Does the Law and the Constitution of the Family Have to Change?

The law and constitution of the family has been targeted for transformation in recent years, leading most notably to the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, mandating same-sex marriage as a matter of constitutional law. In this essay I undertake a thought experiment, asking how advocates of traditional marriage ought to want the law of marriage to change in light of this development. I begin by reviewing the argument for legal change sketched by Aquinas and then applying it to developments concerning marriage in modern America. Next I sketch the natural-law argument on behalf of traditional marriage. Finally, I turn to the case of Michael H. v. Gerald D., in which the Supreme Court upheld a statutory reiteration of the common-law presumption that the husband of the mother is the father of her child, against a challenge from the biological father, suggesting that this case, long admired by conservatives, needs to be reconsidered—and that the dissent in the recent Indian Adoption Case recognizing a constitutional right of biological parents might prove useful to the restoration of marriage law.     

A Family Affair: The Dundas Family of Arniston and the Military Survey of Scotland (1747–1755)

ABSTRACT

This paper is the result of extensive investigation of the archives of the Dundas family of Arniston, Midlothian. It uncovers significant roles played in the organization of David Watson and William Roy's Military Survey of Scotland (1747–1755) by successive generations of the Dundases and suggests that the introduction of Watson, an established military engineer, to the young civilian Roy, was facilitated by that family. The Dundases' patronage of the Military Survey encourages us to understand the project as a private-public partnership and supports contentions that Enlightenment mapping resulted from complex social networks straddling military and civilian life.     

A Study on the Themes of Emily Dickinson’s Poetries

In the brilliant American literature area, Emily Dickinson is a mysterious figure who attracts readers deeply. She was born in an upper class family in New England of American in the 19th century, which is never married. She was one of the most outstanding poets. Her poems have extensive subjects and deep thoughts, and renowned with plain but eternal language. In her poetry, Emily Dickinson explored the theme on death, eternity, love and na- ture. This paper is just an attempt to help the readers to under- stand her complex themes of her poetries. She praised the nature and holy love, describe the essence of death and eternity. Dickin- son’s poems are usually based on her experiences, her sorrows and joys.     

Evaluating the Impacts of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones on the Environment and Farmers’ Practices: A Scottish Case Study

Nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) have been established throughout Europe to tackle diffuse pollution. This research investigates the attitudes and practices of farmers in the River Eden catchment, within the Strathmore and Fife NVZ in eastern Scotland, and explores how these changed between 2002 and 2011. Attitudes were investigated using interviews; efficiency of nutrient use was evaluated using farm gate nutrient budgets (NBs). Most of the 16 farmers regard NVZ regulations as burdensome and costly; however, attitudes to NVZs became more positive during the period. NBs demonstrated that arable farms generate the least nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) surpluses, dairy the most. N efficiency improved on nine farms and declined on two; P efficiency improved on 12 farms and declined on two. Overall, the 16 farms were using 13% less N and 19% less P in 2011 compared with 2003. Water quality data demonstrate that Nitrate N in the catchment's main rivers dropped between 2004 and 2011 by a mean of 15.5%, whereas mean phosphate P declined very little. Legacy P and Inefficient sewerage treatment facilities may explain the latter finding. Results demonstrate that NVZ regulations, combined with economic pressures, have affected farmers’ attitudes and behaviour, resulting in significant improvements in surface water quality.     

Exclusive Visions? Representations of Family,Work and Gender in the Work of the British Social Exclusion Unit

The Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) of the British Government is a recent and innovative response to social problems in the UK. Through an examination of selected publications of the SEU, the article highlights some of the representations of family, work and gender which provide the discursive context in which the SEU operates and to which it, in turn, contributes. The article suggests that perspectives found in the post-1945 welfare state continue to influence approaches to problems of exclusion. Whilst there are areas in which current political thinking shows evidence of sensitivity to the social recomposition that has attended economic restructuring since 1970, it is argued that there remain tendencies within SEU discussions which reinforce a more nostalgic constitution of work, family and gender relations. Consequently, the article concludes that the potential of the social exclusion debate to grasp fundamental issues is yet to be fully realised.     

Thought and action? Perspectives on Mazzini and Garibaldi on the bicentenaries of their births

Abstract

The introduction provides a context for the six papers that were presented at two different symposia marking the birth bicentenaries of Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi. The papers, revised for publication, address specific contributions made by these two founding figures of the modern Italian nation to the history of the Risorgimento, the ideologies of republicanism, democracy and nationality. The papers also make room for a discussion of their contrasting political modes, and look at their politics before and after Italy's political unification in 1860–61. The comparative approach highlights differences and similarities between Mazzini's and Garibaldi's political strategies and illuminates the choices available to those who wanted to unify the peninsula. The broad themes around which these papers are organized restore to these two figures the broad cosmopolitan dimensions that made the Risorgimento a movement of global impact.     

Putting on the Brakes or Pressing on the Gas? Media Attention and the Speed of Policymaking

Media attention is fundamental to the policy process and policy change in punctuated equilibrium theory. In this literature, media attention is usually conceptualized as fomenting or contributing to shifts in attention, positive feedback, and large‐scale policy change. This article extends how we understand the role of the media and punctuated equilibrium by arguing that media coverage can also contribute to negative feedback and stability in the political system. Media attention should also slow down the speed of policymaking and the momentum for policy change as new policy participants and problem definitions enter the debate. Using event history analysis, this article tests the effects of media coverage on the length of time it takes legislation, once introduced, to become law for public laws from the 109th U.S. Congress (2005–06). Findings provide support for media attention “putting the brakes” on policymaking. Controlling for other factors, the speed of bill passage slows down as media attention increases. This effect decays over time for high levels of media coverage.     

