Prevalence of Spousal Violence and Associated Risk Factors: Facts from Pakistan Demographics and Health Survey 2012–13

The current study aims to investigate the risk factors associated with the prevalence of spousal violence among the women from 15 to 49 years of age in Pakistan in their marital relationship. Secondary data collected in Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2012–2013 is used. In the survey, respondents were selected using probability sampling technique from all the four provinces of Pakistan. Modified and shortened version of Conflict Tactics Scale is used to measure physical and psychological spousal violence among the women perpetuated by their ever husbands. Prevalence of physical, psychological, any type of spousal violence and associated risk factors were analyzed by unadjusted odd ratios (OR) and adjusted odd ratios (aOR). Education, profession, ethnicity and wealth index are found significant risk factors associated with spousal violence. Odds of experiencing spousal violence were higher among the poorer (aOR 1.700 CI 1.272–2.271) as compared to their richer counterparts. Moreover, the prevalence of spousal violence was found the highest (aOR 2.730 CI 2.162–3.447) in Pushton ethnic group. The study recommends improving the literacy rate and economic well-being of the poorer to address the problem of spousal violence in Pakistan.     

Pakistan-China Friendly Relations Are Deep Rooted

On the eve of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of Pakistan-China Diplomatic Relations,a special function was jointly organized in March by     

60 Golden Years of Pak-China Relations

Since establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in May 1951,China and Pakistan have developed an all-season friendship which is based on equality,brotherhood and overall cooperation.In the past 60 years,the two countries have carried out multi-dimensional cooperation in varied fields.Despite unstable international situation,the China-Pakistan friendship remained strong and vibrant.This is only because both the countries enjoy high respect and trust over each other.Recent years have witne...     

Negative governmentality through fundamental rights: The far side of the European Convention on Human Rights

This essay analyses those statements that mention legal norms in negative terms. Specifically, it analyses those statements that define a legal system by mentioning how legal protection does not work and where legal protection ends, and those statements that identify what rights‐holders do not have to with their legally protected free capacities. This essay argues that these statements address a systemic question. It calls such a dynamic as negative governmentality. The argument proceeds in four steps. It introduces the concept of negative governmentality by arguing that the idea of freedom requires both the positive affirmation of moral agency and the constraining of moral agency (Section 2 ). It then explores how rights constitute freedom by limiting rights or making exceptions to them (Section 3 ). Later, it analyses how rights‐based norms prevent abuse of rights by holders of rights (Section 4 ). Finally, it sees how rights‐based norms constrain the legal guarantor of rights, i.e., a state (Section 5 ). The essay concludes by mentioning the importance of negative governmentality (Section 6 ).     

The village institutes experience in Turkey

This paper sheds light on the Village Institutes experience in Turkey from the late 1930s to the mid‐1940s. The Institutes have given rise to many academic and political controversies, and have remained an issue of confusion. This was owing partly to the lack of understanding of the real nature of the growing interest by the Kemalist elite in rural issues in the 1930s, and partly to the way that the power and importance of peasantist ideology had been underestimated, especially as it had gained wide currency amongst the governing elite in the 1930s and 1940s. This article begins by analyzing the historical and intellectual context of the period, and moves on to the development of the concept of the Village Institutes, assessing its most important and controversial characteristics. Finally, a new theoretical interpretation is offered within a critique of existing, widely‐held explanations that have dominated the theoretical literature on the issue for so long.     

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) development projects and entrepreneurial potential of locals

This research explores a very important issue arising from the initiation of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan, as the major impact seems to be focused towards small businesses and how they will cope in this competitive market once Chinese businesses enter in the country. According to scholars and officials, CPEC will generate several business opportunities for the local Pakistani community. However, studies related to the CPEC project are limited and only focused on the development of the CPEC project in various aspects alone. The existing study examined the local entrepreneur's attitude and intention in the context of CPEC using a sample of 255 survey questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were gathered from the existing business community in Karachi, Pakistan. The results validated most of the hypotheses showing positive attitude towards entrepreneurs and intention towards CPEC development project. Specifically, local transportation and accessibility of cities show a significant relationship with a positive attitude. Similarly, the attitude of entrepreneurs also shows a positive relationship with entrepreneur's intention towards CPEC development projects. Findings have important theoretical and practical implications for policymakers of CPEC in creating an overall entrepreneurial ecosystem.     

A semiotic analysis of intergeneric borrowings in print advertisements in Jordan

This paper presents a semiotic analysis of Arabic print advertisements in Jordan. In particular it investigates the phenomenon of intergeneric borrowings. The focus of the study is to provide interpretation of the connoted meanings of these borrowings in light of the sociocultural context that has given rise to them. It also aims to show how these borrowings and the other signs intersemiotically complement each other to achieve their communicative function. To this end, a variety of print advertisements were collected from three major daily newspapers in Jordan, Al-Rai, Ad-Dustour, and Al-Ghad. The analysis draws on Chandler's model of semiotic analysis. The analysis has revealed that the borrowings in the sample data represent specific values derived from the viewers’ sociocultural and ideological repertoire. Some of them have the functions of building rapport through creating a celebrative or humorous atmosphere, word play, word replacement, and ambiguity connoted by references to popular culture and mundane situations, while some have the function of creating credibility, commitment, and morality through references to religious discourse and cultural memory.     

Performance appraisal in the Maldives public service: challenges and issues

A structured method of evaluating and rewarding the performance of employees in the Maldives public service did not exist before 1996. Personnel decisions, such as employee promotions, were subjective and based merely on the recommendation of the heads of departments. Hence, in 1996, the Government of Maldives introduced a performance appraisal system, based on rewarding employees through the assessment of several factors such as quality of work, job knowledge and performance. The reward came in the form of annual salary increments. In reviewing this system, the article finds that human resource units or divisions within departments now need to be strengthened for the effective implementation of the system; more training has to be provided to public service employees in terms of raising their awareness as to the objectives of the performance appraisal exercise; and the performance appraisal framework needs to be more flexible in differentiating very high performers, at the same time devising a strategy for the improvement of employees who slack in performance. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.