Economic Pressures Research Articles

Attitudes to Pedlars and Street Traders in Late Eighteenth-Century England: ‘Commercial Hatred’ or Anti-Jewish Prejudice?

Abstract The late eighteenth century saw intense debate over the status of pedlars. In 1785, Pitt imposed a tax on shopkeepers and attempted to placate them by suggesting that he would ban the economic competition they faced from pedlars. It was only thanks to the support of manufacturers that pedlars were saved from economic destitution. Following the eventual repeal of the legislation, the spotlight moved to the itinerant tradesmen of London. The work of Patrick Colquhoun, a magistrate, highlighting Jewish street traders in London, led to proposed legislation which would have identified all Ashkenazi Jews in England and created a board with the power to levy a tax on the Jewish community. This article seeks to explain the complexity and inadequacy of the pedlars’ licensing legislation. It considers both economic and class conflicts and the anti-Jewish prejudices behind both debates. The article argues that the national debate over the tax on shopkeepers was a question of economic conflict and that anti-Jewish stereotypes played a limited role. In contrast, it argues that the debate over tradesmen in London was heavily influenced by anti-Jewish sentiments which were particularly powerful in the City of London. The debates highlight both the nature of economic conflict in late eighteenth-century England and the way in which anti-Jewish prejudice led to the proposal of legislation identifying and stigmatising the Jewish community.

Digital economy and economic competitive pressure on local governments: Evidence from China

For decades, fiscal decentralization and gross domestic product growth targeting have resulted in fierce economic competition among local governments in China, putting tremendous economic competitive pressure on them. The latter has serious social and economic implications and is a major issue for policymakers. This study analyzes data from China's 30 provinces for 2011–2021. It demonstrates that digital economic development could considerably reduce economic, competitive pressure on local governments, with trade openness and entrepreneurial dynamism serving as impact mechanisms. This study also found that the alleviating effects are more pronounced in regions with a poor innovation environment, a less developed economy, or lagging human resources. These findings emphasize the important role of the digital economy in increasing regional competitiveness and reducing regional disparities.

Do government environmental target constraints break the political resource curse? --A study on political connections and firm green innovation

This study combines government environmental target data (2003–2015) with green innovation among listed firms of China. After investigating the relationship between political connections and firm green innovation, we focus on whether government environmental target constraints can break the political resource curse and enhance green innovation. The findings suggest the existence of a political resource curse in firm green innovation. However, government environmental target constraints effectively mitigate this curse, increasing the quantity of green innovation in firms with political connections but at the expense of a decline in quality of green innovation. We further conduct a robustness analysis using data from 2003 to 2021, and the research findings remain consistent. Mechanism analysis indicates that government environmental target constraints effectively boost the quantity of green innovation in politically connected firms by reducing rent-seeking costs and increasing R&D subsidies. Simultaneously, government environmental target constraints amplify financial constraints, subsequently squeezing high-quality inputs for green innovation and resulting in a decline in quality. Furthermore, the intensity of government environmental regulation influences the relationship between political connections and green innovation in a non-linear way. When the intensity of government environmental regulation is high, it motivates politically connected firms to increase the quantity of green innovation but at the cost of reduced quality. Heterogeneity analysis also reveals diverse impacts of government environmental target constraints on green innovation in firms with political connections, considering factors such as levels and types of political connections, green innovation, social attention, industries, regional economic growth pressure, and market conditions.

Natural resource management and regional planning: a geographical perspective

ABSTRACT Studies of land divided into regions based on various criteria have long attracted geographers around the world. Insights from these studies, with a focus on Australia, highlight the power of geographical analyses to differentiate areas of community interest that can activate government policies in addressing spatially specific issues. Application of the regional approach in the form of integrated natural resource management that will capture the trust of regional communities should guide the restoration and resilience of landscapes experiencing decades of degradation. Forces of environmental change along with other social and economic pressures are continually transforming landscapes. This requires the application of a devolved governance framework based on multi-level governance principles that reflect regional geographical character at a scale linked to community identities and interests committed to achieving sustained outcomes over time.

The effectiveness of case management and nursing counselling among caregivers of patients with dementia: A pilot study.

