P-352 Beyond individualisation: towards a more contextualised understanding of women’s social egg freezing experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. De Proost ◽  
G Coene ◽  
J Nekkebroeck ◽  
V Provoost
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Normative Claim ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Societal Challenge ◽  
Societal Problems ◽  
Egg Freezing ◽  
Social Egg Freezing

Abstract Study question What are the moral perceptions and views of women considering social egg freezing? Summary answer Participants did not perceive egg freezing as a morally problematic solution to societal problems but addressed concerns about relationship formation and wanted more social efforts. What is known already Central to the social egg freezing debate is the individualisation argument which underlines the idea that it is morally problematic to use individual medical-technological solutions, such as egg freezing, to solve the societal challenges women face, for instance in the current labour market. It has been said that, instead of quick medical-technical solutions that target individual women’s bodies, we should focus on substantive changes that target the androcentric work culture. This theme relates to feminist concerns about unnecessary medicalisation geared towards women. Furthermore, there is a call for more empirical studies to back up this central normative claim. Study design, size, duration Seventeen participants were recruited by psychologists working in two Belgian centres for reproductive medicine which offer egg freezing for social reasons. In addition, four participants were recruited through via social networks. Interviews took place between February 2019 and November 2020 at a location of the participants’ preference or through online video connections. Participants/materials, setting, methods At the beginning of the interview, open questions were asked to invite the participants to speak about social egg freezing in their own words. In the second part of the interview, we used four cards with controversial statements based on a study of the bioethics literature, to encourage the participants to reflect about ethical concerns. In this part, we engaged in Socratic dialogue. For the analysis, thematic analysis was used combined with interdisciplinary collaborative auditing. Main results and the role of chance This is the first study providing empirical evidence about (potential) egg freezers’ moral reasoning about individualisation arguments. Most participants in our study could make sense of the individualisation argument but emphasised another societal challenge rather than the current labour market. They highlighted ‘the lack of a partner relationship’ as driving their motivation for this procedure. The shortage of eligible partners has been well defined in social science scholarship about social egg freezing but this element has rarely been articulated in the premises of individualisation arguments. This topic of relationships is challenging to analyse from a normative perspective because it was experienced as much more personal and intimate by the women in our study than for instance measures to realise more fair labour conditions, such as improved access to childcare. Some participants believed egg freezing resulted from individual problems and found the individualisation argument not applicable to their own situation. Furthermore, no participant found the individualisation argument legitimate to depict social freezing as morally problematic. Nonetheless, the participants showed a sense of sympathy with women who lack access to egg freezing and were in favour of societal solutions in several public domains. Limitations, reasons for caution Given that we report on a small-scale qualitative study of possible social egg freezers at two Belgian fertility clinics, and that our study foregrounds the voices of mostly white higher educated women who were able to afford this technology, our results cannot be generalised to all social egg freezers. Wider implications of the findings Our findings can contribute to a better understanding of previously identified normative arguments (e.g., individualisation and unnecessary medicalisation). There is a definite need to further analyse the complex interplay between respecting autonomous choices and evaluating contextual factors in this debate and other practices where similar individualisation arguments are used. Trial registration number Not applicable

P–352 Beyond individualisation: towards a more contextualised understanding of women’s social egg freezing experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Proost ◽  
G Coene ◽  
J Nekkebroeck ◽  
V Provoost
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Normative Claim ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Societal Challenge ◽  
Societal Problems ◽  
Egg Freezing ◽  
Social Egg Freezing

