bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Relationship between Transition and Educational Reform Initiatives
Authors: Lehmann Jean , Cobb Brian , Tochterman Suzanne
Published: April 2008

This article explores the relationship between the school-to-career transition research findings and current school reform initiatives. We identified three compilations of secondary transition-related research (i.e., Kohler, 1993; Hughes, Hwang, Kim, Killian, Jarmer, & Alcantara, 1997; Phelps & Hanley-Maxwell, 1997) as sources documenting empirical trends within the field. To analyze the information these compilations provided, we grouped their results into four categories using a framework originally developed by Phelps and Wermuth (1992): (a) program administration, (b) curriculum and instruction, (c) support services, and (d) formalized articulation and communication categories. We compared this information to the reform policy and practices agenda to understand future challenges to the provision of transition services. We argue that secondary special educators should align their advocacy and research efforts within a "whole school reform" context as opposed to a "students with disabilities" context.
Description and Evaluation of the ARIES Project. Achieving Rehabilitation, Individualized Education, and Employment Success for Adolescents with Emotional Disturbance
Authors: Bullis Michael , Moran Tim , Benz Michael R. , Todis Bonnie , Johnson Michael D.
Published: April 2008

The ARIES ( Achieving Rehabilitation, Individualized Education, and Employment Success) Project for adolescents with emotional disturbance (ED) was operated jointly by staff from the University of Oregon and the Springfield, Oregon School District. Participants were referred to ARIES through the schools, vocational rehabilitation, and other community agencies (e.g., corrections, mental health). Each participant had a transition specialist who worked in conjunction with that individual to develop a service delivery plan and to then access necessary services. Self-determination, competitive vocational placements, and educational support were emphasized. The impact of ARIES and its services was positive on the participants, especially in regard to educational achievements. Qualitative evaluation of the project indicated that participants, educators, and social service staff viewed the ARIES model as effective in meeting the needs of the adolescents with ED.
Academic Preparation of Adolescents With Disabilities for Postsecondary Education
Authors: Hitchings W.E. , Retish Paul , Horvath Michael
Published: April 2008

This study assesses the preparation of high school students with disabilities for postsecondary education. Transition planning information for 110 students from Grades 10 through 12 was reviewed. We found that (a) interest in attending postsecondary education declined from 77% to 47% over a 3-year period, (b) only four students had 4-year plans leading to postsecondary education, and (c) students were not enrolled in college preparatory classes or were transferred from college preparatory classes despite the students' expressed interest in postsecondary education. Recommendations are presented to address the continuing problem of preparing students with disabilities for postsecondary education.
Differences in Outcomes for Female and Male Students in Special Education
Authors: Coutinho Martha J. , Oswald Donald P. , Best Al M.
Published: April 2008

Interest in differences in outcomes for male and female students in special education has increased in recent years. Using the nationally representative, longitudinal National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS-88) data set, a logistic regression model was used to examine the extent to which outcome variables were differentially associated with gender for students participating in special education. Evidence was obtained for several differential effects, with most results favoring males. Among other findings, females as compared to males with disabilities were less likely to obtain a high school diploma, were less likely to be employed, earned less, and were more likely to be a biological parent. Recommendations are provided for improved transition services, the implementation of promising practices related to self-determination, and renewed emphasis on comprehensive and flexible life—career preparation to foster better outcomes among females with disabilities.
Implementing the SOP for Effective Transition
Authors: Izzo Margo Vreeburg , Kochhar-Bryant Carol A.
Published: April 2008

This article provides two case studies of students with disabilities who are each exiting high school with a quality Summary of Performance (SOP) that enhances their successful transition to either college or employment. The authors present and discuss the essential components of the SOP for two students: one with a learning disability and a postsecondary goal of college and the other with a cognitive disability and a postsecondary goal of supported employment. Finally, the authors examine the benefits of completing quality SOPs for the student, the family, adult service providers, and employers.
Enhancing Secondary Special Education Teachers' Knowledge and Competencies in Working With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families Through Online Training
Authors: Kim Kyeong-Hwa , Morningstar Mary E.
Published: April 2008

Although numerous studies have identified the importance of family involvement during transition planning, they have also identified significant barriers to such involvement among culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online training on secondary special education teachers' knowledge of, attitudes toward, and competencies in working with CLD families during transition planning. Results indicated significant knowledge gain for teachers who participated in online training compared to the control group members, who did not receive the training. However, teacher attitudes and perceived levels of competence related to involving CLD families did not show significant changes. The authors discuss the implications for future research and training to improve transition practices specific to CLD families.
Improving Transition Outcomes for Marginalized Youth
Authors: Gil-Kashiwabara Eleanor , Hogansen Jennifer M. , Geenen Sarah , Powers Kristin , Powers Laurie E.
Published: April 2008

