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Copyright of Africa Spectrum is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Given the rate at which the labour force in Zimbabwe's informal sector continues to evolve, steps need to be taken to promote a culture where employees contribute towards their social insurance. Social insurance is significant since it helps informal sector workers to prepare for life's predictable and unpredictable events, such as retirement, unemployment, old age, incapacity, death and health challenges. Objective: Motivated by the increasing number of workers in the informal sector in Zimbabwe, this study aimed to explore the attitudes and perceptions of this group of people towards social insurance coverage and investigate strategies for extending social insurance to informal sector workers. Method: To achieve the objectives, convenience sampling was employed, and 115 questionnaires from informal sector workers of Jerera Growth Point were analyzed. Data collection involved the use of a questionnaire. A convergent parallel research design was adopted, with quantitative and qualitative data being analyzed to gain insight into the perception of informal sector workers. Results: The study's findings demonstrate that workers in the informal economy have a negative attitude towards social insurance coverage. Additionally, the results demonstrate that the age of informal sector workers affects their intention to contribute towards social insurance coverage. The results also demonstrate that employees in the informal sector need more basic knowledge about social insurance and how to apply for social insurance coverage. Conclusion: The study concluded that workers in the informal economy lack faith and confidence in those who provide social insurance services, explaining why they perceive social insurance coverage negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Latin American Journal of Economic Developement (LAJED) is the property of Universidad Catolica Boliviana San Pablo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Care partners of persons living with dementia perform significant financial planning in partnership with the person for whom they care. However, research is scarce on care partners' confidence and experiences with financial planning. The purpose of this study was, first, to quantify care partners' confidence across different financial planning topics. We sought to understand whether income, education, relationship type, and years of experience are related to care partners' level of confidence in financial planning. Second, we sought to better understand the reasons for these confidence ratings by examining care partners' experiences of financial planning. Methods: We conducted an online survey that asked a combination of quantitative and qualitative questions to understand care partners' confidence and experiences with financial planning. Participants were nationally recruited care partners of persons living with dementia. Multivariate linear regression was used to understand different subgroups' levels of confidence in each financial planning topic. Inductive thematic analysis was used to understand qualitative data. Results: The financial planning topics in which participants (N = 318) felt the least confident were: options when there is not enough money to provide care; tax deductions available to cut care costs; and sources of money from government programs for which the care recipient is eligible. Differences in confidence were observed among care partners with lower incomes, less experience, and caring for a parent. Qualitatively, participants described the challenges of care budgeting and protecting personal finances; confusion about long-term care insurance and accessing resources; and, among confident care partners, reasons for this sense of preparedness. Conclusions: These results underscore the need for tailored interventions and technologies that increase care partners' confidence in specific aspects of financial planning, including long-term care insurance, available financial support, and what to do when money runs out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal enterprises are prevalent in developing countries, and many of these are owned by women. Informally working women are vulnerable and face disadvantages in accessing government support. This study examines the relationship between local economic governance and formalisation of micro and small firms with a focus on gender dynamics. While we find a positive association between the quality of provincial economic governance and businesses’ formalisation status, there is no gender differential effect of economic governance. However, gender disparities emerge when we explore the multidimensions of provincial economic governance separately. Notably, there is a higher probability of women-owned firms to be formal when reduced time cost and effective legal institutions are prevalent in local areas. In contrast, the formalisation of men-owned firms is closely tied to other facets of local governance, notably entry costs and labour training. Our findings will assist policymakers in designing better policy frameworks and implementing more effective institutional reforms to advance gender parity and stimulate the formalisation of women-owned businesses.

