Class Interests in Brazilian Archaeology

Archaeology is a practice that exists within various social contexts. As such, the way it is practiced is dependent upon the class interests of those who fund and undertake archaeological investigations. These interests in turn can be influenced by existing political regimes. In this article, I discuss how class interests have influenced the direction of Brazilian archaeology for the past century and a half.     

The Idea of Socialism: From 1968 to the Present‐day Crisis

Abstract: In 2008 the 40th anniversary of that iconic year, 1968, was celebrated in the media in relation to student uprisings and cultural revolts, largely neglecting the very significant movements of workers and peasants who were challenging power structures around the world at that time. This omission reflects the failures of socialism in the twentieth century, which are explored in this essay. Beginning from a more complete picture of 1968, the essay examines the history of socialism, identifying the main sources of failure in its theory and practice, in particular that of the revolutionary left. If the failure lies in the elite character of socialist politics and its focus on distribution rather than production, it is to be remedied by a firm focus on the politics of the workplace and the goal of substantive equality. The concluding section reviews the prospects for such an alternative in the current circumstances of global crisis.     

Childbirth and Social Class in Contemporary Japan

This paper presents data from a larger ethnographic research project on intimacy and reproduction in Japan, a country that faces a “crisis of ultra-low fertility rates” (Jones, Straughan, & Chan, 2009). Proceeding from a symbolic interactionist perspective, the paper analyses the outcomes of interviews with 56 Japanese mothers aged between 29 and 45 from Tokyo and Kanagawa. The analysis identified “maternal instincts” (honnō), children’s schooling, and marriage as three major axes along which an understanding of how social class concerns influence the childbirth experiences and decision-making processes of these mothers could be gained.     

Immaculate Consumption: A Critique of the “Shop till you drop” School of Human Behavior

Consumer behavior and choice models have assumed a major role in historical archaeology. Recent interest in consumption is an honest attempt to move beyond an emphasis on production. Consumer models have clear material referents, making them useful in historical archaeology. These models, however, separate production from consumption, and privilege the autonomous individual as the preferred unit of analysis. They also reinforce and validate ideologies that obscure inequalities and power relations in modern society. For us the important issue is how people reproduce themselves as social beings. Focusing on social reproduction integrates both production and consumption.     

论中部地区在中国可持续发展中的独特功能

中国是一个幅员辽阔、环境多样、人口分布、社会经济水平区域差异大的国家。促进区域协调发展,是中国现代化建设中的一个重大战略问题。本文分析了中部地区的优势,论述了中部地区在中国可持续发展中的独特功能,指出中部地区是:①中国可持续发展的主要食品供应基地;②中国可持续发展的主要水源地、③中国可持续发展的主要能源地,④中国经济区域协调发展的中枢地带。为中国区域协调发展和可持续发展提供科学依据。中国的崛起必须是全领域发展,在开发西部地区的同时,必须把中部地区的开发提高到中国发展战略的高度来认识,充分发挥中部地区在中国可持续发展中的独特功能,进而推动中国的可持续发展。     

日本侵略华中地区的经济根源

华中地区是中国最富庶的地区。占领富庶的华中攫取以战养战的战略物资,控制中国经济枢纽,摧毁国民政府赖以生存的经济基础,排斥其他国家在华中的资本势力,便成为日本侵略华中的经济根源。日本侵略华中之初,在速战速决战略指导思想下,对华中地区大肆掠夺的同时进行疯狂地破坏和摧残;战争持久化以后,日本加紧对华中沦陷区的经济统制,试图把华中经络成为他们以战养战的经济基地。     

18世纪末至19世纪中期英国在印度的“文明使命”

在"文明使命"价值观的指引下,英国人在印度扮演的角色,既是征服者和殖民者,又是统治者和开化者.他们在治理与掠夺印度的过程中,摧毁了印度原有的社会与经济结构,推进了印度社会的近代化,用强力手段将古老的印度拉进了以英国为中心的世界资本主义体系.     

马克思主义政党先进性与阶级基础的互动脉络——基于对马克思主义经典作家党的先进性思想进行探究的视角

马克思主义政党的阶级基础是其具有先进性的总根源,对阶级基础不同程度的把握使党的先进性呈现出不同的特点。马克思、恩格斯从党的阶级基础的内涵上去论证党的先进性,列宁将这一思想具体化为从阶级构成成分上去论证党的先进性,毛泽东为加强党的先进性提出旨在“再造党的阶级基础”的建党理论。邓小平认为保持党的先进性的路径是扩大党的阶级基础,江泽民提出保持党的先进性必须巩固党的阶级基础和扩大党的群众基础。     

The social dynamics of attracting talent in Halifax

The paper reports a case study of factors attracting and retaining talented and creative workers in Halifax, Nova Scotia. All categories of workers interviewed mentioned quality of place and amenities in discussing their location preferences, but that could not fully explain their choices. For some occupations (like health research), talented people followed jobs; in other sectors (like music), talented workers migrated to a sympathetic locale with the right conditions for creative engagement; creative workers in some occupations (like those in architectural, engineering or planning consulting) were more rooted in place. The social dynamics—that is, positive and collaborative social networks within key sectors and a wider community perceived as welcoming and interesting—make this mid‐sized city attractive to talented workers. Local universities and a vibrant music scene generate a mutually reinforcing context that attracted mobile talented and creative workers to the city. Respondents noted Halifax's limited cultural diversity but did not report a perceived lack of tolerance as affecting their choices. In smaller cities, the social dynamics of place and workplace and the quality of life available may play more significant roles than tolerance in attracting and retaining talented workers, challenging a basic assumption of creative cities discourse.