Search

Objectives: This paper examines the impact of local economic activity on criminal behavior. We build on existing research by relaxing the identification assumptions required for causal inference, and estimate the impact of local economic activity on recidivism. Methods: We use the fracking boom as a source of credibly exogenous variation in the economic conditions into which incarcerated people are released. We replicate and extend existing instrumental variables analyses of fracking on how many released offenders return to state prison seperately from aggregate crime and arrests. Results: Our instrumental variables estimates imply that a ten thousand dollar increase in the value of per capita production is associated with a 2.8% reduction in the 1-year recidivism of ex-offenders at the county level. Improved labor market conditions, specifically an increase in wages for young adults, may explain a non-negligible fraction of the reduction in recidivism associated with economic booms. In contrast, we replicate existing work finding that fracking increased aggregate measures of crime and arrests. Conclusion: Increased economic opportunity appears to have a different impact of overall crime than on recidivism. This suggests that the relationship between economic opportunity and offending may be conditioned by local social ties. Further research examining how social connections and labor markets affect individual criminal behavior is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We build an endogenous growth model featuring a new mode of human capital accumulation in a data economy. Data are generated as the byproducts of economic activities and then used by consumers for human capital accumulation apart from education. Although we find similar growth patterns compared with those in the related literature, economic growth is further accelerated by the new use of data factor. Quantitative analyses suggest that although the accumulation of human capital is promoted by the increasing importance of data, this promotion is not unlimited since data may over-absorb resources and crowd out education. In the transition dynamics, we see that consumers suffer temporary welfare loss. However, as data become a key factor in human capital accumulation, welfare ultimately increases. Our paper provides a first view of the effect of the data factor in the process of human capital accumulation. • Digital economy promotes economic growth through human capital accumulation. • A model is built to incorporate data into human capital accumulation. • The promotion effect of data on human capital accumulation is not unlimited. • In transition dynamics, consumers may face temporary welfare loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sectoral total factor productivity and multipliers are negatively correlated. • Overall effect of the IO structure is dampened relative to the multiplier effect. • Sectors with high productivity generate fewer jobs than other sectors do. • The economic activity that the high-incomers increase the consumption does not spread. • Promoting the industry alone is not enough and a spillover perspective is required. This study demonstrates how differences in the prefectural input–output (IO) multiplier and sectoral total factor productivity (TFP) translate into aggregate income differences across prefectures within a country. Furthermore, this study investigates the job creation generated from the IO multiplier and TFP relationship and considers expenditure in the high-income group. Our results show that aggregate multipliers substantially amplify average sectoral TFP by propagating through the IO network. However, as log TFP levels and multipliers are negatively correlated, sectors with high multipliers have below-average productivity levels, which reduces income per worker because key inputs to downstream sectors are expensive. The overall effect of the IO structure is dampened relative to the aggregate multiplier effect. For example, the commerce sector has large multipliers in many prefectures and is thus amplified through the IO network, but their TFPs are lower and do not significantly contribute to the increase in income. The TFPs of the information and communication equipment sector in certain prefectures are higher than those in Tokyo, but the benefits are not amplified well within the prefecture because their multipliers are low. Furthermore, sectors with high productivity generate fewer jobs than other sectors do. The sectors with a large influence on job creation in other sectors are not amplified well through the IO network because of the small multiplier. From the expenditure viewpoint, the high-income group increases their education consumption exponentially, but the multiplier is low and not widespread within the prefecture. The construction sector has a significant influence on job creation in other sectors. However, their economic activities do not spread widely within a prefecture, and the high-income group does not increase housing consumption in proportion to their income. Residents in prefectures with high multipliers tend to spend more money outside their residential prefectures, such as online shopping. Thus, expenditure outside residential prefectures reduces the effect of the multiplier that amplifies the average sectoral TFP and the difference in income across prefectures. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing an explicit understanding of these relationships. Our findings make people realize that promoting the industry alone is not enough to increase income and generate highly productive jobs. A spillover perspective is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigation on an asymmetric impact of the informal sector on economic growth. • The informal sector asymmetrically affects the economic growth in Bangladesh. • Urbanization and capital growth contribute to increase economic growth in Bangladesh. • Diminishing the prevalence of informality is suggested for higher economic growth in Bangladesh. The role of the informal sector in economic growth still remains an issue of debate. This study contributes to resolving this by taking into account the asymmetric effect of the informal sector on economic growth. The study applies the Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (N-ARDL) model to capture the asymmetric relationship between the informal sector activity and economic growth for the period 1982–2018 in Bangladesh. The estimation of the N-ARDL model reveals that the informal sector asymmetrically affects the domestic output and economic growth in Bangladesh for both the short-run and the long run. The study has observed an asymmetrically larger effect on output and economic growth from the falling contribution of the informal sector. Urbanization and capital growth also contribute to an increase in economic growth. Therefore, proper incentives and careful policy measures are suggested to effectively diminish the prevalence of informality and promote its transition towards a more formalized framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive populations cause adverse impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, and economic activities. Advancing understanding of how populations respond to environmental changes and develop their invasive status will enable improved prediction, prevention, and management of ecological invasions. Here, we review recent literature and find that behavioural shifts within species across native and invasive populations are common during invasion. We collate examples which demonstrate how behaviours associated with