Geschichte, Ziele und Perspektiven der "Historisch-kritischen Gesamtausgabe" der Werke und Briefe von Jeremias Gotthelf.

In diesem Beitrag wird die editorische und politische Vorgeschichte der HKG nachgezeichnet.

Zur Bedeutung soziokulturell geprägter Wertvorstellungen für die Sportpartizipation Jugendlicher und junger Erwachsener - eine explorative Untersuchung anhand des Habitus-Ansatzes

Einführung: In der Schweiz bestehen zwischen den verschieden Sprachregionen Unterschiede in der Sportpartizipation (Lamprecht, Fischer, & Stamm, 2014). In der italienisch- und französischsprachigen Schweiz wird weniger häufig Sport getrieben als in der Deutschschweiz. Diese sprachregionalen Unterschiede im Sportverhalten sind mit denjenigen der europäischen Nachbarländer vergleichbar. In den nordischen und westlichen Ländern wurde im Vergleich zu den östlichen und südlichen Ländern in Europa wiederholt eine höhere Sportpartizipationsrate aufgezeigt (European Commission, 2014). Zur Erklärung werden insbesondere soziokulturelle Faktoren als begünstigende oder behindernde Einflussfaktoren für den Zugang zum Sport diskutiert. Theoretischer Ansatz: Zur Erklärung des Sportverhaltens wird der praxeologische Ansatz des Habitus (Bourdieu, 1976) verwendet. Das theoretische Konzept des Habitus stellt ein historisch und kulturell variierendes Konstrukt dar, welches eine dynamische Vermittlerrolle zwischen der gesellschaftlichen Struktur- und der subjektiven Handlungsebene einnimmt. Der Habitus erfasst ein dauerhaftes Ensemble von Denk-, Wahrnehmungs- und Handlungsschemata, die gesellschaftlich bedingt sind und die individuellen Handlungen sowie die (Sport-)Praxis beeinflusst. Mit diesem kulturtheoretischen Ansatz von Bourdieu sollen die individuellen Wert- und Deutungsmuster bezüglich Sport und Bewegung, Körper, Gesundheit sowie Freizeit erfasst werden. Methodisches Vorgehen: Um die bewegungs- und körperbezogenen Deutungsstrukturen im Sinne von sportbezogenen Wertvorstellungen, Denk- und Wahrnehmungsschemata im Kontext sportlichen Handelns zu untersuchen, werden in der Deutsch- und Westschweiz wohnhafte sportlich aktive sowie inaktive Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene im Alter von 16 bis 24 Jahren mittels eines halbstrukturierten Interviews zu ihrer eigenen Sportpraxis sowie ihrer persönlichen Einstellung zu Sport, Bewegung, Körper, Gesundheit und Freizeit befragt. Zur Auswertung wird eine rekonstruktive Sozialforschungsmethode, diejenige der dokumentarischen Methode (Bohnsack, 2013) angewendet, da diese auf die Rekonstruktion von Habitusformen abzielt. Ergebnisse und Diskussion: Es können verschiedene sportbezogene Wertvorstellungen, Denk- und Wahrnehmungsschemata aufgezeigt werden, die mit der habituellen Sportpraxis zusammenhängen z.B. der Stellenwert des Sports d.h. inwiefern Sport als Bestandteil des Lebens oder als Teil der eigenen (körperlichen) Identität wahrgenommen wird. Zudem ist das Ziel der dokumentarischen Analyse aufgrund der bewegungs- und körperbezogenen Deutungsstrukturen unterschiedliche Habitustypen im Kontext des Sports aufzuzeigen. Soziokulturell geprägte Wertvorstellungen könnten einen Beitrag zur Erklärung der unterschiedlichen Sportpartizipationsraten in den verschiedenen Sprachregionen der Schweiz leisten. Da es sich um eine explorative Studie handelt, sind zur Verallgemeinerung der Befunde weitere Studien notwendig. References: Bohnsack, R. (Hrsg.). (2013). Die dokumentarische Methode und ihre Forschungspraxis: Grundlagen qualitativer Sozialforschung (3., aktual. Aufl.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Bourdieu, P. (1976). La distinction: Critique sociale du jugement. Le sens commun. Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit. European Commission. (2014). Sport and physical activity: Report. Special Eurobarometer: Vol. 412. Brussels: European Commission. Lamprecht, M., Fischer, A., & Stamm, H. (2014). Sport Schweiz 2014. Magglingen: Bundesamt für Sport BASPO.

