bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategy and Financial Policy in UK Small Firms
Authors: Jordan Judith , Lowe Julian , Taylor Peter
Published: March 2003

There is growing evidence that capital structure and firm strategy are linked but most studies to date have focused on large, publicly quoted firms, with little attention given to small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). A major proposition of the study is that both strategic and financial factors are necessary to explain chosen debt levels. The empirical question adopted for this work, given the best financial model of capital structure, is – does strategy provide any additional explanatory power? Hence strategy and financial variables are seen as complementary rather than competing determinants of capital structure. There appears to be strong evidence supporting the proposition that competitive strategy affects the capital structure of SMEs, but there is little evidence of any impact from corporate strategic factors. The study also supports the notion that there is a ‘pecking order’ in SME financing and that variability in profits results in ‘distress’ borrowing. This study provides important empirical evidence to support work on the capital structure puzzle and the funding problems of SMEs.
Post‐IPO Directors’ Sales and Reissuing Activity: An Empirical Test of IPO Signalling Models
Authors: Espenlaub Susanne , Tonks Ian
Published: March 2003

Signalling models of IPO underpricing argue that owners of high‐quality firms signal firm quality by underpricing shares sold at the IPO and retaining a large equity stake because they benefit from IPO signalling by selling further shares in the aftermarket at a higher share price. This hypothesis is tested by examining whether the probabilities and volumes of subsequent share issues or insider sales are related to the proposed IPO signals. There is evidence that post‐IPO share issuance is related to initial returns, but the same is not true for insider selling. Moreover, little evidence is found to support the view that the proportion of equity retained by initial owners is an IPO signal. Therefore, the signalling hypothesis is rejected.
Fixed Asset Revaluation and Equity Depletion in the UK
Authors: Lin Y.C. , Peasnell Ken V.
Published: March 2003

UK GAAP has traditionally allowed the write‐off of purchased goodwill directly to reserves, resulting in the widespread depletion of book equity. Companies have also been permitted to revalue fixed assets at management's discretion. This study examines whether upward revaluations have been associated with the depletion of book equity and with other costly contracting explanations identified in prior research. Our results provide strong support for the equity depletion hypothesis, both with regard to the decision to revalue and the timing of the revaluations. Indebtedness, liquidity, size and fixed asset intensity are also consistently associated with upward revaluation.
A Fundamental Analysis Approach to Oil and Gas Firm Valuation
Authors: Quirin Jeffrey J. , Berry Kevin T. , O’Brien David
Published: March 2003

Most fundamental analysis studies have focused on fundamentals selected by a data‐driven approach on large samples of firms from numerous industries. This paper reports the results of a fundamental analysis of a single industry, the US oil and gas exploration and production industry, using variables identified by industry financial analysts. The results demonstrate a significant relationship between a number of the fundamentals with both the market value of equity and cumulative stock return. The results also suggest that the fundamentals provide incremental information beyond earnings, change in earnings, and book value of equity when explaining equity values and stock returns.
Efficient Markets Hypothesis and the Emerging Capital Market in Sri Lanka: Evidence from the Colombo Stock Exchange – A Note
Authors: Abeysekera Sarath P.
Published: March 2003

The behaviour of stock prices on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is examined with a view to determine its consistency with the weak form of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis (EMH). Runs, Autocorrelation and Cointegration tests are applied to daily, weekly and monthly CSE index data for the period of January 1991–November 1996. Results of Runs, Correlation and Cointegration tests overwhelmingly reject the serial independence hypothesis, leading to the conclusion that the behaviour of stock prices in the Colombo Stock Exchange is not consistent with the weak form of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis. Tests of the‐day‐of‐the‐week‐effect, however, show that there is no evidence of such a phenomenon on the Colombo Stock Exchange stock prices. Results of the tests of the‐month‐of‐the‐year‐effect lead to the conclusion that CSE prices do not display any month‐specific behaviour.
The Finances of the Union's Intergovernmental Pillars: Tortuous Experiments with the Community Budget
Authors: Monar Jörg
Published: March 2003

The Union Treaty offers the Council the possibility of using the Community budget to finance measures under the two intergovernmental pillars. Some Member States are reluctant to do so because they fear that the application of Community budgetary procedures might lead to a communitarization of intergovernmental action through the back door. Yet, it has proved to be very difficult for the Member States to agree on how to finance such measures out of their national budgets. The Council has therefore increasingly used the EC budget for measures under Titles V and VI. The way in which this has been done, however, has caused serious interinstitutional friction, has blurred political and budgetary responsibilities within the Community system, and raises questions about adequate parliamentary control and the efficiency of the present system of financing.
An Ever Closer Fusion? A Dynamic Macropolitical View on Integration Processes
Authors: Wessels Wolfgang
Published: March 2003

