Sexual trafficking in women: international political economy and the politics of sex

A recent manifestation of the North/South, East/West political-economic divide is the international sex trade in women, of which trafficking in women for purposes of sexual employment is a large subset. Trafficking in humans in general, and women in particular, has taken center stage in many nation-states as an issue of a threat to national security and societal cohesion. This article explores some of the basic facts about trafficking and spotlights it as a truly global phenomenon, with its contemporary origins in the international capitalist market system. Furthermore, it argues that the international political economy of sex not only includes the supply side--the women of the third world, the poor states, or exotic Asian women--but it cannot maintain itself without the demand from the organizers of the trade--the men from industrialized and developing countries. The patriarchal world system hungers for and sustains the international subculture of docile women from underdeveloped nations.     

Winning the interviewing game

Those who don't "interview well" are not likely to receive the job offer, despite their qualifications. A job interview is actually a fierce competitive activity that offers only two grades: an A or F. By nature, physicians are competitive; they like to win. Infrequent interviewees are prone to making easily corrected mistakes, such as showing no enthusiasm or having poor eye contact. The key for interviewing success is preparation--doing research, developing a personal statement, and role-playing practice interviews. View the interview as a sales call whose bottom-line goal is to achieve an offer, or at least to let you leave with the option to return for future discussions.     

Fired? Here's an exit strategy

Who gets fired in a boom job market? People are fired more often for things they failed to do than for mistakes they made. The new rules of engagement are: There is no probationary period; resistance to technology is a quick ticket out; a lack of emotional commitment to the role you're hired to play is usually fatal; personality defects that keep others from producing are not tolerated. The most common reason for being fired, however, is lack of fit. Whether you're laid off or fired, don't ask for explanations. The fact is, the people with the power to get rid of you don't want you to stay. What matters is maximizing what they'll do for you on departure. To get the most favorable terms with the least financial and ego damage, here's a game plan: (1) Get a favorable reference--in writing--from your boss; (2) gather work samples and good performance appraisals you've received; (3) negotiate for as much severance pay as possible; (4) negotiate for outplacement assistance; (5) gather contact names from co-workers; and (6) leave in style.     

The declining significance of race among American men during The latter half of the twentieth century

The extent to which racial minority groups face discrimination in the labor market is the subject of considerable debate. Using William J. Wilson's thesis of the declining significance of race as our theoretical context, we provide further empirical evidence about labor market discrimination by investigating wages among African American, American Indian, Chinese American, Hispanic white, Japanese American, and non-Hispanic white men. We find, during the period before the civil rights movement, that a substantively significant wage disadvantage is evident for these minority groups with controls for observed labor force characteristics. In recent data, these net disadvantages are reduced substantially for each of these groups except Hispanics. With the exception of Hispanics, the results support Wilson's thesis.     

A psychophysiological view of pain: Mind-body interaction in the rehabilitation of injury and illness

A shift toward a psychophysiological view of pain appears to be gaining ground as the cost of health care continues to increase. Billions of dollars are expended in America due to persistent pain. Psychotherapist involvement in the treatment of pain may be an effective form of intervention. People injured within and outside the bounds of compensation systems may display different pain patterns. Variables affecting pain, alternative treatment methods and needs, and return to gainful work are discussed.     

Conditioning factors for fertility decline in Bengal: history, language identity, and openness to innovations

This article argues that looking solely for the immediate causes of reproductive change may distort our understanding of policy options by failing to take into account the historical and cultural factors that affect not only the impact of policies and programs but their very nature and existence. The article examines the historical origins and spread of “modern” ideas in Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India. It concludes that a colonial history in which education and modernization processes took hold very early among the elites in the larger Bengal region was paradoxically accompanied by a strong allegiance to the Bengali language. This strong sense of language identity has facilitated and reinforced the diffusion of modern ideas both within and between the two Bengali‐speaking regions. Thus, to understand the fertility decline in Bangladesh, for example, one needs to look also at cultural boundaries. In this case, the cultural commonality through language facilitates the spread of new ideas across the two Bengals. In turn, the strong sense of language identity has facilitated mass mobilization more easily and intensely within the two Bengals. Shaped by these processes, Bangladesh and West Bengal today are more amenable to social change than many other parts of South Asia and the Middle East.     

Effects of societal intergration, period, region, and culture of suicide on male age-specific suicide rates: 20 developed countries, 1955-1989

Multiple indicators of societal integration and proxies for the culture of suicide form the model used to explain variation in male age-specific suicide rates from 1955 to 1989 in 20 developed countries. The hypothesis that certain determinants of suicide rates have changed over the period between 1955 and 1989 was rejected, as was the hypothesis that there are effects of period, net of measured predictors. The determinants of suicide rates do vary by age, with the culture of suicide playing an especially important role in the 35-64 age group.