Disadvantaged Position Research Articles

Socioeconomic position across the life course and falls among middle- and older-aged adults: protocol for a systematic review

IntroductionIndividuals experiencing disadvantaged socioeconomic positions (SEPs) may be at increased risk of falls during middle and older age, and these impacts of socioeconomic factors may vary according to the duration,...

A Matter of Individual Discretion: Facilitating Performative Credibility in Asylum Interviews

ABSTRACT This article discusses performative credibility in asylum interviews, which are regarded as the most important single event in the asylum process. Despite this importance, and although there are studies that focus on asylum interviews, there is very little research regarding how the interviews are facilitated – that is, how the interviewers guide the interview through the introduction they provide, the questions they ask, and the order in which they ask those questions. The current article contributes to filling this gap by looking at asylum interviews as performances, in which the right to seek asylum is decided not only by what the applicant says but also by how they say it. The article calls this expectation placed upon the asylum applicant ‘performative credibility’. The article asks how asylum interviews facilitate performative credibility, and answers this question by analysing the discourses of facilitation and question orders in 43 asylum interview records from the Finnish Immigration Service. The findings indicate that facilitation is uncommon in the interviews, that there is no all-encompassing way of going about it, and that it happens largely at the discretion of the individual interviewer. This means that, while a small number of applicants are facilitated, others may not even be made aware of the roles and rules of performative credibility, including that their performance is assessed during the interview, meaning that these applicants are left in a disadvantaged position. The current article seeks to make an important contribution to the field of refugee studies by showing how asylum interviews can facilitate – or not – the kinds of detailed and coherent narratives assessed to be credible and truthful in asylum decision making.

All that glitters is not gold: the impact of the Nutri-score label on food with geographical indication

The European Union is discussing the introduction of a mandatory front-of-pack label to address the rise in nutrition-related diseases. The Nutri-Score (NS) is the most supported candidate in the EU, despite some controversies exist. Specifically, the policy behind the NS system (i.e., the Farm to Fork Strategy—F2F) appears to conflict with the geographical indication (GI) policy, as the same products (GIs) are promoted for their superior quality by the GI policy and frequently classified as products to be avoided by the NS system. Moreover, the NS system, by encouraging the food industry to reformulate products to improve their nutritional quality, places the GIs in a disadvantageous position, due to their strict product specification. To explore the interactions between these two policies, this paper assesses the effect of the NS on retail prices of both GI and non-GI products in the French market, where this system is widely used. A hedonic price analysis was conducted on 254 raw hams (score D or E) through the estimation of a quantile regression model. Results highlight that the presence of the NS decreases the retail price of raw hams, limited to the high-priced segments. Interestingly, the negative effect is consistent for both GI and non-GI hams, suggesting that the GI label does not mitigate the impact of the NS.

Seal of Approval? Trust Signals and Cultural Distance in a Global Peer-to-peer Platform Market

Trust is essential for fostering cooperation, especially in global peer-to-peer platform markets where transactions between strangers involve significant risks and uncertainties. The global scope of these platforms introduces cultural differences, further intensifying these challenges. It is well established that social distance shapes trust, with decision-makers typically favoring those who share similarities, leading to trust disparities that advantage some participants while disadvantaging others. But existing theories offer conflicting perspectives on whether quality signals can bridge or exacerbate the gap between advantaged (i.e., socially proximate to focal decision-makers) and disadvantaged (i.e., socially distant from focal decision-makers) participants. Drawing on sociological theories of trust production that highlight how various social systems act as different sources of trust, we offer a new perspective to this puzzle by comparing two types of quality signals: reputation, which is derived from prior exchanges and provided by prior exchange partners, and institutional accreditation, which is linked to organizational institutions. Analyzing a proprietary dataset from a global peer-to-peer lodging platform, we find that prospective guests who are more culturally distant from hosts are in a disadvantaged position: their lodging requests are less likely to be approved by hosts. Furthermore, the positive effect of guest reputation (i.e., ratings) is weaker for culturally distant guests, and thus widens the gap in host acceptance of culturally proximate versus culturally distant guests. By contrast, the positive effect of institutional accreditation (i.e., platform verification) is stronger for culturally distant guests, indicating that it helps narrow the gap. These findings reveal unexplored contingencies to theories of evaluations bias and discrimination, contributing to the broader literature on trust, culture, and inequality in global online markets, and underscoring the challenges of building trust in uncertain environments.

