Browsing by Subject "Welfare"
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Colonizing the womb : women, midwifery, and the state in colonial Ghana(2011-12) Amponsah, Nana Akua; Falola, Toyin; Walker, Juliet E; Charumbira, Ruramisai; Jones, Omi Osun Joni L; Obeng, Cecilia S; Denbow, James RThis dissertation explores the British colonial government’s attempt to reconstruct women’s reproductive behaviors in colonial Ghana through the sites of maternal and infant welfare services and western midwifery education. In the early 1920s, the fear that the high maternal and infant mortality rates in the Gold Coast would have repercussive effects on economic productivity caused the colonial government to increasingly subject women’s reproduction to medical scrutiny and institutional care. I argue that female reproduction was selected as a site of intervention because the British colonial government conceived of it as a path of least resistance to social reconstruction, economic security, and political dominance. The five chapters have been designed to analyze colonial reproductive intervention as a socio-economic and political exigency of colonial rule. This dissertation speaks to the fact that cross-culturally, the female body has been politicized through narratives of power, culture, tradition, modernity, race, disempowerment, and empowerment.Item Crop Production Variability and U.S. Ethanol Mandates(2014-07-08) Jones, Jason P.U.S. agricultural commodity prices have been volatile in recent years, attributed to many factors, including renewable fuel standard mandates (RFS). While the RFS is legislatively able to be altered, the mandate largely required the same volume of corn for ethanol in the 2012 drought year as it would have if 2012 were a normal production year. This caused corn prices to surge, bestowing significant economic ramifications throughout the agricultural industry. An important question arose from these events, was this avoidable with a RFS relaxation policy? In this work, the economic effects of such a policy that relaxes the conventional ethanol mandates in cases of major corn production shortfalls are investigated to determine the market relationships between RFS policy and commodity markets. This is done in a three step process. First the historical incidence of shortfalls is addressed by developing a stationary probability distribution of total and regional production using econometric procedures. Second, the short-run economic impact of RFS relaxation alternatives is investigated using an optimization modeling framework where crop mix and livestock breeding herds are held fixed. Third, the long-run implications of RFS relaxation are investigated by coupling the previous model with a stochastic optimization framework of ag-producer decisions with recourse. When a shortfall driven relaxation policy is in place, crop mix/livestock breeding decisions are able to adjust. The results show RFS relaxation has a significant impact on reducing price spikes and livestock production decreases due to reduced feeding costs when shortfalls occur. Although an ethanol waiver benefits consumers through decreased commodity prices, the reduction in producer welfare was found to be greater, resulting in an overall negative welfare impact when only considering agricultural impacts. In the longer-run analysis, the RFS relaxation again mitigates price spikes during production shortfall years but also stimulates a producer response of decreasing corn acreage. This caused corn prices in non-shortfall years to increase, resulting in a negligible impact on average long-run corn prices, while reducing commodity price variability. The model findings demonstrated that positive risk reduction implications could exist from a production-dependent conventional ethanol waiver, with limited long-run changes to future expected prices.Item Essays on monetary economics and central banking(2011-08) Ikizler, Devrim; Stinchcombe, Maxwell; Corbae, Dean; Wiseman, Thomas E.; Kuruscu, Burhanettin; Almazan, AndresIn the first chapter, I analyze the US banking industry in order to explain two facts. First, larger banks have lower but less volatile returns on loans compared to smaller banks over the years. Second, larger borrowers have better financial records, i.e. verifiable "hard" information, and they are more likely to match with larger banks, as documented by Berger et al.(2005). I show that these two facts can be explained using a segmented loan markets model with loan contracts between banks and borrowers. Moreover, I show that the difference between the banks returns is not due to diversification advantage of larger banks. Instead, it is because of the fact that larger banks can operate in both large and small loan markets, whereas small banks can only operate in small loans market. Therefore large banks are able to match with larger and less risky borrowers more frequently, which are less likely to default. Moreover, I take the model to infinite horizon allowing bank size to be endogenous to answer multiple policy questions about the future of small business finance and consolidation. I use the data set from the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income provided by FDIC for 1984-2010 to motivate our research question and to estimate the model. My second chapter revisits the welfare cost of anticipated inflation in an incomplete markets environment where agents can substitute time for money by increasing their shopping frequency. Shopping activity provides an insurance channel to individuals against changes in the return on nominal balances through inflation as documented by Aguiar and Hurst (2007) and McKenzie and Schargrodsky (2011). In my model economy, a higher level of inflation affects people through two channels. First, it distorts the portfolio decision between real and nominal balances, second it redistributes wealth from those who hold more money to those who hold less. People, on average, respond to a higher level of inflation by increasing their price search activity, as they relative return on nominal balances goes down. I find that a 5 percent increase in inflation causes the welfare level go down by 2 percent if people are allowed to substitute time for money, and by 10 percent if we take this channel away from the model. Finally, in the third chapter, I compare the indirect measure of inflation expectations derived by Ireland (1996b) to the direct measures obtained from expectations surveys in multiple countries. Our results show that the inflation bounds calculated for US and UK data are more volatile than survey results, and are too narrow to contain them due to low standard errors in consumption growth series