Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast @volnc-esc-en
Статьи журнала - Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast
Все статьи: 1745
Статья научная
The article discusses the results of market reforms in the Russian economic system, and it analyzes the data of the Russian public opinion poll conducted in 2012. The results of the survey are compared with similar data of 1990. As a result, the comparison states that the Russian population does not find significant improvement of economic situation in the country, except for the elimination of the goods deficit. The article also compares the people’s assessment of Russia’s economic transformation with the statistical data on the number of economic parameters. The analysis shows that by almost all the above mentioned parameters the situation worsened or remained unchanged in comparison with the Soviet Union. Thus, the author concludes that Russia’s population as a whole, adequately assesses the results of market reforms. In addition, the article makes an attempt to answer the paradoxical question, why there is an increase in the people’s welfare, when current economic indicators are worse than those at the Soviet periodthe author proposes three sources of wealth growth: high oil and gas prices, the growth of the financial sector, and expansion of the “network society” - informal personal interactions. The article determines latent function of the network society - adaptation of the population to market economy.
Бесплатно
Статья научная
The problem of spatial development does not lose its relevance for large countries such as Russia and China. Single-industry towns deserve special attention. Making up a significant part of the country’s economy, they are subject to numerous risks, many of which have already been realized. In particular, the risks manifested themselves in those cities where the economy is focused on coal mining, the availability of which began significantly reducing. The aim of the work is to propose scientifically substantiated promising directions of transformation of the economy of single-industry towns specializing in coal mining. We chose Pingxiang in Jiangxi Province of China and Vorkuta in the Komi Republic of Russia as examples. The choice of the cities is conditioned by the fact that coal mining will cease in them in the next 15 years. The article retrospectively analyzes their development and investigates their current state. As a result of the work, we proposed directions for the transformation of the economy of the cities under consideration: for Pingxiang, the preservation of industrialization trends, the development of cross-border interregional cooperation between Hunan and Jiangxi provinces in terms of creating logistical infrastructure, strengthening the development of agriculture and creating green infrastructure, ensuring the development of culture and tourism, and modernizing consumption; For Vorkuta, it is the development of the following economic activities: synthesis of artificial diamonds, production of new types of products from coal, extraction of useful elements from overburden dumps, as well as the development of the R&D sector, creative industries and tourism. Scientific novelty of the work consists in substantiating strategic priorities of the development of single-industry towns based on the existing prerequisites and competitive advantages of the territory.
Бесплатно
Статья научная
The article is devoted to the problem of definition of organization and economic mechanisms, contributing to effective implementation of strategic priorities in tourism and recreation development at macroregion level (NWFD). The article also grounds the statement, according to which initiation of mentioned mechanisms gives essentially new possibilities for development of tourism and recreation at the level of separate municipalities and regions of NWFD. The conditions/ factors that constrain and promote mobilization of organization and economic mechanisms are considered as well; it provides recommendations on improvement of current management in tourism/ recreation sector at macroregion level.
Бесплатно
Economy of the region: from crisis to sustainable development
Статья научная
The article analyzes the impact of financial crisis on the economy of the Vologda region, justifies the direction of anti-crisis actions. The necessity of maximum use of small and medium businesses capabilities for way out of the crisis and, streamline of the regional economy structure are emphasized.
Бесплатно
Рецензия
At the new stage of Russia’s development, it becomes especially important to find solutions to urgent economic and social issues of regional development so as to ensure full economic sovereignty and decent living standards and quality of life for Russian citizens. The article discusses the issues related to increasing the role of scientific support in addressing these problems through the prism of a notable scientific and practical phenomenon - the publication of the dictionary-reference book Regional Economics in 2021; the book was prepared by a team of authors at RAS Vologda Research Center and contains the results of the 30-year work of VolRC RAS on providing scientific and practical support to regional and local authorities of the Vologda Oblast, which contributed to the development of the region’s economy, raising the standard of living and improving the quality of life. The published scientific and practical methods for solving regional demographic, economic and social problems and improving the performance of regional and local government bodies represent the main achievements of the book. The article shows that theoretical, methodological and practical solutions to topical regional issues, using the example of the Vologda Oblast, provide scientific and practical communities of other Russian regions with tools for addressing similar problems, taking into account Russia’s spatial features. We outline a number of considerations to develop the theoretical, methodological and practical base of the book so that its methods could be applied creatively in other regions of Russia.
