Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is on a Sustainable Trajectory

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is here to stay in its present or slightly modified format. CSR has been stable and growing since the 1960s. CSR has been defined in a multitude of ways over the years. In my ownframework, CSR is defined broadly to encompass the economic, legal, ethical andphilanthropic expectations placed on businesses by society. CSR’s progress in the 2000s may appear to be moderate in light of pressing economic pressures, but it also is contending with competing and complimentary frameworks and socially conscious nomenclature.

Some of the alternative concepts embracing CSR include corporate citizenship, corporate stewardship, business ethics, stakeholder management, conscious capitalism, creating shared value, and sustainability. These concepts represent the principal variations of CSR striving for worldwideattention and adoption. These frameworks are all interrelated and overlapping and are integral to some facet of CSR. Though there are slight nuances in the differing language of each, at heart they are all focusing on business firms helping to improve society and stakeholders while at the same time sustaining their own profitability.

An Analysis of Hominin Cranial Capacity Data Using Simulations

The hominin cranial capacity data was reanalyzed using simulations, which emulated the variability in the estimation of cranial capacity of hominin skulls. First, the data was explored using k-means clustering to establish the presence of two groups in the data. The groups werefurther confirmed by using Hamming distance on the simulated cluster outcomes. Then, the resulting two datasets arising from two groups were used to estimate the confidence limits for the parameter estimates of Henneberg’s double exponential model. 

Through these parameter estimates and their confidence limits it could be seen that two models for two time spans identified by cluster analysis were better than a single model for the full span of time, which the previous authors considered to be the best option. From an analyticalperspective, there are indications for a structural change in cranial capacitygrowth, which is expressed as a rapid increase after a slow growth period. This structural change scenario does not support the rejection of the concept of punctuated equilibrium on the basis of a gradual change based on the double exponential model.

Nico Carpentier (2011) Media and Participation-A site of ideologicaldemocratic struggle, Intellect: Bristol

This book is composed out of two parts. In the first one, citizens’ participation is discussed in the light of most interesting social theories by author’s choice. Therefore this part represents aninterdisciplinary background overview. As such, it is unavoidably focused on a reduced list of theoretical approaches. Carpetier analyzes participation in frameworks of: spatial planning, social development, arts and museums and communication. 

There is no explanation why these and not others – such as economic, social care, education…contexts aren’t revisited. However, it is true that going further the author could have extended the book endlessly. On the other hand, the impression is that this theoretical overview is adapted to the choice of case studies presented in the second part of the book. It brings toreaders a serial of case studies describing concrete peoples’ attempts toengage in participation. The author treats participation as a structurally unstable concept which, in order to be obtained, demands everyday ideological and political struggle. For, citizens’ participation is the normative token in all models of democracies. But, it is by no means warranted that participation will be exercised in democratic practices.

What Accounts for the Differences in Suicide Trends Across Countries of the Former Soviet Union?

Suicide is a major public health problem worldwide. The Slavic countries of the former Soviet Union Russia, Ukraine and Belarus retain one of the highest suicide rates in the world, despite a gradual decline over the past decade. Since the early 1980s, suicide mortality in these countrieshas undergone sharp fluctuations. In general, the temporal pattern of suicide mortality fluctuations was similar for three countries: sharp decrease in the mid of 1980s, dramatic increase in the first half of 1990s followed by a decline. 

While the trends in suicide mortality have been similar in three countries during the Soviet period, there was significant discrepancy after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In particular, Russia experienced thesharpest suicide mortality fluctuations during anti-alcohol campaign andtransition. In Russia suicide rate jumped dramatically between 1991 and 1994. There was also a spike in suicide mortality between 1999 and 2001 in Russia, which might be explained by the financial crisis in 1998. In Ukraine and Belarus, suicide rates increased steadily up to 1996 and then started to decrease. 

Social Institutions, Groups, Relations within the Globalization Context and Society Virtualization

The research of social institutions, groups and relations in globalized world and virtual environments was undertaken in an effort to bring a better understanding and appreciation of modern opportunities to people from around the world. This issue is important because misconceptions and stereotypes about globalized society and virtualization still exist. Like scholars have always done, the authors of the current issue do research that reflect the contemporary human condition.

We asked researchers from around the world to respond to themes such as, violence in families as a result of society virtualization, ethnic minorities, national independence and its manifestation in modern arts, media texts and virtual galaxies. These themes provide us with a conceptualglimpse into the condition of modern society. The articles of the issue are ideal for the analysis of societies in transition, they are especially suitable for studying postmodern social relations. 

Hunters in a Farmers World: ADHD and Hunter Gatherers

The field of evolutionary psychology has grown significantly in the past two decades. According to Brinkman, evolutionary psychology is one of the fastest growing fields in psychology. It is a theoretical approach topsychology that attempts to explain useful mental and psychological traits—suchas memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, i.e., as the functional products of natural selection. 

An adaptation is a trait that developed in the course of evolution as a result of the mechanism of natural or sexual selection. These adaptations are transmitted genetically and can be anatomicalor psychological. In the case of psychological adaptations, the selected genes help to form specific circuits in the brain. Thus the behaviours contributing to the most to successful reproduction will be selected. It is of interest that Darwin himself wrote about evolutionary psychology in that he suggested that like any other trait, human mental faculties are the outcome of evolution by natural and sexual selection and suggested these mental faculties should be understood in light of common descent.

Coffee, tea and its relationship with Depression and Anxiety

To check the role of beverages such as coffee, tea and nescafe on depression and anxiety, a survey was conducted in 1020 beverages consuming high school students in Shiraz, Iran. They were interviewed accordingto DSM-IV (Diagnostic and statistical Manual of mental disorder) and collectedthe data using demograph, further this data was subjected to analyse using SPSS version16, descriptive methods, person correlation and Chisquare tests. From the results it is clear that there is inverse significant relation between bevarages (coffee, tea and nescafe) and depression and anxiety.

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