EXAMINING THE EXTERNALITY OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ON CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

I exploit differences in the generosity of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits across states and over time to investigate the link between UI and children's academic achievement. Estimates show that a 1% increase in maximum weekly UI benefits reduces the probability that a child repeats a grade by around 0.03 percentage points. The effect is concentrated among children of low‐ and middle‐income families. This paper's findings, which are the first in the literature to show evidence of a positive effect of UI on children's educational outcomes, provide insight into the role of UI in the human capital accumulation of children. (JEL I20, I38, J65)     

Understanding Gender and Power Dynamics Within the Family: A Qualitative Study of Nepali Women's Experience

Among the Maori of New Zealand, Aboriginals of Australia, and other Indigenous peoples, family dynamics strongly influence the ways that issues emerge in counseling. This study explores aspects of gender and power within the context of birth practices in rural Nepal. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 15 postpartum women, as well as family members, to collect narratives of birthing experiences that highlight issues of oppression, marginalisation, and power struggles. Implications for multicultural and social justice awareness in family therapy are discussed, especially with regard to the subtle, disguised ways that power operates behind the scenes, often sabotaging efforts by health and mental health professionals to bemost helpful.     

Socioeconomic determinants of the intra-family status of wives in rural India: Analysis and empirical evidence

Relying on a structured survey of 117 wives in four rural villages in the Midnapore District of West Bengal, this article investigates the influence on the intra-family status of wives of variables that may increase the bargaining power of wives in their family. Saveral indicators of status are considered and investigated using the ANOVA technique and probit analysis. The main hypothesis considered is whether the results support bargaining theories of the intra-household status of wives or the view that gender status is primarily determined in Indian society by social customs and the patriarchal structure of society. Given the overall patriarchal structure of Indian society, the results indicate that bargaining theories are at best only marginally relevant. Situations that result in greater bargaining power for wives in Western societies do not necessarily do so in north India given the total pervasiveness of its patriarchal society. Research for this paper benefited from a grant by the Australian Research Committee     

Locating social service centres using interactive graphics

The paper explores the feasibility of using interactive graphic based solution procedures in location problems with discrete choices. It compares solutions generated through interactive graphics with those generated through optimization for a problem context where service centres had to be located in rural India. The comparison demonstrates the feasibility of generating near optimal solutions for problems with a certain dimensionality. Broad features of the graphic software are described. The paper also highlights other advantages and limitations of the interactive graphic procedure.     

A model for national planning policies

This paper attempts to develop a multiobjective model to help policy-makers choose the most appropriate mix of economic policies concurrent with the elimination of serious gaps. Each individual policy attempts to achieve a specific goal or a set of subgoals; but it may hinder the achievement of some other subgoals. To differentiate between the importance of different objectives, the analyst assigns different priorities to each of the given set of subgoals. Three sets of results are provided by three separate computer runs of this model. Each set of results corresponds to one of the three priority structures, and each run indicates quite differing underachievements or over-achievements of individual subgoals. A detailed explanation for each of these deviations (gaps) from the targeted subgoals is attempted in an overall framework and some interactions between various gaps (savings gaps, foreign exchange gap, domestic growth gap, GNP gap, etc.) are also identified.     

Impact of the Minimum Wage on Youth Labor Markets

We study the effect of the minimum wage on labor market outcomes for young workers using US county‐level panel data from the first quarter of 2000 to the first quarter of 2009. We go beyond the usual estimates of earnings and employment effects to consider how differences across states in the minimum wage affect worker turnover via separations and accessions and job turnover through new job creation and job losses. We find that a higher minimum wage level is associated with higher earnings, lower employment and reduced worker turnover for those in the 14–18 age group. For workers aged 19–21 and 22–24, we find less consistent evidence of minimum wage effects on earnings and employment. But, even for these age groups, a higher minimum wage is found to reduce accessions, separations and the turnover rate.     

Integrating gender needs into drinking-water projects in Nepal

It is argued that projects and programs designed to meet the practical needs of men, women, and children in communities should also focus on meeting the strategic gender needs of women. This paper shows what project planners can do to ensure women?s participation in the design and maintenance of development projects without increasing their workloads, and with the goal of raising their status in the family and society, as well as challenging men's prejudice. It utilizes the framework of strategic and practical gender needs in the context of the drinking-water sector, to argue that understanding how these needs are linked is important to the sustainability of drinking-water projects. Overall, this paper pointed out the great need to involve women in the management of water projects in order for it to be effective in reducing the burdens of the people. Moreover, all development initiatives, including improvements in water supply, should have explicit focus on improving women status and increasing their confidence. Meeting such gender needs requires real commitment from concerned individuals on all levels as well as budgetary provision to enhance the capacity of the involved sector, and heighten their awareness. Fulfillment of their strategic gender needs, will in turn, contribute to the sustainability of water projects.     

Managing aging men in Asia: a strategic approach

We have established a comprehensive diagnostic paradigm for the management of aging men which seeks to evaluate the various determinants of the aging process in five major health areas: cardio-health, bone health, sex health, general health and endocrine state. This paradigm appears to be useful for the management of the problem of aging in our local population. It could be used for the management of individuals as well as for population research. When combined with the establishment of evidence-based management modalities, it will provide a useful tool for the holistic management of aging in Asia.