|
on Confederation of Independent States |
|
Issue of 2018‒10‒22
seventeen papers chosen by |
| By: | Igor Fedyukin (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | V. K. Trediakovskii’s translation of Paul Tallement Voyage de lisle d’amour occupies a special place in the history of Russian 18th-century literature: it is often credited with creating a new vocabulary of love and amorous intercourse, an innovation that would pave the way for much of the later poetry and prose. It is also believed to have gained instant popularity among Russia’s youth, although who exactly Trediakovskii’ early readers were is not clear. Likewise, while Trediakovskii’s early life and his stay in Europe have been a subject of extensive study, we do not know much why exactly he choose this topic and this particular work for his translation: following the version offered by the poet himself, this choice is usually treated as nearly random. Against this background, this this paper uses a variety of archival sources to reconstruct the actual courtly context of these events. On the one hand, it focuses on the secret liaison between Ekaterina Ioannovna, the Duchess of Mecklenburg, the most important patron of Trediakovskii and his work in the early 1730s, and Prince Beloselskii. On the other, it explores a trove of unpublished letters written by a variety of French, German, and Dutch ladies to Prince A.B. Kurakin during his stay in Europe in the 1720s: these letters present the prince as fully integrated in the social life of Western European aristocracy and, most importantly, as thoroughly versed in the contemporary rules and conventions of gallant intercourse. Kurakin, as is well known, was another patron of Trediakovskii, and it was thanks to him that the poet has been introduced to Ekaterina. Taken together, these documents not only provide context for Trediakovskii’s translation and its popularity, but also allow us to reconstruct the amorous practices of the post-Petrine Russian elite |
| Keywords: | Love, translation, Trediakovskii, Russia, France |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:167/hum/2018&r=cis |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | The Russian economy is recovering from the 2015–16 recession. Over the past few years, the authorities have put in place a strong macroeconomic policy framework that has reduced uncertainty and helped weather external shocks. However, Russia’s convergence to advanced economy income levels has stalled and its weight in the global economy is shrinking. |
| Date: | 2018–09–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:18/275&r=cis |
| By: | Hovhannisyan, Vardges; Shanoyan, Aleksan |
| Abstract: | The Exact Affine Stone Index (EASI) model of Lewbel and Pendakur (2009) offers distinct advantages over its predecessor models, however it does not account for a widely observed phenomenon of pre-committed demand. This may lead to biased elasticity estimates when such pre-commitments are present. This study offers a methodological solution by deriving the generalized EASI (GEASI) model, which incorporates pre-committed quantities into the consumer demand structure. The empirical advantage of the GEASI model is illustrated through its application to the analysis of food demand structure in Russia based on novel provincial-level panel data on household food expenditures over 2007-2014. The results provide strong empirical evidence for the presence of pre-committed demand for key food commodities such as cereals, eggs, and fats/oils. Further comparative analysis highlights the significance of pre-commitment bias in the context of food demand in Russia and illustrates the effectiveness of the GEASI approach in addressing it. The findings extend the empirical literature on food demand in Russia by presenting estimated elasticities that account for potential pre-commitments as well as for unobserved provincial heterogeneity. |
| Keywords: | Demand and Price Analysis |
| Date: | 2018–01–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea18:266579&r=cis |
| By: | Jamal Bouoiyour (CATT - Centre d'Analyse Théorique et de Traitement des données économiques - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour); Refk Selmi (CATT - Centre d'Analyse Théorique et de Traitement des données économiques - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour); Aviral Kumar Tiwari (ICFAI University Tripura - ICFAI University Tripura); Muhammad Shahbaz (GATECH - College of Computing - Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)) |
