International Comparative Studies Research Articles

International Vocational Education and Training Research: An Introduction to the Special Issue

The seven articles in this special issue represent a wide range of international comparative and review studies by international research teams from China, Germany, India, Russia, Switzerland and Mexico. The presented projects are part of the national program "Research on the Internationalisation of Vocational Education and Training", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). An adapted version of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory forms the conceptual framework of the special issue. The four system levels (micro, meso, exo and macro) are addressed by one article each. The article on the microsystem level focuses on the intended and implemented curricula in a cross-country comparison of China and Russia. The article on the mesosystem level aims at the development of a quality management model for vocational education and training (VET) institutions in India. At the exolevel, the regional structures of the education and employment systems in Mexico, particularly the cooperation between schools and companies in the hotel industry, are investigated. At the macrosystem level, the social representation of non-academic labour in Mexico is examined in terms of cultural artefacts. Furthermore, three overarching review studies systematise relevant research developments and approaches. The topics of the three review studies are European VET policy, transfer of VET and VET research. The scope ranges from the development of a comparative research tool to a summary analysis of over 5,000 individual publications. Given the broad scope and heterogeneity of the findings, a summative conclusion would hardly be appropriate. Nevertheless, with regard to the model of the ‘triadic conception of purposes in comparative VET research’ that represents a heuristic for describing the purposes of international VET research, we conclude with an emphasis on a need of more criticality. In this context, one finding can be pointed out as an example: One review study found that most studies (here, with reference to VET transfer) refer to the recipient country without a comparative perspective. Thus, there is a clear demand for more comparative research following a critical-reflective approach.

International comparisons of weight stigma: addressing a void in the field.

Despite substantial evidence documenting weight stigma toward people with higher body weight, international comparative studies are lacking in this field. The few studies that have compared weight stigma across different countries focus on explicit weight-biased attitudes rather than people's experiences of weight stigma. The present study conducted a multinational systematic comparison of weight stigma in six countries to assess experiences and interpersonal sources of weight stigma. Adults (N = 13,996) enrolled in WW International (formerly Weight Watchers), residing in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US completed identical online anonymous surveys in the dominant language for their country. Surveys assessed their history of experiencing weight stigma, the onset of stigmatizing experiences and associated distress from stigma in different time periods, and interpersonal sources of weight stigma. More than half of participants (55.6-61.3%) across countries reported experiencing weight stigma. Participants with higher BMI were significantly more likely to report weight-stigmatizing experiences than individuals with lower BMI. In all countries, weight stigma experiences were most frequent in childhood and adolescence, with associated distress highest during these time periods. Participants in Germany reported a higher frequency of weight stigma across their whole life, but lower distress associated with stigmatizing experiences, compared to participants in the other five countries. High percentages of participants in each country experienced weight stigma from family members (76.0-87.8%), classmates (72.0-80.9%), doctors (62.6-73.5%), co-workers (54.1-61.7%), and friends (48.8-66.2%). Weight stigma is prevalent for adults actively engaged in weight management across different Western countries. There were more similarities than differences in the nature, frequency, and interpersonal sources of people's experiences of weight stigma across the six countries in this study. Findings underscore the need for multinational initiatives to address weight stigma and interventions to support individuals engaged in weight management who experience weight mistreatment.

Food for thought: Robots, jobs and skills in food and drink processing in Norway and the UK

AbstractThere is intense debate surrounding digitalisation and its implications for work. However, empirical research within established workplaces, especially international comparative studies, remains limited. This article uses cross‐country research to further analysis of the relative importance of different institutions, actors and power relations in shaping digitalisation and worker outcomes. Through a multi‐level approach, it compares the use of industrial robots in the food and drink processing sector in Norway and the UK. Drawing on qualitative research, it explores the pace of digitalisation, the process of implementation and job and skills outcomes. The study finds strong national differences in the pace of digitalisation, and the role of unions in the process of implementation. In Norway, union power at workplace and national level, embedded in institutional arrangements, underpins more advanced use of technology and improved outcomes for workers.

