A field experiment on the impact of a prior donor’s social status on subsequent charitable giving

We study the effect of a prior donor on subsequent charitable giving in a natural field experiment and investigate in particular whether his social status matters for subsequent giving. To do so, we trailed a person asking for donations in Cologne’s streetcar network while (1) either implementing an initial donor or not and (2) varying the apparent social status of the initial donor. We find that other passengers are more prone to give when there is an initial donor, with this effect being amplified when he seems to have a high social status. Further analyses reveal that women tend to react stronger than men to the prior donor’s status.     

Who do you think they were? How family historians make sense of social position and inequality in the past

How do social comparisons over time shape perceptions of inequality? In thinking about subjective inequality, it is important to ask which social comparisons matter in establishing people's sense of relative social position and wider inequalities. These issues are discussed by drawing on a qualitative study of popular genealogy, which examines how people make sense of social position in the past, and explores how social change affects people's sense of social hierarchies. The gaze of family history promotes certain sorts of social comparisons, between ‘then and now’, and between immediate kin, which can flatten the sense of social hierarchies. However, the ability to determine social position also depends on the quality of information available, and how different practical engagements facilitate ‘sideways’ comparisons between contemporaries, affording different fields of vision on relative inequalities. On this evidence, when exploring subjective inequality it is necessary to examine when and how people engage in social comparison as part of everyday practical activities.     

Does deregulation decrease unemployment? An empirical analysis of the Spanish labour market

Spain underwent two major labour reforms in 2010 and 2012 under the assumption that deregulating the labour market and decentralizing collective bargaining would automatically reduce unemployment (deregulation hypothesis). This article highlights the impact of demand and the sectoral structure of the economy to explain the behaviour of this variable (structural hypothesis). Analysing subnational panel data, the authors assess the capacity of these two hypotheses to explain unemployment trends. Their results cast doubt on the deregulation hypothesis and indicate the importance of cyclical and structural factors.     

Does the sense of the geographic proximity of a requester influence donation? Three evaluations in field studies

It has been reported that familiarity or incidental similarities with a stranger influenced an individual’s behavior. However, the effect of the sense of geographical proximity believing that someone comes from the same area that somebody has never been examined. Three field experiments examined this effect on donations to humanitarian organizations. In the first study, participants were asked by a confederate to donate food products to a humanitarian organization. In Study 2, participants were asked by confederates to donate money for children. In Study 3, donation boxes were displayed in bakeries with a message that invited customers to donate money for children. In all the studies, participants were led to believe that they would be helping people in need or people who live in their national or local geographic area. Results showed that donations were higher in the geographical proximity condition. This “neighborhood effect” was discussed.     

Does the medium matter? A meta-analysis on using social media vs. traditional media in crisis communication

There has been a growing body of crisis communication research that treats social media as a critical variable, which might alter how people perceive and react to crisis communication messages. The meta-analysis of 8 studies (k = 22, n = 3209, combined n = 9703) compared the impact of social media vs. traditional media in crisis communication. Five studies (n = 1896) contained 8 relevant effect sizes on crisis responsibility, representing 3294 individuals. Seven studies (n = 3185) contained 14 relevant effect sizes on persuasiveness, representing 6409 individuals. Compared to traditional media, using social media significantly lessened consumers’ perceived crisis responsibility (r = -.134, 95 % CI -.212– -.054, p = .001). There was no significant difference between using traditional media and social media in crisis communication on persuasiveness (r = -.039, 95 % CI -.114– .035, p = .30). The moderator analysis indicated that for both crisis responsibility and persuasiveness, the effect size was more noticeable when an organization communicates with college students vs. non-student publics. The ability of social media in dampening crisis responsibility was more pronounced for fictitious organizations compared to real organizations. Compared to traditional media, social media was significantly more negative for preventable crisis, the influence was weak for accidental crisis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as directions for future research.     

A small world on feet of clay? A comparison of empirical small-world studies against best-practice criteria

Small-world studies were introduced by Milgram and others in the 1960s and 1970s. These studies, and a majority of variants conducted by others, display a number of methodological weaknesses that bias their results. While no explicit methodological standard exists for these studies, here I derive a number of best-practice criteria for small-world studies by pointing out mistakes of previous studies, and by applying methodological standards from other empirical research areas. Improving the methodology of letter referral studies is important, because such studies could still be useful in a number of contexts today, especially for the exploration of factors affecting targeted search processes.     

Do notional defined contribution accounts make sense as part of the old-age security mix for China?

Until quite recently, the Chinese pension system was an enterprise-based, pay-as-you-go, defined benefit scheme. In 1995, the decision was made to shift to a multi-pillar scheme that included a second funded defined contribution pillar. The transition is proving difficult. This article outlines an alternative second pillar that may make more sense for China, a pay-as-you-go notional defined contribution (NDC) pillar. This article has three goals: (1) to provide a brief history of pension policy in China, (2) to describe the NDC model, and (3) to assess the relative merits of the NDC alternative as a possible option for China.     

Does Internet use provide a deeper sense of political empowerment to the Less Educated?

