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The research scope of the given thesis is the impact of the Social Security and Tax systems on the income distribution among population in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The study is constructed on the comparative analysis of the changes in taxes, social benefits and income among different groups of the local population. The findings of the thesis propose that while reforms in social security system may stimulate positive impact on the reduction of the gap in income distribution, tax security system in Azerbaijan does not have distributive power. Consequently, in comparison with tax reduction, an increase in social benefits is proposed as a policy with higher efficiency for the Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the analysis established that initially large gap in income distribution between older and younger families may gradually be decreased as a result of policy implementations in the social security system in Azerbaijan. Another important idea developed in the given work is possibility of applying innovative investment-based social security system in Azerbaijan.

Thesis advisor: Julia Fisher / The future of imaginative playtime in the lives of children today is at great risk. Currently, 40% of schools are considering eliminating- or have already eliminated- recess from the school day. The goal of this essay is to argue the irreplaceable value that imaginative play has in contributing to the cognitive, emotional, and social growth of a child. In making a case for the importance of play in child development, all three of these areas of potential growth will collectively be considered as true development of the child. To lay the foundation for these specific categories of benefits, it is necessary to understand the general biological background supporting the innate importance of play, as well as the previous work of those who have researched this subject. Once this information is presented, the cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of imaginative play will be explored in more detail, and the effects of play deprivation and play reintroduction will be discussed. In this manner, it is the aim of this presentation to demonstrate the exceptional importance of imaginative play. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2007. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Syftet med studien var att utifrån professionellas kunskaper och unga vuxnas upplevelser undersöka hur bestämmelsen i 4 kap 4 § SoL används i praktiken samt om den möjliggör chansen till självförsörjning. Detta gjordes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med försörjningsstödshandläggare, vägledare och unga vuxna med anknytningar till undersökningsområdet. Studien är induktiv med ett hermeneutiskt förhållningssätt och materialet har analyserats med hjälp av Maslows behovshierarki, empowerment teori samt tidigare forskning. Resultatet visade på att en kompetenshöjande insats i slutändan ska leda till självförsörjning, men även utvecklar deltagarnas psykiska välbefinnande. Även om deltagandet i den kompetenshöjande verksamheten är ett krav för att få försörjningsstöd, har de unga vuxna en positiv upplevelse av verksamheten och vägledarna i motsats till tidigare forskning. Anledningen till det positiva resultatet tycks bero på det individuella stödet och utformningen. / The purpose of the study was that based on professionals' knowledge and experiences of young adults explore how the provision in chapter 4 § 4 SoL used in practice and whether it allows the chance to self-sufficiency .This was done through qualitative interviews with welfare benefits administrators, counselor , and young adults with connections to the subject .The study is inductive with a hermeneutic approach and the material has been analyzed using Maslow's hierarchy of needs , empowerment theory and previous research. The result showed that a competence-raising effort will ultimately lead to self-sufficiency, but also develops the participants' psychological well-being. Although participation in skill-enhancing activity is a requirement to receive welfare benefits, the young adults have a positive experience of the activities and counselors in contrast to previous research. The reason for the positive outcome seems to depend on the individual aid and the design.

This thesis investigates the Out-of-Box Experience (OoBE) of interactive consumer products for older adults, with a view to improve the User Experience (UX) of a product by manipulating factors of the OoBE. This research emerges in the context of current demographic trends, which see people living longer and in better health, and the increasing ubiquity of technology in modern life. The OoBE describes the very first stages of interaction with a new product, including acquisition, unpacking and setup. This crucial initial experience has the potential to influence product acceptance and therefore determine its future use. Creating a positive OoBE requires an empathic understanding of the intended users, as well as contextual knowledge about current practices. A review of the literature revealed that many of the difficulties older adults experience with technology concern elements of the OoBE, such as complicated documentation, technical jargon and inadequate support for inexperienced users. However, the absence of research on how to engage older adults during the OoBE of new technology reinforced the need for further research. To this end, two user studies were conducted with older people, followed by a design study with designers. The first study explored older adults relationship with technology and their current practices of the OoBE, using the Technology Biography method. The second study used cultural probes to investigate the social side of UX and its effect on personal feelings of independence. Data from these two studies were used to create four personas, which were used in the design study. This third and final study focused on whether the construct of social benefits could be operationalised within the OoBE of new technology. Collectively, the findings indicated that the involvement of other people during the OoBE can be a strong motivator for older people to take up and use technology. Far from impinging on individual perceptions of independence, some older people actively manipulate the OoBE in order to derive social benefits. This research thus contributes to the discussion of how Inclusive Design can evolve through the incorporation of social benefits, in order to generate desirable and successful future products.

