Pathways of Technological Change in Developing Countries: Review and New Agenda

This article argues the need for strategic reorientation with regard to the technological advancement of developing countries. The continued relevance of incremental capability‐building strategies in manufacturing is questioned by: (i) the emergence of new knowledge areas, some of which require closer links with science; (ii) recognition that past strategies have not solved the poverty problem; and (iii) unprecedented environmental problems that cannot be solved by existing Western technologies alone. A more pluralist approach is recommended, with increased attention to creative innovation capabilities. Cases of innovations in information communication technology, health and energy show potentially large economic and social impacts, but also highlight systemic obstacles to their realisation.     

海湾外籍劳务现状及其发展趋势

自海湾发现石油并进行大规模开采后,海合会成员国开始利用石油美元兴建和改善各自的基础设施.但海湾国家本土劳动力匮乏和就业特点促使政府考虑大量输入外籍劳工,以致出现外籍劳工比例过高的状况.本文认为外籍劳工为当地经济发展和社会建设做出了巨大贡献,促进了海湾城市化和现代化进程,但同时也催生了社会、文化、安全等诸方面的问题,迫使海湾国家政府采取一系列政策和措施加强劳务管理.本文还探讨了海湾外籍劳务市场的发展趋势,并对中国向海湾派遣劳务提出若干建言.     

Privatisation in Developing Countries: Performance and Ownership Effects

Over the last twenty years, privatisation, defined as the transfer of public assets (firms) from the government to private investors, has been on the reform agenda of more than 120 developing countries. The switch of ownership induces major changes in the corporate governance of firms, and in their incentives to restructure and improve efficiency and performance. This article evaluates this experience, focusing on its impact on corporate performance and governance, identifying several issues yet to be resolved.     

Liberalization, FDI, and Growth in Developing Countries: A Panel Cointegration Approach

Using a panel cointegration framework, the article explores the two-way link between FDI and growth for a panel of 23 developing countries. In addition, it investigates the impact of liberalization on the dynamics of the FDI and GDP relationship. A long-run cointegrating relationship is found between FDI and GDP after allowing for heterogeneous country effects. The cointegrating vectors reveal a bidirectional causality between GDP and FDI for more open economies. For relatively closed economies, long-run causality appears unidirectional and runs from GDP to FDI, implying that growth and FDI are not mutually reinforcing under restrictive trade and investment regimes.     

Trade and Wage Inequality in Developing Countries

In this article we provide a theoretical analysis of the possible impact of trade and fragmentation on the skilled–unskilled wage gap in a small developing economy. In particular, we illustrate the possibility of a decline in the relative wage of the unskilled labor following an improvement in the terms of trade. (JEL F1 , F11 , F12 )     

The Biodemography of Fertility: A Review and Future Research Frontiers

The social sciences have been reticent to integrate a biodemographic approach to the study of fertility choice and behaviour, resulting in theories and findings that are largely socially-deterministic. The aim of this paper is to first reflect on reasons for this lack of integration, provide a review of previous examinations, take stock of what we have learned until now and propose future research frontiers. We review the early foundations of proximate determinants followed by behavioural genetic (family and twin) studies that isolated the extent of genetic influence on fertility traits. We then discuss research that considers gene and environment interaction and the importance of cohort and country-specific estimates, followed by multivariate models that explore motivational precursors to fertility and education. The next section on molecular genetics reviews fertility-related candidate gene studies and their shortcomings and on-going work on genome wide association studies. Work in evolutionary anthropology and biology is then briefly examined, focusing on evidence for natural selection. Biological and genetic factors are relevant in explaining and predicting fertility traits, with socio-environmental factors and their interaction still key in understanding outcomes. Studying the interplay between genes and the environment, new data sources and integration of new methods will be central to understanding and predicting future fertility trends.     

Serving in Developing Countries: A Mixed Methods Study of International Voluntary Service Performance

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Many volunteer organizations offer short-term international voluntary service (IVS) opportunities as an avenue for...     

