From Victimization to Criminalization: General Strain Theory and the Relationship Between Poly-victimization and Delinquency

Although it is well established that victimization and delinquency are related, it is not clear how this relationship works, and victims and offenders are still often studied and treated as two distinct groups. General strain theory views victimization as a form of injustice, which can give rise to anger and eventually lead to delinquency. The authors examine victimization, in particular polyvictimization, as a criminogenic factor. Based on a sample of 1,400 youths 12–17 years old in Quebec (Canada), they examine polyvictimization in relation to delinquency as well as negative emotions that can result from victimization namely anger, depression, and posttraumatic stress. The findings show support for general strain theory and highlight the importance of anger for the relationship between victimization and juvenile delinquency.     

Religious revival,nationalism and the ‘invention of tradition’: political Tengrism in Central Asia and Tatarstan

This article aims to analyse the birth of a new ideological movement called ‘Tengrism’. According to its theoreticians, Tengrism represents a key element in the identity renewal of Turkic–Mongol peoples and should be adopted as the official religion by the new states of the region. This paper enquires into the ways in which Tengrism is being politically deployed in the service of post-Soviet nationalisms in Kyrgyzstan and Tatarstan and to a lesser extent, in Kazakhstan, Bashkortostan and Buryatia. Although the ideologues of Tengrism may be marginal to the political mainstream, it is nonetheless important to analyse the role of ‘ethnicized’ forms of religious expression and their relationship with the search for post-Soviet national identities.     

Fingermark detection based on the in situ growth of luminescent nanoparticles--towards a new generation of multimetal deposition

The in situ deposition of zinc oxide on gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution has been here successfully applied in the field of fingermark detection on various non-porous surfaces. In this article, we present the improvement of the multimetal deposition, an existing technique limited up to now to non-luminescent results, by obtaining luminescent fingermarks with very good contrast and details. This is seen as a major improvement in the field in terms of selectivity and sensitivity of detection, especially on black surfaces.     

Preparation of a Ytterbium‐tagged Gunshot Residue Standard for Quality Control in the Forensic Analysis of GSR

Preparation of a ytterbium‐tagged gunshot residue (GSR) reference standard for scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopic (SEM‐EDS) microanalysis is reported. Two different chemical markers, ytterbium and neodymium, were evaluated by spiking the primers of 38 Special ammunition cartridges (no propellant, no projectile) and discharging them onto 12.7 mm diameter aluminum SEM pin stubs. Following SEM‐EDS microanalysis, the majority of tri‐component particles containing lead, barium, and antimony (PbBaSb) were successfully tagged with the chemical marker. Results demonstrate a primer spiked with 0.75% weight percent of ytterbium nitrate affords PbBaSb particles characteristic of GSR with a ytterbium inclusion efficiency of between 77% and 100%. Reproducibility of the method was verified, and durability of the ytterbium‐tagged tri‐component particles under repeated SEM‐EDS analysis was also tested. The ytterbium‐tagged PbBaSb particles impart synthetic traceability to a GSR reference standard and are suitable for analysis alongside case work samples, as a positive control for quality assurance purposes.     

Ink Dating Using Thermal Desorption and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry: Comparison of Results Obtained in Two Laboratories

An ink dating method based on solvent analysis was recently developed using thermal desorption followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and is currently implemented in several forensic laboratories. The main aims of this work were to implement this method in a new laboratory to evaluate whether results were comparable at three levels: (i) validation criteria, (ii) aging curves, and (iii) results interpretation. While the results were indeed comparable in terms of validation, the method proved to be very sensitive to maintenances. Moreover, the aging curves were influenced by ink composition, as well as storage conditions (particularly when the samples were not stored in “normal” room conditions). Finally, as current interpretation models showed limitations, an alternative model based on slope calculation was proposed. However, in the future, a probabilistic approach may represent a better solution to deal with ink sample inhomogeneity.     

The two faces of contemporary Eurasianism: an imperial version of Russian nationalism

Stephen Blank, The Sorcerer as Apprentice: Stalin as Commissar of Nationalities, 1917–1924. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994, ix, 295 pp.

Coit D. Blacker, Hostage to Revolution: Gorbachev and Soviet security policy, 1985–1991, New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993, xviii, 239 pp.

John E. Tedstrom (ed.), Socialism, Perestroika and the Dilemmas of Soviet Economic Reform. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, xix., 239 pp.

Hall Gardner, Surviving the Millennium: American global strategy, the collapse of the Soviet empire, and the question of peace. Westport, Conneticut, London: Praeger, 1994, xiv, 263 pp.

Richard G. Robbins, Jr., The Tsar's Viceroys: Russian provincial governors in the last years of the empire. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1987, xiv, 249 pp.

Anthony L. H. Rhinelander, Prince Michael Vorontsov: viceroy to the tsar. Montreal, Quebec: McGill‐Queen's University Press, 1990, viii, 279 pp., illus.

George Nekrasov, North of Gallipoli: the Black Sea fleet at war 1914–1917. East European Monographs, No. CCCXLIII; distributed by Columbia University Press, New York, 1992, vi, 167 pp. + appendices, 12 plates and 45 photographs.

Frederick Starr (ed.), The Legacy of History in Russia and the New States of Eurasia. The International Politics of Eurasia. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994, xiii, 313 pp.

Gail W. Lapidus (ed.), The New Russia: troubled transformation. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1995, 280 pp.

Donald D. Barry (ed.), Toward the “Rule of Law” in Russia? Political and Legal Reform in the Transition Period. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1992, 402 pp.

