Socioeconomic status (SES) is a complex and multidimensional construct, encompassing both independent objective characteristics (e.g., income or education) and subjective people’s ratings of their placement in the socioeconomic spectrum. Within the growing literature on subjective SES belongingness and psychological well-being, subjective indices of SES have tended to center on the use of pictorial rank-related social ladders where individuals place themselves relative to others by simultaneously considering their income, educational level, and occupation. This approach, albeit consistent with the idea of these (...) social ladders as summative or cognitive SES markers, might potentially constrain individuals’ conceptions of their SES. This research ( N = 368; M age = 39.67, SD = 13.40) is intended to expand prior investigations on SES and psychological well-being by revisiting the role of subjective SES. In particular, it (a) proposes an innovative adaptation of the traditional MacArthur Scale of subjective SES to income, education, and occupation, thus resulting in three separate social ladders; and (b) tests the empirical contribution of such three social ladders to psychological well-being. Overall, our findings showed that the novel education and occupation ladders (excluding the income ladder) are predictive of a significant part of the variance levels of psychological well-being that is not due to canonical objective metrics of SES (i.e., income, education, and occupation), or to the conventional MacArthur Scale of subjective SES. Although preliminary, these results underscore the need to further reconsider (subjective) SES-related conceptualization and measurement strategies to gather a more comprehensive understanding of the SES-psychological well-being link. (shrink)

Natalia Carrillo and Tarja Knuuttila claim that there are two traditions of thinking about idealization offering almost opposite views on their functioning and epistemic status. While one tradition views idealizations as epistemic deficiencies, the other one highlights the epistemic benefits of idealization. Both of them treat idealizations as deliberate misrepresentations, however. They then argue for an artifactual account of idealization, comparing it to the traditional accounts of idealization, and exemplifying it through the Hodgkin and Huxley model of the nerve (...) impulse. From the artifactual perspective, the epistemic benefits and deficiencies introduced by idealization frequently come in a package due to the way idealization draws together different resources in model construction. Accordingly, idealization tends to be holistic in that it is not often easily attributable to some specific parts of the model. They conclude that the artifactual approach offers a unifying view into idealization in that it is able to recover several basic philosophical insights motivating both the deficiency and epistemic benefit accounts, while being simultaneously detached from the idea of distortion by misrepresentation. (shrink)

En este escrito intento exponer la manera en que establezco una relación entre la filosofía de la ciencia social y la teoría social. Lo anterior se da “incidentalmente” a partir de mi propio trabajo en teoría social; el cual se origina en la Teoría de la Estructuración de Anthony Giddens y actualmente involucra al Naturalismo Crítico. Mi interés original en la teoría social, el cual giraba en torno al trato que Giddens le da a la dualidad agente-estructura a través de (...) su Teoría de la Estructuración, me llevó a conocer la teorización social realista de Margaret Archer. De esa forma me comienzo a empapar del Realismo Crítico de Roy Bhaskar, que en su vertiente filosófica fundamenta la teoría social de Archer, y eventual y necesariamente, como parte de mi interés actual por analizar la teoríasocial realista, empiezo a involucrarme en la discusión contemporánea de la filosofía de la ciencia social. Una primera lección que me deja dicho ejercicio, la cual ejemplifico con ciertas puntualizaciones respecto al (que considero) deficiente trato que dicha filosofía recibe en y por parte de mi academia, es la necesidad de hacer explícito (de pensar un poco en) el trasfondo filosófico que subyace toda teorización social. Ya que creo que muchos de los problemas originalmente achacados a esta última pueden ser atajados, de forma satisfactoria, desde su contraparte filosófica. (shrink)

After the global economic collapse triggered by the Great Recession, there has been an increased interest in the potential psychological implications of periods of economic decline. Recent evidence suggests that negative personal experiences linked to the economic crisis may lead to diminished generalized trust (i.e., the belief that most of the people of the society are honest and can be trusted). Adding to the growing literature on the psychological consequences of the economic crisis, we propose that the perceived personal impact (...) of the economic crisis not only would undermine generalized trust but also may lead to increased interpersonal trust (i.e., directed to specific and close people) and depersonalized in-group trust (i.e., directed to individuals who, while strangers, belong to the same group [e.g., social class]). Across three studies (N = 1379), we tested these central hypotheses and ascertained whether the perceived personal impact of the crisis would predict these types of trust (assessed using questionnaire and behavioral measures) independent of individuals’ socioeconomic status. Non-experimental data from Study 1 revealed that a higher perceived personal impact of the crisis is related to lower levels of generalized trust and higher levels of interpersonal trust. These effects were independent of participants’ socioeconomic status. Non-experimental data from Study 2 replicated the findings obtained in Study 1 and also showed a positive association between the perceived personal impact of the crisis and depersonalized in-group trust. This pattern of results emerged even after controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, age, political orientation, religiosity, and unemployment status. In Study 3, using an experimental design, we found that the salience of a possible economic downturn led to decreased generalized trust and increased interpersonal and depersonalized in-group trust—independently of socioeconomic status—compared with the control condition. These results challenge the conventional wisdom that economic crises invariably undermine trust in others. The implications of the present research as well as future research directions are discussed. (shrink)

