bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Luther and the German State
Authors: Brinks Jan Herman
Published: March 2003

This article is a discussion of the instrumentalization of Martin Luther by German historiography in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for politically‐legitimating, purpose providing (‘sinnstiftend’) and especially national purposes. In the nineteenth century the Luther jubilee of 1883 was one of the highlights of German nationalism, which had developed rapidly since the unification of 1871. During the First and Second World War Luther again was turned into an active supporter of German nationalism. This study focuses on the last large‐scale attempt to instrumentalize Luther for national purposes; ie the Luther interpretation in the German Democratic Republic. With the help of a new Luther reception the GDR tried to improve the basis for her own national identity. She intensified her policy of delimitation from the Federal Republic of Germany with the help of a new and very positive Luther image. These East German attempts, however, backfired and were counter productive in their results. The political appeal to an all‐German historical personality like Martin Luther could not legitimate a divided Germany. On the contrary, it brought about the opposite, that is it rather stimulated underlying all‐German affinities and cohesive forces. Of course East German historians did not aim at “Wiedervereinigung”– which, naturally was a political issue of the highest degree. But, with the aid of Luther, they unconsciously played an important part in setting the stage for German unification.
Record‐keepers in the Court of Chancery and their ‘Record’ of Accomplishment in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Authors: Horwitz Henry
Published: March 2003

This article describes the conflict over authority and fees which came to a head in 1791 between two groups of officials within the court of chancery, the Sworn Clerks and the Six Clerks, and considers how far the recurrent conflict adversely affected the preservation of the court's records. It gives an account of record‐keeping in the context of these clashes and explores the surviving records of chancery equity proceedings in the Public Record Office. Users of these records are alerted that, although voluminous, they are far from complete.
The Making of the 1279–80 Hundred Rolls*
Authors: Raban Sandra
Published: March 2003

Approaches to the making of Domesday Book are here brought to bear on the surviving texts of the 1279–80 hundred roll inquiry. The scope and intention of the enterprise are examined together with the process of compilation and editing. The study necessarily draws on the original manuscripts as well as printed editions and identifies the articles of inquiry, together with features which indicate that the commissioners drew on a variety of sources for their data. Findings set an agenda for further work on this complex, important, but relatively neglected source.
Winston Churchill, Mark Sykes and the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915
Authors: Capern Amanda L.
Published: March 2003

In the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull, the draft and two carbon copies of a letter from Mark Sykes to Winston Churchill dated 27 January 1915 are catalogued as DDSY(2)/4/81. The top‐copy of this letter no longer seems to exist; it does not appear in Martin Gilbert's companion volume for Churchill 1914–16 and is not used in his biographical account of those years. It also was not used by Roger Adelson when he wrote his biography of Mark Sykes in 1975. The letter is important in two ways. First, it indicates that Mark Sykes may have had some influence on Churchill's thinking in late January and early February 1915 while he was planning the naval assault on the Dardanelles. Second, this letter from Mark Sykes contains echoes of the concept of a soft ‘underbelly’ of Europe later popularized by Churchill in a speech of 1942.
The Travails of Domestic Visiting: Manchester, 1830–70
Authors: Hewitt Martin
Published: March 2003

This article seeks to re-examine mid nineteenth century ‘home missionary’ activity or domestic visiting. It focuses on Manchester, a typical urban case in that it could boast an almost bewildering array of associations which sponsored such visiting, whose supporters were ever willing to laud the impact of their activities. It argues, however, that closer examination suggests that the feverish activity and public vindications masked deep flaws. The social geography of the city prevented them from either covering the whole community or from visiting comprehensively within those areas which were occupied. The visits were asked to bear an ideological load which far outstripped their capacity. While missionaries could help sustain a vibrant and significant minority religious sub-culture in the ‘slums’, they were scarcely the agents of social discipline suggested by recent commentators.
New Liberalism, J. L. Hammond and the Irish Problem, 1897–1949*
Authors: Peatling G. K.
Published: March 2003

Historians have regarded new Liberalism as an ideology primarily concerned with domestic social reform. Yet this does little justice to the intensity and longevity of new Liberals' support of self‐government in Ireland. This side of new Liberal ideology is particularly illuminated by the career of J. L. Hammond (1872–1949), especially his Gladstone and the Irish Nation (1938). Hammond's historical scholarship, indeed, was heavily influenced by Liberal ideology, and can be seen as a belated effort to justify Gladstonian Liberalism's long mission in Ireland. Fittingly therefore, Hammond's arguments possessed the same strengths and weaknesses as earlier Liberal efforts to pacify Ireland.
Pawn and Political Player: Observations on the Life of a Thirteenth-Century Countess
Authors: Wilkinson Louise
Published: March 2003

