Limited Government Research Articles

‘I am You, as You are Me’: Replicative Adaptability and Capacities of Resilience in Chhit Sheupara

In former enclaves of the India–Bangladesh borderlands, trans-local interactions evinced adaptations in response to recurrent shifts in their categorical and experiential peripheralities. This case study of Chhit Sheupara assesses the disconnect in its categorizations as a ‘stateless’ space through an exploration of local negotiations to bypass its ascriptive isolations. The study analyses proxy-citizenship and limited governance as configurations of Sheupara’s adaptive resilience, as a part of local efforts to subvert and circumvent their erstwhile stateless existence within a dynamic borderland locale through reproductions of normativity and instrumentalities of state civicism.

Temporal associations of emotional and social loneliness and psychosocial functioning in emerging adulthood.

Emerging adulthood is an important developmental phase often accompanied by peaks in loneliness, social anxiety, and depression. However, knowledge is lacking on how the relationships between emotional loneliness, social loneliness, social isolation, social anxiety and depression evolve over time. Gaining insight in these temporal relations is crucial for our understanding of how these problems arise and maintain each other across time. Young adults from a university sample (N = 1,357; M = 23.60 years, SD = 6.30) filled out questionnaires on emotional and social loneliness, social isolation, depressive and social anxiety symptoms at three time points within a 3-year period. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to disentangle reciprocal and prospective associations of loneliness subtypes, social isolation, depressive and social anxiety symptoms across time. Results showed that on the within-person level, increases in emotional and social loneliness as well as social isolation predicted higher depression levels on later timepoints. Increases in depressive symptoms also predicted increases in subsequent social loneliness, but not in emotional loneliness. Finally, increases in depressive symptoms predicted increases in social isolation. There were no significant temporal relations between loneliness and social isolation on the one hand and social anxiety symptoms on the other hand. Social distancing imposed by COVID-19 related government restrictions may have impacted the current results. The findings suggest that emotional and social loneliness precede development of depressive symptoms, which in turn precedes development of social loneliness and social isolation, indicating a potential vicious cycle of social loneliness, social isolation and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. Social anxiety did not precede nor follow loneliness, depressive symptoms, or social isolation. The current study sheds more light on the temporal order of loneliness and psychopathological symptoms and hereby assists in identifying times where prevention and intervention efforts may be especially helpful to counter development of depression and loneliness.

Analysis of public policies to combat COVID-19 in the state of Paraná, Brazil.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on several public sectors worldwide, requiring the implementation of public policies in an organized way to contain and control the disease. Thus, this study aimed to analyze public policies to face the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Paraná, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional, retrospective, quantitative survey carried out with data from March 2020 to March 2022 in the twenty-two municipalities that host the local health regions. Data collection was documentary, carried out from the municipal Portal da Transparência website, which is dedicated to making public all expenditures, and epidemiological bulletins released by the Health Department of the state of Paraná. The variables analyzed were New Cases and Deaths, Mortality and Lethality Coefficient, Incidence Rate, Vaccination Coverage, Number of Hospital and ICU beds exclusive to COVID-19, Settled Expenses destined for COVID-19 and coping measures, namely, the Declaration of Public Health Emergency, Curfew, Mandatory use of masks, Businesses closure, Teleworking of risk groups, and Suspension of activities with crowds and of classes. After collection, data underwent descriptive analysis, and subsequently, the correlation of variables was analyzed using the Spearman test. Multiple linear regression was applied using the variable selection method called best subset selection (BSS). The dependent variables listed were incidence rate, new cases and new deaths. The results showed that coping measures, as well as the application of resources for the pandemic, were implemented heterogeneously in the municipalities studied, and the progression of the disease, the distribution of beds and vaccination occurred unevenly and may be a reflection of the limited Brazilian national governance. An important correlation was observed between the incidence rate and new deaths with vaccination coverage. In addition, the regression model showed that measures such as mandatory use of masks, closure of shops, suspension of classes, and curfew showed important correlations with the variables incidence rate, cases, and new deaths. The study highlighted the importance of carrying out a robust analysis of public policies to face emergencies of global importance so that government entities are prepared for future crises of great repercussions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The day-of-the-week effect is resilient to routine change.

