An International Comparative Study on Women's Pension Rights and Their Economic Risks

This article examined the theoretical meanings of pension rights and analyzed their effects on women's economic risks in developed countries. First, based on the status of a citizen, worker, parent, and spouse, this study investigated how pension benefits are guaranteed as a citizen regardless of work history, the degree to which women's disadvantageous situations in the labor market and unpaid work are compensated by public pension as workers and parents, and how marital status is treated in the different pension systems. Second, analysis of the effect of pension rights showed that individual rights is a significant factor to prevent economic risks of elderly women. Derived rights did not seem to secure the economic welfare of elderly women, at least in a comparative context. This finding suggested that developing individual rights, rather than derived rights, is the way to guarantee long‐term elderly women's economic welfare.     

Gaps in social protection for health care and long‐term care in Europe: Are the elderly faced with financial ruin?

While public expenditure on health care and long‐term care (LTC) has been monitored for many years in European countries, far less attention has been paid to the financial consequences for older people of private out‐of‐pocket (OOP) expenditure necessary to access such care. Employing representative cross‐sectional data on the elderly populations of 11 European countries in 2004 from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we find that OOP payments for health care and LTC are very common among the elderly across European countries and such expenditures impact significantly on disposable income: up to 95 per cent of the elderly make OOP payments for health care and 5 per cent for LTC, resulting in income reductions of between 5 and 10 per cent, respectively. Failure to prevent financial ruin, as a consequence of excessive OOP payments, is evident in 0.7 per cent of elderly households utilizing health care and 0.5 per cent of elderly households utilizing LTC. Those particularly concerned are the poor, women and the very old.     

Getting Real About Food Prices

The 2008 spike in world grain prices is widely recognised to have had serious impacts on food security and poverty, but these high grain prices are commonly described as low in historical terms – an inconsistency resulting from the use of advanced‐ and global‐economy price indices in calculating real prices. This ignores the high share of food in poor people's expenditures and the indirect effects of income growth on expenditure patterns of rich consumers. Poor consumers have not experienced the same falls in real food prices and are more vulnerable to price shocks. Different price indices must be developed to take account of differences between consumer groups.     

Influence of Late Life Stressors on the Decisions of Older Women to Relocate into Congregate Senior Housing

Late-life stressors often require individuals to make substantial alterations in behavior and lifestyle and can affect their overall health and well-being. Relocation is a significant life stress, regardless of age. The primary aim of this study is to elucidate the push-pull factors associated with moving into congregate senior housing. The secondary aim is to investigate the decision-making processes and stresses associated with moving into a congregate living environment. Interviews were conducted with 26 women who were new residents in congregate senior housing. Relocation, as expected, was considered to be stressful, although individual differences were found among perceptions of relocation stresses. Women who had made the decision to relocate on their own showed evidence of better psychosocial well-being at the time of the move. One-quarter of the sample chose to move to provide care to another person. As the options for senior housing continue to evolve and the number of adults reaching advanced age continues to increase, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to successful adaptation. This knowledge will enable facility administrators to implement programs and procedures to assist incoming residents with acclimating to their new homes.     

晋冀鲁豫边区1942年～1943年抗旱减灾述论

1942年～1943年,晋冀鲁豫边区遭受了百年罕见的大旱灾.旱灾造成边区农业生产下降,人民生活极端困难,社会秩序紊乱.在中国共产党领导下,除了动员各种社会力量互助互济来救灾民之急以外,边区军民主要通过组织群众兴修水利,抢种、补种和大种,植树造林等方式来进行抗旱减灾与生产重建.这些抗旱减灾措施的实施为当时晋冀鲁豫边区最终战胜旱灾和坚持华北敌后抗战发挥了重要作用,也为以后的抗旱救灾提供了可以借鉴的经验.     

Enriching Resources for the Poor: Lessons from the Philippines

The paper provides an overview of the poverty situation in the Philippines, followed by a brief profile and assessment of two anti‐poverty programs: the Kapit‐Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan‐Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI‐CIDSS) program and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Official statistics disclose that the global economic crisis in 2008 adversely affected Filipino households, leading to higher levels of poverty especially in rural areas. In response, government introduced an Economic Resiliency Program with social protection as one component. Sixty‐six social protection programs were launched, including the two under review. KALAHI‐CIDSS and the 4Ps apply poverty reduction strategies that focus on the development of human and social capital, rather than economic capital. They involve processes and relationships that aim to improve the other dimensions of poverty, such as lack of access to opportunities or deprivation of basic human necessities. Qualitative and quantitative reports describe generally favorable outcomes from both programs. However, these gains at the household level need to be supported by relevant policy, enhanced public services and badly‐needed infrastructure programs from government, in order to sustain achievements culled from social protection programs and attain broader developmental impacts.     

试析青海社会经济发展现状与实现小康的差距

全面建设小康社会是“十六大”确定的重要目标。边远、落后的民族地区能否实现小康事关全局。本文就青海目前的发展现状和差距及如何实现民族地区的小康社会作了一些探讨。     

西部民族地区退耕还林还草的法律保障探讨

自然生态环境是人类赖以生存的基本条件,是经济社会发展的根本基础。自然生态环境的不断恶化,已成为制约西部地区经济社会持续发展的严重问题之一。我国制定“退耕还林还草”战略决策最主要的目的,就是为了给西部地区人民营造一个新的生存和发展空间。实施“退耕还林还草”的战略决策,必须尊重群众意愿,确保林草的成活率;必须遵循自然规律,因地制宜,宜林则林,宜草则草,实行综合治理;必须严格执行国务院关于“退耕还林、封山绿化、以粮代赈、个体承包”的法规措施;必须认真落实保护农民土地经营权的法律规范,树立生态环境可持续发展的法律协调观;必须建立和健全西部地区生态效益补偿机制,充分利用价格杠杆的作用促进西部地区的生态平衡。西部大开发要维护经济发展与生态的良性循环,建设山川秀美的新家园,让西部地区人民群众脱贫致富奔小康。     

转型加速时期西部少数民族地区结构性贫困研究述论

文章认为西部少数民族地区在社会转型加快时期的贫困问题基本上是结构性贫困,并对这种结构性贫困问题的具体特征及其产生的社会危害进行纬度结构分析,最后系统地从建构现代国家治理体系和治理现代化的背景下提出了治理路径。     

攀西地区特色产业扶贫发展经验研究——以攀枝花市米易县为例

攀西地区得天独厚的气候条件孕育着特色产业发展的巨大优势,该地区充分利用其特有的气候条件,依托独特的资源优势,实施特色产业扶贫战略,积极走现代化、标准化、规模化的生态发展之路,大力发展早、稀、特、优等现代特色产业,加快产业结构调整,积极带动农民增收致富,农村经济实力和农业发展活力不断增强,农业增产增效、农民持续增收,为当地群众脱贫发展做出了积极贡献。本文以攀西地区米易县为研究案例,积极探索该区域特色产业脱贫发展经验,对类似气候条件下特色产业扶贫发展提供一个可供参考的研究个案,以便能充分地开发利用特殊气候下的自然资源,实现长效扶贫,促进当地群众脱贫致富积极创造条件。