Policy-based abstention in Brazil's 2002 presidential election

This paper implements a unified model of individual abstention and vote choice to analyze policy-based alienation and indifference in Brazil’s 2002 presidential election. The results indicate that both alienation and indifference depressed turnout, with indifference contributing slightly more to voter abstention. Also, the determinants of alienation and indifference differed considerably, the former being determined by structural factors such as voters’ information and perceived efficacy levels, while the latter was related to shortterm aspects such as parties’ mobilization efforts. More importantly, evidence shows that while alienation and indifference were strongly influenced by attitudinal and protest variables, they were also affected by citizens’ evaluation of candidates’ ideological locations. The main conclusion is that abstention in Brazil’s 2002 election had a policy-driven component and that spatial considerations played a substantive role in citizens’ electoral behavior, a fact that has been overlooked in previous research on the determinants of abstention in Latin America

Policy-based abstention in Brazil’s 2002 presidential election

This paper implements a unified model of individual abstention and vote choice to analyze policy-based alienation and indifference in Brazil’s 2002 presidential election. The results indicate that both alienation and indifference depressed turnout, with indifference contributing slightly more to voter abstention. Also, the determinants of alienation and indifference differed considerably, the former being determined by structural factors such as voters’ information and perceived efficacy levels, while the latter was related to short- term aspects such as parties’ mobilization efforts. More importantly, evidence shows that while alienation and indifference were strongly influenced by attitudinal and protest variables, they were also affected by citizens’ evaluation of candidates’ ideological locations. The main conclusion is that abstention in Brazil’s 2002 election had a policy-driven component and that spatial considerations played a substantive role in citizens’ electoral behavior, a fact that has been overlooked in previous research on the determinants of abstention in Latin America

Towards a Digressive Society

This paper is a copy of Digressive Society’s conclusions. In the book Digressive Society, I describe a society that would be based on the principle that no one is allowed to impose a principle on others. This paradoxical principle is, as I demonstrate, equivalent to the global maximisation of individual choices as well as the combating of all forms of alienation. A digression should be understood in the positive sense, it is distancing ourselves from an initial intention, deviate from a pre-established or expected discourse. This book is, I hope, a productive attempt to develop a system at the crossroads of critical theory, existentialism, libertarianism, and anarchism: a system founded not on any preconceived notion of justice or human rights, but rooted in the ambiguous nature of human existence

Narratives and Performance - The Case of Stock-broking

The performance of individual stockbrokers differs. This paper aims at explaining these differences, or at least at making some sense of them. In a study of fourteen stockbrokers, the high performing brokers described their working life in a systematically different way, compared to the low performing brokers. The high and low performing brokers gave fundamentally different accounts of what, from an outsider’s viewpoint, seemed to be very similar work and working conditions. The brokers’ different accounts are interpreted and reconstructed into two opposing narratives of stockbrokers’ world of working. In an ideal typical sense these two narratives explain, or at least make sense of, the stockbrokers’ different levels of performance.narratives; performance; stock-broking; phenomenography; competence; work; interaction; alienation

The examination of how modern, overeducated and intellectual men are alienated from their environment of materialistic values of the Modern Era, with regard to the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Elliot.

An intellectual man eventually questions the deviations in his society and he is usually astounded by how he is obliged to stand alone in that society. This work specifically focuses on how the shattered values of Modern World lead the intellectual individual to alienation and suffering, with regard to the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Elliot. The given imageries, stylistic devices, meanings and some certain references are examined as well, as indications of the suffering of the individual. The essay also includes the historical and social background of American Literature of twentieth century and stresses the relation between the mentioned factors and the attitude of modern men. After World War I, the artistic approach of some certain writers of the mentioned era has been mainly affected by the social changes. The main aim is to study how these changes influenced the poetry of T.S. Elliot; more specifically investigate the indications of that certain state of mind embedded in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. As a focus, the research question of this essay suggests concentrating on the topic by taking major themes, linguistics, structures, tone, atmosphere and setting of the poem into consideration. All the mentioned points are discussed in a detailed way in order to determine and comprehend the state of endurance and alienation of modern man. With the help of stylistic devices, language and themes he uses, Elliot demonstrates how he is distressful about the materialistic values of the Modern Era, as well as his personal suffering

