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Purpose: This paper seeks to better understand the dynamics of farmers' innovating processes by focusing on their sources of advice at various stages of their innovation process, specifically within the weak and fragmented Greek Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a mixed-method approach, drawing data from interviews with 112 farmers engaged in three innovation cases in Greece. Findings: Some farmers, despite the lack of advisory services, are engaged in innovating processes. They thus seek advice from various sources through networks which vary between farmers and stages of the innovating process. However, networking is not always successful and the knowledge acquired is not always valid. Practical implications: The study points to the need for advisory and innovation support services and facilitated networks in the quest for successful innovating paths. Theoretical implications: The paper underlines the complexity of farmers' sources of knowledge. Thus, the paper highlights the importance of untangling the innovating processes' stages and farmers' information and advice networks that underpin decisionmaking in each of these stages. Originality/value: ?he paper points to the diversity of configurations of advice pertaining to complex farmers' innovating processes, especially under adverse circumstances in terms of provision of innovation support services.

Drawing on a qualitative study conducted in Greece, the paper examines migrant young peoples' narratives of educational and occupational aspirations. The paper employs Bourdieu's theoretical framework to conceptualise aspirations as a product of "habitus" encompassing embodied dispositions shaped in the course of individual and familial trajectories in transnational social fields. Narrative-discursive analysis of in-depth interviews unpacks the differing degree in which migrant people's positionality and mobilisation of capitals mediate their aspirations, as the latter reflect their emerging transnational habitus and their pragmatic evaluations of their interlinked past, present and future.

Social capital has recently emerged as an effective approach to rethink schools as wider learning ecosystems where students, teachers and families have greater access to learning resources through social interaction. Literature has not provided research-based assessment tools that document school leaders' abilities to weave social relationships between actors within the school and across the community. This paper presents an international experts' validation of the SchoolWeavers Tool, an online resource that supports school leaders to assess the health and potential of their school ecosystem and provides meaningful feedback to weave social and professional capital and lift learning opportunities and educational goals. Theoretical validation was conducted in the first round by 15 experts from 8 countries with prior experience in network leadership in education, and in the second round, with 54 school actors from the same 8 countries. The final model provides an internationally validated tool that supports school leaders' capacities to improve collective effectiveness, internal and external collaboration, innovation and equity. Furthermore, the Tool creates research opportunities by allowing school leaders and researchers to collaborate and support systemic impact and sustainable improvement.

Based on a qualitative study conducted in austerity-stricken Greece, the paper provides a micro-level exploration of the mechanics of intergenerational transmission of (dis)advantage. Utilising the Bourdieusian toolbox, the paper enquires into familial practices through the lens of young people's perceptions, focusing on the mobilisation of capitals, the inculcation and transformation of habitus taking place in the Greek educational field. In-depth interview material unpacks the pedagogic efforts young people and their families make, indicating that these are contingent on the varied volume and composition of capitals and the distinct distances from necessity that in turn constrain or afford the exercise of agency and the investments in the academic market. Further, the analysis sheds light on young people's accounts of educational and occupational expectations illustrating how these are tightly interweaved with familial legacies and parental wishes, and underpinned by the projects of distinction, mobility and respectability through education.

In this article, we attempt to conduct a comparative study of two different groups. The first group consists of Greek student teachers (1009) while the second comprises Greek in-service teachers (432) of primary education, namely current teachers with several years of experience. These teachers do not have training in theological studies, but they do have some knowledge of religious education (RE; With the term RE, we refer to the "subject of RE" and not an everyday lesson of RE. In Greece, there is a debate on the teaching methodology of the course, i.e. utilising catechistic manners of teaching or teaching Christianity and different religions under historical/cultural criteria) after attending the Greek pedagogical faculties and receiving other forms of special training in the teaching of RE, especially the teaching of different religions from a historical/cultural point of view. Our aim in this paper is to offer a better understanding of how teachers aim to reproduce and change religious capital and examine if religious capital is tailored to the needs of schools or whether it operates independently. The paper will also examine how teachers themselves assess the effectiveness of their practices when teaching RE.

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to contribute to the discussion introducing the concept of social capital as a significant parameter influencing students' perceptions concerning greening initiatives in HEIs. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical analysis is presented concerning the possible links of social capital components with students' perceptions on environmental management initiatives. Furthermore, the results of an empirical study are presented exploring these issues from the perspective of students, both through quantitative and qualitative social research methods. Findings: The empirical study reveals that students' social capital is connected with their perceptions for the environmental management of the university. Social implications: The paper underlines the importance of examining and taking into consideration social factors prior to the implementation of environmental management initiatives in HEIs, in order to increase their effectiveness. Originality/value: The paper is a first attempt to empirically explore the influence of students' social capital on their perceptions for environmental management initiatives in higher education institutions. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

This paper focuses on parents and the way they perceive and formulate expectations and aspirations about their children's educational and occupational outcomes. Drawing on evidence from a survey among more than 700 parents of primary school pupils this paper demonstrates that interesting patterns in parental aspirations can be observed. These patterns can be partly explained by differences in parental social and cultural capital circulating in the home environment. The discussion of the results evolves around the argument that families often employ different strategies as a result of their social positioning which relates to particular social and cultural characteristics that shape distinct "habituses" of either success or compromise. This paper contributes to the examination of the often hidden mechanisms that originate from the family and produce social class differentiation in education that sustains overall social inequalities in contemporary Greek society and makes the ideal of equity in and through education still illusive. (Contains 8 tables.)

