bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family Background, Ethnicity, and Urban Delinquency
Authors: Walberg Herbert J. , Yeh Elaine Gee , Paton Stephanie Mooney
Published: March 2007

Four problems characterize much of the past research on the relation of social factors to juvenile delinquency: measurement of social background, one-dimensional indexes of delinquency, bias in measurement of delinquency, and nonparametric statis tical tests. These problems may be overcome in part by using specific, proximal measures of background; multiple indexes of delinquency; anonymous self-reports of delinquency incidence; and parametric statistics such as components analysis and regres sion or analysis of variance. The present paper demonstrates the use of these methods in a pilot study of about 400 public high- school students in Chicago. The components analysis shows the factor pattern of delinquency varies in samples of boys and girls; hence multiple rather than single indicators must be used. The regression analysis shows that different types of delinquency are functions of different combinations of family background, ethni city, and sex; for example, boys, especially white boys, in the sample more often reported car thefts; and Negro girls reported more frequently than white girls of having engaged in gang fights. Several methodological implications are drawn from the findings for future research on delinquency.
Female Delinquency: An Application of Self and Opportunity Theories
Authors: Datesman Susan K. , Scarpitti Frank R. , Stephenson Richard M.
Published: March 2007

Since most theories of delinquency explicitly or implicitly deal with males, most of the research bearing upon these theories has concerned males with very little attention given to females. The intent of this paper is to apply to females two delinquency theories which have been found empirically useful in explaining male delinquency: self and opportunity theories. The data show that delinquency and self-concept are related for black females but unrelated for white females. Weak empirical support is found for the contention that repeated delinquency among females is not buttressed by subcultural support. It is found that both black and white female delinquents regard their opportunities less positively than do their non-delinquent counterparts, and that perceptions of opportunity are lowest among public policy offenders. It is suggested that the sexual behavior implied by public policy offenses may represent an attempt to fulfill the marital goal or, conversely, a rejection of it.
Time Served and Release Performance: A Research Note
Authors: Beck James L. , Hoffman Peter B.
Published: March 2007

In this note, the association between length of time served in prison and release outcome is examined for a sample of 1546 federal adult male prisoners with control exercised for base expectancy (salient factor) score. All forms of release (parole/mandatory releaselexpiration of sentence) are included with a two year followup period utilized for each case. No substantial association between time served and release outcome is observable from the data for this sample. However, the percentage of cases with favorable outcome generally does appear to decrease slightly as one moves within risk categories from the groups serving shorter to longer periods of time.
The Group Hazard Hypothesis: a Reexamination
Authors: Feyerherm William
Published: March 2007

Several research studies have indicated that juveniles who commit delinquent acts in a group have a higher probability of arrest than juveniles committing delinquent acts alone. According to the group hazard hypothesis, juveniles who commit delinquent acts with others are more likely to be detected, or to be arrested after being detected, than juveniles acting alone. However, a review of the available support for the hypothesis suggests, for each type of evidence, alternative explanations for the findings. Furthermore, a test of the group hazard hypothesis using path analytic techniques suggests that the hypothesis is not a strong predictor of arrest for juveniles.
Toward the Measurement and Prediction of Victim Proneness
Authors: Thissen David , Wainer Howard
Published: March 2007

Two samples (each of 500 households) were drawn from the data gathered by the National Crime Survey (NCS). Utilizing a nonlinear response model, it was found that the resulting victimizations fit well a theoretical construct of victim proneness. Further it was discovered that some aspects of proneness can be predicted from social characteristics of the households. It was also discovered that for some purposes direct nonlinear regression is more useful. It was concluded that this approach might be fruitful in resolving difficulties arising from assignation of crimes to households or persons; and by providing a simplified parameterization of victimization, it would allow the more graceful testing of alternative hypotheses about the structure of victimization. This has important consequences for the testing of the efficacy of intervention programs.
Multivariate Analysis of Personality and Motivation in Female Delinquents
Authors: Widom Cathy Spatz , Katkin Faith S. , Stewart Abigail J. , Fondacaro Mark
Published: March 2007

Personality and motivational factors have been under-studied in research on female crime and delinquency. This paper examines a number of hypotheses concerning the personality, background, and motivation of female delinquents. Using MANOVA and discriminant function analysis, delinquents and non-delinquents differed significantly on personality variables as well as need for Affiliation and Power. Personality and motivational variables were highly accurate in discriminating between delinquent and non-delinquent girls from similar backgrounds. The authors conclude that multiple risk factors (both environmental and intrapersonal) contribute to the development of delinquent behavior.
The U.S. Criminal Justice System: Unemployment and the Severity of Punishment
Authors: GALSTER GEORGE C. , SCATURO LAURE A.
Published: March 2007

