100 research outputs found
Shifting responsibility for social services as enterprises privatize in Belarus
No full textIn Belarus, divestiture of social assets, a misnomer for fringe benefits that comprise a part of wages, is needed to transform enterprises so they can function appropriately in a market economy. Maintaining supply of these services after enterprise divestiture is an important public policy problem in transition economies. These fringe benefits, issued mainly in the form of housing and kindergarten services, were cut by at least two-thirds as a proportion of employee remuneration between 1994 and 1995 because of the economic downturn. This report debates whether most of these fringe benefits should continue to be subsidized or receive preferential tax treatment. A strong case is made for some government funding of the public health and kindergarten services, and public utility and housing services divested by enterprises. The reasons for assigning services such as education and health to local governments is debated and financing arrangements such as revenue sharing are examined. Among the problems cited with the latter are interregional imbalances caused by unequal resources distribution, tax breaks given to agriculture which has reduced payments to rural local governments, the absence of close links between beneficiaries and payers justifying extrabudgetary funding, and inadequate subnational government taxation raising insignificant amounts of revenue. Where transfers to local governments are required, formula financing is suggested for unconditional grants to low-income local governments and conditional grants to support specific objectives.Municipal Financial Management,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform
Detective fiction in Cuban society and culture.
No full textPhDThe object of this thesis is to reach towards an understanding of Cuban society through a
study of its detective fiction and more particularly contemporary Cuban society through
the novels of the author and critic, Leonardo Padura Fuentes.
The method has been to trace the development of Cuban detective writing and to
read Padura Fuentes in the light of the work of twentieth century Western European
literary critics and philosophers including Raymond Williams, Antonio Gramsci, Terry
Eagleton, Roland Barthes, Jean Paul Sartre, Michel Foucault, Jean François Lyotard and
Jean Baudrillard in order to gain a better understanding of the social and historical
context from which this genre emerged.
By concentrating on the literary texts, I have explored readings which lead out into
an analysis of the broader philosophical, political and historical issues raised by the
Cuban revolution. Since it deals primarily with modes of deviance and notions of legality
and justice within the context of the modern state, detective fiction is particularly well
suited to this type of investigation. The intention is to show how this is as valid in the
Cuban context as it is in advanced capitalist societies where such research has already
been carried out with some success.
The thesis comprises an introduction, ten chapters and a conclusion. The chapters
are divided into three sections. Chapters 1 to 3 attempt a broad theoretical, historical and
socio-political analysis of the cultural reality within which the Cuban revolutionary
detective genre emerged. Chapters 4 to 6 analyse the Cuban detective narrative from its
inception in the early part of the twentieth century until the emergence of Leonardo
Padura Fuentes as the foremost exponent of the genre in Cuba after 1991. Chapters 7-
10 concentrate upon the work of Leonardo Padura Fuentes, offering a reading of his
detective tetralogy informed by the preceding discussion.
The contribution made by the thesis to knowledge of the subject is to build upon the
work of Seymour Menton and Amelia S. Simpson on the development of the Cuban
detective novel and to provide analyses of the pre-Revolutionary Cuban detective
narrative and the work of Leonardo Padura Fuentes for the first time in the English
language. The thesis concludes that the study of this popular genre in Cuba is of crucial
importance to the scholar who wishes to reach as full an understanding of the social
dynamics within that society as possible. In particular, it proves that Cuban detective
fiction provides a useful barometer of social change which records the shifts in the Cuban
Zeitgeist that have taken place over the past century
From page to screen : placing hypertext fiction in an historical and contemporary context of print and electronic literary experiments
No full textOnly recently has our perception of the computer, now a familiar and ubiquitous element of
everyday life, changed from seeing it as a mere tool to regarding it as a medium for creative
expression. Computer technologies such as multimedia and hypertext applications have
sparked an active critical debate not only about the future of the book format, ("the late age
of print" {Bolter} is only one term used to describe the shift away from traditional print
media to new forms of electronic communication) but also about the future of literature.
Hypertext Fiction is the most prominent of proposed electronic literary forms and strong
claims have been made about it: it will radically alter concepts of text, author and reader,
enable forms of non-linear writing closer to the associative working of the mind, and make
possible reader interaction with the text on a level impossible in printed text.
So far the debate that has attempted to put hypertext fiction into a historical perspective
has linked it to two developments. Firstly the developments in computer technology that
made hypertext not only possible but also widely accessible and secondly a tradition of
postmodern theory, where characteristics attributed to hypertext echo concepts of
fragmentation, multiplicity and instability that theorists like Barthes and Derrida have
formulated previously and that have led to the notion of hypertext as an "authentic, yet
functional postmodern form" {Roberts}
A third element that is not generally subject to critical evaluation is the practice of
(post)modern writing in which a number of authors consciously break with the linearity of
print conventions in favour for a more fragmented narrative and presentation as well as
actively inviting the reader's participation in what Barthes calls "writerly" text. There are two
reasons why these "proto-hypertexts" have been widely ignored or dismissed: Hypertext is
still widely define as exclusive to the electronic realm and is furthermore generally
perceived in oppositional pairs in contrast to print, i.e. non-linear vs. linear and interactive
vs. passive, which conceptually does not leave room for a study of an "evolution" out of
existing forms of writing practice.
