http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/eco Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:36:33 -0400 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:36:33 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1924/ethics-of-the-far-future-why-longtermism-does-not-imply-anti-capitalism By Nathaniel Peutherer - It has recently been argued that longtermism it at odds with capitalism. It is said that while longtermism places great emphasis on the value of far future benefits, capitalism neglects the future by favouring short-term gains. Therefore, those who are sympathetic to longtermism should support an anti-capitalist solution. In this article, I argue that after we make this claim more precise it becomes clear that anti-capitalism is not the only solution for longtermists. Instead, they can adopt Schwartz’s capitalist reforms centred around the legal basis for a corporation to act as an immortal... Tue, 30 Nov 2021 09:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1924/ethics-of-the-far-future-why-longtermism-does-not-imply-anti-capitalism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1915/performance-of-class-in-the-socioeconomic-institutions-of-early-medieval-ireland By Jack R.T. Corp - Early medieval Irish society operated on an elaborate power structure formalized by law, practiced through social interaction, and maintained by tacit exploitation of the lower orders. This paper investigates the materialization of class hierarchies through the lived experiences of rural communities and the transient classifications of authority between peasants and commoners enforced by elite groups. Early Ireland’s hierarchical system refers to rank, a “perceived” construct perpetuated through expressions of prestige and ritual performance, but not to political authority, which... Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1915/performance-of-class-in-the-socioeconomic-institutions-of-early-medieval-ireland http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1909/grand-narrative-fragmented-reality-the-belt-and-road-initiative-in-heilongjiang-province By Gabriel Wagner - Most analysts agree that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is set to become a defining feature of the global economy of the 21st century. However, there is wide-ranging debate about how to understand the BRI. Is it a top-down “grand strategy” directed by Xi Jinping, or just an umbrella term for a wide range of fragmented individual projects? This paper examines the “Three Bridges One Island” (三桥一岛) initiative in Heilongjiang province to shed light on this question. The findings suggest that official policy narratives about the BRI are indeed dictated... Tue, 21 Sep 2021 07:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1909/grand-narrative-fragmented-reality-the-belt-and-road-initiative-in-heilongjiang-province http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1906/turning-crisis-into-opportunity-how-global-economic-institutions-can-use-covid-19-to-address-global-challenges By Nicolas Verbeek - The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated current global challenges. However, this article argues that this time of crisis can also be a unique opportunity for the existing global economic institutions - G20, WTO, IMF, and World Bank (WB) - to make the necessary improvements that are needed to effectively address the global challenges of our time. First and foremost, these challenges include the immediate health crisis, climate change, and global inequality. The opportunity has come to become effective altruists, that is, to do the best possible for people who are worse off at a moderate cost to oneself... Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1906/turning-crisis-into-opportunity-how-global-economic-institutions-can-use-covid-19-to-address-global-challenges http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1903/from-flourishing-industrial-slavocracy-to-restrictive-tenancy-and-re-enslavement-the-southern-labor-force-before-and-after-the-civil-war By Mang Lu - Some scholars of American history suggest the institution of slavery was dying out on the eve of the Civil War, implying the Civil War was fought over more generic, philosophical states' rights principles rather than slavery itself. Economic evidence shows this conclusion is largely incorrect; the industrial slavocracy of the south was thriving—Southern aristocrats had every reason to fight the prospect of abolition, for the Southern economy and capital structure was almost exclusively on the ownership of Black men and women. After the war, repression continued through economic means, as... Tue, 25 May 2021 09:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1903/from-flourishing-industrial-slavocracy-to-restrictive-tenancy-and-re-enslavement-the-southern-labor-force-before-and-after-the-civil-war http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1878/commodifying-nature-reflections-of-hegemony-in-ecotourism By Amna Abudyak - This paper will attempt to link fundamental ideas and terms of environmental sociology in the context of ecotourism relating to human society and conceptions of nature. Furthermore, connections to neo-Marxist and neo-Gramscian theories will be made. As humans’ urban “habitats” grow exponentially, the relationship between tourism (i.e. ecotourism) and the naturework associated with the industry becomes increasingly important on the environmental, political, and cultural levels. As the tourists flows primarily from the Global North to the Global South are investigated sociologically... Thu, 18 