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1.
Neil T. Higgs 《Social indicators research》2007,81(2):331-356
South Africa has a Gini co-efficient of 62, one of the world’s highest (Finmark: Project FinScope 2004 and 2005, FinMark Trust, Johannesburg). Hence, measures of wealth are ubiquitous social indicators in South Africa. However, a growing emphasis in government towards measurable service delivery targets and remedial action to redress the inequalities of our past makes the reliable measurement of people’s quality of life in greater depth in quantitative terms an imperative.We have developed a simple framework to measure people’s quality of life in key domains that extend beyond that simply of wealth, using composite indices to allow progress to be tracked and to make valid comparisons across our diverse population. Termed the Everyday Quality of Life Index (EQLi), it comprises a suite of measures encompassing socio-economic status (with special reference to poverty), urbanisation, health (nutrition, exercise and fitness), stress/pressure, quality of the environment, satisfaction of human needs, connectivity, optimism, subjective well-being (happiness, after Diener and Lucas: 2000, in M. Lewis, J.M. Haviland (eds.), Handbook of Emotions. (2nd ed) (Guilford, New York)), and the overall measure of well-being, the EQLi itself.The initial framework was developed from a structured questionnaire administered to a probability sample of 2000 South African adults in 2002. From this, a 52-item shortlist was derived to create the series of measures. This has been tested and refined in three subsequent annual studies, each of 3500 people across urban and rural South Africa. In 2004, items involving work as well as determining the balance of skills and challenges at work using the concept of “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi: 1990, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper and Row, New York)) were added.This paper outlines the rationale behind the selection and development of these measures, describes the EQL of South Africans using these and other key measures and concludes with implications for policy-makers and service providers in South Africa. Some marketing implications are also given: there is a growing emphasis worldwide on corporate social investment initiatives and, particularly in South Africa, on community upliftment and development – poverty alleviation and improving the lives of the disadvantaged (“people” rather than “consumers”). Further, people’s well-being affects how they react to marketing activities. 相似文献
2.
Lareen A. Newman 《Population research and policy review》2009,28(5):661-691
This article details family size differences by socio-economic area in metropolitan South Australia and suggests that these
differences may be linked to cultural differences in parenting confidence and skills, and in social supports for parenting.
The paper analyses Census data on average completed family size and family size distribution in six different areas. In all
age groups this shows a negative correlation between family size and the socio-economic status of the area. Secondly, based
on analysis of interview data with 38 mothers and 24 fathers and a small survey of 44 parents-to-be, the article suggests
that the quantitative patterns may partly reflect differences in the proportions of people in each area who see being parents
and having larger families as desirable and achievable undertakings for which they have the requisite personal skills and
social supports to minimise adverse impacts on their own parental health and lifestyle. The article concludes by hypothesising
that differential fertility levels between groups or areas partly reflect differences in levels of confidence, skills and
social support for parenting, and that a cultural “crisis in parenthood” as well as a greater focus on intensive parenting
may be more widespread in higher status groups which is reflected in their lower fertility. 相似文献
3.
Li Liu 《Social indicators research》2006,75(2):217-240
This study explores the meaning of quality of life (QOL) in China from the perspective of social representations. The data
were collected by open-ended individual interviews with 16 ordinary Chinese people. The study shows that social thinking about
QOL in Chinese society is activated in five critical domains of life: health, family, work, social relations and the natural
environment. Meanwhile, “having” and “being”, the two antinomic, yet dialogical interdependent, interpretive repertoires,
have an overarching generative and normative power over the discourse about QOL. They permeate and underpin the different
domains of life. Dominated by an “economic logic”, the “having” repertoire constructs these life domains through a set of
economic consequences and posits them as resources leading to material possessions. While dominated by an “existential logic”,
the “being” repertoire confesses existential meanings to the same life domains, and emphasises the joy derived from them.
Thereby, it infers that QOL as a social representation is generated from, and organised around, a central thema of “having”
and “being”. 相似文献
4.
Summary The population dynamics of an epilachnine beetle, which is closely related toEpilachna sparsa
Dieke (henceforth called “sp. C”) and feeds on bitter cucumberMomordica charantia, was studied by mark-recapture of adults and the construction of life tables. The study was repeated three times, i.e., March–May,
July–September and October–December in 1982, in Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia. After the establishment of the host plants, adults
of “sp. C” soon colonized, and each study period ended in the death of the plants due to defoliation by the larvae and adults.