invasion can be an outcome of plastic, pre-adaptive, and/or post-adaptive processes. However, we find that research investigating the molecular basis of observed behavioural shifts associated with invasion is limited. Important research (but perhaps the most challenging to conduct), is the long-term study of ongoing invasions that track species' behaviour and genetic change throughout the stages of the invasion process. Additionally, future research should aim to establish whether behavioural shifts originate from plasticity, microevolutionary processes, or a combination of both. Common garden experiments (using distinct populations grown under shared conditions), carried out in conjunction with genetic studies that track changes at the molecular level, could aid this endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the world population and economic activity, the production of sewage sludge has grown, and its management has become an environmental problem. The most traditional method of managing sewage sludge is to dispose of it in landfills and on farmland. One way to valorize sewage sludge is to use thermochemical conversion processes to produce added-value products such as biochar, biofuels, and renewable gases. However, due to the high moisture content, thermochemical conversion using processes such as pyrolysis and traditional gasification involves multiple pre-treatment processes such as material drying. Hydrothermal thermochemical processes usually require high pressures, which pose many challenges to their application on a large scale. In this work, the advantages and disadvantages of the different existing thermochemical processes for the recovery of sewage sludge were analyzed, as well as the resulting industrial and environmental challenges. A SWOT analysis was carried out to assess the different thermochemical processes in terms of technical feasibility, economic viability, and broader market considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between urban centers and peri-urban villages plays a pivotal role in rural development, particularly in the economic dimension. Analyzing these relationships and their influence on the progress and prosperity of peri-urban villages, coupled with capacity building, empowerment, and the integration of urban-rural management, is essential to reduce disparities and promote spatial justice, aligning with the sustainable development of rural areas. This study aims to assess the effects of Zanjan city's economic drivers on the livability quality of Do Asb and Payin Kouh, two peri-urban villages situated in Zanjan city. Employing a descriptive-analytical and practical approach, the study's statistical population comprises the aforementioned villages in Zanjan city. A sample of 219 households was selected from among the sample population based on Cochran's formula. Data collection involved both library research and fieldwork, including the use of questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate regression) were employed for data analysis, along with descriptive statistics (averages) and geographic information systems to analyze land use changes. The research findings unveiled a robust correlation (0.87) between the quality of life in peri-urban villages and the economic drivers of Zanjan city. This indicates a significant and positive relationship between Zanjan city's economic drivers (independent variable) and the quality of life in peri-urban villages (dependent variable). Among the examined variables, communication flow for purchases, with a coefficient of 0.28, contributed most to the variance analysis of the quality of life in peri-urban villages. In contrast, the investment flow of urban residents in village economic activities and the flow of money exchange had relatively lower coefficients of 0.13 and 0.14, respectively. Thus, the research underscores the considerable impact of Zanjan's economic drivers on enhancing the quality of life in peri-urban villages and highlights the pivotal role of rural-urban links in fostering sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific measurement of Agricultural Carbon Emissions (ACE) and its formation mechanism is of great significance for the effective formulation of high-quality agricultural development strategies. Therefore, the objectives were to study the characteristics of ACE, its formation mechanism, and its economic relevance in Chongqing by adopting the IPCC and 1997-2019 data, and with LMDI index and Decoupling index. The empirical analysis shows that the total ACE presents an M-shaped trend of "rising-steady fluctuation-falling". Energy structure, energy intensity, and population size have a negative driving effect on ACE, but economic activity is the main factor. The decoupling elasticity characteristics of ACE and economic growth are mainly weak decoupling and strong decoupling, of which the relationship is significantly coordinate. Therefore, to consolidate and enhance the goal of ACE reduction, it is necessary to strengthen the research and development of agricultural low-carbon production technology and promotion. We will continue to deepen supply-side structural reform in agriculture. We will improve the ecological environment in agriculture and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of culture on non-kin cooperation has been singled out as critical for economic activity. However, causal evidence of culture's influence on cooperation remains scant. In this paper we provide such evidence, focusing on two key components of culture: preferences and beliefs. Adopting the view that culture is one aspect of an individual's multi-faceted self-concept (identity) we conduct a Prisoner's Dilemma experiment with first- and second-generation Chinese immigrants at a large US public university. In a two-by-two design, we exogenously vary: i) the salience of participants' American or Chinese cultural identities; and ii) the capacity for culture to affect beliefs by randomly providing previous-session cooperation-rate information. Comparing behavior across cultures and information conditions, our results suggest a prominent role for both preferences and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several theoretical propositions suggest that changes in economic activity can explain the decision to form a cartel. The majority of the propositions claim that cartel formation is more likely in expansionary and less likely in contractionary phases of the business cycle. The propositions are re-examined theoretically and by using data on detected cartels for the European Union. In both cases, the results cannot confirm that more cartels are formed in any of the business cycle phases and that correlated economic growth rates create higher incentives to collude. Furthermore, it cannot be confirmed that more cartels form shortly after respectively the trough or the peak in the business cycle. The conclusion is that cartel formation is unaffected by changes in the business cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban agglomerations are sophisticated territorial systems at the mature stage of city development that are concentrated areas of production and economic activity. Therefore, the study of vulnerability from the perspective of production-living-ecological space is crucial for the sustainable development of the Yellow River Basin and global urban agglomerations. The relationship between productivity, living conditions, and ecological spatial quality is fully considered in this research. By constructing a vulnerability evaluation index system based on the perspectives of production, ecology, and