Economic-geographical assessment of the demographic situation and economic potential of the inter-capital Belarusian-Russian borderlands

Geographic research of the phenomenon of inter-capital space of the Belarusian-Russian border region is an actual research area problem for the socio-economic geography of Belarus and Russia. This is due to the objective need to develop mechanisms of overcoming the demographic and economic peripherality of the region and embedding regional economic systems of border regions into the system of local relations. The purpose of the research is to identify the current distinctive features of the demographic and economic development of the inter-capital space of the Belarusian-Russian border region with the establishment of its niche from the point of the central-peripheral approach. During the analysis of the demographic situation of the inter-capital space of the Belarusian-Russian borderlands, it was established that, generally, in 1999–2019, its main feature was peripherality with the three zones established – the central demographic periphery, the buffer demographic periphery and the demographic semi-periphery – with a predominance in the structure of the first zone. Geographically, the central periphery zone is formed mainly by the rural borderland areas. According to the results of the analysis of the industrial development level, it was discovered that the inter-capital space of the Belarusian-Russian borderlands is characterised by a high degree of spatial inequality due to the development of large industrial centers around the existing periphery. This research had established a spatial differentiation of the transportation accessibility (by the connectivity of administrative centers of the borderlands) and the productivity of road transportation. The economicgeographical analysis of the foreign trade had revealed the diversity of directions and intensity of foreign goods trade between the Belarusian-Russian borderlands, mainly expressed in the predominance of the export-oriented regions with the per capita foreign trade turnover estimated at up to 2000 US dollars.

Lifestyle diseases: Health in the contemporary city

The article presents an overview of studies of the factors that affect health in the contemporary city. The increase in the urban population makes it necessary to analyze factors (environmental, social, etc.) and features of the urban structure in terms of their impact on the quality and standards of living. However, assessments of the city in the study of healthy lifestyle are contradictory. On the one hand, researchers emphasize the availability of medical care, effective fight against infectious diseases, and numerous attempts to transform the visual urban space. On the other hand, researchers stress the spatial inequality of the urban structure (for example, in access to health care), the spread of noncommunicable and lifestyle diseases in cities, the destruction of social ties and the problem of loneliness. Therefore, it is necessary to systematize the current research, identify the main risks of urban lifestyle, and discuss the role of social sciences in such interdisciplinary studies. The proposed typology of health research in the contemporary city is based on Yu.P. Lisitsyns ratio of factors that determine the level of health. Although many studies claim an integrated approach, the analysis showed that most of them present one of three approaches: the study of sanitary-hygienic features of the urban space (or its medical aspects); the study of ecology and architecture of the urban space; the study of social-psychological features of the urban lifestyle. The systematization of the main risks of the urban lifestyle allowed the author to identify the priority areas of its study. Thus, based on the features of the covid-19 pandemic in cities, the author argues that there is a need for more active participation of sociologists in the discussion of both infectious and non-communicable diseases, which should focus on social factors of their spread, course, prevention and control.

Latin American Integration Route and the state of Mato Grosso do Sul: productive characterization, threats, and possibilities of promotion

The Latin American Integration Route (RILA) corresponds to the materialization of an old desire to integrate the peoples of South America. This route will connect important municipalities in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), it will connect important municipalities, and bring opportunities and threats. The objective of the study was to analyze the productive structure of the municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul that will be directly affected by the RILA to better understand this process. For this purpose, we used an Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (Spatial EDA) and the spatial Locational Quotient (sLQ) of the sectorial jobs of the municipalities of the State. The results point out a spatial inequality in productive sectors, delimiting "sectorial islands". In the industrial sector, the northeastern regions and the surroundings of the capital, Campo Grande, stand out. The northeast region of the State also stands out in the Civil Construction sector and, together with the north-central part of the MS, in the agriculture and livestock sector. In the trade sector, the southern region of the MS stands out, with proximity to Paraguay. In the services sector, there is a relative concentration in the capital and the extreme south of the State. In conclusion, we point out the urgent need for public policies to expand opportunities and mitigate the threats of integration managed by the route.

