From staffy@omen.net.au Mon Aug 31 23:48:56 1998 "DICWC Members" Fri, 28 Aug 1998 11:37:34 +1000 From: "Trudy Bray" To: "news-clip" Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 11:39:04 +1000 Subject: Reuters/Variety: Midnight Oil warns of "Redneck Wonderland" Reply-to: Wednesday August 26 5:39 PM EDT FEATURE: Midnight Oil warns of ``Redneck Wonderland'' By Michael Perry SYDNEY (Reuters) - The music is deafening. It thunders from the speakers on stage and pounds into your head. Bathed in a red spotlight a tall, bald man performs a convulsive dance. His face, saturated in sweat, is distorted as he sings his angry words. ``Apathy rolling on. Time to take a stand. Redneck Wonderland,'' sings Peter Garrett, lead singer of Midnight Oil, one of Australia's most successful and politicized rock bands. Midnight Oil is touring Australia, not just the state capitals but the football clubs and small town hotels of middle Australia, promoting its latest CD ``Redneck Wonderland,'' whose cover depicts a kangaroo toting a rifle over its shoulder. Garrett, 45, says the title is taken from a piece of graffiti and warns of what Australia could become as racism fans out across the country amid growing support for a fledgling far right political party. MUSICAL CONSCIENCE Midnight Oil has been Australia's musical conscience for the past two decades. Songs such as ``When the Generals Talk'' and ``Beds Are Burning'' helped propel the band to international acclaim, and also acquainted music fans with such weighty issues as disarmament and aboriginal rights. Garrett, a lawyer by training, is listed among a group of 100 prominent people as a ``Living Treasure'' by the National Trust of Australia. He has been at the forefront of campaigns for the environment, disarmament and civil liberties. ``One of Midnight Oil's roles is to be social critic and to reflect against those things we believe are hostile to our idea of Australia,'' Garrett told Reuters in a recent interview. ``We didn't set out to write a tough record, it just happened by osmosis -- we absorbed the events of the day and produced a record which was highly charged.'' ``There is an urgent need to renew our national focus and recognize our national strength of being a tolerant and diverse immigrant society which has no truck with old-world racism and paranoia,'' Garrett says. UNCOMFORTABLE AUSTRALIA ``Comfortable suburban home. Too afraid to go out on your own. Comfortable place on the couch,'' sings Garrett in criticism of Australian Prime Minister John Howard's conservative view of the world. After his landslide victory in 1996, Howard promised to govern for all and make the so-called ``lucky country'' a comfortable place. Almost three years later, many Australians feel decidely uncomfortable, particularly Asian migrants and Aborigines, as a racism debate ignited by nationalist politician Pauline Hanson's One Nation party continues to burn. Hanson wants to roll back aboriginal land rights reform and also argues for protectionist trade policies that would benefit her core farming supporters. Howard has refused to attack Hanson directly, arguing that all Australians have freedom of speech, and that Hanson would be a short-term political phenomenon. But with an early election now expected in October, opinion polls suggest One Nation could gain the balance of power in the upper house Senate. ``There has been an extraordinary failure on the part of the conservative parties and their leadership in Australia to deal with the issue of One Nation,'' says Garrett. WHITE SKIN, BLACK HEART ``You had the rednecks roaring for blood and then they wanted more...white skin, black heart, white skin, black heart,'' Garrett sings in ``White Skin Black Heart.'' Garrett says politicians have failed to explain the free market policies of the past decade, which have seen rapid change. He says they have failed to listen to the worried voices of middle Australia, particularly from the bush. Now disillusioned voters are turning to One Nation and its anti-Asian, anti-Aboriginal, protectionist policies. They have reverted ``to a very narrow and parochial, introverted view of nationalism, which seeks to identify enemies within Australia and blame the powerless and the different for the problems that are foisted on them by governments,'' says Garrett. ``Let's be really clear about it, One Nation will be a failure in the long-term as a political force because their policies are illogical, inaccurate, fanciful and reprehensible,'' he said. ``They are anti-community, anti-society policies. They are the policies of race and exclusion, when you strip it all back. ``But they are giving the appearance to people that they can deliver and are listening. The reality is they won't.'' Reuters/Variety ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." From staffy@omen.net.au Mon Aug 31 23:49:20 1998 "DICWC Members" Tue, 25 Aug 1998 16:21:52 +1000 From: "Trudy Bray" To: "news-clip" Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 16:22:56 +1000 Subject: SMH Breaking News: Amnesty to survey poll candidates on... Reply-to: Of course, that won't flush out the ones who lie or those who are racist but tell themselves they are not. It might be more revealing to list the utterances, excuses and actions of incumbent pollies over th last two and a half years. --- Trudy ==================================================== Tuesday, August 25, 1998 Amnesty to survey poll candidates on human rights (3.15pm) The human rights watchdog Amnesty International says all Federal candidates will be surveyed on their attitudes towards racism and discrimination in the lead-up to the election. A spokeswoman for the group, Ms Kirsten Hawke, said the Australian public deserved to know up front if their future leaders stood for basic human rights for everyone or only for some. The survey forms carries seven statements, with candidates having to tick a box next to those they support. The questions cover the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Australia's relationships with its neighbours and the strengthening of human rights protections at home. The results of the survey will be announced before the election. - Australian Associated Press This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." From jsalt@teleport.com Tue Sep 1 00:19:05 1998 Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 23:23:14 -0400 From: Jim Salt To: mweigand@usa.net Subject: Telecourses This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------33FA2E5E0EDC0AFDEF19EEA9 PSners, Somewhat along the lines of the on-going discussion on on-line courses, I am wondering if anyone has any experiences with "telecourses." As part of my new job, I have the responsibility of supervising/teaching (not sure what the best word here is) a "telecourse", which will will entail broadcasting 10 hours of a video already purchased by my college, that seeks to introduce sociology to students who are unable to attend classes on campus. I haven't had an opportunity to review the videos yet, but I will soon receive a guide (currently being written) to help new instructors of telecourses. While I suspect that PSNers may want to comment on the pedagogical significance of such a course, given that I have a few weeks to prepare myself to "give" the course, I am more interested in ideas folks might have on how to make such experiences work for the students and meet my pedagogical goals (I'll keep the question simple by leaving these unstated, at least for the time being), given the obvious challenges of such this mode. Thanks, Jim Salt jsalt@teleport.com Work Address: Dept. of Social Science Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave Eugene OR 97405-0640 1-541-747-4501 X2433 Home Address (starting 9/4/98): 679 West 27th Avenue Eugene OR 97405 1-541-791-4056 "The philosophers have only _interpreted_ the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to _change_ it." --- Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach --------------33FA2E5E0EDC0AFDEF19EEA9 begin: vcard fn: Jim Salt n: Salt;Jim org: Lane Community College email;internet: jsalt@teleport.com title: Instructor x-mozilla-cpt: ;0 x-mozilla-html: TRUE version: 2.1 end: vcard --------------33FA2E5E0EDC0AFDEF19EEA9-- From mweigand@usa.net Tue Sep 1 09:28:51 1998 Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 09:24:42 -0600 (MDT) From: mweigand@usa.net Subject: nationwide faculty trends To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Source: The Review, American Federation of Teachers newsletter, Fall 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FULL-TIME TENURED FACULTY BECOMING AN ENDANGERED SPECIES ON MANY CAMPUSES Between 1970 and 1995, the number of full-time faculty grew by only 49 percent, while part-time faculty grew by 266 percent over the same period. At this rate, says a new report released by the AFT, part-timers will overtake full-timers on college campuses in three years. On many campuses--especially at community colleges--they already are the majority. The affect of this erosion on the profession and on academic quality is the subject of a cover story in the September issue of AFT On Campus. The report, called "The Vanishing Professor", chronicles the efforts of some unions to fight the trend through legislation and bargaining. The report is available on the AFT web site at www.aft.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best Wishes, -=MW=- MSCD.edu From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Tue Sep 1 10:08:26 1998 Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1998 11:09:33 -0500 From: Alan Spector Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK , WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK Subject: Pseudo-genetics and bad research methods Note: There has been discussion on both of these lists on the questions of genetics and behavior. I found these two posts on an e-mail list and thought they would be of interest to some readers ---- Alan Spector -------------------------------------------------------- ....-- there has been a refreshing new (non-chomskist) set of research arrticles on the aquisition of language, some of them reported in science in hte past year. pinker is not among them. it is too easy in these days of the human genome project for people not actually in molecular biology/ genetics to geneticize everything. it is particularly popular among psychologists, many of whom now invoke genes for all kinds of psychological traits. one of the few scientists trying to find genes for behavior that has any idea what he is doing is hammer, but his work is clouded by his own adgenda (homosexuality). in any case, little has changed in the last 30 years, and lewontin's objections still hold. all bouchard's studies really show is some insight (for those willing to look) at the way the human (and scientist's) mind works -- we see patterns, we connect what we see to what we already know. this is the reason "fortune telling" and astrology work. bouchard didn't notice all the things that were different among twins, he noticed the things that were the same, and when you look at enough of them, there are going to be some interesting similarities. if he looked at the same number of non twins, he would find the same kinds of "similarities".................... ------------- (other posting) ----------------- The Bouchard group's twin studies, heavily funded by the Pioneer Fund, is their big attempt to repair the damage done to the scientific racist project by Leon Kamin's exposure of Sir Cyril Burt fraudalent twin studies. For years, racists like Jensen and Eysenck relied on Burt's fabricated data to support their assertion that intelligence was largely inherited and that whites were more intelligent than blacks. If you get past the amusing anecdotes about twins reared apart who like to drink the same beer, it becomes clear that Bouchard is mostly interested in proving that intelligence is primarily due to genetic factors and not environment. (The Bouchard groups estimates the heritability of intelligence at 70 percent.) Secondarily, they also want to show that personality traits such as aggressiveness and impulsiveness are also mostly inherited. Discover magazine (September 1987)reported: "The Minnesota researchers ... stress, however, that if the environment does influence intellectual talents, the effect is subtle. Time after time in the Minnesota study, twins with very different schooling opportunities came out only a few points apart in intelligence." Leon Kamin, at one point, was talking about writing a book about the Minnesota twin studies research. It might be worthwhile trying to contact him about this. Bouchard has studied only about 50 pairs of identical twins reared apart, and his methods have already been criticized: *"Other twin researchers say the significance of these coincidences has been greatly exaggerated. Richard J. Rose of Indiana univerity, who is collaborating on a study of 16,000 pairs of twins in Finland, points out that 'if you bring together strangers who were born on the same day in the same country and ask them to find similarities between them, you may find a lot of seemingly astounding coincidences. "Rose's collaborator, Jaakko Kaprio of the University of Helsinki, notes that that Minnesota twin studies may also be biased by their selection method. Whereas he and Rose gather data by combing birth registries and sending questionnaires to those identified as twins, the Minnesota group relies heavily on media coverage to recruit new twins. The twins then come to Minnesota for a week of study -- and, often, further publicity. Twins who are 'interested in publicity and willing to support it,' Karprio says, may be atypical. This self-selection effect, he adds, may explain why the Bouchard group's estimates of heritability tend to be higher than those of other studies." (Scientific American, June 1993) * "In his investigation of other twin studies, Kamin has shown that identical twins supposedly raised apart are often raised by members of their family or by unrelated families in the same neighborhood; some twins had extensive contact with each other while growing up. Kamin suspects the same may be true of some Minnesota twins. He notes, for example, that some news accounts suggested Oskar and Jack (the Nazi and the Jew) and the two British women wearing seven rigns were reunited for the first time when they arrived in Minnesota to be studied by Bouchard. Actually, both pairs of twins had met previously. Kamin has repeatedly asked the Minnesota group for detailed case histories of its twins to determine whether it has underestimated contact and similarities in upbringing. 'They've never responded.' he says. "Kamin proposes that the Minnesota twins have particularly strong motives to downplay previous contacts and to exaggerate their similarities. They might want to please researchers, to attract more attention from the media or even to make money. In fact, some twins acquired agents and were paid for appearances on television. Jack and Oskar recently sold their life story to a film producer in Lost Angeles (who says Robert Duvall is interested in the roles)." (ibid) * "Raymond Fancher's excellent book The Intelligence Men details much of this history, including studies of identical twins reared apart. These began in the early 1930's when Ed and Fred discovered one another in Chicago. Ed and Fred had been separated at the age of six months. They became the first of 19 such pairs examined by three Chicago scientists, Horatio Newman, Frank Freeman, and Karl Holzinger. Newman, Freeman, and Holzinger recognized serious problems when they tried to determine how much genetics influenced intelligence. Among the difficulties were that adoption agencies tried to place twins in similar homes, so environments often were not so different. Also, some of the twin had more contact with one another before they were tested than others. Those who had communicated more tended to overemphasize the coincidences in their lives to make their story more interesting. For those and other reasons Newman, Freeman and Holzinger concluded in 1937 that the most they could say was that both genetics and environment contributed to intelligence." (The New Republic, 12/21/87) Bouchard likes to pretend that his research is not politically motivated and that his conclusions have no political effects. Others don't quite see it that way (including, of course, the Pioneer Fund). When Lee Kuan Yew, prime minister of Singapore, delivered a 1983 speech in favor of his eugenics program, in which middle class parents are giving tax incentives to have more children, while low-income parents are discouraged, he cited the work "by Professor Thomas Bouchard of the University of Minnesota." Roger Pearson, the neo-Nazi who edits Mankind Quarterly with Pioneer Fund largesse, praises the Minnesota twin studies project in his book, Race, Intelligence, and Bias in Academe. I've noticed some uncanny coincidences between Pearson and Bouchard. They are both willing to accept money from a white supremecist outfit, they both believe that intelligence and other personality traits are mostly determined by heredity, and they both claim to have been harassed by anti-racists. Could they be identical racists reared apart! ... --------------- From dtaylor2@condor.depaul.edu Tue Sep 1 11:09:47 1998 From: "Douglas Taylor" To: , "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Re: Reuters/Variety: Midnight Oil warns of "Redneck Wonderland" Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 12:15:37 -0500 charset="iso-8859-1" While I agree with much of the sentiment expressed in Midnight Oil's lyrics, I find the use of the term "redneck" offensive and counter productive. I am a person from the southern part of the US--but w/o a southern drawl. Because of this, I have often been regale by colleagues in academia with the most bigoted, anti-working class comments [about southern workers] purportedly propounded in the defense of the weak and disadvantaged. For example, in one breath, it is "defend the rights women!" . In the next, it is "those redneck southerners, they're too stupid to ________[you fill in the blank]." I guess it doesn't occur to this sort that a disproportionate % of poor and working class women are "rednecks" living in the US south [and of course Appalachia]. Increasingly, I find that the ease with which progressives, who should know better, employ such classist language correlates with the substitution of identity politics for meaningful political struggle against capitalism. Just had to get this off my chest. Cheers, Douglas Taylor DePaul University From jbiddle@ix.netcom.com Tue Sep 1 15:43:25 1998 by dfw-ix7.ix.netcom.com (8.8.4/8.8.4) id rma007062; Tue Sep 1 16:42:48 1998 Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1998 17:42:42 -0400 From: J Biddle To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Re: on-line courses, continued Greetings! I too have commented about on-line courses, I'd like to address some of the points in this posting: mweigand@usa.net wrote: > On my campus, the fastest growing courses seem to be on-line courses. I have > previously commented on this topic, but want to ask others on the PSN about this > trend. For example, such computerized "distance learning" courses seem to be > just another example of depersonalized education. I would agree that "computerized" courses in which there is no ongoing interaction with a teacher, would indeed be an example of "depersonalized" education. > In prior years, students > complained about large courses with 100+ students. They often argued that such > education was dehumanized/depersonalized and an example of an impersonal, > factory-like university environment. > As I have previously mentioned, at The New School ( http://www.dialnsa.edu ), in the DIAL program, our on-line courses are restricted to a maximum of 15 students. In such a small classroom environment, everyone, and I do mean everyone, is required to interact with the teacher, and with the other students. Our classes are conducted in an asynchronous conferencing environment, and everyone MUST participate. > Today, it appears that student expectations have been lowered to such an extent > that a "professor-less" classroom seems desirable. Human interaction is not > expected. Again, everyone MUST participate. I would disagree that student expectations have been lowered, or that a "professor-less" classroom might seem desirable--at least not from my point of view. It seems to me, and to others of my DIAL colleagues, that part of our job as the "professor", is to teach, and that we must maintain high standard for ourselves, and concerning our expectations for the work and classroom performance of our students. Interaction between students and teacher in a DIAL classroom is necessary, and desirable. Without interaction, without communication, there is just an empty screen. For those who might like a computerized classroom environment in which there is no interaction between students and teacher, I suggest that these persons are those for whom "computerized", multimedia, computer based training, packages might be a desirable as a form of spare time "enrichment". In good conscience, I certainly couldn't, and wouldn't, recommend these types of on-line "courses" as an alternative to a college course taught by a real-live "professor". > In some cases, this represents a way for today's students to avoid > personal interaction and any questioning of their personal beliefs and > prejudices. I'm not sure what you're referring to here--as concerns personal beliefs and prejudices. In a course such as those we teach in DIAL, the success of the course is dependent on the interactions between those in the course. And in these courses, beliefs and prejudices are definitely challenged, discussed, and argued about. For everyone. > In many cases, the student motive seems to be to obtain a college > degree with a minimum of personal investment (time, cost, effort, personal > growth). Put differently, students who prefer on-line courses seem to be those > who are the least interested in education. > The students you describe who aren't interested in education, who want to breeze through with minimal effort/investment/etc., definitely do exist. On the other hand, other students who prefer to enroll in on-line courses, do so because they are genuinely interested in a good education, rigorous courses, and in fitting their education into their often very busy lives. There are also students who enroll simply because of their love of learning. I think that it's difficult, and perhaps dangerous, to generalize about the "type" of student who enrolls in a distance course, or about their motivations. > Universities and colleges often promote computerized courses because it is a > cost-saving measure which requires fewer classrooms and fewer teaching faculty. > I'd like to learn more about "cost-saving", as concerns distance courses. Certainly a course which doesn't require a professor/live person could be a cost saving alternative to having a course, yet, have the students received any value for their money? And, did they really participate in a "course"? > At least in my classes, discussion is often a cathartic moment for students, who > must deal with other students who are quite different from themselves. And, the same can be said about some types of on-line courses. People in an on-line course can come from completely diverse backgrounds too--and the same issues that might arise in a "regular" classroom, can also arise in a virtual classroom too. > In > computerized courses, personal dialogue is reduced to impersonal email > polemics/pontifications/semantics. A student in an on-line course never has to > confront another as a real human being. The professor becomes a faceless > bureaucrat/legalistic authority who pontificates in a manner similar to a > corporate memo from management. Perhaps this is the future: edicts from above > via computerized email/memo which prepare students for their lives as future > corporate drones. > No so, at least not in my opinion. In my experience, my courses have been anything BUT impersonal. And no one pontificates, no one issues memos. Each person is a human being, and the "face" of each human being has an image, albeit not the same image that one would see if standing toe-to-toe. We converse. We argue. We do all of the types of talking and questioning that we would do if we were sitting in a room around a table, which, is really the virtual equivalent of what my courses are like. We create images, and images of ourselves, through our use of language on the screen. Each person's image is unique. It's a matter of learning to read the cues and clues that each person presents for her/himself during the course, and responding to those cues and clues. Again, this sort of interaction couldn't/wouldn't occur in a canned, or a computer based training/multimedia type of "course". However, in a course in which all persons INTERACT, incredible learning can occur, for everyone. Consider that a virtual classroom is a learning environment, and, a social environment, and that social things happen in such places. The learning, and the social things that happen in such an environment are just as real, just as intense, just as personal, as those events that occur elsewhere. Enough for now, I could go on an on. I won't. -- ^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+ Joan I. Biddle Ph.D. LTC,AG, USAR Sociologist jbiddle@ix.netcom.com *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ From edu011@coventry.ac.uk Wed Sep 2 03:40:10 1998 Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 10:39:34 +1 From: John Selby Reply-To: j.selby@coventry.ac.uk Subject: Re: Telecourses To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK This sounds like the worst possible use of (semi-)new technology and reminds me of my experience as a graduate student in Canada, when I was employed to sit in one of the 3 lecture halls to which introductory sociology lectures were being broadcast. My role was to confiirm that the broadcast worked well. In those pioneering days, the pictures were in monochrome and the sound often failed which induced much hilarity among the students. I called the professor who then ascertained whether the sound was working in the other rooms and proceeded to carry on if it was working in at least one of the other two. I then spent the rest of the hour trying to get a technician to fix the sound while trying also to keep some sembalnce of order in the class. The experiment was dropped after a couple of years and the introductory class split into smaller groups. These traumatic, underpaid experiences led to 20 years hostility to these kinds of methods. I hope and believe that modern approaches are being better handled. I look forward to a little more information from Jim. John Selby On Mon, 31 Aug 1998 23:23:14 -0400 Jim Salt wrote: > From: Jim Salt > Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 23:23:14 -0400 > Subject: Telecourses > To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK > > PSners, > > Somewhat along the lines of the on-going discussion on on-line courses, > I am wondering if anyone has any experiences with "telecourses." As > part of my new job, I have the responsibility of supervising/teaching > (not sure what the best word here is) a "telecourse", which will will > entail broadcasting 10 hours of a video already purchased by my college, > that seeks to introduce sociology to students who are unable to attend > classes on campus. I haven't had an opportunity to review the videos > yet, but I will soon receive a guide (currently being written) to help > new instructors of telecourses. > > While I suspect that PSNers may want to comment on the pedagogical > significance of such a course, given that I have a few weeks to prepare > myself to "give" the course, I am more interested in ideas folks might > have on how to make such experiences work for the students and meet my > pedagogical goals (I'll keep the question simple by leaving these > unstated, at least for the time being), given the obvious challenges of > such this mode. > > Thanks, > > Jim Salt > jsalt@teleport.com > > Work Address: > Dept. of Social Science > Lane Community College > 4000 E. 30th Ave > Eugene OR 97405-0640 > 1-541-747-4501 X2433 > > Home Address (starting 9/4/98): > 679 West 27th Avenue > Eugene OR 97405 > 1-541-791-4056 > > "The philosophers have only _interpreted_ the world, in various ways; > the point, however, is to _change_ it." > --- Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach > ********************************************************** * John Selby * * Educational Development Unit * * Coventry University Tel: + 44 (0)1203 838149 * * Priory Street Fax: + 44 (0)1203 838138 * * Coventry CV1 5FB, UK E-mail: j.selby@cov.ac.uk * ********************************************************** From dlmprice@erols.com Wed Sep 2 07:34:59 1998 Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1998 09:31:35 +0000 From: Derek and Lori Price Reply-To: dlmprice@erols.com To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: cyberspace and progressive thought I agree that the alienating consequences of cyber-communities leaves people starved for real face to face human interaction. How can this contradiction be transcended? Re Lauren's Midwest think: An issue is that the cyberspace communities may further distance progressives from the larger everyday life communities with whom we are in the struggle. Are these virtual communities sapping energies from community organizing and collective action? Progressive academics in particular have been open to the charge of "ivory tower activism" due to a disconnect with oppressed peoples. Do cyberspace communities enhance these criticisms, or can they be a part of the overall struggle for social justice? After all, despite the growth of the Net, it remains primarily a tool for formally educated, class advantaged persons. Perhaps the future for social and progressive thought has a lot to do with: (1) the expansion of cyberspace communities to wider social groups; and (2) a cyber-struggle against corporate domination of content, and against advertising driven search engines. The latter, for example, makes virtual communities like psn quite difficult to "find" if one is not already connected in some way to a progressive network. Derek Price From sam.friedman@ndri.org Wed Sep 2 07:35:31 1998 Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1998 09:35:00 -0400 From: "Sam Friedman" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, jbiddle@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: on-line courses, continued I think that this discussion shows both the possibilities that technology opens up; the ways these possibilities are stifled for most; and the way that a small minority (those who can afford or get scholarships to a private education at one of the few private schools that is truly "elite") can get some of these benefits. Fifteen person classes, whether in-face or on-line, are clearly very different from the 40 - 200 person classes that are increasingly the norm. Put in other terms, it is a class society in which the profit-driven need of capital to compete in the short term is increasingly attacking the system's own "seed corn" of education, health care, etc.; but not so severe that the capitalists cut back too severely on the schools their own kids (and those others who can get in) go to. For the broadly-defined working class that is 80% - 95% of the population, it becomes more difficult to get in; and when you do, you get a de-valued product. Sam Friedman National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. Two World Trade Center, 16th floor New York, NY 10048 USA Fax 212 845 4698 phone 212 845 4467 sam.friedman@ndri.org >>> J Biddle - 9/1/98 5:42 PM >>> Greetings! I too have commented about on-line courses, I'd like to address some of the points in this posting: mweigand@usa.net wrote: > On my campus, the fastest growing courses seem to be on-line courses. I have > previously commented on this topic, but want to ask others on the PSN about this > trend. For example, such computerized "distance learning" courses seem to be > just another example of depersonalized education. I would agree that "computerized" courses in which there is no ongoing interaction with a teacher, would indeed be an example of "depersonalized" education. > In prior years, students > complained about large courses with 100+ students. They often argued that such > education was dehumanized/depersonalized and an example of an impersonal, > factory-like university environment. > As I have previously mentioned, at The New School ( http://www.dialnsa.edu ), in the DIAL program, our on-line courses are restricted to a maximum of 15 students. In such a small classroom environment, everyone, and I do mean everyone, is required to interact with the teacher, and with the other students. Our classes are conducted in an asynchronous conferencing environment, and everyone MUST participate. > Today, it appears that student expectations have been lowered to such an extent > that a "professor-less" classroom seems desirable. Human interaction is not > expected. Again, everyone MUST participate. I would disagree that student expectations have been lowered, or that a "professor-less" classroom might seem desirable--at least not from my point of view. It seems to me, and to others of my DIAL colleagues, that part of our job as the "professor", is to teach, and that we must maintain high standard for ourselves, and concerning our expectations for the work and classroom performance of our students. Interaction between students and teacher in a DIAL classroom is necessary, and desirable. Without interaction, without communication, there is just an empty screen. For those who might like a computerized classroom environment in which there is no interaction between students and teacher, I suggest that these persons are those for whom "computerized", multimedia, computer based training, packages might be a desirable as a form of spare time "enrichment". In good conscience, I certainly couldn't, and wouldn't, recommend these types of on-line "courses" as an alternative to a college course taught by a real-live "professor". > In some cases, this represents a way for today's students to avoid > personal interaction and any questioning of their personal beliefs and > prejudices. I'm not sure what you're referring to here--as concerns personal beliefs and prejudices. In a course such as those we teach in DIAL, the success of the course is dependent on the interactions between those in the course. And in these courses, beliefs and prejudices are definitely challenged, discussed, and argued about. For everyone. > In many cases, the student motive seems to be to obtain a college > degree with a minimum of personal investment (time, cost, effort, personal > growth). Put differently, students who prefer on-line courses seem to be those > who are the least interested in education. > The students you describe who aren't interested in education, who want to breeze through with minimal effort/investment/etc., definitely do exist. On the other hand, other students who prefer to enroll in on-line courses, do so because they are genuinely interested in a good education, rigorous courses, and in fitting their education into their often very busy lives. There are also students who enroll simply because of their love of learning. I think that it's difficult, and perhaps dangerous, to generalize about the "type" of student who enrolls in a distance course, or about their motivations. > Universities and colleges often promote computerized courses because it is a > cost-saving measure which requires fewer classrooms and fewer teaching faculty. > I'd like to learn more about "cost-saving", as concerns distance courses. Certainly a course which doesn't require a professor/live person could be a cost saving alternative to having a course, yet, have the students received any value for their money? And, did they really participate in a "course"? > At least in my classes, discussion is often a cathartic moment for students, who > must deal with other students who are quite different from themselves. And, the same can be said about some types of on-line courses. People in an on-line course can come from completely diverse backgrounds too--and the same issues that might arise in a "regular" classroom, can also arise in a virtual classroom too. > In > computerized courses, personal dialogue is reduced to impersonal email > polemics/pontifications/semantics. A student in an on-line course never has to > confront another as a real human being. The professor becomes a faceless > bureaucrat/legalistic authority who pontificates in a manner similar to a > corporate memo from management. Perhaps this is the future: edicts from above > via computerized email/memo which prepare students for their lives as future > corporate drones. > No so, at least not in my opinion. In my experience, my courses have been anything BUT impersonal. And no one pontificates, no one issues memos. Each person is a human being, and the "face" of each human being has an image, albeit not the same image that one would see if standing toe-to-toe. We converse. We argue. We do all of the types of talking and questioning that we would do if we were sitting in a room around a table, which, is really the virtual equivalent of what my courses are like. We create images, and images of ourselves, through our use of language on the screen. Each person's image is unique. It's a matter of learning to read the cues and clues that each person presents for her/himself during the course, and responding to those cues and clues. Again, this sort of interaction couldn't/wouldn't occur in a canned, or a computer based training/multimedia type of "course". However, in a course in which all persons INTERACT, incredible learning can occur, for everyone. Consider that a virtual classroom is a learning environment, and, a social environment, and that social things happen in such places. The learning, and the social things that happen in such an environment are just as real, just as intense, just as personal, as those events that occur elsewhere. Enough for now, I could go on an on. I won't. -- ^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+ Joan I. Biddle Ph.D. LTC,AG, USAR Sociologist jbiddle@ix.netcom.com *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ From tell@net.bluemoon.net Thu Sep 3 06:07:45 1998 Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 08:07:34 -0400 (EDT) From: Shawgi Tell To: mult-cul Subject: Affirming Minority Rights - Reject S.Con.Res.94/H.Con.Res.322 Greetings, The two major parties of the rich in the United States, the democratic party and the republican party, create, command, divert and co-opt many organizations in the country. One such organization, the Arab American Institute (AAI), an organization which claims to defend, promote and represent the interests of Americans of Arab descent, labors aggressively to create vote banks for these parties, particularly the democratic party. The AAI would very much like Americans of Arab ancestry to become registered voters and to participate in the existing illegitimate political set-up. As part of its overall efforts, the AAI recently issued an "Action Alert" (August 11, 1998) announcing the introduction of "Two Congressional Initiatives Arab Americans Can Proudly Support." The AAI says that it is "especially proud" of the "substantive nature" of the "Religious Tolerance Toward Muslim Resolution" and wishes to draw readers' attention to two brief passages which illustrate this substance: "Whereas American Muslims have regrettably been portrayed in a negative light in some discussions of policy issues such as relating to religious persecution abroad or fighting terrorism in the United States:" "Congress resolves to uphold a level of political discourse that does not involve making a scapegoat of an entire religion or drawing political conclusions on the basis of religious doctrine:" To simply say that this is insulting and racist is to point out the obvious. "Religious Tolerance" is really not the issue here. The issue is one of rights, specifically, collective rights. The eurocentric racist notion of "tolerance" conceals this. In a modern and democratic society the interests and rights of religious and other minorities must be respected and guaranteed in practice. To merely "tolerate" is to actually sanction unequal relations and privileges. "Tolerance" implies that privileges exist in lieu of rights. "Tolerance" presupposes that there is an individual or collective in a position of authority over everyone else which possesses the power to grant and withdraw rights. But rights, by definition, can neither be granted nor taken away, they can only be affirmed. If something can be taken away or granted then it is not really a right, it is a privilege. Thus without rights guaranteed in practice muslims will remain fair game. They will continue to be "scapegoated." The rights of religious and other minorities must be upheld so as to ensure that a political majority which may be comprised of people from a predominant religion (or language) does not negate or curtail a minority's right to practice their religion, hold the views they wish, speak the language they desire, assemble freely, flourish free of discrimination and so on. There is a need for affirming minority rights and prohibiting discrimination. Simply resolving to "uphold a level of political discourse" that does not "scapegoat" muslims or declaring that "Muslims have regrettably been portrayed in a negative light in some discussions of policy issues" is not satisfactory. How will this resolution actually end discrimination against muslims? What institutions and mechanisms exist in real life to guarantee the right of minorities to not be discriminated against and to develop freely? What recourse will muslims and other religious minorities have the next time they are de-humanized? This resolution must be rejected and replaced by laws which are informed by a modern conception of rights. Shawgi Tell Nazareth College of Rochester tell@net.bluemoon.net From dtaylor2@condor.depaul.edu Thu Sep 3 11:13:30 1998 From: "Douglas Taylor" To: , "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Re: on-line courses, continued Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 12:12:40 -0500 charset="iso-8859-1" Sam touches on a critical issue regarding distance learning. The array of technologies that allow us to "expand" the classroom, puts those of us whose focus is teaching in a contradictory position. In my case, most of my students are returning adult students. They've returned to school with stories of having been passed over by younger degreed whippersnappers who know half of what they do--but have the piece of paper. There are also the more blunt stories--Supervisor, "get a degree or get out." These are individuals who have children, jobs, mortgages, and the weight of capitalism hanging around their necks. Given these circumstances, staying at home or going to a local computer center to "take a class" is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Frequently, such persons describe how much they enjoy class discussions, but when weighed against spending time with their children or spouse, they would just as soon cyber-study [see recent studies on # of hours/week worked in US]. By extension, with more and more w.c. students holding down what amounts to full-time jobs, our responsibility to provide access to the non-elite becomes increasingly conflicted. On the other hand, what I see and hear in both cyber and traditional classes suggests our students are not getting what they paid for. Of course, this is just the internet question--democratizing or homogenizing?--writ small. For me, there are no easy answers. I would appreciate a more nuanced discussion of the advantages and dangers of distance learning. By suggesting that the technology is bad, or good, we fall prey to a form of technological determinism that gives us little room to organize or provide solutions. Changes in the university such as the end of tenure, the commodification of all knowledge, the loss of public funding support, and the devaluation of degrees, are the driving forces behind teleconferencing sociology. In addressing these, we just might get at how best to use the new technologies to provide genuine educational opportunities to the non-elite. With apologies for preachiness, Douglas Taylor DePaul University From RPlatkin@aol.com Thu Sep 3 23:52:14 1998 From: RPlatkin@aol.com Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 01:51:10 EDT To: eaaforum@relaypoint.com Subject: Fwd: "Media Beat": News Coverage of Labor boundary="part0_904888277_boundary" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --part0_904888277_boundary EAAFORUM: I strongly recommend this article by Norman Solomon of Fair (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) about the American media's dreadful coverage of unions and working people . Dick Platkin EAA Technical Unit Council Tel. 213-473-3932 rplatkin@juno.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------- >Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 08:25:03 -0700 (PDT) >From: Norman Solomon >Subject: "Media Beat": News Coverage of Labor > > >WHAT IF WE DIDN'T NEED LABOR DAY? > >By Norman Solomon > > > Labor Day may be a fitting tribute to America's workers. But >what about the other 364 days of the year? Despite all the talk >about the importance and dignity of working people, they get >little power or glory in the everyday world of news media. > > What if the situation were reversed? > > Once a year, big investors and corporate owners could be >honored on Business Day. To celebrate the holiday, politicians >might march arm in arm through downtown Manhattan with the likes >of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Donald Trump. Executives could >have the day off while media outlets said some nice things about >them. > > During the rest of the year, in this inverted scenario, >journalists would focus on the real lives of the nation's >workforce. Instead of making heroes out of billionaire investors >-- and instead of reporting on Wall Street as the ultimate center >of people's economic lives -- the news media would provide >extensive coverage of the workplace. > > For instance, such coverage would reflect the health hazards >that workers face. On an average day, according to the Bureau of >Labor Statistics, 17 Americans die from on-the-job injuries. >Meanwhile, the daily rate of occupational injuries and illnesses >in U.S. private industry is upwards of 18,350 people. > > If media outlets can keep us so closely informed about stock >prices every day, they could also keep us posted on exactly which >industrial workplaces are killing and injuring America's workers. >Much of the toll is less than obvious: Researchers have found >that for each American killed by a workplace injury, another 10 >or so job-related deaths occur due to disease. > > If these grim events were reported on a daily basis, with >the intensity and attention to detail now reserved for coverage >of the stock market, then our society would be much more aware of >working conditions across the country -- and there would be more >public pressure for improvement. > > In a more labor-friendly media environment, televised >punditry wouldn't be dominated by pro-corporate forums like "The >Capital Gang," "Hardball," "The McLaughlin Group" and ABC's "This >Week" -- which, not coincidentally, are made possible by union- >bashing firms like Archer Daniels Midland and General Electric. >In contrast, prominent TV programs would present the outlooks of >people who don't ride in limousines. > > Public television -- which now features shows like "Wall >$treet Week" and "Nightly Business Report" -- would find ways to >air regular programs that might be called "Main Street Week" or >"Nightly Labor Report." > > In this media dream world, National Public Radio would not >have added a "business update" to its hourly news broadcasts. Or >at least NPR would also be providing a "labor update" at the top >of each hour. > > The biggest circulation daily paper in the country would not >necessarily be The Wall Street Journal, a possession of Dow Jones >& Company. Instead, it might be a newspaper owned by a coalition >of labor unions. And the editorial pages would publish a real >diversity of views. > > On the magazine racks, periodicals like Business Week and >Forbes (motto: "Capitalist Tool") would have to compete with >equally bankrolled publications such as Labor Week and Solidarity >Forever (motto: "Worker's Tool"). > > Congress would not get away with changing the name of >Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan National Airport, as >occurred last February. A pro-labor media atmosphere would make >it politically untenable to name the airport after a former >president who smashed the air traffic controllers' union early in >his first term. > > Not content to gush out a steady stream of platitudes about >"democracy" and the "free market," the news media would probe the >concept of workplace democracy. > > Right now, the mass media rarely explore the idea of >extending democratic principles to the institutions where >Americans work for a living. It's as though we've been >conditioned to believe that our most exalted political values -- >free speech and the right to vote for the leaders of powerful >institutions -- should not intrude past the workplace door. > > More than 30 years ago, satirist Tom Lehrer recorded a song >about National Brotherhood Week. "It's only for a week, so have >no fear," he chortled. "Be grateful that it doesn't last all >year!" > > Labor Day lasts 24 hours. Too bad we need it. > >_______________________________________________ > >Norman Solomon is co-author of "Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the >Curtain of Mainstream News" and author of "The Trouble With >Dilbert: How Corporate Culture Gets the Last Laugh." --part0_904888277_boundary Return-Path: 2000 by rly-ya01.mx.aol.com (8.8.8/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0) Thu, 3 Sep 1998 22:42:09 -0400 (EDT) Thu, 3 Sep 1998 19:40:07 -0700 (PDT) Thu, 3 Sep 1998 19:38:07 -0700 (PDT) Thu, 3 Sep 1998 19:31:49 -0700 (PDT) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 16:09:10 -0800 From: sekler@labridge.com (Joan Sekler) Reply-To: la-amn@igc.org Sender: owner-la-amn@igc.org Subject: LA-AMN: "Media Beat": News Coverage of Labor To: la-amn@igc.org >Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 08:25:03 -0700 (PDT) >From: Norman Solomon >Subject: "Media Beat": News Coverage of Labor >MIME-Version: 1.0 > > >WHAT IF WE DIDN'T NEED LABOR DAY? > >By Norman Solomon > > > Labor Day may be a fitting tribute to America's workers. But >what about the other 364 days of the year? Despite all the talk >about the importance and dignity of working people, they get >little power or glory in the everyday world of news media. > > What if the situation were reversed? > > Once a year, big investors and corporate owners could be >honored on Business Day. To celebrate the holiday, politicians >might march arm in arm through downtown Manhattan with the likes >of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Donald Trump. Executives could >have the day off while media outlets said some nice things about >them. > > During the rest of the year, in this inverted scenario, >journalists would focus on the real lives of the nation's >workforce. Instead of making heroes out of billionaire investors >-- and instead of reporting on Wall Street as the ultimate center >of people's economic lives -- the news media would provide >extensive coverage of the workplace. > > For instance, such coverage would reflect the health hazards >that workers face. On an average day, according to the Bureau of >Labor Statistics, 17 Americans die from on-the-job injuries. >Meanwhile, the daily rate of occupational injuries and illnesses >in U.S. private industry is upwards of 18,350 people. > > If media outlets can keep us so closely informed about stock >prices every day, they could also keep us posted on exactly which >industrial workplaces are killing and injuring America's workers. >Much of the toll is less than obvious: Researchers have found >that for each American killed by a workplace injury, another 10 >or so job-related deaths occur due to disease. > > If these grim events were reported on a daily basis, with >the intensity and attention to detail now reserved for coverage >of the stock market, then our society would be much more aware of >working conditions across the country -- and there would be more >public pressure for improvement. > > In a more labor-friendly media environment, televised >punditry wouldn't be dominated by pro-corporate forums like "The >Capital Gang," "Hardball," "The McLaughlin Group" and ABC's "This >Week" -- which, not coincidentally, are made possible by union- >bashing firms like Archer Daniels Midland and General Electric. >In contrast, prominent TV programs would present the outlooks of >people who don't ride in limousines. > > Public television -- which now features shows like "Wall >$treet Week" and "Nightly Business Report" -- would find ways to >air regular programs that might be called "Main Street Week" or >"Nightly Labor Report." > > In this media dream world, National Public Radio would not >have added a "business update" to its hourly news broadcasts. Or >at least NPR would also be providing a "labor update" at the top >of each hour. > > The biggest circulation daily paper in the country would not >necessarily be The Wall Street Journal, a possession of Dow Jones >& Company. Instead, it might be a newspaper owned by a coalition >of labor unions. And the editorial pages would publish a real >diversity of views. > > On the magazine racks, periodicals like Business Week and >Forbes (motto: "Capitalist Tool") would have to compete with >equally bankrolled publications such as Labor Week and Solidarity >Forever (motto: "Worker's Tool"). > > Congress would not get away with changing the name of >Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan National Airport, as >occurred last February. A pro-labor media atmosphere would make >it politically untenable to name the airport after a former >president who smashed the air traffic controllers' union early in >his first term. > > Not content to gush out a steady stream of platitudes about >"democracy" and the "free market," the news media would probe the >concept of workplace democracy. > > Right now, the mass media rarely explore the idea of >extending democratic principles to the institutions where >Americans work for a living. It's as though we've been >conditioned to believe that our most exalted political values -- >free speech and the right to vote for the leaders of powerful >institutions -- should not intrude past the workplace door. > > More than 30 years ago, satirist Tom Lehrer recorded a song >about National Brotherhood Week. "It's only for a week, so have >no fear," he chortled. "Be grateful that it doesn't last all >year!" > > Labor Day lasts 24 hours. Too bad we need it. > >_______________________________________________ > >Norman Solomon is co-author of "Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the >Curtain of Mainstream News" and author of "The Trouble With >Dilbert: How Corporate Culture Gets the Last Laugh." > ***************************** Joan Sekler Coordinator LA Alternative Media Network Phone / Fax: (310) 458-6566 Email: sekler@labridge.com http://home.labridge.com/~laamn/ ***************************** --part0_904888277_boundary-- From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Fri Sep 4 12:54:17 1998 Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1998 13:53:58 -0500 From: Alan Spector Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: on IQ, "talent" and heritability Note from Alan Spector: Mark Weigand recently posted the following question to me and to PSN-Cafe. I thought it would be worthwhile reposting it to the whole PSN, along with a few comments: ------------------------ I agree that today there is a dubious assumption about, that there is "a gene for every behavior". There are also racist studies and explanations for differences in achievement and IQ. However, would anyone disagree that certain talents do appear to be inherited such as musical ability, mathematical ability, artistic ability, etc.? Best Wishes, -=MW=- MSCD.edu --------------------------------------------- My comment: I would disagree that those "talents" are inherited. At least, I would strongly disagree with that formulation. Has any of this ever been quantified in any serious way? What is musical ability? What physiological structures enhance it? A "gene" which has never been found but has been postulated because a real physiological structure has never been found? What is "mathematical ability?" Or especially, "artistic talent?" Are graffitti artists "talented?" How about over-priced "pop artists?" Well, yes, in a sense, there is a biological, even genetic contribution. If someone is born blind, they are less likely to be a great painter, and since some types of blindness are genetically based, one could construct studies showing correlations between the lack of such a gene and the presence of artistic ability...... I could go on. Much of the data is based on "reverse sampling" -- you know, nobody ever really traces the "non-successes" who are descendants of Newton, Shakespeare, et. al.... The whole discussion is very subjective, anecdotal, and has the ring of folklore. Of course physiology impacts on behavior, but in ways that are adaptable to the range of environments. Put a diabetic person on a good diet and she/he will overcome any "genetic deficiency" that might impact on his/her ability to concentrate while composign music, etc. etc. etc. Furthermore, attempting to judge the "quality" of artistic expression in a world saturated with bourgeois ideology is either a very ambitious undertaking or a dubious one -- probably both. Here are a couple of other postings: --------- Several points not mentioned worth bringing out about all these p;seudo-research projects is that they: (1) Never define the behavioral phenotypes clearly, taking any simple surface behavior at face value (wearing seven rings, liking John Wayne movies, or "being religious") and assume they are dealing with something like blue eyes or brown hair. Andy Futterman has made this point very well with regard to diagnoses such as schizophrenia and manic depression where even though there is an official clinical description to which psychiatrists refer, the definition has changed so much over the years that it is hard to claim these are really any sort of single entity. And if the phenotyypes (outward appearance of a trait) are ambiguous, and cannot be judged in the same way by different observers, there is not hope to study their genetic transmission. Imagine, for example, how nonsensical it would be to study the genetics of eye color if different observers could not agree on which individuals had blue vs brown eyes, etc. (2) At the very best twin studies and other familial studies only find associations between phenotypes and family relatedness. This in no way separates "nature" from "nurture" since families all share similar culutral as well as biological relations.And as everyone knows, or should know, associations (i.e., correlations) do not tell us anaything necessarily about cause-effect. (3) It is also a little-understood point about twin studies (especially identical twins raised apart) that no one knows what environmental factors any given subjects have been exposed to -- it is only assumed that being raised in different households means different environments, and conversely, being raised in the same household means similar environments. No geneticist working with animals would ever assume anything so naive. You have to know the environmental conditions to which each specific animal or group of animals is exposed -- food, water, etc. Without knowing the specifics you can't assume two mouse cages have the same environments. Desipite all these problems, this kind of work is getting increased funding from NIH as well as the private foundations (and, of course the NIH contribution dwarfs groups like Pioneer). The calims are being made stronger and stronger -- and virtually all of the work is being done by psychologists and psychiatrists, most often in Departments of Psychiatry (or Psychiatric Genetics) at medical schools. It is moving ahead at a fast pace, not unlike the degree to which the Nazi medical profession jumped in to serve their new masters with enthusiasm. One of the outcomes of this at the present time is that genetics is playing into the general process of "medicalizing" human behavior. This means that the solution is not necessarily sterilization (as in the eugenics movement of the 1920s and 1930s) or gene therapy (a proposed magic bullet for the 21st century) but drug therapy for problems right now. Behaviors are first medicalized so they sound scientific (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, for example), are claimed to be genetic which means ordinary environemental alterations won't provide a cure, and then treated with prozac or some other behavior-modifying drug. More and more this is likely to be the outcome of medical/genetic claims about behavioral "pathologies." Garland E. Allen Department of Biology Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1137 St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 935-6808 ----------------------------------------------------- and another: Identical twins can never have utterly different environments. They are the same age, have the same sex, and look alike! These impact on people who know them, and in turn treat them in certain types of ways. If one could produce identical twins where one was black, the other white, one had good vision, the other bad, they had different ways of metabolising food, one was short, the other tall, one heavy, the other slender--one with a deep voice, the other with a high pitched voice, etc. etc. etc. etc. and if one could produce thousands of pairs of "identical twins" with those differences, then it would just only BARELY SCRATCH THE SURFACE of a decent methodology. This stuff is THEOLOGY! They want to base it in the physiology, but not the physiology that is understandable and "fixable" such as giving a good diet to a diabetic whose blood sugar changes affect scores on IQ tests (and lots of other things.) They want to locate it as some so-called "physical" or "biological" or even "genetic" (not the same as biological, by the way) part of the so-called "body" to make it look "scientific", but they want it to be an unknowable part of the body -- they won't discuss it in terms of things like blood sugar metabolism. In other words, they are taking the old concepts of the "soul" and "original sin" and pretending that it is biologically based. ------------------------------------------------ -- Note from Alan Spector:

