The impact of privatization and change of social security systems upon living conditions of east German households

After the collapse of the communist regime East Germany became the prime example of a ‘Big Bang’ strategy of transformation. Rapid marketization and privatization brought about a disastrous economic downturn. But immense transfer payments from West Germany and the import of a well‐developed system of social security institutions accompanied the transformation, minimizing social costs. This article summarizes the main developments and analyzes their impact on the living conditions of East German households. The indicators presented cover labour force participation, business activities and economic inactivity in the household context; relative income position, poverty, income inequality and the self‐assessment of income changes; consumption and livelihood. The article reveals both the different experiences of gains and losses within East German society and the (in some respects) advantageous position of East German households compared with households in Hungary, Poland, and the Czech and Slovak Republics.     

"No TEBA...forget TEBA": the plight of Malawian ex-migrant workers to South Africa, 1988-1994

"This article is about the process of socioeconomic transformation in rural Malawi. It examines the survival strategies and enterprising spirit of Malawian migrant workers and their households. It argues that the strategies of these people often went beyond survival in the provision of basic necessities.... In March 1988, the South African Chamber of Mines stopped a century-old tradition of recruiting migrant workers from Malawi. This has arrested and put to a halt a process of accumulation taking place in the households of the returned migrant workers in the rural economy. Thus, the effects of the retrenchment of the workers will spread from the migrant and his family through the economic and social wellspring of all sectors of rural communities and their commercial lives."     

Patterns of household immigration into South Texas

This article examines Mexican migration into South Texas in recent decades and focuses on changes in the characteristics of the migrants' households. An ethnographic approach is used in examining 56 permanent, immigrant households. "This article introduces a hypothesis for explaining the increase and permanency of household immigration." It is found that "immigration often leads to downward social mobility with respect to legal status of household members, type of employment, and property ownership. Of particular note is the transformation of the household from a single to a multiple worker unit, in response to agricultural labor demands and growing employment opportunities in the non-agricultural sector."     

The Role of Lumber Networks in Forest Devastation: Economic Sociology of Rural Forest Household Business in Japan

In this article, I utilize the perspectives of economic sociology to examine the structural background of forest devastation in Japan. First, I explore the factors behind cited problems for the forestry industry and demonstrate that expanded imports of inexpensively priced foreign-sourced logs do not sufficiently explain those issues. On that basis, I then demonstrate that the concepts and analytical tools offered by economic sociology are essential to a full understanding of relevant problems. Next, to understand how the current crisis differs from that experienced by forestry households in the 1980s, I turn my focus to changes in the social networks that supported the trade in wood products. The crisis witnessed a transformation that involved disembedding sawmills from the traditional wood trading networks that had relied on cooperative ties with forestry households. Eventually, social relationships between forestry households and sawmills were severed and these households became unable to address their economic difficulties through their existing practices. Given that context, I then examine the contrasting economic behavior of sawmills and forestry households and demonstrate that exposure to global price competition forced forestry households into uncontrolled over-cutting. Finally, I assert that economic sociology is better able to provide a more precise understanding of the true nature of the problems facing forestry in modern-day Japan than conventional economics with its adherence to the useful but insufficient principles of market competition and economic efficiency.     

Continuity or rupture? Roma/Gypsy communities in rural and urban environments under post-socialism

The aim of the article is to contribute to existing research and debates on social change associated with the post-socialist transformation in Eastern and Central Europe. It does so by drawing attention to and examining the diversity of ways in which such change has been lived through and reflected upon by members of Roma (Gypsy) communities living in urban and rural environments. Drawing on ethnographic research amongst excluded and segregated Roma in the ‘ghettos’ of Czech cities and in rural ‘Gypsy settlements’ in the Slovak countryside, the author notes a striking difference between how members of these communities, belonging to the same extended families, lived through and reflect upon the post-socialist transformation. While the members of the Roma communities living in Czech cities perceive the post-socialist transformation as one of the most dramatic ruptures in their life trajectories, the rural Roma do not seem to have been affected as deeply and dramatically, and their life trajectories seem to be framed by different events than those directly associated with the market transition. The paper analyses and explains the social and historical conditions that (co)produce the sense of rupture or continuity in the life trajectories of members of Roma communities exposed to urban and rural environments.     

THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION AND THE UNSECURED CREDIT MARKET

The information technology (IT) revolution coincided with the transformation of the U.S. unsecured credit market. Households' borrowing increased rapidly and there was an even faster increase in bankruptcy filings. A risk of default model with asymmetric information and costly screening is introduced to study this period. When information costs are high, the design of contracts under private information prevents some households from borrowing with a risk of default. As information costs drop, households borrow more and bankruptcy filings increase. Quantitative exercises suggest that the IT revolution may have played an important role in the transformation of the unsecured credit market. (JEL E43, E44, G33)     

Oasis in a concrete jungle: arts-informed methods in social work classrooms

This article presents a qualitative arts-informed inquiry on teaching and learning in social work education. Using arts-informed research methodology and grounded theory methodology, the research analyses ten interviews of social work educators in two Canadian provinces. This article focused on how university educators use arts-informed methods of teaching about social justice through anti-racist and decolonizing lenses; also discussed are the educators’ personal and professional transformation and development within this process. The main findings discuss the importance of creating an ‘artful’ space as a platform for experiential, embodied and emotive learning, which offers an innovative, more holistic and comprehensive way of teaching social justice. This way of teaching emphasizes personal transformation, giving space to marginalized voices and expression; as well as collective co-creation of meaning and creating practical tools for future social change. The study also touches upon challenges and gaps in using an arts-informed approach, which include student resistance to alternative ways of education, expressed specifically by racialized educators and ambiguity related to assessing artful works in an academic setting. The paper ends with recommendations for social work education.     

Structural funds the challenge for sustainable development and regional disparity in the Slovak Republic

The countries of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone unprecedented political and economic changes since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The EU responded by providing political and financial support for the difficult transformation of these countries and refocused its policies towards the strategy of preparing associate countries for membership. This strategy, commonly known as the ‘pre‐accession strategy’, has three main instruments: European Agreements, structured dialogue and the PHARE programme. After a short delay in the negotiation process caused by political instability, the Slovak Republic has been offered membership in the EU, together with nine other candidates, in May 2004.

The transition process from a command‐and‐control economy to a market economy and a democratic society addressed the issue of the numerous differences in the regions in the Slovak Republic. The high disparity in economic development and low competitiveness of the regions with a resultant dramatic rise in unemployment in a number of ‘low‐income regions’ are some of the major observations. Rather than a result of its rural character alone, the main reason for regional disparity in the Slovak Republic is the deformation of historical relationships in rural areas as a result of industrialization and the intensification of agriculture in the command‐and‐control economy of the past. This led to a distortion of traditional farming habits as well as environmental damage to agricultural land and forests. In addition, the environmental infrastructure (sewerage, water treatment, etc.) is underdeveloped in these regions. Environmental protection and its infrastructure thus play a significant role in the regional disparity of the Slovak Republic and the approximation of the Slovak Republic in the environmental sector can provide double dividends for these low‐income regions. This paper analyses the above‐mentioned regional disparities and tries to identify reasons and measures particularly regarding sustainable development. It also discusses the pre‐accession period failures and successes that can be taken as a learning experience in regard to the financial opportunities of Structural Funds that will emerge upon entering the European Community in May 2004. The paper contains information available prior to February 2003.     

Change and Deeper Change: Transforming Social Work Education

In recent years, the concept of transformation has become more prevalent in the social work literature; however, its use is quite varied. In this article, I attempt to disentangle some of these uses. I then propose a conceptualization of transformation and discuss its relevance for social work education. In this conceptualization, transformation is considered an orientation to learning and knowing rather than about particular content or an end state. I conclude with some ideas about how this conceptualization might be integrated into social work education.     

