Material Well-being Research Articles

ANALISIS PENINGKATAN KESEJAHTERAAN MUSTAHIK DARI SEGI SPIRITUAL DAN MATERIAL MENGGUNAKAN METODE CIBEST (STUDI KASUS: PROGRAM KUM DI YDSF MALANG)

Poverty in Indonesia is a complex and structured problem. Therefore, comprehensive policies are needed to address poverty. Empowerment of hive-based, productive-based societies can have a positive and optimal impact on reducing poverty, while also improving the economic well-being. Cibest's methods become one of the alternatives to measure the impossible's spiritual and material well-being. The purpose of this study is to determine poverty conditions before and after receiving help from poor kum DSF program and to see the role of laznas in empowering zakat. The research methods used use a descriptive quantitative analysis approach and use primary data. The source of this research is umkm the beneficiary of the wretched kum YDSF program. In the data collection technique using a likert scale questionnaire. The result of this study was that the first change in living conditions in quadrant ii (poor spiritually) was 7 mustahik, reducing only 2 improbable. It is impossible to move to the prosperous quadrant of spiritual and material prosperity. For the capitals financing financing scheme of empowering the mustahik at the poverty poverty is divided into four elementary, pre intermediate, intermediate, and advanced classes.

Migration Along Bengaluru’s Rural–Urban Continuum: Implications for Household Well-being and Climate Change Adaptation

The academic literature on internal migration in India has been limited to studies which either capture the well-being of migrants at home or destination. With rural–urban (R–U) boundaries blurring and peri-urban areas gaining economic importance, it is imperative to move away from such binaries towards a continuum approach. Using mixed methods, this paper examines the differentiated nature of migration—its drivers and outcomes—across a R–U continuum in Karnataka. Combining household surveys with focus group discussions and life history interviews, across Bengaluru, its periphery and two predominantly rural districts, which are a source of in-migration, we document the variegated nature of migration. We show that while migrants into Bengaluru enter mostly unskilled livelihoods, peri-urban migrants tend to work in the formal sector. We also show how migration decisions are shaped by climate variability, environmental change, and social and class identity; and these factors mediate differentiated outcomes of moving on household well-being. Our findings have implications for interventions aimed at strengthening household capacities to deal with climatic and non-climatic risks and regional climate-resilient development. We also highlight that enabling inclusive, climate-resilient migration requires comprehensive interventions targeting material and subjective well-being of migrating households and individuals.

Activities of Parish Guardianships of Tobolsk Diocese in Second Third of 19th — Early 20th Centuries

The article examines the issues of creation, functioning, and main directions of activities of parish guardianships of the Tobolsk Diocese in the second third of the 19th — early 20th centuries. The study is based on materials from federal and regional archives, as well as the “Tobolsk Diocesan Gazette.” It is noted that the organization of guardianships was part of the church reforms during the reign of Alexander II aimed at revitalizing parish life. The conclusion is drawn that the guardianships did not live up to the expectations placed on them. Despite their quantitative growth, parishioners preferred to allocate funds for decorating churches rather than improving the clergy’s standard of living. Even in the most affluent parishes, expenses did not focus on enhancing the priests' material well-being. The alienation of the clergy and laity, dissatisfaction of diocesan authorities with the possible loss of control over church revenues and expenditures, and priests’ fears that guardians might try to isolate them from parish affairs were reasons for this phenomenon. Nevertheless, the work of the guardianships prompted parishioners to rethink their rights regarding parish self-government and had a positive impact in this regard.

Algorithms in the Margins: Organized Community Resistance to Port Automation in the Los Angeles Harbor Area

