Educational attainment and timing of fertility decisions

This paper focuses on timing of fertility decisions, conditional on the level of educational attainment of parents. Timing of fertility and educational attainment of parents rationalize the negative relationship observed in the data between hourly wages and childbearing. It is shown how the recent evolution in total fertility rates observed in developed countries could be in part the result of a transition from an early childbearing regime to a late childbearing regime. I develop a general equilibrium overlapping generations model in order to understand the joint determination of timing of childbearing decisions together with other household economic decisions in a life cycle framework. I show how idiosyncratic uncertainty might have asymmetric efects on completed fertility depending on timing of childbearing, generating the diferences in completed fertility observed between households that difer in their level of educational attainment.

Educational expansion, intergenerational mobility and over-education

[eng] There is a vast literature on intergenerational mobility in sociology and economics. Similar interest has emerged for the phenomenon of over-education in both disciplines. There are no studies, however, linking these two research lines. We study the relationship between social mobility and over-education in a context of educational expansion. Our framework allows for the evaluation of several policies, including those affecting social segregation, early intervention programs and the power of unions. Results show the evolution of social mobility, over-education, income inequality and equality of opportunity under each scenario.

Educational attainment and timing of fertility decisions

This paper focuses on timing of fertility decisions, conditional on the level of educational attainment of parents. Timing of fertility and educational attainment of parents rationalize the negative relationship observed in the data between hourly wages and childbearing. It is shown how the recent evolution in total fertility rates observed in developed countries could be in part the result of a transition from an early childbearing regime to a late childbearing regime. I develop a general equilibrium overlapping generations model in order to understand the joint determination of timing of childbearing decisions together with other household economic decisions in a life cycle framework. I show how idiosyncratic uncertainty might have asymmetric efects on completed fertility depending on timing of childbearing, generating the diferences in completed fertility observed between households that difer in their level of educational attainment.

Agreement in interpersonal perception as a predictor of group performance

The present work deals with quantifying group characteristics. Specifically, dyadic measures of interpersonal perceptions were used to forecast group performance. 46 groups of students, 24 of four and 22 of five people, were studied in a real educational assignment context and marks were gathered as an indicator of group performance. Our results show that dyadic measures of interpersonal perceptions account for final marks. By means of linear regression analysis 85% and 85.6% of group performance was respectively explained for group sizes equal to four and five. Results found in the scientific literature based on the individualistic approach are no larger than 18%. The results of the present study support the utility of dyadic approaches for predicting group performance in social contexts.

La función social de la investigación

Este artículo reflexiona y analiza la función social de la investigación. Evidencia la importancia y complementariedad de los tres ámbitos del conocimiento científico que son: la Tecnología como componente presente en casi la totalidad de investigaciones. La Ciencia, elemento clave y básico para explicar los hechos, datos o acontecimientos que se investigan, así como la Innovación, que es la que garantiza que siga avanzando el conocimiento. El artículo se detiene a analizar los aspectos clave de la función social de la investigación y sus especificidades, tanto en la investigación básica como en la aplicada. Concluye el texto con el análisis de la responsabilidad social de la investigación así como la importancia de la transferencia de los resultados de la misma a la sociedad, animando a la construcción social de una comunidad investigadora que siga trabajando para repercutir socialmente los resultados de sus investigaciones.

A statistical procedure for testing social reciprocity at group, dyadic and individual levels

This paper examines statistical analysis of social reciprocity, that is, the balance between addressing and receiving behaviour in social interactions. Specifically, it focuses on the measurement of social reciprocity by means of directionality and skew-symmetry statistics at different levels. Two statistics have been used as overall measures of social reciprocity at group level: the directional consistency and the skew-symmetry statistics. Furthermore, the skew-symmetry statistic allows social researchers to obtain complementary information at dyadic and individual levels. However, having computed these measures, social researchers may be interested in testing statistical hypotheses regarding social reciprocity. For this reason, it has been developed a statistical procedure, based on Monte Carlo sampling, in order to allow social researchers to describe groups and make statistical decisions.

The Social Politics of Fatherhood in Spain and France: a Comparative Analysis of Parental Leave and Shared Residence

The Social Politics of Fatherhood in Spain and France: A Comparative Analysis of Parental Leave and Shared Residence The article provides a comparative analysis of policy developments on leaves for fathers and joint custody in Spain and France in the last decade. These two types of measures have been selected because they are both widely recognised as main instruments to promote new fathering styles and consequently more gender equality in the European Union. While the rhetoric of choice has been developed in both countries in relation to maternal employment and childcare, with better results in France than in Spain, it remains to be seen to what extent choice will also be extended to fathers. Keywords: Fatherhood. Family. Comparative social policy. Parental leave. Joint custody.

