Informal Groups Research Articles

Features of the situation of crimes against life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations)

The article emphasizes that the circumstances of crimes against life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations) are no less important elements of forensic characteristics than the trail picture and methods of their commission, because it allows obtaining objective forensically significant information , which contributes to more effective detection and investigation of criminal offenses. It is worth noting that the circumstances of committing the investigated crimes largely determine the overall mechanism of criminal activity of informal groups (associations) and are somewhat different from the circumstances of other types of crimes. the study of criminal proceedings (cases) made it possible to establish that crimes against life and health are committed by members of youth informal groups (associations), as a rule, in public places, in the time period from 18 to 24 hours. The date of the crime may be different and may be affected by the socio-psychological climate in the middle of the youth informal group (association), i.e. it may be in the evening from 18.00 to 24.00, or it may be at another time considering that sometimes such crimes occur spontaneously, are not planned in advance and can be committed under the influence of alcoholic beverages, psychotropic substances, narcotic drugs, etc. Also, delinquent behavior of representatives of informal groups can be provoked by spontaneous aggression towards representatives of other informal youth groups (associations). The commission of the researched type of crime can be associated with state, religious, cult holidays, dates of ceremonies and other important events for a certain informal youth group (association), as well as crimes can be committed on days of mass events, including sports events, rock concerts, festivals, etc. The practice of investigating crimes against a person’s life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations) shows that as tools and means in most cases criminals use metal sports equipment, rods, sticks, metal pipes, broken bottles, chains, military belt buckles, cold and firearms, etc. In addition, the places where informal youth commit crimes are mostly public places - roads and highways, underpasses, bus stops, premises of shops and entertainment establishments, residential areas located near houses, the same entertainment establishments and shops, recreation areas, including parks, parks, stadiums, concert halls, etc. Analysis of processed criminal proceedings indicates that crimes of the specified category are committed, as a rule, in conditions of obviousness (about 80%). The key factor for the specified category of crimes is that the situation of crimes against life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations) depends, first of all, on the type of youth informal group (bikers, skinheads, rockers, football fans, etc. .); secondly, from the degree of organization, hierarchy and structure of the group itself; thirdly, from other factors that immediately preceded the crime (drinking of alcoholic beverages, use of psychotropic or narcotic substances, etc.).

“The million-euro answer”: party youth wings’ views on the opportunities and challenges of engaging young people politically through social media

Research on the relationship between youth, politics, and social media often overlooks the role and views of party youth wings. In this study, we seek to fill this gap by understanding (1) the objectives guiding the political communication of party youth wings on social media and (2) the opportunities and challenges they identify in the process. We do so by conducting semi-structured interviews with representatives of youth wings and informal youth groups from Portuguese political parties. Information emerges as the primary communicational objective of youth wings, who do not consider social media an ideal space for political dialogue. Although social media is the main communication channel with young people, offering more reach, flexibility, and feedback opportunities, several challenges limit the effectiveness of communication: resources, algorithms, audience fragmentation, selection effects, simplification of complexity, and the irreplaceability of face-to-face contact. The implications of these results are discussed.

Maesaflabellifera (Primulaceae), a new species from southeast Yunnan, China.

Maesaflabellifera (Primulaceae-Maesoideae) from southeast Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated here. This new species belongs to the informal long corolla-tube species group and is morphologically similar to M.permollis and M.kurzii, but can be distinguished by lacking hairs, membranaceous leaves and long panicles with 7-16 branches. According to the IUCN criteria, M.flabellifera is assessed as "Least Concern".

What matters most to the perception of community resilience in Romania?

We aim to measure and explain the perception of community resilience in Romania. We use survey data from a country-representative sample of 1500 respondents. We rely on factor-based partial least squares path modeling to measure five reflective latent constructs from a CCRAM-type questionnaire. We use these constructs to extract a second-order formative latent construct representing an overall measure of community resilience. Next, we use three sub-dimensions of family resilience, along with individual resilience and several control variables to explain community resilience. Among the five sub-dimensions of the overall measure of community resilience, social trust exerts the highest contribution, followed by place attachment. The predictors of community resilience with the largest effect sizes are the three sub-dimensions of family resilience. The policies geared towards increasing community resilience might not be able to address the most important factors, at least in the case of Romania, because they pertain to informal group interaction, and lie outside the reach of formal administrative authority.