Deborah Anne Palmieri (ed.), Russia and the NIS in the World Economy: East‐West investment, financing, and trade. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1994, 180 pp. + chronology, selected bibliograph, and index.

Joseph Held, Dictionary of East European History Since 1945. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1995, 497 pp. + index.

Janusz Bugajski, Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe: a guide to nationality policies, organizations, and parties. Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994, xxvi, 493 pp. + map.

Jaroslav Pelikan, Confessor Between East and West: a portrait of Ukrainian Cardinal Josyf Slipyj. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1990, xiv, 249 pp. + illus.

Rudolf A. Mark, Galizien unter österreichischer Herrschaft. Verwaltung‐Kirche‐Bevölkerung. Marburg: Historische und landeskundliche Ostmitteleuropa‐Studien, Bd. 13, 1994, 132 Seiten, 7 Karten.

Barbara Dotts Paul, The Polish‐German Borderlands: an annotated bibliography. Westwood, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994, vi, 201 pp. [Bibliographies and Indices in World History, Number 35].

Bela Borsi‐Kalman, Hungarian Exiles and the Romanian National Movement, 1849–1867. Trans. by Eva Palmai. Highland Lakes, New Jersey: Atlantic Research and Publications, 1991.

Stanley B. Winters (ed.), Robert A. Kann. Dynasty, Politics, and Culture. Selected Essays. Boulder, Colorado: Social Science Monographs; distributed by Columbia University Press, 1991, xvi, 444 pp.

Spira, Thomas, The German‐Hungarian‐Swabian Triangle: the road to discord. Boulder, Colorado: East European Monographs, No. CCLXXXV. East European Quarterly, Distributed by Columbia University Press, 1990, iii, 275 pp. + bibliography and index.

Hugh Poulton, The Balkans: minorities and states in conflict. London: Minority Rights Group, 1993, x, 262 pp. + illus. and maps.

Georg Von Rauch, The Baltic States: the years of independence, 1917–1940. New York: St Martin's Press, 1994, xvii, 241 pp. + bibliography, appendices and index.

Mart Laar, War in the Woods, Estonia's Struggle for Survival. Translated from the Estonian by Tiina Ets, Washington, DC: The Compass Press, 1992, 272 pp. + illust.

Joan Serafin (ed.), East‐Central Europe in the 1990s, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1994, x, 256 pp.

Yuri Rost, Armenian Tragedy: an eye‐witness account of human conflict and natural disaster in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Foreword by Andrei Sakharov, translated by Elizabeth Roberts, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990, xii, 193 pp.

Shafiqul Islam and Michael Mandelbaum (eds), Making Markets, New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993, ix, 238 pp. + illust.

Beatrice Manz (ed.), Central Asia in Historical Perspective, Boulder, Colorado: West‐view Press, 1994, 219 pp. + appendix, index.

H. B. Paksoy (ed.) Central Asia Reader: the rediscovery of history, Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994, ix, 200 pp. + index.

Ahmed Rashid, The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or nationalism?, Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: Zed Books, 1994, v‐x., 252 pp. + appendix, bibliography, index.     

Sondage auprès des fonctionnaires fédéraux : Synthèse des contributions canadiennes à la recherche

For about twenty years, Public Administration scholars have used the data from the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) for their research. Two studies evaluated the uses of data, measurement models and internal validity of the U.S. government’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), and none on the use of PSES data. The article reviews studies that used Canadian PSES data to promote social science research and seeks to stimulate discussion of PSES's future and opportunities for strategic human resources research in Canada. [The table most useful for researchers is available here in English: Table 3. Aggregation of PSES Elements Assigned to Theoretical Constructs.]     

Age estimation from quantitation of features of "chest plate" X-rays

This study presents a method for estimating the age at death from the quantitation of roentgenologic features of X-ray films of chest plates obtained during routine autopsies. Multiple linear regression analysis allows estimation of coefficients of regression of features on known age-at-death individuals. The regression equation can be used in turn for age estimation of an unknown age-at-death individual. The accuracy of age estimation is about +/- 8.4 years (standard error) which is in the range of previously published macroscopic methods, though the present method is much faster and simpler.     

Rousseau on Freedom in Commercial Society

Rousseau consistently declares that commercial society prevents us from being free because it makes us dependent on others and on endless desires in ways we cannot control. Yet, in Emile, Rousseau makes the surprising claim that it is possible for an elite to be free in commercial society. This possibility reveals a third way between the model of man and of citizen, that is, the model of natural man in society. I argue that it provides an original way of resisting dependence through a combination of distance from corrupt values and adaptation to the mechanisms of the economic market. Emile’s ultimate function, however, is critical in addition to being practical and pedagogical. By following Emile's experiences, the reader learns the unbearably high cost of commercial society: Freedom within it is impoverished and available only to the few.     

Preference for the Diversity Policy Label Versus the Affirmative Action Policy Label

Study 1 assessed associations with the labels “diversity policy” (DP) and “affirmative action policy” (AAP) and perceptions of potential policy components. Student and community participants (N = 143) completed a survey assessing associations with one of the policy labels. Both policies evoked similar associations such as “race/minorities” and “equality/equal opportunity,” but the AAP was more often associated with “bias/inequality/discrimination,” “unfairness,” and “racism/prejudice.” When rating potential policy components, reverse discrimination was considered more likely under the AAP. In Study 2 we explored the evaluation of equivalent policy components associated with different policy labels. Student participants (N = 126) rated the policy labeled as the DP more favorably than the AAP. Both studies suggest more favorable attitudes toward the DP label.