Temporal landmarks are salient events that structure the way humans think about time. They may be personal events, such as one's birthday, or shared cultural events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to societal habits, the cyclical weekly structure - for example, working on weekdays, resting on the weekends - helps individuals orient themselves in time. In the "day-of-the-week effect," individuals are faster at reporting which day of the week it is on weekends than they are on weekdays. Herein, we hypothesized that the disruption of social habits during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns may have weakened this effect, thereby accounting for the "Blursday" phenomenon. In the current study, speeded responses to the question "What day of the week is it?" were collected online from 1,742 French participants, during and after the lockdown periods. We found that reaction times for days of the weekends remained faster than for weekdays during the lockdown, although the overall reaction times were significantly slower during lockdown. We also found that responses were slower as governmental stringency rules and restrictions in mobility increased. Our results suggest that the weekend landmark remains a stable temporal anchor in French culture despite the experienced temporal distortions induced by the disruption of social habits during the pandemic. We conclude that cultural temporal landmarks shape socially shared temporal cognitive maps.

Religion on the island of Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic: piety in the public sphere?

ABSTRACT This article examines how religious institutions and religious media on the island of Ireland framed religion’s place in the public sphere during Covid-19. Through qualitative analysis of Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, and Humanist organisations’ public documents and religious media, it finds religious institutions supported government restrictions and adopted secular reasoning to justify their actions. The major churches also avoided claiming special status or religious freedom protections. This reveals a constrained religious input to public debates, reflecting a realistic assessment by religious leaders that they lack policy influence due to long-term declines in church power. The pandemic provides evidence of a reformulation of the relationships between religion, state, and society on the island, albeit with religion retaining more influence in Northern Ireland. Religious media outlets largely reproduced institutional discourses, with the exception of a weekly newspaper, the Irish Catholic. The Irish Catholic argued that stringent restrictions in the Republic of Ireland violated religious freedom, and made a case for the value of piety in the public sphere. But while religious actors still seek to contribute to public debates, there is little consensus or vision about religions’ distinctive contributions, even around existential questions posed by the pandemic.

From PERFORM to PERFORM2Scale: lessons from scaling-up a health management strengthening intervention to support Universal Health Coverage in three African countries.

Strengthening management and leadership competencies among district and local health managers has emerged as a common approach for health systems strengthening and to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). While the literature is rich with localized examples of initiatives that aim to strengthen the capacity of district or local health managers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, considerably less attention is paid to the science of 'how' to scale-up these initiatives. The aim of this paper is thus to examine the 'process' of scaling-up a management strengthening intervention (MSI) and identify new knowledge and key lessons learned that can be used to inform the scale-up process of other complex health interventions, in support of UHC. Qualitative methods were used to identify lessons learned from scaling-up the MSI in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. We conducted 14 interviews with district health management team (DHMT) members, three scale-up assessments with 20 scale-up stakeholders, and three reflection discussions with 11 research team members. We also kept records of activities throughout MSI and scale-up implementation. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed against the Theory of Change to identify both scale-up outcomes and the factors affecting these outcomes. The MSI was ultimately scaled-up across 27 districts. Repeated MSI cycles over time were found to foster greater feelings of autonomy among DHMTs to address longstanding local problems, a more innovative use of existing resources without relying on additional funding and improved teamwork. The use of 'resource teams' and the emergence of MSI 'champions' were instrumental in supporting scale-up efforts. Challenges to the sustainability of the MSI include limited government buy-in and lack of sustained financial investment.

The effect of quarantine policy on pollution emission and the usage of private transportation in urban areas

Governmental policies, regulations, and responses to the pandemic can benefit from a better understanding of people's resulting behaviours before, during, and after COVID-19. To avoid the inelasticity and subjectivity of survey datasets, several studies have already used some objective variables like air pollutants to estimate the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the urban transportation system. However, the usage of reactant gases and a narrow time scale might weaken the results somehow. Here, both the objective passenger volume of public transport and the concentration of private traffic emitted black carbon (BC) from 2018 to 2023 were collected/calculated to decipher the potential relationship between public and private traffic during the COVID-19 period. Our results indicated that the commuting patterns of citizens show significant (p < 0.01) different patterns before, during, and after the pandemic. To be specific, public transportation showed a significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation with private transportation before the pandemic. This public transportation was significantly (p < 0.01) affected by the outbreaks of COVID-19, showing a significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation with private transportation. Such impacts of the virus and governmental policy would affect the long-term behaviour of individuals and even affect public transportation usage after the pandemic. Our results also indicated that such behaviour was mainly linked to the governmental restriction policy and would soon be neglected after the cancellation of the restriction policy in China.

