Intermediate Macroeconomics - Theory, Policy and Competing Perspectives
This is a draft contribution to an intermediate macroeconomics textbook edited by Profs. Bougrine... more This is a draft contribution to an intermediate macroeconomics textbook edited by Profs. Bougrine, Rochon and Seccareccia. The chapter proposes a brief overview of mainstream and heterodox theories of international trade. Section 2 presents mainstream trade theories. It focuses on the classical Ricardian model to list the weaknesses of assumptions underpinning the logic of comparative advantage, which structures subsequent neoclassical trade models recommending free trade. Section 3 discusses three heterodox approaches of trade and explains how the positive and normative dimension of the analysis change if no blind eye is turned on the theoretical weaknesses of the Ricardian and neoclassical trade models. It starts by presenting post-keynesian macroeconomic arguments challenging the mainstream claim that “free trade always generates net gains for all countries”. It then discusses affinities and tensions with dependency, structuralist and institutionalist as well as ecological economics trade theories, which coined the terms of (ecologically) unequal trade, strengthening the structural case for regulating trade in the face of growing domestic inequality, persistent North-South inequality and expected cascading ecological instability. Section 4 concludes.
Si la « société civile » doit imposer des « sacrifices » au capitalisme pour le faire transitionn... more Si la « société civile » doit imposer des « sacrifices » au capitalisme pour le faire transitionner vers une économie circulaire au sein des limites planétaires, comme l'admettent certain.e.s professeur.e.s d’E4S, peut-elle le faire sans dénaturer à la fois le capitalisme et les constitutions de nos démocraties bourgeoises qui oeuvrent au service du capitalisme ?
This paper assesses perspectives for so-called “green” macro-financial regimes (MFRs) and implica... more This paper assesses perspectives for so-called “green” macro-financial regimes (MFRs) and implications for the Global South amidst ongoing ecological overshoot and atmospheric appropriation by the Global North. By reviewing recent literature on “green” MFRs, the paper notes this literature has not yet integrated two key structural constraints identified by climate science for a Paris-compatible “green transition” : (1) the imperfect nature of climate mitigation technologies, such as negative emissions technologies, which cannot be timely deployed at the required scale and (2) the need for sufficiency policies for limiting global warming to well below 2 C degrees. In this context, the paper then asks “what MFR can support sufficiency policies for complementing the insufficient emissions mitigation that can reasonably be expected from higher investment for the deployment of existing and future (imperfect) “green” technologies?”, rather than sticking to the ill-formulated question of the current literature that asks “which MFR can best deliver the required “green” investment in (perfect) decarbonization technologies?”. Arguing that it is impossible for growth-dependent MFRs to deliver Paris-compatible climate stabilization in a context where the demand-adverse effects of the sufficiency policies required in Global North countries jeopardize their perspective of continued economic growth, and hence their stability and viability, the paper examines the conditions of possibility for a post-growth “green” MFR. Drawing lessons from developmental States and war analogies for a rapid reorientation of investment and a decrease of private consumption in high-income countries, it sketches a policy sequence for moving away from market coordination. It then describes the main institutional and policy features of a post-growth regime. Finally, the paper discusses the material, monetary and power implications for the Global South based on stylized facts. Notably, it highlights how halting ongoing atmospheric appropriation by the Global North and South-to-North material drain under a post-growth regime could foster sufficiency-augmented carbon budgets preserving finite industrial development space in the Global South as well as South-South trade.
Quand arrêtera-t-on de faire semblant que l'aviation peut être décarbonnée, écrit Pierre Kohler, ... more Quand arrêtera-t-on de faire semblant que l'aviation peut être décarbonnée, écrit Pierre Kohler, docteur en économie spécialiste en commerce et durabilité, et fonctionnaire international.
iconomix, le programme de ressources didactiques très utilisé par les enseignants d’économie du p... more iconomix, le programme de ressources didactiques très utilisé par les enseignants d’économie du post-obligatoire, est idéologiquement orienté, anachronique et oublie des thématiques vitales, déplore l’économiste Pierre Kohler. (24 novembre 2023)
Il est temps d'enfin verdir réellement les investissements en posant des conditions strictes, et ... more Il est temps d'enfin verdir réellement les investissements en posant des conditions strictes, et les autorités publiques devraient montrer l'exemple, écrit l'économiste Pierre Kohler, de la Cnuced. (6 avril 2023)
Ce devrait désormais être clair, la croissance verte et son double, le développement durable, n’o... more Ce devrait désormais être clair, la croissance verte et son double, le développement durable, n’ont abouti à rien. Comment s’en débarrasser, se demande avec une noire ironie Pierre Kohler, économiste à la CNUCED (15 décembre 2022)
The presentation is part of the Unil-EPFL Climact Seminar Series. It defines the concept of degrowth, explains why it is necessary and desirable. It then discusses the main obstacles to degrowth as well as strategies for bringing about socio-economic transformations supporting a degrowth transition towards a post-growth society.
This presentation starts by reviewing two types of North-South asymmetries characterizing the las... more This presentation starts by reviewing two types of North-South asymmetries characterizing the last three decades of sustainable development: structural economic and environmental inequalities, which jeopardize the Global South’s ecological space and right to development. Second, it contrasts two theoretical options for modelling economic production under environmental constraint, i.e., strong sustainability vs. weak sustainability. Third, drawing lessons from the established failure to limit global warming to 1.5 °C (and likely also 2 °C, etc.), it questions the techno-optimist and risk-tolerant attitude characterizing growth-centred policy narratives couched in weak sustainability. Looking for alternatives, it presents recent strong sustainability arguments and findings from eco-macroeconomic modelling and degrowth literature, which are increasingly invoked in scientific and policy debates on pathways towards climate stabilization. Finally, it discusses post-growth, its potential as well as challenges for policy-makers, and how its implementation in advanced economies may contribute minimizing major climate risks and preserving ecological space for development in the Global South.
The biases, blind spots and hegemonic position of mainstream economics in academia and policy cir... more The biases, blind spots and hegemonic position of mainstream economics in academia and policy circles have been widely criticized in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. As inequalities and climate emergency keep intensifying, calls for a more pluralistic approach to economics as a pre-condition for imagining a more sustainable world have arisen in academia, including in Switzerland. Yet, at the post-obligatory level, economics study plans and textbooks remain inspired and structured by mainstream economics. This blog post formulates 5 proposals for leveraging economic pluralism for strong sustainability and education for sustainable development.
«Les défis mondiaux de la durabilité sont indissociables des processus économiques». Voilà le mes... more «Les défis mondiaux de la durabilité sont indissociables des processus économiques». Voilà le message d’une lettre ouverte mise en ligne il y a une dizaine de jours, issue d’une entente entre des économistes, des chercheurs et chercheuses ainsi qu’une coalition regroupant une trentaine d’ONG, dont le WWF. Son but? Réformer la façon dont est enseignée l’économie au gymnase et y inclure des questions de durabilité et d’équité sociale.
