Institutional evolution and abrupt change: Reforming the administration of social assistance in Finland

Historical institutionalist studies have explained institutional change as resulting from critical junctures that interrupt long periods of stability or from endogenous, incremental evolution. Building on these theories, discursive institutionalists have focused on the roles of agency, ideas and discourse as explainers of change. Combining these approaches, this article analyses Finland’s decision in 2014 to transfer the administration of basic social assistance from municipalities to the central government. This study demonstrates that institutional change can be both abrupt and evolutionary. Due to sudden, exceptional political circumstances, the decision in question was made quickly and under pressure, circumventing possible veto players. However, it was possible only because of the incremental, endogenous change that had occurred in the way in which social assistance was administered at the municipal level. It enabled a change in political discourse, which eroded the credibility of the ideational frames that policy actors had previously utilised to reject the centralised model.     

“Who generates this city”? Socialist strategy in contemporary London

This essay, based on a “militant ethnography” of the attempts of the small radical grassroots activist group, Our London (a pseudonym), to mobilize a collective oppositional politics through activities around an election campaign, engages critically with E. Laclau and C. Mouffe's arguments on discourse and collectivity in Hegemony and Socialist Strategy (London: Verso, 1985). I argue, on the basis of my findings, that while their model does provide insights that help describe the process of building collectivity from among disparate perspectives and identities, we need to go beyond a focus on discourse alone and consider the ways politics is shaped by material contexts. This is necessary if we are to understand the continued appeal of class politics as well as the difficulties in mobilizing collectivity in highly unequal and fragmented cities. From an activist perspective, the essay also highlights how developing a conception of collective interests and a critique of overarching systems of exploitation can be important in building political unity.     

《1844年经济学哲学手稿》与《神圣家族》中的生活思想

《1844年经济学哲学手稿》和《神圣家族》都是马克思主义创始人早期思想的代表性著作，二者都把“生活”作为重要概念进行论述。从作为经济学哲学概念到作为社会批判概念，马克思主义创始人对“生活”的认识经历了从对物质生产活动的重视到对无产阶级普遍贫困生活的揭露，从分析“生产生活”的异化到对“非人性”生活的批判，从“生活的手段”到消灭“非人性的生活条件”的思想历程。人类的历史是人类生活发展的历史。解决人的美好生活如何实现的问题，在马克思恩格斯的生活思想中居于核心地位，这对当今中国具有重要的理论指导价值。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，从开启一种全新文明的生活形态的高度来理解新时代的美好生活，才能准确把握我国社会主要矛盾变化的深刻意义。     

Linguists and other animals

Book reviewed in this article:
Joan Dunayer, Animal Equality: Language and Liberation     

JOURNAL OF UNIVERSITY OF SHANGHAI FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2002 Vol.24 No.1～4 Total Contents

在学习英语时,中西文化背景的差异,往往会给我们的阅读带来很大的困难。本文拟从词汇的文化内涵、历史典故和西方现代历史文化等三个方面来论述中西文化差异对篇章阅读的影响。     

论后印刷时代话语中图像与文字的关系

当代图像与文字的关系体现为“超媒体”和“互动电视网络系统”两种形式。传统符号学以语言为本体论基础来处理两者之间的关系在认识论上是误导，符号的本质也被还原为符号现象。图像与文字，由于各自的不同“给予”，具有不同的认识论要求。认知的中介本质、符号的非中立性以及符号体系必须拥有的三大元功能不仅为区别图像与文字奠定了认识论基础，而且也为探讨它们之间的关系提供了可能性，同时，更是理解虚拟现实的有效途径。     

书写的欲望——论20世纪中国女性文化与女性话语权力

本文在 2 0世纪的文学背景下 ,系统梳理了女性文学发展的脉络 ,指出女性书写是一个男性无法进入而又实际存在的生命空间 ,这一世界相对于男性是“盲区”,女性写作便在这“盲区”中生长、发展 ,形成潮流 ,目的是颠覆男权文化的霸权地位 ,为自己争取话语权力     

阅读与语篇理解的相关理论分析

阅读是外语教学和学习中的重要环节。阅读不仅是读者知识积累和经验积淀的反映,而且可以构架起作者和读者之间沟通的桥梁。掌握了语篇生成的理论基础和技巧,读者就能在阅读中驾轻就熟地理解作者的意图和观点,从而达到理解语篇的目的。     

全球化语境与文学的民族性

全球化与文学的民族性 ,从根本上说是一个历史问题在当前新的历史语境下的重新言说。它既表现出作为历史问题的滥觞所提供和积累的经验性意义 ,又由于历史境遇的深刻变化而必然呈示出“新质” ,并由此构成对世界现实秩序的挑战。我们既要坚持以“国家和民族”的范式参与“世界文学”的对话 ,又应积极地把握“全球化”态势以激活民族的文学