Feb 2021 08:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1878/commodifying-nature-reflections-of-hegemony-in-ecotourism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1858/the-lingering-influence-of-revolutionary-political-discourse-from-the-civil-war-and-reconstruction-era By Bhadrajee S. Hewage - The Civil War was a seminal moment in the historical development in the United States. The American Revolution may have created the U.S. as a sovereign nation, but the Civil War helped to determine what kind of nation America would become. The Reconstruction era, from Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation to Hayes's removal of federal troops from the South in 1877, further defined how exactly the U.S. would evolve into the nation that it is today. By examining the attitudes towards the extension of slavery in the pre-war U.S., the decisions taken by the Union and Confederate governments during... Fri, 08 Jan 2021 10:45 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1858/the-lingering-influence-of-revolutionary-political-discourse-from-the-civil-war-and-reconstruction-era http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1843/a-postcolonial-theory-of-value-broadening-economic-scholarship-through-disciplinary-mimetic-valuation By David L. Myers - This work aims to integrate postcolonial scholarship into some basic theoretical foundations of a mainstream economic curriculum. Noting the insufficiencies of neoclassical economics to deal with problems of cultural difference and priority, the work offers a basic critique of economics and its aspirations for universal applicability. It does this by building upon existing postcolonial critiques of economics as a social science and focuses specifically on economic notions of value. Using postcolonial and anthropological scholarship, it sketches out a broader, more inclusive theory of value than... Tue, 24 Nov 2020 10:49 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1843/a-postcolonial-theory-of-value-broadening-economic-scholarship-through-disciplinary-mimetic-valuation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1820/flipping-the-cultural-script-papaya-soap-and-skin-color-stratification-in-the-philippines By Aimiel Trisha W. Casillan - Centuries of subjugation under Spanish and American colonial rule have embedded an idealistic view of white beauty in the minds of Filipinos. It continues to be deeply rooted in Philippine culture due to the constant exposure of Filipina bodies to the advertisements of the massive skin lightening industry. Papaya soap, one of the many objects produced by the industry, has perpetuated social stratification in the Philippines. In the following critique, I explore the origins of papaya soap while using a feminist consumerist lens to reveal how it has been marketed to promote a colonial mindset of... Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1820/flipping-the-cultural-script-papaya-soap-and-skin-color-stratification-in-the-philippines http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1812/redemption-and-reconciliation-in-oedipus-at-colonus-and-gran-torino-a-comparative-reading By Linda Gao - This paper presents a comparative analysis of Oedipus at Colonus, a play written by the ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles, and Gran Torino, an American film directed by Clint Eastwood. The two literary productions, although remote as they seem, contain significant parallels and similarities that reveal trans-temporal themes of human life. The paper first analyzes the shared arc of narrative: both stories depict the journey of alienated, polluted sinners moving away from isolation and sin; by attaining humbleness, re-establishing social relationships, and atoning externally for their past sins,... Thu, 08 Oct 2020 07:22 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1812/redemption-and-reconciliation-in-oedipus-at-colonus-and-gran-torino-a-comparative-reading http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1794/the-impact-of-economic-complexity-on-productive-structure-and-income-inequality-in-indonesia-and-venezuela By Osama Siddiq - Recent work with the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) has shown that a country’s productive structure constrains its level of economic growth and income inequality. Building on previous research that identified an increasing gap between Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with that of China and other High Performing East Asian Economies (HPEA), this paper compares how the diverging productive structures of the Venezuelan and Indonesian economies have impacted the generation and distribution of income in each country. I use time-series regression analysis to show the impact of economic complexity... Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1794/the-impact-of-economic-complexity-on-productive-structure-and-income-inequality-in-indonesia-and-venezuela http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1752/women-and-globalization-the-impact-of-increased-womens-economic-rights-on-globalization By Liam F. Kerr - Globalization is generally studied as a process that extensively impacts nations and peoples across every aspect of society. Empirical and theoretical research largely focuses on this effect, seeking to discover the impact of an increasingly globalized world on the rights and circumstances of historically disadvantaged peoples, particularly women. While research suggests a mixed verdict on the positive and negative results of globalization for women, there is generally a paucity of research on whether an increase in women’s economic rights might enhance globalization, measured by global... Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1752/women-and-globalization-the-impact-of-increased-womens-economic-rights-on-globalization http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1746/is-medical-debt-a-social-determinant-of-health By Vikrant Bhatnagar - Medical Debt has largely been viewed as a financial burden. While studies have linked Medical Debt to decreased savings, reduced health access, foreclosure of homes, and loss of income, there has been little to no research exploring Medical Debt’s effect as a social determinant of health. While Medicaid expansion via the Affordable Care Act has decreased overall Medical Debt, data on this phenomenon fails to adequately address the broader issue: the need to isolate statistically Medical Debt’s association with patient access to care. A sensible first step to explore this phenomenon... Tue, 30 Oct 2018 09:51 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1746/is-medical-debt-a-social-determinant-of-health http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1743/can-the-value-proposition-work-in-health-care By Frederick J. White - The value proposition in the commercial setting is the functional relationship of quality and price. It is held to be a utility maximizing function of the relationship between buyer and seller. Its proponents assert that translation of the value proposition into the health care system of the United States is a necessary and perhaps indispensable solution to the current structural difficulties of health services delivery in our nation. But the application of the value proposition to health care delivery in the United States will meet with difficulty for a myriad of reasons. Some of these are inherent... Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1743/can-the-value-proposition-work-in-health-care http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1731/newspaper-coverage-of-the-mau-mau-movement-a-constructivist-argument By Esme Trahair - On February 14th, 1965, just one week before he was assassinated, Malcolm X delivered a speech in Detroit. He spoke about his beliefs concerning segregation and civil rights, and made a point of contextualizing the civil rights movement globally. Toward the beginning of the speech, he mentioned the Mau Mau in Kenya, and stated that they had "played a major role in bringing about freedom for Kenya, and not only for Kenya but other African countries," adding that "what [they] did frightened the white man."[1] He was not the only civil rights leader to speak of this movement,[2] and in fact,... Wed, 21 Mar 2018 02:47 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1731/newspaper-coverage-of-the-mau-mau-movement-a-constructivist-argument http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1729/japan-at-work-in-the-21st-century-an-analysis-of-developing-labor-practices-in-japan-and-institutional-barriers-to-reform By Gregory A. Fedorov - Devastated by an economic collapse at the end of the 20th century, Japan’s economy entered a decade long period of stagnation. Now, Japan has found stable leadership, but attempts at new economic growth have fallen through. A combination of public desire for economic security through lifetime employment, reliance on “economic bureaucracy” of large corporations and pressure from international powers have left Prime Minister Shinzo Abe few options for fulfilling his “Abenomics” dream. Japanese leaders have continuously attempted to restructure the economy in an effort... Thu, 08 Mar 2018 09:44 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1729/japan-at-work-in-the-21st-century-an-analysis-of-developing-labor-practices-in-japan-and-institutional-barriers-to-reform http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1721/the-changing-arena-of-power-contestation-between-the-state-and-chaebols-in-south-korea-democracy-and-the-ascent-of-legal-institutions By Tan A. Seng - The growth of the South Korean economy has often been attributed to the rise of Chaebols, or family owned businesses with wide-ranging conglomeratelike economic interests. The embeddedness of the Chaebol in Korea's political economy has allowed them to emerge as a major actor, with significant influence in the political arena – as a result of their role as stabilizers of the economy. This is a significant development, considering the relatively weaker position of the Chaebol vis-à-vis the state, under authoritarian rule. With democratization and their association with South Korea'... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1721/the-changing-arena-of-power-contestation-between-the-state-and-chaebols-in-south-korea-democracy-and-the-ascent-of-legal-institutions http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1722/old-history-in-the-new-cuba-exploring-the-legacy-of-race-and-economic-inequality-on-the-island-today By Elizabeth L. Drake - After the fall of the USSR, the Cuban government implemented temporary economic liberalization policy reforms that remain today.3 Under Raúl Castro's leadership the economy continues to expand.4 However, as the economy broadens by moving towards a free-market model, there is an increase in both economic and social exclusivity stemming from the racist history of slavery on the island. Thus, Afro-Cubans lack the ability to participate in the free market aspect of the Cuban economy, placing them at an economic disadvantage. While current literature discusses Cuba in terms of either economic... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1722/old-history-in-the-new-cuba-exploring-the-legacy-of-race-and-economic-inequality-on-the-island-today http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1724/mnc-decision-making-under-sanctions-south-africa-and-rhodesia By Yuichiro Kakutani - By using an incentives/disincentives model to map the divergent behaviors of multinational corporations (MNCs) confronted by a sanctioned economy, I explain why some economic sanctions work better than others at achieving their desired political outcomes. When presented with the opportunity to "run the blockade," MNCs are incentivized to sanction bust by the allure of higher profit through rent extraction. At the same time, MNCs are disincentivized to sanction bust by the penalties for breaking the sanction, but only if MNCs believe sanction busting operations is inconspicuous enough to avoid... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1724/mnc-decision-making-under-sanctions-south-africa-and-rhodesia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1705/theoretical-utilisation-of-biological-warfare-from-aquatic-invasive-species By Richard J. Neale - The Peruvian population became infected from eating shellfish that had ingested plankton, and from drinking or bathing in water supplies drawn directly out of the rivers which at best had only minimal processing. It worked its way inland, and was spread faster due to massive overcrowding, whilst the waters themselves spread along the coastline. The lack of water purification, chlorination protocols, insufficient infrastructure with regards to medical facilities and waste disposal, coupled with minimal international support lead to 4,000 deaths within a matter of weeks, with a further 393,000 contracting... Thu, 16 Nov 2017 11:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1705/theoretical-utilisation-of-biological-warfare-from-aquatic-invasive-species http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1653/commercialization-and-discontent-on-the-american-farm-the-farmers-movements-of-the-late-19th-and-early-20th-centuries By Zachary D. Blizard - Nevertheless, the Agrarian Revolt puzzles economic historians because several of the supposed primary causes fail to align with the historical facts. This has prompted some economic historians to delve deeper into the fundamental source of the farmers’ unhappiness, which has resulted in findings that suggest the influence of commercialization was at the heart of the real issue (Mayhew, 1972, pp. 469-475). The causes of the farmers’ despondency in the 1920s undoubtedly differs and yet resembles the Agrarian Revolt in various superficial details; nonetheless, the ultimate cause of the... Tue, 10 Oct 2017 08:42 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1653/commercialization-and-discontent-on-the-american-farm-the-farmers-movements-of-the-late-19th-and-early-20th-centuries http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1643/nature-or-culture-the-anthropocene-as-social-narrative By Kelly Power - Is it possible to objectively define the Anthropocene? This essay argues that whether or not it is precisely definable as a geological epoch, its true value, as a concept grounded in futurity, lies within the social realm. The origins of the term are discussed and several hypotheses for defining the Anthropocene are considered. These are linked to earlier accounts of human influence over the environment. Next, the universality of the Anthropocene narrative is challenged, with an emphasis on its cultural and social dimensions. This critique does not seek to diminish its value but refocus it, stressing... Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1643/nature-or-culture-the-anthropocene-as-social-narrative http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1633/how-have-corruption-scandals-and-president-roussefs-impeachment-in-brazil-impacted-its-economy By Flvia Bedicks - In 2009, Brazil was in the path to become a superpower. Immune to the economic crises of 2008, the country's economy benefitted from the commodity boom, achieving a growth rate of 7.5 per cent in 2010, when Rousseff was elected. A few years later, nonetheless, Brazil's boom turned into an economic bust. In 2014, the largest corruption scandal in its history denounced the involvement of major politicians, including then-President Rousseff, in schemes of money laundering. In this essay, I analyze the impacts of such scandals and Rousseff's impeachment on the Brazilian economy. I argue that these... Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1633/how-have-corruption-scandals-and-president-roussefs-impeachment-in-brazil-impacted-its-economy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1627/hegemonic-overreach-in-the-british-empire-economic-distress-strategic-imperative-and-the-fall-of-singapore By Peter Bennett-Koufie - Since the end of the Second World War, scholars of British military history have busied themselves with attempts to explain the British defeat at Singapore to Japan in February 1942. Research reveals that there existed what Peden has called an “imbalance between limited military power and extensive commitments” in the interwar era.