bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Examination of Ehrman’s Case for ὀργισθείς in Mark 1:41
Authors: Williams Peter J.
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Bart D. Ehrman has made one of the most detailed cases for the reading ὀργισθείς in Mark 1:41. This critical examination of his arguments and of the text seeks to demonstrate that his presentation, like that of other scholars, has not adequately explored ways by which an original σπλαγχνισθείς could be changed, largely by accident, into ὀργισθείς. It also highlights some of the methodological tensions in Ehrman’s arguments for ὀργισθείς and argues that advocates of ὀργισθείς need to give a plausible explanation for the felicitous fit of σπλαγχνισθείς as both a contextually appropriate and graphically similar word.
Textkritisches zu den Antiquitates Judaicae des Flavius Josephus
Authors: Schreckenberg Heinz
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Continuation of the previous article “Textkritisches zumBellum Judaicumdes Flavius Josephus” now focusing on Josephus’Antiquitates Judaicae, thus finishing the whole project.
MERCY AMBA ODUYOYE VISITS OUR FACULTY (UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM) 1
Authors: Williams Jacqueline
Published: February 2012

Stepping into other women's farms was like being born into a fresh and nurturing culture. From this global perspective all my mothers began to make sense to me. They all expressed a single theme: "Be a woman. Seek and work only for what is life sustaining. Don't just change with the times, let the time change because you are present. Make a difference. " It is their faith and hope, their courage and strength, their joy and their love that connect me with myself and move me to connect with all who love life and seek to make a difference. So I do my theology always asking: "What difference does it make?" and I do a lot of dreaming anticipating today the gospel of the future. The twins of what is and what is yet to be still struggle within me. Yet already the new African woman and theologian is on the threshold. The water of her coming is already gushing out; with her comes the water of life. So the gardens shall bloom. Only the flowers and the vegatables shall be allowed to live; weeds and blight shall be forbidden. 2
The International Legal Status of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta
Authors: Karski Karol
Published: February 2012

Abstract

The Order of Malta is an entity which established its own states on Rhodes (1310–1522) and Malta (1530–1798). Since 1834, it has been located in Rome. Today, the Order is universally regarded as a subject of international law. The Order exercises right of legation and ius contrahendi. It still is not a primary, i.e., sovereign, subject of international law. Paradoxically, it is its distinguishing feature, i.e., being a religious order that prevents it from being genuinely sovereign. Sovereignty means independence from any external power. In the case of any order of the Roman Catholic Church, this is absolutely impossible. The Order’s Grand Master can be elected only from among religious in terms of canon law who have made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and is fully subordinate to the Pope. Yet the Order undoubtedly is a secondary subject of international law whose status is determined by its recognition by primary subjects.
The Petersburg Crucible: Alchemy and the Russian Nobility in Catherine the Great’s Russia*
Authors: Collis Robert
Published: February 2012

This article studies the cultural significance of alchemy among the Russian nobility in St. Petersburg during the reign of Catherine the Great. It is argued that Catherine the Great perceived alchemy as a Western practice promoted by foreign charlatans and by mystically-inclined Freemasons, which threatened to undermine the foundations of her vision of Russia being a beacon of reason and enlightenment. The first section of this paper concentrates on Petr Ivanovich Melissino and examines the manner in which this prominent Russian aristocrat incorporated alchemy as a core component of his seven-grade Masonic Rite. The high-grade system came to prominence in St. Petersburg in the mid 1760s and it is argued that it acted as a focus for Russian and European aristocrats. The second part of this article studies the impact on the Russian nobility of the visit of Cagliostro to St. Petersburg between 1779 and 1780. This section includes an in-depth examination of the empress’s personal response to Cagliostro’s visit, which included a series of remarkable letters to Grigorii Potemkin. The final part of this article studies the public response of Catherine to the attraction of alchemy among her nobility in the 1780s, via the medium of theatrical comedies.
Rediscovery of the genus Pseudotydeus (Acari: Tydeoidea), with description of the adult using digital imaging
Authors: DUCARME XAVIER , ANDRE HENRI M.
Published: February 2012

Andre, H.M. & Ducarme, X.: Rediscovery of the genus Pseudotydeus (Acari: Tydeoidea), with description of the adult using digital imaging. Insect Syst.
Evol. 34: 373-380. Copenhagen, December 2003. ISSN 1399-560X.

This paper describes the adult female of the genus Pseudotydeus Baker & Delfinado 1974 and confirms that the genus belongs to the Ereynetidae. The description is based on a new species collected from a Belgian cave ("Nou-Maulin", Rochefort). For the first time, a mite is described with microscope photographs instead of traditional line drawings. The two methods are compared. A new typology is proposed for sensilli clusters and a key to the genera of the Ereynetinae is provided.
Revision of the Neotropical caddisfly subgenus Helicopsyche (Cochliopsyche) (Trichoptera, Helicopsychidae), with descriptions of twelve new species
Authors: JOHANSON KJELL ARNE
Published: February 2012

Johansen, K. A.: Revision of the Neotropical caddisfly subgenus Helicopsyche
(Cochliopsyche) (Trichoptera, Helicopsychidae), with descriptions of twelve new species. Insect Syst.
Evol. 34: 381-414. Copenhagen, December 2003. ISSN 1399-560X.

