bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
When Is a Change Big Enough to Be a System Shift? Small System‐shifting Changes in German and Finnish Pension Policies
Authors: Hinrichs Karl , Kangas Olli 
Published: October 2003

Abstract In the wake of Esping‐Andersen's and Pierson's landmark publications, comparative welfare state research has revolved around the retrenchment of social policy and the transformation of welfare state regimes. One of the chief problems of these studies is the treatment of time. Very often, changes are incremental and their real impacts are not immediately visible but take years or even decades before the consequences fully materialize. The purpose of this paper is to discuss those incremental processes—that consist of series of smaller “not‐system‐shifting changes”—which may gradually change central features of a welfare state. Pension programmes, spanning long time periods, provide a good example. Only in some rare cases were pension schemes reformed in one step and in such a way that one can definitely ascertain a system shift. Most changes, however, are gradual, and recurrently enacted minor adjustments seem to leave the basic principles of the scheme intact. In this paper pension reform policies in Germany and Finland will be used to answer the question of when a change is big enough to be labelled as a system shift. It is argued that small “not‐system‐shifting” changes of the last two decades will eventually alter the basic characteristics of old‐age security in both countries.
Organizational Restructuring in European Health Systems: The Role of Primary Care
Authors: Rico Ana , Saltman Richard B. , Boerma Wienke G. W. 
Published: October 2003

Abstract The main goal of this paper is to review the strategies developed across European health care systems during the 1990s to improve coordination among health care providers. A second goal is to provide some analytical insights in two fields. On the one hand, we attempt to clarify the relationships between pro‐coordination strategies and organizational change in health care. Our main conclusion is that the specific features of health care impede the operation of either market or hierarchical coordination mechanisms. These can, however, be selectively successful if applied as levers to promote the role and impact of the pro‐cooperative coordination strategies which are ultimately required to foster adequate inter‐professional and inter‐organizational coordination. On the other hand, we try to cast some light on the ongoing debate on convergence versus path dependency within the broader field of welfare state reform. Evidence on pro‐coordination reforms in health care apparently supports some insights from previous work on the centrality of the socio‐political structure to account for varying patterns of selective path dependency across countries. In particular, the informal power resources of specialist physicians vis‐à‐vis primary care professionals and the state are critical to explain the different rhythm and fate of pro‐coordination reforms across Europe. Against received wisdom, the evidence examined suggests that selective path dependency might apparently be compatible with a general trend towards convergence understood as hybridization.
The Uncertain Convergence of Disability Policies in Western Europe
Authors: Hvinden Björn 
Published: October 2003

Abstract In the last decades disability has emerged as a key area for European social policy. So far there have been few indications of a general trend towards greater similarity in the disability policies of member states. This paper argues that attempts to promote common approaches and patterns of effort between member states are more likely to succeed in “vacant” sub‐areas of disability policy than in more “crowded” ones. Existing redistributive provisions within income maintenance, employment and independent living are examples of crowded sub‐areas. By contrast, the emerging anti‐discrimination legislation and other forms of market regulation recently introduced by the EU may point towards more vacant policy areas within member states.
Mending Nets in the South: Anti‐poverty Policies in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain
Authors: Matsaganis Manos , Ferrera Maurizio , Capucha Luís , Moreno Luis 
Published: October 2003

Abstract The marginal role of social assistance and the absence of minimum income programmes have long been thought to constitute defining characteristics of the southern European model of welfare. Nevertheless, over the 1990s significant innovations in this field have taken place. The paper aims to contribute to the analysis of recent developments by critically examining the experience of anti‐poverty policies in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. It is argued that the “patchiness” of safety nets in southern Europe is due to a unique set of constraints, the most relevant of which are the role of families and the “softness” of state institutions. A review of national profiles reveals that new policies introduced in all four countries mark progress towards redressing some of the historical imbalances of that welfare model. In particular, fully fledged minimum income schemes now operate in Portugal and in certain Spanish regions, while an experiment involving a number of Italian municipalities is still in progress. In spite of this, the paper concludes that social safety nets in southern Europe remain frail in terms of institutional design as well as political support and legitimacy.
‘Waking up to the Fact that there are any Unemployed’: Women, Unemployment and the Domestic Solution in Britain, 1918–1939
Authors: Laybourn Keith 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThis article examines unemployment among married women within the context of evolving government policy rather than from a gender or feminist perspective. It establishes how, during the inter‐war years, government policy towards women's unemployment developed in line with the ideas of female‐dominated voluntary bodies and was only of fringe interest to the state. In particular, it stresses that a small number of middle‐class women shaped official attitudes towards unemployed women through their activities in voluntary bodies, particularly the Central Committee on Women's Training and Employment, as well as their own rise in public service. This group operated within an environment that accepted women to be dispensable as a source of labour and where many female activists felt that women on unemployment benefit should train to be domestic servants, despite the fact that many of those women did not normally want domestic work because it was badly paid, of low status and uninsured. During the inter‐war years governments relied heavily upon voluntary bodies to ‘fill the gaps’ in state welfare provision in their fringe areas of interest such as women's unemployment. In this instance, however, the voluntary bodies failed to assess or tackle the problem effectively.
Growing cohesive communities one favour at a time: social exclusion, active citizenship and time banks
Authors: Seyfang Gill 
Published: October 2003

