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Through 'Aneuploidy' I poeticise bioethicist Chris Kaposy's lived experience of prenatal screening as expressed in a personal essay that recounts how he reacted to the positive result of Down Syndrome testing for his unborn son. The poem aims to capture the shock of the unexpected diagnosis through the morbidities that are evoked and associated with the condition. It also offers a poeticised exposé of 'neoliberal perfectionism' a term Kaposy uses to critique the technologisation of reproduction that can encourage a norm of ableist perfectionism. A prominent motive, he argues, for seeking to terminate foetuses with Down Syndrome is the belief that children born with the condition are limited market actors with diminished economic opportunities. Similarly, the poet asks readers to reconsider the neoliberal, societal dictates that lead to the stigmatisation of people with disabilities and the empathic potential of poetry and its ability to delineate complex, reprogenetic consumption scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the output of six Australian opinion journalists about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), across a range of newspapers, reveals a shift from positive to negative views between 2013 and 2020, with the BRI agreements with Victoria revoked in 2021. At first neutral, with, in some cases, a positive assessment of economic opportunities, the change from around 2017 reflected Australian attitudes to China's alleged human rights violations, questions of Australian national sovereignty, Australia's global order choice between China-led 'authoritarianism' and United States-led 'liberal democracy', the designation by Australian allies of China as a strategic rival, and claims about debt-trap diplomacy. The nadir in BRI narratives was in 2020. Also, anti- or pro-BRI attitudes did not depend on media ownership but by individual journalists' expertise and experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The injustices that have been visited upon racial minorities in the United States have a substantial economic legacy, both in terms of wealth disparities and resulting structural differences in economic opportunities. In response, some prominent Black scholars and policymakers have proposed a 'baby bonds' wealth-building policy. In this paper, I complement the economic justifications for this policy by examining the case for the proposal in terms of racial justice. The common justifications in the literature use a 'justice as rectification' framework, but this framework is a poor fit for the baby bonds proposal, unless we first examine the policy as a way to mitigate barriers to economic opportunity caused by persistent wealth gaps. This analysis focuses the case for baby bonds on their real selling point: a universal wealth policy can limit the intergenerational impact of injustice and misfortune of all kinds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility is an unprecedented investment opportunity for economic modernisation. However, while the supranational European Commission assumes considerable influence over the design of national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs), there is substantial diversity among RRPs. This paper analyses the interaction between national governments and the Commission in the coordinative RRP design process. We argue that national policy preferences, rooted in the partisan profiles of governing coalitions, ultimately explain variation in RRP content. We analyse the policymaking process in three semi-peripheral economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) – Estonia, Romania, and Slovakia. CEE countries are especially suitable because as expected rule-takers, they function as least likely cases for the relevance of government agency, i.e., national partisanship. Through elite interviews, we trace various elements of each RRP to specific positions of governing coalitions and, with national variation, the Commission's ability to impose its own policy preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors influence the economic opportunities for Hispanic women. In particular, their gender and ethnicity shape employment paths, as does their immigration status. Hispanic entrepreneurship is seeing rapid growth, but the heterogeneity of that group remains understudied. Using 2015–2019 ACS data, we investigate formal (incorporated) and informal (unincorporated) self-employment across three key factors—namely gender, Hispanic ethnicity, and immigration status—guided by an intersectional theoretical framework and quantitative data analysis. With our intersectional approach, we analyze how categories of marginalization overlap and compound to shape socioeconomic outcomes. We find self-employment propensities across social dimensions are not merely additive, nor should they be considered in isolation. Overlaying disadvantaged statuses has a greater effect than each alone, highlighting the need for policies tailored to help those who face multiple barriers to economic prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australia-New Zealand alliance is a critical element of New Zealand foreign and defence policy. It is especially important in a region that is becoming less stable and more competitive. This commentary asks how the alliance influences New Zealand’s China policy. Australia and New Zealand both enjoy significant trade relations with China, and both have sought to manage relations to maximise economic opportunities. Following decades of economic growth, China has led a regionwide increase in defence spending, becoming a more powerful, consequential and at times disruptive regional actor. This shift has complicated China policy in both countries and further underlined the importance of the alliance partnership for New Zealand. Both countries have recalibrated their China policies and strengthened the cohesion of the alliance. This is shown by shared assessments of opportunity and risk, of synchronised shifts due to changes in China and joint actions to shape China’s behaviour and the regional order. Temporal differences in policy shifts, notably in security settings and public diplomacy, follow a tradition of loyal opposition that ultimately strengthens the alliance response to a rejuvenated China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The barriers between sport and gambling recently have eroded in the US. While this presents economic opportunities, it may also increase the risk of gambling problems among athletes, particularly if athletes are already more susceptible to gambling problems than others. We conducted a scoping review of the literature that sought to characterize what is known about the relationship between participation in athletics and gambling. We identified 45 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The majority (56%) sampled athletes at the collegiate level. More than half of the studies did not include a non-athlete control group. Among the studies that did compare athletes to non-athletes, findings were mixed. Half of the studies that examined gambling involvement found that athletes had higher involvement than non-athletes, while half found no relationship. About 23% of studies that examined gambling problems found a positive relationship between being an