Rhetoric and Reality of Economic Self-sufficiency Among Rural,Low-Income Mothers: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined the contributions of maternal labor force participation and marital status on economic self-sufficiency over time for rural mothers. Data were from 174 rural families participating in three waves of data collection in Rural Families Speak. χ ² and multiple logistic regression were utilized. Results revealed only one-third of mothers moved toward economic self-sufficiency over three years. Maternal education, employment status, and weekly work hours were associated with improved economic well-being. Compared to single-parent families, unmarried-couple and married-couple families had increased odds of improving economically. In an analysis of all mothers with partners, married or unmarried, martial status was not significant in economic improvement. Findings suggest the role of marriage in welfare reform for rural families should be reconsidered.

The 2015 welfare reform of the National Basic Livelihood Security System in South Korea: Effects on economic outcomes

In July 2015, South Korea’s National Basic Livelihood Security System (NBLSS) was reformed for the purposes of eliminating welfare blind spots and reducing poverty. The reform is expected to affect the recipients’ economic behaviours and choices. In this study, we used changes in benefits and eligibility for the NBLSS under the customised benefit system to identify the effects of the change in the NBLSS on a proposed set of economic outcomes – income, labour supply, consumption, savings, poverty reduction. To estimate the effects, we used data from the 10th–12th waves of the Korea Welfare Panel Study and employed a difference‐in‐differences framework integrated with the propensity scores. We found that the NBLSS helps the poor to reduce financial and material hardships through income and consumption increments, but that it does not provide disincentives to the recipients from participating in the labour market or from saving.     

可持续生计视角下"参与式"反贫困路径探索

中国扶贫实践中出现的"贫困户生计能力提升不足"倾向源于可持续生计框架与现代贫困观念之间的冲突,而"社会参与"则为解决冲突提供了一种可能。2020年后,面对新的贫困现象和贫困结构,"参与式"反贫困理念能够通过社会参与链接可持续生计框架和现代贫困观念,在贫困治理过程中充分体现贫困者的参与性,形成主体意识和责任意识,提升个体或家庭改善生计系统的能力,使其摆脱困境、规避陷入贫困的风险,进而形成权利-义务相平衡、对城市和农村具有包容性、常态化、可持续的贫困治理策略,使全体社会成员实现不虞匮乏的生活。     

The importance of systems thinking,context, and inclusion when studying the feasibility of expanding the FoodShare (SNAP) outreach program to rural communities of Northern Wisconsin

Evaluators often neglect to question whether a program has been appropriately designed for a new context prior to a feasibility study’s commencement. In this paper, we document the results of a case study that closely examined context when determining the feasibility of implementing a FoodShare outreach program in rural northern Wisconsin. Using community-based participatory mixed methods, we examine how stakeholder engagement led to both study refinement and a more comprehensive understanding of community food security based on contextual factors and systems thinking. Lessons learned when conducting feasibility studies from this perspective are provided to improve evaluation practice.     

西北农村人口对生态环境的压力与生态移民的战略选择

人口与生态环境问题密切相关,对大量数据、指标的分析结果表明,西北农村地区人口对生态环境造成的压力已经十分严重,生态移民是最重要的缓解人口压力的途径。目前生态移民实践相对于生态环境保护的要求还存在一定差距,因此,还必须进一步加大生态移民的力度,拓宽生态移民的安置途径,把生态移民与农村城镇化发展结合起来,才能最终从根本上解决生态移民问题。     

基于“过程-互动-行动”的城市贫困问题分析

随着中国市场化、城市化进程的加快,城市贫困问题越发严重。基于社会学家胡格伟尔特(A.Hoogvelt)的"过程—互动—行动"分析框架,分析了现阶段我国城市贫困问题的新特点及成因,指出贫困问题的加重,一是源于对社会群体福利最大化这一社会目标的偏离,民众,特别是弱势民众没有充分享受到中国宏观经济增长的长处,"宏观上欣欣向荣、微观上民不聊生";二是民主制度的缺失致使弱势群体话语权缺失,没有一个可循的制度安排供城市贫民来表达权益;三是政策实施过程中的政府失灵。对此,文章提出破解城市贫困的制度选择。     

试论农村环境保护中公众参与现状与提升策略

农民在农村环境保护中公众参与不足,总体体现为被动参与状态。这归因于农民在观念上欠缺整体性的认识,环境权利意识薄弱,农村环保公众参与的法律规定不明晰等。将农民的公众参与由被动化为主动有三大策略,包括健全农村公众参与环境保护的法律法规,提高农民的环境权利意识;加强环境信息公开,激发农民参与环境保护的主观能动性;发展农村环境保护的社会组织,丰富公众参与渠道等。     

改革开放以来我国扶贫开发进程及实际路径研究

改革开放40余年以来,我国在致力于脱贫的道路上开创性地解决了许多疑难杂症,从“输血式”的直接干预式救济扶贫 模式,到根据需要实施针对性措施的扶贫举措,再到精准扶贫精准脱贫的实施,逐步探索形成了一条具有中国特色的扶贫道 路。扶贫实践的进程也是扶贫理论形成、完善的发展过程,理论的发展指导着扶贫实践的调整改进。扶贫攻坚阶段系统梳理 我国扶贫开发进程,探究扶贫实践路径选择,对新时代打赢脱贫攻坚战具有现实意义。