The construction of social work in Brazil: a study of scientific texts

This article is a review of 50 selected peer-reviewed articles from 2004 to 2013. The texts are analysed with reference to Malcolm Payne’s model of the three-way discourse of social work, and the findings are discussed in relation to Brazil’s social and political background. The review of the articles reveals a general perspective on social work in Brazil as a profession aiming at social change through collective transformation, and a normative identity of social work as a profession with political implications. The texts written in Portuguese for a Brazilian audience are more inclined to promote explicit political perspectives on social work than the English texts. Ideological concepts such as democracy and universal rights expressed in the articles are challenged by competing views in Brazilian society. This is especially the case in discussions about the role of the third sector in Brazil. Social work as a concept cannot be taken for granted. The experience of extreme inequalities that Brazil shares with several other Latin American countries makes it necessary to consider historical and social characteristics in order to understand the analytical perspectives that national and international academics employ when studying social work in Brazil.     

Domestic Credit and Diversification of Manufactured Exports from Developing Countries

This article uses panel data to analyse the effect of domestic credit on the diversification of manufactured exports from developing countries. Given the evidence that export variety of manufactured goods affects productivity positively, the results imply that policy reforms that improve access to domestic credit for firms can raise productivity and hence economic growth in many poor countries. In addition, the results also show that building infrastructure and implementing reforms in governance that improve the quality of government regulations are important for encouraging diversification of manufactured export products in developing countries.     

Family farmers and major retail chains in the Brazilian organic sector: Assessing new development pathways. A case study in a peri-urban district of São Paulo

The expansion of the organic sector in Brazil is seen as a leverage for the social emancipation of the small family farmers. Next to the traditional alternatives circuits of organic food and farming, new powerful capitalistic actors, such as supermarket chains, are rapidly entering the Brazilian organic arena. Can family farming benefit from the development of these “conventional” commercialisation circuits in the organic sector? Research undertaken in 2007, in a green belt rural community of São Paulo, shows how family farmers may have benefited from the implication of large retail chains in the organic sector and how an economically and ecologically outstanding agriculture may arise from these circumstances. However, we highlight the crucial role played by social regulation: only strong solidarity between farmers and the implication of technicians, militants and researchers in the process made it possible to counter the negative effects of the liberal logic governing the development of organic farming via the major retailers. Still, as tougher competition is expected on the regional organic market, the development of short supply chains involving “committed” consumers and the broader integration of the local farmers in networks of organic militancy appear crucial. It would guarantee a continuous enhancement of the local human and social capital, reinforce an emerging process of internal conversion and allow for a stronger social regulation of the future local development pattern.     

Effects of Alternative Policies on Income Redistribution: Evidence from Brazil

Despite recent successes, Brazilian income (cash) transfer policies remain controversial, and alternative approaches to income redistribution are being actively considered. This article contributes to this debate, analysing the effects of several alternative policies for income redistribution in the Brazilian economy using a computable general equilibrium model. Simulations were conducted consistent with the following policies: direct transfer of income, reduction of taxes, and incentives to agricultural exports. The results suggest that transfer of income is the most effective in promoting redistribution of income, with a positive impact on the level of welfare of the poorest households.     

国际收支平衡调控分析

针对中国国际收支不平衡问题,采用对比分析的方法,分析了国际收支存在服务、收益项目发展滞后,净误差与遗漏账户逆差,外汇储备过大等问题,提出处理好货物出口与服务出口,汇率贬值与升值,储备增长与防范风险,加强收支统计与打击逃汇、骗汇关系等解决策略。研究结论对调控国际收支有指导意义。     

我国丝绸出口贸易的经济分析

我国丝绸出口贸易的 "显示"比较优势指数呈逐年下降的趋势,但其数值一直保持在17以上,说明我国的丝绸出口与其他出口商品相比仍具有很大的竞争优势;我国丝绸出口的相对价格弹性系数为-0.3825,属于低弹性的商品.降低丝绸出口价格,不但无益于丝绸出口量的增加,反而会引起出口创汇额的明显下降,引起丝绸"出口贫困"现象的产生.稳定我国丝绸出口价格,是我国蚕丝业和丝绸贸易稳定发展的正确选择.     

基于贝叶斯正则化的TDBPNN模型在中国外贸预报中的应用及评估

基于相空间重构的非线性预报思想,建立一个时滞的BP神经网络模型(TDBPNN),采用贝叶斯正则化方法提高BP网络的泛化能力,并将该模型应用于中国进出口贸易的预测,结果证明改进的TDBPNN模型具有较好的泛化能力,准确拟合了进出口贸易发展的历史值和趋势。区别于一般的预测评价,认为非线性预测不仅要注重数据拟合和精度改进,而且应该能够反映被预报系统的非线性特征。在分析模型预测精度的同时,通过计算拟合序列和原序列的非线性特征量进行模型评价,证实预测模型能够合理地“捕捉”到产生原序列的非线性系统的动力学特征。     

洋务现代化发展战略刍议

洋务现代化的发展战略有两个特点一是在政府推动下,建立比较完善的军事工业体系;二是依靠"进口替代”和"出口替代”(加工出口)相结合的办法发展民用工业,作为军事工业的有效补充.洋务运动从军事开始,这是某种规律性的表现,符合发展中国家回应西方侵略的逻辑过程,然而由于其不合生产要素的比较优势原理,不合发展替代进口型产品需要技术引进,需要大力发展出口导向型产品换取外汇的原则,因此虽努力奋斗几十年,终无大的成效.     

企业异质性与贸易中介理论研究新进展

新新贸易理论诞生近十年来,贸易理论家围绕企业异质性假定进行了细致而富有成效的拓展研究。其中引人注目的是融入贸易中介的分析,打破了已有研究关于直接出口的局限,并分别基于异质性和企业内生边界视角,解释了中介技术和不完全合约对企业直接出口和中介出口等不同出口决策及福利分配的影响。本文梳理了国外最新文献中企业异质性与贸易中介理论的研究进展,解析了将贸易中介引入新新贸易理论的微观机理,并展望了其未来的发展方向。     

论出口卡特尔的反垄断豁免

出口卡特尔是与出口有关的限制竞争协议，其针对的目标市场为外国市场。各国关于出口卡特尔反垄断豁免的立法模式包括明示豁免和默示豁免，这反映了各国对垄断的实体性标准认识的不同。出口卡特尔豁免的限制性条件主要为不影响本国市场和不限制国际贸易，具有一定程度的不确定性。出口卡特尔豁免需要各国在竞争政策方面进行国际合作，在WTO体制内，各国对出口卡特尔的合法性问题存在着重大分歧。