The perfect storm? How to explain the rise of intergovernmental conflicts in Spain? (1984–2014)

As in other federal-like countries, intergovernmental relations in Spain are characterised by a series of conflicts between central and regional governments. But, which factors explain this dynamic of contention? This investigation operationalises intergovernmental conflicts through a specific dataset constituted by the volume of contestations between regional and central executives (and vice versa) in Spain before the Constitutional Court. This research demonstrates that from 1984 to 2014 the periods of absolute majority at the Congress and the victory of peripheral nationalist parties at the head of autonomous communities increased the level of intergovernmental contestations.     

Gray divorce: Explaining midlife marital splits

Recent research suggests that one out of every four divorces in the United States is now “gray,” meaning that at least one half of the couple has reached the age of 50 when the marriage breaks down. To understand why this age group—the Baby Boomer generation—is splitting up, this study conducted 40 in-depth, semistructured interviews with men and 40 with women who have experienced a gray divorce in their lifetimes. Respondents’ beliefs in an expressive individualistic model of marriage, where partnerships are only valuable if they help individuals achieve personal growth, were compared against their potential adherence to what I call a commitment-based model of marriage, where binding, romantic love holds couples together unless there is severe relationship strain. The results demonstrated that the commitment-based model most strongly governs marriage and the decision to divorce among Baby Boomers for both sexes, although some specific reasons for divorce differ for men and women.     

论世界多样性的历史归向和国际关系民主化的出路

当今的世界日益呈现出多样性的特点,而世界多样性的演变表现在国际关系上,必然历史地归向于民主化的前途,这是世界发展的大势。因此,为了实现国际关系民主化,其出路在于必须以主权平等为基础、以反对霸权主义和强权政治为动力、以建立求同存异和共同发展的运行机制为杠杆、以建立国际新秩序为目标。世界发展的事实已经证明,只有进行这样的路径选择,才能真正实现国际关系的民主化。     

论系列合同中的第三人权利

系列合同是围绕着一个中心事件而在不同当事人之间缔结多份合同的现象。按合同相对性原则,合同效力不及于第三人,因此第三人不能针对违约当事人请求救济。然而出于社会正义和司法效率的考量,在系列合同中,赋予受损害的第三人以合同上权利,直接寻求针对违约当事人的权利救济是有正当理由的。实践中,系列合同呈现辐射式和链式两种不同的形态,第三人在不同形态的系列合同中获得救济的条件和方式也有所差异。     

Widening the gap: White ignorance,race relations and the consequences for Aboriginal people in Australia

White ignorance has a critical impact on race relations and is implicated in the maintenance of Aboriginal disadvantage. Addressing this ignorance is a largely overlooked capacity-building opportunity within Australia's non-Aboriginal population. It warrants consideration as a key component of strategies targeting Aboriginal disadvantage. Despite the established links between race relations and Aboriginal well-being, Aboriginal perspectives on non-Aboriginal people rarely feature in public discourse on “Aboriginal problems.” This paper draws on data from 180 in-depth interviews with 44 Aboriginal people in Darwin on the topic of White Australian people, culture and race relations. It reports Aboriginal perceptions of White Australian ignorance across areas of great symbolic and practical significance to Aboriginal people's lives. Their experience is that most White Australians are ignorant of the history of colonisation and the complexities of its aftermath. They are ignorant of Aboriginal law, cultures and languages, and of the extent of their own ignorance. The call to address White ignorance subverts assumptions about whose ignorance and capacity must be dealt with in order to progress national goals of reconciliation, address Aboriginal disadvantage and achieve justice and equality for Aboriginal people.     

倾诉与咏叹——王安忆的女性世界

王安忆通过描述女性在欲望、情感等方面追求主导性地位的努力,从而想要获得与男性平等和谐的地位及关系,却最终走向了失败,陷入了孤独。本文通过对王安忆小说中女性形象的解读与分析,欲探寻从开始的抗争到最终的认同,作者展现的对女性生存现实意义的深刻思考以及理想与追求。     

新时期贯彻落实《民族区域自治法》的几点思考——纪念《民族区域自治法》颁布实施25周年

<民族区域自治法>作为宪法关于民族区域自治的原则规定与精神实质的具体化,集中体现了中国共产党的民族政策,反映了各族人民的共同意志,有力保证了民族区域自治制度的实施.作者认为:在全面建设小康社会的今天,贯彻落实<民族区域自治法>必须体现时代特征,把少数民族和民族地区发展作为第一要务;明确立法重点,进一步完善<民族区域自治法>的配套法律法规;解决突出问题,确保维护民族团结和社会稳定大局.     

From Separate Corners to Dialogue and Action

How can higher education programs engage students in building a shared commons to address inequalities and foster commitment to intergroup collaboration? Intergroup dialogue is one such possibility to provide forums for meaningful engagement among students from diverse backgrounds. Findings from field experiments at nine colleges and universities show that students in intergroup dialogues increased significantly more than counterparts in control groups and social science comparison groups in their critiques of inequality and their commitments to post-college action to redress inequalities. Further, students in intergroup dialogues rated the frequency of the core communication processes more highly than the social science comparison students. The communication processes help account for the greater increase in students’ critiques of inequality and commitment to post-college actions.     

伊莎贝拉的困境——《一报还一报》中的性别对立

从女性主义角度出发,分析了莎剧《一报还一报》中女主角伊莎贝拉所处的困境,指出剧中存在着显性与隐性两个层面的性别对立,女性在其中都处于弱势地位。伊莎贝拉在与安哲罗的斗争中表现出的智慧勇敢在公爵面前便黯然失色,这现实地反映了男权社会中的妇女地位。     

From social protection to vulnerability: Argentina's neo‐liberal reforms of the 1990s

This article examines the neo‐liberal reforms introduced in Argentina in the 1990s, focusing on labour policies and their consequences for labour market dynamics and the welfare of households. To put this period in historical context, the authors first provide a brief summary of the strategies applied both during the preceding import‐substitution phase and in the aftermath of the political, economic and social crisis of 2001–02. The latter, in effect, served as the tipping point for the emergence of a new set of social and economic policies aimed at promoting social cohesion and inclusion through employment.