Break-up Of Union Research Articles

Fatherhood after Union Breakup in Uruguay: Transitory or Life-Long Commitment?

Rising union dissolution in Latin America—and in much of the world—has increased public concern over the involvement of nonresidential fathers in the lives of their children. At the same time, social norms about post-separation fatherhood have changed, increasingly favoring not only economic support, but also participation in child-rearing. In this article, we (a) examine several dimensions of nonresidential fathers’ involvement with their children, (b) test whether there is a link between pre-separation and post-separation fathering practices, and (c) explore which dimension of pre-separation fathering practices—engagement, accessibility, and responsibility—is more influential on post-separation paternal behavior. The study is based on two waves of a longitudinal national survey carried out in Uruguay. Empirical findings suggest that fathers’ pre-separation involvement in child-rearing affects their post-separation parenting behavior, although results are not conclusive in all aspects of post-separation involvement, and father’s educational attainment tends to have a more influential role.

Migration and National Security of the Visegrad Countries. Does the Nation State Have a Superstate?

Several serious circumstances led to the writing of this essay: since 2008 the crisis remains, albeit with varying degrees of intensity, the situation in the field of international security, as well as debt and institutional crises, are worsening not only in the eurozone. Probably the organized migratory wave of war, economic and climate migrants continues to move across the permeable borders of the Schengen area, showing how the European Union is fragile and helpless. [Klaus, Weigl, 2015] German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is no upper limit for the number of people who would be admitted to escape political persecution in their country. Germany leaves the Dublin system inconsistently, runs counter to European cohesion and stops differentiating between the immigrant and the refugee. Migration divides EU Member States into patriarchal and patrimonial and distrust between municipalities. Between „old” and „new” EU countries, scissors are opened. In addition, in some regions of Europe (France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom) there are closed communities where the majority law is not valid. Our current socio-political and economic existence is based on a traditional understanding of security. However, the second decade of the 21st century represents a political and military conservative mirror that reflects the image of prosperity and security from a different angle than in previous years. Dramatic developments have led to massive migration of the peoples of the African and Asian continent and to the division of the European Union, especially with regard to the permanent mechanism of redistribution of asylum seekers. Our aim is to contribute to discussion and reflection on topical issues of security environment and security system as a follow-up to the dramatic development that have resulted in the massive migration of people from the African and Asian continent, and in the European Union's break-up, especially in view of the permanent mechanism of redistribution of asylum seekers. We are focused on to what extent the security system of the EU and national states has been threatened and what the threatening factors are. Our aim is to point out that the international security situation has not changed for the better in the second decade of the 21st century. For this purpose, the author uses deductive, analytical, comparative, scientific methods such as exploration, prediction, explanation, and Hanlon's razor.

Union break-up after HIV diagnosis among sub-Saharan African migrants in France: disclosing HIV status is linked with staying in union

ABSTRACTSub-Saharan African migrants living in France are particularly affected by HIV. Due to the fear of sexual transmission of the virus, those in a relationship could experience a union break-up after an HIV diagnosis. Based on data from the time-event ANRS-Parcours survey that was conducted among a representative sample of sub-Saharan migrants living with HIV (France, 2012–2013), we studied union break-ups after HIV diagnosis among people who were in a relationship at the time of their diagnosis. Women experienced a more rapid union break-up after HIV diagnosis than did men. The living conditions of men were not correlated to their risk of union break-up while among women, having a personal dwelling reduced the risk of union break-up. For both sexes, less established relationships were more likely to break up after HIV diagnosis. Having disclosed the HIV status to a partner was associated with a reduced risk of separation between partners, after adjustment on socio-economic conditions and migration characteristics.

