Public brainpower: civil society and natural resource management,edited by Indra Overland

The relationship between political development theory and the dissemination of democracy is a curious one. In the period when political development theory was most influential, efforts to disseminate democracy throughout the Third World in line with its core values were notably unsuccessful. It later went into eclipse as a consequence of the failure of successive efforts at theory‐building, from functional, cultural and comparative historical perspectives respectively. Despite this double failure, its core ideas have re‐emerged as a dominant force in recent democratization literature. This article outlines the core ideas of the literature, in which conservative elitism rather than modernization theory provides the unifying thread. It then traces the failure of political development theory as theory in the 1960s and 1970s, and the emergence thereafter of a politics of pragmatism in which the core values of conservative elitism survive intact. Finally, it suggests some of the reasons for its renewed ascendancy.     

Responding to the foreclosure crisis

Abstract

Regional economic downturns, speculation on skyrocketing home prices, and rampant unfair and deceptive mortgage lending practices have combined to create the perfect foreclosure storm in America. More than 2 million foreclosures are expected to occur during the next 12 to 18 months. Common to all three of these contributing factors is the reality that effective regulation of the mortgage market would have greatly limited damage from foreclosures.

This article traces the origins of the subprime market crisis and the resulting impact of foreclosures on the housing market, minority households, and the economy. The article also reviews the effectiveness of current interventions to mitigate or limit foreclosures and recommends broader solutions to help families maintain their homes.     

Structured Assessment of Correctional Adaptation (SACA): a measure of the impact of incarceration on the mentally ill in a therapeutic setting

Clinicians have observed that psychiatric patients with correctional histories evidence attitudes and behaviors that seem adaptive in penal environments but are maladaptive in mental health settings. This study sought to assess the reliability and concurrent validity of a rating scale designed to measure correctional adaptation using a sample of 64 patients from a state psychiatric hospital. Scale ratings were obtained through structured interviews, whereas predictor variables were gleaned from chart review and self-report. The scale demonstrated good interrater reliability (ICC = .83) and acceptable internal consistency (alpha= .67). Of the variables evaluated, two were significantly correlated with Structured Assessment of Correctional Adaptation (SACA) total scores, total months sentenced to prison or jail (r = .26), and frequency of disciplinary tickets while in prison or jail (r = .31). Stepwise regression analyses revealed only the latter variable significantly predicted SACA score (R = .31), F(1, 58) = 6.27, p < .05. Clinical implications of these findings, the scale, and the construct of correctional adaptation are discussed.     

Identification via dental remains: Pan American Flight 759

Pan American Flight 759 crashed on takeoff from New Orleans International Airport on 9 July 1982. One-hundred-and-fifty-four persons lost their lives making this the second worst air crash in the United States. A dental identification team was assembled and began working the next morning. Ninety-three victims were positively identified by dental means and twenty-three other victims had strong supporting dental evidence as to their identities. The organization, method used, planning, and problem resolution concerning the dental team for this crash are presented.     

Risk Factors for Male Sexual Aggression on College Campuses

Risk factors for college male sexual aggression that were both theoretically and empirically based were tested using multivariate regression analyses. These included substance abuse patterns, pornography consumption, negative gender-based attitudes, and child sexual abuse experiences. Regression analyses indicated that some gender attitudes, pornography use, and alcohol abuse were significant predictors of perpetration of sexual violence. Although a number of men were sexually abused as children, this risk factor did not predict sexual aggression as an adult. Many men reported alcohol-related sexual coercion and held many rape-supportive attitudes and beliefs. These practices by college men contribute to the prorape cultures found on many campuses. Strategies are needed to identify and intervene with high-risk men to prevent sexual victimization of women in college.     

Can dentists recognize their own work? The forensic implications

After 10 months, 71.4% of a group of dental students were able to recognize amalgam restorations that they had placed in the mouths of manikins. After 24 months, 57.1% of the group were able to recognize their work again. In contrast, only 5.5% of a second group of students, who did not have the interim viewing at 10 months, could recognize their work at 24 months. These results suggest that, with time, dental operators lose the ability to recognize their work but that this ability is prolonged by interim observations of the work. This study underscores the need for dentists to chart and record accurately any artifacts introduced into the patient's mouth, as well as any features that would make the patient unique upon forensic examination.