Religion and the Scottish Independence Referendum

The Scottish independence referendum debate, like the Act of Union of 1707, has significant religious dimensions. The Act gave special recognition through the monarch to the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Church, a national church, has not yet declared a position on independence, but is seeking to protect its existing privileges whatever the result. The Roman Catholic Church, recognised by the Scottish Parliament, unlike its formal rejection by the UK Parliament and monarchy, symbolically associates itself with the case for independence. Paradoxically, Catholics supporting independence subject themselves, in their religious lives, to an authoritarian foreign power. The SNP Scottish Government attempts to draw Roman Catholic support for independence from its traditional support base in the Labour Party by cultivating a sense of religious grievance that is not justified by the evidence. Old religious divisions are still relevant but non‐religion is growing fast and resulting in new perspectives on the independence debate.     

Connectivity

Abstract

The concept ‘connectivity’ is most widely used in communication technology, referring to the linkage between electronics, computers, computer systems and the people who use them, but it is also a heuristic concept with great utility in the broader discipline of Communication and beyond. This article traces the concept from its theoretical origins in information science to the core position that it holds in all traditions of the Communication discipline. It assesses the physiological, psychological and sociological dimensions of connectivity and considers the application of the concept as an instrument for understanding and resolving the problems, issues and opportunities of the world around us. The article ends with some insights into the practical utility of the concept in the spheres of social and institutional development, productivity, performance and the generation of competitive advantage.     

Racial history,legacy and economic development

For more than a century, white communities across the United States employed strategies to remain all-white, including violent acts, forcibly driving minorities out of town, and racist local ordinances. One particularly widespread and effective approach used by many towns to exclude certain groups of people from living there was the creation of a ‘sundown town’: towns that purposely signalled to African Americans and other non-white groups that they were not welcome within the city limits after dark. Crowe and Ceresola seek to understand how historical racial policies affect present-day community life and, in particular, one component of community with which many towns currently struggle: economic development. In exploring the effect of cultural legacy on perceptions of race and economic development in five mid-sized communities in central and southern Illinois—two former sundown towns and three without histories of racial exclusion—their study uses interviews, observation and content analysis to examine how historical legacy can carry over to the present and affect economic development. Overall, the findings suggest that the values and beliefs passed down through a community's legacy influences current local economic development.     

民警非职务性违法犯罪问题初探

近年来被曝光的民警非职务性违法犯罪的增多,是公安队伍建设中一个危险信号,意味着民警违法犯罪问题的升级,也反映出公安队伍建设中存在的问题趋于严峻,应当引起各级党委政府和公安机关的高度重视。预防民警非职务性违法犯罪,需要从多方入手,改善对民警的思想教育工作,加强队伍管理,树立文化育警观念,严肃处理民警违法违纪问题。     

我国农产品质量安全区域化管理法制建设研究

农产品质量安全关系到公民多项权利,更关系到政治稳定、经济发展与社会和谐。对农产品质量安全实行区域化管理,打破传统的管理方式,实现结合区域实际情况进行有针对性的管理,将有效推进我国农产品质量安全保障工作。正是农产品质量安全区域化管理法制建设具有多维的法价值尤其是安全价值,凸显了对农产品质量安全社会公共利益的重要性。在农产品质量安全区域化管理法制建设中要以安全为首要价值、以社会公共利益为基本理念,有效推进我国农产品质量安全保障进程。     

论教育改造的非惩罚性——兼与周雨臣教授商榷

罪犯教育工作在我国罪犯改造工作中具有独特的价值,但是,关于“罪犯教育”是否具有“惩罚性”,一直存有争议。有人认为,教育改造对于罪犯而言,具有“强制性、痛苦性和不可选择性”,是教育改造具有“惩罚性”的表现。而惩罚从其本质意义上讲,具有报应和威慑的价值取向,而对罪犯的教育改造具有善质性,目的不是为了让罪犯产生痛苦,而是使其发生改变,得到矫正,融入社会。     

从旭普林公司案看我国法院对国际商事仲裁的监督

运用国际商事仲裁的一般理论和国际商事仲裁立法与实践,结合我国法院就国际商会国际仲裁院仲裁庭根据该院仲裁规则就德国旭普林公司案在我国上海作出的仲裁裁决所实施的司法监督,探讨了国际商事仲裁裁决与涉外裁决、外国裁决和《纽约公约》项下的非本国裁决之间的联系与区别。由此认为本案项下的裁决,既不是我国裁决,也不是外国裁决,而是《纽约公约》项下的非内(本)国裁决。     

新中国成立以来我国国家形象建构

国家形象因其复杂、可塑和重要,它的建构已成为现代国家非常重视的课题。国家形象建构是理解、把握新中国成立以来光辉历程不可或缺的维度,因为建构稳定和向好的大国形象是中华人民共和国建国以来重要的内在关切和诉求,我们对此有自觉的认识和努力。新中国成立以来的伟大成就,极大地改变了中国各方面的客观源像,建构了诸如社会主义大国、东方大国、全球性大国等形象,总体上日渐趋好,中国国家形象建构取得很大成绩。国家形象建构和新中国建设、发展之间存在着内在的良性互动关系。也正因为如此,在分析不足的基础上探讨进一步优化国家形象的根本路径,有助于更好地推动中国特色社会主义在新时代健康前行。     

The Role of Non -Economic Drivers in Development Planning: The Case of South Korea and Turkey

ABSTRACT

The relationships between economic growth and planning strategies have been debated in different disciplines of social science. However, the emphasis has been more on structural and theoretical assumptions of planning and economics at the expense of other important non-economic and institutional factors that include social, cultural, political, and administrative dimensions. To explain the different approaches and outcomes of development planning, one needs to examine other factors that influence the nature of these plans and why they have been adopted. Using rigorous systematic and thematic review of government reports, academic publications and data from international organizations, this comparative study reveal the unique role non-economic factors play in countries’ development. It has been revealed that these factors not only influence the nature of planning strategies adopted by governments but also affect how these plans are implemented. Since South Korea and Turkey have achieved impressive economic growth over the last half a century, they have been selected as a case study to examine the role non-economic factors in their respective developments.     

人口重压下我国发展模式的选择--兼论"三农"问题及其对策

在沉重的人口压力下,我国必须选择“以人为本”的可持续发展道路,强化国人尤其是农村的人力资源能力建设。为此,必须对当前实施赶超型、跨越式发展等问题进行反思,并提出把农村人力资源开发作为解决“三农”问题的突破口的对策建议。