Redefining the 'Rural Question': The New 'Politics of the Rural' and Social Policy

Politics in the countryside has undergone a significant shift in emphasis in recent decades, which may be characterized as a transition from ‘rural politics’ to ‘a politics of the rural’. Whereas ‘rural politics’ refers broadly to politics located in rural space, or relating to ‘rural issues’, the ‘politics of the rural’ is defined by the centrality of the meaning and regulation of rurality itself as the primary focus of conflict and debate. However, far from marginalizing social issues – as early work on the new rural conflicts by Mormont implied – the paper argues that the new politics of the rural has liberated rural social policy from the shadow of agricultural policy, providing a new language and context through which rural social issues can be placed on the political agenda. Three examples of this are discussed, drawing on illustrations from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and North America – conflicts over the rationalization of public and commercial services in rural communities; campaigns around the closure of rural schools and their symbolic place at the heart of rural communities; and issues of difference and discrimination in the countryside, including responses to travellers and asylum‐seekers.     

Experiences of Family Therapists Working with Families in a Transitional Homeless Community

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and observations of marriage and family therapists (MFTs) conducting an empirically supported parenting program at a transitional homeless community. A diary method was used in recording five MFTs' observations and reactions to implementing the psychoeducational groups. Fifty‐one recordings were collected from three different parenting groups over the course of 20 weeks. Constant comparative method was used to identify themes related to MFTs' experiences of conducting the parenting program. These themes included the needs of at‐risk families, confidentiality, and role ambivalence and boundary ambiguity. We provide recommendations for best practices and an example of therapists' decision‐making process using Kitchener's (1984) model.     

Interstate Competition and Environmental Regulation: A Test of the Race‐to‐the‐Bottom Thesis*

Objective. This study assesses the effect of interstate competition on the stringency with which states enforce environmental regulations. Method. Pooled cross‐sectional time‐series analysis of state surface‐mining regulation is used to determine if the enforcement gap between a state and competitor states affects the stringency of state enforcement. Results. The results suggest that state enforcement is systematically affected by the behavior of regional competitors. States adjust their enforcement in response to competitor states when their enforcement stringency exceeds that of their competitors. When competitors' enforcement is more stringent, however, their behavior does not have a significant effect. Conclusion. This study provides empirical evidence for a race to the bottom in state environmental regulation.     

实用逻辑的新领域

本文区分了两种逻辑观：语言的逻辑观和智能体逻辑观，前者把逻辑看作一种关于论证（argument）的理论，而论证是一种语言结构，逻辑研究论证的结构特性；后者把逻辑看作一种关于推理（reasoning）的理论，一种关于思考者做了什么以及在他身上发生了什么的理论。实用逻辑是一种关于实践的智能体做了什么以及反思了什么的理论，它将大大地突破演绎逻辑的范围，去研究许多新的课题。     

The Birth of Modern Criminology and Gendered Constructions of Homosexual Criminal Identity

There is a dearth of engagement with LGBTQ populations, and sexual orientation and gender identity more broadly, in the field of criminology. This article analyzes the treatment of sexual orientation and gender identity at the birth of the discipline around the 1870s. Through an analysis of Cesare Lombroso’s writings, the article argues that a multifaceted stigma of deviance attached to homosexuality and gender nonconformity in early criminological theory. The article explains this multifaceted stigma in terms of broader political, social, cultural, and legal developments before and during the late nineteenth century that shaped modern Western conceptions of sexual orientation and gender identity.     

The immense and continuing challenge of urban governance: Developments in Australia and across Greater China

The article describes the long history of urbanisation, including developments in four jurisdictions – three in Greater China (the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and Australia. While each has its own history, all now face challenges associated with continuing urbanisation and the growth of very large cities. There are broadly similar economic forces at work, but differences in scale and differences in the “growth machines” involved and the institutional arrangements within which urban governance operates. The article explains the growing importance internationally of urban governance and the growing interest in the “performance” of cities. The authors then set out two case studies describing developments in urban governance around Shanghai and around Sydney. In both cases, the scale of big city growth is demanding both horizontal and vertical coordination, and processes that facilitate citizens and civil society participation. While the very different institutional arrangements in these jurisdictions have led to different urban governance arrangements, there are common challenges that have led to some common governance developments such as having a lead government with citywide and comprehensive public service responsibilities, and also having the national government play an increasingly active role in support.