Control,consent and political legitimacy

In this essay, I evaluate Philip Pettit’s theory of republican political legitimacy and maintain that it fails to provide a more satisfactory account of legitimacy than consent-based theories. I advance two interrelated theses. First, I argue that in so far as Pettit successfully narrows the scope that his theory of political legitimacy has to address, his arguments could be adapted to support consent-based theories. Second, I argue that Pettit’s theory fails to satisfy the high standards it sets for itself and is thus unsuccessful. My critique focuses on Pettit’s notions of historical, political and normative necessity, before evaluating whether his requirement of equally individualised popular control of government should be endorsed.     

Evaluating the Cultural Fit of an Approach for Practice Model Development for Tribal Child Welfare

Three American Indian tribes utilized Business Process Mapping (BPM) as a tool to develop culturally-based tribal child welfare practice models. This study employed a multi-methods design to evaluate the cultural fit of BPM when used in tribal settings. Findings indicated that although programs considered BPM a “mainstream” intervention, each still found the process to be an effective means of creating models reflecting child welfare practice within tribal cultural contexts. Findings further suggested that BPM can, however, benefit from examination of how it might better articulate cultural values and norms, as well as differences between tribal and mainstream child welfare approaches.     

Lessons from urban risk assessments in Latin American and Caribbean cities

This paper draws on the results from a recent World Bank-funded project designed to inform policy-making and climate change adaptation planning in small and medium-sized cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The focus was on floods and landslides, which are the two most common climate-related risks in cities across the region. The project allowed the application of the Urban Risk Assessment (URA) tool developed by the World Bank and the drawing of valuable lessons which may also be applicable to the many methods and tools available for climate change adaptation planning in the rapidly urbanising cities of developing countries.     

Review and commentary

“A” in politics, “C” in science

Michael R. Beschloss: Mayday: Eisenhower, Khruschev and the U‐2 Affair Harper & Row, New York, 1986, 494 p., $19.95.

Plausible deniability and waging war

Prados, John: A Review of Presidents’ Secret Wars. William Morrow and Co., New York, 1987 436 p., $19,95.

Mission impossible?

Nicholas Bethell: Betrayed. Times Books, New York, 1985, 206 p., $15.95

Spies, Deja Vu

Thierry Welton: Le KGB en France Bernard Grasset, Paris, 1986,340 p., 480 Fr.

She had no future, but oh what a past!

Russell Warren Howe: Mata Hari: The True Story Dodd & Mead, New York, 1986,292 p., $17.95.

Away but not forgotten

Vladislav Krasnov: Soviet Defectors: The KGB Wanted List Hoover Institution, Stanford, Calif., 1986, 264 p., $16.95.

Cryptanalysis reexplored

Thomas Parrish: The Ultra Americans: The U.S. Role in Breaking the Nazi Codes Stein and Day, New York, 1986, p. 338, $19.95.

Robert J. Lamphere and Tom Shachtman: The FBI‐KGB War: A Special Agent's Story Random House, New York, 1986, p. 320, $18.95

Cipher A. Deavours and Louis Kruh: Machine Cryptography and Modern Cryptanalysis Artech House, Dedham, Md., 1985, 259 pp.     

Bellamy’s Looking Backward, 2000–1887, Globalism,and Race

This essay first considers the type of world that Edward Bellamy envisioned for the future and then holds his vision up for review. His society’s good points are discussed as well as the areas where Bellamy retains some of his 19th‐century limitations, especially where it comes to women’s role in the future. Because Bellamy did briefly turn to the international scene, the essay puts his version of international relations into the context of 21st‐century globalization. It is in this realm that Bellamy admits that his utopia is incomplete, a striking statement. Yet it is in the final realm of analysis—race—that Bellamy’s utopia is most swiftly criticized, since there are no people of color in America but they are to be found elsewhere on the planet. Finally, the article finishes with a few thoughts on the value of writing and reading fiction of this kind.     

The effects of marital breakdown on offending: results from a prospective longitudinal survey of males

Abstract

We examined the factors that predicted marital separation in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, which is a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males. We found that dishonesty, having a wife with a conviction(s), convictions, a poor relationship with parents, no exams passed, unprotected sex and having a shotgun marriage predicted marital breakdown. Males from broken homes due to marital conflict had a moderate risk of suffering marital breakdown themselves but the effect was mediated by having conviction(s). An analysis in which separated men were matched with controls on age at marriage, prior convictions and a propensity score predicting the likelihood of separation showed that a man's convictions increased after becoming separated. However, if a man formed a new intimate relationship, the increase in convictions after separation was reduced.     

Paradoxical and double-bind communication in treatment for people who sexually offend

Abstract

At its most fundamental structural level, treatment for people who sexually offend has inherently paradoxical elements. These involve questions about efficacy, the balance of community safety and client autonomy and responsibility for meaningful change. These elements can create further forms of paradoxical and double-bind communication within the treatment experience itself. This paper explores this communication and its potentially harmful effects on clients, therapy and community safety, particularly in light of the schemas, implicit theories and cognitive deficits exhibited by people with histories of sexually offending behaviour. It is intended to suggest topics for consideration in solving clinical dilemmas and preventing harm to therapeutic relationships.