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The report of the medical laboratory is the final result of the complex analytical activity that requires technology, automation, organization and competence. The content of the report has been defined since 2015, but the application of the legislative requirements is still incomplete. The need for interoperability of the medical laboratory reports in order to be easily accessible and understandable throughout Europe, increases the requirements for the development of standards for reporting of test names, units of measurement, qualitative expressions. The adoption of LOINC codes may improve interoperability, but the codes have to be used correctly and a stewardship from Scientific Societies is needed. The laboratory reports are moving from paper to electronic format, and this should help the readability and simplicity favoring the interpretation, but the increasing amount of data and information may make them more difficult to read. This aspect together with the rapid development of new analytical technologies increases the need for interpretative comments, that should be clear, avoid acronyms or excessive technical terms and tackle the real relevant aspects. Being the final product of our activity, the report deserves more attention from our profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the spindle whorls and loom weights found in the Bronze Age settlement of Solarolo, via Ordiere, and investigates the topic of textile production as one of the manufactures of great economic impact that characterises the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Through the analysis of the operational chain from the procurement of the raw material to the final product, the morphometric analysis of the spindle whorls allows us to interpret the choices made to produce particular yarns. The finds, mainly spindle whorls, have been accurately positioned during the excavation and distinguished by detailed chronological phases (25-50 years). Their distribution allows to analyse the production of yarns within the settlement and to hypothesise the role of resource management and manufacture at a key moment of increased exploitation of wool found in various regions of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Form@re is the property of Firenze University Press 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 Rivista Italiana di Educazione Familiare is the property of Firenze University Press 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 Enthymema is the property of Enthymema, International Journal of Literary Criticism, Literary Theory & Philosophy of Literature 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 TECHNE: Journal of Technology for Architecture & Environment is the property of Firenze University Press 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 TECHNE: Journal of Technology for Architecture & Environment is the property of Firenze University Press 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.)

The paper highlights the dynamics related to the problem of the integration of immigrants in Europe, focusing on the spread of prejudices and on the multiple conditions of exclusion. The main aim refers to the effectiveness of integration policies implemented in Europe. For this purpose, data from different sources are analysed to measure the degree of hostility versus tolerance towards foreign immigrants, both through official data and with the analysis of online comments published on Twitter during the period of European elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Opinião Jurídica is the property of Revista Opiniao Juridica 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 Form@re is the property of Firenze University Press 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 Altreitalie is the property of Centro Altreitalie 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.)

The article focuses on Populism in two main analytical perspectives. The theoretical one, in which an attempt is made to retrace the steps of historical development of its meanings and contents, by removing confusion and contradictions in many of its terms and definitions, expecially in relation to the very concept of people derived from the collectivist tradition. On the other hand and from an empirical perspective, by gathering and comparing political realities in Europe, above all parties and movements sharing the label of populism, in the light of their electoral performances in recent rounds of voting in European democracies. The study concludes Populism has never been as dominant and influential an ideology as in the present times and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ongoing Covid-crisis, the number of workers benefiting from short-time work schemes was high, especially during lockdowns, another large group of workers started working from home, and others, unfortunately, lost their jobs. The current situation is unprecedented, because it is the only global recession driven solely by a pandemic and the decrease in life expectancy is the worst since World War II. This article first shows that the literature on the socioeconomic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic does not say much about working poverty. Applying a theoretical model presented in 2018 based on the four mechanisms that lead to working poverty (at the household level), this article considers the potential short- and mid-term implications of the pandemic for the working poor in Europe. It also proposes conceptual reflections about which working poverty indicators may improve our understanding of what has unfolded since the pandemic began. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution presents the radicality of the daily experiences of LGBTQ people who live non-monogamous relationships in the mononormative context of Italian society; of lesbian and bisexual mothers who clash with the monomaternalism synthesised by the Italian saying “di mamma ce n’è una sola”; of LGBQ friends who choose to live together as a life choice, challenging the heteronormativity of the stages that mark adulthood and the precariousness that characterises Southern Europe. Such radical choices are made possible by the construction of networks of care and friendship that are not contemplated by the Mediterranean welfare and that are analysed here through the narratives collected in Rome during the ERC Starting Grant project Intimate – Micropolitics of Intimacy in Southern Europe: Citizenship, Care and Choice (2014-2019) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

