Socioeconomic Complexity and the Sociological Tradition: New Wine in Old Bottles

Complexity is a purposeful integrating framework for interdisciplinary dialogue, namely between sociologists and economists. After presenting some properties of complex (social) systems, we consider the crucial role of the economic complexity research agenda in challenging the mainstream economic paradigm. This endeavor, we suggest, can greatly benefit from a neglected but relevant aspect, the concern regarding social complexity implicit in the sociological tradition, particularly the emphasis given by Durkheim to the idea of interdependence, a keystone of complexity studies nowadays. As we underline, instead of assuming interdependence/complexity and autonomy/simplicity in a tradeoff relationship, the French sociologist takes interdependence and autonomy as fundamentally complementary and positively correlated characteristics of modern societies. This fact suggests the convenience to conceptualize complexity as a broad socioeconomic, and not just a strict economic, phenomenon. Such a purpose is certainly more damaged than benefited by the existence of the economics/sociology academic divide.Socioeconomic complexity; interdependence; autonomy; sociological tradition; Durkheim

Beliefs, values and attitudes of Portuguese population and their relationship with human and social capital

Studying economic values and beliefs and their relationship with attitudes and behavior has been common in most social sciences throughout the world, at least since the 1960s. However, Portugal remained very much outside this research program and, contrary to the majority of European countries or the United States, it still lacks a coherent an integrative research on economic values, beliefs and behaviors. On the other hand, the existing data (European and World Value Surveys, Eurobarometer or the Portuguese Statistics Institute) only offers a partial view of the individual’s relationship with the economic system, namely consumer confidence or general ideas of trust. The studies already developed on this subject are normally restricted to the association of economic values and beliefs with socio-demographic characteristics, failing to include both the analysis of behaviors and the impact all these variables may have on economic performance indicators. The current study is intended as a first step towards a deeper comprehension of these phenomena.

External dependency, value added generation and structural change: an inter-industry approach

The external dependency of many industries and the corresponding low value added generated in production, combined with a relatively weak export potential, create high external deficits and growing debt to GDP ratios in several open economies. In this paper we propose an empirical method to assess the evolution of these vulnerabilities, based on a new treatment of interindustry production multipliers. The (gross)output growth potential given by the column sums of the Leontief inverse matrix (backward linkage indicators) results from three terms: interindustry consumptions, value added and imported inputs. After a convenient arrangement of these terms, the evolution of backward linkage indicators can be used to detect structural changes, particularly quantifying a (net) growth effect (more value-added generation) and an external dependency effect (more imported inputs), and to classify the productive sectors accordingly. An application to the Portuguese Economy is made, using input-output tables for the years 1980, 1995 and 2005. This method can also be useful as a simple, but suggestive, device to compare the evolution of two or more economies, along their development processes in time.

The economic performance of Portuguese and Spanish regions: A network dynamic approach

This paper contributes to further understanding the economic performance of Portuguese and Spanish regions, using a stochastic network approach. The empirical analysis is made at the territorial level of NUT 3 regions and covers the period 1995-2008. The performance of regions is based on GDP per capita at Purchasing Power Standards. The network analysis is based on a metric space built from the correlation coefficients between the log-difference of annual growth rates. The metric space and the corresponding topological coefficients are compared with the independent performance of randomly generated data. The metric space is graphically represented along the 3 dominant eigenvalues and the strongest connections are selected and represented in a network of Iberian regions. The main purpose of this research is to find the most relevant geographical and demographic determinants of regional development, namely a “border effect”, an “interiority (without border) effect”, a “coastal effect”, a “metropolitan effect” and an “ultra periphery effect”.

