Socioeconomics

Forest At Work: Conservation And Sustainable Management Of The Former Finch Pruyn Lands

by Rachel Neugarten

M.S. Thesis, published by Cornell University 2010 (no access until 2015)

Major selloffs of industrial timberlands in the U.S. in the past two decades have prompted environmental concerns... more Major selloffs of industrial timberlands in the U.S. in the past two decades have prompted environmental concerns about fragmentation and conversion of forest lands, as well as social and economic concerns about the loss of traditional livelihoods in forestry and rural community decline. In an effort to maintain intact forests and the many ecological and socioeconomic values they provide, conservation organizations, public agencies, and local communities are investing in complex "working forest" land deals in which land and property rights are divided among multiple actors. These transactions represent large, expensive, and relatively untested experiments in integrating conservation, sustainable forest management, and economic development. As such, there is a need for critical assessment in order to evaluate outcomes, manage adaptively, and inform the design of future transactions. We reviewed existing definitions of sustainable forest management, as well as case studies of working forests, to evaluate how ecological and socioeconomic indicators are incorporated in forest management and policy. We also undertook an in-depth case study of a working forest transaction involving the former Finch Pruyn lands in New York State, to explore how this particular arrangement integrates international, regional, and local sustainability goals. We found that our current ability to learn from past experience with working forests is severely limited by a lack of integrated, iterative monitoring data. Monitoring programs tend to be short-term and stymied by small budgets, high staff turnover, and the complexity of the underlying socio-ecological systems. We also found that management objectives for the Finch Pruyn working forest reflect ecological criteria that are consistent with international standards for sustainable forest management, as well as many of the goals described by regional and local actors, such as providing new public recreation opportunities and maintaining some level of forest- related employment. Specific goals related to supporting local economic development were less well reflected in management objectives. Such goals, however, are arguably beyond the scope of a single land deal. In general, we found that working forest transactions have the potential to achieve multiple conservation and sustainability goals, as well as helping to reconcile long-held disputes over forest land management. However, our current ability to assess outcomes is limited by the relatively recent emergence of this strategy and a lack of empirical evidence, particularly related to socioeconomic outcomes. The lack of evidence could exacerbate existing disputes about the relationship between forest land use, ecological integrity, and socioeconomic well-being. Given the inherent complexity of the issues surrounding working forests, we recommend integrated ecological and socioeconomic monitoring to support adaptive management and to build on existing networks between conservation groups, environmental agencies, forest landowners, and local communities. By bringing critical attention to these large, complex experiments in forest conservation and sustainable management, we hope to inform efforts to simultaneously protect ecological integrity and meet the needs of current and future generations.

Integrating Ecological and Socioeconomic Monitoring of Working Forests

by Rachel Neugarten

Neugarten, R. A., S. A. Wolf, R. C. Stedman, and T. H. Tear. 2011. Integrating Ecological and Socioeconomic Monitoring of Working Forests. BioScience 61:631–637.

Large-scale sell-offs of industrial timberlands in the United States have prompted public and private investments in a... more Large-scale sell-offs of industrial timberlands in the United States have prompted public and private investments in a new class of “working forest” land deals, notable for their large size and complex divisions of property rights. These transactions have been pitched as “win-win-win” deals that provide social, economic, and ecological benefits. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars invested in these transactions, we found a paucity of evidence that their supposed benefits are being realized. Monitoring programs necessary to gather such evidence tend to be underfunded, short term, and focused on a limited set of indicators. The few projects with more comprehensive monitoring programs had long-term funding sources, formal mechanisms for incorporating data into subsequent management decisions, and combined multidisciplinary monitoring techniques. We propose that a relatively modest allocation of funds to monitoring could help assess—and hopefully improve—the effectiveness of current and future transactions, to see if the promise of “win-win-win” is actually delivered.

Contextual Effect of Socioeconomic Status Influences Chronic Periodontitis

by Roger Keller Celeste

Trends in socioeconomic disparities in oral health in Brazil and Sweden

by Roger Keller Celeste

Objectives: To describe the dynamics of trends in socioeconomic
disparities in oral health in Brazil and Sweden... more Objectives: To describe the dynamics of trends in socioeconomic
disparities in oral health in Brazil and Sweden among adults, to assess whether trends follow expected patterns according to the inverse equity
hypothesis.

