There is a disproportionate number of African American fathers in the State of Tennessee that experience parenting and child support disparities when compared to single parents of other ethnicities. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the experiences of African American noncustodial fathers and to examine the impact of the codification of Tennessee family laws. The theoretical frameworks for this study were critical race theory, and social construction and policy design. The key research questions examined the lived experiences of African American noncustodial fathers in the State of Tennessee and how the codification of Tennessee family laws contributed to the social construction of African American noncustodial fathers. The general qualitative study included both phenomenological and historical techniques. The data was collected by in-depth interviews of 8 African American noncustodial fathers. The study resulted in 5 emergent themes: many were happy to become fathers; many have no relationship with their child's mother; child support negatively impacted their lives; child support is biased and unfair; and the fathers wanted more time with their children. The State of Tennessee and African American fathers will benefit from the study by replicating the research statewide. Specifically, the role of fathers will be increased, less adversarial co-parenting, and legislators will have scholarly research to show the issues with the laws. The implications for positive social change include lower crimes rates related to child support, increased graduation rates, and enhanced father-child time.

The fulfilment of Child Support payments following divorce is important to ensure children’s wellbeing. Guided by a model of normative influences, we investigated how individuals perceived Child Support payments in South Korea and the United States and if they varied by child’s gender, custody arrangements, changes in the responsible father’s finances, and his financial obligations to an aging parent. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 132 Korean and 132 U.S. participants by utilizing a multiple segment factorial vignette (MSFV). Korean respondents believed more Child Support should be paid than did U.S. respondents. Custody arrangements and changes in the fathers’ finances affected perceived financial obligations of divorced fathers to the child regardless of participants’ country. Having an aging parent in need affected Koreans’ perceptions about Child Support in different ways than U.S. participants. Qualitative responses indicated that Koreans emphasized paternal obligations, whereas U.S. participants stressed the issue of fairness as a rationale. We discuss the results of this study in relation to Child Support compliance in both countries and suggest implications for research and practice.

A Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Commerce (Economic Science) in the School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 28 February 2019 / This paper investigates the impact of the South African Child Support Grant (CSG) on the beneficiary’s height-for-age z-score (HAZ). We make use of data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), the wave 3 dataset. Using Propensity Score Matching approach the effect of the CSG is positive but statistically insignificant and relatively small. This popular technique rely on assumptions that often do no hold for observational studies. Furthermore, it is susceptible to misspecification of the propensity score equation which could bias the results. This paper therefore look into a technique that address these limitations and can assess the treatment effect robustly and with more precision. We apply genetic matching algorithm, namely GenMatch. GenMatch is an iterative search algorithm that uses distance metrics to optimize covariate balance in the process of estimating the treatment effect. It automates the search process without the need of manual intervention to achieve the best balance. This algorithm is applied using two balance measures namely, the entropic distance metric and the standardized difference in means. The former compares distributions while the latter compares the first two moments (means and variances) of distributions. The results showcase the significance of utilizing a method that automates the process of optimizing balance and the influence of balance measures on the resulting treatment effect estimate. Specifically, we found that the estimate of the effect of the CSG is larger and more precise than the one reported in the literature. / PH2020