Recent neo-Marxian criminological investigators have seen punishment meted out by the U.S. criminal justice system as reflecting prevailing ideologies that are, in turn, determined by the economic requirements of the capitalist system. The dominant form of criminal penalty now used in the U.S.—imprisonment—is seen as serving primarily an economic function, over and above its functions of retribution and deterrence. Given the chronic tendencies for oversupply of labor in advanced capitalist economies, imprisonment serves to restrain directly yet maintain a portion of the surplus; the threat of imprisonment serves indirectly to pacify an even larger portion. In times of stronger industrial demands for labor, the criminal justice system responds by granting more conditional releases (i.e., paroles) so that, while gainfully employed, part of the workforce remains under the direct control of the state. The purpose of this article is to provide empirical tests of this neo-Marxian position. When considering the entire 50 state sample, we find that the relationship between unemployment and new court commitments to prison and conditional releases was opposite from that predicted by the neo-Marxian paradigm, but conformed to these predictions for a subsample of Southern states. Strength of relationships did not vary consistently over the business cycle, but tended to grow intertemporally in the Southern states. These findings are contrasted to those of earlier studies and the latter are critiqued methodologically.
Deterrence of Domestic Violence: A Critical View of Research
Authors: McCORD JOAN
Published: March 2007

The author criticizes studies of deterrence regarding domestic violence on grounds that they have taken a narrow perspective on effects, given shallow consideration to process, and produced a paucity of deterrence alternatives. The essay suggests that assessments should measure whether suspects find new victims or increase the severity of their crimes and whether the welfare of victims has improved or declined over a period of at least 1 year. The author also argues for explorations into typologies that include information about victims and about the attitudes of police who deliver the treatments. The author proposes for study inclusion of interventions that empower victims and that provide them alternative supports.
General Strain Theory and Delinquency: A Replication and Extension
Authors: PATERNOSTER RAYMOND , MAZEROLLE PAUL
Published: March 2007

Strain theory has recently been reformulated into a theory of broader scope. In this revitalized version, called general strain theory, strain is hypothesized to have three distinct sources; (a) blockage of desired goals, (b) withdrawl or loss of valued objects, and (c) introduction of negative stimuli. Empirical tests of general strain theory are few to date, and those that have been conducted, although generally supportive, have shortcomings that preclude the drawing of more definitive conclusions. The authors conduct a more comprehensive test of general strain theory and, with a longitudinal sample of adolescents, find that several dimensions of general strain are positively related to involvement in a wide range of delinquent acts. Strain has both a direct effect on delinquency and indirect effects by weakening the inhibitions of the social bond and increasing one's involvement with delinquent peers. It is concluded that general strain theory makes an important contribution to delinquency theory, and additional efforts should be undertaken to fully develop its implications.
The Severity of Intermediate Sanctions
Authors: SPELMAN WILLIAM
Published: March 2007

In the state of Texas, 128 recently convicted offenders used a modified magnitude estimation procedure to rate the severity of 26 felony punishments, ranging from 6 months regular probation through a variety of intermediate sanctions to 5 years in prison. Average ratings suggest that intermediate sanctions provide a true continuum of sanctions and that substantial scope exists for interchangeability among punishments. Also, 75% of offenders rated one or more intermediate sanctions as more severe than an incarcerative sanction; thus the current approach to sentencing, focusing on the distinction between prison and probation, is inappropriate from the viewpoint of desert and deterrence. Because all of the most cost-efficient sanctions were community based, increased use of intermediate sanctions would be an effective use of scarce resources. Different types of offenders rated sanctions differently, and proposals for exchange or sanction units will ultimately need to take these differences into account.
The Effects of Neighborhood Disadvantage on Adolescent Development
Authors: ELLIOTT DELBERT S. , WILSON WILLIAM JULIUS , HUIZINGA DAVID , SAMPSON ROBERT J. , ELLIOTT AMANDA , RANKIN BRUCE
Published: March 2007

A conceptual framework for studying emerging neighborhood effects on individual development is presented, identifying specific mechanisms and processes by which neighborhood disadvantage influences adolescent developmental outcomes. Using path analyses, the authors test the hypothesis that these organizational and cultural features of neighborhoods mediate the effects of ecological disadvantage on adolescent development and behavior; they then estimate the unique contribution of neighborhood effects on development using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). The study involves samples of neighborhoods from two sites, Chicago and Denver. The analyses support the hypothesis that the effects of ecological disadvantage are mediated by specific organizational and cultural features of the neighborhood. The unique influence of neighborhood effects is relatively small, but in most cases these effects account for a substantial part of the variance explained by the HLM model.
School Delinquency and the School Social Bond
Authors: JENKINS PATRICIA H.
Published: March 2007

