scholarly journals Circles of Support and Accountability: The Role of Social Relations in Core Member Desistance

2020 ◽  
pp. 0306624X2096409
Author(s):  
Kelly Richards
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Sexual Recidivism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Core Member ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Previous Scholarship ◽  
Do So

Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) appear to reduce the sexual recidivism of core members (i.e., individuals convicted of sexual offending). It remains unclear, however, how they do so. While much previous scholarship has hypothesized that the relations between core members and CoSA volunteers promote desistance from sexual offending, there has been no theoretically-informed research that specifically interrogates these relations. This article begins to address this gap by examining the relations formed in and by CoSA through the lens of Donati’s theory of relational reflexivity. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 62 CoSA participants across six CoSA programs located in the USA and Canada, it proffers a new theorization of the role of social relations in core members’ desistance. Findings from the study will enable CoSA practitioners around the globe to explicate and deepen their practice around more rigorous theoretical precepts.

scholarly journals A comparison of the suitability of FIDIC and NEC conditions of contract in Palestine

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haytham Besaiso ◽  
Peter Fenn ◽  
Margaret Emsley ◽  
David Wright
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Do So

Purpose The standard forms of construction contract are receiving greater attention in the management of projects scholarship as they probably influence the project success and project disputes. The extant literature suggests that the standard forms of construction contract are one of the top sources of disputes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the standard forms of construction contract, FIDIC and NEC, in reducing disputes in the Palestinian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The researchers have used qualitative methods to collect data and more specifically have undertaken 12 semi-structured interviews. Findings The study reveals that the standard forms of construction contract can be a tool to minimise disputes, but certainly not to eradicate them, and NEC appears to be more capable than FIDIC to do so. Originality/value This study contributes to knowledge by bringing an industrial perspective into the role of standard forms of contract in disputes creation and avoidance. The interviewees, recurrent users of FIDIC contract, criticised certain features and expressions and proposed some solutions.

Pornography Use and Sexual Offending: An Examination of Perceptions of Role and Risk

2021 ◽  
pp. 0306624X2110491
Author(s):  
Karen Holt ◽  
James Kissinger ◽  
Corey Spickler ◽  
Vicki Roush
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sexual Crimes ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Pornography Use ◽  
Abstinence Only

Despite no definitive relationship between pornography and sexual offenses, there exists an assumption that use plays a role in the commission of sexual crimes and may increase risk of recidivism. This has led to the development of post-release restrictions on adult media for those convicted of a sexual offense. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 101 incarcerated individuals convicted of a sexual offense to explore the central research questions: (1) What are the common themes among individual’s experiences regarding pornography and how do they construct the role of pornography in their offending? (2) How do they frame pornography use post-release and understand pornography use as related to risk of re-offense? A qualitative analysis revealed common themes regarding how individuals constructed pornography use and notions of risk. Strategic and targeted monitoring and supervision of those who perceive their pornography use as consuming and facilitating may be a more effective practice than abstinence-only blanket restrictions.

Evaluating the role of blat in finding graduate employment in post-Soviet Ukraine

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Onoshchenko ◽  
Colin C. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Graduate Employment ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
The City ◽  
Formal Procedures

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the use of personal connections to circumvent formal procedures, known as blat in the Soviet era, in post-Soviet societies by studying its role in graduate employment recruitment. Design/methodology/approach – To do this, the extent to which and how blat is used by graduates to find a job in the city of Mykolayiv in Ukraine is analysed through 85 face-to-face structured interviews with those who in the past seven years have sought employment after graduating from university. Findings – The finding is that blat is widely used by graduates to find a job. However, contrary to the existing literature which suggests that blat has become commodified in post-Soviet market societies with monetary payment being requested by and given to personal connections “pulling strings”, no evidence is found that this is the case. Instead, this remains a non-monetised form of friendly help by and for close social relations, akin to the Soviet era, and is viewed in a positive or neutral manner by participants even though its consequences can be to circumvent meritocratic formal recruitment procedures and foster nepotism and cronyism. Research limitations/implications – This study of blat is limited to analysing graduate recruitment in one city in Ukraine. Broader empirical research on the contemporary role of blat in this and other spheres in post-Soviet societies and beyond is now required so as to develop a more nuanced context-bound understanding of both the positive and negative facets of this social practice in contemporary societies. Originality/value – This study reveals that blat is commonly used to find graduate jobs and is widely viewed as a socially acceptable practice, despite hindering meritocratic recruitment procedures.

