This book challenges the prevailing philosophical reduction of social justice to distributive justice. It critically analyzes basic concepts underlying most theories of justice, including impartiality, formal equality, and the unitary moral subjectivity. Starting from claims of excluded groups about decision making, cultural expression, and division of labor, Iris Young defines concepts of domination and oppression to cover issues eluding the distributive model. Democratic theorists, according to Young do not adequately address the problem of an inclusive participatory framework. By assuming a homogeneous public, they fail to consider institutional arrangements for including people not culturally identified with white European male norms of reason and respectability. Young urges that normative theory and public policy should undermine group-based oppression by affirming rather than suppressing social group difference. Basing her vision of the good society on the differentiated, culturally plural network of contemporary urban life, she argues for a principle of group representation in democratic publics and for group-differentiated policies. "This is an innovative work, an important contribution to feminist theory and political thought, and one of the most impressive statements of the relationship between postmodernist critiques of universalism and concrete thinking.... Iris Young makes the most convincing case I know of for the emancipatory implications of postmodernism." --Seyla Benhabib, State University of New York at Stony Brook
Erica Chavez Santos, India J. Ornelas, Heather D. Hill
et al.
Agricultural workers are often excluded from labor laws; while some states have expanded labor protections and health and safety rules for agricultural workers, many states have not. We developed an agricultural worker labor law equity index (LLEI) using legal epidemiology methods. The LLEI evaluates state laws related to 3 labor protection topics—workers’ compensation, minimum wage, and overtime pay—across 39 states from 2001 to 2017. For each topic, we scored states according to the extent to which they afforded protections to agricultural workers, where higher LLEI scores indicate more inclusive labor protections for agricultural workers. Most states had positive scores ( N = 23, 59%), 8 states (20.5%) scored 0, and 8 states (20.5%) had negative scores. This study provides a greater understanding of the variation in labor protections for agricultural workers across 39 U.S. states. Future studies can use the LLEI to examine the impact of labor laws on agricultural workers’ health.
This article examines the challenges and progress in achieving more equal access and a gradual move toward the universalization of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services in Spain, with a focus on the First Cycle (Primer Ciclo) of Educación Infantil, which targets children aged 0–3. Quality interventions at this stage are crucial for holistic child development, promoting gender equality, and addressing the ongoing care crisis. To this end, recent developments in ECEC policy are reviewed and analyzed, highlighting the role of early education in mitigating social inequalities and the gradual expansion of publicly funded care services. Despite notable advances, significant disparities persist, especially among large families, single-parent households (predominantly headed by women), and groups facing economic vulnerability, migration-related barriers, or ethnic discrimination. These gaps reflect deeper structural gender inequalities rooted in the sexual division of reproductive labor and the unequal distribution of care responsibilities. Building on this, the article advocates for comprehensive public policies aimed at universalizing access, improving service quality, and promoting decent employment in the care sector. The establishment of Spain’s first National Care Strategy in 2022 marks a significant step toward cross-sector collaboration and a feminist transformation of care policy, articulated around the 5Rs of care (Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, Represent) and aimed at advancing the defamilialization and defeminization of care provision through greater state involvement. Ultimately, the article calls for sustained political commitment to expanding equitable and high-quality ECEC as a social right and a pillar of social justice and the welfare state.
Abstract This study reviews recent empirical research on gender equality and decent work environments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), highlighting their vital role in sustainable development. The scoping review encompasses studies published from 2018 to 2024 and credible international reports to depict the current state of SSA. The findings indicate modest advancements in gender equality and decent work in SSA, notably through increased educational opportunities, women’s labor force participation, and legal reforms. For example, gender pay equity in SSA improved slightly, with women earning 40–46 % less than men, and a parity score of 68.4 % in 2024, marking a 0.4 % increase from 2023 and a total improvement of five-percentage-point since 2006. However, challenges persist, such as wage disparities and higher unemployment among young women (27 %) compared to young men (16.9 %). The Gender Inequality Index reflects uneven progress across the region, with some countries like Cabo Verde and Mauritius achieving higher rankings in gender equality, while others, such as Nigeria and Somalia, face systemic barriers such as structural inequalities, weak policy enforcement, and cultural discrimination. Implementation of decent work principles including fair wages, safe working conditions, and social protections also remains inconsistent across SSA. Challenges such as inadequate social protections and limited equitable employment opportunities, hinder socioeconomic development. The study recommends a coordinated approach among governments, organizations, and stakeholders to align SSA’s progress with global gender equity and decent work standards, thereby advancing sustainable development.
