Regional/country studies

Espaço, tempo e preço dos transportes: a utilização da rede ferroviária em finais do século XIX / Time and Price of Transport: The use of the railway network in the late nineteenth century

by Nuno Miguel Lima

Published in Ler História, 61, 2011, pp.38-64
Co-authored with Magda Pinheiro, Joana Paulino

No século XIX, com a construção de canais e a introdução dos caminhos de ferro, a relação entre o espaço e o preço dos... more No século XIX, com a construção de canais e a introdução dos caminhos de ferro, a relação entre o espaço e o preço dos transportes estava em plena mutação. Tal devia criar, segundo os pressupostos liberais, igualdade de condições de acesso ao mercado. Este artigo debruça-se sobre a situação dos transportes em Portugal no fim do século XIX, dispomos de um inquérito às câmaras municipais feito na época. O tratamento deste inquérito é realizado com recurso a Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIGs), o que permite apresentar este problema sob uma nova luz.


In the nineteenth century, with the construction of channels and the introduction of railways, the relationship between space and transport costs was changing. This evolution, according to the liberal assumptions, should be at the origin of equal market access conditions. To understand the contribution of railways to the construction of the domestic market, in late nineteenth century Portugal, we have a survey resulting from the answers of the Municipalities. Treatment of this survey is done in this article using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) witch allows us to present the problem under a different light.

Population and Railways in Portugal, 1801-1930

by Nuno Miguel Lima

Published in Journal of Interdisciplinary History, XLII (1), 2011, pp.29-52.
Co-authored with Luís Espinha da Silveira, Daniel Alves, Ana Alcântara, Josep Puig

Portuguese historiography has mostly adopted a pessimistic view regarding the contribution of the railways to the... more Portuguese historiography has mostly adopted a pessimistic view regarding the contribution of the railways to the development of country. Yet, railway access helped to increase population concentration and economic development, favoring migration into towns, the growth of pre-existing urban centers, and the emergence of new centers. But railways tended to be more beneficial to regions that were already prosperous and to aggravate the conditions unfavorable to development in areas with greater structural weaknesses.

Caminhos e ferro, população e desigualdades territoriais em Portugal, 1801-1930 / Railways, population and territorial inequality in Portugal, 1801-1930

by Nuno Miguel Lima

Published in Ler História, 61, 2011, pp.7-37
Co-authored with Luís Espinha da Silveira, Daniel Alves, Ana Alcântara, Josep Puig-Farré

A historiografia sobre os caminhos de ferro em Portugal tem analisado o seu impacto no país como um todo, dando pouca... more A historiografia sobre os caminhos de ferro em Portugal tem analisado o seu impacto no país como um todo, dando pouca atenção à sua influência na dinâmica populacional. Este artigo defende que os caminhos de ferro estimularam o crescimento da população nas áreas servidas por esta infraestrutura, contribuíram para o desenvolvimento urbano e incentivaram as migrações internas. Porém, os seus efeitos foram desiguais, pois a ferrovia beneficiou as zonas já prósperas (Norte Atlântico), tendo uma influência negativa em regiões com maiores debilidades estruturais (Norte Interior). Além disso, não foi capaz de atrair uma significativa população migrante.

Historiography on railways in Portugal has mainly analysed their impact on the country as a whole and has paid little attention to their influence on population dynamics. This article argues that railways stimulated population growth in the areas served by this infrastructure that they contributed to urban development and encouraged internal migration. Their effects, however, were not the same in all parts of the country: railways benefited the already prosperous regions (Atlantic North) and had a negative influence in areas with greater structural weaknesses (Inland North). Beyond that it was unable to attract a significant migrant population.

Renewed authoritarianism in Southeast Asia: undermining democracy through neoliberal reform

by Simon Springer

Springer, S. 2009. Renewed authoritarianism in Southeast Asia: undermining democracy through neoliberal reform. Asia Pacific Viewpoint. 50 (3), 271-276.

In the wake of the Asian Crisis, cases studies from Southeast Asia often reinforced the perception that neoliberalism... more In the wake of the Asian Crisis, cases studies from Southeast Asia often reinforced the perception that neoliberalism is thriving in authoritarian states. Processes of intensive neoliberalisation in the region have now been ongoing for over a decade, yet attempts at democratic consolidation have been tenuous, fragile and incomplete at best, calling into question the supposed nexus between democracy and neoliberal reform. Accordingly, there is need for a moment of pause, to take stock of the neoliberalising process in the region, and importantly, to reframe the question and reflect on how and why authoritarianism is continuing to thrive in the neoliberalising Southeast Asian state.