Social Alienation: A Review of Current Literature

In recent years considerable attention has been focused on delineation of the concept of alienation and on measurement of its relationship to modern social structure and function. This paper reviews the alienation literature, largely empirically oriented, for the last decade. Included with works of primarily theoretical and methodological importance are substantive studies of the relationships between the alienated individual and his social order. Suggestions for further research are given.     

Political Generations in Developing Countries: Evidence and Insights from Algeria

The socialization literature has examined whether individualswho pass through their formative years during definable historicaleras constitute political generations characterized by shareddispositions or collective memories that outlast the eras themselves.Drawing upon 1995 public opinion data from Algeria, we ask whetherpolitical generations are discernible in a non-Western societyin which the government and politics have undergone fundamentaltransformations in character and normative orientation. We findevidence that shared attitudes characterize Algerians who cameof age during the regime of President Houari Boumedienne—astable 13-year period from 1965 to 1978 marked by centralizedpolitical leadership, low grassroots political participation,and state-led socialism. Other cohorts are not similarly distinguishable,however, nor does the Boumedienne cohort differ from otherswith respect to a number of political, economic, and culturalorientations. Like other studies, this research indicates thatsome historical periods produce durable generation effects whileothers do not and that some attitudes acquired during the formativeyears of late adolescence and early adulthood persist over timewhile others do not.     

Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in the Nordic Countries: A Literature Review

This review examined child sexual abuse in the Nordic countries focusing on prevalence rates and victims’ age and relationship to the perpetrator. The results show a prevalence of child sexual abuse (broadly defined) between 3–23% for boys and 11–36% for girls. The prevalence rates for contact abuse were 1–12% for boys and 6–30% for girls, while 0.3–6.8% of the boys and 1.1–13.5% of the girls reported penetrating abuse. The findings suggest an increased risk of abuse from early adolescence. In adolescence, peers may constitute the largest group of perpetrators. The results highlight the need for preventive efforts also targeting peer abuse. Future research should include cross-national and repeated studies using comparable methodology.     

Stroke in Developing Countries: Epidemiology,Impact and Policy Implications

The burden of stroke and other non‐communicable diseases has risen sharply in developing countries in recent years. This article provides a detailed review of this trend and its underlying causes, and discusses the social and economic effects of stroke and the scope for interventions to reduce incidence and mitigate impacts. It demonstrates that policy‐makers have been slow to recognise the growing scale of the challenge, and argues for large‐scale public health campaigns focused on primary and secondary prevention.     

Privatization and Public Enterprise Performance in Developing Countries

Book reviewed in this article: Adjusting Privatisation. By Christopher Adam, William Cavendish and Percy S. Mistry Public Enterprises in Kenya. By Barbara Grosh     

Evidence-Based Practice: Current Issues and Future Directions

Abstract

Evidence-based practice approaches continue to increase in popularity in health and human service contexts in Australia and internationally. As social workers face pressures to evidence practice and justify outcomes, the limitations in applying an evidence-based practice approach to social work are confronted. The present paper identifies the features of evidence-based practice and notes the potential benefits and limitations of this approach in social work. Debates surrounding the nature of social work interventions, effectiveness and evidence are reviewed. The current context and climate influencing the use of research and other evidence in social work are discussed. The paper also considers the position of qualitative, interpretive and critical reflective approaches in relation to evidence-based practice. Issues for the future of evidence-based practice in social work are identified, including the need for the profession to examine more closely the relationship between critical reflective and evidence-based approaches to practice.     

论以中关系的发展现状及其前景

60余年来的以中关系历经波折。在中华人民共和国成立后,以色列就寻求与新中国建立外交关系,但因朝鲜战争与万隆会议等故使得以中关系趋于冷淡并中断。中美缓和、以埃媾和以及中越战争为中以关系的发展提供了契机,香港开始成为中以军事、经济与政治合作的桥头堡,两国最终于1992年建交。由于以阿关系的反复、以色列对华武器出口中的美国压力以及中国内部的民族分离主义问题等因素,中国在以阿之间平衡取舍,影响其参与中东和平进程的成效。当前全球金融危机使国际社会普遍意识到中国的重要地位,以色列需要制定契合国际体系转型的对华新政策。