The article examines the enterprise's HR management strategy in the context of European integration as an effective tool for increasing its competitiveness. The relevance of the topic is due to the need for deep adaptation of Ukrainian enterprises to the standards of the European Union, which include high requirements for working conditions, the principles of equality and inclusion, continuous professional development, digitalization of HR processes and transparency of personnel policy. It is emphasized that human capital is becoming a key source of competitive advantages, and effective HR management is a necessary condition for integration into the European economic space. A critical analysis of modern scientific research and practices in the field of strategic HR management was conducted, which allowed us to identify a scientific gap: an insufficient level of integration of European HR standards and practices into the corporate strategies of Ukrainian enterprises. The purpose of the study is to develop and substantiate a comprehensive HR strategy that combines European approaches to human resources management with national characteristics of the business environment and is focused on increasing the competitiveness of the enterprise. The methodological basis of the study is a systematic approach, analysis and synthesis, comparative analysis, SWOT analysis, expert assessment method and graphic modeling. The proposed strategy includes six key components: strategic orientation on human capital, adaptation to European standards, a system of continuous learning (Lifelong Learning), digitalization of HR processes, development of innovative and corporate culture, as well as a motivational policy of the European model. The implementation of the strategy involves four consecutive stages: diagnostics of the current state of the HR system, design of measures and tools, implementation of developed initiatives, monitoring and adjustment considering changes in the external environment. The expected results include an increase in labor productivity by 15–20% in the medium term, a decrease in staff turnover, an increase in innovative activity and strengthening the market positions of the enterprise both in the domestic and foreign markets. A graphic model of the strategy is presented, which reflects the relationship between its components, implementation stages and expected effects. The results of the study have theoretical and practical value and can be used by business leaders, HR specialists and consultants to develop their own personnel development programs adapted to the requirements of the European integration environment.
Economics as a science, Business records management
Reward-based alignment methods for large language models (LLMs) face two key limitations: vulnerability to reward hacking, where models exploit flaws in the reward signal; and reliance on brittle, labor-intensive prompt engineering when LLMs are used as reward models. We introduce Meta Policy Optimization (MPO), a framework that addresses these challenges by integrating a meta-reward model that dynamically refines the reward model's prompt throughout training. In MPO, the meta-reward model monitors the evolving training context and continuously adjusts the reward model's prompt to maintain high alignment, providing an adaptive reward signal that resists exploitation by the policy. This meta-learning approach promotes a more stable policy optimization, and greatly reduces the need for manual reward prompt design. It yields performance on par with or better than models guided by extensively hand-crafted reward prompts. Furthermore, we show that MPO maintains its effectiveness across diverse tasks, from essay writing to mathematical reasoning, without requiring specialized reward designs. Beyond standard RLAIF, MPO's meta-learning formulation is readily extensible to higher-level alignment frameworks. Overall, this method addresses theoretical and practical challenges in reward-based RL alignment for LLMs, paving the way for more robust and adaptable alignment strategies. The code and data can be accessed at: https://github.com/minnesotanlp/mpo
The modern competitiveness of the state increasingly depends not on natural resources or material wealth, but on the ability of society to form and effectively realize labor potentialIn the context of digitalization, global challenges and internal transformations, young people are faced with new requirements for professional self-realization, which actualizes the need to study the motivational factors of their labor activity. The purpose of the article is to deepen the theoretical and methodological principles for determining the determinants of the quality of working life of young people in Ukraine through the prism of their economic self-actualization. In the process of research, general scientific and special methods were used: analysis and synthesis, socio-economic modeling, statistical data processing and analytical grouping. As a result of the research, it was proposed to formalize the process of making economic decisions by young people regarding working life through the projection of Maslow's motivational model onto working life as an economic component of young people's activities; conceptualized the organizational and economic mechanism of self-actualization of youth in the sphere of labor relations; established the crucial importance of the vector “type of economic activity. In theoretical terms, the transition from social motivation processes to their economic projections provides the possibility of analytical assessment of economic and organizational factors of the quality of working life of Ukrainian youth. In practical terms, four typical models of sectoral use of human capital were identified, which allows forming a toolkit for the formation of an effective motivational policy focused creating conditions for self-realization, which is a key factor in ensuring sustainable socio-economic development of the state. Prospects for further research lie in studying the behavioral characteristics of labor market subjects for a deeper understanding of the logic of individual choices of young people and the mechanisms of differentiation of their economic behavior in the labor market. The article is empirical.
