bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effeciency Changes at Major Container Ports in Japan: A Window Application of Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Itoh Hidekazu
Published: March 2003

Container ports in Japan are not experiencing rapid cargo handling growth. Recently, however, a reorganization of port use is taking place due to a variety of factors like growing container ship size, diversified Asian shipping routes, increasing import cargo and the Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe in 1995. This paper analyzes the operational efficiency of eight major international container ports using a “window” application of data envelopment analysis for the period between 1990 and 1999. The paper shows a distinction between ports with timely development and sound demand growth and those with deferred re–planning and slow demand recovery. The Port of Tokyo has successfully redeveloped to receive large–sized container vessels and is observing increased and well–balanced incoming and outgoing traffic, and hence remains DEA efficient in our analysis. The Port of Kobe still needs to implement further measures to attract new users and previous users due to the Great Hanshin earthquake. The BCC model of the DEA takes into account small–scale operations of Yokkaichi and Shimizu Ports, and appraises their recent increasing demand for Asian routes. The appropriate design of window length is also proposed in the study.
Environmental Policy with Endogenous Plant Locations
Authors: Hoel Michael
Published: March 2003

In a game between the governments of two countries, each chooses its own environmental policy. The Nash equilibria of the game are generally not Pareto optimal. On the one hand, each country may want to attract industry, giving it an incentive to choose low environmental taxes or standards. On the other hand, if disutility from pollution is sufficiently high, each country might prefer that a firm locates only in other countries. This effect tends to make the environmental policy under non‐cooperation stricter than it would be with cooperation.
Market Rigidities and Labour Market Flexibility: An International Comparison
Authors: Salvanes Kjell G.
Published: March 2003

The effects of product and labour market rigidities on labour market dynamics are analysed using a panel of two‐digit ISIC level data for seven OECD countries. As expected, employment protection was found to slacken labour market flows. Centralized wage bargaining also reduced the degree of job turnover, although a priori the effect of centralized wage bargaining on labour market flexibility is not clear. Industry subsidies have a positive impact on job reallocation by increasing job creation. The labour market dynamics are also compared in detail for two economies regarded as extremes in terms of regulations, the U.S. and Norway.
Unemployment Shocks and Income Distribution: How did the Nordic Countries Fare during their Crises?
Authors: Aaberge Rolf , Wennemo Tom , Bjorklund Anders , Jantti Markus , Pedersen Peder J. , Smith Nina
Published: March 2003

We study the inequality of disposable income in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden during the late 1980s and early 1990s when unemployment rose dramatically in all four countries. A standard measure of inequality — the Gini coefficient – was surprisingly stable in all countries during this period. By decomposing the Gini into income components, we test hypotheses about the reasons for this stable income distribution. Our most straightforward hypothesis, that rising unemployment benefits counteracted the impact of more unequally distributed earnings, receives only limited support. More complex mechanisms seem to have been at work.

JEL classification: D30; D31; J60
The Malmquist Productivity Index and Plant Capacity Utilization
Authors: De Borger Bruno , Kerstens Kristiaan
Published: March 2003

A new decomposition of the Malmquist productivity index is proposed to account for changes in plant capacity utilization. Using a primal, non‐parametric specification of technology, the Malmquist index is decomposed into technical efficiency change, variations in plant capacity utilization and frontier shifts. It provides an alternative to the available methods of incorporating capacity utilization changes into measures of productivity change. Such measures are based on parametric (and, in many cases, dual) technology specifications; moreover, they typically do not allow for technical inefficiency.

JEL Classification C61; D24
Who Wants an Independent Central Bank? Monetary Policy‐making and Politics
Authors: Ozkan F. Gulcin
Published: March 2003

The costs and benefits of cooperative monetary and fiscal policy are analysed in the framework of a partisan business‐cycles model. It is shown that political parties with different ideologies prefer to choose different arrangements for macroeconomic policy‐making. More specifically, right‐wing parties favour independent central banks more than left‐wing parties. An independent central bank is also the generally preferred option from a social welfare point of view. In addition, the form of policy‐making arrangements between the fiscal and monetary authorities is shown to influence the extent of partisan cycles.

JEL classification: E32; E58; E63; C72
Market Structure and Fiscal Policy Effectiveness
Authors: Molana Hassan , Zhang Junxi
Published: March 2003

In a monopolistic competition macromodel with endogenous market structure, the fiscal multiplier is shown to consist of two components. The first depicts the response of output to a fiscal expansion through the conventional channels that disregard the role of market imperfections. The second component captures the effects of firms' market power as well as the policy‐induced change in market structure. The latter effect—which has not been taken into account in existing studies—is shown to be quite significant in raising the fiscal multiplier (even above unity) and in improving consumers' welfare when the labour market is competitive.
Monetary Policy with Uncertain Parameters
Authors: Söderström Ulf
Published: March 2003

This paper shows that—in contrast to the received wisdom—uncertainty about the parameters in a dynamic macroeconomic model may lead to more aggressive monetary policy. In particular, when there is uncertainty about the persistence of inflation, it may be optimal for the central bank to respond to shocks more aggressively in order to reduce uncertainty about the future development of inflation. Uncertainty about other parameters, on the other hand, dampens the policy response.

