Active ageing in employment: Its meaning and potential

This article focuses primarily on the recently emerged notion of “active ageing” and the policies necessary to turn it from a political slogan into an important mechanism in societal adjustment to population ageing. It begins by summarizing the main reasons for the growth of interest in active ageing. It goes on to describe the background to the concept of active ageing and its relationship to productive ageing. Then it outlines the basic principles on which policies on active ageing should be based and the key elements of a strategy to implement it. This is followed by a summary of the potential of active ageing to influence social protection expenditure. Finally the focus moves to the organizational level and the elements of an age management approach are presented. It is argued that a strategy of active ageing across the life course will enable ageing workers to exert a stronger influence over not only their later life careers but also their health and well-being. In addition to this personal empowerment active age management within organizations has the potential to improve efficiency and the optimum use of human capital. At the macro level active ageing can help to sustain or build up social protection systems. The main reference point for this article is Europe.     

The State in Environmental Management: The Ecological Dimension

A focus on 'modern' industrialized societies obscures both the great antiquity of the state and the powerful selective pressures that have led to the dominance of interstate competition, especially warfare. In pursuit of power, elites encouraged population growth and intensified the exploitation of the natural resource base, with progressively more severe ecological impacts. Modern technology has vastly amplified the problem. Though it makes possible sophisticated environmental management, that has been neglected for the demands of the military—industrial system. These ill-effects are reinforced by ignorance of ecology and inadequacy of traditional political thought. A major adaptive challenge faces modern states: to use their knowledge and resources for more humane, environmentally sensitive management and perhaps achieve a novel kind of steady state, or to renew emphasis on short-term competitive considerations.     

The computer and the law: coordinate analysis of skull shape and possible methods of postmortem identification.

Mechanisms accelerating or retarding the disintegration of soft tissues are briefly discussed, as well as the need to reconstruct the missing profile for postmortem identification purposes. The application of X-ray and computer-based analyses is discussed in the context of providing data to predict and reconstruct the most probable soft tissue profile of a dry skull. In addition, information from extensive studies of the facial bones and profiles of veterans has been applied to methods in forensic medicine of determining age, sex, and racial background of unknown subjects.     

Evaluation of structured cognitive–behavioural treatment programmes in reducing criminal recidivism

This paper reports the outcome of a 17-month follow-up of structured, community-based, offence-focused, intervention programmes designed to reduce rates of re-conviction amongst adjudicated offenders under probation supervision. Three separate programmes were examined, all derived from a cognitive social learning model of risk factors for repeated involvement in crime. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study compared male offenders who had completed programmes (n = 215) with a non-completion group (n = 181), a group allocated to programmes but who had not commenced them (n = 339), and a control sample (n = 194) not allocated to the programmes. Outcome data analysis employed (a) an “intent to treat” between-group comparison, (b) “treatment received” methodology. In order to take account of selection bias, data were further analysed using instrumental variables and propensity scores; results suggested a possible treatment effect for moderate and higher-risk cases. Factors influencing different interpretations of these findings were considered.

Arthur Fadden: A Political Silhouette

Arthur Fadden: A Political Silhouette. By Tracey M. Arklay (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2014), pp. xiii + 240, AU$39.95 (pb).