Given the sharp increase in migration flows, the issue of immigrants' religious assimilation and its impact on integration and discrimination has become a hot topic. This article refers to the debate between assimilation and reaction theories in order to shed light on the effects of both the destination context and the passage of time on immigrants' religiosity. Using the nine waves of European Social Survey data, I show that non-Muslim migrants display tendencies towards assimilation, with second generations being more similar to the native population than to the first generations in terms of levels of religiosity. Conversely, Muslim migrants are seen to resist more to assimilation pressures, thus reinforcing a reading based more on ethnic reactions. In addition to this, the data clearly show that there is a specific sector of the migrant population - younger second-generation Muslims - who feel a greater sense of discrimination because of their religion compared to both people from different religions and to their first-generation parents. This makes them a very relevant group to study because of the effects of this discrimination on socioeconomic and educational integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National system to evaluate universities started in Europe at the very beginning of 80's. In that period the growing number of students and the consequent changes in their composition moved the universities from «quality as a fact» to «quality as a problem». In the same time, the need for accountability was a challenge both for the governance and for the Governments, that adopted two different model of evaluating: a direct control or a control through a national independent agency. This paper, starting from Italian experience of Anvur, defines the aims of evaluating universities and research, related to the social role of higher education. It presents the actors, contents and methods (the «who, what, how») of the evaluation process, based on quality assurance and internal assessment, enhancing both technical and cultural problems and perspectives of an issue quite new for Italian universities. The recent introduction by law of research assessment in the Italian academic system has triggered a wide debate especially focused on its weakness and paradoxes as well as its potential negative effects on disciplinary autonomy and freedom of research. Contrary to this vision, in this paper I argue that evaluation mechanisms should be welcomed in those disciplinary fields – as sociology in Italy – which for historical, cultural and political causes have not been able to organize themselves as scientific communities, i.e. as communities of practice grounded on peer control and evaluation. The paper offers a brief sociological analysis of the social organization of Italian academic sociology, highlighting the deleterious effects on scientific communication and value recognition fostered by its segmentation in mutually exclusive, sometimes conflicting sometimes colluding, corporate groups (so called «component»). Far from being an assault on its freedom and autonomy, a state-backed system of evaluation may be instrumental to the creation and legitimation of a disciplinary culture of self evaluation and value assessment according to transparent, institutionalized and not provincial quality standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

After a long-lasting period of economic growth and catching-up efforts with the US technological leadership, in the 90th major European economies entered a trend of slow growth, and patchy technological progress. Studies by Acemoglu, Aghion, Zilibotti, 2003; Aghion and Howitt, 2005 identify the source of this trend in the failure to shift from an investment-based model of growth to an innovation-based one's, deemed mostly appropriate when economic performance takes place close to the technological frontier. This failure may occur because policies fostering catching-up investment-based strategies bring about market rigidities and relatively less competitive environment, which in turn hinder the transition to innovation-based strategies. The upshot brings to a vicious circle, called the 'trap of the follower'. Against this background, the paper investigates what caused European economies falling 'trapped', and what made them unable to cross the frontier. A major paper's argument argues that the failure occurred not so much because they were unsuccessful to get into an innovation-based growth pattern, as some of them get into. When assessing their innovation regime, the paper shows that the failure lies in the adoption of a pattern of incremental instead of radical innovations, as it shows in the technological leader. The case in point is the biotechnology sector in the US and Germany. The paper finds that the different models of economic organization in the two countries affected deeply their respective innovation regimes. In the final section, the paper analyzes some aspects of the European competitiveness deficit, and points to more risky and dynamic systems of innovation, as the way out of the European low growth potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia del Diritto is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

