Economic Foundations Research Articles

Filsafat Materialisme Karl Marx (Epistimologi Dialectical And Historical Materiali)

With the premise that the production and distribution of products and services is vital to aid people in growing their life, this article examines Karl Marx's historical materialism and its methodology. Economic considerations serve as the foundation of human existence, while the concrete problems of human awareness in the fields of science, philosophy, ideology, and religion serve as the superstructure, according to him. According to Marx, society's superstructure is defined by its economic foundation. Marx argued that the struggle between social classes was the driving force behind all major historical shifts. Marx posits a social hierarchy in which the capitalist bourgeoisie and the working class proletariat are the two main social groups. Thus, rather than people, social class is a product of historical development that dictates how events unfold. A class revolution is inevitable given the presence of these two social strata. Religion is the opium of the masses, according to Marx; the more one devotes oneself to religion, the more lost he will become. Religion does not create man, but rather, Marx argues that humans create religion.

The Feasibility of Egypt's Photovoltaic Industry Drawing on China's Successful Experience

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of Egypt's photovoltaic industry drawing on China's successful experience. Firstly, based on Egypt's national conditions and actual situation, the current situation, development potential, and challenges faced by the Egyptian photovoltaic market were analyzed.Egypts economic foundation remains less competitive, with outdated electricity infrastructure and long-term dependence on natural gas, posing challenges to its transformation. Egypt is one of the regions with the most concentrated solar energy resources in the world, which gives it the possibility and new opportunities to overtake in the photovoltaic field. Secondly, by analyzing the development process of China's photovoltaic industry, this paper explores China's successful experiences in policy support, market demand, technological level, financial support, and talent cultivation.Compared with China, Egypt's photovoltaic industry is still in an underdeveloped and developing stage, and requires sustained efforts in multiple aspects. This article compares the significant differences in the development of photovoltaic industries between China and Egypt, and analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by Egypt's photovoltaic industry, as well as the corresponding strategies from three aspects: policy stability, demand activation, and desert photovoltaics. Finally, based on the research results, policy recommendations and development paths are proposed to promote the development of Egypt's photovoltaic industry, to provide reference and inspiration for the sustainable development of Egypt's photovoltaic industry.

Big data policy and urban tourism development: a catalyst or a hindrance?

ABSTRACT The advent of the digital era has prompted leading nations to devise strategic digital plans, seeking an edge in the escalating international rivalry. China’s Big Data policy has garnered significant attention as an exemplar of transitional economies. This research uses urban panel data from China to examine the impact of Big Data policy on urban tourism development. The results indicate that in its initial stages of implementation, Big Data policy appears to stifle urban tourism development. This can primarily be attributed to the biased interventions of the policy, which incited competition and resource predation from the ICT sector upon the tourism-related industries, engendering a crowding-out effect. However, this inhibitory influence is attenuated in cities with a stronger economic foundation, higher innovation capabilities, and more advanced service sectors. Our analysis offers pivotal insights and references for nations and regions fervently pursuing digital transformation via policy interventions.

From petrodollars to green power: Fiscal stability and green transition in GCC economies

This study examines the influence of fiscal stability, characterized by fiscal buffers, on the green transition in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies from 2005 to 2023. We apply two-way fixed effects, system generalized method of moments (GMM), method of moments quantile regression (MMQR), and panel causality analysis to explore these dynamics. Our findings underscore that a positive fiscal buffer resulting from a significant spread between oil prices and fiscal breakeven levels exerts a substantial positive impact on green transition efforts in GCC countries. The results reveal that countries with higher levels of renewable energy production capacity and urbanization demonstrate more pronounced advancements in green transition initiatives. Conversely, countries grappling with unstable macroeconomic conditions, such as high inflation and external debt, face considerable challenges in achieving significant improvements in green transition outcomes. Additionally, our analysis shows that fossil fuel energy fiscal subsidies negatively influence green transition efforts in the GCC region. Our study emphasizes that policymakers in GCC countries should pursue a dual-pronged strategy: leveraging positive fiscal buffers to diversify their economies in light of potential benefits from high oil prices, and channelling oil and fiscal revenues towards enhancing renewable energy production capacities. This approach aims not only to diversify economic foundations but also to strategically strengthen the infrastructure necessary for sustainable renewable energy transitions in the region over the long term.

