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Copyright of Medieval Archaeology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge 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.)

In the context of globalising higher education (HE) policies, there is an increasing interest among scholars in detecting patterns of policy change, including the rate and magnitude of policy change and the direction of change (convergence or divergence) This paper adds to that literature by comparing the pattern of policy change and by providing theory-based explanations for HE policy change. The national quality assurance (QA) policies for universities in England and the Netherlands were compared (1985–2005) based on an analytical framework drawing on new institutionalism. Key findings were that both QA systems moved in the direction of an extrinsic QA orientation, but the differences between the two systems were larger in 2005 and in 1985. The degree of policy change in England was more incremental, the Dutch case showing rather radical change in 2002. These dissimilarities can be ascribed to the different policy change mechanism: bricolage and translation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to fill an important gap in cross-national comparison conducted by a solo-researcher through an example of a three-nation study of the long-term care of older people, in order to make transparent some of the key issues—time and space, comparability, culture and language—involved in the practical implementation of cross-national qualitative research. It is argued that cross-national comparison is very demanding in terms of language skills, cultural understanding, resources and time to provide a rigorous comparative instrument and outcome. Key approaches that address challenges for solo-researchers are: careful attention to geographical location and flexibility in timetable and programmes for gathering data; employment of multi-disciplinary knowledge to address the complexity of the research topic; application of a multi-method and multi-layer approach in data collection and analysis; recognition of the caring culture; and sensitivity of national as well as local language. In contrast to the challenges, the paper concludes with an analysis of the added value of solo-researcher activity in cross-national research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports some of the findings from a four-year funded comparative research project into state policy on separate schools for religious minorities in England and the Netherlands. The project focuses on two religious groups—evangelical Christians and Muslims. In both countries there has been a recent growth in the number of schools run by both religious groups. In the Netherlands there are now more than 30 Muslim schools fully-funded by the state, while in England there is a larger number, but only four are state-funded. The majority are fee paying private schools. Similarly, in both countries there has been a recent growth in the number of schools run by evangelical Christians. In the Netherlands these schools are again fully funded by the state while, in England, none of about 60 evangelical Christian schools is funded. This paper presents a framework for the comparison and evaluation of policies on separate religious schools, and discusses some of the wider implications of the differences between the policies of the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is a growing consensus worldwide that palliative care needs to be both more inclusive of conditions other than cancer and to improve. This paper explores some common challenges currently faced by professionals providing palliative care for patients with either cancer or dementia across five countries. Method: One focus group (n = 7) and 67 interviews were conducted in 2012 across five countries: England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway, with professionals from dementia, cancer and palliative care settings. Results: The interviews revealed five common challenges faced across the five countries: communication difficulties (between services; and between professionals, and patients and their families); the variable extent of structural/functional integration of services; the difficulties in funding of palliative care services; problematic processes of care (boundaries, definitions, knowledge, skills and inclusiveness) and, finally, time constraints. Conclusion: These are not problems distinct to palliative care, but they may have different origins and explanations compared to other areas of health care. This paper explored deeper themes hidden behind a discourse about barriers and facilitators to improving care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to promote efficiency and consumer choice, many governments in Europe have in recent years required social housing organisations to be more market-orientated and competitive. Competition, however, is being discussed and implemented without any detailed examination of what is meant by the term 'competition' outside a conventional 'market', as is the case in social housing. It is not clear what exactly is meant by competition and this paper therefore focuses on the question of how competition can be operationalised and how it can be measured in practice. This paper concentrates on social housing in England and the Netherlands: two countries where competition in social housing is an issue. These two countries also have different social housing models. For both countries, we build on an evaluative framework based on the economic concepts of rivalry, risk and choice and then analyse the data to establish whether competition can be measured in a convincing way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article enquires about why some countries have specialised their further education provision more than others, focusing on three types of specialisation: by subject, by geographical area and by age group. The article proposes an analytical framework to understand the drivers for further education provider specialisation, based on four variables: inputs to the further education system, regulatory framework, demand and supporting clusters. It then applies this framework to review the experience of Germany, New Zealand and the Netherlands in recent years. Drawing on this review, the last section of the paper provides some lessons for England and issues for further debate. It is concluded that the model proposed helps to explain the evolution of provider specialisation in the countries covered and that the UK's current specialisation profile suggests that greater efforts should be made to increase geographical specialisation, whereas action in stimulating further specialisation by subject and age group should be subject to caveats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides the outcomes of two