Links to open letters and documents with proposed changes to study plan:
Depuis 2008, de multiples crises accélèrent la mise à nu des faiblesses de l’économie mainstream.... more Depuis 2008, de multiples crises accélèrent la mise à nu des faiblesses de l’économie mainstream. À l’université, l’enseignement s’ouvre progressivement à un pluralisme plus réaliste et critique. Toutefois, au post-obligatoire, les plans d’études et les manuels d’économie restent intoxiqués à l’économie mainstream, un boulet pour l’EDD. Proposition : inscrire l’exigence du pluralisme économique dans les plans d’études cadres.
Depuis la crise de 2008, nombre d’universitaires appellent à ouvrir au pluralisme l’enseignement ... more Depuis la crise de 2008, nombre d’universitaires appellent à ouvrir au pluralisme l’enseignement de l’économie. En aval, les plans d’études et les manuels du post-obligatoire restent intoxiqués à l’économie mainstream et à la «durabilité faible», un boulet pour l’éducation au développement durable. Analyse.
Afin de promouvoir l'éducation au développement durable, il serait temps d’élaguer les manuels d’... more Afin de promouvoir l'éducation au développement durable, il serait temps d’élaguer les manuels d’économie pour mieux les ouvrir au pluralisme de cette discipline.
By Servaas Storm (Delft University of Technology) and Pierre Kohler (UNDESA).
https://www.nake... more By Servaas Storm (Delft University of Technology) and Pierre Kohler (UNDESA).
Une étude menée par Pierre Kohler et Servaas Storm déconstruit les hypothèses «scientifiques» et ... more Une étude menée par Pierre Kohler et Servaas Storm déconstruit les hypothèses «scientifiques» et le récit panglossien des promoteurs du CETA, qui libéralisera nos sociétés bien au-delà du simple commerce. Chiffres à l'appui, elle explique pourquoi seul les détenteurs du capital profiteront de cet accord, alors même qu'il affaiblira l'emploi, les salaires et la croissance économique en Europe.
Alors que les chefs d'État du Canada et des pays membres de l'Union européenne s'apprêtaient à se... more Alors que les chefs d'État du Canada et des pays membres de l'Union européenne s'apprêtaient à se réunir à Bruxelles le 27 octobre prochain pour adopter le texte de l'Accord économique et commercial global (AECG, plus souvent désigné sous l'acronyme anglais CETA), deux parlements régionaux belges viennent d'y opposer leur veto. Cette décision suffira-t-elle à enterrer ce projet ? Rien n'est moins sûr. Une nouvelle étude présentée au Parlement de Wallonie affûte pourtant les arguments économiques des opposants en identifiant, chiffres à l'appui, ses uniques bénéficiaires : les investisseurs.
Suite à l’éclatement de la crise financière aux Etats-Unis en 2007 et sa propagation à l’économie... more Suite à l’éclatement de la crise financière aux Etats-Unis en 2007 et sa propagation à l’économie mondiale à partir de 2008, les économistes ont subi des critiques de toutes parts pour leur aveuglement collectif. Pourquoi personne n'a-t-il vu venir la crise? Cette simple question de la reine Elizabeth aux professeurs de la London School of Economics a suscité bien plus que de l’embarras. Bref rappel de la crise (causes, dynamique et conséquences) et de la stratégie «à double détente» de la profession économique pour minimiser son échec et renforcer son autorité.
Alors que de nombreuses banques faisaient face à des difficultés d’emprunt depuis l’automne derni... more Alors que de nombreuses banques faisaient face à des difficultés d’emprunt depuis l’automne dernier ainsi qu’à des taux d’intérêt dépassant souvent les 10%, la Banque centrale européenne (BCE) s’est par deux fois rendue aux chevet des banquiers en mettant à leur disposition plus de 1000 milliards d’euros pour une durée de trois ans au taux imbattable de 1%! Dans le jargon de la finance, cette charité se dénomme une «injection de liquidités» et, dans ce cas précis, une «opération de refinancement à long terme» (LTRO). Pendant ce temps, les gouvernements imposent l’austérité à leurs populations.
Intermediate Macroeconomics - Theory, Policy and Competing Perspectives
This is a draft contribution to an intermediate macroeconomics textbook edited by Profs. Bougrine... more This is a draft contribution to an intermediate macroeconomics textbook edited by Profs. Bougrine, Rochon and Seccareccia. The chapter proposes a brief overview of mainstream and heterodox theories of international trade. Section 2 presents mainstream trade theories. It focuses on the classical Ricardian model to list the weaknesses of assumptions underpinning the logic of comparative advantage, which structures subsequent neoclassical trade models recommending free trade. Section 3 discusses three heterodox approaches of trade and explains how the positive and normative dimension of the analysis change if no blind eye is turned on the theoretical weaknesses of the Ricardian and neoclassical trade models. It starts by presenting post-keynesian macroeconomic arguments challenging the mainstream claim that “free trade always generates net gains for all countries”. It then discusses affinities and tensions with dependency, structuralist and institutionalist as well as ecological economics trade theories, which coined the terms of (ecologically) unequal trade, strengthening the structural case for regulating trade in the face of growing domestic inequality, persistent North-South inequality and expected cascading ecological instability. Section 4 concludes.
Si la « société civile » doit imposer des « sacrifices » au capitalisme pour le faire transitionn... more Si la « société civile » doit imposer des « sacrifices » au capitalisme pour le faire transitionner vers une économie circulaire au sein des limites planétaires, comme l'admettent certain.e.s professeur.e.s d’E4S, peut-elle le faire sans dénaturer à la fois le capitalisme et les constitutions de nos démocraties bourgeoises qui oeuvrent au service du capitalisme ?
This paper assesses perspectives for so-called “green” macro-financial regimes (MFRs) and implica... more This paper assesses perspectives for so-called “green” macro-financial regimes (MFRs) and implications for the Global South amidst ongoing ecological overshoot and atmospheric appropriation by the Global North. By reviewing recent literature on “green” MFRs, the paper notes this literature has not yet integrated two key structural constraints identified by climate science for a Paris-compatible “green transition” : (1) the imperfect nature of climate mitigation technologies, such as negative emissions technologies, which cannot be timely deployed at the required scale and (2) the need for sufficiency policies for limiting global warming to well below 2 C degrees. In this context, the paper then asks “what MFR can support sufficiency policies for complementing the insufficient emissions mitigation that can reasonably be expected from higher investment for the deployment of existing and future (imperfect) “green” technologies?”, rather than sticking to the ill-formulated question of the current literature that asks “which MFR can best deliver the required “green” investment in (perfect) decarbonization technologies?”. Arguing that it is impossible for growth-dependent MFRs to deliver Paris-compatible climate stabilization in a context where the demand-adverse effects of the sufficiency policies required in Global North countries jeopardize their perspective of continued economic growth, and hence their stability and viability, the paper examines the conditions of possibility for a post-growth “green” MFR. Drawing lessons from developmental States and war analogies for a rapid reorientation of investment and a decrease of private consumption in high-income countries, it sketches a policy sequence for moving away from market coordination. It then describes the main institutional and policy features of a post-growth regime. Finally, the paper discusses the material, monetary and power implications for the Global South based on stylized facts. Notably, it highlights how halting ongoing atmospheric appropriation by the Global North and South-to-North material drain under a post-growth regime could foster sufficiency-augmented carbon budgets preserving finite industrial development space in the Global South as well as South-South trade.
