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This paper analyzes the effects of minimum wages on employment and the wage distribution in Colombia from 2006 to 2010. Specifically, it uses multinomial logistic regressions to explore the effects of the minimum wage on the probability of being unemployed, employed or inactive and on the odds of being a formal worker, an informal employee or self-employed. Unconditional quantile regressions are employed to observe the effect of the minimum wage on the gender differentiated wage distribution. The study uses data from the new National Household Survey (Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares, GEIH) which contains significant changes relative to the previous Survey and has not been used for analytic purposes yet. Results show that increases in the minimum wage raise both the probabilities of being employed and unemployed relative to inactive, but the effect on unemployment is larger. Informal workers are more affected by increases in the minimum wage, although the odds of having either a formal or an informal job relative to being an independent worker decline with a raise in the wage. In terms of wages, for male and female workers, increases in the minimum wage tend to reduce the reported wages at the tails of the distribution, while increasing the salaries of those in the middle, creating a compression effect. In addition a simple simulation showed that increasing the minimum wage results in reductions in wage inequality at the right tail of the distribution but not at the left tail, which has important inequality consequences for poor and low-skilled workers.

<p> There have been many pitfalls resultant from our current civilization&rsquo;s dependence on oil and gas, though none has been more ignored than the impacts of hydrocarbon production on our fellow human beings. This thesis has three primary aims: (1) to make clear the theoretical frameworks that have led these human impacts to be ignored, including Resource Curse Theory, and to propose Political Ecology as a new framework for understanding the challenges that resource extraction levies on individuals and communities; (2) to detail, document, and highlight the widespread, complex, and generative impacts that resource extraction itself produces in order to begin seeking real solutions; and (3) to bring to the fore the struggles of the Colombian people in relation to hydrocarbon production and resource extraction. As shall be seen, Colombia is a unique though entirely ignored case study of rapidly expanding hydrocarbon production. While thought to be a &lsquo;success&rsquo; in the eyes of many, this thesis shows the true nature of oil and gas production by focusing in on the deep structural changes that the southern community of Puerto Gaitan has endured since the arrival of Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales, and explaining how these deeper problems are reproduced in other extractive areas across Latin America and the world.</p>

<p> This dissertation contributes to debates on processes of state formation and their relationship to indigenous policies and politics in Argentina. It analyzes and compares two major political economic configurations of the state: the neoliberal from 1989 to 2001, and the so-called "post-neoliberal" from the 2001 national crisis to the present. The study analyzes anthropologically how these two state models shaped strategies concerning the indigenous population that reflected specific political and economic orientations and interests; and conversely, the ways in which indigenous peoples have experienced continuities and variations between the two periods, as well as the changing indigenous' strategies resulting from these political fluctuations. While much has been written on the nature of the post-neoliberal state in indigenous regions for the Bolivian case and Ecuador, the Argentine experience has been largely overlooked, due perhaps to the strong state-led homogenizing tradition which has obscured the country's multiethnic character. If we assume that we are indeed witnessing a change of epoch in some Latin American nations, and that there is an evident process of recovery of state functions, the novelty and contribution of this dissertation will be to explore not only the nature of those claims but also to expand on de Sousa Santos' proposal: Which kind of state is back? (de Sousa Santos 2010). Which are the characteristics of this novel state model? To what extent it is it actually (and entirely) "new" or if it is taking/using elements, strategies and procedures of the prior neoliberal phase. And if so, which elements of neoliberalism still persist in this new political era and which ones are different from that period. Finally, this dissertation contributes to the bottom-up perspective, while analyzing the state considering societal mediators, societal actors that interface with the state. This inclusion allows us to observe in a very detailed manner the ways in which these actors shape and negotiate hegemony and state from below, while also being part of the state structure.</p>

<p> The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of mentoring and role models on emotional distress experienced by Latino adolescents from families headed by single mothers. Additionally, this study explored the influence of ethnicity, gender, marital status and poverty level on the Latino adolescents' emotional distress related to the use of role models and mentors. The findings indicate that female adolescents are more likely than male Latino adolescents to express having emotional distress and needing psychological services to their respective mentors. Interestingly, male adolescents were found to prefer male role model by a significantly statistical difference over having a female role model. Similarly, female adolescents were found to prefer female role models. Lastly, this study found that poverty level significantly impacted whether Latino adolescents were connected to a role model. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant proposal to develop and fund a Life Skills Program to educate Latino students regarding the college application process and professional careers to pursue a higher education. An extensive literature review was conducted to understand the needs of Latino students and interventions that can effectively assist them to improve their higher education enrollment. The S. Mark Taper Foundation was selected as the funder for this program.</p><p> The proposed program would be offered through Santa Fe High School, located in the city of Santa Fe Springs, California. If funded, the program will provide Latino students with the skills and information necessary to pursue a higher education, to be competitive in the workforce and have a prosperous life. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> This dissertation contributes to an understanding of contemporary art practices from Mexico City, as they are received in Mexico and abroad, by interpreting the meaning of local and global sources in recent work shown in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe by three internationally established, contemporary artists from Mexico City: Gabriel Orozco, Carlos Amorales, and Pedro Reyes. These three artists established their careers in the 1990s, when, for the first time, Mexican artists shifted from a national plane to a global realm of operation. Through three case studies of recent bodies of work produced by these artists, I show how each of them engages with both Mexico's artistic lineages and global art currents in ways that bring to light the problem of identity for Mexican artists working internationally. This study explores the specific ways in which each artist deals with Mexican content, in order to discuss how contemporary notions of `Mexican' are framed, misconstrued, and contested in the artworks themselves, and in the critical discourse on these artists, in Mexico and internationally.</p>

<p> Grandparents as parents are a fast growing population, as the need for custodial grandparents increases so does the need for culturally competent interventions that address their needs and that of their grandchildren. This psycho-educational curriculum focuses on Latino grandparent caregivers; it encompasses the stressors commonly faced by custodial grandparents while addressing the cultural values and beliefs of this population. The cultural values addressed in this curriculum include: <i>Respeto, Personalismo,</i> and <i> Familismo,</i> the curriculum is built upon these values, and they are carried throughout each session. </p><p> The foundation for this thesis curriculum includes cultural values, as well as knowledge of loss and grief theory and elements of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Themes that will be addressed in this curriculum include: loss, grief, mental health through psycho-education, coping skills, behavioral and emotional challenges in children and obtaining available community resources.</p>

<p> Education attainment rates for Latina/os in the United States have significant discrepancies including a 44% high school graduation rate and students of Latina/o descent comprise two-thirds of the overall undocumented high school graduate composition (Perez, 2009; Yosso, 2006). Undocumented Latina/os seeking to matriculate into higher education also face racism, nativism, and substantial institutional barriers. Contending with these challenges, thousands of undocumented Latina/o high school graduates attempt to achieve a higher education annually as they also experience precarious legal situations. </p><p> The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to explore the educational and civic experiences of individuals who self-identify as Latina/o and have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Interview data was used to develop counterstories that demonstrate how these individuals are navigating their non-majoritarian lives. The study highlights where DACAmented Latina/os find barriers in education and how they utilize civic engagement and social wealth found in the larger undocumented community to develop themselves personally and professionally as they anxiously await comprehensive immigration reform.</p>

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