32 results
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2. Cooperative VET in Training Networks: Analysing the Free-Rider Problem in a Sociology-of-Conventions Perspective
- Author
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Leemann, Regula Julia and Imdorf, Christian
- Abstract
In training networks, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises pool their resources to train apprentices within the framework of the dual VET system, while an intermediary organisation is tasked with managing operations. Over the course of their apprenticeship, the apprentices switch from one training company to another on a (half-) yearly basis. Drawing on a case study of four training networks in Switzerland and the theoretical framework of the sociology of conventions, this paper aims to understand the reasons for the slow dissemination and reluctant adoption of this promising form of organising VET in Switzerland. The results of the study show that the system of moving from one company to another creates a variety of free-rider constellations in the distribution of the collectively generated corporative benefits. This explains why companies are reluctant to participate in this model. For the network to be sustainable, the intermediary organisation has to address discontent arising from free-rider problems while taking into account that the solutions found are always tentative and will often result in new free-rider problems. [See: Online Submission article, at ED562559.]
- Published
- 2015
3. Cooperative VET in Training Networks: Analysing the Free-Rider Problem in a Sociology-of-Conventions Perspective
- Author
-
Leemann, Regula Julia and Imdorf, Christian
- Abstract
In training networks, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises pool their resources to train apprentices within the framework of the dual VET system, while an intermediary organisation is tasked with managing operations. Over the course of their apprenticeship, the apprentices switch from one training company to another on a (half-) yearly basis. Drawing on a case study of four training networks in Switzerland and the theoretical framework of the sociology of conventions, this paper aims to understand the reasons for the slow dissemination and reluctant adoption of this promising form of organising VET in Switzerland. The results of the study show that the system of moving from one company to another creates a variety of free-rider constellations in the distribution of the collectively generated corporative benefits. This explains why companies are reluctant to participate in this model. For the network to be sustainable, the intermediary organisation has to address discontent arising from free-rider problems while taking into account that the solutions found are always tentative and will often result in new free-rider problems.
- Published
- 2015
4. The Scholar, the Wealthy and the Powerful: Notes on Academic Culture in Elite-Focused Fieldwork
- Author
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Bertron, Caroline and Kolopp, Sarah
- Abstract
Drawing on our experiences of interviewing elites, this article suggests that methodological reflexivity yields insights into the construction of symbolic and social hierarchies in contextualised interactions. The paper focuses on "academic culture" as the "locus" through which power relations were experienced in interview situations--more so than structures such as age, gender, race and class. We argue that academic cultural resources do not always function as valuable assets in interviews with elites, and explore how different elite interviewees mobilise a wide-ranging cultural repertoire to display status.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. On Ecological Reflections: The Tensions of Cultivating Ecojustice and Youth Environmentalism
- Author
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Mueller, Michael P.
- Abstract
I respond to Zeyer and Roth's (2009) "A Mirror of Society" by elaborating on how the idea of interpretive repertoires is grounded by education philosophy and sociology. Vernacular languages are carried forward collectively from individuals who lived during a particular period of time, inculcated as root metaphors, which frame our relationships with others. It follows that metaphors (or interpretive repertoires) frame Swiss relationships with others, and what serves as Swiss goals for the environment and environmental protection are deeply embedded in some past conceptualizations of how a society should develop in the world. Indeed these youth's repertoires are "a mirror of society." But how do we know whether Swiss ideals are cultivating good, right, or just relationships, and embody a morally defensible environmentalism? Zeyer and Roth emphasize that teaching is a cultural process, which I agree with, but there is a contradiction in the idea that curriculum should be designed in a way that allows students to expand their existing repertoires without culturally mediated changes. Clearly students in Zeyer and Roth's study feel limited as to what they can do about the environment and environmental protection, in relation to outside influences such as US consumerism. Ecojustice, environmentalism, and sustainability should begin to dissolve this feeling of powerlessness. The purpose of this response is to show why cultural mediation is needed for defensible youth action.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. School Choice in the Light of the Effectiveness Differences of Various Types of Public and Private Schools in 19 OECD Countries
- Author
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Dronkers, J. and Robert, P.
