Suchergebnisse

It is contended that, for outside observers, the US social welfare system's limitations & ability to be modified from the state appear astonishing. The impact of the last two Republican presidencies (1980-1992) on variations in the level of Aid to Families with Dependent Children welfare benefits between the states is said to be connected to political culture, specifically, the decentralization defined as the new federalism. Three major types of political culture -- moralistic, traditional, & individualistic -- are reviewed, & it is asserted that adherence to one or another can affect the evolution of welfare benefits as is illustrated in the case of several states. How & why the financial & institutional reforms undertaken at the beginning of the 1980s provoked a decline in social aid is discussed. 8 Tables, 1 Graph. Adapted from the source document.

Highlights aspects of the complex & sometimes controversial relationship between nationalism & the state, & challenges the traditional civic-ethnic theoretical dichotomy of mainstream descriptions of ethnonationalism, according to which Western conceptions of the nation based on the principle of citizenship represent the positive example of nationalism, while Eastern conceptions based on ethnic, linguistic, & cultural principles represent a retrograde & tribalistic approach to nationhood; eg, ethnic conflicts in Central & Eastern Europe can be explained only by the return of this premodern phenomenon. Modernist & ethnicist theory is reviewed, focusing on the extent to which explanations of the emergence & proliferation of modern nationalism can be used as an analytical tool for understanding 1990s nationalist revivals. A typological triangle of premodern, modern, & postmodern ethnonationalisms is outlined in the context of postmodern global politics. Adapted from the source document.

Although traditional research has indicated the dominance of assimilation by French natives regarding immigrants' adoption of French sociocultural practices, it is contended that French natives maintain disparate views regarding immigration practices. Interviews conducted with 18,548 French mayors examined the validity of ethnopolitical, prejudicial, demographic, & economic explanations for French native attitudes toward immigrants' acceptance of assimilationism. The findings indicate that the ethnopolitical explanation, headed by the anti-immigrant agenda of the growing National Front Party, demonstrates the greatest influence on immigrants' adherence to assimilationism. In addition, it is believed that immigrant communities with large North African populations are less inclined to accept assimilationist practices. It is concluded that political, rather than general prejudicial, manipulations of nativism are most threatening to the French assimilationist paradigm. 3 Tables, 45 References. Adapted from the source document.

Contemporary scholars have explained the resurgence of Islam throughout Egypt & Indonesia according to the "crises theses"; however, since the relevant research has been relatively unstructured, the validity of the theses is examined. The propositions of the crises theses are transformed into working hypotheses: (1) Illegitimate Muslim elite are more likely to turn to Islamic symbolism & religious legitimization. (2) Traditional Islam societies experiencing Westernization will experience a rise in mass Islamic consciousness. (3) The lower-middle classes are likely to unite with Islamic opposition groups in periods of economic crisis or sociopolitical estrangement. A historical analysis of the Islamic revival in Egypt & Indonesia supports the first two hypotheses & partially confirms the final one. It is concluded that more research is required to strengthen the viability of the crises theses in the Indonesian context. 46 References. J. W. Parker

Investigates the Massaie Rurali, the largest fascist women's organization in Italy during the early 20th century. A historical overview of the development of this organization of rural housewives under Regina Terruzzi, the Massaie's activities & objectives, the impact of propaganda on the organization's newspaper, & the services provided by the Massaie (eg, helping members sell produce) is presented. Although control of the Massaie was transfered to the Fasci Femminili, a fascist organization of middle-class women, during the 1930s, peasant Massaie composed a majority of its members. Despite the organization's obsession with preserving the rural lifestyle & traditional gender roles, it is noted that rural female activities were finally perceived as contributing to the fascist nation's development. It is concluded that the Massaie Rurali played a significant role in the future mobilization & politicization of women in Italy. J. W. Parker

