Do we understand life after genocide? Centre and periphery in the knowledge construction in/on Rwanda

A reflection on the existing “constructs of knowledge” on Rwanda reveals that these are rife with contradictory assertions and images. We therefore map “the frontier of knowledge construction”, the centre(s) of society where not only policy is made, but where knowledge is actively construed, managed and controlled. We identify a discrepancy between “image” and “reality” in/on post-genocide Rwanda. We do so to be able to address the fundamental question: “do we really understand life after genocide?” We argue that crucial variables remain un- or under-explored due to an at times active interference in the scientific construction of knowledge; an overall cultivation of the aesthetics of progress and a culturally specific communication code. We analyze the “mise-en-scène” (stage-setting) of Rwanda and argue for greater attention to the “mise-en-sens” (meaning-giving and overall direction). We stress the need to carry out a adopt a bottom-up perspective in order to capture the voices of ordinary people.

Sociology of Accounting

Note from the editors Symposium: The Sociology of Accounting Collective Action Problems in Monitoring Managers: The Enron Case as a Systemic Problem by Peter Gourevitch Bringing Calculation Back In: Sociological Studies in Accounting by Andrea Mennicken Figures, Writing and Calculation: Thoughts on the Representation of Economic Practices by Herbert Kalthoff Rating Agencies: Setting a Standard for Global Financial Markets by Dieter Kerwer Law and Economy: The Need for a Sociological Approach by Richard Swedberg Economic Sociology in Europe Switzerland by Michael Nollert Book Reviews Conference Reports PhD's in Progress Announcement

Nothing New in the (North) East? Interpreting the Rhetoric and Reality of Japanese Corporate Governance

As Japan emerges from a lost decade of economic stagnation, attention is also focusing on its corporate governance system. Shareholders are gaining ground vis--vis other stakeholders. This is also evident in a plethora of legislative reforms culminating in the consolidated Company Law of 2005, leading some to proclaim the Americanisation of Japanese Law. Part I of this paper outlines two pairs of views. It confirms significant but gradual transformation towards a more market-driven system, involving some modes of change paralleled elsewhere. In assessing change more broadly, Part II urges care in selecting the temporal timeframe and countries to compare, balancing blackletter law and wider socio-economic context, disclosing normative preferences, and focusing on processes as well as outcomes.Corporate governance, Japan

Hundreds of scholars have signed a statement defending the international institutions that Trump has attacked

In July, forty-two international relations scholars published a statement in the New York Times which argued that President Trump needed to do more to preserve the post World War II international order. David A. Lake and Peter Gourevitch led the effort to publish the statement and argue why the president should consider their points of view

Explaining Variations in Patterns of Fiscal Consolidation

The comparative study of debt and fiscal consolidation has acquired a new focus with the re-emergence of debt as a major problem consequent upon the global financial crisis. This leads us to re-evaluate the literature on fiscal consolidation that flourished during the 1980s and 1990s. We identify two broad schools of analysis, one which segments episodes of fiscal change into discrete observations, the other comparing budget profiles at two points in time. We argue that both strategies miss the dynamic features of government strategy, especially in the choices made between expenditure-based and revenue-based fiscal consolidation strategies. We propose a focus on pathways rather than episodes of adjustment, to recapture what Pierson terms 'politics in time'. We draw on classical explanatory tools of comparative political economy, including structures of interest intermediation, the role of ideas in shaping the set of feasible policy choices, and the situation of national economies in the international political economy. We support our argument with qualitative data based on paired comparisons of Ireland and Britain, and Greece and Spain.

Corporate boards, ownership structure and firm performance in an environment of severe political and economic crisis

This study examines the relationship between board and ownership structures and firm performance in an environment of severe political and economic crisis. Using panel data from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) for the period 2000-2005, we split the period into prepresidential election period (2000-2002) (a relatively stable political and economic period) and post-presidential election period (2003-2005) (a hostile political and economic period) to capture the differences in the political and economic landscape. We find that board size, ownership concentration and executive directors’ share ownership increased whilst the proportion of nonexecutive directors reduced in the post-presidential election period. Employing a system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach, we find that performance is positively related to board size and ownership concentration in the post- (but not in the pre-) presidential election period. The results also show that performance is negatively related to executive directors’ share ownership in the post-presidential election period, but positively related in the pre-presidential election period. The proportion of non-executive directors is negative and significant in both periods. These findings support the notion that the effects of board and ownership structures depend on the nature of the firm’s environment, and therefore have important implications for policy-makers