Understanding Social and Race Equity in Welfare-to-Work Programs in California: Challenges in Social Policy Implementation at the State-, County-, Frontline-levels

The U.S welfare reform of 1996 introduced a punitive and devolved welfare-to-work (WTW) system. Previous research has shed light on racial disparities in sanctioning practices at the state and county levels. However, there is a dearth of research focused on understanding the processes, pathways, and levels of policy (state, county, or frontline level) discourses and practices in WTW shape social inequities. For the case study, we chose California’s WTW program because it is more generous, inclusive, racially diverse, and devolved than the other WTW programs in the U.S. We conducted a comparison of two county sites: Bay-county (urban, tech-industry) and Central-county (rural, agricultural -industry). County selection was based on the result of a cluster analysis of 58 county characteristics in California. The paper triangulates data at different policy-levels through statistics, interviews, observations, and documents at the state-, county- and frontline levels. Utilizing critical discourse analysis of documents and interviews at the state and county levels, a first part of the study suggests that race-differences in WTW-sanctions and exemptions at local level are shaped by the embedded discourses and corresponding practices at the local level. While WTW in Bay-county is ruled by a race-blind equality discourse (equal treatment of all client’s) and shows more race-disparities in the WTW-sanction and exemptions, Central-County is ruled by an equity discourse (differential treatment of different race groups, to facilitate access and engagement to WTW for specific race groups) and displays less racial disparities. The second part of the study is based on a content analysis of frontline-workers interviews and observations in both counties in the WTW offices. We show how racial differences in WTW-sanctions and exemptions may be shaped by the practices of frontline-workers and beliefs in their respective organizational contexts. We display how discourses at local level shape the beliefs and practices of workers and how the discretion exercised by the workers in their interactions with clients can lead to (un-)equitable treatments if there are assumptions and prejudices. Overall, the paper contributes to the welfare literature by shedding light on the challenges for social and race equity of implementing social policies at different policy levels. We also discuss various policy recommendations for improving racial and other inequities at the different levels of a WTW system

The good life in the lockdown? Differences between women and men with and without children in the household during the Covid-19 lockdown 2020 in Switzerland

The concept of a good life and how to reach one are long debated philosophical issues. Based on the “capability approach” (Senn 1999; 2012), the good life can be described as the potential and freedom to be able to aim for what a person would like to reach in life. The COVID-19 pandemic was an external shock, which provoked countries over the globe to put in place different versions of lockdowns, described as the closure of many services. In Switzerland from March 16, 2020 to May 11, 2020 most schools remained closed and most families had to take care of their children and other dependent household members. In this moment, the potentials, and freedoms to aim for what each person likes to reach in life was restricted to a high extent. However, not everyone was affected similarly. Therefore, this paper asks: Who could best reach good life during lockdown in spring 2020 of the Covid-19 crisis: Women or men with or without children in the household (HH)? This paper is based on an online survey with about 1’000 people – students and employees from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Social Work – living in Switzerland during the lockdown. We analyzed the data that was answered between April 23 and May 21, 2020. The following research questions were asked for the four groups of interest, women, and man with or without children in the households: Which differences between the groups emerge during the lockdown in the change of (Q1) behavior, (Q2) consequences from the lockdown as well as (Q3) the support system? We analyzed four questions from the survey by analyzing differences in the responses between the four groups: women and men with and without children in the household. Means have been compared with a variance analysis (ANOVA) and Post-hoc analysis after Bonferroni and Items with a nominal scale have been analyzed with a Chi2-analysis. Our results show for all three research questions main differences between persons with children in households, who were restricted more than persons without children in households. By focusing on gender differences in households with children, we find that women with children in the household were restricted the most in how they could aim for their good life. We found these results by looking at their behavior, which was constrained by childcare activities; at the consequences from the lockdown, such as personal conflicts; and a lack of private support system, e.g., support from friends and families. From our results, we conclude that women did most of the care-work. However, our results also reveal some unexpected gender-patterns: Men with children in the household expressed restrictions in their behavior and felt a lack of institutional support even stronger than women, which could have positive effects on gender equity. Our analysis suggests the need for better-elaborated family policies in Switzerland and a formalized support in childcare during a lockdown. Those measures would help people with children in the household to live the good life during a lockdown