The Personal Foundations of Political Tolerance towards Immigrants

In this paper, we expand previous research on the psychological foundations of attitudes towards immigrants by evaluating the role of the Big Five personality traits with regard to the formation of political tolerance. Following the literature, we elaborate tolerance as a sequential concept of rejection and acceptance to uncover differentiating effects of personality on both immigrant-specific prejudices as well as on the assignment of the right to vote as a pivotal political privilege to this group. Using a representative sample of the Swiss population, with its distinctive history related to the immigration issue, our two-step Heckman selection models reveal that extroverts and people who score low in agreeableness exhibit negative attitudes towards immigrants. At the same time, only openness to experience is significantly connected to the likeliness of granting immigrants the right to vote.

“50+L2”: una formula utile dopo il pensionamento?

In diesem Artikel möchten wir anhand eigener Untersuchungen und der Präsentation bereits vorhandener Studien einerseits einen Einblick in die Welt der 50+ Sprachkurse geben und andererseits mögliche Lösungen für eine an das Zielpublikum angepasste Didaktik vorstellen. Bei den erforschten Sprachkursen handelt es sich um drei unterschiedliche Kurstypen mit den dazugehörigen Kursteilnehmertypologien. Das erste Forschungsfeld umfasst Sprachkurse, die von der Berner Volkshochschule angeboten und teilweise von Personen im Alter von 50 und älter besucht werden. Zum zweiten Kurstyp gehören solche Kurse, die im Ausland besucht werden. Im vorliegenden Fall ein Italienischkurs in Sizilien mit einem expliziten Freizeitprogramm für Personen ab 50. Das dritte Untersuchungsfeld betrifft einen etwas anderen Typ von Kursteilnehmern, da es sich um einen Deutschkurs für pensionierte italienische MigrantInnen in Bern handelt. Die abschliessenden Vorschläge für eine an die älteren Kursteilnehmer angepasste Didaktik sollen dabei nicht als allgemeingültige Rezepte betrachtet werden, sondern als erste Anregungspunkte.

The development of self-esteem

In this article, we review new insights gained from recent longitudinal studies examining the development of self-esteem and its influence on important life outcomes. The evidence supports the following three conclusions. First, self-esteem increases from adolescence to middle adulthood, peaks at about age 50 to 60 years, and then decreases at an accelerating pace into old age; moreover, there are no cohort differences in the self-esteem trajectory from adolescence to old age. Second, self-esteem is a relatively stable, but by no means immutable, trait; individuals with relatively high (or low) self-esteem at one stage of life are likely to have relatively high (or low) self-esteem decades later. Third, high self-esteem prospectively predicts success and well-being in life domains such as relationships, work, and health. Given the increasing evidence that self-esteem has important real-world consequences, the topic of self-esteem development is of considerable societal significance.

Elucidation of Nucleic Acid–Drug Interactions by Tandem Mass Spectrometry

In continuation of the long tradition of mass spectrometric research at the University of Bern, our group focuses on the characterization of nucleic acids as therapeutic agents and as drug targets. This article provides a short overview of our recent work on platinated single-stranded and higher-order nucleic acids. Nearly three decades ago the development of soft ionization techniques opened a whole new chapter in the mass spectrometric analysis of not only nucleic acids themselves, but also their interactions with potential drug candidates. In contrast to modern next generation sequencing approaches, though, the goal of the tandem mass spectrometric investigation of nucleic acids is by no means the complete sequencing of genetic DNA, but rather the characterization of short therapeutic and regulatory oligonucleotides and the elucidation of nucleic acid–drug interactions. The influence of cisplatin binding on the gas-phase dissociation of nucleic acids was studied by the means of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Experiments on native and modified DNA and RNA oligomers confirmed guanine base pairs as the preferred platination site and laid the basis for the formulation of a gas-phase fragmentation mechanism of platinated oligonucleotides. The study was extended to double stranded DNA and DNA quadruplexes. While duplexes are believed to be the main target of cisplatin in vivo, the recently discovered DNA quadruplexes constitute another promising target for anti-tumor drugs owing to their regulatory functions in the cell cycle.

