An Experiment on the Social Facilitation of Gambling Behavior

Research and theory regarding the social facilitation effect generates the expectation that the presence of other gamblers (or co-actors) in a gaming venue is likely to intensify individual gambling behavior and magnify losses. Fifty male and 66 female participants (116 total) played a computer-simulated electronic gaming machine with a fixed winning sequence, followed by an indefinite losing sequence. Measures of the intensity of gambling behavior included the final payout (a direct measure of losses), average bet-size, number of trials played, and the speed of play. Some participants received false feedback from the computer designed to suggest that other gamers in adjacent rooms were playing and sometimes winning at the same game. Persons who received both sight and sound information, including winning bells and instant messages regarding the wins of other (fake) players, placed more bets and lost more money compared to the other conditions with less information.     

Bridging the divide in urban sustainability: from human exemptionalism to the new ecological paradigm

This paper reviews the main bodies of contemporary urban sustainability theory. From this analysis, two underpinning paradigms of urban sustainability are identified: (1) The ‘Human Exemptionalism Paradigm’ (HEP), which emphasizes the ability of humans to overcome environmental problems—see Urban Sociology, Urban Ecology, Urban Geography, Urban Psychology and Political Economy; and (2) The ‘New Ecological Paradigm’ (NEP), which emphasizes the criticality of ecological limits to human progress—see Urban Metabolism, Energy/Emergy Analysis and Ecological Footprinting. Each of these approaches is critically reviewed, highlighting their main assumptions, theoretical and practical foci. It is argued in the paper that if the related issues of urban sustainability and development are to be progressed, there needs to be: (1) a greater maturation of the NEP approaches, which are ‘relative newcomers’ to the area of urban theory; and (2) greater integration and dialogue between the HEP and NEP approaches to urban sustainability than has hitherto been the case.

Bridging the gap between social work practice and community based welfare agencies

This article argues that social work in the UK needs to renegotiate its relationship with community welfare agencies. It begins by examining what we mean by local community and how welfare needs reflect complex non-linear dynamics unique to the local circumstances. It is argued that these are not always recognised in centralised policy agendas. The article broadly draws a parallel between policy issues for the European Community and for the national state. The drive for both is towards uniformity, which potentially fails to acknowledge the unique circumstances at both the national level between nations and the local level between communities.

The focus of the analysis is the lack of engagement with the subtleties of the local within the arena of social work education and practice. With the opportunity presented by the introduction of a new social work degree in the UK, the authors describe how a social work programme in Liverpool undertook a piece of research with the aim of creating an appropriate place for community welfare agencies in practice placements, the academic curriculum and, ultimately, with the next generation of social work practitioners. Eight welfare agencies within the proximity of Liverpool University, an area known as Toxteth, agreed to participate in the research to investigate what kind of placement module would enable local welfare agencies to engage meaningfully in the social work degree. Out of this process emerged a model for research based curriculum development involving local community agencies and academic institutions. More specifically for Liverpool, it placed the notion of social work's relationship with local community welfare at the heart of professional development for qualifying social workers, paving the way in this region of England for closer links between welfare agencies associated with civil society and professional social workers.     

The development of social work education in Russia since 1995

This article presents the findings of a four-year survey on the development of social work education in Russia from 1995 to the present day. Through a series of questionnaires, interviews and discussions with Russian academics, practitioners and students, the study looks at a variety of issues including the high rate of attrition. It focuses on aspects of students’ practice placements such as the type, length and quality of practice placements, the students’ workload and the supervision provided. It also looks at the contribution that international collaboration has made to the development of social work education in Russia.

The survey concludes that there is a need to enhance the overall package for social workers and raise the status of the profession in order to retain qualified personnel. Longer practice placements which start in the first year and are adequately funded and supervised are seen as the key to retaining new graduates. It concludes that although international projects have made a difference to those participating at the time, it is difficult to disseminate these benefits beyond the immediate region. Now that international funding to Russia has been reduced it is critical that any remaining funding is accurately targeted and properly coordinated.     

清代广州十三行在中西交流中的历史地位

清代广州十三行是政府特许的外贸垄断组织。在广州一口通商时期,十三行成为中国走向世界的桥梁,世界透视中国的主要窗口,在中西交流中起着十分重要的作用。     

创新文化与写作的变革

文化是社会现实存在的反映。创新文化,是与时俱进的、反映社会现实存在的、满足社会需求的文化。写作是生产文化产品的行为过程,其变革,是向着创新文化的发展方向而同步运行的变革。写作变革运行的轨迹,应随着社会需求而转动;运行围绕的圆心,是创新文化。     

社会工作两极化趋势及专业定位的反思

社会工作专业从产生之初就产生了两极化的趋势,即萌生于慈善组织会社的注重提供个人服务的取向和产生于睦邻组织的注重环境的改造及建立共同利益的取向。Spetch和Courtney在《背叛的天使》一书中批判了社会工作者心理治疗化的现象,认为社会工作者是背叛的天使,远离了自己的服务对象,背叛了社会工作的使命。本文通过回顾社会工作两极化产生的历史,分析社会工作心理治疗化的原因及限制,同时通过回顾中国大陆社会工作产生的背景,反思社会工作专业化的定位。     

学术期刊商品论质疑

关于学术期刊属性的研究,编辑传播学界普遍存在着一个突出的问题,就是许多论者几乎不假思索地认为"学术期刊是商品".我们认为,这是一个很大的误区,这种认识在理论上是错误的,在实践上是有害的.首先,"学术期刊商品论"是自相矛盾的;其次,"学术期刊商品论"与马克思主义经济学原理是相悖的;再次,"学术期刊商品论"与普遍存在的事实是截然相反的.学术期刊和学术事业是一项创新的事业,对待学术和学术期刊事业应当像对待军队、警察机构一样,不能也不可能使其商品化,学术期刊应该走自己的健康发展之路.     

清季首任专差驻意大利公使许珏评介

近代意大利的国情与中国有不少相似之处.作为首任驻意大利公使,许珏表现出了"向西方寻找真理"的态度,他主持翻译了大量有关意大利资本主义社会经济发展状况的资料,不但为清政府的经济改革提供了借鉴,而且为意大利文化在中国的传播发挥了积极的作用.由于受其出使经历的影响,许珏保守的思想开始发生了某些变化,这种变化也反映了中国传统知识分子对外部世界认识的发展过程.     

英语教学中的文化渗透

英语国家社会文化和汉语文化存在着很大差异,在英语教学中,不但要教会学生英语语言本身,也要传授给学生英语语言中所承载的社会文化内涵,使学生学到真正地道的英语,从而真正达到文化交流的目的。