Organizing against the occupation--US and Canadian anti-war activists speak out

Editors' Note: In the Interventions section of this journal we include interviews and commentary from intellectuals, activists, and academics on recent and ongoing social movements. Our goal is to contribute to a public dialogue between these at times disconnected groups. We are grateful to Lesley Wood for organizing these e-mail contributions from activists in the US and Canadian movements against the war and occupation in Iraq. While the views expressed here certainly do not represent all of the diverse perspectives in the movement, they provide a provocative and self-reflective look at the some of the current debates among anti-war organizers.     

Crime Victimization in Latin America and Intentions to Migrate to the United States

Among the challenges faced by Latin America at the onset of the 21st century is the increase in crime and violence that began in the mid-1980s, and which, to one degree or another, has afflicted most countries in the region. In this study we explore the potential implications of the upsurge in crime on migration by testing the hypothesis that crime victimization in Latin America increases the probability that people have given serious thought to the prospect of migrating with their families to the United States. Using Latinobarometro public opinion surveys of approximately 49,000 respondents residing in 17 countries in 2002, 2003, and 2004, the results of a Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model found that, net of individual and country-level control variables, the probability of seriously considering family migration to the United States was around 30 percent higher among respondents who reported that they or a member of their family was a victim of a crime sometime during the year prior to the survey. Evidence that victimization promotes the propensity to emigrate is a finding that contributes to an understanding of the transnational consequences of the increase in crime in Latin America, and adds a new variable to the inventory of factors that encourage people to migrate to the United States.     

Children and Planning: To What Extent Does the Scottish Town Planning System Facilitate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?

Children are often not given explicit attention in land use planning outside of allocating space for schools, parks and playgrounds. This is problematic as children both use and navigate beyond these settings, and findings from research on and with children report how they are frequently marginalized in society. This is partly affected by the way town planning systems treat children's spatial needs and participation. Therefore, this article investigates whether and how the Scottish town planning system acknowledges children, particularly in light of the internationally recognized rights set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It uses critical discourse analysis of key Scottish planning policies, along with a survey of Scotland's planning authorities to ascertain the extent to which children are provided for and participate in the system. It argues that children's rights are not widely acknowledged or incorporated into town planning policy and practice, and suggests this must be addressed to achieve greater social justice and support Scotland's commitments as a signatory of the UNCRC.     

Measuring Corporate Social Performance: A Review

This paper reviews the literature on corporate social performance (CSP) measurement and sets that literature into a theoretical context. Following a review of CSP theory development and the literature on relationships between CSP and corporate financial performance, Wood's CSP model ( Wood, D.J. (1991 ). Corporate social performance revisited. Academy of Management Review , 16, pp. 691–718) is used as an organizing device to present and discuss studies that use particular measures of CSP. Conclusions emphasize the need for CSP scholars to refocus on stakeholders and society, and to incorporate relevant literatures from other scholarly domains.     

Women's sexual desire: a feminist critique

This paper offers a critical feminist analysis of the biomedical conceptualization of women's sexual desire. The five major features of the biomedical model of female sexual desire examined and critiqued are: 1) use of the male model as the standard, 2) use of a linear model of sexual response, 3) biological reductionism, 4) depoliticalization, and 5) medicalization of variation. A "New View", an alternative to the biomedical model, is offered for reconceptualizing women's sexual problems. This analysis concludes with recommendations for feminist-based biopsychosocial research.     

Identifying Participation in the Informal Economy Using Survey Research Methods1

Abstract There is growing interest in the extent of informal economic activity as a form of income generating or subsistence activity within first world economies, but little agreement exists in the literature as to what constitutes informal work, what activities in addition to monetary exchanges make up the informal economy, and where these activities are located. The lack of consensus on the proper definition of the activities ,that make up the informal economy is reflected in the lack of systematic data available to investigate these forms of work. This paper investigates using telephone survey research techniques to develop inexpensive and efficient data sources to answer questions about the forms, prevalence, and location of informal work. The research uncovers problems associated with developing survey based measures of informal activity, but it also demonstrates the viability of this approach as well as the generally high level of participation in both rural and urban places.     

Setting objectives in terms of added value

The concept of added value is not new but this paper examines some new aspects of the implications of added value for corporate policy making. Whilst the concept has been recognised as a sound basis for the measurement of performance what implications has it for the wider corporate objectives which are often an accepted part of company policy? The author examines the many different ‘stakeholder’ interests from the point of view of added value and examines some of the implications and limitations of the added value concept to the nonmarketed services such as education and health.The author concludes by examining the implications of use of the added value concept for capital appraisal and investment analysis. In this context the author proposes a broadening of the views taken of capital investment analysis and postulates a number of interesting future avenues for study.     

Forecasting in conditions of uncertainty

Has the business environment grown in uncertainty? In this paper the authors suggest that the root problem is not uncertainty but the malevolence of events these past few years. In turn, this has made uncertainty and the techniques developed to cope with its consequences all the more important to the firm. But while improved forecasting may take the difference between a potentially profitable project and corporate disaster, good forecasting by itself is not enough. Most firms would benefit from examining their forecasting performance in relation to strategic decisionmaking and the various options available. The authors conclude that only in an organization where integration between expert forecaster and forecast user has been achieved can the full benefits of improved forecasting be realized.     

The Origins of Family Work: The Theory and Practice of Family Social Work Since 1880

This paper provides a detailed literary and historical account of the earliest beginnings of family theory and practice by social workers, beginning in the 1880's. The paper argues that the first widespread practice of family work’ by the helping professions was carried out by social workers, primarily women, despite this being rarely acknowledged in the family therapy literature. An analysis of gender and its place in the development of professional status and the ownership of ideas is provided.