The subgenus Cochliopsyche Müller, 1885 within the caddisfly genus Helicopsyche von Siebold, 1856 (Insecta, Helicopsychidae) is revised. A comprehensive re-description of the Cochliopsyche adults, as well as an expanded list of probable autapomorphies for this subgenus is included. Males of the four previously described species, H.
(C.) clara (Ulmer, 1905), H.
(C.)
lobata (Flint, 1983), H.
(C.) opalescens (Flint, 1972), and H.
(C.) vazquezae (Flint, 1986) are re-described, and twelve new species are described: H.
(C.) brazilia sp.n., H.
(C.) amica sp.n., H.
(C.) xinguensis sp.n., H.
(C.) chocoensis sp.n., H.
(C.) amazona sp.n., H.
(C.)
napoa sp.n., H.
(C.) blahniki sp.n., H.
(C.) puyoa sp.n., H.
(C.)
pandeirosa sp.n., H.
(C.)
holzenthali sp.n., H.
(C.) ocosingua sp.n., and H.
(C.)
paraguaiensis sp.n.. The female genitalia of clara are described for the first time. Available distributional data shows that Cochliopsyche is endemic to the Neotropical Region, and limited to the area between the central part of Uruguay and southern Mexico. A key to males of the subgenus is given. Maps of distribution are presented for all species.
Place identity and residential satisfaction: Differences between native and immigrant populations
Authors: Ríos M. Luisa , Moreno-Jiménez M. Pilar
Published: February 2012

This research focuses on the concepts of place identity, social identity, residential satisfaction and community participation among immigrant and native populations. Two sample populations were analyzed: 148 Latin Americans and 150 native Spanish residents of Málaga. Comparisons drawn between the groups yielded higher levels of place identity—with the neighbourhood, city and country—, residential satisfaction and community participation among the native population. Immigrants displayed greater place identity and residential satisfaction if they were employed and lived in their own home, in comparison with those renting a property and in unemployment. The length of residence in the neighbourhood affected neighbourhood identity among immigrants, with differences between those who had been living there for the longest and shortest periods of time. Furthermore, in spite of the high levels of neighbourhood identity among the native population, after five years living in the neighbourhood, the differences between natives and immigrants disappeared. In addition, greater place identity was seen to be linked with greater community participation and residential satisfaction.
El papel del espacio en la discriminación del otro. Los exogrupos me parecen menos humanos si están en espacios agradables
Authors: Rodríguez-Pérez Armando , Delgado-Rodríguez Naira , Betancor-Rodríguez Verónica , Ariño-Mateo Eva
Published: February 2012

Los estudios sobre infrahumanizacion han verificado que las personas atribuyen características exclusivamente humanas a su propio grupo al tiempo que restringen esa posibilidad al exogrupo. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar si los contextos físicos agradables y desagradables modifican la pauta de infrahumanización del exogrupo. Para ello se diseñó una tarea de reconocimiento visual de palabras precedida por imágenes en las que se manipulaba el escenario físico sobre el que aparecían fotografías del endogrupo y del exogrupo. Los resultados muestran que hay una mayor asociación entre endogrupo y sentimientos que entre exogrupo y sentimientos cuando el fondo es un espacio agradable. Esta diferencia desaparece cuando se presentan en un espacio físico desagradable. La explicación de los resultados se hace atendiendo a la importancia del espacio físico en la identidad de los grupos.
Validation of a scale assessing psychological restoration associated with sustainable behaviours
Authors: Corral-Verdugo Víctor , Tapia César , García Fernanda , Varela César , Cuen Adriana , Barrón Marisol
Published: February 2012

Grounded in the idea that sustainable actions can be maintained through positive psychological repercussions, the main aim of this study was to demonstrate the hypothesis that people achieve psychological restoration through their sustainable behaviour and that this restoration can be measured through self-reporting measures. A scale was developed to assess the perception of the possible restorative effects of engaging in pro-environmental and pro-social actions. The instrument, administered to one hundred and forty inhabitants of a Mexican city, contained 16 items that measured, as sub-scales, the dimensions of being away, fascination, extent and compatibility which—according to the theory—identify psychological restorative states. Two additional scales were also administered, measuring the self-reporting of pro-environmental and altruistic behaviours. The restoration sub-scales displayed internal consistency, confirmed the expected four-dimensional structure, whilst also facilitating the emergence of a higher-order factor (psychological restoration associated with sustainable practices). The above was taken as evidence of construct convergent validity. Given that this second-order factor significantly correlated with the measures of altruism and pro-environmental behaviour, the results also indicate criterion validity for the instrument tested here. Its use is proposed in studies aimed at demonstrating the positive psychological effects of sustainability.
Características psicométricas de la Escala de Conectividad con la Naturaleza en una muestra universitaria
Authors: Matas-Terrón Antonio , Elósegui-Bandera Eduardo
Published: February 2012

