Current Socioeconomic System Research Articles

Behind the curtains of deliberation: unveiling climate policy and behavioural challenges through a mini-public in Spain

ABSTRACT Citizen participation has a crucial role in delivering the transformations needed to tackle the climate crisis. To capture citizens’ perspectives on the issue, we use a deliberative mini-public on consumption and mobility in Spain. Following a mixed-method research design, we combine the results from a deliberative survey with a thematic analysis, being one of the few case studies transcribing deliberations and systematically identifying the themes emerging from them. Our results show how deliberation increased citizens’ understanding of the complexities of the climate crisis, as well as their willingness to commit to certain behavioural changes and accept certain policies, although it had no effects on policies recognised as unjust. The thematic analysis unveiled participants’ perceived barriers and solutions to climate action and the most common emotions linked to them. Our findings indicate that citizens feel more empowered to act on consumption, as mobility is often seen outside their remit. Moreover, citizens’ feelings of frustration with the current socio-economic system and hope for future changes deserve further scrutiny to evaluate the acceptability of alternative futures. The deliberative process created a space of dialogue among citizens and showed the potential of deliberation to contribute to democratising climate governance and action.

ORGANIZATIONAL THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABILITY IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT: Complexity and Sustainable Development constitute a framework that challenges the evolution of current socioeconomic systems and, therefore, of organizations, which must gradually adapt to changes, transform, and be part of them. This reality must be accompanied by an adequate theoretical framework capable of supporting and responding to organizational needs, investigating new organizational forms and new forms of interaction with the environment. Bibliometric analysis has been carried out to clarify the theoretical roots and most relevant documents that support the current organizational theoretical framework between 1990 and 2022 on the Web of Science database, revealing theoretical foundations focused on Stakeholders, the Paradox, organizational resources and capabilities, complexity, and institutions. On the other hand, and closely related to the theoretical approaches, the topics of interest have focused on corporate social responsibility, business Sustainability, entrepreneurship, complex adaptive systems, emergency, resilience, and self-organization. Keywords: bibliometric analysis, organization, organizational theory, sustainability, complexity, environment, systemic view

Extractivism and the engendering of disasters: disaster risk creation in the era of the Anthropocene

PurposeThis paper argues that extractivist logic creates the environmental conditions that produce “natural” hazards and also the human conditions that produce vulnerability, which combined create disasters. Disaster Risk Creation is then built into the current global socio-economic system, as an integral component not accidental by-product.Design/methodology/approachAs part of the movement to liberate disasters as discipline, practice and field of enquiry, this paper does not talk disasters per se, but rather its focus is on “extractivism” as a fundamental explanator for the anthropogenic disaster landscape that now confronts us.FindingsApplying a gender lens to extractivism as it relates to disaster, further highlights that Disaster Risk Management rather than alleviating, creates the problems it seeks to solve, suggesting the need to liberate gender from Disaster Risk Management, and the need to liberate us all from the notion of managing disasters. Since to ‘manage’ disaster risk is to accept uncritically the structures and systems that create that risk, then if we truly want to address disasters, our focus needs to be on the extractive practices, not the disastrous outcomes.Originality/valueThe fundamental argument is that through privileging the notion of “disaster” we create it, bring it into existence, as something that exists in and of itself, apart from wider socio-economic structures and systems of extraction and exploitation, rather than recognising it for what it is, an outcome/end product of those wider structures and systems. Our focus on disaster is then misplaced, and perhaps what disaster studies needs to be liberated from, is itself.

FEATURES OF MANAGING THE CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM IN THE CONDITIONS OF INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The main purpose of the study is to model the process of managing the creative development of the socio-economic system in the conditions of influence of COVID-19 pandemic. For this, we have applied the methodology of functional modeling and graphical display, which includes the possibility of structural analysis and serves as effective information technology for any control system. Socio-economic systems are a large number of complex organizational structures with a large number of management processes. The largest of these are companies and organizations with appropriate personnel, on which it depends on where the company will move. It is impossible to compete without creative development. For an illustrative example, we used the current socioeconomic system in the form of a company, in which creativity and creative development play an important role. As a result, we reflected how, through a convenient and easy-to-use model, it is possible to form clear steps and stages that would informatively reflect creative development for the socio-economic system (company).

