bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The birth of the stakeholder society
Authors: Burkitt Brian , Ashton Frances
Published: March 2007

This article critically explores the political function of communitarian 'new economics', most prominently promulgated by the American aca demic Amitai Etzioni, in the formation of New Labour politics. It ident ifies the ways in which this supposedly mould-breaking, profoundly moralistic social economics has been hammered into Stakeholder Economy shape by Blair's team, determined to recover Labour's electoral fortunes by charting a course 'twixt the harsh monetarism of the New Right and the soft statism of Old Labour'. The piece addresses key political questions. Will New Labour motivate responsible moral effort, endeavour and self-reliance? Will moral economic behaviour prove a driving force adequate both to power British participation in the 20th century race for efficiency and productivity and redistribute outcomes and opportunities? Will it in fact radically modify the market in the interests of social cohesion and equity or will it not?
Good enough morality? Divorce and postmodernity
Authors: Smart Carol , Neale Bren
Published: March 2007

In this article we take issue with the way in which pro-family right thinking has managed to discursively construct divorce as an instance of immorality/amorality and to depict those who divorce as merely self- interested. We challenge this thinking by working with some of Bauman's ideas on moral competency and postmodernity and by draw ing on the work of Finch on 'doing the right thing' in families. To this conceptual discussion we add findings from an empirical project on how parents negotiate over their children on divorce. We suggest that these parents are 'morally competent' actors. We also criticize the current developments in family policy which see an industry of advice-giving as essential to allow ordinary people to make the 'right' moral decisions.
Achieving 'Unmarkedness' in Organisational Discourse: A Praxis Perspective on Ethnolinguistic Identity
Authors: Banks Stephen P.
Published: March 2007

An ethnomethodological approach to ethnolinguistic identity is presented using the linguistic concept of 'markedness' as a heuristic innovation to explore the dynamics of ethnolinguistic minorities in work settings. A matrix is proposed that consists of a marked/unmarked boundary and a high/low power boundary. Four propositions relating to crossing the boundaries are advanced, and illustrative evidence supporting each proposition is developed in a discourse analysis of talk in a large hotel work site. The paper concludes that a more praxisoriented perspective on ethnolinguistic identity can enrich understanding of the three concepts embedded in that term ethnicity, language, and identity.
Ethnicity and Immigrant Values: Religion and Language Choice
Authors: Punetha Deepa , Giles Howard , Young Louis
Published: March 2007

While the British literature on multilingualism has invoked value differentials not only between Asian immigrant groups and the host culture but also amongst the former, no empirical evidence actually exists. Hence, an extended Rokeach Value Survey was administered to three Asian groups (Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs) and to a British indigenous sample; the bilingual immigrants were offered a choice of the questionnaire in their own ethnic tongue or in English. Canonical variate analyses showed large intergroup value differentials with language choice having an effect for all Asian groups (greatest for Sikhs and least for Hindus). The specific differentials, however, depended on the dimension examined. Immigrants choosing English had a value position intermediate to the indigenous group and the Asians choosing their ingroup tongue.
The Form and Function of Remedial Moves: Reported Use, Psychological Reality and Perceived Effectiveness
Authors: Holtgraves Thomas
Published: March 2007

Three studies were conducted to examine the form and function of remedial moves. In the first study, the remedial moves that subjects reported using and receiving were analysed for frequency of occurrence. A surprisingly large percentage (55%) of these moves involved a combination of concessions and accounts. Subjects in the second study sorted into categories a sample of these remedial moves. A hierarchical cluster analysis of these sorts provided evidence for the psychological reality of some of the primary conceptual categories of remedial moves. A multidimensional scaling analysis suggests that the major remedial move types can be ordered on a single dimension. The results of the third study provided further support for this dimension, and suggest that remedial moves can be ordered in terms of the extent to which they encode concern for the face of the speaker and hearer. As expected, perception of hearer satisfaction was greater for moves that encoded concern for the hearer's face, and the more satisfying a move was perceived to be for the hearer, the more difficult it was judged for a speaker to use that move.
Management Development for Headteachers
Authors: Bolam Ray
Published: March 2007

This paper focuses upon the theme of management development for headship. It sets out a context framed by a series of management development initiatives for education currently being launched by the Teacher Training Agency. In this, priority has been given to the development of a National Professional Qualification for Headship. The author claims that this major national policy innovation ought to be welcomed but needs to be understood in the light of the history of national policy on school management training, in order to identify the conditions most likely to promote the success of the latest initiative. It presents an analytical and semi-historical account of developments in theory, research, policy and practice in this area.
Preparing a Profile
Authors: Draper Janet , McMichael Paquita
Published: March 2007