FunDivEUROPE is a new project aiming at a deeper understanding of the role of forest diversity on ecosystem functions and service provisioning for society. This project combines three scientific platforms: experimental, exploratory and inventory. The exploratory platform is based on the observation of a broad range of properties, traits and ecological processes on a network of ca. 240 natural forest sites representing a gradient of tree species diversity in six focal regions of Europe (Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and Romania). The Italian sites are located on the hills of central and Southern Tuscany and represent the category "thermophilous deciduous forest". Almost one year of fieldwork was needed to select and characterize 36 plots measuring 30 × 30 m. Selection was based on criteria concerning tree mixtures and richness, structural parameters and main environmental variables. The main features of these sites are synthetically presented in this paper together with a short description of the project structure and scope. The aim is also to enhance dissemination of the potential implications for a sustainable forest management in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is organized in four sections. Section one presents a brief overview of how the classical sociological theories deal with the religious phenomenon in Western societies. The following section discusses the secularization theory as offered by Norris and Inglehart in Sacred and Secular (2005), where the classic functionalist theory of secularization - that religion would gradually fade in importance and cease to be significant with the emergence of industrial society - is criticized and, a new theory of secularization as a social process linked to the level of existential (un)security occurring in a country is developed. Within this framework, the role of the welfare safety net, and other effective delivery of government services, is analyzed as a means for many people to reduce their vulnerability to sudden, unpredictable risks. Section three investigates the relationship between religion and social policies. Starting from the recognition that the role of religious denominations has been neglected by the comparative studies on welfare state models, we suggest a new classification of welfare systems based on the mainstream religions existing in a country. The different welfare regimes are analyzed along the line Catholic vs. Protestant (Southern vs. Northern welfare models), and along the line Lutherans vs. Calvinist reformed churches (East/West welfare systems). The fourth section illustrates five analytic dimensions of the relationship between religion and welfare state systems. The five dimensions are the following: the principles and the moral norms (precepts) of religious doctrines; the agencies and services directly managed by religious institutions; the political parties with a religious orientation; the cultural orientation and values of the public opinion; the relations between the Church and the public institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regions as the substatal institutions in-between State and iocal governments have developped a leading role in the process of the Europea integration. Empirical evidences of the activism of the regions are also the increase of the regional policies of the European Union, the develop of the regional paradiplomacy, the proliferation of the regional entities with a strong European identity. The phase of the main develop and the more optimistic predictions the Ninenties is that of the Europe of the Regions perspective or that of the Third Level for a possible federalist model. In particolar, the policy of the political, economical and social cohesion of the European institutions for the overcoming of the territorial inequalities could favourite the active role of the Regions. If in the past the scholars frequently used the intergovernative model to the definition of the European network, now the multi-level-governance model is preferred. It stresses the regions position in the relations between the EU power levels, institutional or not. The paper aims to explore the theory that the weakening of the states owes the globalization and it could provoke the strenghtening of the role of the regions as guarantees od the citizen participation in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to show the main four paradigms of analysis on Europe and its identity elaborated in the last two centuries by the social sciences. For the scholars who proposed them Europe is an indistinct entità for its cultural, political, economical and/or religious characters, especially if it is compared to other cultures. However, one of thes eparadigms, the one based on ethicity and nation, the common and primordial characters are found only in the distinct European ethicities, so that an unitarian demos misses. The second paradigm, the constructivistic one, stresses the definition of the European nations by the elites through a process that could be applied also for the European nation or for the post-national constellation following Habermas. The paradigm of the cultural identity, then, proposes to analyse the foundation of Europe through its history, literature or arts, and the paradigm of the cosmopolitism focuses on the process of construction of a "cosmopolitical" citizenship in a world level, based on human rights: the attention in on the role of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of agro-energy chains, in particular vegetable oil production, can represent, in Italy, an opportunity for the achievement of policy's objectives set by the European Union and for the agricultural sector. The aim of this study is to verify the existence of the "vegetable oil chain" at national and regional level, taking into account the Marche Region scenario (centre of Italy), the number of plants and their connection with the agricultural sector. From the methodological point of view, the paper evaluates trough a cost benefit analysis the economic performance of a vegetable oil plant, considering how the policies and the prices of raw materials affect it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What should be done to improve the European position in the international arena? Since long time both politicians and politologists wondered how to boost European performance in international affairs. The often-prescribed remedy is to build up military capabilities, in a classic realpolitik scheme of diplomatic counterpoise vis-à-vis other Powers, such as the United States. In this paper we make the very opposite point. First, we argue that investing in military capabilities is neither possible nor desirable, due to both domestic and external constraints. Then we go on to describe how the investment in civilian capabilities might represent a much more fruitful approach to European foreign policy. We lay down a game-theoretical model in order to show the role of civilian power in political bargain with America. Our central thesis is that civilian power can exert a great impact upon transatlantic relations, and be the basis of a growing division of labour among Europe and America. In the second half of the paper we suggest concrete policy prescriptions to improve European civilian capabilities. In particular, we stress the importance of four factors: 1) increasing appropriation of funds for the Esdp missions; 2) a more efficient inter-pillar coordination, obtainable through the Athena mechanism; 3) supranational integration of national forces, e.g. through the European Security and Defense College or the Eurogendforce; 4) a clear division of labour between Esdp and Nato missions, in order to avoid unproductive duplications and conflicts of attribution among states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the rapid spread of urban mega-projects on aban- doned industrial sites of European and American cities. These projects are gen- erally developed within the context of public-private partnerships, are frequendy mixed-use and cater to the needs of office-based businesses and tourism and leisure services. The introduction of new methods of financing, with the increas- ingly integration of real-estate sector into the new networks of global capitalism, is an important distinctive element, as also the incorporation of the designs of world-famous architects. This trend has been the result of changes occurred in the economy of advanced capitalist countries as well as of the imposing of the urban redevelopment as a key issue in the political agenda. The paper argues that the property-led urban regeneration and mega-projects don't necessarily contribute to make the city more affordable, efficient and inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically reviews the European Commission Roadmap for equality between women and men (2006-2010) and especially the concept of economic independence for women and men. Economic independence, with reference to men, needs to be put in the historical context of the development of labour markets; a man's economic independence depended upon his ability to earn life for himself in the labour market. In addition economic independence needs to be understood in terms of family obligations and the history of marriage and divorce. As a policy goal the concept of economic independence is limited because it generally refers to an individual and does not take into account either family caregiving or the need for family care. It is less fact and more of a fiction, a fiction that ignores childhood, disability, old age as well as women's burden of caregiving. One meaning of economic independence today is what happens to the household income of couples who split the joint household into two separate households. This research documents the vulnerability of the subsequent household of the woman in Esping-Anderson's models of welfare as represented by France, Germany and the UK. In these countries, a separated woman can avoid a decline in her economic well-being only by repartnering. Denmark stands out as the country where gender does not have a statistically significant impact on the post-separation standard of living where there is no new partner (controlling for other relevant variables). The Roadmap also refers to the need for a reconciliation of work and family but, other than child care, it is up to the women and men themselves to work this out. Furthermore, it does not address the need for changes in the labour markets and need for changes in employer's practices, except to caution about flexibility. The main goal here seems to be an increase in women's workforce participation, hardly an effective way to achieve equal economic independence for women and men. The Roadmap also addresses the issues of women and work in developing countries but here the reconciliation of work and family life, and even childcare, is not discussed. There is a history of struggle by workers to make their labour market activity compatible with their family responsibility. The move to include women in labour markets has shifted the context of the worker and his family to the individual. But it is the family, not the individual, which is the appropriate unit of analysis in discussing economic well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender mainstreaming is the major global strategy for the promotion of gender equality. European Union has been focusing increasing attention on gender issues, and especially on considerations on the female condition. Recent developments in European countries are that more and more women are joining the labour force, birth rates are declining and social policies are mainly orienting their measures towards gender equality. Gender mainstreaming process and strategy and gender equality principle seems to become the core of every policy related to reconciliation policies, family policies and even employment ones. These problems, set within a European framework of public spending cuts, make it difficult to maintain and sustain the current type of welfare state. The paper focuses on the relation between family and gender mainstreaming to stress, if and how, the debate on the topic of reconciliation policies, family policies and gender issues are implemented in the European social policy systems. Although some significant improvements have certainly been made - especially in terms of women's emancipation, gender equity and maternity policies - it should however be noticed that some fundamental issues still remain unresolved and continue to pose problems. Many studies highlight the need for a more deepened approach to gender, family and work relationship. In recent years great attention as been given to family well-being effects in workplace and to community studies. In this sense gender policies, that emphasise the importance of dialogue, practice and negotiation in the relationship among men and women/work and family/ individuals and institutions, fail in catching the specific relationality of this process. These push forward in order to consider the possibility to involve more social subjects in the redefinition of social policies facilitating work-family balance. The family is finding it difficult to face the challenges posed by the economic sphere, which is increasingly intrusive (it suffices to think of fragmented work schedules, which sometimes are in conflict with family needs) and demanding (like in the perception that the family should be subsidiary to work). The lack of attention towards family welfare results in a tendency to consider family policies as provisions to be addressed always and exclusively to individuals and not to the relationships between them. The new challenge seems to be the need to reconcile gender, family and work not only through policies but in their basic meaning for individual life; people experiences different spheres of life as an intertwined process, not artificially separable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the European Commission Communication Rethinking Education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes (November 2012). The comments concern the school educational tasks and, in particular, the young-adult "identity" required to face multiple challenges of current global crisis. In an educational perspective, it require a "re-thinking" of education, maintaining a meaning horizon dedicated to the promotion of a "genuine" quality of life, and an anthropological project that cannot be sacrificed in the name of the contingent political and economic pressures. In a lifelong education view, this article considers the relationship between education/adult education and the meaning of adult identity, to improve the human "desirable" ideals vs than what is too often presented as "necessary evil". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

One way for debating about the European cultures is the analysis of the market of the cultural products. Among them, one of the most interesting points of view is that of the film market. Obviously, it is not easy to develop a debate on the "European cinema". More than an half of the European films is an American production. The rest of the films is produced in the national borders. However, there is an interesting number of films produced in Europe that are viewed in other countries. About their stories, the theme of the memory is one of the most frequent in the last years. It is not only the individual memory, but, above all, the collective one. It is not in the sense of an attention for the problems of the disorientation or of the loss of the memory that modernization and de-traditionalization provoke, but in the sense of an attention for the removal process. They present this question in an autocritical point of view. They present stories also about the worrying past. After a recognition of the most famous European films of the last years, the paper stresses some of these films (produced in East and West European countries) and how they promote and present the autocritical memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

Leave arrangements for parents may be seen as a fundamental element of the policy "package" regarding the reconciliation of work and family life. Paid maternity leave and paid or unpaid parental leave are now available throughout Europe - Western, Central and Eastern. Policy developments over the last decade have also increased the presence of paternity leave and of the father's "quota", and some countries have encouraged long periods of parental leave, with an emphasis on "home care" for children below age three. Although the politics of leave are high on the policy agenda, both at national and EU levels, within Europe there are considerable variations in the structuring and the use made of leave arrangements by parents, as well as in the rationales and objectives of leave policy. The aim of this paper is to explore the diversity of "leave policy models" that exist in contemporary European society. In contrast to other approaches, describing leave policies only on the basis of current leave arrangements or as connected primarily to main types of Welfare State, our approach focuses on the interconnections between leave policy measures and other policy and societal factors that help to shape and give meaning to leave policies: gender equality policy, elements of work/family policy which define the relationship between working parents and the Welfare State (such as the availability of services), expectations and practices concerning motherhood as well as the division of paid and unpaid labour in families with young children. Framed by this analytical strategy, results show that leave policy models are firmly embedded in the complex dynamics of work, family and gender policies. On the basis of comparative data for nineteen European countries, six main leave policy models are identified. To summarize this discussion it is important to emphasize that the policy models identified in this article must be viewed as complex and dynamic. Leave policy is receiving much attention at present, with most countries undergoing significant changes in recent years and reporting discussions about further changes for the near future. Moreover, the direction of change is constantly being shaped by internal political events, circulation of ideas between certain groups of countries and external pressures or developments such as EU directives and gender equity advocacy. In summary, analysis of major cross-national variations in leave policies suggests that the pathways followed are not as clear-cut and predictable as some theories - of path dependency, of welfare state typologies - would lead us to believe. Some countries closely fit a policy model developed within a particular type of Welfare State, others fit less closely or even appear to be hesitating between two different policy rationales and others are diverging cases which do not seem to fit any particular group of countries. This has implications for future analysis and seems to represent a twofold