Criticism, Context and Community: Connections between Wittgenstein's On Certainty and Feminist Epistemology

I explore the conceptual connections between Wittgenstein's On Certainty and the work of three contemporary feminist epistemologists: standpoint theorist Sandra Harding and feminist empiricists Helen Longino and Lynn Hankinson Nelson. My inquiry reveals both surprising similarities and important differences between Wittgensteinian and feminist epistemologies. Exploring these similarities and differences clarifies Wittgenstein's epistemology and reveals ways feminist epistemologists have developed themes from On Certainty. On Certainty anticipates three important pillars of feminist epistemology: criticism, context, and community

Wittgenstein on the Structure of Justification: Breaking New Epistemological Ground

I shall investigate Wittgenstein's view of the structure of justification comparing it to Foundationalism, Holistic Coherentism, and Contextualism. Remarks in On Certainty (1969) appear to commit Wittgenstein to each of these theories, and scholars have attributed each theory to him. I argue that Wittgenstein's remarks fit neither these theories, nor a sort of combination theory. Wittgenstein breaks new epistemological ground. The issue of the structure of justification arises from the regress problem. An inferential belief gets its justification from other beliefs, producing a belief chain. This chain, or regress, either continues indefinitely or ends. If it continues indefinitely, then it either goes on forever (Infinitism) or circles back upon itself (Linear Coherentism)--two problematic positions I will not discuss. If the regress ends, it ends in beliefs that are directly or non-inferentially justified. The regress problem thus delineates three possible structures, and four possible theories, of justification: an infinite chain of beliefs (Infinitism), a circular chain of beliefs (Linear Coherentism), and a finite chain of beliefs (Foundationalism and Contextualism)

Interview with Betty and Ernie Caraway

Betty and Ernie Caraway share their history in Arkansas

Socializing Caregiving: Social Services, Women\u27s Employment, and Overall Economic Success

Despite general advancements in the status of women in recent decades, women still experience unequal access to the workforce in most countries, in part due to their caregiving responsibilities. This thesis analyzes the effects of different social services on women’s employment in all developed OECD countries, as well as the effect of women’s employment on the economy in these same countries. Then this thesis examines pro-female-employment policies in case studies on Ireland, France, and Sweden to determine the most effective means of promoting women’s employment

Prejudice and The New Latino Migration: The Geographic Locus of Anti-Latino Sentiment

A large body of literature on the relationship between prejudice and discrimination and the size of minority populations suggests that as a minority population increases so will incidents of prejudice and/or discrimination. This school of thought is led by Hubert Blalock who contends that large minority populations generate prejudice among the majority, who view the minority as a threat to their economic and/or political standing. Minority population size has been tested and widely confirmed as a cause of anti-black prejudice and discrimination. But the corresponding research for Latinos has generally produced inconsistent and largely inconclusive findings. The reason for this confusion, according to this thesis, is that prior research has not accounted for a major turning point in the migration of Latinos. It is my contention that there are, in fact, two distinct Latino communities. One resides in the old and well-established immigrant communities that have been the destination of Latino migrants throughout the 20th century. But in recent years, Latino migrants settled in new destinations, in far-flung places, some very remote and generally lacking the social control benefits of old and well-established Latino enclaves. Thus, the link between anti-Latino sentiment and population size is more complex than previously considered. As such, my research produces four interrelated findings: 1) There is a positive relationship between percent change in the population of Latinos and resentment toward them among non-Latinos. 2) This effect exists in new Latino destinations, but not in old destinations. 3) The arrival of Latinos generates a broader resentment, not just toward Latinos specifically, but toward other minorities as well. These findings confirm the first three hypotheses. But the fourth finding does not support the final hypothesis. Specifically, my results do not confirm that anti-minority sentiment (in this case, toward Latinos) are rooted in competition over jobs. There is no significant link between the relative size of the low-skill labor market and anti-Latino prejudice. There are several implications of these findings

Working Through The Past: Labor and Authoritorian Legacies in Comparative Perspective

[Excerpt] Democratization in the developing and post-communist world has yielded limited gains for labor. Explanations for this phenomenon have focused on the effect of economic crisis and globalization on the capacities of unions to become influential political actors and to secure policies that benefit their members. In contrast, the contributors to Working through the Past highlight the critical role that authoritarian legacies play in shaping labor politics in new democracies, providing the first cross-regional analysis of the impact of authoritarianism on labor, focusing on East and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Legacies from the predemocratic era shape labor’s present in ways that both limit and enhance organized labor’s power in new democracies. Assessing the comparative impact on a variety of outcomes relevant to labor in widely divergent settings, this volume argues that political legacies provide new insights into why labor movements in some countries have confronted the challenges of neoliberal globalization better than others

A Looming Pilot Shortage: It is Time to Revisit Regulations

Forecasts predict we will need 790,000 pilots by 2037. This prediction means airlines will need to increase pilot levels by 267%. Finding a solution to this pilot shortage requires the aviation community to address limiting regulatory and other core factors. Many have claimed that 1,500-hour rule and mandatory retirements are critical issues contributing to the pilot shortage. However, the data does not support these claims. Instead, trends in pilot population levels and safety records indicate these regulations are only effecting the demographics of the current pilot population. The shift in the pilot population will harm future airline operations if the airlines do not address the core issue behind the pilot shortage. The relationship between the military and civilian aviation has changed the airlines\u27 source of pilots and the method new pilots finance pilot qualifications. Today, high qualification costs and low entry salaries are discouraging new pilots; therefore, limiting growth in the pilot population. A proposed solution is the replacement of student loans with income share agreements. Income share agreements between the airlines and students will enable students to begin their aviation careers without being financial burden while providing a significant profit for the airlines