Religion, Democracy and the Public Sphere

Throughout the development and maturation of the American democratic experience, religiously inspired conduct has contributed significantly to democratically progressive political concerns such as the abolition of slavery and campaigns for civil rights, but also the encouragement and perpetuation pf anti-democratic practices such as the institution of slavery and policies of racial segregation. It may be rarely admitted, but there is no essential conceptual affinity between conduct proper to democratic political association. It may, therefore, be useful in our own political circumstances to try to determine boundaries for conduct that expresses and satisfies compatibly both religious and democratic commitments. Perhaps most Americans do recognize – if not in their own cases, at least in reference to the beliefs and actions of others – that religiously inspired conduct is neither thereby justified morally or legally nor absolved from further critical appraisal. Certainly, the history of American legal practice shows that religious belief or inspiration does not serve as acceptable legal defense for conduct charged as criminal infraction. The U.S. Constitution contains only two references to religion: the non-establishment clause prohibits governmental institutionalization of religious beliefs or liberty rights – is limited in scope and application both by other constitutional rights of individuals and by constitutionally authorized powers of government. As the U.S.S.C. has repeatedly held, individual constitutional features must be understood in a manner that harmonizes all stated and implied constitutional features, not by unbridled abstractions of selected phrases. Under the American legal system, there is no absolute or unlimited right to free exercise of religion: not everything done publicly under religious inspiration is legally permissible; what is otherwise illegal conduct is not legalized by religious inspiration. In important respects, general features of the legal boundaries concerning religiously inspired conduct in public life are reasonably clear; nevertheless, broader issues concerning further moral or ethical constraints upon religiously inspired conduct remain unresolved and rarely addressed explicitly.

PROFESSORAS BEM-SUCEDIDAS SÃO PROFESSORAS REFLEXIVAS?! A prática da reflexividade nas ações pedagógicas de professoras nos anos iniciais de escolaridade

O presente estudo consiste numa pesquisa processual, de natureza qualitativa, expresso na modalidade narrativa. Tem como pressuposto que o papel do professor implica uma tal responsabilidade que resulta em exigência de aperfeiçoamento constante, para que este profissional possa apresentar-se capaz de uma ação pedagógica bem-sucedida. Um professor, assim caracterizado, corresponde ao profissional efetivamente engajado na prática docente, manifestando atitude de reflexão sobre esta mesma prática, não apenas antes, em sua preparação, mas durante o seu desenrolar e mesmo depois desta, procurando extrair da própria ação elementos que ajudem a constantemente melhorá-la. Sob tais aspectos, destaco a prática reflexiva de Professoras do Ensino Fundamental, nos anos iniciais de escolaridade, especialmente relativa a suas ações pedagógicas bem-sucedidas em aulas, que busco enfocar como objeto de estudo e de investigação nesta dissertação. A coleta de dados da pesquisa deu-se por meio de 1) entrevistas semi-estruturadas, 2) relatos orais, 3) observação de aulas e 4) notas de campo. A análise dos dados, a discussão dos resultados e os encaminhamentos possíveis para a formação de professores foram construídos e expressos levando em conta princípios e critérios da Investigação Narrativa. Das conclusões, tecidas à luz do que resulta desta investigação, destacam-se as que são assim enunciadas: a) as Professoras realizam práticas reflexivas de tipos e níveis diferentes, contudo, tais reflexões ocorrem visivelmente atreladas às suas dificuldades e aos seus conflitos didático-pedagógicos, cada qual em seu contexto específico de ação; b) As Professoras conseguem realizar reflexões na sua ação, bem como reflexões sobre a sua ação com aproximações à literatura pedagógica, ainda que com ausência de explicitação de aspectos sociológicos, filosóficos, políticos, antropológicos, epistemológicos, enfim, dos aspectos que conferem maior criticidade e critério à reflexão, ou seja, atributos de reflexividade. Em função disso, ressalto a importância do progresso da escola em consonância com o progresso e a profissionalização do trabalho docente, através da consideração de cada contexto específico num movimento de busca de sentido para o ensino e para a aprendizagem. Nas considerações finais, propugno para o professor reflexivo compromissos evidentes com o futuro, no presente de suas salas de aula, para que possa ter maior capacidade de resposta pedagógica às necessidades educativas dos seus alunos, que se inserem e vivem na complexa sociedade deste século XXI.

