FAMILY WORKS - Navigating earning and parenting using non-standard employment

Gender inequality persists in Canada. Canadian women are more likely to work part-time, take on more household chores and earn less than men. Overall fewer women work than men in Canada; with the largest gaps in urban centres with high costs of childcare. This gender inequality exists within a regulatory system and public social programs that reinforce gender stereotypes; and, a labour market that is rapidly shifting towards non-standard employment. This project had two goals. First, to support a human-centred design approach to developing gender equality through developing public policy, workplace practices, and social innovations. And second, to extend the understanding of how and why parents are constructing their earning and parenting roles in a variety of non-standard employment relationships Seven heterosexual couples and one single mother who are working in non-standard employment arrangements were interviewed to understand their motivations and decision factors regarding paid employment, domestic and parenting activities; what they are looking for in earning arrangements; the challenges and benefits of their current arrangements; and, future aspirations and concerns. The qualitative data from those interviews were used to identify to identify implications, an overall problem challenge, a set of innovation opportunities, design principles and a set of future research areas. The parents interviewed in this project are using non-standard employment relationships to meet their own earning and parenting goals of maximizing their time with their children and both being involved parents while doing gender differently. These parents’ choices are consistent with a shifting view of domestic sharing, gender equality and a revaluing of caregiving activities in society. They could reflect a new model of earning; however, they also highlight the significant risks borne by earners in non-standard employment relationships because of a mismatch of the social safety net and shifting values

CONTAMINANT FATE AND TRANSPORT IN THE VENICE LAGOON: RESULTS FROM A MULTI-SEGMENT MULTIMEDIA MODEL.

International audienc

Harmful Elements in Estuarine and Coastal Systems

Estuaries and coastal zones are dynamic transitional systems which provide many economic and ecological benefits to humans, but also are an ideal habitat for other organisms as well. These areas are becoming contaminated by various anthropogenic activities due to a quick economic growth and urbanization. This chapter explores the sources, chemical speciation, sediment accumulation and removal mechanisms of the harmful elements in estuarine and coastal seawaters. It also describes the effects of toxic elements on aquatic flora and fauna. Finally, the toxic element pollution of the Venice Lagoon, a transitional water body located in the northeastern part of Italy, is discussed as a case study, by presenting the procedures adopted to measure the extent of the pollution, the impacts on organisms and the restoration activities

An Evaluation of the Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury Community Outreach Programme (PABICOP)

Primary objective: To examine the utility of a coordinated, family/community-focused programme (PABICOP) vs. a standard approach for improving outcomes for children with ABI and their families. Research design: Pre-test–post-test design, with comparison group and follow-up. Methods and procedures: Ninety-six children (64 children receiving PABICOP services and 32 children receiving standard care) participated in the study. Measures were completed at baseline and 3 and 12 months later. Main outcomes and results: Parents/caregivers with more than 10 contacts with PABICOP scored significantly higher on an ABI knowledge quiz than either parents/caregivers with 10 contacts or less or the comparison group at post-test and follow-up. Parents/caregivers with 10 contacts or less with PABICOP reported significantly greater improvements in children\u27s school and total competence on the CBCL than either parents/caregivers with more than 10 contacts or the comparison group at post-test and follow-up. Conclusions: PABICOP may be more useful for enhancing knowledge of ABI for parents/caregivers and for integrating children into the community over a 1-year period than a standard approach. The amount of service received appears to influence outcomes

Temporal evolution of cadmium, copper and lead concentration in the Venice Lagoon water in relation with the speciation and dissolved/particulate partition

In order to study the role of sediment re-suspension and deposition versus the role of organic complexation, we investigated the speciation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) in samples collected in the Venice Lagoon during several campaigns from 1992 to 2006. The increment in Cd and Pb concentration in the dissolved phases, observed in the central and northern basins, can be linked to important alterations inside the lagoon caused by industrial and urban factors. The study focuses on metal partition between dissolved and particulate phases. The analyses carried out in different sites illustrate the complex role of organic matter in the sedimentation process. While Cd concentration in sediments can be correlated with organic matter, no such correlation can be established in the case of Pb, whose particulate concentration is related only to the dissolved concentration. In the case of Cu, the role of organic complexation remains unclear