scholarly journals The Politics of Reproductive Hazards in the Workplace: Class, Gender, and the History of Occupational Lead Exposure

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Morello-Frosch
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Court Cases ◽  
Political Struggle ◽  
The Public ◽  
Women In The Workplace ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
History Of ◽  
Exclusionary Policies

Over the past two decades, several U.S. companies have sought to bar women from jobs that expose them to potential reproductive hazards, justifying these exclusionary policies by their professed concerns for the well-being of unborn children and potential liability. Although recent court cases have stimulated academic interest in this issue, a historical review of the public health and medical literature reveals that this debate is not new. To understand the logic behind the emergence of “fetal protection” policies, one must examine the scientific history of occupational teratogens and the sociopolitical and economic forces that have driven scientific research in this field. Using lead as an example, the author argues that research on the reproductive hazards of employment has historically emphasized the risks to women and downplayed the risks to men. This results in environmental health policies that do not uphold the ultimate goal of occupational safety for all workers, but rather reinforce the systemic segregation of men and women in the workplace. Although the political struggle over exclusionary policies has a feminist orientation, it also has important class dimensions and ultimately must be viewed within the broader context of American capitalist production.

Binding consumption

2015 ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Alexander Joel Eastman
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Civil Rights Movement ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Black Press ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
History Of

Dozens of newspapers written and edited by people of color flourished in the last decades of the nineteenth century in Cuba. Through an analysis of black press periodicals representative of the main political tendencies between 1879 and 1886 this article examines the economic and socio-political contexts in which the black press operated and demonstrates how Cubans of color successfully carved out a space in the market of newspaper consumption. By examining the economic forces determining circulation and readership of these periodicals, it argues that black Cubans actively negotiated the public spheres of journalism and the marketplace, becoming empowered consumers and creators of information and economic value. This article foreground debates within the black press in order to analyze the history of the Cuban civil rights movement through the perspectives of people of color and to destabilize the notion of black political homogeneity. Black journalists and leaders with national and royalist affiliations vied for political positioning and debated over how to represent the people and the struggles of the raza de color.

Women Pluralists Negotiating Immigrant Children’s Health in an Era of Mass Migration (the 1960s)

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-186
Author(s):  
Franca Iacovetta
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S

The article explores immigrant children’s health in Toronto, Canada, during mass migration by analysing a 1960s women-led project involving southern Europeans launched by the International Institute of Metropolitan Toronto, the city’s leading immigrant agency and part of a long-standing North American pluralist movement. Focused on the immigrant female fieldworkers tasked with convincing parents known for their ‘reticence’ in dealing with ‘outsiders’ to access resources to ensure their children’s well-being, it assesses their role as interpreters for the public health nurses investigating the Italian and Portuguese children who increasingly dominated their referrals from Toronto’s downtown schools. Without exaggerating their success, it documents the women’s capacity for persuasion, and notes the value of community-based pluralist strategies in which women with links to those being served play active roles as front-line intermediaries. The article highlights the history of women’s grassroots multiculturalism and the need to consider pluralism’s possibilities as well as its limits.

According to Stalinist Templates: The Economic Strategy of Communist Construction in the Program Settings of the Khrushchev Leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4-2) ◽  
pp. 324-347
Author(s):  
Eugeny Artemov ◽  
◽  
Evgeny Vodichev ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Consciousness ◽  
History Of ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Technical Basis ◽  
Important Milestone

The article is timed to the 60th anniversary of the XXII CPSU Congress, which has become an important milestone in the history of the late Soviet period. The 3rd programme of the CPSU was adopted on the Congress, which proclaimed that "the current generation of Soviet people will live under communism." The strategy for achieving this goal was justified as well. This article is devoted to the analysis of its economic aspects. The paper has four sections. In the first, the authors substantiate the need to identify the doctrinal continuity of the economic policy of late Stalinism and the time of Khrushchev’s “Thaw”. In the second section of the article, the authors note that traditional methodological approaches have many limitations in studies of this kind. Their non-critical use makes it difficult to find a response to the question of why the Khrushchev leadership failed to realise its ambitious plans. The authors see the solution of this issue in a comprehensive comparative analysis of the promotional ideologemes and practical policy. The main section outlines the results of the study. They are based on a detailed comparison of the main directions of creating a “material and technical basis” of communism contained in the Stalinist projects of the 3rd party programme and in Khrushchev’s version. As underlined, they are determined by a variety of dominant political myths and ideologemes in the public consciousness. At the same time, the practical policy was guided by completely different ideas and interests. In conclusion, it is stipulated that, with all the nuances, the economic “visions” that were reflected in the 3rd party programme were designed in accordance with patterns of the "Communist projections", formulated in Stalin’s epoch. They promised to build a society of universal benefits in the foreseeable future. However, in practice, the development of the economy, as before, was primarily focused on the expansion of military-industrial might. All other needs could be satisfied only in accordance with the "residual principle." This turned into a gap between the declarations of "steady increase of material well-being" of the population and reality. As a result, the strategy of the “communist construction” was discredited, and the authority of those in power was undermined.

Historiography (2001)

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Trigger
Keyword(s):  
Social History ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Smithsonian Institution ◽  
The United States ◽  
History Of Archaeology ◽  
American Archaeology ◽  
The Public ◽  
History Of

Historical works dealing with archaeology have been written to entertain the public, commemorate important archaeologists and research projects, instruct students in the basic concepts of the discipline, justify particular programmes or ideas, disparage the work of rivals, and, most recently, try to resolve theoretical problems. These studies have taken the form of autobiographies, biographies, accounts of the development of the discipline as a whole, investigations of specific institutions or projects, and examinations of particular theories and approaches. They have used the analytical techniques of intellectual and social history and sought to treat their subject objectively, critically, hermeneutically, and polemically. Over time, historical studies have become more numerous, diversified, and sophisticated. Histories of archaeology are being written for all parts of the world, and in a growing number of countries, a large amount of material is being produced at local as well as national levels. There is no end in sight to the growing interest in this form of research. The history of archaeology has been written mainly by professional archaeologists, who have no training in history or the history of science, and by popularizers. Only a small number of these studies have been produced by professional historians. Archaeology has attracted little attention from historians of science, despite its considerable interest to philosophers of science. This lack of interest is hard to understand since the difficulties inherent in inferring human behaviour from archaeological evidence make archaeology an ideal discipline for addressing many of the issues of objectivity that are currently of interest to historians of science. The earliest use of the history of archaeology appears to have been for didactic purposes. In the mid-nineteenth century, the physicist Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, sought to purge American archaeology of useless speculation and to encourage an interest in factual research. To do this, he commissioned Samuel F. Haven, the librarian of the American Antiquarian Society, to write a critical historical review of studies of American prehistory titled Archaeology of the United States (1856). To improve the quality of American archaeology, Henry also published reports on developments in the discipline in the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution, which was widely distributed in North America.

Comfort while Dying: a Transnational History of Pediatric End of Life Care

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Hill-Smith
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Care ◽  
The Public ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Being There

Through an in-depth analysis of current and historical literature, this thesis explores the question: what is hospice and end of life care for children? I will dissect the various dimensions of children’s hospice care and how it has evolved over time. Also in my thesis, I will draw from my personal experiences in volunteering at a children’s hospice to discuss the support and care that volunteers receive. Through this literature review I hope to bring to light to a subject that is often overlooked or too difficult for people to discuss. I will propose plans to better the care for children and families who are facing the end of life. My thesis will summarize the current literature available about the type of care that children receive worldwide and how this care affects families and children’s well-being. There has been minimal research done on children in end of life due to the topic’s sensitive nature. My goals is to inform the public of an under discussed but important topic in paediatric medicine.

The ‘Blue Gym’: What can blue space do for you and what can you do for blue space?

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.P. White ◽  
S. Pahl ◽  
B.W. Wheeler ◽  
L.E.F. Fleming ◽  
M.H. Depledge
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subsequent Work ◽  
The Public ◽  
History Of ◽  
Space Environments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Health And Well Being

The Blue Gym Initiative was created in the UK in 2009 to explore: (1) whether blue space environments might be positively related to human health and well-being; and (2) whether the public could be encouraged to preserve and protect these environments. Whilst the wider initiative considers all blue spaces including inland bodies of water (e.g. lakes, rivers and canals as well as the coasts and oceans), to date the focus has been primarily on marine and coastal environments. In this paper, we provide a brief history of the Blue Gym Initiative, and outline some of the research that has emerged to date. An important early finding was the observation that individuals living near the coast are generally healthier and happier than those living inland; much subsequent work has tried to understand why this might be. More recently we have begun to focus on how to promote pro-marine behaviours (e.g. sustainable fish choice, reduction of plastic use, avoidance of littering). This strand is still very much work in progress but highlights the importance of understanding public awareness, values and attitudes and the power of visualization in communicating the marine sustainability issues. We conclude with a brief discussion of some of the implications of the findings and future research needs.

