Exploring the Meaningfulness and Relevance of Subjective Well-being for India

This paper tries to explore the question as to whether subjective well-being (SWB) could enhance or complement the current practice of well-being measurement practice in India. For this purpose, the questions of the definition of SWB, and of the meaningfulness and relevance of SWB as a well-being proxy for India are discussed. It is argued that SWB, defined as life satisfaction, can be regarded as meaningful and relevant in the Indian context. SWB could complement the capability approach or become part of a wider well-being concept. However, it is believed that it is not sufficient to rely on the answer to a single general life satisfaction question, but that there is a need to develop appropriate tools which are culturally sensitive and go beyond the single item question. The paper further provides an exploratory analysis of SWB in India, by using World Value Survey and unique village level data

Attitudes to Chronic Poverty in the “Global Village”

The paper explores attitudes to chronic poverty in a cross‐section of developed and developing countries based on data from the World Values Survey Wave Three (1994‐1998). The analysis finds a consistent belief among a majority of respondents that poverty is chronic. This paper also explores the factors that influence public attitudes to chronic poverty and finds that interests, position, knowledge, and shared values relating to social justice are important.In dem vorliegenden Arbeitspapier werden Haltungen zu chronischer Armut anhand von Querschnittsdaten aus Entwicklungs‐ und Industrieländern auf der Basis der dritten Runde des World Values Survey (1994‐1998) untersucht. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass die Mehrheit der Befragten Armut als chronisch ansieht. Die Untersuchung zeigt zudem die jeweiligen Einflussfaktoren auf die öffentliche Meinung zu chronischer Armut auf, von denen insbesondere Interessen, Stellung, der Wissensstand als auch gemeinsame Werte bezüglich sozialer Gerechtigkeit von Bedeutung sind

Gender Justice as an International Objective: India in the G20

The G20 states have made a commitment to drastically lower the gender differential in their labour markets. All G20 states, including India, will have great difficulty doing so, as the disparity is a consequence not of formal deficiencies, but of informal norms and value attitudes. It will take both time and holistic approaches on the domestic and international levels to change this. Gender justice will feature more prominently at this year's G20 summit under the German presidency. At past summits, the issue was rather neglected. The 2014 Brisbane Declaration represented a watershed moment, as the G20 states committed to reduce the gender gap in the labour market participation rate by 25 per cent by the year 2025. Women's employment rates in some countries are, however, stagnating – in India they have even dropped. Neither economic growth nor statutory requirements or strides in women's education have improved the situation. Given all this, the question arises of how the stated objective can be reached. The Modi government has developed a new strategy to increase women's participation in the labour market that includes attracting textile and other manufacturing industries and promoting self-employment and professional qualifications. It remains to be seen whether the measures will succeed; whether low-paying jobs in the textile industry will truly lead to good jobs; and whether this will increase women's levels of societal, political, and economic participation. A change in discriminatory value attitudes is particularly crucial. The G20 states are in at least verbal agreement that gender justice is fundamental to sustainable and socially just economic growth. The increase in women's labour market participation should be seen as just one step in the right direction. To help create vital jobs in India, Germany should advocate for holistic political measures in the context of its G20 presidency, and the EU and the G20 should support India in its attempts to open markets and attract direct investment

Kinderarmut hat Langzeitwirkung : Zu Umfang und Ursachen in Entwicklungsländern

Der Umfang und die Ursachen von Kinderarmut sind in der bisherigen entwicklungsstrategischen Literatur allenfalls als Seitenaspekt der allgemeinen Armutsanalyse behandelt worden. Erst in den letzten Jahren wurden die gegenüber der Armut von Erwachsenen unterschiedlichen Ursachen von Kinderarmut stärker beachtet. Zu dieser stärkeren Wahrnehmung haben auch der Einsatz von Kindersoldaten in Bürgerkriegen, die anhaltende Diskussion über Kinderarbeit in Entwicklungsländern und die zunehmende Zahl von AIDS-Waisen beigetragen

Attitudes to Chronic Poverty in the 'Global Village'

The paper explores attitudes to chronic poverty in a cross‐section of developed and developing countries based on data from the World Values Survey Wave Three (1994‐1998). The analysis finds a consistent belief among a majority of respondents that poverty is chronic. This paper also explores the factors that influence public attitudes to chronic poverty and finds that interests, position, knowledge, and shared values relating to social justice are important.In dem vorliegenden Arbeitspapier werden Haltungen zu chronischer Armut anhand von Querschnittsdaten aus Entwicklungs‐ und Industrieländern auf der Basis der dritten Runde des World Values Survey (1994‐1998) untersucht. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass die Mehrheit der Befragten Armut als chronisch ansieht. Die Untersuchung zeigt zudem die jeweiligen Einflussfaktoren auf die öffentliche Meinung zu chronischer Armut auf, von denen insbesondere Interessen, Stellung, der Wissensstand als auch gemeinsame Werte bezüglich sozialer Gerechtigkeit von Bedeutung sind