Community currencies have been put forward as a grassroots tool to promote social inclusion through community self‐help and active citizenship. ‘Time banks’ are a new form of community currency in the UK which are receiving government support. Time credits are earned for each hour of voluntary service given, and can be used to purchase services from other members in return. This article discusses new findings from the first national study of time banks to assess their impacts and potential. An evaluative framework is employed which describes social inclusion as comprising effective economic, social and political citizenship rights. Evidence is presented from a national survey of time banks and from an in‐depth case study of Rushey Green Time Bank, situated in a health care setting in a deprived area of south London. Time banks are found to be successful at engaging socially excluded and vulnerable groups of people in community activities — many for the first time — boosting their confidence, social networks, skills and well‐being, as well as opening up possibilities for challenging inequitable social institutions and creating spaces where different values prevail. Their potential as tools for democratic renewal, promoting civic engagement and active citizenship is discussed.Les ‘unités de valeur’ communautaires sont considérées comme des outils essentiels pour encourager l'inclusion sociale grâce à une entraide communautaire et une citoyenneté active. Les ‘banques de temps’ constituent une nouvelle forme d'unité de valeur communautaire au Royaume‐Uni, avec le soutien du gouvernement. Des crédits de temps, acquis pour chaque heure de bénévolat donnée, peuvent servir à acheter en retour des prestations auprès d'autres membres. L'article examine les résultats de la première étude nationale sur les banques de temps afin d'en estimer l'impact et le potentiel. Un cadre d'évaluation est appliqué, définissant l'inclusion sociale comme un ensemble de droits effectifs, à la fois économiques, sociaux et de citoyenneté politique. Des indications sont fournies par une enquête nationale sur les banques de temps, et par une étude de cas approfondie de la Rushey Green Time Bank portant sur les services médicaux dans une zone défavorisée du sud de Londres. Ces banques réussissent à impliquer dans des activités communautaires des groupes de population — souvent pour la première fois — socialement exclus et vulnérables, renforçant leurs réseaux sociaux, confiance, compétences et bien‐être, tout en leur offrant des possibilités d'affronter des institutions sociales inéquitables et en créant des espaces où prévalent d'autres valeurs. L'article traite aussi du potentiel des banques de temps comme outil de renouveau démocratique, stimulant engagement civique et citoyenneté active.
Interrogating ‘Enterprise Europe’: issues of coordination, governance and spatial development in the European Union's emerging enterprise policy
Authors: Leibovitz Joseph 
Published: October 2003

This article provides a critical examination of the still‐emerging European Enterprise Policy. European‐wide Enterprise Policy is a relatively recent addition to the host of initiatives and strategies designed to address issues of economic competitiveness and innovation in the EU. In its current form European Enterprise Policy focuses on the promotion of small and medium enterprises as a panacea for economic growth, innovative capacity, productivity gains and job creation. The first part of the article places European Enterprise Policy within a wider political economy, and draws attention to the notions of competitiveness and enterprise embedded in current policy discourse. The second part of the discussion examines more closely issues of integration, governance and spatial development, arguing that awareness of spatial dynamics is, at the moment, a missing element in this policy framework.Cet article présente un examen critique de la Politique européenne de l'entreprise, encore balbutiante. La politique de l'entreprise à l'échelle de l'Europe est un ajout relativement récent à la multitude d'initiatives et de stratégies concçues pour résoudre les questions de concurrence économique et d'innovation dans l'UE. Sous sa forme actuelle, la Politique européenne de l'entreprise se consacre à la promotion des petites et moyennes entreprises en tant que panacée procurant croissance économique, capacité novatrice, gains de productivité et création d'emplois. La premieère partie de l'article replace cette initiative au sein d'une économie politique plus large et attire l'attention sur les notions de compétitivité et d'entreprise incluses dans le discours politique actuel. La seconde partie explore les questions d'intégration, de gouvernance et de développement spatial, soulignant que la prise de conscience de la dynamique spatiale est, pour l'instant, absente de ce cadre politique.
Using sex differences in psychopathology to study causal mechanisms: unifying issues and research strategies
Authors: Rutter Michael , Caspi Avshalom , Moffitt Terrie E. 
Published: October 2003

