Do Term Limits Help Women Get Elected?

Objective . We examine the proposition put forward by term limit advocates and some scholars that the implementation of term limits will lead to increases in the numbers of women serving in state legislatures. Methods . Data are examined for all state house races in the six states that implemented term limits in 1998. Results . Although there was some variation across the states, the overall number of women serving in state house seats that were term-limited actually decreased following the election. Conclusions . More research is needed as more states implement term limits in future elections. However, our analysis suggests that term limits, unaccompanied by efforts to recruit women to run for term-limited seats, may be insufficient to increase the number of women state legislators.     

Marketisation policies in different contexts: Consequences for home‐care workers in Germany,Japan and Sweden

Market‐oriented restructurings of long‐term care policies contribute significantly to the aggravation of care workers’ situations. This article focuses on the effects of broader long‐term care policy developments on market‐oriented reforms. Germany, Japan and Sweden are three countries that have introduced market‐oriented reforms into home‐based care provision embedded in distinct long‐term care policy developments. Conceptually, this article draws on comparative research on care to define the institutional dimensions of long‐term care policies. Empirically, the research is based on policy analyses, as well as on national statistics and a comparative research project on home‐care workers in the aforementioned countries. The findings reveal the mediating impact of the extension and decline of long‐term public care support and the corresponding development of the care infrastructure on both the restructuring of care work and the assessments of the care workers themselves.     

Rethinking the Soundscape

ABSTRACT

This article takes critical issue with the well-circulated but often misapplied term “soundscape.” Coined by Canadian composer Murray Schafer in his book “The Soundscape,” the term has become one of the keywords of sound studies, but in its wide circulation it has become disconnected from its original scholarly concept and used broadly to apply to nearly any sonic phenomenon. Scholars either misapply it or redefine it to suit their needs. This article is an attempt to trace an intellectual history or genealogy of the term, and to open a conversation about the term's use, application, and utility for scholars of sound. This article draws on Schafer's work in an attempt to ground the term in its own intellectual history, and then traces the use of the term in a variety of sound studies works. The term “soundscape” emerges as at once indispensable and elusive, provocative and limited. By calling attention to background sound, Schafer shaped the field in ways that exceeded his own contribution.     

Contextualising institutional complementarity. How long‐term unemployment depends on employment protection legislation,active labour market policies and the economic climate

This study investigated if and how active labour market policies (ALMPs) and employment protection interact with each other in light of long‐term unemployment reduction. We argue that how well the interaction between both labour market institutions reduces long‐term unemployment depends on the level of economic growth. To improve analytical clarity, two types of ALMPs were differentiated, namely training and employment programmes. Using data on 20 European countries over 16 years, our results suggest that employment protection moderates the relationship between employment programmes and long‐term unemployment. The combination of high spending on employment programmes and less strict employment protection is associated with less long‐term unemployment. This moderation effect is stronger during an economic downturn. A moderation effect from employment protection on the relationship between training programmes and long‐term unemployment was not found, even when the economic climate was taken into account as a contextual factor.     

SHORT‐ AND LONG‐TERM HOMELESSNESS AND ADOLESCENTS' SELF‐ESTEEM,DEPRESSION, LOCUS OF CONTROL AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS

The study investigated the effect of length of homelessness, (less than three months as against six months or longer), on four variables: self‐esteem, depression, locus of control and social supports. Respondents, (50 homeless adolescents, 25 male and 25 female, aged between 16–21), completed four questionnaires. Multivariate Analysis of Variance indicated that a combination of the four variables was dependent on the length of homelessness. The short‐term homeless group reported significantly higher levels of self‐esteem and significantly lower levels of depression compared with the long‐term homeless. Furthermore, the long‐term homeless group scored towards a more external locus of control, as compared with the short‐term homeless. While no significant difference was found between the two groups in the number of social supports, the short‐term homeless group reported significantly greater levels of satisfaction with their supports. We discuss the implications of these findings.     

The transition of Israeli men to fatherhood: a comparison between new fathers of pre-term/full-term infants

The study compared a group of 62 new Israeli fathers of pre‐term infants with a comparison group of 58 new fathers of full‐term infants with respect to parental stress, depression symptoms, mastery, self‐esteem and involvement with the child. Findings indicated that fathers of pre‐term infants had significantly greater stress and depression scores and lower involvement rate with the child compared with fathers of the matching group. No differences were found with respect to the fathers' mastery and self‐esteem. New fathers of full‐term infants, aged 30 years and more, had significantly higher self‐esteem compared with fathers aged less than 30 years. Findings are discussed with respect to practice in neonatal units.     

