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.     

On shifting ground: First-time parents’ ideal world of paid work and family time

We examined first-time fathers’ and mothers’ perspectives about their ideal world of support in the context of dominant social ideology, ethno-cultural ideals, and the pragmatics of their everyday family, workplace, and socioeconomic circumstances during their first 18 months as parents. Twelve Canadian-born and six Chinese immigrant couples participated in individual in-depth interviews. We conducted a three-part analysis: fathers’ perspectives, mothers’ perspectives, and couples’ perspectives. Fathers focused on fulfilling dual fathering ideals of ‘time with family’ and ‘providing for family’; mothers emphasized fulfilling a mothering ideal of ‘caring for children'. Examining couples’ perspectives revealed a more nuanced understanding of their shared focus on ‘caring for family'. Parents in this study found the current social ideal of the ‘new’ father, who is both financial provider and nurturing co-parent, appealing, yet difficult to achieve. Couples wanted informal (i.e. family and social network) support, along with formal (i.e. workplace and childcare) support to enable them to provide family care and financial stability for their family. Findings contribute to understanding family and paid work experiences and decision-making among couples as new parents. We offer insights into the complexity of intersections among social ideals, personal expectations, family care, and paid work for fathers and mothers.     

Pension policy in China, Singapore, and South Korea: An assessment of the potential value of the notional defined contribution model

The rate of population aging is increasing in the developing world and the trend is particularly dramatic in East Asia. One consequence is sharp increases in old-age dependency ratios which have major implications for the sustainability of current public pension schemes. These trends are pushing pension policy experts in many of these countries to search for new pension models that are more suited to the increased demographic pressures they will be facing in the decades ahead. In this article we discuss five alternative public pension models with a focus on the newest of these models, the notional defined contribution (NDC) approach. We consider three countries with very different pension systems in place, two from East Asia (China and South Korea) and one from South East Asia (Singapore). The central question we address is which (if any) of the limitations in these existing models might more adequately be addressed using a variant of the NDC model. We conclude that the NDC model has the most to offer China and the least to offer Singapore.     

Walking Ability is Associated with Social Communication Skills in Infants at High Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Achievement of early motor milestones in infancy affords new opportunities for social interaction and communication. Research has shown that both motor and social deficits are observed in infants who later develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined associations between motor and Social communication skills in 12‐month‐old infant siblings of children with ASD who are at heightened risk for developmental delays (N = 86) and low‐risk, typically developing infants (N = 113). Infants were classified into one of three groups based on their walking ability: walkers (walks independently), standers (stands independently), or prewalkers (does not yet stand or walk independently). Social communication and cognitive skills were assessed with two standardized assessments (Communication and Symbolic Behaviors Scales [CSBS] and Mullen Scales of Early Learning) and compared across the three walking groups. Results demonstrated that high‐risk walkers showed superior Social communication skills, but commensurate cognitive skills, compared to high‐risk prewalkers. In contrast, Social communication and cognitive skills were largely comparable for low‐risk infants, regardless of walking status. Findings suggest that for high‐risk infants, who are already vulnerable to developmental delays and ASD, independent walking may facilitate the emergence of Social communication abilities. Pivotal motor milestones may serve as useful indicators of Social communication delays and targets for intervention.     

The Brazilian public pension system: Policy changes, political effects

This article discusses the reciprocal relationship between public pension policy and age-based politics in Brazil, a nation with a public pension system that has the potential for influencing policy developments in other developing nations faced with the problem of how to extend social security coverage to the entire population. Our goal is to extend a line of analysis used in previous studies of industrial nations to the case of Brazil. Pension policy changes made during the 1960s and 1970s had a number of unintended consequences. One was the role these policy changes played with respect to the emergence of rural unions and age-based interest groups: both are becoming increasingly important actors with respect to pension policy. We discuss the implications of the Brazilian case for policy options and outcomes in other newly democratic nations, particularly those in Latin America.     

Causes of accidents and the time of day

Abstract

The relationship between accidents and the time of day is not entirely clear. Although there is considerable evidence that performance is poorest in the early morning hours compared to at all other times, the degree to which this is translated into accidents is not understood. In this study work-related fatal accidents were analysed to determine whether the causes of these accidents vary with time. The analysis used a classification and coding system devised to describe the wider circumstances of the causes of fatalities. In terms of absolute numbers, fatalities were most common in the late morning or early afternoon. When these results were expressed in terms of the estimated number of workers at work, the proportion of fatal accidents occurring at night was more than double that occurring during the day. Behavioural factors were the most common cause of fatalities at all times, but most common in the early hours of the morning. Further analysis of the nature of the behavioural involvement showed that errors in automatic processing (skill-based errors) were the most common types of error and did not vary much with time of day. Rule-based errors were most common during the day whereas knowledge-based errors occurred mainly in the afternoon and night shifts. These results cast some doubt on the assumption that there is a direct relationship between the previously observed variations in performance across time and the ultimate safety outcome.     

Key personality traits of engineers for innovation and technology development

Focusing on new roles of engineers for technological innovation and internal entrepreneurship, we examined the personality traits of 4876 engineers versus 75,892 non-engineers. Engineers scored higher on Tough-Mindedness and Intrinsic Motivation; but lower on Assertiveness, Conscientiousness, Customer Service Orientation, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Image Management, Optimism, Visionary Style, and Work Drive. All but four of these traits were positively related to engineers’ career satisfaction. Overall, the results are not encouraging for the new roles of engineers such as intrapreneurship. Findings were discussed in terms of occupational profiling of engineers as well as career planning, selection, training, and professional development of engineers.