stemming from high persistence. For Chilean and Turkish cases, however, computed bound for inflation expectations seems to fit the survey results better. Out of three different surveys on inflation expectations in Turkey compared with the bounds computed using Turkish data, expectations obtained by the Consumer Tendency Survey fall within these bounds throughout the whole sample period. The success in the Turkish and Chilean cases can be attributed to the fact that volatility in the consumption series, whereas the failure in US and UK cases are most probably stemming from the fact that the current theoretical model is missing a risk-premium component.Item The relations of depressive symptoms to economic outcomes for low-income, single mothers(2009-12) Gupta, Anjali E.; Huston, Aletha C.; Dix, Theodore; Jacobvitz, Deborah B.; King, Christopher T.; Osborne, CynthiaThe major goal of this study is to test the direction and strength of the relations of low-income single mothers’ depressive symptoms to their employment and income experiences over a time period following major welfare policy changes in the U.S. (2001 to 2003). The Panel Study of Income Dynamics provided data on 623 low-income, single mothers. The economic characteristics studied were: employment status, hours of work, wages, earnings, a job’s provision of personal control, family income, and welfare receipt. The mental health measure was the K-6 Non-Specific Psychological Distress Scale. The study adds to our understanding of the temporal relations between employment experiences and mental health by testing the social causation, social selection, and interactionist (bidirectional) perspectives. Specifically, this study tested the different perspectives with a wide range of economic indicators, tested mechanisms that may link mental and economic well-being, and combined multiple employment factors to see if patterns emerged that related uniquely to psychological distress. The findings supported social selection as earlier psychological distress predicted future employment, hours, wages, earnings, household income, and welfare receipt. The tested mediator of days of lost work affected by psychological distress indicated an indirect effect of poor mental health predicting diminished job productivity that, in turn, predicted reduced employment, hours, wages, and earnings. Results were similar for subgroups of mothers based on the age of their youngest child or prior welfare history. The single significant finding was that a longer span of welfare receipt predicted worse mental health as compared to mothers who reported a shorter period of welfare receipt. Latent class analysis identified three patterns of employment and welfare receipt across time: a) exchanged earnings for welfare, b) high employment and earnings growth with reduced welfare, and c) moderate employment growth. The groups that exchanged earnings for welfare (about 10% of the sample) evidenced increased psychological distress compared to mothers with high or moderate employment growth. Support for the social selection hypothesis suggests that policies and interventions that help low-income mothers improve their psychological well-being could also enhance their economic well-being. Implications for future research could explore the effects of such policies.Item The Life Course of Single Welfare-Reliant Mothers: Experiences in Seeking Access to and Persisting in Post-Secondary Education(2012-07-16) McPherson, RebeccaWelfare reform, as a social policy, has implications for higher education policy, because it restricts welfare-reliant women from seeking sufficient post-secondary education for economic mobility. The 2006 Deficit Reduction Act was reinterpreted in the 2008 final rule, allowing welfare-reliant mothers to pursue up to 12 months of post-secondary education. However, this is not sufficient for mothers to persist toward completion of associate's or bachelor's degrees. Recent scholarship has not adequately investigated the impact of this expanded access to post-secondary education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the essence of single welfare-reliant mothers' experiences in their life course from poverty to post-secondary education. To better understand the essence of their experience, this study utilized a transcendental phenomenological approach to investigate experiences that influenced their (a) pathways and social roles, (b) perspectives as sole providers, and (c) decisions to access and persist in post-secondary education. The three major findings of this study were presented in the context of a developmental life course framework supported by social role theory and women's adult The three major findings of this study were presented in the context of a developmental life course framework supported by social role theory and women's adult identity development concepts. The first major finding elucidated two distinct pathways to adulthood for six single welfare-reliant mothers. The three teen mothers experienced transitions to adulthood that were premature, truncated, and compacted. As a result they missed their developmental task of exploring possible selves in their transitions to adulthood. During their identity development as sole providers they returned to the task of exploring possible selves in their choices to access post-secondary education. The second major finding elucidated that single welfare-reliant mothers' perspectives as sole providers were experienced as an evolving adult identity, beginning with the birth of their first child and evolving throughout the era of early adulthood as mothers persisted in post-secondary education. The third major finding elucidated a recurring pattern of negotiating between role conflict and role salience experienced by single welfare-reliant mothers that resulted in critical junctures and recurring commitments to their decisions to persist toward post-secondary education goals. This study determined that commitment toward their adult identity as sole providers had a direct link to their commitment toward persisting in post-secondary education.Item The transportation and handling of swine in commercial operations(Texas Tech University, 2006-05) Lewis, Craig R. G.; McGlone, John J.; Alvarado, Christine Z.; Brashears, Mindy M.; Matzat, Paul D.Objectives: The primary objective of this work was to evaluate the transportation and handling of pigs with a view of reducing dead and fatigued pigs in commercial operations. Five studies were undertaken to examine differing aspects of pig transport and handling. Fatigued pigs are considered detrimental to the pig industry in the USA due to the large associated costs. Methods: Study 1 examined