Well‐being among employed and non‐employed caregiving women in Taiwan

Chou Y‐C, Kröger T, Chiao C, Pu C‐Y. Well‐being among employed and non‐employed caregiving women in Taiwan This study addressed various groups of non‐employed/employed and non‐caring/caring women in Taiwan. Data from the 2006 National Taiwanese Women Survey (at age 16–64, n= 6,017) were analysed to determine whether there are differences in terms of well‐being, as measured by self‐rated health and family life satisfaction, between women who work and/or care and between different carer groups. Other factors associated with well‐being of carers of young children (n= 1,697) were also analysed. The results showed that non‐employed carers of disabled adults stood out as the most disadvantaged group. However, the importance of work has been replaced by support among carers of young children. This study suggests that unpaid carers, particularly carers of disabled adults who are non‐employed, ought to be supported by policies. To improve carers' well‐being, care–work reconciliation among working‐age women needs to be included in the future care scheme in Taiwan.     

Social Work,Siblings, and SIDS: Conceptual and Case-Based Guidance for Family System Intervention

ABSTRACT

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a tragic loss event within the family, impacting adults as well as children. This article uses three case illustrations to discuss the role of a SIDS event on the family system with a special focus on the emergent challenges for surviving siblings of various ages. Practice application examples are woven throughout the review to illustrate the age-specific grief responses which may occur following a SIDS event. The article also presents a theoretically supported intervention matrix that integrates models of bereavement support and family system responses, taking into account children's varying developmental needs and tasks based on sibling age.     

The debate over the joint parental responsibility model in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's Law Reform Commission recommended the joint parental responsibility model into Hong Kong's family law in 2005. A public consultation on whether to implement the model by legislative means was launched in late 2011. An Internet search and secondary analysis of public opinion about the model and its legislation was conducted. It was found that stakeholders held diverse opinions on the legislation of the model. The greatest concern is over the inadequate support to facilitate a workable relationship between separated/divorced parents, and the methods used in protecting victims of domestic violence from ongoing abuse due to the continuous contact with the abusive parent necessitated by the model. Non-resident parents are invisible in the debate. Their absence in the debate has made the consultation a partial and incomplete one, though it saves the discussion from a gender competition between fathers' rights and mothers' rights. Taking a historical and comparative perspective, this paper makes a comprehensive review of the debate in Hong Kong, with reference to the debate at an international level. Implications to the social work profession and social work practice are discussed.     

汉代张安世家族兴盛考

张安世家族是汉代众多的官宦世家之一,自张安世受封富平侯始,传国八世,历经篡乱,二百年间未尝谴黜,这在两汉时期极为少见。据文献记载,张安世死后极尽哀荣,天子赠印绶,送以轻车介士,赐茔杜东,将作穿复土,起冢祠堂。近年来相关的考古发现有幸使这一史实得以印证。2008年,陕西省考古研究院发掘了张安世的家族墓,出土铜车马器、铜礼乐器、玉器、封泥等大量文物,而其墓园形制规格极高。这一发现也证实了张安氏家族的兴旺发达。张安世家族之所以能长久不衰、持续发展,绝非偶然。张氏家族良好的家风及坚定的政治立场是其安身立命的根本;紧跟时代潮流使家族逐步儒家化体现其与时俱进、吐故纳新的发展特点;与当权者及皇室的婚姻关系创造了良好的外部条件;宗族团结使其具有较强的凝聚力等主客观因素造就了一个两汉时期的世家大族。     

人口老龄化、家庭消费结构与中国养老模式改革——基于微观数据对人口红利的探讨

对人口老龄化对中国农村居民和城镇居民家庭消费结构的影响进行细致研究。根据修正后的AIDS模型对少儿抚养比和老年抚养比对各类消费支出的影响加以量化分析,在利用CHALS数据对目前中国老年群体消费结构相关指标进行描述性统计的基础上,得出研究结论：中国目前的养老模式仍然以家庭养老为主,父母在子女成年后仍然对其有经济上的支助,财富在代际之间的转移不能形成有效的社会投资。如果不能建立更多的社会养老机构,完善社会保障体系,在我国进入严重老龄化阶段后,社会养老问题将成为我国抑制消费、阻挡投融资体系健康发展的巨大障碍。     