Reproducing authoritarian neoliberalism in Turkey: urban governance and state restructuring in the shadow of executive centralization

ABSTRACT

The implosion of popular struggles against the erosion of economic and democratic rights in the Middle East has thrown into sharp relief the co-constitutive character of neoliberal reforms and authoritarian state practices. This article zooms in on this relationship, and traces the consolidation of a core component of authoritarian statisms by examining how the ruling AKP government in Turkey has facilitated executive centralization. This process refers to a form of state restructuring whereby key decision-making powers are increasingly concentrated in the hands of the central government while democratic avenues to contest government policies are curtailed through legal and administrative reforms, and the marginalization of dissident social forces. I unpack the mechanisms of executive centralization in Turkey by exploring the transformation of urban governance under AKP rule, which has promoted a spectacular degree of state-led commodification of land and housing while simultaneously recentralizing key decision-making powers. The investigation demonstrates that executive centralization in urban governance has paved the way for the swift implementation of contested urban transformation projects marked by a non-participatory approach to urban ‘renewal’, the reconfiguration of the state’s redistributive function vis-à-vis low-income households, and a tendency to exacerbate existing patterns of inequalities in the housing market.     

动员效力与经济理性:农户参与新农保的行为逻辑研究——基于武汉市新洲区双柳街的调查

本文通过问卷调查发现,农户普遍了解新农保,参保积极,但缴费水平偏低;宣传动员有助于提升农户信息了解程度,从而提升农户参保广度,但对参保深度无显著影响。当信息充分时,农户参保行为是完全经济理性行为,情理动员无显著影响;当信息不充分时,农户参保行为是有限理性行为,情理动员可以提升参保广度,但参保深度不足。社会动员效力与特定社会背景下社会成员的价值理念相关。在当前经济理性主导下,社会动员必须符合农户的经济利益。作为后发展国家,社会成员对新制度的理解与接受能力有限,社会动员具有推动社会跨越式发展的功能。     

Women and Work in the Information Age

Widespread social transformation and new class structures are predicted with the coming of the ‘information age’, but there is disagreement about the likely outcomes for work and em‐ployment patterns. Mainstream writing on the information age, both from the functionalist and Marxist traditions, tends not to consider likely consequences for women, but recent feminist research on gender and technology, treating technology as masculine culture, offers a useful framework for further research. This article argues that the information age may lead to some areas of convergence between the sexes in their experience of future work, but men may continue to defend areas of competence and to dominate the high status and powerful occupational positions of the future.     

Predatory Inclusion in Consumer Credit: Explaining Black and White Disparities in Payday Loan Use

Payday loans are a high-cost form of credit, yet they remain a popular financial tool used by a significant proportion of Americans. Use of these loans varies significantly across social groups. Black households in particular are more than twice as likely to use payday lending as white households. Explanations for households’ decision to use payday loans remain disputed. Some scholars argue that poor financial literacy is a major driver of payday borrowing. Others propose instead that payday loans are a form of credit of last resort used after depleting higher quality sources of credit. In this article, I argue these explanations are incomplete and miss the racialized nature of payday lending. Payday lending is a form of predatory inclusion: it provides households experiencing exclusion from consumer credit markets with a needed source of credit but under conditions that jeopardize long-term benefits of access. Given historical and contemporary patterns of financial exclusion, this process entails disproportionate reliance on payday lending by black households. Models using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances provide support for both the predatory inclusion and the credit exhaustion explanations. Predatory inclusion, however, explains the largest portion of racial disparities in payday loan use.     

The Changing Financial Circumstances of Households with Children

SUMMARY. The last fifteen yeas have seen rapid changes in the financial circumstances of households with children. They are increasingly found among those on the lowest incomes and are over-represented among households dependent on income support for their survival. At the same time, changes in the social security system have left claimant families with greater financial responsibility and reduced access to additional sources of financial support from the state. The article reviews these changes in the economic welfare of households with children, paying particular attention to the circumstances of low-income families. It looks in turn at trends in household income, at changes in the social security system and at the patterns of debt and unmet needs reported by parents caring for children on low incomes.     

Promoting Bank Accounts to Low-Income Households: Implications for Social Work Practice

In the wake of the recent economic challenges, it is clear that social workers must be educated about the financial opportunities for low-income households. Encouraging low-income households to have a bank account at an insured depository institution, or become banked, is increasingly emphasized in policy and practice. Becoming banked offers the opportunity to avoid high-cost alternative financial services. Social workers can facilitate relationships between low-income households and the mainstream financial services industry to help families advance their long-term financial interest. Understanding the structure of all types of banks and credit unions is imperative. Implications for social work practice are explored.     