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focused on the social protection of vulnerable children in Zambia. The aim was to find out how social protection had evolved and how it was conceptualised – its functions and types, policies and programmes, the benefits and services, and the risks and vulnerabilities that it addresses. A descriptive study design was used with qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data. The sample of 24 participants from government and nongovernmental organisations involved in social protection delivery as well as carers of children was drawn from the Central, Lusaka and Southern provinces of Zambia respectively. A semi-structured interview schedule was used, and all the recorded interviews were transcribed by the researcher and sent back to the participants for proofreading or corrections, where necessary, before analysis. The basic needs, the empowerment, the risk management, the rights-based, and the capability approaches have been used to further the conceptualization, design features and implementation modalities of social protection. Additionally, given that a theoretical basis for social protection is still lacking, the study drew on representational, explanatory, normative, human capital, social construction, social contractual, and structural social work theories in order to complement, extend and verify the findings. Ethical clearance (number Desc_Moonga2012) was obtained from Stellenbosch University’s Research Ethics Committee. The ethical clearance certificate was used to apply for and obtain permission from the Zambian Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health and nongovernmental organisations involved in the study. Empirically, the study found that social protection was an old activity under a new name and was being scaled up rapidly but biased towards cash transfers. By and large, social protection in Zambia is provided as unconditional transfers, mainly as social assistance. No existing legislative or policy framework specifically focused on social protection was found, although the latter had been drafted at the time of the study. The Zambian government and a number of partners such as CARE, Child Fund, World Vision and the World Food Programme, to mention only a few, were found to be involved, but their efforts were fragmented and interventions for children were limited, fragmented and less responsive to the current risks and vulnerabilities of children. The study also established that if 2–3% of the country’s gross domestic product as recommended by the International Labour Organization were used, Zambia could afford to provide extensive social protection coverage (beyond its current offering) by using local resources. However, this would require putting in place appropriate and sustainable resource mobilisation measures and decentralization of the processes and interventions. Based on these and other concluding findings, it is recommended that in order for social protection for vulnerable children in Zambia to be effective, among other requirements, political will is needed in the provision of social protection for vulnerable groups, especially children, through legislative and policy frameworks. Additionally, there is a need for sustainable resource mobilisation, especially through progressive taxation such as taxation of undeserved income and taxation of big businesses, especially mining companies. However, due to limitations in qualitative methods and descriptive designs and the small sample of the data used, the conclusions and recommendations of the study are but conjectural. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het op die maatskaplike beskerming van kwesbare kinders in Zambië gekonsentreer. Die doel was om te bepaal hoe maatskaplike beskerming ontwikkel het en gekonseptualiseer is – die soorte en funksies van maatskaplike beskerming, die beleide en programme daaroor, die voordele en dienste wat daarmee verband hou, en die gepaardgaande risiko’s en kwesbaarhede. ʼn Beskrywende navorsingsontwerp met kwalitatiewe metodes vir data-insameling en -ontleding is gebruik. Die steekproef van 24 deelnemers uit die staatsektor en nieregeringsorganisasies wat met die lewering van maatskaplike beskerming gemoeid is, sowel as kinderversorgers, het uit die Lusaka-, sentrale en suidelike provinsies van Zambië gekom. ’n Semigestruktureerde onderhoudskedule is gebruik. Die navorser het alle opnames van onderhoude getranskribeer en dit voor ontleding aan die deelnemers gestuur om te proeflees en enige nodige regstellings te maak. Die basiese behoefte-, bemagtiging-, risikobestuur-, regsgebaseerde en vermoëns benaderings is gebruik om die konseptualisering, ontwerp kenmerke en implementering van modaliteite van maatskaplike beskerming te bevorder. Benewens die gebrek aan ’n teoretiese grondslag vir maatskaplike beskerming, het die studie op die verteenwoordigende- verklarende-, normatiewe-, menslikekapitaal-, maatskaplikekonstruksie-, maatskaplikekontrak- en strukturele maatskaplikewerk-teorieë staatgemaak om die bevindinge aan te vul, uit te brei en na te gaan. Etiekgoedkeuring (nommer Desc_Moonga2012) is van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Navorsingsetiekkomitee verkry. Die etiekgoedkeuringsertifikaat is op sy beurt gebruik om toestemming te vra en te verkry van die Zambiese Ministerie van Gemeenskapsontwikkeling en Moeder- en Kindergesondheid en nieregerings-organisasies wat by die studie betrokke was. Die empiriese bevinding van die studie is dat maatskaplike beskerming ’n ou aktiwiteit met ’n nuwe naam is, en dat dit vinnig uitgebrei word, dog na kontant-oorplasings oorhel. Maatskaplike beskerming in Zambië geskied merendeels as onvoorwaardelike oorplasings, hoofsaaklik in die vorm van maatskaplike bystand. Geen bestaande regs- of beleidsraamwerk wat bepaald oor maatskaplike beskerming handel, kon opgespoor word nie, hoewel werk aan ’n beleidsraamwerk ten tyde van die studie aan die gang was. Die Zambiese regering en ’n aantal vennote, waaronder CARE, Child Fund, World Vision en die Wêreldvoedselprogram, om net enkeles te noem, is betrokke by maatskaplike beskerming dienslewering, maar hul pogings is gefragmenteer. Veral intervensies vir kinders is beperk, gefragmenteer en nie juis ingestel op die kinders se huidige risiko’s en kwesbaarhede nie. Daarbenewens het die studie vasgestel dat indien 2–3% van die land se bruto binnelandse produk gebruik word, soos wat die Internasionale Arbeidsorganisasie aanbeveel, Zambië kan bekostig om met behulp van plaaslike hulpbronne omvattende maatskaplike beskerming (wat verder strek as sy huidige aanbod) te bied. Dít sou egter vereis dat toepaslike en volhoubare maatreëls en desentralisering van prosesse en intervensies ingestel word om hulpbronne te mobiliseer. Op grond van hierdie en ander bevindinge is die gevolgtrekking dat maatskaplike beskerming vir kwesbare groepe in Zambië slegs doeltreffend sal wees indien die nodige politieke wil bestaan om deur regs- en beleidsraamwerke maatskaplike beskerming aan hierdie groepe, veral kinders, te voorsien. Daar bestaan ook ’n behoefte aan volhoubare hulpbronmobilisering, veral deur progressiewe belasting soos belasting op onverdiende inkomste en belasting op groot ondernemings, bepaald mynmaatskappye. Weens die beperkinge van kwalitatiewe metodes en deskriptiewe ontwerpe, sowel as die klein datasteekproef wat gebruik is, is die gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings van die studie egter bloot verondersteld.

