bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Differentiation and Communication Behavior
Authors: Sypher Howard E. , Sypher Beverly Davenport
Published: March 2007

This article explores the validity and reliability of Crockett's (1965) Role Category Questionnaire (RCQ) measure of cognitive differentiation as a predictor of communication ability. The RCQ is a “free response” measure that has been shown in previous research to be a valid indicator of social cognitive and communication abilities. This review concludes that the RCQ may prove especially useful in exploring and predicting individual differences in managerial writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication in organizations.
An Analysis of Effective and Ineffective Leader Conversation
Authors: Barge J. Kevin , Downs Cal W. , Johnson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2007

Current trends in leadership study recognize the importance of symbol use in the everyday talk of leaders. An examination of the conversational forms constituting effective and ineffective talk by leaders revealed two findings: (1) Effective conversations by leaders were viewed as positively valenced, coherent, and as facilitating the accomplishment of work-related and personal goals, and (2) effective conversations produced higher levels of identification and decreased organizational members' need for legitimation processes. These findings suggest several research areas regarding the relationship between leadership and communication competence.
A Review of Group Process Designs for Facilitating Communication in Problem-Solving Groups
Authors: Chilberg Joseph C.
Published: March 2007

Group process designs are prescriptions for facilitating group problem solving. They provide practices for maximizing the task and maintenance functions of group communication. The examination of several designs revealed an underlying structure and common features for facilitating productive problem-solving communication. Three process designs are described and analyzed in terms of their design structures: Synectics, Interactive Management, and the Interaction method. Several key task and maintenance communication functions are identified for each process design. The main value of group process designs and problems with adoption in organizational settings are discussed.
Do Shared Goals Really Make a Difference?
Authors: Haas John W. , Sypher Beverly Davenport , Sypher Howard E.
Published: March 2007

The study of organizations has been dominated since its inception by the conceptualization of organizations as goal-attaining entities. However, the degree to which goals are consensually shared and the manner in which organizational goals are communicated remain largely unexplored. Moreover, the relationship between shared goals and organizational outcomes remains unclear. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, this study examined the relationship between shared goals and the manner in which members learn the organization's goals. Second, the relationship between shared goals and organizational outcomes was examined. The study results suggest that the degree to which goals are shared is independent of any single method of communicating goals. Additionally, although perceptions of shared goals were found to be significantly related to important organizational outcome, the extent to which organization members can articulate the shared goals was not significantly related to the organizational outcomes examined in this study.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping
Authors: Wendt Ronald F.
Published: March 2007

This study examines a number of specific paradoxical situations found in participative organizations and compares them to the paradoxes found in select Zen stories or koans. Each set of stories or examples focuses on one or more aspects of empowerment. A narrative analysis of the juxtaposed organizational and Zen stories reveals counterintuitive ideas on how to understand and cope with organizational double binds. Some of the implications of this analysis include the following: (a) organizational paradoxes cannot be controlled by management in a rational and/or manipulative sense; (b) employee responses to empowerment dilemmas are often marked by inaction and exasperation; and (c) reframing strategies may help members to cope with organizational double binds.
Organizationaland Technical Communication
Authors: Irons Larry R.
Published: March 2007

This case study explores the discourse on working knowledge that subject matter experts use with technical communicators to represent work in organizations. Participants constructing representations of tasks involving differing content areas bring distinct points of view to bear on the documentation process, resulting in one major source of ambiguity in technical documents. Imperative statements in documents are studied here as instances of negotiated order that represent distinct points of organizational accountability. As such, the narrative authority of speakers in the discourse process is an important point of focus for this analysis. The discussion reports on a case study in which knowledge engineers and domain experts interpret imperative statements of standards from technical documents during a knowledge acquisition meeting.
Derivation and Testing of Tenets of a Theory of Social Organizations as Adaptive Systems
Authors: Lutjens Louette R. Johnson
Published: March 2007

Management and organizational theories are commonly used to design nursing administration studies. This article proposes a nursing theory as a viable alternative and demonstrates its utility in the conduct of nursing administration research. The purpose of the research was to determine the explanatory power of the environmental stimuli of medical condition, nursing condition, nursing intensity, and medical severity on length-of-stay (LOS). Twenty-three percent of the variance in LOS was accounted for by the environmental stimuli with nursing acuity contributing 14%. The focal stimulus, medical condition (diagnosis-related groups), uniquely explained only one percent of the variance. The theory of social organizations as adaptive systems, derived from the Roy adaptation model, provides an attractive nursing framework to guide and design studies that will contribute to nursing administration science and address practical problems confronting nurse administrators.
Quality of Life and the Human Becoming Theory: Exploring Discipline-Specific Contributions
Authors: Daly John , Mitchell Gail J. , Jonas-Simpson Christine M.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the concept of quality of life. Current understandings of quality of life are considered in relation to the notion of discipline-specificity. The authors contend that different disciplines require distinct definitions of quality of life and that research which informs practitioners about quality of life needs to be discipline-specific and theory-based. The contribution of the human becoming theory to knowledge and understanding of quality of life in nursing science is explored, drawing on insights from theory-guided practice and research.
The Politics of Teacher Education Reform: Strategic Philanthropy and Public Policy Making
Authors: Gallagher Karen Symms , Bailey Jerry D.
Published: March 2007

