Japan and the European community: An uneasy partnership

Bewildering advances of Japanese production into many fields of European industry are a cause of grave concern in the EC. Calls for protection are growing louder as a mixture of fear and impatience spreads throughout the Community. Wilhelm Haferkamp, EC Commissioner in charge of external trade relations, explains why trade war practices are no solution to the problem.     

Pipeline network for europe

As Western Europe’s demand for mineral oil is steadily rising and has induced a vast refinery industry, growing volumes of both crude oil and finished petroleum products have to be carried by transport. In response to that development, more and more pipelines have been and are still being built. They are growing into an integrated network of piped transport of petroleum liquids and gases, whose rate of expansion is remarkable.     

What if Bourdieu had played FarmVille? Examining users’ motives for playing the browser game FarmVille in relation to socio-demographic variables

With its almost 80,000,000 users, FarmVille is the number one browser game on the Internet. This real time game places its players into the role of a farmer who has to plough land and raise livestock. Given the game??s popularity, on the one hand, and the specific overall theme of farming, on the other, we ask which motives drive players to participate in a game that involves such a considerable amount of time and effort. Against the background of Bourdieu??s sociological perspective and concept of habitus, we hypothesized that diverse user characteristics impact usage motives. A survey we conducted (N?=?210) revealed, for example, that entertainment, challenge, and escapism were the most important motives. Furthermore, a relationship between the occupational status of players and their gaming motives was found: Those who had not yet started an occupational career focused more on entertainment and challenge than gamers who had gained occupational success. Results are discussed against the background of Pierre Bourdieu??s sociology of difference.