Causes and outcomes in studies of fear of childbirth: A systematic review

Problem

Fear of childbirth negatively affects women during pregnancy and after birth.

Resilient or Resigned? Criminal Victimisation and Quality of Life in South Africa

A victimisation study conducted among 3300 householders in South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM) in the Eastern Cape Province aimed to inform a crime prevention strategy for the metropolitan area. The study found that the variables ‘fear of crime’ – measured in terms of perceived likelihood of victimisation – and concern about ‘personal safety’ had greater negative influence on life satisfaction than actual victimisation. Individual crimes against the person had greater negative influence on subjective wellbeing and feelings of personal safety than property and other household crimes. Individuals who perceived themselves to be at risk of becoming a victim of crime also perceived greater risk of other misfortunes. However, materially better-off victims reported higher levels of life satisfaction than non-victims in spite of their crime experience. South Africa has high crime rates by international standards and fighting crime presents the country with one of its major challenges in the second decade of democracy. Nevertheless, findings suggest that the negative impact of crime issues on achieving the good life are overshadowed by issues of racial inequalities and poverty. The conclusion is drawn that residents of Nelson Mandela Metropole are hardy when it comes to living with crime but nonetheless suffer stress in doing so. From a methodological perspective, the discussion considers whether subjective crime issues such as fear of crime and personal safety should be regarded as personal or neighbourhood quality-of-life issues. Based on survey findings, the conclusion is drawn that concern for personal safety is both. However, a crime-as-neighbourhood-issue is more likely to attract remedial action on the part␣of␣local authorities to better protect citizens and allay their fears of crime.     

Sexual Orientation and Fear at Night: Gender Differences Among Sexual Minorities and Heterosexuals

Using data from the 2000–2010 General Social Survey, a nationally representative sample of 5,086 adults in the United States, the authors examine sexual orientation and gender differences in reports of being afraid to walk alone at night. Results indicate that sexual minorities are significantly more likely to report fear at night than heterosexuals, and women are significantly more likely to report such fear than men. Further, our findings suggest that these sexual orientation and gender differences are due to sexual minority men being more likely than heterosexual men to report fear at night. Thus, the results of this study reveal that three groups—heterosexual women, sexual minority women, and sexual minority men—do not differ from one another in reporting fear, yet these groups are all more likely than heterosexual men to report fear at night. These findings give weight to the importance of investigating the intersection of sexual orientation and gender in individuals’ reports of fear.     

商鞅预防犯罪的思想

法家学派的代表人物商鞅以消除社会犯罪现象为法治的目标,他以法律预防犯罪的思想系统、完整。在心理层面,强化人们对犯罪的畏惧感,消除犯罪脱刑的侥幸心理,建立法律公平感,培养人们对法律的心理亲和性和主动守法意识,利用功利心理诱导人们循法行事。在理性层面,普及和强化法律认知,达到人人“自断”。最终在行为层面,使社会成员皆能自律、自治,以至“天下无刑死”。商鞅尤其重视防范官吏犯罪,提出了一些独到、深刻的见解和卓有成效的措施。商鞅预防犯罪的思想也存在着明显的缺失。     

健讼与惧讼：清代州县司法的一个悖论解释

以州县自理案件为视角来讨论清代诉讼文化是一个很好的进路。通过考察清代州县自理案件的参与者（诉讼两方、作为诉讼帮助人的讼师和司法官员）的诉讼心态和策略选择,可以发现州县自理案件参与者的心态和行为存在一种＂健讼＂和＂惧讼＂的悖论式决策博弈过程,这是构成清代健讼风气乃至司法文化的关键。     

从自然恐惧到人造恐惧再到超越恐惧——论恐惧的政治哲学

现代生活正日益卷入恐惧与权力的恶性循环之中,究其根源则在于这样一个悖论：权力削弱恐惧,但权力也依赖恐惧,而且权力更制造恐惧。通过政治和宗教的方法解决恐惧问题,其本质就是利用人造恐惧来取代自然恐惧,其结果只能是权力本身成为恐惧的最终来源。古典政治哲学充分认识到政治和宗教的本性及局限性,认为只有通过个人内在的灵魂改造才有可能真正战胜恐惧,而这意味着超越政治生活进入哲学生活的层面。     

Introducing Fear of Crime to Risk Research

This article introduces the fear of crime to risk research, noting a number of areas for future interdisciplinary study. First, the article analyzes both the career of the concept of fear of crime and the politics of fear. Second, it considers research and theory on the psychology of risk, particularly the interplay between emotion and cognition, and what might be called the risk as image perspective. Third, the article speculates how people learn about risk and suggests how to customize a social amplification of risk framework to fear of crime. Finally, the article advances the argument that fear of crime may be an individual response to community social order and a generalized attitude toward the moral trajectory of society. Each of these areas of discussion has implications for future theoretical developments within risk research; each highlights how risk research can contribute to the social scientific understanding of an important issue of the day.     

残雪与卡夫卡小说中“畏”的主题比较

畏是一种复杂的精神状态,是意识到自我存在的必然阶段。残雪卡夫卡的作品,所体现出的畏的状态,实质是一种恐惧。只是,卡夫卡的作品是对环境的一种恐惧,而残雪,则过多地表现出对精神的一种恐惧。     

Constructing Threat and Appropriating “Civil Rights”: Rhetorical Strategies of Gun Rights and English Only Leaders

Using a grounded theory method, we analyze the framing strategies of organizational leaders of the gun rights and English Only movements. Although we find greater variability in the framing strategies of English Only leaders, leaders of both movements mobilize fear by rhetorically constructing moral threats to American society in ways that draw on, and uphold, the ideals and practices of dominant social groups. In doing so, they appeal to their constituents' status anxieties. We also find that these movements engage in a particular form of frame transformation that we call “frame appropriation” to counter opponents' claims and broaden their support. Future research should examine when and how, and to what effect, other social movements similarly mobilize fear and engage in frame appropriation.     

谎言世界：人性叙事的深刻与困境——读鲁敏的小说《惹尘埃》

魯敏是一位敏锐和深刻的作家,具有对世界的整体概括想象能力。《惹尘埃》继续她对现实的敏锐和深刻,为我们揭示出我们身体感知到的一个谎言世界,并且把这个世界背后的政治、历史、文化、制度等因素呈现出来。＂同情性理解＂是作品的叙事风格,这种叙事把人性叙事的深刻展现的淋漓尽致,但同时也暴露出作家人性叙事的困境。这也是当下作家共存的问题,所以如何突破对底层的＂同情性理解＂的人性叙事困境,就成为魯敏也是当下作家共有的课题。