The Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES): psychometric properties of a new tool for epidemiological studies among waged and salaried workers

Background: Despite the fact that labour market flexibility has resulted in an expansion of precarious employment in industrialized countries, to date there is limited empirical evidence about its health consequences. The Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES) is a newly developed, theory-based, multidimensional questionnaire specifically devised for epidemiological studies among waged and salaried workers. Objective: To assess acceptability, reliability and construct validity of EPRES in a sample of waged and salaried workers in Spain. Methods: Cross-sectional study, using a sub-sample of 6.968 temporary and permanent workers from a population-based survey carried out in 2004-2005. The survey questionnaire was interviewer administered and included the six EPRES subscales, measures of the psychosocial work environment (COPSOQ ISTAS21), and perceived general and mental health (SF-36). Results: A high response rate to all EPRES items indicated good acceptability; Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, over 0.70 for all subscales and the global score, demonstrated good internal consistency reliability; exploratory factor analysis using principal axis analysis and varimax rotation confirmed the six-subscale structure and the theoretical allocation of all items. Patterns across known groups and correlation coefficients with psychosocial work environment measures and perceived health demonstrated the expected relations, providing evidence of construct validity. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence in support of the psychometric properties of EPRES, which appears to be a promising tool for the measurement of employment precariousness in public health research.

The aftermath of Civil War

Using an event-study methodology, this paper analyzes the aftermath of civil war in a cross-section of countries. It focuses on those experiences where the end of conflict marks the beginning of a relatively lasting peace. The paper considers 41 countries involved in internal wars in the period 1960-2003. In order to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the aftermath of war, the paper considers a host of social areas represented by basic indicators of economic performance, health and education, political development, demographic trends, and conflict and security issues. For each of these indicators, the paper first compares the post- and pre-war situations and then examines their dynamic trends during the post-conflict period. It conducts this analysis both in absolute and relative terms, the latter in relation to control groups of otherwise similar countries. The paper concludes that, even though war has devastating effects and its aftermath can be immensely difficult, when the end of war marks the beginning of lasting peace, recovery and improvement are indeed achieved.

Impacto de la ayuda oficial al desarrollo de donantes de OCDE-CAD en el proceso de reconciliación nacional en Perú (2000-2010)

La cooperación internacional en el Perú ha tenido un rol importante durante la reconciliación nacional y transición democrática en el Perú luego del terrorismo. El presente trabajo se centrará en la denominada ayuda oficial al desarrollo (AOD) de fuentes bilaterales del 2000 al 2010, pues es la que ha tenido un protagonismo decisivo en el país, sobre todo en las políticas relativas a construcción de paz (peace building) y reconstrucción democrática y porque existe información y registros más fiables tales como los de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico (OCDE) así como de las agencias gubernamentales.

Psychosocial analysis of the collective processes in the United States after September 11

This article studies alterations in the values, attitudes, and behaviors that emerged among U.S. citizens as a consequence of, and as a response to, the attacks of September 11, 2001. The study briefly examines the immediate reaction to the attack, before focusing on the collective reactions that characterized the behavior of the majority of the population between the events of 9/11 and the response to it in the form of intervention in Afghanistan. In studying this period an eight-phase sequential model (Botcharova, 2001) is used, where the initial phases center on the nation as the ingroup and the latter focus on the enemy who carried out the attack as the outgroup. The study is conducted from a psychosocial perspective and uses "social identity theory" (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986) as the basic framework for interpreting and accounting for the collective reactions recorded. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the interpretation of these collective reactions is consistent with the postulates of social identity theory. The application of this theory provides a different and specific analysis of events. The study is based on data obtained from a variety of rigorous academic studies and opinion polls conducted in relation to the events of 9/11. In line with social identity theory, 9/11 had a marked impact on the importance attached by the majority of U.S. citizens to their identity as members of a nation. This in turn accentuated group differentiation and activated ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986). Ingroup favoritism strengthened group cohesion, feelings of solidarity, and identification with the most emblematic values of the U.S. nation, while outgroup discrimination induced U.S. citizens to conceive the enemy (al-Qaeda and its protectors) as the incarnation of evil, depersonalizing the group and venting their anger on it, and to give their backing to a military response, the eventual intervention in Afghanistan. Finally, and also in line with the postulates of social identity theory, as an alternative to the virtual bipolarization of the conflict (U.S. vs al-Qaeda), the activation of a higher level of identity in the ingroup is proposed, a group that includes the United States and the largest possible number of countries¿ including Islamic states¿in the search for a common, more legitimate and effective solution.