Challenges in Migrations: Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in Serbia

The state laws of the Republic of Serbia recognize trafficking in human beings as a form of organized criminal activity, and different acts treat the prevention, repression and punishment of trafficking in human beings as well as the protection of the witnesses and the injured persons, before, in the course of and after the criminal prosecution. The Council of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the fight against human trafficking was first constituted in December 2005, as an expert, advisory body of the Government. The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia from 2006 deals with the issue of human trafficking in the provision of Article 26: “It is expressly forbidden that no one can be held in slavery or in a position similar to slavery, that is, every form of human trafficking and forced labor under which it is considered sexual or economic exploitation of persons in a disadvantaged position”. The Criminal Code sanctioned: Human Trafficking (Art. 388); Trafficking in children for adoption (Art. 389); Establishment of slavery and transportation of persons in slavery (Art. 390). People smuggling is criminalized as a separate criminal offense under Unauthorized Crossing of the State Border and People Smuggling (Art. 350). The aims of this work are to indicate all relevant regulations that are applied against human trafficking in Serbia as well as to show the cooperation of Serbia as a candidate country and EU accession with other countries in the fight against human trafficking and the cooperation of state authorities and non-governmental organizations in preventing human trafficking in Serbia and abroad. At last, the cases of migrants and human trafficking described in the media are presented and what kind of attention these criminological phenomenons are causing in Serbia.

How Eco-Participating Firms Can Increase Their Willingness to Cooperate Sustainability: A Perceived Contractual Equity Perspective

In the era of digital intelligence, sustainable ecological cooperation in cross-border integration has become a trend, and the willingness of sustainable cooperation is the key to stabilising the cooperative relationship between enterprises and partners and obtaining more profits. Due to the heterogeneity of enterprises, the sense of fairness of enterprises in a relatively disadvantaged position can only be improved to achieve the sustainable development of the cooperative relationship between the two parties. In the business ecosystem, there are some enterprises with obvious differences in resource endowment, market influence, innovation engines, and technology leadership, etc. Enterprises with core competitive advantages occupy the ecological high position and become the ecological core enterprises, while enterprises with relatively weak competitive advantages need to depend on the core enterprises in order to survive in the business ecosystem and become the ecological participating enterprises. This paper takes ‘core enterprise–participating enterprises’ as the main body, establishes a dynamic evolutionary game model to explore the factors affecting the two parties ‘willingness to sustain cooperation, and finds that the increase in the coefficient of willingness to sustain cooperation and the coefficient of maintaining the relationship between core enterprises and participating enterprises, as well as the decrease in the losses caused by opportunistic behaviours of the other party’s enterprises to their own enterprises, will promote the two parties’ willingness to sustain cooperation. In order to verify the connection between the numerical model derivation and the actual situation, we refer to the research of domestic and international scholars, design the scale, and finally obtain 242 valid questionnaires through the research of 263 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China. The results find that the sense of distributive fairness, procedural fairness, and interactive fairness positively promote the willingness to cooperate on a sustainable basis; the sense of contractual fairness increases the willingness to cooperate on a sustainable basis through the relationship value enhancement; and the risk of opportunism negatively moderates the relationship value’s impact on the willingness to cooperate on a sustainable basis. The findings can provide lessons for Chinese SMEs to achieve cross-border integration and for SMEs to improve their ability to manage partnership uncertainty.

