bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Defense of Self-Control
Authors: HIRSCHI TRAVIS , GOTTFREDSON MICHAEL R.
Published: March 2007

In the 10 years since its publication in A General Theory of Crime, the authors' self-control theory has been the focus of considerable research and critical assessment. This article responds to questions about the theory that have attracted the most thoughtful attention in the serious literature of the field.
Discontinuity, Government and Risk:
Authors: O'MALLEY PAT
Published: March 2007

Rather than there being a single theory of risk and `the risk society', there are two lines of thought proposing distinct conceptions of risk. These make quite different assumptions about risk's origins, and about any nexus between risk, class and capitalism. Consequently, many of Rigakos and Hadden's criticisms are wide of the mark. Likewise, this article challenges their assertions that a single genealogy of risk can be traced to origins in the 17th century, and that this is evidence of risks' class foundations and its place in a `same olde modernity'. However, Rigakos and Hadden's emphasis on a need to examine the longer-term genealogy of risk is supported.
The Glass Cage: An Ethnography of Exposure in Schizophrenia
Authors: Warin Megan
Published: March 2007

This article draws upon anthropological research conducted with a group of people who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia and are living in a major Australian city. The analysis aims to show how these men and women experience their bodies at a day-to-day level, focusing on how they talk about their bodies, awareness of their bodies, and the relation of their bodies to the lived world. Rather than rely on established psychiatric classificatory models of interpretation, experiences are relocated within a broader framework of embodiment and social practice. The article argues that schizophrenia is not solely a ‘disorder of the mind’, but an experience which embodies and reproduces a multiplicity of cultural meanings associated with the concept of privacy. Through the close examination of one case study, the cultural logic of privacy is unpacked and shown to be at the core of many bodily experiences associated with schizophrenia. Reinterpreting such experiences in this light has implications for the ways in which those with schizophrenia are understood and treated.
Biotechnology, Political Rationality and Discourses on Health Risk
Authors: Robertson Ann
Published: March 2007

Using the results of a study to investigate women’s accounts of risks for breast cancer as a case study, this article examines the phenomenological, social and political implications of prevailing discourses on risk. The study is situated within the critical social science literature that argues that ‘risk’ has become one of the defining cultural characteristics of western society. As in other areas of life, the notion of risk has become central to discourses related to individual health; that is, ‘risk’ has become a common construct around which health in western society is described, organized and practised, both personally and professionally. This article argues that women’s health experiences, and the discourses on risk that shape those experiences, are produced within the same ideological context within which particular diagnostic/screening technologies are developed and deployed. Using governmentality as a framework, it is argued that current discourses on risk both make possible and are made possible by particular diagnostic/screening technologies. These discourses on risk also both reflect and reproduce notions of the ‘entrepreneurial subject’ and are, thus, consistent with a prevailing neo-liberal political rationality. The article concludes with a discussion of some of the questions for further research which are raised by this analysis.
Medications as Social Phenomena
Authors: Cohen David , McCubbin Michael , Collin Johanne , Pérodeau Guilhème
Published: March 2007

This article discusses medications as socially embedded phenomena, using the class of psychoactive medications as a primary example. The analytical perspective is systemic, constructivist, and critical. We suggest that the ‘rational use of drugs’ paradigm fails to appreciate various legitimate rationalities motivating medication usages and is therefore inadequate to understand the place of medications in society. Medications have complex life cycles, with diverse actors, social systems, and institutions determining who uses what medications, how, when and why. Such understanding permits analyzing medications simultaneously as entities and representations. We outline recent changes in usage patterns of psychoactive medications (notably prescriptions to children), in pharmaceutical marketing practices (notably direct-to-consumer advertising), and in the construction of knowledge about drugs (notably the role of the Internet in legitimating consumers’ viewpoints). These changes indicate that medication life cycles evolve and mutate with social and technological change. These life cycles are viewed, then, as systems – part of other social, cultural, and economic systems, themselves in constant change. This perspective provides fertile ground to raise several research questions in order to understand better the nature of medications, their effects, and their place in society.
Governing the Healthy Body: Discourses of Leisure and Lifestyle within Australian Health Policy
Authors: Fullagar Simone
Published: March 2007

In the past 30 years there have been significant shifts in the way Australian public health policy has problematized the role of leisure, recreation and physical activity in relation to the WHO identification of lifestyle disease risks to individual and social wellbeing. This article offers a cultural analysis of the way discourses of leisure and healthy lifestyles have been produced through the governmental objectives of health policy and promotion aimed at the body (Foucault, 1991; Rose, 1999). Two campaigns (1970’s Life be in it! and 1990’s Active Australia) are examined in relation to the rationalities and ethics through which individuals are encouraged to govern their own healthy lifestyle practices in the name of freedom.
The Sex Tourist, The Expatriate, His Ex-Wife and Her `Other': The Politics of Loss, Difference and Desire
Authors: Davidson Julia O'Connell
Published: March 2007

