A Network-Based Measure of the Socio-Economic Roots of the Migration Flows

Social Indicators Research - This paper provides a unified view for defining a measure of the reasons behind migration flows whose nature is of social and economic type. To this aim, worldwide...     

Market potential, European Union and growth

The successive enlargements of the European Union have implied an important increase of the market where European firms can supply their products. In this paper we analyze the influence of this process on the economic growth of EU members by including the market potential as a scale indicator in a Solow-type model. The main results are: first, the integration in the EU, specially for new members, explain a substantial fraction of subsequent growth (between 15% and 40%); second, this effect diminishes over time; third, the GDP of new members appears to have a greater positive influence than its population; and fourth, peripheral countries and those less open to trade are in a worse position to appropriate such benefits.     

Analisis de la Etiqueta “Delincuente” Como Criterio Clasificador en una Muestra de Mujeres

Resumen

Se realiza en primer lugar una breve revisión de algunas de las variables utilizadas en la literatura para diferenciar a los sujetos delincuentes de los no delincuentes, prestando especial atención a aquellas que se han empleado en el estudio de la mujer delincuente; se concluye en la introducción de este artículo que la mayoría de los autores encuentran diferencias significativas a nivel psicológico entre ambas poblaciones. Se planea a continuación un estudio en el que se trata de demostrar la falsedad de tal afirmación, debido a la gran disparidad de los sujetos empleados en otros estudios (muestras de control no sólo no delincuente, sino de distinta clase social, nivel cultural, edad, etc.). Controladas dichas variables, se realiza una comparación de mujeres delincuentes y no delincuentes en las variables siguientes: inteligencia cuantitativa, sinceridad, neuroticismo, extraversión y “locus of control”, encontrándose apoyo para la hipótesis inicial (no hubo diferencias significativas entre ambos grupos), menos en la variable inteligencia cualitativa, resultado explicable por el hecho de que la muestra de mujeres delincuentes estaba en prisión.     

Gender role identity in a sample of Italian male homosexuals

Gender role is a multifactorial concept, as gender-related attitudes, behaviors, and personality are partially autonomous. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalent gender role identity in a sample of male homosexuals. One hundred male homosexuals and 50 male heterosexuals matched for age and sex, have been assessed with the Italian version of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974). Statistically significant differences have been found between the two groups at the dimensions "Masculine" (z = 1.963; p = 0.001) and "Androgyny" (z = 2.367; p < 0.0001). The results obtained from the present study tend to confirm that homosexuals view themselves as adrogynous individuals, sharing both features of masculine and feminine gender roles.     

Theory of Mind and Peer Rejection at School

Little research into children's theory of mind has focused on links with social deficits, with exception of research into the rare condition of autism. However, other studies have analysed theory of mind ability in less severe and less rare social deficits, such as children with conduct disorders or bullying at school. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how social experiences within the peer system are linked to understanding of mind, adopting a sociocultural view of theory of mind development. Peer-rejected children, 4–6 years old, lacking positive social experiences with their peers, are compared with popular and average children in theory of mind tasks performance. Results showed that peer-rejected children presented a similar performance to average children in all theory of mind tasks, with the exception of some figurative language tasks (White Lie), and the presence of socio cognitive aggressive biases. It cannot be said from these results that peer rejected children showed a deficit in the ability of mentalizing. However, a kind of theory of 'nasty minds' may be present in these rejected children.     

Evaluating the Quality of Urban Development Plans Promoted by the European Union: The URBAN and URBANA Initiatives in Spain (1994–2013)

Since the 1990s, the European Union has launched different programs to promote urban development plans. Implementation and outcomes evaluations have resulted in a “European urban acquis” concerning the importance of comprehensiveness, collaborative governance, and participation to promote “good plans.” However, the evaluation of the quality of local plans, has received less attention. This article analyses quality of local plans developed under the framework of European Policies in Spain applying the plan quality evaluation approach, as well as factors explaining quality levels of these local plans. A scale to measure plan quality is proposed based on five main dimensions (fact base, objectives, policy actions, plan governance, evaluation). 64 local plans are analyzed applying content analysis. RgW and AD tests are used to measure codification reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is used to assess the validity of plan quality scale. Lineal regression is applied to analyze the impact of different aspects of planning process included in the ‘European urban acquis’ on plan quality. Main results show that CFA validates the scale proposed to measure local plan quality as a second-order factor; and point out objectives and policy actions as the most important first-order factors. Public participation during planning process, and more comprehensive plan across different policy areas, are the main factors explaining ‘good plans’. Therefore, the importance of the ‘European urban acquis,’ is confirmed in order to produce ‘good’ urban development plans; and the article provides a validated scale to evaluate the quality of urban development plans, and their main dimensions.

     

La participación en los grupos sociales: elaboración de un sistema mediante ordenador para su análisis y control (A.C.P.)

Resumen

La finalidad de este informe es proporcionar datos sobre un nuevo instrumento para la observación de grupos y posibles aplicaciones.