While there is a growing interest in citizen-led initiatives, there is still no consensus on how to situate them, especially in relation to state institutions. On the one hand, citizen-led initiatives are seen as being co-opted by formal institutions in a context of austerity. On the other hand, these initiatives are often presented as "spaces of resistance" to neoliberalism, or as political acts of reclaiming the city. Mapping and tracing urban gardening and dumpster diving from their grassroots emergence to their inclusion in the institutional world through a two-level analysis, we show that individuals and loosely organized collectives involved in such initiatives are embedded in complex relationships with local institutions and third sector organizations that do, in turn, structure their practice and its consequences. The two-level analysis we propose follows this process: it is through interactions and relationships with other "practitioners" and with their social and institutional environment that these urban social practices gradually institutionalize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the intricate relationship between economic growth and unemployment across multiple African countries, with a focus on estimating the Okun's coefficient. Data from the International Labour Office (ILO) and the World Bank's databases for 39 African nations were utilised. Two distinct methodological approaches, first differences and the Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter, were employed to assess result robustness. Findings reveal that in most African countries, the link between GDP growth and unemployment is weak or non-existent, unlike advanced economies. This divergence underscores unique economic structures and labour dynamics in African nations, necessitating tailored approaches to address unemployment. The study also investigates factors contributing to Okun's coefficient variability in Africa, emphasising structural, demographic, and economic influences. Demographic trends, domestic market competition, and the rule of law are identified as key determinants. Consequently, policymakers are urged to prioritise measures targeting these factors to enhance job creation and economic stability. Additionally, the study highlights the role of growth volatility, particularly in Morocco, emphasising the need for policies to stabilise economic growth and mitigate unemployment fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caring for frail elderly (WEU) at home can be challenging and affects the needs of informal caregivers. In Malaysia, not many studies were focused on caregivers. Therefore, this study aims to explore the unmet needs (KTD) among frail elderly caregivers at home. The design of this study is qualitative with a phenomenological approach. This study was carried out in the district of Hulu Langat, Selangor using a sampling technique with inclusion criteria. A total of six frail elderly caregivers were successfully interviewed and identified through the UKM’s Pensioners Association, UKM’s Senior Citizens Activity Centre (PAWE) and the Local Residents' Associations. The data was analyzed thematically using manual analysis. The results of the study showed that five themes of KTD were experienced by caregivers in terms of emotional wellbeing, health problems, social needs, rest and sleep as well as work impact. All caregivers had at least one KTD and emotional well-being was the most frequently reported. There are caregivers who are so stressed and leave a negative impact on the WEU’s body. A few caregivers suffer from health problems including depression, anxiety, underweight, back pain and hand pain. Their social needs are also very limited and most caregivers are not involved in community activities. Caregivers also do not enjoy adequate rest and sleep. There are caregivers who quit their jobs to focus on caregiving. In conclusion, KTD among caregivers has a great impact on them selves and their WEUs. In fact, this problem has a high risk of contributing to more serious cases of abuse. Therefore, support for these caregivers needs to be paid attention to by all parties so that the KTD among caregivers can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This critical ethnographic study was conducted among 15 immigrants originally from Caucasian and Central Asian countries, each with more than 10 years of undocumented residence in Moscow. It focuses on the everyday experiences of undocumented immigrants in a non-Western context, illustrating how informal networks, alongside official migration policies, contribute to and exploit unequal capabilities. The study emphasises the thresholds of emotions, affiliation and control over a person’s environment, demonstrating power asymmetries between individuals. Given the participants’ prolonged undocumented stay in Moscow, the findings demonstrate how the socio-legal context of an undocumented status facilitates informal exploitation alongside institutional operating models, aligning with migration policies in practice.

Laili Rahayuwati,1 Syahmida S Arsyad,2,* Rindang Ekawati,2,* Muhammad Dawam,2,* Rahmadewi Rahmadewi,2,* Septi Nurhayati,2,* Ikhsan Fahmi,3,* Sherllina Rizqi Fauziah4 1Department of Community Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia; 2Research Centre for Population, National Research and Innovation Agency, South Jakarta, Indonesia; 3Directorate of Population and Labour Statistics, BPS Statistics Indonesia, Central Jakarta, Indonesia; 4Nursing Science Study Program, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Laili Rahayuwati, Department of Community Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jl. Raya Bandung Sumedang, KM. 21., Jatinangor, Kabupaten Sumedang, West Java, 45363, Indonesia, Tel +62 812 213 8385, Fax +62 22 779 5596, Email laili.rahayuwati@unpad.ac.idAim: As individuals age, they are expected to experience a natural progression that usually involves a slight and permanent decrease in bodily functions and physical abilities. Despite this, many older people remain active in the workforce.Purpose: This study seeks to explore the correlation between the health conditions, disabilities, social factors, and demographic circumstances of elderly individuals engaged in both formal and informal employment sectors.Methods: This study utilizes an observational analytical method with a cross-sectional structure. The participants in the research involved all individuals aged 60 years and above who met the outlined criteria, totaling 15,034,946 respondents. The data analysis was conducted using multivariate logistic regression in Model II.Results: Overall, most older adults are working in informal jobs. Moreover, most respondents are 60– 69 years old, married, have a primary school certificate, own health insurance and a house, and live with family. In addition, the multivariate analysis shows the relationship between each variable and the informal sector working elderly. It is known that older women have a 1.45 times higher limited educational background, not having savings is 1.21 times, rural areas living 1.93 times, not being the head of the family is linked 1.34 times, poor health conditions are 1.01 times, and having a disability has a 1.20 times higher likelihood of informal-sector employment.Conclusion: Several variables are assigned as the determinants that increase the number of elderly working in informal sectors, including gender, education level, savings ownership, living areas, head of the family role, health status, and disability.Keywords: determinants, elderly, informal, sector, work

This research investigates how formal versus informal supervisor support behaviours shape employees' affect‐ and cognition‐based trust across cultures of varying power distance. Using data from in‐depth interviews, Study 1 found that trust‐enhancing supervisor behaviours were more formal, status conscious and imposing in India (a high power distance culture) than in the Netherlands (a low power distance culture); unlike in India, supervisors acted more like friends or equals with their subordinates in the Netherlands. Using vignettes, Study 2 found that, compared to informal support behaviours, formal support behaviours increased both affect‐ and cognition‐based trust among Indian participants, but among US participants, formal support behaviours only increased cognition‐based trust. Study 3 conceptually replicated those findings by manipulating power distance in an organization. Together, the findings from these three studies suggest that supervisors' formal socio‐emotional support behaviours are particularly effective in increasing affect‐based trust in societal and organizational cultures that are high power distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though the most prevalent category of disability served in the U.S. school system is specific learning disabilities (SLD), practitioners are often unfamiliar with the indicators associated with a specific LD such as dysgraphia and dyslexia. Misconceptions or an absence of understanding of the behavioral indicators related to dysgraphia and dyslexia puts children at risk for poor academic or social success due to a lack of intervention or late or missed diagnosis. Practitioners can utilize the Dysgraphia and Dyslexia Behavioral Indicator Checklist to identify these indicators in students' writing samples, design appropriate instructional intervention(s), and refer them for proper assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The private rental accommodation is a significant contributor to urban housing supply and is densely populated. Despite its prevalence, it has not received much attention in academic discussions. The rental housing market is like a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative aspects. Researchers have identified it as a problematic housing type that requires further investigation and intervention. A mixed research approach was employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 384 samples to understand the rental housing market better. The study found that the regulatory and interactional aspects of the private rental housing market have contributed to its problematic features. Although the market positively impacts housing shortages, private rental a source of unsuitable accommodation. To address these issues, the authors recommend regulatory and interactional dimensions of the private rental housing market be addressed through formal intervention and legislation.

ImportanceSocial media platforms have allowed the formation of informal professional healthcare networks. Transparency in funding, membership requirements, financial conflicts of interest (FCOI), and messaging are necessary to ensure best practices for similar networks in the future.ObjectiveTo analyze the FCOIs of US-based physician members of the OncoAlert Network and appraise the content of their public Twitter account.Design, setting, participantsThis cross-sectional study assessed the FCOIs among US-based physician members of the OncoAlert Network between 2015 and 2020. FCOI data were obtained through the Open Payments Database. Additionally, tweets were examined for content analysis.Main outcomes and measuresThe number of US-based physician members with FCOIs with the pharmaceutical industry; the amount of general, research, and associated research payments; and the perceived attitude of tweet content from the OncoAlert Network Twitter account.ResultsOf 34 US physician members of the OncoAlert Network, 31 (91.2%) received general payments from pharmaceutical companies according to the Open Payments Database. Between 2015 and 2020, US physician members of the OncoAlert Network received a median of $83,600 in general payments (interquartile range [IRQ], $7,200-$221,500). Fourteen members (41.1%) received more than $100,000 in general payments. Additionally, 480 (15.7 %) of 3064 tweets retrieved from the OncoAlert Twitter account mentioned a drug or clinical trial. Of these, 31.6 % (n = 152) had a positive disposition and 3.3 % (n = 16) were negative or critical.Conclusions and relevanceOver 90% of US physician members of the OncoAlert Network had FCOIs between 2015 and 2020. Despite the network's non-profit status, FCOIs amongst its members may influence content produced on the network's social media platforms, such as Twitter, where content discussing drugs and clinical trials are often positive and seldom negative or critical. For future informal professional networks, further research is required to establish best practices for issues such as membership requirements, funding, and FCOI disclosure.

Portuguese Traditional Music is often overlooked in formal teaching at music schools in Portugal. Furthermore, there has been little research into its use in the classroom and the informal learning practices associated with it. Thus, an Educational Project was developed and implemented in 2021/2022, at the Regional Conservatory of Ponta Delgada (CRPD), involving 7 violin students aged between 9 and 14 years and focused on learning songs from the Traditional Music of the Azores. These songs were prepared in class using informal learning practices -- auditory learning and analysis, the use of recordings, memorisation without the use of sheet music, improvisation, etc. -- and presented at a concert. Additionally, a research study was conducted to analyse the effects of such intervention on the motivation, learning and attitudes of the students, as well as the perceptions developed by the students, their parents, the teachers, and the general public involved in this experience. The study also aimed to assess the feasibility of combining formal and informal learning practices in violin teaching at the CRPD and to evaluate its implications for the preservation of regional cultural identity. To this end, qualitative data were collected, through direct observation of classes with field notes, audiovisual recordings, semi-structured interviews with the students, anonymous questionnaires to the parents and the audience present at the concert, and 27 violin teachers. This data was subjected to content analysis, namely by organising it into categories and sub-categories. The results show that the inclusion of Azorean Traditional Music, using informal learning practices, had a positive effect on the students' motivation, enhancing the development of technical, musical, cognitive, and social skills. In addition, the Azorean Traditional Music concert proved to be an effective means of disseminating and valuing the region's cultural heritage, boosting the students' identity development, and preserving the region's cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the recent diachronic evolution of two warm-address forms, buey and cabrón, which originally designated animals 'ox' and 'mail goat' and rapidly extended as offensive forms of stupidity and evilness. An array of changes involving semantic bleaching led these forms develop pragmatic values as vocative address forms and, further, as discourse markers. The current use of these forms is proposed to be interpreted as symbols of crucial social changes in Mexican society that emerged around the 1960s. The social meaning of the emergence of these forms is explored. Moreover, based on the comparison of three oral corpora representing different degrees of formality, the analysis shows how lexical forms gradually lost semantic properties to adopt new pragmatic values. Phonemic erosion [buey] > [guéi] > [wei] > [we] // [kabrón] > [kabrón] > [kaón] is seen as a reflex of crucial semantic bleaching steps leading to address forms of familiarity and to discourse marking functions in a recurrent pragmaticalization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Electronic devices consumption, especially smartphones for communication, has increased significantly, causing the potential for electronic waste (e-waste) to increase, too. However, the high potential of this flow has yet to be matched by good waste management. This study aims to develop a management network for e-waste that collaborates formal and informal channels to provide optimal supply chain benefits in terms of economic and environmental aspects Design/methodology/approach: This research designs an e-waste management network and builds a single-objective mathematical model considering economic and environmental aspects. This model was solved using Mixed Integer Linear Programming. Findings: The supply chain will benefit from the proposed management network by collaborating formal and informal channels. With an incentive of 10,000 IDR, it will invite consumers and informal collectors to collect waste in formal channels. The total profit from managing e-waste supply every month from Yogyakarta Province is 5.529 x 1010 IDR with the composition, consumers 81.2%, 13.3% obtained from informal channel (collectors and repairing centers) and 2.1% for formal channels. There is an intangible profit of 3.4%. The formal channel provides more significant benefits than the informal but one requires a significant investment. This formal channel is feasible if at least 33% of the total supply goes to this channel. Research limitations/implications: The model designed is deterministic. Therefore, it can be developed into a probabilistic model for further research to represent more real cases in the field. Practical implications: Regulation is the factor that most influences consumers' intentions and behavior to participate in e-waste management programs. It will be able to change consumer behavior by forcing consumers to participate in e-waste collection programs. Therefore, a government regulation that organizes and supervises the implementation of the proposed management model is needed. Social implications: Currently, the practice developing in the community is that the informal sector carries out smartphone waste management, therefore in the designs made, informal actors are still given space in waste management for the repair process and the secondhand market. Meanwhile, further processing, such as recycling, must be done through formal channels, considering the environmental impact. Originality/value: Few studies have developed an electronic waste management model by collaborating informal and formal channels that consider economic and environmental aspects, and its implementation is organized and supervised by government regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about help seeking behaviors of male victims of intimate partner violence. This systematic review intends to summarize the help seeking experiences of male victims in terms of the usefulness of the existing services following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews recommendations. Twelve studies from five countries and with 3245 participants were selected. The results indicated that male victims mostly seek informal help (e.g., family and friends), and are satisfied with this source of support. Regarding formal services (e.g., police), male victims evaluate these services as not useful. As a result, men seem to become further (re)victimized by the system and penalized for trying to seek formal help. In order to provide better services to male victims, it urges a focus on the training of frontline professionals, in primary and secondary prevention, and in awareness campaigns. The suggestions for future research are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of e-waste recycling activities on the prevalence of metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and a metalloid (As) in soil was assessed for four e-waste sites in Ghana. Samples of top- and subsoil were collected from dismantling and burning sections, and the prevalence and the distribution of selected metals were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of the metals analyzed were above the background concentrations except for Cd, which was detected at a comparable level to the background levels. Levels of Cu and Pb increased with increasing soil depth. Cd, Zn, As, and Ni levels decreased with increasing soil depth. However, Hg levels showed no recognizable trend in its distribution relative to soil depth. The pollution indices evaluated revealed deterioration of the soil quality at the e-waste sites. Pollution indices are used to categorize soil pollution levels based on cut-off values. Geo-accumulation indices suggested that the soil was very highly polluted with Pb, highly polluted with Cu, and moderately polluted with As, Hg, Cd, and Zn. The enrichment factor values indicated that soil from the studied sites was very highly enriched with Pb (i.e., EF of 9.60 to 63.14; median being 28.51) and significantly enriched with Cu and Hg (i.e., EF of 3.09 to 21.86; median 7.72 for Cu and EF of 1.48 to 25.5; median 10.57 for Hg). The contamination factor analysis revealed very high contamination of soils with Pb. The metals Cu, Zn, As, Ni, Cd, and Hg exhibited moderate to considerable contamination. This study is part of the continuous effort to assist policymakers with scientific information needed to influence policy decisions on environmental management in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between the utilisation of digital payment platforms and the decision of informal firms to engage in the demand for or supply of trade credit. Recognizing the pivotal role of trade credit in alleviating financial constraints for informal enterprises, our research employs a recursive bivariate probit model to assess the impact of digital payment platform usage on both the demand for and supply of trade credit among informal firms in Ghana. Leveraging data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey, we find that 13.83 % of informal firms receive trade credit from suppliers, while 26.89 % extend trade credit to customers. Additionally, 49.6 % of firms use digital payment platforms for their business transactions. The study finds that digital payment platforms increase the probability of firms engaging in the demand and supply of trade credit. It argues that digital payments enhance transaction efficiency, convenience, and security, potentially reducing associated transaction costs and facilitating business interactions across distant locations. Various factors, including firm age, maintenance of accounting records, sales volume, owner experience, credit facilities, internet use for social media marketing, and operating hours, significantly influence the decision to engage in trade credit activities. The robustness of our results is confirmed through alternative estimation techniques. Recommendations include policy interventions aimed at promoting the digitalization of informal firms, supported by government investments in digital infrastructure. It is recommended that firms and their suppliers and customers should adopt these digital payment platforms in order to facilitate their use of trade credit in business transactions. A regulatory environment fostering business trust and responsible use of digital payment platforms is crucial, necessitating measures to ensure data protection, security, and ethical conduct within the digital payments’ ecosystem.

Findings from research studies conducted on the informal participation of language learners on participatory websites have motivated language educators and practitioners to consider how opportunities for (inter)action on these sites could be used within the formal framework of language teaching and learning. This article presents a way to transpose these practices into the language classroom using "real-world tasks", i.e. tasks to be carried out on open participative websites within the social interactions that are specific to these websites. It also explores the perceptions of (prospective) language teachers enrolled in a Master’s degree in French as a foreign language (FLE) who were asked to carry out two real-world tasks. The results of a thematic content analysis of the students’ feedback show that they identified more benefits than obstacles. Many of the advantages that research has highlighted in studies on informal participation are also reflected in the students’ perceptions (awareness of the socio-interactional dimension, feeling of usefulness, motivation, etc.). Students also mention a number of challenges, which, in their opinion, are not insurmountable, and emphasize the need for teachers to seek solutions to these and to provide support to learners so that they can tame the digital wilds, which can be quite intimidating.

The Special Region of Yogyakarta has a significant population engaged in the informal sector. This study aims to explore the relationship between educational level and participation in the informal sector. The data used in this study is from the August 2022 Sakernas (National Labor Force Survey) data. Descriptive analysis was employed to address the research objectives. The research findings reveal that over half of the population is employed in the informal sector. Workers with higher levels of education tend to transition to the formal sector, while less educated individuals dominate the informal sector. Education not only influences sectoral choices but also has an impact on conditions within the informal sector. Workers with higher education experience better conditions, regardless of the field of business, working hours, or income level. They engage in businesses that require capital, demonstrating organization, efficiency, and higher earnings. Some educated informal workers take part-time jobs while waiting for other opportunities.