JEL classification: E43; E52
European Banking Distress and EMU: Institutional and Macroeconomic Risks
Authors: Hutchison Michael M.
Published: March 2003

Financial stability in Europe has received renewed attention with the advent of EMU. This paper examines whether EU country banking systems are particularly vulnerable to systemic risk. Our approach is to explore episodes of banking sector distress for a large sample of countries, highlighting the experience of the EU. We estimate multivariate probit models linking the likelihood of banking problems to a set of macroeconomic variables and institutional characteristics such as aspects of bank supervision and regulation, restrictions on bank portfolios, and development of the banking system. Given these characteristics, the model predicts a low probability of banking sector distress in EMU countries.

JEL classification: G21; E44; F41
Driving skills after whiplash
Authors: Gimse Randi , Bjørgen Ivar A. , Straume Aase
Published: March 2003

Previous studies have shown that some persons with longlasting problems after whiplash have changed eye movements. These changes have been related to disturbance of the posture control system. The question raised in the present study is whether such disturbances can influence daily life functions connected with balance, position and external movements, such as car driving. A group of 23 persons with disturbed eye movements due to whiplash injury, was tested in a driving simulator, together with a closely matched control group. The results revealed significant differences between the two groups with respect to response times to the traffic signs presented, identification of type of sign, as well as steering precision while the subjects’ attention was directed to the process of identifying the signs. Alternative explanations such as driving experience, pain, medication or malingering are at least partly controlled for, but cannot completely be ruled out. A distorted posture control system leading to disturbance of eye movements seems to be the most likely primary causative factor, but these disturbances are most certainly complexly determined. Reduced attention capacity is considered to be a mediating secondary factor. Registration of eye movements may be a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate driving skill after whiplash.
Neuroticism, coping and change in MCMI‐II clinical syndromes: test of a mediator model
Authors: Vollrath Margarete , Torgersen Svenn , Alnæs Randolf
Published: March 2003

The aim of the study was to examine prospectively whether coping mediated the relation between Neuroticism and change in different clinical mental syndromes. Assessments were conducted with 154 former psychiatric outpatients six and seven years after their initial contact with an outpatient clinic. Dispositional coping mediated the relation between Neuroticism and change in four of the nine clinical scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI‐II) (Millon, 1987). High Neuroticism led to coping strategies of disengagement and the venting of emotions and to a lack of problem‐focused coping, which in turn translated into a relative increase on the MCMI‐II scales. The mediator model of coping was found to apply to the MCMI‐II scales "somatoform disorder’, ‘dysthymia’, ‘alcohol dependence’ and ‘thought disorder’. Results are discussed under the perspective of an integration of the positions of the transactional theory of stress and personality psychology. .
Norms for 439 action events: Familiarity, emotionality, motor activity, and memorability
Authors: Molander Bo , Arar Ljiljana
Published: March 2003

A total of 128 male and female university students having Swedish as their mother tongue rated 439 actions on a 7‐point scale in the dimensions of Familiarity, Emotionality, Motor Activity, and Memorability under instructions to imagine themselves performing each action (e.g., “to roll a ball”, “to break a match”). Overall mean ratings were higher for women than for men in all four dimensions. High reliabilities were obtained in each scale. Intercorrelations between the dimensions were low to moderate, indicating that different characteristics of the actions were assessed. It is demonstrated that the ratings of the four dimensions are in agreement with previous categorisations of actions along the same or similar dimensions and with findings related to memory performance. Furthermore, control studies performed on the Familiarity dimension show that norm values are highly correlated with ratings given by participants in standard enacting and nonenacting conditions and with ratings in a condition where objects were present. These norms offer possibilities to control for and vary item characteristics of importance in the study of actions and the memory of actions.
Defense Mechanisms and Morality: A Link between Isolation and Moralization
Authors: Björklund Fredrik
Published: March 2003

The relationship between morality and perceptual defense mechanisms was studied. Three new scales were constructed to measure different aspects of morality: moralism (the tendency to evaluate everything in terms of right and wrong), conscience (strength of feelings of right and wrong) and reparation (inclination to repair the damage one has caused). Perceptual defense mechanisms were measured with Kragh’s Defense Mechanism Test (DMT). Three hypotheses about relationships between morality and defense mechanisms, derived from psychoanalytical literature, were tested on 54 male University students. Results show positive correlations between the defense mechanism isolation of affect and moralism, and between identification with the aggressor and reparation. Total amount of perceptual defense correlated positively with moralism. It is argued that the psychological study of morality should take unconscious processes into consideration.
Communicative Development in Swedish Children 16‐28 months old: The Swedish Early Communicative Development Inventory—Words and Sentences
Authors: Berglund Eva , Eriksson Mårten
Published: March 2003

