Political Culture and Covalent Bonding. A Conceptual Model of Political Culture Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camelia Florela Voinea

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Our class of models aims at explaining the dynamics of political attitude change by means of the dynamic changes in values, beliefs, norms and knowledge with which it is associated. The model constructs a political culture perspective over the relationship between macro and micro levels of a society and polity. The model defines the bonding mechanism as a basic mechanism of the political culture change by taking inspiration from the valence bonding theory in Chemistry, which has inspired the elaboration of the mechanisms and processes underlying the political culture emergence and the political culture control over the relationship between macro-level political entities and the micro-level individual agents. The model introduces operational definitions of the individual agent in political culture terms. The simulation model is used for the study of emergent political culture change phenomena based on individual interactions (emergent or upward causation as well as the ways in which the macro entities and emergent phenomena influence in turn the behaviors of individual agents (downward causation. The model is used in the ongoing research concerning the quality of democracy and political participation of the citizens in the Eastern European societies after the Fall of Berlin Wall. It is particularly aimed at explaining the long-term effect of the communist legacy and of the communist polity concept and organization onto the political mentalities and behaviors of the citizens with respect to democratic institutions and political power. The model has major implications in political socialization, political involvement, political behavior, corruption and polity modeling.

The Agenda-Setting of Ivy Lee.

Science.gov (United States)

Olasky, Marvin N.

Journalism historians in recent years have made good use of agenda-setting theory in research, but there has been one drawback: in concentrating on the political and economic views of publishers, editors, and reporters, the agendas of those working behind the scenes, the public relations men and women have been overlooked. The public relations…

Collaboration potentials in micro and macro politics of audience creativity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brites, Maria José; Chimirri, Niklas Alexander; Amaral, Inês

2017-01-01

In our stakeholder consultation following up on trends concerning the micro and macropolitics of audience action, we explore the potential impact of audiences’ micro-participation and connection to macro-actions. We address this issue taking into consideration intrinsic continuities and discontin...... and discontinuities between academia and the stakeholders’ perspectives. Our findings continue to emphasise the • (dis)connections between micro and macro actions • a technological appeal for action • collaboration potentials between academia and other stakeholders.......In our stakeholder consultation following up on trends concerning the micro and macropolitics of audience action, we explore the potential impact of audiences’ micro-participation and connection to macro-actions. We address this issue taking into consideration intrinsic continuities...

The parliamentary political agenda: a tool for policy analysis of diabetes priorities in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Agudelo-Suárez, Andrés A; Ruiz-Cantero, María Teresa; González-Zapata, Laura I; Restrepo-Medrano, Juan Carlos; Ortiz-Barreda, Gaby M

2012-01-01

To analyze the political agenda on diabetes in Spain under democracy by considering the frequency and content of initiatives in the Spanish parliament. A systematic search of parliamentary interventions (1979-2010) reported on the Spanish Congress of Deputies' web page was carried out using the key word "diabetes". A descriptive study of the frequency of interventions was performed, followed by a content analysis, according to the priorities of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Diabetes Federation and the Spanish Diabetes Federation. Other study variables were the year of presentation, legislature, type of initiative and whether a political decision was taken (yes/no). There were 59 interventions: 22% were related to the first international initiatives and 44.1% took place in the last two legislatures in response to the WHO's program Diabetes Action Now. A total of 32.2% of the initiatives addressed educational and social programs, while 23.7% addressed access to resources and health services. Most initiatives (74.6%) consisted of parliamentary questions to the government, which only required a response. Of the 15 initiatives requiring a decision to be taken, only eight were approved. Spanish legislators aim to comply with international standards. Nevertheless, political decision-making has sometimes been slow. Importantly, most of the political responsibilities related to health have been transferred to the autonomous regions. The updated National Diabetes Strategy in Spain will need to strengthen public health policies according to established international priorities. Monitoring parliamentary interventions has proven to be a valid tool for evaluating patterns of political debate and decisions on diabetes. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

[The crowdsourcing and cyberactivism agenda in São Paulo city].

Science.gov (United States)

Segurado, Rosemary

2015-12-01

This article presents the results of a study that analyzed 144 Facebook profiles to identify how digital media are used in setting the agendas for discussions and in organizing and mobilizing people about social, political and cultural topics like ethnic, racial, gender, and citizens' rights issues in São Paulo city. This platform was chosen because of its growing appropriation for political actions. The study found that the incorporation of digital tools in political action is bringing about a number of changes in the discussion of social, political, and cultural topics, and redefining the ways that agendas and deliberations are organized, fostering innovative forms of participation by social actors.

Healthy public policy in poor countries: tackling macro-economic policies.

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Mohindra, K S

2007-06-01

Large segments of the population in poor countries continue to suffer from a high level of unmet health needs, requiring macro-level, broad-based interventions. Healthy public policy, a key health promotion strategy, aims to put health on the agenda of policy makers across sectors and levels of government. Macro-economic policy in developing countries has thus far not adequately captured the attention of health promotion researchers. This paper argues that healthy public policy should not only be an objective in rich countries, but also in poor countries. This paper takes up this issue by reviewing the main macro-economic aid programs offered by international financial institutions as a response to economic crises and unmanageable debt burdens. Although health promotion researchers were largely absent during a key debate on structural adjustment programs and health during the 1980s and 1990s, the international macro-economic policy tool currently in play offers a new opportunity to participate in assessing these policies, ensuring new forms of macro-economic policy interventions do not simply reproduce patterns of (neoliberal) economics-dominated development policy.

Languages and Politics: A Political Football or a Tool for Empowerment?

Science.gov (United States)

Broady, Elspeth

2006-01-01

In this review, the author explores various perspectives on language issues in political contexts, not least because languages have been prominent recently on the political agenda both in the UK and the US. She reviews articles that highlight different ways in which political pressures and contexts influence language teaching, learning and use.…

Nature/nurture and the anthropology of Franz Boas and Margaret Mead as an agenda for revolutionary politics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidney M. Greenfield

2001-12-01

Full Text Available There is much more involved in the nature/nurture debate than an abstract theoretical disagreement among dispassionate scientists. Each side of the debate leads logically to significantly different views of the social order and holds different implications for social policy. In this paper I shall argue that Boas' Anthropology with its emphasis on cultural relativism was as much a social and political agenda as it was a scientific theory. The positions on public policy issues he opposed were informed (and rationalized by what its advocates claimed to be science. To be able to counter the discriminatory policy proposals that followed from this science, it was necessary for Boas both to challenge its validity and then replace it with an alternative that would support a more liberal political agenda. This chapter of anthropology's history gains relevance in today's context as neoevolutionary, reductionist theories once more provide "scientific" support for conservative, separatist and often discriminatory social policies.O debate natureza/cultura é muito mais do que um desentendimento teórico e abstrato entre cientistas desapaixonados. Cada lado do debate leva a visões diferentes da ordem social e traz implicações diferentes para políticas sociais. Neste artigo, sugiro que a Antropologia de Boas, com sua ênfase no relativismo cultural, tanto quanto uma teoria científica, foi um programa social e político. As posturas de política pública às quais ele se opunha eram informadas (e racionalizadas por algo apresentado por seus proponentes como ciência. Para combater as propostas discriminatórias que decorriam desta ciência, cabia a Boas desafiar sua validade e substituí-la por uma alternativa que daria apoio a uma agenda política mais liberal. Esse capítulo da história da antropologia assume maior relevância no contexto atual em que teorias néo-evolucionistas e reducionistas mais uma vez fornecem uma base "científica" para pol

NGOs, Trust, and the Accountability Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keating, Vincent Charles; Thrandardottir, Erla

2017-01-01

NGOs are undergoing an alleged crisis of trustworthiness. The past decades have seen an increase in both academic and practitioner skepticism, particularly given the transformations many NGOs have undergone in size, professionalism, and political importance. The accountability agenda, which...... on theoretical innovations in trust research to put forward three arguments. First, the proponents of the accountability agenda are implicitly working with a rational model of trust. Second, this model does not reflect important social characteristics of trust between donors and NGOs. Third, this mismatch means...... that the accountability agenda might do more to harm trust in NGOs than to help it....

Political innovations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Eva

2017-01-01

are mainly interested in assessing and promoting innovations in public service delivery, but have paid little or no attention to the need for innovations in polity, politics and policy. This article develops a research agenda for studying innovations in political institutions, in the political process...... and in policy outputs. It proposes a number of research themes related to political innovations that call for scholarly attention, and identifies push and pull factors influencing the likelihood that these themes will be addressed in future research....

The Bush administration, sex and the moral agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashbee, Edward

1. The rise of the moral agenda and American public opinion; 2. The politics of 'W-ism'; 3. Gay rights, same-sex marriage and AIDS; 4. 'Pet your dog...': sex education and contraception; 5. Obscenity and indecency; 6. Building 'healthy' marriages; 7. Abortion and the 'culture of life'; 8. Conclus......1. The rise of the moral agenda and American public opinion; 2. The politics of 'W-ism'; 3. Gay rights, same-sex marriage and AIDS; 4. 'Pet your dog...': sex education and contraception; 5. Obscenity and indecency; 6. Building 'healthy' marriages; 7. Abortion and the 'culture of life'; 8...

Comparing Political Communication

OpenAIRE

Pfetsch, Barbara; Esser, Frank

2012-01-01

This chapter describes the maturation of comparative political communications as a sub-discipline and defines its conceptual core. It then lays out the concept of “political communication system”. At the macro-level, this model captures the patterns of interaction between media and politics as social systems; at the micro-level it captures the interactions between media and political actors as individuals or organizations. Comparative research in this tradition focuses on the structure of pol...

An Agent-Based Dynamic Model of Politics, Fertility and Economic Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zining Yang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In the political economy of development, government policy choices at a single point in time can dramatically affect a country's development path by impacting fertility, economic and political decisions across generations. Combining system dynamics and agent-based modeling approaches in a complex adaptive system, a simulation framework of the Politics of Fertility and Economic Development (POFED is formalized to understand the relationship between politics, economic, and demography change at both macro and micro levels. First, a new political capacity measurement is used; and the system dynamics model is validated with the latest data. Second, the endogenous attributes are fused with non-cooperative game theory in an agent-based framework to simulate the interactive political economic dynamics of individual intra-societal transactions. Finally, macro and micro levels are connected with policy levers of political capacity and political instability by merging system dynamics and agent-based components. This paper also explores the agent-based model's behavioral dynamics via simulation methods to identify paths towards economic development and political stability. This model demonstrates micro level human agency can act, react and interact, thus driving macro level dynamics, while macro structures provide political, social and economic environments that constrain or incentivize micro level human behavior.

Networked Intermedia Agenda Setting: The Geography of a Hyperlinked Scandinavian News Ecology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sjøvaag, Helle; Stavelin, Eirik; Karlsson, Michael

How does agenda setting work within the hyperlinked Scandinavian news ecology? This paper investigates intermedia agenda setting within and between the local, regional, national and supra-national levels in Sweden, Denmark and Norway; analyses the center/periphery dimensions of hyperlink connecti......, social geography and hyperlinked news agendas in Scandinavia, adding to the research on the political implications of the Internet on national public spheres....... March 2016, amounting to approximately 2 million hyperlinks, each geotagged with publication origin. The visualisation of the hyperlink structure is one of the main results of the analysis, illuminating a) the relative disconnect between local and national hyperlinked agendas, b) the relative disconnect...... between news agendas in the three countries, and c) the connectedness enabled by size, resources and central location in the Scandinavian hyperlinked information structure. The network analysis provides new insights into the relationship between centralized political structures, media ownership dispersal...

Health system strengthening: prospects and threats for its sustainability on the global health policy agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Naimoli, Joseph F; Saxena, Sweta; Hatt, Laurel E; Yarrow, Kristina M; White, Trenton M; Ifafore-Calfee, Temitayo

2018-01-01

In 2013, Hafner and Shiffman applied Kingdon's public policy process model to explain the emergence of global attention to health system strengthening (HSS). They questioned, however, HSS's sustainability on the global health policy agenda, citing various concerns. Guided by the Grindle and Thomas interactive model of policy implementation, we advance and elaborate a proposition: a confluence of developments will contribute to maintaining HSS's prominent place on the agenda until at least 2030. Those developments include (1) technical, managerial, financial, and political responses to unpredictable public health crises that imperil the routine functioning of health systems, such as the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic in West Africa; (2) similar responses to non-crisis situations requiring fully engaged, robust health systems, such as the pursuit of the new Sustainable Development Goal for health (SDG3); and (3) increased availability of new knowledge about system change at macro, meso, and micro levels and its effects on people's health and well-being. To gauge the accuracy of our proposition, we carried out a speculative assessment of credible threats to our premise by discussing all of the Hafner-Shiffman concerns. We conclude that (1) the components of our proposition and other forces that have the potential to promote continuing attention to HSS are of sufficient strength to counteract these concerns, and (2) prospective monitoring of HSS agenda status and further research on agenda sustainability can increase confidence in our threat assessment. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Generalist Model: Where do the Micro and Macro Converge?

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Shari E. Miller

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Although macro issues are integral to social work, students continue to struggle with the acquisition of knowledge and skills pertaining to larger systems. Educators have developed innovative methods to integrate learning across systems of various sizes however it appears an imbalance persists. This challenge is supported by baccalaureate student responses to a social work program evaluation. Four years of data from 295 undergraduate students revealed that they felt less prepared to practice with larger, macro systems. Changes in curriculum to reflect collaboration and holism, and more research are needed to adequately provide macro learning and macro practice opportunities within the generalist model and in the context of the current socio-economic-political environment.

The complex agenda-setting power of protest: demonstrations, media, parliament, government, and legislation in Belgium, 1993-2000

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walgrave, S.; Vliegenthart, R.

2012-01-01

We conducted pooled time-series analyses to assess how number and size of demonstrations affect the political agenda in Belgium (1993-2000). Taking twenty-five issues into account, this study finds that protest matters for the political agenda setting. This study also advances scholarly

Political Activities of Social Workers: Addressing Perceived Barriers to Political Participation

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Cynthia; Poe, Bethanie; Thomas, Veliska

2010-01-01

This article reviews the literature on political participation of social workers and the variables that promote or impede political advocacy. Early research in the 1980s and 1990s most often reported education, feelings of efficacy, having a macro-type job, and being a member of a national association as factors that determine greater political…

Reframing political violence and mental health outcomes: outlining a research and action agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean region

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Duncan Pedersen

Full Text Available In recent decades, the number of people exposed to traumatic events has significantly increased as various forms of violence, including war and political upheaval, engulf civilian populations worldwide. In spite of widespread armed conflict, guerrilla warfare and political violence in the Latin American and Caribbean region, insufficient attention had been paid in assessing the medium and long-term psychological impact and additional burden of disease, death, and disability caused by violence and wars amongst civilian populations. Following a review of the literature, a few central questions are raised: What is the short, medium and long-term health impact of extreme and sustained forms of violence in a given population? How political violence is linked to poor mental health outcomes at the individual and collective levels? Are trauma-related disorders, universal outcomes of extreme and sustained violence? These questions lead us to reframe the analysis of political violence and mental health outcomes, and reexamine the notions of trauma, after which a research and action agenda for the region is outlined. In the concluding sections, some basic principles that may prove useful when designing psychosocial interventions in post-conflict situations are reviewed.

The politics of researching global health politics

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Rushton, Simon

2015-01-01

In this comment, I build on Shiffman’s call for the global health community to more deeply investigate structural and productive power. I highlight two challenges we must grapple with as social scientists carrying out the types of investigation that Shiffman proposes: the politics of challenging the powerful; and the need to investigate types of expertise that have traditionally been thought of as ‘outside’ global health. In doing so, I argue that moving forward with the agenda Shiffman sets out requires social scientists interested in the global politics of health to be reflexive about our own exercise of structural and productive power and the fact that researching global health politics is itself a political undertaking. PMID:25905482

Japan's 2014 General Election: Political Bots, Right-Wing Internet Activism, and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's Hidden Nationalist Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Fabian; Evert, Stefan; Heinrich, Philipp

2017-12-01

In this article, we present results on the identification and behavioral analysis of social bots in a sample of 542,584 Tweets, collected before and after Japan's 2014 general election. Typical forms of bot activity include massive Retweeting and repeated posting of (nearly) the same message, sometimes used in combination. We focus on the second method and present (1) a case study on several patterns of bot activity, (2) methodological considerations on the automatic identification of such patterns and the prerequisite near-duplicate detection, and (3) we give qualitative insights into the purposes behind the usage of social/political bots. We argue that it was in the latency of the semi-public sphere of social media-and not in the visible or manifest public sphere (official campaign platform, mass media)-where Shinzō Abe's hidden nationalist agenda interlocked and overlapped with the one propagated by organizations such as Nippon Kaigi and Internet right-wingers (netto uyo) during the election campaign, the latter potentially forming an enormous online support army of Abe's agenda.

Rural Youth: The Policy Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Ian; Jentsch, Birgit

With the advent of a Scottish Parliament and a Minister and Parliamentary Committee for Rural Affairs, there is now a broad consensus that policies are needed to generate "quality jobs" for young people in rural Scotland. This agenda is politically appealing, since it addresses various rural problems, including retention of young people…

The characteristic of marketing macro environment of European developing countries and Ukraine for company's marketing activity

OpenAIRE

Peresadko, Galina; Bakastov, Ihor

2013-01-01

Іn the report the comparative analysis of different European macro-marketing in developing countries and Ukraine. The analysis of the demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural factors. Also the perspectives for Ukraine's marketing macro environment.

[Heath and political regimes: presidential or parliamentary government for Colombia?].

Science.gov (United States)

Idrovo, Alvaro J

2007-01-01

Changing the presidential regime for a parliamentarian one is currently be-ing discussed in Colombia. This preliminary study explores the potential effects on health of both presidential and parliamentary regimes by using world-wide data. An ecological study was undertaken using countries from which comparable information concerning life-expectancy at birth, political regime, economic development, inequality in income, social capital (as measured by general-ised trust or Corruption Perceptions Index), political rights, civil freedom and cultural diversity could be obtained. Life-expectancy at birth and macro-determinants were compared between both political regimes. The co-relationship between these macro-determinants was estimated and the relationship between political regimen and life-expectancy at birth was estimated using robust regression. Crude analysis revealed that parliamentary countries have greater life-expectancy at birth than countries having a presidential regime. Significant co-relationships between all macro-determinants were observed. No differential effects were observed between both political regimes regarding life-expectancy at birth in multiple robust regressions. There is no evidence that presidential or parliamentary regimes provide greater levels of health for the population. It is suggested that public health policies be focused on other macro-determinants having more known effects on health, such as income inequality.

Political Culture and Covalent Bonding. A Conceptual Model of Political Culture Change

OpenAIRE

Camelia Florela Voinea

2015-01-01

Our class of models aims at explaining the dynamics of political attitude change by means of the dynamic changes in values, beliefs, norms and knowledge with which it is associated. The model constructs a political culture perspective over the relationship between macro and micro levels of a society and polity. The model defines the bonding mechanism as a basic mechanism of the political culture change by taking inspiration from the valence bonding theory in Chemistry, which has inspired the ...

Neo-Gramscian Approach and Geopolitics of ICT4D Agenda

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Tokunbo Ojo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available For the last two decades, the notion of Information Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D has had significant traction in both praxis and scholarly work of international development. While it has dystopia and utopia dimensions, ICT4D came out of particular history and intellectual climates. The historical and political contexts that shaped the ICT4D agenda deserve examination. Grounded within the canon of neo-Gramscian perspectives, this paper discusses the geopolitical construct of the ICT4D agenda and the agenda-building roles of international institutions in the process. In situating the ICT4D agenda in the geopolitical context, this paper highlights the institutional discursive structure and embedded geometries of power relations in the global communication and international development agenda.

Discursos cruzados: telenoticiários, HPEG e a construção da agenda eleitoral Cross-discourses: news programs on TV, free time for political propaganda on TV, and the construction of the electoral agenda

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Luis Felipe Miguel

2004-06-01

Full Text Available O Horário de Propaganda Eleitoral Gratuita (HPEG faculta aos candidatos um espaço de comunicação autônomo, em que suas mensagens não têm que passar pelo crivo dos grupos de mídia. O paper discute a eficácia do HPEG, em contraposição ao telejornalismo, e analisa a evolução da relação entre os dois nas quatro eleições presidenciais brasileiras do período pós-autoritário. Em 1989, os telenoticiários mostravam-se receptivos à agenda proposta pelos partidos em seus programas de TV, mas há um nítido fechamento nas eleições seguintes. Em 2002, os principais candidatos preferiram aderir à agenda e aos enquadramentos dominantes, reconhecendo a incapacidade do HPEG para alterar a pauta da mídia.The free time for political propaganda on TV gives candidates a space for autonomous communication in which their messages do not have to pass the scrutiny of media groups. This paper discusses the effectiveness of such free time on TV as opposed to TV journalism, and examines the development of the relationship between them in the four presidential elections in Brazil in the post-authoritarian period. In 1989, TV news programs welcomed the agenda put forward by candidates in their TV programs, but a closure is clear in the next elections. In 2002, the main candidates chose to join mainstream agenda and frameworks, acknowledging the inability of free TV time to change the media's agenda.

Political ecologies of resource extraction: Agendas pendientes

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Anthony Bebbington

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Research related to extractive industries has grown significantly over the last decade. As the commodities boom appears to be winding down, this essay outlines areas for potential future research. Emphasis is placed on the need for research on: the relationships among extractivism, climate change and societal transitions; the aggregate effects of the commodity boom on the environment, on societal structures, on elite formation and on cultural politics; the implications of resource extraction on the couplings of space and power at different scales and with particular reference to the Colombian peace process; and the gendered and generation dimensions of the effects of extractivism on rights and citizenship. The paper calls for on-going collaborations among scholars and activists, for greater collaboration among social and bio-physical scientists, for comparative analysis with regions beyond Latin America and for innovative ways of bridging research and the public sphere. Resumen: Ecologías políticas de la extracción de recursos: Agendas pendientes Las investigaciones relacionadas con las industrias extractivas han aumentado considerablemente durante la última década. Como el boom de las materias primas está tocando su fin, este ensayo señala áreas que se prestan a posibles investigaciones en el futuro. Se pone el énfasis en la necesidad de investigar: las relaciones entre el extractivismo, el cambio climático y las transiciones sociales; los efectos agregados del boom de las materias primas en el medio ambiente, en las estructuras sociales, en la formación de élites y en las políticas culturales; las implicaciones de la extracción de recursos en las relaciones entre espacio y poder a distintas escalas y refiriéndose especialmente al proceso de paz colombiano; y las dimensiones generizadas y generacionales de los efectos del extractivismo en los derechos y en la ciudadanía. Este artículo hace un llamamiento a colaboraciones

Biblical antecedents of modern agenda-setting: religious platforms in lieu of mass media

OpenAIRE

Rashi, Tsuriel; McCombs, Maxwell

2017-01-01

Can a primitive society set a public agenda? Are there some advantages for a religious society in setting an agenda? From a critical study of the communicative perspective of the Bible and hermeneutic reading of its texts, it can be said that certain elements in primitive societies succeeded in influencing the political and social agendas. They did so by exploiting specific public assemblies or appearing in crowded places in attempts to impact local and national agendas. This notion is signif...

Estimation of several political action effects of energy prices

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Andrew B. Whitford

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One important effect of price shocks in the United States has been increased political attention paid to the structure and performance of oil and natural gas markets, along with some governmental support for energy conservation. This article describes how price changes helped lead to the emergence of a political agenda accompanied by several interventions, as revealed through Granger causality tests on change in the legislative agenda.

Continent of pessimism or continent of realism? A multilevel study into the impact of macro-economic outcomes and political institutions on societal pessimism, European Union 2006-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenvoorden, Eefje H; van der Meer, Tom Wg

2017-06-01

The often-posed claim that Europe is a pessimistic continent is not unjustified. In 2012, 53 percent of European Union (EU) citizens were pessimistic about their country. Surprisingly, however, societal pessimism has received very little scientific attention. In this article, we examine to what extent political and economic factors drive societal pessimism. In terms of political factors, we expect that supranationalization, political instability, and corruption increase societal pessimism, as they diminish national political power and can inspire collective powerlessness. Economically, we expect that the retrenchment of welfare state provisions and economic decline drive societal pessimism, as these developments contribute to socioeconomic vulnerability. We assess the impact of these political and economic factors on the level of societal pessimism in the EU, both cross-nationally and over time, through multilevel analyses of Eurobarometer data (13 waves between 2006 and 2012 in 23 EU countries). Our findings show that the political factors (changes in government, corruption) primarily explain cross-national differences in societal pessimism, while the macro-economic context (economic growth, unemployment) primarily explains longitudinal trends within countries. These findings demonstrate that, to a large extent, societal pessimism cannot be viewed separately from its political and economic context.

Interest group satisfaction with the European Commission's consultation agendas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermansson, Henrik Alf Jonas

2016-01-01

Interest groups exist largely to raise awareness of particular problems or to avoid regulation by keeping items off the political agenda, it is a major component of their raison d'être. At the earliest stages of the European policy process, the European Commission presents an agenda in the form...... of a "call for consultation" which interest groups attempt to influence. Groups that have had a role in setting the Commission's agenda will likely show most satisfaction with the agenda, used here as a way to examine their agenda-setting power. Based on a novel dataset covering 190 policy issues and 469...... interest groups, unique issue-level data on the expertise held by interest groups, their privileged access and their resources, this paper evaluates whether it is the technical information provided by groups, their insider status or their ability to put pressure on the European institutions that form...

How can results from macro economic analyses of the energy consumption of households be used in macro models? A discussion of theoretical and empirical literature about aggregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halvorsen, Bente; Larsen, Bodil M.; Nesbakken, Runa

2001-01-01

The literature on energy demand shows that there are systematic differences in income- and price elasticity from analyses based on macro data and micro data. Even if one estimates models with the same explanatory variables, the results may differ with respect to estimated price- and income sensitivity. These differences may be caused by problems involved in transferring micro properties to macro properties, or the estimated macro relationships have failed to adequately consideration the fact that households behave differently in their energy demand. Political goals are often directed towards the entire household sector. Partial equilibrium models do not capture important equilibrium effects and feedback through the energy markets and the economy in general. Thus, it is very interesting, politically and scientifically, to do macro economic model analyses of different political measures that affect the energy consumption. The results of behavioural analyses, in which one investigates the heterogeneity of the energy demand, must be based on information about individual households. When the demand is studied based on micro data, it is difficult to aggregate its properties to a total demand function for the entire household sector if different household sectors have different behaviour. Such heterogeneity of behaviour may for instance arise when households in different regions have different heating equipment because of regional differences in the price of electricity. The subject of aggregation arises immediately when one wants to draw conclusions about the household sector based on information about individual households, whether the discussion is about the whole population or a selection of households. Thus, aggregation is a topic of interest in a wide range of problems

Contentious Politics and Participatory Democracy in Brazil

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Brian Wampler

2014-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7984.2014v13n28p199 Contentious politics helps individuals and groups with limited political voice to place their ideas and interests on the political agenda. Contentious politics were long thought to occur when politically marginalized group had no other means to advance their political agenda. The June 2013 social mobilization in Brazil caught most political observers by surprise, especially given the creation of a large, wide-spread participatory architecture (national conferences, councils, participatory budgeting. The innovative institutions emerging in Brazil created a policy environment in which millions of citizens have regular access to state policymaking bodies. How does the institutionalization of a broader network of participatory institutions make it easier for citizens to engage in contentious politics? In what ways does this institutionalization make it more difficult for some citizens to engage in contentious politics? In what ways has the vast network of participatory institutions been largely irrelevant to how citizens use contentious politics? This article explore how the institutionalization of an extensive participatory democracy system in Brazil alters the incentive structures that encourage citizens to engage in contentious collective action.

Decoding the agenda: An analytical model for manifest and latent knowledge of the public agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Andréu Abela

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this paper is to show a model of analysis based on the hypothesis of the agenda-setting but with a clear longitudinal, multidimensional and multiparadigmatic component. Design/methodology: The theory of the media agenda (agenda setting is one of the most applied communication theories in diversity of social science fields for studying the direct and cumulative effects of the media on the audiences. Decoding the agenda is a methodological model derived from this theory that strives to obtain a comprehensive knowledge of the effects of the messages broadcasted by the media on the public opinion. Our methodological and multidimensional model, as a difference to other multi-method and triangular models, exchanges and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data in a comprehensive way. Contribution and results: In this article are presented the results of diverse pieces of research on the influence of the media in the analysis of social issues. Possible areas of application of the model in the economic sphere are indicated, especially in market and business studies. Research limitations: The topics of study, for a good application of the model in its whole temporal and dimensional breadth, require building good secondary quantitative and qualitative data bases. Practical implications: The results provided by the studies in which the model has been applied improve over time the knowledge of the influence of the media on the social, economic and political agendas. Social implications: Better understanding of the agenda setting of social issues in the public opinion. Added value: The implementation of the agenda decoder model improves the knowledge of the cumulative influence of the issues raised by the media on the public opinion.

newspapers' agricultural agenda setting and extension agents ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p2333147

Keywords: Newspapers', agricultural, extension agents' agenda setting. ABSTRACT ... from the priorities of political or other interest groups to the news priorities of media ... people. The questions that arise are-: what are the sources operating for ... The ADPs presently adopt the training and visit (T & V) system of extension.

A macro perspective for client-centred practice in curricula: Critique and teaching methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming-Castaldy, Rita P

2015-07-01

Client-centred practice is often eclipsed by social, economic, and political inequities. Ignoring these realities obstructs clients' goal attainment. The author advocates for the integration of a macro perspective inclusive of participation barriers and supports in occupational therapy curricula and seeks to motivate educators to adopt teaching approaches that develop students' abilities to address the complexities of client-centred practice. This article integrates a critical analysis of the literature on client-centred practice with reflexivity on disability studies and autoethnography. Educational standards require students to learn about the social, economic, and political contexts that impact on client-centred practice and the need for advocacy to enable participation. Theoretical support of a macro perspective for client-centred practice is strongly evident in the literature. Information on methods for teaching students how to actualize these concepts in practice is scant. Thus, strategies to inform the integration of a macro perspective into curricula and concrete activities to develop students' competencies for empowered client-centred practice are required. Educators have an ethical responsibility to critique their pedagogy to determine whether they are adequately preparing students for client-centred practice. The focus must move from teaching a micro perspective of client-centred practice to a macro perspective that enables occupational justice and empowerment.

Global economic governance in the G20: perspectives on a working agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Saguier

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The international financial crisis unleashed in 2008 has given renewed prominence to the Group of 20 (G20 as the main forum of governance in the world economy. The main challenge of G20 is to articulate a political dialogue that can generate a basic consensus for a new paradigm of globalization that not only can overcome the current crisis, but also ensure social and environmental sustainability of a new growth model in a context post-neoliberal. Unlike other international crises, the G20 acknowledges that employment and social security are imperative agendas for sustainable economic recovery. The incorporation of this agenda results from the joint leadership of Brazil and Argentina in coalition with the International Labour Organization (ILO and the international labor movement. The article discusses the content and scope of the labor agenda in response to changes in the international political context marked by a restoration of neoliberal globalization.

Enabling spaces in education research: an agenda for impactful ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An enabling schools research agenda could intentionally guide inquiry into that which supports education, where chronic poverty renders society as characteristically less equal. Keywords: barriers to education; buffers in education; egalitarian political philosophy; equality of opportunity; global South education; high risk ...

The Political Economy of Health Co-Benefits: Embedding Health in the Climate Change Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Workman, Annabelle; Blashki, Grant; Bowen, Kathryn J.; Karoly, David J.; Wiseman, John

2018-01-01

A complex, whole-of-economy issue such as climate change demands an interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral response. However, evidence suggests that human health has remained elusive in its influence on the development of ambitious climate change mitigation policies for many national governments, despite a recognition that the combustion of fossil fuels results in pervasive short- and long-term health consequences. We use insights from literature on the political economy of health and climate change, the science–policy interface and power in policy-making, to identify additional barriers to the meaningful incorporation of health co-benefits into climate change mitigation policy development. Specifically, we identify four key interrelated areas where barriers may exist in relation to health co-benefits: discourse, efficiency, vested interests and structural challenges. With these insights in mind, we argue that the current politico-economic paradigm in which climate change is situated and the processes used to develop climate change mitigation policies do not adequately support accounting for health co-benefits. We present approaches for enhancing the role of health co-benefits in the development of climate change mitigation policies to ensure that health is embedded in the broader climate change agenda. PMID:29617317

The Political Economy of Health Co-Benefits: Embedding Health in the Climate Change Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Workman, Annabelle; Blashki, Grant; Bowen, Kathryn J; Karoly, David J; Wiseman, John

2018-04-04

A complex, whole-of-economy issue such as climate change demands an interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral response. However, evidence suggests that human health has remained elusive in its influence on the development of ambitious climate change mitigation policies for many national governments, despite a recognition that the combustion of fossil fuels results in pervasive short- and long-term health consequences. We use insights from literature on the political economy of health and climate change, the science–policy interface and power in policy-making, to identify additional barriers to the meaningful incorporation of health co-benefits into climate change mitigation policy development. Specifically, we identify four key interrelated areas where barriers may exist in relation to health co-benefits: discourse, efficiency, vested interests and structural challenges. With these insights in mind, we argue that the current politico-economic paradigm in which climate change is situated and the processes used to develop climate change mitigation policies do not adequately support accounting for health co-benefits. We present approaches for enhancing the role of health co-benefits in the development of climate change mitigation policies to ensure that health is embedded in the broader climate change agenda.

The OHS consultant as a 'political reflective navigator' in technological change processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broberg, Ole

2004-01-01

between different roles and mobilize different types of knowledge depending on the context; the consultant is a navigator in the sense of knowing how to navigate in the complex organization surrounding the technological change process. The competencies of a political reflective navigator are outlined...... of OHS consultants is placed on the line between an expert and a process consultant. Based on evidence from the cases and on the concepts of actor-network theory on technological development, we suggest a supplementary third role, that of the 'political reflective navigator', where the OHS consultant...... is an 'actor' who pursues a work environment agenda in a complex network in which other actors pursue other agendas such as productivity, economics, quality, etc. The consultant is political in the sense of pursuing a work environment agenda; the consultant is reflective in the sense of being able to switch...

Income inequality, distributive fairness and political trust in Latin America.

Science.gov (United States)

Zmerli, Sonja; Castillo, Juan Carlos

2015-07-01

In the wake of rising levels of income inequality during the past two decades, widespread concerns emerged about the social and political consequences of the widening gap between the poor and the rich that can be observed in many established democracies. Several empirical studies substantiate the link between macro-level income inequality and political attitudes and behavior, pointing at its broad and negative implications for political equality. Accordingly, these implications are expected to be accentuated in contexts of high inequality, as is the case in Latin America. Despite these general concerns about the consequences of income inequality, few studies have accounted for the importance of individual perceptions of distributive fairness in regard to trust in political institutions. Even less is known about the extent to which distributive fairness perceptions co-vary with objective indicators of inequality. Moreover, the research in this area has traditionally focused on OECD countries, which have lower indexes of inequality than the rest of the world. This study aims at filling this gap by focusing on the relevance of distributive fairness perceptions and macro-level inequality for political trust and on how these two levels interact in Latin American countries. The analyses are based on the Latinobarometer survey 2011, which consists of 18 countries. Multilevel estimations suggest that both dimensions of inequality are negatively associated with political trust but that higher levels of macro-level inequality attenuate rather than increase the strength of the negative association between distributive fairness perceptions and political trust. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizational Politics in Schools: Micro, Macro, and Logics of Action.

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Bacharach, Samuel B.; Mundell, Bryan L.

1993-01-01

Develops a framework for analyzing the politics of school organizations, affirming a Weberian perspective as most appropriate. Develops "logic of action" (the implicit relationship between means and goals) as the focal point of organizational politics. Underlines the importance of analyzing interest groups and their strategies. Political…

Writerly Gaming: Political Gaming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Christian Ulrik

2007-01-01

software for private entertainment (looking/feeling real) or they can be pragmatic software used for training of professionals (affecting soldiers’, pilots’, etc. perception of the real). A third, and less debated game-reality relationship, based on public awareness and typically a socio-political agenda...

Biblical antecedents of modern Agenda-Setting: religious platforms in lieu of mass media

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Tsuriel RASHI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Can a primitive society set a public agenda? Are there some advantages for a religious society in setting an agenda? From a critical study of the communicative perspective of the Bible and hermeneutic reading of its texts, it can be said that certain elements in primitive societies succeeded in influencing the political and social agendas. They did so by exploiting specific public assemblies or appearing in crowded places in attempts to impact local and national agendas. This notion is significant because it suggests that in countries that do not have developed communication infrastructures or established religious institutions (e.g., churches, mosques, and synagogues that serve as public arenas, indeed even in seemingly closed religious communities, there may well be attempts to use venues other than mass media to influence the public agenda.

Dynamics in Higher Education Politics: A Theoretical Model

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Kauko, Jaakko

2013-01-01

This article presents a model for analysing dynamics in higher education politics (DHEP). Theoretically the model draws on the conceptual history of political contingency, agenda-setting theories and previous research on higher education dynamics. According to the model, socio-historical complexity can best be analysed along two dimensions: the…

From everyday conversation to political action : Talking austerity in online ‘third spaces’

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Graham, Todd; Jackson, Daniel; Wright, Scott

2015-01-01

Taking forward a new agenda for online political deliberation – the study of everyday political talk in non-political, online ‘third spaces’ – this article examines the dynamics of political talk across three general interest UK based online forums. The quantitative analysis found that discussions

Political Dynamics Affected by Turncoats

Science.gov (United States)

Di Salvo, Rosa; Gorgone, Matteo; Oliveri, Francesco

2017-11-01

An operatorial theoretical model based on raising and lowering fermionic operators for the description of the dynamics of a political system consisting of macro-groups affected by turncoat-like behaviors is presented. The analysis of the party system dynamics is carried on by combining the action of a suitable quadratic Hamiltonian operator with specific rules (depending on the variations of the mean values of the observables) able to adjust periodically the conservative model to the political environment.

HIV/AIDS policy agenda setting in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Khodayari - Zarnaq, Rahim; Ravaghi, Hamid; Mohammad Mosaddeghrad, Ali; Sedaghat, Abbas; Mohraz, Minoo

2016-01-01

Background: HIV/AIDS control are one of the most important goals of the health systems. The aim of this study was to determine how HIV/AIDS control was initiated among policy makers’ agenda setting in Iran. Methods: A qualitative research (semi-structured interview) was conducted using Kingdon’s framework (problem, policy and politics streams, and policy windows and policy entrepreneurs) to analysis HIV/AIDS agenda setting in Iran. Thirty-two policy makers, managers, specialists, and researchers were interviewed. Also, 30 policy documents were analyzed. Framework analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: the increase of HIV among Injecting drug users (IDUs) and Female Sex Workers (FSWs), lack of control of their high-risk behaviors, and exceeding the HIV into concentrated phase were examples of problem stream. Policy stream was evidence-based solutions that highlighted the need for changing strategies for dealing with such a problem and finding technically feasible and acceptable solutions. Iran’s participation in United Nations General Assembly special sessions on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS), the establishment of National AIDS Committee; highlighting AIDS control in Iran’s five years development program and the support of the judiciary system of harm reduction policies were examples of politics stream. Policy entrepreneurs linking these streams put the HIV/AIDS on the national agenda (policy windows) and provide their solutions. Conclusion: There were mutual interactions among these three streams and sometimes, they weakened or reinforced each other. Future studies are recommended to understand the interactions between these streams’ parts and perhaps develop further Kingdon’s framework, especially in the health sector. PMID:27579283

Technical analysis, contestation and politics in policy agenda setting and implementation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koduah, Augustina; Dijk, van Han; Agyepong, Irene Akua

2016-01-01

Background: Why issues get on the policy agenda, move into policy formulation and implementation while others drop off in the process is an important field of enquiry to inform public social policy development and implementation. This paper seeks to advance our understanding of health policy

Democracy and Multiparty Politics in Africa Recent Elections in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The shift from one-party to multiparty politics in many African countries has made the issue of democratisation a crucially equally important part of the development agenda. Efforts to create an economically enabling environment and build administrative and other capacities will be wasted if the political context is not ...

Prioritizing Surgical Care on National Health Agendas: A Qualitative Case Study of Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone.

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Dare, Anna J; Lee, Katherine C; Bleicher, Josh; Elobu, Alex E; Kamara, Thaim B; Liko, Osborne; Luboga, Samuel; Danlop, Akule; Kune, Gabriel; Hagander, Lars; Leather, Andrew J M; Yamey, Gavin

2016-05-01

Little is known about the social and political factors that influence priority setting for different health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet these factors are integral to understanding how national health agendas are established. We investigated factors that facilitate or prevent surgical care from being prioritized in LMICs. We undertook country case studies in Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, using a qualitative process-tracing method. We conducted 74 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in health agenda setting and surgical care in these countries. Interviews were triangulated with published academic literature, country reports, national health plans, and policies. Data were analyzed using a conceptual framework based on four components (actor power, ideas, political contexts, issue characteristics) to assess national factors influencing priority for surgery. Political priority for surgical care in the three countries varies. Priority was highest in Papua New Guinea, where surgical care is firmly embedded within national health plans and receives significant domestic and international resources, and much lower in Uganda and Sierra Leone. Factors influencing whether surgical care was prioritized were the degree of sustained and effective domestic advocacy by the local surgical community, the national political and economic environment in which health policy setting occurs, and the influence of international actors, particularly donors, on national agenda setting. The results from Papua New Guinea show that a strong surgical community can generate priority from the ground up, even where other factors are unfavorable. National health agenda setting is a complex social and political process. To embed surgical care within national health policy, sustained advocacy efforts, effective framing of the problem and solutions, and country-specific data are required. Political, technical, and financial support from

Prioritizing Surgical Care on National Health Agendas: A Qualitative Case Study of Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna J Dare

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the social and political factors that influence priority setting for different health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs, yet these factors are integral to understanding how national health agendas are established. We investigated factors that facilitate or prevent surgical care from being prioritized in LMICs.We undertook country case studies in Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, using a qualitative process-tracing method. We conducted 74 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in health agenda setting and surgical care in these countries. Interviews were triangulated with published academic literature, country reports, national health plans, and policies. Data were analyzed using a conceptual framework based on four components (actor power, ideas, political contexts, issue characteristics to assess national factors influencing priority for surgery. Political priority for surgical care in the three countries varies. Priority was highest in Papua New Guinea, where surgical care is firmly embedded within national health plans and receives significant domestic and international resources, and much lower in Uganda and Sierra Leone. Factors influencing whether surgical care was prioritized were the degree of sustained and effective domestic advocacy by the local surgical community, the national political and economic environment in which health policy setting occurs, and the influence of international actors, particularly donors, on national agenda setting. The results from Papua New Guinea show that a strong surgical community can generate priority from the ground up, even where other factors are unfavorable.National health agenda setting is a complex social and political process. To embed surgical care within national health policy, sustained advocacy efforts, effective framing of the problem and solutions, and country-specific data are required. Political, technical, and financial

Prioritizing Surgical Care on National Health Agendas: A Qualitative Case Study of Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone

Science.gov (United States)

Dare, Anna J.; Lee, Katherine C.; Bleicher, Josh; Elobu, Alex E.; Kamara, Thaim B.; Liko, Osborne; Luboga, Samuel; Danlop, Akule; Kune, Gabriel; Hagander, Lars; Leather, Andrew J. M.; Yamey, Gavin

2016-01-01

Background Little is known about the social and political factors that influence priority setting for different health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet these factors are integral to understanding how national health agendas are established. We investigated factors that facilitate or prevent surgical care from being prioritized in LMICs. Methods and Findings We undertook country case studies in Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, using a qualitative process-tracing method. We conducted 74 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in health agenda setting and surgical care in these countries. Interviews were triangulated with published academic literature, country reports, national health plans, and policies. Data were analyzed using a conceptual framework based on four components (actor power, ideas, political contexts, issue characteristics) to assess national factors influencing priority for surgery. Political priority for surgical care in the three countries varies. Priority was highest in Papua New Guinea, where surgical care is firmly embedded within national health plans and receives significant domestic and international resources, and much lower in Uganda and Sierra Leone. Factors influencing whether surgical care was prioritized were the degree of sustained and effective domestic advocacy by the local surgical community, the national political and economic environment in which health policy setting occurs, and the influence of international actors, particularly donors, on national agenda setting. The results from Papua New Guinea show that a strong surgical community can generate priority from the ground up, even where other factors are unfavorable. Conclusions National health agenda setting is a complex social and political process. To embed surgical care within national health policy, sustained advocacy efforts, effective framing of the problem and solutions, and country-specific data are required. Political

A Telecommunications Policy Agenda for Latinos en la Edad de Informacion.

Science.gov (United States)

Schement, Jorge Reina

2001-01-01

Discusses telecommunications developments affecting Latino access and participation. Examines telecommunications policy as political discourse. Presents elements of a telecommunications policy agenda drawn from that of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and focusing on access to services, education for digital literacy, needs of small businesses…

How mass media attract political elites' attention

OpenAIRE

Sevenans, Julie

2018-01-01

Abstract: Political agenda-setting research has shown that policy makers are responsive vis-à-vis media priorities. However, the mechanisms behind this effect have remained understudied so far. In particular, agenda-setting scholars have difficulties determining to what extent politicians react to media coverage purely because of the information it contains (information effect), and to what extent the effect is driven not by what the media say but by the fact that certain information is in th...

Communicating Politics: Using Active Learning to Demonstrate the Value of the Discipline

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matthew

2016-01-01

In the context of higher tuition fees, the Government's employability agenda and growing concern for defined career development strategies among young people, there is a need more effectively for Politics programmes to foster the capacity to communicate politics. Without communicating the implications and relevance of politics the subject and the…

Environment protection and energy politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pernice, I.

1993-01-01

Three aspects make the issue of energy politics and environment protection in the European Community interesting: Questions of competence, international stipulations, and the concrete measures the Community implements or plans in fulfillment of its duty to integrate these two political spheres. At the international level impulses for an environmentally benign energy policy are given by the World Climate Convention, the Agenda 21 passed at the Rio Conference, and by the European Energy Charter and its consequential documents. (orig./HSCH) [de

Politics, policy and physical education | van Deventer | South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To understand educational reform and the form that Physical Education (PE) takes on we need to understand how policy becomes practice and the nature of the political agenda at any particular time. The research problem focuses on the politics involved in the policy process within educational reform regarding PE as a ...

Politics of Sustainability in the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gad, Ulrik Pram; Jakobsen, Uffe; Strandsbjerg, Jeppe

2017-01-01

The concept of sustainability has become central in arctic politics. However, there is little agreement on what ‘sustainable’ means. For different actors (governments, indigenous people, NGOs, etc.) the concept implies different sets of opportunities and precautions. Sustainability, therefore...... the role of sustainability in political and economic strategies in the Arctic. Sustainability has become a fundamental concept that orders the relationship between the environment (nature) and development (economy), however, in the process rearticulating other concepts such as identity (society). Hence, we...... to outline an agenda for how to study the way in which sustainability works as a political concept....

Making Sense of Technologically Enhanced Learning in Context: A Research Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heilesen, Simon; Jensen, Sisse Siggaard

2006-01-01

This chapter proposes that technologically enhanced learning should be understood and evaluated by means of a combination of analytical strategies. These will allow us to analyze it both as seen from the macro analytical or ‘outside’ perspective of a rich social, cultural and technological context...... university education. Problematizing some common assumptions about technologically enhanced learning the authors define ten questions that may serve as the basis for a research agenda meant to help us understand why the many visions and ideals of the online or remediated classroom are not more widely...