La Conectividad con la Naturaleza se define como la forma en que las personas incluyen a la naturaleza como parte de su propia representación cognitiva. Uno de los instrumentos que mide dicha conexión es la Escala de Conectividad con la Naturaleza de Mayer y Frantz (2004). En este estudio se analizan las propiedades psicométricas, en cuanto a fiabilidad y validez (análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio) de una versión en español de la Escala, en una muestra de 430 estudiantes universitarios. Los resultados obtenidos muestran un factor principal que indicaría el grado de conexión con el entorno natural. Se revisa el propio concepto de conectividad.
Psychometric properties of the Connectedness to Nature Scale tested on a sample of University Students
Authors: Matas-Terrón Antonio , Elósegui-Bandera Eduardo
Published: February 2012

Connectedness to Nature is defined as the extent to which an individual includes nature within his/her cognitive representation of self. The Connectedness to Nature Scale by Mayer and Frantz (2004) measures this concept. This research examines the scale's psychometric properties including the reliability and validity (exploratory and confirmatory) of a Spanish adaptation of the Scale, administered to a sample of 430 university students. The results reveal one principal factor, which indicates the degree of connectedness with the natural environment. The concept of connectedness is also reviewed.
The role of context in the discrimination of others. Outgroups seem less human in pleasant physical contexts
Authors: Rodríguez-Pérez Armando , Delgado-Rodríguez Naira , Betancor-Rodríguez Verónica , Ariño-Mateo Eva
Published: February 2012

Infrahumanization studies have verified that people attribute uniquely human characteristics to their ingroup and restrict this possibility to outgroups. The aim of this study is to determine whether pleasant or unpleasant physical contexts change the norms of outgroup infrahumanization. Therefore, participants were presented a task involving the visual recognition of words preceded by images that were manipulated in terms of the physical context in which ingroup and outgroup pictures appeared. The results show that there is a greater association between ingroup and secondary emotions than between outgroup and secondary emotions when the background is a pleasant context. This difference disappears when they are presented in an unpleasant physical context. These results show the importance of physical contexts in group identity.
Identidad con el lugar y satisfacción residencial: diferencias en población autóctona e inmigrante
Authors: Ríos M. Luisa , Moreno-Jiménez M. Pilar
Published: February 2012

Esta investigación se centra en el estudio de la identidad con el lugar, identidad social, satisfacción residencial y participación comunitaria en inmigrantes y autóctonos. Se consideran dos muestras: 148 latinoamericanos y 150 autóctonos residentes en Málaga. Al comparar los grupos se obtienen mayores niveles en identidad con el lugar—con el barrio, ciudad y país—, satisfacción residencial y participación comunitaria en nativos. Los inmigrantes obtienen mayor identidad con el lugar y satisfacción residencial si están empleados y viven en una vivienda propia respecto a los que viven de alquiler y están desempleados. El tiempo de residencia en el barrio afecta a la identidad con la barriada en inmigrantes, produciéndose diferencias entre los que llevan menos tiempo y los que llevan más. Además, pese a la superioridad autóctona en identidad con el barrio, respecto a la extranjera, a partir de los 5 años de tiempo en el barrio se eliminan las diferencias entre autóctonos e inmigrantes. Así mismo, se observa que una mayor identidad con el lugar se relaciona con mayor participación comunitaria y satisfacción residencial.
Diseño de programas de reciclaje de e-waste considerando las motivaciones del participante: un estudio exploratorio en el estado de México
Authors: Arroyo-López Pilar-Ester
Published: February 2012

El reciclaje de productos electrónicos es una alternativa importante para reducir la acumulación de estos residuos sólidos pero requiere del apoyo de la comunidad para que resulte exitoso. Este trabajo planteó como objetivo identificar el perfil y las motivaciones de los individuos que participaron en un evento pionero de reciclaje de e-waste realizado en la zona metropolitana de la capital del estado de México—estado situado en la zona centro del país y circundante a la ciudad de México—. La información recolectada a través de una encuesta a 117 de los 202 participantes, permitió establecer que el nivel educativo, la preocupación general respecto a los problemas ambientales y la práctica de conductas pro-ambiente son superiores respecto a los no-participantes. En cuanto a sus motivaciones, se concluyó que la influencia de amigos y familiares, un alto compromiso con la comunidad y la disponibilidad de sitios permanentes para el acopio de desechos electrónicos cercanos a su zona de residencia, afectan significativamente la conducta de reciclaje.
A Relationship between Reflectivity and Snow Rate for a High-Altitude S-Band Radar
Authors: Wolfe Jonathan P. , Snider Jefferson R.
Published: February 2012

