Downgrading among higher education graduates in Italy and France: exploring regional differences

In France and Italy – like all the countries of the European Union – the proportion of higher education graduates in the working population has continued to increase. At the same time, the number of jobs requiring this level of education has not grown as quickly. In France and Italy, this has meant a decrease in the proportion of tertiary graduates who occupy managerial positions, and a growing share of these graduates hold jobs as middle and low ranking employees. Several studies have investigated the phenomenon of professional downgrading, focusing on its structural determinants and socio-economic implications at the national level and examining international differences. Nevertheless, only a few studies explore disparities in over-education and compare nations at the regional level. By addressing the need for a spatial approach to this subject, which is so far lacking in the scientific literature, this paper examines the downgrading of higher education graduates in Italy and France at the regional level and discusses the real occupational returns for high levels of education. Using data from the Italian and French censuses, the findings of this analysis show significant sub-regional heterogeneities regarding access to managerial positions for graduates according to the territorial unit observed.En Francia e Italia, como en el resto de los países de la Unión Europea, la proporción de los graduados universitarios sigue aumentando en la población activa. Al mismo tiempo, los trabajos que requieren este nivel educativo no están creciendo tan rápidamente. En Francia e Italia, esto se traduce en una disminución de la proporción de titulados superiores que ocupan cargos directivos, y en un aumento de la proporción de los que ocupan puestos de trabajo como obreros o empleados de categoría media o baja. Varias aportaciones han analizado el fenómeno de la sobreeducación, centrándose en sus determinantes estructurales y en las consecuencias socioeconómicas a nivel de país y examinando también las diferencias entre países. Sin embargo, solo algunos de ellos han intentado explorar las disparidades en la sobreeducación comparando los países a nivel regional. Abordando la necesidad de un enfoque espacial/ territorial de este tema, que hasta ahora falta en la literatura científica, en este artículo se examina la desvalorización de los graduados universitarios en Italia y Francia, a una escala regional, y se examinan los verdaderos beneficios profesionales de la obtención de un título de educación superior. Utilizando datos de los censos italiano y francés, los resultados de este análisis muestran importantes heterogeneidades interregionales en el acceso a puestos directivos para los titulados superiore

Le logement, variable centrale de l’exercice de prospective démographique à l’échelle locale

Résumé Cet article présente la façon dont la variable logement peut être mobilisée dans les projections démographiques et comment cela pourrait permettre aux démographes d’être plus impliqués dans le champ de la prospective territoriale à l’échelle locale. Dans le cadre de l’élaboration des plans locaux d’urbanisme et/ou de l’habitat, les démographes sont souvent sollicités pour fixer les évolutions démographiques auxquelles le territoire pourrait être confronté. Le logement est dans ce cas considéré comme une réponse aux perspectives démographiques. Mais au niveau local, le sens de la relation s’inverse : au sein d’un bassin démographique de quelques centaines de kilomètres carrés, la mobilité résidentielle intercommunale est le plus souvent déterminée par les opportunités immobilières. Les petits territoires peuvent donc être, via la politique de logements, des acteurs de leur dynamique démographique. Cette situation conduit à faire du logement, à l’échelle locale, une variable centrale de l’exercice de projection démographique. Elle implique aussi de renouveler les méthodes et de mobiliser, dans la définition des scénarios, les acteurs locaux de l’aménagement du territoire. Le démographe n’est donc plus seulement un prestataire de service, il devient un partenaire de la réflexion prospective sur le territoire, qui est d’ailleurs de plus en plus fréquemment entendue comme un processus itératif qui s’appuie sur les échanges entre les acteurs locaux et les experts. Abstract This article presents how the housing variable can be mobilized in demographic projections and thus involve the demographer more in the field of territorial prospective at the local level. In the context of drawing up local urban and/or housing plans, demographers are often asked to determine the demographic changes that the local area might face. In this case housing is considered as a response to demographic projections. But at the local level, the direction of the relationship is reversed: within a catchment area of a few hundred square kilometers, inter-municipal residential mobility is most often determined by real estate opportunities. The small local areas can therefore be, via housing policies, actors in their demographic dynamics. This situation makes housing, at the local level, a central variable in the demographic projection exercise. It also involves renewing methods and mobilizing local planning actors in the definition of scenarios. The demographer is no longer just a service provider and becomes a partner for the territorial prospective at the local level. The prospective exercise is more and more frequently understood as an iterative process that relies on the exchanges between the local actors and experts

Les entrées d’étrangers sur le marché du travail français (1990-2001)