In response to complaints of a lack of applicants for primary headship an inquiry was initiated into 87 deputies' perceptions of headship and their likely application for such posts. This paper reports on the deputies' familiarity with the headteacher role and their views on its attractions and disadvantages. It examines (1) whether these perceptions significantly affected the likelihood of application for headships, and (2) to what extent career decisions were influenced by age, gender and time in the deputy's post and overall career planning. The use of `application likelihood' as a discriminator enabled the construction of a profile of those most likely to apply. It is suggested that the profile and its constituents would be of value in the training, selection and induction of future heads as well as to attempts to widen the pool from which they are drawn.
Development Planning in Primary Schools
Authors: Cuckle Pat , Broadhead Pat , Hodgson Janet , Dunford John
Published: March 2007

Development planning has been advocated as a means of managing the innovations which primary schools have faced in recent years. Interviews with a range of heads, staff and governors in 18 primary schools revealed development planning was valued for its contribution to management and a shared culture despite the difficulties schools have experienced with limited resources and new initiatives. Consultation of teaching staff in the process of designing the development plan was well established but involvement of the governors and ancillary staff was not. Systematic ways of recognizing the achievement of SDP targets and the relationship between development planning and improvements in pupil learning and classroom practice were also not well established.
Differentiations of Modernity
Authors: Lichtblau Klaus
Published: March 2007

In contrast to other approaches, `modernity' in this article is not dealt with as a historical concept but as a normative-aesthetic term and as a mythical narrative in the sense of Nietzsche's `eternal recurrence of the same'. Paradoxically, there still exists a semantic shift between different historical concepts of modernity beginning in late antiquity and the Middle Ages up to the present confusions about `postmodernity'. However, the aesthetical bias of the discourse of modernity prevents any serious interpretation which is able to refer these semantic shifts directly to some clear and incontestable socio-structural facts and developments. In its contemporary sociological form this discourse overlaps on the contrary with some main trends in aesthetic theory and practice: the exchangeability between `old' and `new' and the permanent suspension of the boundaries between `art' and `life'. Consequently, aesthetics as well as sociology are describing modernity as a cultural system which is `playing' with its own fundamental differentiations between `in' and `out' or self-reference and other-reference.
Race, Bias and Social Enquiry Reports
Authors: Whitehouse Pat
Published: March 2007

In the quest for equal justice for black people in the criminal process, the author identifies how black defendants suffer cumulative racial disadvantage, significantly because of the white values, subtle racism and unintended consequences of court reports, and provides illuminating and mortifying examples.
The Barclay Report and Probation
Authors: Simpson Peter
Published: March 2007

It is now more than a year since the Barclay Report was published. Many people involved in Social Work, have avidly studied and dissected it. "Social Work Today" instantly launched into action with a pre- publication precis of the report,1 and followed it with nine consecutive issues of comment. BASW have organised conferences throughout the country. The Report, after all, marks the first official attempt to re-assess the role and task of social workers, a theme which has pre-occupied students and practitioners for years.
Reparation: Prospects for Criminal Justice
Authors: Harding John
Published: March 2007

Pilot projects in one metropolitan area suggest that reparation schemes, tried successfully in the United States and New Zealand, can be adopted for local use in and out of court, and be well received by victims of crime.
Working with Incest
Authors: Gadsby Jean , Thompson Ken
Published: March 2007

The 'alternatives to custody' debate has many dimensions. On close examination and with imaginative work, how many prison sentences are inevitable? The work of the Great Ormond Street Incest team, lead by consultant Arnon Bentovim, has stimulated much interest. This case study points to how the technique can be exported, with proper back-up, to primary workers.
A Born-Again Rural Probation Team
Authors: Wheeler Chris , Rees Ian
Published: March 2007

At a time when many teams are becoming more concerned about stress, pressures of work and increasing violence towards staff, most attention is focussed on inner city areas. Rural areas, like rural poverty, attract less notice despite increasingly demanding caseloads, fewer resources, decreasing services and the extra problem of distance. One small team describe how they tackled their traditional and static predicament and began to work as a collective.
Challenging behaviour among Indian children with visual impairment
Authors: Sharma Sushama , Sigafoos Jeff , Carroll Annemaree , Sharma Sushama , Sigafoos Jeff , Carroll Annemaree
Published: March 2007

