Law as Politics : Four Relations

In a 2006 article, Duncan Kennedy identifies politics as the central dilemma of contemporary legal thought, but affirms that law is non-reducible to politics, which could be read as a partial retraction from the known coda “law is politics.” This essay suggests an interpretation of his refusal to conflate law and politics not in terms of disavowal, or a way of distancing politics from law, but as an attempt to carve out a space from where to think of the relational aspect between law and politics. This becomes necessary due to a current phenomenon which Pierre Schlag calls “dedifferentiation,” where no distinction—and hence no relation—seems to be possible between law and other spheres of life. Opposing that conclusion, this article contends that engendering relations allows us to keep the terms connected in relative motion. The essay then moves to describe four distinct modes of framing the relation between law and politics, which gives rise to very different disciplinary projects: law as politics, dating back to the legal realist movement; law as political science, which finds its current expression in empirical and quantitative research; law as political philosophy, generated by a renewed interest in “the political”; and law as political contingent, growing out of a similar interest but challenging the boundary-setting ambitions of philosophy. While the latter has not yet been adequately translated into law, I suggest as an alternative the work of Jacques Rancière, which declines to grant an aura of invincible ubiquity to any totalizing description, including neoliberalism’s attempt to present itself as a world system.Peer reviewe

The Dialogical Language of Law

We live in a dialogical world. The normative environment around us is many-voiced. Legal activities like drafting, negotiating, interpreting, judging, invoking, and protesting the law take place in dialogical encounters, all of which presuppose entrenched forms of social dialogue. And yet, the dominant modes of thinking about the law remain monological. How can we bring our legal conceptions into alignment with the dialogical world in which we live? The present article follows in the footsteps of a Bakhtinian dialogical theory of language that challenges the roots of contemporary positivist conceptions of law and language underpinning large swathes of legal academia and the legal profession—including recent approaches to legal interpretation called corpus linguistics. Against this backdrop, the article aims to develop a richer and more textured dialogical jurisprudence to encompass the various aspects, activities, and genres where legal language is employed

Estudio del metabolismo de la glucosa en pacientes con esclerosis lateral amiotrófica

[ES] La esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA), es un trastorno neurodegenerativo que afecta a las motoneuronas a nivel cerebral, troncal y espinal, causando debilidad y atrofia muscular progresiva y finalmente, la muerte. Es también conocida como la enfermedad de la motoneurona (MND) o bien como la enfermedad de Lou Gehrig en EEUU (ex jugador de béisbol de los Yankees de Nueva York, retirado por esta enfermedad en el año 1939), o la enfermedad de Charcot en Francia (que fue el primero en describir la enfermedad en 1874). El cuadro clínico de la ELA es consecuencia de la afectación concurrente de las neuronas motoras superiores e inferiores que inervan finalmente la musculatura extriada para la contracción muscular. La afectación de la primera motoneurona es la responsable de la rigidez, la hiperreflexia y el signo de Babinski que se encuentra en estos pacientes, mientras que la pérdida de las motoneuronas inferiores origina fasciculaciones, calambres y atrofia muscular progresiva (Ince et al., 1998). Dependiendo de dónde comiencen los síntomas, clasificamos la enfermedad en dos tipos: espinal (65% de los casos) con comienzo en las extremidades, y bulbar (30%) la cual debuta con disartria y/o disfagia desde el inicio de la enfermedad

