Prolonged Armed Conflict and Diminished Deference to the Military: Lessons from Israel

We examine whether the level of deference shown by the Israeli Supreme Court to military decisions has changed over time by empirically analyzing the entire body of Supreme Court decisions in petitions against the military commander between 1990 and 2005. Setting forth a number of different factors that might generally affect the degree of deference to state agencies, we hypothesized that there would be a decrease in deference in the relationship between the Court and the military commander during the examined period. Our findings show that deference to the military commander has indeed diminished significantly. We argue that this is best explained by the continuation of the armed conflict (and its aftermath, namely, the routinization and increase in the number of petitions by the civilian population) and also—to some extent—by the rise of a substantive rule-of-law legal consciousness, central to which is the importance of human rights.     

A Purposive Interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act

This article uses a purposive method of interpretation to suggest solutions to various questions raised in the application of the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA). The article first considers the goals of minimum wage laws (and the NMWA in particular) by putting forward the justifications for such laws and addressing critiques. It is argued that the minimum wage is best understood as a mechanism for redistribution of resources and ensuring respect for the human dignity of workers. Building on this articulation of goals, the article then proceeds to consider which group of workers are included within the scope of the NMWA (interpreting terms such as 'worker', 'voluntary workers', apprentices and trainees); what are considered working hours for the purpose of the Act (focusing on cases of work/sleep combinations); and what constitutes part of the wage (focusing on tips, attendance allowances and deductions for accommodations).     

‘Pedagogical’ and Ethnographic Fictions and Meta-narratives of Development: 1 World Manga

This article focuses on the development-themed Manga series entitled 1 World Manga, a World Bank/Viz Media project that follows the adventures of a young orphan boy, who ‘discovers that the only way to become a true warrior is to understand the challenges facing the poor and disadvantaged people he befriends along the way’. I argue that the series generates a pedagogical meta-narrative of ‘development’ that engages behavioural and situational, rather than ontogenetic and structural causes of inequality and disenfranchisement impede the characters' human development. I then discuss how ‘pedagogical’ fictions of development produce normative discourses of development that are centred around explicit, recognisable, fixed sets of circumstances, actors, and outcomes, and how they differ from ‘ethnographic’ fictions of development that emerge when development projects and interventions become sites of cultural production.     

Nurse home visitors' perceptions of mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence to law enforcement agencies

In the United States, there is an ongoing debate about requiring health care professionals to report intimate partner violence (IPV) to law enforcement agencies. A comprehensive examination of the perspectives of those required to report abuse is critical, as their roles as mandated reporters often pose legal, practical, moral, and ethical questions. Even so, the perspective of health care professionals who are required to report is often overlooked and research is scarce on mandated reporters who work outside of clinical settings, such as nurses who engage in home visitation with clients. The purpose of this study was to examine nurse home visitors' perspectives regarding the mandatory reporting of IPV, specifically focusing on their attitudes toward reporting, perceived awareness of reporting requirements, and intended reporting behaviors. A web-based survey was administered to nurses in the Nurse-Family Partnership home visitation program across the United States. A total of 532 completed surveys were returned (response rate = 49%). In terms of support for reporting IPV, 40% of nurses indicated that they should "always" be required to report. Almost half of the sample indicated that they would report a case of IPV, yet less than one-third of participants were aware of a legal mandate. Attitudes and support toward reporting as well as the perception of a reporting requirement significantly predicted intention to report. Furthermore, 29% of participants did not know if they were required to report IPV perpetrated against their clients. Comprehensive information about mandatory reporting duties is needed for health care professionals in home visitation settings. The findings of the current study highlight the need to reduce variation among practitioners and establish consistent program practices that are grounded in the program's principals, supported by existing research, and compliant with existing state policies.