bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil‐pile interaction in vertical vibration
Authors: Nogami T. , Novak M.
Published: March 2007

The interaction between a soil layer and an end bearing pile is theoretically investigated. The pile is assumed to be vertical and elastic, the soil is considered as a linear visco‐elastic layer with hysteretic type damping. The layer alone is solved first and the wave modes of the layer are used in the analysis of the pile response. The pile response to a harmonic load is obtained in a closed form and used to define stiffness and damping at the level of the pile head. The dimensionless parameters of the problem are identified. A parametric study is conducted to determine the main features of the response and of the equivalent stiffness and damping. The validity of equivalent viscous damping is examined. A comparison is made with the simpler plane strain theory used previously and its accuracy is assessed.
Seismic wave effects on soil‐structure interaction
Authors: Scanlan R. H.
Published: March 2007

One of the most common hypotheses implicit in the seismic analyses of structures is that the earthquake input motion is identical at all points beneath the structure. Very little experimental evidence presently is available to supplant this viewpoint. However, one may infer a spatially distributed surface motion of the soil if the earthquake is simply assumed to consist of a complex of surface waves traversing the plan of the structural site.

Under these conditions, as shown in the paper, the effects of passing waves must be integrated over the structural area to obtain their net effects as exciting functions to the structure. When this is done for individual Fourier components of the quake, one important result is the diminution or ‘self‐cancelling’ effect of some inputs, particularly for those waves the wavelengths of which are comparable to the dimensions of the structure, or shorter. Another important effect is the torsional excitation of the structure.

The present paper is not necessarily aimed at replacing present analysis methods but at discussing some of the effects which will inevitably be entrained by the introduction of any information or hypotheses regarding the spatial distribution of earthquake motions. This analysis tends to suggest why higher frequencies are of lesser importance for a structure having a large rigid foundation.
Vertical vibration of rigid bodies with rectangular bases on elastic media
Authors: Awojobi A. O. , Tabiowo P. H.
Published: March 2007

Dual double integral equations completely representing the mixed boundary‐value problem of the vertical vibration of rigid bodies with rectangular bases on semi‐infinite elastic media are exactly formulated for the first time. An exact solution of these equations—even for the static case—is at present formidable, but an approximate solution is given by reducing the pair of dual double integral equations to another pair which shows an approximate relation between the three‐dimensional and axi‐symmetric systems. This new method is used to generate response curves for Poisson's ratio 0.25 and side ratios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, from known results for circular bases, for the dynamic problem. Results obtained by using this technique are in good agreement with experiments in Reference 3 where expanded rubber is used as the elastic medium. The present theory which is applicable for any Poisson's ratio also shows some measure of agreement with the theory of Elorduy et al.4 which is limited, by its numerical nature, to a Poisson's ratio of 0.25.
Earthquake response analysis considering non‐proportional damping
Authors: Clough Ray W. , Mojtahedi Soheil
Published: March 2007

Non‐proportional damping may be defined as a form of linear viscous damping which introduces coupling between the undamped modal co‐ordinate equations of motion. The standard mode superposition method of earthquake response analysis therefore cannot be employed with non‐proportionally damped structures. In this paper, several methods for analysing the dynamic response of non‐proportional damped structures are outlined. It is concluded that the most efficient procedure is to express the response in terms of a truncated set of undamped modal coordinates and to integrate directly the resulting coupled equations. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by a numerical example.
Dynamic response of rigid foundations of arbitrary shape
Authors: Wong H. L. , Luco J. E.
Published: March 2007

An approximate numerical procedure for calculation of the harmonic force‐displacement relationships for a rigid foundation of arbitrary shape placed on an elastic half‐space is presented. This procedure is used to evaluate the vertical, rocking and horizontal compliance functions for rigid rectangular foundations and the vertical compliance for a rigid square foundation with an internal hole. Several comparisons between the results obtained by the proposed approach and other methods are also presented.
Illness perception in eating disorders and psychosocial adaptation
Authors: Marcos Yolanda Quiles , Cantero Ma Carmen Terol , Escobar Cristina Romero , Acosta Gonzalo Pagán
Published: March 2007

Objective

The current study is based on the framework of the Self‐Regulatory Model of Illness (SRM). The aim of this work was to examine perception of illness in eating disorder (ED) patients and investigate whether illness perception is related to psychosocial adaptation in these patients.

Method

A total of 98 female ED patients completed the specific eating disorders Spanish version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ‐R) and a range of adjustment variables including the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD).

Results

ED patients reported a moderate number of physical symptoms, and perceived their illness as controllable, treatable, highly distressing, as a chronic condition and with serious consequences. Emotional representation was the most significant dimension related to emotional adjustment. Illness identity and cure dimensions were the most significant dimensions associated with psychosocial adaptation.

