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Addressing current socio-economic crises strains public budgets and may threaten fiscal sustainability. Particularly in the welfare sector, where high expenditures meet poor controllability, efficient resource usage is essential to ensure future governments' capability to act while alleviating current problems. Consequently, this paper asks: why are some countries more efficient in translating social expenditure into welfare outcomes? To answer this question, it is argued that efficiency is a matter of institutional structures and their vertical policy-process integration (VPI): efficiency depends on institutional structures' capability to (1) ensure policymakers' responsibility and to (2) provide coordinated feedback, thus pushing for considerate and informed resource use. Analysing the effect of VPI on the relationship between welfare efforts and social outcomes in 21 OECD countries over three decades, the results show that VPI can not only turn 'less' into 'more', but it also compensates for performance losses in the face of spending cuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary folklore casts light on and is shaped by the socio-economic milieu from which it arises. This article explores one aspect of this: the metaphorical points of comparison between oral accounts of the mamlambo, a South African wealth-giving spirit, and the mythmaking surrounding the idea of entrepreneurship in present-day South Africa. Such notions of entrepreneurship draw on key capitalist narratives, including the idea that financial well-being, and even affluence, can be accessed by those who seek to become entrepreneurs, having faith in the fictions of free enterprise, the magic of the market, and the magical potency of money. There are significant parallels with the tales concerning the mamlambo, which describe how a fortune awaits those that enter into a pact with this being, trusting the promises of wealth that it proffers. Yet both the mamlambo and the proponents of entrepreneurship are dealers in dreams and delusions. The affluence the mamlambo offers comes at a cost, and many of those that have faith in the fictions of entrepreneurship are doomed to disillusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tend to think of money as concrete and simple, a thing, but in fact it is multi‐faceted and complex, more symbolic than actual. In the modern world it has come to take such a variety of forms that economists can no longer define it. On the other hand, our reliance on it causes us to invest it with a stability it does not and, probably, cannot have. Our ideas about money are, essentially, social defenses, and the money we think we have in our pockets or in our bank accounts is based on widely shared fantasies. The anxieties underlying these defenses spring from two sources: awareness that money's fixed values are unreliable, unable to protect us from loss, and an opposite irrational optimism about its capacity to grow magically. This paper suggests that the understanding psychoanalysis can offer about such common fantasies inextricably woven around money can provide the groundwork for an interdisciplinary collaboration with economics and the social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the socioeconomic importance of STEM-based entrepreneurial initiatives, several entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) have been initiated to foster and incentivize the translational of academic scientific and technological research into commercially offered products. However, STEM-focused entrepreneurship continues to be challenged by diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, with limited research examining women STEM faculty's perspectives in regard with EEPs. We argue that to develop EEPs that are inclusive to women, one of the foremost needs is to better understand their intentions behind engagement in EEPs. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate women STEM faculty's intentions to engage in entrepreneurship education programs. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 self-identified women STEM faculty who have (n = 13), and have not participated (n = 19) in EEPs. The participants represented different STEM fields and were situated across multiple institutions in the USA. Five core themes emerged from analyzing the qualitative interviews using first and second cycle coding methods. These themes identify different intentions behind women STEM faculty's engagement in entrepreneurship programming—translation intent, innovation intent, intent to engage students, personal intent, and entrepreneurial intent. Overall, the findings suggest that the singular "venture-creation" focus in EEPs does not sufficiently capture the varied intentions that inform women STEM faculty's engagement in EEPs. Implications of the findings in regard with improving inclusivity in entrepreneurship program development and implementation, and entrepreneurship education research are discussed. We call for further research that examines how women STEM faculty navigate academic entrepreneurial pathways that include broader issues within the mainstream entrepreneurial ecosystems. We anticipate that continued research efforts paired with administrative implementations will assist in addressing systemic issues and contribute to the broadening participation of STEM women faculty in EEPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic-associated learning losses were unequal across school subjects and sociodemographic groups. This study posits that these losses are also heterogeneous based on pre-pandemic school effectiveness, that is, the value schools added above the expected students' learning based on their socioeconomic background. Using national-scale standardized mathematics and reading test scores, we compared learning losses between 2013–2018 (pre-pandemic) and 2022 at the school level in Chile and examined how they varied according to an indicator of schools' pre-pandemic effectiveness. Schools with high effectiveness underwent the highest pandemic-driven losses, especially in mathematics. These losses were more pronounced as schools reopened later and students' post-pandemic attendance decreased. Educational policies should adjust to this heterogeneity. While high-vulnerability, high-effectiveness schools require support to mitigate the pandemic's effects, low-effectiveness schools must enhance their capacity to foster student learning beyond these impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated factors influencing farmers' attitude towards adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties. One hundred maize farmers were selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure and data were collected through structured questionnaires. Information was collected on the socioeconomic characteristics of the maize farmers, farmers' level of awareness of drought-tolerant maize varieties, farmers' attitudes towards agricultural innovation, constraints to adoption of droughttolerant maize varieties and, factors influencing farmers' attitude towards adoption of droughttolerant maize varieties. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Logit regression. The findings revealed that 76% of the maize farmers had limited awareness regarding the benefits and characteristics of drought-tolerant maize varieties. Also, the majority (74%) of the farmers lacked knowledge about the quality and advantages of these varieties. Despite positive attitude (mean = 4.28) which was measured at ordinal level, several constraints to adoption were identified, mainly low output of drought tolerant maize varieties (mean = 2.30). The findings also showed the substantial impact of two key factors (that is, sex and income) as factors influencing farmers' attitude to adopt drought-tolerant maize varieties. Farmers are yet to take advantage of drought-tolerant maize varieties as a mitigating strategy against climate change. The need for extension services and non-governmental organizations to step up awareness creation and training on best agronomic practices in growing the maize varieties is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban–rural gap remains to be one fundamental inequality in modern China; however, the symbolic boundary derived from such socioeconomic inequality is less examined. Centre on two parallel initiatives aimed at cultural empowerment for rural China—independent bookstores and public-subsidized libraries—this study tries to explicate the multidimensional nature of boundaries and emphasize the cultural mechanism of boundary reproduction under institutional layering environment. We draw from policy trajectories, media discourse, and first-hand interviews in two villages, and reveal that despite the idealized portrayal of bookstores as a public cultural centre for empowerment, the symbolic construction wielded by cultural entrepreneurs is not sufficient in dissolving social differences in a digitalized society. Local villagers are not part of the "cultural consumption as identity building" ritual therefore being excluded from an urban-and-consumption culture-oriented space. Moreover, local villagers adopt differentiated interpretive strategies towards culture-led regeneration projects, so that "rural culture" is merely the swirl of an empty signal in Baudrillard's sense that does not bear the symbolic efficacy promoted by top-down initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children undergo significant changes as they enter secondary school, a time during which their social and academic self-concept is fluid and the pressures to adjust and show positive attitudes and behaviours are intense. Utilising data from the Millennium Cohort Study (Waves 4 and 5) the purpose of this study was two-fold: to examine longitudinal changes in academic self-concept, self-esteem and school attitudes in pre and mid adolescents through the lenses of gender and SES; and to trace the unique and cumulative effects of SES, gender and parenting on academic self-concept, self-esteem and school attitudes in 14- year-olds. The findings showed that academic self-concept, self-esteem and positive school attitudes decreased considerably between the ages of 11 and 14, and that girls rated themselves lower in self-esteem and school attitudes than did boys. The observed drop in academic self-concept was sharper in 14-year-olds from economically less well-off families. Parent behaviour and practices and the home learning environment contributed significantly to 14-year-olds' school attitudes, self-esteem and self-concept. These findings have implications for developing school policies that support self-esteem especially during the first years of secondary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether immigrants and their descendants are catching up socioeconomically with the rest of society is a fundamental question in the study of immigrant assimilation. In this paper, we examine the progress that Hispanic immigrant men make catching up with the earnings of later-generation Whites across generations. We rely on data from multiple years of the Current Population Survey linked with individuals' tax earnings. This unique dataset allows us to overcome some important limitations of previous studies that employ a synthetic generation approach in which individuals born approximately one generation earlier are used as proxies for actual parents. Our matching strategy also enables us to identify the exact third generation and evaluate the contribution of ethnic attrition to estimates of intergenerational mobility. Second-generation Hispanic men are found to experience lower mobility than later-generation Whites for most values of parental earnings. However, their lower mobility can be explained by their immigrant parents' lower education levels. In contrast, third-generation Hispanic men experience lower mobility even after accounting for parental education and ethnic attrition. This finding is consistent with a stalling or reversal in the socioeconomic progress of Hispanics beyond the second generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of birth order on educational attainment in the United States and the underlying mechanism producing these effects. Using a family fixed effects model, we find negative birth order effects on educational outcomes. However, this effect varies depending on the household's income, being the strongest for households with the highest income and diminishing as households' income decreases. In addition, we show that the timing of income across childhood is important for completed education, as the largest gap in educational attainment between siblings emerges between those who were born and spent their early childhood in wealthier households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Socio‐economic status is one of the most important factors shaping students' motivation and achievement but has seldom been explored in relation to achievement goals. Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether mastery‐approach goals explain the link between SES and key learning‐related outcomes (mediation) and whether SES modifies the relationship between mastery‐approach goals and these outcomes (moderation). Sample: Data came from 595,444 students nested in 21,322 schools across 77 countries. Methods: Data were analysed using multilevel‐moderated mediation analyses. Results: We found significant mediation and moderation. In terms of mediation, mastery‐approach goals mediated the association between family SES and learning‐related outcomes. However, a different pattern emerged for school SES, as students in higher SES schools had lower mastery‐approach goals. In terms of moderation, we found that family SES strengthened the association between mastery‐approach goals and learning‐related outcomes. However, the association between mastery‐approach goals and learning‐related outcomes was weaker in higher SES schools. Conclusion: Theoretical and practical implications for the achievement goal approach to achievement motivation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the fraught status paradoxes and settlement impediments of European migrants in Asian cities like Tokyo, Singapore, and Dubai. Global European emigration is predominantly imagined as professional ‘expatriation’, framed as temporary if not steeped in linear career pathways of manifest privilege. The implied bifurcation between voluntary European mobilities and economic migrations from the Global South is complicated here by foregrounding the existential aspirations of middling European emigrants who are anxious about their future class position in Europe and therefore resettle along a wider trans-Asian economic corridor. While this European mobile middle retains global advantages in terms of transnational circulation and entry by virtue of their European citizenship capital, they face under-documented legal hurdles and social precarities in their quest for overseas permanence. We conceptualise this transcontinental process, marked by a complex set of mobility ambivalences over time, as ‘migratory classmaking’, the distinctive aspirations of which elucidate that structural socioeconomic incentives are equally bound up with contemporary forms of European migration. Enmeshed in this global process of migratory class-making lays a European predicament that speaks of blighted existential hopes about middle-class stability imagined to be the ideal result of multi-year investments in class-making across Europe and Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and factors influencing ecological land (EL) can support the optimization of EL protection policies and ensure the stability of regional ecosystems. Based on remote sensing data, using the gravity center shift model, the landscape pattern index, and the equivalent