Alienation, Psychology and Human Resource Management

This paper revisits the issue of alienation and work. Although Marx saw alienation as an objective reality, others argue that it is a subjective experience of powerlessness, meaninglessness, isolation and self-estrangement. Feelings of alienation are also a central construct of existential psychologists, who focus on separation of the individual from the presumed ‘real’ or ‘deeper’ self. The question arising from self-estrangement in the workplace is whether modern management techniques have been able to alleviate such feelings. The effects of work structures, various management strategies and the adoption of human resource management as a set of unitarist principles are examined. It is argued that a number of approaches by management have failed to provide any respite from feelings of alienation and, further, that human resource management has tended to produce practices that have also failed. At the same time, the ‘soft’ version of human resource management model with its unitarist ideals has the potential to assuage feelings of alienation

Social Dangers of European Integration

Integracja europejska jako proces społeczny pozostaje pod wpływem licznych zagrożeń, które w różnym zakresie mogą na nią oddziaływać. Przynajmniej częściowo występują one na płaszczyźnie politycznej - stając się konsekwencją zachodzących procesów ekonomicznych czy psychologicznych. Ewolucja postaw społecznych jednostek może mieć negatywne znaczenie dla europejskich społeczeństw. W niniejszym artykule szczególną uwagę autorzy poświęcają zagrożeniom płynącym z atomizacji, anomii oraz społecznej alienacji. Odniesieniem dla ich oddziaływania jest sfera społeczno-polityczna. Atomizacja może wpływać na poziom uczestnictwa politycznego i doprowadzić do upadku moralnych i społecznych zasad demokracji. Anomia wiąże się z reakcjami adaptacyjnymi, które mogą powodować wycofanie się z istniejących norm i wartości społecznych. Dodatkowo anomia i atomizacja mogą oddziaływać w ramach megatrendów sprawiając, że trudniej adaptować procesy demokratyzacyjne. Mając na uwadze znaczenie aspektu psychologicznego funkcjonowania jednostki w środowisku społecznym, analizie został poddany także problem alienacji społecznej, który w określonych wymiarach może stanowić istotne zagrożenie dla procesów integracji europejskiej.European integration as a social process is endangered by phenomena which can reduce, stop and downgrade this process. They occur, at least partly, out of political intentions. They become a conseąuence of existing processes in the political, industrial and psychosocial spheres. The evolution of social attitudes of an individual can take the wrong direction, and this can result in a negative influence on social systems. In this paper, special attention is placed on a few of them: atomisation, anomie and social alienation, linked to political and social problems. Atomisation can effect political participation and can lead to morał decay of the social rules of democracy. Anomie leads to adaptation reactions, which can cause withdrawal from existing values and social norms. Additionally, stratification of anomie and atomisation in terms of megatrends makes it harder to counteract their results, because the character of these phenomena leads to an indirect relationship with integration. Bearing in mind the importance of psychological functioning of individuals in a changing social environment, the issue of social alienation that at certain levels of intensity can pose a threat to European integration was also analysed

Loneliness: A Concept Analysis

TOPIC. Loneliness is a universal human experience recognized since the dawn of time, yet it is unique for every individual. Loneliness can lead to both depression and low self‐esteem. PURPOSE. This article explicates the concept of loneliness through the examination of its conceptual definition and uses, defining attributes, related concepts, and empirical referents. SOURCES OF INFORMATION. Literature review using hand search and database were used as sources of information. CONCLUSION. Because loneliness is commonly encountered in nursing situations, the information provided will serve as a framework for assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of clients

Praying on Friday, voting on Sunday? Mosque attendance and voter turnout in three West European democracies

Several studies have demonstrated a positive association between regular church attendance and turning out to vote in established democracies. This paper examines whether the relationship holds for Muslims who regularly attend religious services. Using an original dataset of Muslim-origin citizens in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, I find that regular mosque attendance is indeed associated with higher likelihood to vote in national elections in Germany and the United Kingdom, while among Dutch Muslims turnout is positively associated with individual religiosity. I find evidence that the proposed association between regular mosque attendance and voting is mediated through the acquisition of relevant political information and stronger associational involvement. The paper provides an individual-level analysis complementing studies of country-level institutional particularities and group-level characteristics that are conducive to higher levels of turnout among Muslims. The findings dispel the myth that mosques are sites of civic alienation and self-segregation, but can, in fact, play the role of ‘schools of democracy