scholarly journals The public-private-partnership “fetish”: moving beyond the rhetoric

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Cohn
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
The Public ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Financial Activity

Public-private partnerships (P3s) encompass a broad range of commercial and financial activity involving state engagement of for-profit firms to either provide or partially finance publicly prescribed services through long-term contracts. Following Marx’s analysis of commodities, P3s can also be understood as a fetish - objects considered valuable because of the imaginary social relations that they imply as opposed to their usefulness. In this case, it refers to the transformation of instruments for meeting public obligations into some form or another of private property. It must be acknowledged that states have long employed P3 arrangements to provide instruments needed to meet their obligations. However, the scope of activities which governments are willing to consider open to P3s has grown to unprecedented levels. So eager are states to do deals and so prominent are such deals in their financial rhetoric, that P3s can now also be considered a fetish in the second sense of the word : Some thing or some activity that people have an irrational desire to have or to do. Most political-economy studies of P3s have focused on this rhetoric. They are attempting to understand the trend by relating this fetish to the political ideological agenda of neoliberalism. While valuable, this concentration has caused an equally critical question to be neglected. Why would investors want to take part in P3s ? The paper argues that to understand the P3 fetish we have to consider the dilemma facing pension fund managers during the late 1990s. An imbalance in supply and demand for high quality bonds and dividend paying stocks emerged due to declining public debts, management practices at large corporations, and an increasingly aging population. P3s provided a solution to this dilemma. The evaporation of this economic context and a growing public awareness of the costs of these deals likely mean that P3s will lose their status as a fetish in both senses of the word.

Money Matters: Sector Differences, Competition, and the Public Personnel System

2021 ◽  
pp. 027507402110325
Author(s):  
Laura Langbein ◽  
Fei Wang Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Public Employment ◽  
The Public ◽  
Alternative Employment ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Compensation Systems ◽  
Competitive Labor Market ◽  
Two Sectors

This study explores whether public personnel systems, particularly their compensation systems, are flexible and responsive to market wages in a competitive labor market. Focusing on registered nurses, we explore whether and how the public, private nonprofit, and for-profit labor markets influence each other in determining wages. We also examine if sector plays a role in determining wages. We use American Community Survey data from 2016 and 2017 to test these expectations. Fixed effects regressions and seemingly unrelated regressions with Chow tests reveal that higher wages in the dominant for-profit sector appear to drive up wages in the other two sectors, and vice versa. The results imply that public personnel systems are not so rigid and inflexible as perceived. Rather, they are sensitive to supply and demand and offer wages responding to competition from other sectors. Moreover, public employees do not ignore competitive opportunities in alternative employment markets in the private sectors. Students of public employment should not overlook the private sectors either. The markets are distinctive but not independent.

Unpacking Goethe's collections: the public and the private in natural-historical collecting

2001 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. P. HAMM
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Walter Benjamin ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rock Formations ◽  
Private Collection ◽  
Scientific Collections ◽  
The University ◽  
Vast Network

This paper argues that Goethe's collections, in particular his mineralogical collections, had both public and private purposes. The public purposes were closely tied to the tradition of mineralogizing exemplified by the Freiberg Mining Academy. Abraham Gottlob Werner provided technologies for standardizing mineralogical terminology and identification, and Goethe hoped that these technologies would allow for a vast network of collectors and observers who would collate their observations and develop a model of the Earth's structure. His own cabinet, in particular his collection of rocks (Gebirgsarten), was to be a representative sample of rock formations in particular locations that could reveal features of the Earth's structure and history. Goethe was also responsible for the scientific collections of Jena University. He argued that if such collections were to be useful for teaching and research, a goal he strongly supported, they could no longer be treated as the private property of professors. He recognized that social relations within the University would have to be reordered if museums were to fulfil their epistemic functions. In this respect Goethe was on the side of the modern museum and opposed to the world of the private collection and all its idiosyncrasies. However, his own collections had very private and personal purposes. Using some of the ideas of Walter Benjamin as a foil, this paper tries to uncover some of the private passions that fuelled Goethe's almost insatiable collecting. Though these passions were peculiar to Goethe, I argue that historians of science should attend more to the passions and their place in the sciences.