athlete and experiencing gambling problems; 69% found no relationship, and 8% found a negative relationship. In some cases, gender appeared to moderate these relationships; in others, there was no interaction with gender. Future research should include rigorous studies that examine these relationships at diverse levels of play, include non-athlete controls, and test what mechanisms explain these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing importance of wood as a sustainable material and addressing challenges facing the wood products industry, there is an emerging need for innovation and collaboration across all industry sectors. The mapping of the wood products industry has become crucial for gaining an overview and overall understanding of material flow. It also proved beneficial for educational and research purposes. The outcome of this study should help seek new economic opportunities and promote sustainable resource management. A Generic Map was developed to navigate the entire wood products industry as well as Dive-in Chain Maps will guide the four major production chains: sawmill (I), veneer mill (II), reconstituted wood manufacturing (III), and pulp and paper mills (IV). In addition, a By-products Management Wheel Diagram was introduced to clarify waste management practices within these chains. Our approach sheds light on efficient material flow and utilization, revealing opportunities for innovation and the development of high-value products. It also offers strategies for minimizing waste and making informed end-of-life decisions. Ultimately, this study enhances the understanding and potential for circularity and sustainability in the wood products industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, overseas labour migration has become a lifeline for many households in Nepal. Using survey data from 465 randomly selected households and 227 overseas labour migrants, this paper examines the factors influencing overseas labour migration and migration intensity in farming households by employing a generalised two-part fractional regression model, and migrants’ destination choice by using the probit model. We find that a higher proportion of educated members in the household, along with household’s credit access, indebtedness, and contacts with manpower agencies significantly increase the likelihood of overseas labour migration and migration intensity in the households, whereas the presence of employed members in the household, larger farms, irrigation access, and higher asset index significantly lower such likelihood. We find a lower likelihood of migration to Malaysia and the Middle East countries among individuals with employed household members and a higher asset index, while those connected to manpower agencies are more likely to choose these countries as destinations. Our findings emphasise the significance of creating and providing decent economic opportunities, including strengthening the agriculture sector, to address the existing surge in overseas labour migration from farming households in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of geography in debates around education and labour market inequality is an enduring public policy concern. This paper argues that local economic contexts have a role in shaping the kind of university and career trajectories working-class young people are exposed to. Drawing on multi-sited data on working-class young people in different local contexts across England, it underlines the importance of regional economic development, the geography of elite universities and the spatial patterning of widening participation networks and activity. In the capital, a sophisticated widening participation infrastructure exists – including multiple partnerships between schools and the third and private sectors – which far exceeds the networks and support found elsewhere. Combined with London's high economic capital and elite career pathways, this infrastructure greatly facilitates systems of support designed to drive aspirations to elite universities and careers. Whilst advocating for a fairer distribution of educational opportunities nationwide, we argue that, without acknowledging the origins of spatial imbalances within the UK, any attempt at simply 'spreading out the same' opportunities risks offering a superficial response. If long-term change is to be truly advanced, a more systematic dismantling of how economic functions and social relations are configured spatially must first be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the history of Amélie de Dietrich in her role (1806 to 1855) as the head of one of the oldest family-owned businesses in Europe: the De Dietrich Company. Economic history has long given a very minor place to women entrepreneurs. Recent analyses nevertheless tend to show that women business leaders were not exceptions in the nineteenth century. This paper is a further attempt to bring women entrepreneurs – and their contribution to the industrial take-off – out of invisibility. Amélie de Dietrich took important strategic decisions to adapt the company to the new economic opportunities which arose in the first half of the nineteenth century. Her choices were decisive for the future of the company; what is more, she succeeded in restoring the familial ownership. Drawing on Amélie de Dietrich's own unpublished correspondence, this contribution examines the factors that explain her success in imposing herself as a Maître des Forges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted interviews with parents earning low wages to understand their experiences related to financial responsibilities and use of government and informal resources in Raleigh, North Carolina. Inadequate economic opportunities and assistance programs, and high costs of living, compounded into cycles of playing catch up on expenses. Assistance programs aimed at alleviating hardships related to poverty were described as piecemeal. We found that social and economic systems failed to support parents earning low wages. Our findings suggest that ordinances that assure a livable minimum wage paired with expansions of safety net programs could better meet the needs these parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European defence policy offers opportunities for spending more and better where better achieves more from existing resources. Increased defence spending needs to be justified by the threats to Europe which have to be identified and defined. Higher defence expenditure usually focuses on inputs rather than final outputs in the form of greater peace, protection, security and the safety of a nation's citizens. The task is to show the opportunities for applying economic analysis to the complexities of European defence policy and collaborative defence projects. Economic efficiency criteria identify the contribution of final outputs, substitution and competition to the formulation of European defence policy, but the final outcomes are likely to be determined by military-political factors rather than economic efficiency criteria. The paper provides a critique of European defence policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the studies on the moral economy of pre-capitalist African societies have singularly asserted that wealth redistribution in these societies was made only for the moral satisfaction