U-Statistics and Their Asymptotic Results for Some Inequality and Poverty Measures

U-statistics form a general class of statistics that have certain important features in common. This class arises as a generalization of the sample mean and the sample variance, and typically members of the class are asymptotically normal with good consistency properties. The class encompasses some widely used income inequality and poverty measures, in particular the variance, the Gini index, the poverty rate, the average poverty gap ratios, the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke index, and the Sen index and its modified form. This paper illustrates how these measures come together within the class of U-statistics, and thereby why U-statistics are useful in econometrics.     

高校教育精准扶贫模式探究——以华中农业大学精准扶贫建始县为例

教育扶贫是高校精准扶贫地方的主要路径。基于华中农业大学在建始县精准扶贫的实践所取得的成效及遇到的问题,通过对三螺旋理论进行了深化与拓展,构建了以产业为纽带,农户、企业、高校、政府四主体相互作用的四螺旋模型,探索各主体充分发挥优势,协同创新的作用机理,提出基于四螺旋模型的高校精准扶贫地方的新路径,即：找准农户致贫或返贫的原因;高校与政府联动,做好扶贫规划;高校与企业联动,抓好产业建设;加强高校、企业与地方政府联动,攻克难点问题;四主体联动,强化过程管理。     

Social Exclusion, Inequality and Social Work

This paper sets out the environment of inequality in which social work and the poor have recently operated. It explores pragmatic and idealist arguments concerning whether or not the poor need social work. Finally, policy solutions developed in consultation with social service users and carers are suggested in relation to poverty and social exclusion. Social exclusion can be linked to relative poverty as exclusion from economic and social norms. However, there is a wider brief in our own government’s publications and those of Europe, of examining how people are excluded from actions and policies of agencies who are there to support them. This paper will retain the concepts of poverty as lack of material income, and inequality as the gap between the rich and the poor, while being aware of the policy implications for social service users and carers of the more comprehensive process of being shut out partially or fully from social, economic, political and cultural systems. The debates around social work, social exclusion and inequality that follow establish: that some of the poor do need social work; that the poverty of social service users is related to policies that have restructured welfare in Britain; that the reason for individuals approaching or being referred to social services are complex but are likely to include financial deprivation as a key contributory factor; that if the poor do need social work, advocacy is essential rather than social work being seen as concerned only with social control—taking children into care, mentally ill people into hospitals, and advising the DSS on the suitability of claimants for benefits. Finally, the discussion turns to new policy agendas on social exclusion instigated by the Labour government. What positive difference can such policies make for social service users, their carers and social workers?.     

Evaluating the Possible Impact of Pension Reforms on Elderly Poverty in Europe

Since the 1990s, reforms have changed substantially both the nature of state pension provision and the level of generosity. This article tries to assess the impact of these changes using estimates of pension wealth for a number of hypothetical cases. By focusing on all prospective pension transfers rather than just those at the point of retirement, this approach can provide additional insights, especially on the impact of changes in benefit indexation. These estimates corroborate existing evidence that reforms have decreased generosity significantly. Moves to link benefits to contributions have made systems less progressive, raising adequacy concerns for certain groups. The reforms have, in particular, strengthened the need of ensuring better access to labour markets, of having in place adequate crediting arrangements and minimum pensions.     

Deprivation and Poverty in Hong Kong

Despite high and rising real incomes, the poverty rate in Hong Kong remains a cause of community concern. The government has been reluctant to set a poverty line, although the recently (re‐)established Commission on Poverty has recommended that a poverty line for Hong Kong is developed. Against this background, this article reports results derived from a new deprivation study designed to shed new light on the living standards of the poorest in the community. Reflecting international studies, deprivation is identified as existing when people do not have and cannot afford items regarded by a majority in the community as being essential for all. A list of 35 basic needs items is identified as meeting this definition, the results indicating that around 30 per cent are deprived of at least two items, over 18 per cent are deprived of at least four items and 10 per cent are deprived of at least eight items. Deprivation rates are particularly high among items that meet basic health needs. A mean deprivation score index (MDIS) is then used to compare the degree of deprivation experienced by different groups, and indicates that deprivation is most pronounced amongst those receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), people affected by a disability and recent migrants. The overlap between deprivation and income poverty is also relatively low, which suggests both measures have a role to play in identifying who is most vulnerable and guiding where policy change is most urgently needed.     

晏阳初平民教育思想与凉山扶贫对策的研究

本文通过对晏阳初平民教育思想及其乡村建设运动的目标、核心内容和教育方式的阐述,挖掘其平教思想与乡建运动目标“民族再造”的历史使命和意义,探寻其平教思想与乡建运动的“四大教育”核心理念和“三大教育方式”的实践经验,及其对当代新时期新农村建设和扶贫工作的借鉴意义。并对凉山州扶贫工作的历程、现状、成绩及其扶贫政策和扶贫模式进行梳理。探讨凉山州落后地区脱贫困难的原因,借鉴晏阳初平民教育思想及其乡村建设实践的宝贵经验,针对凉山的实际情况,提出以大力发展教育文化事业为主线,突出教育文化、基础建设、产业发展、民生改善和公共服务配套的扶贫对策和具体措施。     

需求取向社区贫困家庭志愿服务的探索

贫困救助是我国社会服务的永恒主题,城市最低生活保障制度和农村五保制度为解决贫困问题提供了制度保障。但是,贫困是一个复杂的持续性的社会问题,社会保障政策的公共性与弹性要求以及社会的不断变迁,使得贫困救助需求的差异性和变化性难以得到有效满足。社区志愿服务以其贴近居民生活的服务特点,可以有效地填补社会救助政策的漏洞。本文描述了社区贫困家庭的现状及其特点,揭示了当前社区服务和社会政策存在的缝隙;立足社区贫困家庭的需要,提出了社区贫困家庭志愿服务应该提供的主要服务内容,寄望建设一个符合中国社会文化情境和具体家庭需求的社区贫困家庭志愿服务。     

“社会空间”视角下的城市贫困——基于保定市北市区的实地调查

"社会空间"视角是当代西方一种重要的城市问题研究思路,重点关注城市空间的"差异和不平模式",对国内城市贫困问题的研究具有重要参考价值。这一视角下的实地调查表明,在居住空间、日常活动空间和购物空间三个层面,较其他群体,城市贫困居民体现出了一定的空间差异性;进一步考察主体角度的空间认同和抗争,则发现当前社会转型期城市贫困在社会空间层面已经呈现出一些聚集和隔离的趋势。基于此,建议在政府主导下,在城市整体规划和改造过程中兼顾"空间正义",将"民生"和"减贫"纳入到主流日程规划中以应对未来城市社会空间问题。     

论社会工作在临海家庭扶贫中的介入模式及优势——兼析广东“双到”扶贫模式

对临海贫困家庭进行社会工作介入有着特别的学科意义与现实的社会意义。目前行政主导扶贫模式虽有快速脱贫优势,但也有其潜在问题。针对临海家庭具体致贫原因,社会工作拥有多种合适介入模式与工作方法。社会工作专业使命与学科特性决定了社工扶贫模式相对于行政主导扶贫模式而言,无疑是一种集专业性、高效性、长效性等多种优势于一体的社会反贫困机制。走社工扶贫模式的社会扶贫道路是社会发展趋势,也应是中国社会的理性选择。