The Social Context of Occupational Disease: Asbestos and South Africa

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonny Myers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
State Inspection ◽  
The State ◽  
Organized Labor ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Developed Countries

General issues of industrial health are raised in relation to the production of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases in South Africa. A historical analysis of these diseases and their control in Britain demonstrates some general problems of occupational diseases with long incubation periods and their implications for capital and labor. In order to understand the role of the research establishment, an attempt is made to situate the state in the conflict between capital and labor. The terms and weapons of this ideological arena are investigated. The South African situation is then discussed. Its evident weaknesses—the lack of statutory limits on exposure, capital's responsibility for monitoring exposure and health, the inefficiency of the state inspection, and the meagerness and racial disparities in compensation—are related to the weakness of organized labor. These weaknesses are linked to the movement of certain industrial processes, finally acknowledged as unsafe by most academic research, away from the developed countries. In these countries, the strength of labor and environmental organizations has caused a decline in capitalist productivity.

Determinants of skills demand in a state- intervening labour market

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khotso Tsotsotso ◽  
Elizabeth Montshiwa ◽  
Precious Tirivanhu ◽  
Tebogo Fish ◽  
Siyabonga Sibiya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
South African ◽  
The State ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Wage Rates ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the drivers and determinants of skills demand in South Africa, given the country’s history and its current design as a developmental state. Design/methodology/approach In this study, a mixed methods approach is used. The study draws information from in-depth interviews with transport sector stakeholders including employers, professional bodies, sector regulatory bodies and training providers. Complementary to the interviews, the study also analyses employer-reported workplace skills plans from 1,094 transport sector firms updated annually. A Heckman correction model is applied. Findings The study finds that changes in competition, technology, ageing employees, market conditions and government regulations are among the most frequently stated determinants reported through interviews. Using a Heckman regression model, the study identifies eight determining factors, which include location of firm, size of a firm, occupation type, racial and generational transformation, subsector of the firm, skills alignment to National Qualification Framework, reason for skills scarcity and level of skills scarcity reported. The South African transport sector skills demand is therefore mainly driven by the country’s history and consequently its current socio-economic policies as applied by the state itself. Research limitations/implications Wage rates are explored during stakeholder interviews and the study suggests that wage rates are an insignificant determinant of skills demand in the South African transport sector. However, due to poor reporting by firms, wage rates did not form a part of the quantitative analysis of the study. This serves as a limitation of the study. Practical implications Through this research, it is now clear that the state has more determining power (influence) in the transport sector than it was perceived. The state can use its power to be a more effective enabler towards increasing employer participation in skills development of the sector. Social implications With increased understanding and awareness of state’s influence in the sector, the country’s mission to redress the social ills of the former state on black South Africans stands a better chance of success. Private sector resources can be effectively mobilized to improve the social state of previously disadvantaged South Africans. However, given the economic dominance of the private sector and its former role in the apartheid era in South Africa; too much state influence in a supposedly free market can result in corporate resistance and consequently, market failure which can be seen as result of political interference. Originality/value South Africa has had an unprecedented social and economic trajectory to date. This said, its economic and social policies are unlike what we have observed before. Thus, identification of determinants and understanding of mechanisms of influence, on skills demand in the sector in which an African state plays such a close and active role, is in itself a unique contribution to knowledge and compels us to revisit our traditional assumptions about market behaviour. This study is one of the very few of its kind in the labour market research with a South African context.

scholarly journals The Necessity in Combating Bioterrorism: An International Experience

Justicia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (40) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Petro Melnyk ◽  
Aleksandr Yukhno ◽  
Оlena Martovуtska ◽  
Inna Strok
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The State ◽  
Biological Weapons ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Criminal Organizations ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
The One ◽  
Harmful Effects

