A New Multidimensional Measure of Development: The Role of Technology and Institutions

This paper constructs four structural indices by using 42 socioeconomic variables for 129 countries and the 10 years period from 2003 to 2012. Each structural index can be considered as a measure of a certain dimension of development. The first two indices are the most useful in explaining gaps in development across countries. The first captures the role of technology and institutional quality while the second provides a measure of the basic level of development. The contrast between them signifies that the notion of development is not only multidimensional, but also changing with the stage of development. These two indices are combined to form a development index (DI). A comparison of DI to income per capita and the Human Development Index highlights the importance of institutions in the transition of countries from merely having high income to full development. A methodological contribution of the paper is to use a Jackknife approach within the factor analysis routine to test for the significance of the extracted factors/indices.     

From Damsels in Distress to Sexy Superheroes

Video games are an important form of media that have the potential to impact gender role attitudes. Sexist portrayals of characters may affect gender behaviors and attitudes. As such, it is important to discover how characters, particularly females, are portrayed in video games. The current study examined video game magazines analyzing the portrayal of female video game characters and how this portrayal has changed in the last twenty years. Results indicate a growing trend toward a decreased benevolent sexism portrayal and an increase in a hostile sexism portrayal over time.     

Evaluation of a Support Group for Parents of Children Hospitalized for Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTARCT

Social isolation and high levels of psychosocial stress are common among parents of children who are hospitalized for cancer treatment. Many hospital-based programs offer support groups for parents, however there is little published guidance or systematic evidence on their effectiveness. This study describes the development and program evaluation of a 16-week parent support group offered to parents (N = 10) of children hospitalized for pediatric cancer or bone-marrow transplant. A summary of the pilot evaluation is provided and successes, barriers, and areas for future improvement are discussed.     

Moral Reasoning in Violent Contexts: Displaced and Non-displaced Colombian Children's Evaluations of Moral Transgressions, Retaliation, and Reconciliation

In order to assess the effects of displacement and exposure to violence on children's moral reasoning, Colombian children exposed to minimal violence (non-displaced or low risk; N  =  99) and to extreme violence (displaced or high risk; N  =  94), evenly divided by gender at 6, 9, and 12 years of age, were interviewed regarding their evaluation of peer-oriented moral transgressions (hitting and not sharing toys). The vast majority of children evaluated moral transgressions as wrong. Group and age differences were revealed, however, regarding provocation and retaliation. Children who were exposed to violence, in contrast to those with minimum exposure, judged it more legitimate to inflict harm or deny resources when provoked and judged it more reasonable to retaliate for reasons of retribution. Surprisingly, and somewhat hopefully, all children viewed reconciliation as feasible. The results are informative regarding theories of morality, culture, and the effects of violence on children's social development.     

Foster Parents as a Critical Link and Resource in International Adoptions From Guatemala

Before the recent implementation of the Hague Convention requirements on intercountry adoption in Guatemala, most children in the process of being adopted by foreign nationals were cared for by foster parents. In the present study, 16 Guatemalan foster parents were interviewed regarding their experiences with and attitudes toward international and domestic adoption and fostering. Although adoption was generally described in positive terms as a means to improve the child's future, respondents also emphasized the economic dimension of international adoption. Foster parents’ views implied actions that are important for implementation of the Hague Convention requirements, including addressing poverty as the root cause of child relinquishment, reducing structural and attitudinal barriers to domestic adoption, and enlisting the aid of extended families in caring for children. With training and licensing, foster parents themselves might play a role in post-Hague procedures for providing families for children.     

How the Risk of Displacement for Older Workers Has Changed

Using Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition and relying on the consistent design of the Displaced Worker Survey since 1996, this study analyses various factors contributing to the rising dislocation of older workers, such as changes in tenure, industry mix, educational attainment, and labor force participation. Although in the past older workers were less prone to displacement compared with prime‐age workers, this paper finds that older workers are now more likely to be displaced, conditional on education, manufacturing industry, and tenure. Declining tenure, a higher incidence of displacement in manufacturing, and a higher labor force participation among older workers largely explain the convergence of displacement rates among older and prime‐age workers.