Socialist Economic Development in the 21st Century

Over a hundred years after the first socialist revolution broke the global monopoly of capitalism, a new class of socialist-oriented socioeconomic development is coming to the fore. Capitalism is still dominant worldwide, although its hegemony is no longer undisputed, and humankind is now faced with a key existential challenge. This book proposes an alternative path to overcoming the worldwide crisis of globalized capitalism. It offers a novel, balanced, and historically rooted interpretation of the successes and failures of socialist economic construction throughout the last century.

Replacing place in planning history

Variations are due to happen in the course of Planning History, though there has been an unusual outburst of changes in recent times. Two factors seem to be at the outset of these changes: the crucial growth of global urbanization; and the actual tendency for cities presenting a complex of ‘place’ centralities. Undoubtedly, central to alterations in Planning History are the special conditions of contemporary society, with almost 80% of whose members living in urbanized environments. But next to it comes the extraordinary increase in the production of newly invented ‘places’ under the most diverse forms: entertainment places, themed malls, revamping of historical settings, and so on. This pervading tendency led to changes in planning attitudes, seen as historical in face of their global claims. However, many of the innovative theoretical issues now linked to the concept of place have not been thoroughly examined in the Planning area so far. Additionally, the concept is now engrossing the research interests of other disciplines, which results in important contributions being introduced to its foundational aspects, hence, establishing a transdisciplinary condition to its essence. In fact, planning theory seems now ripe to ‘replace’ its prevalent understanding of place. This paper intends to suggest some of the directions to follow in such an attempt. Methodologically, it will pursue the directions set by three types of conflicts generated by the variations: controversies, contrasts, and challenges. To approach the variations in terms of the controversies implies to realize the duality in the roles places can perform in today’s societal behaviours: a functional as well as an existential one. Indeed, for some scholars, the new invented places of today are appropriated as new places of urbanity, leading to think that we are on the brink of a situation where the perception of place can influence the perception of ‘urbanity’ – urbanity understood as that unique quality forwarded by cities to their citizens in terms of communication and sociability – ultimately entailing new ways of enjoying the urbanity cities have to offer. Contrasts associated to the variations bring to light a duality present in the Planning discipline itself. Previously, the discipline had that the sense of place would derive exclusively from society’s practices, emerging from them as a social construction, whereas today, besides being a social construction, place is also regarded as an economic construction. This is a condition that sometimes exacerbates inherent social contrasts, producing cities dotted with fragments of exception believed to act upon the urban structure as disintegrative factors evidencing latent differences. Finally, to approach the variations in terms of their challenges will direct the focus towards the planning decisions city’s administrators are faced to take when settling to embark on the placemaking + placemarketing game – or not – a challenge cities increasingly are compelled to adhere to, often at the risk of engaging on demanding competitive practices.

Study on Urban Spatial Pattern Based on DMSP/OLS and NPP/VIIRS in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

In recent years, much attention has been given to the current situation and trend regarding economic development in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), of which urbanization is an important indicator. In the present study, (i) the urbanized area is estimated using DMSP/OLS and NPP/VIIRS, (ii) the current spatial pattern and the change characteristics of typical cities are revealed, and (iii) the scale and developmental stage of major cities in the DPRK are judged through comparison. Although the DPRK is relatively closed, the financial crisis in 2008 indirectly affected its economic development, and a large gap remains between the urbanization level of the DPRK and that of China and the Republic of Korea. The large cities in the DPRK are located mainly in its eastern coastal areas and western plains, and there has been no significant expansion in Pyongyang, Chungjin, and Hamhung in the past 28 years. Although economic construction has begun again recently in the DPRK, further reform and opening are required. As the DPRK’s relations with its neighbors and countries around the world improve, its economic development and urban construction will present a new pattern.

Research on Teaching Reform of Medical Cosmetology Practice in Higher Vocational Education based on Professional Ability Training

The main task of higher vocational colleges is to train application-oriented skilled professionals for local and community economic construction and social development. Practical teaching is an indispensable part of higher vocational teaching system, and it is the most important way and means to cultivate professional quality and professional ability. It plays an important role in the education and teaching process of training high-quality technical skilled talents. According to the training objectives and employment market investigation and analysis, we believe that the professional ability should be the core in the training of medical beauty technology professionals in higher vocational colleges, and traditional teaching should be reformed, practical teaching should be emphasized, and a set of practical teaching mode should be explored. Under the condition of social market economy, it requires workers not only to have excellent technical skills, but also to have strong psychological quality, ideological quality, physical quality, aesthetic quality and role quality. This paper analyzes and summarizes the contents and implementation strategies of practical teaching of medical beauty technology specialty, in order to improve the teaching level of medical beauty technology specialty.

Application Research of Software Engineering Technology and Algorithm Optimization in the Era of Big Data

Starting from the overview of technology of big data and software engineering technology, this paper discusses the core technology of software engineering and the application of software engineering technology. In order to better follow the development trend of the times and promote social and economic construction, it is necessary to do a good job in the research of software engineering. Relevant people can analyze the application of software engineering technology from the perspective of digital information based on the background of the times, so as to promote the continuous improvement and development of software engineering technology.

