‘Politics’ and Academic Feminist Theorising: Reflections on Women's Studies in Asia

When invited by the organisers of the Asia-Pacific Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Beijing+10 Forum to make a brief presentation on the question of academic feminists and the de-politicisation of feminist theorising, I asked myself: What politics? What feminist theorising? Then I remembered how close the links were between the history of feminism in academe—particularly in the form of Women's Studies—and the women's movement.2 Vina Mazumdar, ‘Whose Past, Whose History, Whose Tradition? Indigenising Women's Studies in India’, paper prepared for the International Conference on Women's Studies in Asia, Seoul, 18–21 October 2000 published in Asian Journal of Women's Studies, vol. 7, no. 1, 2001, pp. 133–53; Carol Sobritchea, ‘Imaging the Future of Asian Women's Studies and Feminist Scholarship’, paper prepared for the International Conference on Women's Studies in Asia, Seoul, 18–21 October 2000; and Tita Marlita and E. Kristi Poerwandari, ‘Indonesian Women's Movement throughout History: 1928–1965’, paper prepared for the International Conference on Women's Studies in Asia, Seoul, 18–21 October 2000, are recent narratives of the development of Women's Studies and its ties to the women's movement in India, the Philippines, and Indonesia, respectively. View all notes Ah, that politics!     

Managing incidental findings in human subjects research: analysis and recommendations.

No consensus yet exists on how to handle incidental findings (IFs) in human subjects research. Yet empirical studies document IFs in a wide range of research studies, where IFs are findings beyond the aims of the study that are of potential health or reproductive importance to the individual research participant. This paper reports recommendations of a two-year project group funded by NIH to study how to manage IFs in genetic and genomic research, as well as imaging research. We conclude that researchers have an obligation to address the possibility of discovering IFs in their protocol and communications with the IRB, and in their consent forms and communications with research participants. Researchers should establish a pathway for handling IFs and communicate that to the IRB and research participants. We recommend a pathway and categorize IFs into those that must be disclosed to research participants, those that may be disclosed, and those that should not be disclosed.     

Free press and fair trial: The role of behavioral research

The growth of mass media has complicated the relatioship between the courts and the media. Free press and fair trial rights are kept in balance by the use of judicial restraints and remedies such asvoir dire, change of venue, and gag orders. This balance has shifted back and forth during the past two decades. Current case law and legal codes are inconsistent and provide insufficient guidance to judges in their use of restraints and remedies. Nor is there a body of empirical research on the impact of news coverage and juror behavior capable of informing the courts at this time. In this paper, we review and critically assess the empirical social science literature as it pertains to the legal issues involving free press and fair trial. We argue that carefully conducted empirical research could provide important information to the courts. We suggest research directions and methodological caveats to increase legal relevance and scientific validity.     

Marmagão exchange

After two years of fighting in World War II, the US and Japan agreed on a second exchange of interned nationals. Neutral territory in Goa, Portuguese India, was chosen in October 1943, The US Consulate in Bombay directed the entire complicated operation. Two ships, each carrying approximately 1,500 refugees, all of whom required nationality checks, stateroom assignments, money settlements, sick passengers had to be transferred, and many other services had to be performed. As all were still enemies, they had to be kept separated throughout the operation. Remarkably, the acutal physical excahnge was completed in only three hours, on Tuesday, 19 October.     

First report from the Swedish National Forensic Psychiatric Register (SNFPR)

To the best of our knowledge, the present register is the only nationwide forensic psychiatric patient register in the world. The aim of this article is to describe the content of the Swedish National Forensic Psychiatric Register (SNFPR) for Swedish forensic patients for the year 2010. The subjects are individuals who, in connection with prosecution due to criminal acts, have been sentenced to compulsory forensic psychiatric treatment in Sweden. The results show that in 2010, 1476 Swedish forensic patients were assessed in the SNFPR; 1251 (85%) were males and 225 (15%) were females. Almost 60% of the patients had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, with a significantly higher frequency among males than females. As many as 70% of the patients had a previous history of outpatient psychiatric treatment before becoming a forensic psychiatric patient, with a mean age at first contact with psychiatric care of about 20 years old for both sexes. More than 63% of the patients had a history of addiction, with a higher proportion of males than females. Furthermore, as many as 38% of all patients committed crimes while under the influence of alcohol and/or illicit drugs. This was more often the case for men than for women. Both male and female patients were primarily sentenced for crimes related to life and death (e.g., murder, assault). However, there were more females than males in treatment for general dangerous crimes (e.g., arson), whereas men were more often prosecuted for crimes related to sex. In 2010, as many as 70% of all forensic patients in Sweden had a prior sentence for a criminal act, and males were prosecuted significantly more often than females. The most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals for both genders were antipsychotics, although more women than men were prescribed other pharmaceuticals, such as antidepressants, antiepileptics, and anxiolytics. The result from the present study might give clinicians an opportunity to reflect upon and challenge their traditional treatment methods.     

