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This article analyses the central themes running through the collection of papers in this special issue of Childhood, which were all given as papers at the XVI Durban World Congress of Sociology, 23-29 July 2006. These themes encompass the ways in which global processes of social change combining modernity with tradition have become important for both the perception of childhood and for children's real lives. They also include the ways in which those processes intertwined with social inequalities of gender, generation and socioeconomic status among children and between children and other age groups. The article goes on to provide an outline of the ways in which more general theoretical concerns in the sociology of childhood globally are related to local situations, to a variety of practical settings, to the conceptual concerns in different sociological fields and other social science disciplines in South Africa, Ethiopia, Taiwan, Germany, Sweden, and Italy.

This paper investigates the relationship between candidates’ online popularity and election results, as a step towards creating a model to forecast the results of Taiwanese elections even in the absence of reliable opinion polls on a district-by-district level. 253 of 354 legislative candidates of single-member districts in Taiwan’s 2016 general election had active public Facebook pages during the election period. Hypothesizing that the relative popularity of candidates’ Facebook posts will be positively related to their election results, I calculated each candidate’s Like Ratio (i.e. proportions of all likes on Facebook posts obtained by candidates in their district). In order to have a measure of online interest without the influence of subjective positivity, I similarly calculated the proportion of daily average page views for each candidate’s Wikipedia page. I ran a regression analysis, incorporating data on results of previous elections and available opinion poll data. I found the models could describe the result of the election well and reject the null hypothesis. My models successfully predicted 80% of winners in single-member districts and were effective in districts without local opinion polls with a predictive power approaching that of traditional opinion polls. The models also showed good accuracy when run on data for the 2014 Taiwanese municipal mayors election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the multi-dimensions of social capital and to explore the relationships among individuals, social groups, and firms, establishing the perspective of relations for competition strategies and implementation. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, samples were selected from the legislative election of 2008 conducted in Taiwan, and focused on the candidates' competition strategies in the five major cities with the highest population density in Taiwan. Findings – The findings in this study indicate that the relationship among the three main external networks supports the curvilinear effect for gathering fundraising activities/contributions for the election. However, the impact of the number of votes obtained only reveals positive statistical significance on the part of individuals, not of firms and groups, despite the indication of a positive relationship. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of this study is that only the election of members for the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan is used. The study could be further extended to look into other types of elections, such as the election of representatives and councilors for the counties and also the presidential election. A comparative analysis for different types of elections could also be performed to find out whether there are any other different implications for the election strategies. Practical implications – It is realized only through members' levels of collective goal orientation and shared trust, which create value by facilitating successful collective action. Originality/value – There are very few discussions of the multidimensional treatments of social relationships when applying to competition strategies. The paper fills a gap in the social network study literature and also offers an important network implication for the formulation of strategy and the allocation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global pandemic metabolic disorder. In recent years, the amount of medical resources required for the treatment of diabetes has increased as diabetes rates have gradually risen. The combined effects of individual and neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES) on DM survival rates are still not clear, especially in patients of working age. In this paper, we aim to analyze the combined effects of neighbourhood and individual SES on DM survival rates in patients of working age in Taiwan. Methods: The study of 23,781 people who were diagnosed with DM by using population—based study between 2002 and 2006. Each sample was followed up for 4 years or as a sensor case. We defined Individual SES and neighbourhood SES by each patient’s job category and household income which characterized as advantaged or disadvantaged. Then we compared the survival rates by SES group used Cox proportional hazards model for adjust risk factors. Results: The 4-year overall survival rates of diabetic patients were worst for those with low individual SES who living in advantaged neighbourhoods. After adjustment for patient characteristics, DM patients with high individual SES living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods had the same risk of mortality as those patients with high individual SES