Peace and Conflict Resolution Organizations in Three Protracted Conflicts: Structures,Resources and Ideology

Guided by organizational and social movement theories, this study compares the structures, resource bases, ideologies, and strategies of nongovernmental organizations engaged in peace and conflict resolution (P/CROs) in three regions with extended violent conflicts: Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Israel/Palestine. Qualitative content analysis techniques are used to analyze 27 detailed case reports. We analyze the funding patterns and structural attributes of the P/CROs in our sample, with particular attention to how they obtain fiscal resources and membership in spite of the risks they may experience. We then explore the degree of formalization among P/CROs over time and, finally, we examine the ideological frames that P/CROs use and how these frames relate to their tactics. Throughout the analysis we pay attention to how the political context of each region influences P/CRO behavior.     

Cross-cultural comparison of attitudes toward welfare-state programs: Path analysis with log-linear models

Many studies to date regarding public support for welfare-state programs do not have an adequate theoretical model and fail to consider differences in public support for contributory vs. means-tested programs. Moreover, these studies seldom take into account cross-cultural variations. This study presents and tests the validity of a three-tier model in which socio-economic variables influence social ideologies which, in turn, differentially affect support for contributory and means-tested programs. Using comparable data from two countries — Israel and the United States — a path analysis with log-linear models is applied, indicating that, while important cross-cultural differences exist, the model is generally confirmed.     

Models of Interdisciplinary Programs in Social Work Doctoral Education

Social work doctoral programs increasingly embrace an interdisciplinary orientation and structure. In this paper, the strengths and weaknesses of interdisciplinary doctoral education are assessed in light of the ultimate training objectives. Six alternative models of interdisciplinary programs are identified based on the content of knowledge and the structure of the program, and the relative costs and payoffs of each model are analyzed. Such analysis should assist educational decision makers to evaluate more systematically their actual or planned doctoral program.