The current financial and economic crisis: empirical and methodological issues

In this paper we describe the main causes of the recent financial crisis as a result of many theoretical, methodological, and practical shortcomings mostly according to heterodox, but also including some important orthodox economists. At theoretical level, there are problems concerning teaching and using economic models with overly unrealistic assumptions. In the methodological front, we find the unsuspected shadow of Milton Friedman’s ‘unrealisticism of assumptions’ thesis lurking behind the construction of this kind of models and the widespread neglect of methodological issues. Of course, the most evident shortcomings are at the practical level: (i) huge interests of the participants in the financial markets (banks, central bankers, regulators, rating agencies mortgage brokers, politicians, governments, executives, economists, etc. mainly in the US, Canada and Europe, but also in Japan and the rest of the world), (ii) in an almost completely free financial and economic market, that is, one (almost) without any regulation or supervision, (iii) decision-taking upon some not well regarded qualities, like irresponsibility, ignorance, and inertia; and (iv) difficulties to understand the current crisis as well as some biases directing economic rescues by governments. Following many others, we propose that we take this episode as an opportunity to reflect on, and hopefully redirect, economic theory and practice.

O blog de Miriam Leitão e a linguagem do jornalismo econômico

Pós-graduação em Comunicação - FAAC

Enigma do paradoxo chinês: uma análise

Pós-graduação em Economia - FCLAR

O Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida, o mercado imobiliário e o direito à cidade: análise dos impactos do programa na cidade de São Carlos - SP

This article discusses, in general matters, the economic and social motivations, the organization and development of the program Minha Casa Minha Vida, made in 2009, by Federal Government of Brazil. The objective of this work was to analyse the Brazilian economic and housing context, and the program relation with the Subprime international crisis, which has been started at United States in 2008, as well as analysing and discussing the logistics and the program accessibility. The MCMV program, part of the PAC – Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento – has the intention to combat the economic crisis that had been installed and also minimize the deficit housing of the country. From PAC's initial estimate, US$250 Bi, it has been spent US$129 Bi and it has already been approved more than US$125 Bi designated for the second stage of the program, whose the estimate of PAC2 is about one trillion and a half of brazilian reais. One million homes were built between 2009 and 2012, and the goal for 2014 is two million and a half of new residences. If comparing the current program with the oldest programs, progress were observed ,however, problems and inconsistences are clearly seen: in the real concernment, the truly beneficiary, and contradiction between a social and economic program to urban demands, among other situational factors. It’s also evident, the incentivation for a new residential and closed neighbourhoods, thereby adding to the fragmentation of the urban space, beyond of the exclusion socioespacial caused financing of residences in farest allotments. The capitalist production of the space it’s clearly thriving in analysis of thisfinancing package of the urban habitation, where the biggest glebas rise between central neighbourhood and the newest generated suburb, they evidence the negligence of the authorities in well managing the space, not executing the application of urban instruments of planning the social function, and...

Interpretação da crise financeira mundial sob a perspectiva de David Harvey

Pós-graduação em Economia - FCLAR

Desenvolvimento do sistema do capital e teorias de transição em Trotski e Mészáros

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Geoestratégia das Ilhas Falklands: conflito entre Argentina e Reino Unido

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Formação, sustentação ou implosão de uma bolha imobiliária? A dinâmica de preços no mercado de imóveis de Natal no período 2005-2010

A motivação para a realização deste artigo foi a percepção de que o movimento de preços dos imóveis em Natal apresentava componentes que precisavam ser investigados, notadamente o influxo de capital estrangeiro, sobretudo para aplicação nos setores de turismo e imobiliário e o comportamento do crédito imobiliário. O objetivo do trabalho é examinar a evolução dos preços no mercado de imóveis da cidade no período 2005; 2010. Os indicadores levantados permitiram uma coleta de evidências suficiente para ampliar o grau de confiança nas hipóteses de que, de fato: a) ocorreu uma bolha no mercado de imóveis no triênio 2005; 2007; b) a bolha não implodiu no biênio 2009; 2010, após a crise financeira de 2008, pois o movimento de alta de preços se manteve tanto nos imóveis vendidos na planta quanto nos imóveis prontos.

