Weak Position Research Articles

Growing diversity in couples' work patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria

Objective: This paper studies changes in couples’ work patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on socio-economic status and children’s age. Background: We contribute to previous research by examining flows between different work patterns using panel data and by providing evidence for a conservative welfare state. Method: Analyses are based on the Austrian Labour Force Surveys 2019-20 and include different-sex couples with children below age 15 (n=930 to 3,053). We applied (multinomial) logistic regression models. Results: The findings reveal a polarization into both more egalitarian (e.g., partners work equal hours) and more traditional (e.g., sole male earner) models during the first lockdown, while the moderate male full-time/female part-time model strongly declined. Among the two more egalitarian models, the "about equal hours" model was mostly fuelled by families with lower socio-economic status, conversely the "role reversal" model (woman more hours) grew predominantly among couples where the female partner was highly educated or had a high earnings share. Retraditionalisation was mainly restricted to women with weaker positions on the labour market: The male sole worker model progressed among families with younger children and when the female earnings share was low. Conclusion: Overall, more couples transited to egalitarian than traditional work patterns. This shift was largely confined to the first lockdown and chiefly driven by men’s rise in short-time work.

Reformulation of Regulations Regarding Restorative Justice in Cases of Criminal Acts of Bullying Against Children at Investigation Level

Children as the most vulnerable and weak social creatures are often placed in the weakest position, do not have the right to speak, and often experience violations of their rights. One of them is the limitation of diversion obligations for law enforcers which is only limited to criminal acts with a threat of under 7 (seven) years, which is contrary to the intention of the legislators in providing age limits for children and is contrary to the psychological nature of children. If investigators have applied diversion consistently in cases where only children who are bullied are under 7 (seven) years of age, it is not certain that the investigator's objectivity according to law is directly proportional to the objectivity according to community justice. This research is aimed at finding out the regulations related to restorative justice in cases of criminal acts of bullying against children at the investigation level as well as formulating a reformulation of regulations related to restorative justice in cases of criminal acts of bullying against children at the investigation level in the future. The type of research in this research is normative juridical. This research aims to understand and interpret legal norms and analyze their consequences or implications. It is still found that there is still a lot of restorative justice that is not applied to children who are bullied at the investigation stage, so that children have to face the next stage of justice, even up to the trial stage. Concrete steps are needed by Indonesian National Police investigators to ensure that restorative justice is applied consistently at the investigation stage of criminal acts of child bullying. The government together with the Police of the Republic of Indonesia through the legislative body should reformulate regulations related to restorative justice in cases of criminal acts of bullying against children at the investigation level in the future which can be carried out through reformulation regarding material requirements as intended in Article 5 of the Republic of Indonesia State Police Regulation Number 8 of 2021 concerning the Handling of Criminal Offenses Based on Restorative Justice, namely points a and f as well as the rules regarding the requirements for implementing Diversion in Article 7 of Law (UU) Number 11 of 2012 concerning the Juvenile Criminal Justice System by taking into account the main interests of the child.

Swedish consuls in Galicia: the economic function of consuls in turbulent times (1793–1806)

ABSTRACT This article is about the creation of a Swedish network of consuls in Galicia during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Contrary to previous findings that show consuls with weak positions vis-à-vis the host authorities or the merchant community could do little to aid merchants and ships, the paper demonstrates that consuls could provide economic functions despite having no jurisdiction or official recognition from the receiving state. In contrast to those who view self-interest as something that hindered consuls from executing economic functions, the paper demonstrates a synergy between self-interest and public goods. The paper also shows a growth in Swedish trade with Galicia, but it is unclear if the network members facilitated this development. Lastly, the article argues that the creation of the Swedish consular service, contrary to previous research, cannot be seen as driven by the Swedish central authorities with a mercantilistic agenda in mind. Instead, the process was rather dynamic and involved various actors and agendas.