Public deliberations on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) provoke strong interest in automation, or the perceived displacement of human labor due to general technological advances. Social science scholarship on well-compensated technology workers and a growing global underclass suggests automation remains largely a myth, with emerging technologies generating new forms of computational and emotional work. But little research has examined automation from the vantage point of community members at perceived greatest risk of displacement, such as those sustained by generations of logistics labor and physically located in racialized, underserved areas. In the United States and around the globe, logistics work is directly targeted by “automation engineers” to reduce labor costs on behalf of industry interests, posing a severe threat to port workers and their respective communities. This article examines organized community resistance to automation within the Los Angeles Harbor Area, drawing on four public hearings following the Port of LA’s planned integration of autonomous vehicles for the movement of cargo (i.e., automated straddle carriers). We find community mobilizations widely sought to enlarge public consideration of AI/ML to encompass matters of societal well-being and the collective good. These include shifting from the legality of AI integration to underscore public morality in light of anticipated harm, in addition to emphasizing the invisible social arrangements surrounding the Port and nearby community life. Our research reveals how lay people may reassert their own importance when confronted by technoscientific injustice, such as by reframing the future of work toward an insistence on “the future of our communities.”

Embedded but overlooked values: Ethical aspects of absolute environmental sustainability assessments

AbstractCurrently used sharing principles (grandfathering and final consumption expenditure) do not align with the purpose of Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessments (AESAs)—enabling all to meet basic needs within the planetary limits. This discrepancy, though niche within life cycle engineering, demands attention due to the integration of the sharing principles in the widely adopted Science Based Targets initiative, embraced by 4000+ companies, representing over a third of the global economy. This paper suggests operationalizing sufficientarianism as a fair sharing principle for AESAs guaranteeing a minimum threshold of well‐being for all. The theory of human needs is highlighted to distinguish luxuries from necessities. This is vital when assigning shares to products/companies, as there's no room for luxuries (products for someone which cause others to fall short), given the extremely limited individual safe operating space, regardless of the sharing approach. This paper argues that sufficientarian‐based sharing principles must overlook historically skewed material welfare distributions to ensure no one falls below the minimum threshold. It underscores the need for an interdisciplinary approach to sharing principles, acknowledging and discussing diverse value perspectives on equal grounds. The focus is to inform and discuss the development of new sharing principles, which introduces initial steps toward a sufficientarian‐based approach. The paper concludes that recognizing embedded values is paramount in sharing principle development. Failing to do so risks letting quantifiable metrics dictate the values integrated into AESAs without open discourse.

A Pivotal Time and Place: University Place Attachment, Childhood Neighborhood Affordances, and Internalizing Symptoms in Emerging Adulthood

People-place dynamics matter for well-being and for 69% of emerging adults in the US, the university is a pivotal place at a pivotal time. Research suggests that low childhood neighborhood affordances contribute to internalizing symptoms, but we know less about the impact of the university context. This study asked: how does university place attachment impact internalizing symptoms beyond the effects of childhood neighborhood affordances? Two-hundred and seventy-five university students self-reported on perceived childhood neighborhood affordances, university attachment, and current internalizing symptoms. Higher university attachment coincided with higher perceived neighborhood affordances and lower depression and social anxiety symptoms while controlling for demographic factors and parent-child relationship quality. Further, there was an indirect effect of neighborhood affordances via university attachment on social anxiety, but not depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that university place attachment contributes meaningfully to internalizing symptoms in emerging adulthood and that childhood neighborhood affordances may impact attachment to novel life-spaces.

Co-production processes for translation and validation of psychosocial assessments for older adults in aged care.

Given the diverse ethnic backgrounds of aged care clients, there is a critical requirement to translate psychosocial assessment tools into various languages to effectively evaluate social engagement and quality of life in older adults receiving aged care services. This study aimed to translate psychosocial tools into Turkish, Korean and Mandarin, the primary languages spoken by clients of an Australian community aged care provider. A co-development approach encompassing forward and backward translations of the Australian Community Participation Questionnaire and ICEpop CAPability measure for Older people tools, along with focus group discussions involving bilingual staff (n = 7) and clients (n = 16), was employed to ensure precision and cultural relevance. Multiple iterations were undertaken until linguistic, conceptual and scaling equivalence was achieved, with recorded sessions transcribed and analysed thematically. Cultural appropriateness significantly impacted the delivery of questions within the tools, emphasising translation challenges tied to specific queries. These difficulties included the lack of terms for unique places of worship, the use of outdated language (e.g., references to reading newspapers), and varying priorities in social and well-being matters between Western and Eastern/Asian cultures. Staff feedback identified that formal translated tool versions eased administration for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) clients, enabling them to independently interpret questions, resulting in improved questionnaire completion rates. Insights indicate the need for continued efforts in tailoring assessment tools to diverse cultural contexts to ensure accurate and meaningful data collection.

