Socio Economic

2 0 1 1 ) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness 3, 293-301 Comorbidity and lack of education countered participation in a diabetes prevention self-management program Aim. To investigate socio-economic and disease-related predictors for non-participation in the 'Ready to Act' program offering self-management support to people with screen-detected dysglycaemia. Background. Screening for type 2 diabetes followed by support to people's selfmanagement strategies is increasingly being offered in primary care. Due to nonparticipation in self-management programs, healthcare providers often miss the opportunity to provide the basic knowledge and skills resulting in uninformed selfmanagement decisions. Methods. A prospective cohort-study was conducted in 2010 within the framework of the Danish part of the Anglo-Danish-Dutch study of Intensive Treatment in People with Screen-Detected Diabetes in Primary Care (ADDITION). A total of 322 43-to 75-year-old screen-detected patients, receiving GP-multi-faceted intensive treatment were invited to an additional interdisciplinary 12-week self-management program 'Ready to Act'. A comparison between participants and non-participants was conducted according to socio-economic outcomes: age, gender, cohabitant and education and disease-related outcomes: diagnosis (diabetes or prediabetes), duration of diagnosis, comorbidity measured by Charlson's combined 17 medical conditions measure. Ó 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 293

Uncertainty is typically viewed as an impediment to trade. I argue that in morally attuned markets, where actors seek not just economic transactions but also social connection, uncertainty contributes to market order and reproduction. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 40 Airbnb hosts, I first explain how market risks are inadequately mitigated by social credit data, that is, publicly available information about exchange partners, and by institutional safeguards, such as the platform’s insurance policy. I then explain how hosts overcome remaining uncertainties by getting to know and building rapport with their guests. This emotional labor is in turn converted to meaningful social relations that motivate further hosting. In some cases, these ad hoc ties transcend the market and live on as authentic friendships.

Drug abuse is one of the monster threatening family structures in Kenya. Consumption of alcohol is sometimes integrated into our culture through wide appeal and acceptance from an early age. The legality of alcohol makes it readily available, and there is now a recognition that relatively a high proportion of the population consumes quantities which are considered to be harmful to their health. Alcohol consumption has severe negative effects in the society including drop out from school, death of family members, perform poorly in academics, sexual risk and even suicide. Although governments are preoccupied with increasing economic growth and consequently concentrating most of their resources in that direction, alcohol and drug abuse threaten to erode those gains. In low income areas in Kenya, for example, drug abuse is rampant a vice associated with peer influence, readily available drugs, among other factors. Therefore this study sought to establish the socioeconomic effects of alcoholism in families the slum. The authors conclude that alcoholism has led to break-up of families and suffering of children due to lack of basic commodities of life. Alcohol dependence is also related health and psychological disorders. Therefore there is need for the government to formulate policies to curb alcoholism to promote a healthy and a prosperous nation. This paper recommends that counseling programs should be initiated to bring a change of attitude among alcoholics because guidance provided by social workers can greatly enhance the fight against alcoholism in the slum.

This paper contributes to the debate on the educational reforms and the role of the polytechnics in economic development of Ghana. The paper was an outcome of a review of secondary data supported by interviews with, polytechnic Rectors, polytechnic administrators and government officials across seven polytechnics in Ghana. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the key informants and qualitative analysis procedure was used. The study examined the educational development from the colonial period as bases for Ghana educational system today, the period of internal self-governance, the impact of the education development and reforms that took place in 1987. Following the educational reforms, the polytechnics became part of the institutional network responsible for the training of the middle man-power for the socio-economic development of the Ghana. Apart from raising the political and social awareness of citizens in Ghana, the polytechnics have witnessed the unprecedented growth and expansion from the 1990s to date. Many polytechnic trainees who became successful entrepreneurs have provided employment to other citizens in Ghana. They provided the alternative route aimed at easing pressure on the traditional universities and also promoted and encouraged scholarship and community service within Ghana. In that sense, they have made a significant strives as centres for excellence for the development of human resource for AFRICA DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ADRRI) JOURNAL ADRRI JOURNAL (www.adrri.org)

