bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Independent travel and people with learning disabilities: the views of a sample of service providers on whether this nee is being met
Authors: Slevin E. , Lavery I. , Sines D. , Knox J.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes part of a larger study that involved interviewing clients, carers and service providers to investigate barriers to independent travel for people with severe learning disabilities. The initial part of the study, reported here, involved interviewing service providers. A purposive sample of 2I service providers involved in promotion of independent travel for people with learning disabilities in the South East of one of the major cities in Northern Ireland were interviewed. Aims were to identify the number of clients on travel programmes, perceived barriers and suggestions to promote independent travel. Analysis involved mainly quantitative methods, with a small qualitative input. Findings indicated that although independent travel was viewed as a valuable skill for people with learning disabilities to possess, there were relatively few who practised this. In a population of 890 people, 187 (21 %) were reported as being able to travel independently. In the remaining 703 people, 65 (9%) were involved in programmes to promote independent travel. This data was obtained from the respondents who collated the figures from notes and records in the establishments in which they were based. The most significant obstacles to independent travel were suggested to be clients' cognitive abilities, and the wishes of carers, who according to the study, often did not wish the client to be involved due to perceived risks. Recommendations are made regarding practices to promote independent travel.
Performance of Plasticized Vinyl Films in Drycleaning Solvents
Authors: Wentz Manfred , Andrasik Ivan J.
Published: March 2007

The Garment Analysis Department of the International Fabricare Institute receives frequently vinyl coated fabrics which have lost their softness of hand and flexibility. These changes in physical properties are due to the loss of plasticizer during a regular dry cleaning cycle Experi ments have been performed with vinyl films which were formulated with plasticizers of different molecular weights. Loss of plasticizer and solvent absorption were determined in perchlorethylene, petroleum solvent and solvent 113, the principal dry cleaning solvents. The experiments revealed that a linear relationship exists between plasticizer loss and shrinkage of vinyl films. Rate studies were carried out with vinyl films containing a high, a medium and a low molecular weight plasticizer in all three dry cleamng solvents. Desorption diffusion coefficients of the plasticizers were derived from these data. It was established that the diffusion coefficient for desorption of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate is much higher than that of low or medium molecular weight polyester plasticizers. Low molecular weight plasticizers are almost completely extracted from vinyls during dry cleaning. Higher molecular weight polyester plasticizers are not extracted appreciably. These results should be considered in formulating vinyls to be used for the manufacturing of drycleanable garments.
Urethane Coatings for Textile Substrates
Authors: McSweeney R.T. , Athey R.J.
Published: March 2007

Urethane polymers exhibit a wide range of properties making them one of the most versatile polymers of today. Urethanes range from very hard and brittle materials to soft, pliable and highly extensible polymers. Also, they can now be made non-yellowing in contrast to earlier urethane coatings which yellowed when exposed to light They are avail able in several types - e.g. two component systems, moisture cures, and lacquers which can be applied to substrates via different processes such as direct casting, transfer coating, spraying, or curtain coating. The polymer manufacturer, depending on his end product need, selects combinations of raw material building blocks and tailor makes his coating. The uses of urethane coatings, in addition to textile applications, include automotive exterior trim parts (i.e. GTO Endura bumper), industrial maintenance coatings, aircraft coatings, wood finish, floor coverings, and marine appli cations Economics show urethane coatings give a very high dollar-in-use value.
Factors Influencing Latex Tie-Coat Adhesion in Urethane Skin Coat to Fabric Bonding
Authors: Bluestein C. , Loewrigkeit P. , Mcgimpsey T.T. , Van Dyk K.A.
Published: March 2007

The factors affecting adhesive performance in a coated fabric construction are considered, particularly with respect to bonding of cotton to polyurethane using a polyurethane latex tie-coat. An adhesive peel strength test method is detailed for hand evaluation. Improvements in reproducibility of results have been obtained using a template constructed from Mylar film mounted in an aluminum frame in order to prepare peel strips. Precision was improved, but due to inherent variability in hand application techniques it was not optimized. Relative effects of a number of factors affecting peel strengths in the systems under study are discussed.
The Electron Curing of (Urethane) Fabric Coatings
Authors: Fussa A.D. , Nablo S.V.
Published: March 2007

This article describes electron curing of urethane compounds. The method allows the use of high solids, single component urethanes. Line speeds of 250 feet/minute may be realized with this new technique. Process innovations such as curing the coating through the release film or using conventional transfer paper for casting a textured coating, are possible.
Relative Toxicity of Pyrolysis Products From Some Upholstery Fabrics
Authors: Hilado Carlos J. , Lopez Mary Theresa , Damant Gordon H.
Published: March 2007