Mark Weigand recently posted the following question to me and to PSN-Cafe. I thought it would be worthwhile reposting it to the whole PSN, along with a few comments:

------------------------
I agree that today there is a dubious assumption about, that there is "a gene
for every behavior". There are also racist studies and explanations for
differences in achievement and IQ. However, would anyone disagree that certain
talents do appear to be inherited such as musical ability, mathematical ability,
artistic ability, etc.?

Best Wishes,
-=MW=-
MSCD.edu

---------------------------------------------
My comment:

I would disagree that those "talents" are inherited. At least, I would strongly disagree
with that formulation. Has any of this ever been quantified in any serious way? What is musical ability? What physiological structures enhance it? A "gene" which has never been found but has been postulated because a real physiological structure has never been found? What is "mathematical ability?"  Or especially, "artistic talent?" Are graffitti artists "talented?" How about over-priced "pop artists?"

Well, yes, in a sense, there is a biological, even genetic contribution. If someone is born blind, they are less likely to be a great painter, and since some types of blindness are genetically based, one could construct studies showing correlations between the lack of such a gene and the presence of artistic ability......  I could go on. Much of the data is based on "reverse sampling" -- you know, nobody ever really traces the "non-successes" who are descendants of Newton, Shakespeare, et. al....

The whole discussion is very subjective, anecdotal, and has the ring of folklore. Of course physiology impacts on behavior, but in ways that are adaptable to the range of environments. Put a diabetic person on a good diet and she/he will overcome any "genetic deficiency" that might impact on his/her ability to concentrate while composign music, etc. etc. etc. Furthermore, attempting to judge the "quality" of artistic expression in a world saturated with bourgeois ideology is either a very ambitious undertaking or a dubious one -- probably both. Here are a couple of other postings:

---------

 Several points not mentioned worth bringing out
about all these p;seudo-research projects is that they:

        (1) Never define the behavioral phenotypes clearly, taking any
simple surface behavior at face value (wearing seven rings, liking John
Wayne movies, or "being religious") and assume they are dealing with
something like blue eyes or brown hair.  Andy Futterman has made this point
very well with regard to diagnoses such as schizophrenia and manic
depression where even though there is an official clinical description to
which psychiatrists refer, the definition has changed so much over the
years that it is hard to claim these are really any sort of single entity.
And if the phenotyypes (outward appearance of a trait) are ambiguous, and
cannot be judged in the same way by different observers, there is not hope
to study their genetic transmission.  Imagine, for example, how nonsensical
it would be to study the genetics of eye color if different observers could
not agree on which individuals had blue vs brown eyes, etc.

        (2)  At the very best twin studies and other familial studies only
find associations between phenotypes and family relatedness.  This in no
way separates "nature" from "nurture" since families all share similar
culutral as well as biological relations.And as everyone knows, or should
know, associations (i.e., correlations) do not tell us anaything
necessarily about cause-effect.

        (3)  It is also a little-understood point about twin studies
(especially identical twins raised apart) that no one knows what
environmental factors any given subjects have been exposed to -- it is only
assumed that being raised in different households means different
environments, and conversely, being raised in the same household means
similar environments.  No geneticist working with animals would ever assume
anything so naive.  You have to know the environmental conditions to which
each specific animal or group of animals is exposed -- food, water, etc.
Without knowing the specifics you can't assume two mouse cages have the
same environments.

        Desipite all these problems, this kind of work is getting increased
funding from NIH as well as the private foundations (and, of course the NIH
contribution dwarfs groups like Pioneer).  The calims are being made
stronger and stronger -- and virtually all of the work is being done by
psychologists and psychiatrists, most often in Departments of Psychiatry
(or Psychiatric Genetics) at medical schools.  It is moving ahead at a fast
pace, not unlike the degree to which the Nazi medical profession jumped in
to serve their new masters with enthusiasm.  One of the outcomes of this at
the present time is that genetics is playing into the general process of
"medicalizing" human behavior. This means that the solution is not
necessarily sterilization (as in the eugenics movement of the 1920s and
1930s) or gene therapy (a proposed magic bullet for the 21st century) but
drug therapy for problems right now.  Behaviors are first medicalized so
they sound scientific (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, for
example), are claimed to be genetic which means ordinary environemental
alterations won't provide a cure, and then treated with prozac or some
other behavior-modifying drug.  More and more this is likely to be the
outcome of medical/genetic claims about behavioral "pathologies."

 
Garland E. Allen
Department of Biology
Washington University in St. Louis
Campus Box 1137
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314) 935-6808
-----------------------------------------------------
and another:

Identical twins can never have utterly different environments. They are
the same age, have the same sex, and look alike! These impact on people
who know them, and in turn treat them in certain types of ways. If one
could produce identical twins where one was black, the other white, one
had good vision, the other bad, they had different ways of metabolising
food, one was short, the other tall, one heavy, the other slender--one
with a deep voice, the other with a high pitched voice, etc. etc. etc.
etc. and if one could produce thousands of pairs of "identical twins"
with those differences, then it would just only BARELY SCRATCH THE
SURFACE of a decent methodology. This stuff is THEOLOGY! They want to
base it in the physiology, but not the physiology that is understandable
and "fixable" such as giving a good diet to a diabetic whose blood sugar
changes affect scores on IQ tests (and lots of other things.) They want
to locate it as some so-called "physical" or "biological" or even
"genetic" (not the same as biological, by the way) part of the so-called
"body" to make it look "scientific", but they want it to be an
unknowable part of the body -- they won't discuss it in terms of things
like blood sugar metabolism. In other words, they are taking the old
concepts of the "soul" and "original sin" and pretending that it is
biologically based.

------------------------------------------------
--
 
  From cfrosado@phoenix.Princeton.EDU Fri Sep 4 11:01:56 1998 Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 12:29:33 -0400 (EDT) From: "Cesar F. Rosado" Reply-To: "Cesar F. Rosado" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: union data for Puerto Rico and the US Dear PSN subscribers, I am looking for a quick way to get yearly (1947-1997, or the best approximation of those years) union, strike, contract renewal, and unemployment data for Puerto Rico and the United States. I have checked the main data archives at U. of Michigan, CPS, etc., and it seems that these data are not readily available in electronic format --especially not for Puerto Rico. So if any of you know if somebody has such a data, please tell me. I am will appreciate it very much. If I don't get this data electronically then I will have to piece the data set together by using decennial statistical handbooks from a series of sources (very time consuming :-( !!!). Thanks in advance, Cesar F. Rosado Princeton University Dept. of Sociology 2-N-1 Green Hall Princeton, NJ, 08540 From aaustin@utkux.utcc.utk.edu Fri Sep 4 16:03:18 1998 Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 17:17:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew Wayne Austin To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Re: on IQ, "talent" and heritability In-Reply-To: <35F03744.3366B3BF@calumet.purdue.edu> List, The idea of heritability of musical prowess is the product of naturalistic thinking. One sees that musicians tend to run in families and assumes that there must be some family knack. There is, but it is not genetic. Children are more likely to be musical when they grow up around music. One member of the Carter family (the youngest boy, I think) was singing harmony at 22 months and performing at the Opry. Why? Because the baby grew up in an environment where harmonies were flying about everywhere, everyday. I come from a musical family. My father, uncle, myself, are fairly accomplished musicians, and the whole family sings well; but my musical ability is both because of my exposure to music all my life and A LOT OF HARD WORK. This last part is the rub. If the musical sense was inherited somebody needs to tell me why my uncle had to sit on the back porch for hours a day practicing the same blues lick over and over again, or why I had to put years of sweat (and tears) into finding my way around a fretboard, learning harmonies, and even training with a classical guitarist. It is true that every once in a while a person will step forward for whom music seems to be second nature (Jimi Hendrix seems to be an example of this), but this is extremely rare, and such persons have generally been practicing like crazy where you cannot see them. The trick to performing is to make it look effortless, and this polish is often mistaken for second nature. I have taught guitar and music for over 15 years and I have yet to meet the person who takes to playing like a shine. I have found people who have the will to master the instrument, or at least to get pretty good at it, and these people will always succeed. I have never met somebody who did not practice and take the instrument serious who could not play. I have known many people who thought they could take a shine to it and didn't do squat because they didn't try. Playing music is like anything else: you have to work at it. Andy From Sanjay.Bhatikar@Colorado.EDU Sat Sep 5 04:16:14 1998 Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 04:15:32 -0600 (MDT) From: BHATIKAR SANJAY RAJAN To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: IQ, "talent" and heritability (Re: ANdy's article) Andy's point is moot. I believe my inclination to science and technology was born, nurtured and fostered in the intellectual environment of my home. Early childhood is an age of rapid and effortless learning. The effort part comes in later, after the dawn of awareness of individualism. It takes a lot of committed action to develop the fluid ease and profficiency that grabs attention. It becomes 'second nature'. Edison said 'A genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration'. Indeed, the genius of Beethoven, Pardewski, Edison, Einstein and countless others is testimony to this observation. There are also rare geniuses like Mozart for whom the talent is a gift. My Tae-Kwon-Do teacher would say 'To be a good martal artist, work hard. To be a great martial artist, work harder'. Come to think of it, thats how it goes for the most part in life. Cheers - thank you for your time - Sanjay *********************************\\\\\/////************************************ Sanjay Bhatikar Mechanical Engineer (Robotics and Neural Networks) #220, Creekside Apts. 505, 27th Street Boulder, Colorado 80303 Resi - (303) 499 3921 bhatikar@ucsu.colorado.edu Offi - (303) 492 0656 bhatikar@engine.colorado.edu YOU WILL LOVE TO LIVE WHEN YOU LIVE TO LOVE *********************************||||||||||************************************ From Herejobs@aol.com Sat Sep 5 10:55:51 1998 From: Herejobs@aol.com Sat, 5 Sep 1998 12:52:43 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 12:52:43 EDT To: ACTNOW-L@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU, can-labor@pencil.math.missouri.edu, cgeu-temp@umich.edu, comm-org@uac.rdp.utoledo.edu, CWA@igc.org, DEMSOC-L@listserv.aol.com, DIVERSITY-FORUM@igc.apc.org, FEM-NET@yorku.ca, H-LABOR@h-net.msu.edu, H-UCLEA@h-net.msu.edu, HNBA-LARAZA@listserv.arizona.edu, irra@relay.doit.wisc.edu, LABNEWS@cmsa.berkeley.edu, LABOR-L@yorku.ca, Labor-Rap@csf.colorado.edu, lat-list@nmsu.edu, LATINO-L@cornell.edu, latino-law-profs@ucdavis.edu, LEFT-L@cmsa.berkeley.edu, mujer-l@lmrinet.ucsb.edu, OIFAC@cmsa.berkeley.edu, PIENSA-L@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu, psn@csf.colorado.edu, raza-list@husc.harvard.edu, sldrty-l@listserv.syr.edu, ussagrow@essential.org, Herejobs@aol.com Subject: California Organizing Jobs Please Post, Announce and Circulate. In Solidarity, Pat Lamborn H.E.R.E. West Coast Recruiter ****************************************************************************** ************************ JOB OPENINGS: COME ORGANIZE LOW WAGE WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA ! The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union ( H.E.R.E.) is hiring both experienced and entry level organizers for Campaigns to organize 15,000 low wage workers in California. Organizers will be placed in these three organizing hubs: Sacramento Fresno San Diego H.E.R.E. organizes low wage, primarily Latino/Latina immigrant workers in the hospitality and gaming industries. Without a union, these workers earn the minimum wage, no overtime, have NO guarantee of health coverage or job security and suffer racial and sexual discrimination on the job. H.E.R.E. is seeking organizers committed to fighting for economic and social justice through union organizing who have the following skills and abilities: REQUIREMENTS Entry Level Organizers: - Excellent communication skills. Bilingual skills in Spanish and English desirable - Activist experience, community and political experience accepted - Committment to organizing the unorganized using a vigorous house calling and leadership committee building program - Proven ability to develop leadership and move people to action - Drivers license and a car Experienced Organizers: all of the above plus the ability to train and supervise a team of organizers H.E.R.E. is known for winning campaigns through our creative tactics, strategic research, and a committment to training both staff and rank and file leaders. SALARY: Entry Level Organizers: Starting pay: $21, 100 Experienced Organizers: Depends on experience All positions include excellent benefits, Car mileage, and some relocation expenses Send Resume and Cover Letter to : West Coast : HERE Recruitment, 548 20th St. Oakland , CA 94612, FAX (510) 893-5362 or East Coast : HERE Recruitment, P.O. Box 322, Granby CT 06035, FAX (860)251-6049 From CDFUPDATE@childrensdefense.org Fri Sep 4 16:59:25 1998 Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1998 15:44:49 -0400 From: "CDFupdate CDFupdate" To: CDFupdate@automailer.com Subject: CDF Update September 4, 1998 Sender: owner-cdfupdate@automailer.com Children's Defense Fund Update September 4, 1998 In this issue: -- Violence Prevention -- Minimum Wage -- Update on Child Care and Development Block Grant VIOLENCE PREVENTION -- S. 10, the Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Act -- The Senate returned on August 31 with the sponsors of S. 10, Sens. Hatch (R-UT) and Sessions (R-AL), still vowing to bring S. 10 to the floor for a vote before the expected October recess. Last night (September 3), the two Senators made one attempt to have S. 10 brought before the Senate, but they were blocked by an objection from the Democratic side. While time is short, there may still be efforts by the sponsors of S. 10 to move the bill or pieces of it through the Senate, particularly as the elections approach. Reportedly, there are some changes that have been made to S. 10. But even under the "new" S. 10, children would still not be removed from adult jails and prisons; children's juvenile records would be much more widely shared; and children would still have to be expelled for bringing tobacco, alcohol, or drugs to school. What's more, the measure still emphasizes punishment of children over prevention of violence with inadequate gun safety provisions and insufficient funds for prevention programs. ***ACTION NEEDED: Please contact your Senators one more time and urge them to hold firm in opposing S. 10. We have prevented S. 10 from coming to a floor vote for over a year (it was reported out of committee in July 1997); this is the final push! -- H.R. 218 -- H.R. 218 would allow all citizens who have permission to carry concealed weapons in their home state to carry concealed weapons in all other states. While originally proposed solely for law enforcement, it was amended in the House Judiciary Committee to cover all citizens. The bill has now been moved to the suspension calendar in the House, so that it can not be further amended on the floor. A vote is predicted later this month. (This proposal is not presently pending in the Senate, although there have been indications that it could be added to S. 10.) ***ACTION NEEDED: Please contact your Representative and urge him/her to oppose H.R. 218. More weapons in our communities will not reduce the more than 5,000 deaths of children each year from intentional and accidental gunfire. MINIMUM WAGE -- Senate Vote Coming Up Soon on Minimum Wage -- Senator Kennedy (D-MA) is introducing his bill to increase the minimum wage to $6.15/hour in the year 2000 as an amendment to the Bankruptcy Reform bill now before the Senate. A first attempt to defeat the minimum wage increase may come as early as Tuesday, September 8, when opponents may try to get the 60 votes needed to limit debate on the Bankruptcy Reform Bill and prevent unrelated amendments like minimum wage from being offered to that bill. There is enough support for a minimum wage increase to make it unlikely that debate will be limited, but YOUR HELP IS NEEDED to assure that a bipartisan majority votes FOR a minimum wage increase when it comes up. ***ACTION NEEDED: Please contact your senators (especially those listed below) to urge them to vote for Senator Kennedy's minimum wage bill (S. 1805), as an amendment to the Bankruptcy Reform bill (S. 1301), or whenever else the vote is scheduled. The only Democratic senators who have not yet pledged to vote for a minimum wage increase are Baucus (D-MT; 202-224-2651), Breaux (D-LA; 202-224-4623), Glenn (D-OH; 202-224-3353), Graham (D-FL; 202-224-3041), Robb (D-VA; 202-224-4024), and Wyden (D-OR; 202-224-5244). These Senators have been supportive of raising the minimum wage in the past, and there is every hope they will do so again, but hearing from you would be very helpful! Republican senators who are considered important prospects (those with asterisks have voted for it in the past) include *Campbell (R-CO; 202-224-5852); Collins (R-ME; 202-224-2523); *Chafee (R-RI; 202-224-2921); *D'Amato (R-NY; 202-224-6542); *Murkowski (R-AK; 202-224-6665); *Santorum (R-PA; 202-224-6324); Gordon Smith (R-OR; 202-224-3753); *Snowe (R-ME; 202-224-5344); *Specter (R-PA; 202-224-4254); *Stevens (R-AK 202-224-3004). A FEW MINIMUM WAGE FACTS: - The Kennedy bill (S.1805) would raise the minimum wage 50 cents an hour in 1999 ( to $5.65) and another 50 cents in the year 2000. - If we do nothing, by the year 2000 the real value of the minimum wage will be only $4.82 an hour -- almost as low as it was when the 1996 increase was enacted. - A full-time minimum wage worker earns $10,700 a year -- $2,950 below the poverty level for a family of three. - Seven in ten poor children lived in a family where an adult worked, according to 1996 U.S. Census figures. UPDATE ON CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT The Senate Appropriations Committee reported out the FY 1999 Labor, Health & Human Services, Education Bill on Thursday, September 3. It includes a $181 million increase in the Child Care and Development Block Grant that would be effective October 1, 1999. The bill also included a $35 million increase for the 21st Century Learning Centers for after-school programs. The House did not increase funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant but did include a $20 million increase for the 21st Century Learning Centers. -- OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR NUMBERS -- PLEASE FORWARD THIS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES! Our typical e-mail is about a page or two long and is delivered once a week. To join the CDF Update list, sign-up on our Web site or send an e-mail to: and write in the body of the message: subscribe cdfupdate PLEASE NOTE: WHEN SUBSCRIBING OR UNSUBSCRIBING, DO NOT SURROUND YOUR ADDRESS WITH BRACKETS. Ana Hicks Children's Defense Fund 25 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202/662-3540 (fax) CDFupdate@childrensdefense.org www.childrensdefense.org From Timothy.Mason@wanadoo.fr Sat Sep 5 14:07:25 1998 for Paris Sat, 5 Sep 1998 22:06:09 +0200 (MET DST) for Paris Sat, 5 Sep 1998 22:06:07 +0200 (MET DST) Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1998 22:25:13 +0200 From: Timothy Mason To: Sanjay.Bhatikar@Colorado.EDU Subject: Re: IQ, "talent" and heritability While it is evident that variables such as upbringing and opportunity play a large role in determining tastes and abilities, we cannot simply rule out the effects of innate factors. As Howard Gardner points out, there are cases of young people of considerable musical skill emerging from families that have little interest in the thing - he cites the case of Artur Rubinstein. The same is true of mathematical and linguistic ability; as to those families which maintain a skill tradition through several generations, it may well be a case of a marriage of inborn talents with environmental releasers - a Mozart born to a coster-monger's family may have whistled merrily while delivering the tomatoes, but was unlikely to have become court musician to Europe without his father's coaching. Why should this be in any way an embarrassment to the left? After all, it has long been a radical ambition to give voice to the mute inglorious Miltons that are seeded and grow in the most unlikely soils ; extreme environmentalism is as depressing in the conclusions to which it may drive us as is the poppycock nativist position. The virtues of humanity, in so far as humanity has any, are drawn from a happy intertwining of talent with tuition. Reducing intelligence to a single scale, and believing that one may rank people along it is fatuous in any case, whether the ranking is believed to be due to innate factors or not. It is that aspect of Bell Curvery that is particularly obnoxious, rather than a belief that the human infant is no blank page to be autographed by parent or schoolmaster as they will. Best wishes Timothy Mason Timothy.Mason@wanadoo.fr From smrose@exis.net Sun Sep 6 12:12:57 1998 From: "Steve Rosenthal" To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 14:12:13 +0000 Subject: nature/nurture and reification of social inequality Andy Austin has set forth and defended the position that musical ability and other talents are developed by hard work. I endorse his arguments and hope to extend them with a few comments. The discussion about musical creativity and other giftedness inadvertently takes for granted the occupational and social landscape of class societies. The division of society into exploited and exploiting classes and the further elaboration of racial and gender inequalities are not the result of variations in either genetic endowment or environmental influences. And although our genetic makeup interacts with our environment, class exploitation, racism, and sexism are not the result of these yet to be accurately measured interactions of genetic and environmental factors. This rejection of biological reductionism and reification is a cornerstone of sociology. It is also the reason why sociobiologist E.O. Wilson demands the abolition of sociology in order to achieve what he calls "consilience," the unification of all disciplines under a dictatorship of biological determinism. (I'm working on a review of E.O. Wilson's "Consilience," and I'll post some of my critique soon.) In fact, all debate about the relative influence of genes and environment is actually a debate about what some sociologists call "status attainment" or social mobility within the existing structure of society. I do not think that is the conscious intent of any of the participants in the discussion. Nevertheless, it is a debate about the "fairness" of the process of placing people into unequal positions, and it implicitly affirms the continued existence of social inequality. The bourgeoisie, in effect, wants us to remain confined in the limits of a debate about whether the inequalities of capitalism are caused by genetic or cultural inequality. Our answer must be a resounding "NEITHER!" Class societies, whether based on slave labor, serfdom, or wage labor, require social inequality and elaborate forms for its legitimation and reproduction. The ideas and assumptions we have about the production of music or the development of new technology are shaped by the contradiction between mental and manual labor that capitalism requires, and by the forms of leadership that capitalist exploitation must maintain. Abolition of this contradiction and the forms of leadership associated with it will lead to radically new forms of the social organization of labor and leadership. Will there even be any reason to devise ways of measuring particular talents and aptitudes in an egalitarian society that has abolished wage slavery--a society that rests on the principle of "from each according to her/his commitment; to each according to her/his needs?" Perhaps, but nearly all the reasons that stem from the logic of capitalist society will eventually be discarded. Steve Rosenthal From aaustin@utkux.utcc.utk.edu Sat Sep 5 23:17:46 1998 Sun, 6 Sep 1998 01:17:38 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 01:17:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew Wayne Austin Reply-To: Andrew Wayne Austin To: Timothy Mason Subject: Re: IQ, "talent" and heritability In-Reply-To: <35F19E29.F938FE4F@wanadoo.fr> Timothy, Isn't this argument approaching a self-sealing structure? If you have music that runs in families then its genetic (carried on a dominant behavioral gene). On the other hand, if you have a person who excels in music when there is no family history of it, then it must be genetic (the expression of a recessive behavioral trait). You have the argument coming and going, both ways. Isn't this the problem with quick appeals to unseen structures for fast and easy explanations? This is the tautological form naturalistic arguments typically take. Put aside the amazement that accompanies the witnesses of music and consider other talents; I think the fallacy becomes more apparent. It would be rather silly to explain somebody's ability to farm by appealing to their being the biological son of a farmer. But it is just as silly to say that a young man, the last in a long line of CPAs, who never intends to follow in his father's footsteps and instead becomes a farmhand, is expressing a recessive gene to farm. Are we to explain nuclear engineers, electronics whizzes, computer geniuses, and all the other knacks that happen to fancy us with this logically fallacious and non-empirical "scientific" stance? In an earlier post I said that playing music takes a lot of hard work; this is true. But it also just as true that playing a musical instrument is well within the range of the capabilities of the vast majority of people on this planet. The question of why a person takes up a musical instrument, or computers, or physics, or whatever, is a biographical question, not a genetic one. I was expecting the argument to emerge that characterized the opponents of sociobiology as possessing a certain political correctness regarding the deployment of biologisms. It generally comes up, and it is understandable that an ideological position would have to attack its opposition on ideological grounds. But my opposition to sociobiology is based on scientific grounds: sociobiology is a political ideology, not a science. It is making another pass over science in this politically advantageous environment, but it possesses no more validity or soundness than it did in all the other passes it made. The endurance of sociobiology is a testament to the "nature" of capitalist ideology. Andy From tr@tryoung.com Sun Sep 6 07:09:32 1998 (usr-mtp-59.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.59]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1998 09:05:48 -0400 To: social-class@listserv.uic.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: Research for the 21st Century teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu Almost 20 years ago, in October, 1979, the Red Feather Insitute published a piece of Research by the late Shirley Cereseto. It was, in my opinion and remains, one of the most challenging comparisons of socialist and capitalist effects of health, education, and inequality ever published. The title of the article is: No. 056 CRITICAL DIMENSIONS IN DEVELOPMENT THEORY:  A TEST OF FOUR INEQUALITY MODELS by SHIRLEY CERESETO, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY AT LONG BEACH, October 1979 The text of the article is now on-line at: http://www.tryoung.com/archives/056cereseto.htm In the article, Shirley used data from Western sources to compare Population theory, Capitalist/Development Theory, Dependency Theory and Marxist Mode of Production Theory. A more recent version of the article, along with the Tables not included in the text version, can be found under the title, Socialism, Capitalism, and Inequality," by Shirley Cereseto, in the Insurgent Sociologist 11 (2) Spring 1982. The more significant findings of the research are laid out in a Note I wrote in 1979 when the article first appeared: ********* EDITOR's NOTE. This study is one of the most important studies ever.made. It provides the best data available from official Western sources to test conflicting claims about which economic system is the best to deal with problems of ignorance, hunger, disease, death and human misery. The results are clear: 1. Socialist countries, as a group, do much better on all measures of social justice than do capitalist countries with the same resource base. 2. Socialist countries, as a group, do better than ALL capitalist countries, taken as a group, whatever the stage of economic growth. 3. Socialist countries do better than rich capitalist countries on: a. equality of income distribution, b. employment of women, and c. control of inflation. 4. Socialist countries do as well as wealthy capitalist countries in reducing death rates and reducing birth rates. Demographic Transition Theory is valid only in Market economies. 5. Economic growth is better in the socialist model and income inequality reduced more than in the capitalist system. 6. The capitalist system increases the gap between rich and poor nations which trade together while the socialist system reduces the gap between rich and poor socialist societies. 7. Marxian theory is better to account for the data distributions found than are the other major theories in the literature. 8. Each system, socialist and capitalist, has its own laws of growth and development. The population model, the dependency model and the "development" model adequately predict the relations between poverty and other variables in the capitalist societies but not in socialist societies. They are those theories of the middle range to which American sociologists are so partial and which are so misleading. This paper suggests that it is time to give socialism a very serious consideration if health, education, gender equality and population control are to be realized in the foreseeable future. The mass starvation, growing squalor and savage repression in poor capitalist nations is far too high a price to pay for the wealth and privileges of class and political elites for any moral person to support. Increase in concentration of wealth does not produce a better life for all as capitalist economists have argued for decades. Capitalism is not the best way to get basic goods to people. Political repression of dissidents continues to be a serious problem in most countries of the world, in socialist as well as capitalist nations--a problem which people everywhere should struggle to correct. However the central question is whether socialism will improve the human project in each society faster with its distortions and pathologies than will capitalism. These data support the socialist solution. ******* Addendum: The comments above were made before the collapse of the Soviet Bloc. Today, they are of even more interest for those working for a good and decent society. The fact that the USSR failed to evolve to democratic socialism or that a few newly industrialized countries are taking part of the global market does not alter the significance of the Cereseto article. Of more interest than the collapse of bureaucratic socialism is the great crises besetting those dozen or so ex-socialist countries who now try and fail to push their way into a globalized market economy. Even developed capitalist countries have trouble making it in such a competitive market...not to mention the great costs to workers everywhere; to consumers everywhere; to the environment everywhere and to those future generations which will have to pay for these costs in currencies unknown and unknowable in these times. TRYoung, Director The Red Feather Institute TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From aaustin@utkux.utcc.utk.edu Sun Sep 6 10:37:57 1998 Sun, 6 Sep 1998 12:37:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 12:37:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew Wayne Austin Reply-To: Andrew Wayne Austin To: Timothy Mason Subject: Re: IQ, "talent" and heritability In-Reply-To: <35F26151.F4E44B56@wanadoo.fr> Timothy, I already noted the unique person who occasionally appears showing a unique capacity for music. I did so on my first communication on this thread. I even cited a person who I think represents an example of this, namely, Jimi Hendrix. But then I said that this is quite rare. It doesn't seem that an anomaly represents an empirical instance for a structural claim. Not without a very complex argument, anyway. And I see nothing convincing so far. As for accusing you of being a sociobiologist, I wrote that in a discussion of behavioral genetics it almost always happens that opponents of sociobiologisms are admonished for their political reluctance to admit the reality of genetic influences. You do not have to be a sociobiologist as such to advance this typical ideological tack. But it is a traditional sociobiological argument (known as the attack on "biological egalitarianism"). And you appear to repeat this point at the end of your most recent post. I can only restate my point that while I politically and morally abhor the sociobiological project, no matter how much it is cloaked, I oppose the sociobiological approach on scientific grounds. My criticism of sociobiology is not ideological, insofar as any position can be relatively free of ideology. Finally, you have found that your genetic explanation contradicts the premise of behavioral biologisms. You admit that such explanations are probably not testable. Then you claim that your method is a efficacious brand of life-scientific reasoning. I have not found much of an explanation of the phenomena you have constructed. What I gather is that in acknowledging a general capacity of people to play music there are those who have are tone deaf, a genetic impediment to achieving musical accomplishments (is it?). Then there are those rare individuals who demonstrate an exceptional capacity for music, which you feel is genetic. What is the operation of these genes? I guess what I am asking is that, other than chalking up what you feel you cannot explain otherwise to the invisible behavioral gene, what is the scientific theoretical explanation you feel demonstrates the existence of this unseen force? I know this is a listserv, so perhaps it would be more reasonable for me to ask you to direct me to the particular study or the body of theory and evidence that supports your position. Thanks, Andy From smrose@exis.net Sun Sep 6 19:05:06 1998 From: "Steve Rosenthal" To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 21:04:45 +0000 Subject: heritability of talent For some reason this message from Alan Spector was not posted. I'm posting it for him. Steve Rosenthal ========================== -----Original Message----- From: spectors To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Saturday, September 05, 1998 10:44 PM Subject: Reply to Mason's observations on heritability of talent Tim Mason raised some important questions when he wrote: "While it is evident that variables such as upbringing and opportunity play a large role in determining tastes and abilities, we cannot simply rule out the effects of innate factors. As Howard Gardner points out, there are cases of young people of considerable musical skill emerging from families that have little interest in the thing - he cites the case of Artur Rubinstein. The same is true of mathematical and linguistic ability; as to those families which maintain a skill tradition through several generations, it may well be a case of a marriage of inborn talents with environmental releasers - a Mozart born to a coster-monger's family may have whistled merrily while delivering the tomatoes, but was unlikely to have become court musician to Europe without his father's coaching. Why should this be in any way an embarrassment to the left? After all, it has long been a radical ambition to give voice to the mute inglorious Miltons that are seeded and grow in the most unlikely soils ; extreme environmentalism is as depressing in the conclusions to which it may drive us as is the poppycock nativist position. The virtues of humanity, in so far as humanity has any, are drawn from a happy intertwining of talent with tuition. Reducing intelligence to a single scale, and believing that one may rank people along it is fatuous in any case, whether the ranking is believed to be due to innate factors or not. It is that aspect of Bell Curvery that is particularly obnoxious, rather than a belief that the human infant is no blank page to be autographed by parent or schoolmaster as they will. Best wishes Timothy Mason" Timothy.Mason@wanadoo.fr +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Some comments: (from Alan Spector) Nobody is denying that every human, even identical twins, have somewhat different biological make-ups. Of course! The problem is in the way people try to explain how those differences might express themselves behaviorally. Other than extreme examples of observable, measurable physical damage (and many of them are "repairable") the discussions often seem to be trying to put a "scientific sounding/ seemingly data-based" spin on anecdotes and folklore. Rubinstein, the talented musician, comes from a family that had little interest in music, it is asserted. Is that proof that the environment of the family had little effect in suppressing the genetic trait that Rubinstein supposedly had, or could that be evidence that there probably was no "genetic" tendency towards music in the family, given that others in the family were NOT musically inclined. After all, if others in the family HAD BEEN musically inclined, wouldn't some observers offer THAT as proof that "musicality" ran in Rubinstein's family? What kind of theory is it that allows opposite data to prove the same point? Tim's "environmental releaser" concept is a very good point. But maybe virtually everyone has that talent at birth, but it is only unlocked in certain people. And what is talent? As mentioned before, there may be all kinds of talent, musical and otherwise, that never gets exposed, nurtured or reported, because of cultural bias against certain types of creative talent as well as because of economic hardship. So the reported cases of children who can multiply huge numbers in their heads is not convincing proof that they are biologically unique super-children. Furthermore, as mentioned before, even if something is biologically influenced, that is not the same as "genetically passed down through the DNA from parents or other ancestors." The equation of "biological factors" with "genetic factors" is a very unscientific use of scientific rhetoric. These are the kinds of arguments that create great skepticism in those of us who do appreciate biology. Incidentally, most serious geneticists don't deal with questions like "musical talent" or "IQ" because they modestly realize the millions of factors that affect those behaviors. It is psychologists and pop culturists, sometimes with a political agenda, who are the main promoters of this view. Most of us who oppose the genetic determinists are not trying to suppress science because of our political agenda; on the contrary, we seek to uphold and develop serious science as we try to expose the political agendas of various genetic determinists such as Bouchard, Rushton, Eysenck, Jensen, Herrnstein and Murray. We should be demanding of clarity in language and data when such important issues are being evaluated. Alan S. From tr@tryoung.com Mon Sep 7 05:18:42 1998 (usr-mtp-66.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.66]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 07:14:59 -0400 To: psn-special@csf.colorado.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: Work and Wisdom in the World: A Labor Day Gift teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu, socgrad@csf.colorado.edu Some 12 years ago, Nancy Maxson and I wrote an article in the Sociology of Work which combined her interests in affirmative and empowering religious sensibility and my interest in Marxist Social Theory, Praxis and Liberation Theology. I laid out the Marxian Concept of Alienation and its intimate connection to work and wisdom in the world. Nancy did a particularly good job laying out the affirmative proscriptions for pro-social labor in Islam, Judaiac and Christian thought...and of course, the Buddhist Eight-Fold Noble Path to good work. I can't think of a better way to honor Labor Day than to share her good work with you. The article is at: http://www.tryoung.com/archives/185work.htm Work hard and do well, TR TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From gimenez@csf.Colorado.EDU Tue Sep 8 08:45:57 1998 Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 08:45:40 -0600 (MDT) From: Martha Gimenez To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Subject: Administrivia Dear PSNers, PSN is a SELF-SERVICE network. Members are expected to take care of their needs on their own. People who live in community do their share of the work required to keep the community working well. Think of PSN as a community and do your share. To facilitate your assuming that responsibility, we send you this document every month. Keep it for future reference. This is a monthly reminder of some of the listserv commands at your disposal. Caps are used for emphasis -- all commands and addresses are case insensitive. The commands/messages discussed below should all be sent to LISTSERV@csf.colorado.edu or LISTPROC@csf.colorado.edu The unsubscribe command is just two words: UNSUB PSN or UNSUB PSN-CAFE These two words should be in the message, not the subject line. Most common mistakes: 1. Punctuation marks near the two words E.g., "unsub psn" rather than unsub psn >unsub psn-cafe rather than unsub psn-cafe unsub psn. rather than unsub psn unsub rather than unsub psn-cafe 2. Trying to unsubscribe from an new address when your subscription is registered under an old address. To determine the address under which you are subscribed, write to gimenez@csf.colorado.edu If your efforts to unsub have been frustrated, please write to gimenez@csf.colorado.edu, rather than taking the problem to the list. It is helpful to forward a copy of mail from listserv@csf that shows the source of your problem. ------------ MAIL SETTINGS ------------ If you would like to receive PSN or PSN-CAFE messages twice-a-week in a batch instead of one-by-one, everyday, send the following command to LISTSERV@csf If you are going to be away and want to postpone messages again send a message to LISTSERV@csf and in the message box use SET PSN MAIL POSTPONE or SET PSN-CAFE MAIL POSTPONE To unpostpone your mail or return to one-at-a-time message delivery, use SET PSN MAIL ACK or SET PSN-CAFE MAIL ACK All subscribers have one of three settings: ACK, DIGEST or POSTPONE ACK is the default setting. To determine which setting you have on your mail, send the command SET PSN or SET PSN-CAFE -------- INDEX and GET cmds ---------- If you want to see an index of the logs of past messages and other files send (to LISTSERV@csf) the command INDEX PSN The list of files returned from the index command are retrievable with the get command. If, for example, you are interested in messages from January 94, you send a message to LISTSERV@csf and in the body of the message type GET PSN JAN94 If you would like to post or retrieve files at CSF, we have a help file for using FTP. Send this command to LISTSERV@CSF GET PSN FTP-INTRO If you have friends who would like to subscribe, they should send mail to LISTPROC@csf.colorado edu in the message proper they should write SUB PSN Firstname Lastname Bureaucratically yours, :-) Martha Gimenez PSN Founding Editor From vandenbu@Oswego.EDU Tue Sep 8 08:59:46 1998 Tue, 8 Sep 1998 10:59:31 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 10:59:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Henry W Vandenburgh To: psn-cafe@csf.colorado.edu, psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Frankfurt School Session for Easterns I proposed a session entitled Frankfurt School in an Era of Postmodernism for the Eastern Sociological Society in Boston in February. I'm trying to solicit a number of papers that might deal with the continued relevance of Frankfurt theorists who tackled some of the same issues as the postmodernists (probably with far better results). The ideal paper, it seems to me, would deal with the cultural or social psychological issues that postmodernists partially address. Thus it would probably work with such theorists as Benjamin, Marcuse, Horkheimer, Fromm, Adorno, etc; but might eschew later state and political economy theorists like Offe.(Habermas, too, since his Frankfurt ties are a stretch). Abstracts need to be submitted in the usual manner for Eastern. I will shortly post the address to send these to. Submissions require a cover sheet (sent out by Eastern). Again, I will send out the address shortly. If you decide to send an abstract, make sure to indicate that it is for the Frankfurt School Session. Hank Vandenburgh Sociology SUNY Oswego From brook@california.com Tue Sep 8 16:44:26 1998 Tue, 8 Sep 1998 15:43:33 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998 14:34:28 -0700 To: brook@california.com From: CyberBrook Subject: Learning On Line University >This is Alfredo Lopez of People-Link (http://www.people-link.org). >I have decided to help promote a >project I am jointly responsible for -- the Learning On Line University, or >LOLU (http://www.lolu.org). After all, that is a big part of what OLS is >all about...providing a tally that worthy projects can use for growth and >development. > >I host LOLU along with Michael Albert of Z Magazine and ZNet >(http://www.zmag.org). Our hope is that LOLU will become a wonderful >progressive resource for consciousness raising and for developing >solidarity and mutual aid among many organizations. > >LOLU's second semester--the first was a big success this past Spring -- >begins October 15th. LOLU courses run for ten weeks (often stretching a few >extra for catch-up, etc.) and include ten lectures, extensive "classroom >discussion," optional assignments, etc. The courses use very congenial, >efficient software specially designed for online education and including >discussion areas, chat areas, internal email, glossaries, and many other >useful features, all accessible via your web browser. > >Taking a course means reading lectures at your on your own schedule and >asking questions and participating in class discussions, also at your >leisure. The price of each course is $50 (about 5% of the usual online >rate), and $30 low income. We believe the courses we offer, the faculty, >the venue of the school, and the fellow students you will meet are all >absolutely first rate. But you can judge for yourself, easily enough. Just >go to http://www.lolu.org and browse the site. Registration is easy right >from there. > >To whet your appetite, here is a list of courses for this Fall as of the >date of this mailing (full descriptions and faculty bios are available online): > >ORGANIZING: THE LOST ART >-- Faculty: Leslie Cagan >Sponsor: Committees of Correspondence > >MOVEMENT HISTORY, MOVEMENT BUILDING, >AND THE ROLE OF POPULAR EDUCATION >-- Faculty: Jerome Scott & Walda Katz Fishman Sponsor: Project South > >MEDIA ANALYSIS: CHALLENGING ROUTINE PROPAGANDA -- Faculty: Norman Solomon >Sponsor: FAIR > >SPOOKING THE PUBLIC: RACIAL PROFILING >AND THE POLITICS OF MEDIA BLACKFACE >--Faculty: Mikal Muharrar >Sponsor: FAIR > >U.S. CAPITALISM IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY -- Faculty: Peter Bohmer >Sponsor: Olympia Political-Cultural Center > >INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL ECONOMY >-- Faculty: Robin Hahnel >Sponsor: URPE > >CORPORATE POWER AND STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP COUNTERVAILING POWER --Faculty: >Robert Weissman >Sponsor: Multinational Monitor > >LINE. COLOR, AND SHAPE: A REINTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS -- Faculty: >Anita Karasu >Sponsor: People-Link > >PARENTING FOR PROGRESSIVES IN THE LATE 20th CENTURY -- Faculty: Cynthia Peters >Sponsor: Z Magazine > >CONCEPTUALIZING A BETTER ECONOMY >-- Faculty: Michael Albert >Sponsor: Z Magazine > >RADICAL THEORY, VISION, AND STRATEGY >-- Faculty: Michael Albert >Sponsor: Z Magazine > >Sincerely, >Alfredo Lopez >People Link (http://www.people-link.com) > >People Link >Communications for a Better World... >and for the People Who are Building One >www.People-Link.com From Manicom@socio.unp.ac.za Tue Sep 8 07:01:04 1998 Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998 15:00:29 +0200 From: "Desiree Manicom" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Consciousness vs identity? In trying to untangle the historical contexts of these theoretical constructs, I find the literature alluding to many definitions and explanations: -identity politics having its roots in cultural studies, -identity relating more to psychological definitions linked to notions individuality and personality - studies of consciousness are also linked back to psychology ie. to Jung etc - however the notion of consciousness can be traced back to its Marxist sociological roots is inextricably linked to class consciousness, conceived of as a complex social relation both representing both subjective and objective interests. - Where class consciousness is both a group and individual consciousness. -In trying to locate consciousness in the structure\agency narrative it is seen as the interface between structure and agency. That way in which the research programme I am involved in has chosed to study consciousness is through an investigation of class, race and gender identity formation. I am interested in some discussion of social construction of identity and consciousness. Can we use these two concepts interchangeable? Historical origins\evolution of these concepts? How are they located in the structure \agency discourse? Desiree Manicom From pcpatch@pacbell.net Tue Sep 8 19:18:59 1998 From: "Peter C. Patch" To: Subject: Call for abstracts Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 18:14:52 -0700 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01BDDB54.93242FC0 Hello all -- Call For Abstracts Humanity and Society, the journal of the Association for Humanist Sociology, is soliciting abstracts for a special issue entitled “Women and Violence: Changing Dynamics in the New Millennium.” Examples of topics which would be suitable for the special issue include the effects of marginalization of ethnic and cultural minorities on violence by and against women. influence of growing empowerment and influence of women in the workplace on rates of violence committed by women. corporate violence committed by women as it relates to growing influence of women in corporate America. the changing relationship between women and violence in more versus less developed societies over the past 50 years. changing societal responses to violence committed by women. the societal forces contributing to the phenomenon of infanticide committed by young mothers. Persons interested in contributing to the special issue should submit three (3) copies of an abstract, maximum 150 words, describing a proposed article. Abstracts should be sent to Peter C. Patch, MA, Guest Editor, California School of Professional Psychology -- Fresno, 5130 E. Clinton Way, Fresno, CA 93727, ph: (209) 291-6042, fax: (209) 253-2267 [area code (559) after November 1, 1998], email: pcpatch@pacbell.net. Abstracts my be submitted via mail, fax, or email. If using email, please submit as an attached file in WordPerfect format. The deadline for submission of abstracts is October 15, 1998. ------=_NextPart_000_01BDDB54.93242FC0

