bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a social constructionist analysis of nursing informatics
Authors: Robinson K. , Robinson H. , Davies H. , Robinson Kate , Robinson Hugh , Davis Hilary
Published: March 2007

In this paper we present a social constructionist analysis of the nursing informatics literature, analysing the literature in terms of three related rhetorics, that of (re)assurance of access, (re)assurance of competence, and (re)assurance of culture. We argue that these three rhetorics are reflexively constitutive of the deployment of information technology as an expression of instrumental rationality, discussing the epistemic roles and relationships allocated to nurses as a consequence. We dispute this meta-narrative of instrumental rationality, arguing for a political epistemology that valorizes the situation and circumstance of nursing practice.
A survey of computer network usage in National Health Service trusts
Authors: Anthony D.
Published: March 2007

The most senior nurses and midwives in all National Health Service (NHS) trusts in the UK were surveyed to establish what computer networks are in use by nurses, what clinical systems and network services are available on these networks, and what training and policies on networks are in place. The potential for networks to enhance and assist nurses in patient care was explored by asking the respondents to rank the possible uses of networks. Qualitative data were collected, and the nurses were asked to comment on network access and possible uses of these networks.
Effective communication from general practice: the referral letter
Authors: Allan A.N.
Published: March 2007

The referral of patients from general practice to secondary care is fundamental to the structure of the National Health Service. This process relies upon the referral letter. Unfortunately, the quality and content of referral letters is often poor and unfocused, making it difficult for hospital practitioners to make accurate decisions on patient management. Standardization of referral letters has previously been suggested and, whilst this has been shown to increase the quality and quantity of information transmission and clinical acumen in hospital settings, their use has not been fully explored in general practice.
Observations Regarding Some Animal Parasites of Public Health Importance
Authors: Davison W.S.
Published: March 2007

The paper is confined to the study of Trichinella spiralis, Cysticercus bovis and Cysticercus cellulosœ, these being the only animal parasites inimical to man, liable to be found in abattoirs in this country.
Some Anomalies in the Law Relating to Infection of Milk
Authors: Aspin G.D.
Published: March 2007

The submission is made that the opportunity presented by the enactment of new legislation for the control of infection of milk has not been fully exploited.

It is contended that the new legislation is not equitable in the apportionment of responsibility for public health and financial commitment, to the medical officer and local authority respectively. Attention is directed to the danger of infection of milk arising from " carriers " of disease and the lack of provision in the Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949, adequately to meet this contingency.

Suggestions are made for, examination of all persons employed on milk production ; compulsory pasteurisation of all milk on premises where " carriers " are resident ; the spreading of the financial burden of compensation payments over a greater area to remove anomalies between areas of pro duction and consumption of milk ; limitation of the clause relating to compensation in the Regulations and unification of the statutory control of milk production under one authority—the local authority.

Examples of arbitration awards are quoted to emphasize the difficulties which have arisen in the day-to-day administration of the legislation in the hope that changes may be made in the immediate future which will eliminate diversity in interpretation.
Symposium on EMPLOYMENT OF THE AGING
Authors: Brooke C.O.S. Blyth
Published: March 2007

Some statistics are given of the increases that have occurred in the proportion of elderly persons in the population in this and other countries, and some views are expressed as to reasons why associated problems have become intensified. The call to seek solutions and put them into practice is not only on social and ethical grounds, but also to form a model for other countries to copy. It is stressed that these problems are essentially the concern of public health and deserve more attention than they have yet received.

Senility is declared to be a preventable condition, being dependent on disease or disuse of faculties superimposed on the uncontrollable processes of aging. The claim is made that physical and mental exercise is a physiological need, but that many do not have the opportunity or incentive to take it otherwise than in employment. This must be to an extent described as beneficial capacity, which is constantly diminishing.

A pioneer scheme for providing part-time remunerative employment for the elderly in Finsbury is briefly described and its success is submitted as evidence of the conclusions reached.
(a) Collection and Processing
Authors: Stephen John
Published: March 2007

The writer believes that the salvage of food waste is approaching a crossroads owing to the coming removal of controls on conventional animal feeding stuffs. He wonders whether food waste will travel on the " up " road or whether in a free market it will be driven to the " down " road. Consequently, he has endeavoured to provide a comprehensive review of the subject so that all its aspects may be brought within the arena of discussion.
The relationship between staff stress and team climate in residential services
Authors: Rose J. , Schelewa-Davies D.
Published: March 2007