Challenges for Formal Organizations Engaging Volunteers During Regular and Crisis Times According to Polish and Italian Volunteer Coordinators

AbstractThe recent crises in Europe impacted the volunteering patterns within formal organizations that provide support in regular and crisis times. In our paper, we investigated how volunteer coordinators from formal entities (public/governmental and non-governmental) perceive (1) the patterns of volunteering engagement (long-term versus episodic) in regular and crisis times, (2) the processes of retaining volunteers during crises; (3) the trust of the community toward various types of organizations during social crises; (4) the role of informal support groups in relation to the tasks of their organization. Between June and October 2023, we performed an online-based study (total N = 55)—in Poland (N = 28) and Italy (N = 27). The survey had multiple-choice and open-ended questions, and the results were analyzed qualitatively using the thematic analysis framework. The findings indicated that volunteer coordinators reckon that long-term and episodic volunteers play crucial and complementary roles in helping organizations achieve their objectives. This implies that organizations should recognize the value of both types of volunteers and consider them essential resources for pursuing organizational goals. The results also suggest that the volunteer retention strategies are worth outlining or revisiting within organizations, and attention should be paid to psychological support. According to coordinators, trust in non-governmental organizations is perceived as crucial in the beneficiaries' decisions about where to seek help. Collaboration with informal groups is advised, given that the goals can be achieved together, mutually using the resources provided by both types of helping entities.

A new species of Epidendrum (Orchidaceae) of the Albertii group of the Eastern Andes in Colombia

Epidendrum clinidiodontum is described and illustrated as a new species from the eastern slope of the Eastern Andean Cordillera from Caquetá and Cundinamarca, Colombia. The species belongs to the informal Albertii group and Ellipsophyllum subgroup and is vegetatively similar to Epidendrum hygrohylephilum but differs in having the lip pentagonal, base slightly cordate and margin crenate, the clinandrium-hood bidentate, and the callus laminar.

The issue of continuous characters in the copulatory bulb of Neodiplothele spiders: a morpho-geometric approach

ABSTRACT The definition of species boundaries in mygalomorph spiders is historically based on morphological characters, which can be problematic due to the homogeneous morphology and continuous variation across species. The male copulatory bulb of Neodiplothele, as of many mygalomorphs, is phenotypically diverse and the differences are displayed mostly by subtle shape variations. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the traditional morphology-based delimitation of species informal groups and assess the significance of morphological characters in the systematics of the highly variable and widespread mygalomorph spiders of the barychelid genus Neodiplothele. We conducted a geometric morphometric analysis on the bulb of specimens of Neodiplothele using Fourier descriptors. The results show that the bulb is rather difficult to apply as a discrete character in a taxonomic context and show the proximity of a group of undescribed species of Neodiplothele to both groups proposed in a previous revision, indicating a continuous variation. As a taxonomic character, the use of the copulatory bulb shape as a discrete character may be uninformative in the case of species that present one or more intermediate states, when the incorrect treatment of the character can result in a misrepresentation of shape diversity and equivocate inference of evolutionary relationships.https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:471C6BE5-D24C-4805-B2DE-EB89B6D1D8FA https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:D4955FF5-FE7F-4E68-AB2F-4A89593F9850

Ensuring the rights of victims during the investigation of crimes against life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations)

The article addresses specific issues regarding the protection of victims’ rights during the investigation of crimes against life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations). It emphasizes that modern criminology’s theoretical and applied research is focused on finding optimal methods for investigating crimes committed by members of such groups. It is highlighted that in the structure of criminal offenses committed by youth informal groups, crimes against life and health rank second, with nearly one-third involving serious and moderately severe bodily injuries. This is because group violence tends to be more brutal than individual acts, and in all criminal proceedings involving violent crimes, such offenses were committed in groups. There is a noted lack of works dedicated to protecting the rights of victims during the investigation of crimes against life and health committed by members of youth informal groups (associations). The research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that ensure the effective protection of the rights and legitimate interests of victims, analyzing legislative gaps that significantly complicate or even prevent their effective protection. The analysis of international legal principles and standards identified a set of measures that may enable a victim-centered approach in investigating this category of crimes: raising awareness and providing immediate legal, social, and medical assistance (including informing victims of their procedural rights, such as the right to protection and compensation, and access to specialized support services); ensuring physical and psychological protection of victims; employing special interrogation tactics to minimize secondary victimization (investigators should consider the age, psychological condition, health status, and location of the interrogation - whether at the victim’s home, healthcare facility, or investigator’s office); using audiovisual recordings to reduce the number of interrogations; and ensuring compensation for damages.