A szocioökonómiai rendszerek antropológiai és etikai szemléletű megközelítése

In this study, we wish to formulate a critique of the economic system of our time with the help of the "toolset" of philosophy. We seek to put concepts that we consider onesided and ethically objectionable in a different light, considering, among other things, meta-anthropological and moral aspects. Our aim is not only to take the current socioeconomic system under criticism and to point out the shortcomings of the ideological background that is closely intertwined with it and considered characteristic but also to highlight the truly essential reality of man through the examiningesacralized structure.

Climate and Energy Crises from the Perspective of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Trade-Offs between Systemic Transition and Societal Collapse?

AR6 IPCC reports give divergent messages about the different socio-economic transition approaches to deal with the current climate emergency. The dangers of not giving a clear message to policymakers and to society on the need of changing the current socio-economic paradigm are considerable: to fall in the SSP3-7.0 scenario, which is conducive to the collapse of our current civilization. In this work, key variables to assess the main functionalities of global socio-economy are analyzed under a system dynamics approach. This allows for understanding what the evolution is of our current socio-economy in a framework of climate change and resource depletion. The aim of this work is to provide a different perspective on socio-economic evolution by identifying similar characteristics in the worst-case IPCC scenarios with historical behavior in complex societies. From such a historical perspective and the current system evolution, a conceptual model is proposed to explain our globalized complex system near to a phase transition. Then, phase transition correspondences from the model to the current socio-economic system are proposed and a series of corresponding preventive measures (in terms of social actions, economic measures, and their linked policies) are suggested to avoid collapse scenarios.

The Ethics of Climate Change, Climate Policy and Climate Justice

The fossil fuel industry is the driving force behind our current carbon-centric socioeconomic systems. The industry has imposed fossil fuel-dependent business models and behaviours on the global socioeconomic system. The actions and plans of the industry are far from being aligned with the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement. Moreover, they remain overlooked in the global climate discourse and negotiations. This paper builds its arguments starting from a moral issue: climate change is an ethical failure, and the industry has had a unique role in causing, shaping, advancing, and defending the current unsustainable fossil fuel-dependent global economy, and thus bears responsibility and has duties of reparation to limit consequent harm. This paper examines the various moral principles of rectifying the unjust situation created by the actions that produced climate change. Although the Paris Agreement assigns responsibilities to states, climate lawsuits against fossil fuel companies are also on the rise. This paper helps link legal frameworks and the relationship between climate justice, sustainable development, and environmental human rights to make radical, systemic changes to ensure a sustainable future.

Individualism, Collectivism, and the Future of Capitalism

This article offers a brief overview of the main ideas in the book “The Future of Capitalism” by American economist Lester Thurow related to the discussion in economic literature on the role of cul­ture, and more specifically to the dimension of indi­vidualism–collectivism1. According to the author, the long-term existence of the current socio-economic system is threatened by the incompatibility of modern social market relations and technological connec­tions with basic features of human nature. Individuals and their preferences are largely products of society and social influences, and to function properly they require unifying worldview systems. The problem with capitalism and the concept of market-regulated social order, as Thurow sees it, is that they are not unifying, but rather ‘process’ ideologies regarding the efficacy of human exchange. With the ubiquitous spread of individualistic mental models, it is getting harder to formulate concepts of common good or collective goals to which all members of society are expected to contribute. In the absence of a well-functioning collectivistic social organization, how­ever, everyone is motivated to “free ride”, i.e., to reap the benefits provided by others at an earlier historical stage without investing own efforts in maintaining the system that made these benefits possible.