Final position arbitration

Abstract. The tremendous upsurge in public-sector collective bargaining in the last decade has prompted a search for new types of dispute settlement, particularly in so-called essential services. The right to strike for public employees has not been accepted in many jurisdictions, particularly in the United States. Compulsory arbitration is rejected widely by both union and management representatives hecausc it fails to take into account the dynamics of the negotiating process, stultifying rather than encouraging bargaining. Final offer Selection is presented as a possible alternative to strikes and arbitration. The process has been utilized effectively in the United States, particularly in Michigan and Wisconsin. It has not received popular acceptance thus far in Canada, although the committee established to propose new labour legislation in hlanitoba has recommended it. The University of Alberta has used it for determination of faculty disputes and the Ontario Hydro Engineers have also used it. The Finkelinan Report on suggested changes in the federal public service legislatioii refers to it as a possible dispute-settling device. There are many variations of final offer arbitration but, in general, it requires that after negotiations have reached an impasse, an arbitrator, upon hearing the final positions of the parties, would select the ‘most reasonable’ offer. The arbitrator would not be free to compromise hut would be required to accept one pusition or the other in toto. The attractiveness of the process stems from the impetus given to reach agreement on as many issues as possible so that the gamble of convincing the arbitrator is lessened and he has fewer items to consider when making his choice. Thus, the theory stresses the importance of the parties being ‘reasonable’ in their demands. Critics of the system believe that it turns the adjudication process into a poker game and have referred to it as ‘industrial relations roulette.’ With all its disadvantages, to an organization like Michigan Firefighters Union, which cannot countenance a strike, or to the public, which must endure the inconvenience and expenses of strikes in the public service, final position arbitration has much to be said in its favour. Sommaire. L'énorme multiplication des négociations collectives dans le secteur public au cours de la dernière déennie a suscité des recherches pour trouver de nouveaux moyens de resoudre les différends, surtout en ce qui concerned les services dits ‘essentiels.’ De nombreuses juridictions, en particulier aux Etats- Unis, ont refusé le droit de grève aux employés du secteur public. L'arbitrage obligatoire est trés souvent rejeté par les syndicats comme par les employeurs, parce qu'il ne tient pas compte de la dynamique du processus de négociation et tend à restreindre les échanges plutôt qu'à les encourager. Le choix entre des offres définitives est considéré comme une possibilité par rapport à la gré ou à l'arbitrage. Ce processus a été utilisé efficacement aux Etats-Unis et plus particuliérement dans le Michigan et le Wisconsin. II n'a pas eu jusqu'à présent beaucoup de succès au Canada, bien qu'il ait été recom-niandé au Manitoba par la Commission chargée de proposer une nouvelle législation du travail. L'Université de I'Alberta s'en est servie pour résoudre des dif-férends avec le corps enseignant, mmme dailleurs les ingénieurs de l'Ontario Hydro. Le rapport Finkelman qui a proposé des modifications àA lég législation fédérale répissant la fonction publique le mentionne également comme un inoven possible de résoudre des différends II v a toutes sortes de variantes de l'arbitrage des offres définitives mais en général, cette méthode exige que l'arbitre, lorsque les parties àB la négociation se trouvent dans une impasse, et que leurs offres sont définitives, choisisse la ‘plus raisonnable.’ L'arbitre n'est pas libre de faire un compromis entre les deux, il doit accepter I'une ou l'autre des offres in toto. L'intérét de ce processus est qu'il incite les parties à faire tous les efforts pour arriver à un accord sur le plus de questions possibles de façon à réduire la discrétion de l'arbitre. Les parties ont ainsi intérêt àêtre ‘raisonnables’ dans leurs demands. Les critiques du système ont peur que ce genre d'arbitrage transforme le processus d'adjudication en une partie de poker et certains ont appelé l'arbitrage des positions définitives ‘la roulette des relations industrielles.’ Malgé tous ces inconvénients, l'arbitrage des offres définitives demeure attrayant pour le svndicat des pompiers du Michigan qui ne peut pas envisager la grève et pour le public qui doit supporter les désagréments et !es coûts des gréves dans le service public.