What is the impact of blogging, either by journalists or readers, on journalism? Do entries on readers' blogs lead to stories for professional journalists and how is the work of a blogging journalist influenced by the fact that he or she nowadays has a second publication platform and is more in contact …

Communication on Europe was never a priority in the Netherlands, until it became clear in 2005 that the Dutch people did not support the European Constitution. When on 12 June 2007 the Irish people voted against the Lisbon Treaty, the renewed constitutional treaty, one could speak of a consistency in …

This text is structured as follows. Section 1 concerns the background to this public lecture: the fact that social participation is becoming increasingly important in our society. This is evident, for example, from the way we are evolving from a protective welfare state into an activational, participative …

Within a short period of time, the Netherlands transformed itself from a relatively tolerant country to a nation that called for cultural assimilation, tough measures and neo-patriotism. The discursive genre of 'new realism' played a crucial role in this retreat from multiculturalism, and that had a …

The prejudice and discrimination against Roma started upon arrival in the 11th century. They were seen as untrustworthy due to the nomadic lifestyle and different skin colour. Roma were forced to live as slaves during the 1500 which ended several centuries later in 1864. Although, legally they were …

The severe shortage of donors is a major constraint facing European countries. In Europe more than 60,000 patients are on waiting lists for an organ transplantation. Because of the shortage of donated organs, every day almost ten people die in Europe while on the waiting list. But what are the causes …

This article analyzes negative externalities that policymakers in one region or group may impose upon the citizens of neighboring regions or groups. These externalities may be material, but they may also be psychological (in the form of envy). The latter form of externality may arise from the production …

In the hard-hit countries by HIV/AIDS, the epidemic has eroded the development gains made in past decades. The spread of HIV is heterogeneous in Sub-Saharan African courtiers, with different peaks which vary geographically and in terms of their distribution among social or economic groups. Thus, there …

Often, simplified cultural explanations of a nation‟s economy are common sense and taken for granted. Amidst the debate about the propensity of European countries to compete with other prosperous knowledge economies, some consultants in The Netherlands postulate that the Dutch will never be able to match …