Quand arrêtera-t-on de faire semblant que l'aviation peut être décarbonnée, écrit Pierre Kohler, ... more Quand arrêtera-t-on de faire semblant que l'aviation peut être décarbonnée, écrit Pierre Kohler, docteur en économie spécialiste en commerce et durabilité, et fonctionnaire international.
iconomix, le programme de ressources didactiques très utilisé par les enseignants d’économie du p... more iconomix, le programme de ressources didactiques très utilisé par les enseignants d’économie du post-obligatoire, est idéologiquement orienté, anachronique et oublie des thématiques vitales, déplore l’économiste Pierre Kohler. (24 novembre 2023)
Il est temps d'enfin verdir réellement les investissements en posant des conditions strictes, et ... more Il est temps d'enfin verdir réellement les investissements en posant des conditions strictes, et les autorités publiques devraient montrer l'exemple, écrit l'économiste Pierre Kohler, de la Cnuced. (6 avril 2023)
Ce devrait désormais être clair, la croissance verte et son double, le développement durable, n’o... more Ce devrait désormais être clair, la croissance verte et son double, le développement durable, n’ont abouti à rien. Comment s’en débarrasser, se demande avec une noire ironie Pierre Kohler, économiste à la CNUCED (15 décembre 2022)
The presentation is part of the Unil-EPFL Climact Seminar Series. It defines the concept of degrowth, explains why it is necessary and desirable. It then discusses the main obstacles to degrowth as well as strategies for bringing about socio-economic transformations supporting a degrowth transition towards a post-growth society.
This presentation starts by reviewing two types of North-South asymmetries characterizing the las... more This presentation starts by reviewing two types of North-South asymmetries characterizing the last three decades of sustainable development: structural economic and environmental inequalities, which jeopardize the Global South’s ecological space and right to development. Second, it contrasts two theoretical options for modelling economic production under environmental constraint, i.e., strong sustainability vs. weak sustainability. Third, drawing lessons from the established failure to limit global warming to 1.5 °C (and likely also 2 °C, etc.), it questions the techno-optimist and risk-tolerant attitude characterizing growth-centred policy narratives couched in weak sustainability. Looking for alternatives, it presents recent strong sustainability arguments and findings from eco-macroeconomic modelling and degrowth literature, which are increasingly invoked in scientific and policy debates on pathways towards climate stabilization. Finally, it discusses post-growth, its potential as well as challenges for policy-makers, and how its implementation in advanced economies may contribute minimizing major climate risks and preserving ecological space for development in the Global South.
The biases, blind spots and hegemonic position of mainstream economics in academia and policy cir... more The biases, blind spots and hegemonic position of mainstream economics in academia and policy circles have been widely criticized in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. As inequalities and climate emergency keep intensifying, calls for a more pluralistic approach to economics as a pre-condition for imagining a more sustainable world have arisen in academia, including in Switzerland. Yet, at the post-obligatory level, economics study plans and textbooks remain inspired and structured by mainstream economics. This blog post formulates 5 proposals for leveraging economic pluralism for strong sustainability and education for sustainable development.
«Les défis mondiaux de la durabilité sont indissociables des processus économiques». Voilà le mes... more «Les défis mondiaux de la durabilité sont indissociables des processus économiques». Voilà le message d’une lettre ouverte mise en ligne il y a une dizaine de jours, issue d’une entente entre des économistes, des chercheurs et chercheuses ainsi qu’une coalition regroupant une trentaine d’ONG, dont le WWF. Son but? Réformer la façon dont est enseignée l’économie au gymnase et y inclure des questions de durabilité et d’équité sociale.
Links to open letters and documents with proposed changes to study plan:
Depuis 2008, de multiples crises accélèrent la mise à nu des faiblesses de l’économie mainstream.... more Depuis 2008, de multiples crises accélèrent la mise à nu des faiblesses de l’économie mainstream. À l’université, l’enseignement s’ouvre progressivement à un pluralisme plus réaliste et critique. Toutefois, au post-obligatoire, les plans d’études et les manuels d’économie restent intoxiqués à l’économie mainstream, un boulet pour l’EDD. Proposition : inscrire l’exigence du pluralisme économique dans les plans d’études cadres.
Depuis la crise de 2008, nombre d’universitaires appellent à ouvrir au pluralisme l’enseignement ... more Depuis la crise de 2008, nombre d’universitaires appellent à ouvrir au pluralisme l’enseignement de l’économie. En aval, les plans d’études et les manuels du post-obligatoire restent intoxiqués à l’économie mainstream et à la «durabilité faible», un boulet pour l’éducation au développement durable. Analyse.
Afin de promouvoir l'éducation au développement durable, il serait temps d’élaguer les manuels d’... more Afin de promouvoir l'éducation au développement durable, il serait temps d’élaguer les manuels d’économie pour mieux les ouvrir au pluralisme de cette discipline.
By Servaas Storm (Delft University of Technology) and Pierre Kohler (UNDESA).
https://www.nake... more By Servaas Storm (Delft University of Technology) and Pierre Kohler (UNDESA).
Une étude menée par Pierre Kohler et Servaas Storm déconstruit les hypothèses «scientifiques» et ... more Une étude menée par Pierre Kohler et Servaas Storm déconstruit les hypothèses «scientifiques» et le récit panglossien des promoteurs du CETA, qui libéralisera nos sociétés bien au-delà du simple commerce. Chiffres à l'appui, elle explique pourquoi seul les détenteurs du capital profiteront de cet accord, alors même qu'il affaiblira l'emploi, les salaires et la croissance économique en Europe.
Alors que les chefs d'État du Canada et des pays membres de l'Union européenne s'apprêtaient à se... more Alors que les chefs d'État du Canada et des pays membres de l'Union européenne s'apprêtaient à se réunir à Bruxelles le 27 octobre prochain pour adopter le texte de l'Accord économique et commercial global (AECG, plus souvent désigné sous l'acronyme anglais CETA), deux parlements régionaux belges viennent d'y opposer leur veto. Cette décision suffira-t-elle à enterrer ce projet ? Rien n'est moins sûr. Une nouvelle étude présentée au Parlement de Wallonie affûte pourtant les arguments économiques des opposants en identifiant, chiffres à l'appui, ses uniques bénéficiaires : les investisseurs.
