Gender Construction and the Limits of Liberal Equality

The article suggests a possible answer to the puzzling question how it is that despite the explicit promise of equality for women present in each and every western liberal democracy, the reality is that sex discrimination persists and is often even legitimated and protected, especially when it is based on religious and cultural motivations. As a basis for its argument the article employs the psychological theories of Carol Gilligan and Nancy Chodorow that describe the gendered construction of the self in western liberal societies, as well as the historical unfolding of the myths of Eve and Lilith, and the patriarchal origins and structure of liberal theory. The article argues that the failure of liberalism to deliver on its promise of equality for women is due both to the gendered structure of liberal theory and society and to the gendered construction of the self in western liberal societies, which is both shaped by and shapes the structures of these societies and the theories supporting them

From Private Prejudice to Public Policy: How Religious Conservatives Use Liberalism to Control Women\u27s Bodies -- the United States and Israel in Comparative Perspective

The Article uses the feminist critique of the patriarchal nature of religion and liberalism, the feminist critique of flaws in political liberalism, and a socio-political analysis of the power of religious conservative groups in the United States and Israel to claim that religious conservatives use the patriarchal nature of liberalism, its inherent flaws, and conservative political power to turn private religious prejudice into public policy. Analyzing the constitutional and legal status of religion in the United States and the recent dramatic changes it has undergone, the Article shows that contrary to popular belief, and due to the aforementioned factors, the American model of separation between religion and the state cannot protect women’s rights against the religious conservative attack. The Article uses a comparative analysis of the religious conservative attack on women’s rights in Israel to show that despite the very different religion-state relations, the religious conservative attack in the two countries is similar in both method and success

Detection of genetic mutations associated with macrolide resistance of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Purpose : The aim of this study was to identify mutations associated with macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and to establish a cultural method to determine antimicrobial susceptibility. Methods : Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) were collected from 62 children diagnosed with MP pneumonia by a serologic method or polymerase chain reaction. The 23S rRNA and L4 ribosomal protein genes of MP were amplified and sequenced. To identify mutations in these 2 genes, their nucleotide sequences were compared to those of the reference strain M129. MP cultivation was carried out for 32 (28 frozen and 5 refrigerated) NPAs and M129 strain using Chanock’s glucose broth and agar plate in a 5% CO2 incubator at 37?#608;and examined at 2-3 day intervals for 6 weeks. Results : Among the 62 specimens, 17 had M144V mutations in ribosomal protein L4. The A2064G mutation was observed in 1 specimen&#59; its 23S rRNA gene was successfully sequenced. Culture for MP was successful from the M129 strain and 2 of the 5 NPAs that were refrigerated for no longer than 3 days. However, MP did not grow from the 28 NPAs that were kept frozen at -80?#608;since 2003. Conclusion : We found the M144V mutation of L4 protein to be common and that of domain V of 23S rRNA gene was relatively rare among MP. Studies on the prevalence of macrolide-resistant MP and the relationship between the mutations of 23S rRNA gene and ribosomal protein L4 will aid in understanding the mechanism of macrolide resistance in MP