Migration trends at older ages in England and Wales

Information on the behaviour and characteristics of our rapidly growing older population is of increasing importance to policy makers, who want to ensure a good quality of life for our elderly. This article uses data from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study (1971-2001) to illustrate trends in migration at older ages. It shows how the propensity to migrate differs by age, sex, marital status, living arrangements, economic resources and health in later life, amongst people aged 50 and over in England and Wales. Results show that moves at older ages are associated with changes in health and living arrangements, but also that these associations are inter-related with other factors such as age.     

Change in living arrangements following death of a partner in England and Wales, 1971 to 2001

Understanding trends and changes in the circumstances of couples separated by death is important for policy initiatives to reduce vulnerabilities associated with end of life care and for those who live on. This article uses widow(er)hood statistics and census data from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study. It examines changes in couples' living arrangements and households at four successive censuses from 1971 to 2001 and shows how these differ by age and gender on the death of a spouse or partner. Findings draw attention to the effects of ageing and mortality improvements as well as wider social and economic trends in family and household formation, residential independence in older age, and policy developments on long-term care provision for older people.     

Social inequalities in later life: the socio-economic position of older people from ethnic minority groups in Britain

There are now nearly a quarter of a million individuals aged 60 years or over belonging to ethnic minority groups living in Britain. As the ethnic minority groups in Britain continue to age, information regarding their circumstances in later life will be of increasing importance for the development of appropriate services and policy. This article uses data from the General Household Survey (1991-96) to investigate the household living arrangements, lifestyle, socio-economic status, economic resources and experience of multiple deprivation in later life amongst older people from ethnic minority groups in Britain. The findings indicate that there are significant differences both between and within ethnic minority groups in access to material and social resources, which need to be taken into account by policy makers and planners.     

Stability and change in fertility intentions in Britain, 1991-2007

The very low fertility experienced in several European countries in recent decades in the presence of higher intended family sizes has renewed interest in fertility intentions data. While the overall level of childbearing in Britain over the past few decades has remained relatively stable and high in comparison with many other European countries, we have seen sizeable increases in the age at which childbearing starts. This study uses data from the 1991 to 2007 General Household Surveys to examine trends in family intentions data in an attempt to arrive at a better understanding of these recent fertility developments. First, time trends in intended family size are compared with trends in observed fertility. Next, aggregate changes in intentions regarding the level and timing of fertility across the life course for cohorts are investigated together with the extent to which these aggregate intentions are matched by the subsequent childbearing of cohorts. Finally, both change across the life course and uncertainty in family intentions are examined. We conclude by discussing what these findings might tell us about contemporary reproductive decision making.     

The decline of intensive intergenerational care of older people in Great Britain, 1985-1995

There are increasing concerns about the future availability of informal care for older people, particularly care by their children. This article explores past trends in the provision of informal care by children/children-in-law to their older parents/parents-in-law between 1985 and 1995 in Great Britain, using successive General Household Survey data. The article suggests that, during this period, there was a decline in co-resident intergenerational care and that this was associated with a decline in highly intensive intergenerational care. The article explores possible factors underlying these trends, in particular, demographic changes and changes in patterns of formal care for older people.     

Measuring unmet need for social care amongst older people

Recent spending cuts in the area of adult social care raise policy concerns about the proportion of older people whose need for social care is not being met. Such concerns are emphasised in the context of population ageing and other demographic changes. For example, the increasing proportion of the population aged 75 and over places greater pressure on formal and informal systems of care and support provision, while changes in the living arrangements of older people may affect the supply of informal care within the household. This article explores the concept of 'unmet need' for support in relation to specific Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), using data on the receipt of support (informal, formal state or formal paid) from the General Household Survey, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the British Household Panel Survey. The results show that different kinds of need tend to be supported by particular sources of care, and that there is a significant level of 'unmet need' for certain activities.     

The ethnic minority populations of Great Britain--latest estimates

This article looks at the latest estimates of the ethnic minority populations living in private households in Great Britain. It also highlights differences between the various ethnic groups in relation to geographical distribution, sex and age structure, people living alone and people born in the UK.     

