Suchergebnisse

While it is obvious that the dominant political-corporate power & vested interests are the largest obstacles to overcoming major problems with the current agribusiness system, the psychological barrier to believing that other systems could work is also a block to change. Cuba has faced a food crisis & through the use of sustainable farming methods has overcome it. It has demonstrated that self-reliance, small farms, & agroecological technology can produce the amount of food the nation needed. After the 1959 revolution, Cuba had a favorable trading status with the Soviet bloc. While three times the amount of land was devoted to sugar production for export, Cuba imported about 57% of its food. With the fall of the USSR & the loss of a favorable trading situation, Cuba faced a food crisis. Substitutes for pesticides, such as biopesticides, natural enemies, resistant plant varieties, crop rotations, & cover cropping to suppress weeds, were adopted. Biofertilizers, earthworms, compost, & organic fertilizers, natural phosphate, & animal & green manures were used for synthetic fertilizers. Animals replaced the tractor. Since small farms adapted to these changes better than the state sector, it was reorganized into small-scale management units that relinked people with the land. Urban gardens were encouraged. By mid-1995 the food shortage had been eliminated & by the following year, Cuba had achieved its highest production for ten of the thirteen basic food items needed. L. A. Hoffman

World-systems theory is analyzed in the context of general systems theory, outlining some basic concepts of the latter that are of particular relevance to the former. Particular attention is devoted to the notion of dissipative structures, borrowed from physical chemistry, which extended Newtonian mechanics to the study of open systems, ie, those that exchanged matter & energy with their environments. The characteristics of the world system as a dissipative structure are discussed, & contributions of the theory of dissipative structures to world-systems analysis are identified. 54 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

The author looks at organized labor's shrinking public sphere & seeks to identify the underlying causes of labor's decline in the US. He finds the potential for a revitalized, vigorous counter-public sphere for labor in the new rank-&-file union movements & the local union leaders affiliated with them. 11 References. A. Funderburg

A comparative sociological study of the way minority Jews perceive themselves to be treated in Romania, the Netherlands, & Curacao tests the validity of R. M. Marrus & R. D. Paxton's (1981) "three concentric circles" theory of contemporary anti-Semitism, that was expanded by M. Wieviorka (1991) into three dimensions of racism: humiliating racism; racism expressed by differentiation; & institutionalized racism. The history of the formation of Jewish communities & current policies affecting them are examined for each country, drawing on data from personal interviews with 20 Jewish people, ages 18-35, in each country. The 170-item questionnaire focused on feelings about Jewish identity, anti-Semitism, relations with Israel, & Jewish/non-Jewish organizations. The results showed that ideas like Jewish identity are not stable concepts. Anti-Semitic attitudes & discrimination were evident in all three countries, & exhibited Wieviorka's first two dimenisions, but not institutionalized racism. Romania exhibited the highest levels of anti-Semitism & discrimination, & the Netherlands the lowest, while the socioeconomic status of Jews in Curacao had a great effect. 3 Tables, 26 References. J. Lindroth

Argues that the spatial & temporal dynamics of class formation in Brazil differ considerably from those in advanced capitalist countries. Brazil is the only country in South America that still has trade unions capable of organizing workers & significantly impacting workplace activities. It is contended that the link between the main trade union federation & the new Worker's Party committed to a socialist agenda, combined with the emergence of land reform as a major political issue, indicate that the class struggle is thriving in Brazil. Extreme inequalities in income distribution are described, along with the high percentage of workers in the informal labor market; the impact of a free trade zone in the southern section of the country; & the nature of the "new trade unionism" that first appeared in the 1970s & became a core element of political resistance to the military dictatorship. Problems for militant trade unions caused by neoliberal policies are explored & future prospects for both the workers' party & democracy are discussed. J. Lindroth

During the Nigerian civil war of 1966-1970, the government's adoption of a policy of reconciliation halfway through the war was an inducement to bring the fighting to an early end. But the government's reconciliation policy did not address the underlying causes of violence, because it was not coupled with truth, justice, or healing. Rather, it was intended merely to bring a resumption of everyday life. There were no reparations, no public acknowledgement of suffering, no apology, & virtually no accountability. Painful issues of memory & recovery plagued local communities. Moreover, there were serious divisions among the victims: eg, the experience of Biafrans who could re-create community on the basis of the solidarity born of heroic failure differed from that of communities on the margins that were divided by their differential support of Biafra or Nigeria. Moreover, not all communities had the resources to benefit from the state policies of reconciliation, rehabilitation, & reconstruction. 18 References. A. Funderburg

Explores the concepts of ecological historical materialism that explains within the same framework the human social interactions with nature & the response of social actors to the problems the interactions create. Although Marx & Engels were the key figures in the development of the concepts of historical materialism, it has been enriched by the cultural thought of Western Marxism & critical theory, black & Third World Marxists, materialist feminists, & by ecological critical revisionists. The enriched historical materialism serves as an explanatory theory & as a source of normative orientations, political strategies, & future ideals. This article presents the reworked historical materialism that can provide explanatory views of environmentalism & nature, & where possible it compares the results with that of constructionist & reflexive modernization approaches. Broad coalitions that can apply these concepts are needed for the creation of a better global future. L. A. Hoffman

(Portions of an article originally published in Public Culture, 1997, 10, 1, fall, 24-60.).