3D Property Research from a Legal Perspective Revisited

The concept of 3D cadastre is widespread internationally and part of many nations’ legal infrastructure. Since the publication of a literature survey on 3D cadastre research by Paulsson and Paasch in 2013, there has been a considerable amount of research output and activities in regard to 3D cadastre, which led us to believe that a new investigation of 3D cadastre publications could be of interest. The aim of this study is to analyze the development in 3D cadastre research during the years 2012–2020, focusing on the legal perspective of 3D property. A classification was made into main groups, legal, technical, registration and organizational, also investigating the occurrence of sub-themes such as visualization, BIM and standardization. The results of other literature studies on 3D cadastre research were compared with the outcome of this study. The number of identified publications during the analyzed years was 530. The study showed that the number of publications on legal topics has increased, but in relation to the other groups is still rather low. The 3D cadastre research community could benefit from the inclusion of the legal perspective in publications from other main groups, along with an increased focus on international comparative studies.

Appearance and Development of Short-Term Higher Education Vocational Training in Hungary

Abstract Introduction: This article examines the first level of the European higher education system, namely the short-cycle higher education trainings related to the ISCED 5 whose Hungarian characteristics, and its historical changes were described. Methods: We examined participation rates among OECD countries. As there are large differences in the short-cycle higher education trainings in Europe, we have relied on data that makes the different systems comparable. Results and discussion: The interpretation, definition and practical orientation of the trainings varies from country to country, we presented the Hungarian form in connection with the results of international comparative studies and data. To understand the role of trainings, it is essential to get to know their history, especially because short-term higher educational trainings were transformed in several European countries. Conclusions: Prioritising or effacing the social-political role of short-cycle higher education trainings depending on the political orientation of the government and as a part of this, prioritising the disadvantaged regions instead of the disadvantaged students.

Phenomena of social deviation in the reflexion of russian progressive youth

The social deviance of young people associated with the abuse of harmful substances, usually of a chemical nature, is not only a problem, but also a phenomenon that reflects a modern value priority. The aim of the scientific study was to fix the reflection on such asocial phenomena among Russian students, diagnose society’s involvement in the situation of drug addiction and alcohol addiction, and determine the prospects and strategies of the likely life choices of young people in the context of deviant prac- tices. The scientific and practical significance of the work is associated with the designation of “social coordinates” and risks associated with the specifics of the involvement of progressive Russian youth in the deviant space, the definition of control points in the diagnosis of the social situation. The research was carried out for 7 years, using combined survey methods (in recent years, it has been implemented through online surveys). The main results and conclusions of the research work are primarily associated with the establishment of a high risk level of the environment of Russian youth, which has sufficiently significant sectors of deviant elements in its composition in order to be perceived as an environment that produces social deviation. The practical significance of the results of the work is determined by the possibility of its use within the framework of international sociological comparative studies, in the de- velopment of national programs for the regulation of drug addiction and alcoholism of the population, in regional projects of the youth policy management, as well as local solutions to prevent the indicated risks of the youth environment. Key words: social deviation, bad habits, youth, narcotization, drugs, alcoholization, alcohol, to-bacco smoking, smoking mixtures.

Rethinking Gentrification and the Right to the City: The Process and Effect of the Urban Social Movement against Redevelopment in Tokyo

This article focuses on the anti‐redevelopment movement in Shimokitazawa, an area adjacent to the central Tokyo metropolitan area, to analyze resistance to the gentrification‐like phenomenons in Japan. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of international comparative studies on gentrification, and an inductive analysis based on an understanding of the various contexts of each city is needed. This article takes on this task, referring to the key concept of the right to the city, which has been used as a framework for understanding anti‐gentrification movements. In doing so, I aim to reveal the bias in existing gentrification research. In Shimokitazawa the rights to enjoy the culture of the city and the rights to speak out about the state of the city were newly recognized. The evolving debate on this area shows that these rights should be widely shared not only by landowners and residents but also by visitors. However, these rights are not adequately captured by existing conceptions of the right to the city. Shimokitazawa's anti‐gentrification movement provides an opportunity to participate in an autonomous movement. Notably, the opposition movement has been using its newly acquired voice to create alternative public spaces. The emerging trend of urban social movements that recognize and bring to light the potential value of urban space offers insights for guidelines for the future development of urban society.