According to the data released by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2021, in 2019, 235,000 patients sought medical treatment for dementia-related diseases at the National-Health-Insurance-participating hospitals and clinics for more than three outpatient visits or had been hospitalised, and the number had increased by 15,000 from the previous year (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2021). This implies that families are affected, causing tremendous physical, psychological, and economic pressures and burdens on the caregivers and families of the patient. The estimated social cost of caring for dementia families increased from $1.3 trillion in 2019 to $2.8 trillion in 2030 (World Health Organisation, 2021). Thus, long-term care for the dementia population has become a critical issue in medical care and social services in Taiwan and worldwide. In 2017, Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare has been starting Dementia care policy with 10 years long-term care plan through set up dementia care centre. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of dementia care centre for reducing the burden and improving the quality of life for caregivers of dementia patients. This pilot study adopts a quasi-experimental research design and uses purposive sampling to select in house informal caregivers of dementia patients who are part of a dementia collaborative care programme at a medical centre in the northern region and were willing to participate in this study. Upon enrolment in the study, subjects were given a pre-test, followed by a one-hour face-to-face nursing consultation and assessment after 2weeks. Subsequently, a telephone nursing consultation was conducted once a month for 3months. Two weeks after completing all counselling sessions, a post-test was administered to measure the caregiver burden with The Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory and the quality of life for caregivers with The 'Chinese Health Questionnaire CHQ-12'. After providing case management and nursing counselling, the total caregiver burden score significantly decreased from an average of 40.1 (SD=21.6) at the pre-test to an average of 38.6 (SD=21.4) at the post-test, reaching statistical significance (p<0.01). The results of this study showed that providing dementia caregivers with case management and nursing consultation services helpsimprove the overall caregiver burden (particularly emotional burden and physical burden) as well as the health questionnaire scores. However, the social burden and time burden did not improve after receiving case management and counselling among caregivers; instead, post-test scores of these aspects were significantly higher.

SOCIOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

This article is due to bibliographic research and aims to ask the questions about the socialization of children in early childhood education and, more specifically, to understand aspects of the social construction of the so -called “student craft” at this level of education. It was intended to unravel the relationships involving early childhood education, families, children and their socialization. Starting from the assumption that there is currently a tendency in society to anticipate the schooling of the child and that this is related to both the transformations of the senses of childhood and “being a child” and specific social conditions, such as forms of family configuration , the division of labor between the sexes, the role of women and their place in the sphere of production, as well as the properly economic pressures about families. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in the interface of childhood sociology with the sociology of education. Thus, it was possible to highlight their commitments to awaken in children early attitudes of discipline and certain habits and knowledge to prepare it for the school and social “future”.

Protective effect of social support: A longitudinal application of Family Stress Model

Mothers’ economic hardship is found to be positively associated with maternal depressive symptoms and depressed mothers are more likely to experience more parenting stress. Research shows that social support might be particularly beneficial for these families, however there are competing views on whether protective factors need to demonstrate direct or moderating effects. Thus, we examined whether the association between income-to-needs and mothers’ parenting stress is mediated via economic pressure and maternal depressive symptoms. Then, we tested the potential protective effect of social support, one model with the main effects and another model with moderating effects. The sample included 3001 mothers from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Results demonstrated that the association between income-to-needs ratio and parenting stress was significantly and serially mediated by economic pressure and depressive symptoms. Further, the main effects of social support were significant, however none of the interaction effect of social support were significant. The results suggest that the social support has direct positive effects in decreasing maladaptive outcomes, but it did not buffer earlier experiences of risks. Given the important role social support plays in low-income families with mothers who might be depressed and highly stressed, it can be specifically targeted in prevention and intervention programs.

Customer Loyalty Improvement of PT Federal International Finance Danastra Bogor Area

Online loans (pinjol) are increasingly being used by the public, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where many households are experiencing extraordinary economic pressure. The Financial Services Authority (OJK) provides information regarding the amount of loan disbursements through loan organizing institutions or commonly known as online loan providers (pinjol) in Indonesia touched Rp 20.53 trillion in August 2023. PT Federal International Finance Danastra is an application engaged in multipurpose financing such as working capital, wedding capital, education financing and many other needs to support life. The purpose of the study was to determine how much influence service quality, brand image and customer trust have on customer satisfaction and its impact on customer loyalty at PT. Federal International Finance Danastra, this research uses quantitative analysis methods using SPSS 26 software and the sampling method uses simple random sampling with a sample size of 270 respondents using the Slovin model. Through this research analysis, it is known that the factors of service quality, brand image, consumer trust and consumer satisfaction have a strong and significant influence on consumer loyalty PT. Federal International Finance Danastra.

