Revolution,racism and sexism: Challenges for world-system analysis

Terry R. Kandal is professor of sociology at California State University, Los Angeles. He is the author ofThe Woman Question in Classical Sociological Theory (Florida International University Press: Miami, 1988) and co-editor ofStudies of Development and Change in the Modern World (Oxford University Press, 1989). He is editor ofCalifornia Sociologist. Currently his research is focused on the history of Marxian theories of revolution.     

Citizenship education and the challenge of racism,discrimination and disadvantage

The idea behind citizenship education is that it will help both to integrate the demands of justice, equality and community and to prevent the increasing apathy towards politics and government, which may damage the health and stability of a modern liberal democracy. The recent British Report on Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools (the Crick Report) can be seen as a response to those concerns. This article discusses these concerns and offers an evaluation of the main recommendations of the Crick Report from the perspective of ethnic minorities and disadvantaged groups. If citizenship education as defined by the Crick Report is intimately linked to ideas of entitlement, justice and tolerance of difference, would such an education help students to acquire the necessary knowledge and understanding, skills and dispositions to tackle racism, discrimination and disadvantage? An incisive education must help to remove social, racial and sex barriers that prevent some citizens from enjoying their full citizenship rights. This article offers some critical general conceptual perspectives that aim to help inform teachers thinking about those issues.     

独特的意大利物业管理制度

应罗马市民营会的邀请, 去年金秋季节,我们一行数人,乘飞机抵达了被誉为南欧明珠的美丽国度--意大利。意大利土地面积有30余万平方公里,是一个多山之国,著名的亚平宁山脉贯穿意大利南北,全国差不多4/5以上的土地为山地。优惠购买私人住宅意大利人非常重视住房,这     

Terrorism in Italy: Analysis of a problem

The author, after a short premise in which the phenomenon under examination is analyzed on the basis of the study of individual motivations, considers, in the context of the present Italian moral crisis, the social and interpersonal factors that violent terrorism generate.

The inquiry then moves on to attempt to identify the aims of terrorism through the observation of the subsequent phases through which it develops.

After a short survey of some sociological and psychological theories of the causes of the phenomenon, the author concludes that the problem of terrorism cannot be solved through the threat of more serious sanctions for the crimes committed but through the reorganization and restructuring of the state, and the elimination of the insecurity and tension that are among the main causes of the phenomenon.     

The institutional logic of small-firm economies in Italy and Taiwan

This article compares the small-firm economies of Taiwan and Italy, utilizing an institutional oganizational approach in the analysis of economic structures. It is divided into three sections. First, there is a presention of the main features of the Italian and the Taiwanese economies to draw out their distinctive similarities. The second part identifies a set of institutional factors which help us understand the similarities observed in the two economies, and classifies them along two analytical headings: individual values and social structure. The third section explores the significance of the author's crossnational comparison of small-firm economies for improving the status of an institutional theory of economic structures. By, emphasizing the role of institutional factors and the social embeddedness of economic activities in Italy and Taiwan, the article provides a corrective to the unilateral emphasis on an East versus West model of economic action and shows the obvious inadequacies of restrictively cultural, political, or economic interpretations of national economies. Marco, Orrù is assistant professor of sociology at the University of South Florida. Recent publications include “Patterns of Inter-Firm Control in Japanese Business” (Organization Studies, December 1989, 549–74) and “Organizational Isomorphism in East Asia” inThe New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis P. Dimaggio and W. Powell, eds., (University of Chicago Press, 1991). Dr. Orrù's research has also appeared inThe British Journal of Sociology, Sociological Forum, Japan'sFinancial Economic Review, and other professional journals. He is currently working on a monograph,Patterns of Asian Capitalism, co-authored with Gary G. Hamilton and Nicole Woolsey Biggart.     

