The 3 per cent Barcelona Target: A Critical Appraisal of the Failure of the Lisbon Strategy’s Knowledgebased Economy and Society Project

Ten years after the unanimous approval of the Lisbon Strategy at a special meeting of the European Council on 23-24 March 2000 in Lisbon, it will be inevitable for the European Council, the European Commission and the majority of the EU member states to face with its fi asco and to account for the reasons of their fundamental policy, governance and economic failures in 2010. The recent turbulence of the global economy offers some excuses for the underperformance of the main objectives of the Lisbon Strategy in the essential social and economic domains, like job creation, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Negative growth rates, macroeconomic and fi nancial instability, the contraction of the internal and external markets of the European economy, drop in demand for capital investment, goods and services, sinking corporate revenues, depreciation of corporate assets, increasing private and public indebtedness, falling rate of employment, weakening social cohesion, widening social inequality, and so forth not only deprive the majority of the EU member states of fulfi lling the main objectives of the Lisbon Strategy but also drive them into worse social and economic conditions in many policy domains than they were in 2000.

Social funds as a strategy for poverty reduction in Jamaica: An exploratory study

This study explored the relationship between social fund projects and poverty reduction in selected communities in Jamaica. The Caribbean nation's social fund projects aim to reduce “public” poverty by rehabilitating and expanding social and economic infrastructure, improving social services, and strengthening organizations at the community level. Research questions addressed the characteristics of poverty-focused social fund projects; the nexus between poverty reduction and three key concepts suggested by the literature— community (citizen) participation, social capital, and empowerment; and the impact of the projects on poverty. ^ In this qualitative study, data were collected and triangulated by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, supplemented by key informant data; non-participant observation; and document reviews. Thirty-four respondents were interviewed individually at eight rural and urban sites over a period of four consecutive months, and 10 key informants provided supplementary data. Open, axial, and selective coding was used for data reduction and analysis as part of the grounded theory method, which included constant comparative analysis. The codes generated a set of themes and a substantive-formal theory. Findings were crosschecked with interview respondents and key informants and validated by means of an audit trail. ^ The results have revealed that the approach to poverty reduction in social fund-supported communities is a process of development-focused collaboration among various stakeholders. The process encompasses four stages: (1) identifying problems and priorities, (2) motivating and mobilizing, (3) working together, and (4) creating an enabling environment. The underlying stakeholder involvement theory posits that collaboration increases the productivity of resources and creates the conditions for community-driven development. In addition, the study has found that social fund projects are largely community-based, collaborative, and highly participatory in their implementation, as well as prescription-driven, results-oriented, and leadership-dependent. Further, social capital formation across communities was found to be limited, and in general, the projects have been enabling rather than empowering. The projects have not reduced poverty per se; however, they have been instrumental in improving conditions that were concomitants of poverty. ^

The effect of active student responding in computer -assisted instruction on social -studies learning by students with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three student response conditions during computer-assisted instruction on the acquisition and maintenance of social-studies facts. Two of the conditions required active student responding (ASR), whereas the other required an on-task (OT) response. Participants were five fifth-grade students, with learning disabilities enrolled in a private school. An alternating treatments design with a best treatments phase was used to compare the effects of the response procedures on three major dependent measures: same-day tests, next-day tests, and maintenance tests. ^ Each week for six weeks, participants were provided daily one-to-one instruction on sets of 21 unknown social-studies facts using a hypermedia computer program, with a new set of facts being practiced each week. Each set of 21 facts was divided randomly into three conditions: Clicking-ASR, Repeating-ASR, and Listening-OT. Hypermedia lesson began weekly with the concept introduction lesson, followed by practice and testing. Practice and testing occurred four days per week, per set. During Clicking-ASR, student practice involved the selection of a social-studies response by clicking on an item with the mouse on the hypermedia card. Repeating-ASR instruction required students to orally repeat the social-studies facts when prompted by the computer. During Listening-OT, students listened to the social-studies facts being read by the computer. During weeks seven and eight, instruction occurred with seven unknown facts using only the best treatment. ^ Test results show that all for all 5 students, the Repeating-ASR practice procedure resulted in more social-studies facts stated correctly on same-day tests, next-day tests, and one-and two-week maintenance tests. Clicking-ASR was the next most effective procedure. During the seventh and eighth week of instruction when only the best practice condition was implemented, Repeating-ASR produced higher scores than all conditions (including Repeating-ASR) during the first six weeks of the study. ^ The results lend further support to the growing body of literature that demonstrates the positive relation between ASR and student achievement. Much of the ASR literature has focused on the effects of increased ASR during teacher-led or peer-mediated instruction. This study adds a dimension to that research in that it demonstrated the importance of ASR during computer-assisted instruction and further suggests that the type of ASR used during computer-assisted instruction may influence learning. Future research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of other types of ASR during computer-assisted instruction and to identify other fundamental characteristics of an effective computer-assisted instruction. ^

