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Article
Publication date: 8 September 2015

Borbála Kovács

The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptually and empirically grounded new understanding of childcare arrangements for cross-national and longitudinal micro-level…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptually and empirically grounded new understanding of childcare arrangements for cross-national and longitudinal micro-level empirical research by drawing on theoretical discussions about the social, spatial and temporal dimensions of embodied childcare and empirical data in the form of parental narratives from a Romanian qualitative study.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds on a critique of an extensive body of empirical literature on the micro-level organisation of childcare and the thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with Romanian parents. The paper combines a critical literature review with findings from a qualitative study on childcare.

Findings

The paper formulates a new understanding of household-level childcare arrangements that is context-insensitive, yet reflects the social, spatial and temporal concerns that the organisation of embodied childcare often raises. The paper expands on six real-life care arrangements in Romanian households represented as different combinations of care encounters.

Research limitations/implications

As the paper draws on parental narratives from a single country, Romania, the mapping of childcare arrangements in other jurisdictions and/or at different times would strengthen the case for the proposed understanding of care arrangements as a valuable tool to represent, compareand contrast household-level care routines.

Originality/value

The idea that parents (especially mothers) make work-care decisions in the light of what is best for their child has been widely documented. However, taxonomies of care arrangements have failed to reflect this. The proposed conceptualisation of childcare arrangements addresses this issue by articulating a conceptually coherent approach to developing empirically grounded childcare typologies that “travel well” cross-nationally and over time.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 35 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2024

Luisa Salaris and Nicola Tedesco

An increasing number of international immigrant workers enter the EU labour market to fill the gap in many key economic sectors. Labour migration often implies a process of family…

Abstract

Purpose

An increasing number of international immigrant workers enter the EU labour market to fill the gap in many key economic sectors. Labour migration often implies a process of family adaptation and, in some cases, a breakdown in the community structure and networks. This study aims to provide insights into the dynamics of transnational families, focusing on changes in the redefinition of roles within family members and children care arrangements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was based on the analysis of 12 biographical interviews conducted using semi-structured interviews between November 2018 and December 2019 among Romanian women who worked as caregivers in families in an Italian metropolitan city and the surrounding urban area.

Findings

Despite the economic dimension being essential, psychological well-being increasingly burdens workers’ migratory experience and that of their family members. Findings suggest including employers and children among the actively involved actors of the family decision-making process; working and contractual conditions as factors that significantly impact the opportunities and capability of workers to provide and receive care, mainly if the latter are employed in the informal market.

Originality/value

The study makes it possible to highlight that the dynamics in decision-making processes in transnational families change in the different phases of the migration project and involve numerous actors. These processes are not always rational and are strongly influenced by the labour market structure in which migrants are employed.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2002

Simona Antoaneta Lubieniechi

Ecological agriculture is a modern agriculture with a high degree of economic efficiency and determines a new life philosophy at the producers’ and consumers’ level. At present…

1761

Abstract

Ecological agriculture is a modern agriculture with a high degree of economic efficiency and determines a new life philosophy at the producers’ and consumers’ level. At present, in Romania an intensive agriculture and an unintended biological agriculture is practised because of producers’ lack of money which does not allow them to buy the necessary chemical products. There are only a few ecological farms in Romania and their products are exported to a large extent. In the future the spreading of ecological farms and of ecological agriculture will succeed in creating the conditions for an institutional framework which takes into account the regional ecological situation. The institutional framework must stimulate and sustain the Romanian agricultural producers in the development of this agriculture type, because there is an important external demand and, in addition, through educating Romanian consumers.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 104 no. 3/4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 May 2009

Cheryl Klimaszewski and James M. Nyce

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from a field study in Viscri, a village in Transylvania, Romania, to investigate the current state of information and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from a field study in Viscri, a village in Transylvania, Romania, to investigate the current state of information and communication technology (ICT) development in the village.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers interviewed villagers in May 2007. Ethnographic methods were used to collect data and to assess villagers' information needs. The information landscape in Viscri is presented and analyzed in local and national contexts. The national policies shaping Romania's emerging information society are discussed and literature on the impact of ICT development at the community level is also reviewed.

Findings

Romania's ICT policy goal of universal access needs to be better targeted. In Viscri, few adults showed interest in learning about or using computers. However, villagers understood that a good education that included computer education was necessary to assure better economic futures for their children. In light of the demographics, social conditions and cultural beliefs in Viscri, the most appropriate access point for ICT initiatives there should be programs aimed at school‐aged children.

Research limitations/implications

The paper describes and discusses the information needs of one village. Further field investigation at the community level is necessary to discern the relevance of the findings to other villages both in Romania and elsewhere.

Practical implications

Further research, especially in the most underserved communities, will help to identify ways in which the information society and related policies can be more equitably implemented in Romania. What is learned in Romania can have implications for ICT development policy elsewhere.

Originality/value

The paper assesses critically the rhetoric of universal access. If universal access is going to remain an ICT policy goal, more research is needed at the community level in order to ensure that policy emphasis on access for all actually translates into equitable, meaningful ICT access for underserved communities.

Details

New Library World, vol. 110 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2004

George K. Stylios

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects…

3517

Abstract

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 16 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 June 2007

Madeline Engel, Norma K. Phillips and Frances A. Dellacava

This article aims to focus on social structures and national and international factors as they influence international adoption. Special attention is paid to the impact of media…

2501

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to focus on social structures and national and international factors as they influence international adoption. Special attention is paid to the impact of media, social welfare policies, legislation, and international monitoring groups on international adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

The article reviews relevant literature in sociology, social work, and the media. Much of the focus is on adoption in the USA since it has the largest number of internationally adopted children.

