MAKING THE CORE CONTINGENT: PROFESSIONAL AGENCY WORK AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN UK SOCIAL SERVICES

In recent times, the UK has witnessed a steady growth in the use of agency workers to fill core professional roles in public sector organizations. Similar trends have been noted elsewhere, particularly in Australia and the US. In this paper our objective is to explore some of the consequences of this growth, drawing on case study research on social services. We point to a number of problems associated with the management of agency workers and to the potentially negative consequences for the quality of services. These problems, in turn, may impact on key aspects of a (largely functional) public service employment model founded on strong internal labour markets, employment stability and collegial ethos. We also note that while there are ways in which public organizations can manage this situation, certain constraints may prevent them from doing so.     

ARREST TRAJECTORIES ACROSS A 17‐YEAR SPAN FOR YOUNG MEN: RELATION TO DUAL TAXONOMIES AND SELF‐REPORTED OFFENSE TRAJECTORIES*

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of different operationalizations of offending behavior on the identified trajectories of offending and to relate findings to hypothesized dual taxonomy models. Prior research with 203 young men from the Oregon Youth Study identified six offender pathways, based on self‐report data (Wiesner and Capaldi, 2003). The current study used official records data (number of arrests) for the same sample. Semiparametric groupbased modeling indicated three distinctive arrest trajectories: high‐level chronics, low‐level chronics, and rare offenders. Both chronic arrest trajectory groups were characterized by relatively equal rates of early onset offenders, which indicates, therefore, some divergence from hypothesized dual taxonomies. Overall, this study demonstrated limited convergence of trajectory findings across official records versus selfreport measures of offending behavior.     

'FISHING FARMERS' OR 'FARMING FISHERMEN'? THE QUEST FOR HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY ON THE KENYAN SHORES OF LAKE VICTORIA

The paper considers the relationships between fishing and farmingin providing household income and nutritional security amongLuo communities on the shores of the Kenyan sector of Lae Victoria.In recent years the resources of Lake Victoria have come undersevere pressure due to a variety of economic and ecologicalfactors associated with over-fishing and a significant declinein fish species. Farming has increased in importance as householdsattempt to meet subsistence needs, but plot fragmentation, droughtand low investment have led to poor crop yields. Future developmentstrategies need to enhance the substainability of the resourcesof both lake and land, and possibly build upon traditional managementmethods and institutions.     

ISSUES AND MISCONCEPTIONS IN PRISONER LITIGATION: A CRITICAL VIEW*

In the past quarter-century, the number of suits filed by prisoners in federal courts has substantially increased. Critics have borrowed metaphors from ballistics or pathologv to describe this increase as an “epidemic” of “legal pollution” or an “explosion.” The causes of this “hyperlexis,” or excessive litigation, are often attributed to prisoners' attempts to retry their cases once they have lost, or to some psychological attribute of plaintiffs who view litigation as a means of striking back at their keepers. This paper examines several common conceptions of prisoner litigation. National ling data from federal district courts are used to assess the merits of each. The data provide little support for many of the conceptions of and explanations for prisoner suits. It is suggested that prisoners' use of courts may be a form of social resistance to conditions for which there is no other legitimate avenue for relief:     

历史上石门坎苗族教育反思

威宁彝族回族苗族自治县,地处贵州省西北部.境内苗族人口约有5000余人,石门坎是苗族的主要聚居地之一.本世纪初,威宁石门坎苗族教育“实系首屈一指”,成为“西南苗族最高文化区”,威宁石门坎因此而被国外基督教报纸誉为“海外天国”.很明显,当时教会在此创办学校、兴办教育,主观上带有明显的文化侵略、同化动机,但在客观事实上却发展了这一地区的苗族教育,并使之成为苗族教育史上的一大奇迹.反思总结这个时期石门坎苗族教育,对我们今天发展苗族教育及其他少数民族教育,具有其正反方面的意义.一、石门坎苗族教育的历史概述石门坎属于威宁彝族回族苗族自治县第七区,地处贵州和云南两省交界处.距威宁县城120公里,离云南昭通仅37公里.上世纪末,“这里居住着300余户人家,95%以上系苗族的一     

PRAGMATIC MUNICIPALISM: LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION

Since the Great Recession, some have argued that local governments have become ‘austerity machines’ that cut and privatize services and undermine unions. We conducted a national survey of US municipalities in 2012 to examine how service provision level and delivery methods are related to local stress and capacity, controlling for community need and place characteristics. We find that local governments are balancing the pressures of stress with community needs. They use alternative revenue sources and service delivery methods (privatization and cooperation) to maintain services. Unionization is not a barrier to innovation. Further, we find that ethnically diverse suburbs are providing more services than other suburbs, thus acting more like metro core cities. We find that the Great Recession has not dramatically shifted local government behaviour to a ‘new normal’ of fiscal austerity. Instead, we find municipalities practising ‘pragmatic municipalism’ to maintain their public role.     

牦牛S100A12基因的克隆及其在生殖器官中表达情况的检测

为了解S100A12基因在牦牛生殖器官中的表达情况,采用RT-PCR技术从牦牛脾组织中扩增S100A12基因序列,用半定量RT-PCR技术和免疫组织化学染色方法分别检测S100A12基因mRNA和S100A12蛋白在牦牛脾、淋巴结、乳腺及生殖器官中的表达。结果显示,克隆的牦牛S100A12基因序列片段大小为279bp,包含一个完整开放阅读框(ORF),推导编码92个氨基酸;S100A12mRNA和蛋白在脾中表达量相对最高,在睾丸、附睾、淋巴结、乳腺、卵巢中相对强表达,在阴茎、阴道、子宫(子宫角、子宫体和子宫颈)中相对弱表达。结果表明,S100A12mRNA和蛋白在牦牛生殖器官中均有不同程度的表达,提示其在牦牛生殖过程中可能发挥一定的作用。     

外国恐怖主义战斗人员转移与回流对中亚和俄罗斯的威胁

自2011年以来,中东局势的剧变特别是“伊斯兰国”的兴起,吸引了数万名外国恐怖主义战斗人员奔赴伊拉克和叙利亚参与战事。随着“伊斯兰国”日渐溃败,此波规模空前的外国恐怖主义战斗人员的转移和回流,将对国际安全造成深远的影响。仅从这些人员个体性的角度,难以全面评估此类安全威胁。应在“伊斯兰国”全球战略布局、本土恐怖组织结合当地议题的发展与重组以及外国恐怖主义战斗人员活动网络的联结等三个层面对其进行研究。在这三个层面的表现中,俄罗斯和中亚地区面临着日趋严峻的安全风险。一是两地外国恐怖主义战斗人员规模庞大,而且大多成为“伊斯兰国”及其部分分支的主力,并在世界各地多次发动恐怖袭击；二是组织性较强,“伊斯兰国”的效忠组织及分支将成为外国恐怖主义战斗人员回流及恐怖活动的重要载体,特别是“伊斯兰国呼罗珊分支”；三是他们的转移和回流,不仅推动“圣战”萨拉菲主义等暴力极端主义的渗透,而且将提升俄罗斯及中亚恐怖主义的国际化水平。所以,如何增强上海合作组织、集体安全条约组织等的反恐能力及合作水平,施行针对回流的外国恐怖主义战斗人员的改造政策,对于维护地区安全有着重要的意义。