To describe the development of words and sentences in Swedish children 16‐28 months old, 900 parental reports on 336 children were analyzed. Subjects were randomly selected from the national birth register, and there was a response rate of 88%. The assessments were made using the Swedish Early Communicative Development Inventory—words and sentences (SECDI—w&s).

Age‐based norms for productive vocabulary, pragmatic skills, grammar skills, and maximum length of utterance (MaxLU) were determined. We describe the development of feedback morphemes, semantic categories, and single words and tasks. Correlation across measures was significant, and especially strong between vocabulary size and grammar skills. Optimized positive predictive values were high for 25 to 28 month predictions (71%‐88%), and vocabulary scores were found to be of particular predictive importance. No significant gender differences were detected. The clinical relevance of the instrument is discussed.
The interactive effect of job involvement and organizational commitment on job turnover revisited: A note on the mediating role of turnover intention
Authors: Sjöberg Anders , Sverke Magnus
Published: March 2003

This study extends previous theoretical and empirical research on Blau and Boal’s (1987) model of the interactive effect of job involvement and organizational commitment on employee withdrawal. Using longitudinal data from a survey among the nursing staff of a Swedish emergency hospital (N = 535) and register information on actual turnover, the results showed, in contrast to the statement of the original theoretical model, that turnover intention mediates the additive and multiplicative effects of job involvement and organizational commitment on actual turnover. The study suggests that the proposed involvement by commitment interaction is theoretically justified, and underscores the pertinence of investigating intermediate linkages in turnover research.
Interactions of language and memory in deaf children and adults
Authors: Marschark Mar , Maye Thomas S
Published: March 2003

This article reviews theoretical and empirical issues concerning the relations of language and memory in deaf children and adults. An integration of previous studies, together with the presentation of new findings, suggests that there is an intimate relation between spoken language and memory. Either spoken language or sign language can serve as a natural mode of communication for young children (deaf or hearing), leading to normal language, social, and cognitive development. Nevertheless, variation in spoken language abilities can be shown to have a direct impact on memory span. Although the ways in which memory span can effect other cognitive processes and academic achievement are not considered in depth here, several variables that can have direct impact on the language‐memory interaction are considered. These findings have clear implications for the education of deaf children.
Everyday speechreading: understanding seen speech in action
Authors: Campbel Rut
Published: March 2003

How does speechreading (lipreading) work at the cognitive and neurobiological level? In this review I summarise work over the last fifteen years that has used everyday speechreading in hearing participants to illuminate issues of cerebral localisation and cognitive function. The implications of this work for deepening our understanding of speechreading in a remedial context are highlighted.
Exact Sampling from a Continuous State Space
Authors: Murdoch D. J. , Green P. J.
Published: March 2003

Propp & Wilson (1996) described a protocol, called coupling from the past, for exact sampling from a target distribution using a coupled Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. In this paper we extend coupling from the past to various MCMC samplers on a continuous state space; rather than following the monotone sampling device of Propp & Wilson, our approach uses methods related to gamma‐coupling and rejection sampling to simulate the chain, and direct accounting of sample paths.
Multivariate Calibration — Direct and Indirect Regression Methodology
Authors: Sundberg Rolf
Published: March 2003

This paper tries first to introduce and motivate the methodology of multivariate calibration. Next a review is given, mostly avoiding technicalities, of the somewhat messy theory of the subject. Two approaches are distinguished: the estimation approach (controlled calibration) and the prediction approach (natural calibration). Among problems discussed are the choice of estimator, the choice of confidence region, methodology for handling situations with more variables than observations, near‐collinearities (with counter‐measures like ridge type regression, principal components regression, partial least squares regression and continuum regression), pretreatment of data, and cross‐validation vs true prediction. Examples discussed in detail concern estimation of the age of a rhinoceros from its horn lengths (low‐dimensional), and nitrate prediction in waste‐water from high‐dimensional spectroscopic measurements.
The Loss of Efficiency Estimating Linear Functions under Restrictions
Authors: Fernandez Miguel A. , Rueda Cristina , Salvador Bonifacio
Published: March 2003

