Demographic determinants of perceived well-being in eight European countries

This paper reports results of a harmonised study of subjective social indicators carried out in eight member countries of the European Community, sponsored, on an experimental basis, by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Luxembourg). Comparative data from nationwide representative samples from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark are presented for three key dependent measures of perceived well-being: Self-Assessed Health, Satisfaction with Housing and Life Satisfaction. The cross-cultural generalisability of the influence of demographic variables on these three measures in examined, using 4-way analysis of variance. The analyses revealed a remarkable consistency across nations in terms of the effects of certain demographic variables on some of the dependent measures; however, some inconsistencies were also revealed. Substantial discrepancies in mean scores of the same sub-groups in different countries were also observed. While further research would be required to determine whether these differences were due to objective circumstances or to cultural differences in subjective perceptions or response patterns, some tentative interpretations of the differences were put forth.     

New technology and its impact on well being

Great changes have come about in the last decade regarding the organization of work. High technology and the steadily increasing ideology of technocracy has produced a profound effect on the organization of work in some workplaces. This effect has made the psychosocial and physical working environment tougher, especially for women. The results we are presenting here show that when dividing fishing factories into three technological stages; low technology, middle technology and high technology, the job strain was highest and the decision authority by the employee was lowest in the high technological factories. This even had an impact on health and on the atmosphere at the workplace, where the employees in the high technological factories were more likely to complain about several health problems as well as about low degrees of cheerfulness at the workplace and tiresome jobs. However, these same people were the most positive towards the implementation of the high technology and the new way of organizing their job that the technology introduced.     

Social indicators of living conditions in Ireland with European comparisons

This monograph presents data from a nationwide survey of social indicators of living conditions in Ireland. This survey was part of a European Community (EC)-harmonised survey of subjective social indicators carried out in eight EC countries. The survey, the first of two, focussed on people's perceptions of their health, health services, housing, neighbourhood and life in general. Extensive analysis is made of the demographic determinants of a wide range of subjective measures of well-being in all of these life domains. Examination is also made of the predictors of global measures of well-being. Data are presented for Ireland and multi-nation comparative data are also presented throughout. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between objective and subjective social indicators.     

Prevalence of Adult Problem and Pathological Gambling between 2000 and 2005: An Update

Background Excessive gambling is a prominent Public Health problem with high prevalence rates in many countries. Substance abuse and other co-morbidities often constitute a major health hazard for the person which gambles with a loss of material and social resources, as well as being a major concern for his or her significant others. The present study updates and extends prevalence data to include work published between 2000 and 2005 in English and other European languages. Methods In a three-step search and exclusion process, studies with current adult prevalence rates were gathered. Results Almost all studies fulfil basic research standards. The weighted mean prevalence rates for excessive gambling (problem and pathological) are 3.0% for the South Oaks Gambling Survey (problem 1.2%; pathological 1.8%), 3.3% for the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (problem 2.4%; pathological 0.8%) and 3.1% for the DSM-IV (problem 1.9%; pathological 1.2%). Conclusion The prevalence rates are comparable and relatively stable between countries and across survey instruments, and do not differ from earlier reviews. The regular epidemiological monitoring of excessive gambling remains a major Public Health issue although the distinction between pathological and problem gambling is not appropriate for epidemiological research. Further studies are needed with respect to concomitant lifestyle characteristics.     

Differences Between Men and Women in Social Relations, Resource Deficits, and Depressive Symptomatology During Later Life in Four Nations

This article examines gender differences in social relations and resource deficits in France ( N = 553), Germany ( N = 516), Japan ( N = 491), and the United States ( N = 514). These data, from regionally representative samples, indicate few gender differences in quantity or quality of social relations, but that women are more likely than men to experience widowhood, illness, and financial strain. In all countries, more deficits and more negative social interactions are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Interestingly, among women in France and Japan but not among men in any country, quality of social relations offsets the negative consequences of resource deficits. Findings suggest that quality of social relations may have important implications for helping people, particularly women, cope with resource deficits common in late life.     

