Socio-economic Transformation Research Articles

The Role of the Catholic Church against Changes and Threats to the Value of Work

The purpose of the article is to present the role played by the Catholic Church in Western Europe against civilization’s threats to the value of work in the context of Catholic social teaching. There are historical and contemporary changes and threats to the value of work. The importance of work was analyzed in terms of antiquity, the Middle Ages, during the nineteenth-century industrial revolution and in the era of contemporary IT changes. We present how the value of work was perceived, what role Christianity played and the position of the Catholic Church in relation to social changes and the progress of civilization. It was pointed out how socio-economic transformations and, above all, scientific and technical progress, influenced the threats regarding the personal dimension of work and the subjective role of a man. The evolution of the legal protection of the state against employees and employers, and the position taken by the Catholic Church in this matter were described. It has been shown that old and modern forms of work under the guise of facilities are a threat to the value of work and a human’s subjectivity. The analysis of the positions and documents of Catholic social science allowed us to show a change in the role of the Church, which, from the attitude of real influence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, became directed in the 21st century to strengthen active attitudes in the work environment among Catholics. It expects the sensitivity of conscience and open brotherhood, and adopts an attitude of charity and committed action for the benefit of the economically excluded and people deprived of decent work.

Theory of Social Change in Post-Soviet Ukrainian Society

The significance of the issue lies in the observation that the experience of implementing neoliberal market reforms during the 1990s in Ukraine reveals that disregarding the contributions of Ukrainian scholars led to detrimental consequences for socio-economic transformations. This study focuses on the theories of social change developed by Ukrainian scholars. The aim of this article is to consolidate and structure the concepts put forth by Ukrainian scholars that contribute to the theory of social change within post-Soviet Ukrainian society. The methodology employed to examine the theory of social change in the context of post-Soviet Ukrainian society encompasses systematic, logical, historical, dialectical, and civilizational approaches and techniques. The findings of the research indicate that the theory of social change necessitates an interdisciplinary methodology. The primary criterion for evaluating the nature of social change is its orientation toward upholding societal cohesion. The emergence of crisis phenomena that present challenges to society serves as an indicator of social change. An essential element in understanding social change is an awareness of the socio-cultural distinctiveness of a given society. Effective management of social processes relies on the integration of theoretical principles with practical applications. Several domains have emerged in the evolution of the theory of social change within post-Soviet Ukrainian society, including economic, demographic, civilizational, political, and security-oriented aspects. An analysis of indigenous concepts of social change within post-Soviet Ukrainian society highlights certain characteristics. Ukrainian social researchers consistently grapple with the task of constructing a comprehensive perspective on Ukrainian society. Amidst the multitude of social changes, a central issue pertaining to various concepts of social change has gradually arisen—the examination of the trajectory that society follows. Notably, a significant portion of scholars, predominantly economists, have regarded the economy as the primary determinant shaping the nature of social change. The practical significance of these findings resides in the synthesis and organization of the concepts formulated by Ukrainian scholars, which contribute to the framework of the theory of social change in the context of post-Soviet Ukrainian society.

Fostering posterity and socio-economic transformation through the prism of indigenous languages in youth training: A participatory approach

This paper reviews thee mediating role of indigenous languages in vocational skills and national development in the Zimbabwean context. In the wake of the current outcry for jobs, employment creation and entrepreneurship the need for new strategies to revive industry by focusing on community resources has become imperative. Youths need to turn to themselves as repositories of skills required for operationalising dormant and fledgling industries. In pursuit of this new strategy they need the expertise of local artisans. The initiative, adopted in the spirit of national consciousness, should yield an indigenous brand of technology. It is from this perspective that the paper argues for a fresh, broader approach to youth training, through the identification of a national programme that encourages skilled artisans to use indigenous languages as vehicles for imparting industrial skills to out of school youths. The envisaged formal programme can be implemented through the identification of industrial bases that would tap the industrial skills of out of school youths, under the tutorship of local skilled artisans. For more effective implementation the proposed blueprint argues for the liberalization of instructional media. Trainers and trainees would switch on to their preferred language in skills’ acquisition. Such a flexible project, sustained through collaborative engagement, between skilled artisans and youths, would go a long way towards enhancing the latter’s creative potential, by fostering familiarity with the terminology required by a particular industry. Further, the article envisages learners’ progressive training programmes that motivate vocational training graduates to apply modern technology to productive processes demanded by the respective communities. The study concludes by emphasizing that the achievement of national goals for entrepreneurship and youth empowerment/employment requires the adoption of new strategies encapsulated in the Education 5.0.blueprint.

