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The transnational social networks of migrants are extensively studied, but little is known about the associations between transnational social networks and individual migration trajectories over the course of migrants' lives. In this paper, we reconstruct the migration trajectories and transnational social networks of African migrants until their arrival in Europe and develop a typology that reflects the diversity of their trajectories. Based on unique retrospective life-history data of the MAFE project, our comparative perspective highlights the diversity of African migrants residing in Europe, the routes that they took before arriving in Europe and the types of transnational networks they had before, during and after migrating. Furthermore, we discuss the socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics of migrants within each typology. Consequently, this paper challenges the singular African migration stereotype and draws attention to the associations between transnational social networks and migration trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the middle of the twentieth century, when the European Union (EU) started to take shape, numerous European colonies – many with a significant Muslim population – gained independence. These two moments in history need to be read in relation to each other when thinking about "Islam in Europe". This paper engages in such a relational reading and shifts the analytical focus from "Islam" to "Europe", exploring the ways "EUrope" manifests itself in the city of Brussels. By combining a spatialized analysis of the European Quarter with the conceptual lens of the "palimpsest", I seek to offer a spatiotemporal framing that renders visible the material remains of imperial formations within the fabric of "EUrope". The paper further explores how these often unmarked layers configure EU-space as "white" and Christian, and impact the ways Muslim bodies navigate within the EU-fabric and create counterspaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The works to double the capacity of the Panama Canal were completed in 2016. This may have significant implications on the maritime flows of goods, both locally and on international shipping routes between the US, Asia and Europe. This paper examines the impact of the expanded Panama Canal on potential shifts of cargo flows from different port regions in either the US or Europe via different case studies. The analysis uses a model designed for calculating the generalised cost of transporting a container from origin to destination. This model has been extended with more detailed geographical coverage for the US and additional functionalities. From the different performed case studies, before and after the expansion of the Panama Canal, for cargo flows form the US to Europe, it can be concluded that there is an effect of the new Panama Canal on the port range selection, in both the US and even, to a lesser extent, also in Europe. This article is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled Impact of the new Panama Canal on the competitiveness of the Hamburg - Le Havre range ports presented at the 44th European Transport Conference 2016, 05-07 October, 2016, Barcelona, Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the range of expansion/development/growth pathways (or scaling) that might occur with social innovations, with reference to social innovation in rural areas. It explores the lack of a clear conceptualization of both social innovation as a phenomenon and the possible growth and expansion pathways that might arise. Based on a survey of the diverse literature on the expansion/development/growth pathways of social innovations, and illustrated primarily by European examples, the paper develops a typology built around an attempted synthesis of the extant typologies found in published literature. Different theories of rural development are employed to help explain the divergent development pathways that might be anticipated in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the theoretical and methodological implications of an affective assemblage approach in the study and practice of decolonizing "the University" in Europe. In particular, the analysis aims to better account for the affective dimensions of decolonizing "the University" in Europe, taking into consideration that neither "the University" in Europe assumes a monolithic institution nor "decolonization" constitutes a monolithic project. Although the paper is theoretical, it provides examples of the meaning and function of decolonizing "the University" in various settings within the European higher education context. The paper contributes to the critical problematics of ongoing efforts to decolonize universities in Europe by exploring the prospects of affective assemblages as a working concept that helps education theorists, researchers, and policymakers in European higher education come to terms with both the intellectual and affective demands of decolonization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rayleigh – Schrödinger perturbation series possesses the property that can be termed multiple convergence. This property is that using appropriate multivalued approximants it enables the energy levels of several states to be calculated from the coefficient of a series constructed for one state. This multiple convergence property has been previously demonstrated in a number of papers: for linear anharmonic oscillators (Sergeev and Goodson J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 31 4301 (1998)), for one-dimensional periodic problem (Fernandez and Diaz 2001, Eur. Phys. J. D15 41), for electronic sates of diatomic molecules (Jordan Int. J. Quant. Chem. Symp. 9, 325 (1975); Goodson Mol. Phys. 110, 1681 (2012)) and for vibrational states of formaldehyde (Duchko and Bykov Phys. Scr. 94, 105403, (2019)). In this paper, we examine multiple convergence as applied to the vibrational states of the hydrogen sulphide which exhibits the strong local mode behaviour. We show that property of multiple convergence is connected with the polyad structure of the vibrational energy spectrum and the strength of anharmonic resonance coupling between the states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the theory of integrated gendered work evaluation in public relations (IGWE). It holds that gender inequalities in the workplace are intrinsically linked to work-related evaluations, specifically measured through levels of satisfaction and stress. We theoretically place our proposal in the integrative phase of feminist theory that acknowledges the holistic nature of workers' lives and their commitment to fulfill not only their worker or employer roles but also their commitments to family and communities. The empirical contribution of this paper builds on past debates from two decades ago: the need for research to isolate factors that perpetuate gender discrimination. It explores factors of gender inequalities and conflicts that can affect the work-related evaluation of those people who make up the majority of the industry's employees: female