Статьи журнала - Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast
Все статьи: 1587
Статья научная
The concept of natural capital goes beyond nature as a source of raw materials for production and includes consideration of the environment and ecosystems condition in maintaining human wellbeing. For sustainable resource use, it is first necessary to determine the stability of ecosystems to a variety of anthropogenic and technogenic loads. The natural capital of forests includes not only forest (primarily wood) resources, but also the full range of ecosystem services, associated with a healthy habitat. The aim of the study is to assess the condition of ecosystems in the active forestry zone of the Komi Republic due to the long-term use. The novelty of the study lies in identifying the degree of ecosystem stability in this area of the region. We use general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, computer-cartographic form tools, based on the use of ArcView program. Assessment of natural capital components made it possible to differentiate forestry according to the positions “biodiversity conservation”, “water regulation”, “water protection”, “carbon sequestration”; to identify the nature of restrictions and recommend the operation mode, taking into account the necessary environmental protection measures and reduction of anthropogenic load. The relative stability of the ecosystem over the period 2000-2020 was revealed. Threats are expressed in a slight reduction of biodiversity, weakening of groundwater flow accumulation and surface runoff accumulation functions due to intensive logging of low-age forest species. The predominant part is classified as an area of favorable ecological condition, where different operation modes are proposed. However, in a number of forestries there is a situation, when the ecosystem is under strong pressure, which caused a decrease in the stability of the three positions of ecosystem services and characterizes an unfavorable condition of the ecosystem. In this case, a particularly strict operation mode of forest ecosystems with maximum reduction of logging is recommended. Prospective studies are related to the cost estimation of ecosystem services to analyze the possibility of compensating funds for nature restoration in relation to large loggers in the region.
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Consolidation of a regional community in a glocal social reality: socio-cultural barriers
Статья научная
The article is devoted to the problem of socio-cultural barriers to the consolidation of a regional community in the context of rising glocalization trends and an increasing role of regions in social development. In our opinion, consolidation in an unstable social reality can only occur as a regulated nonlinear process, oriented toward establishing strong interpersonal and intergroup communication, mutual trust and loyalty. The purpose of the research is to analyze socio-cultural barriers to regional community consolidation, associated with the specifics of value-normative complexes and attitudes of its constituent actors. We assess people’s dispositions concerning the problem of socio-cultural constants renovation on the basis of a sociological research we conducted in the Belgorod Oblast in 2021. It included a mass questionnaire survey (n = 500), an expert interview (n = 30), three focus groups. It is noted that social consolidation can be based on various grounds, but the most solid among them is sociocultural consensus expressed in integration based on common values, social norms, behavior patterns and attitudes - socio-cultural constants that represent a kind of reference points for consolidation process. We analyze components of the value-normative consensus and conclude that its potential as an attractor of the consolidation process can be realized mainly at the microsocial level (primarily family and family-related environment), which significantly restricts the integration opportunities of the regional community. According to the results of sociological diagnostics we reveal the following barriers to the social consolidation of a regional community: fragility of the value-normative consensus, lack of full-fledged regional identity, insufficient focus of authorities and civil society institutions on creating favorable organizational and technological conditions for social conjunction. We emphasize that the implementation of any consolidation strategy at the regional level must necessarily take into account these barriers and provide for measures aimed at their minimization.
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Construction complex of the region: current state and innovative potential
Статья научная
Construction industry has traditionally established itself as a leading choice; it is designed to reproduce fixed assets, carry on renovation, modernization, technical re-equipment of material goods production and solving social issues on the modern technical basis. Despite the profound crisis of the industry associated with the transition to a market economic model such as a high degree of fixed capital assets depreciation, the low investment activity of construction companies, a high materials output ratio, etc., the growth potential of construction industry is sufficient. It is possible to solve these problems by promoting innovation activity of construction companies, aimed at reducing the cost of finished products, shortening of construction time and enterprises' competitive recovery.
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Consumer in the innovation economy: sociocultural aspects of formation and functioning
Статья научная
The functioning of the innovation economy presents the society with a number of social and cultural issues. One of them concerns the formation of an innovative personality, which is regarded by the majority of researchers as a personality open to experiments, innovation and change, a personality that has creative skills and is able not only to create but also to commercialize new scientific and technological developments, that is, a personality capable of producing innovation in the first place. Meanwhile, of equal importance for the functioning of the innovation economy is a personality that is ready to use innovative goods and services; that is why many countries carry out the research into the innovativeness of producers and consumers. The research findings help identify a group of innovator consumers, which is a key group for producers. Analyzing the innovator consumers' behavior in the market provides an opportunity to define their inherent personal qualities and to formulate their standard of consumption, the main characteristics of which are the absolutization of the value of the new, positive attitude to risk, dominance of the emotional component in consumption to the detriment of the rational component...
