Search results for "Development studies"
showing 10 items of 69 documents
Inflation shocks and income inequality
2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of inflationary shocks on inequality, using data of selected countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Design/methodology/approach Inflationary shocks were measured as deviations from core inflation, based on a genetic algorithm. Bayesian quantile regression was used to estimate the impact of inflationary shocks in different levels of inequality. Findings The results showed that inflationary shocks substantially affect countries with higher levels of inequality, thus suggesting that the detrimental impact of inflation is exacerbated by the high division of classes in a country. Originality/value The study contributes t…
Do microfinance institutions benefit from integrating financial and nonfinancial services?
2017
This article examines the impact of microfinance ‘plus’ (i.e. coordinated combination of financial and nonfinancial services) on the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Using a global data set of MFIs in 77 countries, we find that the provision of nonfinancial services does not harm nor improve MFIs’ financial sustainability and efficiency. The results however suggest that the provision of social services is associated with improved loan quality and greater depth of outreach.
Informal Learning for Citizenship Building in Shared Struggles for Right: Cases of Political Solidarity Between Colombian and Spanish Organisations
2015
[EN]: Dominant discourses and practices in international cooperation have been characterised by depoliticisation and unequal power relationships. However, a number of more transformative experiences of cooperation also exist, where joint work between Northern and Southern social organisations is linked with a more political perspective. These kinds of experiences can be considered processes of informal learning in social action: through shared actions, strategies and frameworks and through interaction between organisations, institutions and the grassroots, informal and multidimensional learning processes occur in the people and organisations engaged. The study approaches four cases of netwo…
A Concentric CSR Roadmap Model for Host Community Relations in the Global South
2014
The purpose of this article is to find new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approaches for corporate-community relationships in the global South and hence to achieve some distance from the Northern ethos. The article is based on a case study from the Brazilian pulp and paper sector. Veracel Celulose, a multinational corporation, is a joint venture between the Brazilian Fibria Celulose (formerly Aracruz Celulose) and the Swedish-Finnish Stora Enso. First, Veracel’s production impacts on the Indigenous community, the Pataxó Indians, are examined. Second, Veracel’s CSR policy and its subsequent impact are brought under closer scrutiny by juxtaposing corporate words with corporate actions.…
Is there a convincing case for climate veganism?
2020
AbstractClimate change compels us to rethink the ethics of our dietary choices and has become an interesting issue for ethicists concerned about diets, including animal ethicists. The defenders of veganism have found that climate change provides a new reason to support their cause because many animal-based foods have high greenhouse gas emissions. The new style of argumentation, the ‘climatic argument(s) for veganism’, may benefit animals by persuading even those who are not concerned about animals themselves but worry about climate change. The arguments about the high emissions of animal-based food, and a resulting moral obligation to abstain from eating such products, are an addition to t…
Do Multinationals Deteriorate Developing Countries' Export Prices? The Impact of FDI on Net Barter Terms of Trade
2015
This paper explores the economic relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries and the export prices of the latter, measured by terms of trade. It is rst shown that economic theory suggests such a relationship for various reasons but is inconclusive about the direction of the eect. To address this open issue empirically, I analyze data on more than 50 developing countries throughout the period 1980 - 2008 using robust dynamic panel data methods. The results show that FDI had an economically relevant and statistically signicant positive impact on developing countries’ net barter terms of trade. A higher level of education in the developing country fosters this …
Innovation for Human Development: Exploring the Potential of Participatory Video for Two GrassrootsInitiatives Initiatives
2020
In this chapter, the authors examine to what extent a participatory video process promoted by a group of university researchers and conducted in collaboration with two grassroots innovations in the city of Valencia (Spain) has been a tool of human development innovation. They explore both the process and the product using different categories belonging to the participatory action research and human development and capabilities approach literature. They conclude that the process has expanded the capabilities of the participants, particularly those relating to rethinking and re-signifying their own innovative practices, and the more instrumental capabilities developed in connection with the u…
Money, morality and magistrates: prosecuting and judging in the Republic of Benin
2018
Since 2012, Beninese magistrates have gone on multiple strikes. Most of them complain about their substantial workload, low pay, and poor working conditions. They also highlight the discrepancies b...
The land grabbing in the international scenario: the role of the EU in land grabbing
2016
The worldwide increase in population and consumption has produced a growing demand for food and energy in the rich and developing Countries. The resulting intensification of land investments, to cope with this need, has in many cases produced investments without transparency rules and it hasn't created real development for local people. The aim of this paper is to identify, through a cluster analysis, homogeneous groups of investor Countries in order to understand the role of the EU Member States in the context of land grabbing. The results show that the strategies adopted by the investors are driven by the need to achieve energy security and reduce CO2 emissions in order to cope with the p…
Sustainability Assessment of Agricultural Systems in Paraguay: A Comparative Study Using FAO’s SAFA Framework
2019
Sustainability is a topic that is at the center of current discussions in the political, economic, social, and environmental fields. For its analysis, an integral and multidisciplinary vision is needed. This work aims to assess the sustainability of agricultural systems in Paraguay through a comparison applying SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems) indicators. The research focuses on 15 case studies on the territory of the Eastern Region of Paraguay divided into five classes of agricultural systems: agribusiness, conventional peasant family farming, agroecological peasant family farming, neo-rural farming, and indigenous agriculture. Data were collected through in…