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The aim of this dissertation is to analyze how modernization theory of values change and capitalist ideology affect individuals' attitudes toward generosity. Because generosity is a concept rooted in our human value system, it would be worthwhile attempting to explain the interplay between individuals' values and larger socio-economic environment. From modernization theory explanations of values change, it is expected that noble, higher-order values such as generosity will receive more approval and support as economic pressures decline as result of economic development. However, individuals' values are also being influenced by principles of the specific type of economic ideology embraced in each country around the world. This study will explain how the different types of capitalist ideology impact individuals' values. In relation to these, it is suggested that the notion of `economic ideology' should be taken into consideration as a factor interacting with the modernization thesis of values change in influencing individuals' predisposition toward generosity. An economic ideology motivates behavior and determines norms for many human interactions. In this study, `economic ideology' is constructed as the interaction between capitalism characteristics and materialistic values. One hypothesis suggests that capitalism is negatively correlated with the emergence or advancement of generosity. A second hypothesis, examines whether the effect of capitalism is moderated through the presence of materialistic values or specific type of economic ideology. Within this enquiry the study uses a cross-national and a multilevel approach that mainly concentrates on the analysis of the World Values Survey which presents a broad examination of cross-national differences. The results indicate the validity of the economic ideology effect. Initially, at the individual level capitalism is associated significantly, albeit weakly, to generosity. When this relationship is allowed to vary across countries, then capitalism coefficient is not significant. Nevertheless, when the original argument about the influence of the economic ideology on individuals' values is considered, the new model modifies the previously reported results. The capitalism coefficient not only turns out to be significant, but also changes the direction of its coefficient demonstrating the moderating effect of the economic ideology hypothesis.

It is widely accepted that the educational system of universities has to provide an academic environment that may serve as a catalysts for high-technology start-ups. The academic tradition of entrepreneurship in German-speaking countries is very short. Until recently, fostering innovations and new product development through entrepreneurship has not been regarded as a primary task of universities. However, perspectives have changed in this respect, and there have been numerous attempts to enhance the role of university graduates as founders of innovative businesses. In this paper, we compare the entrepreneurial intentions of students at two German-speaking universities (the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and the University of Munich) with the corresponding results for a leading institution in this field: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). We find very distinct patterns of entrepreneurial spirit in these universities. The results also suggest that the lower level of founding intentions among students in Munich and Vienna may be attributed to their less distinctive entrepreneurship education. This leaves a great deal of room for improvement. (author's abstract)

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This thesis investigates the effect that a variety of demographic, educational, cognitive, and health-related variables have on civic engagement. Civic engagement is defined as a combination of frequency of volunteering and feelings of political efficacy. International survey data from 34 countries are used to provide a cross-national view of the predictors of civic engagement. We use canonical correlation analysis to investigate the widespread effects of predictor variables on both facets of civic engagement (volunteering and political efficacy) and the effects that are linked to only one facet. Furthermore, we use country-level socio-demographic data to link patterns of civic engagement of potentially marginalised groups to the representation those groups have at the community level and the political level. Our results highlight the importance of cognitive skills and skill building resources in supporting engaged citizens: literacy skill, numeracy skill, educational attainment, and number of books in the home are found to be strong predictors of civic engagement across all countries. The present thesis contributes to knowledge by employing a common measure of civic engagement across all countries, using an analysis method that allows and accounts for variance shared by multiple facets of civic engagement, and by investigating civic engagement across a wide variety of countries. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / This thesis investigates the factors that affect how involved someone is in their community or society. This involvement is known as civic engagement, which we define as a combination of levels of volunteering and political efficacy (the belief that one can affect politics). A wide variety of potential influencing factors are considered, including literacy and numeracy level, education, health level, and immigration and language background. We use data from an international survey to investigate the effects of these variables on levels of civic engagement in 34 countries. We use a statistical method that highlights how our variables of interest influence civic engagement as a whole, and how the variables specifically influence levels of volunteering or political efficacy. By analyzing the effects of the variables across diverse countries and measures of civic engagement, we shed new light on the factors that promote civic engagement around the world.

No / Response style effects are a source of bias in cross-national studies, with some nationalities being more susceptible to particular response styles than others. While response styles, by their very nature, vary with the form of the stimulus involved, previous research has not investigated whether cross-national differences in response styles are stable across different forms of a stimulus (e.g., item wording, scale type, response categories). Using a quasi-experimental design, this study shows that response style differences are not stable across different stimulus formats, and that response style effects impact on substantive cross-national comparisons in an inconsistent way.

Thesis advisor: James E. Lubben / Productive aging is a new and evolving conceptual model that emphasizes the antecedents and consequences of productivity in later life. Proponents of productive aging claim that productive activity in later life is associated with a number of benefits for individuals, communities, and societies, but this assumption has not been widely tested at the country level. In the context of an adapted model of productive aging, the present study identifies the cross-national predictors of and relationship between one form of productivity (viz., labor force participation) and one aspect of well-being (viz., longevity) among older adults. Random effects models with pooled cross-sections and path analysis were used to analyze potential relationships with data from several international data sources. The complete cross-national longitudinal dataset consists of variables measured at five time points or during intervals centered at these time points (i.e., 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000) for each of thirty countries that belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The present study makes one particularly important and new contribution to the cross-national literature on productivity and longevity; the study suggests that work in later life strongly influences life expectancy among older adults, but that some important gender differences should be noted. The present study also suggests that public policy plays a very important role in country level labor force participation rates and life expectancy. More specifically, higher levels of public spending on social issues are associated with lower rates of labor force participation and higher life expectancies. Finally, the present study confirms that the adapted model of productivity provides a solid foundation for cross-national analyses of labor force participation and life expectancy, but highlights the importance of analyzing male and female behavior and outcomes separately. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

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Modernization theorists posit that rapid economic development can produce increased rates of homicide (Durkheim 1951 [1897]; 1984 [1902]; 1997 [1893]; Shelley 1981). As nations develop, individuals migrate to regions that have greater opportunities for employment. Here, they may experience conflicting norms, a lack of adequate housing and education, and possible underemployment. While modernization theory has been tested extensively, it has not accounted for the way in which nations currently develop. Many nations are recipients of inward foreign direct investment. This form of investment, by multi-national corporations, has produced economic growth, inequality, and urbanization in many countries (Bengoa and Sanchez-Robles 2003; Blomström et al. 1994; Campos and Kinoshita 2002; Sit and Yang 1997). These correlates, economic growth, inequality, and urbanization, have all been linked to homicide (Cole and Gramajo 2009; Nivette 2011). In an examination of up to 62 nations, inward foreign direct investment is found to promote urbanization and inequality. In separate analyses, urbanization is found to increase homicide - suggesting that foreign investment produces homicide by increasing urbanization. Several scholars have suggested that a strong civil society can mitigate societal ills (Currie 1997; Messner and Rosenfeld 1997). Analyses show that a strong civil society, represented by the presence of international-non-governmental organizations, is associated with decreased rates of homicide. The results suggest that nations should be cautious when receiving foreign investment. City infrastructure should be monitored to keep up with the needs of a rapidly growing population. International organizations that deal with issues of rapid growth, including those that provide access to housing and education and those that work at reducing inequality and poverty, should be sought after.