Twenty-two samples of upholstery fabrics used in home fur nishings were evaluated for relative toxicity by means of the USF/NASA toxicity screening test. This test appears suitable for discriminating be tween these materials, on the basis of time to first sign of incapacitation (Ti) and time to death (Td) under a fixed set of test conditions.
Formulation and Application Considerations To Conserve Energy in Textile Coatings
Authors: Chancler Frank X.
Published: March 2007

A generally recognized need exists to reduce energy con sumption in textile processing. Suggestions are offered on how to reduce the water content of textile coatings The use of mechanical foaming as a means of cutting back on water is discussed. New polymer developments designed to cure with low energy input are described.
Effect of Piloting on Ignitability of Aircraft Interior Fabrics
Authors: Hilado Carlos J. , Murphy Regina M.
Published: March 2007

Five samples of aircraft seat fabrics and one sample of aircraft curtain fabric were evaluated for ease of ignition under piloted conditions. Times to ignition appeared to be shorter and more reproducible than the ignition times obtained under non- piloted conditions.
Ignitability By Radiant Heat of Furniture Upholstery Fabrics
Authors: Hilado Carlos J. , Brauer Diana P.
Published: March 2007

Ignitability test data on 94 samples of furniture upholstery fabrics are presented. Time to ignition appeared to be a function of fabric weight, fabric construction, and fabric weave as much as of the chemical composition of the fiber. The use of a polyurethane flexible foam substrate in the test method to simu late actual use conditions may lead to more realistic evaluation of fabric/cushion combinations.
Toxicity of Off-Gases From Fibers and Fabrics: a Review
Authors: Hilado Carlos J. , Huttlinger Patricia A.
Published: March 2007

Relative toxicity data are presented for the off- gases from various fibers and fabrics.
Towards an Agenda for Educational Management
Authors: Glatter Ron
Published: March 2007

Notes towards the twenty-first century

For its fifteenth anniversary EMA invited contributors to consider the agendafor the next fifteen years.
Gender Bias in 'Educational Management and Administration'
Authors: Hough James
Published: March 2007

This article investigates gender bias in articles in EMA over five years. The incidence of explicit gender bias was relatively small, but authors tended to pay insufficient attention to gender as a variable of interest.
Resisting Change: Some 0rganisational Considerations About University Departments
Authors: Gray H.L.
Published: March 2007

University departments face conceptual and practical problems in organising themselves, this review argues. It concludes that there is a need for an extensive Programme of management development, starting with vice-chancellors. The author is in the Department of Educational Research, University of Lancaster.
Managing Compulsory INSET UnderTeachers' New Conditions of Service
Authors: Busher Hugh
Published: March 2007

How did teachers respond to the introduction of compulsory in-service training under the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1987? A survey looks at some of the ways in which the days allocated for such training have been used. It suggests that three different models of training days emerged. The central difference between these models is the degree of teacher ownershiP involved in each. The author is at Loughborough University.
The Awareness of and Attitudes towards TeacherAppraisal of Secondary School Teachers
Authors: Williams R.P. , Mullen T.
Published: March 2007

How much do 'ordinary' teachers know of the various proposals for systems of teacher appraisal? This research into a sample of high school staff shows their knowledge of existing appraisal schemes, including the national pilots, was limited. It discusses how teachers viewed the issues. The authors are, respectively, from the School of Education, University of Leeds, and The Oaks School, Barnsley.
Community Participation in Frontier Education Planning
Authors: Jones Adele M.
Published: March 2007

The merits of community participation as a means of facilitating worthwhile planning and Policy formulation in education have been widely canvassed in both the developing and developed world. In this paper, the author, from the University of the South Pacific, reports on research undertaken as part of her doctoral studies in the frontier province of North West Pakistan. She suggests that, whatever the general merits of community participation as an idea, in practice it can serve as a tool in the hands of influential policy makers, designed to gain the support of local people for projects which may not be in their interests. It might be possible to think of similar examples from the United Kingdom.
Parental or Pupil Choice — Who Really Decides in Urban Schools?
Authors: Thomas Alan , Dennison Bill
Published: March 2007

