Most contemporary theories of justice pertain primarily to the world of adults, and so provide only implicit or vague suggestions as to how various ideals and norms of justice might apply to children. In this dissertation I attempt to remedy this gap or imbalance. To do so, I focus upon the norm of autonomy, and consider how social institutions might be arranged and resources might be distributed so as to allow for due respect---but also, at a prior stage, allow for the proper cultivation---of persons' autonomy. In other words, I systematically argue that it is misguided to be concerned with respecting the (already formed) autonomy of adults, if social arrangements have prevented many adults from developing their autonomy in the fast place, when they were children. Toward this end, I defend a conception of autonomy, in the first chapter, as the complex ability to effectively govern one's life according to one's own capacities and non-adapted preferences. I point out that this ability is one of degrees, whose development depends in large part upon the enjoyment of certain childhood conditions and resources. In the second chapter, I marshall evidence from the most recent empirical research (in burgeoning areas such as Population Health and Life Course Studies, psychoneurobiology, primate ethology, and Social Cognition Theory), to reveal what specific conditions seem to lead, in point of fact, to a greater or lesser development of autonomy. In the third chapter, I argue that children who have been deprived of these various pre-conditions of autonomy have been seriously and wrongfully harmed; and I defend the state as being morally justified, perhaps even obligated, to intervene to redress such harm. The final two chapters are devoted to the ethical evaluation of practical interventions that would feasibly protect children from such "arrested development harm," within their home and school environments, respectively. Accordingly, in chapter four, I provide a model of parental licensing (which includes an analysis of the merits but also risks of compulsory short-term contraception, for cases of extreme parental incompetence or abuse). In the fifth and final chapter, I advocate an Educational Sufficiency Standard that would mandate a certain set of minimally adequate grade school conditions, where these conditions, in turn, would support children's assimilation of essential building blocks (in the form of certain cognitive and self-efficacy skills) of autonomy. In these ways, I argue that any just society will insure that its children are provided with whatever is necessary for their development of at least minimal autonomy.

This dissertation examines changes in the mode of governance in the contemporary United States using societal responses to child abuse as an example. The phrase "child abuse" is only forty years old yet it has become the center of large public bureaucracies in every state. The history of the child welfare is reviewed with particular attention to the increased legal protection for abused and neglected children and how these rights reorganized the responsibilities of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The ethnographic section details the crisis in the Illinois child welfare system after the death of a three-year old child in 1993. The creation of an Inspector General's Office is documented and several of their reform initiatives are considered in some detail, including the development of a Code of Ethics and the use of mediation in servicing families. One conclusion is that traditional agency-based services are being displaced by services offered within networks of providers. These network structures are built around a specific subject, the "child at risk." The implications of these developments for modes of governance in contemporary society are examined.

<p> The purpose of this research project was to explore what the core factors are that play a role in the development of the smart-grid. This research study examined The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 as it pertains to the smart-grid, the economic and security effects of the smart grid, and key factors for its success. The methodology used for this research study is based on a qualitative meta-analysis, multiple case analysis, and text analysis. Secondary data in the form of journal articles were used as the data for this study. Five to six articles on the smart grid, nuclear power, and cellular communication were synthesized to produce a smart gird case, a nuclear case, and a cellular communication case. An interruptive analysis and text analysis was used to create the synthesis. The three cases were analyzed using a multiple case study approach combined with a text analysis to produce a list of possible key factors for the smart grid. This research project found that the core issues (factors) for the smart grid can be categorized into the following five categories; economic, public policy, technology, regulatory, and safety/security. Key terms in each of the core issues were identified and used to answer the research question. The conclusions reached are that consumers will need to use assistive technologies to manage electrical use and to take advantage of dynamic pricing. Furthermore, the Federal Government will have to ensure that open standards are used for the smart grid, and that devices and protocols at all levels of the grid are secured against cyber-attack. Finally, the Federal Government needs to take a more free market approach to smart grid, especially concerning renewable resources. The market should dictate what mix of power generation is used to create an economically viable electric system. Natural gas, nuclear, solar, wind, and geothermal all should compete on a level playing field. With an estimated cost of over $2 trillion and 20 years to implement, there will be only one change to get it right. Limitations of the study include the use of only two comparative domains with the one domain under investigation, the use of a third domain would help to refine and better validate the findings of the study. The exploratory and interpretive nature of the research along with the use of a developing methodology required the researcher to use judgment about how to best analyze the data in a systematic way. The results of this research study not only contributes to the body of academic knowledge but is also a guide for policy makers and consumers who must wrestle with the effects the smart grid will have on the economy, national security, and daily life.</p>

This thesis investigated the epidemiology of atopy in Kenyan children. Analysis was based on data gathered on 599 rural and 567 urban children, as part of a research program on childhood asthma focussing on the impact of urbanization. Atopy was more frequent in urban than rural children (22.9% vs 14.7%). The unadjusted odds ratio for urban rural differences in atopy was 1.75, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.36. Urban children were also younger, taller, weighed more and were breastfed for shorter periods compared to rural children. They were also more likely to have a family history of allergic disease but were less likely to share their bed, use allergenic mattresses and live in homes with pets and smokers. / When the urban rural differences were adjusted for these differences in the distribution of personal, environmental and socio economic characteristics, the odds ratio fell to 0.81 and became nonsignificant (95% CI 0.50 to 1.33). Therefore, the urban rural difference in the prevalence of atopy in Kenyan children appear to be due to the differences in the distribution of the relevant risk factors.