This article describes research designed to identify the impact of marginalization on transition planning for two groups of youth with disabilities: Latinas and youth in foster care. Findings are presented through the ecological systems framework, which provides a useful means of examining differing single and multilevel influences on transition planning. Data from each area are provided to identify the unique barriers and sources of support that these youth experience. Results support the need to consider the culture of marginalization and disenfranchisement within a broad diversity lens when developing transition plans and providing services to youth with disabilities. The discussion includes a guide for transition service providers and reflects approaches that more appropriately address circumstances faced by marginalized youth with disabilities.
The Burden of Acting White
Authors: Goff Chauncey , Martin James E. , Thomas Michael K.
Published: April 2008

This study used a phenomenological qualitative approach that engaged Black students in discussions about the burden of acting White and its impact on their in-school and postschool outcomes and postschool transition visions. Six seventh- and eighth-grade Black students identified as at risk for school failure, a principal, and five teachers participated in this study. The authors identified and addressed the following themes: (a) the existence of the burden of acting White; (b) students' definitions of acting Black or White; (c) teachers' inability to intervene and counteract the impacts of acting White; (d) the significance of postschool visions; and (e) academic orientation. The authors conclude by discussing the need for transition programs focused on self-determination.
“Keeping The Dancers In Check”
Authors: Price Kim
Published: April 2008

Strip clubs have rarely been analyzed in terms of their gendered organization. Instead, the literature on stripping emphasizes interaction-based perspectives that focus on strippers, patrons, and broader macro-structural trends. Although interaction-based perspectives are valuable, they often neglect to consider the context in which these interactions take place, the strip club itself. Such studies also tend to neglect the larger cast of club characters who own, manage, and work. This study explores workplace dynamics in The Lion's Den, a club featuring nude female dancers who perform primarily for male patrons. Informed by feminist and gendered organizational theory, this research utilizes sociologist Joan Acker's framework for studying gendered organizations as a way of augmenting interaction-based perspectives. Applying her approach to a strip club, an overtly gendered setting, this research demonstrates the importance of context in facilitating particular gendered processes, stereotypes, and gendered substructures.
Young Adult Intimate Partner Femicide
Authors: Glass Nancy , Laughon Kathryn , Rutto Cynthia , Bevacqua Jennifer , Campbell Jacquelyn C.
Published: April 2008

The study identified risk factors for young adult intimate partner femicide. Secondary analysis of proxies of 23 young adult (ages 18-20 years) femicide victims identified from police or medical examiner records in 11 U.S. cities were interviewed using the Danger Assessment Scale. The femicide cases were compared with 53 abused young women (ages 18-20). Risk factors for young adult intimate partner femicide differ from their abused counterparts. More hostile violence, threats, unemployment, access to a gun, controlling activities, and having a nonbiological child of the abusive partner placed young adult women at higher risk for murder. Risk factors in younger femicides identified are consistent with risk factors identified in cases of femicides in older adult women. Although consistent, jealousy and controlling behaviors, partner unemployment, and perpetrator being an ex-partner appear to have increased importance for younger women. A validated lethality assessment, such as the Danger Assessment, may be useful to identify risk factors for lethal violence in young adult intimate partner violence.
The Promise of Cell Phones
Authors: Rizzo Sergio
Published: April 2008

In this article I examine the deployment of cell phones in two different contexts. The first is the use of cell phones in a protest movement in the Philippines that resulted in the resignation of President Joseph Estrada in 2001. I then look at the marketing and consumption of cell phones in the (over)developed world, focusing on the USA. I argue that the Philippine protest movement, known as People Power II, indicates the medium's progressive potential, while the marketing of cell phones in the USA indicates the medium's reactionary potential, or, borrowing a term from Paul Virilio, the cell phone's potential as `technological nanny'. The comparison tries to steer between two orientations in cultural studies — which I characterize as the optimism of technoutopianism and the pessimism of techno-phobia — in order to appreciate the political potential of cell phones, in particular, and technology in general.
GpnmbR 150Xallele must be present in bone marrow derived cells to mediate DBA/2J glaucoma
Authors: Anderson Michael G , Nair K Saidas , Amonoo Leslie A , Mehalow Adrienne , Trantow Colleen M , Masli Sharmila , John Simon WM
Published: April 2008

Background

TheGpnmbgene encodes a transmembrane protein whose function(s) remain largely unknown. Here, we assess if a mutant allele ofGpnmbconfers susceptibility to glaucoma by altering immune functions. DBA/2J mice have a mutantGpnmbgene and they develop a form of glaucoma preceded by a pigment dispersing iris disease and abnormalities of the immunosuppressive ocular microenvironment.

Results

We find that theGpnmbgenotype of bone-marrow derived cell lineages significantly influences the iris disease and the elevation of intraocular pressure. GPNMB localizes to multiple cell types, including pigment producing cells, bone marrow derived F4/80 positive antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of the iris and dendritic cells. We show that APCs of DBA/2J mice fail to induce antigen induced immune deviation (a form of tolerance) when treated with TGFβ2. This demonstrates that some of the immune abnormalities previously identified in DBA/2J mice result from intrinsic defects in APCs. However, the tested APC defects are not dependent on a mutantGpnmbgene. Finally, we show that theGpnmbmediated iris disease does not require elevated IL18 or mature B or T lymphocytes.

