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This document contains abstracts of papers presented at an academic conference. The papers cover a wide range of topics related to economics, history, and social development. Each paper presents empirical evidence and analysis to shed light on specific phenomena or historical events. The research is conducted using different methodologies and data sources, providing valuable insights into these complex subjects. The summaries provide a brief overview of each paper's main findings and contribute to the understanding of various social and economic phenomena. [Extracted from the article]

This article is an editorial note from the journal Investigación Económica, paying tribute to Tony Thirlwall's contributions to economic science. Thirlwall's balance-of-payments-constrained growth model, known as Thirlwall's law, gained him worldwide recognition among economists seeking an alternative explanation for the dynamics of a modern capitalist economy. His model suggests that the long-run growth rate of an open economy is determined by the ratio of the growth rate of exports to the income elasticity of the economy's demand for imports. Thirlwall's work challenged conventional wisdom and emphasized the role of aggregate demand in output growth and employment. The article also highlights Thirlwall's other contributions, including his analysis of the relationship between inflation and growth, his endogenous growth theory, and his critique of trade and financial liberalization. Thirlwall's approach to economics is rooted in ethics and concern for the welfare of poor people in poor countries. The article concludes by praising Thirlwall's commitment to truth, critical thinking, and personal integrity, and encourages readers to reflect on virtue and meaningful dialogue in a world filled with distractions and noise. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Lecturas de Economia is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Ciencias Economicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many countries renounced or waived reparations payments from Japan, including the Soviet Union, China, and Ceylon. Other Black reparations claims There are other cases of reparations for slavery involving the United Kingdom, Africa, Haiti, the Commonwealth Caribbean area, and the CARICOM Reparations Commission, a group of 15 Caribbean countries. Section 4 extends the debate by addressing earlier examples of reparations programmes, including war reparations, German payments for Holocaust victims, and a number of other cases. Darity (2021) clarifies this.[3] Darity and Mullen's proposal to use a measure of the racial wealth gap has been accepted by many advocates for reparations, most notably in the previous, and powerful, case for reparations provided by Coates (2014). [Extracted from the article]

The article offers a acceptance speech from Utsa Patnaik, Professor Emeritus at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has done seminal work on economic history, colonialism and imperialism, political economy of development, the agrarian question, poverty hunger and families; discusses about the formative experiences that led her to Marxist political economy who were seeing extreme inequality and deprivation around me when growing up in different parts of India.

Financial inclusion through microfinance is found to promote resilience strategies of the poor as it has become more demand sensitive. Extant literature suggests that there have been perceptible changes in the living conditions of the rural poor mainly on the economic side and relatively on the social side owing to the role of self-help groups (SHGs). Further, it is widely believed that SHGs have had a positive impact on the poverty levels and standards of living of the poor and more particularly on the economic empowerment of women. Given this context, this study reviews the financial diaries of the poor and provides evidence of the impact of financial inclusion program on the poor beneficiary households in India. More specifically, this study answers the specific question: what is the impact of SHGs on the annual income of the participating poor households. Based on stratified random sampling this study uses the nearest-neighbor matching method to construct the control groups to estimate the program impact. Keeping in view the stabilization of the financial inclusion program, this study covers the financial inclusion beneficiaries in the Shimoga district of Karnataka state in India for the period 2010 - 2015. Using the Paired-Sample t-test and the difference-in-difference approach, the study notices a significant positive change in the income levels of the beneficiaries resulting in the resilience of the poor households. This study notices perceptible changes in the living conditions of the rural poor mainly on the economic side and relatively on the social side owing to the role of SHGs. Financial inclusion has a positive impact on the poverty levels and standards of living of the poor and more particularly on the economic empowerment of women. This approach has enhanced the resilience of the poor households as there has been an increase in the mean annual income to the extent of 72% from the pre-SHG situation to the after-SHG impact. The results suggest that the financial inclusion is more beneficial in strengthening the resilience of the poor households particularly that of the downtrodden classes in India. Further, these findings provide direction for policymakers and practitioners involved in building and measuring changes in household resilience. This study implies that effective implementation of financial inclusion program has greater benefits and a win-win situation for all the stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to analyse the informal borrowing sources of the poor as well as the purposes for borrowing. The obsession on characterising the poor as financially excluded fails to grasp their active financial lives. This article emphasises how relations of credit/debt are rooted in complex social and