Search results

Among the many scenarios planners must consider for the 1980s, an optimistic view of the decade ahead deserves closer attention. In our judgment, three major driving forces, each having favorable implications for the business environment, will shape the U.S. economy during the 1980s:

While the economy is showing tangible signs of improvement, one fact remains clear: today's planner must complement his knowledge of the strategic forces acting on his firm's industry with a general understanding of the nature and sources of national economic volatility. Indeed, if planners want to chart successful strategies for their businesses, they must minimize the negative effects stemming from an unpredictable economy.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the key credibility principles used by Migration Agency case-officers in Sweden. More specifically it analyses how they construct arguments about asylum-seeking unaccompanied minors’ credibility in first-decisions.

The study is inspired by a social constructionist approach to discourse and explores how case-officers construct legally legitimate arguments about credibility. The qualitative text analysis is focused on discursive practice. The data selected for analysis consists of 827 excerpts containing case-officers’ credibility reasoning deducted from a sample of 916 decisions.

The main finding is that case-officers question unaccompanied minors by using argumentative techniques in which children appear to be expected to deliver detailed and coherent accounts. In addition, unaccompanied minors’ knowledge-claims can be questioned regardless of decision outcome (rejection or approval). As unaccompanied minors’ claims for asylum appear to be questioned in such an extensive manner, their humanitarian claims also seem to be reduced. The findings of this study suggest that there is a risk that the possibility to be understood as a legitimate asylum seeker, worthy of residency, can be restricted for unaccompanied minors.

The findings indicate that when case-officers base their understanding of credibility on unaccompanied children’s individual life experiences they make use of a limited repertoire of arguments.

This study contributes to insights about how case-officers fulfil legal expectations when assessing unaccompanied minors’ credibility. The findings can be of interest to both legal and social science as well policy planners and immigration practitioners.

Describes a small investigation into cycle safety with Key Stage 1 pupils. The investigation used the draw and write technique to find out what children in years 1 and 2 knew about safety in relation to riding bicycles. Finds that many children were aware of the need to wear a cycle helmet, and that some wrote about the need to wear knee pads, arm bands or special clothes. Suggests that a session such as that described could provide a useful way to work about keeping safe outdoors, road safety, protective clothing or safe behaviour, or as a useful one‐off session before a school holiday.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Tenn. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.