Gender Wage Differentials in Uganda: Evidence from the Uganda National Household Survey

This paper investigates the causes of gender wage differentials in Uganda. Given the potential differences in wage setting mechanisms between urban and rural labor markets, we break up the sample between rural and urban sub-samples. We use data from the nationally representative Uganda National Household Survey for 2002-03 (UNHS 2002/03). We employ standard decomposition techniques based on Oaxaca (1973) to decompose the gender wage gap into labor market characteristics and treatment components. The Neumark (1988) decomposition technique is used to address the "index number" problem. Further, self-selection into wage employment is controlled for using the Heckman (1979) two-step sample selection correction technique. Our empirical results suggest that a substantial portion of the gender wage differential results from employer-driven differences in treatment. This is more so in rural areas. Controlling for selection, the unexplained portion of the gender wage gap is between 61 percent and 78 percent in rural areas. In urban areas, the unexplained portion of the gender wage gap is between 41 percent and 68 percent. Further, in urban areas, 24 percent of the gender wage gap is due to nepotism toward males while 22 percent is a result of discrimination against females. In rural areas on the other hand, 68 percent of the gender wage gap is attributed to discrimination against females while only 1 percent is due to nepotism toward males. Working Paper 07-2

Labor Markets in CIS Countries

This work is done as contribution to the Regional Human Development Report 2004 section 3.7 on “Labor Markets”. The paper focuses on discussing peculiarities of the labor market transition in CIS countries, features of unemployment, labor legislation, and role of the trade unions. The paper gathers information on the labor markets of CIS and Eastern European countries that was available by summer 2004, and draws policy recommendations based on comparison between these two groups of countries. The main conclusion is that the transformation of labor markets is not complete in any of the CIS countries; most of the problems that prevailed in the early 1990s remain. These include: centralized wage setting in five CIS countries – Belarus, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; extensive unemployment and underemployment, much of which is hidden; ineffective systems of labor relations and social protection; large mismatches between the labor market skills supplied and the skills demanded by new market economies; inadequate official labor market data. Fortunately, the strong economic growth experienced by most CIS countries since 1999 has increased the demand for labor and is putting downward pressures on unemployment rates. This offers a window of opportunity for policy makers seeking to further transform labor markets, and to modernize labor relations and social protection systems. The above analysis suggests the policy recommendations to speed up further transformation.Labor markets of CIS (FSU) countries, labor market transition, unemployment, labor unions, labor protection, labor migration, labor law and labor market institutions, labor market policy in transition countries

The impact of 9/11 on hours of work in the United States

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether workers’ commitment to the labor force declined after 9/11, as many popular press accounts at the time suggested it would. The results indicate that any measured decline in hours spent working was the result of economic conditions rather than changes in desired hours of work. Controlling for economic conditions, hours of work after 9/11 actually increased on average compared to before 9/11; no significant change in hours spent working occurred among residents of New York City, however.

Effects of Transitional Policies on Labor Market Outcomes Fifteen Years After Transition: The Case of Ukraine and Lithuania

This dissertation explores how different labor market policies implemented following the transition to market system in Eastern Europe affected labor market outcomes. As the result of different policies implemented countries of Eastern Europe that were very similar at the beginning of the transition achieved different economic outcomes. We focus on Lithuania and Ukraine that represent two groups of countries with respect to the broad approach to economic transition. Our analysis explores change in gender wage gap in the two countries as well as evolution in returns to human capital. We compare labor market institutions and composition of the labor force for these two countries. Labor market of the Soviet Union serves as a reference point for this comparison. The data from Household Budget Surveys is utilized for this analysis. Returns to education levels are examined in both countries. We find no evidence of increase in returns to higher education in Ukraine following the decentralization of the wage setting system. However, higher educated workers in Lithuania were able to benefit from the transition. The second part of this dissertation focuses on evolution of the gender wage gap. We decompose gender wage gap using Oaxaca decomposition as well as Juhn, Murphy, and Pierce decomposition. We consistently find that it is the “unexplained” component that is single handedly responsible for the gender wage differential in both countries

The use of ICT tools by academic teachers in the international comparative context

The article sets out to analyze the professional competencies on the standard European e-Competence Framework. The survey of information technology teachers of Ukrainian universities concerning the necessity of forming and development of European e-Competence Framework competencies allowed defining the priority areas for training and forming the content component of a model of professional competencies development of information technology university teachers. The proposed model distinguishes stages, factors, and resources for training teachers. Teachers’ attitude to motivation, time and money allocation for professional development was researched. The content component of the development of professional competences of teachers of information technologies is offered. Recommendations for training and advanced training of teachers of information technologies, assessment of the level of development of professional competence, was proposed