This article explores questions about gender, race, sexuality and political community. It examines one major pattern of sex tourism in relation to contradictions within liberal theory's construction of community, Self and Other. Drawing on ethnographic research in the Dominican Republic, it argues that an interrogation of the world view of `hard core' male heterosexual sex tourists reveals something of the whiteness, maleness and heterosexuality of classical liberalism's sovereign self and the tensions generated by its partial and exclusive universalism.
Review Symposium: Krafft-Ebing, A Hundred Years On
Authors: Bancroft John
Published: March 2007

As we approach a century since the death of Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902), a major evaluation and study of his life and work has been published. Here two leading world researchers and theorists - John Bancroft and Jeffrey Weeks - provide an evaluation of this important new study.
Only the Literal: The Contradictions of Anti-pornography Feminism
Authors: Segal Lynne
Published: March 2007

Within feminism, battles over pornography have become the wars without end. Despite the controversy it generates, the discourses of anti-pornography feminism have continued to make inroads into legal frameworks, most recently in Canada. This piece surveys the growth and questionable appeal of such feminist campaigning, under the theoretical leadership of Catharine MacKinnon: its rewriting of feminist theory; its parasitic relation to the authoritative, phallocentric discourses of gender and sexuality; its alliance with the most reductive, behaviouristic psychology; its disavowel of fantasy and psychic life; its provocative mirroring of both the style and content of the `pornography' it deplores; its unwavering pursuit of legal remedies which enhance the power of state regulation of sexuality; its threat to subversive expressions of women's sexual agency and repudiation of any possibilities for sexual resignifications.
The Third Presence: A Psychiatrist’s Experience of Working with Non-English Speaking Patients and Interpreters
Authors: Bolton Jonathan
Published: March 2007

Communicating therapeutically with patients who do not share the same language as the clinician is a problem that is likely to increase as healthcare workers attempt to provide more and better services to immigrants and refugees. Based on participant observation, this article considers how working with patients who do not share the doctor’s language, and the ‘third presence’ of an interpreter, influence three core tasks of a healing performance: establishing a basis of trust, understanding the patient’s problems, and trying to make a difference.
Diagnostic Criteria for Schizophrenia and Related Psychotic Disorders: Integration and Suppression of Cultural Evidence in DSM-IV
Authors: Jenkins Janis H.
Published: March 2007

This paper documents the work of the NIMH Culture and Diagnosis Committee on schizophrenia from its inception in 1991 through publication of the final version of DSM-IV. Detailed comparisons are made between the committee's suggested text and the final published text of the manual, both for general cultural considerations regarding schizophrenia and for specific diagnostic criteria. The paper concludes with a critical assessment of the successes and failures of DSM-IV as a culturally relevant document and a restatement of the rationale for the centrality of culture to any understanding of schizophrenia.
The Adaptation of Solution-Focused Therapy in Chinese Culture: A Linguistic Perspective
Authors: Yeung Frederick K. C.
Published: March 2007

Using solution-focused therapy as an example, this article discusses linguistic considerations in the cross-cultural adaptation of psychotherapy to Chinese-speaking clients. As the primary medium through which a client’s story is presented and transformed, language plays a crucial role in therapeutic conversation. Some differences between the Chinese and English languages, such as the construction of words and grammatical structure, are introduced. An examination of three linguistic dimensions – lexical usage, syntax and intonation and rhythm – illustrate the important role of language in the cross-cultural adaptation of psychotherapeutic techniques.
Review : Telephone triage: a panacea for child and family health care?
Authors: Summersgill P.
Published: March 2007

■ Telephone triage offers an exciting, although controversial means of extending the role of children's nurses

■ Convenient, anonymous and immediate access to advice and help could be very attractive to many families

■ Children who do not need face-to-face contact with health professionals can be 'filtered out' of that system

■ Telephone triage should result in more appropriate use of resources

■ Telephone communication skills need to be developed to ensure that the service is efficient and effective

■ Research needs to be undertaken to ensure that newly developing services are appropriately evaluated
Review : Analysing childhood: a nursing perspective
Authors: Armitage Gerry
Published: March 2007

■ Childhood is largely socially constructed and is subject to social and cultural change

■ Childhood is often characterised by immaturity and dependency, which may hamper the full recognition of children's rights

■ Children's nurses, as children's advocates, should develop a critical awareness of the concept of childhood

■ Children's nurses should also consider undertaking phenomenological research with children, as a means of identifying the needs of children
Staffing levels on children's wards: a snapshot survey
Authors: Dickinson Kathy , Jackson Karen
Published: March 2007

■ A snapshot survey was undertaken of staffing levels in 72 wards/units across the United Kingdom.