living in advantaged neighbourhoods (hazard ratio: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81–1.51). The study found that DM patients with low individual SES who live in disadvantaged areas had a greater risk of mortality than those with high SES (odds ratio: 2.57; 95% CI: 2.04–3.24). There were significant differences in survival rates between patients with high individual SES and patients with low individual SES. In contrast, the results did not statistically significant differences in survival rates between advantaged and disadvantaged neighbourhood SES groups. Conclusion: DM patients with low individual SES had the worst survival rate, regardless of whether they were living in a high or low SES neighbourhood area. The competitive cause of death, i.e., the fact that complications, rather than DM itself, are often the cause of death, may be the reason for the inverse relationship found between the effects of individual SES and neighbourhood SES on DM survival. We conclude that the socio-economic gradient in survival among DM patients may be the result of differences in access to medical treatment and attributes related to individual SES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents a recurring but often overlooked pattern in adult socialization and proposes the mechanism that produces this regularity in role assimilation. Three broad stages (Expectancy, Disillusionment and Reconciliation) produce a curvilinear pattern over time in the adoption of "ideal-typical" role attitudes, beliefs and values. The migration of individuals to and from urban areas and their medical care preferences provide a unique case for the illustration of two crucial, organizational elements of the socialization process: context and networks. Data from Taiwan (1970, N=618) indicate that for both in-migrants and out-migrants, preferences for western as opposed to indigenous medical care parallel proposed changes in initiate networks. The pattern is neither smooth nor unidimensional nor the same between contexts. Additional analyses that incorporate Granovetter's (1973) "strength of weak ties" idea are consistent with the network explanation. The concluding discussion focuses on factors that might influence the duration of and fluctuation between socialization stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Treaty of Shimonoseki ceded Taiwan from China to Japan at the end of the Sino- Japanese war in 1895 and the country was then colonized by Japan until 1945. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) won the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Chinese Nationalists (Kuomintang, KMT) retreated to Taiwan, leading to a new period of separation between China and Taiwan. Over the next 60 years, Chinese and Taiwanese people experienced different political regimes and propaganda and, accordingly, developed different political perspectives on history. The ceding of Taiwan to Japan in 1895, an important historical event in China's modern history, is explained, described, and understood differently in different sources, including the content of television dramas in China and Taiwan. This study applies ideological criticism to examine two television serials, Taiwan 1895 from China and The War of Betrayal 1895 from Taiwan, both of which describe the same historical events of 1895. The aims of the paper are to discover what kinds of ideological messages are delivered and how images of the "Self versus the "Other" are constructed in the chosen artefacts under the ideologies of China-centred and Taiwan-centred paradigms. By analyzing the role of television in diffusing ideologies, this study supports an examination of the impact of ideology and the power of discourses on popular culture, to increase the understanding, and even to seek common ground across the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social exclusion has been defined as possible combinations of at least three of the following six disadvantages: low income, unemployment, lack of social interaction, inactive political participation, lack of social-support relationship, and ill health. This paper studies the social-excluded population of Taiwan, first by employing the Database of Taiwan Social Change Surrey (TSCS/2002) to estimate their number. The study has three main findings. First, the severely disadvantaged group, characterized by having at least three disadvantages out of the six, is about 4.5% of Taiwan's population second, the disadvantages of low income and a lack of social support relationship are the two decisive dimensions of the six in forming the severely disadvantage group. And third, the current findings show that the demographic characteristic of the severely disadvantaged group are the relatively uneducated, the unmarried, and the elderly. By multiple correspondence analysis, three clusters of disadvantaged groups are identified: the poverty-extended, the unemployment- marginalized, and the self-excluded. In addition to estimating the unmber of the multi-disadvantaged in Taiwan, the author reflects upon the shortcomings of methods employed in this and related studies. There are two reasons to explain why the databases employed in related researches are not suitable for the thematic definition and concepts. First, the concepts and dynamics of social exclusion are too complicated to be reduced into exact operational definition. The so-called multi-disadvantages method, which employs intersected selection, can easily result in fallacious statistics. Finally, it is suggested that other method, such as life course case studies, might get closer to the reality of social exclusion and multi-disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated that different weight change patterns from adolescence to adulthood may exert different effects on opportunities from which individuals subsequently benefit. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association of weight change patterns from late adolescence to young adulthood with monthly wage in young adulthood for both genders in Taiwan. Methods: A nationally representative retrospective panel of 3730 young people (1707 men and 2023 women) from the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (2001–2014) was included. Individuals were divided into four weight-change-pattern categories based on changes in their body mass index at two time points that were 7 years apart, between late adolescence (aged 18–19 years) and young adulthood (aged 25–26 years). These categories were (1) no obesity, (2) obesity reversal, (3) developing obesity, and (4) persistent obesity. Cross-classified, hierarchical linear regression modeling analysis was performed to explore the association of weight change patterns with monthly wage in young adulthood, after adjustment for both individual- and contextual-level variables. Results: Of the weight-change-pattern categories for both genders, individuals with persistent obesity had the lowest monthly wage. For women, the mean monthly wage decreased progressively for the categories of no obesity, obesity reversal, developing obesity, and persistent obesity (test for difference, P = 0.016; test for trend, P = 0.026). Women with persistent obesity earned 20% less per month than did those who were never obese (P = 0.024), after controlling for individual and contextual factors. For men, no association was found between weight change patterns and monthly wage. Conclusion: Persistent obesity from late adolescence to young adulthood is associated with low monthly wage in young adulthood in women but not in men. These findings highlight the urgency of addressing persistent obesity early in life, especially for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health literacy (HL) skills are essential to enable self-management and shared decision-making in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Limited HL in these patients is associated with poorer outcomes. It is not clear what the burden of limited HL in patients with T2DM across countries and what factors influence it. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42017056150). We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ERIC for articles published up to January 2017. Articles that measured HL levels in adult patients with T2DM; that used validated HL tools; and that were reported in English were included. Two reviewers assessed studies for eligibility and quality, and extracted the data. Prevalence of limited HL is calculated from the number of patients with less than adequate HL over the total number of patients with T2DM in the study. Meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis were conducted using the Open Meta-analyst software. Results: Twenty-nine studies involving 13,457 patients with T2DM from seven countries were included. In total, seven different HL measurement tools were used. The prevalence of limited HL ranged from 7.3% to 82%, lowest in Switzerland and the highest in Taiwan. Meta-regression analysis of all included studies showed the country of study (p<0.001), HL tool used (p = 0.002), and the country’s region (p<0.001) contributed to the variation findings. Thirteen studies in the USA measured functional HL. The pooled prevalence of inadequate functional HL among patients with T2DM in the USA was 28.9% (95% CI: 20.4–37.3), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 97.9%, p <0.001). Studies were done in the community as opposed to a hospital or primary care (p = 0.005) and populations with education level lower than high school education (p = 0.009) reported a higher prevalence of limited HL. Conclusion: The prevalence of limited HL in patients with T2DM varied widely between countries, HL tools used and the country’s region. Pooled prevalence showed nearly one in three patients with T2DM in the USA had limited functional HL. Interactions with healthcare providers and educational attainment were associated with reported of prevalence in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing population is a powerful and transformative demographic force. The World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged the development of an age-friendly hospital (AFH) network. However, no specific implementation strategies or best practices of AFH standards have been produced. This study sought to apply Kotter’s change model to the elements included in a successful AFH certification process and to evaluate the changes in employees’ knowledge of ageing and their attitudes toward the elderly. This was an observational study that utilized a pre- and posttest design, before and after an age-friendly hospital certification process was implemented. Participants were 163 hospital employees in Taiwan, who completed both pre- and postquestionnaires. The self-administered online questionnaire consisted of three sections: The Facts on Ageing Quiz, the Geriatric Attitudes Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Following introduction of the intervention, the change process began, and later Kotter’s model was brought in as a descriptive framework. The results showed that Kotter’s eight-step framework is a good choice for thinking about how to change practice and make healthcare more age-friendly. Employee knowledge of ageing and their attitudes toward the elderly improved after this certification process. Appointing a chief executive officer, forming a steering committee, obtaining