The production and reproduction of prostitution

This article is the result of a study aimed at grasping the knowledge of ‘prostitution’ since 1999 when the purchase of sexual services was criminalised in Sweden. Key informants drawn from the police, social services and voluntary organisations, who work in close proximity to prostitution, were interviewed. We focus on how the position of the informant, considering governmental and non-governmental exercise, effects her or his understanding, and reproduction, of the phenomena. The central themes are the question of definition, the importance of exposure and the occurrence of male prostitution. It is suggested that a study of these themes shows how the traditional position of the bad woman as vendor and the invisible man as purchaser is preserved. Hereby all the other constellations, that may as well be considered to be prostitution, remains unproblematized.     

Religion as Catalyst or Restraint of Radical Right Voting?

It is often found that religious people are underrepresented among the radical right electorate, despite radical right parties’ claim of being defenders of the Judeo-Christian society. This study investigates this paradoxical finding and examines to what extent two dimensions of religion – practice and belief – play a role in voting for a radical right party across seven West European countries. Using the European Values Study from 2008, it was found that religiously active people are indeed less likely to vote for a radical right party, because they tend to vote for a Christian party. However, the study challenges the common wisdom that religion alone is a restraint on radical right voting and shows that orthodox believers in three countries – Belgium, Norway and Switzerland – feel more threatened by the presence of immigrants and therefore are more likely than their mainstream counterparts to vote for a radical right party.     

Leadership and Meaningful Work in the Public Sector

There have been many important studies on leadership in the public administration discipline; however, scholarly inquiry still lags behind related disciplines such as psychology and business administration. This article helps fill that gap by analyzing the role that public leaders play in making work more meaningful for their employees, which, in turn, has a positive influence on employee job outcomes. Specifically, the authors analyze the mediating role of work meaningfulness in the relationships between leader‐member exchange and organizational commitment, work effort, and work‐to‐family enrichment. Samples from education, health care, and local government are used. Results show that leadership strongly influences work meaningfulness, which, in turn, influences job outcomes. In addition, the impact and extent of leadership and work meaningfulness are higher in health care and education than in local government. The results emphasize the importance of leadership and meaningful work in the public sector.     

Unsuspected central nervous system gummas in a case of "cerebral infarct" associated with cocaine use

A 54-year-old African-American male was hospitalized with a left "cerebrovascular accident," altered mental status, agitation, rhabdomyolysis, and hypernatremia. Laboratory tests found cocaine in his system and a positive RPR (rapid plasmin reagin test). A CAT (computed axial tomography) scan without contrast taken 8 days prior to his death showed a left middle cerebral artery infarct, with edema and mass effect, and a 1-cm midline shift to the right. He underwent symptomatic treatment, eventually suffered cardiopulmonary arrest and multiorgan failure, and expired 8 days after admission. The left cerebral lesion diagnosed clinically as a cerebral infarct was actually determined to be a syphilitic gumma on postmortem neuropathologic examination. Neurosyphilis, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions in the brain because cases of syphilis continue to occur both sporadically and as an opportunistic infection associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and because neurosyphilis is treatable.     

Post-mortem forensic neuroimaging: correlation of MSCT and MRI findings with autopsy results

Multislice-computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are increasingly used for forensic purposes. Based on broad experience in clinical neuroimaging, post-mortem MSCT and MRI were performed in 57 forensic cases with the goal to evaluate the radiological methods concerning their usability for forensic head and brain examination. An experienced clinical radiologist evaluated the imaging data. The results were compared to the autopsy findings that served as the gold standard with regard to common forensic neurotrauma findings such as skull fractures, soft tissue lesions of the scalp, various forms of intracranial hemorrhage or signs of increased brain pressure. The sensitivity of the imaging methods ranged from 100% (e.g., heat-induced alterations, intracranial gas) to zero (e.g., mediobasal impression marks as a sign of increased brain pressure, plaques jaunes). The agreement between MRI and CT was 69%. The radiological methods prevalently failed in the detection of lesions smaller than 3mm of size, whereas they were generally satisfactory concerning the evaluation of intracranial hemorrhage. Due to its advanced 2D and 3D post-processing possibilities, CT in particular possessed certain advantages in comparison with autopsy with regard to forensic reconstruction. MRI showed forensically relevant findings not seen during autopsy in several cases. The partly limited sensitivity of imaging that was observed in this retrospective study was based on several factors: besides general technical limitations it became apparent that clinical radiologists require a sound basic forensic background in order to detect specific signs. Focused teaching sessions will be essential to improve the outcome in future examinations. On the other hand, the autopsy protocols should be further standardized to allow an exact comparison of imaging and autopsy data. In consideration of these facts, MRI and CT have the power to play an important role in future forensic neuropathological examination.     

Children's Rights to Representation: A Comparison Between Sweden and England

In both England and in Sweden, the approach to a child's rightto representation differs between public law cases and privatelaw cases regarding legal custody/parental responsibility, residenceor contact. This article discusses the basis for this distinction,and how far it accords with the best interests of the child.     

An Exploratory Study of the Characteristics that Prevent Youth from Completing a Family Violence Diversion Program

Youth perpetrated violence against a family member has gained the attention of social service workers and law enforcement, yet professionals working with these youth have little understanding of the characteristics of the population that would impede intervention success. This article presents an exploratory study of youth (N?=?209; 50 % males and 50 % females, average age 15.7 years) who participated in a court-diversion program for first time offenders of family violence and examined socio-demographic and delinquency characteristics and the role they play in completing the program. Findings indicate that delinquency characteristics, specifically having a prior violent arrest and skipping school, carry significance in preventing youth from successfully completing the Family Violence Intervention Program. These findings lend support to the current literature and address the need for a more tailored approach to treating and retaining youth in a family violence intervention program.     

How has Radical Right Support Transformed Established Political Conflicts? The Case of Austria

In many European party systems, the radical right has challenged established patterns of political competition. This article studies the consequences of this by using the case of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and data from Austria’s first national election study (AUTNES). It is found that the FPÖ has weakened Austria’s previously highly stable system of socio-structural and ideological divisions as expressed by the two mainstream parties, the People’s Party and the Social Democrats. In socio-structural terms, the FPÖ has undermined the Social Democrats’ support base. In ideological terms, FPÖ voters have distinct views on newer issues such as immigration, European integration and dissatisfaction with the political system, but its supporters’ views on Austria’s traditional conflicts surrounding the economy and social and religious values cannot explain the party’s success. These findings further our understanding of the transformation of political conflicts not just in Austria, but in Western Europe in general.