The issue of what appropriate role philanthropic foundations should play in the formation of policies related to the education of professionals is explored. Specifically, the 1910 Flexner report on medical education and the 1996 National Commission on Teaching & America's Future report on teacher education, both financed by Carnegie foundations, are compared and contrasted. The influence of strategic philanthropy in the democratic process has decreased over 90 years, so more public engagement is needed if meaningful changes in practice are to occur.
Beyond Self-Interest: Educational Interest Groups and Congressional Influence
Authors: Opfer V. Darleen
Published: March 2007

Most research on interest groups has focused on theoretical perspectives concerning why members join these groups. Missing from this work is any connection between theories of organizational maintenance (i.e., how an organization forms) and research on influence activity (i.e., what an organization does).This article argues that a connection exists between organizational maintenance and the participation of their members in the organization's influence activities. Relying on a two-stage study of educational interest groups and the U.S. Congress, this article maintains that rational choice theories of interest group maintenance cannot account for the presence and perseverance of Washington-based education interest groups. A theory acknowledging levels of ideological commitment may be a more appropriate model for understanding educational interest groups at the national level.
Paradoxes of Educational Policy and Productivity
Authors: Boyd William Lowe
Published: March 2007

Anyone trying to make sense of policy research in education is likely to be struck by the numerous contractions and paradoxes that perplex the field. Even a brief consideration of these problems raises a number of important questions: What contributes to the frequency of contradictions and paradoxes in educational policy? To what extent can research resolve these matters? Where research cannot provide clear answers, what should be our response to these problems? This article begins by discussing a series of paradoxes and contractions in the field and concludes by addressing the three questions above.
The Politics of Research on Educational Productivity
Authors: Galvin Patrick F.
Published: March 2007

Productivity is a core value in how social organizations are structured and governed. Operating costs, outcomes and political context need to be examined in an analysis of productivity. Central to studies of the politics of school productivity is an understanding of the key role of politics and ideology in framing the complex issues of poverty and equal education opportunity. Debates about educational productivity will not be fruitful if only the technical merits of statistical procedures and research methodologies are considered. Education production research must also take into account purpose, values, and politics to be meaningful.
Pharmacokinetic Dosing Algorithms
Authors: Gilman Thomas M.
Published: March 2007

Pharmacokinetic algorithms for dosing range from practical nomograms and formulas to conventional or Bayesian, weighted, least-squares regression methods that adapt parameter-values to concentration data. Choice of an algorithm depends on the degree of risk from undertreatment and overtreatment, the availability of measurable, pharmacodynamic endpoints to guide dosage selection during treatment, and the level of effort needed to ensure safe and effective therapy. The concept of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic dosing is introduced, and characteristic pharmacokinetic dosing algorithms are presented along with their limitations.
Phenytoin Monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Justice Jacqueline
Published: March 2007

Phenytoin has been used extensively in the neurological and neurosurgical settings since its introduction in 1938. Despite the fact that alternative agents exist, including a whole series of newer agents, phenytoin is still considered one of the most effective, relatively nontoxic anticonvulsant therapies currently available. Unfortunately, however, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of this drug are complex and often confuse the pharmacist and physician team, resulting in suboptimal or unacceptably high serum concentrations. This was exactly the case in our institution up until 3 years ago, when a major pharmacy-initiated education and dosing service program was implemented. We review the basic phenytoin monitoring guidelines used in our institution, which are substantiated by the current literature and by personal experience.
Meeting Patient Needs in Asthma Education
Authors: Swanson Keith A.
Published: March 2007

Preventable drug-related morbidity and mortality in asthma patients is related to inappropriate behavior by both patients (noncompliance) and health care professionals (prescribing and monitoring). Compliance is the crucial factor for success of a therapeutic regimen. Impacting factors have been identified as skills in administration techniques, interactions between patients and providers, and patient expectations. Beneficial effects on the cost of care and quality of life are gained from increasing level of care available to patients. Intensive education including development of self-monitoring skills, early treatment of exacerbations, and access to regular outpatient and Emergency Room care have been shown to be effective.
Antidepressant Poisoning and Treatment: A Review and Case Illustration
Authors: Cohen Henry , Hoffman Robert S. , Howland Mary Ann
Published: March 2007

