Inequality and Heights

This chapter discusses opportunities and limitations of height inequality, especially the role of social status and income distribution in determining height inequality. The more unequal the income distribution in a society, the more unequal the corresponding height distribution. At one time, the height gap between rich and poor teenagers in industrializing England was as high as 22 cm (8.7 inches); today, height inequality tends to be much lower (on the order of a few centimeters) because the gap between rich and poor in developed countries tends to be smaller. Results presented here suggest that height inequality is driven by differences in purchasing power, education, physical workload, and epidemiological environment. In a modern setting, social safety and redistribution of income is also relevant. An introduction into the literature helps illustrate opportunities this methodology has to offer to understand better the dynamics of the way populations experience economic development.

Implications of aligning full registration of doctors with medical school graduation:a qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives

OBJECTIVES: The Shape of Training report recommended that full registration is aligned with medical school graduation. As part of a General Medical Council-funded study about the preparedness for practice of UK medical graduates, we explored UK stakeholders' views about this proposal using qualitative interviews (30 group and 87 individual interviews) and Framework Analysis.

SETTING: Four UK study sites, one in each country.Save

PARTICIPANTS: 185 individuals from eight stakeholder groups: (1) foundation year 1 (F1) doctors (n=34); (2) fully registered trainee doctors (n=33); (3) clinical educators (n=32); (4) undergraduate/postgraduate Deans, and Foundation Programme Directors (n=30); (5) other healthcare professionals (n=13); (6) employers (n=7); (7) policy and government (n=11); (8) patient and public representatives (n=25).

RESULTS: We identified four main themes: (1) The F1 year as a safety net: patients were protected by close trainee supervision and 'sign off' to prevent errors; trainees were provided with a safe environment for learning on the job; (2) Implications for undergraduate medical education: if the proposal was accepted, a 'radical review' of undergraduate curricula would be needed; undergraduate education might need to be longer; (3) Implications for F1 work practice: steps to protect healthcare team integration and ensure that F1 doctors stay within competency limits would be required; (4) Financial, structural and political implications: there would be cost implications for trainees; clarification of responsibilities between undergraduate and postgraduate medical education would be needed. Typically, each theme comprised arguments for and against the proposal.

CONCLUSIONS: A policy change to align the timing of full registration with graduation would require considerable planning and preliminary work. These findings will inform policymakers' decision-making. Regardless of the decision, medical students should take on greater responsibility for patient care as undergraduates, assessment methods in clinical practice and professionalism domains need development, and good practice in postgraduate supervision and support must be shared.

How much cultural events are "worth" for host communities: Case of Faz Música Lisboa

This paper studies the economic and social impact of Faz Música Lisboa on the segment of society that feels from any direct or indirect consequence due to its existence. A qualitative research based on surveys and interviews is made to retract a list of the benefits and costs that each stakeholder perceives. Relying on the quantifiable variables, it is performed a cost-benefit analysis to measure how much the event is “worth” for the community. I conclude this is a viable project, as it brings a positive net benefit to the society, value that could increase with a higher institutional support.

`When I'm sixty-four': old age, family values, and private financial transfers

Private financial transfers are becoming more and more important as ageing levels increase in Europe, with elders acting as both givers and receivers. Our study is divided in two main parts. In the first part we analyse the determinants of private financial transfers, using the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). In the second part we analyse the importance of family values for these transfers, combining SHARE with European Values Study. We show that family functions as the main agent of private transfers. We conclude that family values drive financial transfers, mainly gifts provided by elderly individuals. We find that receipts by old-aged people are more related with need cases, such as illness and poorness; moreover, for these particular cases, family network plays a very important role, working as a safety net.

A European Deposit Insurance and Resolution Fund - An Update. CEPS Policy Brief No. 283, 11 September 2012

Cross-border banking is currently not stable in Europe. Cross-border banks need a European safety net. Moreover, a truly integrated European level banking system may help to break the diabolical loop between the solvency of the domestic banking system and the fiscal standing of the national sovereign. This policy paper first sketches the building blocks of a banking union. Importantly, a new European Deposit Insurance and Resolution Authority (EDIRA) should start simultaneously with the ECB assuming supervisory powers. A combination of European supervision and local resolution cannot work because it is not ‘incentive compatible’. Next, this paper proposes a transition period to gradually phase in the European deposit insurance coverage. Finally, we calculate that a European Deposit Insurance Fund would amount to about €30-50 billion for the 75 euro area banks that were subject to the EBA stress tests. This Fund could be created over a period of time through risk-based deposit insurance premiums levied on these banks. Once up and running, the Fund would then turn into a European Deposit Insurance and Resolution Fund to also deal with the resolution of one or more of these European banks.