The estimated mean length of residence of adults ranged from 6–11 days, but this was probably much shorter than the actual
longevity, because the adults were so active that they flew away, or dropped off the plants, when they were approached or
slightly disturbed. Life tables indicated that egg mortality ranged from 17.8–53.9%, and a parasitic waspTetrastichus sp. B made up 41.1–64.2% of egg mortality. Two wasps,Tetrastichus sp. C andPediobius foveolatus killed 1.2–19.4% (7.6–100%)* of 4th instars and only the latter species attacked the pupae, killing 24.6–59.1% (45.1–72.4%). Parasitism and starvation
by overcrowding contributed most to the total mortality from egg to adult emergence, which ranged from 89.4–99.5%. “Sp. C”
had a higher diversity and level of parasitism than the Japanese species,E. vigintioctopunctata. The high dispersal power of “sp. C”, coupled with the prolongedl
x−mx schedules shown under laboratory conditions, was advantageous for exploiting the food plant which was available throughout
the year, but was rather patchily distributed in space. 相似文献
5.
John Caldwell Pat Caldwell Michael Bracher Gigi Santow 《Journal of Population Research》1988,5(2):113-145
The last half century has witnessed both in Australia, and elsewhere in the West, first a “baby boom” (and marriage boom)
and then a “baby bust” (and marriage bust). Economists, demographers, sociologists and social historians, especially in America,
have developed theories to explain these phenomena.
Presented to the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, New Orleans, 21–23 April 1988. 相似文献
6.
There is an ambiguity in Amartya Sen’s capability approach as to what constitutes an individual’s resources, conversion factors
and valuable functionings. What we here call the “circularity problem” points to the fact that all three concepts seem to
be mutually endogenous and interdependent. To econometrically account for this entanglement we suggest a panel vector autoregression
approach. We analyze the intertemporal interplay of the above factors over a time horizon of 15 years using the BHPS data
set for Great Britain, measuring individual well-being in functionings space with a set of basic functionings, comprising
“being happy”, “being healthy”, “being nourished”, “moving about freely”, “being well-sheltered” and “having satisfying social
relations”. We find that there are indeed functionings that are resources for many other functionings (viz. “being happy”)
while other functionings (“being well-sheltered” and “having satisfying social relations”) are by and large independent, thus
shedding light on a facet of the capability approach that has been neglected so far. 相似文献
7.
Yoshitaka Iwasaki 《Social indicators research》2007,82(2):233-264
This paper aims at advancing the conceptualization of leisure as a contributor to quality of life (QOL) in an international
and multicultural context, based on an extensive and critical review of literature on leisure and QOL from a global, international
perspective. Given the central role of culture in conceptualizing this notion, this paper gives attention to various cultural
contexts world-wide. To illustrate the diversity of our societies, examples are introduced specifically from three culturally
unique contexts in this paper – i.e., Asian, Middle-East, and Indigenous contexts. Also, some examples are drawn from other
cultural groups in global and international contexts, particularly, in non-western contexts. Then, the final section of this
paper aims at integrating and synthesizing the knowledge gained from this review to develop a tentative/working proposition
about how leisure can contribute to QOL from international and cross-cultural perspectives. Specifically, based on such integration,
this paper identifies and describes major pathways linking leisure to QOL. Overall, an overarching theme common to almost
all cultural contexts examined appears to be the role of leisure-like activities as a context or space for creating meanings
which then help to promote the quality of people’s lives. Major pathways or mechanisms that can facilitate meaning-making
and life-quality-enhancement highlighted in this review include: (a) positive emotions and well-being experienced from leisure,
(b) positive identities and self-esteem gained from leisure, (c) social and cultural connections and a harmony developed through
leisure, and (d) leisure’s contribution to learning and human development across the life-span. Also, emphasized in this paper
is the role of leisure as a context for realizing and utilizing human strengths and resilience. It is important, however,
to stress that in people’s quest for a meaningful life, the benefits of meaning-making through leisure involve both “remedying
the bad” and “enhancing the good,” as shown throughout this paper. Despite these benefits, we should not ignore that leisure
experiences are socially and culturally constructed and shaped by the inequalities of society. Thus, the reality of power
imbalance and inequalities should be acknowledged and appropriately addressed socially, culturally, and politically. Particularly,
providing culturally relevant and meaningful leisure opportunities for less privileged population groups world-wide is clearly
a top priority. 相似文献
8.