Internal Constraints to Fuller University Engagement in Regional Economic Development

1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest A. Lynton
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Regional Economic Development ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Faculty Work ◽  
Value System ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Collective Goals ◽  
Do So

Universities in the USA and in many other countries have, over the years, made significant contributions to regional economic development, and continue to do so. However, several internal conditions have thus far limited this contribution to less than its full potential. This article focuses on three of these conditions: (a) in their approach to outreach as well as in their teaching, universities continue to adhere to a linear model for knowledge flow, and a hierarchy of values that ranks basic science above technology, and both above application; (b) universities, on the whole, continue to be collections of quasi-autonomous individuals. They have difficulty in defining, let alone implementing, collective goals; and (c) the prevailing system of recognition and rewarding of faculty work lacks mechanisms for evaluation and fails to provide incentives for innovation and achievement in externally oriented activities. These barriers to greater contribution to regional economic development by universities go to the very heart of the self-definition and value system of the faculty in these institutions. Change at best will be slow and difficult to perceive, yet there is reason to believe that it is beginning to take place, and that it will have an impact on all aspects of the societal role of universities, not only on regional economic development.

scholarly journals The role of social capital in the institutionalization of regional place marketing activity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Halme
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Place Marketing ◽  
Marketing Activity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Will

AbstractThis paper aims to study the outcomes of the regional level place marketing projects, which contribute towards the fruition of long-term place marketing or branding goals. It applies a theoretical framework based on institutional and social capital theories. Hence, it highlights the role of networks, norms of behavior and values, and trust regarding the institutionalization of regional place marketing activity. Two ERDF (European Structural Development Funding)-funded regional place marketing projects carried out in eastern Finland are explored. The empirical material consists of 23 semi-structured interviews of steering group members of the projects and documentary data on the later developments of the place marketing activity in the regions. The findings show that social capital generated during the projects contributed to the institutionalization of place marketing activity by reinforcing the will to do place marketing together, forming information-sharing practices, and expanding and strengthening stakeholder networks. Results indicate that social relations and structures that are formed during the place marketing collaborations can extend the lifespan of regional place marketing activity beyond short-lived projects, while there remains a need to develop this perspective into a measurable variable.

scholarly journals The Role of Sensory Emotions in Increasing Willingness to Read in EFL Learners

PUBLICACIONES ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-189
Author(s):  
Behnoosh Borsipour ◽  
Reza Pishghadam ◽  
Elham Naji Meidani
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Do So

It seems that one of the factors contributing to language learners’ interest in reading comprehension texts is the sensory emotions they may have for reading topics. In this study, the association between language learners’ sensory emotions towards some topics and their willingness to read (WTR) about them was examined. To do so, 201 intermediate and upper-intermediate English as a foreign langauge (EFL) learners were asked to complete a newly-deigned scale measuring their sensory emotions, frequency of exposure, and WTR regarding 18 topics from various fields. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to analyze the data. Moreover, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants regarding their emotions and WTR towards topics. The results showed that the higher the level of sensory emotions towards a topic, the higher the WTR. In the end, the findings were discussed in the context of language education and implications were provided.

scholarly journals The relevance of sexual biographies in individuals convicted of child sexual abuse offenses for the development of pedosexual interests and sexual recidivism

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisanne Breiling ◽  
Martin Rettenberger ◽  
Daniel Turner
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Sexual Experiences ◽  
Sexual Recidivism ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Developmental Factors ◽  
Sexually Abusive ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Behavior Characteristics