factor method, the characteristics of EL evolution in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region from 1980 to 2020 were analyzed. A fixed-effects model was used to quantitatively explore the factors influencing EL evolution and heterogeneity analysis. The results are as follows: (1) The EL area exhibited a trend of initial decrease followed by a subsequent increase during the study period. The most significant area transfer occurred between cropland and EL, but, after the 21st century, the proportion of area transfer between construction land and EL noticeably increased. (2) The compactness and fragmentation of EL showed a certain spatiotemporal stability, but the spatial distribution of compactness and fragmentation hot and cold spots exhibited significant differences. The fragmentation hot spots mainly displayed a strip distribution, while those of compactness showed a clustered distribution. (3) Although the ecosystem service value in the BTH region demonstrated dynamic "M"-shaped changes, the distribution of hot and cold spots still exhibited spatial stability. Regulating services consistently occupied a higher proportion of the sub-service functions, while cultural services still needed further enhancement. (4) Factors influencing the evolution of areas and values demonstrated similarities. The landscape was significantly influenced by construction land, showing a non-linear "U"-shaped relationship with fragmentation. Different economic development gradients and altitudes exhibited differentiated characteristics in terms of their influencing factors. This study provides scientific support for dynamically and precisely adjusting governmental EL management policies, contributing to the sustainable development of regional socio-economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased decentralization of renewable energy has increased curtailment rates in stagnating demand zones, increasing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The geographically dynamic nature of gravity energy storage (GES) is emerging in the field of mechanical energy storage, over pumped hydro. However, GES costs vary geospatially, specifically in decentralized suburban areas, due to the impact of urban socioeconomics. This study aims to find a mathematical approximation of a cost-optimized location for suburban Solar–GES hybrid systems in curtailment-prone areas. A multi-parameterization model mathematically programmed land, transmission, supply chain and excavation costs into geospatial matrix approximations for suburban areas of 2500 km2 in Fukuoka and Ibaraki in Japan. It was found that SPV-GES location-dependent costs were mainly affected by distance from the city's economic center and flat plains in suburbs, and supply chain and transmission costs optimized the location-dependent cost for GES at a specific point. It was also found that flat terrains were more economical than mountainous terrains due to high GES supply chain costs. With GES found to be cost-competitive compared to other storage technologies in Japan, this study reveals that GES introduction benefits the LCOE of suburban, decentralized SPV when curtailment is >50% irrespective of terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of martial law, due to the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, has had a major economic effect on Ukraine. This article argues that it created a need to improve the tax policy to take into account the political and socio-economic situation, as well as the challenges posed by the war to the country. Increasing the efficiency of tax policy can positively influence the attractiveness of foreign investments and can stabilize the economic situation in the country. The measures applied by state authorities are aimed at reducing the tax burden in order to quickly adapt the country's economy to the realities of the martial law and to ensure its rapid recovery after the war, and are related to import benefits, updating customs legislation, unshadowing the labour market, etc. It has argued that the tax policy of Ukraine needs a systematic update, including through the implementation of the norms of European laws into the national legal system. The formation of the modern tax policy of Ukraine should be based on a rational reduction of the tax burden, integration of innovative technologies into the production sphere and effective management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French language as a subject was formally re-injected in the mainstream schools as a pilot project in 2009 in Lesotho. This language, which was initially introduced in schools in 1868 and whose popularity decreased following the missionaries' departure from Lesotho, is viewed by the Ministry of Education and Training as an instrumental tool in promoting individual, national and socio-economic development. French, vis-à-vis English and Sesotho, is at the basis of the concept of multilingualism in a country that is officially recognised as being bilingual. It is against this backdrop that this article sought to explore learners' attitudes towards multilingualism through the re-introduction of French as a subject. Purposive sampling was used to select 9 secondary school participants where French was taught. Data were generated using focus group interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The findings demonstrate that most participants display positive affective attitudes towards multilingualism, viewing it as a step towards attainment of an idealised self, as creating job opportunities and as promoting globalisation. Seemingly, habitual attitudes influence social and/or factual attitudes. The paper is nuanced by the neoliberalism theory to demonstrate that the students' understanding of the utility of languages is largely informed by the logic of the market and business, reducing education to a clinical activity. This article thus recommends the inclusion of three propositions of affective attitudes in the language policy in order to contribute to the development of a holistic individual who would work towards the attainment of an idealised self through qualification, socialisation and subjectification, thereby preserving the concept of multilingualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioeconomic disadvantage is a major correlate of low political participation. This association is among the most robust findings in political science. However, it is based largely on observational data. The causal effects of early-life disadvantage in particular are even less understood, because long-term data on the political consequences of randomized early-life anti-poverty interventions is nearly nonexistent. We leverage the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) experiment to test the long-term effect of moving out of disadvantaged neighborhoods—and thus out of deep poverty—on turnout. MTO is one of the most ambitious anti-poverty experiments ever implemented in the United States. Although MTO ameliorated children's poverty long term, we find that, contrary to expectations, the intervention did not increase children's likelihood of voting later in life. Additional tests show the program did not ameliorate their poverty enough to affect turnout. These findings speak to the complex relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and low political participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse how State policies, on the book and in practice, shape family reunification. It focuses on child migration under constraint in France, by analysing the timing and factors of (non-)reunification among foreign immigrants, whose legal conditions for family reunification are much more restrictive than for those who obtained the French citizenship. Using a quantitative approach with a nationally representative survey, the article analyses to what extent and in what circumstances migrants took one or the other of three paths during