Laguntza publikoen kontrolaren erreforma eta horren eragina Euskadin

La política de defensa de la competencia de la Unión Europea es una herramienta fundamental para garantizar el correcto funcionamiento del mercado interior. Como consecuencia de la úlima crisis financiera, la filosofía de las ayudas estatales ha caído por los suelos, habiéndose logrado que el sistema económico se sumerja en el caos. Asimismo se ha puesto en duda la potestad de las instituciones vascas para redactar leyes en este ámbito, aunque tengan competencia para ello. Con todo, la jurisprudencia de la Unión Europea ha tomado postura a favor de mantener las competencias de las regiones. Esta tendencia comenzó a ser percibida en el caso de las Azores, y ha quedado confirmada en la sentencia recientemente emitida por el Tribunal Superior del País Vasco en torno a las medidas tomadas por las instituciones forales vascas.Europar Batasunak lehiaren defentsarako duen politika funtsezko tresna da barne merkaturaren funtzionamendu egokia bermatzeko. Azken fi nantza-krisialdiaren ondoren estatu laguntzei buruzko fi losofi a hankaz gora erori da, sistema ekonomikoa kaos batean murgiltzea lortu delarik. Era berean, euskal erakundeek alor horretan legeak egiteko ahalmena ote duten zalantzan jarri dute, hartarako eskumenen jabe izan arren. Guztiarekin ere, eskualdeen eskumenak mantentzearen aldeko jarrera hartu du Europar Batasuneko jurisprudentziak. Azore Uharteen kasuan hasi zen joera hori begiztatzen, eta berretsia gertatu da, euskal foru erakundeek harturiko neurriak zirela-eta, Euskadiko Auzitegiak Nagusiak berriki emandako epaian.La politique que conduit l'Union Européenne en matière de défense de la concurrence est un outil fondamental pour garantir un fonctionnement correct du marché. Suite à la dernière crise financière, la philosophie concernant les aides étatiques a été totalement bouleversée, tandis que le système économique s'est enfoncé dans un véritable chaos. De même, les institutions basques ont douté de leur capacité à légiférer dans ce domaine, alors qu'elles détiennent des compétences pour cela. Cependant, la jurisprudence de l'Union Européenne a pris une position en faveur du maintien des compétences des régions. Cette tendance a commencé à être examinée à partir du cas des Açores et elle a été confirmée, suite aux mesures prises par les institutions forales basques, dans un jugement prononcé récemment par le Tribunal Suprême d'Euskadi.The European Union's policy for defending competition is a key tool for guaranteeing that the internal market functions properly. Following the recent financial crisis, the philosophy on State subsidies has collapsed, and the economic system has been immersed in chaos. Likewise, doubt has been cast on whether the Basque institutions have the capacity to pass legislation in this sphere, despite the fact that they have the power to do so. Nevertheless, EU jurisprudence has adopted an attitude in favour of upholding the powers of the regions. This attitude began to emerge in the case of the Azores and has been confirmed in the ruling handed down by the High Court of the Basque Autonomous Community on the occasion of the measures taken by the Basque Charter Institutions

Measuring social capital in the Basque Country: an eclectic approach

228 p.In the last decades, the literature of social capital has comprised a growing number of contributions in fields as diverse as the theory of organisation, education, health, sociology and economics. In the economic sphere, the influence of social capital is acknowledged on account of its key role for innovation since it is a process that highly depends on social action. Simply put, good social relations facilitate communication, and a network of actors based on trust and common cognitive elements is seen as an optimal space to share resources that can result in interactive learning. Social capital is, however, a controversial concept, primarily due to its ambiguity and subsequent difficulties for measurement. In order to overcome these limitations, this dissertation introduces an eclectic approach, involving a set of indicators regarding different dimensions (structural, relational and cognitive), levels (micro, meso and macro), scales (region and city), agents (cluster-associations, firms and individuals), time-frames (static, short-term and long-tern) and disciplines (economic history, economics, evolutionary economic geography, network theory, etc.). This PhD thesis provides interesting policy implications for public authorities of the Basque Country. First, it suggests the need for much more rigorous and frequent diagnoses of the cluster structural organisation conducive to repair the network¿s imperfections and monitor the position and role of the actors at different scales. At the same time, institutions should be aware of informal networking as an alternative way of bringing regional actors together. Opportunities for casual encounters (online but especially offline) should be granted and equally measured to ensure the cooperation between companies and institutions. To this end, the (hi)story of Eibar may be a good mirror to look at

Edición de videos digitales en la formación del profesorado

Las nuevas tecnologías están cada vez más presentes en la enseñanza de las Ciencias Experimentales y en la formación del profesorado de Ciencias Experimentales de diferentes niveles educativos. Es por ello, por lo que se ha considerado necesario trabajar y llevar a cabo experiencias apoyadas en las nuevas tecnologías. La finalidad de esta experiencia consiste en fomentar un acercamiento al proceso de enseñanza/aprendizaje de las Ciencias Experimentales a través de la utilización de fotografías y de imágenes editando videos. Además esta actividad sirve como elemento motivador para los futuros maestros y maestras, impulsa la integración de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en su competencia profesional, y además, sirven como aprendizaje de estas herramientas como instrumento de evaluación y autoevaluación

Ignacio María Barriola (Quehacer médico)