interdepartmental and interdisciplinary cooperation, and “soliciting support” for new policies from all employees, were identified as key factors influencing the success of age-friendly hospital (AFH) certification. This is the first study to apply Kotter’s eight-step framework of organizational change to an AFH certification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined factors related to the quality of life (QOL) of gay and bisexual men during emerging adulthood in Taiwan. The factors included traditional harassment (e.g., verbal ridicule, relational exclusion, physical aggression, and theft of belongings), cyber harassment, sex- and gender-related factors (e.g., sexual orientation, age at initial identification of sexual orientation, self-reported level of gender nonconformity, and perceived social acceptance toward homosexuality and bisexuality), and demographic characteristics. In total, 305 Taiwanese gay and bisexual men, aged 20–25 years, were recruited. Their QOL, traditional harassment, and cyber harassment data were collected using the World Health Organization Questionnaire on Quality of Life: Short Form, School Bullying Experience Questionnaire, and Cyberbullying Experiences Questionnaire, respectively. In total, 60.3%, 34.4%, 28.2%, and 29.5% of the participants reported experiencing traditional harassment, cyber harassment, traditional harassment across multiple contexts, and harassment in multiple forms, respectively. Both traditional and cyber harassment were significantly associated with lower QOL. Individuals who experienced traditional harassment across multiple contexts and harassment in multiple forms had lower QOL in nearly all domains than did individuals who had experienced traditional harassment in a single context and harassment of a single form. However, the QOL did not significantly differ between individuals who had experienced traditional harassment in a single context and nonvictims nor between individuals who had experienced harassment of a single form and nonvictims. Lower education level, older age at initial identification of sexual orientation, higher perception of gender nonconformity, and lower perceived social acceptance toward homosexuality and bisexuality were significantly associated with lower QOL. Clinical and public health professionals should consider these factors when developing programs to enhance the QOL of gay and bisexual men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To date, a value set for the EQ-5D-5L based on the health state preferences of the general Taiwanese population has not been available. This study aimed to develop a Taiwanese value set for EQ-5D-5L to facilitate health technology assessment for medical products and services. Methods: An international standardized protocol for EQ-5D-5L valuation studies developed by the EuroQol group was adopted. Adult members of the general public were recruited from six geographic regions in Taiwan. In computer-based face-to-face interviews, each participant completed 10 composite time trade-off (C-TTO) tasks and 7 discrete choice experiment (DCE) tasks. The C-TTO and DCE data were modeled alone or in combination (using hybrid models) with additive models containing 20 dummy variables as main effects. The model performance was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively (mainly logical consistency and prediction patterns). Results: Of 1,073 recruited participants, 1,000 completed the study. Approximately 13% of observed utility values were -1 in the C-TTO tasks. The hybrid model, using all available data that assumed C-TTO response values left-censored at -1 and with main effects coefficients with logical consistency (monotonicity), was considered as the most appropriate model. The predicted utility ranged from -1.0259 to 1. Conclusions: An EQ-5D-5L value set was developed for Taiwan using an established study protocol and a representative sample of the general population. This may facilitate health economic evaluations and decision making on resource allocation under Taiwan’s national health insurance program in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop and validate a Taiwanese version of the Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile (HELP-T) for community-dwelling older Taiwanese adults (≥ 55 years). Methods: The original Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile (HELP) is a 56-item self-report questionnaire measuring various aspects of health-related lifestyles in older adults. The standard cultural-adaptation procedure was used for questionnaire translation and modification. A field test was conducted for culturally specific item selection, rating-scale analysis, and psychometric validation of the HELP-T in a sample of 274 community-dwelling older adults via classical test theory. Results: The 59-item HELP-T is culturally adapted from the original 56-item HELP. The original 6-point rating scale was modified to a 3-point scale for easy use by Taiwanese older adults. The HELP-T had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.82). The test-retest reliability for the total score was high (0.92), and moderate to high (range: 0.57–0.92) for subscales. The construct validity was supported by the significant correlations between each subscale and the total score (Spearman’s rho = 0.41–0.67, p < 0.0001) and by the ability of the scores to significantly discriminate between participants with different levels of self-rated health (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The HELP-T is a suitable clinical tool for assessing and monitoring lifestyle risk factors, establishing client-centered lifestyle intervention goals, and determining the outcomes of