The present study investigated the type and extent of challenging behaviour in three residential schools in India for children with visual impairment. Teachers completed a survey of challenging behaviour in one boys-only school (n = 123), one girls-only school (n = 88), and one co-educational school (n = 125). Among the 336 total children, 24% were identified as having challenging behaviours. The most frequently reported challenging behaviours were withdrawal (17%), hyperactivity (15%), stereotyped mannerisms (12%), irritability (12%), aggression (10%) and inappropriate speech (9%). Self-injury was rare (1%). The results highlight a need for effective school-based assessment and intervention strategies to address challenging behaviours among children with visual impairment.
Oxford unseen: cultural holidays for the blind
Authors: Weisen Marcus , Weisen Marcus
Published: March 2007

The author has spent two years as a French lecteur at St. John's College, Oxford. Contact with blind students inspired the scheme he describes for setting up in Oxford a new type o f cultural holiday for the blind. What follows is an adapted reprint of an article which first appeared in the Oxford Magazane, No. 13, Michaelmas Term 1986.
The moon system adapted for musical notation
Authors: Jackson Michael
Published: March 2007

This paper outlines a means by which Dr William Moon's embossed symbols, originally devised to transcribe inkprint, may be used to represent musical notation. Adequate skill with braille is often difficult to attain, particularly for the newly blind adult. This adaptation of moon for reading and writing music is offered as an alternative to the already existing braille notation. All the required symbols can be written with the recently developed Moonwriter. Possible research avenues are briefly explored, and the need for back-up services stressed, should the system be considered viable.
Volunteers: a current perspective
Authors: Croft Chris
Published: March 2007

This article outlines the changes which have come about in the last decade concerning the role, recruitment and support of volunteers. It discusses the operation of the Department of Health Opportunities for Volunteering scheme and comments on what this scheme has achieved. The author suggests that further study and research are needed to improve the understanding of the work under taken by volunteers, and to assess the influence they have on small organisations. National voluntary organisations should be encouraged to apply their marketing skills to the recruitment and retaining of volunteers.
Information systems for people with visual disabilities: some highlights from the Swedish horizon
Authors: Lindström Jan-Ingvar , Lindström Jan-Ingvar
Published: March 2007

This article discusses current and future Information Technology and Telematics and their applications for visually impaired and deafblind people in Sweden. It considers systems for stop announcements on buses and trams and queuing systems in shops and banks. The use of text-telephones with information transfer centres for people who are deaf or deafblind, as well as methods used to make daily newspapers available to visually impaired people are reviewed. The involvement of disabled persons in the use of data bases and home terminals is also discussed. Ideas for subtitles for films, simultaneous translation of interviews and speeches, and picture communication are presented. Finally, some thoughts about future possibilities are outlined.
Intimacy Goals and Strategies of Conflict Resolution in Dating Relationships: A Mediational Analysis
Authors: Sanderson Catherine A. , Karetsky Kim H.
Published: March 2007

This research examined the associations among intimacy goals in dating, strategies for managing romantic conflict, and relationship satisfaction. One hundred and eighty-nine students completed a questionnaire assessing their intimacy goals and conflict resolution strategies in three distinct ways, namely responses to a general romantic conflict resolution scale, responses to specific hypothetical dating conflicts, and reactions to conflicts experienced in their own relationships. Individuals with a stronger focus on intimacy goals were more likely to engage in open discussion and compromise, show concern for their partner, and seek social support, whereas they were less likely to deny or ignore the conflict. They were also more likely to successfully resolve the conflict (e.g., maintain the relationship). Moreover, the use of open discussion and concern for one's partner mediated the association between intimacy goals and relationship satisfaction. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and applied implications of these findings.
Relational Trajectories: A Personal Construct Contribution
Authors: Neimeyer Greg J. , Neimeyer Robert A.
Published: March 2007

The interdisciplinary study of relationships has begun to frame several issues important for advancing an understanding of interpersonal processes. This article addresses the contribution to this effort that can be made by personal construct theory (Kelly, 1955) and its related methodology. In particular we argue that construct theory can help illuminate (1) the complex interconnectedness between the self and its social context, (2) the multiple trajectories that relationships can follow, and (3) the processes associated with relationship disorder and deterioration. Situated at the interface of social and clinical psychology, construct theory is strategically located to advance our understanding of a broad range of psychosocial processes entailed in personal relationships. Applications of the theory to several concerns in the larger literature are discussed, and directions for research are illustrated.
Personal Advertisements: Sources of Data about Relationships
Authors: Lynn Michael , Bolig Rosemary
Published: March 2007

Personal advertisements are a growing means of meeting other people and establishing relationships. The variety of these advertisements makes them an excellent source of data for social science research, but this interesting resource is presently underutilized. This article attempts to persuade more social scientists to use personal ads as a source of research data and it discusses the positive features of this data source and outlines various research methods possible with them. Existing studies using personal advertisements as a source of data are reviewed as illustrations of the methods presented.
Lovestyles and Attachment Styles Compared: Their Relations to Each Other and to Various Relationship Characteristics
Authors: Levy Marc B. , Davis Keith E.
Published: March 2007

