Ageing and Mobility in Germany: Are Women Taking the Fast Lane?

Results from travel demand research in many countries show that - on average - women are less mobile and have different mobility patterns than men. Recent longitudinal studies of gender specific travel demand reveal converging mobility of males and females. Moreover, in some countries results show convergence between cohort and gender specific travel demand: women and men display more and more similar travel behaviour while older individuals today have higher mobility demands than ever before. Do these developments hold also for Germany? Based on socio-economic and demographic analysis of gender specific travel behaviour using the German mobility survey data from 2002, we ask what individual travel patterns can be expected for the future in the year 2025. We place emphasis on the importance of educational attainment and labour force participation for the assessment of future personal mobility.travel demand, cohort effects, gender, households, ageing population

Motor Vehicle Use and Travel Behaviour in Germany: Determinants of Car Mileage

In contrast to other countries where official odometer readings are collected when cars are being inspected or whenever there is a change in the registration data, no such information is available in Germany. The published annual figures on mileage of German vehicles result from model calculations, based on different data sources. The last two large surveys on car use were carried out in 1993 and 2002. These data are analyzed to find determinants of car mileage traveled and to check if there was a significant change of average mileage within 10 years. The method used to find determinants of car mileage is a log-linear analysis of variance. In general, average annual mileage for a German passenger car was 13,500 km in 2002, about 5 % less than in 1993 (14,200 km per car). When both privately and business owned cars are included in the models, only car-specific characteristics can be used as explanatory variables. In these models there is a high effect of the survey year on the car mileage even if other variables - as car size, car age, and type of engine - are controlled for. However, if we consider private cars only, additional variables of individual users can be included in the models. In addition to engine type, age of car, horsepower, the age and gender of the driver are central variables explaining car mileage. The dummy variable for the year is significant as well, but its effect on average mileage is lower, although, e.g., fuel prices did rise by 50 % between 1993 and 2002. Obviously the demographic changes in motorization are dominant, while an effect of fuel price increase is not evident - apart from the trend towards diesel cars. These observations confirm research results, stating that individual preference for car use is a high-level inelastic demand.Travel behavior, car mileage, car use

Car Road Charging: Impact Assessment on German and Austrian Households

The authors apply a computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling framework to carry out a two-country comparison for Austria and Germany assessing the impact of road charging (RC). The pricing policy measure is introduced for the private motorized transport mode and applies to the overall road network. To derive and compare distributional effects of passenger car RC, the mode-specific travel demand of private households is integrated into the CGE model. Furthermore, the modeling framework accounts for different household categories with respect to disposable net income and the corresponding travel demand profiles introduced in terms of behavioral mobility parameters as well as household travel expenditures. Comparing the country-specific results, we find country-specific differences in the impact of RC on household categories, as well as similarities. The differences that we find indicate the importance of particular parameters for the evaluation of infrastructure pricing policy reforms. We can relate differences to prevalent country-specific differences in sociodemographic characteristics, land use structure, territorial population distribution, as well as macroeconomic indicators. To add substance to the two-country impact assessment, a sensitivity analysis is carried out, introducing different RC revenue use schemes. We find differences in distributional effects under equity concerns to be closely related to the revenue use pattern as well as to country- and household-specific travel demand profiles.Computable general equilibrium model, redistributive effects, road charging

CO2 Based Taxation on Cars Is Rising in Europe

In recent years, CO2 emissions have become the leading basis of assessment for car taxes in most European countries. In July 2009, with a view to pursuing climate policy goals, also Germany began using this factor to assess taxation on cars. The DIW Berlin has carried out a systematic and quantitative comparison of car taxation in Europe.1 The results reveal high tax rates in over ten countries that levy CO2 based tax components and significant differences across vehicle segments. Other observations are periodic adjustments of the assessment basis with regard to fuel-consumption benchmarks. The German reform of the annual vehicle tax (Kraftfahrzeugsteuer) in favour of assessment based on CO2 emissions is weak compared to other countries-too weak to create incentives to buy more fuel efficient vehicles. Moreover, the revision in July 2009 was introduced too late, given that the CO2 emissions of newly registered vehicles have been significantly decreasing since 2006 and given that the new EU directive on reducing the CO2 emissions of cars will directly impact car manufacturers effective 2012.Environmental taxes, Technological change: Government policy, transportation: regulatory policies

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTEMNT INFLOW AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

The presented article outlines the inflow of the Foreign Direct Investment and the state of the environment in the People’s Republic of China. The results show the existing coherence between the FDI inflow and the environment

Sytuacja prawna pracowników a postępowania restrukturyzacyjne

Rozdział z książki: E. Staszewska, I. Barańczyk (red.), Prawo pracy w systemie prawa. Prawo pracy a prawo handlowe, ser. Monografia Koła Naukowego Prawa Pracy, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, Łódź 2016. W publikacji omówiono powiązania prawa pracy z prawem handlowym, choć obie te dziedziny, jak mogłoby się wydawać, stawiają sobie zupełnie inne cele. W obrębie tego zagadnienia podjęto wiele wątków szczegółowych, dotyczących: problematyki przedsiębiorcy jako pracodawcy, jego pozycji prawnej i ochrony jego interesu; podstaw zatrudnienia członków zarządu spółek kapitałowych oraz wpływu restrukturyzacji i likwidacji na stosunki pracy w spółkach handlowych. Podczas prezentacji aspektów łączących prawo handlowe z prawem pracy pojawiły się też kwestie sporne i wymagające pogłębionej dyskusji