Özet: Bu araştırma, Ardahan ilinde yapılan kaz yetiştiriciliğinin yöre açısından sosyo-ekonomik önemini belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yapılan bu çalışmayla kaz yetiştiriciliğinin en önemli özellikleri arasında hane halkının kışlık et tüketimini karşılaması ile ek gelir sağlamasının geldiği belirlenmiştir. Yetiştiricilerle yapılan görüşmelerde kaz ve civcivler için işletme başına yıllık ortalama vitamin-mineral ve ilaç masrafı olarak 84.64 TL; işçilik masrafı 275.41 TL ve yıllık yem masrafı da dahil olmak üzere toplam 766.57 TL masraf yapıldığı tespit edilmiştir. Yetiştiricilerin %79.31'inin yetiştirdikleri kazları ya kesip temizledikten sonra bütün karkas (taze/kurutulmuş) ya da canlı olarak ortalama 78.43 TL'e sattıkları ve işletme başına yaklaşık 1.890 TL gelir elde ettikleri saptanmıştır. Bu açıdan kaz yetiştiriciliği, yöre halkı için alternatif bir gelir kaynağı sağlamaktadır. Ancak yapılan gözlemler ve elde edilen veriler doğrultusunda, kaz yetiştiriciliğinin daha teknik yöntemlerle yapılması ve pazarlama alt yapısının oluşturulması ile yetiştiricilerin gelirinin önemli ölçüde arttırılabileceği söylenebilir.

The unrestrained growth in urbanization and motorization generally contributes to an urban land use and transport system that is socially, economically, and environmentally unsustainable. Urban mobility systems are much diversified in developing countries taking into account their components in terms of transport modes and the development path linked to the urban growth. This paper uses Cotonou as a case study, which is the largest urban and economic city of Benin. The paper first reviews literatures on sustainable transport systems to comprehend the concept of sustainable development and transport. Based on the municipal development plan (MDP) adopted by the local authorities, the paper then evaluates the existing transport policies, projects and infrastructure system, to determine if the current paradigm is moving toward or away from sustainable transport. Furthermore, the principles for sustainable urban transport are developed to see what significance municipal transport policies have given to urban transport from a sustainable transport point of view. Finally some strategies are suggested, adoption of which may lead to a sustainable urban development and transport system in the city of Cotonou.

This paper investigates the beginnings, performance setting, challenges and the benefits derived from the activities of Winneba Youth Choir in the socioeconomic development of Ghana. This descriptive qualitative study highlights how the activities of Winneba Youth Choir have yielded positive results in terms of employment, education and social recognition (identity) among the youth in Winneba and its environs. The paper addresses the need in preserving the authenticity of the choral musical Art as one of the avenues in developing the cultural values of an individual. It is therefore recommended that every youth experiences any of the musical arts in his/her lifetime.

Sensory acceptability of menus and snacks targeted at low-income population in Argentina as a food aid program were measured. Twenty menus (pastas with different sauces, corn-meal, stews, soups, Shepherd's pie and breaded soy hamburger with mashed potatoes) and 15 snacks (flavored milks, rice pudding, cakes, cereals, and cookies) were tested. Three hundred and twenty subjects, balanced over low-and medium-income households, and balanced over youths (11-13 years) and adult women (25-50 years), measured the acceptability of the menus and snacks. Youth and adult medium-income subjects had similar average scores for the menus, while adult low-income subjects had higher average scores for the menus than youth low-income subjects. Some menus were preferred by adults, others by youths and others had similar acceptability. Except for rice pudding for youths, all other snacks received high acceptability scores. In future acceptability studies among low-income populations test location and expectations should receive special attention.

This paper investigates the beginnings, performance setting, challenges and the benefits derived from the activities of Winneba Youth Choir in the socioeconomic development of Ghana. This descriptive qualitative study highlights how the activities of Winneba Youth Choir have yielded positive results in terms of employment, education and social recognition (identity) among the youth in Winneba and its environs. The paper addresses the need in preserving the authenticity of the choral musical Art as one of the avenues in developing the cultural values of an individual. It is therefore recommended that every youth experiences any of the musical arts in his/her lifetime.

This article seeks to project the important role played by gold mining in economic development of modern areas of Obuasi and Adanse in Ghana. It challenges those scholars who doubt the transformative, developmental and poverty alleviation roles of the mining industry in Ghana. The study is based on archival and oral research, and it arguments are articulated in a historical narrative fashion that link the past and the present while revealing the developmental role of the mining industry in Ghana.