living space, and adopting the entropy value method, comprehensive vulnerability index model, and obstacle factor diagnostic model, the study comprehensively assesses the vulnerability of the urban agglomerations along the Yellow River from 2001 to 2020. The results reveal that the spatial differentiation characteristics of urban agglomeration vulnerability are significant. A clear three-level gradient distribution of high, medium, and low degrees is seen in the overall vulnerability; these correspond to the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the Yellow River Basin, respectively. The percentage of cities with higher and moderate levels of vulnerability did not vary from 2001 to 2020, while the percentage of cities with high levels of vulnerability did. The four dimensions of economic development, leisure and tourism, resource availability, and ecological pressure are the primary determinants of the urban agglomeration's vulnerability along the Yellow River. And the vulnerability factors of various urban agglomerations showed a significant evolutionary trend; the obstacle degree values have declined, and the importance of tourism and leisure functions has gradually increased. Based on the above conclusions, we propose several suggestions to enhance the quality of urban development along the Yellow River urban agglomeration. Including formulating a three-level development strategy, paying attention to ecological and environmental protection, developing domestic and foreign trade, and properly planning and managing the tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on Latin America's history of technology has expanded significantly in recent years. By reviewing articles in English- and Spanish-language journals from 2012 to the first half of 2023, we illustrate the emerging themes, geographies, and methodologies in this literature. The four main themes we identify are industrialization, institutions and policies, infrastructure, and moving beyond technological adaptation. We also highlight two emerging themes: Indigenous technologies and the circulation of knowledge. We conclude that the scholarship has generally moved in three directions: the study of technologies associated with traditional economic activities in the region (e.g. monocrop agriculture), national industrialization and modernization processes, and cases that demonstrate alternative ways of knowing the world and how communities use these types of knowledge. We suggest that deepening the connections between these three lines of research could be fruitful for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this work, the authors analyze the dynamic interdependencies between military expenditures and the real economy for the period 1970–2018, and the authors' approach allows for the existence of dominant economies in the system. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the authors employ a Network General Equilibrium GVAR (global vector autoregressive) model. Findings: By accounting for the interconnection among the top twelve military spenders, the authors' findings show that China acts as a leader in the global military scene based on the respective centrality measures. Meanwhile, statistically significant deviations from equilibrium are observed in most of the economies' military expenses, when subjected to an unanticipated unit shock of other countries. Nonetheless, in the medium run, the shocks tend to die out and economies converge to an equilibrium position. Originality/value: With the authors' methodology the authors are able to capture not only the effect of nearness on a country's military spending, as the past literature has documented, but also a country's defense and economic dependencies with other countries and how a unit's military expenses could shape the spending of the rest. Using state-to-the-art quantitative and econometric techniques, the authors provide robust and comprehensive analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an innovative method for segmented multifractal analysis, aimed at investigating the (in-) efficiency of major global economic sectors. The proposed approach, a modified version of the Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) technique, integrates change-point detection, followed by a segmentation of time series data, just before conducting multifractal measurements at various intervals. This novel method is applied to five indices representing the global financial and economic landscape, including the Standard and Poor 500 index, the Euro/USD exchange rate, Bitcoin’s price, crude oil prices, and the price of gold. The empirical findings reveal substantial structured multifractality, with particular prominence observed in the two commodity price indicators. These results prompt inquiries into the influence of significant events on the efficiency of economic and financial markets. The segmented multifractal analysis opens up new avenues for exploring the dynamics and resilience of these sectors, thereby enhancing our comprehension of their intricate behaviors and responses to diverse stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents innovative approaches to improving the risk management process in the context of developing a strategy for foreign economic activity of enterprise. To identify risks and choose the optimal strategy for foreign economic activity of enterprises (FEA), economic and mathematical modelling was used using the risk matrix and the criteria of Bayes, Laplace, Wald, Savage, Hurwitz, Hodge-Lehman. To approbate the results of the study, enterprises of the pharmaceutical industry were selected. According to the theory of games, in order to improve the risk management process, elements of the payment matrix have been applied, which characterize the profit of pharmaceutical enterprises in foreign economic activity. The use of the Hurwitz criterion, which is a criterion of pessimism-optimism, made it possible to choose the optimal strategy for the selected enterprises. The developed matrix of risks of foreign economic activity (strategic, operational, financial and external) for the selection of the optimal strategy of foreign economic activity through the use of economic and mathematical modelling should be used to determine the risks of the greatest impact at different stages of foreign economic activity using the theory of games. The presented matrix of risks of foreign economic activity is built for domestic enterprises of the pharmaceutical industry and is aimed at improving the process of risk management of foreign economic activity, which will enable enterprises of the pharmaceutical industry to predict risks at the early stages of activity and take into account in the general concept of the strategy of foreign economic activity of enterprises. The pharmaceutical industry of Ukraine was chosen for research because it is the most popular in modern conditions, and, according to the results of the analytical review, very high-risk. That is why the use of economic and mathematical modelling for risk calculation allows to optimize the economic behaviour of domestic pharmaceutical enterprises, while providing a reliable basis for making sound strategic decisions in the process of risk management in the context of developing a strategy for foreign economic activity. The risk management process, consisting of 7 stages and 18 steps, has been improved, and innovative tools have been proposed that facilitate the implementation of risk management in the enterprise in the process of developing a foreign trade strategy. The use of economic and mathematical