上市公司产业创新战略探讨

产业创新是上市公司可持续成长的基本战略。上市公司产业创新有企业剥离、企业购并、风险投资和股权转让或股权互换四种主要策略。上市公司可灵活运用这四种策略来建立近期、中期和远期三个层面的产业梯队 ,以保持新旧产业或业务更替的管道畅通。     

新文学中"无产阶级"一词的最初语义及功能考

"无产阶级"一词最初进入中国新文学是基于写作者的道德想象,而非原本意义上经济关系的考察.其在文学领域的出现,除了与新的思想潮流的涌现与译介相关联,处于背景位置的文学出版市场亦是一个关键的促成因素.上海相对宽松的出版环境,以及经营无方的泰东图书局所秉持的投机理念,使得留学日本的创造社一众成员有可能在文学创作与批评中,大胆而又毫无顾忌地遣用政治思想领域的新的术语.     

Three models of collaborative child protection: what is their influence on short stays in foster care?

The paper articulates three models of collaboration between child protection services and law enforcement agencies on investigations of child maltreatment, and examines the relative impact of each model on child removals and short‐term foster care placements. An extensive review of the research literature is used to derive lessons for jurisdictions using the different models. Promising strategies from several jurisdictions are described as they relate to collaborative investigations, child removal and short‐term placements. Finally, we provide recommendations to improve child protection investigations and reduce the use of short‐term foster care placements.     

Long Term Social Work in a Primary Health Care Setting

Summary This study was designed to explore which factors characteriselong term clients and to investigate the relationship betweenthe burden on medical and welfare resources in a general practicesetting. Two groups of clients were studied; 135 long term clientsreferred over a five year period, where contact was maintainfor a minimum of one year and 157 cases referred during a sixmonth period, in all of which the duration of social work interventionwas less than 12 months. Few differences were found betweenthe characteristics of the two groups, nor did any individualsocial worker emerge as being particularly predisposed to maintainlong term contact However, a significant change in the proportionof referrals which became long term was found over the fiveyear period under consideration, and policy regarding the handlingof cases was therefore felt to constitute a major influenceon the length of contact with any particular client Relationshipswith other members of the primary health care team were generallyfound to be good, especially in relation to the long term clients.Moreover, the OPs' workload with regard to these clients wasfound to be reduced following social work intervention. Theseclients' consultation rates dropped significantly after receivingsocial work help, and continued to drop when the case had beenclosed.     

States of Welfare: A Response to Charles Atherton

This response deals with Atherton's objections in so far as they are relevant and restates the importance of clarity about the content of the term "welfare state". It suggests that the term be restricted to states which offer a minimum real level of living to all their citizens, and shows that it is possible in both principle and practice to compress income inequalities to a point where poverty is effectively abolished. The article discusses some of the logical and semantic problems that have arisen as terms such as "welfare state" and "welfare regime" have been adapted to make international comparisons.     

Mobilized by Direct Democracy: Short‐Term Versus Long‐Term Effects and the Geography of Turnout in Ballot Measure Elections*

Objectives. A number of recent studies find that direct democracy increases voter turnout. In this article, we ask: Who does direct democracy mobilize to vote and how are they mobilized? We distinguish between long‐term and short‐term effects on voter turnout, noting that much of the current literature has focused on participatory theory. Methods. Our research design harnesses the power of geographic information systems and examines turnout in special initiative‐only elections using registered voter lists. Our model draws on individual and Census tract data, incorporated using a hierarchical generalized linear model. Results. The findings demonstrate how partisan context mitigates the potential for direct democracy to mobilize from the middle, and clarifies the dominance of short‐term as opposed to long‐term effects in increasing voter participation in ballot initiative elections. Conclusion. Mobilization via direct legislation occurs mostly because voters are actively mobilized by partisan campaigns, not because of an increase in participatory fervor.     

Long‐term foster care or adoption? The evidence examined

Based on an examination of the research literature, this paper contrasts six variables connected with the outcome of adoption and long‐term fostering. It provides some answers to the question often being asked by policy makers and family placement workers, as well as judges, about the relative merits and limitations of these two forms of substitute parenting for children who cannot return to live with their birth families. Because of the type of child currently adopted or fostered, breakdown rates by themselves are increasingly an unreliable outcome measure. The main defining difference found between these two forms of substitute parenting appears to be the higher levels of emotional security, sense of belonging and general well‐being expressed by those growing up as adopted compared with those fostered long term. However, for reasons outlined in the paper, long‐term fostering still has a definite place for a range of children who require long‐term plans.     

Longitudinal Effects of Economic Preparation and Social Activities on Life and Family Relationship Satisfaction among Retirees

This longitudinal study examined the long‐term effects of economic preparation and social activity on life and family relationship satisfaction among retirees, particularly baby boomers. Data was obtained from the 2009 and 2011 Korean Retirement & Income Panel Study. A fixed effects model was employed to estimate unobservable individual‐specific effects and to control for study participants’ individual characteristics. The results show that both economic preparation and social activities have long‐term effects on baby boomers’ life and family relationship satisfaction. This study reveals that multidimensional aspects of preparation increase the long‐term impact of life satisfaction for retirees.     

