Spatial turn,beyond geography: a new Agenda for sciences of religion?

Relying on a review of recent literature (and, sometimes, older publications), this paper attempts to highlight issues relating to the ‘spatial turn’ in religious studies. It outlines a series of developments in the study of religions related to issues in space, location and territory that have been enhanced by the intellectual framework of globalism and the empirical context of globalization. The challenges of such a geographic focus on religions are epistemological, theoretical and methodological. An examination of new and not-so-new issues in geographic approaches to religion shows how topical the perspective is, and how necessary it is to think the geography of religion beyond the boundaries of geography. In what ways do these new regimes of territoriality, these new concepts of religious space, and these new methods to understand the changes of material and cultural expressions of religion, whether wide-scale or local, partake on a paradigmatic shift? And how promising is it?     

Some tests of whether several samples are from identical populations

We observe s Independent samples, from unknown continuous distributions. The problem is to test the hypothesis that all the distributions are identical. The distribution of the numbers of observations from s-1 of the samples which fall in cells whose Boundaries are selected order statistics of the remaining sample, the number of cells increasing gradually with the sample sizes, is investigated. It is shown that under the null hypothesis and nearDy alternatives, as the sample sizes Increase these numbers of observations can be considered to be slightly rounded off normal random variables, the amount rounded off decreasing as sample sizes increase. Using these results, various tests of the hypothesis can be constructed and analyzed.     

Mitigating Hi-tech products risks due to rapid technological innovation

The risks on international trade have increased continuously in recent years. One such risk for Hi-tech products is the result of rapid technological innovation, which results in a significant decline in the component cost, the selling price and the demand (due to newer products introduction). The Hi-tech products include computers and communication consumer products. From a practical viewpoint, there is a need to develop an innovative replenishing policy to consider the impact of the risk. In this paper, an economic order quantity model with finite planning horizon is developed for a buyer, when the component cost, the selling price and the demand rate of the end-consumer decline at a continuous rate. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis for two case studies are carried out to illustrate this model.     

A production model for deteriorating items with stochastic preventive maintenance time and rework process with FIFO rule

Due to unreliable production facility and stochastic preventive maintenance, deriving an optimal production inventory decision in practice is very complicated. In this paper, we develop a production model for deteriorating items with stochastic preventive maintenance time and rework using the first in first out (FIFO) rule. From our literature search, no study has been done on the above problem. The problem is solved using a simple search procedure; this makes it more practical for use by industries. Two case examples using uniform and exponential distribution preventive maintenance time are applied. Examples and sensitivity analysis are conducted for each case. The results show that rework and preventive maintenance time have significant affected the total cost and the optimal production time. This provides helpful managerial insights to help management in making smart decisions.     

Optimal inventory model for items with imperfect quality and shortage backordering

In this study, we develop an optimal inventory model for items with imperfect quality and shortage backordering. Such implicit assumption is reasonable in view of the fact that poor-quality items do exist during production. They are usually picked up during the screening process and are withdrawn from stock instantaneously. It is assumed that all customers are willing to wait for new supply when there is a shortage. The analysis shows that our model is a generalization of the models in current literatures. An algorithm and numerical analysis developed show that our model always results in better performance.     

Does volunteer work pay off in the labor market?

Focusing on the investment motive for volunteer work, this paper examines whether volunteer work has an economic payoff upon the labor market in France. Using a switching regression model with endogenous switching, we find that in the public sector volunteers receive a positive wage premium that does not influence their involvement, while the premium is negative in the private sector. We also find little evidence of the presence of alternative types of returns on the labor market, such as employment mobility or entry into the labor market. Our findings are more consistent with a consumption motive and we suggest that volunteering is carried out with a relational purpose.     

Breaking Walls,Building Bridges: Expanding the Presence and Relevance of Rural Sociology*

Abstract Rural areas continue to face a series of challenges; many are likely to have profound impacts on the vitality of these places over the long term. Of central concern is whether the rural sociological enterprise, a potentially vital source of information and guidance on such diverse issues, will be able to effectively respond to such challenges. The author argues that in order to strengthen its relevance and viability in coming years, the rural sociological profession must embrace three important shifts. First, it must modify the manner in which it engages in the production of new knowledge by pursuing a more balanced portfolio of investments in disciplinary and transdisciplinary research. Second, it must take a bold step to build bridges to new entities whose missions, goals, and values closely align with those of the Rural Sociological Society. And third, it must take a more proactive role in generating quality, scientifically sound information that is aligned with the needs of federal and state policy communities, particularly information that can better articulate how policies are likely to impact rural people and places.     

The Functional Theory of Stratification: a Test of Some Structural Hypotheses*

A review of previous attempts to test hypotheses derived from the functional theory of stratification suggests that to test the theory as formulated by Davis and Moore, the unit of analysis must be the position rather than the individual: indices of the theoretical concepts must be measures of the stratification structure itself rather than perceptions of that structure: and a universe or representative sample of positions must be used to determine if the relationships specified by the theory are applicable throughout a society's labor force. This paper reports a test of the functional theory that attempts to meet these specifications. Three related models are deduced from the theory and tested: (a) a model in which functional importance and change in skill are presumed to antecede change in reward and change in prestige; (b) a second model in which the dependent variables are additionally influenced by the interaction of functional importance and change in skill; and (c) a third model in which possible reciprocal effects of functional importance and skill are estimated using longitudinal data. The predictions of the functional theory concerning the effects of functional importance are not supported by the data.     

Cycle écologique et cycle rituel: le cas d'un village andin

In the present article, the author examines the relationships existing between the ecological cycle and the ritual cycle of a Quechua-speaking community of the South Central Andes of Peru (Department of Ayacucho). His analysis takes into consideration a double dimension: the ecological (objective and subjective) and the spatio-temporal (physical and cultural). These two dimensions are seen as the essential basis for the elaboration of a dynamic model of analysis of the Andean communities. This model relies heavily on Murra's formulation of the “vertical” control of the ecology, and is exemplified by data the author and a Peruvian colleague, Salvador Palomino Flores, collected in 1969.