Suchergebnisse

Post-WWII migration trends in western Europe are separated into three temporal categories: the retreat of European colonizers from eastern European, African, & Indonesian colonies, 1945-1962; augmented worker migration prompted by flourishing economies & aging populations, 1950-1990; & the flight of refugees from regions experiencing political turmoil, eg, Iran & Eastern Europe, 1988-present. The analysis of migrant movements has indicated that target nations absorb immigrant populations via assimilation or accommodation. Contending that current immigration movements will continue due to low European fertility levels & high North African fertility levels, it is concluded that western European nations are faced with a dilemma: whereas host societies depend on migrant labor, the political persecution of immigrants by target nations has increased. 3 Tables, 1 Map, 22 References. J. W. Parker

Discusses the relationship between modernity & anthropology in the context of posttotalitarian Eastern European countries. Modernity is defined as a Western ideological attitude, implies progression & a notion of preconceived temporality, & requires the appropriation of social elements from foreign civilizations. In the context of anthropology, modernity is an object, manner, or method of study as conceived by an individual anthropologist in his or her own society. Since anthropological studies were inaccessible to European societies under totalitarian rule, classical ethnography is prevalent in posttotalitarian scholarship, & the introduction of anthropology is perceived as a process of modernization. Anthropological studies in posttotalitarian nations have strengthened scientific approaches to social & cultural studies & helped develop cultural & psychological identities, focusing on the center-periphery relationship. Anthropology's importance to the contemporary world is discussed in conclusion. 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses scarcity as the basis for individualistic societies where attainment of abundance signifies success. The relationship & confusion between society- & nature-created scarcity are presented. Issues of US economic & political history addressed include scavenging; post-Cold War redistribution of wealth; the wasteful middle class; aid for the poor; immigration; the Progressive movement; & production, distribution, & consumption of food & vitamins. Brief case studies of GB & wartime Germany are offered. Examination of current US scarcity revolves around overproduction & food surplus coupled with economically & politically motivated shortage of income & access. US consumer society's obsession with bodily perfection in the form of eating disorders & fitness mania & guilt over consumption & individual wastefulness are considered. Social relations that do not view natural scarcity as the primary rulemaker are encouraged. 22 References. T. Shimane

The history of the communist Sudanese Movement for National Liberation (SMNL) is traced from its organizational stage in Egypt in the mid-1940s through 1949. The SMNL was hastily set up because of the progress of talks between Egypt & GB over the future of Sudan after WWII, the harsh measures the Egyptian government was taking to expel groups obstructing the negotiations, & the need for the Egyptian Movement for National Liberation to have political reach into Sudan. The SMNL took its organizational form from its small size & the need for secrecy & indoctrination. The first executive committee, composed of 10 northern Sudanese, ages 19-22, was appointed for an indefinite term by the leadership, & this led to later resentment of the party leadership by older members & those in other regions. M. Pflum

Examines racial differences in child support awards & payments that favored white over black mothers in the 1980s, arguing that they can be attributed to racial differences in marital patterns & average male income. Data on child support outcomes for nearly 15,000 mothers gathered from the Current Population Surveys, 1979-1986, combined with census data on marital & demographic characteristics for the same period, demonstrate that racial differences in child support awards can be explained by the greater incidence of out-of-wedlock births among black mothers & the lower average incomes of black fathers. However, differential receipt rates remain unexplained, though they may result from behavioral differences by race & possible inequalities in the child support system. Potential policy changes for addressing these differences are discussed. 4 Tables, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

The problem of overpopulation has been the subject of much debate since Thomas Malthus's "Essay on the Principle of Population" (1798), & has taken on a new sense of urgency since the 1970s as the global implications of rapid population growth have become apparent. Attempts by the international community to establish a regime to deal with the problem have led to the convening of three conferences, Bucharest, Hungary (1974), Mexico City (1984), & Cairo, Egypt (1994). But despite propitious signs of early consensus, no international regime has been created. Examined here are reasons for both the initial consensus & the eventual dissensus in each case. It is concluded that several preconditions must be met if an international environmental regime is to be established in the future. 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

