Werner Hofmanns Überlegungen zur Wissenschaftssoziologie der Nationalökonomie

Seit einiger Zeit wächst das Interesse an einer Soziologie der Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Das Werk des Ökonomen und Soziologen Werner Hofmann (1922−1969) findet in aktuellen Beiträgen keine Beachtung. Dabei hat sich Hofmann bereits ab den 1950er Jahren mit einer Wissenschaftssoziologie der Nationalökonomie befasst. Im vorliegenden Beitrag vertrete ich die Auffassung, dass sein Werk zu Unrecht in Vergessenheit geraten ist. Denn Hofmann hat nicht nur ein frühes systematisches wissenschaftssoziologisches Konzept (basierend auf Ideologiekritik) vorgelegt. Er konnte es im Bezug auf die Nationalökonomie auch eindrucksvoll mit Inhalten füllen. Sein vernichtender Befund: Die Nationalökonomie ist zur Ideologie verkommen. Die Gegenüberstellung mit aktuellen Beiträgen zur Soziologie der Wirtschaftswissenschaften offenbart interessante Analogien. So decken sich heutige Forderungen nach und Potenzialvermutungen bei einer Wissenschaftssoziologie der Wirtschaftswissenschaften weitgehend mit denen Hofmanns. Ein inhaltlicher Abgleich mit Callons Werk, das als Initialzündung der Debatte um die Performativität der Wirtschaftswissenschaften gilt, fördert ebenfalls erstaunliche Parallelen zutage. Hofmann erscheint damit schlussendlich als unberücksichtigter Pionier der Wissenschaftssoziologie der Wirtschaftswissenschaften, dem mehr Aufmerksamkeit gebührt.   There is a growing interest in the sociology of economics. Within current contributions the work of Werner Hofmann (1922–1969), an economist and professor of sociology in Marburg, Germany, remains unnoticed. Yet Hofmann concerned himself with a sociology of economic science as early as the 1950s. Within the present article I argue that Hofmann’s contributions are unjustly forgotten. It becomes apparent that Hofmann not only has developed an early systematic concept for a sociology of science based on criticism of ideology, but he also was able to bring it to life for the case of economics. His devastating finding: Economic science has turned into ideology. The comparison between Hofmann’s work and current contributions to the sociology of economics unearths interesting analogies: The contemporary demands for and suspected potential of a sociology of economics largely correspond to Hofmann’s considerations. Furthermore, the comparison of Hofmann’s findings and Callon’s work, which is regarded as an initial spark for the debate on the performativity of economics, reveals astonishing parallels. Ultimately this leads to the conclusion that Hofmann can indeed be regarded as an unconsidered pioneer of sociology of economic science who deserves more attention

Today’s children tomorrow’s changemakers: educational resources to develop entrepreneurial skills

[EN] Entrepreneurship is one of the main objectives of the European Union to ensure that people have the right skills for jobs. It is also part of the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. Different stakeholders should be involved in fostering entrepreneurial skills. These skills need to be developed from an early stage. For this reason, teachers and parents have an essential responsibility in helping students gain entrepreneurial skills. This work describes the project Today’s Children Tomorrow’s Changemakers; a European funded project focused on developing entrepreneurial skills at primary school through a set of educational resources for teachers and children

Does asset ownership influence sexual risk-taking behaviors among women engaged in sex work in Southern Uganda? A mediation analysis

Background  Economic vulnerability influences women engaged in commercial sex work (WESW) to further engage in sexual risk behaviors, as they often have multiple customers and engage in unprotected sex for financial gains. This study examined asset ownership’s direct and indirect impact on sexual risk-taking behaviors among WESW in Southern Uganda, a very vulnerable group of women at high risk for contracting HIV and other STIs. Methodology  We used baseline data from the Kyaterekera study, an NIH-funded study among WESW aged 18–55 across 19 HIV hotspots in Southern Uganda. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct, indirect, and total effects of assets—defined as ownership of physical and financial resources—on sexual risk-taking behaviors among WESW. Results  Results showed that asset ownership was associated with a decrease in depression (β =  − 0.096 [95% CI − 0.191, − 0.001], p = 0.050) and increased access to medical care (β = 0.174 [95% CI 0.072, 0.275], p = 0.001).We also found that an increase in access to medical care was associated with decreased sexual risk-taking behaviors (β =  − 0.107 [95% CI − 0.210, − 0.004], p = 0.041). We observed a specific indirect effect between assets and sexual risk-taking behaviors through access to medical care (β =  − 0.019 [95% CI − 0.040, − 0.002], p = 0.05). Mediation contributed 31% of the total effects of asset ownership on sexual risk-taking behaviors. Conclusion  To our knowledge, this is among the few studies to examine the impact of asset ownership on sexual risk-taking behaviors among WESW in Southern Uganda. Findings from this study indicate that increasing access to economic resources may reduce the risk of WESW engaging in unprotected sex for higher income, which limits the spread of HIV among this population. The results also indicate that asset ownership may allow women to access healthcare services

Bicentennial Wagon Train Stop

The Bicentennial Wagon Train that traveled cross country to celebrate the United States Bicentennial stopped in Richfield, Ohio, June 6, 1976. The photograph was entered in the "Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest" sponsored by the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Commission

Grooming during Bicentennial Wagon Train photograph

Photograph titled "Grooming," showing a participant in the Bicentennial Wagon Train that traveled cross country to celebrate the United States Bicentennial combing his horse. The commemorative group was stopped outside Town Hall in Richfield, Ohio, on June 6, 1976. The image was submitted by photographer Lenore Nichols of Seville, Ohio, in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976

Pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic model of urinary δ‐aminolevulinic acid reduction after givosiran treatment in patients with acute hepatic porphyria

Abstract Givosiran, an RNA interference‐based therapeutic, is a recent addition to the limited treatment armamentarium for acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). As a small interfering RNA that is selectively taken up in the liver, both the mechanism and targeted delivery create a complex relationship between givosiran pharmacokinetics (PK) and the pharmacodynamic (PD) response. Using pooled data from phase I–III clinical trials of givosiran, we developed a semimechanistic PK/PD model to describe the relationship between predicted liver and RNA‐induced silencing complex concentrations of givosiran and the associated reduction in synthesis of δ‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a toxic heme intermediate that accumulates in patients with AHP, contributing to disease pathogenesis. Model development included quantification of variability and evaluation of covariate effects. The final model was used to assess the adequacy of the recommended givosiran dosing regimen across demographic and clinical subgroups. The population PK/PD model adequately described the time course of urinary ALA reduction with various dosing regimens of givosiran, the interindividual variability across a wide range of givosiran doses (0.035–5 mg/kg), and the influence of patient characteristics. None of the covariates tested had a clinically relevant effect on PD response that would necessitate dose adjustment. For patients with AHP, including adults, adolescents, and patients with mild to moderate renal impairment or mild hepatic impairment, the 2.5‐mg/kg once monthly dosing regimen of givosiran results in clinically meaningful ALA lowering, reducing the risk for AHP attacks

Does tax competition drive cooperation in local economic development policies? Evidence on inter-local business parks in Germany

An increasing number of municipalities cooperates in the field of economic development. In this paper, we focus on a specific instrument in this field, namely the development of joint business parks. We apply a hazard model to data from West-German municipalities between 2000 and 2015. We find inter-local business parks to be more frequent among small municipalities and in constellations where suitable land is scarce. Our main focus rests on the role of tax competition. An analogy building on the literature on international tax coordination supports the hypothesis that inter-local business parks are more likely in regions where tax competition is intense. The evidence is affirmative: We find that the likelihood of inter-local business park formation to increase in the intensity of local tax competition