With the opening of borders and the aging of populations in industrialized states immigration takes on new importance. More younger workers are needed to support the social contract established with the baby boom generation, and immigration offers one practical solution. Many countries, however, have little experience with large scale immigration and, especially in the current political and economic climate, a strong resistance to it. Immigration the World Over examines immigration statutes and policies and the societal reactions to immigrants in seven industrialized nations. Comparing the experiences of these nations demonstrates how policies differ and how those policies have facilitated or complicated the accommodation of immigrant populations. Using public opinion data, crime rates, and measures of social integration, the authors go on to show how some countries absorb immigrants to positive effect by addressing worker shortages and enhancing social diversity, while others resist immigration to their detriment.

This book focuses on military conscription in 22 countries that represent the world's regions. The purpose is to shed light on the history, politics, and main events that led to the choice of conscription or professional military forces in the countries under study. While we acknowledge that practical and technological developments played major roles in this choice, we also understand that racial and gender relations, social group and political regime dynamics, regional influences, and international forces also affected military composition and relations to the rest of the society. Through this review, we aim at providing an easy-to-access source of knowledge about military mobilization policies and historical developments as well as the main ideas, politics, and events that shaped them. Through this review, we offer a glimpse on developments that influenced societies and political systems and were reflected in their militaries.

Gay and Lesbian Communities the World Over examines the treatment and status of gays and lesbians in 21 countries around the world. The countries included are Canada, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, South Africa, India, China, Japan, and Australia. The book explores the history of homosexuality dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, as well as attitudes toward gays and lesbians within the world's most prominent religions, the arts, literature, and film. This investigation is unique due to its comprehensive and innovative analysis of a wide range of topics concerning gay and lesbian communities across a large number of countries. The authors report on the rights of gay and lesbian citizens in the countries listed above, as for example the right to marry, adopt, serve in the military, hold certain occupational positions. They also describe the status of gay and lesbian citizens as for example, the legality of homosexuality and sanctioned punishments. When available, public opinion data are reported on how respondents feel about gays and lesbians in their country as well as their opinions on what rights should be afforded to this group. Data are reported on respondents' opinions on allowing gay marriage, civil unions, adoption, and allowing gays to openly serve in the military. The representative sample of countries in this study will help scholars get a better sense of the status of gays and lesbians across the globe.

Gay and Lesbian Communities the World Over examines the treatment and status of gays and lesbians in 21 countries around the world. The countries included are Canada, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, South Africa, India, China, Japan, and Australia. The book explores the history of homosexuality dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, as well as attitudes toward gays and lesbians within the world's most prominent religions, the arts, literature, and film. This investigation is unique due to its comprehensive and innovative analysis of a wide range of topics concerning gay and lesbian communities across a large number of countries. The authors report on the rights of gay and lesbian citizens in the countries listed above, as for example the right to marry, adopt, serve in the military, hold certain occupational positions. They also describe the status of gay and lesbian citizens as for example, the legality of homosexuality and sanctioned punishments. When available, public opinion data are reported on how respondents feel about gays and lesbians in their country as well as their opinions on what rights should be afforded to this group. Data are reported on respondents' opinions on allowing gay marriage, civil unions, adoption, and allowing gays to openly serve in the military. The representative sample of countries in this study will help scholars get a better sense of the status of gays and lesbians across the globe.

Voting and Elections the World Over examines the electoral process across twenty-two countries. The book is a quick reference source for information about the major issues to consider when analyzing elections and their administration across nations. Thus, Voting and Elections the World Over looks at not only the type of electoral system in these countries, but also describes who administers elections; which are the offices people can vote for; who is allowed to vote with a particular emphasis on women's voting rights as well as the voting rights of felons. Furthermore, it provides information on the voting process and whether it is compulsory, the major political and financial regulations in the twenty-two countries pertaining to the conduct of elections, and information about voter turnout for national elections over at least the past ten years. The book provides useful reference information about the year when elections were first held in the countries we look at and information on when women received suffrage across these nations.