Using data from a sample of 754 middle school students in Grades 7 and 8, this article examines the independent effects of the four components of the school social bond—school commitment, attachment to school, school involvement, and belief in school rules—on school crime, school misconduct, and school nonattendance. The results suggest that personal background, family involvement in schooling, and ability grouping have differential effects on the school bond components. Also, an examination of the independent effects of the four components of the school social bond suggests that certain components are more important than others in controlling different types of school delinquency. These results suggest that the school social bond is an important intervening mechanism that helps to explain the effects of certain predictor variables on school crime, school misconduct, and nonattendance in middle schools.
Entering the System: Ethnic Differences in Closing Juvenile Criminal Files in Israel
Authors: MESCH GUSTAVO S. , FISHMAN GIDEON
Published: March 2007

Ethnic differences in the juvenile justice system have received much attention in the sociological literature. Using Israeli data, this article explores the differences between Arabs and Jews with regard to the decision to close juvenile criminal files rather than to prosecute. Three hypotheses are tested. The first argues that differential outcomes are the result of group differences in social background characteristics. The second argues that differential outcomes are the result of group differences in crime seriousness and the degree of previous involvement in crime. The third hypothesis examines whether different criteria are applied to different ethnic groups in the decision-making process of file termination. The fundings of the study provide evidence that different criteria are applied in the decision to close a file. The findings, however, are limited to less serious crimes (property offenses), probably because with these offenses law enforcement officers have more discretion than with serious crimes.
The Impact of Neighborhoods, Schools, and Malls on the Spatial Distribution of Property Damage
Authors: LaGRANGE TERESA C.
Published: March 2007

Using data obtained from three different sources, principles derived from routine activities theory are used to predict the distribution of minor property crimes in a medium-sized Canadian city during a 1-year period. Mischief and vandalism incidents recorded by the local police, transit department, and department of parks and recreation are aggregated by census enumeration area using mapping software, and analyzed in relation to three sets of predictors: (1) neighborhood demographic characteristics; (2) the proximity of shopping malls; and (3) the proximity of public and Catholic senior and junior high schools. Similar patterns observed for the three types of damage are examined in relation to the convergence of potential offenders, reduced guardianship, and increased opportunity as derived from routine activities theory.
What’s at Stake in High-Stakes Testing
Authors: Barksdale-Ladd Mary Alice , Thomas Karen F.
Published: March 2007

This article reports findings from interviews with 59 teachers and 20 parents in two large states. Both have standards, attendant benchmarks, and standardized tests to assess students on the standards. Interview protocols from teachers and parents rendered data informing us about (a) teacher and parent knowledge of state standards and testing; (b) teacher test administration and student preparation practices; (c) effects of tests on teachers, parents, and students; (d) how teachers make instructional decisions based on these tests; and (e) the value of such tests. Teachers and parents were unanimous about (a) the intense stress on all involved, (b) the undermining of meaningful instruction and learning, and (c) the high stakes involved. Differences existed between teachers and parents in the two states. Implications address the need for stakeholders in children’s education to make known the deleterious effects of state testing to those in charge of state-mandated testing.
Effective Reflective Practice
Authors: Loughran J. John
Published: March 2007

Reflective practice has an allure that is seductive in nature because it rings true for most people as something useful and informing. However, for reflection to genuinely be a lens into the world of practice, it is important that the nature of reflection be identified in such a way as to offer ways of questioning taken-for-granted assumptions and encouraging one to see his or her practice through others’eyes. The relationship between time, experience, and expectations of learning through reflection is an important element of reflection, and to teach about reflection requires contextual anchors to make learning episodes meaningful. This article examines the nature of reflection and suggests how it might become effective reflective practice that can be developed and enhanced through teacher preparation programs.
An Urban Schools/Liberal Arts College Partnership for Teacher Development
Authors: Jacullo-Noto Joann
Published: March 2007

The Technology Institute, a school/university partnership between a liberal arts college and five urban public schools districts, is described. The partnership provides inservice teacher development opportunities for secondary teachers in urban schools. Factors that have influenced the evolution of the program over 8 years are highlighted. College faculty and school practitioners learned that transforming the institute from a traditional university/school partnership to a more collaborative model required that they (a) provide support collaboratively, (b) nurture flexibility, (c) demonstrate results, and (d) seek multiple sources of support.
Organizing against Globalization: the Case of ATTAC in France
Authors: ANCELOVICI MARCOS
Published: March 2007

This article argues that the current opposition to globalization is not a structural side effect of economic integration. Instead of assuming that globalization generates resistance, it stresses the political and interpretive processes that shape collective action. It substantiates this claim by studying the rise of an antiglobalization social movement organization called ATTAC in France. It holds that ATTAC's emergence is the product of political entrepreneurs whose actions were constrained by the ideational and organizational legacies of previous contentious episodes, particularly the December 1995 strikes. Finally, it contends that ATTAC's success stems in part from its ability to produce a hybrid discourse that marries state interventionism with participatory politics.
Exploring Variability in Language Anxiety: Two Groups of Prc Students Learning Esl in Singapore
Authors: Jun Zhang Lawrence
Published: March 2007

