Dino Numerato
Charles University, Prague, Department of Sociology, Faculty Member
- Social Change, Football Supporters and Identity, New social movements, Sociology of Sport, Health Care Management, Hybridization, and 24 moreEthnography, Sport, Reflexivity (Sociology), Reflexivity, Football Fandom, Football and Fans, Sport Policy, Sport Governance, Football (soccer), Sociology of Football, Football Culture, Sociology of Health and Illness, Central and Eastern Europe, Secrecy, Social Movements, New Media, Digital Media, Qualitative methodology, Digital Ethnography, Qualitative Research Methods, Digital Activism, New Media and Political Activism, Digital Cultures, and Digital Sociologyedit
- Dino Numerato is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles Uni... moreDino Numerato is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic (FSV UK). He is currently a Co-Principal Investigator of the National Institute for Research on Socioeconomic Impacts of Diseases and Systemic Risks (SYRI - https://www.syri.institute). Within the research institute, he leads the Research Group on Communication, Risk and Uncertainty. Moreover, he is a Deputy Director for Research at the Institute of Sociological Studies (FSV UK).
He has recently concluded the EC H2020 VAX-Trust project (https://vax-trust.eu) focused on vaccine hesitancy. From 2016 to 2019, he was Head of the Department of Sociology at FSV UK. From October 2013 to November 2015, he worked as a Marie Curie Research Fellow and as a Research Associate at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS), Loughborough University (UK). He was previously, from February 2006 until September 2013, Research Fellow at Bocconi University (Milan, Italy). He has also acted as a Guest Lecturer at Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic) and as Visiting Professor at the University of West Bohemia (Pilsen, Czech Republic).
Dino Numerato completed his MA and PhD studies in Sociology at the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University. During his doctoral studies, he also spent one year (2004-2005) at University La Sapienza (Rome, Italy), having been awarded a Marie Curie Early-Career Research Fellowship within the framework of the EuroPhD in Social Representations and Communication.
Dino Numerato’s principal research interests include the sociology of health and illness and the sociology of sport. Dino Numerato undertook research in the UK, Italy, and the Czech Republic and he was involved in several comparative research projects at a European level.
As regards the research in the field of health, Dino Numerato in particular focused on the sociology of health care professions, vaccination, and patient and public involvement. For a limited period of time, he also participated in research projects focused on health policy, epidemiology, and health economics.
When it comes to the sociology of sport, the main research areas include football fandom and activism, social theory, sport governance, and sport policy, mass media and sport, corruption and match-fixing. Between October 2013 and October 2015, he worked with Richard Giulianotti on the EC Marie Curie project entitled "Football Fandom, Reflexivity and Social Change" (FANSREF). From 2006 to 2008, he was a member of the EC FP6-funded Marie Curie Excellence Team in the project titled: "Sport and Social Capital in the EU".
In addition to his research interest in the areas of the sociology of health and illness and the sociology of sport, Dino Numerato has continuously developed his interests in social theory, by exploring the nexus between late modern reflexivity and social change. He also carried out research in the field of migration and labour market integration (H2020 SIRIUS project - https://www.sirius-project.eu/). As part of this research, he also deepened his interest in civic engagement and activism, analysed across several social domains and including health care, sport, migration as well as the mass and social media.edit
The study of football fandom is a fast-growing area of research in the sociology of sport. The first work of its kind, this book explores football fan activism and its impact on contemporary football culture in England, Italy and the... more
The study of football fandom is a fast-growing area of research in the sociology of sport. The first work of its kind, this book explores football fan activism and its impact on contemporary football culture in England, Italy and the Czech Republic.
Presenting a comparative study of fan activism in national and transnational contexts, it explores the characteristics of each country’s football fan culture as well as the varying and at times volatile dynamics between fans, authorities and the mass media. Its chapters address key themes and issues including: fans’ reactions to policing and security measures in football stadiums; the socio-cultural significance of symbols and rituals for fans at football games; and fans’ critical engagement with football club ownership and management. Offering original insights into the power of fan activism to influence social change, this book has wider implications for understanding social movements in other cultural and political spheres beyond Europe.
