Search

Mathematical models and computer simulations play a crucial role in the context of the COVID-19 crisis for knowledge about the possible course of the pandemic and for appropriate policy decisions. The paper presents results from an ethnographic study of a government-funded R & D project dealing with agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) in the context of pandemic management. Based on the assumption that the use of computer simulations in pandemic management is not only a means to an end for political or epidemiological goals but also plays a significant role in determining which goals and strategies appear politically legitimate, the paper reconstructs how insights into the pandemic are generated in ABMS and specifically in the researched project and made accessible for decision-making. Mathematische Modelle und Computersimulationen spielen im Rahmen der COVID‑19‑Pandemie eine entscheidende Rolle für das Wissen über die mögliche Entwicklung des Infektionsgeschehens und für entsprechende politische Entscheidungen. Der Beitrag stellt Ergebnisse aus einer ethnografischen Studie über ein staatlich finanziertes Forschungs‑ und Entwicklungsprojekt vor, das sich mit der agentenbasierten Modellierung und Simulation (ABMS) im Kontext des Pandemiemanagements befasst. Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass der Einsatz von Computersimulationen im Pandemiemanagement nicht nur Mittel zum Zweck für politische bzw. epidemiologische Ziele ist, sondern wesentlich mitbestimmt, welche Ziele und Strategien als politisch legitim erscheinen, rekonstruiert der Beitrag, wie in der ABMS und spezifisch im beforschten Projekt Erkenntnisse über die Pandemie generiert und für die Entscheidungsfindung zugänglich gemacht werden.

Im Beitrag wird ein Planspiel vorgestellt, in dem eine Politiksimulation mit besonderem Fokus auf Bürger*innenbeteiligung von den Teilnehmenden erlebt werden kann. Es werden vor allem kommunale und schulische Entscheidungsprozesse in den Fokus genommen. Als Rahmung, Konfliktgegenstand und Ausgangslage dienen die grundlegende Erneuerung und Aufwertung eines öffentlichen Raums zwischen einem bestehenden Schulzentrum und angrenzenden Park- und Wohnanlagen zur Erhöhung der Lebensqualität aller Bewohner*innen. Einsetzbar ist das Planspiel ab der Jahrgangsstufe 8. Die Dauer des Planspiels umfasst in Abhängigkeit der Ausweitung der einzelnen Vorgehensschritte ca. 4–6 Unterrichtsstunden.

This article sheds light on the organizational dimensions of infrastructures of sustainability. We employ the case of energy cooperatives, which co-shape the new decentralized infrastructure for the supply of renewable energy, to illustrate the relevance of the organizational dimension. From a perspective of the sociology of organizations, we argue in the first part of the article that energy cooperatives advance radical imaginaries and innovative practices of sustainability because they are “unconventional organizations” characterized by participatory structures. Their participatory makeup integrates different social groups and concerns in their decision-making processes and enables them to combine economic, social, and ecological aims. Given that participatory arrangements are often associated with small organizational size but need to be scalable, the second part of the article explores how energy cooperatives can extend their sustainable practices, thereby strengthening their role as infrastructures of sustainability. We identify organizational networks, digital platforms, and symbolic influence as organizational ways to expand the sustainability imaginaries of cooperatives., Historical Social Research Vol. 47, No. 4 (2022): Special Issue: Ruptures, Transformations, Continuities. Rethinking Infrastructures and Ecology. Starting Point and Frequency: Year: 1979, Issues per volume: 4, Volumes per year: 1

