1,721,149 research outputs found
Anti-Immigration Attitudes in Europe, 2002-2016 : a Longitudinal Test of the Group Conflict Theory
No full textThe rise of anti-immigration attitudes spreading around Europe is a hot topic in both the academia and the public discourse. The literature is quite consistent in interpreting this change in the light of the competitive threats perceived by the majority of population. This contribution adopts a longitudinal framework and reads the evolution of anti-immigration attitudes as response to changing country-features. Results from a longitudinal multilevel model on the eight rounds of ESS demonstrate how enduring country-differences in economic conditions and size of the outgroup do not have any impact whereas the longitudinal change in the size of the outgroup shows a significant effect. In addition to this general finding, the model also points out that European countries which show a worsening in the anti-immigration attitudes report a negligible effect of this last figure. This suggests a reading which is based on the political appropriation of immigration issues
Religious shift between cohorts : a multilevel analysis on the three main religious indicators among European Christian countries
Full text linkSpeaking about European religiosity means speaking about secularization. Whereas the framework of secularization is considered by now as the all-embracing approach (Bruce 2001, 2002; Casanova 1994; Gorski and Altınordu 2008; Pollack 2008; Voas 2009), at least other two approaches should be considered. These other approaches, namely the “individualization thesis” (Hervieu-Léger 2001) and the “believing without belonging” argument (Davie 1990), basically state that European religion is not declining but is rather changing. The relation between individuals and religion has emancipated itself from the strong medium of religious institutions: religious preferences and practices are now increasingly subject to individual’s autonomous choices. These theoretical considerations, along with the strong multidimensionality of the concept of religion, require an accurate analysis on how the different dimensions have evolved in the last decades. Considering religious practice alone as the main indicator could be no longer adequate to grasp the real essence of religious trends in Europe, especially in light of the different meanings church going assumes across the different Christian doctrines. Therefore, I will focus on three different dimensions, namely religious practice, beliefs and membership. This paper will answer four different questions:
-Are country levels of religiosity changing or stable over time?
-Do the three dimensions of religiosity show different trends?
-Is this different or the same for each of the Christian doctrines?
-How correlated are the three dimensions at the country, country-cohort and individual level? Are they measuring the same underlying dimension of religion?
I will recur to a logistic multilevel model which account for multivariate responses (4 levels: responses, individuals, country-cohorts, countries) built up on the 4 waves of EVS data. I will model time by cohorts (1st, 2nd and 3rd grade polynomial will be tested) (Biolcati-Rinaldi and Vezzoni 2013; Crockett and Voas 2006; Voas and Doebler 2011) using random slopes for different countries and I will interact them with the different Christian doctrines (Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants). Threating the three religious dimensions as different responses in a specific level will allow me to understand how these dimensions are correlated at the individual and country level, overcoming the antagonism between individual and ecological approach
Religious Change among Cohorts in Eastern Europe : A Longitudinal Analysis of Religious Practice and Belief in Formerly Communist Countries
Full text linkThe situation of the formerly communist countries represents
an anomaly within the sociological debate about the various secularisation
processes currently underway in Europe. The main issues relate to whether
or not Eastern Europe has experienced a religious revival following the fall of
communism and, if so, which dimensions of religiosity are most involved in
that revival. Sociologists have yet to reach a clear consensus on country trends
or on the impact of Christian doctrines on these processes. We will address
these issues throughout this article. The results from different piecewise
regression analyses of European Values Study (EVS) data show that regular
religious practice in general is declining from cohort to cohort, whereas
religious belief has shown a revival followed by a decrease from the oldest to
the youngest cohorts. The impact of a country’s main religious traditions is a
relevant factor; predominantly Orthodox countries, for example, break with
the overall results by showing a slight increase of religious practice as well
as stable (and very high) belief among the youngest cohort. This situation is
primarily driven by data from the Russian Federation and Bulgaria
Political Parties within Democratic Transitions: Setting the Ground for a New Research Agenda
No full textThus far the relationship between political parties and democratizations has been approached only as a matter of party system institutionalization during democratic consolidation phases. Yet, recent cases of autocratic collapses demonstrated the salience of parties also as far as transitions in its narrow sense and democratic installations are concerned. In light of this, the present paper makes the point about the necessity of studying political parties also during the earlier phases of the democratic transition, when doing so may appear “less obvious”. As a matter of fact, engaging in this new research agenda will contribute to democratization studies in several ways. Fist, it will further unfold the dynamics, i.e. strategic interactions, underneath democratic transitions and breakdowns. Second, this study will help to disclose the intrinsic nature and functioning of democratic parties, which are far from being mere representative vehicles of pre-constituted social aggregates. Third, and most important, differently from the mainstream studies on the topic, i.e. those on party system institutionalization, this kind of works collocates itself in a temporally and functionally antecedent phase; therefore, it will contribute to illuminate and solve some of the impasses that affects this literature. This is a starting point of huge work that goes beyond the scope and space limitations of the present paper. Here, I will limit to first expose the empirical reasons why this is needed. Secondly, a proposal in how this study might be done will be sketched
Metrological charactetization of a cycle ergometer
No full textA cycle-ergometer has been instrumented with suitable strain gauges to obtain metrological qualified
measurements of the left and right leg torque. A wireless device has been used to transmit in real-time the
gathered signals to the acquisition PC. Advantages are to give to doctors and physiotherapists a diagnostic
tool, to analyze the cycling pattern of the patients and to monitor the improvements during rehabilitation.
The real-time measures are also suitable input data for the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). All the
analysis was conducted with a particular attention to spinal cord injured patients, who are characterized by
highly asymmetric cycling: yet, this measurement setup, by independent measurement of right and left
torques, can be used successfully also in this particular situation. An explanation of the measuring principles
and a set of first results are given, that show the potentiality of the setup
Religiosità di ritorno : Una risposta all’incertezza
No full textLa pandemia che ha colpito la società globale ha avuto e continuerà ad avere inevitabilmente delle conseguenze nei più svariati ambiti, incluso quello religioso. La sorpresa e durezza dell’impatto, la quantità di lutti e di malati, fino ad arrivare alle conseguenze economiche e sociali di un periodo di totale chiusura, sono solo alcuni degli elementi che hanno portato a una situazione di diffusa insicurezza. Quest’ultima si è tradotta in una ricerca di conforto nella religiosità
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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