Epistemology, methodology and methods. What tools for what kind of feminism? Reflections from Care Studies

En este trabajo pretendemos profundizar en los aspectos epistemológicos y en la práctica de la investigación social desde la perspectiva de los estudios de género. Partiendo de la complejidad de la metodología de la investigación y de la diversidad de enfoques feministas, se trabajará en la clarificación de algunos conceptos en torno a qué significa "investigación feminista" y se intentará dar respuesta a algunas de las cuestiones en ella implica-das. ¿Existe un método feminista? ¿Es posible considerar unos tipos de metodología más acordes con el feminismo que otros? Desde las investigaciones con un punto de vista de gé-nero se han planteado fuertes críticas a las epistemologías y metodologías tradicionales que, entre otros muchos aspectos cuestionables, servían a la pretensión de legitimar o justi-ficar situaciones de subordinación, marginación o exclusión de las mujeres en determinados ámbitos. Eliminar los sesgos sexistas y androcéntricos que lastran el conocimiento desde tiempo inmemorial es un punto principal de los programas feministas de investigación, que cada vez más centran su atención en los métodos mediante los que se obtienen las "evidencias" sobre las que se construyen los diferentes saberes.In this paper we aim to deepen the epistemological aspects and practice of social research from the perspective of gender studies. Starting from the complexity of the research methodology and the diversity of feminist approaches, we will work in clarifying some con-cepts about what does "feminist research" means and we will attempt to answer some of the issues involved in it. Is there a feminist method? Is it possible to consider a more con-sistent methodology types with feminism than others? From the research with a gender perspective have raised strong criticism of traditional epistemologies and methodologies, among many other questionable aspects claim served to legitimize or justify situations of subordination, marginalization or exclusion of women in certain fields. Remove sexist and androcentric biases that weigh down knowledge since immemorial time is a main point of feminist research programs, which increasingly focus their attention on the methods by which we obtain the "evidences" on which the various sciences are built.La primera versión de este trabajo fue presentada como ponencia: María Teresa Martín Palomo y José María Muñoz Terrón (2014). Una jornada-seminario coorganizada por el Instituto Universitario de Estudios de Género, el Grupo de Investigación Trabajo, Familia y Género y el Departamento de Análisis Social de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, que se inscribía en las actividades del Proyecto de Investigación “Geografías del trabajo de cuidados. Implicaciones de su privatización para la creación de empleo”, financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Plan Nacional de I+D+i; Ref: CSO2012-32901)

Influence of Partial Soil Wetting on Water Relation Parameters of the Olive Tree

A drip versus pond irrigation experiment was carried out with 30-year-old ‘Manzanilla’ olive trees planted at 7 m 5 m in an orchard in Southwest Spain. At the end of the dry season of 1998, we chose two dry-land trees, D1 and D2, and two drip-irrigated trees, I1 and I2. During the experiments, the D1 and I1 trees were pond-irrigated, increasing the soil water content to around field capacity in the whole rootzone. The D2 and I2 trees were drip-irrigated, remaining part of the rootzone in drying soil. The results showed that the ratio between the transpiration of the pond-irrigated D1 tree and that of the drip-irrigated D2 tree (D1/D2 Ep) increased from an average of 0.88 before irrigation to 1.22 fourteen days after the first water supply. For the I trees, I1/I2 Ep varied from 0.76 to 1.02 nine days after the I1 tree was pond-irrigated for the first time. Transpiration, therefore, was restricted when using a drip irrigation system which, despite supplying enough water to cover the calculated crop demand, affected a part of the rootzone only. During the drip versus pond irrigation experiment, the recovery of leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rate was greater and quicker in the pond-irrigated than in the drip-irrigated trees.– Influence de l’irrigation partielle du sol sur les paramètres des relations hydriques de l’olivier. Une comparaison de l’irrigation goutte à goutte avec l’irrigation en cuvette a été conduite sur oliviers ‘Manzanilla’ âgés de 30 ans plantés à 7 m 5 m dans un verger du sud-ouest de l’Espagne. À la fin de la saison sèche de 1998, nous avons choisi deux arbres sur sol sec, D1 et D2, et deux arbres sur sol irrigué au goutte à goutte, I1 et I2. Durant les expériences, les arbres D1 et I1 ont été irrigués en cuvette, en augmentant la teneur en eau du sol jusqu’à la capacité au champ dans toute la zone racinaire. Les arbres D2 et I2 ont été irrigués au goutte à goutte, laissant une partie de la zone racinaire dans un sol se desséchant. Les résultats ont montré que le quotient entre la transpiration de l’arbre D1 irrigué en cuvette et celle de l’arbre D2 irrigué au goutte à goutte (D1/D2 Ep) a augmenté à partir d’une moyenne de 0,88 avant irrigation jusqu’à 1,22 quatorze jours après le premier apport d’eau. Pour les arbres I, I1/I2 Ep a varié entre 0,76 et 1,02 neuf jours après que l’arbre I1 ait été irrigué en cuvette pour la première fois. Par conséquent, la transpiration était réduite quand on utilisait un système d’irrigation au goutte à goutte qui, malgré l’apport d’eau suffisant pour couvrir les besoins potentiels des cultures, a affecté seulement une partie de la zone racinaire. Durant cette comparaison de l’irrigation goutte à goutte et de l’irrigation en cuvette, la récupération de la teneur en eau des feuilles, de la conductance stomatique et du taux de photosynthèse était supérieure et plus rapide pour les arbres irrigués en cuvette que pour ceux irrigués au goutte à goutte

