Showing papers in "International Journal of Social Economics in 1974"
TL;DR: This paper measured the impacts of five parasitic diseases on mortality and natality, school attendance and academic performance of children, and labor productivity on a rural plantation, and in an urban light manufacturing plant in St Lucia, West Indies.
Abstract: This study sought to measure the impacts of five parasitic diseases on (1) mortality and natality, (2) school attendance and academic performance of children, (3) labor productivity on a rural plantation, and in an urban light‐manufacturing plant — all in St. Lucia, West Indies.
50 citations
TL;DR: The authors argued that the problem of pollution is not one of eliminating it, but of finding the "optimum" amount of pollution, allowing for the costs, as well as the benefits, of pollution abatement.
Abstract: “… economists do not see the problem of pollution as one of eliminating it, but of finding the “optimum” amount of pollution, allowing for the costs, as well as the benefits, of pollution abatement. To most scientists, by contrast, the problems of pollution are purely technical problems—i.e. how does one eliminate it; not how much should one reduce it? To listen to some scientists on the question of water pollution, for example, one gets the firm impression that they regard the proper objective of policy as being to eliminate pollution entirely, and the costs side of the story enters into it only insofar as it means that they have difficulty in achieving this objective”.
7 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the training of the individual and the Government's role in assisting this training over the period 1917 to 1973 were analysed. But the focus was on the individual training.
Abstract: Industrial training in Great Britain has been analysed in an article in the previous issue of this journal. Here we would like to concentrate on the training of the individual and the Government's role in assisting this training over the period 1917 to 1973.
4 citations
TL;DR: Equal pay for women has a history of policy declarations dating back in Great Britain to the resolution of the Trades Union Congress in 1888: “In the opinion of this Congress it is desirable, in the interests of both men and women, that in trades where women do the same work as men, they shall receive the same pay as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Equal Pay—Objectives and Achievement Equal pay for women has a history of policy declarations dating back in Great Britain to the resolution of the Trades Union Congress in 1888: “That in the opinion of this Congress it is desirable, in the interests of both men and women, that in trades where women do the same work as men, they shall receive the same pay.” On an international level the International Labour Organisation included the concept of “equal remuneration for work of equal value” in its constitution adopted in 1919, reiterating the principle in Convention 100 in 1951, which was not however ratified by this country until 1971, one year after the passage of the Equal Pay Act. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that “everyone, without distinction, has the right to equal pay for equal work”, with a more precise definition in its 1967 Declation on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, “that all appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure to women,… the right to equal remuneration with men and to equality of treatment in respect of work of equal value”. In contrast, under Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome member states of the European Economic Community are required to “ensure and subsequently maintain the application of the principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work”.
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present some evidence on the wage-price-unemployment behavior in selected industrialised countries and discuss theoretical and empirical results which have led to the conclusion that monetary and fiscal policies will not be adequate to meet the current inflationary problems.
Abstract: 1. INTRODUCTION The recent proliferation of literature on the problems inherent in inflation, unemployment and incomes policy does not lag far behind the rate of inflation that initially prompted it. Before we get into the discussion of incomes and prices policies, it will be advisable to (a) present some evidence on the wage‐price‐unemployment behaviour in selected industrialised countries and (b) discuss theoretical and empirical results which have led to the conclusion that monetary and fiscal policies will not be adequate to meet the current inflationary problems. The first should provide substance to the claim that inflation has increased over time and has now become a more critical problem; the second should throw some light on the nature of current controversy on inflation and why mixed economies should need to supplement monetary and fiscal policies by other policies to provide themselves with a better trade‐off between inflation and unemployment. Accordingly, we will (1) describe recent wage‐price‐unemployment experience in selected industrialised countries, (2) discuss theoretical and empirical issues involved in the study of wage‐price‐unemployment behaviour, and (3) present the rationale advanced for an incomes policy, and discuss the past experiences of countries which have experimented with incomes policies and conclude with the suggestion that incomes policy and manpower policy be considered as complementary.
4 citations
TL;DR: In 1970, the median earnings of American women employed on a full-time basis were approximately 60 percent of men's earnings as mentioned in this paper, a figure that is sometimes used without qualification, tending to cloud the problem of equal pay for equal work.
Abstract: In 1970, the median earnings of American women employed on a full‐time basis were approximately 60 percent of men's earnings. This figure, taken from the Current Population Reports of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is circulated widely by individuals concerned with pay inequities in the labor market. Unfortunately, it is sometimes used without qualification, tending to cloud the problem of equal pay for equal work. Some writers fail to mention that the Commerce Department's figure relates to all workers in diverse occupations.
4 citations
TL;DR: In economics, a theory is a hypothesis that has been confirmed or established by observation or experiment, and is propounded or accepted as accounting for the known facts as discussed by the authors, which is a loose or general sense: a hypothesis proposed as an explanation; hence, a mere hypothesis, speculation, conjecture; an idea or set of ideas about something.
Abstract: Those who would become economists today have the choice of two ideologies, the one maintaining that the inner laws of the capitalist system are equilibrating and maximizing; the other, that they doom that system to self‐destruction. In the natural sciences, a theory is ‘a hypothesis that has been confirmed or established by observation or experiment, and is propounded or accepted as accounting for the known facts.’ (Third definition in the Shorter OED.) By contrast, in economics it is used, ‘In loose or general sense: A hypothesis proposed as an explanation; hence, a mere hypothesis, speculation, conjecture; an idea or set of ideas about something …’ (OED fifth definition).