Tax avoidance and tax evasion: current insights and future research directions from an emerging economy

PurposeThis study aims to identify factors affecting tax avoidance and tax evasion in Bangladesh and propose a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviewed 423 articles published between 2010 and 2023 using a systematic literature review (SLR) approach.FindingsThe review classified the factors into three categories, namely individual taxpayers, corporate taxpayers and tax administration. Income level, tax penalty, tax morale, inefficient tax return system and tax assessment process are associated with the individual’s tax avoidance and tax evasion activities. Profitability, corporate governance and financial restrictions are key factors influencing corporate taxpayers’ involvement in tax avoidance and tax evasion. Factors related to tax administration include lack of social interaction, distrust of national officials, complexities of policies, politicisation of tax authority, lack of political stability, incompetent auditing, insufficient recording, lack of administrative cooperation, lack of accountability, insufficient counselling and compromising in tax prosecution cases.Practical implicationsThis paper provides tax regulators with insights to improve regulations and lessen tax avoidance and tax evasion activities.Originality/valueThis paper is the first attempt to provide guidance for academics when examining tax avoidance and tax evasion in Bangladesh.

THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF SHIFTING CULTIVATION IN NORTH-EASTERN STATES OF INDIA

The paper discussed the historical perspectives of shifting cultivation in north-eastern states of India. It has been found that north-eastern region of India has long history of shifting cultivation. Shifting cultivation is a primitive method of agricultural cultivation in the region. Ethnic tribal people are more involve in such cultivation. Large portion land in the region are still under such cultivation. Culture, rituals and customs of the tribal people are connected with shifting cultivation. Area under shifting cultivation are declined in the region due to many reasons. Low production of crops, lack of rainfall, and government restrictions are the prominent factors. But large portion of land in Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, are still under the shifting cultivation. Poor tribal people are more involved in shifting cultivation because of less use of capital, inputs, machines etc. It is a labour-intensive method of cultivation. There are negative ecological implications of shifting cultivation on nature. The Government of many states in the region has already prohibited such cultivation considering its environmental consequences and encouraging them for transforming in agro-forestry.

Promoting Traditional Enterprise Management Innovation Through Informatization

This study explores the benefits and challenges of traditional enterprises in China in adopting informatization. The findings reveal that traditional enterprises face a variety of challenges, including resistance to change, lack of digital skills, outdated IT infrastructure, and limited government funding. However, informatization has led to significant improvements in product and service quality, productivity, cost savings, and innovation for the respondent enterprises. Strategies to overcome these challenges include developing a change management program, establishing a dedicated committee for budget allocation, fostering a culture of collaboration and communication among stakeholders, conducting a thorough assessment of current systems, developing a talent management strategy, collaborating with industry associations and government agencies, building a network of regulatory experts, and developing a proactive approach to engagement with regulatory agencies. Leadership commitment and financial resources are critical to the success of informatization initiatives. Technological infrastructure is crucial for information security and reliability. Government policies have mixed views on their impact on digital transformation efforts. Recommendations include addressing resistance to change, developing digital skills, overcoming hierarchical structures, communicating benefits, investing in technology, improving technological infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and advocating for supportive policies.

Bridging the Void: Unraveling Mental Health Policies for the Older Adults in Pakistan's Tapestry- A Literature Review

This literature review focuses on the significant difficulties in mental health policies for older individuals in Pakistan. As the world population ages and the old population in South Asian countries, particularly Pakistan, grows, there is a clear dearth of specialized care for the aging populace. The assessment of literature highlights major challenges such as limited government funding, the influence of the nuclear family trend, and a lack of mental health training. Despite the obvious need for focused strategies, Pakistan has made little progress. Existing policies must be restructured immediately to line with the World Health Organization's active aging framework and the United Nations MIPAA (Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing). The review emphasizes the need for enhanced visibility, stakeholder collaboration, government financing for research, and policy restructuring about older adults mental health. There is major need to address the stereotypes and stigma related to aging which have negative impact on their quality of life and health. Establishing geriatric expertise in health care and creating policies for a quality aging process, is deemed necessary to enhance the mental health of older adults in Pakistan.

What shapes international air transportation in Southern Africa? − The evidence considering the impact of Covid-19

The lack of intra-continental air connectivity in Africa has long been criticized. This paper aims to understand the factors determining intra-regional air transportation in the Southern Africa region and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, we analyze the geospatial characteristics of the air transport network, airport connectivity, and market structure before and after the pandemic. We also examine the progress of air transport liberalization in Africa and its impact on market structure and airline privatization. We find that the liberalization facilitated market competition and the progress of privatization, but its influence didn’t sustain long. Secondly, based on monthly data at the city level from April 2012 to December 2021, using monthly Total Night-time Light Intensity (TNLI) as a proxy of gross regional product (GRP), we develop a gravity model to empirically investigate the determinants of international air passenger flows within Southern Africa. The analysis shows that the factors promoting air traffic include GRP, air transport liberalization, the presence of low-cost carriers, and airline privatization, while high market concentration and diplomatic disagreements hinder air passenger flows. The pandemic and associated government restriction measures have severely impacted intra-regional air transport connectivity, while the vaccination program has significantly contributed to the recovery of air transportation.

