The Challenge of Social Economics: A Review Essay

This paper starts from the perspective that giving meaning to life is a key function of religion: through its narratives, rituals, creeds, and practices, religion clothes life in a meaningful frame. Interestingly, though, meaning of life has not yet appeared in studies on the relation between religion and economic behavior. As meaning of life may prove to be a crucial factor in understanding this relation, this paper seeks to develop a new approach to understanding the link between religion and economic behavior from the viewpoint of meaning of life.     

The Political Economy of Social Security in a Borrowing‐Constrained Economy

This paper introduces a three‐income class, overlapping‐generations model with borrowing constraints. The labor income tax for financing pay‐as‐you‐go social security is determined in a majoritarian voting game played by successive generations. When the interest‐rate elasticity of consumption is low, the political equilibrium might be characterized by an equilibrium where the old and the middle‐income young individuals form a coalition in favor of a higher tax rate and greater social security, while the low‐ and the high‐income young individuals favor a lower tax rate and less social security. In this equilibrium, the size of social security is decreased by the mean‐preserving reduction of a decisive voter's wage if he/she is borrowing‐constrained.     

发展中国家的社会医疗保险:一个持续的挑战

本文探讨了发展中国家推行社会医疗保险（简称SHI）的可行性。SHI的目的是为了保护所有人免遭疾病所致的财务风险。然而，由于在金融团结程度、医疗服务提供难题和管理能力欠缺等方面缺乏探讨与共识，因此SHI在执行时确有难度。实现医疗保险的全面覆盖可能需要花很长时间，但也可以加快进度。通过家庭解决金融保护问题，从政府和捐助者那里获得持续的金融支持，并使SHl分散地发展，就可以缩短实现医疗保险覆盖所有人所需的时间。     

Managing Credit Risk: A Challenge for the New Millennium

The importance of credit–risk management has never been more important with the current high default rates and bankruptcies; but, there was heightened interest even before the current scenario. Indeed, in 1999, at the end of the benign credit cycle, banks, regulators, and financial market practitioners were spending considerable time on this subject due to:
(1) Increased emphasis on sophisticated risk management techniques in a changing regulatory environment – mainly revisions to the so–called 'Basel Accord'
(2) Refinements in credit–scoring techniques
(3) Establishment of relatively large, relevant data bases on defaults, recoveries and credit migrations
(4) Treatment of bank loans as securities
(5) Development of 'offensive' credit–risk mitigation techniques such as securitizations, credit derivatives and credit insurance products
(6) Portfolio management techniques for credit assets.
(J.E.L.: G14, G21, G33).     

Reforming Social Security in a Transition Economy: The Case of Lithuania

This paper points out a number of problems associated with the existing pension system in Lithuania. Reforms are proposed, including (i) a substantial increase in the basic pension benefit rate, financed on a pay-as-you-go basis, provided universally, and regulated according to wage/price indexation; (ii) a significant cut in the tax contribution rate to the public pension system matched by a rise in the VAT; (iii) a rise in the retirement age to 65 for both men and women; and (iv) a gradual conversion to a private, funded, mandatory pension system to replace the earnings-related part of the current pension system.     

生态和谐社会:社会观的创新

文章从经济社会生态系统中人与自然、人与人的两大基本关系出发,提出了生态和谐社会概念;并认为生态和谐社会是一种高级的社会形态,是生态和谐与社会和谐二者的结合与统一。论文对生态和谐社会的基本特征概括为五生:即生态经济、生态生活、生态政治、生态社会和生态环境;并提出了评价生态和谐社会和谐度的五类12项指标;最后,对当前构建生态和谐社会的四项任务,即社会结构城镇化、经济结构工业化、农村生活城市化和生活环境生态化进行了讨论。     