This article is motivated by the problem of estimating contrast in a one‐way ANOVA model with restrictions in the parameter vector. We prove that when the restrictions are given by a tree order or a simple order the MLE of some contrast has greater MSE than the unrestricted estimator. A similar behaviour of the MLE is exhibited in a general restricted setting given by a multivariate normal distribution with mean vector constrained to belong to a circular cone. The approach we use focuses on the central direction of the cones. These directions appear to have the greater MSE when the dimension of the restricted cone is big enough.
Matrix‐analytic Models and their Analysis
Authors: Asmussen Søren
Published: March 2003

We survey phase‐type distributions and Markovian point processes, aspects of how to use such models in applied probability calculations and how to fit them to observed data. A phase‐type distribution is defined as the time to absorption in a finite continuous time Markov process with one absorbing state. This class of distributions is dense and contains many standard examples like all combinations of exponential in series/parallel. A Markovian point process is governed by a finite continuous time Markov process (typically ergodic), such that points are generated at a Poisson intensity depending on the underlying state and at transitions; a main special case is a Markov‐modulated Poisson process. In both cases, the analytic formulas typically contain matrix‐exponentials, and the matrix formalism carried over when the models are used in applied probability calculations as in problems in renewal theory, random walks and queueing. The statistical analysis is typically based upon the EM algorithm, viewing the whole sample path of the background Markov process as the latent variable.
Markov Chains and De‐initializing Processes
Authors: Roberts Gareth O. , Rosenthal Jeffrey S.
Published: March 2003

We define a notion of de‐initializing Markov chains. We prove that to analyse convergence of Markov chains to stationarity, it suffices to analyse convergence of a de‐initializing chain. Applications are given to Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and to convergence diagnostics.
Efficiency and Convergence Properties of Slice Samplers
Authors: MIRA ANTONIETTA , TIERNEY LUKE
Published: March 2003

The slice sampler (SS) is a method of constructing a reversible Markov chain with a specified invariant distribution. Given an independence Metropolis–Hastings algorithm (IMHA) it is always possible to construct a SS that dominates it in the Peskun sense. This means that the resulting SS produces estimates with a smaller asymptotic variance than the IMHA. Furthermore the SS has a smaller second‐largest eigenvalue. This ensures faster convergence to the target distribution. A sufficient condition for uniform ergodicity of the SS is given and an upper bound for the rate of convergence to stationarity is provided.
Zero‐Bias Locally Adaptive Density Estimators
Authors: SAIN STEPHAN R. , SCOTT DAVID W.
Published: March 2003

Strategies for improving fixed non‐negative kernel estimators have focused on reducing the bias, either by employing higher‐order kernels or by adjusting the bandwidth locally. Intuitively, bandwidths in the tails should be relatively larger in order to reduce wiggles since there is less data available in the tails. We show that in regions where the density function is convex, it is theoretically possible to find local bandwidths such that the pointwise bias is exactly zero. The corresponding pointwise mean squared error converges at the parametric rate of O(n−1) rather than the slower O(n−4/5). These so‐called zero‐bias bandwidths are constant and are usually orders of magnitude larger than the optimal locally adaptive bandwidths predicted by asymptotic mean squared error analysis. We describe data‐based algorithms for estimating zero‐bias bandwidths over intervals where the density is convex. We find that our particular density estimator attains the usual O(n−4/5) rate. However, we demonstrate that the algorithms can provide significant improvement in mean squared error, often clearly visually superior curves, and a new operating point in the usual bias‐variance tradeoff.
Homogeneity and Smallness: Dahl and Tufte Revisited
Authors: Anckar Dag
Published: March 2003

In their well‐known volume on ‘Size and Democracy’ (1973), Robert Dahl and Edward Tufte argue that small units are likely to be more homogeneous, whereas larger units are likely to exhibit more diversity. This study of the microstates of the world and of selected control groups of states supports this view only in part. In terms of attitudinal diversity, smaller units are indeed more homogeneous. In terms of ethnic and religious diversity, however, no significant differences emerge between small states and large states. This suggests that categoric differences are transformed in larger units to a greater extent into attitudinal differences. Bearing in mind that most microstates are island states, the capacity of microstates to manage ethnic diversity may in several cases be due to the intimacy of island communities which binds members together in mutual solidarity.
Economics and the Left Party Vote in Scandinavia: A Cross‐National Analysis
Authors: Pacek Alexander C. , Radcliff Benjamin
Published: March 2003

While the literature on economic voting is vast, relatively little is known about how the economy affects party vote shares in Scandinavia per se. This article argues that left of center parties rather than incumbent governments per se bear the brunt of economic judgments at the voting booth. In large part this is due to these parties’ preeminent role in establishing and maintaining the institutional welfare systems of these countries. We examine this hypothesis using pooled time‐series data for Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden from 1960 to 1991.
An Irony of History or the Exception as the Rule: The Implementation by Swedish Municipalities of an Economic Housing Policy Instrument
Authors: Vedung Evert
Published: March 2003

Perverse effects and ironies should be at the center of attention in academic public policy analysis. A ‘perverse effect’ is not any inadvertent result produced by a public measure but a result, inside or outside the target area, that is entirely opposite to the result intended. An ‘irony’, as defined here, is different from a perverse effect in that it designates any unintended and unexpected result whose causes are unknown or left without comment. The pronouncement ‘this is an irony’ means ‘this is an unexpected result’; the statement ‘this is a perverse effect’ means ‘this is an unexpected, diametrically opposite result at least partly produced by the intervention’ (Vedung 1998a. Utvärdering i politik och förvaltning. Lund: Studentlitteratur, p. 62).

