New briefs are available to subscribers to Social Technologies' Global Lifestyles project:
China and Recession
Three Scenarios to 2015
When the global recession began in 2008, China was better prepared than most other economies. Still, all sectors of Chinese society have felt the impacts of the downturn. Ultimately the recession's impacts on China will depend on the length and severity of the downturn: in a moderate or severe global recession, Chinese consumers will see hardship but little permanent harm, while a global depression would likely push China itself into recession and trigger serious societal instability.
Country Profile -- Switzerland
Demography, Business Conditions, and Consumer Life
A rich World 1 country, Switzerland is home to some of the world's wealthiest consumers. It is demographically stable but has a high and rising median age, and its mature economy is growing only slowly. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.
Crowdsourced Government
Three Tools for Open-Source Government
World 1 governments are experimenting with crowdsourcing to elicit direct input from citizens, while citizens are using crowdsourcing tools to boost their civic engagement and better influence governance. This brief discusses three knowledge tools--wikis and participatory mapping, idea percolators, and data mashups and linked data--and how they could enable citizens to interact more directly with governments.
American Generations -- Baby Boomers
Factors Shaping Boomers' Lives and Choices
America's baby boomers have lived through great change in their lives, often redefining lifestages as they have passed through them. Boomers will keep innovating as they enter their "third age" at a time that will likely include an eclectic mix of work, leisure, education, and semi-retirement. This brief presents 16 factors that will shape boomers' lives and choices in the coming decade. It is part of a series on the future of four US generations.
Images: Chinese -- ernop (Flickr); woman -- jo-h (Flickr)
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