Conclusion

This study shows that patients' illness perceptions are related to illness adaptation. Illness identity was associated with emotional and psychosocial adjustment, and having faith that treatment may control the illness was related to positive benefits for ED. These results suggest that a psychological intervention, which addresses patients' illness representations, may assist in their adjustment to ED. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Microstructure in solid polymers
Authors: Schoon T. G. F.
Published: March 2007

Electron microscopy can only yield information about polymers in the solid state. Preparative methods have been developed which consisted of replica techniques; thin films stained with uranyl acetate, sodium tungstate or phosphotungstic acid; and extraction replicas. Results suggest an ordered sequence of structures from: (i) the stereochemically defined chain molecule which tends to form; (ii) a folded structure to minimise free energy; (iii) a structure which can be resolved in the electron microscope and is roughly spherical in shape‐this structure is dependent on molecular weight up to a certain figure after which it is independent as is a constant for the material; and (iv) aggregates of structure (iii), either in the form of chains resembling a string of pearls or a pile of aggregated spheres.
Effect of hostile environments on adhesive joints: IV. dynamic testing
Authors: Kerr C. , Orman S.
Published: March 2007

A rapid test procedure has been devised for determining the effect of environment on the mechanical properties of polymeric materials and on the strength of adhesive joints. The adverse effect of water on aluminium‐epoxide joints has been confirmed, but the effect has been shown to be due to a stress‐hydrolysis of primary chemical bonds rather than interference with hydrogen bonding. The use of scanning electron microscopy has shown that joints tested in dry conditions fail in adhesion, while those tested in aqueous environments fail within a boundary layer. The presence of high concentrations of an electrolyte retards the ingress of water into an epoxide polymer, and reduces the disruptive effect of water on aluminium‐epoxide joints.
Angular distribution of rayleigh scattering from randomly branched polycondensates
Authors: Kajiwara K. , Burchard W. , Gordon M.
Published: March 2007

The angular dependence of scattered light, P(X), from randomly branched homopolycondensates was calculated by using moment‐generating functions. Analytical expressions could be derived both for Gaussian sub‐chains and for sub‐chains obeying random flight statistics. For small X values (region of scattered visible light), P(X) can be well approximated by Zimm's formula:

which holds for linear (f = 2) and branched polycondensates as well. At large X values (X‐ray small angle scattering), however, strong deviations from the linear Zimm formula appear. The effect of excluded volume alters the mean‐square radius of gyration but has no detectable influence on the shape of the particle scattering factor.
Mechanism of film formation of latices
Authors: Vanderhoff J. W.
Published: March 2007

The following mechanism is proposed for latex film formation. Initially, the latex particles move about freely, with characteristic Brownian motion. As the water evaporates, their motion becomes more restricted, and eventually the water‐air interfacial tension forces them together in a packed array, with their double layers hindering their further mutual approach. The continued evaporation of the water exerts a force to overcome this repulsion, so that the double layers are ‘ruptured’ and a polymer‐polymer contact is formed. This brings the polymer‐water interfacial tension into play, to reinforce and complement the water‐air interfacial tension. If the combined forces are sufficient to deform the polymer spheres, they form a continuous film. This film becomes more homogeneous upon ageing; there occurs a further gradual coalescence, the rate of which depends upon the polymer structure and during which any incompatible substance is exuded to the surface.
Mass transfer and thermodynamic effects in emulsion polymerisation
Authors: Brooks B. W.
Published: March 2007

The course of emulsion polymerisation is shown to depend on the water‐solubility of the monomers concerned. With insoluble monomers, the mass transfer rate of monomer to polymer particles can sometimes be exceeded by the polymerisation rate, and viscosity within the particles is appreciable throughout the course of the reaction. Thus, surfactant is adsorbed before monomer droplets disappear. With more soluble monomers, mass transfer rates of monomer are high and since the equilibrium concentration of polymer in particles is low the monomer droplets disappear early in the reaction. Consequently, water‐insoluble monomers often conform to Smith‐Ewart behaviour, whereas water‐soluble monomers do not. With water‐soluble monomers the final particle number is proportional to the cube of the initial surfactant concentration.
Photochemical degradation of thermoplastics
Authors: Fitton S. L. , Haward R. N. , Williamson G. R.
Published: March 2007

The general mechanism of polymer photodegradation is outlined, and various aspects are then discussed with reference to polyolefins, particularly polyethylene. It is shown that various impurities accelerate degradation and that carbonyl groups play a complex role in the process. Polyolefins can be stabilised against photodegradation by incorporation of suitable u.v. stabilisers or pigments, and the principles involved, including the synergism between u.v. stabilisers and antioxidants, are discussed.
High‐pressure trimerisation of aromatic nitriles
Authors: Bartlett R. K. , O'neill G. , Savill N. G. , Thomas S. L. S. , Wall W. F.
Published: March 2007