During the 1970s, the integration of anthropology & development theory in anthropological studies of cultures & societies produced the interdisciplinary field of development anthropology. Whereas development anthropology is founded on traditional theories of culture & political economy, a critique of development anthropology initiated during the late 1980s, called the anthropology of development, has privileged the study of language & signification. K. Gardner & D. Lewis's (1996) study of the effects of postmodernism on anthropology & development theory, June Nash's (eg, 1997) studies of the Chiapas region in Mexico, & Gustavo L. Ribeiro's (eg, 1997) studies of the Amazon & Brazilian environmental sector are posited as contemporary efforts to converge the disparate approaches. The criteria for establishing an anthropology of postdevelopment, a truly universal approach that overthrows Western social theory's hegemony on academic discourse, are discussed. 2 Photographs, 49 References. Adapted from the source document.

There is a traditional understanding of what morality is, an under-standing that most contemporary moral philosophers take for granted. This understanding is not itself a theory, but rather an account of the phenomenon of morality, to which these philosophers have thought any theory of the phenomenon must conform if it is to be considered successful as either an explanation or a justification of our moral life. According to this account, there are three prominent features that, together, characterize the moral:First, moral action and moral regard are taken to be other-regarding. While some philosophers have identified a certain kind of self-respect as part of morality, in general morality has been thought to involve duties to others, requiring that they be treated with respect. Self-interest is generally taken to be outside the province of the moral.

This article deals with the newspaper industry in small states with a big, more powerful neighbouring country where the same language is spoken. Austria and Ireland are used as examples to show the similarities within the different frameworks, the chosen newspaper sector displaying typical characteristics of traditional market failure and providing output with strong political relevance. Therefore public policy measures are even more important than in other industries. An economic analysis of the developments in the newspaper industry (in the two countries especially) is given, followed by a survey and interpretation of recent economic policies as well as media policy options. With an overview of the changes in the newspaper industries in Austria and Ireland as a starting point, the article aims to explore whether and what can be done to hinder or even unravel the observed concentration processes.

Established economic theories of nonprofit organizations are incomplete. They tend to treat nonprofits as a black box; in other words, they do not address the severe incentive problems that can and do arise within nonprofit organizations and that undermine the main building block of traditional theories of nonprofits-the nondistribution constraint. Modern economic theory can help to unpack the black box. It also suggests research questions and policy prescriptions quite different from those advocated by established economic theories of nonprofit organizations. The author argues that game theory, by virtue of its emphasis on strategic interaction and asymmetric information, and its ability to conceptualize organizational culture and integrity, provides a unifying framework for understanding the insights of modern economic theory. The author also argues that game theory is ideally suited to help practitioners understand incentive problems.

AbstractBondholders and financial analysts have long sought models which will predict financial distress in corporations. Prior research has produced a number of useful models to predict bankruptcy in the short term. This paper looks at four models which predict default based upon public information at the time of issuance of high yield bonds.Multivariate results using logistic regression analysis indicate that high yield issues that default are characterized by having higher asset growth rates, lower operating profit margins, larger levels of collateralizable assets, and larger changes in net working capital. Models using Altman (1968) variables have lower likelihood ratio indexes than models employing alternative explanatory variables. Predictive ability tests of models excluding the traditional variables on a holdout sample are able to correctly predict 73.3 percent of the defaulted bonds and 68.6 percent of the nondefaulted bonds.

Explores the role of the management accounting system in the process of adopting a complex manufacturing strategy, lean production. Finds, in a longitudinal field study, using the clinical methodology, that in order to change the management accounting system to support the adoption of lean production, traditional performance measures have to reach a certain threshold. An important way to create impetus for this change is to raise the level of the unit of analysis in the management accounting system, both horizontally and vertically. Finally, the management accounting system affects the process in three concurrent ways: technically, through its design; formally, through its role in the organization; and cognitively, through the way in which actors think about and use the management accounting system. Proposes that in order for the system to be congruent with lean production principles, all three of these perspectives need to be changed.