The Defense of Insanity, The World Over is the 10th in a series of books that examines and compares social issues or social problems from an explicitly comparative perspective. This volume examines and compares the criteria and procedures surrounding the defense of insanity across twenty-two countries. In addition to the criteria for each of the countries, Simon and Ahn-Redding report the burden of proof; whether this burden is on the side of the defense or the prosecution; the degree, beyond a reasonable doubt or by a preponderance of the evidence; the form the verdict takes; who typically decides, a judge or a jury; what role experts play in the proceedings; and what happens to the defendant if he or she is found not guilty by reason of insanity. The Defense of Insanity, The World Over provides a history of the defense of insanity going as far back as ancient Greek and Roman societies including the development of the defense in modern legal codes beginning with the British criteria in 1265. This one-of-a-kind study also looks at how the defense of insanity is treated in Jewish and Islamic law. Simon and Ahn-Redding have crafted an expert study that will appeal to scholar of sociology, criminal justice, and international studies.

Native American Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories presents twenty interviews with Native American adoptees raised in non-Native homes. Through the in-depth interviews they conduct with each participant, the authors explore complex questions of cultural identity formation. The participants of the study represent a range of positive and negative experiences of transracial adoption. Regardless of their personal experiences, however, all twenty respondents indicate that they are supporters of the Indian Child Welfare Act and that they believe that Native children should be raised in Native households whenever possible. However, eighteen of the twenty respondents concede that non-Native families can raise Native children to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults. Through the interviews, Simon and Hernandez allow readers to better understand the different experiences of Native American adoptees.

Native American Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories presents twenty interviews with Native American adoptees raised in non-Native homes. Through the in-depth interviews they conduct with each participant, the authors explore complex questions of cultural identity formation. The participants of the study represent a range of positive and negative experiences of transracial adoption. Regardless of their personal experiences, however, all twenty respondents indicate that they are supporters of the Indian Child Welfare Act and that they believe that Native children should be raised in Native households whenever possible. However, eighteen of the twenty respondents concede that non-Native families can raise Native children to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults. Through the interviews, Simon and Hernandez allow readers to better understand the different experiences of Native American adoptees.

Intercountry Adoptees Tell Their Stories reflects the thoughts and experiences of adult transracial adoptees. The authors conducted in-depth interviews in order to understand and examine the adoptees. The authors conducted in-depth interviews in order to understand and examine the adoptees' attitudes towards identity, culture, race, and parenting within a multicultural household. The men and women interviewed in this study offer the readers a detailed and personal glimpse into their worlds. They represent a range of positive and negative adoption stories and describe the complexities of ethnic identity formation. Each experience related in this volume is unique not only in demographic characteristics, but in the journey each participant has undertaken in his or her transition to adulthood and identity formation. What emerges from the interviews is a broad collection of voices speaking out from all corners of the country about their adoption.

Intercountry Adoptees Tell Their Stories reflects the thoughts and experiences of adult transracial adoptees. The authors conducted in-depth interviews in order to understand and examine the adoptees. The authors conducted in-depth interviews in order to understand and examine the adoptees' attitudes towards identity, culture, race, and parenting within a multicultural household. The men and women interviewed in this study offer the readers a detailed and personal glimpse into their worlds. They represent a range of positive and negative adoption stories and describe the complexities of ethnic identity formation. Each experience related in this volume is unique not only in demographic characteristics, but in the journey each participant has undertaken in his or her transition to adulthood and identity formation. What emerges from the interviews is a broad collection of voices speaking out from all corners of the country about their adoption.

Have the nations of the world begun to converge with respect to drug policy? Which countries have remained apart from the international dialogue? Which have taken steps to forge new, more liberal policies stressing education, treatment, and alternative community-based intervention? Focusing specifically on cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, Illicit Drug Policies, Trafficking, and Use the World Over presents a brief history and analysis of the current laws and policies regarding illicit drugs_widely considered to be a growing international health threat_in twenty five different countries. With its wide breadth of data and analysis, this volume will be valuable for both scholars and students of this seemingly intractable social, legal, and political problem.