The conversion of benzonitrile to triphenyl‐s‐triazine by heating under high pressure is promoted by ammonia and, more advantageously, by benzamidine. Extension of the reaction to suitable aromatic dinitriles produces crosslinked resins of considerable thermal stability and good mechanical properties, but the slowness of the polymerisation reduces its potential technological usefulness.
C'était François Mitterrand
Authors: Laberge Yves
Published: March 2007

C'était François Mitterrand,, Jacques
Attali,, Paris, Éditions Fayard, Collection : Documents Fayard,
2005, 446 p.

Rien qu'en France, plus d'une centaine de livres ont
été publiés sur la présidence de
François Mitterrand (1916–1996), et plusieurs biographies
sont parues autour de 2006 pour souligner le dixième anniversaire
de sa mort. Toutefois, parmi ces multiples références, le
présent ouvrage mérite une attention toute
particulière. Auteur d'une quarantaine de livres,
principalement des essais rigoureux et des romans, Jacques Attali a aussi
été le plus proche conseiller du président
François Mitterrand, non seulement durant ses deux septennats (soit
entre 1981 et 1995), mais dès 1974, lorsque ce dernier était
déjà candidat socialiste aux élections
présidentielles. Les deux hommes se sont côtoyés,
presque quotidiennement, durant une vingtaine d'années. Cet
ouvrage, le quatrième que Jacques Attali consacre à
l'ancien président français, est à la fois un
portrait, une biographie partielle, une suite de souvenirs très
précis et une critique déchirante à propos d'un
homme jugé admirable – mais au passé obscur et
secret.
Shaping the Future: Nietzsche's New Regime of the Soul and Its
Ascetic Practices
Authors: Lampert Laurence
Published: March 2007

Shaping the Future: Nietzsche's New Regime of the Soul and
Its Ascetic Practices, Horst Hutter, Lanham MD: Lexington Books,
2006, pp. xvii, 222.

Everyone interested in Nietzsche should read this book. Long pondered
and passionately argued, its devotion to Nietzsche and Nietzsche's
texts results in a Nietzsche worthy of our closest attention yet
ill-treated by standard academic approaches. Basic to Hutter's
reading of Nietzsche is his recognition, against the grain today, that
here is a philosopher, a human singularity, yes, a wise man, who commands
our attention because he has achieved an understanding of the human past
and present that enables him to take responsibility for the human
future.
Retribution and Reparation in the Transition to Democracy
Authors: Quinn Joanna R.
Published: March 2007

Retribution and Reparation in the Transition to Democracy,
Jon Elster, ed., New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. 341.

Retribution and Reparation in the Transition to Democracy is
a useful addition to the burgeoning scholastic field of transitional
justice. The essays in the book are authored by several well-known and
other lesser-known scholars, including Luc Huyse, Claus Offe and Alex
Boraine. Collectively, the essays tackle two of the major themes of
transitional justice: retribution and reparation.
Linguistic support for concept selection decisions
Authors: DELIN J. , SHAROFF S. , LILLFORD S. , BARNES C.
Published: March 2007

Affective engineering is being increasingly used to describe a systematic approach to the analysis of consumer reactions to candidate designs. It has evolved from Kansei engineering, which has reported improvements in products such as cars, electronics, and food. The method includes a semantic differential experiment rating candidate designs against bipolar adjectives (e.g., attractive–not attractive, traditional–not traditional). The results are statistically analyzed to identify correlations between design features and consumer reactions to inform future product developments. A number of key challenges emerge from this process. Clearly, suitable designs must be available to cover all design possibilities. However, it is also paramount that the best adjectives are used to reflect the judgments that participants might want to make. The current adjective selection process is unsystematic, and could potentially miss key concepts. Poor adjective choices can result in problems such as misinterpretation of an experimental question, clustering of results around a particular response, and participants' confusion from unfamiliar adjectives that can be difficult to consider in the required context (e.g., is this wristwatch “oppressive”?). This paper describes an artificial intelligence supported process that ensures adjectives with appropriate levels of precision and recall are developed and presented to participants (and thus addressing problems above) in an affective engineering study in the context of branded consumer goods. We illustrate our description of the entire concept expansion and reduction process by means of an industrial case study in which participants were asked to evaluate different designs of packaging for a laundry product. The paper concludes by describing the important advantages that can be gained by the new approach in comparison with previous approaches to the selection of consumer focused adjectives.
Ontology-based design information extraction and retrieval
Authors: LI ZHANJUN , RAMANI KARTHIK
Published: March 2007