Agenda-setting, Religion and New Media: The Chabad Case Study

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Tsuriel Rashi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Theoretically grounded in agenda setting, a theory focused on the transfer of influence from communication media to a public, this paper examines the media activity of Chabad, an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish movement that is committed both to making Judaism generally accessible and to influencing public discourse. Rabbi M. M. Schneerson, the movement’s late wise and charismatic leader, undertook this dual mission in light of his conception of the theological grounds for the exploitation of mass media. Our examination of Chabad’s agenda-setting communication strategy was guided by two research questions: 1. What is the range of communication media used by Chabad in an effort to achieve its goal? 2. What evidence is there regarding the agenda-setting success of these communication efforts? Although it is obviously difficult to judge the precise degree of success, it is clear that Chabad is involved in a wide range of media and public activity and has already influenced public discourse well beyond the range of the movement itself and of the Jewish religion. The answer to the two questions above will help us understand the various movements that try to influence the agenda on religious grounds, so that we can determine the interface between religion and setting the agenda. It may also assist the efforts of other religious groups that want to influence the media and the political agenda.

The link between poverty, environment and development. The political challenge of localizing Agenda 21.

Science.gov (United States)

Wichmann, R

1995-11-01

This article discusses the links between poverty, development, the environment, and implementing Agenda 21. The poor in large cities experience greater health risks and threats from environmental hazards. The poor also face inadequate housing, poor sanitation, polluted drinking water, and lack of other basic services. Many poor live in marginalized areas more susceptible to environmental degradation. During 1990-2030, population size may reach 9.7 billion, or 3.7 billion more than today. 90% may be urban residents. Already a large proportion of urban population live in a decaying urban environment with health and life threatening conditions. At least 250 million do not have easy access to safe piped water. 400 million lack proper sanitation. The liberalization of the global economy is fueling urbanization. The cycle of poverty and environmental decline requires rapid economic growth and closing of the infrastructure gaps. Policy initiatives of Agenda 21 occur at the local urban level. At this level, policies directly affect people. The future success of Agenda 21 will depend on local initiatives. Management approaches may need to change in order to achieve sustainable development. The poor will be more vocal and heard from in the future. Critical areas of management include waste management, pollution control, traffic, transportation, energy, economic development, and job creation. Society must be able to participate in setting priorities. About 1500 local authorities are involved in Agenda 21 planning initiatives. Curitiba, Brazil, is an example of how cities can solve community problems.

Mandating influenza vaccinations for health care workers: analysing opportunities for policy change using Kingdon's agenda setting framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson-Lee, Angela; Barr, Neil G; Randall, Glen E

2016-09-29

The consequences of annual influenza outbreaks are often underestimated by the general public. Influenza poses a serious public health threat around the world, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. Fortunately, vaccination can mitigate the negative effects of this common infectious disease. Although inoculating frontline health care workers (HCWs) helps minimize disease transmission, some HCWs continue to resist participating in voluntary immunization programs. A potential solution to this problem is government-mandated vaccination for HCWs; however, in practice, there are substantial barriers to the adoption of such policies. The purpose of this paper is to identify the likelihood of adopting a policy for mandatory immunization of HCWs in Ontario based on a historical review of barriers to the agenda setting process. Documents from secondary data sources were analysed using Kingdon's agenda setting framework of three converging streams leading to windows of opportunity for possible policy adoption. The problems, politics, and policies streams of Kingdon's framework have converged and diverged repeatedly over an extended period (policy windows have opened and closed several times). In each instance, a technically feasible solution was available. However, despite the evidence supporting the value of HCW immunization, alignment of the three agenda setting streams occurred for very short periods of time, during which, opposition lobby groups reacted, making the proposed solution less politically acceptable. Prior to the adoption of any new policies, issues must reach a government's decision agenda. Based on Kingdon's agenda setting framework, this only occurs when there is alignment of the problems, politics, and policies streams. Understanding this process makes it easier to predict the likelihood of a policy being adopted, and ultimately implemented. Such learning may be applied to policy issues in other jurisdictions. In the case of mandatory influenza

The balancing act of establishing a policy agenda : Conceptualizing and measuring drivers of issue prioritization within interest groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Halpin, D.R.; Fraussen, B.; Nownes, A.J.

2017-01-01

Interest groups are important intermediaries in Western democracies, with the potential to offer political linkage and form a bridge between the concerns of citizens and the agendas of political elites. While we know an increasing amount about the issue-based activity of groups, we only have a

Down but Not Out: The National Education Association in Federal Politics

Science.gov (United States)

Marianno, Bradley D.

2018-01-01

This research provides new evidence on the political activity and policy-setting agenda of the largest national teachers' union during a time of political change. Using a longitudinal dataset comprised of election outcomes and campaign contributions for all candidates for federal office and the National Education Association's (NEA) official…

Epidemics and agendas: the politics of nightly news coverage of AIDS.

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Colby, D C; Cook, T E

1991-01-01

We examine why the exponential growth of AIDS cases or the wide-spread professional perception of a health crisis did not move the epidemic more quickly onto the agenda of public problems. One possible explanation focuses on how the national news media's construction of AIDS shaped the meaning of the epidemic for mass and elite audiences. An examination of nightly news coverage by the three major networks from 1982 to 1989 reveals considerable variability and volatility in their coverage. Topic-driven saturation coverage occurred only during three short periods in 1983, 1985, and 1987, when the epidemic seemed likely to affect the "general population". Only at such moments did public opinion shift and discussion and debate in government begin. Otherwise, the typical AIDS story tended less to sensationalize than to reassure, largely because journalists depended upon government officials and high-ranking doctors to present them with evidence of news. Such sources had interests either in avoiding coverage or in pointing toward breakthroughs; more critical sources, especially within the gay movement, had far less access to the news. In concluding, we considered the prospects and pitfalls of the news media's power to shape the public agenda.

The role of the media in agenda setting: the case of long-term care rebalancing.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Edward Alan; Nadash, Pamela; Goldstein, Rachel

2015-01-01

This study investigates the role of print media in state policy agendas in four states-Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, and Utah-in rebalancing long-term care away from institutions toward home- and community-based (HCBS) services. Ordinary least squares regression is used to model states' policy agendas, as measured by the proportion of Medicaid long-term care spending on HCBS expenditures and number of rebalancing bills proposed, from 1999 to 2008. Results reveal a relationship between states' rebalancing agendas and the extent of media coverage, and state economic, political, and programmatic characteristics. Findings suggest that media coverage reflects broader shifts in state-level attitudes toward rebalancing.

Bio-objects’ political capacity: a research agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Maeseele, Pieter; Hendrickx, Kim; Pavone, Vincenzo; Van Hoyweghen, Ine

2013-01-01

This article explores the merits of foregrounding the dichotomy of politicization vs de-politicization for our understanding of bio-objects in order to study their production, circulation, and governance in European societies. By asking how bio-objects are configured in science, policy, public, and media discourses and practices, we focus on the role of socio-technical configurations in generating political relations. The bio-object thereby serves as an entry point to approach and conceptualize “the political” in an innovative way. PMID:23630150

La Violencia de Género en la Agenda Mediática: el Caso de la Ley Integral de Violencia de Género (LO 1/2004 (Gender Violence in the Media’s Agenda: The case of the Gender Violence Integral Law (LO 1/2004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lohitzune Zuloaga Lojo

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Media's, based on its agenda, has proven crucial in setting up gender violence as a social problem. This article analyzes the development of media coverage of the Gender Violence Integral Law (LO 1/2004, until its adoption in December 2004. The press analysis is focused on El País and El Mundo newspapers from 2000 to 2004. It aims at showing the political and media precedents of the LO 1/2004, and to examine how media's agenda determined the configuration of the political agenda and the new regulation. A total of 1,842 headlines have been gathered, establishing two focus lines: a quantitative analysis that provides a longitudinal study on the number of gender violence related news; and a qualitative content analysis to observe the main theme of headlines, and major milestones of the political agenda around this phenomenon. El comportamiento de la agenda mediática ha sido determinante para la configuración de la violencia de género como problema social. Como ejemplo de ello, se ha analizado el recorrido mediático de la Ley Integral de Violencia de Género (LO 1/2004, aprobada en diciembre de 2004. El análisis de prensa se ha centrado en los diarios El País y El Mundo desde el año 2000 hasta el 2004, con el objetivo de evidenciar los precedentes políticos y mediáticos de la LO 1/2004 y estudiar en qué medida la agenda mediática determinó la configuración de la agenda política y de la nueva normativa. Se han reunido un total 1.842 titulares, que han sido sometidos a un estudio cuantitativo longitudinal sobre el número de noticias relacionadas con la violencia de género; y un análisis de contenido de tipo cualitativo, para observar la tematización resaltada en los titulares seleccionados y los principales hitos de la agenda política en torno a este fenómeno. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2612466

[A global view of population health in Colombia: role of social macro-determinants].

Science.gov (United States)

Idrovo, Alvaro J; Ruiz-Rodríguez, Myriam

2007-09-01

The social environment is an important determinant of population and individual health. However, its impact is often not considered in national health policies and generally its attributes are considered as constants. For this reason, contemporary health policies place greater emphasis on individual risk factors. Colombias position in the world ranking is described with respect to several social macro-determinants of health, previously characterized as components of class/welfare regime model. The exploratory study included all countries with comparable data including the following: (1) economic development [gross domestic product per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity], (2) income inequality [Gini coefficient], (3) social capital corruption perceptions index and generalized trust, and (4) political regime index of freedom. First, correlations between these macro-determinants were estimated, and second, the relationship between them and life expectancy at birth was explored. Finally, the position of Colombia in global context was determined. Important correlations occurred among the macro-determinants. Colombia tended to have intermediate to low positions in the global context in all macro-determinants, with the exception of gross domestic product per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity. The macro-determinant of population health with the highest potential of effecting improvement in health conditions is to modify income inequality.

Do the Media set the Parliamentary Agenda? A Comparative Study in Seven Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vliegenthart, Rens; Walgrave, Stefaan; Baumgartner, Frank R.

2016-01-01

a number of general agenda-setting patterns but these have never been confirmed in a comparative approach. In a comparative, longitudinal design including comparable media and politics evidence for seven European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK...

Change, continuity and power in the Russian political economy in comparative BRICs perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasileva, A.

2017-01-01

This article-based dissertation explores the development of the Russian political economy over the past 25 years in comparative BRICs perspective. The first half of the thesis describes (article 1) and compares (article 2) the evolution of the macro-configuration of Russia's political economy

Politics of climate change: a European perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Riordan, T.; Jaeger, Jill

1996-01-01

The Politics of Climate Change provides a critical analysis of the political, moral and legal response to climate change, in the midst of various other closely connected socio-economic policy shifts. Evolving from original EC commissioned research, it examines how climate change was put on the policy agenda with the evolution of the United Nations Framework Convention and subsequent Conference of Parties, and considers the uncertainties of climate futures in the context of changing social and industrial policies. (Author)

Gender security between human development and human security. Recent issues in the political international agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Degani

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Issues regarding security, for a long time have been proposed, both in the scientific literature, that in the writings of popular character, without taking into due consideration the specificity of the effects that certain threats can cause the different subjectivity or on specific groups rather than on other . In particular, very rarely takes into account the fact that, in relation to the condition of women, we can talk, referring to certain areas or aspects of the problem, think of the problem of violence, of a real security crisis. The safety cultures sedimentation processes of socialization through everyday practices, can be considered an integral part of the internal structures of states. The issues relating to the in / security for women are on the agenda institutional, only a few years, do not fall within the traditional framework of interventions aimed at regulating sector profiles of women, in line with a vision of the subject recipient of this policy individual as "neutral." These are issues that today are also of inter-governmental organizations, in particular the United Nations, a central political role with respect to the adoption of policies related to the affirmation, respect and the effectiveness of human rights and at the same time enrich and innovate in order substantial guidelines and decision-making processes in the field of security.

"Engendering" Agenda 21: gender equality and water resource management: five years after Rio.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannan-andersson, C

1997-01-01

Agenda 21 acknowledges women's role in natural resources management at the local level and emphasizes the need for more women in senior positions to contribute positively to the implementation of environmental policy. This article assesses Agenda 21's approach to gender equality and its achievements. A few explicit references to women and water resource management (WRM) without consideration on the gender implications of the WRM policies and strategies were noted. The macro-oriented, technology-focused and supply-oriented approach of Agenda 21 on WRM hinders the inclusion of a gender perspective. There are two levels of implications of gender-blind intervention in relation to WRM: the issue of social justice and rights, and the negative impact of the neglect of gender inequality on overall planning and success of interventions. The inclusion of a gender perspective at policy and planning levels to facilitate the resolution of inconsistencies, as well as the importance of water sources and patterns of use knowledge for adequate policy development and planning was suggested. It is important that the WRM principle application utilize a sociocultural and gender perspective at both community and household levels before decisions are made on WRM interventions.

Emotions, Public Opinion, and U.S. Presidential Approval Rates: A 5-Year Analysis of Online Political Discussions

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Bailon, Sandra; Banchs, Rafael E.; Kaltenbrunner, Andreas

2012-01-01

This article examines how emotional reactions to political events shape public opinion. We analyze political discussions in which people voluntarily engage online to approximate the public agenda: Online discussions offer a natural approach to the salience of political issues and the means to analyze emotional reactions as political events take…

How Politics Shapes the Growth of Rules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Mads Leth Felsager; Mortensen, Peter Bjerre

2015-01-01

when, why, and how political factors shape changes in the stock of rules. Furthermore, we test these hypotheses on a unique, new data set based on all Danish primary legislation and administrative rules from 1989 to 2011 categorized into 20 different policy domains. The analysis shows......This article examines the impact of politics on governmental rule production. Traditionally, explanations of rule dynamics have focused on nonpolitical factors such as the self-evolvement of rules, environmental factors, and decision maker attributes. This article develops a set of hypotheses about...... that the traditional Weberian “rules breed rules” explanations must be supplemented with political explanations that take party ideology and changes in the political agenda into account. Moreover, the effect of political factors is indistinguishable across changes in primary laws and changes in administrative rules...

Shaping the Health Policy Agenda: The Case of Safe Motherhood Policy in Vietnam

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Bui Thi Thu Ha

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background Maternal health remains a central policy concern in Vietnam. With a commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG 5 target of maternal mortality rate (MMR of 70/100 000 by 2015, the Ministry of Health (MoH issued the National Plan for Safe Motherhood (NPSM 2003-2010. In 2008, reproductive health, including safe motherhood (SM became a national health target program with annual government funding. Methods A case study of how SM emerged as a political priority in Vietnam over the period 2001-2008, drawing on Kingdon’s theory of agenda-setting was conducted. A mixed method was adopted for this study of the NPSM. Results Three related streams contributed to SM priority in Vietnam: (1 the problem of high MMR was officially recognized from high-quality research, (2 the strong roles of policy champion from MoH in advocating for the needs to reducing MMR as well as support from government and donors, and (3 the national and international events, providing favorable context for this issue to emerge on policy agenda. Conclusion This paper draws on the theory of agenda-setting to analyze the Vietnam experience and to develop guidance for SM a political priority in other high maternal mortality communities.

The role of political affiliation in employment decisions: A model and research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Philip L; Goldberg, Caren B; Thatcher, Jason B

2017-09-01

Organizational researchers have studied how individuals identify with groups and organizations and how this affiliation influences behavior for decades (e.g., Tajfel, 1982). Interestingly, investigation into political affiliation and political affiliation similarity in the organizational sciences is extremely rare. This is striking, given the deep political divides that exist between groups of individuals described in the political science literature. We draw from theories based on similarity, organizational identification, and person-environment fit, as well as theoretical notions related to individuating information, to develop a model, the political affiliation model (PAM), which describes the implications of political affiliation and political similarity for employment decisions. We set forth a number of propositions based on PAM, to spur future research in the organizational sciences for a timely topic which has received little attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Linking Resilience and Transformation as Micro- and Macro Adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, E.; Breitzer, R.; Solecki, W. D.

2017-12-01

The concept of resiliency within climate adaptation planning and practice is widespread, but in some ways it has begun to suffer from its own success. While resiliency provides a valuable frame for understanding the conditions and opportunities for localized responses to increasing climate risks, the concept's ubiquitous use leads to it being applied to often conflicting policy agendas, which can mask or limit the capacity to connect efforts focused on near term risk to longer term and emergent climate threats in communities. These challenges are particularly evident in the context of extreme events and in the post extreme event policy windows. To overcome these issues and take advantage of the post-event policy window, the NOAA RISA Climate Change Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN) project has been developing two specific, "boutique", policy tools. These include the PELT (Post-event learning toolkit) and MART (Macro-adaptation Resilience toolkit) toolkits. Embedded in these toolkits are two approaches to small scale strategies often associated with near term action (i.e., micro-adaptation) and large scale strategies associated with broad longer term needs (i.e., macro-adaptation). In this paper, these two approaches - micro and macro adaptation - are theoretically defined and presented in practice through the beta-testing of the PELT and MART toolkits. Most importantly, we illustrate how the theoretical links between resiliency and transformation can be operationalized through the use of these approaches, and how these approaches can be implemented in everyday risk management practice. We present our work through selected case studies in the Northeast US region, specifically in Jamaica Bay, New York, and Eastwick neighborhood in Philadelphia.

Food and Health Safety: a Macro-policy Approach in the EU

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Francesco Losurdo

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Food safety could be considered as a representative case of „market failure”. This would justify State regulatory intervention. Unfortunately, the lack of an organically policy framework is causing large loopholes specially in the quality control system which normally developed on the whole production process of value, including supply chain. The Common Agriculture Policy for 2014-2020 looks to be once again based on a partial and micro-economic approach while the growing interdependences between agriculture, industry and services are suggesting a different „macro-policy” method in theoretical, technical and political settings. An industrial macro-policy is more „holistic” than micro and sectoral one able to intervene on market in order to contribute to a stronger governance and control system of food safety and consumers choices.

Where does political influence go when austerity sets in?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Sune Welling; Houlberg, Kurt; Holm Pedersen, Lene

Economic crisis is argued to be an opportunity to push through political changes, which otherwise can be difficult to make. Fiscal austerity is likely to change the political agenda and in some cases also the coalitions which can be formed. Based on the asymmetric distribution of preferences...... level down to the subnational level it becomes possible to make an empirical contribution to the discussion on how austerity affects political influence. We examine the case of Danish local government and make use of a time-series cross-sectional dataset consisting of two independent surveys of elected...... guardians, who ‘should not waste a good crisis to make political changes’ because their political influence is increasing in times of austerity....

El ingreso de la agenda feminista a la agenda de los medios

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Fernández Hasan, Valeria

2016-07-01

Full Text Available [es] La agenda política feminista ha ingresado a la agenda mediática a través de diversas estrategias en los últimos años. Actualmente, no sólo los portales de noticias feministas/de género y los de colectivas feministas presentan y se ocupan de noticias de mujeres y diversidad sino que los grandes medios de comunicación masiva han incorporado a sus agendas estas problemáticas imprescindibles, fundamentalmente, referidas a tres temas puntuales: trata de personas para explotación sexual, derechos sexuales y reproductivos/aborto, violencia de género/femicidio. A cinco años de la sanción de la Ley de Servicios de Comunicación Audiovisual, nos interesa hacer un balance del impacto de las acciones implementadas en torno del tratamiento de la violencia de género/femicidio en distintos formatos y soportes e indagar cuáles son las percepciones de los y las periodistas respecto de sus propias intervenciones y producciones. Para relevar la información realizamos entrevistas a periodistas de diferentes medios de comunicación de la radio y la TV de Mendoza. También aparecen datos aportados por referentes de las dos redes que actualmente reúnen a las/los periodistas feministas e investigadoras de la comunicación en Argentina (Periodistas de Argentina en Red por una comunicación no sexista y Red Internacional de Periodistas con Visión de Género. [en] The political feminist agenda has entered to the media agenda across diverse strategies in the last years. Nowadays, not only the portals of news feminists /gender and those of collective feminists are presented by them and deal with women’s news and diversity but the big media of massive communication have incorporated to his these problematic indispensable, agendas fundamentally, referred to three punctual topics: It treats of persons for sexual exploitation, sexual and reproductive / reproductive rights, violence of gender/femicide. To five years of the sanction of the Law of Services

Academic Debate: Publications Which Promote Political Agendas Have no Place in Scientific and Medical Journals, and Academics Should Refrain from Publishing in Such Journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Glick, Shimon; Clarfield, A Mark; Strous, Rael D; Horton, Richard

2015-01-01

This paper presents the full debate held on October 1, 2014, which focused on the following resolution: "Publications which promote political agendas have no place in scientific and medical journals, and academics should refrain from publishing in such journals." The debate moderator was Professor Shimon Glick. Taking the pro stance was Professor A. Mark Clarfield; the con stance was held by Professor Rael D. Strous. Following the first part of the debate, Dr Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, gave his thoughts on the topic. This was followed by the opportunity for rebuttal by Professors Clarfield and Strous. The debate was summarized and closed by Professor Glick. This paper provides a slightly edited text of the debate, for ease of reading.

What Enables and Constrains the Inclusion of the Social Determinants of Health Inequities in Government Policy Agendas? A Narrative Review

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Phillip Baker

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background Despite decades of evidence gathering and calls for action, few countries have systematically attenuated health inequities (HI through action on the social determinants of health (SDH. This is at least partly because doing so presents a significant political and policy challenge. This paper explores this challenge through a review of the empirical literature, asking: what factors have enabled and constrained the inclusion of the social determinants of health inequities (SDHI in government policy agendas? Methods A narrative review method was adopted involving three steps: first, drawing upon political science theories on agenda-setting, an integrated theoretical framework was developed to guide the review; second, a systematic search of scholarly databases for relevant literature; and third, qualitative analysis of the data and thematic synthesis of the results. Studies were included if they were empirical, met specified quality criteria, and identified factors that enabled or constrained the inclusion of the SDHI in government policy agendas. Results A total of 48 studies were included in the final synthesis, with studies spanning a number of country-contexts and jurisdictional settings, and employing a diversity of theoretical frameworks. Influential factors included the ways in which the SDHI were framed in public, media and political discourse; emerging data and evidence describing health inequalities; limited supporting evidence and misalignment of proposed solutions with existing policy and institutional arrangements; institutionalised norms and ideologies (ie, belief systems that are antithetical to a SDH approach including neoliberalism, the medicalisation of health and racism; civil society mobilization; leadership; and changes in government. Conclusion A complex set of interrelated, context-dependent and dynamic factors influence the inclusion or neglect of the SDHI in government policy agendas. It is better to think about

What Enables and Constrains the Inclusion of the Social Determinants of Health Inequities in Government Policy Agendas? A Narrative Review

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Phillip; Friel, Sharon; Kay, Adrian; Baum, Fran; Strazdins, Lyndall; Mackean, Tamara

2018-01-01

Background: Despite decades of evidence gathering and calls for action, few countries have systematically attenuated health inequities (HI) through action on the social determinants of health (SDH). This is at least partly because doing so presents a significant political and policy challenge. This paper explores this challenge through a review of the empirical literature, asking: what factors have enabled and constrained the inclusion of the social determinants of health inequities (SDHI) in government policy agendas? Methods: A narrative review method was adopted involving three steps: first, drawing upon political science theories on agenda-setting, an integrated theoretical framework was developed to guide the review; second, a systematic search of scholarly databases for relevant literature; and third, qualitative analysis of the data and thematic synthesis of the results. Studies were included if they were empirical, met specified quality criteria, and identified factors that enabled or constrained the inclusion of the SDHI in government policy agendas. Results: A total of 48 studies were included in the final synthesis, with studies spanning a number of country-contexts and jurisdictional settings, and employing a diversity of theoretical frameworks. Influential factors included the ways in which the SDHI were framed in public, media and political discourse; emerging data and evidence describing health inequalities; limited supporting evidence and misalignment of proposed solutions with existing policy and institutional arrangements; institutionalised norms and ideologies (ie, belief systems) that are antithetical to a SDH approach including neoliberalism, the medicalisation of health and racism; civil society mobilization; leadership; and changes in government. Conclusion: A complex set of interrelated, context-dependent and dynamic factors influence the inclusion or neglect of the SDHI in government policy agendas. It is better to think about these factors

Bangladesh pharmaceutical policy and politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Reich, M R

1994-06-01

An analysis of the politics of Bangladesh pharmaceutical policy in the 1980s shows how significant health policy reforms in developing countries depend on political conditions both inside and outside the country. Bangladesh's drug policy of 1982 illustrates that governments can sometimes change public policy in ways unfavourable to multinational corporations, while the failed health policy reform of 1990 shows that reforms unfavourable to powerful domestic interest groups can be more difficult to achieve, even contributing to a government's downfall. The case provides evidence of basic changes in how the international agenda for health policy is set, especially the growing role of non-governmental organizations in international agencies and national policy debates. Understanding the political patterns of policy reform in Bangladesh has important implications for strategies to affect health policy in developing countries.

Computational and Simulation Modeling of Political Attitudes: The 'Tiger' Area of Political Culture Research

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Voinea, Camelia Florela

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In almost one century long history, political attitudes modeling research has accumulated a critical mass of theory and method. Its characteristics and particularities have often suggested that political attitude approach to political persuasion modeling reveals a strong theoretical autonomy of concept which entitles it to become a new separate discipline of research. Though this did not actually happen, political attitudes modeling research has remained the most challenging area – the “tiger” – of political culture modeling research. This paper reviews the research literature on the conceptual, computational and simulation modeling of political attitudes developed starting with the beginning of the 20th century until the present times. Several computational and simulation modeling paradigms have provided support to political attitudes modeling research. These paradigms and the shift from one to another are briefly presented for a period of time of almost one century. The dominant paradigmatic views are those inspired by the Newtonian mechanics, and those based on the principle of methodological individualism and the emergence of macro phenomena from the individual interactions at the micro level of a society. This period of time is divided in eight ages covering the history of ideas in a wide range of political domains, going from political attitudes to polity modeling. Internal and external pressures for paradigmatic change are briefly explained.

The political economy of management knowledge : management texts in English healthcare organizations

OpenAIRE

Ferlie, Ewan; Ledger, Jean; Dopson, Sue; Fischer, Michael D.; Fitzgerald, Louise; McGivern, Gerry; Bennett, Christopher P.

2016-01-01

Have generic management texts and associated knowledges now extensively diffused into public services organizations? If so, why? Our empirical study of English healthcare organizations detects an extensive presence of such texts. We argue that their ready diffusion relates to two macro-level forces: (i) the influence of the underlying political economy of public services reform and (ii) a strongly developed business school/management consulting knowledge nexus. This macro perspective theoreti...

Feminist Reflections on the Peruvian University Politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Stromquist, Nelly P.

1988-01-01

An examination of the extent to which Peruvian universities have addressed gender issues finds (1) student politics have been male-dominated and not made women's issues primary concerns, (2) faculty are predominantly male, and (3) the education field has not adopted a feminist agenda despite greater participation by women. (Author/MSE)

Political Ideology and the Discursive Construction of the Multinational Hotel Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maclean, Mairi; Harvey, Charles; Suddaby, Roy

2018-01-01

How might political ideology help to shape an organizational field? We explore the discursive construction of the multinational hotel industry through analysis of one of its leading actors, Hilton International (HI), conceived by Conrad Hilton as a means of combatting communism by facilitating...... world peace through international trade and travel. While the politicized rhetoric employed at hotel openings reflected institutional diversity, it resonated in parallel with a strong anti-communist discourse. We show that through astute political sensemaking and sensegiving, macro-political discourse...

From Goa to Xiamen. On Some Aspects of Political Cooperation within BRICS

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Gleb Toropchin

2017-03-01

Full Text Available International relations system under contemporary conditions does not presuppose existence of a universal, generally accepted world order model. Concepts of the modern global order can stand in marked contrast to each other: the idea of a unipolar world led by the U.S. and the North Atlantic Community is opposed to the notion of a multipolar world with several equatable force poles. One of the phenomena illustrating the polycentrical world narrative is the emergence of BRIC group in the 2000s and its further evolution as BRICS in the 2010s. This explains the relevance of the chosen problem. The article considers major tracks of political cooperation within BRICS. The author analyses final documents of the latest BRICS summits, namely, in Fortaleza (2014, Ufa (2015 and Goa (2016 in terms of extension of the political agenda, also defining its reasons. Points of view expressed by both leading Russian and foreign experts, civic leaders and policymakers are taken into account. The work touches upon the problem of potential enlargement of BRICS, its functioning in the outreach format, as well as possibilities of institutionalisation of the grouping. At the same time, we also bear in mind the difference in approaches of the BRICS countries towards the inclusion of political issues to the agenda. In this piece, we utilise holistic approach to the chosen topic: various fields of activity within BRICS are scrutinised in their inextricable connection, as they determine one another. Thanks to the application of content analysis as a scientific method and the results obtained, it became possible to define the correlation between the attitude of the summit host country to the issues of political cooperation and reflection of the political agenda in the final declaration of the event. As for the conclusions of the research paper, the author presumes that common ideologemes and principles defining BRICS performance (such as supremacy of international law

Market and Money: Economic Instruments of Political Europe

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Florina Pînzaru

2006-10-01

Full Text Available By the creation of the unique currency, the European construction advanced, in the late twenty years, more in economic terms than in political ones. Still, at a closer look there can be found interesting arguments to sustain the idea of a political background for this surprising economic acceleration. Creating the common market and a new currency are things which have been possible only because of favourable factors in economy and of strong political will. This paper analyses the market as a frame of a political construction, and euro as a decisive tool for the purpose of the United Europe. For the first time in history, there is a space which approaches beliefs and values with the “help” of a currency, integrated in the political agenda.

Identity, identity politics, and neoliberalism

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Wrenn Mary

2014-01-01

Full Text Available With the intensification of neoliberalism, it is useful to examine how some individuals might cope with the irrationality of the system. Neoliberalism cloaks the execution of the corporate agenda behind rhetorical manipulation that advocates for limited government. The corollary absence of government involvement on behalf of the citizenry writ large disarms the means of social redress for the individual. Democracy funded and fueled by corporate power thereby disenfranchises the individual, provoking some to search for empowerment through identity politics. The argument set forth suggests that individuals construct, reinforce, or escalate allegiance to identities as a coping mechanism, some of which manifest in violent identity politics.

Corporate philanthropy, political influence, and health policy.

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Gary J Fooks

Full Text Available The Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC provides a basis for nation states to limit the political effects of tobacco industry philanthropy, yet progress in this area is limited. This paper aims to integrate the findings of previous studies on tobacco industry philanthropy with a new analysis of British American Tobacco's (BAT record of charitable giving to develop a general model of corporate political philanthropy that can be used to facilitate implementation of the FCTC.Analysis of previously confidential industry documents, BAT social and stakeholder dialogue reports, and existing tobacco industry document studies on philanthropy.The analysis identified six broad ways in which tobacco companies have used philanthropy politically: developing constituencies to build support for policy positions and generate third party advocacy; weakening opposing political constituencies; facilitating access and building relationships with policymakers; creating direct leverage with policymakers by providing financial subsidies to specific projects; enhancing the donor's status as a source of credible information; and shaping the tobacco control agenda by shifting thinking on the importance of regulating the market environment for tobacco and the relative risks of smoking for population health. Contemporary BAT social and stakeholder reports contain numerous examples of charitable donations that are likely to be designed to shape the tobacco control agenda, secure access and build constituencies.Tobacco companies' political use of charitable donations underlines the need for tobacco industry philanthropy to be restricted via full implementation of Articles 5.3 and 13 of the FCTC. The model of tobacco industry philanthropy developed in this study can be used by public health advocates to press for implementation of the FCTC and provides a basis for analysing the political effects of charitable giving in other industry sectors which have an impact on

MACRO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogner, H.H.

1989-01-01

The description is given to MACRO which is a numerically formulated macroeconomic model constructed to reflect the economy of the European Community. The model belongs to the group of general equilibrium models often applied in long-term macroeconomic energy modeling. Furthermore, MACRO was designed so as to interact with other more technically oriented energy demand and supply models. It's main objective is to provide consistency checks between assumptions concerning energy trade, energy prices, resource availability and energy-related capital requirements. 5 figs

Evaluating the Results of Quota Systems in Politics in Latin America

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Mala Htun

2001-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the varying effects of quota systems, as they emerge from a scenario of women’s increased inroads into politics in Latin America, expressed in the increased number of women in elected offices, the implementation of quota systems and increased presence of the issue of gender equality in political agendas. The character of the electoral system, as based on “open” or “closed” lists; the absence or presence of a norm of a compulsory competitive position for women within political parties and political parties’ commitment to quota policies are the crucial factors that determine variation.

Transnational Sex Politics, Conservative Christianity, and Antigay Activism in Uganda

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Marcia Oliver

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In October 2009, a private member introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to Uganda’s Parliament for consideration. This article analyzes the Bill within a broader context of transnational antigay activism, specifically the diverse ways that antigay activism in Uganda is shaped by global dynamics (such as the U.S. Christian Right’s pro-family agenda and local forms of knowledge and concerns over culture, national identity, and political and socio-economic issues/interests. This article lends insight into how transnational antigay activism connects to and reinforces colonial-inspired scripts about “African” sexuality and the deepening power inequalities between the global North and South under global neoliberalism, and raises some important questions about how the racial and gender politics of the U.S. Christian Right’s pro-family agenda travel and manifest within the Ugandan context.

From ‘Moments of Madness’ to ‘the Politics of Mundanity’

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Jun

2017-01-01

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become an essential part of contentious politics and social movements in contemporary China. Although quite a few scholars have explored ICTs, contentious politics, and collective action in China, they largely focus on the event-based analysis...... the political potential of mundane use of ICTs, but also reveals ‘everyday resistance,’ or less publicly conspicuous tactics, as precursors of open, confrontational forms of contentious activity. Second, the agenda proposes the examination of mundane experiences to understand the sudden outburst of contention...

A restructuring agenda for developing competitive retail electric markets that is based on a low-cost, real-time, smart-kilowatt-hour meter adapter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chasek, N.E.

1997-01-01

This paper proposes six agenda items that should expedite a politically smooth transition into a most efficient economically viable market-driven public power system. The agenda would introduce: the virtual marketplace for retail electric power, smart meters, smart meter readers, near-real-time load balancing and load apportionment, advanced supply and demand or commodity-style pricing, and reliability metering

Politics at the interface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kannabiran, Gobinaath; Petersen, Marianne Graves

2010-01-01

At the birth of participatory design, there was a strong political consciousness surrounding the design of new technology, the design process in particular, establishing a rich set of methods and tools for user-centered design. Today, the term design has extended its scope of concern beyond...... the process of design and into how users interact with the designed product on a day-to-day basis. This paper is an attempt to call to attention the need for a new set of methods, attitudes and approaches, along with the existing, to discuss, analyze and reflect upon the politics at the interface....... By presenting a critical analysis of two design cases, we elicit the importance of such an agenda and the implications for design in doing so. We use the Foucauldian notion of power to analyze the power relationships in these two cases and to articulate the politics at the interface. We conclude by emphasizing...

O caso da Rede Universitária de Telemedicina: análise da entrada da telessaúde na agenda política brasileira The case of Telemedicine University Network: analysis of telehealth entry in the Brazilian political agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angélica Baptista Silva

2012-01-01

the cycle of public policy: the construction of the government agenda and choice of alternative policies. We sought to delineate the composition of Rute and answer constraints which led federal managers from various sectors to recognize the quality of the system as a public health problem and the choice of implementing telehealth programs as one of the alternatives. The cases analyzed showed that in the flux convergence problems with favorable political environment, a window of opportunity opened up for the deployment of telehealth to eventually ascend as an alternative in the political agenda of the government decision. But for this, there is urgent need for digital inclusion in the territory and identify the technologies of information and communication as an innovation for SUS.

The WTO Agenda and the Media Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Rune Saugmann; Skjoldan, Lasse

’ (DDA) negotiations. While the DDA was set off in 2001 and was intended to be concluded by the end of 2004, the multilateral negotiations are in the end of 2007 still short of agreement. This thesis conceives of the media agenda as an important factor influencing trade policy formation and trade...... negotiation in the WTO. Combining elements from agenda-setting and institutional media theory, the study examines which issues and themes have been covered (priming) and from which angles these issue have been covered (framing). In particular, this thesis investigates the degree to which this priming...... as the ones who should liberalise. When this particular press coverage of the DDA is highly institutionalised, it means that it will be sticky and less prone to change. And because the media agenda is taken to affect the WTO agenda, the actors who are (dis)advantaged from this particular coverage in the press...

Iran’s Political, Demographic, and Economic Vulnerabilities

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

were able to uti - lize the political system to bolster their agenda while undermining the forces of change. For example, in 2000, Khatami and his...their pregnancies , discouraged women under the age of 18 or over 35 from becoming pregnant, and encour- aged families to limit themselves to two to

Parser Macros for Scala

OpenAIRE

Duhem, Martin; Burmako, Eugene

2015-01-01

Parser macros are a new kind of macros that allow developers to create new language constructs and to define their own syntax for using them. In this report, we present why parser macros are useful and the kind of problems that they help to solve. We will also see how they are implemented and gain insight about how they take advantage from scala.meta, the new metaprogramming toolkit for Scala. Finally, we will discuss what are the current limitations of parser macros and what is left for futu...

Neoliberalism and political actors in contemporary Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Manuel Reynares

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we set out a critical reading of the literature on political neoliberal actors in Argentina. We consider that the concentration of these studies in the national level has to do with a definition of neoliberalism as a set of economical and structural macro politics. We propose to define neoliberalism as a technology of government that intends to hegemonize an “enterprise form” in different social spheres, articulating a symbolical framework in a contingent and contentious way. This insight allows analyzing neoliberal identification processes as heterogeneous trajectories with diverse geographic and temporal scopes.

Participation as Post-Fordist Politics: Demos, New Labour, and Science Policy

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

In recent years, British science policy has seen a significant shift ‘from deficit to dialogue’ in conceptualizing the relationship between science and the public. Academics in the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) have been influential as advocates of the new public engagement agenda. However, this participatory agenda has deeper roots in the political ideology of the Third Way. A framing of participation as a politics suited to post-Fordist conditions was put forward in the magazine Marxism Today in the late 1980s, developed in the Demos thinktank in the 1990s, and influenced policy of the New Labour government. The encouragement of public participation and deliberation in relation to science and technology has been part of a broader implementation of participatory mechanisms under New Labour. This participatory program has been explicitly oriented toward producing forms of social consciousness and activity seen as essential to a viable knowledge economy and consumer society. STS arguments for public engagement in science have gained influence insofar as they have intersected with the Third Way politics of post-Fordism. PMID:21258426

What Enables and Constrains the Inclusion of the Social Determinants of Health Inequities in Government Policy Agendas? A Narrative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Phillip; Friel, Sharon; Kay, Adrian; Baum, Fran; Strazdins, Lyndall; Mackean, Tamara

2017-11-11

Despite decades of evidence gathering and calls for action, few countries have systematically attenuated health inequities (HI) through action on the social determinants of health (SDH). This is at least partly because doing so presents a significant political and policy challenge. This paper explores this challenge through a review of the empirical literature, asking: what factors have enabled and constrained the inclusion of the social determinants of health inequities (SDHI) in government policy agendas? A narrative review method was adopted involving three steps: first, drawing upon political science theories on agenda-setting, an integrated theoretical framework was developed to guide the review; second, a systematic search of scholarly databases for relevant literature; and third, qualitative analysis of the data and thematic synthesis of the results. Studies were included if they were empirical, met specified quality criteria, and identified factors that enabled or constrained the inclusion of the SDHI in government policy agendas. A total of 48 studies were included in the final synthesis, with studies spanning a number of country-contexts and jurisdictional settings, and employing a diversity of theoretical frameworks. Influential factors included the ways in which the SDHI were framed in public, media and political discourse; emerging data and evidence describing health inequalities; limited supporting evidence and misalignment of proposed solutions with existing policy and institutional arrangements; institutionalised norms and ideologies (ie, belief systems) that are antithetical to a SDH approach including neoliberalism, the medicalisation of health and racism; civil society mobilization; leadership; and changes in government. A complex set of interrelated, context-dependent and dynamic factors influence the inclusion or neglect of the SDHI in government policy agendas. It is better to think about these factors as increasing (or decreasing) the

Dublin’s Neoliberal Agenda and the Social Cost of Entrepreneurial Planning

OpenAIRE

MacLaran, Andrew; Kelly, Sinéad; Brudell, Paula

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the manner in which a neoliberal political agenda emanating from central government has increasingly infused Irish urban policy and created an entrepreneurial local-authority culture in which urban planning and regeneration policies have been pursued in a highly contentious manner. Specifically, it examines the ways in which the functioning of local-area planning, public-private partnerships in social-housing regeneration and urban gentrification strategies have operated in...

Same-Sex Marriage and the Assimilationist Dilemma: A Research Agenda on Marriage Equality and the Future of LGBTQ Activism, Politics, Communities, and Identities.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, Mary

2018-01-10

This special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality, examines the impact of the marriage equality movement and the resulting landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision, Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) that legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S., on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) activism, politics, communities, and identities. The articles in this issue examine the complicated ways in which the discourse used in same-sex marriage court cases is related to heteronormative discursive frames; the lived reality of married same-sex couples and the complex ways in which they think about marriage and heteronormativity; the ways that heteronormativity is racialized, which affects how African Americans perceive the impact of same-sex marriage on their lives; how same-sex marriage has influenced public opinion and the likelihood of anti-gay backlash; and the impact of same-sex marriage on family law. In this article, I draw on the empirical research from these articles to develop a theoretical framework that expands a multi-institutional (MIP) approach to understanding social movements and legal change. I build on and develop three conceptual tools: the assimilationist dilemma, discursive integration and cooptation, and truth regime. I conclude by laying out an agenda for future research on the impact of same-sex marriage on LGBTQ movements, politics, identities, and communities.

The Effects of Gravitation on the Inter-Media Agenda-Setting Central Process: The Case of the Murder of Hrant Dink

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cem YAŞIN

2014-02-01

Full Text Available While the first level agenda setting researches focus on the transfer of issue salience from the media to public agenda, second level agenda setting researches interest in the attributes emphasized in the news and their affect on the public agenda. Some of these researches tends to analysis the media agenda. Influences of the news media on each other are studied by the inter-media agenda setting researches at at both the first and second levels. The same researches examine also the effects of different types of media on each other. However there is the problem of lack of a systematic theoretical model. This is caused by the differentiation in the aims of researchers and in their research objects. The other problem in the inter-media agenda setting researches is that there is no research on the agenda setting effects of the newspapers which have different ideological and political identities. This research aims to scrutinize the inter-media agenda-setting effects among various newspapers that have got different points of view. The research is designed to test the central gravitation effects of the mainstream news papers. Here the Murder of Hrant Dink is selected as a case study.

Gender, religion and democratic politics in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Zoya

2010-01-01

This article examines the impact of identity politics on gender equality. More specifically it explores the paradoxical and complex relationship of religion and politics in a multi-religious society and the complicated ways in which women's activism has both reinforced and challenged their gender identities. Contrary to the argument that religious politics does not always negate gender equality, the article argues that the Hindu religious politics and women's activism associated with it provides a compelling example of the instrumentalisation of women to accomplish the political goals of the Hindu right. It also examines the approach and strategies of influential political parties, women's organisations and Muslim women's groups towards legal reform and the contested issue of a uniform civil code. Against those who argue that, in the current communal conjuncture, reform within Muslim personal laws or Islamic feminism is the best strategy for enhancing the scope of Muslim women's rights, the article argues that such an approach tends to freeze identities within religious boundaries. It shows how women's and minority rights are used within the politics of religion to sideline the agenda of women's rights.

The New Right and family politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Somerville, J

1992-05-01

Political concern for the family has historically been intermittent; the present context is that there are considerable consequences for individuals, families, and personal life. Socioeconomic and cultural changes brought the rise of the New Right; The Thatcher (UK) and Reagan (US) administrations were committed to strengthening the traditional family. The emergence of the family as a social problem and the political agenda are discussed. The costs of liberalism were felt in a recessionary economy. The US political agenda of Carter to hold a White House Conference on the American Family never materialized. Reagan used the restoration of the traditional American family as a way to get the economy back on its feet. Moral crusaders and the new evangelical Christian movement merged with the political right; the "Gang of Four" (Republican Party right) politicians involved morally conservative communities normally outside the political area into the New Right. Grass roots organizations were mobilized on the Right. The British situation is explained; differences existed in that there were no antiabortion and moral lobby groups tied to the Right although their influence was felt. Pressure group politics is relatively novel to Britain. The Moral Majority in the US and right wing pressure groups on the Tory government are but 1 part of the New Right; it is characterized as populist, proclaiming the Radical Conservatism of Adam Smith and Edmund Burke. The approach in this article is to show the complex interactions of theory, biography, and public opinion in the practical politics of the New Right. Policy outcomes are not predictable because of ideological differences in New Right attitudes toward the family. The attitudes of the moral order and the family is exemplified in the work of Roger Scruton's neoconservative stand on social order, Robert Nozick's Kantian proposition that human beings are ends with natural inviolable rights of individual freedom, Hayak and Friedman

Soil and land use research in Europe: Lessons learned from INSPIRATION bottom-up strategic research agenda setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartke, Stephan; Boekhold, Alexandra E; Brils, Jos; Grimski, Detlef; Ferber, Uwe; Gorgon, Justyna; Guérin, Valérie; Makeschin, Franz; Maring, Linda; Nathanail, C Paul; Villeneuve, Jacques; Zeyer, Josef; Schröter-Schlaack, Christoph

2018-05-01

We introduce the INSPIRATION bottom-up approach for the development of a strategic research agenda for spatial planning, land use and soil-sediment-water-system management in Europe. Research and innovation needs were identified by more than 500 European funders, endusers, scientists, policy makers, public administrators and consultants. We report both on the concept and on the implementation of the bottom-up approach, provide a critique of the process and draw key lessons for the development of research agendas in the future. Based on identified strengths and weaknesses we identified as key opportunities and threats 1) a high ranking and attentiveness for the research topics on the political agenda, in press and media or in public awareness, 2) availability of funding for research, 3) the resources available for creating the agenda itself, 4) the role of the sponsor of the agenda development, and 5) the continuity of stakeholder engagement as bases for identification of windows of opportunity, creating ownership for the agenda and facilitating its implementation. Our derived key recommendations are 1) a clear definition of the area for which the agenda is to be developed and for the targeted user, 2) a conceptual model to structure the agenda, 3) making clear the expected roles, tasks, input formats regarding the involvement and communication with the stakeholders and project partners, 4) a sufficient number of iterations and checks of the agenda with stakeholders to insure completeness, relevance and creation of co-ownership for the agenda, and 5) from the beginning prepare the infrastructure for the network to implement the agenda. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public participation and the politics of environmentalism | Andrew ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Indeed, as ecological issues have moved to the top of the agenda of international politics, environmentalism appears in many cases to have lost the spirit of contention, limiting itself to the provision of survival strategies for the powers that be. As a result, in recent years a discourse of global ecology has developed that is ...

Political, cultural and economic foundations of primary care in Europe.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kringos, D.S.; Boerma, W.G.W.; Zee, J. van der; Groenewegen, P.P.