Bhandari’s Rhetoric in the 1990s Political Dynamics: Institutionalizing Democracy in Nepal

Rhetoric can be described as an art of persuasion, encompassing both words and actions. It is associated with the relationship between an addresser and an addressee in the process of communication. In the early post-1990 era in Nepal, CPN (UML) Secretary General Madan Bhandari emerged as a popular leader with his political philosophy of People’s Multiparty Democracy (PMPD), effectively employing the art of rhetoric to connect with a diverse audience. The rhetorical analysis of Bhandari’s speeches, which covered topics such as monarchy, constitution, parliamentary elections, and the Tanakpur Treaty, had a profound impact on shaping the Nepali psyche. Using rhetorical appeals – logos, pathos, and ethos – Bhandari brilliantly persuaded the intended audience in the post-democracy Nepali society early in the 1990s. Exploiting myths and metaphors, and repetitions and parallelism, Bhandari skillfully projected a sense of hope and expectation amidst contemporary political exigencies. Bhandari’s rhetoric contained substantial democratic values and ideas for socio-economic transformation, which deeply inspired the newly liberated Nepali psyche. With a high level of respect for his audiences, he envisioned a future course of progress and prosperity for Nepal embedded in the principles of People’s Multiparty Democracy, all within the context of global political dynamics. Through a perfect balance of rhetoric and reality, Bhandari not only instilled new hope in the Nepali people but also created an image of an iconic leader dedicated to the welfare of the country and its people. As an innovative political philosophy, PMPD resonates with democratic practice in the Marxist philosophy for the masses that earned him the status of a hero in contemporary Nepali politics, relevant now, and directed to continue for decades in the South Asian geopolitical sphere.

Annual incidence and fatality rates of notifiable infectious diseases in southeast China from 1950 to 2022 and relationship to socioeconomic development.

Over the past 70 years, China has advanced significantly in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases while simultaneously undergoing a socioeconomic transformation, making it a useful source of data for analysing relationships between public health policy and the control of infectious diseases. We collected data on the incidence of notifiable infectious diseases and associated fatalities in Jiangsu province in southeast China from the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, and the Nationwide Notifiable Infectious Diseases Reporting Information System. We compared data from different historical periods using descriptive statistical methods, joinpoint regression, and correlation analysis. During 1950-2022, 75 754 008 cases of 46 notifiable infectious diseases were reported in Jiangsu, with an average annual incidence was 1679.49 per 100 000 population and a fatality rate of 1.82 per 1000 persons. The incidence of classes A-B decreased (average annual percent change (AAPC) = -2.1) during the entire study period, while the incidence of class C increased (AAPC = 10.8) after 2004. The incidence of intestinal diseases (AAPC = -4.4) and vector-borne and zoonotic diseases (AAPC = -8.1) decreased rapidly, while the incidence of sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases (AAPC = 1.8) increased. The number of medical and health institutions and the per capita gross domestic product correlated negatively with the annual incidence of diseases in classes A-B, but not with fatality rates. Although the annual incidence of many severe infectious diseases has decreased in Jiangsu since 1950, the incidence of sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases increased. Socioeconomic growth and sustainable investment in health systems are associated with better control of infectious diseases.

Buddhism, Power, Identity: The Transnational Buryat Buddhist Living Tradition

The article views the ethno-cultural map of the Eurasian space through the lens of Buryatia by focusing on its transnational living Buddhist tradition. It discusses the evolution of this tradition and the underlying forces that shaped Buryat Buddhist mobility amidst political and socio-economic transformations and intricate power dynamics. Based on new evidence, the study uncovers the legacy of Buryats who advanced Buddhism beyond national frontiers, thereby creating a transnational community rooted in a shared cultural code, and reveals emerging trends and reconfigurations in the post-Soviet Buryat Buddhist renaissance. This heritage could reposition Buryatia in the transnational landscape and lead to a rethinking of collective identity, agency and global interdependence in the twenty-first century.

