Marx and the Category of Individuality' in Communist Society*

Marx was one among the great humanist philosophers who, like the humanists from the Renaissance up to those of our day, have stressed the idea that all social arrangements must serve the growth and the unfolding of man; that man must always be an end and never a means; that each individual carries within himself all of humanity; that human progress in science and in art depends upon freedom; that man has the capacity to perfect himself in the process of history…. It is an ironical fact that the main accusation against Marxism in the capitalist countries has been his “materialism”; this is ironical because it was precisely Marx's aim to fight the materialism engendered in bourgeois life and to create a society in which man—the creative, “self-active” human being—is the summon bonum, in which the rich man is the one, as Marx put it, who is much, and not the one who has much.     

Unemployment,union density,and wages

We investigate, both theoretically and empirically, whether long-run industry unemployment rates modify the wage impact of union density on the earnings of members. Our theory suggests that the density effect increases as unemployment increases. Our empirical estimates use wage equations exclusive and inclusive of unemployment and of the interactive effect of unemployment and density in influencing wages. Based on a 1985 sample of manufacturing production workers, our findings indicate that the wage effect of union density for union workers as usually measured is only 41 percent as large as the effect when unemployment is in the model.     

Transportation after deregulation

For 40 years U.S. airlines operated under tight government control. Deregulation has put them in competition in an open market where they have had to become more efficient to compete. They have also had to bear the consequences of the—until the recent levelling off—rocketing price of fuel, a world-wide recession and a damaging strike of traffic controllers. However, services have increased, fares have stabilized and been pared down and adjusted to the market. The authors trace the strategic trends consequent on deregulation, the necessity for a change in company values and the importance of technological innovation.     

Representing Gender and Sexual Dissidence in Southern Africa

In this article, I discuss the contours of representational ethics in qualitative research. “Representational ethics” refers to a set of principles governing how qualitative researchers portray research participants and the social, cultural, and political contexts research participants inhabit. Using African and postcolonial feminist theorizing, I explore the representational-ethical principles guiding my ethnographic investigation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizing in Namibia and South Africa.     

Politics of interprofessional collaboration: challenge to advocacy

Both interprofessional collaboration and advocacy for clients are highly valued social work activities; yet, when pursued jointly, they pose political dilemmas. An exploration of these activities reveals the potential for ethical dissonance and highlights the need for clear guides to professional behavior.     

The Impact of Leadership Characteristics on Corporate Performance

We identify three attributes of a firm that exert significant positive impact on stock return performance of companies. Specifically, quality of management, financial soundness and quality of products/services indicators are critical for successful financial performance. We then discuss the leadership characteristics that are necessary to positively affect these attributes. We believe this information provides insights into the type of leadership characteristics that result in improved financial performance. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Distinguishing Mother–Infant Interaction From Stranger–Infant Interaction at 2, 4, and 6 Months of Age

Observers watched videotaped face‐to‐face mother–infant and stranger–infant interactions of 12 infants at 2, 4, or 6 months of age. Half of the observers saw each mother paired with her own infant and another infant of the same age (mother tapes) and half saw each infant paired with his or her mother and with a stranger (infant tapes). Observers were asked to judge which was the mother–infant dyad in each pair. Observers' accuracy improved as infants aged and was above chance for both mother and infant tapes when infants were 6 months. Differences between mother–infant and stranger–infant dyadic communication patterns also emerged as the infants aged. At 6 months, mother–infant dyads had more symmetrical communication and less asymmetrical communication than stranger–infant dyads.     

Formative evaluation of a motivational intervention for increasing physical activity in underserved youth

The present study was designed to develop an innovative motivational intervention (based on Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory) to increase physical activity (PA) in underserved adolescents. Sixty-four adolescents (35 females, 29 males; 50% minority; 65% on reduced lunch program; ages 11-13 yr) participated in either an 8-week motivational intervention after-school (n = 32) or a typical after-school program (n = 32). The conceptual framework for the intervention targeted the social environment (perceived autonomy, perceived social support, participation, fun), cognitive mediators (perceived choice, self-efficacy, and relatedness/belongingness), and motivational orientation (intrinsic motivation, commitment, positive self-concept). Formative evaluation data was collected by staff through daily forms throughout the 8-week program and through observational data completed by independent objective observers during 2 weeks of the program. The major themes that were identified addressed theoretical concepts regarding the intervention and logistical issues in delivering the intervention. The data revealed information regarding the importance of the cognitive appropriateness of the PA and motivational activities, the environmental climate for promoting nurturing relationships, developing specific strategies for increasing intrinsic rather than extrinsic reinforcement, and developing methods for preventing social "cliques" and gender conflicts to maintain an appropriate level of support in the social climate. Themes for training staff included focusing on team building, leadership, and nurturing. This formative evaluation is being used to formalize a randomized trial to test the effects of a student-centered motivational intervention on increasing PA in underserved 6th graders.