Utilizing Traditional Knowledge for Development in Sri Lanka: A Legal Analysis with a Special Emphasis on Intellectual Property Law

Traditional Knowledge was not originally recognized as a part of the realm of intellectual property rights as its unique attributes did not align with the theoretical underpinning of intellectual property rights. Nevertheless, an emerging trend occurred with Traditional Knowledge becoming susceptible to unauthorized appropriation by third parties without sharing benefits with the knowledge holder, which was commonly referred to as biopiracy. Consequently, developing nations, along with indigenous communities, started advocating for an expansion of the scope of intellectual property law to protect and preserve Traditional Knowledge. Sri Lanka, often renowned for its cultural and biodiversity richness, is a treasure trove of Traditional Knowledge. However, the absence of an adequate legal framework addressing Traditional Knowledge, coupled with a number of failed Legislative attempts such as the Genetic Resources – Access and Benefit Sharing Act of 2000 and 2009 Bill has placed Sri Lanka in a disadvantageous position. Therefore, it is the objective of the researcher to introduce a comprehensive legal framework related to Traditional Knowledge, under IP law, considering the rights of the knowledge holders and the potential for commercialization to achieve the development of the country. This study looks at international standards and Indian laws and policies to gain insights on enhancing the Sri Lankan legal framework. Consequently, the researcher proposes several defensive and positive measures that can be implemented to strengthen the legal framework pertaining to Traditional Knowledge in Sri Lanka. The researcher finds that Sri Lanka could benefit from a sui generis law that takes into account the dual objectives of creating value from Traditional Knowledge and safeguarding the rights of knowledge holders, thereby promoting the country's development.

Consequences of Technology Path-Dependence and Lock-In for Latecomers in Economic Development

Economic development is generally understood to reflect an expansion of technological capability. Technological change is path dependent. Technology systems lock in on standards. These factors impose constraints on latecoming developing countries, where agents have to master processes that are compatible with established standards in order to integrate into a global technology system. Their integration, furthermore, tends to happen under a specific socio-economic umbrella, to wit the business, economic, and political power structures of the global north. The constraints on latecomers that path dependence and lock-in suggest in this context impose potential obstacles for an instrumental use of the potential that economic development offers for general human development. An integration into global production structures can result in a perpetuation of disadvantaged positions unless specific, for instance geopolitical, factors counter technological and institutional dynamics. This analysis of economic development processes complements results formulated under dependency theory and financialization frameworks.

It's Time to Break Up: Dynamics Surrounding Young-Established Firm Alliance Duration

While young firms often benefit from their relationships with established firms, these relationships can be risky. Hence, during their relationship with established firms, young firms must constantly monitor signs of a failing partnership and terminate it before being in a disadvantageous position. However, discontinuing the alliance with an established firm can also be risky, especially if the young firm has limited alternative collaborative opportunities. Our study adopts the young firm's perspective and dynamically weighs the tradeoffs between the risks of continuing and discontinuing its relationship with established firms, thereby deciding on its termination. We first develop an analytical model to understand how the alliance duration (time from alliance formation to termination) between young and established firms is affected by alliance, firm, and industry characteristics. We then test the resulting hypotheses on a sample of 1,111 alliances with licensing deals formed between 159 established pharmaceutical firms and 448 young biotechnology firms during the 1986 to 2000 period, which straddles the technological discontinuity of combinatorial chemistry. Our empirical results provide partial support for the hypotheses derived from the analytical model, informing us of firms’ rational alliance duration decisions as well as their deviations from rationality. In presenting both optimal alliance duration decisions and suboptimal alliance duration practices, our mixed-method approach offers important implications for theory and practice.

NURTURING DOMESTIC OPEN-SOURCE TALENTS TO EMPOWER NEW-QUALITY PRODUCTIVITY: CONNOTATIVE CHARACTERISTICS AND DIRECTION OF PROMOTION

The domestic open source industry is showing a vigorous development trend, with many industrial-level open source projects springing up, injecting new vitality into China's independent innovation and industrial development. However, in the face of global competition, we must face up to the challenges we are currently facing. China's open source community is still in a disadvantageous position on the international stage. There is a significant gap between the performance of enterprises in the open source field and that of foreign countries, and there is also a serious shortage of open source talent reserves in domestic universities. In view of this, this article deeply analyzes the shortcomings in the development of open source industry talents, focuses on how to inject strong impetus into new productivity, and deeply explores the connotation characteristics and promotion path of open source talent cultivation, emphasizing the key role of open source talents in the formation of new productivity. Based on these analyses, this article proposes a series of countermeasures and suggestions, including supporting the development of open source communities, strengthening the construction of open source talent teams in enterprises, strengthening the cultivation and echelon construction of open source talents in universities, integrating talent elements and scientific and educational resources, and exerting the siphon effect of talents, aiming to help China achieve a leading position in the open source industry and promote the sustainable development of new productivity.