Suite à l’éclatement de la crise financière aux Etats-Unis en 2007 et sa propagation à l’économie... more Suite à l’éclatement de la crise financière aux Etats-Unis en 2007 et sa propagation à l’économie mondiale à partir de 2008, les économistes ont subi des critiques de toutes parts pour leur aveuglement collectif. Pourquoi personne n'a-t-il vu venir la crise? Cette simple question de la reine Elizabeth aux professeurs de la London School of Economics a suscité bien plus que de l’embarras. Bref rappel de la crise (causes, dynamique et conséquences) et de la stratégie «à double détente» de la profession économique pour minimiser son échec et renforcer son autorité.
Alors que de nombreuses banques faisaient face à des difficultés d’emprunt depuis l’automne derni... more Alors que de nombreuses banques faisaient face à des difficultés d’emprunt depuis l’automne dernier ainsi qu’à des taux d’intérêt dépassant souvent les 10%, la Banque centrale européenne (BCE) s’est par deux fois rendue aux chevet des banquiers en mettant à leur disposition plus de 1000 milliards d’euros pour une durée de trois ans au taux imbattable de 1%! Dans le jargon de la finance, cette charité se dénomme une «injection de liquidités» et, dans ce cas précis, une «opération de refinancement à long terme» (LTRO). Pendant ce temps, les gouvernements imposent l’austérité à leurs populations.
Le succès indiscutable de l’initiative anti-minarets lors des votations du 29 novembre dernier a ... more Le succès indiscutable de l’initiative anti-minarets lors des votations du 29 novembre dernier a surpris jusqu’à certains de ses partisans. Cette large Victoire laisse présager que l’islamophobie n’est pas un phénomène nouveau en Suisse. Des données montrent qu’en 2000, une discrimination spécifique s’exerçait déjà à l’encontre des musulmans sur le marché de l’emploi helvétique.
Volume édité: Caloz-Tschopp, Marie-Claire (2019) Vivre l’exil: Explorer Des Pratiques de Desexil ... more Volume édité: Caloz-Tschopp, Marie-Claire (2019) Vivre l’exil: Explorer Des Pratiques de Desexil de l’exil.
Ce texte revient sur le parcours kafkaïen de A., un requérant d'asile érythréen ayant pénétré la Forteresse Europe, mais « dubliné » en Suisse, et confronté au dysfonctionnement de l'Etat dit de droit helvétique. Il retrace la chronologie des décisions de l'administration fédérale, et l'impunité avec laquelle celle-ci a été en mesure de mettre A. en orbite perpétuelle de l’Etat de droit, c’est-à-dire de le priver du droit de déposer une demande d'asile et donc d'exister en Suisse, ceci alors même que tous les délais « Dublin » l’en ayant empêché dans un premier temps étaient échus. Bien que l'abus de l’administration ait été admis par la justice fédérale, celle-ci a préféré s’abriter derrière diverses arguties juridiques pour mieux rejeter tous les recours déposés les uns après les autres. Quant aux fonctionnaires et politiciens locaux (canton de Vaud), ils s'empressèrent de se défausser de leur responsabilité en invoquant la hiérarchie, les décisions de la justice ou encore les accords européens de Dublin, laissant l'Etat de droit se muer en violence d'Etat dont le point final fût l'expulsion de A. après près de trois années d'attente sans avoir été entendu. Face à cette absurdité doublée d'une démission collective ayant encore davantage déstabilisé l'existence précaire d'un homme en exil, le texte conclu en insistant sur le danger de compter sur le bon fonctionnement de l'Etat dit de droit, serait-il démocratique, dans un contexte d'affaissement progressif de ses principes fondamentaux et d’élargissement du cercle des individus dont les droits, grands et petits, ne sont plus effectivement reconnus et respectés par les différentes branches de l’Etat dit de droit. Un rapprochement avec la nocivité des schémas de pensée sous-tendant les modèles économiques dits d’équilibre général mis au service des politiques néolibérales ces dernières décennies est également proposé.
Proponents of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) emphasize its prospective eco... more Proponents of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) emphasize its prospective economic benefits, with economic growth increasing due to rising trade volumes and investment. Widely cited official projections suggest modest GDP gains after about a decade, varying from between 0.003%%and 0.08%%in the European Union and between 0.03%%and 0.76%% in Canada. However, all these quantitative projections stem from the same trade model, which assumes full employment and neutral (if not constant) income distribution in all countries, excluding from the outset any of the major risks of deeper liberalization. This lack of intellectual diversity and of realism shrouding the debate around CETA's alleged economic benefits calls for an alternative assessment grounded in more realistic modeling premises. In this paper, we provide alternative projections of CETA's economic effects using the United Nations Global Policy Model (GPM). Allowing for changes in employment and income distribution, we obtain very different results. In contrast to positive outcomes projected with full-employment models, we find CETA will lead to intra-EU trade diversion. More importantly, in the current context of tepid economic growth, competitive pressures induced by CETA will cause unemployment, inequality, and welfare losses. At a minimum, this shows that official studies do not offer a solid basis for an informed decision on CETA.
Edited volume: Algan, Yann, Alberto Bisin, Alan Manning, and Thierry Verdier (2012) Cultural Inte... more Edited volume: Algan, Yann, Alberto Bisin, Alan Manning, and Thierry Verdier (2012) Cultural Integration of Immigrants in Europe. Oxford: OUP Oxford.
This chapter explores cultural integration paths of eight migrant groups in Switzerland. It specifically analyses the evolution of objective behaviours and subjective attitudes of migrants from the first to the second generation. In order to deepen the analysis, the cultural integration of migrants is further examined from different perspectives: across cohorts (older vs. younger migrants) and across types of couples (individuals in endogamous vs. mixed couples). First, behaviours are examined by looking at performances of migrants at school. As women play a key role in the transmission of cultural traits and the socialization of the second generation, the focus then turns to their position in the couple and in the labour market. Finally, this chapter looks at migrants’ use of language, their feelings towards Switzerland, as well as their attitudes towards gender, religious, and political issues. Evidence points to overall convergence. The most striking differences across groups pertain to gender-related attitudes and behaviours.
Une analyse de la probabilité d’avoir un emploi en Suisse met en évidence une discrimination enve... more Une analyse de la probabilité d’avoir un emploi en Suisse met en évidence une discrimination envers les personnes de confession musulmane. Cette discrimination s’ajoute à la discrimination selon l’origine.
