Do You Speak English? Language Barriers in Child Protection Social Work with Minority Ethnic Families

This paper critically evaluates research and literature on childprotection social work practice with minority ethnic familieswho speak little or no English. Though the focus is on childprotection, many of the themes raised should be transferableacross to other areas and disciplines. Specifically, the paperfocuses on the limitations and difficulties of using professionalinterpreters in child protection work and covers themes likethe availability of interpreters, the role of interpreters,suitability of interpreters, the interpretation of particularwords and phrases, and manipulating the interpreting process.The paper then moves on to address the important but often neglectedarea of using children as interpreters, and ends by consideringthe broader issue of how language barriers can exacerbate discriminationagainst minority ethnic families.     

Fuzzy K-means clustering models for triangular fuzzy time trajectories

We focus our attention on the classification of fuzzy time trajectories with triangular membership function, described by a given set of individuals. To this purpose, we adopt a fullyinformational approach, explicitly recognizing the informational nature shared by the ingredients of the classification procedure: the observed data (Empirical Information) and the classification model (Theoretical Information). In particular, by supposing that the informational paradigm has a fuzzy nature, we suggest three fuzzy clustering models allowing the classification of the triangular fuzzy time trajectories, based on the analysis of the cross sectional and/or longitudinal characteristics of their components (centers and spreads). Two applicative examples are illustrated.     

The Chinese-speaking Muslims (Dungans) of Central Asia: A Case of Multiple Identities in a Changing Context

Chinese-speaking Muslims, called Dungans in Central Asia and Huizu in China, were forced to migrate to present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan at the end of the nineteenth century. They reconstructed their identity through interrelations with local populations and the soviet categorisation of nationality. But after 1991, their status has being gradually destabilised owing to the changes in economic, social and political rules as well as citizenship regulations in these countries. They have to readapt to the new situation created by the independence of the three former Soviet Republics, which has challenged their unity.     

压力型体制下乡镇治理的特点及负面影响

压力型体制下 ,乡镇治理的特点主要表现为“目标责任”管理、“选择性激励”泛滥、“正式权力的非正式运用”以及“政绩工程”与“造假”等。这些做法“虚化”了政权 ,制约了村民自治的成长 ,并有可能引起治理危机。因此 ,必须加以解决。     

民族地区以信息化带动工业化发展的对策研究

只有加速推进信息化带动工业化的进程 ,西部民族地区才能发挥“后发”优势 ,实现跨越式发展。为此 ,西部民族地区需加快和优先发展信息产业、积极推进信息技术在传统工业领域的广泛应用。坚持走以市场为主导的道路、加大对信息产业的投入、制定相应的人才政策 ,并注重培育和优化与信息化推进和信息化产业发展相关的外部环境。     

民族大迁移造就了北京城

民族大迁移 ,尤其是少数民族大迁移造就了北京城。辽、金、元、明、清五朝 ,均有民族大迁移。尤其是明清两朝 ,均将北京的前朝居民迁移出去 ,本族居民迁移进来。在今天的北京 ,辽代契丹人留下了天宁寺塔 ,金代女真人遗下金太液池的一汪清水 ,元代蒙古人的胡同和六海水系还在沿用 ,明代汉族工匠建成了宫殿、长城和十三陵 ,清代精美的皇家园林和王府建筑后人至今无法企及。     

中国居民收入分配差距扩大的原因及对策分析

中国居民收入分配差距的扩大在近年来越来越严重 ,这不仅表现在城乡居民间 ,还表现在 :城市内部、农村内部、区域之间、不同行业之间、不同所有制企业之间等各个方面。文章从经济发展、经济改革、世界经济发展潮流的角度分析了造成差距的原因 ,指出了其存在的一定合理性与不合理性 ,并提出了加快发展西部中心城市等相关对策建议     

略论东南亚华族的族群认同及其发展趋势

二战以后 ,东南亚华人的国家认同 ,逐渐从认同中国转为认同于当地 ;其族群认同也从认同于中华民族转为认同于华人族群。各国华人的族群规模、经济实力、凝聚力 ,以及当地国政府的华人政策的不同 ,其华人族群认同的发展过程和走势也各不相同。但总体趋势是融合于当地社会 ,或作为族群之一构成当地国家民族的组成部分 ,或是同化于当地主体族群。他们作为东南亚人 ,在今后很长时间中仍将保持强弱不等的华人族群认同的意识。     

"祝颂"言语行为的汉英对比

汉英“祝颂”言语行为及“祝颂语”在词汇、句法、语体、语境、话语结构和文化背景等方面均存在共性与差异。实施“祝颂”言语行为时常出现“语用语言失误”和“社交语用失误” ,其根源在于文化差异 ,即英美文化的基督教信仰、个体主义、自我价值和汉文化的贬己尊人等传统观念之间的差异。     

Collapsing the Boundaries? Fatherhood,Organization and Home‐Working

In the modern western world, the discursive construction of fatherhood and everyday fathering practices has been underpinned by the spatial separation of work from home, of public from private. However, increasing numbers of employees are now working from home and a disproportionate number of these are men with young children. This article draws on new empirical research to examine the implications for fathers and for organizations as home‐working disrupts earlier spatial configurations of fatherhood and fathering practices. The article concludes that as the spatial boundaries between home and work collapse, new accommodations between fatherhood/fathering and organization are emerging. However, these are underpinned by a traditional gender division of labour in the household. More broadly, these findings confirm the inadequacy of static distinctions between public and private, showing that while such distinctions are still used to mark space and time, this is relational, contingent and unstable.