Youth and development in Southern Africa: Achievements and challenges for the social sciences

This article highlights the role played by social scientists and social science research in the field of youth and development in southern Africa. It examines in particular the research being done into teenage pregnancy and motherhood, and HIV/AIDS. The author concludes by emphasising the necessity for social scientists and people in authority to work together to identify relevant areas of concern on which to concentrate research in future.     

Social policy of EU countries: Ideal aspirations and actual challenges

The article is devoted to the deformation of the European social model in the areas of employment and education under the impact of crisis phenomena in the economy, growth in social tension, and protest movements.     

农民工社会保障体系的构建——以城乡统筹为视角

农民工是在我国工业化和城镇化进程中形成的一个特殊社会群体,他们在为城市繁荣和农村发展做出重大贡献的同时,却没有享受到应有的社会保障。本文从城乡统筹的视角,考察农民工社会保障的现状,深入剖析农民工社会保障权益缺失的原因,并提出在城乡统筹背景下,重新构建我国社会保障体系,从根本上打破城乡分立的二元社会保障结构,着力于建立全国统一、覆盖城乡居民、城乡和地区保障待遇有所差别的社会保障体系,以此一并解决农民工的社会保障问题。     

社会转型视域下农村社会救助制度的思考

改革开放以来,农村经济社会的变迁对农村原有社会救助体系产生了前所未有的冲击,其价值取向、政策规范、救助方式、管理手段等,已越来越不适应农村经济社会发展的需要。本文从社会转型这一视野下对农村社会救助制度进行重新审视,分析了社会救助理念、贫困生成机制、社会结构、政策取向等方面发生的变化,提出了创新农村社会救助制度的思路和对策,以促进农村和谐社会的构建。     

碳排放的行业特征与能源需求互动:皖省路径

工业化发展初期阶段,经济社会发展面临着经济增长和环境保护的双重压力。以安徽省为例,通过碳排放量的计算,分析碳排放的总体趋势、行业特征和发展低碳经济的重点领域;通过对经济发展、能源需求和碳排放的预测,分析减排的形势和压力;应用灰色关联分析方法,测算经济规模、产业结构、能源结构和能源效率与碳排放量之间的关联度。安徽省应当从基本省情和工业化阶段性特征出发,发展低碳经济,积极实现温室气体减排目标。     

城乡统筹进程中城乡收入差距影响农民健康的路径研究

城乡收入差距的扩大已成为制约城乡统筹发展的主要因素之一。收入分配对健康和健康不平等的影响正日益受到关注,文章从城乡居民收入差距继续扩大带来的问题入手,分析了城乡收入差距影响农民健康的三个路径:通过影响医疗公共支出和公共品的供给影响农民的健康;通过社会资本的恶化影响农民健康;以及通过心理感受对农民健康状况产生影响。     

京津冀和长三角技术交易网络结构特征比较研究

为揭示京津冀和长三角两个区域内部的技术交易格局,采用社会网络分析方法,从网络密度、中心度和核心-边缘结构3个维度,对比研究了京津冀和长三角两个区域内部的技术交易网络特征,得到以下结论：京津冀以海淀区为中心的单核技术交易网络结构正在向多中心转型,长三角区域内的技术交易已形成多中心、网络化发展格局,京津冀、长三角两个区域内均有一些技术交易枢纽地区值得关注。     

安徽省城市化状况的实证分析

城市化问题是当前我国经济和社会发展研究的一个热点,它对于协调城乡关系,提高国民经济整体素质,具有重大而又深远的意义。本文分别从城市化发展的现状、城市化进程存在的问题及城市化滞后的原因三个方面对安徽省城市化状况进行了全面的实证分析,并提出了相应的政策建议。     

Clearing the ground in the Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs): Analysing 'process' on South Africa's Wild Coast

This article, which is based on a case study of the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape, explores the challenges that confront the implementation of SDI projects. It is argued that, in order to encourage active participation of potential beneficiaries in such projects, 'the ground has to be cleared', which necessitates the delineation of the core social dynamics that go hand in hand with the technical aspects of the inputs and outputs of such projects. The two areas in which the SDI fell short of achieving its main objectives, and which this article seeks to address, are the communication and the conflict management strategies. The perception that local social dynamics are seen as a problem rather than as part of a dynamic process of development requires fresh assessment. In conclusion, emphasis should be placed on human resources, patience and willingness to learn about local dynamics, in addition to the great financial commitment in the project cycle.     