cultural forces. It is precisely because of the social embeddedness of credit that family finance, though interest-free, is not a first resort. Similarly, credit in kind from shopkeepers, though critical to consumption smoothing, is detested by some people. Also, it is argued that the involvement of the traditional leader in repayment enforcement in informal financial groups challenges the economistic narrative that attempts to separate credit from cultural norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historians of early modern England are aware that the legal testimony of poor, dependent, and subordinated individuals was regarded with suspicion. Contemporaries believed that labouring people would provide false evidence in return for 'gifts' or 'rewards'. To what extent did such assumptions accurately reflect the processes whereby such witnesses came to depose for their 'betters'? This article uses sixteenth‐ and early seventeenth‐century perjury and subornation suits from the court of Star Chamber to reconstruct labouring people's experiences and understandings of the politics of testimony. In explicating the structural and material factors that could militate against their deposing, override their reservations about doing so, and colour the contents of the depositions they gave, it makes two broader contributions to our understanding of the period. On the one hand, it presents a markedly more pessimistic account of the social relations involved in the increase in litigation. On the other, it reappraises a category of source—depositions—that historians have long regarded as providing singularly privileged access to the expressions of social groups that left little trace in the historical record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine whether the poor have gotten poorer in Jordan. The author employs statistical approach to provide critical comparisons, over time, of the proportions of the poor, using the raw data of four national Household Expenditure and Income Surveys (HEIS) involving 47,622 households. Methodology of measuring food poverty follows that of the World Bank. Testing results show that there is a strong evidence that the poor have not gotten poorer except in few and small governorates, suggesting that the proportion of the poor who have gotten poorer remained below 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Cash transfers increase farm production by 33.5 percent. • None of these impacts are channelled through transfer-induced changes in farm labour. • In fact, cash transfers have no significant impact on family labour supply or on demand for hired labour. • This implies that the productive impacts of cash transfers flow through other channels, different from the labour one. Abstract This paper has the double aim to study whether unconditional cash transfers have an impact on farm production and to look into the causal mechanisms through which government transfers produce productive impacts. We use mediation analysis to identify the total effect of transfers on farm production and to isolate the influence of the labour channel from other transmission channels. In particular, we analyze whether changes in farm production are caused by transfer-induced changes in the use of farm labour – either by reallocating family labour between off- and on-farm work or by changes in the demand for hired labour – or if other transmission channels are at work. We find that cash transfers have a sizable impact on farm production but they do not lead to increased use of family or hired labour on the farm, which implies that the productive impacts of cash transfers flow through other channels, different from the labour one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After two decades of the pursuit of consumer rights through regulation, a new agenda of consumer concerns is taking shape. This new agenda recognizes that the contemporary consumer is both rich and poor at the same time, and is confronted with new and complex problems involving both scarcity and abundance. The mutual interest of business and government--as well as consumer groups--in identifying and responding to consumer concerns should provide a basis for increasing use of participative and conciliatory, rather than adversary, policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is embarrassing to admit that I first heard about the genius of Australian economic historian Colin Clark from an Englishman, Sir Tony Atkinson. Atkinson liked Australia, but it was just one of many nations that benefited from his ability to ferret out income data, combine it with carefully developed theories, and put it into the public domain in eminently readable prose. Among these is Australia, for which Atkinson crisply notes: 'Over the past thirty years, there has been a rise in the inequality of equivalised disposable household income as measured by the Gini coefficient. [Extracted from the article]

Summary It is well known that consumption patterns change with income. Relative price changes would therefore affect rich and poor consumers differently. Yet, the standard price indices are not income-specific, and hence, they cannot account for such differences. In this paper, we study consumption inequality in India, while fully allowing for non-homotheticity. We show that the relative price changes during most of the period from 1993 to 2012 were pro-poor, in the sense that they favored the poor relative to the rich. As a result, we also find that conventional measures significantly overstate the rise in real consumption inequality during this period. The main lesson from our study is the importance of accounting for non-homotheticity when measuring inequality. The price index literature has, as of yet, paid relatively little attention to this. In our application, however, it turns out that the allowance for non-homotheticity is quantitatively much more important than much discussed adjustments, such as those for substitution in consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary This paper addresses one of the major challenges in rural