Suchergebnisse

Denmark is officially the happiest nation on Earth, so when journalist Helen Russell finds herself spending a year in rural Jutland, she decides she'll do all she can to uncover the secrets of the Danes' happiness. But will the long, dark winters and pickled herring take their toll?

Since their modern inception in 1896, the Olympics have grown in size and stature to become one of the most important mega-sport events. However, unlike other mega-sport events the Olympics has its own value-laden philosophy of "Olympism", advocating sport as a vehicle for social change. This paper utilises Eric Batstone's (1988) three-fold power schema of disruptive potential, labour scarcity and political influence to explore the impact of London 2012 on the power of the British unions. To achieve this, it draws on a comparative study of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Musicians' Union (MU). Based on findings generated from interviews and secondary-data analysis this paper will argue that the collective bargaining results of unions in the run-up to and during the 2012 Olympic Games were a reflection of the individual unions' pre-existing power – those that had more disruptive, labour scarcity or political power prior to the Games were able to win more benefits for their members, whereas those with less were either less successful or did not succeed at all in their negotiations. In addition, when evaluating the power sources, an "Olympic factor" can be observed, which produces a differentiated impact on the power resources of the unions.

The recent debates about the underclass and social exclusion have focused attention on the social networks of the unemployed. However the research in this area has largely failed to take on board the gender dimension of sociability. Using survey data this paper compares the patterns of sociability of unemployed men and women. It is argued that women's more home-centred social activity and their stronger neighbourhood and kinship links means that their social networks are less vulnerable to unemployment than men's. It is found that women's previous pattern of labour market participation is critical in building up a social network which is resistant to unemployment. However a social network that is external to the labour market may also have some negative implications. An absence of friends in employment could lead to a detachment from the world of work. The networks of unemployed men and women are found to feature a much higher than normal concentration of unemployed members and are deficient in employment contacts. Contrary to underclass predictions this does not lead to a reduction in employment commitment but it does have repercussions for the availability of support and access to job information.

Die britische Journalistin Russell zog mit ihrem Mann berufsbedingt nach Jütland. Während "Lego Man" das Arbeitsleben in Billund kennenlernte, spürte Russell dem dänischen "Glücksphänomen" (die Dänen gelten als das glücklichste Volk der Welt) im Alltag nach. Selbstironisch im Stil von Marian Keyes berichtet sie über die dänischen Traditionen, Feste und das Phänomen "Hygge" (Gemütlichkeit), den Rückzug der Dänen ins traute Heim während der dunklen Jahreszeit. Sie schildert Freizeitaktivitäten, Ess- und Trinkgewohnheiten, den ungezwungenen Umgang mit Sexualität, die Einstellung zu Kindern und vor allem das Vertrauen in den Staat. Zu einzelnen Themen interviewt Russell Experten, um diese dann auch nach ihrem persönlichen Glückslevel zu fragen. Das Fazit der Recherchen besteht in 10 wertvollen Tipps für Nicht-Dänen, wie dieser Level angehoben werden kann. - Informative und unterhaltsame Ergänzung zu Titeln, die primär Geschichte, Politik und Wirtschaft behandeln, wie zuletzt Claudia Knauer: "Dänemark" (ID-A 18/15). "Alles wegen Dänen" von Elmar Jung (ID-A 28/13) lag zum Vergleich nicht vor

After reviewing previous research on the relationship between employment commitment & unemployment, hypotheses are formulated on gender differences in role priorities that lead to differences in employment commitment between young men & women. These hypotheses are then tested with data from a comparative study of unemployed youth, ages 18-24, in 5 European counties (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, & Spain total N = 9,817). Results indicate that employment commitment was generally higher among unemployed young women than among young men (with the exception of Norway); commitment levels were unrelated to levels of national unemployment, female labor force participation, or welfare regime. 7 Tables, 5 Figures. K. Hyatt Stewart

Youth unemployment remains a significant problem in most EU countries. In this paper we explore the dynamics of this problem by comparing young people's transitions from unemployment to employment in nine member states. Using the first two waves of the European Community Household Panel, we follow the progress of 14,600 young Europeans over a two-year period. We examine how the employment prospects of young unemployed people are affected by their country of residence and by their personal characteristics such as age, gender, parenthood and educational attainment as well as by previous work experience and unemployment duration. We attempt to unpack the crossnational differences in the underlying transition rate by substituting country names with macro/institutional level variables such as youth long-term unemployment rates, active labour market policy expenditure, employment regulation regimes and benefit provisions for unemployed young people.

COVID-19 has resulted in a global public health crisis. Measures adopted by governments across the world to reduce transmission have resulted in the closure of educational institutions and workplaces and reduced social interaction. The aim of the article is to reflect on the consequences of the COVID-19 global pandemic for the lives of young people from different social groups, with a special focus on education. It is a desk-based review of empirical research that has emerged in the wake of COVID-19 that has explored the impact of the control measures adopted, resulting in 'learning loss' and the widening of the 'learning gap' among students. The review shows that rather than utilizing the current situation to tackle pre-existing social inequalities in education, current debates often narrowly focus on immediate rather than long-term measures. The article calls for a broader research agenda on the short- and long-term compensatory measures needed to re-engage students, especially those from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Celtic Tiger has caused the Irish economy to roar ahead, but what has it done to Irish society? Some see the rising tide as having lifted all boats, while others argue that the benefits have accrued mostly to those who were already well placed. Some highlight how economic growth has raised living standards, while others say that it has imposed strains on family life, eroded values and communities, and created problems in accessing adequate housing, health care and other services. So, are we in Ireland now living in "the best of times", or has increased prosperity come at (too high) a cost? The purpose of this book, which contains a collection of chapters written by some of Ireland's leading social researchers, is to bring to bear the latest research and empirical evidence to answer these questions. It is aimed at a general audience and seeks to contribute to public debate in Ireland, while at the same time striving for rigorous, evidence-based argument.