Changing positions: The Sexual Politics of A Women’s Field Hockey Team 1986-1996

Despite a huge expansion in the literature on individual aspects of sexual identity and sexuality, and the growth of studies on women in sport, there are still relatively few investigations into women’s sporting and sexual subcultures. In addition, practical difficulties frequently preclude the adoption of longitudinal research designs when studying sport groups. This research describes the micro-dynamics of a particular women’s field hockey team, tracing the shifting composition of the team from predominantly heterosexual to almost entirely lesbian over the ten year period 1986-1996. A retrospective, longitudinal design was used: data from semi-structured interviews with 26 players were matched against data depicting the changing distribution of heterosexual and lesbian players during the ten year period. Two major findings emerge: first, that the women’s sexual identities were more fluid and complex than most of the literature on women in sport implies. Secondly, the status system of the club was more strongly influenced by organisation sexuality than it was by structural tradition. Consequently the status system changed from one based on structure (i.e. years of experience in the club) to one based on culture (i.e. identity as a lesbian organisation) as the number of self-identified lesbians increased beyond 38%

Understanding employment systems from a gender perspective: pitfalls and potentials of new comparative analytical frameworks

Economic globalization, welfare state transformation as well as political and social change on national and supranational level impact on national labor markets in advanced societies in complex ways. From a gender perspective, these dynamics of change entail deregulation as well as re-regulation of employment systems and at the same time are triggered by shifts in gender relations. Addressing this complexity poses challenges to scholarly research comparing employment systems and systemizing cross-national variations of labor market regimes which tend to neglect gender relations as a relevant factor of change. This context sets the framework for our question on how ongoing changes in employment systems and in gender relations are taken up in recent scholarship. We focus on three approaches prominent in the mainstream scholarly debate which address the current state of employment systems in advanced economies in comparative perspective spanning from political economy to micro economics and economic sociology, namely the Varieties of Capitalism (VOC) approach (Hall/Soskice 2001), Marsden's micro-economic theory of employment systems (1999) and Fligstein's work 'The architecture of markets' (2001). The approaches differ in the assignment of agency (to firms, employees and the state) as well as in the assessment of the role of educational institutions for shaping employment systems. They thus dispose of different pitfalls and potentials for analyzing the gendered character of change of employment systems. -- Unter dem Einfluss von Globalisierung, Wohlfahrtsstaatstransformation und politischen und gesellschaftlichen Umbrüchen sind nationale Arbeitsmärkte in fortgeschrittenen Marktökonomien erheblichen Veränderungen ausgesetzt. In geschlechtssensibler Perspektive wird deutlich, dass hier nicht nur Deregulierung von Beschäftigung sondern auch Re- Regulierung eine Rolle spielt, ebenso wie Arbeitsmarktdynamiken auch durch Veränderungen im Geschlechterverhältnis beeinflusst sind. Diese Komplexität des Wandels stellt eine Herausforderung für die vergleichende Arbeitsmarkt- und Wohlfahrtsstaatsforschung dar, in deren Typisierung von Arbeitsmarktregimes Geschlechterverhältnisse nur begrenzt Berücksichtigung finden. Vor diesem Hintergrund fragen wir, wie in einschlägigen neueren Ansätzen zur Analyse von Arbeitsmärkten Wandel von Beschäftigungssystemen und Geschlechterverhältnissen konzipiert wird. Im Mittelpunkt stehen drei prominente komparatistisch ausgerichtete Konzepte: der polit-ökonomische Ansatz ‚Varieties of Capitalism’ (Hall/Soskice 2001), die mikro-ökonomische Theorie von Beschäftigungssystemen von David Marsden (1999) und Neil Fligstein’s wirtschaftssoziologischer Ansatz ‚The architecture of markets’ (2001). Wie die Ergebnisse zeigen, unterscheiden sich die Ansätze in der Identifikation von relevanten Akteuren (Betriebe, Beschäftigte, Staat) ebenso wie in der Rolle, die Ausbildungsinstitutionen für die Strukturierung von Arbeitsmärkten zugeschrieben wird. Damit ergeben sich für die Analyse von geschlechtsspezifischen Aspekten von Beschäftigung unterschiedliche blinde Flecken und Erkenntnispotentiale.

A network model to assess base-filter combinations

Granular filters retain base material within the narrowest constrictions of their void network. A direct comparison of the base material particle size distribution (PSD) and the filter constriction size distribution (CSD) cannot easily be used to assess fi lter - base compatibility. Here a conceptually simple random - walk network model using a filter CSD derived from discrete element modelling and base PSD is used to assess filter - base compatibility. Following verification using experimental data the model is a pplied to assess empirical ratios between filter and base characteristic diameters. The effects of filter density, void connectivity and blocking in the first few filter layers are highlighted