Predictors of satisfaction with housing and neighbourhood: A nationwide study in the Republic of Ireland

The present paper reports results from a nationwide study, based on a representative sample in the Republic of Ireland. It is part of a harmonised study of subjective social indicators which has been carried out in eight member countries of the European Community. The data, which were obtained by survey techniques, are largely subjective or perceptual in nature. However, objective data were also obtained, thus permitting direct comparisons, in many cases, between objective conditions and subjective measures related to housing and neighbourhood to determine which characteristics were most highly predictive of overall satisfaction with housing and overall satisfaction with neighbourhood. In addition, the relationships between housing and neighbourhood variables and more global attitudinal variables (i.e., life satisfaction and anomia) were explored.     

Interkulturelle Kompetenz Beleuchtung eines Entwicklungsprozesses

Intercultural learning processes are multi-dimensional and cannot be limited to cultural Do??s and Don??ts. A core competency is the ability to manage change and to remain in control in situations with additional intercultural complexity. The methods used for developing intercultural competence are most effective in a combination of intercultural training and coaching. This learning arrangement covers different levels of learning including personal abilities, which build the foundation for intercultural success. During a coaching process existing abilities can be discovered and weak areas systematically developed. Knowledge is passed on most effectively in a training environment. Culture-general and culture-specific knowledge and the reflection upon one??s own cultural reference points build the foundation for exploring the nature of intercultural collaboration. The willingness to enhance one??s own behavior using new perspectives could be seen as the aim of the intercultural competence development. New perspectives can lead to innovative and culture sensitive strategies. Intercultural learning is more than learning rules of behavior and subsequent cultural adaptation. Intercultural competence can be defined as an extended ability for problem-solving in combination with personal abilities and cultural relevant knowledge that encourage effective intercultural team work.     

Equality and Diversity in the Classroom: A Comparison of Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes in Six European Countries

Globalisation and increased mobility of people within the EU have led to increased immigration and greater diversity within many EU countries, which have affected the composition of workplaces and classrooms. This includes diversity in terms of nationality, as well as ethnic, racial and religious diversity. This article expands awareness of diversity issues in the workplace to classrooms. It is based on a crosscultural comparative study of the attitudes of secondary school students and their teachers in six European countries: Ireland, the UK, France, Latvia, Italy and Spain. The sample included 320 students and 208 teachers for a total of 528 respondents. The article compares and contrasts attitudes towards non-national students, ethnic and religious minorities and disabled students, as well as gender issues, bullying and general perceptions of equality and diversity. The findings demonstrate generally positive attitudes among young people towards the increasing diversity in their classrooms. Moreover, the study revealed that in countries where there is greater diversity, the perception of difficulties is lower than in countries with less experience of diversity, suggesting that greater diversity and intergroup contact is resulting in more inclusive attitudes in schools. However, results comparing students with teachers identified consistent gaps in perceptions, with teachers having greater estimates of difficulties posed by diversity, together with smaller estimates of bullying behaviour. The study demonstrated that there is a need for teachers to have enhanced skills and competencies to deal effectively with this new environment in order to facilitate a more inclusive classroom.     

Predictors of satisfaction with environmental quality in eight European countries

This paper reports comparative social indicator data from eight member countries of the European Economic Community (EEC): Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands. Nationwide representative samples in each country were interviewed in 1977 in the context of a harmonized study of subjective social indicators. A major purpose of the study was to examine the cross-cultural generalizability of the influence of objective and subjective characteristics in predicting three measures of environmental quality: (1) Satisfaction with Housing, (2) Satisfaction with Neighbourhood, and (3) Satisfaction with Health Services, as well as in predicting the global measure of Life Satisfaction. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed on each of the four dependent variables for each of the eight countries. The cross-national comparability of predictors was examined and similarities and differences were discussed.