To explain the evolution of the EU, a macropolitical approach using overall aggregate data is taken. Four dynamic views are tested: the neofunctional/neofederal assumption of linear growth; the realist view of decline; the governance/pendulum view of cyclical up and down; and the fusion thesis view of structural growth and differentiation. The article uses five indicators: binding outputs; scope enlargement of public policies; transfer of competencies; institutional growth and procedural differentiation; and involvement of intermediary groups in channels of influence. The data point to trends of merging public resources at several state levels, leading to increasing complexities, a lack of transparency and difficulties in reversing the development. This ever closer fusion is explained as a dynamic product of rational strategies of European welfare states faced with growing interdependencies and spillovers, furthered by the institutional logics of EU bodies. Criticized for the lack of legitimacy and the entailing of national democratic constitutions, this new polity may be perceived as a new stage in the evolution of European state and—more open to critical debate—a novel form of representative government.
Single Cases or a Unique Pair? The Swiss and Norwegian ‘No’ to Europe
Authors: Sciarini Pascal , Listhaug Ola
Published: March 2003

This article compares the Swiss and Norwegian European policies. It combines an analysis of the sectoral interests among the elite, based on a qualification of Katzenstein's small‐state/flexible adjustment thesis, and an analysis of the referendum behaviour, based on survey data. At the first level, it shows that the structure of each state's economic dependence on the European Union (EU), on the one hand, and the threat of liberalization among domestic sectors of the economy, on the other, were more decisive than the ‘liberal’ or ‘social’ pattern of adaptation to international changes in shaping Swiss and Norwegian elite's attitude towards European integration. At the second level, it suggests that, if taking part in the EU project—be it through full membership or through membership in the European Economic Area—is not perceived as an economic necessity, cultural and political factors can have a more decisive impact than economic factors on the voters' decision.
The Provisions on Closer Co‐operation in the Treaty of Amsterdam: The Politics of Flexibility in the European Union
Authors: Philippart Eric , Edwards Geoffrey
Published: March 2003

The provisions on closer co‐operation are the main conceptual and procedural innovation introduced by the Treaty of Amsterdam. This article examines the philosophy of the new system through a systematic review of the methods and the underlying principles. It then discusses the meaning and implications of this general mechanism of flexibility for the EU integration process.
The Myths of Europe: Legitimacy, Community and the ‘Crisis’ of the EU
Authors: Hansen Lene , Williams Michael C.
Published: March 2003

The current debate over the ‘crisis’ of the EU has often been linked with criticisms of functionalism. From both a liberal‐political and a romantic position, functionalism has been charged with paying inadequate attention to questions of legitimacy and identity ‐ and particularly to the importance of myth ‐ in political community. For the romantic position, the functionalist project could succeed so long it did not enter the realm of national myths. For liberals, it can succeed only if supplemented by a European myth. Each holds in common, however, the belief that myth was missing from the integration process so far and that the key question involves myth’s relation to functionalism. This article argues that, rather than eliding mythic elements, functionalism actually draws powerfully upon modernist myths of rationalization, and that coming to terms more fully with this mythic structure is essential in assessing questions of the EU’s legitimacy and its ‘crisis’.
A European Perspective on Corporate Governance
Authors: Lannoo Karel
Published: March 2003

Corporate governance has become a topical issue in many European countries in recent years. Despite there being much conventional wisdom about the different systems of corporate governance, many questions remain on how the European scene will evolve. This article reviews the divergences in both the practice and philosophy of corporate governance in Europe, summarizes the regulatory policy considerations at the national and European levels, and speculates on the possible evolution of the systems. Because of market integration and shifts in pension financing and privatizations, a greater role for the market can be expected in corporate control. The article reveals a contradiction between the globalization of markets, of which also the EU’s single market is an example, and the insular character of the national discussions, as can be observed in the results and recommendations of corporate governance committees in France, the Netherlands and the UK. The latter is reflected in the debate on company law harmonization measures at EU level, which have been held up for a long time on the grounds of ‘subsidiarity’. As a way out of this deadlock, the article proposes that industry, or the European Commission, should come forward with a recommendation for a European‐wide self‐regulatory code of best practice in corporate governance, to underline the European dimension of the debate.
Nice Results: The Millennium IGC in the EU's Evolution
Authors: Wessels Wolfgang
Published: March 2003

Analysing the Treaty of Nice from a dynamic perspective we observe that the major decisions on institutions and procedures are part of an historical evolution of the EU's ‘legal constitution’; in quantitative terms the Nice results extended fundamental trends of the European process over the last 50 years. By increasing the complexity of the procedures and the modes of governance, the masters of the Treaty have again taken decisions according to a pattern which I characterize as a three‐step model of ‘ratchet fusion’.
Identity, Politics and Germany's Post‐TEU Policy on EMU
Authors: Merlingen Michael
Published: March 2003