Conclusion

These results establish a role forGpnmbin bone marrow derived lineages. They suggest that affects ofGpnmbon innate immunity influence susceptibility to glaucoma in DBA/2J mice.
Diels–Alder Reaction of 2,3-Bis(pinacolatoboryl)-1,3-butadiene: Facile Preparation of 1,2-Bis(pinacolatoboryl)cyclohexenes and -1,4-cyclohexadiene
Authors: Shimizu Masaki , Shimono Katsuhiro , Kurahashi Takuya , Kiyomoto Shin-ichi , Nagao Ikuhiro , Hiyama Tamejiro
Published: April 2008

Diels–Alder reaction of 2,3-bis(pinacolato)boryl-1,3-butadiene with electron-deficient alkenes and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate proceeded smoothly upon heating, giving rise to the corresponding 1,2-diborylcyclohexenes in good to excellent yields. Conversion of two C–B bonds in the cycloadducts into C–C bonds is also demonstrated.
High-Trivalent Rare Earth Ion Conduction in Solids Based on NASICON-Type Phosphate
Authors: Hasegawa Yasunori , Tamura Shinji , Sato Mineo , Imanaka Nobuhito
Published: April 2008

Trivalent rare earth ion conductors of the (R0.05Zr0.95)80⁄79Nb(PO4)3 (R: rare earths) series with NASICON-type structures were successfully prepared and the optimum size of ion-conducting pathways for rare earth ions in (R0.05Zr0.95)80⁄79Nb(PO4)3 solids was investigated. The most suitable ion-conducting pathway for rare earth ion conduction in this series was realized for R=Dy and the highest conductivity of 3.2×10−4 S cm−1 at 600 °C was obtained for (Dy0.05Zr0.95)80⁄79Nb(PO4)3 solids. Since R3+ ion conduction was strongly dependent on the ratio of conducting R3+ ion size to crystal lattice size (VR3+⁄Vlattice; we denote this ratio as A ratio in this article), it was clear that the A ratio is a key factor to optimize R3+ ion conduction in NASICON-type structures.
Low Frequency Acoustic Performance in Ducts Using Honeycomb Layer Systems
Authors: Tang Wing-Cheong
Published: April 2008

The use of composite materials, like honeycomb structures, in the building industry is growing rapidly, due to their superior performance (very high Sound Transmission Loss) and significant weight reduction over conventional materials. An experimental investigation into low-frequency duct noise reduction using honeycomb sandwich panels is presented. Composite sandwich structures with an air gap between panels provide low-frequency sound absorption. The waves in the duct are coupled with those in the porous layer and the air cavities. The energy is dissipated as a result of the resonant mass-spring behavior of the system. A significant impact on the noise reduction is obtained by using a comparatively stiff honeycomb panel, in combination with a thin metallic duct wall with minimum weight. A noise reduction up to 12dB, below 300 Hz, is demonstrated.
Speech Intelligibility in Classrooms: Specific Acoustical Needs for Primary School Children
Authors: Whitlock James A. T. , Dodd George
Published: April 2008

Classrooms for primary school children should be built to criteria based on children's speech intelligibility needs which in some respects – e.g. reverberation time – differ markedly from the traditional criteria for adults. To further identify why the needs of children and adults for speech perception are so different we have measured the ‘integration time’ of speech for adults and children using a novel technique to obviate the complicating effects of differing language. The results for children are significantly different than for adults (35 ms c.f. 50 ms) and recommendations for classroom design based on the children's requirements have been made. When groups of children engage in ‘co-operative learning’ activities in the classroom, the “cafe effect” produces a rising activity noise level. We suggest the Lombard Effect is responsible for this. Measurements show children are more susceptible to the effect and we have developed a prediction model for activity noise in a classroom.
Different Mechanisms of DEHP‐induced Hepatocellular Adenoma Tumorigenesis in Wild‐type and Pparα‐null Mice
Authors: Takashima Kayoko , Ito Yuki , Gonzalez Frank J , Nakajima Tamie
Published: April 2008

