The use of body-mapping in interpretative phenomenological analyses: a methodological discussion

The increasing popularity of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in social research brings an increasing criticism about its validity, robustness and, more recently, its lack of expressive features. Recently, the novel arts-based research approach called body-mapping was recognized as enhancing social science research in creative and nuanced ways. Body-mapping allows for unique insights into participants’ lived experiences, the meaning thereof, and into how meaning is impacted by their socio-cultural contexts. This article provides new understandings about the potential use of body-mapping as part of an IPA framework by drawing upon existing literature to critically discuss their philosophical and methodological congruence. The following discussion demonstrates how particular strengths of body-mapping align with weaknesses of IPA and that, when merged, they may be especially useful for research with vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations. Limitations of this discussion and implications for future research are provided.     

Codes, Stakeholders and Business Philosophy

Two concepts that business ethics has made its own are codes of practice and stakeholding. They pre-date the self-conscious, organised business ethics effort. Codes are standard in large businesses in the United States, but are not so widely used elsewhere. Stakeholder models remain largely aspirational. Both concepts have critics, and their practical value has yet to be proved. Despite this, they have the potential to transform the quality of business life. Their main strength is in combination with an appropriate business philosophy, which does not yet exist. Widely respected business values can be identified, but they need to be founded on basic principles, which is a requirement for any discipline to move from ideology to maturity. Some possible principles are suggested. An illustration is taken from financial services regulation, where markets are generally seen (to borrow Rousseau's phrase) as having to be ‘forced to be free.’ This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Limited opportunities: Adolescents’ access to social capital in secondary schools in three European countries

While previous research indicates that students benefit from their peers’ resources, little is known about access to social capital in the school context. Therefore, this study examines differential access to social capital – measured by friends’ socioeconomic status (SES), the number of books they have at home, and their reading habits – in secondary schools in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Relying on a large-scale dataset, I investigate the association between socioeconomic status, minority status, and social capital using complete friendship network information. I argue that social capital access is connected to a two-stage process consisting of school sorting and friendship selection. To differentiate between these two processes, I apply within-between random effects (REWB). The models show that friendship selection is much less relevant for access to social capital than school sorting. Results indicate that while high-SES students have better access to social capital across dimensions, access patterns for minority students are more nuanced.     

我国“消费率偏低”观点的分析及研究建议

关于我国的消费率问题的研究可以分为三个阶段:早期阶段(1997-2002)、中期阶段(2003-2007)和深入阶段(2008年-至今)。10多年来消费率偏低成为学界的主流观点,据此提出的对策建议也基本被政府认可和接受。但是,多年来扩大内需、刺激消费的政策效果并不明显,并具有明显的通胀压力负效应。本文通过对消费率偏低观点及其论证方法的分析,得出我国消费率问题不是简单的高低问题;论证消费率偏低观点的方法存在适用性缺陷;消费率处于低位是长期波动(持续)下降的结果,消费率长期波动(持续)下降才是消费率问题的关键的观点。然后,依据分析结论,提出对消费率偏低的观点应谨慎对待、研究我国消费率波动(持续)下降的成因可能会对政府决策更有参考价值和实际意义的建议。     

基于工作流的期刊编辑流程管理设计

文章使用工作流方法对期刊编辑流程进行了分解和分析,建立基于工作流的期刊编辑流程管理模型,这种模型将业务流程的设计从工作流工程中模块化出来独立进行,使得工作内容与流程处理逻辑是分离的,从而提高整个办公系统的适应能力。依据此模型设计的计算机办公应用平台可以提高期刊编辑工作的效率和期刊出版的质量。     

Inducement of Nonexistent Order by the Analytic Hierarchy Process*

An apparently unreported problem facing decision makers who use AHP is described. It is demonstrated that conventional AHP and some of its variants (the ideal mode, and the pairwise aggregated approach, PAHAP) can induce ordering even when no order exists. It is also shown that all three approaches can induce different orderings and that the orderings are sensitive to innocuous changes. Thus, even absent addition or deletion of alternatives, the decision maker relying on AHP or these variants can be seriously misled.     

HR perceptions and the provision of workforce training in an AMT environment: An empirical study

Research literature indicates the importance of workforce development in the successful implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs). However, the relationship between advanced technologies and workforce training is assumed to be a direct one with limited consideration provided to factors that may influence it. This study examines the impacts of environment and human resource (HR) manager perceptions on the provision of workforce development activities. A human-centered technology philosophy is proposed as a conceptual framework for examining the role of HR manager perceptions to mediate the relationship between AMTs and workforce development. Results from hierarchical regressions indicate that the perceptions of HR managers regarding technology-driven workforce need to explain a large portion of the variance for both individual and process development activities. Findings support that the managerial role of assessing workforce developmental needs from basic AMTs places HR managerial perceptions at the focal point of social–technical systems. The role of environmental uncertainty is also examined as a moderator of managerial perceptions of technology-driven needs in an AMT environment. The results suggest that environmental uncertainty did not moderate the relationship between HR perceptions as a predictor of workforce development activities. This could imply that HR managers may not consider critical external environment issues when making decisions of workforce development activities. The implications of these findings for HR perceptions in an AMT environment are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.     

Migration intentions of rural youth in the Westhoek, Flanders, Belgium and the Veenkoloniën, The Netherlands

‘Should I stay or should I leave my home region?’ is one of the key life course questions that many young people must address as they grow to maturity. Social mobility increasingly presupposes geographical mobility, especially in rural areas. The consequences of the selective out-migration of socially mobile young people (‘brain drain’) are seen as a threat to the economic development and reputation of rural areas. The out-migration of young rural people is often related to participation in higher education and entrance into the labour market. This paper focuses on the migration intentions of pupils in secondary education in two peripheral rural areas: The Westhoek in Flanders, Belgium and the Veenkoloniën in the Netherlands. It analyses, by means of logistic regression analysis, the migration intentions of 611 pupils in the Westhoek and 294 pupils in the Veenkoloniën in relation to their social background, migration history, perceptions of employment opportunities and the way they identify with their home region. In both regions, perceived employment opportunities and local attachment appear to be the most important factors explaining migration intentions. In the Veenkoloniën, in contrast with the Westhoek, migration history, educational level and representations of the region are also important factors determining the migration intentions of young people. These results can be explained by differences in the structure, culture and landscape of the two regions.     

Fauconnier的空间映射论及其在话语分析中的应用

认知语言学为研究和解释语言现象提供了新的研究方法,属于广义认知科学的一个分支。文章在以Lakoff为代表的认知语义学的基础上,运用Fauconn ier模式理论中的心理空间理论和空间映射论,采用认知科学的理念分析解释了隐喻转喻映射和ICM的图式映射等问题,并指出作为一种重要的认知模式,其空间理论可以帮助解读许多日常言语交际中“非常规”的语言事实,为许多语言现象的研究提供了一种新的认知模式。     

国外政党执政与自身建设的具体做法及其启示

基于现代政党执政必须体现民主政治的本质要求,即要赢得人民的认可和授权这一先决条件,分析概述了国外政党在提高执政能力和加强自身建设方面的具体做法。其中主要有:确立适应时代要求的理论纲领、政策,建立与民众沟通的有效渠道,创新政党的组织活动方式,实现经济社会的快速均衡发展,塑造现代政党的良好形象,构筑强有力的监督制约网络等。进而阐明了这些做法对于中国共产党加强党的执政能力建设,永葆党的先进性所具有的启示作用。