The article deals with the ironic result of an economic policy instrument in Swedish national housing land policy, the Land Stipulation Requisite for State Housing Loans 1974–91. The purpose of the requisite was that the pertinent municipality (not a private landowner) must have allocated to the building commissioner the land for his planned residential development if he was to be granted state housing loans.

The policy makers expected that the share of the total housing production taking place on land supplied by municipalities would increase. Yet between 1972 and 1990 the housing production on land supplied by municipal authorities decreased. This puzzling gap, referred to as the ‘enigmatic irony’ of the Land Stipulation Requisite, is explained. The explanation is phrased in the terminology of a general theory of public intervention results. The explanation may be summarized as ‘exception as the rule’.
From Semi‐presidentialism to Parliamentary Government: Political and Constitutional Developments in Finland
Authors: Nousiainen Jaakko
Published: March 2003

Within the framework of a ‘mixed constitution’, the Finnish political system wavered during a period of 80 years between genuine parliamentarism and effective semi‐presidential rule. The new constitution, adopted in the parliament almost unanimously and carried into effect on 1 March 2000, aimed to reduce the powers of the president and to bind the exercise of the president’s remaining powers more tightly to the cooperation of the parliamentary government. The constitution will act as a buffer, preventing any recurrence of the presidential activism of the 1960s and 1970s, and the political climate is in fact amenable to the further development of parliamentary modes of operation. It is clearly to be expected that the strengthening of the parliament–government axis and the reduction of the president’s powers will distance the head of state from the everyday policy making and emphasize his or her role as a support of the government of the time, a moderator in conflicts and a mirror of popular opinion. In the future, the functioning of the political system will not be directed so much by reference to the political capital and personal activities of the president, but rather by reference to the parliamentary constellation, party interrelations and the ebb and flow of governing coalitions.
Gender and the use of pragmatic particles in Indonesian
Authors: Wouk Fay
Published: March 2003

Studies of male and female conversational styles in several cultures have shown differences in a number of areas, including the use of pragmatic particles. In most studies, women have been shown to behave more cooperatively, and men more competitively. This paper presents a study of two pragmatic particles in Indonesian conversations, kan ;and iya/ya, which cover a range of functions similar to English tag questions and the pragmatic particle you know. Given these similarities, parallel differences in usage might have been expected. However, differences occur much less frequently than has been the case in these other studies, and although the direction of such gender biases as were observed was generally in the same direction as found in other studies, on the whole Indonesian usage by both genders was facilitative. This result is then seen as a reflection of Indonesian cultural values, which place a premium on maintaining the appearance of cooperative behavior.
The social dimension of the Southern Vowel Shift: Gender, age and class
Authors: Fridland Valerie
Published: March 2003

The three most broadly recognized dialect areas of American Regional English are currently being re‐defined by, in some cases, sweeping changes that alter the way vowels are being pronounced in the South, North and West. While research into the changes in urban Northern dialects has contributed a fairly broad picture of both the phonetic and social character of the Northern Cities Shift (NCS), the changes affecting the Southern region of the U.S. have received less attention, particularly in terms of social distribution and dissemination. This paper seeks to address the question of how successfully changes in the high and mid front and back vowels in the South are being disseminated throughout a local urban community and how these changes fit in with changes occurring in other American dialects. In addition, the paper weighs the attraction to local or national norms in determining the success and diffusion of each of the shifts relative to the social environment in which they are developing and attempts to relate the local social embedding of the shifts to their meaning in the larger national context.
The geolinguistics of /l/ vocalization in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Horvath Barbara M. , Horvath Ronald J.
Published: March 2003

Recent work in comparative sociolinguistics marks a re–engagement of variationists studying language change in progress with geography. In this study of the vocalization of /l/ in nine speech localities in Australian and New Zealand English, the geographical, the linguistic and the social constraints on variation are all included in the quantitative analysis. The usual identification of the starting point of change as the factor that is quantitatively ‘more’ is challenged by variable constraint hierarchies associated with speech localities as well as by the identification of Christchurch as the place of the origin of the sound change. Neither the gravity nor the urban hierarchy models of diffusion explain the geographical pattern of the sound change; a number of place effects are proposed as potential explanations, including the geographical variability of the vigorousness of the change. Variable isoglosses representing discontinuities in the dataset are mapped; they reveal the subtle patterns of sociolinguistic variation that mark the difference between Australian English and New Zealand English.
Regulating Providers’ Reimbursement in a Mixed Market for Health Care
Authors: Rickman Neil , McGuire Alistair
Published: March 2003

