Suchergebnisse

This article explores the relationship between hope & agency in the contexts of migrant rights activism & alternative trading relationships created through social & environmental certification systems. Using interviews with key respondents from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), hope is assigned a positive role in the complex process of social change, providing that common goals can be agreed upon & achieved along the way. Two main layers of analysis emerge in this article. The first explores the relationship between hope & agency, with a particular focus on power, both enabling & coercive. Powerful groups can hijack hope, but also hope can be used to mobilize various marginalized groups to find a collective voice, eventually leading to empowerment. The power relations among groups determine how competing collective hopes play out in action. A second layer to the relationship between hope & action is the way in which hope effects social change. Through conceptualizing hope within the context of the change process, we address the relationship between hope, agency, & time. An important ingredient linking hope, agency, & time in a sustainable manner is the notion of empowerment. 59 References. [Copyright 2004 Sage Publications, Inc.]

Examines criticisms of Robert Putnam's (1993) explanation of the weakness of southern Italy's civic culture on the basis of various questions regarding the role of ideologies & institutions in generating social capital. Putnam's perspective on southern culture is delved into, focusing on his unilaterally negative representation & neglect of the presence of social capital & civic culture. An institutional perspective targeting the role of the Italian state in fostering clientelism is contended to provide a better explanation for poor southern governance & a lack of civicness in the region. Why the state has had such a negative impact in Italy & why it is so pronounced in the south is then explored in terms of the characteristics of the Italian state before considering the utility of such a perspective for northern civic culture. Implications of the discussion for understanding social capital are contemplated in closing. J. Zendejas

Examines legal aspects of post-communist debates about the communist past, focusing on the newly established legislative basis to punish unlawful actions of the communist regime; Poland. Summary in English p. 206.

Considerable attention has been given to the development of democracy in Hong Kong, particularly since the Tiananmen Incident of 1989. While the 1990s saw the consolidation of political parties, political reforms, & increasing political participation, the genesis of these vital processes is actually to be found in the 1970s, a period of reorganization following the riots of 1967. During this time, one community organization -- the Mutual Aid Committee (MAC) -- was established. Offering new opportunities for local people to become involved in district life, the MAC's organization & functioning provided an important training ground for practical citizenship. This article traces the MAC's development & assesses its contribution to contemporary political life in Hong Kong. 54 References. Adapted from the source document.

Argues that the need for reform of the Christian Social Democrats (CSU) is less virulent than for other parties, based on an analysis of the CSU's historical development. It remains open whether these developments document fundamental changes or, rather, minor improvements on the surface. 23 References. Adapted from the source document.

It is common knowledge that there is no European public. According to federalist theory, such a public can be created through a process of democratization in which either constitutional commitment or European identity is framed. This article discusses the desirability & feasibility of a quasi-national idea of Europe. Against Kamminga (2001), it is argued that Europeanization of national publics in member states can pass the test of moral integrity & global justice. A research program to collect data & test hypotheses about such Europeanization is spelled out. Recent trends in European identity politics are addressed briefly. 74 References. Adapted from the source document.