From persons and their acts to webs of relationships: some theoretical resources for environmental justice

Naming the “Anthropocene” as the spatiotemporality in which we live is a theoretical action that resonates with two separate traditions that can, for a limited purpose, be brought into relation with one another. The first is that identified with Foucault’s work, which is anti-humanist in a post-structuralist manner. The second is a set of ideas and resources for thought and action developed by indigenous peoples, namely “indigenous legal traditions”, which are anti-humanist in a different way. I argue here that since both of these intellectual traditions begin by de-centering the classic liberal subject, and even de-centering “man”, they have some affinities. In both perspectives, action is seen as a feature of webs of relationships, rather than as the willed acts of the classic European “person”. Thus, borrowing from both of these could help to elaborate a framework for thinking about responsibility, action, and governance that does not reproduce the very anthropocentrism that underpinned the destructive exploitation of the environment.     

Foucault on “Avowal”: Theatres of Truth from Homer to Modern Psychology

FOUCAULT, MICHEL. 2014 . Wrong‐Doing, Truth‐Telling: The Function of Avowal in Justice . Ed. Fabienne Brion and Bernard Harcourt, trans. Stephen Sawyer. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Cloth $35.00, E‐book $7.00 to $30.00. The publication of a previously unknown set of lectures delivered by Foucault in 1981 at Louvain's criminology institute constitutes a major revelation for legal and criminological scholars (Wrong‐Doing, Truth‐Telling: The Function of Avowal in Justice, 2014). The lecture material includes an extended discussion of the techniques used by Oedipus to establish the truth of his familial crime, a reflection on the beginnings of the inquisitorial justice system (which Foucault here argues paved the way for the scientific revolution), and analyses of contemporary forensic confessions. Throughout these meticulously edited lectures, the scientific and philosophical “inquiries” that revolutionized modern European knowledges are shown to be rooted in embodied practices of confession and avowal that go back to ancient Greece.     

Are healthier people happier? Evidence from Chile and Uruguay

Based on data from the Latinobarómetro, this study analyses data on happiness to establish the probability that an individual is happy. The focus is put on self-reported health status as a key aspect in increasing levels of happiness. The probability of being happy is econometrically estimated by probit models for each country. Results show that the main relationship is between happiness and health status. Whether this is a causal effect or only a correlation, is not clear. This issue is explored by using propensity score matching methods. These show that good health status increases the probability of being satisfied with life by between 13 and 17 percentage points. In line with the literature, we find that the relationship between age and happiness is U-shaped, with happiness at its lowest point at the age of 48.2.

Les personnes en bonne santé sont-elles plus heureuses ? Données concrètes en provenance du Chili et de l'Uruguay

Sur la base de données tirées du Latinobarómetro, cette étude analyse des données sur le bonheur afin d'établir la probabilité du bonheur de personnes données. L'accent est mis sur l'état de santé présenté par la personne elle-même comme aspect clé du niveau croissant de bonheur. La probabilité de bonheur est estimée économétriquement au moyen de modèles probit pour chaque pays. Les résultats indiquent que le principal rapport est celui qui relie le bonheur et l'état de santé. Quant à savoir si c'est là une relation de cause à effet ou seulement une corrélation, ce n'est pas évident. Cette question est traitée au moyen de méthodes d'appariement par score de propension, qui montrent qu'un bon état de santé accroît la probabilité de se sentir satisfait de sa vie de 13 à 17 pour cent. Conformément aux documents écrits sur ce thème, nous constatons que le rapport entre l'âge et le bonheur est en forme de U, le bonheur atteignant son niveau le plus bas à l'âge de 48,2 ans.

¿Son más felices las personas sanas? Hallazgos en Chile y Uruguay

A través del Latinobarómetro para Chile y Uruguay 2007, se estima a través de modelos probit la probabilidad de que un individuo sea feliz. La principal correlación positiva se da entre la felicidad y el buen estado de salud. A efectos de controlar la potencial heterogeneidad observable de esta variable, se utilizan técnicas de correspondencia encontrando que tener buena salud aumenta entre 13 y 17 puntos porcentuales la probabilidad de ser feliz para los datos agrupados regionales. Consecuentemente con la literatura, se encuentra una forma convexa con respecto a la edad, siendo los 48.2 años la edad de mínima felicidad.

As pessoas mais saudáveis são mais felizes? Evidências do Chile e Uruguai

Baseado em dados do Latinobarómetro, este estudo analisa dados sobre felicidade para estabelecer a probabilidade de um indivíduo ser feliz. O enfoque é dado na condição de saúde auto-relatada como aspecto-chave para aumentar os níveis de felicidade. A probabilidade de ser feliz é econometricamente estimada por modelos probit para cada país. Resultados mostram que a principal relação é entre felicidade e condição de saúde. Se isto é um efeito causal ou apenas uma correlação, não está claro. Esta questão é explorada utilizando-se métodos PSM (Propensity Score Matching). Estes métodos mostram que boas condições de saúde aumentam a probabilidade de satisfação com a vida em cerca de 13 a 17 pontos percentuais. Em sintonia com a literatura, constatamos que a relação entre idade e alegria tem a forma de U, com a alegria em seu ponto mais baixo na idade de 48.2.     

Bicameralism in the Americas: around the extremes of symmetry and incongruence

Bicameral legislatures have recently attracted considerable attention in comparative literature. However, this increased interest has been uneven and insufficient to close the many gaps existing in this area of research. Latin America, a continent with a long tradition of bicameralism, has been all but ignored. This study develops a system of scores with which to measure the strength of the bicameral systems of the Americas. Twelve cases are examined: the nine current bicameral legislatures, two unicameral cases that became in the 1990s and, finally, the United States, which provides a pattern of comparison and is the model on which Latin American constitutions have been based.