This book is intended for all readers interested in a critical assessment of fair trade. How much... more This book is intended for all readers interested in a critical assessment of fair trade. How much does fair trade contribute to development? Does consumer awareness make any difference at all? Or are supermarkets selling fair trade coffee just clean-washing their reputation in the fair trade business? These are some of the key questions examined in this book. I start by providing a short description of the coffee market and some of its major trends. I then turn to the origin and structure of the fair trade movement. The pricing scheme of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) is compared to those of other private labeling initiatives. The last part examines benefits generated for participants on the supply and demand side. Revenues accruing to coffee producers in the South and fair trade organizations in the Western world are estimated. Finally, an original empirical strategy is proposed to see whether consumer awareness is making any difference and/or if supermarkets are clean-washing their reputation in the fair trade business. Data from 13 European countries is used in two different econometric models (OLS and treatment regression model).
Ce mémoire est parti du principe que le développement durable (DD) est un objectif global qui int... more Ce mémoire est parti du principe que le développement durable (DD) est un objectif global qui intègre des apports scientifiques, des considérations éthiques ainsi que des rapports de force économiques et politiques internationaux, et que ses diverses interprétations possibles représentent encore aujourd’hui un enjeu de pouvoir. Sur cette base, il a ensuite proposé d’examiner si la didactique de l’économie, dont l’objet d’étude est traversé par les rapports de force qui structurent la société, est parvenue à accorder une place centrale aux apports scientifiques et aux considérations éthiques en lien avec le DD (en cohérence avec l’exigence de validité qui fonde l’identité professionnelle et morale de la profession enseignante ainsi que la relation pédagogique) ou si cette didactique a dévié de cette voie exemplaire pourtant nécessaire à la promotion de l’EDD pour se conformer à des injonctions économico-politiques.
Pour parvenir à des conclusions, il a été jugé nécessaire de mieux cerner certaines notions complexes. Les interprétations possibles du DD ont été regroupées selon les perspectives de la durabilité faible et forte. Les dimensions didactiques et pédagogiques de l’EDD ont été distinguées. Et la discipline économique a été présenté comme un champ pluraliste, sur la base de ressources produites suite à la contestation estudiantine post-2008 appelant à ne plus fonder l’enseignement de l’économie uniquement sur l’approche mainstream (AM) de sorte à permettre aux étudiants de développer une réflexion critique, épistémologique et politique sur leur discipline.
Ensuite, ce mémoire a examiné le contenu des plans d’études et ressources didactiques de l’économie du Secondaire II pour identifier la teneur du curriculum économique, formel autant que caché. Cet examen de documents a été enrichi par sept entretiens avec des acteurs de cette didactique. Le constat est clair : des plans d’études aux ressources didactiques, le curriculum formel est structuré par l’AM, qui propage la fable monétariste, ignore la question de la distribution des richesses et appelle sans retenue à poursuivre la croissance économique en Suisse (comme ailleurs) malgré les conséquences environnementales, en attendant … le Godot de la croissance verte, deus ex machina des promoteurs du DD dans la perspective de durabilité faible. D’une manière générale, les acteurs de la didactique ne voient pas de problème majeur à cet état de leur didactique et pensent qu’elle contribue de manière positive à l’EDD.
L’analyse de l’auteur de ce mémoire est divergente et constate que des apports scientifiques majeurs provenant des autres disciplines ainsi que des écoles de pensées économiques hétérodoxes ne sont pas intégrés à la didactique de l’économie, qui reste largement enfermée dans la bulle de l’économie mainstream. En conséquence, le mémoire aboutit à diverses propositions au sujet des plans d’études et ressources didactiques, qui peuvent potentiellement ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives pour exploiter des approches pédagogiques permettant de développer une pensée économique critique et la capacité d’action des élèves face aux défis du DD.
This thesis consists of three essays on the economic and cultural integration of migrants in Swit... more This thesis consists of three essays on the economic and cultural integration of migrants in Switzerland, reverse causation between these two dimensions of the integration process, and the role of host society culture. Whereas each dimension is usually examined separately, this study proposes a systemic approach to investigate both the economic and cultural dimensions of migrant integration, their interaction as well as the influence of the broader social context.
Chapter 1 explores the cultural integration paths of eight migrant groups from the first to the second generation by tracing the evolution of selected behaviours and attitudes, which are taken as indicative of cultural integration. It gauges the extent to which behaviours and attitudes of migrants are diverging from or converging with those of natives.
Chapter 2 examines the causes of integration failures or, more precisely, how economic and cultural barriers to integration reinforce each other. Are cultural differences preventing the successful integration of migrants or does the root of integration failures lie in unequal economic opportunities and discrimination?
Chapter 3 investigates the effect of host society culture on migrant wage discrimination. It examines whether the markedly more conservative political preferences on issues related to migration and asylum of voters in the German-speaking region of Switzerland affect outcomes in the labour market, or whether economic interactions are immune from tensions developing in the society at
large.
This paper considers the system of fair trade coffee. It first gives a short description of the c... more This paper considers the system of fair trade coffee. It first gives a short description of the coffee market and some of its major trends. The origin of the fair trade movement is then explained. The structure of FLO is examined and its pricing scheme compared to those of other private labeling initiatives. Benefits generated for participants on the supply and the demand side then come under scrutiny. To gauge its potential as a development tool, revenues to coffee producers are estimated on the basis of available information. Revenues to fair trade organizations in the Western world are also examined. Finally, two hypotheses are tested on data from 13 European countries to get a better picture of what is happening on the demand side. First, an OLS regression is tested to see if consumer awareness does "make a difference". Secondly, a treatment regression is used to correct for a sample self-selection bias and to check if there is some support for the claim that supermarkets that have started to sell fair trade coffee are clean-washing their reputation in the fair trade business.
This paper proposes to revisit the debate on trade and investment agreements (TIAs), development ... more This paper proposes to revisit the debate on trade and investment agreements (TIAs), development and inequality, looking at the role of global value chains (GVCs) and trans-national corporations (TNCs). It first presents stylized facts about trade and investment (agreements), declining global economic growth and rising inequality under the latest round of globalization. It then provides a long-run perspective on the mixed blessings of external opening, summarizing some key contributions of the mainstream literature, which are converging with long-standing research findings of more heterodox economists, and the eroding consensus today. Based on this stock-taking, it takes a fresh critical look at the TIAs-GVCs-TNCs nexus and their impact. Using data on value-added in trade and new firm-level data from the consolidated financial statements of the top 2000 TNCs going back to 1995, it examines whether the fragmentation of production along GVCs led to positive structural change or rather stimulated unsustainable trends in extractive and FIRE sectors. It then turns to the role of TNC-driven GVCs as a vehicle for economic concentration. Finally, it presents evidence linking TIAs and their correlates to rising inequality. Key findings include the fact that the ratio of top 2000 TNCs profits over revenues increased by 58 percent between 1995 and 2015. Moreover, the rise in top 2000 TNCs profits accounts for 69 percent of the 2.5 percentage points decline in the global labour income share between 1995 and 2015, with the correlation coefficient between annual changes in both variables as high as 0.82. The paper concludes by calling for a less ideological policy debate on TIAs, which acknowledges the mixed blessings of external financial and trade opening, especially their negative distributional impact and destabilizing macro-financial feedback effects, which both call for policy intervention. As an alternative to short-sighted protectionism, it further discusses possible options for anticipating undesirable effects arising from TIAs (e.g. rising carbon emissions, economic instability, inequality, etc.) and addressing those in TIAs themselves.