This study explored the relationship between stress and team climate in care staff working with learning disabled people. A questionnaire was used to collect information in four community residences. The results suggested that there were no significant differences between mean levels of stress, anxiety and depression in different groups of staff. However, variability was seen within the participants across the four facilities. An examination of the relationship between stress and team climate suggested that the higher the stress the worse the perceived team climate. A correlational analysis indicated that the way individuals view aspects of the organisational climate of these facilities had some impact upon their well-being. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Sexual offending and abuse perpetrated by men with learning disabilities: an integration of current research concerning assessment and treatment
Authors: O'Connor C.R. , Rose J.
Published: March 2007

This paper is concerned with sexual offending and abuse by men with learning disabilities. The prevalence of individuals who sexually offend and have learning disabilities is considered. Vulnerability and maintaining factors are also examined. The implications for assessment and treatment are discussed in some detail. Unfortunately, there are relatively few well designed studies in this area and it is impossible to reach any definitive conclusions about the efficacy of approaches used to date. However, there are a number of interventions that show promise. Some of these have already been adapted for people with learning disabilities who sexually offend and abuse. Others require adaptation and suggestions are made for the future development of therapeutic services to this client group.
Managing the support of a sex offender with learning disabilities in the community: a team approach to intervention
Authors: Hill-Tout J. , Thomas A. , Dunkerton K.
Published: March 2007

H is a 41-year-old man with mild/moderate learning disabilities and Down's syndrome. He had lived in an institution until he was 20 and has subsequently lived in a small-scale supported community setting. He was admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act following an alleged rape of a woman with learning disabilities, and he has a long history of inappropriate behaviour, sexual and otherwise. Following the discharge an intervention package incorporating consistent support guidance, risk assessment and tailored support, cognitive behaviour therapy and counselling work, was undertaken within the context of clear behavioural boundaries, and good team work that was underpinned by a Guardianship order. H has now lived in the community for 2 years without significant incident. It is felt that external structures and limits for his behaviour will need to remain in the absence of evidence of significant change in H's attitudes and beliefs about his own behaviour and that of others.
A Study of Tearing in Coated Cotton Fabrics
Authors: Abbott Norman J. , Lannefeld Theodore E. , Barish Leo , Brysson R.J.
Published: March 2007

In the first two articles in this series, the influence of fabric construction and of coating characteristics on the mechanical properties of coated cotton fabrics were discussed. All of the coating described in these articles was applied by a knife over blanket technique. In the work described herein, other application techniques were used, including floating knife, re verse roll, and transfer coating. Tearing strengths were measured, and pene tration studied by the stereo technique described previously. High tearing strengths could be obtained by all of the coating techniques, but no simple relationship existed between tearing strength and degree of penetration. Certain of the techniques created a porosity in the penetrated coating which is believed to be responsible for the high tearing strengths obtained.
Early Findings Related to the Use of Solvent-Free Reactive Polyurethane Systems for Coated Fabrics
Authors: Tsu Huai Wang  , Orr Robert B.
Published: March 2007

This article describes preliminary work carried out to develop a solvent-free reactive foamed urethane coating for fabrics. Such com posites of non-cellular and cellular surfaces will most probably lead to a wide variety of new products.
Determination of Latex Particle Size From Polymerization Rates
Authors: Force Carlton G.
Published: March 2007

Polymerization rate is faster early in the reaction than at later stages. The two rates intersect at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the oleate soap emulsifier. Final particle size of the latex can be calculated during polymerization from this measure of the percent conver sion at the CMC molecule. Thus, the opportunity is provided for latex particle size control. The effect on latex particle size of several variables in the system was evaluated. Increasing the concentration of the redox com ponent in the initiator increased particle size. Increasing the concentration of the peroxide or adding other agents capable of decomposing to free radicals reduced latex particle size. Reducing the emulsifier concentration increased the particle size.
Crossing Sector Boundaries
Authors: Cordingley Philippa
Published: March 2007

The needs of the 16-19 age-group are requiring local authorities to review their institutional patterns. Here the implementation of ILEA's policies is analysed, discussing how people and institutions are brought together.
The Redefinition of Equality of Opportunity
Authors: Taylor Hazel
Published: March 2007

Notes towards the twenty-first century
Innovation for All: Management Development in Small Primary Schools
Authors: Wallace Mike
Published: March 2007

