Socio-economic Dimensions Research Articles

Territorial Challenges for Cultural and Creative Industries’ Contribution to Sustainable Innovation: Evidence from the Interreg Ita-Slo Project DIVA

This article articulates the outcomes of the spatial survey of an EU Interreg-funded project titled “Development of Innovation Eco-Systems and Value Chains: Supporting Cross-Border Innovation through Creative Industries” (DIVA). The study mapped cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in the transborder area comprising the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and the western region of Slovenia. The study applied both quantitative and qualitative place-based methodologies and drew theoretically from economics, urbanism, and interactionism. The results include a webapp quantifying and describing CCIs spread in the transborder area and a SWOT analysis of firms’ geographies for potential collaboration between CCIs and traditional SMEs (small and medium enterprises). It is argued that the cultural and creative sectors are relevant to the social and economic development of cities and regions, and act as drivers of innovation. The interconnected network of local enterprises (CCIs-SMEs) also goes in the direction of promoting a sustainable territorial development, enhancing enrooted resources. Additionally, it considers how CCIs different localization patterns, both clustered and sprawled, can influence and shape possible collaboration degrees at transborder regional level. Thus, this paper advocates for more integrated policymaking that considers the spatial distribution and territorial localization of CCIs alongside their socio-economic dimensions.

Prioritizing countries for implementing waste recycling under socioeconomic supports

The implementation of waste recycling in a country has been proved to be substantially affected by the socioeconomic conditions. Whether and to what extent a country is suitable for initiating waste recycling under the current socioeconomic supports has not been explored adequately. In this study, we adopt an integrated socioeconomic index system involving five dimensions (economic, social, technological, market and consciousness) to represent the socioeconomic supports for waste recycling. Combining the index system and the improved matter-element extension model, we quantitatively stratify the holistic suitability (five ranks) for waste recycling in 68 empirical countries under different levels of socioeconomic supports. The results indicate that the developed countries in North America, Western Europe, Northern Europe and Oceania have the highest suitability for waste recycling attributed to outstanding socioeconomic conditions. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland are divided into Rank I from both the holistic suitability and respective socioeconomic dimension perspectives. Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Czech pertain to Rank II, limited by the economic and technological conditions. Social condition is a limiting factor for some emerging economies and resource-based countries such as Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Market condition is a limiting factor for some industrial powers and resource-based countries, such as China and Saudi Arabia. The findings of this study provide the global countries with references to being well-informed of socioeconomic supports for waste recycling and directions for follow-up efforts in waste management.

Evaluating of the sustainability of complex rural ecosystems during the transition from agricultural villages to tourist destinations and modern agri-food systems

Many agricultural villages have transformed from traditional agricultural communities into tourist destinations to eliminate the progressive degradation, abandonment, ecological and social crises that threaten sustainable development. Today rural villages are complex ecosystems that represent the result of the historical relationship between man and nature in the socio-economic dimension. A tool for assessing the sustainability of rural villages is the analysis of the interaction between man and the environment. Preserving healthy rural ecosystems, in dynamic balance with the interrelation between social development and the functioning of the natural ecosystem is an indispensable goal of sustainable development. All this leads to what the current traditional economic studies have ignored namely the study of the reasons of the economic reference indicators to suggest technical solutions, change strategies and sustainability for rural governance systems within of social development. This article proposes an economic study approach that integrates social and economic evaluation to research sustainable development models and socio-economic factors to achieve the well-being of the rural system. Considering Borgo Parrini, located in Sicily, the historical analysis has been combined with the social-economic one and linked to models of social development (traditional agriculture, industrialized agriculture and commercial tourism). Based on the methodology, economic indicators of the crops implemented in the countryside surrounding the rural village under examination were obtained and the corresponding socio-economic factors that have characterized the village from its birth to the present day were also reconstructed. The results show that the Borgo was born with the aim of being at the service of the agricultural activity of the neighboring countryside. The evolution of historical facts and the changes induced by the economic development models adopted in Italy have led to a transformation from a neighborhood agriculture to an industrialized agriculture. This model of agriculture adapted to the studied area had a negative impact and led to the impoverishment of the countryside and the removal of man from the territory. The potential impacts were explored with the evolution of the agricultural landscape and with the analysis of the economic activities in the area. The changes in the use of resources on the welfare of the system and their results indicate that technical solutions must be integrated with a governance system based on the relations of production, community and culture. To adopt a sustainable development model, it is recommended to use environmentally friendly agricultural techniques, methods of ecotourism and participatory governance between agriculture and tourism. The method proposed here for integrated governance provides a new perspective for the implementation of technical solutions in human society and the formation of sustainable development models that are positive for the rural, social and economic environment. • Rural villages can be considered complex ecosystems. • The development of rural villages requires an ecosystem approach.