The power of mineral: Shock of the global supply chain from resource nationalism

State intervention has long affected the stability of the global mineral and raw material markets. Global energy transition has continued to boost demand for copper, lithium, cobalt, and nickel. It has exacerbated the global prevalence of resource nationalism. Research on resource nationalism has focused on the interaction of economic, political, cultural, and social elements within countries. The lack of understanding of the global economic effects of resource nationalism limits our flexibility in responding to upheavals in the global resource order. We combine time series counterfactual analysis and input–output modeling to advance our understanding of the worldwide supply chain effects of resource nationalism. We analyze the impacts of resource political behavior on global supply chains based on several representative episodes of resource nationalism. While major industrialized countries suffer more absolute welfare losses, formerly developed countries in the Global South face higher price effects. Moreover, nationalist resource shocks are not the only cause of welfare losses in the metals supply chain sector. Still, they are also harming various industries and groups, from food and energy to services. Such differences in price and welfare effects depend on the type of mineral and the resource power of the event-initiating country, on the one hand, and are influenced by the global industrial division of labor, on the other. More losses in developing countries come from the agricultural sector and primary manufacturing than from the severity of the losses suffered by the manufacturing and service sectors in industrial and rich countries. This is a reminder to pay more attention to the unequal distribution of economic pressures across countries and sectors in the global energy transition.

Complementary, supportive and traditional practice experiences of infertile women in Türkiye: a qualitative study

BackgroundIn many societies, infertile couples use traditional practices.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the complementary, supportive and traditional (CST) practices used by infertile women and their attitudes toward these practices.MethodsIn this qualitative study, data were collected through individual interviews using a semi-structured form in December 2021. A total of 25 infertile women who applied to the in-vitro fertilization center of a hospital in Türkiye participated in the study. The findings were evaluated by thematic analysis.ResultsThe ages of the participants ranged from 25 to 49 years. Three main themes were obtained by the data analysis; “Reasons for using CST practices,” “Complementary, supportive and traditional practices used” and “Opinions on the effect of CST practices.”ConclusionWomen resorted to complementary and supportive practices for economic reasons, seeking hope, and environmental pressure. Various herbal cures, dietary practices, and religious methods such as praying and prayer amulets, hacamat (cupping), leeches, and various bodily applications were identified as methods commonly used by women. Women were using these methods with the recommendations of people who are not health professionals. It is important to determine the beneficial methods and increase women’s awareness of harmful practices. Additionally, although women use many methods for infertility treatment, it should also be noted that infertility is not a female-only problem. Consequently, childless women should be empowered with healthy coping skills.

MSME Development and Growth Strategy in Indonesia: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Economy Era

This study is focused on the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) growth in Indonesia. Various literature sources have been consulted to address the existing problems, and secondary data from relevant agencies such as BPS, BI, and the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs have been used. The challenges faced by SMEs in enhancing their business capabilities are multifaceted, encompassing several indicators. These include insufficient capital, both in terms of quantity and sources, inadequate managerial and operational skills in organizing, and limited marketing opportunities. Moreover, there is also unhealthy competition and economic pressures leading to a restricted and narrow business scope. It is crucial to address these concerns, especially in anticipation of Indonesia's participation in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the resulting open market. It is imperative for SMEs to enhance their competitiveness. However, these problems can be effectively tackled through various policies that facilitate easy access for SMEs to the banking industry. The fact that only 13.6% of credit growth is disbursed by the banking sector demonstrates that capital-related issues can be easily resolved, subsequently impacting management and enabling the production of more competitive products. By effectively addressing the challenges posed by the AEC, the government's concerns can be better addressed.

Citizen journalism under pressure: The case of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines

Citizen journalism was perceived to be a beacon of hope for democracy throughout countries in Southeast Asia. Nonetheless, recnt developments indicate citizen journalism in the region is being challenged. This research exploits Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory to understand contemporary Southeast Asian citizen journalism. The data was collected by way of semi-structured interviews conducted with thirty people participating in citizen journalism from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The findings demonstrate prevalent economic, political, and cultural pressures in these countries, with political factors exerting the most pressure on the rise of citizen journalism. All three nations experience political pressure via regulations, with the Philippines being subjected to the most pressure due to extrajudicial killings and the intimidation of journalists. Owing to financial constraints, citizen journalism acts as a venue for mainstream media to obtain free content from citizen journalists. Citizen journalists in Indonesia earn significant incomes, although professional journalists covertly adopt their posts. Cultural pressure capital is exhibited when journalists apply ethical journalism to citizen journalists by means of training. Moreover, in the Philippines, citizen journalism is commonly positioned by government-supporting politicians to disinform. This study delivers an extensive and comparative overview, strengthening the case to update field theory.

