New Sites, New Challenges? Ethical and Methodological Questions in the Context of Research on Migration Exclusion

The challenges of research ethics and methodologies have been reflected on extensively, but – aside from the context of feminist methodologies – less so in relation to research on particular migration sites such as in transit, detention centres, at the borders or within migration administration. First attempts in this direction have been made (Düvell et al. 2010, Fresia et al. 2005, Riedner 2014, van Liempt/Bilger2009), however, more reflection and theorization is needed, considering the contested nature of these temporal and volatile sites. In this workshop, we thus aim at examining methodological as well as ethical questions that arise during field work: We attempt to reflect the power relations involved in the research process, the ethics of research design, the dissemination of research results, the question of gaining access to and – whenever necessary – staying in contact with our research subjects. How can we negotiate informed consent with subjects whose life is currently marked by transit and insecurity concerning their own future, and who are in an uncertain situation in which substantial information (legal, social, cultural etc.) is likely to be missing? How do we deal with the dilemma of possibly contributing to knowledge production that might facilitate removals and deportations in the future, considering that the reception of the results is not in the hands of the researchers? How do we deal with the anticipated as well as unexpected impacts of our research on social and political practice? Regarding fieldwork in state institutions, how do we negotiate the multiple loyalties we often find ourselves faced with as social researchers, both with the excluded migrants and with the authorities implementing the exclusions – two groupings considered to be opposite to each other (Lavanchy 2013)? Which different roles do researchers need to take on? The aim of our workshop is first and foremost to exchange experiences on fieldwork with others doing qualitative research on related topics and to consider its possible implications – including affective dimensions – for all participants involved in the research process: the migrants, the security staff of detention centres, its social workers, border police and bureaucrats and, last but not least, the researchers themselves. Furthermore, we generally wish to reflect upon the question of how best to conduct research in this contested field, applying an interdisciplinary perspective.

HIV disclosure decisions and social support among African-American women in Houston, Texas

African Americans make up 12.3% of the population but account for over half of the new HIV cases and 39% of the AIDS cases in 2003 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2003). African American women in particular accounted for 64% of these cases of HIV and 60% of the AIDS cases (Leigh & Huff, 2003). This study contributed to the knowledge about the disclosure process of women living with HIV/AIDS by documenting the relationship between social support and the disclosure process in the African American HIV/AIDS population.^ The study aims were to: (1) discuss the participants' self concept of support; (2) describe the common characteristics of the disclosure process; and (3) evaluate the common characteristics of support sought in a potential disclosure source. The ethnographic qualitative methodology was utilized to elicit participant narratives of HIV disclosure and social support. The researcher utilized a key informant interview methodology building on existing social and organizational relationships (Krueger, 1994) to gain access to the population. ^ Semi-structured interviews are a widely used and accepted qualitative research method for use with hard to reach populations and sensitive topics. Ten participants completed a 45 to 60 minute, one on one semi-structured interview covering social support and disclosure variables. Inclusion and exclusion criteria included: (1) self identified as a person living with HIV/AIDS; (2) African American); (3) female; (4) age 18-64 years old, (5) residence in Houston or surrounding counties.^ Themes generated from the interviews were (1) nondisclosure, (2) experiences with disclosure, (3) timing, (4) disclosure sources, and (5) coping. The themes suggest African American women living with HIV/AIDS come from different lifestyles but share similar experiences. Women utilize different strategies such as deciphering whom to trust and determining how much information to divulge in order to protect themselves or others.^ Although the sample group was small for this study, the results inform us about the various experiences each woman goes through as it relates to social support and disclosure and that each woman has to customize her response to the type of support she is receiving and her personal attitude about her disease.^

Hearing aid use and adherence: A systematic review of the literature concerning the socioeconomic and psychological influences on hearing aid use and barriers to use

The current hearing health situation in the United States does not provide adequate support to individuals with hearing loss. More research is needed to give more support to these individuals. By conducting a systematic review of relevant literature from 1990 to present, I identified many factors that influence an individual's use of hearing aids. There are two research questions in this study: 1. Does the provision of screening and access to hearing aids decrease the negative effects of hearing loss? 2. Why is it difficult for people with hearing loss to adapt to and use hearing aids? The population of interest was adults (>18 years old) with hearing loss. Factors that influenced use of hearing aids for this population included age, gender, socioeconomic status, education, perceived severity of hearing loss, cost of hearing aids, screening, perceived benefit, stigmatization, perceived control, cognitive capability, personality, and social support. Research suggests that more efficient screening of at-risk individuals and the provision of better access to these individuals would prevent many of the negative effects of hearing loss.^