La consolidacion de una nueva estrategia en las relaciones entre la Corona de Aragon y el Magreb Hafsida: el tratado de 1403 y sus perspectivas mercantiles

La coyuntura política del reino de Túnez repercutió de forma decisiva sobre las aspiraciones y fracasos de sus relaciones diplomáticas y comerciales con las potencias europeas. Tras un periodo prolongado jalonado por acuerdos sucesivos, las viejas pretensiones tributarias de la Corona de Aragón alcanzarán a ser reconocidas en el tratado suscrito en 1360, aunque aquel acuerdo no conseguirá hacer efectiva en la práctica dicha reclamación. El fortalecimiento del poder de los Hafsíes en las últimas décadas del siglo XIV reabre un periodo de confrontación velada con la intensificación de las actividades corsarias, que culminan en sendas expediciones de castigo sobre puertos magrebíes. El tratado de 1403 pondrá fin a dichas hostilidades y reabrirá una nueva estrategia en las relaciones con el Magreb Hafsída.

Psychosocial analysis of the collective processes in the United States after September 11

This article studies alterations in the values, attitudes, and behaviors that emerged among U.S. citizens as a consequence of, and as a response to, the attacks of September 11, 2001. The study briefly examines the immediate reaction to the attack, before focusing on the collective reactions that characterized the behavior of the majority of the population between the events of 9/11 and the response to it in the form of intervention in Afghanistan. In studying this period an eight-phase sequential model (Botcharova, 2001) is used, where the initial phases center on the nation as the ingroup and the latter focus on the enemy who carried out the attack as the outgroup. The study is conducted from a psychosocial perspective and uses "social identity theory" (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986) as the basic framework for interpreting and accounting for the collective reactions recorded. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the interpretation of these collective reactions is consistent with the postulates of social identity theory. The application of this theory provides a different and specific analysis of events. The study is based on data obtained from a variety of rigorous academic studies and opinion polls conducted in relation to the events of 9/11. In line with social identity theory, 9/11 had a marked impact on the importance attached by the majority of U.S. citizens to their identity as members of a nation. This in turn accentuated group differentiation and activated ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986). Ingroup favoritism strengthened group cohesion, feelings of solidarity, and identification with the most emblematic values of the U.S. nation, while outgroup discrimination induced U.S. citizens to conceive the enemy (al-Qaeda and its protectors) as the incarnation of evil, depersonalizing the group and venting their anger on it, and to give their backing to a military response, the eventual intervention in Afghanistan. Finally, and also in line with the postulates of social identity theory, as an alternative to the virtual bipolarization of the conflict (U.S. vs al-Qaeda), the activation of a higher level of identity in the ingroup is proposed, a group that includes the United States and the largest possible number of countries¿ including Islamic states¿in the search for a common, more legitimate and effective solution.

Estudiar la guerra per a desaprendre-la

L'època en que ens trobem, que és la de la gestació i l'engegada de la Reforma Educativa, ha vist una intensa i positiva reflexió sobre tots els aspectes de l'educació. En l'àmbit a que pertanyo, el de la Didàctica de les Ciències Socials, s'hi ha donat una valuosa i heterogènia tasca que ha dut com a resultat múltiples propostes de treball. De manera molt explicable, una part molt important d'aquestes propostes s'ha centrat en el tema deis continguts procedimentals, i dic que és explicable perquè les Ciències Socials escolars han topat amb greus dificultats de comprensió d'ençà del moment en què es va pretendre que fossin altra· cosa que una simple enumeració deis afluents de l'Ebre pel marge dret o bé de la tirallonga de reis gots: atès que ara es tractava de comprendre fets socials complexos, la forma i els mitjans amb que es presentaven a l'aula tenia una importància cabdal.

