The development of entrepreneurial culture in a transition economy: an empirical model discussion.

This conceptual paper will focus on the presentation of the model developed from empirical, qualitative research covering 20 years of analysis on the relationship between culture and entrepreneurship in Poland. It is aimed at proposing a comprehensive framework that describes the development of entrepreneurial culture. In this empirical model culture is understood as a set of values and beliefs held by a social group that endorse and are conducive to entrepreneurial behaviour; while entrepreneurial behaviour is treated as an expected outcome and narrowed down to opening the company. The model proves that the differentiation between entrepreneurship (behaviour) and entrepreneurs (who demonstrate this behaviour) needs to be recognised in future research. The case of Poland offers a historical example, which can shed more light on the process of cultural change and the role of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in the development of entrepreneurial culture. In the case presented, the behaviour of entrepreneurs has been identified as the key factor leading to further development.

El sociograma como instrumento de evaluación del clima de aula

La comprensión y el estudio de las relaciones entre el alumnado en las aulas es fundamental, tanto para lograr una satisfactoria convivencia escolar como para evitar la violencia, el acoso escolar o bullying. Por ello es conveniente conocer la estructura informal de los alumnos dentro de la clase, identificando los grupos que se forman y sus dinámicas de exclusión y liderazgo. Para poder intervenir en un grupo social, el educador debe conocer a fondo las relaciones sociales que en él fluyen. En esta investigación, se describen las relaciones que hay en una clase de 6º de primaria del colegio Cardenal Ilundain, mostrando los diferentes grupos y subgrupos que existen en el aula y señalando qué sujetos ejercen el rol de líder y cuáles son rechazados. Para ello se ha elaborado un test sociométrico que nos permite conocer las relaciones, jerárquicas o no, del grupo-clase y realizar una serie de sociogramas que proporcionan una visión de las relaciones entre compañeros y muestran tanto el nivel de integración de cada alumno/a como los contextos en los que se relacionan. En el diseño del sociograma se han tenido en cuenta los resultados de algunas investigaciones sobre este tema, principalmente las investigaciones de Jacob Levy Moreno creador del sociograma

Wykładnia funkcjonalna a zmiana społeczno-polityczna. Studium teoretycznoprawne

Wydział Prawa i Administracji: Katedra Teorii i Filozofii Prawa

Rodzina podstawową instytucją i wspólnotą życia społecznego

Rodzina to wspólnota osób i instytucja społeczna. Jej podstawą jest związek małżeński mężczyzny i kobiety oparty na ich wzajemnej miłości i wolnym wyborze. To instytucja prawa naturalnego, którego twórcą jest sam Bóg. Małżeństwo i rodzina to głęboka wspólnota życia i miłości oraz komunia osób. Ta specyficzna wspólnota odpowiada wzajemnie za siebie, rodzi i wychowuje następne pokolenie, humanizując społeczeństwo. Rodzina jest dobrem społecznym, którego potrzebuje społeczeństwo.

Antropoloxía e literatura oral

A proposta realizada neste traballo fai de altovolante dalgunhas reflexións que creo fundamentais para seguir camiño na investigación da literatura oral. A miña perspectiva é a da antropoloxía sociocultural, pero afecta nun sentido máis amplo ao conxunto das disciplinas sociais e humanísticas que abordan o tema da literatura oral e da oralidade en xeral. É evidente que a literatura aporta datos sobre a organización social, o estilo de vida e a Cultura dunha sociedade no pasado e no presente (1). En particular a literatura oral, é dicir, a que se transmite oralmente aínda que ás veces a encontremos escrita, é un vector privilexiado para captar os imaxinarios colectivos do grupo humano que a crea, os seus valores, as súas moralidades e crenzas. The paper presents some lines of thought considered to be fundamental in the study of oral literature. The perspective followed is one marked by socio/cultural anthropology, but one that is also related to all of those Social Sciences and Humanities that analyse oral traditions. Literature gives us data on social organization, on the life style and culture of a social group, both past and present. Oral literature, in particular, is a extremely suitable vehicle for reaching the collective imaginary of the group that creates it. (1) Fribourg, J.(1995): "Literatura oral y antropología", en Lisón Tolosana, C. (comp.): Antropología y Literatura. Zaragoza: Gobierno de Aragón, p. 37.

Significant reproductive skew in the facultatively polygynous ant Pheidole pallidula

Reproductive skew - the extent to which reproduction is unevenly shared between individuals in a social group - varies greatly between and within animal species. In this study, we investigated how queens share parentage in polygynous (multiple queen) colonies of the Mediterranean ant Pheidole pallidula. We used highly polymorphic microsatellites markers to determine parentage of gynes (new queens), males and workers in P. pallidula field colonies. The comparison of the genotypes of young and adult workers revealed a very low queen turnover (less than 2%). The first main finding of the study of reproductive skew in these colonies was that there was a significant departure from equal contribution of queens to gyne, male and worker production. Reproductive skew was greater for male production than for queen and worker production. There was no relationship between the magnitude of the reproductive skew and the number of reproductive queens per colony, their relatedness and the overall colony productivity, some of the factors predicted to influence the extent of reproductive skew. Finally, our study revealed for the first time a trade-off in the relative contribution of nestmate queens to gyne and worker production. The queens contributing more to gyne production contributed significantly less to worker production.