Background:Although there is an extensive literature, both speculative and empirical, on postulated differences between males and females in their rates of particular types of disorder, very little is known about the mechanisms that underlie these sex differences. The study of mechanisms is important because it may provide clues on aetiological processes. The review seeks to outline what is known, what are the methodological hazards that must be dealt with, and the research strategies that may be employed.Methods:We note the need for representative general samples, and for adequate measurement and significance testing if valid conclusions are to be drawn. We put forward three levels of causes that have to be considered: a genetically determined distal basic starting point; the varied consequences of being male or female; and the proximal risk or protective factors that are more directly implicated in the causal mechanisms that predispose to psychopathology. In delineating these, we argue that three key sets of evidential criteria have to be met: a) that the risk factors differ between males and females; b) that they provide for risk or protection within each sex; and c) that when introduced into a causal model, they eliminate or reduce the sex differences in the disorders being studied.Results:A male excess mainly applies to early onset disorders that involve some kind of neurodevelopmental impairment. A female excess mainly applies to adolescent‐onset emotional disorders. No variables have yet met all the necessary criteria but some good leads are available. The possible research strategies that may be employed are reviewed.Conclusions:The systematic investigation of sex differences constitutes an invaluable tool for the study of the causal processes concerned with psychopathology.
Delineating mechanisms of change in child and adolescent therapy: methodological issues and research recommendations
Authors: Kazdin Alan E. , Nock Matthew K. 
Published: October 2003

Background: Mechanisms of therapeutic change are rarely studied in child and adolescent therapy. Our central thesis is that the study of mechanisms of treatment is an excellent investment for improving clinical practice and patient care. Indeed, extending treatment trials to clinical settings, without complementary research that studies why and how treatment works, could have great limitations.Method: In this article, we discuss the importance of studying mechanisms, the logical and methodological requirements, and why almost no studies to date provide evidence for why or how treatment works. Standard statistical practices (tests of mediation) and designs (randomized controlled clinical trials) contribute greatly to outcome research but have little to say about mechanisms given the way they are commonly used.Conclusions: The article ends with recommendations to guide research on mechanisms of therapeutic change.
The role of the Children of Twins design in elucidating causal relations between parent characteristics and child outcomes
Authors: D'Onofrio Brian M. , Turkheimer Eric N. , Eaves Lindon J. , Corey Linda A. , Berg Kare , Solaas Marit H. , Emery Robert E. 
Published: October 2003

Background: Determination of causal connections between parental measures and child outcomes using typical samples is limited by the inability to account for all confounds, both environmental and genetic. This paper discusses the strength of the Children of Twins (COT) design to highlight the role of specific environments.Methods: A new analytical model is presented which helps differentiate and quantify the environmental and genetic processes underlying associations between family‐level risk factors and child adjustment. In order to illustrate the COT design, the relation between smoking during pregnancy and child birth weight (BW) is examined in a sample of female twins and their children from Norway and the United States.Results: The results illustrate that smoking during pregnancy is influenced by genetic factors. However, the Children of Twins model supports the claim that smoking during pregnancy has a direct environmental influence on BW and that genetic and shared environmental confounds cannot account for the association.Conclusions: An assessment of the strengths and limitations of the Children of Twins design and a comparison with other research strategies suggest that the design plays a unique role in the study of developmental psychology and psychopathology. Finally, the authors describe how methodological advances and future applications of the design will provide additional insight into the causal processes underlying children's adjustment to environmental stimuli.
Behavioral impulsivity paradigms: a comparison in hospitalized adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders
Authors: Dougherty Donald M. , Bjork James M. , Andrew Harper R. , Marsh Dawn M. , Gerard Moeller F. , Mathias Charles W. , Swann Alan C. 
Published: October 2003