Presenting a comparative study of fan activism in national and transnational contexts, it explores the characteristics of each country’s football fan culture as well as the varying and at times volatile dynamics between fans, authorities and the mass media. Its chapters address key themes and issues including: fans’ reactions to policing and security measures in football stadiums; the socio-cultural significance of symbols and rituals for fans at football games; and fans’ critical engagement with football club ownership and management. Offering original insights into the power of fan activism to influence social change, this book has wider implications for understanding social movements in other cultural and political spheres beyond Europe.
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This paper focuses on the omnipresent yet analytically almost invisible role of memory and bodily experiences in childhood vaccination. Previous scholarship on the sociocultural aspects of vaccination has primarily focused on the... more
This paper focuses on the omnipresent yet analytically almost invisible role of memory and bodily experiences in childhood vaccination. Previous scholarship on the sociocultural aspects of vaccination has primarily focused on the individual and sociodemographic factors underpinning vaccine hesitancy, the role of healthcare professionals and the politicisation or mediatisation of vaccination. Social practices considering vaccination were primarily explored as a matter of the present. Only little consideration was given to the past, individual biographies and sociohistorical temporalities. To complement this body of work, we focus on cognitively-based, embodied and emotionally-experienced memory related to vaccination. Based on a qualitative study of childhood vaccination conducted in Czechia between 2017 and 2019 consisting of ethnographic observations, in-depth interviews and a document review, we identified three interconnected forms of vaccination memory: bio-immune, social-collective and lived experience. Bio-immune memory refers to the body’s physical memory, gained to protect itself from diseases. Social-collective memory focuses on socially shared narratives about diseases and vaccination in the past. The memory of lived experience refers to feelings, embodied knowledge and pain. Our findings may inspire further analysis of childhood vaccination in other geographical contexts and amidst the reconfiguration of attitudes and newly established memories following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This paper focuses on the methodological conundrum of doing quick team ethnography in complex teams in a clinical setting studying childhood vaccine hesitancy. It describes how and to what extent a particular «thought style» (in Ludwik... more
This paper focuses on the methodological conundrum of doing quick team ethnography in complex teams in a clinical setting studying childhood vaccine hesitancy. It describes how and to what extent a particular «thought style» (in Ludwik Fleck’s meaning) has developed through decisions, negotiations and disputes, producing a dialogical «local truth». It also shows how ethnographers can adapt their practice, considering day-to-day endogenous changes in fieldwork and public debate as well as exogenous ones, such as pandemics and wars. Following a compact exploration of a few sensitising concepts, referring in particular to Ludwik Fleck, Knorr-Cetina and Clifford Geertz, it explores how the complex team had worked in practice effectively while unpacking vaccine hesitancy. The paper describes three fundamental steps of this group endeavour: i) the genealogy of the birth of the team and the subsequent team-building process; ii) the illustration of how the group’s «thought collective» and interactions have produced in practice a «local truth»; iii) a reflexive stance on this particular empirical case of «method in process». The paper concludes with methodological remarks.
Keywords: vaccine hesitancy, rapid team ethnography, vaccination, childhood vaccine, qualitative health research, thought style, reflexive account, EU research policies.
Keywords: vaccine hesitancy, rapid team ethnography, vaccination, childhood vaccine, qualitative health research, thought style, reflexive account, EU research policies.
Research Interests: Sociology, Health Sciences, Ethnography, Sociology of Knowledge, Qualitative methodology, and 15 moreVaccines, Public Health Policy, Sociology of Health, Qualitative Health Research, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Qualitative Research, Reflexivity (Sociology), Public Health, Qualitative Research Methods, Sociology of Health and Illness, science and technology studies (STS), Teamwork, Ludwik Fleck, Team Management, and Vaccine Preventeable Childhood Infectious Disease
This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue that discusses the role of civil society in the labour market integration of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in six European countries: the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece,... more
This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue that discusses the role of civil society in the labour market integration of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in six European countries: the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Italy, Switzerland and the UK. The paper presents a typology of civil society’s involvement in migrant labour integration—a policy-contested field—based on the relationship between non-profit and public sector organisations. Such ideal-type models are traditional public administration delivery, co-management, co-production with a partial or non-existent role for public sector organisations, and full co-production. In the six countries covered by the special issue, the existing relationship between the public sector and the civil society sector is affected by the specific social, cultural and economic contexts that underpin both their labour markets and welfare states. Although one model predominates in each of the six countries, in different ways and with different mechanisms, in all of them there is a trend towards the development of coproduction whereby the state plays either a central or a residual role.