This report discusses an NDC project on management development in small primary schools and highlights the needs of headteachers. It suggests that the process of change in schools should be more concerned with the process of learning to implement change.
Training for School Management: Reflections and Suggestions
Authors: Holmes Gary , Neilson Alastair
Published: March 2007

T he cycle of major reform in schooling in England and Wales is now at a critical point. A protracted process of debate, enquiry, policy development and political initiatives has now culminated in a major Act ofparliament, the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA), which redefines the governance of the System as well as important processes within it. Taken together with the earlier reforms of public examinations, school governing bodies and teachers'pay and conditions it represents what Time magazine recently described (August 1988) as the most ambitious reform of education which any Western nation had undertaken in the post-war period.
The Educational Coordinator- Perceptions of an Emergent Role
Authors: Dennison W.F. , kelly M.
Published: March 2007

Five educational coordinators were appointed during the mid-1980s by an LEA to manage major initiatives. Working at 'sub-adviser' level, they found difficulties over status and security, and resistance to their projects. Coordinators could not see how the skills they were acquiring might be further used by the LEA. The authors are, respectively, with the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Newcastle LEA.
An Experiment in Education Provision during Economic Hardship: A Third World Example
Authors: London Norrel A.
Published: March 2007

In this paper the author reports on attempts in Trinidad and Tobago to implement a policy of universal secondary education in a project set up in 1988 and based ostensibly on a philosophy of education for all regardless of social class, political affiliation and economic circumstances during a period of economic hardship. From his perspective as a senior planner in the project, the author, who is currently at the University of Western Ontario, offers a penetrating critical examination of the political reasons for change and the ensuing problems of implementation.
Schoolteacher Appraisal: Reflections on Recent History
Authors: Morris Bob
Published: March 2007

Appraisal for all teachers in schools is almost with us. In this paper, Bob Morris from his perspective as a member of the National Steering Group reviews the recent history of the national framework for schoolteacher appraisal and reflects upon six lessons which he draws from this. In doing so he challenges some well entrenched myths.
'Professionalising the Profession': Evolving a Multi-site National Executive Development Center
Authors: Harris Ben , Estes Nolan , Loredo Judith , Carter David
Published: March 2007

Ben Harris, Nolan Estes and Judith Loredo of the University of Texas at Austin and David Carter of The University of Notre Dame Australia report upon a project undertaken under the auspices of the American Association of School Administrators, which is evolving a National Executive Development Center to meet the needs of senior school system executives. In their paper they discuss initial work on a diagnostic and professional development system. The underlying assumptions of the Diagnostic Executive Competency Analysis System (DECAS) are described. Procedures for the conduct of a diagnostic workshop are delineated as well as the scheme for self-diagnosis of workshop-generated data. These are used to develop a professional programme plan for on-going professional development. The authors, whilst acknowledging the distinctly American flavour of the approach, claim that it has implications for the professional development of senior managers in markedly different cultural settings.
Restructuring for School Effectiveness: Leading, Organising and Teaching for Effective Learning
Authors: Dimmock Clive
Published: March 2007

Dr Clive Dimmock is a Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Education of The University of Western Australia. Before that he worked for many years at University College, Cardiff. In this paper he stresses that the quality of a school is best judged by the quality of the teaching and learning which takes place within it and not by the quality of its organisation and management. Nevertheless, as Dimmock argues, there is mounting evidence that the two may be related and that it may now be possible to identify with some confidence the structural characteristics of schools which provide effective teaching and learning opportunities for all students.
Investigating the process of community profile compilation
Authors: Billings Jennifer Ruth
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the methodological approach and findings of one facet of a larger study. The main study, which had a health visiting focus, was concerned with an in-depth investigation of the value of the community profile approach in needs assessment and contracting for family health care from the perspective of one general practitioner (GP) fundholding practice1. The paper provides a critical review of the data collection processes involved in the compilation of a community profile for one area within the context of the NHS reforms 2, identifying appropriate data sources and evaluating them for accessibility, practical use and reliability and validity. In the wider study, a method to aggregate data sources and translate health need into meaningful service specifications for purchasing was developed.
Women Students at Coeducational and Women's Colleges: How Do Their Experiences Compare?
Authors: Kinzie Jillian (Jillian L.) , Thomas Auden D , Palmer Megan M , Umbach Paul D , Kuh George D
Published: March 2007

