Suchergebnisse

"The author analyses higher education policies targeted at equal (or rather not so equal) opportunities for access into higher education for indigenous people in Australia, Canada, and Mexico. He discusses concepts of equity and social responsiveness and works out very wen that many measures undertaken to ensure equal access for indigenous people require them to adopt the norms and values of the majority culture. This, of course, is in stark contrast to an approach of self-determination. He finds an example of this in Canada where indigenous people have successfully fought to start their own universities and have them recognized as equal to the universities of the majority culture. This means that they control their own educational processes. Despite the fact that developments in Canada are not ideal and go all the way in shifting control and administration to the indigenous boards, such an approach acknowledges the difference without seeing it as inferior. The author also works out in a convincing manner that in countries where the higher education system serves purposes of nation-building, a 'different but equal' policy is perceived as separatist and threatening to the state. In his conclusions, the author proposes to develop the concept of an ethnically sensitive university that includes cultural diversity as a matter of content and collaborates with indigenous people in their struggle for justice and recognition." (excerpt).

"During his MAHE studies, the author became interested in the approach of problem-based learning (PBL) and its effectiveness in preparing students for employment. Using the existing data set of a major international graduate survey (CHEERS) about the relationships between higher education and employment, he analyzed the responses of altogether 3,476 graduates in the field of medicine from ten European countries and from Japan. The original questionnaire had included a question to what extent project- and problem-based learning was emphasized in their higher education Institution. It had also asked the respondents to rate their competencies at time of graduation based on altogether 36 indicators. The author used factor analysis to measure career success according to subjective/ intrinsic and objective/extrinsic dimensions and related it to the experiences of problem-based learning during studies. The analysis is able to demonstrate that problem-based learning prepares students better for the world of work and that students with experiences in problem-based learning have more work or employment related competences than students who experienced traditional learning and teaching styles. The author concludes that PBL requires a student-centred atmosphere in the classroom in order to enhance students' learning outcomes. Such a development would certainly fulfill one of the pressing demands of study reforms initiated in the context of the European Bologna Process." (excerpt).

"The author raises the question of Europe's boundaries in the process of European integration. The debate is both of a symbolic and pragmatic nature, and can be observed not only among European nations but also elites." (Abstract)

"The question of declining numbers has been central in discussions about contemporary change in political parties, civil society and social movements. The usual interpretation of this phenomenon is that it occurs because of individualization. Another interpretation is that the collective action as such has changed and resembles action in primary groups rather than in organizations and it is, in some way a victory over the iron law of oligarchy. In this article the author argues that it is instead the institution of membership that is disappearing, not just members. The author argues that, due to changes in the patterns of resource mobilization, from members to other organizations, the institution of membership as a form of affiliation is on the decline. The result of this change can be summed up as 'more organization with fewer people', in other words, the transformation to - and the creation of - a new type of organization that can be described as an intertwining of foundation and profession instead of as an intertwining of association and broad segments of the population that characterized old social movement organizations and mass political parties. The author discusses some social and political consequences of this Janus-faced change, especially the creation of new boundaries of exclusion and the new unstructured power fields (or open spaces) that open up and where new social innovations can find rich soil and new organizations can emerge." (author's abstract)

"The author uses a constructivist approach to address the question of how important natural resources serve as tools or sources of power in the 21st century. After examining existing approaches towards resource power and offering an insightful assessment of todays distribution of key resources, the author analyses in this article the importance of resources in international relations by using Wendt's conceptions of three different ontological perceptions of world politics that form three idiosyncratic role models of interstate relations: Hobbesian, Lockean, Kantian. He points out that depending on the ontological perception of international relations by the international actors involved and the role model applied by them, the importance of resources as sources of power varies significantly and therefore there is neither an automatic link between natural resources and power nor between scarcity and conflict." (author's abstract)

"For scholars the 'Weimar paradigm' has been an object lesson in failure. As a political system, the Republic allegedly rested on weak foundations and was considered flawed in its constitutional construction. This chapter challenges the idea of a defective Constitution. The author argues that the discourse on authority had its origins in the First World War, notably in the work of defenders of authoritarianism and those in favor of a Volksstaat. By re-examining key articles of the constitution relating to the roles of executive and legislature that appear to contradict one another, and in particular the influence of Hugo Preuß and above all Carl Schmitt, the author argues that the relationship of the Republic to authority should be understood as a complex hybrid of liberal progressivism and authoritarianism that moved from a consensual basis commencing in 1916 to one of open confrontation by the beginning of the 1930s." (author's abstract)

"The author researches different forms of cross-border governance in Central European border twin towns. By concentrating on both eastern and western edges of the region he presents de-bordering tendencies in the pairings located on internal EU borders and re-bordering on external ones." (Abstract)

Article on the impact of the crisis in the global economy on marketing strategy in Russia. The author substantiates the thesis of the decline in the value of methods of promoting the marketing mix and a gradual return to the dominance of the marketing concept of the distribution.