Two studies were conducted to investigate the relative ability of Hendrick & Hendrick's (1986) measure of Lee's (1973) lovestyles and the Hazan & Shaver (1987) measure of attachment styles to predict concurrent relationship characteristics among unmarried dating couples. Relationship characteristics were assessed by the Davis & Todd (1985) Relationship Rating Form (RRF). Sternberg's (1987) Triangular Love Scale (STLS), and an adaptation of Rahim's (1983) Organizational Conflict Inventory. The RRF and STLS showed substantial convergence, suggesting that the Passion and Commitment scales are equivalent but that the RRF Intimacy and STLS Intimacy are not. Three of the lovestyles - Eros, Agape and Ludus - were consistently related to the couple's reports of relationship characteristics. Eros and Agape were associated with Intimacy, Passion, Commitment and Satisfaction and the use of constructive approaches to conflict. Ludus was negatively associated with the same variables. Mania was positively correlated with Passion and an Obliging approach to conflict, but not with high levels of Conflict/Ambivalence nor dissatisfaction. Neither Storge nor Pragma showed expected relationships. The three attachment styles correlated largely as expected, with the Secure style predicting positive relationship characteristics and constructive approaches to conflict and both the Avoidant and Anxious/Ambivalent styles predicting negative relationship characteristics. A factor analysis of the lovestyle and attachment style scores yielded four factors - Factor 1 being defined by the contrast between the Secure versus Avoidant style with Eros also loading positively, Factor 2 being defined by the contrast between Agape and Ludus with Storge and Eros loading positively, Factor 3 being defined by positive loadings of Mania and Anxious/Ambivalent with Storge loading negatively, and Factor 4 defined primarily by Pragma. Our preliminary interpretation is that neither theory of personal styles is complete and that by combining both along the lines suggested by the factor analysis we shall have a more adequate account of the personal styles that contribute to relationship development and satisfaction.
Satisfaction with Sexual Communication in Marriage: Links to Sexual Satisfaction and Dyadic Adjustment
Authors: Cupach William R. , Comstock Jamie
Published: March 2007

This study explored the relationships among sexual communication satisfaction, sexual satisfaction and dyadic adjustment in marital relationships. A total of 402 married individuals responded to a mail survey. Results indicated that satisfaction with sexual communication was significantly and positively associated with sexual satisfaction, dyadic adjustment, dyadic satisfaction, dyadic cohesion, affectional expression and dyadic consensus. Based upon an examination of partial correlations it is proposed that sexual satisfaction mediates the relationship between sexual communication satisfaction and marital adjustment.
An Ecological Approach to Understanding and Facilitating Social Support
Authors: Vaux Alan
Published: March 2007

Social support is best viewed as a complex process unfolding in an ecological context. This process involves transactions between people and their social networks, including the active development and maintenance of support network resources, the management of support incidents to elicit appropriate supportive behavior from the network and the synthesis of information to yield support appraisals. The process is shaped by features of both the person and the social ecology. This ecological model of support allows a more complete understanding of support processes, including their relationship to stress and well-being. The model also serves as a framework for intervention, highlighting targets and strategies for programs designed to facilitate social support. Options briefly discussed include improving utilization of resources, developing and maintaining resources, managing support incidents and enhancing support appraisals.
Social Support and Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Overview
Authors: Schwarzer Ralf , Leppin Anja
Published: March 2007

It is generally assumed that social support has a favorable impact on the maintenance of health and on coping with illness. However, results are inconsistent and even conflicting. This is partly due to conceptual and methodological shortcomings. In order to overcome these problems and to guide further research, we present a taxonomy of social relationships and a causal process model. Social integration, cognitive social support and behavioral social support are distinguished and related to personality, stress, coping and the pathogenic process. In the causal model we propose that social support is depicted both as mediating the effects of stress on illness as well as directly affecting illness. A meta analysis was conducted that related social support and social integration to morbidity and mortality based on eighty empirical studies, including more than 60,000 subjects. Data subsets revealed disparate patterns of results that give rise to intriguing theoretical questions. Evidently, social support operates in complex ways. Several causal models are specified which represent alternative pathways of social support processes. Where social support was associated with less illness, a direct effect model was proposed. In cases where more support was seemingly paradoxically associated with illness it is assumed that a mobilization of support has taken place. In conclusion, some recent research examples that help illustrate future directions untangling the social support-illness relationship are presented.
Stigma Controllability and Coping as Predictors of Emotions and Social Support
Authors: Schwarzer Ralf , Weiner Bernard
Published: March 2007

