Methodological Considerations Affecting the Initiation and Utilization of Program Evaluation

This article addresses the methodological issues affecting the degree to which program evaluations are initiated and utilized. The problems associated with traditional program evaluations that have been conducted in the United States are presented, and alternative procedures are suggested which may serve to increase the efficacy of future evaluations performed within industrialized nations. The article is based on a paper presented at the International Symposium on Sociological Perspectives on Delinquency Prevention in 1981 at Wuppertal Germany; financial support provided by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft (German Science Foundation).     

Has the Financial Crisis Killed Consumerism?

As the global financial crisis emanating from the United States shuts down world markets, can globalization survive? Will the resurgent intrusion of the state—and thus politics—into the market lead to protectionism and collapse, as was the case in the early 20th century? Or will the new interconnectivity of climate change and mutual economic dependence—especially between China and the US—deepen global links? The former mayor of Shanghai, legendary Nobel economist Paul Samuelson and Third Way guru Anthony Giddens ponder those questions in this section.     

Smoke Break

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in China,or anywhere else in East Asia for that matter,knows a thing or two about being a quitter.Not in the traditional sense of the"high-     

Building the Human Bomb: The Case of the 16 May 2003 Attacks in Casablanca

The terrorist attacks that took place on 16 May 2003 in Casablanca were a result of internal factors. These factors include the terrorists" view of their faith, poverty, and under-education. The links between the terrorists in Morocco and the Al Qaeda network, despite their ideological similarities, are not of a “command and control” nature. The relationship can be described as a franchise operation. The attacks resulted in the alienation of the population from movements attempting to use Islam in politics. Consequently, the attacks backfired on the Moroccan Islamist movement.     

HOMICIDE AGAINST THE ELDERLY: A RESEARCH NOTE*

By virtue of the type of data generally used (victim surveys), previous research on the victimization of the elderly is limited in two respects. Not only is the crime of homicide outside the domain of victimization data, but sample surveys uncover too few incidents of victimization of the elderly to permit in-depth analyses. Using the supplementary homicide reports from 1976–1985, we compared patterns and rates of homicide among the elderly and younger populations. Our results suggest that the elderly are in fact the least at risk for homicide generally, as has been reported for other crimes. When examining specific subtypes of homicide, however, the elderly are actually at greater risk than their younger counterparts for homicide committed during a robbery.