Abstracts of Papers Presented at the 1968 Annual Meetings of the O.V.S.S.

Abstract

Preparation for blizzard conditions by respondents in Wood County, Ohio, in 1977–1978 was higher than expected; a majority of those who received warnings responded with further preparation, but planned little more preparation for the winter of 1978–1979. The best predictors of preparation were: place of residence, age, marital status, sex, and occupation. Variables best predicting plans to prepare for the approaching winter were: maintenance expense incurred as a result of the winter of 1977–1978, marital status, the number of family members at home during the blizzard, and place of residence.

The respondents had a reasonably clear understanding of their actual situation; there was little evidence to suggest they were poorly prepared and unrealistic at the same time. Further examination of the theory of “bounded rationality” to determine conditions under which it is most useful is suggested.     

Immigration and the earnings of youth in the U.S.

"This article reports findings that have emerged from an effort made at statistically measuring the effects of immigration on the earnings of U.S.-born youth. The presence of immigrants arriving before 1965 has a positive impact on youth earnings. Recently arrived immigrants impact negatively, however. These results are consistent with recent findings that the skill level of immigrants arriving within the last two decades is lower relative to that of immigrants arriving earlier. The results also show that the negative effects diminish as the youth ages, reflecting skill acquisition and job mobility of the young worker into jobs less vulnerable to competition from immigrant workers."     

Multimethod strategy for assessing program fidelity: the national evaluation of the revised G.R.E.A.T. program

This study reports the results of the process evaluation component of the Process and Outcome Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program. The process evaluation consisted of multiple methods to assess program fidelity: (a) observations of G.R.E.A.T. Officer Trainings (G.O.T); (b) surveys and interviews of G.R.E.A.T.-trained officers and supervisors; (c) surveys of school personnel; and (d) 'on-site,' direct observations of officers delivering the G.R.E.A.T. program in the study sites. Results illustrate a high level of program fidelity, providing greater confidence in any subsequent outcome results.     

World War II and the Transformation of the U.S. State: The Wartime Foundations of U.S. Hegemony

I present an analysis of the history of U.S. expansion and rise to hegemony in World War II, and argue that the concrete global perspectives and postwar ambitions of U.S. state managers were formed in the course of world war itself. They were not the result of preconceived economic or geopolitical policies or aims. I examine U.S. expansion and postwar goals in the military, economic, and political arenas, and show how social processes set in motion by world war in each of these dimensions were central in shaping the distinctive outcomes. I develop a theoretical perspective of world war as a social process, and argue that such an extraordinary period of violence, historical contingency, and state-led expansion involves potentially unique features of macrohistorical development and change.     

The Vestiges of the U.S. Occupation and the Redefining of the Japanese Woman

This article addresses the construction of Japanese womanhood toward the end of the U.S. occupation of Japan (1945–1952). In the early 1950s, the Japanese people were conscious about independence and envisioned a new, positive image of the nation. However, the actual image was overtly sexualized by the presence of numerous women consorting with U.S. servicemen during the occupation. This article explores how the Japanese government attempted to eliminate any sexualized elements from Japan. While focusing on Japanese women who had relationships with foreign men and mixed‐blood children, I argue that they served as the “Other” in redefining post‐occupation femininity.     

反恐战争与美国-伊斯兰世界矛盾的演进

"9·11"事件后,随着美国反恐战争的深入推进,伊斯兰世界对美国反恐战争的认识和反应发生了深刻变化.这些变化导致美国与伊斯兰世界的矛盾超出国家范畴,向社会和意识形态领域延伸,形成了一个国家对抗一种宗教群体的局面.美国与伊斯兰世界矛盾的重大演变导致双方的敌意和对立进一步加剧,成为影响当前国际局势的主要因素之一.     

The implications of Articles 37 and 40 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child for U.S. juvenile justice and U.S. ratification of the convention

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) guarantees that children accused of crimes will have the right to fair court procedures and humane sentences. Current U.S. laws concerning the child's age when a court has jurisdiction, and others concerning sentencing practices and the place of confinement, contravene the provisions of the CRC. Some U.S. laws are consistent with the treaty but are nonetheless not enforced. Recent developments, including increasing understanding of brain development, U.S. Supreme Court decisions on the constitutionality of punishments for children, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment 10, will have substantial impacts on U.S. ratification. This article discusses Articles 37 and 40 of the CRC and their effect on U.S. practices if the treaty is ratified.     

The resilience of the entrepreneur. Influence on the success of the business. A longitudinal analysis

The literature regarding entrepreneurship suggests that the resilience of entrepreneur may help to explain entrepreneurial success. In this article, we test whether a connection exists between resilience dimensions and the success of established entrepreneurs in the Spanish tourism sector, and whether any gender-specific differences exist. Resilience of subjects was measured 5 years before the follow-up data was collected. The results show that the three dimensions of resilience (hardiness, resourcefulness and optimism) help to predict entrepreneurial success. The key factor in predicting the success of the entrepreneur is resourcefulness. This could be said about both men and women. However, the ability to predict entrepreneurial success of those who have hardiness and optimism is different for men and women. The influence of optimism on the success of their businesses is greater for women than for men.     

Predictors of Problem Gambling in the U.S.