Background: Behavioral impulsivity paradigms vary widely and studies using these measures have typically relied on a single measure used in isolation. As a result, comparisons between measures are difficult, with little consensus regarding which method may be most sensitive to individual impulsivity differences of different populations.Method: A single testing session of each of four different impulsivity tasks was completed by two groups of adolescents aged 13–17: hospitalized inpatients with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD; n=22) and controls (n=22). Tasks included two rapid‐decision (IMT/DMT and GoStop) and two reward‐directed (TC and SKIP) impulsivity paradigms. Behavioral testing took place within 3 days of hospitalization for the adolescents with DBD.Results: Compared to controls, the DBD group exhibited higher commission error rates, lower inhibited response rates after a stop‐signal, and twice as many reward‐directed responses even after IQ differences between the groups were taken into account. When the four paradigms were compared, effect‐size calculations indicated that the two rapid‐decision paradigms were more sensitive to group differences than the reward‐directed tasks.Conclusions: Despite the initiation of pharmacotherapy within the first 3 days of hospitalization, in contrast to the control group, the adolescents with DBD performed consistently with what has been operationally defined as impulsivity. Based on these results, these tasks appear to measure similar, but unique components of the impulsivity construct. With further study, laboratory behavioral paradigms may prove to be useful additions to current clinical diagnostic and treatment procedures in a variety of psychiatric populations.
Incidence and associations of parental and child posttraumatic stress symptoms in pediatric patients
Authors: Landolt Markus A. , Vollrath Margarete , Ribi Karin , Gnehm Hanspeter E. , Sennhauser Felix H. 
Published: October 2003

Background: Previous studies consistently found remarkable prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in pediatric patients and their parents. Findings suggest a significant association between child and parent PTSS. The present study examined, in a sample of pediatric patients with different conditions, incidence rates and determinants of PTSS and PTSD in the patients, and their mothers and fathers. Also, associations of maternal, paternal and child PTSS and PTSD were analyzed.Method: Two hundred and nine children (aged 6.5–14.5 years) were interviewed 5–6 weeks after an accident or a new diagnosis of cancer or diabetes mellitus type 1 by means of the Child PTSD Reaction Index. Their mothers (n = 180) and fathers (n = 175) were assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale.Results: Children reported PTSS levels in the mild range. Sixteen percent of the fathers and 23.9% of the mothers met full DSM‐IV diagnostic criteria for current PTSD. Type of trauma impacted differently on parents and children. In children, accident‐related injury was associated with higher PTSS scores. Conversely, in parents, diagnosis of cancer in their child was associated with more symptoms. Functional status of the child was also found to be an important predictor of PTSS in children and parents. PTSS scores of mothers and fathers were significantly correlated with each other. However, child PTSS were not significantly related to PTSS of mothers and fathers. This was true for total scores as well as for DSM‐IV symptom clusters.Conclusions: There is a need for careful evaluation of PTSS and PTSD in pediatric patients with accidental injuries or sudden onset of severe chronic diseases and in their respective parents. Importantly, children, their mothers, and their fathers should be assessed separately, because a significant association between child and parental PTSS may not exist.
Early experiences and attachment relationships of Greek infants raised in residential group care
Authors: Vorria Panayiota , Papaligoura Zaira , Dunn Judy , Van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Steele Howard , Kontopoulou Antigoni , Sarafidou Yiasemi 
Published: October 2003

Background: The attachment relationships of infants reared in residential group care from birth, and links between attachment quality and psychosocial development and caregiver sensitivity were studied, with 86 infants reared in group care and 41 infants reared in their own two‐parent families who attended day‐care centres.Methods: Attachment, cognitive development, temperament, and observed social behaviour of the two groups were studied, as was the quality of care by caregivers and mothers.Results: Sixty‐six per cent of infants reared in residential group care showed disorganised attachment to their caregivers, compared with 25% of control infants; 24% of group care infants were securely attached, compared with 41% of control infants. The two groups differed in cognitive development, in temperament and observed social behaviour. Within the residential group care babies, those that were securely attached were observed to express more frequent positive affect and social behaviour, and to initiate more frequent interaction with their caregivers.Conclusions: Residential care affected all aspects of the infants’ development and was linked to a high rate of disorganised attachment.
Exploring selective attention in ADHD: visual search through space and time
Authors: Mason Deanna J. , Humphreys Glyn W. , Kent Lindsey S. 
Published: October 2003

Background: In order to examine the mechanisms mediating selective attention in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this study compared the performance of children diagnosed with ADHD to non‐clinical controls on a visual search task in three conditions.Method: In the single feature condition, the target differed from distractors in terms of shape only, whilst in the conjunction baseline, the target was defined by shape and colour relative to distractors. In the preview condition, the conjunction stimuli were segmented over time, so that one set of distractors appeared first, followed 1000 ms later by the second set with the target.Results: Although children with ADHD were slower overall than controls, RTs revealed no difference in search mechanisms between groups; for all children, search was more efficient in the single feature and preview conditions than in the conjunction baseline. However, children with ADHD made more errors, especially in the conjunction and preview conditions.Conclusions: Children with ADHD were not impaired in their mechanisms of visual search relative to controls, but their error patterns implied the adoption of a premature response deadline in the conjunction search condition, and an occasional failure to inhibit old items in the preview condition.