Different Mechanisms of DEHP‐induced Hepatocellular Adenoma Tumorigenesis in Wild‐type and Pparα‐null Mice: Kayoko Takashima, et al. Department of Preventive Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine—Di (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure is thought to lead to hepatocellular hypertrophy and hyperplasia in rodents mediated via peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (PPARα). A recent study revealed that long‐term exposure to relatively low‐dose DEHP (0.05%) caused liver tumors including hepatocellular carcinomas, hepatocellular adenomas, and chologiocellular carcinomas at a higher incidence in Pparα‐null mice (25.8%) than in wild‐type mice (10.0%). Using tissues with hepatocellular adenoma, microarray (Affymetrix MOE430A) as well as, in part, real‐time quantitative PCR analysis was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms of the adenoma formation resulting from DEHP exposure in both genotyped mice. The microarray profiles showed that the up‐ or down‐regulated genes were quite different between hepatocellular adenoma tissues of wild‐type and Pparαnull mice exposed to DEHP. The gene expressions of apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1 (Apaf1) and DNA‐damage‐inducible 45 alpha (Gadd45a) were increased in the hepatocellular adenoma tissues of wild‐type mice exposed to DEHP, whereas they were unchanged in corresponding tissues of Pparα‐null mice. On the other hand, the expressions of cyclin B2 and myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 were increased only in the hepatocellular adenoma tissues of Pparα‐null mice. Taken together, DEHP may induce hepatocellular adenomas, in part, via suppression of G2/M arrest regulated by Gadd45a and caspase 3‐dependent apoptosis in Pparα‐null mice, but these genes may not be involved in tumorigenesis in the wild‐type mice. In contrast, the expression level of Met was notably increased in the liver adenoma tissue of wild‐type mice, which may suggest the involvement of Met in DEHP‐induced tumorigenesis in wild‐type mice.
Development of a Sampling and Analysis Method for 4‐Vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene in Air
Authors: Kongtip Pornpimol , Tangprakorn Bantoon , Yoosook Witaya , Chantanakul Suttinun
Published: April 2008

Development of a Sampling and Analysis Method for 4‐Vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene in Air: Pornpimol Kongtip, et al. Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand—The purpose of this research was to develop an applicable sampling and analytical method to determine airborne 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene concentrations which are usually found in the atmosphere of polybutadiene factories. A solid sorbent tube, containing two sections (100 mg in the front and 50 mg in the back) of activated coconut‐shell charcoal was chosen for sampling 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene vapor. The 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene in the charcoal samples was desorbed with carbon disulfide and analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector. The suitable air flow rate, adsorption capacity, sample storage stability, desorption efficiency and reliability of the method for sampling and analysis of 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene were evaluated. The method was applied to sampling and analysis of 4‐vinyl‐1cyclohexene in the rubber industry. The results indicated a suitable air flow rate of 0.3 to 1.5 l/min. The adsorption capacity of 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene on 100 mg of charcoal was 0.2134 mg. The 4‐vinyl‐1cyclohexene adsorbed on the charcoal was stable for 7 d at room temperature or 21 d in a refrigerated condition. The average percent desorption efficiency of 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene ranged from 90.45% to 97.04% with the loaded amount ranging from 0.412 to 8.250 µg using 1 ml carbon disulfide. The limit of detection of 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene was 0.044 ng. The average percent recoveries (n=6) of 4‐vinyl‐1cyclohexene adsorbed on charcoal ranging from 0.46 to 8.87 µg were 96.78–102.87% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.34–1.92%, respectively. The concentrations of 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene ranged from 0.011 to 0.105 mg/m3 in the working environment of a polybutadiene factory.
Workplace Violence Directed at Nursing Staff at a General Hospital in Southern Thailand
Authors: Kamchuchat Chalermrat , Chongsuvivatwong Virasakdi , Oncheunjit Suparnee , Yip Teem Wing , Sangthong Rassamee
Published: April 2008

Workplace Violence Directed at Nursing Staff at a General Hospital in Southern Thailand: Chalermrat Kamchuchat, et al. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand—This study aimed to document the characteristics of workplace violence directed at nursing staff, an issue which has rarely been studied in a developing country. Two study methods, a survey and a key informant interview, were conducted at a general hospital in southern Thailand. A total of 545 out of 594 questionnaires sent were returned for statistical analysis (response rate=91.7%). The 12‐month prevalence of violence experience was 38.9% for verbal abuse, 3.1% for physical abuse, and 0.7% for sexual harassment. Psychological consequences including poor relationships with colleagues and family members were the major concerns. Patients and their relatives were the main perpetrators in verbal and physical abuse while co‐workers were the main perpetrators in cases of sexual harassment. Common factors to incidents of violence were psychological setting, illness of the perpetrators, miscommunication, and alcohol use. Logistic regression analysis showed younger age to be a personal risk factor. Working in the out‐patient unit, trauma and emergency unit, operating room, or medical or surgical unit increased the odds of violence by 80%. Training related to violence prevention and control was found to be effective and decreased the risk of being a victim of violence by 40%. We recommend providing training to high risk groups as a means of controlling workplace violence directed at nursing staff.
Association between Use of Synthetic Metalworking Fluid and Risk of Developing Rhinitis‐related Symptoms in an Automotive Ring Manufacturing Plant
Authors: Park Dong‐Uk , Jin Ku‐Won , Koh Dong‐Hee , Kim Byung‐Kyu , Kim Kyu‐Sang , Park Doo‐Yong
Published: April 2008