Syftet med denna C-uppsats är att genom Pincus och Minahans resursinriktade systemteori undersöka innebörden av hur samhälleliga system tillgodoser hjälpbehov för klienter som uppbär försörjningsstöd under lång tid. Målet är att skapa en strukturerad bild av vad som är bidragande faktorer till långvarigt beroende av försörjningsstöd samt hur samhälleliga system arbetar med insatser gällande dessa faktorer. Frågeställningarna är följande: Vilka hjälpbehov framträder genom journalerna för undersökningsgruppen? Hur adresseras dessa av samhälleliga system och vilka slutsatser kan man dra av detta? Resultatet visar att hjälpbehoven som tillgodoses är av olika karaktär och att det samhälleliga resurssystemet ibland ersätter formella och informella resurssystem när dessa inte är välfungerande. Slutsatsen visar att samhälleliga system kan motarbeta varandra och att detta då blir till men för den enskilde. Slutsatsen visar också att preventivt arbete för att förhindra att långvarigt beroende av försörjningsstöd uppstår är viktigt. / The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to use Pincus and Minahans resource-oriented systems theory to examine how societal systems are meeting the needs of the clients who are longterm dependant on social benefits. The aim is to create a structured image of the factors that lies behind a longterm dependance on social benefits, and also how societal systems are working with interventions concerning these factors. The questions are as follows: Which needs for support can be identified among the studied group? How are these needs addressed by the societal systems, and what conclusions can you draw from this? The result shows that needs that are met by societal systems are of different sorts. It also show that societal systems sometimes replaces private and organizational systems, when thees are malfunctioning. The conclusion shows that societal systems can work against each other and that this can become troublesome for the clients. The conclusion also shows that preventive interventions are important when working with hoe to make longterm dependance on social benefits less occurring.

This thesis Stress in mothers on parental leave in connection with the risk of job loss deals with the issues of stress and unemployment phenomenon, as well as on the topic of employment of women, pregnant women and mothers, also on equal opportunities for women and men in the labor market, the systems of social security and on topics related to the return of mothers after maternity leave to the labor market. This work consists of two main parts - the theoretical and the research (empirical). The theoretical part deals with the above-mentioned problems and issues. The empirical part is focused on the research and descriptions of its results, where quantitative methods of data collection were use. For the purpose of this work the main target is a group of mothers on maternity leave. The data from respondents were collected using a questionnaire method. Collected data was then quantified using descriptive statistics. Two research questions and three hypotheses in total were defined. Hypotheses were statistically tested using statistical methods - ANOVA. The total number of 320 questionnaires from the target group was collected. To achieve the validity of the collected data and homogeneity of the sample, data collection was aimed exclusively at women, i.e. mothers on maternity leave from only the South Region. Aim of the work was to determine which group of mothers on parental leave more is more stressed mothers with a strong economic background or mothers with less strong economic background. Using a Likert scale was measured the extent of stress in mothers, who are not assured of having their job after returning from maternity leave. Using the above mentioned scale also was measured the stress in mothers on parental leave regarding their return to job and related duties, or finding a completely new job. Related to the results and testing, in the first hypothesis testing we found that mothers who do not receive any social security benefits, are more stressed than those mothers who receive benefits. Second hypothesis testing showed that mothers living with partners are less stressed than mothers who do not live with a partner. The third hypothesis testing found out that mothers on maternity leave, who are not assured of having their jobs after the maternity leave, are more stressed than mothers who have such certainty. From the results of the collected data was found out that most respondents are women aged twenty-five to thirty years, and women from thirty-one to thirty-five years. Mostly with the secondary school education (with graduation) and with university education. A large number of women working full-time and women cohabiting with a partner. A large majority of those mothers receives social security benefits. Also, a large number of women planned a combined parental leave with three years of geting the social security benefits. A considerable part of the interviewed mothers but also answered that along with the parental leave they do not have any another job. The results also showed that almost 80 % of respondents were not working at a leader position. Over 60 % of respondents are currently on parental leave with a child, a smaller part of the respondents with a second or third child. An interesting result is the fact that almost a half of respondents is planning another motherhood and nearly 60 % of them plan the second motherhood following the first one. The results of this research may lead to a consideration on the facts determined. For example, why most of the women do not work in a leader position despite their education. Or if women do really have such strong economic background to be able to continue with another parental leave. This work may help the women themselves, whether those planning to be a mother, expecting a child or having it already. Work can be as a basis or a handbook with an overview of the benefits of social security systems.

The Thesis was aimed at evaluation of the level of motivation and stimulation of work performance in a company upon a worked out analysis and proposal of suitable measures for improvement in this sphere. I chose Hypoteční banka, a. s.. The first part of the Thesis summarises theoretical knowledge of motivation and stimulation of work performance. It also characterizes the company, its history, size, number of staff and financial data about company. I performed an analysis of motivation and stimulation based on a questionnaire survey, evaluation and gave proposals for improvement. I conducted an in-depth unstructured interviews with staff HR.