Using the five sectors sustainability model to verify the relationship between circularity and sustainability

It is known that the current linear socioeconomic system, characterized by "production-use-destination,” is unsustainable and the leading cause of the depletion of natural resources. In the search for sustainable development, several actions to preserve resources in use for as long as possible have been proposed in recent decades, such as cleaner production, ecoefficiency, industrial ecology, industrial ecosystems, industrial symbiosis, and the circular economy. Although circularity and sustainability are increasingly present on the agenda of academics, entrepreneurs, and government sectors, the relationship between the two concepts is still under construction. In this sense, this work aims to verify, using the Five Sectors Model of Sustainability, the relationship between circularity and sustainable development in ASEAN, Mercosur, and the EU, considering economic, social, and environmental indicators in the periods between 2000 and 2020. The selected indicators with their respective goals were applied and weighted through Goal Programming. From the primary and secondary data analysis, it was not possible to conclude that circularity alone guarantees sustainability, despite contributing significantly to sustainable development. However, the results obtained in the 5SEnSU model made it possible to verify that the EU has a superior performance for sustainable development of the other two blocks and that the impacts generated in the economic system (sector 3) of the analyzed blocks benefited social sectors (4 and 5) to the detriment of environmental integrity (sectors 1 and 2). Some challenges still need to be mitigated, such as those related to excessive consumption and waste discharge, so that a circular economy can effectively contribute to global sustainability.

Becoming Utopian: The Culture and Politics of Radical Transformation

Becoming Utopian: The Culture and Politics of Radical Transformation

Co-governance, Social Responsibility and Economic Democracy

Abstract This article contributes to the justification of social responsibility and economic democracy, which can create a sustainable society through co-governance The word co-governance is not the same as co-management, although it is also very often used in translations that do not distinguish between management and governance. Rozman explains: “Owners-shareholders have started to employ professionals called managers to manage their companies. The once unified function of governance (and management) has been divided into two organizational functions: governance, making decisions to protect owners’ interests, and management, coordinating business activities in a most efficient way while striving to attain goals and execute policies set by governance.” (Rozman 2000, 95) Later he explains: “The goal remained profitability, and corporate governance was conducted on the basis of ownership but not necessarily by the owners themselves. This was the first form of ‘non-owners’ or ‘nonself-governance’. Corporate governance and management went separate.” (Rozman 2013, 4) Clarke (1998, 182–194 as cited in Rozman 2013, 6) recalls of different stakeholders’ governance similar processes in the past, like mutual funds, cooperatives, Mondragon cooperatives, Israeli kibbutzes and Yugoslav self-governance. in companies. Each of these areas is specifically described as well as the contribution of each to a sustainable society. Importantly, the message that capital, which predominates in the current socio-economic system, does not allow the development of co-governance of stakeholders in companies. This severely curtails the making of socially responsible decisions in companies, which does not contribute to the development of economic democracy. By equating the rights of labour owners with the rights of capital, the conditions of co-governance of stakeholders would be met, which would give them the right to self-actualization based on the results of their work. This would lead to the development of economic democracy and further to a sustainable society. A sustainable society, supported by the co-governance, social responsibility and economic democracy is the ultimate goal of society.

FROM COLONIAL CAPITALISM TO CRONY CAPITALISM. HISTORICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL DETERMINANTS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC MODEL FROM THE MALAYSIAN PERSPECTIVE

During the period of colonialism the implementation of colonial capitalism resulted in the integration of Southeast Asia into the global economy, which directly influenced the local socio-economic system. The changes occurring in the region since the 19th century, which is the period discussed in this article, can be analyzed from many points of view. The following paper focuses on the territory of present-day Malaysia, an exceptionally heterogeneous country, and it analyses the results of this transformation and the influence it had on the current socio-economic system. Colonialism has undeniably contributed to the economic growth of the Malay Peninsula while excluding parts of the population and destroying local institutions and existing models of the socio-economic system. Despite this apparent quantitative growth, oligarchic institutions were created, impeding the area's actual qualitative socio-economic development. The decolonization process did not change it sufficiently. The first aim of the article is to indicate the direct historical relationship between colonial capitalism, violently implemented by colonial empires in the conquered territories, and the crony capitalism formed after the decolonization period. Secondly, the author tries to identify oligarchic institutions and the outcomes of their influence. These institutions were created in the historical process within colonial capitalism and are still present today. They fundamentally influence the politics and society of contemporary Malaysia, thus inhibiting qualitative socio-economic transformation. Thirdly, the author, using a variety of indicators and indexes measuring, for example, corruption, the democratization process, or social development, seeks to demonstrate the power of crony capitalism and its institutions and their impact on impeding socio-economic development.

