Social Authorities Research Articles

Methodological recommendations for digital evaluation of social indicators of enterprises

Introduction. One of the most important functions of the state in accordance with the Constitution is a constant increase of the well-being of the population of Ukraine. The main direction of raising the well-being is the implementation of the country's socio-economic policy. Digital rating of legal entities and individuals is one of the directions of informatization of society in European integration. The importance of the rating is determined by the problem of creating a transparent society, the fight against corruption, the creation of equal conditions for individuals and legal entities, control over the loyalty of the population, etc. The purpose of the paper is the thorough study and analogization of the international and domestic experience of social rating of economic activity of enterprises on the territory of Ukraine in order to develop harmonized and unified methodological recommendations for the social rating of business entities in the conditions of European integration of Ukraine. Results. In the conditions of chronic deficit of the state budget and the deficit of the Pension Fund, all types of activity of the enterprise are acquiring special relevance to the improvement of these problems. Of course, for the rating of an enterprise, one of the most important indicators is the indicator of payment of taxes and social contributions to compulsory state funds. The next criterion for assessing the social activities of the enterprise is employment at the enterprise. Special moment you need to note the creation of new jobs. Also important element of evaluation is a salary, or rather its size. The main landmark should serve the average salary in the field of field in the country, but with an amendment to the geographical region. The more deviation from the average salary in one direction or another, the more accrued (calculated) scores to the rating. The auxiliary unit consists of a social package that operates at the enterprise. Conclusions. The proposed methodological recommendations on the social rating of enterprises allow to form the necessary basis for state bodies in the scope of managerial decisions on financing, support, protection, permission to participate in public bids, providing various benefits and brets and it is recommended to use not only by state social bodies, but also by others, by a variety of state authorities. The proposed recommendations will allow to eliminate disadvantages in the distribution of state subsidies, subsidies, subventions and other state-owned assistance, as well as serve as a benchmark in determining the optimal social policy both in the country as well as in regions. Social authorities will also be able to optimize the necessary issuance of targeted assistance not only legal but also on the basis of the existing base and individuals.

Improving the Involvement of Social Partners in Tackling Undeclared Work: A Learning Resource

On 19th April 2021, the Western Balkan Network Tackling Undeclared Work held an online seminar that brought together representatives from enforcement authorities and social partners. The intention was to discuss and share understanding of the major challenges they face in pursuing greater cooperation and provide tips for other Western Balkan economies on how these challenges might be addressed. It was also an opportunity to explore the scope for greater cooperation and to share learning on the type of initiatives that social partners can pursue to protect legitimate businesses and workers by transforming undeclared work into declared work. Around 40 participants from the Ministries of Labour, Labour Inspectorates, Tax Authorities and social partners (representatives of trade unions and employers’ associations) across the Western Balkans exchanged views and contributed to peer learning by answering the key discussion topics: identifying major challenges in developing greater cooperation; ways to improve the cooperation between social partners and authorities; and naming practical steps that could be undertaken to improve cooperation. The aim of this learning resource is to summarise the discussion at the seminar. To do so, section 2 reports the discussion on the scope for greater cooperation between enforcement authorities and social partners, section 3 reports the discussion on the types of initiatives in which social partners could become more involved and section 4 the next steps that can be taken.

Features of emotion recognition in deviant adolescents

IntroductionSome researchers believe that an increased level of aggression and cruelty towards others in delinquent adolescents is due to impaired recognition of emotions and empathy.ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to study the recognition of emotions in deviant adolescents.MethodsAs a material, 156 juvenile offenders from 13 to 19 years old were selected who were in the camp for delinquent adolescents “Sibextrem”. All of them committed any offenses, they were registered with the social welfare authorities and the police. The adolescents were trained to reduce aggressiveness. During the training, several exercises were carried out. In the first exercise, the teenagers were asked to identify the emotions depicted in the photographs. In the second, determine what emotional state their peers portrayResultsDuring the training process, 78% of adolescents could not identify the emotions presented. This was typical not only for the recognition of standard images, but also for the presentation of emotions by peers. As a result of the training, most adolescents, 64.2%, learned to quite accurately recognize nonverbal emotions. As a result, the number of aggressive manifestations decreased by 31.6%. Mutual understanding and communication improved.ConclusionsThe results obtained indicate that deviant adolescents have impaired emotional perception of others. Difficulty in assessing emotions creates tension in interpersonal relationships and can contribute to the manifestation of various forms of aggressive behavior. The vector of research we have chosen shows the need for further study of the emotional sphere of adolescents and its relationship with deviant forms of behavior.

