Hasil untuk "Industrial sociology. Social conditions of labor"

Carolina Di Luciano, Michele Miravalle

Compulsory Health Treatment (TSO) for mental illness constitutes the primary form of “coercive care” in Italy, as recently reaffirmed by the Constitutional Court (judgment no. 22/2022). Drawing on the work of the Observatory on TSOs in the City of Turin, this study analyzes over 1,000 case files relating to TSO procedures carried out between 2017 and 2023, including validation orders issued by both the mayor and the guardianship judge. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals and local police officers involved in the procedures. The findings reveal a high degree of standardization within the administrative-judicial process which, despite being formally grounded in robust legal safeguards, operates in practice as a form of routinized justice characterized by medical dominance over other institutional actors. The analysis further suggests that the TSO is increasingly embedded in a paradigm marked by a renewed emphasis on practices of social control and can be interpreted as a dispositif of incapacitation.

Lin Lerpold, Örjan Sjöberg, Sven‐Anders Stegare

Forced labor and precarious working conditions are increasingly visible in high‐income economies of the Global North. Mostly perpetrated by the private business sector, immigrant workers are disproportionately affected. However, most management literature has focused on labor exploitation and human rights abuses connected to global supply chains in the Global South. Yet, in industries or activities not easily offshored, low‐cost business models contribute to labor market exploitation in high‐income economies. The ability to implement such models depends on the institutional context as well as corporate capabilities. This insight does not, however, resolve the issue why also democratic welfare societies with strong legal systems see such practices. Using Sweden as a case, we ask what a sociological lens can contribute to our understanding. It suggests that forced labor is an emergent outcome of interlocking market, state, and institutional logics, reinforced by increasingly restrictive migration regimes. Conversely, an appreciation of the business side could inform sociological studies of migration and labor exploitation. Bridging management, sociology, and migration perspectives, this review contributes to the growing recognition that combating modern slavery requires not only better corporate compliance but also a rethinking of the institutional and social foundations upon which contemporary business models depend.

A. Covarrubias, J. Holmes, John P. Tuman

Many scholars have observed that the North American labor movement is experiencing a resurgence. Whilst spanning different economic sectors, the resurgence is a striking phenomenon in the auto sector across all three North American countries. After decades of union decline, concessionary bargaining, and labor laws broken by employers and pro-business governments, a new labor movement momentum has become a common feature of the post-pandemic “new normal.” This resurgence is manifested in increased labor rights and collective bargaining gains coupled with a socially sanctioned union voice to fight back for better wages and working conditions and the right to engage freely in union organizing and collective bargaining. Conceptually, the structural, associational, societal, and institutional power exercised by labor are all gaining in strength. This became most apparent across North American countries during the 2023 automobile labor strikes. The objective of this paper is to analyze the recent labor upsurge in the North American automobile industry. Our thesis is that the labor upsurge is part of a critical juncture unfolding amid a deep transition within the auto industry towards a paradigm of new electric mobilities and a renegotiation of the employment relationship. This opens a window of opportunity for labor to tip the balance of power in its favor. The paper identifies the productive and permissive conditions that both foster and restrain labor’s possibilities, within the context of the industrial and labor regime legacies of each country.

Luigi Cominelli

L’articolo esplora l’impatto della digitalizzazione e dell’intelligenza artificiale (IA) sul sistema giudiziario e amministrativo, concentrandosi su “discrezionalità artificiale” e “giustizia digitale”. La digitalizzazione può semplificare gli adempimenti, ma una sua cattiva implementazione può complicare ulteriormente i processi. Le tecnologie IA, invece, presentano sfide qualitative: possono automatizzare l’apprendimento e la decisione, adattando il comportamento in base ai dati acquisiti. Tuttavia, l’IA comporta anche rischi di errori. Nel contesto giuridico, l’IA non sostituirà a breve l’analisi delle politiche pubbliche, ma piuttosto la supporterà, ad esempio, attraverso l’analisi degli umori del pubblico sui social network e la realizzazione di analisi di impatto più accurate. La “giustizia digitale” include l’uso di algoritmi per decisioni giudiziarie, sollevando preoccupazioni su bias e pregiudizi. Sebbene l’IA possa supportare il lavoro intellettuale, il decisore umano rimane insostituibile in molte situazioni, in particolare quando è necessaria discrezionalità. È necessario un uso etico e appropriato dell’IA, per evitare di pregiudicare l’equità delle decisioni e mantenere il controllo umano nelle decisioni critiche.

