Does she deserve it? The influence of gender and meritocracy in reactions to affirmative action legislation

Gender equality is a matter for debate worldwide. In 2018, Portugal enacted legislation (Decree Law no. 62/2017) to balance gender representation on the executive boards of listed and public sector organizations with measures similar to those causing controversies in other countries. Thus, in accordance with previous research, a study took place to examine the attitudes towards the justice of this legislation and the role of merit in these attitudes. This study (n = 129 women and 94 men) deployed an experimentally manipulative type of affirmative action program to consider the role of individual perceptions of the justice of the legislation coupled with the influence of beliefs in meritocracy and participant gender. The results identify how the type of affirmative action impacted on the perceived justice, also influenced by merit, which seems normative and fundamental to evaluating the justice of such legally stipulated provisions. Nonetheless, objectively evaluating candidate merits revealed difficulties in disentangling this process from personality traits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The gender of retirement in a double-ageing country: Perspectives and experiences of retired women and men in Portugal

This article aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of women and men at the stage in their lives following professional retirement, enriching the present and future of a continuously ageing Portuguese society. In order to better capture the diversity and complexity of each individual’s experiences, a qualitative methodology was used. Semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with sixteen retired people, eight women and eight men, aged between 59 and 88 years old. A thematic analysis allowed us to identify five themes in the interviewees’ discourses. We concluded that gender may be a source of heterogeneity at this stage of life, suggesting that these findings should be analysed in the scope of a life course perspective, and highlighting the impact that the different trajectories of women and men have, as well as the historical and social context in which they take place.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ensaios triaxiais cíclicos na caracterização mecânica de agregados britados: metodologias AASHTO e CEN

Os agregados britados de granulometria extensa continuam a ser frequentemente utilizados nas camadas não ligadas de pavimentos rodoviários Portugueses, nomeadamente em sub-base e base granulares. O comportamento destes materiais naquele tipo de camadas, apesar de alguns estudos já realizados nesse sentido, não se encontra ainda suficientemente caracterizado, sobretudo por razões que se prendem com a heterogeneidade dos maciços donde são provenientes. Sendo estes materiais de especial importância para a tecnologia de pavimentos Portuguesa e por forma a tentar contribuir para um mais aprofundado conhecimento dos mesmos foram desenvolvidas duas teses de Doutoramento, na Universidade de Coimbra e no Instituto Superior Técnico, que, utilizando diferentes metodologias de ensaio, tiveram como principal objectivo a caracterização mecânica e a elaboração de modelos típicos de comportamento para materiais britados não tratados. Basicamente, em ambos os trabalhos procedeu-se, para além da caracterização geotécnica, à caracterização do comportamento mecânico do material em laboratório, recorrendo a ensaios triaxiais cíclicos, realizados segundo dois procedimentos distintos. Nesta comunicação apresentam-se os resultados encontrados, nomeadamente no que respeita à modelação dos resultados dos ensaios triaxiais cíclicos, segundo as duas metodologias de ensaio, incluindo o modelo que, segundo os trabalhos, melhor traduz o comportamento mecânico daqueles materiais portugueses. Por fim, faz-se uma breve comparação entre as duas metodologias de ensaio e avalia-se a sua influência no módulo resiliente dos materiais

Papéis e dinâmicas de género em tempos de COVID-19: mudanças e continuidades nos acordos de partilha de tarefas domésticas e de prestação de cuidados

This paper intends to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on shared unpaid work between men and women living as a couple during the confinement, to assess whether this situation influenced family dynamics, especially when professional status changed to teleworking. With this goal, weekly hours spent in housework and caregiving, perceptions of justice about sharing arrangements, and the impact of COVID in the housework and caregiving workload were analyzed, in a sample of 128 workingage participants, living as a couple, and mostly in telework (58%). The asymmetries identified in recent literature were also found in our study, particularly for couples with underage children. Women reported doing much more work than it would be fair, both in household and caregiving tasks. Parents reported a workload increase in caregiving tasks, compared to participants without children, independently of sex.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Igualdad de género bajo asedio: Percepciones y satisfacción de mujeres en teletrabajo con la distribución del trabajo no remunerado durante el cierre de Covid-19

This study analyses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the division of domestic work as regards women in opposite-gender relationships, telecommuting and living as a couple, during the first lockdown in Portugal. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected (N=171) to understand women's perceptions of time spent on unpaid work, satisfaction, and main difficulties in this period. Results revealed women's dissatisfaction, especially mothers of underage children, who perceived an increase in caregiving tasks. Women's satisfaction also impacted their perception of the causes for these gender asymmetries. The less satisfied women ascribe gender inequalities mainly to socio-normative factors and gender stereotypes, while the more satisfied women ascribe them to aspects of socialisation and upbringing, as well as innate dispositions that differ between men and women. The trend towards more equality found prior to Covid-19 was not found.Este estudo analisa o impacto da pandemia de Covid-19 na divisão do trabalho doméstico de mulheres em relações com o sexo oposto, em teletrabalho e a viver em casal, durante o primeiro confinamento em Portugal. Recolheram-se dados quantitativos e qualitativos (N = 171) para compreender as perceções das mulheres sobre o tempo gasto em trabalho não remunerado, a satisfação e as principais dificuldades. Os resultados revelaram a insatisfação das mulheres, especialmente mães de crianças menores, que viram aumentar as tarefas de prestação de cuidados. A satisfação das mulheres também mostrou diferenças na perceção das causas destas assimetrias de género. As mulheres menos satisfeitas atribuem as desigualdades de género principalmente a fatores socionormativos e estereótipos de género, enquanto as mulheres mais satisfeitas as atribuem a aspetos de socialização e educação, bem como a disposições inatas que diferem entre homens e mulheres. A tendência de maior igualdade encontrada antes da Covid-19 não foi observada.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Switching of Magnetic Moments of Nanoparticles by Surface Acoustic Waves

We report evidence of the magnetization reversal in nanoparticles by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). The experimental system consists of isolated magnetite nanoparticles dispersed on a piezoelectric substrate. Magnetic relaxation from a saturated state becomes significantly enhanced in the presence of the SAW at a constant temperature of the substrate. The dependence of the relaxation on SAW power and frequency has been investigated. The effect is explained by the effective ac magnetic field generated by the SAW in the nanoparticles.Comment: Accepted in Europhysics Letter