Gender‐Sensitive Research in a Chinese Community

The aim of this article is to foster an awareness of the need for gender‐sensitive research in the context of the methodological and ethical challenges posed by such research. We trace the development of gender sensitivity and masculinity in social work practice and research and connect this to an overview of the issues posed by research on sensitive topics. Reflecting on a research project involving Chinese male sexual abuse survivors, we draw conclusions illustrating and proposing a range of methodological practices and ethical safeguards. We underscore the importance of gender‐sensitivity in performing research on sensitive topics with men in a Chinese community.     

中国社会传统家庭伦理父子关系的现代扬弃

中国封建社会伦理之中,积淀了丰富的以＂尊亲＂、＂顺亲＂、＂养亲＂等为主要内容的父子伦理精义;在中国社会结构由金字塔型演变为橄榄型、步入了后喻社会时代的今天,封建社会时代形成的许多父子伦理内容和沟通模式已不适合当今社会时代的发展要求。在今日中国社会伦理系统之中,应该建立新型的父子伦利（互利）关系。这既需要借鉴现代社会的＂互喻＂模式,又要采补传统伦理的精髓内容。     

论老年人犯罪从宽暨免死的年龄标准与立法模式——以《刑法修正案(八)》为视角

老年人犯罪从宽的年龄标准应当有别于老年人免死的年龄标准。当前,中国对老年人犯罪从宽的年龄宜规定为"年满70周岁",而对老年人犯罪免死的年龄则宜规定为"年满75周岁"。对老年人犯罪从宽应当与对未成年人犯罪从宽相一致,统一规定为"应当从轻或者减轻处罚",而没有必要区分故意和过失犯罪分别规定。考虑到老年人犯罪免死的根据、刑罚目的和国际上的普遍做法,中国应当免除所有老年人犯罪的死刑,而不应有例外。     

提高辅导员工作信息化实践探索

本文在分析辅导员信息素养基础上,对提高辅导员工作信息化进行实践探索。     

伦理视角下农业的二重特性及农作“时”观念的省思

农业是人类生存和发展的基础和支撑,也是人类最早开始的有计划、有组织从事的社会活动。一方面,与其他人类活动不同,农业需要与大自然打交道,农业生产是在自然场所中显示和展开,自然亲自参与了农业生产的始终。另一方面,从对人类发展的推动来看,农业是人们最早为着满足自身生存需要而从事的一种社会活动。既然农业是作为人类的一种社会活动而存在,它必然体现了人的各方面社会特征和价值。与人参与其他社会活动涉及伦理一样,农业不但具有一般伦理的特性,而且因为它同时涉及人与自然的关系,于是决定了其伦理关注与其他人类活动不同,不只是关注人与人之间的伦理关系,更主要的是关注人与自然之间的伦理关系。农业关注的对象不是人,乃是有生命特性的农作物,这些农作物或者动物具备生命的类特征,而且这些生命特征出于自然,具有自然属性,这一点也决定了人在生产农作物的时候需要遵循自然的规范原则,由此亦决定了农业伦理需要在规范伦理学的框架中加以考察和认知。同时,农业是为着人类生存的需要而产生的,人对农业的判断又显示出功利性,使农业呈现功利性伦理的特征。因而,农业伦理具备了伦理学理论的各个层面,甚至将一些看似矛盾的伦理学理论恰如其分地整合在一起。农业伦理不只是单方面属于哪一个伦理理论,而是融合了伦理学中典型的两个流派即功利主义和义务论。在这种融合中,农业显明出一方面以支撑人的生存为目的,另一方面需要适应自然的客观性特征,于是农业伦理也随之在这两个层面反映出其独具特色的差异性。农业伦理的二重性不只是学理上的一种考量和认定,而且是具体地显明在农业实践之中,农业耕作中的"时"观念就是农业二重特性的实践显现,使农业伦理成为与具体实践相结合的实践理性。     

Extending social security coverage to the rural sector in China

In late 2009 China launched an innovative, voluntary programme that by 2011 had extended pension coverage to 326.4 million people in the rural sector, including contributors and beneficiaries. It requires one contribution per year and provides a flat‐rate benefit and a contributions‐related benefit through a contributory individual account, with a government guarantee that the benefit will continue for life. The programme encourages participation of persons who do not pay income taxes, and thus have no tax incentive to participate, by providing substantial government subsidies. As a further incentive, old‐age benefits are provided to older parents when all their adult children participate in the contributory programme.     

Otherness and empathy—implications of Lévinas ethics for social work education

This paper examines the concept of otherness in Lévinas’ ethics and raises related issues regarding the limits of empathy on philosophical grounds. This study also identifies and discusses a number of linguistic, social and cultural barriers that can establish such limits on practical grounds. This paper raises various considerations for social work educators teaching empathy. Such considerations suggest that social work educators could adopt a stance of ‘understanding and not understanding’ and a dialectical approach in using knowledge and skills. Furthermore, this study challenges the common assumption that empathy leads to compassionate action. Apart from empathy, moral commitment is necessary to engage in such action. This article discusses such moral commitment in relation to Lévinas’ notions of face and responsibility that place ethics before knowledge. Hence, the present study brings the attention of social work educators back to the importance of nourishing virtue and the moral character of students.     

From Codes to Contextual Collaborations: Shifting the Thinking About Ethics in Social Work

In this article, the authors argue that the current emphases in social work on codes, standards, and decision-making models are insufficient to the task of ensuring ethical relationships between workers and clients. Three fundamental assumptions that underpin codes and standards are analyzed. The authors then explore the nature of ethical relationships and demonstrate how codes and standards, in their current form, do not address the complexity and contextuality of the social work relationship. After considering why the profession relies so heavily on codes and standards, they call for a re-thinking of ethical relationships, offering ideas and recommendations for those relationships.     

Staff Perceptions of Same-Gender Sexual Contacts in Long-Term Care Facilities

An ongoing fear in the gay and lesbian community is that long-term care (LTC) facilities may not be sensitive to their needs. In the present study, 218 LTC staff members responded to one of three vignettes in which resident sexual contact was observed, with only the gender of the characters changing, to create different gender pairings. Results suggested that staff rated male-male and female-female pairings more negatively than heterosexual intimacy. Knowledge about older adult sexuality made little difference in staff ratings. However, staff attitudes were directly related to ratings of negative reaction and level of acceptability of same-gender sexuality.