Marta J. Muñoz Gómez

Los ciudadanos de la Unión Europea muestran una clara preferencia por adquirir alimentos de proximidad, ya sea a través de la compra directa al productor, en mercados locales o en grandes superficies comerciales. Esta tendencia está estrechamente relacionada con la percepción de la calidad alimentaria, entendida en un sentido amplio, la cual abarca aspectos de seguridad, sostenibilidad y frescura. Sin embargo, la regulación de la proximidad alimentaria plantea importantes desafíos jurídicos, debido a la coexistencia de diversas definiciones legales y a la necesidad de distinguir este concepto de otras figuras jurídicas similares. En este contexto, el presente artículo tiene como objetivo examinar los instrumentos normativos que permiten proporcionar al consumidor información clara sobre la cercanía de los alimentos. A partir del análisis del Reglamento (UE) 1169/2011, relativo a la información alimentaria facilitada al consumidor, así como de la legislación marcaria, se identifican diversas herramientas jurídicas que permiten informar al consumidor sobre la proximidad alimentaria.

Mariano López Benítez

Las últimas evoluciones del Derecho Agroalimentario han convertido la certificación agroalimentaria en una técnica mediante la que se comprueba si los alimentos y piensos, los servicios y actividades puestos en el mercado o desarrollados por los operadores cumplen los requisitos y exigencias. El hecho más destacable de esta técnica de control, basada en primer término en el autocontrol de los propios operadores, reside en el protagonismo que, junto a las autoridades competentes, despliegan al respecto organismos privados a través de fórmulas de delegación. El Reglamento (UE) 2017/625, del Parlamento y del Consejo, de 15 de marzo de 2017, cuyos rasgos más esenciales se estudian en el presente trabajo, ha establecido una regulación general en la materia, frente al carácter fragmentado de la normativa existente hasta el momento.

Roberta Dameno, Emma Sofia Lunghi

Monica Raiteri

La qualità del cibo è oggi considerata un dispositivo normativo funzionale alla declinazione di un particolare concetto di sicurezza, quella alimentare. Lo strumento utilizzato, tipico dei modelli regolativi, è l’adesione ai disciplinari, che fa corrispondere la “qualità” ad uno standard di produzione o di provenienza territoriale che è, a sua volta, esito del funzionamento di dinamiche di potere e di lobbying tipicamente operanti nelle sedi delle istituzioni europee, come testimoniano i processi decisionali relativi al riconoscimento delle certificazioni (DOP, IGP, ecc.). L’origine dell’idea del cibo “perfetto”, corrispondente ad uno standard, che svolge al contempo una funzione che può risultare inclusiva delle classi sociali, come mostra per esempio la rilevanza dell’alimentazione nei processi educativi, o, viceversa, escludente, risale all’Inghilterra vittoriana: un’epoca in cui la costruzione dell’impianto normativo della qualità degli alimenti, strumento individuato come idoneo a risolvere le numerose questioni legate all’insicurezza alimentare, per lo più ereditate dal secolo precedente, si colloca sullo sfondo di importanti questioni sociopolitiche. Il saggio prende le mosse dall’ambiguità del rapporto tra sanzioni amministrative e apparati di controllo di carattere “privato” nel contesto del modello regolativo contemporaneo per giungere ad indagare, a partire dalle sue origini, un uso “politico” del cibo inteso come dispositivo normativo, che mette in discussione sia il sistema di stratificazione sociale tipico della società vittoriana, come mostra il caso della diffusione dei cibi esotici nell’alimentazione inglese, sia il tema mainstream del rapporto tra povertà e cattiva qualità degli alimenti, come mostra il dibattito sulla sofisticazione dei prodotti alimentari.

Daniele Piccione

Con il decreto legislativo 5 febbraio 2024, n. 20, ha preso vita anche in Italia il Garante nazionale dei diritti delle persone con disabilità. Il presente contributo si propone di definire il ruolo della neonata istituzione alla luce del quadro costituzionale e nel sistema complessivo, anche internazionale, delle altre Autorità di garanzia poste a tutela dei diritti dei soggetti vulnerabili.

