Stanovnistvo

Thematic section: Science and education for sustainable development - European journal of transformation studies, 11(1), 2023

Dimitrije Teodosić — 2024-11-25

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Collection of papers: Disaster, construction, and reconstruction: Essays on ethical and social perspectives

Dušica Kovačević — 2024-11-25

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Degrowth between normativism and reality

Aljaž Kunčič — 2024-11-25

This article addresses the increasing debates over the limitations of high-growth models that have contributed to environmental degradation and polycrises. Based on a comprehensive literature review, we look into the basic characteristics and differences between the alternative degrowth and similar new development models; examine the paradigm through the lens of its critics; and look into its viability. The analysis highlights that while degrowth presents a theoretically compelling alternative to traditional growth models, it faces significant practical challenges in implementation, particularly due to its reliance on deep systemic changes and shifts in public values. In the empirical section, we test the hypothesis that countries with better sustainable development progress are more successful than those prioritizing economic outcomes. To do this, we show graphically and analyze the correlation between the average GDP growth and changes in the sustainable development measure using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. We rank countries based on their sustainable development and economic performance, averaging these rankings to identify potential degrowth leaders over the past 20 years. Our findings indicate that, while theoretically appealing, the degrowth model faces significant challenges in practice, with no statistical evidence supporting a negative correlation between degrowth and sustainable development progress.

How do socio-demographic factors affect green finance growth?

Valentina Vukmirović — 2024-11-25

Hitherto, green finance provides lower returns as compared to their “plain” counterparts, and as such, might be less attractive to financial markets. This study aims to analyse the impact of sociodemographic factors on green finance growth at the national level. We employ a panel-pooled mean group-autoregressive distributive lag (PMG-ARDL) model to assess the long-term influence of selected sociodemographic indicators on government budget allocations for R&D (GBARD) with environmental objectives as a proxy for green finance spanning 21 European countries from 2000 to 2021. Specifically, we investigate the impact of the unemployment rate, population density, gender ratio, ratio of education expenditure to GDP, proportion of the population aged 15-64, and the Gini coefficient on the GBARD with environmental objectives. The core results demonstrate that all the examined indicators exert a positive and statistically significant long-term impact on the allocation of government budgets for the GBARD with environmental objectives, highlighting the critical role of sociodemographic contexts in shaping environmental investment strategies.

Impact of population ageing on fiscal balance in the European Union

Sanja Filipović — 2024-11-25

In the past two decades, the EU has experienced low fertility rates and declining mortality rates leading to population ageing. Although increasing immigration and longer life expectancy reinforced population growth, these trends could not counterbalance the negative impact of low birth rates on labour supply. Demographic transition towards an aging society is characterised by increase of public health and pension expenditures, as well as decrease of tax revenues that are triggers for fiscal imbalance. The paper aims to analyse the effects of population ageing on government fiscal balance in the EU-27 by applying modern methods of panel data analysis in the period 2001-2021. The dependent variable is general government fiscal balance, while the explanatory variables are related to demographic transition indicators (population aged over 64 in total population, old-age dependency ratio, and health expenditures) and macroeconomic control variables. The results of research show that population ageing has created a significant negative impact on fiscal balance of the EU countries, which was confirmed by all the analysed models. The fixed-effects panel threshold model did not identify a statistically significant threshold of any demographic transition indicator, concluding that population ageing has equally negatively affected fiscal balance, independent of the values of demographic transition indicators.

The influence of demographic characteristics on the effectiveness of public administration training programs

Dijana Štrbac — 2024-11-25

This paper examines the influence of demographic characteristics on the effectiveness of the training programs in public administration in the Republic of Serbia. Specifically, the aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs in public administration and to analyse how factors such as age, gender, educational level, years of work experience and job title influence the outcomes of training initiatives. The sample of the study includes 1,040 public administration employees in Serbia who participated in at least one training program organized by the National Academy of Public Administration in 2022. The primary data was collected through a survey questionnaire administered in October 2023. The effectiveness of the training programs is assessed according to the extent to which they contribute to achieving the desired objectives. The statistical analyses involve descriptive statistics, reliability assessments and statistical tests to identify differences between demographic groups. The research results indicate that age, gender and education level have no influence on the effectiveness of the training programs in public administration. However, training effectiveness is significantly influenced by professional experience and job titles in public administration. Respondents with up to 15 years of work experience rated the effectiveness of the training programs higher than those with more than 15 years of work experience. In addition, government officials rated the effectiveness of the training programs they participated in significantly higher than other employees and managers in public administration. The key policy recommendations that emerge from the research relate to matching training programs to job experience, differentiating training for different job titles, leveraging experienced employees and an inclusive training environment.