Um Aushandlungsprozesse zwischen betrieblicher Mitbestimmung und der Unternehmensvertretung zu beschreiben, werden derzeitig häufig Betriebsratstypisierungen herangezogen. Diese verfolgen oftmals eine eher machtorientierte Perspektive, um die Aushandlungsprozesse und deren Ergebnisse zu beschreiben. In komplexen und weitgehend unbekannten Umwelten scheint diese Fokussierung jedoch zu kurzgegriffen. Aus diesem Grund wird eine konzeptionelle Rahmung dieser Prozesse aus multirationaler Perspektive erarbeitet und am konkreten Fallbeispiel der Roadmap Digitale Transformation der Marke Volkswagen empirisch verdichtet. Dazu erarbeitet dieser Beitrag anhand eines spezifischen Kontextes betrieblicher Mitbestimmung zwei Handlungslogiken: eine funktional-ökonomische Rationalität der Unternehmensvertretung sowie eine sozial-ökonomischer Rationalität der betrieblichen Mitbestimmung. Je nach konkretem Verhandlungsgegenstand zeigt sich, dass die beiden Rationalitäten, im Laufe des Aushandlungsprozesses, einander tolerieren oder innovative Kompromisslösungen fördern. Nur solche inhaltlichen Fragestellungen, welche dem Kern der jeweiligen Rationalität entsprechen, tragen zu einer Polarisierung bei, also der Durchsetzung einer der Positionen. Currently works council typologies are often used to describe negotiation processes between employers and corporate co-determination. These generally pursue a more poweroriented perspective to describe the negotiation processes and their results. In complex and largely unknown environments, however, this focus seems to be too narrow. For this reason, a conceptual framing of these processes, one dependent on a multi-rational perspective, is empirically applied to a case study of the Roadmap Digital Transformation of the Volkswagen brand. To this end, the article develops two logics of action based on a specific context of codetermination: a functional-economic rationality of corporate representation and a socioeconomic rationality of corporate co-determination. Depending on the specific subject of negotiation it is shown that the two rationalities in the course of the negotiation process either tolerate each other or promote innovative compromise solutions. Only such substantive issues that correspond to the core of the respective rationality contribute to polarization, i. e. the enforcement of one of the positions.

Research into "algorithmic discrimination" has largely dismissed the fact that algorithms are often developed and used by organizations. In this article, we show that organizational sociology can contribute to a more nuanced perspective on "algorithmic decision-making." Drawing on the concept of decision premises, we differentiate between various formal structures, particularly between different decision programs (conditional and purposive). This allows us to challenge two key assumptions, namely that human decision-makers rely heavily on algorithmically generated recommendations and that discrimination against protected groups needs to be solved mainly at the level of code. We identify the usefulness of distinguishing between conditional and purposive decision programs via a case study centered on the legal context: the risk assessment software "Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions" (COMPAS) that is employed in the US criminal justice system to inform judicial personnel about the recidivism risk of defendants. By analyzing the organizational structures, according to which the COMPAS score is formally and informally embedded in courts, we point out that the score represents an ambiguous and redundant information source for judges. The practice of minimizing the relevance of the score and decoupling it from the legal reasoning backstage particularly reflects the professional decision autonomy of judges, which is inherent in the legal system. The core finding of our approach is that strategies to reduce discrimination should not only scrutinize data quality or the statistical model but also consider the specific forms, functions, and consequences of the organizational structures that condition the ways in which discriminatory differences may or may not be (re)produced. Die Forschung über "algorithmische Diskriminierung" hat bislang weitgehend außer Acht gelassen, dass Algorithmen von Organisationen entwickelt und eingesetzt werden. Durch den Rückgriff auf die Unterscheidung von formalen und informalen Organisationsstrukturen im Allgemeinen und das Entscheidungsprämissenkonzept im Besonderen, so unser Argument, können zwei zentrale Thesen über den Einsatz von Software in Organisationen relativiert werden: Organisationstheoretisch zu problematisieren sind zum einen die Annahme, dass algorithmisch generierte Daten bruchlos in Entscheidungsstrukturen übernommen würden, und zum anderen die Behauptung, dass diskriminierende Folgen hauptsächlich auf der Ebene des Software-Codes zu lösen seien. Den Erkenntnisgewinn einer organisationssoziologischen Perspektive verdeutlichen wir exemplarisch anhand einer Fallstudie aus dem Rechtsbereich: der Risikobewertungssoftware COMPAS, die in der US-amerikanischen Strafjustiz zur Bewertung des Rückfallrisikos von Angeklagten eingesetzt wird. Durch die Analyse der Entscheidungsstrukturen, nach denen der COMPAS-Score inter- und intraorganisatorisch eingebettet ist, zeigen wir auf, dass der Score eine mehrdeutige und redundante Information für richterliche Entscheidungen darstellt. Die in empirischen Studien beobachtete Praxis, dass Richterinnen und Richter die Relevanz des Scores minimieren und ihn bei der juristischen Entscheidungsfindung auf der Hinterbühne abkoppeln, spiegelt insbesondere ihre professionelle Entscheidungsautonomie als formale Organisationsmitglieder von Gerichten wider. Die wichtigste Erkenntnis unseres Beitrags ist, dass Strategien zur Verringerung von diskriminierenden Folgen nicht nur die Qualität der Daten und der statistischen Modelle untersuchen sollten. Vielmehr gilt es, insbesondere die spezifischen, eigenlogischen Formen, Funktionen und Folgen der Organisationsstrukturen zu verstehen, welche die Art und Weise bedingen, wie diskriminierende Unterschiede (re-)produziert werden können oder auch nicht.