of the redistributors. However, since the late 1960s this notion has been increasingly criticised with the claim that pre-capitalist societies were also economically rational. This paper presents the political economy of the pre-capitalist society of Gamo in Southern Ethiopia, where wealth redistribution can be interpreted as having been made not only for moral satisfaction but also for economic and political gains. The Gamo have a redistribution culture embedded in an institution known as haleqa in which economically better-off individuals redistribute wealth to the ordinary community members to get elected as clan leaders, a position that will give them opportunities to accrue economic benefits. The paper argues that cultures of wealth redistribution which are often daubed entirely 'moral' in fact significantly mix rational political and economic behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the Special Issue 'Minorities and Grain Trade in Early Modern Europe'. While an area's traditional supply circuits benefitted from satisfactory harvests and a stable food demand, minorities' contribution became crucial during crisis. Due to their commercial networks, facilities, and capital, minorities and their agents were able to cope with market disruption, especially when inflation and the reconfiguration of supply areas rendered 'traditional' grain merchants unable to face the emergency. The papers included in the Special Issue focus on the geographical and financial scope of legal grain-trading minorities' businesses and their degree of specialisation and analyse how political authorities' reliance on minorities to face food scarcity not only represented an economic opportunity for minorities but also contributed to shaping their relationship with public authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs ordered probit to examine the effect mother's education and other socio-economic and community factors on the prevalence of childhood anaemia in urban and rural areas and severity of anaemia in Uganda using the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. In Uganda, 53% of children aged 6–59 months suffered from some degree of anaemia, with 24% being mildly anaemic, 27% moderately anaemic, and 2% severely anaemic (UDHS, 2016). Anaemia has substantial negative effects on the health and economic wellbeing of nations and communities. The study findings indicate that mother's education attainment and the partner's schooling and socio-economic factors are important in explaining the prevalence of childhood anaemia in Uganda. The major implication of these results is that raising women's education improves their economic opportunities, and the behavioural responses and this can greatly improve children's health outcomes in terms of low prevalence of childhood anaemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between African urban peripheries and informal development that also aligns with the broader goal of creating inclusive and sustainable urban environments. The authors employed a literature review approach and examined the complexities of informal settlements. In the presentation of their findings, the authors focus on conceptualizing of informality beyond slum areas, unravelling urbanization complexities in African urban peripheries, analysing the emergence of informal development in urban peripheral zones, and addressing informal settlements in the context of SDG 11. The findings reveal the embeddedness of informal practices in African urban peripheries, and the emphasis on adaptability, hybridity, and the role of informal entities in shaping complex urban fabrics. Additionally, inclusivity, safety, resilience, and sustainability are emphasized within the context of SDG 11. The authors conclude that a holistic and collaborative approach is important for shaping inclusive and sustainable urban futures in African urban peripheries. Additionally, they propose strategies for upgrading and formalizing informal settlements, the provision of essential social services, creation of economic opportunities, enhancement of safety, and to foster resilience through adaptive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union has made the development of a circular economy one of the central ambitions of its Green Deal, in which plastics are a defined priority. Current policies, however, have drawn criticism that the narrow focus on techno-innovation opportunities and economic growth falls short of addressing multifaceted socio-ecological challenges, overlooks trade-offs between proposed solutions, and conceals conflicts of interest among different actors. This paper contributes to opening-up the critical political debate on the circular plastics economy using discourse analysis. Looking at how arguments are framed, which priorities are defined, and how actors take positions, we identify three circular plastics economy discourses in Europe: 'Plastic fantastic' (material-focused), 'Circular economy will fly us to the moon' (plastics economy-focused), and 'Even plastic flowers are dead in this system' (socio-ecological systems-focused). Our paper demonstrates that the circular plastics economy is inherently political and is actively imagined, built, and created through discursive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent passage of the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act (2021) (Cth) opened up the potential for Australia to produce renewable energy at unprecedented scale. Six regions have been identified as potential locations for developing offshore wind projects, promising thousands of new local jobs to legacy industrial regions. This paper charts the regulatory framework for Australia's offshore wind industry and how it positions local economic benefits in the licencing of projects. It then draws on interviews with key stakeholders supported by media and policy analysis to examine the early development of offshore wind capability in one of the proposed regions, the Illawarra, in NSW. Here existing steelmaking capacity positions the region to play a key role in supply chains for local and potentially national projects, but considerable structural and geographical constraints in the labour market will need to be addressed. In light of overseas experience indicating that economic benefits often fall short of promises, greater attention by policy makers is required to ensure hosting communities can develop local skills in the industry and facilitate their relative supply chain capabilities. This paper also calls for careful evaluation of early projects to allow for adjustments to policy settings as the industry matures domestically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people in cities in the Horn of Africa engage with diasporic mobility through social media on a daily basis. Apparent opportunities on these platforms both reflect and shape ideas about life in the diaspora, potential migration, and social mobility. These connections also bring risks of scamming, extortion and misinformation that contribute to the involuntary immobility of those who wish to move for economic or educational opportunities. Drawing from 'screen-shot elicitation' group interviews with young men in Hargeisa (Somaliland) and digital ethnographic investigation of social media content gathered before, during and after these sessions, this