Social perception of rape victims

Since 1975, 40 states have enacted “rape shield” statustes which limit the admissibility of a rape victim's prior sexual history in court. These reforms have assumed that jurors regard prior sexual history evidence as much too probative of a victim's credibility and moral character, and that such perceptions have a prejudicial impact on the outcome of the jury decision process. The present research adopted an attributional analysis in order to examine the extent to which the types of legal reform affect social perception of the victim as well as the conviction rate in a videotaped consent defense rape trial. A large-scale jury simulation experiment was conducted with qualified jurors from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Jurors either viewed an Improbable or Probable Likelihood of (victim) Consent version of the trial, with admission of prior sexual history evidence governed by one of three types of exclusionary rules. The results lend credence to the reformist contention that a rape victim is “on trial” along with the accused. Jurors were reluctant to convict when any testimony about prior sexual history was introduced. Moreover, jurors' close scrutiny of the victim's credibility and moral character was directly related to the conviction rate. Only the most restrictive evidentiary rule, when applied to an Improbable Consent case, curtailed the inference of victim consent, enhanced victim credibility, and increased the likelihood of conviction. Some of the legal and attributional implications of these findings were discussed.     

Polish Return and Double Return Migration

Regional surveys indicate that about half the Poles who migrated since 2004 are living back in Poland. However, surveys of returnees also suggest that most are not committed to settling. This article explores why, looking at re-integration problems common worldwide, but also at the specifics of post-communist Poland, such as regional inequalities, job insecurity and low social trust. Although many returnees will continue to migrate temporarily, for others (notably those aged around 30) the experience of failed return to Poland inclines them to settle abroad. Such double return migrants engage in new, less transnational livelihood strategies, integrating more abroad and burning bridges back to Poland.     

Vindictive but vulnerable: Paradoxical representations of women as demonstrated in internet discourse surrounding an anti-rape technology

Much media interest surrounded a campaign to raise funds to distribute 30,000 Rape-aXe condoms to women during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The barbed device is worn inside the vagina and attaches to a penis upon penetration. This paper presents an analysis of popular attitudes towards women and rape as identified from comments made upon online news websites and popular blogs in response to this technology. Two over-arching representations emerged; first, that the Rape-aXe would be employed as a weapon for vengeance and deceit, and second, that it was a means of helping women negotiate risk. We argue that such paradoxical representations of women as simultaneously vindictive and vulnerable make problematic the utility of such an anti-rape device. We suggest that the cultural entrenchment of stereotypical and negative attitudes towards women needs to be recognized and counter-acted upon before rape intervention measures, like the Rape-aXe, can have any positive effect.     

A Modest Proposal? Basic Capital vs. Higher Education Subsidies

All young adults have a morally significant interest in having adequate opportunity for ambition formation. At present governments typically spend large amounts in support of young adults, such as in the form of higher education subsidies, but we do not ask if this expenditure is the most equitable way of ensuring adequate opportunity for ambition formation for all young adults. Would it be more equitable and desirable to use the resources to pay every young adult a capital grant on maturity rather than for higher education subsidies? The article considers a range of arguments against this basic capital proposal and in defence of education subsidies. It concludes that the case for the basic capital policy is strong, although it is not possible to say that it is definitely preferable in the absence of empirical research that is beyond the scope of this article.     

Analysing wellbeing: a framework for development practice

This article presents a framework for analysing wellbeing in development practice, drawing on the work of the Wellbeing in Developing Countries Research Group (WeD). Wellbeing is viewed as a social process with material, relational, and subjective dimensions. Wellbeing may be assessed at individual and collective levels, but at base is something that happens in relationship – between individual and collective; between local and global; between people and state. The article considers potential hazards in taking wellbeing as focus, and concludes by considering what real difference such a focus could make.     

Crack Propagation in Teeth: A Comparison of Perimortem and Postmortem Behavior of Dental Materials and Cracks*

Abstract: This study presents a new method for understanding postmortem heat-induced crack propagation patterns in teeth. The results demonstrate that patterns of postmortem heat-induced crack propagation differ from perimortem and antemortem trauma-induced crack propagation patterns. Dental material of the postmortem tooth undergoes dehydration leading to a shrinking and more brittle dentin material and a weaker dentin-enamel junction. Dentin intertubule tensile stresses are amplified by the presence of the pulp cavity, and initiates crack propagation from the internal dentin, through the dentin-enamel junction and lastly the enamel. In contrast, in vivo perimortem and antemortem trauma-induced crack propagation initiates cracking from the external surface of the enamel toward the dentin-enamel junction where the majority of the energy of the crack is dissipated, eliminating the crack’s progress into the dentin. These unique patterns of crack propagation can be used to differentiate postmortem taphonomy-induced damage from antemortem and perimortem trauma in teeth.