Suchergebnisse

IN THE GLOOM OF PRESENT-DAY POLITICS, SOCIALISTS MAY WELL LOSE THEMSELVES IN NOSTALGIC DREAMS OF FRATERNITY. WE FEEL HEMMED IN BY A WORLD OF SELF-INTEREST, AND WE EXPERIENCE THE DAILY WEAKENING OF THOSE BONDS OF CLASS AND COMMUNITY THAT GAVE THE SOCIALIST MOVEMENTS SO MUCH OF ITS STRENGTH. THE WORLD WE NOW INHABIT SEEMS MARKEDLY INDIVIDUALISTIC; WE CAST AROUND IN TREPIDATION FOR SOME SURVIVING SIGNS OF COLLECTIVE FEELING.

SOCIALISM HAS ALWAYS INVOKED SOME VISION OF COMMUNITY AND USUALLY FROWNED ON UNRESTAINED INDIVIDUALISM. THE IDEAL HAS BEEN SOLIDARITY RATHER THAN DIVISION, WORKING TOGETHER RATHER THAN ALONE, COLLECTIVE RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL ACTION. PARTLY THIS IS NO MORE THAN EFFICIENCY: TO CHANGE THE WORLD THEY NEED THE WEIGHT OF NUMBERS; TO END POVERTY THEY NEED THE POWER OF SOCIALIZED PRODUCTION. BUT FOR MOST OF THEM THERE IS A POSITIVE AS WELL AS A PRAGMATIC SIDE. THE "SOCIAL" IN SOCIALISM HAS ALWAYS HAD AT LEAST TWO SENSES. SOCIALISTS BELIEVE IN COORDINATION, ARGUING THAT CONSCIOUS PLANNING WILL SERVE BETTER THAN UNREGULATED COMPETITION. BUT THEY ALSO VALUE THE VERY PROCESS OF WORKING TOGETHER, TENDING TO THE VIEW THAT THIS IS A GOOD IN ITSELF.

This study was designed to look at differences between Greek and non-Greek college students' perceptions of a hazing incident that had taken place in a fraternity setting. Subjects were 231 students (112 Greeks, 119 independents) at a moderate size state university in the eastern United States with a moderate Greek presence. Subjects read one of four conditions of a hazing scenario involving an overdose of alcohol consumed voluntarily or involuntarily administered by a fraternity president or fraternity brother. Dependent measures included attributions of responsibility as well as causal attributions. Authoritarianism was explored as well. Responsibility attributions and causal attributions varied with the voluntary versus involuntary nature of the overdose and with membership in Greek organizations. Finally, Greek students were found to score higher on authoritarianism than were non-Greek students.

The addition of the notions of "security, diversity, & solidarity" to the constitutional principles of "freedom, equality, & fraternity" is investigated. It is suggested that security, diversity, & solidarity should replace the traditional French constitutional triad. An analysis of literature produced by & about Germany's Joint Commission on the Constitution is performed & reveals that the concepts of security, diversity, & solidarity comprise the foundation of current constitutional reform movements. It is maintained that a paradigm shift attempting to constitutionalize security, diversity, & solidarity has occurred in contemporary Germany. It is argued that constitutional texts that incorporate the novel triad will operate as dynamic, morally responsible systems of norms rather than documents that preserve the separation of legality & morality. It is suggested that security, diversity, & solidarity should function both as constitutional ideals & conceptual guidelines for establishing international human rights. J. W. Parker