宗教在公共领域的角色——哈贝马斯的后世俗反思

宗教在公共领域的角色是一个争议性课题,不少自由主义者认为信仰是私人的事情,所以宗教不应在公共领域中担任重要角色。早期的哈贝马斯也有类此看法,然而近年他对宗教持较同情和肯定的态度,甚或对"世俗主义社会"的自足性提出深刻的反思。在哈贝马斯与拉辛格主教(教宗本笃十六世)的对话里,哈贝马斯提出"后世俗社会"的新概念,批判僵化的和排斥宗教的世俗主义。一方面,哈贝马斯仍然坚持他的后形而上学和沟通伦理的观点,相信世俗自由社会可在宗教或形而上世界观之外找到基础。另一方面,他看到世俗理性的限制,并肯定整体而言宗教对维系健全的民主是有良性作用的。他甚至认为哲学必须愿意从神学身上学习。他相信在后世俗社会里,宗教会持续存在,而我们也要对宗教的真理存开放性。在现代社会中,哈贝马斯关于后世俗社会的构想,应有助于激烈争辩的多方能更和平、更理性地沟通。     

The meaning of leader integrity: A comparative study across Anglo,Asian, and Germanic cultures

The current study explores and compares the meaning of leader integrity in six societies representing three culture clusters, including Ireland and the U.S. (Anglo cluster), Germany and Austria (Germanic Europe cluster), as well as China (PRC) and Hong Kong (Confucian Asia cluster). Reponses were obtained from 189 managers using an on-line, open-response questionnaire and analyzed through a data-driven thematic analysis of the manifest and latent content of the responses. Looking within cultures, findings provide initial evidence of the culture-specific attributes and behaviors that leaders with integrity are expected to possess and convey toward others. Looking across cultures, comparative analysis revealed nine common themes that were endorsed in all or a majority of the societies: these include Guided by Strong Personal Moral Code/Values, Value–Behavior Consistency, Word–Action Consistency, Honest, Fair and Just, Openness and Transparency, Consideration and Respect for Others, Sense of Responsibility for/toward Others, and Abiding by Rules and Regulations. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Emotional and behavioral problems of Asian American adolescents: A comparative study

Social, academic, emotional functioning and social support of 99 ninth-grade Asian American students were investigated using standardized measures. When compared to 404 ninth-grade Caucasian adolescents who had attended the same school, Asian American students exhibited less delinquent behavior and performed better academically. However, they were significantly more isolated, more depressed and anxious, less apt to be involved in after school activities or seek help for their problems, and internalized their social problems. Also, they had fewer role models and less social support, underscoring the psychosocial and emotional plight of Asian American adolescents and the dire need to establish proactive outreach programs.This work was supported by NIMH grant #MH41569-07.     

Strong convergence rate of the least median absolute estimator in linear regression models

We propose a least median of absolute (LMA) estimator for a linear regression model, based on minimizing the median absolute deviation of the residuals. Under some regularity conditions on the design points and disturbances, the strong convergence rate of the LMA estimator is established.     

A Note on Local Influence Based on Normal Curvature

Object functions other than the likelihood displacement, such as a parameter estimate or a test statistic, can also be used in local influence analysis. The normal curvatures of these object functions have been studied in situations where the slopes were non-zero. In these situations, we show that the normal curvature is not scale invariant and thus ambiguous conclusions will be drawn. Comments on the application of the general normal curvature formula are presented.     

Public Assistance Eligibility and the Well-Being of Poor People in China

ABSTRACT

This study adopted content analysis to examine policy papers concerning the eligibility requirements of the Minimum Living Standard Scheme (MLSS) in China's 31 capital cities. It was found that local officials not only assess applicants’ assets and incomes, but also their living space, quality of home decoration, possession of luxury goods, leisure activities, and behavior. The local governments’ use of a lifestyle assessment approach is caused by financial constraints and the lack of an effective mechanism to check applicants’ incomes. The lifestyle approach leads to regional inequalities in accessing public assistance, because some of the terms, which define the quality of life, are too ambiguous. The lifestyle approach, which requires applicants to live in very poor living conditions and also demonstrate their hardship to local officials, will be a barrier preventing poor people from being integrated into their communities. This study suggests that the key words and terms in the policy documents need to be clearly explained and similar criteria should also be adopted across different regions. It also proposes that the gap between MLSS eligibility criteria in the policy papers and their actual implementation requires further study in order to understand the impact of special local factors and the quality of life of poor people in China.