PROFESSORAS BEM-SUCEDIDAS SÃO PROFESSORAS REFLEXIVAS?! A prática da reflexividade nas ações pedagógicas de professoras nos anos iniciais de escolaridade

O presente estudo consiste numa pesquisa processual, de natureza qualitativa, expresso na modalidade narrativa. Tem como pressuposto que o papel do professor implica uma tal responsabilidade que resulta em exigência de aperfeiçoamento constante, para que este profissional possa apresentar-se capaz de uma ação pedagógica bem-sucedida. Um professor, assim caracterizado, corresponde ao profissional efetivamente engajado na prática docente, manifestando atitude de reflexão sobre esta mesma prática, não apenas antes, em sua preparação, mas durante o seu desenrolar e mesmo depois desta, procurando extrair da própria ação elementos que ajudem a constantemente melhorá-la. Sob tais aspectos, destaco a prática reflexiva de Professoras do Ensino Fundamental, nos anos iniciais de escolaridade, especialmente relativa a suas ações pedagógicas bem-sucedidas em aulas, que busco enfocar como objeto de estudo e de investigação nesta dissertação. A coleta de dados da pesquisa deu-se por meio de 1) entrevistas semi-estruturadas, 2) relatos orais, 3) observação de aulas e 4) notas de campo. A análise dos dados, a discussão dos resultados e os encaminhamentos possíveis para a formação de professores foram construídos e expressos levando em conta princípios e critérios da Investigação Narrativa. Das conclusões, tecidas à luz do que resulta desta investigação, destacam-se as que são assim enunciadas: a) as Professoras realizam práticas reflexivas de tipos e níveis diferentes, contudo, tais reflexões ocorrem visivelmente atreladas às suas dificuldades e aos seus conflitos didático-pedagógicos, cada qual em seu contexto específico de ação; b) As Professoras conseguem realizar reflexões na sua ação, bem como reflexões sobre a sua ação com aproximações à literatura pedagógica, ainda que com ausência de explicitação de aspectos sociológicos, filosóficos, políticos, antropológicos, epistemológicos, enfim, dos aspectos que conferem maior criticidade e critério à reflexão, ou seja, atributos de reflexividade. Em função disso, ressalto a importância do progresso da escola em consonância com o progresso e a profissionalização do trabalho docente, através da consideração de cada contexto específico num movimento de busca de sentido para o ensino e para a aprendizagem. Nas considerações finais, propugno para o professor reflexivo compromissos evidentes com o futuro, no presente de suas salas de aula, para que possa ter maior capacidade de resposta pedagógica às necessidades educativas dos seus alunos, que se inserem e vivem na complexa sociedade deste século XXI.

Intervenções em centros urbanos e conflitos distributivos: modelos regulatórios, circuitos de valorização e estratégias discursivas

Este trabalho discute as transformações no modo de intervenção do Estado na produção do espaço urbano no capitalismo contemporâneo a partir de uma reflexão sobre as políticas de revitalização de centros urbanos e os conflitos de natureza distributiva relacionados a esses projetos. Situando-se no campo do direito econômico, o trabalho explora as relações entre a acumulação capitalista e os padrões de intervenção do Estado sobre o espaço urbano a partir de diferentes níveis de análise, articulando elementos teóricos, jurídico-institucionais e empíricos. O processo de reestruturação do capitalismo que se iniciou nos anos 1970 teve desdobramentos relevantes no campo da regulação urbanística, desencadeando mudanças que atingiram suas funções e formas, e que perpassam diversas escalas geográficas. A ordem social e econômica que se configurou no capitalismo contemporâneo, marcada pela difusão de uma agenda política neoliberal e pela emergência de um regime de acumulação com dominância financeira, tem seus desdobramentos específicos na escala das cidades. Nesse contexto, as políticas urbanas passaram a ser progressivamente norteadas por uma racionalidade pragmática e empresarial, fechando-se à influência de esferas democráticas e desviando-se da institucionalização de compromissos redistributivos. Essa mudança qualitativa é mediada por formas institucionais e arranjos regulatórios que não se limitam à escala urbana e ao direito urbanístico propriamente dito, perpassando normas que regulam o regime jurídico da propriedade imobiliária e suas conexões com a esfera financeira, os padrões de financiamento das políticas urbanas, entre outras. A partir de um estudo sobre o Projeto Porto Maravilha uma intervenção urbanística de grande porte, e amplamente conectada a fluxos econômicos globais, que está sendo implementada na cidade do Rio de Janeiro desde 2009 , desenvolvemos uma reflexão sobre alguns vetores de mudança no papel exercido pelo Estado nos processos de urbanização. Este trabalho apresenta duas hipóteses articuladas. A primeira é a de que os padrões de regulação urbanística que emergiram no capitalismo contemporâneo não são meros reflexos de transformações mais abrangentes, mas sim fatores constitutivos dessas mudanças. A segunda a é de que as políticas de revitalização de centros urbanos agem como vetores de aprofundamento das conexões entre dinâmicas locais e processos globais, e também como incubadoras de novos padrões de regulação urbanística.

