Measuring the quality of life in rural community development

The authors developed a systemic measure instrument, consiting of 45 tenets of community life, which was tested on rural communities consisting mostly of illiterate farm labourers. The measurement was done by community members them-selves, with very little guidance, but with great success, especially due to the fact that they were involved and could see changes as well as problems that needed further attention.     

Dose-response models for time-to-response toxicity data

This paper concerns the modelling and analysis of toxicity data in which the time to some toxic response is recorded and of importance. The paper begins with a review of a variety of dose-response models, including log-linear, proportional hazards, multievent, and compartmental models, that have been suggested and used in this context. Models for competing risks are also reviewed and several possible approaches are considered and discussed in the context of dose response experiments. The formulation of a model for competing risks that utilizes cause-specific hazards gives a natural basis for the modelling and analysis of certain experimental situations in which only partial information is available on the time to response. Such situations arise, for example, when the presence of tumour is not clinically detectable in carcinogenicity trials. Likelihood construction is discussed, and appropriate likelihood contributions are derived. The paper concludes with a discussion of measures of risk which take account of the time dependence of the toxic response under study.     

The Impact of the Economic Transition in Poland on Vulnerable Populations

The economic changes that began with the fall of communism in 1989 have helped Poland to establish one of the strongest economies in Eastern Europe today. Not all parts of society have benefited equally from the positive economic picture however. Those who are unemployed, living on a pension, single parents, or residents of rural communities are at risk of living in poverty in Polands new economic environment. This paper assesses the views of people in these four groups in terms of their perceived need for basic necessities (money for food, rent, and medicine) and for luxury activities (culture, relaxation, and education). The findings have implications for social welfare policies and services in Poland.The authors wish to thank Kazimierz M. Slomczynski for use of the POLPAN data.     

Lesbian cruising: an examination of the concept and methods

The concept of cruising has typically focused on gay male activity and, as such, has been narrowly focused and limited. This view has reinforced negative stereotypical images of gay men and has devalued women's more subtle styles and longer-term relationships. This paper argues that lesbians do cruise but also problematizes the definition of cruising in lesbian culture. Utilizing observations and in-depth interviews, I have broadened the definition of cruising to include a range of behavior as evidenced in both the lesbian and gay community. I have developed a typology of cruising, highlighting seven styles based on method, whether the individual approaches or not, intent, and investment.     

Genetic and environmental influences on intimate partner aggression: a preliminary study

Social learning theory posits that, because aggression against intimates runs in families, children learn how to behave aggressively through watching their parents and being reinforced for their own aggression. This theory considers only environmental influences on familial resemblance; however, familial resemblance could also be due to genetic factors. The current study uses a twin design (134 monozygotic, 41 dizygotic) to examine the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in intimate aggression. Model-fitting analyses consistently showed that shared genes explained the familial resemblance in psychological and physical intimate partner aggression; the remaining variance was explained by unique environments. Multivariate model-fitting analyses showed that most of the genetic influences responsible for the receipt of aggression were also responsible for its use, suggesting that there is a genetic predisposition to get involved in aggressive relationships. These results challenge the prevailing theory to explain familial resemblance in intimate aggression.     

The sources of political orientations in post-industrial society: social class and education revisited

This paper studies the impact of social class and education on political orientation. We distinguish the 'old' middle class from a new class of social/cultural specialists. However, the difference in their political orientation may especially be related to the level and field of education; the new middle class is more highly educated and often in fields of study that extensively address social competencies, characteristics independently affecting political outcomes. Analyses on Dutch data showed that education is more important in the prediction of 'cultural' liberal issues than social class. Economically-oriented issues are more strongly affected by social class. This means that interests of the new middle class are served by liberal standpoints relating to a strong government and income redistribution policies, but not relating to cultural issues.     

Systematic search as a source of technical innovation: An empirical test

The objective of the study is to increase the probability of identifying venture ideas with commercial potential. To accomplish that objective, we test competing search theories. Historically, the commonly accepted approach to discovery has been alertness, a state of heightened awareness during which one engages in boundaryless search. An emerging approach is constrained, systematic search, which is the application of rigorous search techniques within domains where an entrepreneur is most knowledgeable. We conduct an experiment in which we randomly assign 60 information technology professionals into 2 groups to evaluate these competing search theories. The findings suggest that systematic search is superior to alertness in discovering commercially viable innovations. We also found that systematic search may have pedagogical promise.