A Comparative Analysis of Capital Punishment provides a concise and detailed history of the death penalty. Incorporating and synthesizing public opinion data and empirical studies, Simon and Blaskovich's work compares, across societies, the offense types punishable by death, the level of public support for the death penalty, the forms the penalty takes, and the categories of persons exempt from punishment. It examines the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent to violent offenses, especially homicide, the extent to which innocent persons have become the victims of capital punishment, and occurrences of state sponsored genocide and democide. This book is a practical and useful tool for public policy makers, criminal justice practitioners, students, and anyone who seeks to better understand the worldwide debate on this controversial social issue.

Pornography is a volatile issue in the United States-depending on the source of opinion, it can be viewed as either demeaning or empowering. Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Pornography asks whether the issue is similarly contentious around the world. Richard Procida and Rita Simon collect in this volume a wealth of data on laws, regulations, and public opinion regarding pornography in a wide sample of countries in both the West and the East. The authors pose and discuss the following questions: Is censorship of pornography correlated with authoritarianism? Does the censorship of pornography lead to the censorship of other more valuable speech, such as political or artistic speech? How much of a factor is pornography in violence against women and the sexual abuse of children? Is the United States more, or less, prudish than other nations around the world, particularly other Western democratic nations? The book reveals a variety of approaches to the treatment of pornography, providing sociologists, legal scholars, and women's rights activists with a valuable reference tool.

Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over stands alone in the unique contribution it makes to the field of women's rights. Based solely on statistics and empirical data as opposed to opinion, authors Stephanie Hepburn and Rita Simon have crafted an important contribution to the study of women in society by comparing women's position in society within 26 nations throughout the world. This distinctive work addresses the status of women in the areas of education, work force, marriage and divorce, the Constitution, abortion and contraceptives, public office, military service, and health care. The countries selected reflect a representative pool of the world's cultures, religions, traditions, races, laws, and politics. Hepburn and Simon present the weaknesses, strengths, and progress or digression of each of the selected nations, painting a clear picture of how much more progress must occur in order to set men and women on equal footing. Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over is intended to serve scholars and general audiences alike as a handbook providing empirical data and comprehensive references on the social issues, problems, and practices that affect women today.

The Defense of Insanity, The World Over is the 10th in a series of books that examines and compares social issues or social problems from an explicitly comparative perspective. This volume examines and compares the criteria and procedures surrounding the defense of insanity across twenty-two countries. In addition to the criteria for each of the countries, Simon and Ahn-Redding report the burden of proof; whether this burden is on the side of the defense or the prosecution; the degree, beyond a reasonable doubt or by a preponderance of the evidence; the form the verdict takes; who typically decides, a judge or a jury; what role experts play in the proceedings; and what happens to the defendant if he or she is found not guilty by reason of insanity. The Defense of Insanity, The World Over provides a history of the defense of insanity going as far back as ancient Greek and Roman societies including the development of the defense in modern legal codes beginning with the British criteria in 1265. This one-of-a-kind study also looks at how the defense of insanity is treated in Jewish and Islamic law. Simon and Ahn-Redding have crafted an expert study that will appeal to scholar of sociology, criminal justice, and international studies.

Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over stands alone in the unique contribution it makes to the field of women's rights. Based solely on statistics and empirical data as opposed to opinion, authors Stephanie Hepburn and Rita Simon have crafted an important contribution to the study of women in society by comparing women's position in society within 26 nations throughout the world. This distinctive work addresses the status of women in the areas of education, work force, marriage and divorce, the Constitution, abortion and contraceptives, public office, military service, and health care. The countries selected reflect a representative pool of the world's cultures, religions, traditions, races, laws, and politics. Hepburn and Simon present the weaknesses, strengths, and progress or digression of each of the selected nations, painting a clear picture of how much more progress must occur in order to set men and women on equal footing. Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over is intended to serve scholars and general audiences alike as a handbook providing empirical data and comprehensive references on the social issues, problems, and practices that affect women today.

