bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumentenbeleid: een witte vlek op de EG-kaart
Authors: Huyse Luc , Petré Leen , Parmentier Stephan
Published: May 2023

Het aantal Europese rechtsregels die op één of andere wijze ingrijpen in de situatie van de consument is groot. Zo kan de indruk ontstaan dat men reeds een flink eind op weg is naar een consumentenbescherming op Europees vlak. Toch blijft een echt consumentenbeleid ter hoogte van de EG grotendeels achterwege. Dit artikel wil deze ontwikkeling bespreken en, waar mogelijk, verklaren. Hierin valt de klemtoon op een rechtssociologisch element: de methode van regelgeving als belangrijke determinant voor de stagnatie of vooruitgang van het Europees consumentenbeleid. Aanvankelijk werkten de EG-instanties met methodes van regelgeving die in hun stroefheid de opbouw van een doeltreffend consumentenbeleid afremden. Sinds het midden van de jaren tachtig zijn twee alternatieven uitgewerkt: de dialoog tussen consumenten en producenten als basis voor regelgeving en, ten tweede, de produktie van Europese technische normen door de normalisatie-instituten CEN, CENELECen ETSI. Het artikel plaatst beide opties in een breder kader: de EG waagt zich met haar alternatieven in een grijze zone tussen de private en de publieke rechtsorde. Het artikel gaat tenslotte na of de keuze van de EG voorregelgeving in de grijze zone ook kan leiden tot een consumentvriendelijker Europa.
De Europese Gemeenschap in de jaren '90: systeemontwikkeling en staatsvorming door overheidsbeleid.
Authors: Tömmel Ingeborg
Published: May 2023

In de laatste jaren heeft de Europese eenwording een hoge vlucht genomen, tot uiting komend in het concept “Europa 1992”, de Europese Akte en het verdrag van Maastricht. Deze ontwikkelingen vormden de aanleiding voor een herinterpretatie van het Europese integratieproces in termen van supranationalisme of intergouvemementalisme. In de onderhavige bijdrage wordt daarentegen gesteld, dat het integratieproces vooral gekenmerkt is door het uitkristalliseren van nieuwe modellen van besluitvorming en belangenafweging alsmede door nieuwe vormen van beleidsimplementatie op EG-niveau en in de lidstaten. Het Europese integratieproces is daarmee te beschouwen als proces van staatsvorming. Deze komt echter niet tot stand in de vorm van een schaalvergroting van de nationale Staat naar het supranationale niveau. Veeleer ontstaat op EG-niveau een nieuw en betrekkelijk open politiek systeem dat op zijn beurt de nationale politieke Systemen beïnvloedt en transformeert in de richting van een verdergaande modernisering en flexibilisering van staatsfuncties en overheidsbeleid.
Individuele godsdienstigheid in een geseculariseerde samenleving
Authors: Dobbelaere Karel
Published: May 2023

De auteur onderzoekt de gevolgen van de functionele differentiatie op de Kerken. Deze verschijnen meer en meer als organisaties die buiten de leefwereld staan. Een meerderheid van de bevolking verwacht van hen nog ’diensten’ en hun symbolisch patrimonium wordt beschouwd als een “gedeeld vocabulaire” waarmee men een eigen zingevingssysteem kan componeren of construeren. De deconstructie van het Christelijk geloof is een gevolg van een betekenisverschuiving in het godsbegrip die resulteerde uit de verzakelijking en de rationalisering van de Subsystemen én de leefwereld. Hoe kan men in dit verband dan de zgn. ’heropleving van de godsdienst’ verstaan? Het publiek discours van godsdienstige actoren, waarop o.m. die visie stoelt, heeft slechts morele autoriteit ad extra voor zover het om een algemeen menselijk discours gaat. Godsdienstige actoren verschijnen op het maatschappelijk vlak dus eerder als morele dan religieuze autoriteiten. De Nieuwe Religieuze Bewegingen buiten de Kerken, groepen ’am Rande’ van de Kerken, volksreligiositeit, magie, e.a. zgn. religieuze fenomenen, die ook op een her opleving zouden wijzen, getuigen eerder van een 'retour du sacré’. Een ’vrij zwevende sacraliteit’ die zich uit het religieuze geëmancipeerd heeft, m.a.w. er is eerder sprake van een ’heropleving van sacraliteit’ dan van de ’godsdienst’.
De betekenis van het banale: familiefotografie als sociale praktijk en als sociologische databron
Authors: Pauwels Luc
Published: May 2023