Massimiliano Verga

Il decreto legislativo 62 del 2024 rappresenta il cuore della riforma prevista dalla legge 227 del 2021, meglio conosciuta come legge delega in materia di disabilità. Tra le sue molteplici previsioni, sono contemplate anche una nuova definizione della “condizione di disabilità” e un significativo cambiamento delle attuali modalità relative al suo accertamento, laddove, in luogo delle procedure previste dalla legge 104 del 1992 (la nota legge quadro), viene introdotta la “valutazione di base”, che senza dubbio incarna un cambio di prospettiva maggiormente allineato ai principi sanciti dalla Convenzione Onu del 2006, ratificata nel nostro Paese nel 2009. In questo contributo si cercherà di dare rilievo agli apprezzabili aspetti formali che connotano queste “novità” legislative, tuttavia dando al contempo conto delle attuali criticità che sembrano segnare una preoccupante distanza tra gli intenti dichiarati dal legislatore e la loro concreta attuazione.

Tim Donkers, Jürgen Ziegler

The rise of social media has fundamentally transformed how people engage in public discourse and form opinions. While these platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for democratic engagement, they have been implicated in increasing social polarization and the formation of ideological echo chambers. Previous research has primarily relied on observational studies of social media data or theoretical modeling approaches, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of how individuals respond to and are influenced by polarized online environments. Here we present a novel experimental framework for investigating polarization dynamics that allows human users to interact with LLM-based artificial agents in a controlled social network simulation. Through a user study with 122 participants, we demonstrate that this approach can successfully reproduce key characteristics of polarized online discourse while enabling precise manipulation of environmental factors. Our results provide empirical validation of theoretical predictions about online polarization, showing that polarized environments significantly increase perceived emotionality and group identity salience while reducing expressed uncertainty. These findings extend previous observational and theoretical work by providing causal evidence for how specific features of online environments influence user perceptions and behaviors. More broadly, this research introduces a powerful new methodology for studying social media dynamics, offering researchers unprecedented control over experimental conditions while maintaining ecological validity.

Amaratou Mahamadou Saley, Thierry Moyaux, Aïcha Sekhari et al.

The convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 has significantly enhanced data-driven methodologies within the nuclear industry, notably enhancing safety and economic efficiency. This advancement challenges the precise prediction of future maintenance needs for assets, which is crucial for reducing downtime and operational costs. However, the effectiveness of data-driven methodologies in the nuclear sector requires extensive domain knowledge due to the complexity of the systems involved. Thus, this paper proposes a novel predictive maintenance methodology that combines data-driven techniques with domain knowledge from a nuclear equipment. The methodological originality of this paper is located on two levels: highlighting the limitations of purely data-driven approaches and demonstrating the importance of knowledge in enhancing the performance of the predictive models. The applicative novelty of this work lies in its use within a domain such as a nuclear industry, which is highly restricted and ultrasensitive due to security, economic and environmental concerns. A detailed real-world case study which compares the current state of equipment monitoring with two scenarios, demonstrate that the methodology significantly outperforms purely data-driven methods in failure prediction. While purely data-driven methods achieve only a modest performance with a prediction horizon limited to 3 h and a F1 score of 56.36%, the hybrid approach increases the prediction horizon to 24 h and achieves a higher F1 score of 93.12%.

Alex Farach, Alexia Cambon, Jared Spataro

As the digital economy grows increasingly intangible, traditional productivity measures struggle to capture the true economic impact of artificial intelligence (AI). AI systems capable of cognitive work significantly enhance productivity, yet their contributions remain obscured within the residual category of Total Factor Productivity (TFP). This paper explores whether it is time for a conceptual shift to explicitly recognize "digital labor," the autonomous cognitive capability of AI, as a distinct factor of production alongside capital and human labor. We outline the unique economic properties of digital labor, including scalability, intangibility, self-improvement, rapid obsolescence, and elastic substitutability. By integrating digital labor into growth models (such as those by Solow and Romer), we demonstrate strategic implications for business leaders, including new approaches to productivity tracking, resource allocation, investment strategy, and organizational design. Ultimately, treating digital labor as an independent factor offers a clearer view of economic growth and helps organizations manage AI's transformative potential.