We know little about the characteristics of choice and selection in the process of pupil transfer from primary to secondary schools. This paper is based upon a small-scale piece of research undertaken by Alan Thomas and BillDennison of the University of Nerucastle which sought to throw some light on this topic. A questionnaire was administered to children in their final year of primary education in an inner-city school in Northern England and interviews held with a small random sample of parents and eight key teachers. The findings suggest that inter alia we should not underestimate the significance of the role which children play in the making of choices in this area.
Towards the Learning Society
Authors: Ranson Stewart
Published: March 2007

This paper is a revised version of Stewart Ranson's inaugural professorial lecture given at the School of Education, University of Birmingham , in June 1991. It offers a wide-ranging examination of the need for reform and the reforms required to regenerate education in the UK. It seeks to develop the framework for a political theory of education for the 21st century, defining the purposes and conditions for a learning society which can enable all to develop their powers and capacities.
Dark Victory: Cancer and Popular Hollywood Film
Authors: Lederer Susan E
Published: March 2007

This paper explores the cultural representations of cancer in popular Hollywood films released between 1930 and 1970. These cinematic treatments were not representative of the types of cancer that increasingly afflicted Americans, nor were filmmakers and studios concerned with realistic representations of the disease, its treatment, and its outcomes. As in the "epidemic entertainments" of the early twentieth century that portrayed diseases as cultural commodities, popular filmmakers selectively projected some cancers rather than others, favoring those that were less offensive and more photogenic. Although the characters became weak and died, they did so without gross transformations of their bodies. This paper argues that such representations nonetheless informed American attitudes about cancer and the role of medical research in overcoming the disease.
From Cancer Families to HNPCC: Henry Lynch and the Transformations of Hereditary Cancer, 1975-1999
Authors: Necochea Raul
Published: March 2007

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) helps us understand how medical genetics has changed over the last forty years. The concept of the "cancer family" emerged from the realization that members of some families developed cancer more frequently than members of others, which led to a series of strategies by clinicians in the 1960s to persuade others of this. By the early 1990s molecular genetics had transformed the disease, from one that a few physicians believed ran in families, to one with precise genetic components that researchers generally accepted, and that could be detected through genetic tests. Nevertheless, a diagnosis of HNPCC still requires that the mutated genes be found within a kin group that is generally accepted as a cancer family. Moreover, the "cancer family" construct was crucial in the search for the HNPCC genes. HNPCC's trajectory can be mapped onto important debates about the complex relations between clinical and molecular genetics knowledge and practice.
"Cancer as the General Population Knows It": Knowledge, Fear, and Lay Education in 1950s Britain
Authors: Toon Elizabeth
Published: March 2007

This article examines British medical debates about cancer education in the 1950s, debates that reveal how those responsible for cancer control thought about the public and their relationship to it, and what they thought the new political economy of medicine introduced by the National Health Service would mean for that relationship. Opponents of education campaigns argued that such programs would add to the economic and organizational pressures on the NHS, by setting in motion an ill-informed, uncontrollable demand that would overwhelm the service. But an influential educational "experiment" devised by the Manchester Committee on Cancer challenged these doubts, arguing that the public's fear was based in their experience with family and friends dying of the disease. The challenge for cancer control, then, was to improve that experience and thus change experiential knowledge.
Pay, Working Conditions, and Teacher Quality
Authors: Hanushek Eric Alan , Rivkin Steven G. (Steven Gary)
Published: March 2007

Eric Hanushek and Steven Rivkin examine how salary and working conditions affect the quality of instruction in the classroom. The wages of teachers relative to those of other college graduates have fallen steadily since 1940. Today, average wages differ little, however, between urban and suburban districts. In some metropolitan areas urban districts pay more, while in others, suburban districts pay more. But working conditions in urban and suburban districts differ substantially, with urban teachers reporting far less administrator and parental support, worse materials, and greater student problems. Difficult working conditions may drive much of the difference in turnover of teachers and the transfer of teachers across schools. Using rich data from Texas public schools, the authors describe in detail what happens when teachers move from school to school. They examine how salaries and student characteristics change when teachers move and also whether turnover affects teacher quality and student achievement. They note that both wages and student characteristics affect teachers' choices and result in a sorting of teachers across schools, but they find little evidence that teacher transitions are detrimental to student learning. The extent to which variations in salaries and working conditions translate into differences in the quality of instruction depends importantly on the effectiveness of school personnel policies in hiring and retaining the most effective teachers and on constraints on both entry into the profession and the firing of low performers. The authors conclude that overall salary increases for teachers would be both expensive and ineffective. The best way to improve the quality of instruction would be to lower barriers to becoming a teacher, such as certification, and to link compensation and career advancement more closely with teachers' ability to raise student performance.
Dimensions of Corporate Ownership in For-Profit Higher Education
Authors: Kinser Kevin
Published: March 2007