modelling in risk forecasting and the formation of a foreign economic activity strategy will help enterprise managers to significantly increase management efficiency, reduce risks at the stage of planning foreign economic activity. The article improves the risk management process, which consists of 7 stages and 18 steps, and offers innovative tools that facilitate the implementation of risk management in the enterprise in the process of developing a foreign trade strategy. The use of economic and mathematical modelling in risk forecasting and the formation of a foreign economic activity strategy will help enterprise managers to significantly increase management efficiency, reduce risks at the stage of planning foreign economic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the intersection between Frank Gehry's iconic Hotel Marqués de Riscal (MdR) and the Marques de Riscal winery, investigating their causal relationship with the surge in wine tourism. Using Google Trends data and empirical research, it establishes the influential role of the MdR Hotel in driving positive impacts on the winery and the local economy. Findings highlight: (1) the hotel's symbolic signaling elevates the winery's reputation globally, (2) repositioning efforts lead to increased economic returns and profitability, and (3) the transformational MdR Hotel attracts visitors, generating new economic activity and job opportunities in the Rioja region. Insights into the transformative effects of the iconic MdR Hotel on the winery and the local economy are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is clear scientific evidence of the shift in the probability distribution of climate-related disasters in recent decades. Is this shift reflected in the behavior of forward-looking measures of economic activity such as real exchange rates? I evaluate the role of different belief formation assumptions on the ability of the model to predict the response of real exchange rates to climate-related disasters. I consider Bayesian and backward-looking belief updates as well as static beliefs with no update or a one-time update. To do so, I construct a version of the Farhi-Gabaix (2015) framework augmented with explicit belief formation. I use two approaches to model calibration and simulate the model for 47 countries for 1964–2019 using actual data for climate-related disasters. I find that in general differences in belief formation do not have much effect on the model fit because the productivity loss component dominates the predicted response. Specifically, I find that even in recent years there is no evidence of Bayesian beliefs being a better fit for the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The article proposes an empirical analysis of Brazilian deindustrialization from a Marxian perspective. • Inter-regional input-output analysis is the quantitative instrument used to measure deindustrialization indicators. • Two critical situations indicating structural change are proposed. • The results indicate a process of deindustrialization in Brazil between 1995 and 2010. • The results show that the primary sector is gaining ground in the dynamization of Brazilian capitalism. The article brings new indicators that reinforce the thesis that the Brazilian economy went through a process of deindustrialization. Based on the guiding principle of Marx's reproduction schemes, the instrument of inter-regional input-output analysis was used as empirical method. The output multipliers obtained from the Leontief and Ghosh models were used as indicators for measuring structural changes. Critical situations that can show whether there were structural changes in the sectors of the economy, considering both the local economic activity and its relationship with the world economy, are presented. The main results confirm the existence of a deindustrialization of the Brazilian economy. However, it was found that, in absolute and relative terms, the reduction in the capacity of the Brazilian manufacturing to drive the economy oscillated between moments of greater and lesser intensity. Furthermore, strong indications that the Brazilian primary sector is becoming an enclave were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper estimates the effect of changes in the wage share on the growth rate of the US economy for the period 1947–2019. • We use a time varying parameter model, which allows for continuous changes in the regime over time. This is the first paper that has attempted to do this. • We find that the US economy became more profit-led in the first postwar decades until the 1970s and has become less profit-led since. In the last fifteen years of our sample the effect of changes in distribution on economic activity is statistically insignificant. This paper estimates the distribution-led regime of the US economy for the period 1947–2019. We use a time varying parameter model, which allows for continuous changes in the regime over time. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper that has attempted to do this. This innovation is important, because there is no reason to expect that the regime of the US economy (or any economy for that matter) will remain constant over time. On the contrary, there are significant reasons that point to changes in the regime. We find that the US economy became more profit-led in the first postwar decades until the 1970s and has become less profit-led since. In the last fifteen years of our sample the effect of changes in distribution on economic activity is statistically insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Manufacturing share in India's GDP has increased by about 16 percentage points between 2003 and 2018. • Dominant contribution to increased manufacturing GDP share is made by petroleum refining. • There has been a tremendous increase in the real value-added share of ICT equipment industry. • For assessing properly the performance of manufacturing, double-deflation of GDP is essential. Contrary to a widely held impression that the share of manufacturing in India's GDP has long stagnated, the paper claims that it has increased significantly. Measured at the prices of different goods and services prevailing in 2004-05, and deflation applied separately with input prices as well as output prices to account for differential input price trends, the GDP share of manufacturing has increased during the post-reform period from about 17 per cent in 1993-94 to about 32 per cent in 2018-19. The paper notes that the concept of real share in GDP relates to the volume effect and represents the change in the share of the volume of manufacturing activity out of the volume of all economic activities in the Indian economy. Some explanation is provided for the apparent stagnancy of the share of manufacturing in India's GDP at current prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial processes have changed how economic growth is carried out, yet little research has been done examining how financialization affects the well-established association between economic activity and emissions. We construct fixed effects regression analyses with robust standard errors for 172 nations between 1960 and 2014. In this article, we estimate financial processes' moderation of the association between GDP per capita and CO2 emissions per capita, as well as whether or not such processes reduce the environmental intensity of manufacturing activities. We find that financialization decouples total GDP per capita from emissions per capita but fails to do so for growth from manufacture. Noting the absolute rise in manufacturing activity, we argue