Although newer antidepressants have been introduced over the past several years, the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) continue to be a leading cause of morbidity from drug overdose in the United States. Overdose features depend on the particular cyclic antidepressant ingested and its pharmacological properties, and can include CNS depression, cardiac dysrhythmias, hypotension, seizures, and anticholinergic symptoms. Life-threatening events almost always begin within two hours, and certainly within six hours, after arrival to the emergency department. Plasma TCA levels are unreliable predictors of TCA toxicity and are therefore not recommended. An ECG with a prolonged QRS complex more than 100 msec seems to be the best indicator of serious sequelae with TCA overdose. Management consists of stabilization of vital signs, gastrointestinal decontamination, intravenous sodium bicarbonate, and supportive care. Agents once thought to be useful for the treatment of cardiac dysrhythmias and seizures such as phenytoin and physostigmine should be avoided. The future of TCA antibody fragments in the treatment of TCA overdose seems promising. Amoxapine, bupropion, and maprotiline seems to be as toxic as the TCAs. Overdose data is limited for venlafaxine, and mirtazapine, and preclude firm conclusions. A significant interaction between cyclic antidepressants and monoamine-oxidase inhibitors exists. Management includes supportive care and basic poison management. Prevention of poisoning seems to be the most logical and effective method of maintaining patient safety. TCAs should be avoided in children younger than 6 years old. All adults with suicidal ideations should receive no more than a one-week supply (less than 1 g) of drug. Newer and, to some degree, safer antidepressants in overdose have recently been introduced, and they include fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, trazodone, and nefazodone. Finally, consideration should be given to using one of these newer, safer antidepressants in all patients with suicidal ideations.
Purpose-in-Life and Breast Health Behavior in Hispanic and Anglo Women
Authors: Wells Jo Nell Burgess , Bush Helen A.
Published: March 2007

Hispanic and Anglo women differ in their practice of breast health behavior. A likely factor is differences in purpose-in-life (PIL) that influence motivation to achieve goals. To determine the relationship between PIL and breast health behavior, the PIL Test was modified and translated into Spanish, and the Breast Health Behavior Questionnaire (BHBQ) was generated. Both Spanish and English versions of the PIL Test and the BHBQ were measured in 40 Spanish and 40 Anglo women ages 20 to 49. Cronbach’s alpha for the PIL Test were .86 for the English version and .72 for the Spanish; Cronbach’s alpha for the BHBQ were .78 for the English and .70 for the Spanish version. There was a significant relationship between PIL and breast health behaviors in Anglo women but not in Hispanic women. Findings suggest further study of PIL in Hispanic women and may indicate a need for teaching the benefits of self-regulation to maintain health.
Body-Mass Index and 4-Year Change in Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Damush Teresa M. , Stump Timothy E. , Clark Daniel O.
Published: March 2007

Objective: To determine the effect of body-mass index (BMI) categories (a proxy for adiposity) on 4-year changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) independent of baseline disease severity. Design:Secondary analyses of a prospective, longitudinal study. Participants:Data on 7,895 adults ages 51 to 61 years who responded to the Health and Retirement Surveys in 1992, 1994, and 1996 were included. Results:Estimates of the effect of BMI on changes in HRQL were adjusted by disease severity. Each BMI category was associated with an increasing risk of decline in perceived health, with the highest risk in the higher categories. AEMI of between 30 and 35 was associated with a risk of decline in mobility. Conclusions:The findings suggest a significant impact of BMI on changes in HRQL that is independent of disease severity and baseline HRQL.
Prescription Drug Coverage and Medical Indigence among the Elderly
Authors: Stuart Bruce , Lago Daniel
Published: March 2007

When Medicare extends catastrophic coverage to outpatient prescription drugs in 1991, the program will benefit an estimated 15% to 25% of the aged population. For some of these individuals Medicare coverage will mean the difference between economic self-sufficiency and impoverishment due to high medical bills. This article provides empirical estimates of the relationship between third-party coverage of outpatient pharmaceuticals and the risk of medical indigence based on the experience in Pennsylvania following enactment of that state's Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE), a lottery-financed drug benefit program that currently enrolls nearly half a million residents age 65 and older. The study provides data on the distribution of billed charges for outpatient drugs by income class for PACE enrollees and then uses a time series analysis to estimate the impact of PACE implementation (July 1984) on monthly changes in Medicaid enrollments and expenditures by category of elderly Medicaid recipient over the period July 1981 through June 1987. Study findings are discussed in the context of the forthcoming Medicare drug benefit.
The Impact of a Mental Status Score and a Dementia Diagnosis on Mortality and Institutionalization
Authors: Shapiro Evelyn , Tate Robert B.
Published: March 2007

