Methods and results: A review of two recent publications

In reviewing two new books on archaeology's relationship with the Bible, Thompson points out a series of issues in which he is in agreement with William Dever, particularly in regard to the understanding of the Bible as a composite literary product, a library involving many different genres which was completed in the Hellenistic period, and having a wide range of surviving remnants of the past. These, however, are much more substantial than Dever allows and involve a much more complicated, secondary discourse than Dever recognizes. The central issue with which he disagrees with Dever relates to the origins of an "Israelite ethnicity," especially in regard to the reading of the Merneptah stele and the early settlements of Iron I Palestine. Finally, Thompson concludes that Dever's concentration on the analysis of realia , as the primary value of archaeology for history writing does not respond to the promise of an independence of Palestinian archaeology in history writing. In contrast, Thompson finds Neil Silberman and Israel Finkelstein's book to offer a much more coherent understanding of the problems of integrating the Bible with archaeological results and recognizes their new thesis as valuable. Their discussion of the Omride character of the legends of the United Monarchy brings scholarship much further along the way in the discussion of biblical origins and the Bible's relationship to the history of Palestine. He raises some problems with their dating of the deuteronomistic history to the time of Hezekiah and Josiah and questions their historical evaluation of the supersessionist quality of the biblical texts.     

Some recent writing on Japanese Foreign policy

JAPAN IN THE POSTWAR EAST ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM. Donald C. Hellmann. McLean, Virginia, Research Analysis Corporation, Strategic Studies Department Report RAC‐R‐46–2, February 1969. Pp. vi + 46. No price stated.

JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES IN ASIA. Robert H. Osgood, George R. Packard III and John H. Badgley. The Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research, School of Advanced International Studies, The Johns Hopkins University, Studies in International Affairs Number 8. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1968. Pp. vii + 65. US$1.95.

THE JAPANESE CIVILIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM. Victor Gilinsky and Paul F. Langer. Santa Monica, California, The Rand Corporation Memorandum RM‐5366‐PR, August 1967. Pp. xi + 48. No price stated.

THE JAPANESE SPACE PROGRAM: POLITICAL AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS. Paul F. Langer. Santa Monica, California, The Rand Corporation, August 1968. Pp. 30. No price stated.     

European regional policies in light of recent location theories

Despite large regional policy expenditures, regional inequalitiesin Europe have not narrowed substantially over the last twodecades, and by some measures have even widened. Income differencesacross States have fallen, but inequalities between regionswithin each State have risen. European States have developedincreasingly different production structures. European regionshave also become increasingly polarised in terms of their unemploymentrates. This paper describes these trends, and discusses howrecent location theories can help us to explain them and toreconsider the role of regional policies, especially transportinfrastructure improvements, in such an environment.     

Electing the European Parliament: Some Historiographical Notes

Despite the growing literature on the history of European integration, scholars have not reached a general consensus on the rationale for the introduction of direct elections to the European Parliament. This review article analyses representative books and articles through three levels of analysis: the evolution of the European Community institutional framework; the role of national governments; and the contribution of European federalist movements. In doing that, the article highlights the lack of a clear synthesis and the need to investigate the role and perception of the European Parliament before its direct elections. Indeed, the controversy over direct elections demonstrates that, far from being a useless talking shop, the European Parliament was a creative institution and a target for both federalists' hopes and national governments' fears. The former considered the introduction of elections as a trigger to democratise and federalise Europe; the latter suspected to lose their power as the only depositaries of national sovereignty.     

