Corporate political power and US foreign policy, 1981–2002: the role of the policy-planning network

Theory and Society - Recent empirical work has offered strong support for ‘biased pluralism’ and ‘economic elite’ accounts of political power in the United States, according...     

Understanding public attitudes towards Social Security

There has been very little research on why individuals hold different attitudes toward Social Security. In this article we integrate social location theory and political predisposition theory to provide a framework of explanation and test these theories using a unique sample from the 1998 General Social Survey. Our multivariate results reveal that social structural positions along the lines of race, gender, class and age play a more important role than political predispositions in explain-ing individual differences in support for the current Social Security system against privatisation. Political party affiliation also partly contributes to variation in support for Social Security, but political ideology does not have a significant effect. Our results suggest that with regard to support for Social Security, primary consideration must rest on social structural positions. Racial minorities, women, the poor and the elderly tend to dislike a drastic change in the current Social Security system, and Social Security reform ought to pay attention to their concerns. Our robust finding of a positive relationship between age and support for Social Security also challenges much of the established knowledge, pointing to an intergenerational discord over Social Security. It is also important to differentiate among social welfare programmes in order to uncover the real determinants of public attitudes towards them.     

Palliative sedation: an essential place for clinical excellence

The complexities that converge around palliative sedation invite clinicians to work together to differentiate the issues and come to recommendations and decisions that are humane, ethical, legal, and clinically sound. Whether a crisis or long-term situation exists, the work is essentially the same. It must include critical thinking, clinical expertise, multidimensional assessment, and an array of interventions to assist patients and families in situations where symptoms and suffering are sufficiently intense to warrant exploration of sedation. The many issues inherent in the discussion of sedation at end of life require not that we have the answers but rather that we work with our colleagues to raise relevant questions and integrate both expertise and compassion into end-of-life decisions and care.     

Medical Negligence and Resource Allocation in the NHS

The recent growth in medical malpractice claims and in awards for damages has created concern both amongst doctors and health administrators. Steps which have been taken by the Review Body on Doctors’and Dentists’Remuneration and policy now advocated by the BMA suggest a movement away from the current system of negligence and towards a stricter no-fault system of liability. Under the current system, medical negligence occurs when doctors have not met the standards of treatment expected by reference to current professional standards. Under a no-fault system patients would be entitled to compensation for losses which arise from treatment, irrespective of whether negligence had occurred; although the implication is that the amounts of compensation would necessarily be limited. While there are reasons to believe that financial difficulties for doctors and pressures on NHS budgets may be ameliorated by a no-fault system, there are other criteria against which the current system of negligence should be judged. This article attempts to provide a framework within which a negligence system may be assessed. In particular, attention is drawn to the educative role of a negligence system and to the provision of information which may improve decisions on resource allocation. A critique of the current system of medical negligence in the UK suggests that a package of reforms to improve the system would be better than further movements towards non-market solutions.     

Australian University Students' Views of the Nuclear Arms Race: Comparative and Qualitative Analyses

Australian university students' views of the nuclear arms race were analysed in two studies. A sample comparison study used Nuclear Arms Race Questionnaire (NARQ) and Position on Nuclear Weapons (PNW) scales to compare university students' views with those of high school students and community groups. University students' views were more strongly anti-nuclear than middle income and Middle European migrant groups, but not more than high school student and church member groups'. Females' attitudes were more strongly anti-nuclear than males. A qualitative analysis of ten university students' formulations of the arms races problem and Australia's involvement revealed the complex dimensions of perceived relationships between global and national interests and personal nuclear issues. Students' solutions were directly related to their formulations of the major aspects of the arms race problem, with six students who represented the nuclear problem in terms of superpower conflict, seeing individuals as powerless to influence solutions. Quantitative trends are interpreted in light of the varied representations of the problem and the association of students' generally anti-nuclear attitudes with lack of involvement in the peace movement.     

Including children with special educational needs in physical education: has entitlement and accessibility been realised?

The return of the Labour government to power in 1997 brought an increased focus upon inclusive education for children with special educational needs (SEN). Alongside this there has been a desire to enhance the opportunities young people have to access physical education (PE) and school sport. Previous research has shown that children with SEN often have fewer opportunities to access physical activity due to physical, social and emotional barriers to participation. With the advent of a new Con–Lib-Dem government in 2010 and a planned review of inclusion policies and practices, this paper examines the extent to which children with SEN have arrived at utopia in relation to their entitlement and access to PE. The paper identifies four themes central to successful inclusive PE, whilst suggesting there is still some way to go for children with SEN to have the same opportunities in physical activity as their non-disabled peers.     

Relation Between Maternal Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy and Behavioral and Physiological Measures of Autonomic Regulation in Neonates

The effects of maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy on behavioral and physiological measures of arousal were examined in a sample of 50 neonates. After the effects of alcohol, caffeine, and maternal demographic variables were statistically controlled, regression analyses showed that maternal smoking during pregnancy was predictive of higher heart rates overall and during quiet and active sleep. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was also predictive of lower heart rate variability and an increased number of tremors and changes in behavioral state. These findings suggest that maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy affects the regulation of spontaneous autonomic activity in neonates.     

Rural-Urban Differences and Their Amelioration

South Korean society is in transition toward a multicultural society. Integrating multicultural education into current citizenship education is challenging for the society. Historically, many national tragedies have created the unique characteristics of what being Korean means. South Korean social studies curriculum emphasized that Korea is a monolithic society with one language, one history, and one ethnicity. In recent years, however, the number of foreigners living in South Korea dramatically increases because of work, study, and marriage. As they become be members of Korean society, it is necessary that South Koreans acknowledge diverse groups in the society and revise a long-held belief about who we, as Koreans, are. To this end, the Korean social studies curriculum should include more information about as well as respect and promote ethnic, cultural, and social diversity. Social studies teachers should attempt various activities to promote students’ understanding of current social changes in South Korea.