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The value and challenges of video observation in social work
In this contribution we reflect on the values and challenges of working with video observation in social work theory and practice. We do not discuss the methods themselves as part of our discussion; instead we focus on the contribution that working with such methods can bring to social work. We answer the question of why social work should be put into images using video observation, and we put forward questions that should be asked when doing so.

Applied conversation analysis
In this article we discuss the value of applied conversation analysis for social work practice. Results from a doctorate research on 'Attachment in Interaction are presented'. Data from this research stem from a larger project entitled Professional Parenting in Family Treatment Homes. We show how applied conversation analysis can be used to reveal good practices, clarify how these practices work interactionally, and to reclassify traditional concepts like attachment in interactional terms. We argue that applied conversation analysis is a good method to answer how questions, i.e. questions that, in our opinion, should be asked when doing applied research.

Supporting people with disabilities is a cornerstone of the Dutch welfare state. It has become part of our cultural ideal that government people who can not (more) provide (WRR, 2006, p. 115). Care for themselves Especially after World War II, the government has expanded its involvement with the landmark introduction of the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act (EMEA) in 1968. The EMEA is a national insurance scheme, every resident of the Netherlands secures long-term care and assistance at home or in an institution. Were increasingly welfare-related forms of support in the care of the government in the sixties of the twentieth century, moreover, brought and created a versatile professional sector, with specializations as neighborhood and community work, and social work with elderly people (Duyvendak, 2002). Adapted from the source document.

Field work and mobile phones at Lake Victoria, Uganda
Field work and mobile phones at Lake Victoria, Uganda
This article discusses the role of mobile phones in anthropological fieldwork. Based on research around Lake Victoria (Uganda), this article shows that in the local fishery, mobile phones play a crucial part. At the same time, it appears that increasingly mobile social relations are difficult to observe, that new social rules emerge, and that the mobile phone introduces new forms of exclusion. This imposes new requirements on the fieldworker, and the article argues that the mobile phone as a research instrument offers new, often unexpected, opportunities. As a result, the mobile phone might acquire a key position within the craft of anthropological fieldwork.

Typical of current work in contemporary Soviet political theory is the work of V. N. Danilenko, a specialist in French political theory which appeared in Sovjetskoje Gosoedarstvo i Pravo (1976, Apr). Danilenko analyzes some French political theorists. The needs of ideological struggle require attention to new development in bourgeois ideology. The crisis of world capitalism as well as the emergence of formerly colonial nations has created a need for a renovation of political theories. Today's interest in the typology of political systems is typical of that renovation effort. The French theorists are criticized for assuming the independence of the political & economic structures & for not recognizing the role of ideologies as well as of social & geographic factors. They absolutize political systems & study them abstractly. By contrast, Marxist-Leninist political science asserts that a political system is an expression of the relations between classes & of the means by which the dictatorship of the ruling class is enforced. Therefore, the important criteria in the classification of bourgeois systems are: the rights & liberties of the Wc, how the Wc is represented in the parliamentary institution, what share the Wc has in state power & to what extent the state is forced to respond to PO & use democratic means of government. The Soviet juridical literature is criticized for not recognizing the full diversity of bourgeois systems. However, Marxism-Leninism brings to light what all these systems have in common: they are dictatorships of the bourgeoisie. A. Orianne.

The value of voter behavior surveys lies in the possibility of following the changes of the voters' preferences. In this type of survey, errors are found that are due to specific problems of sample composition. The problem is that one cannot weigh the sample with respect to the variable 'past voting behavior'. Rs answers to the question: "Which party did you vote for in the last election?" cannot be accepted at face value. NIPO includes that question in its weekly survey. These surveys are studied to discover how to protect against mistakes arising from a nonrepresentative sample in terms of past voting behavior. The method involves a comparison between actual electoral returns & voters' statements regarding past voting behavior as well as a weighing of the sample based on the results of the weekly survey from the last sixteen weeks. In Comment, J. W. Foppen (Erasmus U, Rotterdam Netherlands) objects that there are serious weaknesses regarding the NIPO surveys which de Hond uses as his bases. Moreover, de Hond's own work based on these surveys suffers from statistical blunders & computational errors. In Remarks, de Hond answers that the above comments either are not applicable to his own work or else can be directed at all survey research work. They are also based on misunderstandings & an unsympathetic reading. 7 Tables. A. Orianne.

The possible contributions of sociobiology & ethology to the political sciences are critically examined. E. O. Wilson's Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard U Press, Belknap Press, 1975) is reviewed & the key concepts of his theory are presented. The group "Science for the People" criticizes Wilson's work as racist & supportive of the status quo; their complaints are rejected as biased & unjust. The last three IPSA congresses in Munich (1970), Montreal (1973), & Edinburgh (1976) show that attempts to relate biology & political sciences exist, though they are still rare. The sessions on "Biology & Politics" in the Montreal congress are presented as an example. Here, the emphasis is on the methodological contributions of ethology to political sciences. The concept of "social systems" is seen as a major contribution to the social sciences. It demands a stronger shift toward interdisciplinary works between political & biological sciences. W. Zimmerman.

