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The chapter examines shifts in British employment participation for married women & couples, analyzing the influence of husbands' economic & labor status; women's life-cycle (eg, marriage, childbirth) variables since the 1960s; & employment transition patterns. Longitudinal & life-cycle data indicate a trend toward married women's labor-force polarization, with reentry into full-time work after childbirth both swifter & more likely among the highly educated. Other findings support the prevalence of assortative mating; the influence of spousal income & education on women's work transitions; & the comparative weakness of social traditionalism & strengthening of individualism in GB, as opposed to, eg, Germany. 7 Tables, 5 Figures, 1 Appendix, 22 References. K. Coddon

Offers a world-systems explanation for the postmodernist movement in contemporary culture & thought that attributes this development to the influence of the capitalist world economy. It arose in the 1970s, a time when US hegemony within the world system had started to decline & a plurality of national powers (& international rivalries) was developing. Cyclical shifts between political conflict/economic crisis & periods of imposed peace/economic expansion are analyzed using a global version of Erving Goffman's frame analysis. Assumptions underlying the postmodern frame are explicated, with emphasis on its ideological influence on hegemony & rivalry. Shifts in art that parallel these political & economic cycles are identified, identifying different movements in different countries. 22 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Offers a world-systems explanation for the postmodernist movement in contemporary culture & thought that attributes this development to the influence of the capitalist world economy. It arose in the 1970s, a time when US hegemony within the world system had started to decline & a plurality of national powers (& international rivalries) was developing. Cyclical shifts between political conflict/economic crisis & periods of imposed peace/economic expansion are analyzed using a global version of Erving Goffman's frame analysis. Assumptions underlying the postmodern frame are explicated, with emphasis on its ideological influence on hegemony & rivalry. Shifts in art that parallel these political & economic cycles are identified, identifying different movements in different countries. 22 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Examines Max Weber's notion of plebiscitary leadership in the context of his general political orientation. Weber's political views are described as a complicated mix of liberalism, nationalism, & realism. These views developed over time into a form of social liberalism in which he sought a balance between the hope for democracy & the requirement of order. Important to the development of this balance was the cultivation of a form of responsible leadership that balanced the necessity of controlling the bureaucratic state with need to foster charismatic leaders who were also sensitive to institutional constraints. It was in parliament, therefore, that Weber saw that the intrinsic tension between charisma & bureaucracy might be negotiated. 22 References. D. M. Ryfe

Investigates the discursive construction of indigenous populations in Mexico in 4 government texts: a 1921 speech by a majority party spokeperson; a 1935 legislative initiative concerning the creation of a Dept of Indigenous Affairs; a 1948 presidential initiative creating the present National Indigenous Instit; & a 1990 legislative initiative by President Carlos Salinas. These texts construct indigeneous peoples in a discriminatory fashion. Binaries such as culture & economics, past, & present, & celebration & deficiency are deployed to separate indigeneous peoples from the majority & justify their continued mistreatment. While often portrayed as a bedrock of the National identity of Mexico, indigenous peoples are also described as a scandal requiring constant elite surveillance. 22 References. D. M. Smith

The author presents a political analysis of violent conflict in Africa, focusing on two theoretical explanations. The first suggests that violence is part of the political & social development of a nation. The second focuses on features of modernization that might make Africa more "prone" to violence than other continents. Within this discussion the author focuses on: the nature of power in Africa, the links between politics & violence, & issues related to rationality & modernity. Adapated from the source document

In this chapter the author explores the impact of pre-emptive strategies that have emerged since 9/11 on human rights. A discussion on the history of international law & human rights is provided before the author turns to an analysis of both US & UK actions that call into question their devotion to human rights issues. Concludes by arguing that the Bush Doctrine's focus on national security & responding to threats, limited an opportunity to increase human rights around the world. D. Miller

The author analyzes US policy in the Middle East. Discussion focuses on policies addressing the Persian Gulf region, the dangers of Islamic terrorism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, & the protection of human rights. The development of current strategies, opposition to & resentment of US security policy, & the double standard apparent in many US policies are discussed. The author also addresses the consequences of American militarization, including the influx of billions of dollars in armaments into the region by the US government. J. Harwell

While the entire Andean region -- a center of continental instability & civil unrest -- is in crisis, perhaps the most catastrophic situation exists in Columbia. The author discusses the armed conflict at the heart of the crisis, analyzing the conflict from the perspectives of the state & the war itself. The author also discusses the multi-million dollars security & aid package the US gave to Columbia to combat the violence, the policies of the Clinton & George W. administrations, & post 9/11 security concerns. J. Harwell

The author argues that as more women run for public office, there is an increasing need for research examining how gender affects the dynamics of political campaigns. In the essay, decision making research is used to address how women staff their campaigns, delegate responsibility, & make choices once elected. In addition, an examination of the media reflects a gender bias in the way women's campaigns are reported on. Finally, the author addresses fund raising and voter recruitment issues relevant to women candidates. L. Conly

The article deals with the analysis of theory, methodology, and measuring of political participation. The author comparatively scrutinized theoretical problems of genesis, functions, role, and prognosis for the future of this phenomenon in the sociological theory in order to reveal distinguishing characteristics in the existing approaches. Thorough analysis and summarizing of various conceptions relative to political participation, as well as empirical research are offered for the study of transitional society. The definition of political participation, its structure, motivation, main forms and factors, models of stratification in modern conceptions have been comparatively analyzed and systematized as a methodological basis of empirical research. The author elaborated and tested an original approach to the assessment of political participation based on the Guttman one-dimensional continuity scale. Using this approach, the author has calculated the index of political participation (IPP) and constructed four-dimensional model of the political participation stratification in accordance with survey data.

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

Data from the CA Vital Statistics Birth Records are drawn on to analyze patterns of multiracial-multiethnic births in that state, 1982-1999, in terms of racial/ethnic group size & maternal age & education, & to construct a profile of the proportion of these newborns by ethnic-racial group. The impact of the continuation of CA's high rate of immigration on multiracial-multiethnic births is explored, acknowledging the influence of factors such as country of origin, generational effects, residential segregation, group size, & intermarriage. Analysis reveals the rapid & continuing growth of the state's multiracial Hispanic population; implications of this & other trends for the future of the state's demographic composition -- & policies based on it -- are discussed. 8 Figures, 22 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

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