Association between Use of Synthetic Metalworking Fluid and Risk of Developing Rhinitis‐related Symptoms in an Automotive Ring Manufacturing Plant: Dong‐Uk Park, et al. Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University, Korea—The main objective of this study was to determine the association between synthetic metalworking fluid (MWF) and rhinitis‐related symptoms. At a plant manufacturing piston rings for automobiles, we interviewed grinders (19) and manufacturing workers (142) in operations where synthetic or semisynthetic MWF is handled, and administrative office workers (44) regarding the principal symptoms of rhinitis (nasal stuffiness, runny nose, anosmia, nasal itchiness, rhinorrhea, headache, epistaxis, and post‐nasal drip). In addition, we assessed the current exposure of workers handling MWF to MWF aerosols, fungi, and endotoxins. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between MWF surrogates indicative of MWF exposure and each rhinitis‐related nasal symptom. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were adjusted for sex, age, smoking habit, and duration of employment. Among grinders handling synthetic MWF, the frequency of complaints of the dominant symptoms was 66.7% for nasal stuffiness, 77.8% for anosmia, 77.8% for runny nose, and 50.0% for headache. These rates are quite high even allowing for the common occurrence of rhinitis in the general population. Twenty eight of 34 grinding and manufacturing workers (82.4%) sampled were exposed to MWF mist above the threshold limit of 0.2 mg/m3listed as a notice of intended change by the American Conference for Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The percentage of workers exposed to MWF mist >0.5 mg/m3was 17.6%. Most workers were exposed to fungi levels >103CFU/m3. All exposures to endotoxins were <50 EU/m3. Logistic regression analysis found that use of synthetic MWF was significantly associated with excess risk of nasal stuffiness (OR 3.5), nasal itchiness (OR 2.0), and runny nose (OR 2.1). The use of semi‐synthetic MWF had little or no impact on the risk of developing rhiniti‐srelated nasal symptoms. Grinding workers handling synthetic MWF had an increased risk of nasal stuffiness (OR 7.9), anosmia (OR 23.2), nasal itchiness (OR 8.3), runny nose (OR 20.4), post nasal drip (OR 18.4), and headache (OR 7.4) compared to administrative workers. Synthetic MWF may play an important role in the development of the dominant symptoms of rhinitis. Further study is needed to establish the risk of rhinitis or rhinitis‐related symptoms according to MWF type.
Book Excerpt: How Religion Changed in the Bronze Age?
Authors: Hayden Brian
Published: April 2008

Debates over the origin and influences of Indo-European languages and societies have fueled nationalistic passions over ancestral homelands as well as more recent attempts to categorize Indo-European language speaking societies as patriarchal, violent, and disruptive of a Neolithic utopia

in Old Europe. While archaeological data is generally not abundant or refined enough to explain the distribution of Indo-European languages, it is possible to generalize that religions of herding societies demonstrate surprising similarities, be they the Nuer or the Masai in East Africa and the historical Indo-European cattle herders of the steppes. Their warrior groups adopt powerful wild animals as totems and form exclusive and independent social groups or classes, with their own deities, rituals, myths, and ritual leaders. Priestly elites also form a separate class, which strives to maintain

dominant control over raids, spells, and initiations. Thus, in the pastoral nomad type of society, there is an evident conflict of interest between the major power-wielding sectors (warriors versus priestly elites) resulting in problems of integrating both social groups together, not to mention the

people that do most of the herding and gardening. In this respect, religion can be adaptive in both defining special interest groups within a society and in integrating groups together. This represents a further politicization of religion, a tendency that began in the Upper Paleolithic.

This article is reprinted with permission from Shamans, Sorcerers, and Saints: A Prehistory of Religion (Washington, DC:Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003).
Paganism as Root Religion
Authors: York Michael
Published: April 2008

Paganism, defined as a sacred religion with the tangible or sentient, might also be viewed as a spontaneous response to the world, the source of future religious expressions that are here divided into five main streams of developed religion: gnostic, dharmic, Abrahamic and pagan. The essentially pagan response to the natural world is unconditioned by theology, is experiential and is concerned with an individual’s transitions through life, as well as with the individual and communal encounter with the natural environment.
Geographical Ontology: Levinas, Sacred Landscapes and Cities
Authors: Ezzy Douglas
Published: April 2008

Cities inscribe on the earth a text of human being-in-the world. They contain, repress, facilitate, control and decimate nature. Put another way, the geography of our being-in-the world profoundly shapes human experience of nature. This article proceeds through a dialogue between my own mystical experiences in nature. and a rereading of Levinas.s account of face-to-face relations with the Other through which I argue that nature can be understood as Other. However, beyond a romanticised conception of nature as harmonious and

ecologically balanced, a sophisticated Levinasian reading of face-to-face relations confronts us with the disruptive, violent implications of proximity to nature. This also provides an account of the violent, suppressive and distancing response of humans to nature. Further, the conceptualisation of nature as Other suggests some alternative urban experiences that may be seen as part of the human encounter with nature. In particular I examine human mortality as an aspect of

nature. Finally, the sacred is found, both in urban and rural contexts, in that moment of transcendence when human responses to the Other of nature take them out of, or beyond, their ontological being to an ethical moment of relationship.
Nature Religion as a Cultural System?Sources of Environmentalist Action and Rhetoric in a Contemporary Pagan Community
Authors: Oboler Regina Smith
Published: April 2008