An index from sap flow records to schedule irrigation in super-high density olive orchards

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), recommended for super-high density (SHD) olive orchards, requires a precise control of irrigation. Water must be supplied on the phenological stages when the plant is most sensitive to water stress, but irrigation promotes plant vigour, and excessive growth hampers management in SHD orchards. A reliable water stress indicator is needed, therefore, for the proper management of RDI. Here we present an evaluation of the performance of DEp, an index previously reported by Cuevas et al. (2012). The index is derived from sap flow measurements in RDI trees and in fully irrigated trees used as a reference. We evaluated the index during the irrigation seasons of 2011 and 2012, in an ‘Arbequina’ olive orchard with 1667 trees ha-1 close to Seville, southwest Spain. The index showed a potential for scheduling RDI strategies, although its reliability decreased on periods of fluctuating atmospheric demand. The required data analyses and data interpretation make the DEp index suitable for well-trained users only.España: Ministry of Science and innovation AGL2009-11310/AGRJunta de andalucía AGR-6456-201

Hombres y mujeres en los cuidados: viejos y nuevos modelos para la igualdad

Resumen: Los estudios de opinión muestran una adhesión creciente de la población española –tanto masculina como femenina– a la equidad de género. Estas declaraciones contrastan con el persistente reparto desigual del trabajo de cuidados entre mujeres y hombres en el ámbito doméstico-familiar. El artículo propone un análisis de las consecuencias de distintos modelos de provisión de cuidados para la igualdad de género y establece un diálogo con los planteamientos de Nancy Fraser a partir de las conclusiones de una investigación etnográfica desarrollada en Andalucía. La construcción de un nuevo orden social en que todas las personas participen del trabajo remunerado y no remunerado (cuidados), “corresponsabilidad” en el nivel micro y “organización social del cuidado” en el nivel macro son necesarios para una implicación plena e igual de los varones en los cuidados. Palabras clave: Cuidados, Equidad de género, Corresponsabilidad, Política feminista.  Abstract: Opinion polls show an increasing adherence of the Spanish population –both male and female– to gender equity. Such statements contrast with the persistent unequal distribution of carework between women and men in the domestic-familiar sphere. The article offers an analysis of the impact of different models of care provision on gender equality and establishes a dialogue with Nancy Fraser's approaches based on the findings of an ethnographic research developed in Andalusia. The construction of a new social order where all the people participate in the paid and unpaid work (care), “shared responsibility” at the micro level and "social care" at the macro level are required for a full and equal involvement of men in care.Keywords: Care, Gender equity, Shared responsibility, Feminist politics

Canopy architecture and radiation interception measurements in olive

In this work we tested techniques suitable for a future validation of the RATP model to simulate transpiration and photosynthesis of mature olive trees under field conditions. Canopy architecture was characterised with an electromagnetic 3D digitiser and the software 3A. Although the capability of the software to deal with big data sets has to be improved, the system seems to meet the RATP requirements. An array of radiation sensors mounted in an aluminium bar and located at different positions within the canopy showed to be an useful tool for monitoring radiation distribution; these data can be used to validate the RATP predictions. Leaves intercepting more radiation showed greater values both of area based nitrogen content and photosynthetic capacity, and the increment of nitrogen was found to be related to the increment in leaf mass area. A method was tested for assessing plant leaf area, which could allow us to determine the leaf area of the biggest trees in the orchard, with reduced time and labour.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología AGL2002- 04048-CO3-0