On the Content of the Concept “Geographical Environment” and the Influence of the Environment on Society

The author traces the evolution of the environmentalist concept through Marxist philosophy and analyzes the influence on the geographical environment on society. He adduces a number of examples to demonstrate the significance of the environmental factor in various historical contexts. For another discussion on the same subject, the reader is referred to Ian M. Matley, “The Marxist approach to the geographical environment,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 56, No. I, March 1966, pp. 97–111.     

Sources and Pseudo‐sources on the foundation of the Valamo Monastery

The article discusses the understanding of the road as a collective duty and institutionalized public space in late medieval Finland and the Swedish realm, as presented in the legislation of King Magnus Erikssons' law (landslag) of the late 1340s. After an introduction on the nature of past scholarship on the history of roads in Europe and Finland, the theoretical framework on the production and social implications of space on historical roads is discussed. The spatial understanding of the road in late medieval Finland is then studied in the context of medieval normative legislation, of which the main interest here is on King Magnus Eriksson's law, which was the major medieval law code valid in Finland. In the code, issues concerning roads and their maintenance are distributed to various sections of the law, but the main body of the legislation is set in Bygningabalken and Edsöresbalken. The analysis shows that, in the bygningabalken, the road and facilities attached to it such as bridges were rather exclusively discussed in the context of common duty, where the word common seems to be inherently understood as something obliged and insisted by the crown. In the edsöresbalken instead, the spatial dimensions of the road were brought forward in the context of the sworn peace of the realm, where the judicial space produced by the traveller was considered as a product of the road and the actual motives of travelling of the individual using it. The analysis of the respective chapters and decrees of the code shows that, from the point of normative legislation, the road was not only a recognizable space of its own but also constituted a judicial condition capable of producing distinctive social implications for those involved in the maintenance and use of roads in medieval Finland.     

A Study of Chinese College Students’ View on the Latest Network Catchwords

随着网络技术的迅猛发展,人们对网络的研究也风生水起。互联网是一个虚拟社区,它和现实社会有着直接的割不断的联系。在虚拟社区中,人与人交往离不开网络语言。本文主要研究中国大学生对网络流行语的态度并总结了网络语言的发展前景。     

Comparative Study on Tibetan-style gLing-kas and Han-style Gardens

In our contemporary world, ecology-oriented re- search is especially prevalent among scholars. Horti- cultural research attracts more and more attention. This shows that people become concerned about their life style and begin to focus on the relation between man and nature. China has achieved impressive results     

Free and Fair? Rhodesians Reflect on the Elections of 1979 and 1980

The elections of April 1979 and February 1980 were the first in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe's history to permit universal adult suffrage, allowing for black majority rule. In the first election, Bishop Abel Muzorewa's United African National Council (UANC) won an overwhelming victory, while in the second, British-supervised election, Muzorewa's party was soundly defeated and Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) won over 60% of the vote. By interviewing present and former white Rhodesians, located via Facebook and the print magazine Rhodesians Worldwide, who were witnesses to these two critical elections, this study aims to shed light on which of them was more representative of the will of the people of Zimbabwe, at least in the eyes of the country's white minority.     

Discussion on the variation characteristics of water content of Quaternary soil cover on the top of Yungang Grottoes and the problem of water seepage in caves北大核心

为研究云冈石窟顶部土壤覆盖层的含水率变化情况,建设了土壤环境监测网收集云冈石窟土壤含水率实时监测数据,并分析其时空变化特征及影响因素。结果表明,平坦地形条件下云冈石窟顶部第四纪土壤覆盖层含水率时空变化特征明显:年变化具有周期性,垂向上随深度逐层降低(冬季除外)。春、夏季土壤含水率抬升、储水,秋、冬季下降、失水;在春、夏日土壤含水率呈白天上升、夜晚下降趋势,秋、冬日则呈白天下降、夜晚也下降趋势。土壤含水率时刻处于不停的运动变化之中,受温度、大气降水、微地形等众多因素影响,山体边坡浅层土壤可能为侧向饱和流的入渗通道。降雨对土壤含水率的影响深度与实际入渗深度不一致。云冈窟内顶板及岩壁上部、中部含水率主要受降雨渗透窟顶土壤层、沿岩体裂隙通道进入洞窟的渗漏水控制,而岩壁底部含水率更多受窟前不饱带和与地下毛细水的影响。多年的防水实践也证明云冈洞窟渗漏水主要来自于石窟顶部及附近区域。防渗排水始终是云冈洞窟渗漏水治理的主导思路,建议应根据窟顶土壤厚度、地形地貌和遗址分布等分区治理,充分发挥土壤的防渗作用,减少对土壤覆盖层的过度干预。防渗层材料在具有防渗作用的前提下,应具备一定的透气性,满足“洞窟—覆盖层—大气环境”之间的水汽循环。     

Senior Officials in Tibet Appointed by the Government of the Republic of China： Case Study of Lu Hsing-Chi and Others

After the Qing Dynasty was overthrown by the Revolution of I9II, the newly established government of the Republic of China （ROC） was confronted with a dilemma：the warlords were fighting each other and the foreign imperialists were waiting for opportunities to expand their interests in China. Even so, the new Republic government set out a series of political system reforms. As the most important part of political system, the official system directly reflected the reforms.