The Job Demands-Job Control Model and absence behaviour: results of a 3-year longitudinal study

Empirical results of earlier studies only marginally supported the relevance of Karasek's Job Demands-Job Control Model for absence behaviour. Since longitudinal studies with respect to these relations were largely lacking, a four-wave panel study was carried out using data from 1755 male employees of a technical maintenance firm in the public sector. Job demands, job control, physical working conditions, and the employee's age, education, and health were measured in one year and absenteeism in the same year and in the next 3 years. Data were analysed with linear regression and Poisson regression techniques. The Poisson regression technique was superior to the linear regression technique in explaining absence. Age, health and prior absence were the best predictors of later absence behaviour. With respect to the Job Demands-Job Control Model, the main findings of the study were (1) that job control was significantly associated with a low number of simultaneous and later absence days, and (2) that, contrary to expectations, job demands were also related to a low number of simultaneous and later absence days. These results hold when age, health, education, prior absence, and working conditions are controlled for. Job control and job demands did not predict later absence frequency. In the discussion it is suggested that a high level of job demands may not only be harmful for the well-being of employees but also work as 'a pressure to attend'.     

Examining the Relationship between Domestic Violence and Depression among Koreans: The Role of Self‐esteem and Social Support as Mediators

Domestic violence is a prevalent social issue in Korea affecting a significant number of people every day. It is thus important to examine how the experience of domestic violence affects their mental health to better address their needs. Using stress‐coping theory as a theoretical framework, this study examines the domestic violence and depression relationship among Korean men and women. Two aspects of self‐esteem and informal and formal social support are examined as potential mediators of this relationship. The data was the first wave of Korean Welfare Panel Study data including 2477 individuals with experiences of abuse. Structural equation modeling procedures were used for analyses. Domestic violence was significantly associated with self‐worth, self‐deprecation, and depression. The experiences of violence eroded self‐worth while reinforcing self‐deprecation and those with more exposure to violence showed a higher level of depression. Self‐deprecation played a significant role in mediating the effect of domestic violence on depression. However, different findings were yielded for social support. While informal social support was significantly associated with domestic violence, formal social support was not associated with domestic violence. Findings suggest for mental health interventions targeting self‐esteem, particularly the diminution of self‐deprecation in working with the victims. Suggestions for future research and implications for social work are also discussed.     

A Generalized Class of Ratio Type Exponential Estimators of Population Mean Under Linear Transformation of Auxiliary Variable

Recently, Shabbir and Gupta [Shabbir, J. and Gupta, S. (2011). On estimating finite population mean in simple and stratified random sampling. Communications in Statistics-Theory and Methods, 40(2), 199–212] defined a class of ratio type exponential estimators of population mean under a very specific linear transformation of auxiliary variable. In the present article, we propose a generalized class of ratio type exponential estimators of population mean in simple random sampling under a very general linear transformation of auxiliary variable. Shabbir and Gupta's [Shabbir, J. and Gupta, S. (2011). On estimating finite population mean in simple and stratified random sampling. Communications in Statistics-Theory and Methods, 40(2), 199–212] class of estimators is a particular member of our proposed class of estimators. It has been found that the optimal estimator of our proposed generalized class of estimators is always more efficient than almost all the existing estimators defined under the same situations. Moreover, in comparison to a few existing estimators, our proposed estimator becomes more efficient under some simple conditions. Theoretical results obtained in the article have been verified by taking a numerical illustration. Finally, a simulation study has been carried out to see the relative performance of our proposed estimator with respect to some existing estimators which are less efficient under certain conditions as compared to the proposed estimator.     

Ethical Adoption Practice

Abstract

Dr. Paul Denhalter completed his doctoral candidacy research on adoptive family attachment and entitlement. Nineteen parents were interviewed about what elements of adoptive family life contributed to a sense of entitlement. The act of care giving increased entitlement; negative comments from others about adoption tended to decrease it. In his social work practice, Dr. Denhalter counseled adoptive and birth families and advocated education, counseling and support for successful open adoption relationships. His positive perspective on adoption included his father's adoption at age five. Dr. Denhalter was critical of the current trends in adoption that have pathologized adoption for political purposes. He emphasized the results of the Search Institute's study that had positive conclusions about adopted children as well as a blueprint for successful adoptive families to follow.     