- Abstract
The paper approaches the issue of school choice in an indirect manner by investigating the effectiveness of public, private government-dependent and private independent schools in 19 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries selected from the PISA 2000 survey for this purpose. In a multilevel approach we estimate these sector effects, controlling for sociological characteristics of students and parents, school composition, teaching and learning conditions of schools and students', and principals' perception of the climate of their schools. The main explanation of the gross differences in mathematical achievement is the better social composition of private schools, both government-dependent and independent, which is a clear consequence of school choice. But our analysis also reveals that private independent schools are less effective than public schools with the same students, parents, and social composition, while private dependent schools are more effective than comparable public schools. The explanation of these remaining net differences in mathematical achievement seems to be the better school climate of private dependent schools. The comparison concludes that these net differences in mathematical achievement between public and private school sectors are equal across nations, despite the historical and legal variations in their educational systems and school choice approaches. (Contains 4 tables and 36 notes.)
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. How Sociology Texts Address Gun Control
- Author
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Tonso, William R.
- Abstract
William R. Tonso has chosen an issue that he knows something about to examine how sociology textbooks address controversy. Appealing for gun control is fashionable, but it is at odds with a fondness that ordinary Americans have for their firearms--one that is supported by a growing body of research on deterrence to crime. There are two sides to the issue, but Tonso shows that in a large sample of texts, the sociology establishment predictably shades, omits, and distorts the politically incorrect position that citizens should not be compelled to relinquish responsibility for the security of their families and property. (Contains 54 notes.)
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Une nouvelle approche du contenu thematique et situationnel d'une methode audio-visuelle: 'C'est le Printemps' (A New Approach to Thematic and Situational Content in an Audio-Visual Method: 'C'est le Printemps'). Acts of the Colloquium of the Swiss Interuniversity Commission for Applied Linguistics. CILA Bulletin, No. 26.
- Author
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Commission Interuniversitaire Suisse de Linguistique Appliquee (Switzerland). and Gschwind-Holtzer, G.
- Abstract
This study attempts to demonstrate that the choice of material on the thematic and situational level has a bearing on linguistic concepts. The critique is divided into three main sections dealing with: (1) themes and situations, or the world view of audio-visual methods; (2) themes and situations in a particular text, "C'est le printemps;" and (3) the importance of social and cultural parameters in the context of dialogues and other exercises. In audio-visual methods generally, themes and situations are found to be conventional, banal and lacking a well-defined sociological context. However, the text under discussion is seen to be an effort to make the themes and situations more realistic and contemporary, and to give them a well-defined social context. The manner in which the themes are treated in this text is considered to be of great importance: the themes are treated subjectively, that is the speaker (the individual learner) constitutes the determining factor in the communication. A variety of social-professional milieux are represented and the world view rests on phenomenological and sociological data. The consideration of these data constitutes one of the bases of the method and results in the convergence of linguistic, psycho-pedagogical, and methodological perspectives. An appendix includes three dialogues from "C'est le printemps," with commentary on each one. (AMH)
- Published
- 1977
9. A Global Expectation–Maximization Approach Based on Memetic Algorithm for Vibration-Based Structural Damage Detection.
- Author
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Santos, Adam, Santos, Reginaldo, Silva, Moises, Figueiredo, Eloi, Sales, Claudomiro, and Costa, Joao C. W. A.
- Subjects
MEMETICS ,THEORY of knowledge ,RELIABILITY in engineering ,VIBRATION tests - Abstract
This paper proposes a novel unsupervised damage detection approach based on a memetic algorithm that establishes the normal or undamaged condition of a structural system as data clusters through a global xpectation–maximization technique, using only damage-sensitive features extracted from output-only vibration measurements. The health state is then discriminated by considering the Mahalanobis squared distance between the learned clusters and a new observation. The proposed approach is compared with state-of-the-art ones by taking into account real-world data sets from the Z-24 Bridge (Switzerland), where several damage scenarios were performed. The results indicated that the proposed approach can be applied in structural health monitoring applications where life safety, economic, and reliability issues are the most important motivations to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Reclaiming the (Swiss) nation for God: the politics of Charismatic prophecy.
- Author
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Gonzalez, Phillippe
- Subjects
PENTECOSTALISM ,CHRISTIANITY ,SPIRITUAL warfare ,HOLY Spirit ,SPIRITUAL life ,SWISS - Abstract
Copyright of Etnográfica: Revista do Centro de Estudos de Antropologia Social is the property of Centro em Rede de Investigacao em Antropologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
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11. [The life of Henry E. Sigerist - academic scholarship vs. social activism].
