Adolescencia y participación: una visión panorámica en los países de la Unión Europea

The social participation of adolescents is influenced by changes in the values oftheir social context. These changes have an impact on the values in families and lifestyles, and thus in their process of socialization. This article presents data from surveys administered in a range of European countries. The data show how value systerns have changed in recent decades, and have affected the motivation of the young to participate in different social dynamics. The young Europeans appear to be less and less interested in participating socially. This seems to be related with their sensation of lacking a specifc social space in which to act and to take on responsibility. The author stresses the need for youth associations and organisations to change their forms of action, afiliation and participation, and suggests that municipal bodies should offer more possibilities for active participation to the young.La participación social de los adolescentes está influenciada por los cambios de valores que se generan en la sociedad en la que viven, los cuales, a su vez, inciden en los valores familiares y en los estilos educativos, y por tanto, en el proceso socializador. En este articulo se aportan datos de distintas encuestas desarrolladas en el contexto europeo, o en algunos de sus paises, que nos muestran cómo los sistemas de valores han ido cambiando a lo largo de las últimas décadas, repercutiendo en las motivaciones de los jóvenes para participar en distintas dinámicas sociales. Los jóvenes europeos parecen estar cada vez menos motivados a participar, y ello parece estar relacionado con su falta de un espacio concreto en la sociedad en el que puedan asumir protagonismo y responsabilidad. El autor apunta hacia la necesidad de que, por una parte, asociaciones y organizaciones juveniles modifiquen sus formas de acción, afiliación y participación, y por otra, a que los municipios promuevan más posibilidades de participación activa para los jóvenes

Youth Sociology and Comparative Analysis in the European Union Member States

The central aim of the present article is to reflect on the possible contribution sociological comparative youth research in Europe can offer for a better understanding of youth life in the EU member states. With this purpose it analyses in a first step, the structural conditions under which young Europeans grow up today, in the context of globalisation and Europeanization, asking about the consequences such processes have on young people's insertion in society. The analysis of youth and youth developed here includes further a systematic review of the most relevant theoretical concepts on youth life being discussed by scholars in Europe today, a description of the most important research instruments, data sources and networks already existing in EU-Europe in this field, a short analysis of possible research issues and questions that are considered as relevant for European social politics and a discussion of advantages, limitations and problems of European comparative youth research, arriving finally to some general conclusions that could give orientations for future work in this field.L'objectiu principal d'aquest article és reflexionar sobre la possible aportació que la recerca sociològica comparativa sobre la joventut europea pot representar per entendre més bé la vida dels joves en els estats membres de la Unió Europea. Amb aquest propòsit, en una primera fase, s'hi analitzen les condicions estructurals en què creixen els joves europeus d'avui dia, en el context de globalització i europeïtzació, tot preguntant-nos quines conseqüències tenen aquests processos en la inserció dels joves en la societat. L'anàlisi de la joventut que es desenvolupa en aquest article inclou, a més d'un examen sistemàtic dels conceptes teòrics més importants de la vida juvenil que actualment es plantegen els estudiosos a Europa, una descripció dels instruments més importants de recerca, de les fonts de dades i de les xarxes de contactes existents a Europa i a la Unió Europea en aquest àmbit, una breu anàlisi dels possibles temes i qüestions de recerca considerats pertinents per a la política social europea, així com una discussió dels avantatges, les limitacions i els problemes de la recerca comparativa sobre la joventut que es fa actualment a Europa. Finalment, s'arriba a algunes conclusions generals que poden servir d'orientació per a futurs treballs en aquest camp

Knowledge-workers and the sustainable city: the travel consequences of car-related job-perks

Attracting firms in knowledge and technology intensive (KTI) sectors is highly desired at both the national and the regional level as a powerful engine of economic growth. Due to fierce competition in KTI sectors and national taxation policies, KTI firms often attract high-quality employees by offering car-related job perks as additional incentives to wage. In Canada, car allowance is offered by 46% of the employers to attract highly-skilled workers. In Israel, 61% of knowledge-workers in the KTI sectors receive a company-car with respect to 16% of workers in other sectors. In the U.K., car-related job perks are offered by 18% of the employers. This study focuses on the impact of car-related job-perks on the travel behavior of knowledge-workers. The importance of this issue derives from the impact of the travel behavior of knowledge-workers on congested transportation networks in metropolitan areas, as knowledge-based economy tends to concentrate mainly in metropolitan regions. This study applies discrete choice models in order to analyze the impact of company-cars and car allowances (reimbursement of fuel and parking expenses) on commute and leisure travel of knowledge-workers. The analyzed data consist of 750 observations, retrieved from a revealed-preferences survey among KTI workers who work and reside in the Tel-Aviv metropolitan area in Israel. Results show that car-related job perks are associated with (i) high annual mileage, (ii) high propensity of using the car as main commute mode, (ii) long commute distances and travel times, (iii) high trip chaining frequency in commuting trips, and (iii) high frequency of long-distance weekend leisure trips. Result also show that KTI workers generally prefer the car or non-motorized transport modes over the bus system. These results suggest that the development of sustainable knowledge-based cities should consider (i) the replacement of car-related job perks by other incentives, (ii) the provision of pedestrian and cyclist friendly infrastructures, and (iii) public transport improvements.