[1] Put simply, the economic and military resources at Britain’s disposal were incommensurate with the scale of effort required to adequately defend her empire. This raises the question of why such an imbalance existed. One prominent explanation is... Wed, 19 Apr 2017 09:13 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1627/hegemonic-overreach-in-the-british-empire-economic-distress-strategic-imperative-and-the-fall-of-singapore http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1602/obama-and-the-economic-recovery-keynesian-policies-gridlock-and-the-new-global-economy By Ayodele Aruleba - The Obama presidency will largely be defined by the administration’s ability to respond to the unique and historic challenge facing the country at the time of his inauguration: the Great Recession. This paper evaluates the president’s success throughout both of his terms in enacting an economic policy, which was largely defined by an embrace of Keynesian economics and more stringent regulations on the financial services industry, but simultaneously highlights the institutional limitations facing the president on influencing the economy. By assessing the administration’s efforts... Fri, 31 Mar 2017 11:01 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1602/obama-and-the-economic-recovery-keynesian-policies-gridlock-and-the-new-global-economy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1526/the-effect-of-dodd-frank-on-the-profitability-of-community-banks-an-econometric-model By Alexandra R. Larch - This study examines the effects of the Dodd-Frank Act on community banks in the Northeastern region of the United States. Using annual financial data from years 2010 to 2014 gathered on 82 banks, a regression equation is estimated using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique described by Arellano and Bover (1995). The dependent variables are return on equity, return on assets, and net interest margin. The independent variables can be placed into the three categories: regulation determinants, profitability variables, and macroeconomic indicators. The results indicate regulations have... Fri, 03 Feb 2017 10:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1526/the-effect-of-dodd-frank-on-the-profitability-of-community-banks-an-econometric-model http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1517/navigating-the-leftist-spectrum-in-argentina-an-economic-classification-of-the-kirchner-era By Matt Finkel - Argentina’s economic policies under Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were hugely impactful in the country’s recovery and general development, yet the Kirchner administrations are often painted with the same broad leftist brush often used to categorize Latin American governments. This kind of blanketed cataloguing obscures the economic nuances of important features of Argentina’s governance like social safety nets, market openness, and property rights. This report will classify Kirchnerism in a more appropriate context, measured against economic policy... Sun, 08 Jan 2017 03:10 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1517/navigating-the-leftist-spectrum-in-argentina-an-economic-classification-of-the-kirchner-era http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1563/latin-americas-female-prisoner-problem-how-the-war-on-drugs-feminization-of-poverty-and-female-liberation-contribute-to-mass-incarceration-of-women By Gretchen Cloutier - According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the number of women in prisons in Latin America has almost doubled since the 1990s. Most women in prison are incarcerated for drug related crimes, and although women are still a minority within the prison population, the number of women behind bars is growing disproportionately in comparison to men. Simultaneously, Latin American states are implementing harsh drug criminalization policies in accordance with the global War on Drugs. Scholars have theorized that women commit crimes due to both societal liberation and out of economic necessity... Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1563/latin-americas-female-prisoner-problem-how-the-war-on-drugs-feminization-of-poverty-and-female-liberation-contribute-to-mass-incarceration-of-women http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1509/commercialization-of-biochar-and-the-benefits-for-climate-change-and-agriculture By Nate D. Van Beilen - Biochar is biomass that has been converted into charcoal through the pyrolysis process. Biochar is applied into soils for carbon sequestration or for improving soil fertility. The carbon bonds in biochar are very stable and do not break down easily which makes biochar a long term carbon storage solution. The physical structure of biochar improves soil fertility by decreasing soil tensile strength and bulk density. Biochar also acts as a soil aggregate which provides habitat for microorganisms. Additionally, the porosity of biochar improves nutrient and water retention in soils thereby improving... Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1509/commercialization-of-biochar-and-the-benefits-for-climate-change-and-agriculture http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1512/the-asean-experience-northeast-asia-and-beyond-free-trade-and-economic-integration By Aik Seng Tan - Economic regionalism has been an observable phenomenon worldwide. Many countries around the world pursue some degree of economic integration with neighbouring countries, in the hopes of capitalizing on the benefits of such an arrangement. At the turn of the 21st century, there already existed various regional economic institutions, including the highly integrated Eurozone in Europe and the East African Community (EAC) for continental Africa. This is in addition to a proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) between countries, which can be regional or cross regional in nature. Many... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1512/the-asean-experience-northeast-asia-and-beyond-free-trade-and-economic-integration