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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Russian demographic statistics reflect the persistence of a dramatically wide gender gap in life expectancy and mortality over the last decades - about twice that found in the developed world. On average, men in Russia live 12 years less than Russian women, and 14.5 years less than men in Western Europe. This thesis provides an overview and synthesis of the most recently available literature that addresses the persistent gender gap in mortality and life expectancy in Russia. I reviewed the prevalent behavioral and social-structural drivers that explain the causes of higher male mortality in contemporary Russia. Especially, I looked at how the conceptualization of the male social role and related norms that shape masculine behavior contribute to high male mortality in Russia. The study reveals that men’s unhealthy, risky behavior and their higher vulnerability to stress are considered to be linked to their gendered social identity which is created and reproduced by the social-structural context of the Russia’s society.

Zugl.: Zürich, Univ., Diss., 2004/05

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

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This thesis deals with how population dynamics in a post-socialist Russian village intertwine with the use of local resources. Specifically, it explores two interrelated issues: first, it looks at how attitudes to local resources vary, depending on people’s ways of engaging with place; second, it focuses on the contexts in which people reify and manipulate their identification with place by ascribing place-related identities to themselves and others as they deal with local resources. The research is based on fieldwork carried out in the village of Kuzomen’ on the White Sea Coast, in north-west Russia. Traditionally, research in Russia has focused on regions in which farming or herding is the main source of livelihood. This thesis explores the peculiarity of post-Soviet conditions in a part of Russia where fishing is the prevailing economic activity. The following questions were addressed: 1) what factors affect people’s relations with and attitudes towards resources in Kuzomen’? 2) how does the postsocialist condition affect resource use in the area? 3) what is the connection between people’s identification with place and their attitudes to its resources? The main findings are that the specificity of postsocialist conditions in Russia and population migration in Kuzomen’ have contributed to the differentiation of people’s attitudes to local resources. In particular, there is a difference between local people and incomers on the one hand, and between permanent dwellers and summer visitors on the other. The deterioration of established systems of state management and control, and the inefficient implementation of newly emerged legislation regarding resource use in post-Soviet Russia, have led to a situation in which access to resources is often regulated through informal arrangements. In these arrangements, identification with place becomes important as people use place-related identities such as local or incomer in their negotiations over access and rights to local resources.

In 1991, the Baltic states re-gained independence from the Soviet Union after roughly 50 years of Soviet domination.  The primary benefit of this change was renewed sovereignty.  The primary challenge was how to retain that sovereignty. This thesis offers a comparative analysis of the Baltic-Russian security relationship focusing on three aspects: the extent of the Russian threat, the extent of security from the West, and whether small state theory can account for the actions of the Baltic states vis-à-vis both Russia and the West.  The thesis compares security issues in the Baltic-Russian relationship with the similar issues in other former-Soviet states.  It also compares security provided by the West with security from the Nordic states.  Finally, the thesis tests the main expectations of small state theory through Baltic-Russian and Baltic-West relations.  The conclusion argues that though Russia did (and does) pose a threat to Baltic sovereignty, it is significantly less than the threat to other former Soviet states.  Furthermore, the security provided by the West is less than expected when compared to security from the Nordic states.  Finally, while small state theory is capable of accounting for most Baltic actions vis-à-vis Russia and the West, there are some shortcomings in the theory as regards this case study.

Sammandrag Vi har undersökt hur en gemensam miljöstandard fungerar inom Länsförsäkringsgruppen, där organisationen har setts som ett exempel på en decentraliserad federation. Länsförsäkringsgruppen har haft en gemensam miljöstandard sedan 2003, ISO 14001 som samtliga länsförsäkringsbolag har arbetat utefter med stöd från Länsförsäkringar AB (LFAB). Undersökningen har fokuserat på LFAB samt tre olika länsförsäkringsbolag (LF); LF Jämtland, LF Uppsala och LF Östgöta. Totalt har fyra stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med miljösamordnare på respektive bolag samt med hållbarhetsansvarig vid LFAB. Syftet var att se hur den gemensamma miljöstandarden har anpassats inom olika lokala länsförsäkringsbolag. Utifrån syftet och forskningsfråga har den teoretiska referensramen fokuserat på decentralisering, miljöledningssystem, målkongruens samt intern kommunikation. Resultatet tyder på att kommunikationen är en viktig utmaning och blir ibland bristfällig i en decentraliserad federation vid Länsförsäkringars gemensamma miljöarbete. Det visar sig också att en gemensam miljöstandard inte är helt optimal i en sådan organisationsstruktur då decentraliseringen gör det svårare att följa den lokala implementeringen samt genomföra en gemensam uppföljning inom Länsförsäkringsgruppen.

- Constitutional aspects of the termination of the Czechoslovak Federation The thesis deals with problems of constitutional aspects relating to termination of the Czechoslovak Federation, which was abolished on 31.12. 1992 I have chosen this theme because I am interested in this theme since the first grade of my studium at the Law faculty. I had better access to this theme after the attendance of Scientific seminar leaded by Doc. Gronský called Slovakia in constitutional history of Czechoslovakia. The thesis uses sources available to students of Law faculty (monography, collections, university textbooks, texts of laws, articles, stenograph records, university lectures). The thesis is grounded on the synthesis of many sources with emphasis on consistent citing sources of the original authors. The thesis is composed of three chapters, which are divided into subchapters. These subchapters contain parts. In introduction I set the aim of thesis to describe the aspects of termination Czechoslovakia. For better context is in thesis genesis and development of the federation. Chapter one consists of two subchapters. There are described conditions of formation of Czechoslovak state. Chapter two consists of four subchapters, which describe Constitutional development of Czechoslovakia (1918-1989) with focus on...