Clifford Geertz defines religion as “a system of symbols which act to produce powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations.” The Geertzian framework is applied here to the use by the contemporary Pagan community of Nature, the Earth, and the Environment as symbols in creating a system of pro-environmentalist moods and motivations that spill over into non-religious aspects of life. If Geertz is correct, Pagan imagery of Earth/ Nature as nurturing but vulnerable mother should contribute to creating a mood of concern about the state of the Earth, and motivation to engage in environmental activism or other pro-environmentalist actions. Results of a quantitative study of environmental attitudes and actions of 159 people who self-identify as Wiccan or Pagan are reported. Their responses to Gallup Poll questions on the environment are compared to those of the general population. In general, Pagan respondents did not report greatly higher levels of environmental concerns than Gallup Poll respondents, but did report a significantly better record of following pro-environmental practices. Questions are raised, however, about the degree to which differences between Pagan responses and those of others on Gallup Poll questions are the result of religious outlook vs. other confounding variables, such as levels of education. These numerical data serve as the starting point for an analysis that seeks to understand what an ethic of care for the Earth means to contemporary Pagans in their everyday lives. The author examines rhetorical uses to which Pagans put Earth/Nature imagery in explaining their own ideas and behavior with regard to environmental issues.
The Shrineless God
Authors: Freeman Nick
Published: April 2008

This article explores the lingering remnants of a late Victorian 'paganism' in Britain during the 1940s, and traces some of the cultural consequences of the meeting between this and the often propagandist concern with a mythic England seen throughout World War II. A loose network of literary texts, art works and films is examined in order to suggest that the 1940s is a pivotal decade between the relatively genteel and individualistic 'pagan' sympathies of the early twentieth century and the more systematic modes of allegiance that have characterized recent times. The article focuses in detail on Algernon Blackwood's short story 'Roman Remains' (1948), Jocelyn Brooke's novel The Scapegoat (1948), Powell and Pressburger's film A Canterbury Tale (1944) and the art of Cecil Collins, chiefly The Vision of the Fool (1947).
A Process Epistemology of Wiccan Occult Knowledge
Authors: Wise Constance
Published: April 2008

One characteristic, among others, of the contemporary Pagan religion of Wicca is its affirmation of occult knowledge. Some Wiccan traditions hold this knowledge to be secret; others, in particular Feminist Wicca, have a more open attitude. Despite these diverse approaches to the accessibility of occult knowledge, all Wiccans link it to embodiment. Many Wiccans associate it specifically with female embodiment through the concept of Women’s Mysteries. However, the broader definitive qualities of Wiccan occult knowledge are non-gender specific, namely that it is creative, non-rational, subliminal, and contextual. The twentieth-century philosophical system of process thought understands knowledge to have three levels: the deep, non-rational level of causal efficacy that affords one a grasp of the relationality at the base of all reality; the sensory level of presentational immediacy; and the humans-only abstract level of symbolic reference. The first of these, causal efficacy, can be associated with the qualities listed above for Wiccan occult knowledge. Wiccans access this level of knowledge through ritual, which takes them across the veil of rationality and abstraction into a brief and faint awareness of deep interconnections among all things. Some Wiccan ritual practices, in particular those of Feminist Wicca, then cycle back from this deep non-rational level to a more cognitive appropriation of the knowledge gained there. The process concept of causal efficacy offers philosophical insights into Wiccan occult knowledge and metaphysically grounds the Wiccan claim that at a deep level all reality is interconnected in a Web of Being.
Sites, Texts, Contexts and Inscriptions of Meaning
Authors: Blain Jenny , Wallis Robert J
Published: April 2008

Questions of texts and ‘scripture’ sit uneasily with Paganisms. Most Pagans do not have ‘sacred scriptures’ and point to different constructions of spirituality that do not privilege conventional ‘texts’. Further, popular or political perceptions that a ‘religion’ should or must have ‘sacred texts’ can become a means of denying various Paganisms—or indeed some indigenous spiritualities elsewhere—the official stamp of authenticity being ‘a religion’ in a legal or institutional sense. Yet Pagan meanings and practices are constituted with respect to written or verbal forms that may be regarded as sacred, practical, authentic or inauthentic, according to practitioners and their Paganisms. If we regard ‘text’ as that which can be ‘read’, Pagans may claim authority for practices rooted in, for instance, inscriptions of meaning in places or ‘sacred sites’ rather than in the written word. We investigate and problematise Pagan engagements with such conveyors of meaning: sacred sites, mediaeval literature and folklore, and present-day emergent verse or sung forms, which, used on either a national/international or local scale, may contribute to structuring meanings and practices. We also point to issues in the relationship of ‘text’ and ‘performance’, and re-embed analysis within the context of the hegemony of ‘text’ within social organisation, by questioning extents to which practitioners fall back on the authority of the text for legitimation of self, practice and developing context.
Civil Religion Aspects of Neo-Paganism
Authors: York Michael
Published: April 2008