This project employed a descriptive case study methodology guided by rational choice theory to examine the financial feasibility of marriage for low income women. By modeling the income and expenses of eight different low income family types in six states (Arizona, California, New York, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Wisconsin) this study illustrates the financial situation of various low income families. The family types under investigation include: a single parent family, a family receiving TANF, cohabiting couple with two wage earners, cohabiting couple with one wage earner, a married family with two wage earners, a married couple with one wage earner, a unmarried couple with an infant (unmarried fragile family), and a married couple with an infant (married fragile family). The income of each family type was calculated at two different wage levels (minimum and low wage for each state under investigation). Income included the welfare benefits and subsidies each of the family's is likely to receive (including child care subsidies and tax credits). The expenses of each family were calculated based on the size of the family and the cost of expenses such as housing and food expenditures. This study found that of the models presented here married families are not always financially better off when compared to single parent and cohabiting families. These findings demonstrate that if policy makers wish to support marriage among low income families they should first make marriage financially feasible for unmarried couples (particularly cohabiting couples) and create greater economic stability for couples that are already married. By providing consistent work supports (e.g. child care and health insurance), expanding programs that help low income families (such as the Earned Income Tax Credit), creating poverty measures that accurately reflect the real situation of low income families, and increasing the wages of low income workers, policy makers will create an environment where it is financially feasible for low income couples to marry and remain married.

M.A. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

[pt] Gorduras trans são definidas pelo Codex Alimentarius como ácidos graxos insaturados que contém pelo menos uma dupla ligação trans. As gorduras trans de origem industrial são formadas durante a transformação pela hidrogenação parcial de óleos vegetais líquidos em gorduras semi-sólidas. Estas são amplamente usadas na fabricação de alimentos processados. Em 2002, um relatório da FAO/OMS, apresentou prova convincente de que a ingestão de gorduras trans aumentava efetivamente o risco de doenças cardiovasculares, e recomendou que seu consumo não deveria exceder 1% das calorias diárias ingeridas. Mesmo antes desse marco, diversas abordagens já haviam sido perseguidas por organizações governamentais e de saúde pública em diferentes países para reduzir o consumo desse tipo de gordura. No Brasil, através da resolução no360 da Anvisa de 2003, tornou-se obrigatória a declaração do conteúdo de gordura trans a partir de 2006. Esta dissertação apresenta a evolução e, analisa e avalia os processos regulatórios ligados à redução da gordura trans em alimentos nas experiências da Dinamarca, do Canadá e dos Estados Unidos, identificando as melhores práticas e lições nas experiências destes, contrapondo-as à experiência brasileira. A dissertação conclui destacando o papel da metrologia na qualificação da política pública para saúde, assim como outros aspectos derivados do diagnóstico dos diferentes estudos de caso levados a cabo. O estudo finaliza com a produção de recomendações para o refino e aprimoramento das ações de política pública e da regulação brasileira para a questão. / [en] Trans fats are defined by the Codex Alimentarius as unsaturated fatty acids containing at least a trans double bond. Industrially produced trans fats are formed in the course of the transformation through partial hydrogenation of liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid fats. They are amply used in the production of processed foodstuffs. In 2002, a FAO/WHO report presented convincing proof linking trans fat intake and the risk for developing cardiovascular disease, recommending that its daily consumption should not exceed 1% of total energy intake. Even before this milestone, several approaches had been pursued by government and public health organizations in different countries to reduce trans fat consumption. In Brazil, Anvisa’s 2003 resolution no360 established nutrition labeling of the trans fat content mandatory from 2006. This thesis presents the evolution and analyses and assesses the regulatory processes for reducing trans fats in foodstuffs in Denmark, Canada, and the United States, seeking to identify lessons and best practices in their experiences to contrast with the Brazilian one. The thesis concludes by highlighting the role of metrology in qualifying health policy as well as other aspects derived from the analysis of the case studies. At the end, the study makes some recommendations for refining and improving Brazilian public policy actions and regulation addressing this issue.

