On the invariance principle for exchangeable random variables

Summary Weak limit results for exchangeable arrays can be obtained via a martingale approach. This note explains why the conditions in the general martingale results simplify to ones on the fulln sum in the case of exchangeable random variables. Part of the work was completed while visiting the Department of Statistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.     

Hiring, engaging and retaining the A-team

It takes more than an occasional pat on the back to retain your star players. And don't think that money is the prime motivating factor to keep the A-team happy. Family matters and professional challenges are key.     

Ich fühle was ich will!

The theoretical part of this article gives an insight into the big field of emotions. In addition, the two-process theories answer the questions of where feelings come from and what feelings are. For some people, the perception of and the handling of emotions is easy, others find it difficult. In the latter case, it may be that a feeling blindness, the so-called alexithymia, is present. This well-studied personality trait is described and a practical tool from the Zurich Resource Model is presented, which offers people the opportunity to organize and translate their feelings in order to use them for personal self-management.     

Modernity, Civil Society, and Sectarianism: The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the Takfir Groups

By emphasizing civil society’s ambiguous relationship with modernity, the author proposes a discursive definition of civil society that draws on conflict theory. The author distinguishes between a civil society and a sectarian approach to politics from a theoretical perspective. Accordingly, a juxtaposition of the Muslim Brotherhood and its splinter groups in the Egyptian political arena epitomizes the opposing ideals of a civil society and a good society. Thus, the author moves away from the theoretical debate on the compatibility of Islam and democracy and suggests the possibility of a learning process of democratic practices by means of participating in the public sphere.     

Stock and Commodity Exchanges [Die Börse (1894)]

Theory and Society -     

Bonding to Youth Clubs and Delinquency

Youth clubs and their relationship to delinquency has received surprisingly little attention in the literature. The applicability of social bonding theory, a prominent sociological theory of delinquency, to the experiences of youth in their clubs is the primary focus of this research. The reliability and validity analysis of indices specifically created to assess club bonding suggest the legitimacy of this approach. Belief in the rules and the regulations of the club is found to be negatively correlated with delinquency. Surprisingly, weekly involvement in the club is found to be positively associated with delinquency. Implications for practice and/or intervention are discussed.