Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 20, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Recreational drug use, whether publicly acknowledged or privately hidden, has long been a common activity within human societies. Though this comes with serious hazards, it also produces benefits, which often go unrecognized. Given the current prohibitory policies, it is important to consider whether such use ought to be restricted. I will do just that, focusing on whether recreational drug use can be part of a reasonable conception of the good life, as well as whether restrictions constitute an infringement on freedom. I will argue that, in moderation, recreational drug use constitutes a positive good for a large group of people, and that criminalization places an unfair burden upon these people, which breaches the liberal principle of neutrality.

Ciberativismo em defesa do parto humanizado e da descriminalização do aborto: as diferenças na defesa dos direitos reprodutivos Parto e aborto fazem parte do escopo dos direitos reprodutivos e existem diversas organizações que trabalham estas questões, seja entendendo-os como uma questão de saúde e direitos humanos, seja focada em uma ou outra pauta especificamente. A defesa destes dois direitos possuem inúmeras similaridades em sua forma de articulação, rede de apoio e discursos, mas em alguns momentos se afastam. Este trabalho tem o objetivo analisar exclusivamente as diferenças no ciberativismo de movimentos organizados da sociedade civil em defesa do parto humanizado e pela descriminalização do aborto. Através das informações publicadas nos sites e utilizando análise de conteúdo, foram analisadas as categorias religião, classe social, mortalidade e consumo. Avaliando o conteúdo dos nove sites analisados concluímos que religião e classe social são pouco mencionadas quando relacionadas ao parto, mas frequentemente mencionadas na discussão pela descriminalização do aborto. A mortalidade materna é uma preocupação nas duas causas e a questão do / Childbirth and abortion fall under the scope of reproductive rights, and a number of organizations address these issues, by understanding them both as a public health and human rights issues, or by focusing on one or the other specifically. The defense of these two rights has numerous similarities: similarities in terms of how they are articulated, their support networks, and discourse. However, on some occasions they drift apart. This study aims to analyze not the similarities but the differences of the cyberactivism in defense of humanized childbirth and decriminalization of abortion practiced by a number of organized groups in society privileging one of these issues. Through the information published on websites and using content analysis, this study focuses on the following categories: religion, social class, maternal mortality, and consumption. Evaluating the content of nine websites this study found that religion and social class are mentioned little when related to childbirth, but often mentioned in discussions for the decriminalization of abortion. Maternal mortality is a concern expressed in both causes and the issue of

Ciberativismo em defesa do parto humanizado e da descriminalização do aborto: as diferenças na defesa dos direitos reprodutivos Parto e aborto fazem parte do escopo dos direitos reprodutivos e existem diversas organizações que trabalham estas questões, seja entendendo-os como uma questão de saúde e direitos humanos, seja focada em uma ou outra pauta especificamente. A defesa destes dois direitos possuem inúmeras similaridades em sua forma de articulação, rede de apoio e discursos, mas em alguns momentos se afastam. Este trabalho tem o objetivo analisar exclusivamente as diferenças no ciberativismo de movimentos organizados da sociedade civil em defesa do parto humanizado e pela descriminalização do aborto. Através das informações publicadas nos sites e utilizando análise de conteúdo, foram analisadas as categorias religião, classe social, mortalidade e consumo. Avaliando o conteúdo dos nove sites analisados concluímos que religião e classe social são pouco mencionadas quando relacionadas ao parto, mas frequentemente mencionadas na discussão pela descriminalização do aborto. A mortalidade materna é uma preocupação nas duas causas e a questão do / Childbirth and abortion fall under the scope of reproductive rights, and a number of organizations address these issues, by understanding them both as a public health and human rights issues, or by focusing on one or the other specifically. The defense of these two rights has numerous similarities: similarities in terms of how they are articulated, their support networks, and discourse. However, on some occasions they drift apart. This study aims to analyze not the similarities but the differences of the cyberactivism in defense of humanized childbirth and decriminalization of abortion practiced by a number of organized groups in society privileging one of these issues. Through the information published on websites and using content analysis, this study focuses on the following categories: religion, social class, maternal mortality, and consumption. Evaluating the content of nine websites this study found that religion and social class are mentioned little when related to childbirth, but often mentioned in discussions for the decriminalization of abortion. Maternal mortality is a concern expressed in both causes and the issue of

