Suchergebnisse

Gibbs and Martin's theory of status integration and suicide has been examined in the light of some criticisms of this theory. The original data of Gibbs and Martin on status integration in 30 American states have been reanalysed, including data on authoritarianism, inequality, and murder. These last three variables were found to be better predictors of suicide rates than status integration. When the variables in the analysis were controlled on one another, the correlation of authoritarianism with suicide was slightly increased, while the correlation of status integration fell to an insignificant level. These findings have been interpreted in the light of Durkheim's original formulations concerning normative integration and suicide rates. It is suggested that lack of status integration (occupying atypical status sets) occurs in non-authoritarian communities because of the unconstrained social mobility of individuals. Such individuals are more prone to suicide than individuals who are constrained by community norms from moving into atypical combinations of status.

REVIEWS RECENT LITERATURE ON LATIN AMERICA AND BRAZIL TO ASSESS THE WAYS IN WHICH THESE WORKS CAN PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE BRAZILIAN SITUATION BY COMPLEMENTING THE PERSPECTIVE AND WORKS OF LATIN AMERICAN AUTHORS. GROUPS THESE ENGLISH WORKS INTO THREE CATEGORIES: HISTORICAL STUDIES, INTERDISCIPLINARY ESSAYS, AND MORE SPECIALIZED WORKS BY POLITICAL SCIENTISTS.

In recent years there has been a renewed interest among social scientists in authoritarianism, both as a type of regime and as a specific political approach to the problems of economic development and modernization. This revival of interest has been spurred in part by the proliferation of authoritarian regimes in the less developed countries and by the fact that many of these regimes are doing a more than creditable job in stimulating and managing the process of development and modernization.

A REVIEW OF THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL TREATMENTS OF LEFT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM THAT INDICATES TO THE AUTHOR THAT THE CONCEPT IS UNPRODUCTIVE. HE NOTES THAT EXISTING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT AUTHORITARIANISM IS A PERSONALITY AND ATTITUDINAL SYNDROME CHARACTERISTIC OF RIGHT-WINGERS ALONE. MAINTENANCE OF BELIEF IN LEFT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM IN FACE OF CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE IS INVESTIGATED.