A New Approach to Social Welfare Problems

Inadequacies in social welfare systems are reviewed, with particular reference to the hiatus between the ideology which emphasizes stability and that which fosters radical change. Not least of the forces inimical to change have been the bureaucratic organization and professional self-preoccupation of social welfare agencies and their personnel. Choices among new strategies for social action, using both consensual and conflictual models, now confront social welfare workers in this country.     

A Response to Social Problems in Developing Countries

This paper considers social development as a relatively new concept, and new practice model. Its definition still lacks concreteness. Here it is viewed as a process of planned institutional change to bring about a better fit between human needs and social policies and programmes (Sanders, 1982); it is not satisfactory to measure development in purely economic terms, for this has resulted in the marginalization of the majority of the population in developing countries. The curative and remedial functions adopted by the social work profession in accordance with the dictates of the modernization approach, have rendered social work unable to address itself meaningfully to the problem of marginalization or mass poverty. Social development rests upon social policies that are promotive of human needs and this is only possible in circumstances where such policies are a product of the people's participation.     

A Task Based Approach to the Assessment of Social Work Students' Practice

Summary An assessment framework based on nine course objectives is described.Each course objective has related placement objectives whichbecome increasingly demanding as the course progresses. Studentson placement are required to produce written tasks to show howthey have applied their understanding of each placement objectivein their practical work. It is suggested that this framework improves the comparabilityof placements and the availability of evidence for pass/faildecisions. The framework provides a syllabus for learning oneach placement.     

Harre's Social Philosophy and Political Philosophy: A Social Scientific Critique

In his article, “Saving Critical Realism,” Harre (2009 ) relates his revised philosophy of science to a social philosophy concerning the nature of society, and to a political philosophy regarding the nature of freedom and reform. I argue that his social philosophy and political philosophy rest upon an individualistic sense of society and freedom. I demonstrate that his individualism is factually and politically untenable. (I shall not comment on his philosophy of science, although the errors in his social and political philosophies make it suspect.) I counterpose an alternative social philosophy and political philosophy that are based on a structural model of society, freedom, and social change. My critique demonstrates how social science can adjudicate claims of structuralist vs. individualist social and political philosophy. It also argues that social science must constitute the basis for formulating political ideals of freedom and social organization if these are to be viable.     

Car Sharing: A New Approach to Urban Transportation Problems

The concept of car sharing is introduced as an innovative approach to the growing transportation problems of the major metropolitan areas of the United States. After the history of car sharing in Europe and North America is outlined, three studies of the early adopters of Car Sharing Portland (CSP), the first commercial car-sharing organization in the United States, are reported. Study 1 found that these individuals were primarily motivated to join CSP because of their occasional need for a vehicle, and secondarily because of the financial savings they expected to realize by becoming members. Study 2 found that the two most important predictors of CSP trip usage were distance to the nearest vehicle station and length of membership, and that both factors had more influence on vehicle owners than on nonowners. Study 3 found that although members did not drive fewer vehicle miles after they joined CSP, 26% sold their personal vehicles and 53% were able to avoid an intended purchase. In addition, a majority of members reported increasing use of public transit, walking, and cycling. The results are discussed in terms of the potential environmental consequences of car sharing and the effects of the car-sharing experience on mobility behavior.     

北京市市属公益类科研院所体制改革的问题与对策分析

本文考察了北京市市属社会公益类科研院所改革所面临的主要问题和对策。认为市属公益类科研院所运行机制尚欠实质性的变化,在结构性整合上仍有较大空间;提出了判定公益性业务的五项标准和市属公益类科研院所改革的四套方案,以及一系列完善非营利科研机构岗位聘任制、院所长负责制、理事会决策制等改革主张。此外,文章对中国宏观科技体制、高教体制改革也提出了一些自己的看法。     

Credit Unions: A Partial Solution to the Consumer Credit Problems of Low Income Families

An anomaly of Australia's economic system is that those who can least afford to pay dearly for consumer credit (low income families), are the ones who must pay more. It is suggested that a partial solution to the consumer credit problems of low income families lies in the use of credit unions. This paper examines the consumer credit problems of such families, illustrates how credit unions function and indicates where they may be useful in providing cheap credit to low income families.     

A Preliminary Approach to Defining Social Service Outputs for Auditing Service Distribution

An accurate evaluation ofthe effectiveness of social services requires that the unit of output be clearly defined. The problem, which has never really been solved, has become more important with the passage of Title XX of the Social Security Act. The Title XX Amendments to the Social Security Act decentralize planning for social services to state and local governments. Title XX goals do not easily translate into measures of achievement. This paper describes a standardized framework that discriminates among the elements of service output. Data on the services provided by one social service agency are used to support the feasibility of proposed frameworks. The concept of a unit of service output was used in this study for the purpose of developing standardized categories to measure service provision. Two measures of service activity were developed: One measures service intensity, and the other relates to consumers' need for and utilization of services. The study was conducted at a local social service district in an urbanized county of 400,000. The sample of cases consisted of 120 new applicants accepted for public ossistance during the first 3 months of 1964. A retrospective longitudinal analysis of services provided was performed. All components of service provided to each sample care during the period of 1964-19 71 were coded from agency records in units of service output.     