small-scale sets of interviews carried out in the Netherlands and in England on views about and interpretations of the work-based route for young people. In the light of current revival of interest in work-based learning for young people, and in particular the apprenticeship model in England, I was particularly interested in the issue of parity of esteem between the work-based route and other routes. Whereas in the Netherlands the focus for the development of Vocational Education and Training (VET) is on the full-time vocational route, which has a reasonably high status, England has opted for the apprenticeship route to be the development tool for high quality VET. The paper explores what we can learn about our own experiences in England in the light of what is happening elsewhere (Raffe, 1998; Raffe et al ., 1999). It becomes clear from the data obtained that policy development in the Netherlands aims to increase the status of work-based learning through incorporating the route into the full-time route and providing end qualifications that can be achieved through either a full-time college-based route or through a work-based learning route. The modern apprenticeship route or work-based learning route as such has not a high status, contrary to what is sometimes claimed to be the case. In England, the aim of policymakers is to create a work-based learning route, which is considered to be a high quality route, and is comparable to the general/academic route. The paper shows that there are various reasons as to why this attempt might fail. Both countries aim to provide a 'ladder' or 'column' of opportunities in VET. The research shows that very few young people in fact move up a ladder, but rather move into work-based learning or apprenticeships at certain points on the continuum, and subsequently move sideways into general or theoretical provision in order to be able to progress higher up. Target groups for work-based learning are different at the lower end from those at levels 3, 4 and 5. Very few participants in either country move from level 1 up to level 4 through participation in a work-based route, and it may therefore be appropriate to talk about the provision of a climbing framework, where young people move backwards and forwards and sideways, rather than about a ladder of opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the children's channel output of the US transnationals in Germany, Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands, and seeks to identify the specific factors that determine and shape their programming strategies linked to localisation. The analysis is based on a 2-week analysis of the schedules of some of the most popular transnational children's channels (Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, Nick Junior) and key public service children's channels, as well as analysis of national TV markets and regulatory frameworks. The paper demonstrates the degree to which US transnationals are likely to adapt their offerings to meet different local circumstances, depending on a variety of connected market, regulatory and cultural factors, and points in particular to the importance of the broader institutional, policy and regulatory context in influencing the programming strategies of transnational players. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The management of Natura 2000 sites faces several challenges. Responsible authorities need to achieve specific conservation objectives and they need to balance these objectives with social and economic interests. A study of two cases, one in England and one in the Netherlands, shows that the initial choices about the organisation of a deliberative planning process can create a solid basis for further co-operation. This paper contributes to the knowledge about the design and consequences of deliberative planning processes. It shows how a specific process design can strengthen the possibilities to develop social capital, trust and reciprocity, but also how it can result in a deliberative quicksand, characterised by ongoing discussions and even conflicts between the various stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent decades have seen a growing 'pluralisation' of policing providers and authorisers in liberal democracies (Crawford 2003, Johnston and Shearing 2003). Some have interpreted this as part of a major transformation of policing in western liberal democracies that reflects fundamental shifts in the nature of governance (Bayley and Shearing 1996, 2001). Others have stressed continuities with the recent history of policing and the persistence of significant national and local differences in policing structures (Jones and Newburn 2002, Ferret 2004). These discussions have some parallels with wider debates about convergence and divergence in penality and the ways in which structural and cultural shifts influence policy developments across different societies (Garland 2001). We here examine recent changes in policing within two EU countries - Britain and the Netherlands. This paper discusses areas of similarity and difference in plural policing developments, and speculates about what factors might explain these. There is evidence of structural and cultural shifts working to shape policing in similar ways, but also of the mediating influence of distinctive national and local political institutions and cultures. These particular contexts provide possibilities for the resistance and re-shaping of global forces, as well as provide a framework for the emergence of distinct policy innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings about placement questions relevant to disability in education. It is part of a larger international study of the perspectives of 132 education practitioners and administrators in England, the USA and The Netherlands to several dilemmas of difference. Participants were interviewed about their perspectives to a presented placement dilemma about the consequences of having inclusive/separate placements for children with more severe disabilities/special educational needs. The data are presented in quantitative terms (degrees of recognition and resolution of dilemma) and qualitative terms (reasons, justifications and suggested resolutions). The findings show the continued recognition of this dilemma and commonalities in the resolution of the dilemma across the countries. Variations in responses to the dilemmas that relate to national differences are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the findings from a survey of over 400 young people in metropolitan areas in the Netherlands and England concerning their views on identity and school history. The research explored pupils’ ideas about which facets of history were of interest to them, what history they believed should be taught in schools, and their views on the purposes of school history and history in