Emerging health disparities among college graduates: Understanding the health consequences of education-occupation mismatch

This study examines the health consequences and underlying pathways of education-occupation mismatch. Using a longitudinal sample of college graduates from the Panel Studies of Income Dynamics (1984–2019) and employing longitudinal hybrid models, we found that contemporary vertical mismatch (between education level and educational requirements of occupation) was associated with poorer psychological well-being and bio-behaviors (obesity and smoking), but not physical health. In contrast, horizontal mismatch (between field of study and field required for occupation) did not show clear health consequences. Sequence analysis was employed to uncover the mismatch trajectories and revealed that persistent vertical mismatch over one's career had a greater impact on psychological distress and smoking than episodic mismatch experiences. Furthermore, the linkage between vertical mismatch and health outcomes was likely shaped by psychosocial processes rather than reduced material well-being. These findings imply that education-occupation vertical (mis)match produces health disparities between occupationally matched and mismatched college graduates.

Гедонизм в поэзии и имидже Генриха Сапгира

Genrikh Sapgir was an author of the “Lianozovo school” of Russian uncensored poetry. He held a dual position in the literature of his time, as he was a well-known official children’s writer, which provided his relatively good (for the USSR) standard of living, while simultaneously his whole “mature” period of poetry lay in the field of uncensored poetry, without crossing its borders into official poetry. In his personal life, however, Sapgir would often cross borders: in artistic circles his image was that of a hedonistic trouble-making dandy who loved feasts, women, and the bohemian lifestyle. This image did not fit within the frame of the common concept of the “illicit poet” due to Sapgir’s many acquaintances among official authors and his material wellbeing; however, it also challenged the conventions for official literature, because official artists’ personal behavior was constantly monitored by the party apparatus and labor unions. Hedonistic motifs played a very important role throughout his uncensored poetic oeuvre. It would be reasonable to assume that Sapgir’s behavior continued the traditions of “life creation” of the modernist period under the new sociocultural and political circumstances of the cultural underground in the late Soviet era.

Socio-demographic characteristics of patients with negative and positive symptoms in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that leads to impaired social adaptation, interpersonal interaction, and disability. Negative symptoms are an integral part of schizophrenia. In the world psychiatric science and practice, there are still many questions about the typology of schizophrenia, the description of its clinical manifestations, first of all, the features of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Psychiatrists of different countries draw attention to the fact that these descriptions do not always coincide. Socio-demographic factors can be considered as factors affecting the prognosis of the course and outcome of schizophrenia. In this regard, a comprehensive approach to the study of socio-demographic characteristics of patients with schizophrenia involves the study of the influence of social factors on the formation and course of schizophrenia and determines the relevance of this study. The purpose of the study was to determine the features of socio-demographic characteristics of patients with schizophrenia in order to improve diagnosis and create psycho-corrective measures. 252 patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia and 79 patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia were examined. During the research, a comprehensive approach was used, consisting in the use of clinical-psychopathological, clinical-anamnestic and statistical research methods. Socio-demographic features of patients with negative symptoms in schizophrenia were established, consisting in the predominance of women; patients aged 20-29 years; persons with special secondary education; divorced and single persons; patients busy with physical labor; average level of material wealth; very poor and poor living conditions. Socio-demographic characteristics of patients with positive symptoms in schizophrenia were outlined by the predominance of men; patients aged 30-49 years; persons with incomplete higher education and with higher education; divorced and single persons; patients with disabilities; with extremely low and low levels of material well-being and a satisfactory level of living conditions. The conducted research made it possible to draw conclusions that socio-demographic features of patients with negative and positive symptoms have their own specificity, which should be taken into account when diagnosing patients with schizophrenia.

