Broke people, broken rules: Explaining welfare fraud investigators’ attributions

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-46
Author(s):  
Spencer Headworth
Keyword(s):  
Situational Factors ◽  
The Other ◽  
Us States ◽  
Normative Function ◽  
Rule Breaking ◽  
Welfare Fraud ◽  
Normative Factors ◽  
Dispositional Factors ◽  
Situational Pressures ◽  
Time And Energy

There is a notable contrast between welfare clients’ and welfare fraud investigators’ accounts of rule breaking behaviors. Clients describe some actions (or inactions) that constitute rule violations as accidental, and tend to attribute others to situational factors: program rules’ complexity, the exigencies of day-to-day subsistence, and time and energy limitations. Fraud investigators, on the other hand, are comparatively likely to identify rule breaking as deliberate and cite clients’ dispositions to explain the behavior. In part, this disparity reflects the “fundamental attribution error,” the tendency to overestimate dispositional factors’ role in driving others’ behavior. However, evidence from interviews with welfare fraud workers from five US states reveals the impactful administrative and normative factors that encourage them to make and assert attributions of intentionality and dispositional motivation. First, administrative priorities foreground intentional violations: federal authorities financially incentivize deliberate fraud charges, and managers favor these cases, which permit client suspensions and disqualifications. Second, emphasizing internal motivations over situational pressures serves a valuable normative function, establishing punished clients’ blameworthiness and thus defending the legitimacy of both individual fraud workers and the units they compose. These findings demonstrate how policy structures and enforcement practices do not just respond to blameworthy or legally culpable behavior, but help construct narratives of blameworthiness and culpability.

NETWORKING OF TEACHERS AT SENIOR SECONDARY LEVEL

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Awinash Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
The Other ◽  
Positive Direction ◽  
Indian School ◽  
Certificate Examination ◽  
Time And Energy ◽  
Senior Secondary ◽  
Central Board

The study attempts to develop the notion that networking among the teachers can influence the academic achievement of the students in a positive direction along with the smooth implementation of the curriculum at senior secondary level in the schools. In the current study, the syllabus of different subjects of Grade XI and XII has been overviewed and compared with each other on the basis of contents. The curriculum issued by Central Board of Secondary Education, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, Cambridge International Examination and some of the State Boards has been undertaken to review the syllabus of various subjects. It has been found that many topics are similar in the syllabus of two or more subjects. It has also been noticed that the teachers face challenges to complete the syllabus in the allotted numbers of classes throughout the year. If one teacher can teach effectively a topic which is being repeated in the other subject then such networking and coordination can save the time and energy of both the teachers as well as the students which in turn removes the other challenges in routine curriculum.

Comparing the New York State Smokers’ Quitline Reach, Services Offered, and Quit Outcomes to 44 Other State Quitlines, 2010 to 2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1264-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Mann ◽  
James Nonnemaker ◽  
LeTonya Chapman ◽  
Asma Shaikh ◽  
Jesse Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Data Warehouse ◽  
Tobacco Cessation ◽  
New York State ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
The Other ◽  
Tobacco Use Cessation ◽  
Us States ◽  
York State ◽  
Self Help

Purpose: To summarize the reach, services offered, and cessation outcomes of the New York Quitline and compare with other state quitlines. Design: Descriptive study. Setting: Forty-five US states. Participants: State-sponsored tobacco cessation quitlines in 45 US states that provided complete data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Quitline Data Warehouse (NQDW) for 24 quarters over 6 years (2010-Q1 through 2015-Q4). Intervention: Telephone quitlines that offer tobacco use cessation services, including counseling, self-help materials, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to smokers at no cost to them. Measures: Percentage of adult tobacco users in the state who received counseling and/or free NRT from state quitlines (reach), services offered by state quitlines, and cessation outcomes among quitline clients 7 months after using quitline services. Analysis: Reach, services offered, and cessation outcomes for the New York Quitline were compared with similar measures for the other 44 state quitlines with complete NQDW data for all quarters from 2010 through 2015. Results: New York’s average annual quitline reach from 2010 through 2015 was 3.0% per year compared to 1.1% per year for the other 44 states examined. Conclusion: Although the New York Quitline was open fewer hours per week and offered fewer counseling sessions and a smaller amount of free NRT than most of the other 44 state quitlines, the New York Quitline had similar quit rates to most of those state quitlines.

