Growth Imperatives Research Articles

Explore Innovation and Practice of Collaborative Training Mode for Vocational Education Teachers Based on Modern Industrial College

The contemporary vocational education landscape is rapidly evolving, necessitating an innovative approach in the preparation of vocational education teachers. Central to this transformation is the integration of collaborative practices within training modalities to meet the changing demands of modern industries. This study presents an innovative collaborative training mode for vocational education teachers, pioneered by the Modern Industrial College framework. Investigating the proficiency requirements of teachers within the context of contemporary industrial advancements, this model emphasizes an amalgamation of industry-academia collaboration, multidisciplinary teaching competencies, and a curriculum responsive to technological innovation. Through a methodical examination that qualitative analyses, this research validates the effectiveness of the proposed training mode in enhancing teacher readiness and adaptability to industrial evolutions. The study concludes with a comprehensive set of recommendations tailored to policy-makers, educational institutions, and industries that aspire to uplift the standards of vocational education. These guidelines are poised to facilitate a robust platform for vocational teacher training that aligns closely with the needs of the modern workforce and the imperatives of industrial growth.

Democratizing provisioning systems: a prerequisite for living well within limits

The core challenge of the 21st century, of achieving good living conditions for all, while bringing resource use and emissions down within planetary limits, is likely to be technically feasible. However, current political and economic trends perpetuate extractive practices and growth imperatives, where decisions that benefit vested interests at the expense of humanity and life on Earth are hidden behind capitalist market logics. To break this deadlock, we argue economic democratization is necessary, bringing crucial economic decision-making into the sphere of democratic deliberation. We review existing proposals and argue that economic democracy requires more fundamental rethinking of social, political, and economic relations. We then explore these in three thematic areas: the deepening of democracy, the importance of provisioning systems, and the provisioning logics within organizations. We conclude with a call to action for a revived coalition of environmental and social movements, focused on the crucial task of democratizing the economy through its provisioning systems and organizations.

From greedy grocers to carbon taxes and everything in between:

In Canada, the task of explaining food prices falls to a handful of grey literature reports that shape media coverage and public understanding and carry significant political and policy influence. We performed an in-depth analysis of fifty-one of these influential reports, including thirty-nine reports by Statistics Canada (including Consumer Price Index reports and other studies) and twelve reports from the Canada Food Price Report (CFPR) series. Our goal was twofold: 1) to identify and classify the various explanations given for food price changes, and 2) to evaluate the scientific rigor of these explanations. We identified 232 total explanations for food price changes, spread across seven thematic categories and thirty-two sub-categories. We find that most claims made in these reports are scientifically incomplete (only 28.6% of all claims meet established criteria for the completeness of scientific arguments). We also identify a lack of comprehensiveness in the areas of emphasis and the claims being presented and drivers being explored, particularly with respect to issues presently at the centre of food price discourse in Canada, such as the agency of grocers and other supply chain actors, corporate growth imperatives, and climate change. Considering the importance of food prices and food security to prosperity and well-being in Canada, we conclude with a series of recommendations for

Connectivity conservation through linear infrastructure mitigation: Taking small steps for a giant conservation effort

Social and economic growth imperatives have been the driving force behind the large-scale and rapid spurt in linear infrastructure (LI) projects in India, particularly roads and railway lines. However, while these projects aim to improve the transportation connectivity of the country, their ecological impacts on the natural ecosystems of the country are becoming increasingly evident. We delve into the prerogatives of both infrastructure development and conservation scenarios in India as they relate to one another. We also trace the country’s journey in the realm of mitigating the impacts that these vital infrastructure projects exert on natural systems. We also outline future research directions for ecologists, and the course of action for LI development agencies and other stakeholders to harmonise the conflict between development and conservation. In conclusion, we aim to provide a blueprint for concerted efforts from both conservation and development proponents to ensure that the path to India’s economic growth is sustainable.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN CROSS-BORDER ENERGY TRADE: THE CASE OF THE KAZAKHSTAN – CHINA PIPELINE

