Charles Tilly, who died in 2008 just before reaching the age of 79, was one of the great historical sociologists of the last half century. Along with Theda Skocpol, Michael Mann, and a few others, he carried out a revolution in people's understanding of social movements, revolutions, the rise and effects of the modern state, and social conflict or…

This paper outlines current changes in American adoption practice and the controversies surrounding these changes. It includes a discussion of the role that neo-Kantian and utilitarian perspectives have played in American adoption policy and practice, and offers an alternative, the communitarian perspective, described by Sandel (1984). Adoption…

Reviews several explanations for "playing the dozens," a ritualized verbal contest carried out principally among Black males. Holds that the ritual is a survival technique that teaches young Black men to face up to an antagonistic society and to deal with conflicts. Provides examples of ritual insult from other cultures. (Author/GC)

This article presents a series of arguments supporting greater use of mediation as a tool for conflict resolution in higher education contexts. The structure of higher education is explored, as are rationales for mediation from the point of view of students, faculty and administrators. [This content was originally published in: "The Fourth R,"…

Historically, Americans have employed the rhetorical motif "reaffirmation of principle" to cope with the social evils in their midst. This concept refers to the tendency of groups to respond to outside hostility by regrouping and reaffirming their ethos through a form of self-address. Reaffirmation of principle, like managerial rhetoric,…

The decision of whether to use French or English in Montreal, Canada, is not always predetermined but must be negotiated by the interactants in conversation in ways that can be serious or humorous and have great potential for misunderstanding. The complex relationship between language choice and ethnicity is one factor involved in the decision…

Collective bargaining is a process influenced by many factors. A review of the literature, including an assessment of Dunlop's, Smythe's, Levinson's, and Craig's models, indicates that most models of collective bargaining are partial, dealing only with some of the components of the bargaining process. A model of educational collective bargaining…

The Spiral of Silence theory (Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, l973) suggests that highly consonant media content has a strong impact upon individuals' perception of the opinion climate as well as upon their opinion expression. Noting that the theory lacks empirical investigation, a study took advantage of a controlled media system in Cheongju, South…