Institutional evolution and abrupt change: Reforming the administration of social assistance in Finland

Historical institutionalist studies have explained institutional change as resulting from critical junctures that interrupt long periods of stability or from endogenous, incremental evolution. Building on these theories, discursive institutionalists have focused on the roles of agency, ideas and discourse as explainers of change. Combining these approaches, this article analyses Finland’s decision in 2014 to transfer the administration of basic social assistance from municipalities to the central government. This study demonstrates that institutional change can be both abrupt and evolutionary. Due to sudden, exceptional political circumstances, the decision in question was made quickly and under pressure, circumventing possible veto players. However, it was possible only because of the incremental, endogenous change that had occurred in the way in which social assistance was administered at the municipal level. It enabled a change in political discourse, which eroded the credibility of the ideational frames that policy actors had previously utilised to reject the centralised model.     

“Who generates this city”? Socialist strategy in contemporary London

This essay, based on a “militant ethnography” of the attempts of the small radical grassroots activist group, Our London (a pseudonym), to mobilize a collective oppositional politics through activities around an election campaign, engages critically with E. Laclau and C. Mouffe's arguments on discourse and collectivity in Hegemony and Socialist Strategy (London: Verso, 1985). I argue, on the basis of my findings, that while their model does provide insights that help describe the process of building collectivity from among disparate perspectives and identities, we need to go beyond a focus on discourse alone and consider the ways politics is shaped by material contexts. This is necessary if we are to understand the continued appeal of class politics as well as the difficulties in mobilizing collectivity in highly unequal and fragmented cities. From an activist perspective, the essay also highlights how developing a conception of collective interests and a critique of overarching systems of exploitation can be important in building political unity.     

Linguists and other animals

Book reviewed in this article:
Joan Dunayer, Animal Equality: Language and Liberation     

英语口语教学刍议

英语口语技能是听、说、读、写四项基本语言技能中很重要的一种技能。要通过课堂教学提高学生口语能力 ,必须从教师、教学方法和学生三方面入手 ,即教师应组织和动员学生积极参与学习 ,采取循序渐进的教学方法 ,发挥学生的主观能动性。学生应有明确的学习目标和计划 ,积极配合老师 ,多说勤炼     

JOURNAL OF UNIVERSITY OF SHANGHAI FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2002 Vol.24 No.1～4 Total Contents

在学习英语时,中西文化背景的差异,往往会给我们的阅读带来很大的困难。本文拟从词汇的文化内涵、历史典故和西方现代历史文化等三个方面来论述中西文化差异对篇章阅读的影响。     

背诵在英语教学中的重要性

由于交际法的盛行,考试指挥棒的效应以及新的教学模式的出现,目前,我国外语教学对语言输入重视不够,背诵式输入几乎无立足之地。通过理论探索、实验测试和访谈等调查方式证实了背诵对学生写作和口语的提高有着显著的帮助,说明了背诵在中国英语教学应用的重要性,并就此提出,在运用西方教学新理论和现代教学手段时,不可忽视我国传统教学上的优势。     

论后印刷时代话语中图像与文字的关系

当代图像与文字的关系体现为“超媒体”和“互动电视网络系统”两种形式。传统符号学以语言为本体论基础来处理两者之间的关系在认识论上是误导，符号的本质也被还原为符号现象。图像与文字，由于各自的不同“给予”，具有不同的认识论要求。认知的中介本质、符号的非中立性以及符号体系必须拥有的三大元功能不仅为区别图像与文字奠定了认识论基础，而且也为探讨它们之间的关系提供了可能性，同时，更是理解虚拟现实的有效途径。     

书写的欲望——论20世纪中国女性文化与女性话语权力

本文在 2 0世纪的文学背景下 ,系统梳理了女性文学发展的脉络 ,指出女性书写是一个男性无法进入而又实际存在的生命空间 ,这一世界相对于男性是“盲区”,女性写作便在这“盲区”中生长、发展 ,形成潮流 ,目的是颠覆男权文化的霸权地位 ,为自己争取话语权力