Consumption Structure Research Articles

The Impact of the Digital Divide on the Development of Network Markets (Using the Example of the Video Services Market)

Introduction. The problem of the digital divide appeared in the 21st century as a result of the dynamic spread of digital technologies and it very soon became the center of numerous studies and scientific discussions. Today the digital divide is considered to be an urgent socio-economic problem that is widely discussed in the scientific community both in the context of asymmetric access to the social infrastructure (in the context of unequal access to education, healthcare, socially significant information through the use of communication technologies) and in the context of the impact of the digital divide on various significant aspects of a person’s life. The impact of the digital divide is felt in the real and monetary spheres, at the level of individuals and at the level of society, in the markets of goods and services. In this article, we suppose to analyze the impact of the digital divide on the development of network markets (using the example of the video services market).Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the study consists of the following research methods: the method of comparative analysis; the method of synthesis; the method of complex analysis of the socio-economic phenomenon; the method of formal logic; the statistical method. Reseach results. As a result of the analysis, it was revealed that the digital divide affects the development of network markets in several directions: the dynamics of growth through the possibility of access and the content of potential consumers; the speed of the distribution of network externalities through an increase in the number of consumers; the consumption structure and attributes of network goods through product personalization, taking into account the specifics of a particular digital divide.Discussion and conclusions. As a result, the article states the necessity to take into account the factors of the digital divide influence both on a company operating in the video services market and on a country interested in the development of the video services market. Considering these factors will allow them to be used in order to optimize the behavior of players in this market. Among the problems hindering the more dynamic development of the video services market in Russia, in addition to the standard challenges (income level, specifics of the digital divide, price limits), it should be noted the continuing negative experience of illegitimate players’ behavior in the market, representing some sort of an institutional trap.

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF INFLATION ON THE SOCIAL WELFARE IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

The foundation of every country's socio-economic policy is the improvement of the social welfare. Improving the social welfare is directly dependent on the state's intervention in the economy. The government promotes social welfare by regulating the economy both directly and indirectly. However, merely increasing wages, pensions, allowances, and so on is not enough to raise social welfare. This is because such increases may lose their value due to the effects of high inflation. Therefore, in addition to working to increase incomes, the government must also keep inflation under control. This article evaluates the changes that have occurred in recent years in Azerbaijan's population's social situation, as well as in the structure of household income and expenditure. The impact of inflation on the population's social situation, including money incomes (wages, pensions, allowances, etc.), is also analyzed. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that in recent years, a positive trend has been observed in the social situation of the population in Azerbaijan. Specifically, the income of the population, including wages, pensions, benefits, etc., has increased, and the levels of poverty and unemployment have decreased significantly. However, a large portion of the population's income has been directed towards consumption expenditures. In other words, the expenses directed towards savings have been minimal.

The Marketization of Home Production: Does Production Time Transfer Between Home and Market?

We use the microeconomic theory that takes into account household production and human activity in the non-market sphere to analyze the phenomena of a macroeconomic nature. We check the activation of women in the labor market, a phenomenon observed in Western European countries and the United States, among others. The decision to become economically active reduces the opportunity to devote time to previously undertaken activities, including a reduction in the time spent on housework. This often involves a significant change in the structure of consumption, which, at the macroeconomic level, is associated with the creation of new jobs and a change in the structure of the economy. Structural change is understood as the transfer of economic activity between the three main sectors of the system, namely agriculture, industry and services. This study uses microeconomic data from two waves of the TUS in Poland. The so-called marketization hypothesis was tested separately for three groups of women aged 18–24, 25–44 and 45–59. When estimating the parameters of the models, characteristics such as having a partner, having children under six and educational attainment were taken into account. The calculations show that women aged 25–44 are relatively active in the labor market, but it is those aged 18–24 who fulfill all of the conditions that support the marketization hypothesis.