This study compared the experiences of women attending women's colleges with those of women attending coeducational institutions. Analyses of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from random samples of female first-year and senior students from 26 women's colleges and 264 other four-year institutions were conducted. Women at single-sex institutions were more engaged in effective educational practices and reported higher levels of feelings of support and greater gains in college. With regard to the effect of different backgrounds on college experiences, transfer students at women's colleges were as engaged or more engaged than students who start at and graduate from the same school, and students of color tended to be less engaged than White students.
How to Appropriate Appropriately: A Comment on Baker and McCullough
Authors: Jonsen Albert R
Published: March 2007

The article by Baker and McCullough in this issue posits that bioethics has generally applied moral theories to practical problems. They propose that, rather than this "application," bioethicists should "appropriate" aspects of ethical theory. This article disagrees that bioethical writing is primary "application." It agrees that "appropriation" is the most suitable approach to bioethical analysis but claims that the description of appropriation provided by Baker and McCullough is inadequate. It must be supplemented by the rhetorical concept of "invention."
Developing Social and Personal Competence in the First Year of College
Authors: Reason Robert Dean , Terenzini Patrick T , Domingo Robert J
Published: March 2007

The available research on first-year college outcomes remains highly segmented (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) and surprisingly incomplete (Upcraft et al., 2005), particularly as it relates to psychosocial outcomes like social and personal competence. This study, based on data from nearly 6,700 students and 5,000 faculty members on 30 campuses nationwide, identifies the individual, organizational, environmental, programmatic, and policy factors that individually and collectively shape students' development of social and personal competence in their first year of college.
Shaping Institutional Environments: The Process of Becoming Legitimate
Authors: Rusch Edith A , Wilbur Catherine
Published: March 2007

Scott and Meyer (1991) suggest that individual organizations must conform to elaborate rules and institutional scripts to achieve legitimacy. In the case of the College of Business at Potential University (pseudonym), legitimacy was accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This case study used Benson's (1977) dialectical theory to understand how mimetic, coercive, and normative isomorphism influenced faculty, administrators, and the institution as they worked to achieve legitimacy.
Adolescent Alcohol Abstainers: Traditional Patterns in New Groups
Authors: Pedersen Willy , Kolstad Arne
Published: March 2007

We investigated young people in mid-adolescence who do not drink alcohol. These young people were at an age when alcohol consumption was about to become normative behaviour. The sample consisted of a total cohort ( n = 3.424) of pupils enrolled in the 10th grade in the school system in Oslo, in the age group 16-17 years, of whom 16.8 percent had never drunk alcohol. Bivariate analyses revealed that non- drinkers often came from lower socio-economic strata and had family backgrounds with low levels of cultural capital. Logistic regression analyses suitable for clustered data with a hierarchical structure (MlwiN) revealed, however, that these associations disappeared when ethnicity was controlled for. Living area in Oslo had a significant impact on the probability of being an abstainer, and there was an independent effect of school attended. Furthermore, non-drinkers were often from non-western immigrant backgrounds. This association was particularly strong among immigrant girls. Muslims were often non-drinkers, and religion played an important role in the lives of the non- drinkers. However, the traditional temperance movement plays no part in this picture any more. We also found significant associations to weak social networks and perceived loneliness. On the other hand, we found that non-drinkers had significantly better mental health than the rest of the sample. Historically, alcohol abstainers in Norway have been recruited from the non-secularized and tradition-bound segments of society, and they have represented what has been labelled a 'morally religious lifestyle'. There is much to indicate that we still find such patterns - but now in totally new groups. namely the new non-western immigrants..
Theodor Geiger: Pioneer of Sociology in Denmark
Authors: Agersnap Torben
Published: March 2007

Theodor Geiger grew up in Germany and emigrated to Denmark in 1933, threatened by the Nazi regime. He worked at the University of Copenhagen 1933-38 and was the first Professor of Sociology at the University of Aarhus 1938-52. He spent 3 years in exile in Sweden. Geiger is an important figure in German and Scandinavian sociology and also known in English-speaking countries. He was a prolific teacher and writer. Throughout his life as a sociologist Geiger combined theoretical with empirical interest. If he rejected all speculation without a factual basis, he showed an equally strong disdain for empiricism without a theoretical foundation (Mayntz 1969). His works cover a broad spectrum of subjects, still of professional interest. such as: the foundation and fundamental concepts of sociology, the education of working-class people, industrial organization, class structure, stratification and mobility, social origin and functions of the intelligentsia, the sociology of law, critics of ideology and the nature of modern mass-society and democracy.
Stein Rokkan's Thick Comparisons
Authors: Mjoset Lars , Mjøset Lars
Published: March 2007