El ciudadano como actor social : debatiendo la participación en el estado actual

El presente artículo analiza desde sus orígenes la conceptualización de la ciudadanía y el impacto de su ejercicio en el ámbito político y social de las sociedades, las respuestas que los Estados modernos han ido dando a las demandas planteadas al constituirse los ciudadanos en actores sociales luchando por sus derechos; los enfoques de diversos autores sobre el contenido de la condición ciudadana tanto en las sociedades modernas como en las actuales y los profundos cambios que la globalización y la cultura posmoderna han producido en la caracterización del ciudadano. Plantea el desarrollo de la ciudadanía en la República Argentina y las distorsiones en su ejercicio producidas por los cambios societales y políticos ocurridos a fines del siglo pasado y principio del presente, a partir de una nueva configuración social marcada por la pobreza y la exclusión; compara los tipos ciudadanos con los modelos societales a que da lugar cada uno y el papel a desempeñar por el Estado ante las demandas como actores sociales que plantea el individuo en los respectivos modelos.

Jóvenes excluidos : Límites y alcances de las políticas públicas de inclusión social a través de la capacitación laboral

Las dificultades que actualmente enfrentan los jóvenes para ingresar a la vida adulta se hacen presentes tanto en el contexto de economías desarrolladas como subdesarrolladas. Pero en estas últimas, el problema adquiere mayor extensión, constituye un factor de riesgo relativo de desempleo, de discriminación y de desafiliación socio-institucional. ¿Es este, en efecto, un problema general o cabe relativizarlo a grupos específicos de la juventud? En este caso, ¿quiénes son los jóvenes que están más expuestos a tales privaciones? En el marco de un diagnóstico controvertido, cabe preguntarse: ¿cuál es el sentido y el alcance de las políticas públicas que intentan dar respuesta a este problema en la Argentina? ¿Cuál es su pertinencia y eficacia? A estas preguntas, buscamos responder con una investigación cuasi-experimental que evalúa el impacto del Programa Incluir ?acciones de capacitación en oficios? sobre las oportunidades de afiliación socio-laboral de jóvenes excluidos en el Partido de Morón, Buenos Aires

Jóvenes excluidos : Límites y alcances de las políticas públicas de inclusión social a través de la capacitación laboral

Las dificultades que actualmente enfrentan los jóvenes para ingresar a la vida adulta se hacen presentes tanto en el contexto de economías desarrolladas como subdesarrolladas. Pero en estas últimas, el problema adquiere mayor extensión, constituye un factor de riesgo relativo de desempleo, de discriminación y de desafiliación socio-institucional. ¿Es este, en efecto, un problema general o cabe relativizarlo a grupos específicos de la juventud? En este caso, ¿quiénes son los jóvenes que están más expuestos a tales privaciones? En el marco de un diagnóstico controvertido, cabe preguntarse: ¿cuál es el sentido y el alcance de las políticas públicas que intentan dar respuesta a este problema en la Argentina? ¿Cuál es su pertinencia y eficacia? A estas preguntas, buscamos responder con una investigación cuasi-experimental que evalúa el impacto del Programa Incluir ?acciones de capacitación en oficios? sobre las oportunidades de afiliación socio-laboral de jóvenes excluidos en el Partido de Morón, Buenos Aires

Jóvenes excluidos : Límites y alcances de las políticas públicas de inclusión social a través de la capacitación laboral

Las dificultades que actualmente enfrentan los jóvenes para ingresar a la vida adulta se hacen presentes tanto en el contexto de economías desarrolladas como subdesarrolladas. Pero en estas últimas, el problema adquiere mayor extensión, constituye un factor de riesgo relativo de desempleo, de discriminación y de desafiliación socio-institucional. ¿Es este, en efecto, un problema general o cabe relativizarlo a grupos específicos de la juventud? En este caso, ¿quiénes son los jóvenes que están más expuestos a tales privaciones? En el marco de un diagnóstico controvertido, cabe preguntarse: ¿cuál es el sentido y el alcance de las políticas públicas que intentan dar respuesta a este problema en la Argentina? ¿Cuál es su pertinencia y eficacia? A estas preguntas, buscamos responder con una investigación cuasi-experimental que evalúa el impacto del Programa Incluir ?acciones de capacitación en oficios? sobre las oportunidades de afiliación socio-laboral de jóvenes excluidos en el Partido de Morón, Buenos Aires