Focusing on environmental nongovernmental organizations, this chapter employs the EAR instrument to illustrate the political influence that NGOs exercise on global environmental politics. It investigates the effects of NGO power on the Framework Convention on Climate Change & the Convention on Biological Diversity (1990-1995). It begins by outlining the role that NGOs play in a globalized world. The chapter then discusses political power & political influence. The following sections examine the EAR instrument itself, followed by an application of the EAR instrument to a specific element of the Climate Convention: the issue of "joint implementation." Eighteen cases from the Climate & Biodiversity Conventions are summarized, & an analysis of the pros & cons of the EAR instrument is presented. 2 Tables. K. A. Larsen

Introduces a collection exploring how trade unions, & the labor movement in general, are responding to the cultural challenges of European integration. At issue is regional diversity & regionalism, & parallels in how the labor movement copes with regional & ethnic cultural differences with respect to immigration. Further, issues surrounding class consciousness & class struggle have paved the way to accepting a solidarity based on diversity. 29 References. L. A. Hoffman

The 1978 Long Term Trade Agreement between the People's Republic of China & Japan called for a special bilateral relationship between the two countries, but China's market-oriented reforms & internationalization have affected economic relations with Japan. With China's recognition of international economic interdependence, especially within the Asia Pacific region, & China's shift in its mix of goods, labor, & investments, Japan is no longer China's predominant trading partner. Domestic interests in both countries have affected exports, leading to trade friction. A centralized bilateral mechanism has proved to be unfeasible in the face of decentralized market forces. Japan & China have enormous differences in lifestyles, values, decision-making practices, & politics, but these may lessen as China approaches Japan & the West economically. A multilateral, rules-based framework in which Japan participates can facilitate China's integration into the world economy & resolve Sino-Japanese friction. 5 Tables. M. Pflum

The need for evaluation of hyperbole surrounding the purported promise of digital democracy is cited. A history of enthusiasm for cyberpolitics highlights three basic claims & includes references to Rheingold, Gore, Huizenga, & Brants. Three empirical investigations are combed for well-grounded data on the Internet's political impact. There is a review of Schneider's Usenet-related study of computer-mediated communication regarding democracy & abortion issues. Figures comparing the cumulative percent of posts with the number of authors accompany discussion of conclusions. Recounting of a 1996 experiment with software aimed at enabling populist input, opinion polls, & voting in the Netherlands precedes the details of a 1998 Website for the elderly. There is assessment of the three studies' abilities to deliver on promises of access to information, engagement in deliberation, & participation in decision making. 2 Figures, 40 References. M. C. Leary

An attempt is made to dismantle some ontological assumptions about sovereignty & to develop a political ontology freed from state-centric thinking. Arguing that sovereignty is always an "artificial political concept," two other concepts -- hyperspace & the global city -- are evoked & the global city is conceptualized as an "ensemble of social movements in hyperspace." The relationship between the sovereign state & the individual is examined, & sovereignty is discussed as both the "logical outcome of civilization" & as an "illusion." The possibility of abandoning notions of state & society in favor of a more global perspective on civilization is explored. 19 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Argues that global environmental politics should look beyond sovereign countries in seeking the causes & solutions to environmental degradation. The statist frame for approaching environmental problems leads to four important distortions: (1) the myth of the average citizen; (2) arbitrary allocation of responsibility; (3) misidentification of power; & (4) hiding the sustainable middle. The changing organization of global production includes the complex transnational commodity chains, many of which are shifting to post-Fordist methods of industrial organization, & also the increasing role of advertising, retailing, marketing, & other nodes in shaping their activities. A closer examination of this process can reveal the sources of inequality, injustice, & concentrated power. Although a comprehensive paradigm beyond the state for environmental protection has not been perfected, promising approaches to this conceptualization are identified. L. A. Hoffman

Investigates the effects of new information & communication technologies (ICTs) on democratic political systems in industrial societies. Previous research is drawn on to describe early adoption of ICTs by political institutions, eg, computerized polling & voting, & to evaluate its benefits & drawbacks. Preliminary evidence suggests that ICTs have not been that successful in improving political participation; citizen reactions to "teledemocracy" are discussed. In terms of the actual machinery of government, ICTs have been adopted more successfully, improving public administration, decision making, & information management. The role of ICTs in the public space is explored in terms of their impact on (1) individual & collective liberties, (2) social communication, (3) mass media use & political function, & (4) community cohesion. Policy issues concerning regulation of the new ICTs in Europe are explored. K. Hyatt