Participation In France Research Articles

Formation and development of the Acquis Communautaire in France, Germany and Switzerland: A comparative legal analysis

The article is devoted to the comparative legal analysis of the formation and development of the acquis communautaire in France, Germany and Switzerland with a view to identifying similarities and differences in the formation and development of the acquis communautaire in countries with different legal status in the European Union. The analysis was carried out using comparative legal, formal legal, dialectical, historical and legal, hermeneutical and other methods, as well as the principles of determinism, pluralism of opinions and complexity of knowledge. On the basis of and through the disclosure of the concept of “acquis communautaire”, the diversity of its understanding within different approaches and the nature of this phenomenon, as well as the study of the formation of the acquis communautaire specifics, it is established that this process took place in the course of formation of the European Communities in the 1950s with the participation of France and Germany on the basis of a combination of liberal market and general social values, and its development took place during the elaboration of the foundations of the mechanism for adoption of a common European policy. It is found that the patterns of formation and development of the acquis communautaire in France, Germany and Switzerland are overcoming contradictions and searching for compromises between France and Germany in all areas of common European policy and the need to coordinate their position with other members of the European Union. Furthermore, the similarity of these processes in France and Germany is rooted in their participation in the creation and development of the European Communities, in the formation of the acquis and its identical legal sources, and the difference lies in the motives and objectives of these States, their positions in certain areas of common European policy and procedural activities related to the implementation of the acquis into national legislation. At the same time, the article reveals that the specifics of formation and development of the European Union acquis in Switzerland are determined by its status as an associated country in the Union, which provides for the possibility of implementing the relevant acquis with certain exceptions on the basis of sectoral agreements between it and the European Union. The difference in the formation and development of the acquis between France and Germany, as well as Switzerland, is manifested in the mechanism and consequences of the implementation of the new acquis: Switzerland participates in the development process, but not in decision-making. Finally, it is noted that the common feature of the development of the EU acquis for all these countries is a combination of market-liberal and general social values and the introduction of a socially oriented market economy model.

Value seeking, health-conscious or sustainability-concerned? Profiling fruit and vegetable consumers in Euro-Mediterranean countries

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate consumer preferences and profile their food-related lifestyles, as well as to identify consumer groups with similar attitudes/behaviours in the Euro-Mediterranean fruit and vegetable market.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was designed drawing from the food related lifestyles instrument and including other factors relevant to fruit and vegetable consumer preferences. The data were collected in an online survey with 925 participants in France, Greece, and Italy. A principal component analysis was conducted to interpret and examine consumers' fruit and vegetable related lifestyles. In addition, a cluster analysis was performed to identify different consumer segments, based on the core dimensions of the food-related lifestyle approach.FindingsIn each country, three primary consumer segments were distinguished. Health-conscious individuals were predominant in France and Greece, while quality-conscious consumers were prevalent in Italy. These classifications were determined considering various factors such as purchase motivation, perception of product quality, health concerns, environmental certifications, and price sensitivity.Originality/valueThe food-related lifestyle approach has been adapted instrument to create a customised survey instrument specifically designed to capture the intricacies of fruit and vegetable consumer preferences and priorities in three Euro-Mediterranean Countries.

Willingness to consume insects among students in France and Ireland

Acceptance of insect-containing foods remains low among European consumers. This study aims to explore the factors affecting willingness to consume insects among students in two European countries with different culinary traditions, namely France and Ireland. An online survey was developed and distributed in both countries, with 183 participants (France: n = 103; Ireland: n = 80) included in total. While more participants in France (43.7%) had a positive opinion of entomophagy compared to the ones in Ireland (21.3%), no significant difference was found in their willingness to consume insects for the first time. When given information on the approval of insects as a novel food in Europe, students in France were significantly more willing to consume insects than students in Ireland. For both groups, food neophobia and disgust were impediments to entomophagy. Moreover, males older than 30 yr enrolled in engineering courses, not following a specific diet, more concerned about the environment and health and less about familiarity, culture and religion were the most willing to consume insects. Participants in France and Ireland were more willing to consume insects if they were tasty or disguised (invisible) in another product and not if they were presented in their usual form (‘whole’). This case study shows that entomophagy acceptance is affected by the characteristics of the products, food neophobia, disgust and food choice motives of the consumers, while the impact of information on regulation is country dependent. These findings could be the starting point to guide the development of insect-containing foods acceptable to consumers in Europe.

Le voyage d’Alice: A standardized reading passage for speech and voice assessment in French.

