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on Heterodox Microeconomics |
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Issue of 2019‒01‒07
sixteen papers chosen by Carlo D’Ippoliti Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” |
| By: | Constantin Udriste; Massimiliano Ferrara; Dorel Zugravescu; Florin Munteanu; Ionel Tevy |
| Abstract: | This mathematical essay brings together ideas from Economics, Geobiodynamics and Thermodynamics. Its purpose is to obtain real models of complex evolutionary systems. More specifically, the essay defines Roegenian Economy and links Geobiodynamics and Roegenian Economy. In this context, we discuss the isomorphism between the concepts and techniques of Thermodynamics and Economics. Then we describe a Roegenian economic system like a Carnot group. After we analyse the phase equilibrium for two heterogeneous economic systems. The European Union Economics appears like Cartesian product of Roegenian economic systems and its Balance is analysed in details. A Section at the end describes the "economic black holes" as small parts of a a global economic system in which national income is so great that it causes others poor enrichment. These ideas can be used to improve our knowledge and understanding of the nature of development and evolution of thermodynamic-economic systems. |
| Date: | 2018–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1812.07961&r=all |
| By: | Shin, Hyun Bang |
| Abstract: | Despite significant contributions made to progressive urban politics, contemporary debates on cities and social justice are in need of adequately capturing the local historical and socio-political processes of how people have come to perceive the concept of rights in their struggles against the hegemonic establishments. These limitations act as constraints on overcoming hegemony imposed by the ruling class on subordinate classes, and restrict a contextual understanding of such concepts as ‘the right to the city’ in non-Western contexts,undermining the potential to produce locally tuned alternative strategies to build progressive and just cities. In this regard,this paper discusses the evolving nature of urban rights discourses that were produced by urban protesters fighting redevelopment and displacement, paying a particular attention to the experiences in Seoul that epitomised speculative urban accumulation under the (neoliberalising) developmental state. Method-wise, the paper makes use of archival records (protesters’ pamphlets and newsletters), photographs and field research archives. The data are supplemented by the author’s in-depth interviews with housing activists and former evictees. The paper argues that the urban poor has the capacity to challenge the state repression and hegemony of the ruling class ideology; that the urban movements such as the evictees’ struggles against redevelopment are to be placed in the broader contexts of social movements;that concepts such as the right to the city are to be understood against the rich history of place-specific evolution of urban rights discourses; that cross-class alliance is key to sustaining urban movements. |
| Keywords: | urban movements; rights discourses; urban protests; Seoul; displacement |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2018–02–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:84866&r=all |
| By: | Simón Accorsi; Ramón E. López; Gino Sturla |
| Abstract: | En este artículo comparamos dos metodologías para medir y asignar entre sectores productivos la huella de carbono para el caso chileno (2008-2013): la metodología de Balance Energético (BE), tradicionalmente utilizada por los policy makers, y una metodología que utiliza la información disponible en la Matriz Insumo-Producto (MIP). La metodología MIP, a diferencia de la BNE, considera las interacciones intra e inter-sectoriales a través de los flujos de inputs/outputs, obteniendo un indicador que mide de manera más precisa la huella de carbono atribuible a cada sector. En este sentido, la metodología BE subestima la huella atribuible al sector Minero y sobrestima las emisiones atribuibles a los sectores Transporte y Electricidad y Gas, lo cual tiene implicancias en los diseños de políticas de mitigación en general y en los efectos de esquemas de impuestos a las emisiones. En definitiva, el enfoque o metodología que se escoja para medir o cuantificar la huella de carbono no es inocuo, al menos a nivel sectorial. Esto es, diferentes metodologías reportan diferentes niveles de emisión sectoriales, aunque coinciden en el agregado. Un segundo objetivo de este trabajo consiste en explotar la información utilizada en la metodología MIP para lograr una mejor comprensión de la dinámica que vincula el nivel de emisiones con las estructuras productivo/tecnológicas subyacentes. Para ello se realiza un Análisis de Descomposición Estructural (ADE) que permite desagregar los cambios en las emisiones en (i) efecto escala, (ii) efecto composición y (iii) efecto ingreso. Los resultados muestran que el efecto que en mayor medida determina el aumento de emisiones para el caso chileno es el efecto escala, seguido del efecto técnico. El efecto composición en tanto, se asocia con una reducción de las emisiones lo cual refleja el tránsito hacia una economía basada en mayor medida en servicios. |
