Where is context? Advancing status research with a contextual value perspective

Most of the numerous studies on social status over the last decade have focused on how individual characteristics influence status attainment and effects, while much less research has examined the role of context in status dynamics. Given how important and pervasive contextual values are in all types of status hierarchies and all aspects of social life, studies on contextual influences are crucial. In order to spur more research on this critical factor, we review existing theories and empirical findings on the antecedents and effects of social status and closely inspect the untested underlying assumptions of the most prominent theory in status research: the functionalist perspective. We aim to expand the functionalist perspective by incorporating the importance of context and proposing the contextual value perspective. We discuss the different influences of cooperative versus competitive relationships—as an example of contextual factors—on status conferral and experience. We also examine the implications of the contextual value perspective for new and promising directions in status research.     

The conceptualization and measurement of need: a key to guiding policy and practice in children's services

Effective services for children must be grounded in the sound conceptualization and measurement of need. The concept of need is often misunderstood because it is used in different ways. Defining need as both a requisite and a goal is desirable. The conceptualization ought to rest on an acceptance that not only are objective and universal needs to attain physical health and autonomy requirements for all human beings, but subjective needs may also sit alongside of universal needs. The ecological/developmental perspective is best suited as a framework for assessing the needs of children. One of its tenets, the importance of understanding the interaction of risk and protective factors, is highly relevant to assessing needs. An assessment of the interaction of risk and protective factors operating in a child's life reveals the requisites and goals necessary for child development. The proposed approaches to the conceptualization and measurement of need when combined will be conducive to better assessment and intervention by social workers with children.     

Recovery from partner abuse: the application of the strengths perspective

Song L, Shih C. Recovery from partner abuse: the application of the strengths perspective Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 23–32 © 2008 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. This study applied, and examined the effectiveness of, the strengths perspective on women who experienced partner abuse in Taiwan. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilised. The findings from quantitative analysis show that the subjects experienced a significant decrease in depression, were positively empowered and had better life satisfaction. The results of the qualitative analysis further denote the functional components of recovery as the growth of sense of self, affirmation and action, or realisation of self. These results suggest that the strengths perspective could be a useful approach for case managers working with this population in helping the women to rediscover their own sense of self and reconstruct a productive life.     

生态学视角下的政府绩效评价研究——以第三方政府绩效评价为例

我国政府绩效评价的研究在不断深入,很多地方也在进行形式多样的政府绩效评价或考核,但总的来看,政府绩效评价并没有成为我国公共行政改革和发展的重要治理工具之一,它对政府行政行为的指导能力仍然有限,社会公众在政府绩效评价中参与度依然不高。政府绩效评价本身作为一个系统,在其自身发展的同时,也与生存于其中的整个社会环境系统进行着能量和信息的交换以达到动态的平衡,这种互动的过程具有生态系统的特征。本文从生态环境的视角探讨我国的政府绩效尤其是第三方政府绩效评价在发展过程中面临的问题,反思我们目前的政府绩效评价的研究倾向,并分析政府绩效评价生态环境对第三方政府绩效评价的影响。     

Points of View, Social Positioning and Intercultural Relations

The challenge of intercultural relations has become an important issue in many societies. In spite of the claimed value of intercultural diversity, successful outcomes as predicted by the contact hypothesis are but one possibility; on occasions intercultural contact leads to intolerance and hostility. Research has documented that one key mediator of contact is perspective taking. Differences in perspective are significant in shaping perceptions of contact and reactions to it. The ability to take the perspective of the other and to understand it in its own terms is a necessary condition for successful intergroup outcomes. This paper sheds light on the processes involved in intercultural perspective taking by elaborating the notion of the point of view based on social representations theory. The point of view provides a theory of social positioning that can analyse cultural encounters between social actors, and identify the conditions for positive relations. Insights are drawn from a study of public views on the relative merits of science and religion, following a documentary by Richard Dawkins in which it was suggested that religion is a source of evil. The findings demonstrate that the point of view may be categorised according to a three-way taxonomy according to the extent to which it is open to another perspective. A point of view may be monological—closed to another's perspective entirely, dialogical—open to the possibility of another perspective while maintaining some percepts as unchallengeable, or metalogical—open to another's perspective based on the other's frame of reference.     

When I'm 64: Psychological contract breach,work motivation and the moderating roles of future time perspective and regulatory focus

Abstract

There is an increasing need for managers to understand what motivates younger versus older workers to continue work within their company. We believe that this two-wave study among 90 Dutch employees is the first to examine: (1) the cross-lagged relationships between breach of psychological contract (which includes transactional and relational obligations) and intrinsic work motivation, and (2) the moderating role of the age-related variables future time perspective and regulatory focus. Regulatory focus concerns the orientation (either promotion-focused or prevention-focused) by which an individual pursues their goals. Based on psychological contract theory, we expected and found that relational contract breach predicts lower work motivation. Furthermore, based on lifespan developmental and regulatory focus theory, we assumed that this relationship would be stronger when workers experienced an open future time perspective and a promotion focus rather than a prevention focus. The results showed that future time perspective indeed had a strengthening, and prevention focus a reducing moderating effect in the relationship between psychological contract breach and work motivation. However, no significant effects for promotion focus were found. These findings indicate that age-related processes such as future time perspective and regulatory focus are important variables to include in future psychological contract research.     

领导力共享、垂直领导力与团队创造力：双视角研究

随着组织环境日益多变,越来越多的学者关注水平的领导力共享,即团队成员为了实现集体目标而相互影响、相互领导的一种主动的团队过程。基于过程视角和投入视角提出两个竞争模型,探讨领导力共享和授权型领导对团队创造力的作用。以安徽和湖北的14家企业92个部门共339名员工为样本,采用SPSS层级回归、相关分析和验证性因子分析等方法进行统计检验。研究结果表明,在过程视角下,领导力共享在授权型领导与团队创造力之间起中介作用;在投入视角下,领导力共享与授权型领导的交互作用负向影响团队创造力,领导力共享水平越高,授权型领导对团队创造力的作用越弱。研究结果为探讨领导力共享提供了新的研究视角,并对指导企业进行团队管理和创新管理有重要的实践意义。     

国家建设高水平大学公派研究生项目研究综述

中国国内学者对“国家建设高水平大学公派研究生项目”的研究表明此项目取得了显著成效,有助于提高派出研究生的个人能力和推动研究生教育的国际化进程,很多研究还指出了项目存在的问题,并给出了改进建议。然而,目前的研究在广度和深度方面尚有不足,建议综合采用问卷调查、访谈、比较分析等多种手段对该项目在国家层面的实施效果及影响因素、归国人员的发展情况等进行全面深入的研究和分析,为进一步提高项目收益提供依据。     

泯灭自我意识的精神悲剧──宋元话本爱情悲剧诸人物的心理透视

几千年的封建专制统治和传统思想禁锢,导致人的自我意识泯灭,酿成人的精神悲剧,在我们民族的心理结构上形成了沉重的积淀。透视宋元话本人物心理,可得到鲜明的观照;反思传统文化,意在卸下包袱,轻装前进。     

大学生文化素质教育之我见

大学生文化素质教育是大学高质量人才培养的重要组成部分,是我国高等教育改革的一个重要方面。从当今大学生价值观和文化观的转变对文化素质产生的影响出发,提出提高大学生文化素质的应对策略,要将文化素质教育贯穿于大学教育的全过程,进而实现教育的整体优化,最终达到教书育人的目的。