Discipline Of Economics Research Articles

The Abolition of Man and the Dismal Science

This article examines C. S. Lewis’s Abolition of Man from the perspective of economics. One of the principles of economics first taught by Adam Smith was that of specialization and division of labor. The overlap between the discipline of economics and the teaching of Lewis can be described as an application of this principle. Economics is a scholarly discipline that studies how choices are made. The division of labor that Lewis offers is the recognition that freedom of choice is not an end in itself.

Deepening the disciplinary cognition and constructing the theoretical system of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics

PurposeThe socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics is a systematic economic discipline, which theoretically summarises the socialist economic system and the path of economic development with Chinese characteristics. It is a systematic economic theory of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. The theoretical system construction for the discipline of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics is currently a major task.Design/methodology/approachFrom the perspective of disciplinary cognition, the theoretical system of the discipline of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics includes the disciplinary attributes and connotations, theoretical basis, the origin of thoughts, major principles, logical starting point, main logic and problem-based study of major theoretical and practical issues.FindingsDeveloping the discipline and building the theoretical system of the socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics, several major principles should be adhered to, including building the socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics on the basis of historical materialism; building the theoretical paradigm of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics around the analysis of production relations; adhering to the people-centred principle; taking common prosperity as the main logic of the socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics; studying the major theoretical and practical issues of building the socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era based on problems; and reflecting the innovative development of the discipline in the textbook, The Socialist Political Economy with Chinese Characteristics.Originality/valueDisciplinary cognition involves the connotations, attributes, mission and development path of the discipline, which is related to how to construct the discipline system and is a significant part of the disciplinary construction.

On The Notion of Historical Epistemology: A General Note

In historiography as methodology of writing history of the knowledge about economy, in recent years increasing attention has been focused on applying historical-epistemological approach (Stapleford, 2017; etc.). Among Bulgarian economists the significance of the field of epistemology in interpreting and analysis of economics discipline is outlined and discussed by Dobrinka Zlateva in Zlateva (2014; 2017; 2018). The topic of epistemology of economic knowledge is included in the curriculum for the students specializing in Political Economy at Political Economy department of the University of National and World Economy (UNWE), Sofia, Bulgaria. Generally, being subject to discussions in the world philosophy elite for decades, these questions remain rather unknown among economists and historians of economics, in the world as well with us. The present overview aims to draw the attention of the Bulgarian public interested in this direction to the developing specific field of the so called ‘historical epistemology’. A continuation of the present work will be another one revealing the meaning of historical epistemology for understanding economics and recent economics history.

Identification of tax options for high fat, sugar, salt foods for the HEALTHEI Project: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundThe health economic analysis incorporating effects on labour outcomes, households, environment, and inequalities (HEALTHEI) explores which food taxes would have greatest benefits to health, labour, and work outcomes; household expenditure; environmental sustainability; and inequalities within the UK food system. Work package 1 includes a rapid review and workshops, aiming to explore the effects of price increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages to facilitate the specification of food taxes and research design. MethodsIn this mixed-methods study, we first did a rapid review to examine relevant published evidence. A preplanned framework ensured a systematic approach, in which we searched PubMed, HMIC, Scopus, Google, Mintel/Mintel Food and Drink, and Business Source Ultimate for papers published in English from Jan 1, 2010, to Nov 2, 2022. This review was followed by three online workshops (in March, 2023), which used interactive padlets to explore food systems, food taxation policy, tax rationales, and a rapid review infographic. 14 stakeholders from non-governmental organisations (n=10), academia (n=2), the Civil Service (n=1), and a local authority (n=1) took part (gender or ethnicity were not recorded). A stakeholder recruitment grid was developed to ensure representation across public sectors and disciplines of public health, nutrition, environment, and economics. FindingsThe rapid review identified six tax options with a broadly positive impact on consumption and health (high fat, high sugar, high salt, “junk food”, sugar-sweetened-beverages, and meats plus sugar-sweetened beverages). It generated five core rationales for a food tax: change consumption, reduce or prevent harm, change product affordability, raise revenue, and industry impact. Using the workshop feedback, health inequalities, economics, ease of implementation and animal welfare were additional key areas for a so-called real-world application of tax. Stakeholders questioned the taxes in the current economic and political climate. InterpretationThe work highlights the need to develop an impactful food tax option that encompasses the five core rationales identified in the findings. The workshops identified key areas to explore further to understand the feasibility, impact, and logistics of implementing future food taxes. Being unable to deliver workshops in person due to difficulties of participants travelling to London was a limitation. However, switching online allowed for varied and well attended workshops. FundingNational Institute of Health Research (Ref: NIHR133927).