Scores from the Mental Status Questionnaire (MSQ) obtained from interviews with a 1976 representative sample of community-dwelling elderly and 17 years of health care use data in the Manitoba Longitudinal Study on Aging were used to estimate the prevalence of cognitive impairment and the incidence rate of dementia diagnoses. Estimates of relative risk from Cox's proportional hazard models indicate that, in addition to age and sex, both MSQ scores and the presence or absence of a dementia diagnosis significantly affect mortality, whereas a diagnosis of dementia is the greatest contributor to institutionalization.
Stress, Religiosity, and Psychological Well-Being among Older Blacks
Authors: Krause Neal
Published: March 2007

The prominent position of the church in the Black community coupled with high levels of religious involvement among elderly Blacks suggests that religiosity may be an important coping resource for members of this minority group. However, there has been little research on this topic. Findings from a recent nationwide survey of older Blacks indicate that religiosity tends to counterbalance or offset the deleterious effects of physical health problems and deaths among family members by bolstering feelings of self-worth among elderly Blacks. These findings were observed after the effects of informal emotional support had been controlled statistically.
Age at Migration, Social Connections, and Well-Being among Elderly Hispanics
Authors: Angel Jacqueline L. , Angel Ronald J.
Published: March 2007

This study employs data from the 1988 National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People to examine the impact of age at migration and social contacts on the self-assessed health, functional disability, and life satisfaction of elderly Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans in the United States. The results indicate that the difficulties associated with immigration late in life undermine an older person's morale and interfere with the ability to perform basic activities of daily living. Although children are important sources of social support for all Hispanic groups, our findings also reveal important group differences in the use of other community social resources and their impact on health. Older Cuban Americans, in particular, appear to benefit from residence in ethnic enclaves in which they have largely duplicated their culture of origin.
Perceived Barriers in Coping with Health Problems
Authors: Chipperfield Judith G.
Published: March 2007

Gerontologists have become increasingly concerned about the long-term implications of perceived barriers to health, the most often studied barrier being perceived loss of control. Using data from a large-scale longitudinal project, the Aging in Manitoba Studies, the present study (N= 4,317) examined perceived barriers in the management of health problems. Three types of perceived health barriers (PHBs) were considered: control barriers (perceived lack of control over health care and inability to manage health), personal barriers (language and memory deficits), and societal barriers (transportation and financial problems). PHBs were examined as predictors of mortality 12 years later. Control and personal barriers predicted the likelihood of dying within 12 years, even after controlling for initial health status, age, gender, income, and education. Subsequent analyses further indicated that the PHB-mortality association was not significant among elders who began the study in good health
The Introduction of the Older Patient's Problems in the Medical Visit
Authors: Rost Kathryn , Frankel Richard
Published: March 2007

In this study of 100 diabetes patients 60 years old or older making return medical visits, 56% of patients reported one or more important medical problems that were never raised with their doctor. Sixty percent of patients reported important psychosocial problems that were never raised. One quarter of all patients were not able to raise even modest agendas of medical problems during the visit. These gaps in doctor-patient communication potentially reduce the effectiveness of medical care by failing to address symptoms of treatable conditions that impact functional status and quality of life.
The Structure of Physical Health Status
Authors: Lawrence Renee H.
Published: March 2007

Because gerontological studies often need to rely on the use of proxy respondents, the comparability of proxy and self-respondents is of particular interest. However, it is often impossible to evaluate response agreement between proxy and self-respondents because the necessary data are not available. This study addresses the problem by using a model of health status to evaluate differences between proxy and self-respondents regarding the conceptalization of health status. The model included three dimensions of physical health: chronic illness, functional limitations, and subjective health. Three groups of respondents who differ regarding proxy status and/or physical health status were compared. A subset of matched self-respondents (n = 146) was selected to be comparable in objective health status to respondents who have proxies (n = 140). The third group consisted of physically healthier self-respondents (n = 1,425). Data came from the Study of Well-Being of Older People in Cleveland, OH. No support was found for the expectation that proxies and self-respondents would weight objective health information differently when providing summary statements of subjective health. The results suggest that proxies rely on a conceptualization similar to self-respondents when providing information about another person's health
Hospital and Nursing Home Use in the Last Three Months of Life
Authors: Brock Dwight B. , Foley Daniel J. , Salive Marcel E.
Published: March 2007

