Contemporary Norms Research Articles

Monitoring Outcomes for the Medicare Advantage Program

The Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) is one of the major patient-reported outcomes for ranking the Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in the Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). Approaches for scoring physical and mental health are given using contemporary norms and regression estimators. A new metric approach for the VR-12 called the "VR-6D" is presented with case-mix adjustments for monitoring plans that combine utilities and mortality. Results show that the models for ranking health outcomes of the plans are robust and credible. Future directions include the use of utilities for evaluating and ranking of MA plans.

The Dark Heart of Kindness: The Social Construction of Deflection

Inayatullah, Naeem and David L. Blaney. (2012) The Dark Heart of Kindness: The Social Construction of Deflection. International Studies Perspectives, doi: 10.1111/j.1528-3585.2012.00462.x © 2012 International Studies Association The success of norms constructivists rests in part on their assertion of academic activism as a heroic aspect of intellectual life. Critics of this vision, however, insist on the complicity of norm scholars in creating and maintaining processes of global injustice. Frustrated with this criticism, Richard Price calls for answers to a simple question: can detractors go beyond mere criticism and provide a praiseworthy target toward which norms constructivists can aim? We respond to this challenge, first, by offering an internal critique of Price’s logic. We suggest that Price and other norms entrepreneurs underplay the darker, colonial side of modern ethical life on which the successes of norms cascades depend. Second, we draw on Adam Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost to contrast contemporary norms constructivists with the heroic characters represented in and by this book. Norms entrepreneurs, Edmund Morel and Roger Casement, successfully exposed Belgian atrocities in colonial Congo, and Hochschild himself brings this mostly forgotten history to light. Yet the narrative trajectory of these three heroes is tragic, compelling each to face their complicity in the very forces they resist. This tragic vision calls us not to celebrate but to resist the continuing legacies of colonial domination.

Eighteenth-Century Literary Precursors ofMrs Warren’s Profession

Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession is almost solely discussed in terms of its portrayal of prostitution in relation to the theatre of its day. In this light, his work is defined as a decisive break with what came before it. But Shaw warned against this tendency to label literature that challenges contemporary norms as necessarily original. Instead, he called on his audience to recognize the cyclical nature of literature, noting that what is new to one generation is most often merely that which was discarded by the previous one. By adopting the longer view, this essay examines Mrs Warren’s Profession alongside some well-known prostitute narratives of the eighteenth century to argue that while Shaw might have overturned one tradition, there is much to suggest that he concurrently tapped into another.

Eighteenth-Century Literary Precursors of Mrs Warren's Profession

Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession is almost solely discussed in terms of its portrayal of prostitution in relation to the theatre of its day. In this light, his work is defined as a decisive break with what came before it. But Shaw warned against this tendency to label literature that challenges contemporary norms as necessarily original. Instead, he called on his audience to recognize the cyclical nature of literature, noting that what is new to one generation is most often merely that which was discarded by the previous one. By adopting the longer view, this essay examines Mrs Warren's Profession alongside some well-known prostitute narratives of the eighteenth century to argue that while Shaw might have overturned one tradition, there is much to suggest that he concurrently tapped into another.

Analytical Framework of the Protection of Human Right Under the Arab Charter on Human Rights (2004)

The subject matter of this paper is to highlight the main features and provide the analytical framework of human rights in the Arab Human Rights Charter in the context of contemporary norms of human rights enshrined in major global and regional documents and human rights instruments.

It's All in the Hips: Sexual and Artistic Minority in Canadian Concert Jazz Dance