The Law of the Urban Common(s)

2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 877-893
Author(s):  
Maria Rosaria Marella
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Social Cooperation ◽  
Legal Form ◽  
The Public ◽  
Realist Approach ◽  
Bundle Of Rights

Cities are quintessentially human and collective products. All urban space is the product of social cooperation. Therefore not just the “public” space but the metropolis as a whole must be considered as a commons. This assumption is not neutral from a legal point of view. It raises the question of whether private property of urban land is compatible with the conception of urban space as commons. The answer depends on how much we can push on the disintegration of property to expand the perspective of collective entitlements on urban resources against the commodification and new enclosures of urban space. Drawing on a legal realist approach to property, it is possible to dissolve the unitary conception of ownership into a bundle of rights. This article is a first attempt to enfranchise urban property as a legal form from its fate of being a mere boundary between the haves and the have-nots and revisit its role in the construction of social relations of production within the metropolis.

Introduction: The Great Simplification

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Scott Timcke
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Private Property Rights ◽  
For Profit ◽  
American Capitalism ◽  
Contemporary Life ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Capitalist Ideology ◽  
Automated Decision Making

This chapter introduces the concern of the book with unfreedom and class rule in contemporary American capitalism as seen in the digital realm. Class struggle is the first and last force shaping developments in communication. Computers are built using commodity chains and a labour process, both organized by the supremacy of a private property rights regime. Subsequently, as data and code are central to almost every facet of contemporary life, capitalist ideology with its conceptions of suitable social relations are reflected in the uses and programming. It is thus appropriate to worry about when, as opposed to whether, automated decision-making algorithms and their ilk will be used by corporations to optimize for profit at the expense of people. Capitalism is not about 'markets' or even private property per se. Rather it is a political order that consolidates decision-making power over the use, circulation and consumption of resources in a wealthy minority in ways that are opaque. As communication is a component of class formation it is also inflected by the structural antagonisms and contradictions inherent in capitalist societies. The chapter focuses on the results of systems, relationships and structure as they move in history along with the concepts and methods required to achieve that aim.

scholarly journals SHADOW BANKING AS SEEN FROM A BEHAVIOURAL AND NEOCLASSICAL FINANCE PERSPECTIVE

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (310) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan K. Solarz
Keyword(s):  
Structural Change ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Behavioral Theory ◽  
Shadow Banking ◽  
The Public ◽  
Financial Activity ◽  
A Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
Private Money ◽  
Emergency Measure

Money is not merely a highly exchangeable commodity or the symbol of value established in exchange by utility-seeking individuals. Private money is a value sui generis that is established by reactions between issuers-shadow banking and users of money. These relations can be explained by the behavioral theory of finance and neoclassic theory of finance.Shadow banking and classical banking relations are characterized by the relations of both cooperation/trust and conflict/struggle, which give private money its value and produce the alternating phases of order and disorder.If the link between the public and the private sector is to be bypassed or severed, should this be seen as an exceptional emergency measure or the first step in radical structural change in the social relations for the production of money? The Neo-institutional answer on this question is that the shadow banking is now in the first phase of its institutionalization. Shadow banking is a  fundamental and systemic financial innovation. It encompasses all financial activity, except traditional banking, which requires a private or public guarantee and backing to operate.

scholarly journals Assessment of Dealers’ Contribution in Current and Future E-waste Management Trends Within Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nyabise Nelson ◽  
Niu Dongjie ◽  
Petro Mwamlima ◽  
Samson Mwitalemi
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Population Growth Rate ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Dar Es Salaam ◽  
The Public ◽  
Business People ◽  
Dar Es Salaam City ◽  
The City ◽  
At Home

Dar es Salaam city, generates massive amount of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipments (WEEE) that either ends up in the environment or kept at home or commercial areas. This study aimed at investigating the currenting WEEE management practices, assessing the level of public awareness on WEEE, and come up with the model that can predict the rate (%) of discarded WEEE. Both the qualitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used, that is the use of questionnaires, and interviews to EEE business people, repair technicians, public, recycling companies and the regulating authority. It was found out that Increase in WEEE within Dar es Salaam city is caused by growth of economic rate, population growth rate, household purchasing capacity, while the decrease of the waste is associated with recycling plans and exportation of the waste. Also, the public (76%) doesn’t consider the broken or expired EEE as waste, as a result they opt to keep them at home than giving them to recyclers or collectors. Even though there are recyclers within the city, they can only recycle 35% of the generated WEEE. If the current situation continues by 2026, about 68% of the generated WEEE will be discarded to the environment or at home or business places. The situation shall be rectified by promoting the WEEE recyclers.