Instructional guidelines based on conceptions of students and scientists about economic and population growth within planetary boundaries

The burden placed by human activities on Earth is ever-increasing. Global environmental changes have profoundly affected the Earth’s core systems and processes, thus, risking their stability. These core systems and processes are described in the planetary boundary framework. The drastic rate of environmental change over the last 200 years, which is also known as the Great Acceleration, has been depicted graphically by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program. This study is aimed to (1) examine the conceptions of students and scientists regarding socioeconomic growth within planetary boundaries, and (2) develop instructional guidelines based on the comparison of their conceptions. Accordingly, relevant conceptions of 22 junior and 20 senior secondary school students were analyzed. Scientists’ conceptions were extracted by thoroughly analyzing nine publications, which were selected by systematic literature search. Student statements and scientific inferences were coded following established protocols. Our results indicated that junior and senior secondary school students considered global population growth to be the primary cause of global environmental changes. On the contrary, the scientists considered the quantity of natural resources consumed by rich countries in their economic pursuits as the most critical factor in environmental degradation. Based on our findings, we proposed instructional guidelines for planning lessons on changing current socioeconomic systems to enable humans to live within planetary boundaries.

Social Determinants of Health Influencing the New Zealand COVID-19 Response and Recovery: A Scoping Review and Causal Loop Diagram

The Coronavirus pandemic of 2019–20 (COVID-19) affected multiple social determinants of health (SDH) across the globe, including in New Zealand, exacerbating health inequities. Understanding these system dynamics can support decision making for the pandemic response and recovery measures. This study combined a scoping review with a causal loop diagram to further understanding of the connections between SDH, pandemic measures, and both short- and long-term outcomes in New Zealand. The causal loop diagram showed the reinforcing nature of structural SDH, such as colonization and socio-economic influences, on health inequities. While balancing actions taken by government eliminated COVID-19, the diagram showed that existing structural SDH inequities could increase health inequities in the longer term, unless the opportunity is taken for socio-economic policies to be reset. Such policy resets would be difficult to implement, as they are at odds with the current socio-economic system. The causal loop diagram highlighted that SDH significantly influenced the dynamics of the COVID-19 impact and response, pointing to a need for purposeful systemic action to disrupt the reinforcing loops which increase health inequities over time. This will require strong systems leadership, and coordination between policy makers and implementation at local level.

Policy reform instead of policy transformation? Experiences of participatory action research (PAR) on desegregation policy in Szeged, Hungary

To move towards more just and ecologically sustainable societies, we must structurally transform our current socio-economic system at a deep level. Participatory Action Research makes much of this term ‘transformation’, yet on closer examination, the concept is not only conceptually but also practically vague. What exactly is required for socio-environmental spatial policies to be ‘transformational’? Our aims in this paper are twofold. First, we want to suggest that there are different definitions of ‘transformation’. We work through three sets of concepts: autonomy, empowerment, and solidarity, showing that there are hegemonic and counterhegemonic versions of each. Secondly, we use these different framings to reflect on a case study exploring the desegregation of a Roma community in Szeged, Hungary. We explore the ways in which the empowerment of Roma community leaders within a PAR project worked both to challenge and to reinforce existing power asymmetries: while Roma representatives were increasingly accepted and influential, they were unable to shift the powerful city council away from an underlying commitment both to desegregation, and to a logic of “deserving” and “undeserving” poor. Ultimately, this led to a situation where the neoliberal hegemonic logic of the policy went unchallenged, with the practical consequence that, while some community members benefitted from desegregation, the poorest were rendered more precarious and vulnerable. This points to a need for further reflection on the intractability of oppressive structures, and honesty about the potential limitations in achieving short-term structural transformation using PAR.

