Psychosocial correlates of recidivism in a sample of ex-prisoners: the role of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder

The present study aimed to (a) examine the role of Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and Conduct disorder (CD) in predicting recidivism, while controlling for childhood arrest, perceived neighbourhood crime frequency, alcohol consumption, age and gender, and (b) explore the relevance of these factors in predicting risk of recidivism for males and females separately. Participants were 669 ex-prisoners identified in the National Survey of American Life. Results revealed that gender, CD and average daily alcohol consumption predicted recidivism. When separate models were estimated for males and females, only average daily alcohol consumption was predictive of female recidivism. By comparison, recidivism was significantly predicted in males by CD in youth and childhood arrest. ODD was also negatively associated with recidivism in males. Consequently, targeting variables identified as significant predictors of recidivism for both males and females, or males, is unlikely to be an optimal way of reducing repeat offending.     

Incompatibility of the Digital Economy Act 2010 subscriber appeal process provisions with Article 6 of the ECHR

Through case-law research, this paper critically assesses the compatibility of the Digital Economy Act 2010 (DEA) subscriber appeal process provisions (Section 13 of the DEA) with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Drawing on the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case-law, Ofcom's Initial Obligations Code (the Code), and the DEA judicial review decision, namely, BT PLC and Talk Talk PLC v Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills and others, this paper focuses on the three Strasbourg Court principles of equality of arms, admissibility of evidence, and presumption of innocence, in an effort to determine whether Section 13 of the DEA infringes them, and whether this constitutes a breach of a subscriber's right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the ECHR. The paper examines these three ECtHR principles. It contrasts such principles with the Code's provisions, and considers the compatibility of Section 13 of the DEA with Article 6 of the ECHR. It concludes that the DEA subscriber appeal process provisions do indeed infringe these principles, thus constituting a violation of subscribers' right to a fair trial. It also recommends that the UK government start taking seriously human rights in general, and Article 6 of the ECHR in particular.     

Education in the Commonwealth Caribbean: findings from a national adult literacy programme

This paper shares the findings of an assessment carried out in 2007 of a national adult literacy programme introduced in 2005 in the Eastern Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The paper discusses some social and spatial factors that may impede or facilitate men's and women's ability and desire to participate in adult literacy programmes. Surveys administered to programme participants, as well as interviews conducted with participants and programme staff, comprised the primary means of data collection.

L'éducation aux Antilles du Commonwealth : conclusions d'un programme national d'alphabétisation pour adultes

Cet article a pour but de disséminer une évaluation entreprise en 2007 d'un programme national d'alphabétisme pour adultes lancé en 2005 au pays de St-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines situé aux Petites Antilles dans la Caraïbe de l'est. L'article examine les facteurs sociaux et géographiques qui peuvent ou entraver ou faciliter la capacité et le désir des hommes et des femmes de participer à des programmes d'alphabétisation pour adultes. Les moyens les plus importants de cueillir des données étaient des enquêtes menées auprès des participants aux programmes, aussi bien que des entretiens avec les participants et les employés des programmes.

Educación en la Comunidad del Caribe: hallazgos de un programa nacional de alfabetización para adultos

Este artículo comparte los hallazgos surgidos de la evaluación de un programa nacional de alfabetización para adultos, que fue realizada en 2007. Dicho programa había sido inaugurado en 2005 en la nación de San Vicente y las Granadinas. El artículo examina la incidencia de algunos de los factores sociales y espaciales que impiden o propician que los hombres y las mujeres puedan y deseen participar en tales programas. La información se recopiló principalmente a través de encuestas aplicadas a los participantes del programa y mediante entrevistas realizadas con éstos y con el personal del programa.

Educação em país caribenho pertencente à Commonwealth: resultados de um programa nacional de alfabetização de adultos

Este artigo compartilha os resultados de uma avaliação realizada em 2007 de um programa nacional de alfabetização de adultos introduzido em 2005 no país caribenho de São Vicente e Granadinas, situado ao leste. O artigo discute alguns fatores sociais e espaciais que podem impedir ou facilitar a capacidade e disposição de homens e mulheres de participar de programas de alfabetização de adultos. Pesquisas administradas voltadas para os participantes do programa, assim como entrevistas conduzidas com participantes e funcionários do programa, compreendem o principal instrumento de coleta de dados.     

Teachers as social capital agents: an exploratory study from Brazil

While socialisation aspects of schooling are widely considered as significant mechanisms of reproducing social inequalities, teacher contributions are rarely examined in terms of the social-relational dimensions of student outcomes. This paper employs a social capital framework to examine teacher-student engagement in two under-resourced urban public schools in Brazil. Extended interviews with teachers reveal that inspired educators do take great initiatives to transform the nature of their relationships with low-income students into sources of critical institutional and psycho-social support. The study offers critical policy perspectives on how teachers could be enabled to potentially become social capital agents for their students.

Les enseignants comme agents de capital social : une étude exploratoire menée au Brésil

Si les aspects de la scolarisation relatifs à la socialisation sont considérés par beaucoup comme des mécanismes considérables de reproduction des inégalités sociales, les contributions des enseignants sont rarement examinées en termes des dimensions sociales-relationnelles des résultats pour les étudiants. Cet article a recours à un cadre de capital social pour examiner le dialogue enseignant-étudiant dans deux écoles publiques urbaines brésiliennes disposant de moyens insuffisants. Des entretiens étendus avec les enseignants révèlent que les pédagogues inspirés prennent effectivement de fantastiques initiatives visant à transformer la nature de leurs rapports avec des étudiants issus de familles à faible revenu en sources cruciales de soutien institutionnel et psychosocial. Cette étude offre des manières de voir cruciales sur le plan des politiques en ce qui concerne la manière dont les enseignants pourraient avoir la possibilité de devenir peut-être des agents de capital social pour leurs étudiants.

