THE FERTILITY AND LANGUAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN AND NON-HISPANIC HUSBANDS AND WIVES

In this article cultural and socioeconomic explanations of the effects of language characteristics on the fertility of Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white couples are considered. The impact of husbands' as well of wives' characteristics are estimated on the fertility of a sample drawn from 1980 U.S. census data, using a dynamic model for fertility. The pattern of effects presented is consistent with a cultural explanation that includes the relevence of pronatalist values to the higher fertility of Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. The greater detail provided by this method also results in the identification of a subset of English-speaking Mexican-American couples who appear to be using a very low fertility strategy and a subset of non-Hispanic whites whose higher fertility is also tied to language characteristics.     

Immigration toward France in the 1990s: a new factor in the job market and new issues in society]

A review of trends in the employment of foreigners in France in the 1990s is presented. The author notes that the current economic crisis has resulted in a severe decline in the amount of salaried employment and a trend toward the service sector of the economy. In the second part of the article the author examines some of the issues concerning the dichotomy between labor migration and permanent immigration, and the problems involved in controlling migration flows with regard to the relative roles of international, national, and local authorities.     

Brain hemisphere dominance and vocational preference: a preliminary analysis

Recent developments in split-brain theory add support to the concept of specialization within brain hemispheres. Holland's vocational personality theory may overlap with Human Information Processing (HIP) characteristics. Holland's six RIASEC codes were developed to identify vocational personality characteristics, and HIP scales were designed to measure hemispheric laterality. Relationships between the two scales were evaluated through canonical correlation with some significant results, however not all Holland scale scores correlated with left, right, or integrated hemispheric preference. Additional findings related to participants self-perception of music and math ability were also correlated. Findings on this added analysis revealed a high correlation between perception of musical ability and right brain function but not between mathematical concept and left brain alone. Implications regarding vocational choice and work are discussed.     

A qualitative perspective of family resources among low income, African American grandmother-caregivers

This ethnographic study describes a group of 7 low-income, African American, grandmother-caregivers' perceptions of family resources. An ethnographic design, enhanced by a genogram, captured those who were available and unavailable to provide support to the grandmother. The analysis used a constant comparative method to thematically capture grandmothers' perceptions of family support resources as absent, unavailable, dependent, and reliable support, and the circumstances that led to that status. The findings reveal that many African American grandmothers are rearing children with little family support, owing mainly to the devastation of negative social and economic conditions. The results suggest areas for improvement in social work assessment and intervention.     

Gender equity and women's contraception use

Gender equity describes the distribution between men and women of social and material resources and decision‐making powers. Women's experiences of gender equity are likely to influence their contraceptive use. Multilevel analysis of two databases: the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles from the United Kingdom and the United Nations' Fertility and Family Surveys, was undertaken to explore the association between gender equity measured at two spatial scales (small areas and countries) and women's contraception use. Results suggest that the spatial scale at which gender equity is considered is important. Gender equity was associated with contraception use at a local level, but not at the country level. Further, gender equity (at a local level) benefited women with less education in terms of increasing their likelihood of contraception use compared with more highly educated women. Results suggest gender equity is a potential pathway to reducing socio‐economic inequalities in health in developed settings.     

The Impact of Parents’ Overseas Employment on Educational Outcomes of Filipino Children

Family structure, household resources, numbers of siblings competing for those resources, and parents’ own educational attainment are often important predictors of children’s education outcomes. Overseas migration of parents from the Philippines has resulted in increasing numbers of long-term separations of parents from each other and from their children. Western-based analyses might predict negative education outcomes for children as a result of parental absence. We find that separations caused by overseas migration often are either neutral or can have positive effects on schooling outcomes, at least among older children. Girls fare better in terms of educational attainment than do boys overall. Boys are often more affected by background variables, including parents’ international migration.     

Reforming child welfare: an integrated approach

Throughout the 1990s, child welfare systems were exposed to intense pressure. As a result, most systems have undertaken processes of reform and change. This article discusses the strategic development of New Zealand's service system in child welfare. A partnership between managerial discipline and professional leadership has been critical in the service system reform. With respect to management, a strong vision, a culture of high performance, and greater organizational stability and confidence provided the platform on which professional reforms could be established-including the knowledge framework, the service model, the practice package, and staff support. The managerial efforts that have provided the platform for the professional reforms are discussed, followed by an exploration of the professional reform package.