A. Barkova

Requalifi has become especially relevant in the contemporary postindustrial society characterized by dynamic social-technological changes, labor market transformation and, consequently, the need for professional adaptation. The article presents a comprehensive analysis of this social-economic phenomenon in today’s realities, under technological innovations, automation of production processes and globalization of economic relations radically changing the requirements for professional competencies. Methodological diffi in the study of requalifi are determined by the lack of its common understanding. The analysis of Russian and foreign research data shows that “requalifi and “professional retraining” are often perceived as synonyms, which distorts statistical data. An important research problem is the lack of systematic mechanisms for recording cases of a complete change of profession. As a rule, labor market monitoring systems record only facts of professional mobility without diff them by specifi areas/specialization or degree of change, which signifi limits opportunities for the analysis of effi of various models of professional adaptation. Requalifi is a complex multidimensional process that can be forced or proactive, full (cardinal change of professional sphere) or partial (expanded or deepened competencies). This phenomenon is closely related to various forms of professional mobility: upshifting (a higher professional position), downshifting (conscious decline in professional status) and horizontal. Each of these forms refl diff strategies of adaptation to changing labor market conditions and personal professional aspirations, thus, demonstrating the diversity of professional trajectories in the contemporary economy. Despite many vivid examples of successful career change, a systematic analysis of secondary data and surveys reveals a paradoxical trend: many people want to change their profession, but the majority of those who decided on radical retraining remain dissatisfi with its results, and this contradiction between media success stories and real situation requires further analysis. At the same time, the highest level of professional satisfaction is observed among workers who managed non-radical requalifi doctors who changed their fi of activity or drivers who changed their type of vehicle.

Sisi Liu, Yangliuyun Hu

With current advances in science and technology, the gradual integration of intelligent products with all facets of social production and existence has significantly influenced the economy and the job market. This paper adopts the standpoint of education psychology to examine various aspects of the impact of intelligent technology on labor force employment. First, this paper evaluates the impact of educational psychology on the development of employability in light of current conditions. Second, three geographic weight matrices are created, and the spatial Durbin model and panel data model are used to analyze the effects of the development of artificial intelligence on China's employment scale and structure. Finally, the influence of robot application on the quantity and quality of employment in the human–computer interaction industry in China is examined using the benchmark regression method.

Muneeb Afaq Muneeb Afaq

Industrial workers play a pivotal role in the economic development of a nation by driving production, contributing to exports, and ensuring the smooth operation of industries across sectors such as manufacturing, construction, mining, and textiles. They are the backbone of industrialization and globalization, facilitating economic growth and technological advancements. However, despite their significant contributions, the socio-economic conditions of industrial workers remain a major concern in both developing and developed countries. The well-being of industrial workers is influenced by various factors, including income levels, job security, working conditions, health facilities, education, and social welfare benefits. Many industrial workers, particularly those in developing economies, face challenges such as low wages, long working hours, unsafe work environments, lack of social security, and inadequate healthcare. Furthermore, the global shift towards automation and contract-based employment has increased job insecurity among workers, making their economic stability even more vulnerable. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the socioeconomic conditions of industrial workers by assessing their earnings, working hours, job stability, occupational hazards, access to social security, and overall quality of life. It also evaluates the impact of industrial policies, labor laws, and government regulations in improving or worsening their conditions. The findings of this study will highlight the key challenges faced by industrial workers and suggest policy recommendations to enhance their welfare and economic security.

Ali akbar, Dr. Tansif Ur Rehman, Sana Baig

Labor laws in Pakistan constitute a crucial legal framework that regulates the relationship between employer and employee to bring about respect for employee rights and fair treatment of employees, which includes making sure that they work in conditions that meet minimum safety and health standards. These laws are based on constitutional guarantees and also seek, through these laws, to achieve social justice, protection for workers, economic stability and paying workers fairly for their work. There are many statutes governing labor relations in Pakistan which include, but are not limited to, the Factories Act of 1934, the Industrial and Commercial Employment Ordinance of 1968, and the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Act of 1976. With the 18th Constitutional Amendment, "pending responsibilities" of federal labor matters were transferred from the federal level to the provincial level, and provinces in Pakistan have been implementing labor laws differently. In this article, we will discuss the evolution of labor law in Pakistan, the key provisions governing labor law in Pakistan, and current challenges regarding labor law in Pakistan.

