Disease and hygiene in the construction of a nation: The public sphere, public space, and the private domain in Buenos Aires, 1871–1910

The maturation of the public sphere in Argentina during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was a critical element in the nation-building process and the overall development of the modern state. Within the context of this evolution, the discourse of disease generated intense debates that subsequently influenced policies that transformed the public spaces of Buenos Aires and facilitated state intervention within the private domains of the city’s inhabitants. Under the banner of hygiene and public health, municipal officials thus Europeanized the nation’s capital through the construction of parks and plazas and likewise utilized the press to garner support for the initiatives that would remedy the unsanitary conditions and practices of the city. Despite promises to the contrary, the improvements to the public spaces of Buenos Aires primarily benefited the porteño elite while the efforts to root out disease often targeted working-class neighborhoods. The model that reformed the public space of Buenos Aires, including its socially differentiated application of aesthetic order and public health policies, was ultimately employed throughout the Argentine Republic as the consolidated political elite rolled out its national program of material and social development.

Latin America and the Caribbean in 2011 and Beyond: A conversation among Latin America and Caribbean Specialists.

For the first time in more than fifty years, the domestic and external conflicts in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are not primarily ideological in nature. Democracy continues to thrive and its promise still inspires hope. In contrast, the illegal production, consumption, and trading of drugs – and its links to criminal gangs and organizations – represent major challenges to the region, undermining several States’ already weak capacity to govern. While LAC macroeconomic stability has remained resilient, illegal economies fill the region, often offering what some States have not historically been able to provide – elements of human security, opportunities for social mobility, and basic survival. Areas controlled by drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are now found in Central America, Mexico, and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, reflecting their competition for land routes and production areas. Cartels such as La Familia, Los Zetas, and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC-Brazil), among others, operate like trade and financial enterprises that manage millions of dollars and resources, demonstrating significant business skills in adapting to changing circumstances. They are also merciless in their application of violence to preserve their lucrative enterprises. The El Salvador-Guatemala-Honduras triangle in Central America is now the most violent region in the world, surpassing regions in Africa that have been torn by civil strife for years. In Brazil’s favelas and Guatemala’s Petén region, the military is leaving the barracks again; not to rule, however, but to supplement and even replace the law enforcement capacity of weak and discredited police forces. This will challenge the military to apply lessons learned during the course of their experience in government, or from the civil wars that plagued the region for nearly 50 years during the Cold War. Will they be able to conduct themselves according to the professional ethics that have been inculcated over the past 20 years without incurring violations of human rights? Belief in their potential to do good is high according to many polls as the Armed Forces still enjoy a favorable perception in most societies, despite frequent involvement in corruption. Calling them to fight DTOs, however, may bring them too close to the illegal activities they are being asked to resist, or even rekindle the view that only a “strong hand” can resolve national troubles. The challenge of governance is occurring as contrasts within the region are becoming sharper. There is an increasing gap between nations positioned to surpass their “developing nation” status and those that are practically imploding as the judicial, political and enforcement institutions fall further into the quagmire of illicit activities. Several South American nations are advancing their political and economic development. Brazil in particular has realized macro-economic stability, made impressive gains in poverty reduction, and is on track to potentially become a significant oil producer. It is also an increasingly influential power, much closer to the heralded “emerging power” category that it aspired to for most of the 20th century. In contrast, several Central American States have become so structurally deficient, and have garnered such limited legitimacy, that their countries have devolved into patches of State controlled and non-State-controlled territory, becoming increasingly vulnerable to DTO entrenchment. In the Caribbean, the drug and human trafficking business also thrives. Small and larger countries are experiencing the growing impact of illicit economies and accompanying crime and violence. Among these, Guyana and Suriname face greater uncertainty, as they juggle both their internal affairs and their relations with Brazil and Venezuela. Cuba also faces new challenges as it continues focusing on internal rather than external affairs and attempts to ensure a stable leadership succession while simultaneously trying to reform its economy. Loosening the regime’s tight grip on the economy while continuing to curtail citizen’s civil rights will test the leadership’s ability to manage change and prevent a potential socio-economic crisis from turning into an existential threat. Cuba’s past ideological zest is now in the hands of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, who continues his attempts to bring the region together under Venezuelan leadership ideologically based on a “Bolivarian” anti-U.S. banner, without much success. The environment and natural disasters will merit more attention in the coming years. Natural events will produce increasing scales of destruction as the States in the region fail to maintain and expand existing infrastructure to withstand such calamities and respond to their effects. Prospects for earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes are high, particularly in the Caribbean. In addition, there are growing rates of deforestation in nearly every country, along with a potential increase in cross-sector competition for resources. The losers might be small farmers, due to their inability to produce quantities commensurate to larger conglomerates. Regulations that could mitigate these types of situations are lacking or openly violated with near impunity. Indigenous and other vulnerable populations, including African descendants, in several Andean countries, are particularly affected by the increasing extraction of natural resources taking place amongst their terrain. This has led to protests against extraction activities that negatively affect their livelihoods, and in the process, these historically underprivileged groups have transitioned from agenda-based organization to one that is bringing its claims and grievances to the national political agenda, becoming more politically engaged. Symptomatic of these social issues is the region’s chronically poor quality of education that has consistently failed to reduce inequality and prepare new generations for jobs in the competitive global economy, particularly the more vulnerable populations. Simultaneously, the educational deficit is also exacerbated by the erosion of access to information and freedom of the press. The international panorama is also in flux. New security entities are challenging the old establishment. The Union of South American Nations, The South American Defense Council, the socialist Bolivarian Alliance, and other entities seem to be defying the Organization of American States and its own defense mechanisms, and excluding the U.S. And the U.S.’s attention to areas in conflict, namely Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan – rather than to the more stable Latin America and Caribbean – has left ample room for other actors to elbow in. China is now the top trading partner for Brazil. Russian and Iran are also finding new partnerships in the region, yet their links appear more politically inclined than those of China. Finally, the aforementioned increasing commercial ties by LAC States with China have accelerated a return to the preponderance of commodities as sources of income for their economies. The increased extraction of raw material for export will produce greater concern over the environmental impact that is created by the exploitation of natural resources. These expanded trade opportunities may prove counterproductive economically for countries in the region, particularly for Brazil and Chile, two countries whose economic policies have long sought diversification from dependence on commodities to the development of service and technology based industries.

