Political Parties and Grassroots Clientelist Strategies in Urban Turkey: One Neighbourhood at a Time

Both principal Turkish political parties make extensive use of patron–client networks, but in very different ways. The CHP relies on competing local brokers and synchronous vote buying. The AKP is at the centre of a network of public and private funding turning social policy to clientelist ends. Socially anchored AKP activists link the party to voters, allowing it to target social assistance for political advantage and take credit for improvement in local conditions. The case presented in this paper provides a natural experiment suggesting that this distinction is an important explanation for the AKP’s electoral success in low-income urban areas.     

Thailand’s urbanized villagers and political polarization

Thailand currently suffers from high levels of political polarization; parties associated with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have won every election since 2001, based partly on strong support from voters registered in the populous North and Northeast regions. Many of these voters are migrant workers who spend much of their time working in Greater Bangkok, yet remain legal residents of their home provinces. This article argues that Thailand’s political polarization could be reduced if many of these “urbanized villagers” either took up formal residence in the capital city, or were encouraged to share in the creation of new small-scale urban communities in their places of birth.     

From rural rebellions to urban riots: political competition and changing patterns of violent political revolt in Uganda

Violent political revolt has been common in independent Uganda. For a long time, such revolts were exclusively expressed as rural-based rebel groups fighting the government. Since the mid-2000s, however, this seems to have come to an end. Instead, urban riots, very rare in the past, have become much more common. This article analyses these changing patterns of types and location of violent political revolt in Uganda under the National Resistance Movement government. It argues that the earlier prevalence of rural rebellions can be explained by the combination of a coercive and militarised state, and weak and ethnically factionalised political forces who took their violent resistance to rural regional bases. Over time, however, government counter-insurgency became more effective and the conditions for insurgency were undermined by withdrawal of external support. Furthermore, the reintroduction of multi-party politics in 2005 opened up new avenues for political expression. The changes to the political system were, however, more nominal than real in many respects. While the rebel option had become less attractive and feasible, a series of social, economic and political grievances remained which were only partly channelled through party politics. They also found expression through sporadic urban violent revolt.     

A Youth Counter-Narrative on Trafficking and Smuggling from Africa to Europe

This article features the personal experiences of a young African woman victim of trafficking and smuggling from Nigeria to Italy. The aim of the article is to provide a counter-narrative on the phenomenon of human trafficking, by engaging with the youth’s lived experiences. The story forms part of a wider database of youth counter-narratives, gathered by the authors in different parts of the world (Italy, South Africa, and Ethiopia). The narrative will be discussed on the basis of four identified elements, and the reflection addresses them within the wider context of trafficking, smuggling, and human migration. The conclusion drawn is that the language of youth counter-narratives can represent a useful tool to address the complexity of social issues, in particular when they refer to lived experiences of youngsters who have been subjected to different forms of oppression and violence. It also represents a sort of liberation from cultural homogenisation, forcing the readers to engage with a “new humanism.”     

在大陆的台湾青年社会适应性与满意度分析

台湾青年在大陆求学、就业或生活的整体适应情况与满意度是值得我们关注的问题。调查显示,在大陆的台湾青年社会适应性主流是客观理性、积极向上、主动作为的,多数台湾青年对自己在大陆求学或就业的整体满意度较高;超六成被调查者表示能主动适应两岸文化差异,并能客观理性看待大陆政治体制。但两岸政治生态、价值观念、文化氛围、社会发展程度及社会结构的差异,大陆惠台政策重制订轻落实的制度缺失,台湾青年自主择业或创业难度大,身份尤其是户籍难以得到有效解决等问题也对他们的社会适应造成困扰。＂主动调整＂成为当前大多数台湾青年在大陆求学、就业或生活的首选策略。     

延安统筹城乡发展的探索、问题及对策

2010年中央一号文件提出把统筹城乡发展作为全面建设小康社会的根本要求。陕西省为进一步加快统筹城乡发展，确定以延安为试点，支持延安在全省率先实现统筹城乡发展。经过三年的实践与探索，延安在取得阶段性成果的同时，也遇到了诸多的困难和挑战，需要深入研究不断探索。本文从总结延安经验，梳理发展难点，探寻解决路径三个方面展开研究，试图为延安以及类似地区未来统筹城乡发展提供一些有益的借鉴和参考。     

我国城市社区民主治理的困境与出路

积极推进城市社区民主治理对我国的民主政治建设和法治进程具有重要而深远的影响,但宥于我国历史传统和民主法治国情,城市社区民主治理仍存在民主权利与民主需求、民主需求与民主实践、民主实践与民主权利之间不相协调的问题,使得社区民主治理陷入"权利-需求-实践"的困境,这严重阻碍着中国城市社区建设及基层民主政治的健康发展。当务之急是结合我国实际,完善民主权利,满足民主需求,深化民主实践,积极探索具有我国特色的城市社区民主治理之路。     

废弃电子产品回收处理体系构建及实现路径

废弃电子产品富含许多珍贵的矿产资源和有机物，若处置不当，不仅不能有效回收利用这些资源，还会引发严重的环境问题。当前中国经济发展明显受资源、环境的瓶颈制约，若能充分回收利用废弃电子产品，无疑是缓解资源、环境问题的有效途径。该文对中国加快回收利用废弃电子产品的动因及废弃电子产品回收处理现状进行了分析，梳理了国外废弃电子产品回收处理体系建设的经验。在此基础上，该文尝试构建适于中国的废弃电子产品回收处理体系，并指出实现该体系的具体路径。     

青少年心理问题若干个案的思维方式归因分析

思维与心理有着极为密切的关系,探讨和解决青少年心理问题,不能把思维方式的影响撇在一边。对青少年心理问题的个案进行分析,均会发现思维方式侧身其中的情况。因此,不解决思维方式问题,心理问题也不可能得到彻底的解决。思维方式教育应该作为青少年心理健康教育的重要组成部分。     

Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp Experience: Evidence for Multidimensional Growth

Three thousand, three hundred and ninety-five families, whose child attended one of 80 different day or resident summer camps for at least one week, completed customized questionnaires that measured growth from precamp to postcamp in four domains: Positive Identity, Social Skills, Physical & Thinking Skills, and Positive Values & Spirituality. Parents, children, and camp staff reported significant positive change in these four domains; more than would be expected by maturation alone. Most gains were maintained or showed additional growth six months later. Few of the camp's structural elements correlated with growth, nor did striking gender, age, or ethnicity differences emerge. The study highlights the particular strengths of camp as an educational institution and social movement and suggests that different variations of summer camp can provide potent developmental experiences. Christopher A. Thurber is full-time faculty at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1997. His major research interests include homesickness, youth camping, and developmental psychopathology. Margery M. Scanlin is the Executive Officer for Research at the American Camp Association in Martinsville, Indiana. She received her EdD from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, in 1982. Her major research interests include youth development outcomes, program improvement in youth organizations, and organizational aspects of effective camps. Leslie Scheuler Whitaker is a Senior Associate with Philliber Research Associates in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her PhD in social science research from Washington University in St. Louis in 2000. Her primary research areas include youth development, arts education, and program evaluation. Karla A. Henderson is a professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at North Carolina State University. She received her PhD in education from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and is currently a member of the American Camp Association Board of Directors. Her research interests include leisure behavior theory, camping and outdoor education, and gender and diversity issues.