In welke mate kan het opvallend stereotiepe karakter van de familiefotografie worden verklaard vanuit een aantal sociale functies en processen die de produktie en het gebruik van beelden in de private sfeer omkaderen? Dit artikel geeft hierop een antwoord door vooreerst de inzichten die een aantal auteurs rond dit thema ontwikkelden kritisch te beschouwen. Vervolgens wordt betoogd dat een sociologische benadering zich niet hoeft te beperken tot het doorgronden van de private beeldpraktijk als sociaal instituut maar dat de visuele produkten van deze praktijk tevens de mogelijkheid bieden tot het verwerven van kennis over het samenleven in rumiere zin. Maar daarvoor moet de informatie die in camerabeelden besloten ligt op gepaste wijze gedecodeerd kunnen worden. Dit veronderstelt inzicht in de typische structuur van camerabeelden en kennis van de manieren waarop zij naar de achterliggende sociale realiteit kunnen verwijzen. Daarom wordt dieper ingegaan op enkele belangrijke aspecten van een sociologisch geëigende beeldanalyse. Afsluitend worden enkele tendensen en vraagstukken van het huidige onderzoek naar het sociale en sociologische belang van de beeldpraktijk van familie en gezin belicht.
Wat betekent gemengd onderwijs voor het welbevinden en de vorderingsresultaten van de leerlingen: een onderzoeksnota
Authors: Verhoeven Jef C. , Beuselinck Ilse
Published: May 2023

With this research note, we are participating in the current social discussion on the generalization of coeducation in Flanders. After a sketch of the problem, we give a brief overview of some of the ways this phenomenon has hitherto been approached in sociology. Then, with the aid of analysis of variance, we analyze the relationship between the sex ratio of the school and the well-being and academic progress of the pupils. This is done in turn for the first year (N = 1.315) and the sixth year (N = 1.116) in a sample of 23 secondary schools. In the first year, a number of observations constantly recur: pupils from boys' schools score lower in school wellbeing and for academic progress than pupils from coeducational and girls' schools. In the sixth year, this link for well-being is seldom found. To explain this phenomenon, it is suggested that, in the first year of secondary school, the school has an integrating influence more for girls than for boys whereby the pupils from girls' schools and coeducational schools feel better and make better academic progress than those from boys' schools.
Autonome theaterkritiek?
Authors: Gielen Pascal
Published: May 2023

The French cultural sociologist Bourdieu has developed his personal view on the role of social mechanisms within the artistic field. With his theoretical insights in mind, the author of this article has explored the Flemish theatre circuit The author provides us with an analysis of this field, with the particular focus upon the role (function) of the theatre critic. The writing on theatre seems to be connected with the position and the status of the reviewer and the commented company. Since 1975, the Flemish theatre reviewer has been developing a specific struggle for 0 legitimate view on theatre. Due to his own contribution, this struggle has resulted in the issue of a new 'stage decree'. This new line of policy instigated a parallelism between the artistic and political field in Flanders.
Waarde(n)vol spel?: hoe jeugdbewegingsleiding spel als socialisatiemiddel beleeft
Authors: Oosterlinck Tom
Published: May 2023

Within the theory of socialization there is only a minor attention for the topic of games and its relation to values on behalf of children and youngsters. This article embeds a suggested typology of contexts of socialization wherein the function of games can be clarified, whether to effect the transmission of values or to effect the formation in values. The youth movement acts as a typical game environment and therefore receives particular attention. The theoretical exploration underlies the empirical study of one youth movement. The point of view of the national Chiro staff will be compared with that of the local youth leaders and with the activities given by the local leaders. The analyses of the data obtained from 133 interviewees suggest a difference between the function of games as thought by local leaders (effects the formation in values) and the function of games as given by the same leaders (effects the transmission of values).
De ideologische cultuur van arbeiders in Vlaanderen: een replicatie en uitbreiding op basis van de IPSO-data
Authors: De Witte Hans
Published: May 2023

In this article, the existence of a working class culture is analysed on the basis of a representative sample of workers in Flanders. In the firsl part, theories such as the inclividualization theory and the postmodern criticism of social classes are reviewed, leading to the hypothesis that a working class culture no longer exists. Next, three hypotheses are analysed; (1) blue collar workers still hold a set of typical attitudes which distinguish them from white collar workers, (2) the social class of the respondents can be predicted on the basis of their attitudes and subjective identification with a social class, (3) the social class of the respondents has an autonomous effect on their attitudes. These three hypotheses are all corroborated, suggesting that the disappearance of a working class culture needs a more carefully balanced appraisal than the one offered by the reviewed theories on its disappearance.
De sociale oorsprong van democratie en dictatuur: klassenanalyse in het democratiseringsonderzoek
Authors: Stouthuysen Patrick
Published: May 2023

During the last two decades, we witnessed the growth of a research tradition which tried to analyze history in terms of class. Authors use models in which classes, class-conflicts and alliances between classes, are used as explanatory factors. This paper gives an overview of one specific research program in this tradition of "comparative historical class analysis". More specifically, in this paper the work is discussed of those authors, beginning with Barrington Moore, who tried to explain the emergence and survival of democratic regimes on the basis of class analysis
Over de blinde vlekken van de reproductiethese in de onderwijssociologie: een kijk vanuit kwalitatief onderzoek
Authors: Verhoeven Jef C. , Kochuyt Thierry
Published: May 2023

