Search

The contribution of judicial system performance to economic development has been actively probed in recent years. Yet efforts to improve judicial systems have faltered. This paper offers an explanation. It proposes that transacting within social networks has provided a seemingly workable substitute for reliance on judicial systems in Brazil and many countries. This prompts public indifference to judicial system improvement. At the same time, where social network transacting is widespread and dominant, it presents numerous obstacles to economic development. Transactions costs economics provides tools for better understanding the characteristics, costs and extent of social network transacting. Relatively low costs are found for intra-network transacting, but trans-network transacting suffers. Constraints inherent in both social network transacting and in judicial dysfunction are reviewed for their negative impacts on both domestic activity and regional integration. Selected transactions costs economics literature is reviewed for a closer look at firm size and corporate governance in the context of countries like Brazil where judicial system dysfunction is found and where social network transacting is prominent. A recently completed project inside the 400 state courthouses of the São Paulo regional tribunal is reported. It shows how close attention to administrative details can significantly improve judicial system performance. The paper mixes real world observation with theoretical insights. It suggests that current explanations for sluggish economic development would be better served by increased awareness of social network transacting. It suggests that research within courthouses at a deeper level of detail will advance understanding of the negative consequences of judicial system dysfunction on specific aspects of economic development.

This study examined the effects of teaching self-monitoring and recruiting teacher attention on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of pre-vocational tasks by two sixth grade boys with moderate to severe intellectual disability. While completing pre-vocational tasks (e.g., sorting hangers by size, weighing amounts in ounces), the students were taught to use a picture prompt checklist to self-monitor the accuracy with which they completed each task. Upon independent completion of the task, the students were taught to recruit their teacher's attention to obtain feedback and reinforcement. The dependent variable was the number of steps completed accurately out of 10 total. Six of the 10 steps were the procedures for completing of the prevocational task, and the other four steps were the procedures for recruiting teacher attention. A multiple probe across skills design demonstrated that the intervention was functionally related to increased accuracy of pre-vocational task performance and increased accuracy of recruiting responses for both students. Additionally, one of the two students maintained high percentages of accuracy in the maintenance condition when the self-monitoring picture prompt checklist was discontinued.

Peer education, facilitation, and counseling programs are commonly utilized in primary and secondary prevention programs within colleges and universities. In addition, peer-based human sexuality discussions have been used as an adjunct to traditional human sexuality pedagogic programs over the last 20 years. Whereas ample evidence suggests that peers can be successful in reaching target populations, few evaluations have assessed the perspective of the peer helper. This study qualitatively assessed the perceived benefits among human sexuality peer facilitators. Transcript analysis of focus group sessions revealed five categories of benefits associated with participation in the program: professional development, exposure to diversity, sexual attitude reassessment, relationship enhancement, and presentation/group facilitation/communication skills. These results have programmatic and practical implications for college health and peer helping professionals. The variety of perceived benefits associated with participation in the program can be used to recruit facilitators and provide a basis for funding peer-based pedagogic and prevention programs.