Gender-Informing Aid for Trade: Entry Points and Initial Lessons Learned from the World Bank

The effects of policy interventions on women are of increasing concern to policy makers in all fields, and trade is no exception. This note reviews recent World Bank projects and studies that "gender inform" trade-related interventions, and it uses the Bank's experience to promote gender-equal opportunities by highlighting entry points at which trade projects, studies, and policies can effectively address gender issues.aid-for-trade, trade, gender, women, gender-inform, world bank, developing countries, trade facilitation, value chain, labor market

Contemporary challenges to equality

The paper discusses four contemporary processes that pose new challenges to the quest for equality: first, the rise of the ecological concern; second, the disentanglement of nation and state; third, the redefinition of civil society and solidarity; and fourth, the quest for complementarity between equality and difference. These four aspects are explored as components of an encompassing cultural change that evokes the idea of a new great transformation, to recall Polanyi’s thesis. The major argument is that in this new scenario the ways of perceiving social differences and inequalities are profoundly affected, while conventional policies to tackle poverty and inequality call for revision

Poverty in the eyes of Brazilian elites

This paper discusses data from a survey and in-depth interviews on elite perceptions of poverty in Brazil. De Swaan tried to identify the circumstances under which elites are willing to mobilize resources in order to promote poverty reduction. This paper questions if de Swaan's analysis applies to Brazil. The main finding is that two parts of de Swaan's thesis do apply: that poverty is a problem for the rich in the sense that it generates negative externalities that they would like to reduce; and that the elite believe that there are effective remedies. What is missing for Brazilian elites is the third element, namely that the elite see poverty as their responsibility to do something about it

Processes and National Dilemmas: The Interplay of Old and New Repertoires of Social Identity and Inclusion

In this article, we explore the impact of the global cultural transformation that reconciles the values of equality and difference as parameters of the good life. We argue that the idea that social justice incorporates both the value of equality and the value of difference expresses a broad cultural transformation, one that poses new challenges society has to confront to deal with the social distribution issue. Moreover, we sustain that while this challenge is present everywhere, responses to it vary not only as a matter of policy choice, but also as consequences of the fact that possibilities are circumscribed by the particular trajectories of nation and state building. While there are forces at play today that make us aware of fallacious conflations between nation and state, it remains relevant to look at national contexts as meaningful frameworks in order to understand what is going on and to explore possible alternatives to deal with emerging issues. Moreover, looking at ways people in different historical settings experience global transformations is relevant, not only to illuminate policy choices to deal with them, but also to enrich our theoretical understanding of the changes at play. The adoption of a historical sociological approach contributes to illuminate particular national trajectories without loosing sight of possible commonalities that make it possible to contribute to the effort to reach general explanations. Taking into account the above, we focus on the way Brazilians perceive both equality and difference and comment on the uncertain consequences of the interplay of old and new repertoires of social identity and inclusion. In particular, we look at the ethno-racial aspect, the most salient issue in the current debate about difference. Empirically, we analyze perceptions of inequality and difference among different segments of the Brazilian population. We confer special attention to two issues: the relationship between race and national identification and support to affirmative action, the most traditional policy to take into account particular identities while distributing social resources. First, we find that in Brazil racial and national identification do not seem to be in conflict. Second, we find that most Brazilians approve racially-targeted affirmative action with no significant different according to racial identification but with significant differences according to socio-economic differentiations

The uncertain consequences of the interplay of old and new repertoires of social identity and inclusion

In this article, we explore the impact of the global cultural transformation that reconciles the values of equality and difference as parameters of the good life. Focusing on the way Brazilians perceive both equality and difference, we comment on the uncertain consequences of the interplay of old and new repertoires of social identity and inclusion. In particular, we look at the ethnoracial aspect, the most salient issue on the current debate about difference. Empirically, we analyze perceptions of inequality and difference among different segments of the Brazilian population. In particular, we focus on two issues. First, we discuss the interface of ethnoracial and national identifications in the country. Second, we explore perceptions about inequality and difference and their relationship, with special emphasis on attitudes towards affirmative action – the most traditional policy to take into account particular identities while distributing social resources – among distinct socioeconomic and racial groups

A step away from impaired well-being: a latent growth curve analysis of an intervention with activity trackers among employees

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a workplace intervention combining activity trackers (behavioural approach) with an online coach (cognitive approach) in order to increase employees’ number of steps and improve their impaired well-being (i.e., emotional strain and negative affect). To analyse the intervention’s effectiveness, the study applied latent growth curve modelling. Moreover, we tested whether work-related and personal resources (i.e., job control and self-efficacy) moderated the intervention’s effectiveness and whether an increase in number of steps was associated with an improvement in impaired well-being. During the intervention, data were collected at six measurement points from 108 mainly low active employees. The results revealed that employees increased their number of steps until the second intervention week; this increase was not moderated by job control or self-efficacy. Moreover, the intervention was effective in decreasing emotional strain and negative affect over the course of the intervention. Further analyses showed that the increase in number of steps was related to the decrease in negative affect, whereas no such association was found for the increase in number of steps and the decrease in emotional strain. In conclusion, the findings showed that our intervention was effective in improving physical activity and impaired well-being among employees.Peer Reviewe