This is an exploratory study of ESL students' general language learning anxiety in a study-abroad context. Results of the present study suggest that variability in ESL students' language anxiety can also be attributable to students' differences in age, learning and epistemological experiences and other socio-economic factors. It is suggested that these differences might be equally viable in accounting for this psychological construct in the process of helping ESL learners out of their learning difficulties.
Learning Styles
Authors: Isemonger Ian , Sheppard Chris
Published: March 2007

Following a literature review on the area of learning styles, and cross-cul tural perceptual learning styles in particular, this article reports the results for a survey of perceptual learning styles of Korean students (n=710). The study is a replication of two earlier studies in the area, and results are com prehensively analyzed in terms of the previous findings of these studies. Preferences for different perceptual learning styles as well as the preference for individual and group learning are examined in terms of a range of vari ables, including age, gender, year of study, major field, time spent overseas, and attendance at private language institutes. Findings, while supporting some of the previous research in the area, also contradict some of the pre vious results. Some criticisms are made concerning the manner in which results from previous studies have been compared with each other. Areas for future research are also discussed.
English in Hong Kong. Super Highway or Road To Nowhere? Reflections On Policy Changes in Language Education of Hong Kong
Authors: Dan Lu
Published: March 2007

One major change in Hong Kong after 1997 was the replacement of English as the medium of instruction in many secondary schools. Employing the data on the distribution of the approved English-medium schools and taking into account relevant theoretical perspectives, this paper examines the wisdom and the feasibility of the policy change. The analysis shows that the change runs counter to the principle of bilingual education and does not conform to the wishes of a society for more competent bilinguals of Chinese and English. Code-mixing exists everywhere as a natural phenom enon of a bilingual society. No hard evidence has been found to blame mixed code as the cause in the declining English proficiency. Acknowl edging that any definitive conclusions might be premature, it would appear that this selection of English medium schools was not well planned and has eroded the principle of equal opportunity in bilingual education.
Video and Language Learning: An Approach to Viewing Comprehension
Authors: Kelly Rena
Published: March 2007

The use of video materials and video equipment in language teaching appears in many ways to be the terra nuova of the profes sion. This is possibly because video is a locus where several features of the communicative approach to language learning intersect: the use of ungraded language; the use of authentic materials; the importance of topical and relevant input; the presentation of language in context; the significance of the non-verbal aspect of communication (and hence pragmalinguistic competence). Video obviously has the potential to contribute to language learning in many ways, both as a playback and as a recording medium, but it would be misleading to think in terms of a video "methodology" (Candlin et al, 1982). Like any other piece of equipment, it is a means to an end and its use in the classroom has to be determined by previously defined learning objectives, as is clearly illustrated by Jane Willis (1983) in her excellent article "101 Ways to Use Video". However, I believe that because of the similarity of video materials to broadcast television and to film, the inexperienced teacher runs the risk of treating video like television. Playing a 30 minute programme; for instance, then attempting to exploit it lin guistically, secure in the confidence of having captured the learners' interest and motivation. Warnings against doing this crop up repeatedly in the literature (Willis '83; Lonergan '83; Lonergan '82), but there is very little specific guidance given for procedures and activities that will transform video viewing into a language learning experience. Consequently, in this article I will present in some detail a scheme for the design of active viewing activities, where the focus is on viewing comprehension skills.
ESL Reading Comprehension Instruction
Authors: Miller Leah D. , Perkins Kyle
Published: March 2007

Observational studies have shown that very little time is devoted to comprehension instruction in reading classes. In addition, there is a tendency for reading students to practice skills on their own and to determine for themselves how and where to use those skills. In this paper the authors present some techniques for comprehension instruc tion and some guidance on how to teach students to apply the reading skills they have learned.
Fluency Improvement in a Second Language
Authors: Arevart Supot , Nation Paul
Published: March 2007

This article looks at the effect of a technique which gets learners to tell the same story three times to different listeners with decreasing time for each retelling. During the activity learners made substantial gains in speed of speaking and reduced the number of hesitations in their retellings. The technique allowed learners to perform at a level higher than their normal level of fluency.
A Comparison of Internal Conjunctive Cohesion in the English Essay Writing of Cantonese Speakers and Native Speakers of English
Authors: Field Yvette , Yip Lee Mee Oi
Published: March 2007

A comparative analysis is made of organizational cohesive devices in the English essays of Form 6 writers from a native speaker group and three groups of Cantonese speakers. The analysis is based on the work of Halliday and Hasan (1976) on cohesive conjunction and determines differences in the use of internal conjunctive cohe sion between native and ESL writers. Results show that Cantonese writers use a significantly higher frequency of devices in their English writing than their native speaker counterparts. There are also differ ing patterns in the positioning of devices and the choice of particular devices to express the same conjunctive relation. Some difference is found between ESL groups in these patterns. The findings are dis cussed in terms of the developmental level of the writers, the acquired behaviour of second language learning from teachers and textbooks and the transfer of writing habits and linguistic patterns from the first language.
Cohesion and Coherence in Compositions in Malay and English
Authors: Johnson Patricia
Published: March 2007

Empirical studies on cohesion in written discourse of native and non-native speakers of English indicate that judgments of writing quality may depend on overall coherence in content, organization, and style rather than on the quantity of cohesion (Witt & Faigley, 1981; Connor, 1984; Lindsay, 1984; Scarcella, 1984; Schneider, 1985). However, the studies concerning non-native speakers of English have not included data from the first language nor controlled the language and cultural background of ESL writers.

