Speaking to the Silences: Do We Need a Sociology for the Post-9-11 World?

Using a sociology of knowledge framing, this essay highlights how and why the sociological imagination presented by leading European and American scholars showcased in this special issue offers a relatively hopeful assessment of recent transformations. It then questions the extent to which the same optimism prevails for scholars – and citizens – of the poorer, less advanced countries of the world. It not only suggests that many of the fundamental sociological transformations associated with the contemporary era – ranging from globalization of economy, the rise of internet technology, the decline of the nation state, and the rise of more cosmopolitan identities – are unevenly distributed around the world. It also argues that their political, social, and economic impact will vary, depending on history and developmental context. The essay further suggests that precisely because of the statist and protectionist legacies of late development, many of the same transformations that bring positive gains in the advanced capitalist world, signal troubles ahead for the developing world and its future. The essay draws to a close with a more focused examination of the dark side of recent transformations, evident in such problems as unchecked violence and regional or ethnic fragmentation across major swathes of the global south. Such developments, the essay concludes, should sustain the call for a more “pluralist” sociological imagination for the new millennium, one that can take into account differences within and between various countries around the globe, while also advancing our normative understanding of what it would take to make “global society” possible.     

An investigation of biographical information as a predictor of employment termination among law enforcement officers

Among the most important services that psychology can offer law enforcement is assistance in the selection of future officers. The usual contribution made by police psychologists centers on the elimination of applicatns who are mentally ill. However, due to increased behavior-generated police liability, psychologists must focus on ruling out applicants whose future behavior may result in departmental compromise for any reason. One method for forecasting police officer performance is by examining critical information in biographical data. This paper examined the predictive validity of biographical information for a sample of 2,965 police officer candidates. Results indicated that several biographical variables were significantly correlated with later police officer termination. However, results of regression analyses indicated that biographical variables alone accounted for limited variance in the prediction of police officer termination. These findings suggested that the use of biographical information as a sole determinant of police candidates was not supported and the use of additional sources of data would likely be required for practical forecasting purposes.     

What Use is a Policy Cycle? Plenty,if the Aim is Clear

What use is a policy cycle? Plenty, if the aim is to help public servants make sense of the policy task. Setting out a sequence of steps to turn ideas into Cabinet recommendations can provide structure in the otherwise dizzying world of policy‐making. It would be a mistake, though, to see a policy cycle as other than a first step, a guide amid complexity. To read the policy cycle as rationalism revived is to misjudge both form and intent. Debate is a wonderful thing, and we are pleased the policy cycle described in The Australian Policy Handbook (Bridgman and Davis 2000) has stimulated a response. Although we believe a critique in the June issue of the Australian Journal of Public Administration (Everett 2003) is misguided, it invites reflection on the purpose ‐ and limitations ‐ of a policy cycle approach.     

“I Fought. I Screamed. I Bit”: The Assertion of Rights Within Historic Abuse Inquiry Transcripts

ABSTRACT

This article examines how treating historic abuse inquiry testimonies as retrospective assertions of rights can help to shed light on how this abuse was able to occur and how memories are recalled in an inquiry environment. It presents its approach as a possible framework for other historians seeking to analyse testimonies with sensitivity. It uses, as an example, a case study from the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse concerning two interrelated “homes” for girls, showing the ways in which abuse survivors can use their testimonies to assert rights denied them in the past and further the goals of public inquiries.     

Review article

The Burning Question, Michael Simmonds, Adam Smith Institute, 1989, pp. 43, £9.00.