Transition of Food Consumption Patterns and Carbon Footprint of Urban and Rural Residents in China

The food system is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions, and the carbon footprint analysis of food consumption under the dual carbon background is of great significance for the sustainable development of the food system. To reveal the differences in food consumption patterns and carbon footprints between urban and rural residents in China, the life cycle carbon emission coefficient method was used to measure the direct carbon emissions of food consumption by urban and rural residents in China from 2000 to 2021. From the perspective of carbon footprint composition, the following main conclusions were drawn： ① The structure of food consumption among residents in China shifted from predominantly plant-based to a balanced consumption of both plant- and animal-based foods, reducing the disparity in various food consumption quantities between urban and rural residents. ② The per capita carbon footprint from food consumption among Chinese residents exhibited an overall increasing trend from 2000 to 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 1.4%. Grain consumption contributed the most to the carbon footprint （22.2%）. ③ Currently, urban residents in China demonstrate significantly higher food consumption carbon footprints compared to those of rural residents, and this trend is continuously rising. In urban areas, the carbon footprint of plant-based foods was increasing at a higher rate than that of animal-based foods, while the opposite trend was observed in rural areas. ④ Factors such as per capita disposable income, per capita GDP, Engel coefficient, population structure, and various food consumption carbon footprints, as well as per capita food consumption carbon footprints, exhibited significant correlations. Here, we conducted a comprehensive study on the eating habits of urban and rural residents in China, along with the carbon emissions associated with their food consumption, which offer valuable insights that can guide sustainable food consumption practices among Chinese residents and contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality in the food industry.

Goal-Setting in Budget Expenditure Reviews: A Comparative Analysis of Russian and Foreign Practice

The purpose of the study is to analyze Russian and foreign goal-setting practices when choosing types of expenses and problems that will later be considered in the framework of budget expenditure reviews. The author used methods of comparative legal, logical and systemic analysis. The study showed that goal setting has a major impact on the process of selecting issues when budget expenditure reviews are preparing, on their structure and subsequent use: at the same time, there is a competition between the goals of saving and increasing the efficiency of budget expenditure. The goals of saving budget become a priority in a situation of increasing budget deficit, or under pressure from international structures such as the European Commission. At the same time, the task of overcoming budgetary incrementalism, that is, the annual “inheritance” of the structure and volume of current expenditures, is usually not solved, even if it is reflected in the reviews. Thus, the main task in preparing reviews is to increase the efficiency of budget expenditures, which, as a rule, means a very vague range of management decisions. In addition, increasing the efficiency of budget expenditures, as a rule, is not achieved in practice. The study also showed that most countries, as a rule, do not use any formalized methodology when setting goals and selecting types of expenditures for subsequent reviews of budget expenditures.

On Structural Transformation of Consumption under Sanctions Restrictions

Consumption is the most important component of the economic system development, determining its reproductive potential and, consequently, determining economic growth. The relevance of the study of consumption structure transformation is conditioned, on the one hand, by the formation of the global information environment, digitalization of the economy, which affect the change in consumption parameters; on the other hand, by large-scale sanctions restrictions in relation to the Russian economy. The analysis of the peculiarities of structural transformation of consumption in the context of sanctions restrictions creates opportunities to identify trends, problems and strategies of consumption transformation in the Russian economy. The study of the structure and dynamics of consumption, savings in the income of the population, as well as the reduction of the share of consumption in income, is an important task, since the determination of the significance of this aspect determines the trajectory of the realization of state economic policy, structural approach to the choice of its tools.