challenge for comparative leave policy research. First, future analysis should try to focus on slightly diverging routes as well as identifying the main leave policy models (on the basis of broad common characteristics of leave policy). Second, it is important to focus on models that, at a particular point in time, are more disconnected from the main configurations of work/family policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employment protection legislation attracted particular attention in the past decade as a potentially important cause of persistently high unemployment in Europe. In response to this concern, a considerable number of OECD countries liberalised the rules governing employment. Italy opted for the deregulation of so-called «non-standard» employment relations for particular groups within the labour market, but left «standard» employment and pre-existing work contracts largely unchanged. This choice was justified by policy-makers with the argument that, in the long run, it may be a way to integrate the weakest components of the work force into the labour market -- that is, in standard, secure employment. This process has been referred to as «partial and targeted deregulation». As a consequence, non-standard employment has grown especially among the younger cohorts, creating a real «secondary, underprotected. labour market which arises substantial problems of social citizenship and potential marginalisation. In this paper we investigate the consequences of these flexibilisation efforts for the labour-market entry of recent cohorts. In particular, we ask whether these measures have effectively helped to integrate young people into the labour market, or whether they have simply added employment precariousness to pre-existing problems of social inequality that afflict Italian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the notion of "social utility" is a peculiar social convention elaborated across Europe in the last twenty years. This essay also contains strictly operative and methodological reflexions about the dimensions of social utility, the rationale and processes which permit/enable its evaluation. In particular the Author develops a new grid able to operazionalize and evaluate the outcome of the third sector's activities. Besides the economical aspects of social utility and the political one, Gadrey develops a third level of evaluation focusing on the "social bond" and "participatory democracy". A new approach about the idea of social utility has developed on the threefold ground of research, political action and associative action. This doesn't mean that idea is valid in itself. In fact, it is at the centre of a debate and it hasn't the same meaning for all the actors, especially for the political and economical one. Some associations, and some researchers, don't accept it. In the process of the social construction of socio-political conventions, things can evolve in a way that is more or less democratic, and more or less favourable to values some which happen to be supported by some and contested by others. Besides, this innovations may drive aground without taking off, because other solutions can be found, or because the status quo could be preferred or imposed by some actors. Anyway, this is not the most probable outcome, especially if the associative and cooperative sector will continue to prove its dinamism, as it has done lately. A further step could be to represent social utility as a value which goes over its current specific ground of application, imposing itself as an instrument for the achievement of new rights and as a ground for elaborating a well-articulated and multidimensional image of social and personal wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relations between society and politics in Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on three national cases: Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. The analysis is based on the data collected through a large scale survey involving six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland). The project aims at assessing both the degree and patterns of the citizens' involvement in politics and at identifying the factors underlying participation and people's attitudes, by adopting a cross-national comparative perspective. The results challenge civic deficit and tabula rasa theories which see the low political involvement as a result of weak civic virtues and the high social fragmentation produced by the legacies of former communist regimes. The analyses show that the present configuration exhibited by post-communist Europe, in terms of both political participation repertoires and citizens' political attitudes, reflects transformations that have been already observed in Western Europe. The pattern emerging in these countries can be thus placed in a common East/West framework, and explained as a result of an «evolutionary leap», as post-communist societies seem to have experienced a (rapid) shift from a «non-democratic» to a «post-democratic» regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigration has introduced serious conflicts into European urban areas. The nature of these conflicts varies according to many factors: the countries of origin of immigrants, their cultural and religious heritage, the social and economic problems in the hosting countries. But it is also necessary to take into account the political culture of these countries, i.e. the way in which State, people and nation are regarded and the relationships between ethnicity, nationality and citizenship are conceived. It is not by chance that France has adopted a policy of integration through cultural assimilation, the United Kingdom has practised a form of uneven pluralism emphasizing the role of ethnic communities and Germany has preferred a rotatory presence of «guest workers». Yet, all of these policies have failed owing to the important changes that have occurred both in the global context and in immigration itself. This paper analyzes what has happened in recent decades by taking into account the urban riots in England since the late '70s, the xenophobic attacks on immigrants in Germany after its reunification and the recurrent explosions in the French banlieues since the late '70s until the resounding events of November 2005. The last part concerns the case of Italy, which is still virtually unknown abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

