Current Socio-economic Conditions Research Articles

The relationship of economic behavior and stress (for example of receiving a loan)

In modern Kazakh society, the issue of borrowing is one of the most pressing topics. Due to the current socio-economic conditions, ordinary people resort to loans and are unable to pay debts due to layoffs and decreased ability to work due to a sharp deterioration in health. Stress is a special mental state associated with the emergence and manifestation of emotions, but it is characteristic not only of emotional phenomena, but also manifests itself in motivational, cognitive, voluntary behavior and other components of a person. From a psychological point of view, credit stress is a very difficult situation; it is an increase in negative emotions associated with money. The inability to repay a loan negatively affects a person’s psychological world, since a person is constantly in a state of fear and refuses to buy the desired thing because he has a loan debt that needs to be paid off. Today, credit allows consumers, especially young people, to easily borrow money to meet their shopping needs and desires. Having taken out a loan, young people feel one step closer to their dream and do not understand how they fell into the temptation of a loan in the future.

Formulating Strategic Directions for Developing the National Sports Federation in Modern Socio-Economic Conditions

Objectives. The study aimed to substantiate theoretical and methodological approaches to choosing a development strategy for the National Sports Federation based on a strategic analysis of its activities in the current socio-economic conditions. Material and methods. The study involved an analysis of scientific and methodological literature, SWOT-analysis, methods of formalization and generalization, as well as mathematical statistics. Results. A study was conducted on the activities of the public organization “Fencing Federation of Ukraine” (“FFU” PO) using SWOT analysis, considering the current socio-economic conditions. As a result, the following components of four possible directions of the organization’s activities are determined: development strategy, limited-growth strategy, stabilization strategy, and protection strategy. After determining and quantitatively evaluating the factors and quality of the four directions in the “FFU” PO development, while taking into account the trend of world sports development, it can be concluded that the most promising direction for the “FFU” PO activities is a development strategy envisaging the use of the organization’s strengths to realize the external environment opportunities. Conclusions. It is proposed to use a development strategy in the activities of the “FFU” PO — diversification, which envisages innovations in management and marketing, ensuring the financial stability of the organization, improving the quality of athlete training through the introduction of new technologies, and consolidating the organization’s positive image.

Public beliefs and perceptions related to ecofascism

The concept of ecofascism describes the distortion of ecology for the purpose of gaining greater and wider audience, popularising ideologies and fulfilling xenophobic and nationalistic goals by regimes such as the far-right agenda and the radical ecological groups. This study investigates the issue of ecofascism in Europe, using the example of Greece, by examining the views of the citizens of Greece on the links between the political parties and ecology and environment. A survey of 600 people was conducted in Greece, using questionnaires on ecofascism, politics and ecological issues. The survey showed that the sample has, in general, humanistic, democratic and quite left-wing ideals. However, some of the respondents indicated nationalistic, even fascist, trends. Because the current socio-economic and political conditions in Europe can fuel an outbreak of fascism, we should be very cautious about these findings, due to the growing impact of far-right ideas on society. Some aspects of the ecofascist rhetoric still continue to mislead, revealing the sly and worrying penetration of fascism in Greek society on the pretext of the protection of the Greek environment.

Rethinking Queer (Asian) Studies: Geopolitics, Covid-19, and Post-Covid Queer Theories and Mobilities

ABSTRACT This paper considers queer studies in the global geopolitical hotspot of Asia, as well as how we can reimagine queer theories through both the Covid-19 pandemic and the intensified regional and global superpower competition and geopolitical tensions. It argues for a rethinking of queer studies through today’s international relations and geopolitical complications in a sociological political economy. The aim is to connect critical studies with analyses of economic and social class structures, an approach that has been substantiated by the current crises, and to present an expanded queer mobility theory with two brief case studies (mini-critiques) of the current socioeconomic conditions facing marginalized people under Covid-19 and the changing geopolitical landscape. In so doing, this paper actively explores what queer studies can do and can be through the current historical turning point of the pandemic and geopolitical rivalry toward potential post-Covid socioeconomic revival and recovery.

Problem of spreading fake information in the Internet space analysis

Modern Internet space is filled with various kinds of information, including unreliable, fake information. In the current socio-cultural, socio-political, and socio-economic conditions, we should expect further increase in the spread of fakes and, as a consequence, their negative impact on people’s lives. The article analyses results of a sociological study on the attitude of the Kursk region population to fakes spread in the Internet space. The empirical basis of the study is the results of the online questionnaire survey conducted in September 2022 in the Kursk region. The sample population of the study was 521 people living in the territory of Kursk and Kursk region. Fakes are becoming a real part of life in modern society. Residents of the region are constantly faced with inaccurate information. They recognize its danger and note that fakes nevertheless “attract” their attention. The current situation requires additional measures development to regulate dissemination of information in the Internet space.