This paper presents some of the findings that emerged out of a national survey carried out in the school year 2005-2006 in various parts of Greece. The main aim of the study was to explore the effects of various "family" factors on the "student performance" in the (national) higher education entrance examinations. From the analysis of data it becomes evident that, despite numerous attempts at educational reform in the Greek education system in the last 30 years, inequalities among students based on family background still exist. The study has shown that the educational level and occupational status of parents represent two of the major factors affecting student performance--directly or indirectly--through their influence on previous achievement. It has also documented that the interplay between economic, cultural and social capital in shaping educational and occupational "pathways" is still an immensely important dimension in sociological studies of education. (Contains 1 figure, 2 notes, 1 graph and 10 tables.)

In this paper, we examined dimensions of child health-related quality of life in Greece in relation to parental assessments of neighbourhood social capital and social support networks. For the analysis, two main measures were used: (1) child self-reported health-related quality of life in ten dimensions, as measured by the KIDSCREEN questionnaire; (2) subjective measures of parental neighbourhood social capital and social support. Parental assessments of neighbourhood social capital and social support were both independently and positively associated with child self-reported health-related quality of life. However, they were not associated with the same dimensions of child well being, nor were they associated with all dimensions of child well being. These results suggest that greater attention in future research needs to be paid to the differential associations between the various dimensions of social capital and child health-related quality of life, with clear focus implications for social and health policies.

Purpose: In recent years a significant number of intellectual capital (IC) metrics has been developed and applied in many organizations. However, there is still a strong need to specify the relations among the different categories of intellectual assets that exist in the context of small to medium-sized enterprises (SME), and to determine the way these assets affect financial performance. This paper has a dual scope; first, to specify these relations, and, second, to explore the impact of IC on corporate performance. Design/methodology/approach: Hypotheses are tested through a survey conducted on Greek knowledge-intensive SMEs of the service sector. Firms' perceptions regarding intellectual capital categories, which were measured through the answers given on a structured questionnaire, and accounting data gathered from financial databases were combined. Findings: The findings indicate that the interaction of certain categories of intellectual assets in SMEs is in some aspects different from the pattern evidenced in other surveys that analyze large companies. Also, the empirical data provides supportive evidence that certain categories of intellectual capital positively contribute to corporate performance. (Contains 2 figures, 7 tables and 3 notes.)

This paper examines the extent that material, social, and cultural resources and schools account for the relationship between socioeconomic background and student achievement among 15-year-olds in 30 countries. Generally, cultural factors play a more important role in most countries although in a small minority of countries, material resources have a substantial impact. Most often, social resources have little impact. In many countries, educational differentiation--that is, school tracks and school types, and curriculum tracking within schools--mediates the relationship between socioeconomic background and student achievement. Countries with highly tracked systems tend to show stronger relationships. On average, over 60% of the effect of socioeconomic background on achievement is accounted for by these factors. These findings are independent of whether achievement in reading, mathematics, or science is examined. The implications of this study for reducing socioeconomic inequalities in education are discussed.

