scholarly journals Deconstructing and Historicizing Access to Medicines: The Changing Priority of Pharmaceutical Governance in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lantian Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Economic ◽  
Access To Medicines ◽  
Pharmaceutical Policy ◽  
Drug Availability ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Pharmaceutical Governance ◽  
Local Levels ◽  
Normative Perspective ◽  
Over Time

Securing access to medicines (ATM) is critical for improving public health outcomes. Existing research has long identified and analyzed various barriers that may impede ATM at the global, national, or local levels. However, it tends to adopt a normative perspective to prescribe what infrastructures, resources, and measures should be put in place to improve ATM. Little scholarship has explored how and why countries may prioritize certain dimensions of ATM over others in pharmaceutical governance within specific historical contexts. This article fills that gap by deconstructing and historicizing the concept of ATM. The author aims to make two arguments. First, tensions easily arise between different dimensions of ATM, and prioritizing certain dimensions in pharmaceutical policy may impede improvements in others (e.g., availability vs. affordability). Second, which dimension(s) of ATM might be prioritized in the state’s pharmaceutical policy hinges upon social, economic, and political forces. To substantiate these arguments, the author draws on interview and archival evidence from China. Specifically, the author provides a historical account of how and why the priorities of pharmaceutical governance in China changed over time: 1) 1949—late 1970s: pursuing both drug availability and affordability through socialist planning; 2) early 1980s—2015: priority shifting from availability (before the mid-1990s) to affordability (after the mid-1990s); 3) 2015—present: striving for a rebalance between drug availability and affordability.

The Elite Circuit

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Kucinskas
Keyword(s):  
Social Skill ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Symbolic Power ◽  
High Status ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Social Reforms ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Intellectual Elites ◽  
Cultural Movement ◽  
Over Time

The mindful elite attracted new high-status sympathizers in targeted organizations by using their professional symbolic power, social status, and social skill to build legitimacy for meditation and other contemplative practices. In this chapter the author builds upon scholarship on legitimation by identifying the various kinds of legitimation the contemplatives are able to secure. These different kinds of legitimacy are interrelated and build upon each other over time, creating a cultural movement that is increasingly difficult to derail. However, in building their base among a privileged coterie of social, economic, and intellectual elites, the contemplatives risk losing touch with ordinary people and the issues of inequality that affect them. This weakens the contemplatives’ ability to stand by and implement direct social reforms to influence root causes of the issues they care about, such as rising inequality, greed, and materialism.

The Historical Development of Taverns, Inns, and Public Houses

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christel Lane
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
Social Imagination ◽  
The Social ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Home Consumption

This largely descriptive chapter introduces the reader to the specific features and functions of each type of hostelry and provides a broad-brush picture of their historical development, activities, ways they influenced each other, and importance in their role in out-of-home consumption of food, drink, and sociality. It outlines their social, economic, and political functions, and places them in their societal context. The pub was always the lowest in the social hierarchy among the three. Yet, it has been the longest survivor and has gradually taken over some of the functions formerly performed by inns and taverns. Inns and taverns, however, persist in the British social imagination and, where their buildings have survived, they lend distinction to a village or part of town. Both continuities and changes over time, as well as some overlap between the three hostelries, are described using examples of places and personalities.

scholarly journals Maternal and child health: is making ‘healthy choices’ an oxymoron?

2020 ◽  
pp. 175797592096735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia M. Low ◽  
Peter D. Gluckman ◽  
Mark A. Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Freedom Of Choice ◽  
Healthy Choice ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Child Health

The right to exercise choice is fundamental to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and it is assumed that all individuals generally enjoy freedom of choice in managing their health. Yet closer examination of this assumption calls into question its credibility and validity, especially with regard to maternal and child health around the globe. We argue that the concept of individual ‘healthy choice,’ particularly as applied to those with inadequate support and who are relatively disempowered, is flawed and unhelpful when considering the wider social, economic, and political forces underlying poor health. We instead propose that the realistic promotion of healthy choices requires acknowledging that agency lies beyond just the individual, and that individuals need to be supported through education and other structural and policy changes that facilitate a genuine ability to make healthy choices.

In the eye of the recipient

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Riese ◽  
Mareike Bayer ◽  
Gerhard Lauer ◽  
Annekathrin Schacht
Keyword(s):  
Pupil Diameter ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Narrative Fiction ◽  
Data Analyses ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Literary Classics ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Physiological Indicator ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Cognitive Dimensions

Plot suspense is one of the most important components of narrative fiction that motivate recipients to follow fictional characters through their worlds. The present study investigates the dynamic development of narrative suspense in excerpts of literary classics from the 19th century in a multi-methodological approach. For two texts, differing in suspense as judged by a large independent sample, we collected (a) data from questionnaires, indicating different affective and cognitive dimensions of receptive engagement, (b) continuous ratings of suspense during text reception from both experts and lay recipients, and (c) registration of pupil diameter as a physiological indicator of changes in emotional arousal and attention during reception. Data analyses confirmed differences between the two texts at different dimensions of receptive engagement and, importantly, revealed significant correlations of pupil diameter and the course of suspense over time. Our findings demonstrate that changes of the pupil diameter provide a reliable ‘online’ indicator of suspense.

