Sense of coherence and social support – Resources for subjective well-being and health of the aged in Finland

In this study we explored if the psychological and social resources of aged people (over 75 years) in Finland predict their subjective well-being and experienced state of health (n = 348). Data were taken from a larger Finnish survey on living conditions. Based on previous research on younger people we formed a model where morbidity, experienced quality of social support and sense of coherence together with economic resources are the predictors of both experienced state of health and subjective well-being. LISREL (8) path analysis was used to test the model. The model providing the most parsimonious explanation of the data suggested that a strong sense of coherence and high experienced quality of social relationships are strongly related to subjective well-being. Experienced state of health was associated with morbidity and subjective well-being, but there was no significant relationship between subjective well-being and morbidity.     

The Structure of Subjective Well-Being of Elderly Hispanics

This study examines the structure of a model of subjective well-being in an oversample of the elderly Hispanics from the data of a cross-sectional survey. The covariation among the items of the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) was viewed as a function of three correlated latent dimensions of subjective well-being including mood tone, zest for life and congruence. Confirmatory factor analysis via LlSREL VI was used to evaluate the measurement model of subjective well-being. The findings reveal that the model encompassing 10 observed items and three latent factors of subjective well-being was highly supported by the data. In addition, a second-order factor model of subjective well-being was not suitable for the data. Several important methodological issues are discussed.     

The dynamics of Human Development Index

In criticizing the nature of the Human Development Index, this paper proposes a different way of constructing the HDI in terms of capturing the pure flow of human development in the areas of material well-being, health, and education. Our comparison of the HDIF and the HDI shows that measuring human development with flow variables provides a better human development performance in terms of health and education than the traditional measure which is a mixture of stock and flow variables.     

Savings for Survivors: An Individual Development Account Program for Survivors of Intimate-Partner Violence

ABSTRACT

Survivors of domestic violence often remain in abusive relationships due to limited economic resources, economic dependence on an abusive partner, and economic abuse. Viewing women who have experienced domestic violence as “survivors” suggests that when provided access to appropriate resources, they will seek help and utilize such resources allowing them to increase their stability and potentially escape an abusive partner. Assets have been shown to have a variety of positive associations with a wide range of economic, social, and psychological outcomes. Economic initiatives, such as financial education and individual development accounts (IDAs), aimed toward survivors of domestic violence are on the rise. However, to date, there are few studies. Data on IDA activity, including savings rates, withdrawals, and asset purchases, for 125 women who participated in an IDA matched-savings program for survivors of intimate-partner violence were examined. Approximately 2/3 of women reached their savings goal and 76% made at least 1 matched-savings withdrawal and asset purchase. Results suggest survivors can be successful savers and purchase assets that may contribute to their economic stability. Implications are discussed, including the need for long-term studies to examine how participation in a matched-savings program affects women's well-being, safety, and future experiences of intimate-partner violence.     

The Development of State Welfare in the Asian NICs with Special Reference to Taiwan

This paper explores Taiwan's welfare development from its specific politico-economic situation. Although education and public health are well developed in Taiwan and social insurance is expanding to cover more and more Taiwanese people, the govenmental welfare effort is still too low to meet the welfare needs of the public. This is especially so given our discovery that military servicemen and related groups receive over 70% of the welfare expenditure of the central government while the disadvantaged receive only around 3%. Furthermore, political crises are often accompanied by a significant growth in social expenditure, implying that the purpose of state welfare is to maintain the stability of the Taiwanese state rather than to protect the well-being of Taiwanese people. Political isolation forces the Kuomintang (KMT) to secure Taiwan's role in the international community via economic growth. The development of state welfare cannot be allowed to have a negative effect on this highest priority. The limited resources, therefore, are allocated to economic goals as well as to the KMT–state apparatus in order to keep the KMT in power. However, the democratization of Taiwanese politics since the 1980s has forced the KMT to consolidate its legitimacy from the people and the improvement of social welfare is one measure for this purpose. Whether or not Taiwan becomes a Western-style welfare state through the expansion of state welfare in the near future, it furnishes a useful example with which to examine existing welfare theories.     