Breech delivery and birth‐related behaviors in wild mantled howling monkeys

The breech birth of an infant mantled howling monkey was observed on February 12, 1990. The mother assisted the successful delivery by pulling on the infant's tail and hindleg. No other members of the social group attended the mother or demonstrated any interest in the birth process. Copyright © 1991 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company

Dispersal patterns in Costa Rican mantled howling monkeys

Both male and female juveniles disperse in Costa Rican mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata). 79% of the males and 96% of the females leave their natal groups. Males may spend up to 4 years and females up to 1 year as solitaries. Extra-group individuals are faced with only three possibilities, i.e., form a new group by joining another extra-group individual, join an established social group, or remain solitary. Most surviving extra-group individuals join an established social group which contains no kin. Females join with the help of a resident male and once in a group proceed to rise to the alpha position through dyadic interactions. The immigrant female either becomes the alpha female or leaves and tries again in another group. Males challenge the alpha male and either defeat him or remain solitary. Competition with relatives for limited high quality food may be the reason for both sexes leaving their natal groups in howlers. By leaving, the successful immigrants increase their mothers inclusive fitness while suppressing the fitness of nonrelatives instead of remaining natal and competing with relatives for limited food. © 1992 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Infant-nonmother interactions of free-ranging mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata) in Costa Rica

Proximate and ultimate explanations of interactions between infants and nonmothers vary depending upon the relatedness of the interactors. We investigated interactions of infants and nonmothers from a 22-month continuous study and from the long-term monitoring of the mantled howler population of La Pacifica, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. Relatedness is low or absent in these mantled howler groups. Juvenile females appeared to practice care skills with older infants, but as most first infants died, they failed to benefit. Infant positive interactions with adults occurred with the mother and probable father. Other adult females behaved aggressively toward the youngest infants. Mothers were retentive of infants and responded negatively to these interactions, suggesting that they perceived them as threatening. Interactions with infants appear to reflect competition in groups of unrelated adults. A review of other populations of Alouatta palliata and other species of howlers indicate variability in social group size and suggest variability in intragroup relatedness. We suggest that further study will confirm that social behavior (including interactions with infants) will vary by resource availability (group size) and associated demographic patterns (male and female migration) that affect relatedness in howler social groups.

Understanding Old Age and Victimisation: A Critical Exploration

Purpose – The purpose of paper is to shine light on the under-theorised relationship between old age and victmisation. In classical criminological studies, the relationship between “age”, victimisation and crime has been dominated by analysis of younger people's experiences. This paper aims to address this knowledge deficit by exploring older people's experiences by linking it to the social construction of vulnerability.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores both historical and contemporary narratives relating to the diverse experiences of older people as victims in the UK. In particular, from 1945 to the present, statistical context and theoretical advancement illuminates that older people as a social group have a deep “fear of crime” to their relative victimisation.

Findings – A careful survey of the criminological literature highlights a paucity of research relating to older people's views and experiences of crime and victimisation. The conceptual issue of vulnerability in different contexts is important in understanding ageing and victimisation in UK. The paper's findings illustrate that their experiences have remained marginalised in the debates around social policy, and how the criminal justice system responds to these changes remains yet to be seen.

Research limitations/implications – Any research attempt at theorising “age” should take into consideration not just younger people, but also the diverse experiences of older people. Policy makers may care to ponder that benchmarks be written that takes into full consideration of older people's experiences as vulnerability.

Practical implications – For criminal justice scholars and practitioners, there is a need to listen to the narratives of older people that should help shape and frame debate about their lived experiences. There should be an examination of existing formal and informal practices regarding elders, as the first step in developing an explicit and integrated set of policies and programmes to address the special needs of this group.

Originality/value – This is an original paper in highlighting how important old age is in construction of “victims” in modern society. By theorising age, victimisation and crime it is hoped to dispel and challenge some of the myths surrounding later life, crime and the older victim.

What is Irish Standard English?

