Different, Yet the Same: Three Decades of Family Policy Change in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania

The article analyses over-time changes in family transfers in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania from 1990-2018 to seek evidence of similarity in the ethos of policy adaptation. Informed by recent scholarship signalling growing disparities in social entitlements along socio-economic lines in Hungary and Romania, the analysis assesses whether three decades of change in family transfers in three different policy contexts might exhibit the selective, pro-wealthy ethos of social policy transformation described. Using data from an original dataset drawing on exhaustive social legislation pertaining to family allowances, family tax breaks and paid parental leave-related transfers, the article shows that, for most of the last three decades, institutional dualisms in the protection of families with dependent children have grown. Policy drift undercuts the rights of the neediest and policy layering leads to programme expansion targeting dual-earner, high-income families especially. This trend has intensified over the last fifteen years and is most evident in paid leave schemes.

Family Unity and International Protection – EU Regulation and its Compatibility with the echr

The present article deals with the issue of family unity in the field of international protection, with a special focus on the European Union (EU) rules and their compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights (echr) standards. In particular, the scope of the article is limited to family transfers of seekers of international protection under the Dublin system and to family reunification procedures for refugees, and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. After examining the legal framework at EU and domestic level, the present study focuses on two rather controversial issues, from a human rights perspective: on one side, the regulation of the right to family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and, on the other side, the different treatment between pre- and post-flight families in the field of international protection. The article concludes that the current rules regarding these two issues are not compatible with Article 8 of the echr taken together with Article 14 of the echr, and with Article 8 of the echr taken alone. It suggests that while the EU and domestic legislature remains inactive in order to correct these inequalities, the non-discrimination clauses may become directly applicable.

Do expectations for post-retirement family and government support crowd out pre-retirement savings? Insights from the working-age population in Thailand

Based on nationally representative data (N = 8,901), this study investigates the extent to which expectations for intra-family transfers and government assistance in old age impact the probability of saving for retirement among working-age individuals in Thailand. Results show that expectations for financial non-self-reliance and expectations that family support would constitute the most important source of old-age financial security reduce the probability that working-age individuals would save for retirement. Expectations for government support have no impact on average. Given that filial piety is weakening in Thailand, this study suggests that the government encourage pre-retirement savings more strongly.

Understanding the Consequences of Migration for Asset Accumulation: A Multi-Site and Intergenerational Perspective

This article is the first to explore the consequences of migration for asset accumulation from a multi-site and intergenerational perspective that moves beyond the prevailing migrant versus “native” comparisons performed within single destination-country contexts. It specifically investigates the non-financial investments (i.e., house, land, and business-related asset holdings) made in the country of residence by three family generations of migrants with origins in Turkey: those who resided in Europe (i.e., settlers), those who moved to Turkey (i.e., returnees), and those who remained in the origin country (i.e., stayers). The data are drawn from the 2000 Families Survey, which involved personal interviews with 5,980 individuals nested within 1,770 families. The analysis shows that migration’s greatest economic beneficiaries are returnees, who display a significant tendency to accumulate the most assets across all generations and asset types. Across all three groups, intergenerational family transfers are found to make a positive difference to younger generations’ non-financial investments. The chances of reaping the benefits of such transfers, however, is shown to be particularly limited for the descendants of settlers, given this group’s propensity to accumulate the fewest (especially house and land type) non-financial assets in European destinations where they reside. Through these unique multi-site and intergenerational comparisons between migrants and stayers, this article sheds new light upon the little-explored relationship between international migration and asset accumulation, and the economic dis/benefits of migration.

FAMILY TRANSFERS, CORESIDENCY, ELDERLY LABOR SUPPLY AND WELFARE PERSPECTIVE: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

Baik negara maju maupun negara berkembang telah menghadapi fenomena yang sulit dihindari, yaitu populasi yang menua. Hal yang membedakan adalah negara maju memiliki strategi dan program yang lebih terstruktur dan matang untuk menghadapi fenomena ini daripada negara berkembang, termasuk Indonesia. Dengan tidak adanya bantuan formal yang memadai dan komprehensif dari pemerintah, orang lanjut usia bergantung pada dukungan antargenerasi dan pendapatan dari keikutsertaan mereka di pasar tenaga kerja. Makalah ini membahas hubungan antara dukungan antar generasi (transfer keluarga dan koresidensi) dengan pasokan tenaga kerja lanjut usia yang menerapkan metode kuantitatif. Dengan menggunakan data IFLS, penelitian ini menemukan bahwa transfer keuangan keluarga dan koresidensi mengurangi keputusan orang lanjut usia untuk bekerja pada masa pensiun. Selain itu, karakteristik anak-anak dan orang tua adalah faktor penting yang mempengaruhi transfer keuangan keluarga dan keputusan untuk tinggal bersama.