Contemporary sexual norms in Canada continue to dictate how sexuality should be presented on the stage in many styles of theatrical dance. Jazz dance is not excluded from this practice; in fact, since the early days of social dancing, jazz dance has often been considered synonymous with gratuitously deviant sex and sexuality. In contemporary artistic circles, concert jazz dance often finds itself subject to an additional classification as low-art because of this perceived relationship between sex and the dancing. This artistically marginalized position of concert jazz implies a conservative heteronormativity in Canada that is contrary to our apparent inclusion of subjugated sexual minorities as “normal.” “It's All in the Hips” explores sexuality in contemporary Canadian concert jazz dance to illustrate the potential for representations of marginalized sexualities on stage, and the perceived threat to artistic hegemony. While there is growing research into sexuality on the American stage in ballet and modern dance through scholars such as Jane C. Desmond, Jennifer Fisher, Susan Leigh Foster, and others, and also into jazz's roots in social dancing by Susan Manning, Anthea Kraut, Julie Malnig, and a growing host of scholars, very little work has been done on the Canadian concert jazz scene, save for the work of Iro Tembeck, Mark Miller, Meilan Lam, and a handful of dancers. This paper examines the intersection between sexual and artistic minority in Canadian concert jazz dance and problems that arise for positioning the form to dance audiences as high art.

SENTENCE IN THE ARABIC LANGUAGE- SOME REMARKS ON CRITERIA OF MODERN DIVISIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

Modern syntactical researches conducted by Arabs are under great influence of traditional grammar. That as a consequence has various methodological approaches to interpretation of a sentence, its definitions and classifications. Even though some classical Arabic grammarians make semantic distinction between terms ğumla and kelam, today they are perceived as synonyms, under the influence of contemporary linguistic developments. Modern Arabic syntax does not strictly define criteria of classification of an Arabic sentence. In addition to traditional classification to a nominal and verbal sentence, the classification supported and accepted as the only or the most significant one by most Arabic authors, these criteria vary from one author to another. However, it is noticeable that the criterion of functionality, criterion of predicativity, structure and declinability of a sentence are distinguished as contemporary norms in syntactic classifications of the Arabic language. Oriental writings in classification of Arabic sentences often use conventions of foreign languages and apply criteria that are not characteristic of the Arabic language. That does not reflect the actual state of Arabic syntax and it also belittles efforts and contributions of Arabic grammarians in this field. Keywords: Arabic syntax, sentence, divisions and types of sentences, Orientalistic attitudes, comparative analysis

Effects of soil non-linearity on the seismic response of restrained retaining walls

Retaining structures characterised by high rigidity and various kinematic constraints, such as bridge abutments and basement walls, do not permit limit-equilibrium conditions to be developed. Therefore, according to contemporary norms and geotechnical design practice worldwide, they are most frequently designed utilising the elasticity-based methods, which usually lead to substantially increased dynamic earth pressures. The present paper aims to examine how and to what extent the potentially developed non-linearity of the retained soil may affect: (a) the dynamic distress of a rigid fixed-base retaining wall, and (b) the seismic response of the retained soil layer. For this purpose, a parametric study is conducted which is based on two-dimensional dynamic finite-element analyses using various idealised or real seismic excitations scaled to several intensity levels. Soil non-linearity is realistically taken into account via the commonly used equivalent-linear approach. The results of the present study demonstrate that potential non-linearity of a soil layer retained by a rigid fixed-base wall alters the soil amplification pattern behind the wall and leads to dynamic earth pressures usually lower than those proposed by seismic norms.

Editorial Challenges in the Early Songs of Gabriel Fauré

Between 1869 and 1879 the Paris publisher Antoine Choudens issued twenty songs by the young composer Gabriel Fauré. These songs, the well-known "first collection" (they were published in volume form in 1879), include such gems as Après un rêve, Ici-bas , and the ever-fresh Le papillon et la fleur . In their chaotic array of manuscript and published sources, dating from the early 1860s to as late as 1908, they also pose numerous documentary and practical challenges for the scholar and the editor. Manuscript sources are traced for only half of the twenty songs, and not one of those served as engraver's copy: rather, they offer a mixture of drafts, early fair copies, presentation manuscripts and non-autograph copies. Printed sources for the songs meanwhile involve several different publishers, numerous editions, and multiple keys, creating a highly complex cocktail of variants. A dearth of documentation concerning the composition and early performances of the songs makes it unusually difficult even to establish such editorial starting points as reliable chronology and "original" keys. The present article complements and reflects the preparation of a new critical edition of Fauré's early songs, commissioned by Peters Edition, London. It explores the songs' idiosyncratic editorial challenges relative to contemporary norms of critical editing, proposes an editorial methodology that blends the scholarly with the practical, and considers the role of a critical edition in addressing performance practice and a reappraisal of the repertoire.