Price and tax policy for semi-subsistence agriculture in Ethiopia

In the case of semi-subsistence agriculture where wage employment is not available, the role played by prices and taxes in determining production and consumption decisions is not clearly established by economic theories of household choice. This study demonstrates that where choices in production, consumption, and leisure can be made independently, farmers will decide what to grow on the basis of their preferences for marketed goods. The paper also points out that the choice will be affected by the level and type of taxation imposed. The paper shows the impact of four taxes -- agricultural revenue, land, production and marketed goods consumption -- on crop production and tax revenues. This paper also reports on a model of production in Ethiopia. The results of this study give strong evidence of the role of producer and consumer prices in semi-subsistence agriculture. In addition, the results show the importance of production capacity, household and climatic factors in agricultural development.Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,Consumption

Motor coordination in children: determinants, screening and intervention

There is little doubt that a large number of children suffer from problems performing movements, and that these problems have a huge impact on many aspects of their lives. However, there are issues surrounding the identification and measurement of these difficulties. Chapter 2 of this thesis explores this in a large group of children (n=448 children, 4-11 years old), and shows that there is only limited association between children’s functional motor performance, performance on a traditional measure of motor activities, and their performance in real life situations. The measure of sensorimotor functional performance was then used to explore relations that had previously been linked to motor ability on the basis of activity measures. In Chapter 3, the links between sensorimotor function and obesity were explored in a prospective cohort of 820 4-5 year old children. No relation was found at this age. Chapter 4 examined the relation between sensorimotor control and academic attainment, in a cross-sectional sample of 381 children in primary school (age 5-11). A relation was observed between sensorimotor control and school attainment levels for mathematics, reading and writing, indicating a possible route for intervention. Building on these results, one method that has the potential to target these sensorimotor functions is the use of haptic robotic devices. This was explored in Chapter 5 in a cross-over intervention study with 51 children aged 5-11years. However, no transfer of benefit could be seen to the sensorimotor tasks. Therefore, an alternative method of intervention was explored in Chapter 6, with the aim to create an intervention to target children with handwriting difficulties. Results from the feasibility study, implemented with 515 children across 10 primary schools, suggested that with a few alterations interventions could be run autonomously in schools

Risk factors of recurrent acute obstructive bronchitis in children

Broncho-obstructive syndrome (BOS) is the collective term including a symptom-complex of specifically outlined clinical implications of disturbance of bronchial passableness, having in the basis narrowing or an occlusion of respiratory tracts. Broncho-obstructive syndrome is condition, which is accompanied by recurrent attacks of expiratory dyspnea (difficulty to exhale) owing to the spasm of bronchial smooth muscles, edema of bronchi, and increased bronchial secretion. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3629

The impact of job demands-resources and personal resources on employees’ job performance in telecommunication engineering sector

Recently, research on job performance of employees of Telecommunication sector in Africa has received considerable attention, both in theory and practice. The job demands in Telecommunication sector has been reported to cause turnover intentions in employees, eventually leading to a decrease in job performance. The importance of this context is that, there is a growing interest in identifying ways to improve employees job performance. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the role of job demands-resources and personal resources on job performance of the employees of Somaliland Telecommunication companies. Specifically, the study aimed to identify the job performance level of employees in Somaliland telecommunication technology sector; to examine the influence of job demands-resources and personal resources on affective commitment, turnover intentions and work engagement of employees in Somaliland telecommunication technology sector; to examine the influence of affective commitment, turnover intentions and work engagement on job performance of employees in Somaliland telecommunication technology sector; to determine the mediating roles of affective commitment, turnover intentions and work engagement on the relationship between job demands-resources and personal resources with job performance of employees in Somaliland telecommunication technology sector. Data were collected from employees (N = 210) in Somaliland Telecommunication sector. This study is quantitative and it employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to validate the research model to test the relationships being hypothesized. The study found the level of employees’ job performance to be moderate and a direct significant relationships among the tested variables. In addition, the multiple mediators of the study such as affective commitment, work engagement and turnover intentions are found to have partial mediating effect between JD-R model and job performance. Finally, the discussion of the findings, implications of the study, recommendations of the future work and conclusions were also discussed

Flexible equality: Men and women in employment in Japan

Changes in the structure and regulation of employment in Japan differentially impact men and women. The labor force participation of Japanese women is increasing, but women's employment is concentrated in relatively deregulated and flexible forms of non-standard and precarious employment. Women and men have relatively equal levels of unemployment at present, but the flexibility which characterizes part-time and temporary work lands women into the ranks of the unemployed throughout their life course, while men are more likely to experience unemployment at the entry and exit points to the labor market. Unemployment measures are directed mainly at alleviating the sources of male unemployment. Employment deregulation in Japan embodies varying degrees of re-regulation depending on the gender composition of work types. Part-time work is undertaken primarily by women, and remains relatively deregulated and unprotected. Temporary work regulations vary according to whether the occupations are typically performed by women (deregulated temporary work) or men (tightly regulated temporary work). Working hours have been deregulated for both men and women, but coupled with the deregulation of temporary work in female-dominated occupations, the change poses a greater disadvantage for women. The recent reform of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law in Japan, while responding in part to social demands for strengthening the regulation of equality, remains unenforceable. The analysis concludes that rather than more equality in employment, recent Japanese developments point to the institutional embedding of a gender segmented labor market, with men continuing in relatively protected and regulated standard employment and women relegated to flexible and deregulated employment. --employment,flexibility,regulation,labor,gender,Japan