Schools of Thought: Doctrines and Policy Perspectives

The Policy Perspectives team offers you its latest volume. Not only is this volume, per Policy Perspectives standards, filled with thoughtful analysis and reflection, it is the 30 th anniversary edition. For three decades, graduate students at the Trachtenberg School have used the Policy Perspectives scholarly journal to offer useful findings and insights. Over the years, the students have expanded the journal's audience and products. Volume 30 reflects that we are back on the campus of The George Washington University in Foggy Bottom and stronger than ever. It shows the learning and maturity that comes out of a program that was resilient in the face of environmental challenges and grabbed opportunities for growth and critical perspectives. Thanks to the dedication and talents of its authors, editors, and faculty advisors, Policy Perspectives once again can improve our understanding and inspire change. The editors expertly guided the content creation and publication process of volume 30. The Policy Perspectives website offers information on those who contributed to this year's offerings, other offerings besides this volume, and ways to get involved. Congratulations to the team for a year well done. Now it is up to us to take advantage of the team's work. I look forward to seeing what the next decade of Policy Perspectives will bring us.

BackgroundStudying global health problems requires international multidisciplinary teams. Such multidisciplinarity and multiculturalism create challenges in adhering to a set of ethical principles across different country contexts. Our group on health system responses to violence against women (VAW) included two universities in a European high-income country (HIC) and four universities in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to investigate professional and policy perspectives on the types, causes of, and solutions to ethical challenges specific to the ethics approval stage of the global research projects on health system responses to VAW.MethodsWe used the Network of Ethical Relationships model, framework method, and READ approach to analyse qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 18) and policy documents (n = 27). In March-July 2021, we recruited a purposive sample of researchers and members of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) from the five partner countries. Interviewees signposted policies and guidelines on research ethics, including VAW.ResultsWe developed three themes with eight subthemes summarising ethical challenges across three contextual factors. The global nature of the group contributed towards power and resource imbalance between HIC and LMICs and differing RECs’ rules. Location of the primary studies within health services highlighted differing rules between university RECs and health authorities. There were diverse conceptualisations of VAW and vulnerability of research participants between countries and limited methodological and topic expertise in some LMIC RECs. These factors threatened the timely delivery of studies and had a negative impact on researchers and their relationships with RECs and HIC funders. Most researchers felt frustrated and demotivated by the bureaucratised, uncoordinated, and lengthy approval process. Participants suggested redistributing power and resources between HICs and LMICs, involving LMIC representatives in developing funding agendas, better coordination between RECs and health authorities and capacity strengthening on ethics in VAW research.ConclusionsThe process of ethics approval for global research on health system responses to VAW should be more coordinated across partners, with equal power distribution between HICs and LMICs, researchers and RECs. While some of these objectives can be achieved through education for RECs and researchers, the power imbalance and differing rules should be addressed at the institutional, national, and international levels. Three of the authors were also research participants, which had potential to introduce bias into the findings. However, rigorous reflexivity practices mitigated against this. This insider perspective was also a strength, as it allowed us to access and contribute to more nuanced understandings to enhance the credibility of the findings. It also helped to mitigate against unequal power dynamics.

This article reflects the main findings of the ‘White Paper on opportunities and challenges in view of enhancing the EU cooperation with Eastern Europe, Central Asia and South Caucasus in Science, Research and Innovation’, which was released in April 2012, from a science and technology (S&T) internationalisation policy perspective. In the ‘Internationalisation of R&D from an S&T policy perspective’ section of this article, the ongoing discourse on internationalisation of research and development (R&D) is discussed from an S&T policy perspective. In the ‘S&T cooperation between the EU and Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia since the early 1990s’ section, the development of S&T cooperation between the EU and EECA is described as a historical snapshot since the early 1990s. In the ‘Recent S&T internationalisation efforts of Eastern European and Central Asian countries’ section, special emphasis is given to the current EECA countries' dispositions towards R&D internationalisation. For a structured overview, the EECA region is disaggregated in three subregions, namely, (a) Russian Federation, (b) Eastern European countries (without Russia) and (c) Central Asian countries. To better position the R&D internationalisation policies of the region under scrutiny within the overall state-of-the-art of S&T, the ‘Current state of S&T in the Eastern European and Central Asian countries’ section compares main S&T indicators of the EECA countries. The ‘The White Paper recommendations in the light of international S&T cooperation policy objectives’ section finally condenses the major recommendations elaborated during the White Paper consultation process and puts them into the context of international S&T cooperation policy. The question is raised on what international cooperation can contribute to improving S&T in the EECA region and which approaches are deemed most adequate to support this. The analysis shows that most recommendations suggested in the White Paper directly target the S&T policy (delivery) system, which is put into an explicit actor's role. Science diplomacy is the identified predominant driver for deepening international R&D cooperation with the EECA region. The main instruments used are international dialogue, exchange and learning platforms, which are supported by the European Commission according to the EU's subsidiarity principle. Other S&T internationalisation policy objectives play a role too, especially if a more regionally differentiated perspective is taken into account.