Affective reactions toward eight disease-related stigmas and the intention to extend social support were examined in a simulation experiment. The onset of the stigmas was varied as being either controllable or uncontrollable. In addition, the target person was described either as actively coping with the stigma or as not coping. The research question aimed at exploring the effects of onset controllability and coping efforts on expectancies, blame, emotions such as pity, anger and social stress, and on the willingness to support the target person. In a within-groups design each of the eighty-four participants was confronted with all the eight stigmas under four different conditions. It turned out that both experimental factors elicited affective reactions and judgments to help. However, the coping dimension appeared to be stronger for most dependent variables. In addition, helping behavior was mediated by different affective reactions for disparate stigma groupings.
Patterns of Friendship for Women and Men in Same and Cross-Sex Relationships
Authors: Parker Sandra , de Vries Brian
Published: March 2007

Ninety-five women and 95 men undergraduates rated each of their closest friends, and rated themselves with each of those friends on a Relationship Grid evaluating both `structural' dimensions (i.e., age, sex, duration of friendship and frequency of contact) and `affective' dimensions (i.e. self-disclosure, appreciation, assistance, empathic understanding, deepening others' self-awareness, shared activity, authenticity, trust, control, responsibility, connectedness, empowerment of others and satisfaction). Results indicated similarity in the rankings of the importance of those dimensions in the friendships of men and women, and that same-sex friendships were more common and of longer duration than cross-sex friendships. Two broad patterns of differences emerged on the `affective' dimensions: (1) relationships with men friends were less reciprocal than relationships with women friends; and (2) men's same-sex relationships were characterized by less giving and receiving. This study suggests similarities and differences in the nature, meaning and perceived function of friendship for women and men, and illustrates the importance of studying people's conceptions of themselves and their friendships in the context of their specific real-life relationships.
From the Orthogenic Principle to the Fish-Scale Model of Omniscience: Advancing Understanding of Personal Relationships
Authors: Fincham Frank D.
Published: March 2007

The field of personal relationships is examined in terms of the developmental processes of differentiation and integration. A need for greater integration is noted, leading to discussion of several issues likely to facilitate development of the field. These include greater attention to describing phenomena studied, properties of relationships, applied research and the role of time in understanding personal relationships. The fish-scale model of omniscience in interdisciplinary research is offered as one means of achieving integration.
Relational Schemas and Cognition in Close Relationships
Authors: Baldwin Mark W.
Published: March 2007

There is a recent trend toward the development of a comprehensive model of relational cognition, examining how information about interpersonal experiences is perceived, interpreted, stored and recalled. I present illustrative examples from recent adult attachment research, and argue that a better understanding of cognition about interpersonal dynamics could help to integrate the various domains of relationships research.
Beyond One Hand Clapping: Seeing Bidirectionality in Parent-Child Relations
Authors: Loulis Susan , Kuczynski Leon
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the dynamic that exists between interactions and relationships and explores the implications of this dynamic for the systematic study of bidirectionality in parent child relations. Global perspectives on relationships emphasize coherence and stable causes but often neglect origins in social interactions. Research on social interactions emphasizes bidirectionality and agency but often neglects the relationship context. A model of parent-child interactions in the context of parent-child relationships is presented to illustrate the many levels at which bidirectionality may occur between the microanalytic investigation of interactions and the macro analytic investigation of relationships. Research directions highlighted by the model include investigation of emergence of stability and change, distinctiveness, interdependence, agency, and cognitions.
The Role of Consultants in SMEs
Authors: Soriano Domingo Ribeiro , Roig Salvador , Sanchis Joan Ramon , Torcal Ramon
Published: March 2007

In this article the external advice sought by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is analysed through a survey carried out to evaluate the impact of the work done by consultants and to determine the degree of satisfaction with Spanish consulting firms. We will examine the effect of management consulting firms on SMEs when an external consultant offers the consulting service. Research was carried out into companies that could potentially seek the services of an adviser by asking them if they considered the results of the adviser's project and its quality to be useful.
Research Note: The `Undeclared War' Part II
Authors: Wheeler Mark
Published: March 2007

Since January this year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been administering the General Agreement of Trade in Services (GATS) multilateral negotiations concerning the liberalization of audiovisual goods and services. Due to the sector's sensitivity, the European Commission's (EC) former Directorate-General X (DGX) (Information, Communication, Culture, Audiovisual Media) launched a consultation phase concerning GATS. This research note considers the competing policy positions concerning markets and culture between the USA and Europe that emerged during this period.
Semantics of a Press Panic: The Tamil `Invasion'
Authors: van Dijk Teun A.
Published: March 2007

