The Impact of Neo-liberalism on South Korea's Public Pension: A Political Economy of Pension Reform

This article examines the recent Korean pension reforms from a political economy perspective. It argues that these reforms are of particular interest because, unlike major pay-as-you-go pension schemes in Europe, the Korean pension scheme is a funded one and, therefore, is subject to market exposure. Also in contrast to the problems that public pension reforms have encountered in European and other OECD countries, especially 'blame avoidance', the more radical Korean reforms were implemented without significant challenge or resistance. First of all, the National Pension Scheme is described prior to the 1997 Asian economic crisis. Then the impact of this crisis on the Korean welfare state and, especially, its pension system are analysed. The main part of the article consists of a political economy of the pension reform process, in which the key roles of the international governmental organizations and the domestic neo-liberal policy elite are pinpointed. This neo-liberal ideology was critical in developing and sustaining an influential discourse on the 'crisis' in Korea's national pension fund. The article concludes by arguing, against the neo-liberal tide, for the inclusion of a pay-as-you-go element in the national pension in order to tackle escalating poverty in old age.     

Does size really matter?: A reexamination of Sheldon's somatotypes and criminal behavior

In the mid-20th century, William Sheldon developed the idea of somatotypes in explaining different types of criminal behavior. Sheldon defined three body types believed to be associated with criminality: mesomorphs, who are athletically fit; endomorphs, who are overweight, and ectomorphs, who are characterized by fragility and thinness. Sheldon's research implied that mesomorphic individuals were more prone to committing violent and aggressive acts. This research explores a new method of somatotyping using the Body Mass Index (BMI). What follows is an examination of prisoners from the State of Arkansas, using information provided by the Arkansas Department of Correction's database on inmates. In particular, this paper examined prisoners’ physical characteristics such as age, height, and weight in comparison to the types of crimes that these prisoners committed. The findings of this paper show that the BMI is a useful alternative to traditional somatotyping techniques; the findings also suggest that a prisoner's somatotype is associated with criminal patterns while being a meager predictor of criminality. Methodological and theoretical implications of this study are discussed.     

The Sex Check: The Development of an HIV-Prevention Service to Address the Needs of Latino MSM

The Sex Check is a brief, telephone-delivered, HIV-prevention intervention tailored for individuals who are at high risk of HIV infection or transmission but who are neither reducing their risk on their own nor seeking support for this purpose. Because the intervention is delivered on a one-to-one basis, permits anonymity, is marketed to "men who have sex with men," and is brief, it may be particularly responsive to cultural, structural, and attitudinal barriers to serving Latino MSM. Because many Latino MSM continue to engage in high risk sexual behaviors, developing and testing prevention interventions with this population is a public health priority.     

Physical activity and fitness among midlife and older rural women

This study investigated physical activity and fitness of midlife and older rural women. Random-digit dialing was used to recruit 225 women (57.9 +/- 5.6 years old). Self-reported activity (moderate activity, flexibility, and strength) and fitness (body composition, flexibility, strength, and estimated VO(2max)) were assessed. The women demonstrated low daily energy expenditure (30.74 +/- 10.63 kcal x kg(-1) x day(-1)) and estimated VO(2max) (20.12 +/- 7.81 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)), with 51.5% reporting fair or poor health. Few women reported meeting Healthy People 2010 targets for moderate activity (43.1%), flexibility (28.9%), or strength )14.2%). When classified by estimated VO(2max) into three categories, differences were observed for body-mass index, percent body fat, sit and reach, and timed chair stands, with the poorest performance by those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Adherence to Healthy People 2010 targets for moderate activity and strengthening was associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness. These rural women are targets for physical activity interventions because of their sedentary behaviors and low cardiorespiratory fitness.     

Measuring the impacts of community development initiatives: a new application of the adjusted interrupted time-series method

The authors contribute to the development of empirical methods for measuring the impacts of place-based local development strategies by introducing the adjusted interrupted time-series (AITS) approach. It estimates a more precise counterfactual scenario, thus offering a stronger basis for drawing causal inferences about impacts. The authors applied the AITS approach to three community development initiatives using single-family home prices as the outcome indicator and found that it could measure impacts on both the base level of prices and the rate of price appreciation. The authors also found a situation in which the method appears unreliable, however. The AITS approach benefits from more recurrent data on outcomes during the pre-and post-intervention periods, with an intertemporal pattern that avoids great volatility. The AITS approach to measuring effects of community development initiatives holds strong promise, with caveats.     

