The Development of Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Widowed and Abandoned Women Through Microcredit Self-Help Groups: The Case of Rural South India

ABSTRACT

Widowed or abandoned women are among the poorest and marginalized people in Indian society. In an effort to empower these women to achieve a sustainable livelihood and overcome discrimination related to marital status and caste, a local nongovernmental organization, Kalangarai, organized widows and abandoned women into microcredit self-help groups (SHGs) along the Southeast coast of India. This mixed-methods study examines the effects of microcredit SHG training and facilitation on the perceived self-efficacy of widowed or abandoned women in the groups (N = 64). Data were collected on SHG training, facilitation, self-efficacy, well-being, and caste discrimination. Regression results indicate that participation in SHG trainings and having more intensive staff facilitation significantly impacted the women's perception of self-efficacy. These findings suggest that the microcredit SHG structure can be utilized to spark a transformative process for women to collectively gain power and political voice. Further implications for advocacy, scholarship, and program design are discussed.     

Possibilities for Intervention in Domestic Violence: Frame Analysis of Health Care Professionals’ Attitudes

ABSTRACT. Violence is a serious problem, and social and health care providers are in a key position for implementing successful interventions. This qualitative study of 6 focus groups with professionals (n = 30) examines the health care professionals’ ways of framing a domestic violence intervention. Of special interest here is how professionals see their own roles in the process of recognizing and helping victims of domestic violence. By using Erving Goffman's frame analysis, this study identifies several frames that either: a) emphasize the obstacles to intervention and justify nonintervention, or on the contrary, b) question these obstacles and find justifications for intervention. The possibilities for intervention are further explored by analyzing the ways in which the dynamics between the different frames allow redefinition of domestic violence interventions. Despite the challenges involved in a domestic violence intervention, there seems to be potential for change in personal attitudes and reform of professional practices. The research findings underline the role of social and health care professionals as members of a larger chain of service providers working collaboratively against domestic violence. Implications for practice and directions in policy and future research are suggested.     

Recuerdos de Nuestro Pasado

Following is an interview with Erin Segal, group worker and coauthor of Recuerdos de Nuestro Pasado (Memories of our Past), a multivocal memoir about growing up in El Salvador and growing old in Washington DC, which emerged from a storytelling group at Mary’s Center’s Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center. The group members and coauthors are Angela Celaya, Sergio Guzmán, Jose Lovos, and Gloria Revelo. Using alternating English-language stanzas, the book expresses the life stories of four senior citizens and includes the images of their photographs and objects as well as illustrations by the book designer Julie Cho. Segal and Cho are cofounders of Thick Press. All profit from this book will go to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.     

大学生就业选择：中小企业招聘的要求及启示

通过实证分析将中小企业招聘要求归纳为资格证书、工作期望、职业能力、实践经历、职业道德5个方面,在此基础上归纳了中小企业招聘要求的特点：重视应聘者的职业道德,注重职业能力和实践经历的考察以及工作期望,不重视资格证书、性别、年龄、学校名气、驾照等。并提出了地方高校人才培养改革的建议：重视非专业教育,提升大学生基本能力;创新实践教学模式,丰富大学生实践经历;加强就业指导,提升实现就业的能力;加强学业指导,使学生正确看待学业证书。     

社会网络视角下农民工创业互助组织发展探析

农民工创业互助组织发展前景广阔,但面临诸多制约。从社会网络视角探讨这一新兴组织的发展方向及其与农民工创业计划的关系可以得出：社会网络越发达的农民工,创业行为越活跃;强关系是创业互助组织创立的基础,弱关系是决定其发展水平和规模的重要因素。同时,农民工创业互助行为受到社会支持和示范效应的影响。在组织发展的不同阶段,妥善利用社会网络中的强关系和弱关系,将情感型策略与工具型策略相结合,是不断推进农民工创业互助组织发展的动力。     

我国高校创业教育的矛盾论

我国高校创业教育问题的主要矛盾为社会需求与创业教育之间的矛盾,其主要表现为社会需求与创业教育理念的矛盾和社会需求与现有办学条件的矛盾。严峻的就业形势以及我国教育的国家性质是导致此主要矛盾的主要原因。政府及时对创业教育的目标做出明确指示并对创业教育的价值取向作科学合理的引导是解决此矛盾的关键。     

基于协同创新网络的和谐企业运行机制构建研究

和谐企业是企业发展的方向,构建和谐企业运行机制是企业和谐发展的途径,是对科学发展观和和谐社会的诠释。基于协同创新网络理论,从协同创新的内部协同、外部协同角度研究和谐企业运行机制影响因素,分别得到和谐企业运行机制的两方面影响因素：外部宏观共赢协同动因、外部微观共赢协同动因和内部主体性协同动因。并通过建立输入、输出子机制,和谐企业运行机制子机制,内外部协同响应机制,共同构建和谐企业运行机制,通过该机制,以能量流和信息流为载体,详尽阐述和谐企业协同创新机理,为主体各方探索和实践和谐企业运行机制构建提供借鉴意义。     

综合性大学与企业合作的路径选择——以河北大学为例

关于校企合作,以往人们的关注点多集中在职业技术院校和企业如何有效对接方面,忽略了综合性大学与企业的合作与沟通问题。综合性大学学科门类齐全,各路人才荟萃,招生规模又大,生源地域也广,其与企业合作的空间与潜力似应更大。基于此,笔者认真梳理了近5年来河北大学与企业合作的主要形式,包括合办各类短训班、共建重点实验室、联合培养高层次人才等,合作实现了互利双赢,以及经济效益和社会效益的双丰收。然在当前,河北大学与企业的合作还存在着诸多不足：缺乏相应的制度保障、政府桥梁和推手作用尚未充分发挥、校企合作领域太过狭窄,学校对企业内部优质资源挖掘利用不够等等,导致综合性大学与企业合作的效能无法充量发挥。     

网络舆情时代的企业危机应对与管理——基于“长尾理论”的视角

网络时代企业热点网络舆情事件层出不穷,目前对中国企业网络舆情应对研究相对较少。在长尾时代,大众文化不再万夫莫敌,小众文化也将拥有越来越多的拥护者,应关注信息的长尾部分对企业危机管理所带来的挑战。基于“长尾理论”的视角,分析中国企业的网络舆情应对能力现状及其问题,发现中国企业应对网络舆情能力大多不合格,企业应履行企业社会责任,珍惜企业信誉;更新危机传播理念,重视新兴媒体的传播效应;选择权威媒体和机构,消除负面信息的影响。     

弱势群体的法律保护——以经济法的视角

经济法是一门边缘性学科,其位于经济和社会的边缘,游弋于市场与政府之间,以实现社会正义为己任,维护社会整体利益、促进社会和经济的协调发展为目标.在解决问题时总是围绕着如何处理政府和市场之间的关系,协调社会和个人等的利益为出发点和落脚点,有着自己独特的视角.文章通过经济法对弱势群体的法律保护将经济法的这一视角展示出来.