Live long – work long: social well-being of working pensioners

Based on the data from the "Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey - Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE)", a dynamic analysis of indicators characterising the social well-being of working pensioners has been conducted for the years 1994 to 2022. The current trend in the dynamics of these indicators is characterised as weakly positive but with a potential for decline. It is shown that the current level of social well-being among working pensioners, which includes increased self-confidence and readiness to overcome life difficulties, contributes to maintaining the stability of their adaptive potential.
 Throughout the various stages of the transformational period, working pensioners who exhibited greater autonomy and had developed social capital consistently reported higher levels of social well-being compared not only to non-working pensioners but also to pre-pensioners who experienced growing anxiety due to the inevitable changes in social status and lifestyle upon retirement. The study did not find significant differences in the level of social well-being between working pensioners who retired after the increase in the retirement age and those who retired just before the pension reform.
 Substantial differentiation in the level of social well-being among representatives of the analysed category of pensioners, who are now found in almost all sectors and spheres of activity, is largely the result of their heterogeneous socio-economic status. Despite old age being a factor that increases social risks and vulnerability, working pensioners often overcome difficulties encountered during crises with fewer adaptation difficulties and costs than younger individuals. Key elements of social well-being that continue to play a consistently significant role in strengthening the adaptive potential of working pensioners include the fulfilment of the need for public recognition and social interaction, as well as self-assessment of health status. In the current socio-economic and demographic conditions, various aspects of the social adaptation of the older generation become particularly important, directly linked to the realisation of their resource potential and increased activity in the field of employment.

Social Tensions and the Possibility of Assessing their Impact Through the Analysis of Social Media

This article discusses the issue of the possibility of analysing and monitoring the phenomenon of social tensions in modern society through the analysis of digital footprints of social media users. Within the framework of the article, key aspects of social tension are studied, modern achievements and current advances in the use of social media for research purposes are considered. An assessment was made of the possibilities of using social media to analyse social tensions, taking into account the current socio-economic conditions. In addition, this paper analyses the approach to assessing the change in the level of social tension in the event of a crisis.

HPR93 The Socio-Economic Capabilities of the Rwanda Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI) Beneficiaries

Since 2000 when the Rwanda CBHI scheme was establishment, premiums have only been revised in 2011. To ensure the CBHI’s sustainability, there have been calls for various reforms including the revision of the premiums to reflect current socio-economic conditions. This study was thus initiated to assess the willingness and ability of people of different socio-economic conditions to pay an increased premium for an improved CBHI - aligned to Rwanda’s Ubudehe socio-economic categorization, where category-1 are the poorest and category-4 the upper income earners. The CBHI premiums are structured along these categories i.e., Category-I households pay RWF3,000 per person (and are fully subsidized), Category II & III RWF3,000 and Category-IV RWF7,000.

Водохозяйственный комплекс карельской части Арк­тической зоны Российской Федерации: современное состояние и динамика

Based on the analysis of statistical information, the authors consider the issues of the current state and dynamics of the water management in the Karelian part of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation in relation to the trends in the socio-economic development of the region. They give the characteristics of the main industrial centers of the region: the cities of Belomorsk, Nadvoitsy, Kostomuksha, Kem, Nadvoitsy village, and assess the water management situation in the catchment areas of the main rivers of the region — tributaries of the White Sea (Kem and Vyg). The authors have determined the scale and dynamics of water consumption, water disposal and their components over the past 50 years. They outline that the current socio-economic conditions for the development of the Karelian part of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation express themselves in a sharp drop in production and a significant decrease in the population, which also affects the water management situation in the region under consideration.

The Divine Character of Human Rights and Duties: A Theological Enquiry in the Context of the Border Regions in the Czech Republic

The context of the article is the call by Pope Francis expressed in Fratelli tutti to extend fraternity towards people on the margins. The discourse on human rights is proposed as an appropriate – though by no means self-evident – tool for theology to use in order to respond to the challenge of poverty. The article discusses the use of human rights in theology against the background of the situation of poor border areas of the Czech Republic, which are considered to suffer from injustice. It is argued that, under current socio-economic conditions, it is extremely difficult for people living in these regions to make free and responsible decisions. The article confirms that human rights, e.g., social and economic rights, can be convincingly based on a theological view of the human person. ‘Divine rights’ have their counterpart in ‘divine duties’, i.e., duties resulting from biblical faith in God the Liberator. Moreover, the Gospel shows that works of mercy or works of justice are eschatologically significant. Finally, it argues that human rights not only allow Christians to share with people of other faiths and without faith the service to justice in the world but are even a possible expression of their own mission to work for the coming of the Kingdom.

