Strategies for reducing information overload in social reports

The aim of this paper is to introduce and appraise several techniques that might be used to reduce information overload resulting from exposure to social or socio-economic reports.     

Rethinking Mobile Methods

Over the past, few years a broad range of scholars have been emphasising the vital importance of methodological innovation and diversification to mobilities research. Whilst welcoming this pluralisation of research methods, this paper encourages a note of caution amongst researchers who wholly embrace the call for mobile methods, which are frequently justified by an assumption that ‘conventional’ or ‘traditional’ methods have failed. I outline some of the explanations that are given for the development of ‘mobile methods’ – including their inevitable emergence from a ‘new mobilities paradigm’, the importance of innovation and political relevance for social science methods, and their importance for apprehending elusive practices – before identifying a number of problems with this work: namely the assumption that mobilities research is necessarily a branch of social science research, the production of over-animated mobile subjects and objects, the prioritising of certain kinds of research methods and practices, and the overreliance on certain kinds of technology. Particular attention is paid to the use of ‘non-representational theories’ and theories of practice in mobilities research, wherein academics frequently suggest that we must adopt certain performative, participative, or ethnographic techniques to enable researchers to be, see or move with research subjects, and to more effectively or accurately understand those practices and subjects. In the final section, I draw upon historical research on early driving practices to highlight the diverse methods and sources that can be useful for mobilities scholars seeking to apprehend particular practices, events, subjects and spaces.     

重提"安乐死"立法

“安乐死”一词源出于希腊文Euthanasia ,是由美好和死亡两个词所组成。其原意是指舒适或无痛苦地死亡或安然去世。安乐死并不是生与死的选择,而是死亡方式的选择。选择的目的是通过人工调节和控制,使死亡呈现出一种良好的状态,以避免精神和肉体的痛苦折磨,改善患者濒临死亡时的自我感觉状态,维护其尊严。随着医疗卫生水平的提高,中国人死因构成中因晚期恶性肿瘤和脑血管等疾病导致死亡的比例越来越高。现代的医疗技术不仅不能拯救这些病人的生命,而且绝大多数病人还要经历长期的、极为痛苦的疾病折磨和精神煎熬。今天,中国人口中老年人的…     

Rethinking population distribution policies

Developed and developing nations are generally dissatisfied with the spatial distributions of their populations. Dissatisfaction is particularly acute on the part of developing nations which view their problems of population distribution as more serious than those of natural increase. The overwhelming majority of governments have already adopted policies to affect rates and patterns of internal migration or the configuration of their rural and urban populations. However, recent reviews of these policies suggest they have been only partially successful. Apparent policy deficiencies are reviewed and possible remedies suggested in regard to the need for intervention, the scope of policies, their objectives, instruments, and evaluation.     

On estimating the social costs of national economic policy: A critical examination of the Brenner study

This is a critique of Brenner's attempt to link morbidity and mortality to inflation, per capita income and unemployment. Several specific defects and recommendations are cited.     

Rethinking the African AIDS Epidemic

Half the AIDS victims in the world are in East and Southern Africa, where adult HIV sero‐prevalence was 11.4 percent by the end of 1997 and over 25 percent in two countries of Southern Africa. HIV/AIDS infection is not the result of ignorance, as nearly everyone has sufficient knowledge about AIDS and how it is transmitted. The high levels of AIDS arise from the failure of African political and religious leaders to recognize social and sexual reality. The means for containing and conquering the epidemic are already known, and could prove effective if the leadership could be induced to adopt them. The lack of individual behavioral change and of the implementation of effective government policy has roots in attitudes to death and a silence about the epidemic arising from beliefs about its nature and the timing of death. International responsibility may have to be taken before the needed effective policies are put in place.     

The potential of social indicators: Minimum conditions for impact at the national level as suggested by a study of the use of ‘social indicators’ 73

Empirical evidence is presented which suggests that the use of social indicators among upper level government officials in the United States is minimal at present. Further, the level of use is not likely to be increased by improved measurement procedures, aesthetically improved packaging, or more widespread dissemination of such information among persons who influence policy decisions. The power of such information can be expected to be no greater than that of ‘mere’ statistics unless deliberate effort is made to institutionalize the importance of social indicators into government operations in conjunction with policy planning, goal setting, and commitment to the use of indicators as a system of national evaluation of progress toward the achievement of societal objectives. Several recommendations are made to develop the potential of social indicators and to increase their creative and useful application in matters of public policy at the national level.     

再论马尔萨斯

文章从马尔萨斯<人口原理>的基本原理入手,运用数理方法证明"两个级数"推断的合理性,并对"两种抑制"进行了深入解读,认为人们对"两种抑制"存在某种程度上的误读.同时,对"人口决定论"、"鼓励战争论"、"反济贫论"等多年来的曲解与批判也展开讨论.文章认为对<人口原理>应进行系统研究,挖掘其合理成分,公允评价马尔萨斯.     