2013-01-01

This article explores various contributing factors to explain differences in the strength of the primary care (PC) structure and services delivery across Europe. Data on the strength of primary care in 31 European countries in 2009/10 were used. The results showed that the national political agenda,

Political, cultural and economic foundations of primary care in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kringos, Dionne S.; Boerma, Wienke G. W.; van der Zee, Jouke; Groenewegen, Peter P.

2013-01-01

This article explores various contributing factors to explain differences in the strength of the primary care (PC) structure and services delivery across Europe. Data on the strength of primary care in 31 European countries in 2009/10 were used. The results showed that the national political agenda,

The Media as a Dual Mediator of the Political Agenda–Setting Effect of Protest : A Longitudinal Study in Six Western European Countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliegenthart, R.; Walgrave, S.; Wouters, R.; Hutter, S.; Jennings, W.; Gava, R.; Tresh, A.; Varone, F.; Grossman, E.; Breunig, C.; Brouard, S.; Chaques-Bonafont, L.

2016-01-01

The study investigates the impact of media coverage of protest on issue attention in parliament (questions) in six Western European countries. Integrating several data sets on protest, media, and political agendas, we demonstrate that media coverage of protest affects parliamentary agendas: the more

101 Ready-To-Use Excel Macros

CERN Document Server

Alexander, Michael

2012-01-01

Save time and be more productive with this helpful guide to Excel macros! While most books about Excel macros offer only minor examples, usually aimed at illustrating a particular topic, this invaluable resource provides you with the tools needed to efficiently and effectively program Excel macros immediately. Step-by-step instructions show you how to create VBA macros and explain how to customize your applications to look and work exactly as you want them to. By the end of the book, you will understand how each featured macro works, be able to reuse the macros included in the book and online,

The Relationship between Islam and Democracy in Turkey: Employing Political Culture as an Indicator

Science.gov (United States)

Toros, Emre

2010-01-01

During the last decade the agenda of local and global politics is heavily marked by the encounter of two powerful currents, namely democracy and political Islam. On the one hand Islam as a religion itself is facing a cultural dialectic between a modern and an authentic form, producing a synthesis which is only to be criticized again by a new…

How Did Youth Mental Health Make It Onto Australia’s 2011 Federal Policy Agenda?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harvey A. Whiteford

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The 2011 Australian federal budget included a large investment in youth mental health and early intervention services. In this article, we focus on the critical role of agenda setting in the preceding 4 years to examine how and why these services were given such a high priority at this time. We undertook a systematic review of relevant literature, including parliamentary Hansard transcripts from the House of Representatives and Senate, the final reports of all available parliamentary committees, government policy documents, other pertinent documents held by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging, and media reports from five widely circulated Australian publications/news outlets. We used Kingdon’s multiple streams framework to structure analysis. We highlight three factors that were influential in getting youth mental health issues onto the policy agenda: (a the strategic use of quantitative evidence to create a publicly visible “problem,” (b the marshalling of the “public” to create pressure on government, and (c the role of serendipity. Overall, we found the decision to prioritize youth mental health resulted from a combination of advocacy for a well-articulated policy solution by high-profile, influential policy entrepreneurs, and political pressure caused by an up swell of national support for mental health reform. Our findings highlight the socio-political factors that influence agenda setting and health policy formulation. They raise important ethical and strategic issues in utilizing research evidence to change policy.

The Politics of Multilingual Communication: Case Studies and Research Agendas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marácz, L.; Craze, S.; Lempp, F.

2014-01-01

Due to globalisation, and different forms of migration and mobility there is a proliferation of linguistic diversity and multilingual communication. At the same time the recognition of the use of one’s first language receives more and more support in international political, legal and institutional

Linking national and global population agendas: case studies from eight developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, K; Walt, G

1995-06-01

This comparative study of the determinants of family planning policy initiation and implementation focuses on four pairs of countries: Zambia/Zimbabwe, Algeria/Tunisia, Pakistan/Bangladesh, and Philippines/Thailand. The conclusion is drawn that global efforts had an influence on national policy makers and on putting family planning issues on the policy agenda. Global impacts were affected by national economic and social conditions and the broader political and economic relations with Western countries. The absolute level of economic development was found to be unrelated to the timing of initiation of family planning on national policy agendas. Stronger national family planning programs occurred in countries where policy makers linked economic development at whatever level with the need to limit population growth. Pakistan and Thailand in the 1960s illustrated this commitment to family planning programs, and Zambia and Algeria illustrated the lack of connection between development and population growth at the policy level and the lack of family planning on the policy agenda. Affiliation with the West during the 1960s meant early initiation of family planning in Pakistan/Bangladesh and Philippines/Thailand. Stronger commitment to program implementation occurred only in Thailand during the 1970s and Zimbabwe during the 1980s. Commitment lessened in the Philippines and Pakistan. Program implementation and national support of family planning were viewed as also dependent upon domestic factors, such as sufficient resources. Algeria/Tunisia and Zambia/Zimbabwe were countries that promoted family planning only after national political ideology shifted and anti-imperialist sentiments subsided. The impact of the international Cairo conference on these countries was minimal in terms of policy change. Most of the countries however desired greater support from donors. Even objections from the Vatican and internal domestic pressures were insufficient to prevent countries such as

[Swiss research agenda for gerontological nursing].

Science.gov (United States)

Imhof, Lorenz; Naef, Rahel; Mahrer-Imhof, Romy

2008-12-01

In Switzerland life expectancy is currently 84 years in women and 79 years in men. By 2030 the number of people over 80 will increase by 83% to 625 000. The need of nursing care in this population is expected to double. In order to ensure high quality care, scientific knowledge generated by nursing research is, therefore, pivotal. Within the framework of a national project, a nursing research agenda has been formulated based on a literature review, expert panels, a national survey, and a consensus conference; seven priorities for clinical nursing research for the years 2007-2017 have been developed. In the field of gerontological nursing twenty-one research priorities have been identified. They include among others interventions to support independent living and autonomy at home or the impact of new technology on nursing care of the elderly. Support for caregivers and the health of caregivers of patients with dementia have to be addressed as well as interventions for specific challenges in the elderly such as fall prevention, delirium, malnutrition, and depression. Pivotal questions in nursing research are concerned with the continuity of nursing care that exceeds institutional and professional boundaries. Moreover, it is recommended that research projects address the impact of political decisions on nursing care and provide knowledge to improve quality in nursing homes and community health care. With this article the first research agenda for gerontological nursing is presented, that is based on the seven priorities of the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing-SRAN and in turn can be used as a basis for strategic discussion, action plans, and research projects.

Political construction of technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruheze, A.A.A. de la.

1992-01-01

In the 1970s radioactive waste disposal became a controversial scientific and social issue in the United States, after the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) charged with the development, regulation and promotion of nuclear technology, had tried to implement its disposal technology near Lyons, Kansas. This study traces the emergence of this controversy as part of the long-term development of the US radioactive waste disposal technology. Radioactive waste was not always considered a problem, and different meanings were attached to radwaste in the 1940s and early 1950s. Problem definitions and technical designs that underlaid this technology can be reconstructed, and its possible to show how some definitions received attention and others not, and how some became, and remained, dominant. During the process of problem definition, views compete, agendas are built, resources are allocated, and boundaries are created and maintained between 'inside' and 'outside world'. This is a political process, and by heuristically using concepts from political science and recent technology studies, the Political Construction of US radioactive waste disposal technologically can be reconstructed. (author). 301 refs.; 3 figs.; 15 tabs

Micro-processus et macro-structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron Victor Cicourel

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Des approches sociologiques traditionnelles ont défini des macro-structures sociales comme un niveau particulier de la réalité sociale, à distinguer des micro-épisodes de l’action sociale. Cela les a conduits à concevoir ces macro-structures et à mener des recherches sur elles de manière plus ou moins indépendante des pratiques observables de la vie quotidienne. Cicourel soutient que les faits (macro-sociaux ne sont pas simplement donnés, mais émergent de pratiques routinières de la vie de tous les jours. Le macro, au sens de descriptions résumées, hors contexte, normalisées et typifiées, est un produit typique des procédures interactives et organisationnelles qui transforment les micro-événements en structures macro-sociales. Ainsi une précondition pour l’intégration des phénomènes micro- et macro-sociaux dans notre théorie et dans notre méthodologie renvoie à l’identification des processus contribuant à la création de macro-structures par des inférences routinières, des interprétations et des procédure de résumé. Le texte montre aussi que les différences entre approches micro-sociologiques apparaissent parallèles à celles existant entre approches micro et macro. On se centrant sur de petits fragments d’interactions conversationnelles, certains travaux micro-sociologiques tendent à ignorer ce qui informe ces interactions conversationnelles pour les participants eux-mêmes. Les comptes rendus décontextualisés produits par de telles méthodes ressemblent à la décontextualisation résultant des procédures macro-sociologiques d’agrégation. Contre cela, Cicourel défend la constitution de bases de données comparatives n’incluant pas seulement le contexte des interactions de face à face, mais étudiant aussi les phénomènes sociaux de manière systématique à travers différents contextes.Micro-processes and macro-structures. Notes on articulation between different levels of analysis

Sustainable Land Governance in Support of the Global Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Stig

strategies in support of sustainable development. This paper provides an overall understanding of the land management paradigm in this regard. Land governance and administration support the global agenda through addressing the key challenges of our time such as climate change, poverty reduction, human rights......, rapid urban growth, and the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Land Governance and administration therefore need high-level political support and recognition. This relates especially to developing countries where there is an urgent need to build simple and “fit-for-purpose” land administration...

Peter Koslowski’s Ethics and Economics or Ethical Economy: A Framework for a research agenda in business ethics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Dahl Rendtorff

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the concept of ethical economy (Wirtschaftsethik and the relation between ethics and economics on the basis of the work of the German ethical economist Peter Koslowski. The concept of ethical economy includes three levels: micro, meso and macro levels; and it also deals with the philosophical analysis of the ethical foundations of the economy. After the discussion of these elements of the ethical economy, the paper presents some possible research topics for a research agenda about economic ethics or ethical economy.

Translation in South Africa: the politics of transmission 1 | Beukes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article investigates interlingual mediation, i.e. translation and interpreting as a macro-level language-planning goal in contemporary South Africa. The focus of the article is the political dimensions of translation as social practice. The study argues that, in addition to being a pivotal language facilitation tool, translation ...

Beyond Essentialist and Functionalist Analyses of the "Politicisation of Religion": The Evolution of Religious Parties in Political Catholicism and Political Islam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joerg Baudner

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The debate about “politics and religion” has already rejected essentialist claims of fundamental differences in the impact of religion on politics in different cultures. This article will argue that political Islam in Turkey and political Catholicism in Italy and Germany adopted remarkably similar patterns of cross-class coalitions and policies for a “reconciliation of capitalism and democracy”. First, religious parties developed as mass integration parties which already encompassed cross-class coalitions. Second, in the aftermath of political and economic crises these parties transformed into catch-all parties with a pronounced neo-liberal agenda which was given a religious justification. Third, at the same time these parties continued to sponsor policies and organizations which cushioned and supplemented an uneven economic development. Fourth, the parties kept traditional family policies which helped attracting a significant female electorate. “Organized religion” provided religious parties with a potential electorate, ancillary organizations and ideological concepts; however, their role in this political evolution changed. The conclusion will discuss whether these findings can be generalized.

(Miscommunication across the Borders: Politics, Media and Public Opinion in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banu Baybars-Hawks

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley defined public opinion "as a process of interaction and mutual influence rather than a state of broad agreement" in 1918. On the other hand, according to the American political scientist V.O. Key, public opinion was "opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed," in 1961. During the 1990s, advances in statistical and demographic analysis helped the development of an understanding of public opinion as the collective view of a defined population, such as a particular demographic or ethnic group. In this view, the influence of public opinion is not restricted to politics and elections. Public opinion is considered a powerful force in many other spheres, such as culture, fashion, literature and the arts, consumer spending, and marketing and public relations.1 Attitudes and values play a crucial role in the development of public opinion. Different variables embedded in the political, social and media structure of the country also have potential to make an impact on public opinion. These dynamics vary from the economics to the judicial system and democratic principles functioning in that country. On the other hand, public opinion has a power to shape politics and media's priorities in reporting. The interaction among politics, public opinion and media of one country can be better analyzed with the findings of public opinion research administered regularly. In Turkey, the research on and analysis of public opinion are most frequent during the election times. Therefore, it seems necessary to measure the public opinion more regularly to test the relationships among political, public and media agendas. Accordingly, the current study seeks to fill this gap. It is argued that in the absence of timely feedback from public surveys, decisions and policies for improving different services and institutions functioning in the country might not achieve their expected goal. The findings of

Gobernanza, desarrollo y seguridad: trilemas e implicaciones para la coherencia de políticas

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Madrueño-Aguilar, R.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes the limits of global governance and policy coherence for development (CPD, based on the inescapable trilemmas of the global economy and the CPD approach. The analysis considers some of the main contradictions and institutional and political dilemmas that impact the system of international relations and the dynamics of development in an increasingly interdependent and complex world. The article adopts a macro-institutional approach with a historical and multilevel perspective, in order to highlight the political economy of contemporary development and the obstacles to the promotion of a global governance agenda for a sustainable development.

The parliamentary political agenda: a tool for policy analysis of diabetes priorities in Spain La agenda política parlamentaria: una herramienta para el análisis político sobre las prioridades sobre diabetes en España

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés A. Agudelo-Suárez

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the political agenda on diabetes in Spain under democracy by considering the frequency and content of initiatives in the Spanish parliament. Methods: A systematic search of parliamentary interventions (1979-2010 reported on the Spanish Congress of Deputies' web page was carried out using the key word "diabetes". A descriptive study of the frequency of interventions was performed, followed by a content analysis, according to the priorities of the World Health Organization (WHO, the International Diabetes Federation and the Spanish Diabetes Federation. Other study variables were the year of presentation, legislature, type of initiative and whether a political decision was taken (yes/no. Results: There were 59 interventions: 22% were related to the first international initiatives and 44.1% took place in the last two legislatures in response to the WHO's program Diabetes Action Now. A total of 32.2% of the initiatives addressed educational and social programs, while 23.7% addressed access to resources and health services. Most initiatives (74.6% consisted of parliamentary questions to the government, which only required a response. Of the 15 initiatives requiring a decision to be taken, only eight were approved. Conclusions: Spanish legislators aim to comply with international standards. Nevertheless, political decision-making has sometimes been slow. Importantly, most of the political responsibilities related to health have been transferred to the autonomous regions. The updated National Diabetes Strategy in Spain will need to strengthen public health policies according to established international priorities. Monitoring parliamentary interventions has proven to be a valid tool for evaluating patterns of political debate and decisions on diabetes.Objetivo: Analizar la agenda política sobre diabetes en el periodo democrático español, considerando la frecuencia y el contenido de las iniciativas parlamentarias. M�

Medicalization of global health 1: has the global health agenda become too medicalized?

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Jocalyn

2014-01-01

Medicalization analyses have roots in sociology and have critical usefulness for understanding contemporary health issues including the 'post-2015 global health agenda'. Medicalization is more complex than just 'disease mongering'--it is a process and not only an outcome; has both positive and negative elements; can be partial rather than complete; and is often sought or challenged by patients or others in the health field. It is understood to be expanding rather than contracting, plays out at the level of interaction or of definitions and agenda-setting, and is said to be largely harmful and costly to individuals and societies. Medicalization of global health issues would overemphasise the role of health care to health; define and frame issues in relation to disease, treatment strategies, and individual behaviour; promote the role of medical professionals and models of care; find support in industry or other advocates of technologies and pharmaceuticals; and discount social contexts, causes, and solutions. In subsequent articles, three case studies are explored, which critically examine predominant issues on the global health agenda: global mental health, non-communicable disease, and universal health coverage. A medicalization lens helps uncover areas where the global health agenda and its framing of problems are shifted toward medical and technical solutions, neglecting necessary social, community, or political action.

New approaches in European governance? Perspectives of stakeholders in the Danube macro-region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franziska Sielker

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Macro-regional cooperation in the EU are networks that use the horizontal and vertical dimension of the multilevel governance system to influence both strategic decision-making as well as implementation activities. Drawing on an analysis of expert interviews in the Danube Region the paper scrutinizes stakeholders’ shared views towards expectations, challenges and added values, and thereby seeks to explain why a trend towards macro-regions arises and for what reasons stakeholders are getting involved. The analysis of the drivers for stakeholders’ commitment in the EU Danube Region Strategy shows that new governance arrangements need to be adjustable to different contexts, allow for negotiation and new network creation whilst simultaneously offering the political ability to act. The evidence presented suggests that multilevel governance in the EU is becoming increasingly complex, embracing more and different types of cooperation, with soft characteristics as crucial elements.

A generalized macro-assembler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaul, Mohan Lai

1970-01-01

The objective of this research is to study existing macro assemblers, and to create a generalized macro assembler, MAG-I, which is a system independent of a source language, and provides the following possibilities: development of any existing language, translation from a language to another, and creation of a new language. The user can choose his own notations to define macros. The system is implemented on an IBM 360/91 computer. Programs are written in symbolic language and the input/output software is written in Fortran [fr

Identifying Partisan Slant in News Articles and Twitter during Political Crises

OpenAIRE

Karamshuk, Dmytro; Lokot, Tetyana; Pryymak, Oleksandr; Sastry, Nishanth

2017-01-01

In this paper, we are interested in understanding the interrelationships between mainstream and social media in forming public opinion during mass crises, specifically in regards to how events are framed in the mainstream news and on social networks and to how the language used in those frames may allow to infer political slant and partisanship. We study the lingual choices for political agenda setting in mainstream and social media by analyzing a dataset of more than 40M tweets and more than...

Neo-Liberalism and the Politics of Higher Education Policy in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Rosser, Andrew

2016-01-01

This paper examines Indonesia's experience with neo-liberal higher education reform. It argues that this agenda has encountered strong resistance from the dominant predatory political, military, and bureaucratic elements who occupy the state apparatus, their corporate clients, and popular forces, leading to continuation of the centralist and…

Analysing Everyday Online Political Talk in China: Theoretical and Methodological Reflections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wright, Scott; Graham, Todd; Sun, Yu; Yang Wang, Wilfred; Luo, Xiantian; Carson, Andrea

2016-01-01

This article explores the theoretical and methodological challenges of collecting and analysing everyday online political talk in China, and our approach to defining and coding such talk. In so doing, the article is designed to encourage further research in this area, taking forward a new agenda for

Montagem da Agenda e Formulação da Política Pública: Austeridade Fiscal no Brasil / Public Policy Agenda Setting: Fiscal Austerity in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano Cardoso Henrique

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This paper analyzes the agenda setting and the formulation of the public policy that inserted in the macroeconomic context of Brazil fiscal austerity policies adopted in other countries, evaluating the negative impact of this economic measure. Methodology/approach design – we use the theoretical framework called the "public policy cycle" developed by several authors mentioned in the article. Findings - the analysis of the fiscal austerity agenda in Brazil reveals an orchestrated movement of certain economic agents, taking advantage of the moment of institutional fragility, as well as of deficiency of legal language in dealing with economic issues. Practical implications –the paper presents as possible failures in the formulation of the public agenda, especially the absence of democratic and transparent debates, may result in the adoption of outdated and misguided policies in the management of a specific sector of the State. Originality/value – the approach of the macroeconomic agenda for Law and even for the political sciences is a challenge that imposes originality in the search for interdisciplinary solutions. Resumo Propósito – O artigo analisa a montagem da agenda e a formulação da política pública que inseriu no contexto macroeconômico do Brasil políticas de austeridade fiscal adotadas em outros países, avaliando o impacto negativo de tal medida econômica. Metodologia/abordagem/design – Utiliza-se o marco teórico denominado “ciclo de políticas públicas” desenvolvida por vários autores citados no artigo. Resultados – A análise da montagem da agenda de austeridade fiscal no Brasil revela um movimento orquestrado de determinados agentes econômicos, aproveitando o momento de fragilidade institucional, bem como da deficiência da linguagem jurídica em tratar de temas econômicos. Implicações práticas – O artigo revela eventuais falhas na formulação da agenda pública, principalmente a aus

Responsible Leadership in Global Business: A New Approach to Leadership and Its Multi-Level Outcomes

OpenAIRE

Voegtlin Christian; Patzer Moritz; Scherer Andreas Georg

2012-01-01

The article advances an understanding of responsible leadership in global business and offers an agenda for future research in this field. Our conceptualization of responsible leadership draws on deliberative practices and discursive conflict resolution combining the macro view of the business firm as a political actor with the micro view of leadership. We discuss the concept in relation to existing research in leadership. Further we propose a new model of responsible leadership that shows ho...

WORLD POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY: THEORETICAL MUDDLE?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Célio Augusto da Cunha

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the recent use in the Political Geography of the structuralist social theories. It is performed initially, a brief reflection on the depreciation (or appreciation of the utopias and Marxist concepts. The methodological foundations of geographical approaches based on the world-systems theory are analyzed. It is also questioned the relationship of these approaches with geopolitical analysis in the macro-scale. At last, abridged, there is a discussion about the links of imperialism and the regulation theory with the geography.

Designer ecosystems, capitalism, and boom-bust economic cycles: linking political economy and hydroecology

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, M. W.; Rigby, J.

2011-12-01

The basic premise of the term "anthropocene" is that human practices are becoming a primary force in shaping ecosystems even at the global scale. Ecohydrologists and hydroecologists often consider human effects to be a collective term that is culturally and politically invariant. "Anthropogenic change" is often cited regardless of whether these changes occur in liberal democracies or totalitarian autocracies. Yet there is potential for socio-politically driven variation in basic human impacts on the environment. Analyzing the anthropocene requires considering the rise in global population convolved with dramatically shifting political and economic conditions. How humans affect the environment, and how environmental change feedbacks operate, are likely highly dependent on cultural and political contexts. We posed the question, "Does capitalism leave a distinct signature on the hydroecological landscape?" We analyzed emerging designer ecosystems markets using Mankiw-Whinston free-entry equilibria model coupled with simple species-area curves and tested it with an extensive database of ecosystem service trades in North Carolina. Free-entry leads to a diffusion of small restored ecosystems whereas restricted entry leads to fewer, large sites; the difference in site locations and sizes in turn impact regional species distribution and water quality. We next analyzed the effect of deregulating electricity markets on river flow regimes in North Carolina; market deregulation increases potential profits derived from rapid power production in response to price changes on the spot market to which hydropower is uniquely able to respond. Results showed the potential for increased flow variability associated with price volatility in purely market-driven cases, but additional constraints required of infrastructure (e.g., flood control) restrict purely market-driven flow regimes. Changes in macro-economic conditions may also leave distinct signatures, often reflecting political

How conservative are evolutionary anthropologists?: a survey of political attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyle, Henry F; Smith, Eric A

2012-09-01

The application of evolutionary theory to human behavior has elicited a variety of critiques, some of which charge that this approach expresses or encourages conservative or reactionary political agendas. In a survey of graduate students in psychology, Tybur, Miller, and Gangestad (Human Nature, 18, 313-328, 2007) found that the political attitudes of those who use an evolutionary approach did not differ from those of other psychology grad students. Here, we present results from a directed online survey of a broad sample of graduate students in anthropology that assays political views. We found that evolutionary anthropology graduate students were very liberal in their political beliefs, overwhelmingly voted for a liberal U.S. presidential candidate in the 2008 election, and identified with liberal political parties; in this, they were almost indistinguishable from non-evolutionary anthropology students. Our results contradict the view that evolutionary anthropologists hold conservative or reactionary political views. We discuss some possible reasons for the persistence of this view in terms of the sociology of science.

Development of Healthy Cities networks in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Goepel, Eberhard

2007-01-01

The Healthy Cities network in Europe was inspired by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion when it was launched in 1987. The networking process was initiated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, but developed its own dynamics in different European countries during a time marked by fundamental political transformations in many of the countries of Eastern Europe. The networks then connected with the 'Local Agenda 21' and the 'Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign' to create a new and broader programmatic agenda at the local level. In particular, the ''Aalborg plus 10 - commitments"--of local governments in 2004 have the potential to inspire a new phase of participatory and sustainable policies at the level of local communities in Europe. However, the extent to which these initiatives will influence the macro-politics of the European Union towards a proclaimed "Europe of Citizens" remains to be watched carefully during the coming years.

How Neighborhoods Influence Health: Lessons to be learned from the application of political ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Chitewere, Tendai; Shim, Janet K.; Barker, Judith C.; Yen, Irene H.

2017-01-01

AIM This paper articulates how political ecology can be a useful tool for asking fundamental questions and applying relevant methods to investigate structures that impact relationship between neighborhood and health. Through a narrative analysis, we identify how political ecology can develop our future agendas for neighborhood-health research as it relates to social, political, environmental, and economic structures. Political ecology makes clear the connection between political economy and neighborhood by highlighting the historical and structural processes that produce and maintain social inequality, which affect health and well-being. These concepts encourage researchers to examine how people construct neighborhood and health in different ways that, in turn, can influence different health outcomes and, thus, efforts to address solutions. PMID:28342425

Family planning: the unfinished agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleland, John; Bernstein, Stan; Ezeh, Alex; Faundes, Anibal; Glasier, Anna; Innis, Jolene

2006-11-18

Promotion of family planning in countries with high birth rates has the potential to reduce poverty and hunger and avert 32% of all maternal deaths and nearly 10% of childhood deaths. It would also contribute substantially to women's empowerment, achievement of universal primary schooling, and long-term environmental sustainability. In the past 40 years, family-planning programmes have played a major part in raising the prevalence of contraceptive practice from less than 10% to 60% and reducing fertility in developing countries from six to about three births per woman. However, in half the 75 larger low-income and lower-middle income countries (mainly in Africa), contraceptive practice remains low and fertility, population growth, and unmet need for family planning are high. The cross-cutting contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals makes greater investment in family planning in these countries compelling. Despite the size of this unfinished agenda, international funding and promotion of family planning has waned in the past decade. A revitalisation of the agenda is urgently needed. Historically, the USA has taken the lead but other governments or agencies are now needed as champions. Based on the sizeable experience of past decades, the key features of effective programmes are clearly established. Most governments of poor countries already have appropriate population and family-planning policies but are receiving too little international encouragement and funding to implement them with vigour. What is currently missing is political willingness to incorporate family planning into the development arena.

The role of policy actors and contextual factors in policy agenda setting and formulation: maternal fee exemption policies in Ghana over four and a half decades.

Science.gov (United States)

Koduah, Augustina; van Dijk, Han; Agyepong, Irene Akua

2015-05-30

Development of health policy is a complex process that does not necessarily follow a particular format and a predictable trajectory. Therefore, agenda setting and selecting of alternatives are critical processes of policy development and can give insights into how and why policies are made. Understanding why some policy issues remain and are maintained whiles others drop off the agenda is an important enquiry. This paper aims to advance understanding of health policy agenda setting and formulation in Ghana, a lower middle-income country, by exploring how and why the maternal (antenatal, delivery and postnatal) fee exemption policy agenda in the health sector has been maintained over the four and half decades since a 'free antenatal care in government facilities' policy was first introduced in October 1963. A mix of historical and contemporary qualitative case studies of nine policy agenda setting and formulation processes was used. Data collection methods involved reviews of archival materials, contemporary records, media content, in-depth interviews, and participant observation. Data was analysed drawing on a combination of policy analysis theories and frameworks. Contextual factors, acting in an interrelating manner, shaped how policy actors acted in a timely manner and closely linked policy content to the intended agenda. Contextual factors that served as bases for the policymaking process were: political ideology, economic crisis, data about health outcomes, historical events, social unrest, change in government, election year, austerity measures, and international agendas. Nkrumah's socialist ideology first set the agenda for free antenatal service in 1963. This policy trajectory taken in 1963 was not reversed by subsequent policy actors because contextual factors and policy actors created a network of influence to maintain this issue on the agenda. Politicians over the years participated in the process to direct and approve the agenda. Donors increasingly

Macro-economic environmental models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wier, M.

1993-01-01

In the present report, an introduction to macro-economic environmental models is given. The role of the models as a tool for policy analysis is discussed. Future applications, as well as the limitations given by the data, are brought into focus. The economic-ecological system is described. A set of guidelines for implementation of the system in a traditional economic macro-model is proposed. The characteristics of empirical national and international environmental macro-economic models so far are highlighted. Special attention is paid to main economic causalities and their consequences for the environmental policy recommendations sat by the models. (au) (41 refs.)

ZEUS - standardized macros for the TPA computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winde, M.

1976-01-01

An existing cross-assembler with macro-option was modified to allow the usage of the ZEUS macros. The ZEUS macros are understood by the assembler without prior definition by the user. ZEUS macros allow the programmer, who is obliged to code his TPA (PDP-8) programs on the assembler level to formulate his program logic as in a higher level language. ZEUS macros offer all basic elements necessary for structured programming. (author)

Macro-Fiber Composite Based Transduction

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

substrate Material properties of single crystal macro fiber composite actuators for active twist rotor blades Park, Jae-Sang (Seoul National...Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2007 Material properties of single crystal macro fiber composite actuators for active twist rotor ...19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (Include area code) 10-03-20 16 Final Report 01 Jan 2013 - 31 Dec 2015 Macro-Fiber Composite Based Transduction N000-14-13-1-0212

Women, Demography, and Politics: How Lower Fertility Rates Lead to Democracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, Udi

2018-04-01

Where connections between demography and politics are examined in the literature, it is largely in the context of the effects of male aspects of demography on phenomena such as political violence. This project aims to place the study of demographic variables' influence on politics, particularly on democracy, squarely within the scope of political and social sciences, and to focus on the effects of woman-related demographics-namely, fertility rate. I test the hypothesis that demographic variables-female-related predictors, in particular-have an independent effect on political structure. Comparing countries over time, this study finds a growth in democracy when fertility rates decline. In the theoretical framework developed, it is family structure as well as the economic and political status of women that account for this change at the macro and micro levels. Findings based on data for more than 140 countries over three decades are robust when controlling not only for alternative effects but also for reverse causality and data limitations.

The Politics of Intention: Looking for a Theatre of Little Changes

Science.gov (United States)

Balfour, Michael

2009-01-01

The paper provides a review of some of the terminologies and definitions of applied theatre, critiques the "transformative principle" argued for by some applied researchers, and extends this to a discussion on the complex relationship between donor agendas and the politics of intention that contribute to the shaping of applied discourse…

Political Strategies and Language Policies: The European Union Lisbon Strategy and Its Implications for the EU's Language and Multilingualism Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Krzyzanowski, Michal; Wodak, Ruth

2011-01-01

This paper explores the interplay between the politics and policies of multilingualism by looking at the role of political macro-strategies in shaping language and multilingualism policies within the European Union. The paper focuses on the relationship between the European Union's 2000-2010 Lisbon Strategy on the European Knowledge-Based Economy…

Teacher Evaluation within the Public Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minerva Nava Amaya

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The presence of the teacher performance evaluation in the public agenda is analyzed, indicating the role that the mass media have had in it. Is proposed to incorporate into the discussion elements from research experiences, in order to tackle the topic in a documented and analytical way. Considering the disparities of the educational scene, is indicated the need to provide the teacher of the indispensable conditions for his suitable performance, like a request before to the evaluation. The design and interpretation of evaluation results must consider the diversity of profiles, of institutional, sociocultural and economic contexts in which the teaching is exercised. Finally, some aspects are highlighted to consider in the design of politics and actions in order to favor the progress of the performance and the teaching evaluation.

The emergence of maternal health as a political priority in Madhya Pradesh, India: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jat, Tej Ram; Deo, Prakash Ramchandra; Goicolea, Isabel; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; San Sebastian, Miguel

2013-09-30

Politics plays a critical role in agenda setting in health affairs; therefore, understanding the priorities of the political agenda in health is very important. The political priority for safe motherhood has been investigated at the national level in different countries. The objective of this study was to explore why and how maternal health became a political priority at sub-national level in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. This study followed a qualitative design. Data were collected by carrying out interviews and review of documents. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with twenty respondents from four stakeholder groups: government officials, development partners, civil society and academics. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis. The analysis was guided by Kingdon's multiple streams model. The emergence of maternal health as a political priority in Madhya Pradesh was the result of convergence in the developments in different streams: the development of problem definition, policy generation and political change. The factors which influenced this process were: emerging evidence of the high magnitude of maternal mortality, civil society's positioning of maternal mortality as a human rights violation, increasing media coverage, supportive policy environment and launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the availability of effective policy solutions, India's aspiration of global leadership, international influence, maternal mortality becoming a hot debate topic and political transition at the national and state levels. Most of these factors first became important at national level which then cascaded to the state level. Currently, there is a supportive policy environment in the state for maternal health backed by greater political will and increased resources. However, malnutrition and population stabilization are the competing priorities which may push maternal health off the agenda. The influence of the events and factors

CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM POLITICAL IDENTITY: THE SACRED TEXT AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

И В Кудряшова

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on the formation of modern Muslim political identity on the macro-po-litical and individual levels. The author explores the relation between its Islamic and state-national levels. It is shown that this relationship is of dynamic nature and that at present both these levels are significantly differentiated: nationalism outgrows the framework of state nationalism and gradually acquires civil dimension, while the Islamic layer, losing its significance as the only source of identification and self-identification for Muslims, acquires new socio-political content. The latter is reflected in the development of “Islamist pluralism”. It is noted that the ascriptive orientations to kin-groups, ethnic groups and clans remain significant and especially vibrant in the times of political turbulence.

Agenda 21; Agenda 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-03-01

In the prospect of the Johannesburg international summit in August 2002, the regional council of Midi-Pyrenees region (S France) in partnership with the French ministry of national development and environment has organized a two-days meeting in order to identify and valorize the good practices for the implementation of a sustainable development policy. The basic reference document of this meeting is the 'Agenda 21' program of actions that all governments signatories to the commitments of the Rio summit will have to implement. This document is the complete version in French language of the Agenda 21. It comprises several points dealing with: the environment protection and the abatement of pollution, the management of energy resources with the development of renewable energies, the viable management of the transportation sector, the management of wastes and radioactive wastes, etc.. (J.S.)

Agenda 21; Agenda 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-03-01

In the prospect of the Johannesburg international summit in August 2002, the regional council of Midi-Pyrenees region (S France) in partnership with the French ministry of national development and environment has organized a two-days meeting in order to identify and valorize the good practices for the implementation of a sustainable development policy. The basic reference document of this meeting is the 'Agenda 21' program of actions that all governments signatories to the commitments of the Rio summit will have to implement. This document is the complete version in French language of the Agenda 21. It comprises several points dealing with: the environment protection and the abatement of pollution, the management of energy resources with the development of renewable energies, the viable management of the transportation sector, the management of wastes and radioactive wastes, etc.. (J.S.)

Developing a Research Agenda on the Political Economy of Immigrants' Oral Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvasina, Paola; Gastaldo, Denise; Quiñonez, Carlos; Muntaner, Carles

2018-06-01

Acculturation has been widely used in health research to explain oral health disparities between immigrants and their native born counterparts. However, immigrants' oral health studies have not clearly defined the acculturation construct. Also, a narrow focus on cultural oral health behaviours is likely to be inadequate for explaining immigrants' oral health inequities, which are also rooted in societal, political and economic factors produced across the globe. In this brief report, we discuss the use of the acculturation framework in the dental public health literature, note gaps in this approach, and argue for the need to incorporate the political economy lens to help better understand the complexities of immigrants' oral health.

From Exchange to Inter-knowledge: Ethnography and the Invisible Facts of Political Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julieta Quirós

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Based on an ethnographically situated study of recent electoral processes in Argentina, this study contributes to the understanding of politics and political activities of which the protagonists- politicians and political activists or operators- refer to as the territorio or local level. Drawing on ethnographic observation from different contexts- both rural and urban areas-, the case is made for the need to rescue analytically the concept of agency and the importance of personal relations that both common sense and the scholarly literature often consider politically “weak”. An alternative approach is put forward for the future research agenda which centres on inter-knowledge in the use of technology used within the political work of political leaders, candidates and activists in the process of creating relations of political representation. In addition, the importance of understanding different scales of the local, the State and government are also analysed.

"By any memes necessary": Exploring the intersectional politics of feminist memes on Instagram

OpenAIRE

Breheny, Caitlin

2017-01-01

Internet memes are exemplary forms of user-generated content in the age of social networking and user participation. This study draws attention to the work of an intersectional feminist community on Instagram who make use of this platform to discuss their personal politics via image macro memes. The community is made up of femmes who typically blend politics, pop culture, and a personal perspective into their content. This practice is identified as a contemporary feminist use of new media and...

Why Macro Practice Matters

Science.gov (United States)

Reisch, Michael

2016-01-01

This article asserts that macro practice is increasingly important in today's rapidly changing and complex practice environment. It briefly explores the history of macro practice in U.S. social work, summarizes its major contributions to the profession and to U.S. society, and provides some suggestions for how social work programs can expand…

How Neighborhoods Influence Health: Lessons to be learned from the application of political ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chitewere, Tendai; Shim, Janet K; Barker, Judith C; Yen, Irene H

2017-05-01

This paper articulates how political ecology can be a useful tool for asking fundamental questions and applying relevant methods to investigate structures that impact relationship between neighborhood and health. Through a narrative analysis, we identify how political ecology can develop our future agendas for neighborhood-health research as it relates to social, political, environmental, and economic structures. Political ecology makes clear the connection between political economy and neighborhood by highlighting the historical and structural processes that produce and maintain social inequality, which affect health and well-being. These concepts encourage researchers to examine how people construct neighborhood and health in different ways that, in turn, can influence different health outcomes and, thus, efforts to address solutions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Spreadsheet macros for coloring sequence alignments.

Science.gov (United States)

Haygood, M G

1993-12-01

This article describes a set of Microsoft Excel macros designed to color amino acid and nucleotide sequence alignments for review and preparation of visual aids. The colored alignments can then be modified to emphasize features of interest. Procedures for importing and coloring sequences are described. The macro file adds a new menu to the menu bar containing sequence-related commands to enable users unfamiliar with Excel to use the macros more readily. The macros were designed for use with Macintosh computers but will also run with the DOS version of Excel.

The participatory agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kortbek, Hjørdis Brandrup; Schwartz, Charlotte Præstegaard; Sørensen, Anne Scott

2016-01-01

of a “radical democracy” (Mouffe, 2014) and the “radical institution” (Bishop, 2013), respectively, we focus on key terms in the participatory agenda such as “access”, “agency” and “ownership”, and pursue a conceptual intervention in terms of a “post-critical”, “anticipatory” analysis and practice (Rogoff......In this article we address the participatory agenda defined as outreach in Danish national cultural policies, tracing specificities to other Nordic and EU cultural policies as well (Bell & Oakley 2015). The article investigates the discursive link that these policies establish between participation......, democracy and transformation, and argue that a range of paradoxes emerge once the agenda is translated at local cultural policy levels or by different institutions and adopted into daily practice. The thesis is that the agenda is a configuration of the “culture complex” as outlined by Tony Bennett (2013...

The politics of women's health: setting a global agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Doyal, L

1996-01-01

The last decade has been marked by a rapid growth in the women's health movement around the world. There has been a marked shift in activities away from the developed countries, as campaigns increase in intensity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The practice of women's health politics has also become increasingly international with sustained and effective collaboration across the north-south divide. Both the goals of these campaigns and their methods vary with the circumstances of the women involved. But despite this diversity, common themes can be identified: reproductive self-determination; affordable, effective, and humane medical care; satisfaction of basic needs; a safe workplace; and freedom from violence.

Joint Macro and Femto Field Performance and Interference Measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Niels T.K.; Isotalo, Tero; Pedersen, Klaus

2012-01-01

In this paper macro performance in a co-channel macro and femto setup is studied. Measurements are performed in a live Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) network. It is concluded that femto interference does not affect macro downlink (DL) performance as long as the macro Received Si...... radius smaller than 5 meter – with realistic power settings. This makes co-channel femto deployment less promising in dense macro environments with good macro RSCP coverage.......In this paper macro performance in a co-channel macro and femto setup is studied. Measurements are performed in a live Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) network. It is concluded that femto interference does not affect macro downlink (DL) performance as long as the macro Received...... Signal Code Power (RSCP) is stronger than femto RSCP. We also conclude that a macro escape carrier is a robust DL interference management solution. In uplink (UL) direction it is shown that a single femto UE close to macro cell potentially can cause a noise rise of 6 dB in the surrounding macro cell...

The Volatility of Indonesia Shari’ah Capital Market Stock Price Toward Macro Economics Variable

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helma Malini

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Shari’ah stock market is also affected by many highly interrelated economic, social, political andother factor, same as the conventional stock market, the interaction between macroeconomic variablesand Shari’ah stock market creating volatility in the stock price as a response towards severalshocks. The sensitivity of Shari’ah stock market towards shocks happened related with the futureexpectation of micro and macro factor in one country which can be predict or unpredictable.There are six macroeconomic variables that used in this research; inflation, exchange rate, interestrate, dow jones index, crude oil palm price, and FED rate. Using vector error correction model(VECM, the result shows that domestic macroeconomic variables that significantly affect IndonesiaShari’ah compliance for long term, while for international macroeconomic variables the selectedvariable such as FED rate and Dow Jones Index are not significantly affected Indonesia Shari’ahcompliance both in short term and long term. Keywords: Indonesia Shari’ah compliance, Macro Economic Indicators, Impulse Response Function,Stock Price Volatility

[Research priorities and research topics for cardiovascular nursing: the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing].

Science.gov (United States)

Mahrer-Imhof, Romy; Imhof, Lorenz

2008-12-01

Cardiovascular diseases are worldwide a major challenge for the health care system and the number one reason for premature mortality and lost life years. Many accomplishments to reduce risk factors and improve treatment in acute and chronic disease and rehabilitation have been initiated by medical research but were also embraced by nursing research, which provided valuable knowledge about supporting risk factor modification and patients' self-management. Nursing research in the cardiovascular field has a long tradition in the US. In Europe cardiovascular nursing research also developed over the past decade, with increasing participation of Swiss nurse researchers. Efforts in this field of cardiovascular nursing have been made to convey projects in nursing research that help to enhance the health of the population sustainably and improve well-being in patients with acute and chronic courses of cardiovascular disease. Scientific knowledge is pivotal in developing evidence-based nursing interventions. Since both the German and the French speaking part of Switzerland have been lacking a literature-based and expert-supported agenda for nursing research, the aim of the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing (SRAN) project was to develop an agenda providing researchers, funding agencies, and politics with orientation. This article takes the seven priorities of the SRAN project and links them to the topics of risk factor modification, rehabilitation programs, self-care, and patient education. The article presents the first agenda for cardiovascular nursing for the years 2007 to 2017. The agenda will serve to develop an action plan and to promote nursing research projects in the field of cardiovascular nursing in Switzerland.

THE MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROJECTS: A HIGH-PRIORITY ETHICAL PROBLEM IN THE UNIVERSITY AGENDA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Palencia

2007-11-01

Full Text Available This work paper points out that the management of social responsibility is a high-priority project in the agenda of university organizations. Social Responsibility is reasoned as a macro university ethical project; about how the projects in the university scope have been handled and finally about how the Intellectus Model is a successful option. By means of a documentary research, it was conclude that the university organizations come dragging a culture lack from ethics, which has taken it to assume the Social Responsibility with an extencionist approach. It is recommended to assume the Social Responsibility Project as a coexistence culture and to manage it by means of the Projects Management.

Social Action among Social Work Practitioners: Examining the Micro-Macro Divide.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattocks, Nicole Olivia

2018-01-01

Social work is a profession that seeks to enhance the well-being of all people and promote social justice and social change through a range of activities, such as direct practice, community organizing, social and political action, and policy development. However, the current literature suggests that the profession's focus on social justice and social action are weakening, replaced by individualism and therapeutic interventions. This article examines data derived from a survey of 188 National Association of Social Workers members from Maryland; Virginia; and Washington, DC, to explore levels of social action participation among social workers and determine whether identifying as a macro-level practitioner would predict higher levels of social action activity compared with being a micro-level practitioner. Findings indicate that social workers in this sample engage in only a moderate level of social action behavior. In addition, identifying oneself as a mezzo- or macro-level practitioner predicts increased frequency of social action behavior. Implications include emphasizing the importance of social action in schools of social work and practice settings and adequately preparing social work professionals to engage in social action. © 2017 National Association of Social Workers.

Local Agenda 21 and poverty

OpenAIRE

Palmans, Eva; Marysse, Stefaan

2003-01-01

Poverty, the increasing urbanisation of poverty and the environmental degradation are major problems facing the actual world. This is reflected in international conferences and agendas, such as Local Agenda 21. This agenda is responding to the current problems by promoting sustainable development through local action and by using participatory methods. Our major concern is to reflect on the impact of the Local Agenda 21 on the reduction of poverty in a Third World context.

News Media, Political Socialization and Popular Citizenship: Towards a New Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckingham, David

1997-01-01

Notes that news media use has declined in recent years, particularly among young people. Offers a critical review of research on the changing role of journalism in political socialization. Evaluates calls for popular alternatives to conventional forms of news and for a postmodern conception of citizenship and the public sphere. Concludes that more…

Policy in the Public Eye : Agenda-setting and framing dynamics of traditional and social media in relation to immigration and integration policies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Dekker (Rianne)

2016-01-01

markdownabstractThe policy field of immigration and migrant integration is publicly and politically controversial. Consequently, issues related to immigration and migrant integration are regularly in the public eye of the media. This doctoral thesis analyzes how policy agendas in the domain of

Party website – instrument of political communication. Case study: www.psd.ro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Pătruţ

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Romanian political parties’ websites have developed especially after 2000 and have been used to disseminate information about candidates, campaigns and political agendas. Combining the quantitative content analysis with well-known models I will quantify the degree in which the Romanian Social Democratic Party website contributes to informing, connecting, involving, and mobilizing visitors. Another objective of the analysis is to pinpoint the place that websites occupy on the trajectory web 1.0 – web 2.0. The findings show that the political website is used more to inform and less to involve or mobilize visitors and that the SDP website is far from the web 2.0. taking account the virtual practices performed.

Persuasive territories in European cultural politics:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thelle, Mikkel; Thylstrup, Nanna Bonde

2011-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to view the concept of persuasive technology as a framework for discussing cultural politics on the internet. Taking digital collections as a point of departure, the cases of Europeana and Google Books are to be discussed as promoting different assemblies of information......, practice and identity politics. Through this discussion the study aims to show how the internet becomes territorialized through persuasive mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach – The study applies different concepts on the cases, derived from different fields of social theory, such as “soft power......”, “assembly” and “folksonomy” in order to question the traditional view of persuasive technology as a concept instrumental to, for example, marketing agendas. Targeting the relation between policy and everyday practice, the paper aims to open a discussion of persuasive technology deeply embedded in digital...

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has proposed or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

Recursive macro generator for the TAS-86 language. First part: the macro generator language. Second part: system internal logics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zraick, Samir

1970-01-01

A macro-generator is a translator which is able to interpret and translate a programme written in a macro-language. After a first part presenting the main notions and proposing a brief description of the TAS-86 language, the second part of this research thesis reports the development of the macro-generator language, and notably presents the additional functionalities provided by the macro generator. The development is illustrated by logical flowcharts and programming listings

Political oil import diversification by financial and commercial traders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashcheeva, Mila; Tsui, Kevin K.