Hello all --



Call For Abstracts


Humanity and Society, the journal of the Association for = Humanist Sociology, is soliciting abstracts for a special issue entitled = =93Women and Violence: Changing Dynamics in the New Millennium.=94 = Examples of topics which would be suitable for the special issue include =  

the effects of marginalization of ethnic and cultural = minorities on violence by and against women.

= influence of growing empowerment and influence of women in the = workplace on rates of violence committed by women.

= corporate violence committed by women as it relates to =

growing influence of women in corporate = America.

the changing relationship between = women and violence in more versus less developed societies over the past = 50 years.

changing societal responses to = violence committed by women.

the societal = forces contributing to the phenomenon of infanticide committed by young = mothers.

  

Persons interested in contributing to the = special issue should submit three (3) copies of an abstract, maximum 150 = words, describing a proposed article. Abstracts should be sent to Peter = C. Patch, MA, Guest Editor, California School of Professional Psychology = -- Fresno, 5130 E. Clinton Way, Fresno, CA 93727, ph: (209) 291-6042, = fax: (209) 253-2267 [area code (559) after November 1, 1998], email: = pcpatch@pacbell.net. Abstracts my be submitted via mail, fax, or email. = If using email, please submit as an attached file in WordPerfect format. = The deadline for submission of abstracts is October 15, 1998.

 ------=_NextPart_000_01BDDB54.93242FC0-- From amcgee@igc.org Wed Sep 9 05:13:18 1998 Tue, 8 Sep 1998 17:17:34 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 17:17:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Art McGee To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: UPDATED (9/8/1998): Race, Class, and the Internet Greetings, Even if you saw this before on another list, or I sent it to you directly, please look again, as I just added a few links. Thanks. [I don't agree with all the conclusions, but these are very interesting and important articles/reports. Please be sure to at least browse them] [By the way, they are mostly original material, not the summarized stuff people have been reading in newspapers and magazines] Bridging the Digital Divide: The Impact of Race on Computer Access and Internet Use http://www2000.ogsm.vanderbilt.edu/papers/race/science.html High Technology and Low-Income Communities: Prospects for the Positive Use of Advanced Information Technology http://web.mit.edu/sap/www/high-low/ What Color is the Net? http://www.hotwired.com/netizen/97/11/index2a.html Losing Ground Bit by Bit: Low-Income Communities in the Information Age http://www.benton.org/Library/Low-Income/ What it Means to be Black in Cyberspace http://www.panix.com/~mbowen/cz/identity/blakCMC.html Falling Through the Net II: New Data on the Digital Divide http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/ Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet http://acorn.grove.iup.edu/en/workdays/Nakamura.html Impact of CTCnet Affiliates: Findings from a National Survey of Users of Community Technology Centers http://www.ctcnet.org/impact98.htm WIRED 3.12:Idees Fortes - Race in Cyberspace? http://www.wired.com/wired/3.12/departments/berger.if.html Last, but not least, some comments I made a few years ago: AFROAM-L Archives - February 1995: Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Cyberspace http://www.afrinet.net/~hallh/afrotalk/afrofeb95/0796.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ | Arthur McGee (Staff) | | Institute for Global Communications http://www.igc.org/ | | Voice: +1-310-515-BYTE Fax: +1-415-561-6101 | | PeaceNet * EcoNet * ConflictNet * WomensNet * LaborNet | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | "Connecting the People Who Are Changing the World" | ------------------------------------------------------------------ From brook@california.com Wed Sep 9 12:05:23 1998 Wed, 9 Sep 1998 11:05:10 -0700 (PDT) Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 11:07:57 -0700 To: social-movements@Staffmail.wit.ie From: CyberBrook Subject: public secrets awrapport@aol.com, seggilman@ucdavis.edu, rice@dpls.dacc.wisc.edu, DLEVINE@BPL.ORG, flatta@ceb.ucop.edu, theperegri@aol.com Movements that limit themselves to cringing defensive protests will not even achieve the pitiful survival goals they set for themselves. BUREAU OF PUBLIC SECRETS October 1993 I found this line in one of the documents on the following interesting web site: http://www.slip.net/~knabb From tsmeisen@wiley.csusb.edu Wed Sep 9 12:36:14 1998 for psn@csf.colorado.edu; Wed, 9 Sep 1998 11:34:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Meisenhelder Subject: "Naural talent" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 11:34:57 -0700 (PDT) Somewhere in DISTINCTION Bourdieu tackles the issue of so-called natural talent. He argues that the notion of "natural gifts" is an ideology that legitimates the ruling cultural capital. He suggests "talent" often refers to the manner of a person's cultural competence, how it appears or is displayed. "Talent" is cultural capital used effortlessly due to its incorporation as part of the earliest habitus of people raised in families with certain kinds of highly valued cultural capital. One is talented in music or art or even athletics, but would we say that someone is a "natural talent" in something like cleaning toilets? Tom From godfreye@Acad.Ripon.EDU Wed Sep 9 19:39:30 1998 Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 20:42:55 -0600 (CST) From: Eric Godfrey Subject: Re: "Naural talent" To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK On Wed, 9 Sep 1998, Tom Meisenhelder wrote: > Somewhere in DISTINCTION Bourdieu tackles the issue of so-called natural > talent. He argues that the notion of "natural gifts" is an ideology that > legitimates the ruling cultural capital. He suggests "talent" often > refers to the manner of a person's cultural competence, how it appears or > is displayed. "Talent" is cultural capital used effortlessly due to its > incorporation as part of the earliest habitus of people raised in > families with certain kinds of highly valued cultural capital. One is > talented in music or art or even athletics, but would we say that someone > is a "natural talent" in something like cleaning toilets? I am an admirer of Bourdieu, but this comparison is WAY off the mark, and I am speaking personally: as both an amateur violinist who is NOT very "talented" _and_ as the person designated to clean the toilets in my home, I cannot help but note the difference in level of complexity of these tasks! Cultural relativism has its place, but quite honestly, learning how to clean a toilet is "not an essay question", while learning a task like musical performance (or acting or storytelling or stalking a giraffe) which requires complex knowledge as well as its physical application over an extended period of time is an act which, for reasons that are still mysterious but I doubt are simply the result of cultural capital (or even connected with it at all) some people simply are better able to do than others. Toilet cleaners do not have to practice 4 to 6 hours per day. Now, when we get to the issue of _why_ some people manifest their natural talent and others do not, THEN we can begin to look at social class differentials in habitus; it is clearly a relevant factor. But to me, the concept of "talent" is applied to an activity that is valued in the society but which relatively few people are able to accomplish, no matter how many opportunities they are given. Discussion of how a society determines what these valued activities are (or who in society does), is certainly a fascinating sociological question. Are there cross-cultural regularities, for example, in what "talents" people respect? May your music be sweet and your toilets sparkle. ;-) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Eric P. Godfrey, Professor of Sociology, Ripon College * * P. O. Box 248, Ripon, Wisconsin 54971 * * (920) 748-8375 (office) or 748-6789 (home) * * Internet: godfreye@acad.ripon.edu * * "Save the earth, we don't have a backup copy" * * (made up by my son Forest at age 16) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From burghart@newcomm.org Wed Sep 9 14:51:57 1998 via sendmail with smtp id (Smail-3.2 1996-Jul-4 #91 built 1997-Dec-8) From: "Devin Burghart" To: Subject: 1998 Building Democracy Conference Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 15:51:21 -0500 charset="iso-8859-1" Greetings, Please look over the information regarding our 1998 Building Democracy Conference. This unique event will bring together academics, activists, religious and community leaders from around the region dedicated to challenging the far right. We hope that you'll join us. Please feel free to distribute this information to all those who may want to participate in the 1998 Building Democracy Conference. Thank you, Devin Burghart Director, Building Democracy Initiative Center for New Community __________________________________ Announcing the 1998 BUILDING DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE: COUNTERING THE FAR-RIGHT IN THE MIDWEST November 13 & 14, 1998 Chicago, Illinois Convened by the Center for New Community. Nearly 500 adherents of the racist theology of Christian Identity gather in Missouri. In Ohio, a Christian Identity believer shoots two firefighters. A hard-line faction affiliated with Identity stages a takeover of the Michigan Militia while an associate guns down two law enforcement officers. Ku Klux Klan factions hold dozens of public rallies across the region while a breakaway group plans to rob banks, plant bombs, and poison water supplies. Neo-Nazi skinheads recruit youth and stir up violence in a North suburban Chicago school while a Southside neo-Nazi tries to win a Congressional seat. In its lasting commitment to build democratic community in the Midwest, the Center for New Community's Building Democracy Initiative seeks to enable and organize communities throughout the region to respond creatively and effectively to organized racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry and anti-democratic activity. The 1998 Building Democracy Conference will provide the tools essential to building strong, community-based, democratic responses to this danger in our midst. It is open to leaders and activists who are committed to strengthening - or joining - this work. The Conference will provide both topical seminars and skills workshops to enhance our capacity to respond to the far-right. Sessions will be led by nationally-known experts, staff and community leaders from around the country. We invite you to join us as we continue the task of building democracy! Among the highlights of this years conference will be a keynote presentation by Dr. Cornel West, Professor of Afro-American Studies and Philosophy of Religion, at Harvard University. One of the nation's most respected and charismatic speakers, Dr. West is the author of twelve books, including the best selling Race Matters and, in 1998, The War Against Parents. While he has been described as "one of America's most important public intellectuals," he has also been heavily involved in community-based political action as part of his fundamental commitment to strengthening the democratic process. His presentation on democratic community will be a highlight of the 1998 Conference. To obtain a brochure and additional conference information, contact the Center for New Community. Conference Schedule Friday, November 13th 10:00 - 12:00 Welcome and Introductions, Plenary "The State of Hate in the Midwest" Devin Burghart, Director, Building Democracy Initiative, Center for New Community Plenary "White Nationalism Against the New World Order" - Leonard Zeskind, The Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights 12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH 1:00 - 2:00 Seminar Session 1 * Robed Racists: The Resurgent Ku Klux Klan * Hate Crimes - Hate Violence * Patriots and the Militia Movement: Leaner and Meaner * The Longest Hatred: Anti-Semitism and the Far-Right * The Anti-Immigrant Movement 2:30 - 3:30 Seminar Session 2 * The White Supremacist Movement: An Insiders Experience * Cyberhate: White Supremacy on the Internet * Reconstructionism: A Bridge between the Far-Right and the Religious Right * The Anti-Indian Movement and the Attack on Treaty Rights * Deadly Aim: The Far-Right's Homophobic Agenda 4:00 - 5:00 Seminar Session 3 * Christian Identity: Biblical & Theological Foundations of the Far-Right * Youth Recruitment by White Supremacists: A First Hand Perspective * Nothing Sacred: The Far-Right Assault On Places Of Worship * The Beast Reawakens: The Rise of European neo-Fascism and its U.S. Connections * Wedge Politics: The Right and Communities of Color 6:00 - 7:00 DINNER / State Caucuses 7:00 Building Democracy Award Presentation Keynote Address - Dr. Cornel West Saturday, November 14th 9:00 - 10:00 Panel: Building Democratic Community: The State of Anti-bigotry Organizing in the Midwest 10:30 - 12:00 Workshop Session 1 * Exposing the Far-Right in the Civic Arena * Organizing the Religious Community to Counter Hate Groups * Media Savvy: Getting Your Story Out * Exposing the Far-Right in Your Community: A Hands-On Approach * Beyond Unity Rallies: Building Effective Coalitions for the Long-Haul 12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH and Saturday Roundtables 1:00 - 2:30 Workshop Session 2 * What To Do When The Klan Comes to Town * Educating Congregations and Communities about the Far-Right: Blueprints for Workshops * Countering Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Organizing * Organizing Youth to Counter Bigotry and Racism * Unmasking the Biblical Foundations of the Far-RIght 3:00 - 4:30 Workshop Session 3 * New Approaches to Non-Violence in the Face of Hate * Responding to Hate Crimes and Hate Violence * What to Do When The Militia Comes to Town * Faith-based Organizing: Building Long-term, Democratic Community * Developing Community Education and Response Teams 4:45 - 5:30 Closing Plenary: The Homeward Journey: A Passion for Democratic Community 1998 Building Democracy Conference Presenters include: Asian-Americans for Justice Russ Bellant, Author The Religious Right in Michigan Politics Dr. Bunyan Bryant, Professor, University of Michigan Walter Bresette, Red Cliff Chippewa Nation, Midwest Treaty Network Devin Burghart, Center for New Community Jean Carlberg, Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council Mandy Carter, National Black Lesbian & Gay Leadership Forum Floyd Cochran, Education & Vigilance Network Robert Crawford, Coalition for Human Dignity Carrie Flieder, Southern Institute for Research Education Zoltan Grossman, Midwest Treaty Network Rev. Joe Hendrixson, Kansas Ecumenical Ministries Marlene Hines, Mountain States Network Against Bigotry Rev. Steven Johns-Boehme, Michigan Ecumenical Forum Martin Lee, Author, The Beast Reawakens Rev. Lori Keller, Augustana and St.Paul United Church of Christ, Holland, Indiana Sue Matulis, Wisconsin Research Center MCEF/ Missouri Progressive Vote Caroline McKnight, Mainstream Coalition Debbi McNutt, Midwest Treaty Network Kerry Noble, Author, Tabernacle of Hate Rev. David Ostendorf, Center for New Community Mark Peysakhovich, Midwest Regional Office, The American Jewish Committee Mark Potok, Klanwatch Jose Rico - Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Protection Rev. Meg Riley, Unitarian Universalist Association Washington Office for Faith in Action Betsy Shuman-Moore, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Ken Stern, American Jewish Committee Ken Toole, Montana Human Rights Network Eric Ward, Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment Leonard Zeskind, Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- The Center for New Community is an independent, non-profit, faith-based organization committed to revitalizing congregations and communities for genuine social, economic, and political democracy. The Center's Building Democracy Initiative seeks to equip and organize communities to respond creatively and effectively to organized racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry and anti-democratic activity Center for New Community 6429 W. North Avenue, Suite 101 Oak Park, IL 60302 708.848.0319 708.848.0327 (fax) newcomm@newcomm.org www.newcomm.org From sosh@alinga.newcastle.edu.au Thu Sep 10 01:04:24 1998 Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 17:04:05 +1000 (EST) From: HOPKINSON S To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: A Question about Culture Dear PSN'ers One of the local Uni's here has organised a conference for postgrad with the theme "What is it to study culture on the brink of the new millenium?" hosted by the English Department. I am doing my Phd on Frantz Fanon in sociology trying to recover his radical ideas and critique postcolonial appropriations of him, perhaps reworking a radical humanism. I'm wondering what, if any, contribution I should make and was curious what PSN'ers might make of the theme. Regards Shane University of Newcastle From vandenbu@Oswego.EDU Thu Sep 10 08:45:26 1998 Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:45:04 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:45:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Henry W Vandenburgh To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, psn-cafe@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Re: ESS (fwd) The following is information for submittine abstracts to Eastern Sociological Society for Frankfurt School session for annual meeting Mar 4-7, 1999. Boston Copley Marriott. Hank Vandenburgh Sociology SUNY Oswego ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:40:26 -0400 (EDT) From: Henry W Vandenburgh To: "Goldstein, Warren" Subject: Re: ESS Submission deadline for 2-3 page abstract is Oct 2. Send to Joanne Nigg/Kathleen Tierney, Disaster Research Ctr, Univ of Delaware, Newark DE 19716. Mark that is is for Frankfurt School section. From estanque@sonata.fe.uc.pt Thu Sep 10 08:41:46 1998 Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 15:41:27 +0100 (WET DST) To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: Elisio Estanque Subject: Identity, community and class Dear colleagues, I' about to conclude a PhD tesis on the issue above (and based on a case study on the footweare industry in a local community in Portugal). The full repport is already written, but at this moment I'm trying to introduce and discuss in the theoretical chapter some more of the recent references and ideias (if possible inovative) that have been out of print in the last 2 or 3 years. If by any change, some of you are working on these subjects and/or can give me some 'tips' (and full references) on 'restructuring identities', 'community fragmentation', 'cultutal identity and enconomic power', 'work and community', 'tradition, emancipation and collective action', 'consent and resistence in community structuration', etc. I know there are a lot of staff but I only ask for some new and inovative information. For exemple, it would be very helfull recent critiques on Burawoy's 'manufacturing consent'... Thank You Elisio ELÍSIO ESTANQUE Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra Av. Dias da Silva, 165 3000 Coimbra PORTUGAL Tel. + 351 (0)39 790542 Fax + 351 (0)39 403511 From spectors@netnitco.net Thu Sep 10 08:33:09 1998 From: "spectors" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Complexity? Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 09:31:59 -0500 boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDDC9D.DC123980" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDDC9D.DC123980 charset="iso-8859-1" It takes more complex thought and behavior to raise a child or even = maintain a stable relationship with another human being than it does to = play a violin or do advanced algebra. The number of variables in human = relationships is staggering, and the variables are always changing -- = the past history of each person (including the "observer"),what happened = that day to each person, how their hormones might or might not be raging = that day, and a billion subtle clues in body language, tone of voice = etc. etc. =20 At least:=20 { X =3D(-b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4 ac) all = divided by 2a } , and this holds true on Monday at 7:30 a.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. A = teenage boy or girl is usually not the same during that time difference, = and actually, relationships with a variety of people change in billions = of complex ways demand very complex levels of thought and behavior! Yet I have many students who excel at a wide variety of complex tasks, = from raising children to repairing auto engines to supporting a family = on $400/ month. And yet these students have been taught to believe that = they are incapable of doing algebra or "playing the violin" = (metaphorically speaking) in a number of ways because they are low = income. One can play the violin simply, and in ways that are less complex than = cleaning a toilet. One can clean jewelry (or teeth) in ways that = represent more complex thinking and behavior than the way that many = people play the violin. Of course, if some people have severe arthritis = or some other particular physical trait that interferes with their = ability to play the violin, then on average such people will probably = not play as complexly. (Then again, there Django....). But even then, = what is playing well? Don't some "simple" folk musicians sometimes = demonstrate more complexity of artistic behavior than some of the slick, = well-engineered formula music that is produced only in order to make a = profit? My point is that all these measures of talent are "culturally biased" -- = no, a better term is CLASS BIASED, depending on how each class values = the quantity and quality of the behavior. So the real question is not = whether there are "cross-cultural" behaviors that are valued = universally, but rather "cross-class" behaviors that are valued = universally. What about "brain surgery?" All these behaviors/skills are mystified. = So many of the complex tasks that are valued could, in fact, be done as = well, not just by other individuals, but by a complete reorganization of = the way that labor is performed. For example, if a worker in an auto = factory were especially strong and were able to carry an engine block = from worker to worker as each worker did his/her task to complete the = engine, such a worker would be "superior" to other workers who could not = do that. But that "talent" is no longer needed. The concept of "being a = brilliant individual" is itself class-laden. Brilliant for whom? And = even complexity......there are so many dimensions to given task -- a = task can be complex on one dimension and simple on another. =20 Somehow, when these discussions are carried out, it often ends up = justifying the higher prestige accorded to those who currently get the = highest prestige. In my opinion, the most creative, complex behaviors are those which are = employed when one is engaged in social change -- specifically, working = collectively to develop the collective talents of others for the purpose = of destroying capitalism and replacing it with a world based on genuine = egalitarian cooperation and genuine egalitarian distribution. Socialism = preserves wage inequality and rolls back to capitalism. We have to go = all the way. Alan Spector ------=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDDC9D.DC123980 charset="iso-8859-1"
It takes more complex thought and behavior to raise a child or even = maintain a stable relationship with another human being than it does to = play a=20 violin or do advanced algebra. The number of variables in human = relationships is=20 staggering, and the variables are always changing -- the past history of = each=20 person (including the "observer"),what happened that day to = each=20 person, how their hormones might or might not be raging that day, and a = billion=20 subtle clues in body language, tone of voice etc. etc.  =  
 
At least: 
 
 { X =3D(-b plus  or minus the square root of b = squared=20 minus 4 ac) all divided by 2a }     ,
 
and this holds true on Monday at 7:30 a.m. and Saturday at 7:30=20 p.m.   A teenage boy or girl is usually not the same during = that time=20 difference, and actually, relationships with a variety of people change = in=20 billions of complex ways demand very complex levels of thought and=20 behavior!
 
Yet I have many students who excel at a wide variety of complex = tasks, from=20 raising children to repairing auto engines to supporting a family on = $400/=20 month. And yet these students have been taught to believe that they are=20 incapable of doing algebra or "playing the violin" = (metaphorically=20 speaking) in a number of ways because they are low income.
 
One can play the violin simply, and in ways that are less complex = than=20 cleaning a toilet. One can clean jewelry (or teeth) in ways that = represent more=20 complex thinking and behavior than the way that many people play the = violin. Of=20 course, if some people have severe arthritis or some other particular = physical=20 trait that interferes with their ability to play the violin, then on = average=20 such people will probably not play as complexly. (Then again, there=20 Django....).   But even then, what is playing well? Don't some = "simple" folk musicians sometimes demonstrate more complexity = of=20 artistic behavior than some of the slick, well-engineered formula music = that is=20 produced only in order to make a profit?
 
