Division Of Labor Research Articles

Housework sharing among older couples: explaining the gendered division of domestic labour in older age in South Korea

ABSTRACT Our study investigates the relationship between family models and housework division among older couples. Using the 2019 Korean Time Use Survey, we analysed wives’ share of housework in four family models—dual-earner, traditional (husband-breadwinner), wife-breadwinner, and retired (non-employed) couples—in which at least one partner was aged 65 or above (N = 1,564). Results show that although wives’ housework share varies across the four family models, unequal distribution of housework persists in older age, with wives shouldering over 70 per cent of the total housework regardless of the family model. Wives’ housework share in wife-breadwinner couples was significantly lower than that among dual earners. We also found that economic resources, particularly income, and gender ideology play a limited role in explaining the division of housework among older couples. However, health played a crucial role, with wives and husbands doing more housework when their partners reported poor health.

Pheromone representation in the ant antennal lobe changes with age

While the neural basis of age-related decline has been extensively studied,1,2,3 less is known about changes in neural function during the pre-senescent stages of adulthood. Adult neural plasticity is likely a key factor in social insect age polyethism, where individuals perform different tasks as they age and divide labor in an age-dependent manner.4,5,6,7,8,9 Primarily, workers transition from nursing to foraging tasks,5,10 become more aggressive, and more readily display alarm behavior11,12,13,14,15,16 as they get older. While it is unknown how these behavioral dynamics are neurally regulated, they could partially be generated by altered salience of behaviorally relevant stimuli.4,6,7 Here, we investigated how odor coding in the antennal lobe (AL) changes with age in the context of alarm pheromone communication in the clonal raider ant (Ooceraea biroi).17 Similar to other social insects,11,12,16 older ants responded more rapidly to alarm pheromones, the chemical signals for danger. Using whole-AL calcium imaging,18 we then mapped odor representations for five general odorants and two alarm pheromones in young and old ants. Alarm pheromones were represented sparsely at all ages. However, alarm pheromone responses within individual glomeruli changed with age, either increasing or decreasing. Only two glomeruli became sensitized to alarm pheromones with age, while at the same time becoming desensitized to general odorants. Our results suggest that the heightened response to alarm pheromones in older ants occurs via increased sensitivity in these two core glomeruli, illustrating the importance of sensory modulation in social insect division of labor and age-associated behavioral plasticity.

Infrastructure, time and labour: movement and suspension along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor

ABSTRACT Africa’s renewed push towards infrastructure development brought with it new forms of territorialisation tied to both capital and labour. Infrastructures are expected to connect specific African hubs to global trade flows, promote industrialisation and increase employment rates, yet they often struggle to fulfil said promises. We explore the relationship between Africa’s ‘infrastructure turn’ and changing labour relations through the case of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor in West Africa. Drawing from critical infrastructure studies and broader work in labour geography, we use the concept of suspension as a lens to illuminate a variety of processes – occurring across varied temporalities and scales – that are imbricated in the construction of different forms of infrastructural labour. We posit that infrastructure development as currently structured simultaneously (i) reinforces geopolitical inequities in the division of labour in the design and implementation of infrastructure projects; (ii) fosters competition amongst states for value and trade capture; and (iii) prompts contestation and disavowal in the context of the construction of specific projects. These three distinct, yet inter-related ways in which infrastructure development entangles with labour dynamics highlight that the work of imagining and crafting infrastructural promise creates pathways for novel, and often contested, configurations of labour relations.

The invasive bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) disrupts the adaptive function of heteranthery by indiscriminately visiting the pollinating and feeding anthers of Senna arnottiana flowers.