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Consumer society and social development: modeling statistical relationships
Статья научная
The article attempts to empirically assess the links between the consumerization process and various indicators of social development. We consider these indicators, as well as the process of consumerization itself, at the macrosocial level, as characteristics of societies. The latter are equated with nation-states, whose sovereignty turns each of them into a kind of long-term social experiment. Based on such “experiments”, we attempted to determine how the degree of expansion of the consumer society in the same countries is related to the indicators of social development. To achieve this goal, we analyze ways to measure the consumerization of societies and their social development, and then conduct a correlation analysis of the available data. It allows testing two competing hypotheses: the negative or positive impact of the consumer society on aspects such as freedom, education, equality, security and happiness. This analysis of statistical relationships suggests that a higher level of consumerization is associated with a higher level of social development, at least on some indicators, such as the level of freedom, gender equality, and subjective well-being. The correlation with these indicators persists even after adjusting for per capita GDP. The presence of statistically significant stable links with social development and the absence of any links with social degradation allows drawing a preliminary conclusion about the refutation of the basic hypothesis of the consumerism criticism and the confirmation of its proponents’ correctness. However, our analysis confirms the connection between consumer society and social development, based on data in a sense formatted by consumer society itself. Therefore, for the final verification of competing hypotheses, it is necessary to develop new, critically oriented quantitative indicators of social development.
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Convergence regions in European Union: features and the evaluation
Статья научная
The process of alignment of socio-economic development of countries and regions in the European Union (EU) - is an important aspect of European integration, which is ambiguous. Common Market Act, which is aimed at improving the economic efficiency of the entire EU, became the subject of many discussions of European researchers, which claimed that its viability on the political and socio-economic levels depends on the ability to fairly distribute the resulting gains between countries and regions in the EU. As the result of these discussions there was a significant increase in funds allocated for the development of the regions of the EU Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and consolidation goals to equalize levels of development of the regions in the first section of the Single European Act. How effective are these efforts shows the presented analysis and assessment of regional convergence (by GDP per capita at purchasing power parity) during the economic boom of the EU (1995-2004) and in the period 2004-2011, when 12 countries in Central and Eastern Europe joined the EU at the same time.
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Corporate social responsibility: assessment methods and the regional dimension
Статья научная
In order to implement all the delegated powers amid lack of economic and financial opportunities, it is necessary for the authorities to search for additional sources of development. One of the key economic actors is represented by business structures which possess a significant amount of financial, investment, labor and other resources. In this regard, it is relevant to develop mutually beneficial cooperation of authorities and business entities. An efficient form of such cooperation, as evidenced by world experience, is social responsibility. However, this practice is not widespread in Russia; Russian research do not pay enough attention to specific tools contributing to enhancing the role of businesses in addressing social and economic issues of territories. The present paper identifies current approaches to the understanding of social responsibility of business and presents the author's interpretation of this economic category. Based on the developed methodological tools, the author makes an appraisal of social responsibility of major chemical enterprises of the Northwestern Federal district...
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Статья научная
The low monetization of the Russian economy occasionally provokes serious debates on the necessity of its substantial increase in order to promote economic growth. However, this step will not change the crisis situation due to the counteraction of structural factors and flaws in monetary regulation. The study of the level of monetization in the periods of stagnation and decline in oil prices in the countries that export raw materials shows it is impossible to promote economic growth only at the expense of additional money supply. The policy of inflation targeting in commodity-based developing economies proves efficient only if commodity prices are growing, when monetary policy restrains excessive credit activity. At present, falling oil prices and a liberal foreign exchange regime stimulate high inflation and decline in credit activities. Therefore, during the time of negative commodity market conditions, it is necessary to readjust monetary regulation so that it could counteract deleverage processes in the real sector of economy. The dynamics of credit activities should become the main regulating indicator instead of the consumer price index. The Bank of Russia should start lowering interest rates if credit activities are declining, even if the consumer price index remains high. It will be possible to return to neutral monetary policy only after the falling trend in oil prices is reversed and credit activities increased.
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Could neighbourhood ties still be important for the migrants in a metropolitan city?
Статья научная
Although neighbourhood ties have diminishing roles in people's lives because the modern metropolis presents so much choice for its residents, they have not completely disappeared, especially for some groups. In metropolitan cities, migrants settle in the areas where other migrants from the same origin live. This situation represents more than socioeconomic factors, and the relationship forms that migrants maintain within and outside their neighbourhoods could be different from one migrant group to another. The aim of this study is to understand the importance of neighbourhood ties in the networks of the migrants in Istanbul, and to examine the type of ties by their geographical locations. According to the results of the analysis which demonstrates the concentration of different migrant groups in the districts of Istanbul, the focus is on the international migrants who came from Macedonia and old Yugoslavian countries (Sandzak region) and who live in Bayrampasa and Besiktas, and internal migrants who came from the biggest metropolitan city Ankara and its border city of Eskisehir and who live in Besiktas...