PECULIARITIES OF THE APPLICATION OF FINANCIAL DIPLOMACY SANCTION TOOLS BY STATES

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the modern practice by states of the sanctions toolkit of financial diplomacy and an assessment of its political and economic effectiveness. The role of economic sanctions in the system of financial instruments of diplomatic activity of states and their achievement of strategic goals related to accelerating macroeconomic growth and improving the material well-being of the population are defined. Considerable attention is paid to identifying the functional purpose of economic sanctions and revealing their place in the modern regulatory toolkit of international organizations, regional integration groups, and national governments. It has been proven that economic sanctions have been actively implemented in recent decades as one of the means of political pressure on those states that violate the system of international order and threaten the national interests of a significant number of sovereign states. Economic sanctions are also qualified as an important mechanism for states to achieve a number of political and economic goals, de-escalation of global and regional conflicts, as well as deterring countries from aggressive behavior in the international arena. It was found that recent years have been characterized by a significant increase in the attention of researchers to the issue of increasing the effectiveness of the sanctions tools of financial diplomacy used by states.

STRATEGIC LEVERS OF STATE REGULATION OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

The article substantiates and carries out a scientific assessment of the effectiveness of development and the peculiarities of the formation of the agro-production sphere in the conditions of our time. The subject-object basis of the research is the activity of enterprises in the agro-production sphere of Ukraine and agricultural enterprises of the Kharkiv region, Ukraine and foreign countries. The economy of the state and its development at the time of management depends more than anything on the progress and efficiency of the business entities of the agro-industrial complex (APC). In this context, agricultural entrepreneurship plays a key role in preserving the integrity of village territories, developing their infrastructure, and shaping the material well-being of the population, which covers not only the rural but also the general economy. In addition, agricultural entrepreneurship plays an important role in macroeconomic indicators, which are actively included in the gross domestic product of Ukraine. It occupies a stable leading position among other branches of the country’s economy.

Sergei I. ZHUK, KGB Operations against the USA and Canada in Soviet Ukraine, 1953-1991 (London and New York, Routledge, 2022)

Professor Zhuk’s “KGB Operations against the USA and Canada in Soviet Ukraine, 1953- 1991” focuses on the post-Stalin Cold War period, when Soviet Ukraine was gradually opened to American and Canadian visitors and combines counter-intelligence documents in the 1st (and 16th) fund of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) archive with the Committee for State Security’s (KGB) official correspondence and reports to the political leadership of Soviet Ukraine. The first and most important historical source of the book which follows a chronological and thematic sequence reflecting the story of special KGB operations is the reports of various KGB agents who participated in KGB counterintelligence operations. The second group of “unexpected” sources, as the author calls it, consists of interviews with retired KGB officials in Kyiv and Dnipro. In the first part of the book (pp. 1-94), it is emphasized that the most important target of the KGB in the geopolitical conflict was Ukrainian nationalism, which was linked to and financed by Americans, and from 1953 to 1991, almost 50% of all criminal cases were devoted to this “dangerous” issue of Ukrainian nationalism. The author states that the second target of Ukrainian KGB was Jewish nationalism, while the third target was religious sects and the fourth target was American espionage. The most interesting narrative of the first part is the “Yankees case” involving Valentina Fedorovna Safianova and seven so-called nationalist Jews. Professor Zhuk, who mentioned in his work that the KGB adopted an antiSemitic approach despite the Soviet Union’s (USSR) official distancing from anti-Semitism, states that the KGB used Ukrainians and Russians for the needs of Soviet intelligence. The Ukrainian diaspora in America in the 1960s became the “useful means” of the Soviet KGB and one demonstrative example used by the author, Zhuk, is Peter Krawchuk who visited Soviet Ukraine as a member of Canadian Ukrainian Communist Delegations almost every year starting from 1947. Zhuk wrote regarding Peter Krawchuk that “Their material wellbeing, even their Canadian businesses depended on those relations (p. 66)”.

