Retirement Provision among the Black and Minority Ethnic Group in the UK

Retirement provision is an important aspect of financial decision making that can influence the financial quality of life experienced by individuals in old age, regardless of their ethnic group. However, individuals belonging to the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) group are more financially vulnerable in retirement than other groups, such as the White British. Previous research indicates that labour market disadvantages, low socio-economic status, and the inadequate access to financial resources are contributing factors that limit their ability to save effectively for retirement. This thesis investigates these issues further by examining the economic position of the BME group and the socio-cultural factors that positively influence or inhibit their retirement provision. This investigation is essential as many of the first generation of BME migrants, some of whom have provided migrant labour to the British economy since the Second World War, are entering the retirement stage, and are at a risk of financial difficulty due to low pension income. Although there are variations in the migration pattern and age structure of the BME group, individuals within this group are less likely to have occupational and private pension coverage. The term ‘BME group’ is used throughout this thesis to refer to individuals from African, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds, since they represent the largest numbers of BME individuals in the UK. With increased individual responsibility for pension provision, this thesis explores the retirement phenomena of the BME group in three interrelated empirical chapters. The first empirical chapter uses secondary data to examine the labour market characteristics and income of the BME group at the aggregate level. With the access to retirement resources being significantly dependent on income and labour market position, these characteristics of the BME group are explored in relation to those of the White British group. The findings in this chapter substantiates much of the existing debate regarding the homogeneity of BME individuals based on their low level of income, under-representation in full-time employment and low levels of occupation. As a result, the ability of some BME individuals to save in the new workplace pension scheme may be compromised. The second empirical chapter uses secondary data to investigate further the socio-economic characteristics of the BME group at the dis-aggregated level. With limited research highlighting the relative importance of heterogeneity among BME sub-samples, the findings in the second chapter raises important implications in terms of the ability of some BME sub-samples to make provisions for their retirement given the significant levels of heterogeneity that exists in the socio-economic characteristics of the BME group. This indicates that stratified approaches to retirement provision may exist due to the possession of different levels of economic, social and cultural capital. The third empirical chapter utilises primary data to explore the retirement strategies of the five BME sub-samples at the dis-aggregated level. It provides an alternative perspective on the issues faced by the BME group and aids in further explanation of the findings in the two previous empirical chapters. The findings in the third chapter present new evidence in the form of various interrelated factors that inhibit the ability of BME individuals to make provisions for retirement. The findings presented throughout the thesis have generated a better understanding of the ways in which social structures and various forms of social, economic and cultural capital contribute to social stratification within the BME group, thus influencing their disposition towards certain retirement provision. The findings indicate that while some BME individuals have adequate retirement provisions, there are others who face financial difficulty in old age. By highlighting the socially constructed nature of ‘retirement provision’ and the economic, social and cultural factors inhibiting effective retirement provisions, from the perspective of the BME people, this thesis contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the characteristics and circumstances of BME individuals in the UK. Based on the findings presented, policy implementations may be developed to promote social inclusion, social equity and better retirement saving among this group

Gay Black man does not equal gay + Black + man: An Intersectional Analysis of Race and Sexual Orientation Stereotypes

Intersectionality theory suggests that group identities based on the intersection of different social categories are unique and cannot be understood by simply adding together the elements of each separate identity (Cole & Zucker, 2007). Across two studies, I apply an intersectional analysis to investigate how the interaction of sexual orientation and race affect perceptions of group similarity and stereotype content. The intersectionality hypothesis (H1) predicts that stereotypes for “race by sexual orientation” groups (e.g. gay Black men) will contain unique elements that are not the result of simply adding race stereotypes to sexual orientation stereotypes. With perceived similarity, intersectionality is evident in the statistical interaction between target race and sexual orientation. The prototypicality hypothesis (H2) suggests that “race by sexual orientation” groups will generate more unique attributes when they are non-prototypical with respect to race (Black) and sexual orientation (gay). The results partially supported both hypotheses. In Study 1, perceptions of similarity to the groups “Men” and “Black men” were qualified by a significant interaction between race and sexual orientation. In Study 2, all four “race by sexual orientation” groups produced unique attributes that were absent in the stereotype profiles of their constituent groups. Sexual orientation emerged as a more dominant factor than race for both perceptions of similarity and stereotype content. The results contribute to research and theory building by demonstrating that the intersection of ethnic and sexual orientation stereotypes is complex and produces meaningful differences in the perception of groups

Breaking New Grounds: A Case Study of a Prison Hospital Library

A review of the literature showed that there is no published information on prison medical librarianship. Utilizing the case study methodology, the writer of this paper, a solo librarian working in a prison hospital, presents and analyses the operations of the medical library, at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. The functions of budgeting and financing, marketing, collection development and resource access, as well as user education are examined. The study reveals peculiar challenges of working in this environment as is evident in the operation of the Library and Training Committee, the librarian's position as a contract employee, and the issues involved in meeting the needs of a tangential clientele--prison inmates. A strategic plan framework is presented as a means of addressing the shortcomings manifested in the current state of affairs. The framework presents a vision, identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that impact on this medical library, and lists goals and objectives towards the future development of this unique library

RAPID PUBLICATION Responses in Area V4 Depend on the Spatial Relationship Between Stimulus and Attention