ARCTIC «UPGRADE» OF V. V. PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

After establishment of the Soviet power the Arctic for seven decades had been in the focus of attention accomplishing the heroic, repressive, “educational”, economic, political and ideological functions. In 1930-1950 General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Communist Party I.V. Stalin created the first Soviet Arctic shield that included the economic and military strategic power, transport targeted to protection of entirety and security of the Soviet country. The Stalin’s large-scale project of Arctic development was made public in 1931 and was targeted to the enhanced protection of the polar waters by establishing the naval base on the Barents Sea. For implementation of this project the White Sea-Baltic canal was constructed. The Trust “Arktikugol” was established on the Spitsbergen Archipelago to supply coal to the Northern Navy Fleet. The sea expedition over the Northern Sea Route was also organized to prove the possibility of shipping along this route for one navigation season. Upon its successful completion the Chief Department “Sevmorput” was set up here. The epoch of airship construction was opened to explore the Arctic air expanses. Later on there were expeditions to the North Pole, deployment of army on the Chukotka Peninsula, new expeditions to high latitude terrains, construction of high-capacity icebreakers, aerodromes and military bases on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Unfortunately, in the 1990s in the time of the Soviet Union breakup and perestroika many facilities of the Stalin’s Arctic Shield had been lost and ceased to exist. The early 21st century witnessed the second energetic and goal-oriented breakthrough into the Arctic region and establishment of the second Arctic Shield or bastion based on the key principles of the Soviet Arctic Shield or, in other words, its upgrade in the new conditions of the polycentric world, which is justly connected with the name of Russian President Putin. The interest to the Arctic was revived after V.V. Putin was elected in 2000 the RF President and this was observed against the sharp changes in the political and economic situation in the country. The underlying stimuli were the opening of large offshore hydrocarbon fields in the Arctic seas and global climate warming. From this time on when the interest to the Arctic was on the rise again the attitude of the Russian president and government to this region had changed enormously. Putin personally keep in the focus of his attention all Arctic issues. One of the strategic goals of the policy formulated by Putin is apparently the revival of the Russian Arctic, creation of own Arctic Shield understanding quite clearly that this would require construction anew of the great part of the Arctic infrastructure. This publication investigates in detail the steps of V.V. Putin taken for development of the Arctic ways.

The European Monetary Union break-up: an economic experiment on the return of the deutsche mark

ABSTRACTBy using the macro-econometric input–output model INFORGE, this paper investigates the economic effects of a unilateral break-up of Germany from the European Monetary Union (EMU). The results show that a return to a national currency lowers Germany's growth path. Positive effects of a break-up due to lower domestic prices, increasing real wages and lower imports are fully compensated by the loss in international competitiveness. On industrial level, the negative implications are the strongest in those industries that depend strongly on exports. Strong indirect implications are expected for the business-related service sector. Although the results of this economic experiment depend strongly on its underlying assumptions, it can be shown that a break-up of the EMU would result in a heavy welfare loss for Germany.

International fisher effect under exchange rate regime shifts: Evidence from 10 examples

Amonetary union is classified by several authors as an extreme form of fixed exchange rate arrangement. Analyzing exits from monetary unions is, however, demanding. This paper studies the impact of inflation and interest rate differentials on the nominal exchange rate after leaving a form of peg arrangement and moving to a floating regime, as it may serve as a parallel for a monetary union break-up. The theoretical framework is provided by the theory of the International Fisher Effect. We find that countries with rigid exchange rate policy, less frequently adjusted central parity and narrow exchange rate bands experienced sharp depreciation after the shift, but the depreciation was only temporary. In this group of countries the exchange rate adjustment is weakly exogenous to inflation and interest rate differentials. We apply Johansen’s approach to cointegration, based on the estimation of the Vector Error Correction Model, and the Johansen constraint test of exogeneity. There is strong evidence that long...

Ghosts of the Habsburg Empire

Today the Eurozone faces financial and economic problems that, if left untended, threaten the fate of the EU itself. Several paths lay open to European leaders: deeper integration, more piecemeal crisis resolution, or a possible exit from the Euro of one or more countries. Yet there are few historical examples of a currency union break-up that we can use to understand implications of the third option. This essay draws lessons from the collapse of the Habsburg Empire after World War I—the best historical case study of a disintegrating currency union—for the Eurozone. The creation of new national currencies in Central Europe in the 1920s came at a very high cost, took years to stabilize, involved extensive international monitoring, created great risks for Europe’s multinational banking enterprises, and helped create the conditions for economic instability in the 1930s. European leaders could expect similar challenges to arise were Greece, Portugal, or Spain to exit the Eurozone today. One crucial factor absent in the 1920s, and still absent today, was and is a robust European-wide financial regulatory system. Ultimately, the Habsburg case study suggests that the economic costs of preserving the Euro and creating such a banking system would be much lower than those arising from allowing one or more countries to leave the currency union.

Status Seekers: Chinese and Russian Responses to U.S. Primacy

The United States needs support from other states to carry out global governance, particularly from rising powers such as China and Russia. Securing cooperation from China and Russia poses special problems, however, because neither state is part of the liberal Western community, ruling out appeals to common values and norms. Nevertheless, an alternative approach that is rooted in appreciation of China's and Russia's heightened status concerns may be viable. Since the end of the Cold War, Chinese and Russian foreign policy has been shaped by the goal of restoring both countries' great power status, which received major blows after China's Tiananmen Square repression and the Soviet Union's breakup and loss of empire. This desire for status can be explained by social identity theory, which argues that social groups strive for a distinctive, positive identity. Social identity theory provides a typology of strategies that states may use to enhance their relative status and suggests appropriate responses to status concerns of rising powers. Redirecting scholarly attention to status considerations and incentives could contribute to a diplomatic strategy for engaging rising powers.

