Attitudinal support for violence against women: What a population‐level survey of the Australian community can and cannot tell us

Violence against women (VAW) is a serious and prevalent problem globally. Societal‐level norms, practices and structures are among the factors contributing to it, sometimes referred to collectively as representing “cultures of support” for VAW. Understanding factors contributing to these cultures is important for prevention, but remains the subject of debate. Population‐level surveys of attitudes toward VAW are one means to strengthen this understanding. Although there are a number of such surveys internationally, scholarly research based on secondary analysis of data, at least from surveys in high‐income countries, is scant. This article reports on new analyses of the Australian National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women survey to explore its potential to further empirical and conceptual understanding of cultures of support for VAW. To facilitate this, a scale to measure attitudes toward VAW was developed post hoc from the survey (the Violence Supportive Attitudes, or VSA‐18, Scale). Subsequent analyses investigate the relationship between this scale and relevant demographic factors and a measure of attitudinal support for gender equality (GE). The GE measure, place of birth, employment and occupation, generation, education and sex contribute to variance in the VSA‐18 Scale. Findings are discussed in the context of theoretical debates and directions for future research.     

Participation as a right to the city: Iranian children’s perspectives about their inclusion in urban decision-making

To assess children's willingness to participate in decision-making about urban environments, Iranian children were invited to tell their stories about child inclusion in city affairs. The findings demonstrate children's enthusiasm to have a say, their suggestions of how their ideas can be integrated into planning, and their competency for participation. Despite their willingness, participants indicated awareness of patriarchal cultural views of children and childhood which continue to exclude them from planning involvement. Being denied the exercise of their rights to the city generates a marginalised status, alienating children from achieving appropriate engagement.     

The impact of socioeconomic status and population size on the use of the Tatar language at home

Based on econometric methods, we found that Tatar children from families with better material conditions and those who live in bigger cities are more likely to use the Russian language at home. Although Tatar seems to be well protected, thanks to local language policies after perestroika, we found some warning signs for the reformulation of public policies for the maintenance and development of minority languages in Russia.     

Crown width models for woody plant species growing in urban areas of the U.S.

Urban Ecosystems - Crown widths of woody plant species growing in urban areas are of considerable importance as an overall indicator of health and also serve as an important factor for assessing...     

Relationships as a key to change. Ed Schein on the legacy and future of Change Management

Ed Schein is a Sloan Professor emeritus for organization psychology and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. Amongst Kurt Lewin, Dick Beckhard, Chris Argyris and Warren Bennis he is one of the co-founders of organization development. He has coined some of the basic concepts of OD, like organizational culture, process consultation and career anchors. Schein has authored fourteen books and received many notable honours and awards, e.g. the lifetime achievement award in workplace learning and performance of the American society for training directors and the distinguished Scholar-Practitioner Award of the Academy of Management. Currently, he serves as a professional fellow at the prestigious American Psychological Association as well as the Academy of Management.