The relevance of the research topic is determined by the importance and significance of the State's tax system in shaping the volumes of mobilised revenues of the country's budgets and creating conditions for the proper development of both business and government activities. The tax system, being one of the most important components of the existence and effective functioning of the state, is influenced by a significant set of both internal and external factors, with a special connection between the level of development of the tax system and the level of financial stability. In today's environment, it is increasingly important to pay more attention not only to expanding the tax base, the composition of taxpayers, and revising tax rates, but also to preventing negative results of financial factors of influence. The article is devoted to the study of the impact of financial instability on the development of the tax system in order to achieve sustainable development indicators. The study was based on general and special methods of cognition, which deepened the disclosure of the essence of the studied impact. The author's vision of the process of financial instability is presented. The main hypothesis of the study was the existence of a negative impact of financial instability on the volume of tax revenues of the state, the development of tax shadowing and a decrease in the effectiveness of the overall indicators of tax administration. The obtained results graphically demonstrate the role of the tax system in the status of a managed and controlling system with the identification of financial factors and channels of influence on its performance indicators. The originality of the study is manifested in a comprehensive systematisation of the consequences and problematic aspects of the negative impact of financial instability on the tax system (changes in the volume of mobilised tax payments, their depreciation, changes in the level of tax burden, shadowing of activities, revision of the composition of tax payments and taxation conditions, deterioration of the results of tax administration, etc.) The scientific novelty is realised in the following research perspectives. It is advisable to use the results of the study as a basis for revising the existing principles of the state's tax and financial policy and applying effective instruments of financial and tax regulation and influence to achieve the goals of sustainable development.
The purpose of this study is to examine the legal and economic ramifications of wage policy reforms in South Africa, particularly in relation to the abolition of subminimum wage rates. Minimum wage is a crucial step toward reducing income inequality and promoting social justice, the implementation of such policies may inadvertently create economic challenges. The study explores how wage reforms have been applied in a post-apartheid legal framework, considering whether they have effectively balanced worker rights with economic sustainability. By analysing legislative measures, court rulings, and economic trends, this paper investigates whether wage policies have contributed to meaningful socioeconomic progress or if they have, in some instances, hindered employment opportunities and economic stability. The authors will assess the extent to which wage reforms align with constitutional principles of fairness, equality, and human dignity. This study will also evaluate whether the state has effectively mitigated unintended consequences, such as job losses and reduced competitiveness for small businesses. This research further aims to explore whether wage increases have translated into tangible improvements in workers' quality of life, access to essential services, and overall economic participation. The authors hope that the arguments presented in this paper would assist in understanding the intricate balance between economic growth and labor rights, offering insights into the evolving role of wage policy in post-apartheid South Africa.
