LOCAL ECONOMIC POLICIES AND SOCIAL CITIZENSHIP IN SPANISH CITIES

This paper examines the restructuring of the local economy in Spain's largest cities, particularly Barcelona, but also Madrid and Seville, in relation to the main changes that have taken place in the urban environment since local democracy was re-established after the elections of 1979. This involves an analysis of the real capacity and impact of local council intervention in the economy and in the extension of the social dimension of citizenship. Despite their relatively small resources, local administrations have in the last few years attempted to create a more dynamic approach of leading, or at least collaborating in, economic and social reconstruction. The increasing role of localities in the economy has been particularly important since, in addition to counteracting a strong centralist tradition, it has coincided with the emergence of a new urban democratic arena which permits more social participation. However, the restructuring of state political and administrative power remains problematic at the local level due not only to the historical will of central government to apply a homogeneous pattern to heterogeneous urban realities, but also to the control that new regional governments seek to exercise over cities.     

FERTILITY-REDUCING DYNAMICS OF WOMEN'S SOCIAL STATUS AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Education, unlike most other determinants of social status, causes a significant delay in fertility timing and depresses fertility outcomes. It also operates as a self-reinforcing status-seeking spiral mechanism, with important consequences for aggregate fertility over time. Later-born cohorts of women, in order to maintain a given position in the education distribution compared to their same-age peers, must attain increasingly higher levels of education. This implies that the process of status-seeking is having increasingly strong effects in terms of reducing global fertility levels. This can be particularly important for Asian nations where schooling levels have risen rapidly in recent decades and there has been an increase in the ages at childbearing and a depression of fertility outcomes.     

THE WELFARE STATE AND THE MEDIA SYSTEM

This article aims to bridge the gap between media studies and welfare state studies. While media and communications systems are crucial elements in any society, these systems are often not included in studies of the welfare state. Through a discussion of five historical phases in the evolution of Scandinavian societies and media systems, from early democratization in the late 18th century through the ‘golden age’ of the welfare state to the present challenges of globalization, digitization and the fragmentation of social trust, the article discusses the relationships between the two spheres. While Scandinavian communications systems have much in common with those of other Western states, this article argues that they are also products of, and catalysts for, the specific evolution of the Nordic welfare states.     

试析淮北地方银号和豫皖苏边地方银号问的关系

淮北抗日根据地是抗日战争时期我党领导的全国 1 9块抗日根据地之一。它含陇海铁路以南 ,淮河以北 ,运河以西 ,新黄河以东 ,津浦铁路东西两厢的广大地区 ,横跨豫皖苏三省边界 ,基本区包括 2 0多个完整的县 ,面积 2万多平方公里 ,人口约 6 0 0万。这里是扼华中、华北联系的枢纽 ,是具有重要战略地位的兵家必争之地。创建豫皖苏根据地是中国共产党在淮北大平原上开辟淮北敌后抗日根据地战略部署的第一步。彭雪枫率新四军在豫皖苏根据地建立起政权 ,站稳脚跟后 ,又不失时机地指令有关将领分兵继续东进 ,开辟皖东北及豫东睢杞太地区 ,终使淮北抗…     

COMPANY WELFARE PROGRAMMES AND INDUSTRIAL MODERNIZATION IN FINLAND

Prior to the modern welfare state, many large companies provided extensive welfare programmes for their employees. In this article, such welfare programmes – or corporate welfarism – in Finnish manufacturing firms in the early 20th century are the focus of attention. I analyse the content of these programmes and how they changed over time as part of the modernization and professionalization of management and industrial and societal change. I also discuss how company managers perceived the role of welfare provisions in corporate development and what happened with these programmes when the first steps towards the modern welfare state were taken. I show that these programmes started as a necessity and part of industrial paternalism, but gradually became part of labour management, in particular for the creation of a loyal workforce and productivity improvements. These programmes often developed in collaboration with local municipalities, which led to intertwined relationships at the local level, marked by both trust and tension in local communities. Once general welfare reforms emerged, companies often abandoned their voluntary programmes, while some services were taken over by the municipalities. I also ask to what extent these programmes were managerial strategies to counteract growing state involvement in their affairs.     

ABORIGINAL SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND RECIPROCITY

This paper seeks to show that while the idea of reciprocity is fundamental in Australian Aboriginal societies, inequalities are also inherent in the kinship system itself. An attempt is then made to articulate these two aspects and to specify the form of social inequality which is characteristic of Australia. Cet article prétend montrer, d'une part, que l'idée de réciprocité est fondamentale dans les sociétés australiennes, d'autre part, que les inégalités le sont tout autant dans la mesure où elles sont insuites et fondeés dans la parenté elle-même. Il cherche aussi à montrer comment réciprocité et inégalité s'articulent entre elles. Enfin, it tente de spécifier la forme d'inégalité sociale caractéristique de l'Australie.