| Date: | 2018–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:udc:wpaper:wp475&r=all |
| By: | Maximilian Beikirch; Simon Cramer; Martin Frank; Philipp Otte; Emma Pabich; Torsten Trimborn |
| Abstract: | We study the qualitative and quantitative appearance of stylized facts in several agent-based computational economic market (ABCEM) models. We perform our simulations with the SABCEMM (Simulator for Agent-Based Computational Economic Market Models) tool recently introduced by the authors (Trimborn et al. 2018a). The SABCEMM simulator is implemented in C++ and is well suited for large scale computations. Thanks to its object-oriented software design, the SABCEMM tool enables the creation of new models by plugging together novel and existing agent and market designs as easily as plugging together pieces of a puzzle. We present new ABCEM models created by recombining existing models and study them with respect to stylized facts as well. The code is available on GitHub (Trimborn et al. 2018b), such that all results can be reproduced by the reader. |
| Date: | 2018–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1812.02726&r=all |
| By: | Murtazaev, Olim |
| Keywords: | land reform,shirkat farms,cooperatives,individual farms,dekhkans,agricultural cooperative |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iamodp:178&r=all |
| By: | Hina Binte Haq; Syed Taha Ali |
| Abstract: | Almost a decade on from the launch of Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies continue to generate headlines and intense debate. What started as an underground experiment by a rag tag group of programmers armed with a Libertarian manifesto has now resulted in a thriving $230 billion ecosystem, with constant on-going innovation. Scholars and researchers alike are realizing that cryptocurrencies are far more than mere technical innovation; they represent a distinct and revolutionary new economic paradigm tending towards decentralization. Unfortunately, this bold new universe is little explored from the perspective of Islamic economics and finance. Our work aims to address these deficiencies. Our paper makes the following distinct contributions We significantly expand the discussion on whether cryptocurrencies qualify as "money" from an Islamic perspective and we argue that this debate necessitates rethinking certain fundamental definitions. We conclude that the cryptocurrency phenomenon, with its radical new capabilities, may hold considerable opportunity which merits deeper investigation. |
| Date: | 2018–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1811.05935&r=all |
| By: | Josef Taalbi |
| Abstract: | This study examines the network of supply and use of significant innovations across industries in Sweden, 1970-2013. It is found that 30% of innovation patterns can be predicted by network stimulus from backward and forward linkages. The network is hierarchical, characterized by hubs that connect diverse industries in closely knitted communities. To explain the network structure, a preferential weight assignment process is proposed as an adaptation of the classical preferential attachment process to weighted directed networks. The network structure is strongly predicted by this process where historical technological linkages and proximities matter, while human capital flows and economic input-output flows have conflicting effects on link formation. The results are consistent with the idea that innovations emerge in closely connected communities, but suggest that the transformation of technological systems are shaped by technological requirements, imbalances and opportunities that are not straightforwardly related to other proximities. |
| Date: | 2018–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1811.06772&r=all |
| By: | Hélène Tordjman (CEPN - Centre d'Economie de l'Université Paris Nord - UP13 - Université Paris 13 - USPC - Université Sorbonne Paris Cité - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | Cela fait longtemps que la nature est entrée dans le processus capitaliste dans ses dimensions matérielles, terre, ressources agricoles et minières, sous la forme de biens tangibles donc. Depuis quelques décennies, un phénomène nouveau apparaît. Des dimensions de la nature sont requalifiées en information, en services et en actifs financiers pour pouvoir à leur tour faire l'objet d'échanges marchands. Autrement dit une nouvelle classe de marchandises fictives apparaît (Karl Polanyi (1944)). Plutôt que de les nommer « immatérielles », je préfère parler de dématérialisation, car il s'agit d'un processus institutionnel, juridique et politique construit et voulu, et non d'une immanence. Analysant le cas des services écosystémiques, cet article propose une catégorisation permettant de comprendre comment l'institution marchande remo-dèle ainsi de grands pans de la nature, en trois grands moments. Le premier est celui de la qualification de la marchandise, qui vise à en définir les contours précis, la doter d'une mesure et de droits de propriété. Le deuxième processus est celui de l'évaluation, où l'objet considéré acquiert une valeur monétaire de référence. On parle quelquefois de monétisation. Le troisième et dernier moment de la création d'une marchandise fictive est celui de la valorisation. Il s'agit de dispositifs contractuels et/ou marchands qui transforment les valeurs en prix. Ce n'est qu'à cette ultime étape que de la valeur est effectivement créée, c'est-à-dire du capital. Malgré le caractère apparemment immatériel de ces nouvelles marchandises, les conséquences de leur création sur la nature et les relations que nous entretenons avec elle sont tout à fait matérielles. |
