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The authors explore how books by African American & Asian American women are challenging the traditional boundaries of the public sphere. Their textual analysis focuses on four books: The Street by Ann Petry, Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks, Floating World by Cynthia Kadohata, & Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee. They investigate how minority literature depicts the boundaries of the public & private spheres, how those boundaries reinforce & overlap with class & gender, & how the nation-state became involved in dictating those boundaries. They analyze how the private & public spheres are portrayed in the four texts, how females negotiate their positions within & between the public & private spheres, & how literary texts locate & represent the political & economic powers that shape women's lives. 22 References. A. Funderburg

Describes the postcommunist transition in Romania as experienced by residents of Feldioara, an urbanized village of 3,500 people in southern Transylvania, based on fieldwork conducted prior to 1984 & since 1990. The community's historical & sociopolitical context is discussed to illustrate how the workings of the old system & its bureaucracy are reproducing themselves during transition. Transition in Feldioara is marked by increased consumption, continuing experience with bureaucratic corruption & intimidation, pursuit of family success by sending children abroad or keeping them on farms (vs higher education & state employment), & new formulations of social ties & strata. It is concluded that Romania's transition can be described as "shock without therapy" & a sense that while "all things are possible, nothing is certain.". 22 References. E. Blackwell

The author relates campaign techniques developed by environmental organizations such as Greenpeace to slow implementation of policy in the case of British pollution problems. The author asserts that Greenpeace campaign techniques have surpassed political advocacy by working with business to development & realize technologically innovative solutions through product development in the face of market resistance & lack of government direction. The role of environmental NGO's is argued to be a symptom of a functioning society as vehicles that represent interests not represented in the fabric of society. A "new politics" resulting from globalism is distinguished in the example of the Brent Spar as a "politics of risk", use of iconic imagery, voting by consumer choice, & use of the Internet. The author concludes with suggestions for shaping new forms of global governance as a new agenda emerges with the demand to change the logic of the political order & economic priorities. References. J. Harwell

Reflects on an event that happened in 1984 to the author, a black feminist living in the UK, to illuminate aspects of black female subjectivity. The event comprised a meeting between the author, age 14, & two police officers who made passing references to the author's color & the fact that she was not wearing shoes. When the author disavowed aboriginal status, it is suggested that she colluded in a situational disavowal of blackness. However, the fact that she was treated in a "winking" manner indicates that the register of gender was still operative in the confrontation. It is suggested that this incident illuminates the collision that often occurs between black & female identities for black women. Moreover, the incident might contribute to feminist theorizing by rendering the identificatory practices that constitute a subject's unstable identity at any given moment. It is concluded that this approach might move black & white feminists alike beyond essentialist notions of female identity. 14 References. D. Ryfe

In this reprint from the Naval War College Review(Spring 2003), the structural vulnerabilities & lone military superpower status of the US are discussed. The author begins by comparing the U.S. to the Roman empire, describing parallels between 5th century barbarian invasions & modern day terrorism. He then addresses key national security concerns: the instability of nation-states in critical postcolonial zones; the complexities of balancing hubris & prudence in foreign policy; & the national security risks created by failed states. Finally, the author addresses ethical issues of regime change & nation building. J. Harwell

The author presents in his contribution in a critical manner an outline regarding the development of self-evaluation in Scotland during the last decade. In 1988 in Scotland the context for school improvement and accountability was external inspection. Although this did not mean that schools themselves were unconcerned with improvement and accountability, schools tended to see much of the responsibility for quality assurance and accountability as lying outside their control. The author characterises what schools at that time could be. From the late eighties onwards teams of teachers, university researchers and Scottish Office policy advisers worked together to fashion a new system. In 1992 a set of self-evaluation guidelines were launched, distributed to all schools in Scotland, primary, secondary and special schools. They contained an indicator framework, a set of suggested criteria, tools for self-evaluation, guidelines on their use, and examples of professional development activities for teachers. In the final section of his essay "The challenge ahead" the author formulates six characteristics typical of the self-evaluating school. (DIPF/Orig./Ba.).