| Abstract: | The present study deals with the nexus between oil price and Russia's real exchange rate along different econometric methods (ARDL bounds testing approach, wavelet coherency and frequency domain through Breitung and Candelon's (2006) technique). The obtained findings are highly suggestive of a sharp causal connection running from oil price to real exchange rate in lower frequencies. The reverse link is not supported. This implies that Russia should effectively tackle with short-run disturbances triggered by oil price and continue to decrease its great dependence on the energy sector via drastic and proactive measures. The economic and fiscal initiatives of Putin administration may help to better cope with sudden shocks, to reach weaker oil dependency and to create the confidence needed for economic recovery. While our research does not say much about the routes through which oil price may affect differently the real exchange rate, it clearly indicates the presence of short-term nexus conditioning upon potential control variables including GDP, governmental revenues, terms of trade and productivity differential. The unconditional analysis appears as a meaningless exercise to find a clearer relationship between the focal variables. |
| Keywords: | Oil price,Exchange rate,Unconditional analysis,Conditional analysis,Russia |
| Date: | 2018–09–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-01880335&r=cis |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | Recovery is gaining strength, while inflation has been declining and the tenge has continued to float. Export growth—driven by oil, metals, and mining—has reduced the current account deficit. State support to banks led to a higher fiscal deficit in 2017, although there was underlying adjustment. The 2018 budget foresees further adjustment and ambitious spending reforms. Consolidation is set to continue over the medium term to rebuild buffers. The authorities have taken major steps to secure financial sector stability, but actions have been costly financially and risks remain. More work is needed, especially to overhaul bank business models and address gaps in supervision. Progress is being made on flagship structural reforms (business climate, governance), although, in practice, the measures taken have yet to prove their effectiveness in full. Efforts should continue to support greater productivity, inclusivity, connectivity, and diversification. Risks relate to oil prices and slower growth in key trading partners (Russia, China, EU). |
| Date: | 2018–09–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:18/277&r=cis |
| By: | Hartmut Lehmann (University of Bologna, IZA and DIW); Norberto Pignatti (International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi; IZA, Bonn) |
| Abstract: | One of the most important factors that determine individuals’ quality of life and wellbeing is their position in the labor market and the type of jobs that they hold. When workers are rationed out of the formal segment of the labor market against their will, i.e., the labor market is segmented, their quality of life is limited, and their wellbeing is reduced. When they can freely choose between a formal or informal employment relationship, i.e., the labor market is integrated, their wellbeing can reach high levels even in the presence of informal employment. We, therefore, test whether the Ukrainian labor market is segmented along the formal-informal divide, slicing the data by gender and age. The analysis that we perform consist in the analysis of short-term and medium-term transitions between five employment states, unemployment and inactivity. We also analyze wage gaps of mean hourly earnings and across the entire hourly earnings distribution, controlling for time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity. According to our results segmentation is present for dependent employees: for a large part of informal employees informal employment is used as a waiting stage to enter formal salaried employment and is not voluntarily chosen. As far as self-employment is concerned the evidence is mixed regarding in the Ukrainian labor market. This heterogeneity in outcomes implies that not all informal work is associated with a low quality of life and reduced wellbeing in post-transition economies. |
| Keywords: | Informal Employment, Labor Market Segmentation, Transition Economies, Ukraine |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tbs:wpaper:18-003&r=cis |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | Selected Issues |
| Date: | 2018–09–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:18/276&r=cis |
| By: | Jamal Bouoiyour (CATT - Centre d'Analyse Théorique et de Traitement des données économiques - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour); Refk Selmi (CATT - Centre d'Analyse Théorique et de Traitement des données économiques - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour) |
| Abstract: | Growth in China has been slowing in 2015 below its long-run average. This worsening outlook has been synchronized among emerging markets with sharp slowdown. The paper looks at the responses of four BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa) stock markets to deepening worries over slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy. To properly examine the peculiarities of these spillovers, we carry out relatively new methods that rise in signal theory: the causality testing-based Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and the frequency domain causality test. These techniques allow capturing hidden factors driving uncertainty spillovers within BRICS stock markets. The results support robust evidence that the severity of China's slowdown impact was not uniform across BRICS equities. In particular, South Africa hasn't been rattled as badly as Brazil, Russia and India (in this order). The intensity of bilateral trade and investment relationships, the position of market in terms of regulation and securities exchanges, the financial system efficiency, the gold's role as safest haven and the distribution of companies belonging to cyclical and defensive industries in overall stock market indices have been put forward to explain the heterogeneous BRICS responses. |