In this article, I seek a theoretically informed answer to the question of why in the period after 1993 the German government clamoured for a clarification of and a tightening of the rules governing the transition to, and the operation of, EMU. To this end, I evaluate the explanatory power of two approaches that make strongly contrasting assumptions about European integration: liberal intergovernmentalism and constructivism. The empirical evidence shows that a constructivist approach does a better job of explaining Germany's post‐TEU policy on EMU than liberal intergovernmentalism. It has the tools to deal with what turns out to be crucial for understanding the policy in question: social identities. They shaped how central governmental decision‐makers and the mass public lined up and acted on the issue of EMU. This finding is indicative of more general, theoretical weaknesses of liberal intergovernmentalism. The theory is overly rationalist and materialist. The EU is a unique institutional arrangement in which more than consequence‐oriented action and material considerations matter. Therefore, constructivism, which is analytically strong precisely where liberal intergovernmentalism is weak, should be part of the standard toolbox of every scholar of the EU. However, the empirical findings of the article also suggest that constructivist research would benefit from paying attention to what it has ignored so far: mass identities.
German Interests in European Monetary Integration
Authors: Kaltenthaler Karl
Published: March 2003

This article explores the sources of the German govermnent’s position on European monetary integration since the first attempt at monetary union. I argue that German policy on European monetary integration was, until after EMU, driven by German foreign policy elites’ perception that integration could be used to achieve their primary geo‐political goal, embedding Germany in European institutions to dismantle the security dilemma with its European neighbours, particularly with France. After the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, this situation was reversed, as domestic economic interests and state financial authorities have taken the lead in shaping Germany’s policy on European monetary integration, with foreign policy elites playing a secondary role. Thus German policy has come to resemble more the policies of other European monetary union member states, in that domestic economic concerns have taken precedence over geo‐political interests in the making of policy on European monetary integration.
Enlargement and the New Outsiders
Authors: White Stephen , McAllister Ian , Light Margot
Published: March 2003

The enlargement of the European Union will establish a new relationship between the Union and the ‘outsider’ states that lie outside that process. Surveys in the first half of 2000 in four of these states — Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine — found that attitudes towards the Union and the prospect of their own country’s admission were generally positive. At the same time there were high levels of uncertainty, and levels of knowledge about EU institutions were very modest. Focus groups confirmed these findings, with frequent confusion between the EU and other international organizations, and considerable doubt about whether their own country was itself ‘European’. But there was evidence that more committed democrats were more enthusiastic about the EU, and their own country’s admission; and more generally, that ‘Europeanness’ was understood in terms of the kinds of cultural and living standards that were characteristic of EU Member States. If enlargement widens those differences, it is likely to open new divisions within a continent that had apparently been overcoming the differences that were a product of the cold war.
Member State Responses to Europeanization
Authors: Börzel Tanja A.
Published: March 2003

Europeanization is a two‐way process, which involves the evolution of European institutions that impact on political structures and processes of the Member States. This article develops an approach to link conceptually the two dimensions of Europeanization by focusing on the ways in which Member State governments both shape European policy outcomes and adapt to them. Member States have an incentive to ‘upload’ their policies to the European level to minimize the costs in ‘downloading’ them at the domestic level. But they differ in both their policy preferences and their action capacities. Accordingly, Member States have pursued different strategies in responding to Europeanization. The article draws on evidence from the field of EU environmental policy‐making to illustrate when Member States are likely to engage in pace‐setting, foot‐dragging or fence‐sitting. It concludes with some considerations on whether pace‐setting, foot‐dragging and fence‐sitting give rise to interest coalitions, which pitch Member States of diverse levels of economic development against each other.
What Do You Mean By Safety? Conflicting Perspectives on Accident Causation and Safety Management in a Construction Firm
Authors: Gherardi Silvia , Nicolini Davide , Odella Francesca
Published: March 2003

This paper is based on the assumption that people in organizations do not learn ‘safety’; rather, they learn safe working practices. Therefore, there are as many safety cultures as there are communities of practice inside an organization contributing to the social construction of safety. Ambiguity plays a central role in this process since consensus and dissensus on what is safety and danger are issue‐specific and constantly fluctuating. The analysis of the explanations of the cause of accidents held by two communities of practice – engineers and site managers – sheds light on sense‐making processes relevant to the understanding of safety and to the design of a safer organization.
The Need and Development of Crisis Management in Japan’s Public Administration: Lessons from the Kobe Earthquake
Authors: Nakamura Akira
Published: March 2003