REGIONAL DISPARITIES AS A RESULT OF DIFFERENCES IN HUMAN CAPITAL AND INNOVATIVENESS ON THE EXAMPLE OF POLAND

Inequalities in human capital most often affect other spheres of life. It is people who create innovation, so the unequal distribution of human capital and innovation in the regions leads to development disparities between regions. This, in turn, is a force inhibiting the achievement of higher levels of prosperity at the national level. The existing studies mainly focus on the assessment of disparities in development between countries. Although understandings of mechanisms of regional disparities, i.e., assessment of how and whether disparities are disappearing or widening under current socio-economic conditions is crucial to economic stability and cohesion, the problem of determinants of development and the pace of development between regions has rarely been studied in the economic literature. The purpose of the article, therefore, is to show how quickly weaker regions are catching up with more developed regions and that regional disparities are mainly the result of uneven human capital accumulation. The authors wonder if human capital in the regions is used similarly to create innovation. Hence, they examine the rate of development of these two relationships. The research: (1) determines the pace of development and adjustment processes by using the dynamic time warping method, (2) discovers if human capital is the main driver of regional disparities and is fully utilized in the creation of innovativeness.

ИЗМЕНЯЮЩАЯСЯ ЦЕННОСТЬ ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ: СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ БЕЛАРУСИ, РОССИИ, КИТАЯ

Objective of the study is to identify changes in perceptions of the value of higher education in the mass consciousness of young Belarusians, Russians and Chinese, as well as to clarify the real possibilities of obtaining it in each of these countries, taking into account the social stratification of the population and other factors. The article shows how the attitude of young people to higher education in selected countries has changed in the last decade, and what factors in these countries caused these changes. The trends of differentiated attitudes towards higher education among young people representing different social strata of the population are revealed. The methodological basis of the research. The article proceeds from the principle of social justice in its application to the problem of assessing the opportunities of different groups of young people to get equal access to higher education. Social justice is one of the terminal values for the population of post-Soviet Belarus and Russia, since the Soviet Union cultivated the idea of social equality and ensuring equal access to higher education regardless of the income level of different social groups. The value of equal access to higher education remains in the mass consciousness today. However, as the market economy develops in these countries, the cost of paid higher education increases, which in the current difficult socio-economic conditions makes it unattainable for young people from low-income segments of the population and forces these young people to look for other strategies for successfully entering the labor market. In China, high competition for admission to the second-stage programs of higher education makes it unattainable for a large number of young people who have insufficiently high academic performance, even if there are material opportunities for admission to paid education. This factor has caused the mobility of Chinese youth to Russia and Belarus to obtain a master's degree, which is necessary in the future for employment. The empirical basis of the study is statistical data on changes in the number of students in the higher education system in Russia and Belarus, secondary vocational education in Russia, as well as available statistics on higher education in China. For an in-depth study of the opinions of Chinese youth who came to Belarus, data from sociological studies of Chinese students who studied at master's programs were used, which clarified the reasons that prompted them to come to study in Belarus, personal motives in studying, expectations from the education they receive in terms of future employment and improving social status. Similar questions were found out in the national survey of Belarusian students conducted in 2022 (n = 2666). Research results. In the article, from the standpoint of the continuing value orientation of post-Soviet Russian and Belarusian society on the equality of youth access to higher education as a terminal value, it is shown that, firstly, the problem of social inequalities in higher education is relevant for both countries, but manifests itself in different ways. In Russia, young people with insufficient financial resources have begun to reorient from higher to secondary vocational education; in Belarus, young people are limited to bachelor's degree, not considering further continuation of education practically valuable for entering the labor market. In turn, Chinese youth, who do not have the opportunity to realize the need for a second-level education at home, go abroad, since only a high level of education guarantees them employment and social status in their country. Secondly, the relationship between the issues of access to higher education, the income of the population and the subsequent access of young people to the labor market has been revealed. With a lack of income, low-resource groups prefer to focus on secondary vocational education or bachelor's degree, which guarantee young people a faster entry into the labor market and financial independence. Resourceful Chinese young people are ready to invest in obtaining a master's degree abroad, because without it they may not find a job in China at all. Thirdly, modern practice shows that, despite the stereotypical high ratings of higher education by young people, in a specific life situation, in all three countries, they are oriented towards obtaining education instrumentally. Prospects of the study are related to further analysis of the dynamics of attitudes of young people to receive education at different levels in the context of changes in household incomes and strategies for entering the labor market. According to the author, management structures need to monitor the dynamics of changes in the attitude of young people to higher education, since highly educated personnel are the driver of the development of any society. The social discontent of the youth cohort is a danger to the political stability of society.