Despina Moraitou Chrysa Kolovou Chrysa Papasozomenou Catherine Paschoula 《Social indicators research》2006,76(1):71-93
This study examined the relationship between hope as disposition, adaptation to old age, and individual-demographic factors.
One hundred and fifty older adults, aged 60–93 years old, completed the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale developed by Snyder
et al. [1991, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, pp. 570–585], and the Adaptation to Old Age Questionnaire
developed by Efklides et al. [2003, European Psychologist, 8, pp. 178–191]. Factor analyses revealed 2 factors for hope, “Pathways
Thought” and “Agency Thinking”, and 4 factors for adaptation to old age, “Health Comparison”, “General Adaptation/Self-Efficacy”,
“Self-Control”, and “Generativity”. Regression analyses showed that hope as pathways thought predicted all factors of adaptation,
whereas hope as agency thinking predicted only “General Adaptation/Self-Efficacy” and “Self-Control”. There were also some
effects of gender, education, marital status, place of residence, and health status on specific aspects of adaptation to old
age. 相似文献
9.
This study reviews the sustainable urban design concept and identifies critical factors for enhancing social sustainability
of urban renewal projects. Through a questionnaire survey carried out in Hong Kong, the opinions of architects, planners,
property development managers, and local citizens were sought and evaluated. The results derived from factor analysis indicated
that certain design features should be incorporated for achieving social sustainability. “Satisfaction of Welfare Requirements”,
“Conservation of Resources & the Surroundings”, “Creation of Harmonious Living Environment”, “Provisions Facilitating Daily
Life Operations”, “Form of Development” and “Availability of Open Spaces” were believed to be the significant underlying factors
for enhancing social sustainability of local urban renewal projects.
相似文献
Grace K. L. LeeEmail: |
10.
Richard J. Estes 《Social indicators research》2007,83(3):375-411
“Economies in Transition” (hereafter EIT or EITs) are countries in the process of shifting from “command” to “more open”,
liberalized, free market economic systems. In addition to achieving major structural adjustments to their economies, the transformational
process requires the introduction of a high degree of transparency in both the economic and political spheres of society.
The transfer of state assets to private ownership is one part of the process as well, as is the creation or opening of “political
space” that permits the emergence of private enterprise, multiparty political systems, and the introduction of a broad range
of non-governmental organizations that carry out missions and functions which people themselves prefer to perform. Thus, the
process of economic transformation requires a major socio-political-economic paradigm shift...one that places people and their
needs at the center of the transformational process. The process is extremely difficult to achieve and is fraught with many
dangers for countries that enter into it without substantial guidance from more economically advanced countries.
This paper reports on the social development successes and failures of 31 economies in transition over the 15-year period
1990–2005. Included in the analysis are EITs located in East and South East Asia (N = 5), Central and Eastern Europe (N = 10), all 12 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States including the Russian Federation (N = 12), Turkey (N = 1), and the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (N = 3). Using the author’s extensively pre-tested Weighted Index of Social Progress (WISP), the paper reports data at three
levels of analysis: (1) WISP performances for all 31 EITs-as-a-group; (2) sub-regional performances on the WISP and its component
sub-indexes for each of the six EIT sub-regions included in the analysis; and (3) country-specific performances on the WISP
for each of the 31 countries included in the analysis.
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2006 International Symposium and Lecture Series on Social Policy sponsored
by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and held on the campus of Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, 24–27 August,
2006. 相似文献
11.
Richard J. Estes 《Social indicators research》2010,98(3):363-402
World social development has arrived at a critical turning point. Economically advanced nations have made significant progress
toward meeting the basic needs of their populations; however, the majority of developing countries have not. Problems of rapid
population growth, failing economies, famine, environmental devastation, majority-minority group conflicts, increasing militarization,
among others, are pushing many developing nations toward the brink of social chaos. This paper focuses on worldwide development
trends for the 40-year period 1970–2009. Particular attention is given to the disparities in development that exist between
the world’s “rich” and “poor” countries as well as the global forces that sustain these disparities. The paper also discusses
more recent positive trends occurring within the world’s “socially least developed countries” (SLDCs), especially those located
in Africa and Asia, in reducing poverty and in promoting improved quality of life for increasing numbers of their populations. 相似文献
12.