Patterns of Socialist Intensification

On the basis of economic intensification, the USSR is resolving strategic problems of major historical significance: the creation of the material and technological foundation of communism and the formation of a new, higher level of well-being. Intensification is at the same time a means of "close combat" and helps perform current economic tasks. In the first instance it primarily takes the form of implementing the most important attainments of the scientific and technological revolution, large-scale capital investment programs, and fundamental changes in technical retooling and the organization of labor. The performance of current tasks is based mainly on the optimal use of available productive capital and labor resources. The performance of all tasks is closely interconnected. Under the Eleventh Five-Year Plan the rational and economical use of natural, material, and labor resources is a decisive and very effective method of multiplying the nation's wealth and of securing the rapid growth of socialist accumulations and consumption resources.     

Generational Structure and Social Resources in Mid-Life: Influences on Health and Well-Being

The influence of generational structure on well-being in mid-life is examined in a regional representative sample of 807 adults aged 30–64. Results indicate that those who lack the personal and social resources of education and marriage, and have parents but no children, report higher levels of well-being than those with only child(ren) or both parent(s) and child(ren). Findings suggest that elders may serve as a key resource to adult children who lack personal and social resources in mid-life. Adults increasingly follow less traditional paths in life (e.g., those without children and/or never married), and hence, these findings have implications for current and future policies directed toward aging and family well-being.     

The efficacy of prevention: improving the status of children in southern Africa

Population size is growing rapidly in southern Africa in the context of constrained resources, sociopolitical turmoil, and weak economies. Child health suffers as a result. Smaller families and a reduced rate of population growth would, however, reduce the level of demand upon available resources. A comparatively greater share of resources would therefore be available for investment in each child. It tends to be taboo to publicly endorse population control in southern Africa. It is instead common practice in Africa to attach great value to large-sized families. These prevailing religious, cultural, political, and ideological beliefs opposed to political control over fertility should be respected. In the interest of maximizing child survival, however, people in the region must begin to understand that the large-family norm is outdated and that they should try to understand when population control policies can be effective. Indeed, the economic and political situations in the region warrant the discussion of population control mechanisms, with understanding in the interest of communal well-being rather than individual self-determination.     

Social protection for happiness? The impact of social pension reform on subjective well-being of the Korean elderly

Expanding the scope of the traditional indicators used to assess economic progress with measures of subjective well-being has been of growing importance in policy modeling. A recent Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi report argued that policy decisions and welfare evaluations should be approached from a broader perspective on well-being and take into account metrics derived from self-reports of living conditions. To this end, we evaluate the efficacy of the 2014 social pension reform in South Korea using various measures of subjective well-being. The South Korean government introduced a basic old-age pension in 2008 and doubled its monthly benefits in 2014. The reform in 2014 represents one of the largest social welfare expansions in South Korean history, with an aim to improve seniors’ quality of life. Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we estimate a matched difference-in-differences model that isolates the causal effects of the benefit increase attributable to the reform. Results show that the reform was associated with an average of 4.8–5.7% increase in financial satisfaction among beneficiaries, and that this correlation was more pronounced for retirees, seniors above age 70, and those at the bottom of wealth distribution. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that satisfaction with health status, parent-child relationship, and overall quality of life has improved in response. Our findings are in contrast to the past evidence on objective welfare gains associated with pension expansion. Taken together this study calls for the use of self-reported well-being data in policy evaluation.     

Child well-being through different lenses: why concept matters

'Well-being' has entered policy rhetoric in children's services in the UK and other Western developed countries as a companion to other buzzwords of recent years. In order to improve children's well-being, we need not only a better understanding of what it is and how services can improve it, but also the ability to measure child well-being in order to evaluate success. This paper explores conceptually and empirically the 'lenses' through which child well-being is often viewed. It considers the relationships between these perspectives, the added value that each one brings and the implications for services.     

Depressive Symptoms and Economic Outcomes of Low-Income Women: A Review of the Social Causation, Social Selection, and Interactionist Hypotheses

We review research that connects depression and depressive symptoms to employment and economic factors for low-income women. Women who have low incomes and are unemployed or underemployed are vulnerable to mental health distress. The strain of balancing work and family life can be exacerbated by poor psychological health or nonsufficient economic resources. Research on the barriers that impede self-sufficiency can lead to policies that improve the economic and psychological health of low-income populations.
The discussion is framed by contrasting evidence for three theoretical perspectives: the social causation, social selection, and interactionist (bidirectional) hypotheses. The only causal relation reported is an effect of increased income on reduced depressive symptoms. Yet strong associations are found among psychological distress, earnings, employment stability, income, and job characteristics. The effects of programs to increase employment and the benefits of (and barriers to) depression treatment are also discussed. A bidirectional or interactionist perspective best conceptualizes the relationship between depression and economic factors. The reported negative effects of both poor mental well-being and low-quality employment suggest the need for stronger policies in the areas of mental health and work supports. We present policy recommendations addressing mental health treatment and outreach, employment placement, and workplace flexibility.     