The Role of ICT in Scaling Up the Impact of Social Enterprises

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help social enterprises and other organizations working on global sustainability issues and in the human development sector in general scale their social impact. The flexibility, dynamism, and ubiquity of ICTs make them powerful tools for improving relationships among organizations and their beneficiaries, multiplying the effects of action against many, if not all, aspects of global unsustainability, including poverty and exclusion. The scaling of social impact occurs in two different dimensions. On one hand, ICTs can increase the value proposition of a program or action (depth scaling) in different ways: providing accurate and fast needs recognition, adapting products and services, creating opportunities, building fairer markets, mobilizing actions on environmental and social issues, and creating social capital. On the other hand, ICTs can also increase the number of people reached by the organization (breadth scaling) by accessing new resources, creating synergies and networks, improving organizational efficiency, increasing its visibility, and designing new access channels to beneficiaries. This article analyzes the role of ICT in the depth and breadth scaling of social impact.

Regulation of T cell receptor (TCR) β gene expression by CD3 complex signaling in immature thymocytes: Implications for TCRβ allelic exclusion

During αβ thymocyte development, clonotype-independent CD3 complexes are expressed at the cell surface before the pre-T cell receptor (TCR). Signaling through clonotype-independent CD3 complexes is required for expression of rearranged TCRβ genes. On expression of a TCRβ polypeptide chain, the pre-TCR is assembled, and TCRβ locus allelic exclusion is established. We investigated the putative contribution of clonotype-independent CD3 complex signaling to TCRβ locus allelic exclusion in mice single-deficient or double-deficient for CD3ζ/η and/or p56lck. These mice display defects in the expression of endogenous TCRβ genes in immature thymocytes, proportional to the severity of CD3 complex malfunction. Exclusion of endogenous TCRβ VDJ (variable, diversity, joining) rearrangements by a functional TCRβ transgene was severely compromised in the single-deficient and double-deficient mutant mice. In contrast to wild-type mice, most of the CD25+ double-negative (DN) thymocytes of the mutant mice failed to express the TCRβ transgene, suggesting defective expression of the TCRβ transgene similar to endogenous TCRβ genes. In the mutant mice, a proportion of CD25+ DN thymocytes that failed to express the transgene expressed endogenous TCRβ polypeptide chains. Many double-positive cells of the mutant mice coexpressed endogenous and transgenic TCRβ chains or more than one endogenous TCRβ chain. The data suggest that signaling through clonotype-independent CD3 complexes may contribute to allelic exclusion of the TCRβ locus by inducing the expression of rearranged TCRβ genes in CD25+ DN thymocytes.

Survival of reproductive behaviors in estrogen receptor β gene-deficient (βERKO) male and female mice

Previously, it was shown that the lack of a functional estrogen receptor (ER) α gene (ERα) greatly affects reproduction-related behaviors in both female and male mice. However, widespread expression of a novel second ER gene, ERβ, demanded that we examine the possible participation of ERβ in regulation of these behaviors. In dramatic contrast to our results with ERα knockout (αERKO) males, βERKO males performed at least as well as wild-type controls in sexual behavior tests. Moreover, not only did βERKO males exhibit normal male-typical aggressive behavior, including offensive attacks, but they also showed higher levels of aggression than wild-type mice under certain conditions of social experience. These data revealed a significant interaction between genotype and social experience with respect to aggressive behavior. Finally, females lacking a functional β isoform of the ER gene showed normal lordosis and courtship behaviors, extending in some cases beyond the day of behavioral estrus. These results highlight the importance of ERα for the normal expression of natural reproductive behaviors in both sexes and also provide a background for future studies evaluating ERβ gene contributions to other, nonreproductive behaviors.

Thyroid hormone receptor β-dependent expression of a potassium conductance in inner hair cells at the onset of hearing

To elucidate the role of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) α1 and β in the development of hearing, cochlear functions have been investigated in mice lacking TRα1 or TRβ. TRs are ligand-dependent transcription factors expressed in the developing organ of Corti, and loss of TRβ is known to impair hearing in mice and in humans. Here, TRα1-deficient (TRα1−/−) mice are shown to display a normal auditory-evoked brainstem response, indicating that only TRβ, and not TRα1, is essential for hearing. Because cochlear morphology was normal in TRβ−/− mice, we postulated that TRβ regulates functional rather than morphological development of the cochlea. At the onset of hearing, inner hair cells (IHCs) in wild-type mice express a fast-activating potassium conductance, IK,f, that transforms the immature IHC from a regenerative, spiking pacemaker to a high-frequency signal transmitter. Expression of IK,f was significantly retarded in TRβ−/− mice, whereas the development of the endocochlear potential and other cochlear functions, including mechanoelectrical transduction in hair cells, progressed normally. TRα1−/− mice expressed IK,f normally, in accord with their normal auditory-evoked brainstem response. These results establish that the physiological differentiation of IHCs depends on a TRβ-mediated pathway. When defective, this may contribute to deafness in congenital thyroid diseases.