Бесплатно
Ecosystems for the Sustainable Development of Local Territories: A Review of Theoretical Approaches
Статья научная
The disproportions of Russia's spatial development (shrinkage of the developed space, polarization of the settlement system, distortion of the support frame) are challenges for sustainable development and for ensuring national security. In such conditions, local territories are most vulnerable, which, if located far from the centers of resource attraction, have limited opportunities to respond to current challenges. In turn, it is at the local level that the practical implementation of the goals and objectives of sustainable development is carried out, which ultimately determines the situation at higher levels. The ecosystem approach, which assigns a significant role in this process to the participants of the territorial ecosystem and their interaction with each other and with the external environment, seems promising for the study of the sustainable development of local territories. The aim of the review is to analyze scientific discourse on the sustainable development of local territories in the context of an ecosystem approach. The work uses general scientific methods of critical analysis, comparison, generalization, grouping and classification. The information base includes Russian and foreign scientific literature on the sustainable development of individual territorial units and the ecosystem approach, as well as international and Russian regulatory documents in the field of sustainable development. The article discusses terminological features of the concepts “sustainable development”, “ecosystem approach” and “local sustainable development territories”. We reveal the intersections of the concept of sustainable development and the ecosystem approach, and the possibility of their logical combination into a single conceptual framework in relation to local territories. On the basis of generalization and systematization of scientific literature, we define the terms “sustainable development of local territories” and “ecosystem for the sustainable development of local territories”, and identify key structural and functional elements of the ecosystem for the sustainable development of local territories.
Бесплатно
Education opportunities for the population in the changing socio-economic context
Статья научная
Opportunities for the people in the field of education are not just an indicator of achieved social progress, but also a factor that determines the path of future development. That is why the information about the accessibility of quality education for residents of Russia, which is on the difficult way from socialism to capitalism, is so important. Reforms in education were implemented during the whole post- Soviet period, but the most fundamental changes have occurred in recent years. The paper is based on the analysis of evolution of educational legislation in relation to each of the stages of education system, and it also uses the results of sociological research. The article shows the process of further exacerbating and institutionalization of inequality of educational opportunities for families with different incomes and places of residence. It proves that in the emerging socio-economic and institutional context the access to the full value education for a significant share of households is being increasingly restricted...
Бесплатно
Education options for young people from indigenous minorities of the North: regional aspect
Статья научная
The relevance of the problem considered in this article is due to the need to provide qualified personnel for investment megaprojects in the Arctic region, while preserving the traditional culture, language, and life values of indigenous peoples of the North. We use qualitative and quantitative methods of the sociological research we conducted in 2016-2017 on the territory of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of the Tyumen region of Russia: mass surveys of northerners, highlighting among them the indigenous peoples of the North, in-depth interviews of experts and so on. The analysis of scientific domestic and foreign literature on the subject of the study, including the study of Russian and foreign educational practices of different levels in the Arctic regions, allows us to assess the current level of training of qualified personnel for the Arctic. We substantiate possible ways to improve the system of ethno-regional education, assess the satisfaction of representatives of aboriginal ethnic groups with the system of general and professional education and its compliance with the desired future for their children. According to the results of the study, we make the following conclusions. General and professional ethno-regional education for different levels of the Arctic Zone of Russia needs long-term state and non-state support, including corporate and non-governmental support associated with the prospective modernization of its entire system. It is necessary to strengthen the interaction of universities and other educational organizations with companies that participate in neo-industrial development of the Arctic with the aim of expanding the training of specialists in the industries related to the traditional life of indigenous Northern ethnic groups. Ethno-regional education in the Arctic region should be considered on the basis of the standards adopted by UNESCO for minority groups as an inclusive education having a status different from other educational organizations, taking into account the smallness of the majority of schools in Arctic settlements and nomad camps. At the same time, it is necessary to expand the range of educational opportunities for young people who belong to the indigenous peoples of the North.
