FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND RELIGION: A CROSS‐COUNTRY ANALYSIS

This paper empirically examines whether female labour force participation (FLFP) in a cross‐section of countries between 1985 and 2005 varies depending upon the religion practised in these countries. Using a cross‐sectional empirical specification, we initially find that FLFP is lower in Muslim countries. However, the association between Islam and FLFP greatly diminishes once other controls are included in the regression, suggesting that Islam might not diminish FLFP as some have argued. Moreover, once these additional controls are included, the association between Islam and FLFP is similar to that between Catholicism and FLFP. Countries where Protestantism is prevalent or where no religion is practised have higher FLFP. Finally, we find some evidence that the association between FLFP and religion is weakening over time.     

New estimates of labour supply elasticities for married women in Canada 1996–2005

In this article, we estimate income and substitution labour supply and participation elasticities for Canadian married women using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics 1996–2005. We use the Canadian Tax and Credit Simulator (CTaCS) and detailed information on the structure of income at the household level to compute the marginal tax rates faced by each individual. We then use these marginal tax rates to compute net own-wage, spouse-wage, and nonlabour income. We show how the magnitude of the estimated elasticities varies depending on whether net or gross wages and income are used in the estimation procedure, and quantify biases caused by using average tax rates instead of marginal tax rates. Finally, because marginal tax rates vary significantly over the sample, we use quantile regressions to compare elasticities at different points of the hours distribution. Overall, our results show that public policies now have, on average, less scope for influencing hours of work than 10 years ago. However, the quantile results show that wives working fewer hours per week are more sensitive to changes in their own or spouses’ wages.     

浅析E．弗洛姆人道主义宗教思想

E．弗洛姆是现代西方著名的人道主义伦理学家,他通过综合马克思的宏观社会理论和弗洛伊德的微观心理分析理论而建立的人道主义伦理学体系在西方伦理学发展史上具有独特的理论贡献。在其伦理学体系中,宗教思想是其中重要的内容。弗洛姆从人的精神需要的角度探讨了宗教的根源和定义,划分了宗教的两种类型,揭露了现代社会宗教异化对人造成的危害,并积极探索建立人道主义宗教的具体对策。他的思想既有独特的理论和现实意义,同时也有明显的局限性。     

公众科学素养测评研究

我国在测算公众科学素养时一直沿用国际通用的测算方法,即从3个维度测定达标率,3个维度都达标的被测试者才认为具备基本公众科学素养。该测算方法在我国的应用存在一定局限性:①科学素养水平层次划分不够细致,提供信息太少。②测算方法缺乏内在的灵活性。从弥补现有方法缺陷出发,提出了新的测算方法,其特点体现在:①将科学素养的测算比例改为科学素养综合得分,综合得分提取了被调查者在问卷中体现的所有信息;②为克服原有测算方法层次划分过于绝对与单调的缺陷,新的测算方法将科学素养水平划分为4个不同的层次,即不具备科学素养、初步具备科学素养、基本具备科学素养、完全具备科学素养4个层次;③区分不同题目的难易程度。     

加拿大碳捕集、利用与封存技术现状及中加合作的有关问题与建议

加拿大在碳捕集、利用与封存(CCUS)领域处于全球领先地位,建成全球首座CCUS一体化项目,形成较为完整的产业链和创新集群。本文介绍了加拿大在该领域取得的主要科技成果以及相关产业发展现状,归纳了加拿大技术路线的优点,梳理了我国在引进该技术过程中面临的主要问题,并提出若干建议。     

民主理念、公民教育与美国进步时代改革

美国进步时代改革是在美国社会急剧转型的背景下,由公民和政府相互合作、相互建构而生成的一场社会系统性改革运动,是人类现代性进程中的一个缩影。在这一过程中,进步是持续性的精神向导,自由是变化中的行动指南,民主是其根本的内在逻辑。文章旨在对美国进步时代改革的内在逻辑进行梳理,并探讨这一时期的美国在新民主理念下倡导公民教育的主张与实践,冀期于对我国当前的社会转型和治理变迁提供启示和借鉴。     

从农村参与走向城市参与:农民工政治融入实证研究——基于昆明市2084份样本的问卷调查

农民工的城市融入已发展到政治参与及制度改革的关键时期。基于2012年对昆明市2084个农民工政治参与问卷调研数据,采取对数回归方法分析农民工政治融入的影响因素。农民工的政治参与开始从农村向城市转移,但城市参与度低于农村参与度,政治融入水平偏低;新生代、建筑业农民工的城市参与不足,精英农民工的政治融入需求凸显,亟待开辟制度化的参与途径提升其政治地位;对农民工的政治融入具有显著影响的是政治资本、社会资本与文化资本,而经济资本几乎没有影响。农民工政治融入的困境在于城市正式组织发展的滞后所带来的资本匮乏及参与不足。     

A critique of the new comparative economics

We examine the “new comparative economics” as proposed by Djankov et al. (2003) and their use of the concept of an institutional possibilities frontier. While we agree with their general argument that one must consider a variety of institutions and their respective social costs, including legal systems and cultural characteristics, when comparing the performance of different economic systems, we find various complications and difficulties with the framework they propose. We propose that a broader study of clusters of institutions and such newly emerging forms as the new traditional economy may be better suited as ways to approach the study of comparative economics in the era after the breakdown of the old comparison of market capitalism and command socialism that came to an end with the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Consecrating Capitalism: The United States Prosperity Gospel and Neoliberalism

Neoliberalism relies on optimism. Without faith in meritocracy—unwavering belief that rewards will eventually and justly come to those who work hard enough—support for the capitalist system and belief in neoliberalism would unravel. How that optimism is perpetuated in the face of persistent income inequality and exploitation within the workplace requires an examination of those cultural institutions which reinforce and reproduce optimism over practical experience. This research focuses on one particular religious institution of the United States—the Prosperity Gospel.

The Prosperity Gospel is a modern, neoliberal variation of Pentecostalism that is premised on the belief that a Biblical covenant between the individual believer and God guarantees that believer blessings of health and wealth, provided she demonstrates adequate faith. Accordingly, for those who are less adept at navigating the business world, financial success is still available for those believers who can dedicate themselves with the same frenzied ambition to the spiritual world. The Prosperity Gospel thus supports and sustains neoliberalism; the Prosperity Gospel is an institution which provides ref-uge to individuals from the exigencies of the market as well as a social practice which reinforces individual responsibility and fault. The Prosperity Gospel is the spiritual articulation of neoliberalism as well as a reinforcing institution.     

Where Does the Good Shepherd Go? Civic Virtue and Sorting into Public Sector Employment

Several studies have analyzed motives to work in the public versus private sector. However, research on prosocial motivation in the context of public sector employment has largely neglected civic virtue, the motive to contribute to society. This study considers civic virtue in addition to other possible motives, using a representative, longitudinal dataset of employees in Germany including 63,180 observations of 13,683 different individuals. We find that civic virtue relates positively to public sector employment beyond altruism, risk aversion, laziness and (low) financial motivation. The result holds within different branches and is explained by sorting into the sector.