Robert Bellah’s concept of civil religion is largely an analytical concept that, like the notion of secularization, is more tautological than empirical—defying in general what evidence could be legitimately used to confirm or disconfirm it. As a sociological construct, however, “civil religion” is nevertheless deemed a useful heuristic device. The following analysis builds on the data of Wimberley and Swatos concerning who is likely to support American civil religion and who is not, but this is not an empirical study in and of itself. Instead, what I have sought to tease out are, first, the common denominator language of “civil religion” itself and its current renewal, secondly, where Pagans fit with the Wimberley–Swatos findings concerning the construct, and, thirdly, some of the nuances and difficulties regarding Pagan civil religion involvement—especially in the post-9/11 increase in patriotic fervor and the countervailing trend expressed through the separation of church–state juridical decisions involving the “under God” clause in the Pledge of Allegiance. The article concludes with a brief look at how nature religion/Goddess spirituality might constitute a Pagan form of civil religion in contrast to Pagan sectarian expression. Though not exclusively, this article draws from conversation on the Nature Religions List, which, if not fully representative of all facets of contemporary Paganism, represents some of the best of current intellectual Pagan thought and, at the same time, a diversified range between conservative right and liberal left orientations.
Philip Heselton, Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration
Authors: Clifton Chas S
Published: April 2008

Philip Heselton, Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration (Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2003), 438 pp., £16.95 (paper).
Bill Ellis, Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture
Authors: Magliocco Sabrina
Published: April 2008

Bill Ellis, Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2004), xii + 229 pp., $29.95 (cloth).
From Fact to Fallacy
Authors: Noble Catherine
Published: April 2008

The evolution of Margaret Murray’s theory of a historical witch-cult deserves as much scrutiny as the topic of witchcraft itself. Its widespread acceptance despite glaring inaccuracies to the eyes of a modern reader testifies how little interest the academic world had in witchcraft in the first half of the twentieth century. Its enduring popularity in the face of contrary evidence reveals the emotional nerve struck by Murray’s works. Today there are those still devoted to the concept of an ancient witch-cult, and they credit Murray with discovering it, even though the cult they describe may bear almost no relation to Murray’s witches.
Renovating the Broom Closet
Authors: Reid Síân
Published: April 2008

A perception of reduced stigma and increased access to information facilitate increased involvement in contemporary Paganism in Canada, from a rational-choice and demographic standpoint. Original research done within the Canadian Pagan community from 1995 to 1998 suggests that, given the available data both on current demographics and on cultural trends, the number of self-identified Pagans on the 2011 and 2021 censuses will continue to increase at a rate higher than that of other religious groups.
Being at Home in Nature
Authors: Davy Barbara Jane
Published: April 2008

Pagans have accused Judaism of a transcendental disregard for nature, while Jewish thinkers have suggested that paganism exhibits a natural, if primitive, disregard for ethics. For the most part, the paganism of which Jewish philosophers have spoken is understood as religion that has not yet developed any awareness of or respect for God, rather than contemporary Paganism. Pagans have cited some biblical texts in environmental work done by Jewish philosophers and activists. It seems obvious that individual Pagans and Jews have more or less appreciation of nature based on their personal inclinations; there are certainly many examples of good work being done on both sides. Addressing the basic difference in worldview or cosmology that underlies the accusations, I suggest a supplementation of Jewish and Pagan ideas, drawing on the work of the (post)modern Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas (1906–1995). If Levinas’s understanding of transcendence is interpreted in terms of a lateral transcendence of one’s own ego, and one’s limited view of the world, rather than the vertical transcendence of nature, his ethical theory can contribute to the development of interpersonal environmental ethics in a contemporary Pagan worldview.
Sabina Magliocco, Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America
Authors: Lewis James R
Published: April 2008

Sabina Magliocco, Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004), 280 pp., $55 (cloth), $19.95 (paper).
Adrian Murdoch, The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World and Jonathan Kirsch, God against the Gods: The History of the War between Monotheism and Polytheism
Authors: Clifton Chas S
Published: April 2008

Adrian Murdoch, The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World (Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2003), xvi + 255 pp., £20 (cloth).
Jonathan Kirsch, God against the Gods: The History of the War between Monotheism and Polytheism (New York: Viking Compass, 2004), xi + 336 pp., $25.95 (cloth).
Marcus Tanner, The Last of the Celts
Authors: Jones Ieuen
Published: April 2008

Marcus Tanner, The Last of the Celts (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004), 432 pp., $30 (cloth).
V. Vale and John Sulak, Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices
Authors: Pizza Murph
Published: April 2008

V. Vale and John Sulak, Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices (San Francisco: RE/Search Publications), 212 pp., $19.95 (paper).
Song of the Car, Song of the Cinema
Authors: Jones Ieuan
Published: April 2008