that the economic reorganization that financialization represents may obfuscate the ongoing pressure that economic growth places on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platforms indicate a partial but critical shift from the workplace as site to the workplace as infrastructure. Instead of focusing on platforms as mediators of labour, this article asks: how is the platform a workplace? Platforms involve a distinctive geography, creating flexible space that challenges clear distinctions between the inside and outside of the workplace and its action. It is this issue of the location of the structure for action in platformised work that is the problem of infrastructure. Infrastructure, as studies in information work have demonstrated, exists through practices that resolve the tensions between broader structures for activity and specific enactments. The implications of this workplace infrastructure approach have not yet been fully addressed in contemporary social science research on platforms and work. The article begins by outlining how workplaces are not simply sites where work occurs but rather contingently structure work. It then shows how infrastructure names the socio‐technical constitution of this contingent structuring of workplaces, which allows both standardisation and flexibility in information work. These two insights are combined in the infrastructural qualities of platforms that produce workplaces as contingent structures, with the socio‐technical practices of arrangement and coordination as the spatial drivers of workplace flexibility. As infrastructure, the platform workplace is understood as compositor of work; its parameters shape the occurrence of working activity, at the same time as work taking place also alters the parameters of the workplace. This infrastructural approach illuminates other agencies shaping work beyond employer and employee, in turn implying that the study of platform workplaces as infrastructure can shed light on the functioning of contemporary economic activities beyond work. Platforms indicate a partial but critical shift from the workplace as site to the workplace as infrastructure. Instead of fixed sites, platforms produce workplaces as contingent structures, through the socio‐technical practices of arrangement and coordination as the spatial drivers of workplace flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polanyi, Mauss, and others describe reasons for the growing differentiation of economy from other spheres of life. This article proposes a further reason: the increasing invisibility of economic transactions in everyday life. It traces the declining visibility of economic transactions in England and North America from around 1700 to the present, as public marketplaces were displaced by growing longer‐distance trade and the growing role of intermediaries. It suggests that this declining visibility of the economic networks in which people were enmeshed encouraged the development of economic thought, ultimately including the idea of the economy as a distinct realm, which was intended to explain activities and processes that were no longer visible. That economic thought became increasingly complex and incomprehensible to ordinary people, who had to come to believe things that they did not understand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between economic inactivity and religiosity. The aim of the analysis of qualitative data presented here is to examine whether, and how, religious beliefs impact on decisions British-Pakistani Muslim women make about economic activity. Analysis of interview data reveals that none of the interviewees held the belief that economic activity was impermissible (haram) for women in Islam. However, some interviewees held religiously-informed beliefs that paid employment was undesirable, with marked differences in attitudes to economic activity by both age and migrant generation. Alongside this, interviewees described structural constraints to economic activity, for example, limited opportunities for well-paid, local, part-time work. Overall, religious beliefs emerge as significant in the lives of Muslim women because they allow them to make sense of, and find value in, their marginalised positions in relation to the labour market rather than as drivers of economic inactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition required to remove coal from the global energy mix will have major implications across coal producing regions. There is limited work, however, that explores how this transition is being received by communities with multi-generational connections to the industry. This paper explores understandings and responses to transition in the Australian community of Singleton. Located 145 km north of Sydney in the Upper Hunter Valley, the local area has been a site of coal mining activity since the 1850s – helping foster a strong connection between industry and place. Using an emotional geographies framework, we uncover various local feelings associated with the prospect of a future without coal. While these emotional responses can stem from the anticipated material losses of mines and jobs, they have also been found to stem from the mutually imbricated threats posed by a 'hidden dimension of loss'. This dimension of loss positions mining as much more than an emotionless economic activity. Instead, it is uncovered as an activity – a tradition – that can define understandings of place. Whilst set in Australia, this study holds relevance for mining communities internationally faced with the disruption of existing ways of life, identities, and understandings of place as the energy transition unfolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I offer a reinterpretation of late 20th-century 'neo-liberal' transformations of global economic governance. My argumentative foil is a macro-institutional interpretation of the post-1980s period in which neo-liberalism appears as programmatic institutional form and disciplinary formation. I argue that a second, and complementary, dynamic also needs to be taken into account – namely, the emergence and operationalization of a set of critical technologies for embedding practices of reflexivity within the state. I suggest, moreover, that attention to this dimension of neo-liberalization provides a new perspective on the present. I offer an interpretation of the current moment of transition as one in which a similar repertoire of neo-liberal techniques of reflexivization is, in a second iteration, being trained on the architecture of global economic governance itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on urban vitality tends to focus on the built environment. This paper argues that some important processes in shaping vitality may be overlooked without examining the intensity and diversity of economic and human activities. Using newly developed spatial big data and adopting the methods of multi-indicator measurement and spatial analysis methods, we analyzed the pattern of urban vitality in Chongqing, a provincial city in western China and, on this basis, evaluated the creation and maintenance of urban vitality from the economic and human activities perspective. Our findings indicate that the impacts of economic and human activities are positive and significant. Among the three intensity and diversity indicators, economic intensity and population density show an effect on urban vitality stronger than that of economic diversity. However, economic diversity has the strongest superposition or interactive effect, and is thus an important foundation dynamic. The positive effect of population