This paper assesses the effects of trade and investment agreements on income distribution and gov... more This paper assesses the effects of trade and investment agreements on income distribution and government policy. The critical process underpinning these effects is the rise of financialization. Global patterns of greater financialization and of worsening functional income distribution as well as tighter fiscal stances are identified in the data. Tests are conducted by combining financial statistics with databases of bilateral investment agreements and free trade agreements, as well as data generated by the UN Global Policy Model that encompasses several fiscal policy instruments. The empirical validation of these relationships brings to the fore the policy-oriented debate about the purported benefits of modern-era comprehensive trade and investment agreements such as TTIP, TTP and CETA. The authors corroborate the findings of their respective earlier studies of these agreements and reiterate their call for caution. To preserve policy space and to avert increases of inequality, policy-makers should resist pressures to get their economies locked in such agreements and should look instead for sustainable forms of international policy coordination.
Proponents of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) emphasize its prospective eco... more Proponents of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) emphasize its prospective economic benefits, with economic growth increasing due to rising trade volumes and investment. Widely cited official projections suggest modest GDP gains after about a decade, varying from between 0.003% to 0.08% in the European Union and between 0.03% to 0.76% in Canada. However, all these quantitative projections stem from the same trade model, which assumes full employment and neutral (if not constant) income distribution in all countries, excluding from the outset any of the major risks of deeper liberalization. This lack of intellectual diversity and of realism shrouding the debate around CETA’s alleged economic benefits calls for an alternative assessment grounded in more realistic modeling premises.
In this paper, we provide alternative projections of CETA’s economic effects using the United Nations Global Policy Model (GPM). Allowing for changes in employment and income distribution, we obtain very different results. In contrast to positive outcomes projected with full-employment models, we find CETA will lead to intra-EU trade diversion. More importantly, in the current context of tepid economic growth, competitive pressures induced by CETA will cause unemployment, inequality and welfare losses. At a minimum, this shows that official studies do not offer a solid basis for an informed decision on CETA.
WIFO FairTax Conference (19 September 2016, Vienna), 2016
This paper examines options for an EU tax as an EU own resource in light of the concept of sustai... more This paper examines options for an EU tax as an EU own resource in light of the concept of sustainable development. Acknowledging the imperative of building up EU own resources to overcome the risk of stalling an incomplete European integration process, it argues that options for an EU tax must uphold and strengthen the key principles laid down in the definition of sustainable development that promote structural transformation of the economy and society in order to increase the odds of a successful socio-ecological transition. This requirement necessarily limits the number of sustainable options for an EU tax and excludes others currently on the table.
To make its case, the paper first calls attention to how the concept of sustainable development emerged and drifted in a changing political economy context. It then proposes a stylized description of the multi-layered crisis the EU is undergoing as a concentric sustainability crisis stretching along economic, social, environmental and political dimensions. Emphasizing the necessity to address all these dimensions for reviving the fading political project of a stronger Union, the paper highlights the narrow parameters of the current debate on EU fiscal and tax policy, which remains largely framed by neoclassical assumptions granting priority to budgetary (and more recently also macroeconomic) stabilization. Calling for redefining political priorities so as to leverage tax policy and expanded EU own resources for addressing the unfolding sustainability crisis, the paper then briefly discusses the potential of a number of proposed tax bases and options for promoting a stronger Union through sustainable development and establishes a tentative list of best candidates.
Analyses of redistributive policies often focus on income flows to examine the nexus between redi... more Analyses of redistributive policies often focus on income flows to examine the nexus between redistribution and economic growth. With strengthening signs of growing economic inequality in many countries, an increasing number of economists investigated the existence and nature of a hypothetical trade-off between economic growth and equity. As signs of unsustainable development are strengthening more generally, this paper proposes to look at the broader nexus between redistribution, equity and sustainable development, emphasizing its social and environmental dimensions. It does so by first proposing an analytical framework defining the role of redistributive policies in shaping the private income cycle as well as the public revenue-expenditure cycle. This framework distinguishes between the stock of income-generating assets (such as human capital and wealth, including land and industrial and financial capital) and deriving income flows in order to clarify the difference between the two sides of in-equity (i.e. in-equality of opportunity and in-equality of outcome), which remain intertwined in the growth-equity trade-off debate. This stock-flow approach is then used to outline key linkages between redistributive policies, in-equity and un-sustainable development. Contrasting the potential scope of redistributive policies with the more narrow set of policies that have been implemented in most countries/regions over the last 30 years, the paper discusses 14 avenues for redistributive policies to promote greater equity, economic empowerment and sustainable development.
12th International Post-Keynesian Conference (25 September 2014, Kansas City), 2014
Analyses of redistributive policies generally focus on income flows while subordinating most conc... more Analyses of redistributive policies generally focus on income flows while subordinating most concerns to the overarching objective of promoting economic growth. This paper follows an alternative approach with the objective of proposing an asset-centred analytical framework, which encompasses income flows, but is centred on the stock of income-generating assets in the private and public sectors. Such a stock-flow approach reveals an artificial blind spot common to many analyses of redistributive policies: wealth redistribution. The proposed framework further allows better outlining key linkages between redistributive policies and sustainable development, including issues arising from the private ownership, marketization and overexploitation of finite natural resources. Contrasting the potential scope of asset-centred redistributive policies with the more narrow set of income-based redistributive policies that have been implemented in most countries/regions over the last 30 years, the paper derives 14 recommendations for redistributive policies in support of greater equity, economic democracy and sustainable development.
This paper investigates whether host society culture affects migrant wage discrimination, i.e. wh... more This paper investigates whether host society culture affects migrant wage discrimination, i.e. whether migrant wage discrimination is more intense in host societies where culture is more inward-looking. The motivation for this investigation in the Swiss context stems from two stylized facts showing that (i) political preferences on issues related to migration, asylum and naturalization of foreigners are markedly more conservative in the German region and (ii) that average wage differences between migrants and natives are larger in the German region. Building on this, the paper begins with a comparison of returns to factors (for eight migrant groups compared to natives) using a human capital model of wage determination. It then performs an Oaxaca decomposition of wage differentials in order to compare its unexplained component across groups and regions. The last step consists in implementing a regression discontinuity design approach to establish whether host society culture is one of the determinants explaining differences in migrant wage discrimination across the language border. Results show returns to factors of wage-earning migrants are lower in the German region for a preponderant majority of migrant groups. The analysis of wage differentials and the associated unexplained parts also support the hypothesis that wage discrimination is more pronounced in this region of the Swiss labor market. Finally, results of the regression discontinuity design approach confirm that host society culture is one of the determinants of wage discrimination endured by migrants.