We describe decedents' days of care and changes in residence due to episodes of hospital and institutional care in the last 90 days of life. Data are from the National Institute on Aging's Survey of the Last Days of Life (SLDOL) with informants' responses for a sample of 1,227 decedents age 65 years and older from Fairfield County, Connecticut. Overall, three-fourths of the decedents made only one transition to or from a health care facility in the last 3 months of life and another 10% made two or three transitions. Hospital days decreased slightly with age, but nursing home days increased dramatically. Physical disability, lack of social contacts, incontinence, and a diagnosis of dementia were significantly associated with a long, terminal, institutional stay. Future cost savings are likely to be achieved more through the reduction of nursing home care in the last months of life than in a reduction of hospital care.
Stressful Life Events and Depressive Symptoms among the Elderly
Authors: Glass Thomas A. , Kasl Stanislav V. , Berkman Lisa F.
Published: March 2007

We examined the effect of a series of common stressful life events on change in depressive symptoms among the elderly. The subjects were 1,962 noninstitutionalized people 65 years of age or older from the New Haven EPESE project. Multivariate regression models revealed that 8 of 11 stressful life events examined predicted change in depressive symptoms at follow-up (1985) after controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, age, socioeconomic factors, functional status, and chronic conditions. In addition, the total number of stressful life events was significantly associated with higher CES-D depression scores. A dose-response relationship between cumulative life event stress and change in depressive symptoms was also shown. These results suggest that certain common life event stressors may have an impact on mental health, both singly and in combination.
Voluntary Action in a Scandinavian Welfare Context: The Case of Sweden
Authors: Grassman Eva Jeppsson , Svedberg Lars
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to present some characteristics of the Swedish voluntary sector. With the help of recent research results, the voluntary sector and its wide range of activities is placed into a comprehensive structure that includes historical and cultural roots as well as the connection between the sector and the emergence of the Swedish welfare state. What is characteristic for the Swedish welfare model also explains, in important respects, the conditions of the voluntary sector and the way in which it finds articulation. However, this is not in itself a sufficient explanation if we are to understand the many-sided phenomenon represented by the Swedish voluntary sector. The role played by the tradition of popular mass movements in shaping the voluntary sector of today must also be taken into account. After a general overview in the first half of the article, two aspects of Swedish voluntary sector activities are presented to illustrate these points: the high level of volunteerism of the population and the particular character and role of voluntary organizations in the field of social care.
Civil Society, Differential Resources, and Organizational Development: HIV/AIDS Organizations in New York City, 1982-1992
Authors: Chambre Susan M.
Published: March 2007

This article addresses two practical and theoretical issues: the role of nonprofits in the implementation of social policies and studies of organizational development. It considers two questions: (a) What is the impact of differential levels of community resources on the founding and evolution of new organizations? (b) Does the classic organizational life cycle model apply to new organizations or are there other patterns of organizational development? Drawing on case studies ofl6 nonprofit organizations that were established to 'fight" the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the article points to the synergistic relationship between nonprofits and social policy development and the impact of varied levels of resources and social capital in the creation of new nonprofit organizations.
The Effects of Expanded Donor Choice in United Way Campaigns on Nonprofit Human Service Providers in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area
Authors: Cordes Joseph J. , Henig Jeffrey R. , Twombly Eric C. , Saunders Jennifer L.
Published: March 2007

In January 1994, the United Way of the National Capital Area announced significant changes in its methods of funds distribution. These structural shifts in the Washington, D.C.-area United Way campaign created an environment of increased fiscal and organizational pressure for nonprofits as many scrambled to make up lost ground. This article reports the findings of a survey sent to 258 D.C.-area nonprofit service providers. The survey was designed to determine how nonprofits adapted to changes in their funding environment associated with changes in the United Way campaign. Half of the groups surveyed experienced moderate or large cuts in the amount of funds they received through the United Way. Yet, a majority of the organizations that experienced cuts were able to adapt in ways that allowed them to maintain service levels. A number of these adaptations involved attempts to manage the environment in a manner consistent with resource dependency theory.
Moral Markets for Troubling Youths
Authors: COUSINS LINWOOD H.
Published: March 2007

Public policy discourses with narrow views of morality and character are at the center of contemporary definitions and marketing of services for violent and troubled youths and children, especially in urban, low-income and black schools and communities in the US. This must be disrupted, this article argues, by exposing the role `moral entrepreneurs' play in such practices. Using descriptive and ethnographic data on violence and related troubles in urban and black schools and communities, the author argues that, left undisturbed, moral entrepreneurs pose as much a risk as those children and youths who are causing so much trouble.
Nervios and `Modern Childhood'
Authors: PRIBILSKY JASON
Published: March 2007