- Author
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Lee JC
- Subjects
- Germany, History, 20th Century, Politics, Switzerland, United States, Historiography, History of Medicine, Professional Practice history, Sociology history
- Abstract
The objective of this paper is to investigate chronologically the life of Sigerist as follows: (i) how Henry Sigerist (1891-1957) became interested in medical history, (ii) how he succeeded Karl Sudhoff (1853-1938) as professor of the history of medicine in the University of Leipzig, (iii) why he came to the Johns Hopkins in 1932, (iv) what he did for health care reform in the U.S. and Canada, (v) why he returned to his motherland in 1947, and (vi) how health professions have been globally influenced by his life. Based on the solid academic scholarship of medical history and sociology, Sigerest was energetically engaged in health care reform. What distinguished his social activism from other health care reformers is that wheras most health care reformers take the positivism-centered perspective to transform the existing health care system, Sigerist integrated historical vision with sociologically a pedagogic mission to pursue health care progress.
- Published
- 1998
12. „Der Freitag, wo alles kaputt war" oder „Die Macht des Positiven"? Eine dimensionale Analyse „natürlicher Heilungen" bei kritischem Alkohol- und Heroinkonsum.
- Author
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Klingemann, Harald
- Subjects
PEOPLE in recovery from addiction ,ALCOHOLISM ,HEROIN abuse ,BIOGRAPHIES ,PSYCHOLOGICAL typologies ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Copyright of Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 1990
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Researching tribute bands: tools, counter-interpretations and extending research relations to Facebook in a tight network.
- Author
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Nikoghosyan, Nuné
- Subjects
HUMAN research subjects ,SOCIOLOGY ,RESEARCH methodology ,QUALITATIVE research ,MUSIC ,MEDICAL research - Abstract
This article discusses methodological, ethical, and epistemological issues that arise when research is conducted in a tight-knit network of respondents: in this case, artists in search of fame and recognition, while performing in a tribute band – a relatively downgraded form of music. The study was conducted in Switzerland and used qualitative methodology, consisting mainly of observations of concerts and semi-structured interviews with musicians, cultural intermediaries and audience members. With an aim to contribute to the reflexivity of sociology as a discipline and ideally provide methodological traces for future research in similar conditions, the article first presents the general methodology used in this study. Then, the discussion turns to the uses and difficulties of certain methodological elements such as Howard Becker's advice on 'playing dumb' for obtaining more subtle information, dealing with 'counter-interpretations' by study participants, or the extension of research relations to the online realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The Influence of Social and Cultural Capital on Reading Achievement: An International Comparison of the PISA 2000-Data.
- Author
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Jungbauer-Gans, Monika
- Subjects
CULTURAL capital ,SOCIOLOGY ,SOCIAL capital ,SOCIAL networks ,SOCIAL status - Abstract
Based on the data acquired in the PISA survey of Germany, Switzerland and the United States, this article examines the differences in achievement of students. This article focuses on the social and cultural capital of students. It is being examined whether the effects of social and cultural capital give an explanation to what extent the socio-economic status and the secondary education of the parents influence the reading achievement. The results of the analyses were rather surprising: not all the indicators for social capital used in the PISA survey correlate positively with the achievement scores, but negatively, whereas cultural capital considerably increases the competence of students. Nevertheless, future studies should use more suitable indicators for social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. DEĞERLER, CEZALAR VE NORMLAR ARASINDAKİ İLETİŞİM.
- Author
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DEMİR, Ali
- Subjects
INTERNATIONAL relations ,SOCIOLOGY ,GENEALOGY ,METHODOLOGY - Abstract
Copyright of International Anatolian Journal of Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Connection Between First Marriage and First Childbirth in Switzerland.
- Subjects
MARRIED women ,SOCIOLOGY ,HIGHER education of women ,FAMILIES ,MARRIAGE ,CHILDBIRTH - Abstract
Copyright of Swiss Journal of Sociology / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2006
17. Old-Boy Network. Militärdienst und ziviler Berufserfolg in der Schweiz.
- Author
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Jann, Ben
- Subjects
CAREER development ,ARMED Forces ,SOCIAL networks ,LABOR market ,INCOME ,OCCUPATIONAL mobility ,HUMAN capital ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Copyright of Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
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18. LA DEUXIÈME GÉNÉRATION D'ESPAGNOLS EN SUISSE: Résultats et interrogations d'une enquête-participation.