意大利的青少年犯罪与青少年司法状况

意大利青少年犯罪状况逐年恶化,意大利的青少年犯罪率呈现出北部高于中部及南部地区特点。意大利青少年犯罪与社会经济、政治的状况相关,但更表现出与非法移民之间的联系。针对这种状况,在意大利,实施意大利模式的青少年司法,对青少年广泛适用恢复性司法,对治理青少年犯罪,取得了良好的效国。     

穿着考究的意大利人--写在中国意大利文化年

位于欧洲南部的意大利,是一个突出于地中海的半岛国家.亚平宁山脉纵贯半岛南北,人们一提到这个风光秀丽的亚平宁古国,便会联想到它历史悠久的文化,尤其对这个民族款式新颖的时装和堪称一绝的皮鞋赞不绝口.     

Season and suicide: recent findings from Italy

Seasonal asymmetry in yearly suicide occurrence is a long-observed phenomenon in psychiatric, suicidological, and sociological research, and the effects of seasonal factors on suicidal behavior have been the focus of a number of earlier studies. Taking into account limitations of data and methods, these studies have generally favored interpretations based on psychosocial factors. Recent studies have challenged the widely held notion that seasonal effects on suicide are a unitary phenomenon, not influenced by age, gender, or circumstances of the act. In particular, the seasonal occurrence of suicides has been found to differ significantly between the young and the elderly, and differences have also been found between male and female cycles of occurrence. Suicides using violent methods have been shown to follow clearer seasonal patterns than suicides by less violent methods (such as drug or gas poisoning), possibly reflecting the greater impulsive component involved in the choice of a violent lethal means. In this paper, findings from Italy are used to illustrate the clinical implications of studies into the topic of season and suicide, with the aim of developing more effective preventative strategies.     

重掌政权的意大利"教授"普罗迪

2006年4月11日,意大利战后第15届议会选举落下帷幕,由前总理普罗迪领导的中左联盟在时隔5年后夺回了政权.5月17日,以普罗迪为首的意战后第61届政府正式组成.作为意大利乃至整个欧洲政坛上的"元老",东山再起的普罗迪顿成焦点人物.     

意大利重建共产党的理论政策调整及面临的问题

意大利重建共产党在意大利政坛上具有一定的政治影响力,是当前欧洲共产主义运动中的一支重要力量.本文主要对重建共成立十余年来理论政策的发展演变作出了总结和分析,对该党取得的斗争成就、存在的问题以及发展趋势进行了探讨,以供相关研究者参考.     

Finding a party and losing some friends: Overcoming the weaknesses of the prime ministerial figure in Italy

Silvio Berlusconi poses a problem for the existing literature on prime ministers and their power. Though Italian prime ministers are traditionally seen as weak, Berlusconi has been able to achieve some remarkable policy gains during his current term as prime minister. This article uses veto player theory and combines it with existing institutional and political explanations for variation in prime ministerial power to look at this challenging case. By looking at the number of veto players in the Italian system, and their ability to credibly use their veto against Berlusconi, an explanation is posited which can accommodate the exceptionalism of his second term in office. Despite the emphasis on his control of the media, we conclude that Berlusconi's power stems from more traditional political factors. The authors argue that Berlusconi's coalition and party allies have no choice but to accept his will and his decisions, as any alternatives are less appealing.     

Quality Standards in the Public Sector: Differences Between Italy and the UK in the Citizen's Charter initiative

Service quality of public services is a major aim of the New Public Management reforms occurring throughout Europe. The Citizen's Charter initiative, launched by the UK Prime Minister John Major in 1991, has been an example followed in some European countries, including Italy (Carta dei servizi). This paper analyses and evaluates the cultural differences in the usage of the concept of service quality standards between the UK experience and the Italian one, referring particularly to two kinds of public services, very different one from the other: healthcare and electricity supply. The comparative policy analysis leads to a sketch of two different profiles in the usage of quality standards in the public sector: a common law profile, where quality standards are not legal rights but targets to be achieved and improved; and a public law profile, where quality standards tend to be overlapped and confused with legal rights of users. Under the latter framework, standards are likely to be sidestepped because they are perceived more as a problem than as an opportunity to change.