The Effect of Community Socioeconomic Context on High School Attendance in China: A Generalized Propensity Score Approach

Many developing countries have experienced increasing spatial inequality, but little is known about the effect of community disadvantages on educational attainment in these societies. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (2010–2016), I examine the effect of community socioeconomic status (SES) on the transition into high school in urban and rural China, and I explore several mechanisms explaining the community effects. I adopt the generalized propensity score method to estimate the potential probability of high school entrance at different levels of community SES. Results show that community SES is positively associated with high school attendance in both urban and rural China, and the relationship is stronger in more disadvantaged communities in both contexts. In urban areas, the effect of community SES is partly attributable to collective socialization and children’s academic performance. In rural areas, spatial accessibility to high schools and children’s academic performance are the salient mechanisms.

Investigating the political economy of the territory: The contradictory responses of organisations to spatial inequality

The spatial imaginations of organisations can be particularly insightful for examining power relations. However, only recently they have gone beyond the limits of the workplace, demonstrating the role of the territory for organised action, particularly in mobilising solidarity for resistance. In this article, I investigate power relations revealed by the political economy of the territory to explain contradictory actions undertaken by organisations. Specifically, I adopt the theoretical framework of the noted Brazilian geographer Milton Santos, who recognises spatial multiplicity and fragmentation while maintaining an appreciation of the structural conditions of the political economy. This perspective is particularly useful for the analysis of civil society organisations (CSOs) in a Brazilian favela (slum), given the context of high inequality perpetuated by the selective flows of urban development. First, I show that the history of favelas and their role in the territorial division of labour explain the profiles of existing organisations. Then, I examine how the political engagement of CSOs with distinct solidarities results in a dialectical tension that leads to both resistance based on local shared interests and the active reproduction of central spaces even if the ends are not shared. The article contributes to the literature of space and organisations by explaining how territorial dynamics mediate power relations within and across organisations, not only as resistance but also as the active reproduction of economic and political regimes.

Environmental Justice and its geographical aspects in Hungary

In recent decades, environmental justice has become a defining concept in socio-spatial inequality research, political debates, and activism. Environmental justice research, which is essentially based on theories of social and spatial justice and providesa normative framework for thinking, focuses on the unequal distribution of environmental harms and risks and their social consequences. Environmental justice research aims to explore the economic, social, health, and legal differences that individuals and groups face in their environment as a result of environmental processes, decision making, power relations, and law enforcement practices. This is largely related to the subjective perception of individuals and the perception of injustices by different actors. In the vast majority of environmental justice studies, spatiality provides a framework for interpreting and understanding environmentally unjust situations and processes. Environmental justice is therefore not only a natural, but also a socially dependent phenomenon, in which the key element is nevertheless the non-human factor (e.g. environmental events such as floods), which affects individuals and groups indifferent ways. As a result, an environmentally unjust state and situation may occur. The evolved injustices also interact with inherited spatial inequalities, existing socioeconomic systems, and the institutional structures that originally shape them. This paper summarizes the theoretical framework of environmental justice in geography and spatial sciences. The study adapts the theory of justice to post-socialist and Hungarian specificities and forms of environmental injustice, and examines decision-making processes and the perception of risks. In Hungary social problems and differences have been increasing in recent decades, and marginalisation and polarisation processes have added new spatial patterns to existing inequalities, directly and indirectly affecting environmental processes as well. Attempts at eliminating environmental injustices have resulted in new injustices, or deepened existing ones, due to the lack of a complex socio-environmental spatial approach of interventions. The solution to these injustices presupposes the effective and meaningful involvement of the affected people in policy-making and implementation processes, regardless of gender, age, origin, identity, or income. Otherwise, the unjust situation will persist and crisis areas affected by environmental injustices may develop.

Socio-spatial inequality and the impact of Covid-19 on the population of Rio de Janeiro: analyses and reflections

Resumo A Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave é uma doença causada pelo novo coronavírus, cuja disseminação em escala mundial causou a pandemia da Covid-19. Este artigo tem por base a espacialização de dados governamentais relativos à capital fluminense, combinada com entrevistas e outros tipos de informações. Parte de uma perspectiva teórica que considera a ação de diferentes agentes na contribuição dos processos socioespaciais. A elaboração deste artigo teve por base o boletim Mapa Social do Corona , realizado pelo Observatório de Favelas, entre junho e agosto de 2020, que contou com a colaboração de uma equipe interdisciplinar em parceria com diferentes instituições e profissionais. Evidenciou-se como a desigualdade socioespacial contribuiu para uma taxa maior de letalidade nos bairros populares.