Is Social Capital a Good Concept?

This paper explores whether the concept of social capital as popularized by Robert Putnam is a good social science concept. Taking Gerring’s work on concept evaluation as the starting point, the paper first presents a set of criteria for conceptual ‘goodness’ and discusses how social capital performs on these criteria. It is argued that social capital eventually may be a good concept if it can be shown empirically to be a unidimensional concept. An empirical section therefore explores the validity of the unidimensionality assumption and rejects it in four separate tests at both the individual and aggregate level. We conclude that even if social capital has been a remarkably productive idea, it is not a good concept as most popular conceptualizations define social capital as several distinct phenomena or as phenomena that already have been conceptualized under other labels.     

MISSED CALL? A REEXAMINATION OF SPORT FANS' AND NONFANS' ALCOHOL USAGE AND ALCOHOL-RELATED EXPERIENCES

The current investigation attempted to replicate and extend Nelson and Weschler's (2003 Nelson , T. F. and H. Wechsler . 2003 . “School Spirits: Alcohol and Collegiate Sport Fans.” Addictive Behaviors 28 : 1 – 11 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) research that indicated that college student sport fans were more likely to report problematic alcohol usage and more negative alcohol-related experiences in comparison to nonfans. In addition to utilizing the original study's operational definition of fan (spectator-based), 323 college students were categorized according to more traditional measures of fandom, specifically levels of fan and team identification. Contrary to the previous research, the results indicated that fans' and nonfans' alcohol usage and experiences of negative alcohol-related events were not significantly different. Additionally, both forms of identification (fan and team) failed to predict problematic alcohol usage and negative alcohol-related experiences. Although the results were unaffected by the operational definitions of fan, distinguishing certain subgroups of fans may be important in regards to clarifying and advancing our understanding of the potential relationship between sport and alcohol usage. These distinctions could guide efforts to reduce problematic alcohol usage.     

A sexual affiliation network of swingers,heterosexuals practicing risk behaviours that potentiate the spread of sexually transmitted infections: A two-mode approach

Using the example of the sexual affiliation networks of swingers, this paper examines how the analysis of sexual affiliation networks can contribute to the development of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention strategies. Two-mode network methodology and ERGMs are applied to describe the structural composition of the affiliation network and analyse attribute effects. Swingers were found to recruit their sex partners through one large, moderately cohesive network component. Swingers who used drugs or had a longer history of swinging tended to frequent websites instead of clubs. This study confirms the relevance of studying sexual affiliation networks and its additional value for STI epidemiology.     

Implications of Male and Female Same-Gender Dyads

ABSTRACT

A sample of 222 Swedish social services officers were surveyed in regard to their opinions on a fictitious case addressing the needs of a same-gender client. The 49-question survey was statistically analyzed through a comparison of female and male same-gender dyads. The findings suggest that gender is an important factor in assessment, and this seems to be influenced by the gender of the client, the gender of the assessor, and how the problem area or situation of the client is “gendered.” Also, same-gender dyads tend to strengthen stereotypical expectations of men and women as clients and influence what forms of assistance are offered to the client. The male same-gender dyad tends to reduce the likelihood of assistance being offered, while the female same-gender dyad increased it. These results suggest that assessments are based upon stereotypical beliefs about men and women rather than being focused directly on individual differences and needs. Further research is recommended that incorporates a number of more refined “gendered” problem areas and situations and how these assessments can affect social work practice.     

The Uses of the Past and European Integration: Austria between Lisbon,Ireland, and EURO 08

This article examines Austrian national identity negotiations through a qualitative analysis of the country's ideologically heterogeneous media, with a focus on Austria's most widely read paper (and its popular readers’ letters pages) between April and August 2008. This turbulent period coincided with widening opposition to the EU's Lisbon reform treaty, Austria's co-hosting of the European football championship, and the collapse of the country's coalition government. This analysis of media coverage and readers’ letters focuses on the rhetorical strategies underpinning various discursive constructions of Austria's place within the EU. The following key findings are discussed: projections of perceived social ills and resulting anxieties onto the EU; the interpretative uses of the past—historical episodes selected from Austrian and other national contexts—to make sense of and politicize the present; constructions of ‘European ideals’ in juxtaposition to perceived ‘European realities’; and competing models of national identity in relation to the European ‘network state.’     

