论农民工在金融危机下的弹性就业应对机制

从长时段的生命历程来看,农民工会依循年龄的层级不断变换工种,直至最后回村务农,这意味着村庄在同一时间点通过农民的年龄分层构成了并存的＂外出流＂与＂返乡流＂。在宏观经济下行时,年龄处于返乡期的农民工提前回村,而当经济回暖时,他们中的一部分又会到城市寻找工作。在以＂年＂为单位的时间循环中,不同年龄段的村民通过土地使用权的流转形成了动态的分工,乡村社会呈现出富有弹性的就业格局,从而在经济波动中具备了一定的承受能力。     

Employment programs for people with psychiatric disability: the case for change

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of disability employment policy in assisting people with psychiatric disability to find, or return to, paid work. We argue that the poor employment outcomes from current programs establish the need for a paradigmatic shift in the form of a state‐provided Job Guarantee (JG) for people with psychiatric disability. In the absence of measures to generate suitable jobs, forthcoming changes to the eligibility criteria for Disability Support Pension will create risks rather than opportunities. Under the JG, the Federal Government would maintain a ‘buffer stock’ of minimum wage, public sector jobs to provide secure paid employment for this highly disadvantaged group. The role of the state in this alternative model is two fold. First, the state must provide the quantum of JG jobs required. Second, the state must ensure the design of jobs is flexible enough to meet the heterogeneous and variable support needs of workers. This will require effective integration of the JG scheme with mental health, rehabilitation and employment support services.     

Who is Jobless? A Comparison of Joblessness in Rural and Urban Areas in China

Since market‐oriented economic reform was launched in China in the 1980s, unemployment has been recognized by the government. This paper focuses on the differences in joblessness in rural and urban areas between rural migrant workers, peasants, and urban citizens. The results indicate that people in rural areas frequently lose their jobs, which differs from the traditional perception. There is a significantly lower jobless rate in urban areas. In contrast to the results of previous studies, the employment situation of rural migrant workers is closer to urban citizens rather than peasants. Logistic regression results show that the elderly, women, and less educated citizens have a higher likelihood of joblessness, both in urban and rural areas. Minorities have a lower likelihood of joblessness in rural areas and a higher likelihood in urban areas. Chinese Communist Party members and people without dependent children have a lower likelihood of joblessness in urban areas.     

Welfare program participation among rural‐to‐urban migrant workers in China

Xu Q, Guan X, Yao F. Welfare program participation among rural‐to‐urban migrant workers in China Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 10–21 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare. An estimated 225 million Chinese people have migrated to cities from China's rural areas over the past two decades. These rural‐to‐urban migrant workers have greatly challenged China's welfare system. The pre‐reform welfare system was a duel scheme with an urban–rural distinction in which rural residents were not covered by state‐run welfare programs and had to rely on their families and rural collectives. The development of employment‐based social insurance programs in 1999 made social welfare programs available for rural‐to‐urban migrant workers. Using an anonymous survey conducted in seven cities across China in 2006, we found that social insurance program participation rates were low among rural‐to‐urban migrant workers. Individual factors, including lack of knowledge of welfare programs and of a willingness to participate, and macro‐level factors, including type of employer and industry, are critical in determining migrant workers' participation in welfare programs. Implications for policies and practice are discussed.     

‘You don't want to be a check‐out chick all your life’: The out‐migration of young people from Australia's small rural towns

Globalisation and changes in agriculture have resulted in major social changes in inland Australia. Depopulation of the inland has led many to speculate on the future of rural towns and rural people. This paper will examine population drifts from country towns to cities and from the inland to the coastal regions and, in particular, the out‐migration of young people. In doing this, the paper focuses on several small towns in central New South Wales that have been the subject of intensive study during 2000 and 2001. Drawing on analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, in‐depth interviews and focus groups with key informants and surveys with young people and their parents in small rural communities the paper will report on the loss of young people and the greater loss of young women from these areas. It is argued that this outmigration of young people is linked to the need to seek higher education and also to the loss of full‐time jobs for young people. The loss of these jobs is the result of changes in agricultural production, labour market restructuring and a withdrawal of public and private sector services. It is further argued that current reliance by governments on market based and community self‐help solutions is not enough to provide a future for rural communities. Even if economic growth occurs this will not solve the problem of loss of young people, and the greater loss of young women, nor will it address the issue of access to education and training. Rather far greater attention to human capital (access to education, training and employment), institutional capital (government and non‐government services and infrastructure) and social capital (strong networks) is needed if Australia's small rural towns are to survive and flourish.     