livelihood analysis to quantitatively examine the dynamics of household livelihood strategies. It investigates the interactions between livelihood assets, activities, and outcomes, and captures the dynamics of long-term changes and their underlying factors. The study aims to identify the classification of rural livelihood strategies, their transitions and factors influencing these processes and changes. We employ the dynamic livelihood strategy framework, and use panel data for 2008 and 2012 covering 464 households in 15 villages in Cambodia, for latent class cluster analysis and regression estimation. In this paper, livelihood strategies are quantified based on allocation of available resources, which overcomes the limitations of income-based analysis. Our study identifies five household livelihood strategies pursued in the study areas, and the results show that over 70% of households change livelihood strategies over time in response to evolving pressures, incentives and opportunities. The study identifies covariates that shape the choices of livelihood strategies and affects the households’ access to more remunerative strategies, such as education, ownership of physical assets, and access to infrastructure. These findings suggest policy implications for improving the range of livelihood choices available to lower income groups to move out of poverty trap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphatic filariasis is a chronic, disabling and often disfiguring condition that principally impacts the world’s poorest people. In addition to the well-recognised physical disability associated with lymphedema and hydrocele, affected people often experience rejection, stigma and discrimination. The resulting emotional consequences are known to impact on the quality of life and the functioning of the affected individuals. However, the management of this condition has focused on prevention and treatment through mass drug administration, with scant attention paid to the emotional impact of the condition on affected individuals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of depression among individuals with physical disfigurement from lymphatic filariasis in Plateau State, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional 2-stage convenience study was conducted at 5 designated treatment centers across Plateau State, Nigeria. All available and consenting clients with clearly visible physical disfigurement were recruited. A semi-structured socio-demographic questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-esteem and a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were administered at the first stage. Those who screened positive (with a PHQ-9 score of five and above) were further interviewed using the Depression module of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Results: Ninety-eight individuals met the criteria and provided consent. Twenty percent of the respondents met criteria for depression, with the following proportions based on severity: Mild (42.1%), Moderate (31.6%) and Severe (26.3%). History of mental illness (OR 40.83, p = 0.008); Median duration of the illness was 17 years (IQR 7.0–30 years) and being unemployed (OR 12.71, p = 0.003) were predictive of depression. High self-esteem was negatively correlated (OR 0.09, p<0.004). Conclusion: Prevalence of depression is high among individuals with lymphatic filariasis and depression in sufferers is associated with low self-esteem and low levels of life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008, an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity came to an end, and the world was plunged into the Great Recession, a Global Financial Crisis (GFC)-the worst since the 1930s Great Depression. We examined whether it is low- or high-SES people that are most affected psychologically-and most likely to express concern about the future vitality of their group-by uncertainty associated with economic instability. In two experiments, we found that even though those lower in SES report more collective angst than their wealthier counterparts, those who are higher in SES are more likely to become concerned when presented with information that the economy is a bubble about to burst, elevating their collective angst levels. Both studies also showed that collective self-definitions as competent and warm were affected by wealth but not by economic instability. Competence ratings increased with increasing wealth, whereas warmth ratings were lower for those both lower and higher in wealth, compared to those with moderate wealth. In Experiment 2, we also found that opposition to immigration was higher for the high-income group in the unstable than in the stable economic prospect condition. We conclude that even though those lower in income experience chronic collective angst, collective angst levels for those higher in income are elevated when they fear they may be living in a bubble economy-a bubble that may burst any moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the existing research on poverty/low income, there are emerging initiatives to use multiple thresholds of low income instead of a single threshold and to analyze persistent low income over several years instead of low income in a single year. Although most recent studies have identified low-income incidences for multiple years (at least one year, at least four years, or at least six years) associated with multiple low-income thresholds, they unintentionally bury short-run low-income spells (for one to three years) in longer low-income spells (for four to six years). In this article, we review the debates on measures of low income and attempt to differentiate the short-run low-income spells clearly from their chronic counterparts. We further identify the characteristics of Canadians who are trapped under these two types of low-income spells. Using our approach and the 1999-2007 Canadian Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) data, we have found that approximately 73% of low-income Canadians are in short-run low income, while about 27% are in chronic low