This study examines cohesion in expository essays written in Malay and in English by native speakers of both languages and in ESL by Malaysian writers. Sample compositions evaluated holistically as "good" or "weak" in quality were submitted by Malaysian teachers of com position in Malay and by American teachers of native and non-native speakers of English. T-tests performed on the data obtained from a cohesion analysis of text (Halliday and Hasan, 1976) indicate no dif ferences in the amount of cohesion between "good" and "weak" com positions written in Malay by native speakers (20) or in English by native (20) and Malay speakers (20).

"Good" compositions written in Malay have more intersentence semantic ties (e.g., reiteration and collocation) than "weak" compositions. However, "good" compositions written in English by native speakers have more intersentence syntactic ties (e.g., reference and conjunction) than "weak" compositions. The development of content in the com positions written in Malay in comparison to those written in English by native speakers indicate a crosscultural variance in conditions for quality. In addition, compositions in ESL demonstrate a developmental stage in the usage of syntactic cohesive links and the organization of material, reflecting previous writing experience in the Malay language.
Reading Economics in English: Aspects of Course Development in a Japanese University
Authors: Royce Terry
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses aspects of the planning and implementation of a course in reading Economics in English for students in a university in Japan. The course introduces students to introductory economics textbooks and print media which deal with current economic issues. Instructional strategies attempt to strike a balance between developing the students' ability to cope with economics texts, extending their general academic reading skills, and increasing their basic knowledge and understanding of economics. An analysis of the kinds of instructional strategies used is presented, with reference to a specific topic area studied.
The Rise of “Cultural Religion” in European Christianity: Learning from Poland, Northern Ireland, and Sweden
Authors: DEMERATH N. J.
Published: March 2007

This article draws on a global, 15-nation comparative study of religion, politics, and the state. The three countries at issue here may seem more peripheral than central to Europe, but all represent important aspects of the late 20th-century European experience—whether the tension between religion and secularity in Poland, the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, or the final sigh of religious disestablishment in Sweden. While unpacking these different scenarios, the author uncovers a shared phenomenon of “cultural religion”.
Korean Civil Religion and Modernity
Authors: CHA Seong Hwan
Published: March 2007

In this article the author makes a pioneering effort to investigate the distinctive social phenomenon of civil religion in Korea. Originating in the familism supported by Neo-Confucian Weltanschauung, this civil religion emphasizes private, not public, human relationships and is characterized by strong connectionism. Today, it has become a kind of traditionalism which obstructs the development of modernization in Korea. While acting as a driving force in the modernization of Korean society, it has also prevented the eradication of the collusion between politics and business, crime and corruption, and so on. In addition, it impedes the development of democratization, which depends on openness. Koreans face the task of re-conceptualizing their civil religion in the context of modernity.
Work, Non-Work and Resacralizing Self
Authors: CASEY Catherine
Published: March 2007

Against a dominant sociopolitical momentum of increasing and unmitigated instrumental rationality that Weber foresaw pervading all spheres of life in modern industrial society are new social and cultural signs of contestation and counterpoint. Modern critical social analysts have argued variously for delimitations to technocratic and economic rationalities and these modern contestations to instrumentality and alienation remain apparent in contemporary social and political life. Yet there is evidence of diverse contemporary social efforts that endeavor not only to delimit but to refute or transcend the assumed path of progressive rationalization and secularization. The author proposes that both modern acute rationalization and technicization and postmodern dissociation and dissolution, and their respective conditions of alienation, generate countervailing tendencies.
The Roman Catholic Church in the Process of Democratic Transformation: the Case of Poland
Authors: BOROWIK Irena
Published: March 2007

Before the democratic changes started in Poland in 1989, the Catholic Church was a very important element of dualistic societal structure: “bad” communists, associated with the Communist Party and its apparatus; and “good” Poles, patriots, associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Opposition to political totalitarianism was strongly supported by the Church, identified with Polish national identity, freedom, and defence of human rights and democracy. The Church entered the period of transformation with this historical heritage and with the exceptionally high respect of society for its role as political actor and co-creator of civil society. Ten years of transformation brought significant changes: in the political system (from totalitarianism to democracy); in economics (from a controlled to the free market); in the orientation of the state (from locality to globality); in the restructuring of society (from dualism to pluralism); and in differentiation of worldviews. The author describes how the Catholic Church and its hierarchy are adapting to the changing situation.
The psychology of dechristianisation in the dynamics of the industrial society
Authors: Aquaviva S.S.
Published: March 2007

Les causes de la déchristianisation sont multiples et non seulement « urbaines ». Cependant, depuis le début du processus d'urbanisation accélérée du monde, les villes ont formé des centres de radiation de ces causes, une série de changements sociaux y étant liée à des changements de mentalité.