density on urban vitality is largely a result of Chongqing's jobs-housing balance. The case of Chongqing highlights the importance of topographic features, historical inheritance, large-scale migration, and cultural activities in shaping the distinctive vitality pattern of a city. This study contends that the creation and maintenance of urban vitality can not be fully explained without incorporating the impacts of economic and human activities. It contributes to a comprehensive measurement of urban vitality and enriches its connotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From an environmental-historical perspective, this article seeks to contribute to the characterization of mining and metallurgy developed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in the Argentine Cuyo region (Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis). It also seeks to examine the role they played in the region's socio-historical dynamics, particularly in terms of the appropriation of available natural resources and the strategies employed in mining labours. The relationship among economic activities and the environmental configuration of the Cuyo territory and the social agents that lived there is analysed through four case studies that allow for greater understanding of the central role of sociopolitical causes in the definition of environmental transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this paper, we present the zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of a new Bronze Age site in the inland of the Iberian Peninsula. This study represents a significant contribution within the studied area, as it analyses the Pista de Motos faunal collection, one of the few representative samples from this period. This paper significantly contributes to completing the scarce information available for the Bronze Archaeology in the Middle Tagus Valley, located inland of the Iberian Peninsula. The Bronze Age zooarchaeological research for the interior and other regions of the Iberian Peninsula is currently limited. Despite several sites with known zooarchaeological profiles from the period, the main issue is that most of these derive from fragmentary and unrepresentative faunal records or are biased profiles from old excavations. New work has yielded novel zooarchaeological results in recent years that could help fill the existing zooarchaeological information gap in the Iberian inland, particularly in the Middle Tagus Valley. However, these projects are in the initial research stages and have not published much of their results. This paper presents the zooarchaeological profile of the Pista de Motos Bronze Age site to help fill this information gap. It analyses the taxonomic representation, skeletal profiles, and human activity patterns associated with faunal use. These observations suggest that animal exploitation at the site followed two primary purposes. One was linked to economic activities, mainly to obtain meat, milk, wool, or animal labour. The other was probably associated with symbolic-ritual practices suggested by the complete animal burials in some excavated units. We contextualise these interpretations with evidence from other Bronze Age sites in the Middle Tagus Valley. Finally, the paper assesses to what extent Pista de Motos is a relevant site for the zooarchaeology of the Bronze Age in the Iberian inland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The day of the week on which sample members are invited to participate in a web survey might influence propensity to respond, or to respond promptly (within two days from the invitation). This effect could differ between sample members with different characteristics. We explore such effects using a large-scale experiment implemented on the Understanding Society Innovation Panel, in which some people received an invitation on a Monday and some on a Friday. Specifically, we test whether any effect of the invitation day is moderated by economic activity status (which may result in a different organisation of time by day of the week), previous participation in the panel, or whether the invitation was sent only by post or by post and email simultaneously. Overall, we do not find any effect of day of invitation in survey participation or in prompt participation. However, sample members who provided an email address, and, thus, were contacted by email in addition to postal letter, are less likely to participate if invited on Friday (email reminders: Sunday and Tuesday) as opposed to Monday (email reminders: Wednesday and Friday). Given that no difference between the two protocols is found for prompt response, the effect seems to be due to the day of mailing of reminders. With respect to sample members' economic activity status, those not having a job and the retired are less likely to participate when invited on a Friday; this result holds also for prompt participation, but only for retired respondents. Also, sample members who work long hours are less likely to participate when invited on a Friday; however, no effect is found for prompt response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it possible to disengage from street gangs in communities and districts where gang organizations rule? We argue that disengagement is possible when this process does not alter the social order that allows street gangs to continue controlling and establishing the rules that govern economic activities and relationships in the barrios they control. We explore the process of gang disengagement under criminal governance in El Salvador, a country plagued by the powerful MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs. We conducted a survey with nearly 1,200 people with a history of gang membership and 25 in-depth interviews with former gang members. We find that disengagement through religious conversion allows the gang to continue exerting power over the deserters, while at the same time enforcing religious commitment to the congregation. The religious community provides the normative framework that reassures the gang that its former associates will not act against it, consolidating its local authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the evidence that women in Sub-Saharan Africa become entrepreneurs faster than any other group globally, more studies are needed to understand the motivation(s) for their decision to pursue entrepreneurship. This paper aims to contribute to research on what motivates Sub-Saharan African women to become entrepreneurs. A case study approach was utilized to understand the experiences of 20 women entrepreneurs from Sub-Saharan African countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. All the study participants had tertiary-level education and left their corporate careers to pursue entrepreneurship. Pull and opportunity factors were the main factors that motivated the women interviewed to become entrepreneurs. Push and necessity factors accounted for a few cases. The level of education did not dictate the pull and opportunity factors of motivation. These findings are important because previous studies have stereotyped Sub-Sahara African women entrepreneurs with the generalization that they are motivated to become entrepreneurs by push and necessity factors and are often uneducated and on the fringe of economic activity. The paper makes specific policy recommendations for harnessing motivations and linking them to broader economic development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the finite sample performance of two methods for selecting the power transformation when applying seasonal adjustment with the