Western Parenting:A Personal Perspective

Bonding： Western fathers are keen to take an equal role in parenting. They recognise their responsibility as a new dad, and are committed early to sharing every family task with the mother. It is commo...     

Profits,Layoffs, and Priorities

This study examines the deliberations of professional MBA students when presented with a dilemma that weighs the difference between commitments to profit- maximization against concerns for fired workers who would need to seek a new job during a recession. Using content analysis, accounting, economic, and ethically based rationales that differ from the profit-maximizing recommendation are categorized. Results also show that those who make non-profit-maximizing recommendations consider, but ultimately reject the profit-maximizing approach to layoffs.     

Empirical analysis of media versus environmental impacts on park attendance

This study examined whether park attendance was affected by red tide events. The analysis found that the presence of red tide, objectively measured with four models including nearby cell counts, did not affect park attendance. However, the appearance of the search phrase “red tide” in local newspapers revealed significant reductions in average daily park attendance of 398 (21 percent) visitors, representing revenue losses of $16,955. An effective red tide impact mitigation strategy may be to educate members of the press regarding the public response resulting from red tide coverage.     

Are medium‐scale farms driving agricultural transformation in sub‐Saharan Africa?

This study presents evidence of profound farm‐level transformation in parts of sub‐Saharan Africa, identifies major sources of dynamism in the sector, and proposes an updated typology of farms that reflects the evolving nature of African agriculture. Repeat waves of national survey data are used to examine changes in crop production and marketed output by farm size. Between the first and most recent surveys (generally covering 6 to 10 years), the share of national marketed crop output value accounted for by medium‐scale farms rose in Zambia from 23% to 42%, in Tanzania from 17% to 36%, and in Nigeria from 7% to 18%. The share of land under medium‐scale farms is not rising in densely populated countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, where land scarcity is impeding the pace of medium‐scale farm acquisitions. Medium‐scale farmers are a diverse group, reflecting distinct entry pathways into agriculture, encouraged by the rapid development of land rental, purchase, and long‐term lease markets. The rise of medium‐scale farms is affecting the region in diverse ways that are difficult to generalize. Findings indicate that these farms can be a dynamic driver of agricultural transformation but this does not reduce the importance of maintaining a clear commitment to supporting smallholder farms. Strengthening land tenure security of local rural people to maintain land rights and support productivity investments by smallholder households remains crucial.     

Reviews

Basic economics. Mackintosh, M., Brown, V., Costello, N., Dawson, G., Thompson, G. and Trigg, A. 1996: ECONOMICS AND CHANGING ECONOMIES. Open University and International Thomson Business Press, £19.99 paper.

Tinkering with equality. Rees, T. 1995: WOMEN AND THE EC TRAINING PROGRAMMES: TINKERING, TAILORING AND TRANSFORMATION. Bristol: SAUS publications, £11.50 paper.

Construction and employment. McGregor, A., Fitzpatrick, I., McConachie, M. and Thorn, G. 1995: BUILDING FUTURES: CAN LOCAL EMPLOYMENT BE CREATED FROM HOUSING EXPENDITURE? Bristol: SAUS Publications, £9.95 paper.

Harrison, M. and Davies, J. 1995: CONSTRUCTING EQUALITY: HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS AND MINORITY ETHNIC CONTRACTORS. Bristol: SAUS Publications, £9.95 paper.

Globalisation and Local Economic Development. Killick, T. (ed) 1995: THE FLEXIBLE ECONOMY: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE ADAPTABILITY OF NATIONAL ECONOMIES. London: Routledge/ODI, £16.99 paper.

Michie, J. and Grieve Smith, J. (eds) 1995: MANAGING THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. Oxford: Oxford University Press, £14.95 paper.

City marketing. Neill, W. V., Fitzsimons, D. S. and Murtagh, B. 1995: REIMAGING THE PARIAH CITY: URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN BELFAST AND DETROIT. Aldershot: Avebury, £35.00 cased.

Flexible working. New Ways to Work, 1995: BALANCED LIVES: CHANGING WORK PATTERNS FOR MEN. London: New Ways to Work, £9.95 paper.

Cyberspace utopia? Graham, S. and Marvin, S. 1996: TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE CITY: ELECTRONIC SPACES, URBAN PLACES. London: Routledge, £15.99 paper.     

Ethnic identity,socialization factors,and culture‐specific consumption behavior

This study is designed to discover the degree to which ethnic identity and socialization factors influence the culture‐specific consumption behaviors of Asian American young adults, in general as well as in specific situational settings. Findings indicated that perceived parental cultural identification tended to strengthen the ethnic identity, which in turn influenced Asian American young adults' culture‐specific consumption behaviors. However, although their perceived parental acculturation level had no effect on their ethnic identity, it directly weakened the subject group's culture‐specific consumption behaviors. The ethnic‐friendship orientation was found not only to influence ethnic identity but also to influence directly the group's culture‐specific consumption behavior. Further analysis revealed that a situational factor (i.e., the presence or absence of ethnic friends) influenced culture‐specific consumption behavior, regardless of the strength of ethnic identity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.