Regional convergence in Italy, 1891–2001: testing human and social capital

by Emanuele Felice

forthcoming in Cliometrica (already available on-line)

this in a highly incomplete draft. Please see the published copy (from the link) for the final and complete version, as well as for quotation

La copia in pdf è solo un abbozzo, incompleto. Per la versione definitiva e completa (e per eventuali citazioni) si veda l'articolo pubblicato, dal link

The article aims to present and discuss estimates of levels of human and social capital in Italy’s regions over the... more The article aims to present and discuss estimates of levels of human and social capital in Italy’s regions over the long term, i.e., roughly from the second half of the nineteenth century up to the present day. The results are linked to newly available evidence for regional value added in order to begin to form an explanatory hypothesis of long-term regional inequality in Italy: convergence in value added per capita is tested in light of the neoclassical exogenous growth approach, which incorporates human capital and social capital as conditioning variables into a long-term production function. In contrast with conventional wisdom (e.g. Putnam 1993), we find that social capital was not a significant predictor of economic growth in post-Unification Italy: It grew in importance only in the last decades. Conversely, human capital was more important in the first half of the twentieth century. Results suggest that there was not one single conditioning variable over the long run, thus supporting the view that, in different periods, conditioning variables can be determined by technological regimes.

Regional and minority languages in Ukrainian legislation

by Bronislav Totskyi

Abstract was published in "Minority politics within the Europe of regions, Cluj, 2010, pp. 30-31"

This article concerns Regional and minority languages in Ukrainian legislation. I try to investigate different... more This article concerns Regional and minority languages in Ukrainian legislation. I try to investigate different languages at the territory of Ukraine. Why do some of them have protectio but other - not. Moreover, I pay attention to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages usage in Ukraine.

Nunes, R. 2011. Conceptualizing change in the Portuguese footwear industry. Regional voices and cognitive spaces of agency. Unpublished PhD, University College London

by Richard J. Nunes

Expanding national services sectors and global competition aggravate current and perceived future market pressures on... more Expanding national services sectors and global competition aggravate current and perceived future market pressures on traditional manufacturing industries. These perceptions of change have provoked a growing intensification of geo-political discourses on technological innovation and ‘learning’, and calls for competency in design among other professional skills. However, these political discourses on innovation and learning have paralleled public concerns with the apparent ‘growth pains’ from factory closures and subsequent increases in unemployment, and its debilitating social and economic implications for local and regional development. In this respect the following investigation sets out to conceptualize change through the complementary and differing perceptions of industry and regional actors’ experiences or narratives, linking these perceptions to their structure-determined spheres of agent-environment interactivity. It aims to determine whether agents’ differing perceptions of industry transformation can have a role in the legitimization of their interests in, and in sustaining their organizational influence over the process of industry-regional transformation.

It argues that industry and regional agent perceptions are among the cognitive aspects of agent-environment interactivity that permeate agency. It stresses agents’ ability to reason and manipulate their work environments to preserve their self regulating interests in, and task representative influence over the multi-jurisdictional space of industry-regional transformation. The contributions of this investigation suggest that agents’ varied perceptions of industry and regional change inform or compete for influence over the redirection of regional, industry and business strategies. This claim offers a greater appreciation for the reflexive and complex institutional dimensions of industry planning and development, and the political responsibility to socially just forms of regional development. It positions the outcomes of this investigation at the nexus of intensifying geo-political discourses on the efficiency and equity of territorial development in Europe.

MEXICO, EN SUS REGIONES SOCIOCULTURALES DEPORTIVAS

by Enrique Rivera Guerrero

Las prácticas culturales son característica propia de las regiones a las que pertenecen; estas se forjan y surgen de... more Las prácticas culturales son característica propia de las regiones a las que pertenecen; estas se forjan y surgen de la historia y de su particular desarrollo. Consideramos al deporte como un campo cultural arraigado en la región a la que pertenece y tan diferente como cualquier manifestación cultural propia de la zona de la que estemos hablando, así como heredado de generación en generación e importante en la formación y el moldeamiento del hábitus. En este artículo hacemos un recorrido por diversas regiones de México, con énfasis en la región noroeste y en la parte central del Golfo de México, en las que observamos y reflexionamos en torno a dos deportes populares en este país, el fútbol y el béisbol.

Regional Security and Global World Order: The Case of South Africa in Africa

by Mehmet OZKAN

Research Journal of International Studies, No 5, 2006, pp. 79-100.

Las carreras políticas de los jefes de gobierno regionales en España, Francia y el Reino Unido (1980-2010)

by Oscar Barbera

Reference:
Botella, J.; Rodríguez, J.; Barberà, O.; Barrio, A (2011) “Las carreras políticas de los jefes de... more Reference:
Botella, J.; Rodríguez, J.; Barberà, O.; Barrio, A (2011) “Las carreras políticas de los jefes de gobierno regionales en España, Francia y el Reino Unido (1980-2009)”, Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 133: 3-20.


This article aims to address the effects of political decentralization on the regional political elite. We observe whether a bifurcation is taking place regarding the national elite, through a predominance of local and regional careers. We use a descriptive approach of the political careers of the regional presidents and prime ministers in Spain, France and United Kingdom, comparing amongst countries and periods of time. The data suggest the existence of different patterns, in which local and national paths tend to dissociate, creating distinctive cursus honorum. Spain is the best case to observe the arise of political careers linked to the new regional institutions.

Urban – Rural interaction in the cultural sector.

by Gudrun Helgadottir

In Eðvarðsson, Ingi Rúnar editor (2001) Bright summer nights and long distances. Rural and Regional development in the Nordic-Scottish Context, 192-203. Akureyri: University in Akureyri