‘Domestic transnationalism’: legal advocacy for Mexican migrant workers' rights in Canada

Every year thousands of Mexicans travel to Canada to work in Canadian fields and greenhouses under the Mexico-Canada Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. While the programme is often praised, it has also been the subject of persistent criticism about its failure to meet certain human rights standards. In this article, we examine the legal strategies civil society advocates of migrant workers have adopted to promote migrant workers' rights in Canada. Specifically, we examine legal struggles undertaken by the United Food and Commercial Workers union to challenge Ontario government legislation that does not permit collective bargaining by farmworkers in the province. We argue that this case demonstrates that despite the fact that many of the workers involved are transnationalized, appeals to international bodies or to international human rights standards have been of limited utility in promoting their rights. Despite frequent arguments about the increased relevance of international human rights and citizenship norms and transnational human rights advocacy, in this case the national and sub-national scales remain predominant. The result, we argue, is a form of ‘domestic transnationalism’, in which domestic political actors engage in advocacy within domestic legal institutions to promote the rights of a transnational mobile labour force.     

Action research with children and adolescents working on the streets of Athens,Greece

In fieldwork with children and adolescents working on the streets of Athens, Greece, the authors applied a multidisciplinary methodology, through which participants were empowered to articulate their own voice. This article discusses some indicant themes which emerged through participants' narrations and through their active engagement in Theatre-for-Development: (1) the role of family attachment and social networks promoting the continuity of children's cultural identity; (2) their perception of working on the streets as a vital need to contribute to family income; and (3) the way young subjects resituated themselves both in their relation with the mainstream culture and within their own culture.     

MYANMAR: RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AND CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS

This article examines the experience of religious minorities in Myanmar between 2011 and 2017 in the context of the 2008 constitution and a new system of governance. It highlights the precarity of religious minorities and argues that neither the constitution nor the state were reliable sources of protection or redress during this period. The first section considers the multiple identities of religious minorities with regard to citizenship and national belonging. The second section elucidates how an enabling environment for Buddhist nationalism emerged and what types of actions state and non-state actors have taken with regard to religious minorities. The final section addresses the 2008 constitution and rule of law in Myanmar in order to understand the challenges for religious minorities in securing justice and protection.     

论欧盟管辖权:从“纵向”视角看欧盟多层级体系

从一开始,欧洲一体化就是指权力由民族国家层面向欧盟层面的让渡,它演变为各国政府之间在台面上的议价,或是一种渐变。随着欧盟管辖权这一议题被摆上欧盟宪政的议程,一体化过程被再造。现在它涉及到欧盟多层级政体的整体架构,尤其涉及不同层级之间权力是如何配置、界定以及相互关联的。本文总结了关于欧盟和成员国的国家与次国家层面之间相互关系的研究成果,尤其是关于多层级政治体制中管辖权的演变和分割的研究成果。为此,本文概述了管辖权适当配置的规范性理由、用以解释权力的有效结构的实证理论以及相关的实证研究成果。     

Harsh Discipline and Child Problem Behaviors: The Roles of Positive Parenting and Gender

This study examined harsh verbal and physical discipline and child problem behaviors in a community sample of 2,582 parents and their fifth and sixth grade children. Participants were recruited from pediatric practices, and both parents and children completed questionnaire packets. The findings indicated that boys received more harsh verbal and physical discipline than girls, with fathers utilizing more harsh physical discipline with boys than did mothers. Both types of harsh discipline were associated with child behavior problems uniquely after positive parenting was taken into account. Child gender did not moderate the findings, but one dimension of positive parenting (i.e., parental warmth) served to buffer children from the detrimental influences of harsh physical discipline. The implications of the findings for intervention programs are discussed. This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.     

Wasserentnahmeentgelt und erlaubnisfreier Eigentümergebrauch am Beispiel der Kieswäsche

Das nordrhein-westf?lische Wasserentnahmeentgeltgesetz – WasEG NRW – hat eine Vielzahl von Fragen aufgeworfen. Unternehmen der Kies- und Sandindustrie waschen das gef?rderte Rohmaterial in der Regel mit Wasser, das sie aus dem durch die Gewinnungst?tigkeit entstehenden Abgrabungsgew?sser entnehmen und nach Gebrauch wieder einleiten. Der „Wassercent“ belastet einzelne Unternehmen mit j?hrlich bis zu 1,0 Mio. Unter dem Druck des abgabenrechtlichen Zugriffs erf?hrt ein bisher wenig beachtetes Instrument Aufmerksamkeit: Der erlaubnisfreie Eigentümergebrauch. Als Eigentümergebrauch w?re die Kiesw?sche erlaubnis- und damit auch entgeltfrei. Nachdem sich die Festsetzungsbeh?rde2 – aus vorgeblich ?kologischen überlegungen – gegen die Anerkennung der Kiesw?sche als Eigentümergebrauch positioniert hat, befasst sich nunmehr auch die Rechtsprechung mit der Frage, sodass eine erste Bilanz geboten ist.     

Inter-/Intra-observer Reliability of Hand Assessment Using Skin Detail: A Count-based Method

Skin detail of the hand is used in photographic comparisons, yet its reliability has not been evaluated. This study examines a count-based method for documenting skin features. In Part I, 14 individuals counted skin features on 40 color images of the hand, three of which were repeated. An average correlation value of 0.557 was obtained for interobserver assessment; values ranged from 0.545 to 0.832 for intra-observer assessment. The variation in correlation values for hands suggests that there are certain distinguishing characteristics that increase reliability. In Part II, 17 examiners assessed 20 nonrepeated grayscale images of hands by circling skin features. An average correlation value of 0.674 was obtained, but visual assessment of examiner markings suggested some examiners grouped features whereas others viewed them individually. The results suggest further research is warranted, some hands may be more suitable for comparisons, and a standardized method for examining skin features is needed.     

Catastrophizing Mediates the Relationship Between the Personal Belief in a Just World and Pain Outcomes Among Chronic Pain Support Group Attendees

Health-related research suggests the belief in a just world can act as a personal resource that protects against the adverse effects of pain and illness. However, currently, little is known about how this belief, particularly in relation to one’s own life, might influence pain. Consistent with the suggestions of previous research, the present study undertook a secondary data analysis to investigate pain catastrophizing as a mediator of the relationship between the personal just world belief and chronic pain outcomes in a sample of chronic pain support group attendees. Partially supporting the hypotheses, catastrophizing was negatively correlated with the personal just world belief and mediated the relationship between this belief and pain and disability, but not distress. Suggestions for future research and intervention development are made.