Function of the pre-T-cell receptor alpha chain in T-cell development and allelic exclusion at the T-cell receptor beta locus.

The pre-T-cell receptor, composed of the T-cell receptor (TCR) beta chain (TCRbeta), pre-Talpha (pTalpha) chain, and CD3 molecules, has been postulated to be a transducer of signals during the early stages of T-cell development. To examine the function of the transmembrane pTalpha chain during tbymocyte development, we generated pTalpha-/- embryonic stem cells and assayed their ability to differentiate into lymphoid cells in vivo after injection into recombination-activating gene (RAG)-2-deficient blastocysts. Thymocytes representing all stages of T-cell differentiation were detected in the thymus of pTalpha-/- chimeric mice, indicating that thymocyte development can occur without pTalpha. However, greatly reduced thymocyte numbers and substantially increased percentages of both CD4-CD8- thymocytes and TCRgammadelta+ thymocytes suggest that pTalpha plays a critical role in thymocyte expansion. To investigate the role of the pTalpha chain in allelic exclusion at the TCRbeta locus, a functionally rearranged TCRbeta minigene was introduced into pTalpha-/- and pTalpha+/- embryonic stem cells, which were subsequently assayed by RAG-2-deficient blastocyst complementation. In the absence of pTalpha, expression of the transgenic TCRbeta inhibited rearrangement of the endogenous TCRbeta locus to an extent similar to that seen in normal TCRbeta transgenic mice, suggesting that pTalpha may not be required for signaling allelic exclusion at the TCRbeta locus.

Una mirada antropológica sobre el conflicto, la desigualdad y los procesos de reinserción social en Colombia

For more than half of a century, Colombia has been living in a state of violence, a nationwide political violence. As the time goes by, this situation gets even worse. Now the violence is implanted for different interests, such as personal, political, social and economical interests. For this reason, the information for this thesis was gathered from the time of the independence, through the era of violence until today; considering a reflection that begins with the perspective of Marx, passing by a theoretical compilation of the conflict, with an anthropological, psychological, biological and sociological perspective. In addition, different theories about violence have been studied to recognize the ideological approach of the different armed movements that have emerged in Colombia. Statistical, economical and social data including class struggle, social stratification, exclusion and gender perspective among others, have been considered from an anthropological and interdisciplinary approach for studying the violence. A strong interest in the social reintegration process, through an ethnographic study, based on the actors backgrounds, their lives, experiences and their geographical location have provided information that will allow to know the reality of those who are living in the process, those who survive it and those who go on with their lives in society, and those who after doing it return to the armed groups. Population displaced by violence, refugees, has contributed to this study about their possibilities to return to the society or to be excluded by it. With this purpose, a theoretical and a documentary analysis as well as fieldwork have been done, trying to bring forward tools and guidelines to make some progress in developing effective solutions for social integration of Colombian armed conflict victims.

Acting White Among Black College Students: A Phenomenological Study of Social Constructions of Race

This study was a qualitative examination of Black college students' experiences with the Acting White label. In conducting this study, two gaps in literature were addressed: (1) the lack of literature on Black college students and the acting white label, and (2) lack of attention to a US racial history and current structures which allow a label such as "acting white" to exist. Thus, the purpose of this study was to call attention to the experiences of Black college students as it relates to the acting white label. Additionally, the study calls attention to social constructions that allow the acting white label to exist and to be sustained. Data was collected from 14 Black college students at a predominantly white, private, liberal arts university in the west. Based on responses from students in the study, Black college students do hear that they are acting white. Yet, their reaction to hearing the label does not cause them to underachieve academically, but does have an impact on their social actions. The ways in which Black college students in the study were labeled as acting white was based on academic pursuits, speech patterns, dress, and hobbies. Student reactions to the label ranged from ignoring the label to challenging the accuser. In regards to how the acting white label is sustained, students in the study expressed that they learned what it meant to act white or black from family interactions, social interactions and observations from family and friends, and from media sources. It was concluded that Black college students, despite reactions, do hear the label and that the label seems to be used as a means to attack Black students and their identity.