新"空巢"家庭--一个值得关注的社会人口现象

随着我国城市第一代独生子女逐渐离家求学、就业和结婚 ,一批新“空巢”家庭已经出现。此类“空巢”家庭的成员是那些长大成人了的独生子女的父母 ,他们中的许多人还不到 5 0岁 ,他们可能将在“空巢”家庭中生活 2 0～ 3 0年。本文旨在分析新“空巢”家庭的社会人口学特征和新“空巢“家庭出现可能带来的社会问题以及相应的对策建议     

我国农村新"空巢"家庭

最近 ,谭琳教授的《新“空巢家庭———一个值得关注的社会人口现象》一文引起笔者的强烈共鸣。她在文中指出 :随着我国城市第一代独生子女逐渐离家求学、就业和结婚 ,一批新“空巢”家庭已经出现。此类“空巢”家庭的成员是那些长大成人了的独生子女的父母 ,他们中的许多人不到 5 0岁 ,他们可能将在“空巢”家庭中生活 2 0～ 30年。她将新“空巢”家庭界定为 :我国城市第一代独生子女逐渐离家求学、就业和结婚后出现的一批以独生子女的父母为家庭成员的中年“空巢”家庭。谭琳教授的这施展新论引起笔者更加关注的是在我国农村 ,新“空巢”…     

独生子女家庭的养老支持--从人口学视角的分析

中国的独生子女家庭数量逐年递增,其家庭养老问题倍受关注.本文对独生子女家庭的代际年龄、人口和支持关系进行深入分析,认为以往的许多相关研究过分地夸大了独生子女家庭老年人供养的严重性,在大多数情况下独生子女是可以胜任老年人照顾的;独生子女家庭是被简化到极至的高风险家庭结构,要对"空巢"家庭给予特别关注;独生子女家庭的老年人赡养应该是家庭和社会共同的责任.     

农村独生子女家庭的养老风险及其保障

解决农村独生子女家庭的养老风险,即关系到国家生育价值的实现,也关系到农村社会的稳定与健康发展。从风险成因上看,少子老龄化,人才流动和城市迁居趋势及家庭结构核心化等是农村独生子女家庭养老风险扩大的重要原因。从风险形式上看。农村独生子女家庭面临着比非独生子女家庭和城市独生子女家庭更加严重的经济保障风险和生活照料、医疗护理及精神慰藉等非经济养老风险,而经济保障风险尤为突出。本文立足风险视角,分析了农村独生子女家庭的养老风险成因,指出了其面临的主要风险形式,并从国家、社会、家庭和个人四个层面提出了化解独生子女家庭养老风险的建议。     

农村独生子女家庭养老风险分析

受独生子女及其家庭本身特征和农村社会经济现实状况的深刻影响,独生子女家庭客观上已经形成在养老上的固有风险。子女的唯一性弱化了养老风险的分散功能,子女的流动、生命存活风险以及因人格缺陷而产生的道德风险都会直接导致赡养风险的发生,老年父母自我养老能力的不足将使其晚年生活更加艰难。为规避和化解其养老风险,应该以政府责任体现为主,独生子女家庭提升自身养老能力为辅。     

独生子女大规模进入婚育年龄对我国人口发展的影响

大规模的独生子女进入婚育期以及我国差异化的人口控制政策,必然使政策生育率上升。其后果主要表现为：一、理论上每年出生人数增加约160万。使我国人口峰值提高了约4800万;二、弱化我国人口政策的区域差异所导致的人口素质“逆淘汰”,加快人口素质的提高,同时长期偏高的出生性别比也将得到一定程度的缓和;三、城镇将出现大量的“四二一”家庭,而且家庭空巢阶段也将提前到来,空巢家庭比例快速上升。     

我国第一代独生子女家庭的养老问题研究

我国30多年的计划生育政策产生了数以亿计的独生子女人口,数量庞大的独生子女父母将渐次跨入老龄行列,现实的养老困境和养老风险正在迫近第一代独生子女及其父母和家庭,中国即将迎来独子养老时代。其中,独生子女空巢家庭可能会面临更多、更大的养老问题,尤其是那些独生子女残缺家庭。文章基于现有研究所集中论述的问题做出评述,并就所关心的有关问题做出进一步的探讨。     