Social factors related to the clinical severity of influenza cases in Spain during the A(H1N1)2009 virus pandemic

Background During the 2009 influenza pandemic, a change in the type of patients most often affected by influenza was observed. The objective of this study was to assess the role of individual and social determinants in hospitalizations due to influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infection. Methods We studied hospitalized patients (cases) and outpatients (controls) with confirmed influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infection. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data. Variables that might be related to the hospitalization of influenza cases were compared by estimation of the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and the variables entered into binomial logistic regression models. Results Hospitalization due to pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus infections was associated with non-Caucasian ethnicity (OR: 2.18, 95% CI 1.17 − 4.08), overcrowding (OR: 2.84, 95% CI 1.20 − 6.72), comorbidity and the lack of previous preventive information (OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.50 − 4.83). Secondary or higher education was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization (OR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36 − 0.87) Conclusions In addition to individual factors such as comorbidity, other factors such as educational level, ethnicity or overcrowding were associated with hospitalization due to A (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus infections.

Extending Learning Objects by Means of Social Networking

Learning objects have been the promise of providing people with high quality learning resources. Initiatives such as MIT Open-CourseWare, MERLOT and others have shown the real possibilities of creating and sharing knowledge through Internet. Thousands of educational resources are available through learning object repositories. We indeed live in an age of content abundance, and content can be considered as infrastructure for building adaptive and personalized learning paths, promoting both formal and informal learning. Nevertheless, although most educational institutions are adopting a more open approach, publishing huge amounts of educational resources, the reality is that these resources are barely used in other educational contexts. This paradox can be partly explained by the dificulties in adapting such resources with respect to language, e-learning standards and specifications and, finally, granularity. Furthermore, if we want our learners to use and take advantage of learning object repositories, we need to provide them with additional services than just browsing and searching for resources. Social networks can be a first step towards creating an open social community of learning around a topic or a subject. In this paper we discuss and analyze the process of using a learning object repository and building a social network on the top of it, with respect to the information architecture needed to capture and store the interaction between learners and resources in form of learning object metadata.

Promoting the Creation, Share and Use of OERs through Open Repositories and Social Networks

In this paper we discuss and analyze the process of using a learning object repository and building a social network on the top of it, including aspects related to open source technologies, promoting the use of the repository by means of social networks and helping learners to develop their own learning paths.

Del Programa d'Educació Compensatòria al nou Pla per a la Llengua i la Cohesió Social

El Programa d’Educació Compensatòria va ser el fruit emblemàtic de la política reformista empresa el 1983 en el camp pedagògic. Es tractava d’un discurs destinat a corregir les desi- gualtats socials i assolir quotes més elevades de justícia social. Actualment, en el context català ha estat considerat necessari un doble canvi, davant el ràpid increment de la població escolar procedent de la immigració i l’aparició de noves formes d’exclusió social: per una banda, una adequada integració educativa, social i cultural de tot l’alumnat independentment del seu origen i condició, i, per l’altra, la consolidació de la llengua catalana com a llengua vehicular de l’ensenyament i com a element de cohesió social en un marc plurilingüe.

Cambio social y homogamia educativa

A partir de una amplia revisión bibliográfica y basándose en los datos de un estudio realizado sobre una muestra representativa de la provincia de Lérida (N=1.219) se analiza en este artículo la persistencia de la homogamia educativa en un contexto de expansión de la escolarización, en especial, de las cohortes femeninas españolas nacidas con posterioridad a 1955. Más allá de la controversia de la homogamia frente a la heterogamia los autores interpretan los resultados como ejemplo de los límites al cambio de modelo de enlace matrimonial.

Treball de recerca aplicada a la intervenció social entorn els joves d'Andorra i el seu temps lliure

Aquest document, es fonamenta d'acord amb diferents teories i pensaments sobre la importància del temps lliure en els adolescents i joves, com també a partir de les experiències de Catalunya, entorn aquest tema. Concretament és una observació del temps lliure dels adolescents i joves, des d’una aproximació a la seva realitat i també analitzant els diferents agents que intervenen en aquest àmbit concret, com del context global d’Andorra. La intenció és identificar i reflexionar entorn les principals característiques de l’oci i el lleure del col·lectiu com també de la participació juvenil per poder prioritzar actuacions socioeducatives encaminades a l’educació en el lleure. És per aquest motiu, que paral·lelament amb aquesta investigació aplicada a la intervenció socioeducativa, també s’ha realitzat un diagnòstic d’Andorra i unes propostes de millora relacionats amb els resultats obtinguts.

L’educador/a social com a tècnic/a d'orientació i inserció laboral, en el marc de la formació reglada. Proposta de creació d’un servei d’orientació i inserció laboral.

Anàlisi al voltant del rol de l’educador/a social com a tècnic/a d’orientació i inserció laboral en el col·lectiu de joves, i reflexió sobre com aquest pot desenvolupar aquesta ocupació en el marc de l’educació formal, en concret, en la formació professional. Aquest anàlisi i reflexió es complementa amb una proposta d’acció socioeducativa que es centra en el disseny d’un servei d’orientació i inserció laboral per a joves estudiants, ubicat en un centre de formació professional.