Multiple Perspectives on Academic Service-Learning Partnerships at the American University in Cairo: A Mixed Method Study

This mixed method study aimed to redress the gap in the literature on academic service-learning partnerships, especially in Eastern settings. It utilized Enos and Morton's (2003) theoretical framework to explore these partnerships at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Seventy-nine community partners, administrators, faculty members, and students from a diverse range of age, citizenship, racial, educational, and professional backgrounds participated in the study. Qualitative interviews were conducted with members of these four groups, and a survey with both close-ended and open-ended questions administered to students yielded 61 responses. Qualitative analyses revealed that the primary motivators for partners' engagement in service-learning partnerships included contributing to the community, enhancing students' learning and growth, and achieving the civic mission of the University. These partnerships were characterized by short-term relationships with partners' aspiring to progress toward long-term commitments. The challenges to these partnerships included issues pertaining to the institution, partnering organizations, culture, politics, pedagogy, students, and faculty members. Key strategies for improving these partnerships included institutionalizing service-learning in the University and cultivating an institutional culture supportive of community engagement. Quantitative analyses showed statistically significant relationships between students' scores on the Community Awareness and Interpersonal Effectiveness scales and their overall participation in community service activities inside and outside the classroom, as well as a statistically significant difference between their scores on the Community Awareness scale and department offering service-learning courses. The study's outcomes underscore the role of the local culture in shaping service-learning partnerships, as well as the role of both curricular and extracurricular activities in boosting students' awareness of their community and interpersonal effectiveness. Cultivating a culture of community engagement and building support mechanisms for engaged scholarship are among the critical steps required by public policy-makers in Egypt to promote service-learning in Egyptian higher education. Institutionalizing service-learning partnerships at AUC and enhancing the visibility of these partnerships on campus and in the community are essential to the future growth of these collaborations. Future studies should explore factors affecting community partners' satisfaction with these partnerships, top-down and bottom-up support to service-learning, the value of reflection to faculty members, and the influence of students' economic backgrounds on their involvement in service-learning partnerships.

Remembering Liberal Feminism In Radical Ways: Locating Conservative Strategies In The Narratives Of Dr. Christina Hoff Sommers, Tammy Bruce, And Dr. Laura Schlessinger

This dissertation identifies and challenges post-feminist narratives that remember the second wave or 1960s and 1970s liberal feminism as a radical form of activism. The narratives of three prominent post-feminist authors: Dr. Christina Hoff Sommers, Tammy Bruce and Dr. Laura Schlessinger are used as examples of how identification works as a rhetorical device that motivates individual actors to join in a struggle against liberal and radical feminist ideologies. I argue that each author draws on classically liberal and politically conservative virtues to define a "true" feminism that is at odds with alternative feminist commitments. I demonstrate how these authors create a subject position of a "true feminist" that is reminiscent of the classically liberal suffragist. In Burkean terms, each author constitutes the suffragist as a friend and juxtaposes her with the enemy--modern liberal and radical feminists. I articulate the consequences of such dialectical portrayals of feminist activism and further suggest that these authors' visions of feminism reinforce patriarchal practices, urging women to assimilate into a classically liberal society at the cost of social justice. In opposition to their memories of feminism, I offer a radical democratic approach of remembering feminism that is less concerned with the definition of feminism or feminist than it is with holistically addressing oppression and what oppression means to subjugated populations.

JRNL: Journal Retention and Needs Listing — A Software Tool for Managing Print Journal Archives

The Journal Retention and Needs Listing (JRNL) program: 1) allows libraries to expose lists of print journals for which they have made retention commitments; 2) express needs (or gaps) in their holdings; and 3) communicate offers to fill the gaps in other participating libraries’ holdings. Multiple library consortia and their member libraries use JRNL to facilitate communication between library staff to identify holding commitments, fill gaps, and guide deselection decisions. JRNL is commonly developed and governed by the participating consortia. Currently, those consortia are the Florida Academic Repository (FLARE), the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)/Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), and the Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST).

An Assessment of US Progress towards its Pledge on Climate Change Mitigation. CEPS ECP Report No. 12, 15 October 2012

In 2009, President Obama pledged that, by 2020, the United States would achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 17% from 2005 levels. With the failure of Congress to adopt comprehensive climate legislation in 2010, the feasibility of the pledge was put in doubt. However, we find that the United States is near to reaching this goal: the country is currently on course to achieve reductions of 16.3% from 2005 levels in 2020. Three factors contribute to this outcome: greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act, secular trends including changes in relative fuel prices and energy efficiency and sub-national efforts. Perhaps even more surprising, domestic emissions are probably lower than would have been the case if the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade proposal had become law in 2010. At this point, however, the United States is expected to fail to meet its financing commitments under the Copenhagen Accord for 2020.

European antitrust control and standard setting. Bruegel Working Paper 2013/01, February 2012

Standards reduce production costs and increase products’ value to consumers. Standards however entail risks of anti-competitive abuse. After the adoption of a standard, the chosen technology normally lacks credible substitutes. The owner of the patented technology might thus have additional market power relative to locked-in licensees, and might exploit this power to charge higher access rates. In the economic literature this phenomenon is referred to as ‘hold-up’. To reduce the risk of hold-up, standard-setting organisations often require patent holders to disclose their standard-essential patents before the adoption of the standard and to commit to license on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. The European Commission normally investigates unfair pricing abuse in a standard-setting context if a patent holder who committed to FRAND ex-ante is suspected not to abide to it ex-post. However, this approach risks ignoring a number of potential abuses which are likely harmful for welfare. That can happen if, for example, ex-post a licensee is able to impose excessively low access rates (‘reverse hold-up’) or if a patent holder acquires additional market power thanks to the standard but its essential patents are not encumbered by FRAND commitments, for instance because the patent holder did not directly participate to the standard setting process and was therefore not required by the standard-setting organisations to commit to FRAND ex-ante. A consistent policy by the Commission capable of tackling all sources of harm should be enforced regardless of whether FRAND commitments are given. Antitrust enforcement should hinge on the identification of a distortion in the bargaining process around technology access prices, which is determined by the adoption of the standard and is not attributable to pro-competitive merits of any of the involved players.

Standard-setting abuse: the case for antitrust control. Bruegel Policy Brief 2013/01, February 2013

Standards reduce production costs and increase the value of products to consumers; ultimately they significantly contribute to economic development. Standards however entail risks of anti-competitive abuse. After the adoption of a standard, the elimination of competition between technologies can lead to consumer harm. Fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory (FRAND) commitments made by patent holders have been used to mitigate that risk. The European Commission recognises the importance of standards, but European Union competition policy is still seeking to identify well-targeted and efficient enforcement rules.

Emergent Brazil and the Curse of the ‘Hen’s Flight’. CEPS Working Document No. 379, 27 February 2013

The ‘Emergent Brazil’ growth model is reaching its limits. Its main engines have been slowing significantly since the beginning of the global financial and economic crisis. Even its much-praised predictable macroeconomic policy has been eroded by political interference. Inflationary pressures are growing and GDP performance is anaemic. As ominous, Brazil cannot compensate for its domestic deficiencies with an export drive. Commodity exports are suffering with the world economic slow-down and the manufacturing industries’ competitiveness is in sharp decline. Brazil has put all its trade negotiation eggs into the South American and WTO baskets, and now its export market share is threatened by the Doha Round paralysis, the Latin American Alianza del Pacífico, and the US-led initiatives for a Trans-Pacific Partnership and a trade and investment agreement with the EU. Paradoxically, this alarming situation opens a window of opportunity. There is a mounting national consensus on the need to tackle head-on the country’s and its industries’ lack of competitiveness. That means finding a solution to the much-decried ‘Brazil Cost’ and stimulating private-sector investment. It also entails an aggressive trade-negotiating stance in order to secure better access to foreign markets and to foster more competition in the domestic one. The most promising near-term goal would be the conclusion of the EU–Mercosur trade talks. A scenario to overcome the paralysis of these negotiations could trail two parallel paths: bilateral EU–Brazil agreements on ‘anything but trade’ combined with a sequencing of the EU–Mercosur talks where each member of the South American bloc could adopt faster or slower liberalisation commitments and schedules.