Monte Carlo modeling of polarized light propagation: Stokes vs Jones - Part II

In this second part of our comparative study inspecting the (dis)similarities between “Stokes” and “Jones,” we present simulation results yielded by two independent Monte Carlo programs: (i) one developed in Bern with the Jones formalism and (ii) the other implemented in Ulm with the Stokes notation. The simulated polarimetric experiments involve suspensions of polystyrene spheres with varying size. Reflection and refraction at the sample/air interfaces are also considered. Both programs yield identical results when propagating pure polarization states, yet, with unpolarized illumination, second order statistical differences appear, thereby highlighting the pre-averaged nature of the Stokes parameters. This study serves as a validation for both programs and clarifies the misleading belief according to which “Jones cannot treat depolarizing effects.”

Optical Tolerance Analysis of the Multi-Beam Limb Viewing Instrument STEAMR

In this paper, we report on an optical tolerance analysis of the submillimeter atmospheric multi-beam limb sounder, STEAMR. Physical optics and ray-tracing methods were used to quantify and separate errors in beam pointing and distortion due to reflector misalignment and primary reflector surface deformations. Simulations were performed concurrently with the manufacturing of a multi-beam demonstrator of the relay optical system which shapes and images the beams to their corresponding receiver feed horns. Results from Monte Carlo simulations show that the inserts used for reflector mounting should be positioned with an overall accuracy better than 100 μm (~ 1/10 wavelength). Analyses of primary reflector surface deformations show that a deviation of magnitude 100 μm can be tolerable before deployment, whereas the corresponding variations should be less than 30 μm during operation. The most sensitive optical elements in terms of misalignments are found near the focal plane. This localized sensitivity is attributed to the off-axis nature of the beams at this location. Post-assembly mechanical measurements of the reflectors in the demonstrator show that alignment better than 50 μm could be obtained.

Assessing the function of the fronto-parietal attention network: Insights from resting-state fMRI and the attentional network test

In the recent past, various intrinsic connectivity networks (ICN) have been identified in the resting brain. It has been hypothesized that the fronto-parietal ICN is involved in attentional processes. Evidence for this claim stems from task-related activation studies that show a joint activation of the implicated brain regions during tasks that require sustained attention. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to demonstrate that functional connectivity within the fronto-parietal network at rest directly relates to attention. We applied graph theory to functional connectivity data from multiple regions of interest and tested for associations with behavioral measures of attention as provided by the attentional network test (ANT), which we acquired in a separate session outside the MRI environment. We found robust statistical associations with centrality measures of global and local connectivity of nodes within the network with the alerting and executive control subfunctions of attention. The results provide further evidence for the functional significance of ICN and the hypothesized role of the fronto-parietal attention network. Hum Brain Mapp , 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Logical Descriptor for Regular Languages via Stone Duality

In this paper we introduce a class of descriptors for regular languages arising from an application of the Stone duality between finite Boolean algebras and finite sets. These descriptors, called classical fortresses, are object specified in classical propositional logic and capable to accept exactly regular languages. To prove this, we show that the languages accepted by classical fortresses and deterministic finite automata coincide. Classical fortresses, besides being propositional descriptors for regular languages, also turn out to be an efficient tool for providing alternative and intuitive proofs for the closure properties of regular languages.

