Farming under constrained budgets: Practices of agricultural credit users in central Lombok, Indonesia

There has been a long dependency on credit by Indonesian farmers as a result of the lack of capital to apply proper farming practices. This paper describes the farming activities applied by agricultural credit users in Central Lombok, Indonesia. A survey was conducted during July 2001- March 2002 of 65 farmers making use of government or private credit in three villages within the Regency. Data from the farmers were collected using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Survey results indicated that on average, farmers had some 20 years experience of farming, were aged 40 years, but lacked of formal education. Their main asset was cropping land with average landholding of 0.69 ha. As a consequence of their capital constraints, farmers were commonly making use of credit to finance their farming activities, including both production of rice as the main crop and secondary crops. Farmers generally applied less than recommended amount of inputs in their farming practices, since the amount of credit they obtained was limited. As a result, their farms become less productive and their repayment capability of loans diminished. Of 65 farmers interviewed, 54 could earn extra income by engaging in a variety of non-farm activities, which contributed on average some 36% to family incomes of over Rp 5 million (A$ 1 thousand). The average credit repayment rate made by agricultural producers was 60%. The repayment made did not always reflect farm production capacity, being sometimes supported by other borrowings. The greater role of credit is not in increasing agricultural production or improving farmers��� income, but in helping them to sustain farm production and their living. Farmers need a bigger amount of credit to make an impact on their livelihood. This should be accompanied by extension services for farmers to enable better use of credit and to change their attitude towards it. As well, farmers require to be equipped with technical and market skills to run a business. Interdisciplinarity, holistic analysis, and an expansion of traditional ���agricultural��� interests to embrace the span of interests included in rural livelihood, are each critical features of revision of the existing system.

Is breast best? Perceptions of infant feeding

This study explored the reasons why young women from low income areas are among those least likely to breastfeed. Focus groups were conducted with 15 health professionals and 11 young, first time mothers were interviewed. Health professionals participating believed that white communities endorsed bottle feeding while Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, although they accepted breastfeeding more readily, were likely to give prelacteal feeds of non-breast milk and to delay weaning. The interviews with mothers revealed a belief that 'breast is best' but factors intervened in a detrimental way resulting in the decision not to breastfeed or in early cessation. Participating mothers expected breastfeeding to be painful and were preoccupied with feeding and weight gain. The desire to have 'fat bonnie babies' demonstrated the mothers' moral attempts to be perceived as 'good mothers' although their actions went against the knowledge that 'breast is best'. Recommendations include educating health professionals about subcultures in their communities and reversing the misconception that breast milk is insufficient for a baby's healthy development. Promoting breastfeeding must include the crucial message that breast milk contains all the nourishment a baby needs.

'Worlds of justification��� in the politics and practices of urban regeneration

A considerable body of research has developed on processes of neoliberal urban regeneration and gentrifi cation. On the one hand, there are many political economy accounts emphasising the role of economic capital in processes of urban change and gentrifi cation. On the other hand, there is a wealth of governmentality studies on the art of government that fail to explain how ungovernable subjects develop. Similarly, within gentrifi cation studies there are many accounts on the role of changing consumer lifestyles and defi ning gentrifi cation, but less concern with the governance processes between actors in urban regeneration and gentrifi cation. Yet such issues are of considerable importance given the role of the state in urban regeneration and dependence on private capital. This paper utilises the French Pragmatist approach of Boltanski and Th��venot to examine a case study state-led gentrifi cation project. Boltanski and Th��venot argue that social coordination occurs by way of actors working through broader value-laden ���worlds of justifi cation��� that underpin processes of argumentation and coordination. The examined case study is a deprived area within an English city where a major state-led gentrification programme has been introduced. The rationale for the programme is based on the assumption that reducing deprivation relies upon substantially increasing the number of higher income earners. The paper concludes that market values have overridden broader civic values in the negotiation process, with this intensifying as the state internalised market crisis tendencies within the project. More broadly, there is a need for French Pragmatism to be more sensitive to the spatial processes of social coordination, which can be achieved through critical engagement with recent concepts of ���assemblages���.

Urban politics and the social practices of critique and justification:conceptual insights from French pragmatism

Recent times have witnessed a growing belief in urban spaces as 'assemblages' produced through interwoven and spatially differentiated forces that converge at particular sites. There is also continuing interest in the nature of neoliberal tendencies and the rise of post-politics and democracy in urban governance. These accounts typically lack attention towards the comprehensive conceptualization of the heterogeneous logics and mechanics of relations and negotiations between actors. This paper seeks to advance these perspectives by exploring the potential contribution of French pragmatism thinking to how social life is produced through practical dialogue between actors through critique, argumentation and justification. �� The Author(s) 2012.

A comparison between the feeding practices of parents and grandparents

Grandparents play a valuable role in the socialisation of young children, and as many as 36% of British parents use grandparents as their main form of childcare. Research has begun to explore how grandparents impact the social and cognitive development of children, but very little research has evaluated their contribution to child feeding. The present study explores whether there are differences between parents and grandparents in terms of their feeding practices, and whether grandparents' feeding practices are related to the number of hours that they spend caring for grandchildren. Results indicate that grandparents reported using significantly more maladaptive feeding practices such as using food to regulate emotions and restricting food, but more positive practices such as providing a healthy food environment. The more hours that grandparents spent caring for children the more their feeding practices resembled those broadly reported by parents. Results suggest that grandparents can have a measurable impact on child feeding behaviour which in turn is likely to predict the eating behaviours of their grandchildren. �� 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

A framework of best practice of continuing professional development for the accounting profession

The International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) places a strong emphasis on individual professionals taking responsibility for their Continuing Professional Development (CPD). On the other hand, the roles performed by professional accountants have evolved out of practical necessity to 'best' suit the diverse needs of business in a global economy. This diversity has meant that professional accountants are seen in highly specialised roles requiring diverse skill sets. In order to enhance the contribution of the accountant as a knowledge professional for business, it follows that CPD that leverages off an individual's experience should be designed to meet the needs of professionals across the different specialised roles within the profession. In doing so the project identifies how CPD should differ across roles and levels of organisational responsibility for accounting professionals. The study also makes a number of policy recommendations to IAESB and IFAC. �� 2013 �� 2013 Taylor & Francis.

