Active Ageing Index in Korea – Comparison with China and EU countries

The evidence‐based policymaking relies on the use and robustness of the available data. Many conceptual and operational difficulties restrict this process, not least in making use of evidence to identify policy priorities. The Active Ageing Index (AAI), developed originally for the 28 European Union countries, offers a strong motivation in this respect. This paper reports on the development of the AAI for Korea, a country where speed and level of population aging is among the highest in the world. Drawing on the comparative analysis of the AAI results for Korea, China, and European countries, we find that Korea's AAI (35.3) is higher than the average of the AAI for all EU countries (33.9) but lower than China (37.3). Fitting Korea into the overall ranking with the EU countries and China (ranked 7), Korea is ranked 11, just behind Germany (10). The AAI results in Korea show that the employment domain performs extremely well compared with the EU countries, but other domains, especially “Social participation” and “Independent, healthy and secure living,” are achieving less favorable outcomes. High employment among the current cohorts of older workers in Korea can be attributed largely to the constraints of low pension income status.     

Coping with Vulnerabilities in Old Age and Retirement: Cross-border Mobility,Family Relations and Social Networks of German Retirees in Alanya

ABSTRACT

Reduced income upon retirement is a vulnerability threat, which increases dependency on public provisions, familial, and/or social (community) support. Many German retirees, in addition to lifestyle motivations, move to low-cost destinations in order to maintain an autonomous and independent life while minimizing the risks of financial worsening. In this article, I discuss the vulnerability patterns of German retirees in the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya, Turkey, and the role of social networks, with a particular focus on intergenerational family relations. I argue that, despite increased life satisfaction, relocation to a new destination abroad results in new emerging threats. German retirees in Alanya experience difficulties in terms of a lack of intergenerational family support and the double jeopardy of being framed by the legal regulations of two nation states. Based on the findings of the empirical research conducted in Alanya in 2017, I will demonstrate new threats emerged after relocation and how retirees respond to those with new coping strategies.     

Veganism as a lifestyle movement

In the last few years, the popularity of veganism has surged. Current literature on the cultural practice, which situates it within a social movements framework, cannot adequately explain this meteoric rise. A better approach is to view veganism as an emerging lifestyle movement based on individual consumption rather than political protest. After situating veganism within the literature on animal rights, this review then explains why a lifestyle movement perspective yields a more compelling account of its growing mainstream appeal. Drawing on both cultural and organizational sociology, this review provides insights into the cultural origins of veganism, its evolving relationship to other food movements, and highlights the key role played by cultural entrepreneurs, the key changemakers who are bringing veganism from the margins to the mainstream.     

网络社会公众同情形成过程中的媒介作用机制研究

在网络社会的社会实践过程中,信息传递的充分和对称并没有避免公众同情与事实本身形成偏差的出现。由于信息技术改变了人们的生活方式,传播网络上的发声成为了节点化生活中的人们参与社会事务的主要手段。社会资本运动的核心转变为文化资本,公众同情作为传播过程中核心节点——话题序参量媒体参与社会资本活动的重要工具,在公共舆论事件的发展和演变过程中起着重要的作用。     

当代大学生健康人格培养途径研究

通过对大学生健康人格的阐述,证实健康人格的培养对于大学生的培养至关重要。分析了当代大学生健康人格培养的阻碍因素,并且在以人为本的基础上,提出了一系列的培养途径。     

Back to Brit: retired British migrants returning from Spain

Since the seminal research of O'Reilly, Karen [2000. The British on the Costa del Sol. London: Routledge] and King, Russell, Anthony Warnes, Allan Williams [2000. Sunset Lives: British Retirement Migration to the Mediterranean. New York: Berg Publishers] about British citizens on the Costa del Sol there has been a surge in the publication of lifestyle migration papers, books and research. Nonetheless, there is a part of the lifestyle migration process that has been rarely explored: a return move to the country of origin following retirement migration. Research has indicated a broad increase in the number of older British returnees, yet there has been no substantive research on the topic. This paper therefore attempts to fill this gap by using Spanish registry data to examine the number of British retirees since 2009 who have returned to the UK. In addition, the results of an electronic survey to older British people in Spain are presented which suggest that considerable numbers of British citizens aged over 55 living in the Northern Costa Blanca are likely to return in the next few years. These data therefore indicate the relevance of return migration from Spain to the UK as a significant issue to the academic community as well as to British and Spanish policy-makers.     

Promoting behavioral change towards lower energy consumption in the building sector

Climate change and environmental issues have been increasingly in the forefront of the media and government agendas. However, despite much discussion and fanfare, little has been done in the way of serious commitment and clear course of actions since the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 to bring carbon emissions to sustainable levels. To tackle the immensity of the climate change challenge, a paradigm shift in understanding is necessary to balance the course of global human development with energy demand and consumption patterns. Accounting for over 40% of global energy demand and more than 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, the building sector offers the greatest mitigation potential for reducing carbon emissions in both the short and long term, with positive implications for a range of associated sectors and industries. Promoting behavioral change among end-users for reduced energy consumption as well as encouraging the building industry to embrace sustainable design, low-carbon construction practices and materials, and renewable technologies, is fundamental to mitigating the impact of the built environment on planetary biospheres and preserving quality of life for generations to come. This paper starts by drawing attention to the building sector and related EU policy, outlining the challenges and opportunities for reducing energy consumption and carbon emission levels. Such policy provides the essential framework to engage stakeholders and allow supporting factors to foster progress in the sector. The paper contends that information on climate change has not led to significant improvements in meeting global targets and that what is needed is behavioral change among individuals and society as a whole. On the basis of research project experiences and literature review, it puts forth and explores five key elements contributing to behavioral change for reduced energy consumption and lower carbon emissions in the building sector, focused on: information and education; financial incentives and energy services; modern technologies and sustainable design; social and community norms; and biophilia (contact with the natural environment). The paper suggests opportunities for further research and concludes with recommendations for policy-makers and related stakeholders.     

高自尊的异质性对社会心理健康的影响

为了探讨高自尊的异质性（权变性和防御性）对个体社会心理健康的影响,采用Rosenberg自尊量表、权变性自尊量表、社会期望量表与社会心理健康问卷等方法对293名大学生施测。结果为高低自尊者在社会心理健康的各维度上都存在显著差异（P〈.001）;高自尊的权变性和防御性都是攻击性的重要预测因素,高自尊的防御性能有效预测生活满意度和消极情感。因此,自尊不只存在水平高低之分,全面理解自尊需要考虑自尊的其他特性。     

论教学语言的审美性对学生健全人格的影响

语言是人们交流思想的工具,教师高度的语言素养对学生人格的塑造起着极其重要的作用.教育教学要取得最佳效果,教学语言必须具有审美性.教学语言的审美性要求教学语言既要饱含情味、充满趣味,又要富有韵味、突出风味才既能彰显语文教学魅力,又能实现教学目标,培养学生健全的人格.     

湖南省高校女教授生活方式的调查与研究

对湖南省高校女教授的空余时间、生活幸福指数以及焦虑程度等方面的调查,得知大部分高校女教授存在不良生活方式,严重影响女性的身心健康,采取多种方式鼓励她们积极参与到体育健身中以缓解与减轻生活压力,促进妇女体育运动的发展。