Factors Motivating Individuals to Take Precautionary Action for an Expected Earthquake in Istanbul

Istanbul is expected to experience an earthquake in the near future, but individuals show limited interest in preparing for it. This study aims to identify the factors associated with taking action to prepare for an earthquake and mitigate its effects at the individual level. A field survey was carried out in 2007 in two districts of Istanbul with different levels of earthquake risk. Within these districts, three socioeconomic levels were considered. A total of 1,123 people were interviewed face to face. Analysis indicated that the educational level of the respondents was the leading factor associated with taking at least three measures, followed by living in a higher earthquake risk area, having participated in rescue and solidarity activities in previous earthquakes, a higher level of knowledge about earthquakes, home ownership, a higher score for action‐stimulating attitudes, being younger, and a higher general safety score, in that order. The findings pointed to the role of knowledge about earthquakes and possible mitigation/preparedness measures, and thus the importance of developing effective awareness programs. Such programs should also consider the characteristics of different groups in the population. Motivated individuals, such as those who have participated in rescue and solidarity activities in previous earthquakes, could be involved in reaching other people.     

Fairness decisions in children and early adolescents with and without hearing loss

Although having universal aspects, development of a sense of fairness, a milestone in children's social development, is influenced by social and cultural forces. Yet, it scarcely has been studied in children who are at risk for their social development, let alone in deaf and hard‐of‐hearing (DHH) children, who have limited access to linguistic and social input. This study examined for the first time equity preferences in DHH children compared with hearing counterparts. About 179 children (8–11 years) and early adolescents (12–14 years) played four economic allocation games where they distributed coins between themselves and another child. Participants with and without hearing loss were similar in conditions that entailed non‐costly prosociality or self‐maximization. However, DHH participants showed weaker inequity aversion in more complex conditions: DHH children were more willing to allow other players to receive more coins than themselves, compared with hearing children and to DHH or hearing adolescents, and DHH adolescents were less willing to share resources when it was self‐costly, compared with all other groups. Findings are discussed in light of the tension between norms of social comparison and norms of prosociality, and how they are reflected in developmental trajectories for inequity aversion when access to these norms is limited.     

Efficiency evaluations with context-dependent and measure-specific data envelopment approaches: An application in a World Bank supported project

We evaluate the efficiency of decision making units (DMUs) in a World Bank supported Social Risk Mitigation Project (SRMP) in Turkey through context-dependent and measure-specific data envelopment analysis (DEA) approaches. The results suggest that the efficiency evaluations with context-dependent and measure-specific DEA play various roles in an organization such as setting attainable targets to DMUs, setting long and short term targets to DMUs separately, grouping of DMUs, and improving internal competition between DMUs. Four main contributions of this study can be summarized as follows. Firstly, the study shows the applicability of context-dependent and measure-specific DEA methodologies in a World Bank supported large scale project to increase the effectiveness of the project. Secondly, it outlines some important managerial conclusions of context-dependent DEA clustering approach. Moreover, we propose an alternative approach for attractiveness scores computations in case of exogenous group formations. Finally, the study proposes and applies measure-specific version of context-dependent DEA approach.     

“Are We Doing Fine?” The Views on Poverty Reduction Strategies Among Front-Line Workers in the Field of Social Assistance in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This research highlights the views of front-line workers in the social assistance system in Turkey about the strategies of poverty reduction and the effectiveness of the assistance given by Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations (SASFs) to the poor. The data were gathered from 33 employees from the 8 SASF offices in Ankara, Turkey. The results show that the majority of the participants agree with governmental efforts to create employment opportunities as the most important method. Although the participants felt the services they provided were effective at the individual and family level, they thought such services were extremely insufficient in terms of poverty reduction on a macro scale. The findings were discussed within the framework of the changing nature of poverty and the recent agenda on poverty reduction in Turkey. Future research based upon larger samples from different parties in the field of social assistance is needed to fully determine the positions taken by the agents.     

Who do migrant associations represent? The role of ‘ethnic deservingness’ and legal capital in migrants’ rights claims in Turkey

Considering that established migrant associations often play an active role in migrants’ rights advocacy, the relationship between them and the growing numbers of irregular migrants needs careful scrutiny. Looking at the encounters between irregular Bulgarian Turkish migrants and associations established by their co-ethnics who hold Turkish citizenship in Turkey, our ethnographic evidence shows that co-ethnic migrant associations mobilise the legal frame of ‘ethnic deservingness’ with the intention of welcoming co-ethnics to the Turkish homeland. In the absence of other formal organisations for rights advocacy, associations’ appeals to this frame emerge as a civic resource for the irregular newcomers in their permanent residency claims. At the same time, the same frame hides unequal power relations within co-ethnic communities, that is, newcomers’ peripheral positions within associations and the economic costs of filing claims via associations. This situation creates a representational gap in the associational context between its active members with higher legal capital and irregular newcomers with lower legal capital. Tackling the problem of representation determined by the legal hierarchy, this study questions whether migrant associations should still be considered important political actors when undocumented/irregular migrants outnumber regulars—especially with regard to the immediate political/legal actions they require.     

Book reviews

Theory and Society -     

国外玛格丽特·阿特伍德研究的历史展开及其理论路径

国外阿特伍德研究经过四十多年的发展已卓有成效,但国内学术界还不曾对这个领域进行过系统地梳理和分析。以女性主义研究为主线来把握庞杂的阿特伍德研究的总体现状和发展脉络是一个很好的方法。一方面,女性主义本身在阿特伍德批评中占据主流地位,另一方面其他包括生态主义、后殖民主义、乌托邦和原型批评等在内的众多批评方法中也渗透着女性意识。据此从比较宏观的层面对四十年来国外英语评论界的阿特伍德研究进行梳理和综述,相信能为国内的阿特伍德研究者提供一定的参考依据。     

民问资本进入微型金融领域的理论解读与现实表达

"新36条"明确了我国微型金融领域对民间资本的全面开放,这无论在理论层面还是现实层面均具有制度正当性与价值合理性。鉴于国际金融监管以及国内金融民营化的发展趋势,我国应当在微型金融监管中倡导私法治理理念的回归,采取"五位一体"多元分层的差别化分类监管模式,从市场准入条件、可持续发展保障、市场退出机制和配套扶持制度等多方面入手对民间资本进入微型金融领域的制度环境进行全方位优化。     

Children and return migration

We explore reasons for return migrations which are motivated by immigrants concerns about their children. We develop a simple model, where parents have paternalistic preferences. We show that parental concerns about the child may lead to an increase, or to a decrease in the tendency to return to the home country. Our model suggests that return plans of the parent may respond differently to the presence of daughters than to the presence of sons. The empirical test of our models relies on the exogeneity of childrens gender. We use a survey panel data set, containing information on both return realisations over 14 years, and intended return plans. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that children influence return plans of their parents.I am grateful to Jerome Adda, Jaap Abring, David Card, Slobodan Djajic, and Ian Preston for comments on earlier versions of this paper. Responsible editor: Christoph M. Schmidt.