Standard English need not be a matter of prescriptivism or any attempt to ‘create’ a particular standard, but, rather, can be a matter of observation of actual linguistic behaviour. For Hudson (2000), standard English is the kind of English which is written in published work, which is spoken in situations where published writing is most influential – especially in university level education and so in post-university professions – and which is spoken ‘natively’ at home by the ‘professional class’, i.e. people who are most influenced by published writing. In the papers in Bex and Watts (eds, 1999), it is recurrently claimed that, when speaking English, what the ‘social group with highest degree of power, wealth or prestige’ or more neutrally ‘educated people’ or ‘socially admired people’ speak is the variety known as ‘standard English’. However, ‘standard English’ may also mean that shared aspect of English which makes global communication possible. This latter perspective allows for two meanings of ‘standard’: it may refer both to an idealised set of shared features, and also to different sets of national features, reflecting different demographic and political histories and language influences. The methodology adopted in the International Corpus of English (henceforth ICE – cf. Greenbaum, 1996) enables us to observe and investigate each set of features, showing what everybody shares and also what makes each national variety of English different.

Monitoring and population estimation of the European badger (Meles meles) in Northern Ireland

The estimation of animal abundance has a central role in wildlife management and research, including the role of badgers Meles meles in bovine tuberculosis transmission to cattle. This is the first study to examine temporal change in the badger population of Northern Ireland over amedium- to long-term time frame of 14-18 years by repeating a national survey first conducted during 1990-1993. A total of 212 1-km2 squares were surveyed during 2007-2008 and the number, type and activity of setts therein recorded. Badgers were widespread with 75% of squares containing at least one sett. The mean density of activemain setts,which was equivalent to badger social group density, was 0.56 (95%CI: 0.46-0.67) active main setts per km2 during 2007-2008. Social group density varied significantly among landclass groups and counties. The total number of social groups was estimated at 7,600 (95%CI: 6,200-9,000) and, not withstanding probable sources of error in estimating social group size, the total abundance of badgers was estimated to be 34,100 (95% CI: 26,200-42,000). There was no significant change in the badger population from that recorded during 1990-1993. A resource selection model provided a relative probability of sett construction at a spatial scale of 25m. Sett locations were negatively associated with elevation and positively associated with slope, aspect, soil sand content, the presence of cover, and the area of improved grassland and arable agriculture within 300 m.

Habitat effects on the spatial ecology of the European badger (Meles meles)

This study investigates how habitat variation affects sett density, the number of animals per social group and group territory size in the badger (Meles meles). Identical methods were applied in three habitat types: lowland parkland with mixed woodland, pastoral farmland and upland rough pasture with moorland, representing areas of presumed good, medium and poor badger habitat, respectively. Contiguous main setts were identified and bait-marking was used to estimate territory size. Group size was estimated by direct enumeration. Variation in sett density, group size and territory size supported the hypothesis that badger group and territory size are influenced by habitat type. This was further supported by analyses of data from other studies in the British Isles. The implications for badger spatial ecology, badger survey techniques and the badger's role in the epidemiology of TB are discussed.

Herd-level bovine tuberculosis risk factors: assessing the role of low-level badger population disturbance

Bovine TB (bTB) is endemic in Irish cattle and has eluded eradication despite considerable expenditure, amid debate over the relative roles of badgers and cattle in disease transmission. Using a comprehensive dataset from Northern Ireland (>10,000 km²; 29,513 cattle herds), we investigated interactions between host populations in one of the first large-scale risk factor analyses for new herd breakdowns to combine data on both species. Cattle risk factors (movements, international imports, bTB history, neighbours with bTB) were more strongly associated with herd risk than area-level measures of badger social group density, habitat suitability or persecution (sett disturbance). Highest risks were in areas of high badger social group density and high rates of persecution, potentially representing both responsive persecution of badgers in high cattle risk areas and effects of persecution on cattle bTB risk through badger social group disruption. Average badger persecution was associated with reduced cattle bTB risk (compared with high persecution areas), so persecution may contribute towards sustaining bTB hotspots; findings with important implications for existing and planned disease control programmes.

Das disposições cosmopolitas à mobilidade como competência? Ensino superior, Programa Erasmus e mobilidade estudantil

Tradicionalmente, a promoção de disposições cosmopolitas tem sido um importante elemento formativo das elites portuguesas e, simultaneamente, um ingrediente diferenciador, num contexto de baixas taxas de escolarização da população. Após três décadas de intensa democratização da educação e de ampla generalização da experiência escolar, a situação mudou significativamente. Com a tendencial globalização das políticas educativas, a intensificação de acordos e parcerias inter-governamentais oferecem-se aos jovens estudantes novas oportunidades educativas, nomeadamente experiências escolares internacionais. O programa europeu de mobilidade estudantil Erasmus constitui, a este respeito, um exemplo particularmente pertinente. Poder-se-á então continuar a falar de cosmopolitismo como propriedade educativa restrita a um grupo social? Ou, pelo contrário, essa propriedade tende a generalizar-se em sociedades altamente escolarizadas? Por sua vez, as disposições cosmopolitas como elemento formativo parecem ter mudado de significado: será que a mobilidade que suporta a experiência cosmopolita se transforma em competência?