Understanding the social exclusion and stalled welfare of citizens with learning disabilities

Despite the UK’s recent history of promoting the social inclusion and equality of men and women with learning disabilities they remain a significantly disadvantaged group. Compared with their non‐disabled peers they are more likely to be unemployed, less likely to own their own homes and are at a significantly greater risk of physical and mental ill health. The first part of this paper discusses the welfare rights of citizens with learning disabilities in terms of New Labour’s welfare to work policies. The second part discusses the UK’s mixed welfare economy and its impact upon services for men and women with learning disabilities. The paper concludes by considering whether the social inclusion of men and women with learning disabilities can be promoted solely through policies that emphasise inclusion through work and the personalisation of welfare services.     

Quality of employment in Latin America: Theory and evidence

Historically, the development literature concerned with Latin American labour markets has focused on job numbers and productivity. But given the persistence of large shares of informal and now otherwise precarious employment, the authors argue that meaningful analysis also requires consideration of the implications of occupational status for the quality of employment. Based on empirical evidence from recent decades, they conclude that most dimensions of this concept – including social protection – depend on the conclusion of a written contract of employment. This finding leads them to outline policy options for stabilizing formal employment and securing adequate funding for social protection.     

Disability and employment policy in the Israeli welfare state: between exclusion and inclusion

Based on the social model(s) of disability, this article seeks to analyse the historical development of Israeli employment policy toward disabled people during the first decade and a half of its existence (1948–1965). Findings from primary and secondary sources suggest that throughout this period disabled people, mainly immigrants, found themselves at the lowest echelons of Israeli society and the labour market. Furthermore, the Israeli welfare state offers an interesting case study of the gap between a welfare state’s stated adherence to social justice and the more limited, and even contradictory, outcomes of its policies. Our discussion suggests that a valuable way of reframing our findings can be found in the critique of de-commodification as an inadequate concept and in the use of related concepts such as re-commodification and quasi-commodification.     

浅析以就业为导向的高职院校专业课程模式的构建

改革开放以来,我国高等职业教育快速发展,随着发展的深入,人才培养的效果和社会就业市场的需求之间的差距也显现出来。人才培养质量与课程设置直接相关。文章从以就业为导向的课程模式的角度,分析目前高职教育所采用的课程模式实施过程中存在的问题及其原因,提出了解决问题的切实可行的措施和办法,以供高职院校参考。     

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: A Policy Solution to Rural Poverty in India?

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was developed by the Indian government to reduce rural poverty through 100 days of guaranteed employment per year. Using focus group methods, we explore whether this scheme has provided rights' based social protection through guaranteed employment for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. We found that the experiences of participating in MGNREGA varied depending on how MGNREGA wages compared to market wages in the region, as well as local implementation of the program. Although MGNREGA offered some basic employment for marginalized groups, it did not provide substantial help to the most vulnerable. However, there was some evidence of small but significant shifts in labour relations. Higher wages, more opportunities for work, better implementation and a greater recognition of the caregiving responsibilities of women will be required for this policy to fully meet its goals.     

Precarious work: A global perspective

Precarious work is universal, though its forms and consequences vary across countries due to institutional, cultural, and historical differences. This article reviews recent research on precarious work from a global perspective, emphasizing the comparative and interdisciplinary research needed for a comprehensive understanding of the structural transformations in contemporary capitalism that promote precarious work. The article has three foci. First, research that details the diverse forms of precarious work, which have become increasingly heterogeneous as national labor markets have been interwoven with global production networks. Second, research on precarious work that emphasizes its disparate impacts for women, youth, the elderly, racial and ethnic minority groups, and migrants, revealing an articulation of precarity and social cleavages. Third, research on the politics associated with precarious work and how some precarious workers have successfully organized and mobilized their interests, such as by unionizing and becoming involved in electoral politics. Still, questions remain regarding precarious work: how precarious workers differ from regular workers in representing their interests and demands and whether precarious workers are a new, independent social class or remain part of a changing working class. Finally, topics for future research on the global dimensions of precarious work are discussed.     

上海大学生就业状况调查

目前,上海大学生就业压力依然较大。上海要站在建设国际化大都市与推进城市全面转型的战略高度,合理架构体制机制,努力整合各类资源,采取有效措施,全面推进大学生就业工作。     

重庆市的就业问题与人力资源开发

重庆市人力资源就业存在一系列问题 ,包括 :劳动力供给旺盛而需求不足 ,造成部分劳动力未能利用 ;而除去总量压力 ,由于劳动者技能、知识结构与市场的需求结构不相符 ,以及劳动力市场本身的效率欠佳 ,造成相当部分的劳动力和工作岗位同时闲置 ;另外 ,由于一些微观用人机制和宏观的制度安排等问题 ,造成了劳动力利用不充分的状况。本文从劳动力供给调整、需求调整和改善制度环境三方面提出了一系列旨在解决这些问题的人力资源开发政策。最后本文还探讨了重庆市人力资源开发应注意的问题。     

经济波动下农民工就业行为区域差异研究——基于湖北省返乡农民工就业安置现状调查数据

农村劳动力转移就业过程中出现的＂两潮两荒＂表明,农民工转移反复性与劳动供求波动交替出现,但尤以农民工就业的脆弱性为突出。当然,由于区域社会经济发展上存在的差异,对不同社会经济发展背景地区的调查发现,不同区域农民工就业演变情况存在一定差异。为分析劳动力供给波动问题产生的深层原因,本文从劳动力供给角度对不同区域返乡农民工就业现状、决策动因及演变趋势展开调查研究,进而根据不同区域不同背景民工提出适宜对策。     

农村青年外出就业决策模型——基于云南省楚雄市三个村寨的分析

本文基于对云南农村青年的调查数据,运用Probit模型分析影响农村青年外出就业的决策因素.本文认为青年是否拥有非农专业技能特长和是否接受过高中及以上水平的教育是对农村青年外出就业状态具有显著的正向影响的变量.通过加大对农村青年进行提高人力资源素质的教育、培训可能是帮助其实现外出就业,乃至有效解决农村剩余劳动力问题的有效途径.