article argues that transnational flows of mobility-related information need to be studied from the perspective of people within contexts commonly understood as 'sources' of south-north migration, but beyond policy-orientated questions about the impact of ICTs on rates of migration. Emphasising the highly ambivalent role played by social media in shaping aspirations and experiences of youth (im)mobility, this approach brings into view a wider range of socially significant online practices. These include the transnational assemblage of elaborate digital scamming techniques, as well as multiple other types of mobility-focused user-generated content that circulate in transnational Somali social (media) networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines patterns and trends in household food security in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, from 2010 to 2019. We use data from a household panel nested in the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System. Findings indicate that there have been improvements in household food security in this rural setting over the last decade. By polychoric principal component analysis, an aggregate food security index was constructed and we observed a small, yet important, proportion of households (7.8%) that remained chronically food insecure. An ordered probit model was used to estimate the determinants of food security. Findings reveal that the observed differences in household food security status are as a result of differences in socioeconomic status. We therefore recommend that focus must be placed on identifying economic opportunities and empowering the chronically food insecure households if universal household food security is to be attained in rural South Africa and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies show that the deployment of a peacekeeping operation (PKO) can provide an economic boost to the host state and its population. Some of those studies also suggest that such a boost is unsustainable and that peacekeeping exit may trigger economic downturn within host states. If that is the case, however, do some locals feel the adverse economic effects of PKO exit more than others? In this article, we argue that individuals who come to directly or indirectly depend on economic opportunities that emerge following the deployment of peacekeepers are particularly likely to experience negative economic effects after PKO exit. However, those effects may be partly mitigated through individuals' economic actions and/or their access to new sources of outside support after the exit of peacekeepers. We test our argument on original data gathered through a large-scale household survey of Monrovia, Liberia, conducted in early 2020. We also draw on qualitative interview data. After noting an overall downturn in Liberia's economy after 2018 (when the UN Mission in Liberia closed), we find broad support for our claims in the survey data, albeit qualified by nuances in a secondary, disaggregated analysis. We conclude by highlighting implications of our study for the planning and management of peacekeeping withdrawal. Los estudios existentes demuestran que el despliegue de una operación de mantenimiento de la paz (OMP) puede proporcionar un impulso económico al Estado receptor y a su población. Algunos de esos estudios también sugieren que ese impulso resulta insostenible y que la finalización de las operaciones de mantenimiento de la paz puede llegar a desencadenar una recesión económica en los Estados receptores. Sin embargo, si ese es el caso, ¿existen algunos ciudadanos que noten en mayor medida los efectos económicos adversos derivados de la finalización de una OMP con relación al resto de la población? En este artículo, argumentamos que las personas que llegan a depender directa o indirectamente de las oportunidades económicas que surgen tras el despliegue del personal de mantenimiento de la paz tienen una mayor probabilidad de experimentar efectos económicos negativos después de la finalización de una OMP. Sin embargo, esos efectos pueden mitigarse, en parte, mediante las medidas económicas adoptadas por los ciudadanos y/o su acceso a nuevas fuentes de apoyo externo después de la partida del personal de mantenimiento de la paz. Ponemos a prueba nuestro argumento usando datos originales, que fueron recopilados a través de una encuesta realizada a gran escala en hogares de Monrovia, Liberia, a principios de 2020. También, nos basamos en datos cualitativos obtenidos de entrevistas. Observamos una desaceleración general de la economía de Liberia después de 2018 (cuando se cerró la Misión de las Naciones Unidas en Liberia), la cual proporciona un amplio apoyo a nuestras afirmaciones en los datos de la encuesta. Sin embargo, encontramos matices para este apoyo al realizar un análisis secundario y desagregado. Concluimos destacando las consecuencias que tiene nuestro estudio para la planificación y la gestión de la retirada de las operaciones de mantenimiento de la paz. Des études existantes montrent que le déploiement d'opérations de maintien de la paix (OMP) peut stimuler l'État hôte et sa population sur le plan économique. Certaines d'entre elles suggèrent que cet effet n'est pas durable et que la fin de l'OMP peut avoir des effets négatifs sur l'économie des États hôtes. Néanmoins, si tel est le cas, certains résidents ressentent-ils ces effets plus que d'autres? Dans cet article, nous affirmons que les personnes qui finissent par dépendre directement ou indirectement des opportunités économiques créées par le déploiement de l'OMP auront plus de chances de ressentir des effets économiques négatifs quand cette opération prend fin. Toutefois, ces effets peuvent être atténués en partie par les actions économiques individuelles et/ou l'accès à de nouvelles ressources d'aide extérieure après la fin de l'OMP. Nous évaluons notre argument grâce à des données inédites collectées à l'aide d'un sondage de grande échelle auprès de particuliers de Monrovia, au Libéria, mené au début de l'année 2020. Nous nous fondons également sur des données qualitatives d'entretiens. Nous notons une récession généralisée au Libéria après 2018 (quand la mission de l'ONU au Libéria a pris fin), puis nous trouvons nombre d'éléments pour venir étayer nos arguments dans les données de sondage, malgré qu'ils soient nuancés par une analyse ventilée secondaire. En conclusion, nous soulignons les implications de notre étude pour la planification et l'organisation de la fin des OMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is the most rapidly growing continent, and its growth (demographic, economic, cultural etc.) will inevitably influence the World System (and the further, the stronger). The growth of African societies will bring at the same time both challenges and opportunities. The authors discuss both of them in detail. They consider Africa as the main intrigue of demographic transformations in the twenty-first century. But they also think that this continent can constitute a very important intrigue in other respects (economic, political, ethnical etc.). No doubt, in the future, African countries will produce many surprises both positive and negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on ethnographic data on the use and supply of cocaine in Hong Kong among privileged expatriates, we examine how members of the