■ A ratio of 4:1 children to staff during day shifts and 6:1 during night shifts was established as a working 'benchmark' for the purposes of this study.

■ Many respondents expressed concern around ward establishment levels.

■ High vacancy levels in D grade posts was identified, this has implications for the standard and quality of care delivery.

■ The need for a benchmark ratio for children's nurses is discussed.

■ Further work is now necessary to explore the findings of this preliminary survey.
Idea Production in Nominal and Virtual Groups: Does Computer-Mediated Communication Improve Group Brainstorming?
Authors: Ziegler Rene , Diehl Michael , Zijlstra Gavin
Published: March 2007

Findings in previous research on the effectiveness of computer brainstorming groups as compared to other kinds of brainstorming groups are equivocal with regard to the quantity and quality of idea production. Nevertheless, using computer-mediated communication is often recommended to enhance idea production in brainstorming groups. This recommendation is based on the assumption that reading others' ideas leads to mutual cognitive stimulation. To test this assumption, two conceptually similar experiments were run comparing two-member and four-member computer brainstorming groups with and without the opportunity to exchange ideas. Although in conditions with computer-mediated communication there should have been three times as much stimulation for individuals in four-member groups as compared to two-member groups, irrespective of group size neither quantity nor quality measures showed any improvement over conditions without computer-mediated communication. Instead, in both experiments, communication led to uniformity tendencies which lowered flexibility of idea production.
Additive and Interactive Models of Crossed Categorization in Correlated Social Categories
Authors: van Oudenhoven Jan Pieter , Judd Charles M. , Hewstone Miles
Published: March 2007

The effects of crossed categorization on intergroup judgments have been the subject of considerable theoretical and empirical interest. A variety of alternative theoretical models have been proposed and examined in earlier research. The present study differs from those reported previously in that it focused on correlated social categorizations. Moreover it employed a large and broadly representative sample. This permitted us to examine the various theoretical models with considerable power. Results supported a largely additive model, in which out-group categorizations independently contributed to out-group derogation. Additionally, a number of weaker category interactions suggested that in-group membership on one dimension was of greater importance if the target person was an in-group member on other categorizations as well. Finally, somewhat different effects were found for the two dependent variables employed, liking and perceived similarity. Results are more in accordance with social identity theory and the similarity-attraction hypothesis than with Doise's category differentiation model.
Emotional Consequences of Categorizing Victims of Negative Outgroup Behavior as Ingroup or Outgroup
Authors: Gordijn Ernestine H. , Wigboldus Daniël , Yzerbyt Vincent
Published: March 2007

This research examined whether people experience anger after perceiving intentional and unfair behavior of an outgroup which has negative consequences for others, but not for themselves. It was predicted that such outgroup behavior causes anger in the observer, dependent on the categorization of the victims as part of its own group or as part of another group. Participants were primed with information that made either differences or similarities between them and the victims salient, after which they were confronted with negative behavior of an outgroup. Results confirmed the prediction that the same information concerning unfair and intentional behavior of an outgroup harming others led to more anger in the observer when the victims were perceived as ingroup rather than outgroup. Moreover, anxiety was not affected by perception of victims as part of the ingroup or outgroup, suggesting that specific emotions rather than just negative affect were influenced.
Effects of Intergroup Ambivalence on Information Processing: The Role of Physiological Arousal
Authors: Maio Gregory R. , Greenland Katy , Bernard Mark , Esses Victoria M.
Published: March 2007

Previous research has found that people who are ambivalent toward a group process new information about the group more carefully than people who are nonambivalent toward the group. It has been suggested that this effect occurs because people who are ambivalent toward a group (a) experience a high level of physiological arousal when they think about the group and (b) seek to reduce this arousal by carefully processing new information about the group. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a correlational study (Study 1) and an experimental study (Study 2). Unexpectedly, Study 1 found that intergroup ambivalence is negatively correlated with the physiological arousal that is experienced when target outgroups are salient. Study 2 replicated this pattern and demonstrated an effect of intergroup ambivalence on information processing, while also discovering that the effects of ambivalence on arousal and on information processing were independent. Overall, these results indicate that arousal is not a necessary mediator of the relation between intergroup ambivalence and information processing.
Concordance of Acculturation Attitudes and Perceived Threat
Authors: Piontkowski Ursula , Rohmann Anette , Florack Arnd
Published: March 2007