X-13ARIMA-SEATS package: the automatic method, based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Guerrero's method, that is based on the minimization of a coefficient of variation in order to choose a power transformation. For this purpose, we generate time series with different Data Generating Processes considering traditional Monte Carlo experiments as well as additive and multiplicative time series with linear and time-varying deterministic trends. We also illustrate the performance of both approaches with an empirical application, by seasonally adjusting the Mexican Global Economic Activity Indicator and its components. The results of different statistical tests indicate that Guerrero's method is more adequate than the automatic one. We conclude that using Guerrero's method generates better results when seasonally adjusting time series with the X-13ARIMA-SEATS program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What explains human consequences of weather-related disaster? Here, we explore how core socioeconomic, political, and security conditions shape flood-induced displacement worldwide since 2000. In-sample regression analysis shows that extreme displacement levels are more likely in contexts marked by low national income levels, nondemocratic political systems, high local economic activity, and prevalence of armed conflict. The analysis also reveals large residual differences across continents, where flood-induced displacement in the Global South often is much more widespread than direct human exposure measures would suggest. However, these factors have limited influence on our ability to accurately predict flood displacement on new data, pointing to important, hard-to-operationalize heterogeneity in flood impacts across contexts and critical data limitations. Although results are consistent with an interpretation that the sustainable development agenda is beneficial for disaster risk reduction, better data on societal consequences of natural hazards are critically needed to support evidence-based decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A global disaster, such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic, affects every aspect of our lives and there is a need to investigate these highly complex phenomena if one aims to diminish their impact in the health of the population, as well as their socio-economic stability. In this paper we present an attempt to understand the role of the governmental authorities and the response of the rest of the population facing such emergencies. We present a mathematical model that takes into account the epidemiological features of the pandemic and also the actions of people responding to it, focusing only on three aspects of the system, namely, the fear of catching this serious disease, the impact on the economic activities and the compliance of the people to the mitigating measures adopted by the authorities. We apply the model to the specific case of Spain, since there are accurate data available about these three features. We focused on tourism as an example of the economic activity, since this sector of economy is one of the most likely to be affected by the restrictions imposed by the authorities, and because it represents an important part of Spanish economy. The results of numerical calculations agree with the empirical data in such a way that we can acquire a better insight of the different processes at play in such a complex situation, and also in other different circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is based on the current issue of the lack of inclusivity in the economy as a hindrance to sustainable development. Governments, organizations, and individuals are considering the issues of inclusive economy on a practical level in the form of programs, strategies, or regulatory documents. The study and consideration of socioeconomic processes were conducted through the analysis of scientific activity and its results, providing insights into current interests, problems, and needs of society in conditions of sustainable development. The methodological basis of the research includes general philosophical and general scientific methods. The purpose of this study is cognitive modeling of the concept of inclusive economy as a component of sustainable development. The authors argue and justify that inclusive economy is a crucial component of sustainable development. To achieve the goal of the study, the authors identified four key blocks on which the concept of inclusive economy is built in the context of sustainable development: terminological (defining key terms), fundamental (establishing underlying principles), substantive (identifying specific elements), and applied (practical applications). The concept of an inclusive economy is based on the principle of providing all members of society with free and equal access to resources and results of economic activity, which is essential for achieving sustainable development goals. The paper presents data from the index of inclusive development, which assesses the performance of developing countries in achieving inclusive growth and development. The index takes into account environmental and social issues, which underscores the need for developing an inclusive economy as a crucial component of sustainable development. The proposed concept of an inclusive economy as a component of sustainable development will ensure the appropriate level of inclusive economic growth and development by promoting equity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity for politicians to take action to prevent environmental pollution and combat environmental pollution and corruption is made clear by the rise in environmental pollution and corruption that results from growing economic activity and development in emerging countries. The correlation between economic growth, corruption, and environmental harm has been studied for groupings of high-income emerging countries for this reason. The inverted U-shaped correlation between economic growth and environmental pollution is valid for MIST but not for BRCS because of empirical studies taking cross-section dependency into account and assessing the long-term relationship. Additionally, corruption has been demonstrated to worsen environmental contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the monetary structure of economic activity in the setting of the U.S. Civil War. Topics covered include the construction of market architecture and of an economy by the creation of money, the making of material credit in commensurable form, the structural impact of discrete supply and particularized demand, and curating the mode of payment. Also noted is money production's enabling of particular prices, patterns of circulation and specific societal exchange relations.