Heteranthery, the presence of different types of anthers on the same flower, is a floral adaptation that aims to balance the need for pollinators to collect pollen as a food resource while ensuring sufficient pollen for pollination. We investigate the role of heteranthery in the pollination of Senna arnottiana flowers and how it is affected by the behaviour of visiting bee species, with a particular focus on the impact of the invasive bumblebee Bombus terrestris. In three populations of S. arnottiana we measured the size of three sets of anthers and style, stigma-anther separation, pollen quantity and fruit set, and contrasted it with the body size, behaviour, and pollination effectiveness of all floral visitors. Different bee species visited S. arnottiana flowers, and their foraging behaviour varied. Large-bodied native bees, including Centris cineraria, Caupolicana sp. and Cadeguala occidentalis, preferentially visited short anthers, whereas B. terrestris, an exotic bumblebee, foraged from both short and long anthers without distinction. In addition, B.terrestris contacted the stigma at a lower rate than large-bodied native bees. Instead of concentrating its pollen-gathering efforts on the feeding anthers, as predicted by the "division of labor" hypothesis, B. terrestris indiscriminately visited both types of anthers similarly. This behaviour of B. terrestris may disrupt the adaptive significance of heteranthery by mixing the roles of pollination and feeding anthers of S. arnottiana. Therefore, our results highlight the potential disruption of this relationship by exotic pollinators and the need to consider it in conservation efforts.

Understanding physics teachers’ professional identity: an activity theory perspective

ABSTRACT Educational researchers have been interested in studying teachers’ professional identity to understand this dynamic and multifaceted construct within personal and professional processes through different experiences. In this study, we designed a qualitative case study with Cultural–Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to examine physics teachers’ professional identity in Turkey. The study aimed to explore the elements of activity systems: teachers’ experiences, community relations, tools, resources, rules, division of labour, and teaching practices. Data sources were interviews, classroom observations and documents, which were analysed by constant comparative method. The results showed that teachers recognised the significance of student-centered instruction, but they often had limitations in terms of resources and exam-based education that led them to adopt traditional instruction. The findings emphasised the need for systemic reforms to balance instructional objectives with teaching realities, supply resources, and make the connection between teacher preparation and classroom enactment. The research results support constructivist epistemology and suggest that the physics education community needs to improve the quality of physics education in Turkey and globally.

Electro-stimulation modulates syntrophic interactions in methanogenic toluene-degrading microbiota for enhanced functionality

Syntrophy achieved via microbial cooperation is vital for anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation and methanogenesis. However, limited understanding of the metabolic division of labor and electronic interactions in electro-stimulated microbiota has impeded the development of enhanced biotechnologies for degrading hydrocarbons to methane. Here, compared to the non-electro-stimulated methanogenic toluene-degrading microbiota, electro-stimulation at 800 mV promoted toluene degradation and methane production efficiencies by 11.49 %-14.76 % and 75.58 %-290.11 %, respectively. Hydrocarbon-degrading gene bamA amplification and metagenomic sequencing analyses revealed that f_Syntrophobacteraceae MAG116 may act as a toluene degrader in the non-electro-stimulated microbiota, which was proposed to establish electron syntrophy with the acetoclastic methanogen Methanosarcina spp. (or Methanothrix sp.) through e-pili or shared acetate. In the electro-stimulated microbiota, 37.22 ± 4.33 % of Desulfoprunum sp. (affiliated f_Desulfurivibrionaceae MAG10) and 58.82 ± 3.74 % of the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanobacterium sp. MAG74 were specifically recruited to the anode and cathode, respectively. The potential electrogen f_Desulfurivibrionaceae MAG10 engaged in interspecies electron transfer with both syntroph f_Syntrophobacteraceae MAG116 and the anode, which might be facilitated by c-type cytochromes (e.g., ImcH, OmcT, and PilZ). Moreover, upon capturing electrons from the external circuit, the hydrogen-producing electrotroph Aminidesulfovibrio sp. MAG60 could share electrons and hydrogen with the methanogen Methanobacterium sp. MAG74, which uniquely harbored hydrogenase genes ehaA-R and ehbA-P. This study elucidates the microbial interaction mechanisms underlying the enhanced metabolic efficiency of the electro-stimulated methanogenic toluene-degrading microbiota, and emphasizes the significance of metabolic and electron syntrophic interactions in maintaining the stability of microbial community functionality.