The effects of resilience and social influences on preventing repeat adolescent pregnancies in parenting adolescent mothers

Every year, 16 million women aged 15 to 19 years give birth globally. Adolescent births account for 11% of all births globally and 23% of the overall burden of disability and diseases due to pregnancy and childbirth. In the United States, 750,000 adolescents (15-19 years) become pregnant each year, making the United States the developed country with the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy. The economic burden of adolescent pregnancy in the U. S. is $7-15 billion per year. Adolescent pregnancy brings risks associated with pregnancy induced hypertension, preterm infants, maternal and neonatal mortality. Social factors include poverty, low educational levels, alcohol, and drug use. Between 30-50% of adolescent mothers who have a first birth before age 18 years will have a second child within 12 to 24 months. Subsequent adolescent pregnancies compound fetal and maternal risks. Many vulnerable adolescent mothers succumb to external pressures and have a repeat adolescent pregnancy while others are able to overcome the challenges of an adolescent pregnancy and prevent a repeat adolescent pregnancy. This cross sectional survey designed study investigated the effects of resilience and social influences on contraceptive use or abstinence by Black and Hispanic adolescent parenting mothers to prevent a repeat adolescent pregnancy. 140 adolescent mothers were recruited from three postpartum units of a tertiary hospital system in Miami, Florida. The Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale and the Adolescent Social Influence Scale were used to measure resilience and social influences, respectively. Demographic data, length of labor, plan for contraceptive use or abstinence were measured by an investigator developed instrument. Point biserial correlation showed a significant positive correlation between Black adolescent mothers' resilience and contraceptive use (r =.366, p2(11, N=133) = 27.08, p =.004. (OR = .28). These results indicate a need for interventional strategies to maximize resilience in parenting adolescents to prevent a repeat adolescent pregnancy.

Voluntariado: um contributo para o desenvolvimento pessoal e comunitário. Um estudo de caso

A necessidade de promover iniciativas que enfrentem os problemas sociais e que contribuam para o desenvolvimento individual e social do individuo, assim como para com a comunidade, torna-se premente. Sendo Portugal um dos países da Europa, em que o voluntariado apresenta uma taxa menor, é urgente a procura de iniciativas de projetos, tendo como objetivo apelar ao bom desenvolvimento da sociedade. Deste modo, o voluntariado é uma das atividades capazes de promover um desenvolvimento positivo no individuo, uma vez que há a possibilidade de experienciar tarefas de apoio à comunidade, proporcionando, deste modo, tanto benefícios individuais, como retribuições sociais impalpáveis de associação de grupo. Este estudo foi desenvolvido tendo como objetivo, refletir sobre o voluntariado, na medida em que este possa contribuir para o desenvolvimento pessoal e social de quem o pratica e, consequentemente, para o desenvolvimento comunitário. A Associação Inpulsar contribuiu através da disponibilidade dos seus voluntários e técnicas. Foram entrevistados seis voluntários e uma técnica, para aprofundar toda esta temática. Foi analisado, o trabalho desenvolvido pelos voluntários, assim como o voluntariado relacionado com o desenvolvimento pessoal e social dos voluntários e, por último, interpretou-se o voluntariado tendo em conta o desenvolvimento comunitário. A análise das entrevistas aos voluntários, permitiu confirmar que a participação em atividades de voluntariado, para além de proporcionar uma consciência crítica, permite-lhes abarcar competências técnicas e pessoais, devido às experiências diversificadas com que se vão deparando. Embora a baixa taxa de voluntariado, é possível verificar um aumento gradual, tendo em conta as diversificadas motivações estudadas. Este estudo permitiu apurar que, para uma sociedade mais equitativa e solidária, a existência de uma cidadania ativa funciona como um elemento chave de consolidação e participação cívica dos cidadãos na democracia.

