Changing Frameworks in Attitudes Toward Abortion

For more than two decades, legal abortion has been the subject of heated political debate and adversarial social movement activity; however, national polls have shown little change in aggregate levels of support for abortion. This analysis examines how the determinants of abortion attitudes have changed between 1977 and 1996, using data from the General Social Surveys. While in early time periods, whites were more approving of abortion than blacks, that pattern had reversed by the late 1980s. After controlling for other factors, older people are more accepting of abortion throughout the two decades, while gender is generally unrelated to abortion views. Catholic religion weakens slightly as a predictor of abortion attitudes, while religious fundamentalism and political liberalism increase in explanatory power. The associations between attitudinal correlates and abortion approval also change over this time period. Religiosity becomes a less powerful predictor of abortion attitudes, while respondents' attitude toward sexual freedom and belief in the sanctity of human life increase in their predictive power. Support for gender inequality remains a weak but stable predictor of abortion attitudes. This pattern of results suggests that the public is influenced more by the pro-life framework of viewing abortion than by the pro-choice perspective.     

The University: An Agent of Social Change?

Can universities be agents of progressive social change? How would we know if a university was acting as an agent of social change? Drawing on four case studies, I raise a number of questions to problematize our understanding of the university as an agent of social change. I outline a number of contributing factors that appear to explain successful cases. I conclude by arguing the relevancy of these cases for larger, and more traditional, sociological projects.     

Challenges to Connecting Sociology and Service Learning

Service-learning programs are not free from challenges brought about by lack of financial support, lack of widespread commitment from professors, community agencies, and recipients of service, and lack of knowledge and insight in students directly involved in such programs. While service-learning initiatives and programs serve positive functions for organizations and individuals, rhetorical accolades for service learning can distort or omit the realities of program implementation and sustained delivery. This paper specifically explores the following challenges connected to service-learning programs: (1) pedagogical difficulties; (2) student limitations; (3) time constraints; and (4) community cooperation.     

论新闻报道策划的实践意义

新闻报道策划 在近几年的新闻实践中应用非常广泛。就报道主题、整合信息、沟通受众和发挥媒体整体优 势等方面论述了新闻报道策划的实践意义。     

对车险改革后保险营销的浅析

在车辆保险条款费率改革之后的车险市场上,现实状况却与预计效果相差甚远。其主要原因是,对保险营销战略的忽视,没有以相应的保险营销战略为指导,使得营销战术在操作过程中显得盲目而跟从。针对以上问题,我们首先要做的是树立正确的保险营销观念,即重新审视营销战略在车辆保险中的作用,并在此基础上建立广义的产品观念;同时注重服务在车险营销中的作用;有效地进行市场细分和市场选择;最后对车险营销战略的具体实施即营销战术提出建议。     

高校公用房管理改革探析

高校公用房管理不仅是实物分配的管理,更是有价值资产的管理。通过理顺管理体制和完善管理机制,进行科学调配等手段,用“定额配置、有偿使用”这个经济杠杆来调节资源供求平衡,运用市场经济模式进行公用房管理,以提高公用房的优化配置和管理使用效益。     

商业银行个人金融服务的国际比较

目前,我国商业银行以代发工资、代收费等业务为突破口,已开发了近40个品种的个人金融服务业务。谁能提供更快捷、方便的金融服务,谁就会拥有更多的客户。进一步的对外开放,个人金融服务的巨大市场是中外银行竞争的焦点。个人金融服务市场从以往简单地通过银行储蓄存款获得利息并保障安全,已跳跃到支付结算、外汇买卖、临时透支、贷款融资、经营投资和综合理财等全方位、多层次的服务。这些对国内各家商业银行拓展个人金融服务提出了巨大的机遇和挑战。     

对市场经济条件下教育产业的审视

由于对教育产业的内涵与外延缺乏清晰的界定,使得我们在市场经济条件下对其产生了诸多认识上的误区和适用上的混乱。教育产业的规定性是由其产品——教育服务的性质和生产过程的特征决定的,市场经济只不过是教育产业由幼稚走向成熟和强盛的一种有效的经济运行方式,二者之间是过程和手段、内容和形式的关系。     

听证在公共政策选择中的作用

听证是现代公共决策的重要程序,对于促进和实现公共决策科学化、民主化和法制化具有重要意义.在政策选择中引入听证程序不仅可以有效抑制和防止政府自利性,解决政策制定中的信息不对称问题,而且可以广纳民意、争取民心,增强政策选择的合法性和有效性.     

实现公有制与市场经济有效结合的四大层次

因所有制关系是生产关系的总和,所有制必须实现在社会生产再生产的过程之中,因此,我们必须从四大层次实现公有制与市场经济的有效结合。一是所有制结构层次。保持公有制主体地位是保证社会主义市场经济体制有效运作的基础,要大力发展多种所有制经济。二是公有制实现形式层次。更新公有制的微观实现形式,更新公有制的宏观实现形式。三是企业制度层次。建立国有资产出资人制度,合理配置股权,强化所有者约束功能,加强治理结构中的权利组织建设,建立权责分明的组织体系。四是社会剩余产品分配层次。按劳分配与按生产要素分配相结合是通过三个层次实现的:微观经济领域的运行层次,微观经济领域中的所有制结构层次,宏观经济运行层次。