Ressenyes

Obra ressenyada: Laura LLEVADOT ; Jordi RIBA (coords.), Filosofías postmetafísicas: 20 años de filosofía francesa contemporánea. Barcelona: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2012

Differences between women and men with and without children in the household during the Covid-19 lockdown 2020 in Switzerland

The COVID-19 pandemic was an external shock, which provoked countries over the globe to put in place different versions of lockdowns, described as the closure of many services. In Switzerland from March 16, 2020 to May 11, 2020 most schools remained closed and most families had to take care of their children and other dependent household members. In this moment, the potentials, and freedoms to aim for what each person likes to reach in life was restricted to a high extend. However, not everyone was affected to a similar extend. This paper is based on an online survey with about 1 000 people – students and employees from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Social Work – living in Switzerland during the lockdown. We analyzed the data that was answered between April 23 and May 21, 2020. The following research questions were asked for the four groups of interest; women and man with or without children in the households: Which differences between the groups emerge in the lockdown in the change of (Q1) behavior, (Q2) consequences from the lockdown as well as (Q3) the support system? Our results show for all three research questions main differences between persons with children in households, who were restricted more than persons without children in households. By focusing on gender differences in households with children, we find that women with children in the household were restricted the most in how they could realize their good life. This is true, by looking at their behavior, which was constrained through childcare activities, at the consequences from the lockdown, such as more conflicts, as well as a lack in their private support system, specifically around support in the private area. From our results we conclude that women did most of the care-work, however, our results also reveal some unexpected gender-patterns: Men with children in the HH, same as women expressed restrictions in their behavior and felt a lack of institutional support even stronger than women, which could have positive effects on gender equity. Our analysis suggests a need for a better-elaborated family policy for Switzerland, as well as a concrete support in childcare in the moment of a lockdown

Geschlechtergleichstellung durch Wirtschaftsnutzendiskurs?: eine qualitative Untersuchung (un-)gleichheitsgenerierender Mechanismen in der Umsetzung des schweizerischen Gleichstellungsgesetzes aus diskursiver und geschlechtersensibler Perspektive