Explaining Political Violence In South Asia: Theories And Concepts

Political violence in South Asia has escalated significantly since the region’s independence, primarily driven by the erosion of social cohesion. This paper investigates the socio-political and economic foundations that underlie violent political actions. By examining key movements across South Asia, including the Bengali liberation struggle, Kashmir and tribal conflicts in Northeast India, the MQM problem in Pakistan, the JVP and Tamil insurgency in Sri Lanka, the study identifies internal colonisation, state repression, and resource mobilisation as central catalysts of violence. The analysis highlights the role of relative deprivation, land disputes, and marginalisation as pivotal motivators for insurgencies. Additionally, state incapacity and external support further exacerbate and sustain violent movements. The paper concludes that the exclusion of marginalised groups from political power and economic opportunities, compounded by uneven development, continues to fuel cycles of violence in the region

Institutional approach for ecotourism collaboration between South Korea and Japan: exploration of criteria for ecotourism joint-certification

ABSTRACT Domestic and international tourism, which was limited due to the pandemic, has exploded since 2023, with neighboring South Korea and Japan experiencing a high rate of mutual tourism exchanges. Ecotourism, which is differentiated from mass tourism, is receiving renewed attention. This study proposes a joint-certification standard that ensures high satisfaction and a desirable ecotourism foundation. Through stakeholder engagement and field research in representative areas, 19 certification criteria across 7 categories were developed, emphasizing resource conservation, tourist management, and community involvement. During this process, both nations proposed joint support measures for promotion and explanation and the creation of platforms for sharing expertise between regions. Importantly, the introduction of ecotourism joint-certification is expected to enhance international exchanges, increase tourist satisfaction, secure economic foundations for regions, and improve trust between countries.

Modelling what matters: How do current models handle environmental limits and social outcomes?

Models that represent the economy, society, and environment are critical macroeconomic policy tools. However, economic output as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is increasingly being seen as an unreliable and undesirable economic indicator and policy goal. Instead, multiple indicators of environmental impacts and social outcomes are needed to make decisions about sustainable development.Drawing on the Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries, and the Sustainable Development Goals, we analyse 50 models to assess the state of the art in modelling the environment, society, and economy. We categorise models according to their economic foundation and modelling approach, assess their coverage of 15 environmental and 21 social indicators, and identify feedbacks between different model parts. We further construct a targeted sample of 15 models that represents the diversity in modelling approaches and indicator coverage, and use this sample to investigate how environmental and social indicators are linked to macroeconomic drivers.For the environment, indicator coverage is best for climate change, energy use, and land conversion. Within current models, environmental impact is largely driven by GDP and agricultural production. For society, coverage is best for jobs, income (wages and inequality), and productivity. Within current models, social outcomes are largely driven by income per capita, government spending, and governance. Models rarely contain feedbacks from the environment and society to the economy, and few include any biophysical limits.The current focus on monetary flows limits understanding of the interconnections between environmental, social, and economic systems. We argue that modellers should rely less on economic variables as determinants of social and environmental outcomes. Specific provisioning systems could be modelled in more detail to allow models to explore growth-agnostic ways of achieving a good life for all within environmental limits.