This article addresses a culturally specific depression-like disorder ( nervios) among children living in the southern Ecuadorian Andes. Characterized by symptoms as varied as melancholy and anger, nervios is said to strike when children are separated from their parents, specifically fathers, who commonly migrate to the US. Nervios serves as a generative site for analyzing the local meanings and practices of children and childhood within wider national and global economic processes. Specifically, it is argued that beyond explanations predicated on psychological ideas of separation and attachment, the malady reflects the limits of children's abilities to accept the terms of family life increasingly defined through transnational migration and new consumption practices. Ultimately, this article suggests that nervios aids children by giving voice to life changes they do not completely understand.
`Opposition Machen Wir!'
Authors: NOLAN MARY K.
Published: March 2007

Today's young Germans are largely seen as either `troublemakers' or apolitical hedonists. These designations are played off each other, sometimes by young people themselves, contributing to a tension between youth subcultures and the civil society around them. In this context, the category of youth seems easy for civic authorities to manipulate, but young people have maintained ways to undermine that control and hold onto their efficacy. This article explores these themes within the context of a Nürnberg youth/community center, discussing its history and relation to the more visible world of `techno' culture.
Issues of Access and Identity
Authors: YOUNG LORRAINE , BARRETT HAZEL
Published: March 2007

The issues of researcher access and identity are important ethical considerations when researching children. They are particularly significant when the children are a highly marginalized group such as those living on the street. Using research with street children in Kampala, Uganda, as an exemplar, this article explores the methodological issues associated with gaining access to street children and reducing the influence of the researcher's `outsider' identity, when undertaking sociospatial research. Through the adoption of a child-centred methodology and the adaptation of ethnographic, oral and visual methods, in conjunction with the children themselves, this article illustrates how meaningful results can be gleaned without the inhibitory effects of limited access and outsider influence.
Working with Ethical Symmetry in Social Research with Children
Authors: CHRISTENSEN PIA , PROUT ALAN
Published: March 2007

The perspective of `children as social actors' has created a field with new ethical dilemmas and responsibilities for researchers within the social study of childhood. These concern, for example, the greater potential for conflicts of interest, often hitherto unrecognized, between children and other actors. It is suggested to work from a perspective of `ethical symmetry' in research relationships with children while taking into account the social and cultural positioning of children in their particular circumstances. An illustrative example is given of the ethical issues that can arise when children are seen as social actors. It is argued that codes of ethics, reflexivity and collective professional responsibility are all required in order to meet the ethical demands that flow from these newer perspectives on children. It is proposed, therefore, that researchers develop a set of strategic values within which individual researchers can anchor the tactics required in their everyday practice in order to work reflexively. Finally, it is suggested that, in order to develop ethical practice for the future, dialogue is required on two levels: between researchers as a means of collectively sharing experience; and between researchers and children as participants in the ongoing research process.
Poverty and Uneven Development
Authors: SILVA TERESITA
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the perceived root causes of the street children phenomenon. It is emphasized that it is an indication of uneven development and unequal social order that impacts socioeconomic, political and cultural spheres, with direct effects on families and children. Poverty represents a glaring indicator of both the helplessness and powerlessness of these children and their families and the inability of developing nations to meet the basic needs of their people.
Is the Child a Political Subject?
Authors: O'NEILL JOHN
Published: March 2007

The terms of social contract theory should be recast - not to reinvent its prefamilialized political subject - but to make the subject of politics answerable to the needs of children whose peculiar plight is that they are `spoken for' (what we call political mutism) by agents who may not be sufficiently aware of the dilemmas this raises in such case. We propose, therefore, to set out eight regulative principles of political convenant that may serve to benefit the cause of children.
Parenthood and Childhood in the Scandinavian Countries
Authors: JENSEN AN-MAGRITT
Published: March 2007

Parenthood is defined through its relation to childhood: without children there are no parents. However, the way parenthood is exercised is strongly influenced by social changes outside the parent-child relationship. In this article three social changes are highlighted: fertility, family changes and employment. These changes are discussed in relation to the concept of responsibility. Taking the concept of responsibility as the point of departure, the article discusses adjustments of parenthood and childhood to these broader social changes. Attention is given to Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) as a whole, while less emphasis is put on differences between the countries.
Creating Child-Friendly Environments
Authors: HORELLI LIISA
Published: March 2007

