Late-career international migration and reproductive work. A comparison between Peruvian and Ukrainian women in the Southern Europe

Research on the relationship between reproductive work and women´s life trajectories including the experience of labour migration has mainly focused on the case of relatively young mothers who leave behind, or later re-join, their children. While it is true that most women migrate at a younger age, there are a significant number of cases of men and women who move abroad for labour purposes at a more advanced stage, undertaking a late-career migration. This is still an under-estimated and under-researched sub-field that uncovers a varied range of issues, including the global organization of reproductive work and the employment of migrant women as domestic workers late in their lives. By pooling the findings of two qualitative studies, this article focuses on Peruvian and Ukrainian women who seek employment in Spain and Italy when they are well into their forties, or older. A commonality the two groups of women share is that, independently of their level of education and professional experience, more often than not they end up as domestic and care workers. The article initially discusses the reasons for late-career female migration, taking into consideration the structural and personal determinants that have affected Peruvian and Ukrainian women’s careers in their countries of origin and settlement. After this, the focus is set on the characteristics of domestic employment at later life, on the impact on their current lives, including the transnational family organization, and on future labour and retirement prospects. Apart from an evaluation of objective working and living conditions, we discuss women’s personal impressions of being domestic workers in the context of their occupational experiences and family commitments. In this regard, women report varying levels of personal and professional satisfaction, as well as different patterns of continuity-discontinuity in their work and family lives, and of optimism towards the future. Divergences could be, to some extent, explained by the effect of migrants´ transnational social practices and policies of states.

Diagnóstico de suelos en cultivos de café (Coffea arabica L.), maíz (Zea mays L.) y frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), comunidad de Santa Julia, El Crucero, Managua

Uno de los parámetros de mayor importancia en la agricultura es el estado nutricional del suelo, así como el manejo de parte de los agricultores. En 2014, a través del programa para el Desarrollo Participativo Integral Rural (DEPARTIR)se efectuó un muestreo de suelos a profundidad de 25 cm en 34 lotes productivos de 17 unidades de producción, dedicadas a la producción de café (Coffea arabica), maíz ( Zea mays L.) y frijol (Phaseolusvulgaris L.) en la comunidad Santa Julia, El Crucero, Managua. Se analizaron los factores que condicionan el uso del suelo, a través de análisis de correlación, ANDEVA y análisis de correspondencia en N, P,K, Mg, Ca, MO, CO y pH. El N total,y altitudfueron correlacionadas. El 95% de las áreas presentaron 10.5 hectáreas, con predominancia decultivo de café. Lafertilización químicaes unapráctica común en las unidades productivasy cultivos estudiados. Los muestreos efectuados en las parcelas de maíz fueron homogéneos a lo interno y externo de las unidades productivas; no así en el cultivo de café. Las áreas de siembra, destino de la producción y la aplicación de fertilizantes químicos, presentaron una alta relación.

Captación y almacenamiento de agua de lluvia, mediante el uso de pilas de captación en la comunidad Santa Julia, El Crucero, Managua, 2016

El presente trabajo de culminación de estudio se realizó en la comunidad santa Julia, El Crucero municipio de Managua, el objetivo principal del estudio es demostrar que el agua de lluvia, contribuye al buen aprovechamiento del agua en santa Julia El Crucero. La poca disponibilidad de agua para uso doméstico y agrícola es la principal problemática demandada por las familias de la comunidad ya que no cuentan con una fuente donde puedan abastecerse poniéndolos en alerta. Durante las diferentes etapas se implementaron herramientas metodológicas (diagnóstico participativo, encuestas, matriz de priorización de los problemas). La metodología utilizada se dividió en tres fases la primera estuvo orientada a la planificación y coordinación con la comunidad en donde se dio el involucramiento de los estudiantes, la fase dos consistió en el trabajo de campo mediante un diagnóstico para conocer las características socioeconómicas de las población, ubicación de las estructura de captación de agua, y el cálculo de la demanda de agua por familia, por otra parte la última fase consto del análisis de la información obtenida. Se encontró en los resultados del estudio que solo tres familias cuentan con el servicio básico de agua potable, sin embargo muchas familias son abastecidas por medio de cisternas enviadas por la alcaldía del crucero una vez a la semana. En su mayoría de las familias son propietarios de sus terrenos lo que conlleva a su permanencia dentro de la comunidad durante todo el año, el grado de organización es muy marcado destacándose la cooperativa de mujeres Gloria Quintanilla y la cooperativa de pequeños productores, el estado de las viviendas de la comunidad en intervención se encuentran en condiciones buenas valorando el techo, pared y piso.

Tratamentos de fibras de carnaúba [copernicia prunífera (miller) h. e. moore] para o desenvolvimento de compósito biodegradável com matriz de polihidroxibutirato

The use of raw materials from renewable sources for production of materials has been the subject of several studies and researches, because of its potential to substitute petrochemical-based materials. The addition of natural fibers to polymers represents an alternative in the partial or total replacement of glass fibers in composites. In this work, carnauba leaf fibers were used in the production of biodegradable composites with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) matrix. To improve the interfacial properties fiber / matrix were studied four chemical treatments to the fibers..The effect of the different chemical treatments on the morphological, physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the fibers and composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, tensile and flexural tests, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermogravimetry (TGA) and diferential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results of tensile tests indicated an increase in tensile strength of the composites after the chemical treatment of the fibers, with best results for the hydrogen peroxide treated fibers, even though the tensile strength of fibers was slightly reduced. This suggests a better interaction fiber/matrix which was also observed by SEM fractographs. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was reduced for all composites compared to the pure polymer which can be attributed to the absorption of solvents, moisture and other low molecular weight molecules by the fibers

Diversidad genética de la colección de zapote [Pouteria sapota (Jacquin) H.E. Moore & Stearn] del CATIE.

This paper presents the evaluation of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of 63 accessions of the sapodilla collection held in CATTE, Costa Rica. Cluster analysis of data indicated six distinct groups with 15, 14, 8, 8, 15 and 3 trees, respectively. Canonic discriminant analysis and F and X2 tests detected the variables most affecting group differentiation. These were reducing sugars, fruit acidity, fruit and seed length, sucrose, pH, fruit diameter, fruit weight, Brix degrees, total sugar content, total solid content, proteins, carbohydrates, leaf length and width, branch architecture, fructification distribution, fruit production, flowering and fruiting season, The origin of the materiais is related to the classifications obtained.

QUANDO OS IMIGRANTES FALAM: VOZES DIASPÓRICAS EM HOW THE GARCÍA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS, DE JULIA ALVAREZ

This article aims at discussing the fictional representation of Caribbean immigrants in the novel How The García Girls Lost Their Accents, by Julia Alvarez. This discussion will be especially based on the impact of immigration on Alvarez’s diasporic subjects and the development of their hyphenated identity in the U.S. For this, the paper will also consider the language issue for the construction of the immigrant identity insofar as bilingualism is a key factor in the negotiation the García girls must effect between their Caribbean and their American halves in order to understand where they stand.