In this article we examine data from a national U.S. adult survey of gambling to determine correlates of problem gambling and discuss them in light of theories of the etiology of problem gambling. These include theories that focus on personality traits, irrational beliefs, anti-social tendencies, neighborhood influences and availability of gambling. Results show that males, persons in the 31–40 age range, blacks, and the least educated had the highest average problem gambling symptoms. Adults who lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods also had the most problem gambling symptoms. Those who attended religious services most often had the fewest problem gambling symptoms, regardless of religious denomination. Respondents who reported that it was most convenient for them to gamble had the highest average problem gambling symptoms, compared to those for whom gambling was less convenient. Likewise, adults with the personality traits of impulsiveness and depression had more problem gambling symptoms than those less impulsive or depressed. Respondents who had friends who approve of gambling had more problem gambling symptoms than those whose friends did not approve of gambling. The results for the demographic variables as well as for impulsiveness and religious attendance are consistent with an anti-social/impulsivist pathway to problem gambling. The results for depression are consistent with an emotionally vulnerable pathway to problem gambling.     

反恐战争与美国-伊斯兰世界矛盾的演进

“9·11”事件后，随着美国反恐战争的深入推进，伊斯兰世界对美国反恐战争的认识和反应发生了深刻变化。这些变化导致美国与伊斯兰世界的矛盾超出国家范畴，向社会和意识形态领域延伸，形成了一个国家对抗一种宗教群体的局面。美国与伊斯兰世界矛盾的重大演变导致双方的敌意和对立进一步加剧，成为影响当前国际局势的主要因素之一。     

Public service budget constraints: the perspective of rural officials in the U.S.A.

Eight counties in the State of Washington served as the focus for a study of issues associated with budget cutbacks. Secondary data were collected from published sources. A mail survey in 1984 of elected and appointed officials provided primary data. The secondary data enabled us to trace changes in expenditure patterns for specific services from 1979 to 1983.Judicial, law enforcement, correctional units and general government received consistent increases, in part because of state mandates. Environmental protection, planning, community development, parks and recreation tended to be cut rather consistently. Social and health services, physical services (roads, bridges, etc.), and education remained relatively stable in most counties.Public officials consider state requirements for improvement in correctional and law enforcement services as the major factor in setting budget priorities. Cutbacks in federal and state funds for environmental protection are part of the basis for county cutbacks, but local priorities appear to support such actions. Despite budget decreases in some service categories, public officials felt that little had been lost in service quality or quantity, although maintenance of plant, equipment, and capital outlays were thought to have suffered rather seriously.     

F. W. Taylor and the legacies of systemization

F. W. Taylor (1856-1915) is a seminal figure in the history of industrial society and a key reference point for the study of technology, work and the organization of production. This paper locates Taylor's work in the broad historical development of formal systems and 'rational' management. The paper notes the historical continuities that link the 'technologies of control' which emerged in US industry during Taylor's lifetime and those which appear in contemporary work organizations. This is counterpoised with recent comment on the information technology and the 'end' of Taylorist work practices.     

Social Work and the Nursing Home in the U.S.A.

“The plight of the ageing and the truly aged person (for plight it is) does not start in the nursing home, it only ends there. How does he get there? What is the path to the door? Generally, there is a gradual progression of losses, diminution of strengths, decreasing opportunities for meaningful and restorative personal and social experiences and increased isolation. As self-sufficiency decreases, there is less opportunity for continued living in the community. Society has not yet stepped in to replace and provide those supports and services which once came from the family and the neighbourhood. . . . When the long-term care institution is chosen as alternative to continued living alone or with his family, it is often not the best solution, but the only one.”¹     

Απόλιδας: an analysis of the international legal framework in the field of statelessness and the U.N.H.C.R.’s communication campaign

In her The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt described the condition of apolidia (statelessness) – through words that still resonate today – as that of persons who have lost their rights because they have fled their homeland. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (U.N.H.C.R.), there are about 10 million stateless persons worldwide, 600,000 of whom live in the European Union (E.U.). It seems impossible to imagine the concept of statelessness, which although it has a very specific definition in international law, remains a vague notion for the intellect and common sense. This paper will firstly focus on the historical evolution of the concept of nationality under international law. Secondly, it will deal with the international legal framework, and in particular the 1954 and 1961 Conventions on the improvement of the conditions of stateless persons and the prevention of statelessness. It will then turn to the U.N.H.C.R.’s mandate in relation to statelessness, and how this organization contributes to the promotion of an effective right to nationality. Finally, U.N.H.C.R.'s communication campaigns to end statelessness will be analyzed, in order to stress the positive impact of an effective communication strategy.     

Polarization and the decline of the middle class: Canada and the U.S.

Several recent studies have suggested that the distribution of income (earnings, jobs) is becoming more polarized. Much of the evidence presented in support of this view consists of demonstrating that the population share in an arbitrarily chosen middle income class has fallen. However, such evidence can be criticized as being range-specific—depending on the particular cutoffs selected. In this paper we propose a range-free approach to measuring the middle class and polarization, based on partial orderings. The approach yields two polarization curves which, like the Lorenz curve in inequality analysis, signal unambiguous increases in polarization. It also leads to an intuitive new index of polarization that is shown to be closely related to the Gini coefficient. We apply the new methodology to income and earnings data from the U.S. and Canada, and find that polarization is on the rise in the U.S. but is stable or declining in Canada. A cross-country comparison reveals the U.S. to be unambiguously more polarized than Canada.