scholarly journals How Science Became Technical

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-130
Keyword(s):  
History Of Science ◽  
Public Reason ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The Public ◽  
Politics And Religion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Unequal Access ◽  
Moral Economic ◽  
Alternative Understanding

Not until the 20th century was science regarded as fundamentally technical in nature. In that sense, a “technical field” refers not so much to a field capable of producing technology and not only to one difficult to master, but also to a field based on concepts and vocabulary that matter only to its specialists. That understanding implies unequal access to the contents of science, as the predominantly technical parts of it are given over to the specialists. In addition, it serves as a defense against interference from politics and religion. A historical review of the technicality of science is taken up in the second part of the article. An alternative understanding, which identified science with an ideal of public reason, attained its peak of influence in the late 19th century. Until the 1920s and ‘30s, the most prominent advocates of science emphasized its contribution to the moral, economic and intellectual order, sometimes abetting tradition but more often (and more naturally) challenging old authorities or established religion and promising grounds for moral and intellectual progress. While the scale and applicability of science advanced enormously after 1900, scientists have usually preferred a pose of detached objectivity in service to bureaucratic experts rather than cultivating engagement with the public. This reshaping of science, which has been both celebrated and condemned, provided a stimulus to the nascent field of history of science, and it remains a key historical problem. The article traces the vicissitudes in the development of this problem and the solutions to it proposed by scientists and histo¬rians of science from different generations.

Why Work Kills a Brief History of Occupational Safety and Health in the United States

1977 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Berman
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Research Education ◽  
The Public ◽  
Corporate Elite ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
History Of ◽  
Work Accidents

In the early 20th century, U.S. monopoly corporations responded to the movement against work accidents by setting up a business-controlled “compensation-safety establishment,” which kept down compensation costs but did little to improve working conditions. This “establishment” was able to keep the issue of occupational safety and health out of public debate until the late 1960s through its control of research, education, compensation, and government appointments in the area, and by creating the public impression that the problems of occupational disease were almost nonexistent. Despite the occurrence of sporadic rank-and-file uprisings, unions have been seriously involved in health and safety only since the late 1960s, when they mobilized in an effort to pass the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The passage of the OSHA law was made possible by the help of progressive professionals, worker dissatisfaction, the new environmental consciousness, and a general climate of social unrest. Although the corporate elite, through the “compensation-safety establishment,” has been able to dominate the operation of the federal institutions created by the new law, the question of occupational health and safety is now on the permanent agenda of workers, unions, and the public.

Using Graphs to Evaluate the Impact of Work Shifts: An Experimental Investigation

2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (16) ◽  
pp. 1240-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi D. Howarth ◽  
Donald I. Tepas
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
History Of ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
Work Shifts ◽  
The Impact

When scheduling work times, detailed information is often not considered regarding the shiftwork history of a worker. Instead, available workers may be chosen according to factors such as seniority and/or work hours over the previous day or two. This can be a dangerous practice, as it may result in irregular, erratic, and unpredictable shift schedules that can lead to serious health and safety consequences for the worker and the public. The current research addressed these concerns by asking judges to consider both the acute and chronic impact of work schedules. Individuals evaluated graphical representations of 30 days of freight train engineer schedules for their impact on worker well-being. While judges' evaluations were in agreement with each other, their judgments were not related to engineer mood estimates of their own well-being. It is, of course, possible that predictions of well-being would be more accurate if the judges were provided with additional specific information about each worker.

Internationally Common Features of Public Old-Age Pensions, and Their Implications for Models of the Public Sector

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey B Mulligan ◽  
Xavier Sala-i-Martin
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Public Pension ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Country Characteristics ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Old Age ◽  
Lifetime Earnings

Abstract What does the international history of old-age Social Security program design say about the forces creating and sustaining it as a public program? First, because many program features are internationally common, and/or explained by country characteristics, SS may emerge and grow due to systematic political and economic forces. Second, some observations suggest that political forces are important: (a) SS redistributes from young to old, even when the elderly consume as much or more than do the young, and (b) benefits increase with lifetime earnings and are hardly means-tested. On the other hand, it is not simply a matter of the elderly out-voting the young, because: (c) benefit formulas induce retirement, especially in the countries with the largest SS budgets, and (d) similar public pension programs emerge and grow under very different political regimes. We explain how empirical observations, and some currently unanswered empirical questions, relate to various public pension theories.

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