Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The pursuit of greater security in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 has sharpened the debate in the United States about policy issues related to the southwest border. Matters of trade, immigration and physical security collide as never before with transnational threats to security continuing to pose significant challenges to policymakers on both sides of the border. Even as the United States is making substantial investments in a Secure Border Initiative, public opinion is conflicted on immigration reform and the imperative for facilitated trade is powerful. These dynamics raise a host of questions about what the term “secure border” means now and can mean in the future. This paper explores the current state of governance along the U.S./Mexico border and considers the factors that will influence the future state of border control on the Southwest Border.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: As Moroccans became the largest minority in Belgium they concentrated in Brussels, where they became dramatically over represented in correctional drug statistics. I present a brief overview of a fifteen year sentencing research project that among other things focused on the sanctioning of non-Belgians. My paper will mainly concentrate on whether any disparity exists at different levels: prosecution, detention before trial, length of imprisonment, community sentence, and incarceration in/out decisions. Explanations for observed differences in sanctioning are offered. Subjective factors, i.e. judges' personal appraisals of the offender-situation-crime pattern seem to account for most of the decisions taken. In addition to the statistical approach, qualitative data buttress the conclusions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The subject of work in the New Economy has proven to be a fertile ground for the intersection of academic and public discussion. In particular, much has been written on the disruption of what are seen as previously stable patterns of long-term employment in Western economies, usually interpreted as the result of organizational changes in response to macroeconomic developments. In turn, the questions that arise in relation to people�s experience of contemporary work environments tends to focus on how we adapt, or fail to adapt, to structural change. In other words, how are people reacting to the erosion of internal labor markets and stable career lines? Based on a series of 60 qualitative interviews with college-educated Americans between the ages of 28-34, I will argue that, at least among the college-educated, a model that emphasizes adaptation to organizational change fails to adequately explain either attitudes or behaviors. These are men and women who are at best ambivalent about, and often hostile to, long-term employment opportunities. Instead, they seek work environments that will lead to the realization of their authenticity, and frequently see consistent employment with one organization as a sign of stagnation. I will argue that these attitudes cannot be understood merely in relation to recent structural changes in the organization of work but must be seen as part of a parallel pattern of broader cultural change.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) is a rich resource of public data for research and teaching about the life course, careers, gender, aging, retirement and health. The WLS is a 50-year study of the social and economic life course among more than 10,000 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, and who have been followed up at ages 25, 36, 53-54, and 64-65. New surveys of graduates, selected siblings, and their spouses or widows were carried out from mid-2003 through mid-2006, and public data and documentation are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/wlsresearch/. Areas in which WLS data are especially strong include social/family background, educational history, employment history, job characteristics, marital and child-rearing history, personality, physical and mental health, disability, income and wealth, retirement and pensions, cognitive functioning, leisure time activities, religious affiliation and participation, stressful life events, and mortality. Almost all data from the WLS are publicly available for research, either on the web or by special arrangement with the secure data analysis enclave (OLDR/WISA) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Using a survey of 28,000 individuals, we study the level of support for the revision of privatization in 28 post-communist countries, identify factors influencing support for revising privatization, and explore whether the respondents hold this view due to a preference for state property or a concern for the fairness of privatization. In all countries, public support for the revision of privatization is strong, but less than a third of respondents favor a renationalization that leaves firms in state hands We find that human capital poorly suited for a market economy with private ownership and a lack of privately owned assets increase support for revising privatization with the primary reason being the preference for state over private property. Economic hardships during transition and work in the state sector also increase support for revising privatization, but mainly due to the perceived unfairness of privatization. The effects of human capital and assets on support for revising privatization do not depend on the institutional environment. In contrast, good governance amplifies the impact of transition experiences on attitudes toward revising privatization. For example, respondents moving from work for wages to self-employment are more likely to oppose revising privatization in countries with more accountable governments and more extensive privatization. In countries with low inequality, individuals with positive and negative transition experiences differ in their preferences toward state and private property, but this difference is much smaller in countries with high inequality.