Among Nordic social scientists during the postwar period. Stein Rokkan made the clearly most important contribution to comparative historical sociology. This article distinguishes three phases of his work: a phase of early experiences in the 1950s, followed by two mature phases in the 1960s and 1970s. In both these phases Rokkan wanted to explain the diversity of European political systems, but in the second mature phase he developed a much broader framework to analyse the economic, territorial and cultural contexts of Europe's political developments. The methodology of his conceptual maps and his model of Europe is discussed in some detail. It is argued that in his mature work. Rokkan increasingly departed both from variables-oriented sociology and mainstream positivist methodology. The notion of theory implied by his mature work corresponds best to the notion found among critics of variables-oriented sociology, and it converges with the notions of grounded theory and thick description as developed in interactionist schools of sociology.
Workplace Democratization in Norway: Current Status and Future Prospects with Special Emphasis on the Role of the Public Sector
Authors: Lafferty William M.
Published: March 2007

The article begins with an analytic description of Norway as a 'social demo cratic state', and then goes on to a general overview of the nature and scope of democratization schemes for working life. The current situation is related to Bernstein's (1980) inductive model of workplace democratization, where it is pointed out that Norway lacks several features of the Bernstein model. Suggestions for improvement are then made in relation to Greenberg's (1983) warning as to the relevance of contextual factors Perceiving the current political-economic situation in Norway as being under conservative constraint, the article presents a pragmatic rather than an ideological solution. Arguing that there already exists an emerging public-sector 'class' which is ideologically favorable to further democratization, and that the public sector is, in general, less easily 'defended' against democratization by liberalist values, the article suggests a program for simultaneous coordinated democratization of various public-sector work units.
Interest, Voluntary Associations and the Stability of the Political System
Authors: Siisiäinen Martti
Published: March 2007

In this article the adequacy of the sociological paradigm in voluntary associ ations' research is investigated by comparing it with its nval, the incor poration or system integration paradigm (types 1 and 2) and with two approaches that are their combinations: multi-dimensional theones of disper sion and cross-cutting of interests (type 3) and multi-dimensional theories of incorporation and system integration of interests (type 4). I express the view that by themselves both pluralism and incorporation paradigms are , unable to depict the complex system of political stability. An adequate theory must contain elements of two dimensions of maintaining stability: firstly, the idea of dispersion of interests of the subordinated classes and groups (which means at the same time dispersion of the preconditions of an alternative hegemonic bloc). and secondly, the conception of the importance of incorporating (the leadership of) those associations which are able to conflict into the dominant power bloc. The first phenomenon is one of the preconditions for the success of the other ; the second on its part produces new dispersions among subordinated classes and within their interest associations. Thus they are different sides of the same coin (of the political stability).
The New Social State?
Authors: Eräsaari Risto
Published: March 2007

In this article an attempt is made to discuss some new strategies of the social state as an alternative to welfare-state management One example is the emergence of 'social networks' by means of which it is hoped to shrink the state apparatus, diminish costs, bring the social bureaucracies closer to the people, and produce ideologies of natural and national togetherness But a network society in which 'everyone becomes a social worker for everyone else' seems likely to universalize the repressive character of the therapeutic society.

The new social state is increasingly a critical manifestation of heroic socio- cultural practices The influence of social bureaucracies is not weakening but getting stronger The community rhetoric becomes a form that symbolizes and reinforces social life. Critical discussion on the social state easily becomes propagandistic. And the focus of the new discussion seems to be both on the simple order of everyday life and on the contradictions and complexities of modern society.
Marx, the Modern World, and the Problem of Social Regulation
Authors: Heiskala Risto
Published: March 2007

The article discusses the idea of modern society which Marx presented in his critique of political economy. According to Marx, modern society is born in the mode of capitalism but will only be actualised in its full wealth when capitalism is thrown over in favour of communism The problem with Marx's conceptual strategy, however, is that he only discusses man as human species, in this way identifying the human individual with the species being. Accordingly, he assumes that all social antagonisms will come to an end if the capital relation is broken and a transfer into communism takes place. In this way, his conception of a modern, non-capitalist society remains an abstract, aesthetically descriptive vision. On the basis of Marx's later works, although overstepping its limits, it is however, possible to present an experimental construction of a modern, non-capitalist, dual society, where the social synthesis is no longer dominated by the principle of self-valorisation of capital, but a 'democratic discussion of needs'.
Welfare States and Capitalist Markets
Authors: Therborn Goran
Published: March 2007