人口“就近城镇化”：人口迁移新方向

新一轮的城镇化发展必将成为国家战略。如何重新认知和甄别新时期我国城镇化发展的道路、模式、方向与目标,是一个重要的理论与现实问题。这要求改变原有的＂离土不离乡＂、＂进厂不进城＂的老思路,走一条农民＂离土又离乡,进厂也进城＂的人口就近城镇化的新道路。在政府的城乡统筹战略的带动下,真正实现农民生产生活方式的城市化,并最终从心理上实现市民化的人口结构的根本转变。     

Rethinking the effectiveness of family planning in Africa

For the past 50 years there has been a near global consensus that the demands of development necessitate that couples reduce their fertility as a critical act which would jump start economic growth. This consensus heralded the era of the One Child policy and over 90% of least developed states continue to run programs which seek to induce lower fertility rates in their populations. However, a growing body of literature is questioning both the validity and utility of these interventions. This article seeks to contribute to the rethinking of family planning programs. Using new data on family planning scores from forty two African states this article shows that rates of fertility are unlikely to be affected by the strength of family planning programs at lower levels of development. However, at moderate levels of development, family planning programs may contribute to accelerating the decline in fertility initiated by exogenous factors. These findings offer a fresh perspective on the wide spread adoption of family planning policy that permeates the developing world.     

The social meaning of social indicators

While new modes of data processing have provided reams of data, there has been relatively less effort in seeking to comprehend the social meaning of results of empirical work. A set of previously developed indicators of urban social structure is here examined for its link to theory, and to the social structure of the city itself. The original indicators (size, social class, racial composition and community maturity) were empirically derived. In this paper, each is taken in turn, and explored with respect to several possible social meanings. Size, for example, is considered to be itself an indicator, and an imperfect one, for system complexity; percent non-white is seen to be itself an indicator for a slowdown in the mobility process, or a slower social metabolism. These and other results are suggestions, with illustrations, but not conclusive support, from other than the original data. While it is hoped that the theoretical suggestions may themselves be of interest, it is also hoped that approach itself can indicate the fertility and usefulness of going back to theory once empirical measures have been developed.     

Women in national legislatures

This study tests macrostructural theories of gender stratification by examining women's representation in national legislatures. Political structural variables are combined with the variables suggested by the propositions of Janet Chafetz and Rae Blumberg. Both developed and developing nations are represented in the data set of 73 countries. The most important finding for theory is that women's rate of labor force participation is a powerful predictor of women's political status.A version of this paper was presented at the meetings of the American Sociological Association in Pittsburg, PA, August 1992.     

Rethinking Dimensions: The South African Multidimensional Poverty Index

The growth of literature on multidimensional poverty measures generates an uncertainty about which dimensions best capture the extent of poverty. This paper applies multiple correspondence analysis in the context of multidimensional poverty in South Africa to identify statistically valid additional dimensions using National Income Dynamics Study data of 2012. The results confirm the argument that economic status (lack of employment) and financial commitment (over-indebtedness) can be regarded as important dimensions, as their occurrence constrains households from participating in the activities essential in modern society. It is therefore proposed that, in addition to health, education, and living standard dimensions, both economic status and financial commitments should be included in the framework for the South African multidimensional poverty analysis. A central contribution of this work is a proposal of a hybrid multidimensional measure which recommends a combination of both non-monetary and monetary indicators, in particular over-indebtedness.     

Toward a national population policy

Canada has notexplicit national population policy although various policies do have an effect on the size, rate of growth, distribution, and composition of the nation's population. Traditionally, Canada has been pronoatalist, particularly favoring immigration. In response to the 1974 Bucharest World Population Conference, the Canadian government solicited public testimony regarding a population policy for the nation. Environmentalists urged population limitation with a view to maintaining the ecosystem. Social justice and reallocation of resources were urged by an 2nd group. The quality of life argument was used by both proponents and opponents of population limitation. Canada has increased its world assistance for economic and population activities. With 1 of the highest growth rates of the developed countries, (in 1976-1977, 1.3% vs. .8% for the U.S. and .4% for France), Canada needs to propound a slow growth ethic. With future fertility at replacement level, Canada will look to immigration for population input.     

Canada's national vital statistics index

Study of population trends and social change in Canada will be facilitated through the development of a system of record linkage which has recently been introduced. It provides a means whereby all the vital records about particular individuals may be brought together through a single master index. The social usefulness of this instrument is only now beginning to be realized.     

Rethinking gender segregation and gender inequality: Measures and meanings

It is often assumed that occupational segregation by gender is readily interpretable as an index of inequality between men and women in the labor force. Although this view has been challenged, the development and dissemination of analytic tools that could test this assumption have been limited. This article reviews two methods for identifying invidious and noninvidious components of gender segregation and develops a third approach that overcomes some limitations of the other two. Each method is applied to a data set that consists of observations from 22 countries covered in the International Social Survey Program. The results are compared and contrasted, and several conclusions emerge. First, occupational segregation is not completely interpretable as occupational gender inequality. Second, the methods differ in how large they estimate the invidious (vertical) component to be. Third, each method produces measures of invidious and noninvidious segregation that can be predicted statistically from other characteristics of the countries in question. The article ends with suggestions about the circumstances under which the various approaches may be the most useful.