Chronic disorder of kidneys is a gradual progression from the state of health to the state of a disease, resulting in permanent failure of excretory, regulatory, and hormonal (metabolic) functions of kidneys. During a kidney failure water and electrolyte imbalance, retention of catabolites, and metabolic acidosis occur; there is a shortage of substances produced in kidneys. A complex metabolic disorder occurs, whose clinic corelate is a uremic syndrom. Conservative treatment consists in adjusting or positive influencing of metabolic deviations through a diet and medication. However, if the conservative treatment is insufficient, it is necessary to proceed to some of the blood purifying methods {--} hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis. These methods are then followed by kidney transplant. Dialysed people have an abnormal life, as a vitally important organ of theirs does not work and is replaced by an apparatus. Patients are faced with many stresses and bans {--} they have to be on a diet with liquid restrictions, they have to take remedies regularly, due to dialysis days they are time limited, their appearance is often changed, they suffer from sexual disfunction, their sickness rate is high, etc. A successful transplant is a great white hope for the patients, but it also has its medical contraindications, therefore it does not concern all the dialysed patients. Thus a big occurence of depressions and suicides among patients cannot be a surprise. Besides medical care it is then necessary to focus on psychological care and social recovery. However, the results of a questionnaire research did not prove the occurence of psychological problems among the clients of dialysis centres. It proved true that the clients of centres are not interested in using psychosocial services, which was the third hypothesis.Further it came out that the clients are not well informed about social services and social benefits. Thus the second hypothesis was confirmed {--} The clients of centres do not know psychosocial services. The first hypothesis {--} Psychosocial workers are not used by hemodialysis centres {--} was also confirmed. The teams of the centres miss a psychologist absolultely and only one centre has a social worker.

Orientador: Maria Alejandra Caporale Madi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T12:10:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wandera_Martin_M.pdf: 1436817 bytes, checksum: f3f553f4cab6fd742c056f1546b58e28 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Este estudo foi motivado pelo interesse em entender melhor os fatores que constrangem o crescimento da exportação e limitam os resultados sociais da liberalização do comércio como o emprego. A Indústria de flores foi usada como estudo de caso e os objetivos específicos do estudo eram analisar as restrições a oportunidades de acesso ao Mercado sob os APE e em que medida as instituições do mercado de trabalho em Uganda podem facilitar o alcance a benefícios sociais sob os APE por meio da agenda de trabalho decente. A idéia por trás dos acordos de livre comércio como os APE é que comércio mais livre expande as oportunidades e benefícios igualmente para todos os parceiros da negociação. O estudo, no entanto, descobre que ao lado disso, devido à restrição de suprimentos, como a infra-estrutura pública pobre, tarifas de eletricidade sempre em ascensão, altos preços de fretes, bem como dificuldades de acesso a financiamentos de longo prazo, Uganda não é capaz de tirar vantagem plena dos benefícios comerciais gerados pelo acesso ao livre mercado. Construindo sobre idéias Keynesianas, que vinculam emprego à produção, o estudo conclui que o aspecto dos constrangimentos de suprimentos também afeta o emprego na medida em que mina a produção. Enquanto o nível de emprego é uma questão do Mercado produtivo, as questões de bem-estar social como o trabalho decente só o mercado de trabalho e, por essa razão, instituições do mercado de trabalho também foram analisadas. O estudo conclui que, como parte da agenda neoliberal de desregulação, o governo de Uganda frustrou, deliberadamente, a implementação de leis de trabalho. A falha em implementar leis como o salário mínimo facilita uma apropriação desequilibrada dos benefícios do comércio. Por exemplo, ainda que o valor das exportações de flores tenha aumentado mais de 200 por cento nos últimos 10 anos, os salários permaneceram estagnados. / Abstract: This study was motivated by an interest to understand better the factors that constrain export growth and limit the social outcomes of trade liberalization like employment. The flower industry was used as a case study and the specific objectives of the study were to examine the constraints to market access opportunities under EPA and the extent to which labour market institutions in Uganda can facilitate the achievement of social welfare benefits under EPA through the decent work agenda. The underlying idea behind free trade agreements like EPA is that freer trade expands opportunities and benefits all trading partners equally. The study however finds that because of supply side rigidities like poor public infrastructure, ever rising electricity tariffs, high freight charges as well problems of accessing long term funding; Uganda is not able to take full advantage of trade benefits created by free market access. Building on Keynesian ideas that link employment to production, the study concludes that supply side constraints also affect employment in as far they undermine production. While the level of employment is a product market issue, social welfare issues like decent work are labour market and for that reason labour market institutions were also examined. The study concludes that as part of the neoliberal agenda of deregulation, the government of Uganda has deliberately frustrated the implementation of labour laws. Failure to implement laws like the minimum wage facilitates unequal appropriation of the benefits of trade. For example whereas the value of flower exports has increased by over 200 percent in the last 10 years, wages have remained stagnant. / Mestrado / Economia Social e do Trabalho / Mestre em Desenvolvimento Econômico