This study presents the concordance model of acculturation (CMA), which was developed with reference to Berry’s acculturation model (Berry, 1997). A comparison of the attitudes of a dominant and a non-dominant group gives rise to four levels of concordance that represent different possibilities of (mis)matched attitudes: consensual, culture-problematic, contact-problematic, and conflictual. A basic assumption of the CMA is that the greater the mismatch in attitudes, the more threatening and less enriching the intergroup situation will be perceived to be. This assumption was tested in a survey study comparing the attitudes of Germans ( N = 265) with the attitudes they imputed to Polish or Italian immigrants. We were able to show that the level of concordance is related to perceived intergroup threat and/or enrichment when controlling for the underlying acculturation attitudes: the greater the concordance between the dominant group’s acculturation attitudes and the attitudes imputed to immigrants, the lower the perceived threat and the higher the perceived enrichment.
Resisting Stereotype Change: The Role of Motivation and Attentional Capacity in Defending Social Beliefs
Authors: Moreno Kristen N. , Bodenhausen Galen V.
Published: March 2007

We hypothesized that, by default, perceivers work to defend their social beliefs when counter stereotypic information is encountered. This process was expected to be circumvented when perceivers (a) adopt an accuracy orientation, or (b) lack the cognitive resources required for protecting their stereotypic beliefs. We examined this issue by manipulating perceivers' motivation and attentional capacity. Participants formed impressions of several targets displaying stereotype-consistent, -inconsistent, or -irrelevant behavior. Stereotypicality of participants' subsequent group perceptions was assessed via trait ratings. As predicted, following exposure to counter stereotypic information, participants maintained relatively greater levels of stereotyping when accuracy motivation was low and processing resources were high. We conclude that, although perceivers are typically motivated to defend their stereotypes, this process is effortful and can be disrupted by the imposition of a cognitive load or superseded by the induction of accuracy motivation.
Defensive Reactions to Group-Relevant Information
Authors: Dietz-Uhler Beth
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that possession of a strong social identity would motivate people to arrive at a conclusion which supported their previous beliefs when responding to information that threatened their group. In a pre-measure, participants were classified as either weak or strong in social identity. After reading a threatening or non-threatening (fictitious) report about their group, participants were asked to evaluate the report. The results showed that participants with a strong social identity evaluated the threatening information more negatively than those with a weak social identity. Participants who had a strong social identity evaluated the non-threatening information more positively than those with a weak social identity. These results are discussed in the context of motivated reasoning and social identity theory.
Habermas's Search for the Public Sphere
Authors: Johnson Pauline
Published: March 2007

Given powerful globalizing processes under way, the topic of how to conceptualize the modern public sphere is becoming increasingly urgent. Amidst the array of alternatives, the efforts of Jürgen Habermas to attempt to balance out the two main conceptual requirements of this idea, a universalistic construction of the principle of shared interests and a sensitivity to the fact of modern pluralism, might seem a particularly promising option. In order to reconstruct the main motivations of, and to determine a set of criteria of assessment for, Habermas's ongoing attempt to outline a theory of the public sphere adequate to the conditions of the present, the article turns first to a discussion of the seminal formulations of The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. I suggest that the later writings are only partially successful in their attempt to redress some of the main conceptual difficulties that emerge in this early account.
Agreement on Agriculture and Food Security: South Asian Perspective
Authors: Adhikari Ratnakar
Published: March 2007

In South Asia agriculture is not merely a matter of commerce but a means of livelihood and a pattern of rural life. The agriculture sector however, is the most heavily protected sector in the world economy. The attempt to liberalize the agriculture trading sector through the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) negotiated during the Uruguay Round and secure greater market access to the agricultural products of developing countries, has had mixed results. In actual implementation the AoA did not mean much to the developing countries due to the discriminatory nature of the Agreement.

Further, opening the market alone does not serve the purpose unless supply side constraints are eliminated or minimised. Hence both a programme of sensible domestic policies as well as international lobbying to make the process of liberalization more transparent and equitable should be undertaken by South Asian and developing countries.
Energy for Economic Development in South Asia: Present Status, Future Requirements, and Potential for Regional Cooperation†
Authors: Wickramasinghe Upali
Published: March 2007

South Asia, home to 22 per cent of the global population, consumes only 4 per cent of the total commercial energy produced in the world. Although significant prog ress has been made during the last five decades in increasing energy supply, lack of access to low-cost, clean and reliable sources of energy is still prevalent in South Asia. This has implications for economic development and poverty alleviation efforts. This article reviews the energy market in South Asia taking into account resources, demand conditions, market reforms and potential for regional coopera tion. It argues that regional cooperation can play a limited catalytic role in bringing diverse partners together and creating an environment suitable for negotiations, but it is not a sufficient condition for the optimal utilization of regional energy resources. A necessary precondition is market reforms in individual countries.
Communicative and Cognitive Dimensions of Discourse on Science in the French Mass Media
Authors: MOIRAND SOPHIE
Published: March 2007