The recent growth of for-profit higher education has been marked by the rising importance of institutional ownership by publicly traded corporations. This paper looks at 13 publicly traded corporations that own degree-granting for-profit institutions of higher education in the United States, examining corporate growth strategies and their distinctiveness as Wall Street-owned institutions. The paper concludes that these institutions are different from their independently owned peers and that corporate growth strategies suggest the importance of foreign expansion.
The Logic of Affirmative Action: Caste, Class and Quotas in India
Authors: de Zwart Frank
Published: March 2007

Most social scientists today agree that identity is a social construction, not a primordial given. They also agree that the state (through its power to dominate discourse) is a key agent in the process of identity construction. The literature on caste in India is illustrative. Caste used to be thought of as an ancient fact of Hindu life, but contemporary scholars argue that the caste system was constructed by the British colonial regime. The social construction thesis should apply a fortiori to a project begun by the Indian government almost 50 years ago and still going strong, namely affirmative action for the 'backward classes'. This project is strikingly similar to the British colonial project that ex hypothesi constructed the caste system. The government defines social categories (official constructions) under which people must register in order to qualify for the material rewards - jobs and education - that made these constructions real in their consequences. The tangible effects of affirmative action differ, however, from what the social construction theory predicts. The backward classes never emerged as a viable identity. What emerged instead was a multiplicity of castes. The government's prolonged attempt ever since independence to construct the 'backward classes' only reinforced the caste system. The logic of affirmative action explains this unintended outcome.
Residential Relocation and Political Behavior: Conceptual Model and Empirical Tests
Authors: Cox Kevin R.
Published: March 2007

A conceptual model of the effects of residential relocation of voters upon their voting behavior is elaborated; in this model relocation is related directly to instability of voting preferences, susceptibility to short-term influences and to the weakness of a neighborhood or contextual effect. The interaction ef fects of voluntary organization affiliation and political involvement are also discussed. A number of hypotheses are derived from the conceptual model and tested with a nonparametric measure of association on the basis of survey data from Columbus, Ohio. It is found that the major hypotheses are sustained though the data on the interaction effects of involvement are more ambi guous.
On the Concept of "Expectations"
Authors: Foschi Martha
Published: March 2007

A brief survey of the literature on the relationships between expectations, evaluations and performances precedes a theoretical elaboration of the concept of "expectations" as it has been used by Berger, Cohen, Zelditch and associates. The proposals that make up the elaboration are discussed and specific areas of empirical research arising from them are indicated. Finally, the theoretical advantages of the elaboration are illustrated: first, it can be used to explain the resistance to change that expectations, under a variety of circumstances, have been reported to offer and second, it permits treatment of the concept of "strength of an expectation" in a systematic fashion.
National Elite Surveys: Some Experience From Norway
Authors: Groholt Knut , Higley John
Published: March 2007

Various problems involved in gaining access to national elites, conducting structur ed interviews with them, and gathering interview data on elite ideology and social structure are discussed in light of the growing use of survey techniques in research on national elites. The discussion is based on the authors' experience conducting survey interviews with 124 members of Norwegian business, labor union, political, and civil servant elites during 1969. This experience is quantified and otherwise reported to show ways by which various methodological obstacles in national elite surveys can be reduced. While such surveys are seen to be quite feasible and useful, several problems are of sufficient magnitude to warrant considerable caution and modesty in the claims made for data collected thereby.
Conflict and Local Mobilization : The Alta Hydropower Project 1
Authors: Andersen Svein S. , Midttun Atle
Published: March 2007

The article presents and discusses attitudes to the Alta case among the local population. This hydropower project, which also raised the issue of Lappish minority rights, created one of the most dramatic political conflicts in Norway since World War II, also on the national level. The survey was done in the Winter 1980/81. This was just before one of the dramatic high points of the conflict the large police action involving about 10% of the total Norwegian police force The Alta case had developed into a symbol for conflicts over conservation that had developed since the late 1960s. The location of the project, in one of the core areas of Lappish settlement, created additional complications Our survey pictures a strongly polanzed society. The parties to the conflict not only disagreed on the local issue The intensity and escalation of the conflict led a large number of people to doubt the ability of national authorities to make right and just decisions. They also developed very different 'world pictures', cutting across traditional political cleavages.
The Critique of the 'Economy and Society' Perspective During the Paradigm Crisis: From the United States to Sweden
Authors: Swedberg Richard
Published: March 2007