我国农村独生子女家庭养老问题研究

面对我国社会快速老龄化、高龄化和老年家庭的空巢化浪潮以及经济不发达和社会保障制度尚不完善的具体国情,"未富先老"已成为一道待解的世纪难题。我国农村老年人口占绝大多数,农村老年人口的养老保障问题将成为解决中国老年人口问题的关键所在。其中,数以千万计的独生子女父母将成为我国农村家庭养老及其保障的特殊群体。文章基于我国第一代独生子女父母等重要概念的界定,系统回顾了目前相关研究涉及的主要领域及其结论,并就相关研究中存在的问题做出简要评价和探讨,以期引发更多的研究者参与讨论。     

以家庭周期理论为基础的“空巢家庭”

国内存在着四种空巢家庭的界定,这四种界定各不相同。分析比较发现：第一种空巢家庭的界定过于宽泛;第二种空巢家庭的界定建立在空巢比喻义的基础上因而不够严谨和科学：第三种和第四种空巢家庭界定存在区别的根源在于对家庭生命周期中空巢期的认识不同。通过梳理国内外学者对于家庭生命周期的界定和划分．更清楚地界定了空巢期。在空巢期基础上界定出的空巢家庭可被理解为“那些子女离开起源家庭、父母仍共同居住的夫妇家庭”。清晰界定空巢家庭之后,就可以更好地区分空巢家庭与丁克家庭、独居家庭。     

"空巢"现象与社会支持的对策研究——青岛市独居老年人的调查与分析

社会的老龄化与家庭结构的演变使中国"空巢"家庭大量增加。"空巢"家庭老人增多,以及由此而引发的各种现象已是当前和今后政府和社会必须高度重视的问题。2004年独居老人的调查显示,部分"空巢"老人面临着经济困难、缺乏照料、精神孤独等种种生存危机。切实解决好对"空巢"老人的照料,妥善安排好"空巢"老人的晚年生活,构筑社会网络的支持系统,不仅是广大老年人及其子女的迫切要求,也是应对人口老龄化、保持社会稳定、促进经济发展的客观要求。     

家庭空巢化过程中的养老问题

本文对空巢家庭的养老问题进行了讨论 ,界定了“空巢家庭”和“少子老龄化” ,指出家庭空巢化是一种值得关注的趋势 ,当空巢化和高龄化结合时老年人的照料风险最大。最后 ,指出了值得关注的四个方面。     

厦门市城区空巢老年人生活质量综合评析

空巢家庭的大量出现,是工业化、现代化进程中,经济发展、人口流动及人们价值观念转变等多种因素共同作用的结果。对空巢老年人生活质量的研究,应当区分不同居住类型进行全面的分析、比较,从而提出更有针对性的对策和建议。研究发现,厦门市空巢老年人的生活质量整体上低于非空巢老人,而夫妇二人家庭的空巢老年人生活质量与非空巢老年人群体并无显著差异：另外单身户老年人生活质量较低;住在养老机构老年人的生活质量远低于其他类型。     

广东城镇空巢老人的养老生活状况及问题分析

“空巢”正日益成为城镇老人主流的居家养老方式,广东城镇空巢老人的比例已超过一半。虽然广东城镇空巢老人对自己的生活满意度比较高,但空巢老人面临的问题和困难也不少。社会必须大力发展养老服务业,适应广大城镇空巢老人的多样化需求,化解空巢老人面临的困难和风险,以提高其养老生活质量。     

