Sport diplomacy between the United States and Iran

America and Iran have not had diplomatic relations for two decades. In May 1997 the election of Mohammad Khatami, a reformist, to Iran's presidency provided an opening for a cautious rapprochement. Khatami advocated people-to-people contacts between the two nations to break the ice, and the United States agreed. After critically evaluating the idea of people-to-people contacts and discussing the role of the large Iranian diaspora in America as a mediator between the peoples of the two countries, this article examines the sports diplomacy that resulted from Khatami's initiative. It concludes with a comparison with the ping pong diplomacy that heralded the thaw in US-Chinese relations.     

何为现代化

本文是两位政治学家为《布莱克维尔社会学百科全书》所撰写的词条。内容涉及现代化的含义,现代化理论的缘起、发展过程和不同流派,现代化所包含的六个维度,现代化在系统层面、个体层面和社会关系层面等三个视野中所体现出来的总性体特征,以及现代化与文化变迁、民主、人类发展和社会资本的关系。     

Demographic characteristics of disability applicants: relationship to allowances.

This article highlights some of the causes underlying differences in disability allowances by sex and race. Among the causes are differences in labor-force patterns, the educational background, and the age distributions of the insured and applicant populations. More than half of the differences between the black and white applicants in the proportion of claims allowed is explained by differences in their age distributions. The lower proportion of claims allowed for black applicants may reflect the greater tendency fo the black insured population to apply for disability insurance benefits.     

From central planning to market systems: Implications of economic reforms for the construction and building industries

Abstract

Housing market reforms in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are having enormous impacts on the construction and building materials industries. This article describes the current structure and performance of the construction industry in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, identifies key technical and institutional problems posed by housing reforms, and outlines an agenda of research and technical assistance to help construction and building materials industries in transition economies cope with the impacts of housing market reforms.