Beyond Piketty: A new perspective on poverty and inequality in India

The socio-economic literature has focused much on how overall inequality in income distribution (frequently measured by the Gini coefficient) undermines the “trickle down” effect. In other words, the higher the inequality in the income distribution, the lower is the growth elasticity of poverty. However, with the publication of Piketty’s magnum opus (2014), and a subsequent study by Chancel and Piketty (2017) of evolution of income inequality in India since 1922, the focus has shifted to the income disparity between the richest 1% (or 0.01%) and the bottom 50%. Their central argument is that the rapid growth of income at the top end of millionaires and billionaires is a by-product of growth. The present study extends this argument by linking it to poverty indices in India. Based on the India Human Development Survey 2005–12 – a nationwide panel survey-we examine the links between poverty and income inequality, especially in the upper tail relative to the bottom 50%, state affluence (measured in per capita income) and their interaction or their joint effect. Another feature of our research is that we analyse their effects on the FGT class of poverty indices. The results are similar in as much as direction of association is concerned but the elasticities vary with the poverty index. The growth elasticities are negative and significant for all poverty indices. In all three cases, the disparity between the income share of the top 1% and share of the bottom 50% is associated with greater poverty. These elasticities are much higher than the (absolute) income elasticities except in the case of the poverty gap. The largest increase occurs in the poverty gap squared – a 1% greater income disparity is associated with a 1.24% higher value of this index. Thus the consequences of even a small increase in the income disparity are alarming for the poorest.     

Life Experiences and Vulnerabilities of Homeless Women: A Comparison of Women Unaccompanied Versus Accompanied by Minor Children, and Correlates with Children's Emotional Distress

The histories and service needs of 2 groups of homeless women, those unaccompanied by minor children (n = 46) and those accompanied by minor children (n = 22), were compared, on the basis of their responses to a biennial survey of homeless people in a midsize city in the southeast United States. Mothers of children aged 2–10 also completed a measure of stress symptoms for their children (n = 20). Irrespective of family status group, problems such as substance abuse, history of mental illness, health problems, chronicity of homelessness, and crime victimization tended to cluster together. The findings also suggest that declining and/or inadequate levels of public benefits, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Medicaid-funded health care in particular, have adversely affected the 2 groups, particularly families with children. The young children in this sample experienced elevated levels of stress, and significant associations were found between children's stress levels and certain risk factors of their mothers. Implications for service delivery are discussed.     

A class of symmetric bivariate uniform distributions

A class of symmetric bivariate uniform distributions is proposed for use in statistical modeling. The distributions may be constructed to be absolutely continuous with correlations as close to±1 as desired. Expressions for the correlations, regressions and copulas are found. An extension to three dimensions is proposed.     

Open Road or Blind Alley? Welfare Reform, Mothers, and Children with Disabilities

Welfare reform was examined for 39 Michigan families whose children have significant health or intellectual and behavioral disabilities. As a group, these families received little specialized assistance or services to address their unique needs. Family-cited barriers to self-sufficiency included poorly trained welfare caseworkers, limited public transportation, and inadequate child care. Having an older child was the only discriminating variable between working and non-working mothers. However, working mothers only had temporary positions with no benefits and low pay. All families, whether employed or not, lived below the poverty line.     

青史凭谁定是非——评宋齐丘的历史功过

宋齐丘一生历经磨难和坎坷，曾四为宰相，贵为三公，助徐知诰“兴利除害，变更旧法”，并提出和推行了具有远见卓识的税制改革，戮力劝农，对吴、唐社会经济的发展作出了巨大的贡献，推动了历史的前进。他从此居功自傲，挟旧邀功，贪权固位．并长期卷入朝中朋党之争，最终葬送了自己。宋齐丘一生有功有过，但功大于过，是值得充分肯定的，应给其以公正的历史评价。     

失去原貌的传记——现代小说演变的理论描述

同史诗或纪传体作品一样 ,现代小说可以视为个人传记的变体。自现代主义以来 ,小说叙事从描写人物 (传主 )的行动或行动着的主体转而关注人物的内心生活 ,在某些“新小说”里内在主体也在丧失。小说叙述形式的变化揭示了个人主体性在现代世界的命运。而对叙事可能性的探索或竭力讲出一个故事来 ,则预示着对个人主体性的修复意图。这是关于叙事形式的社会学探讨     

论观点采择与皮亚杰的去自我中心化

关于儿童对个人的心理过程、心理特征的认知的研究始于皮亚杰。皮亚杰提出了“自我中心化”和“去自我中心化”的概念 ,在社会认知发展的研究中占有重要的地位。观点采择的本质特征在于个体认识上的去自我中心化 ,即能够站在他人的角度 ,从他人的角度看待问题。对观点采择的研究是对皮亚杰关于儿童自我中心化和去自我中心化发展研究的继承和发展     

少年儿童不同时期的生理特征及其拳击运动的身体训练

论述了少年儿童拳击运动身体训练的可行性及重要性，分析了少年儿童不同时期的生理特征及与之相适应的拳击运动身体训练方法手段的选择，可为少年儿童拳击运动的科学化训练提供理论依据。     

原始文学活动与初民社会的共生关系

文学活动起源于人猿相揖别的地方 ,在人类最初的实践活动中 ,就包含着被语言整合的真、善、美意识 ,文学及审美与语言是共生关系。原始诗歌的节奏和原始叙事的逻辑性是文学活动的基本要素 ,但它们不仅具有审美功能 ,还具有多重文化功能。早期文学活动的重要特征是初民们共同创造想象世界 ,想象把人类引向进化的阶梯。     

王安忆小说中的童年意象

童年意象的运用是王安忆小说独树一帜的重要原因."成长中的儿童"是王安忆小说中特有的形象.以儿童形象为象征载体进行文化批判是对童年意象的出色运用.儿童视角的发掘使王安忆的小说取得了"陌生化"的审美效果,也使细节化呈现文本的艺术表达方式与文本的精神内涵完美地结合起来.儿童视角的运用还让作家能以旁观者的眼光看世界,保持了独立、警醒的创作立场.