subculture enter into and navigate the fluid yet instrumental social supply networks and learn "bag politics" (the negotiation of using, obtaining, and sharing drugs). At the heart of "bag politics" lies a process of developing, sustaining, and strengthening one's social capital within and beyond social supply networks. Our research builds upon theoretical arguments in the Bordieuan application to the criminological context of drug markets, looking specifically at "street capital" and "street social capital". We show that "street social capital" can develop and be used in illicit settings beyond low socio-economic and marginalized communities. In looking at other socio-economic contexts, we raise the possibility that "street capital" and "street social capital" may facilitate rather than obstruct opportunities to succeed in broader society. We argue that within social supply networks among privileged expatriates, the development of "street social capital" provides opportunities for social and economic benefits both within and beyond the subculture. Finally, we argue that the desire to forge and develop such capital is a motiving factor to use and socially supply cocaine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely acknowledged that geographic data in Ghana and most of Sub-Sahara Africa is patchy, and lack geographic coverage and detail. This has implications for mobility and access to socioeconomic, and cultural opportunities which require address and location data typically provided through geocoding. A critical component of geocoding is a reference database to lookup matching address and location information. Accordingly, we investigate the suitability of, and the use of electoral polling stations to build a reference database for geocoding. This was undertaken by mapping their geographic coordinates, analyzing their geographic spread and detail, and outlining the database structure for building the reference database. Using the 2020 electoral polling station data for the Greater North area of Ghana, we found that 93% of the geographic coordinates can be obtained from open data sources. Also, there is high proximity with a nearest neighbor distance of 663 m, a reasonable service area of 4300 m, and a median distance of 3700 m from a community location. The widespread availability, large geographic spread and moderate detail, make polling stations a creditable data source for geocoding. It is recommended the polling station data be augmented with a detailed geographic data like those from landmarks and paratransit service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender (in)equality in entrepreneurship has been getting more attention in recent decades. The number of female entrepreneurs repeatedly reported less than males due to cultural issues, education, and lack of support. Moreover, launching start-up apiaries is more challenging for Asian women in tourism, and the likelihood of unsuccessful experiences is higher among them. Accordingly, the lack of empirical material on female entrepreneurs in tourism and gender equality issues, especially in middle east countries, are the two main gaps. Therefore, this paper tries to reveal the Iranian female entrepreneurship experience to fulfil these gaps. This research applied a qualitative research design leading with social constructivism and critical theory. 12 Iranian female tourism entrepreneurs participated in semi-structured online interviews. The snowball sampling technique was applied to collect data that was analysed thematically. The findings of this study highlighted that family responsibility, legal disparities, credit constraints, and the social construction of gender roles and norms are among the hurdles restricting females from engaging in social and economic opportunities. Moreover, the participants mentioned that the lack of social, government, and sponsors' support and a platform for training and sharing peers' experiences impact their businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future scenarios of a changing climate are not only an integral part of climate research, but they are also part of media coverage on climate change. Such reporting affects how people imagine the future to be, as well as their current and intended behaviors. Hence, this article made use of a quantitative, manual content analysis with qualitative and automated approaches for sample construction, to analyze the framing of climate futures in journalistic media across four countries (Germany, India, South Africa, and the United States; n = 1 010). Four frames were identified: "Solutions to climatic and social consequences", "Distant threats to humanity", "Economic opportunities", and "Distant threats to ecosystems" – these frames describe different climate futures, with only a few differences between Global North and Global South countries. Implications for climate change communication will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, Peru has become a global piracy hotspot, eliciting surprise and concern among the international maritime community. Despite increased attention, Peru remains underexamined in maritime piracy research. In this case-study analysis, we brought together two research fields (e.g. maritime piracy and the natural resource curse) to investigate socio-historical factors that accounted for long-term trends in Peruvian piracy. The maritime piracy literature, which largely examines famous sites off the coasts of Africa and southern Asia, identifies several determinants, including state weakness, economic opportunity, and geography. Because Peru is a heavily extraction-dependent state, we also examined mechanisms of the natural resource curse. Considerable overlap in explanatory factors exist. While we found several determinants identified in the maritime piracy literature present in the Peru case, such as state weakness and social conflict, analyses also indicated that mechanisms of the natural resource curse, particularly commodity price volatility and rent seeking, are also positively related to piratical activity. Overall, our findings extend the maritime piracy and natural resource curse literatures and suggest that counter-piracy efforts in Peru critically examine extractive policies for latent effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative rattled the South Asian security environment vigorously as it involved strong territorial sensitivities of India, which found itself engaged on two fronts with Pakistan and China. The BRI has been the geoeconomic drive projecting China's peaceful rise. It has been welcomed with hope and suspicion as Western powers are equally interested in containing China in the Asian order. This paper examines BRI as a source of external transformation to the regional security complex model devised by Buzan. South Asia's inadequacies in bringing internal transformation, as envisioned by Buzan, allow the BRI to be a source of cold peace in the region. The BRI looks at decentered region-building with an appeal of great power overlay. This tier is relevant in diluting the South Asia geopolitical polarities. The paper claims that BRI influences South Asian geopolitics, where India and Pakistan are no longer locked into bipolarities. The smaller states are bandwagoning with China, and that calibrates the South Asian regional security complex. The cold peace laced with geoeconomic transformation can render a regional transformation to the security complex such that the South Asian regional security complex might dissipate into two or more mini-complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many assumed that Jamaica, and the historically marginalized traditional ganja growers, including the Rastafari, would finally be able to cash in on the green gold rush in an industry one venture capital firm called in 2018 "the most compelling opportunity in the history of capitalism." Jamaica has an opportunity to consolidate its position and build up a domestic and regional ganja economy centered around the traditional cultivators. Without steps to combat inequities, traditional ganja growers will be left behind The Predatory Perils of Cannabis Legalization in Jamaica: Medicinal marijuana markets present a major economic opportunity for Jamaica. [Extracted from the article]