- Author
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Gonvers, J.-P., Monnier, L., De Rham, G., and Mottaz, A.
- Subjects
IMMIGRANTS ,ASSIMILATION (Sociology) ,SPANIARDS ,SOCIAL processes ,ETHNIC relations ,SOCIAL marginality ,MINORITIES ,ACCULTURATION ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Copyright of Swiss Journal of Sociology / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 1981
19. Toward a Theoretical Understanding of Ethnic Antagonism: The Case of the Foreign Workers in Switzerland.
- Author
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Walliman, Isidor
- Subjects
FOREIGN workers ,DISCRIMINATION (Sociology) ,INTERPERSONAL relations ,SOCIAL psychology ,ASSIMILATION (Sociology) ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Copyright of Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 1974
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. The Institutional "Hinge": How the End of the Cold War Conditioned Canadian, Russian, and Swiss IR Scholarship.
- Author
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Grenier, Félix, Hagmann, Jonas, Biersteker, Thomas, Lebedeva, Marina, Nikitina, Yulia, and Koldunova, Ekaterina
- Subjects
COLD War, 1945-1991 ,SCHOLARSHIPS ,POST-Cold War Period ,HINGES ,INTERNATIONAL relations - Abstract
Major international events contribute to guiding IR scholarship's interests, yet it remains surprisingly unexplored how transformative political events affect international relations as an academic field. This article focuses on the linkage between key global moments and the institutional factors that condition IR scholarship, focusing on the important yet under-explored intervening elements in the interrelation between political events and academic practice. The article defines the utility of such focus and illustrates it with case studies of three central parties to the Cold War conflict: Russia as representative of the Eastern bloc, Canada of the Western alliance, and Switzerland as a neutral polity. This article shows how institutional factors such as funding schemes, the marketization of education, and the creation of new IR departments operate as effective "hinges" exerting significant influence over the ways scholars develop ideas about international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. International Sociological Association World Congress.
- Subjects
CONFERENCES & conventions ,ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,SOCIOLOGISTS ,SOCIOLOGY ,INTERNATIONAL agencies - Abstract
This article provides information on the International Sociological Association's World Congress of Sociologists to be held in Zurich, Switzerland from September 4 to September 9, 1950. This is in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Decision to hold this Congress was taken at a preliminary meeting in Oslo, Norway, in September 1949, at which the International Sociological Association was organized and in which representatives of twenty-two countries participated. The holding of the World Congress of Sociologists has been arranged to take place simultaneously with the meeting of the International Sociological Association. Whereas the program of the World Congress will be devoted primarily to scientific discussions of sociological problems of common concern, the meeting of the council and the executive committee of the International Sociological Association will be concerned in large part with the perfection of the organization established in Oslo, the election of an executive committee and officers to replace the provisional executive committee and officers elected at Oslo, the reports of committees and the consideration of a program. The general theme of the World Congress is Sociological Research in its Bearing on International relations. The aim of the Congress is to re-establish professional contacts among sociologists of various countries of the world and to explore and advance the potential contributions of sociology to the objectives of world understanding and world integration.
