5,773 research outputs found
Identifying Quantum Structures in the Ellsberg Paradox
Empirical evidence has confirmed that quantum effects occur frequently also
outside the microscopic domain, while quantum structures satisfactorily model
various situations in several areas of science, including biological, cognitive
and social processes. In this paper, we elaborate a quantum mechanical model
which faithfully describes the 'Ellsberg paradox' in economics, showing that
the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics is capable to represent the
'ambiguity' present in this kind of situations, because of the presence of
'contextuality'. Then, we analyze the data collected in a concrete experiment
we performed on the Ellsberg paradox and work out a complete representation of
them in complex Hilbert space. We prove that the presence of quantum structure
is genuine, that is, 'interference' and 'superposition' in a complex Hilbert
space are really necessary to describe the conceptual situation presented by
Ellsberg. Moreover, our approach sheds light on 'ambiguity laden' decision
processes in economics and decision theory, and allows to deal with different
Ellsberg-type generalizations, e.g., the 'Machina paradox'.Comment: 16 pages, no figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:1208.235
Depression and the Problem of Absent Desires
I argue that consideration of certain cases of severe depression reveals a problem for desire-based theories of welfare. I first show that depression can result in a person losing her desires and then identify a case wherein it seems right to think that, as a result of very severe depression, the individuals described no longer have any desires whatsoever. I argue that the state these people are in is a state of profound ill-being: their lives are going very poorly for them. Yet desire theories get this case wrong. Because no desires are being frustrated, the desire theorist has no grounds for ascribing ill-being; indeed, because the individuals described seem utterly without desire, the desire theorist has no grounds for treating these people as subjects of welfare ascription at all. I argue that these results are unacceptable; therefore, we should reject desire-based theories of well-being and ill-being
Assessing the impact of participatory research in rice breeding on poor rice farming households with emphasis on women farmers: a case study in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India
For the past years since the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) Systemwide Initiative on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis (PRGA)
was initiated, guides for impact assessment of PRGA have been developed (Lilja and
Ashby 1999; Johnson et.al., 2000; Lilja and Johnson 2001). However, according to
Farnworth and Jiggins (2003) while there is rapidly growing literature on the impacts of
PPB on farmers, this is not further differentiated by sex. Despite the immense literature
on the impacts of production, post production technologies on women farmers,
systematic studies on the impacts of PPB on women in any category, either in terms of
the effects of being a participant in a participatory plant breeding process (PPB) process,
or in terms of the impact of the new materials generated is few. There is practically no
literature that examines the effects of PPB – either as process or in terms of the impacts
of the emergent materials – on gender relations at the household, community or any
other relevant social or geographic scale along the food chain. Even with women’s active
involvement in rice production, post harvest and seed management, scientists who are
mostly male often talk with the male farmers only. Ignoring women’s knowledge and
preference for rice varieties may be an obstacle to adoption of improved varieties,
particularly in areas with gender-specific tasks, and in farm activities where women have
considerable influence. Feldstein (1996) cited three different ways in which gender
analysis can be considered in participatory research. These are: the efficiency argument,
equity oriented, and empowerment. This study attempts to fill in these research gaps.
The objectives of this paper are to: a) discuss the process used in integrating
participatory research and gender analysis in breeding for drought prone and
submergence prone environment; b) assess how gender analysis contributed to the
design and implementation of the research and development outcomes; c) assess the
impacts of PVS on poor women farmers, particularly on women’s empowerment; and d)
recommend strategies to further enhance women’s roles in ensuring household food
(rice) food security and improving their social status within the household and the
community
\u3cem\u3eTe Contaria Mi Vida\u3c/em\u3e: I Would Tell You My Life, if Only You Would Ask
Universal screening for domestic violence is recommended in many health care settings. This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the thoughts and feelings of Mexican American women regarding being asked questions about domestic violence by a health care provider. We wanted to further explore what characteristics about a nurse, or other health care provider, would give a woman confianza, the trust necessary to discuss this issue. Seven women, who self identified as abused or formerly abused, were recruited from a pool of Spanish-speaking women receiving services from a rural domestic violence agency in the midwestern United States. The researchers found that, given certain characteristics and actions of the health care provider, women welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue. The implications for practice are these: be sincerely present for the client, ask about her life, listen to her response, and when necessary assist her to connect with appropriate domestic violence community services
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