"Development Aid has been facing harsh criticism throughout the past decades. Even after half a century of assistance to underdeveloped countries, aims and objectives have not been met and progress has come to a hault, outspoken critics like Axelle Kabou and Dambisa Moyo proclaimed. Their concern was not only addressed at previous development approaches, but rather questioned the general idea of aid as an instrument to improve life quality in regions such as Sub-Saharan-Africa. Below the author reviews this criticism and points out some of its misconceptions concerning the asserted demands of Development Aid. He goes on to reflect on current and future scenarios on what may constitute reasonable assistance to countries in need. By not dwelling on either the valid criticism or the irrefutable achievements of Development Aid, but instead outlining resent paradigm changes, the author helps to give an overview to a broad and often emotionally charged discourse." (author's abstract)

"The author concentrates on the important tactical and strategic impacts of Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) for 21st century power relations. Taking recent military experiences as a starting point, he outlines how UAVs are already changing the ways air power is gained and exercised by Western and non-Western militaries, e.g. by using drones for better battlefield awareness. He sketches out likely future developments within this important field and shows that drones are set to fundamentally alter the traditionally air power hierarchy as they allow for military air assets that are cheaper (compared to the costs of traditional jets and Bombers) and easier to manufacture (particularly due to dual-use technologies) - something that particularly benefits developing countries. Given the rising global demand for drones and the increasingly tougher industrial competition, the author concludes with a call for a stronger European cooperation in order to avoid failing behind militarily and technologically." (author's abstract)

"In this paper the author discusses different aspects and options for infrastructure policies during and after the financial and economic crisis. The author distinguishes between short-term objectives and more structural long-term objectives. Almost all countries, and certainly Germany, the EU, and the United States, used infrastructure spending policies as a pro-active instrument to stimulate the economy. However, the window of opportunity to challenge the traditional allocation of infrastructure expenses was not actively used. From a structural perspective, the crisis has high-lighted new challenges, such as the development of appropriate organizational models for providing, financing, and producing in network infrastructures, and the readjustment of incentive regulation in the light of substantial infrastructure investment requirements. 'The economic crisis can prove the catalyst to a more imaginative approach to infrastructure - holding up demand, creating jobs and providing future generations with a set of assets.' (Helm et al. 2009, S. 8)" (author's abstract)

[The] article falls into two chief parts. Part I provides an introduction to religious education in Europewhile exploring six key characteristics. Part II presents European developments concerning guiding principles, developments in the European institutions and comparative European projects as well as existing networks. Finally [the author summarises] some perspectives for religious education. (Orig.).

Article on the role of the segmentation of the environment in the planning of marketing activities. Pre-crisis marketing in the first place put on the importance of marketing communications function. The author proves the thesis about the importance of the analysis of the market environment as an essential condition of effective marketing.

"In this article the author addresses the question of the ontology of power and rule-setting in the international monetary system. By distinguishing between two dimensions of monetary power - autonomy and influence - he offers an innovative approach towards power in the international monetary system. Within this context he examines and analyses different developments, outlining a diffusion of power among states as well as between states and non-state actors rather in the dimension of autonomy than in the dimension of influence. The author introduces the concept of leaderless diffusion, meaning that leadership in the system has been more scattered than relocated. He argues that a power shift has taken place from few very powerful states towards a growing number of autonomous actors, especially when it comes to rule-setting abilities within the monetary system. Furthermore, he outlines that on the level of governance, a distinction should be made between the individual state and the global system and thus offers an elaborated approach towards understanding monetary and economic power in the 21st century." (author's abstract)

"The author investigates national policy in Hungary. His divagations lead to the conclusion that despite state de-bordering, national re-bordering is visible. The 1848 map of Hungary serves for a symbolic manifestation of the problem of the Hungarian minorities in neighbouring states. Territory and diaspora are used as debate objects in the article." (Abstract)