Управління бюджетними видатками в умовах війни

Introduction. In conditions of martial law, the role and importance of budget expenditures in solving the problems of a warring country increases. After all, expenditures on the country's defense determine the degree of resistance to the aggressor, the completeness of providing the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ammunition, modern combat equipment, FPV drones and other technological weapons. Problem Statement. In conditions of martial law, as in peacetime, the key task of the budget system is to increase its efficiency, including through transparency, accountability, promoting innovation and investment attractiveness, sustainability of public finances, etc. This can be achieved by fulfilling a number of important scientific and practical tasks, including optimization of budget expenditures, effective allocation of funds, prioritization of budget programs, investment projects, targeted use, as well as timeliness and completeness of financing in order to achieve the predicted final result. The purpose is an analytical assessment of changes in the management of state budget expenditures during the war and the development of mechanisms for increasing their effectiveness while maintaining financial stability. Methods. General scientific and special methods were used: comparative analysis, synthesis, grouping, description, tabular method, theoretical generalization and abstract-logical. Results. The budget legislation on the management of budget expenditures, which is applied in peacetime and under martial law, was analyzed. The dynamics of the growth of the share of State Budget expenditures and, accordingly, the decrease in the share of local budgets in the overall structure of expenditures of the consolidated budget of Ukraine were highlighted. The dynamics of the consolidated budget were analyzed by functional classification and the priorities of budget expenditures were established in peacetime, as well as during the period of full-scale Russian invasion. The reasons for the emergence of such a permanent phenomenon for the domestic budget system as a budget deficit were indicated. The emergence of a deficit in wartime and the forced need to increase Ukraine's military-industrial potential in order to stop the aggressor are substantiated. A mechanism for improving approaches to managing defense budget expenditures is proposed. Conclusions. It is important to effectively manage budget expenditures both in peacetime and in martial law to meet urgent public needs. The priorities of budget expenditures in peacetime are significantly different from the needs of a warring country: these now include ensuring the financing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the security sector in general, as well as maintaining a balance between financing military needs and social protection of the population. The relevance of the problem of finding sources of covering the budget deficit has increased, since the war has not only exacerbated chronic problems, but also brought new challenges associated with external shocks and threats, in particular, the lack of access to external financial markets. In such a situation, the burden on the budget system increases significantly. Currently, the Government of Ukraine has managed to avoid default, so the situation is under control and requires efforts to introduce efficient mechanisms for effective management of budget expenditures, which will have a positive impact on the recovery of public finances and guarantee long-term macro-financial stability.

Multi-Objective Operation Optimization of Park Microgrid Based on Green Power Trading Price Prediction in China

The dual-carbon objective aspires to enhance China’s medium- and long-term green power trading and facilitate the low-carbon economic operation of park microgrids from both medium- and long-term and spot market perspectives. First, the integration of medium- and long-term green power trading with spot trading was meticulously analyzed, leading to the formulation of a power purchase strategy for park microgrid operators. Subsequently, a sophisticated Bayesian fuzzy learning method was employed to simulate the interaction between supply and demand, enabling the prediction of the price for bilaterally negotiated green power trading. Finally, a comprehensive multi-objective optimization model was established for the synergistic operation of park microgrid in the medium- and long-term green power and spot markets. This model astutely considers factors such as green power trading, distributed photovoltaic generation, medium- and long-term thermal power decomposition, energy storage systems, and power market dynamics while evaluating both economic and environmental benefits. The Levy-based improved bird-flocking algorithm was utilized to address the multi-faceted problem. Through rigorous computational analysis and simulation of the park’s operational processes, the results demonstrate the potential to optimize user power consumption structures, reduce power purchase costs, and promote the green and low-carbon transformation of the park.

The Impact of Fintech on Consumer Decision Making

This study explores the multifaceted impact of fintech on Chinese residents' consumption decisions. With the rapid development of financial technology, cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies have driven the innovation of financial products and services, and significantly changed the consumption patterns of Chinese residents. The study first analyzes the changes in the consumption structure of Chinese residents, and points out that with the development of the economy, the consumption of life enjoyment has gradually increased. Next, the paper explores the impact of fintech on consumers of different ages, finding that the younger generation prefers convenient digital payments and financial services, while the older people have begun to adapt to fintech driven by the pandemic, but still face technical challenges. The study also summarizes the factors influencing consumers' use of fintech, such as perceived benefits and social norms as key drivers, while trust can mitigate the negative impact of risk perception. The conclusion points out that fintech has significantly improved the consumption level by improving service convenience, optimizing payment methods and promoting consumption upgrading. Looking ahead, fintech will further promote consumption upgrades in the global economic transformation, but it needs to focus on safety and inclusion to achieve sustainable development.

Assessment and Prediction of the Food Production Capacity and Consumption Gap in Arid Oasis Metropolitan Area.