By examining hypertext fiction in a context of print experiments (Cortazar, Borges, B.S.
Johnson, Andreas Okopenko, Raymond Queneau, Miroslav Pavic, Italo Calvino) and also in
a context of other forms of digital literary experimentation (collaborative projects and
computer-generated writing), this thesis aims to, on a diachronic level, reincorporate
hypertext fiction into an evolutionary (though radical) literary tradition and examines the
manner in which concepts which originated in this tradition have been taken over often
very literally and without much redefinition. On the a-historical, synchronic level, this study
explores some of the possible formats for literature in the new electronic textual media:
hypertext fiction, collaborative writing projects, computer-generated writing and the
different challenges these present to our understanding ofliterature.
After an introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and 3 discuss two of the keywords of
hypertext theory, its "grand narratives' (non-linearity and interactivity) and the
appropriation of the terminology to hypertext theory and to hypertext fiction. Chapter 4
and 5 will look at alternative, though related, approaches to electronic fiction: Chapter 4 will
examine aspects of collaborative writing in both a print and a digital environment while
computer-generated writing stands at the centre of Chapter 5
Concession contract renegotiations : some efficiency versus equity dilemmas
No full textThe authors analyze the possibility of tradeoffs between efficiency and equity as well as the possibility of distributional conflicts in the context of renegotiation of infrastructure contracts in developing countries. To do so, they present a model in which contracts are awarded by auctioning the right to operate an infrastructure service to a private monopoly, and consider the possibility of renegotiation. To identify the potential sources of tradeoffs, they trackthe possible outcomes of different renegotiation strategies for the monopoly running the concession and for the two groups of consumers-rich and poor-who alternate in power according to a majority voting rule. Among the model? most important policy implications is this: if having firm-driven renegotiations is a major concern, efficiency should not be the only consideration in selecting an operator. Indeed, consumers may want to award the concession to a less efficient firm if that would reduce the probability of renegotiation, since a lower probability of firm-driven renegotiations (due to demand shocks, for example) is associated with higher welfare for all service users.Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Policies,Markets and Market Access,Economic Theory&Research,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Markets and Market Access,Access to Markets,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism
A neurolinguistic approach to performativity in economics
No full textIn recent sociological studies of markets, especially financial markets, researchers have argued that economics is performative (MacKenzie, Callon et al.). By this they refer to the observation that theories such as the Black-Scholes formula do not simply describe reality, but contributed to the regulatory creation of financial markets in which the agents started to adopt behavioral patterns that correspond to the theory, also relying on artefacts that have been created by the originators of the theory. This notion of performativity fits also other recent uses of language theory in economics, such as the theory of organizational forms in organizational ecology (Carroll and Hannan) or John Searle's theory of institutions. The paper builds on this, especially Searle's approach, and explores the underlying cognitive operations. It is argued that performativity builds on the human capacity to generate new meanings from existing concepts. This is elaborated in the theory of conceptual blending that has been developed by Fauconnier and Turner. For example, blends are a typical phenomenon in the emergence of new business models, such as in the dotcom bubble. The theory of conceptual blending can be based on neuroscientific insights into the operations of the human brain, corresponding to Searle's proposal to ground institutions in neurophysiological dispositions. --Searle's theory of institutions,financial markets,emergence of novelty,conceptual blending,neural theory of metaphor
Experiences of bodily disorder in French books 1573-1592
No full textMary Douglas, in Purity and Danger and Elizabeth Grosz, in Volatile Bodies concur that the human body whose boundaries are traversed or transgressed is troubling, threatening and risky. The threats to which Douglas and Grosz separately refer are largely ideological and cultural threats, but their identification of the problematic nature of ruptured or unusual bodily boundaries is nevertheless relevant to the analysis of the actual bodily disorder with which this thesis is concerned. Disease, cannibalism and monstrosity are forms of bodily behaviour or conditions in which boundaries are inherently, or are rendered, unclear, and in the sixteenth-century books of Ambroise Paré, Jean de Léry and Michel de Montaigne, the question of the disorderly nature of these three physical phenomena is addressed. A fundamental feature of the books produced by these three writers is the emphasis on the experience of the form of bodily disorder in question on which the written account is based. Paré, a surgeon, treated plague patients and dissected monstrous specimens before writing about his experiences in his Œuvres completes', Léry observed the practice of cannibalism in Brazil before returning to Europe and witnessing the consumption of human flesh during the siege of Sancerre; and Montaigne, whose final essay is significantly entitled 'De ľexperience', develops a method of writing, or essaying, which involves the writer attempting to evaluate critically all received experiences and information before arriving at his own conclusion. The depiction of cannibalism, monstrosity and disease in the books of these three writers will be examined using a methodology developed around the principles of Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of dialogism. The particular relevance of this literary theory to the theme of the disordered body in French sixteenth-century books is the emphasis that Bakhtm also places on the writer's experience of his subject matter. In addition, Bakhtm argues that writers experience an impulse to consummate, in other words to define, explain and contextualise, and present as complete the world they observe. This thesis argues that the question of bodily boundaries raised by Douglas and Grosz can be addressed by Bakhtinian theory, and seeks to illustrate the ways in which Paré, Léry and Montaigne exhibit an awareness of the problem of the disordered body, and develop narrative strategies to overcome it which correspond to the functions of a Bakhtinian Author
