On the rate of convergence of uniform approximations for sequences of distribution functions

In this paper, we develop uniform bounds for the sequence of distribution functions of $g(V_n+{\mu }_n)$, where $g$ is some smooth function, $\{V_n,n\ge 1\}$ is a sequence of identically distributed random variables with common distribution having a bounded derivative and $\left\{{\mu }_n\right\}$ are constants such that ${\mu }_n\to \infty$. These bounds allow us to identify a suitable sequence of random variables which is asymptotically of the same type of $g(V_n+{\mu }_n)$ showing that the rate of convergence for these uniform approximations depends on the ratio of the second derivative to the first derivative of $g$. The corresponding generalization to the multivariate case is also analyzed. An application of our results to the STATIS-ACT method is provided in the final section.     

Estimating the fiscal costs of long‐term jobless families in Australia

Despite substantial costs to society associated with the adverse consequences of joblessness, studies estimating actual costs are rare. This paper identifies the main costs to the Government of long‐term jobless families in Australia. The costs were split into three groups: immediate support costs, immediate opportunity costs, and indirect/intergenerational costs. Using a microsimulation model, the paper estimates the fiscal costs, which include immediate support costs such as the welfare system, and the immediate opportunity costs such as potential revenue from the tax system. We estimate that welfare payments and lost taxation revenue from long‐term joblessness cost the Government AU$5.55 billion per year.     

Successful yet insufficient: German policies for higher employment rates among older age groups

In recent years among the OECD countries, Germany has witnessed the largest increase in the employment rates of older people. This increase, and general German employment rates, are associated with both supply side measures in the fields of pensions and unemployment policies and employment promotion policies. Yet, supply side measures and Germany's shift from conservative towards liberal policy goals and policies in the case of older workers have resulted in economic inequality. These policies could be complemented by pro‐employability measures in order to become fully effective. This article describes recent policy reforms in the main policy fields of retirement, unemployment, and employment promotion, considers their effects on employment and inequality, and offers reform suggestions to raise further older worker employment rates without increasing inequality.     

The Associations Between Socioeconomic Status,Caregivers' Depressive Symptoms,Children's Health‐Promoting Behavior,and Children's Physical Health: A Mediation Model

The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effects of children's health‐promoting behaviors on the association between socioeconomic status, caregivers' depressive symptoms, and children's physical health outcomes. We used the first wave of “Seoul Education and Health Welfare Panel.” Data were collected from 820 fourth‐grade elementary and first‐year middle school students and their caregivers using self‐administered surveys. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the mediating effects of health‐promoting behaviors. Bias‐corrected bootstrap confidence intervals were used to test the mediating effect. The results showed that both low socioeconomic status and caregivers' depressive symptoms were negatively associated with a child's health‐promoting behaviors. Children's health‐promoting behaviors were positively associated with physical health. However, children's physical health was not significantly associated with socioeconomic status but was marginally associated with caregivers' depressive symptoms. We found that children's health‐promoting behaviors significantly mediated associations between both socioeconomic status and children's physical health and between caregivers' depressive symptoms and children's physical health. Based on the findings, we suggest the development and implementation of school‐based, health‐enhancement programs as a means to improve the general health of all children and to reduce health inequalities.     

Labor Mobility Without Pension Portability: Migrant Workers’ Endangered Pension Entitlement in China

This paper investigates migrant workers’ endangered pension entitlement in China from a perspective of political economy. The decentralized pension governance structure in China led to limited portability of the urban pension program. The movement of migrant workers challenges this decentralized governance structure, and have also produced clear winner and loser provinces in the pension program. This study argues that the interests of migrant‐receiving provinces, the winners, became a major obstacle in reforms that sought to address the pension portability problem. The migrant workers’ pension issue has in fact contributed to inter‐regional welfare inequality. This resulting inter‐regional inequality makes any central government's plan on centralizing the pension program a challenging task.     

试论“不平等”与人类文明产生的关系

前人曾以幻想、哲思和实证等方式,表达了人类史前社会的"平等"状态,那么,人类社会的文明时代是伴随着人际关系的不平等而产生的,"不平等"与人类文明互为因果。阶级和阶级剥削的产生使得社会剩余产品的出现成为可能,进而为创造更多的物质文明成果打下了基础,即物质文明产生于物质财富占有关系的不平等。政治文明的法理基础是在法律上确立人与人之间的平等关系,而其现实基础则是人与人之间的政治权利、政治地位的不平等,从而才使得人们有政治文明的诉求。精神文明是为解决人们道德、自由等领域的问题而出现的,具体到现实社会仍然关涉到人与人的不平等关系。无论是何种形式的文明,都是基于人们的现实需要而产生的。物质文明为其他形式文明的产生提供物质基础和保障,政治和精神领域的文明具有某种理想性和抽象性,也正因为如此,才引导人们为争取相互之间的平等和自由而做出不懈努力。     

农村正规金融与农村居民收入不均等关系的实证研究——基于农村二元金融结构的视角

我国金融机构对农业和农村企业贷款所占的比重很低,正规金融机构的资金供给远远不足。农村金融发展水平及农村贷款结构与农村居民收入不均等呈同方向短期波动,并存在一种反方向长期均衡关系。农村正规金融发展水平不是农村居民收入不均等的原因,而农村居民收入不均等是农村正规金融发展的Granger原因。目前,农村正规金融的运作对农村经济的增长缺乏效率,对农村居民收入差距的影响也是微弱的。另外,我国农村贷款结构与农村居民收入不均等具有双向的Granger因果关系,表明乡镇企业贷款额的变动和农村居民收入不均等是相互影响的。     

Does family still matter? Public and private transfers in emerging welfare state systems in a comparative perspective

Kim JW, Choi YJ. Does family still matter? Public and private transfers in emerging welfare state systems in a comparative perspective Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 353–366 © 2010 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. While the role of the family has been a distinctive feature of East Asian welfare systems, rapid social policy development and reforms in South Korea and Taiwan over the last two decades have led to an increase in public welfare. Yet, despite a growing number of studies, little is known about the role of family support – private transfers – and public programmes in the performance of state welfare. This article reports on a comparative analysis of the role of public and private transfers aimed at poverty and inequality reduction in 12 Western and two East Asian states employing the Luxemburg Income Study data set. Results indicate that, in contrast to the West, private transfers that rest primarily on family support remain more important than public transfers in reducing income inequality and poverty in South Korea and Taiwan.     

流动人口、收入差距与犯罪

改革开放后,我国流动人口与犯罪在历史周期、空间布局、结构特征方面存在诸多相似之处,流动人口的犯罪成因及其与社会整体犯罪率的相互关系成为亟待研究的社会问题.低收入、高财产犯罪是我国流动人口及其犯罪的显著特征,犯罪经济学有关收入差距与犯罪的理论和实证研究为这一问题的研究提供了比较合适的分析框架,应用这一分析框架研究流动人口、收入差距与犯罪的文献日益增多.从流动人口与犯罪,流动人口、收入差距与犯罪的理论研究与经验研究三个不同层面,综述相关研究文献,梳理这一研究领域的理论发展脉络,并作出相应的评价和研究展望.