Job Satisfaction in the Workplace

This study examines the relative importance of background, perception, and organizational variables in explaining differences in job satisfaction levels of black female managers in human-service agencies. Correlational analysis revealed that nine out of twenty independent variables were significantly related to the level of job satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis revealed a six variable predictive model for job satisfaction. Implications of the findings for organizational policies and programs are discussed.     

Role of AKRSP on Gender Development: A Case Study in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

In Pakistan, nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) play an important role in program implementation. This study focuses on the contribution of one of these NGO social service programs that serves women in a rural area of Pakistan. To assess program satisfaction and effectiveness, 200 females were surveyed to measure their opinions and overall satisfaction with this particular NGO. The key findings of the study showed that the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) had a significant positive impact on the lives of these women through increasing social and decision-making skills while improving their income and living standards by providing employment opportunities and training. Future recommendations are made to continue to sponsor such programs that focus on a group-support for women while also providing supportive services that empower decision-making and economic standing.     

Predictors of Children's Rights Attitudes and Psychological Well‐being Among Rural and Urban Mainland Chinese Adolescents

This study examined rural and urban Chinese adolescents’ (13–19 years, N = 395) attitudes toward children's self‐determination and nurturance rights, and how these attitudes relate to various dimensions of socialization in their family and school environments, including perceptions of parental and teacher autonomy support and responsiveness and family and school democratic climate. Relations between these variables and psychological well‐being also were examined. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that maternal responsiveness and teacher autonomy support predicted higher levels of endorsement of nurturance rights. Maternal autonomy support and tolerance of dissent at home predicted greater endorsement of self‐determination rights. Democratic climate in the home predicted higher life‐satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms, even when parent and teacher autonomy support and responsiveness were controlled. Our findings suggest that environments that are structured more democratically and that are more responsive to children's autonomy needs are associated with higher levels of endorsement of children's rights and contribute to adolescents’ psychological health and well‐being in a non‐Western culture.     

流动：农村家庭消费观念现代化的动力——基于中西部五省的实证研究

基于2005年初在中西部五省所展开的调查，本文主要探讨了农民大批进城工作的流动经历对农村家庭消费观念的影响。分析发现：这种经历有助于推动农村家庭消费观念的现代化。而且，不同的流动经历所产生的这种影响的大小又有一定的区别。此外，流动这一单一因素对农村家庭消费观念现代化转变的影响又是有限的，要完全实现这种转变还取决于其他多种因素。     

Assessment of a Group Intervention Model for Facilitating Movement of Needy Aged into Unsubsidized Employment

The Senior Community Employment Program is a federally subsidized employment and job mining program for needy older workers. A primary aim is to move some enrollees through the program into unsubsidized employment. To facilitate this aim, an intervention involving social group work principles was designed to enhance self-esteem and self-confidence of enrollees by means of didactic teaching through role playing and discussion. A pilot study of the intentention was implemented, using eleven enrollees for the experimental group with a matched sample of enrollees as a control group. Results demonstrated that the group intervention was effective in altering behavior.     

A qualitative evaluation of an innovative resilience‐building camp for young carers

Young carers are at increased risk of developing mental health and social problems. The objective was to pilot a camp‐based resilience‐building programme for young carers. Twelve young carers (12 to 14 years) recruited from Carers Queensland attended a 3‐day resilience‐building camp adapted from the Resourceful Adolescent Program. One month after the camp, carers participated in a semi‐structured telephone interview. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Two key themes emerged. The first, coping self‐efficacy, included subthemes of affect regulation, interpersonal skills, and recognition of strengths and coping ability. The second key theme, social benefits, included opportunities for respite and social engagement. Overall, participants reported enjoying the camp and would recommend it to other young carers, yet they were able to provide some suggestions to improve future camps. Implementing an integrative resilience‐building program such as the Resourceful Adolescent Program in a camp format shows promise as a way of both engaging and benefiting young carers, as well as selective populations more generally.     

