Trends in Danish Income Distribution

Most of the available evidence on income distribution in Denmark is based on cross‐section studies for a number of specific years, which are difficult to compare owing to major changes in definitions and concepts. The data base for the present study is an existing longitudinal sample of 5 percent of the adult Danish population containing a great number of background variables for the individuals. Based on this, new results on Danish income distribution, using both individuals and married couples as the income unit, are presented. We concentrate on the impact from female participation and from unemployment. In the final parts of the paper we include some semi‐lifecycle distribution measures based on work in the Danish Economic Council and relate our results to earlier long–run estimates of inequality in Danish income distribution.     

I Trust You with My Child: Parental Attitudes to Local Authorities in Cases of Disobedient Children in 18th Century Denmark

During the 18^th century, a series of new institutions appeared in the provinces of Denmark. Their purpose was to discipline beggars and vagrants and to teach them not only to work, but also the Word of God. These tugt workhouses also became institutions for the reform of disobedient children behaving in an “un-Christian” manner. Children were often placed here at the initiative of their parents. The article argues that the trust placed by parents in the state authorities in this way can be understood within the framework of Luther's social teaching, especially his doctrine of the three estates and the understanding of the nature of authority and of mutual obligation that is represented there.     

Student portfolios as windows into intercultural knowledge and knowing

This research paper deals with intercultural knowledge and knowing as displayed in higher education student portfolios. The portfolios were written by student pairs taking a global education course at Centria University of Applied Sciences, Finland, during seven academic years. Conceptual metaphor theory and metaphor analysis were utilised to explore intercultural knowledge and knowing in the portfolio texts. The study is one of the few metaphor analyses conducted in the context of intercultural/global education. For the analysis, we selected a sample of student portfolios that represented both degree-taking students and exchange students. In this study, interculturality was defined as interaction of people representing various cultural backgrounds, world-views and identities. The research questions were the following: What conceptual metaphors and metonymies do the students utilise when writing about culture and interculturality? What main conceptions of culture and interculturality do the metaphors and metonymies reflect? In the result section of this paper, we provide citations of portfolio text to discuss the four most frequently occurring metaphors and metonymies. We also discuss our interpretations about the underlying conceptions of culture and their significance for the practice of intercultural education.     

Imagining is Not Observing: The Role of Simulation Processes Within the Mimicry-Liking Expressway

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior - Individuals automatically mimic a wide range of different behaviors, and such mimicking behavior has several social benefits. One of the landmark findings in the...     

Revisiting demand,politicization and externalization in authoritarian political regimes: policy advisory system in Russian practices

ABSTRACT

This study contributes to debate on three related questions in Policy Advisory System research. Is the Policy Advisory System concept applicable in countries other than developed democracies? How does it function in a state-centred authoritarian regime? How does the authoritarian environment affect tendencies such as “politicization” and “externalization”? These questions are addressed using materials on the current Russian governance structure and advisory practices, focusing on two broadly defined “governance subsystems” in the Presidential Administration of Russia, “Political Bloc” and “Economic Bloc”, both acting as regular customers for advisory communities. One finding is the phenomenon of “Dual Demand” from the same centre of power—“stability” for “Political Bloc” and “innovation” for “Economic Bloc”—which contributed to creation of two different clusters of policy advisory agencies with different statuses. Other findings include transformation of “politicization” to policy control mechanisms and attempted “externalization” turning into the reverse—“internalization”—bringing independent advisory organizations under the supervision of government structures.     

The Economic and Gender Consequences of South Africa's Home‐based Care Policy

South Africa's approach to care provision in the era of HIV/AIDS is home‐ and community‐based care, but in reality care for ill people in the home is provided on an unpaid basis, predominantly by women. But how much do they spend on this care work, in time and money? And what economic consequences does this policy have, particularly for poorer women? This article is based on findings from a study that focuses on unpaid care provision within the home for those in late‐stage HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, and specifically on the costs of such provision. The findings show that female caregivers are bearing the bulk of the costs of care provision for ill people within the home on an unpaid basis. Home‐based care is cost‐effective for the provincial government but not for unpaid caregivers who are subsidizing the provincial economy. While hospital care for people with HIV/AIDS has been capped, home‐based care services have not been increased to a commensurate level. Unpaid caregivers and ill people within the home are largely disconnected from the health system. The analysis clearly shows that the home‐based care policy is not resulting in appropriate or sufficient support for these individuals in need and needs to be revised.     

How Method Actors Create Character Roles

Sociological Forum - This paper studies character-role creation by Method actors to begin developing a sociological understanding of artistic creativity and shed light on the construction of social...