Perceived discrimination and refraining from seeking physician’s care in Sweden: an intersectional analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (AIHDA)

BackgroundDiscrimination may further impede access to medical care for individuals in socially disadvantaged positions. Sociodemographic information and perceived discrimination intersect and define multiple contexts or strata that condition the risk of refraining from seeking physician’s care. By applying analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (AIHDA) we aimed to improve the mapping of risk by considering both strata average risk differences and the accuracy of such strata risks for distinguishing between individuals who did or did not refrain from seeking physician’s care.MethodsWe analysed nine annual National Public Health Surveys (2004, 2007–2014) in Sweden including 73,815 participants. We investigated the risk of refraining from seeking physician’s care across 64 intersectional strata defined by sex, education, age, country of birth, and perceived discrimination. We calculated strata-specific prevalences and prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) to evaluate the discriminatory accuracy (DA).ResultsDiscriminated foreign-born women aged 35–49 with a low educational level show a six times higher risk (PR = 6.07, 95% CI 5.05–7.30) than non-discriminated native men with a high educational level aged 35–49. However, the DA of the intersectional strata was small (AUC = 0.64). Overall, discrimination increased the absolute risk of refraining from seeking physician’s care, over and above age, sex, and educational level.ConclusionsAIHDA disclosed complex intersectional inequalities in the average risk of refraining from seeking physician’s care. This risk was rather high in some strata, which is relevant from an individual perspective. However, from a population perspective, the low DA of the intersectional strata suggests that potential interventions to reduce such inequalities should be universal but tailored to the specific contextual characteristics of the strata. Discrimination impairs access to healthcare.

Understanding the relationship between perceived accessibility, housing and transport equity of different types of residents: A structural equation modelling approach

This study uses structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse the relationship between perceived accessibility, housing and transport equity and their influencing factors in Nanjing, China. It aims to address the current shortfall in studies to compare differences in perceived (rather than objective) measures of accessibility using a transport equity lens. A comparison sample of 664 affordable housing residents and 828 commercial housing residents living in different locations across the city was collected through an online survey. The research shows that affordable housing residents are in a more disadvantaged position than commercial housing residents based on their perceived accessibility, housing and transport equity evaluation results are all worse than those of commercial housing residents. Therefore, two SEM models were constructed to understand the underlying factors driving these perceptions. The results show that both housing location and transport provision significantly affect perceived accessibility, housing and transport equity. Improving people’s transport affordability is the most effective way to improve perceived accessibility, and transport equity for both groups, however, improving the housing environment is more critical for affordable housing residents, while improving housing affordability is more important for commercial housing residents.

Intergroup contact, outgroup knowledge and advantaged group collective action: can who you know and what you know promote social change?

Some groups in society unjustly hold greater social, economic, and political power over others, placing some groups in more advantaged and others in more disadvantaged positions. One way to challenge group-based inequality and promote social change is through collective action (e.g., protests, petitions, advocating). Most often, disadvantaged group members engage in collective action. However, when advantaged group members engage in solidarity-based collective action, it can heighten a movement's momentum. Four motivators of collective action among advantaged (and disadvantaged) group members have been identified: identification with the cause, anger about injustice, morality, and group efficacy. We examined what precedes these motivations regarding White Canadians' collective action benefitting Indigenous communities and White Americans' collective action benefitting Black communities. We examined two potential antecedents of advantaged group collective action motivation, intergroup contact and knowledge about the outgroup. In both samples, intergroup contact and knowledge of the outgroup were consistently indirectly associated with collective action through identification with the cause as well as through identification with the cause and anger about injustice. Of the multiple forms of intergroup contact and knowledge examined, the strongest associations were observed for higher quality contact and knowledge of systemic racism. These results have implications for both theory and intervention.