Das Schweizerische Gleichstellungsgesetz (GlG) ist seit 1996 in Kraft und zielt darauf ab, Ungleichheiten zwischen Frauen und Männern im Erwerbsleben zu reduzieren. Dennoch bleiben geschlechtsspezifische Ungleichheiten im Erwerbsleben in der Schweiz bestehen. Die vorliegende Studie umfasst fünf wissenschaftliche Beiträge, die zum Verständnis dieser Diskrepanz beitragen. Die Studie wird auf der Grundlage der Genderregime-Perspektive sowie der Perspektive der wissenssoziologischen Diskursanalyse erarbeitet. Diese beiden Perspektiven erlauben es, die in Gesetzen oder Reglementen sowie routinierten Handlungen von Institutionen eingelagerten Deutungen (sogenannte Diskurse) zu untersuchen. Ebenfalls ermöglichen diese Perspektiven einen Fokus auf die AkteurInnen, die diese Diskurse hervorbringen oder umdeuten, sowie die damit verbundenen Folgen, insbesondere in Bezug auf soziale Ungleichheiten. In der Studie werden einerseits (sich wandelnde) Diskurse auf den unterschiedlichen involvierten Ebenen (Gleichstellungspolitik, -programm, Unternehmen) nachgezeichnet und andererseits deren Chancen und Risiken für die betriebliche Gleichstellung aufgezeigt. Die Befunde basieren auf einer qualitativen Studie auf drei Ebenen: erstens der Umsetzung des GlG auf der schweizerischen Bundesebene (1996 bis 2011), zweitens der Umsetzung in einem kantonalen Gleichstellungsprogramm für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) sowie drittens der Umsetzung in einem an diesem Programm teilnehmenden Unternehmen. Die Studie zeigt, dass bei der Umsetzung des GlG in Projekte etwa seit der Jahrtausendwende verstärkt mit dem wirtschaftlichen Nutzen betrieblicher Gleichstellungsmassnahmen argumentiert wird. Gleichstellungspolitische AkteurInnen gehen dabei diskursive Allianzen mit wirtschaftspolitischen AkteurInnen und VertreterInnen der Arbeitgebenden ein und passen Gleichstellungsprojekte den Interessen der Arbeitgebenden an. In aktuellen Gleichstellungsprogrammen werden KMU oft nicht adressiert. Wenn sich Programme an KMU richten, wird dieser Wirtschaftsnutzendiskurs jedoch verstärkt hervorgebracht. Mögliche Folge dieses Diskurses ist, dass Unternehmen erreicht werden, die dank dem Diskurs betriebliche Gleichstellungsmassnahmen einführen. Gleichzeitig bestehen aber verschiedene Risiken: Der Diskurs kann Unternehmen legitimieren, nicht an Projekten teilzunehmen oder aber bei einer Projektteilnahme Massnahmen zu implementieren, die nicht auf eine Veränderung von Geschlechterungleichheiten abzielen. Darüber hinaus birgt der Wirtschaftsnutzendiskurs das Risiko, dass er in Interaktion mit in Betrieben vorherrschenden Vorstellungen zu einer Verfestigung bestehender Ungleichheiten führt – etwa zwischen besser und niedriger Qualifizierten, aber insbesondere auch zwischen Frauen und Männern. Diese Befunde sind relevant, weil der Grossteil der Erwerbspersonen in der Schweiz in KMU arbeitet und daher nicht von Gleichstellungsprojekten adressiert wird oder den skizzierten Risiken des Wirtschaftsnutzendiskurses verstärkt ausgesetzt ist. Die Befunde verweisen insgesamt auf eine beschränkte Reichweite und Wirksamkeit der aktuellen schweizerischen Gleichstellungspolitik. Sie tragen zum Verständnis bei, warum in der Schweiz – trotz den bestehenden Gleichstellungsnormen und -projekten – geschlechtsspezifische Ungleichheiten fortbestehen. Die Studie leistet einen Beitrag zur Verbindung der Analyse der makrosozialen Ebene der Gleichstellungspolitik und der Umsetzungsebene in Programmen und Unternehmen. Sie trägt damit sowohl zur geschlechtersensiblen Wohlfahrtsregimeforschung über das Politikfeld der Gleichstellungspolitik als auch zur Organisationsforschung aus einer geschlechtersensiblen Perspektive bei und bietet eine empirisch fundierte Grundlage für die (Weiter-)Entwicklung von Gleichstellungspolitiken. Schlüsselwörter: betriebliche Gleichstellung, Diskursanalyse, Genderregime, Gleichstellungspolitik, kleine und mittlere Unternehmen, Schweiz, soziale Ungleichhei

