Arttu Saarinen, Aki Koivula and Teo Keipi
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the association between political party preference and trust in knowledge-based institutions, while also considering how political trust…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the association between political party preference and trust in knowledge-based institutions, while also considering how political trust facilitates the association. The authors focus on the opinions of supporters of the six largest parliamentary political parties in Finland.
Design/methodology/approach
The data are based on a population level survey. First, the authors compared party supporters’ trust in universities and YLE media. Second, the authors analyzed how political trust contributes to party supporters’ trust in knowledge-based institutions by estimating predicted probabilities. Third, the authors derived the partial correlations from the non-linear probability models incorporated separately between trust in YLE, Universities and political trust, and compared the correlations across the parties. Finally, the authors conducted the logit models from which the authors post-estimated the predicted probabilities of having high trust in YLE and Universities according to the levels of political trust separately for each party.
Findings
The results showed a cumulation of trust, reflecting especially on the attitudes of the populist party supporters who tended to have lower trust in knowledge-based institutions and distrust was highly associated with low political trust. This cumulation of trust shows an interesting dynamic in how closely institutions are linked together in terms of attitudes on their legitimacy.
Originality/value
This study assesses the cumulation of distrust, while providing an alternative political spectrum to the US two party system that has been the major focus of past research. Furthermore, the study fills a gap in the research by being the first to assess the intersection of the trust dimensions.
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Teo Keipi, Pekka Räsänen, Olli Kajava and Arttu Saarinen
The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of household spending on physical recreation and the structural distribution of spending over the years 1985-2012 in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of household spending on physical recreation and the structural distribution of spending over the years 1985-2012 in Finland linked to various contextual factors including education level, income and area of residence.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses Statistics Finland’s consumption research data in a quantitative analysis toward adding a new dimension to research on Finns’ physical recreation spending.
Findings
Findings show that the amount of money spent on physical recreation equipment and services has grown steadily. Finns’ spending on physical recreation continues to be relatively conservative relative to income, though there are notable differences between population groups. The link between education level and physical recreation remains strong. The largest difference between education levels is between those having completed basic level education and those with higher education degrees. Household type also explains a great deal of the difference in amount spent on physical recreation. According to the results, physical recreation spending is central to the leisure activities of highly educated family units.
Originality/value
Research on the stratification of consumption habits in Finnish society has not yet addressed physical recreation spending. Furthermore, research on income spent on such activity by various population groups at different times has not been carried out. This paper provides research on both of these themes.
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Ilkka Koiranen, Aki Koivula, Anna Kuusela and Arttu Saarinen
The study utilises unique survey data gathered from 12,427 party members. The dependent variable measures party members’ in-party commitment and is based on willingness to donate…
Abstract
Purpose
The study utilises unique survey data gathered from 12,427 party members. The dependent variable measures party members’ in-party commitment and is based on willingness to donate money, to contribute effort, the feeling of belonging in the party network and social trust in the party network.
Design/methodology/approach
In this article, we study how different extra-parliamentary online and offline activities are associated with in-party commitment amongst political party members from the six largest Finnish parties. We especially delve into the differences between members of the Finnish parties.
Findings
We found that extra-parliamentary political activity, including connective action through social media networks and collective action through civic organisations, is highly associated with members’ in-party commitment. Additionally, members of the newer identity parties more effectively utilised social media networks, whilst the traditional interest parties were still more linked to traditional forms of extra-parliamentary political action.
Originality/value
By employing the sociological network theory perspective, the study contributes to ongoing discussions surrounding the impact of social media on political participation amongst party members, both within and beyond the confines of political parties.
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Opinions towards social security reflect the interests and ideologies that individuals have. The earlier population‐based opinion studies of the welfare state can be utilised when…
Abstract
Purpose
Opinions towards social security reflect the interests and ideologies that individuals have. The earlier population‐based opinion studies of the welfare state can be utilised when we are creating a theoretical background for examining the physicians' opinions but also physician‐specific indicators are needed. The purpose of this paper is to analyse physicians' opinions on social security. Opinions are compared to those of citizen‐level groups.
Design/methodology/approach
The 2,000 working age physicians' random survey sample was picked from the register of the Finnish Medical Association (n = 1,092, response rate 54.6 percent). The data were analysed using frequencies and multinomial logistic regression analysis.
Findings
Compared to all other citizen‐level groups, the physicians think that the level of social security is too high. Physicians want to target cuts somewhere else than social or health services. Female physicians support higher social security. Young doctors and specialists think more often that social security is too high. Left‐wing political orientation is the clearest predictor of all opinions.
Originality/value
The results are important because physicians are a big and powerful occupational group in the welfare state. The opinions of physicians towards the social security have not been studied in countries with large social security systems or countries where physicians are mainly public sector employees.