Socrates on the Moral Mischief of Misology

In Plato’s dialogues, the Phaedo, Laches, and Republic, Socrates warns his interlocutors about the dangers of misology. Misology is explained by analogy with misanthropy, not as the hatred of other human beings, but as the hatred of the logos or reasonable discourse. According to Socrates, misology arises when a person alternates between believing an argument to be correct, and then refuting it as false. If Socrates is right, then misanthropy is sometimes instilled when a person goes from trusting people to learning that others sometimes betray our reliance and expectations, and finally not to placing any confidence whatsoever in other people, or, in the case of misology, in the correctness or trustworthiness of arguments. A cynical indifference to the soundness of arguments generally is sometimes associated with Socrates’ polemical targets, the Sophists, at least as Plato represents Socrates’ reaction to these itinerant teachers of rhetoric, public speaking and the fashioning of arguments suitable to any occasion. Socrates’ injunctions against misology are largely moral, pronouncing it ‘shameful’ and ‘very wicked’, and something that without further justification we must ‘guard against’, maintaining that we will be less excellent persons if we come to despise argument as lacking the potential of leading to the truth. I examine Socrates’ moral objections to misology which I show to be inconclusive. I consider instead the problem of logical coherence in the motivations supposedly underlying misology, and conclude that misology as Socrates intends the concept is an emotional reaction to argumentation on the part of persons who have not acquired the logical dialectical skills or will to sort out good from bad arguments. We cannot dismiss argument as directed toward the truth unless we have a strong reason for doing so, and any such argument must itself presuppose that at least some reasoning can be justified in discovering and justifying belief in interesting truths. The relevant passages from Socrates’ discussion of the soul’s immortality in the Phaedo are discussed in detail, and set in scholarly background against Socrates’ philosophy more generally, as represented by Plato’s dialogues. I conclude by offering a suggestive list of practical remedies to avoid the alienation from argument in dialectic with which Socrates is concerned.

EU agricultural reform fails on biodiversity

In December 2013, the European Union (EU) enacted the reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2014–2020, allocating almost 40% of the EU's budget and influencing management of half of its terrestrial area. Many EU politicians are announcing the new CAP as “greener,” but the new environmental prescriptions are so diluted that they are unlikely to benefit biodiversity. Individual Member States (MSs), however, can still use flexibility granted by the new CAP to design national plans to protect farmland habitats and species and to ensure long-term provision of ecosystem services

Territory Occupancy and Parental Quality as Proxies for Spatial Prioritization of Conservation Areas

In order to maximize their fitness, individuals aim at choosing territories offering the most appropriate combination of resources. As population size fluctuates in time, the frequency of breeding territory occupancy reflects territory quality. We investigated the relationships between the frequency of territory occupancy (2002–2009) vs. habitat characteristics, prey abundance, reproductive success and parental traits in hoopoes Upupa epops L., with the objective to define proxies for the delineation of conservation priority areas. We predicted that the distribution of phenotypes is despotic and sought for phenotypic characteristics expressing dominance. Our findings support the hypothesis of a despotic distribution. Territory selection was non-random: frequently occupied territories were settled earlier in the season and yielded higher annual reproductive success, but the frequency of territory occupancy could not be related to any habitat characteristics. Males found in frequently occupied territories showed traits expressing dominance (i.e. larger body size and mass, and older age). In contrast, morphological traits of females were not related to the frequency of territory occupancy, suggesting that territory selection and maintenance were essentially a male's task. Settlement time in spring, reproductive success achieved in a given territory, as well as phenotypic traits and age of male territory holders reflected territory quality, providing good proxies for assessing priority areas for conservation management.

Söldnerlandschaften. Frühneuzeitliche Gewaltmärkte im Vergleich

In einer Zeit, da private Sicherheits- und Militärunternehmungen an Bedeutung gewinnen und Staaten ihr Monopol auf die militärische Gewaltanwendung in zahlreichen asymmetrischen Kriegen aufzugeben scheinen, hat die Solddienstproblematik eine neue Aktualität gewonnen. Das bereits in der Antike betriebene Geschäft mit Söldnern erlebte in der Frühen Neuzeit seine Blüte. Die gesellschaftlichen, ökonomischen, kulturellen und politischen Implikationen dieses Gewaltmarkts sind deshalb ein wichtiges Thema für die Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit. Der wissenschaftliche Diskurs wird allerdings stark von nationalen Narrativen dominiert. Diese unangemessene Engführung versucht der vorliegende Sammelband zu durchbrechen. In einer vergleichenden, transnationalen Perspektive wird die Frage, warum sich in der frühen Neuzeit bestimmte Räume zu erfolgreichen Absatzmärkten für Söldner entwickelt haben und somit zu Söldnerlandschaften geworden sind, von ausgewiesenen Fachleuten erörtert und diskutiert.

Lieder für Elementar-Schulen

in Musik gesetzt von Michael Henkel