The emergence of a `new' discourse on science in connection with events to do with the environment, food safety or public health (e.g. the BSE crisis, genetically modified organisms, dioxins in chickens) has caused questions to be raised concerning the suitability of the triangular communication model generally applied to scientific popularization, i.e. in which there is an `intermediary' discourse plying between science and the general public. This `traditional' discourse would appear, then, to co-exist alongside the new discourse. The pragmatic functions of these two separate discourses on science are compared here by looking at the linguistic and discursive variations which characterize their communicative and cognitive dimensions. In the new discourse on science, which has come to light over the past few years, the strict task of `popularizing' (i.e. explaining science) appears to have been dropped in favour of explaining the social stakes of the issues in question: thus the typically didactic and scientific nature of the cognitivo-discursive category, explanation (as demonstrated in a previous research project concerning media discourse on astronomy) can be seen to make way for a different type of explanation, which uses an interdiscursive memory bank built upon the productions of the mass media destined for the general public.
Strategic Manoeuvring in Argumentative Discourse
Authors: VAN EEMEREN FRANS H. , HOUTLOSSER PETER
Published: March 2007

This article reacts against the undesirable ideological separation between dialectical and rhetorical approaches to argumentative discourse. It argues that a sound evaluation of argumentation requires an analysis that reveals all aspects of the discourse pertinent to critical testing. To explain the rationale of the various moves made in the discourse and the strategic patterns behind them, not only the interlocutors' dialectical goals must be taken into account, but also their rhetorical goals. After explaining how rhetorical insight can be instrumental in deepening and justifying a dialectical analysis, an integrated analysis is made of the rhetorical strategies that are brought to bear in an advertorial published by the oil company Shell.
Evaluating Care Delivery
Authors: Persaud Michelle , Jaycock Sue
Published: March 2007

Measurement and evaluation in learning disability services is still in its infancy. The researchers in this present study aimed to explore how good practice in relation to quality of care initiatives in dementia care transpose into learning disability settings. This was achieved by applying dementia care mapping (DCM) in learning disability environments to evaluate its effectiveness and efficiency in this setting. Results demonstrate the application of the method to be partially successful. The data produced compare favourably in quality, quantity and detail with those collected in dementia care areas. Analysis of data revealed great potential for the method; however, modification and adaptation of result indices and coding frameworks should be considered as possibilities for future work. The results have illuminated significant issues for care in the areas in which the method was used.
Always Historicize!
Authors: Brown Stephen , Hirschman Elizabeth C. , Maclaran Pauline
Published: March 2007

In recent years, marketing history has emerged as a major research stream. Impressive and welcome though these historical studies are, they are predicatedon traditional research perspectives. History, however, is embroiled in a seriou sepistemological crisis, precipitated by the advent of postmodernism. Marketers, therefore, are becoming more historically minded at a time when accepted historical approaches are under mounting attack and the discipline is dissolving into a state of scholarly civil war. Indeed, the cutting edge of contemporary historical scholarship is found in the field of literary criticism, where historicism is replacing deconstructionas the method of the moment. This article examines the postmodern critique of(marketing) history, explains the literary theorists’ textual alternative, provides a worked example of postmodern historicism and explicates the methodological implications for marketing research.
Service Quality and the Consumer's Experience: Towards an Interpretive Approach
Authors: Schembri Sharon , Sandberg Jorgen
Published: March 2007

As marketers and researchers we understand quality from the consumer's perspective, and throughout contemporary service quality literature there is an emphasis on what the consumer is looking for, or at least that is the intention. Through examining the underlying assumptions of dominant service quality theories, an implicit dualistic ontology is highlighted (where subject and object are considered independent) and argued to effectively negate the said necessary consumer orientation. This fundamental assumption is discussed, as are the implications, following a critical review of dominant service quality models. Consequently, we propose an alternative approach to service quality research that aims towards a more genuine understanding of the consumer's perspective on quality experienced within a service context. Essentially, contemporary service quality research is suggested to be limited in its inherent third-person perspective and the interpretive, specifically phenomenographic, approach put forward here is suggested as a means of achieving a first-person perspective on service quality.
Cultural Dimensions at the Individual Level of Analysis
Authors: Maznevski Martha L. , Gomez Carolina B. , DiStefano Joseph J. , Noorderhaven Niels G. , Wu Pei-Chuan
Published: March 2007