The persistence of class inequality over the generations is commonly explained in sociology of education by the reproduction thesis, which concludes, often on the basis of quantitative material, that there is a direct causality of the labour position and the degree of education of the parents. Our own qualitative/biographical research into the school careers of children from working class and deprived families, however, indicates that these factors have a less unambiguous effect than is generally accepted. Indeed, they can be reflexively changed by the parents into motivating arguments to stimulating positively the education of their children, Quantitative studies, however, remain blind to such significant reversals, just as they have difficulty with the contextual and process-like character of these school careers. Here, qualitative research is able to make a difference. How the quantitative and the qualitative approaches can supplement each other in the clarification of the problem of unequal opportunity in education therefore constitutes the methodological conclusion of this article.
Ongelijkheid en klassen in Nederland en België: een bespreking van enkele recente publicaties
Authors: Steijn Bram
Published: May 2023

In this article some recent studies published by Dutch or Flemish authors on social inequality and class are discussed. In the Netherlands two main ‘schools’ are identified: the so-called ‘Dutch stratification school’, which has its roots in modernization theory, and a ‘Rotterdam’ school (that actually is not a school at all). The article outlines some of the main strengths and weaknesses of both schools. After a discussion of recent Flemish studies of Hans de Witte, it is concluded that in theoretical and methodological perspective these Flemish studies are somewhere between the ‘Dutch’ and ‘Rotterdam’ school. It is then concluded that Dutch stratification research in general would benefit if both Dutch schools would more collaborate and learn from each other.
Voorbij de verzuiling?: Kontich twaalf jaar later: een replicatie-onderzoek naar organisatienetwerken en politieke partijen
Authors: Van Aelst Peter , Walgrave Stefaan
Published: May 2023

The phenomenon of 'pillarisation' (the vertical division of society along ideological, religieus and philosophical lines which has long typified the structure of Dutch and Flemish society) has been a favourite topic of Flemish and Dutch sociologists for the last 30 years, as has its gradual dismantling, or 'depillarisation'. However, there has always been something of a shortage of empirical data. This paper discusses the main findings of a replication study of the local 'pillar' structures in the Flemish municipality of Kontich. Based on mutually overlapping leaderships of all social organisations in Kontich, the study examines to what extent there is still evidence of pillarisation at mesolevel and of ideologically-based links between organisational networks and political parties. In 1985 a study carried out in the same municipality confirmed that this was indeed the case: almost 80% of organisations could be placed in the Christian-Democratic, socialist or liberal (conservative) network. 12 years later, the number of overlapping leaderships or people holding dual functions in both social organisations and political parties has fallen sharply. Social network analysis is used to show that the pillarised networks are becoming smaller or less close-knit. At present this depillarisation process is most manifest in the periphery of the networks, and the basic pillarisation structure remains intact. Administrative contacts between different 'pillars' remain the exception rather than the rule, and there is no real cooperation over and above the pillarised structures. Further research in other municipalities could show whether this case of partial depillarisation at local level can be confirmed on a broader scale.
Grensschermutselingen: een sociologische verkenning van de grens tussen privé en publiek domein
Authors: Weyns Walter
Published: May 2023

The distinction between the private and the public realm - at first sight a simple and straightforward distinction - is in reality a very complex and dynamic cultural construction playing a prominent role in almost every society - albeit in very different ways. In this introductory essay an attempt is made at reconstructing three constellations of the private/public distinction: the premodern, modern and post-modern. These are not presented as empirical models but rather as an ideal-typical, analytical framework constructed for heuristic purposes and in such a way that most of the aspects of the private/public distinction are being mapped.
Nuances van sociaal kapitaal: een analyse voor het bewegingsmilieu van de ACW-organisaties
Authors: Van Gyes Guy , Billiet Jaak , De Witte Hans
Published: May 2023

This chapter analysis one of the most important networks of social organisations in Flanders: the organisations linked with the Christian Workers Movement (CWM). The data of a large sample survey among staff members, volunteers and members are used (N = 1,960). The analysis is focused on the interrelationships between social network variables, value orientations, and indicators of social disintegration, Following Putnam's hypothesis, attention is also paid to the effect of television as 'prime suspect' for 'civil disengagement'. As was expected, participation in social organisations is mostly positively related with trust in others and in future developments, but the effect of it is weaker than the impact of social-background variables as age, education and church involvement. The latter is evidently an important explanatory factor for the participation in the organisations of the CWM. Social localism, this means the embeddedness in the neighbourhood also slows down feelings of distrust and unsafety. Why nuances? Theoretically one can expect positive effects of social conformism on social integration, but the opposite is true. Those who emphasise values as obedience to authorities, common courtesy and respect (this is called 'vertical collectivism') are more likely to score high on the indicators of social disintegration. As to the role of television, we observed a contrastive effect depending on the kind of programmes. Those who use television for information score slightly lesser on the social disorientation scale, contrary to those who watch television mostly for entertainment.
In en om het justitiepaleis: de invloed van sector van tewerkstelling op sociale oriëntatie bij juristen
Authors: Jacobs An , Van Houtte Mieke
Published: May 2023

