The Last Stitch in the Quilt

The patterns of our working lives are fluid and often unpredictable. They are linked to the process of identity forming that we understand as a recognizable, but continuously changing pattern of actions and developments within our lifespan, which includes our career choices. This interpretation allows us to identify the multiple temporal trajectories within a working life and to see how an analysis of temporalities can help us to understand the gendered nature of our careers. By using a number of retrospective narratives of older women about their working lives, we ascertain how an externally imposed and chronologically organized linear (life‐) career story breaks down into a number of a‐chronological trajectories, each of which is personally marked by the identity of the narrator. The theme of self‐care emerges and turns into a binding notion for working women from different generations.     

Coalitions and Collaboration among Three Civil Society Immigrant Organisations in Israel

This article describes the creation of a coalition among three civil society immigrant organisations in Israel. The research questions dealt with the collaborative strategies adopted by these organisations, and investigated through ethnographic interviews and document analysis what factors facilitated inter-organisational collaboration. Results showed that these organisations provided complementary services to newcomers while struggling with hostile government policies. The collaboration dynamic between the groups was successful because these immigrant associations shared similar socialistic views. Furthermore, through the promotion of personal ties, inter-organisational solidarity was forged, but overall, these activities ran counter to the dominant Israeli culture.     

我国海洋渔业转产转业政策导致的双重困境探析--从“过度捕捞”到“过度养殖”

近年来,随着海洋资源开发利用程度的不断提高,海洋捕捞强度日渐超出海洋渔业资源的生态资源承载能力;中日、中韩和中越三个渔业协定的签署生效及海洋专属经济区制度的实行,导致海洋作业渔场逐渐减少,海洋渔民面临失业的凤险.在上述内部矛盾与外部规则的双重压力下,我国政府开始在沿海地区普遍实施海洋渔民转产转业政策,旨在减小海洋捕捞强度,实现海洋渔业资源的可持续利用.这对于改变海洋渔业资源无偿、无序、无度的开发利用现状以及保护和增殖渔业生态资源起到较大的促进作用,减船转产效果明显.然而,渔民弃船后大多转向了海水养殖业,致使海洋渔业陷入高密度、超容量的“过度养殖”困境,海水养殖资源供需矛盾进一步加剧,海洋渔业生态环境日趋恶化.鉴于此,从改善渔业管理制度入手,逐步舍弃传统的“投入控制”管理模式,引入“产出控制”管理模式,将成为有效控制捕捞和养殖的产量,进而“双管齐下”走出双重困境的合理、有效选择.     

双重边缘化状态下的文化产业融资难问题解析

在加快文化产业发展过程中,金融资本对于推进文化产业发展具有重要的作用,但“融资难”问题已成为制约文化产业发展的桎梏.出现文化产业“融资难”现象的根本原因在于文化产业被金融业双重边缘化的问题:一是文化产业发展的特殊性决定了它与建立在工商业基础上的金融体系之间存在着不兼容性,导致整个产业被金融业边缘化;二是由于我国文化产业尚处于发展初期,产业内部企业规模结构因市场分割导致的规模偏小,小型、微型企业的广泛分布导致了金融业因规模偏好带来的边缘化.解决“融资难”问题的关键不能局限于出台一项或数项具体激励措施,而在于调整改善制度结构,通过文化企业、金融业、政府三个主体的自我完善和调整,实现相互适应、共同发展,提高文化产业与金融业的对接效率,为文化产业融资提供一个良好的运行平台,进而推动文化产业快速发展.     

Well‐being among employed and non‐employed caregiving women in Taiwan

Chou Y‐C, Kröger T, Chiao C, Pu C‐Y. Well‐being among employed and non‐employed caregiving women in Taiwan This study addressed various groups of non‐employed/employed and non‐caring/caring women in Taiwan. Data from the 2006 National Taiwanese Women Survey (at age 16–64, n= 6,017) were analysed to determine whether there are differences in terms of well‐being, as measured by self‐rated health and family life satisfaction, between women who work and/or care and between different carer groups. Other factors associated with well‐being of carers of young children (n= 1,697) were also analysed. The results showed that non‐employed carers of disabled adults stood out as the most disadvantaged group. However, the importance of work has been replaced by support among carers of young children. This study suggests that unpaid carers, particularly carers of disabled adults who are non‐employed, ought to be supported by policies. To improve carers' well‐being, care–work reconciliation among working‐age women needs to be included in the future care scheme in Taiwan.     

