Women's Human Rights Activists as Cross-Cultural Theorists

In addition to offering a basis for the criticism of universal human rights theorizing and practice, women's experience contributes to universal human rights theory building. Women's human rights activists' insights provide the foundation for a theory of universal human rights that is cross-cultural and critical. In sharing their work and strategies, two online working groups of women's human rights activists demonstrate that a theory of universal human rights must offer both (1) common ground on which the parallel efforts of human rights activists around the world can be acknowledged and (2) recognition that though sometimes networked and integrated with those parallel efforts, activism for social change is local, and uses locally appropriate ways to promote women's human rights. Using a theoretical method that treats non-theoretical texts as important sources for theoretical insights, the article introduces an activist-authored cross-cultural theory of human rights, its assumptions, and its theoretical framework. Finally, it draws implications from the activists' theory for human rights scholars.     

Social support among women veterans

The beneficial effects of social support on well-being have been shown in various studies. Less is known about factors which constrain or enhance the availability of social support. The present study profiles social support among women veterans and attempts to identify factors which enhance or constrain perceptions of support and social integration for women of different military eras. Data are derived from a national sample of women veterans who had at least one VA out-patient visit during a one year time period. Twenty percent of women veterans report having no one to depend on. Social support is lowest among Vietnam and Post-Vietnam era women. Chronic strains (such as having problems with relatives, housing, and paying bills) are important factors which are associated with levels of perceived support. Factors related to loneliness/alone status appear to be associated with constraints in group activities and perceived support. This research illustrates the importance of examining factors which constrain and enhance supportive activities and relationships.     

Oxidative mutagenesis, mismatch repair, and aging

A PubMed search for the term "oxidative stress" yields over 29,000 articles published on the subject over the past 10 years; more than 2000 of these articles also include the term "aging" in their title or abstract. Many theories of aging predict causal roles for oxidative stress in the myriad of pathological changes that occur as a function of age, including an increasing propensity to develop cancer. A possible link between aging and cancer is the induction and accumulation of somatic mutations caused by oxidative stress. This Review focuses on small mutational events that are induced by oxidative stress and the role of mismatch repair (MMR) in preventing their formation. It also discusses a possible inhibitory effect of oxidative stress on MMR. We speculate that a synergistic interaction between oxidative damage to DNA and reduced MMR levels will, in part, account for an accumulation of small mutational events, and hence cancer, with aging.     

Religious Pluralism and School Provision in Britain

Popular education in Britain grew out of the social conscience of the Christian churches. Government investment in schools only began in the last quarter of the 19th century and even where schools were funded it was primarily to plug the gaps left by the voluntary organisations. Throughout the 20th century, Britain had a dual system of provision by which state and churches cooperated in the provision and funding of schools. The last 30 years have witnessed an interesting development in Britain in the political response to religious diversity and education. Some members of the more recent religious minority communities have sought to join the dual system by seeking funding for religious schools on the same basis as the Christian churches. In the last 5 years, several schools run by minority religious groups have received state funding. In its latest Green Paper, the government argues the case for greater diversity in educational provision and looks to increasing the participation of Christian and other religious groups in educational provision, not least by reducing the financial quota which religious bodies have to pay towards the upkeep of such schools. In the light of continuing problems with personal and institutional racism at many levels of British society, and the well-documented increase in Islamophobia, this paper explores what model of pluralism is likely to suit Britain's future society best and what form of educational provision might prove the most effective in promoting it.     

Women's perceived stress and well-being following voluntary and involuntary relocation

This study investigated the relationship between voluntary and involuntary relocation and women's perceptions of stress and amount of control, as well as their satisfaction with personal well-being. Results indicated that involuntary movers felt significantly less control and had lower levels of satisfaction with the relationship with their spouses than did voluntary movers. Educational level and employment status were also explored in relation to the dependent variables. Women with high school/trade school education had significantly higher levels of perceived stress, feelings of less control, and lower levels of satisfaction with family life than women with more education.This paper was supported by the Colorado State University and University of Wyoming Experiment Stations and published as Scientific Series Paper No. 290.Paula P. Makowsky received her M.S. from Colorado State University. She is currently a Counselor, Catholic Social Services, Phoenix, AZ.Alicia Skinner Cook is a Professor, Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include grief and loss issues related to relocation. She received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University.Peggy S. Berger received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. She is an Associate Professor, Department of Consumer Science & Housing, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include socioeconomic issues related to geographic mobility and to gender.Judith Powell received her Ed.D. from Oklahoma State University. She is a Professor, Child & Family Studies, and Head, Department of Home Economics, Division of Home Economics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071. Her research interests include parent-child relations and effects of relocation on families.