In Belgium there is recently a controversy concerning the court of justice and all who is professionally related to it. Conservativity and alienation are the main reproaches. This article questions if lawyers working in the ‘traditional’ sector (barrister, magistrate, notary and bailiff) differ in terms of social orientation (authoritarian conservatism, standards of morality and trust) from lawyers in other sectors. Hereto the theory of generalization is applied to sector of employment, with the Kohn-Schooler-tradition as source of inspiration. Data were gathered in 1994 of 801 lawyers (554 men and 247 women) working in Flanders and Brussels. A main finding is that lawyers in the traditional sector do not differ from the others with respect to authoritarian conservatism and standards of morality. However, women in the traditional sector have less trust in other people than female lawyers in other sectors. Furthermore, magistrates seem more likely to strictly obey the law than barristers do.
16 miljoen buren: de rol van buren in persoonlijke netwerken in Nederland
Authors: Völker Beate
Published: May 2023

Popular ideas on modernization and rationalization lead to the expectation that neighbours have only a marginal position in personal circles, in particular if one lives in a city and has a high income or status. This paper inquires into the importance of neighbours in personal networks in the Netherlands. It is studied whether geographical propinquity has consequences for the organization of personal networks and what the differences are between different regions and degrees of urbanization. Sharing group and social capital theory are used to develop hypotheses on the relations between neighbours and on the kind of support they lend to each other. Data result from the study on 'Primary Relationships and Social Support' (PRESOS, 1987, N=906), until now the only national representative data on (neighbour) networks of Dutch citizens. Results show the following: first, and in contradiction to ideas on consequences of modernization, neighbours are a vivid part of personal networks and they are important for many kinds of help. Yet, neighbours usually do not form close relationships with each other, they are rather weakly connected. Second, differences between rural and urban regions are very small and not robust. Third, higher educated do not have less but more contact with their neighbours. Lastly, most important for relations with neighbours is the need for support and the absence of other network members who can provide help.
Wie stemde in juni 1999 voor het Vlaams Blok en waarom?
Authors: Billiet Jaak , De Witte Hans
Published: May 2023

This article aims to replicate and supplement previous research concerning voting for the extreme right-wing party 'Vlaams Blok' in June 1999. We first discuss different theories concerning the motives for an extreme right-wing vote. Rational choice theories state that voters express their approval with the programme or ideology of such parties. They highlight different motives: a negative attitude towards foreigners, nationalism, authoritarianism and extreme right-wing ideology. The protest theory States that voting for such parties is solely motivated by the rejection of political parties and politics as such. On the basis of the ISPO-data, the background characteristics and attitudes of Vlaams Blok voters in 1999 are analysed, using multivariate methods. The results indicate that the Vlaams Blok vote is principally motivated by a negative attitude towards foreigners. This supports the rational choice theory. However, three secondary motives were discovered; political protest, nationalism and authoritarianism played a minor but additional role in explaining the choice for the Vlaams Blok in 1999.
Strategieën tegen extreem-rechts: het cordon sanitaire onder de loep
Authors: Damen Sofie
Published: May 2023

In the first part the concept 'cordon sanitaire' is clarified and operationalized. In a next stage, the cordon in Flanders is reconstructed chronologically. Firstly, the introduction of a number of resolutions (1989, 1992 and 1997) is outlined. Secondly, the organizations Hand in Hand and Charta '91 's focus on the 1994 local elections is considered. There appears to be a lot of disagreement on the cordon's content as well as on the strategy itself. In the empirical part the persistence of the cordon at a local level is examined. The cities in which the cordon was not successful and the parties involved are discussed. Finally, characteristic aspects of the situation in which the cordon has not persisted at a local level are listed.
De verraderlijke charme van het begrip generatie
Authors: Van den Broek Andries , Dekker Paul
Published: May 2023

The notion of generations is an appealing one. In everyday conversations, in the media as well as in sociology, references to generations can be found. In classic and contemporary social theory alike, the key to understanding how cultural change comes about has been thought to lie in the long-term effect of differential cohort socialization. Cultural change is thought to proceed as differently socialized cohorts replace each other in the course of time. Moreover, distinct generations have been claimed to emerge. This article addresses the impact of cohort replacement, the presence of generations and the extent to which people think in terms of generations. At the outset, the theoretical framework that informs thinking in terms of cohorts and generations is presented. The problem of disentangling the effects of age, period, and cohort is discussed briefly. Analyses of Dutch sui-vey data substantiate that cohort membership matters. Yet no evidence is found in support of the idea that specific generations are discernable. The Dutch population, however, widely uses a generational perspective. The upshot of this article is that the notion of generations is at least as treacherous as it is appealing.
Kritisch realisme en sociologisch onderzoek
Authors: Gijselinckx Caroline
Published: May 2023