Russian diplomacy and western gas wars against Russia

The article is devoted to the study the use by Western countries, primarily the United States and the EU, of the gas factor for political and economic pressure on Russia in order to squeeze it out of world gas markets, primarily European, and reduce the fl ow of funds from Russian gas exports to the state budget. The article analyzes how, in order to achieve their goals, the United States and a number of members of the European Union manipulate the actions of Qatar, Turkey and the Balkan countries to disrupt the implementation of large gas projects to deliver gas from Russia to Europe through main gas pipelines along the bottom of the Baltic and Black Seas, bypassing Ukrainian transit. Special attention how the West has used and is using Ukraine to displace Russian pipeline gas from European markets. The article also considers how the West has used and is using Ukraine to displace Russian pipeline gas from European markets. Special attention is paid to the role of liquefi ed natural gas (LNG)to increase the supply of Russian gas to the world market, which makes it possible to reduce Russia's dependence on gas exports through pipelines. The issue of prospects for the reorientation of gas exports from the West to the East, primarily to China, is also being considered.

Relation of Family Economic Pressure and Racial Stress with Sleep Disturbance among African American College Students: Moderating Effects of Kin Social Support

The investigation examined whether kin social support moderated the association of family economic pressure and race-related stress with sleep disturbance among African American college students. The study is grounded in two theoretical models including the Integrative Model for the Study of Developmental Competence in Minority Children (IM) and the Family Stress Model (FSM), which predict that economic and race-related stress are linked to well-being in families and that the effects of stressful experiences may be moderated by kin social support. Hypotheses were assessed with online questionnaires administered to 152 African American college students (83% female, Mage = 21.7, SDage = 4.6). Economic pressure and race-related stress were significantly associated with sleep disturbance. Interference effects of kin support were evident and revealed that the positive relations of family economic pressure and race-related stress with sleep disturbance were less apparent with increases in kin support. Findings suggest that kinship ties are complex relations with costs and benefits that African American students must manage as they cope with stressful experiences in college.

Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Peranan Perempuan dalam Budaya Bali di Desa Bali Sadhar Selatan Kecamatan Banjit Kabupaten Way Kanan

This study aims to identify and describe the factors that influence the role of women farmers and the view of Balinese culture on the role of women. The research was carried out in March 2022-April 2022 in South Bali Sadhar Village, Banjit District, Way Kanan Regency. The informants in this study were female farmers and male farmers who worked in the lowland rice sector with a total of 12 people. The approach used in this research is a qualitative approach with a research method, namely case studies. The results showed that the factors that influence the role of women are family factors, economic pressure factors, education factors and habit factors. This view of Balinese culture on the role of women is considered positive, because activities carried out in accordance with awig-awig (customary regulations) and work are an obligation to carry out dharma (goodness/truth) in accordance with Hindu religious teachings. Keywords: Factors, Role of Women, Balinese Culture

Influences of bit button wear on performance of rotary-percussive drilling: MBD-DEM coupling simulation and verification

This paper focuses on the use of rotary-percussive drilling for hard rocks. In order to improve efficiency and reduce costs, it is essential to understand how operational parameters, bit wear, and drilling performance are related. A model is presented therein that combines multibody dynamics and discrete element method (DEM) to investigate the influences of operational parameters and bit wear on the rate of penetration and wear characteristics. The model accurately captures the motion of the bit and recreates rock using the cutting sieving result. Field experimental results validate the rod dynamic behavior, rock recreating model, and coupling model in the simulation. The findings indicate that hammer pressure significantly influences the rate of penetration and wear depth of the bit, and there is an optimal range for economical hammer pressure. The wear coefficient has a major effect on the rate of penetration, when wear coefficient is between 1/3 and 2/3. Increasing the wear coefficient can reduce drill bit button pressure and wear depth at the same drill distance. Gauge button loss increases the rate of penetration due to higher pressure on the remaining buttons, which also accelerates destruction of the bit. Furthermore, a more evenly distributed button on the bit enhances the rate of penetration (ROP) when the same number of buttons is lost.

Marriage squeeze in the Loess Plateau Region, Northwestern China: A case study of two villages

The quest for spouses among rural men in China has become increasingly arduous, resulting in a growing number of older bachelors. However, the mechanisms driving the marriage squeeze in underdeveloped rural areas remain poorly understood. This study analyzes time-series data from 70 marital unions across 58 households in two geographically distinct villages in the Loess Plateau Region of China. The results indicate that marriage expenses and the subsequent financial burden on the bridegroom's household increased substantially from 1969 to 2018, particularly in the most recent decade, while the bride's household received the majority of marriage-related income. There has been an overall increasing trend in economic pressure induced by marriage expenses in both villages since 1979. A cohort of older bachelors has emerged in the hilly village, where rural males traditionally marry women from more remote, underdeveloped areas. Conversely, rural males in the tableland village can consistently find spouses from comparable geographical settings and have not yet emerged as older bachelors. This study concludes that the marriage squeeze manifests as dual pressures from economic and living conditions, and excludes economically disadvantaged males in harsh environments from the marriage market within the context of rural out-migration and the sex ratio imbalance.