This article explores the transformation of Margaret de Lacy, countess of Lincoln (d. 1266), from a young and vulnerable heiress into one of the most important and wealthy noble widows of her day, whose friendship was courted by Henry III's queen. Hitherto Margaret's career has been dogged by misconceptions about her father's identity and her marriages. A fresh consideration of the evidence affords a unique window on to the social and political factors that influenced the arrangement of noble marriages in the thirteenth century and might later allow an aristocratic widow to carve out a distinctive role for herself.
‘This penurious old reptile’: Rear-Admiral James Gambier and the American War
Authors: Syrett David
Published: March 2003

This article is an account of Rear-Admiral James Gambier when he commanded the Royal Navy at New York during the American Revolutionary War.
Uniting the whole people: proportional representation in Great Britain, 1884–5, reconsidered*
Authors: Bromund Ted R.
Published: March 2003

This article examines the ideological context and political role of proportional representation in the reform crisis of 1884–5. It demonstrates that proportional representation was part of a broader liberal project to promote social cohesion both at home and in the empire. As shown by the cross-bench support for the Proportional Representation Society, proportional representation roused unexpected enthusiasm in the Commons in 1884. It was rejected because single-member districts were more acceptable to Gladstone while promising to achieve the same narrowly political ends as proportional representation, though not its liberal purposes. This reconsideration of proportional representation revises the history of the reform crisis and lends support to the contention that Victorian liberalism emphasized not rights-based individualism but rather the building of voluntary communities.
Can the Muslim Speak? an Indebted Critique
Authors: Wolfe Patrick
Published: March 2003

Book reviewed in this article:

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, A Critique of Postcolonial Reason: Toward a History of the Vanishing Present
Why Do We Ask “What If?” Reflections on the Function of Alternate History
Authors: Rosenfeld Gavriel
Published: March 2003

The new prominence of alternate history in Western popular culture has increasingly prompted scholars to historicize it as a broader phenomenon. What has largely escaped notice until now, however, has been the question of the underlying function of alternate history as a genre of speculative narrative representation. In this essay, I argue that writers and scholars have long produced “allohistorical narratives” out of fundamentally presentist motives. Allohistorical tales have assumed different typological forms depending upon how their authors have viewed the present. Nightmare scenarios, for example, have depicted the alternate past as worse than the real historical record in order to vindicate the present, while fantasy scenarios have portrayed the alternate past as superior to the real historical record in order to express dissatisfaction with the present. The presentist character of alternate histories allows them to shed light upon the evolving place of various historical events in the collective memory of a given society. In this essay, I examine American alternate histories of three popular themes—the Nazis winning World War II, the South winning the Civil War, and the American Revolution failing to occur—in order to show how present–day concerns have influenced how these events have been remembered. In the process, I hope to demonstrate that alternate histories lend themselves quite well to being studied as documents of memory. By examining accounts of what never happened, we can better understand the memory of what did.
Values for Probation, Society and Beyond
Authors: Masters Guy
Published: March 2003

This article draws from, and comments on issues raised by Mike Nellis (1995a) and the debate that followed in The Howard Journal about ‘probation values for the 90s’. This article expands upon three themes within that debate; restorative justice, relational justice and reintegrative shaming. The strength of restorative justice, and factors that have possibly been important for the success of restorative practice in other countries are discussed. Concluding that the implementation of restorative practice is desirable, and considering the factors identified in other countries, a possible outline for developing restorative practice in England and Wales is briefly discussed.
A Drop in the Ocean? The Discharge Grant and the Immediate Needs of Prisoners on Release from Custody
Authors: Rowlingson Karen , Newburn Tim , Hagell Ann
Published: March 2003

Many prisoners leaving custody are homeless, jobless and poor. They are given a discharge grant by the Home Office to meet their immediate needs on release. For many, it is their only source of income until they find a job or, more commonly, receive their first benefit cheque. This paper reviews the immediate needs of prisoners on release from custody and then examines how far the discharge grant is adequate in meeting these needs. In‐depth interviews were conducted with prisoners both before and after release from custody. These included ten men in prison who were within two or three weeks of release and 14 men who had been released from prison within the previous month. Interviews suggested that the grant lasted only a few days, leaving ex‐prisoners with very little to cover even basic needs in the two weeks before they were entitled to receive any income support.
Mafia, Media and Myth: Representations of Russian Organised Crime
Authors: Rawlinson Patricia
Published: March 2003