2015-01-01

International politics affects the oil trade. But do financial and commercial traders who participate in spot oil trading also respond to changes in international politics? We construct a firm-level dataset for all U.S. oil-importing companies over 1986–2008 to examine how these firms respond to increases in “political distance” between the U.S. and her trading partners, measured by divergence in their UN General Assembly voting patterns. Consistent with previous macro evidence, we first show that individual firms diversify their oil imports politically, even after controlling for unobserved firm heterogeneity. However, the political pattern of oil imports is not entirely driven by the concerns of hold-up risks, which exist when oil transactions via term contracts are associated with backward vertical FDI that is subject to expropriation. In particular, our results indicate that even financial and commercial traders significantly reduce their oil imports from U.S. political enemies. Interestingly, while these traders diversify their oil imports politically immediately after changes in international politics, other oil companies reduce their oil imports with a significant time lag. Our findings suggest that in designing regulations to avoid harmful repercussions on commodity and financial assets, policymakers need to understand the nature of political risk. -- Highlights: •American firms diversify their oil imports politically. •Financial and commercial traders diversify their oil imports politically immediately. •Other oil companies reduce their oil imports with a significant time lag. •Policymakers need to understand the nature of political risk

Islam y educación religiosa en Europa. Análisis macro-comparado

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Gloria M. Morán

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Publicado en: Anuario de Derecho a la Educación, Dykinson, 2014, pp. 9-56.proyecto investigador: el derecho fundamental a la educación: Derecho, ciudadanía y libertad (DER2009- 10009. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (resolución 14-diciembre-2009. Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación trienio 2010-2012.SUMARIO: A. Presupuestos: 1. El fracaso de las repúblicas árabes del siglo XX, emigración y expansión de la cultura musulmana en Occidente - 2. Islam, diversidad geográfico-cultural, emergencia del islamismo político e identidad musulmana en Occidente – B. Islam y educación pública en algunos países europeos. La experiencia macro-comparada desde su particular legado religioso y político: 1. Austria, Alemania y Suiza – 2. Dinamarca, Noruega, Suecia, Holanda y Reino Unido – 3. España e Italia – C. Conclusión: Laicidad estatal y educación religiosa islámica: ¿valores incompatibles?Abstract Introduction: Failure of Arab republics in XX Century, migration and expansion of Muslim culture in the West. Islam, cultural-geographical diversity, emergence of political Islam and Muslim identity in the West. Islam and public education in European countries: Macro-comparative experience from its particular religious and political legacy. Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland and United Kingdom. Spain and Italy. Conclusion: Secular state and Muslim religious education: Incompatible values?

Initiatives for sustainable development: New forms of dialogue and styles of communication in connection with the implementation of the Agenda 21. Final report; Initiativen fuer eine nachhaltige Entwicklung: Neue Dialogformen und Kommunikationsstile im Zusammenhang mit der Umsetzung der Agenda 21. Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haan, G. de; Kuckartz, U.; Rheingans, A. [comps.

1998-11-01

The study deals with questions of participation and the communication on environmental issues within the framework of the implementation of the Agenda 21. Employing social-science field research tools, Local Agenda 21 initiatives in selected areas of the capital, Berlin, were accompanied for a period of 15 months.- The data material consists for one thing of field notes and for another of records of interviews conducted with players in these initiatives and experts in their environment (politics, administration, economy, associations). The interviews asked open questions and followed a given layout. The data were subjected to computer-based qualitative analysis. The main objective was to identify the paradigms relevant in the Agenda process.- Some results of the analysis are organization models of LA 21 initiatives and a typology of paradigms of players. A survey among citizens carried out following the field study informs on the participation interests of the public, its familiarity with the Local Agenda initiatives, and the dissemination of knowledge on the concept of sustainable development. (orig.) [Deutsch] Die Studie befasst sich mit Fragen der Partizipation und der Umweltkommunikation im Zuge der Umsetzung der Agenda 21. Mit den Mitteln sozialwissenschaftlicher Feldforschung wurden Lokale Agenda 21-Initiativen in ausgewaehlten Bezirken der Hauptstadt Berlin ueber einen Zeitraum von 15 Monaten begleitet. Das Datenmaterial besteht neben Feldnotizen und Protokollen aus offenen, leitfadenstrukurierten Interviews, die mit Akteuren der Initiativen und mit Experten ihres Umfeldes (Politik, Verwaltung, Wirtschaft, Verbaende) gefuehrt wurden. Die Daten wurden mittels computergestuetzter qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Dabei ging es vorrangig um die Identifizierung der im Agenda-Prozess virulenten Leitbilder. Resultate der Analyse sind u.a. Modelle der Organisation von LA 21-Initiativen sowie eine Typologie von Akteursleitbildern. Eine im Anschluss an die

Political Economy and the NCLB Regime: Accountability, Standards, and High-Stakes Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Parkison, Paul

2009-01-01

Focus and institutional policy under the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] (U.S. Department of Education 2001) has prioritized the individualistic, market-driven agenda. The NCLB regime has gained hegemony over the political space of public education, and the value and effectiveness of the educational process has become subject to the fetishism of…

The Arab Uprisings and Euro-Mediterranean Security: The Regional Security Agenda of the European Union

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Schima Viktoria Labitsch

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The 2010 Arab uprisings led to profound changes in the political landscape of the Southern Mediterranean, and came at a time of staggering Euro-Mediterranean relations. With prevailing turmoil and violence in Europe’s closest proximity, the Euromed relationship – heavily dominated by security objectives and concerns in the past – is facing new social, political and economic challenges. This work analyses what challenges have made it onto the security agenda of the European Union in response to the uprisings in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt between December 2010 and 2013. It does so by analysing the discourse of three institutions: the European Commission, the European Council and the Council of Ministers. Accordingly, it argues that security in the Euro-Mediterranean context may be analysed in the framework of the wider constructivist Copenhagen school of security studies, treating threats as politically constructed in the process of securitization. It emphasizes the different degrees of institutional involvement in framing the regional security agenda, and the vast application of security logic to migration and mobility as well as its absence in areas of biological and chemical weapons, extremism and weapons of mass destruction. This work’s final argument is that whilst the overall level of securitization throughout the three years remains low and partially inconsistent with the security priorities before 2010, the EU exhibited a particularly strong regional focus on Libya as well as a thematic one on migration and external borders.

The political use and abuse of the "pedophile".

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, James

2008-01-01

The cognitive/affective construct designated by the term pedophile is delineated on the basis of how he is presented in the popular media. His salient characteristics are listed and then examined in the light of scientific and historical data. The pedophile is discovered to be a social construct that floats in the thin air of fantasy. Since the truth-value of the construct pedophile approaches zero, we are confronted with the question of why he continues to be such a central and emotionally fraught aspect of American culture. The answer to this question is found in his political usefulness. Specifically, the religious right uses him to further its agenda of sexual repression, and the political right uses him to dismantle the machinery of a free society.

Myanmar: Political Reforms and the Recalibration of External Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Bünte

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This opening chapter provides some background to the domestic reform agenda, along with its drivers and motivations. From 1988 to 2011, the military built up institutions that guaranteed the military’s dominant position in the political arena. The second phase, since 2011, has seen a guided relaxation of the military’s coercive controls and the liberalisation of political spaces for the opposition and civil society. In order to contextualise Myanmar’s external relations, this article will first describe the military’s strategy and then outline the key changes that have been implemented in the country’s foreign policy.

Hispanic Business Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Coca-Cola USA, Atlanta, GA.

This is a corporate policy statement of the Hispanic business agenda of Coca Cola USA, and the results of a community survey conducted to inform that agenda. The statement outlines several areas of company policy as they relate to Hispanic Americans. These areas include regional marketing, promotion, and community relations strategies, a…

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action or has proposed, or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

NRC Regulatory Agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-08-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action or has proposed, or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

The emergence, growth and decline of political priority for newborn survival in Bolivia.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Stephanie L

2014-12-01

Bolivia is expected to achieve United Nations Millennium Development Goal Four, reducing under-five child mortality by two-thirds between 2021 and 2025. However, progress on child mortality reduction masks a disproportionately slow decline in newborn deaths during the 2000s. Bolivia's neonatal mortality problem emerged on the policy agenda in the mid-1990s and grew through 2004 in relationship to political commitments to international development goals and the support of a strong policy network. Network status declined later in the decade. This study draws upon a framework for analysing determinants of political priority for global health initiatives to understand the trajectory of newborn survival policy in Bolivia from the early 1990s. A process-tracing case study methodology is used, informed by interviews with 26 individuals with close knowledge of newborn survival policy in the country and extensive document analysis. The case of newborn survival in Bolivia highlights the significance of political commitments to international development goals, health policy network characteristics (cohesion, composition, status and key actor support) and political transitions and instability in shaping agenda status, especially decline-an understudied phenomenon considering the transitory nature of policy priorities. The study suggests that the sustainability of issue attention therefore become a focal point for health policy networks and analyses. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.

Global Civil Society: the Formation of the New Actor of World Politics. Part I

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Владимир Геннадьевич Иванов

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the analysis of the emerging global phenomenon: the rise of global civil society as the new actor of world politics. The author suggests that the importance of global civil society as a «third way» between the State and the Free Market is especially high at the time of modern economic crisis. Global civil society organizations work out the new socio-political agenda for the world and new approaches to the global problems. This shaping society is full of conflicts and contradictions but its rapid development in the 1990-2000th is the milestone for developing of truly global politics.

Agenda de pesquisa e opções teórico-metodológicas nas investigações sobre trabalho docente Research agenda and theoretical-methodological options in the research on teacher's work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deise Mancebo

2007-08-01

Full Text Available O texto propõe-se à análise da agenda de pesquisa e das orientações teórico-metodológicas presentes na literatura especializada sobre trabalho docente. Inicia apresentando as políticas neoliberais, materializadas em reformas educacionais que atingiram toda a América Latina. Discute a agenda de pesquisa sobre a temática, considerando: (1 os impactos que o docente vive, enquanto trabalhador imerso numa nova "cultura" institucional e (2 o produto do seu trabalho - formação de "força de trabalho" e, no caso da educação superior, produção de "tecnologia e conhecimento científico". Ao final, localiza as grandes linhas teórico-metodológicas da literatura especializada sobre o tema e as analisa criticamente.This paper analyses the research agenda and the theoretical-methodological orientation present in the specialized literature on teachers' work. After a presentation of the neo-liberal politics, materialized in the educational reforms that have reached all Latin America, it discusses the research agenda on these themes, considering: 1 the impacts teachers, as worker immersed in a new "institutional culture", live; and 2 their work product - the training of a "work force" and, in the case of higher education, the production of "technological and scientific knowledge". Finally, it points out the general theoretical-methodological outlines of the specialized literature on the subject and analyzes them critically.

NRC Regulatory Agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-10-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considering action, and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-04-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considering action, and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

Editorial: HOW THE CENTRE OF MALAYSIAN POLITICS SHIFTED TO THE ISLAMIST REGISTER 1969-2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Editor Al-Jami'ah: Journal of Islamic Studies

2009-02-01

Full Text Available One of the most obvious observations that can be made about the form and content of Malaysian politics, political discourse and political culture today is how the country has shifted to a visibly more Islamist register, with the symbols and vocabulary of political Islam gaining prominence and visibility over the past four decades. This is particularly true in the case of Malaysia’s civil society space, which was once dominated by secular Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs, mass movements and lobby groups. Today, however, we are looking at the relatively new phenomenon of a Malaysian civil society space which is increasingly being dominated by Islamist civil society movements that operate within the constitutional framework of the country but which are pushing for a clearly religious-communitarian agenda, namely the Islamisation of Malaysian society and politics. How did this come about?

What have the poorest countries to gain from the Doha Development Agenda (DDA)?

OpenAIRE

James Scott; Rorden Wilkinson

2010-01-01

This paper sets out to examine the likely benefits accruing to developing countries from the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) as it currently stands. In pursuit of this aim, the paper draws from the insights of both the economic and the political economy literatures in pursuit of a more fulsome account of the likely results of the DDA for poor countries. The paper begins with a review of the projected aggregate gains accruing to developing countries from a concluded DDA. It then marries this agg...

Sustainability and the local scale: squaring the peg?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parto, S. [Maastricht Univ. (Netherlands). Economic Research Inst. on Innovation and Technology

2004-07-01

This paper examines the causes of the failure by the Region of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) to meet its objectives on sustainability. The analysis shows that in such macro matters as sustainability, scale does indeed matter, as do numerous other factors including the degree of trust in interrelations, perceptions and convictions, conflicting interests and competing agendas, the manner in which discourse occurs on policy formation and implementation, and ideology as expressed through partisan politics. This paper contributes to the discourse on sustainability in two ways. It proposes an evolutionary, multi-dimensional analytical framework to study sustainable development. The framework is then applied to a case study to underline the political implications of operationalising sustainable development (author)

Toward Fostering Environmental Political Participation: Framing an Agenda for Environmental Education Research

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Brett L. M.; Zint, Michaela T.

2013-01-01

Scholars of environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) have been among the environmental leaders calling for individuals to become increasingly engaged in political action aimed at addressing environmental and sustainability issues. Few, however, have studied how educational experiences might foster greater…

Political determinants of Health: Lessons for Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jooma, Rashid; Sabatinelli, Guido

2014-05-01

There is much concern about the capacity of the health system of Pakistan to meet its goals and obligations. Historically, the political thrust has been absent from the health policy formulation and this is reflected in the low and stagnant public allocations to health. Successive political leaderships have averred from considering healthcare is a common good rather than a market commodity and health has not been recognized as a constitutional right. Over 120 of world's nation states have accepted health as a constitutional right but the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan does not mandate health or education as a fundamental right and the recently adopted 18th constitutional amendment missed the opportunity to extend access to primary health care as an obligation of the State. It is argued in this communication that missing from the calculations of policy formulation and agenda setting is the political benefits of providing health and other social services to underserved populations. Across the developing world, many examples are presented of governments undertaking progressive health reforms that bring services where none existed and subsequently reaping electoral benefit. The political determinant of healthcare will be realized when the political leaders of poorly performing countries can be convinced that embracing distributive policies and successfully bringing healthcare to the poor can be major factors in their re-elections.

DOES COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION SET THE LOCAL PRESS AGENDA? A VIEW ON DELIBERATIVE AND CIVIC PRACTICES IN THE PORTUGUESE PRESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gil Baptista Ferreira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available What are journalists’ perceptions of the citizen’s role in democratic life? What is the role that journalists attribute to the public in the construction of the news agenda? The main goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between the local press, citizens and civic practices. It takes as starting point a dual theoretical approach, the theory of deliberative democracy and the public journalism movement, to assess the scope of the concept of “deliberative journalism.” Under the aegis of the project “Citizens’ Agenda: journalism and political participation in the Portuguese media”, questionnaires were delivered to 45 journalists from the main regional newspapers in Portugal. Focusing on the importance of the citizen’s agenda for the journalists’ decision making process, the results show that although the journalists appreciate the principles underlying the public and deliberative journalism movements (which suggests that a deliberative consciousness is emerging, they also express the permanency of a conventional journalism approach.

Does community participation set the local press agenda? A view on deliberative and civic practices in the Portuguese press

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gil Baptista Ferreira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available What are journalists’ perceptions of the citizen’s role in democratic life? What is the role that journalists attribute to the public in the construction of the news agenda? The main goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between the local press, citizens and civic practices. It takes as starting point a dual theoretical approach, the theory of deliberative democracy and the public journalism movement, to assess the scope of the concept of “deliberative journalism.” Under the aegis of the project “Citizens’ Agenda: journalism and political participation in the Portuguese media”, questionnaires were delivered to 45 journalists from the main regional newspapers in Portugal. Focusing on the importance of the citizen’s agenda for the journalists’ decision making process, the results show that although the journalists appreciate the principles underlying the public and deliberative journalism movements (which suggests that a deliberative consciousness is emerging, they also express the permanency of a conventional journalism approach.

A comparison between MARKAL-MACRO and MARKAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schepers, E.

1995-11-01

Differences between CO 2 -reduction scenarios of the MARKAL-MACRO model and the MARKAL model are studied. Also attention is paid to the rebound effect, i.e. the effect on a price decrease leads to an increase of the energy demand, and energy savings will result in a redistribution of saved income over other goods and services. MARKAL is an energy supply model and MACRO is a macro-economic model. The combination of the two is an example of a hard-linked model between a top-down model (MACRO) and a bottom-up model (MARKAL). 15 figs., 5 tabs., 18 refs., 2 appendices

Using Natural Sciences for Cultural Expansion: The National Socialist Agenda for the Balkans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Zarifi

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This article highlights the political merit natural sciences were awarded under the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany and their propagandistic role in Hitler's foreign policy agenda for the Balkans, a region which was expected to replace Germany's colonies lost in World War I. It accounts further for the policies and strategies National Socialists used to exert cultural influence on the countries of South-East Europe, namely through a number of institutions with which natural sciences were in one way or another involved in order to promote German culture abroad. The promotion of the German language and, to a certain degree, the Nazi ideology was a precondition for familiarising the Balkan countries with German scientific achievements, which would pave the way for an economic and political infiltration in that region. Therefore, natural sciences, as part of the German intellect, acquired political and economic connotations hidden behind the euphemistic term of cultural policy, designed for this region of geopolitical importance. The article is based almost exclusively on unpublished German records.

Macro-prudentiality and financial stability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Ionescu

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Taking into consideration the fact that financial crises, as a manifestation form of the financial instability, are becoming more and more frequent, complex and severe, it is important to discuss about the macroeconomic prudentiality, in order to protect and save the economy of a country or of a region by the inherent fragility of a very developed financial system. Therefore, the paper aims to analyze the following aspects: the macro-prudential regulation (in order to a better understanding of the financial instability process, the development of the macro-prudential vision and instruments (but emphasizing the existing limits and economic policies (in order to implement an operational macro-prudential regulation.

"Who's winning the human race?"Cold war as pharmaceutical political strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobbell, Dominique A

2009-10-01

Between 1959 and 1962, Senator Estes Kefauver led a congressional investigation into the pricing practices of U.S. drug firms. As part of its defense, the industry mobilized the rhetoric of cold war and promoted the industry as a critical national asset in the global war against communism. The industry argued that any effort to undermine corporate innovation by inviting, as Kefauver proposed, greater government involvement in drug development threatened the public's health and invited socialism-in the form of socialized medicine-into the domestic political economy. This strategy proved critical to the industry's efforts to build political support for itself, particularly among the medical profession, and undermine Kefauver's reform agenda.

Politics and public health ethics in practice: right and left meet right and wrong.

Science.gov (United States)

Gollust, Sarah E; Baum, Nancy M; Jacobson, Peter D

2008-01-01

As public health practitioners are no doubt aware, public health practice and politics are closely linked. Although theoretical discussion of the emerging field of public health ethics has been rich, scholars have paid little attention to the relationship between ethical issues and politics in public health practice. We conducted semistructured interviews with 45 public health practitioners across a range of occupations (eg, health officers, medical directors, sanitarians, nurses, educators, and commissioners) working at 12 local health departments across Michigan and the state health department. Practitioners were asked to describe the ethical issues they faced in their daily practice. Ethical issues that resulted from the political environment emerged as one major category of ethical issues our interviewees described. This article illustrates how political issues engender ethical challenges in 4 main areas: public health agenda-setting, political pressures, political conflicts with best practices, and the scope of public health practice. The findings suggest that politics and public health ethics intrinsically intersect, because political pressures and priorities often impose ethical challenges that practitioners negotiate in their daily work.

United Nations conference of environment and development, held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Documents. Agenda 21; Konferenz der Vereinten Nationen fuer Umwelt und Entwicklung im Juni 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. Dokumente. Agenda 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

With the translation of Agenda 21 all the documents released in connection with the United Nations Conference of Environment and Development (UNCED) at Rio de Janeiro (June 1992) have now been made generally available also in the German language. Agenda 21, which in 40 chapters discusses the basic political platforms of environment-oriented sustainable development, is an action programme for the 21st century adopted at Rio by more than 170 states. The action programme contains detailed instructions as to the practices to be abandoned to prevent any further deteriorations as well as strategies to be adopted to gradually relieve the situation and to ensure a reasonable and sustainable exploitation of our natural resources. One important approach to this goal is that environmental issues are considered within a global context, thus being a prominent factor in all political spheres. The rules set up in this action programme are applicable to industrial and developing countries alike. It offers - in broad outline - prescriptions for the combatting poverty, control of overpopulation, reconciliation of commercial and environmental interests, disposal of refuse and chemicals, for climate, energy and agricultural policies as well as the ways in which industrial and developing countries could cooperate both financially and in terms of shared technologies. The bilateral and multilateral development policies of the Federal Government are largely based on Agende 21. (orig./HP) [Deutsch] Mit der Uebersetzung der Agenda 21 sind nunmehr alle Dokumente der Konferenz fuer Umwelt und Entwicklung der Vereinten Nationen (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro (June 1992) auch in deutscher Sprache der Oeffenlichkeit zugaenglich. Die Agenda 21, die mit ihren 40 Kapiteln alle wesentlichen Politikbereiche einer umweltvertraeglichen, nachhaltigen Entwicklung anspricht, ist das in Rio von mehr als 170 Staaten verabschiedete Aktionsprogramm fuer das 21. Jahrhundert. Mit diesem Aktionsprogramm werden

The International Macro-Environment of an Organization

OpenAIRE

Ileana (Badulescu) Anastase; Cornel Grigorut

2016-01-01

The international macro-environment (supranational macro-environment) brings together allthe uncontrollable factors with a global impact, and it is related to the organization’s indirectrelationships on international markets. Romania’s globalization and the EU integration increasedthe importance of the macro-environment for all organizations, regardless of their degree ofinternationalization. In marketing, we must master the main agreements between countries and theregulations emanating from ...

Policy agendas and births and deaths of political parties : The Dutch Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lowery, D.; van Witteloostuijn, A.; Peli, G.; Brasher, H.; Otjes, Simon; Gherghina, Sergiu

The standard model of political party density emphasizing the interaction of social cleavages and district magnitude (M) is incomplete in accounting for number of parties in cases of high values of M in an arbitrary way. We explore an alternative model for such cases emphasizing the slack in the

The politics of entrapment : the World Bank, the integrated development model & citizenship at a crossroad

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P. Hatcher (Pascale)

2009-01-01

textabstractThe thesis is about the World Bank and the political dimensions of the new aid architecture. The new aid agenda, which emerged out of the post-Washington Consensus (PWC), has led to debates over its real significance. While Joseph Stiglitz has argued that the new consensus actually

Moving the gender agenda or stirring chicken’s entrails?: where next for feminist methodologies in accounting?

OpenAIRE

Haynes, Kathryn

2007-01-01

Purpose – The paper critiques recent research on gender and accounting to explore how feminist methodology can move on and radicalise the gender agenda in the accounting context. Design/methodology/approach – After examining current research on gender and accounting, the paper explores the nature of feminist methodology and its relation to epistemology. It explores three inter-related tenets of feminist methodology in detail: Power and Politics, Subjectivity and Reflexivity. Findings – The pa...

Ingerid S Straume and J F Humphrey (eds., Depoliticization: The Political Imaginary of Global Capitalism (Malmö: NSU Press, 2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stuart Winchester

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Capitalism’s constancy, despite the global economic crisis, prompts this topical nine essay volume to examine the present status of politics and its relation to the economy. It follows the analytical line of theorists like Hannah Arendt, Jürgen Habermas and especially Cornelius Castoriadis, arguing that since the seventies, a separation of politics and economy has been nurtured by a neoliberal agenda.

Shift in the United States Climate Policy and the Arctic Council Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sakharov A.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Environmental issues form the basis of the Arctic Council’s agenda. Since the first Senior Arctic Officials (SAOs meeting in 1996, issues related to ecology and climate have been raised at almost every event under the aegis of the forum. A substantial number of structures within the forum’s institutional framework were created to engage in monitoring exercises and scientific research, as well as to harmonize the positions of Arctic Council members on the most pressing environmental and climate change concerns in the region. In this regard, the change in the general course of U.S. environmental policy under the administration of Donald Trump could significantly complicate the interaction between members in key areas of the Council’s agenda. The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas exploitation in the Arctic seabed will certainly impede dialogue within the Council. Nevertheless, there are several aspects of U.S foreign and internal politics which could work to preserve its long-term environmental policy trend despite changes brought about by the Trump administration. Even in the short term, the activities of the U.S. within the Arctic Council and the provisions of the Fairbanks Ministerial Declaration differ from the president’s statements on climate change. The U.S.’s new environmental policy is compared to the priorities of Finland’s 2017–2019 chairmanship which maintains the traditional environmental focus of the forum’s agenda while intensifying cooperation with other international institutions on climate change issues. Thus, the institutional basis established in previous years, and more importantly, the stable agenda and concrete work by the forum’s bodies ensure the effective use and functioning of the Arctic Council. The Finnish presidency and the secretariat of the Arctic Council are not adjusting the agenda to accommodate policy changes of individual

Agenda infectieuze ziekten paard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anonymous,

2011-01-01

De agenda infectieuze paardenziekten is mede op verzoek van het ministerie van EL&I geschreven door de Sectorraad Paarden (SRP) voor beleidsmakers van paardensport- en fokkerijorganisaties, hippische ondernemers en de overheid. In deze agenda geeft de SRP haar visie hoe te komen tot de borging

Scientific consensus and climate change: the codification of a global research agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehmer-Christiansen, S.

1993-01-01

The 'scientific consensus' which influenced the Framework Convention on Climate Change was carefully drafted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) between 1988 and 1992. In spite of it, there have been divergent national responses and policy controversy continues. The willingness of States to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases appears to be declining. An explanation for this is proposed which stresses the question of whether the nature of the scientific advice as sought and given bears some responsibility for the weak policy response. Institutional and personality factors in the formulation of IPCC advice are explored, as is the policy model upon which advice was given. It is concluded that this model is intrinsically unable to generate decisive environmental policy, but rather invites the institutions of the natural sciences and macro-economics to endow their research agendas with claims to policy relevance through the production of future 'findings'. (Author)

Exploring Connections Between Global Integration and Political Mobilization

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Jackie Smith

2015-08-01

Full Text Available With the end of the Cold War, military security issues declined on the international agenda as environmental, economic, and social issues rose. As superpower con?ict faded from the international agenda, space was created for new attempts at multilateral problem-solving. How have these changes a?ected the prospects for transnational organizing? Using data from the Yearbook of International Associations this paper explores changes in the size, issue focus, geographic makeup, and organizational structure of the population of transnational social movement organizations (TSMOs in recent decades. While not the only form of transna-tional cooperation, these formal organizations provide important infrastructures for sustained transnational political work. Key ?ndings are that while the transnational social movement sector has continued to grow since the mid-20th century, its rate of growth has slowed in the 1990s. Also, human rights and environment predominate on TSMO issue-agendas, but during the 1990s more groups emphasized economic issues and adopted multi-issue organizing frames over single-issue focuses. Newer groups were more likely to be organized regionally, that is within the global North or South, which may re?ect e?orts to develop structures to better connect local settings with global networks.

When media matter for politics: partisan moderators of mass media’s agenda-setting influence on parliament in Belgium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliegenthart, R.; Walgrave, S.

2011-01-01

In this study, we investigate which factors moderate the agenda-setting influence of the mass media on the Belgian parliament during the period 1993—2000. Based on elaborate codings of the media, parliamentary questions and interpellations, party manifestos, government agreements and ministerial

From Computational Thinking to Computational Empowerment: A 21st Century PD Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Ole Sejer; Smith, Rachel Charlotte; Dindler, Christian

2018-01-01

We propose computational empowerment as an approach, and a Participatory Design response, to challenges related to digitalization of society and the emerging need for digital literacy in K12 education. Our approach extends the current focus on computational thinking to include contextual, human-c...... technology in education. We argue that PD has the potential to drive a computational empowerment agenda in education, by connecting political PD with contemporary visions for addressing a future digitalized labor market and society.......We propose computational empowerment as an approach, and a Participatory Design response, to challenges related to digitalization of society and the emerging need for digital literacy in K12 education. Our approach extends the current focus on computational thinking to include contextual, human......-centred and societal challenges and impacts involved in students’ creative and critical engagement with digital technology. Our research is based on the FabLab@School project, in which a PD approach to computational empowerment provided opportunities as well as further challenges for the complex agenda of digital...

A new development agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadik, N

1992-01-01

The successful report of the UN Commission on Environment and Development and the Earth Summit demonstrate the strong potential of making future concerted strides toward sustainable development. The process pointed out how social injustice prevents economic and political development and emphasize the need to eradicate extreme poverty, poor health, illiteracy, unwanted high fertility, and the oppression of women. The middle classes must also be aided and the burden on the environment reduced in the attempt to achieve sustainable development. Human-centered development is the basis of sustainable development and is capable of reducing poverty and population pressures. Agenda 21 details links between population, environment, development, and international responsibility. While honoring the rights of individuals to freely choose among reproductive options, international policymakers should agree to keep overall population growth within or slightly below the medium projection of 6.2 billion by the end of the century, 10 billion by mid-century, and eventually 11 billion. By the end of the century, it is also hoped that the number of couples using family planning will increase by 50%, marriage age will increase, teen pregnancy and maternal and infant mortality will be reduced, and resources devoted to population programs will double.

Searching for the Right to Health in the Sustainable Development Agenda Comment on "Rights Language in the Sustainable Development Agenda: Has Right to Health Discourse and Norms Shaped Health Goals?".

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkes, Sarah; Buse, Kent

2016-02-24

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Agenda offers an opportunity to realise the right to health for all. The Agenda's "interlinked and integrated" Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the prospect of focusing attention and mobilising resources not just for the provision of health services through universal health coverage (UHC), but also for addressing the underlying social, structural, and political determinants of illness and health inequity. However, achieving the goals' promises will require new mechanisms for inter-sectoral coordination and action, enhanced instruments for rational priority-setting that involve affected population groups, and new approaches to ensuring accountability. Rights-based approaches can inform developments in each of these areas. In this commentary, we build upon a paper by Forman et al and propose that the significance of the SDGs lies in their ability to move beyond a biomedical approach to health and healthcare, and to seize the opportunity for the realization of the right to health in its fullest, widest, most fundamental sense: the right to a health-promoting and health protecting environment for each and every one of us. We argue that realizing the right to health inherent in the SDG Agenda is possible but demands that we seize on a range of commitments, not least those outlined in other goals, and pursue complementary openings in the Agenda - from inclusive policy-making, to novel partnerships, to monitoring and review. It is critical that we do not risk losing the right to health in the rhetoric of the SDGs and ensure that we make good on the promise of leaving no one behind. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Agenda 21

OpenAIRE

Nascimento, Daniel Trento do

2003-01-01

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Sócio-Econômico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração. Agenda 21 é o resultado mais palpável do encontro realizado no Rio de Janeiro em 1992, chamado de ECO-92 ou RIO-92. Nesse encontro, mais de 170 países assinaram um acordo de propagar e implantar um plano global visando o desenvolvimento sustentável, que foi chamado de Agenda 21. Para tanto, a efetividade desse plano está fortemente ligada a capacidade de abso...

The (limited) political influence of ecological economics. A case study on Dutch environmental policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boezeman, Daan; Leroy, Pieter; Maas, Rob; Kruitwagen, Sonja

2010-01-01

Although the ecological economics (EE) discourse attempts to influence environmental policy, empirical studies have concluded that its success in this endeavour has been limited thus far. In the Netherlands, however, two EE-related policy concepts, Environmental Utilisation Space and Ecological Footprint, were strongly present in environmental policy during certain periods in time, but subsequently disappeared from the environmental agenda. The central question of this article is how these ups and downs of the EE concepts can be understood: which factors determine their rise on and fall from the policy agenda over time? To answer this question, this article offers a conceptual model informed by the approaches in political science on framing, agenda-setting and knowledge utilisation. We conclude that the interplay of concept-specific characteristics, the formation of coalitions around the concept and contextual variables explain the rise and fall of the aforementioned concepts. A match between the dominant policy frame and the core elements of the concept provides the opportunity for the two concepts to be pushed on the agenda. We observe the alternation of 'constraining' frames, which allows for EE concepts to survive, and 'reconciling' frames, which block agenda entrance for EE concepts. Furthermore, the alternation of these frames seems to correlate with economic and public environmental attention cycles in the Netherlands. (author)

Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bradley; Cammett, Melani

2012-05-09

Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789) and qualitative interviews (n = 310) in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of "universal coverage" exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population.

Desain dan implementasi sistem penjadwalan agenda berbasis android

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmah Rahmah

2017-11-01

Full Text Available AbstrakPenjadwalan agenda merupakan sebuah proses pembuatan urutan rencana kerja kedalam bentuk daftar catatan yang berisi kegiatan sehari-hari dari seorang individu. Saat ini, penggunaan teknologi Android sudah berkembang pesat diberbagai bidang kehidupan, seperti halnya penerapan aplikasi pengingat yang dibuat untuk menjadwalkan agenda. Meskipun alarm pengingat jadwal agenda telah berbunyi, tetap saja sebagian orang sering mengabaikan hal tersebut dan mematikan alarmnya dengan menekan salah satu tombol. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendesain dan mengimplementasi sistem penjadwalan agenda berbasis Android yang akan mempermudah setiap individu dalam menjadwal agenda kegiatan sehari-hari. Aplikasi ini dibuat menggunakan bahasa pemrograman Java, Web Service, Eclipse dan database MySQL. Hasil penelitian ini berupa desain sistem yang dapat diimplementasikan untuk sistem penjadwalan agenda dengan fitur menambah agenda pribadi, kontak, pengiriman agenda, serta menampilkan alert dialog berisi informasi tentang jadwal agenda kegiatan yang harus dikerjakan dan bunyi alarm harus direspons pengguna. Berdasarkan pengujian yang dilakukan, aplikasi ini dapat berjalan pada berbagai versi Android mulai dari versi 4.2.2 hingga 6.0.1. Kata Kunci: Agenda, Desain, Implementasi, Penjadwalan.  AbstractScheduling agenda is a process of making sequences work plan into the form of a list of records that contain the daily activities of an individual. Currently, the use of the Android technology already growing rapidly in various areas of life, as with any application of the reminder application made to schedule agenda. Although the alarm reminder schedule agenda has been read. Nonetheless, some people often overlook it and turn off the alarm by pressing any key. This research aims to design and implement of agenda scheduling system based android that will make it easier to every individual in the schedule of daily activities agenda. This application is created using

La Agenda Pública en España

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Tamayo, Manuel

2004-08-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this paper is to describe the evolution of the Spanish public agenda between 1985 and 2004. The agenda-building studies are the main reference for our research. The empirical data used to analyze this topic are time-series about what are, for the Spanish citizens, the main problems in Spain. This time series has been elaborated by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas. The description is organized in two parts. First, we analyze the evolution of the different issues that conform the agenda, then, we study the agenda as a whole. The theory about the issue attention-cycle, is used to understand the issue evolution question. The behavior of the agenda over time, is explained through the cultural change theory.

El objeto de este trabajo es describir la evolución de la agenda pública en España, desde 1985 a 2004. La investigación se encuadra dentro de los estudios sobre la construcción de la agenda. El material empírico del que se parte son las series temporales del CIS sobre cuáles son ajuicio de los ciudadanos los principales problemas de España. La descripción se ha organizado en dos partes: una, en la que se analiza la evolución de los temas de la agenda; y otra, en la que se considera la agenda en su conjunto. Las teorías empleadas para interpretar la evolución de la agenda han sido, en el caso de los temas, el ciclo de atención de los temas públicos, y en lo que se refiere a la agenda en su conjunto, las relativas al cambio cultural y al surgimiento de la nueva agenda política.

Local Agenda 21 is not a group

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffmann, Birgitte

1999-01-01

The article is a critical overview of the Danish approach to Local Agenda 21. It states Local Agenda 21 as a tool for the process of change.......The article is a critical overview of the Danish approach to Local Agenda 21. It states Local Agenda 21 as a tool for the process of change....

The 2030 Global Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Stig

2016-01-01

Sound land governance is fundamental to achieving the 2030 Global Agenda as set by the Sustainable. Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all the world’s leaders at the UN Summit in September 2015. This Global Agenda calls for a “data revolution” for sustainable development to empower people...

Collaboration patterns in the German political science co-authorship network.

Science.gov (United States)

Leifeld, Philip; Wankmüller, Sandra; Berger, Valentin T Z; Ingold, Karin; Steiner, Christiane

2017-01-01

Research on social processes in the production of scientific output suggests that the collective research agenda of a discipline is influenced by its structural features, such as "invisible colleges" or "groups of collaborators" as well as academic "stars" that are embedded in, or connect, these research groups. Based on an encompassing dataset that takes into account multiple publication types including journals and chapters in edited volumes, we analyze the complete co-authorship network of all 1,339 researchers in German political science. Through the use of consensus graph clustering techniques and descriptive centrality measures, we identify the ten largest research clusters, their research topics, and the most central researchers who act as bridges and connect these clusters. We also aggregate the findings at the level of research organizations and consider the inter-university co-authorship network. The findings indicate that German political science is structured by multiple overlapping research clusters with a dominance of the subfields of international relations, comparative politics and political sociology. A small set of well-connected universities takes leading roles in these informal research groups.

Priority setting at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels in Canada, Norway and Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapiriri, Lydia; Norheim, Ole Frithjof; Martin, Douglas K

2007-06-01

The objectives of this study were (1) to describe the process of healthcare priority setting in Ontario-Canada, Norway and Uganda at the three levels of decision-making; (2) to evaluate the description using the framework for fair priority setting, accountability for reasonableness; so as to identify lessons of good practices. We carried out case studies involving key informant interviews, with 184 health practitioners and health planners from the macro-level, meso-level and micro-level from Canada-Ontario, Norway and Uganda (selected by virtue of their varying experiences in priority setting). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using a modified thematic approach. The descriptions were evaluated against the four conditions of "accountability for reasonableness", relevance, publicity, revisions and enforcement. Areas of adherence to these conditions were identified as lessons of good practices; areas of non-adherence were identified as opportunities for improvement. (i) at the macro-level, in all three countries, cabinet makes most of the macro-level resource allocation decisions and they are influenced by politics, public pressure, and advocacy. Decisions within the ministries of health are based on objective formulae and evidence. International priorities influenced decisions in Uganda. Some priority-setting reasons are publicized through circulars, printed documents and the Internet in Canada and Norway. At the meso-level, hospital priority-setting decisions were made by the hospital managers and were based on national priorities, guidelines, and evidence. Hospital departments that handle emergencies, such as surgery, were prioritized. Some of the reasons are available on the hospital intranet or presented at meetings. Micro-level practitioners considered medical and social worth criteria. These reasons are not publicized. Many practitioners lacked knowledge of the macro- and meso-level priority-setting processes. (ii) Evaluation

Political intersections between HIV/AIDS, sexuality and human rights: a history of resistance to the anti-sodomy law in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramasubban, R

2008-01-01

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in India has posed unprecedented challenges to both state and society, to question prevailing constructions of patriarchal gender relations and heteronormativity. Response to the challenge has come not from the political and social mainstream but from the criminalised "margins": people of alternative sexualities, who have launched a struggle for reform of the anti-sodomy law, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. This article documents the history of this movement, and identifies the multiple national and global-level cultural, political, and economic strands, shaping it. The legal reform movement has been invaluable as a tool to mobilise disparate alternative sexualities groups around a common strategy, thereby forging them into a tenuous national-level "community". Going beyond legal reform in the direction of sexual rights, however, requires a broader coalition of groups, and a broad-based political agenda of sexual rights for all. This agenda must critique patriarchy, dominant masculinity, and sexual violence; forces that together govern both the subordination of women and repression of alternative sexualities.

Agenda Trending: Reciprocity and the Predictive Capacity of Social Networking Sites in Intermedia Agenda Setting across Topics over Time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Groshek

2013-08-01

Full Text Available In the contemporary converged media environment, agenda setting is being transformed by the dramatic growth of audiences that are simultaneously media users and producers. The study reported here addresses related gaps in the literature by first comparing the topical agendas of two leading traditional media outlets (New York Times and CNN with the most frequently shared stories and trending topics on two widely popular Social Networking Sites (Facebook and Twitter. Time-series analyses of the most prominent topics identify the extent to which traditional media sets the agenda for social media as well as reciprocal agenda-setting effects of social media topics entering traditional media agendas. In addition, this study examines social intermedia agenda setting topically and across time within social networking sites, and in so doing, adds a vital understanding of where traditional media, online uses, and social media content intersect around instances of focusing events, particularly elections. Findings identify core differences between certain traditional and social media agendas, but also within social media agendas that extend from uses examined here. Additional results further suggest important topical and event-oriented limitations upon the predictive capacit of social networking sites to shape traditional media agendas over time.

Neo-Pluralist Political Science, Economic Sociology and the Conceptual Foundations of the Comparative Capitalisms Literatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruff, Ian; Hartmann, Eva

2014-01-01

the strengths of neo-pluralism and economic sociology – their attention to detail in considering the huge range of ‘types’ of capitalism that exist across the world – come at a high price. Put briefly, the redefinition of ‘capitalism’ as ‘the economy’ concentrates research agendas on the specific political...

The Media and the Agenda of Nuclear Energy in France. 1970-2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, Philippe

2010-01-01

The agenda has been studied in two complementary ways: one based on modeling, the other on sociology. Their combined use helps to understand the construction of the nuclear issue as a long-term public controversy and policy. To a quite stable policy lead by a cohesive policy community corresponds a long-term trend of positive public support, but punctuated with bursts of protest. To explain the upheavals of some publics' support, the media coverage appears as a crucial factor, with its peaks of visibility, conflict-driven frames or news focused on the sector's failures. The media did sometimes provide the conditions of a policy reversal. Two successive cycles of media coverage occur, both linked to a state of the local referential, embedded in the global one. Yet neither of them leads to a steady rejection of nuclear energy by the public, nor by the elite. Two agenda strategies face each other: contestants seek maximum visibility, defenders discretion and alternative framing. From the 1970's to the 1990's, both strategies change with diverse contexts: the decline of global ideological commitment, the professionalization of ecological protest, the evolution of journalistic practices and political opportunities. But they only account for a part of the controversy process. Non-strategic agendas also have to be dealt with. They are led by dramatic events, crisis, non-anticipated consequences of prepared achievements and non-coordinated strategies that happen to converge. (author) [fr

Local Agenda 21 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Appendices; Lokale Agenda 21 in Apeldoorn. Bijlagenrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dullens, M.; Schouw, J.C.; Straatman, T.G.

1999-08-01

The (im)possibilities of concrete projects to start Local Agenda 21 activities in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, are discussed. Attention is paid to options with respect to transportation, energy conservation, water use, soil pollution, waste management, and nature. Local Agenda 21 is a program by means of which local governments can contribute to sustainable targets as formulated during the 1992 conference Agenda 21 of the United Nations (UN). The appendices contain background information (reports of meetings, elaboration of ecological subjects in relation with socio-economic subjects, and a table with all the recommendations) and are published in this report. The main report is a separate publication.

Writing Excel Macros with VBA

CERN Document Server

Roman, Steven

2008-01-01

To achieve the maximum control and flexibility from Microsoft® Excel often requires careful custom programming using the VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) language. Writing Excel Macros with VBA, 2nd Edition offers a solid introduction to writing VBA macros and programs, and will show you how to get more power at the programming level: focusing on programming languages, the Visual Basic Editor, handling code, and the Excel object model.

75 FR 79929 - Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-20

... Respect to Mortgage Loans, to be codified at 16 CFR 321, 322; (7) Retail Food Store Advertising and..., which appears in both the online Unified Agenda and in part II of the Federal Register that includes the... disseminating the Unified Agenda. The complete Unified Agenda will be available online at www.reginfo.gov, in a...

The Politics of Universal Health Coverage in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Framework for Evaluation and Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ashley M; Reich, Michael R

2015-10-01

Universal health coverage has recently become a top item on the global health agenda pressed by multilateral and donor organizations, as disenchantment grows with vertical, disease-specific health programs. This increasing focus on universal health coverage has brought renewed attention to the role of domestic politics and the interaction between domestic and international relations in the health reform process. This article proposes a theory-based framework for analyzing the politics of health reform for universal health coverage, according to four stages in the policy cycle (agenda setting, design, adoption, and implementation) and four variables that affect reform (interests, institutions, ideas, and ideology). This framework can assist global health policy researchers, multilateral organization officials, and national policy makers in navigating the complex political waters of health reforms aimed at achieving universal health coverage. To derive the framework, we critically review the theoretical and applied literature on health policy reform in developing countries and illustrate the framework with examples of health reforms moving toward universal coverage in low- and middle-income countries. We offer a series of lessons stemming from these experiences to date. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

78 FR 44279 - Regulatory Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-23

... Vol. 78 Tuesday, No. 141 July 23, 2013 Part XI Department of Justice Semiannual Regulatory Agenda #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 141 / Tuesday, July 23, 2013 / Unified Agenda#0;#0; [[Page 44280

An implementation research agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marteau Theresa

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract In October 2006, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO of England asked Professor Sir John Tooke to chair a High Level Group on Clinical Effectiveness in response to the chapter 'Waste not, want not' in the CMOs 2005 annual report 'On the State of the Public Health'. The high level group made recommendations to the CMO to address possible ways forward to improve clinical effectiveness in the UK National Health Service (NHS and promote clinical engagement to deliver this. The report contained a short section on research needs that emerged from the process of writing the report, but in order to more fully identify the relevant research agenda Professor Sir John Tooke asked Professor Martin Eccles to convene an expert group – the Clinical Effectiveness Research Agenda Group (CERAG – to define the research agenda. The CERAG's terms of reference were 'to further elaborate the research agenda in relation to pursuing clinically effective practice within the (UK National Health Service'. This editorial presents the summary of the CERAG report and recommendations.

An implementation research agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Eccles, Martin P; Armstrong, David; Baker, Richard; Cleary, Kevin; Davies, Huw; Davies, Stephen; Glasziou, Paul; Ilott, Irene; Kinmonth, Ann-Louise; Leng, Gillian; Logan, Stuart; Marteau, Theresa; Michie, Susan; Rogers, Hugh; Rycroft-Malone, Jo; Sibbald, Bonnie

2009-01-01

In October 2006, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of England asked Professor Sir John Tooke to chair a High Level Group on Clinical Effectiveness in response to the chapter 'Waste not, want not' in the CMOs 2005 annual report 'On the State of the Public Health'. The high level group made recommendations to the CMO to address possible ways forward to improve clinical effectiveness in the UK National Health Service (NHS) and promote clinical engagement to deliver this. The report contained a short section on research needs that emerged from the process of writing the report, but in order to more fully identify the relevant research agenda Professor Sir John Tooke asked Professor Martin Eccles to convene an expert group – the Clinical Effectiveness Research Agenda Group (CERAG) – to define the research agenda. The CERAG's terms of reference were 'to further elaborate the research agenda in relation to pursuing clinically effective practice within the (UK) National Health Service'. This editorial presents the summary of the CERAG report and recommendations. PMID:19351400

Technical analysis, contestation and politics in policy agenda setting and implementation : the rise and fall of primary care maternal services from Ghana’s capitation policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koduah, A.; Dijk, van J.W.M.; Agyepong, I.A.