Hospitals can be reimbursed for their costs in many ways. Several authors have investigated the effects of these reimbursement rules on physician incentives and, therefore, on the quantity of services provided to patients. A form of (linear) cost‐sharing tends to emerge as the socially efficient reimbursement policy. We present a model of hospital reimbursement, based on Ellis and McGuire (1986). The new feature is that physicians can supply private health care services to a patient, as well as public sector ones; a common institutional arrangement in many health care systems. We investigate the optimal public sector reimbursement rule given that private market incentives must now be taken into account. Public sector cost‐sharing remains socially efficient, but it is generally non‐linear: the precise details depend on whether public and private services are substitutes or complements and on the degree of social efficiency achieved in the private sector. Other reimbursement schemes exhibit optimality properties not present in Ellis and McGuire’s work.
UK Trade Performance and the Role of Product Quality, Innovation and Hysteresis: Some Preliminary Results
Authors: Anderton Bob
Published: March 2003

This paper seeks to explain the apparent contradiction in the UK’s manufacturing trade performance over the past two decades: on the one hand, the early 1980s witnessed a substantial contraction in manufacturing employment along with a considerable surge in imports and decline in UK exports; on the other hand, UK trade performance, particularly exports, seems to have improved in the second half of the 1980s and early 1990s. The paper shows that the substantial, but temporary, appreciation of sterling in the early 1980s caused permanent damage to both the UK’s trade performance and industrial base; and that the UK’s relative investment performance, via its hypothesised impact on product quality, helps to explain the subsequent improvement in UK trade performance since the mid‐1980s.
Gender and Promotion in the Academic Profession
Authors: Ward Melanie E.
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the possibility that the gender rank distribution observed in the academic labour market is predominantly explained by two factors. First, the differing average characteristics of male and female academics, and second, barriers to female promotion. Despite detailed controls for personal attributes, including career breaks and publication history, male academics are more likely to be found in higher grades. Promotion from researcher to lecturer is a relatively high hurdle for women. Evidence suggests that initial placement and the process of moving between universities contributes to the male advantage in rank attainment.
Part–Time Work During Post–Compulsory Education And Examination Performance: Help Or Hindrance?
Authors: McVicar Duncan , McKee Brian
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the effects on examination performance of having a part–time job whilst in full–time post–sixteen education, using new data on young people in Northern Ireland. Around 35% engaged in part time employment during their education spell, compared to over 60% found by recent GB studies. This may be related to Northern Ireland’s comparatively slack youth labour market and might reflect part–time employment levels in other peripheral regions. Our estimations suggest working part–time per se is not detrimental to examination performance, although working long hours is. Policy makers might improve educational performance by reducing incentives to work long hours.
Forest Utilisation in Sarawak, Malaysia: A Case of Sustaining the Unsustainable
Authors: Drummond Ian , Taylor David
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that policies to promote sustainable development which are formulated around attempts to objectify what is or is not sustainable in any specific circumstance are impotent and ill‐conceived. Using the case of forest exploitation in the Malaysian state of Sarawak as an example, we suggest that progress in the theory and practice of sustainable development depends on a more adequate understanding of the causes of unsustainability. In Sarawak, development has involved a clear tendency towards increasingly profound forms of exploitation. A realist mode of explanation allows the mechanisms through which this tendency is expressed to be better understood. Identifying these mechanisms and understanding why and how increasingly exploitative and degrading practices are legitimated and empowered is crucial to understanding why and how unsustainable outcomes are produced and how they might be more effectively prevented.
Geographies of the Firm and Transnational Agro‐food Corporations in East Asia
Authors: Pritchard Bill
Published: March 2003

Agro‐food transnational corporations (TNCs) are pivotal players in the emergent regulatory structures of the East Asian agro‐food system, but there has been little explicit concern to account theoretically or empirically for their prevailing socio‐spatial practices and strategies. This paper uses the case of Nestlé in South East Asia to make three claims. First, transnational corporate strategy is best understood as comprising an interaction of restructuring processes within the arenas of production, realisation (sales), and reproduction (corporate finance and investment). Second, the analysis of agro‐food transnationals in Asia requires elevated attention to the local regulation of food systems. Third, in Nestlé's case at least, the articulation of global strategies with local arenas of production and markets encourages corporate finance to play a key role in the generation of profit. This is evidenced through the extensive use of intra‐firm trade and royalty payments (or, related party transactions) by Nestlé in Thailand.
Explaining State‐Environmental NGO Relations in the Philippines and Indonesia
Authors: Bryant Raymond L.
Published: March 2003

