The ethical dilemmas of risky decisions

Even in a pandemic there seem to be inherent conflicts of interest between the individual and societal consequences of remedial actions and strategies. Actions taken in the sole interests of patients, as required by the Hippocratic oath, can have broadly inconvenient economic implications for the State. (“Average” benefits for a population can impose individual inconveniences for the vulnerable.). Understandably these decisions are not normally made explicitly and transparently by governments. This leads to seemingly illogical and inhumane strategies which are not understood and hence mistrusted and often ignored by the public. Vaccination sentiments on social media are often an unwanted symptom of this dilemma. This article outlines and discusses a number of examples of such situations with a focus on ethical aspects. It concludes that each case must be considered individually as to the issues that need to be weighed in these difficult decisions; and that there are no clear and universally acceptable ethical solutions. What can be learned from the COVID-19 crisis is that short term utilitarianism has consequences that in the eyes of the population are unacceptable. This lesson seems equally valid for cost benefit evaluations regarding other risks, such as from hazardous industries, flood defenses, and air transport. Decisionmakers and politicians can learn that persuasion only goes so far. In the end the people appear to prioritize in terms of deontology.     

美国研究:一个历史的解读

作为美国人在历史和现实中所表现或表达的历史传统,美国研究这一独特的跨学科领域经过近一个世纪的发展和嬗变,从研究对象到研究方法都经历了纷繁复杂的演变过程———从“美国思想之父”帕林顿到“神话与象征”学派,从20世纪末的“后殖民主义”到“后结构主义”理论等不一而足。与此同时,布什政府的新保守主义和美国文化霸权也使美国研究面临前所未有的困境和挑战。     

Contemporary Anglo-Jewish community leadership: coping with multiculturalism

In this article, drawing on qualitative interviews and documentary analysis, we argue that the Jewish community in Britain has undergone a fundamental shift since 1990 from a 'strategy of security', a strategy of communal leadership based on emphasizing the secure British citizenship and belonging of the UK's Jews, to a 'strategy of insecurity', where the communal leadership instead stresses an excess of security among Anglo-Jewry. We demonstrate this based on two case studies: of the Jewish renewal movement in the 1990s and the 'new antisemitism' phenomenon of the 2000s. We conclude that this shift is tied to the shift from a monocultural Britain to an officially multicultural one, and that therefore there are lessons that can be taken from it for the study of British and other multiculturalisms.     

How the market responds to dynamically inconsistent preferences

This paper responds to the ‘soft paternalist’ argument that the findings of behavioural economics make traditional objections to paternalism incoherent. We show that there is a normatively significant sense in which, even if individuals lack coherent preferences, competitive markets are efficient in providing them with opportunities to get what they want. Extending earlier analysis by Sugden, we model a multi-period ‘storage economy’ and explore the implications of dynamically inconsistent preferences. We show that, despite apparent conflicts of judgement between an individual’s ‘selves’, competitive markets provide maximal opportunity, and that they do so by facilitating voluntary exchanges between selves.     

Examining the impact of age and multitasking on motorcycle conspicuity

This poster presents a study to assess one's ability to detect motorcycles under different conditions of conspicuity while performing a secondary visual load task. Previous research in which participants were required to detect motorcycles revealed differences in age (young adults/older adult) as well as differences associated with motorcycle conspicuity conditions. Past research has specifically found motorcycles with headlights ON and modulating headlights (flashing) to be more conspicuous than motorcycles with headlights OFF within traffic conditions. The present study seeks to provide more information on the effects of multitasking on motorcycle conspicuity and safety. The current study seeks to determine the degree to which multitasking limits the conspicuity of a motorcycle within traffic. We expect our results will indicate main effects for distraction task, age, gender, motorcycle lighting conditions, and vehicular DRLs on one's ability to effectively detect a motorcycle. The results have implications for motorcycle safety in general and through this research, a better understanding of motorcycle conspicuity can be established so as to minimize the risk involved with motorcycle operation.     

Ergonomic evaluation of a situation of coexposure to solvents and noise in a printing of flexible packaging

The purpose of this paper is to present an ergonomic evaluation of a situation of co-exposure to solvents and noise in a flexible packaging printer. We discuss how such an approach carried out in the field of printing industry work has made it possible to highlight serious shortcomings in the effectiveness of the prevention actions that are supposed to protect workers from chemicals risks and noise. The ergonomic analysis identified a strain working conditions. Indeed, some jobs expose to noise and toxic risk. Lamination operations, winding and cutting are purveyors of noise. Some physical and spatial factors contribute to amplify the toxic risk. The not wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the operators maybe explained by the fact that it doesn't any possibility to do "otherwise". Indeed, operators adopt a compromise to achieve the objectives of production to the detriment of their health and safety. These constraints are causing gene and psychosocial factors. The interviews revealed a state of psychosis in the workshop, which was accentuated by the reclassification of an operator which has created a climate of panic and anxiety especially for older operators who have more than 20 years exposed to handling of toxic and more exposure to high noise level.     

福建绿色食品发展的现状与对策

阐述了绿色食品的内涵以及发展绿色食品的重大意义。在分析了福建省绿色食品的发展现状和存在问题的基础上 ,提出发展福建省绿色食品的对策 :(1)制定绿色食品发展规划 ,明确发展方向与重点 ;(2 )优化产业结构 ,扩大总量规模 ;(3 )制定优惠政策 ,增加资金投入 ;(4 )加强过程控制 ,实行“绿色管理”;(5 )开展科技攻关 ,增强发展后劲 ;(6)加大宣传力度 ,积极开拓市场     

青岛韩资非正常撤离的原因及对策分析

青岛是中国内地韩资企业最多的地区．被称为“韩国对华投资的缩影”。但从2007年下半年起．有关青岛韩资企业不告而别．甚至“夜半逃逸”的报道便屡见报端。企业的对外投资和撤资是全球化时代市场经济条件下的一种正常现象．但这些非正常撤离的韩资企业．遗留下员工欠薪和大笔债务等问题．造成了很坏的社会影响。加之韩资企业在青岛经济发展中的重要地位．韩资非正常撤离现象引起了中韩双方的广泛关注。韩国总统李明博于2008年5月访华期间．专程赶赴青岛给受到韩资非正常撤离现象影响的韩国侨民和企业家鼓劲打气．     

The Varieties of Religious Significance: An Idiographic Approach to Study Religion's Role in Adolescent Development

We present a rationale and method for taking an idiographic approach to study the role religion plays in adolescent development. We theorize that adolescents harness qualitatively different aspects of religion to address idiosyncratic developmental needs. Therefore, analyzing religion's role in adolescent development necessitates a case‐by‐case holistic analysis. We introduce a systematic method using narratives to identify the personal ways that individuals attribute meaning in general and regarding religion in particular. We present three detailed case studies from a sample of 20 religious Israeli Jewish Orthodox emerging‐adult women who provided retrospective narrative accounts of their general and religious development through adolescence. Systematic analysis reveals that religion was significant to these women in diverse and personal ways, addressing markedly different adolescent developmental needs.