Background: Reading passages allow the observation of target stimuli in a controlled manner while maximizing the ecological aspects of a speech and voice assessment. Objective: This article presents a new standardized reading passage titled “Le voyage d’Alice” (“Alice's Journey”) and an automated protocol for the extraction of acoustic measures. Methods: The passage was constructed using a comprehensive set of criteria, taking into account data from the literature, specific needs identified in scientific research and in French-speaking clinical practice, and data from an international consensus study. Results: This passage was found to be easy to read and usable for the assessment of articulation of speech sounds, prosodic variations and phonatory behavior, as well as fluency, in Belgium, France, and Canada. The automated acoustic feature extraction protocol allows for a quick and simple analysis of reproducible data. It is a tool adapted for both scientific research and daily clinical practice. Acoustic measures were extracted from the passage in healthy participants in France and are used as reference values.

Palestine between Reasonableness of Zionist Claims and the Legitimacy of the British Mandate

This study aims to study the legal nature of the British mandate over Palestine after World War I, in addition to studying the claims of the Zionist movement regarding its connection to the land of Palestine, thus determining the correct legal concept of the Question of Palestine in accordance with international law. The methodology of the study is the legal analytical and critical method and the Statute approach. In it, the author used Zionist, Jewish, Arab and foreign references. The results showed that the Zionist movement was established to unite the efforts of the Jews in Europe with the aim of establishing a national home for them in Palestine with the help of the colonial European countries under historical and religious arguments that completely contradict the facts and discoveries in Palestine. On the other hand, Britain's goal from the Balfour Declaration was to support the Zionist project in Palestine, thus helping to dismantle the Ottoman Empire and colonize the Arabian Peninsula with the participation of France. In addition, the British Mandate Deed for Palestine was only ratified by the Principal Allied Powers in World War I. Therefore, it did not reflect a real international will and thus was a violation of the provisions of international law.

Prevalence, Risk factors, and Shedding of Human Herpes Virus-8 among Men Having Sex With Men Enrolled in a Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Study.

Seroprevalence and risk factors for Human Herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection among HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have not been well characterized. Our objectives were to assess the prevalence and incidence of HHV-8 infection in MSM enrolled on PrEP and assess viral shedding in seropositive participants. The ANRS IPERGAY study enrolled 429 participants in France and Canada to evaluate oral PrEP for HIV-1 prevention. Stored sera samples at day 0 (D0) and last visit were tested for the detection of HHV-8 antibodies using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Baseline characteristics were analyzed to identify risk factors associated with HHV-8 seropositivity. Among seropositive participants, HHV-8 DNA was quantified on available oral and anal swabs, and ORF-K1 typing performed on HHV-8 positive samples. One hundred participants were seropositive at D0 (prevalence of 24%, 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 20·0-28·4) and 18/329 seroconverted during the study (incidence rate of 2·66 per 100 person-years, 95%CI: 1·57-4·20). Risk factors independently associated with baseline HHV-8 seropositivity included older age, high number of sexual partners, chemsex use and HSV-2 seropositivity. Among HHV-8 seropositive participants with available swab(s) for virological analysis, 37/115 (32%) displayed HHV-8 oral shedding, and 5/113 (4.4%) anal shedding at least once. Four patients had positive viral load before seroconversion. Prevalence and incidence of HHV-8 infection were high in HIV-negative PrEP users. Among seropositive participants, HHV-8 DNA is mainly detected in saliva, which may play a major role in viral transmission in this population.

Mainstreaming the populist radical right? Online news exposure and voting behavior in the 2019 European Parliament election

AbstractHow does media exposure relate to support for radical right populist parties (RRPPs)? We contribute to this classic debate by analyzing the web browsing histories and survey responses of six thousand study participants in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK during the 2019 European Parliament election. Linking direct measures of online news exposure to voting behavior allows us to assess the effects of the salience of issues politicized by RRPPs on their electoral support. The likelihood to vote for RRPPs was higher when the EU was more salient in individual media diets, while exposure to the less salient issue of immigration did not increase the propensity to vote for RRPPs. Alongside consistent results for other party families and interactions with pre-existing voting intentions, the findings indicate that the electoral effects of online media are contingent on the overall salience of a specific issue and voters’ predispositions.

