Comparing the effectiveness of respondent-driven sampling and quota sampling in migration research

We evaluate the effectiveness in empirical migration research of the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and the quota sampling with regard to four criteria: quality of the data; sociometric diversity of the sample; geographic coverage of the sample; and cost-effectiveness. We review two surveys of ex-USSR migrants, conducted simultaneously in the Warsaw metropolitan area, each undertaken with the use of one of the two sampling methods. We find that although the RDS was considerably costlier, it enabled faster data collection and posed a lower risk of underestimating the cost of the survey. We also find that the RDS generated higher-quality data, and that it was more successful in surveying short-term circular migrants. This comparative evaluation contributes to the literature on social research methods in that it links the sampling methods with the quality and character of the data, and helps assess the usefulness and applicability of RDS in empirical migration studies.     

Days of Labour: Topographies of Power in Modern Peripheral Capitalism. The Case of The Industrial City of Łódź

The article investigates the city of ?ód? as an exceptional case of a settlement constitutive of different kinds and techniques of power typical of nineteenth century industrial capitalism. We consider Foucault's disciplinary power/biopower through the convergence of the paternalistic gaze of the factory owner, and the Tsarist rule in the Scheibler and Grohman industrial establishment and the nearby workers housing estate. The aim of this article is to investigate a specific locus of peripheral capitalism and the relations accompanying it through the Foucauldian analysis of power. We argue that unique and unstable patterns of correlation of power techniques emerged here. Power is no longer strictly related to the temporal matrix or the functional demands of capitalist production, and only temporarily ossified in contingent configurations. While Foucault's canonical theoretical premises and concepts are of explanatory value, the very relations between them become problematic when confronted with the particular entanglement in ?ód?. Therefore we opt for the new paradigm of power analysis through S. J. Collier's “topological analysis”.     

Sleeping with a Vampire

The research explores the narrative frames of recent vampire TV and cinematic stories with a special focus on the construction of gender relations and female agency in order to determine whether these narratives conjure up any liberating or empowering potential for their audience. The most significant elements of vampire fiction are taken into account: the central position of the heroine, power relations, love triangles, and the objectification of male characters. The identified common patterns both reflect and generate a crucial shift in Western sexual politics; at the same time, they address the burning concerns this shift has aroused, invoking the anthropological concept of “reflexivity.” The analysis is further couched in the debate on female empowerment and post-feminist gender representations in popular culture, including the idea of sexual subjectivity and a diagnosis of post-feminism as “double entanglement.” The described changes within the contemporary vampire narratives should not be, however, simplified as new forms of sexist discourse.     

On Old-Fashioned Versus Modern Homonegativity Distinction: Evidence From Poland

Psychological research on prejudice against homosexuals distinguishes between old-fashioned (traditional) and modern (contemporary) homonegativity, which differ with regard to their content, correlates, and consequences. The current research offers evidence for the validity of old-fashioned versus modern homonegativity distinction in the post-communist, East European context. In Studies 1 and 2 (Ns = 295 and 327, respectively) the Polish adaptations of the non-gendered and gendered Homonegativity Scale (Morrison, Parriag, & Morrison, 1999) and the Modern Homonegativity Scale (Morrison & Morrison, 2003) were developed. Furthermore, divergent (discriminant) validity of traditional and contemporary anti-homosexual prejudice was demonstrated. Old-fashioned and modern homonegativity exhibited differential relationships with social distance and support for same-sex couples’ relational rights.     

The Role of Facebook Intrusion,Depression, and Future Time Perspective in Sleep Problems Among Adolescents

The main aim of the study was to examine the determinants of sleep problems including Facebook intrusion, depression, and future time perspective. The participants were 426 adolescents, aged M = 14.68. The Future Time Perspective Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire, and the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale were used. It was found that FTP goals were a negative predictor of Facebook intrusion and depression was a positive predictor of Facebook intrusion and sleep problems. Additionally, Facebook intrusion turned out to contribute positively to sleep problems. The results contribute to knowledge on excessive social media use and its relations with mental health; they can be applied in the treatment of addictive social media use.     

Amphibians in an urban environment: a case study from a central European city (Wrocław,Poland)

Urban Ecosystems - In 2016, we studied the occurrence of amphibians in 231 selected ponds in the city of Wroc?aw (Lower Silesia, Poland) and confirmed the occurrence of 10 species: Bombina...     

The Polish Social Enterprise Sector Vis-à-Vis the Welfare Regime: Following on the Solidarity Movement?

This paper presents the development of the enterprise sector and the welfare regime in Poland, dominated by two opposing trends originating from the country’s recent history: remnants of the “Communist welfare state” and liberal tendencies that came after the political and economic transformation in 1989. The growing civil society that supplements a deficient welfare system finds its roots in the peaceful underground Solidarity movement of the 1980s which played a great role in liberating Poland. After the political turnover, the Solidarity’s mission-driven approach not only survived, but also helped shape Poland’s contemporary civil society. The outlined mechanisms seem to be significant for understanding the transformation of social economy and the welfare state concept in post-communist Europe. In our paper, we identify six mechanisms underlying the Solidarity movement, which, when subsequently implemented by social entrepreneurs, has guaranteed the success of their organizations. We will also characterize the current welfare state in Poland, as well as the role of social enterprises in filling the gaps and addressing the shortcomings of the welfare state. Several case studies will illustrate the latter.     

“There Is Nothing Like a Family”: Discourses on Families of Choice in Poland

In this article we showed how the notion of heteronormative citizenship embedded in the Polish Constitution was (re)produced in the public sphere, and how heteronormativity as an ideal was slowly undermined by the emergence of new narratives on LGBT families. We did so by first conducting a critical reading of the Polish Constitution, public opinion polls, national censuses, and so forth. Then we presented the results of a discourse analysis on families of choice in Poland from crucial public debates of the last decade. Through this we identified the main public strategies of silencing and excluding, its dynamics, main actors, possible changes, and shifts over time. The results of the research showed the change that occurred in the public discourse on LGBT families in the last decades in Poland moving from defining family in very conservative and traditional terms at the beginning of the 2000s to a more open definition of family in 2010–2011. However, they also demonstrate some undesired alliances among supporters and opponents of same-sex partnership and possible dangers of some strategies used by LGBT activists.     

Knitting an action net to reduce plastic waste: reusable takeout food containers in New York City

ABSTRACT

The paper presents an analysis of actions undertaken to promote and implement reusable takeout food containers in New York City in response to the overuse of plastic disposable single-use containers. It discusses, in detail, the emergence of an action net around this issue and business models for reusables. The paper contributes to the theoretical discussion on network emergence by analyzing the formation and axiological tensions within the action net. Currently, market solutions are the only ones exercised and perceived as achievable by network participants, who consider market conditions as both given and unchallengeable. The paper argues that chances for network expansion depend on network participants’ perceptions of the limitations of social change.     

Public Awareness of Responsible Gambling and Gambling Behaviours in Ontario

This study reports the findings of a general population telephone survey (N =2500) conducted in Ontario, which was designed to examine behaviour, knowledge and attitudes related to responsible and problem gambling using a combination of closed- and open-ended questions. When asked to identify ‘signs and symptoms of problem gambling’ or to define responsible gambling, most respondents focused on financial issues suggesting that the general population has a very narrow view of the issue of problem gambling. The majority (65.8%) are not aware of any initiatives to reduce problem gambling; however, we found that people who participate in slots and instant lotteries were more likely to report being aware of initiatives to reduce problem gambling. These findings suggest that people do notice the presence of the help-line number on tickets and slot machines. The survey also examined responsible gambling behaviour and biases in beliefs about gambling.