社会保障制度风险：以新型农村养老保险为例

社会保障制度是一个复杂的系统,具有制度风险。新农保制度具有较为坚实的事实依据和价值基础,但制度仍处于起步阶段,具有保障无效风险、制度分割风险、城乡断裂风险、激励扭曲风险、动态失衡风险和政治刚性风险。为规避制度风险,新农保制度建设必须兼顾各种养老利益,渐进整合农村各类养老制度,逐步实现城乡统筹,不断明晰各方责任,调整激励机制与再分配机制。     

农村社保制度:中国城镇化的瓶颈

在实施城镇化战略的大背景下，城镇化理研究必须按照市场经济时要求，改变思维定势，重构城镇化理论基础，重点研究城镇化行为主体的行为和城镇化机制，深化对制约城镇化进程的社会保障制度、“三农问题”等深层问题的研究，力争实现理论和政策的创新与突破。     

论农村社会保障在社会主义新农村建设中的作用

党的十六届五中全会提出建设社会主义新农村是我国现代化进程中的重大历史任务。农村社会保障制度建设是建设社会主义新农村的内在要求,没有比较完善的农村社会保障制度就没有社会主义新农村。     

From Schütz to Goffman: The Search for Social Order

The revival of the ideas of Alfred Schütz among Austrian economists is examined. In particular, this paper looks at Schütz's work on intersubjectivity as an alternative approach to market coordination. As opposed to the rational maximization of individuals, some have argued that Schütz's concept of intersubjective structures of meaning offers a better model for understanding how individuals act in the social world. This paper questions the soundness of utilizing Schütz's approach and suggests that the work of the sociologist Erving Goffman offers a potential model of social interaction that encompasses many elements of Schütz's framework but does not share the same limitations. Drawing on selected works of Goffman, a tentative model of social interaction and decision-making is put forward for discussion and further research.     

西方社会保障制度改革与我国社会保障制度的重构

我国的社会保障制度还很不完善,社会保障水平严重落后于经济发展水平。我国应积极借鉴国外的经验与教训,加速建立全国统一的社会保障制度;逐步增加社会保障项目,完善社会保障的功能和体系;推进相关制度和政策的改革与调整;协调政府保障与家庭保障、社区保障、企业补充保险和商业保险。     

农民工的社会保障与城市融入分析

农民工城市融入问题已经成为当前学术界和各级政府关注的焦点。利用2010年湖北省流动人口动态监测数据,对农民工在城社会保障状况做了分析,并从微观经济学的视角,借助计量经济学工具,研究了社会保障状况对农民工城市融入的影响。参与医疗保险和失业保险对于农民工城市融入水平的提高有着显著的正向作用。签订无固定期限劳动合同对农民工的城市融入有积极影响。缴纳过住房公积金的农民工相比未缴纳者城市融入水平更高;居住在廉租房对农民工的城市融入起正向作用,而居住在免费房或租房则起着反向作用。     

The Indian Challenge: The Evolution of a Successful New Global Strategy in the Pharmaceutical Industry

UK and European public policy has sought to encourage young biotechnology firms adopt American-inspired strategies. The venture-backed start-up associated with Silicon Valley and Route 128 in Boston, has been the preferred model. These policies have had limited success thus far. Indian companies are evolving indigenous business models that are achieving success within the pharmaceutical industry. Some Indian pharmaceutical firms, established initially as low cost suppliers, are investing in building innovative capabilities. This paper analyses the strategies and trajectories of a number of Indian pharmaceutical companies that are expanding successfully in Western markets. It assesses the local and international contextual factors that have underpinned the strategies and discusses relevant conceptual frameworks.     

监督式民主：新媒体时代民主实践的新理念

本文检验了现存民主形态正在经历的历史性变革,尤其是新媒体所带来的社会环境变化对民主框架和机制的影响,从而为当代的代议民主提供一种全新的路径。结合新媒体时代中现行民主的转向,本文提出监督式民主的设想,认为该民主形态正将我们从过去以大会为基础的、代议的民主引向一种有着全然不同框架和机制的民主形式,这也是当代民主实践的重要特征。