This paper takes as its central thesis Martha Nussbaum’s normative proposition that social arrangements should be evaluated
primarily according to the extent of freedom people have to promote or achieve functionings they value. Using this as a lens
the paper explores the housing circumstances of older people in the UK. The paper makes three points. Firstly, given that
people use their homes to structure and manage their lives, the design, quality and standard of their home is therefore a
critical factor in determining their “doings and beings” [Sen: 1992, Inequality Re-examined (Clarendon Press, Oxford) p. 40].
Since older people are more likely to spend greater time within the home through lower income, lessening mobility or loss
of companions, this may be of greater significance to them than other age groups. Secondly the paper argues that the design
of “specialist” dwellings for older people where there is a shifting balance between housing and care has played a part in
shaping the thinking about the position and status of older people as well as providing a material context in which older
people live [Laws: 1994, Environment and Planning A 26: pp. 1787–1802]. This paper suggests that this context may alter or
deny many aspects of life that may be meaningful to individuals and therefore may inhibit rather than promote human flourishing.
The paper draws mainly on a small qualitative study in which older people spoke of their home and its meaning. Quotations
from this work are given in italics. 相似文献
13.
Increasingly national statistical agencies are being called upon to provide high quality data on a regular basis, to be used
by governments for evidence-based policy development. Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) give impetus to this, and
bring a prerequisite for comprehensive “poverty diagnosis”. Often the data that are required are not available, or are incomplete
while the concepts that are to be used may be ambiguous or require adaptation to local conditions. The poverty analysis of
Lesotho in this article represents a contribution towards the emerging culture of evidence-based policy-making in developing
countries in that it explores changes in key poverty-related social indicators. Techniques for dealing with poor data are
discussed and an approach to developing a poverty threshold adapted to the local conditions of Lesotho is described. 相似文献
14.
Dr. J. Mayone Stycos 《Population and environment》1995,16(3):205-219
Population projections depend on censuses, vital statistics and sample surveys, all of which have deficiencies that are most
marked in the less developed countries (LDCs). Long-range projections by international agencies have recently undergone major
revisions, while forecasts of the U.S. population have changed drastically over the past four years. The United Nations typically
prepares “high,” “medium” and “low” projections. Even the high projection contains optimistic assumptions about fertility
decline, while assumptions of constant or increasing fertility receive no serious attention. The paper suggests that high
and constant fertility projections should receive more attention from policy makers, with medium estimates treated more as
targets achievable only through considerable programmatic effort. At the same time, economic and social plans should be laid
for dealing with the population sizes implied by the “high” variants. 相似文献
15.
Labor supply responses and welfare effects from replacing current tax rules by a flat tax: Empirical evidence from Italy, Norway and Sweden 总被引:2,自引:1,他引:1
This paper employs a microeconometric framework to examine the labor supply responses and the welfare effects from replacing
current tax systems in Italy, Norway and Sweden by a flat tax on total income. The flat tax rates are determined so that the
tax revenues are equal to the revenues as of 1992. The flat tax rates vary from 23 per cent in Italy, 25 per cent in Norway,
to 29 per cent in Sweden. In all three countries the labor supply responses decline sharply with pre-reform disposable income.
The results show that the efficiency costs of the current tax systems relative to a flat tax may be rather high in Norway
and much lower, but positive, in Italy and Sweden. In all three countries “rich” households – defined by their pre-tax-reform
income – tend to benefit (in terms of welfare) more than “poor” households. In Italy and Sweden a majority will lose from
a shift to a flat tax, while in Norway a majority is predicted to win.
Received: 19 May 1998/Accepted: 02 July 1999 相似文献
16.
Amartya Sen 《Journal of population economics》1997,10(1):3-22
The people whose interests are most adversely affected by frequent bearing and rearing of children are young women. Social
changes that expand the decisional power of young women (such as expansion of female literacy, or enhancement of female employment
opportunity) can, thus, be major forces in the direction of reducing fertility rates. This “cooperative” route seems to act
more securely – and often much faster – than the use of “coercion” in reducing family size and birth rates. This essay examines
the comparative evidence from India and China on this subject as well as the interregional contrasts within India. JEL classification: J11, J13, O15
Received August 20, 1996/Accepted November 14, 1996 相似文献
17.