Factors associated with the positive well-being of grandparents caring for their grandchildren

Prior research on grandparent caregivers has focused on stress, depression, and other negative outcomes. This paper describes research on factors that are associated with grandparents' positive well-being. In particular, it investigated the extent to which the perception of grandparental stress and grandparents' resources are associated with grandparents' well-being, after controlling for sociodemographic and health factors. A sample of 129 grandparents had individual interviews. Using a hierarchical block multiple regression analysis, the authors found that a low perception of stress related to caring for grandchildren and resources were responsible for a high level of wellbeing. The findings of this study suggest that social workers can best help grandparent caregivers by lowering their perception of stress and enhancing their informal supports and community resources. This can be incorporated into supportive, strengths-based individual or family counseling.     

Impact of Community on Personal Well-Being in Urban China

ABSTRACT

As the work-unit system fell after economic reform in China, neighborhoods replaced work units as the primary provider of vital social services for the urban population and became a new social space for enhancing the quality of people's well-being. This study examined the neighborhood characteristics that influenced personal well-being of residents. Drawn by multistage sampling and administered by face-to-face interviews, the survey included a sample of 976 participants from 31 neighborhoods in urban Shanghai. Results indicate that neighboring behaviors enhanced subjective well-being of the young and middle-aged residents but had no impact on older people. Sense of community, on the other hand, was found to contribute to well-being of all age groups and was particularly strong among older people in more deprived neighborhoods. Findings inform development of community practice strategies for vitalizing community efficacy and fostering individual well-being in urban China. Recommendations for future research are made using the results of this study.     

A Study of Youth Services Networks from a Political-Economy Perspective

ABSTRACT

Volunteers play a vital role in modern societies by boosting the labor force within both the public and private sectors. While the factors that may lead people to volunteer have been investigated in a number of studies, the means by which volunteering contributes to the well-being of such volunteers is poorly understood. It has been suggested through studies that focus on the absence of depression in volunteers that self-esteem and sense of control may be major determinants of the increased well-being reported by volunteers. This is consistent with the homeostatic model of subjective well-being, which proposes that self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control act as buffers that mediate the relationship between environmental experience and subjective well-being (SWB). Using personal well-being as a more positive measure of well-being than absence of depression, this study further explored the possible mediating role of self-esteem, optimism, and perceived control in the relationship between volunteer status and well-being. Participants (N = 1,219) completed a 97-item survey as part of the Australian Unity Wellbeing project. Variables measured included personal well-being, self-esteem, optimism, and a number of personality and psychological adjustment factors. Analyses revealed that perceived control and optimism, but not self-esteem, mediated the relationship between volunteer status and personal well-being.     

Psychological Thriving Among Latinas With Chronic Illness

This study utilizes a 3-year longitudinal design to explore factors that promote thriving among Latinas facing multiple adversity: poverty and chronic illness (specifically, arthritis). From a thriving paradigm, focus is placed on understanding the positive growth and thriving experiences reported by respondents, as well as the social, cultural, and personal resources that promote thriving. In the baseline interview, we employed a qualitative methodology to understand women's experiences of thriving. Women reported a variety of such experiences, the most frequent being enhanced appreciation of life. In the follow-up study, we created a thriving scale based on responses generated at the initial interview and prior research, then examined which of a number of social/cultural and personal factors predicted thriving 3 years after the initial assessment. Only measures of competence (self-esteem and self-efficacy) and psychological well-being were related to thriving. Path analyses testing the causal sequence of these variables revealed that negative affect contributed to decreased self-efficacy and self-esteem, but it did not have a direct or indirect effect on thriving. Greater self-esteem positively predicted thriving. In contrast, positive affect did not contribute to either measure of competence, but had a direct effect on thriving. Results suggest that psychological well-being (not ill-being) promotes thriving.     

