Aging,memory loss,and Alzheimer’s disease: What do refugees from the former Soviet Union think?

ABSTRACT

Since the mid-1970s, approximately 700,000 émigrés from the former Soviet Union (FSU), most of Jewish descent, settled in the United States. Now, 25 or more years post-emigration, they have “aged in place” in the United States, but their values, beliefs, and attitudes about growing old, memory changes, and Alzheimer’s disease remain grounded in their earlier life experiences. Based on findings from a study of the social and cultural factors affecting beliefs about Alzheimer’s disease, aging, and memory loss, this article examines how past life experiences, the immigration experience, and cultural values affect Russian-speaking refugees’ beliefs and views about aging, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s disease.     

Criminality of women in Slovenia

Both in theory and research, the criminality of women is a fairly overlooked area, crime being primarily a male sphere, with men committing on average around 96% of all criminal acts, and women only 4%. To understand the criminality of women, and in particular the criminality of women in Slovenia, the author focuses on the following theses: (1) For the understanding of the gendered aspect of criminality it is not so much important why the number of women involved in crime is so low, but rather why the number of men is so high; (2) The criminality and criminal acts committed by women in Slovenia are a reflection of the traditional image of the woman, which manifests in the social division of gender roles, and also influences the extent and types of criminal acts; and (3) For the understanding of criminality, it is necessary to research it from the point of view of gender, as only this kind of approach enables the examination of the overlooked point where criminality is reproduced.     

Immigrant Acculturation and Transnationalism: Israelis in the United States and Europe Compared

This article examines relations between social integration into host societies, religio‐ethnic acculturation into group belonging, and ties to home country among Israeli émigrés in the United States and Europe. I use data from a 2009–2010 Internet survey into which I incorporated country‐contextual characteristics. The results of multivariate analyses show that a social integration combining duration of residence abroad and local citizenship enhances religio‐ethnic identification. Another measure of integration, social networks, deters group behaviors. All measures of general integration inhibit attachment to the home country, whereas religio‐ethnic acculturation is largely insignificant for transnationalism. The religiosity of the new country does not influence immigrants’ religio‐ethnic patterns or homeland attachment. Insofar as group size is a significant determinant of particularistic behaviors, it weakens them. The more policy‐based opportunities newcomers receive, the more they dissociate from group behaviors and homeland ties. Irrespective of individual and contextual factors, living in the United States encourages group affiliation more than living in Europe does. The results are discussed in reference to four working hypotheses—marginalization, integration, assimilation, and separation—and from a U.S.‐European comparative perspective.     

Alien Conspiracy Theory? Exploring Ethnicity and Drug Supply in Scotland

ABSTRACT

Scholars have identified associations between ethnicity and crime. The extent to which such correlations generalize to other national domiciles, and the nuances of neighborhood criminality is unclear. Drawing upon 67 interviews with practitioners and (ex)offenders involved in drug supply, and supplemented by data sets, the article tests the validity of the generalisation, by exploring a) whether ethnicity is perceived as advantageous in the movement of drugs, and b) how indigenous organized criminal gangs (OCGs) address the encroachment of foreign OCGs on their turf. Findings suggest ‘official’ suppositions aren’t wholly supported by evidence gained from street actors connected with criminogenic environments.     

Rotten,Vile, and Depraved! Depictions of Criminality in Superhero Cartoons

The literature argues that media depictions of crime present messages that conform to and promote the dominant ideology about the causes of crime and the nature of criminality. Most research focuses on television news and adult programs, but little research examines messages about criminality present in children's shows. To fill this gap, a content analysis of children's cartoons was conducted, using episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man, and Justice League Unlimited. Three central themes emerged. First, much criminal activity centers on greed. Second, criminals are aware of right and wrong but pursue crime to meet their own self-interests. Third, criminals are different from law-abiding people. Even if they are flawed or evil, criminals are rational and therefore culpable actors. These shows provide messages about criminality consistent with the dominant ideology.     

Marked Difference: Tattooing and its Association with Deviance in the United States

Despite historical associations with deviance and marginality, tattooing is practiced by a diverse population in the United States today, leading some to argue that it has grown beyond its negative associations. Drawing on a nationally representative data set (n = 500) comprised of both tattooed and non-tattooed respondents, this analysis examines the social characteristics of those who are tattooed and the associations of tattooing with deviant behavior. Findings indicate that while tattooing has developed a broad demographic appeal, there remain some strong associations with deviance, particularly criminality. Specifically, highly visible placement of tattoos appears to be most strongly associated with deviant behaviors.     