Ecological corridors also operate in an urban matrix: A test case with garden shrews

The fragmentation of landscapes, induced by the growing urbanisation, is a major cause of biodiversity loss. Ecological corridors are landscape elements that make up for the negative effects of habitat fragmentation in agricultural or natural landscapes. However, their effectiveness have been rarely assess in an urban context. To do so, we analysed shrews in woodlots, corridors and domestic gardens that are connected or disconnected from a corridor. Indeed, these mammals are very sensitive to fragmentation and could play an important ecological role even in small and isolated areas such as domestic gardens. Ninety-seven shrews, from three species were trapped. In our study, Sorex coronatus, Sorex minutus and Crocidura russula were not widely distributed and mainly occurred in woodlots, corridors and connected gardens. In gardens, shrew occurrences were mainly determined by landscape configuration with negative effects of the distance to the corridor and the distance to the woodlot, stronger for C.russula than Sorex species. At the local scale, garden management and vegetation showed a positive effect mainly for Sorex species. The quality of gardens seems good enough to permit the co-occurrence of several species of shrews and thus competition was not identified as a major process for determining the occurrence. We showed that, as in other ecosystems, ecological corridors in urban context can play an effective role for the distribution of organisms with low dispersal capabilities and should be develop in planning strategies.     

Investigating non-gamblers: another step toward identifying potential protective factors against problem gambling

In this article it is argued that knowing more about non-gamblers could help researchers discover novel protective factors against problem gambling. The purpose of this study was to therefore to identify the sociodemographic, psychological and behavioural characteristics that are more prevalent among non-gamblers than among gamblers. Results from a logistic regression analysis with a representative sample of adults in the province of Quebec (Canada) revealed 12 significant predictors of non-gambling status. Among these predictors, seven were sociodemographic variables (i.e. birthplace, mother tongue, childhood religion, civil status, education, family income and family history of gambling problems), four were psychological variables (i.e. perception of one's financial situation relative to others, optimism concerning one's financial situation, beliefs concerning chances of winning, and suicidal ideation) and one variable was behavioural (i.e. church attendance). Further research including different types of variables and a common operational definition of non-gamblers is necessary to better understand this subgroup and its potential for possessing protective factors against gambling problems.     

Hegemony's Dirty Tricks: Explaining Counter-Globalization's Weakness in Times of Neoliberal Crisis

Against the backdrop of the international financial and sovereign debt crisis, this article revisits the development of the counter-globalization movements in the global North over the past thirteen years. How can we explain that the systemic failures of the current order are not being met through a broad ideological formation posing a serious challenge to the neoliberal hegemony in international politics and political economy? Why have the mass protests at summit meetings and democratic deliberation experiments at social forums not prepared the ground for such an ideological formation? Drawing on (neo-)Gramscian concepts, this paper argues that the counter-globalization movements' ‘war of maneuver’ has not been complemented by an adequate ‘war of position’. Counter-hegemonic dissent articulated broadly on the streets has not translated into counter-hegemonic capacity. Without focusing on movement-internal reasons, this article highlights the role played by the strength of the opponent in preventing such success. Our analysis sheds light on three important macro-contextual factors: the difficulties created for establishing counter-hegemony in international politics when hegemonic powers insulate themselves from critique; the co-optation of critical discourse that is achieved by bending critique into a new legitimation strategy for neoliberal measures; and the de-politicization of power relations by current international security discourses and policies. Together, these macro-contextual factors help explain how neoliberal forces successfully prevent counter-globalization movements from moving from ‘war of maneuver’ to ‘war of position’ and becoming counter-hegemonic, even in times of neoliberal crisis.

Desde el punto de vista de la crisis de la deuda soberana y financiera internacional, este artículo vuelve a tratar el desarrollo de los movimientos antiglobalización en el norte global, durante los últimos trece años. ¿Cómo podemos explicar que los fallos sistémicos del orden actual no se hayan satisfecho mediante una formación ideológica amplia, planteando un reto serio a la hegemonía neoliberal en las políticas internacional y económica? ¿Por qué no han preparado el terreno, las protestas masivas en las reuniones cumbre y en los experimentos de deliberación democrática en los fórums sociales, para tal formación ideológica? A partir de conceptos (neo-)gramscianos, este artículo sostiene que ‘los movimientos antiglobalización, ‘la guerra de maniobra’ no han sido complementados por una adecuada ‘guerra de posición’. La disidencia antihegemónica ampliamente articulada en las calles, no se ha reflejado en una capacidad antihegemónica. Sin enfocarse en las razones de los movimientos internos, este artículo destaca el rol jugado por la fuerza del oponente, para prevenir tal logro. Nuestro análisis esclarece tres importantes factores macrocontextuales: las dificultades creadas para establecer una antihegemonía en la política internacional, cuando los poderes hegemónicos se aíslan de la crítica, la cooptación de un debate crítico que se logra doblegando a la crítica a una nueva estrategia de legitimación para medidas neoliberales; y la despolitización de las relaciones del poder mediante debates de seguridad y política. Juntos, estos factores macrocontexuales ayudan a explicar cómo las fuerzas neoliberales previenen exitosamente a los movimientos antiglobalización de pasar de una ‘guerra de maniobra’ a una ‘guerra de posición’ y volverse antigemónicos, incluso en tiempos de crisis neoliberales.