This paper explains how the notion of “critical engagement” has been a popular basis for NGO‐state relations in the Philippines and Indonesia. It has been used, moreover, in both liberal democratic (post‐1985 Philippines) and authoritarian (late 1960s to late 1990s Indonesia) political regimes. For both states and reform‐minded NGOs, critical engagement has represented a flexible means by which to pursue assorted political, economic and social ends. In a context of regional political and economic upheaval, it is likely to remain popular with both states and many NGOs for the foreseeable future.
Theory of Mind in Preadolescence: Relations Between Social Understanding and Social Competence
Authors: Bosacki Sandra , Wilde Astington Janet
Published: March 2003

Theory of mind (ToM) underlies the ability to attribute mental states to people as a way of understanding their social behaviour. Although ToM development is an active area of research, most empirical investigations focus on infants and young children. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to assess ToM in preadolescents and to determine whether individual differences in this mentalizing ability relate to social competence and relate differently for girls and for boys. It was hypothesized that preadolescents’ ability to understand thoughts and emotions in others would be associated with their social competence. 128 preadolescents (64 girls; 64 boys; mean age 11‐9) completed peer social competence ratings, a vocabulary task, and participated in a social understanding (ToM) interview. Teacher ratings of the participants’ social competence were also collected. Based on composite ToM scores, results indicated positive associations between ToM and (a) peer ratings of social‐interaction skills, (b) general vocabulary ability. Separate gender analyses revealed significant effects. Results are discussed in relation to (1) individual differences in social understanding and social competence and (2) effects of socio‐cultural context.
Effects of Provocation on Maltreated and Nonmaltreated Preschoolers' Understanding of Moral Transgressions
Authors: Smetana Judith G. , Daddis Christopher , Toth Sheree L. , Cicchetti Dante , Bruce Jacqueline , Kane Peter
Published: March 2003

This study examined maltreated and nonmaltreated preschool children's judgments regarding hypothetical provoked and unprovoked moral transgressions. Maltreated children (17 physically abused and 19 neglected) and 19 matched nonmaltreated children rated the severity and deserved punishment and evaluated affective responses to six hypothetical moral transgressions which were depicted as both unprovoked and provoked by another child's actions. All children rated unprovoked transgressions as more serious and deserving of punishment and as eliciting more happiness and fear and less anger than transgressions that were depicted as provoked by another's actions. No gender or maltreatment status differences in ratings of transgression severity and deserved punishment were found; however, patterns of affective responses to hypothetical transgressions differed as a function of maltreatment subtype. Findings are discussed in terms of previous research on maltreatment and moral judgment development.
Normative Beliefs About Prosocial Behavior in Middle Childhood: What Does It Mean to Be Nice?
Authors: Greener Susan , Crick Nicki R.
Published: March 2003

Our purpose in the present studies was to discover what types of prosocial behavior children consider to be normative and how systematically varying the gender combinations of the actor and target child impacts those beliefs. Two studies were conducted (n = 468 and = = 393 third‐through sixth‐grade children) in which participants were asked to describe normative prosocial behaviors in their peer groups. A content analysis of children's responses revealed that relationally inclusive acts (behaviors that initiate and sustain relationships) were cited by children significantly more often than the types of prosocial behaviors typically assessed in past research (e.g., helping, sharing). Further, the kinds of prosocial behaviors cited varied as a function of children's age and the gender of the actor and target.
Developmental Influences and Gang Awareness among African‐American Inner City Youth
Authors: Cadwallader Tom W. , Cairns Robert B.
Published: March 2003

This research aimed to clarify the correlates of gang awareness in inner city youth as a function of age, gender and peer group affiliation. It is proposed that the influence and hegemony of street gangs is a distinguishing feature of inner city neighborhoods, and that this influence is mediated by development. Participants (N =489) were African American boys and girls from the 1st, 4th, and 7th grades in four inner city public schools. Students’ knowledge of gangs in the local community was determined. Social networks for 4th and 7th grade students were identified. Girls’ and boys’ familiarity with local gangs increased with age and differed by peer group affiliation. The relationship of gang familiarity to teacher and self‐ratings of aggression, popularity, and academic competence changed with age. These findings support the proposition that neighborhoods have nontrivial effects on social development, and these effects are likely to interact with developmental status and social affiliations.
Give Them the Money: Is Cash a Route to Empowerment?
Authors: Ungerson Clare
Published: March 2003