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This article aims to focus on how young physicians in general and different subpopulations, in particular, see the role of the welfare state. The author seeks to compare young…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to focus on how young physicians in general and different subpopulations, in particular, see the role of the welfare state. The author seeks to compare young physicians' opinions with those of older physicians, a similar age group in the general population and all physicians.
Design/methodology/approach
A random sample was picked from the Finnish Medical Association register (n=1,092). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression analysis.
Findings
Results show that young physicians – when compared with an overall population of the same age, with physicians overall, or with older physicians – are more critical of the degree of social security currently offered. Young physicians also want to give more responsibility to the private sector than do older physicians. On the other hand, young physicians are not very critical of healthcare system functionality. All in all, young physicians' opinions about the welfare state are not particularly radical. Results indicate that physicians' opinions about the welfare state will not change dramatically in the near future. Views on social security, healthcare system functionality and the role of the private sector correlate best with political orientation.
Originality/value
There are some studies about physicians' attitudes towards the welfare state, but the opinions of young physicians have not been studied in countries with large social security systems. The paper addresses this gap because it is important to study young physicians' opinions because future services will be structured on them.
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Arttu Olavi Saarinen, Pekka Räsänen and Antti Kouvo
– The purpose of this paper is to analyse citizens’ trust in physicians in 22 OECD countries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse citizens’ trust in physicians in 22 OECD countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors measure trust in physicians using items on generalised and particularised trust. Individual-level data are received from the ISSP Research Group (2011). The authors also utilise macro variables drawn from different data banks. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and xtlogit regression models. The main micro-level hypothesis is that low self-reported health is strongly associated with lower trust in physicians. The second micro-level hypothesis is that frequent meetings with physicians result in higher trust. The third micro-level hypothesis assumes that males, and older and better educated respondents, express higher trust compared to others. The first macro-level hypothesis is that lower income inequality leads to higher trust in physicians. The second macro-level hypothesis is that greater physician density leads to higher trust in physicians.
Findings
The authors found that the influence of individual and macro-level characteristics varies between trust types. Results indicate that both trust types are clearly associated with individual-level determinants. However, only general trust in physicians has weak associations with macro-level indicators (mainly physician density) and therefore on institutional cross-country differences. It seems that particularised trust in a physician’s skills is more restricted to the individuals’ health and their own experiences meeting doctors, whereas general trust likely reflects attitudes towards the prevalent profession in the country.
Originality/value
The findings hold significance for healthcare systems research and for research concerning social trust generally.
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Johanna Kallio and Arttu Saarinen
The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of street-level bureaucrats from different agencies and sectors of the Finnish welfare state, namely municipal social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of street-level bureaucrats from different agencies and sectors of the Finnish welfare state, namely municipal social workers, diaconal workers of the Lutheran church, benefit officials of the Social Security Institution and officials of private unemployment funds.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors are interested in the following questions: What are the attitudes of street-level bureaucrats towards the labour market allowance? What is the impact of individual characteristics? The study utilised the unique national survey data of different groups of street-level bureaucrats from the year 2011 (total N=2,313). The dependent variables focus on legitimacy of the basic level of labour market allowance and sanction policies. Analyses are built around five independent variables which measure professional, personal interest and ideological factors.
Findings
There are differences both between and within groups of Finnish street-level bureaucrats with regard to their attitudes concerning the labour market allowance. Social and diaconal workers believe more often than officials that the level of labour market allowance is too low, and offer less support for the idea that an unemployed person should take any job that is offered or have their unemployment security reduced. The results show that the attitudes of bureaucrats are explained by length of work history, economic situation and ideological factors.
Originality/value
There have been very few analyses comparing attitudes among different groups of bureaucrats. The present study is intended to fill this gap in the literature.
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Jani Paavilainen, Jukka Tuhkuri and Arttu Polojärvi
The purpose of this paper is to present a 2D combined finite‐discrete element method (FEM‐DEM) to model the multi‐fracture of beam structures and an application of the method to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a 2D combined finite‐discrete element method (FEM‐DEM) to model the multi‐fracture of beam structures and an application of the method to an ice‐structure interaction problem.
Design/methodology/approach
In the method, elastic beams and their fracture are modelled according to FEM by using nonlinear Timoshenko beam elements and cohesive crack model. Additionally, the beam elements are used to tie the discrete elements together. The contact forces between the colliding beams are calculated by using the DEM.
Findings
Three numerical examples are given to verify the method. Further, the method is applied to model the failure process of a floating ice beam against an inclined structure. Based on the comparison of the experiments and the simulation, a good agreement between the results is observed.
Originality/value
In the context of combined FEM‐DEM, the two novel features presented in this paper are: the use of Timoshenko finite element beams with damping to calculate internal forces and to combine the discrete elements; and the bending failure by the cohesive crack approach while simultaneously keeping track of the position of the neutral axis of the beam.