public relations professionals. IGWE theory provides a new way of identifying, contextualizing, theorizing and analyzing how gender discriminations affect work evaluations combining both workplace and private life experiences from an integrated gender perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifications are a basic tool for research, which allow summarizing the diversity of objects in a number of categories that fits the cognitive abilities of the human mind. Their relevance for higher education is emphasized by the differentiation of institutional profiles. Yet, unlike in the US, there is currently no classification of European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper fills this gap by developing a classification of European HEIs, which focuses on differences in activity profiles and subject scope. To this aim, it uses data from an enriched version of the European Tertiary Education Register on a sample of more than 2000 HEIs in a large number of European countries. The classification comprises six classes that occupy distinct positions in a configuration space defined by two dimensions, i.e. research vs. educational orientation and subject specialization. Ex-post analysis shows that classes are identifiable and can be attributed meaningful labels; the class of research universities comprises most European HEIs competing in international rankings, while a class of generalist HEIs with lower research orientation that cuts across the traditional distinction between universities and Universities of Applied Sciences can be distinguished. Furthermore, three classes of specialist HEIs can be identified. The classification provides a meaningful representation of European higher education that is more fine-grained than the distinction between university and non-university sectors while remaining parsimonious. We, finally show how national categories map to the classification, displaying its potential to compare differences in national institutional settings across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional Organizations (ROs) have become a central pillar of governance beyond the nation-state. This paper investigates why European states turned into architects of regional regime complexity: they have created and joined numerous different ROs and equipped them with a broad range of different policy competencies. Thereby, European states – some more than others – have increasingly duplicated identical policy competencies in multiple ROs. The phenomenon is puzzling as it is potentially costly and might undermine the effectiveness of regional cooperation especially if incompatible regional rules trigger non-compliance. Therefore, we ask why states differ in the extent to which they cover identical competencies in different ROs. Drawing on a unique dataset and analyzing cross-sectional temporal variation, we show that both indirect factors, such as late accessions and the number of states in Europe, as well as direct factors, such as state power and democracy, drive regional regime complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoke-Free School Policies (SFSP) are primarily designed to ensure educational spaces remain free of second-hand smoke, whilst contributing to a reduction in adolescent smoking by challenging the practice per se. Evidence regarding the latter goal is inconclusive, however, with most studies suggesting SFSPs are ineffective in reducing smoking prevalence. A dearth of qualitative research limits our understanding of why this inefficacy persists and how it might be addressed. This paper addresses this lacuna through a critical discursive analysis of data from 56 focus groups, generated with adolescents across 17 schools in seven European cities. It reveals that, while smoking is banned on school premises in most European countries, young people experience wide variation in implementation. Despite this, participants framed SFSPs in remarkably similar ways. Among young people most likely to smoke, representations of SFSPs often undermined their efficacy, leading to the displacement of smoking (outside the school grounds) rather than a reduction in prevalence. We argue that, policy effectiveness could be improved if schools worked collaboratively with students to develop positive collective beliefs and understandings about SFSPs, but caution realism about the potentially limited power of schools to reduce adolescent smoking prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamate faunas from the lower Eocene of Europe are rare. A newly discovered lower Eocene (MP 10–11) Cos locality in southwestern France has yielded an assemblage of anguimorph lizards that sheds light on the early evolution of this group. Among them is a new glyptosaurine lizard Sullivania gallica gen. et sp. nov., based on frontal material with a unique pattern and distribution of polygonal osteoderms that is distinct from that of the middle and late Eocene Placosaurus from France. It slightly resembles the stratigraphically older glyptosaurine Gaultia silvaticus from the earliest Eocene of North America, but differs from it in several aspects. Although fossils of some members of Glyptosaurinae (sensu this paper; Glyptosaurini in previous taxonomies—Glyptosaurinae is returned to the family level originally proposed by Marsh) have been documented rarely from the middle and mainly from the late Eocene of Europe, they are virtually unknown from the lower Eocene. One isolated osteoderm is referred only to Anguioidea indet. This specimen resembles osteoderms seen in Anguinae, provided that the absence of tuberclulate ornamentation is not caused by abrasion. Varanoids are represented by an isolated frontal referred to Palaeovaranidae indet. It possesses a complex ornamentation composed of mounds on the dorsal surface. A maxilla is identified as an indeterminate varanoid based on the plicidentine infolding along the bases of the preserved teeth. Although incomplete, this Cos lizard assemblage is an important and rare discovery that provides a glimpse into the ecosystems and paleobiodiversity of the lower Eocene in western Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need to understand the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemics on older people's lives. However, conducting qualitative research is challenging, because of the shortage of guidelines and methodological research on how to recruit and interview participants during biological disasters, such as pandemics. This paper documents the procedures we adopted to recruit and interview 40 older people living in a rural area of Northern Italy that was subject to the first full lockdown in Europe. Despite the challenges arising when qualitatively researching the old age population in pandemic times, our study has shown that it is feasible to recruit and interview older people remotely. Specifically, community engagement and tailoring video-interviews according to older people's needs and ICT skills are the key aspects to consider when designing these types of studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging that the government is a user of social networks may help us to better