Introduction. One of the goals of macroeconomic policy of any country is to achieve high economic results, improve the living standards of the population and satisfy their unlimited needs in conditions of limited economic resources, and solve the socio-economic problems of the country related to its economic development. Therefore, economic growth is important for Ukraine, as well as for other countries in the world, because it will give it the opportunity to develop, create a strong economy, and enter global business as a full-fledged competitor and partner. Methods. In the research process, a historical-logical method was used, which made it possible to explore the essence of economic growth. Comparative analysis was used to compare approaches to the study of economic growth and to review publications. The study of GDP dynamics was carried out using the dialectical method. The study used statistical information from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine for the period 2010-2023. The main source of information is the section of the statistical yearbook "National Accounts of Ukraine" on the website of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, which contains information on GDP and population. Correlation-regression analysis was used to construct and analyze the Cobb-Douglas production function of GDP dependence on the volume of fixed assets and labor productivity in the form of a regression equation Y = 1489K0,13775 L0,93478, which provides an estimate of the strength of the relationship. The coefficient of multiple determination R2 is 0,992, which indicates the adequacy of the model to real reality. To assess the impact of economic factors on the country's economic growth, the econometric method of data testing in the Excel software package was used. The abstract-theoretical method was used in the formation of generalizations and theoretical conclusions. Results. The conducted studies showed that among scientists there is no single scientific point of view on the theory of economic growth. This economic category is studied at both the micro and macro levels, which makes it possible to use various models to form effective strategies for economic growth of the economy, taking into account factors that will influence the development of the country in the long term. The study, based on statistical information for the period 2010-2023, calculated the parameters of the Cobb-Douglas production function for Ukraine and justified the use of the values of the cost of fixed capital and labor productivity as parameters of this function. The study showed the existence of a close causal relationship between GDP volume and the cost of fixed assets and labor productivity. GDP modeling was carried out using the Cobb-Douglas function, also comparing it with the actual values of Ukraine's GDP. The production function allows you to perform analytical calculations, determine the efficiency of using economic resources, the feasibility of their use in the production process, and also predict production volumes. Discussion. The obtained research results can be used in the analysis of macroeconomic indicators of economic growth of Ukraine, as well as in the further use of not only the Cobb-Douglas functions in the study of production volume, and the use of the latest trends in economic growth using climate change, economic and financial risks, digitalization. It is necessary to pay attention to political and institutional changes and reforms that affect the dynamics of GDP. Ukraine should focus on the experience of developing countries, as it has all the resources to produce high-tech products in all industries and is focused on the development of technologies and automation, but the future depends on effective management, from investment in recovery, from partners, reforms regarding internal development and integration with the EU. Keywords: economic growth, economic growth models, gross domestic product, factors of production, labor productivity, cost of fixed assets, Cobb-Douglas production function.
China's economy began to grow at an unprecedented rate around 1980 because of changes adopted under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. He called it “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” The policy that launched those changes was the Household Contract Responsibility System (HCRS), which added private incentives to a production system based on social obligations. Viewed in that way, the HCRS bears a striking resemblance to the theory of American economist Henry George, who also sought to combine social responsibility and private initiative into a single system. Under the HCRS system, land belongs to the state, but farmers have the right to autonomous production and disposal of surplus products, greatly improving agricultural production efficiency and farmers' incomes. Under the system proposed by Henry George, land is held privately, but the full economic value of land is captured by the state in the form of a tax, so the net effect is almost exactly the same as a system of state‐owned land. As with the HCRS, George's system allows workers to gain the full value of their labor after their social obligations (payment of the land tax) are met. Although the two systems are different, their deep structure converges around the interaction of social obligation and private initiative. Both are systems designed to solve an ancient problem of how to extract revenue for public services with the least burden on the economy. The main difference between the two systems is that China actually adopted the HCRS—leading to 30 years of astonishing economic growth, whereas Western nations continue to ignore Henry George's ideas and allow their economies to stagnate. Henry George did not inspire China's economic miracle, but the basic principles are the same.
Drawing on the successful industrialization and catch-up experience of the UK, the US, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and Japan, and later South Korea and Taiwan, we argue that industrialization is a necessary phase for normal economies to stimulate rapid economic growth and structural change. This paper compares Pakistan’s industrialization with that of selected economies in East Asia. The evidence shows that Pakistan not only has the lowest GDP per capita of this group, it has also industrialized the least. Pakistan enjoyed its highest manufacturing growth rates in the 1950s and 1960s. Thereafter, manufacturing grew slowly and unevenly until the 1990s and 2006, largely through clothing exports.