My point is that all these measures of talent are "culturally=20 biased" -- no, a better term is CLASS BIASED, depending on how each = class=20 values the quantity and quality of the behavior.  So the real = question is=20 not whether there are "cross-cultural" behaviors that are = valued=20 universally, but rather "cross-class" behaviors that are = valued=20 universally.
 
What about "brain surgery?"  All these = behaviors/skills are=20 mystified. So many of the complex tasks that are valued could, in fact, = be done=20 as well, not just by other individuals, but by a complete reorganization = of the=20 way that labor is performed. For example, if a worker in an auto factory = were=20 especially strong and were able to carry an engine block from worker to = worker=20 as each worker did his/her task to complete the engine, such a worker = would be=20 "superior" to other workers who could not do that. But that=20 "talent" is no longer needed. The concept of "being a = brilliant=20 individual" is itself class-laden. Brilliant for whom? And even=20 complexity......there are so many dimensions to given task -- a task can = be=20 complex on one dimension and simple on another. 
 
Somehow, when these discussions are carried out, it often ends up=20 justifying the higher prestige accorded to those who currently get the = highest=20 prestige.
 
In my opinion, the most creative, complex behaviors are those which = are=20 employed when one is engaged in social change -- specifically, working=20 collectively to develop the collective talents of others for the purpose = of=20 destroying capitalism and replacing it with a world based on genuine = egalitarian=20 cooperation and genuine egalitarian distribution. Socialism preserves = wage=20 inequality and rolls back to capitalism. We have to go all the = way.
 
Alan=20 Spector
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01BDDC9D.DC123980-- From schoonma@jasper.uor.edu Thu Sep 10 17:21:21 1998 Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 16:22:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Sara Schoonmaker To: psn psn Subject: PSA session on "Consumers and Consumption" I am organizing a session for the 1999 PSA meetings in Portland (April 15-18) on "Consumers and Consumption." I'd love to receive proposals, outlines, ideas, abstracts (or complete papers) if you're interested in participating in the session. These are due by Oct. 15th. Best, Sara Schoonmaker University of Redlands From grogr@zip.com.au Fri Sep 11 07:11:14 1998 Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 23:10:17 +1000 From: Greg Rosman To: Progressive Sociologists Network Subject: request for info Hi there all My name is Greg Rosman, im a third year undergrad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Im working on a research assignment on the rise of temps in the workforce. Everything is going well, but I was wondering if anyone knew where I could an e-text version of a report by the US House Employee and Housing Subcommittee? US House (1988) Employment and Housing Subcommittee. Rising Use of part-time and temporary workers: Who benefits and who loses? 100th Cong., 2nd sess. 19th May. Funnily enough, our library doesnt have it. If anyone knows where i could get a hold of an e-text copy of this, it would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot, Greg From rooneys@mindspring.com Fri Sep 11 06:09:38 1998 From: "Bobbie J. Rooney" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 08:07:58 +0000 Subject: looking for films Reply-to: rooneys@mindspring.com I am looking for catalogs or lists of films that might be of interest to groups that wish to encourage dialogue about progressive issues. Ideally, the films would be of short duration and address topics like racism, sexism, revolutionary struggle, labor, etc. If anyone could point me in the right direction, or provide me with their own lists or recommendations, it would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to respond to me directly at rooneys@mindspring.com Thanks! bobbie ____________________________________________ Bobbie J. Rooney, Graduate Assistant School of Social Work University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 301 Pittsboro St., C.B. #3550 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550 Phone (919) 962-6478 Fax (919) 962-0890 Email: rooneys@mindspring.com From dassbach@mtu.edu Fri Sep 11 06:51:24 1998 From: "Carl H.A. Dassbach" To: "PSN" Subject: International comparison of working conditions Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 08:51:40 -0400 charset="iso-8859-1" Can anyone refer me to some material which compares working conditions, in the broadest sense of the term, in the advanced capitalist countries. Thanks, Carl Dassbach --------------------------- Carl H.A. Dassbach DASSBACH@MTU.EDU Dept. of Social Sciences (906)487-2115 - Phone Michigan Technological Univ. (906)487-2468 - Fax Houghton, MI 49931 (906)482-8405 - Private From bbowd@interlog.com Fri Sep 11 13:19:30 1998 Fri, 11 Sep 1998 15:18:15 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 15:11:01 -0400 From: "Robert E. Bowd" To: hadjicosta_j@utpb.edu Subject: Re: Lit on teaching poor/minority (high school) students This message was posted sometime ago, so there may no longer be interest in the topic. If so, my apologies. [Just cleaning up old mail.] There is a wealth of applicable literature in the area of critical pedagogy. Hands-on material that is especially helpful to classroom teachers is the work of Ira Shor adn bell hooks. Two recent books that might be worth a look: Ira Shor [1996], WHEN STUDENTS HAVE POWER. Chicago Press. The Neo-Cons have pretty much been able to define the debates around school assessment, so it is in this light that I suggest - A. Lin Goodwin [1997]. ASSESSMENT FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION. Routledge Press. Regards, Bob Bowd PS: It was Jim Salt who originally posted the query so perhaps someone might be able to forward this to him, in the event he doesn't see it. Again apologies for the delayed response. Joanna Hadjicostandi wrote: > Hi Jim, > > Of the top of my head I can think of Jonathan Kozol's book SAVAGE > INEQUALITIES. Also, the Bowles and Gintis's book SCHOOLING IN CAPITALIST > AMERICA may be useful. If you need full citations let me know. Freire's > work EDUCATION FOR CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED > are also useful tools in at least understanding the issues and methods of > dealing with oppression. > > Cheers > > Joanna > > >At 07:19 PM 2/9/98 -0500, you wrote: > >>PSNers, > >> > >>Can anyone recommend literature on teaching poor/minority (high school) > >>students. A former (excellent) student is now in the classroom in a > >>very poor, mixed ethnicity neighborhood (black, white, and Latino > >>(Mexican, PR, Dominican Republic, and Cuban)), and facing the all too > >>common difficulties. He asked me for references to lit that might help > >>him address the various issues he's facing (his pedagogical training > >>offered nothing to address this!). > >> > >>Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. > >> > >>-- > >>Jim Salt > >>jsalt@alpha.utampa.edu > >>Box 90F > >>Dept. of History, Political Science, & Sociology > >>University of Tampa > >>401 W. Kennedy Blvd. > >>Tampa FL 33606-1450 > >>813-253-3333 X3651 > >> > >>"The philosophers have only _interpreted_ the world, in various ways; > >>the point, however, is to _change_ it." > >> --- Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach > ________________________________________ > Joanna Hadjicostandi, Ph.D. > Sociologist > University of Texas of the Permian Basin > Department of Behavioral Science > 4901 East University Boulevard > Odessa, TX 79762-0001 > > Fax #: (915)552-3325 > E-mail: hadjicosta_j@utpb.edu > Tel. #: W (915)552-2362 H (915)368-0981 > ________________________________________ From cuzzort@spot.Colorado.EDU Sat Sep 12 08:46:54 1998 Sat, 12 Sep 1998 08:46:15 -0600 (MDT) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 08:46:15 -0600 (MDT) From: Cuzzort Ray To: socgroup Subject: ONLY SOMEWHAT POSSIBLE Trying to avoid the sea storm of shit that is flying around this nation at the moment is impossible, but it is somewhat possible. The morning paper had a special section which was the complete Starr report. I felt defiled even touching the thing as I tossed it into the trash pile. My major concern is the extent to which this has established a dreadful, dreadful precedent--an attack on the private lives of anyone the state decides to attack. No one is any longer immune. Yellow sheet journalism is the norm for the all of the media. When Orwell envisioned big brother we never dreamed he would appear in the form of a fat faced lawyer who loves to outline every teensy kinky detail about the sex lives of people. (When Gore Vidal was asked how he thought Washington would have replied if Starr asked him about Molly giving him a blow job, he said, "Washington would have skewered him on the spot." If the freedoms that a private life is supposed to insure are no longer available, then what freedom is left? There is much irony in this. The land of the free is not really a land of the free. We not only have the largest imprisoned population of any industrial nation in the world but now, given the fierceness of the attack on privacy, we have become an inane, if not insane, mob of howling moralists. This, along with the McCarthy era, has to be one of the most miserable displays of the abuse of power in all of American history. Perhaps such occasional moments of national madness are necessary--a kind of blowing off of steam of some kind. I don't know. I've spent most of my life trying to find some way to understand people and then they come along with something such as this and I find myself back at square one. In sum, I don't know shit. I don't think anyone else does either. Yours for a better society, rpc From CDFUPDATE@childrensdefense.org Fri Sep 11 18:41:01 1998 Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 17:24:41 -0400 From: "CDFupdate CDFupdate" To: CDFupdate@automailer.com Subject: CDF Update September 11, 1998 Sender: owner-cdfupdate@automailer.com Children's Defense Fund Update September 11, 1998 In this issue: -- The Census -- PBS Documentary: The Farmer's Wife -- The March: Coming Together to Conquer Cancer THE CENSUS -- Two Million Missing Children -- To avoid the undercount of children that occurred in the 1990 census, the Census Bureau needs to carry out its plan to incorporate scientific sampling in 2000. Out of the net 4 million undercount in the 1990 census, more than half were children. The percent of minority children missed was alarmingly high: 7 percent of Black children; 3.2 percent of Asian American children; 6.2 percent of American Indian children; and 5 percent of Hispanic children. If the undercount in the 2000 census is no greater than it was in 1990, the census will miss 52,000 children in Los Angeles, who would fill up 77 schools staffed by 2,177 teachers (using the California average for school size according to the National Center for Education Statistics). Children can't vote. It will be a shame if America decides that children don't count either. **To learn about the undercount in your state, and to see its effects on education in 191 cities, go to the website of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights: . YOU CAN HELP! Contact your members of Congress and tell them to vote for a full year's funding for the Census Bureau in the FY 1999 Commerce appropriations bill, and to support the scientific methods endorsed by the major bodies of experts in the field, including the American Statistical Association. (Those who oppose using scientific sampling methods are proposing to fund the Census Bureau for only six months, hoping to force a return to the older, less accurate and more expensive form of count.) UPCOMING EVENTS -- Don't miss the new PBS Documentary, "The Farmer's Wife" -- On September 21, 22 and 23 at 9 pm, Frontline will broadcast a special documentary series called "The Farmer's Wife." This intimate portrait of a Nebraskan farm family provides an objective portrayal of the daily struggles of a family facing its toughest crisis. "The Farmer's Wife" deals with the real day-to-day issues of a family with three children living far below the poverty level. For example, during the three-year period of the documentary, the family must apply for food stamps, and they face child and health care problems. Please let others in your community know about the documentary. This documentary will make the daily struggles of this family, and so many others like it, real to viewers. As we all know, one of the most powerful educational tools is the personal story. For more information on the documentary, please contact Shari Miller at (308) 388-3103. -- The March: Coming Together to Conquer Cancer -- On September 25 and 26, thousands will gather in Washington, DC to focus attention on the magnitude of the impact of cancer in America and seek increased investment in the effort to eradicate this deadly disease. The two-day event is being sponsored by The March, a national advocacy group working to "conquer cancer." According to statistics published by The March, more than 560,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer in 1998 and an estimated 8,700 children will be diagnosed with cancer this year. As you may know, cancer is the #1 health-related killer of children. On the evening of Friday, September 25, a candlelight vigil will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. The following day, there will be exhibits and educational activities from 9 to 3 on the mall. The day will culminate with a "No More Cancer" rally and a call to action. Come to the mall and join the ranks of General Schwarzkopf, Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Cindy Crawford, Jesse Jackson and thousands of other Americans from all walks of life to say, "NO MORE CANCER." The March is currently looking for volunteers to assist on the days of the event. If you are interested in volunteering, please call 1-877-THE-MARCH or (202) 861-0998. You can also check out their website at or email info@themarch.org. For those of you who do not live in the DC area, there may be something happening in your community. There are march-related events taking place in every state, and delegations coming to DC from every state and territory. Call one of the numbers above to find out more information. -- OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR NUMBERS -- PLEASE FORWARD THIS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES! Our typical e-mail is about a page or two long and is delivered once a week. To join the CDF Update list, sign-up on our Web site or send an e-mail to: and write in the body of the message: subscribe cdfupdate PLEASE NOTE: WHEN SUBSCRIBING OR UNSUBSCRIBING, DO NOT SURROUND YOUR ADDRESS WITH BRACKETS. Ana Hicks Children's Defense Fund 25 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202/662-3540 (fax) CDFupdate@childrensdefense.org www.childrensdefense.org From brook@california.com Fri Sep 11 19:19:20 1998 Fri, 11 Sep 1998 18:12:27 -0700 (PDT) Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 18:15:07 -0700 To: flatta@ceb.ucop.edu, theperegri@aol.com, porudy@ucdavis.edu, jairo.romero@ucdavis.edu, schernma@hugse1.harvard.edu, schernwet@aol.com, AV4RAZA@PACBELL.NET, mohsen.hakim@mdh.se, jinsong@ucdavis.edu, osluzano@ucdavis.edu, PSN@csf.colorado.edu, rice@dpls.dacc.wisc.edu, DLEVINE@BPL.ORG, browning@sfsu.edu From: CyberBrook Subject: Castro visits Soweto... Sowetans warm to the wisdom of Cuba's lion Fidel Castro visits Soweto to offer words of comfort - and some digs at Bill Clinton -- at a memorial to victims of the 1976 uprising. DAVID BERESFORD in Johannesburg CASTRO is a lion," sang the South African Communist Party choir, as Fidel in his military fatigues clambered from a Mercedes in Soweto. Although at 71 he is a somewhat aged king of the jungle, the comparison seemed a fair one as the grizzled mane and beard moved towards the closest thing this country has to the tomb of the unknown warrior. South Africa saw a concatenation of heads of state at the summit of non-aligned countries last week, but there was no doubt who was the most popular foreign leader. President Nelson Mandela himself was said to have been refused 10 extra seats for guests in the stampede to hear the Cuban president address parliament on Friday. The Democratic Party and the rightwing Freedom Front boycotted the speech, but the crowded gallery was treated to a view of capitalism on the brink of collapse and a global economy transformed into an "enormous casino". Necessity has made Sowetans more phlegmatic and less sensitive to predictions of financial Armageddon. But about 2,000 gathered on Saturday to chant "Castro, Castro, Castro" with the enthusiasm of teenagers cheering a rock idol. After laying a wreath and solemnly saluting at a roadside shrine that stands as a memorial to Hector Peterson - reputedly the first child to die under police guns in the 1976 uprising - Dr Castro made his way to the speakers' platform, surrounded by bodyguards. Mathole Motshekga, the premier of Gauteng - the country's richest province - was there to greet him. Mr Motshekga has been under a cloud after allegations, which he denies, that he was an apartheid-era spy for South African military intelligence. He introduced the Cuban leader with a ringing announcement that in Dr Castro, President Mandela and the South African deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, the world had "the greatest political prophets of our time". Dr Castro began diffidently. "I've not come to make a speech, I've just come to talk to you for a while," he said. "A speech would have to take a long time... " There followed two hours of one-sided conversation, a bravura performance in which the lilting Spanish of the president and the majestic English of his female interpreter interwove with the practised ease of an operatic duo. Dr Castro brooded on the destruction of the great library at Alexandria. He reflected on what would have happened to the Spanish conquistadors and their 12 horses if Christopher Columbus in his confused search for India had landed in a China full of horses instead of Latin America. "The 12 Spanish horses would have been nothing; they would have disappeared in a matter of seconds!" A tour of the cosmos ensued. Ruminating on the irony that Venus was named after the Goddess of love - "400 degrees of heat and actually at that temperature there is no way you can make love" - he touched briefly on the barrenness of Mars before landing back on Earth with a thump, concluding that it was clear this was the only populated planet, so even those who suffered extremes of poverty needed to be persuaded of the environmentalist cause if mankind were to survive. He swept on with a history of slavery, which led in turn to reminiscences of when a $10 greenback was worth $10 in gold. "Today", he declared indignantly, "they are buying the richness of the world with paper!" Marvelling at the mastery of mathematics of those who built the pyramids, he asked: "If Einstein had been born Hector Peterson, would the theory of relativity have ever been discovered?" After confiding that his sizeable retinue of bodyguards reflected the long history of attempts to kill him, Dr Castro delivered a succession at swipes at President Bill Clinton, including ridicule of his use of four United States helicopters to take him the 12 miles from Cape Town to Robben Island. Aghast at the scope of US "imperialism" - "even in India and China they are drinking Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola (and eating McDonald's) hamburgers," he said in wonderment - he roundly concluded: "You have apartheid when you have a world of the rich and a world of the poor." -- Guardian News Service, September 8, 1998. From skerlin@teleport.com Sat Sep 12 10:42:17 1998 by user1.teleport.com (8.8.7/8.8.4) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 09:42:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Scott Kerlin To: TEACHSOC@poplar.lemoyne.edu, psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Thinking and teaching sociologically about our current dilemmas Hi, everyone: This term, I am teaching two courses to seniors at Washington State University's branch campus in Vancouver, one on social theory, and one on society and technology. I'm using Steven Seidman's text "Contested Theory: Social Theory in a Postmodern Era" as one of my theory texts because I agree with his call for efforts to build bridges between social theory and the real-world challenges of these times. Like others, I have been monitoring the events in Washington, D.C. while at the same time attempting to place them into "teachable examples". For example, in my theory class we are currently covering Marx, and last week I introduced the key concepts of Marx's original writings (e.g. alienated labor, class struggle) while using the film "Reds" to build a bridge between the ideas of Marx & Engels and their evolution in the 20th century--in Russia, and in the U.S. For any of you who are teaching Marx this term, I would recommend the 1996 edition of "How to Read Karl Marx", by Ernst Fischer (originally published as Karl Marx in his Own Words in 1970), which includes an excellent introduction by John Bellamy Foster. Now, as I watch the unfolding of this theatre of absurdity that is Washington, I am a bit overhelmed (aren't we all?) with how to inspire students' engagement of these events from a critical sociological perspective. I see so many contradictions in these times--they seem reminiscent of 1968 in so many ways. I hope to introduce Todd Gitlin's writings at some stage (particularly his book on The Sixties) because I know some of my students will want to cover that period in their final papers. In my technology course, we are examining (among other things) the impact of the Internet on U.S. society, and my goodness, what a moment it is to cover *that*. All one has to do is go to the CNN home page today (http://www.cnn.com) and deconstruct it, as a photographic glimpse at contemporary U.S. culture and communications (and the unreality of it all)... I would be interested to hear from others about your own efforts to give a sociological meaning to these times in your classes. Scott Kerlin Portland, OR E-Mail: skerlin@teleport.com WWW Sociology Page: http://www.teleport.com/~skerlin/soc_phil.html From YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu Sat Sep 12 14:29:28 1998 Date: Sat, 12 Sep 98 15:28 CDT From: YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu To: psn@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Subject: Bill, Monica and the Starrs of Social theory After much quiet on my part, an unnatural act for me, the comments of Roy and Scott re "As Washington turns", prompt a reply/remarks. Let me first note that Roy is quite right, what goes on in private is really noones business. However despicable, from using Oval office/ hallways etc, to the teen age sex usually termed "heavy petting" (grab, grope, poke and oral sex), it is noones business even in a bourgeois democracy that depends on freedom to legitimate contracts and thus include the exploitation of the workers. (I did not/will not read it carefully, but it did not seem as if they actually had coitus) So what does this mean for social theory-and what if any stance should progressives take? Marx-his concern was largely with the nature of production, it has remained for later Marxists to locate the nature of consumption in his work. Now, yes, I teach Kapital, well know the relations of production commdification and consumption, but the issues I am pointing too are the realization of value in a consumer society. While unfortuneately many who study/critique consumption lose track of the role of exploited labor in producing goods or dispensing services (restuarants, hotels, stores, etc.), it is now important to consider how far the commodific- ation process has gone. More specifically, today information is a major commodity and thus the provision of news is a major moment of the political economy. In turn there is intence comptetition between media (papers/mags/tv both cable/network etc.) But further, in an amusement society based on entertainment, to maintain comptetivite advantage/profits, we have seen a merger of information and entertain ment, infotainment. Thus the Starr story is in many ways a replay of OJ, much of which is a profit making media construction-that caters to a population seeking entertainment. Crimes of passion, intrigue, powerful men-mediagenic at that are the sure fire ingredients of soap opera, pulp novels and much of television. So thus we see a convergence of types of media-going down in taste-up in circulation-and if politics imitates, indeed simulates soap opera/pulp fiction life, what else is new at this stage of capitalist entertainment society. And thus the NYT where I read a bit of the report/comments, is more and more like National Inquirer or the Howard Stern show. So point 1-the prolifer- ation of consumerism disposes infotainment and sex-of the famous and even not so famous sells. But further, in a one party system in which segments of capital compete for power, there must be some issues. Now as we progressives know, there is not much in the way of policy differences between the factions, they are both devoted to globalization, the retrenchment on even minimum entitlements, and thus the concern is maximizing the wealth of the weal- thy. Now to appear as "the will of the people" and all that other crap we learned in hs, and even poli sci courses, there must be issues over which they compete-and now it is largely culture and life style. (Life style includes smoking as will be noted). So the political classes of capital must find support from the declining numbers who think voting maters much. Its morality and life style and thus as the Clinton's have noted, the right is out to get them-on cultural issues from gays in military, abortion, feminism, guns etc. So what could more appeal to violation of family values-read patriarchy- than philandering. Never mind that two right wing representatives have been exposed as having affairs, its Clinton's that gets center stage. Then when you have anal moralists like Starr, who as an agent of the right wing religious extremes, father a minister, reads bible every moring, who also has represented the tobacco industry who would like to do Bill in... it is clear how the Starr report that appeals as entertainment is part of a right wing attempt to undo the cultural changes of the last decades and this includes the pomo relativising of truth. Here our pomo pres can smoke w/o inhaling, lie and tell truth, exclude fellatio from sex etc. What makes the right especially upset, is the from the standpoint of capital, Clinton has not done a bad job, and his lies, unlike Raygun do not lead to killing commies (Guns for hostages) WEber-De Toqueville first noted how the conditions of equality (as he called bourgeois hegemony) led to the disdain of excellance and prefer ence for mediocrity. Weber noted this in his travels to America, and even if Bill was a Yale prof, Slick Willie, aka Bubba, personifies mediocrity. Weber might also note his (Bubbas) charisma which had a very strong erotic aspect. I have known a number of women, left feminists, who have felt an electricity in his presence and for reasons I can't figure, as even many of the female journalists who cover the prez have noted, he exudes a erotic air that melts steel and arouses attracts many. At this point I think it better that a women comment. Freud. Hmmmmm, pehaps Monica L should join Anna O. Dora ?. At this point will end and perhaps comment more if list is interested. Prognosis. Who remembers OJ. He will not be impeached, why, 1) Repubs don't want to run agains asexual Gore whose hanky panky is $$$, 2) fear fear a backlash from those who do like him, and 3, they will not have 2/3 of senate. So what can we expect. Sunday morning Clinton will be reviled by the ilks of George Will whose constipation clouds his mind, the talking heads will babble, noone much will care, esp if Sosa catches up to the big Mac. Yes, Dems will lose some in elections, but that is always the case, prez party loses. He will probably be censured by the Senate, everyone will forget about it and there will be a new flurry of web pages on oral sex, cigars (read report to get that one) and then the campaign for 2000 will begin. If economy good-for capital Gore the bore will take over, if not, Jeb Bush, and if unemployment hits 30%, the Dow is about 1800, then its Pat Buchanan. So at this time what are the comments from list. And hey folks, its all entertainment anyhow so dont take it too seriously. Lauren From brook@california.com Sat Sep 12 14:52:25 1998 Sat, 12 Sep 1998 13:52:07 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 11:30:03 -0700 To: PSN@csf.colorado.edu, flatta@ceb.ucop.edu, theperegri@aol.com, jinsong@ucdavis.edu, osluzano@ucdavis.edu From: CyberBrook Subject: Corporate Watch >Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 19:24:29 -0700 >From: Corporate Watch >Sender: owner-corp-watchers@igc.org >Subject: What's New 9/11/98 >To: corp-watchers@igc.org >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.2 (32) >X-Sender: corpwatch@pop.igc.org (Unverified) > >WHAT'S NEW ON CORPORATE WATCH SEPTEMBER 11, 1998 >The Watchdog on the Web > > >GREENWASH AWARD: Corrosive Curricula. This quarter a double award goes to >Chevron and the American Plastics Council as just two of MANY corporate >polluters that give teachers Orwellian "educational" materials as a way of >cleaning up their image. Check out the graphics and audio! > > > >NEW FEATURES ON OUR WEBSITE! In response to your input, via the survey, >we've redesigned our homepage; please let us know what you think!. > >You'll also notice that we've done away with the introductory Corporate >Watch "eye" page, so that when you go to , you'll >arrive directly at the home page. If you've bookmarked or saved our old >home page as a favorite please change >it to >. > >We're also adding a new action feature to Corporate Watch. You can now join >the Corporate Watch Cyber-Action Team (CW CAT), an email list through which >you will receive regular updates on email and fax actions which you can take >to support initiatives for human rights, environmental justice and corporate >accountability. To join, check out our action page >, or send an email to >corpwatch@igc.org. > >Finally, we have updated our Hot Links section, adding dozens of new, >important links. You can browse them at >. > > >NEWS - HEADLINES > > >* Environmental, Human Rights and Women's Groups Petition California >Attorney General To Revoke UNOCAL's Charter > >* Friday Marks Quarter-Century Anniversary of Coup in Chile > >* The Painful Lessons of the Chile Coup > >* South Africa High-Level Team Told To Tackle Thor's Mercury Problem > >* JAPAN: Throwing Toxic Trash Elsewhere > >* Police Raid International Anti-MAI Meeting > >* AFL-CIO Launches New Equal Pay Website > >* Ending Wall Street's Reign > >* Black Concern About Environment Equals Or Exceeds That Of Whites, U-M >Study Shows > > >ACTION ALERTS > > >* Tell Home Depot to Stop Destroying Ancient Forests > >* Centro Humboldt Sued by Transnational Lumber Company > > > > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >Corporate Watch >PO Box 29344 >San Francisco, CA 94129 >Tel: 415-561-6568 >Fax: 415-561-6493 >Email: corpwatch@igc.org >URL: http://www.corpwatch.org >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > From cht@ccil.org Sat Sep 12 21:23:09 1998 Sat, 12 Sep 1998 23:29:30 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 23:29:30 -0400 (EDT) From: "Cordell H. Thomas" To: TEACHSOC@poplar.lemoyne.edu Subject: Re: Thinking and teaching sociologically about our current dilemmas In-Reply-To: Of late I've been wishing for another storm so that the media could put on their caps and jackets, stand on the beach and give us storm reports. They do a pretty good job of that because there are enough meteorologists involved to have the flavor of science and knowledge. Perhaps one of the reasons that they do a good job is the low interest in meaning. We have left finding the meaning of storms to the Pat Robertsons. If the media had been able to cover Clinton affair the same way we would be in a different place. Because so much of the activity and verbiage has been meaning oriented the Pat Robertson effect has been magnified and dominant. Meaning and knowledge are different specialties. For example, because of science we can now see 80% of the way back to the big bang. The scientists spend little time looking for meaning. They leave that to others. The differential focus on knowledge and science vs. meaning may explain why we are not overwhelmed by the storms. They are the really overwhelming stuff. The Clinton affair is just an ugly mole hill that people have tried to build up just so that they can say that they have been to the mountain. In the balance sociological meaning may be an oxymoron. In the meaning game each of the spin doctors does their best. The congress that says how can we explain this to our children put it all on the Internet. Just a few months ago they were trying to keep stuff like this off the net. Star submits a report that is half romance novel and half sophomore term paper. You remember those papers, short on substance and filled with graphics. They expect that it will be graded by the pound. And media does their part using head lines like lurid details. Last year I did a brief survey if porn on the net and found that it is essentially titillation and come on to make money. The press uses the same methods. Only with a storm they have science. Much of the discussion has been devoted to a definition of sexual relationship. As sociologists we have read "queers and peers and L. Humphries "Tea-Room Trade so we know that it is not as simple as sex is sex. I particular the trade loved their wives and considered themselves to be faithful. Perhaps that is why the people seem to have a different take on this than the Pols and the pundits. Unlike the press they don't get to cover real storms. This is really a phenomina like a storm is a phenomena. As far as student projects are concerned I would suggest the use of thought experiments a methodology made known by Einstein. The "novel" Einstine's Drams is a sound and accessible demonstration of this method of science. Perhaps students could try to explain this as if it were a hurricane, a thing in itself not reduced to meaning. None of this would exclude consideration that Star's clever use of the Grand jury structure made a difference and the press may be able to carry out a coupe and bring down the president that the people want. The thought experiment method can be transformed into skits or research projects. All of the prejects can be sent to Tom Brokal who can tell you what this all means tonight Del From skerlin@teleport.com Sun Sep 13 10:52:16 1998 by user2.teleport.com (8.8.7/8.8.4) Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 09:52:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Scott Kerlin To: YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu, Arthur Wilke Subject: Re: Bill, Monica and the Starrs of Social theory Thanks, Arthur, Lauren, and others who have written in response to my inquiry. Glancing at the Starr report and hearing the news about book publication of the entire report this week seems to me an excellent example of contemporary "commodity fetishism" elevated to a new level. Yes, this is the stuff of pulp novels, not "high crimes and misdemeanors" as the so-called "founding fathers" defined them. Except that this is the stuff that is being used to fundamentally shape the future of this country, and it's available on a web browser near you... There are *many* different ways to look at this whole turn of events in Washington and its evolution in the days ahead. I'm not focusing on Starr's report by itself: rather, I'm examining it as a part of a broader crisis--connected to the stock market's swings up and down, to the elections in the U.S. in November, to the events in Russia, to the recent embassy bombings. I would submit, one of the key issues from the Washington "scandal" that I will draw from social theory--including feminist perspectives--is the complex interplay of sexuality and power. Interestingly, I recently came across an article in National Geographic that focuses on Catherine the Great, who, it seems, was incredibly emotionally vulnerable and, after taking power had many secret lovers during her 35 year reign of power in Russia... I think it's time for me to dust off my tattered copy of Ann Snitow's text, "Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality." Maybe with this event, they'll be ready to publish an updated edition... Stay tuned, and thanks again, Scott Kerlin skerlin@teleport.com http://www.teleport.com/~skerlin/soc_phil.html P.S. By the way, Arthur, the Seidman text is one of two I'm using for my theory course. The other is Charles Lemert's 1999 edition of "Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings", which contains a wide range of postmodern voices as well as the classics. The biggest challenge has been in selecting just how much to expect an undergraduate class (and an introduction to theory class, at that) to absorb--the Seidman and Lemert texts combined are about 1000 pages combined... From amcgee@igc.org Sun Sep 13 16:00:52 1998 Sun, 13 Sep 1998 14:54:17 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 14:54:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Art McGee To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: The Unbearable Whiteness of Being In-Reply-To: The Unbearable Whiteness of Being(1): African American Critical Theory and Cyberculture Kali Tal (A shorter version of this article was published in the October 1996 issue of WIRED Magazine.) After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world--a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled arrivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife--this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. (W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903) In cyberspace, it is finally possible to completely and utterly disappear people of color. I have long suspected that the much vaunted "freedom" to shed the "limiting" markers of race and gender on the Internet is illusory, and that in fact it masks a more disturbing phenomenon--the whitinizing of cyberspace. The invisibility of people of color on the Net has allowed white-controlled and white-read publications like WIRED to simply elide questions of race.(2) The irony of this invisibility is that African American critical theory provides very sophisticated tools for the analysis of cyberculture, since African American critics have been discussing the problem of multiple identities, fragmented personae, and liminality for over a hundred years. But WIRED readers and writers aren't familiar with this rich body of critical theory, and so we are presented with articles like "Sex, Lies, and Avatars," which fawn uncritically over Sherry Turkle's supposedly groundbreaking work in Life on the Screen. Turkle's work is interesting, as far as it goes, but limited in its scope. Instead of looking to Lacan (who, like Turkle, works in a white, European tradition), she might have more profitably turned her eyes closer to home. If Turkle had read W.E.B. DuBois, she might not have had to wait "more than twenty years after meeting the ideas of Lacan, Foucault, Deleuze, and Guattari" to find an environment in which these "Gallic abstractions" were "more concrete." (Life, p. 15) Turkle (and WIRED) are always already talking about the white self, and even within that category, a limited set of the white self: middle- to upper-class, educated, usually male. This privileged white self becomes the normative self, the "we" of WIRED and, unfortunately, of most of the Net. But the struggle of African-Americans is precisely the struggle to integrate identity and multiplicity, and the culture(s) of African-Americans can surely be understood as perfect models of the "postmodern" condition, except that they predate postmodernism by hundreds of years, and thus contradict the notion that the absence of the (illusion of) unitary self is something new. Cyberpunk writers have felt this resonance, and that is why Gibson's Net is populated by loas, deities from the voudou religion of the Caribbean; why Emma Bull's protagonist in Bone Dance is ridden by the same gods; why Stirling's Islands in the Net features Rasta-based characters.(3) The "culture of simulation" is no different from "the culture" for people of color in this country, who have been "inventing" themselves, their multiple selves" as they go along, and "constructing the world, too" (as Ellison's Invisible Man constructed his underground room, illuminated by stolen power). I'm reminded of a science fiction workshop I took in 1976. Ted Sturgeon, a great teacher, assigned us to write a science fiction story that answered the question, "Why don't black people write science fiction?" Ted was progressive, a good man. He asked the question honestly. We all wrote stories about how the day-to-day struggle for survival left black folks no time or energy to construct fantasies. I took Ted's word that there were no black science fiction writers. But Ted was wrong, and I was wrong, and it took me a long time to understand that white publishers and the white science fiction establishment, and white critics simply couldn't see African-American science fiction, just like the white guy who bumps into Ellison's Invisible Man can't see him, even as the Invisible Man beats the crap out of him. George Schuyler wrote science fiction back in the 1930s. Ralph Ellison wrote it in the 1950s. Sam Greenlee wrote it in the 1960s. Octavia Butler, Sam Delany, Toni Bambara, Toni Morrison, and Ishmael Reed have been writing it for the last couple of decades. The work is out there, but nobody talking about cyberspace pays the least bit of attention to it. Just like no one talking about hypertext pays attention to Henry Louis Gates, Jr., whose description of the Ifa (Yoruba sacred texts) could be a model for that form: Its system of interpretation turns upon a marvelous combination of geomancy and textual exegesis, in which sixteen palm nuts are "dialed" sixteen times, and their configurations or signs then read and translated into the appropriate, fixed literary verse that the numerical signs signify.... These verse texts,whose meanings are lushly metaphorical, ambiguous, and enigmatic, function as riddles, which the propitiate must decipher and apply as is appropriate to his or her own quandary." (Signifying Monkey: 10).The god Ifa writes the texts, and the god Esu translates them, and it is exactly this translator-god who has metamorphosed into the Trickster figure of contemporary African-American culture. That the Trickster inhabits the Net is undeniable--he is, in fact, the essence of the Net. Gates' Trickster/Signifying Monkey (and it's no accident that African-Americans were using "signify" as a verb long before the postmodernists picked it up) embodies various black rhetorical tropes, including "marking, loud-talking, testifying, calling out (of one's name), sounding, rapping, playing the dozens, and so on." (52) Net culture can easily be understood in these terms--the Signifying Monkey is surely the Father of Flames. We don't need "a whole new set of metaphors for thinking about the unconscious." We need, as a culture, to pay attention to the theory and literature of those among us who have long been wrestling with multiplicity. There are many things about e-space which are not new. Yes, the Internet gives us more people writing, but I'm afraid that at the moment it give us more of the same people writing. Let's see some real difference. Notes 1. My friend and colleague Ben Arnett used this title as a subheader his paper, "Pac Man, Patriots, and the High Tech Post Baby-Boom Postmodern Culture" (Viet Nam Generation 6:3-4, 1994: 36-52). Though I believe I came to this title independently of Ben, I can't swear it. Memory is notoriously flawed. 2. Do not be mislead by the presence of this article in the pages of WIRED. Eight-hundred words can name the problem, but not begin to bridge the gap. 3. Gibson's loas in Neuromancer bear an uncanny resemblance to the loas in Toni Cade Bambara's novel, The Salt Eaters--a novel of the struggle for civil rights in which the protagonist moves through a world inhabited by loas and visited by space aliens. And Stirling's Islands in the Net features a sun tan cream which turns everyone who uses it black; he was most likely unaware that a Harlem Renaissance writer named George Schuyler had written a very popular novel called Black No More in which a black doctor invented a machine to turn black folks white almost overnight, totally overturning the social order. Whether they know it or not, these cyberpunk writers and many others have precedents in African-American literature. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------ | Arthur McGee (Staff) | | Institute for Global Communications http://www.igc.org/ | | Voice: +1-310-515-BYTE Fax: +1-415-561-6101 | | PeaceNet * EcoNet * ConflictNet * WomensNet * LaborNet | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | "Connecting the People Who Are Changing the World" | ------------------------------------------------------------------ New Yorker Cartoon (Internet Savvy Dog): "On the Internet, no one knows that you're a dog." Art McGee (Internet Ignorant Dog added to cartoon): "What's wrong with being a dog?" From tell@net.bluemoon.net Mon Sep 14 10:57:55 1998 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 12:57:39 -0400 (EDT) From: Shawgi Tell To: mult-cul Subject: State Of Working America 1998-99 Greetings, The "State of Working America 1998-99," produced by the Economic Policy Institute, is now available at: http://epinet.org Shawgi Tell Nazareth College of Rochester tell@net.bluemoon.net From davidredmon@hotmail.com Mon Sep 14 13:30:30 1998 X-Originating-IP: [169.226.63.195] From: "David Redmon" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, skerlin@teleport.com Subject: Re: Bill, Monica and the Starrs of Social theory Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 12:30:20 PDT LL, Scott, and (y)all, Interesting comments about the Starr report in relation to commodification, information, entertainment, and consumption. However, if so inclined (as Scott suggests), one could easily read the report within the framework of symbollic interactionism, esp using the work of Goffman and Garfinkle. The report is saturated with props, presentation of self, frontstage, backstage, controlling the defintion of the situation, reality, and information, and especially stigma. It would be interesting to see a paper combining a Marxian/Goffman synthesis of the report. Any comments? David sorry if this went out twice--the computer turned off. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Mon Sep 14 13:36:45 1998 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 14:37:42 -0500 From: Alan Spector Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK , revs@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Labor Rights in the New World Order ? The following information is being circulated through the Society for the Study of Social Problems and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (Dr. Taye has been an invited speaker to SSSP for the past three years. He has been unable to attend because of his imprisonment.) Human rights groups and teachers' organizations throughout Europe have passed resolutions calling for humane treatment of Dr. Taye and even the European Parliament has expressed concern. And the AAAS is a highly prestigious mainstream organization that is taking the case of Dr. Taye very seriously. This seems relevant to the concerns of PSN and REVS as we consider the issues of workers' rights in many different countries in the New World Order. Following is a section of that discussion. Any way that you can bring this up in labor organizations, educational associations, teachers' unions, or with government officials might help save his life. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> >>AAAS issued the attached alert on Thursday, September 3. I am currently >>trying to arrange a meeting with me and the Chair of our Committee on >>Scientific Freedom and Responsibility with Embassy representatives to hand >>deliver a letter from AAAS on Dr. Taye's behalf. I am trying to arrange >>schedule the meeting as early as possible so as to have a chance to have >>some impact on the trial. >> >>If I am successful, I will let you know. >> >>Elisa >> >>3 September 1998 >> >>AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION >>NETWORK (AAASHRAN) >> >>ETHIOPIA--IMPRISONED SCIENTIST IN DANGER >> >>CASE NUMBERS: ET9613.Wol >> >>ISSUES: the right to life, liberty, and security of person; freedom >>from >>arbitrary arrest and detention; freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or >>degrading treatment or punishment; the right to a fair and public hearing >>by an independent and impartial tribunal; freedom of opinion and >>expression; freedom of peaceful assembly and association. >> >> >>FACTS OF THE CASE: There are new fears for the life of Dr. Taye Wolde >>Semayat, a political scientist and Chair of the Ethiopian Teachers' >>Association. Dr. Taye has been imprisoned since 30 May 1996. Recent >>reports indicate that the conditions of his imprisoned have significantly >>deteriorated, amounting to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and that >>death threats have been made against him by prison guards. >> >>Dr. Taye appeared in court on 28 July 1998, at which time he reported that >>prison guards had threatened to shoot him. When the court informed him >>that it was not in a position to intercede on his behalf, Dr. Taye demanded >>to know to whom he should appeal. The judge responded by ordering that Dr. >>Taye be held in shackles 24 hours a day until his next court appearance on >>15 September 1998. He has also been placed in a "darkness" cell, which >>does not have any natural light, but has constant electrical lighting. >>This is reportedly a severe form of punishment. There are serious concerns >>that harm could come to Dr. Taye prior to his next hearing. >> >>Dr. Taye was arrested on fabricated charges of terrorism and conspiracy to >>assassinate government officials. However, the two main witnesses in the >>case have retracted their testimony, alleging that it was obtained by means >>of torture. As a result, the government was obliged to dismiss the most >>serious charges against Dr. Taye. >> >>Dr. Taye is the elected head of the Ethiopian Teachers' Association, an >>independent union with 120,000 members, which has been disbanded. He also >>was among 42 professors fired from Addis Ababa University in January 1992 >>for writing a letter of protest against the government's violent reaction >>to a student demonstration. >> >>Current actions against Dr. Taye are likely linked to a hearing held on 20 >>July against the Ethiopian Teachers' Association (ETA). An apparent >>dispute between the ETA and its rival, government-supported organization >>has resulted in raids against ETA offices, the arrest of its executive >>members, and the transfer of assets from previously frozen ETA accounts to >>the rival organization. >>In 1997, the AAAS passed a resolution calling for the immediate and >>unconditional release of scientists who are prisoners of conscience in >>Ethiopia, including Dr. Taye. >> >>The imprisonment of Dr. Taye and the conditions under which he is currently >>held constitute serious violations of Ethiopia's international obligations >>under the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the >>African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the Constitution of the >>Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. >> >>Under the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ratified >>by Ethiopia on 11 June 1993): >> >>· Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person, and to freely >>take part in public affairs and political life (Articles 9 and 25); and >>· everyone has the right to freedom of expression (Article 19.2); >>· everyone has the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly >>(Articles 21 and 22); >>· all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and >>with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person (Article 10); >>· everyone has the right to a fair and public hearing by an independent and >>impartial tribunal (Article 9); and >>· no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading >>treatment or punishment (Article 7). >> >>Under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, adopted by the >>Organization of African Unity on 17 June 1981: >> >>· Freedom from all forms of exploitation, including torture, cruel, inhuman >>or degrading punishment and treatment (Article 5); >>· the right to liberty and security of person, and freedom from arbitrary >>arrest or detention (Article 6); >>· the right to express and disseminate opinions (Article 9); and >>· the right to free association. >> >>Relevant provision of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic >>of Ethiopia (FDRE): >> >>· All persons in custody, including sentenced prisoners, have the right to >>conditions which respect human dignity (Article 21). >> >>(Sources of information for this case include Amnesty International and >>Education International.) >> >>RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telexes, telegrams, faxes, or airmail letters: >> >>· Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Taye on the >>grounds that he was imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of his >>opinion; >>· deploring the cruel and inhuman conditions under which Dr. Taye is held; >>and >>· urging the Ethiopian government to uphold its international treaty >>obligations and to abide by its own constitution and criminal code. >> >>APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO: >> >>Dr. Negaso Gidada >>President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia >>Office of the President >>P.O. Box 1031 >>Addis Ababa, Ethiopia >>Fax: 011-2511-55-07-22 >>(Salutation: Your Excellency) >> >>Meles Zenawi >>Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia >>Prime Minister's Office >>P.O. Box 1031 >>Addis Ababa, Ethiopia >> >>COPIES TO: >> >>Ambassador David H. Shinn >>Embassy of the United States of America >>P.O. Box 1014 >>Entoto Street >>Addis Ababa, Ethiopia >>Fax: (251 1 552 191) >> >>Ambassador Berhane Gebre-Christos >>Embassy of Ethiopia >>2134 Kalorama Road, NW >>Washington, DC 20008 >> >>Please send copies of your appeals, and any responses you may receive, or >>direct any questions you may have to Elisa Munoz, AAAS Science and Human >>Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. >>202-326-6797; email EMUNOZ@AAAS.ORG; or fax 202-289-4950. >> >>The keys to effective appeals are to be courteous and respectful, accurate >>and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding >>the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and >>instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific >>organization and professional affiliation is always helpful. >> >>To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to >>write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting >>unless an update has been issued. >> >>************************************************************************ >>This message is electronically signed by the PGP Public Key of the AAAS >>Science and Human Rights Program. For a copy of this public key, link to >>the Program's World Wide Web homepage at: >> >>www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/shr/shr.htm >> >>If this signature proves not to be valid, the Program will not accept >>responsibility for this message or its contents. >> >>Key fingerprint=6B D1 99 D6 F1 E5 AF 66 F0 67 2C 34 69 D1 2D >> >>The following are sites that you may visit for additional information on >>how to verify this electronic signature: >> >>www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Howto/Privacy >>web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html >>ftp.datahopper.dk/pub/users/pethern/pgp/ > -- From spectors@netnitco.net Mon Sep 14 21:31:15 1998 From: "spectors" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: American Society Can Cause Mental Illness - Study Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 22:29:47 -0500 boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0057_01BDE02F.2DC1C400" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BDE02F.2DC1C400 charset="iso-8859-1" Interesting piece of news from reuters: Home - Yahoo! - Help =20 = -------------------------------------------------------------------- =20 =20 =20 Index | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | = World | Health | Entertainment | Sports | Local =20 =20 Yahoo! News Top Stories Headlines =20 =20 =20 Monday September 14 10:09 PM EDT=20 American Society Can Cause Mental Illness - Study=20 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Is living in America bad for your mental = health? A new study released Monday reported that, for many immigrants from = Mexico, mental health problems rise the longer they live in the United = States. ``This is clearly a social effect, not a biological one,'' said William = Vega, the professor of public health at the University of = California-Berkeley who conducted the study. ``Mexicans come to this country with some kind of natural protection = against mental disorder, and that breaks down very quickly in American = society,'' he said. ``In fact, it goes in one generation.'' Vega's report, which appears in the current issue of the Archives of = General Psychiatry, studied some 3,000 urban, rural and small town = residents of California's Fresno County. Half of those studied were = Mexican-Americans, while the other half were Mexican-born immigrants. The study found that U.S.-born Mexican-Americans had mental disorders at = about the same rate as non-Hispanic Americans, with roughly 48 percent = suffering from maladies including depression, panic disorder, phobias, = or alcohol or drug abuse. But for recent immigrants and Mexican nationals, the rate of mental = disorder was much lower at only around 25 percent -- reflecting a = healthier outlook that Vega believes is linked to the traditional = Mexican family structure. ``These people are under enormous financial stress,'' Vega said. ``Yet, = the primary issue for the development of mental disturbance was not = financial. I believe it has to do with the emotional support and = nurturance people received from living in committed family = relationships.'' In an effort to avoid cultural bias, Vega's study used an international = psychiatric testing method developed by the World Health Organization = and compared the Fresno sample to a separate group of about 1,700 people = living in Mexico City. Vega said the rising incidence of mental health problems among Mexican = immigrants mirrors the gradual break-down in their family ties. Among = Mexican immigrants interviewed for the study, roughly 80 percent were = married compared with only about 50 percent of the Mexican-Americans. ``Divorce alone is not the cause of the decline in mental health,'' Vega = said. ``It is one example of a change in values away from a collective = family life.'' Vega said he expected similar studies now underway among different = immigrant groups with strong family traditions such as Filipinos and = Chinese to reflect the results found among Mexican immigrants. ``There's an exchange (in immigration),'' Vega said. ``These people are = coming here for a reason, for jobs....but in this country you give up = something. There is a price to pay.''=20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- =20 Sun Sep 13 | Sat Sep 12 | Fri Sep 11 | Thu Sep 10 | Wed Sep 09 | Tue Sep = 08 | Mon Sep 07=20 Index | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | = World | Health | Entertainment | Sports | Local =20 =20 =20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- Questions or Comments=20 Copyright =A9 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication = or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the = prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any = errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance = thereon. ------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BDE02F.2DC1C400 charset="iso-8859-1" American Society Can Cause Mental = Illness - Study
Interesting piece of news from=20 reuters:
Home - Yahoo! - Help<= BR>

