The dynamics of Human Development Index

In criticizing the nature of the Human Development Index, this paper proposes a different way of constructing the HDI in terms of capturing the pure flow of human development in the areas of material well-being, health, and education. Our comparison of the HDIF and the HDI shows that measuring human development with flow variables provides a better human development performance in terms of health and education than the traditional measure which is a mixture of stock and flow variables.     

Reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU: Expected results and their social acceptance

The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (CAP) is one of the oldest and most controversial of the UE policies. Different possible scenarios of the future reforms of the CAP are currently being discussed. They vary in terms of the extent and the type of the intervention and consequently the welfare effects for different social groups. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that the partial equilibrium model (CAPRI) and the Theory of Moves (TOM) can be jointly used to test socio-political acceptance of the CAP’s reforms, informing subsequent changes to the policy. Our exemplary results demonstrate that liquidation of the first pillar of the CAP would negatively influence the socio-political acceptance of the CAP.     

论政治文化传统与印度外交思想的二元性

作为一个具有悠久历史的文明古国,印度外交思想的雏形在其传统政治文化中就能找到渊源。印度政治文化不仅囊括具有现实主义取向的考底利耶主义与激进的斯瓦拉吉思想,也包含具有崇高道义法则的法胜思想与非暴力思想。本文从历史、地理、宗教精神及广义的文化等五个方面探讨印度二元性政治文化的来源,并阐述这种政治文化的特征。在政治文化传统的影响下,印度形成了独具特色的外交思想。     

Implementing evidence-based practices and programmes in the human services: lessons from research in public administration

The development of evidence-based practice and programmes (EBP) has led to increasing interest in implementation issues in the field of human services, and specifically how to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and actual practice. However, because EBP are usually connected with social policies, which are political, implementation problems arise concerning resource allocation, ethics and power. Such implementation problems in the field of public administration have been extensively researched. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether and how research into policy implementation in public administration may benefit ongoing research on EBP in the human services to understand, explain and manage common implementation problems. This paper is based on a broad review and comparison of the literatures on policy implementation in public administration and implementation of EBP in the human services. Analysis shows that human services could learn from public administration research to develop a broader theoretical approach for understanding and managing implementation of evidence-based practice and programmes.     

A Case-based Collaborative Learning Model for Teaching Advocacy

Social work graduate school programs focusing on clinical practice have traditionally attended less to the profession's advocacy role. Masters-level clinical social work students, therefore, may not receive adequate training to understand their roles in advocating for or against policies that directly impact their practice. This article proposes a collaborative learning model called ‘Advocacy Week’, which prepares students for a statewide NASW-sponsored Advocacy Day. Using case presentations prepared in collaboration with clinical and policy social work faculty, aspiring clinical social work practitioners are exposed to the relevance of advocacy. Preliminary findings suggest that graduate students exposed to this model become aware of their advocate role as part of their clinical practice, a knowledge which has implications for social work education.     

Working in the risk society: Families perceptions of,and responses to,flexible labour markets and the restructuring of welfare

It is now widely accepted that the risk of unemployment has increased with the growth of flexible working practices in the UK and other European countries. Important questions, however, are raised about the extent to which these risks are understood by individuals and families in what has been termed the 'risk society' and, if perceived, how risks are managed both in terms of responses within the workplace and the family. These questions are central at a time when welfare provision is undergoing restructuring and an increasing emphasis is being placed on the market and individualised responses. This paper explores these issues, drawing on 90 qualitative interviews with members of 50 employed households in England. The study shows that individuals and families make complex assessments of labour market risk which do not necessarily accord with more objective measures and assumptions made at a policy level, and that they are not always willing or able to protect themselves. It concludes that current labour and welfare policies, together, leave many families, particularly those in lower socio-economic groups, vulnerable to the impacts of a flexible labour market, and that these realities need to be better incorporated into the risk society thesis. Aujourd'hui il est generalement admis que les risques du chomage ont augmente avec le developpement des pratiques de l'emploi flexible au Royaume Uni et dans d'autres pays europeens. Cependant d'importantes questions sont posees pour savoir comment ces risques son compris par les individus et les familles dans ce qu'on appelle 'la societe a risque', et lorsqu'ils sont compris, comment sont-ils geres dans le cadre du travail et de la famille. Ces questions sont d'un interet primordial a un moment ou on assiste a la restructuration de l'aide sociale et ou l'accent est mis sur les reponses individuelles et celles du marche. Cet article aborde ces questions a partir de 90 entretiens qualitatifs avec les membres de 50 familles salariees en Angleterre. Les resultats de cette etude montrent que les individus et les familles font des evaluations complexes des risques du marche de l'emploi qui ne correspondent pas toujours aux mesures objectives et aux previsions emises au niveau de la politique generale, et qu'ils ne sont pas toujours disposes ou en mesure d'assurer leur propre protection. En conclusion, il apparait que les politiques actuelles de l'emploi et de la protection sociale laissent de nombreuses familles, notamment celles des groupes socio-economiques defavorises, a la merci des effets du marche de l'emploi flexible et qu'il est necessaire de mieux integrer ces realites dans la these de la societe a risque.     

