Book reviews

Qualitative Sociology -     

NLRB v. Lechmere: Union quest for access

Union attempts to organize nonemployee places of business have traditionally placed employers and union members at odds. In 1992, the United States Supreme Court ended a longstanding rule that the rights of these parties should be balanced in order to determine whether the union’s right to access or the employer’s property right predominated. As it now stands, the rule is that nonemployee union members have no right of access to an employer’s private property unless extreme special circumstances exist, such as isolated work locations where employees have no access to union information. The Supreme Court’s ruling is one that significantly curtails union solicitation. This paper discusses the development of this rule.     

The effect of collective bargaining on production technique: A theoretical analysis

A general equilibrium approach is used to model the union effect on capitalintensity of the union and nonunion sectors. Unlike earlier general equilibrium approaches, union power is assumed to be affected by the production technique chosen. The labor relations literature argues that union power is enhanced by a high capital to labor ratio. This assumption is built into a simple two sector (union and nonunion), general equilibrium model. It is found that failing to account for the effects of capital intensity on union power results in an understatement of unions’ ability to redistribute income from capital to labor. The author thanks Jan Brueckner and an anonymous referee for helpful comments and suggestions.     

Book reviews

Mervin Y.T. Chen and Thomas G.Regan (1985) Work in the Changing Canadian Society. Toronto, Butterworths, pp. XIV, 289.

Walter S. Neff (1985) Work and Human Behaviour, New York, Aldine Publishing Company, 1985 (3rd edition), pp. XV, 345.

John M. Letiche and Basil Dmytryshyn (1985) Russian Statecraft: An Analysis and Translation of Iurii Krizhanic'h's “Politika”, New York, Basil Black‐well, pp. Ixxxiii, 283.

Sidney Verba and Gary G.Orren (1985) Equality in America 1. The View from the Top, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1985.

Panos D.Bardis, (1985) Dictionary of Quotations in Sociology, Westport, Greenwood Press, 1985, pp.xiv,356.     

Illusions of Learning

An argument is made that American social distress is exacerbated by the decline of public education, a decline fostered and maintained by systematic self-deception. Americans hold cherished beliefs about education, teaching, and learning that they know are not now, or cannot be, true. America's educational policies both reflect popular beliefs and give direction. Baffling public policy can make sense when seen in the broader context of public perceptions, beliefs, sentiments, ideologies, values, and opinions. This context shifts over time, circumstance, and group. Although this conceptual mix varies with geographic location and media attention, in this paper I have tried to touch on widely accepted, thus potent, national illusions that have confounded our understanding of public education and have misdirected educational policy.     

U.S. ratification of the CRC and reducing child poverty: can we get there from here?

If the United States finally ratifies the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), will it improve the country's to effectively combat child poverty and thereby improve child well-being? This article addresses this and related questions in two ways. First, the authors examine how ratification of the CRC has influenced the efforts of other wealthy Anglophone countries to reduce child poverty. Second, they draw on lessons learned from these other countries' efforts to generate predictions about America's postratification future. The authors conclude that, while the CRC is a compelling, practical tool, a communications strategy and business plan are necessary complements to achieve desired results.