Book reviews

Cyril Smith, Marx at the Millennium, (Pluto Press, London 1996). 182pp. ISBN 0–7453–100–1 (pb).

Hans‐Henrik Holm and Georg Sørensen (eds), Whose World Order? Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War, (Westview Press, Boulder 1995). x.+246pp. ISBN 0–8133–2187–5 (pb).

David A.Smith and József Böröcz (eds), A New World Order? Global Transformations in the Late Twentieth Century, (Praeger, Westport 1995). xii+253pp. ISBN 0–275–95122–7.

Frank E. Manuel, A Requiem for Karl Marx, (Harvard University Press, 1995). 270pp. ISBN 0–674–76326–2.

Hanna Behrend (ed.), German Unification: the Destruction of an Economy, (Pluto Press, London 1995). 232pp. ISBN 0–7453–1003–6.

David Miller, On Nationality, (Clarendon Press, Oxford 1995). 210pp. ISBN 0–19–828047–5.

Thom Keuhls, Beyond Sovereign Territory: The Space of Ecopolitics, (Borderlines Vol. 4, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis 1996). 168 pp. ISBN 0–8166–2467–4 (hb), 0–8166–2468–2 (pb).     

The Continued Relevance of Local Parties in Representative Democracies

This article assesses the value of local parties. It asks why political parties value their local sections. It also considers the ways in which local parties can benefit society. Local parties act as a democratic training ground for party members, are a conduit for political communication and provide parties with a range of resources. They also act as problem solving agencies; they ensure that policy is responsive to local needs; they provide an additional channel of communication and accountability; and they link citizens with the state. The article ends with an appeal to party scholars to refocus their attention towards local parties.     

Identification of members of the genera Panaeolus and Psilocybe by a DNA test. A preliminary test for hallucinogenic fungi

Abuse of hallucinogens produced by the fungal genera Psilocybe and Panaeolus are a growing problem. Five species from each of the two genera were examined in this preliminary research and a method that will unambiguously identify fungal samples as being of one of these two genera has been developed. The method uses genus specific DNA sequences within the Internal Transcribed Spacer of the ribosomal gene complex. Amplification of a common DNA product and a genus specific product results in two identifiable products, which facilitates the unambiguous identification of material from these two fungi to generic level.     

Exploring Factors Which Lead to Successful Reunification in Domestic Violence Cases: Interviews with Caseworkers

This exploratory study investigated factors that Child Protective Service caseworkers believe lead to change for the domestic violence abuser and victim, and ultimately lead to success in terms of reunifying children who have been removed from their parents due to domestic violence. In-depth interviews with six caseworkers examined both successful reunification cases and unsuccessful reunification cases. The interview was structured around three areas of interest: services, the caseworker’s relationship with the parents, and social supports, in order to identify variables that may influence the family’s ability (or inability) to make the necessary changes for reunification with their children. Results revealed that successful reunifications took place within the families who fully engaged in services, admitted the issues within the family home, set clear boundaries with each other, and sought and maintained an appropriate support system. Implications for caseworkers involved with families experiencing domestic violence, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.     

'An Unqualified Human Good': E.P. Thompson and the Rule of Law

The late E.P. Thompson described himself as 'a historian in the Marxist tradition' But when he embraced the Rule of Law (in Whigs and Hunters , many of his colleagues on the left ostracized him as an apostate. This essay argues that Thompson's critics have largely misunderstood what he meant by the Rule of Law. His was a minimal and historical conception, which merely sought to distinguish states whose rulers had unfettered discretion from states whose rulers were constrained by legal rules, whatever their source and contents. Also, in contrast to other radical theorists, Thompson recognized that law would be a necessary institution in any complex society, no matter what its economic basis, to mediate social relations. The essay concludes with some thoughts about the relevancy of Thompson's conception of the Rule of Law for ongoing efforts to revitalize a more `radical liberalism'.     

In-Group Love Versus Out-Group Hate: Which Is More Important to Partisans and When?

Political Behavior - Recent evidence indicates that partisans discriminate against those from the opposing party. However, it is still unclear whether partisan out-group prejudice reveals a desire...