When a sociologist reasearches emotions, when a sociologist researches love

Artykuł opowiada o wątpliwościach i wyzwaniach, jakie stanęły przede mną – antropologizującym socjologiem – podczas początkowej fazy badań życia uczuciowego w środowiskach kuracjuszy oraz bywalców imprez klubowych. Odwołując się do doświadczeń z jakościowych badań emocji miłosnych w interakcjach intymnych i towarzyskich, podejmuję tematy: podobieństw i różnic w spojrzeniu na afektywną sferę życia człowieka w nauce i sztuce; wyznaczania granic między dyscyplinami i dziedzinami nauki, które zajmują się emocjami; poszukiwania rozwiązań definicyjnych i metodologicznych w badaniu emocji i miłości w socjologii rozumiejącej.This article talks about the concerns and the challenges that I (as sociologist with anthropological verve) was faced with during the early stages of the research of love life among sanatorium visitors and among clubbers. Referring to experiences from qualitative studying of love emotions in intimate and social interactions, I raise the following issues: similarities and differences in the perception of affective sphere of human life between science and art; the boundaries between disciplines and fields of science concerning emotions; definitional and methodological solutions in the study of emotions and love in interpretive sociology

„Opisać ‘murzyńskość’ po francusku – sprawa „Batouali”

"Batouala: A True Black Novel", written in 1921 by René Maran, was the first black narrative in French to win the Prix Goncourt. Written nearly twenty years before Senghor’s and Cesaire’s works appeared, "Batouala" stands out as a notable novel which foretells the Negritude phenomenon expressing the validation of Africa as the matrix of a proud Black race. The Blacks’ world and attitudes are portrayed through their beliefs and habits. The contact of African and European cultures is a traumatic one – Africans present a candid portrayal of colonialist presence in their country – critical and raw. Despite the discomfiture of the encounter between two cultures, "Batouala" paved the way for the successors – Negritude’s representatives, writers of the independence period and engaged witnesses of the modernity.„Batouala: prawdziwa powieść murzyńska”, napisana w 1921 roku przez René Marana, była pierwszą „czarną” narracją w języku francuskim, która zdobyła nagrodę Goncourtów. Napisana niemal dwadzieścia lat przed pojawieniem się prac Senghora i Césaire’a, „Batouala” jest godną uwagi powieścią, która zapowiada zjawisko „murzyńskości”, uznające Afrykę za kolebkę dumnej, Czarnej rasy. Świat i postawa „Czarnych” przedstawione są poprzez ich przekonania i zwyczaje. Kontakt afrykańskiej i europejskiej kultury należy do traumatycznych – Afrykanie szczerze opisują obecność kolonizatorów w ich kraju – groźnych i brutalnych. Pomimo konsternacji wywołanej spotkaniem dwóch kultur, „Batouala” utorowała drogę następcom – przedstawicielom „murzyńskości”, pisarzom epoki suwerenności oraz świadkom zaangażowanym we współczesne wydarzenia

Profesor Mieczysław Limanowski o Wilnie i dziedzictwie kulturalnym Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego

This text deals with the depiction of Vilnius in the work of Mieczysław Limanowski, geologist, co-founder of the Reduta Theatre Company, art and theatre critic, and professor at the Stefan Batory University. The author, drawing on the work of specialists from various fields, presents a semiotics of Vilnius in Limanowski’s writing. In his depiction of the city and the larger region, reflections on nature and culture and interwoven, and thus his work is an outstanding early example of modern cultural geography. In his vision of Lithuania and Vilnius we can identify such interdisciplinary traits as the motive of the road and the theme of transcendence, along with spirituality recorded in the cultural code of the city. In Limanowski’s writing on Vilnius his reflections on the Gates of Dawn and on the Church of Saint Nicolas are particularly noteworthy.Profesorius Mieczysławas Limanowskis apie Vilnių ir Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kultūrospaveldąTekstas susijęs su Vilniaus vizija Mieczysławo Limanowskio, geologo, vieno iš „Redutos“ teatro kūrėjų, dailės ir teatro kritiko, Stepono Batoro universiteto profesoriaus, darbuose. Autorė, remdamasi įvairių sričių specialistų darbais, atkuria Limanowskio sukurtą Vilniaus semiotiką. Tyrėjas įtraukė gamtos ir kultūros apmąstymus į savo požiūrį į regioną ir miestą ir tapo kultūros geografijos pirmtaku ir išskirtiniu atstovu. Limanowskio sukurtoje Lietuvos ir Vilniaus vizijoje galima išskirti šias dominantes, kurios peržengia mokslo disciplinų ribas: daugialypę kelio ir misterijos temą, miesto kultūros kode slypintį dvasingumą. Limanowskio darbai apie Vilnių išsiskiria refleksija apie Aušros Vartus ir Šv. Mikalojaus bažnyčią