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

Graduate Education in Ecological Economics

Interest in graduate education in ecological economics is increasing. However, no formal plan of study for a Ph.D. in ecological economics has been disseminated. The lack of a formal plan is problematic as the field of ecological economics matures, interest grows, and new programs are being developed. This paper attempts to fill a void by creating a program of study addressing the proficiencies a graduate student in ecological economics should have upon completion of his/her Ph.D. based on the US educational system. The plan of study presented in this paper has been developed to make the graduate of an ecological economics program as competitive on the labor market as students awarded traditional economics degrees. The plan I describe is created to meet the requirements necessary for a Ph.D. in ecological economics. Further, fields of specialization are suggested to complement the core of an ecological economics program, to enhance the education process and to give the student with an ecological economics degree a higher level of marketability.

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

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

Assessment Of The Economics Curriculum At A College Of Pharmacy

This paper describes the method of assessing the outcomes of students’ training in the Economics of Health Care course at the Albany College of Pharmacy (ACP).  The following sections will: (1) describe the course and the various techniques that were used to ensure that the course outcomes were achieved, (2) explore the literature on assessment instruments for economics courses, (3) describe and analyze the assessment tools that were used in the course and the results from these instruments, and finally (4) discuss the different assessment methodologies that were used and their effectiveness and how the Economics of Health Care will be altered in the future to ensure greater comprehension by the students

Jevons Paradox And The Economic Implications For Europe

Energy consumption has increased considerably in the past two hundred years despite more efficient technology advancements. This positive correlation between increased energy consumption and increased efficiency is known as Jevons Paradox. Increased energy consumption should be of concern because all the inputs to economic production come from the environment and the consumption of resources from the ecosystem will cause an economic slowdown. Additionally, the consumption of natural resources to provide energy is an irreversible process, worsening the human condition instead of improving human welfare. Therefore, sustainable development policies need to be considered to end the continued excess consumption, beyond sustainable levels, of natural resources and the potential resulting conflicts. To design environmentally sustainable policies, the effect of economic activity, of resource utilization, and increased efficiency must be understood. In this paper, we attempt to illustrate how energy consumption alters the natural state of the economy and the environment. Further, using energy data from the Energy Information Administration we develop models that provide empirical support that Jevons Paradox may exist on a macro level for the countries of Europe. Specifically, eighteen European countries are examined. Finally, the resulting policy implications and the applications for an ecological economic approach are explored

Excitonic Effects in Quantum Wires

We review the effects of Coulomb correlation on the linear and non-linear optical properties of semiconductor quantum wires, with emphasis on recent results for the bound excitonic states. Our theoretical approach is based on generalized semiconductor Bloch equations, and allows full three-dimensional multisubband description of electron-hole correlation for arbitrary confinement profiles. In particular, we consider V- and T-shaped structures for which significant experimental advances were obtained recently. Above band gap, a very general result obtained by this approach is that electron-hole Coulomb correlation removes the inverse-square-root single-particle singularity in the optical spectra at band edge, in agreement with previous reports from purely one-dimensional models. Strong correlation effects on transitions in the continuum are found to persist also at high densities of photoexcited carriers. Below bandgap, we find that the same potential- (Coulomb) to kinetic-energy ratio holds for quite different wire cross sections and compositions. As a consequence, we identify a shape- and barrier-independent parameter that governs a universal scaling law for exciton binding energy with size. Previous indications that the shape of the wire cross-section may have important effects on exciton binding are discussed in the light of the present results.Comment: Proc. OECS-5 Conference, G\"ottingen, 1997 (To appear in Phys. Stat. Sol. (b)

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