In the literature concerning the etiology of pedosexual interests, the potential role of early sexual experiences in childhood and adolescence has been discussed. Several studies demonstrated a link between own sexually abusive experiences in childhood and sexual offending later in life which tends to be even stronger for pedosexual offenders. Furthermore, some findings indicate associations between other developmental factors and deviant sexual interests in adulthood. For the present study, sexual biographical data of N = 223 imprisoned men convicted of sexual offenses against children from Austria was analyzed to retrospectively examine whether own sexually abusive experiences and non-abusive forms of early sexual experiences and behaviors are linked to subsequent pedosexual interests and to sexual recidivism. Previous findings concerning the link between own sexually abusive experiences during childhood and subsequent pedosexual interests could partly be replicated. Furthermore, early masturbation behavior characteristics as well as non-abusive prepubescent sexual experiences were linked to indicators of pedosexual interests and also to sexual recidivism. Exclusively pedophilic men showed the strongest accumulation of early sexual experiences and behaviors. Implications of the findings for theory and risk assessment are discussed.

scholarly journals Friend or Patron? Social Relations Across the National NGO–Donor Divide in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kumi ◽  
James Copestake
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Professional Norms ◽  
Informal Relations

AbstractThe article examines the institutions governing relations between grant using national NGOs and grant giving international donors in three regions of Ghana (Upper West, Northern and Greater Accra Region). Formal procedural rules and professional norms can be viewed as necessary to minimise opportunities for informal patronage, rent-seeking and corruption made possible by the unequal access to resources. However, semi-structured interviews, life histories and observation highlight the positive role informal networks, connections, personal contacts and friendship play in enhancing collaboration between donors and national NGOs. Friendships originating in kinship and ethnicity, school links and past collaboration offer opportunities for influencing and resource mobilisation, but can also weaken NGO sustainability. Informal contacts and face-to-face interactions also build trust and strengthen lines of accountability, with non-adherence to shared norms resulting in sanctions and reputation loss. These findings affirm the positive role of informal relations, and highlight how they can complement formal rules and professional norms governing NGO–donor relations rather than undermining them. It throws a very different light on the role of informal institutions than that fostered by a discourse of clientelism and provides a more nuanced conceptual foundation for assessing ‘formalisation’ as a normative strategy.

scholarly journals Car Use of the Carless in Sweden: Everyday Life Conditions for Reducing Car Dependence

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10250
Author(s):  
Ellen Lagrell ◽  
Ana Gil Solá
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Time Geography ◽  
Car Use ◽  
Low Degree ◽  
Trip Frequency ◽  
Private Car ◽  
Do So

For the sake of reducing car dependence, much can be learned from non-car owners about how everyday life can, and cannot, be organized without private car ownership. This study aims to explore carless mobility, including the role of the car, in relation to specific everyday projects and life situations. We do so through a descriptive analysis of data from the Swedish National Travel Survey 2011–2016, comparing carless mobility with that of car owners. Theoretically, our analysis builds on a constraints perspective with respect to mobility, which is rooted in time geography. We find that the constraints associated with activities and life situations seem to matter for how mobility is performed and for the feasibility of living a carless life. Managing the material flows of the household (for example, buying food and disposing of waste) is a project handled differently by non-car owners, through using nearby services and with a low degree of car use. On the other hand, our data suggest that maintaining social relations is car dependent and can potentially be more problematic for the carless. Moreover, an individual’s social network itself seems to be an important source of occasional car access. Results also indicate that the life situations of individuals may affect the mobility implications of carlessness, and the largest effect on trip frequency is found among carless retirees. From a planning perspective, and with the ambition to reduce private car use, this study identifies significant value in considering the different contexts of everyday life in which car use may or may not occur.

Circulating Food and Relationships: the Movement of Food (and Other Things) Between Brazilians in Boston and Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-76
Author(s):  
Viviane Kraieski de Assunção
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Class Relations ◽  
Migration Process ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Place Of Origin ◽  
Gender Power ◽  
Brazilian Immigrants

Abstract: In 2009, I conducted fieldwork about the culinary practices of Brazilian immigrants in Greater Boston, USA. I assume that food is a good way to understand the migration process, because it is related to the construction of ethnic and national identity, as well as gender, power and class relations. In this article, I emphasize that food is used by Brazilian immigrants in Greater Boston to strengthen social relations with family members and relatives who stayed in Brazil. There is a circulation of many types of goods, such as laptops, computers and cosmetics, between the participants of social networks in the USA and Brazil. In this flow, I highlight the role of food, that maintains through its sensuality (specially smell and taste) the connection of the immigrants with their place of origin.

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