Older people and development: The last minority?

Ageing populations, already a well-established phenomenon in the countries of the North, are also a growing issue in the South. This demographic transition is, however, occurring in the South without the rising affluence which accompanied industrialisation in the North. This article examines a variety of dimensions of the problem in the South, including older people's socio-economic and health situations, and their roles in family and community. It questions whether changes in the status of older people are due to modernising forces, or to structural inequalities (differences in wealth and social position) which exist in all societies, but are particularly prevalent in the poorer countries of the South.     

Participatory cooperative research: for the people,by the people,with the people

Participatory research with cooperatives, which are people-owned businesses, would seem a natural option. However, there is little discussion evident in this area, with risks of research instead bypassing the perspective of members. This article discusses two dairy farmer cooperatives in rural Kenya. It looks at how, even where research is directed and controlled by others (e.g. funders), it can still be undertaken with cooperatives in a participatory way. This is essential to preserving values and principles linked to member participation and decision-making, as well as of self-help and self-responsibility. Participatory approaches also provide interesting insights into the way cooperatives operate.     

The economic policies in Japan during the last 30 years: An econometric analysis

This paper analyses the Japanese economic growth since 1970 with particular attention for the last decade.After a brief discussion on the qualitative behaviour of macroeconomic variables, a survey of literature presents the ideas of various models.This is useful for the econometric analysis applied here, which consists in a smooth transition model, such as LSTAR.For the last decade a deeper analysis is carried out with a VAR model to test if lending view is necessary in explaining the business cycle.These models suggest that both fiscal and monetary policies were not very efficient. Total lending also accelerated the crisis.To Pietro and Martina.I would like to thank Prof. Barbara Chizzolini and Prof. Carlo Filippini for their comments.     

Gender and the burden of disease in ten Asian countries: An exploratory analysis

This article explores critically the assumption that the burden of disease remains heavier for women than for men. The impact of gender on health is better understood when the burden of disease is analysed in terms of its two dimensions, the domestic and the public. This dual approach reveals that, concerning the public burden of disease, morbidity and mortality trends are becoming similar for men and women while, with the domestic burden of disease, gender shows that differences seem to persist in men and women’s roles within the family, particularly involving illness prevention and management at home. This argument is explored in this paper through two types of evidence: to investigate the domestic burden of disease, reference is made to findings from studies on gender roles in the family; and the public burden of disease is explored using the World Health Organization’s latest figures on mortality and morbidity. The domestic and public dimensions of the burden of disease are discussed in the context of ten Asian countries at different stages of socio-economic development (Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia).     

巫术的世界观:菲律宾阿拉安人的精神信仰和巫术治疗

本文探讨了菲律宾民都洛岛山区原住民阿拉安人的世界观、精神信仰和相应的巫术仪式。阿拉安人经常举行巫术仪式,向神灵求助,以便让病人得到善灵的救治,或让善灵祓除人们遭遇的灾祸。阿拉安人的世界观是善与恶二元对立的,它很好地解释了巫术治疗的原理,即通过巫术仪式来呼唤善灵、驱赶恶灵,从而达到治疗的目的。本文通过大量对于神灵信仰和仪式语言等细节的深描和分析,诠释了在巫术治疗领域,阿拉安人的观念层面与行为实践之间是如何互动的。     

The right to self-determination and the indigenous people of Western Sahara

This paper discusses the right to self-determination of the indigenous people of Western Sahara. It studies their post-colonial struggle for self-determination, which has been denied owing to Morocco's occupation and forcible annexation of their territory in 1975. It also looks into the process by which the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination has been institutionalized within the United Nations (UN) system as well as the ongoing UN peace efforts to implement this right and the prospects to which they may lead. Overall, the paper seeks to demonstrate that the continuation of the conflict in Western Sahara is a strong reminder of an enduring violation of a fundamental norm of international law, and the responsibility of the UN and the international community as a whole to redress this aberrant situation.     

Question wording and mass policy preferences: The comparative impact of substantive information and peripheral cues

Understanding the dynamics of mass political behavior requires attention to the mechanisms and processes citizens use in evaluating political affairs. At its structural core, a political appraisal has much in common with most of the other decisions individuals must make each day. Consequently, insight can be gained by examining political judgments from the perspective of those psychological theories concerned with information processing and decision making. More specifically, because the American citizen typically must maximize cognitive efficiency when evaluating political phenomena, those psychological mechanisms that facilitate expedience and simplicity in decision making are likely to operate on a great diversity of political judgments. Hence theoretical perspectives concerning the role of heuristic principles of judgment may be of considerable utility for the study of mass political behavior. One such perspective, the heuristic‐systematic model, is discussed. The tenets of the heuristic‐systematic model guide quasi‐experimental examination of the influence of variance in question wording on public support for the Reagan defense build‐up. Results indicate that source cues enable individuals to apply source evaluations when forming policy assessments but that the impact of source cues is overwhelmed when individuals are simultaneously exposed to relevant policy information.     

From car bombs to logic bombs: The growing threat from information terrorism

The vulnerability of the critical infrastructure has led to increasing concern that it will be the target of terrorist attacks. This article explores definitional aspects of information terrorism and identifies two groups likely to find information terrorism attractive: conventional terrorist groups and information culture groups. As computer sophisticated youth move into the ranks of conventional terrorist groups, the groups will increase their reliance on computer technology, and information terrorism will be incorporated into a hybrid tactical repertoire. Information culture groups, however, confine their attacks to cyberspace. In contrast to the powerful group dynamics of the traditional underground terrorist group, networked groups, particularly information culture terrorists, may only be in contact electronically, and are subject to a radically different group psychology, virtual group dynamics, that significantly affects their decision making and risk taking, and has dangerous security implications.     

The social responsibilities of information systems developers

ABSTRACT

Thesocial responsibilities of information systems developers are discussed against the background that information systems are social systems rather than technical systems. The notion of a human environment for the adoption and use of information systems is developed in order to show the importance of understanding this environment before the question of the social responsibility of information systems developers can even be addressed.     

Matching goods and people: aid and human security after the 2004 tsunami

This article asks why, despite an abundance of aid materials and the good intentions of various relief agencies, tsunami-relief efforts in Thailand after the Great Sumatra Earthquake of 2004 resulted in complaints and skewed aid distribution. Beginning with an analysis of how relief goods are distributed in practice, the focus of the article shifts to forces that cause certain types of goods to be concentrated in certain communities. It concludes by identifying the limits of the goods-based relief approach, introducing intangible resources and identity as more foundational dimensions in the study of distribution.