Search

This paper examines associative participation in Spanish society from a gender perspective, focusing on participation levels, associative integration and forms of associationism. The following research questions were formulated: “Do levels of associative participation differ between men and women?” and “Do men and women participate in the same type of associations?”. To respond to these questions, data from the 2019 Survey on Social Capital in Spain was analyzed. This data is representative at a national level, and descriptive, correlational and ordered logistic regression analyses were performed. It was concluded that evidence supports a burden of gender roles in terms of associationism, especially for political associationism, creating a ceiling effect for participation and even social trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eventual disconnection between voters´ preferences and specific policies is of special concern in decentralized countries, where any policy initiative might be simultaneously seen either as an erosion or a reinforcement of selfrule. The aim of this paper is to apply this framework to the harmonization of the Spanish Inheritance and Gift Tax (IGT). We econometrically contrast whether citizens´ living in Autonomous Communities (ACs) that led a tax race to the bottom regarding this tax or in those that exert a greater taste for political autonomy are more likely to oppose a more nationally uniform tax than the rest of Spaniards. Empirically, we exploit data from the 2019 wave of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Fiscal Barometer. According to our main results, citizens living in low taxation ACs and citizens living in some more pro-self-rule regions are even more likely to favor harmonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spain has one of the highest in-work poverty rates in Europe and a high degree of job instability. Reducing in-work poverty requires an understanding of the entry and exit mechanisms specific to this situation, as well as the protective and risk factors involved. Based on data from the Spanish Living Conditions Survey (2017- 2020), this paper shows that households with children are more likely to experience in-work poverty, and that in-work poverty is more persistent in these cases. That said, entry into and exit from poverty is mostly associated with employment-related events, and to a lesser extent, with changes in household composition. The concentration of in-work poverty in households with children results from a process of erosion and accumulated risks, whereby wage losses have a greater effect on the risk of poverty, and the social protection system appears to be insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the apparent familism of Spanish society, family policies have never occupied an important place in the political sphere. However, various issues related to family policy have started to appear in the agenda of Spanish political parties in recent years. This paper analyses family-related issues in the electoral programmes of the five national parties that stood for election on 28 April, 2019, namely, Partido Socialista Obrero Español, Partido Popular, Ciudadanos, Unidas-Podemos, and VOX. A qualitative methodology was used that combined both content and discourse analysis. The results point to important ideological differences between these political parties based on their different conceptualisation of the family, but also to significant similarities on various issues related to "family pragmatics". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse the recent legislative changes in the domestic work sector in Spain, and to research into the impact of these changes on how the sector operates. Since 2011, numerous laws and regulations have been amended within the context of the financial crisis, which caused an uneven development and implementation of the applicable legislation. This paper discusses the results of a study that reviewed the legislation and the secondary sources related to the sector's composition and development in Spain. In-depth interviews were also conducted with domestic workers. The study shows the difficulties involved in reinforcing the changes made in the domestic work sector, due to its peculiar relationship with the productive and reproductive spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses emerging forms in which life and work are interwoven, based on 20 ethnographic studies conducted in enterprises in Spain. Whereas after the Industrial Revolution work processes tended to be autonomous from the living environments of production agents, in recent decades a trend in the opposite direction has been observed in some companies. This re-articulation takes place at several levels: a) through the blurring of the boundaries that separate work and everyday life, b) through the reintegration of affective dimensions into work processes, c) in promoting reciprocity and sociability in the economic sphere and d) in the production of meaningful experiences at work. Are we witnessing an emancipating balance between life and work? Or, on the contrary, is private life being colonized by the sphere of production? In this paper we seek to explore a third form of analysis, that of reflexive modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using provincial data about age at first marriage and permanent singlehood, this paper presents a detailed analysis of marriage behaviour for men and women in Spain over the period 1887-2001. It shows that the great diversity between the Spanish provinces as far as marriage patterns are concerned was basically conditioned by the different numbers of people who never married, rather than by the different ages at which people usually married for the first time. It also concludes that the traditional patterns in each province continued to be replicated at least until the mid-twentieth century. The application of modern panel techniques confirmed some explanatory hypotheses that are often proposed in the literature on the subject (concerning economic, educational, and urbanisation levels) about the historical development of marriage behaviour in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how governance actors in regional business systems engage with foreign-owned multinational corporations which are present within their territory, in attempts to retain investment and link their regions to global production networks. This is done through a qualitative analysis of policy and practice in six sub-national regions in three advanced industrialized economies (Canada, Spain and the UK), thus permitting both international and intra-national comparisons. We find that while there are broad similarities in the types of governance mechanisms used, there are notable differences in the extent and intensity of forms of market, state and associational governance of foreign direct investment. These differences partly correspond to broader institutional differences in the nature of business systems, and partly to the socio-political construction of sub-national governance space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the demographic profile of couples in reconstituted nuclei with at least one child under 18 in Spain. In the last decade there has been an increase in these nuclei that is largely