The immigration of Tamil refugees to the Netherlands resulted in a press `panic' which indicated the existence of a dominant consensus hostile to the Tamil `invasion'. A semantic analysis of the discourse of newspaper stories exposes this underlying consensus. Attention is focused on the reporting of Tamil immigration in five Dutch national dailies. The article examines the ways in which the press, using its own institutional and ideological strategies, also reproduces, and thus legitimizes, the views of those in the social and political power structure.
What is Learnt Early is Learnt Well? A Study of the Influence of Tobacco Advertising on Adolescents
Authors: Rombouts Katrien , Fauconnier Guido
Published: March 2007

This article examines the effects that tobacco advertising may have on adolescents' orientations to smoking. First, the literature on the influence of tobacco advertising on smokers and the determinants of initial smoking behaviour is surveyed. Second, the findings of an empirical investigation of 260 young people and 198 adults, designed to discover whether or not adolescents are more strongly influenced by tobacco advertising than adults, are presented. Despite the restrictions that have been imposed on tobacco advertising in Belgium for years, the results show that tobacco manufacturers are still able to reach adolescents and to influence the juvenile consumer pattern.
Answers Without Questions: A Comparative Analysis of Television News Interviews
Authors: Cohen Akiba A.
Published: March 2007

An analysis of television news interviews in the United States, Britain and South Africa reveals that the newcasts differ in terms of the frequency of interviewing, the frequency of the presentation within the interviews of questions asked, and the nature of the questions used. American news programmes carry the most interviews, the fewest questions `on the screen', and the most challenging questions used; in South Africa there are the fewest interviews, the most questions `on the screen', and the fewest challenging questions; the British situation lies between that of the United States and South Africa. Several possible interpretations are offered in an attempt to explain the findings: the degree of pluralistic openness in the socio-political system, the predominance of social conflicts in the news, the degree of subordination of the broadcasting system to the State, the perceived adversarial role of the reporter, and the extent of broadcasting organization competition for the news audience.
Books are `Littler' Than TV: American and German Children Talk About Different Media
Authors: Böhme-Dürr Karin
Published: March 2007

American and German children were asked to reflect and talk about picture books, television and radio. Three findings of this research are noteworthy. Firstly, media awareness, which is influenced by developmental mechanisms, could already be observed in three- and four-year-olds. Secondly, there were significant differences between American and German children in their judgement of, and knowledge about, media. These results can be explained by differences in the media presentations of the two countries. Thirdly, `heavy' viewers judged TV better than `light' viewers but knew less about it.
Public Television in Crisis: Critiques Compared in Norway and Britain
Authors: Syvertsen Trine
Published: March 2007

Despite profound similarities in the crises of public broadcasting policy in various European countries, the forces at play are different in each national setting. This article examines the debates in Norway and Britain and points to ways in which the public television institutions have responded to various demands. The sheer scale of the British broadcasting system has enabled it to meet wider demands and thus gain support from more television viewers. At the same time, however, the political criticisms of public service broadcasting have also been stronger in Britain. While some influences have waned, the challenges from the state and the Conservative Party remain. In Norway, by contrast, there is deeper support for `statist' solutions, despite the rise of right-wing political sentiments. For both countries, however, few critical camps are resolutely in favour of abolishing public service institutions. Indeed, one can argue that a `negative alliance' is emerging between various factions, united by a common distaste for the privatization of public communication. Despite the inherent weaknesses in alliances containing a mass of conflicting interests, they offer the best hope for public broadcasting.
Risk Communication: A Cross-Cultural Study
Authors: Ayish Muhammad
Published: March 2007

Research into Western media coverage of the Third World tends to focus on its emphasis on `negative' events, especially natural disasters. Much attention is paid to the volume rather than the manner of the coverage. This article argues for a better understanding of media coverage based on the use of risk communication analysis, e.g. natural disasters should be conceived as forms of conflict rather than merely negative news. Taking the Sudan floods of 1988 as a case-study, this article explores how the disaster was reported by two newspapers representing two different political, socio-cultural and journalistic milieux: The Times of London, and Al-Ahram of Egypt.
The Media-Sport Production Complex: The Case of American Football in Western European Societies
Authors: Maguire Joe
Published: March 2007

This article undertakes an examination of the media-sport production complex focusing on the interdependencies between sport, media and marketing organizations. The development of American football in European societies is considered and a more detailed study of its emergence in English society is outlined. This task is undertaken in the context of an appreciation of the commodification of sport and media production more generally.
TV Diets: Towards a Typology of TV Viewership
Authors: Weimann Gabriel , Brosius Hans-Bernd , Wober Mallory
Published: March 2007

