How the Everyday Logic of Pragmatic Individualism Undermines Russian State Pronatalism

The article examines the reproductive decisions of Russian urban middle‐class women. We look at women’s lives in the context of Russian pronatalist family policy and the official conservative gender ideology of 2019–2020. Based on biographical interviews with 35 young women, we focus on working mothers. The sample is composed of middle‐class mothers since their lifestyle serves as a cultural model for the whole Russian society. We reconstruct the everyday rationalities deployed by the mothers to justify their reproductive decisions. The respondents seek “self‐ealization,” postponing childbirth or limiting their reproduction. We reconstruct the discourse of “pragmatic individualism” as an everyday logic used by mothers, which helps them cope with the instability of the labor market and marriage and the lack of state social support. Using the logic of “pragmatic individualism,” women present themselves as respectable, socially competent individuals able to build their lives according to middle‐class living standards. The logic of pragmatic individualism contradicts the message of pronatalist state ideology based on “traditional” gender roles and high fertility. It gives women a rational explanation for why, despite socially supported childbearing, they decide to have only one or two children. We argue that while women rationalize childbearing decisions for financial security and social well‐being, their rationale is determined by class standards of respectability. These standards are associated with high standards of care and quality of life for a small number of children.Peer reviewe

Young adults leaving care : Agency and educational choice

Peer reviewe

Overhauling Russia’s Child Welfare System : Institutional and Ideational Factors Behind the Paradigm Shift

Peer reviewe

The Ideal Organization of Care for Children Left Without Parental Care: : Russia’s Child Welfare Reform as a Battle over Resources and Recognition

Peer reviewe

Мобильные устройства как способ установления баланса между работой и личной жизнь: оборотная сторона

Современная корпоративная среда в контексте текучей современности по З. Бауману в большой степени определяется уровнем свободы: гибкостью, мобильностью, новыми технологиями и средствами массовых коммуникаций. Возникает практика повсеместного использования сетевых подключений в рабочей и личной сфере, обозначаемая понятием «гиперконнективность». Гиперконнективность влечет за собой ряд не только позитивных, но и негативных последствий в отношении эффективности работы как одного человека, так целых организаций. Целью данной статьи является рассмотрение негативных аспектов использования мобильных устройств как способа установления «баланса между работой и личной жизнью» в контексте текучей современности. Ключевым концептом при рассмотрении данного вопроса выступает «право на отключение», предполагающее возможность нивелировать негативные последствия гиперконнективности. «Право на отключение» — это дополнение в списке трудовых прав человека, дающее возможность «отключиться» от работы, в первую очередь — от использования таких типов электронных коммуникаций, как электронные письма и сообщения в рабочих целях в нерабочие часы. В статье рассматриваются трудовые контексты Южной Кореи и двух европейских стран (Германии и Франции) в связи с потребностью введения «права на отключение» и установления лучшего баланса между работой и личной жизнью. Благодарность. Исследование подготовлено при финансовой поддержке Университета иностранных языков Ханкук в 2018 г. и получении гранта Правительства Республики Корея (NRF-362-2009-1-B00005)

Deinstitutionalization of orphan care in modern Russia : politics, public initiatives, implementation

Non peer reviewe

The changes of standard DXA measurements and TBS depending on outcomes of neurosurgical treatment in patients with Cushing's disease

BACKGROUND:Patients with endogenous hypercortisolism have reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) that are the causes of secondary osteoporosis and low-traumatic fractures. It is well known that radical treatment (neurosurgery or radiosurgery) of Cushings disease leads to a decline of cortisol levels in all body fluids to normal values. However, it is still uncertain whether bone tissue structure, and particularly its microarchitecture, does recover in remission of the disease. AIMS:To evaluate an influence of hormone activity (presence or absence of remission) in patients with Cushing's disease on changes of bone structure measurements in accordance with DXA values (TBS, BMD, T- and Z-scores), as well as significance of such changes in 12 and 24 months after neurosurgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS:In patients with confirmed active Cushing's disease (ACTH-producing pituitary adenoma) (n = 44) and in control group of healthy volunteers (n = 40), BMD in lumbar spine (L1-L4) and simultaneously TBS, in cut-off points before neurosurgical treatment (in both groups) and in 12 and 24 months after it (only in patients), were assessed. We diagnosed presence or absence of disease remission at cut-offs. All measurements were performed using a GE iDXA device (GE Healthcare Lunar, Madison, Wisconsin, USA). The TBS was calculated simultaneously from taken BMD scans, blinded to clinical outcome using TBS iNsight software v2.1 (Medimaps, Merignac, France). The activity of Cushings disease was evaluated using late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC, at 23:00). To determine the differences in DXA and TBS values before and after neurosurgical intervention depending on remission occurrence, covariate analysis (ANCOVA) was applied. RESULTS:There were found significant changes in TBS, BMD and T-score values in 12 months after neurosurgical treatment associated with presence or absence of disease remission (p = 0.039, 0.046 and 0.048, respectively). No differences in Z-score as well as in all measurements in 24 months, that might be associated with remission occurrence, were revealed. The gain in all DXA measurements (including TBS) during 24 months of observation period was statistically significant when analyzing data using Students paired t-test. However, the values corresponding to the age references had not been achieved for the specified time interval. CONCLUSIONS:Patients with Cushings disease have lower TBS values. In remission conditions TBS is getting significantly higher. The increase in BMD and TBS occurs during 24 months after achieving remission of Cushings disease but doesnt lead to a full restoration of normal bone mass and microstructure throughout observation period of 24 months

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for precise fatty acid profiling of oilseed crops

Oilseed crops are one of the most important sources of vegetable oils for food and industry. Nutritional and technical properties of vegetable oil are primarily determined by its fatty acid (FA) composition. The content and composition of FAs in plants are commonly determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GS-MS) or gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) techniques. In the present work, we applied ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) technique to FA profiling of sunflower and rapeseed seeds and compared this method with the GC-FID technique. GC-FID detected 11 FAs in sunflower and 13 FAs in rapeseed, while UPLC-MS appeared to be more sensitive, detecting about 2.5 times higher numbers of FAs in both plants. In addition to even-chain FAs, UPLC-MS was able to detect odd-chain FAs. The longest FA detected using GC-FID was an FA with 24 carbon atoms, whereas UPLC-MS could reveal the presence of longer FAs with the tails of up to 28 carbon atoms. Based on our results, we may conclude that UPLC-MS has great potential to be used for the assessment of FA profiles of oil crops

Reforming Russia’s Child Protection System : From Institutional to Family Care

This chapter explicates the reformation of Russia’s child protection system to family care from residential care. The Russian child protection system had been criticized for its inability to support families at risk. The rise of poverty, alcohol, drug abuse, and unemployment were the dramatic indicators of the fall of the socialist regime, which sparked a wide liberalization of the welfare state. Moreover, the Russian support system is regulated by federal and regional legislation. Thus, the current reform is based on the idea of every kid’s right to grow up in a family, even if it is a family-based form of alternative care. Russia’s child protection paradigm is shifting towards a combination of child-focused and family supports, at least on a policy level.Peer reviewe