Volumetric citizenship

AbstractIn Thailand, the volatile period from 2019 to 2023 was marked by changing material and political atmospheres. Air pollution, the COVID‐19 pandemic, and government restrictions on speech transformed how Thai citizens breathed and how they related to the monarchy. Understanding this period as a history of breath reconceptualizes the citizen‐body as volumetric, recasting politics as an intermaterial practice. Breath, its vibrations, and its constraints, as it moves across the topologies of the respiratory system, generate densely material, richly symbolic political relations that bind citizens to one another, to the polity, and to the world. Small particles, dust, viruses, speech restrictions, and tear gas constrained the breath of Thai citizens while shaping the conditions in which dissenting vibrations could shake the country's cosmologies. Attention to the citizen‐body as volumetric thus recasts the lungs as relational chambers of political capacity, resituating political analysis within the material world and suggesting that all politics are, in some sense, environmental.

Optimizing animal care through compound feed management in Saudi Arabia

Proper animal feeding practices play a fundamental role in enhancing livestock health and maximizing output. Given the governmental restrictions on green fodder cultivation in Saudi Arabia (SA) due to water conservation efforts, the use of compound feed could serve as a viable alternative for livestock farmers. This study aimed to investigate livestock farmers' farming objectives, their feeding management strategies, and the uptake of compound feed in the country. Data from 650 randomly selected livestock farmers were collected through an online survey with the assistance of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The findings showed that most farmers raised sheep and goats for trade purposes using specialized farms and desert grazing. Alfalfa hay was widely used as a fodder along with barley grain. While approximately 47% of the farmers did not utilize compound feed, 44% reported its usage. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that formal education, farming experience, and income level significantly influenced the adoption of compound feed among livestock farmers. These results underscore the critical role of education and financial resources in promoting the use of compound feed among livestock farmers in SA. It is recommended that government institutions should develop initiatives to educate farmers on proper animal nutrition practices and provide financial support to make compound feed more affordable for low-income farmers. The widespread use of compound feed has the potential to enhance livestock health and productivity, thereby positively contributing to the food security of SA.

Climate change resilience and social capital: Insights from informal urban neighbourhoods in Kumasi, Ghana

This research addresses the pressing need to strengthen climate change resilience of the urban poor living in informal settlements by leveraging social capital - skills and networks. This research builds upon existing works to understand how social skills and networks contribute to building climate resilience in two informal settlements of Kumasi, noted to have diverse and strong community skills and networks. Through a qualitative research approach encompassing household surveys and focus group discussions, we gathered data from residents of Aboabo and Asawase, two of Ghana's largest informal neighbourhoods in Kumasi. We observed a strong presence of social bonding among the residents, characterized by tight-knit networks and reciprocal relationships. This form of social capital played a critical role in facilitating information sharing, resource pooling, and collective action in response to climate hazards. Despite limited government support, residents demonstrated a remarkable capacity for self-organization and community resilience-building, leveraging their social ties and local knowledge to address climate-related risks. However, we identified that the insular nature of these networks may hinder the inclusion of marginalized or vulnerable groups within the community, potentially exacerbating existing inequalities in climate resilience outcomes. These findings highlight the implications of our research for policy and practice, emphasizing the need for inclusive and participatory approaches and multi-scalar responses that involve local, national, regional, and global actors to climate resilience in informal settlements.

The Water Management Impacts of Large-Scale Mining Operations: A Social and Environmental Perspective

This study investigates water consumption in two areas with limited water resources—the Salar de Atacama and Salar de Atacama-Vertiente Pacifico basins in Chile’s Antofagasta Region—with the aim of developing strategies that incorporate social and environmental aspects into water management. A qualitative approach was employed that involved a focus group with twelve water management representatives and surveys of the general population (468 responses). Additionally, the current state of water rights in the two basins was examined and the feasibility of the proposed strategies was assessed. The findings reveal that the mining industry’s development approach is mostly viewed as negative, mainly due to inadequate community engagement, confidential consumption data, and limited government oversight. The quantitative findings indicate that 53.8% of respondents see the main obstacle as the lack of a solution satisfying both parties. Additionally, 35.3%, 24.4%, and 22.4% believe transparency, objective information provision, and detailed resource usage disclosure by mining companies would help. Adopting a comprehensive water stewardship approach that considers social and environmental factors would enable a novel contribution to a more effective and sustainable water resource management system in northern Chile, mitigating communities’ negative perceptions of the industry and facilitating the integration of communities and involved agents. Therefore, improved management and transparent collaboration among stakeholders are essential for responsible water resource use in mining.