Palaeopathology in Britain: a critical analysis of publications with the aim of exploring recent trends (1997–2006)

This study collects data from three major journals and analyses them in order to assess the recent (1997–2006) nature of the study of palaeopathology within Britain. It considers the types of study published (case, population or method), whether findings are integrated with other data, the particular ‘theme’ that is considered (diet, activity patterns, etc) and the particular pathological condition focused upon (metabolic, dental, etc). The findings show there is a move away from the traditional case study and an increase in the acknowledgement of the value of integrating data with wider information. There is also a bias towards certain ‘themes’ and pathologies, reasons for which are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

战后欧洲联合中“联邦主义”思潮的初步考察

在战后欧洲联合进程中,一直存在“欧洲联邦主义”(Eurofederalism,以下简称“联邦主义”)和“政府间主义”(intergovernmentalism)两种主张。20世纪80年代,一位曾在欧共体委员会任职的英国人写道：“联邦主义和政府间主义,超国家主义和不同民族国家间的合作：关于欧洲的两种概念……从共同体建立的初期起就在彼此竞争。”它们涉及到欧洲联合要达到什么     

Some recent developments in British academic libraries and their implications for the geographer

Abstract

Rising costs of staffing, materials and accommodation have had serious implications for the quantity of stock and quality of service available in university and polytechnic libraries since the early 1970s. Fortunately, various technological developments have worked to counter this deterioration. Increased automation and cooperation between libraries have increased efficiency in acquisitions, cataloguing, loans and inter‐library loans systems. More libraries are offering on‐line information retrieval services. Attitudes have also changed and librarians are keener to promote library use by means of instruction, publications and publicity. Despite these developments some problems remain unchanged.     

Some Data on the Medical Geography of the European North of the RSFSR

A survey of medical geographic factors in the north shows that special precautions must be taken in the tundra and tayga against frostbite and the common cold, deficiency of ultraviolet radiation and vitamins, and against tick-borne encephalitis and tularemia.     

New approaches to volatility: dealing with the 'resource curse' in sub-Saharan Africa

Much attention has been given in recent years to the paradoxical fact that huge flows of money from petroleum appear not to have brought prosperity to the African countries that produce it, but may instead have helped cause poverty, economic decline and conflict. Issues such as human rights abuses near oil installations and environmental damage have often captured the headlines, but these, while important, are peripheral to the main problems: the Dutch Disease, whereby an influx of oil money causes real exchange rates to appreciate, making local industry and agriculture uncompetitive; the damage that petroleum money causes to institutions, incentives and overall governance; and the volatility of oil prices and revenues. This article will look at the volatility problem, and how oil contracts tend to make matters even worse. They are like this for long-established technical, political and historical reasons, and there is consequently a widespread belief in the industry that change is not possible. This defeatist attitude needs to be vigorously challenged.     

Farm,family, and myself: farm women dealing with family break-up

Despite the rising divorce rate among farm families in Norway, surprisingly little research has examined these break-ups. Drawing on interviews with farm women whose marital or cohabiting relationships broke down, we explore the contradictions between individualization and the moral responsibility embedded in the patriarchal discourse of the family farm. We ask whether farm family dissolution represents a break with patriarchal ideology and practice, and thus threatens the survival of the family farm. A key finding is the struggle to balance establishing new lives for themselves with meeting their felt obligations to the farm. None of the women exercised their full legal rights if they worried that it might destroy the farm business. By ensuring the survival of the farm and the well-being of their children, the women's handling of divorce conforms to cultural conventions and protects the family farm.     

A sense of scent: A review of two books dealing with primate endocrinology

Stoddart, D. Michael. The Scented Ape: The Biology of Human Odour. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. ix + 286 pp. including glossary, references, and index. $80 cloth, $24.95 paper.

Ziegler, Toni E. and Fred B. Bercovitch, eds. Socioendocrinology of Primate Reproduction. New York: Wiley‐Liss, 1990. viii + 217 pp. including chapter references and index. $72.50 cloth.     

我国目前面临的人口安全风险及应对措施

本文依据人口安全的基本内涵及其重要性,分析了目前我国人口安全面临的风险,并结合中共中央、国务院《关于全面加强人口和计划生育工作统筹解决人口问题的决定》精神,就如何应对我国人口安全风险进行了相应的对策探讨。