Determinants of Private Tutoring Demand in Rural India

: Private tutoring participation is increasing in several developing countries, and this expansion has attracted the interest of scholars spanning disciplines of economics, sociology and history. This paper presents a theoretical model of private tutoring demand. The model incorporates the household and school characteristics in a developing country context and demonstrates the source of gender gaps in access to private tutoring. Using a recent database from India and employing a hurdle model approach, the paper also provides estimates of the drivers of private tutoring participation and spending for pre-secondary students. Our results indicate evidence of gender gaps in private tutoring access, and that the socio-economic profile of a student is positively correlated with tutoring demand. Further, school quality indicators are negatively correlated with tutoring participation, suggesting that students at ‘better’ schools rely less on tutoring. Overall, the findings suggest that tutoring demand is influenced by a mix of demand-side (household, community drivers) and supply-side (school quality and learning environment) factors. The results bring into focus the equity implications of tutoring growth and the need to improve school quality in order to reduce the dependence on private tutoring.

Mixed Signals: The Effect of Employment Training on Employment Outcomes for Previously Incarcerated Individuals.

This work investigates the effects of pre-employment training on employment outcomes for previously incarcerated individuals using two theories developed in the discipline of economics: human capital theory and signaling theory. Human capital theory suggests that preemployment training increases wages and the likelihood of employment by building relevant skills that would improve productivity. Signaling theory asserts that the completion of pre-employment training acts as a signal of participant ability, as ability is known to the applicant but unknown to employers. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, results support hypotheses related to signaling theory for individuals without a history of incarceration, but show no meaningful relationship between pre-employment training and employment outcomes for previously incarcerated individuals. Findings contribute to both economic and criminal justice theory and can be used to inform employment interventions for those with or without a history of incarceration.

Social entrepreneurship in the selected neo-Pentecostal churches: A holistic salvation

Pentecostalism is a Christian tradition known for personal salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, divine healing and personal encounter with God through the work of the Holy Spirit. However, Pentecostalism is not limited to these; the tradition also ministers the full gospel that affects a holistic person, meaning body, soul and spirit. This article demonstrated that the holistic salvation approach is a motivation for social entrepreneurial activities in the selected neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa. The article worked within the social entrepreneurial framework to argue that the neo-Pentecostal churches minister to their followers holistically. Pentecostalism transforms people’s lives in daily living, particularly the poorest of the poor communities through entrepreneurial orientation. The researchers’ methodology was a case study approach of four neo-Pentecostal churches in South Africa that have shown social entrepreneurship factors. In addition, the participant observation method was used in highlighting entrepreneurial activities in these churches.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article examined the role of neo-Pentecostal churches in social entrepreneurship through a holistic salvation approach to Pentecostal theology by using a case study method. This role is a juxtaposition between the study of Pentecostalism from a missiological discipline and the study of social entrepreneurship from the discipline of economics, particularly social economics.