lifestyle interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recurrent influenza outbreak has been a concern for government health institutions in Taiwan. Over 10% of the population is infected by influenza viruses every year, and the infection has caused losses to both health and the economy. Approximately three million free vaccine doses are ordered and administered to high-risk populations at the beginning of flu season to control the disease. The government recommends sharing and redistributing vaccine inventories when shortages occur. While this policy intends to increase inventory flexibility, and has been proven as widely valuable, its impact on vaccine availability has not been previously reported. Material and methods: This study developed an inventory model adapted to vaccination protocols to evaluate government recommended polices under different levels of vaccine production. Demands were uncertain and stratified by ages and locations according to the demographic data in Taiwan. Results: When vaccine supply is sufficient, sharing pediatric vaccine reduced vaccine unavailability by 43% and overstock by 54%, and sharing adult vaccine reduced vaccine unavailability by 9% and overstock by 15%. Redistributing vaccines obtained greater gains for both pediatrics and adults (by 75%). When the vaccine supply is in short, only sharing pediatric vaccine yielded a 48% reduction of unused inventory, while other polices do not improve performances. Conclusions: When implementing vaccination activities for seasonal influenza intervention, it is important to consider mismatches of demand and vaccine inventory. Our model confirmed that sharing and redistributing vaccines can substantially increase availability and reduce unused vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Postgraduate Year (PGY) Program allows doctors-in-training to learn about the diagnosis, treatment and nursing of various common, general diseases. These items form the core curriculum and are mostly learned through caring for patients and clinical teaching. Doctors-in-training are evaluated for their knowledge through written tests or assignments, based on which the effectiveness of their training is also assessed; however, this generally produces a negative learning attitude among them. So we introduced the flipped classroom into PGY training program to change PGY students’ learning behavior. Although the flipped classroom is highly valued and has been practiced by teachers in schools of various levels, very few attempts have been made until now to report the learning outcomes achieved through the flipped classroom by means of rigorous research methods. Therefore we tried to employed Ajzen and Fishbein’s (1980) theory of reasoned action and Bandura’s self-efficacy to predict and explain the participants’ behavioral intention when participating in the core curriculum learning of the flipped classroom and to assess the change in students’ learning behavior and learning effectiveness. From August 2013 to July 2014, 39 PGY students from the General Surgery of the Tri-Service General Hospital were selected as the participants of this study. The control group included 43 students of the previous year, that is, the year before the intervention of the flipped classroom. A comparative analysis was performed. The questionnaire’s related matrices indicated highest correlation between self-efficacy and behavioral intention (r = 0.491, P < 0.01), followed by attitude (r = 0.365, P < 0.01) and subjective norms (r = 0.360, P < 0.01.) All three showed positive correlations with behavioral intention; among attitude, subjective norms, and self-efficacy, the pairwise correlations also reached significance level. The flipped classroom can indeed change PGY students’ the learning behavior from “passive learning” to “active learning.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Relative effectiveness of smoking cessation medications—varenicline, bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)—remains unclear among smokers in real-world settings. Evidence in females and smokers with light/moderate nicotine dependence is particularly insufficient. This study compared the effectiveness of varenicline, bupropion or NRT gum relative to NRT patch, in achieving abstinence among recent quitters. Methods: In a national smoking cessation program in Taiwan (2012–2015), a cohort of 11,968 participants received varenicline (n = 5,052), bupropion (n = 823), NRT gum (n = 1944) or NRT patch (n = 4,149). The 7-day, 1-month or 6-month point-prevalence was calculated based on self-reported last smoking event via telephone interview after 6 months. Logistic regression modellings estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for achieving abstinence using different modalities (NRT patch as referent). Models included age, sex, education, marital status, geographic region, smoke-years, nicotine-dependence level, medical institution, number of clinic visits and medication use duration. Analyses were further stratified by sex and dependence severity. Results: Participants were predominantly male (83%) with a mean age of 43.7±12.6 years. Varenicline users were more likely than NRT patch users to achieve abstinence, based on 7-day point-prevalence (OR = 1.30, CI: 1.19–1.44), 1-month point-prevalence (OR = 1.36, CI: 1.24–1.50) or 6-month point-prevalence (OR = 1.30, CI: 1.14–1.47). Compared with NRT patch, varenicline was associated with greater odds of being abstinent in women (OR = 1.29, CI: 1.01–1.65), men (OR = 1.31, CI: 1.18–1.46), those with light/moderate dependence (OR = 1.42, CI: 1.24–1.63) or smokers with severe dependence (OR = 1.19, CI: 1.04–1.37), based on 7-day point-prevalence. Differences in effectiveness were not observed between users of bupropion, NRT gum and NRT patch. Conclusions: In smoking cessation clinics in Taiwan, varenicline users reported higher abstinence rates than NRT patch users after 6 months. Women and smokers with light/moderate nicotine dependence may also benefit from varenicline in actual clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To find the productive implications beyond ‘Weber fever’, a contested theme of ‘the Confucian ethic and economic development’, this article attempts to first examine the dual context in which Weber’s works were introduced before 1949, then to scrutinize the interpretations and evaluations of Weber’s work in the 1980s. Besides, an overview of the Chinese translations of Weber’s work and influential introductory materials is also necessary to understand the reception of Weber. While the reception among early Chinese sociologists before 1949 was separated by the division of disciplines, the reinvention of Weber during the 1980s appeared in at least three different forms in Taiwan and mainland China. Both Taiwanese and Chinese sociologists played crucial roles in establishing Weber as a social theorist of modernity, respectively resisted the Americanized Weber and developed a particular image of Weber in Chinese-speaking academic world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To understand the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on the diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) in Taiwan. Methods: Subjects with glaucoma were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of year 2006, which included one million randomly selected insurants. Individuals who had ≥4 ambulatory visits within one year which had the diagnosis code of POAG (ICD-9-CM 365.11 or 365.12) or PACG (365.23) and concurrent prescription of anti-glaucoma medication or surgery were selected. Individual SES was represented by monthly income calculated from the insurance premium. Neighborhood SES was defined based on neighborhood household income averages. Urbanization level of habitation was categorized into 3 levels. The odds ratio of having POAG or PACG in subjects with different SES was evaluated by using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: In total, 752 and 561 subjects with POAG and PACG, respectively, who were treated on a regular basis, were identified. The diagnosis of glaucoma was affected by age, gender, frequency of healthcare utilization, individual SES, and urbanization level of habitation. With the adjustment of age, gender, healthcare utilization, neighborhood SES and level of urbanization, subjects with lower income were more likely to be diagnosed as PACG, but less likely as POAG. Conclusions: Subjects with more frequent healthcare utilization were more likely to be diagnosed with glaucoma. Subjects with low SES were more susceptible to PACG, but subjects with high SES were more likely to be diagnosed as POAG. This information is useful for the design and target participant setting in glaucoma education and screening campaign to maximize the efficacy of limited resources in preventing glaucoma blindness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreaks of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 resulted in unprecedented impacts on people's daily life. One of the most significant impacts to people is the fear of contacting the SARS virus while engaging daily routine activity. Here we use data from daily underground ridership in Taipei City and daily reported new SARS cases in Taiwan to model the dynamics of the public fear of the SARS virus during the wax and wane of the SARS period. We found that for each reported new SARS case there is an immediate loss of about 1200 underground ridership (the fresh fear). These daily loss rates dissipate to the following days with an e-folding time of about 28 days, reflecting the public perception on the risk of contacting SARS virus when traveling with the underground system (the residual fear). About 50% of daily ridership was lost during the peak of the 2003 SARS period, compared with the loss of 80% daily ridership during the closure of the underground system after Typhoon Nari, the loss of 50–70% ridership due to the closure of the governmental offices and schools during typhoon periods, and the loss of 60% daily ridership during Chinese New Year holidays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of the cyber bullying prevention WebQuest course implementation. Methodology/Findings: The study adopted the quasi-experimental design with two classes made up of a total of 61 junior high school students of seventh grade. The study subjects comprised of 30 students from the experimental group and 31 students from the control group. The experimental group received eight sessions (total 360 minutes) of the teaching intervention for four consecutive weeks, while the control group did not engage in any related courses. The self-compiled questionnaire for the student’s knowledge, attitudes, and intentions toward cyber bullying prevention was adopted. Data were analysed through generalized estimating equations to understand the immediate results on the student’s knowledge, attitudes, and intentions after the intervention. The results show that the WebQuest course immediately and effectively enhanced the knowledge of cyber bullying, reduced the intentions, and retained the effects after the learning. But it produced no significant impact on the attitude toward cyber bullying. Conclusions/Significance: The intervention through this pilot study was effective and positive for cyber bulling prevention. It was with small number of students. Therefore, studies