Coproduction in Practice: Participatory Action Research to Develop a Model of Community Aged Care

Coproduction has become synonymous with innovative approaches to public service delivery in European Union countries as well as in Australia. Coproduction has the potential to bring together individuals, communities, and organisations in a process to collaboratively develop new models and services which improve public services. Yet, Australian policy makers and practitioners who would like to deploy coproduction within the context of older adult social care can only draw on a handful of papers and reports that could guide implementation. This paper fills this gap by reporting on the implementation of a multi-stakeholder coproduction approach to the development of a consumer directed care model for older people with complex health issues. The paper describes and critically highlights methodological challenges encountered during the 12 month-long participatory action research phase of a larger project involving older people with complex care needs, their carers, and government and non-government stakeholders. The paper outlines key considerations regarding (1) the involvement of older people with complex needs, (2) collaboration with industry partners, (3) engagement of government representatives, and (4) reflects on implementing participatory research projects within a context of outsourcing and interlinked supply chains. While not all challenges encountered could be resolved, the coproduction approach was successful in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders with competing agendas in an iterative process geared to resolve a plethora of concerns raised by older people, carers and services providers. This paper provides an example for others seeking to use coproduction and participatory methods to provide person-centred care services for older people.     

UK national population projections in perspective: how successful compared to those in other European countries?

Compared to population forecasts of other European countries, those made in the United Kingdom during the past 30 years had somewhat larger forecast errors for fertility and smaller errors for mortality. Migration forecasts in the UK were about as accurate as the European average. After controlling for various effects such as relative data volatility both at the time a projection is made and during the period of the projection, there is no indication that recent forecasts in European countries have been more accurate than older ones. Hence population forecasts are intrinsically uncertain, and a forecast for the UK in the form of probability distributions is presented.     

Demographic data needs for an ageing population

A consequence of population ageing is an increased need for demographic information on the older population. This presents new challenges for data collection. This article analyses several key aspects of data collection on older people, including survey design and questions. It also critically examines the current range of UK and international sources for data on older people. Specifically, it addresses the under-representation of the following groups in some UK statistical sources: ) older people in institutions, 2) the oldest old and 3) older people from ethnic minorities.     

Civil partnerships five years on

The Civil Partnership Act 2004, which came into force in December 2005 allowing same-sex couples in the UK to register their relationship for the first time, celebrated its fifth anniversary in December 2010. This article examines civil partnership in England and Wales, five years on from its introduction. The characteristics of those forming civil partnerships between 2005 and 2010 including age, sex and previous marital/civil partnership status are examined. These are then compared with the characteristics of those marrying over the same period. Further comparisons are also made between civil partnership dissolutions and divorce. The article presents estimates of the number of people currently in civil partnerships and children of civil partners. Finally the article examines attitudes towards same-sex and civil partner couples both in the UK and in other countries across Europe.     

The dynamics of living arrangements in later life: evidence from the British Household Panel Survey

Living arrangements are a key dimension of quality of life and well-being in old age. Availability of family care, as well as social and economic support, is in part a function of whom you live with. In order to be able to forecast future changes in household composition, particularly in relation to planning and targeting particular community care services, information is needed on the probability of a person experiencing a change in their living arrangements, and the life course events that may act as triggers for such changes. This article uses data from the British Household Panel Survey (1991-99) to analyse the dynamics of living arrangements in later life.     

金融一体化与全要素生产率:机制及经验证据

众多文献对金融一体化的经济增长效应进行了分析,但鲜有文献研究金融一体化通过何种中间渠道对经济增长产生作用.拓展的纳尔逊-菲尔普斯(Nelson-Phelps)模型研究显示,金融一体化的技术外溢效应依赖于特定国家的发展水平.基于1975-2010年80国面板数据模型的实证结果表明,金融一体化对全要素生产率的影响随不同类型国家而表现不一.具体表现为金融一体化对发达国家的全要素生产率具有不确定性,而对于新兴和发展中国家有显著的促进作用,且主要通过FDI和债务资本来实现.上述结论对于不同国家的金融一体化政策安排具有重要的政策内涵.     

