Survive and Thrive: Field Research in Authoritarian Southeast Asia

The literature on field research methods has focused almost exclusively on the strategies available to scholars working in democracies. By comparison, there has been scant guidance for those working in authoritarian regimes. This is despite the distinct set of challenges that arise where civil liberties and political rights are not consistently or well protected. The purpose of this article is to address this deficit. Drawing on the region of Southeast Asia as a natural laboratory for comparative analysis, it offers guidance on how to successfully conduct archival research, carry out interviews and undertake participant observation under authoritarianism. The resulting conclusions are applicable to the pursuit of primary research by scholars at all career levels and in other regions of the world.     

Osteoarthritis revisited: a contemporary review of aetiology

Osteoarthritis is among the most common pathological conditions in skeletal collections and is the most frequent musculoskeletal disorder in contemporary populations. Jurmain ( 1991 ) has previously published in this journal a brief review of skeletal perspectives on osteoarthritis. Subsequent studies by osteologists and medical researchers have added considerably to understanding of the aetiology and patterning of osteoarthritis. Thus, it is timely to present an updated review that expands and supports conclusions discussed in the earlier review. In short, osteoarthritis aetiology is multifactorial, with age being the main influence on the onset and severity of osteoarthritis. Genetic influences also play a large role in the severity of osteoarthritis, especially in the lower limbs. Weight, although playing a significant role for modern populations, seems to have had very minimal effects on prehistoric populations. Sex differences may often be a consequence of hormones, body size and anatomy, rather than activity related. Finally, intense activity starting at a young age still may influence osteoarthritis, especially in the upper limbs. Future directions discussed include within‐body comparisons, animal studies, and examining patterns in large populations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decentralized Industrial Policies in Practice: The Case of Austria and Styria

Unlike other European countries, most industrial policy in Austria still takes place at the Federal level. With recent open access to European funding programmes on the one hand and increasing regional engagement in industrial policy questions on the other, we see ongoing changes in this structure. As a result, industrial policy strategies for Austria are more and more designed in close complementarity with both international and regional strategies. The recent shift toward technology policy observeable in nearly all industrialized countries has also taken place in Austria and has favoured major urban areas. Nevertheless, a consensus-oriented tradition in stabilization and social policy have had remarkable negative effects on laggard regions up to now. The plan of this paper is documenting the actual situation as well as recent chances in Austrian industrial and technology policy. Furthermore, philosophy, principal targets and instruments of new industrial policy at the Lander level (Styria) are examined to offer a closer view on advantages and possible disadvantages of regional industrial policy.     

Gender trouble in the Old Testament three models of the relation between sex and gender

Abstract

Conceptions of sex and gender are cultural fictions. Three models of the relation between sex and gender have been analysed: 1. turned out to be a masculine universalist concept. 2. Even if we were to rediscover our modern conception of sexual/biological difference in the Old Testament ( is reserved for women), this does not imply a causal connection between sex and gender on the linguistic level. 3. In the concepts of and the Old Testament provides a gender‐neutral conception of the human body.     

Controversial controversies in the history of anthropology

Service, Elman R. A Century of Controversy: Ethnological Issues from 1860 to 1960. Orlando, Florida: Academic Press, 1985. xii + 351 pp. including bibliography and index. $48.00 cloth.     

Sex differences in musculoskeletal stress markers: Problems with activity pattern reconstructions

This study examined six musculoskeletal stress marker (MSM) scores that showed reverse sex differences in the previously published research. MSM scores often differ by sex within a population. Most often females have lower MSM scores than do males; however, reverse sex differences do occur. If reverse sex differences are culturally specific, then these MSM scores are more likely caused by activity patterns than biology. Yet, if the same MSM scores show reverse trends in multiple populations, then perhaps these reversals may be the result of biological sex differences, such as hormonal differences and body size, or methodological reasons, such as MSM location. In the current study, deltoideus, pronator quadratus and trapezius MSM scores were significantly more pronounced in males in the California Amerind population examined. Most MSM scores examined significantly correlated with body size and age. With articular size and age controls, only the pronator quadratus and trapezius continued to display significant sex differences. Males had greater MSM pronator quadratus and trapezius scores than did females. The lack of sex differences in four out of six MSM scores may relate to the confounding factor of body size. Thus, it is suggested that some reverse sex differences in the published literature may not relate to activity patterns whereas other MSM sites show more promise. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.