The aim of the article is to discuss the literature on children's participation and to analyse what planning theorists, educators and child researchers can learn from the comparison of case studies on children's involvement in neighbourhood improvement in Finland, Switzerland and France. The case studies indicate that the creation of child-friendly environments with young people means a shift towards more ecological and socially supportive settings with opportunities for the involvement of different groups. There is, however, a huge gap between the know-how of children and the organizational and political capacity of local authorities to respond in terms of appropriate environmental arrangements.
Children's Perspectives on their Education
Authors: MONTANDON CLEOPATRA , OSIEK FRANÇOISE
Published: March 2007

Sociologists of education were among the first to deal with pupils' perspectives as regards their school life. However, children's points of view on their global educational experience are still rarely explored by sociologists. Although the sociology of childhood is growing fast, it more often covers what adults do to children rather than what children do with what adults do to them. This article discusses some methodological issues involved in the study of children and presents a conceptual framework for approaching the children's points of view on their own education. Based on indepth interviews of 67 11- to 12-year-old children from Geneva it deals more particularly with their experience of parental and teacher educational practices and organization. It presents the types of experience these children have of their school and family education and socialization, based on the subtle analyses they make of their parents' and teachers' roles and authority, the emotions they experience vis-a-vis their parents' and teachers' educational practices, and the strategies they develop to face their parents' and teachers' actual or anticipated demands.
Iranian Refugees in Sweden
Authors: ALMQVIST KJERSTIN , HWANG PHILIP
Published: March 2007

Three-and-a-half years after arriving in Sweden, when they had received permanent residence and settled, 39 Iranian children and their parents took part in a study to investigate coping strategies. Both children and parents used a variety of coping modes, addressing different topics, such as previous traumatic experiences, loss of social network and acculturative adjustment. Examples of children's narratives are given to illustrate how they coped with adaptive challenges in exile. Parents generally described problem-focused coping, such as moving to better living areas, while children mostly described emotion-focused coping, such as positive thinking and daydreaming. Parents deliberately facilitated or discouraged different coping strategies in their children and were also greatly influenced by their children's success or failure in coping.
Lost Innocent and Sacrificial Delegate
Authors: CONRAD JOANN
Published: March 2007

On 26 December 1996, 7 hours after Patsy Ramsey informed the police that her daughter had been kidnapped for ransom, 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey's beaten body was found by her father in an unused storage room in the basement of their upper middle-class home. The media and public fascination with this story, and, in particular, with the visual images of JonBenet Ramsey, serve as a point of departure for a discussion of this event and its reception as a signal moment in America's sense of itself. JonBenet's photographic images are the nexus for overlapping and interwoven American narratives on the family, the nation, sexuality, power and violence, inscribed on the body of the emblematic child. The interest in, reporting of and management of information concerning the murder of JonBenet Ramsey suggest a shift in attitude toward the archetypal American child and family and the fragile images of reified innocence and deviance which have undergirded a postwar national ideology. This article seeks to answer not only why such images of this blonde, blue-eyed, murdered child hold such fascination, but what this fascination means to mainstream America's vision and construction of itself.
The Commission's Executive Discretion, Information and Comitology
Authors: Franchino Fabio
Published: March 2007

This article examines the determinants of the European Commission's executive discretion and the impact of comitology when policy authority is delegated by member states and the Parliament (i.e. principals) and all actors are uninformed about future contingencies. In such context, the Commission always prefers complete discretion while principals have to trade off the risk of agency losses against the need to give enough latitude to the Commission to deal with unexpected events. The analysis reveals a general trade-off in the institutional design of the European Union. On the one hand, the Commission can enjoy high and stable discretion, differing across legislative procedures, degree of uncertainty and of preference convergence, because of its monopoly proposal power. On the other hand, comitology procedures impose burdensome constraints on the Commission's autonomy and can be explained as a price for legislative intervention paid by the Commission. Finally, comitology procedures also increase the conflict across principals over the degree of discretion to grant to the Commission because the trade-off between ex ante discretion and ex post control can disappear with multiple principals.
On Measuring Freedom
Authors: Rosenbaum Eckehard F.
Published: March 2007

This article proposes an alternative conceptualization of freedom of choice. The endeavour is motivated by the view that welfare comprises various capabilities (prominently among them freedom), which have to be measured and compared separately. Starting from a critical appraisal of recent work by economists and political philosophers on axiomatizations of freedom, the suggested conceptualization builds on the idea of freedom as reflecting the range of possible actions open to an individual. I argue both that this conceptualization is better suited to capturing many real world examples than are previous conceptualizations, and that it improves our understanding of the notion of freedom (of choice).
Interests and Theories in Constitutional Choice
Authors: Vanberg Viktor , Buchanan James M.
Published: March 2007