Outlining an integrative theory of knowledge, Francisco Javier Carrillo explores how to understand the underlying behavioural basis of the knowledge economy and society. Chapters highlight the notion that unless a knowledge-based value creation and distribution paradigm is globally adopted, the possibilities for integration between a sustainable biosphere and a viable economy are small. This Modern Guide provides an overview of where we are regarding the knowledge economy and society, how its current form took shape, and how our understanding has (...) evolved from the grounds of the philosophy of knowledge, to include the current branches of the sciences of knowledge. Carrillo further examines the challenges of the Anthropocene and how modern knowledge systems might need to change radically to meet them. The Modern Guide then moves to focus on the integration of epistemic, theoretical, technical, and political developments in several fields of knowledge-related aspects of economy and society to offer a more integrated view. Multidisciplinary and thorough, this will be an interesting read for scholars of knowledge, society and the environment, as well as students looking at ways to re-evaluate knowledge more broadly. Policymakers and governmental analysts will also benefit from the discussing of the unviability of our current economic culture and the potential options for the future. (shrink)

Boyer, Amalia. “Cuerpos, imaginarios y potencias.” Eidos 22 (2015): 13-34.

From a perspective focused on Law, but open to other fields, an evaluation of the influence of Cicero’s thought the analysis of his main works is attempted. No doubt, Cicero’s ideas have been crucial in the development of Western Culture, and two thousand years later his theories still remain alive.

In philosophy of science, abstraction tends to be subsumed under representation, often being described as the omission of a target’s features when it is represented. This approach to abstraction sidesteps cognitive aspects of abstraction processes. However, cognitive aspects of abstraction are important in understanding the role of historically grounded epistemic criteria supporting modeling in science. Drawing on recent work on the relation between metaphor and abstraction, we introduce the concept of paths of abstraction, and use historical and contemporary examples to (...) point to their role in guiding the development of relevance criteria which support modeling strategies in science. (shrink)

In this article the focus is on the topic of indeterminacy of the sources of law. Indeterminacy in this domain may be a product of a lack of legislative regulation or open texture of law, this analysis of the causes of indeterminacy regarding the sources of law is applied to the Cuban legal system.Resumen:El tema de las fuentes del derecho sigue siendo de primer orden en la ciencia jurídica contemporánea, por lo cual resulta de gran utilidad para los juristas abordar (...) las problemáticas que se generan en torno al mismo. Las causas de indeterminación de las fuentes del derecho —determinadas en unos casos por la falta de regulación por parte del legislador y en otros por la textura abierta del derecho que regula el sistema de fuentes— en el sistema jurídico, es una de dichas problemáticas. El objetivo: analizar las causas de indeterminación de las fuentes del derecho y su expresión en contextos jurídicos como el cubano. (shrink)

Este artículo presenta inicialmente algunas referencias en torno a la noción de progreso moral, las cuales habitualmente apuntan a la idea según la cual este, en efecto, se da gracias a un mejoramiento paulatino en la humanidad. Si bien tal afirmación engloba una generalidad, el problema puede permitirse un espacio de discusión más sólido, reconociendo que el progreso es, además, reflexión desde el punto de vista kantiano y deducción de la historia por parte de Fichte. Con todo ello, se busca (...) aportar contenido al afirmar que, si bien estos autores apelan a escenarios morales y teológicos para evaluar el futuro, en rigor sus intereses son los fortalecimientos del Estado de derecho para el caso fichteano y de las instituciones para Kant, lo cual resulta en una suerte de perfectibilidad humana. (shrink)

El primer capítulo del libro The Varieties of Reference de Gareth Evans, denominado ‘Frege’, abre las puertas a nuevas perspectivas de análisis de la teoría fregeana. Este artículo tiene como objetivo revisar la interpretación que Evans presenta de la teoría semántica fregeana, analizar algunas de las consecuencias que se derivan de tal interpretación y proponer una versión de la teoría semántica fregeana que pueda dar cuenta de los casos problemáticos para el análisis de un lenguaje natural. El presente artículo está (...) dividido en dos partes generales: en los primeros ocho apartados se reconstruye y analiza el argumento de Evans; y en las conclusiones, se presenta un análisis de las conclusiones a las que llega Evans a partir de su argumento y una propuesta para hacer compatible el principio de composicionalidad y el principio de contexto en el marco fregeano con el fin de resolver algunos de los casos conflictivos para una teoría semántica fregeana para el lenguaje natural. (shrink)