External dependency, value added generation and structural change: an interindustry approach

The external dependency of many industries and the corresponding low value added generated in production create high external deficits and growing debt to GDP ratios in several open economies. In this paper we propose an empirical method to assess the evolution of these vulnerabilities, based on a new treatment of interindustry production multipliers. The (gross) output growth potential given by the column sums of the Leontief inverse matrix (backward linkage indicators) results from three terms: interindustry consumptions, value added and imported inputs. After a convenient arrangement of these terms, the evolution of backward linkage indicators can be used to detect structural changes, particularly quantifying a (net) growth effect (more value-added generation) and an external dependency effect (more imported inputs), and to classify the productive sectors accordingly. An application to the Portuguese Economy is made, using input-output tables for the years 1980, 1995 and 2005. This method can also be useful as a simple, but suggestive, device to compare the evolution of two or more economies, along their development processes in time.input-output linkages; external dependency; structural change; Portugal

Socioeconomic complexity and the sociological tradition : new wine in old bottles

Complexity is a purposeful integrating framework for interdisciplinary dialogue, namely between sociologists and economists. After presenting some properties of complex (social) systems, we consider the crucial role of the economic complexity research agenda in challenging the mainstream economic paradigm. This endeavor, we suggest, can greatly benefit from a neglected but relevant aspect, the concern regarding social complexity implicit in the sociological tradition, particularly the emphasis given by Durkheim to the idea of interdependence, a keystone of complexity studies nowadays. As we underline, instead of assuming interdependence/complexity and autonomy/simplicity in a tradeoff relationship, the French sociologist takes interdependence and autonomy as fundamentally complementary and positively correlated characteristics of modern societies. This fact suggests the convenience to conceptualize complexity as a broad socioeconomic, and not just a strict economic, phenomenon. Such a purpose is certainly more damaged than benefited by the existence of the economics/sociology academic divide

Revitalization and the church: a study of the renewalmovement in the Sixth Conference of the Brazillian Methodist Church

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1705/thumbnail.jp

High employment generating industries in Portugal : an input-output approach

An increase in the unemployment rate is one of the most serious consequences of macroeconomic crises. In Portugal, the impact of the deep recession of 2009 has been particularly strong. In this paper, after quantifying this macroeconomic problem, an input-output approach is used in order to identify the high employment generating (or destructing) industries. This approach is particularly interesting because it considers not only the direct flows of job creation and destruction, but also the employment changes attributable to the indirect and induced effects of interindustry connections (the flows of intermediate inputs’ supply and demand). Using the so-called hypothetical extraction (or “shut-down of industry”) method and the employment and input-output data of the Portuguese economy, the key sectors in terms of multipliers, elasticities and the creation of jobs are identified. The empirical results of this paper can be useful in improving the policy responses to the crisis and implementing the most appropriate measures to stimulate the economy.UECE is supported by FCT

Values beliefs and economic behaviors: a regional approach

The purpose of this paper is to identify relationships between value orientations, beliefs and economic behaviors of agents, on one side, and differences between levels of economic development, on the other. Empirical analysis is based on a sample of Portuguese municipalities and correspondent parishes, organized in groups set by an urban-versus-rural typology and according to levels of development as measured by GDP per capita. Different value orientations, beliefs and behaviors were identified. Four clusters were thereby considered, generically correspondent to “stabilization”, “economic nationalism”, “entrepreneurship” and “consumerism”. These clusters are related to the spatial dimensions considered

Beliefs, values and attitudes of Portuguese population and their relationship with human and social capital

The main purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the economic values, beliefs and attitudes of the Portuguese population and how they are associated with behaviors linked to economic performance. It is based on a research oriented to three main goals: 1 - the description and explanation of the formation of economic values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, based on a questionnaire submitted to a national sample, stratified by regional areas; 2 - the identification of the existent linkages between these micro-sociological variables and regional and national economic performance (e.g. GDP, unemployment rates, inflation, investment, debt and wages); 3 - the exploration of the role of human and social capital as moderators between micro-sociological variables and a support for different types of economic values. In this paper we explore the third goal, offering a tentative typology of economic values’ support.peer-reviewe