The Heterogeneous Impact of International Migration on Left‐behind Households: Evidence from Bangladesh

This article investigates the heterogeneous effects of international migration on the expenditure of Bangladeshi migrant households. Adopting a counterfactual framework, we estimate the impact of migration on per capita expenditure of left‐behind households according to their position in the counterfactual expenditure distribution and the length of the migration period. The effects on households’ social mobility and on inequality are also assessed. The analysis indicates that migration has a positive impact on per capita expenditure and represents an important vehicle of social mobility, but may also be a source of inequality. We also find that only a tiny share of international migrants originates from households belonging to the lowest expenditure quintile and, since most of the characteristics which seem to influence the migration decision cannot be shaped by policy interventions, our results also suggest that pro‐migration policies might not be effective in lifting those most in need out of poverty.     

Dementia Patients’ Transition to Residential Aged Care: Carers’ and Social Workers’ Experiences

Many people with dementia eventually require residential aged care, frequently preceded by a hospital admission. Family carers often find the process challenging and disempowering, as they are expected to move their family member to residential aged care quickly. This article reports on findings from a small Australian qualitative study focusing on the provision of information, support and resources, and discusses the findings in relation to person-centred care and critical social work. Social workers completed an online survey and participated in focus groups, and carers were interviewed. The research found that carers valued the information, support, and resources provided by social workers and other hospital staff. They needed time to adjust to the dementia diagnosis and wanted a supportive person to talk to about the written information. The social workers wanted an improved approach to the preparation and communication of information, and a more consistent approach to family meetings.     

A Gendered Analysis of the Crisis of Social Reproduction in Contemporary South Africa

This article argues that African working class households are the sites of a crisis of social reproduction in contemporary South Africa. Through a gendered analysis of five townships in Emnambithi the article demonstrates that African working class women are the shock absorbers of this crisis. While feminist scholars point to a growing crisis of social reproduction as a global phenomenon, the South African material illustrates how poor women experience this in the South.     

The Position of the Customs Law in the Legal System

The article considers the position of customs law in the legal system. It starts with changes concerning the phenomenon known as customs policy. The customs policy of the European Union is a foundation of the Union and an essential element in the functioning of the single market. All these changes have to be regulated by law; one of the branches is financial law. It represents a system of legal rules regulating the social and economic relationships that emerge in the process of generating, distributing, and using the centralised and decentralised monetary funds (financial resources) in the environment of the state and of self-governing administrative units, in the interest of providing for financial coverage of the fulfilment of their respective functions. The Slovak legal system and its individual branches including financial law can be characterised on the basis of certain principles. These represent basic goals, rules, and requirements expressing the substance and main focus of a particular branch of law. These principles are described. The second part of the article concerns the position of customs law, which here represents a system of legal rules regulating the social and economic relationships emerging in the process of movement of goods over the customs border. Customs law has its own development and is given a new dimension and dynamics by the common European area in the form of the European Union. The article concludes with the position of customs law, defining it as a subsection of financial law.     

Rank and response: A field experiment on peer information and water use behavior

Perception of peer rank, or how we perform relative to our peers, can be a powerful motivator. While research exists on the effect of social information on decision making, there is less work on how ranked comparisons with our peers influence our behavior. This paper outlines a field experiment conducted with 3896 households in Castro Valley, California, which uses household mailers with various forms of social information and peer rank messaging to motivate water conservation. The experiment tests the effect of a visible peer rank on water use, and how the competitive framing of rank information influences behavioral response. The results show that households with relatively low or high water use in the pre-treatment period responded differently to how rank information was framed. I find that a neutrally-framed peer rank caused a small “boomerang effect” (i.e., an increase in average water use) for low water use households, but this effect was eliminated by competitive framing. At the same time, a competitively-framed peer rank demotivated high water use households, increasing their average water use over the full period of the experiment. This result is supported by evidence that the competitive frame on rank information increased water use for households who ranked “last” in the peer group – a detrimental “last place effect” from competitively-framed rankings.