El presente trabajo reconstruye, de forma abreviada, la faceta médica del Dr. Barriola. El inicio de su vocación, sus maestros, con especial referencia al Dr. Urrutia. Sus años en la Universidad y su formación como especialista en Viena y París. A esa época, en el extranjero, se le da especial importancia. Asimismo, se estudia su vida profesional en el Hospital de Manteo, de San Sebastián, en la Clínica Ntra. Sra. de las Mercedes y en su consulta particular. Finaliza este trabajo con 8 conclusiones.Lan honek Barriola doktorearen mediku alderdia oroitarazten du, era laburrean. Haren bokazioaren hastapena, irakasleak, Urrutia doktorearen aipamen berezia tartean. Unibertsitateko urteak eta haren prestakuntza espezialista gisa, Vienan eta Parisen. Garrantzi berezia ematen zaio kanpoko egonaldi horri. Orobat, haren lanbide bizitza aztertzen da Donostiako Hospital de Manteon, Ntra. Sra. de las Mercedes klinikan eta haren kontsulta partikularrean. Lana 8 ondorioz amaitzen da.Ce travail reconstruit, de façon abrégée, la facette médicale du Dr. Barriola. Le début de sa vocation, ses maîtres, avec une référence spéciale au Dr. Urrutia. Ses années à l'Université et sa formation comme spécialiste à Vienne et à Paris. A cette époque, il acquit une grande importance à l'étranger. On étudie également sa vie professionnelle à l'Hôpital de Manteo, de Saint-Sébastien, à la Clinique Ntra Sra. de las Mercedes et à sa consultation privée. Ce travail se termine par 8 conclusions.The present work reconstructs, in an abridged manner, the medical facet of Dr. Barriola. The beginning of his vocation and his teachers are reviewed, with special reference being made to Dr. Urrutia. His years in the University and his training as a specialist in Vienna and Paris. Special importance is attached to that era abroad. Also, a study is made of his professional life in the Manteo Hospital, of San Sebastián, in the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Clinic and of his private practice. This work ends with 8 conclusions

The acquisition of complex wh-questions in L2

The main goal of this paper is to review how complex wh-questions are acquired in the process of learning a second language (L2). Adopting a generative perspective, the paper will consider experimental studies that have dealt with the issue of whether L2 learners have access to Universal Grammar (UG) and how other factors such as first language (L1) transfer, derivational complexity, the age of the learners, age of first exposure and length of exposure might be influential in this process. Although most studies to date have focused on learners acquiring English as an L2 with a rather wide variety of first languages (L1s), two recent studies have considered the acquisition of L2 French. They will be reviewed too in order to provide a wider perspective on the acquisition of the syntactic structure under focus: wh-movement. The paper is structured as follows: the first section presents a brief overview of different ideas about how languages are learned to then focus on the generative approach. Additionally, basic concepts of the approach and several misconceptions about it will be commented on. Section 2 provides a crosslinguistic review on wh-question formation, considering other possible structures in other languages, and analyzes how this structure is formed in English and what its main constraints are. Section 3 reviews some studies on the acquisition of wh-questions in L1 and L2 acquisition, whereas section 4 focuses on two more recent studies that consider derivational complexity as a crucial factor in the L2 acquisition process. Section 5 touches on the issue of ultimate attainment and section 6 concludes the paper

Pronounced and prevalent intersexuality does not impede the ‘Demon Shrimp’ invasion

Crustacean intersexuality is widespread and often linked to infection by sex-distorting parasites. However, unlike vertebrate intersexuality, its association with sexual dysfunction is unclear and remains a matter of debate. The ‘Demon Shrimp,’ Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, an amphipod that has invaded continental waterways, has recently become widespread in Britain. Intersexuality has been noted in D. haemobaphes but not investigated further. We hypothesise that a successful invasive population should not display a high prevalence of intersexuality if this condition represents a truly dysfunctional phenotype. In addition, experiments have indicated that particular parasite burdens in amphipods may facilitate invasions. The rapid and ongoing invasion of British waterways represents an opportunity to determine whether these hypotheses are consistent with field observations. This study investigates the parasites and sexual phenotypes of D. haemobaphes in British waterways, characterising parasite burdens using molecular screening, and makes comparisons with the threatened Gammarus pulex natives. We reveal that invasive and native populations have distinct parasitic profiles, suggesting the loss of G. pulex may have parasite-mediated eco-system impacts. Furthermore, the parasite burdens are consistent with those previously proposed to facilitate biological invasions. Our study also indicates that while no intersexuality occurs in the native G. pulex, approximately 50% of D. haemobaphes males present pronounced intersexuality associated with infection by the microsporidian Dictyocoela berillonum. This unambiguously successful invasive population presents, to our knowledge, the highest reported prevalence of male intersexuality. This is the clearest evidence to date that such intersexuality does not represent a form of debilitating sexual dysfunction that negatively impacts amphipod populations