The continuing salience of race: Discrimination and diversity in South Africa

The end of apartheid has brought a resurgence of research into racial identities, attitudes and behaviour in South Africa. The legacy of systematic racial ordering and discrimination under apartheid is that South Africa remains deeply racialised, in cultural and social terms, as well as deeply unequal, in terms of the distribution of income and opportunities. South Africans continue to see themselves in the racial categories of the apartheid era, in part because these categories have become the basis for post-apartheid ‘redress’, in part because they retain cultural meaning in everyday life. South Africans continue to inhabit social worlds that are largely defined by race, and many express negative views of other racial groups. There has been little racial integration in residential areas, although schools provide an important opportunity for inter-racial interaction for middle-class children. Experimental and survey research provide little evidence of racism, however. Few people complain about racial discrimination, although many report everyday experiences that might be understood as discriminatory. Racial discrimination per se seems to be of minor importance in shaping opportunities in post-apartheid South Africa. Far more important are the disadvantages of class, exacerbated by neighbourhood effects: poor schooling, a lack of footholds in the labour market, a lack of financial capital. The relationship between race and class is now very much weaker than in the past. Overall, race remains very important in cultural and social terms, but no longer structures economic advantage and disadvantage.     

宪法平等权内涵刍议

平等权是宪法赋予公民的基本权利。宪法平等权包括立法上的平等和法律实施平等 ,其实质在于禁止差别对待 ,追求形式平等 ,而结果平等只能是其例外。     

中国汉族成人甲状软骨的性别判定

目的 建立中国汉族成人甲状软骨性别判别的函数方程。方法 对142例中国汉族成人甲状软骨(男73例,女69例)进行大体测量,选择7个性别差异非常显著的测量指标,然后采用Fisher判别分析法和Bayes逐步判别分析法,建立判定甲状软骨性别的系列判别函数。结果 建立了13个甲状软骨的性别判别方程,完整或大部分完整的甲状软骨性别判别准确率均达100％,残缺的达90％。结论 中国汉族成人甲状软骨性别差异明显,运用所建方程能够判定甲状软骨的性别。     

Embodying the Law:Coker and Osamor v. The Lord Chancellorand the Lord Chancellor's Department [2002]I.R.L.R. 80 (Court of Appeal)

In Britiain, it is unlawful,regardless of the motive of the discriminator,to refuse to give a woman a job because of hersex. On the other hand, the U.K. case ofCoker and Osamor v. The Lord Chancellor and theLord Chancellor's Department suggests that itis permissible, by `pre-selecting' anindividual man, to rule out any possible femalecandidates. The singular facts of this caseshould not disguise the troubling conclusionthat while sex (and race) discrimination maysometimes be blatant and deliberate, morefrequently it is subtle and routine. Furthermore, discrimination is much moredifficult to challenge, let alone eradicate,when it is embedded in the system. This notestarts from the premise that, while sexequality requires more than the appointment ofwomen to influential posts, that is, at least,a start and if it is decided in advance thatappointments will be made only from a smallcircle of `acceptable' people there is a realdanger that the idea of the `establishment' asa self-perpetuating (white) male enclave willbe confirmed.     

Characterization of Blue Pigments Used in Automotive Paints by Raman Spectroscopy

Micro‐Raman spectroscopy was applied to forensic identification of pigments in paint chips and provided differentiation between paint samples. Sixty‐six blue automotive paint samples, 26 solid and 40 metallic were examined. It was found that the majority of the collected Raman spectra provided information about the pigments present. However, in some cases, fluorescence precluded pigment identification. Using laser excitation at longer wavelengths or pretreatment to effect photobleaching often resulted in reduced fluorescence, particularly for solid color samples, and allowed pigment identification. The examined samples were compared pairwise taking into account number, location, and intensity of absorption bands in their infrared spectra. The estimated discrimination power ranged from 97% for solid paint samples to 99% for metallic paint samples.     

Racism: Less is More

Racism has been in sharp decline in recent decades yet the word, as accusation, is used more than ever. The word/idea needs to be more restrictively defined and kept for when it is really needed. When almost everyone is a racist, no one is. To this end we need to distinguish more clearly between the greater comfort people often feel among familiar people and places and active hostility towards outsider ethnic groups. We also need a more discriminating language to describe the spectrum of discrimination. Prejudice, clannishness—even in some instances discrimination itself—should be regarded as sentiments and behaviours that are distinct from proper racism.     

The Fair Housing Act Today: Current Context and Challenges at 50

ABSTRACT

As is true for most legislation, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was a product of its time; the legislation’s content, and even passage, was formed by dominant issues in housing markets and the country at that time. The context shaped the goals of the FHA and the strategies and tools employed under its auspices. Fifty years after the passage of the FHA, much of that context has changed. This commentary argues that changes in the context not only raise new fair housing challenges and create new gaps in our knowledge, but also may necessitate a fresh look at fair housing strategies and tools if they are to be effective at achieving the goals of the act. This commentary begins with a brief background on the FHA itself, the social context at the time of its writing, and its main goals. Next it lays out a few key changes in housing markets relevant for fair housing, highlighting challenges they may create and where research could be of greatest value. It then considers challenges arising from threats to two specific U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair housing rules seen by many as critical fair housing tools. The commentary ends with two examples of a “refresh,” where current context has shaped, or reshaped, a strategy to address today’s fair housing challenges.     

性骚扰是性别歧视吗:一个法理的追问

在美国的法律制度框架下,职场性骚扰属于1964年《民权法案》第七章所禁止的性别歧视行为。从规范法学的角度看,法院一开始并不接受性别歧视学说,后来因为逐步认定了性骚扰必然会涉及对受害人性别的选择这一事实,所以认为性骚扰属于性别歧视范畴。从法理学的角度,以麦金农等为代表的女性主义法学家建构了性与性别霸权的关系。同时,学者们认为司法上性骚扰的认定出现了"性欲主导模式",既存在规制过窄的问题,对无关乎"性"的性别骚扰过于忽视;又有规制过度的问题,反性骚扰话语与科层制反"性"管理话语相结合,对职场进行了过度管制。因此,有一种学说希望把性骚扰建构为维持性别刻板的工具。对于性骚扰到底错在哪里的追问,可以让我们反思侵权法模式与反歧视模式法的利弊得失。     

细菌的CRISPR/cas免疫及免疫识别

综述了40%真细菌以及几乎所有古细菌基因组内存在的CRISPR位点以及细菌的CRISPR/cas免疫机制。主要从CRISPR/cas免疫的抗感染机制、特异性间隔序列的获取、crRNA的成熟以及免疫识别等方面展开论述,阐述了成簇存在的、被短的重复回文序列所分割的非自身基因(CRISPR位点)以及通过类RNA干扰(RNAi)机制特异性地抵抗噬菌体及侵袭性质粒的二次感染。提出此技术在临床上用来抑制抗生素抗性质粒以及毒力因子在病原菌中传播的应用前景。     

劳动合同订立时劳动者的说明义务之我见——与俞里江、赵艳群商榷

劳动合同订立时,劳动者对与劳动合同订立直接相关的基本情况,负有向用人单位如实说明的义务,该义务的履行包括在劳动合同订立后对本人基本情况资料的填写。对与劳动关系建立有关的重要情况,即使用人单位未询问,根据诚实信用原则,劳动者应主动披露。对与劳动关系建立无直接相关的个人情况的披露应当真实,不得欺诈。采取欺诈手段订立劳动合同的,用人单位有权变更或解除劳动合同。