Digital literacies as policy catalysts of social innovation and socio-economic transformation: Interpretive analysis from Singapore and the UAE

<p>Even before the COVID-19 global pandemic, the world saw the adoption and proliferation of numerous digital tools and technologies, or a global digital transformation. This paved the way for digital inclusion, particularly through e-commerce and shared services platforms which helped to reduce barriers to entry and created abundant socio-economic opportunities across income groups. As a result, digital literacy becomes a vital aspect of modern life due to the rapid global shift toward this digital transformation. Numerous scholars have investigated the benefits of digital literacies since 1995. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate good practices and lessons learned on how digital literacy may serve as a policy instrument for social innovation and socio-economic transformations. The empirical approach is interpretive, through an understanding of digital literacy categorized into three primary pillars: (i) the evolution and foundational concepts of digital literacy, (ii) frameworks and measures of digital literacy, and (iii) the capacity and skills associated with digital literacy. The paper also examines how digital literacy capacity and skills shape social innovation initiatives in Singapore and the UAE, impacting the socio-economic transformation of individuals, families, and communities. Our interpretive approach from field observations and policy implementation, offers a multi-dimensional perspective on digital literacy research, and its socio-economic impact on people and communities. These insights can assist researchers new to this field to gain a more thorough understanding of digital literacy’s broad ecosystem and its extensive impact on communities and nations as a key driver of socio-economic change.</p>

Big data and management of municipal solid waste

In Brazil, the collection and management of urban solid waste is the responsibility of municipal governments. In most cases this is done on an informational basis considering population numbers to allocate resources for this purpose. Without having data capable of capturing socioeconomic transformations and/or changes in patterns of land use and occupation occurring in intercensal periods, the dimensioning of service provision is compromised. Thus, unwanted impacts can be caused, such as the irregular disposal of solid waste, affecting the quality of life of the population. The use of alternative data sources, especially big data, has enormous potential to complement data from administrative records and surveys, in addition to filling information gaps generated by disconnection of data with reality as the period since the census reference date lengthens. In this article, procedures and results of the use of big data are presented, more precisely satellite images, as an information alternative capable of better reflecting collective demands for services such as collection of municipal solid waste, and therefore of better guiding the decision-making process at the municipal level.

Decentralization in Neopatrimonial Democracy: Advantages, Disadvantages and the Path to Potential Peace

In many authoritarian countries of the world, rulers proclaim that the current regime is a model of liberal democracy. Its most significant flaw, however, is that it does not actually exist. This discrepancy between the supposed democratic leadership and reality is due to the neopatrimonial nature of the current political systems. Neopatrimonialism appears to be a hybrid model in which state structures, laws, and rules formally exist but are overridden by informal politics, networks of patronage, kinship, and tribalism. Rather than being organized according to merit, social functions, or administrative rank, the neopatrimonial regime finds its stability in bonds of loyalty to those at the top of the political hierarchy. Often, decentralisation reforms are initiated to overcome this crisis and stalemate. Their result is not always unambiguous, and the resulting effect corresponds to widely advertised expectations. In this context, this study examines the peculiarities of decentralisation reforms and their results in the countries with neopatrimonial democracy. Special attention is paid to the advantages and disadvantages of delegating part of state powers and authority to the local level, as well as its possibilities in achieving peace and resolving conflicts. The results suggest that, ideally, decentralisation generally contributes to an inclusive world where different groups can access power and are included in governance. In practice, however, this result is not always achieved because of the weak institutionalisation of the party system, the lack of transparency in government, and an underdeveloped civil society. The paper examines in detail the specifics of neopatrimonialism in its theoretical and methodological dimension. In addition, emphasis is placed on the potential of decentralisation to contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in a country or — given weak social and political institutions, on the contrary, to increase uncertainty and the threat of military confrontation. A positive example of decentralisation in a neo-patrimonial democracy is seen in the Republic of Kazakhstan, where reforms aimed at changing the contour of the political system, namely constitutional changes affecting, among other things, the powers of the president, were introduced in 2022–2023. The successes in the implementation of constitutional reform in the country are outlined, and the key foundations of successful delegation of powers and separation of powers are highlighted. Using Kazakhstan as an example, the experience of democratisation through the prism of political and socio-economic transformations is examined. The conclusions of the article contain the thesis that depending on the totality of circumstances, peculiarities of political culture, the structure of the power apparatus, etc., the process of decentralisation in neopatrimonial regimes can be both effective and weakly expressed, aimed at strengthening the concentration of power by the ruling elite.