Western countries differ greatly in the extent to which single mothers participate in the labor market, both in absolute terms and relative to other women. Using data for 15 countries from the Luxembourg Income Study, I propose and estimate a simple structural model of labor supply that incorporates the main variables that influence the work decision for single mothers. The results from the structural estimation suggest that a large part of the cross country variation in the employment rates of single mothers can be explained by their different demographic characteristics and by the variation in expected income in the in-work versus out-of-work states. Older and more educated single mothers are more likely to work, while more and younger children reduce the probability of working. Women with higher expected earnings are more likely to work. Higher benefits in the out-of-work state discourage employment, and the opposite is true for in-work benefits. Single mothers with higher income from other sources, including child support, are less likely to work. Even after demographic and income variables are controlled for, the country dummies remain significant and, in some cases, sizeable. This indicates that other variables not explicitly incorporated in the model, such as childcare arrangements or social and cultural backgrounds, may also play a role in explaining the crosscountry variation.

Malawi has one of the highest Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, fertility remains high and fertility decline is slow. This paper uses data from the 2000 and 2004 Demographic and Health Surveys to examine correlates of contraceptive use among currently married women in Malawi. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to establish the relationships between socioeconomic variables and current use of contraception. The results show that the maj or determinants of contraceptive use are age, respondents' and partners' approval of family planning, family planning discussion with partner, number of living children, work status, education and visit to a health centre. As a policy measure, information, education and communication programmes on family planning should be intensified, particularly in rural areas and targeting men. (Afr J Reprod Health 2013; 17[3]: 91-104).

Consumer education leads to better consumer decisions mainly regarding with consumers' right and compulsory. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of demografi, socioeconomic and cosmopoliteness characteristics on the intensity of consumer education. This research applied the survey method that took place in eight villages of four sub districts of district and city of Bogor. Respondents were 320 housewifes. The statistical analysis used independent sample t-test, and multiple linear regression. The study concluded that between urban and rural areas, demographic characteristics (age and family size) did not significantly differ, whereas socioeconomic characteristics (income and education) and cosmopoliteness were significantly differ. In term of the intensity of consumer education, the frequency and media of consumer education were significantly different, while the clarity of the material of consumer education was not significantly different. In general, respondents with higher education levels and more cosmopolite would increase the intensity of consumer education either on the frequency, the media and the clarity of materials of consumer education. Otherwise, the higher familiy members would reduced the clarity of consumer education materials. The younger respondents, would increase the intensity of consumer education.

Policy-planning organizations have undergone significant development in France over the last two decades. Interconnecting the economic, political and intellectual elites, their study merits particular attention. This paper examines the active involvement of the business community in these organizations to highlight its role in the policy-planning process. Focusing on the top 100 corporations and the top 40 policy organizations, it analyses the structure of their interlocking directorates. The cohesion of the policy-planning network significantly relies on the brokering role of a few business leaders and economists. The network discloses a core-periphery structure and a left–right polarization. The results shed light on the relative convergence among the main policy organizations and the relegation of less consensual organizations to the network periphery.

This issue of SER contains three articles on public sociology and economic sociology, which all have their origin in a session on this theme that was held at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in August 2006 in Montreal. 1 The reason for organizing this session was a sense that 'new economic sociology' has ignored many of the issues that are associated with the term 'public sociology'. If one looks at the writings in 'new economic sociology' from the mid-1980s and onwards one will, on the whole, find very few attempts to relate economic sociology to such issues as the political role of the analyst, how economic sociology can be used to change or improve the world and the like. The reasons for this apolitical character of new economic sociology is not clear. Maybe the desire to establish economic sociology as a legitimate academic field was too strong or maybe many of its early practitioners had had enough of activist politics during the 1960s. Alternatively, maybe they were responding to the ideology of neo-liberalism that was just being launched at around this time. In any case, issues that should have been addressed were not being addressed.

Scholars of the American workplace agree that the employment relationship has changed in significant ways but disagree about whether workplaces are now best characterized as 'legalized' or 'restructured', a designation that implies a market orientation in the treatment of workers. We investigate whether a new set of employment practices, namely flexible work arrangements (FWA) such as flextime, compressed work weeks, telecommuting and reduced-hours schedules, are administered using the principles and practices associated with either or both management regimes. Our analyses of in-depth interviews with human resources managers from 41 diverse organizations show that most organizations have formalized FWA with written policies, but these policies institutionalize managerial discretion rather than creating outright rights for employees. Even when organizations write a formal written policy, FWA are managed as negotiated perks available to valued workers if and when managers choose to allow them, as suggested by the restructured workplace regime. We argue that this 'formalized discretion' explains the low utilization and unequal access to FWA found in previous studies. These findings suggest the need to reconsider the theoretical link between formalization and employees' rights in the workplace.

The US government built a massive nuclear weapons complex during the 1940 s and 1950 s. The conventional wisdom is that these facilities are sources of jobs and income for the surrounding regions. Recent research challenges the conventional wisdom, ®nding that areas with the weapons facilities have higher unemployment rates, attract less than their share of private sector investment, and suer from the stigma of environmental contamination. We ®nd evidence that supports both contentions and shows that geography and the built environment, including public infrastructure, are often key determinants of the economic impact on surrounding areas. Using a control group method, we studied 22 counties located within 10 miles of the ®ve most prominent nuclear weapons sites. Focusing on the most recent quarter century, we identi®ed large increases in employment, population, and income beginning in the mid-1970 s in the counties hosting the largest facilities. Most of the counties adjacent to the host counties also manifested economic impacts larger than their control counties, but some did not. The lagging counties tended to be physically isolated and lacking in public services and other attributes that tend to attract residential and commercial development. #

The child is a designated member of the family, whose place and sometimes helplessness attract care and emotions. It is a truism that the family is a primary social unit where parents control the affairs of children. Despite their vantage positions, parents especially in Africa are always conscious of the symbiotic exhibition of sentiments between parents and children. This cannot be ignored by the African parents because child development tops project prioritization list of most African parents. Patterns of socioeconomic change over time have affected the definition, status and mentality of the child. However, parents' understanding of the child especially within the Igbo and Ibibio geographical regions is yet to respond to the variables of socio-economic change. For instance, the impact of the oil boom that improved living conditions of families in these regions is an impact factor to contend with. There is also the need to look at the effect of the introduction of kindergarten (nursery) schools on child development. These areas need full exploration by theatre artists and sociologists because of their consequences on child development projects. There is the tendency that cold relationship between some parents and their children, insubordination among children and increase in "lumpen" children: (Almanjeris, Area boys and Militants) in Africa may stem from parents' poor understanding of the changing social welfare, participation and survival rights of the child. Therefore the paper studies patterns of socio-economic change and the degree of elasticity in the changing Nigerian families in guarantying acceptable, positive and stable development process for the child. Qualitative research methods of the oral interview, content analysis and personal observation methods were used to achieve research objectives.

Despite the considerable influence of Esping-Andersen's categorization of three 'worlds' of welfare capitalism, researchers have largely neglected investigation of his dimensions of welfare state policy and politics. Building on and extending the foundations provided by Esping-Andersen, we explore the identities and consequences of welfare state regime dimensions. Our principal components analyses identify two such dimensions. The first, which we label 'progressive liberalism', rearranges Esping-Andersen's separate 'social democratic' and 'liberal' dimensions into two poles of a single dimension. Its positive pole is characterized by extensive, universal and homogeneous benefits, active labour market policy, government employment and gender-egalitarian family policies. The second, which we label 'traditional conservatism', is similar to but broader than Esping-Andersen's conservative dimension. It features not only occupational and status-based differentiations of social insurance programmes and specialized income security programmes for civil servants, but also generous and long-lasting unemployment benefits, reliance on employer-heavy social insurance tax burdens and extensions of union collective bargaining coverage. Pooled cross-section time-series regressions covering 18 countries over the 1980s and 1990s suggest that progressive liberalism is associated with income redistribution and greater gender equality in the labour market. The principal consequence of traditional conservatism appears to be weakened employment performance.

In this paper we analyse the comparative capitalisms literature, which encompasses several analytical frameworks, but shares common concerns in understanding the institutional foundations of diverse national 'varieties' of capitalism. One widespread weakness within this literature has been its static analysis and bias toward predicting institutional stability rather than change. Our contention is that introducing more dynamism into this literature must proceed on three distinct levels: the micro, meso and macro. On the micro level, it needs to develop a less deterministic view of institutions that incorporates a stronger understanding of how actors reshape institutions, not only as constraints on particular courses of action, but also as resources for new courses of action that (incrementally) transform those institutions. On the meso-level, it needs to specify more carefully the linkages among institutions and institutional domains and theorize how change in one affects change in the other. At the macro level, it needs to incorporate a compelling view of national and international politics that draws upon a theory of coalitional dynamics and the impact of particular rule-making processes that governs institutional reform in each nation.

Background. Relapse in psychiatric disorders is highly distressing, costly and engenders burn-out syndrome among mentalhealth workers. Aims. To study the socio-economic factors associated with relapse in individual admitted with psychiatric disorders and the pattern of socio-economic impact of relapse in those groups. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of all relapsed patients without cognitive defi cit admitted into the federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria between June and October 2007 was conducted using a self-validated Structured Interview Schedule (Relapse Socio-economic Impact Interview Schedule) and Key Informant Interview Guide. Secondary data were elicited from the patient folders, case notes, ward admission registers and nominal rolls. Data were summarised using mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentiles. Pearson ' s moment correlation coeffi cient was used to test the association among variables. The Mann -Whitney U -test was used to compare the pre-morbid and the post-morbid states. Results. This study involved 102 respondents. Their mean age was 36.5 Ϯ 9.8 years, mainly of male gender (72.5%) suffering from schizophrenic disorder (37.8%). Relapse and re-admission ranged between 2 and 12. Unemployment rate, marital separation and divorce increased more than 5-fold from pre-morbid to morbid states. Few (4.9%) could still settle their hospital/drug bills on their own, while most (95.1%) depended on family, philanthropist and government/waivers to pay for their bills. Their social relationships were negatively infl uenced with most of them expressing social isolation and low quality of life. There were signifi cant relationships ( P Ͻ 0.05) between age, sex, number of relapses, number of admissions, pre-morbid marital status, morbid state marital status, pre-morbid state occupational status and morbid state occupational status. There was signifi cant change ( P ϭ 0.00) in the quality of life, societal integration/acceptability, economic status, employment status and marital status of the respondents between the pre-morbid and post-morbid periods. The illness signifi cantly affected the emotional status of the participants. Conclusion. Relapse and readmission in psychiatric patients have a negative impact on socio-economic well-being of patients, family and the society. Efforts should be taken to provide early interventions.

Debate about Germany's poor economic performance following unification focused on supply-side weaknesses, and the associated reform agenda sought to make low-skill labour markets more flexible. We question this diagnosis using three lines of argument. First, effective restructuring of the supply-side in the core advanced industries was carried out by the private sector using institutions of the coordinated economy, including unions, works councils and blockholder owners. Second, implementation of orthodox labour market and welfare state reforms created a flexible labour market at the lower end. Third, low growth and high unemployment are largely accounted for by persistent weakness of domestic aggregate demand, rather than by failure to reform the supply side. Strong growth in recent years reflects the successful restructuring of the core economy. We also suggest how changes in political coalitions allowed orthodox labour market reforms to be implemented in a consensus political system. JEL: E65, J50, P52

This article tests the extent to which the organization and stringency of occupational health and safety regulation complements the dominant mode of coordination in the political economy. While the UK explicitly sanctions risk-cost-benefit trade-offs, other European countries mandate ambitious safety goals. That contrast appears to reflect cleavages identified in the Varieties of Capitalism literature, which suggests worker protection regimes are stronger in coordinated market economies than in liberal market economies. Our analysis of Germany, France, UK and the Netherlands, shows that the varied organization of their regulatory regimes is explained through a three-way complementarity with their welfare systems and modes of coordination. However, despite varied headline goals, we find no systematic differences in the stringency of those countries’ regulatory protections insofar as they all make trade-offs on safety. Instead, the explicitness, rationalizations and logics of trade-of...

This article analyzes the role that crowdfunding plays for artists who create small-scale projects. We find that artists struggle to reach new audiences and, thus, mainly use this funding tool to transform monetary gifts into reputation for their careers. Crowdfunding platforms are believed to lower transaction costs while allowing for more direct engagement between founders and funders. Instead, our study demonstrates that artists use the platform to build distance from their thick relationships and intimate networks where most of their funding originates. They hope that a successful project will help them cross the symbolic boundaries between amateur and professional realms. Despite a high success rate, most of them report not wanting to create crowdfunding campaigns again since they rarely reach other social networks. We develop these arguments to contribute to a socio-economic perspective of online funding platforms as important intermediaries in the career path of users operati...

E-waste or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) illustrate discarded appliances that utilize electricity for their functioning. Today, the Indian market is engrossed with massive volumes of electrical and electronic goods and gadgets, having tremendously high domestic demand. Consequently, the amount of E-waste being generated in the country is flourishing at an alarming rate, although the management practices and policy initiatives of the same are still in an elementary stage. The current methods of storage, processing, recycling and disposal of E-waste in India have immense potential to harm human health and the environment. Furthermore, the policy level initiatives related to E-waste in India are reasonably recent and inadequate to address the issue. The paper tries to evaluate the current status of E-waste management practices in India. The domination of informal sector in the E-waste recycling business with all its socio-economic,

Despite the extensive beekeeping practices in Saudi Arabia, relevant information related to socio-economic profiles of beekeeping and factors affecting the adoption of improved beekeeping technologies were lacking. To understand these conditions, 182 beekeepers from five regions were interviewed using exhaustive questionnaires and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic model. The study revealed that still 71.1% of the honeybee colonies in the country are kept in traditional hives and the adoption of box hives have been observed to be significantly influenced by the beekeeper's socio-demographic profiles. Education level had positively influenced the adoption of box hive, which could be due to the fact that education increases knowledge, accesses to information and easily understanding of the technology. The less acceptance of box hive was also implicated with its unsuitability to the biology and ecology of the local bees, which may indicate lack of cons...

The debate on patient capital, particularly in the varieties of capitalism literature, concentrates on institutions and public markets. In this paper we take an entrepreneurial finance perspective to examine the investment attitudes and behaviours of business angels. These represent the biggest source of external risk capital for new and young growing companies and therefore play a critical role in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Drawing on both a detailed review of previous research on business angel investment time horizons, investor engagement and exit behaviour and new survey evidence we conclude that only a minority of angels could be defined as being exit-centric investors. It can be concluded that the vast majority of angels are patient investors in terms of investment intentions, engagement and exit behaviour, largely by default rather than intent. Most do not consider the exit at the investment appraisal stage nor the need for patience.

According to the "median-voter" hypothesis, greater inequality in the market distribution of earnings or income tends to produce greater generosity in redistributive policy. We outline the steps in the causal chain specified by the hypothesis and attempt to assess these steps empirically. Prior studies focusing on crosscountry variation have found little support for the median-voter model. We examine overtime trends in eight nations during the 1980s and 1990s. Here too the median-voter hypothesis appears to have little utility. Income inequality has two components: (1) "market" inequality and (2) government redistribution via taxes and transfers. In principle, the two can be combined in any of a variety of ways: low market inequality with high redistribution, low market inequality with low redistribution, high market inequality with moderate redistribution, and so on. Of particular interest in the study of inequality is what happens when market inequality is high or increases. Does government compensate with high redistribution in order to secure a relatively egalitarian distribution of posttax-posttransfer income? According to one influential theoretical approach, that is indeed what tends to happen. This approach is based on a median-voter model of the politics of redistribution. Its best-known exposition is by Allan Meltzer and Scott Richard (1981). A higher level of market inequality implies a greater distance between * Forthcoming in SocioEconomic Review.

This paper analysed the effect of the age the household head amongst 10 villages on the remittance determinants and their socioeconomic impacts of remittance receiving households in rural Bangladesh. Using micro-economic data from a survey conducted in 2013, statistical analysis was carried out on 300 rural households. The empirical findings provided that the valuable discrimination among the different age group of the household heads. The household unit analysis showed that remittance determinants and socioeconomic impact vary from household head age group at the same community level of households. Moreover, relationship between the socioeconomic impact from remittance and demographic determinants also vary due to the age of the household head discrimination among the same rural area at the origin country.

Introduction Monitoring and Quality Assurance (MoniQA) is a multidisciplinary network of experts aiming at harmonizing worldwide food quality, safety monitoring and control strategies, dealing with socio-economic impact assessment and working for better regulations . Objectives MoniQA provides support for a systematic assessment of the socio-economic effects of new European food quality and safety regulations. Impact is evaluated in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and consistency of application, and with respect to different stakeholders (consumers, industry, regulatory bodies, etc.). As a result, socio-economic impact assessment will enhance the effectiveness and the efficiency of new food quality and safety regulations. Methods Following the European guidelines for regulatory impact assessment, MoniQA has developed a generic Evaluation Framework, dealing with food safety challenges, such as the costs and benefits of strict control measures targeting the agriculture and food industry, the implications of imposing controls independently on export markets, the costs and benefits of extensive training programmes, and the risks associated with lowering standards and relaxing controls. In parallel, MoniQA is developing a decision support system, which compares the effectiveness of policy implementation at the level of the individual enterprise (micro level) with the success of policies within and across countries (macro level). As there are so many stakeholders (e.g. small versus large enterprises, differences in risk profiles and management structures, sectors and geographic location, etc.), this tool is expected to allow an understanding of the different scenarios and facilitate policy-making at various levels (e.g. regional, national, European Union, etc.). An Evaluation Toolbox, based on the complementarities of the Evaluation Framework and the decision support system, will provide information about: data availability, gaps and quantitative and qualitative collection procedures; a systematic classification of impacts; validated results from the case studies; and up-to-date guidelines on evaluation strategies. Results The expected output of our overall research work is a toolbox (intended as a set of procedures) that can be used by policy makers better to assess the potential impacts of future food quality and safety regulations. This toolbox will provide methodological instruments for qualitative and quantitative assessment in the important policy area of food quality and safety. Conclusion The co-operation being fostered among food scientists and socio-economic scientists within the MoniQA network is

BackgroundInitiation of breast feeding and duration of any breast feeding are known to differ by ethnic group, but there are limited data on differences in exclusive breast feeding. This study aimed to determine if there are ethnic differences in the initiation and duration of any and exclusive breast feeding.Initiation of breast feeding and duration of any breast feeding are known to differ by ethnic group, but there are limited data on differences in exclusive breast feeding. This study aimed to determine if there are ethnic differences in the initiation and duration of any and exclusive breast feeding.MethodsBreast-feeding data were obtained from a subsample of 1365 women recruited to a multi-ethnic cohort study (Born in Bradford) between August 2008 and March 2009. Poisson regression was used to investigate the impact of socio-economic, life style and birth factors on ethnic differences in the prevalence of breast feeding.Breast-feeding data were obtained from a subsample of 1365 women recruited to a multi-ethnic cohort study (Born in Bradford) between August 2008 and March 2009. Poisson regression was used to investigate the impact of socio-economic, life style and birth factors on ethnic differences in the prevalence of breast feeding.ResultsCompared with white British mothers, initiation of breast feeding was significantly higher in all ethnic groups and this persisted after adjustment for socio-economic, life style and birth factors [Pakistani: prevalence rate ratio (PRR) = 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.10, 1.29); Other South Asian: PRR = 1.29 (1.18, 1.42); Other ethnicities: PRR = 1.33 (1.21, 1.46)]. There were no differences in exclusive breast feeding at 4 months [Pakistani: PRR = 0.77 (0.54, 1.09); Other South Asian: PRR = 1.55 (0.99, 2.43); Other ethnicities: PRR = 1.50 (0.88, 2.56)]. Any breast feeding at 4 months was significantly higher in mothers of all non-white British ethnicities [Pakistani: PRR = 1.27 (1.02, 1.58); Other South Asian: PRR = 1.99 (1.52, 2.62); Other ethnicities: 2.45 (1.86, 3.21)].Compared with white British mothers, initiation of breast feeding was significantly higher in all ethnic groups and this persisted after adjustment for socio-economic, life style and birth factors [Pakistani: prevalence rate ratio (PRR) = 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.10, 1.29); Other South Asian: PRR = 1.29 (1.18, 1.42); Other ethnicities: PRR = 1.33 (1.21, 1.46)]. There were no differences in exclusive breast feeding at 4 months [Pakistani: PRR = 0.77 (0.54, 1.09); Other South Asian: PRR = 1.55 (0.99, 2.43); Other ethnicities: PRR = 1.50 (0.88, 2.56)]. Any breast feeding at 4 months was significantly higher in mothers of all non-white British ethnicities [Pakistani: PRR = 1.27 (1.02, 1.58); Other South Asian: PRR = 1.99 (1.52, 2.62); Other ethnicities: 2.45 (1.86, 3.21)].ConclusionsWhilst women of ethnic minority groups were significantly more likely to initiate breast feeding and continue any breast feeding for 4 months compared with white British women, the rates of exclusive breast feeding at 4 months were not significantly different once socio-economic, life style and birth factors were accounted for.Whilst women of ethnic minority groups were significantly more likely to initiate breast feeding and continue any breast feeding for 4 months compared with white British women, the rates of exclusive breast feeding at 4 months were not significantly different once socio-economic, life style and birth factors were accounted for.

This paper presents the main findings of the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the Egyptian national railways restructuring. This paper consists of the two parts: 1) modernizing the signaling system on the Arab El Raml-Alexandria Line and creating a Central Traffic Management Center in Tanta; and 2) renewing 200 km of track in Lower and Upper Egypt. The purpose of this evaluation is to identify and examine the potential socio-cultural, economic, and physical impacts of the railway restructuring, and propose measures to mitigate its adverse impacts, and develop plans for managing and monitoring the environmental aspects of the railway restructuring. This paper describes outlines of the environmental and social sensitivities of the railway restructuring area, potentially significant impacts of the proposed project and plans for their mitigation. Detailed information on the environmental and socio economic settings of the railway restructuring, components and activities of the proposed project and the results of the environmental and social impact assessment studies are presented in the body of the paper.

