How is internal migration reshaping metropolitan populations in Latin America? A new method and new evidence

Internal migration is a key driver of patterns of human settlement and socio-economic development, but little is known about its compositional impacts. Exploiting the wide availability of census data, we propose a method to quantify the internal migration impacts on local population structures, and estimate these impacts for eight large Latin American cities. We show that internal migration generally had small feminizing, downgrading educational, and demographic window effects: reducing the local sex ratio, lowering the average years of schooling, and raising the share of working-age population due to an increased young adult population. Over time, a rise in the proportion of males and a drop in the share of the young adult population moving into cities reduced the feminizing and demographic window effects. Concurrently, a rise in the average years of schooling associated with people moving into cities attenuated the downgrading impact of internal migration on local education levels.     

The Influence of Social Models on Retirement Savings: Evidence for European Countries

Population ageing, together with the negative effects of the recent economic and financial crisis that some European countries are still facing, have threatened the sustainability of public pension systems. In this context, voluntary private pensions have emerged as the most feasible alternative to supplement the minimum provided by Social Security Systems; however, this financial product does not enjoy its expected popularity. A potential explanation of this reality might be due to the fact that European countries are far from being homogeneous, nor their pensions systems. Therefore, any policy geared toward improving financial retirement planning should take into account these potential differences. As a first approach to their analysis, this paper proposes the existence of four different ‘social models’ in Europe -namely, Continental, Mediterranean, Nordic and Transitional-. Overall, empirical evidence confirmed the significant influence of country’ ‘social model’ on the decision to invest in retirement accounts on a sample of 31,468 individuals in 2013. It was also proved that this decision is positively related to age, household income and wealth, higher levels of formal education, job situation, good health status, and long-term planning horizons; and negatively related to age squared, household size or financial risk aversion. In short, future policies and reforms regarding private pensions should not only take into account the existence of individual differences among Europeans, but also the existence of differences depending on institutional and cultural country factors.     

Poverty Assessment in Degraded Rural Drylands in the Monte Desert,Argentina. An Evaluation Using GIS and Multi-criteria Decision Analysis

The work aims to contribute to the construction a local-scale poverty indicator, which contemplates multiple dimensions and allows for spatialization of socioeconomic data for a rural area in the Monte Desert. Given the evident and widely studied relationship between desertification processes and poverty, and aiming to contribute to integrating socioeconomic information to desertification assessment and monitoring, there arises the need for spatializing poverty by addressing its multiple dimensions, aspects poorly developed thus far. For this purpose, a data model was designed, which enabled integrating quantitative and qualitative information within the scope of geographic ?nformation systems (GIS) with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), whereby it was possible to spatialize in detail the degree of poverty in the study area, laying the foundations for up-scaling the assessment to different scales. This work demonstrates the usefulness of GIS and MCDA as an instrument that enables progressing in new integral, interdisciplinary, multi-scale and multi-temporal approaches.     

Core Indicators to Assess Quality of Life in Population with Brain Injury

Assessing quality of life of people with brain injury has a relevant role for developing strategies focused on personal outcomes that allow us to guide good practices and rehabilitation. So far, assessment of quality of life for this population has been restricted to an evaluation of personal outcomes from a health-related quality of life perspective. This approach it is mostly centered on physical health, however, quality of life needs to be addressed from a holistic and multidimensional perspective. The goal of this study is to identify core indicators of quality of life in brain injury based on a comprehensive theoretical model focused on the most relevant aspects of this population functioning. A Delphi study was carried out to obtain the specific core indicators of quality of life for this population. The methodology used to reach a consensus about the best indicators and items to measure quality of life involved four rounds and 14 experts on rehabilitation of people with brain injury. The Delphi study provided evidence of content validity for the field-test version of a new scale that will be applied to a wide sample in order to empirically check its suitability for this population.     