This essay is an attempt to look at the way economic sociology has changed during the paradigm crisis in the United States and Sweden The article starts out by arguing that economic sociology - especially in mainstream American sociology - has had a distinct tendency to separate 'economy' from 'society' During the crisis of the 1960s, however, there developed a critique of this 'economy and society' perspective. This critique came pri marily from three movements of thought: neo-Marxism, feminism, and Third World theory The alternatives for a 'new' economic sociology that were presented in the United States and Sweden (in which 'economy' and 'society' are integrated with each other into a 'totality') are discussed in detail.
Educational Social Climates and Delinquency in Iceland: An Integrated Perspective
Authors: Skinner William F.
Published: March 2007

This study tests the viability of an educational social climate model in explaining delinquency in Iceland. The model represents an integration of the conceptual ideas found in the educational environment literature and the literature on delinquency and the schools. The model specifies the relationships among perceptions of the school's social climate, school out comes, association with delinquent peers (differential association) and four types of delinquency. Using survey data from a sample (N = 578) of adolescents in Reykjavik, Iceland, the path analysis findings from this study offer modest support for the model School outcomes and differential association have the strongest direct effect on all types of delinquency. Perceptions of the school's social climate mainly have an effect on delin quency through their relationship with school outcomes and differential association.
Genderization of Technology among Norwegian Engineering Students
Authors: Sørensen Knut H. , Berg Anice-Jorunn
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses the phenomenon of genderized technology. A model of genderized technology is outlined, identifying mechanisms of gen derization at three levels: institutional, symbolic, and characteristics of research work. Usmg survey material from Norwegian engineering students, it is shown that technology is genderized through all three sets of mechanisms. Although an increasing number of women study engineering, there is an emerging gender division in the choice of field and speciality The paper argues that this division partly is related to the phenomenon of gender-typing of artefacts. Students perceive some artefacts as 'masculine', others as 'feminine' or 'neutral'. This symbolic aspect of technology is produced by the appearance of the artefact and the sex of the stereotypical user. Finally, the paper explores students' views on ideal characteristics of technological researchers. It is found that 'female' characteristics are valued more than masculine, and that the difference between male and female students in this respect is very small.
From Collectivity to Individualism in the Welfare State?
Authors: Kosotieti Pekka
Published: March 2007

The welfare state still enjoys widespread public support, hut it has also drawn widespread criticism This article deals with swings in public sentiments from collectivity to individualism. First, some examples are presented from the Nordic countries that reflect a shift from public to private. criticism of control and social technology, the debate on welfare scroungers, inti-tax movements and the hlack economy. and various forms of privatization Second, it is asked whether history justifies talk of a collecmnty-mdmdualism cvclc or merely of alternations between collectivity and individualism Finally, five causes are identified behind the growth of individualism (1) the failure of the institutions of the welfare state, (2) the new economic situation, (3) the rise of new middle classes, (4) changes in cultural deep structures, and (5) the hegemonic struggle in demarcating the private and public Individualism is gaining ground, but doing so in a very complex way Behind the growth of individualism, it is possible to identify several interwined changes The changes involve serious problems, especially the growth of egoism but on the other hand the new situation also open, new prospects for the develipment of a rich Individuality.
Scandinavian Citizenship
Authors: Hernes Helga M.
Published: March 2007

Theories about the democratic state should ideally deal with the state's smallest unit, the individual citizen, and with the institutions which support central public values. Yet there exists a serious gap between theories of the welfare state (a stateform which portends to be democratic) as we know it today and democratic theory, both on a theoretical level and on the level of empirical operationatization. This poses problems for the study of citizen ship, especially in the mature highly differentiated welfare states of Scan dinavia where recent democratization policies have added an aspect of citizenship, namely participatory rights and material entitlements, to almost all relationships between the state and the individual within a great variety of institutional settings These have been added on to older individual rights which protect the individual's autonomy against state intervention The welfare state literature, to the extent that it deals with individual citizens, treats those aspects of citizenship which are related to social policy entitlements. Democratic theories and empirical studies of democratic poli tics emphasize the participatory aspects of citizenship Any adequate account of contemporary citizenship in Scandinavia must include all these dimensions in order to grasp the interplay between material rights, multi-level par ticipation and political identities As states have changed so have the content and meaning of citizenship changed for the individuals living within their borders Yet most political theories do not attempt to combine the answers to central questions of modern citizenship 1. Who participates in the institutional life of society and the state? 2 What are the rights and duties attached to this participation? (questions to which the legal literature has addressed itself without being integrated into the social science literature). 3. Which values and resources are institutionalized, defended and distributed by public authonties? Congruence across institutions and between the three levels of society - the individual, the organizational and the institutional ones - can therefore only be assessed with great difficulty Yet from the point of view of democratic citizenship such congruence should be a normative as well as a practical prerequisite in order for citizens to make use of their rights, and live up to their duties as citizens, and in order to enable citizens to identify with the political system on ill three levels.
The Role of Religion in Legitimating the Modern Structuration of Society 1
Authors: Riis Ole
Published: March 2007

