How has the relationship between parental education and child outcomes changed in Australia since the 1980s?

This paper examines how the relationship between parents' educational achievement (a marker of their socio‐economic status) and children's early developmental outcomes has evolved in Australia since the early 1980s. The specific focus of this paper is whether the gradient in children's early developmental outcomes by parents' education has changed since the 1980s. A comparative analysis of two surveys is undertaken that follows Australian cohorts of children through their early years – the Australian Temperament Project (following children born in Victoria in the early 1980s) and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (following a representative sample of children born in Australia in 1999). The analysis shows that the relationship between parental education and children's early developmental outcomes does not in general appear to have changed greatly over the years. The gradient associated with behaviour difficulties, persistence in behaviour difficulties over time, and in reading skills has either remained the same or strengthened somewhat, while the gradient associated with social skills has weakened. The paper concludes with a discussion of issues that might explain these trends.     

With the dragon as a foil： American imagining of China and the construction of America＇s national identity

从18世纪晚期一直到20世纪中期，美国一直把中国想象成为与自己形象相对照的“他者”。对中国的这种“他者”想象反映着美国人自己的恐惧、渴望和向往，在不同的历史时期帮助美国人界定自己的国家身份与国家地位，是美国自我审视、自我想象的一种方式，因而具有深刻的自传性质。美国应放弃在自己的观念和利益框架内理解和想象中国的方式，真切地了解和体会中国人的感受、欲望和抱负，从而使中美关系的稳定发展能有一个健康的情感基础。     

Indifference to the difference? Older lesbian and gay men’s perceptions of aging services

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examined: 1) What older lesbians and gay men know about OAA-funded services; 2) attitudes towards the services; 3) experiences utilizing the services; 4) how current needs are met; and 5) plans for care as they age. Focus groups were conducted from June-August 2016. Purposive and snowball sampling yielded a sample size of 31. Five focus groups were conducted, and analysis used Grounded Theory. Four themes emerged: 1) low expectations of a welcoming environment, 2) the importance of being out, 3) need for LGBT-specific services, and 4) how to create inclusive services.     

Arrow’s theorem of the deductible: Moral hazard and stop-loss in health insurance

The logic of Arrow’s theorem of the deductible, i.e. that it is optimal to focus insurance coverage on the states with largest expenditures, remains at work in a model with ex post moral hazard. The optimal insurance contract takes the form of a system of “implicit deductibles”, resulting in the same indemnities as a contract with full insurance above a variable deductible positively related to the elasticity of medical expenditures with respect to the insurance rate. In a model with a predefined ceiling on expenses, there is no reimbursement for expenses below the stop-loss amount. One motivation to have some insurance below the deductible arises if regular health care expenditures in a situation of standard health have a negative effect on the probability of getting into a state with large medical expenses.     

Does residential segregation help or hurt? Exploring differences in the relationship between segregation and health among U.S. Hispanics by nativity and ethnic subgroup

In order to unpack whether and how self-rated health of Hispanics is linked to residential segregation from non-Hispanic whites, this study employs multi-level analysis combining data from the 1997–2002 National Survey of America's Families (n = 16,753 Hispanic respondents across 82 metropolitan areas) with metropolitan area segregation scores derived from restricted-use Census 2000 data. Separate analyses by nativity (U.S.-born vs. foreign-born Hispanics) and ethnic subgroup (comparing Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans) are also conducted. Net of individual-level controls, findings reveal a small significant negative effect of segregation on health for all Hispanics and for Mexicans in the sample. Nativity does not have a significant interaction effect. Evidence of a positive segregation/health link is found for Cubans, challenging the assumption that segregation is always bad for minority health. This research highlights the value of multi-level analysis in examining segregation as a social determinant of health, and reveals key Hispanic subgroup differences.     

The changing relationship between the Chinese Government and Non-governmental Organisations in social service delivery: approaching partnership?

Using the Guangzhou social governance reform pilot as a case, this paper aims to explore the transformation of Chinese governments in managing collaborative non-governmental organisation (NGO) relationships. Local governments have adopted multiple new governance tools, and the expansion of the NGO sector with genuine grassroots development has been observed. However, valuable principles of New Public Management (NPM) paradigm have not been followed, and strong authoritarian and bureaucratic practices have been revealed. The state–NGO relationship has moved from a typical statist to a state-corporatist model. Findings indicate distinctive features of Asian public administration and the limitations of applying Westernized NPM models.     

Does the desire to conform to peers moderate links between popularity and indirect victimization in early adolescence?

