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The ECB's Evolving Mandate and High Independence: An Undemocratic Mix
Get PDFAfter over a decade of crisis, the ECB's functions have expanded considerably. The ECB's activities during the eurozone crisis, new debates on the ECB's role in supporting political goals like the fight against climate change, and its participation in geopolitical stand-offs have overcome the fiction of a technocratic role that can be allocated to an independent institution with few constraints to democracy. We highlight how the ECB's mandate has been (re)interpreted while eschewing the impact of this change on its independence. Drawing on the contributions to this thematic issue, we also argue that the limited legal and political accountability does not match the evolving mandate. In particular, we contrast the voluntary mechanisms of accountability created in the past years and the judicial endorsement of the expansion of the ECB's mandate
A Survey Study on Public Attitudes Toward Gaming Disorder
Get PDFThe World Health Organization's decision to include addictive game use ("gaming disorder") in the International Classification of Diseases was the subject of controversial scientific debates (e.g., Aarseth et al., 2017; Rumpf et al., 2018; for an overview, see Reer & Quandt, 2021). However, knowledge is scarce on how addictive game use is perceived outside of academic circles (Schatto-Eckrodt et al., 2020). The current study aimed to fill this research gap by interviewing a stratified German sample (N = 1,075) on their attitudes toward the topic. We found that critical views about games and their addiction potential are rather common among the German general population. Further, we found evidence that many participants overestimated the number of players affected by gaming disorder. Regression analyses showed that age, gender, and gaming experience play a role in how individuals think about risks associated with game use. Interestingly, having heard about the topic in the media was associated with more critical attitudes and higher presumed prevalence rates. More exchange between scholars and the wider public is needed to increase knowledge on the topic. Further, media reports on gaming disorder should cover the latest research findings and the opposing views of scientists
"Things Fall Apart?" Prospects of Solidarity in a Precarious World
Get PDFIn this article, we examine the potential of solidarity to address global challenges in an increasingly precarious world. Solidarity involves individuals or groups supporting causes - whether ideas, people, or contexts - to combat marginalisation and injustice, even as such efforts frequently encounter resistance. This prompts the critical questions: What motivates solidarity, how is it expressed, and how effective is it in resolving the issues it seeks to address? Drawing on illustrative examples from a variety of social movements worldwide, we analyse the diverse forms of solidarity and the tensions that arise when dissent and resistance intersect with collective action. Despite these challenges, we argue that solidarity remains a viable framework for addressing some of today's most pressing and complex issues. By exploring both the opportunities and obstacles it presents, we highlight solidarity's enduring relevance and transformative potential in fostering meaningful change
Commoning Cosmopolitanism: Solidarity beyond Capital, Borders and Sameness
Get PDFApproaches on situated and located cosmopolitanism offer the opportunity to think of the formation of a universal community that demands equality and social justice and is rooted in urban and local practices. This article delves into this perspective by connecting the literature on cosmopolitanism, the commons, and solidarity. Based on a sociospatial conception of solidarity, the notion of 'commoning cosmopolitanism' is developed as a framework to understand how solidarity forges relationships where both commonalities and diversity can coexist. Three aspects are important to consider: (1) class struggle, as response to exclusion and domination and the need of thinking relations beyond the logic of capital; (2) space, since the relationships are constituted spatially, connecting local and global scales and questioning the logic of borders; and (3) community, opposed to closed identities and sameness, and aiming to include previously excluded groups and establish a common ground whilst preserving multiplicity. Several examples are used to show how commoning cosmopolitanism allows us to consider the universal dimension of urban solidarity and the inclusion of migrants as part of the political community (the cosmopolitan 'We')
Binge-Watching Netflix? Insights From Data Donations
Get PDFNetflix is often credited with mainstreaming binge-watching through its release strategy and interface features. However, despite this reputation, data on actual consumption patterns remains scarce, enabling Netflix to shape the narrative about how content is consumed on its platform and what this implies about content quality and viewer attentiveness. This article provides unique empirical insights into Netflix viewing patterns in the Netherlands, based on a pilot study involving data donated by 126 subscribers. It introduces a definition of binge-watching tailored for computational analysis and offers an empirical understanding of its prevalence and manifestations. The findings suggest that binge-watching is a diverse and complex activity. While it is seemingly popular, in that it is practiced by many subscribers, the data suggest it occurs less frequently and is less extreme than would be expected from the hype