Performance Evaluation of Chinese Commercial Banks Based on the Malmquist Index

Commercial banks have the function of promoting the raising and rational distribution of funds in economic construction in China. Commercial banks are also important in promoting the smooth development of socialist economic activities and the development of national economy and other socialist productive economic activities. At present, one of the biggest difficulties faced by China's commercial banks is the improvement of their efficiency and competitiveness in the face of continuous development and change. This paper establishes the efficiency evaluation model of commercial banks using the DEA-based Malmquist index; it also uses a data envelopment analysis (DEA) to analyze the financial data of nine listed banks in China from 2011 to 2020, studies the efficiency of commercial banks in China, and finds the efficiency differences. Based on empirical research, this paper puts forward corresponding suggestions. The research shows that the key to dealing with this situation depends on the banks’ effective utilization of scientific and technological innovation and technological progress. In order to achieve the goal of innovative and sustainable development of commercial banks, it is necessary to integrate the continuous developments of science and technology with finance.

The Direct and Spillover Effect of Multi-Dimensional Urbanization on PM2.5 Concentrations: A Case Study from the Chengdu-Chongqing Urban Agglomeration in China

The Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration (CUA) faces considerable air quality concerns, although the situation has improved in the past 15 years. The driving effects of population, land and economic urbanization on PM2.5 concentrations in the CUA have largely been overlooked in previous studies. The contributions of natural and socio-economic factors to PM2.5 concentrations have been ignored and the spillover effects of multi-dimensional urbanization on PM2.5 concentrations have been underestimated. This study explores the spatial dependence and trend evolution of PM2.5 concentrations in the CUA at the grid and county level, analyzing the direct and spillover effects of multi-dimensional urbanization on PM2.5 concentrations. The results show that the mean PM2.5 concentrations in CUA dropped to 48.05 μg/m3 at an average annual rate of 4.6% from 2000 to 2015; however, in 2015, there were still 91% of areas exposed to pollution risk (>35 μg/m3). The PM2.5 concentrations in 92.98% of the area have slowly decreased but are rising in some areas, such as Shimian County, Xuyong County and Gulin County. The PM2.5 concentrations in this region presented a spatial dependence pattern of “cold spots in the east and hot spots in the west”. Urbanization was not the only factor contributing to PM2.5 concentrations. Commercial trade, building development and atmospheric pressure were found to have significant contributions. The spillover effect of multi-dimensional urbanization was found to be generally stronger than the direct effects and the positive impact of land urbanization on PM2.5 concentrations was stronger than population and economic urbanization. The findings provide support for urban agglomerations such as CUA that are still being cultivated to carry out cross-city joint control strategies of PM2.5 concentrations, also proving that PM2.5 pollution control should not only focus on urban socio-economic development strategies but should be an integration of work optimization in various areas such as population agglomeration, land expansion, economic construction, natural adaptation and socio-economic adjustment.

Nomenclature as a social institution of Soviet society (to the discussion in the journal «Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya»)

The polemical style of the article is due to the appearance in the sociological literature of ideas that emphasise the enduring nature of the existence of the nomenclature as a class, inherent in both the Soviet and modern Russian state. Also, no less controversial are the ideas that reduce the function of the nomenclature exclusively to a certain mechanism for the nomination of cadres, based on the increased responsibility of party organisations for the ideological and economic policies carried out by economic bodies. The article offers a sociological and cultural-historical explanation of the nature and essence of the nomenclature as a social institution and social group inherent exclusively in the Soviet statе. The author emphasises the concrete-historical nature of this phenomenon, conditioned by the specific ideological, economic, political and social conditions of the Soviet state at the dawn of its formation and formation. The article reveals the main function of the nomenclature as a social institution, the main purpose of which was to implement and develop a new system of relations, principles and ideals of Marxism, embodied in the Soviet project. It is argued that the implementation of this goal was carried out by solving two main tasks: first, the comprehensive development of the productive forces, which was realised through the organisation of a planned economic system and the mobilisation principle of economic construction. Secondly, the preservation of the principles of interaction, the ideals and values of communist ideas, not only as a matter of course, but also, if possible, as a matter of fact. This was carried out through an ideological monopoly, which was based on a certain interpretation of Marxism and a system of agitation and propaganda built on it. The success of the nomenclature in solving these problems is emphasised. However, the article is not an apologetics of the Soviet nomenclature, since it shows the reasons for not only the «rise», but also the «fall» of the nomenclature as a power-management structure of the Soviet society. The main conclusion of the idea presented in the article is to prove the transitory nature of the existence of the nomenclature as a social institution, due to the specific economic, ideological, political and social conditions of the Soviet state, with the fall of which such a social group as nomenclature also went into oblivion. It is argued that in the new Russian state, built on completely different economic and ideological principles, the need for such a social institution has disappeared.

SEQUEL OF STEEL SHAVINGS AND FIBRES ON THE CONDUCTIVITY OF CONCRETE AND ITS PERFORMANCE PREMIUMS THEREOF

Concrete being the most important construction material has found its place in every nook and corner. The concern of Civil Engineering is to assure the most economic construction with optimum strength and serviceability. This paper deals with the use of steel shaving and steel fibre in concrete to enhance its electric conductivity. A comparative study of the properties of concrete was conducted using steel shaving only, containing steel fibre only and containing both steel shaving and steel fibers. Workability and surface finishability was also used as primary evaluation criteria. Effect on Humans due to flow of current through concrete was also considered.