income. Short-run low income is generally associated with life cycle transitions, while chronic low income is generally associated with certain high-risk groups. These findings are fairly robust across various thresholds of low income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower-income millennials make important financial decisions that may affect their future financial well-being. With limited resources, this population is at risk for acquiring too much debt or being unprepared for a financial emergency that can send them further into poverty and constrain their ability to leverage resources for future economic mobility. A financial capability approach, an intervention that combines financial education with financial inclusion through the use of a savings account, may correlate with millennials' healthy financial behaviors. This study used data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study to examine the relationship between financial capability and the financial behaviors of lower-income millennials between the ages of 18 and 34 years (N = 2,578). Compared with those lower-income millennials who were financially excluded, those who were financially capable were also 171 percent more likely to afford an unexpected expense, 182 percent more likely to save for emergencies, and 34 percent less likely to carry too much debt, relating to their greater overall financial satisfaction. The findings of this study indicate that interventions that develop lower-income millennials' financial capability may be effective for promoting healthy financial behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este estudio examina los determinantes o correlaciones de la pobreza en los estados de la frontera norte de México. Con base en la Encuesta Nacional de Ingresos y Gastos de los Hogares 2008, se estimó un modelo de regresión logística para determinar qué variables podrían ser importantes para explicar la pobreza en esta región. Se encontró que las variables correlacionadas positivamente con la probabilidad de ser pobre son: vivir en Coahuila, Tamaulipas o Chihuahua, el tamaño del hogar, que el jefe del hogar sea trabajador ambulante o que trabaje en el sector agrícola, manufacturero, de transporte, ventas, o como ayudante o trabajador doméstico. Las variables correlacionadas inversamente con la probabilidad de ser pobre son: vivir en Baja California, nivel de educación y edad del jefe del hogar. El género del jefe de hogar y la ubicación (rural o urbana) de los hogares no fueron estadísticamente significativas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We examined the effects of market income inequality (income inequality before taxes and transfers) and income redistribution via taxes and transfers on inequality in longevity. Methods. We used life tables to compute Gini coefficients of longevity inequality for all individuals and for individuals who survived to at least 10 years of age. We regressed longevity inequality on market income inequality and income redistribution, and we controlled for potential confounders, in a cross-sectional time-series sample of up to 28 predominantly Western developed countries and up to 37 years (1974-2011). Results. Income inequality before taxes and transfers was positively associated with inequality in the number of years lived; income redistribution (the difference between market income inequality and income inequality after taxes and transfers were accounted for) was negatively associated with longevity inequality. Conclusions. To the extent that our estimated effects derived from observational data are causal, governments can reduce longevity inequality not only via public health policies, but also via their influence on market income inequality and the redistribution of incomes from the relatively rich to the relatively poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Kain's Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis (SMH) suggests that disadvantaged groups who reside in inner-city neighborhoods have low access to regional jobs. We continue to debate this assertion because empirical studies over decades have conflicting results. This research examines whether the poor face spatial mismatch and how suburbanization has changed their job accessibility, in the Los Angeles region between 1990 and 2007–2011. I define spatial mismatch as occurring when the poor in the inner city have lower job accessibility than their suburban counterparts. I estimate job accessibility based on the spatial distribution of jobs and job seekers traveling via private automobiles. My results present a complicated picture: Inner-city poor job seekers have higher job accessibility than their suburban counterparts because many jobs remain in the inner city; thus, the inner-city poor do not face spatial mismatch. Moreover, suburbanization has evened out the differences in the job accessibility of the poor and non-poor. However, the advantage of living in the inner city for job access declines with rapid employment suburbanization. Takeaway for practice: My research suggests that, since the poor do not face spatial mismatch, spatial policies commonly advocated to address their employment challenges—moving people to the suburbs, bringing jobs to the inner city, or providing mobility options—will not be effective. Giving people cars can help overcome both spatial and nonspatial barriers, but is not politically feasible. Planners should develop synergetic policies to complement spatial approaches including reducing labor and housing market discrimination, providing education and training, developing better job search skills, and creating supportive social connections. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article explores the history of poverty in Turin, Italy through an analysis of the Hospital of Charity of Turin charitable institution and the demographic aspects of those receiving assistance and subsidies. Emphasis is given to topics such as the number of the city's beggars, occupations of the poor, the impact of immigration, and the division of labor between spouses.