Fabrication and evaluation of Ti6Al4V /NiCrBSi bimetallic structure with Nb/Cu bilayer by laser melting deposition

The fabrication of high-quality bimetallic structures using titanium and nickel alloys is a desirable integration for fully leveraging their remarkable properties. This study is dedicated to the surface modification of titanium brake discs, using laser melting deposition to produce the Ti6Al4V/NiCrBSi bimetallic structure and inhibition of brittle phase formation by Nb/Cu bilayer. The results showed the generation of brittle intermetallic compound phases was effectively resisted using Nb/Cu bilayer, thus preventing cracking and peeling of the Ti6Al4V substrate and NiCrBSi coatings. Moreover, the bimetallic structure fractured at the weakest position, i.e. at the Nb/Cu interface, with a maximum strength of 243.20 ± 55.16 MPa during the tensile testing, exhibiting brittle-like failure behaviour. Additionally, the friction and wear properties of the Ti6Al4V substrate and NiCrBSi coatings were evaluated at both room temperature and elevated temperature (600 °C). The results reveal that the NiCrBSi coatings effectively improved the friction and wear properties of the Ti6Al4V.

PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM BAGI DEBITUR BANK DALAM PERJANJIAN KREDIT PEMILIKAN RUMAH (KPR)

Human beings need a home as their basic necessity. Purchasing a house through installments has been the most popular method for several decades. The Home Ownership Loan Agreement (KPR) is a legal document between the debtor and the bank regarding the purchase of a house that is paid in installments by the debtor. According to Banking Law, KPR agreements tend to have provisions that benefit the bank, including high interest rates and significant additional costs. These implications further strengthen the need for increased transparency and legal protection for debtor customers, as well as stricter regulations in the banking industry to ensure a balance of interests between the bank and the debtor, given the debtor's relatively weak position. With legal protection for debtor customers, if debtor customers incur losses or risks in the KPR agreement, the creditor is obliged to handle, address, and resolve various complaints or losses experienced by the debtor party.

Ultimate water level and deformation failures of the artificial dam in the coal mine underground reservoir

Coal mine underground reservoirs provide a new choice for the protection and utilization of water resources. This paper takes the underground reservoir of Wulanmulun Mine as the background, and takes the MB-1# artificial dam in the goaf of 31104–31116 working face of 3–1 coal seam as the research object. The theoretical model of artificial dam is established by elastic–plastic two-way slab theory, and the theoretical mechanical analysis and calculation are carried out. A similitude physical model for the coal mine underground reservoir was built by using the self-developed nested dual-dynamic-pressure similitude simulation testing system. Later, the mechanical response and deformation failure features of the artificial dam under different water pressure values were analyzed and the ultimate water pressure was determined. In addition, FLAC3D was used to determine the stress-seepage field-coupling model for the artificial dam. Using this model, the influence of water pressure on the multi-load coupling effect of the artificial dam and coal pillar dam was characterized. The dam form is optimized and the safety water level evaluation method of the dam body is proposed. The research results are as follows: (1) Based on the theory of elastic–plastic two-way slab, the theoretical analysis model of artificial dam is established, the expression of the ultimate water level function of artificial dam is derived, and the theoretical ultimate water head is determined to be 18.2 m (2) The seepage law of underground reservoir under different water pressures is obtained, and the ultimate water pressure of the model is determined to be 11.43 kPa. (3) It is clarified that the failure modes of the artificial dam are seepage failure and mechanical failure, and it is revealed that the groove area is the weakest position where the dam is most vulnerable to failure. In view of the failure modes of the dam, the I-shaped structure artificial dam is proposed. (4) A safe water level assessment method is proposed for the constructed artificial dam. According to the analysis of on-site monitoring data of MB-1# dam, the actual water level in the reservoir is within the allowable water level range of the artificial dam, and the whole reservoir is in a stable and relatively safe state at present. The reliability of this assessment method has been verified.

Experimental study on seismic performance of squat precast concrete sandwich shear walls under low axial load ratio

To improve the thermal performance and seismic resistance of structures, precast concrete sandwich shear wall (PCSSW) emerges as a promising option due to its low thermal conductivity and favorable structural performance. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a new type of vertical connection between the PCSSW and foundation under reversed cyclic loading. The proposed vertical connection is achieved by embedding steel bars in the precast wall and foundation, respectively, followed by casting fresh concrete in place. Considering pre-embedded steel bar arrangements (single-row or double-row) and cast-in-place (CIP) concrete strength as variables, three precast specimens were designed. Seismic performance was investigated through low reversed cyclic loading tests, with a comparison made against two CIP control specimens. The results showed that the behavior of all the tested walls was governed by shear, with the ultimate bearing capacity of the PCSSW determined by the horizontal shear capacity at the weak position. Under low axial compression ratios, the specimens with double-row steel bar arrangement had higher load-carrying capacity and ductility than single-row steel bar arrangement and could be equivalent to the CIP shear walls. Results from this study were compared with the predicted values from different codes to provide some reference value for the engineering design of the proposed structure.

Ibu(isme) dan Film Orde Baru: Representasi Ibu dalam film Jangan Menangis Mama

The representation of women in films is always an interesting topic in Indonesian film studies. This article aims to reveal the representation of women, especially in their identity as mothers in the film Jangan Menangis Mama (Don’t Cry Mommy) was produced in 1977. This film was directed by Sofia WD, a film star, screenwriter, and film producer who works both in the Old Order and the New Order of the Indonesian Film Industry. Based on Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis, this article uncovers two levels of meaning systems, namely denotation and connotation related to the mother's character in the film. The process of interpreting these signs cannot be separated from the concept of ‘ibuism’ (motherhood) as a gender-political ideology of the New Order and the context of the male-dominated film industry. Research findings show that the dominant representation of mothers is associated with the weak position of a woman with various roles: as a wife, a mother, a single mother, a citizen, and a daughter. However, this research found a 'limited' agency from Sofia WD as a woman director of the film Jangan Menangis Mama to offer gender representation that is not completely stereotypical as well as not just 'black and white' as in previous studies.

Commitment problems and Russia's invasion of Ukraine

This paper applies the logic of commitment problems to deliver insights about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the canonical crisis bargaining framework, an anticipated power shift can cause bargaining failure. Bargaining breaks down in this context because a declining state reasons that fighting in the present from a strong position is preferable to negotiating in the future from a weaker position. I argue that this logic is relevant for understanding both Ukrainian and Russian decisionmaking in the lead-up to the invasion. The commitment problem logic also provides insight into the role of NATO in the conflict, highlighting flaws in existing arguments that the Russian invasion was “provoked” by NATO.

Transnistria at a crossroads

Russia’s war in Ukraine has undermined the already weak position of the Moldovan breakaway territory. While Moscow remains the dominant political and security player there, its interests have increasingly diverged from those of the ruling elite in Tiraspol, who are not passive proxies.

Disclosing the logics of non-statutory regional planning: the case of Sweden

ABSTRACT In many European countries, regional planning is an established institutional framework. In recent years we have observed a resurgent research interest in regional planning with a specific focus on governance and institutional design and on the strategic and practical relevance of regional planning in pursuing sustainable development. However, in Sweden, regional planning traditionally has a weak position in practice as well as in research. Yet over the past 15 years, we have seen an increasing political interest in experimenting with different forms and formats of regional planning. In this paper, we explore the emerging logics of non-statutory regional planning, which the majority of Swedish regions have chosen. Drawing upon a qualitative research design we identify, compare and discuss three different logics and their inherent rationales, practices, challenges and prospects. Our analysis shows that our three case regions can do very little non-statutory regional planning unless they are part of properly working multi-level networks, and have well-established regional informal arenas for interaction and political backing. More specifically, we point at a number of tensions caused by the large degree of freedom to design non-statutory regional planning, which foster conflicts, confusion and insecurity.

