Optimal scaling of Metropolis algorithms: Heading toward general target distributions

The authors provide an overview of optimal scaling results for the Metropolis algorithm with Gaussian proposal distribution. They address in more depth the case of high‐dimensional target distributions formed of independent, but not identically distributed components. They attempt to give an intuitive explanation as to why the well‐known optimal acceptance rate of 0.234 is not always suitable. They show how to find the asymptotically optimal acceptance rate when needed, and they explain why it is sometimes necessary to turn to inhomogeneous proposal distributions. Their results are illustrated with a simple example.     

Beyond Contact? Policy approaches to work with families of looked after children in four European countries

In England, placement within the looked after system is not viewed as a desirable long‐term solution for most children, and policy has prioritised continued contact with parents, and swift return home, wherever possible. This review examines policy approaches to work with families of looked after children in England and in three other European countries: Denmark, France and the Netherlands, aiming to identify areas for shared learning in relation to this challenging area of policy and practice. The research highlights relationships between care populations and policy understandings of the purpose of work with families, including understandings of children's and/or parents’ rights.     

« Comment ? Vous n’avez pas de projet ? » : ethnographie du démarchage en matière de crédit à la consommation

Many a product and service is proposed to consumers who have not individually expressed any prior interest to a salesperson or a firm. Two situations of prospecting people for a revolving credit are presented. Based on data gathered during a month of observation in the company of salespersons who deal in this type of credit, the processes are analyzed that these persons use to arouse a potential buyer's interest. Light is shed on the organizational, material and technical conditions that enable them to turn the latter into a customer or, at least, to make interactions with him/her last longer. This analysis of one form of mediation in the marketing of credit also sheds light on the situations of those who subscribe to loans, whether or not they are over indebted.     

On smoothness of Tukey depth contours

The smoothness of Tukey depth contours is a regularity condition often encountered in asymptotic theory, among others. This condition ensures that the Tukey depth fully characterizes the underlying multivariate probability distribution. In this paper we demonstrate that this regularity condition is rarely satisfied. It is shown that even well-behaved probability distributions with symmetrical, smooth and (strictly) quasi-concave densities may have non-smooth Tukey depth contours, and that the smoothness behaviour of depth contours is fairly unpredictable.     

Early Retirement: The Case of The Netherlands

ABSTRACT This article takes a closer look at the scope of actual early retirements, reasons for choosing early retirement, the popularity of different types of flexible retirement schemes, and the status of elderly employees within their own organization. It appears that positive reasons for choosing early retirement are more often mentioned by persons in higher professional groups, by those with a higher level of education, and by those who work in the civil service or the service sector. Neutral and negative reasons are mentioned more often by persons in lower professional groups, by those with a lower level of education, and by those working in the industrial sector. Although the motives for opting for early retirement differ, there do not appear to be great differences between categories of respondents if they have been able to choose their age at retirement personally, within specified age limits. Approximately a quarter of the respondents indicated they would leave work at the age of 60, even if this meant a 30% drop in net income.     

The effects of teenage childbearing on long-term health in the US: a twin-fixed-effects approach

This paper explores the effect of teenage childbearing on long-term health outcomes and behaviors of mothers using the Midlife Development in the US dataset. Within-family estimations, using samples of siblings, and twin pairs, are employed to overcome the bias generated by unobserved family background and genetic traits. The results suggest no significant effects on health outcomes, and modest effects on health behaviors, including exercise and preventive care. However, accounting for life-cycle effects demonstrates that teenage childbearing has significant effects on both health outcomes and behaviors early in life, but very few significant effects later in life. Moreover, teenage childbearing has a particularly acute effect among minorities. Finally, this paper provides evidence that the effects operate through reduced income and labor force participation, and matching with a lower “quality” spouse.     

Muslims in France and Great Britain: Issues of Securitization,Identities and Loyalties Post 9/11

The September 11, 2001 attacks in the USA have liberated an encompassing rhetoric globally, which designates all that is “Muslim” or perceived to be such, as a threat. The securitizing perspective, intertwined with debates over Muslims' integration and increasingly visible religiosity has led to growing suspicions regarding Muslims' loyalties in Europe. This analysis seeks to characterize this securitizing perspective and considers, on the one hand, the inherent equalization of increasing Muslim identity awareness with disloyalty, and on the other, the depiction of Muslims in Europe as a homogenous block, which facilitates constructing them as the “Other”. As an illustration, this paper focuses more particularly on France and Great Britain.     

Récession,austérité et genre: étude comparative sur huit marchés du travail européens

Si l'effondrement du PIB consécutif à la crise économique mondiale de 2008 a nui avant tout à l'emploi des hommes, les politiques d'austérité auraient davantage affecté celui des femmes. L'auteure cherche à vérifier ce scénario dans huit pays européens, en décomposant la variation trimestrielle du taux d'activité et du taux d'emploi des femmes et des hommes à l'échelon sectoriel. Elle montre que l'association entre he‐cession et she‐austerity ne se confirme pas toujours, mais que les politiques d'austérité peuvent nuire à l'égalité des sexes et aux droits de la femme par d'autres mécanismes d'action, qu'elle répertorie et commente.