Levels of urbanization in the world’s countries: testing consistency of estimates based on national definitions

Estimates of urbanization levels for all countries, as published in the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, are not comparable across countries because they are based on national definitions of urbanization, which vary greatly across countries. We construct alternative estimates of urbanization that are comparable across countries, to use these estimates to point out definitional problems or outlying countries with interesting urban characteristics. The alternative estimates are constructed using variables that are associated with urbanization, as well as a categorical variable that summarizes the urban definition used in the country. We find that among the 181 countries included in the analysis, 21 % have a restrictive definition, and 31 % a generous definition of urbanization. In 2000, the difference between the alternative estimate and the UN estimate was more than 10 % for 67 countries. An examination of six countries with surprisingly low or high reported levels of urbanization, as compared the alternative estimates, highlights issues with the plausibility of the official estimate. We conclude that comparison of urbanization estimates across countries should be treated with care, given the wide range of definitions used. To produce more informative estimates of urbanization, several countries would need to clarify or rethink their definition of urban.     

北京市粮食应急保障系统发展构想

北京粮食应急保障体系经过多年的研究布署已经取得很大进展,建立了不断完善的应急指挥体系,构建了应急储备、投放、加工环环相扣的应急流程体系,但适应城市发展应急保障体系建设还存在需要解决的五个瓶颈问题,本文针对现存问题,从加强实时运行的应急指挥调度信息系统建设、创新土地使用模式、转换投放思想、调整储备结构、增加储备品类、提升企业储备规模、将大型连锁超市集团纳入市级应急投放体系、加强储备库应急投放的标准化建设升级、发展现代粮食物流、优化应急储备、投放、加工布局、推进北京本地加工产业升级等八个方面提出北京市粮食应急保障系统发展思路。     

Parenting Stress and Perceived Family Functioning of Chinese Parents in Hong Kong: Implications for Social Work Practice

This article reports the results of a telephone survey (n = 1002) conducted in November 2008, which aimed to identify parenting stress and perceived family functioning of Chinese parents in Hong Kong; to explore the effects of the parents’ socio‐demographic characteristics (gender, family income, education and family structure) on the aforementioned stress and functioning variables; and to examine the interrelationship among these characteristics and the two variables in question. Results showed that the reported parenting stress was at average level, while the perceived family functioning was slightly below average. The results also indicated that the parenting stress of mothers, single parents, the low‐income and the less‐educated was higher than that of fathers, parents of nuclear and extended families, the high‐income and the better‐educated. Socio‐demographic characteristics except the parent’s gender had similar effects on perceived family functioning. Higher parenting stress was associated with lower family functioning, and explained a larger variance in the perceived family functioning than the socio‐demographic characteristics taken alone. The results of the study have provided empirical support regarding the interrelationships among the vulnerable groups in society, parenting stress and perceived family functioning. Implications of the study for social work practice are discussed.     

Can external corporate venturing broaden firm's technological scope? The role of complementary assets

This study applies two theoretical perspectives—resource-based view (RBV) and organizational learning—to explore how a firm's external corporate venturing (CV) influences its technological scope. Using data from 583 electronics and information technology firms in Taiwan for the period from 1997 to 2006, the results indicate that external CVs facilitate an established firm's broadening of its technological scope. Moreover, this study calls into question the idea that a firm's decisions regarding technological scope may be due to a specific factor that governs the extent of technological specialization and diversification. We identify this factor as the complementary assets of established firms. This study, thus, investigates whether complementary assets moderate the relationship between external CV in established firms and those firms’ technological scope. The analytical results also support the idea that increasing investments in specialized complementary assets will urge firms engaged in external CV to concentrate on their technological scope. Therefore, this study addresses the notion that concentrated technological scope is the conjunction of technological capabilities and complementary assets, not determined by either individually.     

中国古代罪刑关系初探

罪刑法定主义在中国古代刑法中的缺位使得罪刑关系极其不稳定,致使古代刑法仅仅具有工具性价值而没有独立价值。罪刑法定主义的阙如导致重视刑罚种类、实施方式和效果,轻视定罪在刑法中的作用。由于古代刑法的身份性使其容易受到宗法、伦理等法外因素左右,导致不稳定的罪刑关系。罪刑关系呈现出较为独特的构造,报应观和礼法思想同时影响着刑罚权的行使,两者并不是简单的共存关系,而是在共存的同时存在对抗和博弈。     

仪式·戏剧·欲望——当代电视文化的后现代转向

当以《非诚勿扰》为代表的各地婚恋交友节目再度掀起热潮,形成新一轮蔚为壮观的电视交友收视奇观之时,它引起的震撼已经远远超出电视领域,向文化、社会、心理等领域扩展。这场奇观不仅昭示了婚恋交友节目的转型,更彰显着整个电视文化的后现代转向。本文以婚恋交友奇观为研究对象,透过它的发展态势,探析电视文化的后现代本质。     

A System of Sustainability Indicators for the Province of Thai Binh,Vietnam

Sustainable Development is a broad and universal concept. Indicators are a basis to measure sustainability and to direct policies that aim to achieve a better quality of life. Thai Binh, a coastal province in North Vietnam is strongly concerned about strategic sustainability development. To select a system of sustainability indicators, the Delphi method was applied in 2012. A two-round questionnaire was organized to use with 32 experts, who acted as participants. 69 indicators were selected from 98 listed indicators: 15 related to economic development, 5 to the sea and coastal zone, 1 to the global economic partnership, 4 to consumption and production patterns, 7 to poverty, 3 to governance, 9 to health, 4 to education, 3 to demographics, 2 to natural hazards, 5 to atmosphere, 7 to land, and 3 to freshwater. Conversely, 29 other indicators were rejected. The Delphi method allows indicator selection for identification of the process of sustainability. The system of indicators, as the first important step of the sustainable development process, provides useful information for decision makers and planners as well sustainability strategy. It is planned that the indicators selected should be applied in the province.     

广州建设国际消费中心城市的思路与对策

建设国际消费中心城市对激活和拉动消费需求可以发挥重要引擎功能.探索广州加速创建国际消费中心城市的路向与可行举措,具有重大现实意义.面对挑战与机遇,广州应对标借鉴国内外成熟国际消费中心城市的先进经验,明晰优势与不足,聚焦消费升级,确立科学定位和发展目标,在供给侧与需求侧同时发力,强化政策引导,优化消费环境,培育新型消费,深挖消费潜力,延展流通产业链,构建多元高效产业体系,促进消费产业创新升级,推动国际消费中心城市建设提速增效.     

Working under a committed boss: A test of the relationship between supervisors' and subordinates' affective commitment

Based on the existing social influence literature, we predict that a supervisor's affective commitment to the organization may influence his or her subordinates' level of affective commitment, which subsequently affects their task performance and extra-role behavior. We further propose that the relationship between supervisors' and subordinates' affective commitment is moderated by subordinate individual power distance orientation. The results support our hypotheses using a sample of 111 full-time employees in Macau. We found positive relationships between supervisors' and subordinates' affective commitment, and between subordinates' affective commitment and their task and extra-role performance. Consistent with our prediction, the relationship between supervisors' and subordinates' affective commitment was stronger among subordinates possessing low power distance orientation.     

言语不礼貌的语用学研究述评

文章全面回顾了国内外言语不礼貌的语用学研究。首先讨论不礼貌术语的使用及其界定;然后回顾不礼貌研究的多个视角,以揭示此类语言现象的复杂性与重要性;最后总结出有关言语不礼貌的待研究议题。