From warfare to welfare: veterans, military charities and the blurred spatiality of post-service welfare in the United Kingdom

The military offers a form of welfare-for-work but when personnel leave they lose this safety net, a loss exacerbated by the rollback neoliberalism of the contemporary welfare state. Increasingly the third sector has stepped in to address veterans’ welfare needs through operating within and across military/civilian and state/market/community spaces and cultures. In this paper we use both veterans’ and military charities’ experiences to analyse the complex politics that govern the liminal boundary zone of post-military welfare. Through exploring ‘crossing’ and ‘bridging’ we conceptualise military charities as ‘boundary subjects’, active yet dependent on the continuation of the civilian-military binary, and argue that the latter is better understood as a multidirectional, multiscalar and contextual continuum. Post-military welfare emerges as a competitive, confused and confusing assemblage that needs to be made more navigable in order to better support the ‘heroic poor’.

Being a bridge : Swedish antenatal care midwives’ encounters with Somali-born women and questions of violence; a qualitative study

Background: Violence against women is associated with serious health problems, including adverse maternal and child health. Antenatal care (ANC) midwives are increasingly expected to implement the routine of identifying exposure to violence. An increase of Somali born refugee women in Sweden, their reported adverse childbearing health and possible links to violence pose a challenge to the Swedish maternity health care system. Thus, the aim was to explore ways ANC midwives in Sweden work with Somali born women and the questions of exposure to violence. Methods: Qualitative individual interviews with 17 midwives working with Somali-born women in nine ANC clinics in Sweden were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The midwives strived to focus on the individual woman beyond ethnicity and cultural differences. In relation to the Somali born women, they navigated between different definitions of violence, ways of handling adversities in life and social contexts, guided by experience based knowledge and collegial support. Seldom was ongoing violence encountered. The Somali-born women’s’ strengths and contentment were highlighted, however, language skills were considered central for a Somali-born woman’s access to rights and support in the Swedish society. Shared language, trustful relationships, patience, and networking were important aspects in the work with violence among Somali-born women. Conclusion: Focus on the individual woman and skills in inter-cultural communication increases possibilities of overcoming social distances. This enhances midwives’ ability to identify Somali born woman’s resources and needs regarding violence disclosure and support. Although routine use of professional interpretation is implemented, it might not fully provide nuances and social safety needed for violence disclosure. Thus, patience and trusting relationships are fundamental in work with violence among Somali born women. In collaboration with social networks and other health care and social work professions, the midwife can be a bridge and contribute to increased awareness of rights and support for Somali-born women in a new society.

Employer matters in 2004

n 2004, employers were active in arguing their cases in a number of important hearings of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. However, despite a united position among employer ranks and the federal government, employers were generally disappointed with the Commission’s safety net review decision. Both the Australian industry Group and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry found some common ground with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, in a consent position on extending carers leave, but overall employers presented a detailed argument opposing any extension of employee rights in the Commission’s work and family test case. Employers in some sectors were able to reach collective agreements with unions with little industrial disruption, whereas others, such as banking, found the going tougher. Overall, employers, like unions, faced a great deal of uncertainty over what were or were not ‘matters pertaining’, as a number of decisions after the Electrolux case clarified or clouded the issue. Understandably, the year ended on a positive note for most employers, with the Howard Government re-elected with a majority in the Senate, enabling it to pass a further round of radical labour market reforms in 2005.

Employer matters in 2005

By any reckoning, the year 2005 will long be remembered as a watershed year for Australian industrial relations. While there were the usual types of industrial disputes, on-going enterprise bargaining and another round of arguments over the Australian Industrial Relations Commission’s (AIRC’s) annual safety-net review, the year was dominated by the looming re-writing of Australia’s industrial relations regulatory regime, made possible by the Government’s surprise majority in the Senate, granted to them in late 2004. Viewed as a looming dark cloud by some or a shining light by others, most of 2005 was spent in anxious anticipation of the Howard government’s impending ‘WorkChoices’ legislation. Employer groups spent much of the year lobbying the Howard government for the types of reforms long cherished, but only dreamed of by employers, for arguably 100 years. A once in a lifetime opportunity had presented itself and employer groups were determined to take full advantage of the situation, by ensuring that the government did not lose its nerve. Perhaps more importantly, however, in addition to lobbying the government, major employer organizations devoted significant resources to building the case for industrial relations reform and attempting to sell that message to the electorate. By year’s end, employers had succeeded in the first objective, but had seemingly failed in the second.

Are employees entitled to more?

George Lopez, chair of CPA Australia's insolvency and reconstruction committee reported in Australian CPA (November 2001) on the replacement of the Commonwealth Government Employee Entitlements Support Scheme (EESS) with a new scheme, the General Employee Entitlements Redundancy Scheme (GEERS). Both schemes provide a safety net by which government pays employees their service entitlements and then takes the employees' place in claims against the insolvent employer organisation. Such schemes are fundamentally inequitable as ultimately they require taxpayers and shareholders to foot the bill for the mistakes, excesses, misdemeanours or incompetence of employers. Similar arrangements have been proposed in the past. For instance, the Australian Law Reform Commission's Harmer Report (1988) contained a recommendation that a wage earner (fidelity-type) protection fund be established. In the state of Victoria, local government legislation already exists to ensure that long service leave entitlements are funded.

