New social movements in Greece: Aspects of the feminist and ecological projects.

The thesis examines three case studies of the Greek feminist and ecological movements during the period: 1975-1992. As the most appropriate theoretical framework for the analysis of those case studies, 'new social movement theory' is selected. However, the Greek case studies represent significant variations in regard to the 'ideal type' of new social movements as depicted in the literature. These differences originate to a certain degree from Greek new social movements' different cultural and political environment. The Greek social movements had to face a strong statocratic and partocratic society, where there was lack of an autonomous social movement sector. This led to the formation of semi-autonomous, party-affiliated social movement organisations. Moreover, the Greek political culture has been rooted on two different geopolitical visions. The one has pointed to a more traditionally oriented, inward looking political orientation hostile to Western values and the institutional arrangements of modernity. The other has been a modernising, outward looking orientation, adopting Western institutions and values. The stand of the Greek new social movements towards this open question of modernisation has been variable. Some social movement organisations have underlined the need for empowering national autonomy and have, therefore, been positively predisposed towards the state and the political parties as a significant means for achieving this goal. Others have eschewed the question altogether, focusing only on the local and international level with significant, however, political cost. Another factor, which has influenced the identity of the Greek new social movements, has been the tradition of the Left, which has favoured grand-narratives based on humanism and posing a dichotomy between 'general' and 'particular' struggles. Summing up, the social movements presented show marked variations in comparison with the ideal-typical type. They were strongly influenced by: statocracy and patrocracy, the open question of modernisation, and the political culture of the Left

Playing pick-up on Main : refocusing a neighborhood's identity

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-61).At first glance, the city of Worcester is not unique. Like so many other New England cities, the traces of its industrial past are visible at every turn: from the early high-rise buildings in the downtown area, to the canals which run through the city, to the seemingly endless supply of bulky brick factories and the worker housing which surrounds them. Upon further investigation, however, Worcester, as with all places, is revealed to be filled with very specific, and indeed unique, histories and memories. Regrettably, in Worcester and so many of these other industrial cities, while many physical remnants remain, the spirit and energy they once provided have disappeared, much like the industries themselves. This disappearance has created a void in the cultural fabric of the area, leveling our experiences within cities and flattening the distinctions between them. Within Worcester, the neighborhood of Main south is indicative of this shift. Home to both universities and corset makers, for decades MainSouth held a singular position in Worcester's civic landscape - a place where higher education and the working classes mixed. After the loss of industry, however, the neighborhood disintegrated and any previous coherence disappeared. By utilizing forces already at work in the site, this thesis will attempt to promote a new understanding of Main south, one that re-establishes the neighborhood's identity as a place where different sectors of society can mix. Working with both existing building typologies and existing programmatic uses, a restructuring of portions of Main Street will be proposed as a new focal point for communal activity in the neighborhood.by Matthew Joseph Simitis.M.Arch

A Never-Ending Story: Die Vorratsdatenspeicherung

2004 erschütterten Terroranschläge in London und Madrid die Welt. Die Reaktion der EU/EG im seinerzeit schnellsten Gesetzgebungsverfahren seit Bestehen: Verabschiedung der Vorratsdatenspeicherungsrichtlinie. 2009 sah der EuGH die Richtlinie trotzdem als Binnenmarktregelung an, mit der Harmonisierung auf dem Informationsmarkt herbeigeführt werden sollte. Äußerungen zum Inhalt – quasi als obiter dictum möglich gewesen – versagte er sich. 2010 beurteilte dann das BVerfG die bundesdeutsche Umsetzung, aber – ganz dem Verhältnis von EuGH und BVerfG entsprechend – nur den die europäischen Mindestvorgaben überschießenden Teil. Dieses Gesetz hatte national schon für reichlich Sprengstoff im Rechtsstaat gesorgt und u.a. den Rücktritt der beharrlich widersetzlichen Justizministerin bewirkt. ..

The Mental Health of War?damaged Populations

Summaries This article draws upon the psychiatric, psycho?analytic and anthropological literature to show that we know very little about the psychological consequences of war and upheaval in the non?Western world. The small amount we do know suggests that while suffering is often intense, many of the therapeutic responses on offer are inappropriate as they are informed by psychiatric and psycho?analytic thought and practice which have little relevance to the majority of people living in the non?Western world

Institutional Solutions to Precariousness and Inequality in Labour Markets

It has become widely assumed that the standard employment relationship (SER) is in irreversible decline in industrialized societies. However, non-standard and precarious work relationships often complement the SER via labour market transitions, and are not displacing it as the focal point of labour market regulation. The co-ordination and risk management functions of the SER continue to be relevant in market economies, and the SER is adjusting to new conditions. The SER has a complex and evolving relationship to gender and to social stratification. In the European context where the SER originated and achieved its clearest legal expression, institutional solutions to precariousness and inequality are being developed, the most innovative of which avoid simple deregulation in favour of integrated policy responses involving a range of complementary regulatory mechanisms.We are grateful for funding from the Cambridge Political Economy Society TrustThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjir.1210

Wir alle sind Partner in der Europäischen Union. Festvortrag zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit im Rathaus der Stadt am 3. Oktober 2012

Festvortrag am Tag der Deutschen Einheit, 3. Oktober 2012, im Rahmen der Osnabrücker Friedensgespräch