In this paper I explore the attempt to organize in order to secure permanent housing among poor urban families in Buenos Aires who reside temporarily in government-subsidized welfare hotels. My aim is to examine the passage that appears to take place between the ever-present tropes of "need" (and being assisted) and of "patience" (and being an activist in an autonomous and project-oriented movement) in the families' experience of time as they embark collectively in this endeavor. I argue that as activists strive to move away from the subject position of asistido into which social programs seem to place them, they assume a political engagement that requires "patience," a kind of work necessary for overriding the feeling of urgency often connected with a condition of need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rather than being sedentary strata of urban existence, the urban poor move in and out of heterogeneous transformations, becoming a body of critical experimentation in ongoing calibrations of circulation and emplacement. They are sometimes the "wild cards" of urbanization itself, less excluded from rights and livelihood or a reserve surplus of wasted lives than vehicles for both conjoining and disrupting clearly delineated sectors, territories, and policies. Reviewing various dynamics of local economic practice, provisioning systems, and the built environment in Jakarta, in this article I explore the ambiguous presence of the poor in contemporary urban systems of the so-called global south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A majority of continuing smokers in the United States are socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) adults, who are less likely than others to achieve and maintain abstinence despite comparable quit-attempt rates. A national research initiative seeks effective new strategies for increasing successful smoking cessation outcomes among SED populations. There is evidence that chronic and acute stressors may interfere with SED smokers who try to quit on their own. Patient navigators have been effectively used to improve adherence to chronic disease treatment. We designed and have pilot-tested an innovative, non-clinical community-based intervention - smoking cessation treatment navigators - to determine feasibility (acceptance, adherence, and uncontrolled results) for evaluation by randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods: The intervention was developed for smokers among parents and other household members of inner city pre-school for low-income children. Smoking cessation treatment navigators were trained and deployed to help participants choose and adhere to evidence-based cessation treatment (EBCT). Navigators provided empathy, resource-linking, problem-solving, and motivational reinforcement. Measures included rates of study follow-up completion, EBCT utilization, navigation participation, perceived intervention quality, 7-day point abstinence and longest abstinence at three months. Both complete-case and intent-to-treat analyses were performed. Results: Eighty-five percent of study participants (n = 40) completed final data collection. More than half (53 %) enrolled in a telephone quitline and nearly three-fourths (71 %) initiated nicotine replacement therapy. Participants completed a mean 3.4 navigation sessions (mean 30 min duration) and gave the intervention very high quality and satisfaction ratings. Self-reported abstinence was comparable to rates for evidence-based cessation strategies (21 % among study completers, 18 % using intent-to-treat analysis; median 21 days abstinent among relapsers). Conclusions: The pilot results suggest that smoking cessation treatment navigators are feasible to study in community settings and are well-accepted for increasing use of EBCT among low-income smokers. Randomized controlled trial for efficacy is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we document trends in credit use across income groups in the period surrounding the Great Recession. We investigate trends in access to different credit markets, including mortgages, home equity, automobiles, and student loans. We disentangle growth rates of new market entrants from the aggregates and analyze overall as well as within-county growth rate differentials across income strata. Our findings may provide insight into the financial well-being of different income groups in the context of the Great Recession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Money has meaning that shapes its uses and social significance, including the monies low-income families draw on for survival: wages, welfare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This study, based on in-depth interviews with 115 low-wage EITC recipients, reveals the EITC is an unusual type of government transfer. Recipients of the EITC say they value the debt relief this government benefit brings. However, they also perceive it as a just reward for work, which legitimizes a temporary increase in consumption. Furthermore, unlike other means-tested government transfers, the credit is seen as a springboard for upward mobility. Thus, by conferring dignity and spurring dreams, the EITC enhances feelings of citizenship and social inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In November 2011, the Census Bureau released its first report on the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The SPM addresses many criticisms of the official poverty measure, and its intent is to provide an improved statistical picture of poverty. This article examines the extent of poverty identified by the two measures. We present a detailed examination of poverty among nonaged adults (those aged 18-64). For a more comprehensive view of poverty and comparison purposes, some findings are presented for younger and older segments of the population. We compare and contrast poverty estimates produced under the official and new measures and investigate why the official and SPM estimates differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses an assignment model to understand the cross section of house prices within a metro area. Movers' demand for housing is derived from a life-cycle problem with credit market frictions. Equilibrium house prices adjust to assign houses that differ by quality to movers who differ by age, income, and wealth. To quantify the model, we measure distributions of house prices, house qualities, and mover characteristics from micro-data on San Diego County during the 2000s boom. The main result is that cheaper credit for poor households was a major driver of prices, especially at the low end of the market. (JEL D14, D91, R21, R31) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantify how teen employment outcomes for low-income African Americans and Latinos relate to their neighborhood conditions during ages 14–17. Data come from surveys of Denver Housing Authority (DHA) households who have lived in public housing scattered throughout Denver County. Because DHA household allocation mimics random assignment to neighborhood, this program represents a natural experiment for overcoming geographic selection bias. Our logistic and Tobit regression analyses found overall greater odds of teen employment and more hours worked for those who lived in neighborhoods with higher percentages of pre-1940 vintage housing, property crime rates and child abuse rates, though the strength of relationships was highly contingent on gender and ethnicity. Teen employment prospects of African Americans were especially diminished by residence in more socially vulnerable, violent neighborhoods, implying selective potential gains from social mixing alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Estimates show only 56 percent of poor households who are eligible for benefits under the Program of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) in Jamaica actually applied to the program. Also, application rate among urban households is approximately half the rate that exists among poor rural households. This study investigates potential reasons for the relatively low application rate. Using data compiled by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), we conclude that single male household heads are two to four times less likely to apply for benefits compared to households headed by females and married couples. Problems regarding information about PATH and the complexity of the application process have the greatest impact on the decision not to apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo discurre sobre las condiciones sociales de las pobres mujeres indígenas de México. Los autores comentan sobre el tratamiento discriminatorio de esta población y describe las políticas prejudiciales dirigidas a las mujeres indígenas por el gobierno de México. También se considera la falta de derechos civiles y humanos de las indígenas mexicanas.