the 1973–2009 period: bringing their children in France through the administrative channel of family reunification (de jure reunification), turning to an alternative channel of child migration (de facto reunification), or leaving their child behind in their birth country. Results show that de jure reunification is not the predominant option and strongly suggest that this pathway is impaired both by an official state selection based on socioeconomic criteria enshrined in law, and by an unofficial state selection in policy implementation due to discriminatory treatments and regional inequalities in administration resources. In response to these restrictions, families adapt either by turning to de facto reunification or by maintaining transnational ways of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores aspirations among the youth in India by seeing connections to two themes – ambition and satisfaction. While aspirations can call on a range of values, what is it that drives people as they deal with aspirations? Is dissatisfaction a driver of ambition, or a hurdle for future progress? How does one look at ambition and satisfaction in the larger field of aspirations as sociological phenomena? Using macro-data to establish a broader context, along with in-depth interviews with working women from a range of occupations in Delhi, and a detailed case-study of one woman , this paper studies the role ambition and satisfaction play in women's lives in urban India. It underscores the barriers and risks young women face in the labour market, which vary by their occupation, socio-economic status, and level of education. These barriers constrain and, at times, motivate women to be ambitious, to aspire, and to achieve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult education is still regarded as a strategic agent for development and socio-economic transformation in many countries. In Tanzania, a special emphasis on adult education was particularly manifested during Julius Nyerere's presidency (1962–1985), which regarded adult education as a means of increasing popular awareness of political and social realities on the one hand and increasing the potential for social transformation on the other. This theoretical article critically examines Nyerere's policy on adult education as articulated in his speech on the theme of adult education delivered on the eve of the 1970 New Year and its implications for contemporary Tanzania. In the course of his argument, the author demonstrates how adult education remains of crucial importance, especially for developing countries such as Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perceived disadvantage faced by high school students from rural areas in pursuing higher education is often associated with the fact that these areas are by default affected by socio-economic disadvantages. The analysis of the results from the high school baccalaureate examination for Romania, which is mandatory for admission to higher education, and which plays a major role in ranking the applicants, shows the potential outcomes of the university admission policy targeting high school baccalaureate holders from rural areas. Under different scenarios, this can lead to either targeted admission places being allocated to students that would have been otherwise successfully admitted by competing on general admission places or could have helped students from other disadvantaged backgrounds. These results may help as a basis for guiding policy designs that can better target admission places for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social enterprises strive to create social value by providing innovative solutions to various socio-economic and developmental problems. Given the harsh economic terrain, the key question is how these organizations traverse the path to financial sustainability to fulfil their social mission. Thus often challenged to either change scope or shut down. There is a dearth of research on micro-social enterprises and their strategies for financial sustainability. This study gathered data through an online survey platform from 121 social enterprises, which were more than 3 years of age based in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Further, crucial insights were obtained by analyzing this data using two statistical software: Jamovi and PROCESS Macro of SPSS for serial mediation. The findings demonstrate that growth orientation positively and significantly influences financial sustainability, both directly, and indirectly through; product & service innovation, social capital and external funding, which was observed individually and in serial mediation. Thus revealing that all these factors have partial mediation on financial sustainability. However, the influence of growth orientation with all these factors is way higher than it does individually. There are several crucial paths for financial sustainability, however, the most crucial one is when growth orientation is in tandem with product & service innovations. By harnessing the synergies between growth-oriented strategies and intermediary variables, social enterprises can navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and advance their dual mission of financial sustainability as well as their social mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henry James's late works operate within a vibrant social economy, as "the working and the worked were in London, as one might explain, the parties to every relation" (WD 201). I contend that James's social economy hinges on affective labor, a range of both paid and unpaid exchanges that involve emotional management and situate his characters in relationships of proximity, intimacy, and knowledge. By juxtaposing spaces of waged and unwaged affective labor in The Wings of the Dove and In the Cage , James reveals how it simultaneously facilitates the operation of a capitalist system and enacts a form of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of improved quality of life standards has significantly influenced the contemporary mining model in the 21st century. This era is witnessing an unprecedented transformation driven by pressing concerns related to sustainability, climate change, the just energy transition, dynamic operating environments, and complex social challenges. Such transitions present both opportunities and obstacles. The aim of this study is to provide an extensive literature review on energy transition to identify the challenges and strategies associated with navigating transformations in energy systems. Understanding these transformations is particularly critical in the face of the severe consequences of global warming, where an accelerated energy transition is viewed as a universal remedy. Adopting a socio-technological systems perspective, specifically through the application of Actor Network Theory (ANT), this research provides a theoretical foundation while categorising challenges into five distinct domains and outlining strategies across these different dimensions. These insights are specifically tailored for emerging market countries to effectively navigate energy transition while fostering the development of resilient societies. Furthermore, our findings highlight that energy transition encompasses more than a mere technological shift; it entails fundamental changes in various systemic socio-economic imperatives. Through focusing on the role of social structures in transitions, this study makes a significant and innovative contribution to ANT, which has historically been criticised for its limited acknowledgement of social structures. Consequently, we propose an emerging market energy transition framework, which not only addresses technological aspects, but also integrates social considerations. This framework paves the way for future research and exploration of energy transition dynamics. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights to policymakers, researchers, and practitioners engaged in the mining industry, enabling them to comprehend the multifaceted challenges involved and providing practical strategies for effective resolution. Through incorporating the social dimension into the analysis, we enhance the understanding of the complex nature of energy system transformations, facilitating a more holistic approach towards achieving sustainable and resilient energy transitions in emerging markets and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying are common problems faced by today's youth. Research seeking to explain bullying perpetration has often invoked Agnew's general strain theory (GST). However, research to date has often explored within a given study only a single emotion at a time that can result from strain. Further, prior research has tended to take the causal ordering arguments of GST at face value. The current study seeks to focus on the correlation of strains related to socioeconomics with traditional and cyberbullying perpetration and negative emotions. Utilizing the Add Health data and path modeling in Mplus, results suggest that socioeconomic strain positively correlates with bullying perpetration and recent negative emotions. However, results suggest a potential causal chain that is the opposite of an expectation of GST, with bullying perpetration potentially affecting negative emotions, and not the other way around. Implications of the results for theory and policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper interprets the concept of δοῦλος in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 in the context of socio-economic slavery in Nigeria. Using the liberation hermeneutics approach, the paper argues that the concept of δοῦλος in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 is a typical reflection of injustice and oppression to the person or group being socio-economically exploited. The resonance of the text with the Ibibio narrative of socio-economic slavery in Nigeria is the similarity of treatments accorded the δοῦλος in domestic and economic affairs in first-century Greco-Roman setting. Drawing on existing literature and the text in view, it interrogates the meaning of δοῦλος in a Greco-Roman setting and the status accorded the δοῦλος in the original and contemporary socio-economic settings of the study. The result shows that δοῦλος is interpreted to mean slavery. It recommends that the Church and state should put resources together to carry out economic and educational empowerment for the youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examine how state spending on children is associated with the size of socioeconomic gaps in maternal childcare time. Background: Persistent socioeconomic divides in the amount and nature of parental time with children have prompted consideration of the factors that mitigate inequalities within the family. At both the national and local levels, the welfare state plays an important role in structuring opportunities for children. Thus, it is important to understand the institutional factors that shape parental behavior. Yet, little research examines how the social safety net is associated with family processes. Method: Using rich data on maternal time with children from the American Time Use Surveys (2003–2016), combined with longitudinal data on public spending in states on major programs affecting children and families, we examine how state spending on children is associated with the size of socioeconomic gaps in maternal childcare time. Results: We found that higher levels of state spending were associated with significant increases in childcare time among low‐educated mothers at both the extensive and intensive margin, increasing the likelihood of spending any minutes on primary childcare in a typical day, as well as increasing the number of minutes spent on childcare. In contrast, we observed no variation in the behavior of highly educated mothers as state spending changes. Implications: State‐level investments could meaningfully narrow socioeconomic gaps in maternal time with children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from observed gender differences in educational effort and because research considers motivation to be a personal student feature, this study had two aims. First, it examined whether autonomous and controlled motivation are shared by students within a school and whether such a motivation culture is associated with the school's student composition. Second, the study examined whether students', and specifically boys', class engagement and disruptive behaviour are associated with the motivation culture in their school. The main findings of analyses of data from 5162 eighth-grade students (average age 14) in 57 Flemish secondary schools are that (1) schools are characterized by an autonomous and controlled motivated culture that is related to schools' sex and migrant composition and schools' socioeconomic composition, respectively, and (2) boys' disruptive behaviour is related to the autonomous motivation culture, showing boys are more susceptible to their peers' motivation culture. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research on migrant arrival and settlement has looked at these processes through the lens of 'integration', investigating how migrants access societal realms such as the labour market, education, civil society and social networks, and mostly focusing on individual migrants' processes of incorporation. A complementary body of work has looked at how socio-economic contexts can shape integration and social mobility. This article expands on this work by highlighting the importance of place in migrant arrival and settlement. It builds on an emerging body of literature that has emphasised that where migrants arrive plays a crucial role in their ability to access resources. Drawing on two sets of ethnographic fieldwork in East London, the article presents a micro-analysis of how migrants make their way into the city with the help of publicly accessible social infrastructures (shops, libraries, barbers, parks, etc.) and individuals working within these. The article demonstrates that social infrastructures are a crucial element amongst a range of arrival infrastructures that can be found in urban areas of long-standing immigration and highlights the role of the built environment regarding opportunities for accessing information about settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relation between local diversity configurations and policies in a selection of Dutch city case studies. Firstly, we identify distinct diversity configurations in Dutch cities, based on a quantitative analysis of 388 municipalities. Subsequently, we conduct a qualitative in-depth study of local policies on migration-related diversity in 10 cities representing specific diversity configurations, to assess the fit between the characteristics in some selected cities and the policy responses. Our study substantiates what has been described in the literature on the local turn in migration studies; the 'local dimension' of migration-related diversities and policies reveal a plurality of approaches rather than a one-size-fits-all local model. Differences in urban diversity configurations are reflected in urban policy in specific ways. We also found that inequalities and segregation mattered in terms of the problematization of integration and the choice of policy approach. Our analysis reveals a relationship or 'match' between specific urban diversities and specific urban policies. Based on these matches, we propose a fourfold typology of urban diversity policies. Thus, the article seeks to contribute to a more differentiated understanding of the multilevel complexity of diversities at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed smallholder maize farmers' perceptions of climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study used a cross-sectional quantitative approach, with