The Engagement of Older People in Civil Society Organizations

This article reviews recent international literature on the opportunities and restrictions experienced by older people to act as volunteers in civil society organizations. Our aim was to develop a conceptual framework applicable to the European ageing society. This aim was pursued through a computerized database search focused on studies analyzing the individual, organizational, and/or societal levels. Findings show that senior volunteers are characterized by “younger” age, good health, and a high level of both educational and socioeconomical status. Volunteers are involved mainly in religious organizations as well as in social and personal care, while main barriers are represented especially by ageist practices. The review shows that the debate on this topic has been barely developed in Europe, both from an individual and societal point of view. Therefore, European countries might take advantage from experiences made in other contexts, but the identification of how this can occur requires further and more specific cross-national research.     

Capturing change and stability in longitudinal qualitative research: insights from a study about aging and life transitions in Israeli continuing care retirement communities

ABSTRACT

The present paper considers the use of longitudinal qualitative research (LQR) as a means to capture both change and stability in people’s lives. We use an LQR study conducted in continuing care retirement communities to demonstrate three dimensions that should be taken into consideration when addressing change vs. stability. Three waves of interviews with older adults and their family members as well as memos and reflections concerning interview data are used. The first dimension concerns the question of: “who defines change?” A second dimension raises the question of, “what has changed?” Finally, a third dimension concerns the timeframe of change. We argue that LQR provides a tremendous richness of time dimensions and perspectives. Discrepancies between dimensions, perspectives and timeframes can be particularly enriching. Moreover, LQR allows also for the opportunity to examine stability.     

Success in elite cycling: A prospective and retrospective analysis of race results

The development of peak performances is a main research focus in sports science. It is unclear how many former top junior athletes achieve success in the elite class later. The aim of the present study was to examine the careers of athletes who participated in major junior or adult/elite cycling events using prospective and retrospective analysis of competition results. The official results of major junior (age < or = 18 years) and elite (age > 18 years) cycling races from 1980 to 2004 were analysed. Age-related aspects, career lengths, and success were compared between riders who presented results in both junior and elite races (JUNIOR ELITE) and riders who had no junior race results (ELITE ONLY). Altogether, 27,454 results of 8004 athletes from 108 countries were collected. We found that 29.4% of the elite athletes had participated in junior World Championships, and that 34% of the participants in junior World Championships later participated in major elite competitions. JUNIOR ELITE athletes are significantly more successful in several cycling disciplines and have their first and last elite result at a younger age than ELITE ONLY athletes. No difference was found in career lengths. The data presented here emphasize the importance of long-term training programmes in the development of peak performance in cycling.     

When Glass and Metal Corrode Together,VI: Chalconatronite

ABSTRACT

Chalconatronite, Na₂[Cu(CO₃)]₂·3H₂O, is formed as a corrosion product when copper alloys are exposed to sodium carbonate solutions in the air. This also happens when metals come into contact with corroding soda glass which forms alkaline surface films in reaction with humidity from clean air. More often, substantial amounts of formaldehyde are present indoors which react to formate via the Cannizzarro reaction and accumulate over time in the films. Twenty cases of chalconatronite (including two mentioned in the literature) are reported as occurring on heritage objects with glass in contact with copper alloys: Baroque reliquaries with set glass gems, enamel on metal (sixteenth century and a modern replica of intentionally unstable composition), Christmas tree glass baubles with wires, glass buttons with metal shanks, a glass figure with a wire support, miners’ lamps, and a glass framed daguerreotype. These confirmed identifications might help conservators in investigating similar cases to shed more light on the formation conditions.     

Anti-racist Quantitative Research: Developing,Validating, and Implementing Racialized Teaching Efficacy and Racial Fragility Scales

The Urban Review - This research article reports on the initial findings of a critical quantitative study, which developed and implemented a series of quantitative scales utilizing...     

When Glass and Metal Corrode Together,V: Sodium Copper Formate

A sodium copper formate, first described in 2002, can also form on copper alloys with sodium originating from soda glass hydrolysis. The frequent occurrence (50% of 250 cases of glass-induced metal corrosion) is due to the presence of formaldehyde emissions in storage and its direct reaction to formate in the alkaline surface films. The compound can be produced without the presence of acetate when chalconatronite or metal coupons immersed in soda solution are exposed to formaldehyde vapours. The crystal structure, derived from X-ray powder diffraction, yielded the sum formula Cu₄Na₄O(HCOO)₈(OH)₂·4H₂O. Except for the absence of acetate in the structure, this is in good agreement with the 2002 publication. To assess which kind of combined glass/metal objects are affected, a number of large museum collections were surveyed. Sodium copper formate was detected as a corrosion product using mainly micro-Raman spectroscopy, for instance, on 18 painted Limoges enamels, eight glass vessels with metal mountings, glass beads on metal wire from 11 bridal crowns, nine Christmas tree balls with wire decoration, 40 pieces of jewellery with glass gems, three daguerreotypes, and one miniature with cover glasses.     

User Experiences with Editorial Control in Online Newspaper Comment Fields

This article investigates user experiences with editorial control in online newspaper comment fields following the public backlash against online comments after the 2011 terror attacks in Norway. We analyze data from a survey of online news consumers focusing on experiences and attitudes towards editorial control set against a spectrum between “interventionist” and “noninterventionist” positions. Results indicate that interventionist respondents rate the quality of online comments as poor, whereas noninterventionist respondents have most often experienced being the target of editorial control measures and feel that editorial control has intensified after the terror attacks. We conclude that newspapers should pay attention to the different needs of participants when devising strategies for editorial control. Media professionals should also consider changes to increase the transparency of moderation practices.     

“Tightening the Knots” of the International Drugs Trade in Brazil

Much academic analysis of media representations of drugs-related violence in Brazil has focused on their role in perpetuating violence and societal divisions. There is less research on how the country’s traditional news media can shape information in order to foster dialogue between people and potentially resolve conflict. This article aims to address this gap by exploring the possibilities and challenges for printed news media to acquire “mediated” social capital. The concept is understood here as a specific resource of power that has the potential to connect people from diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds. In order to do so, we analyse how a popular Rio newspaper has used its symbolic power to produce social capital with an investigative series about Brazil’s involvement in the international drugs trade. It is argued here that the series paints a complex picture of its causes and consequences and is an important step towards a deliberative process about possible solutions to drugs-related violence in Rio and beyond.