Modern practise of financing higher education: an analysis of the experience of OECD countries and the Republic of Kazakhstan

Relevance. The study examines higher education financing systems in OECD countries and Kazakhstan, analyzing the contributions of different funding sources. This is relevant as education funding impacts access, quality, and economic development. Purpose. The main goal of the study is to determine the share of participation of the state, the private sector and other entities in financing the higher education system in the OECD countries in comparison with the Republic of Kazakhstan. Methodology. The research used economic and statistical methods, comparative analysis, and expert evaluation. Data was gathered from OECD, World Bank, UNESCO, and Kazakhstan government reports and statistics. Results. The study found four main models of higher education financing among OECD countries, varying in tuition costs and student support. Most OECD countries spend over 1.5% of GDP on higher education, with the public sector as the main funder in European countries. Kazakhstan spends only 0.3% of GDP on higher education, with 70% of students self-funding their education. Conclusions. Kazakhstan's higher education financing system provides limited government support and low tuition fees, resembling the fourth OECD model. To improve competitiveness, Kazakhstan needs to increase investment in higher education and human capital development, expanding funding sources and mechanisms based on OECD country experiences. The current grant allocation system is not equitable for low-income students and needs reform. Keywords: higher education; state funding; private sector; state budget expenditures

Tinkering While the Arctic Marine Environment Totters: Governance and the Triple Polar Crisis$

After describing how the marine environment is tottering in the face of the triple environmental crisis, this article explores the limited governance progressions at the global and regional levels in addressing the threats of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss in the especially vulnerable Arctic. For pollution, key limitations include slow and arduous processes to add chemicals for control under the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions and reliance at the regional level on a fragmented array of pollution studies and projects but without specific region-wide legally binding pollution standards. For climate change, the world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement’s temperature targets which is especially problematic for the Arctic cryosphere while the Arctic Council has largely been limited to providing general statements of concern and aspirational calls for enhanced climate mitigation and adaptation actions. For marine biodiversity losses, a pan-Arctic network of marine protected areas has yet to be developed and various implementation challenges surround the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean including the need to ensure adequate financial, human resource and technical support. The paper concludes by highlighting some promising future governance directions. They include: the conclusion of a global treaty on plastic pollution; implementation of a new Global Framework on Chemicals – For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste; expected further clarifications from international tribunals on State responsibilities to address climate change; and regional implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the new agreement under the UN Convention on Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Analyzing the impact of technology on higher education: challenges and opportunities within the Ecuadorian context

Introduction: Technology serves as the framework for tools and resources that enhance collaboration, participation, and quality in higher education. This study analyzes the technological impact on higher education, focusing on access and equity, quality and personalization of learning, and changes in educational models. Methods: A quantitative and descriptive research design was employed, involving 400 participants: 200 students and 200 teachers from the higher education system in Ecuador. Results: Both students and teachers highlighted improved access to educational resources, flexible scheduling, and recognized the significant impact of technology on higher education. However, challenges such as lack of connectivity, insufficient devices, inadequate training, and limited government support persist. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of addressing these challenges to maximize technology's positive impact on education. Future research should incorporate qualitative methods, expand geographic scope, and evaluate long-term effects to provide more comprehensive insights.

Crimean Tatars in the Digital Age

Abstract This article focuses on how the digital age has affected the Crimean Tatar religious authorities in the emerging cyber-Islamic environment. I argue that despite government restrictions, the internet remains a safe space for public debate and for challenging Muslim authorities in Crimea. I also argue that although online media have allowed traditional Muslim authorities in Crimea to improve communication within their organization and expand their audiences, they have become a platform for challenging their hierarchies, structures, ideologies, and texts. First, the structure of the Crimean Muslim community is outlined. I then describe the Crimean cyber-Islamic environment, before using social-media analysis and interviews with Muslim leaders to analyze the situation in the Crimean Tatars’ cyber-Islamic environment, with a focus on their religious authorities.