Promoting Well-being through History Teaching

Abstract This article explores the potential for the greater infusion of well-being concerns into the teaching of history in UK HEIs. Drawing upon results from a survey of over 100 current undergraduates in one UK History department, alongside a scoping study of well-being provision provided by history departments or their equivalent in about ninety UK HEIs, this article considers ways in which well-being can be promoted through the teaching and learning strategies of historians. The article discusses the meaning of the term ‘well-being’ and asks why historians have sometimes been reluctant participants in the ‘eudaemonic turn’. The negativity bias of history as an endeavour, and the potential for understanding the past to enhance or diminish an individual's sense of well-being is discussed, as is the value of historicising the concept of well-being itself. The case for integrating well-being as a key element in the degree-level study of history is made, and the article concludes by urging all HEI history practitioners to consider the value of curricular infusion and mapping the design and delivery of their modules onto the New Economics Foundation's ‘five ways to well-being’.

Energy transition policy and Chinese rural revitalization: The roles of industrial upgrading and digital economy

This study investigates the impact of China's energy transition policy on rural revitalization, emphasizing the mediating role of industrial upgrading and the moderating influence of the digital economy. The research examines how new energy pilot city policies contribute to rural economic development, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. The results show that industrial upgrading plays a significant mediating role in linking energy policies to rural revitalization, while the digital economy strengthens this effect, highlighting the importance of digital infrastructure and literacy. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that these impacts vary across regions, with developed areas benefiting more significantly due to stronger economic foundations and digital readiness, while less developed regions face greater challenges. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders, advocating for tailored and integrated strategies that combine energy transition, industrial upgrading, and digital technologies to promote sustainable rural development across diverse regional contexts.

An economic foundation for assessing the credibility of corporate net zero transition pathways

AbstractThe G20 has highlighted the urgency and importance of financing net zero transition. Investors, however, lack a systematic framework to assess the credibility (incentive‐compatibility) of corporate transition claims. As such, negative screening based on current GHG emissions or even sectors remains a dominant climate investment strategy. In response, this paper develops an economic foundation for credible corporate net zero transition. Our model shows that, besides its current emissions, both a firm's transition capacity and urgency should be considered when assessing its likelihood of attaining net zero; interestingly, it shows how the concavity of its transition pathway may serve as a litmus test. Finally, we discuss how the Task Force on Climate‐Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework can be utilized for credibility assessment of corporate transition pathways. Our findings and recommendations are one of the first attempts to address the market call for systematic approaches to evaluate forward‐looking climate mitigation claims.

Can Industrial Digitalization Boost a Consumption-Driven Economy? An Empirical Study Based on Provincial Data in China

A consumption-driven economy refers to an economic growth model primarily driven by domestic consumption and is a common goal for the economic growth of various countries. To explore the impact of industrial digitalization on a consumption-driven economy, this paper conducts an empirical study based on data from 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2021. The empirical test results indicate: first, industrial digitalization significantly promotes the development of a consumption-driven economy, mainly reflected in the improvement of economic foundation and consumption levels, but shows no significant effect on improving the consumption structure. Second, mechanism analysis results show that industrial digitalization can promote the development of a consumption-driven economy by fostering innovation and advancing the industrial structure. Third, heterogeneity analysis results reveal that the promotion effect of industrial digitalization on the consumption-driven economy exists only in eastern and central China but not in western China, indicating that industrial digitalization in underdeveloped areas cannot exert a positive effect on the consumption-driven economy.

