Dividing the wealth, sharing the poverty: the (re)formation of 'family' in law in Ontario

Depuis dix ans, le droit de la famille en Ontario a subi un procès de (ré)formation qui a redéfini de façon significative les droits et devoirs légaux des membres des families en ce qui a trait à la propriété et au soutien. A la lumière ďune analyse serrée des transformations du discours légal (tant celui des statuts que celui des juges) sur ľidéal d'égalité des époux, on constate que la position des femmes (et de leurs dépendants) s'est modifiée sans pour autant s'améliorer. Une analyse féministe de ces (ré)formes suggère que si Ton veut parvenir àľégalité entre les sexes, les relations entre époux doivent être repensées en termes de relations de travail. Les intérêts collectifs des femmes et des enfants sans soutien économique des hommes seront alors le point ďancrage pour 1'analyse et la menée de la lutte de sexes et de classes au sein de ľEtat.
Over the past decade, family law in Ontario has undergone processes of (re)formation which have significantly redefined the legal rights and responsibilities of family members with respect to property and support. A close analysis of shifts in discourse in both statute and judge-made law in terms of the ideal of 'equality' of spouses reveals that the position of women (and their dependent children), while significantly altered, remains essentially unimproved. A feminist interpretation of these (re)forms suggests that, in order to achieve gender equity, 'spousal' relationships must be rethought in a framework of labour negotiations, taking the collective interests of women-and-children-without-the-economic-support-of-men as the vantage point for analysing and waging both class and gender struggles within the State.     

Excess mortality of girls in the Middle East in the 1970s and 1980s: Patterns,correlates and gaps in research

Abstract. Comparative research on girls' excess mortality in the Middle East is rare. Estimates from the United Nations suggest that absolute excess mortality of girls was not universal in the 1970s and was uncommon by the 1980s. Compared with historical Northwest Europe at similar levels of boys' under-five mortality, however, girls' under-five mortality was high in both periods. Studies of the allocation of food and health care suggest that parents invested less and provided less curative care to girls than boys where girls' excess mortality was greatest. Urbanization and women's relative economic opportunity account for much of the variation in relative mortality. Unexplained excess mortality of girls in the Middle East compared with historical Northwest Europe may be attributable to differences in socio-cultural, political, and economic systems that influence the forms of discrimination exercised against girls; however, inadequate measurement of these variables limits their consideration in comparative research.     

Paying the toll: a feminist post‐structural critique of the discourse bridging work and family

On the surface, the modern workplace and home life appear to stand in sharp contrast to one another. The workplace seems to epitomize the modern concern with bounded time and the necessity of effective ‘use time’ (e.g., efficiency, effort, organizational commitment, speed‐up). Home life, on the other hand, is characterized by idealized images of emotionality and relief from the pressures of work. Yet numerous reported experiences of working people seem to belie this supposed duality. For many, home life is experienced as an appendage of the workplace, with its demands on time‐effort balance. Nonetheless, we continue to act as if there are two separate spheres of life that can ultimately be balanced and reconciled. This has been reinforced over the years by a growing discourse of work‐family conflict. Deconstruction of the discourse suggests that far from unraveling the ‘problem’ its characterization as a ‘work‐family’ conflict serves to privilege the dominant themes of use‐time and speed.     

INVESTING IN HEALTH: THE LONG‐TERM IMPACT OF HEAD START ON SMOKING

Head Start is a comprehensive, early childhood development program designed to augment the human capital and health capital levels of disadvantaged children. Evaluations of Head Start have tended to focus on cognitive outcomes; however, there is increasing recognition that other important outcomes can be influenced by participation. This article evaluates the long‐term impact of Head Start participation on smoking behavior in young adulthood by comparing the behavior of adults who attended Head Start with those of siblings who did not. We find that participation in Head Start reduces the probability that an individual smokes cigarettes as a young adult. (JEL I12, I28, I38)     

The Allocation of Male and Female Occupational Prestige in an Ontario Urban Area: A Quarter‐Century Replication*

Une étude de 1975 portant sur L'évaluation du prestige des titres de profession spécifiés comme détenus par un homme ou une femme a été répétée en 2000. Les deux enquêtes ont été conduites à Kitchener‐Waterloo en Ontario. Alors que les données de 1975 accordaient un avantage de cinq points en moyenne aux hommes sur les femmes, ce fossé des sexes a disparu en 2000. Dans les postes où le travail est plus axé sur les personnes, les femmes se voient maintenant accorder un plus haut prestige que les hommes. L'article fait référence à la manière dont ces changements sociaux sont liés au cours du dernier quart de siècle à une convergence dans L'identification sexuelle des professions. Les sources de variation dans les évaluations de L'échantillonnage de 2000 sont analysées et considérées comme minimes quoique les répondants ayant un plus haut degré d'éducation classent toutes les professions légèrement à la baisse. A 1975 study on the evaluation of the prestige of occupational titles specified as held by a man or a woman was replicated in 2000. Both surveys were collected in Kitchener‐Waterloo, Ontario. While the 1975 data revealed an average five‐point advantage to men over women, this gender gap had disappeared by the year 2000. In more people‐oriented work, women are now accorded higher prestige than men. The paper refers to how these social changes are linked with convergence over the quarter century in the sex typing of occupations. Sources of variation in ratings within the 2000 sample are examined and found to be minimal, although more highly educated respondents grade all occupations slightly on the low side.     

Bibliotherapy in Social Work

Summary Bibliotherapy literally means the therapeutic use of literature.Many people will have experienced the power of literature orother art forms to offer new insight, to provide sources ofidentification, to stir the emotions, and to release feelings.In line with its current usage bibliotherapy can be broadlydefined as a technique whereby the worker seeks to utilise theseinteractive processes therapeutically so that those experiencingthe literature or other form of media can be helped towardspreventative, remedial and/or developmental goals. The literaturecan be either imaginative or didactic. It is the contentionof this article that Bibliotherapy is a useful additional toolfor social workers that can be used at the individual and grouplevel with both children and adults. Illustrations are takenfrom the ‘Wednesday Group’ which was set up by theauthor for elderly depressed patients using a bibliotherapeuticapproach, as well as from the wider literature on Bibliotherapy.     

Stability and change in living arrangements in Indonesia,Singapore, and Taiwan, 1993-99

We use longitudinal data from Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan to examine stability and change in the co-residence of older adults and their children. Longitudinal data support the analysis of transitions in living arrangements. We focus on how life-cycle characteristics of older adults and their children are related to co-residence at a point in time, to maintaining co-residence over time, and to transitions into and out of co-residence. We find that many of the characteristics found to be associated with co-residence at baseline interviews exhibit an even stronger association with continued co-residence over time. While some of the results support the interpretation that co-residence provides support for parents as they age, the needs of children also play an important role in the decision to co-reside.     

Positive Deviance on the Ethical Continuum: Green Mountain Coffee as a Case Study in Conscientious Capitalism

Increasingly, stories are emerging about businesses that engage in ethical behaviors above and beyond mere compliance with regulations. These positive deviations along the ethical continuum provide an opportunity to explore how some companies’ business philosophy leads them to pursue an array of outcomes beyond the bottom line. This paper presents a case study of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the leading ethical company in the United States as rated by Forbes magazine, exploring the company culture and operating philosophy from a perspective of conscientious capitalism. The three underlying assumptions of conscientious capitalism are: (1) interconnectedness between individuals, businesses, and global society; (2) wealth as a holistically understood state rather than solely a financial status; and (3) relevant time spanning multiple generations. Implications are offered for commerce, business practitioners, and educators.