FACTORS AFFECTING SOCIAL SECURITY POLICY IN HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the impact of globalization, international integration, and the application of science and technology 4.0 on the social security policy implementation in Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, the focus is on improving the effectiveness of social security measures to ensure the material and spiritual well-being of vulnerable social groups in the city. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this study is rooted in the works of Smith (1973), Dang Ngoc Dinh (2013), Nguyen Hai Huu (2007), Nguyen Huu Dung (2010), and Phan Xuan Bien (2007). These scholars have emphasized the significant role of social security policies in the context of globalization, international integration, and technological advancements. The theoretical approach will be structured to address key issues related to social security policy, considering both material and spiritual aspects of individuals' lives. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research adopts a comprehensive approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The analysis involves an examination of the current social security policy implementation in Ho Chi Minh City, utilizing data and insights from Dang Ngoc Dinh, Nguyen Hai Huu, Nguyen Huu Dung, and Phan Xuan Bien. Interviews, surveys, and case studies will be employed to gather data, and statistical analyses will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of existing policies. Findings: The results of the study reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the current social security policy implementation in Ho Chi Minh City. The analysis will identify areas where improvements are needed to enhance the security of vulnerable social groups, considering both material and spiritual dimensions. Key findings will inform the development of policy recommendations. Research, Practical & Social Implications: The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities in implementing social security policies in the context of globalization and technological advancements. The practical implications include specific policy recommendations tailored to address the unique needs of vulnerable social groups in Ho Chi Minh City. Socially, the study aims to foster social progress by promoting the well-being and security of individuals within the community. Originality/Value: The value of this study lies in its in-depth analysis of social security policy implementation in Ho Chi Minh City within the current globalized and technologically advanced landscape. By synthesizing insights from prominent scholars and applying them to the specific context of the city, the study offers original perspectives and valuable recommendations for policymakers, contributing to the ongoing discourse on social security in urban areas.

Relevansi Pemikiran Ekonomi Islam Al-Maqrizi di Indonesia

Economic problems always attract people's attention in various fields of life, because economic stability is the basis of people's material well-being. While the monetary phenomenon that causes inflation is a continuous process of currency depreciation. The focus of this research is on the relevance of Al-Maqrizi's Islamic economic thinking in Indonesia, as well as the role of the government in overcoming inflation in Indonesia. The purpose of this research is to find a solution to the problem and control inflation so that it is not high in Indonesia, and to see how the government's policy is in overcoming Indonesian inflation from the perspective of Al-Maqrizi. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative method. The results of this study are Al-Maqrizi's thoughts which are still relevant to the economy in Indonesia, namely regarding the problems of money and inflation. Al-Maqrizi to overcome the problem of inflation with the establishment of the Baitul Maal. Meanwhile, what the Indonesian government has done in dealing with inflation is combining central bank policies with finance department policies such as a tight money policy by the central bank.

Russian and Chinese national personalities: based on the material of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of "property"

This article is devoted to the linguistic and cultural description of the national personality in Russian and Chinese. The subject of this study is the Russian and Chinese language personality. The object represents national cultural similarities and differences. Russian National personality (RNL) and Chinese national personality (CNL) are studied on the basis of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings of the Russian and Chinese languages, which reflect the concept of "property", the purpose of the study is to identify universal, national-specific and typological linguistic and cultural features of the Russian national personality (RNL) and the Chinese national personality (CNL). The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the linguistic and cultural analysis of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings devoted to property can be used in educational activities in courses of linguistic and cultural studies. The provisions and conclusions of the study can be applied in lexicographic practice in compiling dictionaries of phraseological units, as well as in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language, spreading Chinese culture in Russia. To solve the problem, the following research methods are used: the method of continuous sampling of material from dictionaries of the Russian and Chinese languages, the method of thematic classification and systematization of linguistic material, the method of linguistic and cultural commentary and the comparative-contrastive method. The article for the first time considers the problem of Russian and Chinese national personalities, which had not previously been described in the linguistic and cultural aspect, analyzes for the first time the essential monetary values of RNL and CNL, indicates their stereotypical ideas and attitudes towards money, poverty, wealth, benefit, greed and debt. This is the scientific novelty of this study. The research shows that phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of "property" recorded in Russian and Chinese lexicographic sources differ in quantity and content. Russian and Chinese personalities view the representation of property in different ways. Unlike the Russian people, who pay more attention to the spirit, feelings and emotions, the inner world of the individual, rather than money and material well-being, the Chinese people are characterized by a consciousness of wealth, greed, a commercial streak and a desire for profit. Both RNL and KNL are distinguished by such spiritual characteristics as thrift and economy. They are not characterized by extravagance.