In spite of an impressive expansion predominant welfare state research suffers from five important weaknesses: a linear conception of welfare state growth, a neglect of welfare state efficiency, an excessive quantification of variables, a Social Democratic bias, and an underdevelopment of theory. While the first four are held to be untenable undercurrent societal cir cumstances, the paper concentrates on theoretical problems Welfare states are conceptualized as social systems of human reproduction, and a theory of market failures and market conflicts is sketched to account for the development of welfare states. A combination of economic and sociological theory is used to lay out a theory of welfare states as providers of public goods and of different kinds of private goods. Economic theory and socio- political theory are used to outline determinants of the supply and demand for state contributions to human reproduction.
The Scandinavian Welfare States- Towards Sexual Equality or a New Kind of Male Domination?
Authors: Sum Birte
Published: March 2007

This paper studies the debate about the Scandinavian welfare states from a leminist perspective, focusing on the differences between a feminist per spective and the dominant liberal and critical Marxist understanding of the welfare state In particular it focuses on the argument that the Scandinavian welfare state, are the most advanced in relation to women and discusses both the potentialities and dangers in the Scandinavian welfare states in relation to women. Feminists have pointed out that the concept of gender has been disregarded from a theoretical and methodological paint of view in both liberal and Marxist analyses of the welfare state The fundamental concepts have been other the individual or the class, and the determining force, of the development of the welfare state have been found in the political sphere or in the economy or in the Interrelation between the two spheres The paper points to the need to integrate gender relations in the theoretical model for an analysis of the welfare state and emphasizes the need to explore the relationship between the family and the state (and the family and the economy) in the different welfare states The paper emphasizes that the qualitative differences in the organization of care work are important for understanding the institutional differences between the welfare states, and especially the Scandinavian welfare states, where mother hood and care work has today become a part of sucial citizenship The author argues that even though women have in important ways become empowered in the Scandinavian welfare states as mothers, workers and citizens, the) have at the same time become subsumed under a new kind of male domination in the public sphere A further exploration of this new kind of male dommatton must transcend the theoretical framework of both Marxism and liberalism and must begin to rethink such central concepts as citizenship. power and interests.
Class Identification in Norway: Explanatory Factors and Life-cycle Differences
Authors: Knudsen Knud
Published: March 2007

This research note examines class identification in the Norwegian population. A simple causal framework is presented where subjective class is seen as the result of expenences in origin family, the educational system and current family. It is argued that direct effects of family background and family earnings on class identification should interact with life-cycle period To test expectations we use a Norwegian national survey from 1982 (N = 1376) Parameters are estimated by ordinary least squares regression The overall analysis shows clear and significant effects of origin family's social standing. respondent's education, current family's social standing and earnings. Life- cycle analyses support our expectations concerning interactions: effects of family background gradually fade as people get older, while family earnings have an effect only in the mid-penod No other variable, however, seems to be as important as education for explaining class identification.
Technology and Local Labour Markets: What Will Happen to Women's Work?
Authors: Nielsen Lise Drewes
Published: March 2007

The consequences of new technology in work processes and in local com munities seem both chaotic and full of discrepancies Contrasting results are also to be found when studying women's work Will technology force unemployment, lack of influence, bad working conditions, etc. ? Or will women's central functions in the social renewal processes constitute oppo sition to the male-dominated technological development? The consequences seem to be a question of male versus female culture, of power relations and of gender specific divisions of labour To make this clear is an essential purpose of the theoretical as well as the empirical study in the years to come.
Growing Up in the Post-Modern Age: On the Child's Situation in the Modern Family, and on the Position of the Family in the Modern Welfare State
Authors: Dencik Lars
Published: March 2007

Referring to an ongoing comparative study of Childhood, Society, and Devel opment in the Nordic countries (the BASUN project), led by Lars Dencik at Roskilde University in Denmark, the paper presents a perspective on the transformations of the everyday life of parents and children in the Nordic welfare states In the analysis particular attention is paid to the implications of a quickening social acceleration It is stated that the parental model tends to become invalidated and that the family is becoming increasingly an intimacy sanctuary, a zone of stability and a decoding center for the family members. By contrast young children in public institutions like day-care centers are seen to develop a capacity to exercise self-control with respect to affective behavior This in interpreted in terms of a civilizing process (Elias). The notion of 'dual- socialization is introduced as a vehicle to grasp the actual process of child socialization in modern childhood. A strongly increased demand on the chil dren to be able to make continuous and flexible adjustments is noted, as well as a strengthened tendency among children to develop their competence to do so. Implications of this in terms of a tendency to 'pedagogize' the child's life and to 'pathologize' undesired features in what might be as a matter of fact quite a normal behavioral repertoire of the child are observed. Tentative conclusions are drawn with respect to how some significant tendencies on the societal level may affect the development of emotional dispositions and social competences with the young children growing up in the post-modern age.
Market, State, and Society as Codes of Moral Obligation
Authors: Wolfe Alan
Published: March 2007

