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 ).     

Distribution of the HLA-DQA1 and polymarker alleles in the Basque population of Spain

HLA-DQA1 and polymarker (LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, and GC) genotypic and allelic frequencies are determined for a population sample of 102 unrelated Basque individuals using PCR-based methodology. All six loci met Hardy-Weinberg expectations in at least two of the three analyses performed (HLA-DQA1 failed to meet Hardy-Weinberg requirements in the heterozygote deficiency test). Three linkage analysis programs (GDA, GENEPOP and LINKDOS) detected possible linkage disequilibrium between LDLR and HBGG and results from one (GDA) indicated a possible non-random association between HBGG and HLA-DQA1 as well. Allelic data for the six loci are compared to that previously established for other populations (18 for polymarker alone, 16 for polymarker plus HLA-DQA1) to determine homogeneity between the Basque sample and these groups. According to the results of G-tests based on these loci, the Tadjik, a nomadic Caucasian group from western Asia, and the Basque residents are the only sample populations surveyed that are homogenous with the Basque sample. Phylogenetic analysis places the Basque sample correctly within the Caucasian cluster.     

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.     

The corporate political strategy and its integration with market strategy in transitional China

• The paper provides an integrated strategy framework of political and market strategy aiming to respond to the external environment including political issues: (1) In strategic analysis stage, firm should incorporate non‐market issue analysis, selection and evaluation mechanism; (2) In strategic choice stage, firm should expand its strategic choice scope into political fields. The paper actually explores the taxonomy of CPS in transitional China; (3) Firm should pay attention to the integration between political strategy and market strategy. Finally, some theoretical and practicing implications are provided.

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Corporal Punishment of Children: A Multi-Generational Perspective

This paper presents a study on the self-reported usage and attitudes toward corporal punishment (CP) by a four generation sample of Jewish families in Jerusalem. The study included 655 participants: 200 adolescents, 208 young mothers, 199 old mothers, and 48 grandmothers, and tested for inter-generational and familial role differences. Results have shown that participants’ attitudes toward CP correlates significantly with age group; however, it does not correlate with family role. Implications of the results for practitioners who seek to reduce usage of CP are suggested.