Inequality and welfare evaluation of heterogeneous income distributions

This paper establishes the principles that should govern the welfare and inequality analysis of heterogeneous income distributions. Two basic criteria – the equity preference condition and the compensation principle – are shown to be fundamentally incompatible. The paper favours the latter, thereby vindicating the traditional method of dealing with heterogeneous samples. However, inequality and welfare comparisons will usually be well defined only if equivalent incomes are obtained using constant scale factors; and researchers will need to distinguish clearly between inequality of nominal incomes and inequality of living standards. Furthermore, household observations must always be weighted according to family size.     

Out-of-Home Placement of Children and Economic Factors: An Empirical Analysis

In this paper, we use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to estimate the effects of income, maternal employment, family structure, and public policies on several measures of childrens living arrangements. We use both linear probability models and discrete-time event history models to explore the effects of these factors on: (1) the probability that a child is living out-of-home in a given year; (2) the probability that a child is removed from home in a given year, conditional on the child living at home in the previous year; (3) the probability that a child is removed from home for the first time; (4) the probability that a child is reunified with his/her biological parent(s) given that the child was living out-of-home in the previous year. We also analyze whether these estimates differ by types of out-of-home placements. Our results suggest that children from lower-income, single-mother, and mother–partner families are considerably more likely both to be living out-of-home and to be removed from home. A change in family structure also tends to place a child at higher risk of an out-of-home living arrangement, unless this transition functions to bring a childs father back into the household. Maternal work appears to increase the probability that a child lives at home. Additionally, once a removal has taken place, we do not find a relationship between income and the probability of a family reunification, but we do find that single-mother and mother–partner families are less likely to reunify. Finally, our analyses provide some evidence that welfare benefit levels are negatively related to out-of-home placements.Funding for this project was provided the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through grant number 5 F32 HD044 302-02. We are grateful to Shoshana Grossbard-Shechtman, Jennifer Hill, Sanders Korenman, Leonard Lopoo, Katherine Magnuson, and Christina Paxson for their excellent comments and advice.JEL Classification: D10, I30, J13     

尼采对历史及其历史教学的批判

尼采认为 ,历史是人的生命意志的反映 ,它是英雄人物在瞬间的艺术创作冲动的产物。人的历史开始于“个人具有创造性的自我解放欲望之际” ,这是尼采历史观的原始起点和意义支撑。他认为真正的历史应该有利于人的创造力的发挥和个体生命的解放 ,而现在的历史已经背离了历史的本来意义 ,成了生命发展的桎梏和障碍。现代历史教育是错误历史观与错误人生观相结合的产物 ,是一种摧残人性的教育 ,它使受教育者变得虚伪、迟缓、猜疑、抵触 ,并以软弱的人格、麻木的心态期待着刺激性“事件”的发生 ,哪怕它危及自己的生命。     

汉字－－研究中国史前社会的活化石

汉字特有的象真写实性决定了汉字的构造和读音中蕴藏了大量的历史信息,"依类象形"、"相生为字"的造字传说并非空穴来风.古人确是先造出有形的静态实物字名,然后再依类造出相应的动态叙事式字名.因此,汉字中同类静态实物字名与另一类相对应的动态叙事式字名之间存在着相生性叙事式逻辑关系,从中可解读出史前人类的生存状态.     

沈阳市铁西区低收入家庭生活状况分析及改善对策

为了解低收入家庭的生活状况,沈阳市铁西区民政局于2006年3—6月间开展了一次规模较大的、以"低收入家庭"为对象的社会调查。根据调查的数据,从低收入家庭的收入结构、户别结构、住房结构、主要收入来源、年支出构成等十个方面研究了低收入家庭的基本生活状况,分析了他们致贫的原因,如无稳定收入、子女就学压力大、医疗性支出较大等。为改善低收入家庭的生活状况,应采用"全方位、专项梯度救助和救助主体多元化"的社会救助政策,具体包括开展全方位培训、创造创业机会、实施专项梯度救助、扩大保险的覆盖面、动员社会力量参与社会救助等。     

论元散曲中屈原评价的文化意义

元人对屈原基本上都是持一种嘲讽的态度。这种价值评判的形成 ,与元人的生存环境有着非常直接的关系。价值向度的变形来自于生存环境的险恶。同时 ,与历史上对屈原的消极评价也不无关联     

论契诃夫对曹禺戏剧形式的影响——思考之一:“生活化”的形式意义

对日常生活琐事的反映 ,是一种“生活化”的形式追求。它不仅使曹禺剧作在戏剧形式上产生了飞跃 ,更使其内在意蕴变得深沉浑厚 :它使曹禺剧作中弥漫着对“人生琐事的悲剧性”的揭示 ,从而赋予其剧作以浓烈的哲理意味、复杂的文化意蕴与普遍的人性观照。而“生活化”所营造的平静舒缓的节奏 ,更使观众获得了广阔的思维空间     

Issues in Promoting Adult Foster Care as an Option to Institutionalization

Adult foster care is a semi-institutional living arrangement that stresses the importance of providing care in a family-like environment. This article examines the concept of adult foster care and some of the issues relevant to the development of such programs. Policy issues related to the implementation of programs are also discussed. As a unique option to institutionalization, adult foster care has much to offer if certain barriers can be eliminated or minimized.     

中国恩格尔系数下降原因新探

在使用恩格尔系数评价某个国家或地区某个阶段的生活贫富状况时，要结合恩格尔系数的具体影响因素，分清其下降的真正原因。论文从恩格尔系数的计算公式出发，认为它的基本影响因素是物价、品种数、各种消费品或劳务的购买量。利用因子分析法分析了导致居民恩格尔系数下降的五种可能的原因，并联系实际具体阐释。