This article examines the portrayal of Russian organised crime in the Western and Russian media and how these representations reaffirm orthodox interpretations of the ‘mafia’, particularly those produced in the US. The influential Kefauver Committee hearings in the early 1950s limited the notion of organised crime to ethnicity and conspiratorial syndicates, while Hollywood films helped to disseminate this interpretation universally. Although generally discredited by criminologists from the 1970s, this populist notion of ‘mafia’ has been given a new lease of life through the emergence and proliferation outside the former Soviet Union, of Russian organised crime. Already conversant with Cold War rhetoric and the simplistic dichotomy between capitalism and communism, the media offers an equally prejudiced and simplistic interpretation of the Russian ‘mafia’ and threatens to obfuscate and consequently exacerbate the actual dangers presented by its proliferation.
The Probation Career of Al Truism
Authors: Pease Ken
Published: March 2003

The writing of Bill McWilliams on probation history and practice is briefly reviewed. Bill’s plea for a theoretical moral underpinning for practice would, if answered, make the service less vulnerable to the discrediting of its claims that probation is effective in increasing public protection. These claims are ill‐founded, and are only sustainable because of political and criminological disinclination to address the evidence or live with its consequences. The search for a moral underpinning might have led Bill to link probation with current concerns to combat social exclusion. This would involve detailed consideration of the distributive justice–retributive justice nexus and its implications for probation practice. It is argued that concern altruistically to give help to all those damaged by the criminal justice process, victims, witnesses, perpetrators and their families alike, would accord with a secularised but morally grounded version of the police court mission.
Reporting Rape in London: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Temkin Jennifer
Published: March 2003

In the 1980s, in response to public criticism of police handling of rape cases, changes of style and procedure were initiated by the Metropolitan Police. Other forces followed suit. But there has been little research to monitor the impact of the new regimes. This article looks at the responses of a group of women who reported rape in 3 Area (North East) of the Metropolitan Police District during the years 1993 to 1995 with a view to ascertaining their reactions to police processes and to gauging those aspects of their contact with the police which they regarded as particularly positive or negative. The article suggests that, given the vast increase since the 1980s in the number of rapes being reported annually, particularly in the Metropolitan Police District, a fresh look may need to be given to current police systems.
Developing a Rationale for Sports Counselling Projects
Authors: Nichols Geoff
Published: March 2003

West Yorkshire Sports Counselling (WYSC) offered probation service clients a twelve‐week programme of sports activities as a medium for counselling, with the objective of reducing offending behaviour. Through an evaluation of West Yorkshire Sports Counselling this article contributes to an understanding of how such projects might work to reduce crime. In the past such projects have been characterised by both poorly developed rationales and poor evaluation. The reasons for this are examined. The understandings gained from West Yorkshire Sports Counselling are related to previous research and theory, from criminology, youth work and psychology. This leads to implications for good practice and a sharper definition of the focus for further research.
Taking Justice Outside the Courts: Judicial Activism in India
Authors: Verma Arvind
Published: March 2003

Judicial activism has emerged as a powerful mechanism of social change in India. Several judges have re‐interpreted court procedures and evolved what has come to be known as Public Interest Litigation to empower ordinary citizens to write a letter and draw the attention of the apex court. The impact has been phenomenal. Judicial action initiated through these written petitions have given relief to a wide variety of cases, giving justice to the weaker sections and even taking action against political corruption and unaccountability. This article describes the genesis of judicial activism and its impact upon the criminal justice system. Some shortcomings and what this portends for the future are also discussed.
Hunger‐Strikes: A Prisoner's Right or a ‘Wicked Folly’?
Authors: Williams John
Published: March 2003

The decision to allow the force‐feeding of Ian Brady raises many complex ethical and legal issues. Early case law sanctioned force‐feeding, as suicide was illegal. However, this raises the question of whether death by hunger‐strike is suicide, or simply an exercise of the right to self‐ determination. Recent case law provides a mixed message. Some cases recognise the duty of the prison authorities to intervene, others that it is merely a power, whilst a third category emphasises self determination. American case law also fails to give clear guidance on the constitutionality of force‐feeding. This article examines the case law, and considers the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the force‐feeding of hunger‐striking prisoners.
International Technology Diffusion: Theory and Measurement
Authors: Eaton Jonathan , Kortum Samuel
Published: March 2003