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY INTO THE ACCURACY OF IT ESTIMATIONS AND ITS INFLUENCING FACTORS

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 409-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. ZAPATA ◽  
M. R. V. CHAUDRON
Keyword(s):  
Estimation Error ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Learning Improvement ◽  
Current Estimation ◽  
It Department ◽  
Improvement Effect ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
Process Complexity ◽  
Over Time

This paper is the result of two related studies done on the estimation of IT projects at a large Dutch multinational company. The first one is a study about the accuracy of different dimensions of IT project estimating: schedule, budget and effort. [Note: This paper is an extension of the paper published by the authors as "An analysis of accuracy and learning in software project estimating" [28].] This study is based on a dataset of 171 projects collected at the IT department of the company. We analyzed the estimation error of budget, effort and schedule. Also, we analyzed whether there is any learning (improvement) effect over time. With the results of the first study we proceeded to research what is causing the current estimation error (inaccuracy). The results of our first study show that there is no relation between accuracy of budget, schedule and effort in the company analyzed. Besides, they show that over time there is no change in the inaccuracy (effectiveness and efficiency of the estimates). In our second study we discovered that the sources of this inaccuracy are: (IT estimation) process complexity, misuse of estimates, technical complexity, requirements redefinition and business domain instability. This paper reflects and provides recommendations on how to improve the learning from historical estimates and how to manage the diverse sources of inaccuracy inside this particular company and also in other organizations.

History and the Study of Inequality

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-441
Author(s):  
Herbert S. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
First Century ◽  
Global Inequality ◽  
Historical Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Oxford Group ◽  
Over Time

Economic inequality has become one of the most important themes in the social sciences. The debate has revolved around two basic models. Was Kuznets correct in his prediction that inequality declines with economic growth, or was Piketty, along with others in the Berkeley/Paris/Oxford group, correct to counter that capitalism without severe constraints inevitably leads to increasing inequality? The resolution will depend on long-term historical analysis. In Global Inequality, Milanovic proposed new models to analyze the social, economic, political, and historical factors that influence changes in inequality over time and space. In Capitalism, Alone, he changes direction to examine what patterns of capitalism and inequality will look like in the twenty-first century and beyond, as well as how inequality might be reduced without violence.

Transition from Iron I to Iron II

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor H. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Social Economic ◽  
Tenth Century ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Monumental Architecture ◽  
Archaeological Data ◽  
Biblical Narratives ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
United Monarchy

The principal issue in this chapter is a discussion of whether or not a united monarchy existed during the tenth century BCE. That requires an analysis of current archaeological data, extrabiblical records, and the biblical narratives associated with the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon. In addition, these data are coupled with an examination of the social, economic, and political forces that were at work during this period. These include an examination of the necessary steps that would need to be take to shift from a multi-polity, decentralized social organization to a chiefdom and ultimately to a centralized monarchy. As part of this discussion, legal precedents, the iconic importance of monumental architecture, the role of the ark of the covenant, the importance of Jerusalem as a political and religious capital city, and interaction with the Philistines and other political rivals are reviewed.

The ‘land–family bond’ in East Sussex, c. 1580–1770

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID R. CLARKE
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Early Modern England ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Demographic Context ◽  
Over Time

This article contributes to debates over the ‘land–family bond’ in Early Modern England, in which social historians have engaged periodically during the past decade. It examines the work of Jane Whittle, Govind Sreenivasen and Alan Macfarlane and adds new archival evidence from my own study of three East Sussex villages, circa 1580–1770. Its focus is on the factors that influenced the land–family bond over time. It argues that a more nuanced understanding of individual tenant behaviour during this period cannot be reached without also charting the social, economic and demographic context in which such behaviour operated.

Scotland and parliamentary sovereignty

Legal Studies ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin Little
Keyword(s):  
Political Order ◽  
Political Issue ◽  
Political Reality ◽  
Parliamentary Sovereignty ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Constitutional Conventions ◽  
To Come ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Eu

The authority of the classic Diceyan approach to parliamentary sovereignty has, as is well known, been called into question as a result of the UK's membership of the EU and human rights legislation. However, this paper focuses on the implications of Scottish devolution for the orthodox doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. The constitution, and the legislative supremacy of Westminster within it, remains a controversial political issue in Scotland. Accordingly, rather than hypothesising inductively from constitutional doctrine, consideration is given to the nature of the interaction between the socio-political forces which underlie Scottish devolution and the concept of parliamentary sovereignty. It is contended that the foundations of the Scottish political order have shifted in a way which is already presenting significant challenges. Moreover, looking to the future, the pressure on the orthodox Diceyan approach is likely to intensify over time. In this context, it is questionable whether constitutional conventions of the sort which are already evolving or the possible development by the courts of more formal constitutional norms will, in the long term, be able to reconcile parliamentary sovereignty with Scottish political reality. Indeed, it is argued that — from a Scottish perspective at least — the viability of classic, Diceyan parliamentary sovereignty as a meaningful constitutional doctrine will be called into question in the years to come.

Characterizing Accounting Research

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek K. Oler ◽  
Mitchell J. Oler ◽  
Christopher J. Skousen
Keyword(s):  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Current State ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Positive Perspective ◽  
Normative Perspective ◽  
Over Time

SYNOPSIS: In response to concerns over the viability of the academic discipline of accounting, we investigate trends in accounting research by examining papers published in six top accounting journals from 1960 to 2007. We use citations made by accounting papers as a proxy for their antecedent ideas and examine trends in citations, topics, and methodologies, in aggregate and by journal. Our results suggest that the growing body of accounting research draws increasingly from both finance and economics. Financial accounting topics and archival methodologies are becoming more dominant over time relative to other topics and methodologies, although these trends vary by journal. Though most concerns we discuss are recent, we find that the situation today is the result of trends set in motion decades ago with an explicit decision by influential researchers to move the discipline from a normative perspective to a positive perspective. Given its current state, accounting research may be broadly characterized as research into the effect of economic events on the process of summarizing, analyzing, verifying, and reporting standardized financial information, and on the effects of reported information on economic events.

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