Banco Central e a administração de crises bancárias

Crises bancárias podem implicar uma alta redistribuição de recursos em uma sociedade. O interesse público em manter os bancos em funcionamento demanda o desenho de regimes eficazes de resolução, pois a falência desordenada desses intermediários pode ser uma fonte de risco sistêmico. O Banco Central, autoridade responsável por zelar pela higidez do sistema financeiro, pode se valer de diversos instrumentos para reestruturar ou liquidar um banco em dificuldade financeira. De modo a prevenir a propagação do risco sistêmico, as regras jurídicas conferem ao Banco Central uma ampla margem de discricionariedade no julgamento de quais bancos merecem receber assistência financeira e na escolha dos métodos de resolução bancária. O caráter globalizado das finanças exige uma maior coordenação entre autoridades domésticas na resolução de bancos que operam em múltiplas jurisdições. Algumas iniciativas de órgãos internacionais no período pós-crise de 2007-2008 têm buscado instituir, em nível global, um marco normativo para gerenciamento de crises bancárias, através da harmonização de regimes domésticos de resolução. O histórico de crises do sistema financeiro brasileiro levou ao desenvolvimento de uma rede de proteção bancária em momentos anteriores à crise financeira global de 2007-2008. Assim, o sistema financeiro brasileiro apresentou bom funcionamento mesmo nas fases mais agudas. Não tendo experimentado uma crise sistêmica no período recente, o Brasil não está passando por reformas profundas na estrutura institucional do seu sistema financeiro, a exemplo de países como Estados Unidos e Reino Unido. No entanto, desafios impostos pela crescente globalização das finanças e peculiaridades locais motivam reformas e mudanças discretas nos padrões de governança da rede de proteção brasileira. Através da reconstituição da atuação do Banco Central em três momentos de crise no Brasil, o presente trabalho busca analisar criticamente a rede de proteção bancária brasileira e os mecanismos jurídicos de accountability da autoridade financeira no exercício da supervisão e administração de crises bancárias.

Entre o sol e a liberdade impera a violência: formação de redes para a ação a partir da estratégia saúde da família

The research aimed to analyze the feasibility of forming a network of municipal services to prevent and treat child victims of violence from the Basic Health Units in the Family Mossoró / RN. The research is a qualitative approach and was developed in the form of action research. The population was composed of representatives of institutions of the child and primary care professionals. Data were collected through questionnaires, workshops and semi-structured interview. The results were analyzed from data collected through the questionnaire designed to assess the material, lectures, dialogues and assessments with the team and presented in accordance with the findings of the research. The study was approved by the Ethics in Research UFRN with protocol No. 158/2010, CAAE: 0176.0.051.000-10. Situational diagnosis in the participants answered a questionnaire to characterize and then launched the guiding question of the focus group FHS While professional what your perception towards violence against children? It was felt the fear and ignorance on the part of the unit staff on how to prevent and to refer cases of violence against children and adolescents in the area of coverage of the unit and also realized that the professionals felt victims of occupational violence before the violence has reached proportions that the area of the unit. Mind the need to change strategies to work to combat violence, we plan to conduct focus group workshop to complete the questionnaire, training for protection against occupational violence, and meeting with other bodies responsible visor protecting children and adolescents to draw the flowchart of the victims in safety net. The next moment training to fill the notification form professionals were interested in learning and use this tool to combat violence. At the third meeting in Unity, meeting with representatives of the Child Protection Council, the professional unit showed interest in interacting with the agency to expose and combat violence against children and adolescents. Due to difficulties in the physical structure of the unit was not possible to continue the research and planned every moment, and then completed the data collection with interviews with the participating professionals, to assess the meetings. Therefore, it is considered that action research has also achieved its goals because the team was involved in the collective construction of a proposed change in the practices of referral and prevention of violence against children and adolescents. This involvement was favored using the principles Freirian during the course of the study. However, it is assumed that the network was not fully implemented because it is known that it is in a continual process of improvement and must continue evolving with the unit team.

International asymmetries and the design of the International Financial System

Includes bibliography

Famílias de zona rural e urbana: características e concepções de adolescentes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Analyzing the ACRE Program

The new farm bill enacted by Congress in June 2008 includes a new revenue-based safety-net, the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program, that will be available to producers beginning with the 2009 crop year. This analysis of the mechanics of ACRE and the relevant yields and prices to include in ACRE can help producers assess whether ACRE will be a good choice for this crop year and beyond.