西藏农牧民养老保障满意度及影响因素研究

社会保障是民生之依,直接关系到人民群众的切实利益,是百姓生存、发展和延续的重要保证。老有所养是我国社会保障改革与发展的重要目标与方向之一。本文使用西藏民生研究中心2018年拉萨市农牧区民生发展调查数据(LLDR),其数据显示,拉萨市农牧民的养老保障满意度整体较高,其没有满意的主要原因是对办事流程不了解、经办人员的工作效率较低、经办机构开展政策不了解等。通过Logit回归分析发现,个体特征变量在一定程度上会显著影响养老保障的满意度,社会资本是影响社会养老保障满意度的重要因素。     

The Great Migration of Black Americans from the US South: A guide and interpretation

The Great Migration from the US South is a prominent theme in economic history research not only because it was a prime example of large scale internal migration, but also because it had far-reaching ramifications for American economic, social, and political change. This article offers a concise review of the literature focused on questions of timing, selection, and migrants’ outcomes, and then offers a more speculative interpretation of how the Great Migration fostered the advancement of Civil Rights. It concludes by pointing out areas where further exploration would be valuable.     

农村社会养老保险收入再分配模型及实证分析——基于新农保的实践

2009年,我国农村社会养老保险在老农保基础上进行了制度创新,在坚持个人账户的同时,引入财政直接补贴的基础养老金制度,形成新农保制度框架,经试点后于2014年2月推广为城乡统一的居民社会养老保险制度。发端于新农保的居民社会养老保险改革具有更强的收入再分配特点,促进了社会公平。文章基于新农保实践,构建净收益收入再分配模型,通过实证分析测算代际内部、代际之间和城乡之间养老金收入再分配效果。     

江苏应对人口老龄化问题的政策研究报告

对南京、扬州、张家港等地老年人的生存和精神状况进行实地调研，深度剖析江苏人口老龄化问题及其相关政策。江苏城镇养老服务社会化工作已初见成效，但是存在老年社会保障财政压力渐显、老年社会保障差异化加剧、现行老年保障体系呈现“碎片化”状态等问题。针对现存问题，提出完善江苏老年社会保障体系的对策和路径。     

大学生村官政策对农村收入差距的影响研究 ——基于2015年和2017年中国家庭大数据 1324个村社的实证分析

大学生村官作为推动农村发展的重要基层治理力量,在农村集体经济发展、农户增收与脱贫攻坚等方面发挥了重要作用。然而,在新形势下,大学生村官政策是否有助于农村实现共同富裕有待验证。文章基于2015年和2017年"中国家庭大数据库"(CFD)数据,使用固定效应模型实证检验了大学生村官政策对农村收入差距的影响。结果表明:大学生村官促进了农民收入增加,缩小了农村基尼系数,转移性收入、财产性收入和工资性收入的增加构成了大学生村官缩小农村收入差距的主要来源。文章采取替换核心解释变量、被解释变量、替换控制变量与更换估计模型(DID)等方法进行稳健性检验,并采用IV模型克服内生性问题后,结论仍稳健。进一步机制验证发现,大学生村官可通过提升"社会保障力度"与"社会治理水平"的中介路径来调节收入再分配,缩小农村收入差距。大学生村官政策效果存在异质性,其对资本禀赋较强地区(东中部、非贫困村与村支书学历高中以上)的收入差距缩小作用更加明显。可见,大学生村官政策能促进农村地区的共同富裕。政府应做好大学生村官政策与社会保障、社会治理水平建设政策的有机衔接,促使大学生村官更好发挥自身人力资本优势。同时,政府需因地制宜地实施差异化的制度安排,以确保政策效果的普惠性,助力农村共同富裕的实现。     

Sociodemographic limitations of the sustainable development of Murmansk oblast

This article discusses the adequacy of human resources for the sustainable development of the territories of the Russian Arctic. By using the example of Murmansk oblast, the negative dynamics of the population and labor potential is shown, actual forecasts of the declining life expectancy are given, and reasons for the high mortality rate, especially among working-age people, are discussed. In conclusion, the need for priority measures to overcome the increasing migration outside the region and the development of the social and healthcare areas is given.     

