What is Prevalent in Chinese Cities?

BEIJING: Taking Pedicabs to Weddings It is a fashion among young people in Beijing to take pedicabs to their weddings and bridal chambers. Today's hip young Beijingers no longer crave extravagant weddings aimed at attracting the gazes of     

Groups or Gatherings? Sources of Political Engagement in 19th Century American Cities

There is broad agreement that citizen participation is critical for successful democracy. Recently, scholars have linked such political participation with the notion of social capital—community-level resources, such as trust, norms, and networks, that foster collective action. Much uncertainty remains regarding the sources of social capital, however. Here we examine two different features of community life that are believed to nurture social capital, and political participation in turn: public venues where relative strangers can meet anonymously, socialize, and share information and opinions (i.e., venues for informal interaction); and venues for organized exchange between familiars, such as voluntary organizations and social clubs. Using quantitative data from America's largest cities at the end of the 19th century, we examine the relationship between both supposed sources of social capital and respective rates of voter participation. We find little support for the role of informal interaction in fostering an active and engaged citizenry. We do, however, find evidence that citizen participation was related to some types of associationalism (or organized exchange). In particular, associations that fostered high levels of mutual interdependence among members seemed the most strongly linked to higher levels of political participation.     

Researchers Behind Policy Development: Comparing ‘Age-Friendly Cities’ Models in Quebec and Wallonia

Based on a reflexive method, this article explores the roles of researchers behind Age-Friendly Cities and Environments. Referring to Michael Burawoy's division of sociological work (professional, critical, policy and public sociology), it is structured around the international comparison of two empirical case studies: Walloon region (Belgium) and Quebec (a province of Canada). While the first case shows some difficulties faced by a limited policy sociology perspective with little room for research, the latter presents a more developed public sociology approach with larger involvement from research. If both cases started with policy links, the latter presents a special interest for praxis, through knowledge transfer as an ongoing public dialogue. Based on this comparison, the article concludes with a twofold use of praxis: on one side – knowledge in action – a public sociology position offers an original perspective on what AFC/AFE may mean and produce to avoid a limited field of actions focusing only on some stakeholders or advocates for older people. On the other side – action in knowledge – policy and public sociology question professional and critical sociology facing AFC/AFE programmes: is a purely academic knowledge of such a programme epistemologically realistic or should it necessarily be empirically fuelled?     

Forging and Sustaining Labor–Community Coalitions: The Workfare Justice Movement in Three Cities

This article examines the factors shaping the formation and longevity of labor–community coalitions through comparative case studies of campaigns for workfare justice in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and New York. Interviews with organizational staff and leaders reveal that their decisions to form and sustain these coalitions were shaped by their collective identities, especially their commitment to social movement unionism, and their context, particularly the sectoral distribution of workfare workers. We also highlight the role of two factors previously overlooked by labor scholars: (1) ecological processes of niche-formation, which determined if and how inter-organizational competition was overcome, and (2) authorities’ social-control strategies, which shaped coalition endurance.

Neighborhood Residents’ Fear of Crime: A Tale of Three Cities

Neighborhood characteristics impact residents’ fear of crime. Empirical research supports these ideas, but the majority of these studies are based on residents of a single city. The relationship between social control, disorder, perceptions of crime, and residents’ fear of crime has not been fully explored across multiple cities. The current study examines the relationship between residents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety, disorder, and social control using survey data from residents across three cities in the United States. The findings suggest that shared expectations lead to decreased fear, while increased levels of social disorder lead to a greater fear of crime across each of the three cities. Other factors, including perceptions of crime, exposure to victimization, and demographic characteristics are not consistently related to the fear of crime. This suggests the structural impact of city factors, or increases in disorder and crime, might be influencing the perceptions of risk and constrained behaviors of residents.     

Meaning of Home in Later Life as a Concept to Understand Older Adults’ Housing Needs: Results from the 7 Age-Friendly Cities Pilot Project in Québec

To support older adults’ desire to age in place, their housing needs must be well understood. However, little research has explored housing needs from older adults’ point of view. This article, based on the results of 49 focus groups (n = 392) and one case study from the Age-Friendly Cities Project in Québec, Canada, uses the concept of meaning of home in later life to explore older adults’ housing needs. An overview presents how older adults express meaning of home and what their needs are regarding housing and relocation. Finally, the implications for decision makers and stakeholders are discussed.     

