Distributional Impact of Globalization-Induced Migration: Evidence from a Nigerian Village

One of the contentious issues about the globalization process is the mechanism by which globalization affects poverty and inequality. This paper explores one of the various strands of the globalization?inequality?poverty nexus. Using microlevel survey data from over 300 poor households in the small village of Umuluwe (about 30 miles west of the regional capital of Owerri) in Southeast Nigeria, the paper investigates whether individuals who migrate from the village to take advantage of the urban-biased globalization process do better than non-migrant villagers. The paper concludes that while the migrant villagers tend to earn slightly higher incomes than the non-migrant villagers, the poverty profiles of both categories of households are essentially the same. In other words, and contrary to conventional wisdom, globalization has not succeeded in alleviating poverty amongst the poor villagers who explicitly took advantage of the process. The paper argues that, by changing relative prices in the urban areas, structural adjustment appears to have eliminated any advantage that globalization may have bequeathed to the migrant villagers.migration, Nigeria, poverty, prices

Understanding The Brain-Drain From The Capital District Of New York State

The Capital District Region of New York State, home to twenty-five colleges and universities with a combined 14,000 students per year is attempting to leverage this educational resource to transform its economy away from its traditional government services, industrial, and manufacturing base towards high-technology.  Millions of dollars have been invested to develop the infrastructure necessary to have economic growth fueled by high-technology.  However, many of these highly skilled college graduates leave the area.  This exodus, or brain drain, is a major concern for regional economic developers and policy-makers because the social and economic vitality of a region is at risk.  For the high-tech industry to be successful in any region there must be complementary support industries and services.  Therefore, the retention of college graduates in various fields, not just those in technology disciplines, of study is vital for regional economic development.  Due to the considerable threat that the brain drain poses for a region in terms of social and economic vitality, one must have a complete understanding of the problem before attempting to correct it.  This study will answer the following questions: (1) How big is brain drain from the region; (2) What are the characteristics of the graduates who leave the region; (3) What are the differences between the graduates that stay in the region and those that leave; and (4) What factors can be changed to increase the probability of retaining graduates?

Urban Sprawl: Scenario Analyses For Public Policy - Makers

This paper examines the likely effects of public-policy on residential development in the Wappinger Creek Watershed within Dutchess County in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.  An econometric model is used in combination with Monte Carlo simulation to project residential development in a spatial format using a Geographic Information System (GIS).  GIS was used to extract data with bio-geophysical attributes, such as slope, soil, and location characteristics, to project growth trends for residential use of undeveloped land parcels due to changes in public policy.  Detailed scenarios present stakeholders the economic, social, and environmental implications of a possible course of action.  The results indicate that public-policy can be effectively used to counteract the effects of urban sprawl and increased population

Whose Standards? (B) Reaching The Assessment Puzzle

Love it or hate it, assessment has become the new reality on college and university campuses. Although measuring student achievement of course outcomes is not an easy task, assessment does not need to be a complex or painful experience. This paper describes the methods used to assess student achievement of the stated course outcomes in introductory level economics courses at two different colleges, the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) and Siena College, during the 2007 academic year. Specifically, we outline the course assessment activities that are used. We examine whether there are differences in the attainment of the course objectives of the students at the two very different institutions. Finally, we argue that an assessment exam designed using the course objectives is a better assessment tool than a standardized test

Labor Migration And Rural-Suburban Symbiosis In Igbo Society

Two southeastern Nigerian villages were surveyed to study labor force migration in a traditional African society. A binary logit model was used to examine paid work differences between males and females in both Umuluwe (the ancestors’ village) and Obigbo (a suburban village) and paid work differences between the residents in the two villages. The results show a strong correlation between education and employment; and between education and the likelihood of migration to Obigbo. We found that each village plays its own symbiotic part in terms of economic activity, life stages of the villagers, and gender roles

Why Perspective Matters In Health Outcomes Research Analyses

Health outcomes research typically uses cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analysis. These approaches take a narrow perspective of the individual effects, typically from the payer or the provider point-of-view. However, using these narrow perspectives misses macro-level, or societal level, benefits and costs that could significantly alter whether an intervention is considered beneficial or cost-effective. The societal perspective accounts for all the effects impacting patients, their families, the public, and government expenditures for a healthcare intervention. Such a perspective is vital for healthcare interventions for illnesses where morbidity and long absences from work are probable. A cost-benefit analysis would account for all the societal benefits and costs, allowing policy-makers to observe an outcomes analysis more closely reflective of the real impacts. This paper clearly presents why a societal perspective using cost-benefit analysis should be the preferred method of health outcomes research. An example of breast cancer interventions is used to illustrate this point

SURVIVING SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEMS? SOME CONCEPTS AND AN EXAMPLE

Similar to ecosystems, socioeconomic systems, economies embedded in the environment, are characterized by their own metabolism which uses energy and material flows to maintain and reproduce itself. Sustainable socioeconomic systems require eco-efficiency. The European Commission’s ‘green’ approach to corporate social responsibility is that companies are responsible for their impact on society and the natural environment and also for the behavior of their business partners. For socioeconomic survival analysis it is imperative to mention that together with the beneficial aspects of ‘greening’ industrial activity (supporting increasing levels of global consumption under the ‘economic growth’ development paradigm) are packaged great risks. This paper discusses the need for ecoefficiency, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and eco-innovation, bearing in mind the risks that transnational value chains could bring for the less developed countries. The case of Romania’s eco-innovation performance over the years is discussed

The Demand For Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has undergone both a rapid increase in growth and interest over the last decade.  As such, the amount of literature on the subject has also increased.  However, there are few, if any, theoretical models of demand on CSA that have been developed from membership data. This paper uses both survey and anecdotal data of members of the Roxbury Biodynamic Farm, the second largest CSA in the United States, to present a theory of demand for CSA membership. Included in the discussion is consideration of the evidence that there is a direct relationship between production method and demand, usually a shibboleth in traditional economic analysis. Further exploration considers the possibility that over time participation influences the very nature of demand for CSA membership, and hypothesizes that this dynamic demand is a necessary but insufficient condition for the sustainability of CSA

The Supply Of Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has undergone both a rapid increase in growth and interest over the last two decades.  As such, the amount of literature on the subject has also increased.  However, there are few, if any, theoretical models of supply for CSA memberships (shares) that have been developed from CSA farm data.  This paper uses both survey and anecdotal data from the Roxbury Biodynamic Farm, one of the largest CSA in the United States, to present a theory of supply for CSA membership.  Included in the discussion is the consideration that CSA farms are not profit maximizing and that the farmers (i.e. the suppliers) knowingly take on the responsibilities and earnings associated with a CSA