The Doctrine of Discovery and the Elusive Definition of Indian Title

This article contends that, pursuant to the discovery doctrine developed and adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court, Indian tribes retained possession of their lands after European encounter, but no longer owned their land and no longer held unlimited disposition rights. This limited possessor definition of Indian title is particularly difficult to justify in view of contemporary norms of international indigenous rights, and should be rejected along with the doctrine of discovery.

Bonhoeffer and King: Christ the Moral Arc

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr represent an uncommon resistance to injustice in their historical contexts, advocating justice and compassion in defiance of contemporary laws and cultural norms. How did they get it right in their contexts, and what do we gain from them in order to be justice advocates in our day?

Individualism and Economic Development: Evidence from Rainfall Data

This paper estimates the effect of individual responsibility on economic development using an instrument derived from rainfall data. I argue that a taste for collective responsibility was adaptive in preindustrial societies that were exposed to high levels of agricultural risk, and that these attitude continue to influence contemporary social norms. The link between agricultural risk and collective responsibility is formalized in a model of informal risk sharing arrangements that incorporates optimal parental socialization decisions. Empirically, I find a robust negative correlation between rainfall variation, a measure of exogenous agricultural risk, and measures of individual responsibility. Finally, using rainfall variation as an instrument, I find that individual responsibility has a large positive effect on economic development. The empirical relationships between rainfall variation, individual responsibility and economic development are robust to the use of alternative measures of individualism and rainfall variation and to the inclusion of controls for contemporary and historical agricultural outcomes, soil and climate quality, early institutional quality, and dimensions of climate and geography associated with institutional development.

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in the University Student Population

University counseling centers are faced with the challenge of effectively treating bipolar students while also utilizing brief treatment frameworks and managing high patient volumes. Potential destabilization, particularly within the elevated mood phase, poses significant behavioral management issues for university clinicians and administrators, though for many years the common default position for university counseling centers has been to refer students with bipolar disorder to off-campus resources for longer-term treatment. The author argues against this and instead poses a four-point rationale for treating most bipolar students on campus. The recommended treatment approach includes the integration of brief individual psychotherapy, psychiatric medication, and a bipolar student support group. An important additional component entails lifestyle modifications which include healthy sleep hygiene, the application of stable life patterns, effective stress management, and abstinence from the use of psychoactive substances. Normative strivings toward independence, identification with contemporary group norms, and fears of the long-term implications of bipolar disorder predictably give rise to defensive denial and resistance to the diagnosis. Such should be an essential focus of the early phase of treatment, with particular attention given to students' narcissistic injury reflecting loss of the ideal self they are striving to become. Participation in an ongoing student support group will provide important support in relation to this loss—a place to feel accurately perceived and understood and an alternate source of group identification. The potential benefit from support group involvement will also be instrumental in sustaining healthy treatment compliance.

DIY Identity Kit: The Great American Lesbian Art Show

The Great American Lesbian Art Show, which opened at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles in May 1980, was conceived to increase visibility for lesbian artists, and to forge bonds among lesbians across the United States. It comprised a curated Invitational of ten artists and scores of regional GALAS events mounted simultaneously by women from Boston to Honolulu. The art on view, documented in a slide archive, staged a critique of contemporary gender norms. Participating artists represented lesbian identities that claimed universality while they reflected the artists’ particularized experience of woman-identification and sexual desire.

Women's Organisations and the Politics of Gender in Cuba's Urban Insurrection (1952-1958)

This article sheds new light on Cuba's urban insurrection to oust Fulgencio Batista by focusing on two all-women's anti-Batista groups. It charts the origins and developments of the groups, explores their conceptions about the importance of women's political action and examines the impact that participating in the insurrection had on group members. The article complicates long-standing assumptions about women's low levels of participation in the insurrection and the absence of demands for gender equity among those who did participate by noting that some older women militants had histories with the feminist movement of the 1930s, and that many younger women were forced by the circumstances of the insurrection to confront and challenge contemporary gender norms.