- Published
- 1950
22. Independent association between socioeconomic indicators and macro- and micro-nutrient intake in Switzerland.
- Author
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de Mestral, Carlos, Marques-Vidal, Pedro, Gaspoz, Jean-Michel, Theler, Jean-Marc, and Guessous, Idris
- Subjects
ECONOMIC indicators ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,CARBOHYDRATES ,DIETARY supplements - Abstract
Background: Socioeconomic differences in diet are rarely assessed with more than one indicator. We aimed to assess differences in macro- and micro-nutrient intake in both sexes according to education, income, and occupation. Methods: We used data from validated food frequency questionnaire measured dietary intake in 5087 participants (2157 women) from yearly adult population-based cross-sectional surveys conducted from 2005 to 2012 in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland. We used two ANOVA models: age-adjusted and multivariable adjusted simultaneously for all three socioeconomic indicators. Results: Low-education men consumed more calcium but less vitamin D than high-education men; low-income men consumed less total and animal protein (80.9±0.9 vs 84.0±0.6 g/d; 55.6±1.0 vs 59.5±0.7 g/d) and more total carbohydrates and sugars (246±2 vs 235±2 g/d; 108±2 vs 103±1 g/d) than high-income men. Occupation and diet showed no association. Low-education women consumed less vegetable protein (20.7±0.2 vs 21.6±0.2 g/d), fibre (15.7±0.3 vs 16.8±0.2 g/d), and carotene (4222±158 vs 4870±128 μg/d) than high-education women; low-income women consumed more total carbohydrates (206±2 vs 197±1 g/d) and less monounsaturated fat (27.7±0.4 vs 29.3±0.3 g/d) than high-income women. Finally, low-occupation women consumed more total energy (1792±27 vs 1714±15 kcal/d) and total carbohydrates (206±2 vs 200±1 g/d), but less saturated fat (23.0±0.3 vs 24.4±0.2 g/d), calcium (935±17 vs 997±10 mg/d) and vitamin D (2.5±0.1 vs 2.9±0.1 μg/d), than high-occupation women. Conclusion: In Switzerland, the influence of socioeconomic factors on nutrient intake differs by sex; income and education, but not occupation, drive differences among men; among women, all three indicators seem to play a role. Interventions to reduce inequalities should consider the influence of education, income, and occupation in diet to be most effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Causal Attribution and Coping Maxims Differences between Immigrants and Non-Immigrants Suffering from Back Pain in Switzerland.
- Author
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Mantwill, Sarah and Schulz, Peter J.
- Subjects
BACKACHE ,IMMIGRANTS ,FACTOR analysis ,ANALYSIS of variance - Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the relationship between causal attributions and coping maxims in people suffering from back pain. Further, it aimed at identifying in how far causal attributions and related coping maxims would defer between immigrants and non-immigrants in Switzerland. Methods: Data for this study came from a larger survey study that was conducted among immigrant populations in the German- and Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Included in the analyses were native Swiss participants, as well as Albanian- and Serbian-speaking immigrants, who had indicated to have suffered from back pain within the last 12 months prior to the study. Data was analyzed for overall 495 participants. Items for causal attributions and coping maxims were subject to factor analyses. Cultural differences were assessed with ANOVA and regression analyses. Interaction terms were included to investigate whether the relationship between causal attributions and coping maxims would differ with cultural affiliation. Results: For both immigrant groups the physician’s influence on the course of their back pain was more important than for Swiss participants (p <.05). With regard to coping, both immigrant groups were more likely to agree with maxims that were related to the improvement of the back pain, as well as the acceptance of the current situation (p <.05). The only consistent interaction effect that was found indicated that being Albanian-speaking negatively moderated the relationship between physical activity as an attributed cause of back pain and all three identified coping maxims. Conclusion: The study shows that differences in causal attribution and coping maxims between immigrants and non-immigrants exist. Further, the results support the assumption of an association between causal attribution and coping maxims. However cultural affiliation did not considerably moderate this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Modelling social inequalities in health in contemporary Switzerland.
- Author
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Sara, Della and Mario, Lucchini
- Subjects
EQUALITY ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,SOCIOLOGY ,ECONOMIC models - Abstract
The relationship between income and health has been widely established. However, there are some issues which need to be addressed in order to study accurately the socio-economic gradient in health. Firstly, there is a specific issue linked to the dynamic nature of health. The current health status is closely linked to past health circumstances and is a good predictor of future health status. Hence we should implement models which are able to take into account the dynamic nature of health. Secondly, the study of health can be affected by a more general problem that often plagues sociological models aimed at estimating causal effects, that of non-observed heterogeneity leading to endogeneity. Both genetic factors and psychological predispositions that are important predictors of health may easily be correlated with one's socio-economic status, thus creating endogeneity. If analyzed with the appropriate methods, panel data help us tackle these issues. In this work we study the effect of income on self-assessed health in Switzerland using 13 waves (from 1999 to 2012) of the Swiss Household Panel. We apply a fixed effects model, a random effect model and a dynamic panel model (more precisely, the Mundlak-Chamberlain model). Whereas in both the fixed and the random effects models income appears to be significantly related to health, in the Mundlak-Chamberlain model this effect disappears. Results show that models based on different assumptions and including a different set of controls give quite different results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Epidemiology of Masked and White-Coat Hypertension: The Family-Based SKIPOGH Study.
