Suchergebnisse

"This chapter discusses the lifestyles of the upper tier of the Indian new middle classes. Its members can be seen as a pilot group which is about to adopt a 'Western' way of life. But there is little evidence that environmental and social responsibility were basically being rejected, as suggested by the predator hypothesis. The data suggests that many in this group like to Shop and consume, however, in a businesslike and sober way, trying to pragmatically balance diverging concerns. Ecological concern is just one among many, and clearly one that is accorded minor importance. But about one third of the sample explicitly repudiates excessive consumption and can be seen as amenable to elements of the ecological and the civil society discourses - which is the same pattern as can be found in the West." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Training measures are among the most frequently employed instruments of labour market policy. In the context of impact research according to paragraph 6c of Social Code II (SGB II), it was found that significant effects of training measures can be expected regarding the improvement of employment perspectives. The author deals with the question, as excluded from continuous SGB II impact research, of the effects' reasons, and investigates the different effects of various types of measures, the intentions of the allocation of measures, the process of allocation, and the effects of the announcement of training measures. She finds that already the intention by which labourers employ non-firm-specific training measures is less aimed at direct integration than is the case with firm-related measures. Non-firm-related training measures, in her opinion, therefore should take place at an early stage. There is also evidence that non-firm-related training measures can be employed as a means of obligating participants to make an effort by themselves. 'In this realm, however, policy should operate cautiously and under no circumstances on a national level, since otherwise there is a danger of a crowding-out from the reception of social assistance in the short run'. (IAB)

This article discusses the effects of the separation of functions in basic income support, as found in the evaluation according to paragraph 6c of Social Code II (SGB II), in which the efficiency of 'ARGE' administration associations and 'opting' municipalities was compared. The article considers the development of separated service functions, the organisation of the service process within the scope of SGB II, the governance of separated functions, and the organisation of the service processes at the interfaces to further social legislation in the Federal Employment Agency's (BA) and municipalities' areas of responsibility. The separation of functions constitutes a model of implementation not legally intended, which contradicts structurally a previously central aim of reform, namely a unique provider of services. The author concludes that the extent of cooperation between service providers, within the scope of SGB II and beyond, depends on the locally operating decision-makers. In general, there is a contradiction between the welfare-state-oriented logic of SGB II and the economic logic of SGB III. In the light of the BA's focus on fiscal efficiency, the author perceives a danger of 'the economic logic predominating and potentially disadvantaging hard-to-place employment-seeking persons, or of long-term and holistic integration strategies remaining under-developed'. (IAB)

In the years 2000 through 2008, the RWI economic research institute's economic trend (business cycle) model has been extended by labour market research modules and applied at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), mainly for the quantification of effects of economic and political impulses on the labour market. We ask in how far the macroeconomic models live up to the rising expectations towards scientific policy consulting. Basic features of the IAB-RWI model are explained and the model's fit is investigated. For that purpose, we compare some selected common error measures for two versions of the model. The new model from 2007 contains linked price indices on the basis of the precedent year's prices, after the revision of the national accounts (VGR) in 2005, mechanisms for the correction of errors, and a detailed illustration of foreign trade (earlier project-LINK version). It is found that, even in the long run, the new model attains the same stability as the earlier version without error correction models and linked price indices, in spite of the increased model dynamism. Thus, the supposed contradiction between the long-term orientation of error correction models, on the one hand, and the rather short-term oriented economic and empirical foundation of the IAB-RWI model, on the other hand, does not impact on model quality. (IAB)

"There are more children in Icelandic families than in the other Nordic countries. Workforce participation in Iceland is also amongst the highest in the West. The need for family support is therefore immense. While overall expenditures on families with children in Iceland have converged with those of other Nordic nations in the last few years, the expenditures per child up to age 17 are still significantly lower in Iceland. This is more marked for expenditures on benefits; expenditures on services are comparable with those found in other Nordic countries. During the 1990s, significant policy changes occurred in Iceland, which have improved the legal rights and conditions of families with children. These applied, for example, to rights to paternity and maternity leaves, children's right to receive care from both parents, and a stronger status for joint care. The rights of same-sex couples were significantly enhanced in 2006. Day care services (pre-school) have extensively grown since the early 1990s (increased rates of use and longer care hours) and so have after-school services. On the other hand, expenditures on child benefits have fallen since 1990. It is not clear at this stage whether this has changed the extent of poverty amongst families with children." (author's abstract)

"There are more children in Icelandic families than in the other Nordic countries. Workforce participation in Iceland is also amongst the highest in the West. The need for family support is therefore immense. While overall expenditures on families with children in Iceland have converged with those of other Nordic nations in the last few years, the expenditures per child up to age 17 are still significantly lower in Iceland. This is more marked for expenditures on benefits; expenditures on services are comparable with those found in other Nordic countries. During the 1990s, significant policy changes occurred in Iceland, which have improved the legal rights and conditions of families with children. These applied, for example, to rights to paternity and maternity leaves, children's right to receive care from both parents, and a stronger status for joint care. The rights of same-sex couples were significantly enhanced in 2006. Day care services (pre-school) have extensively grown since the early 1990s (increased rates of use and longer care hours) and so have after-school services. On the other hand, expenditures on child benefits have fallen since 1990. It is not clear at this stage whether this has changed the extent of poverty amongst families with children." (author's abstract).