Migration and the changing social economy of Windhoek,Namibia

This study focuses on the economic strategies employed by poor urban households in Windhoek, Namibia. It is based on the findings of a household questionnaire survey conducted in Windhoek and qualitative case studies collected in both Windhoek and the rural northern regions of Namibia. The central argument of this article is that rural–urban migration in Namibia is not unilinear but involves a complex relationship between rural and urban households that is fostered by high levels of personal mobility between the rural and urban settings. These close and complex social linkages between the rural and urban sectors make it possible for people to withstand the economic difficulties associated with limited employment in the formal urban economy. Further, this study shows that a key survival factor for urban households is in fact food that is produced in the rural areas.     

Strengthening institutional safety nets in South Africa: Sharing operation hunger's insights and experiences

Poverty and malnutrition are major problems in South Africa, especially among black people in rural areas. The poorest are heavily dependent on social pensions, remittances, low wages, piece jobs and, to a very small extent, household agriculture. Industrial safety nets are weak and do not necessarily help the vulnerable to overcome their poverty. This article draws on the experience of Operation Hunger, a South African NGO founded in 1980, to examine the impact of poverty‐alleviation programmes on the recipients. The article reviews the strategies employed by the government and NGOs to strengthen vulnerable households ‐food aid, public works and agricultural programmes ‐ drawing on Operation Hunger's experience in these areas. The article concludes that targeting, monitoring and evaluating, and piloting development programmes are crucial, and stresses the importance of NGOs in this regard.     

Understanding South African social security through recent household surveys: New opportunities and continuing gaps

The aim of this article is to identify some of the difficult areas in researching the South African social security system, and to offer suggestions as to the kind of further research that is needed to improve our understanding over time. The article starts with a brief ‘tour’ through some of the articles dealing with the subject that have already appeared in Development South Africa, with a view to showing their relationship to each other and to the main data sets which have been used. This is followed by sections on the size of pension income relative to other sources of income; the use of the term ‘transfer income'; the relationship between policy design and socio‐economic behaviour; and some difficulties when comparing different government expenditures on welfare. It is hoped that this will contribute to a more careful analysis and interpretation of existing research, as well as the more precise formulation of social security research in future.     

A Framework for Understanding On-farm Environmental Degradation and Constraints to the Adoption of Soil Conservation Measures: Case Studies from Highland Tanzania and Thailand

This article presents a simple but valuable framework that helps to generate a clear understanding of the social causes of environmental degradation and factors that affect land user decision-making in soil conservation. It is grounded in structuration theory and resonates with recent ideas encompassed by the “sustainable livelihoods” approach. The framework is illustrated with reference to two case studies in mountainous areas where officials have, for some time, expressed a considerable degree of concern about degradation. The first is from the Uluguru Mountains of central-eastern Tanzania and the second is from the Chiang Dao District of the Northern Highlands of Thailand. The framework helps to reveal the diverse factors contributing to a lack of investment in conservation measures in these two places, in a comprehensive but nondeterministic and culturally-specific way.     

从企业自身视角看企业社会责任对其盈利目标的影响

企业社会责任在理论界和企业界已成为一个十分重要的课题,焦点问题主要集中在两个方面:一是关于企业社会责任概念的争论;二是对企业承担社会责任所持的基本态度问题,即企业是否应该承担社会责任.文章试图从企业自身的视角通过模型并加以论证,最终向企业经济主体宣告承担社会责任对其盈利目标是有利无害的,为企业迈入主动承担社会责任阶段提供了理论依据.