PÚBLICA. GRATUITA. DE QUALIDADE. PARA TODOS:: REFLEXÕES PARA UNIVERSIDADES PÚBLICAS EXISTIREM, RESISTIREM E SE REIVENTAREM

Celebrating the centenary of Darcy Ribeiro, this essay debates the importance of public universities exist, resist, and reinvent themselves. Understanding access to higher education as a right, the essay starts with Darcy Ribeiro, discussing the necessary university; dialoguing with Boaventura de Sousa Santos, José Geraldo de Sousa Júnior and José Murilo de Carvalho about Brazilian inequalities and their confrontation; together with Paulo Freire and bell hooks, in a dialogue about transformative education; and also including Márcia Abrahão Moura and Mônica Nogueira, talking about the historical and current role of UnB in fighting for rights and in building a possible and truly emancipatory university.Neste centenário de Darcy Ribeiro, o presente ensaio discorre sobre a importância de a universidade pública existir, resistir e se reinventar. Entendendo o acesso à educação superior como um direito, o ensaio parte de Darcy Ribeiro para refletir sobre a universidade necessária; dialogando com Boaventura de Sousa Santos, José Geraldo de Sousa Júnior e José Murilo de Carvalho sobre as desigualdades brasileiras e seu enfrentamento; unido à conversa Paulo Freire e bell hooks, em diálogo sobre a educação autoral e transformadora; e contando também com Márcia Abrahão Moura e Mônica Nogueira, ao falar sobre o papel histórico e atual da Universidade de Brasília (UnB) na luta por direitos e na construção de uma universidade possível e verdadeiramente emancipadora.Neste centenário de Darcy Ribeiro, o presente ensaio discorre sobre a importância de a universidade pública existir, resistir e se reinventar. Entendendo o acesso à educação superior como um direito, o ensaio parte de Darcy Ribeiro para refletir sobre a universidade necessária; dialogando com Boaventura de Sousa Santos, José Geraldo de Sousa Júnior e José Murilo de Carvalho sobre as desigualdades brasileiras e seu enfrentamento; unido à conversa Paulo Freire e bell hooks, em diálogo sobre a educação autoral e transformadora; e contando também com Márcia Abrahão Moura e Mônica Nogueira, ao falar sobre o papel histórico e atual da Universidade de Brasília (UnB) na luta por direitos e na construção de uma universidade possível e verdadeiramente emancipadora

Elite Perceptions of Poverty: Brazil

Summaries The article discusses how Brazilian elites view poverty and social inequality and offers some preliminary comparisons with the perceptions of elites in Bangladesh and South Africa. Based upon survey research, in?depth interviews and newspapers material, it deals with values, beliefs and concrete interests as interrelated dimensions which conform the way the elites see poverty in both cognitive and evaluative terms

O surdo na perspectiva inclusiva: acesso, permanência e êxito no ensino (?)

Em concordância com as legislações vigentes que tratam a Educação Especial na Perspectiva Inclusiva, em especial o surdo público alvo desta pesquisa, o interesse e percurso da mesma originou se da minha prática como alfabetizadora de estudantes com surdez, na rede pública estadual de ensino e posteriormente como docente acadêmica responsável pela disciplina Introdução a Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras), onde não visualizava uma prática inclusiva nos contextos onde atuava como alfabetizadora e tão pouco nos discursos dos estudantes em formação universitária. A pesquisa está inserida no campo da inclusão escolar do surdo e apresenta como objetivo geral observar, investigar e analisar a execução da implementação das políticas públicas na perspectiva inclusiva dos surdos, em um município do interior paulista, especificamente na rede regular de ensino público estadual. O lócus da pesquisa foi três escolas públicas da rede estadual, localizadas uma na parte central da cidade e duas na parte periférica cujo critério de seleção se deu pelo fato de serem escolas que possuem estudantes surdos incluídos em classes regulares, nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental e consideradas inclusivas pela Diretoria Regional de Ensino. Participaram desta pesquisa três gestores, três coordenadores, doze professores, quatro interlocutores, quatro agentes escolares, um funcionário do serviço geral e três merendeiras, atuantes nos contextos educacionais pesquisados. Na perspectiva em estudo, a metodologia usada foi a documental, bibliográfica e de campo, com foco na abordagem qualitativa, dispondo de entrevistas semiestruturadas e aplicação de questionários. Como resultado na análise e descrição das categorias, a pesquisa apontou que as políticas públicas inclusivas não são viabilizadas nos contextos escolares regulares pesquisados por questões de: ausência da Língua Brasileira de Sinais e do interlocutor mediador da comunicação entre surdos e ouvintes, formação docente especializada insuficiente no atendimento ao aluno surdo, desconhecimento das adaptações curriculares adequadas, discursos pedagógicos apoiados na inclusão como direito, principalmente social e privação de materiais especializados. Sabe-se que são territórios de negociações e de resistência da comunidade ouvinte e surda. As concepções e práticas existentes estão em constante modificação e ressignificação de sentidos e sujeitos. Discutindo e refletindo nas variáveis que comprometem a aproximação entre teoria e prática na implementação das políticas públicas inclusivas, a pesquisa apontou desafios que decorrem de movimentos mais efetivos na adequação de espaços e currículo tornando o acesso, permanência e êxito na aprendizagem do aluno surdo em contexto regular de ensino real e não somente ideal