Antiquities Trafficking

2020 ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Simon Mackenzie
Keyword(s):  
Private Property ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Narrative Structure ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
The Public ◽  
Auction Houses ◽  
Antiquities Market ◽  
Antiquities Trafficking ◽  
And Control ◽  
Current Systems

This chapter addresses antiquities trafficking in four sections: the nature and extent of the harm; the structure of antiquities trafficking (considered in terms of source, transit and demand); regulation and control; and finally a discussion about antiquities trafficking as business enterprise. The historical and economic harm of antiquities trafficking is explained, and the market is examined as grey, in that looted objects are fed into legitimate supply chains in the public marketplace. The structure and main players in the antiquities market are discussed, including looters, dealers, collectors, auction houses and museums. Current systems of regulation include international treaties, domestic property and criminal laws, self-regulatory codes, and campaigns that focus on public awareness. The final section of the chapter details the techniques of neutralisation and processes of denial that characterise the way ‘business talk’ permeates the antiquities market, providing a narrative structure of justification and excuse of harmful behaviour that focuses on the benefits of international trade, private property ownership, and entrepreneurial dealing.

Wicked “wild dogs”: Australian public awareness of and attitudes towards dingoes and dingo management

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily M. van Eeden ◽  
Mathew S. Crowther ◽  
Chris R. Dickman ◽  
Thomas M. Newsome
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Lethal Control ◽  
The Public ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Poison Baiting ◽  
Wild Dogs

Public opposition has shaped management of wild animals in Australia, but public interest in dingo control has been minimal. We hypothesised that this is due to lack of awareness of dingo management practices, in part because using the term “wild dogs” to describe management renders “dingoes” invisible, framing the issue as one of control of introduced pests rather than control of an iconic Australian animal. We distributed an online questionnaire survey to the Australian public ( N = 811) to measure how the public perceived dingoes and their management, how these views compared with other animals managed as pests in Australia, and whether the term “wild dogs” has shaped views and knowledge of dingo management. Most respondents (84.6%) considered dingoes to be native to Australia and there was low approval of lethal control methods, except when justification was provided (e.g., to protect livestock or endangered native species). Only 19.1% were aware that “wild dog” management included dingoes, and attitudes towards “wild dogs” were more negative than those towards dingoes. If public awareness about dingo management increases, pressure from the public may result and shape future management actions, including restricting the use of lethal control practices like poison baiting on public lands. As such, public attitudes should be incorporated into decision-making, and appropriate communication strategies need to be employed to prevent backlash.

scholarly journals An Overview of Experiences Made and Tools Used to Inform the Public on Ambient Air Quality

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1524
Author(s):  
Alessandra Fino ◽  
Francesca Vichi ◽  
Cristina Leonardi ◽  
Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Air Quality Management ◽  
Ambient Air Quality ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Status

Legislative regulations on atmospheric pollution have been established in different parts of the world for addressing air quality management. An important public commitment, common among all nations, is to ensure environmental safety and health protection, particularly for the most fragile population groups. Each country has its own rules and practices to provide adequate and timely information on ambient air quality. Information is given either through easily accessible media, including websites and apps, or by traditional means of telecommunication. An air quality index (AQI) is definitely a valuable tool for disseminating data on the main regulated pollutants and represents a readable indicator of the prevailing situation of air quality in the area. Several calculating expressions were formulated to combine, in a unique value, different parameters, and a few methods were created to determine and compare different AQIs. This paper gives almost a global overview of approaches and tools used to inform the public about the status of the ambient air quality. Different AQIs are analyzed to contribute to the sharing of air quality management practices and information to raise public awareness and to help policymakers to act accordingly.

scholarly journals When Citizenship demands Care: the inclusion of people with autism in the Brazilian labour market

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Aydos ◽  
Helena Fietz
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Work Routines ◽  
Everyday Work ◽  
Western Values ◽  
Shed Light

In the late 2000s, a network of agents started to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities into the Brazilian labor market, through an Affirmative Action Law that requires private companies to include from 2 to 5 % of people with disabilities among their employees. In this context, the experiences of people with autism brought to light theoretical and practical discussions on both the autonomy of these people and the 'best ways' of managing their everyday work routines. Perceiving public policies as producers of both subjects and social relations (Shore, 2010; Biehl & Petryna, 2013; Schuch, 2009), we aim to understand their effects in the management practices of different companies and in the citizenship-making processes (Ong, 2003) involving people with autism. Through ethnographic observation of the work environment in private companies, we highlight some 'Western' values implicit both in the public policies and in management technologies which may clash with the "logic of care" (Mol, 2008). By showing how Citizenship demands Care in this context, and how Care always demands a kind of human dependency, we shed light on the complexity of the notion of Care and aim to problematize the concept of Citizenship itself.

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