This study of 426 Canadian early adolescents (M_age = 12.52; 53% girls) investigated whether associations between popularity and indirect victimization (i.e., reputational victimization, exclusion) varied as a function of gender and the desire to conform to characteristics and competencies that are valued within the peer group (i.e., peer conformity goals). Regression analyses revealed popularity was uniquely and positively associated with reputational victimization, but was not significantly related to exclusion after accounting for the effects of meanness and likeability. The associations between popularity and indirect victimization were moderated by peer conformity goals and gender. The results indicated that popular girls with high peer conformity goals experienced more reputational victimization and exclusion than popular girls with low peer conformity goals. However, popular boys with high peer conformity goals experienced less exclusion than popular boys with low peer conformity goals. The findings suggest that peer conformity goals carry with them some risks for popular girls, but may serve a protective function for popular boys.     

Where has all the care management gone? The challenge of Parkinson's disease to the health and social care interface

Summary The delivery of health and social care has undergone massivechange in the UK in the 1990s. A key factor in the drive forreform was the failure of joint working arrangements betweenhealth and social services and the need to provide integratedcare for people who have overlapping health and social careneeds. This article draws on a research study investigatingthe community care provided to people with Parkinson's diseasein the wake of the 1990 National Health Service and CommunityCare Act. As a chronic progressive disease predominantly affectingolder people, the management of Parkinson's provides an exemplarof some of the key features of supporting people with continuingcare needs. This study found serious deficits in the assessmentand meeting of need, arising from weaknesses at the health andsocial care interface. The article concludes by consideringan approach which resources and supports the service user/carerin managing their own care pathway.     

Why was the ECB’s reaction to Covid-19 crisis faster than after the 2008 financial crash?

At the time of the financial crises of 2008 and 2010–11 the ECB reacted with an extremely cautious gradualism. This behaviour is attributable to the slower learning process that characterizes a central bank of a monetary union composed of countries with fiscal sovereignty compared to other central banks. In sharp contrast to the previous crises, the ECB reacted promptly to the COVID-19 crisis. This change in behaviour is explained here by the learning process about the effects on monetary policy transmission of the increased financial fragmentation of the eurozone over the last decade.     

The power to change: Muslim women’s rights movement and the resistance towards gender-based violence

Abstract

Under transnational migration, migrant women are not confined by the new host society; the unbreakable attachments to the home society constantly affect and shape these women’s perceptions of their gender and position in the host society. As a result of the growing number of Muslim migrant women, both Muslim and non-Muslim communities have begun to be aware of and recognise the rights of Muslim women and the violence that occurs. Yet, unlike international experiences of Islamic feminist groups being established to promote Muslim women’s rights, an increasing number of local women’s rights groups have started to work with Islamic faith-based organisations to disseminate the idea of women’s rights in Muslim communities. With a lack of studies regarding Muslim migrant women in Hong Kong, this article draws on the significance of international studies on culture, religion and migration to understand the situation in Hong Kong. By analysing the social and political influences on minority integration, this article seeks to uncover the capacity of the Muslim women’s rights movement in guarding against gender-based violence in Hong Kong.     

Does job satisfaction mediate the relationship between work–family conflict and psychological strain? A study of Australian social workers

The present study investigated the mediating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between work–family conflict and psychological strain among Australian social workers. Data for the study were collected by an online survey of the membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers, yielding 439 usable responses. The results provide evidence that job satisfaction mediates the relationship between work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict and psychological strain. These findings contribute significantly to the social work literature on work–family interface and confirm the importance of developing and targeting not only strategies that aim to reduce work–family conflict, but also those that aim to increase job satisfaction among social workers.     

Cultural policy and investment in China: Do they realize the government’s cultural objectives?

Cultural policy in China has both economic and cultural objectives. In this paper we consider how these two objectives are linked through increases in cultural output. We use a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Chinese economy to analyse the impact of cultural investment on the output of cultural goods and services between 2009 and 2015, and we carry forward the simulations to 2030. Our results show that this cultural policy instrument has had a positive impact on the output of cultural goods and services in a manner that also underpins the purely cultural objectives of government.     

Do Peers Contribute to the Achievement Gap between Vietnamese‐American and Mexican‐American Adolescents?

Documented associations between academic and social functioning have been inconsistent. These discrepancies may reflect the moderating role of sociocultural context. In this study, we examined ethnicity and gender as moderators of this relation. We collected peer nominations, GPA from school records, and self‐report questionnaires for 519 Vietnamese‐American and Mexican‐American middle school students (mean age = 12.7 years). Using general linear modeling, we found that academic and social functioning were more strongly and positively linked for Vietnamese‐Americans relative to Mexican‐Americans, and for girls relative to boys. We also examined group differences in achievement values, and found that Vietnamese‐Americans were more likely to admire and be friends with high‐achieving peers. The results suggest that peers provide one context in which ethnic and gender differences in achievement values emerge, and interventions aimed at reducing the achievement gap may benefit from incorporating a focus on peers.     

