Does a universal non-contributory social pension make sense for rural China?

China’s pension reform during the past three decades has allowed a majority of China’s population to be covered by a pension scheme. Of particular note has been the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS), a voluntary programme introduced starting in 2009. One goal of our analysis is to assess that pension scheme, using a variety of sources of information including data drawn from recent (2013 and 2015) nationwide China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Surveys (CHARLS). Our analysis involves an exploration of differences between the generosity and structure of the NRPS and other pension schemes currently in place. We also explore the feasibility of reforming the current “quasi-social pension” component of the NRPS by substituting a universal non-contributory social pension pillar. In connection with our assessment of the NRPS, we note the unusually low benefit levels for rural China.     

论文化链接下的语言研究

“文化——语言”研究是一种立足于语言学而又导入了文化因素的语言研究方式,故称为文化链接下的语言研究。本文分析了这种语言研究方式的类型及主要研究方法,并且在对以往的“文化——语言”研究进行评价的基础上,提出对这项研究的深层思考。     

设计教育：挑战、问题、前景

论述全球化教育给我国设计教育带来的挑战,剖析我国当前设计教育存在的问题,阐明我国设计教育在人才培养上的发展前景。     

悲剧意识与文化传统

人类发展和人类社会形态更替过程都包含了悲剧性。只有人们正确地认识和把握现实的悲剧性,并想改变自己的生存困境,悲剧意识才可能形成。悲剧意识是指在人类发展过程和社会发展进程中,体现在某些人物身上的那种“无为而为”的心理倾向,即某些人明知他们将来的所作所为一定会失败(实际上也会失败),却仍然锐意去追求、奋斗、牺牲的心理趋势。它由两个部分构成:一、人类生存和社会发展的困境;二、人类对人类生存和社会发展困境的超越、应战的精神。西方文化决定了它的悲剧意识表现形态,西方人的悲剧意识表现得深刻、彻底,中国文化决定了它的悲剧意识表现形态,中国人悲剧意识表现得浮泛、留有余地。     

论金圣叹人物性格论的审美心理机制

金圣叹在他的小说评点中认为创作真实性格的根据就在于通过对性格发生条件的模拟内省来求得真切体验。这种以体验为关捩的审美心理机制强调人物个性化的思想,重视人物行为主观动机与态度。这种侧重微观、感性的性格理论尽管避免了把人物的生动性化为一堆社会学标签,但是,它也给他的人物性格理论带来明显的唯心论缺陷与不足。     

网络环境下的研究性学习

利用网络开展研究性学习具有很大的优势,探讨网络研究性学习能力的培养、组织与实施,以及网络研究性学习的评价对提高学生的综合素质有重要作用。     

浅谈综合英语课中学生能力的培养

综合英语课是最具有中国特色的英语专业基础骨干课程。它课时多、周期长、影响大 ,是各门课程的龙头。如今 ,应试教育正向素质教育转轨 ,而能力培养则是核心内容。信息时代的综合英语课应该以培养学生能力为突破口 ,积极开创教学新局面 ,以期教学质量的提高     

The gender gap in pensions in Latin America

Lower female lifetime labour market participation rates, greater interruptions during their working lives, and wage gaps contribute to create gender gaps in pensions at the time of retirement. The design of social security systems may reinforce or attenuate these gaps. This article provides new evidence on gender gaps in access to pensions and in pension income in four Southern Cone countries in Latin America and analyses their evolution between 2000 and 2013, showing significant improvements in both gaps, with differential patterns by countries. The decrease in the gender gap in pension income has been particularly significant in Argentina and Brazil. In both cases, the largest increases in pension values during the period correspond to the lowest income percentiles, where women are overrepresented. The application of redistributive policies in these countries, aimed at reducing poverty and inequality but not necessarily focused on gender equity, has had positive and probably unintended consequences in terms of reduction in gender gaps in pensions.     

Extending social security coverage to the rural sector in China

In late 2009 China launched an innovative, voluntary programme that by 2011 had extended pension coverage to 326.4 million people in the rural sector, including contributors and beneficiaries. It requires one contribution per year and provides a flat‐rate benefit and a contributions‐related benefit through a contributory individual account, with a government guarantee that the benefit will continue for life. The programme encourages participation of persons who do not pay income taxes, and thus have no tax incentive to participate, by providing substantial government subsidies. As a further incentive, old‐age benefits are provided to older parents when all their adult children participate in the contributory programme.     

Electronic payment mechanisms in social security: Extending the reach of benefit and contribution transactions

More often than not, the existing modes of contribution collection and benefit payment of social security organizations are adapted to the collective arrangements that characterize employer‐employee relationships. Extending coverage to individuals in difficult‐to‐reach groups, however, may require new modalities of service that can cope with many separate, secure transactions rather than a few bulk data transfers between organizations. Recent developments in electronic payment show its wide applicability in enabling huge volumes of such individual transactions. It is in this light that the article explores the potentials of this technology and identifies possible arrangements through which electronic payments could surmount barriers that stand in the way of covering difficult‐to‐reach groups. The high level of mobile phone penetration on a global scale augurs well for using e‐payment mechanisms to collect social security contributions and to deliver social security benefits and services. A generic model is used to describe the requisite elements to implement electronic payments in social protection programmes. Based on empirical evidence of current social protection practices from around the world, five scenarios are presented to describe possible configurations for electronic payment, from the simplest to the most sophisticated. The broader objective is to contribute in a practical manner to the international commitment to extend social protection to all, as defined by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.