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Статья научная
The federal program on the formation of comfortable urban environment was initiated in Russia in 2017. Its aim is to improve local and public territories. The program implies the active involvement of citizens, which is taken into account in the Urban Environment Quality Index. On the basis of an empirical study, conducted using mass survey and expert interview methods in the towns of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, the authors analyze a degree of civic participation of residents in the implementation of projects to create a comfortable urban environment and assess the efficiency of existing mechanisms of interaction between society and government. We assume the theoretical provision that a social activity is the citizens’ work to transform the environment, carried out under the influence of external and internal factors. External factors include activities of municipal authorities to inform town residents about the program for creating a comfortable urban environment and to involve them in the implementation of projects. Internal factors are citizens’ personal interest and their meaningful participation in the program. The results of the sociological survey indicate a high potential for citizens’ social activity, which is a necessary condition for effective interaction between government and society and a successful implementation of the program. However, practical participation of urban residents remains weak. The main reasons are the lack of citizens’ awareness about the implemented program, the lack of clear ways of interaction between government and society, as well as an understanding of the program’s fundamental principles, which, in turn, leads to passivity and distrust toward the authorities. The authors conclude that, in order to increase civic engagement, we need a system of measures, which would allow adjusting the existing communication means between government and society and increasing the effectiveness of the program on the formation of a comfortable urban environment.
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Статья
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Creation of the conditions for self-development of the northern territories: budget aspect
Статья научная
The article analyzes the reasons for and consequences of the low level of financial self-sufficiency in the Northern regions, it describes the approaches to the improvement of budget and tax regulation mechanisms in order to increase budgetary self-sufficiency in the territories and enhance their self-development. In addition, the article substantiates the proposals for increasing the share of tax revenues in the regional and municipal budgets and improving the redistribution of budget funds.
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Criteria and resources for social adaptation of Russia's population
Статья научная
The stress caused by social changes that Russia's population experienced due to the change of the socio-economic order forced them to choose adaptation behavior strategies: from active influence on the environment to avoiding problems. In these conditions, the developing branch of knowledge - the sociology of adaptation - was interested in the socio-economic aspects of the issue associated with changes in living standards, social status and economic behavior strategies of members of different stratification groups and the impact of different types of capital. However, studying adaptation as a component of social health is equally important. The goal of the present paper is to study social adaptation of Russia's population and identify its groups with different adaptation potential. We focus on adaptation in terms of resource and subject-activity approaches. European Social Survey data (Russia, sample size is 2,484 people) serve as an empirical base of our research. We consider social adaptation through the indicators of its result: adaptation level and through resources. We identify four latent variables using latent structural analysis of the observed variables that reflect different aspects of adaptation. Two of them characterize the result of adaptation: positive mental health and subjective activity (active behavioral practices in a changing environment). The other two are adaptation resources: internal (high adequate self-assessment, subjectivity, internal locus of control) and external (social support). Using latent-structural analysis we determine the grounds for stratification of Russian society according to the “social adaptation” criterion. We identify groups that are problematic in terms of the dynamics of adaptation processes in the case of the changes in the initial data such as an increase in the external load or a decrease in external resources. We reveal that from the standpoint of the subject-activity approach the maladjustment of an individual is connected with their alienation in professional activity. The novelty of our work lies in the fact that it implements an interdisciplinary approach to the study of social adaptation.
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Critical issues of alcohol safety in the region
Статья научная
The paper presents results of the research into the economic and socio-demographic indicators associated with the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages. It discloses the analysis of the alcoholic beverage market structure in the Vologda Oblast. The authors have identified the threshold of the safe alcohol production volume in the region taking into account the World Health Organization standards of alcohol consumption and the share of illegally produced goods. The article states that the increased alcohol production contributes to the rise in tax revenues, but the state fiscal policy to regulate the alcoholic beverage market leads to an increase in the share of shadow turnover. The authors have calculated the economic loss connected with the illegal production of alcoholic beverages in the Vologda Oblast. The alcohol consumption is a destructive socio-demographic process and one of the threats to the health of the nation. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to alcohol dependence, regression of the society and increases the threat to national and economic security...
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Cross-border investment cooperation in the arctic region: challenges and opportunities
Статья научная
The article considers the investment processes that take place in the foreign and Russian Arctic, the tools to attract investment and the possibility of accumulating best practices in the implementation of investment projects. Analysis of the data on planned, unfinished and cancelled projects in the Russian and foreign Arctic, including joint projects, allows us to reveal problems in cross-border investment cooperation. In the framework of global economic challenges, when discussing the opportunities for the Northern regions alternative to large-scale production and transportation, we determine the need to find new promising areas of investment, including infrastructure projects. On the basis of official, statistical and expert assessments, we analyze the priorities and directions of investment activities in the Arctic and the main tools to increase investment attractiveness and promote investment. We consider European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) Kolarctic 2007-2013 as an analytical case, since it is one of the most effective tools for providing financial support to multilateral cross-border cooperation projects in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region...