Chaque année, plusieurs milliers d’étrangers entrent en France afin d’exercer une activité professionnelle. Mais ce ne sont pas les seuls étrangers qui accèdent au marché de l’emploi français. En effet, parmi les étrangers qui entrent chaque année légalement en France à un autre titre que l’exercice d’une activité professionnelle pour une durée au moins égale à un an, certains deviennent actifs l’année même de leur arrivée en France. D’autres diffèrent leur accès au marché de l’emploi les années suivantes. Leur effectif ne faisant l’objet d’aucun dénombrement, il s’est avéré nécessaire de développer une méthode d’estimation destinée à en approcher l’ordre de grandeur. Cette réflexion, initiée en 1996, permet aujourd’hui de disposer d’une série statistique couvrant les années 1990-2001, qui précise non seulement les variations quantitatives qu’a connues ce flux depuis 1990, mais également les évolutions de certaines de ses caractéristiques (groupe de nationalités, mode d’accès au marché du travail).Entries of Foreigners into the French Labour Market (1990-2001). Every year, thousands of foreigners come to France in order to work. However, they are not the only foreigners to enter on the French labour market : among those who, every year, come legally in France for other reasons than working — at least during one whole year — some of them enter on the labour market the very same year they arrived in France. But others do so after several years spent in France. In order to evaluate their numbers, it became necessary to develop an estimation method. Thanks to this method, which dates back to 1996, a statistical series covering the years 1990-2001 is available, which provides information on the quantitative changes in the yearly flows since 1990, but also on some of their feature, such as nationality groups and type of access to the labour market.Las entradas de extranjeros en el mercado laboral francés (1990-2001). Cada año, miles de extranjeros entran en Francia con el objetivo de ejercer una actividad profesional, mas no son los únicos extranjeros que acceden al mercado del trabajo francés. Entre todos los extranjeros que entran legalmente en Francia cada año por un periodo de al menos doce meses bajo otro estatuto que el de trabajador algunos pasan a ser activos durante dicha estancia. Por el contrario, otros retrasan su acceso al mercado del empleo a los años posteriores. Dado que no existe ningún tipo de contabilización de este fenómeno, ha sido necesario desarrollar un método de estimación significativo. Esta reflexión fue iniciada en 1996 y permite, hoy en día, disponer de una serie estadística que cubre la década 1990-2001. Estos datos recogen las variaciones que estos flujos han sufrido desde 1990, así como las evoluciones de los rasgos que los caracterizan, como por ejemplo el grupo de nacionalidades o el modo de acceso al mercado laboral

La dequalificazione professionale dei laureati. Un fenomeno sempre più frequente in Italia come in Francia

Conseguire un elevato livello di istruzione aumenta notevolmente le possibilità di ottenere un lavoro. Tale evidenza si rinviene ovunque nei paesi dell’Unione europea (UE).Tuttavia questo vantaggio occupazionale produce delle implicazioni

Isogonal moulding surfaces: A family of shapes for high node congruence in free-form structures

International audienceThe design of free-form structures is governed by structural and geometric considerations, the latter ones being closely linked to the costs of fabrication. If some construction constraints have been studied extensively, the question of the repeatability of nodes in free-form structures has rarely been addressed yet. In this paper, a family of surfaces that can be optimized regarding typical geometrical constraints and that exhibit high node congruence is proposed. They correspond to particular meshes of moulding surfaces and are called isogonal moulding surfaces by the authors. The geometrical properties of these surfaces are discussed. In particular, it is shown how to derive Edge Offset Mesh from them. It is also demonstrated that they represent all the possible meshes parallel to surfaces of revolution. Finally, the reader is introduced to some computational strategies linked to isogonal moulding surfaces

Impact of Information Technology Multitasking on Hedonic Experience

This study investigates the impact of information technology (IT) multitasking on multisensory hedonic experience. Existing literature extensively studies the impact of IT multitasking on user experience in a professional context but still lacks insight regarding this influence in a hedonic context. This study contributes to the literature by examining how technology can alter pleasure induced by hedonic activities. In a context of engaged IT interaction along with multisensory music listening, we hypothesize that the multisensory factor positively influences emotional reaction. We also hypothesize that IT interaction will degrade the hedonic experience. We conducted a multi-method experiment using both explicit (questionnaires) and implicit (automatic facial analysis, and electrodermal activity) measures of emotional reactions. Results support our hypotheses and highlight the importance of avoiding multitasking with technology during passive hedonic activities for better experience. Future research may examine IT multitasking’s influence on active hedonic activities