From prenatal HIV testing of the mother to prevention of sexual HIV transmission within the couple

The first step in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programmes is offering HIV counselling and testing to pregnant women. In developing countries where HIV testing remains rare, it represents a unique opportunity for many women to learn their HIV status. This prenatal HIV testing is not only the entry point to prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, but also an occasion for women to sensitize their male partner to sexual risks. Here we explore if these women, HIV-tested as mothers, apply the prevention recommendations they also receive as women. In the Ditrame Plus PMTCT program in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, two cohorts of women (475 HIV-infected women and 400 HIV-negative women) were followed up two years after the pregnancy when they were offered prenatal HIV testing. In each cohort, we compared the proportion of women who communicated with their regular partner on sexual risks, prior to and after prenatal HIV testing. We analysed socio-demographic factors related to this communication. We measured two potential conjugal outcomes of women HIV testing: the level of condom use at sex resumption after delivery and the risk of union break-up. Prenatal HIV testing increased conjugal communication regarding sexual risks, whatever the woman's serostatus. This communication was less frequent for women in a polygamous union or not residing with their partner. Around 30% of women systematically used condoms at sex resumption. Among HIV infected ones, conjugal talk on sexual risks was related to improved condom use. After HIV testing, more HIV-infected women separated from their partners than HIV-uninfected women, despite very few negative reactions from the notified partners. In conclusion, offering prenatal HIV counselling and testing is an efficient tool for sensitizing women and their partners to HIV prevention. But sexual prevention in a conjugal context remains difficult and need to be specifically addressed.

The Specter of Russian Nationalism

When he was named acting president of Russia on December 31, 1999, Vladimir Putin inherited a country still reeling from the Soviet Union's breakup: economic woes caused by the rapid privatization of state assets and the August 1998 financial crisis, ethnic unrest and war in Chechnya, and Russia's demotion from superpower status. Over the next seven years, the Putin government introduced a series of national reforms aimed at making Russia once again a major player on the world stage. Dmitry Medvedev's election as the new president means that his term will be a continuation of the policies set in place by his predecessor and mentor, who stays on as prime minister and seems literally prime—"first in rank, authority, or significance," as the Oxford English Dictionary says.

Anointing a New Enemy

Do nations require an adversary? US media coverage of China, as reflected in national news magazines, was analyzed before and after the breakup of the Soviet Union to determine how media portrayed this global power change. China received significantly more coverage after the Soviet Union breakup, and the post-breakup themes and frames about China were significantly different and more negative. This study of coverage related to global power shifts suggests that adversarial political relationships are mirrored in a nation's domestic media and may be necessary for national unity.

Too grave a risk

When a risk has knowingly been taken to achieve some result, and the result has been achieved without the feared mishap occurring, it is normal to conclude that it was worth taking the risk. The success is attributed to good judgment. Acceptance of the risk, if it is thought of at all, tends to be seen as courageous and commendable. The 40‐year nuclear confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the Cold War of 1947–1987, entailed the risk of a nuclear war. It is widely believed in North America that the Soviet Union's breakup showed that the Cold War was won by boldly facing the enemy without blinking. That may be so, but in fact the risk was too grave to be justified by any conceivable success. It was no less than a risk of the complete destruction of our civilization, of worldwide starvation, and possibly the extermination of the human race. It was by good luck that the world survived the 40 years of Cold War, and we must not count on our good luck holding out for ever.

Russia's Chemists Face Tough Times In The Wake Of Soviet Union's Breakup

Russia's Chemists Face Tough Times In The Wake Of Soviet Union's Breakup

Russia's waterborne trade and transport: issues in market transformation

During the Soviet era most of the Union's international non-oil trade was transported over water. Following the former Soviet Union's break-up, the share of water transport in accomodating Russia's trade has become modest, as the railways carry most goods that are traded domestically or with the new republics of the Commonwealth of Independence States, which are now treated as foreign countries. Adjusting the Russian Federation's water transport industry and related infrastructure to the changed geo-political and regional economic conditions proves difficult. While the country inherited a fair share of the former Soviet merchant fleet, it is deprived of port assets which were originally built to serve all-Union trades but are now located in other republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Major reforms are required to streamline the provision of port services and the ports' commercial performance. The Russian Government took several steps in 1992 which effectively put the national water transpor...