scholarly journals SEPARAÇÃO DOS PODERES E A EVOLUÇÃO DO ENTENDIMENTO DO STF SOBRE O MANDADO DE INJUNÇÃO

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (54) ◽  
pp. 556
Author(s):  
Vidal Serrano NUNES JUNIOR ◽  
Marcio Ortiz MEINBERG
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Normative Function ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Analytical Dimension

RESUMOTrata-se de artigo cujo objetivo é identificar o entendimento do Supremo Tribunal Federal - STF sobre a Separação dos Poderes no que se refere à natureza do Mandado de Injunção, um remédio constitucional a ser concedido em caso de omissão do Poder Público em editar norma regulamentadora necessária para viabilizar o exercício dos direitos e liberdades constitucionais e das prerrogativas inerentes à nacionalidade, à soberania e à cidadania. O entendimento histórico do STF sobre o tema não é consensual e são percebidas ao menos duas grandes correntes às quais se afiliaram os ministros: Teoria Concretista e Teoria Não-Concretista (além de suas subdivisões). As duas grandes correntes diferenciam-se radicalmente, tanto no que se refere ao relacionamento entre o Judiciário e os demais Poderes, quanto aos efeitos do Mandado de Injunção. Além disso, o entendimento do STF evoluiu historicamente, não apenas quanto ao posicionamento majoritária da Corte em torno de alguma das teorias, mas também quanto ao desenvolvimento de cada uma delas. A partir da análise das principais decisões do STF sobre o tema, sistematizaremos as características centrais de cada uma das correntes (e como se diferenciam), bem como suas fundamentações e evolução. A metodologia adotada é a Dogmática Jurídica (cf. Alexy e Dreier), com foco nas dimensões empírica (pela análise das decisões do STF) e analítica (estabelecendo definições e sistematizando os conceitos utilizados pelos ministros do STF). Como conclusão, apresentaremos as características centrais de cada uma das teorias adotadas pelo STF no que se refere ao tema Separação dos Poderes.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Separação dos Poderes; Mandado de Injunção; Função Normativa. ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to identify how Supremo Tribunal Federal – STF (Brazilian’s Supreme Court) sees the Separation of Powers related to the nature of the Writ of Injunction, a constitutional remedy (relief) to be granted in case of Public Power’s omission in enacting a regulatory norm needed to enable the exercise of constitutional rights and freedoms and the prerogatives inherent in nationality, sovereignty and citizenship. The historical opinion of the STF on this subject is not consensual, and there is at least two major currents in which the ministers-judges have joined: Concretist Theory and Non-Concretist Theory (and its subdivisions). The two major currents differ radically, either about the relationship between the Judiciary and the other Powers, as about the effects of the Writ of Injunction. Besides, the STF’s opinion has evolved historically, not only regards the majority position of the Court around one of the theories, but also as to the development of each of them. After analysing the main STF’s decisions on the subject, we systematize the central characteristics of each of the currents (and how they differ from each other), as well as their foundations and evolution. The methodology is the Legal Dogmatic (according Alexy and Dreier), with focus on the empirical dimension (the analysis of STF’s decisions) and analytical dimension (the establishment of definitions and the systematization the concepts used by the STF’s ministers-judges). In conclusion, we present the central characteristics related to Separation of Powers of each one the theories adopted by the STF.KEYWORDS: Separation of Powers; Writ of Injunction; Normative Function.

