Marriage Of Convenience Research Articles

Amici fragili: the alliance between the Lega Nord and the Popolo della Libertà as seen by their representatives and members

The alliance between the Lega Nord (LN) and Forza Italia (FI), later Popolo della Libertà (PDL), continued, uninterrupted, for over a decade, until November 2011. The problems that beset it under the fourth Berlusconi government are known; however, there is a lack of academic analysis of how such an alliance was seen and experienced by the people who made up the fabric of its constituent organisations. Based on interviews with institutional representatives and members from both parties, this article addresses the question of how people within them saw their ally and its leaders, and what they thought of the centre-right alliance under the fourth Berlusconi government. The analysis reveals that, although the LN's rhetoric, style and uncompromising stances on policy were the target of much criticism within the PDL, the latter nonetheless showed much respect for its ally, the way it was led, its ability to communicate effectively and its rootedness at the local level. However, LN members and representatives were, in turn, extremely critical of the PDL and its leader, and very much conceived of the alliance as a ‘marriage of convenience’. This notwithstanding, it is reasonable to expect that the PDL and the LN may find ways to rebuild their alliance in the future, if indeed the PDL continues to exist in its present form, due to their fundamental compatibility at the ideological level and their understanding of each other's priorities.

China: A Greater Leap Forward?

The title “China: A Greater Leap Forward” is derived from a previous experiment of 1958 to 1961 bearing the same name. It was considered a bold undertaking under the tutelage of Chairman Mao Zedong with an objective to activate and unleash communist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization. The contradiction however was high prospects from an obdurate group of technocrats whose convictions were beholden to ideology and bias interpretation of world politics disallowing modifications in thoughts and applications hence what later became classified as the great Chinese famine claiming the lives of over 30 million citizens was aborted and the mission of enlightenment left unaccomplished. With time nonetheless an aging revolution has acquiesced to a marriage of convenience in which both parties the state and private enterprise peacefully and successfully coexist. Although the union thwarts Maoist ideology it provides a practical and irreversible approach to China’s sustenance in a global economy and is undoubtedly accredited with the nation’s economic renewal.

Journalists in War Zones: The Question of Objectivity An Interview with Photojournalist Laith Mushtaq

Media reporting in war zones has changed over the years. The military realised that it needs the media and vice versa. You could call it a marriage of convenience. A better term to use would be a symbiotic relationship between the military and the media where each benefits from the other. As this symbiosis takes place, there are discordant voices discussing freedom of the press and objectivity of journalists. With each war fought there are lessons learnt. The military has learnt that it needs an ally: the media. Military forces are now embedding journalists into their units in most war zones. You often see journalists in Kevlar jackets reporting from battleships or in Humvee vehicles. How objective are these journalists when they are given front row seats and protection on battlefields? How much are they allowed to report on? It is vital to point out that armies and humanitarian missions around the world have embedded and continue to embed journalists in their units. Media networks did so with great numbers of journalists during the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some also sent unembedded journalists to the same locations. Whose stories are more accurate? What is the price to pay for being unembedded? Veteran war photojournalist Laith Mushtaq of Aljazeera while in Helsingor, Denmark, in February 2012, gave answers to some of these questions based on his experience in war zones.

Understanding coronary arterial anatomy in the congenitally malformed heart

With the development of three-dimensional techniques for imaging, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, it is now possible to demonstrate the precise sinusal origin and epicardial course of the coronary arteries with just as much accuracy as can be achieved by the morphologist holding the heart in his or her hands. At present, however, there is no universally accepted convention for categorising the various patterns found when the heart is congenitally malformed. In this review, we show how, to provide such a convention, it is necessary to take note not only of the sinusal origin of the three major coronary arteries, but also the relationship of the aortic root relative to the cardiac base. We summarise the evidence showing how the proximal portions of the developing coronary arteries grow into the aortic valvar sinuses subsequent to the separation of the aortic root from the subpulmonary infundibulum. We also discuss the evidence showing that the subpulmonary myocardium is impervious to the passage of epicardial coronary arteries, and suggest that the process of septation itself plays an integral role in guiding the arteries into the two aortic sinuses that are adjacent to the pulmonary root. We then show how marriage of convenience between the epicardial coronary arteries and the aortic valvar sinuses provides a good explanation for the known variations found in the setting of transposition. We point out that it is the absence of septation that likely governs the patterns seen in the setting of a common arterial trunk.