Facebook and the global dimensions of protest participation in France, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom

Facebook and the global dimensions of protest participation in France, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom

Role of mammography accessibility, deprivation and spatial effect in breast cancer screening participation in France: an observational ecological study

BackgroundThe detection of cancer in its early latent stages can improve patients’ chances of recovery and thereby reduce the overall burden of the disease. Our objectives were to investigate factors (geographic accessibility and deprivation level) affecting mammography screening participation variation and to determine how much geographic variation in participation rates can be explained by spillover effects between adjacent areas, while controlling for covariates.MethodsMammography screening participation rates between 2015 and 2016 were calculated by census blocks (CB), for women aged 50–74 years, residing in Lyon metropolitan area. Global spatial autocorrelation tests were applied to identify the geographic variation of participation. Spatial regression models were used to incorporate spatial structure to estimate associations between mammography participation rate and the combined effect (geographic accessibility and deprivation level) adjusting for modes of travel and social cohesion.ResultsThe mammography participation rate was found to have a statistically significant and positive spatial correlation. The participation rate of one CB was significantly and positively associated with the participation rates of neighbouring CB. The participation was 53.2% in residential and rural areas and 46.6% in urban areas, p < 0.001. Using Spatial Lag models, whereas the population living in most deprived CBs have statistically significantly lower mammography participation rates than lower deprived ones, significant interaction demonstrates that the relation differs according to the degree of urbanization.ConclusionsThis study makes an important methodological contribution in measuring geographical access and understanding better the combined effect of deprivation and the degree of urbanization on mammography participation and other contextual factors that affect the decision of using mammography screening services -which is a critical component of healthcare planning and equity.

Issue trade‐offs and the politics of representation: Experimental evidence from four European democracies

AbstractThe politics of representation has become increasingly complex in recent years. Amid weakening traditional political cleavages, the emergence of new political divides and mounting anti‐elitism that have helped the rise of radical populist parties, voters face significant cross‐pressures when casting their ballots. Despite a wealth of studies on the role of issue preferences in voting behaviour, there are still many unknowns when it comes to understanding how voters trade off competing issue preferences against each other. Studying issue trade‐offs is also important against the backdrop of the well‐documented preferences of radical left and right voters for redistribution and restrictive immigration policies, respectively. To investigate the strength of issue preferences among radical left, radical right and mainstream party voters and the willingness to compromise on their most important issues, we conducted a conjoint survey experiment with 2,000 participants in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The voting scenario in the experiment featured proposals on salient political issues and different (non)populist stances on political representation. The results from the cross‐country study, as well as a large replication study with a sample of 4,000 German respondents, show that voters of radical right parties are willing to accept large trade‐offs regarding their other issue preferences as long as their preference for restrictive immigration policies is fulfilled. Differently, radical left, Green and mainstream party voters have a more variegated range of issue preferences, some of them so strong that they are not traded off for their preferred redistribution and European Union integration positions, respectively. The findings shed light on trade‐offs related to emerging issues such as climate change and the distinct logics behind support for radical parties. They also have implications for the electoral prospects of mainstream and radical parties when trying to reposition themselves in the diversifying issue space of contemporary democracies. As such, understanding how voters navigate issue cross‐pressures helps to explain the broader dynamics that are (re)configuring political conflict and voting behaviour in Europe.

How should COVID-19 vaccines be distributed between the Global North and South: a discrete choice experiment in six European countries.

The global distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations remains highly unequal. We examine public preferences in six European countries regarding the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines between the Global South and Global North. We conducted online discrete choice experiments with adult participants in France (n=766), Germany (n=1964), Italy (n=767), Poland (n=670), Spain (n=925), and Sweden (n=938). Respondents were asked to decide which one of two candidates should receive the vaccine first. The candidates varied on four attributes: age, mortality risk, employment, and living in a low- or high-income country. We analysed the relevance of each attribute in allocation decisions using conditional logit regressions. In all six countries, respondents prioritised candidates with a high mortality and infection risk, irrespective of whether the candidate lived in the respondent's own country. All else equal, respondents in Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden gave priority to a candidate from a low-income country, whereas German respondents were significantly more likely to choose the candidate from their own country. Female, younger, and more educated respondents were more favourable to an equitable vaccine distribution. Given these preferences for global solidarity, European governments should promote vaccine transfers to poorer world regions. Funding was provided by the European Union's Horizon H2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101016233 (PERISCOPE).

Aktywizacja nurtów dżihadystycznych w Sahelu i wysiłki na rzecz ich zwalczania

The article focuses on showing the security threats generated by jihadist extremism in the Sahel region. It describes the challenges resulting from the activity of terrorist groups in this area, particularly the Islamic State of the Great Sahara and Al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb. The article places these threats in the context of the determinants of endogenous problems faced by the countries of the region. It draws attention to the symbiotic relationship between extremist trends with organised crime networks. This analysis also outlines and assesses international activities undertaken, particularly with the participation of France, for security and stabilisation.

