The influence of the economic crisis on quality of care for older people: system readiness for innovation in Europe

The aim of this study is to examine the influence of the recent economic crisis on the quality of long-term care for older people in Belgium and the Netherlands. A mixed-method approach was applied, primarily focused on conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with health professionals working in a management role in organizations providing long-term care for older people. The results show that Dutch organizations seem to be prepared for the influences of the economic crisis on the quality of its care provision primarily in terms of a sound system readiness. At the same time, Belgian organizations seem to be prepared for the influences of the economic crisis on the quality of its care provision primarily in terms of a favorable sociopolitical context. Comparing two countries allows for reciprocal lesson-drawing. The conclusion drawn in this study is that a sustainable long-term care system requires above all stability and structure.     

One million and counting: the hidden army of young carers in Canada

The term ‘young carer’ refers to those youth under the age of 25 years who provide substantial unpaid support to a family member due to factors including, but not limited to, familial or parental absence, disability, mental health issue(s) or problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. In the UK, national statistics have been integral to tracking the prevalence of young carers while serving as an important tool towards the development of (and justification for) a national legislative framework supporting these youth. In Canada, research and awareness for young carers remains in its infancy and available national datasets have yet to be examined in relation to youths providing unpaid caregiving. As a result, this research provides the first trend analysis of youth-based caregiving in Canada using census data for the 1996–2006 time-period. Methodological limitations of official statistics are also discussed in terms of conceptual and operational constraints limiting the full identification of all those potential young carers.     

Mental Disabilities in an Aboriginal Context

Aboriginal (meaning original peoples) North American mental health is acknowledged to be in a more precarious state than that of the dominant cultures. Disability arises from the conditions of poverty, homelessness, and lack of resources that are compounded for North American aboriginal people by the historical trauma of conquest, being placed on reservations, residential schools, and continued discrimination. We present culturally sensitive and syntonic intervention programs that can reduce the impact of Aboriginal mental disabilities and discuss the commonality among these programs of celebrating culture, language, and tradition.     

当前中国农村宗族及其与乡村治理的关系——对新近研究的评论和分析

在当今中国乡村研究中,宗族“重建论”与“瓦解论”同存;对宗族在乡村治理中的功能的“肯定论”、“负面论”与“中性论”同在,至今尚未形成关于宗族重建及其与乡村治理关系的清晰图像与理解。这种状况与近年来研究方法等方面的缺失密切相关。尽管越来越多的研究者已在深入田野,以抓取第一手资料,且研究的规范性增强,学术对话意识和累积意识大步提升,但多数人所作的只是个案研究,尚未延伸为多个案例的比较研究,更未有较大面积的抽样调查;既缺乏明确的分析框架和讨论标准,也缺乏深入细致的专题研究,资料收集和分析的视角也不够多样化。     

西部少数民族地区农村公共产品与公共服务的困境与对策

社会主义新农村的建设就是要大力提高农村的公共产品和公共服务事业发展,以此推动我国小康、和谐社会发展的进程。文章分析了边疆少数民族地区农村公共产品与公共服务的困境,提出了相关对策,尤其在工业化、城市化、市场化进程较慢的西部农村,建立以政府出资为主的农村公共产品与公共服务整治机制既有必要性,也有可行性。     

中国村镇银行可持续发展存在的问题与对策

村镇银行作为新型农村金融机构的主力军,高效解决了中国社会主义新农村建设中存在的"三农"问题。因此,通过研究中国村镇银行的发展现状、存在的问题,进而借鉴孟加拉、印度、拉丁美洲和美国微小金融机构经验,从而为中国村镇银行持续发展寻求新的出路。     

论我国农业型乡镇政府公务员队伍改革

乡镇政府是我国行政管理体系的重要组成部分,其公务员队伍的状况如何将直接影响国家相关政策在乡村的实施。本文以农业型的乡镇作为研究对象,在分析当前我国乡镇公务员队伍所存在问题以及产生原因的基础上,试图探究出一些适合乡镇公务员队伍改革的措施以及意义。     

城乡差距:衡量标准与成因分析

改革开放以来,我国城乡居民在收入水平提高的同时,其收入差距也明显扩大。文章采用城乡居民收入、消费以及恩格尔系数等数据历史地考察城乡居民收入水平、消费水平及消费结构的差异,对我国居民收入差异的现状、原因及对策作出分析,认为主要是户籍制度、土地制度等深层体制原因导致了城乡收入差异。     

社会主义新农村建设需要建立新型农民组织

社会主义新农村建设以农民为主体,有三个方面的具体要求,即充分尊重农民的意愿,不能搞成官员的“形象工程”;增进农民的福祉,不能搞成劳民伤财的“害民工程”;农民才是新农村建设事业真正的主力军,不能搞成专家学者的“明星工程”。农民是新农村建设的主体,是需要有具体的组织形式来实现的,在这个方面,我国台湾地区在20世纪70年代进行农村建设时有过许多经验和教训,其中最为重要的经验就是,要建设新农村,需要对农村的基层组织进行创新,以保证农民真正成为新农村建设的主力军,这一点非常重要。