Have the nations of the world begun to converge with respect to drug policy? Which countries have remained apart from the international dialogue? Which have taken steps to forge new, more liberal policies stressing education, treatment, and alternative community-based intervention? Focusing specifically on cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, Illicit Drug Policies, Trafficking, and Use the World Over presents a brief history and analysis of the current laws and policies regarding illicit drugs-widely considered to be a growing international health threat-in twenty five different countries. With its wide breadth of data and analysis, this volume will be valuable for both scholars and students of this seemingly intractable social, legal, and political problem.

In the past thirty years, women and crime has become a major intellectual and professional specialty. The Crimes Women Commit: The Punishments They Receive represents the third edition of Women in Crime, a classic in the field by Rita J. Simon first published in 1975. This revised and updated edition takes advantage of the fact that women are more represented in official crime statistics today than they have been at any time since systemic national data has been available. Rita J. Simon and Heather Ahn-Redding present the most current demographic data and updates of the arrest, conviction, and prison statistics reported in the first and second editions as they examine issues such as women's labor force participation, the percentage of female-headed households in which women are the caretakers of young children, as well as trends in how female crime statistics are reported. This classic text will become an essential tool for teachers and researchers within criminology and criminal justice, and among the subfields within sociology, psychology, and economics, where research on women who commit crimes has grown into a major area of interest.

In the past thirty years, women and crime has become a major intellectual and professional specialty. The Crimes Women Commit: The Punishments They Receive represents the third edition of Women in Crime, a classic in the field by Rita J. Simon first published in 1975. This revised and updated edition takes advantage of the fact that women are more represented in official crime statistics today than they have been at any time since systemic national data has been available. Rita J. Simon and Heather Ahn-Redding present the most current demographic data and updates of the arrest, conviction, and prison statistics reported in the first and second editions as they examine issues such as women's labor force participation, the percentage of female-headed households in which women are the caretakers of young children, as well as trends in how female crime statistics are reported. This classic text will become an essential tool for teachers and researchers within criminology and criminal justice, and among the subfields within sociology, psychology, and economics, where research on women who commit crimes has grown into a major area of interest.

As part of its Education Amendments, the United States Congress passed Title IX in 1972 to ensure that no person should be discriminated against in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. In the decades since, Title IX has had, among other effects, a marked increase on school athletic programs for women and girls at both the high school and college level. Despite this, a range of questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the federal government's enforcement, and also the impact on male athletics. The government can enact legislation, but how it works remains the domain of administrators at one end and thousands of athletes at the other. Sporting Equality reviews the impact of Title IX thirty years after its passage, and suggests future areas of contention.

This new title includes the major findings and recommendations of the Secretary of Education's Commission on Opportunities in Athletics established in 2002, as well as the commission's minority report. These contributions are followed by seven chapters that analyze and assess the strength and weakness of Title IX and offer recommendations for strengthening or changing its goals and objectives. These include: Kimberly A. Yuracko, "Title IX and the Problem of Gender Equality in Athletics"; Eric C. Dudley, Jr. and George Rutherglen, "A Comment on the Report of the Commission to Review Title IX"; Barbara Murray, "How to Evaluate the Implementation of Title IX at Colleges and Universities and Attitudes and Interest of Students Regarding Athletics"; John J. Cheslock and Deborah Anderson, "Lessons From Research on Title IX and Intercollegiate Athletics"; Valerie M. Bonnette, "The Little Fusses Over Title IX."

The book concludes with two controversial chapters. The first, by Leo Kocher, argues that Title IX has been detrimental to male athletics, especially gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, and track, while the second by Ellen J. Staurowsky claims that Title IX has not gone far enough in providing women athletes with the equality they deserve. This volume will be of interest to specialists in the sociology of sports, women's studies scholars, and sports educators.