"There are growing accounts of innovative, often collaborative institutional approaches to water management that seem to respond better to new challenges in supply and water quality management. While some describe these new institutional designs as a 'third way', as opposed to traditional state-centered or market-based modes, we find that the most salient features of it to characterize even those effective state or market designs. The fundamental ingredient, which is patterned relationships, is one that arises when social networks are built around the formal (state or market) institutions. The necessary plane of description is not on the dimension of structure (state, market, or otherwise) but in the nature and workings of these relational networks. We describe necessary features of these networks. We illustrate these points with a case study: the Environmental Water Account (EWA), a novel market-based program for negotiating water allocations around the San Francisco Bay-Delta (California, U.S.A.). We point out how this institution worked precisely because it was not merely a market-based program but, rather, built in features of an effective social network. In this way, we found a capacity of the EWA to adapt to the dynamic nature of water resources and needs, along with the uncertainties inherent in a complex social-ecological system." (author's abstract)

The concept of Hungary as a Volksnation was reaffirmed by the Treaty of Trianon (1920) which left Hungary with the urgent need to redefine the concept of citizenship. To redefine the role of women in the new Hungary the conservative political elite revived the concept of 'cottage industry' as a possible solution for both the pressing economic needs of women to seek for employment and as a response to the concept of the independent, wage-earning 'New Woman'. The metaphor of Hungary as a sick mutilated body after 1920 opened up space for possible alternative definitions of women's role as healers for the first generations of university graduates. The example of women doctors shows the impossibility of harmonizing the rhetoric of employment with women's duties in the family. However, due to the Great Depression the concept of 'bread-winning woman' started to shed its ennobled connotation as wider social strata of women had to start some wage-earning activity. Those female professionals who were not satisfied with the neo-conservative vision of women's employment in cottage industry - employment till marriage if it did not threaten the male-bread-winner model - nor with the alternative version offered by the social democratic and the communist party, found empowerment in the rhetoric of exceptionalism: e.g., exceptional times not only allow but require a select stratum of women to enter the labour force. The rhetoric of women doctors about their profession proves that healing and caring was the self-image appropriated by the first generation of female professionals and that it necessarily pushed them to the extreme right. Analysis of the female membership of the Hungarian Nazi Party, the Arrow Cross Party, shows an over-representation of intellectual women among its members. In this chapter I aim to map varying trends that went to form the 'rhetoric of work' in the special context of the 'Trianon trauma', pointing out the factors which shifted the definition of women's work towards radically racialized body politics.

The paper "Israel in the European neighborhood policy" attempts to explain the importance of the relation EU-Israel for the security of the European Union, but also for the global security. This task will be accomplished by analyzing basic documents vital for European political architecture, such as the European Security Strategy, Strategy Paper for Israel for the period 2007-2013, or EU/Israel Action Plan. The speeches of members of European Commission about the relation of EU with Israel are also important sources of the present paper, bringing valuable ideas who successfully complete the content of EU-Israel treaties. This paper attempts, also, to explain the functionning and the role of European neighborhood policy, its principles of action and objectives and, later on, to analyse the importance of Israel as a country found in the proximity of European Union. The reason for choosing Israel from all the other neighbors of the European Union, as subjects of European neighborhood policy, was the common values reflected in tradition and culture of the Jews from Israel and of the Europeans, enhanced by the European Jewry Heritage from Europe. We consider that the relationship between European Union and Israel is very normal and useful.
Among the priorities of action established by the two parts as a consequence of European Union-Israel treaties, we would like to point out the assignment to fight against anti-Semitism and against terrorist actions. The Jewish people are a people who passed through a lot of difficulties and inconveniences during history and through a great tragedy during the Holocaust. Israel represents the refuge they longed for centuries and democratic states do support Israeli aspiration towards having their own fatherland. Anti-Semitism increased now in the Arab world being the consequence of the conflicts between Palestinians and Israelites in the last decades. Some times it can take the form of terrorist action and hence the connection with terrorist networks. The fight against terrorism is not strictly connected with anti-Semitism; terrorist networks are acting more and more widely, including actions versus western civilization. So it is both in the interest of Europeans and Israel to act against the ones who put in danger the basic human values. Both Israel and European Union and United States also, have to reconsider their relation with Arab world whose aggression increased as being home for numerous extremist and terrorist Islamic movements. Terrorism is the present day threat and not a global war. But terrorism can cause much more damage than a war as affecting the entire world and mainly civilians. No place can be safe enough when confronting with such a threat. But the treaties between Israel and European Union have also economic, social, political, security related objectives. They have at their base the common values that Israel and European Union countries share: democracy, human rights and respect for fundamental freedoms. They wish to create more prosperous and secure countries. And they open European economy to Israeli participation. Strenghtening the economic ties between Israel and European Union, all sectors of cooperation will be strenghtened because economic interest is at the basis of long term relations. The method of work will be critical interpretation of the documents concerning European neighbourhood policy and its connection to Israel. The purpose is to understand the written base of EU and Israel relations as a precondition for further possible analysis of the diplomatic relations and politics of the two entities. Our position is to encourage the relationship between Israel and European Union. Israel and the European Union countries are united through historical ties as Jews from whole Europe contributed after 1948 to the creation and development of the Israelian state. Their relationship appears us very normal and an expected result.