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Yahoo! News Top Stories Headlines=20 =

<= !-- Yahoo TimeStamp: 905825358 -->Monday=20 September 14 10:09 PM EDT=20

American Society Can Cause Mental Illness - Study

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Is living in America bad for your mental = health?

A new study released Monday reported that, for many immigrants from = Mexico,=20 mental health problems rise the longer they live in the United States.

``This is clearly a social effect, not a biological one,'' said = William Vega,=20 the professor of public health at the University of California-Berkeley = who=20 conducted the study.

``Mexicans come to this country with some kind of natural protection = against=20 mental disorder, and that breaks down very quickly in American = society,'' he=20 said. ``In fact, it goes in one generation.''

Vega's report, which appears in the current issue of the Archives of = General=20 Psychiatry, studied some 3,000 urban, rural and small town residents of=20 California's Fresno County. Half of those studied were = Mexican-Americans, while=20 the other half were Mexican-born immigrants.

The study found that U.S.-born Mexican-Americans had mental disorders = at=20 about the same rate as non-Hispanic Americans, with roughly 48 percent = suffering=20 from maladies including depression, panic disorder, phobias, or alcohol = or drug=20 abuse.

But for recent immigrants and Mexican nationals, the rate of mental = disorder=20 was much lower at only around 25 percent -- reflecting a healthier = outlook that=20 Vega believes is linked to the traditional Mexican family structure.

``These people are under enormous financial stress,'' Vega said. = ``Yet, the=20 primary issue for the development of mental disturbance was not = financial. I=20 believe it has to do with the emotional support and nurturance people = received=20 from living in committed family relationships.''

In an effort to avoid cultural bias, Vega's study used an = international=20 psychiatric testing method developed by the World Health Organization = and=20 compared the Fresno sample to a separate group of about 1,700 people = living in=20 Mexico City.

Vega said the rising incidence of mental health problems among = Mexican=20 immigrants mirrors the gradual break-down in their family ties. Among = Mexican=20 immigrants interviewed for the study, roughly 80 percent were married = compared=20 with only about 50 percent of the Mexican-Americans.

``Divorce alone is not the cause of the decline in mental health,'' = Vega=20 said. ``It is one example of a change in values away from a collective = family=20 life.''

Vega said he expected similar studies now underway among different = immigrant=20 groups with strong family traditions such as Filipinos and Chinese to = reflect=20 the results found among Mexican immigrants.

``There's an exchange (in immigration),'' Vega said. ``These people = are=20 coming here for a reason, for jobs....but in this country you give up = something.=20 There is a price to pay.''=20

 

Sun=20 Sep 13 | Sat=20 Sep 12 | Fri=20 Sep 11 | Thu=20 Sep 10 | Wed=20 Sep 09 | Tue=20 Sep 08 | Mon=20 Sep 07

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Question= s or=20 Comments
Copyright © 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.=20 Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly = prohibited=20 without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be = liable for=20 any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in = reliance=20 thereon.
------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BDE02F.2DC1C400-- From eric@stewards.net Tue Sep 15 02:34:01 1998 Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 01:33:50 -0700 (PDT) To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: eric@stewards.net (Eric Sommer) Subject: Re: Bill, Monica and the Starrs of Social theory Hi there, I find that I agree with many of the comments and theoretical perspectives - commodification of life, stigma, etc. - which have been directed in this list to the Starr report and the noise around it. However, I would like to add a number of perhaps simple-minded points to the dialogue: 1) This report is, ultimately, the work of the `80/20 club', the right-wing social forces who want to keep 80% of the wealth in the hands of the 20% of households which currently control it in the U.S. 2) Gus Hall is a social theorist not frequently quoted in this list. Nevertheless, as the decades-long head of the U.S. Communist party he has garnered a substantial amount of experience in dealing with the U.S. ruling elites (including spending time in their prisons in the 1950's). His view, which I share, is that popular support for Clinton has remained high not merely because of liberal sexual morals or support for the private/public distinction but above all because the people instinctivly sense that even if Clinton is no friend of the poor and working people (he helped gut the new deal welfare system), conditions might become even worse if the forces behind the Starr report were to triumph. Cheers, Eric >LL, Scott, and (y)all, > >Interesting comments about the Starr report in relation to >commodification, information, entertainment, and consumption. However, >if so inclined (as Scott suggests), one could easily read the report >within the framework of symbollic interactionism, esp using the work of >Goffman and Garfinkle. The report is saturated with props, presentation >of self, frontstage, backstage, controlling the defintion of the >situation, reality, and information, and especially stigma. It would be >interesting to see a paper combining a Marxian/Goffman synthesis of the >report. Any comments? > >David >sorry if this went out twice--the computer turned off. > > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > From padler@usc.edu Tue Sep 15 06:25:32 1998 by almaak.usc.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8/usc) id FAA08470; Tue, 15 Sep 1998 05:25:26 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 04:53:11 -0700 To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: Paul Adler Subject: query: "socialization" For research I am doing on the history of work organization, I have been trying to track down the various uses of the marxist concept of "socialization of [the forces of] production." The corresponding entry in Tom Bottomore's "Dictionary of Marxist" thought was not particularly helpful, focusing only on the forms of collective property under socialism. Marx, of course, also saw the socialization of the forces of production as an important vector of development under capitalism. But what does socialization mean in that context? The standard interpretation focuses on (a) a growing interdependence of branches of industry in an increasingly complex pattern of social division of labor, and (b) a growing reliance of all branches of industry on a common stock of scientific [therefore somewhat public] knowledge. In standard marxist theory, capitalist relations of production are seen as an increasingly limiting constraint on these trends. Back in the 1970s and 80s, a French labor sociologist, Ph. Zarifian, made some interesting, creative use of the socialization concept to analyze organization-level changes in work organization. Have other scholars done much with the concept? My impression is that it has not received much attention, perhaps due to new-leftist disparagement of the causal role "Moscow-style" marxism attributed to the development of the forces of production in the overall dynamic of history... Any leads would be appreciated! Paul Adler University of Southern California From carlosm@nwu.edu Tue Sep 15 08:17:14 1998 Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 10:20:53 -0300 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: "Carlos A. Manjarrez" Subject: Web teaching - call for discussion Dear PNS subs: Recently, I have received private e-mail requests from several PSN members for assistance as they develop web-based sociology courses. (I am the person who tentatively endorsed web based instruction [for adjuncts] despite my serious concerns about the political economy of web-based instruction.) The fact that these requests for help were sent directly to me and not the general PSN, suggests that others share my sincere ambivalence regarding web based instruction - at least privately. I also suspect that these messages have not been posted to PSN because it has not been a very responsive forum. I am writing therefore, to request that we pick up the debate about web based instruction in a more thoughtful manner. I do believe it is something that progressives need to deal with whether we like it or not. The ball has just started to roll with web-based courses and it is quickly overshadowing other "Distance Education" mediums. It is only a matter of time before each of us is confronted with the effects of this new method of instruction. Wholesale condemnation or simply standing outside of the debate will not change that fact. In an effort to kick off debate, I am listing a few issues that I am concerned with. How will web-based instruction affect faculty/college labor relations given any of the following: -labor pools are no longer geographically bound -web teaching holds the potential to reduce the number of instructors needed -sections no longer have physical (classroom) limitations and competition for students extends beyond traditional boundaries -web based instruction may not pay out at the same teaching rate -web based instruction requires new skills Pedogogical issues: What are the benefits/pitfalls of this method for students? Are there some subjects that are more appropriately taught in a classroom? Which subjects lend themselves to web-based instruction? Which do not? Does the fact that teaching takes place on the college server mean that administration will become even more involved in "classroom" content? Any thoughts others might have on these issues (or other issues) would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Carlos From dave.byrne@durham.ac.uk Tue Sep 15 10:06:32 1998 From: "Dave Byrne" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Web based teaching Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 17:05:31 +0100 charset="iso-8859-1" It seems to me that there are three approaches to this. One is for the kind of mass instruction which seems characteristic of a lot of first and second year US college teaching and which is becoming more popular in those UK institutions which have marked themselves as downmarket by introducing semesters. This is the NVQ model (UK National Vocational Qualification) in which the object is 'skill' delivery. I can see mass models here and for some things they may work. IT itself is an example. Otherwise it will be low quality and badged as such - part of the increasing hierarchical differentiation of higher education. The second is the use of Web materials in association with a traditionally taught course. I have done this with my urban course and this worked very well because cities have big virtual footprints. Students were able to get material, for example about Sao Paulo as a world city, which wasn't available in print. More importantly they surfed Sao Paulo and thought about the implications of perfectly respectable middle class women professionals advertising for US husbands - just one example of the virtual showing something about global and local social relations. Thirdly, there are inter-institutional web-based courses. Through PSN I was involved in the global political economy seminar on world cities two years ago and my Masters students thought this was wonderful. So did I - it was a lot of work for those who set it up but it was really interesting. This despite the fact that timing wasn't right for us because of the disjunction between UK terms and US semesters. I would bitterly oppose type one developments as a general mode of pedagogy whilst accepting them in special locales like IT skills. Two and three seem to me to be good things. David Byrne Dept of Sociology and Social Policy University of Durham Durham DH1 3JT 0191-374-2319 0192-374-4743 (fax) From tr@tryoung.com Tue Sep 15 04:50:12 1998 (usr-mtp-17.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.17]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 06:46:30 -0400 To: ahs-talk@ncsu.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: The Name of the Crime: An Editorial teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu, socgrad@csf.colorado.edu, sssitalk@sun.soci.niu.edu There is much talk of impeaching Bill Clinton; more in the media than elsewhere. Most of the talk centers around a vague passage in the US Constitution grounding Impeachment in 'high crimes and misdeamors.' Much of the discussion grounds the possibility of impeachment on such legal and proscribed actions including: a. Perjury; lying to a Grand Jury controlled by Mr. Starr. as well as an Interrogatory in another case. b. suborning a witness: in the same Grand Jury proceedings c. Obstruction of Justice. By failing to co-operate with Mr. Starr in his inquisition into Mr. Clinton's sexualties. In more public realms, the crime seems to be: a. bad acting in public apologetics/failure at the dramaturgical enactment of sincerity, honesty, remorse and repentance. b. embarrassment of Democratic Candidates/especially those up for re-election c. enragement of Republican Conservatives/especially those hostile to social programs of democrats. d. disgracing the Office of the Presidency...and the USA. e. setting the 'wrong' example for young people who, one presumes, do not have enough bad examples at home. f. betraying Hillary g. hurting his daughter, Chelsea h. eroding the power of the presidency in Foreign Policy/ particularly irksome to those interested in global markets. i. your turn j. k. l. In my opinion; set forth in a post some weeks ago, the Crime committed by Bill Clinton is that of sexual predation; using the social and economic power of the Office of the President of the United States to extort sexual favors from a number of women. This is part of a much larger pattern of sexual predation going back at least as far as the Clinton Governorship in Arkansas. This is a substantive crime; those charged by Mr. Starr are violations of legal procedures in criminal law. Some Americans are willing to forgive and forget his sexual predations; calling it private congress between consenting adults. I'm not. Men without wealth, status or economic power use force to rape women...if Clinton resigns or is impeached, it should be for this white collar form of rape...the use of social power entrusted to him for public purpose...not his private sexual predations. This is the only crime that has enough substance to warrant the great political dislocations incurred in impeachment proceedings...sucessful or not. TRYoung, Editor, FROM THE LEFT TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From dassbach@mtu.edu Tue Sep 15 11:26:09 1998 Tue, 15 Sep 1998 13:25:23 -0400 (EDT) Tue, 15 Sep 1998 13:25:23 -0400 (EDT) Tue, 15 Sep 1998 13:25:18 -0400 (EDT) From: "Carl H.A. Dassbach" To: , Subject: Re: query: "socialization" Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 13:21:44 -0400 charset="iso-8859-1" -----Original Message----- From: Paul Adler To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 11:02 AM Subject: query: "socialization" >For research I am doing on the history of work organization, I have been >trying to track down the various uses of the marxist concept of >"socialization of [the forces of] production." >The corresponding entry in Tom Bottomore's "Dictionary of Marxist" thought >was not particularly helpful, focusing only on the forms of collective >property under socialism. Marx, of course, also saw the socialization of >the forces of production as an important vector of development under >capitalism. But what does socialization mean in that context? >The standard interpretation focuses on (a) a growing interdependence of >branches of industry in an increasingly complex pattern of social division >of labor, and (b) a growing reliance of all branches of industry on a >common stock of scientific [therefore somewhat public] knowledge. In >standard marxist theory, capitalist relations of production are seen as an >increasingly limiting constraint on these trends. In my opinion, socialization refers to the fact that the act of production has become collective, hence socialized. As a result, most of production can no longer be carried out by isolated individuals but only by a hierarchically organized collectivity consisting of two distinct groups, mental and manual workers. Without going into details, I argue that the socialization of production is a consequence of the same dynamic (and process) as deskilling, technological transformation, the increase in productivity and the "incomplete" development of automatic systems of production (take your choice, they are all related) namely the growing and ever more sophisticated separation of conception and executions (as Braverman correctly pointed out). Hence, the socialization of production is simultaneously the process of the real subsumption of labor to capital (if, we understand the development of the forces of production, at least at one level, as the movement from formal to real subsumption). I have discussed these matter in somewhat more detail in a recent paper which reconsiders the vanishing middle class and the polarization of society on the 150th anniversary of the Manifesto. Carl Dassbach From ecollom@wizard.ucr.edu Tue Sep 15 13:37:30 1998 Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 12:36:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Ed Collom To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Call For Papers - PSA Hello Folks, Here's a call for papers for a panel that I'm organizing at the next PSA conference. Such topics have been notably absent at the PSA in the past and I hope that we can generate a lively forum on the contemporary Left. Thanks. =========================================================================== ***What's Left? What's Next?*** CALL FOR PAPERS for a panel on ALTERNATIVES TO CAPITALISM at the 70th Annual Pacific Sociological Association Meeting - Portland, Oregon - April 15-19, 1999 The huge body of recent literature on alternatives to capitalism has been largely neglected at mainstream sociology conferences. This PSA panel seeks to create a critical dialogue over proposals for a better, more just world. The call for papers is open to alternative visions and actually-existing movements, national strategies and grassroots, localized alternatives to the global economy. Potential topics include: anarcho-communitarianism, asset redistribution, associative democracy, community currency systems, community development corporations, community supported agriculture, confederal municipalism, cooperatives, eco-socialism, entrepreneurial mercantilism, guild socialism, left communitarianism, market socialism, nationalization, participatory planning, radical democracy, red-green movements, revolutionary syndicalism, workplace democracy, etc. Potential areas of discussion include: the role of the state, implications of nation-based proposals under globalization,empowerment and democracy, impact upon race/class/gender exploitation, ecology and sustainability, global versus local, getting from here to there, feasibility, etc. Please join us for what is sure to be a lively session. The deadline for submissions is October 15, 1998. Send all materials, questions, and concerns to: Ed Collom Department of Sociology University of California Riverside, CA 92521 ecollom@wizard.ucr.edu http://wizard.ucr.edu/~ecollom/psacall.html For more information on the conference, consult www.csus.edu/psa/ From smrose@exis.net Tue Sep 15 19:14:56 1998 From: "Steve Rosenthal" To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 21:14:17 +0000 Subject: Political Economy of Clinton Sex Scandal I would like to invite PSN'ers to reconsider whether the Clinton/Starr sleazefest should be analyzed on its face, or whether it is a more deadly struggle disguised as a battle over the president's private sex life. At the beginning of this decade there was a big fight among rival capitalist forces over the nomination of Clarence Thomas as Supreme Court Justice. Does anyone really think the fight was about whether Thomas was a porn lover who regularly hit on women? Why didn't the Senate and the media debate Thomas's service to the apartheid government of South Africa, his opposition to affirmative action and his dismantling the EEOC, his attacks on welfare recipients? Neither senators nor the media wanted to defend affirmative action and welfare recipients, or condemn racism. So they held a sleazefest instead. That was only a small opener for the main act that is on stage now. If ever various factions of the bourgeoisie showed their utter unfitness and incapacity to rule society, it is now. To me the most compelling aspect of what the Starr Report revealed about Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton was the utter banality of their relationship. Monica is just another spoiled rich brat, and Bill is just another corrupt, sexist, powerful boss. It wasn't particularly lurid; it was pathetic. This is the political leader of the world's only superpower? What a sick joke! For years Clinton's attackers have been backed financially and politically by capitalist factions that are opposed to Clinton's foreign or domestic policies and thus stand to gain from weakening or removing him. Pro-Clinton capitalist factions have stood to gain from Clinton's domestic and foreign policies. The Chase, Exxon, Mobil faction of the bourgeoisie has been Clinton's main backer. Clinton flew up to NY to beg this Rockefeller faction for forgiveness at the Council on Foreign Relations and promised to try harder to get billions of dollars for the IMF to impose restructuring on collapsing economies all over the world. It's too little too late! Behind Starr are a variety of powerful capitalist forces who fund the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the like. They get their money from the Bradley, Olin, and Scaife Foundations. For Clinton's backers, controlling MidEast oil is a high priority. Other capitalist factions have other priorities, foreign and domestic. The sharpening contradictions within the U.S. capitalist class are being fought out in sex and corruption scandals, because none of these factions can afford to tell the working class what they are really fighting about. Who would support any of these murderous exploiters? They are no different from their Russian counterparts, who have proven in the past ten years that American-style free market capitalism is a total failure. Whether capitalist politicians decide to remove Clinton or use him in his broken state, they will try to come up with new politicians who can do a better job of selling us on the necessity of more fascist repression at home and preparation for larger wars abroad. It is impossible to predict the particular developments that will unfold in the coming months or years, but it seems to me that, as economic depression spreads throughout the world, more and more countries will resort to nationalist (fascist) measures to deal with the ensuing political crises, and we will be drawn toward World War III. When bosses fight among themselves in this degenerate way, it is a sympton of their weakness, not their strength. Their weakness will open up new opportunities for a workers' movement that is committed to a renewed effort to rid the world of capitalism, imperialist wars, and fascism. Steve Rosenthal From eric@stewards.net Wed Sep 16 01:15:57 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:15:49 -0700 (PDT) To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: eric@stewards.net (Eric Sommer) Subject: Does Clinton have an open marriage??? Hi there, While I agree with Steve that the primary emphasis needs to be on the class and human interests behind the ostensible current struggle over Clinton's sex life, I can't resist one foray into the discussion. If you look carefully at the pictures of Clinton, his spouse, and their child during the current, and previous, Clinton scandales, they invariably look quite happy together. This family bliss is in marked contrast to photos of other political figures and their spouses after their extra-marital affairs were publicized. Gary Heart's wife, for example, looks like she's among the living dead in pictures snapped in the weeks after the `Monkey business' pictures of Heart with a `hostess' on his lap surfaced in the media. Or consider the extremelly angry and/or deadened visage displayed by Dick Morris wife after his affair surfaced. Contrast these other images with the relaxed, smiling appearance of the Clinton family taken during the current and previous sex scandales. What this suggests to my mind - and I'm surprise it hasn't been mentioned elsewhere - is that Bill and Hilary in fact have an open marriage, and simply feel that the U.S. public isn't ready to accept a president who embraces this kind of lifestyle. I would suggest that the daughter knows about this arrangement also, as betokened by her completely carefree, smiling appearance in all pictures I've seen of the family during the current crisis. Just thought I'd join the media feeding frenzy. Eric From eric@stewards.net Wed Sep 16 01:16:32 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:16:18 -0700 (PDT) To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: eric@stewards.net (Eric Sommer) Subject: Re: Political Economy of Clinton Sex Scandal Hi Steve, My reaction to your analysis below: A home run! As I mentioned in a recent post, the whole Starr inquiry is a front for the `80/20 club' (those who want 20%v of the people to retain 80% of the wealth), as indicated by the golden parachutes waiting for Starr after the inquiry - including a position in a right-wing thinktank if I'm not mistaken. Solidarity, Eric >I would like to invite PSN'ers to reconsider whether the >Clinton/Starr sleazefest should be analyzed on its face, or whether >it is a more deadly struggle disguised as a battle over the >president's private sex life. > >At the beginning of this decade there was a big fight among rival >capitalist forces over the nomination of Clarence Thomas as Supreme >Court Justice. Does anyone really think the fight was about whether >Thomas was a porn lover who regularly hit on women? Why didn't the >Senate and the media debate Thomas's service to the apartheid >government of South Africa, his opposition to affirmative action and >his dismantling the EEOC, his attacks on welfare recipients? Neither >senators nor the media wanted to defend affirmative action and welfare >recipients, or condemn racism. So they held a sleazefest instead. > >That was only a small opener for the main act that is on stage now. >If ever various factions of the bourgeoisie showed their utter >unfitness and incapacity to rule society, it is now. To me the most >compelling aspect of what the Starr Report revealed about Monica >Lewinsky and Bill Clinton was the utter banality of their >relationship. Monica is just another spoiled rich brat, and Bill >is just another corrupt, sexist, powerful boss. It wasn't >particularly lurid; it was pathetic. This is the political leader >of the world's only superpower? What a sick joke! > >For years Clinton's attackers have been backed financially and >politically by capitalist factions that are opposed to Clinton's >foreign or domestic policies and thus stand to gain from weakening or >removing him. Pro-Clinton capitalist factions have stood to gain >from Clinton's domestic and foreign policies. > >The Chase, Exxon, Mobil faction of the bourgeoisie has been >Clinton's main backer. Clinton flew up to NY to beg this >Rockefeller faction for forgiveness at the Council on Foreign >Relations and promised to try harder to get billions of dollars for >the IMF to impose restructuring on collapsing economies all over the >world. It's too little too late! > >Behind Starr are a variety of powerful capitalist forces who fund the >Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the like. >They get their money from the Bradley, Olin, and Scaife Foundations. >For Clinton's backers, controlling MidEast oil is a high priority. >Other capitalist factions have other priorities, foreign and >domestic. > >The sharpening contradictions within the U.S. capitalist class are >being fought out in sex and corruption scandals, because none of >these factions can afford to tell the working class what they are >really fighting about. Who would support any of these murderous >exploiters? They are no different from their Russian counterparts, >who have proven in the past ten years that American-style free market >capitalism is a total failure. > >Whether capitalist politicians decide to remove Clinton or use him >in his broken state, they will try to come up with new politicians >who can do a better job of selling us on the necessity of more >fascist repression at home and preparation for larger wars abroad. >It is impossible to predict the particular developments that will >unfold in the coming months or years, but it seems to me that, as >economic depression spreads throughout the world, more and more >countries will resort to nationalist (fascist) measures to deal with >the ensuing political crises, and we will be drawn toward World War >III. > >When bosses fight among themselves in this degenerate way, it is a >sympton of their weakness, not their strength. Their weakness will >open up new opportunities for a workers' movement that is committed >to a renewed effort to rid the world of capitalism, imperialist wars, >and fascism. > >Steve Rosenthal > > From D.Morgan@unsw.EDU.AU Wed Sep 16 06:40:00 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 22:43:09 +1000 From: David Morgan Reply-To: D.Morgan@unsw.EDU.AU To: padler@usc.edu Subject: Re: query: "socialization" There are clearly aspects of the main interpretation(s) of socialisation present in Paul's sketch. Although I would question the reliance on the interdependence aspect, on the grounds that capital has (to date, but the jury is looking groggy) been able to create new industries (Marx's branches of production) for capital to flow into, to maintain the generation surplus via valorisation. In my view the need for 'sophisticated' worker cooperation/coordination as described by Carl is more what Marx called the collective worker effect of capitalism. To be sure, this systemic 'need' for cooperation can be seen as socialisation, but equally it may be seen as analagous to ant or bee cooperation, imposed and coercive. Hence it lacks the autonomy and so Marx would still place it in the 'realm of necessity' rather than the 'realm of freedom'. It is here that the notion of socialisation should be grounded. The argument runs like this - the objective conditions of capital (very unfashionable view these days) not only reproduce themselves in the process of production, but also the specific social character of those relations. The social character encompasses the representation of social relations as economic relations, part of thesis that Value takes a specific form (as does labour) in every mode of production. The representational category 'economic' [recall Marx did not accept the conventional category of economic as we tend to] requires the division of time into necessary and surplus time (expropriated as surplus value and represented in price calculation as profit) - but capital continually undermines this separation. It is able - through inter alia, the development of the forces of production - to reduce the necessary time to a minimum and so dissolve the basis of surplus time (and so the 'hidden' exploitative basis of capital). This process of dissolution is by its nature an extension of socialisation - the social basis of relations of production become ever more apparent. Of course Marx didn't quite count on the way that representational forms have become ever more complex in constructing means to counter this - but this is another story. If I remember correctly a paper by an Italian, Postone in Social Research in the late 70s discussed some of these issues. An early CSE (conference of socialist economists) on the capitalist labour process also touched on some similar issues?? Dave Morgan Paul Adler wrote: > For research I am doing on the history of work organization, I have been > trying to track down the various uses of the marxist concept of > "socialization of [the forces of] production." > The corresponding entry in Tom Bottomore's "Dictionary of Marxist" thought > was not particularly helpful, focusing only on the forms of collective > property under socialism. Marx, of course, also saw the socialization of > the forces of production as an important vector of development under > capitalism. But what does socialization mean in that context? > The standard interpretation focuses on (a) a growing interdependence of > branches of industry in an increasingly complex pattern of social division > of labor, and (b) a growing reliance of all branches of industry on a > common stock of scientific [therefore somewhat public] knowledge. In > standard marxist theory, capitalist relations of production are seen as an > increasingly limiting constraint on these trends. > Back in the 1970s and 80s, a French labor sociologist, Ph. Zarifian, made > some interesting, creative use of the socialization concept to analyze > organization-level changes in work organization. Have other scholars done > much with the concept? > My impression is that it has not received much attention, perhaps due to > new-leftist disparagement of the causal role "Moscow-style" marxism > attributed to the development of the forces of production in the overall > dynamic of history... > Any leads would be appreciated! > > Paul Adler > University of Southern California From tr@tryoung.com Wed Sep 16 07:34:13 1998 (usr-mtp-51.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.51]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:30:27 -0400 To: ahs-talk@ncsu.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: Social Problems Theory and Praxis sssitalk@sun.soci.niu.edu, teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu, social-class@listserv.uic.edu Two more articles in the Transforming Sociology Series have been converted to .html and up-loaded to the Red Feather Archives. Those who teach or research in Social Problems may want to down-load them. They are: No.124 THE SOCIAL SOURCES OF HUMAN PROBLEMS: Social Problems in the World Capitalist System at: http://www.tryoung.com/archives/124sourc.htm No.193 SOCIAL PROBLEMS THEORY AND HUMAN RIGHTS Grounding Postmodern Praxis in Social Problems. at: http://www.tryoung.com/archives/193HumanRights.htm TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From velazquez@rehu.ucl.ac.be Wed Sep 16 07:40:37 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 15:45:22 +0000 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Remy Velazquez Subject: some prospects I found an interesting comparative analysis between 1929 and 1998 situations on the web. The author is a french stockbroker. The graphs are particularly meaningful. For those understanding French : http://www.scdut.com/krach.html For the others, I tried to translate the text (the address of each graph is shown). Sorry for this strange English, but the facts are clear (I hope)... Here it is : --------------------------------------------------- There is a strange likeness between the 1920-29 period and the 1990-98 period. You can see on the two first graphs that the timing of the two raising cycles are almost identical : raising trend with low slope and then acceleration of the raising, with the Dow-Jones being multiplied by 4 on both cycles... If we stick with this parallel we would be now about july-august 1929. fig1 : http://www.scdut.com/DJI2029.GIF fig2 : http://www.scdut.com/DJI9098.GIF Have a look also on the the third graph which shows Wall Street evolution in the 30's. You can see that the 29 crash was at most anecdotal by comparison with the years 30 to 32. Some explanations : - The October 29 crash has divided the value of the american stocks by 1,92. The index went from 381,17 to 198,29 before going up to 300 in the beginning of 1930. - From that time to half-1932, stocks have been divided by 7,27, going from 300 to 41,22. - Between the highest point at 381,17 (beginning of October 29) and the lowest point (in 1932) at 41,22, stocks have been divided by 9,24. So, we can say that the 29 krach was only a welcome correction after the huge gains of the 20's. The dreadful years were actually 1930, 31 and 32. (.... some facts about the possible evolution of stocks end the article...) fig3 : http://www.scdut.com/dji3039.gif --------------------------------------------------- Here is my opinion : This analysis is probably very helpful in predicting the beginning of a new depression. But I am more cautious in keeping that parallel with the years after the krach. 1929 is not 1998 and, therefore, 1999, 2000, 2001 will may not be 1930, 1931, 1932. There are several structural differences like the less inequal distribution of wealth (welfare...), the financial rules for banks, the economic and politic cooperation, the possibilities and capacities for the people to respond.... which can protect us. There is also, at least I hope so, the history lessons that can prevent society to fall twice because of the same stone. So... the days to come will probably be very dark, but in what way, in which extent ? If there are some economists reading I'd like them to discuss the above statements (I am not myself economist). If there are some historians, they could learn us what happend then, what we could fear to happen exactly, and which ways seem, for them, the best to organize and to deal with that crisis (which has great probabilities to turn into a political one, and why not toward war). Take care... _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Rémy Velazquez Université catholique de Louvain Tel: (+32)(0)10/47.85.22 IAG/REHU (+32)(0)95/79.34.22 Place des Doyens, 1 Fax: (+32)(0)10/47.83.24 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From velazquez@rehu.ucl.ac.be Wed Sep 16 07:42:04 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 15:46:45 +0000 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Remy Velazquez Subject: some prospects (2) : one more parallel Hi everyone, The last parallel I made between 1929 and 1998 was an economic one and was inspired from the analysis from a stockbroker. Here is an other one, more political and more personnal. Russia was the heart of a dislocated empire, the Soviet Union. After it has lost a "war", the cold war, it was imposed by the winners new rules for its economy, and by the mean of the IMF, terrible strains on its population, becoming poorer and poorer. Now the global recession is deepening the economic collapse of this state and the IMF is keeping on its pressures for the same "medications" (actually worse than illness) on a executive which represents nothing (about 30 people on the legislative "douma", which is less than a tenth of the communists and ultra-nationalists together). The obvious reaction of the people is to feel humiliated (remember that it was not so long ago a scaring "super-power" and enormous empire, and that people are usually fast to forget how dictatorship was rough when good standard of living have disappeared with it) and betrayed by the West. The IMF is seen as an unanimously hated devil there. The obvious reaction of political parties (from Zouganov to Jirinovsky) is to surf on these feelings and to use them to get power (resulting in an inflation of nationalism and xenophobic-nostalgic discourses). Aren't you thinking of an other and very close situation ? Germany. When the 29-30-31-32 crisis came, the defeated Germany (14-18) was in an absolute poverty and industrial collapse (hyper-inflation, unemployement). Moreover, the winning countries (France and England) were still receiving (and demanding) enormous financial "reparations". Humiliated Germans, thinking than all their problems were "abroad" and intentionnally driven, were easily attracted by demagogic discourses, and when the nazis took the power a strong trend to "revenge" grew through the german society. You know the end of the story. Any comments ? _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Remy Velazquez Universite catholique de Louvain Tel: (+32)(0)10/47.85.22 IAG/REHU (+32)(0)95/79.34.22 Place des Doyens, 1 Fax: (+32)(0)10/47.83.24 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu Wed Sep 16 10:32:51 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 98 11:32 CDT From: YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu To: psn@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Subject: Capitalist Culture-if any after Porn Starr Bravo Steve, wonderful analysis of how economic conflicts, even within the ruling classes get played out in the cultural turf. It is clear, that most Americans, even liberal, progressive, open minded really don't want to hear, see or read the details of what is at best pathetic teen age foreplay. Feiffer had a cartoon in today's NYT-punchline, Clinton shouldn't be impeached-he should be grounded. Anyhow, I would just like to note that I do think the issue warrants discussion on psn-tho some suggest we not be a left wing Grunge report. It brings up many questions long debated, contradictions of capital, entertainment etc. The real question is more than Eric raises re open marraige, but how the differ ent sectors of capital compete over cultural views, from the modernist views of the Eastern capitalists, before Clinton filled the space what were once called moderate republicans, and the traditionalists of the Western, Southern and often new money. Anyone remember Kirpatrick Sales and Kevin Phillips wrote on power shifts and southern strategies. As Steve points out, people do not get inspired by IMF policy debates, but pulp fiction/true confessions, thats where to compete. Thus the modern culture folks, egalitarian marraige, usually after living together, racial toleration and real social integration, gay rights etc become points to mobilize voters. Both sides of capital want more wealth to the rich, less to working folks, interventionist imperialism etc. (BTW-I have heard stories from Hillary college friends that she, Hillary was bi sexual....so the marraige may be more like FDR's. They really do care for each other, and tolerate, if not encourage each others life. This said, he remains a lying sleeze, a pathetic character but still most folks, including me, think he's better than Dole of Viagra fame, or Forbes, Bush or Quayle. I have a dinner bet he won't be impeached, bottom line, Repubs would rather have an impotent (huh) Clinton than Gore the Bore with pardon power in the White House. But then again this supposes rationality and the republicans may not be all that rational. Lauren From dredmond@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU Wed Sep 16 16:57:44 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 15:57:28 -0700 (PDT) From: Dennis R Redmond Subject: Re: some prospects (2) : one more parallel In-reply-to: To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK On Wed, 16 Sep 1998, Remy Velazquez wrote: > Russia was the heart of a dislocated empire, the Soviet Union. > Aren't you thinking of an other and very close situation ? Germany. Hmm, well, the old Soviet Union was never a global semi-periphery, the way Wilhelmine Germany was; the USSR specialized in energy, raw materials, mining, that sort of thing, so the analogy might not work there (they were and are a true periphery, and not a semi-periphery). But there are some really striking parallels with the Asian meltdown and Depression Germany; countries like Korea, Malaysia, etc. are indeed semi-peripheries, they make parts and cheap manufactured goods for US, European and Japanese multis, and they're being squeezed by the same crisis of manic monetarism and overaccumulation which stomped Central Europe in the Twenties. And there's no denying that the Asian meltdown is turning into a global recession, or that the social potential is there for hideous neofascisms which will make the Third Reich look like a bunch of choir boys. -- Dennis From cwinkler@selway.umt.edu Wed Sep 16 12:06:45 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 12:04:54 -0600 To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: Celia Winkler Subject: PSA CFP--Solo Motherhood I am organizing a session for the Pacific Sociological Association Conference (to be held in beautiful but rainy Portland in April) on solo parenthood, with a subtitle of community, work, family and state. I am hoping for a good mix of papers, each addressing a different aspect of solo parenthood, and that the session will offer a variety of perspectives. Please email me if you have any ideas, questions, or would just like to brainstorm. Abstracts are due October 15. Celia Winkler Sociology Department University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812-1047 Office: (406) 243-5863 Home: (406) 549-6285 Fax: (406) 243-5951 cwinkler@selway.umt.edu From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Wed Sep 16 14:02:54 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 15:02:37 -0500 From: Alan Spector Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: 1,2,3 many political dislocations! TRYoung wrote: This (performing as a sexual predator, using the power of politics and wealth to gain sexual favors from someone in a vulnerable position -- my comment....A.S.) is the only crime that has enough substance to warrant the great political dislocations incurred in impeachment proceedings...sucessful or not. I certainly don't want to minimize the evils of Clinton's sexual exploitation, but I don't think that it is the "only crime......" He has funded murderous regimes, supported terrorism and death squads and even in the U.S., police terror and economic terror, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. I guess some would say that my point is obvious, but would rather focus on the subject at hand. Maybe I'm wrong. Actually I am wrong. Mass murder in support of capitalism is not an impeachable offense under capitalist law. It is business as usual. ================= On another point: what is so bad about "great political dislocations?" The Presidency was so discredited after Nixon that Ford and his cronies were unable to convince the U.S. people to support the murderous terror gang UNITA in Angola, thereby preventing at least one probably genocide in the 1970's, despite Ford's desire to commit U.S. troops. To paraphrase Che, "ONE, TWO, THREE, MANY POLITICAL DISLOCATIONS" on the road to a complete discrediting oc capitalism. Alan Spector -- From dassbach@mtu.edu Wed Sep 16 11:28:05 1998 Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:27:51 -0400 (EDT) Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:27:51 -0400 (EDT) Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:27:47 -0400 (EDT) From: "Carl H.A. Dassbach" To: , "PSN" Subject: Re: query: "socialization" Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:28:28 -0400 charset="iso-8859-1" -----Original Message----- From: David Morgan To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Wednesday, September 16, 1998 12:17 PM Subject: Re: query: "socialization" In my view the need for 'sophisticated' worker >cooperation/coordination as described by Carl is more what Marx called the >collective worker effect of capitalism. To be sure, this systemic 'need' for >cooperation can be seen as socialisation, but equally it may be seen as >analagous to ant or bee cooperation, imposed and coercive. Hard to accept that analogy - I don't want to quote sacred texts but we know that Marx distinguished between the human and the bee. While it is true that socialized production is imposed and coercive and not a extension of the social division of labor (as Marx points out in his discussion of the division of labor and Braverman emphasize even more clearly) it is not instinctual activity, as in the case of bees. Moreover, it would be hard to say that bees are coerced into cooperation. They have no conception of an alternative. Hence it lacks the >autonomy and so Marx would still place it in the 'realm of necessity' rather >than the 'realm of freedom'. It is here that the notion of socialisation >should be grounded. The realm of freedom and necessity is a inappropriate dichotmy in this context - after all, what is necessary under capitalism (and hence belongs to the relam of necessity) is often, at least in theory, simultaneouly, the basis for freedom under a non-class based system of social relations. In the same sense, it is only the ultimate degradation of work - converting it from an inetergated craft to a simple minded repititous activity that creates the basis for the elimination of work by replacing the human acting like a machine with a machine proper. The argument runs like this - the objective conditions of >capital (very unfashionable view these days) not only reproduce themselves in >the process of production, but also the specific social character of those >relations. The social character encompasses the representation of social >relations as economic relations, part of thesis that Value takes a specific >form (as does labour) in every mode of production. The representational >category 'economic' [recall Marx did not accept the conventional category of >economic as we tend to] requires the division of time into necessary and >surplus time (expropriated as surplus value and represented in price >calculation as profit) - but capital continually undermines this separation. >It is able - through inter alia, the development of the forces of production - >to reduce the necessary time to a minimum and so dissolve the basis of surplus >time (and so the 'hidden' exploitative basis of capital). This process of >dissolution is by its nature an extension of socialisation - the social basis >of relations of production become ever more apparent. Sorry, but I am lost here. Why would capital wish to reduce necessary time and dissolve the basis for surplus time - this would result, I think, in the elimination of value. Moreover, why is this process "an extension of socialization" and why is it necessary to make the social basis of the relations of production more apparent. The relations of production are already glaringly apparent for most workers . Also, what exactly is the "social basis of the relations of production." While the relations of production are by definition social - relations between indviduals by virtue of their relations to things - what is the social basis - I don't understand what is meant by their "social basis." Carl Dassbach From sosh@alinga.newcastle.edu.au Wed Sep 16 20:30:10 1998 Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 12:29:53 +1000 (EST) From: HOPKINSON S To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Re: Question about a reference Dear PSN'ers I have a reference that my otherwise very efficient library can't. It is from the Book "Fanon and Feminism". Details as follows: TITLE: Queer Notions: Thoughts on the relationship of sexuality to revolution AUTHOR: Subjectivity of Sexuality group DATE: July 1996 I don't know where or who published it though it says something about the Bay Area "News and Letters" Womens Liberation Committee Any idea how I can find it? Thanks Shane From bpankin@providence.edu Wed Sep 16 21:00:50 1998 Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 23:04:15 +0100 To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: bpankin@providence.edu (Bob Pankin) Subject: Sociology of Leisure Course Hi, I'm going to be teaching a Soc. of Leisure course (for the first time in several years) during the spring semester. I could use some help finding a text and materials written from a progressive perspective. Thanks and I'll share the suggestions with the list. Bob From dave.byrne@durham.ac.uk Thu Sep 17 04:01:39 1998 Thu, 17 Sep 1998 11:01:28 +0100 (BST) From: "Dave Byrne" To: , "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Re: some prospects (2) : one more parallel Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:01:01 +0100 charset="iso-8859-1" -----Original Message----- From: Dennis R Redmond To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: 17 September 1998 02:02 Subject: Re: some prospects (2) : one more parallel >Dennis wrote : there are some really striking parallels with the Asian meltdown and Depression Germany; countries like Korea, Malaysia, etc. are indeed semi-peripheries. > >Well Dennis is not alone in this thought. Geore Soros had an article in yesterday's UK Guardian saying essentially the same thing. Make of that what you will. I think they are both right. > From tell@net.bluemoon.net Thu Sep 17 05:50:32 1998 Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 07:50:24 -0400 (EDT) From: Shawgi Tell To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: U.S. Unleashes Flesh-Eating Fly In Iraq The British newspaper the Independent on August 2, broke the news about the actions of the United States in unleashing a flesh-eating fly into Iraq some eight months ago. The insect was invented and developed at the Department of Agriculture's Stoneville, Mississippi laboratories during the Nixon administration. It is designed to kill livestock as well as humans. According to briefing papers compiled by the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the fly, known as the screw-worm fly, attacks wounds, scars and cuts, the navels of newborn babies and tic bites of both warm-blooded animals and humans, and causes foul-smelling discharges. According to a FAO mission currently visiting Iraq, it has already spread to 12 of the 18 Iraqi provinces since December and has already reached epidemic proportions. Forty people are already known to have died and the toll on livestock is estimated to be in the tens of thousands. A screw-worm female fly lays an average of four batches of 400 eggs on the broken skin and in just 12 hours they enter the body and hatch into flesh-eating larvae. A whole cow can be consumed in less than seven days. The Independent quotes George Pumphrey, a researcher into U.S. foreign policy, including the repeated use of biological weapons against its declared enemies, as saying that "Iraq is but the latest victim in what appears to be a deliberate introduction of the screw-worm as a biological weapon. In Libya, where an outbreak occurred in 1989, 2,000 animals were killed. It was exemplarily combatted, yet by the following year it covered 35,000km and killed 12,000 head of stock." Ali Baghdadi Au, writing in the Arab Journal points out that this is in violation of all international accords and agreements that govern nations' conduct at times of war and peace. Armies from 28 nations (including the U.S., the U.K. and France), in 42 days of the Gulf War "dropped explosives equivalent to seven and a half Hiroshima nuclear bombs (850,000 tons to be exact) and flew 110,000 bombing sorties," but did not achieve their objective of taking over Iraq. "Nor did the murder of one and a half million Iraqi civilians through starvation and lack of medication," he writes, recalling also that U.S. Secretary of Defence Madeline Albright dismissed such crimes on the NBC program "60 Minutes" by declaring that it was not too high a price to pay. "It is worth it," she said. The Arab Journal established that this illegal weapon was developed under the Nixon administration "originally designed to proliferate and consume poppy crops in the "golden Triangle." Developed by a pharmacologist Dr. Jerome Jaffe, the name "screw-worm, was selected after President Nixon remarked that the insect died after intercourse as a self-destructive mechanism controlling its life cycle when its mission is accomplished. Nixon convinced Congress to appropriate funds for the covert project "only after he was able to disguise the fly as an innocent-sounding ecological weed-killer." "Iraq, which is under the strictest and cruellest economic sanctions in history," the Arab Journal writes, "does not have the means to eradicate the screw-worm. The task involves breeding flies and sterilizing the males with radioactive cobalt that Baghdad is not allowed to have. Unless the world reacts and acts to stop this 'holocaust' now, four million more Iraqis, mostly women, children and the elderly, may soon perish." The Marxist-Leninist Weekly, 9/5/98 Shawgi Tell Nazareth College of Rochester tell@net.bluemoon.net From tr@tryoung.com Thu Sep 17 06:25:28 1998 (usr-mtp-11.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.11]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 08:21:44 -0400 To: psn-special@csf.colorado.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: The KKK teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu, sssitalk@sun.soci.niu.edu I am pleased to announce that the classic article on the KKK by Dobratz and Shanks-Meile is on-line and can be down-loaded from the Red Feather Domain: No. 125 THE KU KLUX KLAN AND THE AMERICAN NAZI PARTY: CASE STUDIES IN TOTALITARIANISM AND FASCISM* Betty A. Dobratz Iowa State University and Stephanie Indiana University Northwest double click on: http://www.tryoung.com/archives/125d-kkk.htm NOTE: If you have trouble, try: http://www.tryoung.com and then click on the website for ARCHIVES. The KKK article is #125. TR Young, Director TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From pcpatch@pacbell.net Wed Sep 16 20:54:16 1998 From: "Peter C. Patch" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Call For Abstracts -- Humanity and Society Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 19:49:28 -0700 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01BDE1AB.1D936CA0 Hi all -- Just wanted to share this announcement. Hope to hear from people on this. Thanks. Peter pcpatch@pacbell.net Call For Abstracts Humanity and Society, the journal of the Association for Humanist Sociology, is soliciting abstracts for a special issue entitled “Women and Violence: Changing Dynamics in the New Millennium.” Examples of topics which would be suitable for the special issue include the effects of marginalization of ethnic and cultural minorities on violence by and against women. influence of growing empowerment and influence of women in the workplace on rates of violence committed by women. corporate violence committed by women as it relates to growing influence of women in corporate America. the changing relationship between women and violence in more versus less developed societies over the past 50 years. changing societal responses to violence committed by women. the societal forces contributing to the phenomenon of infanticide committed by young mothers. Persons interested in contributing to the special issue should submit three (3) copies of an abstract, maximum 150 words, describing a proposed article. Abstracts should be sent to Peter C. Patch, MA, Guest Editor, California School of Professional Psychology -- Fresno, 5130 E. Clinton Way, Fresno, CA 93727, ph: (209) 291-6042, fax: (209) 253-2267 [area code (559) after November 1, 1998], email: pcpatch@pacbell.net. Abstracts my be submitted via mail, fax, or email. If using email, please submit as an attached file in WordPerfect format. The deadline for submission of abstracts is October 15, 1998. ------=_NextPart_000_01BDE1AB.1D936CA0