Walter Benjamin: infancia y politización

[spa] El presente trabajo de investigación traza un recorrido por ciertos momentos de la producción textual de Walter Benjamin siguiendo el hilo trenzado entre nuestro autor y las nociones de infancia y politización. Nuestro análisis toma como eje tres modos distintos de abordar la cuestión de la infancia, desde tres modalidades enunciativas divergentes. Del modo abiertamente político y partidista inaugurado por el Programa de teatro infantil proletario y las reseñas pedagógicas de finales de los años veinte, a la politización larvada e insidiosa de los textos sobre la infancia propia que componen Infancia en Berlín hacia 1900 y de las emisiones radiofónicas dirigidas al público infantil agrupadas en Aufklärung für Kinder, la infancia va ganando consistencia y complejidad, problematizando cada vez con más ahínco todos los elementos que los textos le arriman. Asimismo lo político, a la vera de la infancia, cambia de términos y fórmulas, sigue manteniendo su pulso aunque busque otros fundamentos y prácticas en los que asentarse y desplegarse. Hemos primado en nuestros análisis, pues, formas de abordar la infancia que permiten tender puentes a la reelaboración y cuestionamiento de nociones políticas con las que nos confrontamos a diario: lo colectivo, la masa, la acción y la decisión, la relación con los discursos de tintes emancipatorios o abiertamente reaccionarios, la persistencia de la destrucción y la guerra, la transformación de los modos de vida. Sin caer en el adoctrinamiento, la infancia se va fraguando caminos propios desde donde cuestionar el orden de cosas dado. Dirección única se convierte, aquí, en nuestra guía de lectura. Por un lado, abordamos los textos sobre la infancia propia y lo propio a la infancia agrupados en torno a Infancia en Berlín hacia 1900. Las escrituras de la historia se pondrán en entredicho a partir de este trabajo de elaboración del pasado que excede los límites de lo autobiográfico. El recorrido es de largo alcance y amplio espectro: la infancia se entrelaza, aquí, al trabajo sobre los lugares de la historia que en paralelo Benjamin está elaborando en el proyecto de los pasajes y que entronca, aun, con el trabajo sobre el tiempo histórico del ensayo sobre el drama barroco. El siglo XIX será el espacio de tiempo en el que despleguemos estas cuitas histórico-políticas: Auguste Blanqui, Johann Jakob Bachofen y Claire Démar, las figuras que cabe poner en situación, leídas al amparo del arco que se traza, en los textos de Benjamin, entre el surrealismo y el materialismo antropológico. En un segundo momento abordamos los textos que Benjamin redacta y performa para la radio entre 1927 y 1933. El recorrido general sobre las prerrogativas propias a los aparatos de comunicación de masas desemboca en un análisis más pormenorizado sobre las tentativas críticas que subyacen a los trabajos radiofónicos de Benjamin. Propondremos una lectura de las emisiones dirigidas en exclusiva al público infantil y juvenil editados en Aufklärung für Kinder. Estos textos interrumpen el quehacer habitual de la radio, como correa de transmisión de valores y formas de comunicación presente. El gesto infantil atravesado por la práctica teatral apuntará, por otro lado, al quiebre de la compacidad del presente de la comunicación: el Programa de teatro infantil proletario será el encargado de desplazar la cuestión de la transmisión de discursos al ámbito más lábil, y polémico, de los comportamientos. Los modos de transmisión son, pues, un espacio preponderante desde donde modular respuestas políticas. El terreno de las conductas, donde de facto se juegan las formas de gobierno, que eclosionará en los textos sobre la mímesis de los años treinta, será el último lugar de disputa que cristalice la relación fehaciente entre infancia y politización.[eng] This research project traces a line through specific moments of Walter Benjamin’s textual production, following the thread interwoven between the author and the notions of childhood and politicization. My analysis is sustained using three different means to tackle the issue of childhood, which result in three divergent expository methods. From the manifestly political and biased method portrayed in the Program for a Proletarian Children’s Theater and the pedagogical reviews of the late twenties, to the veiled and cunning politicization of the texts within Berlin Childhood Around 1900 on the author’s own childhood and the radiocasts addressed to children that make up Aufklärung für Kinder, childhood becomes ever-increasingly consistent and complex, further problematizing all the elements brought by the texts. Furthermore, the political aspect, in tangent with the issue of childhood, changes its terms and manners, maintaining its firmness despite trying to find other grounds and practices on which to settle and unfold. Thus, my analysis brings to the fore those ways to tackle childhood that enable the possibility of remaking and questioning political notions that we face in our every-day life: the collective, the masses, the notions of action and decision, the relationship to either discourses with emancipatory touches or blatantly reactionary ones, the persistence of destruction and war and the transformation of lifestyles. Without ever becoming indoctrinating, childhood gradually sets its own ways from where to question the given order of things. At this point, One-Way Street becomes my reading guide

Identification of genes coding for putative wax ester synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferase enzymes in terrestrial and marine environments