Tunisia in turmoil: how should the EU react? CEPS Commentary, 4 March 2013

The assassination of the opposition leader in Tunisia exposed the underlying divisions between members of the ruling classes, between those in and outside of government, between religious groupings and secularists, and between the coastal areas and the hinterland of Tunisia. Since the revolution, tackling social inclusion has become a pressing problem: men versus women, young versus old, opponents versus supporters of the old regime and political forces inside Tunisia versus those in exile. The National Constituent Assembly (NCA)’s inability to address these fault lines and approve the second draft of the constitution has hampered the transition of the country towards the next elections, while all of the above have undermined trust in the political process. Although Tunisians are primarily responsible for the political processes in their country, argue authors Hrant Kostanyan and Elitsa Garnizova, the EU should step up its efforts to deliver on its commitments in the areas of money, market and mobility.

The New Financial Regulatory Paradigm: A transatlantic perspective. CEPS Policy Brief No. 287, 21 March 2013

This CEPS Policy Brief reviews key aspects of the new financial paradigm in a transatlantic perspective, focusing on the general approach in EU and US legislation in response to the financial crisis and the G-20 commitments and specifically as regards the extraterritorial implications. Following discussion of the institutional setting, conclusions are offered on what these changes mean in the context of the recently proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. In comparing the EU and the US efforts in re-engineering their regulatory regimes in response to the financial crisis, the paper finds, with the notable exception of the banking union, serious grounds for concern that the outcome may be an even more fragmented European financial market, access to which for third-country institutions is highly problematic.

Towards a new design of South American integration? Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series, Special Issue January 2013

The design of South American integration is becoming different. This has been quite common in the trajectory of over six decades of initiatives aimed at generating institutional frameworks to facilitate regional integration. However, even when it has become apparent that the previous design is undergoing a new process of change, it would be difficult to predict for how long the one that is beginning to take shape will remain in effect. The experience of recent decades suggests great caution in forecasts that are optimistic about any eventual longevity. Several factors are contributing to this redesign. Some are external to the region while others are endogenous. The combination of these factors will influence the future design of South American integration. If past lessons are correctly capitalized and certain advantage is derived from the leeway provided by a decentralized international system with multiple options, we can anticipate that what will predominate in the region will be multidimensional integration agreements (with political and economic objectives at the same time) and with cross-memberships and commitments. If this were the case, the actual impact on regional governance, social and productive integration and the competitive insertion at a global scale will depend largely on the following factors: the quality and sustainability of the strategy for development and global and regional insertion of each country; the combination of a reasonable degree of flexibility and predictability in the commitments made and their corresponding ground rule, and the density of the network of cross-interests that can be achieved as a result of the respective regional integration agreements, reflected in multiple transnational social and production networks.

La réforme Dodd-Frank des produits dérivés de gré à gré : vers un modèle mondial?

Suite à la crise financière de 2008 les pays du G20 se sont interrogés sur la transparence des marchés, la stabilité du système et une façon de réguler les risques posés par le nouvel environnement économique. Les produits dérivés de gré à gré ont été identifiés et des engagements ont été pris en faveur de nouvelles régulations des dérivés de gré à gré et la gestion des risques sous-jacents. Les régulateurs ont donc adopté chacun à leur tour un cadre législatif régulant les dérivés de gré à gré tout en déployant un effort international d'harmonisation et de reconnaissance des contreparties assujetties à des régimes équivalents. Les autorités canadiennes en valeurs mobilières ont publié des projets de règlements. Nous nous interrogerons sur ce nouveau cadre réglementaire des dérivés de gré à gré élaboré par les autorités canadiennes en valeurs mobilières, prenant en considération les spécificités canadiennes et les acteurs actifs sur leur territoire. Notre étude traite de ces projets de règlements et de la difficulté d'encadrer les marchés des dérivés de gré à gré qui par définition ne comportent pas de plateformes de négociation ou de lieu géographique et de frontières mais se caractérisent surtout par le lien contractuel entre les parties et l'identification de ces parties. L'élaboration d'un nouveau cadre pour les dérivés de gré à gré qui régule les transactions transfrontières semble très délicat à traiter et les possibles conflits et chevauchements de lois seront inévitables. Confrontés à des définitions divergentes de contreparties locales, les parties à une opération seront condamnées à un risque de qualification en vertu des règlements nationaux sur les dérivés de gré à gré. Une concertation pourrait être renforcée et la détermination de l'autorité compétente ainsi que les concepts de contreparties locales, succursales ou filiales pourraient être harmonisés.