We model the invention of new technologies and their diffusion across countries. In our model all countries grow at the same steady‐state rate, with each country's productivity ranking determined by how rapidly it adopts ideas. Research effort is determined by how much ideas earn at home and abroad. Patents affect the return to ideas. We relate the decision to patent an invention internationally to the cost of patenting in a country and to the expected value of patent protection in that country. We can thus infer the direction and magnitude of the international diffusion of technology from data on international patenting, productivity, and research. We fit the model to data from the five leading research economies. A rough summary of our findings is that the world lies about two‐thirds of the way from an extreme of technological autarky to an extreme of free trade in ideas. Research performed abroad is about two‐thirds as potent as domestic research. Together the United States and Japan drive at least two‐thirds of the growth in each of the countries in our sample.
Social Organization in an Endogenous Growth Model
Authors: Corneo Giacomo , Jeanne Olivier
Published: March 2003

We develop an endogenous growth model in which individuals form matches in order to consume goods that are not explicitly traded. The matching process endogenously generates a concern for relative wealth and is thereby beneficial for capital accumulation and economic growth. We then study how social segmentation in the matching process affects economic growth. Under strong segmentation, social competition over mates occurs inside homogeneous groups. This homogeneity increases the severity of the “rat race” of wealth accumulation and fosters economic growth.
A Bayesian Approach To Testing for Markov‐Switching in Univariate and Dynamic Factor Models
Authors: Kim Chang‐Jin , Nelson Charles R.
Published: March 2003

Though Hamilton's (1989) Markov‐switching model has been widely estimated in various contexts, formal testing for Markov‐switching is not straightforward. Univariate tests in the classical framework by Hansen (1992) and Garcia (1998) do not reject the linear model for GDP. We present Bayesian tests for Markov‐switching in both univariate and multivariate settings based on sensitivity of the posterior probability to the prior. We find that evidence for Markov‐switching, and thus the business cycle asymmetry, is stronger in a switching version of the dynamic factor model of Stock and Watson (1991) than it is for GDP by itself.
Can there be an International Lender‐of‐Last‐Resort?
Authors: Capie Forrest
Published: March 2003

A proper understanding of the term lender‐of‐last‐resort shows that there can be no international version. After outlining the nature of financial crises, the lender‐of‐last‐resort is defined, and its origins traced in the history of thought and in British experience in the nineteenth century. A lender‐of‐last‐resort is what it is by virtue of the fact that it alone provides the ultimate means of payment. There is no international money and so there can be no international lender‐of‐last‐resort. The function of such a lender is to provide the market with liquidity in times of need, and not to rescue individual institutions. Such rescues involve too much moral hazard. International institutions are invariably focused on one ‘customer’– a country in difficulties – and so violate this rule of the lender‐of‐last‐resort.
Should Banking Supervision and Monetary Policy Tasks be Given to Different Agencies?
Authors: Di Noia Carmine , Di Giorgio Giorgio
Published: March 2003

A relevant and current policy debate is whether banking supervision should be assigned to the same institution (the central bank) that is responsible for monetary policy. This paper reviews the theoretical arguments advanced in favour and against the solution of having banking supervision performed by the central bank. We then provide some additional evidence on the inflation performance of OECD countries whose banking systems are classified according to the regulatory regime in place. We find that the inflation rate is considerably higher and more volatile in countries where the central bank acts as a monopolist in banking supervision than in countries where this responsibility is assigned either to another agency or to more than one agency (possibly including the central bank). Finally, we compare banks' pricing behaviour and performance in the two groups of countries.
Financial Contagion in Five Small Open Economies: Does the Exchange Rate Regime Really Matter?
Authors: Darvas Zsolt , Szapáry György
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the spillover effects of the global financial crises of 1997–9 on five small open economies with different types of exchange rate regimes: the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Israel and Poland. We found empirical evidence that the regional aspect played a dominant role in the intensity of the spillover effects. We found no empirical evidence that the pressures on exchange rates, interest rates and stock markets were primarily influenced by the exchange rate regime in place. Our findings do not support the commonly held view that flexible regimes are the best choice for small open emerging market economies exposed to volatile capital flows.
The Euro and International Capital Markets
Authors: Detken Carsten , Hartmann Philipp
Published: March 2003