Police legitimacy and procedural justice among young Brazilian adolescents: A cross-sectional and time-ordered analysis

AbstractThe legal socialization framework expounds individual attitudes towards authority. The current study tested whether the attitudes of Brazilian adolescents towards social authorities (parents and teachers) explain later attitudes towards legal authority (the police). Data were obtained from three waves of a longitudinal study of Brazilian youth in São Paulo (ages 11–13; 50 per cent female) between 2016 and 2018. The time-ordered data are uniquely capable of testing the legal socialization framework as adolescent social spheres expand beyond the domestic domain. The findings of the structural equation models support the claim that attitudes towards social authorities explain later attitudes towards legal authority. The findings also paint a more complicated and nuanced picture of how spheres of authority are related.

A comparison of euphemistic strategies applied by MBC4 and Netflix to two Arabic subtitled versions of the US sitcom How I Met Your Mother

This paper explores the different sets of strategies applied by two different media outlets in subtitling taboo terms from English into Arabic. The study sets out to examine if different subtitling policy is adopted in each media outlet to deal with taboo words based on the social and religious limitations expected to be found in the Arab society. The assumption the study makes is that Arabic satellite TV channels, unlike video streaming services, receive interference from religious, political, and social authorities to maintain a “clean” content and censored language of the shows they air. To achieve this goal, the study compares two different Arabic subtitles of the taboo terms used in the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The first translation was produced by the Arabic TV channel MBC4 and the second by the subscription-based video streaming service Netflix. The study draws on the euphemistic strategies suggested by Williams (1975) and Warren (1992) and further developed by Al-Adwan (2015) to analyze the Arabic subtitles produced by each media outlet. The findings of the study indicate that the Arabic subtitles produced by the satellite Arabic TV channel reflect a higher level of politeness where euphemism, as a politeness strategy, was clearly applied by the subtitler to avoid rude and embarrassing terms.

The Duty to Work as Precondition for Human Dignity

The paradigm of activation and self-responsibility to provide for basic needs has been on top of the political agenda in most Western social welfare states for years. This is true for Switzerland and means-tested ben-efits are no exception to this development. Basic needs are guaranteed on the one hand by a constitutional right to minimum financial means and, on the other hand, through so-called measures of social assistance which include (further) financial support. Switzerland being a federal state, social assistance and the duties for the beneficiaries are regulated in statutes at cantonal level. There is no federal social assistance law. Neither the constitutional right to minimum financial means, nor the right to social assistance are unconditional. Both rights are subsidiary to the individual’s own resources and the obligation to work in the primary labour market. In addition, if the claimant is unemployed, they can be obliged to participate in a work programme offered by the social assistance authorities. Under certain circumstances, participation in such a work programme is not only a behavioural duty of the benefit recipient, which can lead to benefit cuts, but participation can also be an eligibility criterion for the benefits. The authors will focus on these programmes and mechanisms which can lead to questions over eligibility for minimum subsistence rights guaranteed by the constitutional right to financial support when one is in need (Article 12 of the Swiss Constitution).