Hi all --

Just wanted to share = this announcement. Hope to hear from people on this. = Thanks.

Peter
pcpatch@pacbell.net


Call For Abstracts


Humanity and Society, the journal of the Association for Humanist = Sociology, is soliciting abstracts for a special issue entitled =93Women = and Violence: Changing Dynamics in the New Millennium.=94 Examples of = topics which would be suitable for the special issue include =  

the effects of marginalization of ethnic and cultural = minorities on violence by and against women.


influence of = growing empowerment and influence of women in the workplace on rates of = violence committed by women.

corporate violence committed by women as it relates to growing = influence of women in corporate America.


the changing = relationship between women and violence in more versus less developed = societies over the past 50 years.


changing societal = responses to violence committed by women.


the societal = forces contributing to the phenomenon of infanticide committed by young = mothers.

  

Persons interested in contributing to the = special issue should submit three (3) copies of an abstract, maximum 150 = words, describing a proposed article. Abstracts should be sent to Peter = C. Patch, MA, Guest Editor, California School of Professional Psychology = -- Fresno, 5130 E. Clinton Way, Fresno, CA 93727, ph: (209) 291-6042, = fax: (209) 253-2267 [area code (559) after November 1, 1998], email: = pcpatch@pacbell.net. Abstracts my be submitted via mail, fax, or email. = If using email, please submit as an attached file in WordPerfect format. = The deadline for submission of abstracts is October 15, 1998.