Club Ratios: A Four-Year Trend Analysis

This article is based on research of the United States club industry conducted over the four-year period of 2003-2006. Twenty ratios were reported, covering the five general classes of financial ratios. The ratio results suggested that 2003 was a banner year for the club industry.

Strontium isotopes and sedimentology of a marine Triassic succession (upper Ladinian) of the westernmost Tethys, Spain

Chemical Stratigraphy, or the study of the variation of chemical elements within sedimentary sequences, has gradually become an experienced tool in the research and correlation of global geologic events. In this paper 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of the Triassic marine carbonates (Muschelkalk facies) of southeast Iberian Ranges, Iberian Peninsula, are presented and the representative Sr-isotopic curve constructed for the upper Ladinian interval. The studied stratigraphic succession is 102 meters thick, continuous, and well preserved. Previous paleontological data from macro and micro, ammonites, bivalves, foraminifera, conodonts and palynological assemblages, suggest a Fassanian-Longobardian age (Late Ladinian). Although diagenetic minerals are present in small amounts, the elemental data content of bulk carbonate samples, especially Sr contents, show a major variation that probably reflects palaeoenvironmental changes. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios curve shows a rise from 0.707649 near the base of the section to 0.707741 and then declines rapidly to 0.707624, with a final values rise up to 0.70787 in the upper part. The data up to meter 80 in the studied succession is broadly concurrent with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of sequences of similar age and complements these data. Moreover, the sequence stratigraphic framework and its key surfaces, which are difficult to be recognised just based in the facies analysis, are characterised by combining variations of the Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr and CaCO3 contents

A pesca do bacalhau durante o período do Estado Novo (1933-1974) : contributo para as relações interculturais

A presente dissertação tem como objeto de estudo a pesca do bacalhau feita por portugueses sob a bandeira de Portugal durante o período do Estado Novo (1933-1974). Investigou-se as razões para um investimento e um protecionismo tão forte à indústria da pesca do bacalhau. É indissociável do estudo da demanda portuguesa por este peixe, à época muito abundante no noroeste atlântico, as políticas autárcicas e de subsistência pilares da economia do Estado Novo, assim como a implantação e robustecimento da Instituição Corporativa. Subjacente a estas linhas de matriz económica mas paradigmáticas do novo regime, estava também a reconstrução da identidade portuguesa, a sacralização do trabalho e a heroicidade do pescador português do bacalhau. A existência da tentativa de revivificação da glória dos descobrimentos na pesca do bacalhau. A criação de um ambiente social, político e religioso que levaram à persecução destas políticas e consequentemente do engrandecimento da estrutura do Estado Novo, resultando até na sedimentação de apoio popular. O desenvolvimento da frota de pesca longínqua foi quase uma única janela de oportunidades para o conhecimento de novos mundos. A montante e a jusante da atividade piscatória também se desenvolveram indústrias e comércio internacional. A participação em organizações internacionais de regulação das pescas proporcionou contatos Institucionais com outras nações, não raro utilizados para quebrar isolamentos e propagandear o Estado Novo e as suas manifestações culturais e identitárias que suscitaram relacionamentos interculturais. Para além destes contatos mais formais, também se desenvolveram contatos informais, que se repercutiram na criação e manifestação de conhecimento mútuo e claro de condições para a gestação da interculturidade. Estes desenvolvimentos de relações informais, de contatos profissionais também geraram relações culturais que se manifestaram em projetos individuais de vida associados às migrações.