| Date: | 2018–12–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:cepnwp:hal-01948581&r=all |
| By: | Adrien Lutz (Univ Lyon, UJM Saint-Etienne, GATE UMR 5824, F-42023 Saint- Etienne, France) |
| Abstract: | This paper concerns the birth of the idea of social justice, which in France dates to the 19th century. It argues that the idea of social justice was able to emerge in France due to particular conditions, which were met for the first time by the Saint-Simonians. We first shed light on the transition in France from a commercial system to one marked by increasing industrialization, which raised new questions regarding economic justice and the composition of ownership. The Saint-Simonians were among the first to criticize this new composition, and to seek a means to organize society on a fair basis. We then explain how the Saint-Simonians came to theorize this new organization: according to them, the value of things lies in work. The difference from the classical framework, which is also utilitarian, is that they posit an opposition between workers and idlers: each and every individual must be useful to society. Finally, we analyse how the Saint-Simonians identify this opposition as existing throughout history, on which basis they not only justify their innovative views on social justice, but legitimize their project as a whole. |
| Keywords: | Saint-Simonianism, Social justice, Ability, Industrialism |
| JEL: | B10 D63 N00 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gat:wpaper:1836&r=all |
| By: | Cuong Nguyen; Finn Tarp |
| Abstract: | Reducing gender inequality is a critically important development challenge, especially in countries with widespread and deep-rooted prejudices against women. In this study, we use a randomized control trial to examine whether facilitating Vietnamese men to reflect about gender equality can reduce their gender bias. We randomly selected two groups of husbands and requested one group to make comments on gender-related laws and another group to write stories about gender equality. We find that commenting on gender-related laws reduces men’s bias against women slightly, while writing stories has a strong effect on reducing existing prejudice against women. Moreover, writing gender-related stories improves men’s knowledge of gender-related laws. Nonetheless, there is only a small effect of this treatment on doing housework. Changing men’s behaviour in practice requires stronger, more sustained interventions. |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2018-171&r=all |
| By: | Philipp Bach; Victor Chernozhukov; Martin Spindler |
| Abstract: | In 2016, the majority of full-time employed women in the U.S. earned significantly less than comparable men. The extent to which women were affected by gender inequality in earnings, however, depended greatly on socio-economic characteristics, such as marital status or educational attainment. In this paper, we analyzed data from the 2016 American Community Survey using a high-dimensional wage regression and applying double lasso to quantify heterogeneity in the gender wage gap. We found that the gap varied substantially across women and was driven primarily by marital status, having children at home, race, occupation, industry, and educational attainment. We recommend that policy makers use these insights to design policies that will reduce discrimination and unequal pay more effectively. |
| Date: | 2018–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1812.04345&r=all |
| By: | Josephson, Anna; Smale, Melinda |
| Abstract: | The ethical conduct of research depends on the informed consent of research participants. Across North America, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) attempt to guarantee that ethical standards are met and that researchers are familiar with the process of obtaining informed consent. However, incongruities exist across regions, particularly in the developing world. In this paper, we consider informed consent, as practiced by agricultural and applied economists. We examine informed consent material on IRB websites of land grant universities in the United States, as well as at the centers of the CGIAR. We also undertake a survey of researchers at universities to evaluate actual practice of informed consent practices. IRB regulations are clear but heterogeneous, with some universities and CGIAR centers without any ethical review process. Standards often emphasize process, rather than outcome. The lack of IRBs in some contexts and the particulars of the principles employed may fail to protect research participants. |
| Keywords: | Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession |
| Date: | 2018–12–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa19:281172&r=all |
| By: | Diva Dhar; Tarun Jain; Seema Jayachandran |
