澳大利亚人的生态观——透过文学作品看澳大利亚人生态意识的演变(1788-2008)

文章通过分析早期以来至今澳大利亚具有代表性的作家的文学作品来审视从殖民时期到现在人们对"自然"或"土地"的态度的变迁:早期的移民怀着寻求"伊甸园"的理想来到澳大利亚这块土地上,结果却发现在这崭新而陌生的环境中,生存和"战胜自然"成了他们的当务之急,于是过度开发和利用自然资源使得生态环境遭到了严重破坏;后来,由于人们越来越多地认识到土著居民与自然之间的和谐关系,也由于各种环境运动蓬勃兴起,再加之近年来产生的文学理论——生态批评——将环保意识不断灌输给人们,于是,人们逐渐开始关注、热爱、保护并尊重这块"与众不同"的土地。本文提及的作家包括肯德尔、劳森、斯特德、凯瑟琳.苏珊娜.普理查德、朱迪斯.赖特及约翰.金塞拉,另外作者本人的部分诗歌也被引用。     

中国土地政策目标的障碍与现实选择

我国土地政策目标是以整个农业发展目标为基础 ,以效率优先兼顾公平为基本出发点的。然而 ,由于受到市场经济条件下某些客观规律的作用及内外部环境的制约 ,土地政策目标在现实生活中频频发生矛盾或错位。具体表现为 :( 1 )土地使用权与产权异化的矛盾 ;( 2 )土地资源保护与比较利益的冲突 ;( 3 )土地资源配置效率与外部环境的矛盾。因此有必要重新选择我国土地政策的中心目标。我国土地政策的核心目标应是以效率优先为原则 ,扩大土地资源的集约化利用边界 ,以全面提高土地产出率。而具体的实现途径包括 :( 1 )推动土地承包的物权化和产权持有 ;( 2 )增加投入与激励相结合 ,提高土地集约化利用水平 ;( 3 )培养土地市场与价格体系 ,促进土地合理流转 ;( 4 )健全农村社会保障制度 ,优化外部环境。     

基于特性分类的矿区可持续发展模式研究

我国地域辽阔 ,矿区类型较多 ,表现出多样性、复杂性和发展道路的差异性。本文首先对矿区可持续发展的定义和具体内容进行了探讨 ,接着从两个维度对矿区进行了分类 ,并在此基础上对矿区作出了复合分类 ,对它的组合特性进行了研究 ,对它的发展道路选择问题作出了探讨     

Trauma and couples: mechanisms in dyadic functioning

Research traditionally has focused on the development of symptoms in those who experienced trauma directly but overlooked the impact of trauma on the families of victims. In recent years, researchers and clinicians have begun to examine how individual exposure to traumatic events affects the spouses/partners, children, and professional helpers of trauma survivors. The current study reports data from a larger mixed-methodology study that includes qualitative interview data from 17 individuals, coded to identify the mechanisms that may affect the couple's interpersonal functioning when there is a history of trauma exposure in one or both partners. The following primary themes were identified: role in the relationship, boundary issues, intimacy problems, triggers, and coping mechanisms. Areas for future research and clinical implications also are identified.     

Book review

Evidence‐based Policy: A Realist Perspective by Ray Pawson. Sage Publications, London. 2006. 208 p. NZ$98.99 (paperback). ISBN 1412910606.

The Handbook of Public Affairs edited by Phil Harris and Craig Fleisher. Sage Publications, London. 2005. 616 p. NZ$329.99 (hardback) ISBN 0761943935.

From Innocents to Agents: Children and Children's Rights in New Zealand by Michael Reid. Maxim Institute, Auckland. 2006. 279 p. NZ$39.90 (paperback). ISBN 0958265259.     

Depressed College Students and Tricyclic Antldepressant Therapy

Abstract

Charts of all outpatients (n = 267) seen during three consecutive months of 1977 by a university student mental health clinic were retrospectively reviewed for reports of depression. Over one-fourth of university students (n = 76) seen during this period were noted to present with significant symptoms and signs of depression. Charts of depressed patients were further analyzed for distribution by final diagnostic category, demographic data, and treatment outcome results. The majority of depressed patients were diagnosed as depressive neurosis while the second most common diagnosis was adjustment reaction. A significant proportion of patients with a final diagnosis of depressive neurosis had initially been diagnosed as adjustment reaction. Vegetative signs of depression were Infrequently noted In patients with adjustment reaction. These patients were usually treated with psychotherapy alone and showed symptomatic Improvement in one-half of cases. Vegetative signs, especially sleep disturbance, were noted in one-half of patients with depressive neurosis. These patients were often treated with tricyclic antidepressants plus psychotherapy, which resulted in significantly greater Improvement in both dysphoria and vegetative signs than treatment with psychotherapy only. Treatment outcomes for depressed patients thought to have concomitant character disorders were uniformly poor.

Thus, depressed college students In the present study represented several distinct diagnostic groups, of which patients with depressive neurosis showed optimal treatment outcomes following tricyclic antidepressant therapy.     

Racial/Ethnic Composition and Violence: Size‐of‐Place Variations in Percent Black and Percent Latino Effects on Violence Rates

According to racial invariance positions and mainstream sociological perspectives on race and crime, race differences in structural conditions should account for most if not all of the racial composition (or percent black) effect on aggregate‐level violence rates. However, prior research (mostly conducted prior to 1990) generally provides mixed or contrary evidence for this position, showing instead that greater concentrations of blacks are linked to increased violence even after accounting for racial differences in socioeconomic conditions. The current study uses recent data and a novel unit of analysis to go beyond extant research in two ways. First, we include percent Latino in our examination of the extent to which both racial and ethnic composition effects on violent crime rates are mediated by racial/ethnic disparities in socioeconomic disadvantage. Second, we test whether racial/ethnic composition effects are conditioned by size of place, through the use of census places as a uniquely varying unit of analysis. We find that both black and Latino composition effects are partly explained by controlling for structural conditions (especially structural disadvantage), but this characterizes smaller places much more than the largest, most urbanized places.     

Leaving Retirement: Age-Graded Relative Risks of Transitioning Back to Work or Dying

Demographic research has documented the age-graded risk of returning to work after a period of retirement; few studies, however, have disaggregated this risk into the different forms work takes in later life. Moreover, prior research has not explored the age-graded risk of re-retiring after reentry. This study uses the 1992–2008 Health and Retirement Study to first examine the age-graded and duration dependent risks of transitioning to full-time work, part-time work, and mortality from full retirement. Second, this study documents the age-graded duration of reemployment, and the age-graded risk of re-retiring. Results from multi-decrement life tables indicate reemployment both occurs more frequently and lasts longer than previously estimated. The gender differences in risk of reemployment are modest, although women are at greater risk of returning to part-time work, whereas men are at greater risk of returning to full-time work. Additionally, retirees from services-producing industries are at lower risk of transitioning to work, but greater risks of mortality, suggesting retirement is a less permanent feature in the life course of retirees from goods-producing industries. Finally, the results suggest Social Security benefit eligibility plays a part in reducing reentry at later ages.     

Amanda Smith Barusch. Love Stories of Later Life: A Narrative Approach to Understanding Romance

There is a sparsity of research about women in midlife career transitions. This study focuses on the career patterns of twenty-nine first and second year MSW women students (ages 27-60). Previous professional career events, role models and other factors most affecting career change are examined. The findings identify frustrated relationship needs, barriers to achievement in previous careers, and the attraction of social work produced incentives for change. Women in the oldest age group (over 50) appear to have the most din~culti me adapting to the student lie.