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Crime and deviance have been analysed using sociological theories and concepts, such a labelling (societal reaction creates a deviant), social control (easier to commit a crime when there’s no social control or restraint) , anomie (confusion in norms — with changes in the society, rules become less binding), culture conflict (members of one group violate the mores and values of another group) and social class (there are unsatisfied needs due to low educational attainment and income whilst satisfied needs are carelessly displayed).

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has disclosed that the rate of homicide (intentional killing of an individual – murder, manslaughter, infanticide and euthanasia) per 100,000 inhabitants was 1.2 in West and Central Europe, 1.5 in Southern Europe, and 7 in East Europe in 2010. Overall, Europe’s rate was 3.5 –which was lower than that of North America (4.7) and Africa (17.4), but slightly higher than that of Asia (3.1).

The latest Eurostat publication has revealed an estimated 29 million crimes recorded by the police within the EU in 2008. The EU prison population rose by 1.2% per year from 1998 to 2008 – about 124 prisoners per 100,000 members of the total population. The Baltic member nations (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland had the highest population of over 200 prisoners/100,000 inhabitants whereas the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland and Sweden), Slovenia and Ireland had less than 75 prisoners/100,000 inhabitants.

We have been working on two main subjects: (1) international and interdisciplinary collaboration for quality of life (QoL) research; and (2) computer-based technology and infrastructure assisting (1). This type of computer-supported cooperative work in the social sciences has been termed eHumanities or eSocial Science.

QoL or human well-being research has gained momentum after the representatives of the European Commission, the OECD, the UN, the UNDP, and the World Bank made the Istanbul Declaration in 2007 to undertake the measurement of societal progress in each country. In the context of QoL or human well-being research and measurement, one of the most influential concepts is the capability approach (CA). Yet, the operationalization of the CA has long been one of the serious challenges faced by social scientists. As regards to this issue, we argue that modern technology has the potential to provide ample tools for enhancing the measurement of human well-being, and facilitating large-scale collaborative research on the QoL.

We have developed a methodology, procedures, and tools based on the new technologies developed for both governmental and intergovernmental (OECD) sponsored assessments and that are ready to be used for QoL analysis. We propose a viable alternative for facilitating international and interdisciplinary research collaboration to develop a methodology and a dashboard of indicators to monitor the progress of human well-being over the years and to formalize its multidimensional measure for international comparisons.

I hope you had a relaxing, festive season and have started the year 2012 with optimism. I spent the whole week between Christmas and New Year ringing friends and relatives in Oceania and Europe. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to speak with my ex-university classmate because her phone was busy all the time. Later, I found out that she was on holiday overseas and disconnected her phone as a burglary-prevention technique.

Crime is a costly societal problem in terms of: administration of the legal and justice system; costs associated to injuries to victims; and negative consequences on offenders (unemployment, psychiatric) and their families (distress and isolation). In Australia, those who cannot afford legal representation receive legal aid. It costs from $20,000 to $100,000 per year to imprison a person in a developed country – taxpayers’ burden! The sufferings of victims and their loved ones don’t have monetary equivalents.

A country’s debt includes public (also known as government or national), financial (business & investment) and household borrowings from internal (domestic) and/or external (foreign) sources. According to the European Commission’s Eurostat, the government debt/Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of 27 EU members was 80% in 2010 (Greece 142.8% at the top and Estonia 6.6% at the bottom of the list); and is forecast at 89% in 2012.

Eurostat 2008 survey found that 1 person in 20 lived in a household with arrears (consumption loans, home/car/appliance repayment and bank overdrafts) which means they spent more than their monthly disposable income. The economic crisis had just started and its impact wasn’t that evident yet during this period, so today it’s more likely to have quadrupled.

In France, 1.3% (900,000) of its population has excessive debt; and 220,000 have filed for bankruptcy. In the UK, 331 people every day become insolvent (J Davies, Creditaction, viewed 7/12/11). Based on census data, USA had a consumer debt of nearly $2.4 trillion, and 1 in every 160 people was bankrupt in 2010.

... more on www.beingintelligentgifted.com

I have just published an article entitled "Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, Democratic Governance and Japan's Fukushima Disaster - アマルティア・センのケイパビリティ・アプローチ、民主政と福島の大惨事" in The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol 9, Issue 46 No 2, November 14, 2011.

For those who are interested in reading the article, please go to:
http://www.japanfocus.org/-Sachie-MIZOHATA/3648

To print the article:
http://www.japanfocus.org/-Sachie-MIZOHATA/3648?rand=1321820495&type=print&print=1

Rei Shiva's photo shows the deserted town of Futaba, inside the 20-kilometer evacuation zone in Fukushima prefecture. The irony is that the crossroad sign saying “With correct understanding of nuclear, (we have) a yutakana (rich or affluent) living.” Another photographer, Ota Yasusuke shows in his blog the photos of the companion animals unintentionally abandoned after 3.11:
http://ameblo.jp/uchino-toramaru/entry-11009698930.html

While collecting and analysing data for my website's (www.beingintelligentgifted.com) article, I came across a story of a young man who was murdered because he's a son of a police officer. Seven of the 10 perpetrators were released because the court wasn't sure who really did it. The 3 most violent ones were kept for a while but then 2 of them got away because the other one admitted, who hadn't really received the 'appropriate' punishment. What's "appropriate" considering that a life was lost due to stabbing, punching, etc.? that such violence has caused permanent sorrow to parents, relatives and friends? that it seems the CJS has worked in favour of the criminals than the victim? Please visit http://www.pacte2012.fr/video.html

This video is in French but even if you don't understand it, you'll feel the sadness and disappointment and never see the judges and laws the same as before.

YouTube shows an artwork "A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion since 1945" by Japanese artist, Isao Hashimoto. With the flashing lights and sounds, he shows 2053 nuclear explosions which took place between 1945 and 1998.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY

If your nuclear explosion contaminates the soil, water, air, and food in my country, those radioactive materials spread across long distances through air and water, go back to your country, may enter the food chain and heavily contaminate the food you, your children, and grandchildren will be eating.

So, is it more rational to have a nuclear weapon to be safe, or not to have it to be safe?

アーティストの橋本公（いさお）さんは、１９４５年から１９９８年までの間に行われた２０５３の核実験（日本の原爆も含めた）をアート作品として、音と光の点滅と実験回数で表されています。

Jeffrey Lee (born 1971) is the sole member of the Djok clan and the senior custodian of the Koongarra uranium deposit in Australia. The land owned by the clan is surrounded by Kakadu National Park. He has become famous since he did not want to sell the high-valued fields to the French energy giant Areva who wanted to extract 14,000 tonnes of uranium worth more than $5 billion (wikipedia).

Here a summary of what he said about the issue:
If it had been my father or grandfather, they may have sold the land since they had been offered many goods and nobody told them about the toxicity of uranium. I am not interested in money. I have a job to buy food. I can go fishing and hunting. That is sufficient. We do not own our fields, but we have a responsibility to our offspring to preserve and pass them on.

After his three-decade-long struggle, Koongarra was inscribed into the Kakadu World Heritage area on 27 June 2011. This wise guy never gets confused a means (money and uranium) with an end (wellbeing)!

Sayonara, Areva!

Kakadu National Park site:
www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu