Karen R. Fisher, Xiaoyi Zhang and Max Alston
Some social policy theorists assert that East Asia has a distinct social welfare regime that due to the influence of Confucian values relies on families more than in other…
Abstract
Purpose
Some social policy theorists assert that East Asia has a distinct social welfare regime that due to the influence of Confucian values relies on families more than in other countries. This theorisation has been questioned, partly because it is a static, reductive generalisation. The purpose of this paper is to ask whether this characterisation is relevant to aged care services in Shanghai.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses data from ageing profile statistics, policy documents and ethnographic fieldwork to examine Shanghai aged care services.
Findings
These data show a growing reliance and preference for state aged care service provision to complement family care. It finds that changes in Shanghai aged care services in the last ten years have moved towards a model with similar patterns in high-income countries. It suggests that differences in the service system that were attributed to Confucian values were more likely due to the degree of economic development and internationalisation.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature by re-examining the structure of Shanghai’s welfare regime in the context of the dynamic nature of aged care services and preferences of older people.
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Zuzana Smeets Kristkova, Michiel van Dijk and Hans van Meijl
The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the impact of public agricultural Research and Development (R&D) investments on agricultural productivity and long-term food security to…
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the impact of public agricultural Research and Development (R&D) investments on agricultural productivity and long-term food security to derive policy recommendations. The methodological approach is based on the application of the state-of-the art Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to R&D. By endogenizing R&D in global CGE models, it is possible to assess the impact of different public R&D policies on the food availability and food access of food security. This study found that R&D investments bring positive effects on the food access dimension of food security, particularly in places such as Sub-Saharan Africa where prices are expected to grow significantly by 2050, as agricultural land becomes scarcer and more expensive. Doubling the R&D intensity would soften the land constraints and substantially decelerate food prices, thus preventing the deterioration of living standards of rural households and leading to a gain in daily caloric consumption. The impact of alternative agricultural R&D policies on the various dimensions of food security has not been analyzed using a CGE framework, which enables capturing both the benefits and costs from R&D investments. Modeling the dynamic accumulation of R&D stocks makes it possible to analyze the effects of R&D on food security over time.
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Mahenderan Appukutty, Sangeetha Shyam, Zi Ying Choo, Seok Shin Tan, Hueh Zan Megan Chong and Alston Choong
The present randomised controlled trial aimed to assess the effects of 8-week supplementation of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) on the n-3 index and…
Abstract
Purpose
The present randomised controlled trial aimed to assess the effects of 8-week supplementation of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) on the n-3 index and performance of professional male football players.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 27 professional male football players were randomly assigned into 2 groups: placebo (n = 14) and n-3 LCPUFA (n = 13). n-3 LCPUFA supplements containing 1.5 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 600 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were administered as 6 capsules (four in the morning and two in the evening, 30 min after a meal). Anthropometry, body composition, dried-blood spot n-3 LCPUFA levels, exercise performance and dietary intake of football players were measured at week 0, week 4 and week 8.
Findings
n-3 LCPUFA supplementation improved blood levels of EPA and DHA levels, omega-3 index vs placebo (p time*group = 0.010, 0.041 and 0.018, respectively). n-3 LCPUFA supplemented group had significantly higher aerobic capacity than placebo participants, at week 8 (p group = 0.021).
Originality/value
This study shows the effect of n-3 LCPUFA supplementation in Malaysian professional male football players involved in team sports having low dietary intakes of n-3 LCPUFA.
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THE development of modern aeroplanes designed for high speeds, with their thin, almost symmetrical wing sections, has led inevitably to high landing speeds and small gliding…
Abstract
THE development of modern aeroplanes designed for high speeds, with their thin, almost symmetrical wing sections, has led inevitably to high landing speeds and small gliding angles with the normal wing arrangement.
Reginald A. Byron and Vincent J. Roscigno
Research on racial inequality in organizations typically (1) assumes constraining effects of bureaucratic structure on the capacity of powerful actors to discriminate or (2…
Abstract
Research on racial inequality in organizations typically (1) assumes constraining effects of bureaucratic structure on the capacity of powerful actors to discriminate or (2) reverts to individualistic interpretations emphasizing implicit biases or self-expressed motivations of gatekeepers. Such orientations are theoretically problematic because they ignore how bureaucratic structures and practices are immersed within and permeated by culturally normative racial meanings and hierarchies. This decoupling ultimately provides a protective, legitimating umbrella for organizational practices and gatekeeping actors – an umbrella under which differential treatment is enabled and discursively portrayed as meritocratic or even organizationally good. In this chapter, we develop a race-centered conception of organizational practices by drawing from a sample of over 100 content-coded workplace discrimination cases and analyzing both discriminatory encounters and employer justifications for inequality-generating conduct. Results show three non-mutually exclusive patterns that highlight the fundamentally racial character of organizations: (1) the racialization of bureaucracies themselves via the organizational valuation and pursuit of “ideal workers,” (2) the ostensibly bureaucratic and neutral, yet inequitable, policing of minority worker performance, and; (3) the everyday enforcement of racial status boundaries through harassment on the job, protection afforded to perpetrators, and bureaucratically enforced retaliation aimed at victims. The permeation of race-laden presumptions into organizations, their activation relative to oversight and bureaucratic policing, and the invoking of colorblind bureaucratic discourses and policies to legitimate discriminatory conduct are crucial to understanding the organizational dimensions of racial inequality production. We end by discussing the implications of our argument and results for future theory and research.
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A Love Supreme was written and performed as John Coltrane’s truth and testament to the power, glory, love, and greatness of God. Music, jazz in particular, enhances my gifting in…
Abstract
A Love Supreme was written and performed as John Coltrane’s truth and testament to the power, glory, love, and greatness of God. Music, jazz in particular, enhances my gifting in the realm of teaching and leading as well as grounded in my strong spiritual beliefs. This album defined the work in a whole new way for me; it touched my soul. It prompted and has continued to prompt the (re)consideration and the (re)visioning of what did/does it really mean for me to be an educator and a leader? This chapter will illumine my ideas of living, leading, and loving the soul work of education and leadership via my beliefs in the ethics of care, justice, and responsibility, all viewed and spoken through the prism of parrhesia.
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David De Coninck and Laure Verhulst
The context of a long-standing research tradition, discrimination has emerged as a critical factor contributing to inequalities within the labor market. While existing studies…
Abstract
Purpose
The context of a long-standing research tradition, discrimination has emerged as a critical factor contributing to inequalities within the labor market. While existing studies have primarily focused on overt discrimination during the recruitment and selection process, influenced by biases, attitudes, or stereotypes, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding discrimination within the workplace and its underlying structural dimensions. This article aims to address this gap by examining the impact of organizational culture, structure and policies on workplace discrimination, with a particular emphasis on women and ethnic minorities.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a case study strategy centered around a Belgian branch of a multinational professional service agency, data was gathered through ten semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with employees representing various organizational levels.
Findings
The findings reveal that organizational culture, structure and policies may pose inherent risks in perpetuating discrimination throughout individuals' professional trajectories. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that, albeit often unconscious, these elements exhibit biases against women and ethnic minorities.
Social implications
Given the unintentional nature of structural discrimination, it is crucial to foster increased awareness and understanding of these dynamics.
Originality/value
The originality of this research article lies in its focus on addressing a critical knowledge gap in the existing research tradition on discrimination in the labor market. While previous studies have primarily concentrated on overt discrimination during recruitment and selection, this article delves into the often overlooked area of discrimination within the workplace itself. It explores the intricate interplay of organizational culture, structure and policies in perpetuating discrimination, particularly against women and ethnic minorities. By utilizing a case study approach within a multinational professional service agency in Belgium, the research uncovers hidden biases and unconscious elements contributing to structural discrimination. This emphasis on understanding unintentional discrimination adds a novel dimension to the discourse on workplace inequalities.
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IT seems rather strange that while the general property of wing flaps of putting up both the lift and the drag of a wing at the same time has been known for many years, so little…
Abstract
IT seems rather strange that while the general property of wing flaps of putting up both the lift and the drag of a wing at the same time has been known for many years, so little practical application of this result has been made until quite recently.
Although fuzzy logic is being extensively used in electronics and mathematical sciences, it has found little or no application in the social sciences, especially criminology. As a…
Abstract
Although fuzzy logic is being extensively used in electronics and mathematical sciences, it has found little or no application in the social sciences, especially criminology. As a mathematical system, fuzzy logic generalizes the Boolean logic and can be a very useful tool for the social sciences where concepts and terms involve shades of meanings. Outlines the essential mathematics behind this approach and develops a technique that could be useful in building offender profiles from fuzzy descriptions provided by witnesses. Also suggests several other possible areas of applications of this mathematical system.
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ALUMINIUM was first produced commercially almost 100 years ago and is still a long way from realising its potential. Its high ductility, strength and toughness, light weight and…
Abstract
ALUMINIUM was first produced commercially almost 100 years ago and is still a long way from realising its potential. Its high ductility, strength and toughness, light weight and corrosion resistance properties are well‐known. Mixed with particles or fibres of other materials, such as alumina, aluminium is now becoming the basis of a whole range of new metal matrix composites (MMC's) providing an extreme high strength‐to‐weight ratio.