An important application of radar reflectivity measurements is their interpretation as precipitation intensity. Empirical relationships exist for converting microwave backscatter retrieved from precipitation particles (represented by an equivalent reflectivity factor Ze) to precipitation intensity. The reflectivity–snow-rate relationship has the form Ze = αSβ, where S is a liquid-equivalent snow rate and α and β are fitted coefficients. Substantial uncertainty exists in radar-derived values of snow rate because the reflectivity and intensity associated with snow tend to be smaller than those for rain and because of snow-particle drift between radar and surface detection. Uncertainty in radar-derived snow rate is especially evident at the few available high-altitude sites for which a relationship between reflectivity and snow rate has been developed. Using a new type of precipitation sensor and a National Weather Service radar, this work investigates the Ze–S relationship at a high-altitude site (Cheyenne, Wyoming). The S measurements were made 25 km northwest of the radar on the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains; vertical separation between the radar range gate and the ground was less than 700 m. A meteorological feature of the snowstorms was northeasterly upslope flow of humid air at low levels. The Ze–S data pairs were fitted with β = 2. The finding of this study for Cheyenne, α = 110 mm4 h2 m−3, is bounded by previous determinations made at other high-altitude National Weather Service sites. Also investigated was the temperature dependence of α. A positive α–T relationship is evident and is hypothesized to result from ice crystals produced by heterogeneous ice nucleation, at cloud top, followed by diffusional crystal growth during sedimentation.
Investigation of the Vertical Structure of Warm-Cloud Microphysical Properties Using the Cloud Evolution Diagram, CFODD, Simulated by a Three-Dimensional Spectral Bin Microphysical Model
Authors: Sato Yousuke , Nakajima Takashi Y. , Nakajima Teruyuki
Published: February 2012

This paper investigates the vertical structure of warm-cloud microphysical properties using a three-dimensional (3D) spectral bin microphysical model. A time series of contoured frequency by optical depth diagrams (CFODDs), which were proposed by previous studies, are calculated for the first time by a 3D model assuming two types of aerosol conditions (i.e., polluted and pristine). This contrasts with previous studies that obtained CFODDs using either a two-dimensional model or an accumulation of monthly and global observation data. The results show that the simulated CFODDs are characterized by distinctive patterns of radar reflectivities, similar to the patterns often observed by satellite remote sensing, even though the calculation domain of this study is limited to an area of 30 × 30 km2, whereas the satellite observations are of a global scale. A cloud microphysical box model is then applied to the simulated cloud field at each time step to identify the dominant process for each of the patterns. The results reveal that the wide variety of satellite-observed CFODD patterns can be attributed to different microphysical processes occurring in multiple cloud cells at various stages of the cloud life cycle.
Rainfall-Rate Estimation Using Gaussian Mixture Parameter Estimator: Training and Validation
Authors: Li Zhengzheng , Zhang Yan , Giangrande Scott E.
Published: February 2012

This study develops a Gaussian mixture rainfall-rate estimator (GMRE) for polarimetric radar-based rainfall-rate estimation, following a general framework based on the Gaussian mixture model and Bayes least squares estimation for weather radar–based parameter estimations. The advantages of GMRE are 1) it is a minimum variance unbiased estimator; 2) it is a general estimator applicable to different rain regimes in different regions; and 3) it is flexible and may incorporate/exclude different polarimetric radar variables as inputs. This paper also discusses training the GMRE and the sensitivity of performance to mixture number. A large radar and surface gauge observation dataset collected in central Oklahoma during the multiyear Joint Polarization Experiment (JPOLE) field campaign is used to evaluate the GMRE approach. Results indicate that the GMRE approach can outperform existing polarimetric rainfall techniques optimized for this JPOLE dataset in terms of bias and root-mean-square error.
Early transitions and tertiary enrolment: The cumulative impact of primary and secondary effects on entering university in Germany
Authors: Neugebauer Martin , Schindler Steffen
Published: February 2012

Our aim is to assess how the number of working-class students entering German universities can effectively be increased. Therefore, we estimate the proportion of students from the working class that would successfully enter university if certain policy interventions were in place to eliminate primary effects (performance differentials between social classes) and/or secondary effects (choice differentials net of performance) at different transition points. We extend previous research by analysing the sequence of transitions between elementary school enrolment and university enrolment and by accounting for the impact that manipulations at earlier transitions have on the performance distribution and size of the student ‘risk-set’ at subsequent transitions. To this end, we develop a novel simulation procedure which seeks to find viable solutions to the shortcomings in the German data landscape. Our findings show that interventions are most effective if they take place early in the educational career. Neutralizing secondary effects at the transition to upper secondary school proves to be the single most effective means of increasing participation rates in tertiary education among working-class students. However, this comes at the expense of lower average performance levels.
Self-esteem of academic and vocational students: Does within-school tracking sharpen the difference?
Authors: Houtte Mieke Van , Demanet Jannick , Stevens Peter AJ
Published: February 2012

Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the British and North American context, where the bulk of this kind of research has been carried out, ability grouping commonly occurs within schools. In Flanders – the Dutch-speaking, northern part of Belgium – as in other European countries, there are not only tracks within schools, but schools themselves can be distinguished by the curriculum they offer. This study questions whether students’ global self-esteem is affected differently by processes of within-school tracking (multilateral schools) compared to processes of between-school tracking (categorial schools). Analyses are based on a subsample of the Flemish Educational Assessment, gathered in 2004–2005, encompassing 10 multilateral and 56 categorial schools with 3,758 academic and 2,152 vocational students. Multi-level analyses (HLM6) show that academic students have a significant higher self-esteem than vocational students and this difference is larger in multilateral schools. Academic students in multilateral schools have a slightly higher self-esteem than those in categorial schools. Conceivably, academic students compare themselves with the vocational track students, leading to a higher awareness of status gratification, resulting in a higher self-esteem.
Transformative Mixed Methods
Authors: Mertens Donna M.
Published: February 2012

Researchers committed to furthering social justice face many challenges in aligning their values with their research approaches. The transformative paradigm provides a philosophical framework that focuses on ethics in terms of cultural responsiveness, recognizing those dimensions of diversity that are associated with power differences, building trusting relationships, and developing mixed methods that are conducive to social change. Examples of transformative cyclical mixed methods designs are used to illustrate the methodological implications of this paradigm.
Cancer risks and Native Americans: The ‘Healthy Living In Two Worlds’ study
Authors: Weaver H , Jackson K
Published: February 2012

Objective:

This project collected data on cancer risk factors among urban Native American youth in the northeast to inform development of a prevention initiative.

Design:

Face to face interviews were conducted.

Setting:

Interviews were conducted in homes, at a social service agency, and in a private space at a Native American cultural event in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York.

Methods:

Forty-one youth (ages 9–13) and 17 caregivers were interviewed about their health behaviours.

Results:

Poor dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle places these youth at risk for developing cancer later in life. Many of these youth’s family members and some of their peers smoke, thus exposing them to the temptation to initiate smoking and the effects of second hand smoke.

Conclusion:

This data informed development of a curriculum designed to reduce the cancer risk factors of poor diet, recreational tobacco use, and limited physical activity.
Doing what she thinks is best: Maternal psychological wellbeing and attaining desired work situations
Authors: Holmes Erin Kramer , Erickson Jenet Jacob , Hill E Jeffrey
Published: February 2012

In this study we explore the gap between preferred and actual work situations for mothers of young children. We further examine the effects of not meeting desired work situation preferences on mothers’ depression and parenting stress over time. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care (1141 families) our findings indicate up to 71 percent of mothers in this sample did not achieve their preference. After controlling for marital status, ethnicity, education, income-to-needs, perceived costs of employment, and social support, both intra-individual and inter-individual assessments of the gap between a mother’s ideal and actual employment significantly predicted depression across the first three years of parenthood. Mothers’ employment hours and preferences for employment predicted parenting stress, but social support buffered this effect. We tested preliminary distinctions between maternal under-employment and over-employment and discuss implications for home and work.
Failure prediction in carbon composites subjected to bearing versus bypass loading
Authors: Rosales-Iriarte F , Fellows NA , Durodola JF
Published: February 2012

To lighten structures, many metallic components, such as aircraft wings, are being replaced by composite components. To join these components with the rest of the structure, various joining techniques are used. When using multiple bolted joints, bypass vs. bearing loading is developed around each joint. The ratio of bearing to bypass loading is known to affect the level of load at which failure occurs. There have been many models created to predict failure within composites but very little work has been carried out to investigate how well numerical models predict failure within bolted joints subjected to bearing and bypass loading. In addition, few models have been developed that account for the through thickness stresses that are developed underneath the bearing load. This paper compares a range of failure criteria and degradation models utilizing a three-dimensional model and compares how well they predict failure for bearing vs. bypass loading for a supported-pin-loaded joint.
Preparation and structural evaluation of nano reinforced composites from cellulose whiskers of grass and biodegradable polymer matrix
Authors: Pandey J.K. , Kim C.S. , Chu W.S. , Choi W.Y. , Ahn S.H. , Lee C.S.
Published: February 2012