EVALUATION OF DEFORMATION PARAMETERS OF SILO FOUNDATIONS REINFORCED WITH SOIL-CEMENT ELEMENTS

The mandatory controlled criterion for steel silos is the limitation of foundation settlement and tilting, which is regulated by DBN V.2.6-221:2021. The threshold value of silo settlement is Smax,u = 150 mm. The most economical foundation solution is a large-sized slab on a natural base or a soil cushion. It is possible to stabilise the weak base by reinforcing it with vertical soil-cement elements (SCE). In Ukraine, most foundations have an underground gallery or silo floor. When the silos are first loaded, there is geodetic monitoring of the vertical settlement of the silo base and comparison of its data with the threshold values of settlement and tilting. The objective is to investigate the effect of limited-depth soil reinforcement on the stabilisation of the soil base and the average total foundation settlement. The task of the study is to create a methodology for predicting the impact of reinforcement with soil-cement elements on the parameters of the soil base general stiffness for a silo foundation. The research methods are geodetic monitoring of settlements around the perimeter of silo foundations during initial loading at four different elevators with different geological conditions. Thus, the predicting method of the impact while reinforcing with soil-cement elements on the general stiffness parameters of the soil base for the silo foundation was tested on the bases of silos for four elevators. These elevators represent different engineering and geological conditions. The proof of the methodology’s validity is the coincidence with the results of geodetic subsidence monitoring along the perimeter of silo foundations. According to the research results, it is possible to state that the reinforcement of the foundation base with vertical soil-cement elements allows for the effective stabilisation of soil parameters. We propose an evaluation method of the reinforcement effect with soil-cement elements in the form of the stabilisation coefficient for the soil base, kEi. We further prove the primary role of the soil-cement reinforcing elements operation and their length while stabilising the base. The base stiffness is stabilised at the compressible stratum depth and beyond the foundation boundaries. It is possible to use the method of reinforcement influence evaluation to determine the actual parameters of the stabilised soil base, n, according to geodetic monitoring data. The authors have studied the effect of limited depth reinforcement for stabilising the foundation. The research obtained the empirical dependence of the reinforcement required depth at given depth values for the base compressible layer. The authors proposed using the linearly deformed layer method, considering the operation of soil-cement elements as discrete soil reinforcement. The numerous experiments with the Finite Element Method confirm the high convergence of the calculated results with those obtained analytically. Keywords: foundation settlement, soil-cement element, geodetic monitoring, steel silo, foundation stiffness.

Assessment of green development level performance in G20 countries: A dynamic evaluation framework

To achieve sustainable development goals and foster future prosperity globally, the promotion of green development is essential. Nevertheless, persistent regional disparities in green development among the G20 nations stem from differing economic and environmental conditions in dynamic contexts. In light of these conditions, it is essential for governments to evaluate their country's current green development performance in comparison with higher-performing nations and to learn from their experiences. This study introduces a new dynamic evaluation framework that integrates the importance of evaluation indicators using the dynamic entropy weighting method, a Dynamic Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method, and principal component analysis. This framework serves as a tool for G20 countries to assess their green development levels between 2015 and 2021. A key contribution of this study is the facilitation of the G20's ability to implement relevant reform measures and monitor green development progress in a dynamic environment. This framework can serve as a model for similar evaluations in other regions globally. The study's main findings indicate that G20 countries with high levels of green development possess strong economic foundations and prioritise the balanced development of their economies, societies, environments, and innovation.

Ibn Khaldun and Auguste Comte: A Comparative Analysis of the Founding Figures of Sociology

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the contributions of Ibn Khaldun, a 14th-century Arab scholar, and Auguste Comte, a 19th-century French philosopher, to the development of sociology. While Auguste Comte is widely acknowledged in the Western tradition as the “father of sociology,” Ibn Khaldun’s seminal work, “Muqaddimah”, place the Preliminary work for a systematic approach to social and historical analysis several centuries before Comte. Ibn Khaldun’s pioneering ideas on social cohesion, economic foundations, and the cyclical nature of civilizations challenge the conventional Eurocentric narrative that places the origins of sociological thought exclusively within Western intellectual history. This paper examines the methodologies, theories, and socio-historical contexts that shaped the works of both thinkers. Ibn Khaldun’s empirical observations and his concept of “asabiyyah” (social cohesion) are compared with Comte’s positivist approach and his “Law of Three Stages,” which posits the evolution of human thought from theological to metaphysical to positive. Despite the differences in their approaches, both scholars were deeply engaged with the fundamental processes governing social life and the forces driving social change. This study argues for a broader recognition of Ibn Khaldun’s role in the evolution of sociological thought, positioning him not merely as a precursor but as a co-founder of sociology alongside Comte. By doing so, it contributes to a more inclusive understanding of the global intellectual traditions that have shaped the discipline of sociology.

Synergistic Catalysis of Water-Soluble Exogenous Catalysts and Reservoir Minerals during the Aquathermolysis of Heavy Oil.

Oil serves as the essential fuel and economic foundation of contemporary industry. However, the use of traditional light crude oil has exceeded its supply, making it challenging to meet the energy needs of humanity. Consequently, the extraction of heavy oil has become crucial in addressing this demand. This research focuses on the synthesis of several water-soluble catalysts that can work along with reservoir minerals to catalyze the hydrothermal cracking process of heavy oil. The goal is to effectively reduce the viscosity of heavy oil and lower the cost of its extraction. Based on the experimental findings, it was observed that when oil sample 1 underwent hydrothermal cracking at a temperature of 180 °C for a duration of 4 h, the amount of water added and catalyst used were 30% and 0.2% of the oil sample dosage, respectively. It was further discovered that the synthesized Mn(II)C was able to reduce the viscosity of oil sample 1 by 50.38%. The investigation revealed that the combination of Mn(II)C + K exhibited a significant synergistic catalytic impact on reducing viscosity. Initially, the viscosity reduction rate was 50.38%, which climbed to 61.02%. Subsequently, when catalyzed by the hydrogen supply agent isopropanol, the rate of viscosity reduction rose further to 91.22%. Several methods, such as freezing point analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, DSC analysis, component analysis, gas chromatography, wax crystal morphology analysis, and GC-MS analysis, were conducted on aqueous organic matter derived from heavy oil after undergoing different reaction systems. These analyses confirmed that the viscosity of the heavy oil was decreased. By studying the reaction mechanism of the model compound and analyzing the aqueous phase, the reaction largely involves depolymerization between macromolecules, breakdown of heteroatom chains, hydrogenation, ring opening, and other related consequences. These actions diminish the strength of the van der Waals force and hydrogen bond in the recombinant interval, impede the creation of a grid-like structure in heavy oil, and efficiently decrease its viscosity.

Methodological approaches to the functioning of the passenger transportation market: Airline, road and railway segments

Passenger transportation plays a critical role in ensuring efficient functioning of the economy, as it provides labour mobility, access to markets, cultural, and social services, and promotes the development of international tourism and social integration. Thus, the purpose of the research was to analyse methodological foundations of the functioning of the passenger transportation market and to assess the war impact on the condition and development of air, bus, and rail passenger transportation. With the help of the bibliographic method, key scientific papers have been analysed in the article to study the theoretical foundation and identify problematic issues, calling for improvement and development. Using the generalisation method, leading organisations, ensuring the functioning of the passenger transportation market, have been identified and summarised, and the general principles of its functioning have been formulated. Using comparative and grouping methods, methodological approaches to air, bus, and rail passenger transportation in the context of economic, regulatory, technological, ecological, and social foundations have been proposed. The necessary prerequisites for the effective functioning of the passenger transportation market have been determined by grouping the most significant aspects, such as liberalisation and competition, state regulation and standardisation, investments and innovations, as well as effective cooperation between stakeholders in the field of passenger transportation. Using tabular and graphical methods, the war impact on air, bus, and rail passenger transportation has been considered through the lens of the caused damage, the amount of destruction, and the necessary restoration and reduction of passenger traffic. The peculiarities of enterprise operation in wartime have been identified with the emphasis on strategically important features of functioning and development, and patterns in passenger transportation have been revealed with the help of the content analysis method. The results of the research can be useful for specialists in the field of passenger transportation and tourism when analysing the passenger transportation market, forming strategies, and considering development trends