Religion is generally regarded as an issue of minor importance in the sociological study of the modern Nordic countries. But this position is based on a narrow, church-oriented concept of religion. An anthropologist could find many religious aspects in modern Nordic countnes, which run parallel to religious phenomena in other societies. If religion is understood in a wider sense, it emerges as an important clue to the sociological understanding of the modern. Nordic societies. A new type of privatized religion, which might be labelled Protestant Humanism, has emerged. This has a vital role in the legitimation of the modern structuration of societies, such as the Nordic ones. The cues to Protestant Humanism are the universalistic norms of human rights, the individual-oriented values of self-fulfilment, and the continuation of the networks of kinship and friendship marked by common rites. Religion is one basis for the legitimation of a social structuration, which splits up social life between formal institutions on the one hand and a private sphere on the other, where the problems of identity and value- determination are affiliated with the intimate sphere.
The Structure of Employment Terminations among Clerical Employees in a Large Bureaucracya
Authors: Petersen Trond , Spilerman Seymour , Dahl Svenn-Age
Published: March 2007

In this paper we study departure rates among clerical employees in a large hierarchical organization, a US insurance company. Two aspects of the turnover process are considered. First, we study how the departure rate is determined by promotion opportunities in the organization We ask: In structural positions where the promotion rates are low, are the departure rates high, and vice-versa? Second, we distinguish between different types of departures: those that occur for career reasons, such as better job options and higher earnings outside the organization, those that occur for personal reasons, such as having to tend to the needs of one's family; and involuntary departures, that is, dismissals and abolished positions We attempt to assess which type of departure is most influenced by the presence of promotion opportunities and particular organizational structures The main findings are: (1) Departure rates are lower in company positions with high promotion rates than in positions with low promotion rates, keeping the level of current achievement constant This finding suggests that the study of organizational careers and the study of organizational departures need to be integrated. (2) Promotion opportunities in the company have a stronger influence on departures for career-related reasons than on departures for personal reasons. This suggests that organizational opportunity structures are more effective in controlling career-related turnover than in influencing other types of terminations
Macrovalues: The Nordic Countries Compared*
Authors: Listhaug Ola
Published: March 2007

The macrovalues of the Nordic countries are generally seen as dominated by leftism (especially a strong egalitarianism), high level of life salisfactions, and weak religiosity. Using data from the EVSSG World Values Study we present some empirical evidence relating to these propositions. We find no support for the claim that leftism is dominant, while support for the other two theses is fairly strong We speculate that the failing support for leftism is partly caused by the achievements of egalitarian policies, which weaken demand for more of the same, and partly impeded by the problems that the implementation of the leftist agenda created in these societies.
Morality in Three Social Theories: Parsons, Analytical Marxism and Habermas
Authors: Andersen Heine
Published: March 2007

The current growth in sociological works on morality is generating topical fundamental metatheoretical and philosophical questions concerning the relationship between sociological theory and ethics - descriptive and nor mative ethics and meta ethics It is commonly accepted that sociological theory can include descriptive ethics On the other hand, the relationship to normative ethics and meta ethics has been very much disputed or ambiguous The article analyses the position, of three representative and significant theories concerning this question Parsons' theories of social action and social systems. Analytical Marxism and Habermas's theory of communicative action and his discourse ethics The basic point ot departure is that if sociological theory and ethics are to maintain a stable position, it is imperative to incorporate the double role of sociology as a spectator and a participator in collective self-reflection and enlightenment in societv
On the Usefulness of Class Analysis in Research on Social Mobility and Socioeconomic Inequality
Authors: Sørensen Aage B.
Published: March 2007