This article presents a critical realist perspective on empirical sociological research. The ontological and epistemological foundations of critical realism, its specific notion of causality and its vision on explanation and scientific laws are discussed. The author draws mainly on the arguments of Bhaskar, Sayer, Layder and Archer. Examples of critical realist research are included. The author argues that, although the critical realist perspective makes major philosophical contributions to the debate on the empirical foundation of social scientific knowledge, the core question of the observation of 'underlying' mechanisms is still not fully resolved. Critical realism needs to explicitate its criteria for the discovery of underlying mechanisms in social reality
Verantwoorde beeldvorming op televisie: een analyse van de argumentaties van programmamakers over seksepariteit
Authors: Spee Sonja
Published: May 2023

Politicians, policy makers and academic researchers have contributed to the public debate on fair portrayal in the media. Next to a summarizing of the European and national policy measures on this matter, the focus of this article will be on the arguments programme makers themselves use when they explicitly attempt to reach gender parity in their television programmes. A balanced proportion of women and men in media is politically considered a quantitative indicator for the assessment of television programmes. In this case study interviews were held with programme makers of audience discussion programmes, whereby gender parity was a primary condition in the programme format. The arguments they use to legitimate the balance in male/female proportions and their selection of experts show different approaches of fair portrayal and of television quality.
Nog niet voltooid of gewoon discriminerend?: groepsvertegenwoordiging in termen van taal en sekse
Authors: Meier Petra
Published: May 2023

The Belgian political and institutional system recognises since long a Citizen with several faces, for instance by explicitly taking into account the social groups defined along the lines of the traditional cleavages cross-cutting the Belgian society. This conceptualisation of the notion of citizenship is also reflected in the dominant interpretation of representation as representativeness. The very proportional electoral system is one example of this; the explicit forms of group representation are another one. The present article studies the Belgian practice of group representation for different social groups, more specifically those defined in terms of language and those defined in terms of sex. A comparative analysis of the existing techniques and the debates on their behalf allows us to get more grip on the mechanisms of discrimination with regards to women.
Een longitudinale kijk op de gender-verdeling van huishoudelijke taken
Authors: Mortelmans Dimitri , Ottoy Winfried , Verstreken Martine
Published: May 2023

Empirical research in the USA, France and Belgium show that women remain responsible for the largest part of the domestic work (Jacobs e.a., 1997; Jacobs e.a., 1998; Laufer, 1998; Spitze, Loscocco, 1999). Many studies have shown that the increased participation of women in the labour market has not forced an equal division of labour in households. Household tasks are still defined predominantly as "female" tasks while others are expected to be done by men. In this article, the stability of the household-labour in partner-relations over time, from the viewpoint of "task load" of individuals is looked upon. The analysis is based on empirical data from the panel study of Belgian Households (PSBH). The longitudinal database offers the opportunity to combine a cross-sectional analysis with a longitudinal dimension. The results show that at the end of the 90's women are not only doing most of the household labour, they are often predominantly, if not exclusively, responsible for the household labour.
De marginalisering van 'religie' binnen genderstudies: een pleidooi voor een intersectionele benadering via de sociale wetenschappen
Authors: Longman Chia
Published: May 2023

In this article the marginal position of the study of religion within gender studies as a purportedly interdisciplinary field of research is attained. Despite the increasing importance of knowledge about the relationship between religion and gender, this topic of study is often left up to feminist theologians, usually working autonomously within the discipline of theology. This research is often neglected within gender studies, which can foremost be ascribed to the 'awkward relationship' between feminism and religion in general. This exclusion is kept in place due to both the lack of interest for religious diversity and diversity in terms of the research relationship. It is suggested that a social science perspective may contribute substantially to a solution of the problem of the marginalisation of the study of religion within gender studies. It is argued that there must be more space for interdisciplinarity whereby both gender and religion are applied as multi-dimensional and contextualised categories of analysis.
De integratie van allochtone ouders en onderwijsprestaties van hun kinderen:enkele allochtone groepen vergeleken
Authors: Oomens Shirley , Driessen Geert , Scheepers Peer
Published: May 2023

This article reports a study of the impact of minority parents' integration into Dutch society on their children's educational achievement. First, it was investigated whether differences exist in the degree of integration in society between parents from different minority groups. The sample analysed (N=1819) included parents and children from the Netherlands Antilles, Surinam, Turkey, Morocco, Southern Europe, and mixed families. The results show that there are clear differences in the degree of integration between minority groups. Parents of mixed families are integrated best both structurally and culturally, while Moroccan parents are integrated least. However, the degree of integration only has a small effect on the children's educational achievement, mainly on language achievement. The most important factor in predicting educational achievement is the minority group the child belongs to.
Over de receptie van de sociologische canon: nieuwe en oude Engelse vertalingen van Webers 'protestantse ethiek'.
Authors: Adriaenssens Stefan
Published: May 2023