[Informe del estado actual del catálogo web de oferta de productos de artesanos de Cundinamarca].

11 hojas : ilustraciones, fotografías.

Diseño de un plan estratégico de mercadeo para el posicionamiento comercial de la pequeña empresa de rotulación digital del municipio de San Salvador. Caso ilustrativo Wilvatex S.A. de C.V.

En la actualidad las pequeñas empresas de la industria de la Rotulación Digital, se encuentran ante la necesidad de contar con un plan estratégico que les permita no sólo mantenerse en el mercado, sino también en una economía globalizada. Actualmente no existe algún tipo de investigación elaborada para la pequeña empresa de Rotulación Digital que oriente el diseño de un plan estratégico de mercadeo, la ausencia de este tipo de herramientas para la toma de decisiones provoca el desaprovechamiento de oportunidades de crecimiento en el mercado, así como el desconocimiento de posibles factores ó circunstancias que amenazan la posición actual de las empresas. Esta investigación está dirigida a las pequeñas empresas de la industria de la Rotulación Digital, las cuales por su naturaleza, muchas veces administran de manera informal y no cuenta con una estructura que les permita organizar y planificar sus actividades, esto ocasiona problemas de liquidez financiera, decremento en las ventas y utilidades lo cual se traduce en el cierre de las mismas. En este sentido, la presente investigación tiene como propósito primordial el diseñar un plan estratégico de mercadeo que permita mejorar el posicionamiento comercial de las pequeñas empresas de la industria de la rotulación digital, con el objetivo principal de determinar las necesidades y expectativas de los consumidores que contribuyan en el diseño de este plan, así como determinar los factores que garanticen un buen posicionamiento mediante la proposición de estrategias competitivas de mercado y un plan de acción sistemático para ponerlas en práctica. El método que se utilizó para la realización del estudio es el científico; usando como método general el deductivo para generalizar la información obtenida y profundizar en el análisis. Se hizo uso además de técnicas estadísticas para el cálculo y determinación de la muestra, a fin de que ésta sea representativa del universo de estudio. La investigación se realizó en el municipio de San Salvador, y se desarrolló un caso ilustrativo, la empresa WILVATEX, S.A. DE C.V. Para el desarrollo del estudio se tomaron en cuenta tres áreas de análisis consideradas importantes, que incluye clientes, pequeñas empresas productoras y agentes distribuidores; para determinar la mezcla de Marketing idónea, y poder crear estrategias que le permita obtener incrementos en las ventas y reposicionarse en la mente de los consumidores, además de evaluar la calidad del servicio que se brinda, para conocer el nivel de satisfacción del cliente. La información se recolectó a través de encuestas dirigidas a los clientes, entrevistas con los responsables de administrar el negocio y la observación directa del equipo de trabajo en cada visita que se hizo a la empresa. Se determinó para efectos de la investigación un universo conformado por los consumidores, los Supermercados, que son el objeto de estudio de la investigación. En el caso de las empresas productoras, el universo está compuesto por 60 pequeñas empresas dedicadas a la rotulación digital; así mismo, un universo de estudio comprendido por las empresas dedicadas a la comercialización de estos productos de manera independiente a los que llamaremos distribuidores. La investigación realizada permitió establecer las principales debilidades que poseen las pequeñas empresas del sector de rotulación digital en El Salvador, entre las que sobresale la falta de recursos financieros que a su vez limita el acceso a mejor tecnología, así como a la inversión en publicidad, y la carencia de una estrategia de venta definida para el mercado nacional. También el reconocimiento de las etapas del ciclo de vida de los productos Banner y Rotulación Exterior. El Plan Estratégico de mercadotecnia está orientado a incrementar la demanda de los productos y/ó servicios, que ofrece la empresa WILVATEX, S.A. DE C.V., valiéndose de estrategias alternativas, genéricas, de posicionamiento y las que se originan de la mezcla de mercadotecnia tomándose en cuenta los recursos con que dispone el negocio. De esta forma se analizó una serie de variables, importantes en la investigación como lo son la filosofía y estructura organizacional, las principales fortalezas, oportunidades, debilidades y amenazas de la empresa, la competencia, la aceptación de sus productos en el mercado, etc. Además de implementar estrategias de Fidelización de los clientes y especializarse en técnicas como la venta personal y el telemercadeo, creando las estrategias propicias para estimular la demanda hacia un incremento y por ende generar mayores ingresos. Se determinó que la estrategia genérica que más se apega a la situación competitiva actual es la de diferenciación, sustentada en la alta calidad de los productos, diseños novedosos y variados y una excelente atención al cliente, para mantener su lealtad. En ese sentido, se sugiere la adopción de estrategias de adaptación, ya sea de los diseños de los productos, como de los procesos tanto productivos como de comercialización.

The voices ..

CONDITION: Good.