Demography of Indian Aging, 2001-2051

Summary

India is the second largest country in the world, with 72 million elderly persons above 60 years of age as of 2001, compared to China's 127 million. One of the objectives of this paper is to assess the emerging scenario of elderly for the first half of the 21st century. According to projections, the elderly in the age group 60 and above is expected to increase from 71 million in 2001 to 179 million in 2031, and further to 301 million in 2051; in the case of those 70 years and older, they are projected to increase from 27 million in 2001 to 132 million in 2051. Among the elderly persons 80 and above, they are likely to improve their numbers from 5.4 million in 2021 to 32.0 million in 2051. The increasing number and proportion of elderly will have a direct impact on the demand for health services and pension and social security payments. Mobilizing resources for geriatric care and providing sufficient maintenance for the elderly will emerge as a major responsibility for heath-care providers and pension economists.     

“政策性离婚”的伦理考量

“政策性离婚”是指因国家政策的变化而出现的离婚现象,其实质是通过假离婚等非常规方式规避政策的限制,以实现个人或家庭利益的最大化。诱发“政策性离婚”的伦理因素包括：经济利益至上导致的婚姻伦理关系的淡化、道德监督缺失带来的婚姻主体道德责任的弱化以及制度伦理失范引发的社会道德环境的恶化。为了减少“政策性离婚”等类似社会现象的发生,必须强化个体道德自律,坚守婚姻的道德底线;健全道德监督机制,促进社会生活的规范化;推进制度伦理建设,维护社会的正义与和谐。     

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。     

关于区域同城化的研究综述

继2005年深圳最早提出与香港形成＂同城化＂的发展态势和理念后,国内众多相邻区域都先后提出了同城化的发展战略与思路,各区域板块正呈现出以＂同城化＂为导向或龙头的区域经济发展趋势。本文归纳和总结了国内同城化的研究概况与进展,以期对相邻区域的发展模式提供一定的启示。     

“My Two Homes”Children’s Picture Books and Non/Normative Imaginaries of Home in Post-Divorce/Separation Families

Abstract

In spite of a burgeoning interest in children’s home lives, we know little about the meaning and experience of home for children living in post-divorce/separation families who often spend time in more than one parental home. As a starting point, in this article I analyze the way in which thirteen “therapeutic” pictures books for younger children aged 3–8 represent home for such children (and their parents) through their text and images. I argue that the books contain four dominant tropes of domestic transition through their representation of the disruption, journeys, thresholds, and materialities of home. However, at the same time, the books also present the ordinariness of domestic home life in post-divorce/separation family life with a counter-narrative of the mundane time spent being together and gender-neutral parental care practices at home.     

Analysis of Family Drawings:

The Draw-A-Family Test was administered to 108 Swedish children. Fifty four children were from divorce families (27 girls, 27 boys) and 54 (27 girls, 27 boys) from intact families. The age of the subjects was ranging between 10 and 12 years. Focus was placed on which family members were included in the drawings, the prevailing mood of the figures, and on the tendencies to make profile drawings and to omit hands and feet. The results showed that divorce boys omitted their siblings more often than did girls or non-divorce boys, suggesting more intensive sibling rivalry. However, both divorce and non-divorce children usually included the father and depicted him as being as large or larger than the mother. It appears that in this way children express the important role that their fathers continue to play in their lives. The findings reflected a larger degree of family relationship problems in the divorce group. These problems were expressed by the omission of family members and also by the separation of one or more figures from the rest, by hidden or omitted hands and feet, and by figures drawn in profile.     

A Critical Review of Relocation Research Specific to Separation and Divorce

Relocation, as an issue in the context of family law, typically involves the proposed move of a separated or divorced parent with a child to a new residence a substantial distance away from the non-moving parent. Based on a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence, 11 studies that focused on relocation within the context of separation and divorce were located, retrieved and appraised based on a common standard for assessing the methodological quality of the studies. Results of the critical appraisal found that the majority of social science research studies on relocation are of poor quality. Overall, the project’s findings demonstrate the need to move away from oversimplified considerations for relocation and to embrace a more comprehensive approach to fully capture the various factors that are relevant when considering the strengths and limitations of relocation.     

Characterizing Mother’s Dating After Divorce

Mothers dating after divorce is a dynamic process, where not all mothers date the same way after divorce. However, few studies have examined the different ways that mothers date after divorce, which should influence maternal well-being, risk behaviors, and the quality of their relationships. This study characterizes four different approaches to mothers’ repartnering (referred to as repartnering histories): no dating, dating one partner monogamously, dating multiple partners serially, and dating multiple partners simultaneously. Each repartnering history is characterized by demographic variables, relationship quality, and maternal well-being. Implications of the study are discussed.     

For the Love of Fluffy: Respecting,Protecting, and Empowering Transitional Objects in the Context of High-Conflict Divorce

ABSTRACT

Transitional objects are those idiosyncratically determined, beloved blankies and stuffed animals that communicate an absent parent’s affection. As such, transitional objects serve the short-term need to cope with separation, and the long-term need to move toward autonomy. This article discusses the value, use, and misuse of transitional objects in the context of coparental conflict. The concept of alienation-by-proxy is introduced. Specific recommendations are provided, including the therapeutic creation and empowerment of transitional objects to assist children experiencing separation anxiety, consideration of the role of transitional objects in child custody evaluations, and the court’s responsibility to encourage litigating parents to respect the child’s needs for transitional objects.     

Correlates of Self-Esteem Among College Students Offspring from Divorced Families:

This research examines whether factors found to be relevant to children's adjustment following parental divorce do indeed have a significant relationship to the self-esteem of young adult college students who have experienced parental divorce during childhood or adolescence. These factors include gender, social class, age at the time of parental divorce, remarriage of the custodial mother, the amount of contact between the non-residential father and his offspring, and feelings of closeness between the non-residential father and his offspring. The results of a multiple regression analysis indicate that contact with the non-residential father has a significant impact on the self-esteem of female offspring, whereas the age at the time of parental divorce is the most sigmticant factor contributing to the self-esteem of male offspring. Results also indicate there is no significant difference in self-esteem levels among male and female offspring from divorced families.