Los maestros como agentes de capital social: un estudio exploratorio en Brasil

Si bien los aspectos socializantes de la educación son ampliamente considerados como mecanismos significativos de reproducción de las desigualdades sociales, pocas veces se examinan las contribuciones que los maestros realizan en términos de las dimensiones social-relacionales de los resultados obtenidos por los estudiantes. Con el fin de analizar la interacción que tiene lugar entre maestros y estudiantes de dos escuelas públicas de escasos recursos localizadas en el ámbito urbano de Brasil, el presente artículo utiliza un marco de capital social. Las entrevistas a profundidad aplicadas a los maestros revelaron que los educadores inspirados implementan muchas iniciativas con el objetivo de modificar la naturaleza de sus relaciones con los estudiantes de bajos recursos, pretendiendo transformar tales relaciones en cruciales fuentes de apoyo institucional y psico-social. El estudio propone varias ideas políticas fundamentales vinculadas a la forma en que los maestros podrían ser capacitados de modo de convertirse en agentes de capital social para sus estudiantes.

Professores enquanto agentes de capital social: um estudo investigativo do Brasil

Embora os aspectos de socialização do ensino sejam amplamente considerados mecanismos importantes de reprodução de desigualdades sociais, as contribuições dos professores são raramente examinadas em termos das dimensões sociais-relacionais dos resultados dos estudantes. Este artigo emprega uma estrutura de capital social para examinar o engajamento professor -estudante em duas escolas públicas urbanas com recursos insuficientes no Brasil. Entrevistas mais longas com professores revelam que educadores inspirados realmente têm grandes iniciativas para transformar o recurso de sua relação com estudantes de baixa renda em fontes de apoio crítico institucional e psicossocial. O estudo oferece perspectivas de políticas críticas sobre como professores podem ser capacitados para tornarem-se potencialmente agentes de capital social para seus estudantes.     

因陀罗皇后——高棉历史中的一颗明珠

因陀罗皇后是阇耶跋摩七世的第二任妻子,她在位期间为国家作出的贡献一直被人们称道,虽然关于她的文章和著作极少,但她在历史上所发挥的作用不容小觑。     

跨国主义视阈下北美一代半华人新移民发展探究

本文从跨国主义的理论框架出发,对北美一代半新移民的特点进行分析,指出其跨国发展中的优势与劣势,认为这一群体是跨国主义的典型践行者,本文提出应密切关注北美一代半新移民在移入国的活动,并为其回归祖国发展提供更加优质的环境。     

Elections and political change in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina

This article examines attempts to use electoral politics to promote substantive political change in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 1990 elections have been a key part of virtually all negotiated agreements to end civil wars. The utility of democracy for building peace is often asserted but rarely backed with long-term commitment and resources on the ground. Bosnia since 1996 is a rare exception. There, international actors sought not only to establish a democratic political system but to use electoral democracy as a tool with which to transform the nature of politics in Bosnia in short order. This article focuses on efforts to shape the development of political parties and the party system, assesses the degree to which it has succeeded and examines the broader implications of Bosnia's experience for other state-building efforts of its kind.     

Minimum wage effects across the private and public sectors in Brazil

Most of the available evidence on the effect of minimum wages concerns the private sector of developed countries. In this paper, we examine minimum wage effects in both private and public sectors for a key developing country. We use monthly data from a Brazilian household survey from 1982 to 2000. We find a strong compression effect in the wage distribution for both the private and public sectors. However, we find no evidence of adverse employment effects in either sector at the aggregate level or for vulnerable groups such as teenagers, women and the low educated. Hence, minimum wage policies in Brazil appear to be a potentially viable anti-poverty instrument.     

Calidad democrática en América Latina: ¿proyecto o utopía?

While recognizing the heuristic limits of the concept “democratic quality” this article argues that measuring democracy over time is the most adequate way to identify, discuss and analyze its presence in every country. “Democratic quality” sheds new light on both concept elaboration and empirical studies because it synthetizes two political processes that have developed in the region in the last twenty five years: democratic transition and democratic consolidation. This category allows us to define the current state of Latin American countries in terms of their institutional and societal development of democratic life. We can thus, at least in theory, observe and propose an integrated improvement of existing political regimes in a context in which modern representative democracies are reorganized in terms of their new attributes and rights. Based on these premises, this article proposes two interrelated paths of analysis: a) considering the model of “democratic quality” to analyze Latin American democracies and characterize their present problems; and b) examining the relevance of this model’s heuristic power. The main thesis holds that not even the most visible long or short-term transformations undergone by our democratic political legal codes, since its inception, are sufficient in and of themselves to bring us closer to the democratic quality model, or in other words, to the basis of a democratic State of law.     

La nueva dinámica política de América Latina: temas para una agenda de investigación

Social transformations in Latin American have generated new phenomena which dominant political discourse, but also some studies of the political dynamics, are unable to express and even seek to conceal. To illustrate these developments the article analyses: 1) the emergence of new veto powers on the democratic system, quite different from the traditional one; 2) the celebration of the rise of “new middle classes”, a statistical conglomerate that refers to important social transformations but does not constitute a social category nor has a clear political expression; 3) the current debate on the regulation of the media, in which we argue that it expresses relevant socio-technological and political changes but is being held in a way that conceals undemocratic interests, both from governments and companies; 4) political parties and their difficulty to represent emerging social groups and generational differences; 5) civil society, which became fragmented and tanned by local political culture and should not be treated as an homogeneous and virtuous universe. We conclude that the consolidation of democracy requires from researchers and political actors to overcome the analytical and ideological paradigms that were, and still are, dominant in the region.