The Perception of Occupation by Hospital Nurses in Poland and Germany in Terms of the Risk of Excessive Stress and Burnout as Well as Possible Coping and Preventive Solutions.

Nurses constitute a professional group exposed to a high risk of stress and occupational burnout. Fewer nurses are recruited every year and the ever higher age of those professionally active is alarming. This article presents the results of international comparative studies from 2018 and 2019 involving Polish and German nurses (747 people) dedicated to the perception of aspects of nurses’ work in terms of the risk of excessive stress and burnout and possible preventive measures. Using a proprietary questionnaire, the authors evaluated differences in the perception of the nursing profession in Poland and Germany, as well as in terms of seniority or decision-making. Next, the relationship between the perception of work specificity and opinions about professional risks and possible preventive measures was evaluated. The analysis used the Mann-Whitney U test and correlation analysis of the questions. Using exploratory factor analysis, the number of dimensions describing the nursing profession was reduced from 16 to four related to (1) workload, (2) job satisfaction, (3) atmosphere in the organisation and (4) sense of control over one’s own work. The results showed statistically significant differences in the perception of professional specificity and risks according to the analysed characteristics.

A Retrospective on Teenage Pregnancy in Poland: Focussing on Empowerment and Support Variables to Challenge Stereotyping in the Context of Social Work

The article focuses on selected predicators of successful and fulfilling teenage motherhood. It contains analysis of qualitative data, obtained through comprehensive interviews and field notes from social work practice, based on the personal experiences of teenage mothers and a court appointed family curator. Using herstory perspective, it aims to present positive examples of teenage motherhood as a source of empowerment and independence, to unveil and combat stereotypical views on adolescent mothers in Poland. Moreover, the authors discuss systemic issues and challenges as well as a social stigma created by public opinion and aim to challenge harmful stereotyping. The article contributes to social work practice for the purpose of enhancement of the international comparative studies in this field.

The role and criteria of public financing of higher education

This article considers the process of public funding of higher education with the account of international experience. Theoretically, the content of higher education is considered. Public and personal benefits in higher education determine it as a quasipublic good. World practice testifies to state financing of higher education. In the countries of the world, the state fully or partially finances higher education. The determining factor in human capital is higher education. State grants for higher education are in the form of vouchers and are applied on the principle of "money followed by the student." But there is a peculiarity of the implementation of the principle, which consists in securing the state educational grant to the institution of higher education chosen by the еnrollee. At the same time, social risks and burdens including psychological, stressful on enrollee were identified that necessitate a “reset” of the State Grants Program and the education system as a whole after COVID 19. In education, the necessity of changing the course from memorizing academic knowledge to the logic of thinking, acquiring professional competencies. Relatively low results of participation of Kazakhstanis in international comparative studies PISA, PIAAC, ICILS are presented. The relatively low level of education of Kazakhstani youth is systemic in nature. State funding of higher education is primarily desirable for secondary school graduates from low-income families.

Validity and Reliability of the Japanese Version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale is a clinically relevant tool used to evaluate medication adherence. In the current study, the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and factors related to low adherence were investigated in patients with ulcerative colitis. The original English version was translated into Japanese and then 3 institutions in Japan administered that Japanese version to 428 patients taking medication. Factor validity, internal consistency, and correlations between the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and adherence were calculated on the basis of patients' own reports of skipped medication, and known group validity between clinically different groups was assessed. Logistic regression was used to assess relationships between low adherence and other factors. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale identified 184 of 428 patients (43.0%) who exhibited low adherence. Confirmed factor analysis indicated one-dimensionality of the scale. Cronbach's α was 0.74. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale score was significantly correlated with self-reported missed medication. Patients who were on concomitant induction therapy exhibited significantly better Morisky Medication Adherence Scale scores than those who were not. Patients with low adherence reported difficulty taking medicine, having proctitis, and ulcerative colitis duration of less than 5 years, and were of younger age. The Japanese Morisky Medication Adherence Scale yielded clinically relevant measures of adherence in patients with ulcerative colitis and may promote further international comparative studies.