Is the association between social capital and health robust across Nordic regions? Evidence from a cross‐sectional study of older adults

Nyqvist F, Nygård M. Is the association between social capital and health robust across Nordic regions? Evidence from a cross‐sectional study of older adults The study examined the association between structural and cognitive social capital and self‐rated health among 65‐ and 75‐year‐olds in Västerbotten in Sweden and Österbotten and Pohjanmaa in Finland. Data were retrieved from a cross‐sectional postal questionnaire survey conducted in 2005 and was answered by 3,370 persons, yielding a total response rate of 69 per cent. The association between self‐rated health and interpersonal trust and membership in organisations was tested by logistic regression analysis. The results showed that older adults in Västerbotten in Sweden experienced better self‐rated health than in Finland. Furthermore, interpersonal trust and active membership in organisations were associated with self‐rated health among 65‐ and 75‐year olds even after having controlled for the influence of region. We therefore conclude that the association between social capital and self‐rated health tends to be robust across contextually similar regions, but that further analyses are warranted in order to clarify the nature of this relationship. Key Practitioner Message: ?Health status can be indirectly strengthened through investments in social capital, such as group participation and active networks; ?When working with older adults, more focus needs to be put on how to develop trustful relationships; ?The Nordic welfare state, with its universal and subsidised social and health care services, has an indirect and positive effect on health among older adults.     

Changes in Diplomatic Philosophy in the Course of China’s Growth since 1949—The Shift from a Revolutionary and National Perspective to a Developmental and Global Outlook

观察国际和外交问题的视角与观念变化,是中华人民共和国外交史研究中尚需探讨和梳理的课题。在新中国成立后的前30年,中国外交深受在革命过程中形成的外交观念的影响。其基本诉求是建立新型外交关系,核心观念是独立自主与和平,外交政策的基石是和平共处五项原则;此外,国际统一战线策略,对现实世界的战略划分,以及对战争、和平与革命的思考亦对这一时期的外交政策具有重大影响。自20世纪70年代末实行改革开放以来,中国外交转以发展为视角,配合国家经济建设这一中心任务,做出一系列战略和政策调整。中国对国际形势作出和平与发展的新判断,对独立自主的和平外交政策作了新诠释,致力于建立均衡的对外关系,主张以渐进方式推动国际秩序的改进,决心走和平发展道路。中国由此成为现存国际秩序的参与者和建设者。进入21世纪,中国成为令世界瞩目的新兴大国,外交观念也在继承以往的基础上与时俱进。中国强调当代世界是命运共同体,谋求与各国的合作、共赢     

Why China’s Tax Revenue Is Likely to Maintain Its Rapid Growth: An Explanation within the Framework of Tax Capacity and Tax Effort

在税收能力和税收努力的理论框架下, 分析中国税收高速增长的源泉, 可以发 现, 在分税制改革后, 中国税收长时间高速增长的原因主要表现在三个方面: 分税制 的税收分权契约性质具有强烈的税收激励作用; 间接税的制度设计放大了纳税人的纳 税能力; 我国正处于“税收增长红利”集中释放期。未来第一种因素的作用将减弱, 第二种因素的作用部分消失, 第三种因素的作用依旧存在。从长期看, 由于税收增长 红利仍将持续很长一段时期, 税收仍可能保持较高速度的增长。关键词: 税收增长 税收分权 税收能力 税收努力 An analysis of the dynamics of the rapid growth of tax revenue in China within the framework of tax capacity and tax effort reveals three major drivers following the tax sharing reform. First, the nature of the decentralization contract under the tax sharing system provides strong incentives for taxation. Second, the system of indirect taxes boosts taxpayers’ taxable capacity. And third, China is enjoying the intensively present tax growth dividend. In the future, the first factor will diminish; the second factor will partially cease functioning; and the third factor will remain constant. Over the long term, the tax growth dividend will be long lasting and tax revenue will keep growing at a high speed.     

The Political Impetus behind the Construction of Anti-corruption Institutions in Developing Countries: An Analysis of the Process Leading up to India’s Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (LALA)*

Existing anti-corruption theories adopt “state-centric,” “market-centric” or “governance/ good governance” approaches as their dominant research direction. These theories are grounded in Western systems of liberty and democracy and their analysis is couched in terms of the logic of the division between public and private, which makes it difficult for their proponents to gain an insight into the unique experience of developing countries. The process behind India’s Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (LALA), starting from 2010, shows that developing countries may have another anti-corruption route: a composite tripartite anti-corruption model. In this model, the government, the elite and the mass of the people constitute the three main players in the anti-corruption drive. The three forms a complex multi-faceted relationship premised on compliance with bottom-line standards and the use of positive interaction in a dynamic balance that advances the construction of anti-corruption institutions. Summing up the experience and synthesizing the theory of this model will not only help us explore a new anti-corruption approach but will also stimulate our thinking about the unique state-society relationships of developing countries and the political impetus underlying their institutional construction.