Age Cohort, Ancestry, and Immigrant Generation Influences in Family Relations and Psychological Well-Being among Black Caribbean Family Members

Immigration is contributing to the U.S. population becoming increasingly ethnically diverse. This article examines the role of family relations and well-being among different generations of Black Caribbean immigrants. Family disruptions, such as migration, can have complex effects on the support networks and emotional well-being of family members. Data from a recently completed national study of American Blacks in the United States, however, reveal significant similarities across ancestry and immigrant status in family contact, solidarity and well-being. It is concluded that intrafamilial relations may serve to overcome barriers of geographical distance in providing comparable levels of contact, solidarity, and well-being for both U.S.-born and immigrant Black Caribbean family members of different generations. Because of the increasing numbers of immigrant elders, these sources of family support will become increasingly more important in bridging the gaps between government resources and needed assistance in an aging society.     

Understanding poverty and unemployment on the Olympic Peninsula after the Spotted Owl

Conserving the natural ecology of an area through environmental restrictions has become increasingly common. The harvest limitations on national forests in the habitat of the Northern Spotted Owl in the 1990s are a well-known example. The controversy that ensued with this listing quickly became framed as one of jobs versus the environment, a contention that often characterizes conservation efforts. This contention is closely tied to export-based economic theory which assumes that a rural area's natural resource commodity base is the most important factor in economic development and community well-being. However, other factors could impact well-being including a prior period of industrial restructuring, the presence of minorities, and mitigating factors such as increasing educational attainment, retirement migration and commuting patterns. Focusing on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, I use panel regression to examine the power of indicators of these different factors to explain poverty and unemployment rates on the peninsula in 2000. Industrial restructuring and the presence of minorities are the only significant explanatory variables for poverty. The presence of minorities is the only significant variable for unemployment rates.     

Changing society's DNA codes: Democracy and the global movement for community progress measures

This paper examines some critical issues and opportunities for democracy and public policy posed by the growth of the global progress measurement movement. From the democratic perspective, these include: citizen progress measurement as a form of democratic re‐engagement; the re‐examination of democracy and the development of new indicators to define and measure a ‘healthy’ democracy; and the demonstration of clear linkages between healthy regimes, and broader individual and societal wellbeing. In public policy, the global movement challenges two long dominant assumptions: the primacy of continuous economic growth as the key driver of wellbeing; and the ‘inevitability of progress‘. In their place, it offers a more holistic, integrated and nuanced model that recognises the interdependence of economic, social, cultural, environmental and democratic dimensions for genuine wellbeing, progress and sustainability. The paper reviews work in Australia over the past decade at both local community and national levels as examples of these trends, including the development of citizen‐engaged community planning and neighbourhood renewal schemes in which progress and wellbeing indicators play a central role; the development of state‐wide local progress measurement frameworks as part of a commitment to devolved planning and stronger local democracy; and the evolution of national progress measurement systems. The paper concludes with a proposal for a broad community engaged National Development Index (NDI) for Australia.     

Age Differences in Stressors,Coping Resources,and General Well-Being Among Korean Immigrants

ABSTRACT

 This study explored 346 Korean immigrants living in California to examine: a) differences in stressors, coping resources, and general well-being (anxiety, depression, positive well-being, self-control, vitality, and general health) between younger (18–64 years old) and older (65–96 years old) Korean immigrants; and b) differences in associations of stressors and coping resources with general well-being in the 2 groups. Results revealed that the older immigrants experienced higher levels of socioeconomic stressors and psychological/physical problems. In addition, English-language problems, low education, and financial difficulties were more consistently associated with lower levels of general well-being in the older immigrants than in the younger immigrants. Social support, religious practice, and spiritual coping were more likely to alleviate the detrimental consequences of stressors on general well-being in the older immigrants than in the younger immigrants. To improve the general well-being of older Korean immigrants, the results suggest: a) emphasis of social and health care services with bilingual capability; b) improved social support systems; and c) utilization of spiritual assessments and interventions. Future research should extend the current study with longitudinal data of a more generalizable sample of Korean immigrants.     

北京与周边地区基于环境保护的区域合作机制研究

区域合作是推动京津冀区域协调发展及一体化的重要举措,同时也是解决北京及周边地区环境保护问题的重要手段。本文通过分析北京与周边地区的经济环境关系以及区域合作、特别是水资源合作的现状,发现了二者在生态环境与产业领域合作中存在的一些突出问题,例如合作项目的前瞻性不足、缺乏统一规划、区域合作信息收集与服务水平较低等。针对这些问题,本文在分析其原因的基础上,构建了北京与周边地区区域合作机制的主体框架,并提出了解决前述问题的若干建议。