Бесплатно
Educational migration of school leavers from Karelia: arctic specifics
Статья научная
Studying the migration plans of school leavers is important in the context of the reproduction of the region’s human capital. The article considers youth’s educational migration plans in the case of one of the Arctic regions (Republic of Karelia). The empirical base includes data of sociological research we conducted in November 2022. A total of 3,053 students in grades 8-11 from all districts of Karelia participated in the survey. The main aim of the research is to identify migration intensions of young people, namely school leavers as a social group on the way to choose vocational education in the region or outside it, the reasons for migration moods and potential willingness to return to the area after receiving a profession in another region. We have established that migration moods differ by regions of Karelia: educational plans of the majority of schoolchildren in Petrozavodsk are oriented outside the region, and the northern (non-Arctic) region of Karelia, on the contrary, to Petrozavodsk. However, school leavers of Arctic and southern regions are also focused on studying outside the region, where the flows from the regions are usually directed to the center of their region and then to other regions. It is important to assess the potential return of graduates who leave the region: most of those who are not going to study in Karelia are also going to work there. A comparison of actual and potential outflows of eleventh-graders from the region proves that in fact every third graduate leaves. Most graduates, disposed to leave, romanticize their plans, and only one in four families financially prepare for their child’s education in another region; the rest take no concrete action. The results obtained contribute to studying youth’s migration activity in Russia’s regions that are partially included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, as detailed information is limited for such territories. In practical terms, the research results can form the analytical basis for the timely development of management mechanisms to strengthen and retain youth in the Arctic regions.
Бесплатно
Educational strategies of students in the context of digitalization
Статья научная
Digitalization of education has a serious impact on the nature of the transformation taking place in the learning process and also on the interaction of all participants in the educational process. However, these changes have regional specifics due to uneven digitalization of Russia’s constituent entities and the peculiarities of integration of digital methods by various educational centers. At the same time, the changing meanings and values of education make it necessary to identify and describe educational strategies of modern students, as well as motivation, determining educational strategies. The study is based on the data obtained in the course of the surveys conducted by ISPR FCTAS RAS in 2021 and 2023. Arrays of three large educational centers (Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk) were used for the article. We clarify the impact that distance learning, which had to be implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, had on the educational process, and show that the accelerated process of transition to new educational practices was carried out unevenly, which reflects regional differences in the assessment of online learning formats. It is noted that students’ educational strategies are based on understanding the category of life success. Professionalism is an important component of life success for modern youth. During the data analysis, we identify two main strategies for achieving life success. The first strategy assumes high importance of intelligence as a key component in achieving success and welfare, regardless of the chosen field of activity. The second strategy involves relying on a high level of development of professional data and competencies in a chosen professional environment. Empirical data demonstrate a higher level of proficiency in basic digital skills among students in Moscow. The evaluation vector is shifted from the capital to the periphery. The same situation is observed with respect to students’ assessments of skills related to personal characteristics and safety. The obtained conclusions can become the foundation for designing and implementing tools for adjusting the management system of higher education on the path of modernization processes associated with widespread introduction of information technology.
Бесплатно
Effectiveness of labor market regulation in the region (case study of crisis response measures)
Статья научная
The paper analyzes public administration efficiency in the social and labor sphere. It examines main theoretical and methodological approaches to the concept of “administration effectiveness” depending on different criteria such as the status of the managed object, internal effectiveness of management, social effectiveness, achievement of the target values of indicators, the “cost-result” ratio. The author attempts to analyze a relative effectiveness of labor market management in Russia in each of the federal districts and in the regions of the Northwestern Federal District with special attention paid to the situation in the Vologda Oblast. The article gives a general description of the main crisis response measures that Russia's regions apply in an effort to reduce tensions at their labor markets: proactive training of the workers who are at risk of being dismissed; promotion of self-employment; organization of public works; promotion of employment of persons with disabilities...