Cohort profile: life with neurofibromatosis 1 – the Danish NF1 cohort

PurposeThe Danish neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) cohort was initiated to study health-related, socioeconomic and psychological consequences of living with the monogenetic disorder NF1 using a nationwide and population-based approach.ParticipantsThe cohort includes...

Definitions matter: Including the socio-economic dimension as a critical component of SADC circular economy definitions

Globally, scholars agree that there is a lack of clarity on the notion of the circular economy (CE) and a lack of consensus on a foundational definition of the term. Some definitions place greater emphasis on the socio-economic dimension of the CE than others. In Africa, notions of the CE are still evolving. This paper highlights the salient aspects of texts defining or informing the CE in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In Africa, the transition to circularity is motivated by the need to stimulate job creation and income generation. At the same time, concern over mounting environmental impacts is increasing. Economic and population growth on the continent, continued urbanisation, and the resulting proliferation of municipal waste contribute to these economic, social and environmental challenges. African governments, business communities, civil society and academia need to collaborate on initiatives that build on circularity principles to advance sustainable development in pursuit of equitable and just societies. This exploratory semi-systematic literature review contributes not only to developing notions of the CE in Africa, but also to the dialogue on circularity in the Global South. In particular, it investigates the extent to which the socio-economic dimension is incorporated in notions of the CE. Moreover, it argues that a strong emphasis on this dimension is imperative in the conceptual development of circularity on the African continent. We argue for the future foregrounding of definitions of the CE that are consistent with social transformation as an aspiration in regional legislative and regulatory frameworks.Significance: Contributes to conceptualisation of the CE in the Global South. Indicates how SADC policy dictates the importance of the socio-economic dimension as a regional priority, and therefore signals the primacy of this aspect in the development of a contextual notion of CE. Includes a review of grey literature related to the SADC region in the analysis of the notion of the CE.

Cursed forever? Exploring socio-economic effects of nuclear power plant closures across nine communities in the United States

Nuclear energy occupies a conspicuous place in the global energy transition. In the United States, civilian nuclear power plants are shutting down before their licenses expire, leaving nuclear host communities struggling to cope with the unexpected change. This study focuses on the socio-economic dimensions of the effects of nuclear power plant shutdowns in nuclear host communities in the United States. Our study attempts to strike a balance between intensive case studies, which often fail to disentangle place-specific factors from broader trends and to put observations in perspective, and large-sample-based quantitative analyses, which seeks a general impact of decommissioning without paying sufficient attention to local variations. We adopt a quasi-experimental approach, which compares communities with decommissioned plants to their control neighbors, to assess the diverse trajectories of socio-economic well-being of nuclear host communities before and after plant closure. These communities are analyzed in terms of their population, per capita income, education, poverty levels, and unemployment. The findings provide a starting point from which more detailed case studies can be conducted, and nuclear host communities can better navigate the decommissioning process.

Socio-cultural Correlates of the COVID-19 Outcomes

While basically all countries have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact has varied in large degrees among countries. In the present study, national differences in six COVID-19 indicators (COVID-19 deaths per capita, excess mortality, change in GDP per capita, vaccination rate, stringency index, and overall impact of the pandemic) were studied in relation to socio-economic and Hofstede's cultural dimensions by using the latest data available. The results differed to some degree from the studies conducted in the earlier stage of the pandemic. COVID-19 deaths per capita were predicted by Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) and Indulgence (IVR); excess mortality by UA; the impact of pandemics by Power Distance (PDI), Long-term Orientation (LTOWS) and IVR; change in GDP per capita by PDI; vaccination rate by Individualism and UA; and Stringency Index by LTOWS. In addition to further clarifying the role of cultural dimensions in the pandemic, three conclusions can be drawn. First, the pandemic reached different countries at different times, which is reflected in the results. The conclusion about the role of socio-economic and cultural factors can be drawn only after the pandemic. Second, cultural dimensions were related to COVID-19 measures only when socio-economic indicators were not considered but lost their significance when socio-economic variables were entered into the models. Cultural dimensions influence the outcome variables via socio-economic factors. Third, earlier studies have focused mainly on COVID-19 deaths. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is a complex phenomenon and cannot be reduced to the death rate.