Abstract Study question What are the moral perceptions and views of women considering social egg freezing? Summary answer Participants did not perceive egg freezing as a morally problematic solution to societal problems but addressed concerns about relationship formation and wanted more social efforts. What is known already Central to the social egg freezing debate is the individualisation argument which underlines the idea that it is morally problematic to use individual medical-technological solutions, such as egg freezing, to solve the societal challenges women face, for instance in the current labour market. It has been said that, instead of quick medical-technical solutions that target individual women’s bodies, we should focus on substantive changes that target the androcentric work culture. This theme relates to feminist concerns about unnecessary medicalisation geared towards women. Furthermore, there is a call for more empirical studies to back up this central normative claim. Study design, size, duration Seventeen participants were recruited by psychologists working in two Belgian centres for reproductive medicine which offer egg freezing for social reasons. In addition, four participants were recruited through via social networks. Interviews took place between February 2019 and November 2020 at a location of the participants’ preference or through online video connections. Participants/materials, setting, methods At the beginning of the interview, open questions were asked to invite the participants to speak about social egg freezing in their own words. In the second part of the interview, we used four cards with controversial statements based on a study of the bioethics literature, to encourage the participants to reflect about ethical concerns. In this part, we engaged in Socratic dialogue. For the analysis, thematic analysis was used combined with interdisciplinary collaborative auditing. Main results and the role of chance This is the first study providing empirical evidence about (potential) egg freezers’ moral reasoning about individualisation arguments. Most participants in our study could make sense of the individualisation argument but emphasised another societal challenge rather than the current labour market. They highlighted ‘the lack of a partner relationship’ as driving their motivation for this procedure. The shortage of eligible partners has been well defined in social science scholarship about social egg freezing but this element has rarely been articulated in the premises of individualisation arguments. This topic of relationships is challenging to analyse from a normative perspective because it was experienced as much more personal and intimate by the women in our study than for instance measures to realise more fair labour conditions, such as improved access to childcare. Some participants believed egg freezing resulted from individual problems and found the individualisation argument not applicable to their own situation. Furthermore, no participant found the individualisation argument legitimate to depict social freezing as morally problematic. Nonetheless, the participants showed a sense of sympathy with women who lack access to egg freezing and were in favour of societal solutions in several public domains. Limitations, reasons for caution Given that we report on a small-scale qualitative study of possible social egg freezers at two Belgian fertility clinics, and that our study foregrounds the voices of mostly white higher educated women who were able to afford this technology, our results cannot be generalised to all social egg freezers. Wider implications of the findings: Our findings can contribute to a better understanding of previously identified normative arguments (e.g., individualisation and unnecessary medicalisation). There is a definite need to further analyse the complex interplay between respecting autonomous choices and evaluating contextual factors in this debate and other practices where similar individualisation arguments are used. Trial registration number Not applicable

Beyond individualisation: towards a more contextualised understanding of women’s social egg freezing experiences

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-107190
Author(s):  
Michiel De Proost ◽  
Gily Coene ◽  
Julie Nekkebroeck ◽  
Veerle Provoost
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Relationship Formation ◽  
Normative Claim ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Egg Freezing ◽  
Social Egg Freezing

Recently, Petersen provided in this journal a critical discussion of individualisation arguments in the context of social egg freezing. This argument underlines the idea that it is morally problematic to use individual technological solutions to solve societal challenges that women face. So far, however, there is a lack of empirical data to contextualise his central normative claim that individualisation arguments are implausible. This article discusses an empirical study that supports a contextualised reading of the normative work of Petersen. Based on a qualitative interview study, we found that most women could make sense of this argument but addressed other concerns that are overlooked in the premises of moral individualisation arguments, for instance, the influence of relationship formation on the demand of egg freezing. Furthermore, women did not experience social egg freezing as morally problematic. Nonetheless, the interviewees pointed to a need of more societal solutions and even actively advocated for efforts to increase accessibility such as a partial reimbursement and better quality of information. The implications of these findings for empirical bioethics are discussed. While more research is needed, we argue that, in order to better address individualisation arguments and related ethical concerns, we need to contextualise normative evaluations within women’s moral reasoning.

scholarly journals Supply chain resilience in a developing country context: a case study on the interconnectedness of threats, strategies and outcomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 486-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Tukamuhabwa ◽  
Mark Stevenson ◽  
Jerry Busby
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Supply Network ◽  
Catastrophic Events ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience

Purpose In few prior empirical studies on supply chain resilience (SCRES), the focus has been on the developed world. Yet, organisations in developing countries constitute a significant part of global supply chains and have also experienced the disastrous effects of supply chain failures. The purpose of this paper is therefore to empirically investigate SCRES in a developing country context and to show that this also provides theoretical insights into the nature of what is meant by resilience. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, a supply network of 20 manufacturing firms in Uganda is analysed based on a total of 45 interviews. Findings The perceived threats to SCRES in this context are mainly small-scale, chronic disruptive events rather than discrete, large-scale catastrophic events typically emphasised in the literature. The data reveal how threats of disruption, resilience strategies and outcomes are inter-related in complex, coupled and non-linear ways. These interrelationships are explained by the political, cultural and territorial embeddedness of the supply network in a developing country. Further, this embeddedness contributes to the phenomenon of supply chain risk migration, whereby an attempt to mitigate one threat produces another threat and/or shifts the threat to another point in the supply network. Practical implications Managers should be aware, for example, of potential risk migration from one threat to another when crafting strategies to build SCRES. Equally, the potential for risk migration across the supply network means managers should look at the supply chain holistically because actors along the chain are so interconnected. Originality/value The paper goes beyond the extant literature by highlighting how SCRES is not only about responding to specific, isolated threats but about the continuous management of risk migration. It demonstrates that resilience requires both an understanding of the interconnectedness of threats, strategies and outcomes and an understanding of the embeddedness of the supply network. Finally, this study’s focus on the context of a developing country reveals that resilience should be equally concerned both with smaller in scale, chronic disruptions and with occasional, large-scale catastrophic events.

scholarly journals Reforming Payments to Healthcare Providers: The Key to Slowing Healthcare Cost Growth While Improving Quality?

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark McClellan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Provider Payment ◽  
Cost Growth ◽  
Quality And Outcomes ◽  
Welfare Implications

This paper focuses on a broad movement toward a fundamentally different way of paying healthcare providers. The approach reaches beyond the old dichotomies about whether healthcare providers are reimbursed on a fee-for-service or a “capitated” or per-person payment. Instead, these reforms seek to create direct linkages between payments to healthcare providers and measures of the quality and efficiency of care. After an overview of payment reforms for healthcare providers and their welfare implications, this paper discusses a range of empirical studies. These often small-scale studies suggest that provider payment reforms in conjunction with greater attention to improving measurements of care quality and outcomes can have a significant impact on quality of care and, in some cases, resource use and costs of care.

Elder Abuse and Consent Capacity

2018 ◽  
pp. 207-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaitsa Giannouli
Keyword(s):  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sexual Relations ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Capacity To Consent ◽  
Greek Society ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes

This chapter explores the findings of theoretical and empirical studies for the complicated construct of capacity to consent to sexual relations in elders. This is alongside an attempt to clarify through small-scale research, the knowledge and attitudes towards consent capacity as reported by elders themselves. Results indicate that Greek respondents are not fully informed about consent capacity and approach this topic as a taboo. Moreover, they believe that the Greek society and state do not provide adequate prevention programs. Future directions on how to make elders and their family members aware of consent capacity problems are discussed.

Media and Economic Inequality

2020 ◽  
pp. 70-88
Author(s):  
Andrea Grisold ◽  
Hendrik Theine
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Economic Inequality ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Data Analyses ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Approaches To Study ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Power ◽  
Information Providers

Chapter 4 reviews a focused selection of the existing research which sheds light on the role that the media play in relation to the circulation of certain sets of ideas and discourses concerning inequality issues and redistribution policies (i.e., the shaping of inequality preferences and beliefs). The main aim in this chapter is to analyse prior empirical studies which explore how this is shaped and informed by media coverage and engagement. To do so, the authors first outline the findings of survey data analyses on individuals’ perception of inequality, and their related position towards the necessity of redistribution. After that, the chapter provides a systematic overview of contemporary empirical studies which examine the media coverage of economic inequality and redistribution policies, and thus debate the role mass media play as information providers. We assess the underlying assumptions and the methodological approaches guiding the respective empirical findings, highlight the merits of this body of work and identify open questions for further research. The last part of this chapter provides a discussion of (currently rather neglected) political economy theories that offer rich theoretical approaches to study media, power, and inequality, thus an enhanced theoretically informed understanding beyond the mere empiricism.