Biocomposites of polylactic acid with cellulose whiskers from grass were prepared and reinforced with nanolayer-filled ionomer (Surlyn®). Three types of polymer composites were fabricated by filling the whiskers in polylactic acid at 5, 10, and 15% concentration. The analysis of resulting products was conducted by monitoring the functional group variation, crystallinity, and thermal behavior. The addition of clay-filled ionomer appeared to enhance the interfacial adhesion between filler and matrix by chemical and physical bonding. The migration tendency of different components inside silicate layers was also studied where the confinement of host polymer chains occurred between clay platelets, after modification through ionomer.
The Evaluation of English Education Policies
Authors: Machin Stephen , McNally Sandra
Published: February 2012

Educational inequalities are evident even before children start school. Those connected to disadvantage widen out as children progress through the education system and into the labour market. We document various forms of educational inequality. We then review available evidence for England about the impact of school-level policies on achievement and their potential for reducing the socio-economic gap. We discuss evaluation evidence under four main themes: school resources; market incentives; school autonomy; and pedagogical approaches.
The State of Evidence-Based Policy Evaluation and its Role in Policy Formation
Authors: Davies Philip
Published: February 2012

This paper argues that evidence-based policy has clearly made a worldwide impact, at least at the rhetorical and institutional levels, and in terms of analytical activity. The paper then addresses whether or not evidence-based policy evaluation has had an impact on policy formation and public service delivery. The paper uses a model of research-use that suggests that evidence can be used in instrumental, conceptual and symbolic ways. Taking four examples of the use of evidence in the UK over the past decade, this paper argues that evidence can be used instrumentally, conceptually and symbolically in complementary ways at different stages of the policy cycle and under different policy and political circumstances. The fact that evidence is not always used instrumentally, in the sense of “acting on research results in specific, direct ways” (Lavis et al., 2003, p. 228), does not mean that it has little or no influence. The paper ends by considering some of the obstacles to getting research evidence into policy and practice, and how these obstacles might be overcome.
Time-Limited in-Work Benefits in the UK: A Review of Recent Evidence
Authors: Chowdry Haroon
Published: February 2012

This paper reviews three UK-based welfare-to-work programmes featuring time-limited financial incentives to leave out-of-work benefits for employment. The policies considered are (i) the Employment Retention and Advancement demonstration, aimed at lone parents and the long-term unemployed; (ii) In-Work Credit, aimed at lone parents on welfare; (iii) Pathways to Work, aimed at recipients of incapacity benefits. I illustrate the difficulties in extrapolating from specific findings to general policy-relevant conclusions. Finally, I depict the challenge facing evaluators in future and point to the directions in which evaluation will need to develop if it is to contribute more fully to policy-relevant evaluation.
Prospects for the UK Economy
Authors: Kirby Simon
Published: February 2012

The production of this forecast is supported by the Institute's Corporate Members: Bank of England, HM Treasury, Mizuho Research Institute Ltd, the Office for National Statistics, Santander (UK) plc and by the members of the NiGEM users group.
Is There a Place for an Ageing Subject? Stories of Ageing at the University of the Third Age in Poland
Authors: Wilińska Monika
Published: February 2012

The University of the Third Age (U3A) is an organization widely recognized for its achievements in the field of adult education. However, little research to date has addressed the position of the U3A in the context of the societal discourse on ageing. The aim of this study was to examine stories of ageing told by the U3A in Poland and to place these stories within the contemporary discourse of ageing. The study sought to reflect on the role of the U3A in providing an environment that encourages the growth of an ageing subject. The results of this study indicate that rather than resisting ageist discourses, the U3A simply rejects the idea of old age. The U3A characterizes its members as exceptional people who have nothing in common with old people outside of the U3A. Therefore, the U3A plays only a minor role in changing the social circumstances of old people in Poland
Integration of Immigrant Children into Inter- ethnic Friendship Networks: The Role of ‘Intergenerational Openness’
Authors: Windzio Michael
Published: February 2012

Social network data from class-based interviews of N = 257 10-year-old students in N = 4382 directed dyads show that the propensity for being friends is moderately affected by ethnic heterogeneity. However, the likelihood of acquaintanceship among children’s parents is strongly reduced in ethnically heterogeneous dyads. This has been referred to as ‘intergenerational openness’ of networks in the work of J.S. Coleman. It will be shown that intergenerational openness has a strong negative association with mutual invitations to birthday parties, which are assumed to play an important role in the process of cross-generational social integration. Accordingly, intergenerational openness indicates a ‘gap in social integration’ between generations and corresponds negatively with the social integration of immigrant children.
New Perspectives on School Students’ Part-time Work
Authors: Howieson Cathy , McKechnie Jim , Hobbs Sandy , Semple Sheila
Published: February 2012

Most British school students now work part-time but part-time working remains a contested issue, especially in relation to its impact on school performance. This article suggests that the debate needs to be widened and that much of the discussion appears to consider school students’ part-time work as if it were the only source of out-of-school activity that might compete with school work. It aims to contribute to a wider picture by examining the relationship between students’ part-time employment, their educational commitments, social life and family roles and how this varies in respect of gender, ethnicity, social class and location. The findings suggest part-time work is not in itself inimical to educational engagement or to involvement in social and other activities. The article puts forward the idea of the ‘active student’ who not only works part-time but also participates in a range of other activities.
Bodies and Agentic Practice in Young Women’s Sexual and Intimate Relationships
Authors: Maxwell Claire , Aggleton Peter
Published: February 2012