general. The coding of the data made it possible to delineate between those from different ethnic minority backgrounds, boys and girls, age and level of education and first or second generation of migration. The study revealed significant differences between young people's ideas about history and identity, and those advanced by politicians and policy makers in the Netherlands, England and elsewhere. The concluding section of the paper considers the implications of the findings for policy makers in the field of history education in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the function of protected nature in rural living environments is discussed in relation to residential choice, appreciation of the residential environment and rural development policy. In five case studies a comparison is made between the situation of protected natural areas in the Netherlands, England and Spain. The research results show that protected natural areas are an increasingly popular endogenous quality of rural regions as they have the ability to influence the residential choice and satisfaction of households. Therefore, they have not only become an important driving factor in the attraction of residential and other consumption-orientated activities towards rural areas but also need to be considered in policy formulation. After all, choices have to be made when different functions need to be combined in rural areas. Different activities may have both positive and negative effects on each other and regulatory measures are needed to tune their co-existence. For a sustainable and balanced development of rural areas it is therefore very important to create basic conditions that will make the combination of activities possible within the specific national and regional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality Symptom Rating Scale (CAPP SRS) is a relatively new measure of psychopathic personality disorder (PPD) based on the CAPP concept map of psychopathy. To investigate the CAPP SRS, we identified the most plausible formal test structure for the test using the framework proposed by Slaney and Maraun, identified an appropriate quantitative characterization of that test structure, and then statistically evaluated it based on analysis of CAPP SRS data collected from a multisite sample of 314 adult male correctional offenders and secure hospital patients in Scotland and England. Overall, the CAPP SRS survived falsification when observed test data were compared to expectations based on the unidimensional monotone latent variable or UMLV model of Holland and Rosenbaum. CAPP SRS composite scores calculated consistent with the UMLV model had good measurement precision and good external validity with respect to scores on an established test of PPD. The findings provide provisional support for the test validity of the CAPP SRS and highlight the importance of theory-driven evaluations of test validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge 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.)

An international research collaboration answered, “Can equity in perinatal health for migrant women be measured for comparison across countries?” In nine countries, perinatal databases were assessed for the availability of equity indicators. Equity data were also sought from women and health records. Optimal sources of data differed depending on the migrant perinatal health equity indicator. Health and migration data, required to capture equity, were often not reported in the same location. Migration indicators other than country of birth were underreported. Perinatal health equity can be measured for international comparisons, although a standardized protocol is required to capture all indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: In a previous study, we demonstrated that narratives containing direct speech constructions were easier to comprehend than narratives with indirect speech constructions for Dutch listeners with and without aphasia. There were two possible explanations for this finding: either that direct speech has increased liveliness compared to indirect speech or that direct speech is less grammatically complex. Aims: This study aimed to provide further insight into the mechanisms underlying the differences between direct and indirect speech constructions on discourse comprehension in Dutch. More specifically, it aimed to examine the role that the grammatical characteristics of direct and indirect speech play in discourse comprehension success by comparing English- and Dutch-speaking individuals with and without aphasia. Methods & Procedures: An English version of the Dutch iPad-based Direct Speech Comprehension (DISCO) test was developed. Twenty individuals with aphasia and 19 neurologically healthy control participants were presented with spoken narratives that contained either direct or indirect speech constructions. Their performance was compared to that of the participants of the Dutch DISCO study. To assess the effect of language on performance, we conducted a single analysis in which we contrasted the English data with the Dutch data. Outcomes & Results: Control participants performed better than participants with aphasia; English-speaking participants performed worse than Dutch participants, and narratives containing direct speech were easier to comprehend than narratives with indirect speech constructions. However, a subsequent analysis including only individuals with aphasia showed that the Dutch group differed from the English-speaking group: direct speech was only beneficial for the Dutch participants with aphasia. Conclusions: This study expanded on the findings of a previous study, in which a facilitating effect of direct over indirect speech constructions for audiovisual discourse comprehension was found. The differential effects of direct speech on comprehension in Dutch and English showed that rather than one or other explanation being “correct”, both liveliness and grammatical characteristics play a role in discourse comprehension success. Grammatically less complex constructions (direct speech) are not necessarily always easier to comprehend than grammatically more complex constructions (indirect speech) for individuals with aphasia. In our study grammatically simple constructions introduced grammatical ambiguity and therefore possible interpretation difficulties for the English-speaking participants with aphasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Careers work is a very political business. Since the early 1990s, successive governments in England and the Netherlands have persistently challenged those working in the careers sector to demonstrate the educational, social and economic value and impact of their work. In this context, the marketisation of career guidance policies and practices has expanded, with a growing assumption that market-based goods and services ensure greater responsiveness to consumer choice and offer better and/or more innovative services for lower prices. In this article, we do not intend to give a comparison of trends in England and the Netherlands. We only examine the impact of market principles applied to career guidance provision in both countries. Findings indicate such provision for young people is on a steady decline. Lessons learned from these two nations indicate that a market for quality career services does not exist in schools and colleges. As a result, marketisation and privatisation of career services have led to an impoverished and fragmented supply of services. Greater attention by governments in career guidance policies for young people (and adults) is necessary to reduce the widening gap between ‘the haves and have nots’ in society. Failure to reduce labour market mismatch through new forms of careers dialogue is not only damaging and costly for individuals, families and employers, but for the taxpayer too. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previous research on football (soccer) fan cultures has documented the lived experiences of devoted football supporters. Few studies, however, have used participant observation and intensive interviewing to examine the deep-rooted inter-group oppositions that characterize avid football rivalries. Even fewer have done this involving both sides of a rivalry and in countries and cultures unknown or unfamiliar to the researcher. This essay examines the process of doing qualitative research in such settings. Fieldwork experiences in Italy, Spain, England and the Netherlands are used to report and reflect on the ethical and methodological challenges associated with comparative research into inter-group conflicts in the football context. There are specific dilemmas that relate directly to the task of studying multiple sides of a football rivalry. Accusations of partiality and ethical criticisms of the researcher’s betrayal of one side against the other are rife, particularly in situations where intra-group cleavages and a strong distrust of the police exist. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The management of cities has to address new risks, insecurities and emergencies. In this article we analyse the management of the aftermath of two crises - a tornado that hit a part of Birmingham in the UK, and a fireworks explosion that hit a part of the city of Enschede in The Netherlands - in order to understand how local institutions and communities deal with (sudden) disorder and how they restore social order. We do not see this as 'crisis management', however, as the management of disorder and renewal will be related to the capacity of public management in everyday and orderly circumstances. Cities have to manage dispersed public and private acts, and these may be the sources of both problems and solutions in the face of disorder, depending on how they are inflected. We therefore wonder whether and how cities help constitute public spaces through which publics can be effectively engaged in the process of restoration and renewal. Managerial templates must be made meaningful not only after, but also before, emergencies. This can be done, the case studies show, by investing in local cultures, and by using 'political' intermediaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2003 research was conducted in England (n = 738) to further our understanding of factors that relate to women's longer-term appraisal of their birth experience. Women's appraisals are likely to be influenced by the culture in which they give birth and the predominant norms at that time. To explore this further, the study was replicated in the Netherlands in 2004 (n = 1310), where a culture of birth at home is well established. It was hypothesised that Dutch women who had an emergency caesarean birth would look back more negatively on the experience than their counterparts in England. While there was some support for this hypothesis, more women in the Netherlands were found to look back negatively than women in England irrespective of mode of birth. Binary logistic regression models were constructed for each country and common factors for a negative appraisal were: emergency caesarean and instrumental birth; feeling that the baby's life had been in danger; negative perception of the staff; and major health problems since the birth. Induction of labour and feeling that her own life had been in danger were also predictive of looking back negatively for Dutch women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, teacher educators in the Netherlands and the USA have developed professional standards for their occupational groups... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2002 onwards, initiatives and first steps for the project International Comparative Analysis of Learning and Teaching (ICALT) have been taken by the inspectorates of education in England, Flanders (Belgium), Lower Saxony (Germany) and The Netherlands. The inspectorates of education in these European countries reviewed the results of research on the basic characteristics of good and effective teaching and selected standards and indicators for an observation instrument that could be used to evaluate the quality of teaching. The inspectorates from these countries jointly developed an instrument to observe and analyse the quality of learning and teaching in primary schools. The observation instrument was piloted for reliability and for validity in the four countries. Mathematics lessons in England, Flanders (Belgium), Lower Saxony (Germany) and The Netherlands were observed in 854 classrooms, with children who were about 9 years old when they started the school year. Inspectors in the four countries were trained in the proper use of the observation instrument, and used the instrument during their own inspections or evaluations. This study shows that the quality of teaching in the four countries can be compared in a reliable and valid way as regards five aspects: 'efficient classroom management', 'safe and stimulating learning climate', 'clear instruction', 'adaptation of teaching' and 'teaching-learning strategies'. It is found that only a few percentage points of difference between teachers are due to differences existing in the four countries. Furthermore, it may be concluded that the five aspects of quality of teaching are positively and significantly correlated with pupil involvement, attitude, behaviour and attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative study on higher education funding systems in Netherlands and England. It mentioned that both countries has spent a lower percentage of their gross domestic product on research and teaching in higher education. However, they have different funding systems that could be classified with reference and the choices made by their governments.