Automated Government for Vulnerable Citizens: Intermediating Rights

Filing tax returns or applying for unemployment benefits are some of the most common government transactions. Yet, interacting with tax and social security authorities is for many a source of government anxiety. Bureaucracy, regulatory delays, and the complexity of the administrative legal system have been regarded for decades as the key reasons for this problem. Digital government promised a solution in the shape of simplified forms, electronic filing, and better communication with citizens. It is in this context that in the United States, privately developed software systems such as TurboTax and MiDAS emerged as intermediaries between citizens and digital government, selling convenience and efficiency. These systems help citizens comply with their government obligations and apply for benefits. But they also allow governments to identify fraud on a large scale. This Article argues that automated public services, particularly when intermediated by private technology companies, are double-edged swords for different reasons. First, they help reinforce tax enforcement systems that typically target vulnerable citizens (e.g., low-income, underrepresented communities). Second, the price of the convenience offered by automation is different, depending on who you are. For average, middle to high-income, tech-savvy citizens who can interact with digital government without assistance, automation is a convenient alternative to the traditional bureaucracy. However, for vulnerable citizens who do not have access to stable Internet or a computer or are unable to interact with technology, automation has failed to promote equalitarian access to public services. Existing scholarship has primarily focused on the discriminatory effects of big data, and the opacity and biases of algorithms without delving into the problem of the broader design of digital government and automation and how it leaves vulnerable citizens behind. This Article addresses this issue by exploring how the interaction between bureaucracy, digital technology, and power asymmetries can have dehumanizing effects for vulnerable citizens. This Article’s contribution to the literature is twofold: First, it explores how technological intermediaries (both privately and publicly developed) operate and reshape the relationship between citizens and governments; second, it demonstrates how technology has deepened existing vulnerabilities and what needs to be reformed in this context.

LEGAL STATUS OF EMPLOYEES IN THE UKRAINIAN SOVIET SOCIAL REPUBLIC (1921–1928)

The aim of the work is to study the legal status of employees in the Ukrainian SSR in 1921–1928, which had its own peculiar features due to the new economic policy implementation by the Soviet government (hereinafter referred to as the NEP). The methodology involves the adherence to the principles of objectivity, scientific character, and historicism, which facilitated the coherent disclosure of the prerequisites, content and consequences of the Soviet government social policy implementation in the Ukrainian SSR, and highlighted the legal status of employees and the specifics of its codification. The combination of historical and legal methods contributed to the consistency of the research, as well as enabled us to assert the novelty of the material under consideration. The historical research of the NEP in the combination with the regulatory and legal framework analysis creates new opportunities for interdisciplinary scientific inquiries. The use of general scientific methods, such as systematization, generalization, chronological and comparative method, historical and legislative method, provides us with a tool to trace the influence of the legal component on the history of the NEP introduction and development in the Ukrainian SSR during the specified period. The scientific novelty aims at providing a detailed historical and legal analysis of the content of the Ukrainian SSR legislation system concerning the legal status of employees during the NEP period. The authors comprehensively investigate its positive aspects, downsides and prospects for practical application in the specified period.The Conclusions. The article has newly provided an article-by-article analysis of regulatory and legal framework, that codified the legal status of Ukrainian SSR employees during the new economic policy (1921–1928). The historical and legislative review of legal provisions enabled us to identify their positive aspects, drawbacks, and prospects for practical application. With the beginning of the curtailment of the NEP, the activities of social insurance authorities changed, they began to focus on the industrial development of the country.The policy implemented by the Soviet government in the late 1920s under the leadership of Josef Stalin, demonstrated an expeditious movement towards authoritarianism, which is incompatible with market relations and special care for the "cogs" (little people) of the system. A system based on the Command and Administration system methods of managing the economy is gradually being formed. The increased exploitation of peasants and workers, the use of violence and political repression changed the legal status of employees in many sectors of the economy.

COVID-19: articulação das políticas de saúde e sociais para promoção de cuidados seguros aos idosos

Objetivou compreender o processo de articulação das políticas de saúde e sociais dirigidas aos idosos durante estado de emergência por COVID-19 e implicações para a enfermagem. Estudo qualitativo, documental que utiliza como fonte de dados discursos de órgãos governamentais e dirigentes sociais, veiculados em 20 jornais portugueses, de acesso online, entre 2 de março a 2 de maio de 2020. Da análise dos dados emergiram três macrocategorias: dever de proteção dos idosos como grupo vulnerável, medidas promotoras da segurança dos idosos e consciencialização das lacunas de supervisão e apoio nos cuidados aos idosos em instituições sociais. De fato, apesar dos esforços na articulação das políticas de saúde e sociais e reorganização dos serviços durante a pandemia, observaram-se algumas lacunas nos cuidados aos idosos. Ficou evidente que é necessário aproximar cuidados de saúde comunitários às instituições sociais, através da capacitação dos seus profissionais e supervisão dos cuidados.

