Women, Work and the Iowa Economy, September 2008

Women play a substantial and crucial role in the Iowa economy. Women make up almost half the labor force, participating in the labor force at one of the highest rates in the nation. At the same time, disparities persist as to women’s prospects for success in that same economy. For instance, although women in Iowa are more likely than men to receive post-secondary education, they are also more likely to be in poverty and to earn a lower wage than male peers. The “gender gap,” the difference between male and female wages, is a much-discussed but often misunderstood tool that helps measure women’s success in the workforce. Women’s median wages are lower than men’s median wages largely because of differences in male and female occupations and work history, although gender discrimination in the workforce also plays a role. This report investigates Iowa’s gender gap in ways that clearly show both its causes and effects and suggests policy responses that could ensure women’s full and equal participation in Iowa’s economic future. Understanding the differences between men’s and women’s experiences in the state economy is important for developing policies that can effectively address barriers to economic success for all Iowans.

Work values as predictors of entrepreneurial career intentions: A longitudinal analysis of gender effects

Purpose - Work values are an important characteristic to understand gender differences in career intentions, but how gender affects the relationship between values and career intentions is not well established. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether gender moderates the effects of work values on level and change of entrepreneurial intentions (EI). Design/methodology/approach - In total, 218 German university students were sampled regarding work values and with EI assessed three times over the course of 12 months. Data were analysed with latent growth modelling. Findings - Self-enhancement and openness to change values predicted higher levels and conservation values lower levels of EI. Gender moderated the effects of enhancement and conservation values on change in EI. Research limitations/implications - The authors relied on self-reported measures and the sample was restricted to university students. Future research needs to verify to what extent these results generalize to other samples and different career fields, such as science or nursing. Practical implications - The results imply that men and women are interested in an entrepreneurial career based on the same work values but that values have different effects for men and women regarding individual changes in EI. The results suggest that the prototypical work values of a career domain seem important regarding increasing the career intent for the gender that is underrepresented in that domain. Originality/value - The results enhance understanding of how gender affects the relation of work values and a specific career intention, such as entrepreneurship.

Single mothers and incentives to work: The French experience

This paper analyzes the effect of the 1998 reform of the French single parents allowanceon the labor supply of single mothers with very young children. The reform aimed atencouraging participation by allowing eligible single parents to accumulate benefits andlabor earnings for a limited period of time. Using data from the French EmploymentSurvey, the analysis shows that single mothers affected by the reform had experienced asignificant increase in their employment rate four years after the reform wasimplemented. During the same period, the employment rate of married mothers withyoung children did not experience a significant change, suggesting that at least part ofthe increase was a consequence of the reform. These results provide some evidence thatbenefit schedules that provide financial incentives to work can have significant effectsin getting single moms back to work, even in the presence of very young children.

Consumer Advisory Bulletin, Prevent Identity Theft Take Control of Your Personal Information, May 2009

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division receives hundreds of calls and consumer complaints every year. Follow these tips to avoid unexpected expense and disappointments. This record is about: Prevent Identity Theft Take Control of Your Personal Information

The taxonomic identity of Heliconius melpomene f. pyritosa var. fumigata Zikán (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

The taxonomic identity of the butterfly Heliconius melpomene f. pyritosa var. fumigata Zikán, 1937 (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) is discussed based on the discovery of the specimen based on which this name was assigned. The specimen is not a variation of Eueides tales surdus Stichel, 1903, as previously stated, but is in fact a variation of H. melpomene f. pyritosa, which is a synonym of Heliconius erato amalfreda Riffarth, 1901.

Mastectomy, body deconstruction, and impact on identity: a qualitative study.

Objectives This qualitative study aims at understanding the consequences of body deconstruction through mastectomy on corporality and identity in women with breast cancer. Design Nineteen women were contacted through the hospital. All had to undergo mastectomy. Some were offered immediate breast reconstruction, others, because of cancer treatments, had no planned reconstruction. A qualitative reflexive methodological background was chosen. Method Women were invited to participate in three semi-structured interviews, one shortly before or after mastectomy, and the other interviews later in their illness courses, after surgery. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed. The analysis of the first interview of each woman is presented in this article. Results Mastectomy provokes a painful experience of body deconstruction. Even when immediate reconstruction is proposed, contrasted feelings and dissonance are expressed when comparing the former healthy body to the present challenged body entity. Body transformations are accompanied with experiences of mutilation, strangeness, and modify the physical, emotional social, symbolic and relational dimensions of the woman's gendered identity. Although the opportunity of breast reconstruction is seen as a possible recovery of a lost physical symmetry and body integrity, grieving the past body and integrating a new corporality leads to a painful identity crisis. Conclusion With mastectomy, the roots of the woman's identity are challenged, leading to a re-evaluation of her existential values. The consequences of mastectomy transform the woman's corporality and embodiment, and question her identity. Psychological support is discussed in the perspective of our results.

Higher education and national identity : Polish student activism in Russia 1832-1863

Doctoral dissertation, University of Helsinki