Phylogenetic and morphological analysis of a new cliff-dwelling species reveals a remnant ancestral diversity and evolutionary parallelism in Sonchus(Asteraceae)

We describe a new clif-dwelling species within Sonchus (Asteraceae): Sonchus boulosii and analyze its systematic position and evolutionary signifcance; in addition, we provide a key to the species of Sonchus in Morocco. Both morphological and ecological characteristics suggest a close relationship of S. boulosii with taxa of section Pustulati. However, ITS nrDNA and cpDNA matK markers indicate its uncertain position within the genus, but clear genetic diferentiation from the remaining major clades. ITS phylogenetic trees show that likely evolutionary shifts to rocky habitat took place at least fve times within genus Sonchus and that sect. Pustulati and S. boulosii clades have a clearly independent evolutionary origin. We postulate that the strong resemblance of S. boulosii to other rocky species refects a phenomenon of homoplasy, probably driven by parallel evolutionary adaptations to the severe ecological constraints of its clif face habitat. Therefore, a new section is also described, which includes S. boulosii as its sole representative: section Pulvinati. According to phylogenetic trees, the new clade may share its common ancestor with the clade comprising sections Maritimi and Arvenses, from which it is widely divergent in morphology and ecology, with the exception of Sonchus novae-zelandiae. However, the latter is a derived taxon, with high level of polyploidy unlike S. boulosii that shows 2n=18, basal chromosome number of the genus. Since sections Pulvinati and Pustulati seem to be quite old in Sonchus, we also h

The Exploration of Effects of Chinese Cultural Values on the Attitudes and Behaviors of Chinese Restaurateurs Toward Food Safety Training

Citation: Liu, P., & Kwon, J. (2013). The exploration of effects of Chinese cultural values on the attitudes and behaviors of Chinese restaurateurs toward food safety training. Journal of Environmental Health, 75(10), 38-46.Foodborne illness is a challenge in the production and service of ethnic foods. The purpose of the study described in this article was to explore variables influencing the behaviors of U.S. Chinese restaurant owners/operators regarding the provision of food safety training in their restaurants. Seventeen major Chinese cultural values were identified through individual interviews with 20 Chinese restaurant owners/operators. Most participants felt satisfied with their previous health inspections. Several expressed having difficulty, however, following the health inspectors’ instructions and in understanding the health inspection report. A few participants provided food safety training to their employees due to state law. Lack of money, time, labor/energy, and a perceived need for food safety training were recognized as major challenges to providing food safety training in Chinese restaurants. Videos, case studies, and food safety training handbooks were the most preferred food safety training methods of Chinese restaurant owners/operators, and Chinese was the preferred language in which to conduct the training

Electromodulated infrared spectroscopy of methanol electrooxidation on electrodispersed platinum electrodes: Enhancement of reactive intermediates

EMIRS spectra of the surface species resulting from methanol electrosorption on electrodispersed Pt were obtained by working under a wide range of experimental conditions, i.e. electrode roughness factor, methanol concentration and mean modulation potential. The intensity of the absorption band related to linearly adsorbed CO-species, COL, at ca. 2030–2080 cm−1 decreases on increasing the electrode roughness factor, a fact which is interpreted as a decrease in the CO adsorbate poisoning effect on electrodispersed Pt surfaces. As a consequence, under well-defined conditions, several bands are observed which might be assigned to adsorbed intermediates and reactive species. EMIRS also reveals a competition between COB and COL at high surface coverages. Spectral data for methanol electrooxidation on electrodispersed electrodes correlate well with the expected structure of this type of electrode.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Electromodulated infrared spectroscopy of methanol electrooxidation on electrodispersed platinum electrodes: Enhancement of reactive intermediates

EMIRS spectra of the surface species resulting from methanol electrosorption on electrodispersed Pt were obtained by working under a wide range of experimental conditions, i.e. electrode roughness factor, methanol concentration and mean modulation potential. The intensity of the absorption band related to linearly adsorbed CO-species, COL, at ca. 2030–2080 cm−1 decreases on increasing the electrode roughness factor, a fact which is interpreted as a decrease in the CO adsorbate poisoning effect on electrodispersed Pt surfaces. As a consequence, under well-defined conditions, several bands are observed which might be assigned to adsorbed intermediates and reactive species. EMIRS also reveals a competition between COB and COL at high surface coverages. Spectral data for methanol electrooxidation on electrodispersed electrodes correlate well with the expected structure of this type of electrode.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta