Work and Demand Making: Productionist and Consumptionist Politics in Latin America

How does the world of work in Latin America affect the way workers act to defend their interests? To what extent have “productionist” demands, those concerning jobs, work conditions, and wages, which are highly salient across the region, been “displaced” by consumptionist or political demands? While the literature has distinguished formal and informal work grosso modo, we explore individual traits of work, which cross-cut the formal-informal distinction. Analyzing survey data from four Latin American capital cities, we find, not surprisingly, that both work-based atomization and insecurity depress demand making in the work arena. But these traits of work also affect demand making on the state, albeit in somewhat different ways. Insecurity is associated with a shift from productionist to consumptionist and political demands, while atomization is associated with a more generalized demobilization across issues. These findings have implications for the representation of worker interests in light of current labor market restructuring and raise the question if labor can reclaim an important voice in that restructuring process.

Areas Of Socio-Geographical Study Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Russia And The World

The natural and socio-economic characteristics of the territory play a decisive role in the spread of the pandemic of COVID-19. It provoked a restructuring process in practically all fields of the social life. Its main areas were laid before the pandemic, but the changes were sharply accelerated by the pandemic. In analyzing a number of Russian and foreign publications, the authors discuss the main areas and methods of human-geographical study of the development and consequences of the pandemic. The constantly growing flow of publications in this field can be divided into three major parts: studies of the spatial spread of infection on the different stages; analysis of demographic, (geo) political and economic implications of the pandemic, and attempts to forecast the impact of social and technological changes accelerated by it on territorial structures. The authors note in particular that the geopolitical picture of the world with the division of countries into developed and developing, rich and poor, authoritarian and democratic, Eastern and Western, became much less clear. The most obvious geopolitical consequence of the pandemic is the further fragmentation of the political and socio-economic space. Not only state, but often also administrative boundaries have turned into almost insurmountable barriers for people and trade. The COVID crisis has opened new opportunities for a reasonable combination of the concentration of social life in the «archipelago» of large cities and the development of other territories.

Problematic of ideological formation in Kazakhstan: three-dimensional practice of the Muftiate as an ideological state apparatus (an Althusserian analysis)

Purpose In the Kazakhstani context, the instrumentalization of the Muftiate as a social engineering tool is particularly pertinent, as it stands out as a unique channel for the political, moral and cultural shaping of Muslims. This study aims to outline the role of the Muftiate, its historical background and recent restructuring process. It focuses on the ideological practices and religious discourses of the Muftiate. Design/methodology/approach In Kazakhstan, as a result of reforms in the religious sphere, which were started in 2011, the scope of activity of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (the Muftiate) has entered a new phase and become an important ideological tool within national policy. It has emerged as a civil society institution that will centralize the process of Islamization and instrumentalize the importance of Islam to create a new fantasy of unity and solidarity. Findings Thus, it discusses how Muftiate fabricates the correct forms of action and the correct form of thought. The theory of “ideological state apparatuses” (ISA) of the French philosopher Louis Althusser should be considered as a theoretical framework of this study. This approach not only gives a theoretical definition of the Muftiate but also allows us to determine its position in society and outline three different dimensions of the practice that it performs. Originality/value The study demonstrates how the Muftiate as an ISA actualizes various concepts, ideas, beliefs or images in which Muslims live their imaginary relations to the real world and transforms Muslim individuals into ideological subjects, thus enabling them to become apparently free bearers of the ideology.

A Modern Industrial Policy for the Czech Republic: Optimizing the Structure of Production

The decreased demand for new vehicles will put pressure on the economy of the Czech Republic, a country deeply integrated into global value chains, as part of global vehicle production. The aim of this research was to define an appropriate industrial policy for the Czech Republic that will ensure that the country maintains its competitive position in the global market. A constrained optimization model was built, based on input–output analysis, to determine the optimal value-added structure and the intersectoral structure of the Czech economy for the country to retain its exporting character. The optimization problem was solved by using a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results suggest that the optimal industrial policy plan for the country is the structural transformation of production, mainly targeting the development of technologically advanced sectors of manufacturing (such as: chemicals and chemical products; basic pharmaceutical products; computer, electronic, and optical products; electrical equipment; and machinery and equipment). The suggested restructuring process increased the domestic value-added in gross exports as a share of total exports by 6.77%, creating optimal production capabilities for the economy. The Czech Republic appears to have the potential for the implementation of an industrial policy, avoiding the increasingly vulnerable motor-vehicle sector.

Reshaping the Division of Labour: Work and Class in New Zealand Since the 1980s

<p>This thesis is concerned with the relationship between economic restructuring, the changing division of labour and social stratification, with particular reference to New Zealand in the period since the 1980s. It begins with a critique of theories of capitalist development, leading to the adoption of an approach which focuses on both the longterm evolution of the division of labour and the ways in which production and employment are subject to periodic upheavals from episodes of economic crisis and restructuring. The regulation approach is used to analyse the restructuring of the New Zealand economy following the global crisis of the 1970s, which transformed it from a model based on mass production and interventionist regulation to one based on flexible production and liberal regulation. This provides a context for analysing related changes in employment, focussing particularly on the massive job losses in New Zealand’s goods-producing industries, the subsequent period of high unemployment and the eventual resurgence in job growth based on more flexible use of labour, expansion in producer and consumer service industries, and growth in both skilled and routine whitecollar occupations. The remainder of the thesis is concerned with the effects of these changes on patterns of social stratification. A consideration of the theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding class, stratification and the division of labour leads to the development of a model of class structure based on relations of production and hierarchical divisions of labour. Census data is reclassified to fit the model and analysed to show changes in patterns of stratification since the 1980s, looking particularly at shifts in the relative size and composition of middle-class and working-class employment and the implications for class formation. The model is also used to analyse changes in structural inequalities between the sexes and between ethnic groups, with a focus on the ways in which different groups were affected by the restructuring process and how this was influenced by historically gendered and ethnicised divisions of labour. The thesis concludes with an assessment of the extent of change in employment and stratification and whether this is indicative of a transition to a post-industrial economy.</p>

Reshaping the Division of Labour: Work and Class in New Zealand Since the 1980s

<p>This thesis is concerned with the relationship between economic restructuring, the changing division of labour and social stratification, with particular reference to New Zealand in the period since the 1980s. It begins with a critique of theories of capitalist development, leading to the adoption of an approach which focuses on both the longterm evolution of the division of labour and the ways in which production and employment are subject to periodic upheavals from episodes of economic crisis and restructuring. The regulation approach is used to analyse the restructuring of the New Zealand economy following the global crisis of the 1970s, which transformed it from a model based on mass production and interventionist regulation to one based on flexible production and liberal regulation. This provides a context for analysing related changes in employment, focussing particularly on the massive job losses in New Zealand’s goods-producing industries, the subsequent period of high unemployment and the eventual resurgence in job growth based on more flexible use of labour, expansion in producer and consumer service industries, and growth in both skilled and routine whitecollar occupations. The remainder of the thesis is concerned with the effects of these changes on patterns of social stratification. A consideration of the theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding class, stratification and the division of labour leads to the development of a model of class structure based on relations of production and hierarchical divisions of labour. Census data is reclassified to fit the model and analysed to show changes in patterns of stratification since the 1980s, looking particularly at shifts in the relative size and composition of middle-class and working-class employment and the implications for class formation. The model is also used to analyse changes in structural inequalities between the sexes and between ethnic groups, with a focus on the ways in which different groups were affected by the restructuring process and how this was influenced by historically gendered and ethnicised divisions of labour. The thesis concludes with an assessment of the extent of change in employment and stratification and whether this is indicative of a transition to a post-industrial economy.</p>

The role of the administrative decision in the reform process carried out in the Republic of Moldova between 2010-2020

This article is an analysis of the correlation between the administrative decision and the reforms carried out in the last decade in the Republic of Moldova. The author identified the place of the administrative act in the complex restructuring process, analyzing also the relationship between the notions of decision and reform. It is noted that the term reform includes, in addition to the traditional meanings of “modernization” and “improvement”, specific to the public sector, meanings such as “transformation” and “reinvention”. At the same time, the term reform implies not only a simple change, but a beneficial change, it involves a deliberate move from a less desirable state to a desired one, taking into account the needs, expectations and desires of citizens. The article also reflects the essential role of the administrative decision in the governing process and represents the act of transition from thinking to action. It aims to find the most rational ways to ensure maximum efficiency of actions. The process of continuously increasing the efficiency of government actions in the process of carrying out reforms requires that any decision taken has a solid foundation. The achievements, but also the failures registered in the process of reforms in 2010-2020 were due to the elaborated and applied decisions, which contributed to the increase of the qualitative level and administrative capacities of the public administration in the Republic of Moldova

Art in Post-Industrial Facilities—Strategies of Adaptive Reuse for Art Exhibition Function in Poland

Along with the socio-economic changes in Poland after 1989 and the beginning of the industrial restructuring process, many industrial architecture objects lost their original purpose. At present, sustainable processes of reusing the building stock left over from the industrial period are proceeding. One of the possibilities includes adaptation to culture-related goals, where such activities have an established tradition in the world. The aim of the article is to analyze the adaptive reuse of post-industrial facilities in Poland for the functions of art exhibitions, such as museums, galleries, and art centers. The study was based on descriptive qualitative and quantitative research, in the following stages: identification and analysis of adapted objects; developing a typology of adaptive reuse strategies; questionnaire research aimed at institutions located in adapted facilities. The analyses show that the leading group of adapted facilities constitute former power plants, which ensure favorable exhibition conditions. The main result is the recognition of five types of adaptive reuse strategies implemented in Poland, resulting from a diversified approach to the historic substance, such as: the method of extension of an object; placing an exhibition; the character of the exhibition space, along with the type of intervention in the interior of a historic building.

Effect of hydrodynamic breakage on floc evolution and turbidity reduction in flocculation and sedimentation processes

Coagulation and sedimentation process is one of the most popular processes in drinking water treatment. Hydrodynamic breakage has a significant impact on the evolution of floc characteristic and the efficiency of turbidity removal. In this work, the effects of hydrodynamic breakage on floc size, fractal dimension, and floc morphology were investigated with an in-situ recognition system. The experiments were conducted in a continuous flocculation and sedimentation reactor equipped with perforated plates to provide different hydrodynamic breakage conditions. The experimental results indicated that the hydrodynamic conditions significantly influenced the floc destabilization and restructuring processes. A low hydrodynamic shear forces provided by P1 led to the increase of both bigger sized flocs but accompanied with small particles (0–10 μm). Excessive velocity gradient provided by P3 produced smaller and looser flocs. An appropriate velocity gradient (i.e., the flow velocity through the perforated plate P2 at 18.9 × 10−3m s−1) was conducive for the formation of larger and more compact structures, with higher average floc size and fractal dimension. This flocculation condition in turn resulted in effective improvements in the turbidity removal efficiency. Floc evolution models were described based on the mechanism of the breakage and restructuring process.