Objective: The aim of the article is in examining the characteristics of the relevant samples of successful experience of the developed countries in the sphere of combating bioterrorism. Method: The following methods were used by the authors in evaluating the efficiency of the research which involved: historical, analysis as well as bibliographic. Results: The current threats posed by such a phenomenon as bio-terrorism are identified and characterized, as well as successful international examples of its overcoming are analyzed. The level of danger of bio-terrorism has been established, as well as the negative consequences it causes. Cases of real use of biological weapons in different periods of human existence are characterized. It was during this period that various manifestations of bioterrorism around the world became much more active. Emphasis is placed on the fact that combating such a phenomenon as bioterrorism should be based on a comprehensive approach to solving this problem. Among other things, it should be a combination of effective law enforcement, a stable political situation and systematic interaction between the state and the population. Conclusions: The bio-terrorism can be divided into that carried out by criminal organizations, individuals or religious on the one hand, and that carried out by the state on the other. The bioterrorism, together with many of its harmful effects, poses a significant danger to humanity and society. It greatly damages the lives and health of individuals, destroys and destroys nature and the environment, and can create political and economic crises or social upheavals.

Region of Birth and Child Mortality among Black Migrants to South Africa: Is there a foreign-born advantage?

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany L Green ◽  
Amos C Peters
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Child Mortality ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Black Immigrants ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Region Of Origin ◽  
Child Deaths

Much of the existing evidence for the healthy immigrant advantage comes from developed countries. We investigate whether an immigrant health advantage exists in South Africa, an important emerging economy.  Using the 2001 South African Census, this study examines differences in child mortality between native-born South African and immigrant blacks.  We find that accounting for region of origin is critical: immigrants from southern Africa are more likely to experience higher lifetime child mortality compared to the native-born population.  Further, immigrants from outside of southern Africa are less likely than both groups to experience child deaths.  Finally, in contrast to patterns observed in developed countries, we detect a strong relationship between schooling and child mortality among black immigrants.

On the issue of the revitalization and modernization of the engineering in Russia

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
A. E. Melnikov
Keyword(s):  
National Economy ◽  
Technological Progress ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The State ◽  
Engineering Technology ◽  
Operational Characteristics ◽  
Technical Potential ◽  
Significant Barrier ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Competitive Products

Currently, one of the important tasks of the economic policy of Russia is the formation of a hightech image of the national economy, capable of effective functioning in the changing global geopolitical and geoeconomic conditions. In this context, the issue of revitalization of mechanical engineering, which plays a key role in the development of the country’s economy, is of particular relevance. This sector is a link between scientific and technological progress and the level of provision of domestic producers with domestic machines and equipment, allowing them to produce competitive products and to a lesser extent depend on the state of the external environment. The example of the developed countries of the world shows that the development of advanced engineering technology significantly increases the efficiency of the national economy, helps to accelerate its growth. At the same time, in Russia, in order to unleash the scientific and technical potential and activate engineering, it is necessary to initiate modernization processes in it. Based on the foregoing, the purpose of the study is to analyze the state of Russian engineering from the position of its role in the country’s economy. It is shown that at present a significant barrier to the development of this sector is the predominance of imported equipment, due to technical and operational characteristics, often superior to domestic counterparts.

The Everyday in a Time of Transformation: Exploring a Single South African Lifeworld after 20 Years of Democracy

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-54
Author(s):  
P. Conrad Kotze ◽  
Jan K. Coetzee
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Contemporary Debate ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Ontological Turn ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Epistemological Framework

Transformation has come to be a defining characteristic of contemporary societies, while it has rarely been studied in a way that gives acknowledgement to both its societal effects and the experience thereof by the individual. This article discusses a recent study that attempts to do just that. The everyday life of a South African is explored within the context of changes that can be linked, more or less directly, to those that have characterized South Africa as a state since the end of apartheid in 1994. The study strives to avoid the pitfalls associated with either an empirical or solely constructivist appreciation of this phenomenon, but rather represents an integral onto-epistemological framework for the practice of sociological research. The illustrated framework is argued to facilitate an analysis of social reality that encompasses all aspects thereof, from the objectively given to the intersubjectively constructed and subjectively constituted. While not requiring extensive development on the theoretical or methodological level, the possibility of carrying out such an integral study is highlighted as being comfortably within the capabilities of sociology as a discipline. While the article sheds light on the experience of transformation, it is also intended to contribute to the contemporary debate surrounding the current “ontological turn” within the social sciences.

