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A series of biennial surveys in Norway have found large age differences in value orientation, exceeding those found for other social background variables. What lies behind the age differences, cohort or life cycle effects, is investigated by means of cohort analyses. A change diagram permitting the simultaneous presentation of results for several variables is developed. The pattern of change is varied, whether one looks at value dimensions, indexes or indicators, suggesting the existence of stable cohort differences as well as changing preferences over time for individuals. The substance of the results contradicts the postmaterialism theory of Ronald Inglehart. The population trends, as well as the preferences of the young, are characterized by a preoccupation with material possessions & consumption rather than postmaterialist values. 2 Tables, 6 Figures, 10 References. Adapted from the source document.

Examines the potential for social revolution in Latin America, an area that has achieved market democracies dominated by capitalist rule & impacted by globalization. Capitalist restructuring has bypassed legislative bodies, & democracy is exhibited only in periodic elections. Under the Washington Consensus, representative democracies have achieved wealth & power for the ruling classes, while further impoverishing the rest of the population. Failure to set limits on the devastating effects of capital accumulation has sparked massive protests across Latin American from an array of social movements & NGOs working for environmental, identity, human rights or cultural causes. However, revolution is considered outmoded, & access to information technology & mobilization at the global level have brought unpredictable policy outcomes. The best hope for social justice lies in working for social reforms within the representative democracies to confront the negative outcomes of capitalist globalization. 36 References. L. A. Hoffman

This article reviews the construction of migration policies in Spain while analyzing its role as an instrument in the production of exclusion and precariousness. The changes in migration legislation-far from decreasing the number of undocumented migrants-have produced labor segmentation and social stratification. The official determination of presenting illegal immigrants as part of a vicious circIe and legal ones as part of a virtuous circIe opens the door to the criminalization of migration movements. This situation produces a radicalization in the vulnerability of certain labor forces. As opposed to the culturalist perspective, which explains inequality as the result of pre-existent cultural differences, the following analysis suggests that the discriminatory and marginalized situations suffered by part of non-communitarian immigrant population in Spain are systematically produced and reinforced by various political and legal practices.

Many sources of economic data cover only a limited set of states at any given point in time. Data are often systematically missing for some states over certain time periods. In the context of conflict studies, economic data are frequently unavailable for states involved in conflicts, undermining the ability to draw inferences of linkages between economic and political interactions. For example, simply using available data in a study of trade and conflict and disregarding observations with missing data on economic variables excludes key conflicts such as the Berlin crisis, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Gulf War from the sample. A set of procedures are presented to create additional estimates to remedy some of the coverage problems for data on gross domestic product, population, and bilateral trade flows.

Do counter-proliferation policies help or hinder efforts at stopping terrorists from using chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological (CBNR) weapons? Counter-proliferation bounds the terrorist threat by reducing the vulnerability of US forces, allied military units, & even civilian populations to terrorist attack. It helps to deter state sponsored terrorism by bolstering the ability of US forces to retaliate with massive conventional force or with nuclear weapons. Counter-proliferation also probably helps to deter state sponsored CBNR terrorism, although it has little effect on individual terrorists or independent terrorist networks. It reduces the prospects of terrorist incidents by helping to keep "surplus" materials or weapons from entering black markets. Because counter-proliferation policies harden US or allied forces to terrorist attacks, however, counter-proliferation efforts might channel terrorists toward softer (civilian) targets. Adapted from the source document.

Restrictive policies aimed at reducing the likelihood of bank failures during recessions tend to increase the probability of a credit crunch. We examine whether this policy-dilemma is empirically observable, and whether policy-makers concentrate more on preventing bank failures or avoiding a credit crunch. We find that although capital-asset ratios in the total population of US banks in the 1990s are pro-cyclical, the most vulnerable banks (substantially undercapitalized ones) tend to increase their capital-asset ratios during recessions. These findings suggest that policy-makers are indeed experiencing a dilemma, and that they try to balance the relative probabilities of the two evils: they force the weakest banks to improve their capital-asset ratios while mitigating the risk of a credit crunch by accepting a reduction in the capital-asset ratios of less vulnerable banks.

The resiliency of the contemporary welfare states is investigated. An overview of comparative approaches to studying the welfare state is provided, emphasizing such thoughts as the association of the welfare state with a social democratic government system. G. Esping-Andersen's (1990, 1999) theory of the welfare state is subsequently used to determine whether the welfare state is truly resistant & durable over time. In addition, Pierson's (1994) contention that the welfare state has proved relatively stable despite pressures for retrenchment is also discussed. After considering how social security systems diversified in contemporary democracies, the systemic differences between multiple Western welfare states are highlighted. It is subsequently asserted that welfare systems in these countries must address the financial burdens created by an aging population & growing unemployment rates. Future recommendations for comparative studies of the welfare state are offered. 2 Tables. J. W. Parker

