Effect of provider characteristics on choice of contraceptive provider: A two-equation full-information maximum-likelihood estimation

We use surveys of households and health-care facilities conducted in the same area at the same time to determine which characteristics of providers attract users of contraceptives. By using the full-information maximum-likelihood technique to jointly estimate choice of contraceptive method and choice of provider, we avoid self-selection bias. Results support the need for modeling quality and for jointly estimating the choice of contraceptive method and the choice of provider to avoid biased estimates of coefficients. The results suggest that for the Cebu, Philippines region, small local clinics that focus on family planning tend to be most favored by clients.     

Queer asylum seekers: translating sexuality in Norway

This paper focuses on the burden of proof that queer asylum seekers encounter in Norway and how they tackle it. It is argued that queer asylum seekers translate their sexuality, sometimes strategically, to become readable in the Norwegian context. The act of translation appears to take the form of a ‘rainbow splash’ over the lives of the informants. The recurrence of similar narratives painted with similar colours contributes to a monolithic portrayal of sexualised and racialised asylum seekers, as they are unable to incorporate their own vocabularies during the act of translation. As a result, queer informants contribute to the (re)production of new norms about what it means to be a genuine queer person in need of protection. Therefore, genuineness remains an unattainable ideal for individuals seeking to negotiate their sexuality before, during and after the asylum seeking process.     

Nutrition,lactation, and birth spacing in filipino women

The Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey is used to examine the roles of women’s nutrition and infant feeding in determining time from birth to menses and time from menses to conception. The analysis sample includes 2,648 Filipino women followed for 24 months postpartum. Recently devised statistical estimation techniques to control for unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity are employed in estimating a two-state hazard model. Low body mass index and lower dietary fat intake are associated with increased duration of postpartum amenorrhea. Contraceptive use, high dietary fat consumption, higher parity, and absence of spouse predict a longer waiting time to conception once menses have returned. Simulation of the hazard model is used to examine the effects of the key nutrition and lactation factors.     

Intertemporal decision making with present biased preferences

I study the behavior of individuals with present biased preferences who are involved in costly, long-run projects. By using generic cost and reward functions, I characterize the behaviors of the sophisticated, partial naive and naive types. It is shown that there may arise cases where naives needlessly put effort on projects they never complete. Moreover, in endogenous total cost projects, the naive types always end up completing projects of lesser quality than originally intended. By introducing a bonus motive, it is shown that agents with higher self-control problems should be given a higher bonus to prevent inefficient procrastination. I, then, characterize the behavior of partially naives who potentially learn self-preferences. It is found that without learning self-preferences, partial naives behave either like sophisticates or naives depending on the level of naivete; with learning, if the learning pace is fast enough, procrastination until the deadline does not occur.     

喀什老城麦海莱(mehelle)空间文化的变迁与调适

本文对喀什老城传统麦海莱的空间结构与社会文化进行了全面的梳理,并将之与新建小区进行了对比,探讨了喀什老城改造过程中从麦海莱到小区的空间结构变迁所带来的社会关系及其构建方式的变化,指出只有充分注意到维吾尔族社会空间构建的基本原则,才能更为顺利地推进维吾尔族传统社会的现代转型.     

Imperfect information processing in sequential bargaining games with present biased preferences

This paper studies an alternating-offers bargaining game between a time-consistent player and a time-inconsistent player who processes information on future self-preferences imperfectly. Time-inconsistency and information processing are modeled by using cognitive and mood state approaches, respectively. This model structure allows for the learning of the partially naive time-inconsistent agent. The results characterize the relationship among the level of naivete, the level of learning probability and the equilibrium. We find critical values of the model parameters that specify whether the agreement is delayed and characterize the probabilistic nature of the agreement. In addition, comparative static results are reported with respect to time preferences.     

任务型教学法与对少数民族汉语教学

对少数民族汉语教学的最终目的是其运用汉语进行交际，是要将所学的语言知识与培养学生语言应用能力相结合。任务型教学法正是以培养语言能力为主线，把语言知识放入实际语言交际中来进行实践的教学法。在对少数民族汉语教学中引入任务型教学模式，设计更具有交际性和真实性的任务让学生去完成，就能使教与学的效果更显著。     

Child Spacing in the Philippines: The Effect of Current Characteristics and Rural Development

In this study the effects of characteristics current at the beginning of the birth interval on the time elapsing before the next birth are examined. The child-spacing process is viewed as affected by time-varying and fixed characteristics of the community, household, and individual. In the model on which the empirical research is based sociological and economic antecedents are used. The study is based on data from two panels of the Bicol Multipurpose Survey collected in 1978 and 1983. These furnish detailed histories of pregnancy and contraception, together with an extensive set of socio-economic data. Detailed information on services and facilities available in each of the 100 sample communities is also available. Because of the large rural development programme introduced in various sub-areas of the Bicol region, substantial changes in the rural infrastructure and in availability of health and family planning facilities and services occurred between 1976 and 1980, the period on which the analysis is focused. Our results clearly show that current characteristics at the individual, household, and community levels have significant and interpretable effects on the lengths of birth intervals.