The article critically discusses the two main uses of the concept of class in recent stratification research. They are John Goldthorpe's analysis of social mobility from a class formation perspective and Erik O Wright's analysis of income inequality in the labor market. I argue that the main problem with both efforts is the lack of a satisfactory theory of how class generates inequality within the labor market. The logic of Gold thorpe's argument assumes that class causes inequality generating separate class interests in the labor market, but he does not provide such a theory. Wnght provides such a theory. However, his several class schemes either provide explanations for inequality that can be derived from standard internal labor market theory that does not satisfy the requirement of class theory; or, they are based on a concept of exploitation that is unsatisfactory for the identification of class categories within the labor market. I observe that it is not clear why Marxist theory needs a class theory of how inequality is generated within the labor market: standard neo-classical economic theory seems consistent with Marx's own conception of the capitalist economy
To Marry, Just in Case ...: the Swedish Widow's-Pension Reform and the Peak in Marriages in December 1989
Authors: Hoem Jan M.
Published: March 2007

On 1 January 1990, new regulations were introduced for the Swedish National Widow's Pension Scheme. The transitional provisions of the reform made it advantageous for many people to marry before the end of 1989 rather than later. The result was an abnormally large number of weddings in December 1989. This highlights the lack of firm norms that govern whether Swedish couples choose to marry or to live in consensual union. It also raises questions concerning how economic rationality works in practice.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN Methods for Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Ringdal Kristen
Published: March 2007

This article is a non-technical review of recent contributions to multilevel analysis. After a short historical introduction, a general linear model for multilevel analysis is presented. The model consists of two sets of regression equations, one for the individual (micro) level and one for the group (macro) level. In the latter, the micro coefficients are seen as dependent variables. During the 1980s several computer programs were developed to provide statistically satisfactory estimates of the general hierarchical linear model. An abbreviated example of a multilevel analysis is presented, followed by a brief review of statistical procedures and computer programs for multilevel analysis. Some important issues in multilevel research are also discussed.
Rising Female Labour Force Participation and the Distribution of Family Income—the Swedish Experience
Authors: Björklund Anders
Published: March 2007

This paper analyses how rising labour force participation of marned women in Sweden during the 1970s affected the distribution of family income. We use the squared coefficient of variation and compare the dispersion of family (factor) income with the dispersion of marned men's income We find an equalizing effect of wives' income, in the sense that family income is more equal than husbands' income. Furthermore, the equalizing effect of female income was stronger in 1980 than in 1967, i.e. when female labour force participation had increased markedly. An examination of hours of work and determinants of wage rates suggests that the equalizing effects stem from wage rates rather than from hours of work. This effect holds in spite of very strong positive correlation between husbands' and wives' education.
Women, Paid Employment and Ill-Health in Britain and Finland
Authors: Arber Sara , Lahelina Eero
Published: March 2007

The paper seeks to disentangle how similanties and differences between women's employment position in Britain and Finland are associated with inequalities in women's ill-health, using national surveys from 1986 In Finland, women participate fully in paid work, whereas British women are more likely to be full-time housewives or part-time employees Unlike Finland, public provisions do not support the economic independence of British women The degree of inequality in ill-health is greater among employed women in Finland than in Britain. Major differences between the two countries are the poor health of British housewives, and the impact of housmg tenure and family roles on women's ill-health in Britain but not Finland Previously married women who are not in paid employment in Britam have particularly poor health Our findings suggest that in a society such as Britain where paid employment is not umversal for women, women's family roles and housing quality affect their health, but this is not the case in Finland where women's participation in the labour market is near universal
The Voting Paradox in Socially Integrated Populations
Authors: Skog Ole-Jørgen
Published: March 2007

The paper addresses the problem of aggregating individual choices between three discrete alternatives, and discusses how the likelihood of cyclical aggregate preferences under majority rule depends on social integration in large populations. It is argued that the so- called impartial culture condition gives rather limited information as to the likelihood of the paradox occurring, and an alternative model is outlined. Social structure is introduced, by imposing correlation between the first and second choices. The resulting structure may significantly reduce the likelihood of a cyclical outcome A measure of similarity between rankings is introduced, and this measure serves as a vehicle for discussing the effects of social integration on the distribution of the population across the six possible rankings of alternatives. It is concluded that integration significantly reduces the like lihood of a cyclical outcome.
Gabriel Tarde as a Founding Father of Innovation Diffusion Research
Authors: Kinnunen Jussi
Published: March 2007

