Minding the Gap: An Assessment of Racial Disparity in Metropolitan Chicago

In cooperation with the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago (HRF), CURL and the Jane Addams Hull House examined inequalities among racial and ethnic groups in Chicago. Drawing from a broad range of existing data sources, researchers documented areas of reduced inequality as well as other areas of persistent inequality. Minding the Gap: An Assessment of Racial Disparity in Metropolitan Chicago examines seven quality of life measurements: income, wealth and employment, education, housing, transportation, health, the lives of children and the criminal justice system. This report, by examining these seven systems, not just one, creates a unique context for understanding both the complexity of these individual systems and the relationships between these systems. The goal of this effort is not only to educate the public about these gaps, but also to serve as a catalyst for public and social policy discussion throughout the region by initiating a community engagement process. The report was featured in a Sun-Times Editorial

AGENDA: Water and Growth in the West

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 29 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) + supplement (207 p. ; 29 x 24 cm.) Conference co-sponsor The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Conference moderators included University of Colorado School of Law professors Gary C. Bryner, James N. Corbridge, Jr., David H. Getches, Douglas S. Kenney, Kathryn M. Mutz, Peter D. Nichols and Charles F. Wilkinson. Accompanied by: CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) and supplement (xiv, 140, [49] p.) Includes bibliographical references The event will cover a breadth of issues, including demographics and water-use trends, improved planning and efficient use, implementation of TMDL and ESA requirements, groundwater management, tribal water resources, environmental protection, social costs of water transfers, climatic variability, and related issues. The third day of the event focuses exclusively on Colorado water issues. The focus of the conference not only reflects the continued salience of water issues in the modern West, but is a recognition that current rates of growth in the region have brought greater urgency and complexity to many longstanding issues. Over the last decade, nine of the ten fastest growing states are located in the West— a trend that is expected to continue. Most of these residents, both old and new, live in the region in part due to the considerable environmental amenities and recreational opportunities. Others are attracted to the strong regional economy, and an abundance of developable land. Water makes this possible. The potential exhaustion of available supplies, consequently, is a broad-ranging concern. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that potential water shortages are slowing current growth patterns, it is notable that virtually every western river of signifi­cance has at least one endangered species issue, and that competition for limited supplies increasingly pits sector against sector, basin against basin, community against community. In the modern West, it is increasingly difficult to separate issues of water quality and quantity, and water management and land-use. This is perhaps best illustrated by the emergence of TMDLs, the broadening influence of the Endangered Species Act, and the growing stresses on the agricultural sector. Nested within these concerns are thorny issues of equity and fairness, private fights versus public concerns, and the appropriate delineation of roles between federal, state, and local governments. The prospects of drought are also increasingly troublesome, as new demands threaten to reduce the “drought cushion” in water systems, and as new research shows that recent decades have been abnormally wet. On many levels, the world of western water resources is becoming more complicated, as strong growth pressures illustrate both the limits of current practice and the opportuni­ties for improved management

AGENDA: Water and Growth in the West

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 29 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) + supplement (207 p. ; 29 x 24 cm.) Conference co-sponsor The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Conference moderators included University of Colorado School of Law professors Gary C. Bryner, James N. Corbridge, Jr., David H. Getches, Douglas S. Kenney, Kathryn M. Mutz, Peter D. Nichols and Charles F. Wilkinson. Accompanied by: CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) and supplement (xiv, 140, [49] p.) Includes bibliographical references The event will cover a breadth of issues, including demographics and water-use trends, improved planning and efficient use, implementation of TMDL and ESA requirements, groundwater management, tribal water resources, environmental protection, social costs of water transfers, climatic variability, and related issues. The third day of the event focuses exclusively on Colorado water issues. The focus of the conference not only reflects the continued salience of water issues in the modern West, but is a recognition that current rates of growth in the region have brought greater urgency and complexity to many longstanding issues. Over the last decade, nine of the ten fastest growing states are located in the West— a trend that is expected to continue. Most of these residents, both old and new, live in the region in part due to the considerable environmental amenities and recreational opportunities. Others are attracted to the strong regional economy, and an abundance of developable land. Water makes this possible. The potential exhaustion of available supplies, consequently, is a broad-ranging concern. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that potential water shortages are slowing current growth patterns, it is notable that virtually every western river of signifi­cance has at least one endangered species issue, and that competition for limited supplies increasingly pits sector against sector, basin against basin, community against community. In the modern West, it is increasingly difficult to separate issues of water quality and quantity, and water management and land-use. This is perhaps best illustrated by the emergence of TMDLs, the broadening influence of the Endangered Species Act, and the growing stresses on the agricultural sector. Nested within these concerns are thorny issues of equity and fairness, private fights versus public concerns, and the appropriate delineation of roles between federal, state, and local governments. The prospects of drought are also increasingly troublesome, as new demands threaten to reduce the “drought cushion” in water systems, and as new research shows that recent decades have been abnormally wet. On many levels, the world of western water resources is becoming more complicated, as strong growth pressures illustrate both the limits of current practice and the opportuni­ties for improved management