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In this paper, we examine the changing landscape of migration policy work conducted by civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Czech Republic. We focus on how funding opportunities affect CSOs’ policy work, long-term planning and... more
In this paper, we examine the changing landscape of migration policy work conducted by civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Czech Republic. We focus on how funding opportunities affect CSOs’ policy work, long-term planning and everyday practices. Through a qualitative analysis of 15 interviews with representatives of non-governmental organisations and 11 interviews with policy stakeholders, we explored the critical and reflexive strategies adopted by CSOs. A crucial role in developing critical capacity seems to stem from umbrella organisations—organisations whose members are organisations. With respect to CSOs’ strong dependency on the state, umbrella organisations might serve as shields protecting individual organisations from direct conflicts with governmental policies and institutions. In the end, we assume that meta-organisations potentially function as important vehicles for the reflexive development and evolution of organisations and decrease transaction costs for the organisation field.
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Drawing upon a case study of a heated public online debate on vaccination related to a measles epidemic in the Czech Republic in 2019, this article's contribution is twofold: First, it adds to recent debates about the emotionalization of... more
Drawing upon a case study of a heated public online debate on vaccination related to a measles epidemic in the Czech Republic in 2019, this article's contribution is twofold: First, it adds to recent debates about the emotionalization of the (online) public sphere, and second, it examines communication strategies of vaccination supporters. To capture the heterogeneity of the online debate, we analyzed the discussion forums of 3 mainstream online news servers. Providing observations relevant to current debates surrounding anti-COVID-19 vaccination, our data reveal that the deliberative potential of online debate concerning vaccination is undermined by the offensive nature of pro-vaccination comments. These comments tend to be uncivil, toxic, and offensive mainly due to the use of communication strategies employing destructive emotions. We conclude that by labeling their opponents and constructing dichotomies in which they associate them with individualism and irrationality, the pro-vaccination discussants contribute to further polarization of stances toward vaccination.
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This paper examines the role of collective memory in the protection of “traditional” sociocultural and symbolic aspects of football vis-à-vis the processes of commodification and globalization. Empirical evidence that underpins the... more
This paper examines the role of collective memory in the protection of “traditional” sociocultural and symbolic aspects of football vis-à-vis the processes of commodification and globalization. Empirical evidence that underpins the analysis is drawn from a multisite ethnographic study of football fan activism in the Czech Republic, Italy, and England, as well as at the European level. The authors argue that collective memory represents a significant component of the supporters’ mobilization and is related to the protection of specific football sites of memory, including club names, logos, colors, places, heroes, tragedies, and histories. The authors further explain that collective memory operates through three interconnected dimensions: embedded collective memory, transcendent collective memory, and the collective memory of contentious politics.
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This article analyses the politicisation of public health debates. By empirically focusing on the cases of vaccination and mental health care in the Czech Republic, we elaborate upon and apply an interpretative framework to analyse... more
This article analyses the politicisation of public health debates. By empirically focusing on the cases of vaccination and mental health care in the Czech Republic, we elaborate upon and apply an interpretative framework to analyse politicisation processes. Politicisation commonly refers to the political instrumentalisation of health care controversies as part of electoral campaigning and power struggles. By focusing on the role of civic engagement and the involvement of patients in these processes, we view politicisation as a broader process which encompasses a plurality of political behaviours and includes patients, users, carers, citizens, and experts. Our analysis draws on extensive empirical evidence, consisting of observations, semi-structured interviews, and a review of available documents. The study took place in the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2019. We conclude that politicisation takes place alongside four dimensions: (1) contingency, (2) agency, (3) a plurality of opinions and approaches, and (4) visibility. We further argue that the contingent nature of biomedical controversies is articulated in three different, possibly interconnected layers. Thus, any politicisation refers to (a) uncertainties and problematic aspects of biomedical objects of controversy; to (b) social rights, economic needs, and legal aspects as well as social representations of illness and vaccinations in the public debate; and to (c) the political processes which determine the previous two layers of politicisation, labelled as meta-politicisation. Last but not least, we stress the dynamic and non-linear nature of politicisation processes and the necessity to analyse the politicisation of public health controversies hand in hand with its connection to depoliticisation and repoliticisation.
