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313-327. Whether a balance of power or a preponderance of power produces peace has long been a debate
within the traditional literature. The quantitative analysis of Singer, Bremer, and Stuckey (1972) added to this
puzzle the findinig that the balance of power was associated with peace in the 19th century but with war in the
20th century. A careful review of that study, more recent empirical work, and the logic underlying traditional
explanations suggest that neither a balance nor a preponderance of power is associated with peace, but with
different types of war. The author utilized both behavioral and historical approaches to construct a typology of
war that will more clearly elucidate the varying role of capability in different wars. Classifies wars along three
dimensions — whether they are fought between equals or unequals; are limited or total; or are dyadic or
complex.
Abstract No. 5
Seccombe, Ian J. «Immigrant Workers in Emigrant Economy: An Examination of Replacement Migration
in the Middle East». INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION (Belgium) 1986 24(2): 377-396. Jordan, with its
relatively skilled labor force experienced significant unmonitored labor emigration to meet the growing
regional demand for labor that followed the 1973-74 oil price increases. During this period, however, domestic
labor demand was also increasing dramatically. This demand was met, to a great extent, by undocumented
workers. Legal foreign workers in the mid-1970s, in accordance with Jordan's 1960 labor law, were
predominantly from other Arab countries, but Asian workers, usually under contract to Asian
companies operating in Jordan, increased in number rapidly in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Considerable
exploitation of foreign workers and abuse of the labor law have occurred. 27 ref., 6 tables. French and Spanish
summaries.
C.Moody
Abstract No. 6
Soffer, Amon. «Lebanon — Where Demography is the Core of Politics and Life». MIDDLE EASTERN
STUDIES (Great Britain) 1986 22(2); 197-205. Government and intercommu-nal relations in Lebanon since
1943 have been based on a solitary population census taken in 1932, which has resulted in political
relationships in the state being based on a ratio of 6:5 in favor of the Christians. This article attempts to
establish the size of Lebanon's population, the sizes of the various groups within it, and the population
distribution. In all cases figures could only be estimated based on best available data, but they showed that the
Muslims had become a majority, that geographical distribution had changed little, and that the demographic
strength of the Muslim community and its socioeconomic weakness were factors that could not be ignored if
Lebanon were to have a future. Based on statistics from the Lebanese government, the UN and UNRWA and
secondary sources; 3 tables, map, 27 notes.
F.A. Clements
Abstract No. 7
Mohan, Bernard and Helmer, Sylvia. «Context and Second Language Development: Preschoolers'
Comprehension Gestures». (UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA). There is wide agreement that non-
verbal information, and contextual information generally, plays an important role in language understanding for
second language learners. This raises the question of whether learners understand non-verbal communication.
The «traditional» view of the role of context in language learning assumes that they do. The «social semiotic»
view does not, holding that contextual understanding is developed in the process of communicative interaction.
Contextual understanding is therefore likely to vary with age and cultural familiarity.
This paper investigates the understanding of English speakers' gestures by preschool children, comparing
native English speakers (age four to five) with non-native speakers. Thirty -six emblems and illustrators, two
forms of commonly used gestures, were decoded by forty children, twenty native speakers, and twenty English
as a second language (ESL) speakers. The gestures chosen were screened by a panel of ten ESL teachers who
considered them to be typical of classroom interaction.
It was found that the children, on average, understood about half of the gestures. ESL children understood
less than native speakers. Analysis of variance results indicate that there is an effect for age as well as a strong
effect for cultural familiarity (native speakers vs. ESL). There were significant correlations for the sequence of
acquisition of gestures across all groups.