This study investigated whether people’s personal belief in a just world (BJW) is linked to their willingness to physically distance themselves from others during the COVID-19 pandemic. Past research found personal BJW to be positively related to prosocial behavior, justice striving, and lower risk perceptions. If social distancing reflects a concern for others, high personal BJW should predict increased interest in social distancing. If social distancing reflects a concern for one’s personal risk, high personal BJW should predict decreased interest in social distancing. Results of a pre-registered internet-based study from Germany (N = 361) indicated that the higher people’s personal BJW, the more they generally practiced social distancing. This association still occurred when controlling for empathy, another significant predictor of social distancing. There were no mediation effects of empathy and risk perception. The findings extend knowledge on the correlates of social distancing in the COVID-19 pandemic which could be used to increase compliance among citizens.

The article investigates how Bourdieu’s theory of practice can be mobilized to analyse the micro landscape of decision-making in urban practice, framing it by means of the concept of habitus. The reconstruction of the Riga Castle Square in the UNESCO-protected area is used as a case study. Using the vocabulary of habitus-related concepts—illusio, doxa, and hysteresis—an attempt is made to trace the interrelations between the motivations and actions of professionals involved in the project and their influence on the outcomes. This article assumes that the symbolic significance of a place causes symbolic space, understood as a grid of cognitive structures guiding agents in their choices, to become salient. When representative public spaces are transformed, the symbolic space imposes on social and physical spaces through the symbolic forms of power used by specialists. In conclusion, the article offers an interpretation of heritage as a manifestation of habitus: Public space thus exemplifies a social interface, expressing interplay between traditional and emerging values. The findings reinforce the relevance of the theory of practice for researching non-physical phenomena of urban practice. The concept of habitus supports the conceptualization of urban planning practice as assemblages of diverse interdependent interactional settings where fraternities of practice communities communicate around values. This communication defines motivations and determines decisions, shaping physical space. The theory of practice helps decompose the micro-level of socio-psychological dynamics underlying stakeholders’ decision-making and to relate it to macro phenomena, such as power distribution or participation.

Diese Dissertation umfasst drei Studien. Die erste Studie untersucht Overprecision („Überpräzision“). Ich untersuche, wie Menschen Spannweitenschätzungen vornehmen. Teilnehmende müssen die Größe der Spannweite (Präzision) mit der Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass sie den wahren Wert einschließt (Richtigkeit) balancieren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Menschen inhärente individuelle Vorlieben für Präzision zu haben scheinen. Gleichzeitig werden vorhersagbar zusätzliche Informationen genutzt, um die Richtigkeit der Schätzungen zu erhöhen. Dafür wird entweder Präzision geopfert, oder die Spannweitenschätzung insgesamt verschoben. Die Richtigkeit der Schätzung wird jedoch nicht maximiert, sondern ein Teil für höhere Präzision aufgegeben. Die zweite Studie untersucht, wie sich die Übersetzung von Finanzberichterstattung auf die Wahrnehmung einer Firma als attraktives Investment auswirkt. Sie beleuchtet drei verschiedene Kanäle: Lesbarkeit, Stimmung, und Präzision der Veröffentlichung. In einem Umfrageexperiment lesen Kleinanleger deutsche und englische Prognoseberichte deutscher Firmen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die deutschen Berichte als besser lesbar wahrgenommen werden. Im Gegensatz zu vorheriger Literatur ist die Lesbarkeit nicht mit einer höheren Investmentattraktivität korreliert. Allein die Stimmung des Textes zeigt eine Korrelation mit höherer Attraktivität. Die dritte Studie untersucht, wie das Angebot von formativen Onlinetests die Leistungen von Studierenden in der Klausur beeinflusst. Sie untersucht zudem, ob die Leistung sich unterscheidet, je nachdem ob die Studierenden zeitlich begrenzten Zugang zu den Tests haben oder ob sie jederzeit auf die Tests zugreifen können. Ein Experiment, welches es ermöglicht den kausalen Intention-to-treat-Effekt zu bestimmen, zeigt, dass die formativen Onlinetests die Studienleistung erhöhen können, allerdings nur für Studierende, welche sich nicht freiwillig für die Tests gemeldet hatten und in der kontinuierlichen Lerngruppe waren., This dissertation comprises three papers. The first study examines overprecision. I examine how people provide range estimates, a challenging task that requires people to balance the width of the range (i.e., its precision) with the probability of the range covering the true value (i.e., accuracy). I find that people appear to have inherent individual preferences for a certain level of precision. At the same time, they appear to predictably incorporate additional information in order to increase accuracy by either sacrificing precision or shifting their ranges altogether. Still, they do not seem to maximise accuracy, but are willing to expend some of it to provide more precise estimates. The second study examines how the translation of financial disclosures changes investors’ perceptions of firms as an attractive investment. It examines three possible channels: readability, tone, and precision of the underlying disclosure. In a survey experiment, retail investors read forecast reports of German firms, provided in German and English. The findings indicate that the German versions are easier to read. Contrary to prior literature, the easier readability does not translate into higher investment attractiveness. Solely tone appears to be correlated with investment attractiveness. The third study analyses how offering formative online assessments influences student performance in the final exam. It further examines whether students perform differently depending on whether they have time-restricted access to the assessments, or whether they can access the assessments at any time. An experiment which allows for the identification of the causal intention-to-treat effect shows that offering formative online assessments can enhance student performance, but only for students who do not opt for taking the test voluntarily and who are in a continuous learning environment.

This paper investigates the conditions under which cooperative team reasoning arises and stabilizes in complex social structures. Team reasoning is a theory that explains cooperative behavior in social settings of strategic choice, even in situations where classical game theory fails. By simulating the emergence of cooperation via team reasoning, this paper analyzes the performance of team reasoners compared to classically rational agents and individual reasoners. Simulation results are provided regarding the efficacy of team reasoning in mixed-game settings. It is shown that cooperative team reasoning is viable and stabilizing under favorable conditions such as the share of coordination games played, but sensitive to the amount and abilities of their interacting counterparts. Finally, the paper provides first ideas on how the current framework might be extended toward collective actors that gain further stability through processes of self-formalization and inner-organizational redistribution., Historical Social Research Vol. 48, No. 3 (2023)

Policy can be used and experienced as a tool for social inclusion or exclusion; it can empower or disenfranchise. Women’s reproductive decision‐making and health is impacted by policy, and women’s experiences of diverse and intersecting marginalised social locations can influence their experiences of policy. This research aimed to explore how intersectionality is considered within Victorian state government policies that influence and impact women’s reproductive decision-making. A systematic search of Victorian (Australia) government policy instruments was undertaken, identifying twenty policy instruments. Policies were analysed using an intersectional policy analysis framework using a two‐stage process involving deductive coding into the domains of the framework, followed by inductive thematic analysis within and across domains. Findings reveal inconsistencies within and across policies in how they consider intersecting social relations of power in the representation of problems, women’s positionings, policy impacts, and policy solutions. These gaps could exclude and marginalise individuals and groups and contribute to systemic inequities in women’s reproductive decision-making and the outcomes of those decisions, particularly among already marginalised groups. The lack of women’s voices in policy further excludes and marginalises those impacted by the policy and limits the representation of all women in policy. Policy development needs to meaningfully involve women with diverse and intersecting marginalised social locations, and critical reflexivity of all stakeholders, to ensure policies can better account for the experiences of, and impacts upon, women who are marginalised and effect change to promote social inclusion and equity in women’s reproductive decision‐making.

Regional parliaments have only limited formal possibilities to engage in the European Union’s (EU’s) multi-level system of governance. Our paper focuses on networking activities of regional members of parliaments (MPs) as informal attempts to make agency claims and as a main driver for perceived collective agency. We employ a relational perspective, taking into account the various stakeholders and environments which regional parliaments have to deal with in the EU. Engaging in such networks can enhance collective agency since such activity is linked to recognition and can open doors to new resources and networks. We use data from a survey of regional deputies in Austria, Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic to investigate these associations. The results point to the importance of such activities for the perceived influence of regional parliaments on political decision-making in the region and for perceptions about the future role of regions in the EU. Contacts with European actors prove to be crucial in this respect since they can lead to new, agency-enhancing contacts and resources., Historical Social Research Vol. 48, No. 3 (2023)

The cumulative thesis consists of papers that study the impact of Value-at-Risk and average Value-at-Risk-based financial regulation on a representative financial institution's portfolio optimization (see Paper 1 and Paper 2), and a paper that investigates intergenerational risk sharing in a Defined Contribution pension system using an overlapping generations model (see Paper 3). Hence, the thesis contributes to the research strands of risk management in finance and insurance, decision analysis under uncertainty, portfolio optimization, and optimal pension design.

Scientific policy advice is a special, hybrid type of scientific activity: science in its advisory function faces the conflict of having to present content in a scientifically credible, unbiased, and value-free form and, at the same time, to prepare it in a politically effective way, i.e., in a way that guides action and is publicly comprehensible. The resulting texts are therefore particularly interesting for approaching scientific research practices with regard to the question of how the struggle for epistemic quality and social legitimacy is reflected in their language and content in the (co-)construction of knowledge. Using exemplary cases, a current interdisciplinary DFG project investigates the practice of scientific policy advice in Germany in terms of form, content, and function from a linguistic and epistemological perspective. Wissenschaftliche Politikberatung ist eine besondere, da hybride Art der wissenschaftlichen Tätigkeit: Wissenschaft in ihrer beratenden Funktion gerät in den Konflikt, Inhalte wissenschaftlich glaubwürdig, sachbezogen und wertfrei darstellen und gleichermaßen politisch wirksam, d.h. handlungsleitend und öffentlich nachvollziehbar, aufbereiten zu müssen. Die daraus resultierenden Texte sind daher für die Wissenschaftsforschung spannend im Blick auf die Frage, wie sich in ihnen das Ringen um epistemische Qualität und soziale Legitimierung sprachlich und inhaltlich in der (Ko-)Konstruktion von Wissen niederschlägt. Im Rahmen eines aktuellen interdisziplinären DFG-Projekts wird die Praxis wissenschaftlicher Politikberatung in Deutschland in Form, Inhalt und Funktion anhand exemplarischer Fälle linguistisch und erkenntnistheoretisch untersucht.

Agenda setting determines whether and how topics are discussed and voted in parliament. Many parliaments delegate this task to a specific body charged with coordinating parliamentary business. However, we know little about the composition and powers of these “coordination committees” (CC). This paper maps the existence, composition, and institutional powers of coordination committees across 31 European parliaments. It shows that CCs exist in most parliaments and have a relatively similar composition, usually including the president of parliament, their deputies, and party group representatives, but vary strongly in their agenda-setting powers. Exploring whether this variation is related to the functional need for coordination, we find limited evidence that larger sizes of parliaments and higher ideological polarization between parties are associated with stronger coordination committees. In terms of this HSR Special Issue, we show that CCs as horizontal collective actors exist even in a hierarchical organization such as a parliament and have relevant, albeit variable, resources., Historical Social Research Vol. 48, No. 3 (2023)

Kurzfassung Einleitung: Die Versorgung Patient*innen am Lebensende ist ein zentrales Thema der österreichischen Sozialpolitik. Eine Studie zeigt, dass fast 10% der österreichischen Bevölkerung in die Pflege und Betreuung einer pflegebedürftigen Person involviert sind. Die Versorgung am Lebensende umfasst verschiedene Aspekte und erfordert einen Fokuswechsel von der Genesung auf die Erhaltung der Autonomie und Würde der PatientInnen. Auch geriatrische PatientInnen haben Bedürfnisse in Bezug auf ihren körperlichen, geistigen, sozialen und existenziellen Zustand am Lebensende. Eine angemessene Schmerztherapie, emotionale Unterstützung und eine geeignete End-of-Life-Planung sind wichtige Aspekte der Versorgung. Methodik: Systematische Literaturrecherche Ergebnisse: Früher Zugang zur Palliativversorgung verbessert die End-of-Life-Care in Pflegeheimen durch genaue Identifizierung des Bedarfs, verbesserte Kommunikation und Information. Offene und ehrliche Kommunikation, kultursensible Ansätze und Schulungen für Gesundheitsfachkräfte tragen zur Erfüllung der Bedürfnisse von Patient*innen bei und verbessern die Qualität der End-of-Life-Care. Schlussfolgerung: Zusammenfassend sollten die vielschichtigen Bedürfnisse von Patient*innen in der End-of-Life-Care-Phase berücksichtigt werden, einschließlich Advance Care Planning, Spiritualität, Kommunikation und Einbeziehung der Familie. Individuell angepasste Versorgung ist entscheidend für eine optimale Lebensqualität in dieser Phase. Schlüsselbegriffe: End of Life Pflege, Kommunikationsbedürfnisse, Informationsbedürfnisse, Terminalerkrankung, Palliativversorgung, Vorausplanung der Versorgung, Entscheidungsfindung, Sterbebegleitung, Familienpflegende Angehörige, Gesundheitsfachkräfte, Patient*innen Bedürfnisse. Abstract Introduction: The care of patients at the end of life is a central topic in Austrian social policy. A study shows that almost 10% of the Austrian population engages in the care and support of a dependent person. End-of-life care encompasses various aspects and requires a shift in focus from recovery to preserving the autonomy and dignity of patients. Geriatric patients also have needs related to their physical, mental, social, and existential well-being at the end of life. Adequate pain management, emotional support, and appropriate end-of-life planning are important aspects of care. Methodology: Systematic literature review Results: Timely access to palliative care improves end-of-life care in nursing homes through accurate identification of needs, improved communication, and information. Open and honest communication, culturally sensitive approaches, and training for healthcare professionals contribute to meeting the needs of patients and enhancing the quality of end-of-life care. Conclusion: In summary, the complex needs of patients in the end-of-life care phase should be taken into consideration, including advance care planning, spirituality, communication, and family involvement. Tailored care is crucial for ensuring optimal quality of life during this phase. Keywords: End-of-life care, communication needs, information needs, terminal illness, palliative care, advance care planning, decision-making, end-of-life support, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, patient needs.

Whether we are discussing measures in order to "flatten the curve" in a pandemic or what to wear given the most recent weather forecast, we base arguments on patterns observed in data. This article presents an approach to practicing ethics when working with large datasets and designing data representations. We programmed and used web-based interfaces to sort, organize, and explore a community-run archive of radio signals. Inspired by feminist critique of technoscience and recent problematizations of digital literacy, we argue that one can navigate machine learning models in a multi-narrative manner. We hold that the main challenge to sovereignty comes from lingering forms of colonialism and extractive relationships that easily move in and out of the digital domain. Countering both narratives of techno-optimism and the universalizing critique of technology, we discuss an approach to data and networks that enables a situated critique of datafication and correlationism from within.

Modeling for policy has become an integral part of policy making and technology assessment. This became particularly evident to the general public when, during the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasts of infection dynamics based on computer simulations were used to evaluate and justify policy containment measures. Computer models are also playing an increasing role in technology assessment (TA). Computer simulations are used to explore possible futures related to specific technologies, for example, in the area of energy systems analysis. Artificial intelligence (AI) models are also becoming increasingly important. The results is a mix of methods where computer simulations and machine learning converge, posing particular challenges and opening up new research questions. This Special topic brings together case studies from different fields to explore the current state of computational models in general and AI methods in particular for policy and TA. Modellierung für die Politik ist zu einem integralen Bestandteil der Politikarbeit und der Technologiebewertung geworden. Dies wurde der breiten Öffentlichkeit besonders deutlich, als während der COVID‑19‑Pandemie Prognosen über die Infektionsdynamik auf Basis von Computersimulationen zur Bewertung und Begründung politischer Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung herangezogen wurden. Computermodelle spielen auch in der Technikfolgenabschätzung (TA) eine zunehmende Rolle. Mithilfe von Computersimulationen werden technologiegebundene Zukunftsperspektiven erkundet, beispielsweise im Bereich der Energiesystemanalyse. Auch Modelle der künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) werden immer wichtiger. Das Ergebnis ist ein Methodenmix, bei dem Computersimulationen und maschinelles Lernen zusammentreffen, was besondere Herausforderungen mit sich bringt und neue Forschungsfragen eröffnet. Dieses TATuP Special topic bringt Fallstudien aus verschiedenen Bereichen zusammen, um den aktuellen Stand von Computermodellen im Allgemeinen und KI‑Methoden im Besonderen für Politik und TA zu untersuchen.

The question of the evolutionary stability of team reasoning has been answered in multiple, even opposing ways. We provide a general, conceptual categorization of these existing answers along four dimensions: (1) the unit of selection, (2) the notion of fitness for team reasoners, (3) the stage of decision-making, and (4) the ludic ecology. Beyond affording a better assessment of the different modeling choices underlying the existing results, the categorization highlights important conceptual questions for the evolutionary foundations of team reasoning. We illustrate this by looking in more detail into what should count as fitness for team reasoners., Historical Social Research Vol. 48, No. 3 (2023)

This research paper aims to provide an overview of the role of media in promoting values and meditation for sustainable development. Sustainable development requires a shift in individual and collective values and a deeper understanding of interconnectedness and mindfulness. As a powerful communication tool, the media can play a crucial role in disseminating information, shaping public opinion, and fostering positive behavioral changes. Meditation practices can enhance mindfulness and values-based decision-making, contributing to sustainable development efforts. This paper explores the potential of media and meditation as complementary approaches to promoting sustainable development values and practices.

Planning processes often cause tensions between institutions and citizens because the local knowledge and values of the citizens are not included in the decision-making process, which can cause mistrust. This article builds on an ongoing PhD research that explores the potential of experiential evaluation as an alternative and experimental approach to "hybrid forums": an approach to open the participatory planning process for diverse actors and values. In order to render tensions visible and constructive in the participatory planning process, experiential evaluation creates "risky situations" in these hybrid forums. To discuss this approach of experiential evaluation, we use a methodological and analytical framework based on the four steps of strategic navigation techniques: tracing, mapping, diagramming, and agencying. We use these techniques to analyse two risky situations that were created through experiential evaluation within the participatory planning process of the neighbourhood spatial plan (NSP) of Zwijnaarde (Ghent, Belgium). Based on the analysis of the case, we observed that experiential evaluation was able to render tensions visible, but did not yet make them constructive. However , as a framework for a dialogue between institutions and citizens, the NSP leaves room to continue the experiential evaluation process that was initiated and to take further care of tensions on a smaller scale. Our thanks to the reviewers for the critical comments which helped to improve the article substantially, to the experts of the city of Ghent, to Maat Ontwerpers, and the inhabitants of Zwijnaarde for their essential contribution and participation. We would also like to thank the stu‐dents of the University of Hasselt for their engagement in the live project. This article is part of the issue “Planning Around Polarization: Learning With and From Controversy and Diversity” edited by Oswald Devisch (Hasselt University), Liesbeth Huybrechts (Hasselt University), Anna Seravalli (Malmö University), and Seppe De Blust (ETH Zürich).

Im Auftrag des Unabhängigen Expertenkreises „Muslimfeindlichkeit" beim Bundesministerium des Innern befasst sich die vorliegende, überwiegend explorative Studie mit der Frage, inwieweit die Religion des Islam oder die muslimische Religionszugehörigkeit in familiengerichtlichen Verfahren in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland eine Rolle spielt. Den Hauptteil der Studie bildet eine Rechtsprechungsanalyse, die durch Interviews mit ausgewählten Familienrechtsanwälten ergänzt wird. Dabei wird nicht nur analysiert, auf welchen Ebenen der Entscheidungsfindung die Zugehörigkeit zur Religion des Islam eine Rolle spielt. Auch wird ein Augenmerk darauf gelegt, inwieweit sich Anhaltspunkte für eine skeptische oder gar ablehnende Haltung finden lassen, sodass eine Benachteiligung aufgrund der Religionszugehörigkeit vermutet werden könnte. Die vorliegende Studie hat eine wissenschaftlich wie methodisch herausfordernde Fragestellung zum Gegenstand. Einschlägige Untersuchungen zu dieser Thematik existieren bislang, soweit ersichtlich, noch nicht. Daher ist der Band unbedingt jedem zu empfehlen, der sich in Wissenschaft oder Praxis mit dieser Materie auseinandersetzen muss., Schriften zum deutschen, europäischen und vergleichenden Zivil-, Handels- und Prozeßrecht, vol. 272

Throughout its 40-year history, the Vlaams Belang (VB, Flemish Interest) has established itself as an important player within the Belgian party system, albeit with significant electoral fluctuations. In 2019, it became the second largest party in Flanders. The party developed and maintained a mass-party organisation by investing significantly in local party branches and in a rigid vertically articulated structure. It relies heavily on social media, particularly Facebook, to communicate to supporters beyond the more limited group of party members. Using both modern and traditional tools, VB representatives aim to create communities of supporters bonded to the party, facilitating dissemination of the party’s messages. Despite this investment in a grassroots organisation, the VB’s decision-making remains highly centralised. Social media and local branches allow informal consideration of members’ views, but the party has not created significant mechanisms for internal democracy. While it is often claimed that political parties have moved away from the “mass-party” model, this article demonstrates that the VB still maintains characteristics of the mass party, albeit with a modern twist. New social media tools facilitate attempts to foster communities and disseminate party messages among a wider group of supporters, both formal members and more informal sympathisers.

Farmers in developing economies often struggle to adapt to climate change and their decisions to adapt usually hinges on perception and prevailing socio-economic factors. This study examines factors controlling farmers’ decision to adapt to climate change and evaluate the impact of such decisions on farm output. Using primary data from 138 rice farming households in Ndop-Cameroon, we employ the probit model with endogenous switching regression to investigate the impact of the farmers’ adaptation decisions on output. The results indicate that access to credits, other incomes, farmers’ age, extension services and farmer groupings form key factors that significantly affects farmers’ decision to adapt to climate change. Strategic implementation of adaptive measures, significantly increased average output of adapters by 49%. Building resilience against climate change and ensuring food security, therefore requires stakeholders to take into account existing management strategies and the underlying factors influencing these. This study suggests the crucial need for institutional advancement and policy changes towards credit accessibility for rice farmers. More local farmers’ associations should be created and extension services improved to enhance effective adaptation and farmers’ vulnerability.

Purpose: Sentiment analysis is built from the information provided through text (reviews) to help understand the social sentiment toward their brand, product, or service. The main purpose of this paper is to draw an overview of the topics and the use of the sentiment analysis approach in tourism research. Methods: The study is a bibliometric analysis (VOSviewer), with a systematic and integrative review. The search occurred in March 2021 (Scopus) applying the search terms "sentiment analysis" and "tourism" in the title, abstract, or keywords, resulting in a final sample of 111 papers. Results: This analysis pointed out that China (35) and the United States (24) are the leading countries studying sentiment analysis with tourism. The first paper using sentiment analysis was published in 2012; there is a growing interest in this topic, presenting qualitative and quantitative approaches. The main results present four clusters to understand this subject. Cluster 1 discusses sentiment analysis and its application in tourism research, searching how online reviews can impact decision-making. Cluster 2 examines the resources used to make sentiment analysis, such as social media. Cluster 3 argues about methodological approaches in sentiment analysis and tourism, such as deep learning and sentiment classification, to understand the user-generated content. Cluster 4 highlights questions relating to the internet and tourism. Implications: The use of sentiment analysis in tourism research shows that government and entrepreneurship can draw and enhance communication strategies, reduce cost, and time, and mainly contribute to the decision-making process and understand consumer behavior., SUBMITTED: FEB 2021, 1st REVISION SUBMITTED: JUN 2021, 2nd REVISION SUBMITTED: AUG 2021, ACCEPTED: SEP 2021, REFEREED ANONYMOUSLY, PUBLISHED ONLINE: 18 OCT 2021