 ------=_NextPart_000_01BDE1AB.1D936CA0-- From martindd@muohio.edu Thu Sep 17 14:13:29 1998 Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 16:13:10 -0400 From: "Daniel D. Martin" To: PSN@csf.Colorado.EDU Dear PSNers: I recently ran across a World Health Organization report on the state of health in Iraq before and after the Gulf War. The data is gut wrenching and certainly should have great shock value in class, enlivening discussions of the IMF, Word Bank, development and the effects of embargoes. Your Comrade, Dan The web site is: ffff,0000,0000http://www.who.int/eha/resource/pubs/000396.html#food Here' a piece of datum from the report... 1996 World Health Organization Report Table 7(a): Reported mortality in children less than 5 years old from selected causes in Iraq (1990-1994) Year No. per 100 000 1990 8,903 257 1991 Gulf War... 1991 27,473 884 1992 46,933 1,460 1993 49,762 1,495 1994 52,905 1,536 Source: Ministry of Health, Government of Iraq Dr. Daniel D. Martin Department of Sociology, Gerontology & Anthropology 375 Upham Hall - Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056 Fax: 513-529-8525 Phone: 513-529-1812 Department Ph: 513-529-2628 E-mail: martindd@muohio.edu "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." - Martin Luther King Jr. From glenn@sobek.Colorado.EDU Thu Sep 17 16:22:40 1998 Thu, 17 Sep 1998 16:22:30 -0600 (MDT) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 16:22:30 -0600 (MDT) From: Glenn Muschert To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Is bread from a bread machine alienated bread? PSN'ers, TO WHAT EXTENT IS BREAD FROM A BREAD MACHINE THE PRODUCT OF ALIENATED LABOR? While I originally thought that the bread was not the product of alienated labor, I'm not so sure anymore. Here's the problem: I do put some labor into the bread, in the form of planning a recipe, purchasing and measuring the ingredients, and programming and cleaning the machine. My labor comes back to me in the form of the bread, but I put very little labor into the process. Really all I did was purchase the machine, which others designed and manufactured. The majority of the value added comes from bread machine and the electricity necessary to run it. I think it was Romer, probably among others, who suggested that value can be derived from sources other than labor, such as technology. So, I think that Romer would think that the bread isn't the product of alienated labor. That just because the bread machine was produced by alienated labor, it doesn't mean that the product of the bread machine is also the result of alienated labor. This has to do with the rejection of the surplus value of labor theory. However, if you accept the surplus value of labor theory, then it would follow that bread machine bread is mostly the product of alienated labor. The value I add to the production process of the bread is minimal, although a necessary component of the whole process. Most of the value of the bread comes from the machine, which is the product of alienated labor. A better case scenario, would be if I purchased the ingredients, then mixed, kneaded, and baked the bread myself. I presume that this bread would contain more of the value added from my own labor, and that self-made bread would contain less alienated labor than the bread machine bread. The reality is that I don't reasonably have the time to knead dough, although it might offer some interesting benefits for the psyche. I lean towards thinking that bread machine bread is socially more responsible, more economical, and psychologically better for me than store-bought bread. OK, I like it better too. Now, it also matters how I use the technology. I do not use the machine in a profit-seeking enterprise, and therefore I do not use it in a competitive process, one which could potentially undermine others' social positions. I do admit that since I bought the machine I have purchased few, if any, loaves of supermarket bread. I have in an infinitesimally small way reduced the demand for bread. As far as I know, one is not at fault for not buying something. It could be that the decentralization of the bread production represents a development in the forces of production, with this development being a dis-conglomeration of capital and the production process. Viva! Glenn W. Muschert Department of Sociology University of Colorado at Boulder Campus Box 327 Boulder, CO 80309-0327 U.S.A. voice: 303.492.1415 email: glenn@sobek.colorado.edu WWW URL: http://socsci.colorado.edu/~glenn/home.html From brook@california.com Thu Sep 17 15:47:45 1998 Thu, 17 Sep 1998 14:47:10 -0700 (PDT) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 13:56:54 -0700 To: sepehr@netwizards.net, mohsen.hakim@mdh.se, awrapport@aol.com, seggilman@ucdavis.edu, jinsong@ucdavis.edu, osluzano@ucdavis.edu, rice@dpls.dacc.wisc.edu, DLEVINE@BPL.ORG, schernma@hugse1.harvard.edu, schernwet@aol.com From: CyberBrook Subject: Clinton on Clinton? > "Yes, the president should resign. He has lied to the American people, > time and time again, and betrayed their trust. He is no longer an > effective leader. Since he has admitted guilt, there is no reason to > put the American people through an impeachment. He will serve > absolutely no purpose in finishing out his term, the only possible > solution is for the president to save some dignity and resign." > -- Bill Clinton, 1974 commenting on President Nixon. > >"It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." - Alfred Adler From ncesa1@igc.apc.org Thu Sep 17 12:41:35 1998 Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 11:39:07 -0700 (PDT) To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Alex Campbell Subject: Position Announcement -- War & The Economy [Apologies for posting to multiple lists! Please direct inquiries to me, Alex Campbell, at .] National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives 2000 P Street, NW, Suite 330 / Washington, DC 20036 Tel. (202) 986-1373 / Fax. (202) 986-7938 Research Associate Impact of War on U.S. Economic Development in the 20th Century Primary responsibilities will include historical and theoretical economics research, help with preparation of draft chapters and literature reviews, and integrating our already completed research in connection with a book on war and the economy in the 20th Century. Position focuses on research into the dynamic relationships between political-economic events and military events--especially the impact of wars in the 20th Century on U.S. economic development. What can be said, specifically, about the larger dynamic of long term cyclicality and the impact of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War on the trajectory of economic change? And what of the current, post-post-war era? We seek applicants with demonstrated writing skills and a firm grasp of macro-economics and/or U.S. economic history. Key questions to be addressed include: >What has the impact of war been on the role of government in the economy (planning / scale of government / economic thought)? >What has been the role of military spending in maintaining aggregate demand? >What has been the role of war in ending depression / recession / downswings? >To what extent was the Vietnam War responsible for stagflation? >What have been the impacts of various means of financing war? >How has war impacted the international political economic system (trade / finance / etc.)? >Has military spending been a central factor in preserving the stability of the U.S. economic system? >What has the role of military development been in the larger advance or technology in the century? >What are the key impacts of military spending on regional growth in the U.S.? Interested applicants should send a letter describing their qualifications and interests, a resume, a writing sample, and several references via mail, fax, or e-mail to: War in the Economy The National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives 2000 P St., N.W., Suite 330 Washington, DC 20036 Fax: (202) 986-7938 E-mail: ncesa1@igc.org The National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives 2000 P Street, NW, Suite 330 / Washington, DC 20036 Tel. (202) 835-1150 / Fax (202) 835-1152 The National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives was established in 1977 as a nonprofit corporation providing research, education and consultation on innovative solutions to problems that face the American economy. Over the years the National Center has broadened its work to include global issues ranging from the capacity of traditional reforms to alter destructive ecological and other long-term trends, to international security concerns related to arms control, nuclear weaponry, ethnic violence and the general tendency of existing political-economic systems to lead to greater conflict and divisiveness. Since 1992, the National Center has given increasing emphasis to the relationship of affirmed values to system-wide problems. It is currently engaged in a multi-year integrated initiative which aims to help catalyze a long-range process of "rethinking" and effective action that can contribute to the re-energizing of positive social and political change. The overall effort comprises the following four categories: (I) institutional innovation; (II) new policy directions; (III) valued-based political/economic theory; (IV) long-term vision. Earlier activities of the Center included directing a $2 million evaluation of Title VII community development corporations, and intense involvement with the attempt to establish a worker-owned steel plant in Youngstown, Ohio. More recently, a number of the Center's reports -- including A Third Way: Innovations in Community-Owned Enterprises and The Index of Environmental Trends -- have broken new ground in offering fresh approaches to economic and environmental challenges. The Center's most recent publication is What Comes Next: Proposals for a Different Society. Apart from academic writing, the results of various research findings have received wide-spread attention in articles in such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MIT's Technology Review, Sojourners, Social Policy, Foreign Policy, and other publications. Major television exposure has occurred on all national networks (including numerous evening news reports), and such programs as Meet the Press, the MacNeil Lehrer Report, and Wall Street Week. Television specials have been undertaken in cooperation with ABC, the BBC and other networks in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to conducting a series of research projects aimed at identifying on-the-ground alternatives in economic development, environmental innovation, and other facets of community life (both nationally and internationally), the Center is currently completing a major book describing the nature of an alternative political-economic system capable of maximizing values of liberty, equality, community, democracy and ecological sustainability. Visit our web site -- . Operational as of November 1, 1998. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alex Campbell Assistant to the President, National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2000 P Street, NW Suite 330 Washington, DC 20036 202 986 1373 (voice)/ 202 986 7938 (fax) ncesa1@igc.apc.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From velazquez@rehu.ucl.ac.be Fri Sep 18 08:12:05 1998 In-Reply-To: Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 16:15:38 +0000 To: brook@california.com From: Remy Velazquez Subject: Re: Clinton on Clinton? >> "Yes, the president should resign. He has lied to the American people, >> time and time again, and betrayed their trust. He is no longer an >> effective leader. Since he has admitted guilt, there is no reason to >> put the American people through an impeachment. He will serve >> absolutely no purpose in finishing out his term, the only possible >> solution is for the president to save some dignity and resign." >> -- Bill Clinton, 1974 commenting on President Nixon. >> >>"It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." - >Alfred Adler First, I'd like to say that I really do not understand all this fuss around the Clinton's penis, from my european perspective. The President of the USA is an unfaithful husband... SO WHAT ? Who cares ? Don't you think that every people has an absolute right to privacy ? Don't you think that there must be a non-crossing line between public and private sphere ? The only good answer that Clinton should have been able to give is "this is not your business". The Lewinsky "scandal" is not that he lied, but that some people have the right to question him on his intimacy, within a trial even not connected whith M. Lewinsky. I think that it is very dangerous in any state when borders between religion, morals, justice and politic become so blurred. Second, I'd like to answer to the post of Cyberbrook. This is absolutely the twilight zone for me... : how is it possible to compare the sex affairs of two adults (which is nobody's business) with all the *political* and *illegaly conducted* (from the presidential function perspective) dark affairs that had lead Nixon to resign ? Nixon cheated with the laws and the legal rules which he was submitted, as a president. Clinton has done things that make the sense of morality of some Americans a bit upset. Totally different things. Totalyy different "principles". To be clear : I don't like Clinton's politic, but when I judge his way to use his presidential powers, I never think about his "sexual morality" but rather about Irak children or homeless Americans. THIS is political. (apologies to Cyberbrook for the tone of my post... all this fuss around that silly story is so crazy...) _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Rémy Velazquez Université catholique de Louvain Tel: (+32)(0)10/47.85.22 IAG/REHU (+32)(0)95/79.34.22 Place des Doyens, 1 Fax: (+32)(0)10/47.83.24 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From dassbach@mtu.edu Fri Sep 18 06:56:32 1998 Fri, 18 Sep 1998 08:56:23 -0400 (EDT) Fri, 18 Sep 1998 08:56:22 -0400 (EDT) Fri, 18 Sep 1998 08:56:19 -0400 (EDT) From: "Carl H.A. Dassbach" To: "PSN" , Subject: Re: Is bread from a bread machine alienated bread? Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 08:57:02 -0400 charset="iso-8859-1" -----Original Message----- From: Glenn Muschert To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Friday, September 18, 1998 2:05 AM Subject: Is bread from a bread machine alienated bread? >PSN'ers, > >TO WHAT EXTENT IS BREAD FROM A BREAD MACHINE THE PRODUCT OF ALIENATED >LABOR? Not at all - the making of the bread, no matter how automated was the result of the individuals conscious choice. It is a creative act and, even more importantly, the individual is able possesses the result - it does not belong to an "other." As a consequence, the individual is able to reflexively recover his/herself in the product (object) - to see the results of their activity and to incoproate these results into the self. In techncial terms this is the dialectic of subject and object. (This is, I believe (its been years) discussed in Hegel's PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT which is an important foundation of Marx's discussion of alineated labor). Becuase the instruments of our activity are the result of aleinated labor (or, to put it another way, they are commodities), activity which uses these instruments (if it fulfills the above criteria) is NOT alienated labor. The problem of alienated labor is not one of quantity but of quality. > I think it was Romer, probably among others, who suggested that >value can be derived from sources other than labor, such as technology. Whether value can be derived from other soruces is really immaterial and attempts to ground a (dismal) science of economics exclusively in a narrowly conceived labor theory of value are useless. It results in this type of scholasticism. The most important aspect of the labor theory of value is that it shows that capitalist production is an antagonistic process where capital gains at the cost of labor, it reveals the true soruce of profit - stolen labor - and it demystifys the process of approprating surplus, a process which is open and evident in other forms of society but concelaed in capitalist society. The scholasticism and hair splitting ( how many workers could fit on the head of a pin) of Romer and others like him such as E.O. Wright are a disservice to the critical and emacipatory potential of Marxism. Their intent is to turn a philosophy critical of human opprression and a theory of potnetianl liberation into a sets of discrete formulae, theroems and generalizations that can be individually tested, accepted or rejected, and employed selectively. This postivism is the antithesis of historical and dialectical materialism becuase no social process or phenomena is discrete and everything must be comprehended in light of and by way of the totality. Carl Dassbach From tr@tryoung.com Fri Sep 18 05:04:29 1998 (usr-mtp-67.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.67]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 07:00:38 -0400 To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: The Exculpation of Monica Lewinsky social-class@listserv.uic.edu, teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu The point of a structural analysis is neither the indictment of Bill Clinton nor the exculpation of Monica Lewinsky. I regret that, if to some it appears that such analysis portrays Ms. Lewinsky as a 'helpless victim' or Mr. Clinton as marauding sexual predator...even if, on more human terms they are. However, one must go beyond good and evil in order to know the sources of good and evil. Postmodern sociology of religion, of politics, and of class analysis does just that. In his most excellent structural analysis, Steve Rosenthal made the point that the trials and tribulations of Mr. Clinton is best understood as a contest between those who benefit from the globalization of capital and increase of market share by US corporations. Those who back Mr. Starr are hurt by globalization and want to 'make America strong' by excluding foreign competition in domestic and foreign markets. Clinton's supporters want to retain the cheap-jack 'safety net' left over from the Johnson years while his detractors want to eliminate all social programs in order to lower taxes, increase profits and make America safe for domestic capital. In none of this is Bill Clinton to blame nor Monica Lewinsky a victim...it is part of the agonies of the great social upheavals created by the globalization of capitalist markets. For what it is worth to those of us who feel shame and sympathy for Bill or Monica, the dislocations in the 3rd world are far more tragic; far more deserving of pity, anger and affirmative action than either the Starr faction or the Clinton faction. For my part, I will leave it to the US Senate to judge Bill Clinton; if they should impeach him, I would shed few tears...he is not my President. I would have preferred Dan Berrigan or Mary Daly for President...or maybe Garrison Keilor. And as to Monica Lewinsky, someone once said that tragedies are brought on by the weaknesses of mortals while comedies are the work of the gods and mortals victim of their games; we need not feel too much sympathy for Monica...she seems to have enjoyed her small part in this cosmic tragic comedy. Yrs from a small planet, TRYoung TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From jsalt@teleport.com Fri Sep 18 10:21:18 1998 Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 09:24:24 -0400 From: Jim Salt To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: What, and how, do we teach? PSNers, I've been wanting to generate a PSN discussion on this for a long time; now that I'm moving from a four year private university to a two year public school, this question is weighing more heavily on my mind, though the focus has shifted some. I would like to ask as many PSNers as possible to share your thoughts on HOW we progressives/radicals/Marxists/feminists/etc decide what to teach in our undergraduate courses, as well as to share WHAT, in very general terms, we teach. I realize of course that Martha Gimenez and others have put together an ASA-published guide on Teaching Sociology from a Marxist Perspective (not sure that's the precise title; apologies if inaccurate), and that similar guides exist. But such guides generally can't easily present, let alone engage people in discussion on, the thinking that goes into how such courses have been constructed (I haven't seen the new edition Martha, so please forgive me if it does include discussion of this). Deciding what to teach (as well as how) in a course like Intro to Soc has always been a source of frustration for me. The multiparadigmatic nature of our discipline, and trying to work at least somewhat collaboratively with department memberss not necessarily sharing all our views, tends to make this is more challenging assignment than I would suspect is true of other disciplines. Add in that for most of us, the (vast) majority of our students are non sociology majors and won't become sociology majors, questions of deciding what to teach students who may only take your soc class becomes even more problematic. Finally, given my new position, I'm particularly interested in hearing from those with experience teaching at Community Colleges. Looking forward to a fruitful discussion, Jim Salt jsalt@teleport.com Work Address: Dept. of Social Science Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave Eugene OR 97405-0640 1-541-747-4501 X2433 Home Address: 679 West 27th Avenue Eugene OR 97405 1-541-343-1203 "The philosophers have only _interpreted_ the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to _change_ it." --- Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach From sshafer@jccc.net Fri Sep 18 08:47:20 1998 Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 09:47:04 -0500 From: Stu Shafer Reply-To: sshafer@jccc.net To: glenn@sobek.Colorado.EDU Subject: Re: Is bread from a bread machine alienated bread? Perhaps this is an example of the "rising" organic composition of bread? But, of course, you didn't mention whether you are using organically raised wheat flour or not, which might make a difference! More seriously, I think the issue is both simpler and more complex than you make it. Most of the difficulties "arise" from a fundamental conceptual error. When you make bread at home for your own consumption you are producing _use value_. I call this "home work," for lack of a better term. Since you are not producing for market (exchange value), and you are not reproducing capitalist relations of production (i.e., extraction of surplus value from labor by capital), your "labor" (actually, work) is not alienated. The bread machine itself is another matter. As a commodity, it _does_ embody alienated labor. If it were used by wage labor to produce bread for the market, the bread produced would also embody alienated labor. To the extent the bread machine replaced living labor with "dead labor," it would also embody the rising organic composition of capital. -- stu Stuart Shafer Sociology Department Johnson County Community College "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." L. Cohen, Anthem From gimenez@csf.Colorado.EDU Fri Sep 18 20:24:22 1998 Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 20:24:14 -0600 (MDT) From: Martha Gimenez Reply-To: Martha Gimenez To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Subject: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. Dear PSNers, In the program 60 Minutes, last Sunday, somebody brought up the following interesting information: it seems there is a rule according to which, if the vicepresident takes over the presidency for more than two years, he will be disqualified to run for president in the following elections. In this case, as President Clinton started on January 20th, if he is impeached and the vicepresident becomes president before January 20th, he will be automatically out of the presidential race. This makes me think that the timing of this mess is something to ponder about. And I wonder why, if this is true, nobody talks or writes about it. But maybe I missed the articles or programs where it has been debated for I dont have the time to read a lot these days or watch the tube. Does anyone know more about it? Did anyone else see that program and remember this point and its precise legal grounds? Have I imagined it :) or is this another case of media "amnesia"? Martha ************************** Martha E. Gimenez Department of Sociology Campus Box 327 University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder, Colorado 80309 Voice: 303-492-7080 Fax: 303-492-5105 From aaustin@utkux.utcc.utk.edu Fri Sep 18 20:48:04 1998 Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:47:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:47:50 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew Wayne Austin To: Martha Gimenez Subject: Re: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. In-Reply-To: The part of this whole mess that I cannot figure out why the media is not discussing is how the Republicans are walking all over the US justice system. No charges have been developed by the House - they haven't even decided what is an impeachable offense - and yet all the evidence is being thrown out to the public. The Republicans are seeking to try this case in the media, in the court of public opinion, in violation of the very basis of our legal culture. Clearly, their strategy of releasing the Starr report backfired in getting the public's back all up over this, and so here comes more of the evidence to try again. If this doesn't work they will try again. You see, despite how much the Republicans say that public opinion doesn't matter to them, that this is a matter of statesmanship, they really must have the public behind them because they have no real case to pursue. In order to manufacture an illusion of the magnitude necessary to drive the president from his office they need the public to be willing, like the participants at a magic show, to go along with the trick, to suspend their disbelief, and applaud the deftness of the Republican sleight-of-hand. Andy On Fri, 18 Sep 1998, Martha Gimenez wrote: > Dear PSNers, > > In the program 60 Minutes, last Sunday, somebody brought up the following > interesting information: it seems there is a rule according to which, if > the vicepresident takes over the presidency for more than two years, he > will be disqualified to run for president in the following elections. In > this case, as President Clinton started on January 20th, if he is > impeached and the vicepresident becomes president before January 20th, he > will be automatically out of the presidential race. This makes me think > that the timing of this mess is something to ponder about. And I wonder > why, if this is true, nobody talks or writes about it. But maybe I missed > the articles or programs where it has been debated for I dont have the > time to read a lot these days or watch the tube. Does anyone know more > about it? Did anyone else see that program and remember this point and its > precise legal grounds? Have I imagined it :) or is this another case of > media "amnesia"? > > Martha > > ************************** > > Martha E. Gimenez > Department of Sociology > Campus Box 327 > University of Colorado at Boulder > Boulder, Colorado 80309 > Voice: 303-492-7080 > Fax: 303-492-5105 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From smrose@exis.net Sat Sep 19 12:05:20 1998 From: "Steve Rosenthal" To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 14:04:24 +0000 Subject: Clinton's crimes I'm pleased that my recent post on the Clinton "sleazefest" has generated some lively discussion. I tried to keep the message short, so I'll add some further points now. First, some have interpreted my analysis of divisions within the ruling class to suggest that a neo-liberal lesser evil Clinton is the victim of what Hilary called a "right wing conspiracy." I do not believe that Clinton represents a less evil or less fascist segment of the capitalist class. For example, consider Clinton's effort to get Congress to put up another $18 billion for the IMF. Clinton became the first President ever to address the pro-Rockefeller Council on Foreign Relations this past week, promising to fight for the IMF money. David Rockefeller, in the Wall Street Journal (5/1/98) wrote that the IMF is needed to prevent "global depression and world war." But Walter Wriston (former head of Citicorp), William Simon (Heritage and Olin Fondations), and George Schultz (former Bechtel head) wrote in the WSJ (2/3/98) that the IMF is "ineffective and obsolete," and that the IMF was "distorting the action of the free market." These are the issues that really matter to and really divide the capitalist class. Consider some of what the Clinton Administration has done over the past five and one-half years: They have abolished welfare, driven some five million women and children off of welfare and into deeper poverty and low wage labor. And that is during a period of "prosperity." It will become vastly worse when the economy goes into a downturn. They have maintained sanctions against Iraq, causing the death of some 5-7 thousand children each month, and the death so far of over 5%, (1.2 million) of the Iraqi population. They bombed a pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, that makes antibiotics for East Africa and Iraq, which will result in more deaths both to humans and cattle, and they have brazenly lied about the factory they bombed. They deliberately stood by while half a million Rwandans were slaughtered, issued an executive order forbidding any Clinton official from using the term genocide, and then offered a phony apology based on the lie that they didn't realize what was happening. Today, as their Bosnian efforts unravel, they are watching another round of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. They launched a White House Initiative on Race, with which the leadership of the American Sociological Association collaborated. As Rodney Coates noted, the report of this body is coming out Monday, and newspaper articles previewing the report have made it clear that it is little more than a useless reiteration of cliches. The ASA affair with the Clinton Administration is as banal as Clinton's affair with Monica. Clinton's macro-level "good job as President" is thus fully consistent with his personal life. In Arkansas, as my friend Morton Wenger recently reminded me, Clinton mobilized the power of the state as a procurement and protection service for his sexual desires, as state troopers recruited women and provided cover. Clinton has as much concern for "trailor park trash" as he has for Rwandans, Bosnians, and Iraqis. When California Republicans deployed Ward Connerly as black cover for a racist attack on affirmative action, that was shameless and despicable racism. And when the Clinton camp deploys the Democratic Party women's caucus as female cover for Clinton's sexual depradations, that is shameless and despicable sexism. So when I asserted that the current sleazefest represents a fight among various degenerate factions of bosses, I was NOT echoing Hilary's lame argument that "right wing extremists" are after her husband. In fact, the more centrist Democratic and Republican forces are as supportive of fascism and imperialist war as any faction of capitalists. Some respondents (particularly on TeachSoc) dismissed my analysis as an example of "class reductionism." If the criticism means that I do not recognize the sexist character of Clinton's repeated sexual predation, I plead not guilty. Rather, my argument was that the political forces who are going after Clinton do not really care that he is a sexual predator. If the criticism means that I insist that the microsociological analysis of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair can be best understood by placing it in the macrosociological context of sharp conflicts within the capitalist class that are the result of the spreading and deepening crisis of global capitalism, then I plead guilty. Those who insist that the sociological significance of this entire matter lies in the question of whether Monica was a victim or an active agent, and who reject as "class reductionism" all attempts to clarify the larger significance of this sleazefest do a disservice to sociology. Steve Rosenthal From dnaylor@scf-fs.usc.edu Fri Sep 18 23:18:59 1998 id WAA09740; Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:18:06 -0700 (PDT) From: "Don Naylor" To: , "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Re: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:17:06 -0700 As I remember the law it states that if a vice-president takes over and serves for more then two years then that counts as one term of the two that are permitted. So if Gore took office before 1-20-99 then he could be elected once but not re-elected. This all derives from the two term limit for presidents and the question of what happens if someone serves a partial term. If I remember the law correctly the dividing line is half way through a term and it gets rounded up (to one) or down (to zero) depending on the starting date. Don ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Donald C. Naylor, BA BA AB th,q&D Department of Sociology University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089-2539 wrk. 213-740-3544 hm. 213-748-7378 fax 213-740-3535 dnaylor@usc.edu ---------- > From: Martha Gimenez > To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK > Subject: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. > Date: Friday, September 18, 1998 7:24 PM > > Dear PSNers, > > In the program 60 Minutes, last Sunday, somebody brought up the following > interesting information: it seems there is a rule according to which, if > the vicepresident takes over the presidency for more than two years, he > will be disqualified to run for president in the following elections. In > this case, as President Clinton started on January 20th, if he is > impeached and the vicepresident becomes president before January 20th, he > will be automatically out of the presidential race. This makes me think > that the timing of this mess is something to ponder about. And I wonder > why, if this is true, nobody talks or writes about it. But maybe I missed > the articles or programs where it has been debated for I dont have the > time to read a lot these days or watch the tube. Does anyone know more > about it? Did anyone else see that program and remember this point and its > precise legal grounds? Have I imagined it :) or is this another case of > media "amnesia"? > > Martha > > ************************** > > Martha E. Gimenez > Department of Sociology > Campus Box 327 > University of Colorado at Boulder > Boulder, Colorado 80309 > Voice: 303-492-7080 > Fax: 303-492-5105 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From jerrykloby@email.msn.com Sat Sep 19 07:25:15 1998 From: "Jerry Kloby" To: , "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Re: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 09:23:18 -0400 I believe you are mistaken. A president can't hold office for more than two terms. IF the VP takes over with more than two years to go in a term then he/she is limited to serving the rest of that term plus one full term (if elected). From coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu Sat Sep 19 08:29:18 1998 19 Sep 98 10:29:10 -5 19 Sep 98 10:28:55 -5 From: "Rodney D. Coates" To: , "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Re: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 10:27:21 -0400 charset="iso-8859-1" Regarding the timing..also consider the timing of the announcement of the release of the tape...the same day that the Race Panel turns over its report to the president...just another coincident..or..what...the devil is in the detail..rodneycoates -----Original Message----- From: Martha Gimenez To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Friday, September 18, 1998 11:31 PM Subject: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. >Dear PSNers, > >In the program 60 Minutes, last Sunday, somebody brought up the following >interesting information: it seems there is a rule according to which, if >the vicepresident takes over the presidency for more than two years, he >will be disqualified to run for president in the following elections. In >this case, as President Clinton started on January 20th, if he is >impeached and the vicepresident becomes president before January 20th, he >will be automatically out of the presidential race. This makes me think >that the timing of this mess is something to ponder about. And I wonder >why, if this is true, nobody talks or writes about it. But maybe I missed >the articles or programs where it has been debated for I dont have the >time to read a lot these days or watch the tube. Does anyone know more >about it? Did anyone else see that program and remember this point and its >precise legal grounds? Have I imagined it :) or is this another case of >media "amnesia"? > >Martha > >************************** > >Martha E. Gimenez >Department of Sociology >Campus Box 327 >University of Colorado at Boulder >Boulder, Colorado 80309 >Voice: 303-492-7080 >Fax: 303-492-5105 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From brook@california.com Fri Sep 18 22:20:39 1998 Fri, 18 Sep 1998 21:16:27 -0700 (PDT) Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 20:57:22 -0700 To: velazquez@rehu.ucl.ac.be From: CyberBrook Subject: Re: Clinton on Clinton? In-Reply-To: Remy, I don't disagree with you at all and your tone is appropriate. I sent those quotes to demonstrate yet another hypocrisy/Clintradiction of the U.S. president. There are so many Clinton hypocrisies, flip-flops, and double standards and I find myself sometimes obsessed with them. I, too, think Clinton should be removed from office, but not becuase of his sex life or his lying about his sex life. I, too, look at the political and am disgusted by his policies on welfare (individual and corporate), civil rights, the military, gay rights/liberation, healthcare, global trade agreements, the IMF, etc., etc. It is for these political reasons, not the personal ones (which are nevertheless very unappealing), that he should be removed from office. At 18-09-98, Remy Velazquez wrote: >>> "Yes, the president should resign. He has lied to the American people, >>> time and time again, and betrayed their trust. He is no longer an >>> effective leader. Since he has admitted guilt, there is no reason to >>> put the American people through an impeachment. He will serve >>> absolutely no purpose in finishing out his term, the only possible >>> solution is for the president to save some dignity and resign." >>> -- Bill Clinton, 1974 commenting on President Nixon. >>> >>>"It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." - >>Alfred Adler > >First, I'd like to say that I really do not understand all this fuss around >the Clinton's penis, from my european perspective. The President of the USA >is an unfaithful husband... SO WHAT ? Who cares ? Don't you think that >every people has an absolute right to privacy ? Don't you think that there >must be a non-crossing line between public and private sphere ? The only >good answer that Clinton should have been able to give is "this is not your >business". The Lewinsky "scandal" is not that he lied, but that some people >have the right to question him on his intimacy, within a trial even not >connected whith M. Lewinsky. >I think that it is very dangerous in any state when borders between >religion, morals, justice and politic become so blurred. > >Second, I'd like to answer to the post of Cyberbrook. This is absolutely >the twilight zone for me... : how is it possible to compare the sex affairs >of two adults (which is nobody's business) with all the *political* and >*illegaly conducted* (from the presidential function perspective) dark >affairs that had lead Nixon to resign ? Nixon cheated with the laws and the >legal rules which he was submitted, as a president. Clinton has done things >that make the sense of morality of some Americans a bit upset. Totally >different things. Totalyy different "principles". > >To be clear : I don't like Clinton's politic, but when I judge his way to >use his presidential powers, I never think about his "sexual morality" but >rather about Irak children or homeless Americans. THIS is political. > >(apologies to Cyberbrook for the tone of my post... all this fuss around >that silly story is so crazy...) > >_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ >Rémy Velazquez > >Université catholique de Louvain Tel: (+32)(0)10/47.85.22 >IAG/REHU (+32)(0)95/79.34.22 >Place des Doyens, 1 Fax: (+32)(0)10/47.83.24 >1348 Louvain-la-Neuve >Belgium > >"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and >a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." > E.B. White >_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From Patrick.Krueger@Colorado.EDU Sat Sep 19 11:35:55 1998 Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 11:35:46 -0600 (MDT) From: Krueger To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: The public doesn't care? In-Reply-To: That sounds nice in theory, but I don't think that this is just a matter of the republicans trying to convince the public that this is a significant event. Judging by the massive load of of people looking up the starr report on the internet the day it was released, the public is all ready interested in the matter. It seems to me that there is a sort of rift in the public conciousness; one half of the "them" want the media to quit pushing the Presidents "private" and salacious news into their faces, and the other half ran out to buy the starr report in the local paper and look it up on the internet. As for attempting to try this case in the media, I think the republicans would like nothing more than the opposite: they want an outcome that appears as objective and bi-partisan as possible, to keep their profile as neat as possible. With the elections in the near future, the last thing they want to do is sully thier immage by mud slinging, (Good ol' BC looks like enough of an ass with little help from anyone else now). As for the release of the Starr video, I believe that a bi-partisan decided almost unanimously to release it (face it, the democrats want to appear as objective as possibe; the last thing they want to do is pledge possible allegence to a sinking ship, but neither do they want to jump overboard if the damned thing still floats). PMK On Fri, 18 Sep 1998, Andrew Wayne Austin wrote: > > The part of this whole mess that I cannot figure out why the media is not > discussing is how the Republicans are walking all over the US justice > system. No charges have been developed by the House - they haven't even > decided what is an impeachable offense - and yet all the evidence is being > thrown out to the public. The Republicans are seeking to try this case in > the media, in the court of public opinion, in violation of the very basis > of our legal culture. Clearly, their strategy of releasing the Starr > report backfired in getting the public's back all up over this, and so > here comes more of the evidence to try again. If this doesn't work they > will try again. You see, despite how much the Republicans say that public > opinion doesn't matter to them, that this is a matter of statesmanship, > they really must have the public behind them because they have no real > case to pursue. In order to manufacture an illusion of the magnitude > necessary to drive the president from his office they need the public to > be willing, like the participants at a magic show, to go along with the > trick, to suspend their disbelief, and applaud the deftness of the > Republican sleight-of-hand. > > Andy > From stf@anasift.com Sat Sep 19 11:54:57 1998 Sat, 19 Sep 1998 10:54:46 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 11:00:06 -0700 From: Jing Zhao To: gimenez@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Re: The timing of the Starr report, tape, etc. Hello, all members, As for the timing, I read a Japanese newspaper discussing this consideration at the beginning. However, can Gore be elected the second term? or even the first term? In the Confusion culture, political figures would resign once such scandals are published. Jing Zhao US-Japan-China Comparative Policy Research Institute http://members.tripod.com/~cpri Martha Gimenez wrote: > Dear PSNers, > > In the program 60 Minutes, last Sunday, somebody brought up the following > interesting information: it seems there is a rule according to which, if > the vicepresident takes over the presidency for more than two years, he > will be disqualified to run for president in the following elections. In > this case, as President Clinton started on January 20th, if he is > impeached and the vicepresident becomes president before January 20th, he > will be automatically out of the presidential race. This makes me think > that the timing of this mess is something to ponder about. And I wonder > why, if this is true, nobody talks or writes about it. But maybe I missed > the articles or programs where it has been debated for I dont have the > time to read a lot these days or watch the tube. Does anyone know more > about it? Did anyone else see that program and remember this point and its > precise legal grounds? Have I imagined it :) or is this another case of > media "amnesia"? > > Martha From dlmprice@erols.com Sun Sep 20 08:14:50 1998 Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 10:12:15 +0000 From: Derek and Lori Price Reply-To: dlmprice@erols.com To: Progressive Sociology Network Subject: Re: Asa and race Initiative Although I agree with much of Steve's underlying (yet unstated) critique, in his follow-up post on capitalist factions and cultural "norms", of the complicity of ASA with a symbolic panel on race, which has more to do with shoring up political support for the Democratic Party of national organizations like the NAACP and La Raza, I would like to address the role of ASA regarding the report's findings. As I perused the web yesterday, it seemed that the report intoned that "America must come to grip with its historical system of white privilege." Yes, the details are cliche, and there is likely no systemic or structural critiqe linking this racial hierarchy to capitalism and sexism; however, the idea of "white privilege" is important enough for the Marxist section to have a panel at the ASA last month. Some important points were made, much of which centered around class issues and the fact that white privilege does not have a noticable economic impact on working class and poor whites. It would seem that the contribution of the ASA on collecting information (albeit not without problems of exclusivity in terms of who participated) has positively influenced the language of the report. Does anyone think the idea of "white privilege" would be the key finding (sic) of the report without ASA's input? Perhaps the report should be discussed in more detail as the elements are made public. Admittedly, the role of ASA in compiling certain studies and excluding others, and of the complicity of ASA in "legitimating" (am I really saying this?) the Race Initiative, should be included in our discussion. Derek Price From dreiling@darkwing.uoregon.edu Mon Sep 21 13:15:23 1998 Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 12:15:01 -0700 From: Michael Dreiling To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Submissions for Labor and Environment Panel Hello folks, I am organizing a session on Labor and Environment for the Spring 1999 gathering of the Pacific Sociological Association in Portland, OR (April 15-18, 1999). Here is the call for papers/proposals. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: LABOR AND THE ENVIRONMENT This is a call for papers that address the social, ecological, and political relationships between labor and "the environment," and more specifically, between labor movements and environmental movements. As we witness a deepening crisis in the biosphere and the capitalist world system, it is increasingly apparent that the twofold interface of labor and ecology represents a site of both exploitation and socio-ecological conflict and change. The conflict-laden degradation of work and ecology produces social relations that are often contradictory in character, though possessing a potential for significant social change. In this panel, we hope to examine the following types of questions and topics: Under what conditions do the embedded relations between work and ecology become politically salient? What organizational (social movement) forms best apprehend those circumstances and facilitate the mobilization of communities in cross-movement alliances? What discursive tools facilitate the construction of common interests in labor and ecology, and/ or the recognition of common antagonists to healthy and sustainable workplaces and environments? In what ways do hegemonic institutions and actors undermine the political convergence of labor and environmentalism? In sum, we aim to include panelists whose work offers insights into the challenges posed by the capitalist economic equation of "jobs vs. the environment" as well as efforts by working class activists/unions and environmental activists/organizations/etc. to overcome those challenges. The ideal panel will include papers aimed at: major theoretical statements on the dilemmas alluded to above; papers offering a nice empirical account of conflict and cooperation between environmentalists and labor; papers bridging the political and social-ecological change implications of labor and environmental relations -- from class to ecology if you will. The deadline for submissions is October 15, 1998. Send all queries and materials to: Michael Dreiling Assistant Professor Editorial Associate, Organization and Environment Department of Sociology Phone: 541-346-5025 Fax: 541-346-5026 1291 University of Oregon Email: dreiling@darkwing.uoregon.edu Eugene, OR 97403-1291 Web: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~dreiling/ -- Michael Dreiling Assistant Professor Phone: 541-346-5025 Department of Sociology Fax: 541-346-5026 1291 University of Oregon Email: dreiling@darkwing.uoregon.edu Eugene, OR 97403-1291 Web: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~dreiling/ From velazquez@rehu.ucl.ac.be Mon Sep 21 08:31:27 1998 In-Reply-To: Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 16:36:03 +0000 To: dredmond@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU From: Remy Velazquez Subject: Re: some prospects (2) : one more parallel >On Wed, 16 Sep 1998, Remy Velazquez wrote: > >> Russia was the heart of a dislocated empire, the Soviet Union. >> Aren't you thinking of an other and very close situation ? Germany. > >Hmm, well, the old Soviet Union was never a global semi-periphery, the way >Wilhelmine Germany was; the USSR specialized in energy, raw materials, >mining, that sort of thing, so the analogy might not work there (they were >and are a true periphery, and not a semi-periphery). However, USSR was a very industrialized and technologycally advanced country... I don't really understand why you see it as a periphery. Nowadays, of course, it's economically dead. But it seems to me that in both cases there is a destructed but previously powerful industry, and, more important, all the competencies (scientifics, engineers, bureaucrats...) to rebuild it under an authoritative state. Russians remember the "other superpower", the space race, the Empire... and feel treated like a Third-World country, by "magnanimous" but scornful West. Or, it's what I heard by friends who were working there till 2 months ago. >But there >are some really striking parallels with the Asian meltdown and Depression >Germany; countries like Korea, Malaysia, etc. are indeed semi-peripheries, >they make parts and cheap manufactured goods for US, European and Japanese >multis, and they're being squeezed by the same crisis of manic monetarism >and overaccumulation which stomped Central Europe in the Twenties. And >there's no denying that the Asian meltdown is turning into a global >recession, or that the social potential is there for hideous neofascisms >which will make the Third Reich look like a bunch of choir boys. Maybe this parallel is more correct, economically speaking at least. But I wouldn't underestimate the power of the loss of this feeling of "grandeur" and the angry feed by humiliations (or what is felt like that). Anyway.... hard time. _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Rémy Velazquez Université catholique de Louvain Tel: (+32)(0)10/47.85.22 IAG/REHU (+32)(0)95/79.34.22 Place des Doyens, 1 Fax: (+32)(0)10/47.83.24 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From dredmond@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU Mon Sep 21 21:37:38 1998 Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 20:37:26 -0700 (PDT) From: Dennis R Redmond Subject: Re: some prospects (2) : one more parallel In-reply-to: To: psn@csf.colorado.edu On Mon, 21 Sep 1998, Remy Velazquez wrote: > However, USSR was a very industrialized and technologycally advanced > country... I don't really understand why you see it as a periphery. Technologically advanced compared to whom? Soviet industry was primarily oriented towards raw materials and energy, and never exported manufactured goods to any significant degree. This is totally unlike, say, the Visegrad countries of Europe, or Hong Kong and Singapore in the Sixties, all of which had long traditions of domestic capital accumulation and participation in the world-market -- and consequently moved quickly to protect domestic industry after the 1991-93 collapse, via protectionism, tough bargaining with multinationals, and changing their export markets from COMECON to the EU. The Soviet military did indeed have some leading-edge technology, and the Russian aviation and space industries are potential export-stars, but far from building on these strengths, the Yeltsin elite has done nothing but pillage the place blind while piling on Latin American-style debts. In the age of global capitalism, even peripheries (a.k.a. neocolonies) are relatively industrialized. -- Dennis From tr@tryoung.com Tue Sep 22 05:46:25 1998 (usr-mtp-68.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.68]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 07:42:28 -0400 To: ahs-talk@ncsu.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: Social Control In America social-class@listserv.uic.edu, psn-special@csf.colorado.edu The USA, reputedly oriented to personal freedom, has more social control systems and devotes more of its national income to staffing and running these systems of social control than any other country in the world or in human history. Other social control systems have been more effective and others have been cruel beyond belief but no society in history has the control apparatus in place as extensive and as expensive as does the USA. ....not even the defunct Soviet Union. For an overview of eight major control systems in the USA, visit: No. 120 THE SOCIAL LOCATION OF JUSTICE IN AMERICA at http://www.tryoung.com/archives/120l-jus.htm Brief Summary of highlights from the paper: 1. Justice systems vary with race, class and gender. This variation tends to reproduce the structures of power and privilege. See Diagram I. 2. The two largest and more punitive systems; private security and the criminal justice system focus upon the working poor and the permanent underclass. 3. The Black community is subject to more repressive justice than is any other sector of society. See Diagram IV 4. Women are policed more by social workers, therapists and physicians or psychiatrists. This keeps women at home doing unpaid domestic service and childcare duties. Males are policed by the C.J.S. and, increasingly, by high-tech tactics. See Diagram III 5. Corporate crime is the most dangerous form of crime and the most lightly controlled. See Diagram II 6. The Medical Justice System exculpates and protects middle class Criminals from the C.J.S. 7. Peer Review Systems protect and exculpate professional groups from the C.J.S. 8. The Administrative Justice System embodies what little concern for the common good remains as citizens' groups are able to force through the law­making institutions. 9. In times of economic crisis, retributive justice increases and distributive justice decreases. The costs of all forms of social control increase during economic crisis. 10. The Private Justice System develops to provide private corporations more private control over rule­making, enforcing, adjudication and punishment. 11. The civil justice (tort) system develops to provide some justice in a society marked by conflict relations. As conflict increases, the C.T.S. tends to increase. 12. The Religious Justice System is often inimical to the privileges of power and wealth. It is declining except among the working poor. 13. The Military Justice System is an adjunct to the C.J.S. The M.J.S. controls the young men, mostly minority, who are forced into the military by the wage labor market. 14. There is a slow trend for the Medical Justice System to appropriate the middle class participants in organized production and distribution of vice to its own paradigm of illness. 