However decisive the role of regional governments in local development policies has tended to become in recent times, it is still quite conditioned by the central government. Yet, regional governments have considerably extended their influence in overlooking the Territorial Pacts - a major local development measure. This marks a return to a "strategic" thinking in planning regional local development. Based on the results of a field research, the paper highlights a number of key factors influencing the future development of regional development polices. At the present, many pacts and other relevant initiatives related to local development are characterized by a lack of coordination: very little coordination exists between European and national funding; a large number of organizations operating at the regional level have little or no contact with each other; it is not at all clear how to accompany the transition from the phase of the so-called `concertation' to the constitution of a 'local agency' in charge of coordinating and implementing the pacts. Finally, whether - and how - the regional governments will be able to undertake cohesive actions within commonly shared development plans and policies remains an open question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper underlines above all how the analysis and interpretation of school-to-work transition and, more generally, of the relationship between young people and labour, need a complex theoretical and methodological framework, involving structural, institutional and individual variables. Secondly, it focuses on the not satisfying condition of young Italians for what regards their participation to the labour market: they often find work opportunities characterized by precarity and/or low professional skills. Thirdly, it suggests how young generations show some innovative behaviours and moods aimed to find good and new opportunities inside ongoing transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which discusses the use of open General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) to determine the accessibility of rail transport in Europe.

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The article focuses on the transport system that is present in almost all European cities called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). It mentions that BRT was launched in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974 and offers an effective and efficient bus travel withinm fast and expanding cities. It also presents a comparison of the different tramways in Europe in consideration with the economic point of view, operational costs, and the advantages that it brings.

Copyright of Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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 Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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 Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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 Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

Europe is a secularised society as it is seen and thought? In a recent book by Peter Berger, Grace Davie e Effie Fokas (2008) Religious America, Secular Europe? this question returns to another question, much more intriguing: is Europe an exception in respect of the rest of the world and, above all, in respect of United States of America, following the indicators of the religiosity? (Davie, 2002; Hervieu-Léger, 2003) Or is not this assumed exception an unconditioned reflection of a chronic ethnocentrism of the European sociologists? For Berger we are watching more and more the de-secularisation and also Europe seems to be "round the corner" and to return "to faiths". However, half of Europeans, following the more recent data of the European Values Study, affirms that they pray or meditate once a week and three fourth of them affirm to feel religious themselves. Maybe, they fail to attend mass, but they don't renounce to think religiously and they continue to feel the need a sense of their action. At last, the socio-religious geography is rapidly changing: we can linger to make referendum for the opening of a mosque or for the construction of minarets, but the religious diversity is just evident, A well-informed social theory has to confute paradigms, schemes and conceptual matrix of the past. A sociology of religion that studies only the historically prevailing religions lingering to debate if and what the society if secularised risks not to understand how the society changes, its religious diversities and what they express. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl 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.)

The article analyzes contemporary migration processes, by focusing on the so-called 'second generation' in Europe and Italy. After a brief description of the different meanings attached to this definition, the article highlights some of the peculiar aspects of the Italian context and analyzes them. Italy has experienced immigration only recently in comparison to other European countries. In addition, in this country immigration is often discussed by politicians and the media as a process related only with the labour market. This makes it interesting to define some preliminary indicators and trends in relation to the presence of migrants' children in Italy. Through the analysis of statistical data and academic research, this article studies migration projects through the perspective of the 'second generation', to show this can provide an appropriate lens to understand migration trajectories in their full complexity. Additionally, this article encourages researchers to consider migration from this perspective, as it will be part of a long-term process which may be viewed, from an analytical perspective, as a trajectory, or rather as a multiplicity of potential trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]