smallholder farmers selected based on farm size (less than 10 hectares). Using simple random sampling techniques, 210 smallholder farmers in South Kivu Province was selected from October and November 2021. The data were analyzed using frequency analysis, non-parametric Mann–Whitney U-tests, Tobit regression model and structural equations modeling, which demonstrated that demographic and socioeconomic factors influenced smallholder farmers' perceptions and adaptation strategies to climate change. The findings revealed that the level of education, size of the field, and activities of smallholder farmers had significant effects on climate change perception and adaptation strategies. Smallholder farmers' perceptions had a negative (p < 1%) influence on maize smallholder farmers' adaptation to climate change. Common efforts should be made to encourage smallholder farmers to feel committed enough to implement climate change adaptation measures that are effective in mitigating or preventing climate change risk. The results of this study would have implications for policies to support maize smallholder farmers in their efforts to mitigate and resilient to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, the promotion of climate literacy must be sufficient to provide farmers with information on climate and forecasting. Secondly, to empower smallholder farmers with means and resources to prevent and reduce the effects of climate change. Lastly, enhancing the current environment for the agriculture sector will advance community inclusivity and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why and how do some migrant groups demonstrate greater engagement with homeland politics than others at particular historical moments? Research has examined both individual-level factors such as migrants' resources and institutional factors such as contexts of incorporation. Less theorised, however, are the ways in which factors are mediated by temporal contexts such as timing and sequence. Drawing on the notion of path dependence, this study analyses how the temporal orders of four institutional factors – 1) the socioeconomic context of reception, 2) incorporative policies of the receiving state, 3) diaspora policies of the sending state, and 4) migrant networks – resulted in divergent levels of diasporic engagement between Italian and Japanese migrants in early twentieth century Brazil. My findings show that the socioeconomic context of reception provides the initial condition on which migrants develop their networks. Second, the timing of when diasporic policies – relative to incorporative policies – reach out to migrant networks affects the breadths of social class involvement in diasporic engagement. This study contends that timing plays a critical role in producing divergent levels of diasporic engagement at the group-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 'agentic demand' of population health interventions (PHIs) refers to the capacity, resources and freedom to act that interventions demand of their recipients to benefit, which have a socio-economical pattern. Highly agentic interventions, e.g. information campaigns, rely on recipients noticing and responding to the intervention and thus might affect intervention effectiveness and equity. The absence of an adequate framework to classify agentic demands limits the fields' ability to systematically explore these associations. Methods: We systematically developed the Demands for Population Health Interventions (Depth) framework using an iterative approach: (1) developing the Depth framework by systematically identifying examples of PHIs aiming to promote healthier diets and physical activity, coding of intervention actors and actions and synthesising the data to develop the framework; (2) testing the Depth framework in online workshops with academic and policy experts and a quantitative reliability assessment. We applied the final framework in a proof-of-concept review, extracting studies from three existing equity-focused systematic reviews on framework category, overall effectiveness and differential socioeconomic effects and visualised the findings in harvest plots. Results: The Depth framework identifies three constructs influencing agentic demand: exposure — initial contact with intervention (two levels), mechanism of action — how the intervention enables or discourages behaviour (five levels) and engagement — recipient response (two levels). When combined, these constructs form a matrix of 20 possible classifications. In the proof-of-concept review, we classified all components of 31 interventions according to the Depth framework. Intervention components were concentrated in a small number of Depth classifications; Depth classification appeared to be related to intervention equity but not effectiveness. Conclusions: This framework holds potential for future research, policy and practice, facilitating the design, selection and evaluation of interventions and evidence synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the feeding practices of parents of preschool children and the eating behaviors of children. Material and Methods: The parents who had 2 to 6 years of age children without chronic disease and had completed the transition to supplementary foods were included (n=315). Family demographic, socioeconomic information and children's anthropometric measurements were recorded. The parents completed the "Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ)", and "Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ)". Results: The mean age of the children participating were 46±14.63 months and 46.7% (147/315) of the children were girls. As parents' perceived responsibility for feeding increased, the children's food responsiveness tended to decrease. In parents who had concerns about their child's weight, their children's eating behavior was associated with higher food responsiveness and enjoyment of food and lower satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, and emotional undereating. Conclusion: Parents' healthy eating attitudes can be part of a process that encourages children to model healthy eating behaviors. 'Satiety responsiveness', 'slowness in eating', and 'emotional under-eating behaviors were observed more frequently with the attitude of restriction and pressure for eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the extent to which teacher factors of the dynamic model of educational effectiveness can explain variation in student achievement in mathematics. It also searches for the extent to which any of these factors matters more for academically resilient students than for all the other low-socioeconomic-status students. Participants were all teachers (N = 66) of 14 schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas who teach mathematics to students of Grades 4–6 (N = 904). Teacher factors were measured through a student questionnaire, whereas mathematics achievement at the beginning and the end of the school year was measured through written tests. Student background characteristics were measured through a student questionnaire. Information on parents' occupational status was also collected. Multilevel modelling analysis revealed that all teacher factors explain variation in mathematics achievement. Differential effects for all factors but modelling and assessment were identified. Implications of findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is one of the most common venous diseases. CVI is an important clinical picture with a high prevalence, low quality of life, and high diagnosis and treatment costs. Therefore, diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment are important for the patient's socioeconomic and life quality. In this study, we aimed to better examine a test used in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of CVI. Methods: In this retrospective study, 683 patients diagnosed with CVI, who had endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) indications were evaluated between June 2013 and November 2018. EVLA procedure performed on all patients. Preoperative, postoperative 1st and 6th month Doppler USG (ultrasonography), plethysmography, and VCSS (Venous Clinical Severity Score) questionnaire was made to all patients. Results: As a result of our study, we found that there was a significant difference between the preoperative plethysmography and VCSS results of the patients and the postoperative 1st and 6th month results. With the significant difference in the VCSS questionnaire, we have shown that plethysmography gives accurate results in the diagnosis and treatment of CVI since it is an individual, quantitative, and easy test. Conclusions: EVLA is an effective and safe method in patients with venous insufficiency. Since Doppler USG is person and device dependent, we think that plethysmography, which can be used in every clinical setting and provides quantitative results independent of the person, can be used more frequently in the diagnosis and treatment of venous insufficiency. In addition, we think that plethysmography can be used as a valuable additional method in the diagnosis and follow-up of such patients, due to the venous hemodynamic data that Doppler USG cannot provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the constitutive impact of the 'international' on the sociopolitical transformations in Syria and Libya through the lens of the theory of Uneven and Combined Development (UCD). The conventional and numerous critical analyses of Syrian and Libyan sociopolitical change suffer from a Eurocentric and stagist understanding of development. This paper argues that development problems can be better conceptualized with an interactive framework made possible by the UCD theory. In this context, we focus on how the expansion and consolidation of capitalism through the dynamics of UCD have concretely shaped the process of sociopolitical transformation in Syria and Libya to shed light on how the international and the local have articulated to produce the socioeconomic and political outcomes in these two states. We conclude by arguing that the theory of UCD provides an alternative conceptualization in explaining the specific development trajectories in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential prerequisite to the genealogical study of Jews, some elements of Jewish demographic history are provided in a long-term transnational perspective. Data and estimates from a vast array of sources are combined to draw a profile of Jewish populations globally, noting changes in geographical distribution, vital processes (marriages, births and deaths), international migrations, and changes in Jewish identification. Jews often anticipated the transition from higher to lower levels of mortality and fertility, or else joined large-scale migration flows that reflected shifting constraints and opportunities locally and globally. Cultural drivers typical of the Jewish minority interacted with socioeconomic and political drivers coming from the encompassing majority. The main centers of Jewish presence globally repeatedly shifted, entailing the intake within Jewish communities of demographic patterns from significantly different environments. During the 20th century, two main events reshaped the demography of the Jews globally: the Shoah (destruction) of two thirds of all Jews in Europe during World War II, and the independence of the State of Israel in 1948. Mass immigration and significant convergence followed among Jews of different geographical origins. Israel's Jewish population grew to constitute a large share—and in the longer run—a potential majority of all Jews worldwide. Since the 19th century, and with increasing visibility during the 20th and the 21st, Jews also tended to assimilate in the respective Diaspora environments, leading to a blurring of identificational boundaries and sometimes to a numerical erosion of the Jewish population. This article concludes with some implications for Jewish genealogical studies, stressing the need for contextualization to enhance their value for personal memory and for analytic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been more‐or‐less continual suggestions that the UK National Health Service (NHS) has been suffering from one kind of crisis or another since its creation in 1948. If we are to understand the problems the NHS faces, then we need to empirically investigate what kinds of crises it has faced, if such crises have patterns to them, and whether or not they tend to lead to policy change. This article considers NHS crisis in terms of academic accounts of its history, as well in occurrences of the term 'NHS crisis' (and its synonyms) in national newspaper headlines from the 1980s up to 2020 through the application of topic modelling. The combination of these two sources of data leads to the construction of a typology of NHS crises. Having constructed this typology, we can then examine the timing and frequency of NHS crises, and consider the relationship between crises and periods of policy change, as well as to the wider economic and social context in which crises occur through the notion of the 'NHS spatio‐temporal fix'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student performance data is increasingly used to monitor and evaluate teachers. This study examines whether the turnover intentions – if teachers would change schools given the chance – of teachers in socioeconomically disadvantaged classrooms are moderated by teacher appraisal practices based on student academic performance data at the school system-level. Three-level hierarchical modelling in 46 education systems is conducted based on the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) from 2018. Results show that the effect of classroom socioeconomic composition on teacher turnover intentions increases as a function of performance-based teacher appraisal. However, this is only true when the appraisal is conducted by external authorities, and not so when conducted by the school management team. The models are then re-run by school consequences of appraisal such as dismissal, financial bonuses, or sanctions, and then by teacher characteristics, including gender, experience, and teaching subject. Experienced teachers in socioeconomically disadvantaged classrooms are more likely to change schools in school systems with more performance data-based teacher appraisal. These results underscore the potential pitfalls of performance data-based accountability systems for students in socioeconomically disadvantaged educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Index spaces serve as valuable metric models for studying properties relevant to various applications, such as social science or economics. These properties are represented by real Lipschitz functions that describe the degree of association with each element within the underlying metric space. After determining the index value within a given sample subset, the classic McShane and Whitney formulas allow a Lipschitz regression procedure to be performed to extend the index values over the entire metric space. To improve the adaptability of the metric model to specific scenarios, this paper introduces the concept of a composition metric, which involves composing a metric with an increasing, positive and subadditive function ϕ. The results presented here extend well-established results for Lipschitz indices on metric spaces to composition metrics. In addition, we establish the corresponding approximation properties that facilitate the use of this functional structure. To illustrate the power and simplicity of this mathematical framework, we provide a concrete application involving the modeling of livability indices in North American cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AV1 robotic device has a growing evidence base, both internationally and in the UK, for