Child well-being in the context of family harmony: Parental marital relationship as mediator and parent–child attachment style as moderator

Extant research in Western countries have indicated that children's well-being may be influenced by children's own resilience, parent–child attachment, and parental marital relationship. Yet, there is very little research in Malaysia on how these factors may influence well-being among children in middle childhood. The aim of this study, therefore, was to explore the relationships among children's self-efficacy—a resilience factor—and well-being, parental marital relationship, and parent–child attachment style. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey method. Participants were 955 Malay-Malaysian children aged 11 years from intact families. They responded to a questionnaire on demographic background, self-efficacy, well-being, parental harmony and conflict, and parent–child attachment style. Moderated mediation analysis indicated that (i) parental harmony was a significant mediator for the relationship between children's self-efficacy and well-being; (ii) parental conflict was not a significant mediator for the relationship between children's self-efficacy and well-being; and (iii) parent–child attachment style was a significant moderator for the relationship between children's self-efficacy and well-being. These findings are discussed within the frameworks of optimal child development and family relationship. These findings may also inform policies such as Malaysia's Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) and National Family Policy.     

Chinese Experience as a Foundation for Scientific Approach to Development

本文指出,由中国快速的社会转型和体制转轨以及全球化背景下13亿人口的现代化实践所构成的"中国经验",将会改写现代化和全球化一些既有定论,会修改社会科学各门学科的一些既有规则。这是因为一个13亿人口大国的超常规发展,提供了很多超出我们一般所说的"常态社会"的新经验。而科学发展观的重要价值,它的内涵的精髓,正是来自"中国经验"的基础。科学发展观的提出,是对中国社会学者和研究者智慧的挑战,这种智慧包括我们对中国经验的理解力和回应问题的想象力。对此,作者提出了建立中国的"社会核算"体系的建议。     

The Right to Academic Freedom Seen as a Legal Right

The right to academic freedom has been facing increasingly grave challenges in political, social and academic practices throughout the world since the middle of the twentieth century. On the one hand, this constitutional right is subject to extensive     

Anthologies and Annotations as Dynamic Forces in the Movement of Literary History

ⅠChineseliteratureisrichinanthologiesandthecollectedworksofindividualwriters.Sincetheyarepartoftheculturalrecordofpastages.themeaningreadintotheirtextsbylatergenerationsandtheirsocialrelevancetotheirtimesarethekeyfactorsintheiradmittancetothenation'schainofculturaldevelopment.Theproblemisthatreadersoflatergenerations,asindividuals,holddifferentattitudes,andtheneedsoffuturesocietiescanhardlybeforeseenwithanyaccuracy.Thismakesitalmostimpossibletopredictwhetheranauthorwillbereadandappreciatedinl…     

What can Social Psychologists Learn from Architecture? The Asylum as Example

In this paper I argue for a stronger consideration of the possible relationship between social psychology and architecture and architectural history. After a brief review of some of the ways in which other social psychologists have sought to develop links between social psychology and history, I consider the utility of architecture in more depth, especially to the social psychologist interested in the development of knowledge and understanding. I argue that, especially when knowledge is institutionalised, the design and use of buildings might have a particular contribution to make to the way we can understand how phenomena have been understood and approached in the past. Although many examples are relevant, I consider the case of the psychiatric hospital (or “asylum”) in more detail.     

Work integration social enterprises as vessels of empowerment? Perspectives from employees

Various countries across the East Asian region have witnessed the rapid proliferation of social enterprises, especially work integration social enterprises (WISEs) in the recent decade. Drawing from qualitative interviews with WISE employees and middle managers in Hong Kong, we examined what working in a WISE meant for employees with disabilities, and how such work differs from traditional service delivery organisations and other employment-support schemes. Three emergent themes, Meaningful Engagement, Individual-Based Empowerment and Relational-Based Empowerment, were identified as critical outcomes. Discussion pertaining to the role of WISE in the production of welfare and practice implications are presented.     