15. Justice in American is bought, in significant measure, by the great injustices built into the world capitalist system. We buy our very real, very important freedoms and social justice at the expense of the poorest, more oppressed peoples in the world. TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From dave.byrne@durham.ac.uk Tue Sep 22 08:54:31 1998 From: "Dave Byrne" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Cities of Health: Request for information Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 15:53:59 +0100 charset="iso-8859-1" This is a request for information about the significance of health care as a source of employment and economic activity in US and Canadian cities. I am currently putting together data on the significance of hospitals as employment locales in UK cities where they are characteristically now the largest sites of unionized employment and would appreciate any references and / or pointers to data sources which would give me a comparative fix. Any European or antipodean sources also appreciated. Ta, David Byrne Dept of Sociology and Social Policy University of Durham Durham DH1 3JT 0191-374-2319 0192-374-4743 (fax) From davidredmon@hotmail.com Tue Sep 22 13:24:15 1998 X-Originating-IP: [169.226.27.123] From: "David Redmon" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, dredmond@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU Subject: Re: some prospects (2) : one more parallel Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 12:24:01 PDT Hello. I have a question. I'm currently reading The Capitalist World Economy, and I don't believe Wallerstein defines periphery, semiperiphery, and core. Although he does give characteristics of each within certain historical epochs, I'm not satisfied with characteristics, esp if characteristics change. Do per. semiper, and core countries change as each stage of the development of the world economy changes? If I'm wrong, and he does define them, could someone point out on which page they are defined? If not, can someone define them and help me better understand them? David >On Mon, 21 Sep 1998, Remy Velazquez wrote: > >> However, USSR was a very industrialized and technologycally advanced >> country... I don't really understand why you see it as a periphery. > >Technologically advanced compared to whom? Soviet industry was primarily >oriented towards raw materials and energy, and never exported manufactured >goods to any significant degree. This is totally unlike, say, the Visegrad >countries of Europe, or Hong Kong and Singapore in the Sixties, all of >which had long traditions of domestic capital accumulation and >participation in the world-market -- and consequently moved quickly to >protect domestic industry after the 1991-93 collapse, via protectionism, >tough bargaining with multinationals, and changing their export markets >from COMECON to the EU. The Soviet military did indeed have some >leading-edge technology, and the Russian aviation and space >industries are potential export-stars, but far from building on these >strengths, the Yeltsin elite has done nothing but pillage the place blind >while piling on Latin American-style debts. In the age of global >capitalism, even peripheries (a.k.a. neocolonies) are relatively >industrialized. > >-- Dennis ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com From brook@california.com Tue Sep 22 13:31:34 1998 Tue, 22 Sep 1998 12:20:27 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 12:15:33 -0700 To: brook@california.com From: CyberBrook Subject: Only Corporations Escape Responsibility Published: Tuesday, September 22, 1998 Only corporations escape responsibility David Morris No one should be above the law, our politicians insist. If the president is lying, he should be stripped of office. Drug users should be stripped of their possessions and their livelihoods. Murderers should suffer the ultimate punishment -- death. Only one entity is exempted from this firm principle that criminals should be punished for their criminal behavior: the corporation. It is an odd exception. After all, corporations can wield power and wreak damage a million times greater than can an individual. Yet today a corporation found guilty of the most heinous crime usually pleads ``nolo contendere,'' which means it admits no guilt, pays a trivial fine and promises not to commit the crime again. If only the president could incorporate himself, he'd be home free. Corporations were not always treated so indulgently. When the corporate form was invented in the 18th century, its proponents realized they had created a potential monster. The introduction of limited liability meant owners were no longer responsible for the actions of their businesses. This posed a dilemma. For as Edward, Lord Chancellor of England, said at the time, ``Did you ever expect a corporation to have a conscience, when it has no soul to be damned and no body to be kicked?'' Jonathan Rowe, writing in the Washington Monthly, observes, ``Individual responsibility is a bedrock principle of the common law tradition. . . . To compromise this principle, something had to be given in return; specifically the enterprise that gained this exemption had to serve the public in concrete ways.'' The vehicle for curbing the amoral power of corporations was the state charter. In return for awarding the corporation the privilege of limited liability, states charters limited the number of business endeavors a given corporation could engage in. Restrictions on size were common. As late as 1903 almost half the states limited the duration of corporate charters to 20-50 years. And if corporations did not live up to their responsibilities, legislatures revoked their charters. But by the turn of this century, a combination of juridical and legislative mischief eliminated virtually any curbs on corporate power. The Supreme Court declared corporations to be persons, thereby giving them the same constitutional protections as natural persons. State charters were changed to allow corporations not only limited liability but unlimited life and size and reach. Today corporations dominate national and state economies. Indeed, Congress seems ready to eliminate even the weak remaining tools society has to curb corporate power, like hefty fines imposed by juries in civil suits. But at the grass-roots level, anger at corporate misconduct has given rise to renewed interest in the policies adopted by legislatures in the 19th century. Educated by people like Richard Grossman, co-director of the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy in Boston, and Jane Anne Morris (no relation to this writer), head of Democracy Unlimited in Madison, citizens are seeking to revive the use of state charters as a tool to curb corporate power. Their proposal? States should dissolve criminal corporations, in effect imposing capital punishment on these unnatural persons. This proposal has begun to find an audience. In April, New York Attorney General Dennis Vacco petitioned a state court to dissolve the Council for Tobacco Research and the Tobacco Institute. He accuses the two organizations of defrauding consumers by posing as non profit research and information organizations while actually promoting smoking. This month, about two dozen environmental, human rights and women's rights groups submitted a petition to California's Attorney General Dan Lundgren asking him to shut down the oil giant Unocal by revoking its charter. The charges include ``environmental devastation . . . deception of shareholders, usurpation of political power . . . complicity of human rights violations.'' ``The people mistakenly assume that we have to try to control these giant corporate repeat offenders one toxic spill at a time, one layoff at a time, one human rights violation at a time,'' says Loyola University law professor Robert Benson, who is acting as the coalition's lead attorney. ``But the law has always allowed the attorney general to go to court to simply dissolve a corporation for wrongdoing and sell its assets to others who will operate in the public interest.'' It's doubtful that Lundgren, who is running for governor, will act on the petition. He strongly supports the death penalty and firmly believes anyone convicted of three crimes should be sentenced to life in prison. But when it comes to unnatural persons like corporations, well, I suspect that Dan Lundgren will suddenly become soft on crime. Morris, a local author, lecturer and consultant, can be reached at 1313 Fifth St. S.E., Suite 306, Minneapolis, Minn. 55414 or at dmorris@ilsr.org . ©1998 PioneerPlanet / St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press - All Rights Reserved From thall@DEPAUW.EDU Tue Sep 22 14:31:23 1998 Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 15:31:02 -0500 (EST) From: "Thomas D. [Tom] Hall, THALL@DEPAUW.EDU" Subject: Black perspective on civil rights in Britain in 60s To: Sociology Network Progressive I have student who want to examine the Civil Rights movement in Britain in the late 1960s. He is having trouble finding any Black perspectives, from Britain, on this. I know there are some, but am drawing a blank from quick searches of my own bib files. A couple of good references would be much appreciated. As always, send replies directly to me, I will compile the replies and post a summary & bib to the group. in advance thanks, tom Thomas D. [tom] Hall thall@depauw.edu Department of Sociology DePauw University 100 Center Street Greencastle, IN 46135 765-658-4519 HOME PAGE: http://www.depauw.edu/~thall/hp1.htm From dbryan@emerald.tufts.edu Tue Sep 22 09:46:37 1998 22 Sep 1998 11:45:59 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 11:45:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Dale Bryan Subject: SM history To: PSN@csf.colorado.edu PSNer's: I would like to know the origins of the notion or phrase, "cause", when referring to social movement activists' efforts toward some social issue problem/injustice, etc. It is so commonplace, and used in so many contexts, I wonder what it may have first meant or indicated. One concern I have with it is the way it serves as a short hand and signals uncertain meanings. Clearly it can be used in a pejorative manner, as if activists/adherents are somehow less legitimate political actors. Even for adherents, it has an emotional and/or ideological currency that is often unclear. For students/interns -- with whom I work directly -- this is often the case, and for some it seems like it has mystifying effects. Any sources or ideas on this? For peace and justice, Dale Bryan __________________________________________________________________ Program Coordinator Experiential Learning Coordinator Peace and Justice Studies Center for Interdisciplinary Studies 109 Eaton Hall, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 phone: 617-627-2261 fax: 617-627-3032 email: http://www.jumbohub.com/pjs From spectors@netnitco.net Tue Sep 22 18:40:40 1998 Tue, 22 Sep 1998 19:38:47 -0500 (CDT) From: "spectors" To: Subject: Re: Black perspective on civil rights in Britain in 60s Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 19:01:13 -0500 charset="iso-8859-1" The Institute for Race Relations is a multi-racial research organization that has put out the journal Race and Class for many years. I am not sure of their current address, (used to be 2-6 Leeke Street, King's Cross Road, London WC1X 9HS England, UK ) I am sure that they can help you. They have put out a number of short picture books on the history of racism in Britain. Good luck, Alan Spector ======================================= -----Original Message----- From: Thomas D. [Tom] Hall, THALL@DEPAUW.EDU To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Tuesday, September 22, 1998 4:43 PM Subject: Black perspective on civil rights in Britain in 60s I have student who want to examine the Civil Rights movement in Britain in the late 1960s. He is having trouble finding any Black perspectives, from Britain, on this. I know there are some, but am drawing a blank from quick searches of my own bib files. A couple of good references would be much appreciated. As always, send replies directly to me, I will compile the replies and post a summary & bib to the group. in advance thanks, tom Thomas D. [tom] Hall thall@depauw.edu Department of Sociology DePauw University 100 Center Street Greencastle, IN 46135 765-658-4519 HOME PAGE: http://www.depauw.edu/~thall/hp1.htm From RHolt1234@aol.com Wed Sep 23 11:25:01 1998 From: RHolt1234@aol.com Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 13:24:48 EDT To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: James Galbraith on-line Seminar on Inequality Seminar on Created Unequal with James K. Galbraith Jamie Galbraith online in a pkt (post Keynesian thought) Seminar October 26 to November 2, 1998. Welcome is the latest of a series of on-line seminars conducted under csf and pkt-seminars. Our current seminar features James Galbraith, author of Created Unequal. See what the critics have said about his book: >From The Kirkus Reviews, May 26, 1998 "A tour de force by an economist not so handicapped by theoretical orthodoxy that clear thinking is impossible. Economist Galbraith's (Univ. of Texas, Austin) central concern is America's growing inequality... At the core of the contemporary less-than-full-employment strategy, Galbraith argues, is the Federal Reserve's anti-inflation campaign. While many commitments are necessary to maintain full employment, maintenance of low, stable interest rates is fundamental, and as long as the Fed sees interest rates as a weapon in the war against inflation, full employment will be sacrificed..." The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Joanne B. Ciulla "Created Equal is not light reading, but Galbraith's elegant arguments, passionate expostion and profound conclusions make it worth the trouble." If you would like to subscribe to this seminar, please send your request to: listproc@csf.colorado.edu In the body of the message type: subscribe pkt-seminars Yourfirstname Yourlastname You can also subscribe through the seminar web page: http://csf.colorado.edu/pkt/doug.html The seminar is open for subscriptions now but no mail will be distributed until Monday, October 26, 1998. You may purchase a copy of the book via our website at: http://csf.colorado.edu/pkt/Book_order.html If you have any questions about the seminar, please write to Ric Holt e-mail: rholt@sou.edu or Gary Langer e-mail: glanger@interaccess.com. From CDFUPDATE@childrensdefense.org Fri Sep 18 18:28:05 1998 Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 17:07:12 -0400 From: "CDFupdate CDFupdate" To: CDFupdate@automailer.com Subject: CDF update September 18, 1998 Sender: owner-cdfupdate@automailer.com Children's Defense Fund Update September 18, 1998 In This Issue: -- Youth Violence Legislation -- Minimum Wage -- Adoption and Safe Families Act -- New Report from CDF: "Healing the Whole Family" -- Youth Violence Legislation -- Congress passes controversial and misguided juvenile crime package: URGENT ACTION NEEDED In June, the Senate passed S. 2073, a simple, bi-partisan bill, funding programs for vulnerable youth under the Missing and Exploited Children and Runaway and Homeless Youth Acts. But when S. 2073 came to the House floor this week, the House leadership substituted controversial provisions from two juvenile crime bills, H.R. 3 and H.R. 1818, for S. 2073. Now, the House juvenile crime package is set to go to conference with the Senate's S. 2073 to produce a final compromise bill. What's especially troubling is that in the conference between the bills, it is very likely that there will be an attempt to add some provisions from the latest version of the Senate juvenile crime bill, S. 10, even though S. 10 hasn't passed the Senate. S.10 includes many threats to children and has been held up in the Senate for over a year due to continuing controversy. Ultimately, a final juvenile crime bill that contains misguided and even dangerous provisions for children and communities could be rushed through the conference and be sent to the president for signature. If these three bills are combined without major changes, children could be at serious risk: - More children could be put in adult jails -- even truants and runaways -- with inadequate protections from adult inmates. Children in adult jails are 8 times more likely to commit suicide and 5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. - States could be forced to move more children into adult courts and to open records for more children. Juvenile justice principles -- that treat each child as an individual, and strive for a balance of rehabilitation and accountability -- will be undermined. - Punishment would receive significantly more funding than prevention. Proposed prevention funds are $50 or $100 million -- compared to $450 and $500 million for punishment. - Nothing would be done to prevent the gun violence that kills 14 children each and every day. **ACTION: Call your Senators TODAY at 202-224-3121! Urge them to reject these misguided and dangerous juvenile crime bills. Ask for their support to protect children from adult jails and significantly invest in prevention From slayman@2nature.org Fri Sep 18 11:30:08 1998 From: "Stephen Layman" To: "EFS Announcements" Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 13:29:12 -0400 Subject: Workshop on Education for Sustainability - Second Nature Boundary="0__=3mQyaQlpTt6NPYz8T29MosHnSg00ONTn4dbs0MPv4QZnVFrLvcMm6sjw" --0__=3mQyaQlpTt6NPYz8T29MosHnSg00ONTn4dbs0MPv4QZnVFrLvcMm6sjw ** apologies for cross-postings ** Further information is available on the Second Nature website < http://www.2nature.org >. SECOND NATURE Regional Workshops & On-site Clinics Presents Southeast Regional Workshop on Education for Sustainability November 6-8, 1998 Heifer Ranch Perryville, Arkansas Second Nature invites you to attend our 1998 Southeast Regional Workshop on Education for Sustainability. The focus of this workshop is on connecting curriculum development to campus sustainability initiatives. Curriculum can be an effective leverage point for transforming colleges and universities into an environment where students learn skills, knowledge and values to live and work in an environmentally sustainable and just manner. During this workshop, you will have the opportunity to: * deepen your understanding of sustainability and the role of higher education in helping society become more sustainable * learn about tools, techniques and resources to help you develop and implement sustainability activities on your campus * gain perspective on how your efforts connect with work that is currently being done at your institution, in the region and in the larger Education for Sustainability movement * make connections with colleagues from other institutions * develop a plan of action for when you return to your institution Workshop Format and Approach This workshop will help you enhance your skills and knowledge in many different areas of sustainability education. In addition to the content that is covered, the design of the workshop and specific exercises model the processes that can facilitate promoting sustainability through higher education. Because we believe that there are no --0__=3mQyaQlpTt6NPYz8T29MosHnSg00ONTn4dbs0MPv4QZnVFrLvcMm6sjw ?experts? as yet in the EFS movement, we create formal opportunities for you to share successe= ss and challenges that can help us move forward in our efforts. The setting is also an important component of the regional workshop. = We have selected a conference center that will enhance the overall learni= ng experience by allowing us to utilize the natural environment as part o= f the workshop. The accommodations are simple yet sufficient. These facilities promote provocative dialogue as well as quiet reflection. Who Should Attend This workshop is targeted to individuals from the higher education community who are interested in incorporating sustainability into curriculum and across campuses. We strongly encourage the participati= on of interdisciplinary teams of three or four people. Workshop Location Heifer Ranch Route 2, Box 33 Perryville, Arkansas 72126-9695 Tel: 501/889-5124 = Fax: 501/889-5124 The Heifer Ranch is a nonprofit, 1,100 acre facility located in the Ouachita Mountain Range of western Arkansas. As well as providing conference services, the Ranch serves as a hands-on campus for educati= onal activities that model sustainable and organic agriculture. It is loca= ted 42 miles northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas on U.S. Highway 10 near Perryville, Arkansas. For a fee, the Ranch will provide transportatio= n from Little Rock National Airport, bus or train stations. For information, call 501/889-5124. Rooming will be double occupancy or m= ore. Workshop Fees Registration fees are $450 each for individuals and $400 each for team= s of two or more individuals. Fees include all workshop presentations, activities, materials and meals plus three nights lodging: Thursday, Friday and Saturday November 5-7. Please note that if you are with a = team of three or four people and willing to sleep in bunk beds, the registration fee would be reduced to $375 per person! How to Register To ensure the quality of your experience, workshop enrollment is limit= ed. Registration requests received after Thursday, October 1, 1998 will be= accepted based on availability. Reserve your space now! Complete the= attached form and mail with payment in full to: Second Nature Attention: Southeast Regional Workshop 44 Bromfield Street, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02108?4909 Comments from previous workshops: ?This workshop has extended my lifelong learning goals. It has opened= my mind to new and exciting vistas. Thank you.? Dr. Michael Hubbard, Meharry Medical School, ?97 Southeast Regional Workshop participant ?Most useful things: meeting some wonderful people, making some terrif= ic new contacts, being exposed to presentations by first-rate experts, an= d being energized by all of them to renew and redouble my own efforts.? Dr. Jim Norwine, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, ?98 West Regional Workshop participant About Second Nature Second Nature is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing human= and environmental well-being through learning. Our purpose is to increase= institutional and individual capacity to make environmentally just and= sustainable living a central part of the educational experience at colleges and universities. For more information on Second Nature prog= rams and services, please visit http://www.2nature.org or call (617) 292-77= 71 extension 131. = --0__=3mQyaQlpTt6NPYz8T29MosHnSg00ONTn4dbs0MPv4QZnVFrLvcMm6sjw-- From jipsonaj@muohio.edu Wed Sep 23 12:35:08 1998 Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 14:38:12 -0500 To: ahs-talk@ncsu.edu, etracy@bgnet.bgsu.edu, Patrick McGuire , p.becker@morehead-st.edu, psn@csf.colorado.edu, Alan Bruce , Chad Litton From: Art Jipson Subject: Call for papers Please forward to interested colleagues: Call for papers on the Sociology of the Internet The Midwest Sociological Society meetings, Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 8-11, 1999. Papers dealing with empirical studies, analysis of patterns of use, organization, and Internet culture, and analysis of the sociological significance of computer-mediated communication are especially welcome. Please send paper title, abstract, contact information, and any display equipment needs by October 5th to: Art Jipson Department of Sociology, Gerontology, and Anthropology Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056 513-529-2637 (O) 513-529-8525 (F) jipsonaj@muohio.edu Art Jipson Department of Sociology, Gerontology, and Anthropology Upham Hall, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 513-529-2637 (o) 513-529-8525 (f) jipsonaj@muohio.edu (e) 513-523-7604 (home) Me: http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~ajjipson Connells: http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~ajjipson/connells.htmlx -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Wishes, I suppose, mean nothing when they're tossed away... -M Connell From velazquez@rehu.ucl.ac.be Thu Sep 24 09:26:40 1998 Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 17:31:32 +0000 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, social-movements@wit.ie From: Remy Velazquez Subject: Semira Adamu Tuesday a young woman, Semira Adamu, was killed by belgian policemen. She was an refugee candidate, held in an refugees' special center (basically a prison). When her application was refused, policemen took her to a plane back to Africa. To prevent her to move, she was totally fastened (legs, harms). To prevent her to scream, they pressed a pillow on her face. She was beaten. This is routine. She died of suffocation because of the pillow. I am sad and ashamed of my country. This is barbarism. If you want to express your indignation to belgian authorities here is some possibilities : Minister responsible for police: Louis Tobback fax : intl code + 32 2 219.79.30 e-mail : henri.maes@mibz.fgov.be Socialist Party e-mail (party of Louis Tobback) : info@sp.be Thank you. _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Rémy Velazquez Université catholique de Louvain Tel: (+32)(0)10/47.85.22 IAG/REHU (+32)(0)95/79.34.22 Place des Doyens, 1 Fax: (+32)(0)10/47.83.24 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Thu Sep 24 16:36:11 1998 Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 17:35:58 -0500 From: Alan Spector Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK , "ahs-talk@listserv.ncsu.edu" , WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK , revs@csf.colorado.edu Subject: More biological determinism nonsense Note from Alan Spector: To PSN, WSN, REVS and AHS, with apologies to those who are on more than one of these list and will receive duplicates---I found the following posting on another e-mail network (yes, I do have a life away from the computer screen...) and I thought it was relevant to interests expressed on all three lists. If the tone of the posting seems a bit "negative" and/or sarcastic, keep in mind the genocidal, "negative" impact on Jews and others, the last time biological determinism became a dominant ideological force in a country torn by alienation, with its population split between nihilistically denying all and embracing live-for-the moment decadence and ultra-relativist theory in the face of massive social crisis and those who dogmatically reached for dangerous forms of mystical spiritualism along with its pseudo-opposite, pseudo-science, both of which provide "easy" answers to relieve the pain of confronting massive social crisis. I'm referring, of course, to Nazi culture and philosophy, with some unsettling parallels to intellectual currents today (post-modernism, political fundamentalist religion & biological determinism). Here comes the repost-(feel free to repost elsewhere): ---------------------------------------------------- The Sept. 18 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article "Are Human Behavior and Culture Products of Our Biology?" Featuring a photo of E.O. Wilson, the article reports on the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, an offshoot of the American Political Science Association that recently met in Boston. Wilson gave the keynote address, calling for the biologization of the social sciences that this conference represented. James Q. Wilson, co-author with Richard Herrnstein of "Crime and Human Nature" back in the mid-1980s, told the conference that biologically evolved behavior has three characteristics: "It should be found in all human cultures, it should serve a useful purpose, and it should be inherited." The article went on to describe several examples of the application of work inspired by E.O. Wilson's call for "Consilience." The first example was research by U. of Georgia ecology professor Patricia Adair Gowaty. Based on study of animal sexual behavior, she asserted that women who are dependent on men would have extramarital affairs with men who could provide better resources. Women with more resources, that is, "competent or lucky women," are more likely to have affairs with men who "turn them on." Men married to such women are more likely to have affairs themselves, because their wives are self-reliant. What brilliant research! But you ain't heard nothin' yet! Two researchers, Neil I. Wiener and Christian G. Mesquida, at York University in Toronto, studied 153 countries and concluded that those with large proportions of young males aged 15 to 29 have suffered more deaths in wars. More youthful males means more collective aggression, which at its biological core comes from competition for women to mate with. So that is what Rwanda and Yugoslavia are all about! EO Wilson is such a great inspiration! Finally, it turns out that these scientific geniuses have discovered that democracy is impossible. Humans generally cannot make conscious rational decisions, because unconscious parts of the brain rrespond more quickly. And they have discovered members of the House of Representatives who wear beards are more liberal than those who are clean shaven. That is because liberals are more maternal, while conservatives are more paternal, and liberals grow beards to remind voters that they really are males. But the same pattern doesn't hold for the Senate, where no one, liberal or conservative, wears a beard. It is hard to find words to describe this pathetic pseudo-science. The only thing I can think of to say is we should respect our fascist academic enemies strategically, but despise them tactically. Their rump gathering of sociobiological wannabes certainly belong together with Bill and Monica, fashioning stupid explanations for why degenerate presidents have tawdry affairs and why capitalism produces genocidal wars. In the same issue of The Chronicle, by the way, there is a back page article by Bruce Robbins, editor of Social Text, discussing the disciplinary imperialism of the consilient sociobiologists and the relativist postmodernists. It is mainly a liberal call for live and let live. We must step up our organizing against these fascists. Even the stupidist biological determinists and postmodernists can flourish if we do not organize against them. -------------------- end of repost -------------------- From erics@intergate.bc.ca Fri Sep 25 02:01:50 1998 Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 01:01:13 -0700 (PDT) To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK From: erics@intergate.bc.ca (Eric Sommer) Subject: Global: 150 million unemployed >150 million jobless, global study says >New York Times > >GENEVA -- At least 150 million people worldwide >are jobless, and this number is expected to rise >by millions before the end of the year, the >International Labor Organization said Wednesday. >At least 10 million people have joined the >unemployed this year because of the financial >crisis in Asia, the ILO said in issuing its World >Employment Report, 1998-99. > >By year's end, as many as 12 million more could be >unemployed, mostly in Asia, said Rashid Amjad, the >report's author. The newly released global jobless >numbers are up substantially from the previous ILO >compilation in 1996-97, which listed 128 million >jobless. > >Among the unemployed are an estimated 60 million >people between the ages of 15 and 24, who are >searching for work but cannot find it, said the >study by the ILO, a U.N. agency based in Geneva. >Only labor markets in the United States and, to a >lesser extent, the European Union, benefited from >economic growth in the first half of 1998, the >258-page report said. > >©1997 - 1998 Mercury Center. > > >--------------------------------------- >GLOBAL HOMELESS NETWORK: Providing current homeless and related news, >information and announcements for nonprofit research and educational >purposes, pursuant to: > > -TITLE 17 USC SEC. 107- >http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml > > ONLINE HOMELESS COMMUNICATIONS CENTER >http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=homelessness > > > > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > From tell@net.bluemoon.net Fri Sep 25 07:17:01 1998 Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 09:16:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Shawgi Tell To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: National: Racist Deportations of Jamaican and Other National Minority Residents This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. Send mail to mime@docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info. ---559023410-851401618-906728328=:583 A paper presented at the American Bar Association Conference in Toronto in August revealed that a disproportionately large number of Jamaicans resident in Ontario have been deported for being considered a "danger to the public." The paper cited statistics that since July 1995, out of a total of 355 people deported in Ontario, 138 were of Jamaican nationality. The next highest group of deportees were those of Trinidadian nationality, who numbered 22. Others deported included people from Somalia, El Salvador, Guyana and other places. It is clear that the racist Canadian state, its Department of Immigration, and courts are especially targeting those from Jamaica. These attacks against Jamaican and other national minorities have escalated within the context of the anti-social offensive in Ontario and across Canada. One of the aims of the anti-social offensive is to terrorize the working class and people and split them on a racist basis. People of Jamaican origin, whether born in Canada or abroad have been the target of racist attacks for a number of years in Toronto. Many came here in the 1960s and 1970s and were used as cheap labour in the factories, hospitals, etc. Even then a section of them, the "domestic workers," were denied proper wages, and any kind of social protection like health care and unemployment insurance. The situation is vastly different today. In a monopoly capitalist economy which is in deep crisis, many national minorities members of the working class, including a large number of Jamaican residents, are jobless and living hand-to-mouth. In the context of the anti-social offensive in which poverty has been criminalized, it can be seen why national minorities, and in this case, Jamaican residents in particular, have been especially targeted by the racist Canadian state. It is done to divert attention from an economic and political system which cannot provide for the vast majority of the people, and to focus attention on the victims of that system itself. In the last decade, there have been police shootings and killings of a number of national minority men, and in particular those of Jamaican nationality in Toronto, such as Wade Lawson and Albert Johnson. Youth of Jamaican nationality are regularly picked up and brutalized by the police, face racist abuse, and are held in detention in the most inhumane conditions. Last year, at the Metro West Detention Centre from July 13 to July 21, over 200 inmates went on hunger strike to protest the violation of their rights in jail. It has been said that a society can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. Based on the evidence of how national minorities are treated, it must be said that Canadian society is brutal and savage. It is overripe for renewal. The path which it is currently on is only going to expose this brutality and savagery even more. It is not the national minorities who are deported who are a "danger to the public." It is the Canadian state of the monopoly capitalists who are this "danger to the public." It would be an illusion to think that it is possible to tinker with the laws and make them more humane. If we do not change the monopoly capitalist state itself, the very source of these racist attacks, it will not be possible to end these affronts and indignities to people. TML, 9/24/98 Shawgi Tell Nazareth College of Rochester tell@net.bluemoon.net ---559023410-851401618-906728328=:583-- From jbandy@olc.edu Fri Sep 25 08:43:58 1998 Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 08:53:51 -0600 From: jbandy To: dreiling@darkwing.uoregon.edu Subject: Re: Submissions for Labor and Environment Panel Hi to all on the list: See below for an employment opportunity at Oglala Lakota College at Pine Ridge Reservation. Please pass along to relevant colleagues. OGLALA LAKOTA COLLEGE P.O. BOX 490 KYLE, S.D., 57752 Vacancy Announcement VA# 0385 Position : PSYCHOLOGY INSTRUCTOR Salary : Faculty Scale, dependent on training and experience Opening Date : Sept. 1998 Closing Date : Until Filled Starting Date : Jan. 7, 1999 *American Indian preference applies, re. OLC policy RESPONSIBILITIES: Individual will work in the Department of Human Development and Social Justice under the supervision of the Department Char. He/She will teach courses in Psychology and other areas as per qualifications, and will participate in the development of graduate courses/degree program. JOB DUTIES: 1.Teach twelve credit hours per semester. 2.Advise and mentor students. 3.Act as resource for Oglala Lakota College and communities at Pine Ridge Reservation. 4.Serve on college wide committees. 5.Incorporate the Lakota perspective into course curriculum. 6.Work with Adjunct Faculty as mentor/advisor. 7.Other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS: 1.Minimum of Ph.D. in Psychology or related field. 2.College level teaching experience. 3.Knowledge of tribal history, culture, philosophy, and language desirable. 4.Previous experience with Native Americans. 5.Native American preference. APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applicant must submit a complete Oglala Lakota College Application Form, a professional or work resume, and College Transcripts to the Personnel Director. Background checks are required of all applicants at the applicant's expense. Tribal members and/or veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces should include appropriate documentation. Applications with incomplete information will not be considered. To obtain applications or further information, call or write: Personnel Director; Oglala Lakota College; Box 490; Kyle, SD 57752; (605) 455-2321. For more information about the College, link to http://www.olc.edu/OLC.home.html From ticepc@email.uc.edu Fri Sep 25 17:28:11 1998 Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 19:30:55 -0400 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Pete Tice Subject: call for papers >Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 19:29:56 -0400 >To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu >From: Pete Tice >Subject: call for papers > >List, > >To those researching aspects of child and adolescent poverty I am soliciting submissions for the North Central Sociological Association annual meeting in Troy, Michigan beginning on April 15, 1999. The official Call for Papers is out next month. Those interested in presenting their research, please feel free to submit abstracts or papers for consideration to the following address. > >Take care, > >Pete > > >Peter Tice >Department of Sociology >PO Box 210378 >University of Cincinnati >Cincinnati, OH 45221-0378 > > >email: ticepc@email.uc.edu >phone: 513-556-4700 fax: 513-556-0057 From gimenez@csf.Colorado.EDU Mon Sep 28 13:20:39 1998 Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 13:20:30 -0600 (MDT) From: Martha Gimenez Reply-To: Martha Gimenez To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU, m-fem@csf.Colorado.EDU Subject: The Lost Weekend No, it is not a reference to a B & W 1940s film starring Robert Mitchum, Veronica Lake and a keg of whisky - this weekend the computer experienced a minor meltdown and the mail bounced. Please resubmit your messages and apologies for the inconvenience. Martha ********************************************** * Martha E. Gimenez * * Department of Sociology * * University of Colorado at Boulder * * http://csf.colorado.edu/gimenez/ * ********************************************** From e.swank@morehead-st.edu Mon Sep 28 12:34:02 1998 Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 14:33:37 -0400 (EDT) From: ERIC SWANK To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Tenure-track opening Dear PSNers, My university has a tenure-track opening, so I thought I would pass this along. Eric Swank Morehead State University Department of Sociology and Social Work Morehead, KY 40351 (606) 783-2190 Morehead State University invites applications for a tenure track position of Director of the Institute for Correctional Research and Training and Assistant/Associate Professor of Sociology beginning July 1999. The department has 20 full-time faculty supporting 500 majors and offers undergraduate degrees in Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology, and the MA degree in Sociology. Responsibilities: teach 12 hours per year; conduct research; provide service; and participate in grant activity. Successful candidates must possess a strong interest in developing a research agenda and coordinating service and training initiatives within the criminal justice arena. Qualifications: PhD in Sociology, Criminology, or related field. ABDs with imminent completion may be considered. To ensure consideration, submit letter of application, resume, and references by October 23, 1998, to: Office of Human Resources, Attn: Dir. Corr. R&T #110, Morehead State University, HM 101, Morehead, KY 40351. MSU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. From MGWENG01@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU Mon Sep 28 13:49:59 1998 From: MGWENG01@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU Date: 28 Sep 1998 15:38:30 EDT To: Subject: Voting with their retirement funds??? For those interested in what "liberal intellectuals" actuially do, as opposed to that which they may say: Investments in Selected TIAA/CREF Funds ---------------------------------------- Social Choice appr. $ 3 billion (Screened against nukes, tobacco, etc.) Stock appr. $ 112 billion (unscreened) This data comes from the TIAA/CREF website: https://ais.tiaa-cref.org/aisframe.htm TELEPHONE: (502) 852-6836 INTERNET: MGWENG01@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU From mam@megsinet.com Mon Sep 28 14:52:37 1998 Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 15:54:51 -0500 (CDT) To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: mam@megsinet.com Subject: A petition to censure and move on Now that the Starr report is out, and the worst is known, I've been hoping that congress would take swift action and then move on with the business of the country. But it seems our representatives are settling down for a long process, and I'm not sure I can stand it. Worse, I'm not sure the country can stand it. I'm helping launch an Internet campaign to tell our representatives that we've had enough. The President should receive censure from the Congress and we should all move on. And the independent counsel investigation should end. It's time for the public interest to come first, and for our representatives to show real leadership. Will you help? Just go to http://www.moveon.org to sign the petition. It only takes a minute. And then if you send a message on to your friends and colleagues, the ball will really get rolling. It's up to us. Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested. From dhenwood@panix.com Mon Sep 28 20:50:13 1998 Mon, 28 Sep 1998 22:50:06 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 22:50:16 -0400 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, marxism@lists.panix.com From: Doug Henwood Subject: race, unemployment, and pay I've just posted Heather Boushey's piece on race, unemployment, and pay from LBO #84 on the LBO web site, at , and the thread from lbo-talk on the article . Heather's longer paper, which was the basis of the LBO piece, can also be downloaded in MS Word 6.0/95 format from a link at the top of the article. Doug From spectors@netnitco.net Mon Sep 28 23:41:16 1998 From: "spectors" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Move on with WHOSE business? Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 00:39:14 -0500 charset="iso-8859-1" "Move on with the business of the country?" What's that? To bomb Yugoslavia? Cut public welfare aid again? Force uniforms on our school children? Continue to jail more black youth? Bomb some Islamic country (Iraq, Sudan?) and make up a lie afterwards about chemical weapons? Get the CIA back on track in the oil rich region of Colombia near the Venezuelan border with some story about drug dealers? Issue a smokescreen report on a so-called "Race Initiative"? Arm Israel? Arm the Mexican Army to kill more peasants in Chiapas? Fund a fascist regime in Ethiopia? Or a hundred other places? I know. Some out there are tired of these seeming tirades. Problem is, they are all based on reality. The illusion is that capitalism, especially U.S. capitalism today, works basically okay, and we should try to make it work more efficiently..... But don't be a grouch, like this post seems to imply. Get out there and organize! People are open to new ideas, especially those critical of capitalism. But don't side with the Ku Klux Klan against the Nazis. Ain't much difference, except the uniforms. Cheers, Alan Spector --------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: mam@megsinet.com To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Date: Monday, September 28, 1998 11:25 PM Subject: A petition to censure and move on >Now that the Starr report is out, and the worst is known, I've been hoping that congress would take swift action and then move on with the business of the country. But it seems our representatives are settling down for a long process, and I'm not sure I can stand it. Worse, I'm not sure the country can stand it. > >I'm helping launch an Internet campaign to tell our representatives that we've had enough. The President should receive censure from the Congress and we should all move on. And the independent counsel investigation should end. It's time for the public interest to come first, and for our representatives to show real leadership. > >Will you help? Just go to http://www.moveon.org to sign the petition. It only takes a minute. And then if you send a message on to your friends and colleagues, the ball will really get rolling. It's up to us. > >Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested. > > > > From erics@intergate.bc.ca Tue Sep 29 04:21:40 1998 Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 03:20:49 -0700 (PDT) To: From: erics@intergate.bc.ca (Eric Sommer) Subject: Turn your thinking about Socialist planning upside down! piddocke@sfu.ca (Stuart), , , , ustrauss@yahoo.com (Uri) Hi there, The article at the URL below, by two brilliant British economists, will revolutionize everything you thought you knew about the downside of socialism - and of socialist planning - in comparison to capitalism. Greater bureaucracy? Insatiable needs for information processing and communication due to central planning of a complex economy? Think again - the shoe is on the other foot! May humanity's hopes be born again, Eric http://www.gn.apc.org/Reality/econ/mfs.htm P.S. If you like this article, you can download an eye openning book entitled `Towards a New Socialism' by the same author. It's readable with an Adobe viewer and available at: http://www.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/socialism_book/index.html From tr@tryoung.com Tue Sep 29 06:45:01 1998 (usr-mtp-47.sensible-net.com [208.18.226.47]) by H50.sensible-net.com (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 08:41:12 -0400 To: ahs-talk@ncsu.edu From: tr@tryoung.com (T R Young) Subject: Four by Geyer and colleagues socgrad@csf.colorado.edu, teachsoc@maple.lemoyne.edu, social-class@listserv.uic.edu, geyer@siswo.uva.nl I am pleased to announce that The Red Feather Institute has posted four articles by Felix Geyer on the RF Chaos Theory and Non-linear Social Dynamics website. Contact Felix Geyer at: geyer@siswo.uva.nl or after October 15: geyer@wins.uva.nl SISWO is the Netherlands Universities' Center for Coordination of Research in Social Science) Amsterdam. Geyer's four articles are: 021 SOCIO-CYBERNETICS AND THE NEW ALIENATIONS Felix Geyer views alienation as a generic term for different kinds of information processing problems of individuals...and the role of communication technology in creating or solving such structural forms of alienation. 022 FROM SIMPLICITY TO COMPLEXITY:Felix Geyer discusses Adaptations to Irreversible Change in Complex Social Systems 023 VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES. Felix Geyer lays out the Structure of Virtual Communities. 024 NORBERT WIENER AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES  by FELIX GEYER and JOHANNES VAN DER ZOUWEN Weiner's work is largely unknown to most social scientists but internet technology together with the explosion in non-linear systems research has made the value of his early work even more visible. You may download them at: http://www.tryoung.com/chaos/chaos.htm TR Young, Director The Red Feather Institute TR Young, 8085 Essex Weidman, Mi., 48893 Email: tr@tryoung.com From hamm@uni-trier.de Wed Sep 30 01:18:28 1998 Received: from rzmail.uni-trier.de (rzmail.uni-trier.de [136.199.8.220]) by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.8.5/8.8.4/CNS-4.1p-nh) with ESMTP id BAA10895 for ; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 01:18:19 -0600 (MDT) Received: from sozi34 (sozi34.uni-trier.de [136.199.15.165]) by rzmail.uni-trier.de (8.8.5/8.6.9) with SMTP id JAA22904 for ; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 09:14:33 +0200 (CEST) Message-Id: <199809300714.JAA22904@rzmail.uni-trier.de> From: "Prof. Dr. Bernd Hamm" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 09:17:57 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Marx impact on sociology PSN I am preparing a seminar on Marxist sociology, and I was looking for a book or article tracing historically the impact of Marxist thinking on sociology worldwide, but without success. Where would you suggest to start? Thanks in advance, Bernd __________________________________ Bernd Hamm Jean Monnet Professor of European Studies Director, Center for European Studies University of Trier, D 54286 Trier, Germany Tel. +49-651-201.27.27, Fax 201.39.30 e-mail hamm@uni-trier.de From feingold@sph.umich.edu Wed Sep 30 20:41:23 1998 Received: from sph.umich.edu (dns.sph.umich.edu [141.211.50.48]) by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.8.5/8.8.4/CNS-4.1p-nh) with ESMTP id UAA05716; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 20:41:16 -0600 (MDT) Received: from srvr1.sph.umich.edu (srvr1.sph.umich.edu [141.211.50.49]) by sph.umich.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id WAA14365; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 22:00:19 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 22:00:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Eugene Feingold To: Feingold@sph.umich.edu Subject: TIAA-CREF Tobacco Divestment Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII HELP SPREAD THE WORD: THERE'S ANOTHER CHANCE, IN EARLY OCTOBER, TO VOTE FOR GETTING EDUCATORS' CREF RETIREMENT SAVINGS OUT OF LETHAL TOBACCO Former Surgeon General C.Everett Koop, M.D., is co-sponsoring a tobacco divestment proposal which nearly two million CREF participants will have a chance to vote on this October. TIAA-CREF has confirmed that our proposal will appear on the mail-in ballot which CREF participants should receive in early October. If you have not received TIAA-CREF's mailing by October 15, phone them (800, 842-2733) to request it. In a supporting statement that will be included in the CREF mailing, Dr. Koop and his three co-sponsors declare it is financially risky and ethically outrageous that CREF has invested nearly $2 billion of educators' retirement savings in "tobacco products which when used as directed produce disease and premature death for a third of their longtime users, including our own students." The proposal calls for CREF to "begin an orderly divestment of all tobacco investments." Please be sure to vote FOR our proposal. If you can, use e-mail to urge your friends and colleagues to vote for it. Call prospective voters' attention to the fact that the issue will be on the ballot by making announcements at campus meetings and/or sending press releases or letters to the editor to campus newspapers. And consider attending the CREF annual meeting (10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10, in the TIAA-CREF building, 730 Third Ave., New York City), to ask questions and/or speak for tobacco divestment. The TIAA-CREF mailing will include instructions about requesting a ticket to the annual meeting. Last year support for CREF tobacco divestment increased significantly. With your active help we can win this battle to end collegiate camouflage for cancer ! From: Educators for Tobacco-Free Investments by TIAA-CREF, Box 4151, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; Phone (734), 662-8788; FAX (734) 662-2713. From YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu Wed Sep 30 20:56:49 1998 Received: from cpua.it.luc.edu (cpua.it.luc.edu [147.126.240.20]) by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.8.5/8.8.4/CNS-4.1p-nh) with SMTP id UAA06247 for ; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 20:56:31 -0600 (MDT) Message-Id: <199810010256.UAA06247@csf.Colorado.EDU> Received: from CPUA.IT.LUC.EDU by cpua.it.luc.edu (IBM MVS SMTP V3R1) with BSMTP id 3483; Wed, 30 Sep 98 21:56:24 LCL Date: Wed, 30 Sep 98 21:56 CDT From: YLPSLL0@cpua.it.luc.edu To: psn@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Subject: (Copy) citizen authority (fwd) Scroll down ---------------------------- Text of forwarded message ----------------------- Received: (from LUCCPUA for via BSMTP) Received: (from SMTP@LUCCPUA for MAILER@LUCCPUA via NJE) (UCLA/Mail V1.500 M-SMTP-2292-76); Tue, 29 Sep 98 19:35:44 CDT Received: from mailhub-2.cns.ksu.edu by cpua.it.luc.edu (IBM MVS SMTP V3R1) with TCP; Tue, 29 Sep 98 19:35:33 LCL Received: from nbc (hlorbach@nbc.ksu.ksu.edu [129.130.12.5]) by mailhub-2.cns.ksu.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1/mailhub-2+tar) with SMTP id TAA23862; Tue, 29 Sep 1998 19:35:09 -0500 (CDT) Received: from localhost by nbc (SMI-8.6/1.34) id TAA11065; Tue, 29 Sep 1998 19:35:07 -0500 Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 19:35:06 -0500 (CDT) From: Harold L Orbach X-Sender: hlorbach@nbc.ksu.ksu.edu To: Edith Stunkel Subject: citizen authority (fwd) Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 19:19:36 -0500 (CDT) From: Harold L Orbach To: SASW Faculty -- Marcial A Riquelme <7marsoc@ksu.edu>, R Scott Frey , Donald J Adamchak , A Elizabeth Cauble , Juanita M McGowan , Leonard E Bloomquist , "Richard L. Brede" , Dana M Britton , Cia Verschelden , Paul S Ciccantell , Torry D Dickinson , Janice Dinkel , Michael J Finnegan , W Richard Goe , Jacque E Gibbons , Janet E Benson , James D Miley , Kimberly Ann Morgan , lritter@ksu.edu, "L. Susan Williams" , Harriet J Ottenheimer , Martin S Ottenheimer , Harald E L Prins , Michael F Timberlake Subject: citizen authority (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 00:16:04 +0000 From: Kaye Dunham Subject: citizen authority It=92s time for the public interest to come first, and for our representatives to show real leadership.=20 Now that the Starr report is out, and the worst is known, I've been hoping that congress would take swift action and then move on with the business of the country. But it seems our representatives are settling down for a long process, and I'm not sure I can stand it. Worse, I'm not sure the country can stand it. I'm helping launch an Internet campaign to tell our representatives that we've had enough. The President should receive censure from the Congress and we should all move on. And the independent counsel investigation should end. It' you help? Just go to http://www.moveon.org to sign the petition. It only takes a minute. And then if you send a message on to your friends and colleagues, the ball will really get rolling. It's up to us.=20 Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested. k. http://www.moveon.org From smrose@exis.net Wed Sep 30 20:59:40 1998 Received: from marlin.exis.net (marlin.exis.net [205.252.72.2]) by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.8.5/8.8.4/CNS-4.1p-nh) with ESMTP id UAA06609 for ; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 20:59:27 -0600 (MDT) Received: from Default (ppp-3-91.exis.net [205.252.76.91]) by marlin.exis.net (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id WAA02495 for ; Wed, 30 Sep 1998 22:59:20 -0400 Message-Id: <199810010259.WAA02495@marlin.exis.net> From: "Steve Rosenthal" To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 22:58:18 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: EO Wilson's British counterpart X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a) A colleague shared with me today the latest issue (9/17/98) of the London Review of Books. Natural scientist Armand Marie Leroi reviewed "The Social Animal," by W.G. Runciman, one of the leading sociologists in Britain. Runciman"urged the necessity of refounding sociology along Darwinian lines." Runciman also recently gave a seminar as part of a series titled "Darwin at LSE" at the London School of Economics. The reviewer first applauded Runciman for dressing conspicuously in clothing that "spoke of money and influence." He then condemned Immanuel Wallerstein as an "attitude merchant" whose "hatred" has "blinded [him] to facts which do not fit his Neo-Marxist theory of transnational economic exploitation." The reviewer makes one further significant point: Runciman's "The Social Animal" intends "to do what [C. Wright] Mill's "The Sociological Imagination" did nearly forty years ago: capture the hearts and minds of generations of sociologists yet unborn." Sociobiologists in Britain, like their counterparts in the U.S., aspire to win over many people and to transform the social sciences to be "consilient" with a fascist ideology of biological determinism. Runciman is attempting to do in Britain what E.O. Wilson called for in "Consilience," to transform the social sciences into bastians of fascist biological determinism. We should not underestimate this threat. During the rise of fascism between the first two world wars, the ruling class funded and promoted the rise of eugenics as the centerpiece of fascist ideology in the academic world in the U.S., Britain, Germany, and Italy. We must recognize the symptoms of this recurrent disease, especially as the global economic and political crisis spreads. Steve Rosenthal