The devastating earthquake that struck the City of Kobe on 17 January, 1995, created many critical issues for the government of Japan. The Kobe shock pointedly revealed that both the central and local governments had neglected to develop the administrative skills necessary for managing major disasters. This paper, first, provides brief background information on the Kobe disaster. It is followed by a discussion of the problems of the Self‐Defense Forces and its involvement in Japan’s crisis management. The paper then describes the function of executives at a time of crisis. In the final section, the paper outlines subsequent government efforts to improve the quality of crisis control in Japan.
Coping with birthparent loss in adopted children
Authors: Smith Daniel W. , Brodzinsky David M.
Published: March 2003

Background: Relationships among adopted children's appraisals of birthparent loss, their coping strategies for managing such loss, and child and parent reports of child adjustment were investigated within the context of a stress and coping model of adoption adjustment. Methods: Eighty‐two 8–12‐year‐old adopted children and one of their parents participated. Children completed questionnaires assessing their negative affect about birthparent loss, their curiosity about birthparents, their use of coping strategies to manage birthparent‐related distress, and their levels of depression, anxiety, and global self‐worth. Parents reported on children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and social competence. Results: Children who reported higher levels of negative affect about birthparent loss also reported higher levels of depression and lower self‐worth. Curiosity about birthparents predicted parent‐rated externalizing behavior. Behavioral avoidant coping was associated with greater self‐reported anxiety and parent‐rated externalizing behavior, whereas problem solving coping was associated with increased parent‐rated social competence. Conclusions: The findings, though limited by issues of measurement and sampling, add to the knowledge base regarding adopted children's appraisal and coping behaviors, and provide partial support for a stress and coping model of adopted children's adjustment.
Annotation: Rett syndrome: recent progress and implications for research and clinical practice
Authors: Kerr Alison
Published: March 2003

Background:Rett syndrome was first described 40 years ago as a profoundly disabling condition in girls.Method:Over the last 20 years' national surveys, neuropathological and neurophysiological research have steadily improved understanding of its character and natural history.Results:In the last two years identification of the causative mutations in the gene methyl CpG binding protein 2 (Xq28) has led to a sudden expansion in knowledge about the underlying developmental disorder, with important implications for clinical practice and new opportunities to develop more effective intervention.Conclusions:It is now clear that the disorder occurs in males and females and that there is a wide range in severity.
The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders: algorithms for ICD‐10 childhood autism and Wing and Gould autistic spectrum disorder
Authors: Leekam Susan R. , Libby Sarah J. , Wing Lorna , Gould Judith , Taylor Colin
Published: March 2003

Background: The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) is an interviewer‐based schedule for use with parents and carers. In addition to its primary clinical purpose of helping the clinician to obtain a developmental history and description of the child or adult concerned, it can also be used to assist in providing a formal diagnostic category. Method: In this study we compared two algorithms based on the ninth revision of the schedule (DISCO 9). The algorithm for ICD‐10 childhood autism comprised 91 individual, operationally defined items covering the behaviour outlined in the ICD‐10 research criteria. The algorithm for the autistic spectrum disorder, as defined by Wing and Gould (1979), was based on 5 DISCO items that represented overarching categories of behaviour crucial for the diagnosis of autistic disorders. The aim of the study was to examine the implications for clinical diagnosis of these two different approaches. Parents of 36 children with clinical diagnoses of autistic disorder, 17 children with learning disability and 14 children with language disorders were interviewed by two interviewers. Algorithm diagnoses were applied to interview items in order to analyse the relationship between clinical and algorithm diagnoses and the inter‐rater reliability between interviewers. Results: Clinical diagnosis was significantly related to the diagnostic outputs for both algorithms. Inter‐rater reliability was also high for both algorithms. The ICD childhood disorder algorithm produced more discrepant diagnoses than the Wing and Gould autistic spectrum algorithm. Analysis of the ICD‐10 algorithm items and combination of items helped to explain the reason for these discrepancies. Conclusions: The results indicate that the DISCO is a reliable instrument for diagnosis when sources of information are used from the whole interview. It is particularly effective for diagnosing disorders of the broader autistic spectrum.
A new `advanced' test of theory of mind: evidence from children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome
Authors: Kaland Nils , Møller‐Nielsen Annette , Callesen Kirsten , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Gottlieb Dorte , Smith Lars
Published: March 2003