The Law of Finding Lost Movable Property in England, Germany and Scotland

Abstract The law of finding lost movable property is not only a practically significant but also doctrinally fascinating topic, which has, however, only rarely been treated comparatively. Therefore, the article analyses to what extent a common core exists between a civil law (Germany), mixed (Scotland) and common law (England) legal system and whether the three jurisdictions achieve the purposes of the law of finding. In light of the scarcity of legal literature, the article is the first detailed treatment of the subject in Scots law. It does not only demonstrate that the common core between all three jurisdictions is remarkably small but also that German and Scots law are notably similar, while English law generally takes the opposite legal approach, indicating that Scots law is more related to civil than common law in this field. Moreover, in contrast to both Germany and Scotland, England does, because of the disadvantageous legal position of the finder, not accomplish the purposes of the law of finding; that is, neither (primarily) restoring possession of lost property to its owner nor (secondarily) freeing the finder from the burden of safekeeping found property for the owner. Consequently, legislative reform of English law is indicated.

세종대 풍수학에 대한 인식과 그 실상 - 세종 15년(1433) ‘풍수학’ 설치 과정을 중심으로

This paper aims to explore the actual state of geomancy (pungsu, 風水) in the early 15th century and examine perceptions of geomancy from various perspectives by investigating the process of establishing the “Pungsuhak (風水學)” organization. In the seventh month of the 15th year of King Sejong (世宗)'s reign (1433), a debate arose in the court over the auspicious site of Gyeongbok-gung (景福宮) Palace, initiated by the geomancer Choi Yang-seon (崔揚善). This led to a geomantic debate in the court, reigniting the controversy over the mountain pass next to Heolleung (獻陵), which had been raised but remained unresolved in the 12th year of Sejong's reign (1430). Despite opposition from his officials, King Sejong ordered scholars from the Jiphyeonjeon to study geomantic texts to resolve the issues. He formalized the scholars' research duties by assigning them official titles and establishing the “Pungsuhak” organization. The establishment of “Pungsuhak” faced considerable opposition. The key points of contention were threefold: first, that geomancy should not be discussed in royal lectures; second, that geomancy was not a subject worthy of the king's personal study; and third, that the Jiphyeonjeon should not be engaged in the study of geomancy. King Sejong countered these objections by citing Zhu Xi (朱熹)'s example, arguing that discussing geomancy was not beyond the scope of a Confucian scholar's duties, and he proceeded with the research through the “Pungsuhak” organization. At the time, two other organizations oversaw geomancy: the Seoun-gwan (書雲觀), an administrative body, and the Yin-Yang Studies (陰陽學) of the Ten Schools (十學), an organization responsible for education and examinations. However, when the geomantic debate arose, Sejong chose not to utilize these existing organizations but instead established the “Pungsuhak” organization, entrusting the scholars of Jiphyeonjeon with the study of geomancy. Consequently, the geomancy departments within the Seoun-gwan and Yin-Yang Studies remained in a disadvantaged position.

Time-related underemployment in Indian agro-based industry during Covid-19.

COVID-19 has adversely affected the different aspects of work and society. Due to the decline in economic activity globally, employees were exposed to conditions in which they were forced to work for reduced working hours leading to an increase in time-related underemployment. The goal of the present study was to determine the extent of time-related underemployment and the rate of unutilized labor resource in the Agro-based Industry. This study was conducted with 500 middle-level and lower-level executives working in the Textile Industry and Food and Beverage Industry. Time-related underemployment is defined as a situation in which employees worked for less than 48 hours per week and were available and willing to work for additional hours. It was measured with both objective and subjective measures. Data was analyzed through percentages, mean, t-test, independent t-test, and chi-square. Results showed that Time-related underemployment in the Food and Beverage Industry was 5.00% as compared to the Textile Industry with 3.08%. The majority of employees were moderately underemployed both in the Textile Industry and Food and Beverage Industry. The rate of unutilized labor resource was more in Textile Industry (9.9%) as compared to Food and Beverage Industry (9.2%). However, the difference in both the industries was found to be insignificant (p > 0.05). COVID-19 has exposed many workers to the disadvantageous position of working fewer hours than the pre-determined threshold hours for full-time work. Therefore, proper strategies need to be adopted to properly use the labor resource of the economy.