Luria revisited: cognitive research in schizophrenia, past implications and future challenges
No full textContemporary psychiatry is becoming more biologically oriented in the attempt to elicit a biological rationale of mental diseases. Although mental disorders comprise mostly functional abnormalities, there is a substantial overlap between neurology and psychiatry in addressing cognitive disturbances. In schizophrenia, the presence of cognitive impairment prior to the onset of psychosis and early after its manifestation suggests that some neurocognitive abnormalities precede the onset of psychosis and may represent a trait marker. These cognitive alterations may arise from functional disconnectivity, as no significant brain damage has been found. In this review we aim to revise A.R. Luria's systematic approach used in the neuropsychological evaluation of cognitive functions, which was primarily applied in patients with neurological disorders and in the cognitive evaluation in schizophrenia and other related disorders. As proposed by Luria, cognitive processes, associated with higher cortical functions, may represent functional systems that are not localized in narrow, circumscribed areas of the brain, but occur among groups of concertedly working brain structures, each of which makes its own particular contribution to the organization of the functional system. Current developments in neuroscience provide evidence of functional connectivity in the brain. Therefore, Luria's approach may serve as a frame of reference for the analysis and interpretation of cognitive functions in general and their abnormalities in schizophrenia in particular. Having said that, modern technology, as well as experimental evidence, may help us to understand the brain better and lead us towards creating a new classification of cognitive functions. In schizophrenia research, multidisciplinary approaches must be utilized to address specific cognitive alterations. The relationships among the components of cognitive functions derived from the functional connectivity of the brain may provide an insight into cognitive machinery.Parmenides Foundation, Pullach, Germany; National Science Fund China Outstanding Investigator Award [81088001]; Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-J-8]A&HCISCI(E)[email protected]
Benefits and costs of international financial integration : theory and facts
No full textThe author provides a selective review of the recent analytical and empirical literature on the benefits and costs of international financial integration. He discusses the impact of financial openness on consumption, investment, and growth, and the impact of foreign bank entry on the domestic financial system. Consistent with some recent studies, the author argues that financial integration must be carefully prepared and managed to ensure that the benefits outweigh the short-run risks. Prudent macroeconomic management, adequate supervision and prudential regulation of the financial system, greater transparency, and improved capacity to manage risk in the private sector are important requirements for coping with potentially abrupt reversals in pro-cyclical, short-term capital flows. The author adopts a more skeptical view than some assessments in two areas, however. First, only foreign direct investment appears to provide dynamic gains and improved prospects for growth; the evidence on the benefits of other types of capital flows remains weak. Second, empirical research on the net benefits associated with foreign bank penetration is far from conclusive; in particular, the possibility that such penetration may lead to adverse changes in the allocation of credit among domestic firms cannot be dismissed on the basis of the existing evidence.Banks&Banking Reform,Capital Markets and Capital Flows,Fiscal&Monetary Policy,Economic Theory&Research,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Macroeconomic Management,Environmental Economics&Policies,Financial Intermediation
Menggali Kearifan Lokal Desa Raut Bosi: Melestarikan Tradisi Untuk Keberlanjutan Budaya Dan Ekonomi
No full textRaut Bosi Village, located in Toba Regency, North Sumatra, is one of the villages with a wealth of culture and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. This village is known to have various forms of local wisdom, ranging from traditional customs, community life philosophies, to agricultural practices based on mutual cooperation. This study aims to explore, document, and analyze various forms of local wisdom that are still preserved in this village, with the hope of providing new insights into efforts to preserve culture and develop communities based on local wisdom. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach and used a case study method to obtain an in-depth picture of the lives of the people of Raut Bosi Village. The results of the study indicate that the local wisdom of this village not only functions as a guardian of cultural identity, but also has a strategic role in strengthening social harmony and environmental sustainability. By documenting this local wisdom, this study provides concrete recommendations for the preservation of traditions and exploration of the potential for village development based on local culture. Thus, the existing local wisdom will not only be preserved but also integrated into village development strategies, both for the local community and for cultural tourism attractions.  
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