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The aim of these issue of 'International Review of Sociology' is to present some reflections, which, starting from the analysis of several mediterranean countries, highlight the overall employment context of graduates in Sociology, characterised by widespread underemployment (or over-education) and difficulties in accessing the labour market. In particular, the papers highlight the need for a greater connection between academic sociology and professionals and the university's responsibility to establish adequate training paths and provide both specific and transversal skills, which are fundamental in the work of the sociology professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since social work education was reintroduced in Chinese universities in the 1980s, there are 303 bachelor of social work programs and 62 master of social work programs. Yet, the development of social work positions has lagged behind. This study aimed to study the current development of social work employment opportunities in Mainland China through an empirical lens. Data on social work positions were collected from three employment websites over a 30-day period. Data on 248 social work job postings were analyzed using content analysis and ArcGIS spatial distribution analysis. We identified three problems in the current development of social work profession in China: inconsistency between government policy, social work education, and available jobs; geographic disparities of the distribution of social work jobs; and mismatch between social work education and social work employment opportunities. We provided implications to address each problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a talk given at the conference to celebrate the Work of Hanna Segal and attempts to summarise her contribution to psychoanalysis. I suggest that in addition to being the important presenter of the work of Melanie Klein, she made major contributions to our understanding of many analytic ideas, for example, symbol formation, the usefulness of the concept of the death instinct and the relation between phantasy and reality. She was a pioneer in the analytic treatment of psychosis and sh wrote important papers on literature and aesthetics. She was a great teacher and emphasised the central role played by the analytic setting in representing the attitude of the analyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Majority World working children's voices have attained some prominence in debates over their well-being. Many have defended their right to work, challenging Minority World understandings of children's ‘best’ interests. Yet employers' voices remain sidelined, raising questions over the extent to which the discursive and material spaces of children's work have been decolonised. A postcolonial perspective on children's work challenges suggestions that Majority World adults (and societies) need western guidance on how childrenoughtto be raised. It also creates opportunities to look beyond western discourses of economic exploitation, to the potential for more-than-economic relationships between working children and their employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the relationship between trade unions and learning in the workplace, particularly in relation to the enhancement of worker employability profiles. With the restructuring and modernising of the European steel industry as its context, this paper argues that the organisational and structural features of a sector have a profound influence on the way workplace learning is organised. Equally, trade union organisation and approaches also shape the learning agenda. In the steel industry, trade unions have failed to address the significance of workplace learning, partly because of the ways that they approach this topic. In the context of traditional sectors, with relatively vulnerable workforces, the weakened state of union bargaining positions means that they have limited capacity to address workforce employability or workplace participation. The outcome is that trade union involvement in skill formation and workplace learning is marginal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on promising progressive proposals related to decent work and public investment in the U.S. It cites that creating new vision of the economy will help reduce the inequality connected with the national wealth. The National Jobs for All Coalition (NJFAC) is suggesting major program called the "Drive for Decent Work" which focused on economic inequality. In addition, the offering aims to vision and inspire moral imperative in a more generous principle and help overcome the ideology of selfishness.

The article relates a study which examines how the labor market's transformation affected men and women differently, in terms of standard of living, and well-being, in Russia. The study reveals that large number of the working population, both men and women, exploits physical resources by engaging in multiple employment, working long hours, and engaging in heavy physical labor. The author notes that people employed in heavy physical jobs reinforce the negative effect of heavy physical labor by having negative feelings about their low status and that poverty is the strongest factor having an adverse impact on emotional health.

The article relates the results of a survey conducted in 2005 by the Levada Center in Russia, which is based on the International Program of Comparative Research, on Russian population's assessments and opinions concerning different aspects of their work activity. The focus of the study was on people's attitudes toward work, toward a specific job, and toward the organization they work for. The results of the survey show that for a significant portion of the respondents, self-employment and entrepreneurship have become increasingly attractive. Results also indicate the amount of pay has less influence on a person's affiliation with an enterprise than does the set of social benefits that the worker receives.

Recent research has suggested that patterns of economic activity among UK Pakistani and Bangladeshi women may be changing. It is argued that a younger, UK-educated generation of women is both better equipped to compete in the labour market than older migrants and more likely to subscribe to gender roles that view employment outside the home as a legitimate option. Thus far, small sample sizes have restricted investigation into the relationships between life-stage variables and economic activity among qualified Bangladeshi and Pakistani women. Furthermore, these two groups have often been combined in quantitative analyses, thereby precluding any examination of differences. Analyses of data from the UK Family Resources Survey reveal that economic activity was persistently low between 1996/7 and 2001/2 for both Pakistani and Bangladeshi women as a whole, and particularly low among Bangladeshis. Though economic activity was far more common among well-qualified Bangladeshi and Pakistani women than among those without qualifications, marriage and presence of young children continue to be important predictors of economic inactivity. There is evidence that the 'domestic role' may be a preferred option for many of these women. Nevertheless, it should be recognised that such 'preferences' are constructed within particular socio-economic contexts. I suggest that, although gender roles are fluid and negotiable, they are unlikely to be challenged unless female labour force participation presents good prospects in terms of economic returns and social status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juggling work and care presents particular challenges to carers and employers. Employers are increasingly under pressure, both from within organizations and from recent government legislation and policy, to develop family-friendly policies to support informal carers in the workplace. Yet existing 'family-friendly' schemes and services are still primarily designed for working parents of young children and rarely address the needs of employees who care for older or disabled adults. This paper reports on a study which investigated how working carers and managers in two public sector organizations - a Social Services Department (SSD) and a National Health Service (NHS) Trust - combined their work and caring responsibilities. A multi-method approach was adopted consisting of five phases. First, a profile of the two organizations was established, followed by a short screening questionnaire to all employees to identify who was caring for an older adult over the age of 60. Third, a lengthier postal survey was sent to the 365 carers who had indicated a willingness to participate further. In the fourth and fifth phases, carers and managers were interviewed in depth about their experiences. This paper reports briefly on the survey, but then concentrates in particular on what was said in the interviews about what helps and hinders working carers of older adults. Despite the existence of policies to support carers, our findings suggest that these were far less important than informal support from colleagues and a sympathetic manager in the workplace. Commuting distance between work, home and the older person also posed difficulties for carers, along with inflexible schedules and work overload. Employers are urged to explore these issues further if they are serious about recruiting and retaining employees, and developing the work - life balance agenda to meet the needs of those caring for older and disabled adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]