学做服务工：中国都市青年、职业学校和新阶层的形成

中国职业学校学生的命运究竟如何？本文根据南京市两所职业学校为期一年（2007-2008年）的民族志研究,借由韦伯的分析路径,描述了职业学校学生学习生活以及最终由半技术工人进入新型服务经济领域的过程。研究表明,在今天的中国城市中,职业学校是一个产生新社会阶层的优选场所。首先,职业学校从结构和意识层面上生产一个独立的年轻人阶层群体;其次,职业学校打造的相似学生背景和共同生活空间有助于催生一种新的社会阶层和文化;再次,职业学校构建的新文化积极作用于学生的选择和生活方式,促使他们流向服务行业,成为半技术工人。总之,职业学校学生正处于一个新社会阶层初级阶段：共享着相似的生活方式、生活机遇、市场地位和有限的社会流动。     

ECONOMIC RATIONALISM VERSUS THE COMMUNITY: REFLECTIONS ON SOCIAL DEMOCRACY AND STATE CAPACITY

In the context of calls for a ‘third way’ which proposes the abandonment of many of the social democratic and statist commitments of the postwar era, this paper reviews both the responsibilities accepted by peak bodies such as ACOSS and those that ought to be retained by government. It is sceptical of claims that social policy debates in Australia lead to the conclusion that welfare state development here has been satisfactory. Social democratic objectives (derived from intellectual contributions in the 1940s and 1950s as well as from the comparative political economy of the 1980s and 1990s) emphasize more decommodified provision of services than can be readily admitted in Australia. If the demand for social welfare and social policy continues to increase to the extent suggested by past and present circumstances, serious implications emerge for both public and private providers.     

写作教学与创造性思维的培养

分析写作和创造性思维的相互促进的关系，结合实际探讨怎样通过写作教学提高学生的写作能力和思维创新能力。     

EXPLODING THE MYTH: DO ALL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CONTRIBUTE TO SUPERIOR QUALITY PERFORMANCE?

In his landmark article on total quality management, Powell (1995) lamented the lack of large scale studies investigating quality management practices and performance. This study begins to fill that void using a large, random sample of manufacturing sites. The results show that quality practices can be categorized into nine dimensions. However, not all of them contribute to superior quality outcomes. “Employee commitment,” “shared vision,” and “customer focus” combine to yield a positive correlation with quality outcomes. Conversely, other “hard” quality practices, such as “benchmarking,” “cellular work teams,” “advanced manufacturing technologies,” and “close supplier relations” do not contribute to superior quality outcomes.     

Feeling at Risk Matters: Water Managers and the Decision to Use Forecasts

Experts contend that weather and climate forecasts could have an important role in risk management strategies for community water systems. Yet, most water managers make minimal use of these forecasts. This research explores the determinants of the use of weather and climate forecasts by surveying managers of community water systems in two eastern American states (South Carolina and the Susquehanna River Basin of Pennsylvania). Assessments of the reliability of weather and climate forecasts are not driving their use as water managers who find forecasts reliable are no more likely to use them than are managers who find them unreliable. Although larger systems and those depending on surface water are more likely to use forecasts for some (but not all) purposes, the strongest determinant of forecast use is risk perceptions. Water managers who expect to face problems from weather events in the next decade are much more likely to use forecasts than are water managers who expect few problems. Their expectations of future problems are closely linked with past experience: water managers who have had problems with specific types of weather events (e.g., flood emergencies) in the last 5 years are likely to expect to experience problems in the next decade. Feeling at risk, regardless of the specific source of that weather-related risk, stimulates a decision to use weather and climate forecasts.     

Book Review: Building Civil Society: Current Initiatives in Voluntary Action,by Barry Knight,Matthew Smerdon,and Cathy Pharoah (eds.). Charities Aid Foundation,Kent, England, 1998

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations -