Human capital and social capital in criminal networks: introduction to the special issue on the 7th Blankensee Colloquium

This essay and review on criminal network analysis provides an introduction to the special issue “Human Capital and Social Capital in Criminal Networks”. It traces the history of the application of network analysis in the study of organized crime since the early 1970s. It argues that while criminal network analysis has brought a new level of methodological rigor to the study of organized crime, a number of limitations have become apparent. These include the problem of missing data and the challenges encountered in adequately capturing latent structures, individual characteristics of network members and socio-ecological conditions.     

Subjektivierung von Arbeit. Ausgangspunkt einer Neuorientierung der Industrie- und Arbeitssoziologie?

In der Industrie- und Arbeitssoziologie wird in den letzten Jahren die ?Subjektivierung von Arbeit“ diskutiert. Gemeint ist damit, dass sich zum einen durch veränderte Produktions- und Organisationsstrukturen die institutionelle Verfasstheit von Arbeit wandelt und die Beschäftigten zunehmend einem ?Zwang“ zur Selbst-Organisation, Selbst-Kontrolle und Selbst-Ökonomisierung ausgesetzt sind. Zum anderen trifft diese Entwicklung auf neue Ansprüche und Orientierungen, die Beschäftigte in Bezug auf ihre Arbeit entwickeln. Diese doppelte Konstituierung von Subjektivierung der Arbeit wird im Beitrag anhand verschiedener Konzepte exemplarisch diskutiert und danach gefragt, inwiefern die Debatte an traditionelle industrie- und arbeitssoziologische Paradigmen anknüpft und neue theoretische Sichtweisen und soziologische Kategorien eingebracht werden. Die dialektische Betrachtung von Subjektivierung als ?Zwang“ und Subjektivierung als Orientierung von Beschäftigten bedarf der konzeptionellen Aufarbeitung der Vermittlung beider Seiten ebenso wie der Entwicklung eines kategorialen Rahmens zur Analyse heterogener Beschäftigungsformen in ihrer institutionellen wie organisationalen Verfasstheit.     

The interdisciplinary dimensions of the study of organized crime

This essay and review systematically charts the various influences from other areas of scientific research, including economy, psychology, and neurobiology, on the study of organized crime. Drawing on an analysis of American and international literature, metaphorical, and substantive references to other disciplines are highlighted on five levels of observation: the individual “organized criminal,” the activities these individuals are involved in, the associational patterns through which they are connected, the power structures that subordinate these individuals and collectives to common or particular interests, and the relations between these individuals, structures and activities on the one hand, and the legal spheres of society on the other. It is argued that a research program aiming at building up a cumulative body of knowledge is needed to overcome the shortcomings of the current eclectic use of concepts and theories from other disciplines.     

How do Asians evaluate Europe’s strategic involvement in East Asia?

Europe is neither in the centre of Southeast Asia’s nor of Northeast Asia’s strategic interest. For both, Asians and Europeans it has been equally difficult to articulate their visions of each other’s role in security matters. However, Asia recognizes positively the EU’s civilian dominated approach in peacekeeping missions, e.g. in East Timor or in Aceh. Europe’s contribution to the Asia Regional Forum has been rather modest. But due to the increasing importance of comprehensive security, Europe’s experiences as a soft power could well change this position, provided both sides pay more attention to the constraints of the two regions. China as the major power in the region is somehow caught between the devil and the deep blue sea: on one side, it neither wants nor expects Europe to play a strategic role in East Asia. On the other, it would like to see Europe to become a power of its own in a China-US-EU triangle. This paper is based on a speech given by the author in Paris/France on 8th December 2006 at a conference on ‘French and European Strategic Interests in East Asia’ organised by the ‘Asia Centre’ with the support of the Secrétariat général de la défense nationale (SGDN). Mr. Norbert von Hofmann is an independent consultant on Southeast Asian-European co-operation in Germany. Formerly he was the Head of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Office for Regional Cooperation in Southeast Asia in Singapore.     

Comparative advertising and trade mark infringement: some guidance from the Netherlands

A recent decision of one of the five Dutch Appeal Courts hasclarified the relationship between trade mark law and advertisinglaw, holding that a trade mark owner cannot successfully accumulatetrade mark and advertising claims: where publicity complieswith the standards of advertising law, such use cannot thusamount to trade mark infringement.     

Deciphering the riddle of human deceit detection: groups comprising a higher number of anxious people are better at distinguishing lies from truths

Are groups superior to individuals in detecting lies, and are there certain personality traits that significantly contribute to a collective lie-detecting capability? In the current research, we compared the ability of small groups to detect deception compared with individuals, and further examined whether small groups comprising more members high in attachment anxiety would show superior performance in detecting deceit. To this end, we asked 233 participants (40 groups and 113 individuals) to watch a series of clips showing a person making either truthful or untruthful statements, and then decide whether the speaker was honest or dishonest. Results confirmed our expectations and showed superior deceit-detection abilities in small groups, and that this ability was proportionate to the number of people high in attachment anxiety in the group. These results are discussed from the perspective of social defense theory, and the utility of diverse social groups in coping with diverse threats.