The prince and the churl: The traumatic experience of Philip Augustus

Historians have recently argued that by the late Middle Ages a number of Mediterranean economies, notably southern Italy and parts of Spain, stood in a “colonial” relationship vis-à-vis other Mediterranean or northern European regions. For Sicily it has been argued that its economy was based on the exchange of agricultural products, principally grain, for imported manufactures, mainly textiles. Sicilian cloth manufactures were too weak to withstand foreign competition, which created an unbalanced and externally dependent structure of exchange and radically curtailed any chance of autochthonous economic development. This article discusses the empirical evidence upholding these statements about Sicilian textile manufactures. It includes an evaluation of the proportion of foreign imports to local production and consumption, of the socially distinct markets to which foreign and local manufactures catered, and of the nature, quality and extent of local production; the discussion is set in the context of the economic and social transformations taking place in Europe after 1350. The final part briefly analyses the institutional structures and constraints peculiar to Sicilian manufacture, such as the relationship between city and countryside and the apparent lack of any craft organizations. In the light of the extensive evidence for textile manufactures, the author concludes that the empirical basis for the argument that Sicily had a “colonial” dependence on cloth imports is insufficient, that local manufacture was quite capable of withstanding foreign competition of comparable quality, and that the explanation for Sicily's economic development in the late medieval and modern periods must be sought in its own social structures and in the result of the conflicts that arose within them.     

The search for historical experience

In the first part of my paper I will try to reconstruct a series of attempts at dialogue between history and the social sciences made by historians connected with the “Annales” (Marc Bloch, Ernest Labrousse, Giovanni Levi, Bernard Lepetit). What these attempts have in common is the idea that in history, as in the natural sciences, it is to some extent possible to carry out forms of experimentation on the sources, and that the inclusion of history among the human sciences, and even the scientific future of the discipline itself, ultimately depend on the adoption of this method. In the second part I will discuss the relationship that links historical experimentation with lived experience, and I will conclude by discussing the possible meaning of the idea of experimenting with the sources of history.     

Planning the compact city: The randstad Holland experience

All over the world compact urban development is a topic of debate. However, practitioners and academics in many countries seem slow to synthesize suitable policies. Therefore, in this paper 30 years of experience with compact urban development is projected against the backdrop of the international discussion on this issue. The Dutch experience confirms the legitimacy of many arguments and findings presented in the international literature. Yet, Dutch practices put the policy's success into perspective. It appears to be less successful when related to mobility effects and the spatial consequences of urban growth. The relative success of compact urban development was mainly owing to the specific conditions under which the policy was implemented. As these conditions are now changing, it remains to be seen whether this policy will be seriously jeopardized. In the event that planners elsewhere pursue compact urban development within their territory, cognizance of the Dutch experience may help them to shape their policies to achieve their full potential.     

中国模式和中国经验

所谓"北京共识"曾任《时代》周刊外国报道编辑、目前大部分时间在中国生活和工作的乔舒亚·库珀·拉莫(亦译雷默)2004年月在英国伦敦外交政策中心发表了"北京共识(Beijing Consensus)"一文,认为中国的发展模式不同于新自由主义的"华盛顿共识(Washington Consensus)",其核心价值正在全世界产生涟漪效应,并将给世界特别是广大发展中国家带来希望。文章认为,从策略上来说,"北京共识"要求,私有化     

编修《兴文县志·续编》的体会

1 .领导重视是关键我县开展修志工作 ,始终注重抓两个坚持 :一是坚持县委领导、政府主持的修志格局 ;二是坚持书记挂帅、县长负总责 ,分管领导具体抓的领导原则。近 1 8年来 ,领导班子换了一届又一届 ,领导换了一个又一个 ,但加强对方志工作的领导从未削弱过。第一部新编县志出版后 ,县领导班子明确提出修志工作不能松 ,队伍不能散 ,宣传工作要加强。传达贯彻全国地方志二次会议精神 ,就如何启动《兴文县志·续编》作了动员部署 ,并成立了县志续修领导组、编委会 ,落实了精干的编纂班子。经过努力 ,按时完成了《兴文县志·续编》任务 ,并于 …     

干部培训中党性教育的经验及其创新

干部培训的地位和性质决定了党性教育是其永恒的主题。加强现阶段的干部培训工作,必须针对新的形势和任务,必须针对干部培训对象的变化,必须注重教育内容和方式的创新,以增强干部党性教育的时代感、针对性和有效性。     

The second generation of human security: lessons from the UN and EU experience

The concept of human security, while much contested in both academic and policy debates, and highly fragmented across different meanings and forms of implementation, offers a potential locus around which global security discourse might converge, particularly in light of current shifts in US security thinking. However, key pioneers of human security, such as the United Nations and Canada, appear to be losing their enthusiasm for the concept, just at the moment when others such as the European Union, are advancing a human security agenda. This article examines the divergence of human security narratives between the UN and the EU. It argues that the UN's use of the concept ran aground owing to a triple problematic of lack of clarity, confusion between previously distinct policy streams on human rights and human development and conceptual overstretch. After assessing the EU experience with the concept to date, the article argues that future use of human security will require greater focus on how it deepens ideas of individual security, rather than treating it as an agenda for broadening security. As well as a need to project clarity on the conceptual definition of human security, there is also a need to associate human security with greater clarity of intent. If successful, this would contribute to establishing second generation human security as a new policy paradigm.     

The role of heritage attractions in sustainable tourism strategies: The experience in Ireland

Ireland, located on the north‐west periphery of Europe, illustrates all the difficulties of a small, marginal, island economy. It is an ancient landscape rich in heritage and cultural features. Tourism is now a vital part of the Irish economy and recent research has demonstrated that ‘Irishness’. whilst difficult to define, is the major appeal to overseas visitors. In 1989 the Irish Government challenged Bord Failte (the Irish Tourist Board) to double revenue from overseas tourists and create 25,000 new jobs. Heritage attractions formed a fundamental feature of Bord Failte's Framework Plan for Tourism. The methodology adopted for the development and interpretation of heritage attractions is evaluated in this paper, together with an assessment of the outcomes of the strategy. This particular initiative is discussed in the context of sustainable tourism strategies.     

The changing value of children among the Kikuyu of Central Province,Kenya

"This article describes and analyses recent changes in the social institutions and cultural practices which have traditionally supported high fertility among the Kikuyu of Central Province, Kenya, and assesses the extent to which such institutions and practices retain their significance in the context of the changing value of children. The material and symbolic value of children to the Kikuyu is analysed, using methods and concepts derived from social anthropology.... After briefly profiling each of the communities of study, the article is organised around three themes which correspond to the key social institutions that shape fertility motives: marriage, kinship and religion. A fourth theme which runs throughout the article is the changing strategic role played by these same institutions in regulating or enhancing fertility." (SUMMARY IN FRE)