Family Structure and Quality of Life of Elders in Rural China: The Role of the New Rural Social Pension

Using data from a survey in Ankang district of Shaanxi province of China in 2011, this article examines the protective effect of the New Rural Social Pension (NRSP) on quality of life of rural elders, as well the moderating effect on association between family structure and quality of life. An instrumental variable approach is used. NRSP is shown to significantly improve the quality of life of rural elders, and a robustness check shows that this effect is consistent across different sets of subgroups. Compared with the elders who have at least one son, the quality of life of those who are childless or have only one child is significantly lower. The NRSP is more likely to significantly improve the quality of life of one-child elders. In addition, the associations between the NRSP and the different facets of quality of life of the elders are significant except for the facet of sensory abilities.     

不同类型研究机构卫生技术评估研究结果转化情况的比较研究

目的:通过对不同类型研究机构的卫生技术评估(HTA)研究结果转化情况的比较,为扩大HTA的决策使用提供科学依据?方法:采用自设问卷,开展针对国内HTA研究者的问卷调查,通过Likert 五分法描述HTA研究结果转化情况,运用秩和检验进行差异分析?结果:虽然在HTA转化利用方面的差异尚无统计学意义,但在组织支持?研究过程?认知水平?研究产出方式?研究质量方面,来自高校和非高校机构研究者之间的一些差异均有统计学意义?结论:为促进HTA研究结果的决策转化,建议确立促进HTA决策转化的支持机制,强化与决策方的沟通交流协作,提高转化认知水平,采用适宜且多样的研究结果产出方式?     

Resilience? Contested meanings and experiences in post-disaster Christchurch,New Zealand

The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of the relationship between sense of place and community resilience, two concepts described and defined differently reflecting different disciplinary research, policies and practices. We draw on international literature that has focused on the interrelationship between these concepts in the context of natural disasters, as well as the findings of a multidisciplinary project in the post-earthquake Christchurch recovery context. We describe how we developed indicators of resilience linked to sense of place as it relates to home, neighbourhood and the city, including place-based social interaction and the role of scientific and technical information. Through integrating literature with the findings from project interviews and a survey, we offer new ways of considering ‘resilience’ and we discuss the implications of our findings for not just the Christchurch recovery, but for future response and recovery to natural disasters throughout New Zealand.     

Leaving a licensed boarding house: transcending trans-institutionalisation with person-centred transitions

While de-institutionalisation set out with the laudable aim to improve the quality of life of people with disability, the untethering of accommodation from support services has in some cases led to less than desirable outcomes. Poor regulation of for-profit boarding houses licensed to care for people with disability has led to the exploitation and abuse of some of Australia’s most vulnerable and marginalised people. Recognition of this, and a number of other factors, has led to the closure of many of New South Wales’ licensed boarding houses. This research presents the experiences of 15 former residents of licensed boarding houses and their supporters spanning from their time as a resident, the transition to other accommodation and their quality of life post transition. While finding the transition challenging, almost all of the former residents identified improvements in their lives since leaving the boarding house.     

Inclusions and exclusions in law: experiences of women with disability in rural and war-affected areas in Sri Lanka

Broad and inter-disciplinary inquiry into disability is at a nascent stage in Sri Lanka. This paper looks at the intersectionality of disability and gender in the specific contexts of ‘the rural’ and the armed conflict-affected areas of the country, particularly the interaction with the law. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among rural women with disabilities in the North Central and Eastern provinces, including women who acquired disabilities resulting from the internal conflict. Legal literacy, administrative discretion in disability-related welfare programmes, and transitional justice and reconciliation emerged as the most prominent themes in the interviews. We analyse these issues using a rights framework in an attempt to highlight some of the vulnerabilities of women with disability in the rural and war-affected contexts. The paper also reflects on a few instances where those vulnerabilities have been overcome through collective action.     

ON THE EXTERNAL VALIDITY OF LABORATORY TAX COMPLIANCE EXPERIMENTS

An essential issue for laboratory experiments to inform policy debates is the “external validity” of the experimental results; that is, does behavior in the laboratory apply to behavior that occurs in the naturally occurring world? We examine this issue of external validity in the specific context of laboratory experiments on tax compliance, using two different types of evidence. We find that the behavioral patterns of subjects in the laboratory conform to those of individuals making a similar decision in naturally occurring settings. We also find that the behavioral responses of students are largely the same as those of nonstudents in identical experiments (JEL C9, H0, H3)     

The Challenges in Developing an Online Applied Statistics Program: Lessons Learned at Penn State University

Numerous professional fields have an increasing need for individuals trained in statistics and other quantitative analysis techniques. Today there exists great potential to fulfill this need by providing opportunities through online learning. However, to provide a high-quality education for returning adult professionals seeking advanced degrees in applied statistics online, many challenges need to be overcome. Based on our experience developing Penn State University’s online program in applied statistics, we discuss the evolution of the program’s curriculum, recruitment and development of online faculty, and meeting the requirements of students as important areas that require consideration in the development of an online program. We also highlight program evaluation strategies employed to ensure innovation and improvement in online education as cornerstones to a program’s success.