Parents shine by their presence in school: making visible the absence in the cogenetic theory / Os pais brilham através de sua presença na escola: tornando visível a ausência na teoria co-genética

In this paper, I propose extending Tateo's systemic cogenetic approach in relation with the dimensions of absence and invisibility. I illustrate my proposition in relation to the phenomenon of school-family-community interaction. I further develop my own theoretical work on how the interaction between school and family is constructed amidst tensions between presence versus absence, as well as visibility versus invisibility. This enables integrating the following dimensions in the systemic cogenetic approach: first, the process of making absence visible, invisible and present; and second, the process of rendering invisible the very process of constructing absence. I also delve into the constructive aspect of absence. I propose extending the systemic cogenetic approach in relation with the following aspects: (a) active absence (Goethe) as a way to make the invisible visible on the edge of the phenomenon; (b) the role of boundary in making visible the invisible; (c) boundary case (Non-Non-A) as a flexible designation (considering a phenomenon as A or non-A); and (d) circular and intransitive movement rendering visible the whole range of phenomena in irreversible time. I use the analysis of parents' and teachers' discourse as illustration of these theoretical propositions.

Neste artigo, proponho uma extensão da abordagem co-genética sistêmica de Tateo no que se refere às dimensões 'ausência' e 'invisibilidade'. Vou ilustrar minhas proposições considerando o fenômeno da interação família-escola-comunidade. Prossigo desenvolvendo minha própria análise, já apresentada anteriormente, de como a interação família-escola é construída em meio a uma tensão tanto entre presença versus ausência como entre visibilidade versus invisibilidade. Isso permite integrar as seguintes dimensões à abordagem co-genética sistêmica: a primeira é o processo de tornar a ausência, visível, invisível e presente; a segunda é o processo de tornar invisível o próprio processo de construir ausência. Mergulho ainda no aspecto construtivo da ausência. Proponho uma extensão da abordagem co-genética sistêmica com relação aos seguintes aspectos: (a) ausência ativa (Goethe) como um modo de tornar o invisível visível na borda [ou na fronteira] do fenômeno; (b) o papel do limite [ou da fronteira] quanto a tornar o invisível visível; o caso da borda (Não-Não-A) como designação flexível (considerando um fenômeno como A ou não-A) e (d) o movimento circular e intransitivo tornando visível toda a amplitude do fenômeno no tempo irreversível. Utilizo a análise do discurso dos pais e dos professores para ilustrar essas proposicões teóricas.

Mothers' labor market choices and child development outcomes in Chile.

This paper examines associations between labor market participation of Chilean mothers and the cognitive, language, and socio-economic development of their children. Using a nationally-representative sample of 3-year-old children, we test if mothers' work intensity in the two previous years is associated with child development outcomes; data were collected in 2010 when children were one year old, and again in 2012, when they were three years old. We find that children who were three years old with mothers who worked for higher fractions of their children's lives in the previous two years perform significantly better on all tests (cognitive, language, socio-emotional) than children whose mothers had worked less, while controlling for baseline test performance. These main effects did not remain significant with the inclusion of a wide range of socio-economic, demographic control variables, however. Our results were similarly null when using an IV analysis or a propensity score matching approach. We provide descriptive information on theoretical pathways by which maternal work may influence child development. Though several of these pathways (e.g. preschool, toys, maternal stress) seem to be associated with both maternal work and child development outcomes, the pathways are not sufficiently strong to generate an association between maternal work and child development. We conclude that Chilean mothers' employment in early childhood generally does not have an effect on child development.