This article describes a theoretically-grounded framework of cultural dimensions conceptualized and operationalized at the individual level of analysis, based on the work of anthropologists Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck. We present empirical data gathered from five countries - Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and the United States - to assess the validity of the framework. We then use the results to explore how the cultural orientations framework can add insight and new perspectives to critical questions in cross cultural management research.
The Public Interest in Planning: From Legitimation to Substantive Plan Evaluation
Authors: Alexander E. R.
Published: March 2007

The evolution of the public interest concept is traced from its classic origins to its practical implications today. Variations include aggregative, unitary, deontic and dialogic approaches, with applications ranging from utilitarian evaluation methods to deliberative and dialogic approaches in political, administrative and judicial arenas. The ontological debate on the public interest concludes that the problem defeating any substantive public interest application is complexity, leaving a dialogic public interest as a default legitimator of public planning. To meet the need for normative application of a substantive public interest concept in planning practice, a threshold criterion is proposed for use in appropriate cases of plan evaluation.
Reclaiming Biblical Wisdom Psalms: a Response To Crenshaw
Authors: Kenneth Kuntz J.
Published: March 2007

This piece targets Crenshaw's article, 'Wisdom Psalms?' (CRBS 2000) that debunks a broad array of scholarly attempts to identify canonical wisdom psalms. Convinced that Crenshaw's minimalist perception often skews his reading of the biblical text and its interpretation, Kuntz counters that the Hebrew Psalter hosts a limited number of psalms that are stylistically and thematically reminiscent of what transpires in the widely recognized trinity of wisdom books in the Hebrew canon (Proverbs, Job, Qoheleth). Despite their overlap with other genres, wisdom psalms of diverse format and length exhibit shared features that warrant our embracing them as a viable psalmic category.
Knowledge, Competence, and Expertise in Organizations
Authors: Herling Richard W. , Provo Joanne
Published: March 2007

The Problem and the Solution. Many organizations fail to recognize that the management of an organization's human capital is about keeping the entire organization talent rich, focusing on developing the core competencies that make the organization unique, and managing the creation and flow of valuable information This chapter examines the roles and strategic perspectives of knowledge, competence, and expertise, key concepts to managing the organization's human capital effectively
Fundamental Choices in Human Resource Development Scholarship and Practice
Authors: Baldwin Timothy T.
Published: March 2007

The Problem and the Solution. Statements of philosophy and core beliefs always run the risk of becoming nothing more than abstract and idealistic pronouncements To come alive, such beliefs must be manifested in the ways in which scholars and HRD professionals actually practice their craft This chapter focuses on three fundamental choices that are critical if we are to manifest the ideas expressed in this volume and to lead the HRD profession through research
The Assessment of Denial, Cognitive Distortions, and Victim Empathy among Pedophilic Sex Offenders
Authors: TIERNEY DAVID W. , McCABE MARITA P.
Published: March 2007

The modification of denial, defensiveness, and cognitive distortions and the enhancement of victim empathy are central components in the treatment of pedophilic sex offenders (PSOs) and are thus important factors to evaluate. This review of the literature highlights three broad problems with self-report measures of these variables. First, the psychometric properties of measures vary enormously, with some having no established validity or reliability. Second, the purpose of the measure is generally quite transparent, enabling the respondent to easily pick the socially acceptable responses. Finally, it is difficult to determine which are the best measures to use in assessing PSOs. Measures range from those designed for the general public to those designed specifically for PSOs. Also, they range from those that assess broad processes (e.g., general empathy) to those that assess offensespecific variables (e.g., victim empathy). This article argues that these issues need to be addressed to improve both the assessment of these processes among PSOs and the evaluation of treatment programs for PSOs.
Revenue Sharing and Competitive Balance in Professional Team Sports
Authors: Kesenne Stefan
Published: March 2007

The aim of this article is to clarify the apparent confusion in the literature about the impact of a revenue sharing arrangement on the competitive balance in a sports league. A crucial factor in the discussion seems to be the impact of the absolute rather than the relative quality of the teams on the clubs' revenues. The analysis shows that revenue sharing improves the competitive balance under both the profit- and the utility-maximizing hypotheses.
Nurse Staffing in Acute Care Hospitals, 1990-1996
Authors: Kovner Christine Tassone , Jones Cheryl Bland , Gergen Peter J.
Published: March 2007

