Role Distribution in High-Resource Multi-Child Families

Researches note the family role transformation that is most distributed among the young, educated and wealthier groups of the population. However, multi-child families are unnoticed among these social groups. At the same time, educated multi-child families with a relatively high level of income (high-resource multi-child families) are of particular research interest, having distinctive features from families with fewer children and similar indicators due to the volume of intra-family load. Based on the analysis of the in-depth interviews conducted by the author, it is shown the coexistence of patriarchal and egalitarian practices in the distribution of family roles in high-resource multi-child families. The role associated with the material support of the family can be considered as a patriarchal one, whereas there is a prevalence of egalitarian values in the private sphere – men are actively involved in the sphere of household and affairs related to children. The level of workload and the amount of necessary resources requires the most effective use of intra-family resources (including attracting older children to participate in family affairs), as well as the involvement of external assistants, in particular the active use of social capital, which can be the closest relatives (usually grandmothers) or friends. At the same time, the key role of the “family manager”, who controls the private sphere of the family, belongs to women, who also serve as the main source of emotional investment in the family. The work notes not only the over-employment of fathers in the labor market and mothers in the private sphere, partially accompanied by employment in the economy, but also a high level of involvement of children in the educational process. It is concluded that it is the contribution of each family member, including older children, allows them to be high-resource families.

Teaching Journal: An Effective Tool for Reflective Practice in Teaching among English Language Teachers

Through teaching journals, teachers can actively conduct true and continuous record, description, reflection, and summary of experiences and teaching behaviors with reflection and research value in their own teaching activities in order to make progress in regard to their teaching skills and classroom presentations. This is an effective way and tool to improve English teachers’ reflective practice in teaching along with their own professional development as well as to promote the role transformation as reflective teachers. Given the widespread concern of the reflective practice in teaching along with the fact that teaching journals are effective in reflective teaching, this paper explores this topic and suggests several implications for teaching via documentation and a case analysis of three samples obtained from an actual teacher’s teaching journal.

Actor transformation in service: a process model for vulnerable consumers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a process model for the role transformation of vulnerable consumers through support services.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on four years of participant observation at a community-based support service and in-depth interviews with the consumers. Visual ethnography was used to document the process of the consumers' role transformation through service exchanges.FindingsThe main outcome of this study is a consumer transformation model, describing consumers' role transformation processes, from recipients to generic actors. The model demonstrates that vulnerable consumers will transform from recipients to quasi-actors before becoming generic actors.Social implicationsVulnerable consumers' participation in value cocreation can be promoted by providing social support according to their dynamic roles. By enabling consumers to participate in value cocreation, social support provision can become sustainable and inclusive, especially in rural areas affected by aging and depopulation. Transforming recipients into generic actors should be a critical aim of service provision in the global challenge of aging societies.Originality/valueBeyond identifying service factors, the research findings describe the mechanism of consumers' role transformation process as a service mechanics study. Furthermore, this study contributes to transformative service research by applying social exchange theory and broadening service-dominant logic by describing the process of consumer growth for individual and community well-being.

MARKETIZATION OF RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNIVERSITIES AND THE STARTUPS OF FEMALE SCHOLARS IN COASTAL CHINA

There are more and more researches on academic entrepreneurship in coastal China, but the research on female scholars’ entrepreneurship is very rare. At present, female scholars occupy one-third of the total number of scholars, so it is a profound and valuable question how to promote female scholars to take part in the marketization of research achievements and to start up business. From the perspective of human capital and social gender role theory, the paper makes the double-case research to find some problems in the process of transformation from female scholars to female entrepreneurs. For example, the influencing factors are more and complex, the entrepreneurial process is more difficult. The paper’s research conclusion can enrich the academic entrepreneurship theory and provide the important reference value for the role transformation of female scholars in the startups. At the same time, it can also help universities and governments to establish the relevant scientific and technological entrepreneurship policies.

The potential of transformative video design for improving caregiver’s wellbeing

The existing interventions for informal caregivers assist with managing health outcomes of the role burden. However, the deeper meaning-making needs of informal caregivers have been generally neglected. This paper reflects on the meaning-making needs of informal caregivers, through the theory of narrative identity, and proposes a new approach – the Transformative Video Design technique delivered via video storytelling. Transformative Video Design assists informal caregivers to re-create a cohesive caregiving story and incorporate it into the narrative identity. The technique is used as a stimulus for triggering the self-re-structure within the narrative identity and facilitating role transformation.