Because of the increasing complexity of products and the design process, as well as the popularity of computer-aided documentation tools, the number of electronic and textual design documents being generated has exploded. The availability of such extensive document resources has created new challenges and opportunities for research. These include improving design information retrieval to achieve a more coherent environment for design exploration, learning, and reuse. One critical issue is related to the construction of a structured representation for indexing design documents that record engineers' ideas and reasoning processes for a specific design. This representation should explicitly and accurately capture the important design concepts as well as the relationships between these concepts so that engineers can locate their documents of interest with less effort. For design information retrieval, we propose to use shallow natural language processing and domain-specific design ontology to automatically construct a structured and semantics-based representation from unstructured design documents. The design concepts and relationships of the representation are recognized from the document based on the identified linguistic patterns. The recognized concepts and relationships are joined to form a concept graph. The integration of these concept graphs builds an application-specific design ontology, which can be seen as the structured representation of the content of the corporate document repository, as well as an automatically populated knowledge base from previous designs. To improve the performance of design information retrieval, we have developed ontology-based query processing, where users' requests are interpreted based on their domain-specific meanings. Our approach contrasts with the traditionally used keyword-based search. An experiment to test the retrieval performance is conducted by using the design documents from a product design scenario. The results demonstrate that our method outperforms the keyword-based search techniques. This research contributes to the development and use of engineering ontology for design information retrieval.
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE J-CURVE
Authors: CARDI OLIVIER
Published: March 2007

Most of empirical studies find evidence of the J-Curve, but recent results cast doubt over its standard explanation. By addressing the countercyclicality of the current account and its dynamic link with the terms of trade, this paper revisits the J-Curve phenomenon using a two-good dynamic optimizing small open economy model allowing for a habit-forming behavior and capital adjustment costs. While the nonmonotonic adjustment of the current account relies on the degree of habit persistence in consumption and the magnitude of capital installation costs after an unanticipated terms of trade worsening, we show that the sizes of the long-run intertemporal elasticity of substitution under time nonseparable preferences and the import content of real consumption and investment matter as well after a temporary perturbation. As a consequence of an intertemporal speculation effect and an inertia effect, the small country reaches the long-term equilibrium with higher foreign assets after a short-lived terms of trade worsening.
Vampire bat reproductive control by a naturally occurring phytooestrogen
Authors: Serrano Hector , Pérez-Rivero Juan-José , Aguilar-Setién Alvaro , de-Paz Octavio , Villa-Godoy Alejandro
Published: March 2007

Rabies transmission by wild animals has not being controlled satisfactorily. One major rabies vector to humans and cattle is the hematophagus vampire bat Desmodus rotundus whose distribution is still increasing in the Americas. Of all of the strategies currently in place to control this vector, none of them are really specific and some have ecological impacts. In the present study we used a naturally occurring phytooestrogen on a small vampire bat colony. After collection, bats were fed bovine blood containing 200 μg coumestrol for a 30-day period. After treatment, gonads were excised and processed for histological evaluation. Data indicate that coumestrol adversely affects gonad histology and has a possible impact on the fertility of both male and female vampire bats.
Relationships between timing of syngamy, female age and implantation potential in human invitro-fertilised oocytes
Authors: Lawler Celine , Baker H. W. Gordon , Edgar David H.
Published: March 2007

Although early developmental markers are frequently used to select embryos for transfer in human assisted reproduction, their value as independent predictors of outcome is often unclear. In this study, the value of using early syngamy and first cleavage as predictors of implantation potential of Day 2 embryos was investigated by examining their interrelationships with subsequent development, female age and implantation. Implantation rates were higher when syngamy occurred before 23–24 h post insemination even when all embryos analysed were transferred 42 h post insemination at the 4-cell stage (25.8 v. 11.9% for the later syngamy group; P < 0.01). Although there was a significant (r = 0.682; P < 0.001) relationship between earlier entry into syngamy and female age, earlier syngamy was still associated with a significantly higher implantation rate in Day 2 embryos with four blastomeres in women under 36 years of age (31.4 v. 15.4% for the later syngamy group; P < 0.05). The ability of timing of syngamy to predict implantation independent of other variables was confirmed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Although related to both subsequent embryo development and female age, early entry into syngamy is a predictor of implantation potential independent of both correlates in human Day 2 in vitro-fertilised embryos.
Syntheses and Characterisation of Gd3Al5O12 and La3Al5O12 Garnets
Authors: Garskaite Edita , Dubnikova Natalija , Katelnikovas Arturas , Pinkas Jiří , Kareiva Aivaras
Published: March 2007

