The Leader programme 2007-2013: Enabling or disabling social innovation and neo-endogenous development? Insights from Austria and Ireland

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the Leader programme has been hailed as the instrument of rural policy that most explicitly takes account of the territorial dimension. This culminated in the mainstreaming of its underlying concept into the Rural Development Programmes of the current period (2007–2013), with the aim of having more effective policy implementation that considers the diversified needs of rural regions. Starting from analysis of the application and delivery of Leader under the present Rural Development Programme in two EU countries, Austria and Ireland, this paper presents an assessment of the effects of this programme change. In addition, it includes the EU-wide discussion on the (limited) effectiveness of the current implementation of Leader and the search for a reorientation towards local development activities in the EU’s reform proposals. The paper frames the analysis around the notion of social innovation, a concept of central importance to the aims of Leader. It is argued that the implementation of Leader in this period falls far behind its potential to beneficially impact rural regions; hence it should be an object of critical debate in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and rural development measures, as well as coherence analyses with other policies, beyond 2013

A survey on worries of pregnant women - testing the German version of the Cambridge Worry Scale

Background: Pregnancy is a transition period in a woman's life characterized by increased worries and anxiety. The Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS) was developed to assess the content and extent of maternal worries in pregnancy. It has been increasingly used in studies over recent years. However, a German version has not yet been developed and validated. The aim of this study was (1) to assess the extent and content of worries in pregnancy on a sample of women in Germany using a translated and adapted version of the Cambridge Worry Scale, and (2) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the German version. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and enrolled 344 pregnant women in the federal state of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Women filled out structured questionnaires that contained the CWS, the Spielberger-State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), as well as questions on their obstetric history. Antenatal records were also analyzed. Results: The CWS was well understood and easy to fill in. The major worries referred to the process of giving birth (CWS mean value 2.26) and the possibility that something might be wrong with the baby (1.99), followed by coping with the new baby (1.57), going to hospital (1.29) and the possibility of going into labour too early (1.28). The internal consistency of the scale (0.80) was satisfactory, and we found a four-factor structure, similar to previous studies. Tests of convergent validity showed that the German CWS represents a different construct compared with state and trait anxiety but has the desired overlap. Conclusions: The German CWS has satisfactory psychometric properties. It represents a valuable tool for use in scientific studies and is likely to be useful also to clinicians

Unterstützungsbedarf und Möglichkeiten der (Selbst-)Hilfe erwachsener Kinder unipolar und bipolar affektiv Erkrankter

Der Unterstützungsbedarf ist auch bei erwachsenen Kindern affektiv Erkrankter groß (vgl. zusammenfassende Tabelle 3), jedoch können sie - anders als minderjährige Kinder – meist leichter zur Selbsthilfe befähigt werden. Professionelle Unterstützungsprogramme sollten möglichst niederschwellig angelegt sein, um weitere Stigmatisierung und Ausgrenzungen zu vermeiden. Die Angebote sollten einerseits über die Erkrankung aufklären und Tipps zum Umgang mit dem Erkrankten vermitteln sowie die Kinder von ihren vielfältigen emotionalen Belastungen entlasten. Die Programme sollten ferner insbesondere die erwachsenen Kinder im Sinne der Selbsthilfe anleiten, achtsam und selbstbewusst ihre eigenen Ressourcen und familiären Unterstützungssysteme zur Krankheitsbewältigung zu nützen

European rural development under the Common Agricultural Policy's 'second pillar': institutional conservatism and innovation