2016-01-01

Background: Why issues get on the policy agenda, move into policy formulation and implementation while others drop off in the process is an important field of enquiry to inform public social policy development and implementation. This paper seeks to advance our understanding of health policy agenda

The post-2015 development agenda for diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: challenges and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Renzaho, Andre M N

2015-01-01

Diabetes is one of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which is rising significantly across sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries and posing a threat to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of the SSA population. The inclusion of NCDs into the post-2015 development agenda along with the global monitoring framework provides an opportunity to monitor progress of development programmes in developing countries. This paper examines challenges associated with dealing with diabetes within the development agenda in SSA and explores some policy options. This conceptual review draws from a range of works published in Medline and the grey literature to advance the understanding of the post-2015 development agenda and how it relates to NCDs. The paper begins with the burden of diabetes in sub-Sahara Africa and then moves on to examine challenges associated with diabetes prevention, treatment, and management in Africa. It finishes by exploring policy implications. With regards to development programmes on NCDs in the SSA sub-continent, several challenges exist: 1) poor documentation of risk factors, 2) demographic transitions (rapid urbanisation and ageing), 3) the complementary role of traditional healers, 4) tuberculosis and the treatment of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome as risk factors for diabetes, 5) diabetes in complex emergencies, 6) diabetes as an international development priority and not a policy agenda for many SSA countries, and 7) poorly regulated food and beverage industry. For the post-2015 development agenda for NCDs to have an impact, sufficient investments will be needed to address legislative, technical, human, and fiscal resource constraints through advocacy, accountability, political leadership, and effective public-private partnership. Striking the right balance between competing demands and priorities, policies, and implementation strategies hold the key to an effective response to diabetes in SSA countries.

The post-2015 development agenda for diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: challenges and future directions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre M. N. Renzaho

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Diabetes is one of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs which is rising significantly across sub-Saharan African (SSA countries and posing a threat to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of the SSA population. The inclusion of NCDs into the post-2015 development agenda along with the global monitoring framework provides an opportunity to monitor progress of development programmes in developing countries. This paper examines challenges associated with dealing with diabetes within the development agenda in SSA and explores some policy options. Design: This conceptual review draws from a range of works published in Medline and the grey literature to advance the understanding of the post-2015 development agenda and how it relates to NCDs. The paper begins with the burden of diabetes in sub-Sahara Africa and then moves on to examine challenges associated with diabetes prevention, treatment, and management in Africa. It finishes by exploring policy implications. Results: With regards to development programmes on NCDs in the SSA sub-continent, several challenges exist: 1 poor documentation of risk factors, 2 demographic transitions (rapid urbanisation and ageing, 3 the complementary role of traditional healers, 4 tuberculosis and the treatment of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome as risk factors for diabetes, 5 diabetes in complex emergencies, 6 diabetes as an international development priority and not a policy agenda for many SSA countries, and 7 poorly regulated food and beverage industry. Conclusion: For the post-2015 development agenda for NCDs to have an impact, sufficient investments will be needed to address legislative, technical, human, and fiscal resource constraints through advocacy, accountability, political leadership, and effective public–private partnership. Striking the right balance between competing demands and priorities, policies, and implementation strategies hold the key to an effective response to diabetes

The politics of harm reduction in federal prisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Tara Marie

2014-09-01

We need to understand better the political barriers to prison-based harm reduction programs. In this paper, I examine the situation in the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), a federal prison agency with a zero-tolerance drug policy and general opposition to prison needle and syringe programs (PNSPs) and safer tattooing initiatives. This study draws on 16 interviews with former CSC senior officials, former frontline staff, and external stakeholders; CSC policy and practice documents; and testimony from a House of Commons Standing Committee public study. Thematic coding and comparison of texts were used to examine emergent themes of interest. Four interrelated issues were central for understanding the political barriers: a narrower definition of harm reduction used in corrections, both in principle and practice; the Conservative government's tough-on-crime agenda; strong union opposition; and stakeholder perceptions that political constraints will likely persist, including the view that litigation may offer the only way to introduce PNSPs. The system is at an impasse and key questions remain about the importability of harm reduction services into federal prisons. Despite a highly challenging policy environment, moving forward will demand asking new, critical questions and devising more strategic ways of entering the political-operational dialogue that opposes evidence-based programs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Introduction Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. Methods This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789) and qualitative interviews (n = 310) in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. Results We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of “universal coverage” exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Conclusions Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population. PMID:22571591

Local Agenda 21 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Final report; Lokale Agenda 21 in Apeldoorn. Eindrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dullens, M.; Schouw, J.C.; Straatman, T.G.

1999-08-01

The (im)possibilities of concrete projects to start Local Agenda 21 activities in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, are discussed. Attention is paid to options with respect to transportation, energy conservation, water use, soil pollution, waste management, and nature. Local Agenda 21 is a program by means of which local governments can contribute to sustainable targets as formulated during the 1992 conference Agenda 21 of the United Nations (UN). The appendices contain background information (reports of meetings, elaboration of ecological subjects in relation with socio-economic subjects, and a table with all the recommendations) and are published in a separate report.

Linking ground motion measurements and macro-seismic observations in France: A case study based on the RAP (accelerometric) and BCSF (macro-seismic) databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lesueur, Ch.

2011-01-01

Comparison between accelerometric and macro-seismic observations is made for three mw∼4.5 earthquakes of eastern France between 2003 and 2005. Scalar and spectral instrumental parameters are processed from the accelerometric data recorded by nine accelerometric stations located between 29 km and 180 km from the epicentres. Macro-seismic data are based on the French internet reports. In addition to the individual macro-seismic intensity, analysis of the internal correlation between the encoded answers highlights four predominant fields of questions, bearing different physical meanings: 1) 'vibratory motions of small objects', 2) 'displacement and fall of objects', 3) 'acoustic noise', and 4) 'personal feelings'. Best correlations between macro-seismic and instrumental observations are obtained when the macro-seismic parameters are averaged over 10 km radius circles around each station. macro-seismic intensities predicted by published pgv-intensity relationships quite agree with the observed intensities, contrary to those based on pga. The correlations between the macro-seismic and instrumental data, for intensities between ii and v (ems-98), show that pgv is the instrumental parameter presenting the best correlation with all macro-seismic parameters. The correlation with response spectra, exhibits clear frequency dependence over a limited frequency range [0.5-33 hz]. Horizontal and vertical components are significantly correlated with macro-seismic parameters between 1 and 10 hz, a range corresponding to both natural frequencies of most buildings and high energy content in the seismic ground motion. Between 10 and 25 hz, a clear lack of correlation between macro-seismic and instrumental data is observed, while beyond 25 hz the correlation coefficient increases, approaching that of the PGA correlation level. (author)

Globalization and sustainable development: a political ecology strategy to realize ecological justice

OpenAIRE

Byrne, John; Glover, Leigh; Alrøe, Hugo Fjelsted

2006-01-01

Organic agriculture is, like mainstream agriculture, faced with the challenges of globalization and sustainable development. Ecological justice, the fair distribution of livelihoods and environments, has emerged as a key concept in efforts, on the one hand, to resist negative consequences of globalization and ecological modernization and, on the other to propose new agenda and institutional arrangements. This chapter investigates the role that ecological justice as a political ecology strateg...

Forthcoming Issue on Game Theory and Political Economy

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William D. Ferguson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Game theory offers a rigorous set of concepts, relationships, and models that invite myriad applications to problems of political economy. Indeed, game theory can serve as a fundamental modeling technique that can bridge microfoundations of political and economic exchanges, with developmental processes and macro implications related to growth and distribution. Applications can range from localized interactions within workplaces, firms, political organizations, and community groups; to intermediate-level market, industry, community, or inter-organizational transactions; to encompassing national, regional, population, or global interactions. At any of these levels, game models can illustrate strategic responses of economic or political actors (individuals or organizations to specifiable conditions concerning any or all of the following: prevailing social context—notably informal institutions (such as social norms and formal institutions (such as mutually understood laws and regulations; available information (complete or not; accessible or strategically manipulated; agents’ motivations (material and/or social; and even levels of rationality—substantive (full cognition or bounded (limited cognition. Applicable models may operate on the basis of given institutional context and preference orientations or may explore associated developmental processes, including adaptive social learning. Of particular interest are representations of one or more of the myriad social dilemmas (or collective-action problems that inhabit political economy, associated exercises or distributions of power, and/or representations of potential resolutions to such dilemmas—perhaps with policy implications. Accordingly, this forthcoming issue of Economies seeks game-theoretic models based on classical, evolutionary, behavioral, or epistemic game theory that can be applied to one or more problems in political economy.

[Heavy metal pollution ecology of macro-fungi: research advances and expectation].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qi-xing; An, Xin-long; Wei, Shu-he

2008-08-01

Macro-fungi are the main component of biosphere and one of the ecological resources, and play very important roles in matter cycling and in maintaining ecological balances. This paper summarized and reviewed the research advances in the eco-toxicological effects of heavy metals on macro-fungi, the bioaccumulation function of macro-fungi on heavy metals, the ecological adaptation mechanisms of macro-fungi to heavy metal pollution, the role of macro-fungi as a bio-indicator of heavy metal pollution, and the potential of macro-fungi in the ecological remediation of contaminated environment. To strengthen the researches on the heavy metal pollution ecology of macro-fungi would be of practical significance in the reasonable utilization of macro-fungi resources and in the ecological remediation of contaminated environment.

How to Use a Trafficked Woman. The Alliance between Political and Criminal Trafficking Organisations

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John Davies

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The principal argument of this paper is that migrant women with secure mobility rights and supportive social networks can avoid or mitigate many trafficking harms. However the paper contends that some actors have conspired to prevent such circumstances so as to pursue diverse political agendas at the expense of migrant women. The paper’s analysis restructures the trafficking contest from organised criminals versus law enforcement agencies to principally a contest between migrant women and those political agents who benefit from the moral panic associated with trafficking. It is then argued that it is these more sophisticated political actors rather than organised criminals and the clients of sex workers are the most important stakeholders in sustaining or exploiting trafficking harm. Therefore, it is concluded that resolving many trafficking harms in the EEA could be achieved by subverting political traffickers through improving migration policy rather than fighting organised crime.

The 1970 Bhola cyclone, nationalist politics, and the subsistence crisis contract in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Naomi

2018-01-01

The devastating Bhola cyclone in November 1970 is credited with having triggered the political events that led to the division of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. A callous response to the disaster by the Pakistani regime resulted in a landslide electoral victory for Bengali nationalists, followed by a bitter and bloody civil war. Yet, despite its political momentousness, the Bhola cyclone has been the subject of little political analysis. This paper examines the events, arguing that its extraordinary political significance put disaster management on the nationalist agenda; the famine of 1974 confirmed its centrality, producing a social contract to protect the population against disasters and subsistence crises on which the country's acclaimed resilience to the effects of climate change rests. The Bhola cyclone also drew international attention to this neglected, little-known region, and in general can be seen as foundational for the subsequent developmental achievements of Bangladesh. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

The International Macro-Environment of an Organization

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Ileana (Badulescu Anastase

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The international macro-environment (supranational macro-environment brings together allthe uncontrollable factors with a global impact, and it is related to the organization’s indirectrelationships on international markets. Romania’s globalization and the EU integration increasedthe importance of the macro-environment for all organizations, regardless of their degree ofinternationalization. In marketing, we must master the main agreements between countries and theregulations emanating from general international bodies, reflecting on their business, on differentforeign markets. Knowledge of the international environment is possible only through an analysisof its components (Anastase, I., 2012, p.41.

International Entrepreneurship - A New Concept and its Research Agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Poul Rind

2003-01-01

In this article the research agenda of International Entrepreneurship is analysed. The agenda is defined; major contributions are revealed. Based on critical analyses the research agenda is redefined and a future perspective for research is suggested.......In this article the research agenda of International Entrepreneurship is analysed. The agenda is defined; major contributions are revealed. Based on critical analyses the research agenda is redefined and a future perspective for research is suggested....

[The history of Chagas' disease in Argentina: conceptual, institutional, and political evolution].

Science.gov (United States)

Zabala, Juan Pablo

2009-07-01

In the one hundred years since the identification of Chagas disease, major changes have occurred in its scientific conception, institutional recognition, and political weight. From a medical perspective, it was seen as the cause of goiter, next its acute effects were emphasized, and then its effects on cardiac health received greater attention. In similar fashion, sanitary policy first downplayed the disease's importance, then elevated it to the role of a national cause, and gradually relegated it to the bottom of the agenda. The article briefly presents the key points of this historical trajectory in Argentina, exploring the cognitive, political, and institutional underpinnings of the disease as both a social and biological fact.

Taxing the Shadow: The Political Economy of Sweatshops in La Salada, Argentina

OpenAIRE

Dewey, M.

2014-01-01

An effect of the informalization of production and distribution processes affecting the garment industry has been the spread of sweatshops in areas of industrial eclipse. Whilst the proliferation of these economies is usually analyzed as an outcome of sweeping macro trends, such as the “transformation of global capitalism,” the impact of domestic political decisions fostering an informal and illegal garment sector is less acknowledged. The present discussion paper focuses on informal arrangem...

Political micro-targeting: a Manchurian candidate or just a dark horse?

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Balázs Bodó

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Political micro-targeting (PMT has become a popular topic both in academia and in the public discussions after the surprise results of the 2016 US presidential election, the UK vote on leaving the European Union, and a number of general elections in Europe in 2017. Yet, we still know little about whether PMT is a tool with such destructive potential that it requires close societal control, or if it’s “just” a new phenomenon with currently unknown capacities, but which can ultimately be incorporated into our political processes.   In this article we identify the points where we think we need to further develop our analytical capacities around PMT. We argue that we need to decouple research from the US context, and through more non-US and comparative research we need to develop a better understanding of the macro, meso, and micro level factors that affect the adoption and success of PMTs across different countries. One of the most under-researched macro-level factors is law. We argue that PMT research must develop a better understanding of law, especially in Europe, where the regulatory frameworks around platforms, personal data, political and commercial speech do shape the use and effectiveness of PMT. We point out that the incorporation of such new factors calls for the sophistication of research designs, which currently rely too much on qualitative methods, and use too little of the data that exists on PMT. And finally, we call for distancing PMT research from the hype surrounding the new PMT capabilities, and the moral panics that quickly develop around its uses.

Towards a Response-able Pedagogy across Higher Education Institutions in Post-Apartheid South Africa: An Ethico-Political Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bozalek, Vivienne; Zembylas, Michalinos

2017-01-01

Internationally there has been some interest in how critical pedagogies might be enabled in higher education to support transformative social agendas. Few writers, however, have theorised the ethico-political aspects of this effort from a feminist new materialist perspective. By focusing on the analysis of an inter-institutional collaborative…

Should we use a direct regulation to implement the Healthy Prisons Agenda in England? A qualitative study among prison key policy makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, N; de Viggiani, N

2017-08-31

The Healthy Prisons Agenda seeks to reduce prisoners' health risks, balance prisoners' rights with a security regime, ensure equivalent prison health service provisions to community health services, and facilitate the whole-prison approach. There is an established assumption that legislation will ensure better implementation of health promotion programmes. This study aimed to examine whether a legislative framework, via a direct regulation, could lead to enhanced implementation of the Healthy Prisons Agenda in England. A qualitative study design was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 30 key prison policy makers in England. Our findings contradict the established assumption that legislation improves the implementation of health promotion programmes. A direct regulation was perceived as restrictive, manifesting excessive compliance and encouraging a risk-averse culture, whilst preoccupation with security, order and discipline amongst prison governors and custody staff was deemed an internal institutional barrier to implementing the Healthy Prisons Agenda. External barriers included diminishing resources, lengthier or delayed sentencing, and an unsympathetic public and political stance towards prisoner rehabilitation. A direct regulation should not be used to operationalize the Healthy Prisons Agenda. Rather, self-regulation, along with proactive solutions for the identified barriers to implementing the Agenda, is the most appropriate path forward. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

[Food in the contemporary context: consumption, political action and sustainability].

Science.gov (United States)

Portilho, Fátima; Castañeda, Marcelo; de Castro, Inês Rugani Ribeiro

2011-01-01

The interdisciplinary field of reflections on food as politics goes through a process of expansion and overflow to the private sphere, and routine daily food consumption. This process seems to be a reflection of transformations in the global agrifood markets, the wide publicity and awareness of food hazards and the politicization of consumption. To the extent that individuals are to assume responsibility for the environmental and social consequences of their everyday choices, the specificity of political power in contemporary societies goes beyond the institutional level (food security and nutrition, social inequalities in access to food, agricultural policies and regulations advertising of food) to meet the private sphere. This paper shows, initially, some of the recent debates about the process of politicization of consumption and then explores a theoretical reflection on the ethical, political and ideological habits that relate to food consumption, including the locations and ways of acquiring and food preparation, the values of environmental preservation, solidarity with local producers and reflexive caution against food risks. Finally, points to a research agenda capable of capturing the processes of politicization of food and consumer practices in the field of political power.

Promoting change through political consciousness: a South African speech-language pathology response to the World Report on Disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kathard, Harsha; Pillay, Mershen

2013-02-01

In the context of the World Report on Disability, Wylie, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall (2013) question how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) change practices to benefit under-served people with communication disability. This commentary provides a South African response premised on Political Consciousness. In South Africa, a grossly unequal society, the under-served population is not only those with communication disability but also include those who are at a communication disadvantage due to disabling conditions. As a consequence of the combined effects of a severe shortage of SLPs as well as maldistribution in service provision, the under-served are mainly poor Black South Africans who are the majority population. Political Consciousness allows one to examine how selected forces at the macro-level, meso-level, and micro-level may enable or limit services to the under-served majority. At a macro-level, this study appraises policies and actions advancing and impeding service delivery. At the meso-level it is argued that hegemonic professional knowledge is limiting and an equity-driven population-based approach is advocated. At a micro-level, the Relationship of Labouring Affinities is offered as a conceptual tool for critical engagement. In conclusion, it is suggested that the speech-language pathology profession must collectively become political actors at all levels to effect change.

Automation of the Weighting and its Register Using Macros; Automatizacion de la Pesada y su Registro mediante el Uso de Macro-Instrucciones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gasco, C.; Ampudia, J.

2005-07-01

Macros automate a repetitive or complex task that oneself otherwise would have to execute manually. Macros have been implemented (based on Visual Basic Applications) on the laboratory calculation sheets to obtain automatically the weight-registers from the Balances. The combined utilization of the programme Balint (trademark Precisa) and macros has allowed us to transfer in real time the weight data to the sheets and later information storage. The method for using these macros has been summarised in this report. This way of working permits: to register the data of all the laboratory samples and to be available for auditory purposes. (Author) 4 refs.

Zora’s Politics: A Brief Introduction

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Ernest Julius Mitchell II

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In his introduction to reading Zora Neale Hurston’s politics, Mitchell argues that contemporary scholarship has misread Hurston in significant ways, distorting Hurston’s work and reputation to serve contesting political agendas; thus, in recent years, she has been associated with “a bewildering array of affiliations: republican, libertarian, radical democrat, reactionary conservative, black cultural nationalist, anti-authoritarian feminist, and woman-hating protofascist.” Recuperating Hurston from this impossible political melee of labels, Mitchell argues, requires a careful reading of Hurston’s work dating from her earliest pieces in the late 1920s, as well as surveying her many yet to be published manuscripts and letters; it requires recognition of the transnational and comparative lens through which she reported on political maneuvers and military histories, as well as reading not only her strong criticisms but also her silences, ironic phrasings, and nuanced critiques in her writings on global colonial enterprises. Mitchell’s introduction to the two Hurston essays here reprinted, “I Saw Negro Votes Peddled” (1950 and “Why the Negro Won’t Buy Communism” (1951—courtesy of the American Legion Magazine—is set in the larger frame of his assertion that Hurston’s work should be read with a deep appreciation of her staunch anticolonialism. Tracing her political philosophy through her views of how race and religion are used to valorize an international culture of violence that serves imperialistic and colonial ends, Mitchell takes his reader on a tour of Hurston’s transnational commentary—from the US occupation of Haiti, to the Spanish and British on the Florida peninsula; from Communist Russia and China, to election practices in the US—to set the stage for our encounters with these rarely read Hurston essays. Reading Mitchell’s “Zora’s Politics: A Brief Introduction” provides a firm foundation for a more

Melting empires? Climate change and politics in Antarctica since the International Geophysical Year.

Science.gov (United States)

Howkins, Adrian

2011-01-01

This article examines the relationship between climate change and politics in Antarctica since the International Geophysical Year of 1957-8, paying particular attention to the work of the British Antarctic Survey. Research conducted in Antarctica has played an important role in the understanding of climate change on a global scale. In turn, fears about the consequences of global climate change have radically changed perceptions of Antarctica and profoundly shaped scientific research agendas: a continent that until fifty years ago was perceived largely as an inhospitable wilderness has come to be seen as a dangerously vulnerable environment. This radical shift in perception contrasts with a fundamental continuity in the political power structures of the continent. This article argues that the severity of the threat of climate change has reinforced the privileged political position of the "insider" nations within the Antarctic Treaty System.

Democracy on the edge: limits and possibilities in the implementation of an urban reform agenda in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Rolnik, Raquel

2011-01-01

The 1990s in Brazil were a time of institutional advances in the areas of housing and urban rights following the signing of the new constitution in 1988 that incorporated the principles of the social function of cities and property, recognition of the right to ownership of informal urban squatters and the direct participation of citizens in urban policy decision processes. These propositions are the pillars of the urban reform agenda which, since the creation of the Ministry of Cities by the Lula government, has come under the federal executive branch. This article evaluates the limitations and opportunities involved in implementing this agenda on the basis of two policies proposed by the ministry — the National Cities Council and the campaign for Participatory Master Plans — focusing the analysis on government organization in the area of urban development in its relationship with the political system and the characteristics of Brazilian democracy.

Transexualidad y agenda política: una historia de (discontinuidades y patologización Transexualidad y agenda política: una historia de (discontinuidades y patologización

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Raquel Platero Méndez

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Transgenderism has recently become a political matter that has entered the Spanish political agenda. We are witnessing a socio-political scenario of growing inclusion of LGTB rights (lesbians, gays, transgenders and bisexuals in the political debate, including key events such as the approval of same sex marriage (law 13/2005 and the right of transgender people to change their name in the register without having to go through compulsory surgery (Law 3/2007. The study of the discourses on transgenderism is relevant, as it shows the transformations in the sex/gender notions. Therefore, the political problem no longer lies in punishing criminal subjects who are breaking the law (as it was phrased in the 1970 Law on Persons Representing a Social Danger and their Social Rehabilitation, or subjects constructed as transvestites. In the eighties a disclosure of the taboo of transgenderism starts to emerge (Garaizabal 1998:60; in the nineties transgender people become subjects of social mobilization and lastly in our decade, they succeed in achieving legal rights. Using a policy frame analysis, the article arguments that despite the successful history of achievement of rights, the binary inscription of heteronormativity remains unquestioned.La transexualidad se ha convertido recientemente en un asunto político con cabida en la agenda política del Estado español. Somos testigos de un panorama sociohistórico de creciente inclusión de los derechos LGTB (lesbianas, gays, transexuales y bisexuales en el debate político, con eventos clave como ha sido la aprobación del matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo (Ley 13/2005 y el derecho de las personas transexuales a cambiar la mención del sexo en el Registro Civil sin tener que pasar obligatoriamente por la cirugía (Ley 3/2007. Es relevante estudiar los discursos alrededor de la transexualidad porque desvela las transformaciones de los conceptos de sexo y género. Así, ya no se trata de un problema p

Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Bradley

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. Methods This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789 and qualitative interviews (n = 310 in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. Results We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p , with an OR of 4.0 when comparing individuals with the highest political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of “universal coverage” exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Conclusions Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population.

Human rights and political crisis in Brazil: Public health impacts and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Malta, Monica

2018-01-25

In 31 August 2016, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff was impeached and replaced by her vice president Michel Temer. Herein, we examine how the conservative agenda of Mr Temer and his supporters is influencing key decisions in the human rights and public health arena in Brazil. The government's austerity agenda includes severe cuts in critical areas such as health, education and science, jeopardising well-known strategies such as the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) and nationwide cash transfer program, 'Bolsa Familia' - both benefited millions and were the largest of their kind in the world. Mr Temer's decisions show not only severe cuts in critical areas but also a political agenda that clearly demonstrates a broad shift away from the progressivism and social agenda presented and supported by its predecessors. Most vulnerable groups such as the LGBTQ community, women, people who use drugs and disenfranchised communities have been severely affected. Mr Temer's administration is putting Brazil far from its once nationwide goal to foster free and universal health care access and social equity for all its citizens. The near future for Brazil is unknown, but both national and international communities anticipate severe problems within the national human rights arena, if nothing changes. CCT: Conditional Cash Transfer; LGBTQ: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (and/or Questioning); SUS: Brazilian Public Health System.

The Development of Computer Policies in Government, Political Parties, and Trade Unions in Norway 1961-1983

Science.gov (United States)

Elgsaas, Knut; Hegna, Håvard

A “Council for Government Electronic Data Processing” was established in 1961. This was the start of development of a common policy for computers and data within the public administration. In 1969-70, computers got on the agenda of political parties and the trade unions. In the course of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties the government, the political parties, and the trade unions established a more comprehensive view of data political questions that we will designate by the term data policy. This paper puts some light on the causes and forces that drove the evolvement of a data policy within these central sectors in Norway. We will also show how various actors of research, trade and industry, and political life influenced the development of data policy and present links between the actors that indicate that they mutually influenced each other.

THE POLITICS OF BENEVOLENCE: Political Patronage of Party-based Charitable Organizations in Contemporary Indonesian Islam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilman Latief

2013-12-01

tersebut tentu berpotensi melahirkan pola aktivisme sosial-politik Islam dan bentuk baru clientisme-politik. Artikel ini akan mengulas upaya keras partai politik dalam mendirikan dan mengendalikan lembaga-lembaga amal pasca Orde Baru dan menjelaskan bagaimana clientisme dapat terbentuk melalui aktifitas amal. Artikel ini akan membandingkan peran lembaga-lembaga amal yang didirikan oleh partai politik nasionalis dan Islam dalam menyusun strategi untuk menyukseskan agenda politik mereka. Dengan menganalisis tiga partai politik, Partai Keadilan Sejahtera/PKS, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia-Perjuangan/PDI-P, dan Golongan Karya/Golkar, penulis berargumen bahwa aktifitas amal semakin populer di kalangan politisi sebagai cara menarik simpati konstituen, tetapi pada saat yang sama, praktik tersebut semakin memperlemah cara pandang umat Islam mengenai pembangunan dan perubahan sosial]Keywords: political parties, patronage, clientelism, charities, and development

Fulfillment of the Brazilian Agenda of Priorities in Health Research

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

This commentary describes how the Brazilian Ministry of Health's (MoH) research support policy fulfilled the National Agenda of Priorities in Health Research (NAPHR). In 2003, the MoH started a democratic process in order to establish a priority agenda in health research involving investigators, health managers and community leaders. The Agenda was launched in 2004 and is guiding budget allocations in an attempt to reduce the gap between scientific knowledge and health practice and activities, aiming to contribute to improving Brazilian quality of life. Many strategies were developed, for instance: Cooperation Agreements between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology; the decentralization of research support at state levels with the participation of local Health Secretariats and Science and Technology Institutions; Health Technology Assessment; innovation in neglected diseases; research networks and multicenter studies in adult, women's and children's health; cardiovascular risk in adolescents; clinical research and stem cell therapy. The budget allocated by the Ministry of Health and partners was expressive: US$419 million to support almost 3,600 projects. The three sub-agenda with the higher proportion of resources were "industrial health complex", "clinical research" and "communicable diseases", which are considered strategic for innovation and national development. The Southeast region conducted 40.5% of all projects and detained 59.7% of the resources, attributable to the concentration of the most traditional health research institutes and universities in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The second most granted region was the Northeast, which reflects the result of a governmental policy to integrate and modernize this densely populated area and the poorest region in the country. Although Brazil began the design and implementation of the NAPHR in 2003, it has done so in accordance with the 'good practice principles

Fulfillment of the Brazilian Agenda of Priorities in Health Research

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Guimarães Reinaldo

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract This commentary describes how the Brazilian Ministry of Health's (MoH research support policy fulfilled the National Agenda of Priorities in Health Research (NAPHR. In 2003, the MoH started a democratic process in order to establish a priority agenda in health research involving investigators, health managers and community leaders. The Agenda was launched in 2004 and is guiding budget allocations in an attempt to reduce the gap between scientific knowledge and health practice and activities, aiming to contribute to improving Brazilian quality of life. Many strategies were developed, for instance: Cooperation Agreements between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology; the decentralization of research support at state levels with the participation of local Health Secretariats and Science and Technology Institutions; Health Technology Assessment; innovation in neglected diseases; research networks and multicenter studies in adult, women's and children's health; cardiovascular risk in adolescents; clinical research and stem cell therapy. The budget allocated by the Ministry of Health and partners was expressive: US$419 million to support almost 3,600 projects. The three sub-agenda with the higher proportion of resources were "industrial health complex", "clinical research" and "communicable diseases", which are considered strategic for innovation and national development. The Southeast region conducted 40.5% of all projects and detained 59.7% of the resources, attributable to the concentration of the most traditional health research institutes and universities in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The second most granted region was the Northeast, which reflects the result of a governmental policy to integrate and modernize this densely populated area and the poorest region in the country. Although Brazil began the design and implementation of the NAPHR in 2003, it has done so in accordance with the 'good

Enhancing Political Will for Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Aregbeshola, Bolaji S

2017-01-01

Universal health coverage aims to increase equity in access to quality health care services and to reduce financial risk due to health care costs. It is a key component of international health agenda and has been a subject of worldwide debate. Despite differing views on its scope and pathways to reach it, there is a global consensus that all countries should work toward universal health coverage. The goal remains distant for many African countries, including Nigeria. This is mostly due to lack of political will and commitment among political actors and policymakers. Evidence from countries such as Ghana, Chile, Mexico, China, Thailand, Turkey, Rwanda, Vietnam and Indonesia, which have introduced at least some form of universal health coverage scheme, shows that political will and commitment are key to the adoption of new laws and regulations for reforming coverage. For Nigeria to improve people's health, reduce poverty and achieve prosperity, universal health coverage must be vigorously pursued at all levels. Political will and commitment to these goals must be expressed in legal mandates and be translated into policies that ensure increased public health care financing for the benefit of all Nigerians. Nigeria, as part of a global system, cannot afford to lag behind in striving for this overarching health goal.

A review of Brazilian scientific output on crack - contributions to the political agenda

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Marcelo Rasga Moreira

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Object: scientific literature about crack abuse published in Brazilian journals indexed in SCIELO.Objective: systematic review of literature treating findings as a framework for agenda-setting orienting policy decision makers.Methodology: SCIELO online journals research since 02/06/2013 on tag crack as "key word searched" and in indexes as "research amplitude". An amount of 199 references were identified and their abstracts were analyzed getting to a final group of 59 articles specifically studying crack issues in Brazil. Analysis: institutional criteria (journal, subject area, and publishing time and analytical categories created by the authors: "Social Risk", "Treatment", "Use/Abuse", "Profile", "Social Relations", and "Study".Results: crack use impact Brazilian journals since 2011; health field is prominent; articles about "Associated Risk" and "Treatment" prevail; SUS cannot face demand;investment improvement in CAP and harm reduction; therapeutic communities need to match with SUS standards; youngers, black people and poor express users profile; rave style use; repressive policies were not well succeeded; and multidisciplinary approach are necessary.

A review of Brazilian scientific output on crack--contributions to the political agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Marcelo Rasga; Fernandes, Fernando Manuel Bessa; Ribeiro, José Mendes; Franco Neto, Thereza de Lamare

2015-04-01

scientific literature about crack abuse published in Brazilian journals indexed in SCIELO. systematic review of literature treating findings as a framework for agenda-setting orienting policy decision makers. SCIELO online journals research since 02/06/2013 on tag crack as "key word searched" and in indexes as "research amplitude". An amount of 199 references were identified and their abstracts were analyzed getting to a final group of 59 articles specifically studying crack issues in Brazil. institutional criteria (journal, subject area, and publishing time) and analytical categories created by the authors: "Social Risk", "Treatment", "Use/Abuse", "Profile", "Social Relations", and "Study". crack use impact Brazilian journals since 2011; health field is prominent; articles about "Associated Risk" and "Treatment" prevail; SUS cannot face demand;investment improvement in CAP and harm reduction; therapeutic communities need to match with SUS standards; youngers, black people and poor express users profile; rave style use; repressive policies were not well succeeded; and multidisciplinary approach are necessary.

Complex fluids with mobile charge-regulating macro-ions

Science.gov (United States)

Markovich, Tomer; Andelman, David; Podgornik, Rudi

2017-10-01

We generalize the concept of charge regulation of ionic solutions, and apply it to complex fluids with mobile macro-ions having internal non-electrostatic degrees of freedom. The suggested framework provides a convenient tool for investigating systems where mobile macro-ions can self-regulate their charge (e.g., proteins). We show that even within a simplified charge-regulation model, the charge dissociation equilibrium results in different and notable properties. Consequences of the charge regulation include a positional dependence of the effective charge of the macro-ions, a non-monotonic dependence of the effective Debye screening length on the concentration of the monovalent salt, a modification of the electric double-layer structure, and buffering by the macro-ions of the background electrolyte.

THE CULTURE AND ARTS ORGANIZATION: MACRO-SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECT

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Margarita Rasimovna Pashaeva

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this study we analyze the macro-sociological aspect of culture and arts organization. The subject of research is reputation policy and communication technologies in  macro-sociological aspect of culture and arts organization. The target is the research the effects of macro-sociological aspect in the activities of such organization. In the study were used such methods of research: theoretical study and  synthesis; quantative method of elicitation: questionnaire; information processing methods of primary analysis; interpretation. The results of research can be applied in the activities of different culture and arts organization. The research identified the negative and positive tendencies in the context of the macro-sociological aspect.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-8-49

Biomass utilisation seen against the background of AGENDA 21; Biomassenutzung vor dem Hintergrund der AGENDA 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoenwiesner-Bozkurt, C. [efreso AG, Muenchen (Germany)

2000-07-01

From 3 to 14 June 1992 Rio de Janeiro was host to the largest conference that had ever taken place up to that point in human history, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). One major programmatic outcome of the conference was the approval of Agenda 21. This document was signed by 179 states, but it is not binding under international law. Altogether AGENDA 21 comprises 40 chapters. The present paper draws on a selection of these chapters to exemplify the significance of energy production from biomass and its relationship with the goals of Agenda 21. The author has refrained from discussing the issue of climate and energy policy in a wider context, as this matter will undoubtedly already be known to the reader. [German] Zwischen dem 03. und 14. Juni 1992 fand in Rio die bis dahin groesste Konferenz der Menschheitsgeschichte statt. Die Konferenz der Vereinten Nationen ueber Umwelt und Entwicklung 'United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)'. Als greifbares programmatisches Ergebnis der Konferenz wurde am Ende die Agenda 21 verabschiedet. Sie wurde von 179 Staaten unterzeichnet, ist aber voelkerrechtlich nicht verbindlich. Insgesamt umfasst die Agenda 21 40 Einzelkapitel. Beispielhaft soll anhand einiger Kapitel die Bedeutung und der Zusammenhang zwischen der energetischen Nutzung der Biomasse und den Zielen der Agenda 21 aufgezeigt werden. Bewusst wird hierbei der Themenbereich 'Klima- und Energiepolitik' nicht weiter betrachtet, da dieser Zusammenhang den Teilnehmern sicherlich bekannt ist. (orig.)

Agenda 21 haridusprogramm / Imbi Henno

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Henno, Imbi

2000-01-01

1992. a Rio de Janeiros toimunud ÜRO keskkonna- ja arengukonverentsil võeti vastu "Agenda 21", määrab kindlaks riikide säästva arengu alased põhisuunad käesoleval sajandil. 1997. a. Rio jätkukonverentsil tegi ÜRO Säästva Arengu Komisjon valitsustele ettekirjutuse - viia ellu "Agenda 21" põhimõtted. ÜRO Säästva Arengu Komisjoni eestvõtmisel võeti 1998. a. vastu ka "Agenda 21" 36. peatüki "Haridus, koolitus ja avalikkuse teadlikkus" laiendatud versioon, mille eesmärk on edendada riikidevahelist koostööd ja säästva arengu alast teadlikkust

Visual objects and universal meanings: AIDS posters and the politics of globalisation and history.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Claudia; Cooter, Roger

2011-01-01

Drawing on recent visual and spatial turns in history writing, this paper considers AIDS posters from the perspective of their museum 'afterlife' as collected material objects. Museum spaces serve changing political and epistemological projects, and the visual objects they house are not immune from them. A recent globally themed exhibition of AIDS posters at an arts and crafts museum in Hamburg is cited in illustration. The exhibition also serves to draw attention to institutional continuities in collecting agendas. Revealed, contrary to postmodernist expectations, is how today's application of aesthetic display for the purpose of making 'global connections' does not radically break with the virtues and morals attached to the visual at the end of the nineteenth century. The historicisation of such objects needs to take into account this complicated mix of change and continuity in aesthetic concepts and political inscriptions. Otherwise, historians fall prey to seductive aesthetics without being aware of the politics of them. This article submits that aesthetics is politics.

Precarious Voices? Types of “Political Citizens” and Repertoires of Action among European Youth

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Lara Monticelli

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article’s goal is to explore the existence of ‘political citizens’ profiles across three European cities (Turin, Cologne and Lyon and to ascertain the role of an unstable occupational status on the repertoires of action deployed. For this purpose, a technique called latent class cluster analysis (LCCA is applied to a large sample, including young precarious and regular workers (deployed as a reference group. This technique allowed us to derive five descriptive probabilistic profiles of ‘political citizens’ and their repertoires of action in each city. The empirical findings underline the emergence of hybrid repertoires of action together with ‘single-issue’ or ‘cause-oriented’ forms of political participation. This study represents an attempt to encourage the dialogue between two strands of research in social sciences, namely sociology of work and political participation and to foster the formation of an innovative research agenda crossing these two fields.

Visual Objects and Universal Meanings: AIDS Posters and the Politics of Globalisation and History

Science.gov (United States)

STEIN, CLAUDIA; COOTER, ROGER

2011-01-01

Drawing on recent visual and spatial turns in history writing, this paper considers AIDS posters from the perspective of their museum ‘afterlife’ as collected material objects. Museum spaces serve changing political and epistemological projects, and the visual objects they house are not immune from them. A recent globally themed exhibition of AIDS posters at an arts and crafts museum in Hamburg is cited in illustration. The exhibition also serves to draw attention to institutional continuities in collecting agendas. Revealed, contrary to postmodernist expectations, is how today’s application of aesthetic display for the purpose of making ‘global connections’ does not radically break with the virtues and morals attached to the visual at the end of the nineteenth century. The historicisation of such objects needs to take into account this complicated mix of change and continuity in aesthetic concepts and political inscriptions. Otherwise, historians fall prey to seductive aesthetics without being aware of the politics of them. This article submits that aesthetics is politics. PMID:23752866

Chaos in World Politics: A Reflection

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Manuel Alberto Martins; Filipe, José António Candeias Bonito; Coelho, Manuel F. P.; Pedro, Isabel C.

Chaos theory results from natural scientists' findings in the area of non-linear dynamics. The importance of related models has increased in the last decades, by studying the temporal evolution of non-linear systems. In consequence, chaos is one of the concepts that most rapidly have been expanded in what research topics respects. Considering that relationships in non-linear systems are unstable, chaos theory aims to understand and to explain this kind of unpredictable aspects of nature, social life, the uncertainties, the nonlinearities, the disorders and confusion, scientifically it represents a disarray connection, but basically it involves much more than that. The existing close relationship between change and time seems essential to understand what happens in the basics of chaos theory. In fact, this theory got a crucial role in the explanation of many phenomena. The relevance of this kind of theories has been well recognized to explain social phenomena and has permitted new advances in the study of social systems. Chaos theory has also been applied, particularly in the context of politics, in this area. The goal of this chapter is to make a reflection on chaos theory - and dynamical systems such as the theories of complexity - in terms of the interpretation of political issues, considering some kind of events in the political context and also considering the macro-strategic ideas of states positioning in the international stage.

Small Business Administration Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-20

... small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and to women wishing to start a small business... Business Administration Semiannual Regulatory Agenda] Part XVII Small Business Administration Semiannual Regulatory Agenda [[Page 79864

Three hitherto unreported macro-fungi from Kashmir Himalaya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pala, S.A.; Wana, A.H.; Boda, R.H.

2012-01-01

The Himalayan state, Jammu and Kashmir due to its climate ranging from tropical deciduous forests to temperate and coniferous forests provides congenial habitat for the growth of diverse macro fungal species which in turn gives it the status of 'hub' of macro-fungal species. The macro fungal species richness of the state is directly related to its expansive forest communities and diverse weather patterns, but all the regions of the state have not been extensively surveyed till now. In this backdrop, a systematic survey for exploration and inventorization of macro fungal species of Western Kashmir Himalaya was undertaken during the year 2009 and 2010, which in turn resulted identification of the three species viz., Thelephora caryophyllea (Schaeff.) Pers., Coltricia cinnamomea (Pers.) Murr., and Guepinia helvelloides Fr. as new reports from the Kashmir. These species were identified on the basis of macro and microscopic characters and also the aid of taxonomic keys, field manuals, mushroom herbaria and help from expert taxonomists in the related field was taken into account. (author)

The Politics of Policy in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act: Setting the Agenda for Students Experiencing Homelessness

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlakis, Alexandra E.; Duffield, Barbara

2017-01-01

While most of the press around the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has focused on how it signals an end to No Child Left Behind, the implications of ESSA for students experiencing homelessness have been largely overlooked. Garnering organizational insights from Kingdon's (Agendas, alternatives, and public policies, Pearson, Glenviiew, 2011)…

Macro-economic Impact Study for Bio-based Malaysia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijl, van H.; Smeets, E.M.W.; Dijk, van M.; Powell, J.P.; Tabeau, A.A.

2012-01-01

This Macro-economic Impact Study (MES) provides quantitative insights into the macro-economic effects of introducing green, palmbased alternatives for electricity, fuels, chemicals and materials industries in Malaysia between now and 2030.

Political Ideology and Its Relationship to Perceptions of Social Justice Advocacy among Members of the American Counseling Association (ACA)

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Janee Marie

2010-01-01

Social justice has become an increasingly controversial topic among members of the American Counseling Association (ACA). Specifically, concerns have been raised over what is perceived to be: (a) the liberal political agenda of social justice advocates, (b) the marginalization of conservative counselors, and (c) the inappropriate use of ACA…

Structuring injustice: partisan politics in the making and unmaking of James Madison University's equal opportunity policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Christine M; Spivey, Sue E

2011-01-01

This analysis contributes to LGBT campus climate research on the quality of campus life in higher education in the United States. We argue that public education institutions in different states face divergent impediments to improving campus climate, and that more research is needed identifying structural factors affecting campus climate. Using a social systems analysis of policymaking at one university as a case study, we illustrate how partisan politics and state regulation make Virginia colleges and universities more vulnerable to political scrutiny and control. Finally, we propose a social justice-oriented policy agenda to address structural inequalities.

Macro-economic impact of loss of health; Macro-economische impact van gezondheidsverlies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franchimon, F. [BAM Techniek, Capelle a/d IJssel (Netherlands); Ament, H.J.A. [Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht (Netherlands); Knies, J.; Pernot, C.E.E. [Pernot Consulting, Heeze (Netherlands); Van Bronswijk, J.M.H. [Technische Universiteit Eindhoven TUE, Eindhoven (Netherlands)

2010-11-15

More healthy life years are achievable by dwelling improvements. This article computes the healthy life years that may be gained by increased ventilation rates. It concerns the diseases Asthma, COPD en lung cancer. Increased ventilation removes house dust mites and their allergens, as well as tobacco smoke, which are associated with these diseases. Costs and savings are computes and compared in order to test the macro-economical feasibility of increased ventilation in dwellings. [Dutch] Door verbetering van woningen zijn veel gezonde levensjaren te behalen. In dit artikel worden de gewonnen gezonde levensjaren uitgerekend door meer ventileren voor de ziekten astma, COPD en longkanker. Zowel huisstofmijtallergeen als tabaksrook zijn geassocieerd met astma, COPD en longkanker. De kosten en de opbrengsten van meer ventileren worden met elkaar vergeleken om de macro-economische haalbaarheid te toetsen.

[Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing (SRAN): the development of an agenda for clinical nursing research in Switzerland].

Science.gov (United States)

Imhof, Lorenz; Abderhalden, Christoph; Cignacco, Eva; Eicher, Manuela; Mahrer-Imhof, Romy; Schubert, Maria; Shaha, Maya

2008-12-01

In many Anglo-Saxon and North European countries nursing research agendas have been developed to address priorities in nursing research in accordance with a nationally defined health policy. In Switzerland, due to lack of a nationwide governmental health policy, co-ordination of nursing research so far was scarce. The "Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing (SRAN)" project developed an agenda for clinical nursing research between 2005 and 2007. Based on literature reviews, expert panels and a national survey a project team formulated an agenda which passed a consensus conference. The agenda recommends aspects that should lead research and defines seven research priorities for nursing in Switzerland for the time between 2007 and 2017. Nursing research should prioritize to investigate 1) the effectiveness of nursing interventions; 2) the influences of service adaptations in a changing health care system; 3) the phenomena in patients requiring nursing care; 4) the influence of the work environment on the quality of nursing care; 5) the functioning of family and social systems; 6) varieties of life circumstances and their integration; and 7) the implementation of ethical principles in nursing. Written in German and French, the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing for the first time formulates priorities for nursing research in Switzerland and can be used for strategic discussions. As a next step, the development of an action plan to enhance nursing research will take place in Switzerland.

[Debating disease: the risk factor concept in political economic and scientific consideration, 1968 to 1986].

Science.gov (United States)

Madarász, Jeannette

2009-01-01

The risk factor concept was developed in American epidemiological studies ongoing since the 1940s researching the causes of chronic cardiovascular diseases. By looking at the depiction of this model in a variety of media in Germany between 1968 and 1986 we can put its close interaction with contemporary socio-political debates under scrutiny. Thereby, a strong connection between the various agents' political and economic interests on the one hand and the incorporation of the risk factor concept into their specific agendas will become apparent. The risk factor concept was not fundamentally changed in the process but it was adapted to contemporary conditions and political constellations. Thereby, so it will be argued, the medical uses of the model, especially regarding the prevention of chronic cardiovascular disease, were forced into the background of public debates.

Discourse and dissonance: religious agendas in the 104th Congress

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Bethany Blackstone

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the religious dimension of Republican legislators’ participation in one-minute speeches during the 104th Congress (1995–1996. Many have characterized the House Republican Conference that emerged after the 1994 elections as a highly cohesive majority party. Even in that context, however, legislators represent varied personal agendas, and in part these are informed by religion. We topically coded a subset of floor speeches to measure the extent to which variation is observed in the issues addressed by Members of Congress. The findings demonstrate that on key policy domains, such as the role of government, culture, and social welfare, speech participation varies systematically on the basis of member religion. This suggests that legislative participation is influenced by genuine personal preferences in additional to strategic political factors.