The Letter of Recommendation as Strange Work

PMLA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 954-962
Author(s):  
Margaret Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Free Lunch ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Gift ◽  
English Major ◽  
The Common ◽  
The One ◽  
Gift Certificate ◽  
Time And Energy ◽  
Made In

On the one hand, the gift presents itself as a radical Other of the commodity—and therefore also of work, insofar as the latter is understood as an investment of time and energy made in the expectation of wages or profit. On the other hand, the idea of the gift seems constantly to be drawn back under the horizon of rational exchange, and to be thus endlessly re-revealed as a secret ally of both work and the Work.—Scott Cutler Shershow, The Work and the GiftI have put together all these details to convince you that this recommendation of mine is something out of the common.Quae ego omnia collegi, ut intellegeres non vulgarem esse commendationem hanc meam.—Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares, book 13LAST FALL I FOUND IN MY OFFICE MAILBOX AN ENVELOPE FROM A SOPHOMORE ENGLISH MAJOR WHO HAD ASKED ME DURING THE SUMMER for a last-minute letter of recommendation for a scholarship competition. The envelope contained a handwritten thank-you note—and a gift certificate for a local restaurant. I e-mailed the student to thank her and to tell her that I couldn't accept the gift certificate since the letter I had written for her was part of my job as a teacher. She insisted; I insisted. She said that several teachers had turned her down before I agreed (from a hotel in Germany) to write for her. I felt rueful, as well as grateful to her for the token of gratitude that I couldn't accept. Eventually she won the debate: I accepted the printed piece of paper and took my daughters out to a free lunch.

Contact and the Alteration of Racial Attitudes in South Africa

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 204-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy Bradnum ◽  
Johann Nieuwoudt ◽  
Colin Tredoux
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Racial Attitudes ◽  
The Other ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Consistent Finding ◽  
Segregated Schools ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Normative Factors

Two generations of social psychologists have described a remarkably consistent pattern of racial attitudes in South Africa. Whites exhibit determinedly negative attitudes towards other ‘race’ groups (Afrikaans speakers more so than English speakers), and blacks, on the other hand, show a much lower degree of ethnocentrism, especially toward English-speaking whites. This ‘lop-sided colour bar’ is a consistent finding, both historically and across different attitudinal measures. We report results here that indicate that this pattern may be changing, in at least one part of the country. In addition, we examine the attitudes of school pupils in integrated and segregated schools, both in South Africa and in Zimbabwe, for evidence that inter-racial contact improves attitudinal dispositions. Our findings here offer little evidence in favour of the proposition: they appear instead to suggest the dependency of the effects of contact on cultural and normative factors.

scholarly journals Impact of Situational and Dispositional Factors on Work-Family Conflict and Job Satisfaction: A Proposed Framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 03001
Author(s):  
Rohani Salleh ◽  
Zurina Abu Bakar ◽  
Mumtaz Ali Memon
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Role Conflict ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Role Overload ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Dispositional Factors ◽  
Core Self

Job satisfaction has become an empirical attention as subject of inquiry in many fields. Past studies have revealed that employees with higher level of job satisfaction mostly enjoyed their job, had higher productivity and eventually contributed to generate profit for their organization. Despite its popularity, there is still lacking in determining what exactly drives employee satisfaction from the perspective of situational and dispositional factors. Moreover, the role of mediator in is also rather limited. The present paper proposes a conceptual model from the perspective of situational factors (role overload and role conflict) and dispositional factor (core self-evaluations) to understand the concept of job satisfaction. Specifically, it is suggested that when an employee experiences either role overload, role conflict or perceive with negative core self-evaluation, one of the consequence was increased level of work-family conflict. Ultimately, individuals who perceive higher level work-family conflict will experience less job satisfaction. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.

scholarly journals Dispositional and situational factors at work

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Pujol-Cols ◽  
Guillermo E. Dabos
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Spanish Version ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dispositional Factors ◽  
Core Self