Synthesis of neutral lipids such as triacylglycerols (TAG) and wax esters (WE) is catalyzed in bacteria by wax ester synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferase enzymes (WS/DGAT). We investigated the diversity of genes encoding this enzyme in contrasting natural environments from Patagonia (Argentina). The content of petroleum hydrocarbons in samples collected from oil-producing areas was measured. PCR-based analysis covered WS/DGAT occurrence in marine sediments and soil. No product was obtained in seawater samples. All clones retrieved from marine sediments affiliated with gammaproteobacterial sequences and within them, most phylotypes formed a unique cluster related to putative WS/DGAT belonging to marine OM60 clade. In contrast, soils samples contained phylotypes only related to actinomycetes. Among them, phylotypes affiliated with representatives largely or recently reported as oleaginous bacteria, as well as with others considered as possible lipid-accumulating bacteria based on the analysis of their annotated genomes. Our study shows for the first time that the environment could contain a higher variety of ws/ dgat than that reported from bacterial isolates. The results of this study highlight the relevance of the environment in a natural process such as the synthesis and accumulation of neutral lipids. Particularly, both marine sediments and soil may serve as a useful source for novel WS/DGAT with biotechnological interest.Fil: Lanfranconi, Mariana Patricia. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales - Sede Comodoro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Adrián F.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Alvarez, Hector Manuel. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales - Sede Comodoro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Tratamiento de efluentes textiles con penicillium chrysogenum : estudio paramétrico

El tratamiento biológico mediante hongos ha demostrado ser un proceso atractivo para biodegradar efluentes textiles. En este trabajo se realizó un estudio paramétrico de la degradación de Direct Black 22 (DB22) mediante P. chrysogenum como primer acercamiento a una aplicación industrial. Se estudiaron 3 fuentes de carbono adicionales y su concentración inicial óptima. La concentración óptima de fuente de carbono se determinó utilizando glucosa; siendo 6 g/L la que demostró una mejor performance. Con este valor se estudiaron fuentes de carbono alternativas: glucosa como control, almidón por ser un subproducto de la industria de la papa local y efluente de esta misma industria por ser un residuo. El uso de almidón de papa como co-sustrato mostró las mayores velocidades de decoloración y degradación de DQO. De este estudio se concluye que el uso de almidón de papa con una concentración inicial de 6 g/L es la opción más favorable.Biological treatment with fungi has proven to be an attractive process for biodegrading textile effluents. In this work a parametric study of the degradation of Direct Black 22 (DB22) by P. chrysogenum was made as a first approach to an industrial application. Three additional carbon sources and their optimum initial concentration were studied. The optimum carbon source concentration was determined using glucose; 6 g/L showed the best performance. With this value alternative carbon sources were studied: glucose as control, starch because it is a by-product of the local potato industry and effluent from the same industry because it is a residue. The use of potato starch as co-substrate showed the highest rates of decolorization and COD degradation. This study concludes that the use of potato starch with an initial concentration of 6 g/L is the most favorable option.Fil: Lanfranconi, Inés. Universidad Nacional de Mar del PlataFil: Wolski, Erika Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Mar del PlataFil: Froilán, González Jorge. Universidad Nacional de Mar del PlataFil: Durruty, Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plat

Utilización del transporte aéreo en el comercio exterior argentino

Tesis (Maestría en Comercio Internacional) -- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas; Argentina, 2016.La utilización del modal aéreo para el transporte internacional de mercaderías presenta numerosos beneficios para las empresas que operan en el comercio internacional. Los pronósticos de las industrias especializadas y las organizaciones internacionales del área indican que en los próximos años este modal tendrá un gran crecimiento. La presente investigación analiza tanto el perfil comercial como la logística de carga en Argentina, para luego identificar los principales desafíos que encuentran las empresas y los prestadores de servicios de éstas, en la utilización del modal aéreo, a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas a los diferentes eslabones de la cadena logística del modal aéreo en Argentina. Las conclusiones apuntan a que Argentina presenta grandes dificultades para aprovechar las ventajas que ofrece el transporte aéreo y consecuentemente para que el modal tenga un crecimiento en el comercio internacional del país.Fil: Lanfranconi Bobbio, Antonella. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas; Argentina