Research Interests: Vaccines, Czech, Sociology of Mental Health & Illness, Public Health, Civic Engagement, and 9 moreCzech Republic, Depoliticization, Vaccination, Deinstitutionalisation, Medical Anthropology / Health and Social Care / Mental Health, Repoliticization, Civil Society Organizations, Politicisation, and Health Social Movements
Many countries aim to strengthen patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare decision-making. This article discusses the institutionalisation of PPI in the Czech Republic from 2014 to the present based on a review of available... more
Many countries aim to strengthen patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare decision-making. This article discusses the institutionalisation of PPI in the Czech Republic from 2014 to the present based on a review of available documents as well as interviews with policymakers and representatives of patients’ organisations. Important steps that contributed to the institutionalisation of PPI were the establishment of the Ministry of Health's (MoH) Patients’ Council and the MoH's Patients’ Rights Support Department. The institutionalisation of PPI was facilitated through the bottom-up engagement of patients, top-down policy developments, transnational pressures, the support of statutory insurance funds and the pharmaceutical industry, and macro-societal developments. Compared to other post-socialist countries, the institutionalisation of patient involvement in policymaking is amongst the most developed. Although the pharmaceutical industry enhanced PPI, its involvement raised ethical concerns. Various stakeholders called for public funding of patients’ organisations to provide them with a stable income and more independence. In summary, the role of patients has been strengthened through macro-institutional involvement. Further progress will demonstrate whether these changes at the macro level of policymaking will stimulate more profound transformations at the meso and micro levels and, therefore, contribute to more profound cultural changes in doctor-patient relationships.
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This paper analyses the contemporary public debate about vaccination, and medical knowledge more broadly, in the context of social media. The study is focused on the massive online debate prompted by the Facebook status of the digital... more
This paper analyses the contemporary public debate about vaccination, and medical knowledge more broadly, in the context of social media. The study is focused on the massive online debate prompted by the Facebook status of the digital celebrity Mark Zuckerberg, who posted a picture of his two-month-old daughter, accompanied by a comment: “Doctor's visit -- time for vaccines!” Carrying out a qualitative analysis on a sample of 650 comments and replies, selected through systematic random sampling from an initial pool of over 10,000 user contributions, and utilising open and axial coding, we empirically inform the theoretical discussion around the concept of the reflexive patient and introduce the notion of multi-layered reflexivity. We argue that the reflexive debate surrounding this primarily medical problem is influenced by both biomedical and social scientific knowledge. Lay actors therefore discuss not only vaccination, but also its political and economic aspects as well as the post-truth information context of the debate. We stress that the reflexivity of social actors related to the post-truth era re-enters and influences the debate more than ever. Furthermore, we suggest that the interconnection of different layers of reflexivity can either reinforce certainty or deepen the ambiguity and uncertainty of reflexive agents.
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This paper introduces the Special Issue of the Journal of Consumer Culture on the theme of 'Global Sport and Consumer Culture'. We begin by briefly setting out how the interrelations of global sport and consumer culture have intensified... more
This paper introduces the Special Issue of the Journal of Consumer Culture on the theme of 'Global Sport and Consumer Culture'. We begin by briefly setting out how the interrelations of global sport and consumer culture have intensified through three historical stages: first, a 'take-off' phase from the late 19th century to the mid-1940s; second, an 'integrative and expansionist' phase from the late 1940s to the late 1980s; third, a 'transnational hyper-commodification' phase from the early 1990s onwards. We argue that contemporary global consumer sport is underpinned by five 'large-scale transnational processes', which are globalization, commodification, securitization, mediatization, and postmodernization. We explore how a variety of substantive themes subsequently emerge within global consumer sport, which are diversely referenced by the papers in this special issue; these themes include social structures and divisions, celebrity culture, the making of sport consumers, and the glocal aspects of global consumer sport. We conclude by outlining the contents of the seven papers contained within this Special Issue.
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This paper examines how football, sport and other cultural fields are characterized by complex interrelations between 'citizen' and 'consumer' identities. Our analysis centres specifically on critically examining and developing the... more
This paper examines how football, sport and other cultural fields are characterized by complex interrelations between 'citizen' and 'consumer' identities. Our analysis centres specifically on critically examining and developing the concept of 'citimer' (citizen-consumer) with respect to activist supporter groups within European professional men's football. First, to establish the structural and cultural context for our analysis, we argue that the emergence of citizen-consumer identities in football has been driven by five underlying processes: globalization, commodification, securitization, mediatization, and postmodernization. Critical football fan movements have responded to these changes through greater reflexivization and politicization. Second, drawing on the broad academic literature, we develop the concept of the citizen-consumer (or 'citimer') and introduce its relevance to football. Third, to provide a more nuanced understanding of the citizen-consumer, we explore how this 'citimer' identity is constructed in two ways: 'from below' (by fan groups themselves at everyday level) and 'from above' (by clubs, governing bodies, media and other powerful forces within the football system). In both instances, we find that the citizen and consumer aspects of the citimer identity are interrelated in complex ways. Fourth, we conclude by highlighting the political reflexivity of citimers, and areas for future research. Our analysis draws on extensive data collection: with football supporters and officials in the Czech Republic, England and Italy, and at the wider European level; and, through access to diverse primary and secondary documents (e.g. policy papers, fanzines, and online forums). Our findings may be applied to examine citimer identities, practices and social relations not just within football and sport, but in many other cultural fields, such as art, communication, drama, fashion, film, and music.
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Background: Managing medical professionals is challenging because professionals tend to adhere to a set of professional norms and enjoy autonomy from supervision. The aim of this paper is to study the interplay of physicians' professional... more
Background: Managing medical professionals is challenging because professionals tend to adhere to a set of professional norms and enjoy autonomy from supervision. The aim of this paper is to study the interplay of physicians' professional identity, their organizational identity, and the role of professional autonomy in these processes of social identification.
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Football supporters worldwide organise protests, petitions, campaigns, workshops and congresses and are engaged in political lobbying. These expressions of supporters’ activism are nourished by both discontent with developments in... more
Football supporters worldwide organise protests, petitions, campaigns, workshops and congresses and are engaged in political lobbying. These expressions of supporters’ activism are nourished by both discontent with developments in football culture and an effort to change them. The aim of this methodologically driven article is to critically examine the role of digital ethnographies in exploring these processes. To reflexively explore the complex realities of recent transformations in football culture, this research study complemented offline data with online data. The use of digital data is discussed along the following dimensions: informational, representational, epistemological and relational. It is argued that the analytical dualism employed to critically discuss the relationship between online and offline spheres should be complemented with empirical duality to fully understand the role played by the digital sphere in social reality.
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The topic of corruption has recently moved from the periphery to the centre of social scientific attention. Notwithstanding the increased interest, research into corruption has been empirically limited and under-theorized. This study... more
The topic of corruption has recently moved from the periphery to the centre of social scientific attention. Notwithstanding the increased interest, research into corruption has been empirically limited and under-theorized. This study addresses that gap by providing an ethnographic account of football match-fixing in the Czech Republic. By qualitatively analysing both primary and secondary data, this study examines match-fixing and corruption through the lens of the concept of public secrecy. Three different, narrowly intertwined forms of match-fixing are identified: direct corruption, mediated corruption and meta-corruption. By conceptualizing match-fixing as a public secrecy, the study explores how the publicly secret nature of match-fixing is normalized and how the match-fixing complex is reinforced by a compromising complicity of social actors who are both victims and principals. Although this study focuses on a sport-related example, it has both theoretical and empirical implications for a sociological understanding of corruption outside the sphere of sport.
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Research Interests: Social Change, Sociology of Sport, Football (soccer), Protest, Neoliberalism, and 12 moreReflexivity (Sociology), Fandom, Sports Fans, Italy, Football, New social movements, Protest Movements, Football Culture, Football Fandom, Sociology of Football, Football and Fans, and Football Supporters and Identity
This article focuses on the role of the media in the processes of diffusion, maintenance, and undermining of corruption in sports, particularly soccer. Drawing chiefly on various illustrative examples of several recent cases of corruption... more
This article focuses on the role of the media in the processes of diffusion, maintenance, and undermining of corruption in sports, particularly soccer. Drawing chiefly on various illustrative examples of several recent cases of corruption and the existing academic literature on the topic, the article demonstrates how the media function as both an enemy and a facilitator of corruption in sports. Both micro- and macrosocial analytical dimensions for potential future research on the relationship between the media and corruption are proposed and discussed.
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Research Interests: Sociology, Sociology of Sport, Eastern European Studies, Transformation, Post-socialism (Anthropology), and 14 morePost-Socialism, Post-Communism, Czech Republic, Central and Eastern Europe, Sport, Sports, Etnography, Transition, Sailing, Disenchantment, Enchantment, Re-enchantment, Civil Society Development In Post communist States, and Modernity and (Re)Enchatment
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In the last three decades, medical doctors have increasingly been exposed to management control measures. This phenomenon has been reflected in a number of studies in various disciplines, including sociology, organisation studies,... more
In the last three decades, medical doctors have increasingly been exposed to management control measures. This phenomenon has been reflected in a number of studies in various disciplines, including sociology, organisation studies, management, and health service research. This article seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the studies dealing with the impact of management on professional control. In particular, it seeks to bridge the diversity of assumptions, theoretical perspectives and conceptual underpinnings at play, by exploring synergies between them and opening up new horizons for research. The review shows how the relationship between clinicians and management has been analysed at an organisational level using two interconnected analytical frameworks focusing on the sociocultural and task-related dimensions of professionalism. In the final discussion, we argue that comparative, longitudinal and cross-sectional research is necessary, and there is a need to overcome the hegemony/resistance framework in current analyses of the impact of management on professionalism. Such an approach would contribute to the revision of macro theories of professionalism and stimulate emerging research by examining different perspectives towards management in medical specialisations. This approach might also stimulate a discussion of medical professionals’ relationships with members of other professional groups, including nurses and healthcare managers.
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This paper deals with the emerging processes of creation and implementation of regional public policies on sport in the Czech Republic since 2001. It analyses the dynamics between the sport voluntary sector and the public administration.... more
This paper deals with the emerging processes of creation and implementation of regional public policies on sport in the Czech Republic since 2001. It analyses the dynamics between the sport voluntary sector and the public administration. The paper captures the major tenets of the regional public policy for sport and explores the barriers undermining its effective functioning. It is argued that the Czech regional public sport policies are limited by two types of constraints; structural and cognitive. Whereas the structural constraints are defined in terms of politicisation, bureaucratisation, lack of evidence in the policy-making process and lack of interaction, the cognitive constraints are related to the lack of knowledge, the lack of information, the low recognition of sport in the context of other policy issues and the negative public image of public administration. Furthermore, a typology of different styles of support for sport and a typology of different strategies employed by sport associations and clubs to obtain funding are identified. The paper, thus, presents five ideal-types of the regional public support of sport: progressive, bureaucratic, political-clientelist, delegated, and marginalised. Moreover, four different strategies adopted by the sport movement are defined: the adaptation strategy; the pragmatic strategy; the strategy of the marginalised; and the strategy of resignation. The study is based on a qualitative methodology, using a combination of techniques such as semi-structured interviews with public administration officers and representatives of the Czech sport movement, secondary analysis of documents and observations.
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The objective of this paper was to compare health outcomes and hospital care use of very low birth weight (VLBW), and very preterm (VLGA) infants in seven European countries. Analysis was performed on linkable patient-level registry data... more
The objective of this paper was to compare health outcomes and hospital care use of very low birth weight (VLBW), and very preterm (VLGA) infants in seven European countries. Analysis was performed on linkable patient-level registry data from seven European countries between 2006 and 2008 (Finland, Hungary, Italy (the Province of Rome), the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden). Mortality and length of stay (LoS) were adjusted for differences in gestational age (GA), sex, intrauterine growth, Apgar score at five minutes, parity and multiple births. The analysis included 16,087 infants. Both the 30-day and one-year adjusted mortality rates were lowest in the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden and Norway) and Scotland and highest in Hungary and the Netherlands. For survivors, the adjusted average LoS during the first year of life ranged from 56 days in the Netherlands and Scotland to 81 days in Hungary. There were large differences between European countries in mortality rates and LoS in VLBW and VLGA infants. Substantial data linkage problems were observed in most countries due to inadequate identification procedures at birth, which limit data validity and should be addressed by policy makers across Europe.
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Background and purpose The incidence of hospitalizations, treatment and case fatality of ischaemic stroke were assessed utilizing a comprehensive multinational database to attempt to compare the healthcare systems in six European... more
Background and purpose
The incidence of hospitalizations, treatment and case fatality of ischaemic stroke were assessed utilizing a comprehensive multinational database to attempt to compare the healthcare systems in six European countries, aiming also to identify the limitations and make suggestions for future improvements in the between-country comparisons.