Problems with conventional definitions of political corruption are highlighted to better define such political behavior. Three categories are identified: corruption by public officials; public officials' abuse of their offices; & corruption by business enterprises & other private citizens. Political corruption is not perceived as a seminal characteristic of organized crime syndicates. Various legal, public interest, & public opinion definitions of political corruption are examined, further demonstrating the problem of preserving traditional definitions. Analysis of several public opinion definitions of corruption indicates significant differences in how the public defines political corruption & that these notions have changed over time. In addition, different nations posses disparate legal, public interest, & public opinion understandings of political corruption. The need to acknowledge the legitimacy of multiple definitions of corruption is stressed. 22 References. J. W. Parker

Evolutionary approaches to international relations theory typically fall into three categories: "extra light," which includes historical-descriptive analyses that fail to embrace a true evolutionary perspective; "light," which includes analyses of basic evolutionary concepts; & "heavy" -- an approach that has yet to materialize. Each of these approaches should be rejected in favor of a "strong" variant approach, which embraces explanatory theory & uses evolutionary concepts to outline an ideology's transformation process. The author's own work on "evolutionary world politics" is outlined in an effort to illustrate how the evolution of processes, ideas, & structures concerning global problem management can come together to form a stronger, more complete analysis of international relations questions. It is also argued, however, that evolutionary theory should be viewed as a "work in progress.". 1 Figure, 22 References. K. Larsen

The "virtues & vulnerabilities" of constitutional democracy are examined in the context of social & culture issues affecting the postmodern, multicultural world system, focusing on issues of citizenship, social justice, & rights. Several types & symptoms of difference, conflict, fragmentation, & heterogeneity between & among particular groups are discussed & related to some longstanding issues in political theory & philosophy. Four primary strategies available to democracies to consolidate a homogeneous demos & implement the ideal of citizenship are identified -- civil, social, political, & identity group. A critical review is offered of contemporary political group rights efforts to equalize citizenship by granting special group rights to minorities, arguing that the concepts of what constitutes a "group" & "rights" are too ambiguous for such efforts to be valid, & that they only end up increasing inequalities. 22 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

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

The focus of this chapter is the rise of Indian, rural-based farmer led social movements, & their relationship to poverty & economic reform. These movements, among others, were labeled "new social movements" because they organized sections of the population that had never been organized, & because they developed new concepts & strategies to push their agenda. The political & economic conditions in post-independence India & the government's neglect of the nation's poor are considered the movements' spark. In addition, the author reviews the evolution of the movements' positions on rural poverty, exploitation, & economic liberalization. Finally, the author reviews the progress of poverty reduction in India. K. Hyatt Stewart

Women have made great strides in the political arena, but many of these accomplishments have gone unnoticed in political science because of a lack of nonpartisan & partisan, research. To develop a more complete research agenda, the author proposes additional research be directed toward the following areas: theory gaps -- between women & politics, & interest groups & parties; research gaps on women's organization -- particularly research focusing on leadership, recruitment, power, & organizational culture; & finally, a gap between research & practice. The author notes that "cross disciplinary & innovative research partnerships," can fill those gaps so that the role of women in politics is truly understood. J. Harwell

The author examines how risks are assessed & managed in today's world, focusing on posing & answering three questions about risk management -- the 'risk game.' -- These questions include, (1) why is risk regulation diffuse & fragmented, (2) why is it difficulty to establish accountability, & (3) why does the process often seem to produce adverse effects? In the process of addressing these questions, the author identifies how the 'blame game' shapes the 'risk game'. The 'blame game' refers to the strategies -- presentational, policy, &/or agency -- used by politicians or other public officials to avoid or limit the amount of blame. Tables, Figures, References. D. Miller

In this chapter the author reflects upon the Norwegian experience with school-based evaluation and tries to answer the question: Why is it so difficult to persuade teachers to do school-based evaluation? Part of his answer will be found in the different perspectives on evaluation seen from governmental and municipal level on the one side and ordinary teachers on the other. In many schools the author has studied, a common pattern was observed: Too much pressure to do school-based evaluation creates suspicion of a hidden agenda from above leading to lacking involvement in what should be an important part of school development. (DIPF/Orig./Ba.).

Investigates the nature & impact of state regulation on entry & integration of US immigrants. The author argues that the current debate on membership concerns access to both state & civil society. Starting with a review of the literature on state policies, migration, & integration, the author examines the effects of legislation such as CA's Proposition 187. He identifies three perspectives for scholarly examination of the state: its impact on migration & integration, its role as a self-interested actor, & its multifaceted nature. The article concludes with a discussion of the structure of US membership today, recent citizenship legislation, & topics for future study. 47 References. J. R. Callahan