New strategies for slowing population growth

Growth of world population over the next 100 years, until the year 2100, will produce an estimated 11.5 billion people. The past focus on reducing rapid population growth exclusively through family planning has not been sufficient. Population policy needs to be broadened to include health care, education, and poverty reduction. The population policy recommendations of Population Council Vice-President John Bongaarts and Senior Associate Judith Bruce were to reduce unwanted pregnancies by expanding services that promote reproductive choice and better health, to reduce the demand for large families by creating favorable conditions for small families, and to invest in adolescents. The Population Council 1994 publication "Population Growth and Our Caring Capacity" outlined these issues. Another similar article by John Bongaarts appeared in the journal "Science" in 1994. In developing countries, excluding China, about 25% of all births are unwanted; 25 million abortions are performed for unwanted pregnancies. The provision of comprehensive family planning programs will go a long way toward achieving a reduction in unwanted pregnancies. In addition, changes are needed in male control over female sexuality and fertility and in cultural beliefs that are obstacles to use of contraception. Stabilization of population at 2 children per family will not occur unless there is a desire for small families. In most less developed countries, large family sizes are preferred. Governments have an opportunity to adopt policies that reduce economic and social risks of having small families. This can be accomplished through the widespread education of children, a reduction in infant and child mortality, improvement in the economic and social and legal status of women, and provision of equitable gender relations in marriage and child rearing. The rights of children to be wanted, planned, and adequately cared for need to be supported. These aforementioned measures will help to reduce fertility, provide support for small families, and justify investment in social development. Population momentum will keep population growing for some time even with replacement level fertility. Investment in adolescents through enhancement of self-esteem and promotion of later childbearing can lengthen the span between generations and slow population momentum. Population policies will be more effective when human rights are protected.     

城乡空巢老人代际支持状况分析--基于2014年中国家庭发展追踪调查数据

本文基于2014年中国家庭发展追踪调查数据,从双向代际支持的角度详细对比分析城乡空巢老人代际经济支持、生活照料和精神慰藉间的差异。结果表明城镇空巢老人给予子女经济支持多,农村空巢老人则更依赖子女经济支持;城镇空巢老人的子女与其日常沟通更为紧密;子女对空巢老人的日常照料相对较少,目前主要还是靠空巢老人自己和配偶。     

Nepal survey shows that "family planning saves lives"

This article presents the results of the Nepal Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted from January through June 1996. Data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health were collected from 8429 ever-married women aged 15-49 years. These women provided information on 29,156 children. Using the method of regression analysis, findings reveal those factors, such as young mothers, large families, and short birth intervals, substantially increase under-five mortality risks. However, socioeconomic factors have only a limited effect on under-five mortality. Statistics have suggested that much of the urban/rural differences in mortality have been due to factors closely related to residence, mother's level of education and economic status. In addition, although positive effects of interventions (antenatal and postpartum checkups, tetanus immunization and assistance at delivery by a traditional birth attendant) have been documented, statistical results show that few children in Nepal are receiving the benefits of maternal health care. In conclusion, results of the 1996 NFHS show that delaying, spacing, and limiting births can substantially reduce infant and child mortality.     

Emptying the Nest: Older Men in the United States, 1880–2000

Between 1880 and 2000, the percentage of married men 60 and older living only with their wives in empty nest households rose from 19 percent to 78 percent. Data drawn from the US census show that more than half of this transformation occurred in the 30‐year period from 1940 to 1970, bookended by moderate increases between 1880 and 1940 and very modest increases after 1970. Two literatures have presented demographic, cultural, and economic explanations for the decline in elderly co‐residence with their children, but none adequately accounts for a sharp change in the mid‐twentieth century. Both aggregate comparisons and multivariate analysis of factors influencing the living arrangements of elderly men suggest that economic advances for all age groups in the critical 30‐year period, along with trends in fertility and immigration, best explain the three‐stage shift that made the empty nest the dominant household form for older men by the beginning of the twenty‐first century.     

Health Interventions and Health Equity: The Example of Measles Vaccination in Bangladesh

Although the existence of socioeconomic differentials in infant and childhood mortality in developing countries is well established. little consensus exists as to the most effective approaches to reducing such differentials. This article utilizes longitudinal data from the Matlab study area in rural Bangladesh to investigate the impact of an efficacious child survival intervention—measles vaccination—on reductions in gender and socioeconomic differentials in childhood mortality. The article analyzes data from 16,270 vaccinated children and randomly matched controls, and evaluates their subsequent mortality risks. Proportional hazards analysis demonstrates that unvaccinated children from very poor families face more than a threefold higher risk of subsequent early child mortality, compared to vaccinated children from families of high economic status. While measles vaccination has little impact on mortality risks among children of higher economic status, the improvement in survival among children from poorer households is pronounced. The provision of measles vaccination markedly reduces mortality risks for poorer children—from over three times higher to just over 1.5 times higher relative to vaccinated children from wealthier families. The findings of this study are evaluated in terms of the potential of child survival interventions such as measles vaccination to promote greater health equity.