This study focuses on how technical barriers to trade (TBT) are addressed in recent EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). We analyze the pre- and post-EPA trade policies and the contested issues in Japan from the viewpoint of European businesses. An eclectic theoretical approach is adopted to study the economic, political and social aspects of trade barriers. Whereas formal trade barriers, such as tariffs and codified non-tariff barriers are easily discernible, the subtler informal trade barriers derive from social norms that guide administrative practices and are hard to measure, and largely neglected in recent research. Based on expert interviews, policy documents, and European business surveys, we observe that the enforcement of EPA in Japan lags behind concerning certain TBTs such as standards, approvals and testing. The findings suggest that informal trade barriers, often linked with investment barriers, have a bearing in the theorization on trade policies and free trade agreements.

This is a report from the field, where an immigrant mother journaled about her Yemeni American daughters (ages 7 and 13, born and raised in the U.S.) visiting museums for the first time. Her diary documented how mother–child and sibling interactions in museum education contributed to building cognitive and affective skills required for academic success in formal schooling. Her diary entries included: (1) anecdotal observations, (2) interviews of her daughters and her immigrant father, and (3) reflective and photographic journaling. Her daughters’ journaling and photo documentations further supported their mother’s entries. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is the conceptual framework for this project. The mother promoted her daughters’ immigrant identity via visits to museums and activities related to the museum and the family’s immigrant identity offered before, during, and after the museum visits. The project culminated with her daughters creating their unique family museum and dramatizing as docents. We recommend (1) museum-related interactive literacy activities, and (2) creating and dramatizing a family museum.We buttress these recommendations with research, Vygotsky’s theory, and our evidence-based practice. We conclude that the daughters demonstrated the cognitive and affective skills required for academic success in formal schooling while simultaneously developing their immigrant identity. We suggest replicating this project to promote immigrant identity among other cultural groups. We lastly present an educational case study of the grandfather’s immigrant experiences in the appendix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Special Region of Yogyakarta has a significant population engaged in the informal sector. This study aims to explore the relationship between educational level and participation in the informal sector. The data used in this study is from the August 2022 Sakernas (National Labor Force Survey) data. Descriptive analysis was employed to address the research objectives. The research findings reveal that over half of the population is employed in the informal sector. Workers with higher levels of education tend to transition to the formal sector, while less educated individuals dominate the informal sector. Education not only influences sectoral choices but also has an impact on conditions within the informal sector. Workers with higher education experience better conditions, regardless of the field of business, working hours, or income level. They engage in businesses that require capital, demonstrating organization, efficiency, and higher earnings. Some educated informal workers take part-time jobs while waiting for other opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, informal project-based learning (PjBL) for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has gained immense significance. Though some meta-analytical studies have reported the effectiveness of PjBL models, none of them has been explicit for informal PjBL models executed for school students in STEM education. Therefore, this meta-analytical study sought to investigate the effect of the informal PjBL model on students' learning gains when compared to the traditional classroom setting. The study also intends to explore the effect of potential moderator variables that might impact the effectiveness of the model. For this, a systematic review aligning to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology has been employed, by incorporating 26 peer-reviewed empirical studies, encompassing data from 3202 students from eight countries. The meta-analytical results revealed overall moderate effectiveness (d = 0.248, p < 0.001), indicating that informal PjBL has moderately significant effects on students' gains when compared to the traditional classroom setting. Correspondingly the moderator analysis revealed that the overall effectiveness of informal PjBL was influenced by the teaching model, assessment method, students' group size, and course duration. However, the participants' educational level and study location (country) did not emerge as being significant. This study contributes to the bulk of literature that can help academicians to design, develop and implement effective STEM-based informal PjBL models, with special consideration for influential variables (teaching method, assessment method, grade, location, course duration, group size, and subject area). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying ordinary housing types in Quito for a design studio activity led me to question the limitations of local theoretical accounts of incorporating non-canonical works in the literature. This essay develops this idea and analyzes how housing designs by Sixto Durán Ballén and Diego Ponce Bueno are portrayed in important architectural publications by employing diverse uses of the notion of type, allowing the way coloniality is reproduced in domestic spaces to be obliterated. The essay concludes by positing a speculative decolonial type, focused on communal spaces as the basis for experimentation rather than type as a pre-existing image or prejudiced model.