A sol-gel method based on in situ generation of mixed-metal chelates by complexing metal ions with ethane-1,2-diol in aqueous media has been elaborated to prepare lanthanide-ion containing garnets, Gd3Al5O12 (GAG) and La3Al5O12 (LAG). XRD patterns of the powders sintered at 1 000 °C revealed the formation of monophasic GAG. However, LAG does not form under the same experimental conditions. The phase composition of the samples was characterised by IR spectroscopy. Microstructural features of the polycrystalline garnets were studied by SEM.
Between Private and Public International Law: Exorbitant Jurisdiction as Illustrated by the Yukos Case
Authors: Moss Giuditta Cordero
Published: March 2007

The article analyses one specific aspect of the long and complicated proceedings in which the Russian oil company Yukos was involved: the question of jurisdiction relating to the application that Yukos made to a court in Houston, Texas, to open bankruptcy proceedings under chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code and thus grant protection against the creditors to permit restructuring of the company. Yukos being a Russian company burdened by massive debt connected with taxes owed to the Russian authorities, and virtually the totality of its as-sets being located on Russian territory, the first question that arises is how it is possible for a court in the United States to have jurisdiction in this case. This article examines the question of extraterritorial jurisdiction in civil cases, from the point of view of both private and public international law.
Rational Solidarity and Functional Differentiation
Authors: Hagen Roar
Published: March 2007

The article is based on the idea that the problem of unity or integration of modern society has not yet been solved in sociological theory. The paper attempts a new solution based on a creative synthesis of elements from Talcott Parsons' functionalism, rational choice theory, and Niklas Luhmann's new systems theory. The core idea is that the state and the political sphere work together as an integrating centre of modern societies. Present approaches understand the political allocation of resources either as an exchange process or as solidarity caused by internalized social norms. None of them embodies a concept of collective rationality: therefore they cannot give a dynamic account of the public allocation of collective goods. This dichotomy of individual rationality and norm-guided behaviour will be produced and reproduced on the level of general theory in the discussion on the problem of order or collective action as long as sociology is founded on the assumption that society is made up of individual human beings and their actions. However, by replacing action with Luhmann's concept of communication and rethinking collective action within this new framework, it becomes possible to develop a concept of collective rationality. This new conceptualization is used to clear up problems and overcome shortcomings in Luhmann's own theory of modern society as functionally differentiated. Observed as a consequence of action, function is collective action. A solution to the problem of collective action or social order is found with the emergence of rational solidarity as a medium that symbolizes the difference between individual and collective rationality as a unity: one should sacrifice individual opportunities to achieve collective goals and solve problems for the society to which one belongs.
Equality of Educational Opportunity in an Expanding Educational System
Authors: Sørensen Aage Bøttger
Published: March 2007

In this paper educational careers are conceptualized as a function of the educational structure and a set of individual characteristics that comprise an individual's educational potential. Social inequality of education is defined in terms of the relationship between social origin and educational potential. Using this definition, it is shown that despite a marked increase in the number of students attaining higher education in Denmark, no change occurred in the social inequality of education. The relationship between social origin and educational potential is inferred by applying a stochastic process model in which the educational potential is assumed to govern the outcome.
A Structural Theory of Social Exchange
Authors: Burns Thomas
Published: March 2007

A theory is formulated with which to analyze transactions in social retationships Economic types of exchange characterized by calculation and self-interest on the part of the actors are contrasted with more "social" forms of transaction such as occur in the cases of role relationships with interlocking rights and obligations and persons strongly attached to one another. The social factors and conditions determining the types of transaction likely to occur between actors are examined in the paper. The key idea in this respect is that the structural and temporal context of interaction, including the past and anticipated character of their relationship, affects actors' orientations toward one another, their preferences, decisions and interaction patterns.
On the Problems of Developing Educational Indicators
Authors: Olkinuora Erkki
Published: March 2007

The article examines the problems which arise in the planning and constructing of educational indicator systems in the light of literature concerning social indicators and the experience obtained so far in the project of educational indicators at the Institute for Lducatlonal Research, at the University of Jyvaskyla. The problems have been divided into those dealing with frames of reference, methodology, practical construction of indicators, and political implications. After discussing some general views on frames of reference, a preliminary frame of reference is presented as an attempt to approach the problem. After this, methodmal and practical problems are analyzed in the light of the framework. Finally, some problems connected with the political aspects of indicators are discussed from a general viewpoint.
How sex roles are represented, reflected and conserved in the Norwegian Language
Authors: Blakar Rolv Mikkel
Published: March 2007