E. Getembe

Labor issues significantly impact Kenya’s economic and social development, shaping employment patterns, industrial relations, and public service delivery. Despite notable legislative frameworks such as the Employment Act, the Labor Relations Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, challenges such as unemployment, wage disparities, informal employment, and labor disputes persist. The rise of the gig economy, technological advancements, and globalization have further transformed Kenya’s labor landscape, influencing job security and working conditions. This study examines key labor challenges in Kenya, focusing on industrial actions, union activities, and the status of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). It investigates the grievances raised by workers, including salary delays, poor working conditions, and unfulfilled agreements, which often lead to labor strikes and disruptions. The study also explores the role of government and regulatory bodies in managing labor relations and enforcing labor laws. Findings indicate that while Kenya has established legal protections for workers, enforcement remains inconsistent, leading to prolonged labor disputes and economic instability. The informal sector, which employs a significant portion of the workforce, lacks proper labor protections, exacerbating job insecurity and wage exploitation. Furthermore, delays in implementing CBAs contribute to recurring industrial unrest, affecting key sectors such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing. To address these issues, the study recommends strengthening labor law enforcement, enhancing social dialogue between stakeholders, and implementing timely dispute resolution mechanisms. Expanding worker protections in the informal sector and adapting labor policies to accommodate evolving employment trends will also be critical. By addressing these challenges, Kenya can foster a more stable and productive labor environment, promoting sustainable economic growth and social welfare.

Maksym Khayuk

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the organizational and legal mechanisms for implementing state occupational safety policy in Ukraine. The study examines occupational safety in both its broad and narrow interpretations. From a broad perspective, occupational safety is defined as a comprehensive system of legal norms regulating the entire spectrum of social relations in the sphere of employment. The narrow interpretation focuses specifically on normative restrictions regarding the employment of certain worker categories, representing a specialized legal regime within occupational safety regulation. The study identifies several fundamental characteristics of occupational safety. The social dimension prioritizes human life and health as supreme social values within the labor process, establishing worker protection as a cornerstone of state social policy. The economic aspect entails the employer's responsibility to provide proper working conditions, creating an environment where both employee welfare and broader state economic interests are optimized. The legal dimension manifests through explicit regulatory guarantees for preserving workers' life and health, formally established in normative acts. The supervisory-control function enables state verification of employer compliance through specially authorized bodies. Furthermore, occupational safety demonstrates interdisciplinary connections with sociology, safety engineering, ecology, labor hygiene and physiology, psychology, engineering psychology, technical aesthetics, and related fields. The implementation of state policy in occupational safety is framed by a system of specific principles. These include: the primacy of workers' life and health; full employer responsibility for establishing proper, safe, and healthy working conditions; enhancement of industrial safety through comprehensive technical oversight of production processes, technologies, and products, alongside state support for enterprises in creating safe work environments; integrated solutions based on national, sectoral, and regional programs aligned with socioeconomic policies, scientific advancements, and environmental protection; social protection of workers with full compensation for occupational injuries and diseases; uniform safety standards for all enterprises regardless of ownership or activity type; adaptation of labor processes to workers' physiological and psychological capacities; and economic management methods, including state funding and voluntary contributions for safety measures.

O. Novikova, L. Logacheva

The main problems of labor protection in industry have been revealed, approaches and mechanisms of ensuring labor safety as a key component of decent work have been explored. The indicators characterizing the condition of working conditions and industrial safety at industrial enterprises of Ukraine are analyzed. Multidirectional trends in the number of employed in unfavorable working conditions and workers who are entitled to benefits and compensation for work in harmful and dangerous working conditions are revealed. It shows a high proportion of full-time employees employed in harmful labor conditions at industrial enterprises with differentiation in different branches of industry. Based on the results of the analysis of the dynamics of the number of industrial workers employed in excess of hygienic standards for hazardous factors, it was found that the greatest influence is produced by industrial noise, ultrasound, infrasound, microclimate, severity and labor intensity. The indicators of the gender component of the employed in unfavorable working conditions are analyzed, the necessity of carrying out a gender-sensitive policy for improving the state of occupational safety and health in high-risk industries is substantiated. The influence of social and economic consequences of work in harmful and dangerous working conditions on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of industrial labor potential is analyzed. Proposals and recommendations have been developed to enhance the social and labor potential of industry through overcoming negative phenomena caused by unfavorable working conditions and the imbalance of economic efficiency and social effectiveness of labor protection measures.