Gambling, Delinquency, and Drug Use During Adolescence: Mutual Influences and Common Risk Factors

The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to assess the possible mutual influence between gambling, substance use, and delinquency over a two-year period during mid adolescence, (2) to test whether variables that are usually predictive of delinquency and substance use also predict gambling, and (3) to test whether the links between the three problem behaviors could be, at least partially, accounted for by common antecedent factors (impulsivity, parental supervision, and deviant friends) assessed during early adolescence. Seven hundred and seventeen boys participated in the study. Impulsivity, parental supervision, and friends' deviancy were collected when participants were 13 and 14 years of age. Gambling, substance use, and delinquency were collected through self-reports at ages 16 and 17 years. Results showed no influence or modest influence of problem behaviors on each other from age 16 to age 17 years, once current links and auto-correlations were accounted for. Conversely, the cross-sectional links between the three problem behaviors at each age were moderately high. Impulsivity, low parental supervision, and deviant friends were predictively related to each problem. Finally, a significant, although modest, portion of the covariance between the three problem behaviors was accounted for by these three predictors. The present findings contradict previous findings about the influence of gambling on other problem behaviors and support the notion of a general problem behavior syndrome fed by generic risk factors.     

Grassroots mobilization in revolutionary Nicaragua: The case of the squatter settlements

Examining two Nathan Farb Adirondack landscape photographs from a wall calendar, this paper asks whether or not one can read a Nature photograph as an ideological text First, the paper traces Farb's way of seeing Nature to the emergence of the 19th century bourgeoisie and the Transcendental philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau in which Nature is positioned as an alternative to modernity and urban existence. Second, it notes that the Nature photograph contains three levels of discourse: substantive, technical and aesthetic. As a photograph moves through these levels of discourse, both its exchange value and its sign value increase. Third, it investigates the ambivalent relationship between the photograph and its subject Fourth, it examines the ideological boundaries of alternative ways of photographing Nature. The paper concludes that the realistic landscape photograph is deeply rooted in the history of the American bourgeoisie, its way of seeing is an extension of bourgeois semiotics, and its value as a commodity‐sign is a function of bourgeois economics.     

Caring for day care: a pilot project

Day care in Israel is not always of high quality, and the current forecast for upgrading the standards of the existing centers is bleak, due to economic and social factors that do not place high priority on quality infant care in group settings. The agency attempted, therefore, to develop a low-cost, efficient method of early intervention, wherein skilled social workers were hired, given special training, and worked alongside the caregivers of day care centers to help children and parents defined as at risk. This article describes the observations that were made and the interventions that were chosen.     

Efficient and easy-to-use sample size formulas in ratio-based non-inferiority tests

In many biomedical applications, tests for the classical hypotheses based on the difference of treatment means in a one-way layout can be replaced by tests for ratios (or tests for relative changes). This approach is well noted for its simplicity in defining the margins, as for example in tests for non-inferiority. Here, we derive approximate and efficient sample size formulas in a multiple testing situation and then thoroughly investigate the relative performance of hypothesis testing based on the ratios of treatment means when compared with differences of means. The results will be illustrated with an example on simultaneous tests for non-inferiority.     

Ethnic composition of the school class and interethnic attitudes: a multi-group perspective

This study investigates the relationship between the ethnic classroom composition and interethnic attitudes of adolescents of the native majority and several ethnic minorities in the Netherlands, Germany, England and Sweden. It contributes to prior research by examining the underlying theoretical features of contact opportunities and levels of threat across multiple ethnic groups more accurately, using group-specific measures. Based on Intergroup Contact Theory and Ethnic Group Conflict Theory, contrasting hypotheses on how the ethnic classroom composition affects out-group and in-group attitudes of adolescents are tested with multilevel regression analyses. Across ethnic groups and countries, we consistently find a moderate to substantial relation between ethnic classroom composition and interethnic attitudes in line with Intergroup Contact Theory: a relatively larger out-group size, compared to the in-group, relates positively to out-group attitudes. At the same time, in several cases, a relatively larger in-group size relates to more positive in-group attitudes. The findings point to the significance of balanced ethnic classroom compositions for promoting favourable attitudes between multiple ethnic groups – benefitting especially those who face high levels of prejudice from others and those who are prejudiced towards others – without compromising positive in-group attitudes.     

用中华民族意识凝聚青海各民族问题调研报告

青海各民族在政治、经济、文化等方面经过长期的交流、相互融合,形成了各民族多元一体的格局,这是用中华民族意识凝聚青海各民族的历史与现实条件。但在现阶段仍存在着阻碍青海各民族中华民族意识生长的因素,据此,提出青海增强中华民族凝聚力的对策建议。     

历史编纂与后现代主义

现在,我们已经没有什么文本、过去,而只有对它们的解释.近年来,人们注意到我们对于信息现象的态度变化了.对后现代主义而言,科学和信息都是遵从它们自身规律的独立的研究对象,语言和艺术并末被设定在与实在对立的位置,而是一种伪实在,因而是在实在之内的.我们现在更应该思考过去而不是研究过去.未来我们与过去的关系以及我们对过去的洞见将是一种比喻性的,而不是一种平实性的.后现代主义并不拒斥科学历史编纂,而只是使我们注意到现代主义者的恶性循环,这种循环会令我们相信在它之外不存在任何事物.但实际上,在它之外是历史的目的和意义的整个领域.     

灾后重建中民族文化"发展性保护模式"探讨——由地震灾后羌族文化保护引发的思考

汶川大地震灾后重建两年多来的实践表明,在经济社会超常发展的背景下,传统文化为适应发展而加速变迁是必然结果,民族文化的"传统保护模式"不能适应灾后重建的发展大势.只有实现文化保护与文化发展的协调统一,在文化发展中才有可能较好的实现文化保护."发展性保护模式"适应经济社会和文化事业超常发展的需要,可形成保护、传承、创新的一体化发展格局,实现民族文化保护与发展的良性循环,这是灾后重建中实现文化保护目的的理想模式.     

小型社区内草根NGO的生长路径研究——以品阁小区业主委员会为例

本文在公民社会的理论框架下,以北京市品阁小区业主委员会为例,分析了限制社区内草根NGO生长的合法性获取、资金来源、服务有效性和专业技能等问题,阐释了实践中的草根NGO如何破解上述制约因素,提供了一种分析草根NGO发展的思路。