This paper examines the endogenous relationship between the economic and cultural integration of ... more This paper examines the endogenous relationship between the economic and cultural integration of migrants in Switzerland or, more precisely, how economic and cultural barriers to integration reinforce each other. Are cultural differences preventing the successful integration of migrants or does the root of integration failures lie in unequal economic opportunities and discrimination? How legitimate are claims arguing migrants are economically discriminated because they don’t integrate culturally compared to claims that migrants don’t integrate because they are discriminated? And are Muslim communities, which currently often lie at the center of this debate, different in this regard? Implementing an empirical method to build indices of economic discrimination and cultural differences (“cultural distance”), the findings of this paper show that, at the aggregate level, population groups facing higher economic discrimination are culturally more distant from the natives. Muslim communities are no different in this regard: their specificity resides more in the stronger discrimination they face in the labour market than in cultural differences separating them from natives. Using an instrumental variable approach, evidence at the individual level reveals that there is an asymmetric causal relationship between economic discrimination and “cultural distance”, the former clearly dominating the latter. It also shows that the asymmetry is at least twice as acute for second-generation compared to first-generation migrants.
This paper explores cultural integration paths of eight migrant groups in Switzerland. It specifi... more This paper explores cultural integration paths of eight migrant groups in Switzerland. It specifically analyzes the evolution of objective behaviors and subjective attitudes of migrants from the first to the second generation. In order to deepen the analysis, the cultural integration of migrants is further examined from different perspectives: across cohorts (older vs. younger migrants) and across types of couples (individuals in endogamous vs. mixed couples). Gender differences are also paid attention to. First, behaviors are examined by looking at performances of migrants at school (educational attainment and gender gap). As women play a key role in the transmission of cultural traits and the socialization of the second generation, the focus then turns to their position in the couple (marriage, intermarriage, age and education gap between partners, early marriage, cohabitation, fertility, divorce) and in the labor market (labor force participation). Finally, this paper proposes to look at migrants' use of language, their feelings towards Switzerland, as well as their attitudes towards gender, religious and political issues. Evidence points to overall convergence. As the most striking and lasting differences across groups do not pertain to educational achievement, religious or political attitudes but to gender-related attitudes and, even more, to gender-related behaviors in endogamous couples, it appears that migration-related gender issues and migration-specific “household dynamics” should be taken into account in the design of future cultural integration policies.
Trade and Development Report 2018 : Power, Platforms and The Free Trade Delusion.
Download fu... more Trade and Development Report 2018 : Power, Platforms and The Free Trade Delusion.
Trade and Development Report 2017 : Beyond austerity : Towards a global new deal.
Download ful... more Trade and Development Report 2017 : Beyond austerity : Towards a global new deal.
World Economic and Social Situation 2015 : Learning from national policies supporting MDG impleme... more World Economic and Social Situation 2015 : Learning from national policies supporting MDG implementation.
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Drafts by Pierre Kohler
News/presentations by Pierre Kohler
URL: https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/capitalisme-circulaire-et-quadrature-du-cercle
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/debats/aviation-verte-et-publicite-trompeuse-de-solar-a-climate-impulse
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/debats/pourquoi-la-bns-fait-jouer-les-eleves-a-sos-perdus-dans-le-pacifique
Lire aussi cette réaction: https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/un-enseignement-de-l-economie-en-pleine-evolution-pour-repondre-aux-defis-contemporains
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/debats/suisse-championne-monde-finance-fossile
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/enterrer-croissance-verte
The presentation is part of the Unil-EPFL Climact Seminar Series. It defines the concept of degrowth, explains why it is necessary and desirable. It then discusses the main obstacles to degrowth as well as strategies for bringing about socio-economic transformations supporting a degrowth transition towards a post-growth society.
https://www.swissrethinkeconomics.org/2021/02/lack-of-economic-pluralism-undermines-education-for-sustainable-development-in-post-obligatory-ed/
Links to open letters and documents with proposed changes to study plan:
(1) https://www.bildungskoalition.ch/fr/engagez-vous-pour-la-reforme-de-la-maturite-gymnasiale/
(2) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/127U7qCsQe47URUnvAlo31y1yESIcvMV6
https://medium.com/hep-vaud/l%C3%A9ducation-au-d%C3%A9veloppement-durable-en-carence-de-pluralisme-%C3%A9conomique-8e7c0b5f333c
https://lecourrier.ch/2021/02/15/leconomie-mainstream-faite-ecole/
https://www.letemps.ch/economie/bns-propage-fable-monetariste-ecoles
.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/10/the-ceta-trade-pact-will-add-to-the-groundswell-of-discontent-why-we-need-more-informed-decision-making.html
https://blogs.mediapart.fr/pierre-kohler/blog/300916/le-ceta-commerce-au-service-du-bien-commun-ou-pangloss-la-solde-du-capital
http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/carnet/2016-10-14-Rejet-du-Ceta-accroc-libre-echange
URL: https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/capitalisme-circulaire-et-quadrature-du-cercle
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/debats/aviation-verte-et-publicite-trompeuse-de-solar-a-climate-impulse
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/debats/pourquoi-la-bns-fait-jouer-les-eleves-a-sos-perdus-dans-le-pacifique
Lire aussi cette réaction: https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/un-enseignement-de-l-economie-en-pleine-evolution-pour-repondre-aux-defis-contemporains
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/debats/suisse-championne-monde-finance-fossile
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/enterrer-croissance-verte
The presentation is part of the Unil-EPFL Climact Seminar Series. It defines the concept of degrowth, explains why it is necessary and desirable. It then discusses the main obstacles to degrowth as well as strategies for bringing about socio-economic transformations supporting a degrowth transition towards a post-growth society.