Organic Agriculture in Uttarākhanḍ - Unfolding a local Field of Practice

This dissertation deals with the question whether organic farming in India can really live up to its promise of actor-oriented, bottom-up decision making and a participatory development approach where local farmers are encouraged to not only resort to their very own reservoir of agricultural resources and methods but also to actively share information and take part in their own ´empowerment`. Based on the much acclaimed fundamental orientation towards the inclusion of locality - be it resources, genetic material, livelihood strategies or local knowledge on agricultural techniques - does it have the potential to really make a fruitful contribution to the overall situation of India`s marginal farmers in that it goes beyond the prospect of merely providing marginal households with more purchasing power? Is it rather going to provide for a broader and more sustainable basis of rural livelihood, where the crucial linkage between ecological and socio-economic discourses is seriously taken into account on the basis of reinforcing and stabilizing India`s rural farmers and their communities by means of culturally sensitive empowerment from below? Therefore, both the scientific merit as well as the practical relevance of this study are based on a high degree of correlation between theoretical analysis and empirical research, promising a valuable approach to sustainable development while at the same time making an important contribution to overcoming the misplaced constrasting of traditional and modern forms of agriculture which are still all too prevalent

Indiens demografische Dividende und die Herausforderungen an die Wirtschaftspolitik

Indien wird nach derzeitigen Prognosen im Jahr 2039 die USA im wirtschaftlichen Bereich überholen und nach China die größte Volkswirtschaft sein. Möglich wird das unter anderem durch die sogenannte demografische Dividende. In den nächsten zehn Jahren werden jedes Jahr zwischen acht und neun Millionen Inder neu auf den indischen Arbeitsmarkt drängen. Das wachsende Arbeitskräftereservoir wird sich allerdings nur dann bezahlt machen, wenn eine ausreichende Zahl an "guten" Arbeitsplätzen geschaffen werden kann. Die bisherige Entwicklung des Arbeitsmarktes deutet auf ein massives Problem hin: Die Zahl der neuen Stellen wird nicht die Arbeitsplatznachfrage der wachsenden Bevölkerung im erwerbsfähigen Alter decken können. Das hohe Wirtschaftswachstum seit den Reformen des Jahres 1991 hat sich nur bedingt positiv auf den Zuwachs an Arbeitsplätzen ausgewirkt. Der Zuwachs an Beschäftigung ist seit dem Jahr 2004 stark gefallen und seit dem Jahr 2007 ist die Beschäftigtenzahl sogar leicht rückläufig. Dies ist vor allem die Folge eines massiven Rückgangs an erwerbstätigen Frauen in ländlichen Gebieten. Hauptgrund hierfür sind wahrscheinlich die gestiegenen Einkommen. Die Regierung steht vor der Herausforderung, die richtigen Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen, die das Arbeitsplatzwachstum fördern. Hierzu zählt der Ausbau der Infrastruktur, der Ausbau und die Verbesserung der Bildungs- und Gesundheitssysteme, die Steigerung der Produktivität der Landwirtschaft, die Bekämpfung der Korruption, die Neuregulierung des Arbeitsmarktes und die Bekämpfung der Diskriminierung von Frauen. Die derzeitige indische Regierung erscheint allerdings handlungsunfähig. Seit ihrer Wiederwahl im Jahr 2009 hat die Unionsregierung weder das Fiskaldefizit und die Staatsverschuldung abgebaut noch notwendige Reformen auf den Weg gebracht. Die Bürokratie ist erstarrt, die Sozialprogramme sind wenig effektiv

Design and Implementation of a Digital Controller for a Vibration Isolation and Vernier Pointing System

This paper discusses the recommissioning of the Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS), originally developed in the mid 1970's for pointing and vibration isolation of space experiments. The hardware was developed for NASA Langley Research Center by Sperry Flight Systems (now Honeywell Satellite Systems), was delivered to NASA in 1983. Recently, the hardware was loaned to Old Dominion University (ODU). The ASPS includes coarse gimbal assemblies and a Vernier Pointing Assembly (VPA) that utilize magnetic suspension to provide noncontacting vibration isolation and vernier pointing of the payload. The VPA is the main focus of this research. At ODU, the system has been modified such that it can now be operated in a l-g environment without a gravity offload. Suspension of the annular iron rotor in five degrees-of-freedom has been achieved with the use of modern switching power amplifiers and a digital controller implemented on a 486-class PC

Gender stereotypes and the attribution of leadership traits: a cross-cultural comparison

In the present study we analyzed cultural variations of managerial gender typing, i.e., that managers are perceived as possessing traits that are part of the masculine stereotype. Management students of both sexes from three different countries—Australia, Germany, and India—estimated the percentage to which one of three stimulus groups, i.e., executives-in-general (no gender specification), male executives, or female executives, possesses person-oriented and task-oriented leadership traits. Participants also rated the importance of these characteristics for the respective group. Furthermore, another group of participants described themselves regarding the two types of traits and their importance for themselves. Altogether, the results indicate a less traditional view of leadership compared to previous findings, which is very similar in all three countries. Nevertheless, there exists an interculturally shared view of a female-specific leadership competence according to which women possess a higher person orientation than men. The self-descriptions of the female and male management students regarding person- and task-oriented traits were found to be very similar