understand its attempt to regulate them. This paper draws on the French case to show different ways of regulating hate speech online. It then turns to the peculiar case of hate speech expressed by the government. There are good reasons to consider that government hate speech can be restricted in Europe as well as in the United States. Europe and the United States however pull apart when the government regulate the discussion space below its online speech. Here, European governments are under an obligation to fight hate speech, when U.S. government infringes the First Amendment when it attempts to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss the criminalisation of migrant solidarity, intended as practices of resistance to the current regulation and management of borders in Europe. We argue that the target of criminalisation is not simply humanitarian assistance: rather, we propose a differentiation between autonomous solidarity and humanitarianism, arguing that while the first is criminalised, the latter is often complicit in the harms and violence of borders. Drawing on critical humanitarian studies, we argue that autonomous migrant solidarity distinguishes itself from what we address as the 'Humanitarian Industrial Complex' in its active refusal to the legal obligations to control and report undocumented migrants to the authorities; its resistance to the racialised hierarchies entailed by humanitarian aid; as well as in its contestation of the commodification of migrant lives. Rather than 'filling the gaps' of the state or ameliorating borders and their violence, autonomous practices of migrant solidarity seek to 'create cracks' in the smooth operation of border regimes. It is because of their intrinsic character of opposition to both the militarisation of borders and to humanitarian technologies of government, we argue, that autonomous practices of migrant's solidarity are accused of 'facilitating illegal migration' and become the target of state repression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on a recent strand of critical social theory – Sassen's [Expulsions: Brutality and complexity in the global economy. Harvard University Press; At the systemic edge. Cultural Dynamics, 27(1), 173–181] expulsions and systemic edge perspective – to argue that a sociological theory of climate change needs to start from the critical sites where change takes place. To this end, we propose the concept of climate edge as the intersection of accelerating environmental injustices and future climate change vulnerabilities. We use data from the Environmental Justice Atlas and the Climate Adapt platform to select 17 cases that approximate, to various degrees, the climate edge concept. We conclude that these sites deserve closer attention as they signal the transformative potential of long expulsion chains that may define the characteristics of future climate-related conflicts. The climate edge is simultaneously a site of social struggle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015 and 2016, European newspapers covered the Syrian migration into Europe in great detail, describing the path followed by millions of refugees as European authorities put up both physical and metaphorical obstacles to stop their advance. Water metaphors, a common resource in immigration discourse, were extensively used in the media during this period. Apparently neutral, expressions like the flow of refugees or a new wave of immigrants seemed to be devoid of ideological bias, and so an objective, factual way to present the news about it. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the contexts in which water metaphors were used in two ideologically opposed Spanish newspapers in this period. Results show that their descriptive function was surpassed by the evaluative one, as revealed by the high frequency of force dynamic schemas underlying the flow metaphor, the most frequent one in the sample. Negatively charged, the frequent use of flow to refer to Syrian refugees could have affected public opinion on the event. Also, a contrastive analysis suggests that there are subtle differences between the right and the left wing when using these metaphors, but they are not as significant as expected, since both newspapers tend to avoid overt negativity in their discourse on Syrian migration. Considering the relatively small size of the sample, further work needs to be done to confirm these results in the Spanish press and also to extend the analysis to other European media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines “currency chains”—messages and petitions written on paper money—as folkloric expressions and rhetorical acts that critique or commend dominant American public discourse. After a general description of currency chains, it considers two categories in detail. First is the “St. Lazarus” variety that flourished in the United States in the late 1990s, having migrated from Europe. Second are political money chains that engage with a social or political order, often in protest. This article observes the condemnation of currency chains as an irrational phenomenon, and regards them as viable means for often marginalised groups to foster participation in a public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainties and scale of the Covid-19 pandemic has mobilised global anxieties and insecurities, and many cultural groups have conjuncturally embedded conspiracy theories within millennial and apocalyptic thought to explain and find meaning in the pandemic. The apocalypse lends itself well to conspiratorial thinking because conceptually it is flexible enough to reflect any crisis. To this end, the global development of Covid-19 conspiracism is what the authors term 'contagious conspiracism' which is defined as viral global cultural conspiracism. The paper explores how millennialist responses to Covid-19 in various media outlets transcend academic categories of analysis and cultural boundaries between, say, religious and secular, far-right and radical left. First explored is how the crisis became embedded in established (mainly American) contemporary millennial beliefs and prophecies through selected far-right, evangelical and radical left narratives. Second, it is shown how these theories have been 'improvised' to include 5 G and also travelled to Europe and taken on geographical significance in Belfast and Berlin. Third, the authors illustrate the shared ingredients, motivations, and semiotics across apocalyptic conspiratorial Covid-19 narratives, all of which resonate with concerns about power, specifically emergent surveillance technologies, governmental abuse of power, and neoliberal capital, with divergent truths about who is blame from 5 G/vaccine theories to corporate technocapitalism. The paper concludes that these shared discourses across apocalyptic and conspiratorial Covid-19 narratives mean many of us are conspiracists and/or conspiracy theorists at some level and is therefore both revealing of the similarities and has the potential to create democratic constituencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to expand recent interest in the material