Acta Sociologica recent issues

Order in Garment Markets

Aspers, P. — 2008-08-21

The purpose of this theoretical article is to analyse the social construction of order in two connected markets in the production flow of the global garment industry. The consumer market is identified as a status market, while the production market is defined as a `standard' market. In a `status' market, order is maintained because the identities of actors on both sides of the market are ranked according to status, which is a more entrenched social construction than the commodity traded in the market. In a market characterized by `standard', the situation is the reverse: the commodity is a more entrenched social construction than the identity rankings of actors in the market. The study ties together consumption and production of garments through several markets.

A Sociology of Scandal and Moral Transgression: The Swedish `Nannygate' Scandal

Jacobsson, K., Lofmarck, E. — 2008-08-21

In this article, we use the case of a government scandal in Sweden to develop a theoretical perspective by which to understand the moral nature of political scandals. We draw on insights from Durkheim's sociology of morality and point, inter alia, to the ritual character of scandals. However, in contrast to most Durkheimian readings, the perspective presented does not presume the existence of a moral consensus. The scandal is understood as a confrontation between various systems of norms. Rather than confirming a given moral order, scandals provoke moral positioning and help in clarifying — and dramatizing — lines of difference or conflict. The empirical case studied is a government scandal in Sweden in 2006 (Nannygate) that forced two government ministers to resign after less than 10 days in office when it was revealed that they had not paid their TV licence and, moreover, had bought `black' (untaxed) services. This transgression provoked a massive public reaction at the time.

Do Large Sibships Really Lead to Lower Educational Attainment?: New Evidence from Quasi-Experimental Variation in Couples' Reproductive Capacity

Jaeger, M. M. — 2008-08-21

The Resource Dilution Hypothesis and related theories predict that sibship size has a negative causal effect on educational attainment. However, because sibship size is likely to be endogenous to children's schooling in the sense that parents who have many children also have other socio-economic characteristics that lead to low educational attainment, it is difficult to determine if sibship size actually has a negative effect on educational attainment or whether the effect is spurious. This article deals with the endogeneity problem by using mothers' and fathers' inherited reproductive capacity as a `natural' experiment which affects sibship size but which, arguably, has no direct effect on children's educational attainment. I analyse data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and use information on mothers' and fathers' sibship sizes and age at birth of first child as instruments for sibship size. After correcting for endogeneity, I find that sibship size has a negative causal effect on educational attainment.

Many-Voiced or Unisono?: An Inquiry into Motives for Attendance and Aesthetic Dispositions of the Audience Attending Classical Concerts

Roose, H. — 2008-08-21

In this article, I analyse empirically whether the audience attending classical concerts can be subdivided into three segments — following the lead of Howard Becker's Art Worlds (1984). Moreover, I investigate how far these groups have different aesthetic dispositions towards classical music. Based on an extensive audience survey in five institutions staging both symphonic and chamber music in Flanders, Belgium (2005), three groups are distinguished based on the frequency of attendance: the passers-by, the interested participants and the inner circle. It is found that these segments differ in socio-demographic composition, have different motives for attendance and have different aesthetic dispositions towards classical music. Yet, all segments share the wish to be emotionally moved and affected by music. Implications for cultural policy and marketing the arts are discussed.

Book Review: Tim Newton Nature and Sociology London: Routledge, 2007, 212 pp

Blok, A. — 2008-08-21

Book Review: Bengt Furaker, Kristina Hakansson and Jan Ch. Karlsson (eds) Flexibility and Stability in Working Life Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, 239 pp

Dex, S. — 2008-08-21

Book Review: Peter Taylor-Gooby and Jens Zinn (eds) Risk in Social Sciences Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, 292 pp

Rolandsson, B. — 2008-08-21

Book Review: Deborah Chambers New Social Ties: Contemporary Connection in a Fragmented Society London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, 216 pp

Sellerberg, A.-M. — 2008-08-21

Book Review: Craig Phelan (ed.) The Future of Organised Labour: Global Perspectives Bern: Peter Lang, 2006, 404 pp

Thornqvist, C. — 2008-08-21

Incoming Books for Review

2008-08-21

To Study or Not to Study Religion and Society: The Institutionalization, Fragmentation and Marginalization of Sociology of Religion in Finland

Hjelm, T. — 2008-06-03

In the work of many of the classics of sociology, religion plays a major role. In post-World War II sociology, however, the study of religion gradually ended up in a marginal position. This article discusses the status of the sociological study of religion in Finland from the post-war period to the present. The focus in the article is on the institutional evolution of the field and the influence of that evolution on the role of the sociology of religion within Finnish sociology. Finnish sociology of religion is divided into three categories: studies carried out in sociology departments, sociological studies carried out within religious studies and church and social studies. The article examines the development and characteristics of each of these disciplines as well as the consequences of institutional scattering for the sociology of religion. The aversion of religion within sociology, the focus on folklore in religious studies and the public identification of church sociology with theology are identified as the reasons for the marginal position of the sociology of religion in Finland. The article closes with a review of recent studies in the sociology of religion and the `new rise' of the field due to the rise in the societal significance of religion.

