Veblen's theory applied to information specialists

This paper examines the paradoxical class situation of information specialists in the post-industrial society as both professionals and employees. It describes and analyses the ‘technocratic’ authority wielded by them and their mode of consciousness. It's assessed whether these workers function as the vanguard of a new style of democratised work or buttressed the position of managerial authority. It has been found that the subjects experience a class situation that is somewhat more empowered than the industrial or corporate models, but do not differ substantially from that of the production workers in industrial society. Their power, prestige, privilege and status essentially camouflage the subjects’ compliance to hierarchical authority. The subjects exhibit awareness of their power, but essentially they direct their energies toward task attainment and individual mobility. Lacking an orientation toward structure change, the information specialists do not appear to fit the notion of a vanguard group. From this research they have been foreseen some possibilities of changes within organisational authority as information specialists confront management with their expertise, but it's anticipated that the institutions of social domination will prevail, as we can read in some Veblen's theory.     

Politics and Religion in India: Minorities

This paper is addressing the minority issue in India. In the introduction we give a definition of minority, which is not asserted by a numerical criteria, but rather by the share of power and freedoms. We proceed giving an overlook of the largely diverse Indian state, which for its pluralistic composition has to face socioeconomic and religious challenges. Some legal guarantees are provided by the Constitution, although they are not fully respected in practice. Rejecting Indian secularism??s criticisms. Then we analyze the model of Indian secularism, consisting in the separation between State and religious, though taking into account the delicate balance of multiple social interests. The positivistic view of Bhargava suggests us that the Indian conception is better equipped at political and moral level to deal with deep religious diversity. The conclusion suggests that Indian democracy has a great potential, even with its cracks and odds still to be solved, and at least in absolute terms has much to teach to other proclaimed secular countries in the Western world.     

The Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS): further results on demographic correlates, dimensionality, reliability, and validity

Convergent lines of evidence from adoption, family, geographical, immigrant, molecular genetic, surname, and twin studies of suicide point to genetic contributions to risk factors for suicidal behavior. Related mental health literacy (knowledge and beliefs) of professionals and laypersons may, however, lag behind this research progress. The purpose of this study was to further validate the 22-item Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS), a novel instrument for assessing individuals' beliefs in the genetics of suicide. Data from a general population sample of 159 Austrian adults showed adequate internal scale consistency. Due to deliberate content heterogeneity, the instrument has a subscale structure, but factor analysis of items extracted a dominant first factor. BIRFSS scores were positively related to overall and specific knowledge on suicide facts (convergent validity), whereas unrelated to the Big Five personality dimensions, locus of control, social desirability, and verbal intelligence (discriminant validity). Demographic correlates of BIRFSS scores included respondents' age and religiosity (both positive ones), but not respondents' sex, educational level, or political orientation.     

Determinants of Joblessness During the Economic Crisis: Impact of Criminality in the Italian Labour Market

After nearly 20 years without any significant changes, the indicators of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) have undergone a major overhaul in the current 2014–2020 programming period. This paper reviews the characteristics of the ERDF indicator system evolution and contextualises the changes. Based on applying a logic model and practical examples, we argue that in spite of the good justification for changes, the new ERDF intervention logic and indicator system did not solve some of the well-known problems and brought new challenges for the ERDF-supported programmes. The main challenges that still remain to be solved are: differing indicator concepts between the European Union funds; inconsistency of the common output indicators; difficulties in establishing a programme’s contribution to results; persistent problems in determining the target values for results; and broad result indicators with indirect link to interventions.     

Dividing Lines: Understanding the Creation and Replication of Fragmentations Among NGOs in Hybrid Regimes

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Few would underestimate the role of nondemocratic governments in controlling and steering NGOs. However, this article...