Economics, political science, and sociology are, in this paper, understood to be not only scientific but also moral languages. An economic approach to moral obligation emphasizes that obligations to the self automatically. cover obligations to others A political approach, by contrast, argues that some kind of centralized coercive authority is necessary so that people will carry out their obligations to each other satisfactorily Sociology has always understood itself in opposition to both the market and the state, but it has never been clear about its alternative. Many of the classical thinkers in the sociological tradition wished to preserve both modernity (in the form of markets and states) and morality (in the form of strongly inscribed norms and community obligations) This balance is best resolved by emphasizing morality as a learning process requiring 'civil society' - not as an end in itself, but as a place in which the learning of moral obligation can be carried out.
Ethics and Medical Science. On Voluntary Participation in Biomedical Experimentation
Authors: Scocozza Lone
Published: March 2007

Recent decades have witnessed a drastic increase in biomedical research. As this type of research often implies experimentation with human subjects, ethical considerations concerning doctors' use of their patients in experiments become necessary. According to the Helsinki Declaration, the human sub jects must have given their informed consent before being included in any experiment. Based on a case from an ongoing research project concerning voluntary participation in experimentation this paper descnbes practices and attitudes of the doctor as well as the patient in the process of obtaining informed consent. It is however doubtful whether such consent is always obtained. The reason for this can be found in the educational background and research traditions of the medical profession. Patients are objectified and made powerless and thus become unable to make decisions about their own situations. The predominant ethics within the health sector are utilitarian ethics which regard the individual as means to an end Deontological ethics, on the other hand, demand respect for the autonomy and integrity of the individual. Future goals for deontological ethics are discussed.
Wage Bargaining and Norms of Fairness - a Theoretical Framework for Analysing the Norwegian Wage Formation
Authors: Høgsnes Geir
Published: March 2007

The focus of this article is on wage formation in Norway in the seventies and eighties Our main question is whether the institutional frames for wage negotiations in Norway are compatible with the new factors and topics which have become increasingly important during the last two decades The new situation is partly due to a more complex structure concerning the character and number of unions taking part in the negotiations But most important is the change in the arguments which are used to legitimate wage claims. None of the traditional economic approaches towards wage bargaining directly take into account the significance of wage comparisons between employees at different plants or among different groups of employees, and here we are at the core of the argument in this article The development during the last years indicates that a theory about what is actually going on in wage negotiations has to take into account the question of wage inequalities and their legitimacy, i e the question of a fair wage distribution The wage level and wage growth for other groups or in other firms today has quite a different impact on the outcome of the negotiations than is assumed in traditional bargaining theory. The significance of norms of fairness is not limited to the study of local bargaining processes With increasing strength the normative perspective also becomes necessary to our understanding of negotiations at the macro level, i.e the central negotiations This seems to be the case especially where, as in Norway, the state authorities play an active role in the negotiations, along with the unions and the employer's associations Although the main problems discussed in this article are related to the Norwegian wage formation, the arguments put forward are of a more general type They are assumed to be of importance in relation to the Situation in countries with an institutional structure similar to that in Norway concerning wage bargaining and wage policy
Norwegians' Attitudes Toward New Immigrants
Authors: Hernes Gudmund , Knudsen Knud
Published: March 2007

During the 1980s Norway, together with Denmark and Sweden, experienced an influx of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers from the poorer nations of Asia. Africa and Latin America. The encounter forced Norwegians to confront their established values and attitudes. One of the most homogeneous and uniform countries in the world underwent a unique experiment: new groups and colors changed the traditional picture- and perhaps as a result the nation's self-image. In this paper we analyze the attitudes of Norwegians toward the new immigrants. We explain why some are basically positive while others are not. The theoretical discussion draws on the concept of relative deprivation. The main idea is that the beliefs of individuals represent a relationship between their expectations and their achievement relative to others in the same boat as themselves. Negative attitudes are seen as a result of people feeling deprived in com parison with some standard, or with real or imagined conditions for other people. This empirical analysis is based on a national survey from 1988, which includes more than 2000 respondents. We use multiple regression to evaluate effects of various explanatory variables. The results indicate significant effects of education, age, gender and labor market position, together with mediating influences of social psychological and subjective factors. The strong impact of educational background and indicators of self-reliance are interpreted as supporting the general idea that groups that suffer relative deprivation more than others develop negative attitudes. The findings also suggest that education is essential more as a general resource in a competitive society than as a conveyor of an enlightened perspective.
The Rise and Fall of Modernism in Politics and Religion
Authors: Collins Randall
Published: March 2007