explained by the presence of couples of immigrant and mixed immigrant-Spanish origin. In addition to national origin, three other characteristics of these couples stand out: high rates of cohabitation, age difference between members of the couple and economic precariousness. However, our analysis reveals large heterogeneity in their profiles, mainly differentiated by the presence or absence of shared children as well as the sex and nationality of the parent who brings children into the relationship. We also find that the most important determinant in the decision to have a child in common in a reconstituted relationship is the number of non-common children, being much less important which parent brought them into the reconstituted family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of candidates on voting behaviour in the regional elections of 2007 and 2011 in a number of Spanish regions (Autonomous Communities) included in the scope of the so-called 'dominant model of competition.' These are characterised by the total predominance of Spain-wide parties—and absence of any relevant nationalist/regionalist parties—in all electoral contests: Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Madrid region, Valencia region, Extremadura, La Rioja and Murcia region. Electoral research in Spain has focused mainly on the strong weight of ideology and party identifi cation in terms of voting behaviour, whereas the impact of the regional candidates themselves has not been analysed in so much detail. Using a series of logistic regressions, this study shows that approving of the regional leader is indeed one of the most signifi cant factors regarding voting decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an ethnographic interpretation of how in a changing context of family care different Spanish home telecare services provide older people with social links to prevent their isolation, granting them "connected autonomy": the promotion of their autonomy and independent living through connectedness. To do so, services need to craft a network of "contacts". Different versions of the term iguration are employed to describe the practical materializations of the forms of relatedness put in place by such services: what roles become available and explicitly supported; what other igurations of relatedness (e.g., kinship, friendship, neighbourliness) they come across; what happens when these different igurations of relatedness meet. In doing this, our aim is to allow space to relect ethically on the practical relational promises and challenges of these forms of technologized care of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the outflows of the foreign-born population resident in Spain; specifically, it examines the variations in the probability of emigrating and the intensity of self-selection during the different phases of the economic cycle. In order to do this, survival analysis models were calculated using data from the Spanish Labour Force Survey between 2005 and 2010. The results show, on the one hand, an increase in the probability of emigrating from the start of the recession; and on the other hand, that the probability of emigrating is higher among immigrants with worse employment outcomes and a poorer educational background, as suggested by Neo-classical Economics. However, the effect of unemployment and of the deficit in human capital has been decreasing since 2008. That is, during the recession, negative self-selection is reduced compared to the period of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probit/logit techniques are applied to the data from Barometer No. 2,829 published by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas to examine three problems related with public sector decentralisation. The paper concludes, first, that citizens' perception of efficiency gains from decentralisation have a positive effect on their support for decentralised government. Second, that citizens are more likely to perceive the efficiency gains from decentralisation if they correctly ascribe responsibility for education and health services to regions. And third, that citizens who most accurately identify regional responsibility for the provision of those services tend to be better educated, older, engaged in paid work or public employment, concerned about regional politics and resident in one region with higher initial level of devolved powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the crisis in Spain, the youth face a situation of multi-dimensional disadvantage. In this paper we analyse the perspectives of different stakeholders on this situation, as well as how these perspectives inform the design and implementation of public policies. We carried out a qualitative study with an innovative theoretical approach, the capability approach. We reviewed secondary sources and undertook 21 in-depth interviews with 21 key stakeholders. Evidences show that current policies affecting the youth have a narrow focus on job creation, overlooking the multiple disadvantages that today's young face. This situation is aggravated by the lack of participation in definition and implementation of policies, and by partisan interests and short-term strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spain cohabitation the prevalence of cohabiting couples is no longer marginal. Not only the incidence but also the nature of cohabiting couples is diverse: in Spain cohabitation is considered a temporal alternative that generally ends with the legalization of the union (marriage). The main purpose of this paper is to examine the incidence, duration and development of cohabitation using a life course comparative approach, identifying also the profiles of women who split up against those who decide to marry. Results show the prevalence of the transition from cohabitation to marriage in Spain, establishing this type of union as a prelude and not as a definitive alternative to marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes two possible determinants of disability, birth cohort and socioeconomic status, among Spanish elderly aged 65-89 living independently. We use microdata from the Spanish Health Interview Survey, particularly the self-reported ability to perform daily activities, to construct a continuous measure of disability. Multivariate linear regression models are applied separately for men and women controlling for the following variables: age, birth cohort, educational attainment and self-reported height. Results indicate stability in disability levels across successive generations as well as the existence of a socioeconomic dimension of disability especially among women and within ages 70-79. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main conclusions of a research project on family care provided to elderly and dependent people in Galicia. Galicia has a high aging rate and a significant socio-demographic contrast between rural and urban areas, making it an interesting environment to examine how family care tasks are combined. This study examines the kind of intrafamily negotiations that lead women, usually unmarried daughters (but not other family members) to carry out caregiving work. Furthermore, it presents the type of working conditions related to family care, as well as their impact on the living conditions and health of the caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper updates a line of research on qualitative methodology from recent years, examining certain recent (and nascent) initiatives for the archiving of qualitative sociological research in Spain. The Spanish case is revisited and placed in a European context to focus attention on some of the pioneering archiving practices of different types (according to grade of visibility, institutionalization, etc.) currently being established in Spain. The case of the CIS qualitative studies archive is dealt with in depth; a strategic sample of its archived material serves to analyse the evolution that has taken place in transcription practices on the part of (among others) emblematic researchers. The results are compared to those obtained by other researchers with materials from the British archive, Qualidata. The concepts of quality and the backstage are related to the concept of the qualitative archive in order to lay out the fundamental methodological debate, as well as proposals to promote and improve a process now in progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a research on intergenerational occupational mobility in Spain. We use the Survey of Living Conditions (INE, 2011) that allows us to obtain occupational information about parents and sons. Traditionally the comparison between occupation origin (parents) and destination (children) has been performed using male population. Then, our question is: How are the results about social mobility in Spain when the female population is included in Origin and Destination? As a result we show that the inclusion of women in models of social mobility change the usual conclusion about the constant fluidity over time. There is greater fluidity, not invariant over time, that reveals the new role that women have been acquiring in our society in recent decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social trust and political trust are, amongst others, key social capital factors. This paper examines the accuracy of their measurement and comparability across different time periods. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) is performed and different levels of measurement invariance (configural, metric and scalar) are tested. Data used are from European Social Survey for the years 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008, in relation to Spanish citizens. Factor means for social and political trust are compared across time in Spain. Political and social trust show stability across time, except in 2004 with a higher level of political trust and 2006 with a higher level of social trust in Spain. Comparison with traditional composite scores shows the inaccuracy of such measurement for data comparison across time. Finally, consequences of using inaccurate measurements, and methodological recommendations concerning model fit structural equation models are delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the political responsibilities of women in local governments of 155 town councils across Spain. The main objective is to examine the situation of female politicians within municipal governments, focusing on the division of power roles (vertical segregation) and the different areas of government (horizontal segregation). We suggest that the gender roles/stereotypes approach may explain the situation of women in formal politics and the inequalities that we have found in these local governments. This approach is combined with the power theory. Thus, a key factor in explaining this situation may also be the dominant role of men in traditional power structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents research findings that focus on analyzing the conditions that enable and/or complicate the development of the critical intercultural approach in Pre-schools and Primary schools. To this end, three case studies were conducted in schools in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Andalusia. The main data production techniques used were: participatory observation, interviews and documentary analysis. The results are organized around three dimensions of analysis: the concept of inequality and/or diversity as a driving force for change in schools and the opening-up of the school setting as a challenge/ reproduction of cultural homogeneity and hegemony. The findings show how the dynamics and interactions that exist within these schools provide opportunities but also create limitations when it comes to shaping new intercultural realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and explains the recent trends in life expectancy at birth in Spain from an interdisciplinary perspective. It is based on two methods: segmented linear regression, and decomposition of life expectancy. The study consists of three sections. First, a description is provided of the demographic factors that explain the increase in the life expectancy at birth of the Spanish population from 1910 to 2009, which is in excess of 40 years. Second, the effect that changes in mortality have had on life expectancy at birth during 1980-2009 is analysed by cause of death of the population aged 65 and above. And third, the social and epidemiological causes underlying that increase are described. It is concluded that the increase of life expectancy at birth in Spain is mainly due to the reduction of mortality at advanced ages and a decrease in cardiovascular mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates public and private (household) spending per student on education in early childhood, primary and secondary education in Spain, in public educational institutions and in publicly-funded private educational institutions. We use 2007 data from the Household Spending on Education Survey and the Statistics on Public Spending on Education. Public expenditure on education per student in publicly-funded private educational institutions was 49.9% that spent on public educational institutions. The cost assumed by families in public institutions was 38.7% that spent on publicly-funded private educational institutions. The total expenditure per student on publicly-funded private educational institutions was 66.9% that spent on public educational institutions. Enrollment in publicly-funded private educational institutions implies a reduction of public expenditure on education and the transfer of part of those educational expenses to families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish religious indicators have experienced one of the most drastic declines in Europe. The low levels of church attendance and religious denomination contributed to reject the perception of religiosity as a relevant explanatory factor of electoral behavior . However, leaders continued introducing debated related to secular education, divorce and abortion not only during the eighties, but also more recently from 2004 to 2011. The facts encourage us to reconsider the strength of the religious vote. Is the political elite able to mobilize religious voting through the inclusion of such issues in the electoral debate? In this paper I demonstrate that religiosity has been and still is a key element to understand Spanish electoral behavior, especially in those elections in which the political elite has focused the debate on issues related to moral issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]