Differences between the transnational identities fashioned by Japanese Americans living in HI during the 1920s & by Japanese Americans living in the present-day US are studied. Demographics of HI's early-20th-century Japanese American population are overviewed, & of the federal government's rationale for acculturating this community are provided. Personal narratives produced by Japanese American high school students in 1926 are analyzed to determine how members of this community constructed transnational identities. The study revealed that many students desired to function as cultural intermediaries between Japan & the US, & perceived traditional American & Japanese societies as sharing similar values. It is concluded that the replacement of American society's concern with creating an international melting pot with regard for establishing a global multicultural space is partially responsible for alterations in Japanese American transnational identities. 10 References. J. W. Parker

Census data are drawn on to compare the mix of ethnic groups settling in New York City following two major waves of US immigration. Patterns of residential settlement of immigrants from 44 countries of origin in 1910 & 1990 are examined, differentiating between the metropolitan area's center, outlying urban areas, & suburbs. The development of uniquely ethnic neighborhoods is analyzed, & it is demonstrated that immigrant populations were much more spatially dispersed in 1990 than they were in 1910. An index of dissimilarity is constructed to analyze patterns of separation between different ethnic groups, revealing that later immigrants tended to settle in distinctly ethnic enclaves throughout the metropolitan area rather than concentrating together in the central city. The characteristics of different neighborhoods are described, noting how ethnic composition shapes the "character" of surrounding shopping & commercial areas. 5 Tables, 2 Figures, 28 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

The Republic of Kiribati comprises 33 atolls and reef islands stretching 5,000 km across the central-western Pacific. Its 90,000 people, with a 2001 national income (GNP1) of around $1,800 (US$950) per head, are undergoing a process of social and economic change that penetrates all aspects of Kiribati culture, organization, and activity. At the center of the process is the monetization of values and relationships. Real incomes have risen through communications, monetized trade, and financial transactions with a globalizing world economy. The same factors have weakened traditional systems of redistribution and mutual support while facilitating population growth and urbanization, with serious environmental consequences. Appropriate skills, understanding, structures, and codes of conduct are required in all areas of public and private life to enable the Kiribati economy to meet its people's needs for a sustainable livelihood.

The negative impact that economic scarcity has had on the lives of women & children throughout the world is addressed in terms of the feminization of resource scarcity, poverty, & violence. Current population control policies in Third World nations are criticized for not incorporating women's voices into family-planning debates; health policies in these nations are also seen as failing to address women's health needs. The particularly harmful effects that unsustainable development approaches have had on women's economic, political, & social lives are discussed. Despite these significant problems, several promising movements designed to economically & socially empower women are noted, eg, the Grameen Bank project in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, women remain the principal victims of violence in Third World nations. Recommendations for ending gendered violence & reducing economic scarcity include the need to realize that women's well-being is essential to humankind's future survival. J. W. Parker

The negative impact that economic scarcity has had on the lives of women & children throughout the world is addressed in terms of the feminization of resource scarcity, poverty, & violence. Current population control policies in Third World nations are criticized for not incorporating women's voices into family-planning debates; health policies in these nations are also seen as failing to address women's health needs. The particularly harmful effects that unsustainable development approaches have had on women's economic, political, & social lives are discussed. Despite these significant problems, several promising movements designed to economically & socially empower women are noted, eg, the Grameen Bank project in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, women remain the principal victims of violence in Third World nations. Recommendations for ending gendered violence & reducing economic scarcity include the need to realize that women's well-being is essential to humankind's future survival. J. W. Parker

Government and individuals must take urgent decisions about the future of pensions -- Spain : state pensions -- Population distribution by age groups -- Dependency ratios and age-related expenditure -- Private pension funds -- Evolution of maximum allowed yearly contributions into private pension funds -- Pension funds evolution : amounts and participants -- The Toledo Agreements -- Externalisation of corporate pension commitments -- Life insurance and pension funds as a % of GDP in Europe's 5 largest economies -- Evolution of private retirement savings in Spain -- Breakdown of investmens backing retirement assets -- Tax treatment of savings in Spain -- The "Lagares" fiscal reform proposal -- Questions for the future -- Under any scenario, MAPFRE is extremely well positioned -- MAPFRE-managed long-term savings -- Caja Madrid-managed long-term savings -- MAPRE vs Spanish asset managers -- Appendix : MAPFRE Vida figures; tax treatment of savings in Spain; MAPFRE distribution network in Spain - year 2001

Le monde arabe est marqué par un essor spectaculaire des nouvelles technologies d'information et de communication (NTIC), même s'il reste encore loin des pays occidentaux, mais aussi des pays d'Asie ou d'Amérique latine. Néanmoins, le retard qu'il accuse peut être relativisé, et cela pour plusieurs raisons : le monde arabe constitue aujourd'hui une zone où les dépenses relatives aux NTIC augmentent h. un rythme deux fois plus rapide que partout ailleurs ; en outre, les évolutions récentes témoignent d'une réelle démocratisation de l'usage d'internet, qui touche des fractions de plus en plus larges des populations ; enfin, les Etats eux-mêmes ont pris conscience de l'importance des enjeux et promeuvent des politiques publiques de développement des NTIC. Reste à savoir quel sera l'impact social et politique de ces techniques dans des pays où les sociétés civiles se cherchent de nouveaux moyens d'expression.