While Pakistan has faced deindustrialization since 2006, technology upgrading was never an integral part of its industrial policy. In contrast, the developmental role of the state, with a strong focus on technological catch-up and science-based education, is what propelled South Korea’s leading firms to the world’s technology frontier. Clientelist pressures compromised a similar role in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, although foreign-owned firms helped expand their manufactured exports. A structured technology upgrading framework was never part of policy planning in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, while Malaysia’s technology upgrading blueprint, launched in 1991, lacked sound execution. Export manufacturing in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia through imports of cheap foreign labor has benefited from low wages and foreign direct investment. The comparison offers Pakistan an opportunity to learn from both the more successful and less successful industrializers in East Asia, that it might create the conditions for rapid economic growth and structural change.
Keywords: Industrialization, deindustrialization, industrial policy, technological upgrading, Pakistan.
La monografía “Vacíos e insuficiencias en la adaptación y protección adecuada a las personas trabajadoras con discapacidad” escrita por José Luis Ruiz Santamaría, Profesor Ayudante Doctor de Derecho del Trabajo de la Seguridad Social y de la Seguridad Social (acreditado ya a Profesor Contratado Doctor) en la Universidad de Málaga, se presenta como una obra profundamente analítica y una contribución significativa al estudio de un tema de gran relevancia y complejidad: La protección de las personas con discapacidad en el ámbito laboral. El autor, con su profundo conocimiento en esta materia, aborda esta cuestión desde una perspectiva multidisciplinaria que combina elementos jurídicos y sociológicos.
A vitória democrático-progressista na eleição presidencial de 2022 permitiu a retomada de políticas públicas de construção de práticas alternativas, o que fez aflorar uma disputa político-conceitual em diversos campos. Apresentamos o processo de construção do Documento Final da Conferência Livre de Tecnologia Social, Economia Solidária e Tecnologia Assistiva, no âmbito da V Conferência Nacional de CT&I. Esperamos difundir esse relevante processo de articulação e mobilização da sociedade civil em prol de políticas públicas mais vinculadas a processos efetivos de transformação.
Palavra-chave: Tecnologia Social e Economia Solidária; Tecnologia Assistiva; Participação Social.
Special aspects of education, Labor market. Labor supply. Labor demand
Motivated by equilibrium models of labor markets, we develop a formulation of causal strategic classification in which strategic agents can directly manipulate their outcomes. As an application, we compare employers that anticipate the strategic response of a labor force with employers that do not. We show through a combination of theory and experiment that employers with performatively optimal hiring policies improve employer reward, labor force skill level, and in some cases labor force equity. On the other hand, we demonstrate that performative employers harm labor force utility and fail to prevent discrimination in other cases.
This article examines the intersecting oppressions of Danish welfare politics and its emerging interest in emancipating ‘immigrant’ women and girls. It draws on Patricia Hill Collins’ notion of controlling images and, based on a documentary text corpus, it identifies how the images of the unfree immigrant housewife and the inhibited immigrant girl are formed through oxymoronic liberal arguments of care and control. The article demonstrates how this plays out in an assemblage of policy documents and suggests why welfare professionalism is called upon to ‘rescue’ ‘immigrant’ women and girls, situating welfare politics and professionalism within the racial welfare state and its racial capitalist and Orientalist logics. The analyses demonstrate how gendered and racialized signifiers help to structure welfare politics and professionalism, and how a space of emancipation is intertwined with a global economic division of labor. The article suggests that racialized welfare politics and professionalism are permeated by the desire to emancipate women, which remains a powerful impulse within Danish welfare state capitalism, liberalism and social-democratic reasoning.
Employers’ associations are formed by capital owners to protect and develop their common economic rights and interests in industrial relations. Employers’ associations were founded based on the change in interclass relations after the Industrial Revolution and have played an important role in the process of making rules regarding industrial relations for a long time, having achieved great success in protecting the class interests of their members. However, the weakening in the reasons that led to the formation of employers’ associations in the following period caused these institutions to lose their members and power to a significant extent. As a result, employers’ associations have taken various measures to prevent membership losses and to maintain their power. This article discusses England, Germany, and the United States of America as examples of countries where employers’ associations developed early. Employers’ associations are observed to have undergone a significant transformation as a result of their struggles and activities related to maintaining their existence, and they started undertaking the activities of other employers’ organizations in this context and in line with their capabilities. Based on these changes, this study concludes that employers’ associations have gone beyond being pure industrial relations organizations to gradually having become hybrid organizations.