ENVISIONING JEWISH CENTRAL EUROPE: FRIEDRICH TORBERG,THE AUSTRIAN ÉMIGRÉS,AND JEWISH EUROPEAN HISTORY

This essay uses the Viennese remigré writer and journalist, Friedrich Torberg (1908–1979), his Austrian Jewish cohort, and their invented “Central Europe” and “Austrian Literature” to argue for a paradigmatic shift in émigré historiography. The cosmopolitan narrative predominating in émigré historiography has marginalized traditional Judaism. By shifting the focus from the German to the Austrian émigrés, and from the European nation state to the Austrian Empire, historians can reclaim traditional Jewish culture and pluralize the hegemonic narrative. Late imperial Austria, constitutionally federalist and ethnically and culturally diverse, made room for a Jewish national culture in ways that Germany did not. The Austrian émigrés shaped visions of Central Europe that foregrounded Jewishness and provided wider space for Jewish life than comparable visions of leading German émigrés. Yet, even Austrian émigré visions remained largely incognizant of rabbinic culture, the core of traditional Jewish life. To make traditional Jews agents of Jewish European history, European historiography must now move to incorporate rabbinic culture.     

Predicting adult involvement in crime: Personality measures are significant,socio-economic measures are not

Comprehensive research into criminal careers along with the growing consensus around the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits have re-established personality measures as important predictors of criminal activity. A number of studies of specialist groups have concluded that agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion are linked to crime. Data were drawn from the National Child Development Study. Experiencing a criminal justice sanction in mid-adulthood was regressed on FFM traits, Agreeableness, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Intellect and Emotional Stability (Neuroticism), as well as socio-economic variables linked by criminologists to crime. Results indicated that significant predictors in this representative sample of 7205 adults, were four of the five personality traits (but not Intellect), gender, experience of school problems, but none of the socio-economic measures. This is consistent with the evidence that social class has only a minor role in predicting criminality, contrary to previous assumptions.     

The lesson of the revolution in Russian émigré theology and contemporary Orthodox thought

Abstract

This paper cuts across the whole spectrum of Orthodox thought in Russia today, both clerical and lay, both theological and philosophical, in order to show the different ways in which Orthodox thinkers have reflected (or not reflected) upon the experience of totalitarianism. The point which I want to make here is that many representatives of Russian Orthodoxy – and most casual western observers – overlook ‘the lesson taught by the revolution’. This lesson is expressed in the need to formulate clear standpoints on the totalitarian challenge from within the Orthodox theological tradition. Russian émigré theology and its contemporary heirs have embarked upon this path; the Russian Orthodox Church has not, or has done so to a much lesser extent.     

Psychological Inertia Revisited: Replicating and Extending the Differential Effect of Proactive and Reactive Criminal Thinking on Crime Continuity

Measures of proactive and reactive criminal thinking were evaluated as putative mediators of the past crime?future crime relationship in a group of 1,354 adjudicated delinquents. Analyses performed on total offending variety scores and aggressive offending frequency scores revealed that reactive but not proactive criminal thinking mediated the past crime?future crime relationship. As in previous studies, proactive criminal thinking failed to correlate with prior criminal offending. These results have theoretical implications for continued development of the criminal thinking-mediated moral and control models of criminal lifestyle development and practical implications for effective treatment, management, and prevention of serious criminality.     

The effect of accent evaluation and evidence on a suspect's perceived guilt and criminality

The authors investigated the effect of accent evaluation, evidence, and crime type on participants' perceptions of guilt and criminality. British student raters (n = 199) listened to a tape-recorded exchange between a male criminal suspect and a male policeman. The authors manipulated this exchange to produce a 2 (accent type: English regional or standard) x 2 (evidence type: strong or weak) x 2 (crime type: blue collar or white collar) factorial design. Dependent measures consisted of participants' ratings of the suspect's guilt and criminality. Contrary to previous research, accent did not significantly influence attributions of guilt either as a main effect or in interaction with the contextual variables. However, independent of evidence presented and crime type, the regional-accented suspect was evaluated as more typically criminal and more likely to be reaccused of a crime than the standard-accented suspect.     

Communal schools and teacher victimization

Despite data showing that teacher victimization is at least as great a problem as student victimization, far less research exists regarding teacher victimization than student victimization and overall school crime, particularly with regard to the application of criminological theory to explain the victimization of teachers. We address this gap by examining the hierarchical relationship between communal school organization and teacher victimization in a nationally representative sample of 37,497 teachers from 7,488 public schools in the United States. Results showed that teacher experienced less victimization in schools that were more communally organized. We discuss these findings and present implications for school-based delinquency prevention.     

The issue of drugs and crime among a sample of incarcerated women

Based on a sample of incarcerated women in Quebec prisons in 1989, this study focuses on drug use and abuse and its relation to crime with a special concern for age of onset, nature of conviction, previous involvement in criminal activities, motivation, and other related variables. The emerging profile of these subjects is one of drug‐related problems rather than a deep involvement in criminality. Within this population of women prisoners a strong link between drugs and crime is still difficult to establish. In conclusion, it is suggested that future research rely more on qualitative analyses to gather a better understanding of the operating processes.     