Food security is the foundation of sustainable human development, and the balance between food supply and demand in urban areas is highly important for promoting residents' health and the sustainable development of cities. This paper takes the Urumqi Metropolitan Area (UMA), a typical oasis urban area, as the study area and uses the food production-demand gap indicator to assess the balance of food production and consumption in the region from 2000 to 2020 and projects food demand in 2030-2060. The results show, first, that residents' food consumption is characterized by high carbohydrate, protein, and fat consumption, and that this put more pressure on food production. Second, different food consumption structures will have different impacts on food production, and the local food production capacity in UMA falls short of ensuring a balanced nutritional structure for residents. Third, food demand increases significantly in 2030-2060, and the pressure of population consumption structure on food production is much greater than that of population growth. Considering the environmental effects of food transportation and the loss of food nutrients, on the production side, the construction of the UMA should be accelerated by including Qitai County and Jimsar County in the UMA's planning scope, strengthening city-regional connections, and improving the local food production and supply capacity of surrounding areas. On the consumption side, regional dietary guidelines should be developed based on local dietary culture and agricultural production conditions to help guide residents to adjust their dietary structures, thereby alleviating pressure on local food demand. Such measures are crucial for ensuring sufficient food supply and promoting balanced nutrition among the population.

The impact of demographic dividend shift on household consumption:Evidence from China

The study empirically examines and tests the impact and main effect mechanisms of the demographic dividend shift on residents’ consumption using provincial panel data. The study shows that the demographic dividend shift has significantly increased the per capita consumption expenditure of urban and rural residents in general, which is mainly realized through the two influences of increasing the per capita disposable income of residents and improving the regional consumption environment. Moreover, in addition to the expansion of consumption, the demographic dividend shift also has a significant positive impact on the upgrading of consumption structure; and the consumption expansion effect of the demographic dividend shift mainly comes from the significant positive impact on the consumption of rural residents, while the impact on the consumption of urban residents is not significant; in the areas where China’s labor force outflows are small, the demographic dividend shift promotes per capita consumption expenditures of both urban and rural residents significantly more strongly.

Political participation and digital communications of Russians after the start of the SMO: features and main forms

The article is devoted to identifying key changes in the practices of political participation of Russian citizens during the period of a Special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, caused, among other things, by the transformation of public political discourse and the digital environment. Analyzing the phenomenon of social consolidation in the conditions of ITS, key models of political participation and changes in media consumption of Russians over the past two years, the author concludes that after February 24, 2022, a certain transformation of public discourse and structure of media consumption, as well as related practices of political participation of Russians, took place in Russia. There is a differentiation of the socially active part of the population into two unequal groups: on the one hand, a dissenting protest minority, whose main form of political participation and "statements" were emigration or spontaneous protests; on the other hand, a consolidated patriotic majority expressing support for the activities of the country's leadership through traditional as well as new forms of participation: charity, volunteering, "pro-government" electoral behavior, information and campaigning work. It is also noted that the prevailing practices of political participation due to the use of digital technologies today are volunteer activities (including "virtual volunteering"), protest political participation, as well as conventional practices of electoral participation using remote electronic voting technologies.

Britain’s Policy of Socio-Cultural Influence: the Current State and Recent Developments

The paper deals with the latest developments in Britain’s socio-cultural influence on the world stage, including changes in institutional design of governance as well as sources and volume of financing. Primary funding source as well as official conceptual framework for the development of British foreign policy influence programs is provided by the development assistance policy. The author looks into the structure and dynamics of expenditures and draws a comparison with other leading Western powers. The research shows no significant transformations of approaches over the last decade as far as general logic and influence mechanisms are concerned. However, the paper identifies trends towards growing politicisation and weaponisation of sociocultural influence. The conclusion is made that Britain’s foreign influence policies are in the process of the biggest upheaval over the last 25 years amidst funding cuts and more strict subordination to short-term national interests and political priorities. These changes are not unprecedented in terms of British foreign policy history, including the Thatcher era. Socio-cultural influence remains significant, and frequently essential London’s foreign policy tool. The British establishment makes attempts to readjust and sharpen the existing influence toolkit according to the logic of interstate rivalry. London effectively tries to return to previous historical epochs in the new international setting and altered global balance of power. These decisions appear to a great extent opportunistic and do not promise consistence and soundness to the chosen political course although they contribute to its growing unpredictability.