A literature review shows that many feel a trend of individualization is occurring in the Netherlands. However, no clear definition of individualization has been established. Proceeding from the work of J. W. van Deth (1992), the definition of individualization as an increase in the number of persons with a postmaterialistic value orientation (ie, preferring autonomy, self-development, & emancipation over tradition, obedience, & personal wealth) is considered. The objection arises that the interest people show in material welfare is not closely tied to their striving for self-development & independence, & therefore not to their degree of individualism in values. Thus, a new definition for individualization is proposed focusing on independence, self-development, emancipation, & decreasing appreciation for tradition & obedience. Analysis of official statistical & electoral data from 1974 to 1989 showed that no individualization occurred over this period. Surprisingly, the degree of individualism displayed by value orientations actually decreased. 17 Figures, 3 Graphs. M. Meeks

The development of a strict methodology of observation & analysis in soc sci has always met with resistance. In the current debate on this topic in the US, 2 positions can be distinguished. There are the 'theorists,' who find their inspiration in the work of recent philosophers such as H. Marcuse & J.-P. Sartre; they rate the formation of a pol'al theory as a 1st priority. Then there are the 'behaviorists,' whose first care is for sci'fic method. This contrast is reviewed on the basis of the document, "Political Science at Berkeley, An Invitation to a Discussion," which was published anonymously by a group of students. The criticism of these students can be summarized under the headings 'commitment' & 'relevance.' As far as commitment is concerned, the critics reproach the behaviorists for not taking stands in important contemporary moral issues, & for identifying with the status quo. It is argued here that what leads to acceptance of & identification with the existing pol'al order is not behaviorist methodology as such, but rather the mood of the behaviorists. As far as 'relevance' is concerned, the critics are impatient with the futile detail analysis & data collecting of the behaviorists. The behaviorists' use of a strict methodology of explanation by generalization leads to a reduction of the scope of analysis. Then only the 'easy' aspects ('easy' to quantify, 'easy' to collect, etc) are analyzed, & discontinuous developments are neglected. The argument presented here is that the lack of a dynamic theory of the pol'al process is an impediment indeed for pol'al sci, but that, again, behaviorism as such cannot be accused of being 'conservative' or 'conformistic': the refutation of race theories, for example, was rather a radical undertaking. It is concluded that for the time being it is not necessary to lay other bounds on pol'al sci than those that follow from the claims of rational debate & intellectual honesty. HA.

Abstract

Visuals in qualitative social science research

The visual is omnipresent in daily life. Though research is still mainly verbal by nature, visual studies and visual methods have become part of academic social research. This contribution intends to introduce visual methods to students and researchers who are not familiar with the possibilities. First, the reasons why researchers work with visuals are described. Next, following , ) we distinguish between visuals as data, as part of the data collection method and as output of research. Just like in any other research, autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice are the guiding principles when making choices during the research process.

Noting that problems with social exclusion are increasingly related to unemployment, ethnic factors, & urban crime in Belgium, the applicability of the primarily British & US concept of the underclass is examined. Definitions of the concept are discussed, arguing that some are too vague to clearly circumscribe a sociologically relevant group, & others possess a moral undertone that renders their explanatory power minimal. Although the term cannot be applied straightforwardly to the Belgian situation, three recurrent aspects of its definitions are explored: economic marginality, deviant values regarding work & family, & criminal behavior. It is found that economic marginality in Belgium is not as stable as in the UK & US, & relevant values & behavior are not specifically associated with or restricted to economically marginal groups. However, the expression of conflict in terms of ethnicity is recognized. It is concluded that, although Belgium's problems can be viewed in a framework of underclass formation processes, no definable underclass exists. Adapted from the source document.

Beyond navel-gazing and narcissism.Ferrell's auto-ethnography as part of ethnography
Beyond navel-gazing and narcissism.Ferrell's auto-ethnography as part of ethnography
The labeling of auto-ethnography as navel-gazing does not do justice to the variety with which auto-ethnography is applied. A distinction should be made between emotional and analytical auto-ethnography. In the first form the central person of the researcher plays the central role, in the second auto-ethnography is applied to get a better understanding of the social world which is being studied. In this article the author discusses the second approach by using the work of Jeff Ferrell. Ferrell is a well-known cultural criminologist, who focuses critically on the cultural understanding of social life. By looking at how Ferrell applies auto-ethnography, insight is gained into the added value of this method for qualitative studies: (1) the integration of the personal experiences of researchers in texts in order to achieve a richer description of the social worlds they explore, (2) making explicit the role of the researcher in publications, and (3) developing new (more appealing) forms of representation.