The Evolution of Sinhala Marriage Alliances: A Study of Panama; Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan marriage alliances have manifested a considerable interdependency with the socioeconomic system from the early stages through its history. While sociocultural change is an inherent phenomenon of the evolutionary history of mankind, the traditional Sinhalese marriage system has adapted to the changing socioeconomic forces over the centuries. This study intends to investigate the impact of the current socioeconomic system on modern marriage alliances in Sri Lanka. An analytical ethnographic study was used to execute the research in Panama, drawing upon the study of Nur Yalman, the extraneous anthropologist in 1967. Fifty households were randomly sampled, and a structured interview schedule was employed as the key method of data collection, using non-participant observation and genealogical methods as the subsidiary methods. Both primary and secondary sources were referred to through a mix method in data analysis where both quantitative and qualitative data were used. The findings of the study reveal that, with the passage of time, Sinhalese marriage has undergone a tremendous change in the size of household, age at marriage, process of mate selection, education which leads to labour force, land tenure, caste and the kinship network in Sri Lanka. The research concludes by disclosing that, though the sanctity of Sinhalese marriage is generally affected by socioeconomic change, the shadow of traditional form of marriage alliances can be found in rural Sri Lanka.

O Design como Promotor do Conforto da Sociedade de Consumo

Por vezes o design produz mercadorias que satisfazem os desejos do indivíduo apenas pelo consumo. O sistema socioeconômico vigente está alicerçado sobre o pressuposto de que a produção em massa pode proporcionar aos indivíduos o incremento da sua qualidade de vida por meio do consumo de produtos e serviços. Nesse panorama, discutiremos a configuração da sociedade de consumo e as contribuições do design para o bem-estar. A discussão se fará em duas frentes: demonstrar como o sentido de bem-estar e de conforto foi modificado pelo comércio de produtos e serviços e apontar como o planejamento de projetos de design contribui para manutenção desse sistema socioeconômico baseado no consumo. A discussão neste artigo busca demonstrar que o crescimento econômico, o desenvolvimento industrial e o aumento da produção que viabiliza novos produtos e que facilita o acesso dessas mercadorias a toda a sociedade não proporciona o tão almejado bem--estar social de uma população.

О происходящей трансформации административного права и государственного управления в России

Nowadays. The modern system of public administration in Russia face numerous challenges. The urgency of the problems is expressed in the fact that the existing system of governance is unable to independently acquire features that allowing it to cope with challenges effectively. The author believes that, the main factor in to reducing the importance of administrative law is the current liberal socio-economic system in Russia being largely based on Pro-Western institutions. The aims of the this paper are to study the problems related to the transformation of the system of and administrative law as its legal basis, to analyze existing problems and to develop solutions to them, The last determines the theoretical, methodological and practical significance of the topic of the article. To solve the problem the author suggests that, the dominant position in Russia should be given to domestic institutions. The author emphasizes the need to improve the system of control over the efficiency and effectiveness of the work of state Executive bodies at various levels, which should greatly contribute to the formation of a universal Supervisory authority. Further the author underlines that advanced technologies are introduced with a huge advance of their administrative legal regulation. This fact requires makes the administrative law return its original features being laid the basis for its formation, as well as become the basis for rapid and effective regulation of public relations in order to achieve the goals of management.

«Digo carne»: La repolitización del cuerpo femenino en la narrativa de Marta Sanz

With the start of the new century, and especially during the last decade, many writers are starting to putt he focus on the body and its various problems derived from the current socioeconomic system. One of them is Marta Sanz, for whom, in her own words, writing consists of “naming the body” and, thanks to that, “conquering the territory”. His discourse is frontally opposed to the discourse of postmodernity and to the models of advanced capitalism, above all and more consciously in his latest novels. What this article aims to show is how and in what way the body and its repolitization constitute one of the central axes of this author’s writing.

Internal Instability as a Security Challenge For Vietnam

National security is one of the most critical elements for Vietnam society, economy and political system, their stability, sustainability and prosperity. It is unconditionally the top priority for Vietnamese government, State, Communist Party and military forces. The article proposes a new research approach treating security and military science as interdisciplinary, but two of the branches of social science. Using empirical analysis and case study as research methods, the article is focused on internal instability as challenging security issue that could pose a real threat and danger to the current socio-economic and political system. Based on the obtained research results we can draw some implications and propose some viable solutions for the Vietnamese authority to guard the safety and security of the people, society and also its political existence.