Indicators of Social Quality and Social Exclusion at National and Community Level

This paper explores the domains and indicators ofsocial inclusion and exclusion and their interactionat national and community level, within the context ofthe social quality construct and the notions of Demosand Ethnos.Social inclusion/exclusion is conceptualiseddynamically within the overarching construct of socialquality. Micro and macro aspects of social quality arediscussed along with the relationship betweenorganisations and institutions and communities, groupsand individuals. The relationship between these levelsis explored in relation to Delantys distinctionbetween Demos and Ethos. Drawing on the work ofMcMillan and Chevis, two domains of community areidentified – identification and participation.Relevant attributes and indicators are suggested foreach domain.Interactions between social inclusion and exclusion atnational and community level are then exemplified,ranging from inclusion to exclusion both communallyand nationally via intermediate stages of inclusion inone realm and exclusion in the other. Social policyimplications of the relationship between national andcommunity exclusion are drawn, both formacro/institution and organisational levels (inrelation to legislation and society-wide serviceprovisions) and micro and group and citizen level (inrelation to social work).     

Elements of Social Capital and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students

Lifetime childlessness has increased in Europe. The relationship between childlessness and psychological wellbeing varies by the wellbeing measures employed, life stage and societal context. Health-related predictors of childlessness (health selection) may mediate the relationship between childlessness and wellbeing and/or influence wellbeing directly. This paper examines the relationship between lifetime childlessness, depressive mood and quality of life in early old age using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (N = 21,295). Region-specific Ordinary Least Squares Analysis is performed to investigate this relationship and the mediating roles of health selection and marital status are explored. No main effect of childlessness is observed in any of the regions net of socio-demographic, economic and health factors. The significant role of health selection in this relationship is only evident in Eastern Europe. The findings of this study support a more in-depth analysis of the role of marital status in mediating the relationship between childlessness and psychological wellbeing. Consistent relationships between marital status and both measures of wellbeing support further analysis of marital selection in this regard.     

Identifying the Components of Social Capital by Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA)

Social Indicators Research - Social capital is a promising concept, widely used by social science researchers in analysing factors that contribute to the persistence of various economic issues....     

Local Meanings of Wellbeing and the Construction of Wellbeing Indicators

There have been attempts to develop and employ tools for measuring development that shifted away from economic growth. In Thailand, a number of alternative indicators to measure the progress of development were created and employed. However, the indicators and measurements of development continued to be challenging, partly because of the dynamic changes of socio-economics, and partly due to the inconsistency between aggregated and local, or individual units of measurement. This paper aims to study meanings and develop wellbeing indicators of a community in the Northeast of Thailand. The data was derived from qualitative research conducted during 2013–2014. Focus group discussions with thirty-five formal and informal community leaders were used, and in-depth interviews were applied to collect data from thirty key informants. The results showed that the indicators of community wellbeing are classified into four groups, namely objective community wellbeing, community trust, community security, and community strength. The objective community wellbeing indicators were consistent with those that are used to guide policy and practice in Thailand. However, based on the local meaning of community wellbeing, new dimensions of indicators were found and proposed. This study recommended that these indicators should be developed further, to be employed as a tool to monitor progress, especially by local government.     

Social Capital in Old-Age and the Role of the Social Marginalisation

Social Indicators Research - In India, despite heavy constitutional protection, due to caste-based discrimination, millions of residents are still struggling to access their basic rights such as...     

人力资本、社会资本与高校毕业生就业质量

利用多个高校的第一手调查资料,从工资水平、就业单位类型和主观满意度等三个方面测量毕业生的就业质量,并把大学生的人力资本分解为学术性人力资本和实践性人力资本,他们的社会资本分解为家庭经济性资本和家庭社会性资本,具体考察人力资本和社会资本是否以及如何影响大学毕业生的就业质量.研究发现,大学生的人力资本和社会资本对他们工资水平和就业单位类型产生正向作用,但对就业的满意度则呈负面影响;另外,与社会资本相比,人力资本对大学生就业质量的影响更显著,结合大学生就业质量现状,本文也讨论了研究结论的政策含义.     

Subjective Well-Being and Social Capital in Belgian Communities. The Impact of Community Characteristics on Subjective Well-Being Indicators in Belgium

In this article, we investigate the effect of individual and community level characteristics on subjective well-being in Belgium. Various indicators for subjective well-being are being used in a multilevel analysis of the 2009 SCIF survey (n = 2,080) and the 2006 Belgian ESS sample (n = 1,798). On the individual level, most hypotheses on the determinants of subjective well-being were confirmed. Living with a partner and age were shown to have strong effects, but also social capital indicators had a significant positive effect on subjective well-being. All these effects remained significant controlling for optimism. On the community level, especially unemployment rate had a negative impact on subjective well-being. The analysis further demonstrates that in homogeneous regions, community characteristics have a far weaker impact on subjective well-being indicators than in economically more heterogeneous regions.     