4 citations
TL;DR: There does, however, appear to be an increasing recognition of the need for the development of a new approach to economic and social policy and problems that could, for the want of a better expression be termed socioeconomic in character as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The term or title ‘social economics’ is by no means a new one, the American J. M. Clark, for example, used it as the title of a book published in 1936, and indeed there has been Hagenbuch's Cambridge Economics Handbook of that title first published in 1958. There does, however, appear to be an increasing recognition of the need for the development of a new approach to economic and social policy and problems that could, for the want of a better expression be termed socioeconomic in character. The evidence for this suggestion can be gathered from the very rapid growth of economic literature in the last few years dedicated to methodological problems and doubts about the wisdom of current trends, developments and values in the main discipline of economics. This increase of “anti‐economics” literature, of course provides only a negative rationale, but it can be seen to be in itself broadly reflective of certain fundamental changes in the nature of the social and economic parameters in contemporary advanced industrial society. Changes, it will be argued, that require a different and more integrated kind of social science approach to problems and policies than has hitherto been developed.
4 citations
TL;DR: Among some commentators abroad, Australia enjoys a reputation as a country in which the three cornered suspension afforded by conciliation and arbitration machinery has assisted both sense and sensibility in wage fixation.
Abstract: Among some commentators abroad, Australia enjoys a reputation as a country in which the “three cornered suspension” afforded by conciliation and arbitration machinery has assisted both sense and sensibility in wage fixation. (Though Australians may sometimes feel that the arbitration system is not without honour save in its own country.) In the light of international interest in Australian wage determination, it may therefore be useful to examine Australian progress towards equal pay for women.
2 citations
TL;DR: The present situation in development economics is described by A. Karmack in the following way: There is a split between those economists and econometricians who believe that quantification is so important that they quantify all those things that are particularly irrelevant and those economists who deal with the problems of the day and believe that the existing theory is irrelevant and resort to "insights", intuitions or other non quantifiable factors as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The present situation in development economics is described by A. Karmack in the following way: There is said to be a split between those economists and econometricians who believe that quantification is so important that they quantify all those things that are particularly irrelevant and those economists who deal with the problems of the day and believe that the existing theory is irrelevant and resort to “insights”, intuitions or other non quantifiable factors.
2 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the relevance of income distribution data for the explanation of consumer behaviour, the data have lent support, and together they have suggested that the process is reciprocal, and consumer behaviour and analysis should help in the spelling out of theories capable of explaining evolving patterns in income distributions.
Abstract: Contemporary resurgence of interest in human capital has both analytic and empirical origins. Analysis has increasingly emphasised the need to consider both stocks and flows; in principle, every good is a capital good and labour is no exception. Modern theories of consumer behaviour, with their stress on long‐term planning particularise this viewpoint. These same theories have suggested the relevance of income distribution data for the explanation of consumer behaviour, the data have lent support, and together they have suggested that the process is reciprocal. Consumer behaviour and analysis should help in the spelling out of theories capable of explaining evolving patterns in income distributions.
TL;DR: A number of criticisms of the traditional pattern of industry-based apprenticeship training as the main method of preparing young people for skilled work have been made in Britain on the grounds that such on-the-job training was comparatively inefficient, that there was little form of quality control to ensure a reasonable standard of training, and that it fostered restrictive practices by increasing the barriers between skilled trade and another as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The period since the Second World War has been one in which almost all Western countries have accepted the maintenance of a high level of employment as one of the first principles of economic policy. However, this has generally meant, inter alia, shortages of skilled manpower. Of course, Britain is not the only country to have suffered from such shortages nor the only one to be concerned at the apparent inability of the existing voluntary training arrangements to solve the problem. Severe criticisms of the traditional pattern of industry‐based apprenticeship training as the main method of preparing young people for skilled work have been made in Britain on the grounds that such on‐the‐job training was comparatively inefficient, that there was little form of quality control to ensure a reasonable standard of training, and that it fostered restrictive practices by increasing the barriers between one skilled trade and another. Criticisms were also voiced that too many employers were merely content to ‘poach’ skilled labour rather than carry out the necessary training themselves and that formal apprenticeship agreements were mainly limited to males in certain craft trades which tended to deprive females and males entering other occupations of systematic training.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present some observations on the distinctive characteristics of wage structure in France and compare them with the four major countries of the Common Market prior to its enlargement, in order to discover how far recent changes in the French situation and possibly in that of the other countries have either tended to produce a convergence between their pay structures or reinforced international differences.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present some observations on the distinctive characteristics of wage structure in France. These observations will be set out in two parts. Firstly, the changing pattern of wage structure in French industry during recent years will be examined. Secondly, comparisons will be made between the structure of wages in France and in the four major countries of the Common Market prior to its enlargement. The objective is to discover how far recent changes in the French situation and possibly in that of the other countries have either tended to produce a convergence between their pay structures or, on the other hand, have reinforced international differences.
TL;DR: The aim of economic synthesis is to develop the economic science by integrating institutional and pure theory and (b) genetic economic history and economic theory as mentioned in this paper, and the aim of "economic synthesis" is to
Abstract: The aim of “economic synthesis” is to develop the economic science by integrating (a) institutional and “pure” theory and (b) genetic economic history and economic theory.
TL;DR: Not everyone will accept the validity of the statement made by G. Routh in the first number of the International Journal of Social Economics as mentioned in this paper, but they do accept the claim made by Routh.
Abstract: Not everyone will accept the validity of the statement made by G. Routh in the first number of the International Journal of Social Economics that:
TL;DR: The desirability of economic growth has been discussed in this article, with the limited purpose of commenting on some issues raised in Beckerman's paper "The Desireability of Economic Growth".
Abstract: This paper has the limited purpose of commenting on some issues raised in Beckerman's paper ‘The desirability of economic growth’. Beckerman's paper is inspired by a desire to correct what he conceives to be the ‘exaggerated’ and ‘over simplified’ view of the so‐called anti‐growth school, particularly as presented by Mishan.