supporting pupils with physical/emotional health needs. The device allows pupils to access their school lessons remotely through telepresence technology. Previous papers have highlighted the growing relevance to the education field, although, to date, there is no published UK academic research. In consideration of this, the purpose of the present paper was to explore the views of school staff who have trialled the AV1 device in the UK. Semi-structured interviews were held with 10 staff members from different school settings before data were analysed thematically. Key themes related to potential for impact, opportunities/challenges, and wider socio-economic considerations. Implications are considered in relation to (1) future research and professional practice, and (2) the introduction of a proposed implementation framework to support practitioners when trialling the AV1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Environmental and Socioeconomic Nexus Forecasting Technology Group has been in the process of developing a computer-based circulation system consisting of several models (e.g. natural environment, economic, and social). We aim to forecast changes in global-scale inclusive cycles for inclusive sustainability, in which the environment, economy, and society are interrelated and more stable. In this article, we describe our developments for forecasting environmental impact considering the interplay between the environment and economy and introduce a new index of affluence in the beyond GDP (gross domestic product) era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on gender-specific penal reform programs critique their failure to prioritize the socio-economic recovery of criminalized women. This paper draws on these insights to examine the Women's Refuge Court (WRC), a human trafficking court for adult women criminalized for prostitution and drug offences in Ohio. Using ethnographic research, I illustrate the WRC's rejection of bootstrapping and emphasis on material resourcing as a penal reform strategy. I argue that the WRC's prioritization of socio-economic recovery derives from fears over the status decline of the impoverished white women who predominate as defendants. Court officials rely on evangelical Christian imaginings of prostitution as 'modern day slavery' to frame participants as 'trafficking victims'. I identify the WRC's response as a racially specific form of gender responsive programming called carceral restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zimbabwe’s unending socioeconomic crisis has led to the flooding of informal street vendors in its urban areas, a development that has led to incessant clashes between the street vendors and the local authorities. Literature has shown that street vending is a global phenomenon and its problems could be addressed through best practices of inclusivity. This study examined the situation of informal street vendors in Harare in the light of social inclusion. It also made use of insights from Pope Francis regarding World Popular Movements. Data were collected through focus group discussions comprising six informal street vendors operating in Harare as its participants. Findings revealed that informal street vendors in Harare faced many structural challenges, one of which included operating in contested spaces characterised by violent evictions from vending sites, bribery and power struggles. Results also showed that street vendors lacked access to bank loans, information, and even the power to influence policies which directly affected them. Based on these findings, it was argued that the informal street vendors were socially excluded and needed to be integrated into the economic fabric of the urban society. This social inclusion process was considered as only possible if local authorities adopted an inclusive approach to policymaking. This would entail involving the street vendors when crafting policies that directly affect them. It was recommended that Harare City Council regularises street vending, aligns its by-laws to the National Constitution, and that it also formulates inclusive policies. Contribution: The article makes a contribution towards the promotion of an inclusive society whereby everyone has equal access to social and economic opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This decade represents a critical period to profoundly rethink human–nature interactions in order to address the interwoven climate and biodiversity crises. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) demonstrate promise for increasing ecosystem resilience and reversing habitat and population declines, but outcomes vary considerably from context to context. Partially protected areas offer a compromise between ecological recovery and the social needs of local communities, but their success is contingent on an array of factors. This in-depth review summarizes 15 years of marine conservation research and impact in Lyme Bay (southwest UK), to serve as a model for the future adoption of partially protected MPAs. The findings from the UK's longest integrated socioecological monitoring MPA study are presented and supplemented by an evaluation of the whole-site management approach as a core element of Lyme Bay's achievements. The journey from research to improved monitoring and ambitious policy is illustrated within and interspersed with stories of novel discoveries, ongoing challenges, and method developments. What started as a dedicated group of community members has grown into an immense collaboration between fishers, scientists, NGOs, and regulators, and their combined efforts have sent ripple effects of positive change across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing market segments are commonly differentiated based on the structural and spatial attributes of their dwellings. A sociological perspective highlights the fact that housing market segments can also arise along socio-economic characteristics of demanders. This can explain why and how particular groups of tenants are disadvantaged or favoured in terms of the rental prices they pay for comparable rental properties. This article illustrates this idea using the example of families with minor children. Exceptionally rich data collected in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, provides detailed measurements for housing conditions. The findings indicate that families in Frankfurt are beneficiaries of segmentation, with respect to the rental prices they pay. However, the extent of the benefit varies between local and specific structural submarkets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on an intervention study focussing on translanguaging pedagogies. The study was carried out in 2020–2022 in collaboration with principals and teachers at one school located in a socioeconomic disadvantaged area in Sweden. Drawing on teachers' logbooks, the aim was to investigate in what ways the theoretical concept of translanguaging is understood and transformed into teaching and learning within multilingual classroom practices with students aged 6–12. The analysed data reveal that opportunities for communication and interaction are designed through the organisation of language groups, the approaches of comparing and translating, and using multimodal and digital reinforcements. Teachers expressed stances around providing opportunities for students to interact and communicate various subject content through all their languages. A shift in pedagogical thinking was made visible regarding how the teachers chose to describe and categorise students' multilingual and cultural experiences. Identified paradoxes concern students' experiences of using all their languages for learning, possibilities for integrating several languages in classroom practices, and the status of various languages in society. Possible collaborations between schools and students' homes were highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]