As the movement to decriminalize marijuana has gained more support throughout the United States, as of early 2017, 21 states have decriminalized the possession of a small amount of marijuana for personal recreational use, and more states are expected to decriminalize marijuana (GOVERNING 2017). Despite this strong move toward decriminalizing marijuana, however, the consequences of implementing such a policy are still very much unknown. One of the concerns regarding this movement to decriminalize marijuana is its potential impact on road safety (Schrader 2015; Roberts 2017; Halsey 2015). Although there are a few studies that have examined the association between marijuana use and availability and traffic fatalities, these studies are correlational in nature and show divergent outcomes (Anderson and Ree 2011; Anderson et al. 2013). Furthermore, these studies do not examine the impact of decriminalizing marijuana on road safety. In order to fill this gap, my research investigates the causal association between marijuana decriminalization and traffic fatalities by using the synthetic control method, pioneered by Abadie et al. (2010). This study estimates the causal effects of 2009 Massachusetts's marijuana decriminalization on Massachusetts' total traffic fatalities by comparing Massachusetts's trends in total traffic fatalities and its synthetic counterpart. The results of this study show a temporary increase in the number of total traffic fatalities in Massachusetts compared to its synthetic counterpart between 2009 and 2012, suggesting marijuana decriminalization's detrimental effect on road safety. Future studies should consider investigating the heterogeneous effects of marijuana decriminalization on traffic fatalities based on age groups, gender, and residential density and the causal mechanism between marijuana decriminalization and traffic fatalities.

Prostitution has often been referred to as the oldest profession in the world. Yet the Canadian legislature and courts refuse to recognize it as a profession but merely as a social nuisance or worse yet a social evil. While the act of selling sex in exchange for money is technically legal in Canada, all related activities are criminalized. The majority of social science studies concerning the impact of prostitution-related laws on the health, safety and wellbeing of prostitutes indicates that criminalization jeopardizes the safety of prostitutes, as well as their access to health and social services and recommends the decriminalization of the profession. Despite these studies and requests from sex workers and experts, the government has refused to repeal any of the prostitution-related laws. This paper outlines the societal and legislative treatment of prostitution and then seeks to determine whether decriminalization is a viable goal in Canada.

Prostitution has often been referred to as the oldest profession in the world. Yet the Canadian legislature and courts refuse to recognize it as a profession but merely as a social nuisance or worse yet a social evil. While the act of selling sex in exchange for money is technically legal in Canada, all related activities are criminalized. The majority of social science studies concerning the impact of prostitution-related laws on the health, safety and wellbeing of prostitutes indicates that criminalization jeopardizes the safety of prostitutes, as well as their access to health and social services and recommends the decriminalization of the profession. Despite these studies and requests from sex workers and experts, the government has refused to repeal any of the prostitution-related laws. This paper outlines the societal and legislative treatment of prostitution and then seeks to determine whether decriminalization is a viable goal in Canada.

This paper proposes a judicial advocacy strategy aimed to challenge the constitutionality of the law that imposes an absolute prohibition of abortion in Chile. Examines the origin of the criminalization provisions in light to the constitutional mandate to protect the life of the unborn, presents an overview of the arguments used in the legislative to request the partial decriminalization of abortion, the tendency of the executive in the past years in this matter, and the criminal strategy that has been used in cases where women have been prosecuted by abortion, based on what has been intended so far the paper conclude a solicitude to declare unconstitutional the criminal abortion provisions because they do not protect the life of the unborn.

This paper proposes a judicial advocacy strategy aimed to challenge the constitutionality of the law that imposes an absolute prohibition of abortion in Chile. Examines the origin of the criminalization provisions in light to the constitutional mandate to protect the life of the unborn, presents an overview of the arguments used in the legislative to request the partial decriminalization of abortion, the tendency of the executive in the past years in this matter, and the criminal strategy that has been used in cases where women have been prosecuted by abortion, based on what has been intended so far the paper conclude a solicitude to declare unconstitutional the criminal abortion provisions because they do not protect the life of the unborn.

Diploma thesis "Paid sex in Czech republic - how to solve it by legislation?" deals with prostitution and the way it is considered by law. In this thesis I first focus on defining the subject by describing different types of prostitution and associated legislative attitudes both in Czech republic and abroad, which makes me understand the complexity of this issue and vast area that is influenced by it. Regarding this I also analyze the stakeholders platform realizing that various groups connected to this subject consider the key problem about prostitution being in different areas and they also demand diverse solutions. My other conclusion is that regarding legislation associated to prostitution we can find a crucial lack of proper cooperation with non governmental organizations that have the closest relationship with sex-workers. This could cause the legislation being disconnected from the reality and not being able to implement its key objectives. In the second part of analysis I focus on analyzing the variety of legislation attitudes towards prostitution - abolition, decriminalization and legalization and evaluate these alternatives by set of criteria regarding technical feasibility, economic possibility, political viability and administrative operability. As a result I suggest the forth...