Background: The aim of the present study was to assess the ability of children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome (AS) (N=21) to infer physical versus mental states on a new `advanced' test of theory‐of‐mind –Stories from Everyday Life. The participants in the AS group were of normal intelligence and were compared with an age‐matched control group (N=20) of normally developing children and adolescents. Method: The test materials comprised 26 short stories or 13 pairs of different types of stories. This contextually complex theory‐of‐mind battery aimed to record the participants' ability to make inferences about physical as well as mental states. The first part of each story described a physical or mechanical event, and a test question then tested the participants' ability to make an inference about a physical state. The last part of the stories contained two questions, testing the ability to infer a mental state from the story context, e.g., understanding social communication such as a lie, white lie, figure of speech, misunderstanding, double bluff, irony, persuasion, contrary emotions, forgetting, jealousy, intentions, empathy and social blunders. The participants' reaction time and number of prompt questions were also recorded. Results: The participants in the AS group showed significantly more problems attributing mental state inferences relative to the control group. They performed considerably better on tasks involving a physical state, but still did less well than the controls. They had a tendency to interpret behaviour and utterances literally, without regard to context, and to choose a physical explanation when a mental state answer was more appropriate. They also needed significantly more prompt questions and used significantly more time than the controls to solve the tasks, especially those involving mental state inference. Conclusions: This study supports earlier findings that individuals with AS/HFA have difficulties attributing mental states in context, but seem to have significantly fewer difficulties inferring physical states. The fact that the clinical group also used significant longer reaction time and needed significantly more prompt questions to solve the tasks relative to the control group may also be related to their problems in understanding mental states. However, the possibility remains that these difficulties could represent a separate factor – or a distinct `cognitive style' – suggesting that at least some individuals with AS may be generally slow in solving cognitive tasks.
Annotation: The `effects' of parenting reconsidered: findings, challenges, and applications
Authors: O'Connor Thomas G.
Published: March 2003

Background:Questions remain concerning the `effects' of parenting on behavioural/emotional problems in children. This annotation discusses recent findings concerning the parenting `effects' literature and identifies areas in need of further research.Method:The review begins by examining theories and definitions of parenting, and then considers research findings on the predictors of parent–child relationships and their effects on behavioural/emotional adjustment in children. Evidence for causal processes are then examined in light of findings emphasizing the need to consider the impact of larger systems on child's well‐being, bi‐directional processes in parent–child interactions, and alternative hypotheses suggested by behavioural genetics.Results:Different kinds of evidence suggest strong links between parent–child relationship quality and children's well‐being, but difficulties remain for drawing causal connections. The need for greater integration among research traditions and the need for theory development are highlighted. In addition, although a substantial and robust research base exists on parent–child relationships, the applicability of these findings to clinical settings is uncertain.Conclusions:Substantial progress has been made in our understanding of the nature of parent–child relationships and their developmental effects, but a number of basic conceptual and methodological and clinical questions continue to need rigorous study.
Joint attention training for children with autism using behavior modification procedures
Authors: Whalen Christina , Schreibman Laura
Published: March 2003

Background: Deficits in joint attention are considered by many researchers to be an early predictor of childhood autism (e.g., Osterling & Dawson, 1994) and are considered to be pivotal to deficits in language, play, and social development in this population (Mundy, 1995). Although many researchers have noted the importance of joint attention deficits in the development of children with autism (e.g., Mundy, Sigman, & Kasari, 1994) and have called for intervention strategies (e.g., Mundy & Crowson, 1997), few studies have attempted to target joint attention. In this study, joint attention behaviors were taught to children with autism using a behavior modification procedure.

Methods: A multiple‐baseline design was implemented to evaluate intervention effects. The following target behaviors were included in the intervention: 1) Responding to showing, pointing, and gaze shifting of adult; 2) Coordinated gaze shifting (i.e., coordinated joint attention); and 3) Pointing (with the purpose of sharing, not requesting). Generalization to setting and parent, follow‐up sessions, and social validation measures were also analyzed.

Results: Joint attention behaviors were effectively trained and targeted behaviors generalized to other settings. In addition, positive changes were noted by naïve observers using social validation measures.

Conclusions: Integrating joint attention training into existing interventions may be important for children with autism. In addition, training parents in these techniques may help to maintain joint attention skills outside of the treatment setting.
Practitioner Review: The assessment of language pragmatics
Authors: Adams Catherine
Published: March 2003

Background: The assessment of pragmatics expressed in spoken language is a central issue in the evaluation of children with communication impairments and related disorders. A developmental approach to assessment has remained problematic due to the complex interaction of social, linguistic, cognitive and cultural influences on pragmatics.

Method: A selective review and critique of current formal and informal testing methods and pragmatic analytic procedures.