Methods: In Sweden, we obtained nationally representative data for the years 1968, 1974, 1981, 1991 and 2000, and in Brazil, for 16 state capitals in 1986 and in 2002. Trends in the prevalence of ‘edentulism’ and of ‘teeth in good conditions’ were described in two groups aged 35–44 with lower and higher economic standards, respectively.

Results: There was an annual decline in disparities in ‘edentulism’ of 0.4 percentage points (pp) (95% CI = 0.2–0.7) in Brazil and 0.7pp (95% CI = 0.5–0.9) in Sweden, as a result of improvements in both income groups. Concerning ‘teeth in good conditions’, in Brazil, there was improvement only in the higher income group and absolute disparities have increased (0.5pp annually), while in Sweden, there was a nonsignificant decrease (0.3pp annually) with improvements in both groups. Since 1991 in Sweden and in 2002 in Brazil, our measures of socioeconomic disparities in ‘edentulism’ were not statistically significant. Trends did not differ by sex or dental visit.

Conclusions: Despite improvements in both income groups and a decrease in disparities in ‘edentulism’, the poorer group in Brazil has seen no improvement in ‘teeth in good conditions’ and disparities have increased. It appears that Brazil and Sweden reflect different stages of trend for ‘teeth in good conditions’ and the same stages for ‘edentulism’, represented by the inverse equity hypothesis.

Trends in socioeconomic disparities in the utilization of dental care in Brazil and Sweden

by Roger Keller Celeste

Aims: To describe trends in socioeconomic disparities in utilization of dental care.
Methods:We obtained... more Aims: To describe trends in socioeconomic disparities in utilization of dental care.
Methods:We obtained cross-sectional data from Sweden in the period 1968–2000 and from Brazil in 1986 and 2002 for 16 state capitals. The outcome was the percentage of people who reported that they had visited the dentist in the last 12 months, calculated for a higher and a lower income group and stratified by sex, age (two groups: young and adults) and dental status. Adjusted prevalence differences and prevalence ratios were produced using Poisson regression.
Results: In Brazil, there was a decline in use of dental care among the 15–19 year olds in the period 1986–2002, but not among the 35–44 year olds. In Sweden, there was a decline among the young and adults between 1991 and 2000. Overall, socioeconomic disparities in use of dental services between the higher and the lower economic groups showed a decline in both countries. The reduction in disparities among young Brazilians was 1.1 percentage points per year (p<0.01), but among the other age groups the decline was not significant (p40.01). In the last surveys, the gap remained in both countries and age groups (p<0.01).
Conclusions: The recent decline in utilization of dental care and in the socioeconomic gap may mirror improvements in oral health. However, there are still relevant and persistent disparities in utilization of dental care in both countries, with a
higher proportion of people of higher socioeconomic status visiting the dentist.

A new paradigm for military policy: Socioeconomics

by Patricia Shields

Published in Armed Forces & Society 1993. Vol. 19 No. 4: 511-531.

Socioeconomics is a new, more moral economic theory developed by Amitai Etzioni. Its purpose is to replace... more Socioeconomics is a new, more moral economic theory developed by Amitai Etzioni. Its purpose is to replace neoclassical economics. This article advocates socioeconomics as a paradigm for military policy and begins by showing how neoclassical economics has influenced military policy. Criticisms of the neoclassical approach by military sociologists are reviewed. Socioeconomics is briefly explained, key elements of the two models are compared, and socioeconomics is applied to the military. Socioeconomics shed light on both the careerism vs. professionalism and leadership vs. management debates. Moskos's I-O model, is also an application of socioeconomics.

Who gets the best sleep? Ethnic and socioeconomic factors related to sleep disturbance

by Michael Grandner

Objectives: Lower socioeconomic status is associated with short or long sleep duration and sleep disturbance (e.g.,... more Objectives: Lower socioeconomic status is associated with short or long sleep duration and sleep disturbance (e.g., sleep apnea), which are all related to increased mortality risk. General sleep complaints, however, which may better approximate symptoms as they are experienced, have not been examined in a large population sample. Methods: Sample consisted of n = 159,856 participants from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, representing 36 states/regions across the US. Sleep complaints were measured with a telephone survey item that assessed ‘‘trouble falling asleep,” ‘‘staying asleep” or ‘‘sleeping too much.” Data analysis utilized hierarchical logistic regression and Rao-Schott v2. Results: Asian respondents reported the least complaints, and Hispanic/Latino and Black/African-American individuals reported fewer complaints than Whites. Lower income and educational attainment was associated with more sleep complaints. Employment was associated with less sleep complaints and unemployment with more. Married individuals reported the least sleep complaints. Significant interactions with race/ethnicity indicate that the relationship between sleep complaints and marital status, income and employment differs among groups for men, and the relationship with education differs among groups for women. Conclusions: Rates of sleep complaints in African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian/Other groups were similar to Whites. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher rates of sleep complaint.