In politics, there is an offline power imbalance between the Educated and the Less Educated caused, in part, by the fact that those individuals with more extensive levels of education are more equipped to influence the political process. This study analyses the impact of Internet use on this imbalance and investigates whether the disparity remains intact in the Digital Age. Accessibility to the Internet is somewhat agnostic to one’s education and may be a quick and cost-effective tool to affect the political process. This study employs the concept of online political efficacy (OPE), which is likely to impact online political participation (OPP), to test whether Internet use provokes a sense of political effectiveness in the less educated to a greater extent than those more educated. Internet Service Types, particularly social media, were found to be positively associated with OPE to a much greater extent among the less educated. These findings indicate that, as a result of an enhanced positive perception of the Internet from using the Internet Service Types, the less educated are likely to feel empowered to affect the political process to a greater degree than the educated. Such use, in turn, is more likely to lead the less educated to OPP. This flow in the context of Internet use and education levels was presented in the framework of the O-S-R-O-R model of communication effects. As such, Internet use has the potential to contribute toward an equalization of the offline power imbalance.     

People with sight impairment in the world of visual arts: does it make any sense?

Abstract

The article describes an educational and artistic project in Poland where individuals with sight impairments could learn more about visual arts through guided city tours around their greatest monuments, appreciation of art pieces and meetings with artists. During workshops, they could test their own artistic skills by creating tactile drawings, pottery sculptures, photographs and tactile picture book. The effects of their attempts were presented in a temporary exhibition in the contemporary art gallery (with an associated educational program). The exhibition was a significant experience both for the artists with visual impairments and the visitors. Through analysis of the structure and content of the artworks, the gallery visitors could understand more about the situation of people with sight impairments as they struggle with everyday tasks and how creative they are.     

A comment on ‘Reconstructing and re-conceptualising social work in the emerging milieu’

Abstract

The article by McDonald and Jones raises some very important issues for Australian social work, and identifies some of the key decisions that social workers in Australia will be required to make if their practice is to maintain some degree of relevance in the changing context of the early twenty-first century.     

Is a prosthetic arm customized PRADA? A critical perspective on the social aspects of prosthetic arms

The development of prosthetic arms has progressed dramatically over the last 100 years, from simple tools made of wood to arms that virtually imitate their biological counterparts. Investment in the development of prosthetic arms has also increased sharply, but the practicality of these arms is questionable. Prosthetic arms now cost between $5000 for a simpler type and over $100,000 for a neuro-prosthetic model in the United States. Considering that consumers of this technology are people with disabilities who are often vulnerable to poverty, such prices are at odds with the principle of maximum help and assistance to people with disabilities. In this article we call for the attention of governments and policy-makers, both in developing and developed countries, to consider social and policy barriers to developing and distributing prosthetic arms and to enact equal entitlement to prosthetic use despite one’s socioeconomic status.     

‘Understanding the effects of social capital on social innovation ecosystems in Latin America through the lens of Social Network Approach’

This paper explores the role of social capital in creating social innovation ecosystems and fostering social impact. We examine two cases, chosen for their pioneering experiences in the field of tackling poverty in Latin America: Socialab and Compartamos con Colombia. Focusing on their structure of interactions (through network-level and node-level indicators), we examine the structural characteristics of the two ecosystems studied. We then correlate relational data to study the association between perceived social impact and the structural aspects. Results confirm heterophilic ecosystems and high levels of perceived impact as good drivers for strengthening future collaborations.     

Who are the social media influencers? A study of public perceptions of personality

Social media influencers (SMIs) represent a new type of independent third party endorser who shape audience attitudes through blogs, tweets, and the use of other social media. A mature public relations literature has identified the characteristics of effective spokespersons, but relatively little is known about audience perceptions of the SMI. A q-sort technique identified core perceived attributes of four sample SMIs. A better understanding of the perceived personality of SMIs provides tools for optimizing an organization's SMI capital.     

Are curriculum decisions based on the evidence? How social work faculty members make choices in curriculum decisions

An important step in translating evidence-based practice and empirically supported interventions into large-scale service improvements is to develop an understanding of practitioners' education and training in these practices. This understanding begins with discovering the factors that influence the decision-making process by social work faculty regarding curriculum content for master's level social work programs. This exploratory study uses quantitative and qualitative survey data to examine the decision-making process used by 42 master's level social work programs to select the models of direct practice taught in their master's level social work programs, and whether evidence-based practice and research evidence influences those decisions. We investigate faculty perceptions of curriculum effectiveness and discuss implications of our findings for social work educators making content and organization decisions regarding master's level social work curriculum.     

A ``European Consensus' on the Growth Agenda? A Discussion of the Sapir Report

This paper offers a discussion of An Agenda for a Growing Europe: Making the Economic System Deliver, a report to the President of the European Commission prepared by a group of independent experts. The paper reflects the results of the 3rd Milan European Economy Workshop (May 28–29, 2004) and my personal views. The workshop was organised by the Department of Economics, University of Milan and the Jean Monnet Chair of Economics of European Integration, with the participation of more than twenty distinguished speakers from several institutions across the European Union.     

A note on the stability of Chen’s Lindahl mechanism

There are no general theoretical results on the stability of the Lindahl mechanism introduced by Chen (Econ Theory 19:773–790, 2002). We show that despite not fitting the requirements of the Milgrom and Roberts 1990 stability result for supermodular games, if the Chen mechanism induces a supermodular game, then the best reply map is a contraction. This gives us an easy to identify sufficient condition for dynamic stability of equilibrium.