Microbial mediated synthesis of lanthanum-modified seed crystals and their application for removal of phosphorus and calcium from domestic wastewater

In this study, lanthanum was introduced into the microbially induced calcium precipitation by bio-mediated action of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to synthesize modified seed crystals for the removal of calcium and phosphorus from domestic wastewater. The calcium and phosphorus removal efficiency reached to 60% and 94%, respectively, under the condition of 30 times repeated use. Meanwhile, chemisorption and intra-particle diffusion were identified as the main rate-limiting steps and electrostatic interaction, ligand exchange, and induced crystallization as the primary phosphorus removal mechanisms. This modified seed crystal exhibited better phosphorus removal performance in simulated reactors with different water quality parameters (phosphorus removal efficiency of 95%). This safe, stable, and efficient bio-material has a promising future in the current socio-economic condition of energy shortage and environmental pollution.

Problems of integration of ESG standards into the practice of Russian corporate governance

Over the past decade and a half, interest in sustainable development topics and the principles of ESG has been consistently at a high level. A large number of foreign academic researchers and representatives of the business community consider these issues as the central theme of management science and practice in the current socio-economic realities. In general, it can be stated that in the paradigm of globalism, actively promoted by the United States and a number of its allies over the past two decades, the concepts of green transition, zero hydrocarbon footprint, gender, and racial diversity, specific requirements for CSR and other incarnations of ESG approaches were perceived as key to business success and competitiveness. To date, the globalist track of the development of the world economy is no longer considered as the only possible one and corresponding to the needs of the development of national economies. At the same time, it should not be denied that a number of provisions used in the ESG concepts are extremely rational and universal and, if applied correctly, can show an undoubted positive result. This work is devoted to the issues of effective integration of ESG standards in the current socio-economic conditions and the objective issues that accompany this process.

Digital Transformation of Service Enterprises: Assessing Influence Factors

The article raises the topic of assessing the readiness of enterprises in the service sector of Kazakhstan for digital transformation. The information base of the study is the balanced data panel of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which includes 17 regions of Kazakhstan, surveyed for the period from 2016 to 2021 on 13 indicators. The number of observations of 17 regions over 6 years determines the total volume of the combined sample, equal to 100. The method of correlation and regression analysis was used to solve the problem of assessing the readiness of service enterprises for digital transformation, which allows us to describe the object of study in the most compact and comprehensive way to cover the main processes of digitalization of the service sector in the regions of Kazakhstan. The performed calculations and the constructed regression model did not allow any of the put forward research hypotheses to be refuted. The significance of the factors described in the scientific literature for the development of new sectors and the adaptation of the service sector to digitalization processes has been confirmed. In the current socio-economic conditions, the most significant factors for the formation and development of new sectors of the economy in Kazakhstan, as well as the creation of conditions and opportunities for the creative implementation of professionals are: a high concentration of human capital (the share of the employed population with higher education, the share of students in the population); conditions for the development of information technology (the cost of information technology, the number of enterprises and individual entrepreneurs in the service sector, the availability and quality of IT).

Preduzetnički potencijali u BiH u kontekstu aktuelnih socio-ekonomskih kretanja

This paper explores the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in economic development and the maintenance of a stable social structure. Entrepreneurship, as a combination of labor, creativity, capital, and technology, generates innovative products, services, and socioeconomic activities, becoming increasingly significant in post-industrial societies. Its efficiency, particularly in the development of small businesses, is becoming crucial in mitigating the influence of the corporate world. In the specific context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entrepreneurial spirit and the potential of citizens emerge as key factors for economic development and social stability. The paper utilizes a theoretical framework encompassing the characteristics of entrepreneurship, along with social, economic, cultural, and educational assumptions for its development, aligning them with the current socioeconomic conditions in the country. Empirical research analyzes the motives, ambitions, and readiness of citizens to initiate their own entrepreneurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a specific focus on unemployed youth and their social integration as drivers of socioeconomic development.

