scholarly journals Social Justice as an Incentive and a Brake on Economic Development: The Contradictions of the USSR as Challenges for the Future

Author(s):  
Olga V. Barashkova

The article examines the experience of the USSR in the field of solving the problem of correlation between social justice and economic efficiency. The characteristics of those aspects of Soviet experience in the sphere of implementation of social justice principles in the sphere of labor and distribution, which have potential for application in the conditions of modern capitalism to respond to the current challenges, are outlined. Firstly, it is noted that social justice is not reduced to inequality of income and distribution of wealth but is considered in connection with the human factor of economic development. In an expanded understanding, social justice includes a measure of access to basic resources such as labour, housing, education, health and other areas of human development. The experience of the USSR is characterised by the fact that, on the one hand, the universal availability and security of these basic resources (public goods) created the grounds for stimulating human development. On the other hand, the violation of these declared principles in practice (due to the development of bureaucratic privileges and benefits, the shadow economy, etc.) caused serious negative incentives, which became one of the elements in the system of reasons for the departure of “real socialism” from the historical scene. Secondly, the article points out that the Soviet system of income generation based on the principles of labour distribution was a combination of planned-normative and market-capitalist principles designed to create economic “egoistic” incentives. To the extent that this system was implemented, it succeeded in stimulating productivity and labour (but not market) initiative. But the manifestation, and in later stages of the USSR's development – in some cases the predominance, of bureaucratic-voluntarist foundations in the system created rather negative incentives. Relations of alienation in the sphere of appropriation and disposal of public property undermined socialist incentives to work and social innovation. The author concludes that some of the achievements of the Soviet system in the realisation of social justice are possible and effective in meeting the challenge of sustainable development in the 21st century. In particular, practices that were developed in the Soviet system, such as the provision of basic goods that are publicly available and free to users, the use of forms of work organisation based on a combination of competition, solidarity and self-government, etc., remain important.

Author(s):  
Alex Dueñas Peña

Este documento presenta el resultado de un proceso de exploración de documentos y fuentes históricas sobre los temas referentes a crecimiento económico, desarrollo económico, desarrollo humano y capital social. Entre las fuentes sobresalientes están exponentes reconocidos de los respectivos temas, como: Smith, Keynes, Bourdieu, entre otros que serán tratados en el trabajo realizado. El objetivo del escrito es el de entregar, a partir de los exponentes mencionados, un enfoque holístico con elementos para la reflexión sobre la articulación de los conceptos y como cada uno aporta, a un tema que poco ha sido trabajado en Colombia, como lo es, el capital social. El resultado está en función de informar, de una parte, como los cuatro conceptos están relacionados y asociados por la confianza que inspiran las acciones que de la sociedad en general, así mismo, divulgar, como el capital social se ha retomado para analizar diferentes fenómenos con los que convive la sociedad colombiana Abstract This document presents the result of a process of exploration of documents and historical sources on the topics of economic growth, economic development, human development and social capital. Among the outstanding sources are recognized exponents of the respective topics, such as: Smith, Keynes, Bourdieu, among others that will be treated in the work done. The objective of the paper is to deliver, from the mentioned exponents, a holistic approach with elements for reflection on the articulation of the concepts and how each one contributes to a topic that has been little worked in Colombia, such as social capital. The result is in function of informing, on the one hand, how the four concepts are related and associated by the trust that inspire the actions of society in general, as well as divulging how social capital has been taken up to analyze different phenomena with which Colombian society coexists.


2007 ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Bogomolov

The article reveals the influence of the spiritual and moral atmosphere in the society on economic development. The emphasis is put especially on the role of social confidence and social justice. The author indicates also some measures on improving the worsening moral situation in Russia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Claudia Lintner

This article analyses the relationship between migrant entrepreneurship, marginalisation and social innovation. It does so, by looking how their ‘otherness’ is used on the one hand to reproduce their marginalised situation in society and on the other to develop new living and working arrangements promoting social innovation in society. The paper is based on a qualitative study, which was carried out from March 2014- 2016. In this period, twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with migrant entrepreneurs and experts. As the results show, migrant entrepreneurs are characterised by a false dichotomy of “native weakness” in economic self-organisation against the “classical strength” of majority entrepreneurs. It is shown that new possibilities of acting in the context of migrant entrepreneurship are mostly organised in close relation to the lifeworlds and specific needs deriving from this sphere. Social innovation processes initiated by migrant entrepreneurs through their economic activities thus develop on a micro level and are hence less apparent. Supportive networks are missing on a structural level, so it becomes difficult for single innovative initiatives to be long-lasting.