Who Benefits and How: Five Dimensions of Adolescent Psychological Well-Being and Their Relative Impact on Cardiometabolic Health in Adulthood

PurposePositive dimensions of psychological well-being in adolescence may help youth preserve cardiometabolic health (CMH) as they age, but little is known about which aspects of well-being matter most and for whom. This study examines the differential impact of five dimensions of adolescent psychological well-being on CMH maintenance in adulthood and considers social patterning in both their distribution and respective health benefits. MethodsData were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 3,464), five dimensions of psychological well-being were identified at baseline (1994–1995; mean age = 15 years): happiness, optimism, self-esteem, belonging, and feeling loved. CMH was measured using seven biomarkers related to chronic disease risk in 2008 (mean age = 28 years) and 2016–2018 (mean age = 38 years): high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein, and body mass index. CMH maintenance in adulthood was characterized as having healthy levels of ≥6 biomarkers at each follow-up. ResultsYouth who reported higher levels of belonging in the teen years were more likely to maintain CMH across young adulthood than those who reported lower levels, regardless of one's social standing (ORper 1-standard deviation = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03–1.46). Associations with other dimensions of well-being were heterogeneous by sex and race and ethnicity, while differences by socioeconomic factors were less apparent. DiscussionFostering belonging through supportive social environments may help set youth on positive health trajectories and prevent chronic disease across the lifespan.

Prácticas transnacionales y calidad de vida de un pueblo michoacano con experiencia de migración a Estados Unidos

This research aimed to explore the transnational affective, family, social, economic and material practices and the perception of the quality of life maintained by people with migration experience between San Jose Huipana, Michoacan, and the United States, which allow them to maintain links between the country of origin and destination. A qualitative methodology, a phenomenological method, and a cross-sectional and descriptive study were used. Thirteen people with migration experience were interviewed in-depth, intentionally selected by typical-ideal cases, through snowballing. The data were analyzed phenomenologically. It was found that transnational practices favor the quality of life in general since they promote the physical, psychological, economic, material, and social well-being of active migrants and their families.

International judicial symposium on family court reform: Final report

AbstractOn May 30, 2023, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) co‐sponsored an international symposium to explore the subject of family court reform. Twenty‐eight judges representing eight countries and including numerous North American states and provinces met in Los Angeles, California, to identify the most pressing challenges facing family courts and to document promising approaches to improve practice and outcomes in family court cases. They focused on domestic relations cases, as opposed to child welfare and juvenile justice matters. Prior to the symposium, participants responded to a survey about family court reform efforts in each participant's jurisdiction. Judicial officers attending the symposium represented diverse legal systems with some common and many different practices and challenges. After a day filled with small and large group discussions, participants identified key takeaways and made recommendations emanating from the day's discussions.

Environmental criticism of capitalism: the main trump card of the left or an apple of discord?

The prospects of ecological criticism of capitalism, which has become the most important and relevant for many left-wing theorists, are assessed. These theorists believe that the ecological crisis exposes the most vulnerable features of the capitalist system and puts humanity in front of a choice between catastrophe and social democratic transformations (or a socialist revolution). The point of view, according to which the ecological crisis can give the left-wing political forces grounds to unite in the struggle for a post-capitalist future, is criticized. On the contrary, it can be said that the actualization of environmental topics contributes to the new splits among left-wing theorists. One of the most notable splits is considered: between the proponents of green growth (and the authors of the Green New Deal projects) and the ideologues of de-growth/post-growth. The polemic between them testifies to the internal inconsistency of attempts to combine class struggle with the desire to preserve nature as much as possible. The difficult situation that humanity is facing today requires a painful choice between the material well-being of the maximum number of people and the preservation of the natural environment and “non-human beings”. In other words, attempts to put ecological criticism of capitalism at the forefront of leftist political theory would only lead to insoluble value contradictions, which makes a consensus among all the variety of leftist theorists impossible.