Advancing Knowledge through Grassroots Experiments: Connecting Culture and Sustainability

Since 2006, hundreds of communities in Canada have produced Integrated Community Sustainability Plans, based on a four-pillar model of sustainability and developed in consultation with residents and stakeholders. These community-based experiments have developed models, knowledge, and insights about the place of culture in local sustainability. Both conceptual thinking and planning practices regarding the role of culture in sustainable communities were at an embryonic stage when these initiatives took place. The discussions, plans, and implementation processes have advanced both theory and “leading edge” practices with regard to culture and community sustainability, illustrating the importance of a robust relationship between research and practice.     

Redesigning the Family Law System to Promote Healthy Families

Family law professionals should be proactive in seeking and implementing constructive reforms. We identify some successful cutting‐edge reforms: (1) family resource centers, where all kinds of needs can be met; (2) informal family law trials, which streamline clogged calendars and provide an empowering and efficient forum; (3) licensed legal technicians, who increase public access to legal services; and (4) unbundled family law services. Second, we outline a protocol for implementation of reform developed by the Oregon Task Force on Family Law which is effective and replicable. Thoughtful reform of dispute resolution processes will serve family health and promote peace.

Key Points for the Family Court Community:
• Evolving family constellations, private ordering through pre‐ and postmarital agreements, an increase in self‐represented litigants, and shrinking judicial resources are changing family law dramatically.
• Thoughtful, practical process reforms are needed in order to accommodate these changes.
• Practitioners should be proactive about seeking out and implementing such reforms.
• Some reforms already finding success include family relationship resource centers, informal domestic relations trials, licensed legal technicians, and unbundled legal services.
• We outline a protocol with a proven track record of success for implementing cutting‐edge family law reform.

     

Recidivist criminal behaviour and executive functions: a comparative study

This study sought to analyse the relation between executive functions and criminal recidivism. We assessed a set of cognitive abilities associated with executive functioning in a group of recidivist offenders (n = 19), primary offenders (n = 25) and non-offenders (n = 30). Our results, tested with nonparametric statistics and Monte Carlo method, revealed that there were no executive differences between both groups of offenders but, when compared with non-offenders, the recidivists showed a worse performance in Trail Making Test part B, and the primary offenders presented a significant lower score on Porteus Maze Test Age score. This study suggests that there can be a different pattern of executive functioning deficits associated with the offenders’ criminal record: recidivism may be more related to mental flexibility impairments and primary offenders’ antisocial behaviour may be aggravated by planning deficits.     

从《南洋商报》讣告文本看战后转型期新马华人家庭形态与社会网络

文章以《南洋商报》(1951—1976)发布的讣告为研究对象,将其分为告知类、吊唁类、答谢类和周年纪念类四种,进而对讣告中所呈现的新马华人的家庭形态与社会网络进行考察分析。这些登载在华文报刊上的讣告,详实记录了20世纪50-70年代转型期新马华人社会文化各方面的情况,尤其对研究该时期新马华人家庭形态与社会网络提供了新的第一手文献资料。     

“对赌协议”的裁判路径及政策选择——基于PE/VC与公司对赌场景的分析

PE/VC与目标公司对赌的司法裁判要点从合同效力转入合同可履行性后,需要面对两个层次的追问:一是以什么样的实体标准来判断履行障碍,二是由谁来判断是否存在履行障碍。华工案和"九民纪要"仅处理了第一个层次的问题,且主要以资本维持原则作为实体判断标准。然而,我国现行公司法资本维持原则过于粗疏,且缺乏"大分配"概念和底线规制的思路,导致"对赌协议"下的回购只能通过减资的途径,徒增成本。域外以清偿能力标准替代资本维持原则,体现了另一种以债权人利益为导向限制公司资产单向流出至股东的规制思路,但其商业逻辑上的合理性却无法掩盖更大的操作成本。就第二层次的判断主体而言,以美国特拉华州为代表,法官的商业判断逐渐让位于公司董事会的商业判断,却进一步凸显了公司、不同类别股东、债权人之间利益冲突的复杂状态。立法层面的价值判断与政策选择将最终决定司法裁判的走向,未来我国公司法的修订需要回应商业实践的诉求,同时PE/VC投资者也需要直面投资失败的风险承担。     

“无主体熟人社会”的逻辑是什么？——与吴重庆先生商榷

吴重庆先生提出的“无主体熟人社会”理论,描述了当前青壮年劳动力主体在农村社会的缺失状态,分析了社会关系演变中的病变问题。但是,作为一种新近理论,“无主体熟人社会”在其源起、阐释和特征等方面的概括,仍有必要做进一步的分析。     

美国高等教育资助之“资助包”制度的运作及理念

促进教育的公平是美国联邦政府教育政策的核心,为达到此目的,联邦政府通过提供各种助学金和贷学金等方式,为美国大学生接受高等教育提供支持和保障。在具体操作上,联邦政府通过优化整合一系列的资助,形成一个包含几种方案的资助包配发给学生供其选择,从而达到资助的合理、公正与公平。     

早期家庭教育应重视幼儿积极情绪的培养

积极情绪有利于幼儿身心的健康发展以及个人的成长,但是在目前的早期家庭教育中,幼儿积极情绪的培养并没有引起家长足够的重视.早期家庭教育应该重视对幼儿积极情绪的培养,早期的情绪教育应该是一种预防性和发展性的教育,而不是在孩子出现情绪问题和障碍之后采取的补偿性措施.     

流动儿童与城市儿童成绩差异研究

目前虽然一些流动儿童进入了城市学校和城市儿童一起学习,接受同样的教育,他们受教育的效果却不相同。笔者利用随机调查资料,分析了小学阶段流动儿童与城市儿童语文成绩的基本情况,结果显示,1)流动儿童语文平均成绩比城市儿童要低;2)一年级学生的成绩差异最大;3)随着年级的增高,流动儿童和城市儿童的成绩差异在逐步减小。     

家庭小说视野中的《行人》

夏目漱石的十年创作生涯正值家庭小说发展、鼎盛的时代。家庭小说的女主人公多为贤妻良母的理想形象,体现了文学与国家意识形态的互动关系。《行人》中的阿直是处于贤妻良母和新女性之间的存在。前者将家庭矛盾的焦点设定于夫妻关系之外,丈夫多关注妻子肉体上的贞操。后者中的一郎则因不能把握阿直的内心和灵魂而苦恼,家族制度的重压酿成夫妻双方的悲剧。