Methods
National registers of hospital discharges for ischaemic stroke identified by International Classification of Diseases codes 433–434 (ICD-9) and code I63 (ICD-10), medication purchases and mortality were linked at the patient level in each of the participating countries and regions: Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland and Sweden. Patients with an index admission in 2007 were followed for 1 year.
Results
In all, 64 170 patients with a disease code for ischaemic stroke were identified. The number of patients registered per 100 000 European standard population ranged from 77 in Scotland to 407 in Hungary. Large differences were observed in medication use. The age- and sex-adjusted all-cause case fatality amongst hospitalized patients at 1 year from stroke was highest in Hungary at 31.0% (95% confidence interval 30.5–31.5). Regional differences in age- and sex-adjusted 1-year case fatality within countries were largest in Hungary (range 23.6%–37.6%) and smallest in the Netherlands (20.5%–27.3%).
Conclusions
It is feasible to link population-wide register data amongst European countries to describe incidence of hospitalizations, treatment patterns and case fatality of ischaemic stroke on a national level. However, the coverage and validity of administrative register data for ischaemic stroke should be developed further, and population-based and clinical stroke registers should be created to allow better control of case mix.
The incidence of hospitalizations, treatment and case fatality of ischaemic stroke were assessed utilizing a comprehensive multinational database to attempt to compare the healthcare systems in six European countries, aiming also to identify the limitations and make suggestions for future improvements in the between-country comparisons.
Methods
National registers of hospital discharges for ischaemic stroke identified by International Classification of Diseases codes 433–434 (ICD-9) and code I63 (ICD-10), medication purchases and mortality were linked at the patient level in each of the participating countries and regions: Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland and Sweden. Patients with an index admission in 2007 were followed for 1 year.
Results
In all, 64 170 patients with a disease code for ischaemic stroke were identified. The number of patients registered per 100 000 European standard population ranged from 77 in Scotland to 407 in Hungary. Large differences were observed in medication use. The age- and sex-adjusted all-cause case fatality amongst hospitalized patients at 1 year from stroke was highest in Hungary at 31.0% (95% confidence interval 30.5–31.5). Regional differences in age- and sex-adjusted 1-year case fatality within countries were largest in Hungary (range 23.6%–37.6%) and smallest in the Netherlands (20.5%–27.3%).
Conclusions
It is feasible to link population-wide register data amongst European countries to describe incidence of hospitalizations, treatment patterns and case fatality of ischaemic stroke on a national level. However, the coverage and validity of administrative register data for ischaemic stroke should be developed further, and population-based and clinical stroke registers should be created to allow better control of case mix.
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Social networks and social capital of healthcare professionals have gained momentum. An increasing number of clinical outlets and management journals in this field are welcoming articles in which relational coordination mechanisms are... more
Social networks and social capital of healthcare professionals have gained momentum. An increasing number of clinical outlets and management journals in this field are welcoming articles in which relational coordination mechanisms are considered as the "right" way to face the numerous challenges of modern healthcare. The higher specialization of providers has to be balanced with the need of integration and coordination that emerging patients’ needs increasingly require. Despite this vivid debate, there is still a lack of systematic analyses of scientific contributions on this topic. This paper is aimed at filling this gap by reviewing 76 articles, which were selected and later analyzed by accessing the ISI Web of Knowledge database. The article reviews the antecedents and consequences of professionals’ social capital discussed in the literature. Knowing these antecedents and consequences, policy makers and managers can better plan and introduce any organizational innovations.
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This chapter provides a socio-historical account of the role and position of tennis in the Czech countries since its introduction in the 19th century until today, with a particular focus on the development of tennis before and after the... more
This chapter provides a socio-historical account of the role and position of tennis in the Czech countries since its introduction in the 19th century until today, with a particular focus on the development of tennis before and after the ‘Velvet Revolution’ in 1989. We pay attention to symbolic struggles over the definition and meaning of tennis in sporting, political, economic and social arenas. First, we briefly outline the roots of tennis in Czech countries. Next, we focus on the development of tennis in the socialist regime and explore its socio-cultural nature established and maintained behind the official label of tennis as a ‘bourgeois’ sport. We explain that notwithstanding symbolic marginalization of tennis, the centralized sport policy and systematic support of youth sport together with massive sport volunteering resulted in numerous international successes. The ‘Velvet Revolution’ in 1989 brought fundamental transformations with the inflow of private funding. Tennis movement experienced struggles between former and newly established tennis officials, with the latter group distinguishing itself from the ‘old socialist order’.