Results: Formal testing of pragmatics has limited potential to reveal the typical pragmatic abnormalities in interaction but has a significant role to play in the assessment of comprehension of pragmatic intent. Clinical assessment of pragmatics with the pre‐school child should focus on elicitation of communicative intent via naturalistic methods as part of an overall assessment of social communication skills. Assessments for older children should include a comprehensive investigation of speech acts, conversational and narrative abilities, the understanding of implicature and intent as well as the child's ability to employ contextual cues to understanding. Practical recommendations are made regarding the choice of a core set of pragmatic assessments and elicitation techniques. The practitioner's attention is drawn to the lack of the usual safeguards of reliability and validity that have persisted in some language pragmatics assessments.

Conclusions: A core set of pragmatic assessment tools can be identified from the proliferation of instruments in current use. Further research is required to establish clearer norms and ranges in the development of pragmatic ability, particularly with respect to the understanding of inference, topic management and coherence.
The long‐term significance of teacher‐rated hyperactivity and reading ability in childhood: findings from two longitudinal studies
Authors: McGee Rob , Prior Margot , Williams Sheila , Smart Diana , Sanson Anne
Published: March 2003

Background: The aims of this study were twofold: first, to examine behavioural and academic outcomes of children with hyperactivity, using data from two longitudinal studies; and second, to examine comparable psychosocial outcomes for children with early reading difficulties.

Methods: Measures of teacher‐rated persistent hyperactivity, and reading ability obtained during early primary school were available for children from the Australian Temperament Project and the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Both samples were followed up to assess behavioural and academic outcomes during the adolescent and early adult years. Family background, antisocial behaviour and literacy were controlled in the first set of analyses to examine the influence of early hyperactivity.

Results: There were strong linear relationships between early hyperactivity and later adverse outcomes. Adjustment for other childhood variables suggested that early hyperactivity was associated with continuing school difficulties, problems with attention and poor reading in adolescence. Early reading difficulties, after controlling for early hyperactivity, predicted continuing reading problems in high school and leaving school with no qualifications.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that there are dual pathways from early inattentive behaviours to later inattention and reading problems, and from early reading difficulties to substantial impairments in later academic outcomes.
Emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with and without intellectual disability
Authors: Dekker Marielle C. , Koot Hans M. , Ende Jan van der , Verhulst Frank C.
Published: March 2003

Background: The main objective of this study was to assess and compare the prevalence of a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems in children with and without intellectual disability (ID).

Methods: We studied 1,041 non‐residential children randomly selected from special schools for educable (IQ 60 to 80) and trainable (IQ 30 to 60) children without severe additional physical or sensory impairments, and compared them to 1,855 children randomly selected from the general population (both ages 6 to 18). Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and teachers the Teacher's Report Form (TRF).

Results: Controlling for sex, age, and socioeconomic status, we found that both educable and trainable children had significantly higher mean scores on all CBCL and TRF scales than children without ID, except for trainable children on the scales Anxious/Depressed and Somatic Complaints. Almost 50% of children with ID had a Total Problem score in the deviant range compared to about 18% in children without ID. Compared to children without ID, the most prominent problem behaviors of educable children were Social Problems, Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior, and trainable children had an increased risk for Social Problems, Attention Problems, Withdrawn and Thought Problems.

Conclusions: Elevated scale scores reflected differences between children with and without ID over a broad range of items, and not solely on items more likely to be related to developmental delay. Therefore, problem areas covered by the items in these scales deserve special attention in the mental health care of children with ID.
For the Good of The Nation: ‘Strategic Egalitarianism’ in the Singapore Context
Authors: Lazar Michelle M.
Published: March 2003

In this article, I introduce the concept of ‘strategic egalitarianism’ in relation to women's co‐optation into nationalist projects in Singapore. By strategic egalitarianism, I mean the granting of equality to women that is contingent upon meeting particular pragmatic nationalist objectives. For example, the granting of equal educational and employment opportunities by the government in the 1960s was necessitated by Singapore's economic survival as a newly emerging nation. By the 1980s, another pragmatic national concern dealing with rapid decline in population growth emerged, requiring that women prioritise the role of motherhood. A complicating factor in the procreationist discourse is the government's eugenic policy that favours the ‘right’ kind of women, in particular, to bear the ‘right’ kind of babies for the continued vitality of the nation. In the course of this article, I examine the problem with strategic egalitarianism, which shifts its ground depending on the nationalist goals of the day, and the implications this has for Singapore women.
Archaeology and the Irish rediscovery of the Celtic past
Authors: Hutchinson John
Published: March 2003