The article reports on a study related to the strategy of teaching geography in lower secondary school classes. Some geography teachers from northeast England developed a new strategy to teach lower secondary school students, by instigating them to think through geography. The study carried out in England and the Netherlands showed successful results. The study also showed differences in the results between three Dutch schools. Researchers finally concluded that one of the key factors that has led to the difference, is the role of the teacher.

The article features the change of editorship of the "Key Thinkers for the Information Age" series. Christopher May, a professor at Lancaster University in England, supervised the series on its first years of existence but due to other commitments he was not able to stay on as editor. He examined a broad range of alternative views on the growth and problems of the information society in his stint. The editorship was assumed by Marianne Franklin, a senior lecturer at the University for Humanistics in Netherlands.

Publishing data on individual schools is becoming a common practice in more and more countries. Based on an extensive study of literature and interviews with experts in England, Scotland, The Netherlands, and France, this article reveals that publishing individual school data is not only a contested but also a very complex affair. Different stakeholders may benefit from the availability of individual (comparative) school data under the condition that some prerequisites are met. The publication system must prevent unintended effects from occurring. Additionally, criticisms on existing publication systems should be taken into account. Providing informative, correct, and comparative information is primordial. Value added measurements are explored as a promising approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the second Anglo-Dutch conference that was held in at the John Adams Hall in Endsieigh Street, London, England. There were twenty-five Dutch historians and about the same number of British participants. Numbers were kept down in order to allow the fullest possible discussions in all sessions, and as much personal contact as possible between sessions. It was, by and large, a successful conference in many ways more successful than the first meeting at Amsterdam. For one thing, many delegates from both sides knew each other, and a lot of trouble was taken to make the workshop sessions useful and helpful on a comparative basis. One must not exaggerate this last point: it is always difficult to achieve comparability, not least because of the different historical positions of Greta Britain and the Netherlands in the two wars, including, of course, the occupation of the latter by the Germans in the World War II. As to the composition of the two delegations, that from the Netherlands was still rather over-weighted with members of the professoriate--although less so than in Amsterdam, while the British delegation was both younger and more evenly balanced between the sexes; and it was one of the British women who summed up from the British side in the final plenary session.

The article discusses key issues concerning the sponsoring and development of correspondence courses in the Netherlands and England in 1977. Key issues discussed include the key features of correspondence education, its benefits for those seeking basic qualifications, higher education or knowledge, a comparison of correspondence courses in the two countries, the potential correlation between correspondence courses and occupational advancement and the issues' implications for comparative education.

The article reports on local authority changes in a rural District Council in the south of England, Tilburg City Council in Holland and Cologne City Council in Germany. In England, the centre still retains the primary authority in the financial allocation process. In Cologne, the centre has the major role in both strategic direction and financial allocation decisions. In Tilburg, the centre has networking relationships with its line departments and the system of contracts, performance measurement and output system offers operational freedom for line managers within the broader system of political accountability to the Municipal Board.

A calendar of events for the construction industry from 2009 to 2010 is presented, including 7th Asia Pacific Structural Engineering and Construction Conference 2009 and the 2nd European Asian Civil Engineering Forum in Malaysia, The International Conference Changing Roles: New Roles; New Challenges Industry day and Students Day in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and CIB World Congress 2010 in Salford, England.