Suchergebnisse

A commentary examines recent changes in the organization of economic activity that have produced more low-wage jobs, general economic insecurity, & new forms of employment-centered poverty. Although insecurity & poverty have existed in developed countries for a long time, the focus here is on the contribution of new terms of employment to increases in socioeconomic & spatial inequalities. It is argued that the decline of mass production as the propelling force of the economy resulted in a weakening of the broader institutional framework that shaped the employment relation. Three trends are examined in depth: (1) growing inequality in both the profit-making capacities of varied economic sectors & the earning capacities of different types of workers; (2) greater socioeconomic polarization stemming from the organization of firms & labor markets, especially in the service industries, coupled with the "casualization" of the employment relation; & (3) an increase in urban marginality caused by new structural processes of economic growth rather than by abandonment. 4 Tables, 36 References. J. Lindroth

At German reunification, the former East German trade unions were abolished in favor of the highly legalistic West German system of industrial relations. East Germans looked to trade unions to guarantee employment & to aid in achieving rapid prosperity, but the Western trade unions were not prepared for the concomitant economic tumult. Mismanaged privatization, mass unemployment, inflation, & social insecurity were part of the restructuring crisis. East German subsidiaries experience lack of capital, mismanagement, & dependence on the West, all of which weakens their bargaining power, challenges the equalization of Eastern & Western conditions, & supports long-term unsafe & precarious labor relations. Whether needed reforms in industrial relations will be achieved & solutions to corporate, national, & European challenges will be found is uncertain. 2 Figures, 13 References. L. A. Hoffman

Discusses the historical & current relationship between market forces & welfare provision in the US & Canada. Despite a deficiency in welfare-oriented social programs, postwar economic success, high living standards, & union/public sector success in establishing worker benefits provided support for these market-driven welfare systems. However, recent market failures in both Canada & the US have challenged the viability of market-driven welfare. Although rising inequality has been offset in Canada by social transfers, widening wage differentials in both countries have placed increased burdens on underfunded & overused social welfare programs. Modern welfare states must address two major challenges: (1) economic insecurity for workers produced by unstable markets, high divorce rates, & single parenthood; & (2) the maintenance of traditional welfare programs for a rapidly expanding elderly population. Although the lack of economic & democratic power experienced by the underprivileged in North America exacerbates these problems, it is concluded that social investments in education & selective wage & income subsidies can improve social security. 8 Tables, 60 References. T. Sevier

Data from 1994 interviews with 30 secondary school & university students in the humanities in St. Petersburg, Russia show how gender stereotypes impact their life goals & problem-solving strategies. The low wages & low status of the humanitarian professions in Russia place an increased economic & psychological burden on students of the humanities. The most significant problem they faced was alienation from both traditional Soviet values & the beliefs & institutions of the post-Soviet world. Motherhood & marriage were the primary concerns of female students, & the ideal partner was depicted as both emotionally & economically supportive. These women also sought professional success, but most were uncertain regarding how they would combine their professional & family responsibilities in the future. Economic independence, self-fulfillment, & social status were the fundamental concerns of male respondents, & many listed higher education as a means of achieving these goals & avoiding military service. Most men saw family & marriage as a threat to their independence. Both genders faced the problematic desire for independence & personal growth in an environment of economic insecurity that threatened to undermine these goals. T. Sevier

Instead of promoting a balance of power among states, the new international order has been dominated by the dissemination of power among various international actors & structures. The power of all states has, therefore, been diminished & a sense of insecurity now prevails. Further, a weakened sense of systemic competition, resulting from the spread of globalization, has imposed limitations on the power of social, economic, & political actors. It is essential, therefore, that political processes be employed in an effort to consolidate genuine global governance. Multinational firms, global financial markets, & transnational security alliances are likely to play a significant role in creating a global environment that is structurally unified. K. A. Larsen

A commentary on the insecurity of low-wage work notes that unemployment rates are four times higher for persons with fewer than four years of high school than for those with four or more years of college, even in periods of relative prosperity. The deleterious effects of unemployment are examined for both individuals & specific population groups. It is argued that research data on the impact of unemployment can be misleading. Dangers associated with the fallacy of composition (assuming what is true for individuals is also true for the whole population) are discussed, along with the role played by perceptions of job availability in shaping public attitudes/public policy; the nature of empirical evidence concerning job availability; distinctions between the amount & distribution of joblessness; & the impact of an aggregate job shortage. It is maintained that the way individual workers experience aggregate labor market conditions, as well as how the general public perceives low-wage workers, tend to encourage behavioralist & structuralist views of the causes & remedies for unemployment. 1 Figure, 29 References. J. Lindroth

