Suchergebnisse

Abstract
Although the idea that sexual violence is a "structural" problem is not new, the lack of specification as to what that entails blocks effective responses to it. This paper illustrates the concept of sexual violence as structural in the sense of containing a type of moral wrong called "structural wrong" and discusses its practical implications. First, I introduce a distinction between two types of moral wrongs—interactional wrongs and structural wrongs—and I argue that the moral problem of sexual violence includes both types, each of which calls for a different set of moral responses. Second, drawing on Iris Marion Young's social connection model of responsibility, I argue that recognizing the structural-wrong element of sexual violence does not reduce individual perpetrators' responsibility for it. Instead, it implies that a broader group of agents are required to join collective actions to reform the social structure. I conclude by evaluating some preventive programs against sexual violence through the lens of structural wrongs and providing directions to advance them.

An accumulation of questionable scientific reports on the use of natural plant extracts to control household pest insects, using biologically irrelevant experimental designs and extremely high concentrations, has resulted in a publication bias: "promising" studies claiming readily available plants can repel various insects, including social insects, despite no usable data to judge cost-effectiveness or sustainability in a realistic situation. The Internet provides a further torrent of untested claims, generating a background noise of misinformation. An example is the belief that cucumbers are "natural" ant repellent, widely reported in such informal literature, despite no direct evidence for or against this claim. We tested this popular assertion using peel extracts of cucumber and the related bitter melon as olfactory and gustatory repellents against ants. Extracts of both fruit peels in water, methanol, or hexane were statistically significant but effectively weak gustatory repellents. Aqueous cucumber peel extract has a significant but mild olfactory repellent effect: about half of the ants were repelled relative to none in a control. While the myth may have a grain of truth to it, as cucumber does have a mild but detectable effect on ants in an artificial setup, its potential impact on keeping ants out of a treated perimeter would be extremely short-lived and not cost-effective. Superior ant management strategies are currently available. The promotion of "natural" products must be rooted in scientific evidence of a successful and cost-effective implementation prospect.

Against the background of the aging trend in China, construction and regeneration strategies for an aging-friendly built environment are becoming common, led by urban governments, and public street spaces are the focus of these strategies. Exploring such planning and design strategies can help to improve the social welfare of the aging population and meet their diverse needs. Thus, this paper, through analyzing the determinants of the elderly's needs, examines the relationship between spatial perception and street form, using Shanghai, in China, as a case study. This study contributes to the current literature in two ways: first, it constitutes the first attempt to build a needs hierarchy for aging people in a Chinese developed city; second, our statistical analysis involves large-scale population surveys, which helps us to comprehensively and deeply understand the impact of detailed street forms on the elderly's various spatial perceptions. Our results indicate that the renovation of street space in different areas of cities can be improved by the control of street form, to meet the diverse needs of the local aging group.

Résumé.Cet article défend l'idée que pour être en mesure de bien saisir la sélection des élites communistes chinoises (cadres, fonctionnaires, leaders), il faille maintenant se détourner des approches utilisant la variable factionnelle comme élément explicatif pour ensuite mettre l'accent sur les règles et les conditions formelles « nécessaires » à la nomination et à la sélection du personnel. Nous pensons que l'âge et l'expérience dans les instances du Parti et de l'État prennent progressivement le dessus sur le côté informel de la politique chinoise. Enfin, ce texte se veut une mise en garde aux chercheurs concernant l'utilisation de la notion de faction dans la politique chinoise, à ne pas accepter a priori l'existence des factions et encore moins leurs présumées influences.Abstract.This article puts forward the idea that to be able to understand the selection of Chinese communist elites (cadres, officials, leaders), we must now turn away from approaches using the factional variable as an explanatory element to instead focus on rules and "necessary" formal requirements for the nomination and selection of personnel. We believe that age and experience in both the Party and State apparatus are gradually taking over the informal side of Chinese politics. Finally, this article wants to be understood as a warning to researchers regarding the use of the notion of faction in Chinese politics. Neither the existence of factions nor, much less, their supposed influence, should be accepted a priori.

This article puts forward the idea that to be able to understand the selection of Chinese communist elites (cadres, officials, leaders), we must now turn away from approaches using the factional variable as an explanatory element to instead focus on rules and "necessary" formal requirements for the nomination and selection of personnel. We believe that age and experience in both the Party and State apparatus are gradually taking over the informal side of Chinese politics. Finally, this article wants to be understood as a warning to researchers regarding the use of the notion of faction in Chinese politics. Neither the existence of factions nor, much less, their supposed influence, should be accepted a priori. Adapted from the source document.