This article contributes to theorizations of agency through a focus on how understandings of power within young women’s sexual and intimate relationships connect with their descriptions of feeling, reacting and sensuous bodies, to suggest why and how agentic practice takes place. Drawing on the narratives of 54 young women aged 16–18 years in one secondary school in England, findings concur with other literature which suggests that sensations experienced on or within the body can instigate (agentic) practice. Significantly, however, both physical and verbal practices are drawn on during agentic moments. Young women who discursively position themselves as ‘powerful’ integrate their bodies within such an understanding, using this integration to shore up the possibilities for agentic practice. Moving away from an understanding of practice as ‘accommodating’ and/or ‘resisting’ norms and inequalities, this article identifies four strategies described by the young women (assertive, refusing, proactive and interrogative) for facilitating more sustained agency.
Calling for Care: ‘Disembodied’ Work, Teleoperators and Older People Living at Home
Authors: Roberts Celia , Mort Maggie , Milligan Christine
Published: February 2012

The provision of ‘distant’ care to older people living at home through telecare technologies is often contrasted negatively to hands-on, face-to-face care: telecare is seen as a loss of care, a dehumanization. Here we challenge this view, arguing that teleoperators in telecare services do provide care to older people, often at significant emotional cost to themselves. Based on a European Commission-funded ethnographic study of two English telecare monitoring centres, we argue that telecare is not ‘disembodied’ work, but a form of care performed through the use of voice, knowledge sharing and emotional labour or self-management. We also show, in distinction to discourses promoting telecare in the UK, that successful telecare relies on the existence of social networks and the availability of hands-on care. Telecare is not a substitute for, or the opposite of, hands-on care but is at its best interwoven with it.
Schizophrenia in young people and the nekrōsis of Christ
Authors: Harvey A. E.
Published: February 2012

This article describes the experience of a priest who has devoted the greater part of his ministry to offering companionship and community to a household of young people suffering from severe mental illness. His own description of their condition (which in due course began to affect his own spiritual state) is in terms of regression to an earlier stage of human evolution; but it has theological resonance in relation to Paul’s account of his own near-death experience in 2 Corinthians.
Deep listening: A call for missionary anthropology
Authors: Rooms Nigel
Published: February 2012

In the current ‘post-Christendom’ era, where the religious conditions call forth a missionary response from the churches, the teaching and development of social anthropology for the purpose of mission in the United Kingdom is encouraged. After defining the field, brief surveys of both historical and current practice are presented along with initial proposals for a curriculum.
People, Race and Place: American Support for Person- and Place-based Urban Policy, 1973–2008
Authors: Manville Michael
Published: February 2012

This article examines an idea that is often asserted but rarely tested: that Americans associate big cities with African Americans and that, as a result, racial attitudes influence support for urban policy. Thirty-five years of public opinion data show that cities are in fact a ‘racialised’ concept, and that the relationship between racial attitudes and support for place-based urban policy is as large as that between racial attitudes and support for person-based assistance to the poor. The sources of these racial associations, however, appear to differ. Attitudes about race and cities correlate more closely with attitudes about crime, while attitudes about race and person-based redistribution correlate more with opposition to residential integration. Lastly, the evidence shows that even Americans who do not hold prejudiced views associate urban problems with African Americans, suggesting that social policy, be it person- or place-based, will always need to contend with racial attitudes.
Safe and Satisfied? External Effects of Homeownership in Rotterdam
Authors: Brounen Dirk , Cox Ruben , Neuteboom Peter
Published: February 2012

The article analyses the impact of homeownership on neighbourhood safety and neighbourhood satisfaction, using a unique panel dataset for the city of Rotterdam. The results show that there are significant, but economically small, effects of homeownership on safety and satisfaction. Moreover, the relation between ownership and satisfaction is significantly moderated by neighbourhood safety. The paper examines whether the marginal impact of increases in homeownership on external effects diminish once ownership levels are higher. According to the data, this seems to be the case. The results are robust to alternative specifications. The findings provide insights for the evaluation of housing market policies that subsidise or stimulate homeownership.
Social Capital and Feelings of Unsafety in Later Life
Authors: De Donder Liesbeth , De Witte Nico , Buffel Tine , Dury Sarah , Verté Dominique
Published: February 2012