Breaking through the doors of perception, consciousness, and existence: to what extent does psychedelic phenomenology ontologically depend on external factors?

AbstractAs reliable facilitators of characteristically unique altered states of consciousness that are notoriously difficult to comprehend, psychedelics naturally attract a multidisciplinary scope for their research, with direct relevance to neuroscience, pharmacology, psychology, as well as philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and epistemology — disciplines united by the common inquiry into the nature of conscious experience. Accordingly, the central focus of this paper concerns the metaphysical debate between internalism and externalism about whether psychedelic phenomenology — in particular, its ‘breakthrough’ level — could be said to directly ontologically depend on external factors, as well as the interpretive implications arising from each of those positions. The main contributions of the author of this paper include the provision of a coherent account of the essential phenomenal characteristics of psychedelic experiences, the integration of relatively fragmented philosophical debates on psychedelic phenomenology into the traditional internalist-externalist framework in metaphysics, as well as the exploration of the extent to which the externalist position on psychedelic phenomenology — traditionally associated with non-naturalism — is compatible with naturalistic explanatory frameworks. In Part 1, psychedelic phenomenology will be outlined first, after which the central inquiries of this paper will be contextualised and qualified. In Part 2, the internalist position on psychedelic phenomenology — both its strong and weak versions — will be discussed. In Part 3, the externalist position will be explored, which will be followed by a final evalutation between the three positions presented in this paper. The paper will conclude in favour of the weak internalist position, and that whilst the externalist position remains significantly more speculative than both the strong and the weak internalist positions, the externalist position cannot be rejected altogether until further progress in consciousness research is made.

Demographic Characteristics of Members of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Effectiveness of Group Dynamics and their Perceived Constraints in Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam, India

The present study to investigate demographic profile of FPOs members in the effectiveness of group dynamics and their perceived constraints was conducted in Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone (LBVZ) of Assam comprising six districts viz., Kamrup, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Chirang, Barpeta and Goalpara. In doing so, it utilized the descriptive research design following an ex-post-facto approach to fulfil the objectives of the study. A total of eight FPOs promoted by Assam Agricultural University through CBBO-AAU and World Bank supported APART project were selected purposively. From each FPO, 15 active members were approached for data collection through personal interview method during 2022, which made 120 as final size of sample. The analysis of profile characteristics of the respondents revealed that majority of the respondents (FPOs members) in study areas were middle aged (66.67%) between 29 to 50 years with education level from high school to graduate/ above (80.83%), 64.17 percent were from small family size upto 4 members, 90.83 percent of the respondents had medium level of annual income (i.e. Rs 33190-379866.6), 46.67 percent had medium level of socio- political participation and 38.33 percent low and 35.83 percent high levels of material possession. The study also found that lack of co-ordination for different group activities, ineffective linkage and ineffective monitoring, lack of professional management, non-availability of timely credit and inadequate access to credit, weak financial position, absence of adequate market linkage, lack of storage facilities, distance from existing markets, lack of market information, lack of marketing knowledge and skills and difficulty in getting skilled labour were the perceived problems faced by FPO members in effective functioning of FPOs.

Understanding the legacies of shocks on health system performance: Exploring Ireland's management of recent crises and its implications for policy

This paper contrasts the Irish experience of the 2008 economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, and the health system responses to these shocks, from the perspective of health system leaders working across both time periods. Based on semi-structured interviews with seven senior national and international officials, the research presented here forms the qualitative component of RESTORE, a five-year research project examining health system resilience and reform, funded through the Health Research Board's Research Leader Award in Ireland. Findings indicate that the financial crisis deeply impacted the Irish health system in relation to infrastructure and capacity, service delivery and workforce. Due to these legacy issues, Ireland's health system was in a relatively weak position when faced with the Covid-19 pandemic but the system proved adaptive and innovative during this time. Furthermore, the pandemic proved to be a catalyst for positive change, providing opportunities for long-term reform, alongside an immediate response to the crisis. This was facilitated by increased funding, a devolution in decision-making structures and a political commitment to the health system. Exploring lessons from the Irish response to these crises provides a case study for developing appropriate policy responses around financing and resource allocation, fostering support for healthcare among political leaders and policy makers, and preparing for future shocks. Furthermore, examining these experiences facilitates understanding around the impact of each crisis on the health system, exploring options for addressing legacy issues and considering practical steps to improve health system performance.

Wage Bargaining Power of Internal Migrant Workers: Evidence from Urban Labor Market in China

This study analyses the wage bargaining power of employers and internal migrant workers in the urban labor market in China using a two-tiered SFA model. The findings indicate that bargaining power decreases the observed wage relative to the benchmark wage which is associated with worker’s actual productivity. The availability of migrant labor is identified to be a key variable in the wage bargaining process. This study reveals that the migrant workers who obtain jobs via informal job search methods stand in a weak bargaining position relative to those using formal search methods which is consistent with limited choices hypothesis. Additionally, the migrant workers in the manufacturing and construction industries or producing and processing occupations extract surplus nearly identical to other groups.

Methodological Approach to Comprehensive Assessment of Living Standards in Russian Regions

Introduction. Improving the living standards of the population is the most important task facing public authorities. However, its solution is impossible without a clear understanding of what is meant by this definition and how this indicator should be assessed. Despite the wide representation of studies on this issue, there is actually no unified position and, consequently, no generally accepted assessment. The use of private indicators gives contradictory results. In this regard, the aim of the study is to develop a methodology for the comprehensive assessment of living standards in Russian regions. Materials and Methods. The methods of grouping, dynamic and structural analysis, correlation analysis and others were applied in the framework of the task. The information base of the study was formed by the data of the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, as well as the works of domestic and foreign scientists in the field under consideration. The research proposed an approach to the formation of an integral assessment of the standard of living of the population of Russian regions, based on a two-stage convolution of 22 private indicators divided into five groups, taking into account the weighting coefficients. Further the methodology was tested on the data on the regions of the Russian Federation. Results. According to the results of the approbation, the ratings of regions by standard of living for 2017‒2021 were formed, which allowed us to consider its dynamics. It was revealed that, in general, the positions of leaders and outsiders remain stable; the differentiation between regions does not decrease. At the same time, while outsiders have weak positions in the overwhelming number of indicators, leadership can be due to different components of the integral indicator. Discussion and Conclusion. The obtained results can be used by the authorities responsible for the development and implementation of state policy in the field of regional development, social security and other related areas. Forecast assessments allow us to identify threats to the realization of the task of improving living standards in Russian regions.

Реформування міжнародних фінансових організацій в контексті впливу на соціально-економічний розвиток України та Казахстану

The article presents the results of a study on current problems of reforming the international financial architecture under the expanding crisis phenomena of a financial nature and the vulnerability of financial markets and public finances to sharp economies political and geopolitical changes. The meta-statistics are aimed at identifying the main institutional fundamentals of the reform of international financial organizations in the context of the transformation of mutual relations with certain neighboring groups of countries and their impact on the socio-economic development in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Systematized the main guidelines in the transformation of international financial architecture, such as: reform of certain international organizations; changes in the policy of cooperation between individual countries and international financial organizations, transformation of the latter’s influence; creation of a global institution based on international multilateral agreements; strengthening the regulatory mechanisms of international financial law and increasing the responsibilities of national regulators for the functioning of individual segments of financial markets; facilitating reforms of the global financial architecture to achieve the goals of global development and climate change; creation of new international financial institutions etc. The impact of the reforms of international financial organizations on the socio-economic development of Ukraine and Kazakhstan is manifested in the changes in the directions of Kazakhstan’s and Ukraine’s cooperation with modern international institutions, culminating in the updated policy frameworks and special programs for market reform, in ensuring the stability of the national currency, in the solution of socio-economic problems, in financing the deficit of the sovereign budget and in balancing the balance of payments. The allocation of financial resources of a credit and investment nature is accompanied by recommendations on the institutional development of market economy, reforms of the necessary legal framework, development of the private sector and the shaping of a corporate governance system. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of Kazakhstan’s and Ukraine’s cooperation with international financial organizations allows us to recognize the vulnerability of both countries’ financial systems to crisis phenomena of a global nature, including through the growth of the foreign debt and their weak positions in terms of the EBRD Financial Market Development Index in 2020 compared to the European countries, which became EU members 2004.

Precarious employment and mental health in the Belgian service voucher system: the role of working conditions and perceived financial strain.

Jobs in domestic cleaning are often conceived as 'precarious employment' (PE)-i.e. a multidimensional concept referring to accumulated adverse characteristics of employment due to workers' weak bargaining position. Against this background, the Belgian service voucher system (SVS) was implemented aimed at creating formal and stable, subsidized domestic services jobs. The current study assesses the relationship between PE and mental health (WHO5) in the Belgian SVS, accounting for the potential mediating role of working conditions and perceived financial strain at the household level. We analysed a cross-sectional sample of 1,115 Belgian SVS domestic cleaners, collected in 2019 through an online survey. A mediation model was estimated. The crude effect of PE on adverse mental health was strong (ß 0.545-S.E. 0.063). However, 50% of the association between PE and mental well-being was mediated by work task characteristics (quantitative demands, physical demands, task variation and autonomy) and 25% by household-level perceived financial strain. The remaining direct effect of PE on adverse mental well-being is ß 0.066 (S.E. 0.032-25% of the total effect). These findings are the first based on the Belgian Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES-BE) and are consistent with earlier-made-but seldom simultaneously tested-assumptions on the mechanisms relating PE to adverse mental health-i.e. involving direct associations and indirect associations via adverse working conditions and material deprivation. Based on the results, we recommend more democratic and higher-quality management practices in the SVS, in addition to higher wages and working time reduction.

Is the Post-Reformation System of the Indonesian Government a Parliamentary Form?

Indonesia's democratic government system has experienced ups and downs based on history, where at the beginning of independence Indonesia used a presidential system, then changed to a parliamentary and then returned to a presidential system. The reformation period was a milestone in changing the government system where previously the president was elected by the MPR as the highest state institution to switch to direct presidential elections carried by a party or a coalition of parties - due to the existence of regulation on the threshold for nomination (parliamentary threshold) - but to maintain the implementation of the presidential campaign promise to establish a coalition of parties supporting the government which has an impact on the role of the People^s Representative Council only as a stamp of government interests. The problem in this study is how the presidential system exists in the post-reform Indonesian government system. The form of the research method used is normative juridical with a statutory approach and an analytical descriptive approach that examines primary and secondary legal materials, besides examining the synchronization and harmonization of law. The conclusion is that the current Indonesian government system tends to be parliamentary. This is due to the weak bargaining position of the DPR in supervising the running of government because the majority of DPR members are supporters of the government, while the opposition forces are unequal with the majority, which prioritizes the most voting system over consensus deliberation for the benefit of the people. so that checks and balances - separation of powers - turned into a division of powers - dividing power.

The Origins and Legacies of Unpredictability in Rebel-Incumbent Rule

ABSTRACT Many rebel groups ‘govern’, becoming increasingly institutionalised, accountable, and predictable. This is now well-accepted; however, less attention has been paid to another common observation: some rebel orders—and rebel-incumbent regimes—are more aptly characterised as unpredictable. We find that this is because they adopt vague mandates and delegate provisional authority. Our analysis shows that, in some cases, this (1) allows rebels to accommodate potentially incongruous pre-existing authorities and institutions, which can integrate unpredictability into early governance arrangements; (2) helps rebels cultivate social control from a comparatively weak position; and (3) has enduring legacies for rebel-incumbent rule. We illustrate this argument with Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) and explore broader relevance with the Afghan Taliban.