Social work promoting participation: reflections on policy practice in Italy

One of the core dimensions of social work practice, identified since its establishment as a professional endeavour, is concerned with political action. Nonetheless, policy practice, which entails that social workers should connect their work with individuals, as in traditional casework, to wider political action, is often perceived as marginal in everyday practice. This paper connects views on social work policy practices to the context provided by the ways social policies are actually constructed in Italy. A research study on governance processes across Italy, addressing the main actors involved in social policy-making, reveals that in fact practitioners’ political action is differently represented within different frameworks, ranging from being seen as a near impossibility, to being perceived as a crucial factor in the policy-making processes. If context and cultures play such a relevant role, synergistic work at different levels and by all the different actors in the social work community is required if we want social workers to be able to express their potential fully in the political arena.     

论中美全球战略利益的兼容性与中美中东合作

中美在亚太地区战略利益存在一定的结构性矛盾,但双方的安全竞争具有低烈度性,处于可控范围内;在中东地区,中美战略利益存在结构上的互补性,双方在防扩散、反恐、反海盗、维护自由通航、确保能源供应安全、维护海湾等中东国家的局势稳定等方面,尽管存在分歧,但拥有共同利益和认知。中东既是美国全球霸权的三大战略地区之一,也是中国大周边外交的组成部分,是中国运筹大国关系的支点和平台。未来中美在中东的战略协作将继续在结构性互补的框架下展开。双方需要以开展中东热点外交为抓手,拓展中美在中东战略利益的兼容性,使全球视野下的中美战略合作拥有更加稳定的平台。     

Financing and managing epidemiological-economic crises: Are we ready for another outbreak?

An epidemiological-economic crisis presents countries with two significant challenges, in addition to the health challenge - a growing deficit due to fiscal policy measures, and a shortage of essential workers needed to manage the crisis successfully. In this study, we propose an outline for economic readiness in case of a future crisis in general, and a pandemic outbreak in particular. Through the establishment of a dedicated income-based tax-financed budget aimed at funding government excess expenditure during a crisis, and by adopting a reserve program in the essential sector of the economy, social and economic costs can be reduced.     

预期引导、政策冲击与股市波动——基于文本分析法的异质性诊断

防范股票市场异常波动是维护金融稳定和防控金融风险的关键一环。货币政策实践中,预期引导与政策冲击对股市波动的实际影响和传导机制迥然不同。现有文献对两者之于股票市场波动 的异质性影响多有讨论,但分歧明显。基于2005年到2019年中国人民银行各季度《货币政策执行报告》和《货币政策大事记》,本文分别构建表征货币政策预期引导强度和实际操作频度的代理变量,对上述指标之于同期A股市场主要行业指数的波动性影响做了多维诊断和系统梳理。研究发现,第一,预期引导效应和政策冲击效应对于股票市场波动性的影响存在显著异质性特征,预期引导有助于平抑市场波动,而频繁调控则会放大股市波动。第二,预期引导的明确性会制约其对股市波动的平缓作用,货币调控意愿的表达越明确,越有助于平抑股票市场波动;而更坚决的“严厉型”表述比态度相对温和的“温和型”表述能够更显著地平抑股票市场波动。第三,实际操作频度对股市波动的放大作用受制于具体调控方向,宽松型调控的频率上升仅会小幅放大股市波动,而紧缩型货币调控则会大幅抬升股市波动性。由此,从平抑股市异常波动、维持金融稳定的角度出发,强化货币政策的预期引导比相机抉择的频繁调控更为重要;在预期引导过程中,应当增强调控意愿表达的明确性和坚决性,以限制其对金融市场运行带来的扰动。