Seule dans une perspective historique la sociologie de la connaissance peut expliquer ce fait. L'homme de la société moderne, urbaine et technique, vit des rôles nouveaux en connexion avec un monde d'individus, d'objets et d'idées profondément différent de ce qui existait auparavant, notamment sur le plan religieux. Petit à petit s'est réalisée une modification dans le rythme du temps, dans la sensibilité et la perception, dans l'attitude cognitive, qui aboutit à des comporte ments nouveaux, bientôt reconnus comme des valeurs. Ces derniers se sont coordonnés dans le groupe par un phénomène de socialisation en un système de plus en plus cohérent jusqu'à former un mythe nouveau auquel se rattache une éthique qui a évacué le sens du sacré.
Le calcul des pourcentages de la pratique dominicale1
Authors: Van Houtte Jean
Published: March 2007

The A. examines the problems posed by the calculation of the percentage of mass attendance and more espe cially the basis of the calculation. In some studies the total population is taken into account, in others the rate is established on a more acurated basis : excluding children of less than 7 years, people above 70 years, etc. He applies the principles he has elabo rated in the first part of this article to the data gathered in a survey on the mass attendance in the city of Ghent, and concludes in stating great impor tance of knowing thoroughly the methods which were used in calculating such percentages. Their signifi cace and value are completely determined by it.
Religions et développement socio-économique
Authors: Chatelain H.
Published: March 2007

Nous avons reçu la lettre suivante de Monsieur le Pasteur H. Chatelain, de Meyriez-Morat (Suisse), à propos de l'article de M.A.J.M. Matthyssen, paru au n° IX/5-6, et de la réponse du professeur S.S. Acqua viva, publiée au n° X/3. Nous sommes beureux de la verser au débat.
Some sociological implications of religious secularization
Authors: Goode Erich
Published: March 2007

Cet article expose la prédominance de l'institution religieuse par les sphères profanes de la société. Dans le monde moderne, la religion ne semble plus être considérée comme 'unique' et comme quelque chose 'à part'. On peut dire qu'il s'est produit un renversement dans le courant des influences; la société séculièfe, au lieu d'être 'informée' 'informe' abon damment la religion. La puissance religieuse en tant que dominatrice des autres institutions est en déclin; plusteurs faits le démontrent: la religion n'est plus indispensable pour les rites de passage, ses fonctions privilé giées diminuent, il y a abandon de l'appartenance religieuse, la religion ne jouit plus du même statut social. Le fait que la religion cède à des pressions séculières trouve sa meilleure illustration dans le f onctionnement des organisations religieuses. Cette optique remet sérieusement en question quelques uns des axiomes centraux de la sociologie fonctionnaliste de la religion. Des explications sont élaborées concernant les groupes religieux.
The role of the priest in a diaspora Church
Authors: Jolson Alfred J.
Published: March 2007

L'analyse du rôle du prêtre et de l'Eglise dans une situation de diaspora est réalisée dans le contexte d'une étude empirique sur les jeunes catholiques de la paroisse St. Olav, à Oslo, Norvège.

L'hypothèse de base de l'enquête est que le manque de vocations sacerdotales provient, soit de l'inadaptation du rôle du prêtre à la société, soit des difficultés d'exercice de ce rôle. Des conclusions générales sont tirées, tant de l'étude globale de l'échantillon, que de l'analyse statistique des diffé rences constatées entre diverses variables concernant le rôle

du prêtre, son adaptation et les difficultés attachées à ce rôle. Malgré certaines limites. l'enquête ne donne aucune base permettant de conclure à l'inadaptation du rôle du prêtre, mais démontre que les difficultés empêchent les jeunes de suivre cette vocation. La mère catholique, les prêtres, les groupes catholiques, etc... apparaissent comme des variables influentes. On pourrait conclure à une confirmation indirecte de l'inadaptation du rôle du prêtre lorsque ce rôle ne peut résoudre les difficultés qui lui sont associées. Des suggestions sont présentées pour une organisation du ministère sacer dotal sous la forme d'équipes, afin de faire face aux diffi cultés. La situation de diaspora est considérée comme une chance et un défi pour la mission.
L'Attitude des adolescents et des jeunes adultes envers le Christ
Authors: De Blauwe-Plomteux Magda , Houard Jean
Published: March 2007

Of the research work on the attitude of young people to wards Christ, the results so far available may very briefly be summed up as follows :

— Age is the most significant factor in the attitude of students at the secondary level. The younger they are, the more do they experience His Divinity and His Humanity as being opposed ; as they grow older they integrate better these two aspects, coming to experience Christ's Divinity in His out-of-the-common Humanity. The influence of sex has not yet been systematically examined.