Бесплатно
Статья научная
We make an attempt to substantiate the significance of creating institutional conditions for the development of nonprofit organizations; to this end, we identify social and economic impact of their activities on the regional economy. Using the synthesis of theoretical approaches to explaining the reasons for the emergence of the nonprofit sector (theory of interdependence and failure theory) and the results of content analysis of the projects supported by the Presidential Grants Foundation and submitted by socially oriented nonprofit organizations from the Volga Federal District, we identify directions and specify forms of leveling government failures. It was found that socially oriented nonprofit organizations focus on providing a range of services in the education system, health care and social support, which are of priority importance for the formation of people’s basic needs, which can be fulfilled by the state only to a certain limit, regardless of the territory of residence and taking into account residents’ individual needs. When assessing the effectiveness of their own work, representatives of socially oriented nonprofit organizations focus on its social significance, using mechanisms of point solutions to the current problems of the target audience. We identify the range of potential socio-economic effects from the activities of socially oriented nonprofit organization carried out on a systematic and long-term basis in the context of priority areas of their work. We emphasize that our approach, due to the formation of a unified view among economic agents (government, business, society and nonprofit organizations themselves), expands the idea of its importance for the region’s economy and may become a starting point for the creation of institutional conditions for the development of nonprofit organizations in Russia. The prospects for our future research include modeling the management system of specific regions of the Russian Federation based on the creation of institutional conditions to increase the contribution of socially oriented nonprofit organizations to the balanced development of territories.
Бесплатно
Effects of E-commerce on Export Trade: Spatial Panel Data Models for Regions of China
Статья научная
The primary goals of the paper are to examine the impact of e-commerce on export trade and to determine whether the level of e-commerce development has spatial spillover, siphoning, and threshold effects on export trade. The goals predetermined the choice of research methodology. This paper constructs the spatial lag model and threshold model based on the panel data of 31 China’s regions (provinces and other districts) from 2009 to 2022. The empirical results show a strong spatial autocorrelation and a robust spatial lag effect on the export trade in China. The improvement of the regional e-commerce level can directly promote the development of local export trade and has a significant positive spatial spillover effect, i.e., the improvement of the local e-commerce level can lead to the development of export trade in neighboring regions; there is no siphoning effect between provinces. According to the result of the threshold effect, there is a single-threshold effect of e-commerce on the impact of export trade, and the positive effect of different levels of e-commerce development on export trade is on an upward trend. The value of the research is a specific application of spatial regression modeling in empirical studies, and the findings provide insights for promoting the synergistic development of e-commerce and export trade
Бесплатно
Статья научная
The authors have performed a monitoring medico-sociological research aimed to study the system for organizing the treatment of patients with arterial hypertension (AH) at the territorial level. The survey was conducted among physicians in 2010. The results of this examination are presented as a set of filled-in expert assessment charts. The randomized sample (338 people) was effected by random selection. Sampling error does not exceed 5% (α = 0.95). The authors have analyzed the representative data in order to assess the quality of implementation of the program “Prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension in the Vologda Oblast population” and provide analytical support in management decision-making. The authors have also assessed the demographic and economic losses due to health deterioration caused by diseases of the circulatory system. In addition, the authors have proposed the measures to improve health care practices in order to enhance the efficiency of using people’s labor and life potential.
Бесплатно
Статья научная
The article presents a methodology for evaluating the efficiency of measures and tools of state policy in the field of science and technology. The approach was developed and tested in order to improve the mechanism for monitoring the achievement of strategic goals of Russia’s scientific and technological development discussed at the meeting of the Presidential Council for Science and Education on February 8, 2023. The implementation of this direction is of great importance for ensuring technological sovereignty of the country. In the course of the research we used general scientific methods: analysis, synthesis and generalization, observation, comparison, measurement, grouping. Statistical methods such as correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were also used to implement the main task. The assessment was carried out in three directions: effectiveness assessment, assessment of the growth rate of targets, and assessment of the relevance of measures and tools of state policy in the field of science and technology by the scientific community. Based on these criteria, a set of data and a conclusion on the efficiency of public policy tools and measures were formed. The results obtained indicate the average efficiency of the tools and measures of state policy in terms of their effectiveness and relevance. The growth rates of most indicators are characterized by negative dynamics. This is primarily due to the fact that during the second stage of the implementation of the scientific and technological development strategy, restrictions caused by coronavirus infection were introduced, and we should also point out an increase in sanctions pressure.