As an example of the complicated "language - social reality" relationship, the representation of the sex roles (social reality) in Norwegian (language), is analysed. The main part is devoted to an analysis of "social realities" im plied by the words "mann" (man) and "kvinne" (woman). Various tech niques, varying from dictionaries via word associations to sentence comple tion tasks, were applied in this analysis. The analysis unequivocally re vealed that the perspective(s) and interest(s) represented and expressed in the Norwegian Language, is that of the man at the woman's expense. Taking this analysis as a point of departure, it is shown; (a) How the language resists social change of the type that the women's liberation movement represents, and (b) how our male dominated society is transferred to new generations via the language. Finally, (c) strategies for how language may be changed into a possible ally of the women's liberation movement, are outlined.- Theoretically, the analysis is an illustration of (1) the subtle two-way inter action between language and social reality, and (2) the fact that whenever possibly divergent or rival interests and perspectives may be represented and expressed in the language, the interests and perspectives of the one in power (in our case the man) will dominate at the expence of the weaker one (in our case the woman).
The Immigrants and the Crisis
Authors: Schierup Carl-Ulrik
Published: March 2007

The present economic crisis manifests itself in rising unemployment rates. All over Western Europe immigrants have been hit the hardest by unem ployment. Unemployment is especially pronounced among immigrant youth - 'the second generation' This presents a senous threat to the efforts to integrate immigrants into the Western European societies. A crisis of 'integration policy' will be intrinsically connected to a more general crisis: the crisis of 'the welfare state' facing global restructuring of capitalism and the changing political scene in Western Europe.

The article will draw a general sketch of the restructunng of the industrial system of Western Europe, the impact of this on the migratory system, and on the employment perspectives of immigrants The attempts to formulate policies of 'integration' will be discussed from this perspective. In connection with this, I will also address the issue of whether one can talk about conscious attempts to educate 'the second generation' to be a 'future underclass' of Western Europe.'
Towards Increasing Labour Market Flexibility
Authors: Furaker Bengt
Published: March 2007

Since 1984 the local authority in Pitea in northern Sweden has facilitated leave of absence and part-time retirement among its employees. The purpose behind this new policy was to set more jobs free for others to be recruited to It was assumed that the number of replacements would increase through this kind of voluntary reduction of work In the present article some of the results of the Pitea experiment are described The number of cases of granted leave of absence and part-time retirement rose considerably in 1984 compared to the year before The experiment also led to a clear augmentation of vacancies filled by replacements The estimated difference corresponds to at least 22 full-time jobs lasting for a year This means a little less than one and a half per cent of the municipal work force counted in full-time employees At the end of the article two issues are briefly discussed, the consequences of increased labour market flexibility for women and the possibility of drawing general conclusions from the Pitea experience
Power, Prestige, Profit: AIDS and the Oppression of Homosexual People
Authors: Grönfors Martti , Stalström Olli
Published: March 2007

Scientific discussion about homosexuality is often a mixture of science, myth, religion, politics and emotion. Homosexual behaviour has been variously defined as sick, criminally deviant and heathen, its participants in need of punishment, cure and control In the 1980s, with the appearance of the deadly AIDS virus, this overt and covert hostility has gained new impetus. Not only are gays a threat to a multitude of 'decent' values in society, they are also a threat to the 'decent' members of society. Alongside control-talk the new virus has provided a challenge to the medical profession. Careers and monetary gain can be made out of AIDS The news media received its cut by exploiting public curiosity and fear and by satisfying the need for villains and heros, entering and feeding the general rush for emotion, using and being used, all for profit Struggle for expertise means defining out the perceived competition and alternative viewpoints. An attempt by the medical profession to define the AIDS issue as a medical problem has, above all, to do with power, prestige and especially profit. In the middle of all these secondary issues, those suffering from AIDS or fearing it, tend to be forgotten.
Review Essay : Alvin Gouldner - The Last Works
Authors: Eyerman Ron
Published: March 2007

The Dialectic of Ideology and Technology (1976) ; The Future of Intellectuals and the Rise of the New Class (1979) ; The Two Marxisms (1980); Against Fragmentation: The Origins of Marxism and the Sociology of Intellectuals (1985)
Rethinking Childhood
Authors: Alanen Leena
Published: March 2007

The study of children is either totally absent in sociology or is treated within very limited contexts which are considered marginal for sociological theory and research. The paper aims at examining why there is no sociology of childhood and what kind of sociological rethinking is needed to bnng children into sociology. First, the conventional approach in child-related themes- recognized as 'socialization' - is discussed. Secondly, sociological notions of the family' are taken up and criticized on the basis of the feminist project of deconstructing the family. Finally, childhood is considered as a social construct and some demands for research on children and childhood are developed that may help to avoid the long-held and unnecessanly limiting views on these topics and make way for the emergence of a sociology of childhood.
Work Hazards and Safety Organization in the Third World
Authors: Wangel Arne
Published: March 2007