— Neither age (19 to 25 years) nor sex plays a significant discriminating role among the university students chosen as respondents. The kind of studies, on the contrary, discrimi nates. Thus, more than those in the positive sciences, the students in the social sciences experience Christ as a unique manifestation of God in the world.

— A further characteristic feature is that only one-third of the students acknowledge that Christ plays an important role in their religious lives, while another one-third live their christianity as a natural religion. The remaining ones adopt a doubtful attitude. 88.7 % do however state belief in Christ's Divinity.
The Schism in Contemporary Baptism (*)
Authors: Klibanov A.I. , Mitrokhin L.N.
Published: March 2007

Cet article, élaboré à partir d'observations faites sur le ter rain, étudie la nature de l'Eglise Baptiste officielle et le groupe des Baptistes schismatiques en Union Soviétique. Les auteurs utilisent les données du recensement de 1959 pour montrer que le schisme dans l'Eglise Baptiste et l'Eglise elle-même sont atypiques des groupes sociaux en U.R.S.S.

Une partie de la matière de cette étude a été développée par M. Bourdeaux dans Religious Ferments in Russia : Pro testant Opposition to Soviets Religious Policy (New-York, 1968). Klibanov et Mitrokhin, s'ils interprêtent les mêmes données, leur donnent un sens radicalement différent de celui de Bourdeaux.
La « question catholique » et le fascisme
Authors: Nesti Arnaldo
Published: March 2007

According to the author of this article, fascism is not an occasional illness of society. The case of Italy shows that it is a crucial movement of structural contradictions of a society in which the process of industrialization and modernization is accelerated.
Fêtes et culture paysanne dans le sud de l'Italie
Authors: Mazzacane Lello
Published: March 2007

This article examines the meaning of the feasts and rites in the peasant culture of southern Italy. It attempts to explain why certain traditional peasant feasts are disappearing while others, for no apparent reason, are regaining strength.
Analysing the Rejection of Religion
Authors: Campbell Colin
Published: March 2007

Abordant certaines questions relatives à l'étude du rejet de la religion dans le monde moderne, l'auteur de cet article s'attache plus particulièrement à la question de la concep tualisation de l'irréligion. Il défend une conception de l'ir réligion par réaction par opposition à une irréligion indépen dante de la culture. L'irréligion est donc présentée comme essentiellement expressive de l'hostilité envers les traditions religieuses établies.
Charismatiques et Socio-politiques dans l'Eglise catholique au Quebec
Authors: Reny Paul , Rouleau Jean Paul
Published: March 2007

This article presents some characteristics of the charismatic and socio-political movements which can be observed in Catho licism in Québec.

The authors situate the emergence of these phenomena within the historical and social context of the country since 1960. They thus elucidete the close relationship which exists between the social change and the change in the expression of beliefs. The links which charismatic and socio-political movements appear to have with the cultural evolution of Quebec are such that the authors consider these phenomena as at least as important as the official endeavours of the religious organisation to restore a certain functionality to religion in this society.
Ethique, pratique religieuse et socialisation des fils d'immigrés italiens en Belgique
Authors: Dassetto Felice , Bastenier Albert
Published: March 2007

This article presents an analysis of the religious practices and moral convictions of a group of sons of Italian immigrants in Belgium. The authors try to catch the meaning of these practices and convictions in so far as these are part of a process of socialization.

How do the people involved try to use these practices and convictions as a means of finding their way out of the social marginality which they are confined to, being sons of im migrant workers ?

This analysis shows in how far social conformity or non conformity in the religious and moral field can correspond to strategies built up according to the social position of the people involved.
Bible, société, prédication
Authors: Van Calster Stephan
Published: March 2007

In the following article the author views the homily both from historical/critical and empirical standpoints. And taking into account the injunctions of the Vatican II Council which advocates a biblical 're-rooting' of Catholic preaching, a sample of sermons gathered in West Germany was submitted to factorial analysis so as o bring out correlations existing between the Bible and social situations on the one hand, and the Bible and the objectives of the homily on the other.
The Hindu Concept of Space and Time Structuring the Day to Day Life of Man
Authors: Ambroise Yvon
Published: March 2007

La vision hindoue regarde le monde en termes de vie et de non-vie. Cette perspective ne donne pas naissance à une dichoto mie entre sacré et profane, mais uniquement à une sacralité plus ou moins intense.

Les concepts d'espace et de temps vus dans cette perspective apparaissent comme des facteurs structurant de toutes les sphères de la vie humaine.

L'espace est appréhendé en relation avec les dieux, avec les rythmes exceptionnels de la vie et en relation avec la vie quoti dienne.