Discussion of modeling within philosophy of science has focused in how models, understood as finished products, represent the world. This approach has some issues accounting for the value of modeling in situations where there are controversies as to which should be the object of representation. In this work I show that a historical analysis of modeling complements the aforementioned representational program, since it allows us to examine processes of integration of analogies that play a role in the generation of criteria (...) of relevance, which are important for the configuration of the object of research. This, in turn, shows that there are norms in modeling practices whose historical reconstruction is relevant for their philosophical analysis. (shrink)

In recent years, the situation of education has changed drastically and especially at the higher and university level. This factor is a consequence of technological development, the needs of the new generations and business demands. Thus, the research question that guides this study arises: How can universities adapt to provide an education that responds to these requirements? To this end, an exploratory documentary research is developed on the future of universities, and quantitative instruments are applied to know the perception of (...) the future of universities by both teachers and students who belong to prominent universities in Ecuador. The results reflect that, in the coming decades, universities will be transformed, driven by advanced technologies, the demand for personalized and flexible education, and a greater link with the labor market and sustainability. This evolution will not only improve the quality and accessibility of higher education, but will also prepare students to meet the challenges of the future. (shrink)

This article analyzes the evolution of best practices in the maquiladora industry in Mexico. Since the mid-1960s, the maquiladora has been understood as a simple assembly activity based on cheap labor, with low added value, and limited linkage with local suppliers. However, the maquiladora industry has evolved since the early 1980s as a consequence of the adoption of best practices in the productive processes and industrial organization. The best practices examined in this article are increases or improvements in complex activities, (...) capabilities, just-in-time, continuous improvement, environmental performance, and job safety. The data come from three surveys administered in major U.S./Mexico border cities in 1990, 2002, and 2006. Based on an analysis of these surveys, there has been a broad diffusion of the best organizational practices since the 1960s. (shrink)

This paper analyses the way in which discourse and argumentation may vary depending on participants’ educational level and gender. Men and women from three different educational levels (literacy, advanced level and university students) participated in discussion groups that debated about women and work, the sharing of housework and the way in which girls and boys are educated. The results showed important differences depending on participants’ educational level and gender. In general, the main differences were related to educational level, while gender (...) tended to interact with educational level, as a moderating factor. (shrink)

This paper examines how international law contributes to contemporary understandings of transitional justice with respect to reparations for victims of gross and systematic human rights abuses. The author surveys the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights through 2003 to determine how the Court’s practice can be used to guide the formulation of reparatory policies during political transition. Recognizing that the direct application of Inter-American case law to situations of mass atrocity is not always viable in practice, the author (...) analyzes regional human rights jurisprudence, particularly that relating to compensation, to determine what role the Court’s rules can and cannot play as a reference for policymakers and societies faced with the challenge of designing a reparations program. He concludes that while landmark Court decisions like Velásquez Rodríguez provide general normative guidance, there are significant obstacles to extending to the transitional justice context many of the measures, amounts, and formulas relied upon by the Court in awarding compensation. The fairness of compensation outside the courtroom cannot be determined with reference to predetermined rules, but depends on the factual context in which the measures are adopted including the number of victims involved. A better source of comparative inspiration is found in the Court’s growing practice of adopting non-monetary reparations measures to deal with moral harm. (shrink)

Resumen El presente artículo se ocupa de analizar las estrategias comunicativas de la prensa digital española destinadas a amenazar la imagen de la mujer política. Metodológicamente nos situamos en la Lingüística pragmática, en los estudios de la (des)cortesía y en el Análisis del Discurso. La hipótesis que se plantea es que los medios de comunicación que se examinan no participan en el progreso que experimenta la sociedad en materia de igualdad de género, aunque en apariencia lo hacen mediante lo políticamente (...) correcto. Sin embargo, se advierten estrategias comunicativas orientadas a la agresión. El objetivo del artículo, por tanto, se centra en comprobar si efectivamente existen estrategias comunicativas en los periódicos destinadas a agredir la imagen de la mujer política, en cuanto mujer, con la finalidad de desvirtuar y desautorizar su ejercicio político. Para dicho fin se analiza un corpus de textos periodísticos diferentes géneros recogidos en cuatro rotativos digitales españoles de distinto perfil ideológico-político. Los resultados muestran que la aplicación de la corrección política, el eufemismo o pseudo-eufemismo en el lenguaje del periódico junto a otras estrategias de comunicación ligadas al lector, son aprovechadas por el medio para encubrir posibles ataques dirigidos a la imagen de la mujer política. (shrink)