This paper seeks to better understand the dynamics of farmers' innovating processes by focusing on their sources of advice at various stages of their innovation process, specifically within the weak and fragmented Greek Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). The study employed a mixed-method approach, drawing data from interviews with 112 farmers engaged in three innovation cases in Greece. Some farmers, despite the lack of advisory services, are engaged in innovating processes. They thus seek advice from various sources through networks which vary between farmers and stages of the innovating process. However, networking is not always successful and the knowledge acquired is not always valid. The study points to the need for advisory and innovation support services and facilitated networks in the quest for successful innovating paths. The paper underlines the complexity of farmers' sources of knowledge. Thus, the paper highlights the importance of untangling the innovating processes' stages and farmers' information and advice networks that underpin decision-making in each of these stages. Τhe paper points to the diversity of configurations of advice pertaining to complex farmers' innovating processes, especially under adverse circumstances in terms of provision of innovation support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring social capital has been a challenging task over the past few decades, and, still, many of its dimensions and manifestations have not been thoroughly or evidently explored. The possible causes may be the ever-changing evolutionary perspectives that take place within the various levels of analysis—micro, meso, and macro—or within the various settings, where some of its core dimensions—bonding, bridging, and linking—are developed, or even among the contexts where its core determinants and features—trust, norms, connections, ties, etc.—are observed. Having in mind the various streams of research and theoretical discourses on social capital formation, this paper aims to surface the identification of the possible evidence on the formation of social capital among social economy organizations, and particularly among social enterprises. In doing so, it aims to explore the relational and cognitive features that drive social enterprises in their interorganizational cooperation with other social enterprises and third-sector organizations. The findings suggest that the central components of social capital, such as the sharing of common values, trust, reciprocity, and trustworthiness, are among those features that were valued most among the participants in the survey during their cooperation and engagement in common activities with other organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the emergence, operation and features of the time banks that were created during the recent financial crisis in Greece as grass-roots initiatives of different communities, and to examine their relation to the concept of “co-production” and possible relevance to foresight. Time banks are particularly interesting for the future of services: they address all sorts of services while the time-bank “value” of these different types of services does not necessarily reflect their actual value in the free market; impacts may spread from the mere coverage of people’s needs, to increased social capital and community empowerment; and some scholars consider them as flexible forms of co-production, or even as enablers of wider social change. The purpose of the paper is to examine the emergence, and features of the time banks created during the recent financial crisis in Greece as grass-roots initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – Primary information and data were gathered through eight extensive face-to-face interviews with key members of the four time banks based on a semi-structured questionnaire. The methodology also included desk research and review of the information included in time banks’ websites. The selection of these four time banks was based on the fact that they are the most active ones in Athens, which is the capital of the country gathering around 40 per cent of the Greek population and presenting the severest consequences of the financial crises in terms of unemployment, poverty, shutdown of businesses, share of people with no insurance, etc. Findings – Based on a specific analytical framework summarising the available literature, the Greek time banks are compared with each other but also in relation to the findings in the literature, where some interesting differences emerge. The paper also explores the role that foresight can plan in the development of alternative initiatives like time banks. The interesting conclusion is that foresight can help time banks as much as time banks can help foresight in upgrading its processes to deal with challenges of the twenty-first century. Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on the four most active time banks in Athens. While this selection is justified, future research would be good to include all the time banks in Greece. Social implications – The paper explores how time banks in Greece emerged as well as how they can further develop. This is of direct relevance to society as time banks are by default a community initiative. Originality/value – Time banks in Greece have not been previously studied. Second, time banks in general were never linked to approaches like foresight. This becomes increasingly important in examining possible approaches toward more sustainable and resilient societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine the relative importance of an individual's subjective evaluations and social capital on his/her decision to exercise social control (i.e. confront the offender) on the hypothetical instance of witnessing a PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) scheme violation. Our data (N = 299) originates from an online questionnaire filled in by residents of Greece in early summer 2016. Through logistic regression modeling, we find that the subjective evaluation of the offence and social capital components have independent and complementary effects on the decision to exercise social control, over and above the demographic characteristics of the respondent., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe in-depth a community-based social partnership, emerged in response to the financial crisis in Greece, with members from the private, public and civic sectors, using a case example of a grass-root self-organised national network.Design/methodology/approach Formal and informal interviews as well as written communication with members of the partnership mainly formed the basis for the analysis. Topics covered formation and implementation activities, outcomes, relationship issues, such as trust and links to social capital.Findings A shared community risk and a national media campaign to increase public awareness of the issue were catalysts for individuals’ sensitisation and participation in the partnership. The shared risk was the loss of community’s social cohesion, through poverty aggravated by the financial crisis. Self-organisation led to innovative relationships, whereas trust, collective action and collaboration show social capital attributes in the partnership enabling resilience development.Research limitations/implications The research contributes in the fields of community-based partnerships and engagement in building community and crisis resilience. The findings are based on a case example. More evidence is needed in order to derive generalised