Dwyer J., Ward N., Lowe P. and Baldock D. (2007) European rural development under the Common Agricultural Policy's 'Second Pillar': institutional conservatism and innovation, Regional Studies 41, 873-887. The EU Rural Development Regulation (RDR) was launched in 2000 as the new 'second pillar' of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), promoting sustainable rural development. The rhetoric surrounding the Regulation emphasized decentralized, participative delivery and a territorial and multi-sectoral focus - relatively new and unfamiliar principles for the CAP. Evidence from a European study of RDR Programmes is used to evaluate how this experiment has performed in the initial years, highlighting the need for further institutional adaptation to enable effective delivery. The relevance of lessons learned in the design and delivery of EU regional policy is also highlighted. The prospects for more effective adaptation are assessed in the light of the most recent sets of CAP reforms. Dwyer J., Ward N., Lowe P. et Baldock D. (2007) Le developpement rural europeen sous le deuxieme pilier de la Politique agricole commune: conservatisme institutionnel et innovation, Regional Studies 41, 873-887. La Reglementation communautaire en faveur du developpement rural (RDR) a ete lancee en 2002 en tant que le 'deuxieme pilier' de la Politique agricole commune (Pac), pronant le developpement rural durable. Le discours qui a entoure cette reglementation a souligne une mise en oeuvre decentralisee et participative, et un point de mire territorial et a plusieurs secteurs - des principes relativement nouveaux et inhabituels a la Pac. On se sert des preuves provenant d'une etude europeenne de la RDR afin d'evaluer les resultats de cette experience dans ses debuts, tout en soulignant la necessite d'autres adaptations institutionnelles pour faciliter une mise en oeuvre efficace. On souligne aussi l'importance des lecons tirees de la mise au point et de la mise en oeuvre de la politique regionale communautaire. A la lumiere des reformes de la Pac, on evalue les perspectives pour une adaptation plus efficace. Politique agricole commune Developpement rural Amenagement du territoire Apprentissage institutionnel Dwyer J., Ward N., Lowe P. und Baldock D. (2007) Europaische landliche Entwicklung unter der ,zweiten Saule' der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik: institutioneller Konservatismus und Innovation, Regional Studies 41, 873-887. Die EU-Verordnung fur landliche Entwicklung wurde im Jahr 2000 als neue ,zweite Saule' der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik (GAP) zur Forderung der nachhaltigen landlichen Entwicklung eingefuhrt. In der die Verordnung umgebenden Rhetorik wurden eine dezentralisierte, beteiligungsorientierte Umsetzung sowie ein territorialer und multisektoraler Fokus betont - relativ neue und unbekannte Prinzipien fur die GAP. Wir bewerten anhand von Belegen aus einer europaischen Studie uber die Programme der Verordnung fur landliche Entwicklung, zu welchen Ergebnissen dieses Experiment in den ersten Jahren gefuhrt hat, und verdeutlichen, dass fur eine wirkungsvolle Umsetzung eine weitere institutionelle Anpassung erforderlich ist. Ebenso heben wir die Relevanz der Lehren hervor, die beim Entwurf und der Umsetzung der EU-Regionalpolitik gezogen wurden. Die Chancen fur eine wirkungsvollere Anpassung werden angesichts der jungsten Reformen der GAP untersucht. Gemeinsame Agrarpolitik Landliche Entwicklung Regionalentwicklung Institutionelles Lernen Dwyer J., Ward N., Lowe P. y Baldock D. (2007) El desarrollo rural europeo bajo el 'segundo pilar' de la Politica Agricola Comun: conservadurismo e innovacion institucionales, Regional Studies 41, 873-887. El Reglamento de Desarrollo Rural (RDR) de la UE fue introducido en 2000 como el nuevo 'segundo pilar' de la Politica Agricola Comun (PAC), que fomenta el desarrollo rural sostenible. La retorica en torno a este Reglamento hacia hincapie en ofrecer una politica descentralizada y participativa y ponia su atencion en un enfoque territorial y multisectorial; unos principios relativamente nuevos y poco familiares para la PAC. Utilizamos ejemplos de un estudio europeo sobre los programas del RDR para evaluar como se ha desempenado este experimento durante los primeros anos, recalcando que para obtener buenos resultados, es necesario adaptarlo desde un aspecto institucional. Asimismo destacamos la importancia de las lecciones que se han aprendido en disenar y poner en practica la politica regional de la UE. Analizamos tambien las perspectivas para adaptarlas de un modo mas eficaz en vistas a las reformas mas recientes de la PAC. Politica Agricola Comun Desarrollo rural Desarrollo regional Aprendizaje institucionalCommon Agricultural Policy, Rural development, Regional development, Institutional learning,