比较教育研究方法与方法论之初探

方法与方法论是两个不同的基本范畴,研究方法关注数据的收集和数据的分析,而方法论则是注重研究的构思或理论框架,以及对研究结果的推广与交流。在比较教育领域,研究方法是进行比较教育研究的途径、手段及方式。方法论则是关于比较教育研究方法的理论,相当于对比较教育研究方式的探讨,即比较教育研究的基本原则或态度。比较教育方法论关系着研究方法的选择。科学方法体现了两者的统一。     

社会主义荣辱观与“好学近知,力行近仁”

树立社会主义荣辱观是社会治理的经济目标与道德伦理目标、文明社会目标和谐互动的根本要求和重要体现。在高校大力开展社会主义荣辱观教育,对于培养社会主义建设者和接班人具有重大现实意义。吉林师范大学的校训“好学近知,力行近仁”,正体现了一种求真创新、为人师表、追求卓越人生的精神。把社会主义荣辱观教育与弘扬校训精神有机结合,切实推进和加强思想道德建设,把社会主义荣辱观内化为师生员工的自觉行为和基本道德感情,让社会主义荣辱观在师生心中扎根,从而为中华民族的伟大复兴做出应有的贡献。     

Design priorities and disciplinary perspectives: the case of the US National Children's Study

Summary.  The National Children's Study (NCS), which was undertaken in 2000 by collaboration between several US federal government agencies, is one of the largest and boldest longitudinal studies of children's health ever undertaken. One of the key design issues has been the nature of the NCS sample. The paper describes the nature of the choices and the reasons for the decision that the NCS be based on a national probability sample. Designed as a study of the environmental influences on children's health and development, the NCS is expected to identify, enrol and follow about 100000 children from their birth to the age of 21 years. A broad definition of relevant environments of interest, and a full partnership between government, university and medical scientists, introduces considerable challenges in the design of the study.     

学界京剧界对尖团音认识的区别和辨正

从尖团音形成的角度，探讨了语音学界和京剧界对此的不同看法，着重例举了京剧界常用的重团音，轻团音和尖音等例字，对有关各方研究尖团音提供了一定的借鉴。     

稀见清代福建宁化伊氏《耕道堂诗钞》及其作者群考

清代福建宁化伊氏人才辈出,以伊恒聪为首的八位诗人创作有《耕道堂诗钞》。但该集流传稀少,作者生平情况都不大清楚。对该集以及有关作者群体进行考证介绍,有助于增进人们对该集及其作者乃至清代家族文化的了解,具有多方面的意义。     

中古西欧基督教“经学传统”的积淀与更新

中古西欧基督教的“经学传统”，发端于罗马帝国后期“拉丁教父”对《圣经》的翻译与阐发。中世纪经院哲学家的“惟经是从”的学术活动与罗马教廷的文化专制政策，使这一传统日益封闭与僵化，并步入学阀化与官方化的学术轨道。到了中世纪后期，随着西欧社会的新变动与人文主义启蒙思潮的冲击，这一传统逐渐丧失了对学术文化的神圣支配地位，代之而起的则是人文主义“圣经学”的勃兴。人文主义者否定教廷钦定的《圣经》拉丁文本的权威性与经院哲学家主观臆断的学风，不仅力图使《圣经》版本的民族语言化与《圣经》传播的平民化，而且致力于发掘《圣经》的历史内涵与伦理精神，并以《圣经》为最高的信仰权威，这样就从根本上推翻了罗马教会正统神学的理论基石，否定了教廷权威及其礼仪制度存在的合理性。这一变革，最终从根本上推动了宗教改革思潮的萌发，促进了西欧的思想文化与社会政治的历史转型。