The Relationship Between Self-control and Psychological Stress among College Students

The intensification of competition for further education and employment brought about by the development of the times has led to a sharp increase in psychological pressure on contemporary college students. The mental health of college students has become a social issue of common concern for parents and various groups in society. This article focuses on the relationship between self-control and psychological stress among college students. Through analysis of existing literature and research, it is found that college students with high levels of self-control are able to demonstrate stronger adaptability and lower psychological distress when facing academic, interpersonal, and economic pressures. This is mainly because individuals with higher self-control abilities have more disposable self-control resources compared to those with lower self-control abilities, so the resources allocated to psychological stress are more sufficient and can better control psychological stress. This study has important reference significance for alleviating psychological stress among college students and promoting the strengthening and improvement of student mental health education by the government and various social groups. In the future, further refinement can be made in the operationalization of the aforementioned variables to facilitate in-depth research on this topic.

Public policies on sustainable flood risk management: Study cases of the Netherlands and Malawi

Background: This study compares flood management strategies in Malawi and the Netherlands, emphasizing their respective advantages and disadvantages. The Netherlands is renowned globally for its flood defense, prioritizing prevention, stakeholder involvement, and nature-based solutions through sophisticated infrastructure and proactive approaches. However, future challenges may arise from economic expansion and climate change pressures. In contrast, Malawi, despite having fewer resources, is making strides with its National Resilience Strategy, focusing on risk mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and early warning systems to combat flooding and hunger vulnerabilities. Yet, it faces significant issues with financing, management, and the long-term sustainability of community-based projects. Methods: This study utilized bibliometric analysis and a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), employing a comparative approach to evaluate Malawian and Dutch public policies on flooding disasters. The aim was to identify similarities and differences in their approaches to flood risk management. Findings: The Netherlands’ proactive flood management strategy, characterized by advanced infrastructure and integrated policy frameworks, is a model for high-capacity settings. Its emphasis on nature-based solutions and stakeholder engagement further strengthens its resilience. Malawi's approach, while resource-constrained, shows promise through its National Resilience Strategy, which targets risk reduction, sustainable agricultural practices, and robust early warning systems. Nevertheless, Malawi continues to grapple with financing, effective management, and the sustainability of its flood risk mitigation initiatives. Conclusion: The experiences of the Netherlands and Malawi illustrate the need for continuous policy adaptation and the challenges of managing flood risks in diverse socioeconomic contexts. This research clarifies the relative benefits of different flood control strategies and emphasizes the importance of tailored approaches to address the complexities of flood dangers. Both countries demonstrate the ongoing need for regulatory reform to enhance flood risk mitigation efforts. Novelty/Originality of this Study: This study uniquely compares the flood risk management policies of Malawi and the Netherlands, highlighting the differences between a developing nation's reactive, community-focused approach and a developed country's proactive, infrastructure-intensive strategy. By analyzing their respective strengths and weaknesses, it identifies potential improvements and opportunities for both nations to enhance their flood management and resilience.

중국 호텔 종사원의 심리적 임파워먼트가 선제적 행동에 미치는 영향

With a focus on the mediating role of job crafting, this study explores the impact of psychological empowerment on proactive behavior among employees in the Chinese hotel industry. Data samples were collected from five hotels in Beijing over four weeks from December 20, 2023, to January 20, 2024. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data from 286 valid responses. The findings reveal that three dimensions of psychological empowerment—meaningfulness, competence, and impact—have significant and positive influences on both job crafting and proactive behavior. However, it was noted that only competence and impact significantly mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and proactive behavior through job crafting. Self-determination showed no significant effect. These results highlight the importance of nurturing an organizational culture that bolsters the sense of competence and impact of employees, thereby encouraging a more motivated, initiative-taking workforce. This study also theoretically contributes to the existing knowledge base by extending the understanding of how specific dimensions of psychological empowerment influence proactive behavior. Practical contributions of this study include offering insights for hotel management to enhance employee motivation and organizational performance in the face of economic downturns and competitive pressures.