Exploring ‘wait and see’ responses in French and Australian WUI wildfire emergencies

For Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) residents, wildfire is a constant, growing risk. A timely response to wildfire is vital for human survival. Yet, upon receiving fire cues, previous studies show that instead of taking protective action, people often first wait and see how the situation unfolds. The circumstances under which ‘wait and see’ responses manifest have received research attention in Australia and North America. However, it is unclear whether the findings extend to European regions, given the scarcity of such research there. So, this study surveyed and systematically compared the responses of residents in French and Australian at-risk regions (N = 450). Those with recent wildfire experience described their actual responses; those lacking experience provided responses to a hypothetical fire. The results showed regional differences, with participants in France tending to choose to ‘wait and see’ more often than participants in Australia. There was less waiting when participants received environmental as compared to social cues, although the type of environmental/social cue appeared to moderate this behaviour. The cessation of waiting requires further study but early signs are that it may not always be followed by optimal action. Lacking preparedness and wildfire experience affected responses. Peri-event perceived risk also proved meaningful, unlike pre-event perceived risk.. These findings have implications for wildfire evacuation modelling (when developing simulation scenarios and evacuation triggers) as well as for wildfire management (when using evacuation models for planning or response, when designing interventions such as the education of residents).

Amina Easat-Daas. Muslim Women’s Political Participation in France and Belgium

Amina Easat-Daas. Muslim Women’s Political Participation in France and Belgium

How Does a Security Frame Affect Support for Refugee Protection in France and Germany in the Aftermath of Europe’s Refugee Crisis?

This article examines whether public support for the protection of refugees in France and Germany changes when refugee protection is framed as a national security matter. In focusing on public attitudes four years after the height of Europe’s refugee crisis, the paper examines two competing theoretical predictions: (a) that support for refugees should decrease when the matter is framed in terms of security, and (b) that sustained intergroup contact over time should decrease prejudice toward out-groups. Using a survey experiment design, research participants in France and Germany were randomly assigned into either a treatment or control group. The treatment group was exposed to a security frame, whereas the control groups did not see a frame. The experiment shows no evidence that a security frame has an overall effect on opinions about refugee protection, suggesting that this issue frame may not generate significant framing effects in these two countries, which have settled a large percentage of refugees and have had time for intergroup contact. The conclusion contextualizes these findings and presents avenues for future research on issue framing.

From the participatory turn of administrations to the bureaucratisation of participatory democracy: study based on the French case

This article sets out to contribute to the debate on the participatory turn of public action and the administration by studying the profile and work of civil servants dedicated to citizen participation within French local administrations. Counter to the rhetoric advocating the participatory modernisation of the administration, an analysis of the day-to-day work of civil servants in charge of participation makes it possible to grasp the dynamics behind the bureaucratisation of citizen participation. Without actually shaking up administrative routines, the specialist civil servants invent new routines essentially intended to maintain the arrangements set up, even when these have little or no effect on the conduct of public action. Points for practitioners This article provides an insight into the processes of administering citizen participation in France according to a double logic of specialisation and dissemination, and analyses the practical aspects of participatory work within the administrations.

Consumer practices and prevalence of Campylobacter, Salmonella and norovirus in kitchens from six European countries

About 40% of foodborne infections are acquired in the home. The aim of the present study was to track contamination of pathogens during domestic food preparation and link the contamination to preparation practices. Research participants from 87 households in six European countries were observed and interviewed during shopping and preparation of a chicken and vegetable meal. The presence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and norovirus on raw chicken, kitchen surfaces, cloths and sponges was determined.The prevalence of Campylobacter on raw chicken varied from 8.3% in Norway (NO) to 80% in France (FR) and Portugal (PT), with a mean prevalence of 57%. Campylobacter was found on half of the products that had been frozen and appeared to be less prevalent on chicken from supermarkets than other sources. Salmonella was found in 8.6% of raw chicken samples, exclusively from Hungary (HU).A relationship between observed practices and spread of pathogens to kitchen surfaces was found only for the use of cutting boards for chicken and/or vegetables. After food preparation, Campylobacter and Salmonella were isolated from 23% (samples derived from HU, RO, UK) and 8.7% (HU), respectively of cutting boards. Research participants in France and Portugal were more likely to buy products that fitted their recipe, with less need for using cutting boards. Using the same board and knife for vegetables after using it for chicken and without washing with detergent was common in Portugal and Romania, but not in the other countries. Contamination with Campylobacter to other kitchen surfaces or washing utensils were found in five households (UK, RO, PT). Rinsing chicken in sinks was common in three countries (PT, HU, RO), and washing vegetables in the same sink was also usual. Prevalence of Norovirus was low, with detection in one out of 451 samples. The participants' awareness of the risk posed by pathogens from raw chicken differed among the six countries, with higher awareness in Norway and the UK than the other countries studied.In conclusion, practices intended to avoid cross-contamination from chicken to kitchen surfaces and washing utensils are not established among consumers in all European countries. Nevertheless, cross-contamination events that disseminate infectious doses of pathogens seems to be rare, probably due to the relatively low levels of pathogens in food combined with food preferences. Food safety interventions must consider the national food culture, preferences, practices and the prevalence and levels of pathogens in food. Emphasis should be on providing and promoting chicken products with lower risk (prevalence of pathogens, ready-to-cook) and safe use of cutting boards.

