Comparison of R&D Expenditures in Selected Countries

This paper analyzes the level of innovation expenditures and R&D fund sources in selected countries of the world in the period of 2000 - 2010. The issues presented indicate significant differences between the discussed countries with respect to the factors analyzed. The European countries at the top were apparently Finland, Denmark and Sweden. High R&D expenditures, with a significant share in business enterprise sector, and a large number of patent applications reflected on the strong economic growth in these countries. The level of R&D investments in these countries was sometimes greater than in the USA or Japan. Dynamic growth in both R&D and patent activity has also been observed in South Korea. Special attention has been paid in this paper to the new European Union members - Central Eastern European Countries. Among this group of countries Slovenia definitely had the highest position, where R&D expenditures were the largest and the structure of R&D funds by source reflected a businessdominance type. Estonia, Czech Republic and Hungary were the countries ‘catching up’ - where growth in R&D expenditures has been observed as well as better dynamics of growth and higher patent activity. Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Latvia had relatively disadvantageous situations in respect of R&D development and the innovative activity of business enterprises.Celem artykułu była analiza poziomu i struktury finansowania działalności badawczo-rozwojowej w wybranych krajach oraz skonfrontowanie tych wskaźników z aktywnością patentową i innowacyjnością przedsiębiorstw. Okres badawczy stanowiły lata 2000-2010. Do zobrazowania podobieństw i różnic w nakładach na działalność B+R pomiędzy analizowanymi krajami zastosowano analizę skupień metodą Warda. Poziom finansowania działalności B+R polaryzuje Europę. Kraje Europy Północnej i Europy Zachodniej charakteryzują większe nakłady na B+R i większy udział przedsiębiorców w finansowaniu tych działań. Kraje będące w czołówce to Finlandia, Dania i Szwecja. Korzystne wyniki osiągają też Niemcy i Austriacy. Rumunia, Bułgaria, Litwa, Polska, Słowacja, Łotwa i Węgry to kraje z relatywnie niekorzystną sytuacją w zakresie rozwoju działalności B+R i innowacyjności podmiotów gospodarczych. Spośród krajów wschodniego regionu zdecydowanie wyższe pozycje w tym kontekście zajmuje Słowenia. Realizacja celów polityki UE w wielu krajach jest jeszcze odległa. Dalsze analizy powinny koncentrować się na znalezieniu optymalnego poziomu inwestycji w B + R w różnych sektorach

The Rich North-west, The Poor Middle-east – Consumption In EU Households

The aim of paper is to analyze household consumption in EU countries in the 21st century. The two hypotheses posited have been confirmed. The start of the 21st century saw an increase in consumer spending in EU households and reduction in the disparities between households of different countries. At the end of the first decade there was a stabilization in consumer spending. The differences in consumption between households can be considered as a) the effect of freedom of choice, and b) a consequence of specific restrictions that do not allow for an appropriate level of funds to meet household needs. Households with the most favourable situation are located in the United Kingdom and Austria. The most unfavourable situation can be observed in the households of Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria

Book review: "Ethnic Diversity and Social Cohesion. Immigration, Ethnic Fractionalization and Potentials for Civic Action" by Merlin Schaeffer, Ashgate, 2014

Recent scholarly debates in Europe have become preoccupied with the effects of increased ethnic diversity on social relations, trust and social participation. It has been widely investigated, if and how ethnic diversity impacts the quality of urban and neighbourhood contacts between people of different origins. Particularly, the question whether the increase in ethnic diversification leads to ‘hunkering down’ of social capital (Putnam 2007) or ‘erodes’ trust (Stolle, Soroka, Johnston 2008) could be regarded as a starting point of a dynamic academic discussion in many European countries on so called ‘diversity effects’ at the neighbourhood or local community levels. Here, Merlin Schaeffer’s book Ethnic Diversity and Social Cohesion. Immigration, Ethnic Fractionalization and Potentials for Civic Action arrives as a comprehensive review of to-date debates and methods, it also brings diverse, often contradictory arguments together, and points to new research directions

You’ve got Starbucks and Coffee Heaven... I Can Do This! Spaces of Social Adaptation of Highly Skilled Migrants in Warsaw