La consolidacion de una nueva estrategia en las relaciones entre la Corona de Aragon y el Magreb Hafsida: el tratado de 1403 y sus perspectivas mercantiles

La coyuntura política del reino de Túnez repercutió de forma decisiva sobre las aspiraciones y fracasos de sus relaciones diplomáticas y comerciales con las potencias europeas. Tras un periodo prolongado jalonado por acuerdos sucesivos, las viejas pretensiones tributarias de la Corona de Aragón alcanzarán a ser reconocidas en el tratado suscrito en 1360, aunque aquel acuerdo no conseguirá hacer efectiva en la práctica dicha reclamación. El fortalecimiento del poder de los Hafsíes en las últimas décadas del siglo XIV reabre un periodo de confrontación velada con la intensificación de las actividades corsarias, que culminan en sendas expediciones de castigo sobre puertos magrebíes. El tratado de 1403 pondrá fin a dichas hostilidades y reabrirá una nueva estrategia en las relaciones con el Magreb Hafsída.

A Mammalian Lost World in Southwest Europe during the Late Pliocene.

Over the last decades, there has been an increasing interest on the chronology, distribution and mammal taxonomy (including hominins) related with the faunal turnovers that took place around the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition [ca. 1.8 mega-annum (Ma)] in Europe. However, these turnovers are not fully understood due to: the precarious nature of the period's fossil record; the"non-coexistence" in this record of many of the species involved; and the enormous geographical area encompassed. This palaeontological information gap can now be in part bridged with data from the Fonelas P-1 site (Granada, Spain), whose faunal composition and late Upper Pliocene date shed light on some of the problems concerning the timing and geography of the dispersals.

Londres, terra promesa: l'emigració de joves universitaris titulats catalans a Londres

L’alta taxa d’atur juvenil a Catalunya i la precarització persistent del mercat laboral per als joves, han provocat que molts d’ells es plantegin marxar a l’estranger per a provar sort. Segons l’INE, al 2012 van emigrar 10791 catalans i el 35,7% són joves d’entre 16 i 34 anys. El Regne Unit va ser la tercera destinació preferida, amb 958 catalans emigrants reconeguts. La globalització ha difuminat les fronteres i ha obert els horitzons a empreses i treballadors. Les experiències internacionals són cada cop més necessàries si volem formar part d’aquest món, però tenen les seves contrapartides. La present investigació estudia el cas de 10 joves catalans amb titulacions universitàries que han marxat a Londres a la recerca d’aquesta experiència internacional, tot desitjant assentar les bases d’una carrera professional exitosa. El focus d’estudi és conèixer les motivacions de l’emigració que han trobat a la ciutat anglesa i quines són les expectatives de futur

Estratègies educatives a través de l'expressió corporal per a la inclusió de l'alumnat amb risc d'exclusió social

Aquest document ens explica com afecta la crisi socioeconòmica del nostre país als infants que es troben en situació de risc social. En concret, la recerca es va centrar en una escola pública de Torelló on hi ha un predomini d’infants immigrants. La majoria d’aquests infants es troben en una situació precària i, a més, tenen dificultats per entendre la llengua del centre i per comunicar-se amb la mestra tutora de l’aula. Per concloure l’estudi es va elaborar un pla d’acció on es mostra que si es porten a terme estratègies educatives inclusives, com pot ser l’expressió corporal, dins l’aula ordinària els infants amb major risc social poden aprendre més amb la interacció.

