Search results for " International Relations"

Domestic Agencies in an Emergent European Executive Order

2011

Abstract This article poses the following question: who is in control of domestic agencies when they are handling domestic ‘EU affairs’ broadly speaking? The article demonstrates that domestic agencies are primarily steered by their parent ministry, being largely ‘single‐hatted’. This observation does not render ‘double‐hatted’ agencies implausible — as for example when domestic agencies practise EU legislation — generating a compound European executive order. The empirical analysis benefits from a large‐N elite survey among 1452 domestic agency officials. This article contests claims that the ‘agencification’ of domestic government systems as well as their involvement in an emergent Europe…

Hierarchy of Eustress and Distress: Rasch Calibration of the Valencia Eustress-Distress Appraisal Scale

2016

The purpose of the study was to uncover the hierarchy of eustress and distress appraisal and calibrate the Valencia Eustress Distress Appraisal Scale (VEDAS, Rodríguez, Kozusznik, & Peiró, 2013) using the Rasch Analysis (RA). A cross-sectional study was conducted on sample of 603 Spanish social service professionals. The VEDAS included four subscales addressing work demands that can be appraised as sources of eustress and distress. RA was carried out for eustress and distress appraisal scales. A graduation of stressful situations appraised as distress and/or as eustress was revealed. One of the greatest sources of distress and one of the lesser sources of eustress was “switching off at …

Power and Legitimizing Ideologies in Hierarchy-Enhancing vs. Hierarchy-Attenuating Environments

2012

According to social dominance theory, intergroup dynamics are strongly influenced by the social positions which individuals hold in society. Several studies suggest that holding a position of power can, sometimes automatically, generate negative attitudes and hostile behaviors toward subordinate social groups. However, at present, the studies carried out on these effects of power have not taken into account the influence of the normative context. Based on the distinction made by Sidanius and Pratto between “hierarchy-enhancing” (HE) vs. “hierarchy-attenuating” (HA) environments, this study examines if the effects of power on legitimizing cognitions vary as a function of the normative enviro…

The texture of tongues: Languages and power in China

1998

Mandarin stands at the pinnacle of a metalinguistic hierarchy which mirrors the vertical basis of power in China today. State language policies have established official minority languages and Chinese ‘dialects’ under the arching umbrella of the Chinese state; yet their domain is strictly constrained through prescriptive standardization. The tension between this codifying imperative and the dynamic force of speaker identity is examined through the expressions of power through language use, inviting a re‐examination of assumptions about the static texture of language in a multilingual society.

Where is demography leading Latvian higher education?

2010

(2010). Where is demography leading Latvian higher education? Baltic Journal of Economics: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 5-21.

Unruly actors: Latvian women of the Red Army in post-war historical memory

2013

This work highlights the case of Latvian women volunteers of the Red Army who worked and fought on the eastern fronts of World War II. An estimated 70,000–85,000 Latvians served in the Red Army, some as conscripts, others as volunteers. At least several hundred of those who volunteered were women. How are Latvian women volunteers of the Red Army represented and remembered in Soviet and post-Soviet historical accounts of World War II? Why have they not been remembered in most historical accounts of this period? How are ethnicity, gender, and associated social roles implicated in their historical marginality? These questions are situated in the context of literature on collective memory and m…

Corporate Networks and business influence in Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.

2021

Objective/Context: This paper explores the relationship between corporate networks and business influence to figure out the conditions of state capture. Methodology: We analyze corporate networks through interlocking directorates in three Central American countries - Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador - using network analysis, and we pinpoint the relationship between the structure of the corporate network and two corporate political actions: contributions to presidential campaigns and revolving doors. Conclusions: Results show corporate networks were fragmented in the three Central American countries, except for a well-connected business cluster in Panama. The organization of business elit…

EU Eastern Partnership and New Challenges for Europe

2014

Trade Union Practices in the EU and Latvia: Experience for Eastern Partnership Countries

2014

Abstract The article will show major dimensions in the experience of EU Member States that could be shared with the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. The framework of the study is the EU concept of trade unions in social dialogue and social partnership in the public sector. This study outlines the concept of social dialogue as a core element of industrial relations and will focus on industrial relations specifically in the public sector. The authors have elaborated the approach to industrial relations and social dialogue taking into account comparative approach to definitions provided by international institutions such as ILO and OECD, as well as institutions in the EU and Latvia. Latvia…

A Place-Based Approach in EU Regional Development and Its Application in Latvia

2014

Abstract The EU’s regional development policy is gradually moving from the redaction of regional disparities towards regional development growth. The role and involvement of regional and local authorities in regional development policy is increasing. Global changes and challenges call for a growing need to develop more efficient regional development policy instruments that would result in growth and increased quality> of life. Place-based approach is a strategic approach aimed at the development of territorial resources. The aim of this research is to evaluate the role of place-based approach in regional development, to identify and assess the main elements and opportunities brought …