The paper contrasts two interpretations of the role of agreement in politics, a social contract notion and a dialogue notion. It is argued that the two notions can be viewed as complementing each other if one explicitly separates two components in human choice that in rational choice theory are often inseparably blended in the concept of preferences - an interest-component and a theory component. It is suggested that the contractarian agreement notion primarily focusses on the interest-component; the dialogue notion on the theory-component in constitutional choice.
Nonhierarchical Implementation Analysis
Authors: Carlsson Lars
Published: March 2007

Contemporary western societies can be described as negotiated economies, as multi-actor societies with fuzzy borders between public and private organizations and institutions. In this article it is argued that if we aim at understanding the processes of policy-making, we have to start our investigations from a point where we do not unreflectively assume that political administrative hierarchy prevails. The relevance of formal political institutions has to be proved, not taken for granted. Adopting a naive `stage-model' of the policy-making process, however, may lead to anticipating reality, or replacing empirical findings with political administrative norms. This is due not only to the history of political science, with its focus on formal institutions, but also to the fact that hierarchy is a human way of simplifying a complex environment. The implementation structure approach is suggested as an alternative methodological device for conducting a nonhierarchical implementation analysis to circumvent this problem. The approach provides a fruitful point of departure for a broad discussion of alternative ways of achieving constitutional order in society.
Why Democrats Shouldn't Vote (With Acknowledgements to R. Erikson)
Authors: Wuffle A , Collet Christian
Published: March 2007

Controversy persists over the link between turnout and the likelihood of success of Democratic candidates. To the surprise of practically everyone, we present clear and compelling evidence that higher turnout (and possibly even higher registration) actually benefit the Republicans.
The Strength of Weak Ties in Lobbying Networks
Authors: Carpenter Daniel P. , Esterling Kevin M. , Lazer David M. J.
Published: March 2007

How does policy information flow through Washington `issue networks'? And how does information flow determine which lobbyists get access in policy-making? Drawing upon the `strength of weak ties' argument, the authors argue that policy information passes more through acquaintances (`weak ties') than through close, trusted, contacts (`strong ties'). They support this argument in an analysis of data on lobbying networks in health-care policy-making in the 1970s and 1980s. The statistical analyses show that access to policy-makers in Washington is network-autocorrelated: a lobbyist's access depends upon the access of other lobbyists s/he knows. The results demonstrate the importance of weak ties as a restricted form of `social capital' in policy-making.
Would the Borda Count Have Avoided the Civil War?
Authors: Tabarrok Alexander , Spector Lee
Published: March 2007

The election of 1860 was one of the most important and contentious elections in US history. It was also one of the most interesting. Four candidates from three different parties battled for the presidency and all four received a significant number of votes. We ask whether Lincoln's victory was sound, or was it due to a fluke in the electoral system? Did a Lincoln win plausibly represent the will of the voters or would a different voting system have represented their preferences more accurately? Would the outcome have been the same had one or more of the candidates dropped out of the race? These and other questions are answered using new graphical techniques which let us assess voter preferences more accurately. Using these techniques, we are able to show, in a single figure, the outcome of every positional voting system, as well as all possible approval voting outcomes. By comparing the outcome under plurality rule to the outcomes which would have occurred under other voting systems, we conclude that Stephen Douglas, not Lincoln, was plausibly the candidate who best represented the preferences of the voters.
A Theory of Full International Cooperation
Authors: Barrett Scott
Published: March 2007

This paper develops a coherent theory of international cooperation relying on the twin assumptions of individual and collective rationality. Using a linear version of the N-player prisoner's dilemma game, I provide a formal proof of Olson's conjecture that only a `small' number of countries can sustain full cooperation by means of a self-enforcing agreement. Moreover, I find that this number is not fixed but depends on the nature of the cooperation problem; for some problems, three countries will be `too many', while for others even 200 countries will be a `small' number. In addition, I find that the international system is only able to sustain global cooperation - that is, cooperation involving 200 or so countries - by a self-enforcing treaty when the gains to cooperation are `small'. Finally, I find that the ability of the international system to sustain cooperation does not hinge on whether the compliance norm of customary international law has been internalized by states or whether compliance must instead be enforced by the use of treaty-based sanctions. The constraint on international cooperation is free-rider deterrence, not compliance enforcement.
Modern mythic meaning: Blumenberg contra Nietzsche
Authors: Pippin Robert B.
Published: March 2007

Nothing surprised the promoters of the Enlightenment more, and left them standing more incredulously before the failure of what they thought were their ultimate exertions, than the survival of the contemptible old stories - the continuation of work on myth. (Blumenberg, 1985: 274)1