Collapsing the Boundaries? Fatherhood,Organization and Home‐Working

In the modern western world, the discursive construction of fatherhood and everyday fathering practices has been underpinned by the spatial separation of work from home, of public from private. However, increasing numbers of employees are now working from home and a disproportionate number of these are men with young children. This article draws on new empirical research to examine the implications for fathers and for organizations as home‐working disrupts earlier spatial configurations of fatherhood and fathering practices. The article concludes that as the spatial boundaries between home and work collapse, new accommodations between fatherhood/fathering and organization are emerging. However, these are underpinned by a traditional gender division of labour in the household. More broadly, these findings confirm the inadequacy of static distinctions between public and private, showing that while such distinctions are still used to mark space and time, this is relational, contingent and unstable.     

Threshold decisions: how social workers prioritize referrals of child concern

This paper examines local authority social workers' decision‐making when considering referrals of children, where the concerns are on the margin of child protection procedures. In doing so, it describes the findings of a qualitative research study undertaken in the policy context of attempts to ‘refocus’ social work practice in the late 1990s and early twenty‐first century. Data collection involved interviews with social workers and parents in 23 cases. Conclusions are that referrals were evaluated on the basis of five key factors, specificity, severity, risk, parental accountability and corroboration, the use of which determined whether an initial assessment or an investigation of alleged abuse took place. The analysis builds on previous work in the child protection field, but demonstrates how the application of these factors differs between cases of child concern and cases of child protection. Policy implications concern the complexity of decision‐making in the uncertain context of limited referral information and it is proposed that the simplistic notion of a continuum of abuse is now outdated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Child‐Care Usage and Mother‐Infant “Quality Time”

Mothers' time‐use patterns were compared in families in which infants spent more than 30 hours per week in child care (In‐Care group; n= 143) versus 0 hours per week (At‐Home group; n= 183) from birth to 6 months of age. In‐Care group mothers spent about 12 fewer hours per week interacting with their infants, for about 32% less time; fathers of these infants were more involved in caregiving. The groups did not differ in the quality of mother‐infant interaction. In the In‐Care group, quantity of interaction was related to greater separation anxiety and concerns about effects of maternal employment. Time‐use data were not related to child outcomes at 15 months of age. Results suggest that the effect of extensive time spent apart on the quantity and quality of mother‐infant interaction may be smaller than anticipated.     

Monitoring and evaluation of loveLife's AIDS prevention and advocacy activities in South Africa, 1999–2001

loveLife is the largest effort ever launched in South Africa to change adolescent sexual behaviour with the aim of reducing the rate of HIV infection among 15–20 year olds by 50%, reducing other STIs, and reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy. loveLife combines high-powered media awareness and education, development of adolescent-friendly reproductive health services, and outreach and support programmes. The 5-year research and evaluation plan includes a multi-year comprehensive observational study, tracking change in a range of behavioural indicators and in sexual health outcomes. In its first 2 years, loveLife reached more than 4 million youth. Sixty-two percent of youth and 59% of their parents/guardians recognize the brand, while the vast majority of parents (97%) and youth (89%) exposed to loveLife, identified loveLife as being positive. Challenges in the next years are the continued roll out of the programme, and the development of institutional support and behaviour change.     

Zimbabwe's AIDS action programme for schools

AIDS education started very early in Zimbabwe and is now compulsory in all schools. This evaluation documents the development of the primary and secondary school AIDS Action Programme from 1991 to 1998. Six programme aspects were evaluated: programme start-up, planning and management, development of syllabi and materials, teacher training, research, monitoring and evaluation, and co-ordination. The Programme drew on resources from within the existing educational system. Due to broad-based consultation and participation, it was supported by Government and partners. Flexible management ensured implementation of mid-course corrections. It was concluded that school AIDS programmes should stress participatory teaching and learning methods and life-skills training. Curriculum writers and teachers needed training and supervision in participatory techniques. Cluster workshops between district and school levels were needed to strengthen the cascade model of teacher training that had been adopted. Systematic research, monitoring and evaluation were essential, including follow-ups to baseline surveys. The Zimbabwean programme was well-designed, relatively inexpensive and replicable.     

