting for the effects of other important variables in a logistic regression model. When sentence length is examined for those imprisoned, it was found that trial defendants received 13.55 months imprisonment more than plea defendants after adjusting for other relevant variables. There does appear to be a penalty attached to those exercising their Constitutional right to a trial.
Victimless Crimes and the "Culture Wars" of the 1990s
Authors: Dombrink John
Published: March 2007

This article examines the religious, political, and economic shaping of the "cultural wars" involving victimless crimes in the United States in the 1990s. The articles identifies the genesis of the interest by American sociolegal scholars in the reform of the criminal law in the area of vice in the 1960s, and the nature of their practical and philosophical opposition to government interference in certain private acts.

The article then compares the evolution of government policy and public opinion toward each of the particular victimless crimes, describing how each has evolved along a different track. It examines the connections between each of the victimless crimes in contemporary America, as well as the debates surrounding appropriate government policy on each of them.

The article examines the cultural importance of attitudes toward the activities contained in these victimless crimes, and the reasons why criminal laws have been brought to bear against them, as well as the reasons and movements to remove the criminal law to reflect and to shape public opinion.
Victim Meets Offender: A Comparative Study on Juveniles and Adults in a Midwestern County
Authors: Sudipto Roy
Published: March 2007

Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) is a special mode of conflict resolution between victims and offenders. It has appeals to both parties. Face-to-face encounter is the essence of the VORP process. Mediation and reconci-liation make offenders accountable and responsible for their criminal acts and also committed to recompense their victims' damages. In turn, the process is expected to reduce reoffending among the participating offenders. This study compares the impact of a VORP for juveniles and adults in Elkhart County, Indiana. This post-adjudication restitution program is operated by the Center for Community Justice - a private agency. Data were collected on the participating offenders from July, 1989 to June, 1990 (fiscal year of the Center); then, they were followed through the end of June, 1992 (2 year follow-up) for recidivism reports. In this study, the 'impact' of the VORP was measured in terms of offender compliance with restitution contracts and offender recidivism.
A Critical Interpretation of Correctional Bootcamps as Normalizing Institutions
Authors: WELCH MICHAEL
Published: March 2007

Although the application of the military model in corrections is not entirely new, it has recently reemerged in the form of correctional bootcamps—a popular method of inflicting harsh punishment and discipline on young offenders. Despite criticisms from scholars, however, correctional bootcamps continue to gain the support of government officials and citizens. Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, this article explores correctional bootcamps as normalizing institutions. In doing so, the meaning of the military model in corrections is critically examined vis-a-vis other normalizing institutions and disciplinary technologies.
Task Force Orientation and Dyadic Relations in Organized Chinese Alien Smuggling
Authors: ZHANG SHELDON X.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the nature and features of Chinese crime organizations in alien smuggling. Data gathered in this study indicate that smuggling activities are carried out largely by entrepreneurs who form temporary business alliances with like individuals. Their relations are often dyadic, with limited organizational structure. Authority and hierarchy within a smuggling ring are based on the degree to which one's resources are critical to the operation, rather than on charisma or muscle. These criminal groups are best understood as task forces rather than as crime syndicates in the traditional sense.
Combating Organized Crime in (and by) the Private Sector
Authors: SCHNEIDER STEPHEN R.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the role of the forensic investigative firm in combating the involvement of organized crime in Canada's private sector. Although the onus for organized crime enforcement has fallen exclusively on the shoulders of the state, there is a potentially meaningful role for the largest of these firms to play. This role is based on the resources and expertise of the forensic investigative industry, including former police investigators, professional researchers, forensic accountants, intelligence analysts, industry experts, a national and international structure, and an ongoing auditing and consulting relationship with industries vulnerable to organized crime. The optimal role of the forensic investigative firm is a preventive one. This includes working with industries to determine the nature and scope of the problem and helping them develop preventive polices and programs. This preventive role would complement the largely reactive role of public police in organized crime enforcement in this country.
Overview. of Nondestructive Evaluation Projects and Initiative at NSF
Authors: Chong Ken P. , Scalzi John B. , Dillon Oscar W.
Published: March 2007

Infrastructure of public works In the world is deteriorating. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is essential for condition assessment for repair, retrofit, rehabilitation, and replacement (if needed) to Insure the public safety. In this paper an overview of nondestructive evaluation projects, including a new initiative on Quantitative NDE for Large Structural Systems, is presented.
Observations on the Nature of Transfer Functions for Control of Piezoelectric Laminates
Authors: Alberts T.E. , Colvin J.A.
Published: March 2007

In this paper, some fundamental relationships for beams incorporating piezoelectric film actuators and sensors are examined. The differential equation of motion for a beam with piezoelectric film bonded to both sides is used to develop Laplace domain transfer function models of the system. These transfer functions are exact Laplace domain representations of the system equations of motion. The transfer functions are cast into a closed rational form using Maclaurin series expansions representing a specific number of modes. In this form, the transfer functions lend themselves to classical control analysis. It is shown that the transfer function relating a voltage applied to a full coverage actuating layer, to the voltage induced in a full coverage sensing layer on the opposite beam face, be haves like a classic colocated system with alternating poles and zeros and accordingly the system is easy to stabilize with low order compensation. In contrast to this result, it is shown that in spite of the effective colocation of actuator and sensor in the case of the transfer function from actuating voltage to tip position, the desirable alternating pole/zero pattern is not exbibited due to incompatibility of actuating and sensing signals. This result is verified experimentally.