Digital media,subcultural activity and youth participation: the cases of protest rap and graffiti in Portugal

Over the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of an academic debate surrounding the relationship between youth and the ‘new media’, with a particular emphasis on the social uses of different digital technologies within the sphere of youth activity. A specific area of research has been dedicated to studying the use of digital media in the context of the so-called youth subcultures. With this article we expect to contribute to this ongoing debate, by examining the problem through an analysis of two interconnected case studies: protest rap and illegal graffiti. Both cases may be defined as subcultures, insofar as they are characterized as alternative, subterranean, and to a certain extent, subversive movements. The empirical ground for this discussion is based on several investigations, with a qualitative basis, carried out by the authors in the course of over a decade in Portugal. This extended time frame allowed ample access to a diversified and matured analytical material and enabled a better perspective of the developments and the mutations involving the appropriation of the digital media. Our researches have shown that digital media and technologies have been gradually integrated in these urban youth subcultures, accomplishing several strategic roles.     

Activation and social inclusion: challenges and possibilities

The last two decades have seen an increasing focus on the activation of individuals receiving welfare benefits. This has entailed an attempt to transform employment assistance and social security systems to make them more employment‐friendly through the development of explicit linkages between social protection policies, labour market participation and labour market programs. At the same time there has been a growing interest in the concept of social inclusion, and social inclusion has been a commonly stated goal of activation programs. However, despite some synergies between these two approaches, in other respects it is not clear that they are always compatible. This paper explores the extent to which activation programs are central to the social inclusion approach and the similarities and differences between these approaches. It then briefly examines the evidence regarding the ability of activation programs to enhance social inclusion.     

Area-based urban regeneration comparing Denmark and Japan

In this paper, we study the characteristics and results of two different approaches to urban regeneration which we have termed ‘Metagovernance’ and ‘Pluricentric coordination’ following. We studied this through a comparative study of area-based, participatory urban regeneration projects in Denmark and Japan, representing each one approach. The paper aims to clarify results of the two approaches in terms of five aspects of urban regeneration, relevant to the process and results: (1) strategic spatial improvement, (2) influence of the legal system and transparency of the processes, (3) empowerment of citizens and diversity of participants, (4) innovative capacity (diversity and creativity of the projects) and (5) continuity and flexibility of the projects. The paper concludes that each approach has strengths and weaknesses and that each country can learn from the other to strengthen future participatory urban regeneration.     

城市老年人社区参与的现状及原因探析

在社区参与的实践中,老年人已成为积极而重要的力量。在社区自治程度较高、社区居委会等社区组织能够发挥核心组织力量的社区,老年人社区参与的积极性较高,而且社区参与的形式也丰富多样,主要包括文体娱乐性参与、志愿性参与和自治性参与。老年人社区参与的积极性较高,其中存在多方面原因。可以从老年人的社区参与所具备的个人条件、社区参与的收益以及社区认同感与归属感等角度进行分析。     

西北欠发达民族地区农民的政治参与研究——以甘藏沟村为例

政治参与是普通公民通过各种合法方式参加政治生活,并影响政治体系的构成、运行方式、运行规则和政策过程的行为。研究发现,经济发展缓慢,农民文化程度低等因素的影响,西北欠发达民族地区农民的政治参与度较低。应大力发展经济和教育,提高地方政府绩效,使农民的政治参与向着制度化、有序化的方向健康发展。     

政府监管与企业加入第三方国际环境审计的模糊博弈分析

针对政府环境监管与企业实施环境行为博弈分析中无法对双方的损益情况做出判断的问题,文章结合三角模糊数构建了政府监管和企业加入第三方国际环境审计的博弈模型,分别指出了纯策略纳什均衡和混合策略均衡情况需要满足的条件,讨论了政府与污染环境企业博弈策略的影响因素及作用机制,为政府监管与企业加入第三方国际环境审计顺利实施提供了相关建议。然后通过三角结构元方法对算例进行求解,验证了结论的正确性和可行性,引入三角模糊概念更加符合实际应用情况,拓展了第三方国际环境审计的应用背景。研究结果表明,政府对消费者消费的引导和对污染企业的惩罚对企业是否决定加入第三方国际环境审计起着举足轻重的作用。     

冲突与达鹄:公众参与视野下的长三角公共冲突事件分析——基于2010-2012年的案例

以2010-2012年发生在长三角的公共冲突事件为例,运用案例比较分析方法,对公众参与和公共冲突事件的关系进行分析。研究发现:长三角地区的公共冲突事件起因多与公众的经济权益受损相关,作为中间变量,社会公众往往以非制度化参与致使冲突升级为"威胁","迫使"上级政府出面协调各方利益并终止公共冲突。分析表明:赋予并落实公众公共事务参与权利,有助于解决中国当前面临的公共冲突问题。     

农民工城市融入的组织化实践

不同于既有农民工城市融入研究中的宏观制度主义视角,也区别于单一组织微观实践路径的研究取向,文章基于粤南沙镇的实地调研经验,总结提炼出“半正式组织”这一新型实践类型,有助于弥合既有研究中的宏观与微观鸿沟。“半正式组织”是对现代组织“正式与非正式”二元对立框架的尝试性超越,在组织结构、成员关系、资源链接方式等方面均呈现新特征,其形成机制可概括为党建引领、组织挂靠与领袖吸纳。“半正式组织”的实践功效表现为助推农民工在流入地提升经济机会,增强政治参与,链接公共服务,扩展群体社会交往,因而成为现阶段有限制度供给和市民化成本分摊机制不均衡情境下,实现农民工城市融入的新路径。     

公民参与:我国政府决策民主化的应有之义

现代民主理论的产生,为公民参与政府决策奠定了理论基础.就目前我国的实际情况而言,公民在意见表达、参与水平、及参与的影响力等方面存在很多问题,应从公民参与的制度层面、政治文化层面、组织规模层面提高公民参与政府决策的水平,特别是要保持公民参与和政府承受力之间的平衡.     

Rhetoric and Reality of Economic Self-sufficiency Among Rural,Low-Income Mothers: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined the contributions of maternal labor force participation and marital status on economic self-sufficiency over time for rural mothers. Data were from 174 rural families participating in three waves of data collection in Rural Families Speak. χ ² and multiple logistic regression were utilized. Results revealed only one-third of mothers moved toward economic self-sufficiency over three years. Maternal education, employment status, and weekly work hours were associated with improved economic well-being. Compared to single-parent families, unmarried-couple and married-couple families had increased odds of improving economically. In an analysis of all mothers with partners, married or unmarried, martial status was not significant in economic improvement. Findings suggest the role of marriage in welfare reform for rural families should be reconsidered.