Migration experience and mental health: A qualitative study in France and Brazil.

The relationship between migration and mental health is complex and involves factors at different levels, as the individual history of the migrant, the collective history of their home country, the host society's and their mutual past history. Even though the migratory scenario of France and Brazil has changed over the years, both countries currently host an important number of immigrants. The main objective of the present study was to describe and analyze the impacts of the migratory experience on mental health of migrants with different migration experiences and living in two countries: France and Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants, six in France and seven in Brazil. A thematic qualitative analysis of the data was performed using the ATLAS.TI software. Three themes were created based on the different times of the migration experience: before migration, during migration and after migration. All codes of these three bigger themes were organized in sub-themes for the samples in France and Brazil. Participants in France described an important exposure to traumatic events before and during migration. In Brazil, the migration experiences were multiple, in some cases presenting a traumatic history, but in most cases migration was seen as an opportunity to have access to better life conditions. In both countries, participants reported a great level of psychological distress associated to post-migratory difficulties (e.g. unemployment, learning a new language, or facing a new cultural environment). Our results suggest that multidisciplinary interventions, with focus on skills development, such as language and work-related skills, and on access to basic needs may be essential for both voluntary and involuntary migrants. In addition to these interventions, some individuals may need specialized mental health intervention, focusing in past traumatic exposure and in the current acculturation process.

Stereotype Threat, Intergenerational Contact, and Performance among the Elderly across Cultures: A Comparative Study of France and Indonesia

In the present research, we examined cross-cultural generalizability of the roles of anxiety and intergenerational contact in age-based stereotype threat (ABST). To this end, we conducted studies in France (individualistic culture) and Indonesia (collectivistic culture). In the main study, elderly participants in France and in Indonesia completed the Digit Span task that was presented as memory (high-threat) or cognitive strategy task (low-threat). Using the bootstrapping method, we found that, in both countries, stereotype threat led to lowered performance among the elderly who had little or no contact with the young. Those with positive contacts, on the other hand, showed no performance decrement under high (vs. low) threat. Highlighting the importance of culture, performance anxiety mediates the effects of threat on the performance of the French elderly, versus intergroup anxiety for the Indonesians. Self-construal (independent vs. interdependent) associated with cultural orientation (individualistic vs. collectivistic) was proposed to explain the cultural difference in the type of anxiety as a mediator. This not only leads to suggestions for future research but also for possible real-life intervention strategies.

The use of silicone wristbands to evaluate personal exposure to semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) in France and Italy

In this exploratory study, we measured for the first-time human exposure to about 90 semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) in France and Italy using silicone wristbands. Participants in France (n = 40) and in Italy (n = 31) wore a silicone wristband for five days during 2018 and 2019. Samples were analyzed for 39 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 10 novel brominated flame retardants (nBFRs), 25 organophosphate esters (OPEs), and 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In both groups, the most commonly detected chemicals were BDE-209, BEHTBP, tris[(2R)-1-chloro-2-propyl] phosphate (TCIPP), and phenanthrene among PBDEs, nBFRs, OPEs, and PAHs, respectively. The concentrations of ∑39 PBDEs, ∑10 nBFRs, ∑25 OPEs, ∑18 PAHs, and of most individual chemicals were generally significantly higher in samples from France than in those from Italy, except for BDE-209 and TCIPP. On a broader scale, the chemical concentrations were generally significantly lower in this study than those measured in the United States in previous studies using the same type of wristbands. Efforts to standardize the protocols for the use of silicone wristbands are still needed but this study shows that wristbands are capable of capturing regional differences in human exposure to a large variety of SVOCs and, therefore, can be used as personal exposure monitor for studies with global coverage.