A Synopsis of “The Impact of Motivation, Price, and Habit on Intention to Use IoT-Enabled Technology: A Correlational Study”

Older adults in the U.S. are interested in maintaining independence, aging at home longer, and staying active. Their substantial size, market share, and household wealth sparked the interest of investors and developers in remote monitoring, smart homes, ambient-assisted living, tracking, applications, and sensors via the IoT. This study used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology extended (UTAUT2). The overarching research question was: “To what extent do performance, effort, influence, conditions, motivation, price, and habit affect older adults’ behavioral intent to use IoT technologies in their homes?” The research methodology for this study was a nonexperimental correlation of the variables that affect older adults’ intention to use IoT-enabled technologies in their homes. The population was adults 60 plus years in northern Virginia. The sample consisted of 316 respondents. The seven predictors cumulatively influenced older adults’ behavioral intent to use IoT-enabled technologies, F(7, 308) = 133.50, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.75. The significant predictors of behavioral intention to use IoT technologies were performance expectancy (B = 0.244, t(308) = 4.427, p < 0.001), social influence (B = 0.138, t(308) = 3.4775, p = 0.001), facilitating conditions (B = 0.184, t(308) = 2.999, p = 0.003), hedonic motivation (B = 0.153, t(308) = 2.694, p = 0.007), price value (B = 0.140, t(308) = 3.099, p = 0.002), and habit (B = 0.378, t(308) = 8.696, p < 0.001). Effort expectancy was insignificant (B = −0.026, t(308) = −0.409, p = 0.683). This study filled the gap in research on older adults’ acceptance of IoT by focusing specifically on that population. The findings help reduce the risk of solutions driven by technological and organizational requirements rather than the older adults’ unique needs and requirements. The study revealed that older adults may be susceptible to undue influence to adopt IoT solutions. These socioeconomic dimensions of the UTAUT2 are essential to the information technology field because the actualizing of IoT-enabled technologies in private homes depends on older adults’ participation and adoption. This research is beneficial to IoT developers, implementers, cybersecurity researchers, healthcare providers, caregivers, and managers of in-home care providers regarding adding IoT technologies in their homes.

A novel flood risk mapping approach with machine learning considering geomorphic and socio-economic vulnerability dimensions

Quantifying flood hazards by employing hydraulic/hydrodynamic models for flood risk mapping is a widely implemented non-structural flood management strategy. However, the unavailability of multi-domain and multi-dimensional input data and expensive computational resources limit its application in resource-constrained regions. The fifth and sixth IPCC assessment reports recommend including vulnerability and exposure components along with hazards for capturing risk on human-environment systems from natural and anthropogenic sources. In this context, the present study showcases a novel flood risk mapping approach that considers a combination of geomorphic flood descriptor (GFD)-based flood susceptibility and often neglected socio-economic vulnerability components. Three popular Machine Learning (ML) models, namely Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Gradient-boosted Decision Trees (GBDT), are evaluated for their abilities to combine digital terrain model-derived GFDs for quantifying flood susceptibility in a flood-prone district, Jagatsinghpur, located in the lower Mahanadi River basin, India. The area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) along with Cohen's kappa are used to identify the best ML model. It is observed that the RF model performs better compared to the other two models on both training and testing datasets, with AUC score of 0.88 on each. The socio-economic vulnerability assessment follows an indicator-based approach by employing the Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes (CCR) model of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), an efficient non-parametric ranking method. It combines the district's relevant socio-economic sensitivity and adaptive capacity indicators. The flood risk classes at the most refined administrative scale, i.e., village level, are determined with the Jenks natural breaks algorithm using flood susceptibility and socio-economic vulnerability scores estimated by the RF and CCR-DEA models, respectively. It was observed that >40 % of the villages spread over Jagatsinghpur face high and very high flood risk. The proposed novel framework is generic and can be used to derive a wide variety of flood susceptibility, vulnerability, and subsequently risk maps under a data-constrained scenario. Furthermore, since this approach is relatively data and computationally parsimonious, it can be easily implemented over large regions. The exhaustive flood maps will facilitate effective flood control and floodplain planning.