Queering Queer Theory, or Why Bisexuality Matters

Bisexuality is an often invisible identity. Heterosexual and homosexual communities contribute to bisexual erasure, acting in concert to protect a binary system that is complicated and disrupted by the possibility and presence of bisexuality. This article approaches bisexual erasure from three different perspectives: historical context, contemporary media and literary representations. Contemporary cultural norms and “pop science” demonstrate the acceptance of two types of partner choice—heterosexual and homosexual—whereas the bisexual person is made virtually invisible. A historical analysis reveals that our modern categories of sexuality came into existence as recently as the 19th century, and that the selection of gender of object choice as the salient feature of sexuality was not accidental, but rather it developed out of pressure to reinforce the sexual binary between men and women. When a literary character engages in sexual acts with members of both sexes, the character's sexual orientation is most often interpreted within the framework of our hetero–homosexual binary, even by the queer community, as demonstrated in an analysis of literary criticism surrounding Jeanette Winterson's Written on the Body and Radclyffe Hall's Well of Loneliness. The continued erasure of bisexuality, by queer scholars in addition to mainstream critics, reveals that queer theory has not yet moved beyond its position as a homosexual opponent to heterosexuality, and therefore that bisexual theory has a role to play in queering queer theory.

Law & Psychiatry: Mental Retardation and the Death Penalty: AfterAtkins

In Atkins v. Virginia the U.S. Supreme Court declared execution of persons with mental retardation to constitute cruel and unusual punishment, and thus to be unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. However, the Court left all considerations regarding how to implement the decision explicitly to the states. Since Atkins was decided in 2002, legislatures, courts, and mental health experts have struggled with its implementation, highlighting the complexities that can arise when the courts base legal rules on clinical findings. This column reviews the Atkins case and considers the challenges associated with a clinical determination that can have life-or-death consequences for capital defendants.

Discourses of single women accused of murder: Mid twentieth-century constructions of ‘lesbians’ and ‘spinsters’

Synopsis This article examines gender representations of ‘single’ women accused of murder in mid twentieth-century England and Wales. Specifically, it identifies discourses of the ‘lesbian’ and the ‘spinster’ as they arose during the prosecution process. These discourses are outlined and placed within their wider socio-historical context. The appearance of different constructions of lesbianism and/or spinsterhood is analysed in relation to five women's cases, with reference to material from their case files. The examination of discourses of singleness reveals how it was often construed in the mid twentieth-century criminal justice system as connoting marginal, or deviant, gender identity in women. Single women did not fulfil contemporary norms of femininity relating to marriage and motherhood. However, representations of single women were frequently contested and contradictory, and in the cases under discussion also related to the type of killing the woman had carried out.

Men at Work in Dutch Art, or Keeping One's Nose to the Grindstone

Depictions of masculine labor in Dutch art, although falling outside the usual repertoire, extend our understanding of European visual culture in the seventeenth century. Investigation of this imagery brings class and gender into art historical analysis while considering what was deemed appropriate subject matter, and what was not. Gabriel Metsu's Interior of a Smithy, Gerard ter Borch's Grinder's Family, and the artisan paintings of Quiringh van Brekelenkam are discussed in detail. Each is compared with the notion of the ideal workplace, and each is seen in the light of contemporary labor conditions, socioeconomic forces, ideologies, and gender norms.

Framing Reparations Claims: Differences between the African and Jewish Social Movements for Reparations

Abstract:Africans interested in reparations from the West frequently ask why the Jewish movement for reparations for the Holocaust was successful, whereas Africans have been unable to obtain reparations for the slave trade, colonialism, and post-colonial relations with the West. This article addresses this question using social movement theory and argues that success depends to a large extent on how the claim for reparations is framed. Past treatment of Africans by the West violated key contemporary norms of bodily integrity, equality, and private property. Yet the victims are no longer living, the perpetrators are diffuse, some of the harms were legal when they were committed, and the causal chain of harm is long and complex.