The modernist period in ideology arose around the beginning of the 18th century, as both religion and politics became arrayed along a binary dimension of traditionalist/ conservatives against progressive/liberals. Analytically, however, the structural bases of conflict are triangular: in politics, moving among the poles of centralization, mass participation, and a decentralized balance of powers; in religion, the corresponding poles are church hierarchy, sect enthusiasm, and spiritual elites. Rebellion against authority and tradition can take place from any pole toward any other. During the Reformation and the religious wars, neither Protestantism nor Catholicism could be arrayed along the modernist dimension of liberals and conservatives; in many respects, the social organization of the Catholic church made it more anti-traditional than Protestantism. It is the period of struggle for secularization and religious toleration which crystalized in the liberal/conservative polarization of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. This binary dimension has broken down again in the late 20th century, giving rise to the self-doubts manifested in the ideology of 'postmodernism'.
Human Agency and the Evolutionary Dynamics of Culture
Authors: Dietz Thomas , Burns Tom R.
Published: March 2007

Agency has long been an important topic in sociological theory. Recently, sociologists have devoted attention to new models of cultural evolution drawn from a variety of disciplines. This paper examines the role of agency in evolutionary theory. We begin by distinguishing evolutionary theory from developmental theories that are usually identified with evolution in discussions of social theory. We then offer an approach to agency and to power grounded in social rule systems theory. These discussions provide a context to definition of agency as effective, intentional, unconstrained and reflexive action by individual or collective actors. Using contemporary evolutionary theory, we consider the circumstances under which individual and collective action can meet these requirements and thus be considered agentic.
Alcohol and the 1950-90 Hungarian Suicide Trend - Is There a Causal Connection?
Authors: Skog Ole-Jørgen , Elekes Zsuzsanna
Published: March 2007

Hungary has experienced a dramatic increase in suicide rates since World War II. In this paper, the trend is analysed in relation to changes in per capita alcohol consumption. It is demonstrated that the two trends are almost perfectly correlated. Time series analysis of filtered (de-trended) data uncovers a significant relationship at lag one year. Thus, changes in alcohol consumption tend to be followed by similar changes in suicide rates the following year. This pattern is found for both males and females. This result is discussed in light of results from other studies of alcohol and suicide in Hungary
The Growth in Full-Time Work Among Swedish Women in the 1980s
Authors: Sundstrom Marianne
Published: March 2007

Using panel data from the Swedish Labor Force Surveys, this article analyzes the shift from part-time to full-time work among Swedish women in the 1980s This change occurred among all groups of women Two main sources of the shift were found First, since 1983 more women have increased them hours from part time to full time than have reduced them Second, non-employed women have become more inclined to enter full- time rather than part-time work Expanded public childcare facilities are likely to have stimulatcd the rise in hours worked, especially among mothers of young school children The prolonging ot the parental teave period is found to have controbuted slightly to the growth in full-time work. while change, in the age-structure had no impact To account for the shift among all women, I point to the tax reform carried out in 1983 and the subsequent years in combination with a high level of labor demand Marginal tax rates for full-time workers were reduced and those tor part-time workers raised. while average taxes were raised slightlv
The Impact of Gary Becker's Work on Sociology
Authors: Coleman James S.
Published: March 2007

The awarding of the 1992 Nobel Pnze for Economics to Gary Becker draws attention to Becker's outstanding work in economics. At the same time, it draws attention to a new phenomenon, for which Becker himself is more responsible than anyone else: the use of basic principles of economics to address problems in sociology Much of the work for which Becker is best known treats problems that are quite outside the field of economics proper and fully within the field of sociology. What is striking about this is that Becker remains committed to the explanatory logic of neo-classical economics; he applies that logic uncompromisingly, using the same tools in examining marriage markets as in examining financial markets. In this paper, some of Becker's work on sociological problems are discussed and assessed.