Book Review: Troubled Talk and Talking Cures: From “Smart Talk” to Wise Conversations

Interpersonal communication is widely viewed as both a source of conflict in many social relationships and a cure-all for resolving such conflict. Some theorists assert that we simply do not interact, or talk, enough in modern society; others point out that our communication styles seem increasingly argumentative, exclude important potential contributors, or are strategically facile but shallow. The author discusses the various forms of dysfunctional talk in which people engage, then reviews four recent books, all of which focus (at least in part) on how we might talk (and negotiate) with one another more constructively: Bargaining for Advantage, by G. Richard Shell; Winning 'Em Over, by Jay C. Conger; Difficult Conversations, by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen; and The Magic of Dialogue by Daniel Yankelovich.     

Teen pregnancy in New Orleans: Factors that differentiate teens who deliver,abort, and successfully contracept

This study reports findings from interviews with three groups of black teenagers: child bearers (n=136), terminators (n=92), and contraceptors (never been pregnant,n=151). The focus of this research is to describe the differences between these three groups of teenagers in an attempt to identify factors that may best differentiate the groups. The findings suggest that, among the teens who became pregnant, motivation to use contraceptives may be the key factor. More than 86% of these teens knew about contraceptives at the time they became pregnant and nearly three-quarters knew where to obtain contraceptives. However, only 16% of teens who became pregnant reported to be using a contraceptive at the time they became pregnant. Education about the availability and mode of contraceptive use is essential.Funding was provided by the Research Council, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.Received her MPH from Tulane School of Public Health. Major interest is evaluation research of population programs.She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago. Her major interest is evaluation of family planning programs.Received her M.D. and MPH from Tulane University. Current research interests are nutritional status of adolescent mothers and their children; growth and development of children and sex education.Received her Ph.D. from Purdue University. Her research interests are categorical data analysis and research design.     

Horizontal accountability and the challenges for democratic consolidation in Africa: evidence from Liberia

Why are most African emerging democracies failing to consolidate and reach the two-turnover test? Most scholars attribute this to the poor quality of elections and limited institutionalization of vertical accountability, overlooking some important variables. This article challenges this conception both theoretically and empirically by focusing on the quality of horizontal accountability illustrated by observations of comparative interest in Liberia's emerging democracy. Since the end of Liberia's bloody civil war in 2003, two successive and successful democratic elections (2005 and 2011) have been organized, putting Liberia on the path towards democratic consolidation. When analysing the electoral mechanism of vertical2016 accountability, many scholars have been enthusiastic about the prospects of democratic consolidation in Liberia, most of them neglecting the horizontal accountability processes that are also crucial for the quality and durability of democracy. This article analyses the processes and challenges of democratic consolidation in Liberia by focusing on key institutions of horizontal accountability. It argues that although the country has made some progress towards democratization since 2005, the domination and centralization of executive power, weak and dependent institutions of horizontal accountability (legislature, judiciary, national elections commission, general auditing commission, and anti-corruption commission) are major challenges to the consolidation of democracy. These findings have important implications for our understanding of horizontal accountability and democratic consolidation in African emerging democracies.     

From the Streets to the Courtroom: The Legacies of Quebec's anti-SLAPP Movement

Years of social mobilization and sustained political lobbying led to the recent adoption of anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) legislation in Quebec. While this achievement was largely seen as a victory by the organizations that led the campaign towards the enactment of anti-SLAPP measures, many questions remain about the level of protection offered by the new law to citizens of the province. This article aims to address these questions and will be divided into three parts. The first section will briefly contextualize Quebec's new legislation within the larger Canadian framework. The second section will explore the social and political processes that led to the enactment of the legislation. Finally, we will examine the provisions of Bill 9 in order to determine whether it provides an appropriate response to SLAPP suits.     

Scrolling Around the New Organization: The Potential for Conflict in the On-Line Environment

The technological revolution has created as many challenges as opportunities for managers in today's organizations. Besides wandering around to manage, scrolling around on a computer screen has become common-place. This article reviews four key technology-caused challenges facing managers in the workplace, chiefly as the result of communication via e-mail. Specifically, the author focuses on what research to date informs us about negotiation and conflict resolution in an electronic environment.     

Are We Human? Edgework in Defiance of the Mundane and Measurable

Edgework can be a useful heuristic tool in producing counter-statements about Orthodox Criminology, where the measurable has arguably become more important than the meaningful. This paper focuses on the embodied experiential nexus of culture and crime in which criminology is taught, administered, and investigated. The Burkean framework of Dramatism is used to reveal how collective creative productions by students can provide insight into the political context of the contemporary criminology classroom. Through an analysis of instant ethnographies penned by participants of a flash mob I illustrate how the role of autonomy and responsibility are not resources that students readily draw upon to understand themselves in relation to the production of knowledge and social change. These observations support some of the concerns raised by Cultural Criminologist about the rise of administrative criminology. In the spirit of detournement, I argue that one way to facilitate student engagement with knowledge production differently is to invite them to experience moments of embodied transgressions.