Industrial relations, Social insurance. Social security. Pension
La conocida como Ley Rider (Ley 12/2021), fruto de un acuerdo social, establece una presunción de laboralidad en el ámbito de las plataformas digitales de reparto de mercancías. Esta presunción asocia la laboralidad a la organización, dirección y control de forma directa, indirecta o implícita, mediante la gestión algorítmica del servicio o de las condiciones de trabajo, a través de una plataforma digital. Nuestro estudio no es tanto un análisis de las condiciones de esta presunción, que ha sido objeto de atención doctrinal, sino de las consecuencias de su aplicación en los dos años de vigencia de esta norma. La realidad muestra que el sector de plataformas digitales de reparto de mercancías continúa operando con modelos, corregidos, de trabajo autónomo y que, en las empresas con libertad de elección del Rider, la presencia de trabajo autónomo es abrumadora. La aplicación de esta Ley ha creado, por tanto, una gran frustración. En este artículo indagamos sobre las causas de este conflicto entre el deseo normativo y la realidad. Sobre esta base, analizamos el camino que marca ya el proyecto de directiva europea de plataformas digitales, con mayor seguridad jurídica y flexibilidad. Y, desde estas consideraciones, aportamos propuestas de regulación de las plataformas digitales que no conduzcan a esta frustración, abriendo tres modelos: relación laboral especial, flotas y autónomo económicamente dependiente con protección social.
ABSTRAK. Pabrik gula di pulau Jawa mengalami perkembangan yang pesat pada awal abad ke-18 ketika Belanda menerapkan kebijakan tanam paksa perkebunan tebu. Perubahan dinamika politik dan perubahan dalam pengelolaan berdampak juga berdampak pada penutupan pabrik gula. Pemerintah melalui kementerian BUMN kemudian melakukan revitalisasi pada beberapa pabrik gula yang sudah tidak beroperasi. Hal ini dilakukan untuk melestarikan bangunan bersejarah dan juga memberikan nilai tambah bagi bangunan. Revitalisasi dilakukan dengan cara merubah fungsi bangunan menjadi obyek wisata dengan melakukan beberapa perubahan pada kawasan pabrik gula untuk mendukung kegiatan tersebut salah satunya adalah Pabrik Gula Colomadu. Perubahan fungsi pabrik gula tersebut menyebabkan adanya perubahan spasial pada bangunan dan lingkungan termasuk pada kawasan emplasement. Metode yang digunakan bersifat kualitatif dalam upaya untuk mengkaji secara mendalam mengenai perubahan pola spasial pabrik gula yang telah mengalami revitalisasi sebagai upaya meningkatkan nilai dan visual bangunan. Hasil penelitian ini untuk mengetahui dinamika perubahan kawasan dan fungsi bangunan pabrik gula yang mengalami revitalisasi dengan adaptive reuse.
Kata kunci:pola perubahan kawasan, perubahan fungsi bangunan, Eks Pabrik Gula Colomadu
ABSTRACT. Sugar factories in Java Island experienced rapid development in the early 18th century when the Dutch implemented a forced labor policy at the sugarcane plantation. Dynamics in political and managerial changes caused the closure of sugar factories. Through the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, the government revitalized several sugar factories that were no longer operating. The revitalization was carried out to preserve historic buildings and provide added value to them. This plan was carried out by changing the function of the building into a tourist attraction and making several changes to the sugar factories. One of the revitalized sugar factories is the Colomadu Sugar Factory. The difference in the function of the sugar factory causes spatial differences in the building and the environment, including the emplacement area. The method used is qualitative to examine in depth the changes in the sugar factory's spatial pattern, which has undergone revitalization as an effort to increase the value and visuals of the building. The results of this study are to examine the dynamics of changes in the area and function of the sugar factory, which was revitalized through adaptive reuse.
Keywords: area change pattern, change of building function, former Colomadu Sugar Factory