Risk-Oriented Model of the Distribution of Buildings (Structures) by Categories of Risk of Causing Harm (Damage) as the Result of Fire to Substantiate the Frequency of Scheduled Inspections of the Buildings (Structures)

2021 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
A.V. Matyushin ◽  
◽  
A.G. Firsov ◽  
Yu.A. Matyushin ◽  
V.S. Goncharenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The State ◽  
Fire Occurrence ◽  
Safety Requirements ◽  
Record Card ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Object Of Control ◽  
Risk Categories

Normative legal acts of the Russian Federation establish that the criteria for assigning control objects to the categories of risk of causing harm should be formed based on the results of the assessment of the risk of causing harm. In the developed countries of the world, as a rule, the distribution of objects of control by risk categories and the substantiation of the frequency of their inspections are carried out depending either on the point risk assessment, or on the number and importance of the violations of mandatory fire safety requirements revealed during the inspection of the object of control. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the frequency of scheduled inspections of the objects of control by the state fire supervision bodies depending on whether the objects of protection belong to a particular category of risk of causing harm. As a criterion for assigning control objects to various categories of risk of causing harm, it is proposed to use the risk of causing harm (damage) as the result of fire in the buildings of various classes of functional fire hazard, which is understood as the product of the probability of fire occurrence, the probability of causing socio-economic harm (damage) as the result of fire and the value terms of socio-economic harm (damage). A mathematical model was developed to determine the risk of causing harm (damage) as the result of a fire in a building, and an assessment of its values for the buildings of various classes of functional fire hazard is given. Distribution of the buildings by categories of risk of causing harm (damage) was carried out depending on the calculated value of the risk of causing harm. It is shown that the distribution of control objects by risk categories significantly depends on the degree of detail in the fire record card of the characteristics of the building in which the fire occurred. The optimal terms for carrying out scheduled inspections of the objects of control are proposed depending on the category of risk to which they are assigned. Proposals are formulated concerning the improvement of the risk-oriented approach in the activities of the state fire supervision bodies of the EMERCOM of Russia.

MARKET POTENTIAL AS A GREEN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT FACTOR

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1507-1525
Author(s):  
E.A. Aleshina ◽  
◽  
A.A. Leksina ◽  
Zh. S. Dossumova ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
The State ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
State Management ◽  
The Developed Countries

Organic agriculture, based on natural production technologies, obtains a great potential for reversing humanity to a healthy diet and living in harmony with nature by improving the state of the ecosystem. The share of organic food products in the market of the developed countries is already quite high; and various institutional systems of the industry have been introduced and are being improved in the leading countries of the world. Domestic agribusiness is currently lagging behind in these matters, but the situation should be significantly changed by the adopted law and state standard regulating the requirements for the organic sector. In this regard, an objective need arose to substantiate the capabilities and the resource potential of the Saratov region in this sphere. Within the framework of the presented research, an interdisciplinary fundamental platform to develop the theory of the organic food products market was formed. As a result, the elements of the scientific methodology (theories, principles, factors, methods) of its functioning were identified, which made it possible to substantiate the potential capacity of the regional consumer market for organic food. The calculation was made taking into account the rational norms of food consumption that meet modern requirements for a healthy diet, the heterogeneity of consumer preferences, the price gap for the main conventional and organic products in retail and the dispersion of prices for the latter, the implementation of state policy to protect and improve the health of certain population groups. This study is intended for the state management bodies of the agro-industrial sector, the leadership of agricultural, processing and marketing enterprises, the structures of wholesale and retail food products trade and branch research institutions.

