Meritocracy,Elitism and Inequality

The appeal of meritocracy is plain to see, because it appears to promote equality of opportunity. However, in this paper we argue that meritocracy is also a deeply elitist project. Firstly, we place Michael Young in context to show how his critique of meritocracy should be understood as a socialist vision to ameliorate class divides. Secondly, we show how economic inequality in the UK has not generated systematic resistance: in fact, inequality and belief in meritocracy have gone hand in hand. Thirdly, we argue that people see their own lives as meritocratic rather than ascribed, and that such values are deeply embedded in popular life. We offer two explanations for how such views have come about, and show how they have helped construct a more unequal society.     

Offense Type as Determinant of Revenge and Forgiveness After Victimization: Adolescents’ Responses to Injustice and Aggression

Victims of injustice and aggression may have strong feelings about the perpetrator(s) that may impede their efforts to cope with the victimizing experience. We examined to what extent adolescents’ interpersonal responses to victimization in terms of revenge and forgiveness depend on offense type. Of 455 Dutch students from various educational levels, 379 participants reported being victimized by incidents of injustice, aggression, or violence. These incidents were categorized according to type and related to respondents’ self-reported revenge, avoidance, and benevolence toward the perpetrator. Victims of criminal offenses (physical and sexual violence, theft, and threat) reported less forgiving motivations than victims of noncriminal transgressions (bullying, ostracism, and other forms of indirect aggression). Sexual violence primarily elicited avoidance, rather than revenge. Gender differences in responses to victimization depended on offense type, too. Hence, to enhance our knowledge about revenge and forgiveness after victimization, future studies may need to take offense characteristics into account.     

A comparative and comprehensive analysis of nonsexual assaults

The aim of this study was to make a comparative and comprehensive analysis of nonsexual assaults in 488 medico-legal cases presented to Forensic Medicine Outpatient Clinic of Celal Bayar University Hospital (Manisa, Turkey), between 2005 and 2009. There were blunt force injuries (BFI) in 262 cases (53.7%), sharp force injuries (SFI) in 163 cases (33.4%), and firearm-related wounds (FRW) in 63 cases (12.9%). The results showed significant differences in the monthly distribution of assaults, localization of injuries, and severity of injuries depending on the types of assaults. Most of the injuries were localized to the face, head, and neck in BFI and SFI and to the lower limbs in FRW. The results of this study will help researchers to investigate characteristics of victims, offenders, and injuries and types of assaults because of nonsexual violence.     

Urinary incontinence, hyperthermia, and sudden death

An 84-year-old woman is reported whose death was associated with strenuous exercise on an extremely hot day (maximum temperature=43.1 °C, 109.6 °F). At autopsy there was evidence of exposure to high environmental temperatures with early putrefactive changes and mummification. There was underlying cardiomegaly with mild pulmonary emphysema. No significant injuries were detected. Toxicology revealed therapeutic levels of oxybutynin prescribed for urinary stress incontinence. Death was considered to be heat related, exacerbated by oxybutynin therapy, exercise, and cardiomegaly. Given that it has been predicted that there may be an increase in the number of heatwaves and in their intensity and duration, it is possible that such cases may be encountered more often in future. The assessment of all deaths occurring during conditions of extreme heat will require consideration of postmortem toxicology, particularly if there are underlying conditions such as stress incontinence that may be associated with anticholinergic drug therapy.     

Age-related changes in pulp cavity of incisors as a determinant for forensic age identification

To find a simple and convenient method for age identification upon age-related pulp cavity narrowing, the mesiodistal diameters of the cervical pulp chamber, the middle and terminal parts of the root canal of the pulp cavity of 620 incisors were measured on radiographs taken in situ in 80 Chinese aged from 15 to 80. It was shown that the three mesiodistal diameters significantly decreased in a negative linear relationship with age (-0.4233 ≤ r ≥ -0.8465) in all incisors, but the narrowing velocity of the cervical pulp chamber and the middle part of the root canal in the maxillary incisors (b = -0.02 mm) was faster than that in the mandibular incisors (b = -0.01 mm). Accordingly, a mathematical model describing the ages as a function of any one of the three mesiodistal diameters of the pulp cavity was deduced, which would be useful for age identification in forensic medicine or archaeology.     

重构“认知图式”——提升中国共产党对大学生信仰吸引力的逻辑起点

重构大学生对中国共产党的认知图式是提升中国共产党对大学生信仰吸引力的必然要求。从审视当代大学生对党信仰的现状出发,通过对信仰缺乏的原因分析,重构大学生对中国共产党的＂认知图式＂,必将对提升中国共产党的信仰吸引力起到建设性的作用。     

大学生德福一致伦理信仰的重塑

德福一致表明人们对幸福与道德呈正相关的关系的理解与认识。道德教育帮助成长中的大学生正确地认识和看待现实生活中的一些德福矛盾即道德与幸福不一致现象,树立正确的德福观,提升建构幸福生活的能力,既是德育的要求,也是时代的需要。     

基于KPI指标的综合管理类非领导职务公务员考核体系的研究

公务员考核指标体系在不同的地方以不同的设计模式出现,但困扰着人们的是平时考核的指标如何设计,与年终考核又是什么关系,特别是对不同类别的公务员如何考核,等等。本文以综合管理类非领导职务公务员为例,把德、能、绩、勤、廉作为一级指标,在各个一级指标下依据关键绩效指标KPI建立二级指标,而二级指标的选取也是KPI指标,以此构建一个科学、合理的考核指标体系。     

Patient perceptions of schizophrenia in forensic and general adult psychiatry

This study explores the illness perceptions of patients with schizophrenia in forensic settings and contrasts their views with those of a general adult psychiatry sample. It was hypothesised that forensic psychiatric patients would have more negative illness beliefs than general adult patients. A cross-sectional survey was used. Forty forensic patients and 32 general adult patients with schizophrenia were recruited. They completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia (IPQS), a valid and reliable measure of illness perceptions in mental health problems. Forensic patients perceived their illness to be less chronic, less cyclical, and had a lower negative emotional response to illness. Our results did not support our original hypothesis and possible reasons are explored. Acknowledging patient’s views when formulating management plans could permit more effective individually tailored treatment.     

“Tampering to Death”: A Fatal Codeine Intoxication Due to a Homemade Purification of a Medical Formulation

Many homemade tamper processes of medical codeine formulations are available on selected “forums” on the Internet, where recreational codeine users claim to be able to purify codeine by removing additives, such as acetaminophen, to avoid or limit adverse effects. In this work, it is reported and discussed a fatal case of codeine intoxication. The findings of objects such as jars, filters, and tablets, and amounts of unknown liquid material at the death scene investigation suggested a fatal codeine intoxication after the tampering procedure called “cold water extraction.” Toxicological results obtained from the analysis of both the nonbiological material and the body fluids of the decedent integrated with the information collected at the death scene investigation confirmed the above‐mentioned hypothesis. This report underlines the importance of a tight interconnection between criminalistics and legal medicine to strengthen the identification of the cause of death and the reconstruction of the event.