United Nations conference of environment and development, held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Documents. Agenda 21

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

With the translation of Agenda 21 all the documents released in connection with the United Nations Conference of Environment and Development (UNCED) at Rio de Janeiro (June 1992) have now been made generally available also in the German language. Agenda 21, which in 40 chapters discusses the basic political platforms of environment-oriented sustainable development, is an action programme for the 21st century adopted at Rio by more than 170 states. The action programme contains detailed instructions as to the practices to be abandoned to prevent any further deteriorations as well as strategies to be adopted to gradually relieve the situation and to ensure a reasonable and sustainable exploitation of our natural resources. One important approach to this goal is that environmental issues are considered within a global context, thus being a prominent factor in all political spheres. The rules set up in this action programme are applicable to industrial and developing countries alike. It offers - in broad outline - prescriptions for the combatting poverty, control of overpopulation, reconciliation of commercial and environmental interests, disposal of refuse and chemicals, for climate, energy and agricultural policies as well as the ways in which industrial and developing countries could cooperate both financially and in terms of shared technologies. The bilateral and multilateral development policies of the Federal Government are largely based on Agende 21. (orig./HP) [de

The Dayton Agenda: Full Text

Science.gov (United States)

Journal of Research on Christian Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In November 1997, 140 researchers, administrators, and others interested in the support of nonpublic schools gathered at the University of Dayton to develop a research agenda for American private education. What developed over the several hours of intense sessions was an agenda that has given direction to researchers well into the 21st century.…

DEMOCRATIZATION AND POLITICAL TRANSITION IN ARAB WORLD: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

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Ibrahim Kawuley Mikail

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Democracy and Democratization process was among the top priorities in the new post-cold war global agenda. This issue has convinced some undemocratic countries of Arab World to set up in quest for democracy and to assertively demand their long-denied socio-economic and political justice by the autocratic rulers for the region. Indeed, the current Arab spring is geared towards transition from undemocratic system (i.e. Monarchy and Military dictatorship to democracy. Secondary data was adopted in this study. The study revealed that humiliation, prolong monarchy/military dictatorship, lack of economic reform, globalization and proliferation of mass literacy were among the factors responsible for political transition in the region. Meanwhile, establishment of tenets of democracy (i.e. rules of law, human rights, freedom, etc. and insecurity, external domination and loss of lives were among the prospect and challenges of the transition. The paper recommended among others that there is need for political and economic reform in the Arab countries which would lead to transit to democracy.

Analysis of context factors in compulsory and incentive strategies for improving attraction and retention of health workers in rural and remote areas: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaoyun; Dou, Lixia; Zhang, Huan; Sun, Yang; Yuan, Beibei

2015-07-21

Current literature systematically reports that interventions to attract and retain health workers in underserved areas need to be context specific but rarely defines what that means. In this systematic review, we try to summarize and analyse context factors influencing the implementation of interventions to attract and retain rural health workers. We searched online databases, relevant websites and reference lists of selected literature to identify studies on compulsory rural service programmes and financial incentives. Forty studies were selected. Information regarding context factors at macro, meso and micro levels was extracted and synthesized. Macro-level context factors include political, economic and social factors. Meso-level factors include health system factors such as maldistribution of health workers, growing private sector, decentralization and health financing. Micro-level factors refer to the policy implementation process including funding sources, administrative agency, legislation process, monitoring and evaluation. Macro-, meso- and micro-level context factors can play different roles in agenda setting, policy formulation and implementation of health interventions to attract and retain rural health workers. These factors should be systematically considered in the different stages of policy process and evaluation.

Reframing political violence and mental health outcomes: outlining a research and action agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean region Reformulando a violência política e efeitos na saúde mental: esboçando uma agenda de pesquisa e ação para a América Latina e região do Caribe

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Duncan Pedersen

2006-06-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, the number of people exposed to traumatic events has significantly increased as various forms of violence, including war and political upheaval, engulf civilian populations worldwide. In spite of widespread armed conflict, guerrilla warfare and political violence in the Latin American and Caribbean region, insufficient attention had been paid in assessing the medium and long-term psychological impact and additional burden of disease, death, and disability caused by violence and wars amongst civilian populations. Following a review of the literature, a few central questions are raised: What is the short, medium and long-term health impact of extreme and sustained forms of violence in a given population? How political violence is linked to poor mental health outcomes at the individual and collective levels? Are trauma-related disorders, universal outcomes of extreme and sustained violence? These questions lead us to reframe the analysis of political violence and mental health outcomes, and reexamine the notions of trauma, after which a research and action agenda for the region is outlined. In the concluding sections, some basic principles that may prove useful when designing psychosocial interventions in post-conflict situations are reviewed.Em décadas recentes, o número de pessoas expostas a eventos traumáticos tem aumentado significativamente, bem como formas de violência como guerras e revoluções políticas, que subjugam populações civis em todo o mundo. Apesar da dispersão dos conflitos armados, guerrilhas e violência política na América Latina e Caribe, atenção insuficiente tem sido dada para avaliar o impacto psicológico a médio e longo prazo e o peso das doenças, mortes, e invalidez provocadas pela violência e guerra contra populações civis. Algumas perguntas centrais são levantadas, a partir de revisão da literatura: qual o impacto na saúde da população, a curto, médio e longo prazo, ao

Reformulando a violência política e efeitos na saúde mental: esboçando uma agenda de pesquisa e ação para a América Latina e região do Caribe Reframing political violence and mental health outcomes: outlining a research and action agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duncan Pedersen

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Em décadas recentes, o número de pessoas expostas a eventos traumáticos tem aumentado significativamente, bem como formas de violência como guerras e revoluções políticas, que subjugam populações civis em todo o mundo. Apesar da disseminação dos conflitos armados, guerrilhas e violência política na América Latina e Caribe, atenção insuficiente tem sido dada para avaliar o impacto psicológico a médio e longo prazo e o peso das doenças, mortes, e invalidez provocadas pela violência e guerra contra populações civis. Algumas perguntas centrais são levantadas, a partir de revisão da literatura: qual o impacto na saúde da população, a curto, médio e longo prazo, por vivenciar violências extremas e continuadas? Como a violência política se relaciona com pobre saúde mental individual e coletiva? As desordens relacionadas aos traumas são conseqüências universais da violência extrema e continuada? Essas perguntas nos levam a reformular a análise da violência política e de suas conseqüências sobre a saúde mental e a reexaminar as noções de trauma e a agenda da pesquisa e ação para a região. Ao fim, são apresentados alguns princípios básicos que podem ser úteis ao se projetar intervenções psicosociais.In recent decades, the number of people exposed to traumatic events has significantly increased as various forms of violence, including war and political upheaval, engulf civilian populations worldwide. In spite of widespread armed conflict, guerrilla warfare and political violence in the Latin American and Caribbean region, insufficient attention had been paid in assessing the medium and long-term psychological impact and additional burden of disease, death, and disability caused by violence and wars amongst civilian populations. Following a review of the literature, a few central questions are raised: What is the short, medium and long-term health impact of extreme and sustained forms of violence in a

Business Coalitions in the Us and Their Role in Advancing a Regional Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdana NEAMTU

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The analysis herein explores the topic of business coalitions and focuses on the role they may play in advancing a regional agenda. The structure of the paper is threefold: (1 in the introductory section I briefly explain the meaning of the concept and how it relates to other similar concepts such as public-private partnerships or growth coalitions; (2 the second part focuses on analyzing the characteristics that best define contemporary business coalitions and stresses the implications of these characteristics for the structuring or restructuring of traditional local and regional political entities; (3 the last section focuses on how planners and other public officials could use or partner with business coalitions in order to advance their own regional agenda. In the conclusion section I argue that though business coalitions are important for the development of a regional economy and regional identity, it would be a mistake to think that they alone can determine the success of a region. Regional government should continue to be pursued as it represents the only solution to problems such as social and environmental justice, tax sharing, education, and inner city redevelopment.

Political communication research: New media, new challenges, and new opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The rise of new media and the broader set of social changes they are part of present political communication research with new challenges and new opportunities at a time when many think the field is at an intellectual impasse (e.g., Bennett & Iyengar, 2008. In this article, I argue that parts of the field’s problems are rooted in the way in which political communication research has developed since the 1960s. In this period, the field has moved from being interdisciplinary and mixed-methods to being more homogenous and narrowly focused, based primarily on ideas developed in social psychology, certain strands of political science, and the effects-tradition of mass communication research. This dominant paradigm has contributed much to our understanding of some aspects of political communication. But it is struggling to make sense of many others, including questions concerning people’s experience of political communication processes and questions concerning the symbolic, institutional, and technological nature of these processes—especially during a time of often rapid change. To overcome this problem, I argue that the field of political communication research should re-engage with the rest of media and communication studies and embrace a broader and more diverse agenda. I discuss audience research and journalism studies as examples of adjacent fields that use a more diverse range of theoretical and methodological tools that might help political communication research engage with new media and the new challenges and new opportunities for research that they represent.

Macro Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

Jacobs, David M; Lynn, Bryan W.

2015-01-01

Dark matter is a vital component of the current best model of our universe, $\\Lambda$CDM. There are leading candidates for what the dark matter could be (e.g. weakly-interacting massive particles, or axions), but no compelling observational or experimental evidence exists to support these particular candidates, nor any beyond-the-Standard-Model physics that might produce such candidates. This suggests that other dark matter candidates, including ones that might arise in the Standard Model, should receive increased attention. Here we consider a general class of dark matter candidates with characteristic masses and interaction cross-sections characterized in units of grams and cm$^2$, respectively -- we therefore dub these macroscopic objects as Macros. Such dark matter candidates could potentially be assembled out of Standard Model particles (quarks and leptons) in the early universe. A combination of earth-based, astrophysical, and cosmological observations constrain a portion of the Macro parameter space; ho...

Cultura, mercado e desenvolvimento: a construção da agenda contemporânea para as políticas culturais

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Elder P. Maia Alves

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The theoretical and political approach process involving the categories of culture and development engendered the conditions of possibility that enabled the development of economic and cultural policies. Such policies now occupy the center of the contemporary agenda for public cultural policies. The actions and programs that mobilize most discursive and material resources are directed to the so-called creative economy, whose concep- tual and political lexicon is spreading and consolidating in very diverse organizations. To understand the specificity of this process, it is necessary to explore the theoretical, political and institutional realm in which the categories of culture and development stood in sharp contrast between the years 1950 and 1980. This paper seeks to objectify the main sociological conditions responsible for the dissolution of that tension, whose practical effects have allowed the operation of certain cultural policies, such as financing the incubation cultural enterprises.

Local Agenda 21 - from global idea to local action

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffmann, Birgitte

1999-01-01

The article give a status of the Danish works with Local Agenda 21 and discusses Local Agenda 21 as a planning tool. It describes the idea of Local Agenda 21 as a large meeting, which everybody attends. This picture is elaborated and discussed form different angles: the items on the agenda...

Adapting to social and political transitions - the influence of history on health policy formation in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma).

Science.gov (United States)

Grundy, John; Annear, Peter; Ahmed, Shakil; Biggs, Beverley-Ann

2014-04-01

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) has a long and complex history characterized by internal conflict and tense international relations. Post-independence, the health sector has gradually evolved, but with health service development and indicators lagging well behind regional expectations. In recent years, the country has initiated political reforms and a reorientation of development policy towards social sector investment. In this study, from a systems and historical perspective, we used publicly available data sources and grey literature to describe and analyze links between health policy and history from the post-independence period up until 2012. Three major periods are discernable in post war health system development and political history in Myanmar. The first post-independence period was associated with the development of the primary health care system extending up to the 1988 political events. The second period is from 1988 to 2005, when the country launched a free market economic model and was arguably experiencing its highest levels of international isolation as well as very low levels of national health investment. The third period (2005-2012) represents the first attempts at health reform and recovery, linked to emerging trends in national political reform and international politics. Based on the most recent period of macro-political reform, the central state is set to transition from a direct implementer of a command and control management system, towards stewardship of a significantly more complex and decentralized administrative order. Historical analysis demonstrates the extent to which these periodic shifts in the macro-political and economic order acts to reset the parameters for health policy making. This case demonstrates important lessons for other countries in transition by highlighting the extent to which analysis of political history can be instructive for determination of more feasible boundaries for future health policy action

[SUS management and monitoring and evaluation practices: possibilities and challenges for building a strategic agenda].

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, André Luis Bonifácio de; Souza, Maria de Fátima; Shimizu, Helena Eri; Senra, Isabel Maria Vilas Boas; Oliveira, Kátia Cristina de

2012-04-01

This paper deals with the challenges involved in institutionalizing Monitoring and Evaluation practices within the scope of management of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), based on the creation of a strategic agenda. This is structured around actions by the Federal Administration, from the perspective of defining the scope of the federative relationship. A summarized literature review is thus presented, placing into context the current SUS management process, which is based on the Pact for Health as well as theoretical and operational aspects inherent to monitoring and evaluation practices. The approach related to the strategic agenda highlights the creation of mechanisms that underpin the political and institutional decision, namely the creation of financial incentives and the development of technical mechanisms. These include organizational strategies for qualifying management teams and conducting studies and research and the dissemination of strategic information. These processes are based on the concept of providing for the management specificities in the different spheres of management based on a broad cooperation process involving teaching and research institutions and international organizations as well as the managers themselves.

A research agenda for helminth diseases of humans: social ecology, environmental determinants, and health systems.

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Andrea Gazzinelli

Full Text Available In this paper, the Disease Reference Group on Helminth Infections (DRG4, established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR, with the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps, focuses on the environmental, social, behavioural, and political determinants of human helminth infections and outlines a research and development agenda for the socioeconomic and health systems research required for the development of sustainable control programmes. Using Stockols' social-ecological approach, we describe the role of various social (poverty, policy, stigma, culture, and migration and environmental determinants (the home environment, water resources development, and climate change in the perpetuation of helminthic diseases, as well as their impact as contextual factors on health promotion interventions through both the regular and community-based health systems. We examine these interactions in regard to community participation, intersectoral collaboration, gender, and possibilities for upscaling helminthic disease control and elimination programmes within the context of integrated and interdisciplinary approaches. The research agenda summarises major gaps that need to be addressed.

Reflexes sobre a economia poltica da comunicao e da cultura no sculo XXI Reflections about the Communications political and cultural economy on 21st century

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Leonardo de Marchi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Reunindo textos de autores referenciais de diferentes escolas da economia poltica da comunicao e da cultura (EPCC, esta coletnea apresenta um conjunto de reflexes que visa projetar a EPCC no sculo XXI. Tratando de temas como o conceito de indstrias criativas e dos dilogos tericos e metodolgicos entre a economia poltica e os estudos culturais. Busca-se desenvolver uma renovada agenda poltico-tecnolgica que d conta dos novos desafios para a produo, distribuio e consumo de informao e de bens culturais no capitalismo contemporneo.By gathering texts from referential authors of different schools of political economy of Communication and culture (PECC, this collection presents a set of ideas aimed at projecting the PECC into the 21th century. Addressing issues such as the concept of creative industries, theoretical and methodological dialogue between political economy and cultural studies, the book seeks to develop a renewed political and technological agenda that takes into account the new challenges for the production, circulation and consumption of information and cultural goods in contemporary capitalism.

Macro-economic performance, political trust, and the Great Recession: A multilevel analysis of the effects of within-country fluctuations in macroeconomic performance on political trust in 15 EU countries, 1999-2011

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Erkel, P.F.A.; van der Meer, T.W.G.

Recent cross-national comparative studies have found no effect of countries’ macroeconomic performances on trust in national political institutions, once political explanations (most notably corruption) are taken into account. Although political trust is not determined by the comparison of national

The Development of Chinese Education in Malaysia, 1952-1975: Political Collaboration between the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Chinese Educationists

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yao Sua; Teoh, Hooi See

2015-01-01

This paper examines the development of Chinese education in Malaysia from 1952 to 1975, focusing on the political collaboration between the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Chinese educationists to advance the cause of Chinese education instead of the usual macro policy analysis. This collaboration was compounded by the different stand…

How Intense Policy Demanders Shape Postreform Politics: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocco, Philip; Haeder, Simon F

2018-04-01

The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a politically volatile process. The ACA's institutional design and delayed feedback effects created a window of opportunity for its partisan opponents to launch challenges at both the federal and state level. Yet as recent research suggests, postreform politics depends on more than policy feedback alone; rather, it is shaped by the partisan and interest-group environment. We argue that "intense policy demanders" played an important role in defining the policy alternatives that comprised congressional Republicans' efforts to repeal and replace the ACA. To test this argument, we drew on an original data set of bill introductions in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2016. Our analysis suggests that business contributions and political ideology affected the likelihood that House Republicans would introduce measures repealing significant portions of the ACA. A secondary analysis shows that intense policy demanders also shaped the vote on House Republicans' initial ACA replacement plan. These findings highlight the role intense policy demanders can play in shaping the postreform political agenda. Copyright © 2018 by Duke University Press.

Conflict, location, and politics: Siting a nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacob, G.R.

1988-01-01

Nuclear power and the management of high-level radioactive waste is examined with the goal of explaining the forces driving the formulation of the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act and a subsequent decision to site a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The study draws upon geographic, political, economic, and organizational factors to examine the commitment to dispose of spent fuel in a geologic repository located in Nevada or in Utah, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, or at Hanford Washington. Special attention is given to the impact of location, science and technology on the definition of the nuclear waste problem and political agendas, public participation, and the power of the nuclear establishment. The study finds that the choice of a Yucca Mountain Nevada as the preferred site for a repository was based more on technological precedent and political-economic expediency than on the demonstrated superiority of that site's geology. Conflict over a repository location is interpreted as a symptom of more fundamental conflicts concerning: the credibility of nuclear science, the legitimacy of federal authority and administration, and the priorities of environmental protection and a nuclear economy

Telecommunications, politics, economics, and national sovereignty: A new game

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bugliarello, G.

1996-12-31

The impact of telecommunications on politics, economics and national sovereignty is creating a new game. Political and economic power may operate over the same territory, as in the now-rare case of isolated economies, but, more often, their domains do not coincide. Increasingly, telecommunications create major challenges for countries preoccupied with issues of national sovereignty because the national state has only a limited ability to control these intrinsic and at times potentially destabilizing powers of telecommunications and the {open_quotes}telecommunities{close_quotes} they make possible. As many traditional aspects of sovereignty are becoming weakened by telecommunications, and as the intense dynamics of networks and the expansion of telecommunities revolutionize business and politics, there is a need to prevent the situation from becoming chaotic and uncontrollable, even while recognizing the possibilities of enhanced opportunities. This requires focusing on a more flexible conception of sovereignty which can enhance the state`s attractiveness for telecommunications infrastructure, while addressing issues of ethics and morality in the new telecommications environment. A new, broad socio-technological research agenda needs to be developed - with the ultimate purpose of providing society with the tools to play the new game and thrive. 10 refs., 3 tabs.

Dvigateli regional'nogo stroitel'stva. Vlijanie regional'nyh politicheskih organizacij na sotrudnichestvo universitetov v regione Baltijskogo morja [Motors for regional development: impact on regional political organizations on the university cooperation in the Baltic Sea region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewert Stefan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Educational co-operation is one of the main aspects of the regional political agenda in the Baltic Sea Region. The article analyzes the political impact of the organizations, as perceived by the universities in the region and political decision-makers on national and regional levels. Based on the success of the OECD in becoming an influential actor in educational policies, this article discusses different strategies for the regional political organizations to enhance their influence.

Setting the agenda of a counter-terrorism strategic policy model

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Emilia Ferone

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present a functional model to fight terrorism from macro perspective through a “Strategic Policy Model” (SPM. The focus on legal order within the practices of Sociology of Law and Criminology is pivotal in order to reframe terrorism within a viable SPM. In “The Counterterrorism Handbook”, written by Bolz, Dudonis, and Schulz (2005, terrorism, at its very basic level, is defined as “an action that the urban guerrilla must execute with the greatest cold bloodedness, calmness and decision”. They further go on to provide a more scholarly definition: “the calculated use of violence to attain goals which are political, religious or ideological in nature. Terrorism involves a criminal act that is often symbolic in nature and intended to influence an audience beyond the immediate victims”.

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-07-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considering action, and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter. The rules on which final action has been taken since March 31, 1993 are: Repeal of NRC standards of conduct; Fitness-for-duty requirements for licensees who possess, use, or transport Category I material; Training and qualification of nuclear power plant personnel; Monitoring the effectiveness of maintenance at nuclear power plants; Licensing requirements for land disposal of radioactive wastes; and Licensees' announcements of safeguards inspections

How global polity works: mobilizing political actors towards a joint agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milana, Marcella

Conferences on Adult Education, organized every 12 years, since 1949. These conferences, funded by member states, gather representatives from governments, the academia, and other national and international entities, including non-governmental organizations, and represent a second level of political decision......Since World Word II the work by inter-states organizations created a shift in social imaginaries on the relation between education, work and the socio-economic development of nation-states (Milana 2012). These imaginaries materialized in a ‘global polity’ (Corry 2010), namely the mobilization...... International Conference on Adult Education, held in 2009 in Belèm (Brazil), under the auspicious of Unesco (hereafter Confintea VI). The Belèm Framework for Action lays out prescriptive activities to be implemented at either national or international levels, within five areas: adult literacy, learners...

Immunization campaigns and political agendas: retrospective from Ecuador and El Salvador.

Science.gov (United States)

Gloyd, Stephen; Suarez Torres, Jose; Mercer, Mary Anne

2003-01-01

Since the mid-1980s international donors have promoted vertical, campaign-based strategies to help improve immunization coverage in poor countries. National immunization days (NIDs) are currently in vogue and are prominent in the worldwide polio eradication efforts. In spite of their widespread use, campaigns that include NIDs have not been well evaluated for their effects on coverage, reduction in vaccine-preventable diseases, or effects on the health system. An assessment of the results of two such campaigns implemented in Ecuador and El Salvador shows limited impact on short-term coverage and questionable effects on long-term coverage and disease incidence. Although NIDs may have substantial short-term political benefits, the vertical approach can undermine provision of routine services by ministries of health and may be counterproductive in the long-term.

Knowledge Management in Startups: Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

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Piera Centobelli

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper conducts a systematic literature review on knowledge management (KM in the context of startups in order to analyze the state of the art, identify research gaps and define a future research agenda. The main findings highlight that, even though there is an increasing number of papers on the topic of KM in startups, several issues are still neglected. Specifically, the paper identifies four main gaps in the body of literature. The first gap deals with the environmental and socio-political factors influencing the adoption of KM in startups. The second gap regards the lack of a comprehensive taxonomy of knowledge management systems (KMSs that may support the processes of knowledge creation, acquisition, storage, transfer, sharing and application. This second gap allows us to identify a third gap concerning the level of alignment between startup’s strategies and technologies adopted. Finally, the fourth gap deals with the issue of the impact of KM on startup’s performances with regard to economic, financial, market, technical, technological, organizational, human and relational performance. From these four gaps, six research questions (RQs have been proposed. These RQs allow us to identify possible areas of analysis to define a future research agenda. Neglecting these issues means underestimating all the possible advantages of KM adoption for a startup to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and scalability goals.

The politics of radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemp, R.

1992-01-01

Plans for radioactive waste disposal have been among the most controversial of all environmental policies, provoking vociferous public opposition in a number of countries. This book looks at the problem from an international perspective, and shows how proposed solutions have to be politically and environmentally, as well as technologically acceptable. In the book the technical and political agenda behind low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal in the UK, Western Europe, Scandinavia and North America is examined. The technical issues and the industrial proposals and analyses and factors which have been crucial in affecting relative levels of public acceptability are set out. Why Britain has lagged behind countries such as Sweden and France in establishing Low Level Waste (LLW) and Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) sites, the strength of the 'not in my backyard' syndrome in Britain, and comparisons of Britain's decision-making process with the innovative and open pattern followed in the US and Canada are examined. An important insight into the problems facing Nirex, Britain's radioactive waste disposal company, which is seeking to establish an underground waste site at Sellafield in Cumbria is given. (author)

Hidden Agendas in Marriage: Affective and Longitudinal Dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Krokoff, Lowell J.

1990-01-01

Examines how couples' discussions of troublesome problems reveal hidden agendas (issues not directly discussed or explored). Finds disgust and contempt are at the core of both love and respect agendas for husbands and wives. Finds that wives' more than husbands' hidden agendas are directly predictive of how negatively they argue at home. (SR)

Muslim Politics in Malaysia and the Democratization Process

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Lukman Thaib

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article will address the Muslim politics in Malaysia in the light of the broader shifts towards democratization and Islamization by focusing on politics among the majority ethnic Malay community, followed an overview of the ideological rivalry between UMNO and PAS, with special reference to the electoral performances of these parties in the past three general elections (November 1999, March 2004 and March 2008 . It then explores the underlying reason for the perceived importance of Islam in understanding the voting trend among the Malay-Muslim electorate which raised the question to what extent was the discourse on Islam instrumental in persuading the Malays to switch their support from PAS to the UMNO during the 2004 elections, and in the process of continued participation as an ‘Islamic Party’ in Malaysian mainstream politics what factors were that encouraged the PAS leaders to compromises and to play by the ‘rule of democracy’. In the concluding part of the article the writer also provide with an overview on reform agenda of Civilizational Islam (Islam Hadhari under premiership of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the current Malaysia’s Transformation Programme (GTP under the leadership of Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

Dynamic Resource Partitioning for Downlink Femto-to-Macro-Cell Interference Avoidance

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Zubin Bharucha

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Femto-cells consist of user-deployed Home Evolved NodeBs (HeNBs that promise substantial gains in system spectral efficiency, coverage, and data rates due to an enhanced reuse of radio resources. However, reusing radio resources in an uncoordinated, random fashion introduces potentially destructive interference to the system, both, in the femto and macro layers. An especially critical scenario is a closed-access femto-cell, cochannel deployed with a macro-cell, which imposes strong downlink interference to nearby macro user equipments (UEs that are not permitted to hand over to the femto-cell. In order to maintain reliable service of macro-cells, it is imperative to mitigate the destructive femto-cell to macro-cell interference. The contribution in this paper focuses on mitigating downlink femto-cell to macro-cell interference through dynamic resource partitioning, in the way that HeNBs are denied access to downlink resources that are assigned to macro UEs in their vicinity. By doing so, interference to the most vulnerable macro UEs is effectively controlled at the expense of a modest degradation in femto-cell capacity. The necessary signaling is conveyed through downlink high interference indicator (DL-HII messages over the wired backbone. Extensive system level simulations demonstrate that by using resource partitioning, for a sacrifice of 4% of overall femto downlink capacity, macro UEs exposed to high HeNB interference experience a tenfold boost in capacity.

Ottawa 25 years on: a more radical agenda for health equity is still required.

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Frances Elaine; Sanders, David M

2011-12-01

This article revisits our 1995 assessment of the international health promotion agenda. Then we concluded that a more radical agenda for change was required in which responses were both technically sound and infused with an appreciation of the imperative for a change in politics and power. We conclude that this message is even more relevant in 2011 in an era when the continuing rise of transnational corporations (TNCs) poses a major threat to achieving improved and more equitable health. We support and illustrate this claim through the example of food and agriculture TNCs where the combination of producer subsidies, global trade liberalization and strengthened property rights has given increasing power to the corporate food industry and undermined national food security in many countries. We argue that a Health in All Policies approach should be used to monitor and enforce TNC accountability for health. Part of this process should include the use of a form of health impact assessment and health equity impact assessment on their activities. Civil society groups such as the People's Health Movement have a central role to play in monitoring the impacts of TNCs.

Intake of macro- and micronutrients in Danish vegans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Nadja B; Madsen, Mia L; H Hansen, Tue

2015-01-01

Since information about macro- and micronutrient intake among vegans is limited we aimed to determine and evaluate their dietary and supplementary intake. Seventy 18-61 years old Danish vegans completed a four-day weighed food record from which their daily intake of macro- and micronutrients was ...

The Politics of Local Tax Policy-Making in Poland

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Swianiewicz Paweł

2016-06-01

To what extent is tax policy an important item of the local political agenda in Polish municipalities ? Is it a subject of intense debates at city hall and local councils or is it accepted as a routine exercise ? The results suggest that the issues related to local taxes play a relatively marginal role compared to issues such as the location of major investments. However, the importance of taxes in local debates increases in those local communities in which the tax yields collected are larger and in the case of those taxes which are paid by a wider group of tax payers.Who governs in local tax-policy-making ? According to local provisions the proposal of tax resolution is submitted by the mayor, and the local council makes the final decision. But empirical findings suggest that the practice follows the “strong mayor” model, in which the local political leader, supporter by his staff of the financial department, is more influential than the councilors.

SAS-macros for estimation and prediction in an model of the electricity consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

1998-01-01

SAS-macros for estimation and prediction in an model of the electricity consumption'' is a large collection of SAS-macros for handling a model of the electricity consumption in the Eastern Denmark. The macros are installed at Elkraft, Ballerup.......SAS-macros for estimation and prediction in an model of the electricity consumption'' is a large collection of SAS-macros for handling a model of the electricity consumption in the Eastern Denmark. The macros are installed at Elkraft, Ballerup....

Land Acquisitions, the Politics of Dispossession, and State-Remaking in Gambella, Western Ethiopia

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Fana Gebresenbet

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that development through large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs in Gambella, western Ethiopia, belies a state-remaking project under a dispossessive political economy. This argument is based on fieldwork in Gambella, Addis Ababa, and Minneapolis and is situated within the broader development agenda pursued by Ethiopia’s ruling party. The political economy of LSLAs tells us that the deals are not occurring in a predominantly economic manner; rather, extra-economic state intervention clears the way for, facilitates, and ensures sustained accumulation. This political intervention is “unlocking” and making the lowland resources accessible and extractable by the state, while a concomitant villagisation project is guaranteeing continued accumulation by disempowering the local population by making the community legible, governable, and controllable. Through a combination of these processes, the Ethiopian state is mastering, and building itself in, Gambella’s lowlands.

Toward an agenda for evaluation of qualitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Stige, Brynjulf; Malterud, Kirsti; Midtgarden, Torjus

2009-10-01

Evaluation is essential for research quality and development, but the diversity of traditions that characterize qualitative research suggests that general checklists or shared criteria for evaluation are problematic. We propose an approach to research evaluation that encourages reflexive dialogue through use of an evaluation agenda. In proposing an evaluation agenda we shift attention from rule-based judgment to reflexive dialogue. Unlike criteria, an agenda may embrace pluralism, and does not request consensus on ontological, epistemological, and methodological issues, only consensus on what themes warrant discussion. We suggest an evaluation agenda-EPICURE-with two dimensions communicated through use of two acronyms.The first, EPIC, refers to the challenge of producing rich and substantive accounts based on engagement, processing, interpretation, and (self-)critique. The second-CURE-refers to the challenge of dealing with preconditions and consequences of research, with a focus on (social) critique, usefulness, relevance, and ethics. The seven items of the composite agenda EPICURE are presented and exemplified. Features and implications of the agenda approach to research evaluation are then discussed.

When Perception Becomes Reality and Truth is Relative: Spin Strategies and Political Influence over Media Reporting in Macedonian Media

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Žaneta Trajkoska

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The power of politicians presenting itself in front of the public rests in the media, so politicians are likely to use the media to create the preferred media frames and to set the agenda (agenda setting. Worldwide, spin-doctors have their own influence in the modeling of the media reality, processes that are comparable in Macedonia as well. The paper strive to describe the presence of the spinning in Macedonia and its impact on the news content. Furthermore, it deals with the spinning tactics and their manifestation in the political communication, explaining the models in which political spinning is functioning in Macedonia. Main research questions are focused on: (1 how does the process of creating the news is carry out and what affects the news content production; (2 what specific strategic doctrines spin-doctors are using to influence the process of daily reporting and to participate in the creation of the media reality; (3 how the spin-doctors present information and communicate with the public and what methods and tools are characteristic for spinning cycles.

Scaling up: Assessing social impacts at the macro-scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schirmer, Jacki

2011-01-01

Social impacts occur at various scales, from the micro-scale of the individual to the macro-scale of the community. Identifying the macro-scale social changes that results from an impacting event is a common goal of social impact assessment (SIA), but is challenging as multiple factors simultaneously influence social trends at any given time, and there are usually only a small number of cases available for examination. While some methods have been proposed for establishing the contribution of an impacting event to macro-scale social change, they remain relatively untested. This paper critically reviews methods recommended to assess macro-scale social impacts, and proposes and demonstrates a new approach. The 'scaling up' method involves developing a chain of logic linking change at the individual/site scale to the community scale. It enables a more problematised assessment of the likely contribution of an impacting event to macro-scale social change than previous approaches. The use of this approach in a recent study of change in dairy farming in south east Australia is described.

Politics and Development: Lessons from Latin America

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Renato Boschi

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The present article discusses the conditions for the adoption of development strategies in Latin America in the aftermath of the neoliberal reforms, focusing specifically on the role of political institutions as a component of the productive regimes in selected countries. Development is treated as an endogenous process, which is shaped over time in terms of trajectories that are continuously redefined according to specific political conjunctures. Having moved from restricted democracies or authoritarian regimes and autarchic economies to mass democracies operating in the context of open economies after the market-oriented reforms, persistent structural inequalities presently constitute the major axis framing the definition of development policies. More so than in advanced countries where the State is treated as epiphenomenon of their respective productive regimes, in the case of the Latin American semi-periphery the State is the crucial actor for the reversal of vicious circles and negative complementarities stemming from the extreme structural and social inequalities within and between countries in the region. Following a brief discussion on development and economic growth in the definition of the post-neoliberal agenda, the article examines institutional indicators for economic performance of contemporary governmental coalitions in selected countries, focusing on State policies favouring development such as financing, technological innovation, training of labour and social policies. Next, we concentrate on the analysis of political institutions and the role of political elites capable of generating national projects for sustainable development strategies, showing some of the differences between these countries. We conclude with a brief discussion on the adequacy of contemporary political economy approaches to understand processes of capitalist transformation in the periphery, calling attention to the need for a redefined regional perspective

The Dutch National Research Agenda in Perspective

OpenAIRE

2017-01-01

The Dutch National Research Agenda is a set of national priorities that are set by scientists working in conjunction with corporations, civil society organisations, and interested citizens. The agenda consolidates the questions that scientific research will be focused on in the coming year. This book covers the current status of the Dutch National Research Agenda and considers what changes and adjustments may need to be made to the process in order to keep Dutch national research at the top o...

Software Startups - A Research Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Unterkalmsteiner

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Software startup companies develop innovative, software-intensive products within limited time frames and with few resources, searching for sustainable and scalable business models. Software startups are quite distinct from traditional mature software companies, but also from micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, introducing new challenges relevant for software engineering research. This paper's research agenda focuses on software engineering in startups, identifying, in particular, 70+ research questions in the areas of supporting startup engineering activities, startup evolution models and patterns, ecosystems and innovation hubs, human aspects in software startups, applying startup concepts in non-startup environments, and methodologies and theories for startup research. We connect and motivate this research agenda with past studies in software startup research, while pointing out possible future directions. While all authors of this research agenda have their main background in Software Engineering or Computer Science, their interest in software startups broadens the perspective to the challenges, but also to the opportunities that emerge from multi-disciplinary research. Our audience is therefore primarily software engineering researchers, even though we aim at stimulating collaborations and research that crosses disciplinary boundaries. We believe that with this research agenda we cover a wide spectrum of the software startup industry current needs.

Evaluation of vitrification factors from DWPF's macro-batch 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, T.B.

2000-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is evaluating new sampling and analytical methods that may be used to support future Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) batch acceptability decisions. This report uses data acquired during DWPF's processing of macro-batch 1 to determine a set of vitrification factors covering several SME and Melter Feed Tank (MFT) batches. Such values are needed for converting the cation measurements derived from the new methods to a ''glass'' basis. The available data from macro-batch 1 were used to examine the stability of these vitrification factors, to estimate their uncertainty over the course of a macro-batch, and to provide a recommendation on the use of a single factor for an entire macro-batch. The report is in response to Technical Task Request HLW/DWPF/TTR-980015

Technology strategy as macro-actor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tryggestad, Kjell

2003-01-01

-human entities to the explanatory repertoire of strategy research, another line of inquiry is pursued. The performative perspective thus proposed, is inspired by the classical work of Von Clausewitz and the recent anthropology of science, technology and organizational identities. In the proposed perspective...... case account for how the strategic technology and the strategic collective emerge and co-produce each other as a macro-actor, only to become transformed in unexpected ways - as common technology and reflective human subjects.In the concluding section, it is argued that the humanity of the reflective...... outcomes, as providers of explanations and observations. The expression `technological strategy as macro-actor' summarizes these findings and the associated implications for research and practice....

Macro-institutional Complexity in Logistics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wessel, Frederic; Kinra, Aseem; Kotzab, Herbert

2016-01-01

structure and transactional costs, the concept of environmental complexity is applied to the logistics management perspective. Thereby, the impacts which a given framework on a macro-institutional level might have on the situation and leeway in decision-making at the firm (micro) or the supply chain (meso......In this paper, the interlink between the concept of macro-institutional complexity in logistics and the dynamics in the logistics practice of Eastern Europe will be examined. Referring to the importance of different authors having ascribed to the external environmental uncertainty on organizational......) levels will be analysed. Furthermore, a quantitative modelling approach will be presented and exemplified by using the case of logistics infrastructure in Eastern Europe....

Agenda Setting and Mass Communication Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Eugene F.

The agenda-setting concept in mass communication asserts that the news media determine what people will include or exclude in their cognition of public events. Findings in uses and gratification research provide the foundation for this concept: an initial focus on people's needs, particularly the need for information. The agenda-setting concept…

Improvement of aquaponic performance through micro- and macro-nutrient addition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ru, Dongyun; Liu, Jikai; Hu, Zhen; Zou, Yina; Jiang, Liping; Cheng, Xiaodian; Lv, Zhenting

2017-07-01

Aquaponics is one of the "zero waste" industry in the twenty-first century, and is considered to be one of the major trends for the future development of agriculture. However, the low nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) restricted its widely application. To date, many attempts have been conducted to improve its NUE. In the present study, effect of micro- and macro-nutrient addition on performance of tilapia-pak choi aquaponics was investigated. Results showed that the addition of micro- and macro-nutrients improved the growth of plant directly and facilitated fish physiology indirectly, which subsequently increased NUE of aquaponics from 40.42 to 50.64%. In addition, remarkable lower total phosphorus concentration was obtained in aquaponics with micro- and macro-nutrient addition, which was attributed to the formation of struvite. Most of the added micro-nutrients were enriched in plant root, while macro-nutrients mainly existed in water. Moreover, no enrichment of micro- and macro-nutrients in aquaponic products (i.e., fish and plant leaves) was observed, indicating that it had no influence on food safety. The findings here reported manifest that appropriate addition of micro- and macro-nutrients to aquaponics is necessary, and would improve its economic feasibility.

The "brown" environmental agenda and the constitutional duties of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This note explores the interrelationship between ecologically sustainable development (the green environmental agenda) and pro-poor urban development and environmental health (the brown environmental agenda) in relation to local government in South Africa. The meaning and relevance of the brown agenda versus ...

Oligarchization and extractivism. Locks against the democratization of environmental politics in Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Pelfini

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to show that the modernization of Chile’s environmental institutions (called Nueva Institucionalidad Ambiental, introduced in 2009/2010 consolidates the informal networks that have traditionally linked its main actors (investors, State and experts. Consequently, it is a public policy that despite the incorporation of governance standards marked by accountability, transparency and public participation does not contribute to the formation of citizenship and public agenda around models of development and use of natural resources, but limited to assess/ mitigate/legitimize pre-established agendas, introduced by productive, extractive or infrastructure investment projects. In our view, this is due to the tendency to oligarchization of the Chilean political system and of the domination of elites in general and the persistence of an accumulation model based on the extraction of natural resources. Both serve as a structural lock that bolts any substantive change of environmental policy in a more democratic direction

Multi-scale-nonlinear interactions among macro-MHD mode, micro-turbulence, and zonal flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizawa, Akihiro; Nakajima, Noriyoshi

2007-01-01

This is the first numerical simulation demonstrating that macro-magnetohydrodynamic (macro-MHD) mode is exited as a result of multi-scale interaction in a quasi-steady equilibrium formed by a balance between zonal flow and micro-turbulence via reduced-two-fluid simulation. Only after obtaining the equilibrium which includes zonal flow and the turbulence caused by kinetic ballooning mode is this simulation of macro-MHD mode, double tearing mode, accomplished. In the quasi-steady equilibrium a macro-fluctuation which has the same helicity as that of double tearing mode is a part of the turbulence until it grows as a macro-MHD mode finally. When the macro-MHD grows it effectively utilize free energy of equilibrium current density gradient because of positive feedback loop between suppression of zonal flow and growth of the macro-fluctuation causing magnetic reconnection. Thus once the macro-MHD grows from the quasi-equilibrium, it does not go back. This simulation is more comparable with experimental observation of growing macro-fluctuation than traditional MHD simulation of linear instabilities in a static equilibrium. (author)

Macro-Micro Simulation for Polymer Crystallization in Couette Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunlei Ruan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Polymer crystallization in manufacturing is a process where quiescent crystallization and flow-induced crystallization coexists, and heat/mass transfer on a macroscopic level interacts with crystal morphology evolution on a microscopic level. Previous numerical studies on polymer crystallization are mostly concentrated at a single scale; they only calculate macroscale parameters, e.g., temperature and relative crystallinity, or they only predict microstructure details, e.g., crystal morphology and mean size of crystals. The multi-scale numerical works that overcome these disadvantages are unfortunately based on quiescent crystallization, in which flow effects are neglected. The objective of this work is to build up a macro-micro model and a macro-micro algorithm to consider both the thermal and flow effects on the crystallization. Our macro-micro model couples two parts: mass and heat transfer of polymeric flow at the macroscopic level, and nucleation and growth of spherulites and shish-kebabs at the microscopic level. Our macro-micro algorithm is a hybrid finite volume/Monte Carlo method, in which the finite volume method is used at the macroscopic level to calculate the flow and temperature fields, while the Monte Carlo method is used at the microscopic level to capture the development of spherulites and shish-kebabs. The macro-micro model and the macro-micro algorithm are applied to simulate polymer crystallization in Couette flow. The effects of shear rate, shear time, and wall temperature on the crystal morphology and crystallization kinetics are also discussed.

My own Agenda 21 - My personal energy conservation scheme; Meine Agenda 21 - Energiesparbuch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kregel, V. [ed.

1999-04-01

The title of this booklet imitates the name of the action programme Agenda 21, which has been adopted in 1992 at the UN conference on environment and development, also called the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, where the international community of states agreed to forthwith follow the paradigm of ''sustainable development''. (orig./CB) [German] Der Titel unseres Energiesparbuchs lehnt sich an das Aktionsprogramm Agenda 21 an, das auf der Konferenz fuer Umwelt und Entwicklung 1992 in Rio de Janeiro verabschiedet wurde. Damit verstaendigte sich die internationale Staatengemeinschaft auf das 'Leitbild der nachhaltigen Entwicklung'. (orig./RHM)

The integrated evaluation of the macro environment of companies providing transport services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Žvirblis

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The article presents the main principles of the integrated evaluation of macro environment components and factors influencing the performance of transport companies as well as providing the validated quantitative evaluation models and results obtained in evaluating the macro environment of Lithuanian companies providing transport services. Since quantitative evaluation is growing in importance, the process of developing the principles and methods of business macro environment quantitative evaluation is becoming relevant from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The created methodology is based on the concept of macro environment as an integrated whole of components, formalization and the principle of three-stage quantitative evaluation. The methodology suggested involves the quantitative evaluation of primary factors and macro environment components as an integral dimension (expressed in points. On the basis of this principle, an integrated macro environment evaluation parameter is established as its level index. The methodology integrates the identification of significant factors, building scenarios, a primary analysis of factors, expert evaluation, the quantitative evaluation of macro environment components and their whole. The application of the multi-criteria Simple Additive Weighting (SAW method is validated. The integrated evaluation of the macro environment of Lithuanian freight transportation companies was conducted. As a result, the level indices of all components as well as the level index of macro environment considered as a whole of components were identified. The latter reflects the extent of deviation from an average level of a favourable macro environment. This is important for developing strategic marketing decisions and expanding a strategic area.

Assessing the Macro-Level Correlates of Malware Infections Using a Routine Activities Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Thomas J; Burruss, George W; Bossler, Adam M

2018-05-01

The ability to gain unauthorized access to computer systems to engage in espionage and data theft poses a massive threat to individuals worldwide. There has been minimal focus, however, on the role of malicious software, or malware, which can automate this process. This study examined the macro-correlates of malware infection at the national level by using an open repository of known malware infections and utilizing a routine activities framework. Negative inflated binomial models for counts indicated that nations with greater technological infrastructure, more political freedoms, and with less organized crime financial impact were more likely to report malware infections. The number of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in a nation was not significantly related with reported malware infection. The implications of the study for the understanding of malware infection, routine activity theory, and target-hardening strategies are discussed.

Oil and the political economy of energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matutinovic, Igor

2009-01-01

The key issues concerning oil exploitation are still open for discussion: there is no agreement about where we presently stand in the world oil extraction curve, what is its exact shape, and how far can oil price grow before it changes irreversibly the world economy and consumer behavior. The paper proposes an alternative scenario to the Hubbert's bell-shaped model of oil exploitation, based on more realistic assumptions regarding political agendas in oil-exporting countries and consumer behavior dynamics in oil-importing countries. Under this scenario, the joint impact of markets and public policy in oil importing countries together with 'resource pragmatism' policy in oil-exporting countries allows for a less steep oil supply curve with a much fatter tail compared to the Hubbert's model.

Agenda pública de Antioquia: una aproximación desde los programas de gobierno 2008-2011 Antioquia's Public Agenda: an Approach from Government Programs 2008-2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Lucía Zapata Cortés

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Este artículo analiza la formación de la agenda pública para Antioquia, en el marco de la elección de gobernantes municipales para el período 2008-2011. Se hace una descripción del contraste entre la formación de la agenda ciudadana y la gubernamental. La agenda ciudadana se reconstruye mediante la lectura de los diagnósticos locales comunitarios en los cuales la población de los municipios antioqueños y sus representantes priorizaron los problemas públicos a intervenir por parte de las autoridades públicas locales. La agenda gubernamental, a través de la lectura a los programas de gobierno de los alcaldes y gobernador electos. El artículo se divide en tres partes: la primera, contiene una breve conceptualización sobre la construcción de la agenda y su lugar en el ciclo de la política pública; la segunda, describe la formación de la agenda pública antioqueña y por último se detallan los viejos y nuevos problemas públicos para la agenda.This article discusses the formation of the public agenda for Antioquia, within the context of the election of new municipal leaders for the 2008-2011 period. It describes the contrast between the formation of the citizen and government agendas. The citizen agenda is reconstructed through readings of local community diagnostic studies in which the populations of Antioquian municipalities and their representatives prioritized public issues for local government intervention. The governmental agenda is examined through a reading of the government programs of newly elected mayors and governors. The article is divided into three parts: the first, which contains a brief conceptualization of agenda creation and its place in the public policy cycle; the second describes construction of the Antioquian public agenda and lastly, part three details old and new problems for the public agenda.

