McCormack Speaks

December 21, 2017
by McCormack Speaks
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Bad Retail Jobs Are Not Inevitable – New Book by Françoise Carré and Chris Tilly Explains Why

book cover: Where Bad Jobs are Betterby Robert Turner, McCormack Graduate School

Retail, the largest U.S. employer, is not inevitably the domain of dead-end jobs with low pay, few benefits, and problematic work schedules. A new study of seven countries demonstrates that better retail jobs are not just possible but already exist.

Françoise Carré of UMass Boston and Chris Tully of UCLA, the study authors, say that changes in government policies and broadly-held values could improve the quality of retail jobs in America, as they have in Europe. New York Times columnist and Economics Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman tagged the study findings as “Supremely important. We have low wages in large part because of political choices, not ineluctable logic of markets.”
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December 19, 2017
by McCormack Speaks
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McCormack Professor Interviewed on Government Use of Mobile Apps

technology at your finger tipsMcCormack Graduate School’s Aroon Manoharan, associate professor of public policy and public affairs, focuses his research on e-government, the application of information technology in government, and how global cities adopt and implement innovative technologies for providing information and services to their citizens. He was recently interviewed by Mic.com, an Internet and media company based in New York City.

The interview focused on municipal e-government and public participation, specifically the mobile voting (mVoting) app of the city of Seoul, South Korea. Although not an official voting mechanism, the application enables citizens of Seoul to participate in the democratic process by providing their feedback and opinion to public policy proposals. The app is especially helpful for politicians as they focus on the correct problems to solve.

Manoharan learned of the app when conducting a collaborative study between the McCormack Graduate School and Rutgers University’s E-Governance Institute on the e-government performance of the largest global cities. Based on an evaluation of municipal websites, the study titled “Digital Governance in Municipalities Worldwide Survey” identified the strengths and weaknesses of each municipality on issues of privacy and security, usability, content, services, and citizen and social engagement. Continue reading.

December 15, 2017
by McCormack Speaks
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Marc Cohen Co-Chairs National Panel Examining State-Based LTSS Programs

The post originally appeared on the Gerontology Institute blog.

image of Marc CohenMarc Cohen, co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, has been named co-chair of a study panel organized by the National Academy of Social Insurance to help states design new programs to address challenges facing many of their citizens.

The study panel is part of a new academy project called “Designing State-based Social Insurance Programs for Paid Leave, Affordable Child Care and Long-Term Services and Supports.”

The academy noted some states are in the process of developing social insurance programs to meet those needs. The study panel was organized to inform those debates by researching options for funding and administering such programs. Continue reading.

December 11, 2017
by McCormack Speaks
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Long-Term Supports & Services Center Analyzes Senior Demographic Profiles for National Councils on Aging

The post originally appeared on the Gerontology Institute blog.

The LeadingAge Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Center @UMass Boston is conducting research to help the National Councils on Aging (NCOA) develop a deeper understanding of older adults it serves by analyzing their economic and demographic profiles.

NCOA asked the LTSS center to develop a series of profiles of non-institutionalized older adults and use them to separate seniors into several segments. In particular, it wants to better understand a part of the senior population not often served by its programs and services – middle-income older adults.

“I think our analyses will provide new information to help NCOA target its programs to those people at risk for having to make major retirement-related adjustments to their standard of living,” said Marc Cohen, co-director of the LTSS center. “That information can enable NCOA to help these people better prepare themselves in advance.” Continue reading.

December 8, 2017
by McCormack Speaks
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Renewable Energy: Where Perception and Reality Collide

by Thomas Nee, McCormack Graduate School student

confused man with his hands on his headPeople often believe what they want to believe despite contrary information. “It is remarkable that large groups of people can coalesce around a common belief when few of them individually possess the requisite knowledge to support it.” (Fernbach and Sloman, 2017). I examine here how perception and reality collide regarding climate change not whether it exists but what to do about it.

People trust experts. But what happens when experts contradict long-held beliefs?  “(S)witch off the radio, change channels, only like the Facebook pages that give you the kind of news you prefer. You can construct a pillow fort of the information that’s comfortable.” (Beck, 2017). Listen to trusted authorities who share your opinions and suppress the rest. False beliefs are often a social phenomenon.

Many people believe that “renewable” energy of any type is preferable to burning fossil fuels. Hydroelectric power is a proven form of renewable energy but it is not “free.” It costs money, manpower, and resources to develop a plant. Any carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted is greatly outweighed by the plant’s lifetime output. This may not be the case with all renewable systems. Continue Reading →

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