The Discipline of Economics and the Rise of Corporate Capitalism in the Late Nineteenth Century

Abstract This article examines the formation of the discipline of “Economics,” emerging from “Political Economy,” in relation to the transformation of industrial (or “entrepreneurial”) capitalism into finance (or “corporate”) capitalism in the late nineteenth century. In so doing, it explores the creation of the structure and goals of the modern disciplines of higher education in the Euro-American Victorian era. The contrast between “classical” economics of Political Economy, which was individualist and “unincorporated,” and the discipline of “neoclassical” Economics articulated by Alfred Marshall at Cambridge (among others in the late nineteenth century), which was collaborative and “incorporated” in higher education, is notable as a reflection of intellectual and cultural values in the Victorian era. Thus, the article describes the renovations and innovations of institutions of higher education as part and parcel of the rise of corporate capitalism in the late nineteenth century, particularly in Britain and the United States. More specifically, it analyzes the collaborative understanding in the emerging discipline of Economics in the late nineteenth century; the anonymous understanding of knowledge in Economics; and the institutional understanding and structure of Economics as a discipline in the emerging consumerist culture of the late nineteenth century.

Beyond the Classroom: A Case Study on the Relationship Between Education as a Public Good, Social Justice and Critical Pedagogy

The idea of education being a transformative force is central to the discourse of education. But with the evolution of societies at a rapid pace, the idea of education being a ‘public good’ stands challenged and needs to be further analysed in relation to contemporary societies. This article argues that the understanding of public goods stemming from the discipline of economics is inadequate to define the needs of the contemporary education systems. The article highlights that the idea/element of ‘social justice’ is central to understand the concept of education as a ‘public good’, and even though Indian policies on education have an element of social justice, the practice of it needs reimagining. Building on evidence from the ‘Bihar Mentorship Project’, which was an action research project at the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies, Bengaluru, the article establishes that ‘critical pedagogy’ can become a vital tool to actualise the idea of social justice in education systems and, hence, is at the core of imagining education as a ‘public good’.

African Americans and federal land policy: Exploring the Homestead Acts of 1862 and 1866

AbstractWe examine the history of US land policy, with a focus on the Homestead Acts, underscoring the precarious position of African Americans during the homesteading period. We discuss the historical context and the shifting political landscape of the Civil War and Reconstruction era, providing the context for research on federal land policies and problems of race. Past research is almost entirely outside of the agricultural and applied economics profession. We believe that the applied economics discipline is especially suited for empirically examining the influence of federal land policies on past and present disparities and racial makeup of American agriculture.

'We need to offer something better to the scholars of the future.' Which way forward for heterodox economics?

After the global financial crisis, hopes were high that there would be a pluralisation of the economics discipline and a boost for heterodox economics that challenged dominant economic models. However, mainstream economics once again proved its enormous resilience and the future of alternatives to this mainstream is anything but certain. Geoffrey Hodgson's new book on this issue has sparked fresh discussions about the stunted development of heterodox economics and proposals for possible ways forward. This article will argue that the crucial factor for the future of heterodox economics is not converging on a single unified paradigm or raising the quality of research, but rather gaining access to different kinds of capital, first and foremost professorial positions at universities. Such access is severely restricted under present conditions as a result of epistemological and ontological discrimination. Heterodox economics can only flourish if the epistemic community of economists embraces paradigmatic pluralism as part of their academic culture, or if regulations are put in place to secure access to such capital and so to academic freedom.

Learning to Sift

In the decade since the Universal House of Justice wrote its 24 July 2013 message regarding the activities and direction of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, several collaborators have experimented with various approaches to engagement with the discourse on economics. These efforts have included the collective reading of, and reflection on, various textbooks and articles around a particular theme; the development of a heuristic to help participants acquire the collective capacity to read a discourse; the writing of a document to facilitate seminars intended to help undergraduatesstudying economics understand “Economics 101” principles in light of the Bahá’í conceptual framework; and the initial examination of experimental methodologies in the economics discipline. A number of preliminary insights have emerged from these activities. This paper documents the experience of this collaborative group, and highlights key areas of learning that may be of assistance to others engaged in similar processes.