| Keywords: | China's slowdown,BRICS equities,Multi-scale causality analysis |
| Date: | 2018–09–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-01880323&r=cis |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | Selected Issues |
| Keywords: | Latvia;Europe; |
| Date: | 2018–09–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:18/267&r=cis |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | Selected Issues |
| Date: | 2018–09–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:18/278&r=cis |
| By: | Simplice Asongu (Yaoundé/Cameroun); Uduak S. Akpan (SPIDER Solutions, Uyo, Nigeria); Salisu R. Isihak (Rural Electrification Agency, Nigeria) |
| Abstract: | This study employs panel analysis to examine the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) and Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (MINT) using data for eleven years i.e. 2001 – 2011. First, it uses pooled time-series cross sectional analysis to estimate the model on determinants of FDI for three samples: BRICS only, MINT only, and BRICS and MINT combined; then, fixed effects model is also employed to estimate the model for BRICS and MINT combined. The results show that market size, infrastructure availability, and trade openness play the most significant roles in attracting FDI to BRICS and MINT while the roles of availability of natural resources and institutional quality are insignificant. Given that FDI inflow to a country has the potential of being mutually beneficial to the investing entity and host government, the challenge is on how BRICS and MINT can sustain the level of FDI inflow and ensure it results in economic growth and socio-economic transformation. To sustain the level of FDI inflow, governments of BRICS and MINT need to ensure that their countries remain attractive for investment. BRICS and MINT also need to ensure that their economies absorb substantial skills and technology spillovers from FDI inflow to promote sustainable long-term economic growth by investing more in their human capital. The study is significant because it contributes to literature on determinants of FDI by extending the scope of previous studies which often focus only on BRICS. |
| Keywords: | FDI, determinants, fast-growing economies, BRICS, MINT |
| JEL: | C52 F21 F23 O40 P37 |
| Date: | 2018–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:agd:wpaper:18/038&r=cis |
| By: | 岩﨑, 一郎; 雲, 和広 |
| Abstract: | 本稿の目的は，2005～2015 年を観察期間とする，ロシア連邦構成主体のパネルデータを用いて，地域出生率の決定要因を実証的に検証することである。システム一般積率化推定量を用いた状態依存動学モデルの推定結果は，分析対象地域の経済成長，潜在的雇用機会，地元企業の良好な経営状態，教育機会，社会資本の質及び住宅供給の6 要因は，当該地域の出生率を押し上げる効果を持つ一方，スラブ民族のプレゼンス，人口流入，貧困及び環境リスクの4 要因は，対象地域の出生率を抑制する方向に作用する可能性を強く示唆した。更に，本稿 の推定結果は，ロシア女性の出産行動に強く影響する諸因子の組み合わせは，異なる年齢 間や地域間で大きく相違する事実も明らかにした。ロシアの少子化傾向を効果的に抑制す るためには，年齢層や地域の異質性に配慮したきめ細かい政策の立案と実施が求められる 。 |
| Keywords: | Russian regions, population crisis, fertility, dynamic panel data analysis |
| JEL: | C23 J11 J13 P25 R23 |
| Date: | 2018–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:rrcwps:78&r=cis |
| By: | Armenak Antinyan; Vardan Baghdasaryan; Aleksandr Grigoryan |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to study the impact of positional concerns on an understudied set of policy-relevant variables: social preferences, public good provision, and social capital. We utilize data from the “Caucasus Barometer” survey administered in three post-Soviet transition economies: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Controlling for absolute income and other individual and household characteristics, we find that the relative deprivation of a household has negative impacts on its members’ social preferences, public good provision, and social capital. In contrast, relative advantage has only positive influences on the variables of interest (if any). |
| Keywords: | positional concern; social capital; social preferences; public good; reference group; |
| JEL: | D60 D63 P30 Z13 |
| Date: | 2018–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cer:papers:wp625&r=cis |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | The economy has gained momentum amidst sound fundamentals. Growth in 2017 surprised with a strong and broad-based upswing driven by a recovery in investment and a supportive external environment, and the outlook is favorable. Fiscal and current account deficits remain at prudent levels, as does the public debt burden. The financial system remains stable. |
| Keywords: | Europe;Latvia; |
| Date: | 2018–09–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:18/266&r=cis |