A review of spatially-explicit GeoAI applications in Urban Geography

Urban Geography studies forms, social fabrics, and economic structures of cities from a geographic perspective. Catalysed by the increasingly abundant spatial big data, Urban Geography seeks new models and research paradigms to explain urban phenomena and address urban issues. Recent years have witnessed significant advances in spatially-explicit geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI), which integrates spatial studies and AI, primarily focusing on incorporating spatial thinking and concept into deep learning models for urban studies. This paper provides an overview of techniques and applications of spatially-explicit GeoAI in Urban Geography based on 581 papers identified using a systematic review approach. We examined and screened papers in three scopes of Urban Geography (Urban Dynamics, Social Differentiation of Urban Areas, and Social Sensing) and found that although GeoAI is a trending topic in geography and the applications of deep neural network-based methods are proliferating, the development of spatially-explicit GeoAI models is still at their early phase. We identified three challenges of existing models and advised future research direction towards developing multi-scale explainable spatially-explicit GeoAI. This review paper acquaints beginners with the basics of GeoAI and state-of-the-art and serve as an inspiration to attract more research in exploring the potential of spatially-explicit GeoAI in studying the socio-economic dimension of the city and urban life. • Techniques and applications of spatially-explicit GeoAI in Urban Geography. • The review focuses on urban dynamics, social differentiation, and social sensing. • The development of this line in Urban Geography is still in its early phase. • Graph neural networks are promising solutions to incorporate spatial information. • Challenges identified are data, scale, MAUP, and lack of interpretation (black box).

The Effect of Socio-Economic Dimensions on Deforestation: Application of Spatial Econometrics

The Effect of Socio-Economic Dimensions on Deforestation: Application of Spatial Econometrics

Dataset for Estimated Closures of Scallop (Pecten maximus) Production Areas Due to Phycotoxin Contamination along the French Coasts of the Eastern English Channel

Commercial bans due to harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are natural events, question the sustainability of human activities in marine and coastal areas. A risk assessment of these bans is important to support decision-making to better manage and mitigate their impacts. However, data are sparse and difficult to collect. The dataset presented in this paper includes “estimated closures of scallop fishing areas” due to HAB toxicity along the French coasts of the English Channel. The closure data were simulated for each scallop (Pecten maximus) fishing area through an algorithm applied to the in situ dataset from the French monitoring network REPHYTOX. The methodology of the production of closure data consists of comparing phycotoxin concentration in scallop to regulatory thresholds of phycotoxins, and then, simulating the number and duration of closures based on the monitoring strategies and closure mechanisms as defined in the regulations. These data only cover closures related to regulatory threshold exceedances of phycotoxins in shellfish. Closures induced by the lack of sampling or other reasons (e.g., failures in toxin analysis) are not included in the dataset because of the lack of information. Data are produced during the scallop fishing season. Facing the non-existence of such a closure database due to the lack of centralized management of local closure decrees, this dataset can be used to analyse the management strategies to deal with HABs and to highlight the governance challenges related to these strategies. It is also useful to study the link between the ecological and the socioeconomic dimensions of HABs, and to describe how toxin concentrations in shellfish translate into socioeconomic impacts and management challenges. This methodology can be applied to other species, other areas and other economic activities.

A Societal Metabolism Approach to Effectively Analyze the Water–Energy–Food Nexus in an Agricultural Transboundary River Basin

We implemented the semantically open conceptual framework ‘Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism’ (MuSIASEM) to deal with nexus challenges in agricultural production systems in transboundary river basins, using the Iranian Aras River Basin as a case study. The performance of the agricultural sector was characterized for relevant typologies of crop production using metabolic profiles, i.e., inputs and outputs per ton of crop produced, per hectare of land use, and per hour of labor. This analysis was contextualized across hierarchical levels of analysis, including the agronomic context at the regional level (rainfed versus irrigated cultivation), the socio-economic and political context at the national level (food sovereignty; urbanization), and the hydro-ecological context of the larger transboundary river basin (water constraints, GHG emissions). We found that the simultaneous use of two different interrelated logics of aggregation—the productivity of land and labor (relevant for the agronomic and socio-economic dimension) and the density of flows under different land uses (relevant for the hydrological and ecological dimension)—allowed for the identification of trade-offs in policy deliberations. In the case of Iran, it showed that striving for strategic autonomy will exacerbate the current water crisis; with the current cropping patterns, agronomic improvements will not suffice to avert a water crisis. It was concluded that the proposed approach fills an important gap in nexus research, but to effectively guide nexus governance in the region, a co-production of the analysis with social actors as well as more complete data sets at the river basin level would be essential.