The article delves into the nuanced realm of environmental sustainability in the context of the KazakhstanChina pipeline – a crucial conduit for oil and gas resources spanning borders. Rigorous methodologies, including Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and community engagement, unveil the environmental challenges intrinsic to cross-border energy projects. From habitat disruption and pollution to the potential for oil spills, the negative impacts demand strategic mitigation. The article advocates for a multifaceted approach, recommending the incorporation of advanced technologies, strategic route planning, and diversified energy sources. Emphasizing community engagement, transparency, and international cooperation, the proposed sustainable practices aim to balance the imperatives of economic growth with ecological preservation. As the world grapples with increasing energy demands, the Kazakhstan-China pipeline stands as a poignant case study, prompting a collective reevaluation of our approach to global energy trade. Through proactive measures and collaborative efforts, it is possible to navigate the delicate equilibrium between energy security and environmental stewardship, fostering a future where sustainable practices underscore the foundation of cross-border energy endeavors.

A Composite Study of HDFC Bank Financial Performance

This composite study delves into the financial performance of HDFC Bank, a cornerstone of India's banking sector renowned for its innovation and customer-centric approach. Established in 1994, HDFC Bank has ascended to become one of India's largest private sector banks, epitomizing operational excellence and financial prudence. The study underscores the importance of analyzing financial performance in the dynamic banking landscape, serving as a linchpin for strategic decision-making, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. Through a comprehensive analysis of HDFC Bank's financial metrics, the study aims to unravel underlying performance drivers, elucidate emerging trends, and delineate strategic imperatives for future growth and value creation. Methodologically, the study employs a structured approach encompassing primary and secondary data sources, financial ratio analysis, qualitative assessments, and interpretive synthesis. Primary data sources include HDFC Bank's annual reports and regulatory filings, while secondary sources encompass scholarly literature and industry reports. Financial ratio analysis encompasses liquidity, profitability, efficiency, and asset quality metrics, providing multifaceted insights into HDFC Bank's performance dynamics. Interpreting key financial ratios offers valuable insights into HDFC Bank's performance trends. Notably, the bank demonstrates robust profitability metrics, operational efficiency improvements, and healthy asset quality. However, challenges such as declining CASA ratio and net interest margin warrant strategic attention. The study offers actionable suggestions for HDFC Bank to enhance its financial performance. Strategies include optimizing capital utilization, diversifying revenue streams, strengthening asset quality, improving cost efficiency, fostering strategic partnerships, and prioritizing customer-centricity and risk management. In conclusion, HDFC Bank's financial performance underscores its resilience, innovation, and commitment to stakeholder value creation. By leveraging insights from this study and adopting strategic initiatives, HDFC Bank can navigate challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and sustain its position as a leading player in the dynamic banking landscape.

СТРУКТУРНАЯ МОДЕЛЬ ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИЯ МУНИЦИПАЛЬНЫХ ОБРАЗОВАНИЙ В УСЛОВИЯХ ВЫБОРА ПРИОРИТЕТОВ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОГО И НАЦИОНАЛЬНОГО РАЗВИТИЯ

In this scientific article, a monographic analysis of approaches to understanding the essence of the concept of "municipal formation" is carried out, a critical study of which allowed us to offer the author's view of the presented definition. A struc-tural model of the author's term "municipal formation" has been developed taking into account the current trends of national and regional development. The conclu-sion is made about the existing interrelation of the parameters of the functioning of municipalities with the trends of regional interests, which are revised and ad-justed under the influence of strategic goals of national imperatives of growth. Based on the study of the author's opinions regarding the interpretation of the concept of "potential" of a municipality and its structural components, the author's definition of "internal potential of municipal education" is proposed and the main system-forming blocks are identified, the analysis of trends in which allows to fur-ther evaluate their personalized meaning and give an integrated characteristic. The obtained forecast ranges of values are the basis for the justification of adapta-tion tools when carrying out transformational processes and adjusting development priorities.