Based on an analysis of three South African participatory policy-making fora, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), the Child Labour Intersectoral Group (CLIG), and the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), this paper critically examines some of the assumptions underlying "Deliberative Public Administration" (DPA) theory, and, drawing on Habermas (1996), articulates an alternative view of deliberative politics and of the role of civil society within it-one which shares with critics of deliberation a sort of scepticism about the possibility of rational agreement in formal settings (where discourses are generally among professional representatives and mostly about the accommodation of interests), and places action aimed at reaching understanding in the informal public sphere, where the preferences of citizens are still malleable, and it is possible for civil society groups to build communicative power by articulating moral arguments that motivate and mobilize the public. This form of power can then be used by civil society groups to counterbalance other forms of (non-communicative) power impinging on the formal sphere of decision-making. "A practical goal that does not rise to opportunity is unworthy; but one that ignores limitations invites its own corruption." (Selznick, 1966[1949]: xi) This paper addresses an emerging stream of research on the combined benefits of participatory decision-making and deliberation. We refer to it as "deliberative public administration" (DPA). 1 This literature is both advocatory and empirical. Its main goal is to promote a rejuvenation of democratic institutions and progressive politics by favouring direct civil society involvement in public policy-making. It centres on two claims: first, that a broadly participatory approach to policy-making-involving a wide range of social actors in addition to public actors-generates not just a richer texture of democracy but also more effective policies; second, that the various actors participating in the policy fora coordinate (or end up coordinating) by exchanging arguments based on principles or appeals to generalizable interests. To the extent that all potentially affected groups have equal opportunities to become involved in the process and propose topics, formulate solutions, or critically discuss taken-for-granted approaches, these

Bruce Western has produced some superb quantitative empirical research in the past decade and a half, from his early work on corporatism, unions and wages (e.g. Western, 1991, 1997; Western and Healy, 1999) to his more recent study of the causes and consequences of incarceration in the United States, of which Punishment and Inequality in America is the culmination. The topics are important. Research questions are clearly posed. Data and measures are selected with care. The analysis often features state-of-the-art quantitative techniques, but the question and the theory, rather than the statistical tools, drive the analysis. The empirical investigation usually includes multiple sources of analytical leverage-cross-section and overtime , macro and micro, comparative and case study. Conclusions are expressed cautiously, with explicit reference to the degree and sources of uncertainty (which include much more than the usual uncertainty about sample-to-population inference). One can learn a great deal from this work not only about the substantive issue at hand but also about how to do and convey top-notch empirical social science. Punishment and Inequality in America examines a variety of issues central to debates about crime and criminal justice, most notably the determinants of the growth in incarceration in the United States since the 1970s (Chapter 3) and the impact of incarceration on the drop in crime during the 1990s

Drug abuse is one of the monster threatening family structures in Kenya. Consumption of alcohol is sometimes integrated into our culture through wide appeal and acceptance from an early age. The legality of alcohol makes it readily available, and there is now a recognition that relatively a high proportion of the population consumes quantities which are considered to be harmful to their health. Alcohol consumption has severe negative effects in the society including drop out from school, death of family members, perform poorly in academics, sexual risk and even suicide. Although governments are pre-occupied with increasing economic growth and consequently concentrating most of their resources in that direction, alcohol and drug abuse threaten to erode those gains. In low income areas in Kenya, for example, drug abuse is rampant a vice associated with peer influence, readily available drugs, among other factors. Therefore this study sought to establish the socio-economic effects of a...

South Africa has consistently ranked very poorly in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey in terms of entrepreneurial activity. It is clear that South Africa is not producing a sufficiently entrepreneurial economy and this needs to be addressed so as to create employment, expand markets, increase production and revitalize communities. This paper examines the entrepreneurial traits of a diverse group of young adults in South Africa. It draws on a sample of 609 university students and looks at their attitudes towards and perceptions of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial opportunities and the broader economic environment in an attempt to clarify how South Africans view entrepreneurship. Although the data do not allow the identification of causal relationships, descriptive statistics show that socioeconomic elements play a noteworthy role in people's perceptions of the value of entrepreneurship and thus need to be incorporated in entrepreneurial models.