Does Religion Suppress,Socialize, Soothe,or Support? Exploring Religiosity's Influence on Crime

A negative association between religiosity and crime is commonly documented in the United States and other Western contexts. In this study, we examine associations between religiosity and criminal probability among randomly selected survey respondents in a non‐Western Christian context (Lviv, Ukraine) and a non‐Western Islamic context (Dhaka, Bangladesh). In addition, we explore whether religiosity is associated in these contexts with various theoretical mechanisms identified in prior research, including self‐control, social control, moral beliefs, negative emotions, and social support. Results confirm that religiosity is negatively correlated with projected criminal probability in non‐Western contexts as well as among both Christian and Muslim respondents. Furthermore, net of social and demographic characteristics, religiosity appears to indirectly influence crime through moral beliefs and, to a lesser extent, through self‐control and informal social control.     

The Catholic Church,enemy of the people: The soviet secret police against the Vatican∗

Abstract

I investigate the claim that Baptists and other evangelicals in the area later to be incorporated into Yugoslavia came under the significant theological and ecclesiastical influence of Russian Baptists and other Russian evangelicals after 1918, through the influx of Russian émigrés and through the return of ethnic Yugoslavs who had served as prisoners of war in Russian captivity and had there come into contact with local Baptists and others. I analyse and classify all available sources of information, and I compile a database comprising some 80 relevant individuals. Research shows that between the two World Wars the two leading centres with arguably the strongest Russian presence were the cities of Belgrade and Zagreb, to which the city of Rijeka is to be added after the Second World War. I list major conveyers of Russian influence and outline the form of their influence. I also touch upon the role of Russian-based agencies and missionaries. I demonstrate that Russian influence was strongest between the two World Wars, then waned for a variety of reasons and ceased by the mid-1970s. My final conclusion is that although there are many more individuals than usually considered who can be cited in support of the claim that there was strong Russian influence on the Yugoslavian Baptist and evangelical population, their specifically Russian impact on that population should not be exaggerated.     

The link between mental health,crime and violence

Research investigating the link between mental health, crime and violence often rely on populations that are at a high-risk of violent and criminal behaviour, such as prison inmates and psychiatric patients. As a result of this selection bias, the relationship between mental health, criminal and violent behaviour is significantly over-estimated, with mental health being incorrectly linked with violent and criminal behaviours. This study examines the relationship between mental health, violence and crime in a more representative community-based sample. One hundred and twenty-one individuals with and without a mental health disorder reported their involvement in crime and completed an aggression questionnaire. The results revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in terms of violence and crime involvement between individuals with a mental health diagnosis and those without. Moreover, the study did not find any statistically significant associations between specific mental health disorders and specific crime offences. The findings suggest that certain mental health disorders do not strongly contribute to crime violence and involvement. Limitations and implications are discussed in detail.     

Modelling perceptions of criminality and remorse from faces using a data-driven computational approach

Perceptions of criminality and remorse are critical for legal decision-making. While faces perceived as criminal are more likely to be selected in police lineups and to receive guilty verdicts, faces perceived as remorseful are more likely to receive less severe punishment recommendations. To identify the information that makes a face appear criminal and/or remorseful, we successfully used two different data-driven computational approaches that led to convergent findings: one relying on the use of computer-generated faces, and the other on photographs of people. In addition to visualising and validating the perceived looks of criminality and remorse, we report correlations with earlier face models of dominance, threat, trustworthiness, masculinity/femininity, and sadness. The new face models of criminal and remorseful appearance contribute to our understanding of perceived criminality and remorse. They can be used to study the effects of perceived criminality and remorse on decision-making; research that can ultimately inform legal policies.     

Theft in the information age: Music, technology, crime, and claims-making

This paper examines the construction of claims in an effort to mobilize state activity and criminal sanction to control a newly problematized form of behavior, the sharing of musical files over the World Wide Web. With documents from Canada, the United States, and other countries a process of redefinition of technologies, practices, and multiple other elements such as benefits, harm, competition, etc. is identified and analyzed. The conclusion shows that the problem and its solutions, especially those involving recourse to the criminal justice system, stem from this process rather than from objectively identifiable facts, conditions, or situations. Stéphane Leman-Langlois has earned a BSc, a MSc, and a Ph.D. in criminology. He is now a professor at the University of Montreal’s School of Criminology. He works on policing, terrorism, technology, and alternatives to penal justice.     

Peers,Parents, and Proactive Criminal Thinking: Comparing Additive and Interactive Effects in Mid- to Late-Adolescents

The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1. determine whether friend delinquency but not parental criminality predicted proactive criminal thinking; 2. ascertain whether the effect of friend delinquency and parental knowledge of their child’s friends on proactive criminal thinking was additive or interactive. Participants were 885 (421 males, 464 females) juvenile members of the Offending, Crime, and Justice Survey. Consistent with the first hypothesis, friend delinquency but not parental criminality predicted proactive criminal thinking whereas neither variable predicted reactive criminal thinking. Partially congruent with the second hypothesis, friend delinquency and parental knowledge but not their interaction predicted proactive criminal thinking.