"On November 20, 1959, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The Charter was meant to safeguard the rights of children all over the world, and protect the most vulnerable members of society from mistreatment at the hands of their parents, the government, the military, educational institutions, and any establishment capable of exerting power over children." Authors Rita J. Simon and Paola Zalkind begin Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Juvenile Justice Systems with this declaration and the sense that its realization, sadly, has yet to happen. According to their study much of the world, including the most modern industrialized nations, fail to live up to the declaration's tenets. Juvenile Justice Systems is a comparative study of how these systems actually operate in the world. It establishes both the stated and legal rights of children, in many parts of the world, in the face of criminal proceedings as well as the actual experiences of children in different justice systems. This study is explicitly comparative, placing such issues in comparison as the age of criminal responsibility, the Court system for juvenile offenders, the rights of juveniles in conflict with the law and any differentiation from adult rights, and last the conditions and goals of punishment. This book explores a wide variety of approaches to the investigation of juvenile justice systems across the world. It is a valuable reference tool for sociologists, legal scholars, criminologists, policy makers, governmental and non-governmental organizations, educators, and many other professionals invested in the well being of children across the globe.

In Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Education, Rita J. Simon and Lisa Banks provide a broad perspective on education in twenty countries. This work examines and compares the system of education, literacy rates, enrollment rates, types of public and private schools, years of compulsory education, and the amount of money the government allocates to education in the different societies. Each country's demographic characteristics and political, social, and economic institutions are summarized. The influence of each nation's political and cultural ideology on the educational system is discussed. This third book in the Global Perspectives on Social Issues series grants scholars and policy makers an overview of the steps being taken by governments and educational organizations worldwide to increase the quality, standards, goals, and accessibility of education.

With the opening of borders and the aging of populations in industrialized states immigration takes on new importance. More younger workers are needed to support the social contract established with the baby boom generation, and immigration offers one practical solution. Many countries, however, have little experience with large scale immigration and, especially in the current political and economic climate, a strong resistance to it. Immigration the World Over examines immigration statutes and policies and the societal reactions to immigrants in seven industrialized nations. Comparing the experiences of these nations demonstrates how policies differ and how those policies have facilitated or complicated the accommodation of immigrant populations. Using public opinion data, crime rates, and measures of social integration, the authors go on to show how some countries absorb immigrants to positive effect by addressing worker shortages and enhancing social diversity, while others resist immigration to their detriment.

Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Marriage and Divorce examines the history of marriage and divorce and the role played by both institutions in the lives of citizens around the world. Using a broad range of detailed information and statistics from twenty-five countries, Rita J. Simon and Howard Altstein explore the regulations and customs surrounding marriage and divorce from a global perspective. Topics such as social restrictions on marriage, marriage and sexual identity, property transference, and child custody are discussed, with examples drawn from a wide range of cultures. The second book in the Global Perspectives series, Marriage and Divorce employs both sociological and anthropological techniques to address a variety of fascinating issues about the place of marriage and divorce in modern life. The volume serves as an interesting and valuable resource for anyone interested in these social institutions.

Pornography is a volatile issue in the United States_depending on the source of opinion, it can be viewed as either demeaning or empowering. Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Pornography asks whether the issue is similarly contentious around the world. Richard Procida and Rita Simon collect in this volume a wealth of data on laws, regulations, and public opinion regarding pornography in a wide sample of countries in both the West and the East. The authors pose and discuss the following questions: Is censorship of pornography correlated with authoritarianism? Does the censorship of pornography lead to the censorship of other more valuable speech, such as political or artistic speech? How much of a factor is pornography in violence against women and the sexual abuse of children? Is the United States more, or less, prudish than other nations around the world, particularly other Western democratic nations? The book reveals a variety of approaches to the treatment of pornography, providing sociologists, legal scholars, and women's rights activists with a valuable reference tool.