Social Participation Revisited: Disentangling and Explaining Period, Life-Cycle and Cohort Effects

van Ingen, E. — 2008-06-03

In this analysis of formal and informal social participation in the Netherlands between 1975 and 2000, period, life-cycle and cohort effects are disentangled and the factors that could have driven these changes are examined. Use of diary data enables an assessment of four types of social participation: formal involvement in associations, maintenance of informal contacts within the home and outside the home, and distant social contacts. Our results indicate that several changes have been taking place. A large decrease (of approximately 3 hours per week between 1980 and 2000) is found in the time people spend on social activities within the home (consisting mainly of paying visits and receiving visitors). This trend is connected with increases in work and television watching. Other changes manifest themselves as cohort differences. While younger cohorts reflect considerably less activity in formal participation, they spend more time on informal social activities outside the home. Decreasing levels of religiosity play a role with respect to both trends.

Distributive Justice and CEO Compensation

Jasso, G., Meyersson Milgrom, E. M. — 2008-06-03

This article develops a framework for studying individuals' ideas about what constitutes just compensation for chief executive officers (CEOs) and reports estimates of just CEO pay and the principles guiding ideas of justice. The sample consists of students pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Sweden and the United States. The framework, based on justice theory and making use of Rossi's factorial survey method, enables assessment of ideas of fairness in CEO compensation, including (1) the just CEO compensation, in the eyes of each observer; (2) the principles of microjustice — observers' ideas about `who should get what' based on characteristics of CEOs and their firms; and (3) principles of macrojustice — ideas about the just level and dispersion in compensation across all CEOs. Our estimates yield the following main results: First, there is broad agreement on the median just CEO compensation but substantial inter-individual variation in the principles of microjustice and the other principles of macrojustice. Second, there is remarkable similarity in the distributions of the principles of microjustice and macrojustice across the MBA groups. Other important results include a pervasive gender attentiveness among MBA students and tolerance for large variability in CEO pay.

Individual-Level Determinants of Social Capital in Europe: Differences between Country Groups

Kaasa, A., Parts, E. — 2008-06-03

This article investigates the effect that various individual-level determinants have on social capital, this in order to find out whether there are differences between transition and non-transition countries in Europe. The novelty lies in more comprehensive sets of both the determinants and the dimensions of social capital covered. Data from the World Values Survey of 31 European countries (including 16 transition countries) are analysed. Based on estimates of the measurement and structural model of all countries individually, the countries are clustered within three groups to facilitate comparison of transition and non-transition countries. In contrast to previous results, the findings of this study provide support for the argument that the sources of social capital are remarkably different between transition and non-transition countries. Moreover, the results indicate that subgroups have to be distinguished within both of these country groups.

Book Review: Donald MacKenzie, Fabian Muniesa and Lucia Siu(eds) Do Economists Make Markets? On the Performativity of Economics: Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2007, 373 pp

Aspers, P. — 2008-06-03

Book Review: Craig Calhoun(ed.) Sociology in America: A History: Chicago, IL and London: University of Chicago Press, 2007, 880 pp

Daye, C. — 2008-06-03

Book Review: Anthony Giddens Europe in the Global Age: Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007, 246 pp

Manson, P. — 2008-06-03

Book Review: Mathieu Deflem (ed.) Sociologists in a Global Age. Biographical Perspectives: Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007, 288 pp

Roos, J.P. — 2008-06-03

Book Review: Stein Ringen What Democracy Is For: On Freedom and Moral Government: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, 319 pp

Svallfors, S. — 2008-06-03

Incoming Books for Review

2008-06-03

Scientific Productivity, Web Visibility and Citation Patterns in Sixteen Nordic Sociology Departments

Aaltojarvi, I., Arminen, I., Auranen, O., Pasanen, H.-M. — 2008-04-01

Science is being published increasingly on the web. In this article, we explore how Nordic sociology is represented on Google Scholar (GS), what its output and impact is, and what factors explain it. Our data consist of faculty in 16 Nordic sociology departments in March 2005. The distribution of their publications and citations is skewed. Thirteen per cent of scholars do not appear on GS, whereas only 15 per cent have more than 5 publications. Of scholars with at least 1 publication (n = 240), 75 per cent have at most 10 citations. Both the number of web hits (web visibility) and citations are influenced by the gender of the faculty member, type and age of publication. Web visibility, citations and position are mutually reinforcing. Departmental effect is greater in web visibility than citations. International publications have started to dominate the social sciences, international monographs being particularly frequently cited. The remaining salience of books shows that sociology is still a distinct form of knowledge. The exclusive use of refereed articles and direct comparisons with the natural sciences ignore important aspects of the social sciences. In all, while GS produces findings similar to those in citation databases such as the SSCI, some systematic differences exist. No individual method for measuring scientific output is objective.