The irruption of autonomous and connected vehicle technologies and the repositioning of the periphery in the European automotive industry

PurposeAutonomous and connected mobility technologies have led to a reconfiguration of the automotive industry value chain. This may involve an impact on the geography of the European automotive industry, especially for peripheral countries. The aim of the paper is to analyse the repositioning of a peripheral country (Portugal) in the core-periphery model of the automotive industry derived from this new technological context.Design/methodology/approachAn eclectic theoretical framework, based on the global value chain (GVC) approach, the spatial division of labour and location theory, supports this research. Moreover, an original empirical study was developed. This study comprised a comparative analysis of two samples of firms based on the key variables related to country position. One sample comprised Portuguese traditional automotive firms and the other Portuguese firms linked to autonomous and connected mobility technologies.FindingsThe results highlight the upgrading of Portugal in the European core-periphery model of the automotive industry. This is due to the presence of domestic firms, especially multinationals, linked to autonomous and connected mobility technologies in the country. The decision power derived from their position on the first levels of supply and the added value of activities and technological innovation of these new actors change the role of the country in the European automotive industry. The main implication is that managers of domestic firms and policy makers in peripheral countries can upgrade a country’s position in the European core-periphery model by shifting its competitiveness toward knowledge-based activities linked to the new mobility technologies.Originality/valueThis research is supported by a novel eclectic theoretical framework based on the global value chain (GVC) approach, the spatial division of labour and location theory. Moreover, country position is analysed through empirical evidence. An original comparative empirical study based on the key variables defined under this theoretical framework was developed.

Organizational Design and Work Culture

The relationship between work culture and organizational design has drawn a lot of attention in the modern corporate environment as a success factor for organizations. This abstract explores the mutually beneficial link between these two components and explains how their alignment promotes creativity, output, and worker engagement. The framework that governs the division of labour, roles, and duties inside an organization is known as organizational design. It establishes decision-making procedures, communication routes, and hierarchies. In addition to being effective, a well-designed organizational structure may also be adjusted to the changing needs of the market. At the same time, an organization's work culture encompasses the rules, beliefs, and behaviours that are common within it. It represents the general way of thinking, feeling, and doing things in work. A dynamic workplace culture fosters a feeling of community, promotes teamwork, and increases worker happiness. When it comes to organizational design The alignment of work culture and organizational design becomes a critical success factor in the pursuit of organizational excellence. This abstract delves deeper into this relationship and clarifies practical ways that firms can successfully align their structural frameworks with their cultural ethos. The understanding that organizational design and work culture are dynamic phenomena shaped by interconnected influences rather than static entities is at the core of this alignment. Because of this, promoting alignment calls for a comprehensive strategy that recognizes the complex interactions between structure and culture. An essential tactic is to perform a thorough analysis of organizational structure and workplace culture. This means assessing both cultural elements like values, norms, and communication as well as structural elements like hierarchies, workflows, and decision-making processes.

Enhancement of triclocarban biodegradation: Metabolic division of labor in co-culture of Rhodococcus sp. BX2 and Pseudomonas sp. LY-1

Triclocarban (TCC) and its metabolite, 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA), are classified as emerging organic contaminants (EOCs). Significant concerns arise from water and soil contamination with TCC and its metabolites. These concerns are especially pronounced at high concentrations of up to approximately 20 mg/kg dry weight, as observed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Here, a TCC-degrading co-culture system comprising Rhodococcus rhodochrous BX2 and Pseudomonas sp. LY-1 was utilized to degrade TCC (14.5 mg/L) by 85.9% in 7 days, showing improved degradation efficiency compared with monocultures. A combination of high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), genome sequencing, transcriptomic analysis, and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed. Meanwhile, through the combination of further experiments involving heterologous expression and gene knockout, we proposed three TCC metabolic pathways and identified four key genes (tccG, tccS, phB, phL) involved in the TCC degradation process. Moreover, we revealed the internal labor division patterns and connections in the co-culture system, indicating that TCC hydrolysis products were exchanged between co-cultured strains. Additionally, mutualistic cooperation between BX2 and LY-1 enhances TCC degradation efficiency. Finally, phytotoxicity assays confirmed a significant reduction in the plant toxicity of TCC following synergistic degradation by two strains. The in-depth understanding of the TCC biotransformation mechanisms and microbial interactions provides useful information for elucidating the mechanism of the collaborative biodegradation of various contaminants.

Distributed leadership in Irish post-primary schools: mapping the state of the art

ABSTRACT Distributed leadership is currently to the forefront of emerging educational leadership literature, policy, and practice. It is suggested that the pressures exerted on schools during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in distributed leadership becoming a default leadership style in schools. The adoption of a distributed leadership approach is supported by Irish school policy, yet little is known about its implementation. The aim of this study was to map the current state of distributed leadership in Irish post-primary schools from the perspective of school personnel. Data were collected from 337 participants using an online survey comprising Likert-type statements complimented with open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Findings reveal disparities specific to how distributed leadership is implemented in schools, (if at all), including the division of labour, the impact of culture and complexities in relationships among staff. In this paper, recommendations are made regarding the need to further conceptualise the culture required for distributed leadership to flourish, the division of labour, and teacher leadership in a distributed leadership approach, as well as a focus on building positive relationships.