"Sleep disparity" in the population: poor sleep quality is strongly associated with poverty and ethnicity

by Michael Grandner

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the social determinants of sleep attainment. This study examines the relationship of... more BACKGROUND: Little is known about the social determinants of sleep attainment. This study examines the relationship of race/ethnicity, socio-economic status (SES) and other factors upon sleep quality. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 9,714 randomly selected subjects was used to explore sleep quality obtained by self-report, in relation to socioeconomic factors including poverty, employment status, and education level. The primary outcome was poor sleep quality. Data were collected by the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the outcome for race/ethnicity (African-American and Latino versus White: unadjusted OR=1.59, 95% CI 1.24-2.05 and OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.37-1.98, respectively) and income (below poverty threshold, unadjusted OR=2.84, 95%CI 2.41-3.35). In multivariable modeling, health indicators significantly influenced sleep quality most prominently in poor individuals. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors (education, employment) and health indicators, the association of income and poor sleep quality diminished, but still persisted in poor Whites while it was no longer significant in poor African-Americans (adjusted OR=1.95, 95% CI 1.47-2.58 versus OR=1.16, 95% CI 0.87-1.54, respectively). Post-college education (adjusted OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.31-0.71) protected against poor sleep. CONCLUSIONS: A "sleep disparity" exists in the study population: poor sleep quality is strongly associated with poverty and race. Factors such as employment, education and health status, amongst others, significantly mediated this effect only in poor subjects, suggesting a differential vulnerability to these factors in poor relative to non-poor individuals in the context of sleep quality. Consideration of this could help optimize targeted interventions in certain groups and subsequently reduce the adverse societal effects of poor sleep.

CHANGE IN CHILD HEALTH AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS: EXAMINING THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIAL PARENTING

by Dillon T. Browne

Military Privatization: The Normative/Affective Context

by Patricia Shields

Paper presented at the 1990 Conference for the advancement of socioeconomics. Washington DC

This paper uses Etzioni's concept of the "normative/affective context" to examine ethical issues surrounding... more This paper uses Etzioni's concept of the "normative/affective context" to examine ethical issues surrounding military privatization.

Socio-demographic determinants of stigma among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Lagos, Nigeria

by Ajibola Ibraheem Abioye MD

Abioye IA, Omotayo MO, Alakija W

Background: Patients living with tuberculosis (TB) experience significant disruption of their social life and are... more Background: Patients living with tuberculosis (TB) experience significant disruption of their social life and are exposed to stigma and discrimination. This situation impacts on treatment adherence by individual patients and on disease control especially in developing nations. Different aetiological propositions have been propounded, including the relationship of tuberculosis with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Objectives: We sought to evaluate self-reported stigma experience among TB patients in Lagos and examine its sociodemographic determinants.
Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, recruiting 205 patients on treatment at two government-owned referral centres for tuberculosis, using self-administered questionnaires to collect each respondent’s data.
Result: Eighteen percent reported a previous stigma experience. Stigma experience was observed to be significantly determined by age, low socio-economic status, level of education below secondary level, disclosure of status, history of weight loss, previous smoking and alcohol history. Also, patients unable to work on clinic days were more likely to experience stigma. Sexs, religion, marital status and ethnicity were not significant determinants.
Conclusion: Experience of stigma among patients with tuberculosis is common and may adversely affect treatment adherence. Healthcare workers and policy makers need to pay closer attention to the identified determinants for effective tuberculosis control.