Combating Implicit Bias With Meditation

We investigated the effects of a mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation on implicit bias as well as the cognitive and emotional pathways through which these techniques act. We did this through a lab experiment in the Wharton Behavioral Lab in January 2017. We randomized 224 participants into three groups: a mindfulness meditation group, a loving-kindness meditation group, and a mind-wandering control group. After receiving one of the inductions, participants completed an Implicit Association Test measuring implicit bias against people with disabilities (IAT: Greenwald et al.,1988), as well as a set of survey questions. Although we were unable to demonstrate a reduction in overall implicit bias scores, we found a significant reduction in error percentage on the IAT for participants in the loving-kindness meditation group as compared to the control group. This effect was mediated by state compassion and positive state pleasantness, and is suggestive of reduced implicit bias

Graphic Agency: Teaching Graphic Medicine in the Liberal Arts Classroom

Graphic Agency: Teaching Graphic Medicine in the Liberal Arts Classroo

Comics as Criticism: Graphic Novel Adaptations as Interpretive Discourse

Graphic novel adaptations of classic texts are not fully recognized for their potential contributions to scholarship. This thesis argues that a graphic novel adaptation of classic literature can function as literary criticism of its source while allowing for further interpretation. Case studies include three classic texts with their corrsponding graphic novel adaptations: Shakespeare\u27s Macbeth with Shakespeare\u27s Macbeth: the Manga Edition, and Classical Comics\u27 Macbeth: the Graphic Novel; Shelley\u27s Frankenstein with Classical Comics\u27 Frankenstein: the Graphic Novel; and Wilde\u27s The Picture of Dorian Gray with adaptations by Thomas and Fiumara and by Edginton and Culbard. Findings demonstrate complex ways in which adaptations engage reader/viewers and facilitate analysis of their sources. The graphic novel interprets through visual image, rhetoric, and linkingof themes and motifs; it can also visually express concepts. Since its reader/viewer interprets as well, the graphic novel adaptation functions as collaborative criticism between the reader/viewer and source text

Delayed and negotiated autonomy: domestic emancipation of young Europeans

'In der Europäischen Union lebt ein signifikanter Anteil von jungen Menschen im Alter von 15 bis 29 Jahren immer noch zuhause bei ihren Eltern. Dieser Trend, die räumliche Trennung vom Elternhaus aufzuschieben, variiert von Land zu Land sowie zwischen jungen Frauen und jungen Männern. Bislang hat es zu diesem Phänomen relativ wenige Forschungen gegeben; die 'verspäteten Nesthocker' haben jedoch zunehmend die Aufmerksamkeit von Fachleuten der Familienpolitik gefunden. Denn diesen wurde bewusst, dass der Aufschub der häuslichen Emanzipation zugleich einen Aufschub der eigenen Familienbildung bedeutet. Der folgende Beitrag handelt folglich von der häuslichen Emanzipation von jungen Menschen in Europa. Er stützt sich auf die Analyse quantitativer Trends und qualitativer Interviews, die im Rahmen des EU-Projekts 'Families and Transitions in Europe' (FATE) erhoben worden sind (vgl. Bendit/ Hein 2004; Biggart et al. 2005).' (Autorenreferat)'Across the European Union, a significant proportion of young people between 15 and 29 years still live in their parental home. This trend of delaying the departure to an independent household varies from country to country and between young men and young women. Until recently, there has been comparatively little research focussing on that phenomenon, but protracted home-stayers have increasingly attracted the attention of family policy experts, since postponing household independence also means a delay of a new family formation. The following article deals with the delayed domestic emancipation of young people in Europe. It is based on the analysis of quantitative trends and qualitative interviews carried out by the EU project 'Families and Transitions in Europe'.' (author's abstract)

Experimental Study of Apex Connection Stiffness and Strength of Cold-Formed Steel Double Channel Portal Frames

Cold-formed steel portal frames are an increasingly popular structure in the housing and industrial sectors, and are commonly used for garages, sheds, and shelters. Longer span cold-formed steel portal frames are relatively new to the market, and as a result limited design guidance and recommendations exist, including the strength and stiffness of the connections. The apex connection stiffness affects the distribution of internal actions and deflections of a portal frame, and therefore, it is necessary to quantify the apex stiffness for use in design models to accurately determine the frame behavior. An experimental program was carried out on a series of twelve apex connections of portal frames composed of back-to-back lipped channels for the rafters and back-to-back lipped L apex brackets, which were connected by bolts through the webs. The channels had a depth of either 200 or 150 millimeters, and thickness of 1.5, 1.9, or 2.4 millimeters. The apex brackets were 2.4 millimeters thick, and the dimensions varied to match with the connecting rafter sections. The apex connection stiffness and strength were quantified, and the effects of rafter thickness and depth on the connection stiffness and strength were determined. The aim of this work is to quantify the apex connection stiffness of cold-formed steel portal frames composed of back-to-back channels and L-brackets to enable practicing engineers to accurately determine the internal actions and deflections of portal frames