Formation and Politicisation of Russian Crime at the Turn of the XIX–XX Centuries

The article is devoted to the problem of formation of organised crime in pre-revolutionary Russia in the context of political, socio-economic, moral and ideological transformations of the turn of the XIX — early XX centuries. The author analyses the reasons for the surge of criminal activity in this period, the specifics of the thieves’ world and its priorities, the process of organisational formation of criminal communities, their “rules of the game” and hierarchy. The question of the interaction between “criminal” and “political”, their tactical and strategic alliances, the influence of the atmosphere of ideocracy on the politicisation of the criminal element in the last decades of the Russian Empire is studied separately.

Socio-Economic and Cultural Transformation of Women after Establishment of Educational Institutions: A Case Study of Diamond Harbour Blocks-I & II

Contemporary societies of Diamond Harbour two Community Development (CD) blocks are changing rapidly. The Diamond Harbour subdivision has nine CD blocks. Among them the block-I has one municipality (16 ward) and eight gram panchayets. The block-II has only eight gram panchayet. It is situated on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River where the river meets the Bay of Bengal and the NH-12 highway and Diamond Harbour-Sealdah railway in the vicinity of Kolkata. These two CD blocks is large with an area of 164.02 sq.km. There are population of 346967 including male (177502) and female (169445) (according to 2011census). In the past (before 20 years) time, the two CD blocks was fully dependent on agriculture, brick field and fishery. But after establishment of the educational institutions, the two CD blocks become a developed blocks. Here the study mainly focuses on the identification of Socio-Economic and Cultural transformation of Women of the two CD blocks due to establishment of educational institutions as Neotia Institute of Technology management and Science (2002), Diamond Harbour Women university (2013), Neotia University (2014), Fakir Chand College (1948), Shishuram Das college (2010), Sadhan Chandra Mohavidyalaya (2007), Jyotirmoy Basu Vocational Training Centre (2001), Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and hospital (2019), Ramkrishna Mission Ashram (boys and girls), English Medium School, IIT Engineering College and various Schools and Madrasahs. When the Educational institutions was set up in 2000 the transformation started and then after 2013 when the Dimond Harbour Women University and Neotio University (2014) were established a huge changes is seen in change in language pattern, dress style, traditional customs, mentality of women, women's live, traditional custom disturbed, old ideas and superstitions, view point of women, literacy rate of women, attitude of men, inspire for education, daughter will go to university, try to get govt. job, moving out from house, laws and customs, divorce rate, status of women, dowry system, status of widow women, conservative minds in the women so on. It also incorporates development of music, dance, sports, art belief, morals, and knowledge, and any other capabilities of women etc. Therefore an attempt has been made here to identify the Socio-economic and Cultural transformation of two CD the blocks and its benefit of Women’s Society.

Специфика цифровизации в России и регионах в условиях неопределенности

The purpose of the article is to reveal the specifics of digital development in Russia and its regions in the conditions of increasing uncertainty and to determine the directions of state policy that would ensure improvement in the economic system's stability. The authors use the analysis of theoretical literary sources, analysis and synthesis, systematization, comparative and economic analysis. Research identified three periods of uncertainty. Despite the positive dynamics of digitalization, in the period before the pandemic, the digital development of Russian regions was uneven. The uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the intensification of digital development, as well as launched new socio-economic transformations. The study revealed the tendency to increase expenditures on regions’ digitalization during the period of geopolitical tension and determined state policy directions for overcoming the negative impact of geopolitical uncertainty on economic systems. Financial and economic uncertainty has not become an obstacle to the development of a digital society. On the contrary, the expansion of digital infrastructure and social progress created conditions for its intensification.

AXIOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE AND THE IMPACT IT MAKES ON ITS DEVELOPMENT

The article presents the main principles of the axiological approach to the formation of the content of higher education in the context of current global trends and challenges caused by the modernization of the educational environments in Ukraine and the EU. The socio-economic, political, technological and cultural transformations that have been taking place in the world over the recent decades have had a significant impact on the development of education. In 2018, the EU adopted the key competencies for lifelong learning, including digital competence and entrepreneurship, which were introduced for the first time. This demonstrates that in order for the graduates to be employed universities have to respond quickly to the new labour market requirements and promote the formation of a competitive personality that has well-developed life, career and study skills. The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was signed in 2014, and since then the cooperation between Ukrainian and European educational institutions has got intensified. In this respect, it is vital to consider the axiological aspects of higher education and the determination of value components of the content and criteria of high quality education. By definition, the axiological approach proclaims the human being as the highest value of society and allows integrating the development of universal, national, professional and personal values in the educational process. The university is able to be the environment where the formation and consolidation of the value sphere of the individual takes place. The content of the value component of education is formed at the state level within regulatory documents and at the university level within the framework of educational and professional programs, training courses, compulsory and elective disciplines. However, formal copying of the value-based education of other countries cannot bring the desired results, as the factors that determine which values are the basis for the content of higher education in European countries differ from those in Ukraine. A comparative analysis of the value component of the content of university education in Ukraine and the EU countries shows that national traditions of lifestyle, production practice, politics and culture are essential the development of education