From Global Cities to the Lands’ End: The Relocation of Corporate Headquarters and the New Company Towns of Rural America

Since the 1970s, a number of major corporations have located their corporate headquarters in rural and non-metropolitan areas. I interrogate this phenomenon, based on a case study of Lands’ End, a global apparel firm in Wisconsin. Much research has exposed how firms insulate themselves from claims made by workers and communities through organizational and spatial distance (i.e. global sourcing, casualization of employment structures). Corporate headquarters relocation presents a paradox, bringing key decision-makers in the global economy into new, face-to-face relationships with workers and communities. Negotiated against a radical transformation of local class structure, I argue that new forms of social regulation are emerging—in particular, a hybrid version of the Fordist-era company towns.

Stepping Back in Time in Xi'an

AS a metropolitan resident who is used to seeing towering buildings, an incessant stream of vehicles and people, I've always longed to have a taste of an ancient civilization, which is vigorous but exquisite, bold but elegant, natural but mysterious. I realized my dream when I went to Xi'an, a capital with a history of over 1,000 years. Xi'an was once the capital for eleven dynasties, including the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang. This is the place where China's ancient civilization developed. Ancestors at Banpo created exquisite painted pottery; the Western Zhou Dynasty (about 1,066-771 B.C.) saw the height of the splendors of the bronze culture; the Qin Emperor Shi Huang (Qin Dynasty, from about 221-206 B.C.)     

哈根达斯in南昌

南昌人的特点之一是:热衷于尝试新鲜事物,酷爱美食和购物,有着令人意想不到的消费热情。今年10月23日,全球极品冰淇淋品牌——哈根达斯正式进驻南昌,让南昌的哈迷们大饱眼福和口福了。与哈根达斯以往城市的开业典礼不同,素有冰淇淋中"劳斯莱斯"之称的哈根达斯,在开业典礼举办了其一场"寻找舌尖上的甜蜜奢华——极品冰淇淋品鉴会"。     

Living in Beijing

AS she stuffed her family's belongings into the back of the car waiting for them at the Beijing International Airport, Yoshie Saito was not sure what was waiting for her and her family in the next three years. She looked at her two children, Hiroki, 11, and Akane, 6, and worried. Will the children be able to cope with the life in a foreign country?     

Traveling in Sichuan

The highest peak of Mt. Emei, Wanfoding, rises 3,099 meters above sea level. Mt. Emei, at the southwest comer of Sichuan Basin, Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang, Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui, and Wutai Mountain in Shanxi are known as the Four Famous Mountains of Buddhism.     

Participation in decision-making in out-of-home care in Australia: What do young people say?

Drawing on qualitative research with 28 young people in Australia, this article explores children and young people's views and experiences of participation in decision-making while in out-of-home care. It initially examines the value of participation, before focusing on two key questions. First, do young people feel they had the opportunity to participate in decisions made about their lives during their time in out-of-home care? Second, on which issues do children and young people in care want to have a say?     

Sightseeing in Ningxia

THE Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is located in the middle of China. To the east lies the Helan Mountains. At the eastern bottom of the mountains, covering an area of 50 square kilometers, is the     

Jourism in Yunnan

The wooden framed houses of the Bai ethnicity have absorbedsomething of the architectural culture from the central plain whilstretaining their own strong features.Located within the Yunnan Lunan Yi Autonomous Prefecture.the StoneForest formed during the Paleozoic Era.It is of typical karst topography andcoverS an areaofmorethan 26.666 hectares.The dance of the Sani ethnicity is beautifullively and multifarious.Yunnan Province has the greatest concen~ation of ethnic minorities in ChinaEni…     

Shehuo in Longzhou

LONGZHOU is the ancient name ofLongxian County,the western gate ofShaaxi Province and birthplace ofthe cultures of the Zhou (C.11th century B.C.-771 B.C.) and Qin (221-206B.C.)dynasties.Since it became a county in the Qin     

Tibet in Cloth

During the Tibetan CulturalExhibition held in Beijing inMarch this year there were twoTibetan dress and costume shows eachday. In order to obtain a better view ofthe beautiful Tibetan costumes, visitorscrowded the catwalk and lookedforward to the unique show long beforeit began. The show was divided into twoparts. The first part was a presentationof Tibetan costumes of various ages bya team of Tibetan youth. The secondwas a presentation of a fashion seriescalled Chinese Wind, which was the     

Fish in Mutton

Ingredients:500 grams mutton and 750 grams live fish Condiments:Salt for taste, ginger, scallion, soup, water chestnut powder, gourmet powder Method: 1.Quick-boil the clean mutton. then put scallion, ginger, salt, gourmet powder and pepper powder into it and cook until     

Firm in Spirit

IN July of 1992, Henan Province was ravaged by floods. A farmer from Xidianzi Township, Suizhong County, Liaoning Province, sent 100 yuan there, the money she had just earned by selling peaches on the market.