The essential purpose behind the thesis was to develop a relatively more policy relevant paradigm in order to help generate a policy perspective that would assist in the synchronization of policies leading to the 'better functioning' of the global political economyThe centre-periphery paradigm may be seen as providing us with a stop-go mechanism that can help predict internationally generated trends on the basis of sequentially observable 'historical time-posts' In this thesis, the emphasis is on those time-posts that appear as structural characteristics of the global political economy The associated internationally generated trends pertain to a set of interdependently moving ratios of 'mirror' centre and periphery variables. Changes in these ratios are broadly related to changes in the general relative economic wellbeing of 'centre and periphery-type economies' The thesis' title promises to expound the policy relevance of the new paradigm. To this end, the thesis has developed a 'synthetic' view of globally recurring sequences in a set of interdependently moving economic and political variables These sequences are seen to represent and to be brought about by, recurring series of changes in socio-economic structures through which changes in global inter-sectoral flows of wealth are brought about. These flows provide a predictive quality in that they indicate movements of variables as a function of sequential changes. In this way, the sequentially changing structural properties of the global political economy, are rendered relatively more predictable and therefore also more policy relevant. The thesis develops a policy vision that incorporates a normative basis for the assessment of relatively 'favourable' trends and structures. The policy perspective also provides a Tinbergen-type policy concept that relates instrument variables to the achieving of relatively 'favourable' trends and structures. It is in this way that the policy perspective of the centre-periphery paradigm can become engaged in the assessment of the relative meritoriousness of various 'policy bundles' The new paradigm's historical-time-posted sequences are seen to have occurred under certain conditions during which imperialistic and mercantilistic tends alternated in their degree of dominance. The associated structural foundation was then consistent with the generating of time-posted sequences. These mainly found their origin in the periodic fluctuations in the degree of confrontation between imperialistic structures that contained centres and their peripheries. After having been quite prevalent during the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, the pattern of centre-periphery sequences re-emerged strongly during the confrontations of the twentieth century They are expected to continue until 'sufficient' foundational changes to liberate the global structure from imperialistic conditions, are brought about through for instance, the introduction of an appropriately foundationally institutionalized 'New World Order' To formalize the market structure in which centre-periphery trade takes place, the bilateral oligopoly bargaining model is usefully employed to complete the main aspects of the axiomatic basis for the deductive part of the new paradigm and its sequences. That model and the way in which this thesis theoretically developed, is further detailed in Appendix III The focussing on this thesis' axiomatic foundation has been especially useful in terms of providing a basis for the linking with and the comparing with, the neo-classical system. The neoclassical paradigm assumes the persistence of equilibrating structures and its main policy relevance lies in rendering structures more competitive and in assisting in re-equilibration. In contrast, the new paradigm accepts that economic structures change as a function of political economic circumstances and that cumulative collapse mode conditions could become prevalent. As a result, its original policy relevance lies in providing insights as to how structures can be policy assisted to become more sustainable and how they can provide greater social justice. Longer run foundational changes are seen to occur through a structure's 'mutation' or through a process of 'evolutionary transformation' In the long-run, structural foundation is seen to tend towards that of the over time, relatively more predominant phase that occurs in the intermediate-run sequences. In its long-run policy perspective, the thesis argues for globally instigated and synchronized policies that would lead to a selected set of foundational characteristics. The selection is made to be consistent with those characteristics that are expected to pertain during a foreshadowed 'New World Order' The concept of a New World Order was before the 1991 Desert Storm, espoused by the main Anglo-Saxon leaders. The Desert Storm was in basic contradiction to the main espoused tenets of the New World Order The main contribution of the thesis relates to the inductive verification of and to the development of, a theoretical framework that has been developed based on the dialectic theoretical arm of the methodology in the social sciences. Additionally, through its emphasis on the effects of different structural foundations, on 'qualitatively' distinct future transformational paths, the thesis has made a distinct contribution to the theoretical analysis of mutational processes and the preferred outcomes regarding their structural axiomatic bases This thesis' development must be seen to be in contrast to the general construction of the empiricists' analytical efforts. Notwithstanding this, the thesis has fully conformed to the methodological principles associated with the 'logical positivistic' approach. It is that approach's combining of and the synthesizing between, the deductive and the inductive methodological-arms, that has been generally recognized to be the more scientifically respectable analytical approach that is available for the analysis of policy issues in the social sciences. Some of the axiomatic characteristics of this author's new paradigm, possess certain similarities with the structures that have been developed by people such as Prebisch, Samir Amin, Frank, Emannuel, Hveem, Galtung and others. However, these structures are taken as a priori to the new paradigm's even further expanded axiomatic basis. Also, the new paradigm has been developed well beyond a mere statement of its structural foundation. As there is an enormous literature relating to centreperiphery structures, the reader must excuse the author for his selectivity in the application of references. For the benefit of further research, the author has in Appendix I, provided an extensive tableau of the main intellectual contributions that he has valued in the development of this thesis.