Perceptions of the Causes of Poverty in Finland

Niemela, M. — 2008-04-01

The issue of what people consider as reasons for living in poverty is often neglected in the literature on poverty. Studies of public perceptions are needed both on academic grounds and in terms of policy-making processes. In this article, I study three different meanings of poverty: the individualistic, the fatalistic and the structural. I explore whether different meanings can be attributed to specific socio-demographic characteristics, economic circumstances and attitudes towards the welfare state. The data derive from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Finland in 2005 and the results indicate that there is strong consensus in the Finnish population on the causes of poverty. Finns are more likely to blame the flaws and inadequacies of the labour market than the behaviour of individuals or societal injustice. In other words, structural explanations of poverty have the greatest support. However, fatalistic explanations are also supported, since a considerable proportion of people regard bad luck and lack of opportunities as reasons for poverty. Applied multivariate analysis indicates that perceptions of the causes of poverty are at least to some extent related to socio-demographic characteristics, economic circumstances and attitudes to the welfare state. However, the effects, as well as the group differences, are small.

Voluntary Social Work as a Paradox

la Cour, A., Hojlund, H. — 2008-04-01

This article is written as an invitation to sociologists to rethink the concept of voluntary social work. Rather than comprehensive theory, it is an essay seeking to explore new ways of perceiving voluntary social effort. Voluntary work has traditionally been defined according to whether or not the subject of the study is organized and unpaid. However, these formal measures overlook the fact that much voluntary work is provided by people who do not fit the categories, and they fail to recognize the special nature of voluntary social work. In this article, we employ the works of the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann to examine what happens when voluntary social work is constructed as a particular form of care work. In this perspective, all care work is formed in the context of opposing expectation structures, and voluntary work is no exception. On the one hand, we have the expectation structures of the persons involved in care; on the other, the expectations of the administrative system and the political, juridical and economic layers of organization. Our assertion is that voluntary social work is fundamentally paradoxical in nature, and is formed as an impossible compromise between interactional and organizational logic. The question is not how to resolve or dissolve this paradox, but how to render it productive as a certain tension in the opportunity for voluntary work. Before we elaborate this thesis further, however, we briefly outline the background of social work and the reason why, today, it is followed especially closely by the state. This means looking at the way in which the couplings between welfare practice and voluntary work have traditionally been defined. While the article refers only to Danish social policy, very similar tendencies can be observed in many other Western welfare societies (see, for example, Wolch, 1990; Smith and Lipsky, 1993; Eikaas, 2001; Lynn, 2002; Reisch and Sommerfeld, 2003).

Terrorism and Everyday Life in Beirut 2005: Mental Reconstructions, Precautions and Normalization

Borell, K. — 2008-04-01

Although the psychological stress created by terror has been extensively researched, little has been written about the subjective experience of living with terror. How do people perceive risk and how do they adjust their daily lives? The Lebanese capital Beirut suffered from a wave of bomb attacks following the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on 14 February 2005. In order to examine people's reactions and ways of coping with these events, 14 focus group interviews (n = 77) were conducted in targeted areas. The findings suggest that Beirutis could no longer rely on the taken-for-granted routines of daily life. By changing their routes to school or work and avoiding public places, they restricted their daily activities. However, the data also suggest that targeted people attempted to normalize their everyday lives. Two strategies were employed. The first can be described as bracketing in time and space, which means that people tried to benefit from periods they perceived as moments of reprieve, and that they defined business and private space as safe havens. Bracketing can also be described as re-normalization, i.e. as an attempt to return to the previous state of `normality'. The other strategy can be described as crisis normalization and means that the new evaluations of the risks and new patterns of action adopted, which originally deviated from people's established routines, themselves became routinized.

Book Review: Theodor Geiger Gesamtausgabe, Abteilung IV, Band 2. Die Klassengesellschaft im Schmelztiegel: Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2006, 287 pp

Borch, C. — 2008-04-01

Book Review: Wilson Carey McWilliams (ed.) The Active Society Revisited: Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006, 352 pp

Bosch, R. — 2008-04-01

Book Review: Stefan Svallfors (ed.) The Political Sociology of the Welfare State: Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2007, 312 pp

Castles, F. — 2008-04-01

Book Review: Keith Tester and Michael Hviid Jacobsen Bauman After Postmodernity: Critical Appraisals, Conversations and Annotated Bibliography 1989--2005: Aalborg: Aalborg University Press, 2007, 386 pp

Gardiner, M. E. — 2008-04-01

Book Review: Jocelyne Cesari When Islam and Democracy Meet. Muslims in Europe and the United States: New York: Palgrave/Macmillan, 2006, 280 pp

