Fair trade slippages and Vietnam gaps: the ideological fantasies of fair trade coffee

Fair trade coffee sales have boomed since the late 1980s, making it one of the most recognised forms of ‘ethical consumerism’ in the world. Around the same time exports of lower quality coffee beans from Vietnam also boomed, launching Vietnam from an insignificant coffee exporter to the world’s second largest with historically unprecedented speed. These disparate projects have had significant impacts on thousands of farmers – with Vietnam’s new class of coffee producers representing three and a half times the number of coffee families certified by fair trade. Northern actors, however, have given far more public and positive attention to fair trade. This article will argue that this difference does not stem from a strictly objective appraisal of the relative merits and shortcomings of each project, but from the compatibility of fair trade with ‘free trade’ and its emotionally charged ideological fantasies. This includes unconscious beliefs and desires around individualism, voluntarism, democracy and the affirmation of the exaggerated power of Northern consumers – as opposed to the Southern agency and complicated collective action implied by Vietnamese coffee statecraft.     

Exercising control and gathering information: the functions of interpellations in Hungary (1990–2014)

The article investigates the factors shaping the number and content of interpellations, a form of parliamentary questions by members of parliament (MPs) in post-regime change Hungary. Four theoretical propositions regarding the functions of interpellations are examined in this context: political control; policy-oriented information seeking; parliamentary group leadership; and constituency service. A new database of 4096 observations for the period between 1990 and 2014 is compiled in order to analyse these hypotheses. Computer-assisted content analysis techniques and count data regressions are used to describe the text of interpellations in terms of their geographical and policy content. Results show that opposition MPs interpellate more, whereas representatives of single-member districts and regional lists interpellate less than their peers. Representatives from single-member districts and regional lists make more reference to local issues in general, but not to their own district or county. Finally, policy specialisation increases the likelihood of submitting pertinent parliamentary questions.     

The freedom of navigation in international law and the utility of international society discourse

In the international law of the sea, the emergence of new actors and systems influencing relations between states has lead to evolving rules and calls for the redefinition of the traditional issues such the allocation of jurisdiction and rights to states in its maritime zones. In the maritime domain, this is seen thrice in the evolution of the various maritime zones in the United Nations Conferences for the Law of the Sea （UNCLOS I, II and III）. In the maritime domain, there are certain actions that are not dependent on any state＇s consent. One of such is the rule of freedom of navigation. This paper, argues for the possibilities of concomitance between international law and studies in international society based on the growing recognition of the importance of examining the sociological and historical element in rule development. This paper focuses on a rule in the international law of the sea with the aim of determining the extent to which norms have caused changes in rule development, if any. This method, known as the English School method of international relations, acknowledges the benefits of international law positivism in highlighting generality with the benefits of a normative discourse in highlighting alternatives and the utility of compliance. So, although the maritime domain is rooted in a state system, one where the parts interact as a whole, a branching-out analysis towards the normative discourse in the development of this rule will facilitate more understanding, as the case-specificity of most issues in the maritime domain cannot be overemphasised.     

我国政策执行研究现状的实证分析

政策执行是公共政策研究的重要领域,政策执行的研究对于正在转轨中的中国有着很强的现实意义。目前,我国政策执行研究呈现逐年递增的趋势,且有很强的实践导向,但在实地和实验研究方面几乎是空白。今后更应注重理论的运用和研究方法的科学化,关注信息网络对政策执行理论的影响,注重政策手段的研究,真正使政策执行的研究更具中国特色。     

新时代中国工会学学科建设思路与实现路径研究

进入新发展阶段,加强工会学学科建设具有重大战略意义,是丰富中国特色哲学社会科学学科体系的重要内容,是建构中国工会自主知识体系的迫切需要,是推进新时代中国工运事业和工会工作稳定创新发展的时代要求,是提高工会干部队伍专业化建设的现实需要。研究认为,中国工会学主要应用马克思主义的理论和方法 ,研究中国工会的产生和发展过程以及工会活动的规律,是马克思主义工会理论中国化的成果,应当依托马克思主义理论一级学科进行培育和建设。中国工会学学科理论体系的逻辑结构应当以“工会学”的本体研究为核心,以“工会+”的相关研究为支撑。研究建议,新时代推动中国工会学学科建设,要加强组织领导,推动学位学历教育,加强学术研究和教材建设,并在全国高校形成工会学学术共同体。     

Case-control studies: Design issues for criminological applications

The current understanding of the determinants of homicide derives primarily from studies in which data are aggregated for geopolitical units. Case-control studies and other analytic methods are needed to test causal hypotheses regarding the risk of homicide victimization or perpetration for individuals. Strengths and limitations of the case-control method are illustrated by comparing the design with cohort studies. Fundamental issues include the selection and comparability of cases and controls, effects of biases, interpretation of risk estimates, and problems of implementation. Increased use of this method should advance our understanding of homicide and other forms of intentional violence.Presented in part at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, San Diego, California, November 16, 1985.     

A Survey of International Studies Programs at Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities in the Midwest: Characteristics and Correlates

International studies majors have become increasingly popular at liberal arts colleges and universities in the Midwest. What are the features of various international studies programs, particularly regarding the degree of "structure" in the major? What factors appear to be related to whether a liberal arts college or university offers an international studies major in the first place? What explains the variations that exist that characterize international studies majors? This paper empirically investigates these questions by surveying sixty-six liberal arts and sciences colleges and universities in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. We find that although international studies majors are somewhat prevalent in the "heartland," there is considerable variation in how they are structured. Further, the results suggest that whether or not an institution has an international studies program is largely a function of whether an institution has a graduate program in a field that allows for a concentration in international affairs. We conclude with some observations that might promote future discussion on development of international studies majors.     

If Violence Is Domestic, Does It Really Count?

Estimates of the prevalence of marital violence have been found to vary dramatically from survey to survey. This paper addresses one potential explanation for this difference which involves the focus and format of different surveys. We examine the extent to which survey respondents are willing to report marital violence in a context which focuses on criminal behaviors as opposed to a family violence context. In a very basic way, this answers a question as to whether individuals are willing to define acts of marital violence as criminal. Methodologically, it is a measurement issue which seriously affects the ability to compare findings across samples. National Youth Survey data are used to compare rates of generalized spousal assault and victimization reported in a crime context with rates of marital assault and victimization reported in a family violence context. Results indicate that 40 to 83% of all marital assaults and victimizations reported in the marital violence section are not reported in a format which focuses on criminal assault and victimization.     

坚持马克思主义指导地位发展当代中国的女性学和女性研究

马克思主义妇女理论和女性主义理论在根本出发点、核心议题、研究方法和目标指向上是一致的,坚持马克思主义的指导地位是当代中国女性研究和女性学发展的必然要求。当代中国女性研究和女性学发展要旗帜鲜明地坚持马克思主义的指导地位,借鉴和吸收中国传统文化和西方理论流派,形成中国特色的女性学和女性研究。