``Quality of Life' Research at the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics: Social Indicators and Social Surveys

``Quality of Life'' research at the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics isheaded by an integrated pair of projects: the series on Social Indicatorsand the Social Survey. The development of these two projects raises issuesof harmonization of measures with other departments in the Israel CBS aswell as with international recommendations. Quality-of-life research necessarily requires collecting information about respondents' evaluationsof their situation, but proposals to include such questions in surveyscarried out by National Statistical Organizations may meet with oppositionwhich argues that the information provided is not ``objective.'' Thequality-of-life research program at the Israel CBS has a dual goal: toprovide baseline information and to be policy relevant.     

Social Capital,Government and Democracy Satisfaction,and Happiness in Turkey: A Comparison of Surveys in 1999 and 2008

Based on data from a 1999 and a 2008 European Values Survey, the main objective of this study is to explore the relationship between a variety of social capital indicators, satisfaction with government and democracy, and subjective well-being. Happiness and life satisfaction were used as outcome measures of subjective well-being. The indicators of social capital used in this study are general trust, trust in institutions, political engagement, concern for others, societal norms, and membership in volunteer organizations. The analyses reveal a significant increase in happiness, life satisfaction, and many social capital variables between 1999 and 2008. Generalized trust, trust in institutions, government satisfaction, and democracy satisfaction are positive correlates of well-being, although some relationships are significant only in 2008. Several demographic variables are also linked with subjective well-being such as income, employment status, age, gender, and education. We discuss the findings in relation to the significant societal, economic, and political changes experienced in Turkey between 1999 and 2008. Policy implications are also emphasized such as improved trust among individuals, trustworthiness of government institutions, and functioning of democracy.     

社会资本与农民工的城市融合

20世纪 90年代以来 ,农民工已经成为一个庞大的弱势群体 ,其边缘性地位使他们在生活的城市找不到归属感和认同感 ,一系列的经济、社会和文化冲突和矛盾日益凸现 ,他们与城市社会的融合显得十分必要。农民工的边缘性地位与其社会资本的占有和使用具有高度的相关性。只有改善农民工社会资本匮乏和质量低下的状况 ,构建农民工社会资本的积累和形成机制 ,才能促使农民工更快完成城市化和市民化的过程 ,更好地融入到城市社会生活之中     

Mapping the Evolution of Social Research and Data Science on 30 Years of Social Indicators Research

Social Indicators Research - Social Indicators Research (SIR) year by year has consolidated its preeminent position in the debate concerning the study of all the aspects of quality of life. The...     

Reliability and Validity of the Personal Social Capital Scale 16 and Personal Social Capital Scale 8: Two Short Instruments for Survey Studies

Rapid developments in social capital and health research require short instruments for large-scale survey studies. The Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS) is a theory-based and empirically tested instrument with reliability and validity established in the US and China, but it is too long for large-scale survey research. In this study, we described two short versions of the instrument: the PSCS-16 and PSCS-8. The two short scales were evaluated with survey data collected among an adult sample (N = 259) in China. The sample consisted of rural-to-urban migrants and non-migrant rural and urban residents. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were .90 for the PSCS-18 and .83 for the PSCS-8. Both short instruments satisfactorily fit a two-factor model comprising the bonding capital and bridging capital subscales. The two short scales were highly correlated with the original PSCS (r = .95 for the PSCS-18 and .93 for the PSCS-8 respectively, p < .001 for both); significantly distinguished the migrant subsample from the two non-migrant subsamples; and significantly predicted social capital investment and stress level. In conclusion, the two short instruments PSCS-16 and PSCS-8 were reliable and valid, and can be used in large-scale survey studies to assess personally owned social capital. Further research is needed to replicate their reliability and validity in different cultural settings and to establish the test–retest reliability.     

论西部民族地区人力资源的开发与人力资本的形成

人力资本积累是经济发展最重要的推动力 ,而西部民族地区的总体人力资本水平还很低 ,与沿海发达地区的“知识差距”在不断扩大。通过制定缩小知识差距的发展战略 ,注重人力投资的制度创新 ,加大人力投资强度 ,调整人力资本投资结构 ,加快西部民族地区劳动力市场建设 ,促进劳动者的自由流动 ,改革人才配置制度 ,就能有效地促进西部民族地区人力资源的开发和人力资本的积累。     

Developing a Model for the Measurement of Social Inclusion and Social Capital in Regional Australia

This paper reviews the literature on social inclusion and social capital to develop a framework to guide the selection of items and measures for the forthcoming SA Department of Human Services Survey of Social Inclusion to be held in the region of Northern Adelaide in South Australia. Northern Adelaide is a region with areas of high socio-economic disadvantage, characterized by high unemployment and poverty. Survey respondents’ perceptions of social inclusion and social capital in Northern Adelaide will be examined by developing indices, which address the theoretical schema discussed in this paper. Epistemological differences between seminal theorists on social inclusion and social capital suggest the development of a broad suite of indices is required to enable the collection of data of interest to researchers from differing theoretical perspectives. Data collected in the survey will be mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies against locations within Northern Adelaide and in relation to existing Australian Bureau of Statistics, Commonwealth and State Government databases on age, gender, relative socio-economic disadvantage and other variables.     