The role of tobolsk diocesan women's school in maintenance orphans and poor maidens of clerical rank

The article considers the activity of Tobolsk Diocesan Women School, organized regarding its social functions, which prevailed at its establishment. The reports of the Society of Assistance to Needy Pupils of Tobolsk Diocesan Women School from the funds of Tobolsk Historical and Cultural Museum’s scientific library and Tobolsk Diocesan Bulletin provided the author with the materials for the analysis. The proposed data is firstly introduced into the scientific literature. The positive dynamics in the school's activity is shown, the termination of which occurred due to the violent change of the state form of government in the revolutionary years. The article reports that the total number of pupils yearly increased, due to the expense of the poorest clergy children as well, raised the issue of organizing a society supporting needy pupils, which, at the expense of attracted donations, would be able to ensure its activities accumulating funds and acquiring the State bank securities. It is emphasised that the society brought certain fruits within a short period of its activity, partially satisfying financial needs of orphans and the poorest clergy daughters by purchasing schoolbooks, buying summer and winter clothes and shoes, issuing annual allowances and repayable loans for urgent needs. A detailed classification of the structure of income and expenditures is proposed. The author concludes that the activity of Tobolsk Diocesan Women School on thier orphans and poor clergy daughters' social welfare, though not changing the overall picture of poverty anong the clergy, still can be positively characterized.

Research on Interprovincial Embodied Carbon Transfer Network in China and Its Endogenous Dynamic Evolutionary Mechanism

This paper uses the multi-regional input–output model to measure China’s interprovincial embodied carbon transfer and constructs an interprovincial network; then, the temporal exponential random graph model is applied to analyze the spatial correlation characteristics and endogenous evolutionary mechanism of the network. The results show that interprovincial embodied carbon transfer relationships are increasingly close in China, but the weak symmetric accessibility between the eastern and central regions leads to less reciprocity in the embodied carbon network, and carbon emission inequality still exists. Based on the identification of networks, it is shown that the global network structures are stable, with obvious small-world characteristics and a core–periphery structure. And a structure-dependent effect and time-dependent effect also exist in the formation and evolution of the interprovincial embodied carbon transfer network in China. The popularity, multi-connectivity, and path-dependent effects among the provinces are significant, but the imperfection of interprovincial communication and the cooperation mechanism leads to the failure to form stable structures of ternary closed loops. Interprovincial embodied carbon transfer relationships tend to occur between provinces, with large differences in energy consumption structures, while geographical distance can hinder the formation of embodied carbon transfer relationships. Consequently, considering the spatial network correlation and its endogenous dynamic evolutionary mechanism, it is important to implement policies to guide coordinated carbon reduction among the provinces and to improve the fairness in embodied carbon transferring, in order to promote the fine governance of all links in the transferring process of embodied carbon.

The Impact of Vertical Fiscal Imbalance and Local Government Expenditure Structure on the Quality of Economic Development in China: A Study Based on a Simultaneous Equations Model

The challenge of improving economic development quality and achieving sustainable growth has become a pressing issue for the Chinese government. This study explores the interaction between vertical fiscal imbalance, local government expenditure structure, and economic development quality. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2008-2022, the study applies the three-stage least squares method to assess the dual impact of vertical fiscal imbalance on economic development quality. The results demonstrate that vertical fiscal imbalance not only has a direct negative impact on economic development quality but also indirectly impairs it by constraining the expenditure structure. Moreover, local government expenditure on public welfare projects plays a pivotal role in improving economic development quality. This study highlights the importance of addressing vertical fiscal imbalance in improving economic development quality. It recommends a rational division of fiscal powers and responsibilities between central and local governments, reforms to China’s fiscal transfer payment system, and optimization of the expenditure structure to mitigate vertical fiscal imbalance and enhance China’s economic development quality.