Talcott Parsons is the pivotal figure in the Anglo-Saxon reception of Weber's oeuvre, and especially of The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. His translation of 1930 lasted for seventy years. Assuming only few social scientists master German, it had a quasi-monopoly during this period. The 20th century reception of Weber in the English speaking world thus is Parsons' merit, but also bears, and suffers from, the stamp of his translation. For the latter is not only qualitatively defective, but also fits remarkably well into Parsons' own theories. This article maps the problems of validity and reliability of Parsons' translation, and compares it with the two English translations that appeared recently. In genera! the quality is significantly higher than Parsons' translation, This entails an optimistic conclusion of the possibility of progress in social-scientific exegesis as a basis for progress in theory formation.
De geboorte van het Tijdschrift voor Sociologie
Authors: Dumon Wilfried
Published: May 2023

This essay describes the birth of the Flemish Journal of sociology, "Tijdschrift voor Sociologie". Written by the journals first editor-in-chief, Wilfried Dumon, the essay offers an inside view of how the Journal was conceived and developed. The essay points to the institutions that were involved and the decisions that were taken, regarding technical and financial issues, and regarding content. It considers and evaluates the two goals of the Journal: to be a general sociological Journal, and to establish bridges between academic sociology and sociology as a profession. Finally, it points out what made (and makes) the Journal stand apart from other journals in Flanders (Belgium).
Arbeid en samenleving, een essay
Authors: Henderickx Erik
Published: May 2023

This article gives a state of the art of the sociology of work. It discusses key concepts, points to their evolution and mutual relationships, and illustrates them with examples from Flanders. The article makes clear that the 'leisure society' might be proclaimed, but hasn't arrived yet. Work is still central to our society, notwithstanding the changes in the content of work (work opportunities, the type of work, conditions of employment, working conditions, ...). The study of the organisation of work, the labour market and the labour relations continues to be important, also for sociology. The article sketches these three arenas and points for each to the tension between competition (and flexibility) on the one hand, and solidarity on the other.
Cultuurparticipatie in Vlaanderen: een toetsing van de these van de culturele omnivoor
Authors: Vander Stichele Alexander , Laermans Rudi
Published: May 2023

Ever since Richard Peterson and Albert Simkus (1993) came up with the notion of 'cultural omnivorisation' to describe the process among the younger higher educated of combining legitimate cultural tastes with more popular tastes, the traditional theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu (1984 [1979]) has started to erode. Instead of having an exclusive taste for legitimate art forms there now seems to be a fraction within the dominant class that doesn't restrict its cultural consumption to legitimate art forms. In this article we tried to find out whether different cultural participation patterns are discernible within Flemish society. Using the data of the annual APS-survey (Afdeling Planning en Statistiek) from 2000, we found, by means of latent class analyses, six different participation patterns. These could be reduced to three groups of two clusters on the basis of education and age. The same analyses on the APS-dataset of 2001 yielded a similar cluster solution.
Opinies op bestelling?: een experimenteel onderzoek naar het effect van vraagverwoording en sociale wenselijkheid op de proportie voor- en tegenstanders van gemeentelijk migrantenstemrecht
Authors: Heerwegh Dirk , Billiet Jaak , Loosveldt Geert
Published: May 2023

Whether non-EU immigrants should be granted municipal suffrage in Belgium has triggered a wide public debate. Results from three different scientific surveys serve as the starting point for the current study. The three cross-sectional studies, conducted in the period 1999-2002, showed decreasing support for the measure in the Flemish population over that period of time. The current study investigates whether differences between the three reference studies in question wording and survey mode (especially whether an interviewer is present or not) can be held partly responsible for this finding. Drawing from theoretical backgrounds, it was hypothesized that differences in question wording and interviewer presence should affect response distributions. The results confirm the hypotheses. Manipulation of the question wording changes a minority of proponents of the measure into a majority. In addition, using an interviewer significantly increases the percentage of proponents, which can be the result of a social desirability response bias.
Afstand tot familieleden en verhuisgedrag van ouderen
Authors: van Diepen Albertine M.L , Mulder Clara H.
Published: May 2023

For older people proximity to family members might be highly valuable. In this paper we investigate to what extent older people take the distance to their children and siblings into account in their relocation behaviour. For the analysis we use data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study. This data set includes detailed geographical information about places of residence. We employ descriptive analyses and multinomial logistic regression of moving closer to family members and moving away from them. We find that, with increasing distance to children, older people are more inclined to move closer to their children and slightly less inclined to move away from them. The findings for moving closer to and away from siblings are similar but less pronounced.
Over de kritisch realistische visie op causaliteit en de implicaties ervan voor het empirisch onderzoek naar sociale mechanismen
Authors: Gijselinkcx Caroline
Published: May 2023