The Development of Norwegian Prostitution Policies: A Marriage of Convenience Between Pragmatism and Principles

The article describes and analyzes debates on prostitution policies in Norway from 1970 until the introduction of a ban against the purchase of sexual services in 2009. Throughout these decades, it has varied whether prostitution as such, that is in principle, has been considered a problem and if so, whether it has been seen as predominantly a legal or a social problem. In some periods, only particular forms of prostitution have been considered problematic, while prostitution as such has not been considered in need of legal intervention. In other periods, prostitution per se has been considered the problem, and in these periods attempts to differentiate between different forms of prostitution have been resisted. The coming together of the pragmatic and principled concerns of various political actors was an important reason for the actual passing of the legal reform criminalizing the purchase of sexual services. The effective coming together of principled and practical concerns must be simultaneously understood in the context of other developments, both locally, nationally, and internationally.

Transnational class formation and spatialities of power: the case of elite competition in Bolivia

AbstractIn this article, I argue that the neoliberal and counter‐neoliberal transitions in Bolivia secured the power of transnational capital within the country. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bolivia's mining elite used neoliberal strategies to undermine the interests of the country's agricultural elite and pursued a marriage of convenience with transnational capital that allowed both to enter state‐monopolized spaces of investment in mutually beneficial ways. In Bolivia's counter‐neoliberal turn, leftist social movements and political parties removed the elite from power but were dependent on transnational firms to help them use the country's natural resource wealth to fund programmes of socioeconomic change. Engaging theories of the transnational class formation, I assert that scholars need to acknowledge how different capitalist class fractions have distinct spatialities of power. In particular, it is necessary to distinguish between global elites that participate in local circuits of accumulation and local elites that participate in global circuits of accumulation.

Gender Differences in the Involvement of Young People in the Matchmaking Process in an Extreme Ultra-Orthodox Community

Gender Differences in the Involvement of Young People in the Matchmaking Process in an Extreme Ultra-Orthodox Community Sima Zalcberg1 Introduction Many researchers see the process of choosing a spouse, in any society, as involving trade-off between economic and personal assets in the marriage market. In this view, an individual chooses a spouse who will bring the greatest economic and emotional gains during marriage.2 Accordingly, an individual's value in the marriage market is reflected by the range of "goods" and "services" he or she can contribute to his or her intended spouse and future family.3 Nevertheless, there are many differences in the process of finding a spouse in various societies and cultures,4 which affect the kind of "trading" that takes place, and the criteria considered significant in the "marriage market." The literature distinguishes two major types of marriage in this respect: the "traditional marriage" or "marriage of convenience," which is based on the social expectations of the couple's families, most often their parents; and "modern marriage," which is based on the personal relationship between the young people involved. While the factors influencing the choice of spouse in traditional marriage are mainly the families' social and economic statuses, without much consideration for more personal, emotional factors, the choice of a spouse in modern marriage is based mainly on mutual affection between the young people, as well as their interpersonal compatibility.5 In medieval Europe, marriages were arranged traditionally, by families, with socioeconomic status the uppermost criterion in evaluating the appropriateness of a prospective match. In North America, from the early days of European settlement, the process became less formal and was less dominated by the parents of the couple, as living in small communities created opportunities for young men and women to meet at local stores, churches, and neighborhood visits.6 Over time, however, this process returned to being formal, even in the United States, and from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, personal initiative on the part of young women in choosing their spouses was strictly limited by their families.7 In traditional Jewish society, as in traditional non-Jewish society, "traditional marriages" were the norm. In addition to family lineage and the social [End Page 27] and economic statuses of the families of the intended couple,8 traditional Jewish society ascribed great weight to the degree to which the young people kept Jewish traditions and religious practices, the closeness of the families to a rabbinical figure well-known for piety and mastery of religious texts, and the young man's own mastery of religious texts.9 Traditional Jewish culture continues to place great weight on finding a mate and creating a stable family unit, and decisions about mate selection are very often driven by religious dictum.10 However, a modern outlook, secularization, and the idea of equality between the sexes have begun to infiltrate Jewish society throughout the world, leading to changes in the process of choosing a spouse. Thus, modern marriage has become more common in contemporary Jewish society and traditional marriage has remained prevalent mainly in ultra-Orthodox society.11 According to the works of scholars like Menachem Friedman,12 Ester R. Goshen-Gottstein,13 and Samuel Heilman,14 marriage in ultra-Orthodox society is considered first and foremost a business arrangement between the two sides, that is, between the parents of the intended couple. The element of trade-off in the choice of a spouse, which is also present to some extent in society at large, is of major importance in ultra-Orthodox society. The process of choosing a partner for one's child is considered a matter of the great weight in this society, and so it is not left to chance or to the young people's feelings of love or desire, but takes place in a considered, logical manner. Therefore the criteria for this choice are mostly "objective" ones, involving family background, great ability in Torah study, and economic status. The parents are in charge here, with the mediation of a matchmaker,15 and many researchers believe that young people's preferences play little, if any, part in the process.16 Moreover, the ultra-Orthodox...