Craft development in learning organization (LO): economic approach

Purpose: The aim of the study is to show that the craft is a form of learning organization, which in its activity takes into account the aspect of continuous training of employees and improvement of all functional areas. Design/methodology/approach: The main approach and subject of the analysis was the level of knowledge and general theoretical and state-legal findings of the information available in the literature about the craft sector and the possibilities of developing and supporting enterprises in the SME sector. The basic research method was the use of desk research, and on the basis of the information collected in this way, an analysis of the possibilities and impact of support programs for the craft sector in Poland was conducted. Findings: The article presents the idea of a learning organization from the aspect of craft enterprise development, the process of knowledge building, and the assumptions and principles of using the Polish Craft Incubator Program. The main result of this study is to illustrate the situation with regard to craft enterprises and the possibilities of their development in the current socio-economic conditions. Research limitations/implications: The data and conclusions were drawn up on the basis of an overall assessment (analysis of secondary sources) and not on the basis of facts (primary studies). The prepared applications should be a prerequisite for further research in the field of crafts in Poland. Practical implications: An additional practical result is to indicate the possibility of using the Polish Craft Incubator program as a source of obtaining financial resources in the learning process. Originality/value: The value of the paper is to increase the awareness of owners of craft enterprises, by showing them the possibility of using new organizational concepts and government programs. The article has primarily educational value and is a general concept of stimulating creative action towards building learning organizations. The content of the article is addressed to craftsmen and all cooperating entities operating in the field of supporting crafts. Keywords: Learning organization, learning orientation, organizational learning, economic development, sustainable craft. Category of the paper: General review.

Актуальные проблемы деятельности профконсультантов в современных условиях рынка труда

Background. The modern labor market is characterized by constant, not always predictable changes, which directly affect labor resources. In this regard, one of the priority tasks of career consultants is to constantly monitor these trends in order to timely adjust their work to them. Objective. The article aims to analyse the tasks and challenges that career consultants face in their work in the conditions of dynamically changing labor market. Methods. The research used the analysis of literature supplemented by the respondents’ qualitative answers. They were asked to express the opinion about requests, tasks and difficulties they had in their work in 2022. Sample. The data was obtained through an online survey of career consultants (24 participants). Results. The main characteristics of the BANI-world model and their reflection in the modern local labor market are considered. The main requests and tasks that career consultants are working with in the current conditions are identified. Career consultants’ work challenges, limitations, and possible ways to overcome them are formulated. Conclusion. The research materials indicate increased requirements for professional consultants. They are to be ready to work with a wide range of career guidance issues, to provide deep and long-term psychological support for clients in the current socio-economic conditions. The results obtained could be used as the basis for further clarification of the local trends in the study of activity characteristics in modern career consultants, difficulties in their work, as well as assistance in resolving them.

The Application of a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Indication of Directions of the Development of Renewable Energy Sources in the Context of Energy Policy

This paper presents the application of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) for evaluating what technologies using renewable energy sources (RES) for electricity production have the chance to develop in Poland under the current socio-economic conditions. First, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was used to determine the weights of the optimization criteria. Five main criteria and 30 sub-criteria were identified. Next, the authors modified numerical taxonomy (NT) to rank eight RES technologies (such as onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaics, or biogas plants). The results show that offshore wind farms are the RES technology with the greatest development opportunities in Poland. The following three technologies: distributed photovoltaic energy, biogas plants, and biomass power plants, respectively, received a similar rating in the ranking. Hydropower and geothermal were the lowest-ranked technologies. The ranking, which is the result of multi-criteria analysis, in several respects, is significantly different from the directions of activities indicated in the state energy policy.

ANALYSIS OF HEALTH SYSTEM INDICATORS IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The article analyzes the indicators of the health care system as one of the subsystems that form and ensure the effective use of human capital. The globalization of socio-economic and political processes, the acceleration of informatization, the introduction of new technologies, high speed of thinking require a revision and expansion of the theory of human capital. The most relevant paradigm shift in the development of the theory of human capital is observed in the current socio-economic and political conditions associated with the need to address the global issues of the human pandemic (COVID-19), in the context of rapid response and aggravation of the situation in the healthcare system of Russia and the world as a whole. As a result of the analysis of the indicators of the health care system, using a ranking system of statistical indicators, based on the presented rating of the regions of the Russian Federation, the authors propose a cluster approach to the distribution of regions of the Russian Federation, which allows us to pay attention to the problems of forming human capital in a number of districts, to identify the overall dynamics of development indicators of the healthcare system in Russia. Show the need to develop a modern health care system as a system that ensures the preservation and improvement of the efficiency of human capital use.