scholarly journals Adherence barriers and facilitators for cervical screening amongst currently disadvantaged women in the greater Cape Town region of South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantelle De Abreu ◽  
Hannah Horsfall ◽  
Despina Learmonth
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Symptom Relief ◽  
Cervical Screening ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
African Women ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Disadvantaged Women

Background: In South Africa cervical cancer is the second most commonly occurring cancer amongst women, and black African women have the highest risk of developing this disease. Unfortunately, the majority of South African women do not adhere to recommended regular cervical screening.Objectives: The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions, experiences and knowledge regarding cervical screening of disadvantaged women in two informal settlements in South African urban areas.Method: The Health Belief Model (HBM) provided a theoretical framework for this study. Four focus groups (n = 21) were conducted, using questions derived from the HBM, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The ages of the women who participated ranged from 21 to 53 years.Results: The analysis revealed lack of knowledge about screening as a key structural barrier to treatment. Other structural barriers were: time, age at which free screening is available, and health education. The psychosocial barriers that were identified included: fear of the screening procedure and of the stigmatisation in attending screening. The presence of physical symptoms, the perception that screening provides symptom relief, HIV status, and the desire to know one’s physical health status were identified as facilitators of cervical screening adherence.Conclusion: This knowledge has the potential to inform healthcare policy and services in South Africa. As globalisation persists and individuals continue to immigrate or seek refugee status in foreign countries, increased understanding and knowledge is required for successful acculturation and integration. Developed countries may therefore also benefit from research findings in developing countries.

scholarly journals Developing evaluation standards and assessing evaluation quality

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Leslie ◽  
Nishendra Moodley ◽  
Ian Goldman ◽  
Christel Jacob ◽  
Donna Podems ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
South African ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
The State ◽  
Routine Activity ◽  
The South ◽  
Evaluation Standards ◽  
Evaluation Practice ◽  
Quality Assessments

The article explains the rationale for the development of standards for evaluation practice, the process followed in developing those standards, and how those standards inform the quality assessment of evaluations. Quality assessment of evaluations are conducted as a routine activity of the South African National Evaluation System (NES). The importance of quality assessment for improving the state of evaluation practice in South Africa is illustrated by presenting results from the quality assessments undertaken to date. The paper concludes by discussing the progress on the development of a public Evaluations Repository to manage and provide access to completed evaluations and their quality assessment results, and offering some concluding analytical remarks.

scholarly journals Social Priorities of Less Developed Countries Sustainable Housing (Case of Sudan)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Ayman K. Abdelgadir ◽  
Omer A. Abu Elzein ◽  
Faris Hameed
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Housing Development ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Developed Countries

Sustainable development and sustainable housing indicators are a response to the trend of adopting sustainable development objectives, adopted by most countries, especially developed and less developed countries. It is difficult to implement indicators developed for a developing country context in other contexts with different social, economic and environmental conditions. Social sustainability is the most important priority regarding evaluating the housing development projects in the developed and less developed countries. Economic conditions is linked in many aspects to the social sustainability indicators. Environmental indicators are important, but the less developed countries in general has a very low environmental foot prints, this is because the industry sector is usually week comparing to the developed countries. This paper reviews the sustainable housing indicators, with a focus on United Nations reports and indicators developed for contexts similar to study area, without ignoring the most reputable indicators developed for developing countries context. The research came with a set of indicators reflects the social priorities of the new housing development in Sudan. A questionnaire participants decided the relative important of each indicator and also the importance of the parameters of each indicator. Developing a set of social priorities for Sudan will give extra efficiency in promoting and assessing sustainability in the study area. Description of the questionnaire results which reflects the national social sustainable housing development priorities are discussed. The researches came with a set of recommendations to enhance the social aspects for new housing development projects in Sudan. Using this set of priorities and recommendations will give extra efficiency in promoting and assessing sustainability in the study area.

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