The UK population: how does it compare?

This is the fourth demographic report for the UK, providing an overview of the latest statistics on the population. This year's article compares the UK with other European countries and a range of nations from around the world. Statistical comparisons are made for fertility, mortality, ageing, migration and population density. The UK has an ageing population, but one that is not ageing as rapidly as some other countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan. Although life expectation in the UK is improving in line with most western European countries, relatively high levels of fertility ensure that the proportion of the population that is young remains high. Around one in ten residents of the UK are foreign born, a lower proportion than many developed countries. UK population density has increased steadily and is the fourth highest in the EU.     

Changes in family structure in early childhood in the Millennium Cohort Study

This article develops a typology of family change over the first five years of children's lives using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. It examines the changes over time of parental living arrangements and describes a range of social, economic and well-being indicators. It shows that nearly three quarters of this sample of young children have not experienced changes in family structures. The most advantaged group appears to be children living with continuously married parents, followed by those who live with cohabiting parents who marry. Children who experienced changes in family structure are a diverse group. Coupled parents who separate suffer the largest drop in income over five years. Lone parents who partner gain the most income. However, their incomes are still much lower than continuously partnered parents. This article suggests that using static or overly simplified measures of family structure hides important variations in the experiences of children.     

The changing demography of mid-life, from the 1980s to the 2000s

This article examines changes between 1984 and 2007 in the demographic and socio-economic circumstances of British men and women in mid-life. Changing living arrangements in mid-life reflect historical changes in the occurrence and timing of life events such as marriage and parenthood, as well as increased longevity. In order to place mid-life in this wider demographic context, the article first reviews changes over time in kin availability across the adult life course using the British Household Panel Survey (2001) and Understanding Society (2009). The article goes on to use data from the General Household Survey (1984-2007) to document shifts over time in living arrangements for those aged 20- 79. In the final part of the article we focus specifically on those aged between 45 and 64 and examine how their characteristics in terms of marital status, educational attainment, activity status and housing tenure have changed over the past quarter century.     

系统科学视野里的国家兴衰——以欧盟与中东为例

霍布斯、社会达尔文主义者和温特等社会科学家在进行社会和政治研究时借鉴了自然科学的一些概念、思维方法和研究方法,将社会领域的国家和组织的兴盛与自然界的生命有机体从存在到消亡的特质进行类比,试图解释国家和组织所具有的类似生命的属性,即国家的兴盛在于其发展动力的强大,而国家的衰落则在于其发展动力的欠缺,其兴衰具有周期性。欧盟的兴盛与中东的衰落在当今时代形成了强烈的对比,但这只是欧洲与中东两个行为体交替兴盛的一个缩影而已。     

The Influence of Employees’ Ethical Behavior on Enterprises’ Social Responsibility

The enterprises’ social responsibility (CSR) importantly depends upon behavior and its important factors like values, culture, ethics and norms. This article investigates how employees’ ethical behavior defines CSR. Article includes a comprehensive literature review, and empirical results of survey about employees’ perception of ethical behavior and relations between employees’ ethical attitudes and CSR. Sample consists of more than 900 employees in Slovenian enterprises, collected in last decade. Trends about employee’s perceptions of ethical, economic, environmental, and social attitudes, show increasing importance of ethical and environmental attitudes, and decreasing importance of striving for economic performance. Social attitudes remain unchanged over the entire decade. Employees’ ethical perceptions positively and significantly impact their attitudes toward social and environmental concerns. Their impact on attitudes toward giving priority to economic results is negative and significant. The considered relations were controlled by demographic variables mediating the relationship only for economic concern. Results of trends and relations confirm the significant influence of employees’ ethical behavior on CSR. The developed solution enables improvement of CSR considering importance of influences of employees’ ethical attitudes on aspects of CSR. The proposed solution reduces unexplained part of CSR related to ethical behavior and develops requisitely holistic methodological framework for future consideration of other behavior factors in enterprise.