The research project on 'The Functioning of the Safety Organization in the Metal Industries in Malaysia' studies the prospects for as well as the restric tion, on the improvement of the working environment through activities at the enterprise level in a Third World industrializing country. This rather neglected aspect of the transfer of technology is analysed in a comparative perspective In contrast to the dominant perspective in Scandinavian research the Malaysian case will emphasize the interrelationship between trends in the socio-political setting on the national level, and the scope for health and safety activities at the enterprise level The four areas of analysis include: the formation ot the conceptual framework in the employees' understanding ot the working environment, the socio-political framework on the national level for labour-management relations, the social organization in the factory and the climate of cooperation between labour and management, and the access to resources of know-how on work hazards and preventive measures. During the current explorative phase ot the project the common notion of workers in Third World countries displaying a low level of consciousness about work hazards has been challenged.
Sociology of Health in Finland: Fighting an Uphill Battle?
Authors: Palosuo Hannele , Rahkonen Ossi
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses one of the paradoxes of the sociology of health in Finland. On the one hand sociological health research has expanded con siderably over the past few decades, during which time there have been a number of changes in the field of health care the growth of a nation-wide network of health centres, the development and increasing application of medical technology, tendencies towards privatization and concentration, increasing costs of health care, changes in morbidity, and so on. These developments have given rise to a host of new problems which necessitate a social-scientific approach in research and also sociological training for health personnel. On the other hand, within medical faculties there has been growing opposition to sociological health research and education The paper describes the main features of the sociology of health, the development of the discipline's institutional status, and its relationship to medicine both in countries where the discipline has a strong footing (the United States and Great Britain) and in Finland In spite of the different circumstances and historical backgrounds, the difficulties, encountered by the sociology of health tend to be rather similar in different countries The development of the sociology of health in Finland is discussed from the point of view of both research and education.
Literature and Interpretative Communities - Literary Communication: On Relevant Concepts and Empirical Applications in Finland
Authors: Eskola Katarina
Published: March 2007

The interaction between a literary text and its readers is controlled by a variety of commercial, cultural and other factors. In literary communication, that which is aesthetically mediated enters the practical world of moral values or knowledge. Depending on the point of view adopted, we speak of the 'consumption', the 'use', or 'the reception' of literary works and their message The article discusses both the relevant concepts of literary com municatton and their empirical applications in Finland. The main focus is on studies that have shed light on the themes connected with the concept of intepretative community' Research findings concerning the temporal meaning shifts of literary works as well as the cultural differences on the reception of literature are referred to.
The Bigger the Better?
Authors: Kangas Olli
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is twofold First, focusing on sickness insurance programs in eighteen OECD countries, the article seeks to answer whether higher spending levels also are associated with higher quality of the benefits being provided The answer to this question is partly positive: there is a tendency that bigger also is better Second, by using pooled cross-sectional data for 1960-85, the study explores if the distinction between spending levels and 'social rights' makes a difference when analyzing the determinants of welfare state growth. The study demonstrates that the choice of dependent variable considerably affects the results. Estimates pertaining to various political factors are particularly sensitive to the choice of dependent variable In the case of benefit levels, political factors appear important, whereas when analyzing spending rates, their impact appears to be negligible. This finding may explain the many inconsistent results in recent research on the growth of the welfare state
The Dilemmas of Social Democracies: The Case of Norway and Sweden
Authors: Hernes Gudmund
Published: March 2007

During the last couple of decades the political landscape in Norway and Sweden has changed considerably and tensions between the social democratic parties and the trade unions have emerged In this article potential sources for these developments are discussed Particular attention is given to the role of the labor market. It is argued that increasing segmentation of the labor market has produced a more diverse organizational and institutional structure which in turn has fragmented the working class and introduced new lines of social cleavage into the political system.
Public Policy as the Fuel of Fertility: Effects of a Policy Reform on the Pace of Childbearing in Sweden in the 1980s
Authors: Hoem Jan M.
Published: March 2007

In 1980, Sweden made a 'speed premium' on childbearing statutory by letting parents retain the parental leave benefits paid after the birth of one child until after the next birth if it arnved within two years; in 1986 this eligibility interval was extended to thirty months. For longer birth intervals, benefit rights must be re-established by earning a work-related income. During a period of a general rise in fertility in Sweden, parents reacted by increasing their fertility particularly strongly before the end of the eligibility interval. This paper displays these developments It is a rare demonstration of a direct causal effect of a policy reform on demographic behavior. The general development of fertility levels at the various birth orders has some independent interest and is presented as a background.
Firm Internal Labor Markets and Organizational Commitment in Norway and the United States
Authors: Kalleberg Arne L. , Mastekaasa Arne
Published: March 2007

