Nadaraya–Watson estimator for I.I.D. paths of diffusion processes

This paper deals with a nonparametric Nadaraya–Watson (NW) estimator of the drift function computed from independent continuous observations of a diffusion process. Risk bounds on the estimator and its discrete-time approximation are established. The paper also deals with extensions of the PCO and leave-one-out cross-validation bandwidth selection methods for our NW estimator. Finally, some numerical experiments are provided.     

The consequences of job insecurity for employees: The moderator role of job dependence

With globalization and increased international competition have come more flexible forms of employment and increased job insecurity. The authors address the impact of perceived job insecurity on employees' work attitudes and intentions. After reviewing relevant research on stress theory and the relationship between job insecurity and its consequences, they test two hypotheses on 942 employees in Spain, namely: first, that job insecurity relates negatively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment and positively to intention to leave; and, second, that job insecurity, economic need and employability interact in the prediction of these outcomes.     

Female executives and the glass ceiling in Spain

This paper examines the findings of a survey of the personal, educational and professional profiles of a sample of male and female senior executives of companies operating in Spain. The women were found to be younger; they had fewer children, resorted to more domestic help, and earned less than the men, although they often had higher qualifications. Yet cultural patterns and institutional barriers still prevent them from making full use of their capabilities. In spite of recent legislative efforts to promote gender equity at work, more than nine out of ten senior executives are still men.     

Decompartmentalizing the sociology of activist commitment. A critical survey of some recent trends in French research

This article is a critical survey of a field of research that for 20 years has been particularly active in France and is once again gaining momentum: the sociology of activist commitment. An outcome of this sociological current was the inter-actionist paradigm, i.e. how activists’ careers are embarked upon and evolve. The notion of how to reward activism has been refined and reconsidered. Theoretical debates relating to the surfacing – or not – of “new forms” of activism – or even “new activists” – are replaced in perspective and the two challenges that confront research today stressed. Both concern the social division of labor: how to account more thoroughly for the link between macro-social transformations and individual commitment, on one hand, how organizations are instrumental in formatting activism, on the other.     

Consumer Culture Theory,Nonverbal Communication,and Contemporary Politics: Considering Context and Embracing Complexity

This commentary addresses Olivola and Todorov’s “Elected in 100 ms: Appearance-Based Trait Inferences and Voting” and considers its valuable contribution to the field of nonverbal communication. This work suggests that contemporary politics and voting behavior are so complex that they can be better understood outside of laboratory settings where the vital elements on culture and context come into play. By using consumer culture theory and other cultural theories of branding, this commentary evaluates elements of Barack Obama’s presidential run, and considers why his campaign resonated so well with voters in contemporary United States culture.     

Des formes de la protestation politique (France,XVIIe – XIXe siècles)

The forms of protest that women occasionally adopted express a social and political assertion. Generally, they borrowed forms in circulation: civil procedures for the grievances under the ancient regime, declarations of human rights during the French revolution. After the Revolution, the adoption by women of the right of petition to the constituted powers is a massive phenomenon remaining practically unknown and little studied. The petitions of women are ancient demonstrations which are not only related to modern history; they are comparable with the ‘voices’ described by Hirschman and Boltanski. By marking out the political history of the modern period, they have an explanatory significance for political events and also contribute to the formation of public opinion.     

The perception of the values of urban space by senior citizens of Valparaiso

This paper is framed within the context of the Fondecyt Research Project (No. 1061179) entitled “Senior Citizens' quality of life in an Urban Habitat: Valparaiso, a Case Study.” It investigates how certain topographical conditions in the urban habitat impact on the quality of life of the population's most senior age group. Following a theoretical approach, we discuss some of the initial results obtained in our field research, integrating a quantitative technique of territorial analysis, GIS maps, and the qualitative techniques of Focus Groups and ethnographic interviews. The study of senior citizens' perceptions of their quality of life in Valparaiso indicates that the city's irregular topography and character as a heritage city mediate how the elderly perceive the urban space, creating social networks and a sense of community uniquely their own.     

Applying the capability approach to policy-making: The impact assessment of the EU-proposal on organ donation

We show that the capability approach can greatly facilitate ex ante policy evaluations, in particular those that are geared towards multiple goals. It enables a structured discussion on policy benefits, distributional issues, freedom and ethics. We illustrate our general ideas with a real-world application: the impact assessment of an EU-proposal on organ donation.