Comprehensive research on LGBT legal policy in East Asia toward the formation of an international comparative research centre

The legal and human rights of a LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) person has increased in countries around the world in recent years. For example, the UK Parliament passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, which allowed same-sex marriage in England and Wales, in 2013 and it came into force the following year. There has also been a relaxation in the requirements for sex change. In the wake of such changes, international comparative studies and research has gained traction, with many academics establishing projects that seek to look at the differences in policies and rights for LGBT persons in different countries. However, much of the existing research is focused on Western legal policy and is generally centred on Europe and the US. Of course, this only accounts for a small proportion of the people in the world and so while such research is welcomed, knowledge gaps clearly still exist and more needs to be done to fill them. Associate Professor Hiroyuki Taniguchi, based at the Kanazawa University Institute of Liberal Arts and Science is working on a comparative study of LGBT legal policies in the countries of East Asia. He hopes to form an international comparative research centre that will help people access the information they need to understand their rights.

Interviewer Effect on the Survey Data in Lithuania: Analysis of Three Surveys

The article analyses the interviewer effect on the data of three public opinion surveys on political attitudes of the population conducted in Lithuania. The study discusses why in international comparative studies Lithuania stands out for its extremely high interviewer effect, which raises serious doubts about the reliability and suitability of the data for analysis. The article, first, reviews the reasons for the interviewer effect and the methods of its measurement and, second, presents the results of multilevel modelling. The analysis of surveys conducted by three different public opinion research agencies reveals that the interviewer effect varies significantly depending on the research agency. The hypotheses on the differences in the interviewer effect related to the nature of the questions were not confirmed, but it was found that the interviewer effect was greater on more abstract and complex questions. In the conclusions, the recommendations for researchers working with surveys on how to control the interviewer effect are provided.

The role of the International Institute of Teachers College in the founding history of American comparative education

Comparative and international education intersects with international relations, international development and modernization, and domestic political, cultural, and economic concerns. Therefore, the history of comparative and international education must be understood in a larger historical context. This article engages the current debate on the founding history of American comparative and international education. It addresses specifically the role of the International Institute of Teachers College, Columbia University in the formation of comparative education as a formal academic field in America. Of particular importance is the investigation of the immediate social and cultural concerns in post-World War I America that informed the motivation and purposes of expanding international education and comparative studies of different nations’ educational ideas, practices, conditions, and systems. A closer look at the founding leaders’ views on the relations of different cultures in terms of social progress further sheds light on how education was perceived as a tool for social change and the extension of American values across the globe.

KAZANÇ YÖNETİMİ VE KÜLTÜREL SIKILAŞMA-GEVŞEKLİK: ULUSLARARASI KANIT

This cross-national interdisciplinary research paper empirically investigates the association between cultural tightness–looseness and earnings manipulations. The analyses, which are based on panel-corrected standard errors method, indicate that cultural tightness–looseness, together with investor protection, future–time reference, capital market importance and economic development plays a critical role in shaping financial reporting choices. More specifically, this study finds that the opportunistic manipulations of reported accounting figures are less frequent in tight nations than in loose ones. The results of this study suggest that cultural tightness–looseness is an important explanatory variable that should be considered in future international comparative studies on earnings management behavior. Implications of the results for mitigating earnings management are presented.