以社会管理科学化促进社会体系均衡与稳定

改革发展进入关键时期,社会体系的均衡与稳定显得尤为重要。掌握社会管理规律、完善社会管理政策法规、充分利用社会管理资源、提升政府管理和服务水平以及提高社会管理科学化水平成为党的执政能力建设与构建社会主义和谐社会的必然要求。提高社会管理科学化,需要进一步加强和完善社会管理格局,发挥其功能与作用;强化服务体系与服务平台建设;促进社会管理环境建设,在实施方式、手段等方面创新。     

China's Approach to Dealing with Crisis and Change in Global Governance

The outbreak of the financial crisis in Europe and America in 2008 was a landmark event in the history of global governance. It showed that the international system and governance mechanism was unable to adapt to the new global situation or solve the new challenges and problems caused by the rapid development of globalization. Global governance needs to explore new ideas, new paths and new strategies. However, to advance the transformation and development of global governance, in-depth cooperation by the great powers is not all that is involved; also inevitable are the redistribution of international power, interests and responsibilities, contradictory global concepts and fierce competition among the great powers. The next five to ten years are a key period both for the transformation and development of global governance and for China's full-scale rise. The latter is not only a process of China's integration into the global governance system but also a process whereby China influences global governance reform. China should seize the opportunity of the global governance crisis and changes to promote benign interaction between China and the world and should become an advocate, designer, shaper and leader in the improvement of the global governance system, focusing on the construction of national governance, the governance of East Asia, global governance and the governance of certain advantageous fields. Its active assumption of the historic mission of the new era of globalization has laid a solid foundation for China to grow into a great major country.     

社会科学课题制的价值导向性研究

课题制的价值导向关系到社会科学研究事业的健康发展。科研项目课题制结构性价值要素由课题制管理流程和课题制管理机制的价值要素构成。文章从课题制管理流程中选择三个价值要素,包括课题选题、课题立项和课题检查,从课题制管理机制中选择三个价值要素,包括经费管理、评审管理和信誉管理,通过对课题选题的计划性和自选性,课题立项的基础性和应用性,课题检查的常规性和变更性;经费管理的规范性和科学性,评审管理的同行性和跨行性,信誉管理的自律性和他律性等诸要素的双重价值导向的意义、作用和相互关系进行比较分析,提出意见和建议,力求在完善课题制中发挥价值导向作用。科研管理部门面对课题制各种价值要素的挑战,需要不断探索和研究课题制的价值导向问题,以适应社会科学研究自身发展的规律和特点。     

科学发展观与社会科学发展

科学发展观的提出,实质上也是先进社会科学理论的一种具体推广和转化形式。要全面高效地落实科学发展观,需要充分认识和发挥社会科学的重大作用:社会科学是促进人的全面发展的基本条件,是实现经济社会全面发展的决定力量,是实现协调发展的理论支持,是实现可持续发展的关键主导;同时还需要依据科学发展观的基本理念与要求大力推进社会科学自身的繁荣发展:树立以人为本的社会科学发展观,促进社会科学全面发展,促进社会科学协调发展,促进社会科学可持续发展。     

社会中的问题、社会问题和个人问题

问题的提出社会问题研究是应用社会学中的一个主要领域 ,社会学从创立起 ,便一直关注着对各种社会问题进行研究。可是 ,社会问题研究本身却存在着一个问题 ,那就是如何界定社会问题 ,对此 ,学术界争议颇多 ,各有各的定义和看法。而正由于此 ,学者们在研究社会问题时往往没有一个清晰的逻辑标准或一种明确的研究平台 ,从而在研究中出现一些逻辑混乱现象。比如 ,对于犯罪（或越轨）问题 ,虽然公认其为一个社会问题 ,但没有一个统一的标准去确定它到底指什么 ,因而 ,便有多种理论解释视角 :法国人类学家布罗卡（ＰａｕｌＢｒｏｃａ）为代表的生…     

法村社会支持网络的整体结构研究块模型及其应用

本文利用“块模型”方法分析黑龙江省一个村落的社会支持网,是针对费孝通教授提出的“差序格局”理论进行社会网络意义上的一种量化研究。研究发现,在“劳力支持”网络和“亲属关系网”中都存在四个子群。这种发现揭示了法村村民之间的互助行为的整体模式。“块模型”的价值在于可以揭示多种社会网络的整体结构和关系模式。因此,块模型方法可用来研究特别重视“关系”的中国社会。     

Advocacy and Social Action: Key Elements in the Structural Approach to Direct Practice in Social Work

The structural approach to direct practice in social work assumes that opportunities and resources are unequally distributed and that members of deprived and vulnerable populations are social victims. Thus, the basic thrust of the social worker is to change oppressive situations instead of the people trapped in them. Disenfranchised, powerless, and oppressed people need a fairer share of basic economic and social goods. This makes advocacy a key practice role involving both work with groups of clients and with others who can make things happen for clients. The paper describes and illustrates instances of advocacy as the structurally oriented social worker applies six basic principles to help meet the needs of clients.     

社会建构论：社会问题理论研究的一种新视角

西方建构主义理论对社会问题的研究，提出了一套全新的概念范畴和分析框架，并产生了许多经验研究成果。这种研究在很大程度上异于对社会问题的常识性理解和传统的研究视角。该理论认为社会问题的社会学研究主题不是“有问题的”客观事实或状态，而是这些事实或状态被宣称成为社会问题的活动和过程。经由这些活动和过程，社会问题建构性地存在着。本文通过与传统社会问题理论的比较，着重探讨建构论所进行的社会问题新的理论研究转向及其启发意义。