Developing ethical approaches to data and civil society: from availability to accessibility

This research note reflects on the gaps and limitations confronting the development of ethical principles regarding the accessibility of large-scale data for civil society organizations (CSOs). Drawing upon a systematic scoping study on the use of data in the United Kingdom (UK) civil society, it finds that there are twin needs to conceptualize accessibility as more than mere availability of data, as well as examine the use of data among CSOs more generally. In order to deal with the apparent “digital divide” in UK civil society – where, despite extensive government rhetoric about data openness, organizations face not only the barriers of limited time, funds, and expertise to harness data but also the lack of representation within existing data – we present a working model in which ethical concerns accompanying data utilization by civil society may be better accounted. This suggests there is a need for further research into the nexus of civil society and data upon which interdisciplinary discussion about the ethical dimensions of engagement with data, particularly informed by insight from the social sciences, can be predicated.     

太平天国期间女性法律地位确立的初步实践

太平天国领导的农民阶级从朴素的平等思想出发,提出了男女平等的初步主张,并制定颁布了一系列提高妇女地位的法律.第一次在法律制度上将女性置于男女平等的历史平台上,对几千年来中国女性的社会地位及生存状态提出了挑战.但由于农民阶级的局限性和几千年来封建思想的影响,它不可能从根本上改变妇女的地位,太平天国事实上也没有真正实现男女平等.     

虢国车马坑葬初探

三门峡上村岭虢国墓地车马坑是迄今为止发现的西周春秋时期规模较大、等级齐全、排列有序的贵族墓祔葬车马坑。虢国车马坑葬继承和沿用商周车马殉葬制，又适应和迎合社会进步及变革需要，对车马坑的殉葬内容和形式进行变通与革新，摒弃车葬坑和同穴葬，整车葬成为主流形式，并盛行车马葬和异穴葬，车马排列有序，殉葬性质更加明确，是象征性、明器化殉葬的滥觞，殉人制消失，显示出传统车马坑葬制开始出现瓦解的苗头。大量车马坑葬在虢国墓地出现，反映了虢国生产力发展水平和崇勇尚武世风，更反映了车马坑主人的身份等级，它与列鼎制紧密配合，形成了一个不可分割的整体。     

太平天国乡官的任用标准与社会功效

对太平天国乡官制度的研究,传统的阶级分析论观点过分拘泥在乡官的阶级成分上,并以此为基础判定政权的性质。其实,以历史当事人的视角去认识当时的政策,是一种更客观的研究角度。太平天国任用乡官的标准,是建立在太平天国地方行政的政治需要之上的。出于以征收粮赋为重点的传统地方行政的需要,太平天国着意与精通传统行政事务的地方名流合作。从社会功效角度来看,太平天国当局通过发挥地方人士的行政优势,很好地弥补了自身行政经验的不足,成功影响了地方政治,并有效缓冲了自身对农村社会的冲击。     

Acceptance of homosexuality through education? Investigating the role of education,family background and individual characteristics in the United Kingdom

Higher educated people tend to be more accepting of homosexuality than lower educated people. This has inspired claims that education leads to a higher acceptance of homosexuality. Alternatively, the association between education and acceptance of homosexuality could be confounded by (un)observed family background and stable individual characteristics. This study investigated the association between education and acceptance of homosexuality and the role of potential confounders in a unique longitudinal sample of British siblings. Multilevel and fixed effects analyses show that both perspectives apply. A large part of the association between education and acceptance of homosexuality could be attributed to family background and observed individual characteristics (one third), as well as unobserved individual characteristics (an additional third), but the positive association remains. Findings are discussed in light of existing explanations regarding the effect of education on the acceptance of homosexuality.     

《泰王国民商法典》制定的历史背景

《泰王国民商法典》是在近代泰国法制改革的大背景下产生的，有着复杂的社会历史背景。曼谷王朝拉玛四世以前，泰国历经素可泰王朝、大城王朝和曼谷王朝的一部分，朝代更迭，历时漫长但在法制上却保持了相对稳定。1851年，曼谷王朝四世王拉玛四世（1851-1868）登基，拉开了泰国近代史的序幕。1852年1月，英国在第二次英缅战争之后，占领了缅甸，并觊觎泰国。1855年，英国派其驻香港的总督鲍林率使团到泰国与拉玛四世谈判，威逼泰国于1855年4月18日签订了《英暹条约》（史称《鲍林条约》）。这一个不平等条约彻底打开了泰国闭关自守的大门，欧洲列强以该条约为蓝本，威逼泰国签订了类似条约。泰国自此成为一个半殖民地国家，其法制也逐步西化，泰国的法制也这一时期完成了从古代法制向现代法制的转型。事实上，泰国法制现代化的过程，就是一个从理论到制度逐步西化的过程。《泰王国民商法典》就是在这样一个大的背景下产生的。     

Exporting stimulus and “shared prosperity”: Reinventing foreign aid for a retroliberal era

The global aid world has changed, partly in response to the reconfigurations of geopolitical power and to the global financial crisis (GFC). Paradoxically, in the face of recession in most northern economies, collectively foreign aid contributions have not fallen. However there has been a qualitative shift in its narrative and nature. This new regime—which we term retroliberalism—projects the concept of “shared prosperity,” but constitutes a return to explicit self‐interest designed to bolster private sector trade and investment. Drawing evidence from New Zealand and the United Kingdom, we argue that aid programmes are increasingly functioning as “exported stimulus” packages.     

太平天国女性政治意识分析

太平天国为了革命斗争的需要,制定和实施了一系列女性政治制度,动员和吸引大批妇女参与政治斗争,涌现了一大批政治角色明朗的女性。这些女性在太平天国男女平等口号感召下政治意识开始觉醒,但在男权政治体系中,她们参与公共领域的政治意识被动而又朦胧。为此,太平天国女性的政治意识就具有了革命性与被动性相互交织的特征。     

英国扩大留学生规模背景下的质量问题及反思

20世纪80年代以来,英国政府将扩大留学生规模作为高等教育国际化发展的重要战略政策。通过对近20年来英国留学生人数、留学生入学标准、优质学位授予比例、生师比、教育生均经费等数据变化趋势的分析,提出在这一经济利益驱动留学生规模扩张的过程中,英国留学生质量要求和标准正在放宽。如何使学生增长速度与优质资源生长速度相匹配、如何在获取短期经济效益的同时寻求高等教育长期可持续性发展的途径,是需要思考和解决的问题。     

先秦汉魏亲情诗初探

作为中国古代亲情诗的源头,《诗经》在主题意境、典故语汇、表现方式等方面对后世亲情诗产生了深远影响。汉魏时期的亲情诗,无论在数量上还是质量上,都达到了很高的水平,先秦已具雏形的思妇诗、闺怨诗、悼亡诗,在这一时期也确立了各自的类型特点以及在诗歌史上的地位。在表现手法和技巧方面,汉魏亲情诗学习了《诗经》复沓迭章、比兴等手法和《楚辞》的寄托方式,写景托情,情景交融,很好地表现了主题和感情。可以说,经过汉魏时期,亲情诗在表现人伦亲情方面已经具备了自己的特点,形成了较为多样的风格和题材(主题),成为独立的诗歌类型,从而迎来了是中国亲情诗发展史上的第一个高峰期。