DO WELFARE RECEIPTS CROWD OUT PRIVATE TRANSFERS FROM FAMILIES AND FRIENDS? EVIDENCE FROM PANEL DATA IN CHINA

Many countries are undergoing an unprecedented challenge to provide financial support to the older generation and guarantee their livelihood and wellbeing. China is no exception. Rural older adults in China have been becoming even more vulnerable to lack of care and inadequate financial resources as the growth of urbanization and labor migration has intensified. Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow the traditional family support model for the aged. Using the panel data of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011, 2013, and 2015 and a system generalized methods of moment (GMM), this paper examined the dynamic relationship between welfare receipts and monetary transfers from families and friends among rural and urban older adults (n=9,496) in China. The results show that the welfare receipts do not induce any “crowd-out” or “crowd-in” effects on rural older adults’ private transfer receipts. The incidence and amount of private transfers that occurred among rural older adults are more likely to be determined by the private transfers they received in prior waves. The intensity of catastrophic health expenditure itself does not affect the occurrence and size of private transfers. This study, on the one hand, confirms that among rural recipients, public transfers do not substitute private transfers, which most of the policymakers have long been concerned about. However, on the other hand, it also reveals the shortcoming of current public transfer policies—the generosity of public transfers does not enable rural older adults to be financially independent of intra-family transfers.

Generic and family transfers, and numina dubia for orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae) in the Australasian, Oriental and Pacific regions

As part of a current revision of the Australasian and Pacific orb-weaving spider fauna (family Araneidae Clerck, 1757), a number new combinations are proposed in the generaAcroaspisKarsch, 1878 (3 species),CarepalxisL. Koch, 1872 (1 species),CyclosaMenge, 1866 (5 species), andNeosconaSimon, 1864 (7 species):Acroaspislancearia(Keyserling, 1887),comb. n.,A.mamillana(Keyserling, 1887),comb. n.,A.scutifer(Keyserling, 1886),comb. n.,Carepalxisfurcifera(Keyserling, 1886),comb. n.;Cyclosaanatipes(Keyserling, 1887),comb. n.;Cyclosaapoblepta(Rainbow, 1916),comb. n.;Cyclosaargentaria(Rainbow, 1916),comb. n.;Cyclosalichensis(Rainbow, 1916),comb. n.;Cyclosapoweri(Rainbow, 1916),comb. n.;Neosconadecolor(L. Koch, 1871),comb. n.;Neosconaenucleata(Karsch, 1879),comb. n.;Neosconaflavopunctata(L. Koch, 1871),comb. n.;Neosconafloriata(Hogg, 1914),comb. n.;Neosconagranti(Hogg, 1914),comb. n.;Neosconainusta(L. Koch, 1871),comb. n.; andNeosconanotanda(Rainbow, 1912),comb. n.The following two Australian species, currently placed inAraneus, are not Araneidae but comb-footed spiders (family Theridiidae Sundevall, 1833):Anelosimusdianiphus(Rainbow, 1916),comb. n.andTheridionxanthostichus(Rainbow, 1916),stat. and comb. n.The following six species are considerednumina dubiaas their type material is immature or otherwise unidentifiable (e.g. partly destroyed):AraneusacachmenusRainbow, 1916;AraneusagastusRainbow, 1916;AraneusexsertusRainbow, 1904;AraneussuavisRainbow, 1899;Carepalxiscoronata(Rainbow, 1896); andHeurodesturritusKeyserling, 1886.Heurodesfratellus(Chamberlin, 1924) is considered anomen dubiumandHeurodesporcula(Simon, 1877) is returned toEriovixiaArcher, 1951,Eriovixiaporcula(Simon, 1877).Type material of predominantly Australian species described by E. v. Keyserling (1 species), W. J. Rainbow (10 species), A. T. Urquhart (8 species), and C. A. Walckenaer (2 species) is here considered destroyed or otherwise lost. As it is impossible to identify these species from their original descriptions and considering the known spider fauna from their respective type localities, they are all considerednumina dubia:AnepsiacrinitaRainbow, 1893;Epeiradiabrosis(Walckenaer, 1841);EpeiradiversicolorRainbow, 1893;EpeirafictaRainbow, 1896;EpeirahamiltoniRainbow, 1893;Epeiralacrymosa(Walckenaer, 1841);EpeiraleaiRainbow, 1894;EpeiramortoniUrquhart, 1891;EpeiranotacephalaUrquhart, 1891;EpeiraobscurtaUrquhart, 1893;EpeiraphalerataUrquhart, 1893;EpeirapronubaRainbow, 1894;EpeirararaKeyserling, 1887;EpeirasingularaUrquhart, 1891;Epeirasub-flavidaUrquhart, 1893;EpeirasimilarisRainbow, 1896 (=AraneusurquhartiRoewer, 1942 replacement name);EpeiraventriosaUrquhart, 1891; andEpeiraviridulaUrquhart, 1891.