Ozdalga, E. — 2008-04-01

Incoming Books for Review

2008-04-01

Does Social Assistance Recipiency Influence Unemployment?: Macro-level Findings from Sweden in a Period of Turbulence

Brannstrom, L., Stenberg, S.-A. — 2007-11-13

Has the frequency of unemployment a tendency to increase the number of social assistance recipients, or does the relationship work the other way round? This article utilizes Swedish monthly data on aggregated open unemployment and means-tested social assistance recipiency in the period 1991—2004 and proposes a multiple time-series approach based on vector error-correction modelling in order to distinguish between theories about the direction of influence. First, we show that rates of unemployment and receipt of social assistance are co-integrated. Second, we demonstrate that adjustments to the long-run equilibrium are made through adjustments to the receipt of means-tested social assistance. This indicates that the frequency of social assistance recipiency reacts to changes in unemployment rather than vice versa. It is also shown that lagged changes in the number of social assistance recipients do not predict changes in rates of unemployment in the short term. Together, these findings demonstrate that the number of social assistance recipients does not increase the number of unemployed.

Changes in the Practice of Eating: A Comparative Analysis of Time-Use

Warde, A., Cheng, S.-L., Olsen, W., Southerton, D. — 2007-11-13

This article examines changes in aspects of the eating habits of the populations of five countries between the early 1970s and the end of the 1990s. Time-use diary data provide the main evidence, which is subjected to techniques of statistical description and regression analysis. The study of France, UK, USA, Norway and the Netherlands shows considerable national variation in patterns of food preparation, eating at home and eating out. Each of these components of the practice of eating is examined for indications of whether there are any tendencies towards dedifferentiation within countries or convergence across countries. There are some common patterns across countries, notably a decline in the amount of time devoted to food preparation. Time spent on eating at home reduces in all countries except France. In the USA, time devoted to domestic food preparation and consumption is minimal. Internal differentiation shows continuities — of gender divisions and age-related behaviour — but also new emergent tendencies — with the presence of children and levels of cultural capital becoming significant predictors of behaviour. It is maintained that the analysis of time-use provides a useful framework for comparing practices in different countries and that the variation revealed might best be understood in terms of different modes of institutionalization of consumption.

Redistribution and Ethnic Diversity in the Netherlands: Accommodation, Denial and Replacement

De Zwart, F., Poppelaars, C. — 2007-11-13

Redistributive policies concerning migrants in The Netherlands bear a striking degree of ethnic specificity. This characteristic seems to follow from the doctrine `integration with maintenance of own culture' that has long informed Dutch minority policies. However, both central and local governments stopped subscribing to this doctrine at least a decade ago, while ethnically specific policy arrangements have continued to grow. This article explains the anomaly from an administrative mechanism: the logic of categorization for policy-making contradicts the logic of policy implementation. The use of what we call `replacement categories' creates an administrative opportunity structure that unintentionally promotes ethnic fragmentation. We examine the workings of this mechanism in a case study of minority policy in The Netherlands.

Breaking Up the Different Constituting Parts of Ethnicity: The Case of Young Somalis in Norway

Fangen, K. — 2007-11-13

How do young Somalis in Norway conceptualize their sense of position and belonging? How do they relate to different entities such as Norway, Somalia, the Somali community in Norway and friends from different ethnic groups? I discuss young Somalis' narratives of location in light of debates in contemporary identity theory. The article is a case study of five young Somalis who were part of a sample of 40 Somalis interviewed during the period 2003—2007.

Class Origin Effects on Downward Career Mobility in Sweden 1982 2001

Bihagen, E. — 2007-11-13

This article sheds light on the impact of class origin on career mobility by focusing on downward mobility from the so-called Service I class, which is the most privileged class of employees within the EGP (Erikson—Goldthorpe—Portocarero) class schema. A substantial proportion of the incumbents within Service I originate from the working class. It could be assumed that these people would experience higher levels of downward career mobility. Using Swedish survey data with panels covering the time period 1982 to 2001, this hypothesis receives support for women but not for men. A lower level of educational attainment characteristic of people originating in the working class seems to explain part, but not all, of the association between class origin and downward career mobility. An explanation is suggested based on the assumption of different responses to the problem of combining family and working life for women with different class origins.

Review Essay Mobile Communication Society?

Arminen, I. — 2007-11-13

Book Review: Rosemary Crompton Employment and the Family. The Reconfiguration of Work and Family Life in Contemporary Societies Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, 252 pp

Bjornberg, U. — 2007-11-13

Book Review: Donatella Della Porta, Abby Peterson and Herbert Reiter (eds) The Policing of Transnational Protest Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006, 213 pp

McCarthy, J. D. — 2007-11-13

Incoming Books for Review

2007-11-13