Gender differences in the experience of loneliness in U.S. Chinese older adults

This study aimed to explore the gender differences in the experiences of loneliness in the U.S. Chinese older population. The data were drawn from the PINE study, a population-based study of U.S. Chinese adults aged 60 years and older. The Revised–University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA) was used to measure loneliness. Overall, older Chinese women (28.3%) had a higher rate of loneliness than older men (23.3%, p < .001). In particular, women were more likely to sometimes or often experience a lack of companionship than men (22.9% vs. 17.3%, p < .001). Older women living with fewer people, with lower health status, poorer quality of life, and worsening health changes over the past year were more likely than men to experience any loneliness. This study indicates that gender differences exist in the prevalence, symptoms, and correlates of loneliness. Longitudinal studies should be undertaken to understand gender differences in risk factors and outcomes of loneliness.     

“Friendly” Initiatives: An Emerging Approach to Improve Communities for Vulnerable Populations

A growing number of cities and towns are implementing “friendly” initiatives to change the community’s social and physical infrastructure to address the needs of a particular vulnerable segment of their population. Three prominent examples are aging-friendly, child-friendly, and immigrant-friendly initiatives. Although the limited but growing literature describes these initiatives as promising strategies to improve the quality of life of the targeted population, to date there has been little written about the underlying goals, values, and assumptions of these efforts. Using the value-critical approach, this article aims to better understand these aspects of population-friendly initiatives by examining the scholarly and grey literature. Social workers engaged in community and policy practice can play a key role in these efforts and call attention to the ways they may alleviate or exacerbate inequities. Future research is needed to assess the effects of these initiatives on their targeted population as well as other community residents.     

Perceived Need for Home- and Community-Based Services: Experiences of Urban Chinese Older Adults With Functional Impairments

Guided by Cantor’s social care model, this study identified individual, family, and social support factors that influence urban older adults’ need for home- and community-based services, including medical and rehabilitation, instrumental care and support, and psychosocial services. The data were extracted from the Sample Survey on Aged Population in Urban/Rural China conducted by the China Research Center on Aging in 2006. Results from multiple logistic regression show that older adults’ need for medical and rehabilitation services is significantly related to instrumental activities of daily living, depression, not having filial children, friend support networks, and having a confidant. Older adults’ need for instrumental care and support is related to their educational attainment, financial strain, instrumental activities of daily living, not living with children, and friend support networks. Finally, older adults’ need for psychosocial services is significantly related to educational attainment, depression, not being married, friend support networks, and having a confidant. Implications for social service development are discussed.     

The Impact of In-Home Services Utilization on the Institutionalization of Older People in Korea

As a result of aging populations, institutionalization of older people is creating an increasing financial burden in many countries. The purpose of the present study was to explore the impact of in-home service utilization on institutionalization. The subjects were newly certified as eligible for long-term care insurance between January and February 2009 in Korea. The follow-up period was 40 months, to April 2012. We used logistic regression models to identify factors influencing the transition to institutional service, adjusting for gender, age, living status, income level, activities of daily living, and chronic disease. The institutionalization rate was estimated to be 17.3% over 40 months. The interval from transitional living to institutionalization was 36 ± 8 months. Risk factors of transition to institutional services are being female, having advanced age, living with friends or cousins, getting dementia, and not using in-home services. We determined that institutionalization is mitigated by use of in-home services. Therefore, supplying appropriate in-home services to current nonusers would help to greatly reduce the rate of institutionalization of older people.     

Work–Family Conflict: Coping Strategies Adopted by Social Workers

There is a growing literature investigating the association between coping and work stress among social workers. An area that remains under-researched is the association between work–family conflict and coping. The present study explored the coping strategies adopted by social workers in dealing with the competing demands emanating from their work and family domains. In a larger study involving 439 Australian social workers, we analyzed the responses to two open-ended questions that explored the challenges experienced by social workers in meeting their work and family demands, and the coping strategies they adopt to deal with these challenges. The findings confirm that social workers experience work–family conflict and they adopt several coping strategies to deal with it including support from supervisors and colleagues, cognitive reframing, timely communication, setting clear expectations, time management, job flexibility and developing personal hobbies. We discuss the implications of our findings for social work policy and practice.     

当前我国加强和完善社区管理和服务体系研究

加强和完善社区管理和服务体系具有重要意义。目前,我国街道办事处的职能不明确,条块分割,社区居委会行政化严重,社区公共服务亟待提高和完善,城乡社区服务资源严重不足,社区工作者人数少,工作任务重,社区工作专业化水平不高。因此,要发挥基层政府的主导作用,积极推进街道管理体制创新,健全基层群众自治制度,创新社区管理模式,完善社区公共服务体系,增强街镇和社区实力,推动我国社会工作的社区化。     

农民工社会流动的现实困境与对策分析

农民工合理有序的社会流动对转型期中国社会具有特殊意义。然而,目前农民工的社会流动绝大多数只是水平流动,缺乏跨越阶层边界的向上流动。因此可以说,当前的农民工社会流动已陷入困境。转型社会背景下的二元化制度及其惯性、农民工整体人力资本弱势以及社会资本缺乏是造成流动困境的主要原因。欲突破农民工社会流动困境,必须改革与创新制度、提升农民工人力资本、推动农民工组织化建设、规范政府职能,同时还应加强执行能力的建设、转变观念。     

当代中国转型社会新生代农民工的基本问题

从改革开放至今,随着农村劳动力开始大规模地向城市转移,农民工内部也出现了代际变化,新生代农民工逐渐成为农民工的主体,并在我国社会主义转型过程中发挥着重要的作用。与父辈们不同,他们希望能更好地融人城市,享受与城市居民一样的就业、保险、医疗、教育等方面的平等待遇。因此,本文从新生代农民工的特点出发,寻找出其利益诉求的新变化及困境,从而探索由国家、政府、企业、个人、社会团体所共同组建的多方权益保障机制,切实维护新生代农民工的合法权益。     

农民工权益保障问题的思考

对目前农民工在经济地位、政治权利、文化教育和社会保障等面临的诸多权益保障问题进行研究,指出这些问题的形成既有中国城乡分割的二元体制和政府职能不到位的原因,也与中国独特的城市化、工业化进程和不完善的利益诉求机制相关,需要通过消除城乡二元体制,实现城乡一体化;建设服务型政府,强化公共服务职能;走新型工业化道路,加快城市化、工业化的进程;建立健全农民工利益表达机制等途径加以解决。