Le temps est analysé aussi bien dans son caractère symboli que que quotidien et est structuré en termes de rythmes saisonnier et annuel, de cycle et rythme de vie, de rythme quotidien récur rent.
Les nouvelles religions aux Pays-Bas. Contexte, appartenance, réactions
Authors: van der Lans Jan M. , Derks Frans
Published: March 2007

In this report we give a broad on overview of the situation of the situation of the new religious movements in the Netherlands.
Le destin de la raison et le paradoxe du sacré
Authors: Ferrarotti Franco
Published: March 2007

With the march of progress and the successive victories of science, the decline, if not the disappearance pure and simple of the sacred had been predicted.
Ernst Troeltsch, l'éthique et la sociologie
Authors: Séguy Jean
Published: March 2007

How can modern man escape the paralizing effects born of the relativity attached to the historical and sociological approach of religious and ethical phenomena? This question lies at the cen tre of Troeltsch's intellectual enterprise as it appears from the Soziallehren and other earlier or later works by the same author.
Protestantism and Power : Some Sociological Observations
Authors: Pickering W.S.F.
Published: March 2007

Cet article considère les différentes significations que revêt le pouvoir et fournit diverses observations à son propos au sein du protestantisme. Il souligne l'ambiguité des attitudes à l'égard du pouvoir caractéristique de différentes filières du protestantisme en suggérant que la «faiblesse» du pouvoir en son sein (en comparai son avec le catholicisme romain) a deux sources: 1) le protestan tisme est fragmenté et chaque tradition se subdivise ultérieure ment en entités correspondantes aux frontières nationales; 2) il y a au sein du protestantisme une tendance inhérente à interpréter le message chrétien d'une manière qui néglige la réalité du pouvoir.
Notre Dame de Guadeloupe, expression du processus de métissage au Mexique
Authors: Estrada Isaac
Published: March 2007

Apparitions of the Virgin of Guadeloupe in Mexico arose in the course of the seventeenth century, during the transition period in the economic and social order induced by Spanish cólonization. This cult of the Virgin Mary can be viewed as a hybrid indigenous product, the fruit of a syncretism between the Virgin introduced by the colonized and the Goddess Tanatzin, the old goddess of life.
Hiérarchie sociale et mouvements de réformes chez les Musulmans du sous-continent Indien
Authors: Gaborieau Marc
Published: March 2007

The object of this paper is to analyze the ideas and criteria on which the status hierarchy among South Asian Muslims is founded. This question is a hotly debated one in Western acade mic circles as well as among Muslims themselves. Both tend, for ideological reasons, to build sharply contrasted models: equalita rian Islam opposed to hierarchical Hinduism. The contention of this paper is that both Muslim and Hindu society share basic pre conceptions about social hierarchy; it is erroneous and misleading to contrast them on this point. It is more rewarding to start from this basic homology in the social structure, and then to search for differences; such differences are to be found only at the top of the social hierarchy. As a consequence there is no reason to avoid the word «caste»: the Muslim society appears as a truncated caste system. The ethnographic material used in this paper is reinterpre ted in the light of medieval jurisprudence and of its reformula tions by modern reformers; it is contented that the medieval view of a hierarchical society has not been seriously challenged to this day.
The Renaissance Movement in the U.S.A. Today : an Account of Alternative Religion in Popular Media
Authors: Borowski Karol H.
Published: March 2007

L'auteur de cet article s'intéresse moins à la manière dont les masse-médias accordent une place au phénomène religieux qu'à la capacité qu'ont certains mouvements religieux d'utiliser les masse- médias populaires pour se propager. Il étudie pour ce faire le cas de «Renaissance Movement», l'un des nouveaux mouvements religieux qui, vers la fin des années 60, ont utilisé de manière très habile le discours et la musique comme instruments de propaga tion d'une religiosité du « nouvel âge ». Il y a plus dans ce cas qu'une simple instrumentalisation des médias: la véritable consti tution d'un message religieux au travers d'une pratique médiatique.
Religion et santé: le cas de la diététique des Adventistes du 7e jour
Authors: Topalov Anne-Marie
Published: March 2007

In the field of the relationships existing between a religious dynamic and a political process, are situated some health politics. This is the case, for instance, of the health politic that the Seventh Day Adventist Church promotes. This doctrine was born in USA in the mid 19th century, based upon the visions that Ellen Gould WHITE claims to have received from God. She was the prophetic leader of the adventist movement which inscribes itself in the Revivalism of this era, and among various millenarian and apo calyptic currents. This vision, concerning the meaning of the Apo calypse's message of the three angels, allowed Ellen to integrate her entire platform for sanitary and social reform — copied clo sely upon the one of the reformers of her time — into the religions reform whose necessity had been « revelated » to her in a vision, also. Thus, a veritable health religion, which is characteristic of adventist soteriology, is the condition sine qua non of religious health.
Swedish Church Statistics Unique Data for Sociological Research
Authors: Pettersson Thorleif
Published: March 2007

Cet article vise à permettre aux chercheurs en sociologie reli gieuse un recours utile aux données statistiques fournies par l'Eglise de Suède.