This article attempts to construct and test a typology of television viewing based on a combination of various measures of the amount of watching of various TV genres. Unlike earlier typologies, ours relies on several dimensions of content, time and devotion, yielding a categorization of viewers according to the pattern of their TV consumption. The data come from a British sample of more than 3700 households, using a viewing diary for all the programmes aired by the four television channels, during two weeks in 1989. The suggested typology, based on combining the measures of the amount of viewing and devotion to certain television genres, results in four types of viewers. The efficiency of the typology was tested by its reliability across days or weeks, and its discriminatory potential in terms of programme patronage, content appreciation, consistency of viewing, composition of programmes or TV diets and other attributes. The comparisons between the viewership types reveals the predictive potential of the typology: the four types proved to differ in various aspects of their television consumption. These differences may suggest that different uses and gratifications are guiding these groups to various television genres and to their composition in their daily TV diets. Yet, this typology should be regarded only as a first, demonstrative step which future research should improve by adding and weighting additional dimensions and attributes of television viewing.
Cultural Television: Western Europe and the United States
Authors: Emanuel Susan
Published: March 2007

Uncertainties within the French audiovisual sphere about the viability of ARTE, the Franco-German cultural television channel, crystallize the crisis in the legitimacy of cultural television within the European public service. Promoted by successive Mitterrand governments as compensation for deregulation and privatization, and as a tool for building Europe, ARTE is drawing very small audiences in France, and reviving accusations against French official culture of metropolitan elitism. Based in Strasbourg, the bilingual channel is also marred by struggles between two national groups of professionals about conceptions of culture and its relation to the state. Meanwhile, in the United States, PBS is enjoying something of a revival within the cluttered American television landscape. This article examines the different heritages of a common Frankfurt School debate about the fate of culture within the mass media.
Foreign News: News Values and Ideologies
Authors: Westerståhl Jörgen , Johansson Folke
Published: March 2007

This is an intermediate report from a study of foreign news in Swedish media as well as media in a number of other countries. We intend to discuss and test parts of a theoretical model designed to explain the selection of news. For this purpose we have used studies of news content covering the last seven decades. This material includes more than 50,000 news stories in newspapers, on radio and on television that have been manually categorized and coded. In addition, approximately 300,000 news items from different databases have been used (see Appendix).
Film and Television Co-Production
Authors: Hoskins Colin , McFadyen Stuart , Finn Adam , Jackel Anne
Published: March 2007

A survey of television and film producers in Canada and Europe was undertaken to examine the ranking of benefits received and drawbacks experienced in co-productions/co-ventures between Canada and Europe. Perceptions of Canadian and European partners are compared. Statistical analysis of the responses indicate that financial pooling is the most important benefit while increased coordination costs are the greatest drawback. In general, the perceptions of Canadian and European partners on the importance of the various benefits and drawbacks of co-productions/ co-ventures are similar. However, some particularly interesting differences are found for English-language television projects between Canada and France.
The Ethics of Political Communication
Authors: i Maicas Manuel Parés
Published: March 2007

Ethics of journalism (communication) has become an important issue because of the paramount role of the mass media in social life and their frequent bias. A vital aspect in this field is the ethics of political communication. This article analyses from an ethical perspective the main elements of the political communication process, e.g. the communicators, the receivers, the function of the mass media, the purpose and the content of political language. Any ethical analysis must take into account the law of communication and the fact that communication is a fundamental human right. The article concludes that it is difficult to set up a positive link between politics and ethics, nor, by the same token, is it feasible to conceive of political communication as being presided over by ethics.
The Media, Polls and Political Process
Authors: Suhonen Pertti
Published: March 2007

The increase in number and significance of public opinion polls has made them a social institution with an established role in the functioning of other social institutions. When the media commission and publish opinion polls they accomplish in a new way, the task of public representation which formerly has belonged primarily to political parties and interest and pressure groups. Also the relationship between parties and interest groups with their membership is increasingly mediated through polls. Market forces follow the public opinion and react to the changes in it. The article presents a two-dimensional typology of opinion polls and examines the role of different types of polling in the Finnish political system. That role was considerably strengthened in the early 1990s for two reasons. The president of the republic was elected for the first time with a direct, two-stage election. In the same year the referendum on the country's EU membership was carried out. Getting ready for these two elections created an unheard of increase in public opinion polls. The media adopted an active political role by commissioning and publishing polls. The article concludes with a discussion on the relationships between democracy, polling and public opinion.
Aspects of Quality in TV Programming
Authors: Hillve Peter , Majanen Peter , Rosengren Karl Erik
Published: March 2007