Palliative care provides symptom control, social, psychological and spiritual care for terminally ill patients, and psycho-social support and bereavement care for their families. Ethics is the study of rational processes for determining the best course of action between conflicting values and choices. All medicine is practiced within a defined cultural setting and local beliefs about health and illness may determine particular solutions to ethical problems. / Culturo-religious beliefs and practices in Jamaica are linked historically to its people's African ancestry and to the syncretism of Euro-British values during slavery. The resulting socio-cultural and medical pluralism has presented an ethical dilemma concerning respect for the beliefs and wishes of terminally ill patients to seek care from magico-religious practitioners versus what is in the society's best interest.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been advocated as a means of providing primary health care to under-served populations in developing countries since the late 1960's. These community based workers are usually volunteers who receive basic training in health education, antenatal/delivery/postnatal care, and treatment of simple common illnesses. They represent a referral link between the community and professional health services. Female CHWs (FCHWs) are able to access vulnerable populations such as women and children and are often also are involved in midwifery. / This thesis evaluates the Community Health Worker (CHW) program using both quantitative and qualitative methods. An initial literature review attempts to ascertain the current quality of evidence provided by published studies of CHW effectiveness to date (Medline 1983-1994). A quantitative study, undertaken by this author in 1990 in Afghan refugee villages in Pakistan, evaluates CHW effectiveness in health promotion using two knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) questionnaires (N = 600). The results of this study are then discussed and interpreted with additional qualitative and secondary data collected in the same study area in 1994. Determinants of female community health worker (FCHW) effectiveness are examined by looking more closely at the relationship between the female CHW and both the community and the local health system.

Objectif. Comparer l'experience d'hospitalisation des sans-abri avec celle d'une population residente de bas niveau socio-economique. Methode. Une recherche de dossiers a ete effectuee a l'hopital Saint-Luc a partir du recensement des 7993 sans-abri qui avaient utilise les refuges montrealais durant la periode allant du 1er mars 1988 au 22 fevrier 1989. Les donnees de la feuille sommaire des 245 hospitalisations qui avaient eu lieu durant la meme periode ont ete comparees a celles extraites du registre MedEcho pour les residents du territoire du Departement de Sante Communautaire Sant-Luc ayant ete hospitalises a l'hopital Saint-Luc. En outre, les dossiers des sans-abri ont ete revises pour verifier la presence d'anemies, de tuberculose et de seropositivite au VIH ou au virus de l'hepatite B. Conclusion. Les san-abri presentent une augmentation marquee du risque relatif en ce qui concerne les pathologies mentales qui sont aussi les pathologies les plus frequentes. On n'a pas note d'augmentation des durees de sejour lorsque les itinerants etaient hospitalises.

Canadian health professionals are involved in humanitarian assistance and development work in many regions of the world. They participate in primary health care, immunization campaigns, feeding programs, rehabilitation and hospital-based care. In the course of their work clinicians are frequently exposed to complex ethical issues. This thesis examines how health workers experience ethics in the course of humanitarian assistance and development work. A qualitative study was conducted to consider this question. Five core themes emerged from the data including experiencing a tension between respecting local customs and imposing values, knowing how to respond when basic care is impossible, addressing differing understandings of health and illness, questions of identity for health workers, and issues of trust and distrust. Recommendations are made for standards and organizational strategies that could help aid agencies better support and equip their staff as they respond to ethical issues.

<p> The purpose of this study was to understand earned income tax credit (EITC) policy influences on the development of economic mobility for individuals receiving EITC. Policymakers have declared that improving the economic mobility of low-wage workers a major objective of the EITC. This study addressed identifying factors that contribute to economic mobility, and testing the punctuated equilibrium theory to determine whether exogenous forces influence EITC policymakers' decisions. </p><p> Utilizing the survey data of 2,252 EITC respondents from the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, California, the study found that saving, education, race, and being banked were factors contributing to economic mobility. Age was not a factor contributing to economic mobility. Results from testing the punctuated equilibrium theory indicated that at the .05 level there was not a significant association between exogenous forces and EITC policymaking decisions. </p>

<p> This dissertation assesses the impact of structural constraints to participation on residents of a rural non-core county and members of a local grassroots organization in conjunction with the measurement of grassroots members for the presence of transformative leaning. This study is motivated by three research questions: (1) To what extent may the presence of structural constraints to participation in community action activities be found in adult residents of a rural non-core county? (2) To ;what extent may the presence of structural constraints to participation in community action activities be found in members of a local grassroots organization? (3) How many members of a local grassroots show evidence of the 10 phases found in transformative learning? Theoretical foundations for this work are based upon the following research; Theodori's (2008) analysis of structural constraints to participation in community action activities , Mezirow's (2009) development of transformative learning theory in adult populations, and King's (2009) Learning Activities Survey as a measurement of transformative learning. Purposefully obtained data were collected from the general population to establish a measurement of structural constraints to participation. </p><p> Within the grassroots organization survey data were used to determine the presence of structural constraints to participation and transformative learning. The findings utilizing regression analysis suggest significance for structural constraints to participation in the general population is minimal, and not significant at all in member of the grassroots organization. Transformative learning in members of the grassroots organization was confirmed by significance for 5 of the 15 variables analyzed. The results were contrary to expectation; yet, these conclusions do contain important implications for those involved in community development.</p>