THE IMPACT OF OIL SPILLS ON THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

<p>This paper critically assesses the multifaceted consequences of oil spills, particularly emphasizing their ramifications on the environment and the economy. With globalization intensifying reliance on maritime transport—accounting for nearly 90% of global trade—the potential for oil spills and their subsequent repercussions have become an alarming concern. Such spills can inflict enduring damage on marine ecosystems and lead to substantial economic setbacks in industries like fishing, tourism, and maritime operations. The enormity of the challenge extends beyond immediate environmental and economic impacts; it necessitates an interdisciplinary comprehension spanning environmental science, economics, legislation, and technology. Furthermore, oil spills underscore the need for international collaboration, as their consequences can breach national boundaries. This systematic literature review methodically analyzes existing research on the topic, employing databases like PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Through a rigorous filtering process, the review synthesizes empirical studies, theoretical analyses, government reports, and field assessments. The endeavor is to delineate prevailing themes, methodologies, conclusions, and lacunae in the extant literature, aiming to bridge the gap between economic growth imperatives and environmental sustainability challenges.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>JEL</strong>: Q53, Q57, L91, Q35, F18, Q58, O13, Q22</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0039/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

An urban ‘age of timber’? Tensions and contradictions in the low-carbon imaginary of the bioeconomic city

What will the low-carbon cities of tomorrow be made from? We see an unexpected answer today in the return of ‘premodern’/‘preindustrial’ materials to central cities and skylines. Champions of new mass timber materials have driven a race on iconic ‘plyscrapers’ and, increasingly, novel systems of industrial prefabrication. Drawing on the notion of sociotechnical imaginaries, we explore how advocates attempt to ‘fix’ desirable future cities and urban bioeconomies through this biomaterial. In doing so, we suggest that mass timber's emergent sociotechnical imaginary embodies a distinct kind of futuring, which we label ‘nostalgic futurism’, conjoining ‘technofuturist’ and ‘nostalgic-reparative’ visions. We find that, on the one hand, mass timber proponents embrace competitive novelty, uniting drives for architectural distinction and high-tech disruption. On the other hand, aesthetic advocates put forward visions around the material's more traditional premodern/preindustrial associations, in narratives of biophilic design which claim therapeutic benefits of contact with visible nature in buildings. These conjoined forward- and backward-looking compulsions pose tensions and internal contradictions. Nostalgic-reparative visions risk greenwashing and reproducing unequal access to environmental amenities, while reinscribing regressive appeals to an imagined past. Meanwhile, technofuturist drives extend late capitalist growth imperatives and pressures for accelerated material churn in both forests and urban centres—while obscuring tough questions about mass timber buildings’ expected lifetimes and claims for long-term carbon sequestration. Conversely, a reimagined mass timber project might support more progressive movements for climate restoration, repair, and reparations.

Prospects and Challenges of Sustainable Development in Africa

Despite attempts by African governments to achieve Sustainable Development, there is a growing perception that Africa may fail in achieving the goals. This perception is fueled partly by the evidence that while the world is undergoing rapid change, which is driven prominently by technology and globalization, Africa remains unprotected and at risk of being exploited without due recognition of, and remuneration for, its resources. Additionally, there is the continued escalating trend in poverty and the diminishing strength of the environment to meet current and future needs of African countries. Given the fact that sustainable development appears to be contradicting in between the opposing imperatives of growth and development on one hand, and ecological sustainability on the other, the trend in sustainable development on the African continent has generated some skepticism about whether the goals are achievable in Africa. The lack of a logical literature that documents the challenges and prospects of Sustainable development in Africa underpins the uncertainty of achieving the goals in Africa. Hence, this paper assessed the challenges of sustainable development in Africa, and the way forward. Keywords: SDG, Africa, Agriculture, Poverty, Economy, Development