AGENDA: Two Decades of Water Law and Policy Reform: A Retrospective and Agenda for the Future

1 v. (various pagings) ; 29 cm Sponsors: Hydrosphere Resource Consultants; Modrall, Sperling, Roehl, Harris & Sisk, P.A.; Patrick & Stowell, P.C.; Perkins Coie LLP; The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Conference speakers, moderators and/or panelists included University of Colorado School of Law professors Gary C. Bryner, Douglas S. Kenney, Sarah Krakoff, Kathryn Mutz, David H. Getches, Lawrence J. MacDonnell and James N. Corbridge, Jr. Includes bibliographical references The conference will examine the agenda for reforming and improving water law that has developed during the past two decades in the West, assesses what has (and has not) been accomplished by pursuing these reforms, and explores lessons and implications for future water law and policy. The papers and discussion will provide analysis and lessons that can guide the new administration, Congress, federal agencies, state governments, and communities as they seek to find policy solutions to the challenges posed by the tremendous economic and demographic changes occurring in the West, in order to ensure the sustainability of the region\u27s unique environment. Specific sessions will focus on reforms such as improving the scientific and technical basis for water management, water conservation and efficiency, protecting environmental values in meeting water demands, and creating new models of governance for water issues

バンコック ニホンゴ センター ニオケル キョウイン ケンシュウ プログラム ノ カイハツ

タイ国における日本語教育は、年々規模を拡大し、各機関では学習者の増加に伴い、教員不足に悩むとともに教員のレベルアップに対する関心が高まってきた。このような状況の中、国際交流基金バンコック日本語センターが設立され、さまざまな便宜供与が企図されているが、本稿では、研修会・コンサルティング・教師向け日本語講座等の活動状況を一瞥し、当センターで開発を企てている教員研修プログラムの実際、今後の展望について論じる。 一年に2回行なう予定の「日本語教育研修会」は、研修プログラムの中心をなすものであり、一週間にわたり集中的に講義が行なわれる。 「日本語教師のための日本語講座」は、タイ人日本語教師の日本語運用力を高め、授業を活性化させる目的で開設された。その他、コンサルティングや各地のセミナーで吸収した問題点からのフィードバックも含め、研修会・日本語講座を通 じ、教員研修プログラムを開発していく予定である。 研修内容についても、日本語教育に関する知識をいかに実際の授業に活かすかという観点に立っての教員研修シラバスの開発が急務である。これらの活動の結果、指導法に悩むタイ人日本語教師に躍進のきっかけを提供できればと願っている。Japanese-language education has been expanding yearly in Thailand. With the increase of learners, each institution has been increasingly concerned with the recruitment and "brush-up" of teachers. The Japan Foundation Bangkok Language Center, following this trend, has started to extend its services to the Japanese-language institutions in Thailand. In this paper, I review the center\u27s activities, including teachers\u27 training courses, consultation, and Japanese courses for teachers. I also discuss the present state and future development of the teachers\u27 training program. First, we hold a "Teachers\u27 Training Course in Teaching Japanese" twice a year for one week each. This plays a central role in our academic program. Second, we organize a "Japanese-Language Course for Teachers," which seeks to improve the communicative abilities of Thai teachers of Japanese and revitalize their teaching. Last, we offer consultation and visiting services to various seminars in which we discuss problems of pedagogy and "feedback." Our teachers\u27 training program will continue to develop through the above three programs with a view to efficient application of academic knowledge of the Japanese language to actual classroom teaching. We are now endeavoring to establish syllabi for teachers\u27 training and to provide opportunities for the improvement of teaching Japanese

