Social capital of entrepreneurs in a developing country: The effect of gender on access to and requests for resources

This paper addresses gender differences in the social capital of entrepreneurs in a developing country. Social networks are often an important asset for accessing resources; however, they may also be a liability in developing countries, since entrepreneurs are often expected to support their contacts. Using a recent survey among urban and rural Ugandan entrepreneurs, we focus on the financial resources that entrepreneurs can obtain from their contacts on the one hand, and requests for financial support made to the entrepreneurs from these contacts on the other hand. Our results show that there are gender differences associated with access to, and requests for, financial resources.     

Secondary school dropout and work outcomes in ten developing countries

This paper analyzes the impact of secondary school dropout on the work outcomes of young people in ten developing countries. Understanding such a phenomenon is important because it may affect work prospects, exacerbate income inequality and determine macroeconomic lasting effects given that the formation of a skilled workforce is a key element of economic development and growth.When accounting for endogeneity, we find that secondary school dropout decreases the probability of being employed in non-elementary occupations, suggesting that unskilled workers fail to meet the increasing demand for a skilled workforce. Secondary school dropout, indeed, hinders the accumulation of adequate levels of human capital and anticipates entry into the unskilled labor market.Thus, policy-makers should aim at the extension and efficacy of compulsory education to the secondary level to avoid future under-education problems to promote a skilled workforce and encourage economic development and growth in the long run.     

西部地区少数民族女性发展的瓶颈制约及路径依赖

西北地区少数民族整体素质的培养与提高影响到西北地区综合素质的提高,而西北地区少数民族女性受教育的状况影响到少数民族自身整体素质的提高,也影响到对少数民族下一代的教育。制约西北地区少数民族女性发展的主要因素有:自然条件的影响,社会经济形态、政治形态的历史影响,少数民族封闭心理的制约,女性自卑心理的影响。对西北地区少数民族女性社会化发展的问题进行思考,从深层次上对西北地区少数民族女性的教育及社会化发展进行探讨,具有现实意义。     

西部六城市流动人口调查综合报告

自中央实施"西部大开发"发展战略以来,在西部省区基础设施和许多行业的大量投资吸引了大量来自东部和邻近农村的流动人员。我国西部是少数族群聚居区,在发展过程中各民族之间存在相互协作的广阔空间,也存在发展机会和利益分配方面的相互竞争关系。为了调查和分析近年来西部的人口流动及其对当地族群关系的影响,我们在西部六个重要城市开展了流动人口的问卷调查。本文以这次问卷调查的数据为基础,系统地分析了西部大城市中流动人口的基本特征、就业状况、收入与消费情况以及他们与当地居民之间的交往。这些量化分析的研究成果,将便于我们进一步深入分析"西部大开发"过程中人口流动对当地经济建设、社会生活和族际交往所带来的影响。     

张澍西北竹枝词民俗文化价值论略

张澍是清代竹枝词发展史上重要的作家,也是唯一一位既创作西南竹枝词,又创作西北竹枝词的诗人。他以西北人的眼光来审视西北,对西北地区的文化习俗进行了历史性扫描,勾画出了丰富多彩的社会民俗画面,涵盖了山川风物、民间文学、饮食习俗和宗教信仰等多个领域,反映了西北少数民族独特的习俗和生活方式,形成一幅包罗万象的清代西北民族风情画卷,多角度、全方位地展现了西北地区独特的地域精神和原生态的民俗文化,具有很高的思想史、民族史和民俗学价值。     

西北贫困民族聚居区学校体育特征研究

在层层比较中作者们认为西北贫困民族聚居区学校体育具有总体比较落后、地域特征明显;观念比较陈旧、经费严重不足;民族特色突出、发展潜力较大;少数民族青少年为主体,多数以一课两操为支撑四个方面的基本特征。     

Trade sophistication in developing countries: Does export destination matter?

We investigate whether exports to developed economies stimulate export sophistication (represented by UNCTAD’s index of export similarity) in developing countries. Results from fixed-effects estimations suggest that exporting to developed economies enhances the sophistication of exports in the exporting country but there are diminishing returns to this effect. We also find non-linear effects from FDI and income on export sophistication with the effect of income exhibiting diminishing returns which suggests that the gains from exporting to developed economies are higher for lower-income countries; i.e., as income increases, the gains taper off. We discuss the policy implications of these results.     

Patterns and severity of menopausal symptoms among Jordanian women

We examined 359 women aged 45–65 years who visited Jordan University Hospital between February and November 2014. The menopausal symptoms were assessed using a validated Arabic version of the menopause rating scale. The mean age at menopause was 49.4 years. Women aged 50–55 years more frequently exhibited hot flushes and vaginal dryness. Although premenopausal women were 1.5 times more likely to experience irritability, perimenopausal women were more likely to experience hot flushes, physical and mental irritability, sexual problems, vaginal dryness, and joint and muscular discomfort. Hence, health care providers should focus on women at all stages of life.     

Seclusion,decision-making power,and gender disparities in adult health: Examining hypertension in India

Research on the social determinants of health in developing countries is increasingly focusing on the importance of gender. Cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension are a growing concern in developing countries, where they are now the leading cause of death. Researchers have documented differences in hypertension between men and women, but the importance of gendered practices in shaping these differences has been left unexamined. Using national data from the India Human Development Survey 2005 (N = 101,593), this study assesses the moderating role of two salient and widespread gendered practices—women’s seclusion and decision-making power—on hypertension disparities between women and men. Both seclusion and low decision-making power are associated with increased odds of hypertension for women, but in the case of seclusion reduced hypertension for men. Results also show the gender gap in hypertension is exacerbated with women’s seclusion and low decision-making power.     

Are all jobs created equal? A cross-national analysis of women's employment and child malnutrition in developing countries

Using multi-level models, the analysis examines female employment and child stunting across 49 developing countries. At the country level, female labor force participation is not associated with malnutrition after controlling for economic development. At the individual level, a binary measure of employment is not significantly associated with malnutrition. However, a more nuanced measure of seven occupational categories shows that certain types of employment improve malnutrition. Professional, clerical, sales, and domestic jobs are associated with reduced stunting. These effects are only partially mediated by wealth, perhaps suggesting that some jobs may bring benefits to the household beyond the sheer acquisition of tangible resources. Agricultural jobs are associated with increased malnutrition. Manual labor and service work do not have an effect on malnutrition, compared to unemployment. Thus, women's employment is not necessarily a mechanism for empowerment and wellbeing. Not all jobs are created equal, and many of them do not confer the benefits that are typically associated with working outside the home.