Nurse staffing has received a great deal of attention recently as hospitals have restructured care delivery and modified staffing mix and as nurses have expressed quality-of-care concerns. Using data from the American Hospital Association Annual Hospital Survey, a des- cription of the number of nurses working in hospitals between 1990 and 1996 is presented. Overall hospital staffing and registered nurse staffing increased between 1990 and 1996, whereas licensed practical nurse staffing declined by approximately 14% during the period. The authors identify the need for (a) detailed nurse staffing data across all levels of hospital nursing personnel to facilitate nurse staffing analyses, and (b) more reliable and valid measures of patient acuity to determine nurse staffing in relation to current patient needs. Given the current emphasis on evidence-based practice, a strong foundation is needed for decision making related to the allocation and deployment of nursing staff.
The North Carolina Center for Nursing: A Pioneering State Nurse Workforce Policy Initiative
Authors: Cleary Brenda L.
Published: March 2007

This article describes the creation and implementation of the North Carolina Center for Nursing, including the center’s enabling legislation. The Center for Nursing was a pioneering effort of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1991, requiring a long-range vision of nurse workforce planning as opposed to the “quick fixes” of the past. The Center for Nursing is a visible commitment to the critical nature of nursing resources and fulfills its mission by (a) providing objective information to health care providers, policy makers, and other stakeholders through a well-developed research agenda; (b) developing a strategic planning mechanism for nursing resources in North Carolina through the North Carolina Nurse Workforce Planning Model; and (c) promoting long-range mechanisms for recruitment and retention. The North Carolina Center for Nursing is serving as a model for stakeholders in other states interested in a permanent infrastructure for addressing nurse workforce issues.
The Advantages of Polyester for Use in Coated Fabrics
Authors: Mayer P.W.
Published: March 2007

Polyester fabrics, with many superior physical properties, increasingly competitive economics and adaptability to the coated fabric environment, are gaming rapid acceptance in coated fabric applications. Higher modulus fibers with greater resistance to thermal shrinkage provide coated fabrics with superior dimensional stability and lower creep proper ties. The attributes, coupled with polyester's resistance to acids and climatic (humidity) changes contribute to make polyester a "preferred choice" for coated fabric applications.
Measuring the Water Vapor Permeability of Coated Fabrics and Laminates
Authors: Pause Barbara
Published: March 2007

The water vapor permeability of a given material plays an important part in evaluating the physiological wearing comfort of clothing systems or deter mining the performance characteristics of textile materials used in technical applica tions. Many methods are used for measuring the parameters of water vapor transfer through textiles; they vary in effectiveness and are difficult to correlate to one another. This report discusses the mechanism of the water vapor transfer in textiles, and common methods used to determine parameters of the water vapor transfer. Finally, a new measuring method will be introduced and compared to some existing methods.
Versatile Machine Developments in Coating Technology
Authors: Zimmer J.P.M. , Mayer Karl
Published: March 2007

By means of a new technology, two different ways of coating can be performed with one machine—either alternatively or together—with the following possibilities:
The Consequences of State Economic Development Strategies on Income Distribution in the American States, 1976 to 1994
Authors: LANGER LAURA
Published: March 2007

I ask whether the economic development strategies pursued by state governments to stimulate growth have unintended consequences for the well-being of the citizenry, particularly income distribution. Pooled cross-sectional time-series analysis was employed to empirically evaluate the effects of state economic development strategy on the distribution of income in the American states for the 1976 to 1994 period. Results demonstrate that the economic development strategy state governments take has differential effects on the distribution of income. States that adopt demand-side policies (promoting research and development, technology, and exportation) more than traditional supply-side policies (offering tax abatements and capital subsidies) are associated with more equitable distributions of income. Although the results indicate that states have the power to reduce income inequalities by employing more demand-oriented economic development strategies, the substantive impact is quite small, and the frequency with which states do this is rare when compared to the use of supply-side tactics.
Caucuses and Primaries
Authors: Marshall Thomas R.
Published: March 2007

In 1968 battles over delegate selection rules and procedures for the national party conven tions erupted anew. During the following decade, reformers advanced multiple standards for the delegate selection and presidential nomination process. While many of these goals have been incorporated into party rules and into state or federal law, little research yet exists by which to evaluate how fully presidential primaries versus caucus convention systems achieve these various standards. A review of the 1976 presidential delegate selection process suggests that presidential primaries and caucus convention systems meet most reform goals equally well, although some differences are found between these two modes of delegate selection.
Presidential Nominations and Coalition Theory
Authors: Gerston Larry N. , Burstein Jerome S. , Cohen Stephan J.
Published: March 2007

Contemporary literature postulates that the success of candidate nomination efforts is closely tied to the "rules of the game." Contrary to this view, the authors contend that important variables intercede between the rules and candidate nomination. These vari ables fall under the umbrella of coalition theory. As applied in the article, coalition theory suggests that a presidential nomination is achieved if several qualifying criteria are ad dressed and met. The successful candidate must have the support of his home state delegation, a strong regional base, and continuous momentum. With respect to the 1976 nominating events, the authors conclude that coalition theory helps to explain success or failure in securing the presidential nomination. Moreover, the analysis indicates that both nominees would have triumphed under two alternate sets of nomination rules by following the strategy suggested by coalition theory. These findings have important implications for future contests.
The Advantage of Incumbency in House Elections
Authors: Parker Glenn R.
Published: March 2007