The Greek Electricity Market Reforms: Political and Regulatory Considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danias, Nikolaos; Kim Swales, John; McGregor, Peter

2013-01-01

The paper tracks the evolution of the Greek electricity market since the beginning of the liberalization process. Its progress is benchmarked against the criteria suggested by Littlechild (2006b). The Littlechild framework highlights key remaining deficiencies in the stances and policies adopted which need to be resolved in order for liberalization to proceed successfully. The focus is on the agendas of the Greek government, other domestic political forces and the European Union. A central requirement is the clear commitment to liberalization by the Greek government. In particular the government needs to give up political control over the previous vertically integrated, state-controlled electricity firm, Public Power Company (PPC), and allow more decision making powers and genuine independence to the market regulator. Liberalization is rendered more difficult by the present financial and economic crisis in Greece. - Highlights: • Greek electricity market liberalization is benchmarked against the Littlechild standard electricity market reform model. • Although the majority of the model requirements are met, liberalization in Greece is only partially successful. • Some elements of liberalization are qualitatively more significant than others. • More fundamental political economy issues need to be addressed in order for the liberalization to progress. • Financial crisis in Greece adds extra challenges

Searching for the Right to Health in the Sustainable Development Agenda; Comment on “Rights Language in the Sustainable Development Agenda: Has Right to Health Discourse and Norms Shaped Health Goals?”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Hawkes

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The United Nations (UN Sustainable Development Agenda offers an opportunity to realise the right to health for all. The Agenda’s “interlinked and integrated” Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs provide the prospect of focusing attention and mobilising resources not just for the provision of health services through universal health coverage (UHC, but also for addressing the underlying social, structural, and political determinants of illness and health inequity. However, achieving the goals’ promises will require new mechanisms for inter-sectoral coordination and action, enhanced instruments for rational priority-setting that involve affected population groups, and new approaches to ensuring accountability. Rights-based approaches can inform developments in each of these areas. In this commentary, we build upon a paper by Forman et al and propose that the significance of the SDGs lies in their ability to move beyond a biomedical approach to health and healthcare, and to seize the opportunity for the realization of the right to health in its fullest, widest, most fundamental sense: the right to a healthpromoting and health protecting environment for each and every one of us. We argue that realizing the right to health inherent in the SDG Agenda is possible but demands that we seize on a range of commitments, not least those outlined in other goals, and pursue complementary openings in the Agenda – from inclusive policy-making, to novel partnerships, to monitoring and review. It is critical that we do not risk losing the right to health in the rhetoric of the SDGs and ensure that we make good on the promise of leaving no one behind.

Agenda 21 goes electronic.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, D

1996-01-01

The Canada Center for Remote Sensing, in collaboration with the International Development Research Center, is developing an electronic atlas of Agenda 21, the Earth Summit action plan. This initiative promises to ease access for researchers and practitioners to implement the Agenda 21-action plan, which in its pilot study will focus on biological diversity. Known as the Biodiversity Volume of the Electronic Atlas of Agenda 21 (ELADA 21), this computer software technology will contain information and data on biodiversity, genetics, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem services. Specifically, it includes several country studies, documentation, as well as interactive scenarios linking biodiversity to socioeconomic issues. ELADA 21 will empower countries and agencies to report on and better manage biodiversity and related information. The atlas can be used to develop and test various scenarios and to exchange information within the South and with industrialized countries. At present, ELADA 21 has generated interest and becomes more available in the market. The challenge confronting the project team, however, is to find the atlas a permanent home, a country or agency willing to assume responsibility for maintaining, upgrading, and updating the software.

Macro-elementwise preconditioning methods

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Axelsson, Owe

2012-01-01

Roč. 82, č. 10 (2012), s. 1952-1963 ISSN 0378-4754 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : heterogeniety * elementwise preconditioning * block matrix partitioning * macro-elements Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.836, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03784754

Medical students' agenda-setting abilities during medical interviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Roh, HyeRin; Park, Kyung Hye; Jeon, Young-Jee; Park, Seung Guk; Lee, Jungsun

2015-06-01

Identifying patients' agendas is important; however, the extent of Korean medical students' agenda-setting abilities is unknown. The study aim was to investigate the patterns of Korean medical students' agenda solicitation. A total of 94 third-year medical students participated. One scenario involving a female patient with abdominal pain was created. Students were video-recorded as they interviewed the patient. To analyze whether students identify patients' reasons for visiting, a checklist was developed based on a modified version of the Calgary-Cambridge Guide to the Medical Interview: Communication Process checklist. The duration of the patient's initial statement of concerns was measured in seconds. The total number of patient concerns expressed before interruption and the types of interruption effected by the medical students were determined. The medical students did not explore the patients' concerns and did not negotiate an agenda. Interruption of the patient's opening statement occurred in 4.62±2.20 seconds. The most common type of initial interruption was a recompleter (79.8%). Closed-ended questions were the most common question type in the second and third interruptions. Agenda setting should be emphasized in the communication skills curriculum of medical students. The Korean Clinical Skills Exam must assess medical students' ability to set an agenda.

Indonesia's road to universal health coverage: a political journey.

Science.gov (United States)

Pisani, Elizabeth; Olivier Kok, Maarten; Nugroho, Kharisma

2017-03-01

In 2013 Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, declared that it would provide affordable health care for all its citizens within seven years. This crystallised an ambition first enshrined in law over five decades earlier, but never previously realised. This paper explores Indonesia's journey towards universal health coverage (UHC) from independence to the launch of a comprehensive health insurance scheme in January 2014. We find that Indonesia's path has been determined largely by domestic political concerns – different groups obtained access to healthcare as their socio-political importance grew. A major inflection point occurred following the Asian financial crisis of 1997. To stave off social unrest, the government provided health coverage for the poor for the first time, creating a path dependency that influenced later policy choices. The end of this programme coincided with decentralisation, leading to experimentation with several different models of health provision at the local level. When direct elections for local leaders were introduced in 2005, popular health schemes led to success at the polls. UHC became an electoral asset, moving up the political agenda. It also became contested, with national policy-makers appropriating health insurance programmes that were first developed locally, and taking credit for them. The Indonesian experience underlines the value of policy experimentation, and of a close understanding of the contextual and political factors that drive successful UHC models at the local level. Specific drivers of success and failure should be taken into account when scaling UHC to the national level. In the Indonesian example, UHC became possible when the interests of politically and economically influential groups were either satisfied or neutralised. While technical considerations took a back seat to political priorities in developing the structures for health coverage nationally, they will have to be addressed going forward

Ordered macro-microporous metal-organic framework single crystals

KAUST Repository

Shen, Kui

2018-01-16

We constructed highly oriented and ordered macropores within metal-organic framework (MOF) single crystals, opening up the area of three-dimensional-ordered macro-microporous materials (that is, materials containing both macro- and micropores) in single-crystalline form. Our methodology relies on the strong shaping effects of a polystyrene nanosphere monolith template and a double-solvent-induced heterogeneous nucleation approach. This process synergistically enabled the in situ growth of MOFs within ordered voids, rendering a single crystal with oriented and ordered macro-microporous structure. The improved mass diffusion properties of such hierarchical frameworks, together with their robust single-crystalline nature, endow them with superior catalytic activity and recyclability for bulky-molecule reactions, as compared with conventional, polycrystalline hollow, and disordered macroporous ZIF-8.

Ordered macro-microporous metal-organic framework single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Kui; Zhang, Lei; Chen, Xiaodong; Liu, Lingmei; Zhang, Daliang; Han, Yu; Chen, Junying; Long, Jilan; Luque, Rafael; Li, Yingwei; Chen, Banglin

2018-01-01

We constructed highly oriented and ordered macropores within metal-organic framework (MOF) single crystals, opening up the area of three-dimensional–ordered macro-microporous materials (that is, materials containing both macro- and micropores) in single-crystalline form. Our methodology relies on the strong shaping effects of a polystyrene nanosphere monolith template and a double-solvent–induced heterogeneous nucleation approach. This process synergistically enabled the in situ growth of MOFs within ordered voids, rendering a single crystal with oriented and ordered macro-microporous structure. The improved mass diffusion properties of such hierarchical frameworks, together with their robust single-crystalline nature, endow them with superior catalytic activity and recyclability for bulky-molecule reactions, as compared with conventional, polycrystalline hollow, and disordered macroporous ZIF-8.

Ordered macro-microporous metal-organic framework single crystals

KAUST Repository

Shen, Kui; Zhang, Lei; Chen, Xiaodong; Liu, Lingmei; Zhang, Daliang; Han, Yu; Chen, Junying; Long, Jilan; Luque, Rafael; Li, Yingwei; Chen, Banglin

2018-01-01

We constructed highly oriented and ordered macropores within metal-organic framework (MOF) single crystals, opening up the area of three-dimensional-ordered macro-microporous materials (that is, materials containing both macro- and micropores) in single-crystalline form. Our methodology relies on the strong shaping effects of a polystyrene nanosphere monolith template and a double-solvent-induced heterogeneous nucleation approach. This process synergistically enabled the in situ growth of MOFs within ordered voids, rendering a single crystal with oriented and ordered macro-microporous structure. The improved mass diffusion properties of such hierarchical frameworks, together with their robust single-crystalline nature, endow them with superior catalytic activity and recyclability for bulky-molecule reactions, as compared with conventional, polycrystalline hollow, and disordered macroporous ZIF-8.

The Problems of Tourist Sustainability in Cultural Cities: Socio-Political Perceptions and Interests Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Alvarez-Sousa

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to analyse the social and political capacity of cities affected by cultural tourism. An investigation is carried out into the state of the situation in saturated destinations, the problems this poses to tourist sustainability and the positions of the various different interest groups. In Europe, many cultural cities-cum-tourist hotspots have reached such high levels of socio-political saturation that the resident population’s capacity for carrying tourism has become overstretched. This has led to a state of irritation among the local population. Social movements now include this on their agenda but the various different interest groups (residents, political groups, entrepreneurs, management bodies all react differently. We present data relating to the case of Barcelona, with analyses of residents’ and tourists’ opinions, the actions of social mobilization carried out by pressure groups, media repercussion and the reactions of the business sector and political groups. We examine data collected from surveys and opinions carried in the media. The sustainability and management of interests indicate changes in both the number and the type of tourists, the occupation of public spaces, the distribution of profit among entrepreneurs, residents and the political and economic model of society in the future.

Towards Sustainable Flow Management: Local Agenda 21 - Conclusions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moss, Timothy; Elle, Morten

1998-01-01

Concluding on the casestudies of Local Agenda 21 as an instrument of sustainable flow management......Concluding on the casestudies of Local Agenda 21 as an instrument of sustainable flow management...

Local Agenda 21. Policy and indicators for sustainability; Lokale Agenda 21. Beleid en indicatoren voor duurzaamheid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultink, R.

1997-11-01

The main questions that are dealt with in this report concern the sustainability policy of the so-called Local Agenda 21 and the different sustainability indicators and their use for several aspects of sustainability. The Local Agenda 21 is the result of the Agenda 21 conference, which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 1992. The global aspects of sustainable developments is based on sustainability developments that can take place on a local level. In this report the Local Agenda 21 activities in the Netherlands are outlined. A framework is developed by means of which the quality of indicators to determine sustainability can be assessed. Four framework criteria are defined: (1) the coverage of sustainability with regard to economical, spatial, social and ecological developments; (2) the transparency of the indicator, i.e. is it easy to calculate?; (3) the scale of the indicator, which in this case concerns the local or regional level; and (4) the availability of data, of which the processing is not always simple. The indicators to which those criteria are applied are the (a) Gross National Product, (b) Human Development Index, which measures economic and sustainability aspects, (c) the Ecological Footprint, reflecting an ideal sustainable development, and (d) environmental indicators (NAMEA or National Accounting Matrix including Environmental Accounts). 30 refs.

Macro-Micro Interlocked Simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Tetsuya

2005-01-01

Simulation Science is now standing on a turning point. After the appearance of the Earth Simulator, HEC is struggling with several severe difficulties due to the physical limit of LSI technologies and the so-called latency problem. In this paper I would like to propose one clever way to overcome these difficulties from the simulation algorithm viewpoint. Nature and artificial products are usually organized with several nearly autonomously working internal systems (organizations, or layers). The Earth Simulator has gifted us with a really useful scientific tool that can deal with the entire evolution of one internal system with a sufficient soundness. In order to make a leap jump of Simulation Science, therefore, it is desired to design an innovative simulator that enables us to deal with simultaneously and as consistently as possible a real system that evolves cooperatively with several internal autonomous systems. Three years experience of the Earth Simulator Project has stimulated to come up with one innovative simulation algorithm to get rid of the technological barrier standing in front of us, which I would like to call 'Macro-Micro Interlocked Algorithm', or 'Macro-Micro Multiplying Algorithm', and present a couple of such examples to validate the proposed algorithm. The first example is an aurora-arc formation as a result of the mutual interaction between the macroscopic magnetosphere-ionosphere system and the microscopic field-aligned electron and ion system. The second example is the local heavy rain fall resulting from the interaction between the global climate evolution and the microscopic raindrop growth process. Based on this innovative feasible algorithm, I came up with a Macro-Micro Multiplying Simulator

DISTRIBUTIONAND DIVERSITY OF MACRO ALGAE COMMUNITIES IN THE AMBON BAY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Litaay

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Water conditions affected by natural and anthropogenic parameters such as sedimentation and solid waste disposal can influence the growth and distribution of macro algae. Sustainable management efforts can reduce damage on the Gulf coast of Ambon due to human activities and land clearing. This study was conducted in October 2008 using the transect method with 3 replicates in five locations i.e., Tantui, Air Salobar, Hative Besar, Halong, and Lateri. The interior and exterior waters of Ambon Bay contained different habitat conditions due to  sedimentation processes. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and diversity of macro algae communities in the Ambon Bay. The results found 21 species of macro- algae consisting of 10 species of Rhodhophyceae, 6 species of Chlorophyceae, and 5 species of Phaeophyceae. The highest density value of seaweed in Tantui was 389.0 g/m² of Chlorophyceae of Halimeda genus. In Air Salobar and Halong, the highest density value was Rhodophyceae of Gracilaria genus of 172.0 g/m² and 155.0 g/m², respectively. For the other genus in the Tantui and Lateri regions were dominated by Ulva at 92.10 gr/m2 and Padina of 20.0 gr/m2, respectively. The highest dominance of macro algae in the Hative Besar was found Chlorophyceae of Halimeda genus of 2.93 %, in the Air Salobar of Phaeophyceae of Turbinaria genus of 1.43 %. The difference values in density and the dominance of macro algae indicated an influence of habitat and environment due to seasons, sediment, and solid waste disposal to the diversity of macro algae. Keywords: Diversity, macro algae, Ambon Bay.

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-10-01

The Regulatory Agenda is a quarterly compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action or has proposed, or is considering action and of all petitions for rulemaking that the NRC has received that are pending disposition

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-04-01

The Regulatory Agenda is a quarterly compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action or has proposed, or is considering action and of all petitions for rulemaking that the NRC has received that are pending disposition

How Internal Political Efficacy Translates Political Knowledge Into Political Participation

Science.gov (United States)

Reichert, Frank

2016-01-01

This study presents evidence for the mediation effect of political knowledge through political self-efficacy (i.e. internal political efficacy) in the prediction of political participation. It employs an action theoretic approach—by and large grounded on the Theory of Planned Behaviour—and uses data from the German Longitudinal Election Study to examine whether political knowledge has distinct direct effects on voting, conventional, and/or unconventional political participation. It argues that political knowledge raises internal political efficacy and thereby indirectly increases the chance that a citizen will participate in politics. The results of mediated multiple regression analyses yield evidence that political knowledge indeed translates into internal political efficacy, thus it affects political participation of various kinds indirectly. However, internal political efficacy and intentions to participate politically yield simultaneous direct effects only on conventional political participation. Sequentially mediated effects appear for voting and conventional political participation, with political knowledge being mediated by internal political efficacy and subsequently also by behavioural intentions. The mediation patterns for unconventional political participation are less clear though. The discussion accounts for restrictions of this study and points to questions for answer by future research. PMID:27298633

Long-term exposure to political violence: The particular injury of persistent humiliation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Brian K; McNeely, Clea; Olsen, Joseph A; Belli, Robert F; Doty, Samuel Benjamin

2016-05-01

This study assessed the association between exposure to political violence over a 25-year period and adult functioning among a population that has experienced protracted and severe political conflict. Instead of aggregating exposure to political violence across time and type of exposure, as is commonly done, the event history calendar pioneered in this study assessed exposure to five forms of political violence annually from 1987 to 2011 in a representative sample of 1788 adults, aged 37 on average, in the occupied Palestinian territories (West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip). This method allowed for the identification of trajectories of exposure to political violence from childhood to adulthood using latent profile analysis. We then correlated the trajectories of exposure to measures of economic, political, community, family, psychological, and health functioning. As expected, being shot at, having one's home raided, being hit or kicked, being verbally abused, and witnessing someone close being humiliated were all elevated during periods of heightened political conflict (the first intifada (1987-1993) and, less so, the second intifada (2000-2005)). In addition, 12% of women and men reported high and persistent levels of exposure to humiliation (being verbally abused and/or witnessing someone close being humiliated) across the entire 25-year period. These individuals lived predominantly in neighborhoods with a high Israeli military presence. Compared to those who experienced periodic exposure to political violence, persistently humiliated men and women reported significantly lower health, economic, political, and psychological functioning, as well as higher social cohesion and political expression. Relevant literatures are reviewed when concluding that persistent humiliation is a neglected form of political violence that is best represented as a direct (versus structural), acute (versus chronic), macro (versus micro), and high-grade (versus low

What Are the Professional, Political, and Ethical Challenges of Co-Creating Health Care Systems?

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Guddi; Owens, John; Cribb, Alan

2017-11-01

Co-creation is seen by many as a means of meeting the multiple challenges facing contemporary health care systems by involving institutions, professionals, patients, and stakeholders in new roles, relationships, and collaborative practices. While co-creation has the potential to positively transform health care systems, it generates a number of political and ethical challenges that should not be overlooked. We suggest that those involved in envisioning and implementing co-creation initiatives pay close attention to significant questions of equity, power, and justice and to the fundamental challenge of securing a common vision of the aims of and agendas for health care systems. While such initiatives present significant opportunities for improvement, they need to be viewed in light of their accompanying professional, political, and ethical challenges. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

El debate micro-macro: dilemas y contextos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vania Salles

2001-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the general terms of the sociological debate on the micro macro question. Not only the main trends organizing the debate are examined, but also some ways to solve the dichotomies present in some proposals. It is held that contemporary theoretical practice produces —after the classics and with different focuses— a reflexivecorpus and research practices rooted in the blurring of the micro macro as polar questions, by the way of offering integrating proposals and overcoming reducing positions.

Feminists eminists at the World Social Forum: Challenges for a New Political Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilian Celiberti

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the ways of incursion of the feminist plurality’s significant expressions in the World Social Forum. These incursions express the changes in the subjectivities and in strategies of struggle that feminist movements in particular and social movements in general begin to develop, in the frame of a globalised world and in the new millennium. It’s an unprecedented process, that is promoting the development of new paradigms for collective action, that combines local and global issues, the interconnection of multiple agendas and the recovery of a more profound dimension of economic, social, cultural and symbolic justice, broadening, in this process, the concept of politics, the political and the power. The article sets discussion around the ways in which social movements converging in the Forum – that drag old dynamics and at the same time recreate new paradigms – work in politics and open the possibility of re-inventing an emancipation map and a social conception, capable of competing with neo-liberal consensus and with the single thought, recuperating diversity and plurality of social individuals and actors.

The Political Economy of Health Co-Benefits: Embedding Health in the Climate Change Agenda

OpenAIRE

Annabelle Workman; Grant Blashki; Kathryn J. Bowen; David J. Karoly; John Wiseman

2018-01-01

A complex, whole-of-economy issue such as climate change demands an interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral response. However, evidence suggests that human health has remained elusive in its influence on the development of ambitious climate change mitigation policies for many national governments, despite a recognition that the combustion of fossil fuels results in pervasive short- and long-term health consequences. We use insights from literature on the political economy of health and climate chan...

Local Agenda 21 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Appendices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dullens, M.; Schouw, J.C.; Straatman, T.G.

1999-08-01

The (im)possibilities of concrete projects to start Local Agenda 21 activities in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, are discussed. Attention is paid to options with respect to transportation, energy conservation, water use, soil pollution, waste management, and nature. Local Agenda 21 is a program by means of which local governments can contribute to sustainable targets as formulated during the 1992 conference Agenda 21 of the United Nations (UN). The appendices contain background information (reports of meetings, elaboration of ecological subjects in relation with socio-economic subjects, and a table with all the recommendations) and are published in this report. The main report is a separate publication

Power games: The political use of solar technology in northern Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Donna Lisa

This dissertation politicises and historically situates the transfer of an environmental technology to a less developed country, a transfer that has occurred under the rubric of sustainable development. The case study explores the social and political context of two solar battery charging station programmes selected to provide electrification in rural Northern Thailand beginning in the 1980s. It places these rural electrification programmes in the context of previous rural electrification policies in northern Thailand in the 1960s and 1970s which were driven by an explicitly state-serving agenda: an agenda that aimed to expand the centralised state's ability to pacify and control remote areas of the country. However, it is clear that the technology and implementation strategies selected for the new electrification programmes could not fulfil their community-serving objectives; furthermore, these systems could not meet the actual energy needs of the programmes' intended beneficiaries. I argue that we need to consider whether the objectives that motivated previous rural electrification programmes may be continuing to play a role in the promotion of these new rural electrification programmes, a motivation that would contradict the philosophy behind the choice of the solar battery charging stations. Specifically, I show how the new rural electrification strategy has been de-politicised through its framing within the sustainable development discourses. This thesis highlights how the rush to promote environmental technologies through the rubric of sustainable development may limit a proper consideration of the social and political dynamics that motivated these decisions, resulting in the uncritical justification of technology selection. Scholars have critiqued the social ramifications of, and the political motivations behind, earlier technocentric rural development strategies, showing how they can exacerbate social inequalities. I argue that in this situation, the

A zwitterionic macro-crosslinker for durable non-fouling coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Lu, Yang; Xie, Jinbing; Zhu, Hui; Cao, Zhiqiang

2016-03-28

A novel zwitterionic macro-crosslinker was developed and applied to fabricate durable non-fouling coatings on a polyurethane substrate. The zwitterionic macro-crosslinker coating exhibited superior durability over the traditional brush polymer coating and was able to retain its non-fouling property even after weeks of shearing in flowing liquid.

History of UK contribution to astronautics: Politics and government

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks CB, Colin

2009-12-01

In all developed countries, once it emerged from the amateur era, Space (and especially rocketry) moved on the public agenda because of its potential significance for both the civil and military policies of governments (coupled with its appetite for new money). In the UK the policy treatment of Space broadly paralleled that in other countries until the post-Empire trauma, the burn-out of the White-Hot Technological revolution of Harold Wilson, and the financial crises of the 1970s exhausted the public appetite for large scale publicly funded projects in high technology. The culmination for Space of these pressures came in 1986-1987 when the UK rejected the emerging international consensus and, almost alone, stayed outside the manned space commitments which developed into the International Space Station. In this paper, Colin Hicks will review the UK political developments which led up to the 1986-1987 decision and how the politics and organisation of UK space activity have developed since then to the point where in 2008 a major government review of the UK involvement in manned space was commissioned.

Macro-Finance Determinants of the Long-Run Stock-Bond Correlation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asgharian, Hossein; Christiansen, Charlotte; Hou, Ai Jun

itself. Macro-finance variables and the lagged realized correlation are simultaneously significant in forecasting the long-run stock-bond correlation. The behavior of the long-run stock-bond correlation is very different when estimated taking the macro-finance variables into account. Supporting......We investigate the long-run stock-bond correlation using a novel model that combines the dynamic conditional correlation model with the mixed-data sampling approach. The long-run correlation is affected by both macro-finance variables (historical and forecasts) and the lagged realized correlation...

Chapter 6: The policy agenda of ISPRM.

Science.gov (United States)

Stucki, Gerold; von Groote, Per M; DeLisa, Joel A; Imamura, Marta; Melvin, John L; Haig, Andrew J; Li, Leonard S W; Reinhardt, Jan D

2009-09-01

This paper suggests a comprehensive policy agenda and first steps to be undertaken by the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) in order to realize its humanitarian, professional and scientific mandates. The general aims of ISPRM, as formulated in its guiding documents, the relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations system, and demands of ISPRM's constituency herein form the basis of this policy agenda. Agenda items encompass contributions to the establishment of rehabilitation services worldwide and the development of rapid rehabilitation disaster response, the enhancement of research capacity in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM), and the development of PRM societies. ISPRM's possible input in general curricula in disability and rehabilitation, and in fighting discrimination against people experiencing disability are discussed. Moreover, the implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in medicine, contributions to WHO guidelines relevant to disability and rehabilitation, the provision of a conceptual description of the rehabilitation strategy and the outline of a rehabilitation services matrix are seen as important agenda items of ISPRM's external policy. With regard to its constituency and internal policy, a definition of the field of competence and a conceptual description of PRM, as well as the development of a consistent and comprehensive congress topic list and congress structure appear to be crucial items. The proposed agenda items serve as a basis for future discussions.

[Priority research agendas: a strategic resource for health in Latin America].

Science.gov (United States)

Becerra-Posada, Francisco; de Snyder, Nelly Salgado; Cuervo, Luis Gabriel; Montorzi, Gabriela

2014-12-01

Understand and analyze procedures used to create national integrated research agendas from 2007 to 2011 in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Paraguay. Descriptive, cross-sectional study using an online survey of agenda preparation processes; specifically, development, integration, implementation, and use and dissemination of the agenda. The 45 respondents reported following specific methodologies for agenda construction and had a good opinion of organizational aspects with regard to prior information provided and balance among disciplines and stakeholders. Some 60% considered the coordinators impartial, although 25% mentioned biases favoring some subject; 42% received technical support from consultants, reading matter, and methodological guidelines; 40% engaged in subject-matter priority-setting; and 55% confirmed dissemination and communication of the agenda. However, only 22% reported inclusion of agenda topics in national calls for research proposals. In the countries studied, development of the health research agenda was characterized by prior planning and appropriate organization to achieve - consensus-based outcomes. Nevertheless, the agendas were not used in national calls for research proposals, reflecting lack of coordination in national health research systems and lack of connection between funders and researchers. It is recommended that stakeholders strengthen integration and advocacy efforts to modify processes and structures of agenda-based calls for research proposals.

Rio + 5 -- INSTRAW's activities regarding the implementation of Agenda 21.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) was involved in research analysis and training activities that address women's issues on water supply, sanitation and waste management, development of new and renewable sources of energy, and natural resources since 1982. The four main thrusts of the INSTRAW program include: 1) the economic and political empowerment of the women; 2) women, media and communications; 3) women, environment and sustainable development; and 4) statistics and indicators on gender issues. These areas are approached in an integrated and holistic manner, which is crosscutting and cross disciplinary with relevant chapters Agenda 21. In addition, poverty, population growth, health, structural adjustment policies, education and training, water, energy, agriculture and forestry are addressed within the women's roles and activities context. This article presents an overview of the succeeding chapters, which focus on the programs developed and implemented to promote the well being of the women worldwide.

UNESCO: Agenda 21 and UNCED Follow-Up.

Science.gov (United States)

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Bureau for the Coordination of Environmental Programme.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) took place in Rio de Janeiro in June, 1992. The main results of UNCED were the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, Convention on Biological Diversity, Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Statement of Forest Principles. Agenda 21 is the international program of action for global…

Oil and the political economy of energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matutinovic, Igor [GfK-Center for Market Research, Zagreb (Croatia)

2009-11-15

The key issues concerning oil exploitation are still open for discussion: there is no agreement about where we presently stand in the world oil extraction curve, what is its exact shape, and how far can oil price grow before it changes irreversibly the world economy and consumer behavior. The paper proposes an alternative scenario to the Hubbert's bell-shaped model of oil exploitation, based on more realistic assumptions regarding political agendas in oil-exporting countries and consumer behavior dynamics in oil-importing countries. Under this scenario, the joint impact of markets and public policy in oil importing countries together with 'resource pragmatism' policy in oil-exporting countries allows for a less steep oil supply curve with a much fatter tail compared to the Hubbert's model. (author)

World Health Assembly agendas and trends of international health issues for the last 43 years: analysis of World Health Assembly agendas between 1970 and 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitamura, Tomomi; Obara, Hiromi; Takashima, Yoshihiro; Takahashi, Kenzo; Inaoka, Kimiko; Nagai, Mari; Endo, Hiroyoshi; Jimba, Masamine; Sugiura, Yasuo

2013-05-01

To analyse the trends and characteristics of international health issues through agenda items of the World Health Assembly (WHA) from 1970 to 2012. Agendas in Committees A/B of the WHA were classified as Administrative or Technical and Health Matters. Agenda items of Health Matters were sorted into five categories by the WHO reform in the 65th WHA. The agenda items in each category and sub-category were counted. There were 1647 agenda items including 423 Health Matters, which were sorted into five categories: communicable diseases (107, 25.3%), health systems (81, 19.1%), noncommunicable diseases (59, 13.9%), preparedness surveillance and response (58, 13.7%), and health through the life course (36, 8.5%). Among the sub-categories, HIV/AIDS, noncommunicable diseases in general, health for all, millennium development goals, influenza, and international health regulations, were discussed frequently and appeared associated with the public health milestones, but maternal and child health were discussed three times. The number of the agenda items differed for each Director-General's term of office. The WHA agendas cover a variety of items, but not always reflect international health issues in terms of disease burden. The Member States of WHO should take their responsive roles in proposing more balanced agenda items. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nano/macro porous bioactive glass scaffold

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shaojie

Bioactive glass (BG) and ceramics have been widely studied and developed as implants to replace hard tissues of the musculo-skeletal system, such as bones and teeth. Recently, instead of using bulk materials, which usually do not degrade rapidly enough and may remain in the human body for a long time, the idea of bioscaffold for tissue regeneration has generated much interest. An ideal bioscaffold is a porous material that would not only provide a three-dimensional structure for the regeneration of natural tissue, but also degrade gradually and, eventually be replaced by the natural tissue completely. Among various material choices the nano-macro dual porous BG appears as the most promising candidate for bioscaffold applications. Here macropores facilitate tissue growth while nanopores control degradation and enhance cell response. The surface area, which controls the degradation of scaffold can also be tuned by changing the nanopore size. However, fabrication of such 3D structure with desirable nano and macro pores has remained challenging. In this dissertation, sol-gel process combined with spinodal decomposition or polymer sponge replication method has been developed to fabricate the nano-macro porous BG scaffolds. Macropores up to 100microm are created by freezing polymer induced spinodal structure through sol-gel transition, while larger macropores (>200um) of predetermined size are obtained by the polymer sponge replication technique. The size of nanopores, which are inherent to the sol-gel method of glass fabrication, has been tailored using several approaches: Before gel point, small nanopores are generated using acid catalyst that leads to weakly-branched polymer-like network. On the other hand, larger nanopores are created with the base-catalyzed gel with highly-branched cluster-like structure. After the gel point, the nanostructure can be further modified by manipulating the sintering temperature and/or the ammonia concentration used in the solvent

Macro-Finance Determinants of the Long-Run Stock-Bond Correlation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asgharian, Hossein; Christiansen, Charlotte; Hou, Ai Jun

2016-01-01

We investigate long-run stock–bond correlation using a model that combines the dynamic conditional correlation model with the mixed-data sampling approach and allows long-run correlation to be affected by macro-finance factors (historical and forecasts). We use macro-finance factors related...... to inflation and interest rates, illiquidity, state of the economy, and market uncertainty. Macro-finance factors, particularly their forecasts, are good at forecasting long-run stock–bond correlation. Supporting the flight-to-quality phenomenon, long-run correlation tends to be small and negative when...

Time and Space Complexity of Inside-Out Macro Grammars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Asveld, P.R.J.

1980-01-01

Starting form Fischer's IO Standard Form Theorem we show that for each inside-out (or IO-) macro language $L$ there exists a $\\lambda$-free IO macro grammar with the following property: for each $x$ in $L$ there is a derivation of $x$ of length at most linear in the length of $x$. Then we construct

From Islamist to Muslim Democrat: The Present Phenomenon of Muslim Politics in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MOHD IZANI MOHD ZAIN

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Muslim political rivalry in democracy has triggered the birth of two groups; Islamist and Muslim Democrat. The two groups are competing by using a different approach in getting the support of the people. The Islamist group is championing its Islamic State agenda and the implementation of Shari`a as a political ambition within the framework of democracy while the Muslim Democrat recognises democracy and freedom as the basis of their struggle. Due to a greater development in democracy and a more open political rivalry, the Islamist group that was initially strongly backed by their rigid ideology and approach, has decided to change for a more moderate approach. This can be seen through their political strategy that emphasises on universal issues such as democracy, justice and good governance without rhetorical expressions of Islam and Shari`a. This change from Islamist to that of Muslim Democrat is an exciting development for it shows the transition path and direction of Muslim politics in Malaysia. This paper examines the latest development of the Islamist group, i.e. PAS in political rivalry in Malaysia, particularly in the recent General Election in 2013. This article reveals that due to the changing political landscape and democratization, the Islamist has pragmatically moderated their stance to gain more supports and it has embarked on a new landscape for Muslim political rivalry in Malaysia. Although PAS’s new approach to transform its approach to be more open and democratic is still questionable, this study believes that the participation of the party in democracy is no longer just for the sake of election, on the other hand it should recognise democracy as a political culture that emphasizes justice, freedom and good governance.

Identity politics: implications for gender analysis policy and training.

Science.gov (United States)

Erturk, Y

1997-01-01

As attention has shifted from a concern for citizenship, equality, and welfare to ideas of empowerment, equity, and governance, the locus of competition over power has rested with "identity politics," a recognition of cultural diversity that claims the legitimate right to produce alternative definitions and symbols of identity in public space. The change in identity formation from universal/national to fractured/tribalizing has implications for gender relations in contexts where patriarchal power controls production and reproduction. Except for feminism, all discourses in the current competition over identity politics are patriarchal. A look at the forces of change that shifted the process of modernization to a process of globalization reveals that, while modernization tends to standardize, globalization embraces the contradictory forces of universalizing and diversifying trends. Issues of identity and inequality were not problematic until the modern and the traditional subsumed each other and, thus, revealed the inherent contradictions of modernization. The diversifying forces that jeopardize the transnationalization of identity into membership in a "human society" include 1) language differences among the working classes, 2) growing global inequalities, and 3) collective memories of antagonistic histories. An analysis of gender based on identity politics can be conducted on a macro-level to understand the reluctance of central governments to initiate certain interventions, competing needs, new contradictions, changing gender roles, and the importance of promoting a global social contract.

Establishing a disability-inclusive agenda for sustainable development in 2015 and beyond.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiger, Brian F

2015-03-01

Disability was omitted from the Millennium Declaration and eight Millennium Development Goals. As a result, individuals with disabilities and their advocates, health-related agencies and major United Nations (UN) groups collaborated to explicate the rights and needs of persons with disabilities. A community empowerment approach was guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, input from expert groups, public meetings held across the globe, questionnaires sent to civil society representatives, and rich online conversation. Persons with disabilities have the right to health, education, gainful employment, social protection, and participation in political and public life. Selected results from The World We Want consultation for the topic of 'Inequalities and a disability-inclusive agenda' illustrate the potential of reaching consensus among a broad array of constituents, informing decisions about policy and practice. © The Author(s) 2014.

Trayectoria multinivel de una coalición promotora e incidencia en la agenda política nacional. El caso del conflicto de Pascua Lama y la ley de glaciares en Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Cortez

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The socio-environmental conflict around the mining project Pascua-Lama motivated a revision of the glacier protection policy in Chile. In order to explain this unusual impact of the policy on the national political agenda, this article traces back the trajectory that initiated the local conflict and boosted it into a national political conflict. Using process tracing, the transformation of the coalitions that began as opponents to the mining project is identified as the cause that promoted a local claim that became a political proposal. The incorporation of local and international agents to the coalition promotes an upward transit of the levels of public action but it leads to a counter effect, the marginalization of the local participants.

Reading Ancient Reliefs: An Approach to Interperation of Architectural Decoration in Historical and Political Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mgr. Lucia Novakova

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Ancient treasuries promoted wealth and prosperity of the donation community. Preserved relief scenes portrayed mythological stories used for expressing certain characteristic reflection of reality (chaos, wilderness, heroism, etc. By analyzing historical sources is possible to assign events related to the poleis in historical context. This paper shall serve as introduction of hypothetical nature of political program and contribution to the knowledge of political promotion of polis in relief decoration. Figural decoration became a form of political program, or even metaphorical ideology. The main carrier of ideological reference were figure decorated pediments and friezes. Those visualized political agenda of polis even for illiterate observers. In particular mythological stories, those that might have some ideological scheme, were preferred. They can be applied to current events of polis, but only if adequate historical sources or archaeological evidence. Mythological battles were frequent motifs. The story of Gigantomachy allowed various kind of exploitation in political ideology. The main idea was the battle between world full of chaos and world representing stability and certainty. Analogies are identifiable in the whole archaic period. The main inspiration were military confrontations with other Greek or non-Greek cities. From preserved decorative elements is possible to roughly characterize also political significance of mythological heroes. Visual display is closely related to foreign policy and inner political conflict of poleis. It is important that preserved reliefs with motives that do not deal with panhellenic scenes are lessnumerous.

Estimating Dynamic Equilibrium Models using Macro and Financial Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Bent Jesper; Posch, Olaf; van der Wel, Michel

We show that including financial market data at daily frequency, along with macro series at standard lower frequency, facilitates statistical inference on structural parameters in dynamic equilibrium models. Our continuous-time formulation conveniently accounts for the difference in observation...... of the estimators and estimate the model using 20 years of U.S. macro and financial data....

The current state of play of research on the social, political and legal dimensions of HIV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera Paiva

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper offers a critical overview of social science research presented at the 2014 International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia. In an era of major biomedical advance, the political nature of HIV remains of fundamental importance. No new development can be rolled out successfully without taking into account its social and political context, and consequences. Four main themes ran throughout the conference track on social and political research, law, policy and human rights: first, the importance of work with socially vulnerable groups, now increasingly referred to as "key populations"; second, continued recognition that actions and programs need to be tailored locally and contextually; third, the need for an urgent response to a rapidly growing epidemic of HIV among young people; and fourth, the negative effects of the growing criminalization of minority sexualities and people living with HIV. Lack of stress on human rights and community participation is resulting in poorer policy globally. A new research agenda is needed to respond to these challenges.

The current state of play of research on the social, political and legal dimensions of HIV

Science.gov (United States)

Paiva, Vera; Ferguson, Laura; Aggleton, Peter; Mane, Purnima; Kelly-Hanku, Angela; Giang, Le Minh; Barbosa, Regina M.; Caceres, Carlos F.; Parker, Richard

2015-01-01

This paper offers a critical overview of social science research presented at the 2014 International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia. In an era of major biomedical advance, the political nature of HIV remains of fundamental importance. No new development can be rolled out successfully without taking into account its social and political context, and consequences. Four main themes ran throughout the conference track on social and political research, law, policy and human rights: first, the importance of work with socially vulnerable groups, now increasingly referred to as “key populations”; second, continued recognition that actions and programs need to be tailored locally and contextually; third, the need for an urgent response to a rapidly growing epidemic of HIV among young people; and fourth, the negative effects of the growing criminalization of minority sexualities and people living with HIV. Lack of stress on human rights and community participation is resulting in poorer policy globally. A new research agenda is needed to respond to these challenges. PMID:25859715

NRC Regulatory Agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-07-01

This document is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has proposed or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

The class politics of prejudice: Brexit and the land of no-hope and glory.

Science.gov (United States)

Mckenzie, Lisa

2017-11-01

The debates relating to social class and whether it is still a useful concept in describing a lived reality of the British population has never been far away from media, political and academic dispute. Thatcher's Britain throughout the 1980s attempted to dilute class meaning with what was called 'a home owning democracy' and thus end class collective politics through easily available credit for the working class while simultaneously attacking trade union organization, recruitment and political action. During the late 1990s and into the noughties a 'New Labour' administration attempted to exacerbate the end of class politics through an agenda of a 'cultural distinction' to class identity. Class struggle, class politics and class identity is embedded deep within the cultural norms practices, and history of British democracy. Consequently it is difficult if not impossible to prise class inequality in the UK away from and out of national, local and personal politics (Savage et al. 2015: 393-8). This paper focuses upon the sense that class politics, and cultural class distinction, within the UK had the biggest influence in determining a working-class 'Leave Vote' in the 2016 referendum within the UK. This paper explores accounts and narratives from working-class 'leave' voters though an ethnographic study of the political and social viewpoints of working-class communities of East London, and of ex-mining towns of Nottinghamshire. Framing into fuller context the anger and apathy of being 'left out', arguing that being 'left out' has been part of working-class political narratives for over 30 years. Going beyond frustration and apathy, a significant part of the narrative of working people was of 'not existing', suggesting certain important linkages with ongoing debates about new ways of conceptualizing class differences and class structures. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Leadership in politics and science within the Antarctic Treaty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John R. Dudeney

2012-04-01

Full Text Available For over 50 years the Antarctic has been governed through the Antarctic Treaty, an international agreement now between 49 nations of whom 28 Consultative Parties (CPs undertake the management role. Ostensibly, these Parties have qualified for their position on scientific grounds, though diplomacy also plays a major role. This paper uses counts of policy papers and science publications to assess the political and scientific outputs of all CPs over the last 18 years. We show that a subset of the original 12 Treaty signatories, consisting of the seven claimant nations, the USA and Russia, not only set the political agenda for the continent but also provide most of the science, with those CPs producing the most science generally having the greatest political influence. None of the later signatories to the Treaty appear to play a major role in managing Antarctica compared with this group, with half of all CPs collectively producing only 7% of the policy papers. Although acceptance as a CP requires demonstration of a substantial scientific programme, the Treaty has no formal mechanism to review whether a CP continues to meet this criterion. As a first step to addressing this deficiency, we encourage the CPs collectively to resolve to hold regular international peer reviews of their individual science programmes and to make the results available to the other CPs.

Why invest in wind energy? Career incentives and Chinese renewable energy politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Xun; Kleit, Andrew; Liu, Chuyu

2016-01-01

We study wind development at the provincial level in China, modelling installed wind capacities as a function of both economics and politics. We assume that the top provincial officials desire to maximize their chances of promotion under the Chinese cadre evaluation system. We expect that those with the strongest incentives to perform in order to achieve promotion would work harder to comply with the central government’s policy agenda to promote renewable energy. Collecting and testing data on provincial leaders’ characteristics, we find that provinces governed by party secretaries who were approaching the age of 65 are associated with significantly higher level of wind installed capacities. This result supports the political tournaments theory of Chinese politics. We also find that better educated party secretaries are likely to be more supportive of renewable energy, implying that education acts to encourage provincial leaders to support the central government’s policy. - Highlights: • No negative association between fossil fuel production and wind energy development. • Provinces with party secretaries approaching the age of 65 have more installed capacities. • Better educated party secretaries are likely to be more supportive of renewable energy.

Characteristics of soil water retention curve at macro-scale

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2009-01-01

Scale adaptable hydrological models have attracted more and more attentions in the hydrological modeling research community, and the constitutive relationship at the macro-scale is one of the most important issues, upon which there are not enough research activities yet. Taking the constitutive relationships of soil water movement--soil water retention curve (SWRC) as an example, this study extends the definition of SWRC at the micro-scale to that at the macro-scale, and aided by Monte Carlo method we demonstrate that soil property and the spatial distribution of soil moisture will affect the features of SWRC greatly. Furthermore, we assume that the spatial distribution of soil moisture is the result of self-organization of climate, soil, ground water and soil water movement under the specific boundary conditions, and we also carry out numerical experiments of soil water movement at the vertical direction in order to explore the relationship between SWRC at the macro-scale and the combinations of climate, soil, and groundwater. The results show that SWRCs at the macro-scale and micro-scale presents totally different features, e.g., the essential hysteresis phenomenon which is exaggerated with increasing aridity index and rising groundwater table. Soil property plays an important role in the shape of SWRC which will even lead to a rectangular shape under drier conditions, and power function form of SWRC widely adopted in hydrological model might be revised for most situations at the macro-scale.

Micro and Macro Segregation in Alloys Solidifying with Equiaxed Morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Stefanescu, Doru M.; Curreri, Peter A.; Leon-Torres, Jose; Sen, Subhayu

1996-01-01

To understand macro segregation formation in Al-Cu alloys, experiments were run under terrestrial gravity (1g) and under low gravity during parabolic flights (10(exp -2) g). Alloys of two different compositions (2% and 5% Cu) were solidified at two different cooling rates. Systematic microscopic and SEM observations produced microstructural and segregation maps for all samples. These maps may be used as benchmark experiments for validation of microstructure evolution and segregation models. As expected, the macro segregation maps are very complex. When segregation was measured along the central axis of the sample, the highest macro segregation for samples solidified at 1g was obtained for the lowest cooling rate. This behavior is attributed to the longer time available for natural convection and shrinkage flow to affect solute redistribution. In samples solidified under low-g, the highest macro-segregation was obtained at the highest cooling rate. In general, low-gravity solidification resulted in less segregation. To explain the experimental findings, an analytical (Flemings-Nereo) and a numerical model were used. For the numerical model, the continuum formulation was employed to describe the macroscopic transports of mass, energy, and momentum, associated with the microscopic transport phenomena, for a two-phase system. The model proposed considers that liquid flow is driven by thermal and solutal buoyancy, and by solidification shrinkage. The Flemings-Nereo model explains well macro segregation in the initial stages of low-gravity segregation. The numerical model can describe the complex macro segregation pattern and the differences between low- and high-gravity solidification.

A SAS-macro for estimation of the cumulative incidence using Poisson regression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waltoft, Berit Lindum

2009-01-01

the hazard rates, and the hazard rates are often estimated by the Cox regression. This procedure may not be suitable for large studies due to limited computer resources. Instead one uses Poisson regression, which approximates the Cox regression. Rosthøj et al. presented a SAS-macro for the estimation...... of the cumulative incidences based on the Cox regression. I present the functional form of the probabilities and variances when using piecewise constant hazard rates and a SAS-macro for the estimation using Poisson regression. The use of the macro is demonstrated through examples and compared to the macro presented...

Setting performance-based financing in the health sector agenda: a case study in Cameroon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sieleunou, Isidore; Turcotte-Tremblay, Anne-Marie; Fotso, Jean-Claude Taptué; Tamga, Denise Magne; Yumo, Habakkuk Azinyui; Kouokam, Estelle; Ridde, Valery

2017-08-01

More than 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have introduced performance-based financing (PBF) in their healthcare systems. Yet, there has been little research on the process by which PBF was put on the national policy agenda in Africa. This study examines the policy process behind the introduction of PBF program in Cameroon. The research is an explanatory case study using the Kingdon multiple streams framework. We conducted a document review and 25 interviews with various types of actors involved in the policy process. We conducted thematic analysis using a hybrid deductive-inductive approach for data analysis. By 2004, several reports and events had provided evidence on the state of the poor health outcomes and health financing in the country, thereby raising awareness of the situation. As a result, decision-makers identified the lack of a suitable health financing policy as an important issue that needed to be addressed. The change in the political discourse toward more accountability made room to test new mechanisms. A group of policy entrepreneurs from the World Bank, through numerous forms of influence (financial, ideational, network and knowledge-based) and building on several ongoing reforms, collaborated with senior government officials to place the PBF program on the agenda. The policy changes occurred as the result of two open policy windows (i.e. national and international), and in both instances, policy entrepreneurs were able to couple the policy streams to effect change. The policy agenda of PBF in Cameroon underlined the importance of a perceived crisis in the policy reform process and the advantage of building a team to carry forward the policy process. It also highlighted the role of other sources of information alongside scientific evidence (eg.: workshop and study tour), as well as the role of previous policies and experiences, in shaping or influencing respectively the way issues are framed and reformers' actions and choices.