Up to 80 % of global commodity production comes from smallholdings of less than 0.5 ha. Yet commodity crops may be a substantial proportion of a country’s exports, and feed into global supply networks. Pest risks thus have consequences at local, national and global levels. We consider three categories of risk in global commodity networks: introduction of pests to new areas, upsurges of established pests and the risks arising from management efforts. In each category we provide case studies and examples, and consider policy options. Increased travel, trade and transport increase the risks of introduction. Commodity specific biosecurity plans are required for preventing introductions, including analysis of the specific risks (pest pathways) and preparation of emergency responses. Regional and international cooperation is essential. Upsurges can be caused by crop management, evolution of new strains, and environment change. National systems must be responsive to detect problems and address them quickly. Capacity building for surveillance and diagnostics, and the development and dissemination of integrated pest management methods are needed. Investment in research and extension for the agricultural sector is vital. Risks linked with management efforts, specifically, the risk from agrochemicals are considered. Concerns in developed countries over food safety and environmental damage can place constraints on pest management. Failure to comply leads to loss of markets and buyer confidence. Policies that favour lower-risk pest management methods are needed, but are often lacking.

Book reviewed in this article:Little People in America: The Social Dimensions of Dwarfism. Joan Ablon.Health Care Policy in America/The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. S. E. Berki, ed.The Cultural Feast: An Introduction to Food and Society. Carol A. Bryant, Anita Courtney, Barbara A. Markesbery, and Kathleen M. DeWalt.Personal Meanings of Death: Applications of Personal Construct Theory to Clinical Practice. Franz R. Epting and Robert A. Neimeyer, eds.Guide to the Microfilm Edition of the Washington Matthews Papers. Katherine Spencer Halpern.Grandparents/Grandchildren: The Vital Connection. Arthur Kornhaber and Kenneth L. Woodward.Community Mental Health Action: Primary Prevention Programming in Canada. D. Paul Lumsden, ed.Alternative Medicines: Popular and Policy Perspectives. J. Warren Salmon, ed.Biological Variation in Health and Illness. Theresa Overfield.Alternative Medicines: Popular and Policy Perspectives. J. Warren Salmon, ed.Biological Variation in Health and Illness. Theresa Overfield.

Climate Change, Society, and Agriculture: an Economic and Policy Perspective

This poster presentation summarizes mixed-methods research from the 2021 ALISE Research Grant Competition Award: Educating for Equity?: Sexual and Gender Minority Privacy in Library and Information Studies Education. This project examined whether we can handle complex information policy questions by examining an urgent information problem facing libraries: the privacy of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals in the face of COVID-19 surveillance. This session aligns with the conference theme by illustrating how “privacy” is a polysemous concept. Information professionals grappling with privacy from a policy perspective must be prepared for its multi-faceted nature and the distinct privacy needs of different communities. SGM face significant information risks that differ from those of cis-gender, heterosexual people; improper information disclosure can lead to the loss of employment, housing, access to health care, and social support for SGM due to outing. This study asked, “Are LIS programs preparing their students to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ patrons and stakeholders from a policy perspective in the workplace?” Researchers conducted a mixed methods study that included a survey of LIS faculty, a content analysis of ALA-approved masters programs’ learning outcomes and syllabi, a document analysis of the privacy policies of a sample of libraries, and interviews with library employers. The researchers will share any results to date from their analysis and provide current best practices and recommendations for both libraries and LIS educators to help expand the understanding of the privacy of marginalized groups.