What is wellbeing for rural South African women? Textual analysis of focus group discussion transcripts and implications for programme design and evaluation

Policy makers’ ultimate goal is to deliver the highest possible level of population welfare. Economists investigate the effect of socio-economic dimensions on wellbeing using unidimensional measures of life satisfaction or happiness as proxies for welfare. However, social psychologists have shown that wellbeing is a much broader construct and that an intervention may have opposite effects on its components. Unidimensional measures may hide these patterns. Most literature focuses on high-income countries. The growing evidence from low- and middle-income countries also largely relies on standard unidimensional measures. This study tests the validity of this reliance by exploring the wellbeing construct of South African women, quantitatively analysing textual data from focus group discussions to investigate whether unidimensional measures are appropriate in this context. It provides evidence against the indiscriminate use of unidimensional wellbeing measures. Cluster and correspondence analysis of the transcripts show that relevant domains of women’s wellbeing include relations with others, autonomy, and a perception of control over their environment (environmental mastery). Results also reveal that participants have a relational view of themselves, distinct from the individuated view predominant in the US and Europe and the collectivist view found in East Asia. Such relational self-perception modifies study participants’ wellbeing construct in ways that are important for policy implementation and evaluation. For example, women’s autonomy and environmental mastery rely on shared peer-identity to redefine rules and meet challenges. Wellbeing measures for policy evaluation would benefit from incorporating these insights to meaningfully measure progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3 on ‘good health and wellbeing’ in South Africa and other contexts that exhibit similar concepts of wellbeing.

Application of Open Government Data to Sustainable City Indicators: A Megacity Case Study

The access to open government data has been a relevant topic for societies around the world, especially over the last ten years. This paper aims to analyze the indicators of the São Paulo City Observatory (ObservaSampa), confronting them with the ISO 3712x series (sustainable, smart, and resilient cities) standards, to assess if the former meet both open data principles and the ISO prescriptions. Bibliometric analysis, comparative analysis, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) were the methods used in this research. From the comparative analysis, 18 indicators were identified as conforming and 41 as partially conforming. Thus, 20% of the ObservaSampa indicators adhere to the ISO standards. The PCA applied to the conforming indicators shows component 1 is related to socioeconomic dimensions, while component 2 refers to social policy, with both appraisals confirmed by cluster analysis. Measuring and presenting city data in compliance with indicator standards is relevant because they open the possibility of comparing different cities. However, there is still a lack of consensus on a common set of indicators to be accommodated within the current ISO standards system.

Selective Exposure and New Political Cleavages: Media Use and Ideological Reinforcement Over Time

New political cleavages are reshaping the political landscape in established democracies. The classic left-right ideological dimension that has structured politics for decades is increasingly challenged by a sociocultural value dimension. At the same time, growing opportunities for media choice open for new forms of selective news exposure along political lines. We argue that previous research has too narrowly focused on traditional ideological cleavages, neglecting the increasingly important sociocultural value dimension of politics. Using four waves of panel survey data collected in Sweden during 2020 and 2021, this study analyses ideological selective exposure, audience composition, and reinforcing spirals across a range of mainstream and alternative news outlets. Findings show (1) that the sociocultural value dimension is more important than the socioeconomic dimension for explaining news choices, (2) that it structures news audiences in uniquely distinct ways, and (3) that these relationships are highly stable over time—reflecting patterns of de facto selective exposure and ideological maintenance, rather than reinforcement. These findings bring new insights to research on selective news exposure, political polarization, and changing ideological cleavages in Western democracies.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Towards Reducing Vulnerability to Drought in Northern Ghana