Methoden zur Vertiefung diagnostischer Einblicke in die Persönlichkeit auf psychometrischer Basis: Ein empirischer multivariater Ansatz zur Erfassung idiosynkratischer Muster in der differentiellen Profildiagnostik
Get PDFDie vorliegende Methode bietet einen empirischen Ansatz zur Vertiefung der diagnostischen Aussagekraft von Probandendaten durch die Einbeziehung von Interkorrelationen zwischen Perönlichkeitsfacetten. Hierfür werden die Berechnungen detailliert erklärt und der vollständige Code zur Replikation der Methode zur Verfügung gestellt. Die differenzierte Methode erlaubt es, idiosynkratische Muster in der Diagnostik sichtbar zu machen, die in herkömmlichen Berechnungsmethoden verborgen bleiben
Evaluating The Economic Impact Of Tax Avoidance And Evasion On Personal Income Tax Administration
Get PDFThis study investigates the effects of tax avoidance and evasion on personal income tax administration, focusing on their impact on revenue generation, administrative efficiency, and compliance. Data were collected from 175 Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) employees in Osun State using a survey design. Key findings revealed a significant positive correlation (r=0.506, p<0.05) between tax avoidance, evasion, and the challenges faced in tax administration. Regression analysis showed that 57.7% of the variability in personal income tax administration is explained by these practices (R² =0.577, F=118.76, p<0.05), emphasising that high tax rates encourage avoidance and evasion (B= 0.65, p<0.05). The study concludes that balanced tax policies, improved enforcement mechanisms, and taxpayer education are essential to curbing non-compliance and enhancing administrative efficiency
Comparing the Accuracy of Univariate, Bivariate, and Multivariate Estimates across Probability and Nonprobability Surveys with Population Benchmarks
Get PDFPrevious studies have shown many instances where nonprobability surveys were not as accurate as probability surveys. However, because of their cost advantages, nonprobability surveys are widely used, and there is much debate over the appropriate settings for their use. To contribute to this debate, we evaluate the accuracy of nonprobability surveys by investigating the common claim that estimates of relationships are more robust to sample bias than means or proportions. We compare demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral variables across eight German probability and nonprobability surveys with demographic and political benchmarks from the microcensus and a high-quality, face-to-face survey. In the analyses, we compare three types of statistical inference: univariate estimates, bivariate Pearson’s r coefficients, and 24 different multiple regression models. The results indicate that in univariate comparisons, nonprobability surveys were clearly less accurate than probability surveys when compared with the population benchmarks. These differences in accuracy were smaller in the bivariate and the multivariate comparisons across surveys. In addition, the outcome of those comparisons largely depended on the variables included in the estimation. The observed sample differences are remarkable when considering that three nonprobability surveys were drawn from the same online panel. Adjusting the nonprobability surveys somewhat improved their accuracy
Rivalen in der Fakultät: Rezension zu "Soziologie als künftige Philosophie der Gesellschaft: Zum Philosophieverständnis der frühen Vertreter deutschsprachiger Soziologie (1883-1909)" von David G. Kristinsson
Get PDFDavid G. Kristinsson: Soziologie als künftige Philosophie der Gesellschaft: Zum Philosophieverständnis der frühen Vertreter deutschsprachiger Soziologie (1883-1909). Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2024. 978-3-16-163630-
Uneven Pathways to Local Power: The Political Incorporation of Immigrants' Descendants
Get PDFResearch focusing on the political incorporation of immigrants' descendants is rather scarce, in contrast to the high level of scholarly attention paid to the case of foreign-born immigrants. This exploratory study addresses this gap by adopting a sociological and neo-institutionalist approach to investigate the trajectories leading to political involvement of children of immigrants elected to local parliaments across a selection of Swiss cantons. The analysis of the factors shaping their mobilization in relation to the features of local policies for immigrants' integration and cantonal conceptions of citizenship sheds light on the variability of their political incorporation. The article thus makes a twofold contribution to the existing literature. First, it highlights the distinctive role played by local schools in the political socialization of immigrants' descendants, compared to that of their Swiss-origin counterparts. Second, it shows the decisive impact of cantonal institutional and discursive contexts in shaping the categories that are relevant for political action, influencing collective identities, claim-making, and political mobilization