The First Government of Northern Ireland, Education Reform, and the Failure of Anti-populist Unionism, 1921–1925

This article examines education reform under the first government of Northern Ireland (1921–5). This embryonic period offered the Ulster Unionist leadership a chance to construct a more inclusive society, one that might diminish sectarian animosities, and thereby secure the fledgling state through cooperation rather than coercion. Such aspirations were severely tested by the ruling party’s need to secure the state against insurgency, and, more lastingly, to assuage the concerns of its historic constituency. The former led to a draconian security policy, the latter to a dependency on populist strategies and rhetoric. It is argued here, however, that this dependency was not absolute until July 1925. Before that, the Belfast government withstood growing pressure from populist agitators to reverse controversial aspects of its education reforms, only relenting when Protestant disaffection threatened the unity of the governing party and the existence of the state.

Estrategias Populistas en Colombia: Las elecciones Presidenciales de 2014

La presente investigación analiza las estrategias populistas empleadas por los candidatos para las presidenciales colombianas de 2014. Se asume el populismo como discurso desde los planteamientos de Ernesto Laclau, considerando que el populismo actúa en forma de discurso movilizador, cuya lógica implica la construcción de una perspectiva antagónica de la realidad, la cual identifica positivamente a las mayorías frente un enemigo que encarna valores y prácticas negativas. Las estrategias populistas constituyen el medio para proponer una visión dicotómica de la realidad y una demanda hegemónica, donde el candidato aparece como parte positiva del antagonismo y constituye la solución de la demanda más importante en términos sociales. La tesis se concentra en responder a la pregunta: ¿Cómo se emplearon las estrategias populistas en las elecciones presidenciales de 2014? Para esto se construyó un índice de estrategias populistas en el cual se ubicó el discurso de cada candidato, donde un antagonismo adecuadamente estructurado y una demanda hegemónica representativa para la sociedad, representa beneficios electorales para el candidato. Se concluye que una adecuada articulación discursiva entre frontera antagónica (receptor positivo y contraparte negativa) y demanda hegemónica, puede significar para el candidato una mayor probabilidad de éxito, en la medida que los ciudadanos interioricen su discurso y se adhieran a él.

Equity management strategies in the Australian private sector

This paper outlines the methods and outcomes of a study into equity management strategies in Australian private sector organisations reporting to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. Reports from 1976 organisations indicate eleven key factors characterising equity management in Australia. The study highlights differences within previously identified social structural policies, temperamental and opportunity policies and identifies a further policy type, categorised as “support policies”. Differences have also been identified in relation to distribution structures, suggesting that gender is not the sole consideration in determining equity management strategies. The principle of distribution also figures strongly in equity management implementation.