Employment and earning differences in the early career of ethnic minority British graduates: the importance of university career, parental background and area characteristics

Ethnic minorities in the U.K. are more likely than the white majority to gain university qualifications, but experience worse labour market outcomes on average. This paper compares employment and earnings of British graduates from ethnic minorities to those of white British graduates to analyse whether ethnic labour market differences exist among the highly qualified, and whether they can be explained by differences in parental background, local area characteristics or differences in university careers. These factors account for a substantial part of persistent ethnic differences in earnings, but explain very little of the differences in employment. Compared to the literature estimating ethnic labour market inequalities on people with any level of qualification, we find smaller ethnic differences in employment and almost no differences in earnings among graduates entering the labour market. The results are robust to various changes in model specification

Together forever? Explaining exclusivity in party-firm relations

Parties and firms are the key actors of representative democracy and capitalism respectively and the dynamic of attachment between them is a central feature of any political economy. This is the first article to systematically analyse the exclusivity of party-firm relations. We consider exclusivity at a point in time and exclusivity over time. Does a firm have a relationship with only one party at a given point in time, or is it close to more than one party? Does a firm maintain a relationship with only one party over time, or does it switch between parties? Most important, how do patterns of exclusivity impact on a firm’s ability to lobby successfully? We propose a general theory, which explains patterns of party-firm relations by reference to the division of institutions and the type of party competition in a political system. A preliminary test of our theory with Polish survey data confirms our predictions, establishing a promising hypothesis for future research

Transnational partisanship: idea and practice

That parties might successfully organize transnationally is an idea often met with scepticism. This article argues that while certain favourable conditions are indeed absent in the transnational domain, this implies not that partisanship is impossible but that it is likely to be marked by certain traits. Specifically, it will tend to be episodic, structured as a low-density network and delocalized in its ideational content. These tendencies affect the normative expectations one can attach to it. Transnational partisanship should be valued as a transitional phenomenon, e.g. as a pathway to transnational democracy, more than as a desirable thing in itself

The management of children and family social workers in England: reflecting upon the meaning and provision of support

Published by Sage in Journal of Social Work, September 2015 - DOI: 10.1177/1468017315607092In England in 2010, the then Children’s Workforce Development Council introduced an initiative which aimed to support front line social work managers in the performance of their role. This article reflects on the way in which support was interpreted and implemented by the Children’s Workforce Development Council and the local authorities that participated in the project, but also the relevance of the project for the social work profession in England at the time

How does community context influence coalitions in the formation stage? a multiple case study based on the Community Coalition Action Theory

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Community coalitions are rooted in complex and dynamic community systems. Despite recognition that environmental factors affect coalition behavior, few studies have examined how community context impacts coalition formation. Using the Community Coalition Action theory as an organizing framework, the current study employs multiple case study methodology to examine how five domains of community context affect coalitions in the formation stage of coalition development. Domains are history of collaboration, geography, community demographics and economic conditions, community politics and history, and community norms and values.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were from 8 sites that participated in an evaluation of a healthy cities and communities initiative in California. Twenty-three focus groups were conducted with coalition members, and 76 semi-structured interviews were conducted with local coordinators and coalition leaders. Cross-site analyses were conducted to identify the ways contextual domains influenced selection of the lead agency, coalition membership, staffing and leadership, and coalition processes and structures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>History of collaboration influenced all four coalition factors examined, from lead agency selection to coalition structure. Geography influenced coalition formation largely through membership and staffing, whereas the demographic and economic makeup of the community had an impact on coalition membership, staffing, and infrastructure for coalition processes. The influence of community politics, history, norms and values was most noticeable on coalition membership.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Findings contribute to an ecologic and theory-based understanding of the range of ways community context influences coalitions in their formative stage.</p

The role of day care for teenage mothers in a public school

Society stresses that teenage mothers should be helped to finish their high school education. However, their schooling can become a reality only if accompanied by child care.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44266/1/10566_2005_Article_BF01132194.pd

Aftercare service development for children in residential treatment

Increasingly, aftercare services for children returning home from residential treatment are recognized as vital to maintain a child's gains. However, to date, specific knowledge about effective aftercare services, as well as the actual delivery of such services continue to require development. This paper describes an empirically-based, concrete aftercare program that addresses these concerns.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44267/1/10566_2005_Article_BF01184759.pd