Social Capital, Satisfaction and Quality of Life in the Workplace

This article is an empirical analysis of the relationship between social capital and satisfaction and quality of life in the workplace in Spain. Social capital has been defined as the set of cooperative relationships between social actors that facilitate collective action. This concept has been measured based on five dimensions: trust, social relations, commitment, communication and influence. An analysis has been carried out applying regression and causal models to determine the influence on satisfaction and quality of life at work of social capital dimensions and of characteristics of the worker, work environment and company or organization. The data is based on Spain's 2001 Quality of Life at Work Survey. The results of the analysis indicate that the models applied are significant, which confirms the examined propositions. Higher levels of social capital imply greater levels of satisfaction and quality of life at work. Social capital is a better predictor of quality of life at work and job satisfaction than the characteristics of the worker, the company or organization, and the work environment.     

The Relationship Between Perceived Residential Environment Quality (PREQ) and Community Identity: Flow and Social Capital as Mediators

Social Indicators Research - The wide-spread novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has posed severe challenges to people’s life especially their life style. Due to the residential confinement...     

Analysing the Effect of Legal System on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the Country Level,from a Multivariate Perspective

In this paper, we analyse the effect of coercive isomorphism (legal system) on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the country level by using the multivariate statistical techniques X-STATIS and HJ-biplot, which allow us to capture the role that these institutional forces play in the evolution and patterns of behaviour regarding the commitment to sustainability. The results evidence that coercive forces have an important influence on the social and environmental commitment of companies. Analysis of the legal system shows that firms located in civil law countries have a greater interest in their CSR practices and in disclosing information than companies in common law countries; the most likely companies to act in a responsible way are those operating in institutional environments with a large and developed legal system oriented towards stakeholder protection. Consequently, our results show that companies operating in countries with similar legal systems adopt homogeneous patterns of behaviour regarding the commitment to sustainability, but their degrees of development are strongly determined by the coercive institutional characteristics.     

Individual- and Neighbourhood-Level Indicators of Subjective Well-Being in a Small and Poor Eastern Cape Township: The Effect of Health,Social Capital,Marital Status,and Income

Our study used multilevel regression analysis to identify individual- and neighbourhood-level factors that determine individual-level subjective well-being in Rhini, a deprived suburb of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Townsend index and Gini coefficient were used to investigate whether contextual neighbourhood-level differences in socioeconomic status determined individual-level subjective well-being. Crime experience, health status, social capital, and demographic variables were assessed at the individual level. The indicators of subjective well-being were estimated with a two-level random-intercepts and fixed slopes model. Social capital, health and marital status (all p < .001), followed by income level (p < .01) and the Townsend score (p < .05) were significantly related to individual-level subjective well-being outcomes. Our findings showed that individual-level subjective well-being is influenced by neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status as measured by the Townsend deprivation score. Individuals reported higher levels of subjective well-being in less deprived neighbourhoods. Here we wish to highlight the role of context for subjective well-being, and to suggest that subjective well-being outcomes may also be defined in ecological terms. We hope the findings are useful for implementing programs and interventions designed to achieve greater subjective well-being for people living in deprived areas.     

人力资本、社会资本对女性农民工体面劳动的影响——心理资本的调节作用

女性农民工已成为工业化和城市化的重要力量,体面劳动是一种有尊严的、和谐的劳动,是一种新的、符合社会发展要求的劳动观。研究女性农民工这一特殊群体的体面劳动具有重要的社会价值与管理意义。本文通过问卷调查统计分析女性农民工体面劳动的现状及其影响因素,验证人力资本与社会资本对于体面劳动的双重作用路径,同时验证心理资本的正向调节作用,旨在引起社会对女性农民工体面劳动的关注,促进和谐劳动关系的实现,为丰富体面劳动的理论与实践体系提供借鉴。     

村落社会资本及其对老年人生活质量的影响

村落社会资本是一个群体概念,是指村落作为一个整体所拥有的社会资本状况,村民之间和村落内部的信任水平、团结互惠状况、集体行动能力等是衡量村落社会资本的主要指标。本文首先考察了黄果树社区的村落社会资本状况,然后利用多元回归分析模型检验村落社会资本的10个指标对老年人生活质量的影响。得出的结论是：在控制其他变量不变的情况下,只有村民之间的互惠状况影响老年人的生活质量。