Suchergebnisse

Choices with impact: Retrospection and reflection on the ethical dimension of a practice-oriented research project using the Most Significant Change Technique
In this publication, we reflect on our use of the Most Significant Change Technique (Davies & Dart, 2005) in a research project on the ethical impact of a training program for social professionals. This method had never before been used in the field of empirical ethics. We describe how we applied the method and account for some alterations we made to bring it in line with the goal of our research. We also illustrate how the analysis of stories, written by participants, as well as the analysis of discussions about these stories with relevant stakeholders (service users, colleagues and managers), led to a stimulating process during which new insights emerged. Reflecting on the results, we conclude that the MSC technique, slightly changed, could be very useful when doing research on the ethical impact of training programs. The narrative component in particular is valuable, in combination with the fact that all relevant stakeholders can contribute in an equivalent way.

Het klimaatprobleem is met het van kracht worden van het Kyoto-verdrag nog lang niet opgelost. Hoe kunnen Nederland en de EU een effectief klimaatbeleid voeren? Daarbij moet rekening worden gehouden met een mondiale omgeving waarin door economische groei de emissies eerder groeien dan dalen en waarin internationale afspraken moeizaam tot stand komen. Het rapport Klimaatstrategie besteedt aandacht aan de drie componenten waaruit het klimaatprobleem bestaat. Hoe kan Nederland zich aanpassen aan klimaatverandering die onherroepelijk komen gaat? Welke technologieën zijn kansrijk om voor emissiered

With the local elections in 2006, new organizational schemes have been applied by the Flemish government to the 308 municipalities. These schemes included institutional reform aimed to change the outset of local government. In this article we studied the influence of these reforms in practice. Are they actually carriers of change? We thereby focused on the direct aspects linked to these reforms. While many instruments of reform had indirect intended effects, acceptance & action among key decision-makers (both voters & local governors to the extent of their discretion) to use them directly becomes crucial. Our analysis has shown that, with some exceptions, direct autonomous space for action was only limitedly used, hence reducing the chances for indirect change. While it is still too early to fully assess the foreseen indirect effects, in our opinion it is crucial to understand the nature of these local reforms within the central (Flemish) bargaining arena. The latter seems to have transformed the new schemes of local governmental organization to the path-dependent art of the political feasible. Tables, Figures. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses the development of a new type of Government in the Netherlands, highlighting the impact of economic conditions, the role of political parties and the media in bringing about change.

In this essay, I argue that the alleged failure of the Copenhagen climate summit in December 2009, rather than labelling it as the collapse of climate politics, should be embraced as an essential political fact. Admittedly, Copenhagen was a failure, albeit of a populist consensual policy practice that invokes an apocalyptic doomsday scenario to make everybody toe the neo-liberal line. In my view, consensus-driven UN policy is running into its own limits as was clearly illustrated at the climate summit in Cancun (December 2010) where the blame was pinned on Bolivia for its fierce resistance against a weak agreement. The time has come to revive the climate and, by extension, the environment as a matter of genuine political concern, open to struggle and contestation, in this way constituting an essential component of social change. Adapted from the source document.

Nederland staat voor een aantal complexe vraagstukken. De klimaatverandering, de vergrijzende samenleving, de overstap naar hernieuwbare energie, het nijpende tekort aan woningen en de verduurzaming van de landbouw. Stuk voor stuk opgaven waarvan we allemaal de gevolgen zullen ervaren, in ons landschap en in onze levensstijl.0Als Rijksbouwmeester is Floris Alkemade direct betrokken bij studies die zich richten op de toekomst van Nederland. In dit boek beschouwt hij in het licht van de grote vragen die op ons afkomen het belang en de aard van de achterliggende culturele thema's