'We looked after people better when we were informal' : the 'quasi-formalisation' of Montevideo's waste-pickers

This article was written thanks to funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (Grant Code: ES/S011048/1).Drawing on participatory research, this article explores the state formalisation of Uruguayan clasificadores (waste‐pickers). It goes beyond the informal/formal binary, instead proposing the concepts of ‘para‐formality’ to describe economic activity that exists in parallel to regulated and taxed spheres, and ‘quasi‐formality’ to describe processes of formalisation that are supported by underlying informal practices. When unregulated, clasificadores enjoyed parallel services in health, finance and social security, implying that benefits of ‘formalisation’ must be explored ethnographically rather than assumed. The persistence of ‘quasi‐formal’ activity within formalised recycling plants complicates simple narratives of informal to formal transitions and suggests that the concept can be useful for the study of labour policies in Latin America and beyondPublisher PDFPeer reviewe

Measures of endothelial dysfunction in plasma of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) confers an increased cardiovascular risk. In 14 otherwise healthy patients with PTSD and in 14 age- and gender-matched non-PTSD controls, we investigated whether the categorical diagnosis of PTSD and severity of PTSD symptom clusters (i.e. re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal, and overall score) would be associated with plasma concentrations of three markers of endothelial dysfunction [soluble tissue factor (sTF), von Willebrand factor (VWF), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1]. Compared with controls, patients had significantly higher sTF; this difference became nonsignificant when controlling for psychological distress. VWF and sICAM-1 levels were not significantly different between patients and controls. In the entire sample virtually all PTSD symptom clusters correlated significantly and positively with sTF and VWF but not with sICAM-1. The correlation between symptoms of re-experiencing and sTF was significantly different between patients and controls. Controlling for symptoms of anxiety and depression (i.e. psychological distress) rendered most associations between PTSD symptom clusters and sTF nonsignificant, whereas controlling for age retained significance of associations with VWF. Posttraumatic stress showed a continuous relationship with sTF and VWF, with the former relationship being partly affected by psychological distress. This suggests one mechanism by which posttraumatic stress could contribute to atherosclerosis

Hydrocephalus communicans after traumatic upper cervical spine injury with a cerebrospinal fluid fistula: a rare complication

Secondary hydrocephalus communicans after traumatic upper cervical spine injuries with leakage of cerebrospinal fluid is a rare and hardly described complication. A case of a 75-year-old woman sustained a type II dens axis without other injuries, especially without evidence of a hydrocephalus in the primary CT scan. Dorsal atlanto-axial fusion was performed. Postoperative drainage was prolonged and positive for β2-transferrin. Wound revision with an attempt to seal the leakage was not successful. Secondary CT scans of the brain were performed due to neurological deterioration and showed a hydrocephalus with typical EEG findings. No anatomical reason for a circulative obstruction was found in the CT scan. After application of a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt the neurological status improved and the patient could be discharged to neurological rehabilitation

Sustainability through unsustainability? Unintended consequences and emancipatory catastrophism

Based on Beck’s sociological theory, the goal of this chapter is to point out a specific implication of the role of unintended dynamics in social change: what Albert O. Hirschman called “blessings in disguise”2—the concept of emancipatory catastrophism. This concept refers to the hidden emancipatory side effects of global risk. Beck’s argument is that modern environmental catastrophes may ironically have the potential to bring about major, constructive changes in the way social actors organize their lives and societies. In other words, extreme “bad” harbors the potential to create normative horizons of common “good,” stimulating reflection on questions of justice