Who completes batterer's treatment groups? An empirical investigation

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences that could discriminate among batterers who completed a violence treatment program and batterers who dropped out after intake, but prior to or during treatment. A discriminant analysis of a variety of demographic and psychological variables showed a significant difference between the completers group and the other two groups of batterers. Men who completed treatment reported fewer indirect threats of violence, had a higher level of education, were more likely to be employed full time, witnessed abuse more often in their family of origin, were less likely to be victims of child abuse, scored higher on the FIRO-B subscale of expressed control and had more children. Further research needs to be done to assess how these variables influence the batterers during treatment and to help dropouts successfully complete treatment.     

Factors influencing the use of the “truth in sentencing” law in Kentucky murder cases: A research note

This study is based upon a data set on the capital sentencing process in Kentucky. Here, we examine the effect of Kentucky’s “truth in sentencing” statute on murder cases. The evidence suggests that a sentence of life without possibility of parole can serve as an alternative to capital sentencing that avoids racial discrimination. This paper is based upon a report that was developed in response to Kentucky Senate Bill 8-Bias Related Crime Reporting passed by the 1992 Kentucky General Assembly. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Fonda Butler of the Kentucky Justice Cabinet, Dale Helton of the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Kathy Black-Dennis, Colleen E. Williams, and Bill Clark of the Kentucky Department of Corrections, and James Oakes, Greg Bucholtz, and Jeanne M. Fenn, our graduate research associates at the University of Louisville.     

Federalism and Segmented Communication in the USSR

Federalism in Soviet state structure, granting nominal equalityin political rights to major nationality groups residing indefined ethnoterritories, perserves to some extent, the culturalidentity of communities defined by common national or religiousheritage. Centralism in party ideological work seeks to integratea heterogeneous population by inculcating loyalty to a transcendentSoviet identity and to prevent mobilization along nationality(or other) social cleavages. Party personnel policy gives mobilityopportunities to national elites within, but rarely across,national republics, while reinforcing Moscow's domination ofparty and government relations with individual republics. Allpublicly disseminated information is subject to party ideologicalcontrols, but communications channels based in federal ethnoterritories,using native-language media, foreign radio broadcasts, and word-of-mouthchannels tend to strengthen the identity of nationality andreligious groups. Religious ties and contacts with members ofthe nationality abroad also counteract ideological centralization.However, segmented communication helps in turn to reinforcepolitical centralism and Russian dominance.     

Citizen participation and judgment in policy analysis: A case study of urban air quality policy

The emphasis currently placed on citizen participation in planning results in part from the recognition that planning requires judgments that have both value and technical components. This article describes a case study of a citizen participation process in which planners' judgments, rather than the judgments of the members of a citizens' task force, seemed to dictate the outcome. Although citizens were supposed to be influential in the policy analysis, they were, in effect, excluded from a meaningful role in the process. The analysis was actually guided by planners' supposedly technical judgments. Those judgments had important value implications, however, and those implications were not made clear to the citizens' task force. Examples are given of judgments made by planners at each stage of the analysis and the value components of those judgments are discussed. In each example, the judgments resulted in elimination of alternatives, selection of information, or integration of information. Two examples of methods of citizen participation which can increase the influence of citizens' judgments are also described.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Veränderungen von Religion und Moral im modernen Europa

Religion ist keine vorübergehende Phase in der Evolution der Menschheit. Sie ist ein universales Merkmal der Conditio humana; sie verarbeitet Transzendenz. In der alltäglichen Erfahrung begegnen wir zwei Ebenen der Transzendenz: den fortlaufenden kleinen Transzendenzen, die durch die Grenzen von Raum und Zeit auferlegt werden, und den mittleren Transzendenzen, die sich aus der Andersheit unserer Mitmenschen ergeben. In Träumen, Ekstasen, Meditationen, extremen Schmerzen und im Angesicht des Todes stoßen wir hingegen an die Grenzen des Alltagslebens selbst und machen Erfahrungen der großen Transzendenzen. Die Ausbreitung der Säkularisierung markiert das Auftreten einer historisch besonderen Form der Religion — ihrer privatisierten sozialen Form. Religion wurde zum Glauben, Moral zum Gewissen, beides sozial definierte subjektive Wirklichkeiten. Die ?Inhalte“ der privatisierten Sozialform der Religion werden über das Fernsehen, eine breite ?devotionale“ Literatur sowie populärwissenschaftliche Bücher verbreitet. Sie zeichnen sich durch eine Verlagerung der Transzendenzen aus, die sie bewältigen — von den großen zu den mittleren und vor allem den kleinen. Die rationalistische Sichtweise jedoch, die Religion als ein vorübergehendes historisches Phänomen ansah, ist offensichtlich falsch.