《诗经》和《论语》中的“思无邪”比较

孔子在《论语》中用“思无邪”对《诗经》作了整体性的评价。毋庸置疑的是,无论后人对“思无邪”作何种解释,它的意思仍是说:《诗经》中的所有篇章都合乎孔子的政治思想、伦理道德和审美标准。由于《诗经》的内容和思想倾向相当复杂,所以要想准确把握孔子之“思无邪”、“一言以蔽之”的原因,就必须考察其在《诗经》和《论语》中所处的不同文化语境,以及由此造成的两种含义之间的内在关系。     

On the predictive power of the term structure of interest rates for future inflation changes in the presence of political instability: the Turkish economy

This study investigates whether the term structure contains useful information about future inflation for Turkey during 1990–2000, a period of high inflation, high budget deficits, and political instability. Constant parameter and time varying parameter models are rejected by the data. The relationship between term structure of interest rates and inflation changes is found to be explained by a time-varying-parameter model with Markov-switching heteroskedastic disturbances. Thus, the term structure of interest rates is limited as a guide for monetary policy in an economy subject to regime changes such as that of Turkey. Stability can be achieved only by reducing inflation through circumscribing substantial government budget deficits and the political instability underlying them.     

Paying for Old Age: Can People on Lower Incomes Afford Domiciliary Care Costs?

The Labour government has made it clear that it will not countenance major changes in the financing of long–term care for older people in England and Wales. One consequence is that people on modest retirement incomes will continue to have to pay for elements of their care in their own homes. The government also implicitly assumes that people of working age, on average and below–average earnings, are expected to save in order to pay for long–term care. However, evidence about individuals' willingness and ability to save and to pay for long–term care is scanty. Accordingly, an interview survey of 100 people—today's and tomorrow's pensioners—was undertaken in June and July 2000. They were asked detailed questions about their financial circumstances, and about their ability to pay more towards their own health and social care costs, now and in the future. The results suggest that today's pensioners on average and lower incomes are experiencing difficulties in paying for care services in their own homes. Tomorrow's pensioners who are currently on average and lower incomes will struggle to pay for care services in their own homes. The results also support the view that people tend to overestimate their retirement incomes and do not understand how long–term care is financed. They think that the government can and should pay for long–term care.     

The cost‐effectiveness of UK parenting programmes for preventing children's behaviour problems – a review of the evidence

Parenting programmes are widely used in the UK, promoted in policy documents as a cost‐effective way for children's services to address behaviour problems and thereby the longer‐term costs associated with conduct disorders, particularly antisocial behaviour and criminality. To explore whether these programmes are a cost‐effective component of family intervention, this paper examines evidence from cost‐effectiveness studies based on randomized controlled trials, modelling studies estimating longer‐term costs and outcomes, and studies estimating costs of UK parenting programmes, including evidence from routine practice. Findings indicate that parenting programmes have the potential to be cost‐saving in the long term; however, gaps in the evidence include: lack of follow‐up of families who drop out of programmes, absence of control groups in longer‐term follow‐ups, and little information about costs and effects of programmes in routine practice. The size of savings resulting from implementation of effective parenting programmes will depend on the extent to which families likely to be most costly to society attend and experience lasting benefit.     

Employers' attitudes towards long‐term unemployed people and the role of activation in Switzerland

Over the last few years, most OECD countries have extended their activation policy to new groups of non‐working people, including the long‐term unemployed (LTU). However, it is widely known that employers tend to regard LTU people as potentially problematic persons. This is likely to constitute a major obstacle for long‐term unemployed jobseekers. On the basis of a survey among employers in a Swiss canton (N = 722), this article aims to shed light on the perception employers have of the long‐term unemployed and whether this may matter for their recruitment practices. It also asks what, from the employer point of view, may facilitate access to employment for an LTU person. A key finding is that large companies have a worse image of the long‐term unemployed and are less likely to hire them. Furthermore, independent of company size, a test period or the recommendation of a trustworthy person is seen as the factors most likely to facilitate access to jobs for LTU people.     

Trauma and the effects of violence exposure and abuse on children: A review of the literature

A number of studies examining violence exposure in the passeveral years have been successful in linking physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and community violence exposure to a wide variety of physiological, emotional, and behavioral problems manifested in short‐term, mid‐term, and long‐term effects. The literature on the effects of physical and sexual abuse is older than the research on children's exposure to domestic violence, which is a decade older than the research on the effects of community violence exposure on children. Despite the differences between the types of violence to which children are exposed, there are significantly similar findings, which point to a link between violence exposure and traumatization.