Current practices in residential treatment for adolescent sex offenders: a survey

A list of all treatment facilities for adolescent sex offenders that described themselves as inpatient or residential was requested from the Safer Society Foundation in Brandon, Vermont. A total of 203 such facilities were identified in this manner. Each was sent a questionnaire regarding their policies and practices. Of the 50 questionnaires that were returned, 49 were usable. Items on the questionnaire dealt with major phases of operating a residential program, including number of beds, average daily census, number of males and females in treatment, testing and assessment procedures, most frequent diagnoses, average IQ of patients, abuse history, therapeutic approaches used, number and types of individual/group treatment sessions per week, qualifications of therapists, average length of treatment, and follow-up research on treatment.     

Structural Changes to Electronic Gaming Machines as Effective Harm Minimization Strategies for Non-Problem and Problem Gamblers

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three proposed modifications to the structural characteristics of electronic gaming machines as harm minimisation strategies for non-problem and probable problem gamblers. Structural changes included reducing the maximum bet size, reducing reel spin and removing large note acceptors. Behavioural patterns of play were observed in 779 participants attending clubs and hotels. Observations were conducted in the gaming venue during regular gaming sessions. Eight experimental machines were designed to represent every combination of the modifications. 210 participants played at least one modified and one unmodified machine. Following play, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) was administered. More problem than non-problem gamblers used high denomination bill acceptors and bet over one-dollar per wager. Machines modified to accept the one-dollar maximum bet were played for less time and were associated with smaller losses, fewer individual wagers and lower levels of alcohol consumption and smoking. It was concluded that the reduction of maximum bet levels was the only modification likely to be effective as a harm minimization strategy for problem gamblers.     

Methodological issues in the social cost of gambling studies

The appropriate way to classify and measure the social costs of gambling is a very important, unresolved methodological issue that has been addressed by Collins and Lapsley (2000); Thompson, Gazel, and Rickman (1999); and Walker and Barnett (1999), among others. What should be included and excluded from social cost studies continues to be a controversial issue, as illustrated in the literature and recent conferences. This paper is an attempt to explain the economics conception of social costs in accessible language. By using a simple economic model and everyday examples, it shows that the economics methodology is better than the other methodologies currently available. There are four specific goals of the paper: (1) Discuss the importance of the social cost methodological debate and the state of research in the area; (2) Explain the Walker–Barnett definition of social cost in the context of a simple production possibilities frontier and indifference curve model; (3) Use simple illustrative examples to show why many of the alleged social costs should not be classified as such; and (4) Suggest a new method for analyzing the social costs and effects attributable to pathological gambling.     

A note on the scale parameter of the dirichlet process

This paper gives an interpretation for the scale parameter of a Dirichlet process when the aim is to estimate a linear functional of an unknown probability distribution. We provide exact first and second posterior moments for such functionals under both informative and noninformative prior specifications. The noninformative case provides a normal approximation to the Bayesian bootstrap.     

Bell Canada: A case study of dynamics of new technologies in a changing environment

This paper provides a case example of a firm experiencing significant change. Bell Canada is Canada's largest public telecommunications carrier. In recent years the company has found itself facing more pervasive new challenges than it had over most of its 111 year history. Elements of change driving the firm have their origins in technological advances, changing market expectations and reform in regulatory conditions. The paper provides examples and reference points for the changing management information needs required to cope with the new environmental realities. In particular, attention is paid to the need for management and regulatory flexibility and responsiveness as keys for dealing with change.This case study suggests the need to adopt new approaches to relevant information needs as a company moves away from the well defined domain of its operations. It explores the more critical information needs that have charged in the Bell Canada context. Although the analysis has reflected a single firm in transition, and there are bound to be differences, we hope that it can provide at least general guidance for other firm facing the dynamics of new technologies and global environment.In business, the survival instinct is intensified by the emerging global competitive environment. In every industry there is evidence of increased attention to the fundamentals of viability under rapidly changing conditions. Companies facing the reality or impending threat of increased competition, often from new sources, may feel that their backs are to the wall. If, in addition, these companies face the difficult transition from a regulated monopoly to a more competitive environment the pressure can be powerful indeed.