Almetrics: measuring the influence of the media on the social impact of research

Social media is changing the way we interact, present ideas and information and judge the quality of content and contributions. In recent years there have been hundreds of platforms to freely share all kinds of information and connect across networks. These new tools generate activity statistics and interactions among users such as mentions, retweets, conversations, comments on blogs or Facebook; managers references showing popularity ratings of more references shared by other researchers or repositories that generate statistics of visits or downloads of articles. This paper analyzes that have meaning and implications altmetrics, what are its advantages and critical platforms (Almetric.com, ImpactStory, Plos altmetrics, PlumX), reports progress and benefits for authors, publishers and librarians. It concluded that the value of alternative metrics as a complementary tool citation analysis is evident, although it is suggested that you should dig deeper into this issue to unravel the meaning and the potential value of these indicators to assess their potential.

Temporary contracts and non-protected employment in Argentina, Chile and Perú: incidence and determinants

The diverse kinds of legal temporary contracts and the employment forms that do not comply with legal requirements both facilitate employment adjustment to firms´ requirements and entail labour cost reductions. Their employment incidence depends not only on the economic and labour market evolutions but also on other factors, in particular the historical trajectories followed by labour legislation, state enforcement, and the degree of compliance. To contribute to the understanding of the determinants of the degree of utilization of different employment practices, the study reported in this article explores the use made of the various legal temporary contracts and of precarious employment relationships by private enterprises in three Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile and Peru) during 2003-2012, a period of economic growth, and the explanatory role of diverse factors.

Brazilian Social Segurity and Social Work: reflections on the Continuous Cash Benefit Programme

Guaranteed under the Federal Constitution of 1988, Brazilian social security covers rights relating to health, social welfare and social care. The Continuous Cash Benefit Programme (BPC) was approved as part of social care policy and is regulated under the Social Care Act (Ley Orgánica de Asistencia Social) of 1993. This benefit guarantees a minimum monthly income for persons with disabilities and for older adults. Certain requirements must be satisfied in order to obtain the assistance: medical and social assessment of disabled persons, a minimum age of 65 years for older adults, and, in both cases, the value of per capita income for the nuclear family in question, which must be lower than a quarter of the minimum wage. Regulation of the BPC has incorporated advances and setbacks in terms of legislation and implementation. In this framework, this article presents a theoretical reflection, an analysis of the legislation on the matter, and some reflections on the challenges that it poses for social workers.

Good practices in the Enred@te Pilot Project: a digital social network for older adults and Spanish Red Cross volunteers

The Enred@te initiative, created by Red Cross, the Vodafone Foundation and the TECSOS Foundation, emerged as an evolution of a previous project that developed and piloted a video-communication solution with older adults, using a system installed in their own televisions. Following the success of this first initiative, it was decided to advance toward a more flexible, robust, easy-to-use and high-quality solution, producing a social network accessible through tablets. Older adults can use the network to video-communicate with other older adults and stay informed on various topics of interest. Additionally, a new innovation incorporates the participation of virtual volunteers, a part of the network that promotes its use in an inclusive and participative manner. This solution was also piloted in 2014 with positive results and work to turn it into a service that can reach older adults through the Red Cross is currently on-going.

Women’s football. Notes for a social history of women’s sport in Spain, 1900-1936

In the context of demands by the European feminist movement at the beginning of the 20th century, in Spain women’s sport flagged up aspirations to what were considered to be male practices. The first experiences of women in football stand out because of their use of the media to appear as a symbol of social transformation to modernity in the 20th century. It was not in vain that women’s football highlighted the demands of the feminist movements, although it did come up against male disapproval from an opposing group. The research sets out from a bibliographical and media review of specialist press and sports news of the time. Other current studies have also been considered in order to place it in a social and historical focus on sport. This has enabled us to highlight that football in Spain was established as an unequivocal space for (re) producing male hegemony where women were relegated to the representation of a symbolic ritual in a scenario of accessory and condescension.

The Electoral Rise of Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe: Ideological Parameters and Social Motivations

Populist radical right parties have become major political actors in Europe. This paper analyses the path and the different phases that have led them from the fringes of public debate to their present signifi cance, which is based on their capacity to attract electoral support and infl uence the political agendas in their respective countries. Besides, an analysis of the core ideological beliefs of these parties, and of the topics on which their mobilization capacity rests, is provided, as well as of the type of voters that are attracted by them. Finally, the authors discuss the meaning and impact of the growing popularity of the ideas and proposals put forward by the populist radical right parties.

El autocuidado y apoyo social de mujeres de un proyecto de seguimiento mamográfico en Porto Alegre/Brasil

Objective: Identify preventive self-care practices and analyze the configurations of the network support for women with and without breast cancer registered in a mammography-monitoring project from Porto Alegre/Brazil.Method: a mixed sequential delimitation was performed, which expanded the results of the quantitative step (cross and correlation section) in a qualitative step (narrative interviews). 37 women diagnosed with breast cancer (group 1) and 72 without this diagnosis (group 2 – monitoring) participated. The following instruments were used: Assessment Questionnaire Self-care Ability (ASA-A) and Assessment Questionnaire Perceived Social Support and Community. There were performed descriptive analysis and comparison of means (t test and ANOVA) between the two groups. To deepen the understanding of the data, we selected four women with breast cancer with extreme levels on the scale of Social Support to participate in the biographical narrative interviews.Results: the analysis indicate that women who had breast cancer have better self-care practices than the women from the monitoring project (t = 1.791, P = 0.027). As for the analysis of social support, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. All participants have an average level of perceived social and community support. It was highlighted by the qualitative data that it was after the diagnosis of breast cancer that women lived self-care aspects they had not previously experienced.Conclusions: the self-care was significantly bigger in the group of women with breast cancer, where the cancer diagnosis was a trigger to increase self-care.

Evaluación de la calidad de un servicio de voluntariado en oncología: un Análisis Importancia-Valoración (IPA)

Objective: Using an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), this paper examined a Radiotherapy and Oncological Patient and Non-patient perceived importance and performance of ten Humanization Volunteer Program selection factors in the General Hospital in Spain.Methods: The authors identified a list of seven items from the Health-marketing literature reviews, and each item was rated using a 5-point Likert scale. Responses were obtained of 148 usable interviews.Results: The importance-performance patient grid was corrected with literature recommendations and, in the patient sample, shows three items fall in the “Keep up the good work” quadrant, four items fall into the “Low priority” quadrant, zero items fall into the “Possible overkill” quadrant, and no items fall in the “Concentrate here” quadrant. Non-patient (n=80) factors means shows statistical differences with patient (n=68) means in catering (t=-2.38; df.=146; p<0.05), and information (t=2.16; df146; p<0,05).Conclusions: The results are useful in identifying areas for strategic focus to help Health Services managers develop humanization programs with volunteer workers and different program users. Implication to volunteer programs managers and researchers were discussed.

Las ONG microfinancieras peruanas: ¿siguen manteniendo su misión social?

In recent years, the growth of the microfinance sector has been significant. Either as a cause or as a consequence, some governments have decided to make it part of the financial system adapting regulatory frameworks to allow the sector to continue to expand as the number of formal institutions increases. It is the case in Peru where many NGOs have decided not to become regulated, arguing that this change could leave them to move away from the social aims for which they were created. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, where the legal framework encourages the regulation of microfinance institutions, there appears to be a need to study the potential future role of NGOs in the sector. In consideration of this question, this paper attempts to analyse the social role of those NGOs that have decided not to become regulated institutions. In this study a number of social indicators are analysed; these include the number of female clients, average loan amount and how loans are used, among others. These indicators will be used to attempt to evaluate the social role of unregulated NGOs and their prospects in this new context.

"Per aurem intrat Christus in Mariam". Aproximación iconográfica a la "conceptio per aurem" en la pintura italiana del Trecento desde fuentes patrísticas y teológicas

La tesis mariológica de la conceptio per aurem, según la cual la Virgen María habría concebido a Jesucristo por el oído en el momento de escuchar del ángel el mensaje celestial anunciándole que, sin perder su virginidad, sería madre del Hijo de Dios encarnado, ha merecido hasta ahora muy pocos estudios académicos rigurosamente fundados en fuentes primarias. De hecho, en la literatura especializada son muy escasas las referencias a tal teoría y, cuando algún estudioso la evoca, casi siempre se contenta con aludir a ella, sin aportar pruebas documentales. Sin embargo, tal como lo revelan las nueve pinturas italianas aquí analizadas, esa teoría fue ilustrada mediante sutiles metáforas visuales en muchas obras pictóricas medievales, las cuales se inspiraron en una sólida tradición literaria. Además una pléyade de Padres de la Iglesia y teólogos medievales testimonia, mediante afirmaciones explícitas, que semejante teoría gozó de notable aceptación entre los maestros del pensamiento cristiano. Basándose en numerosos textos patrísticos y teológicos, este artículo intenta dos objetivos esenciales: exponer, ante todo, las distintas formulaciones teóricas propuestas por esos pensadores; y además, tratar de poner en luz los significados dogmáticos que subyacen bajo esa sorprendente tesis.