[pt] Alguns trabalhos já foram realizados sobre a compra de alimentos por consumidores de baixa renda (Grossi, Motta e Hor-Meyll, 2008; Parente, Barki e Kato, 2005). Entretanto, tais trabalhos foram conduzidos com base em relatos feitos a posteriori pelos consumidores. Este estudo, de caráter exploratório, procurou melhor conhecer o comportamento desses consumidores no ponto de venda. Inicialmente, foi feita observação dos trajetos e comportamentos dos consumidores em mercados localizados em quatro bairros de baixa renda per capita na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. O comportamento dos consumidores, incluindo reações durante a compra, comparações entre opções disponíveis, hesitações, demora para escolher e trocas realizadas, foi observado. Em seguida, esses consumidores foram entrevistados, com temas envolvendo a formulação de sua lista de compras e sobre os comportamentos observados durante a compra. O estudo revelou que, apesar da forte influência que a restrição de renda impõe ao processo de compra de alimentos, outros fatores também parecem ajudar a explicar sua tomada de decisão no ponto de venda. Das observações realizadas e do discurso dos informantes sobressaíram influências ligadas ao ambiente do mercado, à relação dos consumidores com as marcas disponíveis e ao risco percebido por esses consumidores. / [en] Some studies focused on food purchase by low-income consumers have been published in the last years (Grossi, Motta e Hor-Meyll, 2008; Parente, Barki and Kato, 2005). However, these studies were based in data collected after the purchase and provided by consumers. This exploratory study aimed to increase understanding of low-income consumers behavior at the point of sale. Initially, consumer routes and behaviors in four supermarkets located in low-income areas in Rio de Janeiro were observed and noted. Then, those consumers whose purchase paths had been observed answered questions about shopping list formulation, behavior in store, decisions made in store, hesitation in making some choices. The results show that, beside the fact that income constraint played an important role in food purchasing, other factors help to understand decision making in supermarkets by low-income consumers. From observation and interviews emerged influences related to store environment, to how available brands are perceived and to the risk perceived by consumers at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

A pesquisa que orienta esta dissertação foi realizada no período de março a dezembro de 2008 no Fórum de Santo Amaro e na Vara Distrital de Parelheiros com mulheres que entraram com ações de alimentos contra os pais de seus filhos. As 35 mulheres entrevistadas apontaram para a multiplicidade do conflito que as fazem entrar com este tipo de ação e para a multiplicidade de papéis sociais que desempenham, embora tanto conflito quanto papéis sejam simplificados e padronizados durante as audiências de conciliação. O espaço dessas audiências se restringe à discussão do valor monetário da pensão alimentícia, o que contribui para a celeridade processual e para um certo tipo de reprodução de desigualdade de gênero, pois a paternidade é restringida à obrigação de arcar com uma parcela do sustento material do filho, enquanto da maternidade se espera não só a outra parcela desse sustento material como, em muitos casos, toda a responsabilidade pelos sustentos moral e afetivo. Como a ação de alimentos é normalmente acionada após a dissolução de uma união consensual, o conflito que costuma deflagrá-la envolve questões como divisão de bens, violência doméstica, guarda e visitas das crianças, questões estas que são vistas pelas mulheres como tão ou mais importantes do que o estabelecimento de um valor monetário de pensão alimentícia, pois abarcam a dimensão afetiva da paternidade e o reconhecimento de insultos morais de que muitas mulheres se declaram vítimas. Essas dimensões morais e afetivas do conflito não são discutidas em audiências de conciliação, sendo algumas delas objetos de outras ações judiciais. O conflito, portanto, sentido como único pelas partes, é fragmentado pelo Judiciário para que se chegue a uma solução. Apesar disto, a abordagem aprofundada de dois casos mostra que o acesso à justiça, por meio deste tipo de ação, pode ser sentido como positivo pelas mulheres, pois o contato com o Judiciário acaba por resignificar seu lugar, fazendo com que se reconheçam, mais enfaticamente, como sujeitos de direitos. / This dissertation was originated by a research carried out from March to December 2008, at Santo Amaros Court and Parelheiros District Court, with women who have filed lawsuits against their childrens fathers for child support. The 35 interviewed women pointed out the conflict multiplicity to make them file this kind of lawsuit and the social roles diversity they have to perform, although both conflict and roles are simplified and standardized during the conciliation hearings. Those hearing spaces are restricted to the discussion of the child support amount, thus contributing to procedural speed. But the reproduction of gender inequality is also reinforced, for fatherhood is understood to cover only part of the childs maintenance, while motherhood covers financial support and also, in many cases, all the moral and affective responsibility. As the child support process is usually filed after a domestic partnership has been dissolved, the conflict that often starts the lawsuit is also related to issues like distribution of property, domestic violence, and child custody and access. These issues are perceived by the women as equally or more important that the settlement of child support, for they entail the affective dimension of parenthood and the recognition of the moral offenses that many women claim to be victim of. Those moral and affective dimensions of the conflict are not discussed in conciliation hearings, while some of them are objects of other law proceedings. The conflict, thus, experienced as a whole by the parties, is divided by the Judiciary to be successfully settled. In spite of that, the deep analysis of two cases shows that access to justice, by means of this kind of legal action, is experienced as positive by the women, for the contact with the Judiciary actually reframes their places, causing them to recognize themselves, more strongly, as subjects of rights.

