Progressive Economic Development Research Articles

Family Involvement in Emirati College Student Education and Linkages to High and Low Achievement in the Context of the United Arab Emirates

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, tribal familial affiliations form the basis of society with opinions and viewpoints of parents and other family elders heavily influencing the decisions of younger Emiratis. Social transitions caused by rapid and progressive economic development have affected each consecutive generation with a vastly different set of social circumstances than the preceding generation. This paper presents results of a study investigating the types and extent of family involvement in Emirati students’ college education using an online bilingual survey with 1173 participants and telephone interview with 30 randomly selected guardians. Findings of the study indicate the presence of a generational gap in education and experience between Emirati students and family elders. The generational gap may lead to ineffective academic support and career preparation.

Alcoholism and its Impact on Work Force: A Case of Kenya Meteorological Station, Nairobi

The significant presence of alcohol problems in the workforce has been a trending worry for most organizations in Kenya. Most employees are showing irregular work attendance, poor productivity, poor health and safety risks because of problems associated with alcoholism. This presents a cardinal challenge and a major threat for progressive economic development. This was a study to investigate the impacts of alcoholism in the workforce at the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS). The objectives of the study included investigating the impacts of alcoholism on employees’ productivity of KMS employees based in Nairobi County. The study sought to establish the impact of alcoholism on social and financial costs of KMS employees based in Nairobi County. It also explored the impact of alcoholism on work relations of employees of KMS based in Nairobi County. The study analysed the impact of alcoholism on employees’ health and safety of KMS employees based in Nairobi County and investigated the interventions applied to curb alcoholism at KMS.The study collected data from amongst staff of Kenya Meteorological Services through Questionnaires and Interview Schedules. Data was processed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The findings were presented in form of chart. Some of the findings of the study indicated that about 33% of the respondents consume alcohol while 67% of the workforce does not take alcohol. The research indicates that alcohol has an effect on employees’ work rate and quality of work. About 49% of the respondents “strongly agree” that alcohol leads to reduced work rate and poor quality of work in the workforce. The research recommends that there is need to enact policies and measures that can control alcoholism in the workforce among KMS staff. It recommends the use of workplace alcohol policies such as a zero tolerance to alcohol staff code of discipline in regulating alcoholism. The research also recommends use of health promotion, employee assistance programs, counseling, and drug use control and sensitization workshops to curb alcoholism. The research indicates that there is a relationship between alcoholism and the workplace unproductivity, stress, hangovers, diseases and financial problems. It explains that there is a need to redress the problem of alcoholism in the workforce because it hampers organizational efficiency, employees’ health and safety, work relationship and increases social and financial costs.

Abstract P3-07-08: Breast cancer in China reveals transcriptomic likeness to Caucasian breast cancer

Abstract The incidence of breast cancer among Chinese women has been historically much lower than that of Caucasian women but has increased dramatically over the past 30 years in urban areas of China, an increase likely to continue in the next decades across China with progressive urbanization and economic development. However, it is still unclear whether differences in breast cancer incidence between Chinese and Caucasian women reflect differences in disease biology in addition to environmental factors. To address this question, we compared consecutive cohorts of Chinese and Italian breast cancer patients who underwent surgical resection in the years 2005-2007 at Fudan Cancer Center of Shanghai (China) and Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Tumori of Milan (Italy), respectively, two comprehensive cancer centers with similar inpatients and outpatients recruited in a large area. Analyses of clinico-pathological characteristics of 1563 Chinese and 1052 Italian consecutive breast cancer patients revealed that 50% of patients in the Chinese cohort were younger than 50 years versus 29% of Italian patients, indicating that Chinese women develop breast cancer earlier than Italian patients, with a peak of frequency at 50-60 years. Among Chinese breast tumors, 63% were estrogen receptor (ER)-positive versus 85% of the Italians, and the prevalence of ER-positive tumors was equivalent in pre- and postmenopausal Chinese cases, suggesting the same hormonal features in tumors of younger and older patients, consistent with findings in the Italian cohort. Microarray-based gene and miRNA expression profiling was then conducted on 80 Chinese and 97 Italian samples using Illumina Gene and MicroRNA expression technologies. To minimize potential bias and artifact due to variability in specimen collection, storage, processing and analysis of high-throughput results, samples initially collected in the Chinese and Italian hospitals were all stored, randomly processed and analyzed in the Italian center. Analysis revealed a comparable pattern of gene and miRNA expression in the 2 cohorts with unsupervised hierarchical clustering of 12,338 genes and 858 miRNAs, and similar expression of intrinsic and extracellular matrix (ECM) genes led to a similar partition in intrinsic and ECM subtypes, indicating molecular similarity among Chinese and Caucasian breast cancers. Supported by Ministero Affari Esteri (Italy-China significant bilateral project). Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-07-08.

Local Enterprise Partnerships to deliver progressive social outcomes

This commentary piece seeks to outline the case for a ‘whole place’ approach to progressive economic development. It discusses how Local Enterprise Partnerships can expand their foci and considers the challenge for them of meeting social objectives. Local Enterprise Partnerships are not currently constructing coherent policy approaches to economic growth aspirations and social justice considerations. They offer an opportunity to enhance interplay between and within the commercial, public and social sector functions of the economy. It is through developing networks and relationships that Local Enterprise Partnerships can enhance resilience, and generate synergy to develop innovative solutions to socio-economic challenges. Universities and social enterprises are the exact sorts of organisations which are needed to support Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure that these networks are given full consideration and representation in the strategic planning of local economies. The role of small-to-medium enterprises in delivering whole place economies is also important, and their views should be feed into strategic decision making at the local level, as arguably they have greater stakes in whole place economies. In conclusion, those Local Enterprise Partnerships who lead the way by embedding the social sector into their working practice will create the most sustainable economic and social benefits.