Distributed Leadership in a Low-Carbon City Agenda

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Azalia Mohamed

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper uses Spillane’s (2001 theory and Gronn’s (2000 concerted efforts approach to examine distributed leadership in a low-carbon city agenda. The main purpose of the paper is to find empirical evidence of a relationship between distributed leadership and the achievement of the agenda. Eight constructs emerged that informed our understanding of distributed leadership dimensions within the low-carbon city framework: vision, organizational framework, organizational culture, consensus, instructional programs, expertise, team leader leadership, and team member leadership. The evidence shows that there is a positive relationship between distributed leadership and the outcome of the low-carbon city agenda, and that a dispersed pattern in distributing leadership is required to enhance community engagement. The findings also suggest that an organizational culture that facilitates multiple sources of leadership may largely contribute to the effectiveness of distributed leadership practices in realizing the low-carbon city agenda.

Machine Learning-Based Content Analysis: Automating the analysis of frames and agendas in political communication research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burscher, B.

2016-01-01

We used machine learning to study policy issues and frames in political messages. With regard to frames, we investigated the automation of two content-analytical tasks: frame coding and frame identification. We found that both tasks can be successfully automated by means of machine learning

Investigation of porous concrete through macro and meso-scale testing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Agar Ozbek, A.S.; Weerheijm, J.; Schlangen, H.E.J.G.

2010-01-01

In designing a porous concrete, containing a high volume of air pores, the effects of its mesoscale phases on its macro level properties have to be known. For this purpose, porous concretes having different aggregate gradings and cement paste compositions were investigated through macro-scale

Search for stellar collapse with the MACRO detector at Gran Sasso

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The first MACRO supermodule commenced data taking in February 1989. Two complementary trigger and readout systems have been used to monitor the horizontal scintillation counters, which contain 42 tonnes (∼1 ktonne for the full MACRO detector) of liquid scintillator, for bursts of low energy anti-neutrinos from gravitational stellar collapses. This paper reports on an initial search and discusses the present as well as ultimate sensitivity of MACRO to this class of events. 4 figs

Injection moulding for macro and micro products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Islam, Mohammad Aminul

used for macro products but with the ages it is going deep into the micro areas having machine and process improvements. Extensive research work on injection moulding is going on all over the world. New ideas are flowing into the machines, materials and processes. The technology has made significant......The purpose of the literature survey is to investigate the injection moulding technology in the macro and micro areas from the basic to the state-of-the-art recent technology. Injection moulding is a versatile production process for the manufacturing of plastic parts and the process is extensively...

A multi-level geographical study of Italian political elections from Twitter data.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldarelli, Guido; Chessa, Alessandro; Pammolli, Fabio; Pompa, Gabriele; Puliga, Michelangelo; Riccaboni, Massimo; Riotta, Gianni

2014-01-01

In this paper we present an analysis of the behavior of Italian Twitter users during national political elections. We monitor the volumes of the tweets related to the leaders of the various political parties and we compare them to the elections results. Furthermore, we study the topics that are associated with the co-occurrence of two politicians in the same tweet. We cannot conclude, from a simple statistical analysis of tweet volume and their time evolution, that it is possible to precisely predict the election outcome (or at least not in our case of study that was characterized by a "too-close-to-call" scenario). On the other hand, we found that the volume of tweets and their change in time provide a very good proxy of the final results. We present this analysis both at a national level and at smaller levels, ranging from the regions composing the country to macro-areas (North, Center, South).

Macro-Elements and Trace Elements in Cereal Grains Cultivated in Latvia

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Jākobsone Ida

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Cereal-based foods have great importance in the compensation of micro- and trace element deficiency, because 50% of the foods produced worldwide are made up of cereal grains. The aim of the research was to determine the concentration of macro-elements and trace elements in different cereals cultivated in Latvia. Various cereals were used in the research: rye (n = 45, barley (n = 54, spring wheat (n = 27, winter wheat (n = 53, triticale (n = 45 and oats (n = 42. Thirteen macro- and trace elements (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Al, Cu, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca were determined in cereal grain samples (n = 266. Macro-elements and trace elements varied significantly (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001. The highest concentrations of macro- and trace elements were found in oats and the lowest in rye. The obtained data will expand the opportunity for food and nutrition scientists to evaluate content of the examined elements in grain products, and dietary consumption (bioavailability of the examined macro-elements and trace elements.

Agenda setting and framing of gender-based violence in Nepal: how it became a health issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Colombini, Manuela; Mayhew, Susannah H; Hawkins, Ben; Bista, Meera; Joshi, Sunil Kumar; Schei, Berit; Watts, Charlotte

2016-05-01

Gender-based violence (GBV) has been addressed as a policy issue in Nepal since the mid 1990s, yet it was only in 2010 that Nepal developed a legal and policy framework to combat GBV. This article draws on the concepts of agenda setting and framing to analyse the historical processes by which GBV became legitimized as a health policy issue in Nepal and explored factors that facilitated and constrained the opening and closing of windows of opportunity. The results presented are based on a document analysis of the policy and regulatory framework around GBV in Nepal. A content analysis was undertaken. Agenda setting for GBV policies in Nepal evolved over many years and was characterized by the interplay of political context factors, actors and multiple frames. The way the issue was depicted at different times and by different actors played a key role in the delay in bringing health onto the policy agenda. Women's groups and less powerful Ministries developed gender equity and development frames, but it was only when the more powerful human rights frame was promoted by the country's new Constitution and the Office of the Prime Minister that legislation on GBV was achieved and a domestic violence bill was adopted, followed by a National Plan of Action. This eventually enabled the health frame to converge around the development of implementation policies that incorporated health service responses. Our explicit incorporation of framing within the Kindgon model has illustrated how important it is for understanding the emergence of policy issues, and the subsequent debates about their resolution. The framing of a policy problem by certain policy actors, affects the development of each of the three policy streams, and may facilitate or constrain their convergence. The concept of framing therefore lends an additional depth of understanding to the Kindgon agenda setting model. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions

TableMaker: An Excel Macro for Publication-Quality Tables

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Marek Hlavac

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article introduces TableMaker, a Microsoft Excel macro that produces publicationquality tables and includes them as new sheets in workbooks. The macro provides an intuitive graphical user interface that allows for the full customization of all table features. It also allows users to save and load table templates, and thus allows layouts to be both reproducible and transferable. It is distributed in a single computer file. As such, the macro is easy to share, as well as accessible to even beginning and casual users of Excel. Since it allows for the quick creation of reproducible and fully customizable tables, TableMaker can be very useful to academics, policy-makers and businesses by making the presentation and formatting of results faster and more efficient.

Mercosur's regional health agenda: architecture and themes

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Luisa Guimaraes Queiroz

Full Text Available This article describes the shaping of institutional health spaces in the Mercosur, with analysis of themes and results and considerations on the construction of the regional agenda and on the effects of regional economic integration processes on health policies and systems. We discuss the organization, operation, focus topics, and results achieved in specific health forums (Meeting of Ministers of Health and Sub-Working Group 11, seeking to analyze the architecture and issues addressed by the regional agenda and drawing parallels with the European experience. The aim of this reflection is to identify how the work done by Mercosur structures contributes to building a regional agenda, with the expectation that the integration can contribute to reducing inequalities in access to health care in the region.

Linnakeskkonna agenda : Stockholm - poolt ja vastu / Jaak Poom

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Poom, Jaak

2004-01-01

Rootsi valitsuse moodustatud linnaplaneerimise ja -ehitamise komitee andis 2003. a. välja "Linnakeskkonna agenda", mis võtab kokku linna planeerimise positiivse kogemuse. Stadsmiljöradet'i linnaehituspõhimõtted. Linnaarenduspoliitikast, J. Poom agenda soovitustest, linnaplaneeringust eesrindlikult planeeritud Stocholmi linnaosa näite varal

El Micro y Macro: Orígenes y " Asentamientos " Migración en Contemporáneo

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Deisemara Turatti Langoski

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la movilidad migratoria, abogó por los orígenes y "asentamientos" con la aprobación de dos puntos de especial relevancia para ser llevadas a cabo: el punto de referencia familiar y el marco global. El intento tuvo la elección de la díada "micro y macro", en referencia a la presión de apoyo a la familia con el fenómeno migratorio, en el caso de "micro" y en el "macro", el diseño fue tomada con el fin de identificar, las razones se están estableciendo, los nuevos procesos migratorios en la época contemporánea, en contraste con los supuestos de los Derechos Humanos. En este caso, tanto la división de esos derechos, ya que sus flujos siguen observaron desde la perspectiva de la agenda de Haití, para la protección, promoción y defensa de los derechos humanos en el proceso de globalización, la coincidencia exacta de la dinámica de atención con el ser humano. En este sentido, trae a colación la cuestión de la desconfianza y el desprecio por el otro, como disfrazada como real, el ocultamiento, el prejuicio, la discriminación, la exclusión de los inmigrantes en las políticas públicas de Brasil, a falta de este modo de reconocimiento, condición jurídica de los migrantes, y la protección muy especial, la promoción y defensa de los derechos humanos, sin distinción de raza, color o nacionalidad.

Local Agenda 21 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dullens, M.; Schouw, J.C.; Straatman, T.G.

1999-08-01

The (im)possibilities of concrete projects to start Local Agenda 21 activities in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, are discussed. Attention is paid to options with respect to transportation, energy conservation, water use, soil pollution, waste management, and nature. Local Agenda 21 is a program by means of which local governments can contribute to sustainable targets as formulated during the 1992 conference Agenda 21 of the United Nations (UN). The appendices contain background information (reports of meetings, elaboration of ecological subjects in relation with socio-economic subjects, and a table with all the recommendations) and are published in a separate report

Pension Funds and the Politics of Ownership in Britain, c. 1970-86.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Aled

2018-04-23

The growth of occupational pensions in the post-war era transformed the pattern of capital ownership in Britain, as workers' collective retirement savings purchased a substantial share of the national economy. This article examines the response of the Labour and Conservative parties to this significant material change, and considers how it shaped their respective politics of ownership at the end of the post-war settlement. It demonstrates that Labour and the trade union movement recognized occupational pension funds as a new form of social ownership but had to reconcile their desire to give pension scheme-members direct control over their investments with a broader belief that the funds needed be used for a state-coordinated revitalization of the industrial economy. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party's initial enthusiasm for occupational pensions, which it championed for helping to create a 'property-owning democracy', was challenged by a radical neoliberal critique in the early 1980s that sought to dismantle pension funds and to individualize investment. The findings in the article assert the need for historians to situate the politics of the tumultuous 1970s and 1980s in the context of the substantial economic and social changes that had taken place during the post-war decades. These changes often created opportunities to formulate new policies and political agendas, but they also served to highlight deeper tensions within the ideologies of the main political parties.

Federalism, Agenda Setting, and the Dynamics of Federal Education Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Manna, Paul

This paper is part of a larger project on agenda setting in the U.S. federal system and the development of the federal education agenda since 1965. Two questions motivate the paper, one theoretical and the other empirical: (1) how does federalism affect the federal agenda?; and (2) what explains the development of federal involvement in K-12…

Intake of macro- and micronutrients in Danish vegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kristensen, Nadja B; Madsen, Mia L; Hansen, Tue H; Allin, Kristine H; Hoppe, Camilla; Fagt, Sisse; Lausten, Mia S; Gøbel, Rikke J; Vestergaard, Henrik; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf

2015-10-30

Since information about macro- and micronutrient intake among vegans is limited we aimed to determine and evaluate their dietary and supplementary intake. Seventy 18-61 years old Danish vegans completed a four-day weighed food record from which their daily intake of macro- and micronutrients was assessed and subsequently compared to an age-range-matched group of 1,257 omnivorous individuals from the general Danish population. Moreover, the vegan dietary and supplementary intake was compared to the 2012 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). Dietary intake differed significantly between vegans and the general Danish population in all measured macro- and micronutrients (p vegans the intake of macro- and micronutrients (including supplements) did not reach the NNR for protein, vitamin D, iodine and selenium. Among vegan women vitamin A intake also failed to reach the recommendations. With reference to the NNR, the dietary content of added sugar, sodium and fatty acids, including the ratio of PUFA to SFA, was more favorable among vegans. At the macronutrient level, the diet of Danish vegans is in better accordance with the NNR than the diet of the general Danish population. At the micronutrient level, considering both diet and supplements, the vegan diet falls short in certain nutrients, suggesting a need for greater attention toward ensuring recommended daily intake of specific vitamins and minerals.

Organization of the "Marine Colony" for children with tuberculosis in Rijeka (Croatia): entanglement between medicine and politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Modrcin, Dorotea; Muzur, Amir; Vlainić, Josipa

2012-03-01

Tuberculosis was a major public health concern in the beginning of the 20th century. Since medications were not available at the time, therapy in general was based on health education, healing effects of climate, nutrition and rest. The Marine Colony was founded in 1924 in Rijeka, a city with turbulent political history, by the Antitubercular Consortium which was part of a planned program for the fight against tuberculosis on a national level in the whole of Italy. The Colony in Rijeka, Croatia specialised in care of children with clinical tuberculosis or under greater risk of developing disease. This article gives an overview of the medical treatment provided for children in Colony, as well as pointing out the political-agenda at that period.

From Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals: Gender and Inclusive Electoral Politics in Nigeria, 1999 – 2015

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Emeka C. Iloh

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the extent to which Nigeria achieved gender parity in the political process between 1999 and 2015 (the period of the Millennium Development Goals and the prospects of sustaining the achievement (if any under the Sustainable Development Goals regime, between 2015 and 2030. Relying mainly on qualitative method and documentary evidence, predicated on the social dominance theory, the study posits that women have been structurally denied access to political power in Nigeria. The patriarchal system which is prevalent in the country ensures that there is no parity between the sexes in the political process. This is despite the fact that women constitute more than 50% of the population but yet, comprise less than 10% of Nigeria’s legislature. This paper, therefore, submits that for Nigeria to achieve the 2030 Agenda on gender parity in the political process, it should move beyond mere policy rehearsals and take concrete steps such as instituting a quota system in its electoral laws. Other countries that have achieved gender parity in the political process did so mainly through constitutional means, rather than mere advocacy.

The Unfinished Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Madge

1981-01-01

Items on the unfinished agendas of society, education, and physical education include: (1) the war on human suffering; (2) the paradox of education as the equalizer of social differences, although it recognizes individual merit based on academic excellence; and (3) physical education as an agent of social change and responsibility. (JN)

NRC Regulatory Agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

This document compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considering action, and all petitions for rule making which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

Soil dehydrogenase activity of natural macro aggregates in a toposequence of forest soil

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Maira Kussainova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to determine changes in soil dehydrogenase activity in natural macro aggregates development along a slope in forest soils. This study was carried out in Kocadag, Samsun, Turkey. Four landscape positions i.e., summit, shoulder backslope and footslope, were selected. For each landseape position, soil macro aggregates were separated into six aggregate size classes using a dry sieving method and then dehydrogenase activity was analyzed. In this research, topography influenced the macroaggregate size and dehydrogenase activity within the aggregates. At all landscape positions, the contents of macro aggregates (especially > 6.3 mm and 2.00–4.75 mm in all soil samples were higher than other macro aggregate contents. In footslope position, the soils had generally the higher dehydrogenase activity than the other positions at all landscape positions. In all positions, except for shoulder, dehydrogenase activity was greater macro aggregates of <1 mm than in the other macro aggregate size.

Comprehensive comparison of macro-strain mode and displacement mode based on different sensing technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Wan; Zhang, Jian; Wu, Gang; Wu, Zhishen

2015-01-01

A comprehensive comparison of macro-strain mode and displacement mode obtained from distributed macro-strain sensing and high-density point sensing (such as accelerometers) technologies is presented in this paper. Theoretical derivation reveals that displacement mode shape from accelerometers and modal macro-strain from distributed macro-strain sensors can be converted into each other. However, it is realized that displacement mode shape as global behavior of a structure can still be calculated with high-precision from modal macro-strain considering measurement errors in practical monitoring, whereas modal macro-strain can hardly be accurately achieved from displacement mode shape when signals are corrupted with noise in practical monitoring. Simulation and experiment results show that the calculated displacement mode shapes are very close to the actual ones even if the noise level reaches 5%. Meanwhile, damage index using measured modal macro-strain is still effective when the measurements are corrupted with 5% noise which is reliable for damage detection in practical monitoring. Calculating modal macro-strain from noise-polluted displacement mode shape will cause an unacceptable error if the noise level reaches only 0.5%, which has been verified in the simulation.

Generating political priority for regulatory interventions targeting obesity prevention: an Australian case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Phillip; Gill, Timothy; Friel, Sharon; Carey, Gemma; Kay, Adrian

2017-03-01

Effective obesity prevention requires a synergistic mix of population-level interventions including a strong role for government and the regulation of the marketing, labelling, content and pricing of energy-dense foods and beverages. In this paper we adopt the agenda of the Australian Federal Government (AFG) as a case study to understand the factors generating or hindering political priority for such 'regulatory interventions' between 1990 and 2011. Using a theoretically-guided process tracing method we undertook documentary analysis and conducted 27 interviews with a diversity of actors involved in obesity politics. The analysis was structured by a theoretical framework comprising four dimensions: the power of actors involved; the ideas the actors deploy to interpret and portray the issue; the institutional and political context; and issue characteristics. Despite two periods of sustained political attention, political priority for regulatory interventions did not emerge and was hindered by factors from all four dimensions. Within the public health community, limited cohesion among experts and advocacy groups hampered technical responses and collective action efforts. An initial focus on children (child obesity), framing the determinants of obesity as 'obesogenic environments', and the deployment of 'protecting kids', 'industry demonization' and 'economic costs' frames generated political attention. Institutional norms within government effectively selected out regulatory interventions from consideration. The 'productive power' and activities of the food and advertising industries presented formidable barriers, buttressed by a libertarian/neolibertarian rhetoric emphasizing individual responsibility, a negative view of freedom (as free from 'nanny-state' intervention) and the idea that regulation imposes an unacceptable cost on business. Issue complexity, the absence of a supportive evidence base and a strict 'evidence-based' policy-making approach were used as

Knowledge Management and Politics at the Highest Level: An Exploratory Analysis

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Eduardo TOMÉ

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses Knowledge Management (KM as a political activity, made by the great political leaders of the world. We try to examine if at the macro political level KM is made, and how. The research is interesting because given that we live in a Knowledge Society, in the Information Era, it is more or less obvious that the political leaders should also do KM. However we don’t know of any previous study on KM and world leaders and this paper wants to be a first step to fill that gap. As a methodology we use literature review: given this one is a first preliminary study we use data we found online and in databases like EBSCO. We divide the analysis in two main parts: theoretical ideas, and application. In the theoretical part we aim at distinguishing KM as made by managers from KM made by politicians. The second part is itself divided in two segments: the past and the present times; in the second segment we illustrate our ideas with the example of President Barack Obama. We observe, rather surprisingly, how much it has been over-looked by scholars; KM always was and nowadays is pervasive in the activity of the world political leaders. Furthermore, the importance of KM made by world political leaders is so great that it should prompt the making of detailed studies in order to improve the world governance. The study has the limitation of relying on documents, insights and texts, and not on interviews. It should be followed by studies of a more qualitative and participative nature. We believe it would be very interesting to make such studies and that they would help improving the democracies in the 21st century and beyond.

The Agenda 21 and its implementation at the national level. Berlin conference of the Environmental Advisory Councils of the EU Member states: Discussions, results, conclusions; Die Agenda 21 und deren Umsetzung auf nationaler Ebene. Berliner Konferenz der Umweltraete der EU-Mitgliedstaaten: Diskussionen, Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandhoevel, A. [Rat von Sachverstaendigen fuer Umweltfragen, Wiesbaden (Germany); Wiggering, H. [Rat von Sachverstaendigen fuer Umweltfragen, Wiesbaden (Germany)

1995-12-31

The Agenda 21, its realisation at the national level, and the establishment of the principle of sustainable development in political programmes and instruments were the main topics at the last meeting of the European Environmental Advisory Councils. As well as the questions of how to `ecologise` the European agricultural policy, how to incorporate environmental considerations into transport and technology policy, and how to develop an ethos of sustainability and encourage proper use of resources, the meeting discussed arrangements for future cooperation between the Advisory Councils and the possibilities available for the Councils to influence European environmental policy. (orig.) [Deutsch] Der Umsetzung der Agenda 21 auf die nationale Ebene und der Verwirklichung einer dauerhaft-umweltgerechten Entwicklung in politische Programme und Instrumente war die letzte Zusammenkunft der europaeischen Umweltraete gewidmet. Neben Oekologisierung der EU-Agrarpolitik, der Integration von Umweltbelangen in der Verkehrspolitik und in der Technologiepolitik, der Herausbildung eines Sustainability-Ethos und Aspekten des Ressourcenverbrauchs standen auch die Rahmenbedingungen zukuenftiger Kooperation und die Moeglichkeiten der europaeischen Umweltraete zur Einflussnahme auf die europaeische Umweltpolitik im Mittelpunkt. (orig.)

NRC Regulatory Agenda. Quarterly report, July-September 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-10-01

The Regulatory Agenda is a quarterly compilation of all rules on which the NRC has proposed or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received and are pending disposition by the Commission. The agenda consists of two sections. Section I, Rules, includes: (1) rules on which final action has been taken since June 30, the cutoff date of the last Regulatory Agenda; (2) rules published previously as proposed rules and on which the Commission has not taken final action; (3) rules published as advance notices of proposed rulemaking and for which neither a proposed nor final rule has been issued; and (4) unpublished rules on which the NRC expects to take action. Section II, Petitions for Rulemaking, includes: (1) Petitions incorporated into final rules or petitions denied since the cutoff date of the last Regulatory Agenda; (2) Petitions incorporated into proposed rules, (3) Petitions pending staff review; and (4) Petitions with deferred action

Immunopositivity for histone macroH2A1 isoforms marks steatosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Rappa

Full Text Available Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Prevention and risk reduction are important and the identification of specific biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC represents an active field of research. Increasing evidence indicates that fat accumulation in the liver, defined as hepatosteatosis, is an independent and strong risk factor for developing an HCC. MacroH2A1, a histone protein generally associated with the repressed regions of chromosomes, is involved in hepatic lipid metabolism and is present in two alternative spliced isoforms, macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2. These isoforms have been shown to predict lung and colon cancer recurrence but to our knowledge, their role in fatty-liver associated HCC has not been investigated previously.We examined macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2 protein expression levels in the liver of two murine models of fat-associated HCC, the high fat diet/diethylnistrosamine (DEN and the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN liver specific knock-out (KO mouse, and in human liver samples of subjects with steatosis or HCC, using immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.Protein levels for both macroH2A1 isoforms were massively upregulated in HCC, whereas macroH2A1.2 was specifically upregulated in steatosis. In addition, examination of human liver samples showed a significant difference (p<0.01 in number of positive nuclei in HCC (100% of tumor cells positive for either macroH2A1.1 or macroH2A1.2, when compared to steatosis (<2% of hepatocytes positive for either isoform. The steatotic areas flanking the tumors were highly immunopositive for macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2.These data obtained in mice and humans suggest that both macroH2A1 isoforms may play a role in HCC pathogenesis and moreover may be considered as novel diagnostic markers for human HCC.

Regime change and public policy: the political and macro-economic decision-making of Spanish energy policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lancaster, T.D.

1983-01-01

This dissertation examines the effects of peaceful regime change on public policy-making. Spain's National Energy Plan (PEN) in particular, and energy planning in general, constitute a critical policy issue which permits direct comparison of decision-making across regime change from the Franco dictatorship to the present constitutional monarchy. The research reveals that the nature of the political coalition underlying Spain's regime change accounts of the lack of significant change in policy-making processes in this particular policy issue. This thesis develops a two-pronged argument to explain the absence of significant policy change. The first is based on a general view of the Franco regime's and the democratic system's coalitional support. In each, three major political forces are seen as central: the military, business, and labor. One of these, business, is seen as being pivotal in the regime transition. Business' pivotal position, it is argued, has permitted a defence of a national energy policy beneficial to its economic interests in energy. The argument's second part focuses on the binding constraint on policy outcomes imposed by private interests in state planning and the generally non-binding nature of oppositional party policy proposals and public opinion.

Two Agendas for Bioethics: Critique and Integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Jeremy R

2015-07-01

Many bioethicists view the primary task of bioethics as 'value clarification'. In this article, I argue that the field must embrace two more ambitious agendas that go beyond mere clarification. The first agenda, critique, involves unmasking, interrogating, and challenging the presuppositions that underlie bioethical discourse. These largely unarticulated premises establish the boundaries within which problems can be conceptualized and solutions can be imagined. The function of critique, then, is not merely to clarify these premises but to challenge them and the boundaries they define. The second agenda, integration, involves honoring and unifying what is right in competing values. Integration is the morally ideal response to value conflict, offering the potential for transcending win/lose outcomes. The function of integration, then, is to envision actions or policies that not only resolve conflicts, but that do so by jointly realizing many genuine values in deep and compelling ways. My argument proceeds in stages. After critically examining the role and dominant status of value clarification in bioethical discourse, I describe the nature and value of the two agendas, identify concrete examples of where each has been and could be successful, and explain why a critical integrative bioethics--one that appreciates the joint necessity and symbiotic potential of the two agendas--is crucial to the future of the field. The ultimate goal of all of this is to offer a more compelling vision for how bioethics might conduct itself within the larger intellectual and social world it seeks to understand and serve. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Media Use, Political Participation and the Level of Digitization. A Comparative Analysis of EU Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Splendore

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses six rounds of the European Social Surveys (from 2000 to 2012 to explore how 1 media uses, 2 unconventional and 3 conventional (i.e. voting forms of political participation have changed in sixteen European countries. Additionally, the research considers one of the latest surveys to investigate the relation between media use and participation in the contemporary period characterized by open data and e-government. The level of digitization in each country is assessed according to its infrastructure, the legal framework (namely the Freedom of Information Act, the quality of the data available from the public administration, and e-government development in terms of online services. The research question is whether use of the Internet and the level of national digitization affect unconventional forms of political participation. The results demonstrate that both the country’s level of digitization at the macro level and the use of the Web at the individual level are co-determinants of the forms of political participation considered. However, the level of digitization does not affect voting.

The asymmetric effect of coal price on the China's macro economy using NARDL model

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, J. C.; Yang, M. C.

2016-08-01

The present work endeavors to explore the asymmetric effect of coal price on the China's macro economy by applying nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model for the period of January 2005 to June 2015. The obtained results indicate that the coal price has a strong asymmetric effect on China's macro economy in the long-run. Namely one percent increase in coal price leads to 0.6194 percent of the China's macro economy increase; and while the coal price is reduces by 1 percent, the China's macro economy will decrease by 0.008 percent. These data indicate that when coal price rises, the effect on China's macro economy is far greater than the price decline. In the short-run, coal price fluctuation has a positive effect on the China's macro economy.

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-02-01

This document is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considered action, and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

NRC regulatory agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

This document provides a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considering action, and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

NRC Regulatory Agenda: Quarterly report, July-September 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-11-01

The NRC Regulatory agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has proposed or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the commission and are pending disposition by the commission. The regulatory agenda is updated and issued each quarter

NRC regulatory agenda: Quarterly report, April--June 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-08-01

The NRC Regulatory Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has proposed or is considering action and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the Commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter

75 FR 79811 - Department Regulatory Agenda; Semiannual Summary

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-20

....S.C. 602), DOT's printed agenda entries include only: 1. The Agency's agenda preamble; 2. Rules that... Regulatory Flexibility Act. Printing of these entries is limited to fields that contain information required... transfer of the functions from the Office of Emergency Transportation (OET) to the Office of Intelligence...

Les agendas 21 locaux : quels apports sous quelles latitudes ?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyria Emelianoff

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Since the Rio conference, several thousands local agendas 21 have assisted the penetration of the concept of sustainable development at the local level. This article presents a synthesis of the approaches employed by local authorities in 9 European countries, with an emphasis on the benefits and limitations presented by the local agendas 21 in place. We characterised the specificities of French local authorities and determined the geographical dimensions of the mobilisation in favour of local agendas 21.

The political economy of redistribution in the U.S. in the aftermath of World War II and the delayed impacts of the Great Depression - Evidence and theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beetsma, R.; Cukierman, A.; Giuliodori, M.

2009-01-01

The paper presents evidence of an upward ratchet in transfers and taxes in the U.S. around World-War II. This finding is explained within a political-economy framework involving an executive who sets defense spending and the median voter in the population who interacts with a (richer) agenda setter

Populism and Anti-Establishment Politics in Kosovo: A Case Study of Lëvizja Vetëvendosje

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bilge Yabanci

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Few studies have systematically examined the rising political and social unrest in the Balkans. This paper investigates the local dynamics and consequences of widespread anti-establishment discontent in Kosovo through the analytical framework of populism. By focusing on the case of Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV, the paper sets out to consider two related questions: the unique populist style of the LVV and the complex reasons behind its electoral breakthrough and continuing support among various groups. Based on a qualitative documentary analysis of the party programme, manifesto, party publications, speeches of the leadership and interviews, the paper finds that the LVV successfully melds a populist political style, leftist/social democratic agenda and contentious politics as a means to disperse its message. The second part of the article offers three arguments to explain its appeal: structural factors (electoral availability and party system, societal dynamics (political and economic dissatisfaction and the agency of the LVV (internal organisation, cohesion and leadership. The article contributes to the thriving literature on populism through a novel empirical scope, and to the literature on Southeast Europe through a focus on local agency, voter preferences and party system.

The role of composting from the point of view of Agenda 21; Il ruolo del compostaggio nell'ottica dell'Agenda 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chierici, F.

1999-10-01

Agenda 21 is more and more often mentioned in debates and meetings dealing with environment, economy and development. How to actually make the aims enunciated in what is to be considered the next century programmatic document effective is, on the contrary, hardly outlined. The aim of this article is to help in making interaction between Agenda 21 and product reality more tangible and evident, specifically as far as composting is concerned. After an analytical description of the document, the points of contact between Agenda 21 and composting are identified: each one is highlighted through a rich bibliography. [Italian] L'Agenda 21 e' sempre piu' spesso ricordata all'interno dei dibattiti e degli incontri che trattano d'ambiente, economia e sviluppo. I modi attraverso i quali contestualizzare in pratica gli obiettivi enunciati in quello che va considerato come il documento programmatico del prossimo secolo sono invece spesso solo tratteggiati. Quest'articolo vuole essere percio' un contributo per rendere piu' tangibile e visibile l'interazione esistente tra l'Agenda 21 e la realta' produttiva; nel caso specifico il compostaggio. Dopo una descrizione analitica del documento, sono individuati in modo formale i punti di contatto tra gli obiettivi dell'Agenda 21 ed il compostaggio: ciascuno di loro e' messo in evidenza facendo riferimento ad un'ampia bibliografia.

A Utopian agenda in Child-Computer Interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Ole Sejer; Dindler, Christian

2012-01-01

While participatory techniques and practices have become commonplace in parts of the Child-Computer Interaction (CCI) related literature we believe that the tradition of Participatory Design has more to offer CCI. In particular, the Scandinavian Cooperative Design tradition, manifest through...... the Utopia project, provides a valuable resource for setting an agenda for CCI research that explicitly addresses ideals and values in research and practice. Based on a revisit of the Utopia project we position the ideals of democracy, skilfulness, and emancipation as the core ideals of a Utopian agenda...... and discuss how these resonate with issues and challenges in CCI research. Moreover, we propose that a Utopian agenda entails an explicit alignment between these ideals, a participatory epistemology, and methodology in terms of tools and techniques in CCI practice....

Advancing the Agenda. IAEA Technical Co-operation in support of the Earth Summit's Agenda 21

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garner, Andy W.; Wedekind, Lothar

2001-09-01

The Earth Summit took place in September 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa to discuss the far-reaching goals of Agenda 21 - an ambitious and comprehensive plan of action covering all spheres of social, economic, and human development affecting our environment. The Summit - officially named the World Summit on Sustainable Development - was expected to attract more than 60,000 national and international delegates, including heads of State and leaders of major organizations and institutes. Agenda 21 was among the documents that governments adopted at the first Earth Summit in 1992, officially known as the UN Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

High macro rubber band ligature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José A. Reis Neto

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The goal of a rubber band ligature is to promote fibrosis of the submucosa with subsequent fixation of the anal epithelium to the underlying sphincter. Following this principle, a new technique of ligature was developed based on two aspects: 1. macro banding: to have a better fibrosis and fixation by banding a bigger volume of mucosa and 2. higher ligature: to have this fixation at the origin of the hemorrhoidal cushion displacement. Methods: 1634 patients with internal hemorrhoidal disease grade II or III were treated by the technique called high macro rubber band. There was no distinction as to age, gender or race. To perform this technique a new hemorrhoidal device was specially designed with a larger diameter and a bigger capacity for mucosal volume aspiration. It is recommended to utilize a longer and wider anoscope to obtain a better view of the anal canal, which will facilitate the injection of submucosa higher in the anal canal and the insertion of the rubber band device. The hemorrhoidal cushion must be banded higher in the anal canal (4 cm above the pectinate line. It is preferable to treat all the hemorrhoids in one single session (maximum of three areas banded. Results: The analysis was retrospective without any comparison with conventional banding. The period of evaluation extended from one to twelve years. The analysis of the results showed perianal edema in 1.6% of the patients, immediate tenesmus in 0.8%, intense pain (need for parenteral analgesia in 1.6%, urinary retention in 0.1% of the patients and a symptomatic recurrence rate of 4.2%. All patients with symptomatic recurrence were treated with a new session of macro rubber banding. None of the patients developed anal or rectal sepsis. Small post-ligature bleeding was observed only in 0.8% of the patients. Conclusions: The high macro rubber banding technique represents an alternative method for the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease grades II or III, with good

Reflection on the Development of a Research Agenda in Rural Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Bourke

2015-09-01

Full Text Available There is a dearth of literature on how research agendas have been developed. In this article, the authors reflect on the process of developing a research agenda through a case study of a rural health university centre. The aim is to contribute to understanding how a team can effectively plan research. Two leaders of the process, as well as academics external to the process, reflected on the experience and the outcome of the agenda development process. Reflections focused on three areas: (a engagement levels, (b power and influence, and (c interpretation of the research agenda. First, while there was passionate discussion at meetings and afterward, engagement levels varied. Second, the process was imbued with power and influence at multiple levels. Finally, the availability of a conceptual framework to contextualise rural and remote health research helped in interpreting the significance of the resulting research agenda. The article concludes with contrasting thoughts on the place of research agendas within contemporary neoliberal regimes of research management.

Expression, purification and crystallization of the SARS-CoV macro domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malet, Hélène; Dalle, Karen; Brémond, Nicolas; Tocque, Fabienne; Blangy, Stéphanie; Campanacci, Valérie; Coutard, Bruno; Grisel, Sacha; Lichière, Julie; Lantez, Violaine; Cambillau, Christian; Canard, Bruno; Egloff, Marie-Pierre

2006-01-01

The SARS-CoV macro domain was expressed, purified and crystallized. Selenomethionine-labelled crystals diffracted to 1.8 Å resolution. Macro domains or X domains are found as modules of multidomain proteins, but can also constitute a protein on their own. Recently, biochemical and structural studies of cellular macro domains have been performed, showing that they are active as ADP-ribose-1′′-phosphatases. Macro domains are also present in a number of positive-stranded RNA viruses, but their precise function in viral replication is still unknown. The major human pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) encodes 16 non-structural proteins (nsps), one of which (nsp3) encompasses a macro domain. The SARS-CoV nsp3 gene region corresponding to amino acids 182–355 has been cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. The crystals belong to space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 37.5, b = 55.6, c = 108.9 Å, β = 91.4°, and the asymmetric unit contains either two or three molecules. Both native and selenomethionine-labelled crystals diffract to 1.8 Å

Plasma membrane partitioning: from macro-domains to new views on plasmodesmata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yohann eBoutté

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Compartmentalization of cellular functions relies on partitioning of domains of diverse sizes within the plasma membrane (PM. Macro-domains measure several micrometers and contain specific proteins concentrated to specific sides (apical, basal and lateral of the PM conferring a polarity to the cell. Cell polarity is one of the driving forces in tissue and growth patterning. To maintain macro-domains within the PM, eukaryotic cells exert diverse mechanisms to counteract the free lateral diffusion of proteins. Protein activation/inactivation, endocytosis, PM recycling of transmembrane proteins and the role of diffusion barriers in macro-domains partitioning at PM will be discussed. Moreover, as plasmodesmata (PDs are domains inserted within the PM which also mediate tissue and growth patterning, it is essential to understand how segregation of specific set of proteins is maintained at PDs while PDs domains are smaller in size compared to macro-domains. Here, we will present mechanisms allowing restriction of proteins at PM macrodomains, but for which molecular components have been found in PDs proteome. We will explore the hypothesis that partitioning of macro-domains and PDs may be ruled by similar mechanisms.

Expression, purification and crystallization of the SARS-CoV macro domain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malet, Hélène; Dalle, Karen; Brémond, Nicolas; Tocque, Fabienne; Blangy, Stéphanie; Campanacci, Valérie; Coutard, Bruno; Grisel, Sacha; Lichière, Julie; Lantez, Violaine; Cambillau, Christian; Canard, Bruno; Egloff, Marie-Pierre, E-mail: marie-pierre.egloff@afmb.univ-mrs.fr [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Universités d’Aix-Marseille I et II, UMR 6098, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 6098-Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 9 (France)

2006-04-01

The SARS-CoV macro domain was expressed, purified and crystallized. Selenomethionine-labelled crystals diffracted to 1.8 Å resolution. Macro domains or X domains are found as modules of multidomain proteins, but can also constitute a protein on their own. Recently, biochemical and structural studies of cellular macro domains have been performed, showing that they are active as ADP-ribose-1′′-phosphatases. Macro domains are also present in a number of positive-stranded RNA viruses, but their precise function in viral replication is still unknown. The major human pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) encodes 16 non-structural proteins (nsps), one of which (nsp3) encompasses a macro domain. The SARS-CoV nsp3 gene region corresponding to amino acids 182–355 has been cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. The crystals belong to space group P2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 37.5, b = 55.6, c = 108.9 Å, β = 91.4°, and the asymmetric unit contains either two or three molecules. Both native and selenomethionine-labelled crystals diffract to 1.8 Å.

Climate politics in the Lower Mekong Basin. National interests and transboundary cooperation on climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baadsgaard Lange, R.; Moerck Jensen, K.

2013-09-01

Climate change is expected to intensify water security concerns in international river basins. UNFCCC and DAC-donors have been important generators of political attention to the climate agenda among governments in the Mekong Basin in relation to regional cooperation, national policy-making and capacity building. However, the formal commitment to climate action is not necessarily reflected in the everyday business of development. In this paper we use a political economy approach to understand when and how climate change becomes a political priority for the governments of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, and for transboundary cooperation. Uneven distribution of climate hazards and vulnerabilities create different national risk perceptions and commitment to climate action. Donor funding and national development strategies are also strong drivers of climate action and inaction. Climate change is sometimes used as a scapegoat for domestic policy failures and as a tool to acquire donor funding. We recommend prioritizing climate action in the context of immediate development challenges and 'no regrets' interventions that are likely to enhance adaptive capacity and governments' commitment. (Author)

In Search of a Sustainable Economic Development Agenda in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In Search of a Sustainable Economic Development Agenda in Ghana since ... for a sustainable economic development agenda to better the lives of her citizens. ... that could surpass all interests to guide the country‟s development course.

"Place" as an integrating concept in natural resource politics: propositions for a social science research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Antony S. Cheng; Linda E. Kruger; Steven E. Daniels

2003-01-01

This article lays out six propositions centering on a relationship between peopleplace connections and strategic behavior in natural resource politics. The first two propositions suggest a strong and direct connection between self-identity, place, and how individuals perceive and value the environment. The third, fourth, and fifth propositions tie together social group...

Framing, agenda setting, and disease phobia of AIDS-related coverage in the South Korean mass media.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Minsoo

2013-01-01

There has been little research on the concrete role of the press in discourses on AIDS. This study investigated the AIDS discourses created by the major media. In particular, from the perspective of the agenda-setting theory, it examines differences in the framing of AIDS-related news depending on the political orientation and news sources of the press. This study analyzed the thematic frames and news sources implied by AIDS-related coverage. The 2 major media representing conservatism and progressivism were selected as the objects of analysis. As for the search engine for content analysis, the Korean Integrated Newspaper Database System was used, and 151 articles containing "AIDS" or "HIV" over 5 years from January 2005 to December 2010 were analyzed. According to the results of the analysis, there were the 6 following frames: aid/support, accident, human rights, risk, prevention, and biomedicine. Whereas the conservative press in South Korea continued to frame AIDS in the traditional way, the progressive press tended relatively more often to attempt new agenda setting, from the perspective of human rights and inequality. However, both newspaper companies tended mostly to select experts as the sources of AIDS news, thus continuing to exclude infectees and civil and society organizations.

The science and politics of targeting: who gets what, when, and how.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelletier, David L

2005-04-01

Targeting has been defined as a method by which goods, services, or other programmatic actions are delivered to groups or individuals who have specific characteristics. Similarly, politics refers to the social processes that determine who gets what, when, and how. This similarity suggests there may be utility in undertaking an explicit analysis of how the science and the politics of targeting relate to one another. Accordingly, this article outlines a technical/scientific framework regarding targeting and, using one element of this framework [sensitivity and specificity analysis], demonstrates that recent shifts in politics and policy in the United States can be more clearly understood when viewed from this angle. Then, the article outlines a basic framework on politics and uses it to demonstrate that one of the most fundamental features of our training, practices, and outlook (specialization) holds obvious benefits for advancing research but has three undesirable effects in the realm of policy: 1) it directly or indirectly encourages narrow, partial solutions to complex problems, some of which may have unintended effects on health or well-being for the very people we seek to help; 2) it creates a cumulative demand for research dollars, specialized interventions, and policy attention that far exceeds available resources and capabilities; and 3) it often prevents us from developing and advancing the common agendas and mutual support required to be effective in political and policy realms. The article concludes that more explicit analysis along these lines could strengthen our effectiveness in the policy realm.

The histone variant macroH2A is an epigenetic regulator of key developmental genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buschbeck, Marcus; Uribesalgo, Iris; Wibowo, Indra

2009-01-01

The histone variants macroH2A1 and macroH2A2 are associated with X chromosome inactivation in female mammals. However, the physiological function of macroH2A proteins on autosomes is poorly understood. Microarray-based analysis in human male pluripotent cells uncovered occupancy of both macroH2A ...

78 FR 44325 - Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-23

... developed under the guidelines of Executive Order 12866 ``Regulatory Planning and Review.'' GSA's purpose in publishing this agenda is to allow interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking process... Internet has been the basic means for disseminating the Unified Agenda. The complete Unified Agenda will be...

Implementing WIPO's Development Agenda

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... does not (or does no longer) reflect the real purpose of the Development Agenda. .... I appreciate their sacrifices during the time I spent writing, editing, and ... during the many days I was travelling for project-related meetings and events.

The MARKAL-MACRO model and the climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kypreos, S.

1996-07-01

MARKAL-MACRO and its extensions is a model appropriate to study partial and general equilibrium in the energy markets and the implications of the carbon dioxide mitigation policy. The main advantage of MM is the explicit treatment of energy demand, supply and conversion technologies, including emission control and conservation options, within a general equilibrium framework. The famous gap between top-down and bottom-up models is resolved and the economic implications of environmental and supply policy constraints can be captured either in an aggregated (Macro) or in a sectorial (Micro) level. The multi-regional trade version of the model allows to study questions related to efficient and equitable allocation of cost and benefits associated with the climate change issue. Finally, the stochastic version of the model allows to assess policies related to uncertain and even catastrophic effects and define appropriate hedging strategies. The report is divided in three parts: - the first part gives an overview of the new model structure. It describes its macro economic part and explains its calibration, - the second part refers to the model applications for Switzerland when analyzing the economic implications of curbing CO 2 emissions or policies related to the introduction of a carbon tax, including a hedging strategy, - the last part is organized in form of Appendices and gives a mathematical description and some potential extensions of the model. It describes also a sensitivity analysis done with MARKAL-MACRO in 1992. (author) figs., tabs., refs

Showdown at implementation gap: The failure of Agenda 21

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherr, J.; Barnhizer, D.

1997-09-01

Agenda 21, the most impressive and ambitious of all agreements and documents adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit was analyzed. The authors concluded that despite its lofty objectives as the blueprint for sustainable development, Agenda 21 was unworkable because it was too broad, impractical and complicated, and imposed an unrealistic task on governments. They blame this lack of focus as the principal reason for the very large implementation gap between the Agenda`s rhetoric and reality. Their recommendation is that Agenda 21 as it now stands should be scrapped and replaced by a new agreement. The new agreement should be more modest, more focused, more flexible and more realistic. At the same time, the authors readily admit that Agenda 21 has had some true benefits. These include widespread citizen participation, consciousness raising among government decision makers and private-sector stakeholders. There has been an improved understanding of concerns by decision makers and enhanced communication across sectors. The development of standards and indicators by which to evaluate and compare conditions and progress have been made. Other benefits are the expansion and greater diffusion of the ethical and value dimensions of sustainable development. Nevertheless, the authors appear convinced that what governments need most at this point is not a comprehensive blueprint but a concrete, focused, realistic, limited and prioritized list of specific policies and actions. If accomplished, these will represent significant advances toward the ideal of sustainable development.

Political, religious and occupational identities in context: placing identity status paradigm in context.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomontos-Kountouri, Olga; Hurry, Jane

2008-04-01

This study critically contrasts global identity with domain-specific identities (political, religious and occupational) and considers context and gender as integral parts of identity. In a cross-sectional survey, 1038 Greek Cypriot adolescents (449 boys and 589 girls, mean age 16.8) from the three different types of secondary schools (state, state technical and private) and from different SES completed part of the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2 (EOMEIS-2). The macro-context of Greek Cypriot society is used to understand the role of context in adolescents' identities. Results showed that Greek Cypriot young people were not in the same statuses across their global, political, religious and occupational identities. This heterogeneity in the status of global identity and of each identity domain is partially explained by differences in gender, type of school and SES (socio-economic status). The fact that identity status is found to be reactive to context suggests that developmental stage models of identity status should place greater emphasis on context.

PETRO.CALC.PLOT, Microsoft Excel macros to aid petrologic interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Sidder, G.B.

1994-01-01

PETRO.CALC.PLOT is a package of macros which normalizes whole-rock oxide data to 100%, calculates the cation percentages and molecular proportions used for normative mineral calculations, computes the apices for ternary diagrams, determines sums and ratios of specific elements of petrologic interest, and plots 33 X-Y graphs and five ternary diagrams. PETRO.CALC.PLOT also may be used to create other diagrams as desired by the user. The macros run in Microsoft Excel 3.0 and 4.0 for Macintosh computers and in Microsoft Excel 3.0 and 4.0 for Windows. Macros provided in PETRO.CALC.PLOT minimize repetition and time required to recalculate and plot whole-rock oxide data for petrologic analysis. ?? 1994.

NRC Regulatory Agenda quarterly report, July--September 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-10-01

The NRC Regulator Agenda is a compilation of all rules on which the NRC has recently completed action, or has proposed action, or is considering action, and all petitions for rulemaking which have been received by the commission and are pending disposition by the Commission. The Regulatory Agenda is updated and issued each quarter