The article focuses on the SB 535 greenhouse gas reduction fund meant for addressing challenges related to poverty and pollution in California. Topics discussed include impact of environmental conditions on low income communities, role of environmental policies in enhancing challenges for low income community and racism, and impact of climatic changes and pollution on low income communities of California.

Copyright of Revue Tiers Monde is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper has analyzed the fiscal imbalances, poverty and inequality with relevance to Pakistan. We use time series data from 1981 to 2010 and employ Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL) to cointegration for estimation. The empirical findings suggest that fiscal deficits increase the poverty level and provide biases for inequality. Since deficit is financed through money supply, government debt and indirect taxes which threaten the purchasing power of the poor and drag them towards poverty. Indeed most of government spending is misallocated due corruption and weak institutions; consequently money accumulates in few hands which wider gap between rich and poor, hence generates inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article builds upon classic economic perspectives of financial behavior by applying the narrative identity perspective of cultural sociology to explain how lower-income families respond to indebtedness. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with 194 lower-income household heads, we show that debt management strategies are influenced by a desire to promote a financially responsible, self-sufficient social identity. Families are reluctant to ask for assistance when faced with economic hardship because it undermines this identity. Because the need to pay on debts is less acute than the need to pay for regular monthly expenses like rent or groceries, debts receive a lower priority in the monthly budget and families typically juggle their debts in private rather than turning to social networks for assistance. In some cases, however, debts take on special meanings and are handled differently. Respondents prioritize debts when they perceive payment as affirming a self-sufficient or upwardly mobile identity, but they reject and ignore debts they view as unfair or unjust. Because the private coping strategies families employ trap them in costly cycles of indebtedness and hinder future mobility prospects, debt management strategies are consequential for long-term financial well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the study is to assess the impact of micro-credit on poverty reduction. The study was conducted among recipients of microcredit provided by both Grameen Bank and the BRDB in Manikganj Sadar Upazila of Manikganj district and Sagalnaiya Upazila of Feni district. The study reveals that Grameen Bank and BRDB covered higher proportion of landless households compared to control area. On an average each member in programme area received credit 5.35 times with an average of Tk. 44,000 from the date of their joining. A significant number of members used their credit in unplanned areas. The respondents opined that due to involvement in micro-credit programme, average food provisioning of Grameen Bank and BRDB members increased about 10 and 20 percent respectively. The calorie intake method reveals that 6-percentage points poverty reduced due to micro-credit. Percentages of hardcore and ultra poor in programme area were significantly lower compared to control area. Ninety three percent of the respondents under Grameen Bank and 94 percent under BRDB mentioned that their economic condition improved to some extent due to the involvement in micro-credit programme. Micro-credit had also positive impact on changing the housing condition. The relationship between access to micro-credit and incidence of poverty was not statistically significant at 5 percent level of significance. Improvement of economic condition assessed though self-assessment was positively related with the duration of membership in micro-credit programme, number of times received credit and amount of credit received and these were statistically significant. Impact of micro-credit on human poverty related indicators was relatively less compared to the income poverty related indicators. For accelerating poverty reduction through micro-credit the study recommended establishing the effective monitoring and evaluation systems on utilization of micro-credit by the beneficiaries, appropriate training to the beneficiaries, increase credit size and increase full time employment opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]