The Socioeconomic Position of the Louisiana Creoles: An Examination of

by Carl L Bankston

Wealth, traditional socioeconomic indicators, and the achievement debt

by Donald Easton-Brooks

Zurich's Langstrasse Quarter in the Context of Gentrification and Urban Housing Market Processes

by christoph craviolini

Conference paper presented at the ENHR conference 2009 in Prague | Co-authored with Corinna Heye and André Odermatt

The paper analyses the development of the Langstrasse quarter - a formerly rundown area next to Zurich’s Central... more The paper analyses the development of the Langstrasse quarter - a formerly rundown area next to Zurich’s Central Business District - in relation to urban gentrification and displacement. The results demonstrate that there has been an upwards revaluation of the Langstrasse quarter and a distinct change in its population characteristics over the period under study from 1993 to 2007. The presence of foreign communities, which was one of the quarter’s defining features, has declined and the age structure of residents has changed.
However, there is no evidence of large-scale gentrification with substantial upgrading of properties or social structure. Presently, the development of the quarter shows more insular gentrification that is restricted to a number of separate areas or buildings. Although not yet widespread, the impact of renovation and of building work in particular on the type of resident and the housing stock structure is far more pronounced in this quarter than in the city as a whole. An analysis of the relationship between social structure and building activity indicates that renovation and new-build have a different role in the context of gentrification and displacement.
The absence of any swift and large-scale gentrification process in the quarter indicates that the Swiss housing market and Swiss tenants’ rights - as well as the local ownership structure and access to investment loans – have an important role to play.

Prostate cancer, race, and socioeconomic status: Inadequate adjustment for social factors in assessing racial differences

by William Dale

Bank erosion hazards of the Padma river at Zanjira-socioeconomic impacts

by Dr. Mohammad NAJMUL Islam

Islam, M. N., M. Z. Islam, and S. T. Akter, (2006) “Bank erosion hazards of the Padma river at Zanjira-socioeconomic impacts”, Indian Journal of Power and River Valley Development, Vol. 56 (3 & 4), pp. 123-130.

Quasi-Markets and Contracts: a Markets and Hierarchies Perspective on NHS Reform

by Will Bartlett

Published as “Quasi-markets and contracts: a markets and hierarchies perspective on NHS reform”, Public Money and Management, 11(3): 53-61, (1991)

The Theory of Quasi-Markets

by Will Bartlett

Published in Julian Le Grand and Will Bartlett (eds. ) (1993) Quasi-markets and Social Policy, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 13-34. (Co-authored with Julian Le Grand).

Social Impact of the Global Economic Crisis in the Western Balkans

by Will Bartlett

This paper studies the social impact of the global economic crisis on the countries of the Western Balkans, with a... more This paper studies the social impact of the global economic crisis on the countries of the Western Balkans, with a focus on the Republic of Macedonia. Although almost all countries of the region have been severely hit by the economic crisis in 2009 some, such as Macedonia, that were less integrated into the global economy were apparently less affected initially. The paper sets out the broad impact of the crisis on the region’s economic
growth, and identifies the transmission mechanisms of the crisis, through contractions of export demand, falling remittance flows, bank credit, and sharply reduced flows of foreign direct investment. The international and domestic policy responses to the crisis are outlined. Finally the social impact of the crisis is examined in terms of the effects on unemployment and pension
provision. The results of a household survey carried out in Macedonia in summer 2009 are used to identify the effects of the crisis on socio-economic conditions, poverty, income inequality, and ethnic tensions. The analysis shows that the social effects of the crisis have been far worse than implied by the official macroeconomic data. The paper concludes that the social impact of the global crisis in the region has been severe, and that its  impact may worsen in the coming months and years with potentially serious consequences for regional stability. In the case of Macedonia, speedy progress with Euro‐Atlantic integration may mitigate these risks.

Labor-Managed Cooperatives and Private Firms In North Central Italy: An Empirical Comparison

by Will Bartlett

Published in "Industrial and Labor Relations Review", Vol. 46, No. 1, (Oct. 1992) pp. 103-118. (Co-authored with John Cable, Saul Estrin, Derek C. Jones and Stephen C. Smith)

The authors analyse the differences between the behaviour of private firms and that of producer cooperatives in a... more The authors analyse the differences between the behaviour of private firms and that of producer cooperatives in a matched sample of the two organizational types from the regions of Emilia Romagna and Toscana in North-Central Italy, where producer cooperatives are numerous. Individual firm-level surveys provide new detailed comparative data on key issues such as investment, productivity, wages, employment, and industrial relations. Differences between the two types of firm are found in labour relations, employment, pay, production methods, the relationship to the external market environment, and the level of economic performance. The authors find no significant differences in investment horizons or criteria for finance, despite theoretical assertions to the contrary. The cooperatives apparently have higher productivity, more labour-intensive production methods, lower income differentials, and a more tranquil industrial relations environment than the private firms.