A181: The Realistic Path of Green Sports to Boost Urban Development

Green sports is an emerging form of sports that pursues the integrated development and harmonious coexistence of sport, humanities, and ecology. As the interaction between the green sports industry and cities becomes increasingly closer, it is of great practical significance to explore how the development path of green sports can enhance urban development. Green sports have the characteristics of close industrial connection, environmental protection, low carbon, and a huge consumption base. It can promote the transformation of social, economic, and ecological models of cities by bringing into play the economic vitality, social benefits, and ecological benefits of the green sports industry. However, due to misconceptions, insufficient binding policies, and the lack of effective development paths, green sports in China have always been stagnant in promoting urban development. This paper explored the practical paths of modernized green sports development in China by using literature, expert interviews, and case study methods. It was argued that the role of green sports in promoting urban development is mainly reflected in how the advancement of this industry helps establish a favorable city image, alleviates the lack of public space for urban sports, promotes urban economic growth, realizes the optimization of residents’ consumption structure, and promotes the ecological transformation of cities. In view of this, it was proposed that universities should rely on the curriculum to cultivate students' concept of green sports, guide students to practice green sports development guidelines, and rely on events to implement green concepts. Cities should build a green sports industry circle, create regional brand events, build integrated policy standards, develop a green sports events market, establish a complete guarantee mechanism, shape a humanized space environment, stimulate new vitality of green development, and promote digital development. These strategies will jointly build a harmonious development path between green sports and the city, realizing the co-development of people, sports, and the environment, and collaborate to promote the prosperity of the city.

The impact of rural human capital on household energy consumption structure: Evidence from Shaanxi Province in China

The structure of rural household energy consumption is crucial for rural residents' living standards and quality of life, constituting an integral component of energy transition and promoting Chinese-style modernization. Meanwhile, rural human capital is a prerequisite for agricultural and rural modernization. Drawing on survey data from 791 households in Shaanxi Province, this study empirically examines the impact and mechanisms of human capital on the household energy consumption structure with the ordinary least square (OLS) model and instrumental variable (IV) method. The findings indicate that human capital significantly reduces traditional energy consumption while increasing the adoption of transitional and advanced energy. This conclusion remains robust after rigorous testing. Mechanism analysis reveals that human capital facilitates the shift from traditional to transitional and advanced energy by enhancing purchasing power, environmental awareness, and the frequency of energy-saving technology usage within households. Further analysis demonstrates that higher levels of human capital correlate with a greater likelihood of households transitioning from traditional energy to transitional and advanced energy. Particularly, households with a high school education exhibit a significant increase in the consumption of transitional and advanced energy while notably reducing traditional energy consumption. Moreover, compared to low-income households, human capital has a significantly positive effect on increasing the adoption of advanced energy in high-income households. Hence, prioritizing investment in rural education, providing more educational resources, improving school facilities, and implementing incentive policies to emphasize education within households are recommended strategies to enhance rural residents' human capitals. This, in turn, facilitates their adoption of transitional and advanced energy, reducing dependence on traditional energy.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ethiopian soils: Distribution, sources, and implication from energy consumption structures

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ethiopian soils: Distribution, sources, and implication from energy consumption structures

China's energy efficiency improvement considering renewable energy substitution: Applying a dynamic two-stage undesirable non-radial directional distance function

As the country with the largest CO2 emissions in the world, China is developing renewable energy as the main way to address climate change. By 2021, China's wind and solar power generation accounted for 40 % and 37 % of the global total, but there is an imbalance in the development of renewable energy within China. Different from existing research on energy efficiency evaluation that rarely considers renewable energy, this study constructs a dynamic two-stage undesirable non-radial directional distance function that divides traditional energy efficiency into electricity production efficiency (EPE) by considering renewable energy substitution effects and energy utilization efficiency (EUE) by considering changes in the energy consumption structure. Different from other empirical results, the western provinces, with advantages in renewable energy development, their EPE has significantly improved, and EUE has also improved with the optimization of energy consumption structure, thus their overall energy performance surpass that of the eastern and central regions. In addition, by comparing the room for improvement of variables, we find that most provinces can improve their energy performance by expanding the scale of renewable energy generation and increasing the proportion of electricity to total energy consumption. Therefore, we propose policy recommendations to promote the sustainable development of renewable energy.