Implications of the Islamic Refah Party's acquisition of power through democratic means in contemporary Turkey for civil society & future economic & political movements are examined. Although Turkey's poor economic conditions are perceived as contributing to the Refah Party's popularity, most of its support is derived from the party's attempt to create a just political system based on the God-believer covenant. Even though the Refah Party has permitted political pluralism in Turkey, it is maintained that Turkish citizens must be allowed to participate in politics as both individuals & members of political parties. Several limitations on Turkish citizens' political participation are discussed: segregation of citizens into small groups; religious organizations' attempts to stagnate individual development; potential corruption of Turkey's young generations by religious orders; & continued low status of women. Despite the uncertain prospects for establishing civil society in current Turkey, several factors that could combat social fragmentation & political insecurity are identified. J. W. Parker

Analyzes the increasing urban violence in Latin America & the Caribbean as a social problem that has been created by economic, cultural, & structural factors, & therefore can be prevented, controlled, & eradicated. Victims are defined as persons who have suffered "physical, mental, or emotional injury; economic loss; or substantial damage to their fundamental rights, individually or collectively, through acts or omissions that violate laws that operate in each state." A description of the magnitude & dimensions of the problem looks at the homicide rate in countries in Latin America & the Caribbean, as well as incidences of violence against children, adolescents, & women. The impact of rapid urban growth on violence is explored along with different perceptions of violence & insecurity. A classification of violence by type, motive, victimizers, & victims is offered as a tool for recognizing the different factors that generate or facilitate its occurrence. Strategies for confronting violence are outlined, maintaining that prevention should be favored over repression, & special attention is given to vulnerable groups. 3 Tables. J. Lindroth

Argues that increasing violence in Venezuela, especially Caracas, represents an attack on human rights, ethical standards, the law, & public liberties, thereby threatening democracy. An exploration of processes of political, economic, & social transformation that are currently underway for the purpose of broadening democracy points out that each change involves political/social antagonisms that increase fragmentation & generate a new series of conflicts. In addition, violence & personal insecurity have created polarized collective perceptions about violent criminality that oversimplify or misrepresent both the actual situation & the multicausal origins of the problem. The nature of democracy & the pursuit of citizenship in Venezuela are described, along with the magnitude & characteristics of social violence, & the possible impact of deficiencies of the state, democracy, & citizenship on social conflicts & the legal contexts that regulate everyday life. It is concluded that the deterioration of social conditions, the fragmentation of civil society, & the government's inability to curb the increasing violence, represent a dangerous weakness in the Venezuelan state. Future prospects are discussed. J. Lindroth

Argues that increasing violence in Venezuela, especially Caracas, represents an attack on human rights, ethical standards, the law, & public liberties, thereby threatening democracy. An exploration of processes of political, economic, & social transformation that are currently underway for the purpose of broadening democracy points out that each change involves political/social antagonisms that increase fragmentation & generate a new series of conflicts. In addition, violence & personal insecurity have created polarized collective perceptions about violent criminality that oversimplify or misrepresent both the actual situation & the multicausal origins of the problem. The nature of democracy & the pursuit of citizenship in Venezuela are described, along with the magnitude & characteristics of social violence, & the possible impact of deficiencies of the state, democracy, & citizenship on social conflicts & the legal contexts that regulate everyday life. It is concluded that the deterioration of social conditions, the fragmentation of civil society, & the government's inability to curb the increasing violence, represent a dangerous weakness in the Venezuelan state. Future prospects are discussed. J. Lindroth

The central principles, practices & contradictions of US efforts to unify global political, social & economic space under a particular form of US supremacy are analyzed to argue for a Gramscian "pessimism of the intelligence, optimism of the will." The two main faces of US power - globalization of Anglo-American constitutional principles & neoliberal mechanisms of accumulation & economic discipline combined with the empire of civil society - are colossal obfuscations that seek to conceal the real costs of disciplinary neoliberalism, & its principal beneficiaries of the global plutocracy of the rich. But, the worldwide reproduction of the relationship between capital & labor contextualizes economical globalization extension of the empire of civil society & securing the world market for the rule of capital with the achievement of military "full spectrum dominance" does have costs that could shake the confidence of (foreign) investors. A Gramscian interpretation of the US efforts asserts that the war in Iraq may be seen as the first to show the significant limits of US power, not because of Iraqi resistance, but because other forces constrain & challenge US supremacy. Grounds for optimism exist in the growth of new movements that seek alternatives to the insecurity, injustice & excesses of disciplinary neoliberalism & US supremacy. Ultimately these forces stand against the most fundamental & antagonistic contradiction of all those that US supremacy entails, the fact that the deepening power of capital expropriates & undermines the basic means of livelihood. These forces engage in transformative resistance to forge new forms of political agency that might transcend the structures, limits & contradictions of US-led efforts to instantiate disciplinary neoliberalism. References. J. Harwell