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that may cause neurological, respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatological illnesses. Previously described neurological manifestations of mercury toxicity are symmetrical, and include a pancerebellar syndrome, generalised seizures and encephalopathy. Mercury is used in the gold mining process, and in artisanal or illicit gold mining, often without necessary protection. Here we describe the cases of two artisanal gold miners from western Johannesburg, South Africa, who presented with atypical neurological manifestations of mercury toxicity. Patient 1 presented with focal seizures, an asymmetrical cerebellar syndrome and an acute encephalopathy. Patient 2 had unilateral cerebellar ataxia. Both patients had toxic mercury levels, with no other cause identified for their symptoms. Patient 1 responded well to chelation therapy, but patient 2 refused admission and further medical treatment. The neurological manifestations of mercury toxicity are typically symmetrical, whereas our two patients presented with markedly asymmetrical features. It is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for mercury poisoning, even in patients with atypical and unilateral or asymmetrical presentations. A prompt diagnosis and the commencement of early chelation therapy have the potential to produce good outcomes.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles have emerged as the template for e-waste policies, centered on establishing regulated collection and recycling channels. Originating in the global North, these policies are increasingly adopted in the global South where e-waste is primarily 'managed' by the informal sector, centered in spatially defined hubs. These formal systems fail to achieve collection quotas, while further marginalizing informal recyclers by delegitimizing their access to e-waste. We suggest an alternative hub-centered approach to e-waste reform based on eight years of research and advocacy within the Israel-West Bank e-waste system. We offer several converging rationales for centralizing hubs in e-waste policies and a case study demonstrating an integrated hub-driven package of business, enforcement, and cleanup measures. While the unique complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian case offer an exceptional window into the dynamics of a hub-driven approach, similar packages might shape e-waste policy reform throughout the global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the vexed issues of the challenges of domestic resource mobilization, especially in West Africa where tax expenditures have consistently eroded the revenue base of these countries making them susceptible to borrowing. The authors discuss the role of customs in securing trade revenues and preventing loss of domestic revenue, as well as examining the challenges ofrevenue mobilisation from the natural resources sector. The challenges of taxing the informal sector, which forms a significant part of taxpayers in West Africa are also discussed. The findings of the paper include the need for extensive taxpayer education to enhance voluntary tax compliance if domestic resource mobilisation is to be improved to enable governments of West African states build the needed state-citizen relationship by the state providing for the welfare of citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article investigates the dynamics of complex housing systems within the context of large-scale protracted displacement in Turkey/Türkiye. It presents new empirical findings from a qualitative study conducted in Torbalı, a rapidly growing intermediate city with a significant population of Syrian displaced people. Drawing on theoretical and conceptual insights from housing studies, urban studies and migration studies, the article assesses the ways in which displacement materialises in place through housing and contributes to city-making and urbanisation processes informally, incrementally, and in locally and historically contingent manners. We argue that the forms and dynamics of emerging housing exhibit both continuity but most markedly significant disjuncture from past housing trajectories in Torbalı. This challenges the implicit assumption of legal uniformity of self-builders common in incremental housing debates and suggests that the notion of incremental housing has limited relevance in contexts of protracted urban displacement. Furthermore, findings underline the significance of legal dimensions in energising housing informalities; in grading socio-legal statuses of resident populations; in bounding displaced people’s mobilities; in demarcating labour flows; in moulding rental markets; and in directing the flows of housing materials. These in turn shape current and future urban built environments and mould the ways in which the urbanisation of refuge manifests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal STEM learning experiences (ISLEs), such as participating in science, computing, and engineering clubs and camps, have been associated with the development of youth's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics interests and career aspirations. However, research on ISLEs predominantly focuses on institutional settings such as museums and science centers, which are often discursively inaccessible to youth who identify with minoritized demographic groups. Using latent class analysis, we identify five general profiles (i.e., classes) of childhood participation in ISLEs from data reported by a nationally representative sample of college students (N = 15,579). Results show that childhood participation in specific typologies of ISLEs (i.e., setting and activity type) is associated with youth's disciplinary interests at the end of high school. Participation in outdoor activities that invite observation is more often reported by female respondents and is negatively associated with interest in computing and mathematics. Participation in indoor activities that invite object manipulation is more often reported by male respondents and is positively associated with interest in computing and engineering. However, frequent participation in multiple ISLEs is positively associated with interest in "science." These results elucidate stereotypical discourses that reinforce the exclusion of minoritized students and expose critical areas needing reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcontracting occurs when a producer outsources a part of its production. We study the effect of