This paper examines how and why firm internal labor markets (FILMs) are related to employees' organizational commitment (OC) Membership in a FILM might be expected to enhance one's OC for several reasons: FILMs are assumed to be associated with greater promotion opportunities, earnings, firm-specific skills, and autonomy; and less likely to be related to unionization. We measure these concepts and examine their role in linking FILMs and OC Our analysis is based on two nationally representative samples of employees and work organizations in Norway and the United States We find that FILMs are only weakly related or unrelated to OC in both Norway and the United States.
Competence versus Care? Gender and Caring Work Revisited
Authors: Davies Celia
Published: March 2007

Feminist scholarship and campaigning have been notably successful in recent years in putting the concept of the unpaid carer onto the public agenda. The caring that women do as a feature of paid work, however, has proved a more intractable topic. This paper argues that masculinist visions gender the concepts of bureaucracy and profession, dichotomizing competence and care, and masking both the reality and the potential of public carework. The paper proposes a distinction between caregiving, carework and professional care. It then develops an analysis of professional care by reference to a recent campaign by the leading nurses' organization in the UK, seeking to highlight the worth of nursing work. It notes that the carework discussion has barely any echo in the debate about the 'new managerialism' in the public sector and argues that a critical understanding of the centrality of binary gendered thought is crucial to a constructive critique of today's emphasis on bringing health care into the market-place.
Review Essay : Prospect of a Decline in Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of the Recent Debate
Authors: Jensen An-Magritt
Published: March 2007

This essay focuses on two main approaches to understanding 'the population problem' in developing countries: the demand and the supply approach to family planning. While fertility is declining in most regions of the world, having a large number of children is still common in many African countries. An essential question in the population debate is whether the high fertility is demanded, or is rather a result of low availability of family planning services. In this article, the issue is illustrated by the case of Kenya, one of the few African countries where fertility has started to decline. What role has family planning played in this development, and what are the future prospects?
In Science We Trust? On the Relation Between Scientific Knowledge, Risk Consciousness and Public Trust
Authors: Lidskog Rolf
Published: March 2007

Characteristic of present-day risks is their increasing remoteness from lay people's perception and that scientific knowledge is required to gain knowledge of them. Science can thus be seen as the primary institution entrusted with knowledge claims about risks. However, contrary to this, people in many cases seem to ignore certain environmental risks despite the existence of scientific evidence that an activity or event constitutes a risk to human health. This article critically discusses the role of scientific knowledge and experts in trust-building, and investigates factors of importance for the creation of risk consciousness as well as trust. Attitudes of trust are usually incorporated in day-to-day activities, and in many cases trust is not caused by a conscious act of commitment. Thus when experts call for drastic changes in everyday life to avoid risk exposure, people may choose to ignore the recommendations to the advantage of their routine organizing and monitoring of everyday life.
The Education Backlash Hypothesis: The Norwegian Experience 1960-92
Authors: Lindbekk Tore
Published: March 2007

The paper surveys recruitment changes in Norwegian education from the 1960s to 1990. The impact of educational background did not diminish during the period. However, that of occupational class receded. The earlier conclusion from several Western countries, that educational equalization stopped after 1960, therefore, does not apply to Norway. However, the particularly large expansion in higher education after 1990 produced an equalization setback. Educational careers in this paper were studied on the basis of a 6 per cent sample of the population born 1954 to 1970. Background data from the 1970 and 1980 censuses were matched with attainment data from the NOS' Educational Registry Data (based upon the annual reports from individual schools). Educational attainment until age 27 was studied for the cohorts born 1954-55 and 1964-65.
Do Trade Unions Have a Future? The Case of Denmark
Authors: Bild Tage , Jørgensen Henning , Lassen Morten , Madsen Morten
Published: March 2007

This article analyses union membership among members of the Danish Trade Union Congress (LO). In contrast to most studies about union futures, it takes a subjective membership perspective by drawing empirically on an original database established by the authors. First, we show that there exists a widespread commitment to the union parallel with a very strong connection to the firm. The values of members are highly individualized, favouring non-material needs and interests and strongly supporting the public welfare system.

Secondly, solidarity has changed; it has certainly not disappeared, but, in line with the trends of decentralization of the negotiation system, it has become more oriented towards the narrow relations in the workplace and at the local society level. The thesis of everyday solidarity seems to be confirmed.

The relatively strong membership commitment is offset by abundant criticism of the union leaders who, in the eyes of the members, are primarily running an apparatus more than they are providing activities in which the members can involve themselves and take part democratically.

The final judgement is that the unions in Denmark have a future if they articulate and negotiate the interests of their members. This future seems highly conditional upon sensitive listening on the part of the leaders. In creating a fundament for formulating policies, they must hear what members think and want and they must use democratic decision-making procedures congruent with the integrity of their members. Contingent on these measures, unions probably have a good opportunity to survive and develop in a post-industrial society dominated by rules and norms of 'service capitalism'.