A efetividade do direito à saúde de parturientes no Brasil

O Programa Parto Adequado (PPA) é uma política pública implementada pela Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS) a partir do ano de 2015. Seu objetivo é promover as práticas obstétricas que valorizem o parto normal em hospitais da rede suplementar de saúde. O presente trabalho estuda a relação entre essa política pública e a efetividade do direito à saúde de parturientes atendidas nos hospitais indicados. O estudo adota a perspectiva estabelecida na literatura sobre a Análise Jurídica da Política Econômica (AJPE), proposta como alternativa às tradicionais abordagens jurídicas formalistas ou principiológicas, mais comumente seguidas por juristas no Brasil. Com o emprego dos conceitos e recursos analíticos preconizados pela AJPE, o trabalho analisa a efetividade do direito à saúde das parturientes atendidas pelos hospitais da rede suplementar de saúde no Brasil. Dentre os recursos expostos na literatura, destaca-se a Análise Posicional, que foi empregada para avaliar e comparar, de modo objetivo, o atendimento obstetrício de hospitais privados antes do PPA, após a introdução do PPA e em relação ao parâmetros ideais formulados a partir de recomendações e diretrizes nacionais e internacionais. Os dados empíricos foram colhidos a partir de pesquisas disponíveis no sítio eletrônico da ANS e em estudos comparativos nacionais e internacionais. Após a análise dos dados, o estudo expõe algumas limitações do PPA como conjunto de meios para a proteção do direito à saúde de parturientes e propõe possíveis reformas para que essa política pública proporcione maior efetividade ao referido direito, com base em estudos e experiências exitosas.
 O Programa Parto Adequado (PPA) é uma política pública implementada pela Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS) a partir do ano de 2015. Seu objetivo é promover as práticas obstétricas que valorizem o parto normal em hospitais da rede suplementar de saúde. O presente trabalho estuda a relação entre essa política pública e a efetividade do direito à saúde de parturientes atendidas nos hospitais indicados. O estudo adota a perspectiva estabelecida na literatura sobre a Análise Jurídica da Política Econômica (AJPE), proposta como alternativa às tradicionais abordagens jurídicas formalistas ou principiológicas, mais comumente seguidas por juristas no Brasil. Com o emprego dos conceitos e recursos analíticos preconizados pela AJPE, o trabalho analisa a efetividade do direito à saúde das parturientes atendidas pelos hospitais da rede suplementar de saúde no Brasil. Dentre os recursos expostos na literatura, destaca-se a Análise Posicional, que foi empregada para avaliar e comparar, de modo objetivo, o atendimento obstetrício de hospitais privados antes do PPA, após a introdução do PPA e em relação ao parâmetros ideais formulados a partir de recomendações e diretrizes nacionais e internacionais. Os dados empíricos foram colhidos a partir de pesquisas disponíveis no sítio eletrônico da ANS e em estudos comparativos nacionais e internacionais. Após a análise dos dados, o estudo expõe algumas limitações do PPA como conjunto de meios para a proteção do direito à saúde de parturientes e propõe possíveis reformas para que essa política pública proporcione maior efetividade ao referido direito, com base em estudos e experiências exitosas.

12.M. Workshop: Health and integration of young refugees in Nordic Welfare countries – an equity perspective

Abstract Objectives The workshop is based on results from the Nordic project CAGE (Coming of Age in Exile) and aims at creating a better understanding of how health, education and employment jointly play a role in the process of integration among young refugees. Results on patterns and trends regarding education, employment and health across the Nordic countries based on the unique Nordic register data will be presented along with analyses of Nordic health reception policies as well as qualitative studies on educational and labour market policies and practices related to young refugees in Norway and Finland. The Nordic countries are sharing quite similar general welfare schemes and other cultural and historical roots, but at the same time displaying different integration policies. By comparisons of some of the differences between otherwise similar countries we can identify possible effects of policy decisions and disentangle some of the complex processes forming the health and welfare trajectories of the young refugees that have arrived during recent decades. Nordic CAGE researchers have collaborated since 2015 in studies on similarities and differences between national health and welfare policies with a focus on their significance for refugee health and integration; these results have served as a framework for generating hypotheses and interpreting findings from studies on the different trajectories of the young refugees. Results from time and cohort analyses of comparable register data from each country have been further explained through the policy studies as well as the qualitative studies focusing on the experiences and perceptions of key actors involved in the integration processes. The workshop will include 5 short presentations (45 minutes in total) - the first introducing and motivating the focus on the interactive dynamics of health, education and employment followed by 4 presentations based on new evidence from the CAGE project. The participants will be invited to discuss the learnings from the Nordic results in an international perspective and their implications for integration policies for different groups of refugees in Europe (15 minutes). Presentations: Integration of refugees: the interactive dynamics of health, education and employment - a Nordic project, by Signe S Jervelund, 9 min.Educational trends, patterns of employment and selected health indicators among young refugees: results from a Nordic comparative analysis based on register data, by Andrea Dunlavy, 10 min.A healthy start: A comparative analysis of health reception policies for asylum-seeking and refugee children in the Nordic countries, by Camilla Michaëlis, 8 min.Young refugees' pathways in(to) education - Teacher and student voices: challenges, opportunities and dilemmas, by Ketil Eide and Hans A. Hauge, 9 min.Two-way labour market integration? Perspectives on youth with a refugee background and employers in Finland, by Eveliina Lyytinen, 9 min. Key messages Welfare policies related to refugees need to take into account the interrelations between inclusive health care, successful education and entrance into the labour markets. Multidisciplinary, international comparative studies can provide important new evidence on the role of different migration policies for the health and social trajectories of young refugees.

