Main changes and differentiations in the health status of Poland's population with allowances for international mortality comparisons

The health status of the population of Poland is analyzed for the postwar period, with emphasis on the 1980s. Trends in mortality, and particularly in excess male mortality, are described and compared with other European countries.     

The Indonesian transmigration program in historical perspective

"The purpose of this paper is to look at what has been achieved by the transmigration program [in Indonesia], to examine the major problems that have arisen and to consider the present constraints which now cast some doubt upon the future of the program." A historical overview of government policies from 1905 to 1988 is provided, and problems of land supply, land use, and lack of funds are discussed. Data are from the 1961 and 1980 Indonesian censuses. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)     

Helping oneself by helping others: evaluation of a service credit banking demonstration

Between 1987 and 1990, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded six service credit banking demonstration programs among the elderly in which participants delivered services in return for credits, entitling them to later service. This evaluation of the demonstrations found that these six sites successfully attracted elders for the delivery of household support services to a relatively old, frail population with potentially limited social networks. Evidence on the significance of the "credit" in attracting volunteers was mixed, but the programs have attracted new volunteers, and have not substituted for other volunteer activities. Program development has entailed considerable staff investment in volunteer support; programs are better understood as community membership organizations than as mechanical exchanges.     

Brief case: managing inputs

Jane Carmichael's views on Managing Inputs provide a further interesting contribution on a topic, strategic control, that we have covered on several occasions in this column. Carmichael's approach is to dig back behind the results being achieved to the 'inputs' on which they depend. But, while this may unearth causes of performance that can often be missed by a bottom-line orientation, results must ultimately remain vital; a business that is on track with all its input measures, but is missing its output goal is still in trouble. We continue to be interested in hearing from readers with views on strategic control processes, particularly those who have found productive ways of setting input and output targets.     

National Practitioner Data Bank--incomplete and future cloudy

Nearly six years after the National Practitioner Data Bank was authorized by Congress in the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986, and more than a year after its actual creation, the device is still only partially operational. What is more, the success of even those limited efforts is being questioned, and the timetable for future developments remains to be firmed up. Also, the costs are much higher than estimated.     

European Community legislation and intergovernmental cooperation on migration

Recent trends in migration policy in the European Community are outlined. The focus is on the need to increase cooperation between the member states and to increase the power of the Community's Court of Justice in decision-making about migration and refugee policy.     

The spatial and socio-occupational mobility of the population

The author describes topics included in a study of spatial, social, and occupational mobility in Poland. These include rural migration, the effect of the family life cycle on migration, the social impact of migration, the effect of migration on spatial distribution, and migration prospects until the end of this century.     

Current status of and prospects for China Population Information Centre

The China Population information Centre (CPIC), set up in May 1980, is a national institution for population information research under the State Family Planning Commission. Its main functions are to 1) collect, process, and distribute and foreign materials on population and family planning; 2) collect, tabulate, and analyze population and family planning data; 3) keep abreast of new population and family planning developments within and outside the country; 4) edit and publish information materials; and 5) provide information users with diversified services. The CPIC has 8 operational units: 1) the Library, 2) the Statistics Division, 3) the 1st Information Research Division, 4) the 2nd Information Research Division, 5) the Editorial Division, 6) the Translation Division, 7) the Computer Division, and 8) the Technical Support Division.     

Measures to facilitate the return and reintegration of highly skilled migrants into African countries

A very large number of skilled Africans are found to be operating in the developed industrialized countries of the West at a time when their national economies are crying out for their services. Ways must be found to return as many of these skilled Africans as possible to the African economy. This out-migration or brain drain has a number of causes, including: 1) real incomes in Africa have been on the decline in the past several years while prices were constantly rising. Professional and salaried workers seek employment in other countries that pay much higher salaries. 2) Promotion on criteria other than merit is common in Africa and diligence and high productivity are not often rewarded. 3) Political interference frustrates public services professionals; they are rendered unable to use their professional judgement in making decisions that affect the economic and social fabric. 4) The inadequacy of higher education facilities and opportunities in African countries encourages the brightest and best qualified Africans to go to Western Europe and North America for school; they tend not to return after graduation. 5) Political upheavals and general instability contribute to feelings of individual insecurity, sending Africans to seek sanctuary in more politically stable and less repressive environments. Actions needed to control this out-migration include: 1) incentive systems should be reviewed with a view to providing realistic levels of renumeration and working conditions should be made to promote job satisfaction and self-actualization. 2) Capacities and capabilities should be strengthened so as to ensure that production of goods and services becomes indigenized and that the development and operation of institutions emanates from within the continent. 3) Educational services should be expanded and improved to obviate the need for large numbers of Africans to seek educational opportunities abroad.     

如何将社会学作为伦理学来教授

一、哪些做法不对?社会学确实在许多大学生的心目中威信不高,他们时常认为:社会学令人厌烦地对一些明显的、过分抽象的和对生活用处不大的事理作过分冗长的讨论,是堪与经济学并列的最"乏味"的科学.我们的一些同行认为,产生这种看法的原因是社会学太专业化和科学化了.但我们认为原因远不止此.专业化的知识对于任何寻求更多地了解世界的科学来说,似乎是必不可少的和正当的目标.问题不在于教师对学生教授了什么,而在于哪些还没有传授给