with large number of students and long experimental times, in different areas and countries are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meetings and parades are channels for people to express opinions in Taiwan and in other democratic countries. The quality of services of the police when handling public gatherings and maintaining peace and order are the main focus of this research. Since the police often face the challenge of dealing with large crowds of people, in terms of the quality of police services, the disparity in people's opinions of the quality of police services serves as a reference in determining people's satisfaction level towards police services. In this research, five dimensions in business management quality of services proposed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles), and two special dimensions (timeliness and legitimacy) in professional police work are adopted to analyse the quality of police services. It is found that there is a significant difference between people's expectations and perceptions of the quality of police services. Based on fuzzy analysis, the quality of police services when they are carrying out their work is not satisfactory. In the future, police officers should review the service policies. Finally, four suggestions for police services are proposed in this article. It is expected that they will help enhance the quality of services rendered by police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research by social scientists from Bulgaria, Germany and Taiwan started with the question of how a comparison of the institutional cultures of these three countries could be done. 'Institutional culture', here, refers to the traditions of society as well as to the values of particular institutions. The authors attempt an answer by exploring problems of cultural comparison, by describing the research process as a meeting of cultures, by developing an agreed upon conceptual framework to orient the analysis. They exemplify their approach in comparable descriptions of the core cultures and of the related economic-political exchange cultures of the three countries. This allows a contrast between the institutional cultures of different 'civilizations', and the authors provide a matrix of traditions and exchange patterns for empirical research on particular economic phenomena. The data basis is literature at hand on the history of mentality as well as on the history and sociology of societies and institutions. The research was carried out in 1997/8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital care is a distinctly modern phenomenon. With increasing division of labour in society, ever more responsibilities of meeting basic human needs are delegated by the family to other institutions. Although the family remains a vital component of modern health care throughout the world, health care responsibilities have largely shifted to a different social institution, the formal organization of the hospital. In the hospital, medical care is constructed and practised in accordance with technical and bureaucratic principles. The transfer of health care from the family to a formal institution has profoundly changed the organization of medical care in the West. Interestingly, the literature continues to recognize that family involvement is helpful for a patient's recovery process as it reduces a patient's stress from being cared for by strangers. Despite the importance of the family in the recovery of the patient, modern western health care delivery, often by design, limits the involvement of a patient's family. Visiting policies, for instance, help separate the patient and his or her family. The central assumption is that the hospital is responsible for the complete care of its resident patients. Although Taiwanese medical care has largely emulated the model of western medical organization in many respects, a peculiar feature of the Taiwanese system is that the family members of a patient are often the main caregivers during the patient's hospitalization.

The article focuses on a comparative study of suicide. The objective of this article is to test cross-culturally a number of inter-related variables, in order to account for differences in suicide rates both within and between different societies. Perhaps the most firmly established generalization in the sociological study of suicide concerns its relation with the business cycle. Among many theorists Emile Durkheim was one of the first to propose an explanation of such a relation. With the causal relation between business trends and suicide that Durkheim and many others hypothesized, there should be not only this current-year correlation but also a lag correlation between the two time series. Although suicide is not limited to any particular age, studies have shown that the rate generally rises with advancing age, so that suicide achieves its culminating point only at the final limits of human existence. It seems to be well accepted that the traditional Taiwanese culture has placed great emphasis on stability of the social structure, in which seniority rather then ability is a primary guide to social values.

The author discusses the impact of the globalization of the sociological book publishing trade on the journal's book reviewing process. The shift in the interests of readers and publishers caused by publishing's move to electronic media is described. He talks about the lack of domestic reviewers with suitable expertise to handle certain foreign studies that the journal receives. The decision of the journal's editorial board to secure the services of foreign scholars from countries such as Slovenia, Hungary and Taiwan is cited.