Quota trouble: Talking about gender quotas in finnish local politics

This article analyses the discourse concerning gender quotas and their implementation in Finnish local politics. Among our local actor interviewees, we found four different groups: feminist-oriented, non-feminist, accepting and disapproving. Despite the successful implementation of the quotas, our analysis reveals hidden conflicts and resistance. Respondents often resorted to memory lapses, strategies of distancing or assumptions about the interim character of quotas in an ‘almost gender equal Finland’ when discussing the implementation process. The predominance of these strategies is explained by contextual factors, including the strong cultural support for gender equality and legalism in Finland. We suggest that they can be interpreted as psychologized forms of resistance to a hegemonic discourse which does not really allow for anyone to be ‘against gender equality’ or wilfully negligent of the law.     

The Moment-Generating Function and Negative Integer Moments

It does not appear to be widely known that the moment-generating function M_x (t) contains information about negative as well as positive integer moments. Proofs of this are provided, extensions are indicated, and earlier literature deriving and using this type of result is briefly noted. Some examples are given.     

Implementing Evidence‐Based Parenting Programmes in a Small Sample of English Urban Local Authorities: Eligibility,Fidelity and Intensity

This article focuses on the implementation of evidence‐based parenting programmes (EBPPs) in a small sample of urban local authorities in England. The first part discusses the development of government policy, guidance and implementation issues. The second part presents findings from an exploratory study, which focused on the implementation of EBPPs in terms of programme eligibility, fidelity and intensity in six urban local authorities. Implementation was not necessarily in line with policy or guidance. Issues associated with programme fidelity along with concerns about sustainability as a result of cuts in funding are discussed and implications for policy and future research considered.     

Efficient Classification-Based Relabeling in Mixture Models

Effective component relabeling in Bayesian analyses of mixture models is critical to the routine use of mixtures in classification with analysis based on Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The classification-based relabeling approach here is computationally attractive and statistically effective, and scales well with sample size and number of mixture components concordant with enabling routine analyses of increasingly large data sets. Building on the best of existing methods, practical relabeling aims to match data:component classification indicators in MCMC iterates with those of a defined reference mixture distribution. The method performs as well as or better than existing methods in small dimensional problems, while being practically superior in problems with larger data sets as the approach is scalable. We describe examples and computational benchmarks, and provide supporting code with efficient computational implementation of the algorithm that will be of use to others in practical applications of mixture models.     

The Meaning of a Livable Community for Older Adults in the United States and Korea

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the meaning of livability from the perspectives of policymakers and practitioners engaged in creating livable communities for older adults. In a comparison of two regions, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, and Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, Korea, 4 themes emerged—affordability, safety, accessibility, and active engagement. In both regions, the research participants recognized that the core of creating a livable community was a consumer-driven approach and collaborations with various community partners. Although the themes were similar, the interpretation and emphasis were different in the two regions.     

Employment status transitions among young adults,with and without disability

Employment is a crucial avenue through which young people with disability can experience material wellbeing and social participation. While the low employment rates of young people with disability are well established, little is known about the stability of employment status – that is, the degree to which individuals remain in or move in and out of employment. This article uses longitudinal data from a large Australian national data set to investigate the transitions between full‐time, part‐time and non‐employment for young people with and without disability. Considerable mobility was found between employment states for both young people with and without disability, with young people with disability more likely than their peers without disability to transition to reduced levels of employment and less likely to transition to increased levels of employment. Social background and contextual factors predicted employment for young people with disability; however, disability represented an additional penalty even after taking these factors into account. Findings suggest a need for social policy targeted specifically towards the barriers to maintaining and increasing employment experienced by young people with disability.     

The government's role in public trust of biomedical science

Public trust in biomedical research depends in large part upon public attitudes toward science, the behavior of institutions involved in conducting and supporting biomedical research, and how mass media report on biomedical research. This paper explores those aspects of public trust, particularly the responsibilities of government as the major source of support for research using public funds.