This paper presents an attempt to examine the place of ICT and Globalization in the world economic activities but did not fail to note, list, and draw attention to the doom being perpetrated by this modern change. Apart from the discussion of some relevant and touchy topics in ICT and Globalization, the paper contains an examination of the concept of ICT, the role of ICT in the economies of the world and ending up in globalization of the entire human race. ICT and Globalization will lead to the risks that many of our valuable information will be lost, stolen, corrupted, or misused. Through the interconnected systems it has become so easy for people to penetrate into others privacy and such unpermitted access could cause harm and loss of computers and files. The gains and losses of ICT and globalization which ought to cancel each other out are in some cases insurmountable, putting nations at advantage over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary economic activity in Pakistan's rural areas is agriculture. For those families, this financial support is essential. In addition to taking care of the home and household, women in rural areas work in agriculture. Women's economic contributions to agriculture are overlooked in this context, and as a result, they continue to work as unpaid employees. The related research work entitled "Investigating the Effects of Work Stress on Women's Satisfaction in Agricultural Activities in District Dir Upper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan" was conducted in Upper Dir District. By applying the Sekaran criteria, a purposeful sample size of 181 farming women was obtained. The dependent variable (women's happiness with farming activities) and the independent variable (work stress) together up a conceptual framework. Data analysis, both univariate and bivariate, was carried out using SPSS (statistical packages for social science). By this, a cross-tabulation (CHI-SQUARE) test was performed to determine whether the dependent and independent variables were related. The satisfaction women farmers experience with their activities was found to have a highly significant correlation (P=0.000) with the following independent variables: farm women perform multiple tasks that impact their physical health; as a result of performing multiple tasks, farm women suffer from malnourishment; unhealthy food has a worse effect on women's health; farm women have less access to health care centers, which increases health issues; challenges related to weather and market values increase mental health issues; and farm women's anxiety is increased by performing various tasks. To facilitate recuperation and relieve mental stress and health difficulties, the government must support regulations that encourage women to engage in financially lucrative agricultural endeavors. Additionally, leisure time, rest periods, and activities involving relaxation should be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer psychology refers to how people think and act within an economic role in market exchange. However, we know little about how consumers actually perceive these roles, or how they understand markets and economic activity more broadly. That is, we lack an understanding of the economic reasoning of non‐expert consumers, how it departs from formal economic reasoning, and why. The current paper is intended to address this gap. We provide an integrative review of research on lay economic reasoning that consistently reveals how differently lay consumers and economists think about markets. We propose a unifying mental model to explain these divergences. Suggest why it is reinforced by what lay consumers observe (and do not observe) through firsthand marketplace experience, and note its potential evolutionary basis. We then highlight how understanding lay economic reasoning can not only help explain a wide array of marketplace phenomena, but also provide a novel lens to help advance, generate, and better integrate theory across many active literatures within consumer psychology. Without markets, there are no consumers and there is no marketing. We therefore call for consumer psychologists to take ownership of the study of lay economic reasoning and make markets more central to marketing scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal resorts, whose dominant economic activities are those of providing an array of recreational services to tourists, reflect this specialization in their land-use patterns. Therefore, the business districts in coastal resorts have a unique morphology, landscape, and land use. However, the literature reflects that there is limited attention to the tourism business districts (TBDs) that have developed in coastal resorts. Moreover, few empirical studies have been conducted in developing countries, such as Thailand, China, and Turkey, as well as developed ones such as United States, Canada, and Italy. This study discusses the TBDs located in Turkey's coastal resorts in terms of location, form, and function. The findings are presented statistically, and detailed maps are presented to explain the TBDs from a geographical and practical perspective. In this study, ArcGIS 10.5 software has been used to perform spatial analysis of the data. The main findings include that Turkish TBDs have similar characteristics in terms of location, form, and function compared to other coastal resorts worldwide. Therefore, it is possible to say that these similar features constitute a model in terms of land use. In addition, the statistical findings of the study are largely similar to those found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assemble a data set of more than eight million German Twitter posts related to the war in Ukraine. Based on state-of-the-art methods of text analysis, we construct a daily index of uncertainty about the war as perceived by German Twitter. We then estimate a VAR model with daily financial and macroeconomic data and identify an exogenous uncertainty shock. The increase in uncertainty has strong effects on financial markets and causes a significant decline in economic activity as well as an increase in expected inflation. We find the effects of uncertainty to be particularly strong in the first months of the war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Did parliamentary constraints foster economic activity or was activity the cause of constraints? This article addresses the first part of this question by examining the long‐term effects of belonging to the Duchy of Württemberg wherein the parliament placed considerable checks on the various dukes from 1495 to 1796. I use a geographic natural experiment and compare areas just inside of the Duchy with adjacent areas outside of it. Economically similar prior to 1495, areas within the Duchy had a higher degree of urbanization and commercialization in the subsequent period. I provide further evidence that this difference reflects three mechanisms: local representation in parliament, improved local public‐goods provision, and attraction of upper‐tail human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though most studies find that sports stadiums are not strong drivers of economic activity in metropolitan areas, localized development effects may be sufficient to justify public subsidies for a host municipality if circumstances are favorable. This analysis examines the economic ramifications of an intra-metropolitan area relocation of Atlanta's professional baseball team from a traditional standalone downtown stadium to a new stadium-anchored mixed-use development in suburban Cobb County. Using the synthetic control method, the study employs metro-Atlanta counties to construct a counterfactual outcome for estimating changes in sales tax revenue after the ballpark opened. The findings indicate a net increase in taxable sales in the county; however, the magnitude of the effect is small and not statistically significant. Though net new spending is evident, approximately one-third of the project's sales appear to derive from crowding out other local economic activity. In total, added tax collections fall well short of covering the public subsidies provided by Cobb. The stadium's limited economic impact, despite its favorable location and ancillary mixed-use development, further supports past findings that sports venues are poor investments as economic development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]