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Abstract It is well-known to researchers on opinions, attitudes and corresponding behaviour that the behaviour of individuals rarely if ever correlates completely with opinions and attitudes verbally expressed by those same individuals. Intervening external circumstances may prevent high correlations. In this paper certain internal conditions within the given semantic field of an attitudinal definition of the situation will be assumed to explain a large part of those varying degrees of correlation between verbal opinions, attitudes and corresponding behaviour. Here I introduce the notion of an independent emotive meaning of attitudinal or normative language as an explanation. This notion was originally proposed by the philosopher Charles L. Stevenson (1944: 72 ff). My own adoption and further empirical elaboration of this notion in order to explain various degrees of correlation between attitudes and corresponding behaviour appeared in the late 50's and was published 1960 in Social Pressures, Attitudes and Democratic Processes. In view of the fact that this work is little known among contemporary sociologists, and due also to my continued interest and study in this field of research, I have in this paper summarised the main outline of my theory and the methods used to assess the degree of Independent Emotive Meaning of Attitudinal and Normative Language as a factor in social action. The construct validity of the empirical methods which I have developed for measuring the degree of Independent Emotive Meaning is also explored by reference to a theory on the bifurcation of emotion and cognition in contexts of opinion formation and application. In doing this I have also related my theoretical notions to programmes of issue polling, and to the notion of "mature" opinions suggested by Hans L. Zetterberg. Work by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget on the moral development of children is also surprisingly found to be relevant in this context. I have also tried to relate my approach to Louis Guttman's studies on the attitude components called closure and involution. © Ulf Himmelstrand, Department of Sociology, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 624, S-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: ulf.himmelstrand@soc.uu.se

Reflects on the process of becoming a Marxifying, if not a Marxist, sociologist, drawing on personal experience. Although it is common to proclaim that Marxism is dead today, Karl Marx's basic ontological belief remains salient: over time, inequalities between individuals grow, & in any society, there will always be a conflict between those who possess resources & those who do not. The coming to awareness of the value of this belief in the life of one sociologist is described. Formative intellectual influences in the 1940s-1960s came from Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, & Talcott Parsons, from whom the notions of normativity, rationality, & materiality were inherited. In the 1960s, this framework was mixed with everyday observations of racism, discrimination, & class inequality. Since that time, themes of power, ideology, class consciousness, & dialectical historical materialism have been integrated into this framework. While this process has not converted the author into a wholly Marxist sociologist, it has raised Marxist concepts & modes of thought to the forefront of his thinking. 18 References. D. Ryfe

An introduction to a special of International Social Science Journal devoted to interdisciplinary economic analysis (see abstracts in SA 36:2) resulting from discussions at the 1983/84 meetings of the Programme Committee of the International Social Science Council (ISSC). Two approaches were considered: (1) a topical approach, with essays to be written on one issue from the perspectives of different disciplines; & (2) a theoretical approach that would establish a methodolgy with conceptual links between disciplines. The latter approach was chosen on the basis that conceptual understanding is primary to application to concrete issues. The result is a series of articles by ISSC participants that illustrate the impact of various disciplines on economic events. It is asserted that the theoretical achievements of interdisciplinarity create the guidelines for concrete practice. 1 Figure, 1 Appendix, 4 References. D. Graves

New directions & innovations being taken by Sweden's Social Democratic Party (SDP), which regained power in the 1982 elections, are discussed. One of the SDP's key issues is how to introduce controversial wage earners' funds, which the SDP considers a key to economic expansion. SDP strategies for implementing the funds are outlined & analyzed, & possible responses from the business community to the program are discussed. J. Cannon.