[pt] O cloridrato de sibutramina está entre os sacietógenos mais prescritos para o controle da obesidade e tem sido adicionado, de forma não declarada, a alimentos protéicos para esportistas. Nenhuma metodologia analítica é descrita em compêndios oficiais para a determinação de sibutramina. O presente trabalho objetiva o desenvolvimento e a validação de métodos analíticos baseados na voltametria de pulso diferencial (DPV) e na voltametria de onda quadrada (SWV) para quantificação do cloridrato de sibutramina em fármacos e em alimentos protéicos. A influência dos parâmetros eletroquímicos foi estudada para selecionar as melhores condições de trabalho como: eletrólito suporte (tampão Mcllvaine) pH (4,0), velocidade de varredura (40 mV s(-1) para DPV e 240 mV s(-1) para SWV) e amplitude de pulso (50 mV). Não foi possível pré-concentrar a sibutramina no eletrodo de trabalho (gota de mercúrio). O comportamento eletroquímico desta substância no eletrodo de mercúrio também foi investigado a partir de estudos com voltametria cíclica. A redução da sibutramina é aparentemente reversível envolvendo a participação de 1 próton e 1 elétron. O potencial de pico da sibutramina é cerca de - 100 mV (Ag/AgCl 3 mol L-1). No processo de validação foram avaliadas as faixas de resposta linear (do limite de quantificação até 33,3 mg L(-1) em ambos os métodos), o limite de detecção (0,4 para DPV e 0,3 mg L(-1) para SWV), e o limite de quantificação (1,4 para DPV e 1,1 mg L(-1) para SWV). A precisão do método foi satisfatória. Testes de recuperação indicaram 90,4 % em ambos os métodos. O desempenho das técnicas voltamétricas foi comparado estatisticamente com a técnica CLAE e não houve diferença significativa entre os resultados obtidos. / [en] Sibutramine hydrochloride is among the most prescribed satiety inducer for obesity control and it has also been added, in a fraudulent way, in proteinrich food complement for athletes. There is no analytical method for sibutramine described in the official literature. The goal of this work is to develop and validate electroanalytical methods for the determination of sibutramine in pharmaceuticals and in protein-rich food complements. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were the techniques employed. The influence of electrochemical parameters was studied in order to select the best working conditions such as supporting electrolyte (Mcllvaine buffer), pH (4.0), scan rate (40 mV s(-1) for DPV and 240 mV s(-1) for SWV) and pulse amplitude (50 mV). The pre-concentration of sibutramine in the working electrode (mercury drop) was not possible. The electrochemical behavior in the mercury electrode was also investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The reduction of sibutramine is probably reversible and involves of 1 proton and 1 electron. The peak potential of sibutramine is about - 100 mV (Ag/AgCl3 mol L(-1)). In the validation process, the linear range of the analytical response (from the limit of quantification to 33.3 mg L-1, in both methods), the limit of detection (0.6 for DPV and 0.4 mg L(-1) for SWV) and the limit of quantification (1.8 for DPV and 1.1 mg L(-1) for SWV) were evaluated. Satisfactory precision was achieved. Recovery tests produced results of 90.4% for both methods. These results were compared with the ones achieved by HPLC and no significant statistical difference was found between them.