Бесплатно
Efficiency of the state's “manual” management. Challenges of 2020
Статья научная
The following materials logically continue the chief editor’s article «Another Step towardV. Putin’s “Long State”», which was published in the previous issue of the journal “Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast” (no.1, 2020). Basics of a new Russian statehood, which the President has been building for the last 20 years, are tested by epidemiological and socio-economic crises, caused by COVID-19 pandemic, and the drop of oil prices. Efficiency of the state’s “manual” management, which V. Putin has been implementing during all his presidential terms, is also going through challenges. The author’s position on the development of the political situation in the country, based on the analysis of facts, statistical data, results of population’s sociological surveys, and experts’ assessments, proceeds from the fact that, in a current difficult situation, the President personally (publicly, attracting expert community and general population) get “ahead of the curve” to maintain stability and provide conditions for the long-term implementation of the prospective political course of the country’s development. Such actions include timely initiation of the large-scale discussion and the adoption of the respective law on amending the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the provision of the ensured opportunity to continue national-oriented development course for the next 15 years at least. Thus, despite force majeure global circumstances and complicated domestic situation, the President takes steps aimed at the preservation and strengthening of the Russian statehood in the future. It once again shows the historical role of V. Putin and allows us to expect with cautious optimism the Russia’s “withdrawal” from the current situation without, at least, losses for national security and competitiveness while keeping prospects for further sustainable development.
Бесплатно
Статья
Бесплатно
Статья научная
Along with the transition of the Russian economy to innovation development, the role of innovation entrepreneurship as a driver of intensive economic growth has significantly increased. This type of entrepreneurship provides regions with competitive advantages. The purpose of the study is to assess the extent of influence of innovation entrepreneurship on the level of economic development of Russian regions by testing the technique of regression analysis of panel data. In order to achieve this goal, we addressed the following tasks: first, we reviewed scientific papers that investigate the influence of the innovation factor (including innovation entrepreneurship) on the development of the regional economy; second, we selected and scientifically substantiated the choice of statistical indicators that reflect, on the one hand, the development of innovation entrepreneurship and on the other - the development of the economy of Russian regions; third, we analyzed the impact of innovation entrepreneurship on the economic development of Russian regions on the basis of the indicators selected and with the use of econometric tools. We applied the following scientific methods: systematization, generalization, study of literature, documents, and results of activities. We should separately highlight the method of mathematical modeling that we used to perform a regression analysis. The following results were obtained: first, on the basis of the review, we found that innovation entrepreneurship has a significant impact on the development of the economy of regions, especially during recession periods; second, the results of the regression analysis allowed us to confirm the hypothesis that innovation entrepreneurship should be considered a significant factor in economic development of Russian regions. We also revealed that in the conditions of the modern domestic economy, the technological component of innovation entrepreneurship (the essence of which is the development of innovative solutions) is the most prominent one.
Бесплатно
Electronic education and innovative economy development in Russia
Статья научная
Demand for education for human potential development in the innovation economy, demographic problems of Russian society and reforming the education system force to think about the development and introduction of new forms of learning. One of them is E-Learning. The concept of e-learning meets the new paradigm of “education through life”, and also it is the most effective tool for the development of information society and innovation-based economy.
Бесплатно
Elite economics and political instability
Статья научная
The article puts forward a new version of elite theory based on the use of a macroeconomic production function depending on the number of the elites and the masses. At the same time, the production function of the elites is complemented with the distribution function, which determines the income structure of social groups and the level of inequality. Combining the two sides of the activity of the elites allows us to design a simple typology of political situations in the country and highlight the regime of revolutionary situation. A formal analysis of the model of production activity of the elites has shown that the phenomenon of over-accumulation of the ruling class has a noticeable destructive impact on economic growth only after a severe drop in its functioning effectiveness. The very deterioration of the quality of the political elite allows an unjustified increase in its size to manifest itself. We consider generalizations of elite model in relation to the case of the middle class and show the invariance of the previously obtained conclusions. We provide an interpretation of the macro-theory of the elites for the mega-level, when studying the world economic system as a combination of the center, periphery and semi-periphery. We consider four dimensions of the elite, with system paradigms being a new element within these dimensions. The influence of external historical events on the worldview of the elites and their actions is revealed using the examples of the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, the collapse of the USSR and the beginning of the fall of the U.S. hegemony. For the center - periphery system, we test the production model of the elites with the help of statistical data from the World Bank; we build econometric dependencies that show a decrease in the effectiveness of the United States in managing global production.
Бесплатно