Labor Mismatches: Effects on Wages and on Job Satisfaction in 17 OECD Countries

This study analyzes the effects of labor mismatches on wages and on job satisfaction in seventeen OECD countries by distinguishing between educational mismatch and skills mismatch. Using data from PIAAC, the results suggest that whereas educational mismatch shows greater effects on wages, the effects of labor mismatch on job satisfaction are generally better explained by skills mismatches. Both phenomena appear to be relevant for understanding the economic effects of labor mismatch and suggest that educational mismatch is not an accurate proxy for skills mismatch, mainly when the non-monetary effects of labor mismatch are addressed.     

Variations in horizontal and vertical individualism-collectivism in four regions of Mexico / Variaciones en el individualismo-colectivismo horizontal y vertical en cuatro regiones de México

Cultures can be analysed through cultural syndromes (shared patterns of beliefs, attitudes, norms, roles and values organized around a theme). One of these syndromes, individualism-collectivism, distinguishes collectivist cultures, which prioritize collective over individual interests, from individualist cultures, which value individual autonomy, achievement and freedom. These dimensions intersect with the horizontal-vertical syndrome, where verticality means the preference for a society organized by hierarchies, in contrast to a horizontal culture, which privileges equality. This paper explores these dimensions using a new instrument in a sample of 990 participants from four regions in Mexico. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses show four theoretically congruent factors with adequate levels of internal consistency reaching metric equivalence criteria in three of the four samples. The scores show greater support for horizontal individualism and less support for vertical collectivism. These results are discussed within the context of a cultural shift towards individualism.     

Predicting attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social entrepreneurship: the role of servant leadership in young people / Predicción de las actitudes y las intenciones conductuales hacia el emprendimiento social: el papel del liderazgo de servicio en los jóvenes

: Social entrepreneurship (SE) refers to the development of innovative projects whose main aim is not individual profit but the transformation of society. The issue is particularly important for promoting youth development and participation. This research offers insights from two studies designed from a multi-dimensional perspective analysing attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social ventures built upon the constructs of servant leadership and lifestyles. Results of Study 1 indicated that servant leadership is a key predictor of attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social entrepreneurship, while having a violent lifestyle is negatively associated with these attitudes and intentions. Study 2 showed that servant leadership style predicted attitudes towards social entrepreneurship over and above other types of leadership (i.e., transformational, transactional and laissez-faire). These studies demonstrate the importance of considering servant leadership and relational styles as key factors in predicting attitudes and behavioural intentions regarding social and active participation of young people. Limitations of the study and applications to designing interventions aimed at improving attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social entrepreneurship are discussed.     

Satisfaction with the country and well-being: future expectations / Satisfacción con el país y bienestar: expectativas acerca del futuro

The role of expected personal well-being in the perception of the improvement (or deterioration) in living conditions and country satisfaction is analysed, as well as the relationship between the latter and life satisfaction and personal happiness. A national sample of N = 10,654 participants was used, collected through probabilistic, stratified, two-stage and cluster sampling. They responded to the Mexican Encuesta Nacional de Gastos de los Hogares (National Household Spending Survey, ENGASTO), which measures the spending on goods and services, aspects related to satisfaction with life and the country, and expectations of future personal well-being. Correlational analyses show positive associations between perceptions of the country and its expected development on the one hand and participants’ well-being on the other. Expectations of future personal well-being show indirect effects for both the relationship between the perception of improvement (or deterioration) of living conditions and country satisfaction, and the relation between the latter, happiness and life satisfaction.     

Persons with disabilities and the Colombian armed conflict

This article is about the armed conflict in Colombia and the situation for people with disabilities. Decades of internal conflict have created a complex situation which both gives rise to disability but also fails to take account of the many urgent needs of people with disabilities. Despite the ratification by Colombia of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, persons with disabilities are still not accorded a voice in the peace agreements. Although there is little known about the extent of disability in Colombia, it is important to understand the history of the Colombian armed conflict to see how it impacts on disability issues. We conclude by highlighting the legal instruments in Colombia which provide opportunities now to redress some of those wrongs.