Policies toward North Korea: A time for new thinking

It is a commonplace among students of Northeast Asian security issues to regard North Korea as a rogue state, one which operates outside the norms of global society and which presents an ever-present threat to regional security. In this article, however, the authors present an unorthodox line of analysis which attempts to see North Korea as it sees itself: a state whose external support system rapidly and traumatically disappeared a decade ago; a state confronted by hostile neighbors who wish to undermine its regime and who are heavily armed for possible military actions against it; and a state whose limited ability to participate in the global economy is confined to selling abroad for hard currency the few things that it does well: military equipment, including missile technology. Thus viewed, the authors find wanting the policies pursued towards North Korea by the United States, Japan, South Korea, and China. They stipulate a series of precise policy shifts that these four states must undertake to encourage North Korea to play a more active and positive role in building a durable framework for Northeast Asian regional security.     

TRANSITION OR NOT?

The article focuses on a quantitative evaluation of Families In Transition (FIT), a court-mandated divorce education program. In this evaluation, the operationalization of the impact of FIT on its participants is guided by a social psychology theory. Findings indicate that parents view FIT as a valuable experience, and they gain in their attitude toward and likelihood to engage in child-centered divorce adjustment behaviors from pre- to post-FIT. Factors are highlighted, such as counseling and conflict status of the parents that affect the degree of influence of FIT. Implications for evaluations of these programs and for the structure of these programs are discussed.     

Understanding and assessing school police officers: A conceptual and methodological comment

Although law enforcement officials have been involved in the provision of school security services for the past half century, prior to the 1990s the practice of assigning sworn police officers to serve in schools on a full-time basis was uncommon. Over the past decade the number of police officers serving in schools increased substantially, but few studies of school police officers were conducted and little attention was devoted to understanding the role of school police officers. This article contributes to the literature on school police officers by providing an overview of the development of school police officers, an outline of issues which should be considered in conceptualizing school police officers, and a discussion of methodological issues pertaining to the assessment of school police officers.     

Truth and Method in Southern Criminology

Critical Criminology - What does it mean to “do” southern criminology? What does this entail and what demands should it place on us as criminologists ethically and methodologically?...     

The emergence of policy implementation analysis: The Wyatt v. Stickney decision

In recent years scholars have devoted substantial attention to the “implementation” phase of the policy-making process. Analytical efforts have focused on the identification of variable sets as they are associated with the outcomes of public policies and programs. This article will discuss these program implementation conceptualizations within the context of a landmark court decision. This court decision, Wyatt v. Stickney, impacted to a profound degree the lives of residents in institutions for the mentally retarded. Finally, based on the analysis of this case, the authors cite limitations and propose future directions for social policy implementation analysis as a scholarly emphasis.     

Hydropower Development and Resettlement Policy on China's Nu River

Hydropower represents an important alternative form of energy in China, a country that currently uses coal to supply 78% of its electricity. However, evidence from large hydropower projects in China shows that the socio-economic and environmental costs of hydropower development are substantial. Construction on the first of the 13 planned dams on the Nu River began in the summer of 2008, and villages are already beginning to be displaced. Based on fieldwork in the area, we find that the local resettlement policies infringe upon the national regulations governing resettlement caused by major infrastructure development. This infringement includes high prices for resettlement homes, forcing villagers to leave agricultural production, a lack of programs for long-term economic development, and a lack of transparency in decision-making processes.     

Should They Stay,or Should They Go?

正A Greek exit from the euro zone would have major economic and political consequences What was unthinkable a year ago is now being thought about much more seriously.The exit of Greece from the euro zone is now being discussed increasingly by commentators,economists,and even political figures in Europe.British Prime Minister David Cameron has raised the ire of euro-zone members (the UK is not