Métacognition et croyances motivationnelles : un mariage de raison

Bien que l’importance des croyances motivationnelles pour l’apprentissage et la réussite scolaire soit passablement reconnue, les chercheurs ne se sont que récemment intéressés aux relations entre ces croyances et les aspects métacognitifs de l’apprentissage, notamment dans le cadre des modèles de l’apprentissage autorégulé. Nous proposons une synthèse des positions théoriques ainsi que d’un certain nombre d’études empiriques s’étant penchées sur les articulations entre métacognition et motivation. Pour conclure, les implications pour l’enseignement, l’apprentissage et les interventions de type éducation cognitive sont discutées.

Wissenschaftsgeschichte und Wissenschaftsphilosophie – Einführende Bemerkungen

AbstractHistory of Science and Philosophy of Science. Introductory Remarks. This article introduces two special issues of the journal History of Science Reports (Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte) with contributions on the relationships of history and philosophy of science since the seventeenth century. The introduction begins with a brief reminder of Thomas Kuhn's provocative discussion of the relationship in the 1970s, placing it in the context of the debate of the period over whether the foundation of university departments for History and Philosophy of Science in the United States had led to a mere “marriage of convenience” or something more. Following this the paper briefly outlines the transformative impact of the “practical turn” in both philosophy and history of science since the 1990s, and contends that the relationship of history and philosophy of science has nonetheless become increasingly distant over time. This is due in large part to the professionalisation of history of science and to the recent turn to cultural approaches in that field; both trends have led to the adoption of strictly historicist rather than analytical perspectives on knowledge. General historians, too, are paying more attention to the increasing impact of science and technology, but have at most instrumental use for philosophical perspectives. Thus, the distinct possibility arises that the debate between historical and analytical approaches in philosophy of science is becoming a conversation within one discipline rather than a dialogue between two disciplines: what was once a „marriage of convenience”︁ could end in respectful separation or amicable divorce. The article concludes with brief summaries of the articles published in the two special issues, indicating their relations to specific aspects of the broader topic at hand.

A marriage of convenience

A marriage of convenience

Ultrasound-based neuronavigation and spinal cord tumour surgery- marriage of convenience or notified incompatibility?

The study aimed to examine the position of three-dimensional (3D) neurosonography and the advantages and disadvantages of ultrasound-based neuronavigation in spinal cord tumour surgery. During the period July, 2007- February 2011, 28 patients with spinal cord tumours were operated in our neurosurgical clinic. All patients underwent intraoperative 3D neurosonography by means of SonoWandTM and SonoWand InviteTM ultrasound-based neuronavigation systems. Intraoperative 3D neurosonography was used for 6 intramedullary tumours (5 ependymomas and 1 astrocytoma) and 22 extramedullary tumours (8 neurinomas, 10 meningiomas and 4 filum terminale ependymomas). During the performed spinal tumour surgery, snapshots of the 3D images of the surgical situation were obtained. Post-operative results, based on the control MRI findings and the patients' score on Karnofsky Performance Scale, were evaluated during the third month after the surgery. Ultrasound-based neuronavigation is a promising tool in extramedullary tumour surgery, especially of meningiomas and neurinomas, ensuring better control on the extent of tumour excision. In patients with intramedullary tumours, however, the use of 3D neurosonography for more precise control on the extent of radical tumour excision is not possible. In general, ultrasound-based neuronavigation has not added much to the surgical management of spinal cord tumors.