practices, policy techniques and technopolitics of borders, migration and solidarity initiatives in Europe by connecting this debate to Sloterdijk's spherological philosophy. With his thematization of enclosures, atmospheres, foams and life support Sloterdijk helps us to give a more morphological account of borders. We illustrate the benefits of this move by reflecting on the recent questions of hostile environment and the criminalization of migrant solidarity practices and movements. The paper also highlights certain limitations in Sloterdijk's thoughts, which appear when it is brought into migration research. Arguing that Sloterdijk remains somewhat sedantarist in his approach to atmosphere we introduce a concept of the envelope as a way to foster a more dynamic, agonistic and mobilityfocused conception of enclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe seems deeply divided due to recent crises such as the EURO crisis and the Brexit. Moreover, the EU seems unable to entice its citizens and the construction of a shared European identity seems more distant than ever. Yet, in this paper, I argue that this is testimony to a specific and limited view on European identity construction and focuses solely on the experiences of so-called native Europeans. There are clear indications that a sense of Europeanness is emerging among ethnic minority groups across Europe and that they are becoming key actors in European identity formation. Yet, they are currently rarely acknowledged as such. This paper argues that their identity processes can be understood as strategies by groups that feel excluded from national identities but do (want to) feel at home in 'Europe'. The paper ends with a discussion of the potential opportunities and pitfalls of an 'ambiguous' European identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic, which first impacted European societies in early 2020, has created a twofold crisis by combining a health threat with economic turmoil. While the crisis has affected all European societies very significantly, its impact varies across countries, social groups, and societal domains. In an effort to provide a first overview of the effect of the coronavirus crisis, in this editorial we discuss contributions of 58 papers published as part of this special issue. These early research papers illustrate the varied impact of the pandemic on various areas of social life. The first group of studies in this special issue analyzes the effect of the pandemic on social inequalities with respect to gender, ethnic otherness, education, and work. A second stream of research focuses on the psychological consequences of the pandemic, especially with respect to wellbeing and resilience. Thirdly, the crisis is discussed on a societal level, in regard to welfare states, social policies, and approaches to crisis governance. In a fourth line of inquiry, several studies have analyzed the impact of the pandemic on social solidarity and cohesion. A fifth strand of research is devoted to examining the role of culture and lifestyles. This review ends with a discussion of areas for future research trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to assess to what extent prohibitive drug policies hamper the management of drug problems from the perspective of young people who have experience with the criminal justice systems (CJS). Qualitative, in-depth interviews were carried out in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the UK) following a common interview guide to obtain comparative data on the life trajectories of drug experienced youth. Altogether 198 interviews with people aged 14–25 years were collected and analysed by national teams following a common coding book. Unintended consequences of drug policies for the individual and society were identified. Individual consequences included health consequences and traumatic experiences with law enforcement. Social consequences included those affecting social relations such as stigmatisation and those impacting on institutions, for example, focusing on drug use and neglecting other problems. This paper confirmed earlier research indicating unintended consequences of prohibitive drug policies but also added to the literature its cross-national perspective and use of young people narratives as a source of analyses. There are, however, policy measures available that may reduce the volume and range of unintended effects. Their implementation is crucial to reduce the array of unintended consequences of prohibitive drug policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an investigation into slanted support, an increasingly common method of displaying tapestries in mainland Europe. Two factors contribute to the efficacy of slanted supports for tapestry: the angle of display and the degree of friction between the tapestry and the support. Initial analysis demonstrated that a small degree of slope, of 5°, has only marginal impact on reducing the load experienced by the tapestry. Experiments were carried out to compare the friction between small tapestry fragments and a range of fabrics commonly used to cover slanted supports. Lined and unlined tapestry fragments were placed on a fabric-covered board and tilted from horizontal to vertical. In most cases it was found that the board could be tilted beyond vertical before the tapestry began to slip; this meant it was not possible to calculate a coefficient of friction. It was clear that the simple Coulomb model of friction does not apply in this situation and that adhesive forces are even more significant than friction. Loading the tapestry samples demonstrated that the coefficient is dependent on load, confirming this observation. The paper also reports on the use of digital image correlation (DIC) to calculate strain data. A tapestry fragment was suspended on a vertical board half covered in cotton molton fabric. The strain values were very low on the half of the tapestry against the molton; they were higher on the half against the uncovered board. It was also apparent that the tapestry with board-covering fabric was less subject to expansion and contraction caused by fluctuating relative humidity. The research concluded that the friction/adhesion forces are so effective that a tapestry is well supported on a vertical fabric-covered board; there is no additional benefit in providing a small degree of slant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I attempt a novel interpretation of Brexit as a 'wicked problem'. Wicked problems are those which are unique and complex, full of internal contradictions, and defy solution, instead only creating other problems. After reviewing the lead-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum, particularly the role of immigration, the core of the paper takes the main criteria for the specification of a wicked problem and applies them to Brexit. Special attention is given to two propositions: that every wicked problem is a symptom of other problems; and that every attempted solution to a wicked problem produces irreversible consequences. Both are seen to apply to Brexit. In the conclusion, I explore 'wicked synergies' between Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally well-accepted in innovation research that consumer/user adoption of an invention is key to its diffusion. Despite general awareness about the importance of the adopter perspective in innovation diffusion, the majority of the literature on social innovation, hardly addresses the adoption-side of innovation diffusion. Social innovation potential therefore often remains under-utilized. In this paper the result of a review of 468 (predominantly English language) publications on social innovation is provided (based on Web of Science), searching for the adopter perspective in social innovation research. The findings show that, although some hints at the role of adopters, and their environment, can be found in the literature, attention for the willingness and capacities of potential adopters is meager in peer-reviewed publications. Propelled by high policy expectations, at the national as well as European level, scientific interest in social innovation has been booming over the last decade. Without a proper understanding of social innovation diffusion dynamics and adopter willingness and their interactions with existing institutions, expectations may not be fulfilled and specific social innovation policies that have been emerging across Europe may not be able to achieve intended policy goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The place-based approach has been the guiding principle of EU policies for a decade. Building on the idea that place matters, the place-based narrative aims to promote local development and spatial justice through the utilization of local potentials and deliberative policy decisions. Institutional capacity for place-based action requires good quality governance and place leadership with transformative capacities. The domestic institutional environment can provide frames for the governance of local development by fostering local agency to (re)frame local issues and build coalitions across the horizontal spectrum and vertical scales. By focusing on the institutional processes of three place-based interventions, this comparative research paper maps out the ways domestic conditions can change parameters of place-specific institutional arrangements by influencing local agents' capacities for coalition-building and deliberation. Based on the selected case studies of the RELOCAL project, we specifically study the evolution of local coalitions, the effects of different actors' ambitions and commitment to development, and the process of planning and implementation through horizontal and vertical linkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influential work by Barca on place-based development, which has permeated policy and academic discourses alike in recent years, builds on the premise that localities are expected to utilize their endogenous potential rather than placing their trust in redistributive policies. This endogenous potential involves local knowledge and place-based knowledge, and how these two types can tap into actions. This has barely been explored in a systematic and comparative manner. This paper therefore examines 20 urban and rural development actions across Europe in order to understand how, and the extent to which, local knowledge and place-based knowledge are mobilized (or not). It makes use of empirically informed evidence to identify evolving mechanisms and to analyse how learning loops are triggered. We argue that it is crucial for leading actors in such development actions to pay attention to these different mechanisms of mobilizing these two types of knowledge and how to trigger learning loops. Since this analysis also highlights a number of shortcomings and inhibitors regarding the extent to which these collective knowledge and learning capacities actually inform actions over time, the concept of 'networks of deep learning' is suggested as a knowledge management principle for key actors in local governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within EU cohesion policy, a place-based approach is expected to promote a strategic shift towards more place-sensitive, cross-sectoral and socially inclusive development. These expectations are underlined in the new Territorial Agenda 2030, which highlights that a place-based approach is key to territorial cohesion and to overall efforts towards a just Europe. Drawing on findings from the Horizon 2020 project RELOCAL – Resituating the local in cohesion and territorial development – this special issue explores the relations between place-based development and spatial justice. It addresses the complex challenges of place-based interventions, such as the critical role of the national policy environment in explaining variegated outcomes, enabling place-based agency in peripheralised regions, and assessing impacts. In this editorial, we provide an introductory discussion of the relations between place-based development and spatial justice, as well as brief introductions to the nine papers. We argue that there are a number of distinctive locally and nationally anchored mechanisms and inhibitors at play, which academics, and particularly planning professionals and policy-makers, need to be aware of in working towards a just Europe. Hence, place-based interventions are a valuable contribution to the territorial cohesion approach of the EU, but in the quest for spatial justice they cannot replace a redistributive territorial cohesion policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The philosophy of Roberto Esposito has recently been taking a new path. After a first phase that started an original discussion about the concepts of the "impolitical," he dedicated, in a second phase, more and more attention to questions linked to the concepts of "person" and "personhood" in a critical vein. In the present contribution, I claim that his attempt to avoid such traditional categories to define the human being as a political subject is deeply related to the concept of care, most notably to what I propose to term care of and for life itself. In his last work, which inaugurates a third and new phase, Da fuori. Una filosofia per l'Europa, his reflections focus on the question of how Europe thinks, and sketch out the role of contemporary so-called "Italian Theory" in the framework of today's European thinking. The question of care will therefore be related, in the last part of the present paper, to the problem of understanding the role of though in contemporary Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationships between online therapeutic shopping motivation, crisis-coping shopping, and therapeutic shopping purchases in disruptive situations. It explicitly addresses the research question of how online shopping motivation and crisis-coping shopping affect therapeutic shopping purchases. Empirical evidence was obtained in Europe and Latin America. We used partial least squares modeling and multigroup analysis to compare consumers' culture-driven responses to crisis. The effect of crisis-coping shopping is almost three times stronger than the effect of online therapeutic shopping motivation on therapeutic shopping purchases. This