Book review: rethinking the new world order by Georg Sørensen

In Rethinking the New World Order, Georg Sørensen explores timely questions regarding the nature of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ world order in the light of recent global uncertainty and widespread state fragility. Mehmet Kerem Coban welcomes Sørensen’s attempt to present a middle ground between realist and liberal approaches to IR, while calling for even greater theoretical pluralism when it comes to understanding the current state of the world order

Book review: global democratic theory: a critical introduction

Global Democratic Theory analyses a number of theories related to democracy at different levels of government. Issues of representation of different civil society groups and government accountability are among the main themes. Mehmet Kerem Coban recommends the book “for all readers because we are all affected by ‘democratic deficits’ at various levels of the policy-making process.

Mini- und Midijobs in Deutschland: Lohnsubventionierung ohne Beschäftigungseffekte?

Mit der Einführung von Mini- und Midijobs kam es 2003 zur abschließenden Implementierung eines subventionierten Niedriglohnsektors in Deutschland. Zum 1. Januar 2013 wurden nun nach knapp 10 Jahren die Grenzregelungen dieser Beschäftigungsformen angepasst, um der zwischenzeitlichen Lohnentwicklung gerecht zu werden. In unserem Beitrag erläutern wir zunächst die theoretischen Wirkungskanäle von Lohnsubventionen und untersuchen hiernach mittels einer Metaanalyse der bisherigen Forschungsergebnisse die Effekte der Mini- und Midijobs auf die Beschäftigung. Für die beiden Beschäftigungstypen lassen sich jedoch nur bedingt positive Ergebnisse konstatieren. Sie bilden weder eine 'Brücke' aus der Arbeitslosigkeit in den Arbeitsmarkt noch dienen sie als 'Sprungbrett' in ein normales Beschäftigungsverhältnis. Aufbauend auf den arbeitsmarktpolitischen Schwächen der Mini- und Midijobs schlagen wir zwei Reformvarianten vor, welche diese Zielsetzungen im Bereich der niedrigen Einkommensniveaus erzielen können

Book review: conceptualizing capitalism: institutions, evolution, future by Geoffrey M. Hodgson

In Conceptualizing Capitalism: Institutions, Evolution, Future, Geoffrey M. Hodgson positions legal institutionalism at the heart of his analysis of capitalism. By exploring the constitutive role that law and the State have played in the historical emergence of capitalist systems, Hodgson addresses a number of contemporary issues such as inequality. Although he would have welcomed further analysis of the political economy aspects of legal institutionalism, Mehmet Kerem Coban praises the book for its rich traversal of capitalism in its myriad dimensions

Outcomes of External Dacryocystorhinostomy and Effects of the Incision Type on Cosmetic and Functional Outcomes

 Aim: Evaluation of external dacryocystorhinostomy surgery in patients with nasolacrimal canal obstruction and the effects of the incision type on the functional and esthetic outcomes. Material and Methods: Outcomes of 49 patients who underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy and bicanalicular silicon tube intubation(when necessary) for nasolacrimal canal obstruction between 2004 and 2008 were evaluated retrospectively. The effects of oblique incision, used between 2004-2005, and the vertical incision, used between 2006-2008, on the functional and cosmetic outcomes were evaluated. The patients were asked to complete a survey on preoperative symptoms, functional outcomes of the operation, and the patient satisfaction with the scar tissue and cosmetic outcomes. The results were compared statistically. Results: Mean age of the 49 patients (35 females and 14 males) was 42.63±15.57 (19-72). Except for the 2 patients operated in other centers, first operations of 47 patients were performed in our clinic. Five patients required revision surgery due to functional failure. Jones’ tube implantation was performed in 1 of the 3 patients with persistant epiphora. No serious complications were observed postoperatively, except for mild nasal hemorrhage. Three patients, (2 of witch had persistent epiphora), were not satisfied with the surgery. Silicon intubation was performed to 21 patients during surgery. Outcomes were satisfactory in 46 patients. In each of the 2 incision groups, 7 patients had noticeable scars but they were satisfied esthetically. It was observed that the type of incision used, either oblique or vertical, had no effect on the functional outcome of surgery. On the contrary, it was determined that vertical incision yielded better cosmetic outcomes.Conclusion: External dacryocystorhinostomy is a successful surgery for patients with nasolacrimal canal obstruction. Incision type does not affect the functional outcomes of the surgery but it does affect the cosmetic outcomes