Long before the introduction of the euro there was an active debate among researchers, policy‐makers and financial market participants over how the new European money would change the relative roles of currencies in the international monetary and financial system. A widely held view was that the euro's use in international capital markets would be the key element. Therefore, this paper provides a broad empirical examination of the major currencies' roles in international capital markets, with a special emphasis on the first year of the euro. A contribution is made as to how to measure these roles, both from the viewpoint of international financing and from that of international investment activities. Time series of these new measures are presented, including euro aggregates calculated up to six years back in time. The data allow for the identification of changes in the role of the euro during 1999 compared to the aggregate of euro predecessor currencies, net of intra‐euro area assets/liabilities, since the start of stage 2 of EMU in 1994. A number of key factors determining the currency distribution of international portfolio investments, such as relative market liquidity and relative risk characteristics of assets, are also examined empirically. It turns out that for almost all important market segments for which data are available, the euro immediately became the second most widely used currency for international financing and investment. For the flow of international bond and note issuance it even slightly overtook the US dollar in the second half of 1999. The data also suggest that most of this early supply of euro bonds by non‐euro area residents, clearly exceeding the euro‐predecessor currency aggregate, is actually absorbed by euro area residents and not by outside investors so far.
Growth and Finance: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?
Authors: Wachtel Paul
Published: March 2003

The role of financial sector development in economic growth has become a major topic of empirical research in just the last ten years. A standard approach to explaining growth has emerged and the literature has examined the role of the aggregate amount of financial intermediation, bank lending and the influence of equity market development. More recently, the literature has examined aspects of institutional development and infrastructure on growth. Despite the econometric difficulties encountered, there is an emerging consensus about the role of the financial sector in growth. Panel data sets have produced impressive results but they are often fragile. Estimates with recently developed dynamic panel techniques have provided additional evidence. This paper summarizes the consensus and discusses the techniques that have been used and the problems encountered.
The Status of Research on Applicant Reactions to Selection Tests and its Implications for Managers
Authors: Schmitt Neal , Chan David
Published: March 2003

The status of research on applicant reactions to selection tests was reviewed. Four areas of concern were identified. First, more work on construct validation of applicant reactions, which includes identifying the determinants of reactions, is needed. Second, the comparison of reactions across different types of selection tests is likely to have theoretical and practical contributions when a clear distinction is made between the test content and the method of testing employed. Third, justice dimensions underlying test fairness perceptions and how these dimensions relate to other facets of test reactions should be elaborated. Finally, more empirical research is needed to examine relationships between test reactions and important individual and organizational outcomes. Implications of these four issues for managers were discussed.
Opportunities for research about managing the knowledge‐based enterprise
Authors: Staples D. Sandy , Greenaway Kathleen , McKeen James D.
Published: March 2003

Potentially valuable directions for new research into the management of knowledge‐based enterprises are identified in this paper. This was done by reviewing relevant literature to develop research questions, using a model of knowledge‐based capabilities to focus the review. The model highlights six knowledge capabilities: acquisition, creation, capture, storage, diffusion and transfer. A knowledge‐based enterprise would have to engage in (if not excel at) these activities simply to manage its key resource – knowledge. Forty‐two research questions were proposed based on the review. The focus of the research questions varies widely, representing potential opportunities for researchers from many different areas to further our understanding of managing knowledge‐based enterprises.
Human resource strategy to improve organizational performance: a route for firms in Britain?
Authors: Cooke Fang Lee
Published: March 2003

Performance, in the context of organization, is not only a broad concept which has been used synonymously with productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and, more recently competitiveness, it has also been a subject of study for social scientists from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives. More recently, efforts have been made by human resource management (HRM) theorists to try to establish a causal link between HRM and performance. This has led to a growing number of studies which examine the potential contribution that good human resource policy can make to improving organizational performance. This paper is not concerned with the conceptual debate of HRM and performance. Rather, it explores whether adopting good HR practices to improve performance is a practicable approach to organizations in the UK. Drawing on existing empirical evidence from other studies, the paper reviews the strategies British firms deploy to improve labour productivity. In particular, the issue of whether they use the ‘high‐road’ HRM or ‘low‐road’ HRM strategy to enhance performance is investigated. This paper concludes by suggesting that high‐road HRM may lead to better organizational performance, but it may not be a strategy that firms opt for, given the historical, social and institutional context of employment relationships in Britain.
An Alternative to an Assessment Centre on Six Pieces of Paper?
Authors: Lamsdale Caroline , Wood Robert , Mulrooney Chris
Published: March 2003

The application form currently used in police officer recruitment neither measures competencies necessary ‘on the job’, nor screens out inappropriate applicants. To improve this situation, a competency‐based application form was developed and trialled in three police forces. Results were compared with those obtained via the assessment centre acting as the first competency screening stage of the current selection process.