Demographic studies that search for signs of fertility transition in sub-Saharan Africa rarely examine the complex gamut of
individual aspirations and misgivings, hopes and frustrations, failures and triumphs that accompany the emerging declines
of fertility rates in the subcontinent. This study draws upon qualitative data collected in peri-urban areas of Maputo, Mozambique’s
capital and largest metropolis, to explore contradictory meanings and feelings surrounding changes in fertility intentions
and contraceptive choices. It argues that although changes in these two aspects of reproductive life are interrelated, they
are predicated on distinct types and configurations of external pressures and psychological apparatus, which is often manifested
as a puzzling disjunction between fertility preferences and contraceptive use. This disjunction can be further reinforced
by persistent gender divisions in reproductive views and strategies. Informal social interaction plays an important role in
building societal consensus over fertility matters, but because such interaction deals with reproductive intentions and contraceptive
use through largely different mechanisms, it may also help accentuate the intentions-contraception disjunction. This study’s
findings therefore call upon both researchers and policymakers to attend more closely to the multidimensionality of fertility
transitions in sub-Saharan societies and specifically to the complexities underlying such popular notions as “unmet need for
family planning,” “spacing” versus “limiting” births, or “spousal communication” on reproductive matters. 相似文献
18.
Child poverty has been widely discussed in Germany since the publication of the third official Poverty and Wealth Report of
the German government in 2008 which—inter alia—focused on the situation of children and families. However, child poverty is
not only caused by low household incomes and impacts of child poverty are not only restricted to financial consequences. The
capability approach takes into account this multidimensionality of well-being and poverty of children. It conceptualizes human
well-being as not only depending on financial means but also gives the same importance to the personal and social conversion
factors which determine how far financial means can be converted into personal well-being. Before 2008 the capability approach
had only been applied to the well-being of adults in Germany, but not specifically to the well-being of children. However,
there are several reasons why a capability analysis for children will differ from a capability analysis for adults. Adults’
capability sets comprise dimensions that are less relevant for small children while other valuable capabilities have to be
added. Furthermore the capability set depends to a large extent on the age of the child. The paper focuses on a multidimensional
poverty analysis in the capability perspective of 5–6 years old children. In the domains of “Education/Leisure”, “Health”,
“Social Participation” and “Income” child poverty is measured by predefined indicators. The relationship to the social and
personal conversion factors of the caretakers is then evaluated. Additionally, a multidimensional poverty measure is analyzed. 相似文献
19.
Like immigrants, aboriginal populations' economic success may be enhanced by the acquisition of skills and traits appropriate
to the “majority” culture in which they reside. Using 1991 Canadian Census data, we show that Aboriginal labour market success
is greater for Aboriginals whose ancestors intermarried with non-Aboriginals, for those who live off Indian reserves, and
for those who live outside the Yukon and Northwest Territories. While these three “facts” could also be explained by a combination
of other processes, such as discrimination, physical remoteness, and selection, only the skill/trait acquisition, or “assimilation”
hypothesis is consistent with all three.
Received: 04 August 1998/Accepted: 12 October 2000 相似文献
20.
Rebecca Smith 《Social indicators research》2008,88(1):197-213
Contingent, non-standard or “casual” work is present in large numbers in virtually every sector of the United States economy.
Staffing strategies that use subcontracted or contingent work – strategies that once characterized only some low-wage workers
such as garment and agriculture – have now spread to virtually every area of industry, including high tech and finance. United
States law is a patchwork of provisions in separate federal statutes – and sometimes in each of the 50 states – governing
whether a particular individual is an “employee.” Day laborers in the United States have particular challenging enforcing
their limited rights. To address the issues of vulnerable low-wage workers being locked out of labor protections, activists
have developed a number of strategies, including litigation and legislative campaigns. These strategies have more recently
been broadened to facilitate developing leadership in a new social movement. In this article I draw a portrait of the day
labor workforce from city- and state-based surveys of day laborers themselves. I then discuss strategies employed by day laborers
to advance their workplace rights.
相似文献
Rebecca SmithEmail: |