Feminism and bioethics: an overview

Despite differences in style, tone, and emphasis, the various schools of feminist thought share a primary concern with the stories and lives of women. This concern gives them distinctive perspectives on medical practice and the field of bioethics.     

Transnational households and ritual: an overview

In this article we introduce five papers, all by social anthropologists, all concerned with transnational households and ritual. Despite wide–ranging research on transnational migration and diasporas, many aspects have been accorded less consideration than they deserve. The transnational practices of migrant families, other than remittances and other economic activity, remain under–investigated. Some thought has been given to the transnational dimension of religious belief systems, notably Islam, but the micro–politics of religion has been largely ignored, and there has been little discussion of transnational religious practices (rituals) at the level of households and families, especially those performed by migrants back in their countries of origin. Household–level analyses of the performances of and meanings attributed to life–crisis rituals and consideration of what Salih has called the ‘transnational division of ritual space’ offer a valuable route to understanding relations between place, culture, ethnicity and gender among migrants in a transnational world, and illuminate contemporary processes of globalization.     

Relationships across multiple settings: an overview

It is not the method of interaction but the quality of the interaction between patient and therapist, student and teacher, mentee and mentor, or youth and youth worker that is the most critical determinant of success in a myriad of fields.     

Topological methods in social choice: an overview

 This paper gives an exposition of the topological framework for social choice theory developed by Chichilnisky, and reviews the mathematical concepts needed for understanding this framework. Within that context, this paper also discusses some classic results of Chichilnisky. Received: 30 December 1994/Accepted: 22 April 1996     

Productive aging: an overview of the literature

"Productive aging" describes an array of activities through which older people contribute to society. Both the extent of current productive activities among older people and the barriers to more extensive productive activity are reviewed. If certain adjustments can be made for their special needs, older people have the potential to make substantial contributions. However, a variety of prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory practices continue to limit the opportunities of older people to make productive contributions, particularly in workplace settings. Interventions are needed to strengthen opportunities for retraining, employment, and volunteering for older people. At the same time, programs and policies to facilitate the productive participation of older people cannot easily correct for the adverse effects of a lifetime of racial or gender discrimination.     

Post-war labour migration in Western Europe: an overview

The author outlines trends in labor migration in Europe since World War II and discusses changes in migration policy. Attention is given to policies toward foreigners during economic recessions and to the components of change in the foreign population. Freedom of movement among the member states of the European Community is discussed, and likely future developments are considered. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)