Introduction - Nancy E. Dowd Prologue: Developmental Variations Among Children and Adolescents: An Overview of the Research and Policy Implications - Dorothy G. Singer Part I. Children as Victims 1. Child Witnessing of Domestic Violence - Naomi Cahn 2. Domestic Violence and Child Protection: Confronting the Dilemmas in Moving From Family Court to Dependency Court - Thomas D. Lyon and Mindy B. Mechanic 3. Sexually Predatory Parents and the Children in Their Care: Remove the Threat, Not the Child - Robin Fretwell Wilson 4. Exposure to Pornography as a Cause of Child Sexual Victimization - Diana E.H. Russell and Natalie Purcell 5. Statutory Rape: An Empirical Examination of Claims of Overreaction - Ross E. Cheit and Laura Braslow 6. Mitigating the Impact of Publicity on Child Crime Victims and Witnesses - Charles Putnam and David Finkelhor Part II. Children as Consumers of Violence 7. The Violent Shadows of Children's Culture - John Cech 8. A Preliminary Demography of Television Violence - Nancy Signorielli 9. Protecting Children's Welfare in an Anxiety-Provoking Media Environment - Joanne Cantor 10. The Impact of Violent Music on Youth - Barbara J. Wilson and Nicole Martins 11. How Real Is the Problem of TV Violence? Research and Policy Perspectives - Dale Kunkel and Lara Zwarun 12. Violent Video Games: Effects on Youth and Public Policy Implications - Douglas A. Gentile and Craig A. Anderson 13. Positive Features of Video Games - Laurie N. Taylor 14. Children, Adolescents, and the Culture of Online Hate - Brendesha Tynes 15. Constitutional Obstacles to Regulating Violence in the Media - Catherine J. Ross Part III. Children as Perpetrators of Violence 16. Peer Victimization: The Nature and Prevalence of Bullying Among Children and Youth - Susan P. Limber 17. Bullying and Violence in American Schools - Ellen de Lara 18. Judging Juvenile Responsibility: A Social Ecological Perspective - Mark R. Fondacaro and Lauren G. Fasig 19. Adult Punishment for Juvenile Offenders: Does It Reduce Crime? - Richard E. Redding 20. Psychopathy Assessment and Juvenile Justice Mental Health Evaluations - Matthew Owen Howard, Michael K. Dayton, Kirk A. Foster, Michael G. Vaughn and John L. Zelner 21. Cleaning Up Toxic Violence: An EcoGenerist Paradigm - Barbara Bennett Woodhouse

Children’s exposure to trafficking, sexual exploitation and community-based violence in Canada: A narrative summary and policy perspective

Review for "Beyond problematic social media use and the brain: A public health and policy perspective"

The expert contributors illustrate that sources of regional competitiveness are strongly linked with spatially observable yet increasingly flexible realities, and include building advanced and efficient transport, communications and energy networks, changing urban and rural landscapes, and creating strategic and forward-looking competitiveness policies. They investigate long-term interactions between regional competitiveness and urban mobility, as well as the connections that link global sustainability with local technological and institutional innovations, and the intrinsic diversity of spatially rooted innovation processes. A prospective analysis on networks and innovation infrastructure is presented, global environmental issues such as climate change and energy are explored, and new policy perspectives – relevant world-wide – are prescribed.

Despite recent notable advances in societal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, youth who identify as trans* or gender nonconforming, in particular, continue to experience significant challenges accessing the services they need to grow into healthy adults. This policy perspective first offers background information describing this population, their unique healthcare needs, and obstacles when seeking care, including case study examples. The authors then provide recommendations for medical education, health systems, and insurance payers, as well as recommendations for school systems and broader public policy changes to improve the health and well-being of gender nonconforming youth.

Advancing bovine fetal sexing in India: Strategic technological and policy perspectives - a review

To address policy challenges such as climate change or pandemics effectively, policymakers require insights into the views of the general public. However, traditional large-scale quantitative methods like surveys and aggregated social media analytics lack nuance, while qualitative approaches such as interviews are labor intensive and thus limited to small samples. We discuss how artificial intelligence tools known as large language models (LLMs) could be leveraged to surface the detailed views of large numbers of citizens on policy issues. In particular, we showcase an LLM-supported method designed to provide both quantitative and qualitative insights from large samples of respondents who provide free-text responses to open-ended questions. We propose that such approaches could help policymakers efficiently integrate citizens’ input into their decision-making processes and give them timely, nuanced insights that complement those produced by established methods of obtaining large-scale public input.