Effectiveness of online collaborative problem‐solving method on students' learning performance: A meta‐analysis

AbstractBackgroundDuring the COVID‐19 pandemic, online collaborative problem solving (online CPS) has become one of the most crucial learning methods to develop students' learning performance. However, it remains unclear of the effectiveness of the online CPS method on students' learning performance.ObjectivesTo explore the overall effect of online CPS methods on students' learning performance and identify the moderating factors that influence this impact, we employed a meta‐analysis approach to analyse the combined effects of 31 articles.ResultsThe results showed that the online CPS method had a medium impact on students' learning performance, with an overall effect size of 0.526. The moderator analysis indicated that the online CPS method was more effective for (a) college preparatory learners, (b) the discipline of Economics, (c) grouping method of assigned, (d) teacher‐led instruction, (e) study duration of 2 to 4 weeks, (f) group size of 3–5 members, (g) synchronous online environment and (h) cognitive performance.ImplicationsBased on these findings, we recommend using the online CPS to improve students' cognitive and affective learning performance. To enhance students' social learning performance, instructors should design reasonably to use collaborative scaffolding to engage students purposefully and constructively in online CPS activities.

The Scientometric Overview of the Economics Disciplines Publications in Kazakhstan in 1997-2022

This article gives an overview of the economics disciplines publications in Kazakhstan indexed in the Scopus database in the period from 1997 to 2022. The literature provides an outlook on scientometrics research that can be used for the analysis of specific research fields. Scientometrics methods used in this article identify the state of the research in economics disciplines in Kazakhstan, explicitly focusing on descriptive analysis such as distribution by number of articles, number of journals, number of authors per article, number of citations, number of citations per article and distribution of articles across journals. By using the network analysis and VosViewer software, links and connections within economics discipline publications were identified. Descriptive results of the study identify that across all economics disciplines “Economics, Econometrics, and Finance” has the largest number of publications. In contrast “Business, Management, and Accounting” has the most significant number of authors. The network analysis demonstrated weaker links in “Decision sciences” while in “Economics, Econometrics, and Finance” and “Business, Management, and Accounting” the relationship is closer and more interconnected in the subject areas. The analysis of scientific journals identified the quality of publications and type of journals where papers are published as well as the highest cited papers in the economic disciplines affiliated with Kazakhstan. Conclusions and recommendations suggest that internal processes and scientific infrastructure at universities aimed to improve the quality of publications will increase the interest in research published in Kazakhstan in the global scientific community and have practical implications for the economy.

Minimum Wages, Employment, and the “Harmony of Illusions”

In contrast to Thomas Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions, the economic discipline appears to progress in a piecemeal, path dependent way continuously being dominated by the same paradigm. Instead of paradigmatic shifts, the history of economic thought is characterized by considerable paradigmatic resilience. Drawing on the philosophy of science of Ludwik Fleck, this article demonstrates the basis of this resilience, as well as potential dangers to which it gives rise, and—while giving special consideration to research on the employment impact of minimum wages recently introduced in Germany—examines whether a necessary “thought style compulsion” may eventually turn into a “harmony of illusions.”

The Vulgar (in) Marxism: Vacillating between Exchange and Production

This essay’s exploration of the adjective “vulgar” and its function in the Marxian field begins with a debate between Abba Lerner (1903–82) and Maurice Dobb (1900–76), which foregrounded the vulgar in Marxism as a problem of economic method. The signifier thus functions as a portal to associated questions: the status of the adjective “vulgar” in Marx and Engels’s discourse; value theory’s role in the constitution of division and difference in the economics discipline; analytical Marxism’s place as a response to the crisis of Marxism in the twentieth century; the politics of market socialism or the role of markets (if any) in socialism; the necessity of mediation under any form of division of labor and the implications for Marx’s notion of associated production; and the possibility and promise of an affirmative take on the vulgar in the context of a postcapitalist pragmatics of participatory and democratic planning.

Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic in behavioral finance

As a result of changing and evolving times, there is a growing realization that dogmatic economic theories cannot meet the practical needs of market analysis. Under such circumstances, behavioral economics came into being. This paper briefly introduces the origins of behavioral finance, highlighting the role of anchoring and adjustment effects, two psychological heuristic bias in the financial market, and analyzing the pros and cons and countermeasures. From the Nobel Prize of Richard Thaler in 2017, people began to realize the importance of behavioral finance and separating it with normal economic. To understand the way to introduce social psychology phenomenon to economic, we start from explaining anchoring bias on customers and then point out how people use adjustment behavior to correct it and the importance of this behavior. The explain of concept is followed with four familiar and detailed examples of the anchoring and adjustment heuristic in behavioral finance. The examples are all about how to use anchoring and adjustment strategy. First, we will talk about product display and marketing using this strategy. The brands set up an expensive and luxury product to give customers a high prediction of the price of the product they will actually buy. When they see the actual price of the product they are going to buy, it would be much lower that there expect. As a result, they would regard themselves as picking up a bargain and purchase it without hesitation. Similarly, in a court of law, judges are influenced by juries, proving that the anchoring effect does not change depending on the amount of knowledge base (non-experts can influence experts). Also, the anchoring effect can be applied to games. People can judge the psychological price floor of their opponents by first offer thus gaining higher returns. The emergence and popularity of the interdisciplinary discipline of behavioral economics also reflects the need for interdisciplinary connections and innovation.

Perception and Attitude of Dental Students and Graduates towards Business Management as a Subject in the Dental Curriculum

Background: In the past two decades, dentistry has transformed into a market-driven, entrepreneurial industry; consequently, the next generation of dentists must demonstrate proficiency in the disciplines of dental economics. Objective: To identify the attitude, awareness, and willingness of final-year dental students and dental graduates regarding dental business management as a subject in dentistry. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 22 to September 22, with the approval of the IRB of CMH Lahore Medical College. The survey was conducted using online questionnaires developed by the authors and sent to the final-year dental students and young dental graduates in private and public dental colleges. The first part targeted demographics, and the second part dealt with attitude, awareness, and willingness regarding dental business management as a subject. Results: A total of 281 people responded, with 48.6% males and 53.4% females. Lack of business knowledge (n=198, 70.5%) and a lack of funds (n=157, 55.9%) were key obstacles. Most respondents were slightly aware (n=141, 50.2%) of the criteria for setting up a dental practice. 95.7% (n=267) were not taught dental business management, nor had any seminars (n=187, 66.5%) or workshops (n=184, 65.5%). Most respondents agreed (n=243, 86.4 %) that business management will help them establish a successful practice. A significant difference was observed between private and public institutions regarding lack of funds, confidence, and communication skills. Conclusion: Most students had favorable opinions on dental business management as a subject in dentistry. We must teach aspiring dentists both dental education and business management at the same time. Keywords: Business, Curriculum, Dentistry, Financial Management, Management, Marketing, Practice.

The emerging discipline of public economics in postwar France

After the Second World War, optimal pricing in the public sector became an important topic internationally. The welfare enhancing properties of marginal pricing were a key concern, yet, the technical computation of marginal costs also proved difficult. It was unclear how to compute marginal costs, mainly in view of the discontinuities of the cost function. In the context of post-war reconstruction and of practically implementing a marginal pricing policy, this technical debate was closely linked in France to the “Calais traveller paradox” and the emergence of a new generation of engineer-economists contributing at the same time to the theoretical debate and to the practical implementation of marginal cost pricing. Maurice Allais and Marcel Boiteux, as well as Gabriel Dessus and Roger Hutter contributed to developing national solutions that also spread theoretical thinking internationally. This debate connects with the history of economic calculus and the rise of public economics, as well as the possibility of computing optimal welfare enhancing prices in the face of market failures.

Appetizers in development economics

First paragraph: In Edible Economics, South Korean development economist Ha-Joon Chang argues against the neoliberal philosophy that “has normalized self-serving behavior” (p. xxii). He contends that the discipline of economics is a determinant factor in idea creation and in the organization of our lives, and therefore it is useful to understand how economic theory translates into reality. He also believes that a broad understanding of economics can help “make our society a better place to live for us and the coming generations” (p. xxiv). Food, the author admits, does not fit seamlessly into this objective and is instead a device to reel in the attention of the reader before expanding on development economic theory. The marriage between personal food stories and economics can sometimes feel disjointed; the reader may wonder how a chapter beginning with the history of rye leads to Otto von Bismarck’s establishment of the welfare state. But, with Chang’s palpable gregariousness, love of food, and general self-awareness, his essays succeed in making economics more “edible.” . . .