Author(s):  
Thandekile Phulu

In South Africa employees are protected by various pieces of legislation. Section 23 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 provides for a right to fair labour practice. In its preamble the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (hereafter referred to as the LRA) states that the purpose of the Act is to advance economic development, social justice, labour peace and democratisation of the workplace. The LRA also states that one of its objectives is to give effect to and regulate the fundamental rights conferred by section 27 of the Constitution. The Occupational Health and Safety Act as amended by the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act 181 of 1993 provides for the health and safety of persons at work and for the health and safety of persons in connection with the use of plant and machinery. The LRA provides for dismissal for incapacity and dismissals for misconduct. It also differentiates between the two. The LRA provides for both substantive and procedural fairness when dismissing an employee for incapacity and misconduct. This paper will examine the rationale behind differentiating between dismissal for drunkenness and dismissal for alcoholism.


1968 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 606-617
Author(s):  
Mohammad Anisur Rahman

The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the relationship between the degree of aggregate labour-intensity and the aggregate volume of saving in an economy where a Cobb-6ouglas production function in its traditional form can be assumed to give a good approximation to reality. The relationship in ques¬tion has an obviously important bearing on economic development policy in the area of choice of labour intensity. To the extent that and in the range where an increase in labour intensity would adversely affect the volume of savings, a con¬flict arises between two important social objectives, i.e., higher rate of capital formation on the one hand and greater employment and distributive equity on the other. If relative resource endowments in the economy are such that such a "competitive" range of labour-intensity falls within the nation's attainable range of choice, development planners will have to arrive at a compromise between these two social goals.


2020 ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Olesya Tomchuk

The article highlights the problems and prospects of human development, which is the basis for the long-term strategies of social and economic growth of different countries and regions at the present stage. Submitting strategies of this type provides an opportunity to focus on individual empowerment and to build a favorable environment for effective management decisions in the field of forming, maintaining, and restoring human potential. The analysis of the Vinnytsia region human potential dynamics in the regional system of social and economic development factors was carried out. Application of generalized assessment of the regional human development index components allowed the identification of the main trends that characterize the formation of human potential of the territory, including the reproduction of the population, social environment, comfort and quality of life, well-being, decent work, and education. The article emphasizes that despite some positive changes in the social and economic situation of the region and in assessing the parameters of its human development level relative to other regions of Ukraine, Vinnytsia region is now losing its human potential due to negative demographic situation and migration to other regions and countries. The main reason for such dynamics is proven to be related to the outdated structure of the region's economy, the predominance of the agricultural sector, the lack of progressive transformations in the development of high-tech fields of the economy. An important factor is the low level of urbanization of the region, which leads to the spread of less attractive working conditions and less comfortable living conditions. The key factors that cause the growth of urbanization in the region have been identified, including the significant positive impact of the transport and social infrastructure expansion, the lack of which in rural areas leads to a decrease in the level and comfort of life. Without progressive structural changes in the economy and the resettlement system, the loss of human potential will continue.


Significance This year it increased the limit to three. The one-child policy has served more to exacerbate than to alleviate demographic problems, leaving China with an ageing population and shrinking workforce much sooner than other countries at this stage of economic development. Impacts Rising infertility will play a part in depressing birth rates. Vested interests and the government's proclivity for social control will prevent the wholesale abolition of family planning. National and local authorities will introduce policies to promote reproduction; not all of them will necessarily be socially liberal.


2021 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
Iryna Leshchukh ◽  
Olha Mulska

o analyse the impact of Lviv on centre-periphery interactions the authors calculated the Socio-Economic Development Index for different districts of the region and considered the distance of each district from the regional capital. The Socio-Economic Development Index (Іr) of each district was calculated as the arithmetic mean of indices of its economic (Іе) and social (Іs) development. A strong inverse relationship was found between districts’ indices and their distances from the regional capital (R = –0.69). The indices were used to classify districts into three categories: central, semi-peripheral, and peripheral. The central category includes districts located within a 50-km radius of Lviv and their indices range from 0.5 to 0.7. Semi-peripheral districts are located within the radius of 50-75 km and their Іr values range from 0.3 to 0.5. Peripheral districts are located at the furthest distance from the regional centre, and their Іr values are below 0.3. Because the correlation between the distance from the regional center and index value for some districts was not consistent with the general pattern, two subtypes of districts were also added – core and ancillary. The authors demonstrate that the impact of the regional capital on the socio-economic development of administrative districts decreases with their increasing distance from the regional center. The level of socio-economic development in districts depends, on the one hand, on the strength of impulses generated by the regional center, and on the other hand, is determined by the local economic capacity and ability to absorb the impacts of the regional center and other local growth poles.


1993 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 291-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Hayhoe

China's present leadership sees universities as being of key importance for the country's economic development and for its relationship with Western countries. This is a kind of two-edged sword. On the one hand, considerable support and encouragement for scientific and technological development is provided, together with pressures for scientific findings to be applied to specific economic development needs. On the other, the reflective and theoretical social sciences and the humanities are being purged of Western influences in efforts to mobilize all resources against what is seen as the Western strategy of fostering “peaceful evolution” towards capitalism. The kinds of tension that arise out of this highly contradictory situation are severe.


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