Coordination and control in Russia’s foreign policy: travails of Putin’s curators in the near abroad

Abstract

This article seeks to challenge the conception of the Russian state as being centred on Vladimir Putin by looking at the actors implementing Russia’s foreign policy in its near abroad. In particular, it explores the activities of curators (kuratory), a term applied in Russia to describe officials tasked with making things work often bypassing, and sometimes competing with, formal institutions. Following the state transformation framework, the argument put forward in the article is that curation (kuratorstvo), as a practice of coordination and control in Russia’s system of governance, can be seen as a manifestation of fragmentation and internationalisation of Russia’s foreign policy making. The empirical basis for this article is a case study of Russia’s policy towards Abkhazia, which Russia officially recognised as a sovereign state in 2008. This article addresses the involvement of curators in their attempts to exert political influence as an expression of fragmentation as well as emerging institutionalised curation in development assistance as a part of internationalisation.     

恐怖主义活动中的社交媒体应用分析--以“伊斯兰国”为例

当前社交媒体的应用与普及掀起了恐怖主义活动的新浪潮,有着交互性、社区化特征的社交媒体在招募人员、传播极端思想及策划恐怖袭击方面有着天然优势。以"伊斯兰国"运用社交媒体进行恐怖活动为例,该文探讨了社交媒体的特性、在恐怖组织中扮演的角色以及我国公安机关在社交媒体时代下恐怖主义蔓延采取的应对策略,以期更好地应对反恐新难题。     

双向汲取:社区社会组织的行动路径分析

社会组织是推动国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的重要力量。聚焦社会组织行动策略研究,能够更好地揭示外部制度环境制约下的社会组织参与基层社会治理的微观运行机制。运用"制度环境-行动策略-行动目标-行动任务"的分析框架,着重探讨社会组织与基层政府、社区居委会、社区居民之间的复杂互动关系,剖析复杂制度环境下社会组织行为策略选择及其多元化行动路径。S市G组织的个案研究表明,G组织通过"双向汲取"的行动策略能够实现社会组织行政性目标与社会性目标的双重目标达成。由于G组织接受任务的不同行动目标来源以及不同任务之间的相关性程度差异,使得G组织"双向汲取"行动策略呈现出复杂制度结构约束下的多元化行动路径。     

Irony Practice: Reconstructing Structural Social Work: Enlightenment from Neoclassical Sociology

Structural social work has been expanding its influence while experiencing marginalized crises since 1970s: with the expansion of neo-conservatism, the structural perspective is incompatible with the liberal-based system at the political level. In recent years, the “critical reflection practice” established through the reunification of the socialist tradition of social work has become increasingly prosperous, but it has not been possible to answer the question of legitimacy in its own theory. The purpose of this paper is to reflect the crisis of the traditional sociology by analyzing the crisis of western sociology, and to try to reconstruct the critical social science by talking with Iván Szelényi and others to sort out the concept of “irony” as a methodology and the mission of contemporary intellectuals. Under the inspiration of relevance of classical sociology and social work, this paper provides insights to the reconstruction of social work.     

The Weakness of Strong (and Weak) Ties: Obtaining a Government Job

ABSTRACT

Between merit principles and social contacts, how they facilitate individuals to obtain a government job in the United States remains unsettled. Based on a survey administered via Amazon Mturk, this study finds that merit-based selection constitutes the most significant means to obtain public jobs, particularly so in state and local governments despite of sizeable respondents claiming other venues. The use of social contacts, including both strong and weak ties, shows little advantage on obtaining public employment but proves significant in private organizations. Controlling individuals’ previous job obtaining experience, the study contends that variations on job obtaining methods can be reasonably attributable to institutional distinctiveness that features different rules, procedures and regulations. Merit principles are kept alive in governments, though challenges persist, particularly so in federal government. The study ends up with a discussion of research findings and their implications in HR practices.     

依法保障我国社会组织参与社会管理的权力

目前,我国社会组织在社会管理中发挥的作用越来越突出,但是行政化色彩严重、公众信任度不高、监督管理不到位等因素仍然制约着其健康发展。党的十八届四中全会提出"依法治国"的重大决定,而社会组织作为多元社会管理力量中的一股重要力量,也应该依法保障其参与社会管理的权力,探索其发展的法制化路径,比如:进一步简政放权、依法监管、适度问责及法律体系的完善等等,只有依法构建良好的制度环境,才能推动社会组织健康发展,从真正意义上实现依法治国。     

Performing the ‘India Permitida’: The Counter-Gift of Indigenous Women Targeted by a Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (Chile)

Relying on ethnographic data, this article critically analyses the pro-mining position adopted in Chile's Atacama Region by a group of Diaguita women who benefited from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to revive indigenous culture. While the desire to escape from poverty (salir adelante, moving forward) appears as the main reason for participating, the benefits generated a sense of indebtedness resulting in allegiance to the company. The investigation also shows how this programme played a part in building a scenario in which indigenous females perform subjects apparently more suited than men to the neoliberal and multiculturalist governmentality of the Chilean State, whose politics favours mining.     

非婚生育社会抚养费征收范围之界定

实践中对于非婚生育是否应当征收社会抚养费存在争议,而争议的背后是社会伦理道德、规范解读和理论适用等多方面因素共同作用的结果。非婚生育社会抚养费在行政收费原理下应围绕国家主体以概括量化的数字形式确定范围,避免婚姻状态对费用征收范围界定产生的影响。同时,在规范视角下,法律规定的“国家提倡一对夫妻生育两个子女”属于强制性义务,但不宜解读为禁止非婚生育行为。婚生与非婚生育本质上同属于生育行为,在同一体系内应当保证费用征收的同一性。因此,必须基于理论和规范的分析,方可界定非婚生育社会抚养费征收范围。     

犯罪学视角下的矫正社会工作专业性和有效性分析

当前我国矫正社会工作教育主要采取福利服务模式，且面临专业性和有效性的考问。西方犯罪学不同流派提出了不同的预防犯罪策略。实证学派之后矫正恢复成为主流，矫正社会工作由此得以蓬勃发展。然而，20世纪70年代中期后矫正社会工作的有效性受到空前质疑，由此兴起的反矫正运动导致矫正社工发展严重受挫。20世纪90年代起北美循证矫正运动开始全面量化检验影响犯罪和再犯的因素，得出了若干核心原则和因素。我国矫正社会工作福利服务模式集中体现在上海模式上，但最终被迫与刑事司法进行融合。我国本土性循证矫正得出，有效矫正应建立在实证知识和实践性知识与策略的结合上，这需要社会工作同犯罪学、法学和地方性知识的深度融合。     

Improvising Peace: Towards New Social Contracts in Tunisia

ABSTRACT

Eight years after the Arab Spring revolutions, Tunisia's state and citizens are crafting an increasingly resilient national social contract, despite setbacks. This case study examines what is driving Tunisia's efforts, focusing in particular on key transition initiatives – including a national dialogue and a forward-looking constitution adopted by broad consensus, following nation-wide consultations. The case examines how informed and empowered Tunisians built these structures to leverage the inherent resilience capacities of the people, which developed throughout state and civil society formation, women's movements, labour movements, and civic education. The research suggests that two issues that gave rise to the revolution have remained particular challenges for efforts to mediate and address conflict: political and social polarisation and lack of livelihoods. It reveals how Tunisians are calling for more inclusion and institutionalised citizen engagement as a means to address them. Conclusions point to how post-revolution, democratisation gains as well as values of compromise, tolerance, dialogue appear to be immunising Tunisia against irreparable reversals and are laying the foundations for sustainable democratic peace.