Findings

International adoption is becoming more common and is likely to continue to do so despite the concerns of some countries, some minority groups, and international monitoring agencies regarding trafficking in children, cultural genocide, and social justice issues related to transracial/intercultural adoption.

Originality/value

Adoption has generally been studied by social workers, psychologists and others concerned with its impact on the individual adoptee, birth mother and adoptive family. This article presents a sociological perspective of international adoption and considers its implications for families. The article is useful for policy makers, practitioners and others concerned with the occurrence of international adoption and its potential consequences.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 27 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2007

Dan Petrovici, Svetla Marinova, Marin Marinov and Nick Lee

The objective of this paper is to uncover the underlying dimensions of, and examine the similarities and differences in, personal uses of advertising, perceived socio‐economic…

3137

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to uncover the underlying dimensions of, and examine the similarities and differences in, personal uses of advertising, perceived socio‐economic effects of advertising, and consumer beliefs and attitudes toward advertising in Bulgaria and Romania. Moreover, it aims to identify the relative importance of the predictors of attitudes toward advertising in the two countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws upon findings of previous research and theoretical developments by Bauer and Greyser, Sandage and Leckenby, and Pollay and Mittal. The study uses a stratified random sample of 947 face‐to‐face interviews with adult respondents from major urban areas in Bulgaria (507) and Romania (440). Variables are measured on multi‐item scales as a typical application of the reflective indicator model.

Findings

Results show that there are significant differences between Romanian and Bulgarian respondents in terms of their attitudes toward advertising. Romanians are more positive about advertising as an institution than the instruments of advertising. Romanians seem to accept the role of advertising in a free market economy, but have less confidence in advertising claims and techniques. Bulgarian respondents seem more sceptical toward advertising in general and are less enthusiastic about embracing the role of advertising as an institution. Moreover, Bulgarians are highly negative towards the instruments advertising uses to convey its messages to consumers.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings reflect the views of urban dwellers and may not be generalisable to the wider population of the two countries. Interviewer bias was reduced by eliminating verbal or non‐verbal cues to the respondents, and by the use of stratified random sampling.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that the regulatory role of codes of advertising practice and industry regulating bodies should be enhanced, and their ability to protect consumers enforced. Marketing campaigns should be more inclusive to involve diverse social groups and reflect generally‐accepted social norms.

Originality/value

This study reveals that, while general attitudes toward advertising may be similar, attitudes toward the institution and instruments of advertising may differ even in countries with geographic proximity and low cultural distance.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 24 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2018

David Alexander, Adriana Tiron-Tudor and Ioana Dragu

This paper aims to focus on corporate accountability, analysing the case of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) from the perspective of civil society, acting as a significant…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on corporate accountability, analysing the case of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) from the perspective of civil society, acting as a significant stakeholder.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors ground the research on legitimacy theory, as the paper presents the company’s efforts to obtain the approval/legitimacy from one of its main vocal stakeholders: civil society. The paper presents the historical background of the Rosia Montana region, and then explains the stages of the RMGC project development, together with the company’s actions to be recognised by the local environment. They also investigate the corporate reports issued by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, especially in and after 2010.

Findings

The results show that RMGC failed to gain the legitimacy of the Romanian society, and the authors discuss causes and implications.

Originality/value

This research brings a valuable contribution to the corporate reporting literature, being one of the first studies on the state of reporting in Romania in the mining sector, analysing the implications of the relationship between corporate accountability and civil society.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2000

Dan A. Petrovici and Christopher Ritson

An analysis of patterns of food consumption in Romania is undertaken with the UK used as a benchmark when appropriate. The period of transition in Romania towards a more…

2606

Abstract

An analysis of patterns of food consumption in Romania is undertaken with the UK used as a benchmark when appropriate. The period of transition in Romania towards a more market‐oriented economy has involved substantial changes in patterns of food consumption and significant year‐to‐year variation. The decline in real incomes provides an interesting validation of Engel’s law on the relationships between household income and food expenditure. There is evidence that Romanian diet is deteriorating relative to modern nutrition guidelines; possible policy responses are discussed.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 102 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2011

Anna Paraskevopoulou

The purpose of this paper is to discuss family migration through the findings of the undocumented worker transitions (UWT) European Union funded, sixth framework project, which…

1271

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss family migration through the findings of the undocumented worker transitions (UWT) European Union funded, sixth framework project, which was completed in February 2009.

Design/methodology/approach

Focusing on results from 211 interviews across seven European countries, together with the current literature on the subject, the paper identifies types of family migration and examines the implications of migration policies and measures in relation to family life and the position of individuals within it, such as women, children or the older people. The paper argues that family‐related reasons often play a central role in the decision to migrate and shape employment experiences.

Findings

Independent of restrictions imposed by various states to control migration, family‐related migration does occur in destinations considered to provide economic prosperity (or survival) with the help of social networks and often with the intention of settling permanently/semi‐permanently in the host state. Status shift towards irregularity often translates to a more vulnerable position in the labour market, inviting exploitation and worsening of the working conditions as a result of precarious employment conditions.

Social implications

The paper concludes that greater protection (in terms of status) and encouragement (in terms of involvement in the civic society) is needed for migrant families in order to enable integration and combat future disadvantage and discrimination that might be experienced by this group.

Originality/value

The paper places emphasis on irregular migrants, as research in this area is limited. The work is also original as it is based on primary research on the experiences of undocumented migrants in seven European countries.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 31 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

1 – 10 of 229