ヒューマニスティック テクニック オ カンガエル : チュウトウ キョウイク ノ ガイコクジン ニホンゴ キョウシ ノタメニ

特定の教授法理論とは直接関係づけずに現在使用中の教科書を使いながら教室活動を組み立てていく際のヒントになる考え方として「ヒューマニスティック・テクニック」を紹介し、中等教育の外国人日本語教師のための可能性を提案した。まず、Moskowitz(1978)およびGalyean(1977)によるヒューマニスティック・テクニック」の考え方を紹介した。その要点は以下の通りである。(1)言語学習は言語形式を習得する認知面の学習にとどまらず、情意面での人間的成長を考慮したものである べきだ。(2)言語学習が学習者にとって有意味であるためには、学習者に身近な題材をトピックにしながら自己表現させ、併せてクラスメート間の人間的交流を図ることが大事である。 「ヒューマニスティック・テクニック」の拠って立つ「人間性」のとらえどころのなさや楽観性などに対して批評的考察を加える一方、次のような点で意義を認めた。(1)学習者心理、教室内における目標言語の有意味な使用、言語学習における自己表 現の重要性などに大きな関心を払っている。(2)教師が学習者の内発的動機を探求するうえで有益な機会を与え、教師自身の内省に効果的である。 中等教育における言語教育のもつ人間教育の側面や外国人教師の利点を生かすうえで「ヒューマニスティック・テクニック」の意義を確認し、日本語の教室活動の例を紹介して、外国人日本語教師にその評価を問う。This paper discusses humanistic techniques in teaching Japanese as a foreign language and studies their feasibility for non-native teachers of the Japanese language at the secondary level. Moskowitz (1978) and Galycan (1977), both of which propose humanistic techniques, can be summarized as follows: 1) language education should provide learning and an environment that facilitates the humanistic growth of the learners; 2) the content of language practice should be based on student-offered material, both cognitive and affective; and 3) healthy relationships with other classmates is effective for increasing one\u27s self-esteem and enhances learning. While the above-mentioned discussion could be criticized as elusive or optimistic, humanistic techniques still have great value as in the following: 1) they realize the essential characteristics of language teaching/learning-first, language use is closely related with human psychology; second, language proficiency improves only through using the target language; and third, self-expression is essential in language learning; and 2) they offer teachers a great chance to explore what language learning is and how motivation is related with language learning. This paper emphasizes the significance of humanistic techniques when they are applied to non-native teachers of Japanese in secondary education because of the following reasons: 1) in secondary education the purpose of the course is not necessarily based on the present needs of the students but is to develop intellectual and emotional dimensions through language learning; and 2) humanistic techniques seem to offer an effective way for non-native teachers to utilize their strong points such as sharing native language and cultural background with the learners as well as having their own experiences of learning the target language. Four original classroom activities are created as samples and attached for the readers to use and evaluate

A View from the Top: International Politics, Norms and the Worldwide Growth of NGOs

This article provides a top-down explanation for the rapid growth of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the postwar period, focusing on two aspects of political globalization. First, I argue that international political opportunities in the form of funding and political access have expanded enormously in the postwar period and provided a structural environment highly conducive to NGO growth. Secondly, I present a norm-based argument and trace the rise of a pro-NGO norm in the 1980s and 1990s among donor states and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), which has actively promoted the spread of NGOs to non-Western countries. The article ends with a brief discussion of the symbiotic relationship among NGOs, IGOs, and states promoting international cooperation

