The American University in Bulgaria and U.S. Agency for International Development Relationship

Abstract

Upon recognizing a need for a center of western oriented university education, an initiative committee including representatives from the Republic of Bulgaria, the city of Blagoevgrad, and the University of Maine obtained support from philanthropist George Soros's Open Society Institute and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to start a university in Bulgaria in 1991. The hallmark of its existence was that its programs would be oriented toward teaching democratic values through the American liberal arts tradition. Instruction would be in English so it could draw on students throughout the region if they were proficient in English. The university has grown from a small enrollment of 208 students to over 700 students in several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. As the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) has become a regional institution, the AUBG–USAID relationship has been crucial. Now it is beginning to offer an EMBA program and has developed an excellent reputation through its graduated students.     

A Bibliography About a Changed Federal Government Workplace

Abstract

This bibliography contains more than 130 hand picked sources that address change in the Federal government workplace, including articles and books by academics and practitioners and reports by Federal agencies including the General Accounting Office and the Office of Personnel management, as well as Congress. The introduction to the bibliography draws on the expertise of three well known authorities in the field, as well as the authors' of the bibliography.     

The Effect of Intergenerational Conflict and School-Based Racial Discrimination on Depression and Academic Achievement in Filipino American Adolescents

Abstract

Bronfenbrenner's ecological model postulates the home and school to be key microsystems in fostering emotional well-being and school functioning in children. Utilizing a sample of 663 Filipino American adolescents who participated in the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), we assessed the effect of intergenerational conflict at home and racial discrimination at school on their mental health and academic achievement. Cross-sectionally, intergenerational conflict and school-based racial discrimination increased depression and decreased academic achievement in early adolescence. Longitudinally, conflict and discrimination in early adolescence decreased academic performance while conflict alone increased depression in late adolescence. Implications of the findings were discussed.     

Is there difference in democracy promotion? A comparison of German and US democracy assistance in transitional Tunisia

Since the 1990s, comparative scholars and constructivists have recognized the universally liberal character of democracy promotion and yet continued the analysis of difference in this area. Mainly in studies of German and US democracy promotion, constructivists have demonstrated the recurring and difference-generating impact of ideational factors. In this article, I hence assume the likeliness of difference and address the question of how we can analyse and explain those differences through a comparison of German and US democracy assistance in transitional Tunisia. I conceive of Germany and the US as a dissimilar pair and adopt a broad perspective to uncover differences at the diplomatic level and between and within the respective approaches to democracy assistance in Tunisia. Theoretically, I argue that national role conceptions hardly impact democracy assistance in a clear manner, and that roles are renegotiated in the process. I rather focus on liberal and reform liberal conceptions of democracy, which shape perceptions of the local context, and democracy assistance agencies different organizational cultures, which impact civil society support. Finally, I account for transnational dialogue and coordination as a factor mitigating differences in democracy promotion.     

Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Substance-Using Women Entering Cook County Jail

In the United States, the number of incarcerated women continues to rise each year, with African American women having the highest incarceration rates. Many women enter prisons and jails with an extensive trauma history, though little is known about the percentage of these individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and specific trauma exposures they have had based on factors such as homelessness, degree of substance problems, and race. The present study examines a largely African American substance-using population of incarcerated women to determine the impact of various factors on specific traumas reported. We found that individuals reporting symptoms meeting criteria for PTSD had experienced the highest average number of traumas, and those who had ever been homeless also experienced many and varied trauma exposures compared with those who had never been homeless. Higher substance problems were also associated with more trauma exposure. Fewer than 10 percent of the sample met full criteria for PTSD, though those reporting having ever been homeless and those with higher substance problems were significantly more likely to meet all criteria. Results indicate a need to assess previous homelessness as a method for identifying additional trauma exposures and guiding treatment to women's specific needs and trauma profiles.     

A swing vote from the ethnic backstage: The role of German American isolationist tradition for Trump's 2016 victory

We question the growing consensus in the literature that European Americans behave as a homogenous pan-ethnic coalition of voters. Seemingly below the radar of scholarship on voting groups in American politics, we identify a group of white voters that behaves differently from others: German Americans, the largest ethnic group, regionally concentrated in the ‘Swinging Midwest’. Using county level voting returns, ancestry group information from the American Community Survey (ACS), current survey data and historical census data going back as early as 1910, we provide evidence for a partisan and a non-partisan pathway that motivated German Americans to vote for Trump in 2016: a historically grown association with the Republican Party and an acquired taste for isolationist attitudes that mobilizes non-partisan German Americans to support isolationist candidates. Our findings indicate that European American experiences of migration and integration still echo into the political arena of today.     

Application of DNA Forensic Techniques for Identifying Poached Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) in Chilean Patagonia*

Abstract: Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a protected and widely distributed ungulate in South America. A poacher, after killing guanacos in Valle Chacabuco, Chilean Patagonia, transported and stored the meat. Samples were retrieved by local police but the suspect argued that the meat was from a horse. Mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (774 pb), 15 loci microsatellites, and SRY gene were used to identify the species, number of animals and their population origin, and the sex of the animals, respectively. Analysis revealed that the samples came from a female (absence of SRY gene) Patagonian guanaco (assignment probability between 0.0075 and 0.0282), and clearly distinguishing it from sympatric ungulates (E‐value = 0). Based on the evidence obtained in the field in addition to forensic data, the suspect was convicted of poaching and illegally carrying fire arms. This is the first report of molecular tools being used in forensic investigations of Chilean wildlife indicating its promising future application in guanaco management and conservation.     

论任意雇佣原则在美国劳动法中的衰落

从19世纪末开始,美国普通法上形成的任意雇佣原则授予雇主任意解雇员工的权力而不要求其承担任何法律责任,对劳动者权利保护甚为不利。考虑到绝对任意雇佣原则所带来的种种消极影响,在许多方面已经不适应现代劳资关系的发展,美国立法机关和各州法院已经形成该原则的多项普通法例外,任意雇佣原则逐步走向衰落。由于任意雇佣原则在美国社会长期实行,拥有深厚的社会基础,动用立法权和司法权等国家权力也并非以废止该原则为目标,因此迄今为止其仍然是调整美国雇佣关系的重要规则。     

美国仇恨犯罪论纲

仇恨犯罪是指全部或部分因对他人的种族、宗教、残疾、性倾向有强烈歧视而推动的侵害人身、财产、社会的刑事恶行。剖析美国仇恨犯罪能够为我国犯罪学去粗求精、提高理论敏感性、有针对性地攻克理论难关提供思路。仇恨犯罪人在确证自己所信奉的文化观念后采取非法手段,实现自己创造的象征性价值。野蛮的宣泄歧视情绪的亚文化能够在潜在的犯罪人群中得到认同,这是仇恨犯罪形成的重要原因。     

后现代精神与后现代思想家的风骨——从敢于向霸权说“不”的格里芬谈起

后现代是对现代性的反思和超越。而现代性的一个典型态度是唯我独尊,是“霸道”。因此,向霸道,霸权说“不”就成为后现代精神的精髓,成为一切后现代思想家的共同特征。本文通过世界著名建设性后现代思想家大卫•格里芬对美帝国的抵抗和批判,揭示了建设性后现代思想家的理论取向和道德风骨: 他们不仅勇敢地抵抗形形色色的霸权, 为弱小仗义执言,而且致力于人类的平等和人与自然的共同福祉, 关爱一切生命。主张“尊重他者,倾听他人”。它并非一味解构,而是致力于为我们这个时代寻找“可能的精神家园”。