Are cities under bright lights more innovative? Evidence from China

The prosperity of the nighttime economy is an important criterion for measuring urban development. Based on regression analysis of data from 330 prefecture-level cities in China, this study explores the potential link between urban lighting and urban innovation capacity. The results show that the relationship between nighttime light intensity and urban innovation capacity follows an inverted U-shaped curve. Moreover, urban nighttime light stability moderates the above relationship. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis indicates that low population density, weak economic foundation, and high administrative grade weaken the relationship between lighting intensity and urban innovation capacity. Finally, the mechanism analysis suggested that the inverted U-shaped relationship between urban lighting and innovation capacity may be caused by the encroachment of the service industry and the loss of urban attractiveness. By exploring the proxy effect of nighttime lighting on urban innovation, this study reveals the imbalance between extrinsic image and the intrinsic capacity of cities, which not only extends the research on urban construction and development but also provides guidance for local governments concerning how to achieve all-round coordination of cities.

Peningkatan Pemahaman dan Implementasi Customer Relationship Management (CRM) di Industri UMKM Kebumen

Public service is a real contribution to strengthening the local economic foundation, the conventional industry sector. "Besides, it's still unclear how consumer behaviour varies. CRM can minimize abstract behaviour based on the data obtained. CRMs can provide consumer behaviour information based on data obtained such as purchasing behaviour. Such data can be enabled in UMKM bank data and build decisions such as discounts, product innovations and product sales. Increasing CRM in the context of society is crucial to strengthening the bond between the convenience industry and its consumers. The proposed community enhancement involves a series of holistic activities that are not aimed at improving employee understanding and integrating such methods into everyday practice

Embedded hegemony and the evolution of the United States’ structural power

Whilst the United States’ (US) economic hegemony has existed continuously since the end of World War II, it has not been realised in the same way. In the early post-war period, the US’s hegemony rested on its dominance over gross world product and manufacturing output and exports. However, by the 1970s it began to transition to high-technology industries, services and foreign investment. Using a structural power analysis, this article argues that this transition in the economic foundations of US hegemony was not a reaction to an exogenous shift in the international division of labour, but was rather the result of the endogenous policies, decisions and priorities of the US. Moreover, the article illustrates how the interaction between the four aspects of structural power (security, production, finance and information) determined how these new hegemonic interests were embedded in international institutions and norms to better project US power globally. Through a historical analysis, the article demonstrates that the four aspects of structural power went from mutually reinforcing each other in the early post-war period to detracting from each other from the mid-1960s. This spurred a managed transition by the US from one embedded hegemonic order to another. The result was the construction of contemporary US embedded hegemonic order based on dollar hegemony (financial structural power) and the internationalisation of US corporate dominance (productive structural power), supported by the private ownership of knowledge by US corporations (informational structural power). The article also considers the implications of this analysis for current challenges to the contemporary hegemonic order.

THE MOROCCAN CRISES (1905-1911) AND THE POLICIES IMPLEMENTED BY THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE DURING THE CRISES

In the quarter of a century before the First World War, there were numerous economic and political developments that shaped the Allied and Entente blocs. The Moroccan crisis holds a decisive place within these developments. The struggle of the Western Powers to share Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century was at the center of the crisis. The unequal bilateral relations developed between the Ottoman Empire and the Western Powers during the process of opening up to capitalism influenced the foreign policy as well as the economic policies of the state. In this study, the economic, political and social foundations of the policies followed by the Ottoman Empire during the crisis in Morocco, which was both its neighbor in terms of its domination area and its ideological rival in the Islamic world, are discussed using primary sources. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal whether the Ottoman Empire, depending on its perception of threat, tried to implement a set of reactive, preventive, and supportive policies towards Morocco in terms of military, political, or economic aspects. The findings of the study show that the policies implemented are carried out on a political and military basis and through indirect channels. As a matter of fact, the Ottoman Empire's approach to the Moroccan crises was shaped by Pan-Islamist policies under the influence of Germany, the preservation of its sovereign rights in North Africa, the protection of its subjects in the region, and the question of nationality and the repercussions of the Franco-German rivalry in Morocco on the Ottoman country.