Subnational Governance and Economic and Social Development

In sum, this theme issue develops the literature on subnational government and governance and economic and social development. Some accepted wisdom has been challenged and qualified, and new insights have been provided. Collectively, the papers point towards a rich future research agenda. Such endeavour might include consideration of-inter alia-the following questions: to what extent can devolved territories and institutions convert the opportunities that devolution presents into more effective public policies? How can territorial justice and equity be combined with potential diversity in a devolving nation-state (Morgan, 2001)? What kinds of supporting interterritorial fiscal equalisation systems and regional policies at the supranational and national levels can support the subnational governance of economic and social development? What kinds of territorial politics can deliver progressive economic and social development under subnational governance? How can representative and participatory democracy be reconciled within subnational government and governance? As devolution continues to unfold internationally, the character, form, and substance of the evolution of subnational governance and its relations to economic and social development require close attention to interpret their enduring importance and significance.

Reconsidering Economic Development: The Prospects for Economic Gardening

For decades many local development and community leaders have been questioning the effectiveness of business attraction to create new jobs and expand local economies. At the same time, there has been growing interest among some professional planners and citizen groups in the concept of sustainable development, which suggests replacing short-sighted development plans which convey limited benefits with future-thinking strategies that improve and preserve the quality of life for the entire community. And yet, many local governments continue to rely on business attraction as a key component of their economic development strategies. This paper attempts to explain why these governments are resistant to more progressive economic development strategies. It first examines how and why traditional strategies are ineffective. It then argues that, by contrast, the more recent "economic gardening" approach, which centers on the cultivation of local entrepreneurship, is more effective, particularly with regard to long-term sustainability issues. The paper concludes by discussing economic gardening's prospects of becoming the dominant approach to economic development, and the key role coordinating agencies play in helping communities build the capacity to meet this challenge.

Water Systems Planning: The Optimization Perspective

The progressive technological and economic development of societies has given rise to a global increase in the demand for water. In their efforts to meet the demand for good quality water, in adequate quantities, when and where it is needed humans have been tampering with the natural hydrological cycle. Decision models play an important role in dealing with water resources planning problems by integrating simultaneously all the relevant aspects (physical, hydrological, technological, financial, etc.) characterizing these problems. This paper presents an overview, pointing out the new trends regarding the decision models commonly used to solve the most important water systems planning problems. The achievements accomplished during these last three decades and the impacts of the improvements attained in software and hardware are highlighted. The gap between theory and practice in this field and the reasons for such a circumstance are also discussed.

Dilemmas of Progressives in Government: Playing Solomon in an Age of Austerity

The problems that face progressive elected officials with respect to economic development involve popular expectations meeting harsh economic realities. Definitions of progressive politics suggest an orientation toward redistributive and equity-oriented policies, as well as the involvement of popular movements in shaping the local agenda. The experiences of Hartford, Connecticut, between 1991 and 1993 demonstrate the trials and errors of attempting progressive governance. Local officials faced external political opposition, internal political dissension, huge budget shortfalls, a declining tax base, and a population in extreme poverty. They encountered proposals for casinos, possible relocation of major league football teams to the city, mounting costs of municipal employee contracts, and the attempt to foster local economic development through inauguration of a school construction program. New modes of political participation and advocacy are suggested as components of progressive local economic development.

The Limits of Progressive Municipal Economic Development: Job Creation in Chicago, 1983–1987

The Limits of Progressive Municipal Economic Development: Job Creation in Chicago, 1983–1987

Research Problems and Issues in Comparative Corrections

This article focuses upon research problems and issues in comparative corrections as indicated by an assessment of six countries located in different regions of the globe. Countries represented include the United States, Mexico, West Germany, England, Sweden and Japan. These countries are representative of global geographic regions and reflect (1) a humanistic governmental philosophy, (2) political and economic stability and (3) progressive economic and industrial development. While similarities exist these countries are quite distinct and different in their approach to corrections and reflect unique values and philosophical positions which result in disparate treatment modalities. Comparative analysis of these differing systems is not an easy task given a number of dilemmas inherent in such an evaluation. These dilemmas include (1) the problem of acquiring relevant data; (2) language barriers; (3) tending to view the correctional process in a vacuum; (4) the problem of interpreting correctional processes...

Polygyny and the rate of population growth

Summary The roots, motives and feasibility of practising polygyny in societies with a balanced sex structure and the effect of polygyny on the rate of population growth are considered. High demand for labour combined with limited supply over the last several centuries, had been conducive to the evolution of a polygynous nuptiality pattern. The unprecedentedly high rates of population growth during the last several decades combined with progressive economic development have led to a change in the role of the labour factor and consequently diminished its impact upon polygyny. Polygyny is feasible because of a sex-age differential at first marriage, which enables younger cohorts of women to enter the marriage market, and thus results in a very early age at first marriage and universal incidence of marriage among women. A very young pattern of nuptiality inevitably evolves under polygyny, which tends to raise the rate of population growth. No significant variation in fertility between polygynous and monogamous women was found but substantial gaps in standards of living, child mortality, and educational attainment were noted for polygynous households. The findings imply that during the transition from polygyny to monogamy family size will tend to diminish, although initially fertility may not decline concurrently with changing socio-economic status. The most important effects on the rate of population growth thus result from the increase in age at first marriage and declining proportions of ever married women.