Skeletal trauma in an Iron age context: new insight into the Etruscan population from Spina (Ferrara, Italy)

The analysis of traumatic injuries in human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts offers important challenges for the reconstruction of past populations’ behaviors. In this study, a sample of 303 buried skeletons retrieved from the Etruscan necropolis of Spina (Ferrara, Italy) and dated back to the 5th to the 3rd century BC, were macroscopically analyzed for traumatic injuries. The sample consisted of 38% males, 22% females, and 40% undetermined individuals. Subadults represented 25% of the entire sample. The aim of this study was to collect and describe new data on antemortem and perimortem injuries in the Spina Etruscans, bringing a new perspective to the understanding of social behaviors in this population. In the sample of Etruscans examined 16 individuals showed evidence of one injury and two individuals of two injuries. The analysis revealed 18 cases of antemortem trauma and 2 cases of perimortem trauma. No traumatic injuries were detected among subadults, while men and women presented different types of traumas: women were more prone to stress fractures involving the spine, whereas men were affected by antemortem and perimortem inflicted traumas, suggesting a division of labor and a major exposition of the latter to interpersonal violence. The reduced presence of sharp force traumas found exclusively in males (3 cases, 1.3% of the adult sample) is basically consistent with archaeological and historical data that described this site as a free port without an explicit history of violence.

From Boardrooms to Classrooms: How Interorganizational Networks Influence Education Policy Adoption

This paper examines how relationships among government and “outside” organizations influenced policy implementation of new dropout prediction data systems. Using comparative historical and network analyses of three cities, I suggest the concept of interorganizational coupling—highlighting how the dependence and (in)formal collaborations among local school improvement organizations affected implementation speed, variation, and constraint. In Chicago, the loosely coupled system influenced slow and varied implementation, sustained by interpersonal relations and challenged by unclear division of labor. In Philadelphia, the tightly coupled system shaped swift and uniform changes, constrained by questions of sustainability. In New York, the tightening system led to fast yet variable transformations, limited by competition among organizations. Broadly, the article contributes to studies of education policies, interorganizational networks, and school improvement.

NEW FACTORS AND PREREQUISITES FOR THE ECONOMIC ZONING OF RUSSIA

Economic zoning in the USSR was focused on the practical tasks, first of all, comprehensive planning for the long-term development of the national economy. In the 1990s, with the beginning of radical political and economic transformations in the country, the economic zoning lost its practical significance. However, even under market economy, the objective processes of territorial division of labor, industrial and technological connectivity of enterprises and companies still persist, as well as, agglomeration processes. Recently, new factors and prerequisites for the growing importance of economic zoning have emerged, such as the restoration of multilevel strategic planning, changes in the geopolitical situation of the country’s development and the need to achieve industrial and technological sovereignty. With this background it seems that the need to take into account the objective processes of complex formation and district formation, and to perform a new multi-level economic zoning of Russia on this basis sharply increases. The article provides a possible scheme of seven large economic regions and 22 mesorayons. The main links of production and technological chains and priority activities are identified for the large regions. Such zoning could be useful for the long-term planning of sustainable development of the country and its regions.

Clashing epistemologies and contrasting injustice: an Aotearoa/ New Zealand case

How, as researchers, do we recognise and address the implicit biases when engaging across multiple knowledge ecologies. In this paper, we consider the way historical and epistemic justice and injustice plays into our knowledge making when dealing with a specific issue: forest biosecurity. Specifically, we focus on the Aotearoa New Zealand context where knowledge making has been, and still is, dominated by a western paradigm, but where there is increasing discussion on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) as a valid and valuable form of knowing. Drawing on the experiences of a transdisciplinary research programme that sought to examine the human dimensions of biosecurity aspects of the plant pathogens kauri dieback and myrtle rust, we approach our original question using the theoretical concept of epistemic injustice and draw on our experiences as a way to highlight instances and forms of epistemic injustice in the science-society relationship. We argue that the division of epistemic labour (into fields, disciplines, etc), and the ranking and assigning of relative epistemic credibility based on this division is a fundamental part of the western knowledge ecology which creates the necessary conditions for specific and potent forms of epistemic injustice. We contrast this by discussing how other knowledge ecologies, specifically mātauranga Māori, comfortably engages with a variety of knowledge and knowers and discuss the possibilities other knowledge ecologies offer.