新“国五条”对现代婚姻家庭价值观的挑战——以现行《婚姻法》为对象

新“国五条”出台后,许多人选择功利性离婚逃避政策带来的不利影响,目的是实现家庭现有利益的最大化,为家庭保留更好的物质条件。这些用房子与婚姻交换的,在市场经济条件下,在“金钱至上”观念的影响下,完全抛弃了中国传统的婚姻家庭观,给社会带来了恶劣的影响。这种现象的深层原因是,我国现行婚姻法中大量的条款都是关于明确夫妻财产的规定;同时,婚姻法并没有对家庭的法律地位予以明确,更没有规定家庭的独立财产制,最终导致夫妻没有共同努力的方向,家庭中的个人利益突显。因此,必须修改和完善现行《婚姻法》,重新定位家庭的法律地位,并赋予家庭财产权利,只有这样才能从根本上解决功利性离婚问题。     

Urban African American Pre-Adolescent Social Problem Solving Skills

Summary

The results of two studies focusing on the social problem solving skills of African American preadolescent youth are detailed. In the first study data from a sample of 150 African American children, ages 9 to 11 years, was used to examine the association between type of youth social problem solving approaches applied to hypothetical risk situations and time spent in unsupervised peer situations of sexual possibility. Findings revealed that children with more exposure to sexual possibility situations generated a wider range of social problem solving strategies, but these approaches tended to be unrealistic and ambiguous. Further, there was a positive association between the amount of time spent unsupervised and youth difficulty formulating a definitive response to hypothetical peer pressure situations. Children with less exposure to sexual possibility situations tended to be more aggressive when approaching situations of peer pressure. In the second study, data from a non-overlapping sample of 164 urban, African American adult caregivers and their 9 to 11 year old children was examined in order to explore the associations between child gender, family-level factors including family communication frequency and intensity, time spent in situations of sexual possibility, and youth social problem solving approaches. Results revealed that children were frequently using constructive problem solving and help seeking behaviors when confronted by difficult social situations and that there was a significant relationship between the frequency and intensity of parent child communication and youth help seeking social problem solving approaches. Implications for research and family-based interventions are highlighted.     

The Role of Work on Family Relationships

Abstract

Work and family are two major institutions in society. Family has been considered as an important socializing agent for an individual's growth and development, while work provides the individual opportunities to develop a sense of identity and a self-image. For people with mental illness, work has been recognized as an important tool for facilitating psychiatric rehabilitation. In fact, the work experiences of those with mental illness have an effect on their family relationships, which may in turn affect their mental health. Using an intensive interview method, this article shows that work experiences from sheltered workshops have a significant impact on the family relationships of workers in Hong Kong.     

Adolescents in Foster Care with Their Grandparents

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research was to analyse the relationships between foster grandparents and their adolescent grandchildren. The sample consisted of 54 grandparents from Malaga (Spain), with a mean age of 65.9 for grandfathers and 63.6 for grandmothers, who foster 70 adolescents, 31 boys and 39 girls, with ages ranging between 11 and 17. The majority of the grandfathers were retired, while the grandmothers worked at home. The grandparents presented a low level of education and scant economic resources. The results indicated that the relationship between the grandparents and grandchildren was mainly perceived as good or very good. The grandparents perceived that grandchildren maintained a better relationship with their grandmothers, whom they trusted more and to whom they disclosed more, than with their grandfathers. The grandparents recognised that their relationship with their grandchildren was perceived more as parent-child than grandparent-grandchild. The grandparents were more affectionate and communicative with their grandchildren than critical or rejecting. They also used more inductive styles than rigid or indulgent forms when applying rules.     

Religiousness and Adolescent Behaviors

Abstract

This study examined the relative influence of religiousness on a sub-sample of adolescents (N = 1911) from a nationally representative sample of youth. Outcome measures included delinquency, substance abuse, physical health, mental health, and education. The study controlled for family processes and peer influences, as well as a variety of sociodemographic factors.

Parent religiosity and family processes, especially parental styles, are found to influence girls more so than boys, while exposure to peer influences affects both boys and girls on all outcome measures except delinquency. Findings highlight gender related similarities and differences that should be taken into account when providing interventions to adolescents and their families.