Limitations and usefulness of maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) and trunk growth rate (TGR) indicators in the irrigation scheduling of table olive trees

Maximum daily trunk shrinkage (MDS) is the most popular indicator derived from trunk diameter fluctuations in most fruit trees and has been reported to be one of the earliest signs in the detection of water stress. However, in some species such as olive trees (Olea europaea L.), MDS does not usually change in water stress conditions and trunk growth rate (TGR) has been suggested as better indicator. Most of this lack of sensitivity to drought conditions has been related to the relationship between the MDS and the water potential. This curvilinear relationship produces an uncertain zone were great variations of water potential do not imply any changes of MDS. The MDS signal, the ratio between measured MDS and estimated MDS with full irrigation, has been thought to be a better indicator than MDS, as it reduces the effect of the environment.. On the other hand, though literature results suggest an effect of environment in TGR values, there are not clear relationship between this indicator and meteorological data. The aims of this work are, on one hand, to study the improvements of the baseline approach in the MDS signal and, on the other, study the influence of several meteorological variables in TGR. Three years’ data from an irrigation experiment were used in to carry out the MDS analysis and six years’ data for full irrigated trees during pit hardening period were used for TGR study. The comparison between MDS vs. water potential and MDS signal vs. water potential presented a great scattering in both relationships. Values of MDS signal between 1.1 and 1.4 were always identified with moderate water stress conditions (−1.4 to −2 MPa of water potential). However, since this MDS signal values are around the maximum in the curvilineal relationship with water potential, greater values of MDS signal (in the range of 1.1–1.4) were not necessary lower values of water potential. In addition, during low fruit load seasons MDS signal was not an accurate indicator. On the other hand, absolute values of several climatological measurements were not significantly related with TGR. Only daily increments explain part of the variations of TGR in full irrigated trees. In all the data analysed, the daily increment of average vapour pressure deficit was the best indicator related with TGR. The increase of this indicator decreased TGR values. In addition, the agreement between this indicator and TGR was affected for fruit load. Great yield seasons decrease the influence of VPD increment in TGR.Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, (AGL2010-19201-CO4-03 and AGL2013-45922-C2-1-R

Salt Diapirs, Salt Brine Seeps, Pockmarks and Surficial Sediment Creep and Slides in the Canary Channel of NW Africa

Circular to elliptical mounds in the Canary Channel with reliefs of 75 to 375 m and diameters of 4 to 8 km partially surrounded by moats with reliefs of 25 to 75 m, were formed by piercement of the seafloor by Mesozoic evaporites. Several long gullies, <1 km wide, with abrupt terminations and pockmarks associated with these mounds were probably eroded by dense brine and hydrocarbon seeps. The salt brines that eroded the gullies were formed where salt diapirs intersect the seafloor, or in the subsurface by circulating ground water heated by igneous activity along the Canary Ridge. If the brines originated in the subsurface they reached the seafloor along faults. Displacement of the surficial sediments by sliding and creep is probably the result of the expulsion of hydrocarbons and/or vertical motion of the Mesozoic evaporites. Microtopographic features along or near the east flank of the Canary Ridge are the creation of uplift of the ridge, hydrothermal activity, mass wasting processes and turbidity currents.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Umbrales sostenibles de estrés hídrico durante el endurecimiento del hueso en la producción de aceituna de mesa

La programación del riego deficitario controlado (RDC) es una necesidad derivada de la escasez de agua disponible para el riego. La resistencia al estrés hídrico de los diferentes estados fenológicos en olivar está bastante bien documentada pero no así los niveles de estrés hídrico. El objetivo de este trabajo es sugerir en base a experimentos realizados en los últimos 7 años los niveles de estrés hídrico para el manejo del RDC en olivar.Los experimentos descritos en la presente comunicación se han desarrollado en la finca “La Hampa” propiedad del IRNAS (CSIC) en Coria del Río (Sevilla), en un olivar de 37 años cv “Manzanillo” y a un marco de 7*5m. Los experimentos se establecieron con diferentes tratamientos de riego, aplicando condiciones de estrés hídrico durante endurecimiento de hueso y unas semanas antes de cosecha. Se discute los diferentes umbrales detectados y su efecto en cosecha, cantidad y calidad, y en la fisiología de la planta en el años en curso en el ciclo bianual del olivo.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2007-66279-C03-00Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2010-19201-CO4-03Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2013-45922-C2-1-