Book review: leading professionals: power, politics and prima donnas by Laura Empson

In Leading Professionals: Power, Politics and Prima Donnas, Laura Empson explores the nature and foundations of leadership, its impact on the trajectory of professional organisations and how power and politics are implicated in it. Drawing upon over 500 interviews with professionals, the book offers insights on how organisations cope with internal politics and achieve collective action that will be of relevance to numerous sectors, finds M Kerem Coban

Book review: better bankers, better banks: promoting good business through contractual commitment by Claire A. Hill and Richard W. Painter

In Better Bankers, Better Banks: Promoting Good Business through Contractual Commitment, Claire A. Hill and Richard W. Painter provide an account of the changes to banking that encouraged the risk-taking that became a factor in the global financial crisis, and propose a solution: ‘covenant banking’. The authors’ suggestion of binding bankers to contracts that encourage accountability to stakeholders and increase personal liability for losses is an essential contribution to debates over the regulation of the financial sector. However, the wider structural factors that enable excessive risk-taking behaviour remain somewhat overlooked, writes Mehmet Kerem Coban

Social Capital Formation among Turkish Women

The purpose of the current study was to identify Turkish women’s social capital formation. This study consisted of 170 women with low SES residing closer to shantytowns. The authors performed the Logistic regression analysis to examine the social capital formation (civic engagement, trust, social participation, and social networks) of women in terms of six variables (age, educational level, employment and marital status, homeownership, community centers, and the length of stay in the same neighborhood) in four different community centers in Ankara, Turkey. Logistic regression results suggest that the length of stay in the same neighborhood was associated both with staying in touch with neighbors (social networks) and trust in municipal service provision (trust), and women’s educational level was associated with voting (civic engagement) and the utilization of municipal services (social participation). Further research should be conducted by comparing men’s and women’s social capital creation by adding other variables

Evaluación geológico minera del prospecto aurífero San Juan, concesión la libertad, Chontales

Mina La Libertad se localiza a 170 Km de Managua, a 7 Km del casco urbano del municipio del mismo nombre, en el departamento de Chontales. Mina La Libertad está siendo administrada por la empresa minera B2Gold, a través de su subsidiaria DESMINIC, S.A., en un área de 10.950 Ha, adjudicada por el Ministerio de Energía y Minas el 31 de Agosto de 1994 para el término de 40 años de explotación. Como respuesta a las necesidades de identificar prospectos con potencial minero y aumentar reservas minerales de la empresa para extender la vida útil de la mina, entre Julio y Agosto del 2015 se realizó el cálculo de recursos estimados del prospecto aurífero San Juan. Este recurso se hizo en base a la perforación de 30 sondeos (pozos) diamantinos con recuperación de núcleo y toda la información recolectada en el transcurso del estudio. Para el tipo de depósito al cual pertenece el Prospecto San Juan y debido al número de sondeos presupuestados se utilizó el método de clasificación de recursos conocido como “Kriggin” con el cual se generó un modelo de bloques longitudinal asignando la categoría de recursos medido (Confiabilidad del 70%) a San Juan. Los resultados obtenidos de la cuantificación de recursos indican que el potencial minero del prospecto San Juan cumple con las expectativas previstas en esta primera fase de exploración, obteniendo para este prospecto un total de 712,210 toneladas de mineral con una ley promedio de 4.41 g/ton para un total de 100,911 onzas troy de oro. Otro objetivo del presente estudio consistió en la caracterización geológica del área de San Juan, con los resultados del mapeo geológico, se establece que la zona de estudio se encuentra formada por flujos de composición basáltica, brechas de composición andesítica, tobas líticas y lapilli. Las rocas indicadas tuvieron formación durante el período Mioceno. La alteración asociada con el depósito es típica de los depósitos epitermales de baja sulfuración: asociación mineralógica adularia-sericita. Las vetas de cuarzo forman un halo de alteración caracterizada por los procesos de silicificación en la roca encajante, seguida por una zona argílica y distalmente una zona propilítica, que afectan a los diferentes tipos de roca. Del análisis de los resultados se plantean las acciones y recomendaciones a seguir para obtener la evaluación final del recurso y hacer la estimación final de reservas para la construcción del modelo de bloques tridimensional utilizado para la elaboración del diseño de min