https://www.swissrethinkeconomics.org/2021/02/lack-of-economic-pluralism-undermines-education-for-sustainable-development-in-post-obligatory-ed/
Links to open letters and documents with proposed changes to study plan:
(1) https://www.bildungskoalition.ch/fr/engagez-vous-pour-la-reforme-de-la-maturite-gymnasiale/
(2) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/127U7qCsQe47URUnvAlo31y1yESIcvMV6
https://medium.com/hep-vaud/l%C3%A9ducation-au-d%C3%A9veloppement-durable-en-carence-de-pluralisme-%C3%A9conomique-8e7c0b5f333c
https://lecourrier.ch/2021/02/15/leconomie-mainstream-faite-ecole/
https://www.letemps.ch/economie/bns-propage-fable-monetariste-ecoles
.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/10/the-ceta-trade-pact-will-add-to-the-groundswell-of-discontent-why-we-need-more-informed-decision-making.html
https://blogs.mediapart.fr/pierre-kohler/blog/300916/le-ceta-commerce-au-service-du-bien-commun-ou-pangloss-la-solde-du-capital
http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/carnet/2016-10-14-Rejet-du-Ceta-accroc-libre-echange
Ce texte revient sur le parcours kafkaïen de A., un requérant d'asile érythréen ayant pénétré la Forteresse Europe, mais « dubliné » en Suisse, et confronté au dysfonctionnement de l'Etat dit de droit helvétique. Il retrace la chronologie des décisions de l'administration fédérale, et l'impunité avec laquelle celle-ci a été en mesure de mettre A. en orbite perpétuelle de l’Etat de droit, c’est-à-dire de le priver du droit de déposer une demande d'asile et donc d'exister en Suisse, ceci alors même que tous les délais « Dublin » l’en ayant empêché dans un premier temps étaient échus. Bien que l'abus de l’administration ait été admis par la justice fédérale, celle-ci a préféré s’abriter derrière diverses arguties juridiques pour mieux rejeter tous les recours déposés les uns après les autres. Quant aux fonctionnaires et politiciens locaux (canton de Vaud), ils s'empressèrent de se défausser de leur responsabilité en invoquant la hiérarchie, les décisions de la justice ou encore les accords européens de Dublin, laissant l'Etat de droit se muer en violence d'Etat dont le point final fût l'expulsion de A. après près de trois années d'attente sans avoir été entendu. Face à cette absurdité doublée d'une démission collective ayant encore davantage déstabilisé l'existence précaire d'un homme en exil, le texte conclu en insistant sur le danger de compter sur le bon fonctionnement de l'Etat dit de droit, serait-il démocratique, dans un contexte d'affaissement progressif de ses principes fondamentaux et d’élargissement du cercle des individus dont les droits, grands et petits, ne sont plus effectivement reconnus et respectés par les différentes branches de l’Etat dit de droit. Un rapprochement avec la nocivité des schémas de pensée sous-tendant les modèles économiques dits d’équilibre général mis au service des politiques néolibérales ces dernières décennies est également proposé.
This chapter explores cultural integration paths of eight migrant groups in Switzerland. It specifically analyses the evolution of objective behaviours and subjective attitudes of migrants from the first to the second generation. In order to deepen the analysis, the cultural integration of migrants is further examined from different perspectives: across cohorts (older vs. younger migrants) and across types of couples (individuals in endogamous vs. mixed couples). First, behaviours are examined by looking at performances of migrants at school. As women play a key role in the transmission of cultural traits and the socialization of the second generation, the focus then turns to their position in the couple and in the labour market. Finally, this chapter looks at migrants’ use of language, their feelings towards Switzerland, as well as their attitudes towards gender, religious, and political issues. Evidence points to overall convergence. The most striking differences across groups pertain to gender-related attitudes and behaviours.
Pour parvenir à des conclusions, il a été jugé nécessaire de mieux cerner certaines notions complexes. Les interprétations possibles du DD ont été regroupées selon les perspectives de la durabilité faible et forte. Les dimensions didactiques et pédagogiques de l’EDD ont été distinguées. Et la discipline économique a été présenté comme un champ pluraliste, sur la base de ressources produites suite à la contestation estudiantine post-2008 appelant à ne plus fonder l’enseignement de l’économie uniquement sur l’approche mainstream (AM) de sorte à permettre aux étudiants de développer une réflexion critique, épistémologique et politique sur leur discipline.
Ensuite, ce mémoire a examiné le contenu des plans d’études et ressources didactiques de l’économie du Secondaire II pour identifier la teneur du curriculum économique, formel autant que caché. Cet examen de documents a été enrichi par sept entretiens avec des acteurs de cette didactique. Le constat est clair : des plans d’études aux ressources didactiques, le curriculum formel est structuré par l’AM, qui propage la fable monétariste, ignore la question de la distribution des richesses et appelle sans retenue à poursuivre la croissance économique en Suisse (comme ailleurs) malgré les conséquences environnementales, en attendant … le Godot de la croissance verte, deus ex machina des promoteurs du DD dans la perspective de durabilité faible. D’une manière générale, les acteurs de la didactique ne voient pas de problème majeur à cet état de leur didactique et pensent qu’elle contribue de manière positive à l’EDD.
L’analyse de l’auteur de ce mémoire est divergente et constate que des apports scientifiques majeurs provenant des autres disciplines ainsi que des écoles de pensées économiques hétérodoxes ne sont pas intégrés à la didactique de l’économie, qui reste largement enfermée dans la bulle de l’économie mainstream. En conséquence, le mémoire aboutit à diverses propositions au sujet des plans d’études et ressources didactiques, qui peuvent potentiellement ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives pour exploiter des approches pédagogiques permettant de développer une pensée économique critique et la capacité d’action des élèves face aux défis du DD.
Chapter 1 explores the cultural integration paths of eight migrant groups from the first to the second generation by tracing the evolution of selected behaviours and attitudes, which are taken as indicative of cultural integration. It gauges the extent to which behaviours and attitudes of migrants are diverging from or converging with those of natives.
Chapter 2 examines the causes of integration failures or, more precisely, how economic and cultural barriers to integration reinforce each other. Are cultural differences preventing the successful integration of migrants or does the root of integration failures lie in unequal economic opportunities and discrimination?
Chapter 3 investigates the effect of host society culture on migrant wage discrimination. It examines whether the markedly more conservative political preferences on issues related to migration and asylum of voters in the German-speaking region of Switzerland affect outcomes in the labour market, or whether economic interactions are immune from tensions developing in the society at
large.
In this paper, we provide alternative projections of CETA’s economic effects using the United Nations Global Policy Model (GPM). Allowing for changes in employment and income distribution, we obtain very different results. In contrast to positive outcomes projected with full-employment models, we find CETA will lead to intra-EU trade diversion. More importantly, in the current context of tepid economic growth, competitive pressures induced by CETA will cause unemployment, inequality and welfare losses. At a minimum, this shows that official studies do not offer a solid basis for an informed decision on CETA.
To make its case, the paper first calls attention to how the concept of sustainable development emerged and drifted in a changing political economy context. It then proposes a stylized description of the multi-layered crisis the EU is undergoing as a concentric sustainability crisis stretching along economic, social, environmental and political dimensions. Emphasizing the necessity to address all these dimensions for reviving the fading political project of a stronger Union, the paper highlights the narrow parameters of the current debate on EU fiscal and tax policy, which remains largely framed by neoclassical assumptions granting priority to budgetary (and more recently also macroeconomic) stabilization. Calling for redefining political priorities so as to leverage tax policy and expanded EU own resources for addressing the unfolding sustainability crisis, the paper then briefly discusses the potential of a number of proposed tax bases and options for promoting a stronger Union through sustainable development and establishes a tentative list of best candidates.
Download full report : https://unctad.org/webflyer/trade-and-development-report-2018
Download full report: https://unctad.org/webflyer/trade-and-development-report-2017
Download full report: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wess/archive.shtml
Download full report: https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2013/
Download full report: https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2013/
Download full report: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wesp/archive.shtml