On the transformative potential of Hungarian local food-buying clubs

This study describes the development trends of local food-buying clubs (BCs) in Hungary and analyses how this type of grassroots initiative can contribute to the sustainability transition. BC are consumer-driven organizations which aim to connect local food producers with consumers. The study also discusses how the Hungarian implementation differs from other initiatives described in the literature. The empirical analysis employs qualitative techniques, including participant observation, in-depth interviews with three organizers and two external experts, and a survey of 82 BC producers. BCs may be instrumental in facilitating the sustainability transition: on the one hand, they reach a wide range of consumers, and on the other, they are in contact with a multitude of producers, so everything is in place for their successful scaling up, with a particular focus on the maintenance of core values. BCs can thus play an instrumental role in influencing attitudes and fostering community. One of their most significant advantages is that, while they can operate independently of the growth imperatives of the dominant capitalist paradigm, they can also be understood within it. The increase in the number of grassroots initiatives has led to the formation of a meta-organization aimed at generating and sharing knowledge and the joint utilization and development of specific resources, such as information technologies. The variety of organizational forms and operating modes allows the general approach of buying clubs to be tailored to specific micro-contexts. However, there is a potential danger associated with the large proportion of volunteer work. For BCs to be successful over the long term, it is vital that they are self-sufficient in terms of everyday economic activities and that organizers are at least partially compensated for their efforts.

Rethinking ‘just transitions’ from coal: the dynamics of land and labour in anti-coal struggles

ABSTRACT Communities resisting large coal mining projects navigate the significant tensions between imperatives of urgent climate action and economic growth in complex and contingent ways. Drawing on empirical research in a mining region of Central-Eastern India, this paper examines how the changing ‘agrarian’ context of rural livelihoods and household reproduction within mining-affected communities shapes the motivations of local anti-coal struggles, and the articulation of climate-change related concerns within them. It argues that such a conceptualization of political contestations over coal extraction points to crucial possibilities for building broader counter-hegemonic movements for more inclusive ‘just transitions’ away from coal.

The loss of peri-urban agricultural land and the state-local tensions in managing its demise: The case of Greater Western Sydney, Australia

Cities globally have witnessed rapid growth, with the world’s population becoming more urban than rural over the last decade. In Australia, this has led to rapid urban expansion into the peri-urban fringes to provide housing and services for its population. The subsequent loss of agricultural land is largely seen as a market driven process, however increasing attention has been given to the contributory role of land use planning policy, systems, and public actors in specific contexts. This study examines the drivers of peri-urban agricultural land loss in Greater Western Sydney (GWS), one of the fastest growing peri-urban regions in Australia, with a particular attention on the role of government agencies. Drawing together a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative data, we chart the various tensions in managing population growth and housing pressures whilst at the same time seeking to protect existing peri-urban agricultural land. The research sheds light on the size, value, and extent of peri-urban agricultural activity in GWS. It then shows the extent to which such land is being converted to more profitable end uses, like housing. It contends that competing housing priorities and private market interests will continue to take precedence, unless the current pro-urbanisation narrative and associated political priorities change. To this end, the study also found evidence that the rapid succession of shocks and stresses experienced in city regions such as Sydney has now led to some fruitful questioning of that agenda, and the placing of urban growth imperatives above the preservation of agricultural and rural lands, and other natural resources.

Cultural and creative imperatives of economic growth

The economic achievements of leading countries can be role models, but the question is how effective they are. The answer to this issue lies in the cultural sphere. Let us note that each country has its unique landscape, which determines the development trajectory, so it is principal to define what cultural norms affect economic growth, along with factors that will restrain it. In the field of intercultural research, dominant concepts of cultural characteristics are used, in particular, E. Hall, R. Lewis, G. Hofstede, R. Inglehart, and M. Gelfand, depending on academic fields. The concept synthesis makes it possible to identify and maximize their benefits for the economic growth analysis of different countries. At the same time, the difference in cultural analysis approaches makes them complementary, which helps us a sight better interpret the cultural differences and values that will promote growth.

Sustainability marketing beyond sustainable development: towards a degrowth agenda

ABSTRACT Drawing on ecological economics, post-development studies, and political ecology, this paper argues that sustainable development notions have run their course within sustainability marketing debates and proposes degrowth as an alternative framework to steer disciplinary debates in new directions. We chart unexplored territory, offering sustainability marketing scholars tools to navigate degrowth-minded policies, transformative frameworks, and business models. In doing so, our work contributes to existing sustainability marketing debates in three ways: first, we respond to the paucity of studies engaging with the political economy of sustainability marketing. Second, we make visible the tensions and contradictions that arise as marketers seek to reconcile imperatives of economic growth and sustainability. Finally, we foreground degrowth as an emerging sustainability proposition, with potential for inspiring the radical set of transformations required to avert catastrophic climate change and keep global temperatures well below +2°C (relative to pre-industrial levels), as pledged in the Paris Agreement.

