Globalization and Absolute Poverty – A Panel Data Study

Using panel data from more than 100 countries around the world from 1988 through 2007, this paper examines the relationship between economic and social globalization and absolute income poverty ex post. We use the globalization index developed by Dreher (2006) and the World Bank poverty estimates. Using a fixed-effect panel based on five-year averages and using a “long run” first difference regression, we find a robust negative correlation between globalization and poverty. We further examine mechanisms and robustness by separately analyzing the effects of components of economic (trade flows and trade policies) and social globalization (information flows, personal contact and cultural proximity) respectively, controlling for growth, education, inflation, urbanization, and government consumption. Results suggest that information flows and more liberal trade restrictions are robustly negatively correlated with absolute poverty. While growth decreases poverty in the long run, only a small part of the poverty-reducing effect of globalization is mediated via growth.Globalization; Poverty; Panel Data

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? The Impact of the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic on Economic Performance in Sweden

We study the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic on economic performance in Sweden. The pandemic was one of the severest and deadliest pandemics in human history, but it has hitherto received only scant attention in the economic literature – despite important implications for modern-day pandemics. In this paper, we exploit seemingly exogenous variation in incidence rates between Swedish regions to estimate the impact of the pandemic. Using difference-in-differences and high-quality administrative data from Sweden, we estimate the effects on earnings, capital returns and poverty. We find that the pandemic led to a significant increase in poverty rates. There is also relatively strong evidence that capital returns were negatively affected by the pandemic. On the other hand, we find robust evidence that the influenza had no discernible effect on earnings. This finding is surprising since it goes against most previous empirical studies as well as theoretical predictions

Regimteorin i svensk kontext. Från Volvo till IKEA i Kalmar

The regime theory is the dominant paradigm in the studies of urban politics in USA. It provides a set of concepts to analyse the change from government to governance in the American local politics. The regime theory postulates that governing power in local government tends to be highly fragmented. The private sector has with its control of economic resources a major influence in shaping governing decisions. In this essay I study the regime theory in a Swedish context to investigate if the theory is pertinent when studying of Swedish local governance. The results of my study show that the regime theory is useful for analysing urban politics also in the Swedish context. This essay focuses on the cooperation between the private and the public sector in the economic policy in Kalmar. I found that these actors generally consider that it exist an interdependent relation between them. To enable growth they have a need for dialogue and cooperation but the results of my study show that this do not always work in the practice. From Stones definition of a regime I draw the conclusion that there is no existing regime in the economic policy in Kalmar today

”Det händer inte mig” En studie om utsatta kvinnors upplevelser av våldsrelationens konsekvenser.

Summary: The purpose of this study was to look at autobiographies through qualitative methods. The autobiographies have been written by women who have been victims of domestic violence. The main purpose has been to highlight how the women describe themselves (as victims or survivors), the psychosocial consequences of the violence they have experienced and their turning points: the way out of the relationship. To study this, we have used the following questions as starting points: How do the women describe themselves? (victim or survivor), are there any similarities or differences in the women's stories, regarding the turning point, and how do the women describe the psychosocial consequences from the violence they suffered? The study's analysis has been done by several theories, such as the narrative theory, the breakup process theory and a stigma theory. The study shows that the women do not want to be seen as victims or become stigmatized in social settings such as health care or during contact with police, but at the same time they see themselves as victims in relation to the perpetrator. The results also show that the similarities in the women’s turning points is that it has been a process that finally reaches its end at the final turning point. The difference found in the final turning points varies but it is clear that the violence the women were subjected to increased and this played a role for the time when the final turning point occurred. The psychosocial impact of violence has been highlighted by quotations from the women's autobiographies. We have found some similarities in the psychosocial consequences; like for example the everyday life pressures, social phobia, posttraumatic stress and depression. Keywords: domestic violence, victim, survivor, stigma theory, narrative theory, turning point, psychosocial consequences

Overview on the first human cytogenetic research in Sudan

Introduction: The present study is the first human cytogenetic project in Sudan which was titled: Cytogenetic and FISH analyses in Sudanese patients with dysmorphic features, ambiguous genitalia, and infertility. The aim of the present study was not only to characterize the genetic alterations in patients with dysmorphic features, ambiguous genitalia and/or infertility among Sudanese population, but also to attract the medical community attention to the importance of human cytogenetics in clinical genetics practice, and also to facilitate the introduction and clinical application of such valuable service in Sudan. Materials and Methods: In this study chromosomal G–banding and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis were performed on 44 Sudanese patients, 29 females, 14 males, and one patient with unassigned sex. Patients age ranging between 17 days-39 years (mean 18 years), Of the 44 patients, 20 had ambiguous genitalia, 8 dysmorphic features, 11 have puberty and/or fertility complains, and 5 were healthy individual (parents of 3 patients with dysmorphic features). Results: Cytogenetic analysis of 20 patients complaining of ambiguous genitalia (13 females and 6 males, and one case with unassigned sex) showed that 8 has karyotypes different from their assigned sex and the other cases showed karyotypes consistent with Edward syndrome (47,XX,+18) (case 7), and a case with 45,Xdel(X)(p11) (case 11) respectively, when using FISH the 45,Xdel(X)(p11) case showed translocation of the SRY (sex-determining region Y), gene to the active X chromosome. For the 8 patients of dysmorphic features; five showed karyotypes consistent with Down syndrome, of which one showed Robertsonian translocation, with both FISH and ordinary G-banding, and the other three showed normal karyotypes. All the parents showed normal karyotypes. Among the infertility cases all showed normal karyotypes, except for two which showed karyotypes consistent with Turner syndrome and one which showed a male karyotype although the case was raised as a female; ultrasound showed a mass in the position of prostate. Discussion: The study, the ever first one in Sudan, assured the importance, the possibility, and the need for cytogenetic and FISH analysis in diagnosis, management and genetic counseling of genetic diseases caused by constitutional chromosomal changes among Sudanese patients. Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 1(1) 2006: 25-3