Various data sources, including Eurobarometer statistics & ALLBUS data series for 1980-1994, are used to document & analyze the Federal Republic of Germany's declining voter turnout. The decline is attributed primarily to an increasing sense of distance from politics &, particularly, politicians. Some 55% of nonvoters in 1991/92 described themselves as politically centrist. Most said they were uninterested or not very interested in politics. In 1983, only 8.4% of nonvoters had no party affiliation. Ten years later, the figure had grown to 33.3%. It is concluded that a long-term bifurcation is likely. A small % of nonvoters will be strongly political & actively promote unconventional forms of political participation. The majority will be politically passive & apathetic. The potential for violence is considered. 11 Tables, 5 Graphs, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

A comparative analysis of fundamental beliefs in twenty countries, based on three international surveys. The rapid decline in beliefs over the last two decades is confined, geographically, to Western Europe. The analysis deals with the importance of God in people's lives, perceptions of a personal God (who knows each human being personally) or a spiritualized force, religious socialization, the significance of prayer & the Bible, & the loss of faith in correlation with age groups & the dynamic of generations. The key idea is that it is possible to check, sociologically, whether God is present or absent in people's minds. Belief in the existence of God is an observable social fact. The decline in the strength of belief in certain dogma leads to doubt & indifference rather than atheism. 10 Tables, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

A case study of how five suburban communities in NJ have dealt with the issue of affordable housing is used to gauge differences between male & female city council members. Such differences are categorized on a liberal/relational continuum, where a more liberal approach focuses on individual wants & needs, & a relational approach centers on the social-constructedness of human experience & knowledge. It is hypothesized that male council members will exhibit a more liberal attitude toward affordable housing, while female council members will exhibit a more relational approach. Interviews with council members in the communities reveal that women do exhibit a more relational attitude. However, in this case, women & men have united against a perceived external threat (state requirement for affordable housing), & in so doing, both genders exhibit conventional liberal attitudes. 22 References. D. M. Smith

Based on data from the 1980-1990 National Election Studies, African Americans demonstrate a rather high degree of political sophistication, despite having a comparative disadvantage vis-a-vis whites in resources like education. Given that better educated people are more likely than those with less education to see larger differences between Democrats & Republicans, the propensity for blacks to perceive larger differences is striking. This is explained by the fact that education has a huge impact on seeing partisan differences for whites, but not for blacks. Strength of partisanship, & to a lesser degree racial consciousness, appear to be largely responsible for blacks (particularly less educated blacks) perceiving such stark party differences. 4 Tables, 2 Figures, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

Judgments of political concepts in countries with different levels of democracy & advanced states of market economy are compared with those derived from survey data from 50 Hungarian, 50 Slovenian, 48 Slovakian, 41 Murcian (Spanish), 22 Galician (Spanish), & 40 Swedish students. Political concepts -- eg, democracy, inflation, & European market integration -- were evaluated with 8 7-point bipolar adjectival scales, presented under 6 different orientations. Cross-cultural differences in judgments were factor analyzed for Murcia vs Galicia, & for Spain vs other countries. The Murcian students evaluated the political & economic situation of Spain much more pessimistically than the Galicians did, & students of both regions projected these opinions of Spain onto the other countries. Spanish vs other European students differed on many evaluations. 7 Tables, 5 Figures, 4 References. Adapted from the source document.

Having recently returned from a short research trip to Rwanda (from October 15 to October 22), I want to comment on certain serious problems which threaten to weigh heavily on the immediate future of the country. I do not intend to judge the performance of the regime in power after only three months in power; it would be premature to do so, and in any case the administration lacks virtually all financial resources. Instead, I seek here only to share a few observations on the current situation.Before this trip I believed that the essential problem faced by the country was the threat of renewed warfare by the armed forces of the former government, and their associated militias, now in exile in the neighboring countries. That is still a threat.

Gould's petrel, Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera, breeds only on Cabbage Tree Island, New South Wales.
Annual surveys to estimate the size of the breeding population and the reproductive output were conducted
between 1989 and 1992. Annual estimates of the total number of pairs breeding in the two gullies
containing the main population were between 122 +/- 20 (s.e.) and 202 +/- 26. Breeding success was less than
20% between 1989 and 1991, but rose to 24.7% in 1992. This marginal improvement may be the result of
management action undertaken to reduce mortality of breeding adults and fledglings. The total population is
estimated to have declined from 2004 (95% confidence limits: 1464,3185) in 1970 to 1479 (1250,1815) in
1992, a decline of 26% in 22 years. The reasons for this decline are unclear.