South American Acanthocinini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae): new species, synonymy, description of females, and notes

Eucharitolus Bates, 1885 is divided into two informal groups of species, and its provisional features are reported. The females of Eucharitolus longus Botero & Monné, 2012, and Xenocona senticosa (Monné & Martins, 1976) are described for the first time and both species are newly recorded from Bolivia. New state records are provided for Eucharitolus lituratus (Melzer, 1934) and E. spilotus Botero & Monné, 2012. Eucharitolus geometricus (Tippmann, 1960) is transferred to a new genus, which is included in a previous key. A new species of Eucharitolus, E. thomazi, is described from Brazil (São Paulo) and an updated key to the genus is provided. Lepturdrys Gilmour, 1960 is reinstated and a new species, L. capixaba, is described from Brazil. Notes and new record for Lepturges (Lepturges) melzeri Gilmour, 1959 are provided. Urgleptes ovalis (Bates, 1866) is transferred to Lepturges (Lepturges) Bates, 1863. A new species of Lepturges (Lepturges), L. (L.) dubius, is described from Bolivia; Nealcidion zigzag sp. nov. is described from Bolivia. Lophopoeum paiolai Monné et al., 2023 is synonymized with L. kawense Roguet, 2022, and a new country record is provided. Misidentifications of Lophopoeum meridianum Fisher, 1938, L. fuliginosum Bates, 1863, and L. bimaculatum (Gilmour, 1961) are reported. The presence of erect setae on elytra of the type species of Lophopoenopsis Melzer, 1931 is reported for the first time, and the genus is included in a previous key.

How to Recognize Mosses from Extant Groups among Paleozoic and Mesozoic Fossils

This paper describes a range of Paleozoic and Mesozoic mosses and assesses how far they can be referred to extant taxa at the family, ordinal, or class levels. The present study provides new data on Paleozoic mosses of the order Protosphagnales, re-evaluating affinities of some groups previously thought to be unrelated. The leaf areolation pattern, combined with the leaf costa anatomy, results in the subdivision of Protosphagnales into five separate families: Protosphagnaceae (at least six genera), Polyssaieviaceae (at least three genera), and three monogeneric families: Rhizonigeritaceae, Palaeosphagnaceae, and Servicktiaceae. We urge caution in referring Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic fossil mosses as members of Dicranidae and Bryidae, as they may belong to the extinct moss order Protosphagnales. Additional evidence supports the relation of the Permian genus Arvildia to extant Andreaeopsida. We segregate Late Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic mosses that are superficially similar to extant members of either Dicranales or Polytrichales, into the artificial informal group of Archaeodicranids, distinguishing them from ecostate Paleozoic and Mesozoic mosses, which are combined here into another artificial informal group, Bryokhutuliinids. The latter includes the genus Bryokhutuliinia, widespread in contemporary Asia, from the Middle Jurassic to the Lower Cretaceous, as well as other superficially similar ecostate plants from different regions worldwide, ranging from the Upper Palaeozoic to the Lower Cretaceous. A list of Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Eocene moss fossils suitable for age calibration in phylogenetic trees is provided.

Vulnerability of the informal sector in an emerging economy: a multi-level analysis

ABSTRACT This study investigates the determinants of vulnerability and the vulnerability gap between workers in an emerging economy’s formal and informal employment sectors. To this end, a multi-level model combined with a fixed-effect model was employed to capture idiosyncratic and covariate vulnerabilities. The results from the multi-level model show signs of a ‘cycle of vulnerability’ for informal workers, in that covariate shocks indirectly impact idiosyncratic shocks, which in turn leads them to suffer more from covariate vulnerability. Compared to those with formal employment, informal workers are 1.2% more likely to fall into poverty in the future. Among wage workers, informal wage workers had higher vulnerability indices than formal sector workers, with a vulnerability gap of 3.1%. These gaps are more significant when accounting for time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity. Based on these results, it is vital to consider idiosyncratic and covariate components to reduce vulnerability in the informal sector. Specifically, for informal workers who engage in business and industry sectors at high risk of income shocks, the government should monitor and provide them with legal frameworks that will prevent them from being exposed to a high risk of vulnerability. Additionally, a policy expanding voluntary social insurance should be promoted to support informal groups.

Is the clique a pond? The big-fish-little-pond effect and the relative meaning of clique and classroom

BackgroundAcademic self-concept (ASC) is a key predictor of learning behaviors and educational outcomes. In adolescence, the evaluation of academic abilities is mainly shaped by the social environment and comparisons with various reference groups. The effect of making social comparisons with the academic achievement of a reference group is known as the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE). AimsBased on social comparison theory and the local dominance effect (LDE), the present study aimed to investigate a pivotal adolescent reference group beside the classroom: the clique. We investigated to what extent students’ social comparison with the mathematics achievement of clique members was related to the ASC of individual students more than general classroom comparisons. SampleThe sample comprised 743 German secondary students in sixth and eighth grade (93 cliques in 40 classrooms). MethodsWe estimated a three-level structural equation model using data from a two-wave longitudinal study in one school year. The change in students’ ASC was determined using latent change modeling. ResultsThe average academic achievement of the clique negatively predicted ASC development. Classroom academic achievement had no effect. ConclusionsThe results underline the importance of informal peer groups like cliques as important reference groups for social comparisons and ASC development during adolescence.

