Policymakers' Use of Social Science Research: Looking Within and Across Policy Actors

Evidence‐informed policy creates the conditions for families to perform the functions they provide for their members and society. To increase research utilization in policymaking, we must better understand policymakers and the professional and institutional cultures in which they operate. This exploratory cluster analysis examined within‐group differences in valuing, seeking, and use of social science research among 68 legislative staffers and 56 high‐ranking officials from 8 family‐serving executive agencies in Wisconsin. The findings are compared with a parallel study of 109 legislators from New York and Wisconsin. Among all 3 policy actors, a substantial proportion highly value research, actively seek it, and frequently use it in policy decisions; these Enthusiastic High Users of research are more attuned to political considerations compared to other clusters. Enthusiastic High Users in the legislative institution place a higher priority on innovative and action‐oriented research, whereas those in the agency institution prioritize the quality of research.     

It Is Expected by the Year 2000

Abstract

Authors in the Encyclopedia of Social Work (formerly the Social Work Year Book), beginning in the 1930s, have proffered forecasts to help social workers anticipate the composition and needs of the current cohort of older adults. First 1980 and later the year 2000 were often targeted in these forecasts. The purpose of this article is to analyze accuracy and utility of these earlier forecasts and to examine implications for social service professionals now attempting to make forecasts and develop practice and policy strategies for the 21st century when the baby boom cohort will become the elder boom.     

It Takes a Village (Perhaps a Nation): Families,States, and Educational Achievement

Research in the United States has shown that children growing up in 2‐parent households do better in school than children from single‐parent households. We used the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data to test whether this finding applied to other countries as well (N = 100,307). We found that it did, but that the educational gap was greater in the United States than in the other 13 countries considered. Results from 2‐level hierarchical linear models demonstrated that international differences in the educational gap were associated with several indicators of national policy and demographic contexts. No single policy appeared to have a large effect, but several policy combinations were associated with substantially reduced educational gaps between children from different family structures.     

Participation and Emotions: Troubling Encounters Between Children and Social Welfare Professionals

This paper explores the emotional aspects of participation within social welfare contexts. The focus is on individual professionals, such as social workers and children’s rights workers and their articulation, management and negotiation of the emotional when working with children and young people. The institutions of welfare are also shown to be ambiguous in their approaches to participation. Lastly, the dimensions of power that are enacted in relations between professionals and children reveal some of the complex dynamics in this fraught area of social welfare policy and practice.     

Producing and Using Video Data in the Early Years: Ethical Questions and Practical Consequences in Research with Young Children

This article considers ethical questions and practical challenges arising from the production of video data with young children, and suggests that such considerations are reciprocal and that video data should be seen as constructed collaboratively by all participants. Video data can be a valuable means of eliciting children’s perspectives, but it raises particular issues of consent and confidentiality. Opportunities for young children to use video cameras are helpful in supporting informed consent and active participation, whilst the visual nature of video renders anonymity and confidentiality more difficult, and anonymisation of images may impact upon data quality. Video, like all research data, is influenced by the actions and biases of participants, and young children’s experiences as consumers of television will influence their reading of, and responses to, video data. An advantage of video is that it can provide participants with feedback about their participation. Challenges remain with regard to ownership.     

大学综合排名竞争策略研究——基于网大（www．netbig．com）大学排行榜的实证分析

关于提升大学综舍排名的竞争策略，可以运用累积Logit模型来研究各评价指标排名对大学综合排名的影响效应，通过提高那些对综合排名影响效应较大的指标排名，能更有效地促进综合排名的提高，从而确定有效的排名竞争策略。利用网大（www．netbig．com）“中国大学排行榜”的排名数据进行实证分析，得出排名越靠前的大学通过提升“声誉”和“学术成果”名次能最有效提升综合排名。而排名越靠后的大学则通过提升“学术资源”和“物资资源”名次能最有效提升综合排名等结论。     

Principal point classification: Applications to differentiating drug and placebo responses in longitudinal studies

Principal points are cluster means for theoretical distributions. A discriminant methodology based on principal points is introduced. The principal point classification method is useful in clinical trials where the goal is to distinguish and differentiate between different treatment effects. Particularly, in psychiatric studies where placebo response rates can be very high, the principal point classification is illustrated to distinguish specific drug responders from non-specific placebo responders.     

长江中游牯牛沙水道航道整治一期工程效果分析

牯牛沙水道为长江中游近期出现的重点碍航浅水道,整治好该水道对长江中游航道的畅通具有重要意义。交通运输部于2010年2月批复同意实施该水道航道整治一期工程。简介牯牛沙水道演变特点、主要影响因素、碍航特性与整治方案,详细分析牯牛沙水道整治前后过渡段变化情况、牯牛沙边滩淤积情况以及航道改善情况,重点分析一期工程整治效果,预测演变趋势,提出后续工程建议。一期工程实施后,工程效果良好,总体河势更趋稳定,牯牛沙边滩淤高展宽,利于枯水期水流集中,过渡段浅埂得到较为有效冲刷,淤积减少,碍航程度减轻,浅区航道条件改善,为后续工程的实施创造了有利条件。分析认为:一期工程效果将会随着建筑物功能的继续发挥进一步显现,达到预期目标。     

治理通货膨胀预期应成为宏观政策关注的新视角

通货膨胀既可以是供求失衡导致的，也可以是货币膨胀导致的。在世界经济迅猛发展的今天，通货膨胀发生发展的机理也存悄然发生着变化，正是这些变化，使得通货膨胀对社会经济的影响已经前置到通货膨胀预期对经济发展的影响。本文以中国经济企稳过程为真实背景，初步探讨通货膨胀预期的负效应及治理的政策路径，尽管存在个案特征，但仍不失为一种分析思路。     

Workforce Issues in Residential Care Facilities in Rural China

This study examined contemporary frontline workforce issues related to residential care for elders in rural China. Residential facilities in rural China are in transition from exclusively providing shelter to childless elders to providing long-term care for frail elders. These facilities are also under pressure to improve the quality of services that they provide. The study is based on in-depth interviews with administrators and field observations of facilities. The study focused on the following issues related to the workforce: recruitment and retention, training, work environment, workforce organization, regulations, compensation, and career ladders. The implications of resident characteristics for demands on the work force were examined. The study found that lack of skilled personnel is one of the major reasons that the overwhelming majority of facilities deny admission to frail and demented elders. Improving workers’ skill is critical if these facilities are to meet the increasing demand for institutional long-term care needs.