FORMATION OF POLYPROFESSIONAL MOBILITY OF FUTURE MANAGERS-ECONOMISTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF EUROINTEGRATION

The article deals with the problem of polyprofessional mobility of students of higher educational institutions of future managers in the conditions of European integration; the role of the mobility of modern specialists in the conditions of fast socio-economic conditions that are rapidly changing is shown; types of mobility (professional, social, academic, international) are considered. It is stated that the trends in the development of higher education in modern conditions necessitate the transition from "monoprofessional to polyprofessional training", which implies, first of all, the formation of readiness to destroy professional stereotypes, which will provide students with entry into very different professions and relevant social groups; the acquisition of such experience will allow, even at the stage of professional training, to develop the ability for professional activity in the conditions of socio-economic transformation. The definition of polyprofessional mobility of a future specialist is given as a personality quality that provides an internal mechanism for human development; human activity, determined by environment-changing events, the result of which is the self-realization of a person in the profession and life; the process of transformation by a person of himself and his professional and living environment; on the basis of a competent approach, the components of polyprofessional mobility were determined through the development of certain competencies, socio-communicative, educational, general scientific, value-semantic general cultural competencies, which ensures the readiness of future specialists for socially approved productive activities and contributes to the awareness of the need for continuous self-education, constant motivation for learning throughout life, defining the values necessary to live in a complex democratic society, mastering a high level of pedagogical culture.

Modern Trends and Technologies of Human Resource Management

The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the socio-economic transformations taking place in the world require a rapid adjustment of the conditions for the functioning of a business, for which human resources become a determining factor in competitiveness, which determines survival in a rapidly changing market. The study of trends and modern technologies of human resource management becomes especially relevant in such circumstances, since it allows you to identify areas for improving relations between employees and employers.The purpose of the study is determined by the need to study modern trends in the development of human resources that affect their management technologies in modern conditions.The objectives of the study are as follows: to study modern approaches to the content of human resources and determine the conceptual foundations of their management; substantiate the reasons for the transition to the humanistic concept of human management; to systematize the key directions of development of human resources and technologies for their management; identify scenarios for the future development of relationships between employees and employers.Methodology the research methodology is based on the methods of logical and comparative analysis, data grouping, the method of expert assessments, modeling and forecasting.The results of the study show that the modern concept of human resource management is being transformed, realizing the transition from the organizational and social to the humanistic concept of human management. The modern business strategy is defined by the functionality of human resource management from the position of recognizing the abilities and talents of a person as a special object of management. The work reveals a set of reasons that led to the transformation of managerial functions: the predominance in the 21st century of the format for describing the decisionmaking environment BANI instead of VUCA; digitalization of most of all processes and phenomena surrounding a person; high mobility of workers and their commitment to the idea of lifelong education. Taking into account these patterns, the study identified basic trends in human resource management, which are grouped into three blocks: socio-economic and organizational, managerial-technological and humanitarian-behavioral. Based on expert assessments, scenarios for the development of human resources have been developed from the point of view of their interaction with employers under the influence of factors of a growing supply of talents and the regulatory role of the state.Conclusions: the conclusions obtained as a result of the study indicate that the growing complexity of the modern world requires a transition to the maximum variability of human resource management scenarios and the rejection of universal technologies, for which there is no place left in modern conditions of unpredictability.

DETERMINATION OF URBAN SPRAWL PHENOMENON IN PEKALONGAN CITY AND ITS SURROUNDING

Urbanization defines as a spatial and socio-economic transformation process from rural to urban areas. While urban sprawl is the process of propagation of the appearance of urban physical characteristics from the inner city toward the urban fringe area. Pekalongan City has grown from a small town to a medium-sized city with a population of 300,000 people. This study aims to identify the phenomenon of urban sprawl in Pekalongan City and its surroundings (Pekalongan and Batang Regency) and identify the urban environment quality based on the condition of the public services availability in these urban areas. The data used in this study were the 2019 Village Potential (PODES) from the Central Agency on Statistics (BPS) and a digital base map from the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG). The urban-rural classification scoring from the BPS was used to identify urban areas as the method in this study. The results showed that 111 out of 285 villages in Pekalongan Regency and 63 out of 248 villages in Batang Regency could already be classified as urban areas and formed an urban agglomeration with Pekalongan City. This study also showed that the environmental quality in urban areas with urban sprawl phenomenon has met the standards and criteria for urban public services compared to other areas.