The impacts of climate change especially on water resources are beginning to manifest both globally and regionally. More disturbing is the fact that developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, are the most affected by these impacts due mainly to their high exposure, sensitivity, and low adaptive capacity. For Ghana, the general climate change has manifested in rising temperatures, declining rainfall, high extreme weather conditions, and rising sea levels. In response to these challenges, the country has developed national adaptation strategies for implementation at regional, district, community, and individual levels. Key among the strategies for reducing the impacts of climate change on the water are the conservation of water resources, improving and sustaining the quality of water, and increasing the availability of water for domestic and agricultural purposes. However, the level of vulnerability to climate change is influenced by both social and spatial factors because of the different ecological zones whose characteristics significantly influence both the physical and socio-economic dimensions of the various areas differently. Additionally, the decentralized implementation of the national climate change adaptation strategy has largely failed to achieve any significant results due to a lack of capacity on the part of the implementation partners at the various levels, as well as the overambitious nature of the strategy. A more ecologically tailored approach with an emphasis on the district and community levels is recommended for going forward. Improvements on the various components of vulnerability with regard to water management are recommended for reducing the effects of droughts.

Encumbrances in Digitization of Education: A Schema of NEP

Futuristic Education is technology driven as we have seen the pandemic situation and the terror of being completely locked again and again. The pandemic has changed the education system overnight from offline teaching to online teaching and the technological driven education system has came up with different constraint. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), is a widespread framework for elementary education to higher education as well as vocational training in urban and rural India. The policy aims to renovate India's education structure by 2021the policy proposes several measures for promoting digital learning and enhancing infrastructure requirements. The NEP 2020 emphasizes on the advantages of technology and making the youth ready for the future to face all kinds of challenges. India being a country with socio-economic dimension and regional diversity and for proper implementation of policy, emphasis should be done on the reachability of online teaching and training to all for the betterment of society and knowledge enhancement. Present study emphasizes on the different roadblocks which are there in the way of online teaching and learning.

Climate change and the fate of small islands: The case of Mauritius

Small island states are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite not contributing much to global greenhouse gas emissions. Crafting effective science-based adaptive strategies to conserve and sustain natural resources in the face of the changing climate has important socio-economic, political, and ecological dimensions. The analysis in the current paper reveals that the island of Mauritius has been warming at a rate of 0.0216 °C/year over the period 1971–2020, with an increase in precipitation averaging 2.29 mm/year over the 1981–2020 period. The changing climate over time has had severe repercussions on the native ecosystems of the island and is threatening the long-term freshwater supply system. Science-based policy measures proposed revolve around the expansion and re-design of protected areas to be strategically located in climate-resilient regions that seek to offer refuge to native fauna and flora. To increase the resilience on freshwater supply on the island, measures proposed include the introduction of a freshwater coordination-based system that operates on water stress level, in addition to increasing the network of freshwater catchment areas in regions where precipitation is increasing over time. The insights in this paper are expected to be valuable for other small islands in adapting to climate change.

Housing affordability crisis and vulnerable social groups in Turkey

PurposeThis paper investigates the housing affordability crisis from the perspective of vulnerable social groups (VSG) in Turkey and Turkey's megacities, Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, over the period of 2010 and 2019.Design/methodology/approachThe author employ house cost and multiple income variables, involving residual income, to construct socially informative house cost-to-income (HCI) ratios. To measure the country/urban level socio-economic dimensions of the affordability crisis, the author develop 12 main and 76 specific housing affordability criteria.FindingsThe author find that housing is not affordable in Turkey and low/unequal distribution of income is a contributive factor for the affordability crisis of VSG. The evidence suggests that housing unaffordability for VSG is deeply rooted in the socio-economic/demographic disparities that eventually result in income and homeownership inequalities.Social implicationsConstructed HCI ratios provide precise information for the targeted housing affordability policies for the VSG defined by education level, age, location, income distribution, employment status/condition and gender. The author' socially targeted modeling approach briefly suggests that housing affordability policies should focus on low-educated groups, young generations, some elementary occupations, employees in low-income industries, and casual/regular-small firms' employees.Originality/valueThis is the first study that provides nuanced information on housing affordability for Turkey by employing HCI ratios for the targeted VSG. This socially targeted empirical analysis is the first analysis for developing housing markets as well. From the methodological perspective, the author contribute information quality of the housing affordability ratio by using income data of various aggregate-level socio-economic/demographic groups.