This article fills a gap in migratory research in Poland by exploring patterns of social adaptation of intra-EU migrants living temporarily (i.e. up to five years) in Poland. The paper explores the spaces of everyday social practices of people of British, French and German nationality that came to work here or followed a family member and uncovers a family and female perspective on social adaptation of highly skilled elite migrants in Warsaw. It presents original empirical material employing creative research techniques gathered in Warsaw. The study reveals that social adaptation of intra-EU highly skilled migrants is spatially selective and expats develop connections with spaces related to their family life reproduction, such as international schools, expatriate associations and places of leisure and consumption. The article argues that more attention should be paid in future research to intra-EU mobility and the gender imbalance in accessing particular local resources, such as the labour market

Perceived Diversity and Acceptance of Minority Ethnic Groups in Two Urban Contexts

This paper investigates the relationship between perceived ethnic diversity at the neighbourhood level and acceptance of minority ethnic groups. We draw on a representative survey conducted in two dissimilar diversity contexts—Leeds, UK and Warsaw, Poland. The results of multilevel models demonstrate that in both cities, an increase in perceived ethnic diversity in the neighbourhood is related to an increase in ethnic prejudice of White-British and Polish people. However, the negative association of subjective perceptions of diversity with attitudes depends on the level of actual diversity in the neighbourhood. In Leeds, perceived diversity is more strongly negatively related with attitudes of residents living in more ethnically diverse neighbourhoods, while in Warsaw, in more homogenous neighbourhoods. We also find that in Leeds, the relationship between acceptance of minority ethnic groups and perceptions of diversity is moderated by the recent change in neighbourhood actual diversity (especially inflow of minorities of ‘other White’ and ‘Mixed’ ethnicity) and change in neighbourhood deprivation (increase in council housing). The findings testify to the importance of conducting comparative studies of the diversity of effects in various settings across Europe and the potential of using subjective measures of diversity in future research

GEN MS 73 Brenda Plummer Ration Book

Description: Brenda Plummer was born in Westbrook, Maine in 1958 and grew up in the area. Collection consists of a War Ration Book Four issued by the United States Office of Price Administration during World War II. The book belonged to Etta J. Mayberry, a family friend who lived in the donor\u27s childhood home. The book has several partially used pages of stamps for coffee and unidentified food stuffs. Date Range: approximately 1943 Size of Collection: 1 File Folde

GEN MS 68 Lillian E. Brooks Nursing Diary

Collection includes a diary kept by Lillian E. Brooks from August 29, 1935 to May 6, 1939, and three accompanying items. The collection documents the daily life and work of a Maine woman who aspired to be a nurse before her untimely death

GEN MS 44 Doris Roberts Humphrey Papers

Description: Doris Mae Roberts Humphrey (1907-2002) of Gray, Maine, was a teacher educated at Gorham Normal School. Papers contain a a teaching contract for East Gray School dated September 1926, and notebook labeled Drawing Grade 8 from Gorham Normal School 1928 with lessons and drawings. Date Range: 1926-1928 Size of Collection: 2 File Folder

LG MS 160 Dale McCormick Gay Side Story Interview

Description: Collection includes two copies of an oral history interview (one edited) and an automatically generated transcript. In the edited version of the interview, Dale McCormick recalls her role as producer of Gay Side Story, an adaptation of the musical West Side Story, with Diane Elze, Miles J. Rightmire, Cheryl Ring, and others. The play was performed for two nights in Luther Bonney Hall at University of Southern Maine during the 10th Maine Lesbian & Gaymen\u27s Symposium in May 1983. McCormick discusses her work on the writing team, the set design, and the positive reception of the production during a time when, in McCormick\u27s words, we were a feared and hated minority. Megan MacGregor, instruction and outreach librarian at University of Southern Maine, in Portland, Maine, conducted an oral history interview with Dale McCormick, in Augusta, Maine, on March 23, 2023, using Zoom to preserve her memories of the creation and performance of Gay Side Story at the 1983 Maine Lesbian & Gaymen\u27s Symposium held on the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine. The interview was prompted by a program hosted by the LGBTQ+ Collection and funded by an grant from the University\u27s Intercultural and Diversity Advisory Council (IDAC) to play the film of the 1983 musical for University students and staff in Robie-Andrews Hall on the same date. Date Range: 2023-03-23 Size of Collection: 958 Megabyte