Recent years have witnessed companies abandon traditional open-loop supply chain structures in favour of closed-loop variants, in a bid to mitigate environmental impacts and exploit economic opportunities. Central to the closed-loop paradigm is remanufacturing: the restoration of used products to useful life. While this operational model has huge potential to extend product life-cycles, the collection and recovery processes diminish the effectiveness of existing control mechanisms for open-loop systems. We systematically review the literature in the field of closed-loop supply chain dynamics, which explores the time-varying interactions of material and information flows in the different elements of remanufacturing supply chains. We supplement this with further reviews of what we call the three 'pillars' of such systems, i.e. forecasting, collection, and inventory and production control. This provides us with an interdisciplinary lens to investigate how a 'boomerang' effect (i.e. sale, consumption, and return processes) impacts on the behaviour of the closed-loop system and to understand how it can be controlled. To facilitate this, we contrast closed-loop supply chain dynamics research to the well-developed research in each pillar; explore how different disciplines have accommodated the supply, process, demand, and control uncertainties; and provide insights for future research on the dynamics of remanufacturing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organization's capability to build, handle and exploit relationships and learn from these relations, defined here as relational capabilities, is increasingly important in a networked economy and in innovation activities. The paper introduces a framework that helps understand and analyse the relational capabilities of various organizations engaged in innovation activities. Based on theoretical discussion and empirical analysis the paper argues that the literature on organizational level capabilities and relational capabilities would benefit from deeper integration with the systems of innovation perspective. The empirical findings from three Finnish regions indicate that relational capabilities become particularly relevant in research–business–government cooperation contributing to innovation in the field of bioeconomy. Relational capabilities embedded in an organization's capability configurations can boost the efficient use of that organization's resources, bring greater flexibility, a chance to create value in networks and support renewal and innovation. Missing or underdeveloped relational capabilities may also hinder an organization's ability to tap into the economic opportunities that arise leading to failures at the regional and system level thus hampering the transition towards a bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with experts, this study corroborates key findings on contextual and organisational dynamics behind profit-driven cybercrime. The findings pinpoint three contextual factors influencing individuals to participate in profit-driven cybercrime: lack of legal economic opportunities, lack of deterrents, and drifting means. The findings also highlight how experts perceive group structures of those behind profit-driven cybercrime: as organised, enterprise-like, loose networks, or communities. Experts' narratives, moreover, emphasise the presence of a workforce at the periphery of cybercrime groups. Such a workforce is not actively involved in developing criminal schemes, yet it helps their orchestration by achieving necessary tasks such as writing texts or developing software. The study results confirm key insights on crime participation related to both cyber and non-cybercrime literature while also raising new research avenues, including questions concerning to what extent those forming the peripheral workforce are willing to participate in cybercrime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines Kazakhstan's relations with Southeast Asia, an area of study which has been given little attention so far. It firstly analyzes Kazakhstan's multivector foreign policy, arguing that Kazakhstan has been trying to pursue an omnidirectional hedging strategy by diversifying its partners to enhance its strategic space. Secondly, it looks at how Southeast Asia is seen as part of this strategy, particularly as alternative economic partners for Kazakhstan. It argues that there are greater opportunities for enhanced economic interaction due to Kazakhstan's central role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), membership of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) that is shifting toward Asia, and reinvigorated economic diplomacy. Thirdly, it examines Kazakhstan's relations with five key Southeast Asian states – Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand – which are Kazakhstan's largest trading partners in the region and arguably viewed as the Southeast Asian countries with the most potential to play a role in Kazakhstan's omnidirectional hedging strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how gendered access to digital capital—in the form of the social and economic resources needed to own and use a mobile phone—is connected to key adult milestones, such as securing employment and engaging in romantic relationships. Descriptive statistical analysis of 11,030 young people aged 15–24 in Rakai, Uganda indicated that men were more likely to own mobile phones than women. Analysis of qualitative interviews with young people (N = 31) and ethnographic participant observations among young people (N = 24) add nuance and depth to the observed gender difference. We go beyond a 'categorical' approach to gender (i.e. comparing rates between men and women) to examine how access to digital capital is gendered both for men and for women. Mobile phone ownership both reproduces and destabilises gendered social organisation in ways that have implications for economic opportunities, social connections, HIV risk and overall health and well-being. Young men had greater access to the benefits of mobile phone ownership, whereas young women's access to those benefits was impeded by covert and overt gendered mechanisms of control that limited access to digital capital. Findings suggest that mhealth initiatives, increasingly deployed to reach under-resourced populations, must take into account gendered access to digital capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-methods, longitudinal study utilized survey data from a sample of (primarily) Black and Latinx adolescents' (n = 643) and qualitative interviews with a subset of adolescents (n = 39) to consider changes in adolescents' beliefs about poverty and economic inequality throughout high school as well as the sources of their beliefs. Adolescents demonstrated significant, linear growth in their beliefs that poverty was caused by structural factors. This finding resonated with analyses of four waves of qualitative interviews in which a majority of participating adolescents shifted from citing individualistic causes to structural causes in their explanations of economic inequality and the opportunity structure in the United States. In explaining the sources of these beliefs, participating adolescents most frequently cited personal experiences, school-related experiences, and social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the long-term persistence of interregional differences in self-employment rates. The analysis, based on spatial Durbin error models, was performed for 206 Czech regions from 1930 to 2011. The results obtained supported the 'persistence claim' because regional self-employment rates in 1930 were found to be positively and significantly associated with those obtained in 1991, 2001 and 2011. Moreover, this study contributes to the knowledge about transmission channels of historical entrepreneurial experience. First, a new mechanism related to the career and educational paths of individuals with a pre-socialist entrepreneurial family background is suggested. Second, the newcomers' capacity to absorb knowledge and skills is emphasized as crucial for the functioning of pre-socialist 'entrepreneurial memory'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the growing importance of place-based strategic intelligence, this article puts forward a conceptual framework for a new methodological approach to influence the shaping of subnational economic development. The novel Opportunity Areas Analysis Tool has been designed and deployed in the context of a City Region Deal in Scotland, UK. We define key trends, map core capabilities and assess exploitation capacities for data-driven innovation economic opportunities. We critically appraise the effectiveness of this approach for the creation of inclusive place-based future visions and narratives, and the alignment of technological opportunities within diverse geographical (e.g., semi-rural and rural) and sectoral conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging with different literatures in economic geography, postcolonial urbanism, and planetary urbanization, this article seeks to develop a theoretical understanding of remote urban formations taking shape in India's countryside. The analysis draws on extensive primary data collected at two study sites in Bihar and West Bengal, which rendered an uncommonly rich data set for such remote areas. We observe emergent urban formations that result from densification, expansion, and amalgamation of built-up environments and a massive shift of employment out of the agricultural sector. At the same time, alternative local economic opportunities are scarce, giving way to significant increases in circular labor migration. We introduce the concept of injected urbanism to denote a form of urbanization that is exogenously generated through remittances, in the absence of significant local agglomeration processes. The infusion of remittances drives local economic restructuring and the emergence of a consumption economy. Injected urbanism spurs local development, but its dependence on economic activity elsewhere raises important questions about its sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most decision-making inventories measure bias and little attempt is made to identify individuals who are more likely to maximize economic opportunities. Four experiments tested a novel measure of individual differences in normative decision making that is easy to administer and identifies a wide range of variance in economic choice. All four experiments demonstrated that responses to the Repeated Gambles Task (RGT) are independent of ostensibly related measures and identify the tendency to make normative decisions. The RGT may be used in educational, research and applied settings to examine the effectiveness of training and to aid in research and hiring decisions. As such, the RGT is offered as a novel tool for use in a wide-range of basic and applied settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressive attitudes towards cannabis consumption have resulted in many countries decriminalizing its use. South Africa is only the third African country to liberalize the recreational consumption of cannabis, potentially raising both societal concerns and economic opportunities for the country, including the development of cannabis tourism. This paper synthesizes the contemporary literature – drawing on experiences and best practices associated with cannabis decriminalization and its moral regulation within tourism. With reference to effectively balancing the economic benefits of cannabis decriminalization versus its contentious social ramifications, the paper is a concerted effort to identify actionable and socially grounded solutions to sustainably managing the cannabis decriminalization-tourism nexus for the government and tourism practitioners in African tourism destinations such as South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the nexus between educational opportunities and incidences of domestic terrorism. Focusing on 50 African countries over the period 1970–2018, this article provides several novel contributions to the discourse. First, the article finds that differences in educational enrollment between women and men is likely to exacerbate domestic terrorism. This outcome is especially dire for women than that anticipated by well-meaning policymakers. Second, this article juxtaposes recent narratives which posit that increasing educational opportunities presents favorable outcomes. Instead, our article illustrates that the positive derivatives from a more equitable female-to-male educational enrollment is conditional. In particular, in some African countries where there is inadequate or an absence of consistent structures such as socioeconomic and labor market opportunities post–educational attainment, the intended positive consequences of education is often unrealized. Saliently, the relationship between increases in women's education and poor economic opportunities is likely to contribute to grievance-based domestic political violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has quickly established itself as a major focus within regional development research. A key conceptual framing commonly adopted by scholars theorizing about the growth and evolutionary dynamics of EEs is via anthropomorphized life-cycle models. In this article we offer a critique and argumentation as to why the validity of this approach is spurious and contestable. Arguably, life-cycle-based models overly simplify these complex spatial entrepreneurial phenomena and convey the temporal evolution of EEs as a simplistic, linear, deterministic and path-dependent process. Despite the seductively simplistic appeal of life-cycle models, places are not like