Maternity leave reform and women's labor supply: Evidence from China

China has extended maternity leave to encourage childbirth. This study specifically investigates the effects of China's maternity leave reform (MLR) on women's labor supply, utilizing a difference-in-difference analysis with data from the China Family Panel Studies. Our findings show that MLR leads to a notable decrease in women's working hours, with an average reduction of 2.6 h per week. However, no corresponding impacts are observed in men's labor supply. Mechanism analysis suggests that these effects may stem from women facing more disadvantaged positions in the labor market, having increased intentions for fertility, and experiencing heightened household responsibilities. These findings hold significant implications for the future design and implementation of childbirth promotion and gender equality policies.

A qualitative study of the experience of doula support to women in socially disadvantaged positions in Sweden: The voices of women and doulas

BackgroundWomen in socially disadvantaged positions face increased risk of fear of birth, birth complications, and postpartum depression, highlighting the need for targeted interventions for this group. Doula support is associated with positive emotional and medical outcomes for mother and child. Experience of doula support for women in socially disadvantaged positions in Sweden remains unexplored. AimTo describe experiences of doula support within a project for women in socially disadvantaged positions in Sweden. MethodsIn-depth interviews with seven women and focus group discussions with twelve doulas in a Doula support project were conducted. Data was analysed with inductive content analysis. ResultsWomen and doulas described experiences of doula support as a significant relationship with challenges, due to unclear boundaries for the support, and the time and trust needed to establish the relationship. The support was perceived as comprehensive, far exceeding traditional doula support, with extensive assistance provided postpartum. The project was regarded as meaningful, and that it led to positive birth experiences. ConclusionsWomen in socially disadvantaged positions may benefit from doula support during the perinatal period. The support fosters feelings of calmness, security and empowerment, and alleviates feelings of isolation, which is crucial for a positive birth experience. Support for these women is complex due to increased social needs, leading to unclear expectations of the doula’s role. Support from colleagues is deemed crucial. Future projects should establish clear frameworks and a supportive structure for doulas.

The Dilemma of Women in the Workplace

Influenced by historical factors, women are often in a disadvantaged position in the workplace and in life. First of all, in the workplace, sometimes women and men are not paid equally even though they make the same contributions in the workplace. In addition, society often assumes that women need to take care of the family, resulting in women needing to adjust the balance between work and family. At the same time, men often do not have this problem. Second, young women entering the workforce are often vulnerable to sexual harassment by male leaders and bosses. This adds to the difficulties women face in the workplace. These inequalities are fundamentally caused by the subconscious existence of gender inequality in society and disrespect for women. This unequal treatment inhibits the enthusiasm of female employees and is not conducive to the guarantee of work efficiency. This paper analyzes the dilemma of women in the workplace and the causes of these difficulties, aiming to propose solutions to help women get out of the dilemma in the workplace, further realize gender equality in social status, and protect women's human rights.

Investigating Power and Control: Uses Of ‘Invariant Tag’ Questions in Malaysian Criminal Trials

This paper examines invariant tag questions in the 16 Malaysian criminal proceedings (MAYCRIM) corpus, focusing on their role in cross-examination. Cross-examination questions are pivotal as they elicit information and confirmations from witnesses while allowing them to narrate events. Using a corpus-based forensic discourse analysis, the study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to uncover patterns in tag question usage. Five common agreement tags—do you agree, agree/setuju, correct/betul, particle tak/not, and do you know—are identified as tools for Malaysian barristers to exert coercive pressure on witnesses. The critical analysis reveals a preference for the tag do you agree due to its coercive power. The paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and pragmatic implications of these findings for bilingual adversarial systems or postcolonial jurisdictions. It also highlights the disadvantaged position of laypeople in bilingual courtrooms, offering insights and proposing potential solutions to address these challenges.