Survey Nonresponse Trends and Fieldwork Effort in the 21st Century: Results of an International Study across Countries and Surveys

For more than three decades, declining response rates have been of concern to both survey methodologists and practitioners. Still, international comparative studies have been scarce. In one of the first international trend analyses for the period 1980–1997, De Leeuw and De Heer (2002) describe that response rates declined over the years and that countries differed in response rates and nonresponse trends. In this article, we continued where De Leeuw and De Heer (2002) stopped, and present trend data for the next period 1998–2015 from National Statistical Institutes. When we looked at trends over time in this new data set, we found that response rates are still declining over the years. Furthermore, nonresponse trends do differ over countries, but not over surveys. Some countries show a steeper decline in response than others, but all types of surveys show the same downward trend. The differences in (non)response trends over countries can be partly explained by differences in survey design between the countries. Finally, for some countries cost indicators were available, these showed that costs increased over the years and are negatively correlated with noncontact rates.

Development of paediatric non-stage prognosticator guidelines for population-based cancer registries and updates to the 2014 Toronto Paediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines.

Population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) generate measures of cancer incidence and survival that are essential for cancer surveillance, research, and cancer control strategies. In 2014, the Toronto Paediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines were developed to standardise how PBCRs collect data on the stage at diagnosis for childhood cancer cases. These guidelines have been implemented in multiple jurisdictions worldwide to facilitate international comparative studies of incidence and outcome. Robust stratification by risk also requires data on key non-stage prognosticators (NSPs). Key experts and stakeholders used a modified Delphi approach to establish principles guiding paediatric cancer NSP data collection. With the use of these principles, recommendations were made on which NSPs should be collected for the major malignancies in children. The 2014 Toronto Stage Guidelines were also reviewed and updated where necessary. Wide adoption of the resultant Paediatric NSP Guidelines and updated Toronto Stage Guidelines will enhance the harmonisation and use of childhood cancer data provided by PBCRs.

Education and adult mortality in middle-income countries: Surprising gradients in six nationally-representative longitudinal surveys

BackgroundThere are large differences in adult mortality across schooling groups in many high-income countries (HICs). An important open question is whether there are similar gradients in adult mortality in middle-income countries (MICs), where schooling and healthcare quality tends to be lower and health-related behaviors are often not strongly patterned by schooling.MethodsWe present one of the first international-comparative studies on schooling differences in adult mortality across MICs using harmonizedlongitudinal data on adults ages 50+ from China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea. We use Cox proportional hazards models to estimate differences in the hazard of mortality across schooling groups overall and separately by sex and broad age groups. We also estimate schooling gradients in smoking and body mass index to determine whether risk factor gradients potentially explain mortality patterns.ResultsOnly adults with tertiary schooling have a consistent adult mortality advantage compared to those with no schooling. We do not find evidence that individuals with primary schooling have a lower hazard of mortality compared to individuals with no schooling in five of the six countries. The mortality advantage for individuals with secondary schooling is mixed, with evidence of lower mortality relative to those with no schooling in Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea. Gradients in BMI and smoking are inconsistent across countries and unlikely to explain mortality differences.ConclusionsWe find that adult mortality and risk factor gradients in MICs can be much different than the established patterns seen in modern HICs. Our results highlight that adult mortality gradients are not an inevitability and are not found in all populations. Understanding what factors give rise to inequalities in adult mortality and what can be done to minimize gradients while still ensuring continued mortality improvements in MICs is a crucial focus for research and policy.