The notion of causality presented by critical realism, is based on a three-layered ontology. Causality in terms of necessity is situated at the deepest level of the transfactual constitution of the object, its tendency to act in a specific way and its power to make a difference. Critical realism thus presents an internal definition of causality. It also presents a definition of causality that goes beyond efficient causality. This article reflects on the consequences of this critical realist vision of causality with respect to the notion of causal mechanisms, as well as the conceptualization of the influence of the social (causal efficacy) versus the influence of the agents (causal efficiency) and the status of theory in empirical explanatory research.
Na de fluwelen revoluties: markttransitie en sociale ongelijkheid in Oost-Europa
Authors: Arts Wilfried
Published: May 2023

In the leading sociological journals since 1989 a debate is rumbling on between economic sociologists about the question of what the effects are of the introduction and expansion of markets in (post)communist societies on their system of social stratification. In this essay the questions and answers in that debate are reconstructed. Their quality is assessed by confronting them with (meta)theoretical considerations and empirical findings. None of the theories involved (new institutionalism, power conversion theory, modernisation theory) proves to be without flaws. A synthesis suggested by several authors seems to promise more success. What is lacking, however, in that synthesis is the idea that the legitimizing and motivating role of the prevailing ideologies mitigates the effect of the market transition on the social stratification of (post)communist societies.
Wat draagt immigratie bij tot het ontvangstland?: methodologie en internationale resultaten van een berekening van het budgettaire effect van immigratie
Authors: Corluy Vincent , Verbist Gerlinde
Published: May 2023

Some people consider migration as a threat to our welfare state, whereas others see migration as the solution for the financial sustainability of the system of social security. Given the developments concerning migration, as well as the evolution of the welfare state, it seems us necessary to analyse the relationship between both. We discuss the impact of immigration on the government budget in seven Western countries by comparing recent empirical research. The studies distinguish between a static or dynamic approach. Both methodologies have restrictions, of which we analyze the implications for the results. On the basis of the fiscal consequences of immigrants for the different countries, we examine which factors drive the fiscal effects of immigrants. Finally, we examine which information is necessary to carry out an intergenerational analysis for Belgium.
Sociaal kapitaal en gezondheid: een overzicht van de recente onderzoeksliteratuur
Authors: Morrens Bert
Published: May 2023

This article is the result of a literature study which brings together the different conceptual approaches of social capital in relation to health and places them in a larger historical perspective. Since the middle of the twentieth century, epidemiologists and sociologists associate the social environment in an increasingly broader sense to the health of people. While there used to be only attention to the social support of individual relations, awareness grew since the 1990s that also the broader social capital of a community, consisting of social networks and shared norms such as trust and reciprocity, can have an effect on health through several psychosocial pathways. To date, there is no consensus on the aggregation level were the health benefits of social capital exist: the collective or the individual level? Recent studies trying to combine both approaches conclude that the individual level is most important. The article closes with some suggestions for future research and policy.
De lichaamsbeleving van jongvolwassenen met kanker
Authors: Rommel Ward
Published: May 2023

This article analyses how young adults with cancer experience their body, based on a qualitative data analysis. The confrontation with cancer disrupts the relationship between the young adults and their body. Mainly in young women, the stigmatising reactions to hair loss provoke a negative body image and a negative self image. The young women try to reduce the impact of the stigma, for example by hiding the bald head. Because of a reduced fitness, young adults have to learn to cope with the limitations of their body. Some try to regain their body strength in a gradual way, others fight the limitations of their body. Some look for professional help, others ignore or avoid professional advice. Their attitude towards their body or towards professional help is strongly influenced by their personal goals. The personal goals of young adults often have to do with sports or making transitions such as finishing their studies.
Gedeelde onzekerheid: een insiderperspectief tijdens een ziekteproces
Authors: Verbergt Greet , Geens Karine
Published: May 2023

This article is based on qualitative research of one “case”; the narrative representation of a disease process experienced by physician and patient. The diagnosis remained unknown and the condition of the patient deteriorated drastically. Their meanings attached to this affliction can help us discovering underlying patterns of uncertainty during a disease process. Uncertainty was point of departure and the shared disease process its main focus. What follows is a description of uncertainty through different stages of it. We have discovered four phases of uncertainty: the setting (place), encountering the other (an unknown person/ stranger), the search for diagnosis (acute uncertainty), and prognosis/future (the chronic uncertainty). These four stages have been set out on a time axis; past – present – future. Uncertainty has also a space connotation, that of the social space between patient or physician (shared or unspoken).
Controverses, kennissociologie en wetenschapsproductie: zoeken naar legitimiteit: een historische rondgang met Helga Nowotny
Authors: Leroy Pieter
Published: May 2023

This article takes Helga Nowotny’s work as starting point for a guided tour in 30-40 years of sociology of knowledge debates. Consecutive scientific controversies, from nuclear energy to climate change, reveal to be focal points of discussion and innovation. Helga Nowotny’s work provides fruitful perspectives on more comprehensive trends and mutual reinforcement in and between the fields of sociology of knowledge, political sociology and environmental sociology.
‘Means to an end’: verklaren van organisatorische deviaties in sociale bewegingen. De casus van Oxfam-Wereldwinkels
Authors: Van de Poel Jan
Published: May 2023