people and the uncritical adoption of such crude anthropomorphic framings potentially weakens this research field, at the same time as running the risk of misinforming policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of local incumbent firms on new private firm formation in China by focusing on the cognitive legitimacy lent by different ownership types. We argue that new firm formation requires legitimacy spillover from local society. Based on the panel data of China's manufacturing enterprises, we find that local ownership structure plays a vital role in new private firm formation. Incumbent privately owned enterprises enhance the legitimacy of private ownership naturally, and the effect from foreign-owned enterprises to new private firms is positive but weaker than that of privately owned enterprises, whereas state-owned enterprises discourage entrepreneurship due to their entirely different identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid urban expansion across Tanzania, there is a need to institute steps to address factors and forms as well as impacts and challenges associated with the observed trend. This study's aim is to use spatial urban landscape indices to analyze the spatial changes in urban forms, patterns, and rates across 11 urban centers in Tanzania over a 30-year study period (1990–2020). During the past three decades, urban lands of 11 cities and town in Tanzania have grown by a total of 480 km2. Leapfrog growth was found as the most dominant form of urban expansion in Tanzania while Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania, had the highest rate of urban expansion when compared to all other individual cities. The most robust and significant interaction of the AWMLEI and MLEI was found in Kigoma, Arusha, Mtwara, Mafinga, and Tunduma cities. In contrast, Mbeya agricultural city, Arusha the tourist city, Tabora, and Geita Lake zone areas did show their own peculiarities revealing an interesting spatial temporal variation in rate and form of expansion. The outcome of this study reveals that the influence and management of economic and socio-cultural opportunities will be an effective tool for the determination of the rapidly expanding cities and towns of Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s there has been a steep increase in the number of women migrating from rural to urban areas in search of economic opportunities. The movement of women to urban areas has affected children as they depend on their mothers for their primary care. The aim of this study is to shed insights into childcare arrangements among migrant mothers in an urban township in South Africa. Data was collected from in-depth interviews with 20 migrant mothers in Imbali. Mothers are concerned about the care and well-being of their children and as a result, they are opting to relocate with their children. Traditional methods of care that were provided by grandparents or extended family members in the past are no longer an option for many mothers. All the mothers relied on either formal or informal childcare facilities within the community. The mothers wanted their children to be cared for in early childhood facilities that they felt were conducive for their development. However, lack of finances were a major challenge and this had an impact on the type of care facility that the mothers used. Some of these facilities are not seen as suitable due to a number of factors including safety, limited play equipment, and an unhygienic environment. Therefore, it is recommended that community-wide efforts in providing childcare should be explored in order to support single mothers in urban areas who have migrated to improve their economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is increasing across the globe owing to urbanization, poverty, and climatic changes. In the current circumstances, alternative and unexplored sources of food and nutrients are getting attention. The current sources of food cannot meet the ever-increasing population demand. The demand for animal-source protein is estimated be double due to a projected 50% rise in the world population by the year 2050. Moreover, global animal protein supply chains are not only vulnerable to natural disasters but also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Mycoprotein is considered an excellent alternative to animal protein due to its amino acid profile and cost-effectiveness. Mycoprotein is produced by Fusarium venenatum, a naturally occurring fungus that can be used as a substitute for conventional animal protein sources. Mycoprotein is high in protein and fiber while low in cholesterol, fat, sugar, and salt. Mycoprotein offers excellent functional and therapeutic potential in mitigating various health disorders. Furthermore, it helps maintain muscle synthesis and optimal plasma and cholesterol levels, regulating insulin, glucose, and satiety. This review is focused on the mycoprotein's origin and production, with a particular emphasis on its nutritional, health, and economic opportunities and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this qualitative study, we analyze the experiences of those living in flood-prone economically constrained communities by exploring relocation, risk perceptions, and communication in the context of extreme seasonal flood disasters. Our study included semi-structured interviews with residents in three communities and unstructured interviews with local experts in Iquitos, Peru. Our results suggest that strategic communication plans and interventions for flood-prone communities should emphasize economic opportunities, rather than trying to emphasize flood risks, since the economic domain appears to be more salient for individuals living in these communities. Conversely, communication in relocated communities, should emphasize safety and overall quality of life, but also consider the economic stresses people face. Ultimately, communication and relief efforts related to addressing problems associated with disasters should start with an understanding of the experiences, perceptions, and communication practices of the communities they are assisting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the link between trust and law through the prism of the mafia phenomenon. Mafias spread in a context of "endogenous mistrust" and manage to privatize law by imposing an unwritten system of rules in their territory. This alternative system of law has consequences in terms of distorted access to economic opportunities for non-Mafiosi as it is oriented in favor of its affiliates and external backers. It also leads to the emergence of negative social capital benefiting Mafiosi but unable to create relationships based on genuine trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the link between trust and law through the prism of the mafia phenomenon. Mafias spread in a context of "endogenous mistrust" and manage to privatize law by imposing an unwritten system of rules in their territory. This alternative system of law has consequences in terms of distorted access to economic opportunities for non-Mafiosi as it is oriented in favor of its affiliates and external backers. It also leads to the emergence of negative social capital benefiting Mafiosi but unable to create relationships based on genuine trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]