study investigates the concepts of hedonic shopping and retail therapy in the online environment and disruptive situations by examining therapeutic shopping purchases. Cultural differences are highlighted in relation to purchases made to regulate mood during a crisis. Finally, this study examines the roles of retail therapeutic motivation and crisis-coping online shopping and discusses the implications for consumers, managers, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several scholars have suggested that political dividedness has harmful effects on economic performance. Interestingly, empirical tests tackling this argument are almost entirely absent. The paper aims to fill this gap by testing the above hypothesis using data from the European Social Survey, including 27 countries between 2002 and 2015. Controlling for a range of well-known explanatory variables, the results of the panel regression analysis suggest that partisan polarisation is adversely related to economic growth, while ideological polarisation is not. The finding is congruent with the hypothesis of polarisation having a notable negative effect on growth, yet future works are necessary to test both the direction and the possible channels of causality. As scholars increasingly describe contemporary politics as an era of growing polarisation, the results imply that partisan polarisation should deserve more attention from political scientists and economists as a factor that might influence economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algorithmic decision-making and other types of artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to predict who will commit crime, who will be a good employee, who will default on a loan, etc. However, algorithmic decision-making can also threaten human rights, such as the right to non-discrimination. The paper evaluates current legal protection in Europe against discriminatory algorithmic decisions. The paper shows that non-discrimination law, in particular through the concept of indirect discrimination, prohibits many types of algorithmic discrimination. Data protection law could also help to defend people against discrimination. Proper enforcement of non-discrimination law and data protection law could help to protect people. However, the paper shows that both legal instruments have severe weaknesses when applied to artificial intelligence. The paper suggests how enforcement of current rules can be improved. The paper also explores whether additional rules are needed. The paper argues for sector-specific – rather than general – rules, and outlines an approach to regulate algorithmic decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of electoral regulation on party system development. Using a new database, this study shows existing variation in regulating electoral competition. It further illustrates that, perhaps contrary to electoral regulation design, increases in the amount of regulation about funding and monitoring have a stifling, rather than a stimulating, effect on party system size. More importantly, the paper provides evidence supporting the cartel thesis argument in that the changes allowed by incumbent parties help secure their collective survival, while keeping newcomers out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on historical issues in Europe. Popularity of Americanization in literatures about United States-European relations; Reasons for the migration of Europeans to other countries; Boundaries in the production of historical knowledge of the country.

Focuses on the invitation for contributors by the European Review of History periodical editors. Guidelines in the format and style of writing; Details on the submission on articles; Enumeration on topics to be covered in the articles.

Recognition rates measure how far states afford rights to refugees. Recent developments of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) have supplemented this measure with factors such as population and wealth. Concurrently, laws have developed nationally and Europe-wide regulating 'complementary protection' for those not qualifying as 'refugees' under the 1951 Convention. These two parallel developments in migration governmentality, I argue, are part of a process that increasingly complicates the field of knowledge around refugeehood, raising the level of expertise needed to access protection. This article focuses on the use of complementary protection in Europe since 1999 to explore (i) the legal process of proliferation of protection categories and (ii) the political process of calculating rates. The paper employs a methodological mix of ethnographic observation and critical readings of law and statistics to map various ways of counting recognition rates. This highlights the importance of statistics in feeding a narrative of liberal, Western, European society that protects refugees. Yet it is evident that both protection and its denial are constitutive of a CEAS governmentality that is best described as 'ordered fragmentation'. One of its basic assumptions is the denial of refugee agency, rendering states the subjects of the protection regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to study non-financial information disclosed by European SMEs as a way to identify sustainability risks. We analyze a sample of all the voluntary non-financial reports disclosed according to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards for European SMEs from 2016 to 2019. We obtain that the reports are made voluntarily with basic adherence to GRI and without external assurance. It means that European SMEs choose the basic option to divulge information on sustainability what can not include the identification of sustainability risks. In the current momentum of discussion about non-financial information normalization in Europe the obtained conclusions can be useful to bear in mind SMEs´ specificities. Social implications of requirements of sustainability information to European companies are clear when every company has to add efforts to contribute to a sustainable economy. Nowadays, when non-financial information is compulsory in Europe for certain companies and there is a discussion about the scope of this requirement, it is important to note that SMEs are the backbone of the European economy and that this information on sustainability risks can be a benchmark worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of mega-events has never been more uncertain. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has introduced an unparalleled level of doubt regarding the kind of mega-events that will take place in the coming years. While the 2019 call for papers could not predict such a radical shock, this special issue arrives at a quite unique moment of reflection. Prior to 2020, cities were already questioning the traditional format of mega-events (e.g. Olympics and Expo) while other cultural mega-events have been spreading and gaining popularity, thanks in part to typically lower costs of infrastructures and venues, far more adaptable arrangements, spatial distribution and time frame for hosting. In these ways, they have already been demonstrating higher flexibility in which to respond to future health and safety constraints. When it comes to the relation to the existing city, cultural mega-events have been planned, implemented and studied far more than any other. By leveraging the richness of cultural mega-events, this special issue deepens the intersection between events and cultural heritage in particular. This introduction provides a theoretical framework that cuts across mega-event and heritage research fields. It introduces the questions and approaches of the following contributions, arguing that the nexus between mega-events and heritage is a key challenge for many cities in Europe and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal and international migration form part of the same continuum of population movement but are typically conceptualised, measured and studied separately. Despite early theoretical attempts at conceptualising internal and international migration jointly, existing evidence remains partial and fragmented, reflecting a diversity of traditions in migration research. To address this gap in knowledge, this paper takes a step towards integration by comparing the triggers, constraints and resources that shape internal and international migration decisions at the micro-level. To accomplish this, we analyse retrospective migration histories from a 13-country cross-national dataset (the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, n = 201,061 person-years from 6,112 individuals) using multinomial random-effect logistic regression models that account for duration dependence. The results show that internal and international migration are linked to the same life-course events, although economic-related transitions are more strongly associated with international than internal migration. We also find that the same resources (e.g. education) and constraints (e.g. homeownership) shape internal and international migration decisions. Altogether, our findings suggest that there is an opportunity for greater theoretical cross-fertilisation between internal and international migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper follows European countries as they struggled through the first wave of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. We analyze when countries were confronted with the virus, how long it took until the number of new infections peaked and at what level of infections that peak was achieved via social distancing and lockdown policies. Most European countries were able to successfully end the first wave of the pandemic – defined as a two-week incidence rate smaller than 10 cases per 100,000 people. We find that countries in which the virus made significant landfall later in time enjoyed a latecomer advantage that some of these countries squandered, however, by not responding quickly enough and that an early lockdown was more effective than a hard lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the institutions associated with government termination in parliamentary systems: no-confidence and confidence motions, and the early dissolution of the parliament. We consider constitutional texts for all European countries between 1800 and 2019 and identify two broad trends: (1) the constitutionalisation of practices that have first emerged as the result of strategic interactions between the government and the parliament; (2) the tendency towards protecting both the executive and the parliament from mutual interference. While the first tendency has culminated with an almost universal constitutionalisation of the principle of parliamentarism in European constitutions, the second led to the protection of executives and the extension of effective legislative terms. We suggest that these constitutional developments are associated with the stabilisation of parliamentarism after World War II and conclude that although parliamentarism remains a flexible system, contemporary regimes do not function like their forebears did in the 19th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many long-enduring coastal cultures, there are stories – sometimes mythologized – about times when pieces of land became separated from mainlands by submergence, a process that created islands where none existed before. Using examples from northwest Europe and Australia, this paper argues that many such stories recall times, often millennia ago, when sea level in the aftermath of the Last Glaciation (last ice age) was rising and transforming coastal landscapes and their human uses in exactly the ways these stories describe. The possibility that these may have arisen from eyewitness accounts of these transformative processes, hitherto thought to be understandable only by scientific (palaeoenvironmental) reconstructions, should encourage more systematic investigations of such stories by scientists. It also suggests that science has traditionally underestimated the capacity of oral (pre-literate) cultures to acquire, encode and sustain their observations of memorable events with a high degree of replication fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, monitoring of breeding stock for Salmonella Pullorum (SP) or Salmonella Gallinarum (SG) infections is compulsory at the point of lay. Vaccinations against Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) and Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) are increasingly administered in Europe. These vaccines might induce cross-reactions in the rapid plate agglutination (RPA) SP/SG test due to shared O-antigens, possibly resulting in a lower test specificity. The extent to which the specificity of SP/SG serological tests is influenced by SE and/or ST vaccinations in the field has not been reported. In this paper, we report the diagnostic and flock specificity of the commercially available RPA SP/SG test using 1:2–1:16 serum dilutions on four panels of sera: SPF sera, field sera from flocks of varying age and SE/ST vaccination status, and reference sera from an international proficiency testing scheme. The results showed that the use of live SE/ST vaccines did not influence the specificity of the RPA SP/SG test. Inactivated vaccines showed a drop of the diagnostic specificity to 96.54% and a flock specificity of 34.1% when the 1:2 serum dilution was used. The 1:8 serum dilution showed a diagnostic specificity of 99.41% and a flock specificity of 86.4%. In conclusion, the use of SE/ST vaccines has either no effect or a modest effect on the specificity of the RPA SP/SG test used to monitor flocks. The main factors are the type of vaccine, and the serum dilution used for testing and a cut-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper adds to a growing literature of doctoral training by studying factors that drive time-to-completion based on a new and unique data set from an international European graduate school. While previous research focused on individual factors, we inspect the role of institutional factors and the organization of PhD programs for PhD completion. Based on a theoretical model, we elaborate hypotheses on three sets of institutional factors for thesis submission rates. We use event history analysis to analyze register data on 30 entry cohorts of PhD students. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of the factors related to the institutional environment like the density of supervision and support. Furthermore, our results underscore the importance of program structuration through clear deadlines and sufficient length of funding. We conclude with a discussion on effective measures that can be taken by program designers and grant authorities aiming to improve completion rates in PhD schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper develops the concept of a rising invisible majority and explores the interconnections between the political economy context and the changing composition of European society. The concept illustrates how the transition from the Fordist to the neoliberal phase of capitalism is leading to a similar – if differently paced – transformation of the social composition across Europe. The material basis of the 'invisibility' manifests itself in a structural increase of unemployment, labour market precarization, and poverty. 'Invisibility' makes growing segments of the population less likely to participate in the institutions that regulate social life, while mainstream parties and trade unions no longer represent them adequately in the public arena. We suggest this trend will continue, and eventually concern a majority of the population, unless the neoliberal mechanisms of regulation are slowed or reversed. Enriching Polanyi's double movement logic, we hypothesise the existence of feedback effects from this transformation of the social composition to the political economy context that could lead to countermovements. Our reasoning is systematised in an analytical framework, complemented with a historical analysis of the Italian case, and a quantitative measurement of the magnitude of this transformation across 14 European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research of European urban flora is still based on the study of Western and Central European settlements, while relatively few data are available from the southern and eastern parts of Europe. This paper presents the first grid-based approach that surveyed the spontaneous and sub-spontaneous flora and its temporal changes of a Hungarian city located in this latter region of Europe. The changes during 70 years in the flora of a Hungarian county seat, Pécs were investigated. The contemporary city areas were used as two different study areas in the analyses. Changes in species richness, proportions of dispersal types, life form traits and alien statuses were examined during the mentioned period. With 1641 vascular plant species found at 232.88 km2 in the last 70 years, the flora of Pécs represents a diversity hotspot within Europe. In contrast with other European cities we found significant (19.37%) increase in the number of species over the last 70 years. As a result of temporal changes in the city flora, differnces were found only in the case of neophytes' life forms regardless of the spatial approach. Similar to the other cities globally the number of woody species neophytes and short-lived alien plants increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing demand for non-formal science learning activities, few studies report on practitioners' perspectives and experiences with designing and implementing such activities worldwide. This paper focuses on their challenges by drawing upon twenty-two interviews with practitioners involved in diverse science learning activities in various non-formal settings in seven European countries. By including diverse activities and settings, this study contributes to the existing knowledge base, addresses the aforementioned gap in the literature, and informs future practices. Our findings suggest that despite the existing and celebrated diversity, practitioners face similar challenges related to (a) the activities' organisation and management, (b) the competencies required to run such activities, and (c) the attitudes held by the parties involved in them. Direct interview quotes exemplify each theme, further pinpointing the interconnection of multiple factors that inform the organisation and implementation of non-formal science learning activities. The findings allowed for a deeper understanding of challenges reported in the literature and shed light on the challenges voiced by the practitioners including the multiple competencies required and the workload. We conclude with a discussion foregrounding the need to build a knowledge base of shared practices in the field of non-formal science learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the effect of the importance factor on seismic performance by comparing four prototype health facilities located in a medium seismicity region in Europe. The buildings have Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame structures designed with importance factors 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5. Performance assessment is based on the FEMA P-58-1 methodology. This study comprises nonlinear time history analyses of the building structure, the identification of structural and nonstructural performance groups, the probabilistic expression of structural response, and the quantification of damage and repair costs by means of fragility relations. The evaluation of the prototype buildings is the basis to discuss the impact of the importance factor on the performance under occasional and rare ground motions. This works reveals that seismic performance of the analyzed prototypes is not appropriate in terms of damage, loss of functionality and repair costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013 the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) 'Right2Water' collected 1.9 million signatures across Europe against water privatization. It became the first ever successful ECI and has built a Europe-wide movement. Right2Water sought for Europe's legal enforcement of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS) as a strategic political tool to challenge European Union market policies. The paper examines the ECI from a social movement perspective. Although the European Commission subscribed that 'water is a public good, not a commodity', its implementation is subject to continuing politics and socio-political struggle, with growing urgency in times of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe has experienced a major boom of new breweries over the last thirty years, with thousands of new breweries being set up, even in regions where brewing has no history. So far, however, this microbrewing wave has not been systematically mapped. This paper presents a unique database of European breweries from 1990–2020. Using a series of maps and statistical analyses, it shows how breweries have gradually spread across Europe. Initially, microbreweries were being established in countries that are in a declining stage of the beer life-cycle from industrial breweries. After 2005 (and particularly in the 2010s), breweries reached other regions through neighbouring and hierarchical spatial diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]