<em>UN Peacekeeping in Africa: From the Suez Crisis to the Sudan Conflicts</em>, Adekeye Adebajo

Reviewed by: UN Peacekeeping in Africa: From the Suez Crisis to the Sudan Conflicts Agber Dimah Adebajo, Adekeye. 2011. UN Peacekeeping in Africa: From the Suez Crisis to the Sudan Conflicts. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers. 270 pp. Adebajo’s book is an historical narrative and an excellent delineation of the key issues and actors involved in United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Africa during the last half century. In the first chapter, the author repeatedly states the key problem as lack of cooperation among the three principal actors whose collaboration and cooperation are indispensable. These actors are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, regional African organizations, and African nations involved directly or indirectly in violent conflicts. Adebajo defines success as restoring peace and stability after ceasefire, disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation. He cites examples where such cooperation led to success (the Suez crises) and where the lack of it led to failure (Congo). Chapter two is a detailed historical account of the birth of the U.N. peacekeeping missions that emerged out of the necessity to deal with the Suez crisis. It is a good example of how the alignment of the interests of the most influential nations (the United States and the Soviet Union) led to a peaceful resolution. The focus of the chapter is on the games that the great powers play and the domestic or regional sociopolitical dynamics and how they influence the outcomes of U.N. peacekeeping missions. It is clear from the author’s assertions that the primary goal of collaborative action was not peace and stability in the region, but the protection of the interests of the big powers. The interest of the United States was to keep the Suez Canal open, and more importantly, to secure for itself and its Western allies the oil that is vital to industry. By contrast, the interest of the Soviet Union was to threaten that access by sowing seeds of discord among Western allies and aligning itself with leftist regimes in the region. Like chapter two, chapter three begins with a detailed historical account of the conflict in the so-called Great Lakes Region of Africa. The author correctly points out that successful resolution of conflict is contingent upon the convergence of interests of the actors before the introduction of armed U.N. peacekeepers; however, while he repeatedly refers to Western interests, he does not clearly identify them. These interests were, and still are, Western access to the enormous natural resources of the region, especially those of the Congo. The author indicates that the United States wanted to stem the spread of communism; however, it is not the spread of communism per se that was important, but the threat that such a spread poses to these natural resources and markets. Similarly, the interests of [End Page 91] African nations are not clearly delineated. Undoubtedly, Egypt cooperated during the Suez Crisis because the solution ensured its control of the canal coveted by England, France, and Israel. An important question is why did the United States and the Soviet Union cooperate during the Suez crisis, but not during the Congo crisis? The author does not provide an answer, except to mention in passing that it was a “marriage of convenience.” A possible explanation is that they found it helpful to divide the region into respective satellite states to each other’s satisfaction and thus avoid violence. Southern Africa (Angola, Namibia, Mozambique) is the subject of chapter four. Here again, reference is made to the interests of Western powers. It is implied that for Western powers and their regional ally, apart-heid South Africa, the goal is the containment of communism and, for the African nations involved, political independence; however, by that time, the Soviet Union had collapsed. Why, then, did the United States insist on linking the independence of Namibia to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola? The answer appears to be that Angola was already by this time a potentially big oil producer, sharing a border with the Congo. The author does not appear to realize that Western interests are almost invariably economic, even when described as strategic or stemming the influence of communism. In...

Econometrics and the Computer: Love or a Marriage of Convenience?

This essay considers some of the circumstances that have characterized econometric practice during the past fifty to sixty years, including both the invention and use of the electronic computer and the growing accessibility of both micro- and macroeconomic data. However, its particular focus is econometric computation and the degree to which computational algorithms are not determined by econometric theory, thus making it important for historians of econometricians to begin to consider the specific way in which econometrics is practiced as well as how the theory has evolved over the years. At issue are both the way in which particular calculations should be made and the choice of misspecification and other tests that are made available in the existing econometric software packages.