Spatial Perspectives on Coworking Spaces and Related Practices in Beijing

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-54
Author(s):  
He Huang ◽  
Yangfanqi Liu ◽  
Yuebing Liang ◽  
David Vargas ◽  
Lu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Knowledge Economies ◽  
Coworking Spaces ◽  
The City

Coworking space is a recent manifestation of the emerging sharing economy. This is largely due to two core driving forces: a new working style in the creative and knowledge economies, and the sharing economy, which promotes resource usage efficiency. This paper develops an analytical framework for the spatial perspectives on coworking spaces according to the core driving forces at both the urban and architectural levels, followed by empirical studies on practices related to coworking space in Beijing. The results indicate that at the city scale, coworking spaces tend to aggregate in clusters of large-scale creative and knowledge enterprises in mixed-use and high-density areas, and underutilized spaces become the key pillar. In the architectural dimension, coworking spaces tend to coexist with conventional office spaces or coliving apartments. Empirical studies in Beijing also show that coworking spaces have promoted the sustainable development of the city by renewing existing low-profit urban spaces and utilizing architectural spaces more efficiently. However, the unstable lease market of small-scale businesses, as well as marginal financial models, which pro fit from rental differences, challenge the survival of coworking spaces. In pursuit of capital, coworking spaces have tended to overexpand.

Combining labour market and unemployment policies with environmental sustainability? A cross-national study on ecosocial innovations

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Stamm ◽  
Aila-Leena Matthies ◽  
Tuuli Hirvilammi ◽  
Kati Närhi
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
National Study ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
Cross National Study ◽  
Cross National

AbstractLabour market and unemployment policies in particular are rarely connected to issues of environmental sustainability. In the present article, the link is examined by focusing on ecosocial innovations in four European countries – Finland, Germany, Belgium and Italy. These innovations are small-scale associations, cooperatives or organizations that create new integrative practices combining both social and environmental goals. By asking how their social practices are linked with labour market and unemployment policies, we explore the scope for new ecosocial policies. The results of this cross-national case study lead to three lessons to be learnt for a future ecosocial welfare state: at the sectoral level, organizational level and individual level. In summary, many valuable ideas, instruments and programmes towards sustainability already exist in the field, but they are not yet integrated in the current labour market and unemployment policies.

Origins of Life: Open Questions and Debates

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Brack
Keyword(s):  
Rna World ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Origins Of Life ◽  
Test Tube ◽  
Chemical System ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Random Errors ◽  
Critical Feature ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Simple Molecules

Stanley Miller demonstrated in 1953 that it was possible to form amino acids from methane, ammonia, and hydrogen in water, thus launching the ambitious hope that chemists would be able to shed light on the origins of life by recreating a simple life form in a test tube. However, it must be acknowledged that the dream has not yet been accomplished, despite the great volume of effort and innovation put forward by the scientific community. A minima, primitive life can be defined as an open chemical system, fed with matter and energy, capable of self-reproduction (i.e., making more of itself by itself), and also capable of evolving. The concept of evolution implies that chemical systems would transfer their information fairly faithfully but make some random errors. If we compared the components of primitive life to parts of a chemical automaton, we could conceive that, by chance, some parts self-assembled to generate an automaton capable of assembling other parts to produce a true copy. Sometimes, minor errors in the building generated a more efficient automaton, which then became the dominant species. Quite different scenarios and routes have been followed and tested in the laboratory to explain the origin of life. There are two schools of thought in proposing the prebiotic supply of organics. The proponents of a metabolism-first call for the spontaneous formation of simple molecules from carbon dioxide and water to rapidly generate life. In a second hypothesis, the primeval soup scenario, it is proposed that rather complex organic molecules accumulated in a warm little pond prior to the emergence of life. The proponents of the primeval soup or replication first approach are by far the more active. They succeeded in reconstructing small-scale versions of proteins, membranes, and RNA. Quite different scenarios have been proposed for the inception of life: the RNA world, an origin within droplets, self-organization counteracting entropy, or a stochastic approach merging chemistry and geology. Understanding the emergence of a critical feature of life, its one-handedness, is a shared preoccupation in all these approaches.

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