| Abstract: | Societal norms about gender roles contribute to the economic disadvantages facing women in many developing countries. This paper evaluates an intervention aimed at eroding support for restrictive gender norms, specifically a multi-year school-based intervention in Haryana, India, that engaged adolescents in classroom discussions about gender equality. Using a randomized controlled trial, we find that the intervention increased adolescents' support for gender equality by 0.25 standard deviations, a sizable effect compared to other correlates of their gender attitudes such as their parents' views. Program participants also report more gender-equitable behavior; for example, boys report helping out more with household chores. |
| JEL: | I25 J13 J16 O12 |
| Date: | 2018–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25331&r=all |
| By: | Michler, Jeffrey D.; Masters, William A.; Josephson, Anna |
| Abstract: | Conversations about ethics often appeal to those responsible for the ethical behavior, encouraging adoption of “better,” more ethical conduct. In this paper, we consider an alternative frame: a typology of ethical misconduct, focusing on who are the victims of various types of unethical behavior. The typology is constructed around 1) who may be harmed and 2) by what mechanism an individual or party is harmed. Building a typology helps to identify times in the life cycle of a research idea where differences exist between who is potentially harmed and who the existing ethical norms protect. We discuss ethical practices including IRB approvals, which focuses almost entirely on risks to subjects; pre-analysis plans and conflict of interest disclosures, which encourage transparency so as to not mislead editors, reviewers, and readers; and self-plagiarism, which has become increasing common as authors slice their research ever more thinly, causing congestion in journals at the expense of others. |
| Keywords: | Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession |
| Date: | 2018–12–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa19:281171&r=all |
| By: | Antoinette Baujard (Univ Lyon, UJM Saint-Etienne, GATE UMR 5824, F-42023 Saint- Etienne, France); Adrien Lutz (Univ Lyon, UJM Saint-Etienne, GATE UMR 5824, F-42023 Saint- Etienne, France) |
| Abstract: | “To each according to his ability, to each ability according to his works” constitutes the founding slogan of the Saint-Simonian doctrine (1825–1832). A century and a half would pass before Sen and Nussbaum developed their capability approaches, designed to consider issues of human development and quality of life. Given the prominence of capability approaches in the context of modern theories of justice, and perhaps also due to the natural analogy between the words ‘capacité’, ‘ability’, and ‘capability’, there is a clear tendency in the literature to analyse the Saint-Simonians’ contributions to justice based on the assumption that there is a conceptual link between the terms capability and ability. This paper claims, however, that the elision of these terms is unjustified, and is a source more of confusion than of enlightenment. A capability is an evaluative space for justice, while an ability is a property of individuals. The former is defined essentially in the domain of consumption and individual accomplishment, while the latter is clearly seen as a contribution to the theory of efficient production. Finally, these differences reveal a contrast in the focus values: the ability approach insists on efficiency, while the capability approach focuses on agency. |
| Keywords: | Social justice, Capability, Ability, Sen, Saint-Simonianism |
| JEL: | B10 D63 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gat:wpaper:1837&r=all |
| By: | Galanis, Giorgos (Goldsmiths, University of London); Veneziani, Roberto (Queen Mary University of London); Yoshihara, Naoki (Hitotsubashi University) |
| Abstract: | Introducing a concept of fairness of economic allocations, namely exploitation as the unequal exchange of labor (henceforth, UE exploitation) by generalizing Roemer’s [51, 52] seminal model, this paper aims to answer the following two questions in the context of an intertemporal economy with linear technology: How is income and wealth inequality related (or unrelated) to the existence and persistence of UE exploitation? What are the mechanisms driving the persistent existence of UE exploitation in growing economies? Agents are UE exploited (resp. exploiters) if the amount of labor that they contribute to the economy is smaller (resp. bigger) than the amount of labor ‘received’ by them via their income. It is proved, first, that UE exploitation is monotonically correlated to functional income inequality. Second, it is shown that, unless agents discount the future, asset inequalities are necessary, but not sufficient for the persistence of UE exploitation, and the capital accumulation leading to the disappearance of UE exploitation cannot be ruled out in equilibrium. Third, it is shown that, regardless of whether agents discount the future, labor-saving technical progress may yield sustained growth with persistent UE exploitation by keeping labor abundant relative to capital, which restrains wages from rising. Unlike in models with differentiable production functions, this mechanism does not rely on changes in the marginal productivity of inputs and it is entirely driven by the interaction between innovation and labor markets. JEL classification numbers: D51 ; D63 ; C61 ; E11 |
| Keywords: | Dynamics ; accumulation ; exploitation ; inequalities |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:wcreta:49&r=all |