The Kitchen and the Dacha: Productive Spaces of Soviet Mathematics

In the late 1960s and 70s, due to the Soviet regime’s crackdown on dissident activities and rising anti-Semitic policies, many mathematicians from “undesirable” groups faced discrimination and serious administrative restrictions on work and study at top-ranking official institutions. To overcome such barriers, the mathematical community built extensive social networks around informal or semi-formal study groups and seminars, which formed a parallel social infrastructure for learning and research. As result, mathematical activity began shifting from public educational and research institutions into private or semi-private settings — family apartments, summer dachas, and countryside walks. For many Soviet mathematicians, instead of being a refuge from work, their home apartments and dachas became their primary working spaces — places where they did their research, met with students, and exchanged ideas with colleagues. At the intersection of work and private life, a tightly knit mathematical community emerged, whose commitment to scholarship went beyond formal duty or required curriculum, a community practicing mathematics as a “way of life.” The parallel social infrastructure functioned in tense interdependency with official institutions and borrowed some characteristics of the official system it opposed.

Discriminating Factors of Formal and Informal Micro-Credits Programs in Bangladesh: An Efficiency Approach

Purpose: The study aims to identify the factors influencing the choice of formal and informal micro- credits programs in poverty alleviation of Bangladesh especially in Haor area. Methodology: The study has covered a total of 2340 households’ respondents where 1560 actual microcredit users and 780 eligible micro-credit users while they did not use micro-credits as control (50% of the cases) group for comparison purpose. The characteristics of control households are almost similar to the cases (micro-credits recipient) households. Total survey area has been divided into thirty clusters and the survey was made with a structured questionnaire to measure the impact on poverty of both types of credits and find out the dimensions of discrimination. The group means, pooled group correlation matrix, covariates for discrimination, and validation of two-group discriminant finally Fisher’s linear discriminant function were used to reach in the conclusion. Findings: The study identified that the installment types are the most important predictors in discriminating between formal and informal micro-credits groups, followed by duration of loan, interest rate, gender of loan receivers, earning status of loan receivers, and regular income source in the households and so on and this is also confirmed by cross-validation analysis. Fisher’s linear discriminant function forecasted that the new member with discriminant scores above 0.44 supposed to borrow from the informal sources however the members having below of the score will borrow from formal sources. Practical Implications: The lenders will be able to design effective micro-credit programs considering the needs of the users. Originality/Value: The research is the first attempt to identify the discriminating factors between formal and informal micro-credits with large volume of solid primary data. Limitations: The study did not make any in-depth-interview regarding the issue.

The Paussus (Scaphipaussus) lanxangensis species group of Indomalayan ant nest beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussinae, Paussini) with description of a new species

The new species Paussus agatae sp. nov. could not easily be allocated to an established subgenus or even species group. The informal Paussus lanxangensis species group is established to include the new species and other related species. Its diagnostic characters are described and screened for possible use in cladistic analyses in the future. Currently, it consists of five described species of the Indomalayan mainland, which are arranged in a key.

Inequalities and Social Capital as Factors of Subjective Well-Being: Case Study from Western Province, Zambia

Understanding well-being’s complexities, including its subjective and context-dependent nature, is crucial for informing policy decisions and development interventions aimed at enhancing quality of life and reducing poverty. Unfortunately, subjective well-being (SWB) research, particularly in the context of Global South, has received relatively less attention, despite its fundamental importance in the field of human development. This research aims to contribute to the discussion on SWB by examining its association with diverse forms of inequalities and deprivations. Specifically, we investigate the impact of these deprivations, both at the societal and intra-household levels, on SWB among the rural population of the Western Province in Zambia. The study underscores low levels of SWB in the surveyed area. It reveals the impact of intra-household inequalities, demonstrating that the presence of a more educated individual in the household positively affects well-being. On the other hand, having responsibilities related to decision-making power within households diminishes SWB, probably due to related stress and anxiety. As expected, limited access to resources in the household also negatively affects SWB. Our main finding in the realm of societal inequalities revolves around the assertion that fostering social capital through active participation in formal or informal groups significantly enhances SWB. Empowering individuals through education and knowledge sharing, and promoting inclusivity and diversity in social interactions are key strategies that policymakers can adopt to enhance SWB in the Muoyo-Mukukutu area and similar regions.

