The Regulation of Media Markets in selected EU Accession States in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract:   This article examines the phenomenon of policy transfer in the EU accession countries of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. When formulating media laws in the early 1990s, these countries were presented with models put forth by advisors from the US and EU Member States. Advisors proposed models based upon their own domestic policy and/or organisation agendas. A resulting 'battle of the models' can be observed with different experts and actors lobbying for the adoption of contrasting regulatory models. Underlying this were often political, economic and trade interests. In particular, 'Western' governments were interested in guaranteeing the opening of new markets, and the stability of these new media markets for Western capital investment, as well as wider political concerns of consolidating democracy in Europe. Interest groups and NGOs wished to transfer their ideas to Eastern Europe often in advocacy of their own agendas in an enlarged Europe.     

The Impact of Unpunished Hate Crimes: When Derogating the Victim Extends into Derogating the Group

Just world research has shown that observers derogate victims more for their misfortunes if the perpetrator is not harshly punished (Lerner in J Personal Soc Psychol 1(4):355–360, 1980). However, few studies have investigated minority group derogation as a just world preservation strategy after instances of intergroup harm-doing. This study is among the first to demonstrate the derogation of both individual victims and of the victim’s minority group experimentally, using the context of a racist hate crime in Australia. In the present experiment, participants (N = 110) read a news article describing a hate crime against an Aboriginal Australian teenager and were informed that the perpetrator was harshly or leniently punished (secure vs. justice threat condition). Our results show that in the justice threat condition, participants not only derogated the individual Aboriginal Australian victim more after his death, they also expressed greater racism toward the victim’s group. An indirect effect of the justice threat condition on modern racism via individual victim derogation was observed, along with moderating effects of individual differences in belief in a just world. These findings provide support for the alarming hypothesis that racist hate crimes are not only the manifestation of a racist society, but may also bolster racial prejudices if leniently treated. The results highlight the important role of political and judicial authorities, whose response or non-response to a hate crime can exacerbate or ameliorate existing prejudices.     

Manipulative relational behaviour and delinquency: sex differences and links with emotional intelligence

Trait emotional intelligence (EI) encompasses high levels of emotional understanding and is generally associated with positive outcomes. However, research has suggested that high EI might predispose some young females to delinquency. The present study investigated whether this relationship can be accounted for by a tendency towards emotionally manipulative behaviours, facilitated by high EI. Two hundred and fifty-two young adults (125 female) completed measures of EI, Machiavellianism, the managing emotions of others scale (MEOS) and self-reported delinquent behaviour. High EI females presented higher levels of delinquency, Machiavellian Tactics and morality, the supposedly prosocial MEOS behaviours enhancing and diverting and the non-prosocial behaviours worsening, inauthenticity and concealing. High-EI males reported fewer delinquent offences, high levels of MEOS prosocial enhancing behaviour and low levels of non-prosocial behaviours. We suggest that high-EI may enable manipulative relational behaviours in some females which in turn support delinquency aimed at fulfilment of social or material goals.     

Sex differences in the relationship between sensation seeking,trait emotional intelligence and delinquent behaviour

Levels of sensation seeking peak in adolescence and there is a well-documented association of sensation seeking with delinquency and other risk-taking behaviours. The present study investigated the potential moderating effect of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) on this relationship. Trait EI encompasses high levels of empathy and emotion regulation and is associated with positive outcomes and well-being. Ninety-six young adults (48 females and 48 males; overall M_age = 19.76) completed measures of sensation seeking, trait EI and self-reported delinquent behaviours (DB) since age 12. Results indicated that sensation seeking and frequency of DB were positively associated, but this effect was moderated by trait EI for male participants – those with lower trait EI showed a greater increase in delinquency, in line with a rise in sensation seeking. No moderation effect was observed for females, and females with higher levels of trait EI reported more DB. The results are discussed in terms of the protective role of trait EI in supporting self-regulation and whether, for some females, high levels of emotional intelligence might predispose them to antisocial relational behaviours.     

‘I Think it Just Made Everything Very Much More Intense’: A Qualitative Secondary Analysis Exploring The Role Of Friends and Family Providing Support to Survivors of Domestic Abuse During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of Family Violence - The COVID-19 pandemic, and associated social restrictions, have amplified women’s experiences of domestic abuse (DA). In usual times, female DA survivors reach...     

In practice - Modernising the Council: A Personal Reflection

Joined up governance has emerged as one of the key policy discourses of the modernisation of local government under New Labour. Community strategies are one of the principal policy tools that are intended to deliver more joined up governance at the local level. This paper draws upon early findings from the national formative evaluation of community strategies to consider the extent to which community strategies are delivering more joined up governance in practice. The paper concludes by highlighting a number of tensions in the role of community strategies in delivering a more joined up local agenda.