The International Criminal Court and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: A Marriage of Convenience?

Promising prosecution of crimes has magical powers; it creates a sense of trust and admiration towards the authority who claims that it would prosecute 'all those responsible for crimes' wherever those would be committed. An emotive invocation to 'we will punish them' promise may transform an ordinary government to one being highly noble, humane, caring and sympathetic to suffering of others in hands of 'tyrannical' rulers and their 'inhumane' and 'criminal' policies. But these magical powers can also be used for less noble purposes as well; they can help those 'caring governments' to remain unchallenged internally by deflecting attention from domestic policy issues to 'chasing' war criminals.Motivated by a desire to initiate, what already may be an overdue analysis of the relationship between the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council and its main duty to maintain international peace and security a proposition will be made here that the ICC, quite contrary to its noble aims and objectives stated by the UN Secretary General in 2000 and contained in its Preamble (especially: 'determined to put an end to impunity') may, in fact compromise the duty to maintain international peace and security by establishing a great potential for political interference in its supposedly judicial function. This level of potential political interference in judicial function would not, under the liberal traditions of developed and civilized nations be acceptable or even possible within the domestic constitutional arrangements. On the other hand, the duty to prosecute for the international crimes had already existed under both treaty and customary international law and from this perspective the ICC's establishment has not enriched international law in any way; it has rather compromised the duty to maintain the international peace and security and cemented in law that the most powerful states' citizens will be effectively shielded from any prosecution as the several episodes of its involvement demonstrate.

Romance in a Marriage of Convenience: The Missionary Factor in Early Cold War U.S.-Ethiopian Relations, 1941-1960*

Throughout the second half of the twentieth century evangelical missionaries were the primary American presence throughout Africa and much of the developing world. As the Cold War spread worldwide, and previously peripheral nations like Ethiopia achieved a new-found geopolitical significance, these religiously motivated Americans suddenly became significant players in the global conflict. While explicitly apolitical, many of these accidental diplomats nevertheless viewed the Cold War in essentially spiritually terms as a battle between “Christian” America and the “atheist” Soviet Union. It is not surprising, then, that while remaining neutral in word, between 1941 and 1960 the evangelical missionary community actively and successfully, if not always formally, promoted close ties between their own “Judeo-Christian” nation and Ethiopia's Christian Emperor.

An introduction to plant structure and development. Plant anatomy for the Twenty-first Century

An introduction to plant structure and development. Plant anatomy for the Twenty-first Century

Contributors

Contributors

Wal-Mart’s trade union in China

In 2007–8, more than 100 Wal-Mart stores in China established trade unions, which were praised by labour organizations and scholars throughout the world. This article questions these positive assessments and evaluations through an empirical study. The empirical findings reveal a dark and unpleasant picture of a double cooptation in that both the Chinese government and Wal-Mart have successfully coopted a few more or less independent unions. Although the presence of the trade union seems to challenge Wal-Mart’s neoliberal corporate ideology and governance, the compromise and tacit agreement between Wal-Mart and the party-state not only reflects a marriage of convenience but also indicates some deeper compatibility, the compatibility between China’s state corporatist model and the neoliberal approach taken by Wal-Mart. This study finds that China continues to move in a ‘state corporatist’ direction and that the transition towards civil society and ‘societal corporatism’ has been stymied.

'And they lived happily ever after': Community music and higher education?

This article argues that community music and higher education have sufficient shared visions to overcome past philosophical differences. Each party brings valuable contributions in what some speculate is only a 'marriage of convenience'.

Community music and higher education: A marriage of convenience

An increasing number of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom are offering an element of community music in their courses, partly in response to changing needs in student training. However, the ethos of community arts, with roots in political activism and welfare, can often sit uncomfortably in formal education. The need for multi-skilled practitioners presents a problem in higher education, which tends to foster specialism. Community art has also challenged and widened the traditional definition of excellence, which has implications for assessment, particularly in the area of practical work in the community, which draws on social, healthcare and communication skills alongside the artistic content. There is a danger of 'short-termism' in community contact, and it is important for institutions to foster sustainable links.