Three canals in Amsterdam as an innovative project of the early modern period

The Amsterdam urban breakthrough in the project of three canals can be characterized in modern terminology as the first urban ecosystem, essentially a spatial reflection of the heyday of economic and socio-political life in the 17th century in the Netherlands, followed up in painting, science, education, and innovation. It is an example of how the abstract scholastic idea of an ideal city is filled with real life content. The article explores how socio-political processes, technical and economic innovations, cultural and educational environment influence city planning and architecture. The connection between architectural and spatial processes and socio-economic transformations is considered in a new light. The article raises the importance of the three canals in Amsterdam, one of the largest urban development projects of the early modern period, into the context of architectural science.

Where is the market? Assessing the role of dryer performance and marketability of solar-dried products in acceptance of solar dryers amongst smallholder farmers

Agricultural technological development is a crucial strategy for agricultural commercialization and socio-economic transformation in Africa. However, a key challenge to technology use in agriculture remains the limited farmer acceptance of unfamiliar technologies. This paper uses a sample of 245 okra farmers drawn from northern Uganda to assess the drivers of the farmer acceptance of solar drying technology. On the basis of drying performance, farmers perceive the solar dryer to perform better than the open sun-drying method. Structural equation modelling results show that the drying rate and perceived product quality are the main determinants of farmer perceptions on product marketability. Further, product marketability drives acceptance of solar dryers among farmers. We conclude that acceptance of solar dryers is dependent on: i) the drying rate, ii) favorable perceptions towards product quality, and iii) perceived marketability of the solar-dried product. We call for policy action on intensification of efforts that promote solar drying technology, including supporting local artisans to fabricate dryers, to enable increased value addition and consumption of nutritious foods.

Rationality of Developing the Protected Mangrove Forests as Ecotourism

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze the rationalities and strategies of developing mangrove forests as ecotourism and its impact on socio-economic transformation. Method: The research was conducted using exploratory qualitative methods with data collection techniques through observation, in-depth interviews, and document studies. Interviews were conducted with representatives of local governments, tourism agencies, the village head, the local communities, mangrove tourism management groups, local traders, employees, and tourists. The data were analyzed with an interactive model using an inductive approach. Result and conclusion: Based on the analysis, two main rationalities were identified in developing protected mangrove ecotourism; economic potential and environmental conservation of mangroves. In addition, three strategies were carried out to transform protected mangroves into ecotourism; building community awareness, conducting good cooperation across sectors, and strengthening tourism development by making mayoral regulations. Finding implication: The mangrove ecotourism has an impact on collective awareness and encourages the community to preserve mangroves for their economic interests based on the principle of sustainable environmental conservation. Finally, this study confirms that economic rationalities and mangrove conservation as ecotourism objects encourage stakeholders to find sustainable strategies for managing ecotourism-protected mangroves to ensure the realization of a blue economy.

Evolution and stages of China's economic inequality from 1978 to 2018.

Regional economic inequality has long been a prominent problem in China's national economic and social development. In this study, the centre of gravity (CG) model is employed to reveal the spatiotemporal patterns and stages of China's economic inequality in 1978-2018, and the characteristics of different stages are explored. The results show that China's economy achieved rapid growth at an average annual growth rate of 9.4% in 1978-2018. Due to the spatial heterogeneity of the location and the unbalanced development strategy, there was a significant economic gradient between eastern and western China. Spatially, there was a notable increase in the agglomeration of GDP and the added value of the three industries, and their CGs moved southwestward as a whole. According to the evolution of regional differentiation characteristics, combined with key historical events, China's economic inequality from 1978 to 2018 could be divided into four stages, i.e., the stages of economic inequality led by institutional reform (1978-1991), market mechanisms (1992-2003), regional coordination (2004-2012), and socioeconomic transformation (2013-2018). The alternation of these four stages reflects how to scientifically deal with the relationship between efficiency and equity in economic development.