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS I. We studied the spatial interaction between stimulus and attention in macaque area V4. Monkeys were required to fixate a small spot while continuously attending to a ring-shaped target within a large array of identical rings. Meanwhile, the response of the V4 cell under study was tested by flashing behaviorally irrelevant bar stimuli in the cell's classical receptive field (CRF). The location of the attended ring was varied across four positions surrounding the CRF, and the location of the bar stimulus was varied across five positions spanning the CRF. 2. Response strength depended on two aspects of the spatial relationship between the stimulus driving the cell (the bar) and the position of attention (the target ring). First, for 49% of the cells studied, responses were greater for bar stimuli near the attended ring; i.e., the receptive field profile shifted toward the attentional focus. Second, for 84% of the cells, the overall response level depended on the direction in which attention lay relative to the stimulus in the CRF (e.g., to the left, right, above, or below ) . 3. This study confirms a key prediction of spatial models of attention, which postulate enhanced processing of all stimuli near the attentional focus. It also introduces the novel finding that responses are influenced by the relative direction of attention. This result indicates that area V4 carries information about the spatial relationship between visual stimuli and attention

Online Programs and Geographic Proximity are Key Determinants of Information Professionals’ Interest in Pursuing Post-Master’s Education at the Doctoral Level. A Review of: Powell, Ronald R. and Susan E. Boling. “Post-Master’s Educational Needs of Information Professionals.” Journal of Access Services 3.4 (2005): 29-43.

Objective – To investigate post-master’s educational needs and interests of information professionals.Design – Survey research using print and electronic questionnaires.Setting – The geographic area surrounding Wayne State University in Michigan, United States of America.Subjects – Members of the library associations of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Southwestern Ontario, Canada.Methods – Systematic random samples were derived from the membership lists of the library associations in Ohio, Indiana, and Southwestern Ontario. Paper questionnaires were mailed to those selected. Michigan Library Association’s official policy barred the release of its membership list to researchers. Consequently, announcements of the survey were placed in three successive issues of the Association’s electronic newsletter. Interested members were directed to a website to complete an electronic version of the questionnaire. This option was also extended to members of the other three library associations. The overall research question was investigated through specific questions that sought to ascertain the overall level of interest in professional library and information studies (LIS) education, levels of interest in specific types of programs, factors that favoured or deterred enrolment in doctoral programs, as well as the fields of study that were preferred for combination with LIS in doctoral programs. With the exception of demographic type questions (e.g., place of residence and educational qualifications) and two questions that required open ended responses, the questionnaire design encompassed questions with Likert scale type responses. Analysis of the responses included descriptive statistics, the use of Pearson chi square to determine statistically significant relationships, and, to a lesser extent, content analysis.Main Results – A total of 270 questionnaires(33%) were returned from three populations: Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario. A self-selected sample of 101 members (6%) of the Michigan Library Association responded. In general, almost 80% of the respondents admitted some importance to adding to their LIS qualification. However, only 41% felt that this was important or extremely important. From a choice of six educational offerings, namely, continuing education activities, non-degree master’s coursework, a second master’s degree, post-master’s certification, doctoral programs, and other, continuing education activities was the most valued, by 65.5% of the respondents. Participants were asked about their reasons, and the importance of these, for considering or deciding to enrol in an LIS doctoral program. The yearning to acquire knowledge was reported by 69.7% as the major reason, followed by 45.8% of the respondents who cited the wish to increase their income potential. In terms of major factors, prestige received the lowest rating, 21.1%. The time involved (73.8%), cost(66.3%), and distance from the program (63.2%) were cited as the major deterrents to enrolling in doctoral programs. When asked about the likelihood of pursuing a doctoral LIS program in combination with business administration, computer science, or without any combination, “not likely” was the most popular choice. Those who were very likely or likely to pursue a joint program totalled approximately 30% of the respondents, while 37% indicated an interest in undertaking a doctorate in LIS only. The most frequent reasons proffered by those who selected “not likely” or “definitely not” for any of the three doctoral offerings included lack of interest, mitigating factors (e.g. time, cost, age, and program location), unfavourable cost/benefit analysis, preference for another area of knowledge,and the view that Ph.D.s were only useful for university faculty. Given the option to name subject areas that they desired to see combined with LIS in a doctoral program, 23 of 101 respondents proposed education, while 19 opted for public administration. A question inviting any other comments on the issue of post-master’s education yielded a predominant desire for “non traditional instruction,” particularly online courses as well as classes held in convenient locations. In terms of relationships between geographic location and factors that influenced interest in enrolling in a doctoral program, the desire “to become a more effective manager,” and “other” were statistically significant. The analysis also revealed a strong positive relationship between willingness to pursue an LIS-only doctoral program and the availability of such a program in geographic proximity. Similarly, there was a strong relationship between willingness to pursue an LIS program in close vicinity and the importance that was given to further LIS education.Conclusion – Online instruction and geographic proximity are key determinants of information professionals’ interest in pursuing post-master’s education at the doctoral level. Continuing education activities, non-degree coursework, and certificate programs are preferred over doctoral LIS programs, despite the finding that the major reason for enrolling in doctoral LIS programs is to fulfill the desire for knowledge acquisition. Schools offering Library and Information Science studies need to explore options for providing distance-education doctoral LIS programs as a means of reversing the current shortage of LIS faculty