Is the association between social capital and health robust across Nordic regions? Evidence from a cross‐sectional study of older adults

Nyqvist F, Nygård M. Is the association between social capital and health robust across Nordic regions? Evidence from a cross‐sectional study of older adults The study examined the association between structural and cognitive social capital and self‐rated health among 65‐ and 75‐year‐olds in Västerbotten in Sweden and Österbotten and Pohjanmaa in Finland. Data were retrieved from a cross‐sectional postal questionnaire survey conducted in 2005 and was answered by 3,370 persons, yielding a total response rate of 69 per cent. The association between self‐rated health and interpersonal trust and membership in organisations was tested by logistic regression analysis. The results showed that older adults in Västerbotten in Sweden experienced better self‐rated health than in Finland. Furthermore, interpersonal trust and active membership in organisations were associated with self‐rated health among 65‐ and 75‐year olds even after having controlled for the influence of region. We therefore conclude that the association between social capital and self‐rated health tends to be robust across contextually similar regions, but that further analyses are warranted in order to clarify the nature of this relationship. Key Practitioner Message: ?Health status can be indirectly strengthened through investments in social capital, such as group participation and active networks; ?When working with older adults, more focus needs to be put on how to develop trustful relationships; ?The Nordic welfare state, with its universal and subsidised social and health care services, has an indirect and positive effect on health among older adults.     

Asset poverty in Korea: Levels and composition based on Wolff's definition

Kim K‐S, Kim YM. Asset poverty in Korea: levels and composition based on Wolff's definition The main purpose of the study was to lay the groundwork for establishing a more effective asset‐building policy through accurate measurement and analysis of the level and composition of the asset‐poor Korean population. We defined four asset poverty lines according to the concepts of basic needs, limited period of time and wealth‐type resources from Wolff's operational definition. The size of the Korean asset‐poor population, when considered from the perspectives of net assets and liquid assets, was found to remain around 12.7–13.2 and 32.8–36.5 per cent respectively. This study suggests that it is necessary to establish a differentiated asset‐building policy by age group and to prepare more realistic alternatives to solve housing problems, while empirically verifying the need for an accurate asset poverty line which reflects the definition of asset poverty.     

Collaboration on Disaster Prevention Education Curriculum Development project and its implications for social work

Collaboration has often been regarded as an effective way to meet people's need in social work and other fields. This article reports on a Disaster Prevention Education Curriculum Development project launched and headed by the Aide et Action China Office in Sichuan, China. Emphasis is on the collaborations between Aide et Action and other non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies, schools, local communities and volunteers. It is suggested that collaboration is critical to the successful operation of the project. The factors that contribute to the effective and efficient collaboration in the project are proposed and addressed. The implications for social work practice are also discussed.     

Crafting Child‐friendly Cities: Evidence from Biratnagar Sub‐metropolitan City,Eastern Nepal

Our cities are increasingly becoming the sites where children socialize, observe, and learn how society functions and many local and global activities have impacted children's health and well‐being. The Child‐friendly Cities initiative, launched by the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 1996, draws in diverse stakeholders to place children at the center of the urban agenda. Based on social work research, this article analyzes the acclaimed status of Biratnagar Sub‐metropolitan city, Eastern Nepal, as a child‐friendly city. Despite its efforts, the city of Biratnagar is yet to meet the required criteria to claim itself as a child‐friendly city. Further improvements by the city administration in achieving children's participation in decision‐making, child‐friendly legal environment, and code of conduct are essential. Based on the evidence, the authors advocate for bottom‐up approaches that include children's voices and their real participation in city governance and a strong political will to craft child‐friendly cities, not as a policy rhetoric but for real. Enabling children to fulfill their potential as equal participants in crafting child‐friendly cities will require adults to relinquish some of their hegemonic powers of decision‐making on behalf of children.     

It's More Than an M‐shape: The Political Economy of Female Non‐Standard Workers in the Republic of Korea

This study examines the re‐entrance of female workers into the Korean labor market. We highlight that women in their 40s have the highest rate of employment among all female workers and that a large proportion of these women are entering into non‐standard employment. In approaching this question, we examine the political economy of this phenomenon by first discussing the demand side of the Korean labor market using the gendering of the varieties of capitalism argument and then the supply side with the work–life balance argument. When examining re‐entrance into the labor market, women with general skills with lower education and higher education both found it more feasible to re‐enter the labor market as non‐standard workers. While work–life balance is a prominent reason for women's choice of opting out of the labor market, work–life balance choice mattered less for women re‐entering the labor market as non‐standard workers in their 40s and 50s but instead firmly based skill formation mattered more. In addition, the retail service industry is suggested to absorb a large number of female workers with lower skill levels who would have had difficulties in re‐entering other male‐oriented companies.