A questão do desenvolvimento à luz da globalização da economia capitalista

Cet article cherche à dresser, sous la perspective historique, le bilan de la situation des pays périphériques dans les dernières trentes années. Pour cela, il aborde particulièrement les enjeux du développement dans la phase de la globalisation du capital. Ce travail s'appuie surtout sur les études de la vaste bibliographie publiée récemment. Dans quelle mesure la relance du développement concernant plusieurs secteurs stagnés de la périphérie deviendrait-elle une réelle possibilité? Autour de cette question, que nous trouvons centrale dans l'actuelle conjoncture, nous entamons quelques réflexions. Nous envisageons montrer que la stagnation économique à laquelle des nombreux pays non développés font face ne découle pas en partie d'une crise sociale et économique ouverte dans les années soixante-dix et qui s'élargit jusqu'à nos jours malgré les tentatives de restructuration de la société capitaliste. Les stratégies et les mesures politiques à caractère néo-liberal aussi auraient énormément contribué à cette situation étant donné qu'elles ont renforcé les amarres financières qui ont étranglé pour une part les économies périphériques. Outre ces difficultés, ces pays affronteraient les limites écologiques du capitalisme. La relance du développement dans un nouveau stade exigeant la croissance économique, la justice sociale et la préservation de la nature amènerait à une rupture face au capitalisme.

Dynamiques du développement de la pisciculture dans deux régions du Brésil : une approche comparée

Based on a historical approach, fish farming development was compared in two differentiated Brazilian areas. This study mobilizes the concept of Innovative Local System (ILS) together with the theoretical framework of the Sociology of Innovation and of the Economies of Size. We found that all the relationships within Ribeira Valley are mainly commercial based. There is neither coordination nor linking actions among the components of ILS. Hence, the "network" was unable to create technological or organizational innovations capable of facing any economic crisis. Conversely, in the Itajai High Valley, the socio-technological fish farming network has been developed on social, commercial, and trustful relationships. All interactions among the components of the ILS were coordinated to each other which allowed this network to react when economic or climatic threats threatened the sustainability of fish farming.

A crise econômica no Japão após os anos 90

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A construção da defesa da concorrência no MERCOSUL: uma perspectiva construtivista - cooperação e interesses nas relações internacionais

Pós-graduação em Relações Internacionais (UNESP - UNICAMP - PUC-SP) - FFC

Desenvolvimento de métodos para identificação e caracterização de Brownfields têxteis em Americana - SP: potencialidades e limitações da videografia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Media Education and Brazilian Educational Policies for the Enhancement of Learning

As media education concepts and practices have been disseminated and strengthened in European countries and Americas, the policies responsible for that expansion remain little known, particularly in countries where the achievements have been recently noted. That is the case for Brazil, where there have been new opportunities for media education, considered as a valuable resource to help accomplish goals of the educational system. This paper looks into the contribution of media education to the enhancement of teaching and learning in the context of innovations brought by recent policies of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. After educational reform programmes which brought the opportunity for emerging fields such as media education, we produced teaching material and conducted a series of workshops with students and teachers from state secondary schools. By reading and producing multimedia information about local public services available to young people, pupils learned about democracy, citizenship, civic engagement, media language, and identity. Lessons from our experiment are discussed against the backdrop of education policies being implemented to ameliorate harsh conditions resulting from the recent economic crisis. We suggest that media education can help by creating a learning environment in which the students become aware of the value of educational attainments.

A crise do subprime e seus efeitos sobre os Estados Unidos e reflexos no Brasil

Between December 2007 and June 2009 the United States witnessed 18 months of recession that became known as the subprime crisis. Beginning in the housing market, the crisis moved into the banking and financial markets and spread throughout the entire economy through a domino effect, affecting the majority of other businesses. A major reflection of this was the large rise in unemployment rates due to business slashing jobs in an attempt to preserve cash. Although the crisis has officially ended, the unemployment rate reached over 10% in 2010 in the United States. American's continue to seek new jobs in a very difficult employment market, while attempting to manage the family household budget. American household income, which decreased either by pay cuts, job loss, and the effects of inflation, leads the majority of Americans to declare that the crisis had not yet ended. The crisis has spread to the world in varying degrees. Brazil was one of the countries least affected due to government policies and the large amount of foreign exchange. Although the crisis has affected Brazil only slightly, we will show how it reached this country and how the government solved this problem. This research paper will explain how the subprime crisis began, how it manifested itself in the U.S. economy and throughout the population. Also, it will show the crisis’ effects in Brazil and show some statements from Americans with their respective views and their experiences relative to the crisis