On the economic sustainability of Russian households at a socially acceptable level

Aleftina Gulyugina — 2024-11-25

The paper is focused on determination and analysis of the thresholds for socially acceptable criteria of economic sustainability for households of different composition. The paper shows the key methodological aspects of determining the economic sustainability of households and its socially acceptable criterion. The main macroeconomic conditions for the formation of economic sustainability of households in Russia are also considered. Besides, the characteristics of employment for the people living in economically (un)sustainable households have been identified and analysed. The basis for the household economic sustainability, according to the authors, is self-sufficiency that enables using its own resources to support the socially acceptable level of consumption of socially significant goods and to accumulate savings subject to the resources’ limitations and social risks. The socially acceptable consumer budget is used as the criterion for identification of the household economic sustainability, including the specifics of the consumption of the main socio-demographic groups of the population (population of working age, pensioners, children) and savings in consumption due to cohabitation. Differentiating features of the threshold values for the households of different types are determined in the paper. It is shown that the threshold values of the criterion for economic sustainability of households per household member decrease as the number of minor children per 1 adult increases. However, the income position of such households worsens and, in conditions of unsustainability, the income deficit increases relative to the threshold value. It is revealed that there are no unemployed individuals among the people from economically sustainable households (unlike those living in economically unsustainable ones), while the situation regarding the share of the employed and the level of income from employment varies, depending on the composition of households, indicating different “strategies” for achieving sustainability of their households.

Crossroads of aspiration: unveiling the migration intentions among university students in North Macedonia

Katerina Shapkova Kocevska — 2024-11-25

In our work, we analysed the migration intentions of university students from North Macedonia. We used data from a survey with 412 students from the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, the country’s largest and oldest university. The results showed that about two-thirds of the respondents (67 per cent) intend to emigrate. To identify the determinants of the migration intentions, we used logistic regression models, where the migration intention was the dependent variable. We used different sets of socio-demographic and educational variables, the economic status of the respondents, and other factors as independent variables. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the following factors: Housing, environment, and public services; Social activities and community engagement; Advanced and developed society; Enhanced educational and career opportunities; Public services; Economic and social progress; and Family and social well-being. All of them, except the last one, had a statistically significant impact on the students’ intentions to emigrate. Moreover, the students with more educated parents, students with higher academic performance and the students who worked had higher odds of emigrating than the students with parents with lower educational levels, students with lower academic performance and the students who didn’t work while they studied, respectively. The other socio-demographic, educational and economic variables were not statistically significant.

Environmental attitudes among Serbian university students

Aida Hanić — 2024-11-25

This article aims to analyse the attitudes of Serbian university students towards environmental issues and risks, as it is crucial to understand these attitudes to shape future environmental policies and promote sustainability initiatives. The survey, which covered socio-demographic, economic, and environmental variables, gathered insights for gaining insights into environmental awareness and important factors promoting pro-environmental behaviour among youth. In total, 165 responses were obtained. A Chi-square test of independence and a logistic regression model was employed for analysis. The survey results show university students perceive inadequate recycling habits (65%) and limited green spaces (73%) in their cities. They consider the environmental risks considerable, possibly leading to migration (66%) and urban depopulation (47%). They advocate for increased awareness campaigns (66.7%) and greater use of renewable energy (64.2%), as well as stricter penalties for environmental violations (61.8%). The analysis revealed a significant relationship between self-assessed environmental awareness and actual environmental behaviour, with students who reported higher awareness being more likely to engage in environmentally friendly actions. Gender and family recycling habits were significant predictors of environmental behaviour, with females and students from the families with recycling practices more likely to exhibit pro-environmental behaviour. These results indicate that the surveyed university students have developed environmental habits and awareness. Supporting youth is central to tackling environmental issues and promoting sustainable behaviour. In addition to educational efforts in Serbia, this requires comprehensive government and civil society initiatives.

Guest editors' introduction

Jelena Zvezdanović Lobanova — 2024-11-25

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