This article examines the place of archaeology in the second wave of Irish cultural nationalism, and how archaeological findings were appropriated by rival ethno‐religious communities in Ireland. In particular, it focuses on George Petrie, who was the founder of ‘scientific’ archaeology and was also one of the leading figures in the nineteenth‐century Celtic revival that sought a moral regeneration of the Irish nation In Ireland, as elsewhere, archaeology was important in reconstructing an early history of the nation where few written records existed and in making this visible through material artefacts. However, archaeology was only significant as part of a wider cultural revival that presented artefacts and sites as national symbols to an island undergoing rapid social change. This article will explore the relationship between archaeology and this national revival, and how the material objects recovered by archaeologists extended and transformed the existing repertoires of how the nation was imagined and felt. It will assess the different reception of these images in the rival Catholic and Protestant communities. Finally, it will comment on the capacity of a medieval ‘Celtic’ repertoire to provide the basis of a dynamic modern Irish national culture.
Vagal rebound during resolution of tearful crying among depressed and nondepressed individuals
Authors: Rottenberg Jonathan , Wilhelm Frank H. , Gross James J. , Gotlib Ian H.
Published: March 2003

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is an index of the vagal control of heart rate that is associated with emotion regulatory capacity. To examine RSA in depressed and nondepressed participants in the context of an emotion–regulatory challenge, we presented a sad film to induce crying, a behavior associated with heightened parasympathetic activation. We predicted that nondepressed persons who cried would show elevations in RSA during the onset and the resolution of crying. By contrast, we predicted that depressed individuals who cried would fail to exhibit increased RSA over the course of their crying episodes. As hypothesized, nondepressed participants exhibited RSA increases that accompanied the resolution of tearful crying, consistent with a homeostatic function for crying, whereas depressed subjects who cried did not exhibit increased RSA. Results suggest that the physiological self–regulatory mechanisms invoked by crying are compromised in depression.
Brewing a Bitter Cup? Deregulation, Quality and the Re‐organization of Coffee Marketing in East Africa
Authors: Ponte Stefano
Published: March 2003

To what extent is global economic change mediated by national‐level policies? Are global corporations adopting the same strategies in different countries or do they address varying local circumstances in different ways? Do governments in developing countries have any meaningful regulatory powers left? This paper seeks to address some of these issues by examining the dynamics of coffee‐market reforms in three East African countries against the background of recent restructuring of the global coffee‐marketing chain. The paper focuses on two relatively neglected areas of inquiry: (1)changes in the identity, market share and organization of the actors involved in commodity markets and their contractual/power relationships in the marketing chain; and (2)changes in the assessment, monitoring and valuation of quality parameters in commodity trade. The author highlights the consequences of different trajectories of domestic market reforms and considers whether the preservation of quality and reputation is possible in deregulated markets.
Globalizing Ethics: Social Technologies of Private Regulation and the South African Wine Industry
Authors: Du Toit Andries
Published: March 2003

This paper discusses of some key issues arising from South African experience of the UK‐based Ethical Trading Initiative’s (ETI) pilot project in the monitoring of compliance codes of conduct for product sourcing. The paper argues that the experience of ‘local stakeholder participation’ in the ETI’s pilot project in the South African wine industry raises serious questions about the appropriateness and efficacy of ‘ethical sourcing’ as a vehicle for creative global–local engagement. It explores key elements of the globalizing ‘technologies of ethics’ deployed by projects like the ETI, and argues that these may simply normalize and regularize power relations in trade between North and South. These limitations are particularly serious in light of the course of labour market restructuring in South Africa, which has reshaped agricultural employment in ways that limit the ability of employment standards to address real difficulties faced by agricultural workers. This does not render ‘ethical sourcing’ irrelevant, nor does it mean that it can be read as simply securing retailer interests. It does mean, however, that a key question facing ‘Southern’ organizations and their allies is how to increase the scope for engagement and contestation around the implementation of such initiatives.
The Cry for Land: Agrarian Reform, Gender and Land Rights in Uzbekistan
Authors: Kandiyoti Deniz
Published: March 2003

Agrarian reform in Uzbekistan has been informed by contradictory objectives and priorities. Legislation has oscillated between measures to increase private access to land, in line with populist pressures and the structural reform agenda of international agencies, and counter–measures to tighten and restrict such access in response to the Government imperative of retaining control over the production and export earnings of cotton. Drawing on fieldwork carried out in the provinces of Andijan and Khorezm in 2000–1, this article analyses the role of gendered divisions of labour in the maintenance of a commercial cotton sector alongside a smallholder economy that has become the mainstay of rural livelihoods since the post–Soviet collapse of public sector employment and wages. It also discusses the outcomes of different types of farm restructuring and highlights the gender differentiated outcomes of a reform process that forces a growing number of women out of the recorded labour force into casual, unremunerated and informal work.
Mediators of the Gender Difference in Rumination
Authors: Nolen-Hoeksema Susan , Jackson Benita
Published: March 2003

