Pluralism and Universality of Environmental Discourse: The Dilemma Between Damage Caused by the Japanese Macaque and its Protection

Abstract:  The subject of this paper is to describe the complexity of relations between man and wild monkeys, which causes difficulties in forming a social consensus related to their conservation and management. To present how the relations are in everyday life, and how they are simplified in universal discursive spaces, interviews and a questionnaire survey have been conducted. As a result, it is clarified that there are three kinds of discursive spaces, that of politics, natural science, and residents. People who share the land with wild monkeys have various terms and stories about their relations with monkeys. The monkeys have various values in the discourse of residents, including many troubles. The existence of monkeys is vivid and close, and can be described as "accessible" nature. However, in discussion of politics or natural sciences, there is less diversity in monkeys' values. In these discursive spaces, monkeys are described simply in the framework of "distant" nature, and wild monkey issues are constructed as a "pest animal issue". The simplified protocol between accessible and distant nature makes the wild monkey issues simple. And the attitudes of residents are shown as controversial through the contradiction between simple-complex issues. In conclusion, this contradiction cannot be solved only by filling the gap between accessible and distant nature with social consensus, but also by connecting the two and enhancing the dynamism of society as a whole.     

关于高校校务公开的制度建设

全国高校推行校务公开工作已取得显著成效,但在实践过程中还存在一些问题,本文就进一步完善高校校务公开的制度建设,提出从提高认识,突出重点,与时俱进,强化监督等方面入手,进行思考和研究。     

全球化语境中的对话文化学的建立

文化是永远朝向自我认同而存在的人的现实生活。由全球化凸现出来的文化冲突反映了人面对异质性存在而产生的自我认同危机。中国传统文化与西方文化的差异不仅表现在内容上,而且表现在它们在当今人类文化格局中所处地位的不同上,即西方文化处于权力话语地位,而中国传统文化却岌岌可危。文化对话不仅是人类共建一种异中求“和”的世界文化新格局的正确途径,而且是中国文化健康发展的正确途径。在当代,建立对话的文化学已刻不容缓。建立对话的文化学不仅是一种普遍的对话范式在文化理论中的确立,而且要求我们在文化实践和社会实践中展开对权力话语的批判。     

亲属称谓“公”“私”考

“公”“私”是两个出现较早的亲属称谓。祖父、父亲、夫之父、夫之兄均可称“公”,这与公有制下年长男子在父系氏族内部所处的领导地位有关,他们拥有安排和处理公共事务的权力。“私”是女子对姊妹之夫的称呼,源于建立在生产力水平低下的普那路亚婚制,反映了姊妹共夫、女子与姊妹之夫存在着合法的性关系的事实。透过二者,可以揭示古代的社会制度和婚姻制度的实质。     

地方政府在公共管理制度创新中的角色定位

地方政府作为国家机构的重要组成部分,具有着中央政府所不可替代的作用,特别是在推动公共管理制度创新的过程中,地方政府充当着重要的角色。     

土地红利公共利益属性的现实基础与保障机制

中国土地红利是经济红利和政策红利共同缔造的特殊红利形式,彰显土地红利公共利益属性是社会公平正义的内在要求。从逻辑上分析,我国土地红利源于土地公有制基础上的一系列制度安排,城镇化和工业化、土地用途管制、土地区位优势、公共投资等因素共同推高了土地价格,奠定了土地红利公共利益属性的坚实基础。为维护土地红利的公共利益属性,国家一方面将其纳入公共财政范畴,以规范公共财政收支的方式实现土地收益“全民共享”,防止土地红利被少数人垄断。另一方面,通过完善相关制度,改进土地收益的税法体系,科学界定房地产开发相关税收的税基和税额;健全土地征收制度,确保征地的目的、程序、收益合法且符合公益;推进土地红利城乡间公平分配,协调公共利益与个人利益的关系,实现土地红利共享。     

What's wrong with sociology? Its public image

In response to editor Stephen Cole's question—"What's wrong with sociology?"—the answer is nothing that cannot be overcome by clearer communications and better public relations. The problem is that the field is not held in high esteem by college administrators, legislators, and the public. Many see us as rebels of the 1960s, political liberals, and impractical thinkers with a penchant for jargon. Even our research is derided by some as a waste of money. The solution consists of strategies for overcoming our poor public image. Seven strategies for doing so are discussed: (1) Write clearly. (2) Write for a mass audience. (3) Seek board positions. (4) Strengthen our identity. (5) Teach sociology in high school. (6) Develop academic partnerships. (7) Emphasize outcomes: increase in tolerance and research skills.     

Public Enterprise Reform in Fiji Islands

Reforming the public sector has been on the agenda of nations throughout the world since the late 1970s. Fiji is no exception. It has embarked on reforming its commercial and industrial enterprises since the late 1980s. The government of Fiji has reformed most of its enterprises with an avowed objective of enhancing profitability, productivity, efficiency and accountability. This paper makes an attempt to share some of the experiences of public enterprise reform process in Fiji. It aims to analyze the background, process, contents and impact of the reform and examine the factors impeding the reform program. It highlights that (a) both internal and external factors were responsible for introducing reforms; (b) the reform efforts have not been able to produce desired results; (c) the structural inadequacies in institutions and organizations have created bottlenecks in the reform process; and (d) uncertainty in the political sphere has contributed further to policy shifts.     

Making Sense of Organizations in Public Management: A Back-to-Basics Approach

This article addresses some basic facts and ideas about organizations as a way of concluding the symposium. It identifies different types of organizations in terms of their legal-structural characteristics, and considers aspects of their legal power, ownership, financing, staffing, and outsourcing. It ends with some suggestions for further related research on organizations.     

Forest Fire Risk Management and Public Participation in Changing Socioenvironmental Conditions: A Case Study in a Mediterranean Region

Under current conditions of accelerated socioenvironmental change in the Mediterranean forested landscapes, fire is one of the most critical and difficult risks to tackle within the region. This article summarizes the lessons learned from a project based on the participatory integration of qualitative local stakeholders' knowledge with expert GIS fire simulations carried out in the County of El Bages, Catalonia, Spain. First, in this article, a theoretical model--the forest fire circle--is presented in order to explain the reasons for the rise in the damage and frequency of forest fires in this Mediterranean area. Second, it describes the methodology developed and the stages followed during the project. Results show that: (1) the advocacy of old forest reactive management paradigm assumptions and practices based on uncontrolled forest succession can put vast wooded areas of the Mediterranean basin at critical risk; and (2) forest fire management approaches that ignore the crucial role of long-term prevention and local capacity building strategies have failed. In the final section, the content and the specific dimensions of the old reactive paradigm that has characterized forest fire risk management in Catalonia are discussed and contrasted with the possibly emerging preventative paradigm.