The quest for sustainable employment: Challenges faced by young people during the job‐search process

Young people who are unable to find and sustain employment are at risk for long‐term social and economic exclusion. Active labour market policies (ALMPs) addressing the problem of youth unemployment have focused on building the employability skills of young job seekers to expand their employment opportunities. Yet research exploring how young people navigate the job‐search process is limited. Drawing on interviews with young Australian job seekers and their employment consultants, this article addresses the questions of how young people navigate entry into employment through the job‐search process and what challenges they face. The study revealed three common frustrations experienced by the young people during their job‐search: employers' expectations of relevant work experience in the young person's preferred occupation, being required to apply for jobs not aligned with their career aspirations, and the impact of personal factors on their ability to confidently present themselves to prospective employers. The findings highlight the need for ALMPs and employers to facilitate positive employability support mechanisms that will build a stable platform from which young people can build a trajectory towards sustainable employment to reduce long‐term youth unemployment.     

The interaction effects of scheduling control and work–life balance programs on job satisfaction and mental health

Jang SJ, Park R, Zippay A. The interaction effects of scheduling control and work–life balance programs on job satisfaction and mental health Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 135–143 © 2010 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare. The demands of balancing employment and family responsibilities strain the health and welfare of many employees worldwide, and social welfare policy analysts are increasingly attending to the factors that can alleviate such stress. The present study examined associations between the availability of work–life balance programs, employees' authority to arrange their own work hours, job satisfaction, and mental health among 1,293 employees in 50 companies in South Korea. The study is unique in its use of multilevel analysis in examining individual‐ and company‐level variables. The results add to the evidence regarding the positive relationship between the availability of scheduling control and work–life balance policies on the one hand, and job satisfaction and mental wellbeing, on the other.     

Quality attributes of home help services in Sweden and Canada – a consumer view

The ranking pattern of quality attributes among the respondents of the sample from Canada was very different from those comprising the sample from Sweden. Both samples were drawn from city populations and some similarities were expected. In Sweden, continuity and personal suitability (personal qualities and professional competence) were the most important general quality attributes followed by personal relationship, times/availability and influence. The Canadian sample ranked personal suitability and the time/availability variables as the most important quality attributes followed by influence, continuity and personal relationship. Background factors linked to each sample appeared to affect the ranking pattern. In the Swedish sample, the ranking pattern was affected mainly by the same independent background variable, while in the Canadian sample the ranking pattern was a little more diversified. There were also differences in the satisfaction arising from home help services received by the two samples. The Swedish sample generally experienced a higher level of satisfaction for individual attributes of home help, but overall satisfaction with the home helper and the home services were similar, with both groups being "rather to very satisfied". Good subjective health in the Swedish group was significantly related to positive overall judgment of the home help. In the Canadian population, high age and low charge for the home help services were significantly related to positive evaluation of the home help. The policy implications of the results for the future are discussed.     

Urbanization in China and the Coordinated Development Model—The case of Chengdu

China's urbanization faces two greatest difficulties of creating non-farm jobs to “landless farmers” and providing required amenities and social services to urbanites-to-be. In the earlier phase of development, TVE employment had provided important relief to the job pressure. Later, the “Small-city Strategy” that emphasized forming towns and small cities around where rural population resided successfully deterred rural population's entry into large cities. Today, China is implementing a Coordinated Development between the urban and rural sectors, aiming to reach a balanced development between the two sectors by making not only large cities more welcoming to rural migrants but also the small cities, towns, and areas where rural population now reside harder to leave. At the core of the coordination are three concentrations of rural residents, farmland, and firms, intended to help rural residents to settle in large cities, small cities and towns, as well as new residential areas in the countryside, to de-segment land to realize economies of scale, and to gather firms of a same industry in organized industrial areas to gain agglomeration economies and create non-farm jobs. This article examines the trajectory of China's urbanization, analyzes the working mechanism of the Coordinated Development model, and investigates Chengdu's practice of the Coordinated Development, which will help to provide insights into the new developments in China's urbanization.     