A high level of correspondence was found between the two sets of results raising a query as to whether the application form could be a valid replacement for the assessment centre. A future validation study, in which the performance of recruited police officers is compared with application form results, will better answer this question. In the meantime, it is proposed that the competency‐based application form questions are incorporated into the current form to reduce the number of inappropriate applicants reaching expensive, labour‐intensive stages of the selection process.
How Useful are Work Samples in Validational Studies?
Authors: Jackson Douglas N. , Harris William G. , Ashton Michael C. , McCarthey Julie M. , Tremblay Paul F.
Published: March 2003

Some job tasks do not lend themselves to formal on‐the‐job assessment because they do not occur with sufficient regularity to permit the standardized measurement required in validational research. The preparation of incident reports by police and security officers is such a job task. The production of accurate, literate incident reports is important because these reports are often required in legal proceedings. Their standardized evaluation on the job is not practical because incidents occur at unpredictable intervals with highly variable content. Given the limitations of on‐the‐job performance criteria, we developed a standardized work sample by preparing sets of non‐verbal drawings depicting incidents, each of which required a written descriptive report by security officers. A total of 187 security officers completed a cognitive and personality test battery and criterion incident reports based on the standardized materials. Reports supported the usefulness of the standardized work sample, as well as the validity of the test battery – 100% of participants in the upper quartile of the test score distribution produced satisfactory reports, while only 17% of those in the lowest quartile produced satisfactory incident reports. A number of advantages of structured work samples as criterion measures are noted, including their greater standardization, the elimination of range restriction problems by administering them to all job candidates, the opportunity to obtain expert evaluations of work samples at remote sites, and their face and content validity resulting in acceptability to job candidates and to decision makers.
Screening Job Applicants: The Impact of Physical Attractiveness and Application Quality
Authors: Watkins Lucy M. , Johnston Lucy
Published: March 2003

The present study investigated the impact of physical attractiveness and résuméquality on the evaluation of job applicants in the screening phase of the selection process. One hundred and eighty participants were asked to imagine they were a recruiting officer and to screen an application for the position of graduate trainee manager. Participants read a job advertisement and one of two versions of a curriculum vitae, which differed in quality. Attached to the front page of each curriculum vitae was a passport‐sized head‐and‐shoulders photograph of either an average or an attractive female. A control condition with no attached photograph was also included. Participants judged the likelihood with which they would offer an interview to the applicant, the quality of the application, and the likely starting salary they would offer the applicant. Results indicated that attractiveness had no impact when the quality of the application was high but that attractiveness was an advantage when the application was mediocre. When the résumé quality was average the attractive applicant was evaluated more positively than the control, no photograph, applicant; an attractive photograph boosted the evaluation of a mediocre application. Results are discussed in terms of discrimination and implications for the field of human resource management.
Internet Recruitment and Selection: Kissing Frogs to find Princes
Authors: Bartram Dave
Published: March 2003

The Internet has already had a dramatic impact on the way in which recruitment and selection are carried out in North America, and the impact is increasingly being felt in terms of changes in practice in Europe and Asia‐Pacific. The paper presents a picture of the current development of the Internet as a medium in general and as a recruitment and selection medium in particular. The new medium has enabled the widespread adoption of computer‐based assessment and it is predicted that it will replace paper as the default medium before very long. A range of issues are raised and discussed. These include security, confidentiality, authentication, control of assessment conditions, control over practice and equality of access. It is argued that as the second generation of users takes over from the first generation, so inequality of skill and access are becoming less and less of an issue. Finally, some potential areas of abuse of the system are noted and a call is made for the development of international standards to protect the rights and interests of test providers, test users and test takers.
A New Social Service Professionalism? The Development of Social Work Theory in Germany
Authors: Otto H‐U. , Schaarschuch A.
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the developments in German social work theory from the 1970s to the 1990s. It starts with an analysis of socio‐economic relations which have given rise to a division of society as well as a consumerist approach of “service orientation” for the social services which presents a challenge both for social work theory and professional practice.

Against this background, major themes in the development of social work theory are identified. The authors observe a trend towards a greater recognition of the individual and her or his life‐world. Although presented in the ideological context of neoliberalism, they argue that the core of the consumerist approach of ”service orientation“– the privileging of the consumer – provides a basis for a paradigm shift in social work theory which will be an adequate response to “reflexive modernization” of society if taken out of the consumerist context and reformulated for the public services.