The best days of your life? Youth, policy and Blair's New Labour

Since the election of New Labour in 1997, young people's relationship to work and to the labour market has been the subject of intense scrutiny and policy activity. By equipping young workers with the qualifications and skills they are held to need in the knowledge economy, the government hopes to reconcile its quest for economic progress with the commitment to social justice for young people. However, as this article argues, the importance invested in this area of 'youth policy' overlays a more fundamental process of disengagement in which New Labour is presiding over the withdrawal of those traditional sources of support it has held out to the young. For this reason, the article concludes by suggesting that the importance that New Labour attaches to policy for young workers tells us more about the needs of government than it does about the needs of young people.

Emberier��forr��s-menedzsment gyakorlatokkal kapcsolatos kutat��sok a lean termel��s irodalm��ban (Researches on human resource management practices of lean production literature)

A lean termel��si rendszer szociotechnikai megk��zel��t��se szerint a lean technikai elemei (technikai alrendszer) a kimagasl�� teljes��tm��nyt ny��jt�� munkaer��-szervez��si rendszer (HPWS) gyakorlataival (szocio alrendszer) kapcsol��dnak ��ssze. A tanulm��ny ezt a megk��zel��t��st MacDuffie (1995) szervezetilogika-koncepci��ja alapj��n mutatja be. A lean termel��si rendszer munkaer��-szervez��si rendszer��vel kapcsolatosan n��gy t��mak��rt tekint ��t: (1) a lean termel��si rendszer munkaer��-szervez��si rendszerekre gyakorolt hat��s��t, (2) a HPWSgyakorlatok haszn��lat��t ��s (3) teljes��tm��nyhat��s��t, v��g��l a (4) munk��sokra gyakorolt hat��sokat. A feldolgozott koncepcion��lis ��s empirikus munk��kban valamennyi pontban sz��mos ellentmond��s fedezhet�� fel. _____ According to the socio-technical view of lean production lean system is built on both technical and human resource practices (subsystems). The concept of organizational logic developed by MacDuffie (1995) describes how lean techniques and high performance working systems practices mutually suppose each other in lean environment. This study reviews four fields of human issues in relation to lean production: (1) the impact of lean system on work organization; (2) the use HPWS practices and (3) their impact on operational performance indicators in lean producers; (4) the impact of lean production on workers. The review of empirical and conceptual studies points out that there are many contradictions regarding the above points.

��talakul�� emberier��forr��s-menedzsment a multinacion��lis v��llalatok magyarorsz��gi le��nyv��llalatain��l 2008���2009 (Changing HR-practices of the Hungarian subsidiaries of multinational enterprises, 2008-2009)

A P��csi Tudom��nyegyetem K��zgazdas��gtudom��nyi Kar��n sok ��ve foly�� HR-kutat��s leg��jabb eredm��nye ez a besz��mol��, amely 74 Magyarorsz��gon is m��k��d�� multinacion��lis v��llalat helyi le��nyv��llalat��nak HR-gyakorlat��t vizsg��lja. Az adatfelv��tel (t��bbs��g��ben helysz��ni interj��) ideje 2010. ��prilis-november. ��gy a meg��llap��t��sok m��r a v��ls��gb��l val�� kil��bal��s id��szak��ra is vonatkoznak: mit ��s hogyan tettek a HR-szervezetek, valamint a vonalbeli vezet��k a HR-munka hat��konys��g��nak n��vel��s��re. A fel��ll��tott 5, ezzel kapcsolatos hipot��zist a szerz��k vizsg��lataik alapj��n r��szben igazolni tudt��k. A f�� meg��llap��t��s: a nemzetk��zi v��llalatok ��� minim��lis l��tsz��mcs��kkent��ssel ��� kitartottak Magyarorsz��g mellett, meger��s��tett��k a helyi le��nyv��llalatokn��l foly�� HR-munk��t. A kutat��s nemzetk��zi keretekben jelenleg is folytat��dik: 6 orsz��gban k��sz��lnek tanulm��nyok a helyi hasonl�� v��llalati k��rre, a magyarorsz��gi��val azonos HR-vizsg��lati szempontok alapj��n. _________ This article is the result of the several year long HR-research conducted at the Faculty of Business and Management of the University of P��cs, and it analyzes the HR-practices of the Hungarian subsidiaries of 74 multinational enterprises. Data collection (mostly interviews at the subsidiaries) took place during the period of April-November 2010. Hence, the findings also relate to the period of the recovery from the recession: what and how the HR-units/ and line managers did to increase the efficiency of the HR work. The 5 hypotheses in relation with this, could partially be verified by the research of the authors of this paper. The main finding is that the multinational enterprises ��� with a slight decrease of headcount ��� stood beside Hungary and strengthened the HR-activities at their subsidiaries. Research is still being continued internationally: studies are being prepared in 6 countries on similar groups of local companies, by using the same HR-research aspects as those used in Hungary.