Welfare to What? After Workfare in Toronto

An employment survey among people in Toronto who left Ontario Works — a classic "work-first" regime — shows clear secondary labour market status. Most interventions typical of work-first programmes did not have a positive effect on job quality: contrary to the "stepping stones" theory that poor initial jobs lead to better jobs, those who changed jobs after leaving assistance experienced poorer job quality. A shift in orientation to "sustainable employment" is required to address the employment needs of those on social assistance. Policy must also address the fact that the social assistance caseload includes a size able group that face significant barriers to employment other than education or skills.     

Community Service Use by Older Adults: The Roles of Sociocultural Factors in Rural–Urban Differences

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of sociocultural factors in explaining the rural–urban differences in home and community-based service (HCBS) use among older adults. Survey data of 228 older adults living in Alabama were analyzed. Sociocultural factors included participants’ perceptions of service availability, attitudes toward seeking formal help, informal support, and religious behaviors. Rural older adults were less likely to use HCBS than their urban counterparts (p < .05). An interaction effect between perceived service availability and church attendance was found. These findings suggest a need for collaborations between community aging services with religious organizations to ensure existing programs are accessible to older adults living in rural areas. Future research based upon large probability samples is needed to shed more light on the relation between church attendance and service use.     

Is Pesticide Use Socially Acceptable? A Comparison between Urban and Rural Settings

Objective . This study examines key factors that are identified as theoretically probable influences on levels of public acceptance of pesticide use. Research questions were generated about the relationship between levels of acceptability of pesticide use and measures of trust in information about pesticides from various sources, perceptions of the safety of pesticides, concerns about exposure, personal experiences with pesticides, place of residence (urban/rural), and several other demographic variables. Methods . These factors were examined using data gathered in a random-sample, self-completion survey of residents in urban and rural areas in a northern Utah county. Results . Bivariate analysis indicates significant differences between urban and rural respondents that disappear when examined in multivariate analyses. The perception of the safety of pesticides is the variable most strongly associated with levels of acceptability of pesticide use. Conclusions . Personal experience with pesticides is more important than residency in predicting acceptability levels. Trust is a significant predictor for perceptions of safety, but not for acceptability.     

Turnover in the Child Welfare Workforce: A Different Perspective

ABSTRACT

Child welfare agencies across the country are experiencing a workforce crisis involving high staff turnover rates. The purpose of this study was to determine which of the organizational, personal, and supervisory variables identified in prior research on this topic are most associated with intent to leave among employees in urban and rural child welfare settings. Four-hundred-and-forty-seven employees in 13 child welfare agencies participated in a survey addressing organizational, personal, and supervisory factors related to turnover. ANOVA, logistical regression, and structural equation modeling were used in the data analysis. The organizational and supervisory variables identified as significant in the logistic regression, as in earlier research, were not significant when the data were subjected to structural equation modeling. Instead, findings suggest that career satisfaction and satisfaction with paperwork are the key determinants of workers' intention to stay.     

Urban–rural disparity in the satisfaction with public sports services: Survey-based evidence in China

As part of the national project of advancing citizens’ fitness and developing mass sports in China, public sports services (PSS) have been implemented rapidly throughout the country. However, how citizens of different social backgrounds evaluate PSS is still an open question. Drawing on the survey data from the Study of Community Sports in China collected in 2012, this article detects a significant urban–rural disparity in the satisfaction with PSS. Relative to urbanites, rural residents show a significantly lower level of satisfaction with PSS. This urban–rural difference primarily concentrates on the provision of supporting services such as sports consulting, but least on the availability and price. In terms of regional variations, the rural–urban gap in the satisfaction of PSS is less severe in eastern provinces, relative to either middle or western provinces. Implications of the urban–rural differential in the appraisal of PSS are discussed.