Perché la «sociologia pubblica» resta controversa

The public sociology promoted by Burawoy has met with consensus and skeptical voices over time. The debate has focused mainly on the model of disciplinary division of labour and on the interactions between the different types of sociology. In the scientific community, however, the implications connected to the concrete implementation of public sociology have been discussed in a fragmented way. Starting from the contributions on the topic found in the Italian debate, this article proposes a reflection on the problematic aspects connected to the construction of the sociologist’s relationship with the public. The critical comments concern both traditional and organic public sociology. The article also raises objections regarding some epistemological assumptions of the public sociology conceived by Burawoy, highlighting the possible misunderstandings that derive from them. In the conclusions, attention is drawn to the potentially fruitful contributions that can come from some developments in public social research.

Research on the Impact of Digital Trade on the Reconstruction of Global Value Chains —An Empirical Analysis Based on Cross-national Panel Data

With increasing refinement in production, advancements in information technology, and optimized transport, enterprise value chains have become global. This international division of labor based on Global Value Chains (GVCs) has driven economic growth but also caused issues like income disparity and status inequality. Developed countries aim to maintain dominance in GVCs, while developing countries seek greater participation and advancement within them. For developing nations, breaking the “low-end lock” in GVCs is crucial. This paper empirically examines the complex relationship between digital trade and global value chain reconstruction, and explores the moderating effect of institutional environmental factors on the above relationships. This enriches the research perspective and expands the research at the intersection of digital trade and value chain. Findings suggest that digital trade affects China’s position and participation in global value chains, with institutional quality and economic freedom moderating these effects. This research contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of digital trade and value chain reconstruction, highlighting China’s potential to ascend the global value chain through digital trade development.

The Synchronisation and Standardisation of Time (1830-1970): Technological Innovation and Public Policy

Clock-making has represented a fundamental sector for industrialisation, al-lowing a more precise division of labour and developing the competences for au-tomation, which was well understood by Charles Babbage. Besides precision, the problems of synchronisation and standardisation have characterised the creation of the uniform time dimension. This paper proposes the history of these processes with a glance at their protagonists. Scientific progress, technological innovation, institutions and cultural frames co-evolved assuring a favourable frame to indus-trialisation. That was possible thanks to a synergy between astronomers and clock-makers as well as between inventors and railways. Even when exact time was made a public good, access to it was quite demanding in technological terms. The history of railways let us understand how reliability and trust have been the crucial variables in the making of the industrialised society. Conventions and the passion of technicians with a faith in progress have been more relevant than the often disorienting action of governments or the uncertainty of market competition.

Women Till and Women Weave: Rice, Cotton, and the Gendered Division of Labor in Jiangnan

Women Till and Women Weave: Rice, Cotton, and the Gendered Division of Labor in Jiangnan

Placebo or Assistant? Generative AI Between Externalization and Anthropomorphization

Generative AIs have been embraced by learners wishing to offload (parts of) complex tasks. However, recent research suggests that AI users are at risk of failing to correctly monitor the extent of their own contribution when being assisted by an AI. This difficulty in keeping track of the division of labor has been shown to result in placebo and ghostwriter effects. In case of the AI-based placebo effect, users overestimate their ability while or after being assisted by an AI. The ghostwriter effect occurs when AI users do not disclose their AI use despite being aware of the contribution made by an AI. These two troubling effects are discussed in the context of the conflict between cognitive externalization and anthropomorphization. While people tend to offload cognitive load into their environment, they also often perceive technology as human-like. However, despite the natural conversations that can be had with current AIs, the desire to attribute human-like qualities that would require the acknowledgment of AI contributions appears to be lacking. Implications and suggestions on how to improve AI use, for example, by employing embodied AI agents, are discussed.

The international division of labor in the textile and clothing industry and the prospects of Russian companies

The international division of labor in the textile and clothing industry and the prospects of Russian companies