Gabriel Tarde (1843-1904) has given significant contributions to criminology, to social interaction theory and to diffusion research. Diffusion refers to spreading of social or cultural properties from one society or environment to another. Tarde created his own system of sociology, based on psychology and de signed to explain the whole of social behaviour from development of cultures to acts of an individual. In his view social change requires penetration of inventions that diffuse through the process of imitation. People imitate beliefs and desires or motives transmitted from one individual to another. Analysis should take place on a micro-level with the method he called 'interpsychology'. Tarde refuted the idea of a social whole being more than its parts. He thought at least to some extent like a reductionist. Moreover, imitation as a social phenomenon was in Tarde's view not isolated from other activities in nature but a part of a universal law of repetition. His professional experiences in court apparently directed his interest towards criminology, affected his thinking about motives and about the level of analysis. Tarde's ontological ideas were soon disregarded largely due to the criticism presented by Émile Durkheim (1858-1916). However, Tarde made quite a few insightful and practical observations that have benefited diffusion research. Likewise, aspects similar to Tarde's thoughts concerning cultural evolution seem to interest modern scientists.
Technology and Gender versus Technology and Work: Social Work and Computers
Authors: Lie Merete
Published: March 2007

Recently, computers have been introduced within the field of social work, which is a female-dominated profession. A direct relationship is often assumed between gender and attitudes to technology. However, when people are introduced to computers at work they have already acquired a specific way of reasoning through their training. A way to understand the specific attitudes to computers among social workers is therefore to focus on the nature of the problems they are supposed to solve and the way of reasoning acquired through their training. There is much overlap between the skills of this profession and those generally attributed to the female gender. Thus one can hardly discern between the professionally related and the gender related in attitudes to a new technology; rather the case-study reveals how gender is embedded within jobs and tasks. Social work belongs to the 'soft' professions, with care and human communication as its main tasks. Thus the study also reveals some incongruence between computer systems and human communication.
Employment Commitment and Psychological Well-being among Unemployed Men and Women
Authors: Nordenmark Mikael
Published: March 2007

This paper studies employment commitment and psychological well-being among a random sample of 3,500 unemployed men and women in Sweden. The study observes which factors govern levels of employment commitment and if there are any significant differences between unemployed men and women in this respect. The article also discusses the importance of commitment to employment when analysing psychological well-being among the unemployed. As regards employment commitment among both men and women, the results emphasize the psychosocial value of the former job, the activity level while unemployed and age. However, the results also indicate that age and family situation affect unemployed women's and men's levels of commitment to paid employment in different ways. Further, both unemployed men and women who are strongly motivated to find employment for non-financial reasons have significantly higher risks of poor mental well-being than those with lower commitments to employment. Finally, The results speak against the hypothesis that the high unemployment rates among certain categories of people are mainly a result of low motivation to be employed.
The Impact of School and Classroom Characteristics on Educational Choices by Boys and Girls: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Dryler Helen
Published: March 2007

Does enrolment in comprehensive schools affect girls' and boys' choices of educational field at the upper secondary school level? For example, do girls in some comprehensive schools choose the engineering programme (gender-atypical for girls) to a significantly higher degree than girls do in other schools? These questions were studied in the context of a 25 per cent random sample of Swedish comprehensive schools in 1991 and 1992. Multilevel analyses were carried out on pupils who chose one of the academic programmes. Three hierarchical levels are included in the models: pupils, classrooms and schools. The results show that pupils' choices of study field vary significantly between schools and classrooms when pupil-level characteristics have been controlled for. The results also show that both boys' and girls' choices correlate with those of classmates of the same sex, but not with those of the opposite sex. However, the contextual variables in this study that characterize schools and classrooms (such as the percentage of boys/girls in classrooms, etc.) do not account for the school and classroom variances, although some school/classroom characteristics are significant. The results give especially strong support for the so-called 'frog pond effect': for example, if classmates do well in mathematics and natural sciences subjects, the likelihood that they will enter the humanities/social sciences increases (controlling for the pupils' own marks in these subjects). When classmates do poorly in these subjects, their chances of choosing engineering increase.
Post-industrial Solidarity or Meritocracy?
Authors: Andersen John
Published: March 2007

The article deals with present forms of social and system integration and discusses what institutional reforms and new formations of actors and coalitions could counteract social exclusion in a way that takes post-industrial conditions into account. The term 'social exclusion' is primarily used in the European discourse, while the concept of an 'underclass' is normally used in the Anglo-Saxon discourse. These two discourses take very different approaches to what can be seen as the forces undermining societal harmony and social coherence. A paradox is identified between the rejection of class theory in most contemporary dominant social theory and the emergence of a new 'underclass'. It is argued that, today, the real missing link is the analysis of the growing power of elites. Whereas the underclass has been almost over-researched, the analysis of new elite formation, collective action, and coalition-building by powerful actors is almost absent. Therefore, the concept of social exclusion should be linked to the concept of social polarization.