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Prior research in non-U.S. samples has found a complex nonlinear relationship between loneliness and age. This research has shown that established predictors of loneliness--poor health, being unmarried, living alone, and having infrequent social interactions--help to explain age differences in loneliness. However, while some variables were found to be universal predictors of loneliness at all ages, others were relevant in specific age groups only. In this study, we describe age differences in frequency of loneliness from age 18 to 89+ years in the U.S. and examine age differences in predictors of loneliness from age-specificity and age-normative perspectives. We used cross-sectional nationally representative data from the General Social Survey (N = 2,477) and found a nonlinear relationship between age and loneliness that closely resembles prior research. However, we found no evidence for age-specific predictors of loneliness. Household income, household size, marital status, health, and frequency of socializing were "universal" predictors of loneliness; their associations with loneliness did not differ in strength with age. Our hypothesis that individuals who deviated from age-specific norms would experience more intense loneliness was not supported. Implications for research and loneliness interventions are discussed.

Contrary to common stereotypes, loneliness is not restricted to old age but can occur at any life stage. In this study, we used data from a large, nationally representative German study (N = 16,132) to describe and explain age differences in loneliness from late adolescence to oldest old age. The age distribution of loneliness followed a complex nonlinear trajectory, with elevated loneliness levels among young adults and among the oldest old. The late-life increase in loneliness could be explained by lower income levels, higher prevalence of functional limitations, and higher proportion of singles in this age group. Consistent with an age-normative perspective, the association of income, relationship status, household size, and work status with loneliness differed between different age groups. In contrast, indicators of the quantity of social relationships (social engagement, number of friends, contact frequency) were universally associated with loneliness regardless of age. Overall, these findings show that sources of loneliness in older adults are well understood. Future research should focus on understanding the specific sources of loneliness in middle-aged adults.

Copyright of GAIA: Ecological Perspectives for Science & Society is the property of Oekom Verlag GmbH 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.)

As a major agricultural subsector, milk production plays an important role in the EU 28. Political decisions such as the abolition of the milk quota system in 2015, highly volatile milk prices, high bargaining power of retailers and fierce international competition have led to challenges for both farmers and dairies and have created a need to improve competitiveness. Furthermore, the dairy sector is increasingly subject to societal demands for higher animal welfare and ecological standards. The concept of sustainability in the form of a product ion standard can be seen as a means for both dairy farmers and dairies to gain competitive advantages and meet stakeholders' demands. Farmers' willingness to participate in a sustainability standard is a key factor for its successful implementation. One attractive target group for such a standard are future-oriented farmers who plan to stay in dairy farming in the long run. This study, therefore, focuses on future-oriented dairy farmers and investigates their willingness to participate in a comprehensive sustainability standard. A hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis is conducted to identify different groups based on their willingness to participate. 211 farmers can be categorized into three different clusters: 'halfhearted sustainability proponents', 'highly dedicated sustainability proponents' and 'profit-oriented sustainability refusers'. Further analysis provides insights into the determinants of farmers' willingness to participate in a sustainability standard. The results of this study provide man ifold starting points for deriving managerial implications for the successful implementation of sustainability standards in European dairy farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany's current efforts to decarbonize its electricity system are analysed. As nuclear power and fossil power plants equipped with carbon capture and storage were ruled out in 2011, renewable electricity generation (RES) together with electricity savings are the primary focus for achieving decarbonization. Germany aims to have RES account for at least 80% of its electricity by 2050. Achieving renewable generation needs strong political support and regulatory provisions for its market integration. Four main technical and regulatory challenges are the maintenance of a steady and efficient expansion of RES, the provision of balancing capacities, the realization of the targeted electricity savings, and the smart adaptation of the transport and distribution grid. An overview of the existing and planned regulatory provisions for decarbonization are described, and some gaps identified, particularly with regard to the overall management of the process, the inclusion of electricity savings and the interference of Germany's decarbonization strategies with neighbouring countries. Policies that both accelerate grid expansion and direct RES expansion should immediately be put in place and can be supported by a targeted mobilization of balancing capacities. Electricity savings are a significant and cost-efficient strategy for low-carbon electricity. Policy relevance Germany is actively converting its national electricity system towards a fully renewable one. As renewable electricity has reached about a quarter of total consumption, a number of technical and regulatory challenges arise. Current discussions and plans are described for the four main challenges: maintaining and optimizing high investment rates into RES generation technologies, providing balancing capacities, reducing demand, and adapting the grid to the changing needs. Policy recommendations for these four tasks highlight the need to intensify electricity demand reduction and also consider the potential interactions between the German electricity system and its neighbouring countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the German documentary films which represents the familial and private histories of Nazi support, collaboration, and perpetration. It states that the film "2 or 3 Things I Know About Him" (2 oder 3 Dinge, die ich von ihm weiss) by Malte Ludin, offers the story of a war criminal father whose involvement in war crimes was denied by his family. Moreover, "Exile in Sedan" (Exil in Sedan) by Michael Gaumnitz, explores the role of fathers and grandfathers during the Third Reich.

Copyright of Leviathan: Zeitschrift für Sozialwissenschaft (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.) is the property of Springer Nature 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 explores the books "Sind Sie die Tochter Speer?" (Are You the Daughter Speer?), by Margret Nissen and "Schweigen tut weh: Eine deutsche Familiengeschichte" (Silence Hurts: A German Family History) by Alexandra Senfft in 2005 and 2007. It cites that Nissen's book depicts her experiences as the daughter of Albert Speer, armament minister of Adolf Hitler. It notes that Senfft relates the memories of her mother as the oldest daughter of Hanns Ludin, Hitler's representative in Slovakia.

Presents a critique of Ralf Ottermann's article about scientific fraud, published in this issue of the periodical "Deliberation Knowledge Ethics." Inability of Ottermann to explain the juridical and economic sides of scientific fraud; Reference to the case of Germany science history of the post-war period; Reference to the economic theory.

Examines the concept of communication in Germany. Function; Remarks on paradoxical communication; Insight into theoretical framework of linguistics; Cybernetics of observing systems; Effect of conscious system cooperation; Advantages of schematization; Effect of silence.

The article presents information on the insistence of systems theory and the role of Germany in this direction. Germany is not an isolated country, nor is social research in Germany a self-insulating process. Especially after World War II, there has been a strong influx of Western thought, Western methods, Western outlooks. What is fashionable world-wide becomes fashionable in Germany as well. This densely woven net of interchanges makes it difficult to portray German sociology as such. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that those interested in theory avoid theory and turn instead toward the work of authors who have already produced theories. Theory then, is not seen as something one can invent or produce oneself; it is something already available which only needs interpretation and refinement. In Germany at present there is a strong interest in the sociological classics.

Background: It is unclear whether specific components of individual social capital promote or protect against substance use and whether such effects vary across the life course. In this study, we investigated the effects of voluntary memberships and volunteering on alcohol and tobacco consumption in age comparison.Methods: Preregistration is accessible at https://osf.io/qhkrn/. We used data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (1984-2015), where alcohol consumption was assessed in 2006, 2008, and 2010 and smoking was assessed at least biennially since 1998. We divided participants into three age groups (14-29, 40-50, and 65-75 years of age at baseline). To disentangle intraindividual change over time and interindividual differences (potential selection effects), we employed multilevel analysis.Results: At the within level, voluntary memberships at one occasion predicted higher alcohol consumption a year later in middle-aged and older adults, but memberships had no significant longitudinal effects on smoking. Several positive effects of volunteering on alcohol and tobacco use one year later were found in males. No significant differences in the longitudinal effects between age groups or between nonpolitical and political volunteering emerged. At the between level, voluntary memberships and volunteering were usually associated with more alcohol consumption at low and moderate levels but with less smoking.Discussion: Over time, voluntary memberships and volunteering in Germany appear to promote, rather than to protect against, alcohol and tobacco use. On average, more engaged individuals drink more (at moderate levels) and smoke less, which may be due to selection effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has dramatically altered people's social lives due to social restriction measures taken to control the coronavirus spread. Early on, increased loneliness has been publicly discussed as a harmful psychological side effect of these measures. Due to the serious adverse health consequences of loneliness, it is essential to take these concerns seriously and investigate them systematically to allow for evidence-based decision making. Thus far, however, high-resolution empirical evidence of such harmful side effects is rare. The present preregistered large-scale daily diary study assessed daily loneliness in 4,844 German adults between March 16 and April 12, 2020. Daily loneliness slightly increased during the first two weeks since implementing the pandemic-related measures and slightly decreased thereafter. With increasing age, daily loneliness increased more strongly over the four weeks. Moreover, daily loneliness increased more strongly for parents compared to people without children. Thus, despite some increases in loneliness in some individuals, there was no linear increase in loneliness in response to the first pandemic-related measures in the present sample. • Results from a daily diary study of 4844 participants during the Covid-19 pandemic. • Daily loneliness levels increased in the first two weeks but decreased thereafter. • Daily loneliness levels were higher as age increased. • Parents reported a more marked increase in loneliness compared to non-parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]