Problems of assessing sibship probabilities by means of genetic analysis

Nowadays, kinship studies based only on STR analysis are a very common practice. Apart from regular paternity cases, there is a rising number of cases in which the type of sibship between two persons has to be determined. Very often the parents or further relatives are unavailable for testing, so that the probability e. g. for a half-sibship has to be calculated as a deficiency situation. 50 unrelated persons (Group 1), 50 full siblings (Group 2), and 50 half-siblings (Group 3) were genotyped using the 15 STRs comprised by the AmpFlSTR Identifiler multiplex PCR-kit to investigate the reliability of common statistics programs and the indicative value of the calculated probabilities. Using a commercially available statistics program, we calculated probabilities for the following hypotheses: 1. The persons investigated are full siblings; 2. the persons investigated are half-siblings; 3. the persons investigated are unrelated. After STR analysis, half-sibling probabilities between 0.03 %-97.56% for group 1, between 0.01%-78.46% for group 2, and between 24.28%-90.18% for group 3 were calculated. In addition, the authors present two complicated deficiency cases which could be resolved only by extensive DNA typing using X- and Y-chromosomal loci, respectively, as well as the investigation of further relatives. The results of this study suggest that typing of autosomal STRs alone is no sufficient tool for resolving cases of possible half-sibship, even if probabilities of more than 90.0% are obtained. Due to the results of our study we suggest the implementation of mandatory standards for the investigation and interpretation of complicated kinship cases.     

Syrian refugees in Turkey: multifaceted challenges,diverse players and ambiguous policies

Turkey is rapidly transforming into a country of immigration in addition to its roles as a country of emigration and of transit. Bearing in mind that existing arrangements in this policy area are increasingly replaced by new legal, administrative and institutional mechanisms, this paper aims to map out these recent changes in Turkish refugee and asylum policy. In this context, the mass influx of Syrian refugees has become an issue of particular concern due to the complex interplay between its security, humanitarian and socio-economic dimensions and the multifaceted relationship between the growing number of state and non-state institutions. The numerous reports, policy briefs and analysis generated so far, however, lack a clear analytical framework that would explain both the domestic contestation and the role of various actors in Turkish asylum debate about the Syrian refugees. This paper thus examines different perspectives and approaches of the Turkish state, local and national NGOs and international organizations regarding the policies addressing Syrian refugees in Turkey. ?     

The Rise of Linguistic Philosophy and Pragmatic Turn in Jurisprudence Research on Hart’s Jurisprudence Under Language Game

Linguistic turn from epistemology to linguistic philosophy constitutes the most important philosophy thinking foundation in 20th century western Jurisprudence. Under the background of this kind of theory current of thought H.L.A. Hart, the master of western Jurisprudence, succeeded in applying the theory of language game advocated by Wittgenstein into the research of Jurisprudence and caused the pragmatic turn of 20th century western Jurisprudence. Hart’s methodology is one of the most precious resources in Chinese Jurisprudence research, so our Jurisprudence research should learn and benefit from it.     

Hat die Moderne einen normativen Gehalt?

Das Projekt einer kritischen Gesellschaftstheorie steht und fällt seit ihren Anfängen mit der Begründung ihres normativen Standpunktes, der den Hintergrund für eine kritische Gesellschaftsdiagnose bereitstellt. Vor der Soziologie war dieser Standpunkt insofern unproblematisch, als die moderne Gesellschaft mehrere normative Diskurse pflegte, mit denen sie ihren normativen Gehalt zu rekonstruieren versuchte. Die soziologische Entdeckung der Kontingenz hat demgegenüber den Zweifel genährt, dass ein solches Projekt einer kritischen Gesellschaftstheorie unter Kontingenzbedingungen überhaupt möglich ist. Kontingenz und normative Begründung scheinen sich spätestens seit Weber auszuschließen. Adornos kritische Theorie hat versucht, dieses Problem durch zwei widerstreitende Argumente zu lösen: durch ein geschichtsphilosophisches und ein erkenntniskritisches. Das geschichtsphilosophische ist von Habermas in eine Diskurstheorie transformiert worden, während das erkenntniskritische zwar Eingang in die postmoderne Gesellschaftstheorie Baumans gefunden hat, aber durch eine anthropologische Lesart entschärft wurde. Der am Schluss des Aufsatzes vorgeschlagene Weg der Neufassung einer Begründung kritischer Gesellschaftstheorie versucht dagegen zu zeigen, dass sich aus einer erkenntniskritischen Argumentation eine normative Konsequenz ziehen lässt: Die erkenntniskritisch aufgezeigte Unbegründbarkeit von Normen ist dann nicht länger ein Argument gegen eine kritische Gesellschaftstheorie. Sondern sie zeigt, inwiefern sich die Unbegründbarkeit als normativer Gehalt der modernen Gesellschaft verstehen lässt.