Choosing Your Sports Partners: Assessing Selection Preferences Through Observational and Experimental Studies

ABSTRACT Previous research has demonstrated the positive impact of doing sports together on maintaining physical activity levels. Yet, there remains a gap in understanding the selection processes leading to sports partnerships. We address this question using a two-study design. Study 1 examines longitudinal ego-network data; we analyze data of 1,222 sports partnerships among 409 Dutch university students. We find that emotional closeness, rather than skill similarity, is a key determinant of sports partnership continuation over time. We do not find that the sports setting in which sports partnerships are embedded (i.e. sports clubs, informal groups, commercial gyms, unorganized settings) affect the stability of sports partnerships. Study 2 employs a discrete choice experiment, in which individuals are tasked to choose a sports partner out of choice-sets consisting of three sports partners who vary in the types of motivations and resources they offer (i.e. social comparison, knowledge, companionship, encouragement). People express a strong preference for sports partners who emphasize social aspects of sports, but as individuals become more active, sports partners who emphasize social comparison and who are knowledgeable about sports gain attractiveness. We discuss the implications of these findings for tailored strategies leveraging social networks to promote sports participation.

How informality keeps multilateralism going: the role of informal groupings in EU foreign policy negotiations

Informal groupings of states – either as stand-alone entities or as part of formal international organizations (IOs) – are playing an increasingly important role in sustaining multilateralism and global governance. But what is it about the informal nature of these groupings that makes them such a critical and increasingly popular fixture of international cooperation? To answer this question, the paper focuses on the role of informal groupings in European Union (EU) foreign policy negotiations. Within the EU, informal groupings provide a key venue for coordination, information-sharing, learning and consensus-building. As a result, these groupings are critical for the functioning of the formal decision-making process, providing necessary building blocks for the success of multilateral diplomacy. The proposed argument is explored in the case of two distinct instances of informal groupings, one extra- and one intra-EU grouping, by means of document analysis and elite interviews with national diplomats. First, the paper examines the role of the G7 contact group in the formulation of the Russian sanctions back in 2014. Second, it assesses the role of the PESCO 4 in driving the establishment of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). In both instances, informal groupings provided important venues for coordination, as well as information-sharing, learning and consensus-building, which, in turn, enable and sustain multilateral negotiations among 27 member states. Critically engaging with the role of informal groupings in formal IOs, the paper sheds light on the dynamic relationship between informality and minilateralism, on the one hand, and formal multilateral institutions, on the other.

“It's Such a Taboo Subject, Everybody's Scared to Talk About It”: Fijian Sportswomen's Experiences of Menstruation

Despite a growing body of research focused on women's experiences of menstruation in sports, most of this has been done by white women on white women and then applied to sportswomen from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Very rarely are the menstruation-related experiences of Black, Indigenous, and women of color considered, let alone the focus of such studies. To date, no research has explored Pacific sports women's experiences of menstruation. In this research, we adopt a contextually relevant Masi methodology approach to understand how Pacific sports women navigate different knowledge (i.e., scientific, family, cultural, religious, and social media sources) about menstruation in their everyday lives. Drawing upon Talanoa sessions (informal interviews and focus groups) with 21 Fijian sportswomen from a range of sports, we highlight the many ways sportswomen's knowledge has been overlooked, and their health needs ignored. We reveal how cultural and family knowledge shapes Fijian sportswomen's menstrual practices in and out of sports, and the lingering silences and stigma shaping coaching and medical support. Thus, this research seeks to improve the support structures for Pacific sportswomen by expanding sports and health providers’ understandings of culturally specific menstrual health needs and knowledge.

“We Have Two Engines, and We Must Keep Them Both Running”: The Combination of Institutional and Symbolic Resources in the “Socio-Emotional Organizing” of Solo Self-Employed Workers

The rise of solo self-employment has led to the emergence of increasingly broad categories of workers in search of collective representation, who find no support either in trade unions or in employer organizations. Based on the case of Redacta, an informal group founded in Italy and composed of solo self-employed (SSE) workers in the publishing industry, the article contributes to the debate on Resource Mobilization Theory and New Social Movements by showing that, along with other resources typically available to social movements and activist groups, it is mainly through the combination of institutional and symbolic-performative resources that a process of grassroots organizing—that we call socio-emotional organizing—can be successfully triggered, especially in the case of particularly underrepresented groups of workers, such as the SSE.