This article offers another perspective on the electoral advantage of incumbents in House elections. The explanation (or theory) builds on the contributions of Richard Fenno, Morris Fiorina, David Mayhew, and Anthony Downs. The basic premise is that the electoral advantage enjoyed by House incumbents is a function of their ability to focus constituent attention on aspects of their job performance, or characteristics related to job performance, that produce favorable impressions of their overall performance. Incumbents are able to focus constituent attention, because they exercise a great deal of control over the dissemination of information about themselves. Since congressional elections are low information contests, the voting decision is reduced to a vote for, or against, change. Voters are likely to vote against change-electoral support for incumbents—because the information they receive about (and from) the incumbent convinces them that their congressman is doing a good job in looking after the interests of the district; they also fear that the challenger might do a worse, rather than a better, job than the incumbent in looking after the district.
Comparing Local and Presidential Elections
Authors: King James D.
Published: March 2007

Examinations of voter turnout in local and national elections have generally been flawed by comparisons of samples from unlike populations and failures to employ appropriate multivariate techniques. Utilizing data from a single national sample, presidential and local electorates are compared. The results point to the similarities between the two, with geographic region and interest in politics being the foremost distinguishing factors. In addition to these variables, strength of partisanship, length of residence in the community, age, and education best discriminate between voters and nonvoters in both presidential and local elections.
Pass the Biscuits, Pappy:
Authors: Copeland Gary W. , Meier Kenneth J.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the congressional allocation of federal grant funds. Reflecting the decision processes and norms of Congress, federal grant funds are allocated almost completely on the basis of population (or equal share). None of the other factors used to allocate specific federal funds (e.g., income, poverty, unemployment) have a great deal of impact. As a result, most congressional battles are at the margin with only marginal impact on the overall distribution.
The Politics of Homeownership
Authors: Kingston Paul William , Thompson John L.P. , Eichar Douglas M.
Published: March 2007

With multivariate analysis of national survey data from 1976 and 1980, we test the conventional wisdom that ownership has a conservatizing political effect and encourages political participation. Using measures of ideological identification, voting choice, and attitudes toward socioeconomic policy, we find that homeownership is associated to some extent with more conservative politics in the population as a whole, but its net effects are small or not significant. In terms of political participation, homeowners are somewhat more inclined to vote than renters, but not to participate more actively at the local or national level. We test also the proposition that homeownership has a conservatizing effect and promotes participation within the working class, in effect fragmenting it as a political force. Among workers, homeownership is associated modestly with a conservative orientation and participation in terms of voting.
Drop-Off, the Vanishing Voters in On-Year Elections, and the Incumbency Advantage
Authors: Pothier John T.
Published: March 2007

House "drop-off" (voting for President but not for the U.S. House) has increased in the 1968-1980 period to the point that about 1 of every 11 on-year voters neglects to cast a House ballot. The increase is surprising, because many developments (e.g., fewer uncontested House seats, more third-party choices, and so on) would suggest declining, rather than increasing, drop-off. The competitiveness of the House campaign is the best predictor of drop-off, but most of the other key factors reflect characteristics of the district and the ballot, rather than the facets of the House campaign. Although the increased drop-off could have affected only a few House outcomes, it is likely responsible for part of the House incumbency advantage. Circumstantial evidence comes from a comparison of 1964 and 1980 drop-off, from a more pronounced House incumbency edge in on-year than in off-year elections, and from drop-off not increasing in Senate elections.
Democratic Theory, Nonvoting, and Public Policy
Authors: Gant Michael M. , Lyons William
Published: March 2007

This article explores an assumption implicit in democratic theory that appears to motivate much of the research into the causes of abstention: Voters and nonvoters differ on a variety of important politically relevant dimensions. The authors develop several hypotheses from this assumption and the prior research done in this area and test these propositions with data from the 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988 Center for Political Studies American National Election Studies. The more interesting findings are that voters and nonvoters differ in terms of their positions on some issues, but not by much, and not on all issues; voters are much more likely to form preferences based on policy concerns than are nonvoters; and voters and nonvoters do not differ in terms of whom they prefer for president. Theirfindings suggest that abstention does not result in markedly different political messages being sent to the political system than would have been sent under full participation, and does not reflect a clear potential for different political outputs from the system. Moreover, the pattern among elections is remarkably stable.