In the final section of the paper the authors present an outline of a theory of ldquo;social work as service” as a professional mode of action in the public sector of social service provision. It starts from a conceptual analysis of the service relation, examines the structural elements of the service context and discusses the necessary societal conditions. It is the thesis of the paper that the dialectical relationship of professional and service user represented in the conceptualization of social work as service will be the foundation for a new professionalism.
Globalisation, social policy and international standard‐setting: the case of higher education credentials
Authors: Room Graham
Published: March 2003

Social policies are, to an increasing extent, shaped by international standards and regulations. This international standard‐setting can be seen as an attempt to grapple with the challenges of globalisation. However, what is unclear is how far the pressures of globalisation and the processes of international standard‐setting leave any scope for policy choice, whether at international, national or sub‐national level. This paper focuses on the specific case of higher education. It argues that the development of international standards and the convergence of national standards must be understood by reference to the interests and strategies of various stake holders, including national governments, social elites and higher education institutions themselves. International markets and international standards are politically constructed and neither globalisation nor international standard‐setting can be seen as inexorable and apolitical processes.
Social rights and social resistance: opportunism, anarchism and the welfare state
Authors: Dean Hartley
Published: March 2003

This conceptually oriented paper adopts a critical perspective on the question of social rights and asks whether, in contemporary circumstances, claims to social welfare based on rights can provide a meaningful basis for social resistance to poverty or oppression. Past approaches to the question of rights as a means of resistance are characterised as either opportunistic or anarchistic. Opportunistic approaches give rise to ameliorative compromise, anarchistic approaches to nihilistic or inherently hopeless struggle. Nonetheless, it is argued, it is possible to conceptualise rights to social welfare in ways that do not obscure the basis of social exploitation and that do project human need as the basis for social resistance.
Insecurity related to working life by age groups in Finland and Estonia in the 1990s
Authors: Väisänen Raija , Kraav I. , Niemelä P.
Published: March 2003

This article compares the reasons for insecurity related to working life in different age groups in Finland and Estonia, and the coping strategies evident in the two countries. Insecurity related to working life is more common in Finland than in Estonia. The differences between the two countries are more distinct with respect to experienced work‐related insecurity than to an experienced lack of well‐being linked to work. This shows that feelings of insecurity are affected not only by external factors, but also by internal factors linked to a person's earlier development. The most common causes of insecurity for people of working age are unemployment, mental strain and difficulties in interpersonal relationships at the work place. The individual's willingness to find means of coping at work is more clearly evident in Estonia than in Finland. People of working age in Finland are more likely to attempt to change the external conditions of work than are their Estonian counterparts.
Suicide and mental health problems among Swedish youth in the wake of the 1990s recession
Authors: Hagquist Curt , Silburn S. R. , Zurbrick S. R. , Lindberg G. , Ringbäck Weitoft G.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this explorative study is to bring together a variety of Swedish data sources with indicators of youth mental health and living conditions in order to illuminate trends during the last decades, elucidate possible determinants of mental ill health and develop hypotheses to explain the observed trend patterns. The analyses in the study reveal some surprising inconsistencies with respect to the mental health trends among young people during the 1990s. Most striking is the pattern of increasing youth unemployment coinciding with almost inverse trends in the rates of suicide. The secular trends in fatal suicides during this period do not show any increase but some actual decrease in sub‐populations despite high sustained levels of unemployment. In contrast, survey data indicate that the general mental health of youth during this period appears to have deteriorated.
The Relationship between Diversification and Growth: Some Evidence from the British Urban System 1978 to 1991
Authors: O’Donoghue Dan
Published: March 2003

Employment diversification has traditionally been seen as beneficial for local economies. Most of the previous research on diversity and diversification has been conducted in the North American context where a positive association between diversification and growth has been observed. This paper explores the diversification process for 150 Job‐Centre Travel‐to‐Work Areas (JCTWAs) which make up what is called here the British urban system. Regression analysis is used to highlight that there is no evidence for the trends previously found in North America, in fact the opposite appears to be true. From 1978 to 1991 deindustrialization was seen to be a contributing factor to diversification and the associated decline of employment. Those centres which displayed growth from 1978 to 1991 were apparently those places which became more sectorally specialized, albeit from a relatively diverse initial position.

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La diversification de l’emploi a traditionnellement été considérée comme profitable aux économies locales. Presque toutes les recherches précédentes sur la diversité et la diversification ont été conduites dans un contexte nord‐américain où une association positive entre la diversification et la croissance a été observée. Cet article explore le processus de diversification pour cent cinquante Job‐Centre Travel‐to‐Work Areas qui forment ce que l’on appelle ici le système urbain britannique. Une analyse de régression est utilisée afin de souligner qu’il n’y a aucune preuve des tendances précédemment découvertes aux États‐Unis. Le contraire semble en fait plus probable. De 1978 á 1991 la déindustrialisation était considérée être une cause contribuant á la diversification et au déclin de l’emploi qui lui est associé. Les centres qui manifestaient de la croissance entre 1978 et 1991 étaient apparemment ceux qui sont devenus plus spécialisés par secteurs, même si leurs positions initiales étaient relativement diverses.
Manchester First: From Municipal Socialism to the Entrepreneurial City
Authors: Quilley Stephen
Published: March 2003