以国际金融和主权债务危机为背景,本文重新思考过去13年的全球的北方的反全球化运动的演变。我们如何解释,当前秩序的系统性失败并未产生一个对国际政治和国际政治经济中的新自由主义霸权构成严峻挑战的宽广的意识形态构成？为什么在各类峰会中的大规模抗议和在各类社会论坛中民主的主张之实验没有为这样的意识形态构成准备依据？借助（新）葛兰西主义的概念,本文认为,反全球化运动的“策略战争”（war of maneuver）并未被足够的“立场战争”（war of position）所补充。 街头的广泛的反霸权的异议并未转化为反霸权的能力。并未聚焦于运动的内部理由,本文强调反全球化的优点组织了这样的成功。我们的分析着重于三大重要的宏观背景因素：国际政治中建立反霸权的困难性,当霸权的各国不理会批评;批评的话语的被吸收,新自由主义措施的新立法策略纳入了一些批评;由目前的国际安全话语和政策而存在的大国关系的去政治化 （de-politicization） 。综合起来,这些宏观的背景因素帮助解释了,即使在新自由主义的危机时代,新自由主义势力如何成功地阻挡了反全球化运动从“策略的战争”到“立场的战争”以及反霸权。

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На фоне международного финансового и полновластного долгового кризисов, статья пересматривает развитие антиглобализационных движений в странах Севера за последние тринадцать лет. Как можно объяснить, что системные сбои существующего порядка не решаются в рамках широкого идеологического формирования, представляя серьезную проблему для неолиберальной гегемонии в международной политике и политической экономии? Почему массовые протесты против встреч на высшем уровне и демократические эксперименты, рассмотренные на социальных форумах не подготовили почву для такого идеологического формирования? С опорой на неограмшианские понятия, в статье утверждается, что “маневренная война” антиглобализационных движений не была дополнена адекватной “позиционной войной”. Контргегемонистское инакомыслие, широко сформулированное на улицах, не привело к контргегемонистской мощи. Не сосредотачиваясь на причинах внутри движения, эта статья выдвигает на первый план роль, которую силы противника играют в предотвращении такого успеха. Наш анализ проливает свет на три важных макроконтекстных фактора: созданы трудности для основания контргегемонии в международной политике, при изоляции гегемонистских держав от критики; кооптация критического дискурса, которая достигается путем перехода критики в новую стратегию легитимизации неолиберальных мер; и деполитизации властных отношений на действующих международных дискурсах о безопасности и политике. Вместе эти макроконтекстуальные факторы помогают объяснить, как неолиберальные силы успешно препятствуют тому, чтобы антиглобализационные движения перешли от “маневренной войны” к “войне позиционной” и стали контргегемонией даже во времена неолиберального кризиса.     

The Kuznets curve of human capital inequality: 1870–2010

This paper describes the long-term global trends in education inequality since 1870. Inequality in years of schooling is shown to have mechanically decreased along with the decline in the share of illiterate people. In search of a monetary equivalent of years of schooling, we turn to Mincer (1974) human capital ineq uality. Within countries, we find evidence of an inverted U-shape curve for human capital inequality over time, namely a Kuznets curve for human capital. At the global level, the world inequality in human capital has followed a similar trajectory, first increasing from 1870 to 1970, then decreasing.     

The traveling group problem

This paper combines social choice theory with mathematical optimization by applying various group decision concepts to a classical problem of combinatorial optimization, namely the famous traveling salesperson (salesman) problem. The aim of the latter is to find a tour through all vertices of a given graph along edges of minimal total cost. In this contribution we replace the measure of additive edge costs by the social acceptance of different edges and the resulting tours. In particular, for four different voting rules, the Borda rule, Approval voting, Plurality rule and Simple Majority rule, we will investigate the social acceptance of tours derived from global and local decisions. It will be shown that these two decision approaches can lead to widely varying results.