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES) and the Brief Index of Affective Job Satisfaction (BIAJS) in terms of internal consistency and factor structure and to, subsequently, analyze the influence of a set of dispositional factors (namely, core self-evaluations, CSEs) and situational factors (namely, psychosocial factors) on job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach In total, 209 academics from an Argentinian university completed online surveys at two stages, separated in time, to reduce the common method bias. Findings The Spanish version of the CSES and the BIAJS showed acceptable psychometric properties, which were similar to those previously reported in North-American, European and Asian settings. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that both situational and dispositional factors are significant predictors of job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The CSES and the BIAJS seem to be valid and reliable instruments for assessing CSEs and job satisfaction, respectively, in Latin America. The adoption of an interactionist approach that includes both situational and dispositional factors is crucial in future research examining job satisfaction. Practical implications Managers should carefully evaluate the personality traits of candidates during personnel selection, as well as the working conditions they offer to their employees, since both factors seem to affect job satisfaction. Originality/value This paper contributes to the validation of two scales that may promote future organizational behavior/psychology research in Latin America. In addition, it provides empirical evidence on the relative influence of a set of situational and dispositional factors on job satisfaction, thus contributing to the resolution of the person-situation debate.

The First Year of Shape

1952 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Wood
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Atlantic Treaty Organization ◽  
The Other ◽  
Full Measure ◽  
First Year ◽  
European Cooperation ◽  
The North ◽  
The Us ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Time And Energy

It is just over a year since General Eisenhower exchanged the academic robes he had donned so shortly before for the uniform with which his name and fame were more closely related. This time, despite the ”US” on his lapels, he became, as he has said, only ”one-twelfth” American. The eleven-twelfths he dedicated to the other nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. To that body, and its goal of European cooperation for defense against aggression, he has devoted a full measure of his time and energy.

scholarly journals SITUATIONISM, RESPONSIBILITY, AND FAIR OPPORTUNITY

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 121-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O. Brink
Keyword(s):  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Good Case ◽  
Low Incidence ◽  
Situational Pressures

AbstractThe situationist literature in psychology claims that conduct is not determined by character and reflects the operation of the agent's situation or environment. For instance, due to situational factors, compassionate behavior is much less common than we might have expected from people we believe to be compassionate. This article focuses on whether situationism should revise our beliefs about moral responsibility. It assesses the implications of situationism against the backdrop of a conception of responsibility that is grounded in norms about the fair opportunity to avoid wrongdoing that require that agents to be normatively competent and possess situational control. Despite the low incidence of compassionate behavior revealed in situationist studies, situationism threatens neither situational control nor normative competence. Nonetheless situationism may force revision of our views about responsibility in particular contexts, such as wartime wrongdoing. Whereas a good case can be made that the heat of battle can create situational pressures that significantly impair normative competence and thus sometimes provide a full or partial excuse, there is reason to be skeptical of attempts to generalize this excuse to other contexts of wartime wrongdoing. If so, moral responsibility can take situationism on board without capsizing the boat.

Attitudes toward Cheating: General and Specific

1968 ◽  
Vol 22 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1101-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Steininger
Keyword(s):  
College Freshmen ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
The Other ◽  
Situational Variables ◽  
J Curve ◽  
Interest Level ◽  
Attitudes Toward Cheating ◽  
Situational Pressures

College freshmen were given one of two questionnaires, which asked how justified cheating would be in each of 32 situations. In one questionnaire, the situational variables were the interest level of the course, the meaningfulness of the tests, their difficulty, the teaching of the professor, and whether he leaves or stays during tests. In the other questionnaire, the variables were the warmth of the professor, the frequency with which he discovers cheating, the meaningfulness of the tests, whether they are essay or objective, and the student's grade in the course. The extent to which a student said cheating was justified was hypothesized to be a compromise between a negative attitude toward cheating in general and the need to defend it because situational pressures result in the temptation to cheat. The data showed the predicted J-curve of conformity for “good” situations, as well as the predicted deviation from this curve for “bad” situations. In contrast to previous data, it was found that the women said cheating was justified as often as and to the same degree as the men.

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