Neoliberalism, COVID-19 and conspiracy: pandemic management strategies and the far-right social turn

Neoliberal pandemic management strategies during the 2019–2022 COVID-19 virus pandemic rendered vulnerable to the disease, people in precarious work, with underlying health issues, and experiencing other forms of social discrimination and disadvantage. Herd immunity strategies designed to address the economic growth imperatives of neoliberal societies were often contrary to scientific advice, leading to high infection rates and the mass death of, in particular, essential workers in manufacturing, healthcare, and service provision. At times, health policies and political rhetoric scapegoated marginalised communities for the spread of the disease, subjecting them to the pandemic’s more harmful social and economic effects. These ideological-political environments also provided context for accelerationist and conspiratorial narratives about COVID-19 communicated among wider political networks, within economically-driven environments of counterfactual mass news and social media. Responding to this situation, this paper examines how certain pandemic responses from government and non-government actors collectively contributed toward racialised, classist social discrimination in responses to COVID-19, such that they might be said to constitute an intra-pandemic far-right ‘social turn’.

Inequality, non-linear consumption behaviour, and monetary growth imperatives

The debate about monetary growth imperatives centres around the question of whether a zero-growth economy is compatible with positive interest rates. An aspect that is mostly disregarded in this debate is under which circumstances a zero-growth economy can be accompanied by a reduction in wealth inequality, which is a prerequisite for the latter to be politically feasible. The paper analyses this question using a stock–flow consistent macro model including multiple households with heterogeneous wealth levels and a non-linear, concave consumption function. The results show an example of theoretical conditions under which wealth inequality is reduced in a zero-growth economy. However, the conditions for stability of the zero-growth trajectory are found to be more restrictive in the case of a non-linear consumption function compared to the linear case.

Blue Justice and the co-production of hermeneutical resources for small-scale fisheries

Blue Justice emerges as a counternarrative to the promise and commitment to Blue Economy and Blue Growth by shifting imperatives for growth and innovation to the central role played by small-scale fisheries and social justice in sustainable ocean development. To instrument Blue Justice, it is important to understand injustices experienced by small-scale fisheries people which can range from accusations of disregard for the environment to equating their fishing practices as illegal, or even the sudden usurpation of their customary fishing grounds and means of livelihoods. Drawing on Fricker’s concept of epistemic injustice, we examine how discrimination and lack of interpretative concepts to communicate unjust experiences wrongs small-scale fisheries people in their capacity as knowledge holders and subjects them to testimonial and hermeneutical injustice. We examine 20 testimonies of injustices experienced by small-scale fisheries people collected by the Global Research Network “Too Big To Ignore” (TBTI) and suggest a glossary of new concepts that can be used to interpret these experiences. Our results exemplify the presence of epistemic injustice, emphasizing the need to associate injustices in small-scale fisheries with non-conventional terms or concepts. We discuss the contribution of transdisciplinary research for providing such concepts and the potential role of social scientists and action researchers to enhance collective hermeneutical resources and thereby advance the goal of Blue Justice for small-scale fisheries.

Technology, decoupling, and ecological crisis: examining ecological modernization theory through patent data

ABSTRACT Ecological modernization refers to the process of resolving ecological crises through radical improvements in resource efficiency and the substitution of environmentally harmful industrial processes for less harmful ones without undermining economic growth and other capitalist imperatives. An important theoretical perspective within environmental sociology, it is also the intellectual kin of global environmental policies that pursue objectives such as decoupling, green growth, and sustainable development. While numerous studies cast doubt on ecological modernization and its associated policy efforts, existing empirical analyses do not fully address the theory’s core hypothesis on the relationship between technological innovation and environmental impacts. I resolve this problem by using newly available global patent data on environmental technologies across 35 countries from 1982–2016. Results of panel regression analyses demonstrate that a nation’s development of environmental technologies only marginally attenuates the effects of economic activity on a nation’s ecological footprint, while the direct effect of patents is to increase, rather than decrease, a nation’s ecological footprint. These results offer further evidence of the limits of both (a) ecological modernization theory and (b) environmental policies that exclusively emphasize technological solutions to global environmental problems.