Taking Public Ownership as The Main Body and Simultaneously Developing Other Economic Sectors

ItisaguidingprincipleintheconstructionofChinese-stylesocialismtomaintainpublicownershipasthemajorsystemwhilesimultaneouslydevelopingarangeofothereconomicsectors.Buthowcanwemaintainandenhancepublicownershipasthemajorsystemwithinthecompetitivemechanismofasocialistmarketeconomy?Howcanweachievetheuniversaldevelopmentofdiverseeconomicsectorsandactivateallclements?Toanswerthesequestions,wewillhavetogainexperienceinthepracticeofreformandopening-up,andachieveabetterunder-standingbystudyingDengXiaopin…     

Can Likert Scales be Treated as Interval Scales?—A Simulation Study

The Likert scale is widely used in social work research, and is commonly constructed with four to seven points. It is usually treated as an interval scale, but strictly speaking it is an ordinal scale, where arithmetic operations cannot be conducted. There are pros and cons in using the Likert scale as an interval scale, but the controversy can be handled by increasing the number of points. Several researchers have suggested bringing the number up to eleven, on the basis of empirical data. In this article the authors explore this rational and share the same view, but simulate artificial data from both symmetrical normal and skewed distributions where the underlying metric is known in advance. Results show that more Likert scale points will result in a closer approach to the underlying distribution, and hence normality and interval scales. To increase generalizability social work practitioners are encouraged to use 11-point Likert scales from 0 to 10, a natural and easily comprehensible range.     

Religiosity as a mediator of caregiver well-being: does ethnicity make a difference?

This study used an adaptation of the stress and appraisal model to examine the mediating effects of religiosity on caregiving strain and gain with an ethnically diverse sample of 384 Alzheimer's disease caregivers. While the regression analysis indicated that religiosity did not mediate the stress of providing care for the entire sample, there were significant differences in the use of religiosity depending on the ethnicity (African American, Hispanic, and White non-Hispanic) of the caregiver, as well as significant differences between the three cohorts in the levels of caregiving strain (depression) and gain (self-acceptance). Implications for the use of religiosity as a protective factor for AD caregivers are discussed.     

Changes in the Chinese Social Structure as Seenfrom Occupational Prestige Ratings and Job Preferences

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Do administrators have the same priorities for risk reductions as the general public?

A stated preference survey was used to investigate the potential discrepancy between the priorities of public administrators and the general public regarding risk reductions. Both groups of respondents were asked to assume the role of a public policy-maker and choose between different public safety projects. We investigate differences in three areas: (i) large vs. small accidents, (ii) actual vs. subjective risk, and (iii) the trade-off between avoiding fatalities and serious injuries for different age groups and accidents. We find only minor differences between the responses of administrators and the general public, the most important of which is the difference in priorities between reducing the risk of many small or one large accident. In this area the most common response from the general public is that they prefer avoiding many small accidents rather than one large accident while among the administrators there is almost an equal split between the two options.     

Profound Questions Arising from Current Human Development and the Study of Man as a Response

Whatprofoundquestionsrelatedtothespiritofthetimeshavebeenposedbymankind'smoderndevelopment?WecanbeginwithananalysisofthefivemajoraspectsofcurrentWesterndevelopment-Firstly,modernscientificandtechnologicaldevelopmentintheWesthasstimulatedthedevelopmentofmanasthesubject,setahigherstandardforhisdevelopment,andcreatedgreaterpotentialforhiscreativity,whichhaveenhancedman'sroleastheprimarymotiveforceinthesocio-historicalprocess.Ontheotherhand,progressisalsoresponsibleforphenomenawithwhichmancannotc…     

Impersonal probability as an ideal assessment based on accessible evidence: A viable construct?

When risk analysts and others refer to the true probability of an event, it is not easy to give it a meaning which is sound and useful as a communication device for regulatory, research planning, and related purposes. An interpretation is herein offered which, unlike Bayesian probability, is impersonal and does not depend on a particular assessor; unlike Carnap's logical probability, it does not depend on information actually to hand. It is a generalization of frequency and propensity interpretations of impersonal probability applicable to unique events: an ideal assessment based on currently accessible (not in general perfect) evidence. The argument is illustrated from decision-aiding experience which motivated the enquiry.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Social and Economic Sciences. The author thanks John Pratt, Marvin Cohen, Dennis Lindley, Jon Baron, Kathy Laskey, and Stephen Watson for their most helpful review. They do not necessarily share his views.