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Crowdfunding - a social technology of collective financing: foreign experience of application
Статья научная
The article dwells on the foreign experience of crowdfunding in the case study of a crowdfunding platform. It presents the results of the platform operation by categories of declared projects and the total amount of funding. Analysis of the popularity of the proposed projects, as well as their efficiency is performed in the article.
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Cultural identity as a factor in strengthening the integrity of Russia
Статья научная
The article discusses cultural identity as a driving force and a reserve for strengthening the integrity of the Russian state. The author analyzes the modern social and cultural situation in Russia, reveals the foundations of the phenomenon of contemporary culture, its role in society; he outlines the main directions of research into modern culture as a factor promoting the integrity of Russia.
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Статья научная
The goal of the present article is to evaluate the trends and identify key problems in the socio-economic development of municipal entities and in the development of local self-government, and to identify ways to solve the most acute of them. We consider trends in the development of municipal entities in their relation with the processes of reforming local self-government; the analysis uses not only statistics, but also the results of a local self-government monitoring held in the Vologda Oblast since 2007 in the form of a questionnaire survey of heads of municipalities. This distinguishes our present work from similar works of other scholars and forms its scientific novelty. To achieve our goal we used such scientific methods as economic, statistical and comparative analysis, generalization, expert survey, and a monographic method. We have found out that the main problems that impede efficient management of development of municipal entities are as follows: flaws in the legislation regulating the development of local self-government; lack of own revenue sources and insufficient financial support from the state; low efficiency of interaction with public authorities; lack of complete and reliable information on the socio-economic development of the municipality; non-involvement of the local population; limited powers of local self-government bodies in the sphere of economic development of the territory...
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Current problems of cooperation between Russian and Belarusian enterprises: region’s view
Статья научная
Under the unfavorable geopolitical situation, strengthening bilateral cooperation between Russia and the Republic of Belarus is of particular relevance. Currently, Russia is Belarus’ key trade partner. Despite serious challenges, sanctions and restrictions, Russian and Belarusian enterprises continue developing cooperation in almost all sectors of the national economy and achieving results. According to the results of the first 11 months of 2022, the historically maximum volume of mutual turnover of goods and services - 45 billion U.S. dollars - has been achieved. Analytical data and expert assessments show that the current environment makes it possible to intensify bilateral cooperation between enterprises of the two countries and bring it to a new level. On the other hand, as experts note, the existing situation may become a source of problems that hinder the potential of such cooperation. This condition determines the topic relevance and the purpose of the work. The research aims to identify the barriers to cooperation between the enterprises of Russia and the Republic of Belarus and develop proposals for their elimination. In order to achieve this goal, we have developed a toolkit, which was used to conduct an expert survey (indepth interview method) of managers of enterprises of Russia’s region (the Vologda Oblast), cooperating with counterparties from the Republic of Belarus. We carried out the selection of the expert group by means of the documentary method. The heads of six enterprises of the region, whose activities correlate with the structure of the volume of foreign trade turnover between the Vologda Oblast and the Republic of Belarus, took part in the survey. Approbation of the developed toolkit allows identifying certain problems arising in the course of bilateral cooperation: the problem of value added tax refund in the framework of foreign trade operations, the presence of customs restrictions, including on special-purpose products, the negative effects of economic sanctions and others.
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Статья научная
The transformations in the natural and socio-economic environment occurring in the Far North and the Arctic put forward the problem of regional sustainable development. This makes it necessary to address the task of finding strategic approaches to the management of the nonstandard Arctic region, considering the national interests of many states, including the Russian Federation, which dominates territorially in this region. Taking into account the size of the Arctic space and the extreme conditions of economic management, it seems relevant to comprehend the experience of international cooperation in the Arctic and analyze its use for socio-economic development in the entire Arctic region. The aim of the article is to analyze the current stage of international cooperation so as to find answers to the challenges of socio-economic development of the Arctic region. To achieve the goal, we have analyzed the state policy features of the Arctic states based on strategic planning, thus the northern states are able to adapt to the changing natural, socio-economic and geopolitical conditions. We considered approaches in the implementation of projects to develop mineral deposits on the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean. With the support of international cooperation we give examples of nature management aimed at harmonization of economic interests of business entities and the need to preserve the environment quality in the Arctic. The scientific novelty consists in the critical analysis of the international cooperation features in the Arctic and its readiness to participate in overcoming the new challenges of the Arctic development. The practical relevance of the study lies in the fact that its findings can be used in the educational process in universities, as well as at the state level by executive and legislative authorities in the development and implementation of state policy in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, considering the features of international cooperation.
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