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"Food Insecurity" published on by Oxford University Press.

Die Verfasser untersuchen das Fallbeispiel Österreich und die zunehmende Unsicherheit der Beschäftigungsverhältnisse Jugendlicher in einer Zeit, die von einem zunehmenden Druck der Globalisierung auf die österreichische Wirtschaft gekennzeichnet ist. Sie fragen weiter, in wie weit die Entwicklung der Beschäftigungsunsicherheit zu einer Verlagerung im Wahlverhalten junger Erwachsener in Österreich geführt hat, wie sie sich beispielsweise in einer steigenden Präferenz für rechte Parteien ausdrückt. Als Datenbasis dient der Austrian Social Survey. Es zeigt sich, dass bei jungen Menschen seit 1986 kein Anstieg der Arbeitslosigkeit zu erkennen ist. Auch ein Einfluss beruflicher und wirtschaftlicher Unsicherheit auf eine Präferenz für rechte Parteien ist nicht festzustellen. (ICE).

The sustainable development goals offer an integrated picture of possible transitions to sustainable development. They include social, economic and ecological goals, as well as goals for countries on various levels of economic development. Thus, they acknowledge that the transition to sustainability is a collective task that must be accomplished by humanity as a whole. They mention both sustainable consumption (SDG 12) and employment conditions (SDG 8). However, the literature linking decent work and behavioural change towards sustainability is still scarce. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap by looking at the effects of growing employment insecurity on sustainable consumption, as exemplified by the purchase of organic food in the case of Germany.

A commentary examines recent changes in the organization of economic activity that have produced more low-wage jobs, general economic insecurity, & new forms of employment-centered poverty. Although insecurity & poverty have existed in developed countries for a long time, the focus here is on the contribution of new terms of employment to increases in socioeconomic & spatial inequalities. It is argued that the decline of mass production as the propelling force of the economy resulted in a weakening of the broader institutional framework that shaped the employment relation. Three trends are examined in depth: (1) growing inequality in both the profit-making capacities of varied economic sectors & the earning capacities of different types of workers; (2) greater socioeconomic polarization stemming from the organization of firms & labor markets, especially in the service industries, coupled with the "casualization" of the employment relation; & (3) an increase in urban marginality caused by new structural processes of economic growth rather than by abandonment. 4 Tables, 36 References. J. Lindroth

At German reunification, the former East German trade unions were abolished in favor of the highly legalistic West German system of industrial relations. East Germans looked to trade unions to guarantee employment & to aid in achieving rapid prosperity, but the Western trade unions were not prepared for the concomitant economic tumult. Mismanaged privatization, mass unemployment, inflation, & social insecurity were part of the restructuring crisis. East German subsidiaries experience lack of capital, mismanagement, & dependence on the West, all of which weakens their bargaining power, challenges the equalization of Eastern & Western conditions, & supports long-term unsafe & precarious labor relations. Whether needed reforms in industrial relations will be achieved & solutions to corporate, national, & European challenges will be found is uncertain. 2 Figures, 13 References. L. A. Hoffman

Discusses the historical & current relationship between market forces & welfare provision in the US & Canada. Despite a deficiency in welfare-oriented social programs, postwar economic success, high living standards, & union/public sector success in establishing worker benefits provided support for these market-driven welfare systems. However, recent market failures in both Canada & the US have challenged the viability of market-driven welfare. Although rising inequality has been offset in Canada by social transfers, widening wage differentials in both countries have placed increased burdens on underfunded & overused social welfare programs. Modern welfare states must address two major challenges: (1) economic insecurity for workers produced by unstable markets, high divorce rates, & single parenthood; & (2) the maintenance of traditional welfare programs for a rapidly expanding elderly population. Although the lack of economic & democratic power experienced by the underprivileged in North America exacerbates these problems, it is concluded that social investments in education & selective wage & income subsidies can improve social security. 8 Tables, 60 References. T. Sevier

Data from 1994 interviews with 30 secondary school & university students in the humanities in St. Petersburg, Russia show how gender stereotypes impact their life goals & problem-solving strategies. The low wages & low status of the humanitarian professions in Russia place an increased economic & psychological burden on students of the humanities. The most significant problem they faced was alienation from both traditional Soviet values & the beliefs & institutions of the post-Soviet world. Motherhood & marriage were the primary concerns of female students, & the ideal partner was depicted as both emotionally & economically supportive. These women also sought professional success, but most were uncertain regarding how they would combine their professional & family responsibilities in the future. Economic independence, self-fulfillment, & social status were the fundamental concerns of male respondents, & many listed higher education as a means of achieving these goals & avoiding military service. Most men saw family & marriage as a threat to their independence. Both genders faced the problematic desire for independence & personal growth in an environment of economic insecurity that threatened to undermine these goals. T. Sevier

Contends that the matters overlooked by standard economics are significant, not trivial, determinants of personal well-being. An exploration of human behavior grounded in "standard economics" is prone to fostering, in the wealthy countries of the EU or North America, prescriptions for economic policy whose ramifications will gradually undermine the sense of community & reciprocity that upholds the moral foundation on which market economic systems are based. It is demonstrated via comparing such countries as the US & France or Germany that insecurity & overwork serve to erode, on average, well-being by more than the worth of any increase in market production, eroding as well the community bonds that nurture the norms of morality underlying market processes. Figures. K. Coddon

Instead of promoting a balance of power among states, the new international order has been dominated by the dissemination of power among various international actors & structures. The power of all states has, therefore, been diminished & a sense of insecurity now prevails. Further, a weakened sense of systemic competition, resulting from the spread of globalization, has imposed limitations on the power of social, economic, & political actors. It is essential, therefore, that political processes be employed in an effort to consolidate genuine global governance. Multinational firms, global financial markets, & transnational security alliances are likely to play a significant role in creating a global environment that is structurally unified. K. A. Larsen

A commentary on the insecurity of low-wage work notes that unemployment rates are four times higher for persons with fewer than four years of high school than for those with four or more years of college, even in periods of relative prosperity. The deleterious effects of unemployment are examined for both individuals & specific population groups. It is argued that research data on the impact of unemployment can be misleading. Dangers associated with the fallacy of composition (assuming what is true for individuals is also true for the whole population) are discussed, along with the role played by perceptions of job availability in shaping public attitudes/public policy; the nature of empirical evidence concerning job availability; distinctions between the amount & distribution of joblessness; & the impact of an aggregate job shortage. It is maintained that the way individual workers experience aggregate labor market conditions, as well as how the general public perceives low-wage workers, tend to encourage behavioralist & structuralist views of the causes & remedies for unemployment. 1 Figure, 29 References. J. Lindroth

Implications of the Islamic Refah Party's acquisition of power through democratic means in contemporary Turkey for civil society & future economic & political movements are examined. Although Turkey's poor economic conditions are perceived as contributing to the Refah Party's popularity, most of its support is derived from the party's attempt to create a just political system based on the God-believer covenant. Even though the Refah Party has permitted political pluralism in Turkey, it is maintained that Turkish citizens must be allowed to participate in politics as both individuals & members of political parties. Several limitations on Turkish citizens' political participation are discussed: segregation of citizens into small groups; religious organizations' attempts to stagnate individual development; potential corruption of Turkey's young generations by religious orders; & continued low status of women. Despite the uncertain prospects for establishing civil society in current Turkey, several factors that could combat social fragmentation & political insecurity are identified. J. W. Parker