The Role of Cancer Risk in the Regulation of Industrial Pollution

The extent of carcinogen regulation under existing U.S. environmental statutes is assessed by developing measures of the scope and stringency of regulation. While concern about cancer risk has played an important political role in obtaining support for pollution control programs, it has not provided the predominant rationale for most regulatory actions taken to date. Less than 20% of all standards established to limit concentrations of chemicals in various media address carcinogens. Restrictions on chemical use are more frequently based on concerns about noncancer human health or ecological effects. Of the chemicals in commercial use which have been identified as potential human carcinogens on the basis of rodent bioassays, only a small proportion are regulated. There is an inverse relationship between the scope of regulatory coverage and the stringency of regulatory requirements: the largest percentages of identified carcinogens are affected by the least stringent requirements, such as information disclosure. Standards based on de minimis cancer risk levels have been established for only 10% of identified carcinogens and are restricted to one medium: water. Complete bans on use have affected very few chemicals. The general role that carcinogenicity now plays in the regulatory process is not dramatically different from that of other adverse human health effects: if a substance is identified as a hazard, it may eventually be subject to economically achievable and technically feasible restrictions.     

Premarital Cohabitation and Housework: Couples in Cross‐National Perspective

The authors examine the effect of premarital cohabitation on the division of household labor in 22 countries. First, women do more routine housework than men in all countries. Second, married couples that cohabited before marriage have a more equal division of housework. Third, national cohabitation rates have equalizing effects on couples regardless of their own cohabitation experience. However, the influence of cohabitation rates is only observed in countries with higher levels of overall gender equality. The authors conclude that the trend toward increasing cohabitation may be part of a broader social trend toward a more egalitarian division of housework.     

Evaluation of HIV/AIDS peer education projects in Zambia

This 1998 evaluation assessed the peer education programmes of HIV/AIDS projects run by four non-governmental organisations. A mini-case study approach was used and analysis was based on cross-case itemistic variables. The projects were assessed only in terms of immediate developmental outcomes to target groups rather than on long-term impact. The study concluded the following: (1) The projects had raised community awareness of HIV/AIDS; (2) Basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS was for the most part accurate; (3) There was anecdotal evidence of behavioural changes in terms of partner-reduction as reported by the projects, though the evidence was sometimes conflicting; and (4) There was evidence that certain traditional practices, which contributed to the spread of the virus (e.g. sexual cleansing and scarification), were becoming modified over time. The programmes were also instrumental in protecting human rights and enabling people living with HIV/AIDS to maintain human dignity.     

硕士研究生入学英语考试英译汉试题的特点及翻译技巧

深入分析历年硕士研究生入学英语考试英译汉试题的特点,总结四方面特点,提出具有针对性的翻译方法和技巧作为对策:(1)试题中的词汇难以见词明义,需根据上下文选择确定词义或对词义进行引申;(2)句子的理解与翻译对上下文的依赖性很强,需使用还原法对原文中的替代、省略、变换等表达进行还原翻译;(3)句子较长,结构复杂,需采用分译法;(4)很多句子的表意方式和语序体现出英美人的思维习惯和特点,需作语序调整。     

农业主导型财政下的乡镇治理--以河南刘乡为例

对于财政收入主要来源于农业经济的农村地区 ,乡镇财政的压力既推动了乡镇政权组织发展本地经济 ,同时也导致了乡镇政权组织加大财政提取力度 ,甚至为此不惜违反国家有关法律和政策 ,从而削弱了基层政权的合法性基础 ,加剧了农村社会矛盾。要改善农业地区的乡镇治理状况 ,必须结合农业主导型乡镇财政的特点改革农村管理体制。