Differentials of fertility in North and South Gondar zones, northwest Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ethiopia is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa with an estimated population of 77.1 million in mid-2007. Uncontrolled fertility has adversely influenced the socio-economic, demographic and environmental situations of the country. It is one of the largest and poorest countries that, even in the midst of crisis, has maintained high levels of fertility. This study was aimed at investigating the most important factors influencing fertility behavior in Northwest Ethiopia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A comparative cross-sectional study which included 2424 women aged 25 years and above was undertaken in the Amhara region of Northwest Ethiopia. The study subjects were grouped into high fertile and low fertile categories. There were 1011 and 1413 women in the high and low fertile groups, respectively. A multi-stage cluster sampling stratified by place of residence was employed to select the required study subjects. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to analyze the data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the 25 variables considered in this study, only 9 of them were found significantly and independently associated with the level of fertility. Women with at least secondary education were at a lower risk of high fertility with OR = 0.37 (95% CI: 0.21 to 0.64) compared to those with no formal education. However, women with primary education did not show any significant difference when compared with the same baseline group. Age at first marriage was inversely associated with the number of children ever born alive. Place of residence, household expenditure, number of children who have died, attitude towards using contraceptives, women's knowledge on the safe period, and current marital status were the other variables that showed significant associations with the level of fertility.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Female education beyond the primary level, reduced infant and child mortality, delayed marriage and correct knowledge on the safe period during the menstrual cycle were amongst the main factors that had a bearing on high fertility.</p

Preventing the next 'SARS' - European healthcare workers' attitudes towards monitoring their health for the surveillance of newly emerging infections: qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hospitals are often the epicentres of newly circulating infections. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of acquiring infectious diseases and may be among the first to contract emerging infections. This study aims to explore European HCWs' perceptions and attitudes towards monitoring their absence and symptom reports for surveillance of newly circulating infections.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A qualitative study with thematic analysis was conducted using focus group methodology. Forty-nine hospital-based HCWs from 12 hospitals were recruited to six focus groups; two each in England and Hungary and one each in Germany and Greece.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HCWs perceived risk factors for occupationally acquired infectious diseases to be 1.) exposure to patients with undiagnosed infections 2.) break-down in infection control procedures 3.) immuno-naïvety and 4.) symptomatic colleagues. They were concerned that a lack of monitoring and guidelines for infectious HCWs posed a risk to staff and patients and felt employers failed to take a positive interest in their health. Staffing demands and loss of income were noted as pressures to attend work when unwell. In the UK, Hungary and Greece participants felt monitoring staff absence and the routine disclosure of symptoms could be appropriate provided the effectiveness and efficiency of such a system were demonstrable. In Germany, legislation, privacy and confidentiality were identified as barriers.</p> <p>All HCWs highlighted the need for knowledge and structural improvements for timelier recognition of emerging infections. These included increased suspicion and awareness among staff and standardised, homogenous absence reporting systems.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Monitoring absence and infectious disease symptom reports among HCWs may be a feasible means of surveillance for emerging infections in some settings. A pre-requisite will be tackling the drivers for symptomatic HCWs to attend work.</p

Diffusion of School-Based Prevention Programs in Two Urban Districts: Adaptations, Rationales, and Suggestions for Change

The diffusion of school-based preventive interventions involves the balancing of high-fidelity implementation of empirically-supported programs with flexibility to permit local stakeholders to target the specific needs of their youth. There has been little systematic research that directly seeks to integrate research- and community-driven approaches to diffusion. The present study provides a primarily qualitative investigation of the initial roll-out of two empirically-supported substance and violence prevention programs in two urban school districts that serve a high proportion of low-income, ethnic minority youth. The predominant ethnic group in most of our study schools was Asian American, followed by smaller numbers of Latinos, African Americans, and European Americans. We examined the adaptations made by experienced health teachers as they implemented the programs, the elicitation of suggested adaptations to the curricula from student and teacher stakeholders, and the evaluation of the consistency of these suggested adaptations with the core components of the programs. Data sources include extensive classroom observations of curricula delivery and interviews with students, teachers, and program developers. All health teachers made adaptations, primarily with respect to instructional format, integration of real-life experiences into the curriculum, and supplementation with additional resources; pedagogical and class management issues were cited as the rationale for these changes. Students and teachers were equally likely to propose adaptations that met with the program developers’ approval with respect to program theory and implementation logistics. Tensions between teaching practice and prevention science—as well as implications for future research and practice in school-based prevention—are considered