Burying Bell: Managing the Judicialisation of Social Security Tribunals

The Social Security Act 1998 introduced fundamental changes to the tribunal system for hearing appeal claims in respect of benefits. This article examines the reasons for these changes to the largest tribunal system in the United Kingdom, and their implications for claimants. It emphasises the increasing legalism and approximation to ordinary courts of these tribunals. In particular, the article considers the implications of the reduction of lay membership of tribunals and the threats posed to the traditional inquisitorial approach.     

Perceptions of Poverty and Wealth in Western and Post-Communist Countries

This paper analyzes the felt legitimacy of poverty and wealth in the United States, West Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Russia. Several theories on poverty and wealth perception are discussed; of these, dominant ideology theory has been the most influential. This theory can predict the existence not only of a legitimizing ideology in a society, but also of challenging beliefs that incumbents of specific social positions hold. It is argued that poverty and wealth perceptions are more complex, however, involving at least three latent dimensions. Using data from the International Social Justice Project it is demonstrated that, regarding poverty, individuals distinguish between merited, unmerited, and fatalistic types of poverty. Merited poverty is poverty brought about by the individual's own doing or not doing, unmerited poverty is due to forces external to the individual, whereas fatalistic explanations attribute poverty to ascribed properties of the individual. For wealth also there are three causally relevant factors: in addition to merited und unmerited ones, a social capital factor that sees social contacts as a source for determining economic success. Using a structural equation approach and its group comparison option for comparing countries, the different explanations of poverty and wealth are translated into specific measurement models. Testing simultaneously with linear regression models show how preferences for particular explanations are shaped by stratification-related experiences and by the social position of an observer.     

Public Beliefs in the Causes of Wealth and Poverty and Legitimization of Inequalities in Russia and Estonia

The article analyzes the attributions of the causes of poverty and wealth in Russia and Estonia in 1991 and 1996 and their determinants. Among the latter are the perceived actual justice of the society, the perceived size of the middle class, and the personal position in the system of inequalities. Despite the economic hardships and a rise in inequalities in both countries, individualistic explanations of wealth and poverty have increased over the 5 years between the surveys. At the same time respondents in both countries demonstrated a growing awareness of the importance of starting positions and connections to achieve wealth. The perceived middle class has a significant effect on attributions of poverty but not on wealth. Russians in Estonia have a particular bias against wealth, whereas non-Russians in Russia are more likely to justify wealth on the basis of individual merit. Explanations of poverty and wealth in Estonia are more rooted in the factors of socialization (age, education, and gender), whereas in Russia they are more rooted in the changes in the family financial circumstances between 1991 and 1996. There was a general increase in support for government intervention in distribution in both countries.     

A Grass Roots View of Religious Change Amongst Women in an Indigenous Community in Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract — This paper discusses the changing position of women in an indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico. It argues that women are gaining new agency and an increased pride in their ethnicity as they become members of the various sects that are taking root in the community. Affiliation to a sect provides them with an institution that they can call their own thus satisfying their felt need to be part of the longer-term economic and political changes that are occurring while still being shielded from them.     

水域污染的社会学解释——东村个案研究

本文选择太湖流域的东村进行田野调查 ,发现 ,传统社会水域保持清洁的原因是 :农业社会长期形成的生产、生活方式有利于圩田系统的生态平衡 ,并且 ,村落的社会规范及村民的道德意识也有效地约束了村民的水污染行动。 90年代以来 ,东村及其周围水域被迅速污染。水域污染问题主要不是科学技术问题 ,而是经济社会问题。利益主体力量的失衡、农村基层组织的行政化与村民自组织的消亡以及农村社区传统伦理规范的丧失是造成水域污染的主要原因。与市场经济体系相适应的法律制度建设是解决水污染问题的根本途径     

论宪法的部门法特征

宪法调整的社会关系的广泛性以及宪法规范的原则性不能否认宪法的部门法特征,由于宪法调整的社会关系是特定的和具体的,宪法调整社会关系的手段和方法也有独特性,困此,宪法是一个独立的法律部门。     

经济全球化及其对西方社会运动的冲击和影响

近20年来,经济全球化加速发展,国际分工日益深化,各种生产要素的国际性流动增强,资本在生产中的地位明显上升,各国经济上的相互依存度增大。这些变化对西方国家的政府、经济和社会生活带来了巨大冲击,同时也给西方社会运动带来了不利影响。     

乡村振兴背景下农村留守群体的困境、风险与治理

近几年,中国农村留守群体总量在下降,但庞大的留守群体基数及其背后所彰显的乡村治理价值仍具有研究意义。作为乡村传统主体的留守人口在城乡关系的治理博弈中存在资本动力、人际情感、伦理精神、主体理性和价值认同的风险,并在集体行动中得以呈现。而化解留守群体集体行动的风险在于打造全县域治理共同体、完善社会支持帮扶机制、建立村级生态治理体系、锻造基层党组织组织力、重构乡村现代文化体认。     

江泽民关于人的全面发展理论研究综述

江泽民关于人的全面发展理论是学术界关注的一个热点问题。学术界广泛深入地研究了江泽民人的全面发展的内涵、实现的方式以及该理论对马克思主义人的全面发展理论的重大理论创新,并形成了一定的共识,但也有较多分歧。     

Social development,community development and participation

Unlike social development, community development could not be achieved without participation. Participation is participating in decision making, to choose a community project, plan it, implement it, manage it, monitor it and control it. People can make a contribution to the planning process at the implementation stage, only if they are presented with a well articulated and feasible framework of approaches, objectives, alternative, etc. The paper focuses on the definition of social development, community development and participation in order to elaborate them. Main question of this article is： Participation is a vehicle to achieve development that community members can be involved directly in development process. This is theoretical research that method of data collection is document method.