Dit artikel tracht aan de hand van een historische analyse van de sociale bewegingstheorie en de organisatiesociologie een model op te stellen waarmee structurele en strategische veranderingsprocessen in sociale bewegingsorganisaties (SBO’s) kunnen geanalyseerd en verklaard worden. Het model vertrekt van een ideaaltypische, ‘collectivistische’ organisatiestructuur van waaruit de determinanten van mogelijke deviaties zoals bureaucratisering, commercialisering en radicalisering worden afgeleid. Vervolgens passen we het model toe op een centrale SBO uit de Vlaamse (internationale) solidariteitsbeweging, Oxfam Wereldwinkels (OWW), op basis van een exhaustieve, kwalitatieve analyse van primaire bronnen uit de organisatie. Het model staat toe de organisatorische ontwikkeling van OWW betekenis te geven en de strategieën bloot te leggen die de organisatie ontwikkelt om zich tegen mogelijke deviaties te wapenen.
De terugkeer van het mattheuseffect?: de casus van de kinderopvang in Vlaanderen
Authors: Ghysels Joris , Van Lancker Wim
Published: May 2023

This research note investigates the presence of a so called Matthew effect in the use and distribution of childcare services in the Belgian region of Flanders. The analyses show that this is the case and that the use of childcare is unequally distributed among society. Low income families with children make only half as much use of childcare services than higher income families. Next to this, the distributional efforts of the government with regard to childcare show the same patterns of inequality notwithstanding the use of income-sensitive tariff structures. Part of the explanation lies in the higher rates of inactivity among mothers of low income families. As they don’t engage in paid work, prima facie they don’t need childcare for their children. However, our data show that a high number of these inactive mothers do want to work but are having troubles finding affordable care services. Thus, next to the inequalities found in the use of services and the allocation of resources, there seems to be a problem of accessibility. Given these results, the article pinpoints the relevance of research about the distribution of resources in contemporary welfare states.
De schoolprestaties van immigrantenkinderen in 16 OECD-landen: de invloed van onderwijsstelsels en overige samenlevingskenmerken van zowel herkomst- als bestemmingslanden
Authors: de Heus Manon , Dronkers Jaap
Published: May 2023

Using PISA 2006 data, we analyze the science performance of 9279 15-year-old immigrant children, originating from 35 different countries, living in 16 Western countries of destination. Whereas former research has mainly paid attention to the influence of individual-level characteristics on the educational performance of immigrants, this study’s focus is on various types of macro-level characteristics. Using a cross-classified multilevel approach, we examine the impact of both educational systems and political, economic, and religious features of both countries of origin and destination. The results show that the degree of teacher shortage in the countries of destination has a negative, and a longer history of migration in the countries of destination has a positive effect on science performance of immigrant children. Moreover, a comprehensive educational system in the destination countries has a positive influence on immigrant children’s performance, but this is only the case for higher-class children. The compulsory period of education in the origin countries has a positive effect on immigrant children’s science performance. Moreover, whereas immigrant children from countries with an Eastern religious affiliation perform better than comparable immigrants from Christian countries, comparable immigrant children from Islamic countries perform worse than the latter.
Scholierenprotesten en de ironie van de autonome school
Authors: Waslander Sietske , Van der Weide Maartje
Published: May 2023

This papers aims to illustrate how press clippings can be used as data in educational sociology. In the fall of 2007, large numbers of secondary school pupils took to the streets in the Netherlands. The pupils went on strike after the government, following years of tolerance, started to control the law issuing that pupils must receive a minimum number of lessons per year. Demonstrating youngsters capture the news for days. We analyze what appears to be a spontaneous action from the perspective of the drama-democracy (Elchardus, 2002). Our data comprise press clippings and minutes of parliamentary debates. Secondary sources are used to investigate how ‘factual’ developments relate to presentations in the press. What this analysis shows is that what looks like a spontaneous action, is actually an eruption of more fundamental changes in society. What’s more, the whole idea of school autonomy may entail a major irony.
Tussen droom en daad…: over armoedebestrijding, minimuminkomensgarantie en het Europese sociale model
Authors: Cantillon Bea , Van Mechelen Natascha
Published: May 2023

Poverty rates in the EU have not fallen in recent decades, but have stagnated or even increased. There are indications that the erosion of social benefits may be an important factor explaining the poverty standstill. As a result, a number of recent studies on poverty trends have formulated the recommendation that minimum income protection standards be defined at the EU level. In this article we argue that there are good reasons to assume that the adequacy of guaranteed minimum income schemes may become the subject of the first legislative and legally binding initiative in the field of social protection. First, the topic has already featured prominently in the European policy debate since the early 1990s. Second, most Member States already have minimum income schemes in place. Finally, research suggests that an effective anti-poverty strategy essentially includes adequate income protection. However, between dream and reality there stand concepts and technical and budgetary considerations. Therefore any binding agreement with regard to minimum incomes would have to be formulated flexibly and introduced gradually.