statements about the partnership’s contribution to crisis resilience.Practical implications The partnership has shown impact on community engagement, health and well-being.Originality/value This paper presents a partnership type for building community and crisis resilience with the case example of one such partnership in Greece, formed to alleviate community distress caused by the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we attempt to conduct a comparative study of two different groups. The first group consists of Greek student teachers (1009) while the second comprises Greek in-service teachers (432) of primary education, namely current teachers with several years of experience. These teachers do not have training in theological studies, but they do have some knowledge of religious education (RE; With the term RE, we refer to the ‘subject of RE’ and not an everyday lesson of RE. In Greece, there is a debate on the teaching methodology of the course, i.e. utilising catechistic manners of teaching or teaching Christianity and different religions under historical/cultural criteria) after attending the Greek pedagogical faculties and receiving other forms of special training in the teaching of RE, especially the teaching of different religions from a historical/cultural point of view. Our aim in this paper is to offer a better understanding of how teachers aim to reproduce and change religious capital and examine if religious capital is tailored to the needs of schools or whether it operates independently. The paper will also examine how teachers themselves assess the effectiveness of their practices when teaching RE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Our paper assesses the relationship between social integration, in terms of social contact and social trust, and one's individual health. While a large body of research already engaged with clarifying this relationship, we know little about the role one's immigration background plays in moderating this relationship. With respect to this, we explicitly focus on how one's immigrant status moderates the relationship between social integration and self-reported health. Previous literature has demonstrably shown that the less socially integrated individuals are, the less likely they are to report good health. Moreover, we know from social capital literature that immigrants have difficulties being socially connected in their host country. Methods With the help of the new MIGHEAL survey, we test this proposed negative relationship. We also compare the results from the MIGHEAL data with findings from the European Social Survey round 7. Our analyses follow a thorough approach testing immigrant background as potential moderating factors. We implement logistic regression models and path analysis to reveal the complex interactive relationship between social integration, immigrant status and self-reported health. Results/Conclusion Our results suggest that immigrant status does play a moderating role in the relationship between social integration and health. This role, however, is limited to the relationship between social activity and self-reported health, which points to a potential endogenous effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different types of social capital contribute to the satisfaction with democracy (SWD) in Greece. Understanding the relationship between different variants of social capital and SWD allows one to situate the Greek democracy in the continuum of democracy types, from primary to modern.Design/methodology/approach The study uses microdata extracted from the European Values Surveys of 2002-2010 and multivariate regression analysis.Findings The results are compatible with a conception of the Greek political organization as a civil virtue democracy. A change in the nature of the relationship is observed after the recent economic crisis in the country.Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the empirical knowledge regarding the relationship between different variants of social capital and SWD.Originality/value Using a typology approach, the micro-relationship between democracy and social capital is analyzed as embedded in a continuum of different democracy types. In addition, this is the first study that uses microdata to analyze the effect of social capital upon SWD in Greece. The results of the study provide valuable understanding of the social and institutional arrangements that might sustain Greece’s efforts to meet its overall developmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the move towards bioeconomy, little is known about the contribution of factors such as social capital and trust in farmers' motivation for adopting innovative practices like the cultivation of drought-tolerant bioenergy crops. Based on the broad notion of social capital, this research investigates the level of trust in institutions, cooperation, and the cultural value of farming in Greece and in Germany. Focus group discussions and interviews with farmers show similar levels of trust in institutions in both countries. Trust in cooperation positively related to community social cohesion in Germany, in contrast to the predominant mistrust of formal and informal forms of cooperation in Greece. In Germany, the cultural value of farming, urban "demands" impeding traditional small-scale farming, and their primary role in producing and guarding the rural environment tend to hinder the adoption of bioenergy crop cultivations. In Greece, the marginalization of farming results in an uncertain/ambiguous farming self-concept and, in turn, to an easier adoption of innovations such as the cultivation of bioenergy crops. All three dimensions are pivotal in agriculture, rural development, and energy transition, as they affect how people relate to institutions and to each other and organize and perceive themselves in the current representations of rurality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decentralization process that has been introduced during the last decades in Greece, along with initiatives co-funded by the EU, forms a different context for the Greek society. This provides the ground for an academic and political dialog concerning the ability of local societies to participate in planning and implementing social and local development policies. Focusing on a case study of a small, multicultural municipality in Thrace, Greece, the aim of this paper was to participate in this dialog by presenting it as an example of using techniques and methods of community work, ‘real conditions’ planning, empowering and encouraging community participation in a multicultural region, finding pathways to build on social capital and support local development and thus making the most of EU co-funded projects against social exclusion. The case study was an action research that took place in the context of a PhD thesis2 from October 2005 to December 2006. The paper discusses the role of community work in an effort to identify and confront the problems that were faced by the community. The aim was to set a multicultural and more responsive to the local needs and particularities perspective in the procedure of the local authority policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose - Using Bourdieu-inspired sociological literature, this paper aims to report on a study that examines the educational choices of new entrants in the three library and information science (LIS) schools operating in Greece at the undergraduate level, with reference to their socio-cultural characteristics. Design/methodology/approach - Data were obtained through a questionnaire, distributed to 187 LIS students, aiming to address the question of what attracted them to the LIS field. Findings - Analysis reveals three distinctive student groups in the sample and shows that these differ in respect to the reasons attracting them to LIS. The first group, with restricted cultural resources at their disposal, is attracted only by extrinsic reasons, namely the prospect of immediate employment. The second group, of middle level parental education, is attracted by intrinsic reasons, most notably the qualitative characteristics of the field as a future profession. This group seems to use these qualities to preserve the belief in an upwards moving and successful educational career. Qualities attracting the students of the third group, when examined with reference to their socio-cultural characteristics, indicate that the choice of subject made is linked to their socially acquired ability to recognise what may be promising regarding possible future LIS career paths. This is in contrast to students from low socio-cultural backgrounds, who seem not to have access to the high cultural resources the LIS field requires for "decoding" and understanding its hidden possibilities. Originality/value - This paper uses socio-cultural explanations of students' choice of LIS as a field of study, contributing methodologically and substantively to this area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the process of labour market entry for foreign-trained non-Greek national women in Greece as a means by which to understand the key factors shaping entry portals. In doing so, the paper assesses the influence of pre-migration skills, qualifications and vocational experience (human capital); and the role played by one's local employment knowledge and access to and connection with social networks (social capital). The research develops an appreciation of the implications of available labour market access channels and the consequent labour market location of the cohort in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research is to discuss methodological issues that could be learned from the use of historical terms such as trust and social capital in a rural area. We hope to gain knowledge from discussing these old concepts in a new setting; a mountainous rural area in Greece. The basic hypothesis lies in the fact that social capital can be detected through trustworthy relationships, which, in turn, can nourish social entrepreneurship. The research sought to disclose the dynamics in the area that will then help to form a policy proposal for promoting Social Economy in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There is a growing consensus among researchers that social aspects and the involvement of local communities play a critical role in public decision-making processes in the coastal zone. Social capital is a parameter which has recently gained significant attention in this context. It is regarded that it has a significant influence on the adaptation capacity of local communities to climate change impacts. The present paper aims to contribute to this field through an examination of citizens' perceptions of three coastal zone management policies (hold the line, managed realignment and no active intervention) along with the influence of social capital on the level of social acceptability for these proposed policy options. For this purpose, a quantitative empirical study was conducted for the first time in five coastal areas of Greece that are regarded as high flood-risk areas due to sea-level rise. Respondents demonstrated that they are willing to accept changes in their social and natural environments in order to confront sea-level rise and are more positive towards the managed realignment option, as long as this is accompanied by financial compensation for those whose properties will be affected. Regarding the influence of social capital, through the results of an ordinal regression, it was observed that institutional and social trust influence positively citizens' level of agreement for the managed realignment policy. Furthermore, respondents who believe that a sense of reciprocity exists in their community are also more willing to accept active intervention policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive account for careers within the Greek academic system. Historical, cultural and geographical features of the country have created a unique context that has shaped the way academic careers evolve. Design/methodology/approach – The primary methods of data collection were retrospective participant observation and discussions in interview form with individuals who have had various types of experience with the Greek Higher Education system. Findings – The major factor that shapes careers in Greek academia is social capital or know-whom that operates within a broader cultural environment where institutional collectivism is extremely low, the in-group – out-group distinction is a major element, and political party affiliation plays a key role in everyday affairs. As a result academic careers in Greece are almost exclusively determined by membership, a priory or earned, to an “in-group” that is linked via blood, family friendship, business and political party ties. This “in-group” uses its social capital to control academic careers across all stages for the benefit of its members. Research limitations/implications – There are method limitations, but relevant concerns were largely alleviated by precautionary measures and the way data were utilized. Ethnography may be the most appropriate method to disentangle the way networks and social capital impact careers. Practical implications – Achieving substantive change, such as increasing meritocracy, within a sector may be impossible without considering the broader cultural context that encapsulates it. Originality/value – The study is among the very first to unveil the “dark side” of social capital, and show how social capital may benefit the interests of in-groups at the expense of the collective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper focuses on parents and the way they perceive and formulate expectations and aspirations about their children''s educational and occupational outcomes. Drawing on evidence from a survey among more than 700 parents of primary school pupils this paper demonstrates that interesting patterns in parental aspirations can be observed. These patterns can be partly explained by differences in parental social and cultural capital circulating in the home environment. The discussion of the results evolves around the argument that families often employ different strategies as a result of their social positioning which relates to particular social and cultural characteristics that shape distinct habituses of either success or compromise. This paper contributes to the examination of the often hidden mechanisms that originate from the family and produce social class differentiation in education that sustains overall social inequalities in contemporary Greek society and makes the ideal of equity in and through education still illusive. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we examined dimensions of child health-related quality of life in Greece in relation to parental assessments of neighbourhood social capital and social support networks. For the analysis, two main measures were used: (1) child self-reported health-related quality of life in ten dimensions, as measured by the KIDSCREEN questionnaire; (2) subjective measures of parental neighbourhood social capital and social support. Parental assessments of neighbourhood social capital and social support were both independently and positively associated with child self-reported health-related quality of life. However, they were not associated with the same dimensions of child well being, nor were they associated with all dimensions of child well being. These results suggest that greater attention in future research needs to be paid to the differential associations between the various dimensions of social capital and child health-related quality of life, with clear focus implications for social and health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how women used their social networks within the ancient Greek urban environment in two spheres: first with regard to their civic engagement, and second with regard to their social relationships. By examining the types of social networks in which women were involved, how they were used and their impact on social relations, it argues that historians should broaden their conception of women's contribution to the Greek civic environment. Such an approach shows how women negotiated social and economic status within the polis community, how they used their social capital as a resource for social and civic engagement and sheds light on their personal relationships. These relationships not only enhanced women's well-being and allowed them to determine their own roles in community life, but also formed the basis of their engagement with the polis. Considering the social networks to which women belonged, and the differing types of social capital embedded in them, further enables an examination of female friendship. Recognising the contribution of women to the polis community is necessary in order to understand the wider social and civic relationships within the ancient city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a large scale cross-sectional study examining subjective perceptions of community social life held by a randomly selected sample of residents (n = 428) in all small rural settings (n = 89) of the region of North Aegean Sea. The notion of social capital was used as a conceptual tool in order to explore different aspects of the relational life of contemporary rural communities. This study has two aims: First to provide an account of rural residents' perceptions of village life in terms of interpersonal support, mutual aid, trust, social cohesion and community competence, and second to examine the suitability of the social capital notion within the specific cultural context. A combination of data collection procedures and a range of sources were employed, such as key informants, rural residents and researchers' field observations. The findings indicate that small farming communities of high devotion with deep roots and strong sense of belonging face severe demographic imbalance and experience low civic power given the limited links with external agents. The mainstream notion of social capital as an unconditionally beneficial factor is thus questioned. The findings call for revisiting its relevance across communities with varying capacities and needs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this paper is to analyze the components of individual social capital in two rural mountain areas in Greece. The paper also aims to develop an empirical model to investigate the causal relationship between social capital?s different dimensions and the "quality" of local socio-economic development in Greece?s rural mountain areas. Due to the complex nature of the social capital concept, the scope of inquiry was based on two different case study areas, in order to enable a more compelling and robust interpretation of the information collected. A questionnaire containing 100 items was administered to approximately 318 citizens in these areas. Our results overall indicate a significant influence by the strength of family ties on the nature of social capital and socio-economic outcomes in Greek rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present findings of a qualitative study of Albanian immigrants in Athens and Mytilene (on the island of Lesvos) in Greece. The study investigates the role that various forms of social capital can play in the social, economic and institutional incorporation of Albanian immigrants in Greek society. The paper focuses specifically on immigrants' interpretations and experiences of social incorporation processes in Greece, placing emphasis on the significance of family, kinship, ethnic and other social networks for immigrants' working and life trajectories in the country. Finally, the investigation of the impact of three main forms of social capital - bonding, bridging and linking - on the social incorporation of Albanian immigrants, leads to the question of Greek migration policy formation and reveals the need for its radical restructuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial curses indicating an occupation, business, profit, workshops or shops, or targeting individuals identified by a trade number about sixty; most come from Greece and date to the fifth to third century bce. That the texts concern rivalries or conflicts between tradesmen has been the prevailing opinion, though ambiguity in curses that include multiple targets (sometimes with different trades) or family members have led some to maintain that competition may not explain commercial curses best, and instead suggest that the tablets reflect attempts to deal with risk or uncertainty arising from a range of social, legal, or political contexts. Though a steady stream of scholarship detailing economic activity, particularly at non-elite levels, has rightly reoriented the debate about the nature and scale of the ancient economy, and the strategies that craftsmen, merchants, and others engaged in commerce employed to mitigate concerns about risk and competition, the contribution of commercial curses, spells, and oracles has not been a part of the conversation. The curse tablets help further refine our understanding of the ancient economy because of what they reveal about concerns related to competitors, profit, and reputation, and the methods the practitioners used to hinder opponents. Rather than being at odds with commercial competition, those methods which target multiple craftsmen, their families, and others besides workshops, skills, and profit align with strategies of collaboration among ancient craftsmen and merchants and their reliance on social capital, described as social networks and notions of trust, reputation, and the shared norms that supported them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) are the main policy instrument currently available in the European Union to encourage environmental improvements in agriculture, but their adoption in Greece and generally in Southern Europe is relatively low. Policy makers have still limited experience on how farmers approach environmental schemes. The aim of this paper is to examine the factors that determine farmers' participation in AES using a probit model. The results highlight that younger and well-educated farmers are more likely to enrol in AES; while on the other hand, pluriactive farmers and farmers having identified a successor are less likely to participate. The propensity of farmers' participation decreases also with the size of the farm. Finally, social capital influences significantly farmers' attitudes and therefore it is necessity to explore further the information and communication tools of AES in order to increase adoption rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European small‐scale fisheries are confronted with several challenges, notably a decrease in the number of people engaged in capture fishing, growing competition from less expensive extra‐European Union markets, rising operational costs, strict regulations and the depletion of fishing stocks. Many small‐scale fishers must adapt to change to maintain or increase their income using different business strategies. In this respect, we argue that new and diversified institutional arrangements combined with building social capital can help reach long‐term economic sustainability for small‐scale fisheries businesses, as well as the social‐ecological resilience of coastal areas. In order to understand and analyse the multiplicity of strategies applied by small‐scale fishers–including expansion towards non–productivist activities, this article examines the role of new institutional arrangements based on small‐scale, traditional, quality‐orientated, multifunctional business strategies and non‐fishing activities. Using a case‐study approach, we analyse–in three different European fishery contexts (Greece, Italy and the UK)–how the interplay between building adaptive arrangements and the creation of social capital in selected small‐scale fisheries provides relevant prerequisites for resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The ten-year economic crisis and the ensuing fiscal adjustment that Greece experienced between 2009 and 2018 has had a major impact on patient access to health-care services and resulted in an increase in unmet population health needs. The present study aims to assess the impact of economic crisis and ensuing austerity on HIV patient access to health-care services. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study was carried out between February and April 2019 to assess barriers in access to HIV care faced by people living with HIV. A total of 329 HIV positive individuals participated in the study. An online, self-reporting questionnaire was developed and adapted to the specific clinical and societal characteristics of HIV. Findings: A total of 94.2% of respondents were male and 67.80% lived in Athens. Most of them were diagnosed with HIV-1 10 years ago. Out of the total respondents, 37.40% reported obstacles in accessing HIV care over the past year. A total of 24.30% reported they were not tested for viral load in the past six months and received a result. Individuals, who self-evaluate their financial status as very bad or bad, were more likely to be unaware of their viral load (55.60%) than those with better financial status (33.5%) (P < 0.01). Only 33.3% of uninsured participants were aware of their viral load, and this figure rose to 63.30% (P <0.01) amongst insured participants. Originality/value: The ten-year economic crisis that Greece experienced in the period 2009–2018 had significant effects on the quality of services of the National Health System. This study attempts to fill the research gap regarding the impact of one of the severest economic crises during the past century with complex social extensions, in one of the most vulnerable patient groups. In this context, the study assesses barriers to access to optimal care of people living with HIV in Greece after a decade of austerity and the variables that impact on such access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has repeatedly confirmed that farmer field schools (FFS) can serve as a bridge between science and farm practice, enhancing simultaneously rural social energy. However, even though social capital is a burgeoning topic in FFS research, it is not clear whether and how it mediates FFS performance. In this mixed-methods study, using data from two FFS projects conducted in Greece, we examined if social capital among trainees facilitates the co-creation of knowledge and the co-development of agricultural innovations by farmers. A thematic analysis was performed to analyse qualitative data, whereas regression models were employed for the quantitative strand of analysis. Results revealed that social capital evolves progressively during FFS, enabling the achievement of the project's aims by enhancing in-group communication, establishing affective ties, instilling a sense of community, and triggering motivational contagion among participants. Statistical analyses confirmed that the "softest" sides of social capital (bonding and connection) significantly contribute to knowledge and innovation co-production. Although this work was based on data derived only from two FFS projects that took place in Greece, our findings underline the importance of social capital for the success of any FFS project and emphasise the need for identifying routes to nurture social capital within FFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study examines the effects of social capital on non-suicidal self-injury and self-injurious behaviors among 632 Greek college students during the current economic crisis. This is a quantitative study which uses a set of normed instruments to measure non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviors. After controlling for a set of demographic variables, and negative affective states, social capital was not found to have an effect on non-suicidal self-injury or suicidal behaviors (p >.05). Results suggest that negative affective states such as depression and stress are important factors in the likelihood that students will engage in non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviors. Implications for social work practice and education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether the quality of an employee's relationships, within the context of the hotel industry, has an influence on their behavioral intention towards organizational change. The researchers suggest that the quality of relationships is an important element of an individual's social capital and can be evaluated using five key dimensions: the extent to which relationships are tangible, responsive and reliable, as well as the extent to which they offer empathy and assurance. Furthermore, this research examines whether organizational commitment and job satisfaction have an effect on the association between relationship quality and an individual's behavioral intention towards organizational change. The data collected from a sample of 100 hotel employees in Thessaloniki, Greece, show that relationship quality has a positive association with an individual's behavioral intention towards change. Additional results highlight the roles of job satisfaction and organizational commitment as mediating variables. Managerial implications relevant to the findings and pathways for further research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at how surplus is not only an economic reality but a state of mind, created by and reflecting the social and political relations of a group, by considering examples of historic and prehistoric food surplus. The state of one's surplus is not just what one stores, but also how others see it and think about it. Individuals are not alone, but always think of their surplus within a larger network of social and political interactions with others who are also storing food as well as within the rules for access. These networks have been considered safety nets by archaeologists, but often, as with many situations today, the populace does not have access to the safety net. Two case studies illustrate the dynamics and differences of this constructed side of food surplus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine the gender-specific associations of different dimensions of individual-level social capital with regular alcohol consumption and binge drinking in 16-17 years old adolescents in Crete, Greece. Methods: Of the 835 randomly selected students, 708 completed the Youth Social Capital Scale and the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire from April through June 2008 and 650 (92%) were included in this analysis. The outcome of interest was regular alcohol use and binge drinking. A gender specific backward stepwise logistic multi-variate regression was performed adjusted for potential confounders. Findings: For both boys and girls, higher score on some structural social capital subscales was associated, per unit increase, with increased likelihood of regular drinking. Neighbourhood connections were also associated with increased binge drinking in girls. Cognitive social capital subscales were associated with decreased likelihood of binge drinking in girls. For both genders, total social capital-score was positively associated with the probability of regular, but not of binge drinking. Conclusions: Cognitive and structural social capital dimensions have different patterns of association with regular and binge alcohol use in adolescent boys and girls. Social capital's dimensions should receive greater emphasis for the design of effective preventive interventions in adolescence, particularly in the light of an increasing prevalence of alcohol consumption in modem societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast and cervical cancers are among the leading causes of female mortality. The reasons that make women adhere, or not, to screening guidelines are not only related to individual and health characteristics but are also placed in a wider social and cultural context. Social capital might facilitate the dissemination of relevant knowledge of and the adherence to cancer screening guidelines. This cross-sectional study explored the associations of individual-level social capital with breast and cervical cancer screening and the knowledge for the existence of relevant screening tests (Pap test and mammography) in the municipality of Gorgolaini, a rural area in Crete, Greece. A random sample of 131 of the 592 women of the 2001 electoral register were invited to participate in the study and 125 completed the Social Capital Questionnaire and two questions on self-reported health knowledge and behaviour (participation rate 95.4%). Women were eligible to participate if they were aged 35-75, had lived in the area for the last 10 years and were of Greek origin. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to establish associations among each social capital factor (total, participation in the community, value of life, tolerance for diversity, feelings of safety, family/friends connections) and knowledge of and adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening guidelines after adjustment for confounders. Our results suggest that early detection of breast and cervical cancers may be facilitated when taking into account the social context of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This article describes the psychometric validation of the Youth Social Capital scale (YSCS) in 16- to 17-year-old students living in rural and urban areas in Crete, Greece. Methods: Sampling was performed among 27 secondary education units of Heraklion Prefecture. The self-reported questionnaire was answered by 692 participants (response rate 96.3%). The validation of the scale included both internal consistency and construct, convergent and discriminant validity tests. Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded five social capital factors. The overall Cronbach’s α was coefficient .771. Factor analysis revealed common patterns for many questions between the Greek and the original scales. Conclusions: This article supports the validity of the YSCS for assessing the social context of young individuals in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Planning and implementing environmental policies for the sustainable management of water resources is a challenging task. In order to improve the effectiveness of these policies it is essential to explore their social implications. The present article aims to investigate environmental policies focusing on domestic water conservation and their interconnection with social capital elements. In particular, by means of an empirical study conducted in an insular community of Greece, citizens' perceptions are explored concerning the restrictions imposed from different environmental policy instruments for water consumption and their perceived level of effectiveness. Furthermore, the influence of social capital parameters on these perceptions is investigated. Aggregated indicators of social capital are estimated with Confirmatory Factor Analysis measuring social and institutional trust, participation in social networks and compliance with social norms. Through the results of ordinal regression models it is evident that significant connections exist between elements of social capital and perceptions of citizens towards water consumption policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Which facets of social capital affect mental health in rural settings? This study explores the association between different aspects of social capital and psychiatric morbidity in rural communities of the Greek North Aegean islands. A large number of individual and community characteristics that may influence psychiatric morbidity are concurrently examined in multilevel models to account for the clustering of individuals within rural settings. The current findings indicate that psychiatric morbidity is, to a large extent, clustered within rural communities. Individuals' perceived divisions in the community, i.e., political party preference, landholdings, low social support networks, and lack of perceived solidarity, are associated with psychiatric morbidity according to theoretical expectation. At the community level, this risk is lower in villages with over 250 residents, where there are youth clubs or a common threat, for instance, property crime. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this article is to analyze components of aggregate social capital in Greece. Through the comparison with other European countries, it is concluded that social capital in the country may be characterized as weak. In addition, similarities among South European countries are underlined. Finally, an index of social capital scores across Greek regions is created and presented. The need for further research is emphasized, regarding mainly the impacts of social capital on several aspects of Greek society, along with the formulation of the appropriate policies for strengthening it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the state of youth in contemporary Greece to better understand how Greek young people organize their lives in various important life domains, such as living conditions, education and career, employment, relationships and use of leisure time. It also examines their values, social priorities and worries, while assessing their participation in social life and the wider political scene. The empirical findings demonstrate that young people in Greece develop their social capital and their socialization process in the framework of the nuclear family. In contrast, outside the boundaries of the Greek family, young people demonstrate an alienation from community and public institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]