The Crafts and Capitalism: Handloom Weaving Industry in Colonial India by Tirthankar Roy (review).

Reviewed by: The Crafts and Capitalism: Handloom Weaving Industry in Colonial India by Tirthankar Roy Annapurna Mamidipudi (bio) and Vivek S. Oak (bio) The Crafts and Capitalism: Handloom Weaving Industry in Colonial India By Tirthankar Roy. New York: Routledge, 2020. Pp. 200. Global economic history has long studied and established that cotton as commodity has been one of the major engines of world capitalism at least since the sixteenth century. Along with scholars like Giorgio Riello, Prasannan Parthasarathi, and Sven Beckert, who highlighted big politics and the transmission of key-technologies, Tirthankar Roy has for the past three decades foregrounded the role of artisanal cotton handloom weavers in Colonial India. He posits a technological trajectory of craft industrialization from hand weaving to powered looms for the handmade textile industry that expanded through innovation and entrepreneurship. Roy's new book The Crafts and Capitalism is therefore of interest to scholars wanting to understand craft producers' and women consumers' diverse regional responses to industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In particular, it reverses the commonly held history of technology thesis, of the growing insignificance of human-powered craft work vis-à-vis mechanical production. Roy argues that it was the handloom weavers' ability to adapt to new efficient European technologies that advanced their growth. Rather than the patriarchal, nationalistic discourse that valorizes Gandhian ideas of hand spinning, Roy suggests that the role of women customers was crucial for creating growth in hand weaving markets. They liberated themselves from hidebound tradition by demanding designs suited to the rapidly urbanizing context of modernizing India. Roy then looks at the emergence of power loom weaving in the textile towns of South and West India post-independence, ending with the power loom segment breaking from its history and roots in handloom weaving. As capital-rich actors came to dominate power loom weaving, the technological trajectories of handloom and power loom weaving diverged, though both continue to this day. This book ensures that crafts' key role in the [End Page 259] modernization and industrialization of Indian textiles—and in the establishment of power loom weaving—is not lost. The Crafts and Capitalism is the most recent iteration of Roy's provocative thesis: that many handloom weavers were not oppressed by, but in fact benefited from, the industrial revolution and imperial trade policy. He provides a two-fold explanation. While some entrepreneurial weavers progressed from handloom to power loom weaving, others adopted progressive capitalist imperatives of growth in handloom weaving, using technological innovations from the West. Secondly, as evidence, Roy uses quantitative data to show the increasing handloom cloth production in the first half of the twentieth century, and cites the expanding progressive section of the handloom industry well into the second half of that century. This makes Roy's argument that crafts had been successfully mobilized in a capitalistic mode convincing, but raises other questions. What happened to weaving communities deemed "inefficient" or "obsolete"? How can we grasp the trajectories of progress of handloom weavers who did not become capitalistic? In that context, this book is a rich resource for tracing the replacement of local craft knowledge and material diversity with capitalist obligations of growth and productivity. This is especially relevant because the iconic weaving locations that Roy highlights are sites of labor exploitation and ecological devastation today. Skilled weaving households have been replaced by precarious, migrant, working men as producers in these towns. We could ask then whether using capitalist frameworks obscures other inequities—such as the distribution of wealth generated through economic growth, as Thomas Piketty argues, and the exclusion of specific communities from the handloom weaving profession and the destabilization of rural women producers' livelihoods, as Karuna Dietrich Wielenga shows. In that sense, the book does not engage with the lived experience of producers: cotton farmers, spinners, and handloom weavers, phenomena outside the frame of capitalist development. As an example, Roy's sources show that the weight of handspun yarn produced went from 170 million pounds in 1795 to zero in 1920; while mill-spun yarn went from zero to 660 million pounds in the same period. Roy argues that the fall in hand-spinning "was more than offset" by the large-scale development...