The aim of this study was to examine the relation between social capital, defined in terms of social ties, place attachment, and civic participation, and feelings of unsafety in later life. Survey data for 24,962 people aged 60 years and older from 85 municipalities across Belgium provided the empirical evidence for the analysis. The results of the multiple regression analysis reveal that a lack of opportunities for political participation is the most important factor in interpreting feelings of unsafety. In addition, several features of place attachment proved to be associated with feelings of unsafety, such as neighborhood satisfaction and neighborhood involvement. Finally, some recommendations to reduce feelings of unsafety among older people are discussed. The results point to the need to enhance opportunities to give older people a voice in the process of political decision making as an important action in reducing feelings of unsafety.
The Asset and Income Profiles of Residents in Seniors Housing and Care Communities
Authors: Coe Norma B. , Boyle Melissa A.
Published: February 2012

The authors use existing, nationally representative surveys to assess the economic characteristics of individuals in three categories of seniors housing and care facilities: independent living communities (ILCs), assisted living residences (ALRs), and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). The findings highlight the strengths and weaknesses of using the Health and Retirement Study, National Long-Term Care Survey, and Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to describe this segment of the population. The results suggest that residents in ILCs and ALRs have lower average incomes than the average costs of these care communities. Conversely, CCRC residents have higher incomes and more assets than those living in private homes, suggesting that CCRCs attract the wealthiest seniors. However, longitudinal analysis is prohibited by the small sample sizes.
Harmony within the walls: Perceptions of worthiness and competence in a community prison choir
Authors: Cohen Mary L.
Published: February 2012

Based on theories that low self-esteem is related to criminal activity (Oser, 2006) and high self-esteem derives from competence and worthiness (Harter, 1985; Mruk, 2006), this study measured changes in community singers’ attitudes toward prisoners and documented changes in prisoner singers’ perceptions of their social competence. Participants included 22 prisoners and 22 community members over a 12-week choral program in a medium-security Midwest state prison. Community members completed an Attitudes Toward Prisoners Scale (ATPS) before meeting the prisoners and after the group’s concert. All answered open-ended questions summarizing the choir experience. Results indicated a significant difference ( p < .01) between pre- and post-measurements on the community singers’ ATPS. Two categories emerged from the open-ended answers: relationships with others and self-gratification. Five subcategories under relationships with others emerged from prisoner singers’ data: feeling respected, getting along with others, making friends, connecting to something outside prison, and improving family relationships.
Optimism versus pessimism and academic achievement evaluation
Authors: Harpaz-Itay Yifat , Kaniel Shlomo
Published: February 2012

This article integrates three central theories of optimism–pessimism (OP). The combination of the shared components of these theories – outcome expectancies, emotions, and behavioral intention – may produce an integrative academic achievement evaluation. Little has been written regarding the differentiation between general and domain-specific OP, a factor that is essential in describing the evaluation process of academic achievement. In this paper, we will examine this differentiation and discuss how an integrative model of the three theories is strengthened by two domains: (a) heuristic versus systematic processing styles and (b) the level of confidence in the accuracy of evaluating events. The gap between required confidence in high-personal-interest domains and actual confidence in moderate general OP influences systematic processing style and planned behavior. Based on these principles, an intervention program is suggested.
Organizational innovation in small European firms: A multidimensional approach
Authors: Gallego Jorge , Rubalcaba Luis , Hipp Christiane
Published: February 2012

Organizational innovations are often neglected in innovation theory. However, organizational change does have an impact on firm output, first directly and second, through its interrelationship with technical innovation. This article focuses on the second aspect. By means of a multidimensional approach, the results show that organizational innovation is of particular relevance in the case of small firms. New empirical evidence is provided at the European level: the data is taken from 18 countries of the CIS4. The results suggest that, in contrast with large enterprises, small firms show an innovation pattern that complements organizational innovation with expenditure on in-house R&D activities and an intensive use of external knowledge. In contrast with earlier research, a broader analysis of countries and industries has been undertaken to show the transferability of previous country and industry-focused results.
Lending a visible hand
Authors: Gomez Ricardo , Fawcett Phil , Turner Joel
Published: February 2012

This paper describes the role of infomediaries, a particular function of public access computing (PAC) services that extend the reach of information and communication technologies (ICT) in developing countries. Infomediaries help PAC users and other members of the community meet their information needs through formal or informal training, support and service activities that result in better direct or indirect use of ICT resources. Infomediaries help foster digital inclusion and bridge gaps such as illiteracy, limited physical access to a venue, insufficient technology-operation skills, and income constraints. We discuss findings of an in-depth study of PAC in Colombia, South America, conducted by University of Washington researchers and local partners. Combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, we analyze the role of infomediaries in three types of PAC venues: libraries, telecenters and cybercafés. Infomediaries in PAC venues contribute to human development by enabling easier access to (1) information on education, health, government services and other social needs in the community (Social Impact); (2) information about jobs, employment, business opportunities, and agricultural resources (Economic Impact); and (3) information and communication resources to strengthen personal relationships and sense of belonging to a local and global community (Community Impact). This research sheds new light on the importance of the role of formal and informal infomediaries to strengthen the contribution of PAC to human development.