This article takes a detailed and questioning look at the way Pagans have tended to conceptualize ‘Nature’. It holds that Pagan culture is dominated by what could be regarded as a ‘semi-orthodox’ viewpoint on the subject, which holds that notions of enchantment are synonymous—or at least broadly congruous—with ‘natural’ forces, with the logical and ideological corollary that those elements deemed to be ‘non-natural’ are therefore intrinsically antithetical to magical sensibilities to some degree. Drawing from academic and Pagan sources (the latter including interviews with practicing Pagans), its intention is not so much to ‘disprove’ this type of view, but rather to critique the assumption that it represents a fundamental or defining feature of the Pagan phenomenon, as opposed to a rhetorical and cultural adjunct.
Santería Sacrificial Rituals
Authors: Clark Mary Ann
Published: April 2008

The connections between religion and violence, including all types of sacrifice, have a long-standing history of scholarly concern. Because Santería (along with other African-based religions) engages in rituals of sacrifice that include the immolation of animals, an exploration of sacrifice and other types of religious violence through the lens of these religions may provide new insights into these activities. In this article I suggest that the standard approaches to the issues of religion, sacrifice, and violence are flawed by their Indo-European ethnocentrism and that the perspectives of religions like Santería and the Yoruba traditional religion can reconfigure the place of sacrifice in the religious milieu and call into question both the rhetoric and use of violence in other traditions.
Michael F. Strmiska, ed. Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives
Authors: Bado-Fralick Nikki
Published: April 2008

Michael F. Strmiska, ed. Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2005), 382 pp., $85.00 (cloth) $105 (ebook).
Christopher McIntosh, Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic, and Meaning
Authors: Smoley Richard
Published: April 2008

Christopher McIntosh, Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic, and Meaning (London: I.B. Tauris & Co., 2005), 203 pp., $22.95 (paper).
Linda C. Hults, The Witch as Muse: Art, Gender, and Power in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Clifton Chas S
Published: April 2008

Linda C. Hults, The Witch as Muse: Art, Gender, and Power in Early Modern Europe (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005), 352 pp., $49.95 (cloth).
The Melting Cauldron
Authors: Charbonneau Marisol
Published: April 2008

Ethnicity and race are imprecise social constructs. Many contemporary Pagans tend to identify their beliefs and practices with one or several European pre-Christian cultures. This aspect of Pagan reconstruction carries notions of implicit ethnic and cultural allegiance, irrespective of whether this phenomenon is conscious or deliberate in the minds of Pagans. This article is an exploration of the causes of the dissonance between the Pagan ideal of inclusiveness and diversity and the fact that contemporary Paganism tends to attract people of mostly European descent. The following is a discussion of how the processes involved in the construction of a Pagan religious identity are the main culprits causing this dissonance, which leads to an accidental ethnic near homogeneity among Pagans. This article is the result of several years of observing the Pagan communities in the city of Montreal, and most recently, in the Canadian National Capital Region, which became my home in 2003.
The Quandary of Contemporary Pagan Archives
Authors: Reese Garth
Published: April 2008

Although religious archives as they exist today are a relatively recent development, the need to maintain a collection of materials essential to the administration of a church or other religious body emerges at the moment that body is founded/ This is especially true in the case of contemporary Pagan religious bodies, many of which, whether because they tend to be non-scriptural, or because they are smaller, younger, or less secure than mainline Christian denominations, have neither created nor maintain formal archives. ‘Archival’ materials related to these bodies tend to reside on hard drives or in file cabinets in members’ homes or offices; hardly a dependable setting for long-term preservation. Yet archives are essential to gaining credibility and respectability in the greater American (even global) religious landscape. More importantly, they allow religious bodies to retain control over their own histories, which is essential for small, sometimes threatened, groups like contemporary Pagans.
Putting the Blood Back into Blót: The Revival of Animal Sacrifice in Modern Nordic Paganism
Authors: Strmiska Michael
Published: April 2008

Animal sacrifice, once among the most universal of religious practices, is now among the most reviled and rejected. This article explores how a small number of Modern Nordic Pagans in the United States are experimenting with recreating the practice of animal sacrifice as part of their project of revitalizing past tradition.
Multilingualism, conflict, and the politics of indigenous language movements
Authors: Romaine Suzanne
Published: April 2008

Experts know that multilingualism is not the aberration or minority phenomenon supposed by many English speakers. It is, on the contrary, a normal and unremarkable necessity for the majority of the world´s population. Because languages and dialects are often powerfull symbols of class, gender, ethnic and other kinds of differentiation, it is easy to think that language underlies conflict. Yet disputes involving language are really not about language, but about fundamental inequalities between groups who happen to speak different languages. It is for this reason that language has been an important focus for various kinds of social and political movements around the world. This paper examines the politics of multilingualism as expressed in the phenomenon of indigenous language movements in various parts of the world. Its not surprising that one of the demands of indigenous language movements are towards some form of bilingual education in the minority language. At the same time demands for state resources for support of the language, often undermine its position further and intensify conflicts between majority and minority.