Propietarios, aparceros y expedientes judiciales. La lucha por la tierra en Lleida durante el primer franquismo

El objetivo del trabajo es el de analizar las posibilidades que ofrecen las actas de conciliación de los juzgados de paz municipales como fuente privilegiada para el estudio de la conflictividad rural durante el siglo XX. Pretende mostrar cómo las actas permiten (todo y siendo muy difícil una aproximación cuantitativa exhaustiva) un análisis cualitativo que proporciona una imagen distinta y complementaria del impacto de las coyunturas económicas y las políticas agrarias sobre las unidades de producción domésticas: una imagen donde la lucha cotidiana por la propiedad y tenencia de la tierra, el endeudamiento y el incumplimiento de las obligaciones hereditarias, entre otros muchos, son aspectos que emergen a la superficie. En la medida en que, además, dicho análisis empírico se inscribe en un contexto (el de las tierras de Lleida durante los años de la autarquía económica) que ya empezamos a conocer con bastante minuciosidad, los resultados obtenidos adquieren una nueva dimensión y permiten calibrar de un modo más preciso los costos sociales que supuso, para la mayor parte de la población rural de la Cataluña interior, la puesta en funcionamiento del programa económico del régimen del general Franco. PALABRAS CLAVE: Conflictividad, franquismo, juicios, Cataluña, Lleida.

Arqueologia y didactica del conflicto: el caso de la guerra civil espaÑola

Archaeology of conflict is an archaeological subfield which is related to heritage regarding or linked to war, violent situations or any kind of conflicts. Archaeology of conflict has shown an special development in relation to contemporary history. In Spain, archaeology of conflict has focused especially in sites related to Spanish Civil War and Francoist dictatorship, producing museal interventions and studies with educational possibilities which could stress in the teaching and learning of History and the promotion of Peace.

Efectividad de la intervención psicosocial en pacientes con enfermedad avanzada y final de vida

Objetivos: Demostrar la efectividad de la intervención psicosocial en la atención integral a personas con enfermedades avanzadas. Método: Se ha evaluado la presencia y evolución de parámetros psicológicos y espirituales de 8.964 pacientes, visitados por 117 profesionales de 29 equipos en un estudio de diseño cuasi-experimental, prospectivo, multcéntrico de un solo grupo pre-test post-test. Resultados: Los resultados muestran mejoras significativas en parámetros como ansiedad (RL 657,64; p<0,001), malestar emociona (RL 757,44; p<0,001), sentido de la vida (RL 248,30; p<0,001) y sentimientos de paz y perdón (RL 190,94; p<0,001). Conclusiones: El efecto positivo de la intervención psicosocial en la reducción de los parámetros psicológicos y espirituales evaluados sugiere que esta es eficaz en el contexto de la atención a personas con enfermedades avanzadas.

Teaching cross-cultural competence and CLIL: a CLIL approach in International Relations University Courses

International relations professionals need cross-cultural competence and English language communication skills to function in the international arena (Graddol 1997). English language communication skills are necessary not only to communicate with foreign colleagues (Bocanegra-Valle 2014) but also to access the vast amount of knowledge transmitted in English over the internet (Ku, Zussman 2010). This work reports the use of CLIL and cross-cultural training in the University of Messina International Relations Advanced Degree Program as a method to raise students’ level of English as quickly as possible while giving them the essential intercultural skills for work in the international field. The researchbased course program combined cross-cultural communication training (Storti, 1997; Lewis, 1999; Gannon, 2004, Harris and Moran, 2007; U.S Peace Corps Training Handbook 2012,) and intercultural competence skill development (Bennett, 1998). Two objectives were proposed: 1) develop cross-cultural communication competence; 2) bring students up to a B2 level as fast as possible. The final exam demonstrated significant growth in the areas of cross-cultural competence as well as an increase in European Common Framework level ranging from .5 to 1.0 depending on the student. Students expressed their belief that what they had learned would be useful for their future career. Combining CLIL with intercultural competence building seems to be effective in meeting two objectives: increasing English language fluency and developing cross-cultural communication competence. More research is recommended to further document this method for increasing English communication proficiency while developing interculturally competent international professionals.