Is Morality Policy Different? Testing Sectoral and Institutional Explanations of Policy Change

We analyze morality policy change from the perspective of punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) to test whether reform dynamics in this policy sector follow a distinct pattern. First, we propose a new measurement scheme capturing changes in the intensity of morality policy output. Second, we demonstrate that morality policy change is strongly punctuated. Finally, and most importantly, we show that the degree of policy punctuations varies between different domains of morality policy, but not according to institutional features operating on the country level, supporting existing PET research, which has discovered similar domain‐specific dynamics in changes of public spending. Specifically, punctuations are particularly pronounced in areas of manifest morality policy, that is, policies characterized by strong value conflicts, whereas punctuations are less pronounced for latent morality policies, that is, policies in which other dimensions of conflict are present next to the value dimension. Significant differences in reform dynamics are neither discerned for countries belonging to the religious or the secular world, nor for countries with majoritarian or consensual democracies. The analysis relies on an original dataset capturing legislative changes in five manifest (abortion, euthanasia, prostitution, pornography, and homosexuality), and three latent morality policies (drugs, gambling, and handguns) in 19 European countries (1960–2010).     

From Blind Spot to Media Spotlight: Propaganda Policy,Media Activism and the Emergence of Protest Events in the Chinese Public Sphere

Abstract

In recent years, popular protest in China has emerged from a state of near-invisibility. Drawing on a diachronic analysis of news media coverage, this paper traces how a number of major protest events gradually entered the Chinese media’s spotlight and came to be portrayed in an increasingly protester-sympathising fashion over the course of the Hu-Wen administration. It argues that these changes were triggered by structural transformations of the Chinese public sphere, but underlines that deliberate policy choices by the political leadership served as a crucial agent of change. Facing proliferating unrest and an increasingly unimpeded flow of information, the central authorities have gradually shifted propaganda policy from a suppressive to a more proactive approach. They have thereby created critical opportunities for Internet users and investigative journalists to push the envelope further towards protester-sympathising accounts. The development is significant as there are good reasons to surmise that increased media coverage has exacerbated the dynamics of popular contention. Theoretically, it deserves to be noted that non-inevitable choices by an authoritarian leadership have led to an outcome in which media coverage of citizens who challenge the state on the streets has become substantially more frequent and positive than before.     

筚路蓝缕 开拓创新——李仰松先生访谈录

李仰松,1932年生,陕西临潼人,1954年毕业于北京大学历史系考古专业,后留校任教,在北京大学考古文博学院历任助教、讲师、副教授和教授,长期从事新石器时代田野考古、原始社会史与民族志、马恩著作选读等课程的教学工作,在新石器时代考古学特别是民族考古学研究上作出了突出贡献。1998年出版《民族考古学论文集》,是我国著名的民族考古学家和民族考古学的创始人之一。李先生在繁忙的教学当中,早在20世纪50年代就曾深入云南佤族山区开展民族考古学调查,以后又率领研究生到达云南怒江独龙族、海南岛五指山黎族和苗族地区再度开展民族考古调查,取得了大量第一手资料。在多年的教学和科研工作当中,李先生结合民族学材料,对我国远古时代的陶器制作、谷物酿酒、生产工具以及岩画、彩陶等原始艺术等诸多领域,都提出了许多独到见解。此外,他还采用民族考古学的方法对我国原始社会的经济文化类型划分、军事民主制、中国文明起源以及民族考古学的理论方法等重大课题,都进行了富有创见性的研究,在学术界产生了广泛影响。前不久,《南方文物》编辑部特约记者梦古,在北大畅春园李先生窗明几净的家中就李先生的治学经验、以及李先生对今后民族考古学的发展方向等若干话题进行了采访。采访当中,李先生那谦和的态度、循循善诱的教导方式以及对民族考古学的真知灼见都给记者留下了深刻印象。     

关于推进西部高校研究生教育的几点思考

本文从改革研究生培养机制、加强导师队伍建设、发挥重点优势学科龙头作用、提高研究生培养质量新举措四个方面探讨了西部高校研究生教育问题,认为研究生教育是一个庞大的系统工程,体制创新是关键,学科建设是核心,导师队伍建设是基础,制度建设是保障。     

Could Cities in De-Industrialized Regions Become Hot Spots for Attracting Cultural Businesses? The Case of Media Industry in Halle an der Saale (Germany)

Policy-makers from many regions where old industrial structures in the field of manufacturing have collapsed are trying to stimulate entrepreneurial activities of businesses in the cultural industry. The question is whether this strategy could be successful. This article examines the strategy of supporting the sector of media industry (“MI”) by policy-makers in the region of Halle in East Germany, where a strong de-industrialization has taken place after the German reunification. Stimulated by the policy-makers' support measures, there actually was a remarkable development of MI. However, the number of MI firms and their employees did not further increase in recent years, after having reached a certain level. This illustrates the limits of political measures for turning a city's path of industrial development voluntarily.     

前苏联的环境保护问题及其对中国生态文明建设的启示

环境问题是制约当今人类社会发展的重要问题,其中生态环境问题与国家兴衰、社会制度变革的关系成为可持续发展研究的一个热点。前苏联作为社会主义国家的代表,其环境问题及其与社会主义制度的兴衰关系引起了国际学术界的关注。在对前苏联环境问题、环境保护政策变迁及环境保护失败原因分析的基础上,研究认为严峻的国内外局势、畸形的经济发展模式和高度集中的政治体制等因素使得环境保护一直处在前苏联国家战略的边缘。随着中国经济发展受到资源与环境约束力增强,生态—环境问题开始成为左右政治生活的一个重要力量,生态文明建设对促进我国人与自然和谐发展、构建和谐社会具有重要意义。     

Die Europäische Route der Backsteingotik Impulsgeber für die regionale Entwicklung

Abstrakt Den Problemen peripherer Regionen stehen Chancen gegenüber – eine davon kann Tourismus sein. Die Europ?ische Route der Backsteingotik (EuRoB) gibt dem Kulturtourismus rund um die Ostsee Impulse. Sie greift das einmalige hanseatische Kulturerbe auf und vernetzt St?dte und Regionen in sieben Staaten. Damit tr?gt sie dazu bei, einer strukturschwachen Region touristisches Gewicht zu verleihen. Touristische Entwicklung ist wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. Das er?ffnet Perspektiven für die Bev?lkerung, eine Grundvoraussetzung für soziale, ?konomische und demographische Stabilisierung. Für die St?dte wiederum, die sich dadurch weiterentwickeln, ergeben sich Chancen im Wettbewerb, der zunehmend globaler wird und ganze Landstriche abzuh?ngen droht.     

中国抗战损失研究的回顾与思考

由于诸多原因,战后并没有调查统计出完备周详的中国抗战损失总数。目前,学术界关于中国抗战时期人口伤亡和财产损失总数歧见不一。为深化中国抗战损失的研究,本文回顾中国抗战损失研究的历史,系统疏理有关抗战损失研究的成果,探析损失统计差异形成的原因,揭示损失研究中要注意的主要问题,并对抗战损失的调查和研究提出建议。     

由藏书题记看赵世暹水利文献收藏

赵世暹字敦甫,自号琴城赵二,江西南丰人.近代水利学家和藏书家,尤以收藏水利文献而著称.而有关他收藏水利文献的资料仅散见于文端,且比较简短零碎,目前亦尚未有对之专门研究的文章.在此,笔者不揣浅陋,试从赵世暹几则藏书题记,来初步揭示其收藏和保存水利文献的贡献.