| By: | Kubala, Sebastian; Firley, Chrystian |
| Abstract: | The main objective of this article is to examine the level of competitiveness of the fishing industry in the countries of the Baltic region. The current socio-economic conditions have caused that there is a diverse degree of demand for fish products, different level of development of foreign trade and diverse possibilities of obtaining fish organisms through the development of aquaculture in individual Baltic states. The calculations performed in the study used such methods as DEA index and Trade Coverage index. Calculating the indicators made it possible to demonstrate that there is a significant variation in the degree of competitiveness of the fishing industry in the Baltic countries, while there is also a diversity in terms of the development of aquaculture, importance of foreign trade in fish products and relevance of the entire fish market. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iafepa:276472&r=cis |
| By: | Hala El Saj (Multicultural and Migration Research and Development Institute); Charles Sarraf (Multicultural and Migration Research and Development Institute) |
| Abstract: | Language mixing refers to "the merging of characteristics of two or more languages in any verbal communication" (Odlin, 1989, p. 6). It may be used as a cover term for the merging of languages in contact situations in general, which takes the forms of transfer, borrowings, code-switching and mixing (Odlin, 1989, pp.7, 140). Mixing languages in conversation is different than mixing languages in songs. In conversation, mixing languages is naturally used. Often speakers may not be aware of the fact that they are using and integrating two languages in their conversations. Whereas mixing languages within the songs? lyrics is conscious, and to some extent words are prearranged and typically composed and modified to serve certain purposes (Davies & Bentahila, 2008). The objective of this paper is to discuss the communicative functions of language mixing in religious songs, more specifically modern Islamic ones; those of Sami Yusuf. Sami Yusuf is a British singer-songwriter from Iranian Azerbaijani descent, recognized by The Independent as the "Voice of Islam?. Amongst Sami Yusuf?s hits songs this paper considers three particular songs: ?Al-Mu'allim? ?My Ummah? and ?Healing?. Findings indicate that mixing between two languages English and Arabic mainly occurred for two reasons. First reason is to address different audience from various linguistic backgrounds. Second reason is to draw the attention of the listeners (Malik, 1994). In the lyrics of these songs English and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) languages are presented alongside each other. Even though MSA is the formal written language and not the everyday spoken language, yet the language has a strong appeal among Muslims from different backgrounds. While English is as a lingua Franca, MSA is considered the language of the Islam religion as well as the way to understand Quran. Hence, Arab and Muslim people from non-Arabic background have the ability to fully understand the language. Nevertheless, mixing languages draws the listeners? attention and enhance their motivation to scrutinize the message sent |
| Keywords: | language mixing, communicative functions, religious songs, English, Modern Standard Arabic. |
| Date: | 2018–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iahpro:6609298&r=cis |
| By: | Vardan Arutiunian (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Anastasiya Lopukhina (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Phonological neighbourhood density (PND) refers to the number of words which can be formed from a given word by substituting, adding or deleting one phoneme. Thus, word with many similar sounding neighbours has a dense neighbourhood, whereas a word with few neighbours or without neighbors has a sparse neighbourhood. Previous studies have shown that dense and sparse neighbourhoods influence word production in different ways. Research in English-speaking adults demonstrated that words with dense neighbourhood are produced faster than words with sparse neighbourhood, facilitating lexical access. At the same time, sparse neighbourhood inhibits word production. Interestingly, studies in Spanish adults showed the reverse effect: dense neighbourhood inhibits word production whereas sparse neighbourhood facilitates it. This cross-linguistic difference in the PND pattern was explained in terms of morphological complexity of Spanish in comparison to English. Although there are numerous studies of the PND effect in adults, some questions remain unknown. For example, how does PND influence word production in morphologically more complex language than Spanish? Or, how does the PND pattern develop in children? The present paper aims to explore these questions. |
| Keywords: | phonological neighbourhood density, word production, picture naming, Russian adults, Russian children. |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:64/lng/2018&r=cis |