After coming to power in 1984, Manchester's ‘New Urban Left’ were for a while at the forefront of those radical councils seeking to use the local state both as the primary site of resistance to the Thatcher government, but also to develop a genuinely ‘prefigurative’ local socialism. However, in Manchester this experiment proved short‐lived. The subsequent entrepreneurial project has proved both durable and more distinctive. This article provides a detailed narrative account of the transition from ‘municipal socialism’ to the politics of ‘Manchester First’. Whilst summarizing the notable differences between the two projects, the paper argues that an interpretative emphasis on the apparent political U‐turn after 1987 obscures important continuities. With hindsight, the municipal Left can be credited with redefining the role of local authorities in relation to the economy, creating a space for proactive local and regional economic strategies. At the same time, the embrace of urban entrepreneurialism in the late 1980s did signal a marked shift in the perception of what was actually possible in terms of the parameters and constraints on local strategy

Après son arrivée au pouvoir en 1984, la ‘nouvelle gauche urbaine’ de Manchester fut au premier rang des municipalités radicals qui voyaient dans l'administration locale à la fois le site privilégié d'une résistance au gouvernement Thatcher et le champ d'élaboration d'un socialisme local d'avant‐garde. Cependant, à Manchester, cette expÃrience fut de courte durée. Le projet qui suivit, d'inspiration ‘entrepreneuriale’, se révéla à la fois durable et plus typique. Cet article raconte en détail la transition entre un ‘socialisme municipal’ et la politique de ‘Manchester First‘. Tout en résumant les différences notables entre les deux projets, il démontre qu'en s'attachant principalement au revirement politique apparent qui débuta en 1987, toute interprétation dissimulerait d'importantes continuités. Rétrospectivement, on peut reconnaître à la Gauche municipale une redéfinition du rôle des autorités locales à l'égard de l'économie, créant ainsi un espace pour des stratégies économiques locales et régionales d'anticipation. Parallèlement, l'adhésion è‘l'entrepreneurialisme urbain’vers la fin des années 1980 marqua un changement net dans la perception des possibilités réelles quant aux paramètres et aux contraintes pesant sur la stratégie locale.
Contesting Flexibility: The Restructuring of Taiwan’s Labor Relations and Spatial Organization
Authors: Wang Jenn‐Hwan
Published: March 2003

This article analyzes the transformation of labor relations in Taiwan. Employing a regulation approach to decipher the patterns of labor relations prevalent before the 1980s and the existing patterns characteristic of the 1990s, I argue that the former stage was a flexible Taylorist labor regime. This labor regime was coupled with an export‐oriented economy where the flexible use of labor was necessary to keep wages at low levels and to respond quickly to the world economy. In the 1990s, however, due to the upgrading and differentiation of the economy, plus a democratic movement that nurtured the emergence of unionism, this has been transformed into a new type of flexible labor regime in which different types of labor relations coexist. Different industrial sectors in this stage tend to adopt different forms of labor regulation within which none of them occupy a dominant position. Finally, the article discusses the spatial implications of labor relations in Taiwan with regard to geographical distribution. It is argued that, while geographical location did not matter in the former stage, in the 1990s geography does matter because of the differentiation of labor relations in different industrial sectors that exhibit distinctive patterns of geographical distribution.

Cet article analyse la transformation des relations du travail à Taiwan. Utilisant la théorie de la régulation pour déchiffrer les modèles de relations dominants avant les années 1980, puis dans les années 1990, l’article démontre que la première phase se caractérisait par un régime tayloriste flexible; celui‐ci était associéà un économie orientée à l’exportation o? la souplesse d’utilisation de la main d’œuvre permettait de maintenir de faibles niveaux de salaires et de répondre rapidement au marché mondial. Dans les années 1990, en revanche, l’économie s’étant développée et diversifiée, parallèlement à l’émergence d’un mouvement démocratique d’oùétait né le syndicalisme, un autre régime de main d’œuvre flexible s’est dessiné, dans lequel plusieurs types de relations du travail coexistent. Dans cette phase, différents secteurs industriels ont tendance à adopter différents modes de régulation du travail sans qu’aucun ne prédomine. Pour finir, l’article aborde les implications des relations du travail dans l’espace taiwanais par rapport à la géographie; il affirme que, si le lieu n’importait pas dans la première phase, il rev?t un intér?t dans la seconde à cause de la différenciation des relations du travail dans des secteurs industriels présentant ainsi des modèles distincts de répartition géographique.