- Author
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Alwan, Heba, Pruijm, Menno, Ponte, Belen, Ackermann, Daniel, Guessous, Idris, Ehret, Georg, Staessen, Jan A., Asayama, Kei, Vuistiner, Philippe, Younes, Sandrine Estoppey, Paccaud, Fred, Wuerzner, Grégoire, Pechere-Bertschi, Antoinette, Mohaupt, Markus, Vogt, Bruno, Martin, Pierre-Yves, Burnier, Michel, and Bochud, Murielle
- Subjects
HYPERTENSION ,EPIDEMIOLOGY ,FEAR of doctors ,AMBULATORY blood pressure monitoring ,CROSS-sectional method - Abstract
Objective: We investigated factors associated with masked and white-coat hypertension in a Swiss population-based sample. Methods: The Swiss Kidney Project on Genes in Hypertension is a family-based cross-sectional study. Office and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were measured using validated devices. Masked hypertension was defined as office blood pressure<140/90 mmHg and daytime ambulatory blood pressure≥135/85 mmHg. White-coat hypertension was defined as office blood pressure≥140/90 mmHg and daytime ambulatory blood pressure<135/85 mmHg. Mixed-effect logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of masked and white-coat hypertension with associated factors, while taking familial correlations into account. High-normal office blood pressure was defined as systolic/diastolic blood pressure within the 130–139/85–89 mmHg range. Results: Among the 652 participants included in this analysis, 51% were female. Mean age (±SD) was 48 (±18) years. The proportion of participants with masked and white coat hypertension was respectively 15.8% and 2.6%. Masked hypertension was associated with age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.02, p = 0.012), high-normal office blood pressure (OR = 6.68, p<0.001), and obesity (OR = 3.63, p = 0.001). White-coat hypertension was significantly associated with age (OR = 1.07, p<0.001) but not with education, family history of hypertension, or physical activity. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that physicians should consider ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for older individuals with high-normal office blood pressure and/or who are obese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Is Financial Hardship Associated with Reduced Health in Disability? The Case of Spinal Cord Injury in Switzerland.
- Author
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Fekete, Christine, Siegrist, Johannes, Reinhardt, Jan D., and Brinkhof, Martin W. G.
- Subjects
SPINAL cord injuries ,HARDSHIP ,MENTAL health ,SOCIAL status ,QUALITY of life ,EQUALITY - Abstract
Objective: To investigate socioeconomic inequalities in a comprehensive set of health indicators among persons with spinal cord injury in a wealthy country, Switzerland. Methods: Observational cross-sectional data from 1549 participants of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (SwiSCI), aged over 16 years, and living in Switzerland were analyzed. Socioeconomic circumstances were operationalized by years of formal education, net equivalent household income and financial hardship. Health indicators including secondary conditions, comorbidities, pain, mental health, participation and quality of life were used as outcomes. Associations between socioeconomic circumstances and health indicators were evaluated using ordinal regressions. Results: Financial hardship was consistently associated with more secondary conditions (OR 3.37, 95% CI 2.18–5.21), comorbidities (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.83–4.53) and pain (OR 3.32, 95% CI 2.21–4.99), whereas mental health (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.15–0.36), participation (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.21–0.43) and quality of life (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.15–0.33) were reduced. Persons with higher education reported better mental health (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.07) and higher quality of life (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.09); other health indicators were not associated with education. Household income was not related to any of the studied health indicators when models were controlled for financial hardship. Conclusions: Suffering from financial hardship goes along with significant reductions in physical health, functioning and quality of life, even in a wealthy country with comprehensive social and health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Bounded Rationality and Voting Decisions over 160 Years: Voter Behavior and Increasing Complexity in Decision-Making.
