1,721,224 research outputs found
Towards a 'harmonious society'? Multidimensional development and the convergence of Chinese provinces
No full textThe paper analyses multidimensional patterns of development across Chinese provinces over the last two decades (1993–2016) from a balanced or ‘harmonious society’ perspective. The harmonious multidimensional index and other indexes are introduced to explore different development patterns among Chinese provinces. In order to analyse multidimensional convergence amongst the provinces, β- and σ-convergence methods are applied. The results indicate that recent efforts to move towards a ‘harmonious society’ are paying off, although notable differences across provinces remain and specific domains deserve special consideration
The Missing Dimensions of Well-being and Well-becoming in Education Systems: Capabilities and Philosophy for Children
No full textThe objectives of this paper are twofold. The first is to consider how the capability approach can help rethink the policy goals of educational systems by analysing well-being and well-becoming from an individual and societal point of view. The second is to explore Philosophy for Children as a suitable pedagogical approach to promote capable agents and enhance critical, creative and caring thinking. The paper is divided into four parts. After a background is sketched, the capability approach and the concept of evolving capabilities are disentangled in order to rethink educational systems. The Philosophy for Children approach is then presented as a pedagogical base and possible instrument to foster the individual faculties (creativity, critical thinking and care) needed to flourish and participate fully in society (these are usually missing in achievement-based educational systems). In the final part of the paper the main elements of change are recalled and some conclusions are offered
Is the slowdown of China's economic growth affecting multidimensional well-being dynamics?
No full textAfter many years of outstanding GDP growth and structural changes, China is now facing an economic slowdown. This paper aims to analyse the effects of this slowdown on individual well-being, from a multidimensional and provincial perspective. The empirical analysis is based on data obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, for the 2011 and 2015 waves. The notions of moderate prosperity, harmony and balanced growth pursued by the Chinese Government are used to select nine dimensions. These dimensions – based on 56 variables – are aggregated into an individual well-being index using the Multidimensional Synthesis of Indicators technique. The econometric results reveal that, in the 2011–2015 period, individual multidimensional well-being stagnated; moreover, some dimensions were affected much more than others, according to individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender) and geographical differences (e.g. urban/rural, east/west provinces). This creates new challenges for the central and provincial governments of China, in their pursuit of a more ‘harmonious’ and balanced development
Understanding China's move into Africa : an empirical analysis
No full textPublished online: 3 February 2009An important new issue on the international scene is the upsurge in market and non-market South–South relations. The aim of this paper is to understand the dynamics that lie behind the recent Chinese move into Africa by empirically exploring the determinants of Sino-African relationships. In order to have a comprehensive picture, the analysis takes into consideration the main channels of commercial and political interactions: outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), trade and aid (international economic cooperation). The empirical analysis utilises a panel data set, from 1998 to 2005, for 43 African countries. The econometric estimates for three simultaneous equations are based on an instrumental variables method. Results show that the Chinese move into Africa is driven by strategic interaction among the three channels (FDI, trade and economic cooperation) as well as by pull factors, i.e. the characteristics of the receiving countries in terms of natural resource endowments and their market potential
Erratum to: Measuring and Monitoring Poverty and Well-Being: A New Approach for the Synthesis of Multidimensionality
Full text linkChild poverty as capability deprivation: How to choose domains of child well-being and poverty
No full textThe Multidimensionality of Child Poverty: Evidence from Afghanistan
No full textThis paper examines multidimensional poverty among children in Afghanistan using the Alkire-Foster method. Several previous studies have underlined the need to separate children from their adult nexus when studying poverty and treat them according to their own specificities. From the capability approach, child poverty is understood to be the lack of freedom to do and to be what children themselves value and have reason to value. The case of Afghanistan is particularly relevant as years of conflict aggravated by several severe droughts, political insecurity, bad governance and ongoing violence have significantly increased poverty in the country. The paper discusses the relevant dimensions when analysing child poverty and uses data from a survey carried out by Handicap International which contains information on dimensions of children's wellbeing that is typically missing in standard surveys. Ten dimension are considered in this paper: health, care and love, material deprivation, food security, social inclusion, education, freedom from economic and non-economic exploitation, shelter and environment, autonomy, and mobility. Our results show that younger children, those living in rural areas, girls and disabled children are the most deprived. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
The political economy of places in a Sustainable Human Development perspective: the case of Emilia-Romagna
No full textIn this article, we discuss how integrated industrial policy can simultaneously pursue value-added generation and productivity enhancement in regional economies, along with inclusiveness and social cohesion. Our arguments are rooted in the integration of the literature on human development and capability approach, on economic geography and on industrial policy. In particular, we introduce a people-centred and place-based perspective on Sustainable Human Development and an interpretative political economy framework for the structural analysis of collective action in places. These arguments are illustrated by analysing recent industrial policies for a new social cohesion in the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy
Towards a more ‘Sustainable’ Human Development Index: Integrating the environment and freedom
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