Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: It is often taken as a given that rationality is strictly a matter of adjudicating means to ends. Based on the premise that ‘feelings of worthlessness’ are a maladaptive byproduct of the evolution of rationality, I forego this convention by proposing a theory of rationality that encompasses the rationality of ends. One of the more interesting implications of this approach is that the moral maxim, ‘Love (intrinsically value) your neighbor as you love (intrinsically value) yourself’ can be construed as an imperative of an implicit theory of rationality in which ‘being rational’ is simply a matter of ‘being objective’. Furthermore, by demonstrating how this implicit theory can address various rationality paradoxes and evolutionary enigmas, its epistemic credentials can be shown to surpass those of its current competitors such as the means/end theory, rational choice theory, egoism, utilitarianism, etc. In the final section of the paper I employ some of these insights to derive a moral ‘ought’ from an epistemic ‘is’.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The proposed ABA Standards for Trial by Jury cover a wide range of topics and controversial issues, from jury selection and composition to shaping jury deliberations. The product of a joint effort by judges, attorneys, and academics, the Standards reflect both innovations and understanable choices. I will consider some of the choices the drafters made and some of the important issues they avoided.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Homelessness is a growing concern in rural and urban areas across Canada. It is estimated that at least 250,000 Canadians are homeless every year (Toronto Disaster Relief Committee [TDRC], 1998). The number of homeless is difficult to determine due to the transient nature of this population. Figures often underestimate the nature and scope of the problem. Jasinski et al. (2005) found that homeless men are more likely than homeless women to be victimized by assault, whereas homeless women are more likely than homeless men to be victimized by intimate partner abuse. Additionally, homeless men and women are victimized more in one year than the non-homeless population will experience over a lifetime. Women who become homeless are the focus of this study. A qualitative analysis was undertaken using women’s responses to the question “How did you become homeless?” Overall, it was uncovered that victimization features prominently in the lives of women who were surveyed. This paper will examine the stories of women who offered their victimization experiences as one principle factor on their pathway to being homeless.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The events of September 11, 2001, presented a challenge as well as an opportunity for network news coverage. This study analyzes the entire length of the first 24 hours of coverage of 9/11 by three television networks – CNN, NBC and CBS – to study patterns of sourcing by journalists on the basis of gender and race. The results show an overwhelming preference for male sources over female. The number of female sources came close to half of the number of male sources only when women were “non-authoritative” sources, such as bystanders/eyewitnesses at Ground Zero. A similar bias was found in favor of “white” sources as compared to non-whites. African American sources were significantly low in number and Hispanic sources were almost absent, despite the diverse make-up of the population of NYC. Also, the gender or race of the reporter had no impact on the gender or race of the sources they approached.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: As the debris of Hurricane Katrina is being swept away, social life continues to be characterized by racial discrimination and stratification. This paper examines how trust levels affect the public policy process.