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The SIRIUS research project explores the enablers and barriers of labour market integration for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (MRAs). Our research is organized into several work packages, and this report details the findings of... more
The SIRIUS research project explores the enablers and barriers of labour market integration for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (MRAs). Our research is organized into several work packages, and this report details the findings of the fourth SIRIUS work package, focusing on the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in the labour market integration (LMI) of MRAs. Our report examines the positions of CSOs and their perception by MRAs in the SIRIUS partner countries, namely the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and thus our findings reflect experiences across a wide variety of different national contexts.
Our findings suggest that CSOs can work as important actors enhancing not only integration into the labour market but also integration through the labour market. CSOs are important language course providers, and thanks to their social, legal, and administrative guidance, CSOs help MRAs in overcoming ineffective administrative and legal structures. These activities are provided by the majority of CSOs across SIRIUS countries. Several CSOs in these countries also assist MRAs with the recruitment process, providing courses and advice on how to prepare for an interview, how to write a CV, or how to draft a cover letter. Furthermore, CSOs also assist MRAs in their efforts to have their skills and qualifications recognised. Moreover, by providing mentorship, training programmes, volunteering, or even direct employment, CSOs contribute to the development of MRAs’ skills and competencies and provide platforms to enhance the agency and autonomy of MRAs. However, such a capacity is unevenly spatially distributed, it is rather rare in the Czech Republic and Denmark, it is somewhat developed in the United Kingdom, and more strongly developed in Finland, some areas of Italy, among the solidarity movement organisations of Greece, and in the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Moreover, CSOs either individually or collectively, frequently raise the problematic situation of illegal practices on the part of employers, exploitation, human trafficking, or underpaid wages. Last but not the least, CSOs help to mitigate and, often together with MRAs, struggle against the hostile context of a widespread atmosphere of xenophobia. By analysing the empirical evidence in seven SIRIUS countries, we have identified five different CSO positions which differ in their autonomy and dependence on the state, their capacity to instigate MRA agency, and their participation in decision-making processes, lobbying, or advocacy. Taking into account the heterogeneity of CSOs across and within national contexts, we view these five different CSO positions as (1) uncritical extenders, (2) pro-active service providers, (3) autonomous co-producers, (4) innovative and creative CSOs, and (5) alternative CSOs.
Our findings suggest that CSOs can work as important actors enhancing not only integration into the labour market but also integration through the labour market. CSOs are important language course providers, and thanks to their social, legal, and administrative guidance, CSOs help MRAs in overcoming ineffective administrative and legal structures. These activities are provided by the majority of CSOs across SIRIUS countries. Several CSOs in these countries also assist MRAs with the recruitment process, providing courses and advice on how to prepare for an interview, how to write a CV, or how to draft a cover letter. Furthermore, CSOs also assist MRAs in their efforts to have their skills and qualifications recognised. Moreover, by providing mentorship, training programmes, volunteering, or even direct employment, CSOs contribute to the development of MRAs’ skills and competencies and provide platforms to enhance the agency and autonomy of MRAs. However, such a capacity is unevenly spatially distributed, it is rather rare in the Czech Republic and Denmark, it is somewhat developed in the United Kingdom, and more strongly developed in Finland, some areas of Italy, among the solidarity movement organisations of Greece, and in the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Moreover, CSOs either individually or collectively, frequently raise the problematic situation of illegal practices on the part of employers, exploitation, human trafficking, or underpaid wages. Last but not the least, CSOs help to mitigate and, often together with MRAs, struggle against the hostile context of a widespread atmosphere of xenophobia. By analysing the empirical evidence in seven SIRIUS countries, we have identified five different CSO positions which differ in their autonomy and dependence on the state, their capacity to instigate MRA agency, and their participation in decision-making processes, lobbying, or advocacy. Taking into account the heterogeneity of CSOs across and within national contexts, we view these five different CSO positions as (1) uncritical extenders, (2) pro-active service providers, (3) autonomous co-producers, (4) innovative and creative CSOs, and (5) alternative CSOs.