the effect of maternal pheromone on reducing fatigued pigs on route to the processing plant. This study was undertaken on a commercial operation in the US Midwest. The maternal pheromone was applied to the truck in the first part of this study and the truck and lairage pens during the second part. Information collected included a welfare audit and measures of meat quality. Study 2 examined the effects of a novel environment (handling, ramps, and alleys) on a pigs physiological state. Cardiovascular rate, immune, glucocorticoids, time, and handling measures were all taken to determine differences between the naïve and pre-exposed groups. In study 3 we measured the efficacy of handling devices when moving pigs, and also the effect of drafts on pig movement. This study also measured cardiovascular rate, time, and handling measures. The pigs were moved through a standard course using the different handling devices. Study 4 examined the effect of group size on the movement of pigs. Again, the pigs were moved through the standard handling course and cardiovascular rates, time, and handling score. Finally, study 5 was a pilot study to help establish if there is a time of day influence to fatigued pigs. It could be suggested that fatigued pigs are due to lack of feed left in the stomach after a long period of transportation. Firstly, the pigs behavior was analyzed to see how many times a day eat. Once this was achieved, chromic oxide was used as a marker to see how fast feed travels through the gastro-intestinal tract. Once these data were combined an hours until empty could be calculated during differing periods of transport for each hour of the day. Results: The results for this study helped in the understanding of pigs’ response to stressors during handling and transportation. The maternal pheromone study did yield encouraging results in terms of a reduction in fatigued pigs however this was not a significant result. In terms of significant results obtained from this study it could be considered that the pheromone created more handling difficulties, but more research is needed. The handling experiments yielded much more significant data. It is clear that handling pigs causes them stress. Though not conclusive through the measurement of cortisol, the heart rate data is clearly compelling. It also seems not to matter what device were use during handling as they all performed similarly however handling with the flag resulted in slower progress. The effects of drafts on pigs were not significant. Finally, from modeling undertaken from the feed studies it is clear that shipping animals early in the morning might not be the ideal when the transit time will be high. This situation could result in many animals on the truck becoming hungry and more prone to fatigue as they will have no feed in their digestive tract. The fatigued pig problem is currently a massive issue within the US pig industry today. Not only should it be the goal of the pig industry to research fatigued pigs to reduce the associated costs but also to improve animal welfare.Item The transportation and handling of swine in commercial operations(2006-05) Lewis, Craig R. G.; McGlone, John J.; Brashears, Mindy M.; Alvarado, Christine Z.; Matzat, Paul D.Objectives: The primary objective of this work was to evaluate the transportation and handling of pigs with a view of reducing dead and fatigued pigs in commercial operations. Five studies were undertaken to examine differing aspects of pig transport and handling. Fatigued pigs are considered detrimental to the pig industry in the USA due to the large associated costs. Methods: Study 1 examined the effect of maternal pheromone on reducing fatigued pigs on route to the processing plant. This study was undertaken on a commercial operation in the US Midwest. The maternal pheromone was applied to the truck in the first part of this study and the truck and lairage pens during the second part. Information collected included a welfare audit and measures of meat quality. Study 2 examined the effects of a novel environment (handling, ramps, and alleys) on a pigs physiological state. Cardiovascular rate, immune, glucocorticoids, time, and handling measures were all taken to determine differences between the naïve and pre-exposed groups. In study 3 we measured the efficacy of handling devices when moving pigs, and also the effect of drafts on pig movement. This study also measured cardiovascular rate, time, and handling measures. The pigs were moved through a standard course using the different handling devices. Study 4 examined the effect of group size on the movement of pigs. Again, the pigs were moved through the standard handling course and cardiovascular rates, time, and handling score. Finally, study 5 was a pilot study to help establish if there is a time of day influence to fatigued pigs. It could be suggested that fatigued pigs are due to lack of feed left in the stomach after a long period of transportation. Firstly, the pigs behavior was analyzed to see how many times a day eat. Once this was achieved, chromic oxide was used as a marker to see how fast feed travels through the gastro-intestinal tract. Once these data were combined an hours until empty could be calculated during differing periods of transport for each hour of the day. Results: The results for this study helped in the understanding of pigs’ response to stressors during handling and transportation. The maternal pheromone study did yield encouraging results in terms of a reduction in fatigued pigs however this was not a significant result. In terms of significant results obtained from this study it could be considered that the pheromone created more handling difficulties, but more research is needed. The handling experiments yielded much more significant data. It is clear that handling pigs causes them stress. Though not conclusive through the measurement of cortisol, the heart rate data is clearly compelling. It also seems not to matter what device were use during handling as they all performed similarly however handling with the flag resulted in slower progress. The effects of drafts on pigs were not significant. Finally, from modeling undertaken from the feed studies it is clear that shipping animals early in the morning might not be the ideal when the transit time will be high. This situation could result in many animals on the truck becoming hungry and more prone to fatigue as they will have no feed in their digestive tract. The fatigued pig problem is currently a massive issue within the US pig industry today. Not only should it be the goal of the pig industry to research fatigued pigs to reduce the associated costs but also to improve animal welfare.