- Author
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Stadelmann, David and Torgler, Benno
- Subjects
BOUNDED rationality ,VOTING ,DECISION making ,VOTER psychology ,COMPUTATIONAL neuroscience - Abstract
Using a quasi-natural voting experiment encompassing a 160-year period (1848–2009) in Switzerland, we investigate whether a higher level of complexity leads to increased reliance on trusted parliamentary representatives. We find that when more referenda are held on the same day, constituents are more likely to refer to parliamentary recommendations when making their decisions. This finding holds true even when we narrow our focus to referenda with a relatively lower voter turnout on days on which more than one referendum is held. We also demonstrate that when constituents face a higher level of complexity, they follow the parliamentary recommendations rather than those of interest groups. “Viewed as a geometric figure, the ant’s path is irregular, complex, hard to describe. But its complexity is really a complexity in the surface of the beach, not a complexity in the ant.” ( [1] p. 51) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. How Formality Works: The Case of Environmental Professionals.
- Author
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Mieg, Harald A., de Sombre, Steffen, and Näf, Matthias Andreas
- Subjects
MANAGEMENT science ,CAPITAL ,ECONOMIC competition ,SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
This article provides an overview of our research on environmental professionals in Switzerland over the last twenty years. From the beginning, we were interested in studying how formality functions in this field and how abstraction drives jurisdictional change We started with the goal of examining professsionalization, i.e., the question of whether a new environmental profession arises. Our findings suggest this has not yet occurred; instead, we observe increased scientification of the field, underlining the role of science-based formalization (providing social capital in the form of a science-based language). We analyze a survey on environmental professionals and show how abstraction works: reduction and formalization as two distinct forms of abstraction are specifically related to interand intra-professional competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Mapping Perceptions of Animal Experimentation: Trend and Explanatory Factors.
- Author
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Crettaz von Roten, Fabienne
- Subjects
ANIMAL experimentation ,ATTITUDE change (Psychology) ,SOCIOLOGY ,SURVEYS ,LABORATORY animals - Abstract
Objective. The goal of this article is to map out attitudes toward animal experimentation in Switzerland, more specifically, to document the current attitudes, analyze the change of attitudes over the last 10 years, and explain these attitudes. Methods. This study analyzes a series of Swiss surveys that measure public attitudes toward the environment and science (ISSP, 1994, 2000; EB, 2001, 2005). Results. It is shown that the relative majority of Swiss are against animal research in 2005 and that refusals are increasing since 1994. Attitudes toward animal testing are explained by attitudes toward science, attitudes toward nature, and values. Conclusions. The study of attitudes toward animal experimentation makes important contributions to sociology and, in particular, to the public understanding of science (PUS) research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. SOCIAL CAPITAL IN (DIS)SIMILAR DEMOCRACIES: The Development of Generalized Trust in Japan and Switzerland.
- Author
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Freitag, Markus
- Subjects
SOCIAL capital ,SOCIOLOGY ,PRACTICAL politics - Abstract
Presents a study which evaluated the foundations of generalized trust of social capital in Japan and Switzerland. Overview of previous studies on measurement of social capital; Similarities in the political structure of Japan and Switzerland; Factors which affect the level of generalized or social trust.
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Untitled.
- Subjects
- *
PERIODICALS , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIOGRAPHY , *SOCIAL psychology , *CATHOLIC institutions - Abstract
This paper presents the journal Social Compass, a bimonthly review devoted to sociology, sociography, social psychology and statistics issued by appointment of the International Catholic Institute for Social-Ecclesiastical Research in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Published
- 1956
32. Introduction to Freitag.
- Author
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Singer, Brian
- Subjects
SOCIOLOGY ,SOCIAL sciences ,THEORY of knowledge - Abstract
This article provides information about Michel Freitag, a social theorist from Quebec. Born in 1935 in Switzerland, and with degrees in law and political economy, as well as a doctorate in sociology, he has taught since 1971 in the sociology department of the UQAM. When reading Michel's work, one is immediately struck by the fact that he is extremely well versed in the classical theoretical traditions, both sociological and philosophical and uncompromisingly so. Not only does he acknowledge the influence of these traditions, he works with their questions, uses their language and builds on their reflections. In effect, he believes that they are not just relevant to, but indispensable for a deepened understanding of the present condition. In effect, one could say that Michel Freitag is working with several of the traditions simultaneously. This, however is no eclectic mish-mash, but a work of synthesis of the highest order. Like all good synthesis, it is built from a long and critical reflection on and in reconstruction of the traditions with which he has cohabited and like all good synthesis it supposes a strong central thread that pulls the pieces together.
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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