VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION AFFILIATION AND NATIONAL DIVERSITY*

Par nature, les associations volontaires sont des intermédiaires qui établissent les liens nécessaires entre les institutions de la société. Plus une société est hétérogene, plus elle requiert d'associations qui peuvent représenter les divers intérêts et, à la fois, empêcher ces divers intérêts de mener à une désorganisation individuelle et sociale. L'analyse de données de cinq nations révèle une correspondance entre la diversité nationale et l'affiliation à des associations volontaires. Cette correspondance est vue comme fournissant un support partiel à la thèse avancée. It is argued that voluntary associations are interstitial in character, providing needed linkages between society's institutions. More heterogeneous societies require greater numbers of associations to represent divergent interests and at the same time to prevent these varied interests from leading to personal and social disorganization. Analysis of data from five nations shows a correspondence between national diversity and voluntary organization affiliation. The correspondence is interpreted as partial support for the thesis advanced.     

The blessings and burdens of communication: cell phones in Jamaican transnational social fields

Abstract Although much mention has been made of the importance of ICTs for transnational migrants, we know relatively little about how these technologies affect or change everyday transnational communications. Tracing the shift from community phone boxes to individually owned mobile (cell) phones in rural Jamaica, in this article I focus on the integration of mobile phones in Jamaican transnational communication. Equipped with a mobile phone, rural Jamaicans no longer rely on collect phone calls and expensive calling cards to initiate the connections between their friends and relatives living abroad. For many Jamaicans without access to a regular or reliable phone service prior to 2001, the mobile phone is viewed as an unadulterated blessing, transforming the role of transnational communication from an intermittent event to a part of daily life. For others, however, the mobile phone remains an object of ambivalence, bringing unforeseen burdens and obligations.     

蒙古尔部族的组织(续二)

本文对蒙古尔部族的组成、形成和发展作了介绍,其中对族长、土司的特点和承继作了详尽的描述。     

Clinical psychology and child sexual abuse after Cleveland

SUMMARY. This paper details some of the unresolved issues for clinical psychologists following the Cleveland crisis and Inquiry. The author argues that psychological expertise can he employed in both the investigative and treatment stages, and in the general evaluation oj the child, particularly henefitting children who present without an initial disclosure, where specialist interviewing techniques can clarify what may have happened. The clinical approach should be developed to meet evidential requirements, useful to both court and child. ‘This requires subjecting their work to scrutiny and crossing professional boundaries to help sexually abused children who may represent a hitherto unrecognised but significant proportion of psychologists’ caseloads     

Migration,development and inequality: Eastern Punjabi transnationalism

Abstract Drawing on original, ethnographic research in India and the UK, in this article we discuss the impact of transnational activity on the Doaba region of East Punjab, India. We argue that some recent studies have underplayed some of the less progressive consequences of Indian transnationalism. In particular, we contend that they have underestimated the extent of division between transnational migrants and Indian non‐migrants and downplayed the relationship between transnationalism and caste inequality. This empirical study of transnationalism, when placed in the context of the dynamic caste relations of East Punjab, supports those who contend that access to international migration is becoming an increasingly significant component of contemporary global social stratification, with the ‘broad’ transnational processes of capitalist globalization driving the ‘narrow’ transnationalism studied here. In this article, we question any straightforwardly progressive relationship between transnationalism and ‘development’ within East Punjab, and suggest that the arguments presented have a resonance beyond northwest India.     

Abstinence-Only: Are You Not Working the Program or Is the Program Not Working for You?

Low retention rates are common in substance use treatment programs. The dominant model of service delivery in the United States is abstinence-only, a high-threshold service delivery model requiring abstinence. What “doesn’t work” for the client—from the client point of view—is an overlooked source of insight about client engagement and disengagement. We report client counter-narratives about the choice to disengage from abstinence-based services, shifting from a story of “dropouts” to one of self-respect. Understanding why clients choose to disengage from treatment can help us as practitioners to “meet clients where they are” and enhance engagement in substance abuse treatment.     

Return to Cyberia: technology and the social worlds of transnational migrants

Abstract This special issue on ‘Return to Cyberia’ is an attempt to evaluate the contemporary moment of new cultural and social forms influenced by rapidly evolving technologies in their first critical decade. It contains five case studies that highlight the range of transnational experiences ‐ from temporary migrants and refugees to the second generation. The contributors address how and why transnational populations use particular communication technologies and the ways in which these practices are influenced by factors such as generation, history of settlement and dispersal, cultural values, class and access. In addition to addressing a wide variety of study populations, the case studies highlight the variety of available ICTs including email and the Internet, teleconferencing, telephones and mobile phones. Collectively, the articles address issues such as geographic identity and connectivity, different use patterns based on gender and generation, authenticity and representation on the Internet, methodology and the intricacies of interpersonal dynamics across transnational social fields.     

Parenting with Learning Difficulties: Lessons for Practitioners

Correspondence to Dr Tim Booth, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN. Summary Parents with learning difficulties form an underserved needsgroup whose numbers are steadily increasing and are likely tocontinue to do so as a result of deinstitutionalization, communitycare and the acceptance of ‘ordinary life’ principlesas a basis for service provision. This article reviews the researchliterature on parenting by people with learning difficultiesin order to draw out the lessons for practitioners and to assistthem in developing a clearer view of their aims and approachwhen working with these families. Case vignettes from an ongoingstudy of mothers and fathers with learning difficulties areused to illustrate the common themes. The authors conclude thatservice providers still have much to learn about how best theycan secure and uphold the citizenship rights of these parentsas well as protect the welfare of their children.