Diminished tradition of return? Transnational migration in Bolivia's Valle Alto

One‐fifth of the Bolivian population lives abroad, and transnational behaviour strongly links their villages with destination communities. In this article we address whether the increasing difficulty of return migration (owing to legal and geographic barriers) results in diminished social and economic remittances to the country of origin. Results from a questionnaire survey of 417 households in the Valle Alto area of Cochabamba Department in 2007 reveal that monetary remittances account for one‐half of the income of active migrant families (and one‐quarter of income overall), and that transnational cultural ties remain strong. However, after ten years of cumulated time abroad the intention to return to Bolivia drops markedly along with economic and some social remittances. Closer analysis reveals that time abroad reduces these ties through the mediating forces of family members abroad, legal status, and home ownership abroad.     

Identifying the Effects of Income on Children's Development Using Experimental Data

Prior research suggests that poverty can be detrimental to low‐income children's development. Is this relation capturing the effects of poverty or the effects of other characteristics of low‐income families associated with poverty? Can low‐income children benefit from increases in income? In this paper, an instrumental variables estimation strategy is used with data on nearly 900 children from a random assignment evaluation of a pilot welfare reform program in Minnesota in order to answer these questions and to identify the causal effects of income on children's development. There are some suggestions that increased income improves the development of low‐income children, at least with regard to their school engagement and positive social behavior. Results are discussed with regard to their implication for analysis, as well as research and policy.     

The Philippine Male Aging Survey

The aging male is fast becoming a global concern. The problem is predicted to become a major health issue that should be addressed immediately in order to prevent disability, morbidity, and, more importantly, mortality. As part of its commitment to increase awareness and create interest in the care of Filipino aging males, The Philippine Society for the Study of the Aging Male Foundation, Inc. (PhiSSAM), a multi-specialty society established in 2000, embarked on a survey among Filipino physicians to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding male aging. Results showed that the majority of doctors (about 87%) thought that men may experience andropause. Most would diagnose patients based on symptoms alone, while only 20–30% used testosterone levels to make a diagnosis of andropause. Decreased libido and less strong erections were the symptoms very closely associated with low testosterone. Of those doctors responding, 89% agreed that andropause can affect the quality of a man's life as much as menopause can affect a female; only 38% had already prescribed/instituted treatment for andropause. Of the 62% non-prescribers, 58% said they were either very likely or fairly likely to institute treatment in the future if there were more clinical trials, more medical information, and more information on drugs. Major concerns on testosterone replacement therapy included prostate cancer, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and heart disease. The findings in this pilot survey indicate a need among the doctors in the Philippines for education about andropause and the available treatments.     

Computing Probabilities of Type I Error and Type II Error of Sequential Bayesian Procedures for Testing One-Sided Hypotheses

In this article, it is shown how to compute, in an approximated way, probabilities of Type I error and Type II error of sequential Bayesian procedures for testing one-sided null hypotheses. First, some theoretical results are obtained, and then an algorithm is developed for applying these results. The prior predictive density plays a central role in this study.     

ON GENDER GAPS AND SELF‐FULFILLING EXPECTATIONS: ALTERNATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF PAID‐FOR TRAINING

This paper presents a model of self‐fulfilling expectations by firms and households which generates multiplicity of equilibria in pay and housework time allocation for ex‐ante identical spouses. Multiplicity arises from statistical discrimination exerted by firms in the provision of paid‐for training to workers, rather than from incentive problems in the labor market. Employers' beliefs about differences in spouses' reactions to housework shocks lead to symmetric (ungendered) and asymmetric (gendered) equilibria. We find that: (1) the ungendered equilibrium tends to prevail as aggregate productivity in the economy increases (regardless of the generosity of family aid policies), (2) the ungendered equilibrium could yield higher welfare under some scenarios, and (3) gender‐neutral job subsidies are more effective that gender‐targeted ones in removing the gendered equilibrium. (JEL J16, J70, J71)     

虚拟财产的继承问题初探

以虚拟财产的继承为切入点,在分析虚拟财产的法律属性和国外相关举措的基础上,从虚拟财产继承的范围、继承的方式及对无人继承的虚拟财产的处理等方面对我国虚拟财产的继承提出立法建议。     

国际标准视野中的生态旅游 --兼议我国生态旅游发展问题

面对理论界对生态旅游的认识存在的分歧,面对在较多的旅游业界客观存在的对生态旅游实践采取断章取义,各取所需,挂"生态旅游"招牌,行破坏自然生态和文化生态之实的现象,人们,特别是旅游管理部门和生态旅游业界对生态旅游标准化的要求也就越紧迫.文章对国际生态旅游的概念、生态旅游标准的原则、生态旅游产品认证进行了介绍与阐述,同时提出了我国在发展生态旅游中存在的两个主要问题,明确指出我国应当借鉴国际标准,规范生态旅游管理,促进生态旅游的健康发展,并以此来引领中国旅游业走向可持续发展之路.     

欲望化叙事与叙事文学指质的再解读

将欲望置于现实生活、人性解放及文学创作等3个层面进行批判与定位,可以揭示欲望化叙事与叙事文学的指质。欲望化叙事中的纵欲追求及夸大描写,只是个别作家文字中的狂欢,既非现实生活的写照,也不是真正的人性解放。它违背了文学颂扬道德伦理学之精微的本质,只能使人性返回动物性,以至毁灭人类。在今天,真正意义上的人性解放是将人类从物质化、齐一化、功能化、平均化中解放出来,而叙事文学应当担负起限制欲望、疏导欲望、升华欲望的责任。     

关于山西省畜牧业发展的思考

从2000到2006年山西畜牧业取得了较快的发展，畜牧业产值和畜产品产量大幅度增长，但其增长速度仍低于全国平均水平，生产经营分散、养殖规模小，畜牧产业化经营程度低，畜牧业基础设施建设滞后等问题仍然存在。因而，今后要进一步加快畜牧业生产方式转变的步伐，加强畜牧业产业化经营，抓好优势畜产品区域发展和养殖小区建设，同时还要继续摸索更有效的发展途径，保证畜牧业持续快速发展。