subcontracting from a firm with buyer power on the profits of subcontracted upstream firms, and how profits vary on the basis of location of firm and owner's gender. Subcontracting is the treatment in our study and the dependent variable is the ratio of Gross Value Added to Sales adjusted or unadjusted for wages. The decision of a firm to subcontract or not is endogenous, so we cannot use OLS regression. Since we cannot have information on a firm being treated and non-treated at the same time, we use the Average Treatment Effect on Treated (ATET) model with Nearest Neighborhood Matching (NNM) approach, in which each treated firm is matched to an untreated firm which is its nearest neighbor on other parameters, to see the effect of treatment on outcome variable on the treated group had they been not treated. We find the existence of a subcontracting premium where being in a subcontracting relationship is beneficial for the informal sector firm, though the magnitude of this premium is small, and female-headed firms gain less from subcontracting. Subcontracted male-owned firms earn a higher premium but also pay more wages out of their total revenue to labor as compared to female-owned firms, perhaps because the latter are more likely to be Own Account Manufacturing Enterprises (OAME) which do not employ hired workers. Our results show that buyer power of the subcontracting firms is offset by the benefits they provide to the subcontracted firms, possibly in the form of assured demand and payments. Thus, policies favoring the informal sector firms need to incorporate the benefits of subcontracting by exploring alternative modes of distribution with lower distribution margins, such as cooperative societies or online platforms for example Amul, MEESHO. Policies should also focus on reducing the profit margin differential between male and female owned firms by formulating a proper channel using mass media to communicate credit information and updates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on how technical barriers to trade (TBT) are addressed in recent EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). We analyze the pre- and post-EPA trade policies and the contested issues in Japan from the viewpoint of European businesses. An eclectic theoretical approach is adopted to study the economic, political and social aspects of trade barriers. Whereas formal trade barriers, such as tariffs and codified non-tariff barriers are easily discernible, the subtler informal trade barriers derive from social norms that guide administrative practices and are hard to measure, and largely neglected in recent research. Based on expert interviews, policy documents, and European business surveys, we observe that the enforcement of EPA in Japan lags behind concerning certain TBTs such as standards, approvals and testing. The findings suggest that informal trade barriers, often linked with investment barriers, have a bearing in the theorization on trade policies and free trade agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study shows the perceptions that the so-called «Guachimanes» have about their informal working conditions on the issue of security in Costa Rica. Despite the important role that these people play and the wide perception of insecurity in the country, little is known in whose hands the safety of the neighborhood is, much less its working conditions. Objetive: Due to the above, this study explores the informal work conditions in private security from the perceptions of the Nicaraguan migrant, to describe from their own experiences, to demonstrate and reflect on the work environment and the dignity of their labor rights and as human beings. Method and technique: This is an exploratory study with qualitative nature, the data were compiled through a methodological instrument of semi-structured interviews in different neighborhoods of the Gran Área Metropolitana (GAM) chosen directly upper-middle-class neighborhoods, in which the cabins and boom gates were present. Results: Different perceptions were found about their work's conditions, which objectively in few cases are considered attached to the workers' rights. These conditions despite not being optimal for migrants due to their irregular status in the country, they accept them even if they are considered «bad or regular». Conclusions: Finally, the conclusion is reached that the Nicaraguan immigrant, due to his condition in the country, is forced to renounce his rights on many occasions for fear of nonsubsistence in it. Therefore, measures are urgently required against informality in the private security sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few decades, zoos have undergone a transformation from places of entertainment to centers for conservation, with education becoming a particular focus. Interpretation in zoos is a near‐universal method for delivering education in zoos and has been shown to prompt learning and pro‐conservation behavior change. However, there is limited understanding on how interpretation design itself can influence visitor engagement. Using unobtrusive visitor observations (n = 3890), this study measures visitor engagement of multiple pieces of interpretation with various design "traits," to provide a comprehensive overview of the key traits related to increased visitor engagement. The proportion of visitors who stopped at the interpretation (attraction power), and how long they stopped for (holding power), were our two outcome variables. From our models, we found that attraction and holding power are most strongly influenced by the type of interpretation, with interactive interpretation seeing nearly four times as many visitors stop, and for more than six times longer, when compared to standard text and graphics interpretation. We also found that location was significantly related to attraction power, with visitors more likely to stop at interpretation in more immersive exhibits. Lastly, interpretation containing images of humans were related to a higher holding power. We hope our findings will be used as a guide for designing interpretation that is both attractive and interesting to zoo visitors, maximizing the conservation education value of zoo‐based interpretation. Research highlights: Zoo interpretation design can increase engagement with educational messaging.Interactive interpretation is more engaging than traditional signage.Design must consider interpretation traits that both attract and retain visitor interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]