Son preference and the one child policy in China: 1979–1988

Using data from the Two-Per-Thousand National Fertility Survey, this research analyzes how son preference, a deep-rooted cultural norm for more than two thousand years, affects compliance with China's one child population policy for women at risk during the period of 1979 to 1988. Four events after the first live birth are used to evaluate compliance with the policy: (1) certificate acceptance (an indicator of future fertility intention); (2) the use of contraceptives (an indicator of intention to prevent a subsequent pregnancy); (3) the occurrence of a pregnancy subsequent to the first live birth (a potential violation of the one child policy), and (4) among those pregnant, the likelihood of an abortion (an indicator of compliance by preventing a second live birth). It is found that son preference is still prevalent in China. Although the effect of son preference is not the most important, urbanization, education, and occupation have not fundamentally changed its influence on women's compliance. In addition, the effect of son preference on the compliance is not altered by government control. Preference for sons continues to be a factor discouraging the compliance with the one child policy.This article is based on a paper presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, 1–4 April 1993, Cincinnati, OH, USA.     

Television Reports of Forensic Hypnosis: What's on the News?

This paper presents a content analysis of television news and current affairs reports of forensic hypnosis focusing on the information conveyed about the nature of hypnosis, the introduction of hypnosis to criminal investigation, the impact of hypnosis on memory, the usefulness of hypnosis in criminal investigation, and the recognition of potential problems associated with forensic hypnosis. Findings indicate that the reports conveyed simplistic notions about hypnosis and memory, and were encouraging and uncritical in their presentation of forensic hypnosis. The research is discussed in terms of the possible influence of the reports on public opinion.     

The Microfoundations of Dynamic Capabilities for Incremental and Radical Innovation in Knowledge-Intensive Businesses

We theorize and test the impact of two microfoundations of dynamic capabilities on incremental and radical innovation in knowledge-intensive businesses (KIBs). We argue that numerical flexibility and training, as human resources (HR) microfoundations that enable the configuration and deployment of resources, have different implications for incremental and radical innovation. Furthermore, we contend that those KIBs that make significant use of numerical flexibility will invest less in training, thus impacting innovation outcomes. We test our arguments using an original, longitudinal dyadic dataset assembled from 1750 structured interviews conducted with HR directors and senior managers in 875 KIBs located in Finland, France, Sweden and the UK. We find that numerical flexibility is negatively related to both incremental and radical innovation, whereas training is positively related to both. Our test of the moderating impact of training on both types of innovation resulting from the use of numerical flexibility was not statistically significant. Overall, we suggest that not all efforts by KIBs to mobilize resources and capabilities and align them with a complex external environment in the pursuit of innovation are necessarily beneficial. We highlight some research, policy, and practice implications that arise from our findings.     

An examination of gender difference in advancement and salary for Marriage and Family Therapy faculty members working in public universities

Evidence for inequitable advancement and salary disparity for women in academia is compelling, but only a marginal amount of research has explored this in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) specifically. Current research provides preliminary evidence that women remain underrepresented at the Full Professor rank and are paid less than men MFT faculty. This study collected publicly available data for MFT faculty in public universities to explore gender differences in advancement between ranks, salary disparity, and the representation of women and men in the highest and lowest paying niches of MFT academia. Results showed that, despite being 60.15% of MFTs in public universities, women were paid an average of $5596.25 less than men. Men were 1.40 times more likely than women to be promoted to Full Professor on time—within 13 years of their terminal degree. Implications for addressing inequitable advancement and salary disparity for women MFT faculty are discussed.     

Educators and synoptic prudentialism: Educator reflections on educator training,student surveillance and using technology for student outreach

Surveillance plays several interrelated and essential roles in contemporary education. In the current article, we explore the understandings and experiences of educators related to surveillance; especially the ‘vertical’ surveillance ‘from below’ students themselves direct towards educators both inside and outside of the classroom (referred to as ‘sousveillance’). We also explore the prudential ‘intrapersonal’ and reflexive surveillance undertaken by educators to align and adjust to the expectations of educator professionalization, including during educator training, especially in terms of their social media use and under a context of synoptic prudentialism in schools. Synoptic prudentialism refers to the reflexive actions and adjustments by individuals and organizations in response to an acute awareness of widespread social surveillance—the many watching the few. Educators noted risks posed by surveillance, including sources of potential harm, both personal and professional. Findings reveal that, reinforced by the legal scare stories encountered during educator training programs, educators feel overwhelmingly vulnerable to the potential sousveillance of students, and are receiving little advice beyond the requirement to ‘be careful’. We explore educators’ privacy management strategies in response, for example, in response to concerns over students capturing videos in the classroom where situations may be taken out of context. This prudential framework, moreover, may also be inhibiting educators’ ability to conduct outreach with students to detect and respond to online mediated conflict and harm.