Frailty and social support: the care services response to aging in Russia

Abstract In the twenty-first century, ageing of population, having become a global phenomenon, raised questions about the need to consider the social services of the elderly from an institutional perspective. Thus, the number of Russians over the age of 100 in 2018 exceeded 15.7 thousand people. In Moscow, as in the mega polis, in 2018 more than 3.4031 million people (27.2%) are older than working age. Different countries have their own characteristics of social service systems, models and policies, it depends to a large extent on the traditions of assistance, sources of financing, the space of responsibility assumed by the State, society, the family and the individual himself. New technologies to be applied for working with the elderly in Russia. Transition to the establishment of a system of long-term care at the level of multidisciplinary cooperation (reform of the residential care system; development of community based services, formation of Social Support Services for 75+, foster family for the elderly).Development of active longevityChanging the role repertoire of an older person (formation of new types of social roles previously characteristic of younger ages; changing of intergenerational link formats, etc.).The growing social responsibility of the State contributes to a more effective interaction between health and social care authorities, as well as a more active involvement of the NGO sector in addressing the problems of older persons.The increase in the number of older persons leads to the creation and active development of a silver economy that contributes to improving the well-being of people.Transfer of retraining and advanced training systems to the competent level according to professional standards (independent assessment of qualifications, personnel diagnostics, formation of individual trajectory of education, training of multiple disciplinary teams).

Care integration as means for developing efficiency in budget constraints

Abstract Background Care integration has been an aim in government policies since 2000s in Finland. In 8 counties municipalities have created regional joint health and social care authorities in responsibility of all health and social services to boost service integration. Joint management gives possibilities to change organizational structures and organizing care paths in new ways. Most of these joint authorities suffer from severe budget constraints and layoffs has been done. Care integration has been seen as alleviating in budget constraints and to increase efficiency. In this study the views of top and middle managers and personnel on care integration as means to develop efficiency is explored. Methods A large, newly established joint authority of 200000 inhabitants participated the study. The joint authority had a large gap in its budget, hence layoffs were planned. We compiled a data of regional policy documents, carried out individual and group interviews of management (21) and a survey to employees (N = 2047). In the interviews, views of top and middle managers on how efficiency should be developed and on views of care integration in relation to efficiency were studied. The views of employees were explored in the survey. Results The joint authority was launched in a very short time and care paths were not planned before the organizational change. The managers saw that siloed practices created inefficiency and care integration increasing efficiency although the research evidence was seen insufficient. In the survey the views of the employees of developing efficiency and care quality were more negative than managers. Both groups, however saw that care integration was underdeveloped. Developing integration especially at primary level became also a key strategy of the joint authority. Conclusions Joint management creates a good basis for integration. The implementation of care integration, however, requires managers' collaboration and organisational culture supporting integration. Key messages In managers views care integration can increase efficiency. Joint management is a good basis for integration, but care processes have to be planned.

Inconsistency in Performance Feedback and Corporate Environmental Performance

Environmental issues have absorbed attention from social authorities and individuals. Although enterprises are the primary bearers of social responsibility, at the same time, they produce substantial environmental pollution. Under this background, based on a behavioral theory of the firm and prospect theory, this article takes A-share substantial polluting companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2012 to 2017 to discuss how companies will manage their environmental performance when companies in different performance feedback results base on historical and social aspiration levels .The research results show whether it is a historical or social aspiration level when actual corporate performance is worse than the aspiration level, the higher the degree of difference, the worse the corporate environmental performance level. When actual corporate performance is better than the aspiration level, whether it is a historical or social aspiration level, the higher the degree of difference, the lower the corporate environmental performance level is. Further research found that when multiple performance feedback results and their feedback directions are both inconsistent, the more significant negative historical performance feedback and the more positive social performance feedback, the better the environmental performance of the enterprise.

The persistent disability of population in the Russian Federation: analysis and assessment of regional characteristics

The disability is one of the main indices of public health, along with medical and demographic characteristics, morbidity and physical development that characterizes level of social economic development and is a major problem of health and social care authorities. The availability of statistical data and analysis of problem of population disability will allow to properly plan activities of various administrative bodies. The article presents trends of persistent disability in the Russian Federation during the studied period. In recent years, total number of disabled people has been gradually decreasing. In Russia, most of disabled people have disability group II. At the same time, the percentage of persons with group III increases and proportion of disabled persons with the groups I and II gradually decreases. The children disability in Russia tends to increase. In the Russian Federation, the analysis of regional differences in disability is presented. The analysis and assessment of regional characteristics of disability are necessary for planning and forecasting measures of medical and social support of persons with disability. The analysis of available statistical data permitted to established interdepartmental dissociation on this issue. The results of the study permitted to conclude that the need of increasing attention to the problem of disability results in strengthening interdepartmental interactions and developing of unified register of disabled people.

Deadly violence in Sweden: Profiling offenders through a latent class analysis

BackgroundSweden has in recent years witnessed increasing rates of firearm-related violence and homicide, which has contributed to increased rates of deadly violence. Attempts to profile offenders committing such crimes are of major importance, because such efforts may contribute to better preventive measures. We therefore aimed to study the characteristics of individuals convicted and/or suspected of homicide, attempted homicide, preparation to commit homicide as well as conspiration to commit homicide (for simplicity called homicide+) in Sweden. MethodsBy using information from the Swedish Crime Register and the Swedish Criminal Suspect Register, individuals being 15–60 years old and convicted and/or suspected of homicide+ between 2000 and 2015 were included in the study. Using these registers and also other population and health care registers, information on previous criminality, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders were added to the Latent Class Analysis (LCA) that was used to identify latent classes of individuals convicted and/or suspected for homicide+. In addition, several individual variables were added for validation purposes. ResultsA total of 14,466 individuals were included in the analysis. The majority were male (n = 12,802; 88.5%) and Swedish-born with Swedish-born parents (n = 8247; 57.0%). The LCA identified three classes where Conviction Class (CC) contained mostly convicted individuals whereas Mixed Class A (MCA) and Mixed Class B (MCB) contained almost equal rates of both convicted and suspected individuals. The CC was characterized by individuals with low rates of previous criminality, substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. The MCA and the MCB were characterized by individuals with higher rates of previous criminality, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders as well as lower education and worse economy in comparison with the CC. ConclusionWhile MCA and MCB may be constituted by “traditional” criminals often well known by the police and/or the social authorities, the CC was mainly constituted by convicted offenders who may more easily escape the radar of the authorities.

Study of violence against women

In the early 90s, the Violence in the cases of dowry was the crux, and later it gave vent to the other sort of violence against women as domestic violence and wife battering as per its incessant giant like growing form. In the last two decades, domestic violence has captured the attention of all sorts of social and judicial authorities. It is crucial to gauge the structure of violence against women in India through the generic pattern, which remains more or less similar across the world. The narrative of victimhood is vital to get the proper solution of all sorts of violent acts against women in society. In Hyderabad, India has women police for such cases, and there are many statistics that we need to understand in the context of this matter of violence against women. The active collaboration between the NGOs and the government authorities is indispensable to control such criminal arenas. Family and friends can do work at a deeper level to eradicate this problem to make the society free from the clutches of domestic violence or wife battering. The discrimination of caste, race, or between man and women can be traced in the religious scriptures.

Culture and competitiveness in small-scale Latin-American forestry-based enterprising communities

Purpose Small-scale forestry-based enterprising communities are particularly associated with their territory and, therefore, are very conditioned by the local culture. This paper aims to explore the relationship between culture and competitiveness in small-scale Latin-American forestry-based enterprising communities. Design/methodology/approach This study used 212 surveys in companies linked to the production, industrialisation and commercialisation sector of the forestry industry in the province of Misiones (Argentina), using partial least squares to analyse the relationships thereof. Findings Culture and competitive advantages improve the growth of small-scale timber businesses and growth, in turn, increases financial performance. However, culture does not have an impact on competitive advantage and no interaction effect of culture on competitive advantage was detected. The results can indicate that there might be a need to incorporate other concepts and operationalisation that are better suited to the geographical and industrial contexts in developing countries. Research limitations/implications The literature and measures used to operationalise variables in the survey did not necessarily succeed in capturing the culture in the studied small- and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the design of the sample and subjective measures may partially condition the results. Practical implications For business managers and consultants, this study indicates that they must take into account the local culture to improve performance. Entrepreneurs must reorient the company strategy towards the long term, integrating local culture into their strategy to generate competitive advantages. Social implications Political authorities and social agents should also take into consideration the cultural aspects of the territory when implementing regulations and specific actions to improve the industry and strengthen the sense of community. The results highlight the vitality of animators and development agencies and of any factor that fosters social cohesion. Originality/value The paper shows a new approach to the relationship between culture and competitiveness in small-scale forestry-based enterprising communities, combining performance in a formal sector with the bazaar model.

COVID-19 in Africa: Socioeconomic Impact, Policy Response and Opportunities

This study analyses the COVID-19 situation in Africa and discuss the socioeconomic impact, policy response and opportunities. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic which has affected the global economy has also affected the African economy through spillovers to African countries. Many African countries have taken bold quarantine and lockdown measures to control the spread of COVID-19 although this has come at a cost such as the collapse of health systems and a painful economic crisis or recession. A coordinated and bold response by African authorities is needed. First, public funds should be provided to improve the capacity of health systems in African countries. Second, financial support should be provided to individuals, entrepreneurs and corporations to help them cope with the adverse effect of the coronavirus crisis. Third, employers should be granted incentives to preserve employment during the crisis to avoid mass layoff of workers. Four, the Central bank in African countries should provide liquidity and credit support as well as asset purchase programs to prevent credit and liquidity crunch in domestic financial markets. Finally, social authorities in African countries should ensure that people in small communities have access to effective communication systems to enhance remote social interaction between community members, family and friends during the crisis.

Medical Education: Nutrition Curriculum Reformation and Lifestyle Medicine- Today’s Need

As social and scientific authorities on health and wellbeing, physicians are expected to practice evidence-based medicine. Despite this respect and responsibility, physicians are consistently facing challenges in addressing the extensive body of evidence that proves the power of lifestyle modifications on disease prevention and treatment. Some of these challenges stem from the lack of education and training during medical school [1].

РАДЯНСЬКІ ФАБРИКИ ЯНГОЛІВ: СИСТЕМА ПАТРОНАТІВ НАПЕРЕДОДНІ ТА В РОКИ ГОЛОДОМОРУ 1932–1933

The article reveals mechanisms of the fosterage system establishment and its organisation. Foster care used to mean a system of care for children to adjust them to society and labour activity. It is important to notice that fosterage discredited itself when the Communist authorities stopped paying over to families that took their children into foster care (during the imperial period, families with a foster child used to receive a regular pay-offs in an amount of 3 rubbles). Having lost government financial support, many foster parents began to dishouse children. In fact, among the population, fosterage was traditionally called as "angel factories". In the article demonstrates the analysis of the reasons for the actualization of the fosterage practice by the communist authorities, different types of patronage, as well as the attitude of children and patrons to such a system of education is clarified. Furthermore, the authors studied the genesis of fosterage, identified the features of its activities during the years of artificial famine in the 1921 – 1923, as well as its transformation during the NEP and the late 1920s. Significant attention was paid to the characteristics of the fosterage during the Holodomor 1932 – 1933 and transforming them into the factories of angels. The authors conclude that the communist system of education tended to use fosterage to relieve shelters. The living conditions for children were not under control by the authorities. For the peasants exhausted by the norms of grain procurement, it was physically impossible to keep a foster child. As a result, the mortality rate of foster cared children used to be extremely high. The republican social education authorities were aware enough of the difficult situation concerning the fosterage practice. In 1934 and 1936, numerous legislative attempts were made to improve the situation of foster children. However, the published guidelines remained only in the frameworks of the Soviet legislative myth-making. Therefore, the Soviet "factories of angels" never underwent any transformations, once again destroying the communist myth of a happy Soviet childhood.

The Bioethics of Translation: Latinos and the Healthcare Challenges of COVID-19

The Bioethics of Translation: Latinos and the Healthcare Challenges of COVID-19 Bryan Pilkington16 and Ana Campoverde17 COVID-19 has changed the way many people go about their daily lives and the manner in which they interact with each other. Many of the bioethical issues raised by the crisis, such as medical resource rationing and the responsibility to protect the vulnerable, have not arisen anew. Rather, they have merely been intensified by the pandemic’s magnitude. In bioethical discussions about the pandemic, a significant focus has been devoted to addressing medical equipment shortages such as the lack of personal protective equipment and ventilators and the ethical responsibility to protect others through mask-wearing. This focus suggests that reflection on two common bioethical themes—respect for justice in distribution and the sharing of full information—whether related to principles of justice and autonomy or located within discussion of human dignity, would be valuable. Recognizing how COVID-19 has disproportionally affected people by race or ethnicity is critical—and taking seriously the aforementioned paths of bioethics reflection, this essay departs from the usual discussions of resource allocation to concentrate on the Latino population and the importance of translation in two senses. It calls attention to the very practical need for translation resources in situations where language barriers exist between healthcare practitioners and patients. COVID-19 has intensified these challenges, as patients who are not proficient in the English language may experience delayed medical care or face other challenges.18 It points to the need to increase health literacy within a polarized cultural context where divergent claims on critical healthcare matters are offered by social and political authorities who lack the relevant scientific and [End Page 11] medical expertise. The dual need for translation resources and for the translation of broad information is felt heavily within the Latino community. The essay will first discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on the Latino community. Second, given the deep importance of Catholicism within Latino communities, we turn attention to conceptual resources from within bioethics and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition that bear on resource allocation and information dissemination. Third, with sensitivity to Latino cultural practices, we offer grassroots recommendations, focusing on increased church-healthcare community partnerships. These partnerships would allow for greater information exchange, including more accurate information sharing, and the possibility of shifting some of the bioethical conversation from the allocation of resources that benefit a few to the allocation of resources that benefit the many. Impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. Latino Community Healthcare studies have long revealed that minority groups face health inequalities, sometimes with devastating results.19 The infection pattern of COVID-19 was not entirely surprising for health experts who work among the country’s most vulnerable populations. Research collected by the COVID Tracking Project, led by the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, reports that Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the disease, with 58 per 100,000 deaths due to COVID-19 compared to 38 per 100,000 white people.20 This may be due to the fact that members of the Latino community are more likely to have occupations in the service industry and live in multigenerational households, two factors that increase the risk of COVID-19 exposure. Early reports paint a picture of the Latino population being one of the hardest hit communities by COVID-19, aggravating pre-existing disparities in healthcare access and health literacy. In 2015, the National Hispanic Council on Aging found that 41 [End Page 12] percent of Latino adults lack basic health literacy, a challenge further compounded by linguistic and cultural barriers.21 Research has found that across the United States, minority patients who are not proficient in English are left without adequate language resources, potentially reducing their access to quality healthcare and resulting in higher rates of adverse health outcomes compared to English speakers. Of the 67.3 million people in the United States who speak a foreign language at home, 41.5 million speak Spanish and 25.6 million speak English “less than very well.”22 To alleviate language barriers, the Affordable Care Act mandates that healthcare facilities provide qualified interpreters to patients...