The quality of the output from various television channels and systems is often discussed but seldom rated or measured in any systematic way. However, due to a Japanese initiative undertaken some years ago, an international group of scholars met and decided to undertake comparative studies of television quality in terms of a characteristic often regarded as basic to overall channel quality: the diversity of a given television channel. An instrument of measurement was designed by a member of the international team and applied to television content from Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Sweden and the United States. This article presents a follow-up study, comparing diversity in Swedish television and radio channels during 1992 to 1995. The results show that Swedish Television increased its diversity during this period, while Swedish Radio decreased its diversity. At the end of the article, a short discussion of potential developments with regard to digitalized television is presented.
Minority Language Media in Western Europe
Authors: Cormack Mike
Published: March 2007

In recent years minority languages have become an increasingly important issue in Europe and part of the general debate over regionalization. As these debates have developed, the question of minority language media has also emerged as an issue of importance. However, despite some studies of specific European situations, there has been little general discussion of the problems which confront minority language media. Discussion of these issues is important, not just to reach a full understanding of specific situations, but also to allow generalizations about the role of minority language media. In addition to these particular concerns, the study of minority language media focuses attention on the links between language, collective identity and the media and thus can make a useful contribution to the larger debate concerning the media's role in the maintenance of national identity. In this article several issues are discussed as a preamble to any assessments of particular situations or more general comparisons. First, the varying parameters of minority language situations are outlined, as much to emphasize differences as similarities. Second, the conditions under which minority language media are likely to emerge are considered. Third, the political needs of minority languages in relation to the media are discussed by using the concept of the public sphere. Finally the role of intellectuals in minority language media is considered. The article concludes by noting a series of points derived from the issues discussed which need to be considered when minority language media are being analysed or assessed.
Confessions of a Eurocentric
Authors: Hall John A.
Published: March 2007

The central issue in civilizational analysis, forever associated with the name of Max Weber, has been that of `the Rise of the West'. Powerful and interesting work by contemporary scholars suggests that the very idea of such an issue is an example of misconceived Eurocentrism - in large part because Europe was no more modern than Asian societies until the advent of industrialization. This article assesses the strengths and weaknesses of this new school of thought.
ASUWADA PRINCIPLE: AN ANALYSIS OF AKIWOWO'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Makinde M. Akin.
Published: March 2007

This paper provides an analysis of the asuwada principle as recently discussed in Akiwowo's `Contributions to the Sociology of Knowledge from an African Oral Poetry'. Accepting the concept of asuwada as an innovation and a valuable concept in sociological knowledge, the author gives further interpretations of this concept, which develop into a principle of sociation in the light of Akiwowo's other works.

Akiwowo's derivative concepts of ajobi and alajobi are developed into specific social units - the family and society or individuals-writ-large respectively - and are discussed in the context of the asuwada principle and human society.

Of particular interest is the breakdown of ajobi (the family) associated with the total breakdown of ties of consanguinity which, the author argues, must also lead to the breakdown of alajobi (society) since both derive their `appeal' from the asuwada principle. And if this is the case, then the very principle of asuwada breaks down, probably owing to the collapse of reason. In this case, the regeneration of society can occur either through a revolution or, better still, by means of ifogbontaayese, a concept which the author sees as providing a sound theoretical background for the unity of knowledge in which intellectuals of all disciplines must join in order that ifogbontaayese may serve as an important antidote against societal problems as well as for the regeneration of modern societies.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS IN COMPARATIVE INQUIRY: DIVERGENT OR CONVERGENT?
Authors: Sztompka Piotr
Published: March 2007

The perennial sociological problem of the incommensurability of concepts becomes acute in the context of comparative research. In theoretical discourse second degree sociological concepts and the first degree societal concepts of the members of societies are both subject to this problem to which the unsatisfactory responses have been either radical relativism and theoretical anarchism, or ethnocentrism and dogmatism. Now actual historical tendencies, the globalisation of society and internationalisation of sociology are providing trans-societal and trans-theoretical concepts. At the same time the naturalistic model of comparative study of independent cases becomes less possible. Research shifts its emphasis from seeking uniformity to seeking uniqueness, and by cross-tabulating the focus and direction of comparative research we can develop a six-fold typology of comparisons: (1) encompassing, (2) universalising, (3) generalising, (4) individualising, (5) specifying, (6) particularising. The new opportunities for individualising comparisons take sociology away from natural science patterns to the logic of interpretation in history and the humanities.