This article suggests it is important to unpack the notion of “empowerment” in community care so that the position of those who provide “hands‐on” care is scrutinised alongside the empowerment of “users” of care. The particular case of the forthcoming Direct Payments legislation, whereby disabled people will be able to opt for cash rather than services and become employers of personal assistants, is considered. It is argued that both employers and employees in these care relationships are likely to be on low incomes, that the work is likely to be insecure and possibly unregulated, that there might be a problem of labour supply, and that in the long run, this form of employment might generate hardship for the workers so employed. Other forms of reconciling the interests of both users and “carers” are considered.
The Local Politics of Inclusion: The State and Community Safety
Authors: Pitts John , Hope Tim
Published: March 2003

While the tendency for low‐income groups to become economically marginalized may be a structural feature of the globalizing, post‐Fordist economy, the degree to which they are allowed to become socially excluded is arguably a political issue. In many of the polities of the Western world, debate has focused not only on whether the State could or should intervene economically to ameliorate the causes of the “new poverty” but also on how the State should address the increasing rates of “social dislocation”—including youth crime, interpersonal violence, and drug misuse—which have been associated with its emergence. The postware welfare settlement produced a particular institutional nexus of welfare, justice, punishment and citizenship (Hay 1996; Garland 1985); yet the pressure of increasing social dislocation has also placed great strain on the institutions of the welfare state, particularly at the local level, notwithstanding the ideological commitment of differing governments to continue with the social welfare project.

In this paper, we explore some circumstances in which the politics of the “local state” might mediate—in one way or another—the consequences of economic marginalization. In particular, we draw attention to the role which might be played by local state agencies—as intermediaries between the individual and the national State—in deploying policies which could offset the social exclusion of minorities and youth. By comparing the responses of local agencies to youth crime in two communities in Britain and France we highlight the “vertical” dimension of political relations which links marginalized communities with the wider resources of the State. And while many economies are experiencing similar social dislocations within disadvantaged communities, the vertical dimension may prove crucial in preserving the linkage between their residents and those of the wider, more privileged, society.
Chinese Perceptions of the Scandinavian Social Policy Model
Authors: Ka Lin
Published: March 2003

This paper highlights the stereotypical images characteristic of Chinese social research on the Scandinavian model. How do Chinese commentators explain the development of the Scandinavian social policy model and how do they assess it? Is it deemed morally sound and sustainable? Reasons for the contrasts of interpretation between Chinese and Scandinavian authors are categorized along two dimensions. There are “missing elements”, typically the notions of social solidarity and social citizenship, which tend to be ignored by Chinese writers though underscored by Scandinavian writers. There are also “added elements”, generated from Chinese contexts, which affect Chinese interpretations of the Scandinavian model. The study argues that since each welfare regime type is possessed of its own normative codes, supported by its own particular social order, it is necessary to decode such elements—especially cultural notions of welfare—to appreciate the points of view being expressed.
Changing Places: Men Replace Women in Mental Health Beds in Britain
Authors: Prior Pauline M. , Hayes Bernadette C.
Published: March 2003

Based on census materials collected in England and Wales from 1921 to 1991, this study focuses on gender differences in occupancy rates in hospitals and other mental health facilities in Britain. The results suggest that since 1991, or for the first time in the twentieth century, there are more males than females in residential mental health facilities in Britain. Furthermore, this pattern of association holds for all age groups except those aged 65 years and over. Second, there are currently two distinct subpopulations in mental health facilities—a male group which is predominantly of working age, and a female group, which is predominantly of retirement age. The existence of these two “care” populations will impact significantly on current and future resourcing of mental health services. The policy implications of the research findings are discussed within the context of the debates on the changing relationship between gender and mental health.
Pensioners and the Minimum Income Guarantee: Observations from Recent Research
Authors: Evason Eileen , Dowds Lizanne , Devine Paula
Published: March 2003

This article summarizes some of the data collected via the 1999/2000 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey. The absence of any counterpart in Northern Ireland to the British Family Resources Survey has resulted in a dearth of basic information on the financial and allied circumstances of pensioners in this part of the United Kingdom. The authors review the data obtained on levels and sources of income, health and receipt of core disability benefits and the extent of non‐take‐up of the Minimum Income Guarantee. The authors locate the data within the broader debate about the new directions of pension policy in the UK.
Welfare States: A Response to John Veit–Wilson
Authors: Atherton Charles
Published: March 2003

The article, “States of welfare: a conceptual challenge” (Veit–Wilson 2000) has received considerable attention. It suggested that the term “welfare state” had ceased to have sufficient analytical or descriptive usefulness. Here it is argued that it remains possible to distinguish those societies that have used the welfare state to reduce substantially the depth and incidence of poverty. It is suggested that Veit–Wilson seeks to limit the description “welfare state” to those societies that provide a guaranteed annual income and that this Rawlsian approach is too limiting and will not work in practice.