Rumination is engaging in a passive focus on one's symptoms of distress and on the possible causes and consequences of these symptoms. Women are more likely than men to engage in rumination. This study examined whether gender differences in the following beliefs would mediate the gender difference in rumination: the controllability of emotions, the appropriateness of rumination as a coping strategy, responsibility for the emotional tone of relationships, and mastery over negative events. The sample was 740 community-dwelling adults between 25 and 75 years of age, who completed a survey by mail. The combination of beliefs about control of emotions, responsibility for the emotional tone of relationships, and mastery over negative events fully mediated the gender difference in rumination. Alternative hypotheses that the gender difference in rumination was due to gender differences in distress, emotional expressivity, and the tendency to give socially desirable answers were not supported.
In Protection of Ourselves: Black Girls' Perceptions of Self-Reported Delinquent Behaviors
Authors: Pugh-Lilly Aalece O. , Neville Helen A. , Poulin Karen L.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study was to explore Black adolescent girls' perceptions of self-reported delinquent behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Black girls enrolled in alternative schools designated for “delinquent” adolescents. Using dimensional analysis, two general categories emerged from the data: defending/protecting self and self-interest. All of the girls indicated that they used aggressive behaviors to protect themselves from perceived threats. Generally, the girls protected themselves using two strategies: “Hold off strategies were used to avoid physical and/or verbal conflicts, and “face down” strategies were used to physically confront threats. To a lesser degree, girls discussed gaining materially from specific behaviors (e.g., stealing and lying). One important implication of this research study is that aggressive Black girls may often perceive their environment to be hostile and nonsupportive. Consequently, support needs to be provided for Black girls who engage in aggressive behaviors.
Linking Femininity, Weight Concern, and Mental Health Among Latina, Black, and White Women
Authors: Bay-Cheng Laina Y. , Zucker Alyssa N. , Stewart Abigail J. , Pomerleau Cynthia S.
Published: March 2003

Studies examining women's appearance ideals and weight concern have predominantly relied on samples of White women. This study addresses this oversight, examining the different relations among embodied femininity, weight concern, and depressive symptomatology that exist for different groups of women. Using a nationally representative sample of women between the ages of 18 and 45, bivariate analyses were conducted using three samples of Latina, Black, and White women. When sample size allowed, a multivariate model was tested (i.e., for Black and White respondents). Results confirm, as hypothesized, different patterns of relations between embodied femininity, weight concern, and depressive symptomatology for each of the samples. At the bivariate level, embodied femininity, weight concern, and depressive symptomatology were positively intercorrelated among Latina respondents. Whereas weight concern fully mediated the relation between embodied femininity and depressive symptomatology for the White respondents, the mediational model was not borne out for the Black respondents. For the latter, although embodied femininity and weight concern were related, weight concern was unrelated to depressive symptoms. Both of these patterns are discussed, as well as the need for greater empirical sensitivity to various constructions of femininity among women of different ethnicities.
Sex Differences in Response to Evaluative Feedback: A Field Study
Authors: Johnson Maria , Helgeson Vicki S.
Published: March 2003

We investigated sex differences in response to evaluative feedback among bank employees who were going through the annual performance evaluation process. Questionnaires were mailed to employees before and after they had their face-to-face evaluation with their supervisor. Women and men received similar evaluation scores. Men's self-esteem was relatively unaffected by the nature of the feedback, whereas women's self-esteem slightly improved after positive feedback and substantially dropped after negative feedback. After the evaluations, women reported greater intentions to change their behavior based on the evaluation. However, this finding was accounted for by men's higher job status relative to women. The findings for self-esteem were partly explained by women's greater agreement with the feedback compared to men. Future research should explore how the nature of the supervisee-supervisor relationship influences how women and men respond to feedback.
Women's Perceptions of the Prison Environment: When Prison is “The Safest Place I'VE Ever Been”
Authors: Bradley Rebekah G. , Davino Katrina M.
Published: March 2003

Incarcerated women's perceptions of the prison environment were explored with respect to relative level of safety from interpersonal abuse in prison as compared to before incarceration. Perceived levels of safety were analyzed based on reported past experiences of interpersonal violence. Participants were 65 women incarcerated in a medium security prison for women with mental and physical health problems. Women's perceptions of safety were evaluated using close-ended quantitative and open-ended qualitative self-report questions. The results suggest that, for some women, prison may be a relatively safe environment and that perceived level of safety may vary with the extent of previous experience of interpersonal violence inchildhood and adulthood. Given that the structure of correctional institutions often incorporates abusive dynamics, the directionality of the findings is theoretically and socially important. The patterns apparent in these data are also consistent with other research and theory on the experiences of incarcerated women.