The Theory of Petrified Worlds on the Example of Anti-utopian and Dystopian Literature

In my dissertation Theory of Petrified Worlds on the Example of Anti-Utopian and Dystopian Literature, I deal with anti-utopian and dystopian literature, which has been largely neglected by Czech scholarship. After the introduction to the issue I deal with the detailed analysis of the novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, after which I devote my attention to the theoretical definition of terms, including the historical mapping of previous research. I focus on the historical context of the emergence of the genres, including a deeper analysis of its beginnings, i.e. the development of utopian literature from Plato to William Morris and Herbert George Wells, and in detail describe the emergence of anti-utopian literature primarily as an opposition to utopian tendencies and its evolution into dystopia. A major part of the work deals with a specific semiotic analysis of the characteristic and constitutive features of the genres of anti-utopian and dystopian literature of the 20th and 21st centuries. This includes, among other things, the closed and petrified world of the novels, which gave the name to the presented theory, the strict division of society, the existence of newspeak, the characteristics of the main and secondary characters, as well as the social and political context of the analysed works. In...Ve své disertační práci Teorie petrifikovaných světů na příkladu antiutopické a dystopické literatury se zabývám problematikou antiutopické a dystopické literatury, které je v českém prostředí věnována jen minimální pozornost. Po úvodním nastínění problematiky podávám podrobnou analýzu románu Jevgenije Zamjatina My, následně se věnuji teoretickému vymezení pojmů, včetně historického mapování předchozího bádání. Zaměřuji se na historický kontext vzniku žánrů, včetně hlubší sondy k jejím počátkům, tj. k vývoji utopické literatury od Platona k Williamu Morrisovi a Herbertu George Wellsovi, následně detailně popisuji vznik antiutopické literatury, především jako opozici utopických tendencí a její evoluci v dystopii. Velkou část práce zabírá konkrétní sémiotická analýza charakteristických a žánrově konstitutivních rysů antiutopické a dystopické literatury 20. a 21. století. Sem mimo jiné patří uzavřený, až petrifikovaný svět, který dal název představené teorii, striktní rozdělení společnosti, existence novořeči (newspeak), charakteristické rysy hlavních a vedlejších postav a také sociální a politický kontext vniku zkoumaných děl. Kromě toho důležitou část práce představuje terminologické upřesnění používaných, použitých a existujících termínů na poli zkoumání utopické, antiutopické a dystopické...Ústav české literatury a komparatistikyDepartment of Czech and Comparative LiteratureFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

Progressive view on social justice: Netizen opinions about social justice warrior

Social justice warrior (SJW) is a pejorative term for individuals who fight for equality, environment, and gender. Because their progressive morals radically differ from the predominant values, the so-called social justice warriors spark controversies. This study aimed to describe netizens’ opinions about SJW and describe the dynamics of conflict or support in more detail. Text mining and opinion coding were used to elicit research data. The opinions that we gathered were analyzed in 2 stages: sentiment analysis and content analysis. The results of sentiment analysis are negative (445), neutral (86), and positive (90). Content analysis of the negative opinions showed the characteristics of sarcastic, rude, critical, and contemptuous (mocking/disrespecting). The style of positive sentiments (comments congruent with the phenomena) is divided into supportive, empathic, and motivational opinions. Negative opinions are more dominant because of netizens’ self-acceptance, the effects of informal social control in cyberspace, SJW’s presumed social non-compliance, and doubts of objectivity. Positive opinions can be explained by criticism of social contract theory, namely the demand to be more supportive of minority groups, sensitivity, and empathy (the ability to feel other groups' social conditions and environmental conditions).

A Study of Students’ Preferences in The Information Resources of The Digital Learning Environment

The digital learning environment comprises various resources - didactically transformed and untransformed information, and mediated communication. Students’ information behaviour combines both actions characteristic of the traditional educational process and specific for the digital environment, based on digital tools and user interactions. Students’ information behaviour in the digital environment is considered as an indicator of their engagement in various educational activities that contribute to the personalisation of learning. The results of a survey on students’ preferences of information resources in the digital environment show that learners use a variety of information sources, but they mainly apply the methods of work in the “traditional” learning paradigm. They insufficiently use the digital environment potential of collaboration, knowledge exchange, and knowledge extraction from authentic sources. Obtained data indicates problems in students’ information culture and shortcomings in the methodological support of students’ autonomous work. Based on the results, recommendations on creating conditions for developing students’ prospective strategies of interaction with digital resources are proposed. These recommendations include a gradual increase of the authentic digital learning resources, an account of students’ information preferences, and a particular attention to the management issues in the digital learning environment