Matching Items (7)
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- All Subjects: economic development
- Creators: Department of Economics
Description
For the past two years, New Venture Group (nVg) and the Havasupai Tribe have worked together on a variety of community development projects. The purpose of this paper is to provide descriptions and documentation for these projects and how they are related to the economic development of the community. The partnership with the Havasupai Tribe has allowed nVg to learn the history and culture of one of Arizona's oldest communities. It has been necessary to understand the traditional values of the Havasupai to design projects that will benefit the tribe and gain support from its members. The products that nVg has worked on under the direction of the Havasupai include: - Computer training sessions - A tribal website - Financial analyses of Supai enterprises - Data management resources These and additional activities will be explained in the following pages. They were created following several meetings with tribal members and Enterprise Managers in Tempe and Supai, Arizona over the last two years. The goal of these projects is to contribute to the economic development of Supai and the Havasupai people more generally. Economic development means combining the existing strengths of the Havasupai community with nVg's business management experience, creating a stronger and more productive economy that contributes to the overall quality of life for the Havasupai.
ContributorsWhile, Kate Sophie (Author) / Brooks, Daniel (Thesis director) / LePine, Marcie (Committee member) / Walker, Beth (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
With growing levels of income inequality in the United States, it remains as important as ever to ensure indispensable public services are readily available to all members of society. This paper investigates four forms of public services (schools, libraries, fire stations, and police stations), first by researching the background of these services and their relation to poverty, and then by conducting geospatial and regression analysis. The author uses Esri's ArcGIS Pro software to quantify the proximity to public services from urban American neighborhoods (census tracts in the cities of Phoenix and Chicago). Afterwards, the measures indicating proximity are compared to the socioeconomic statuses of neighborhoods using regression analysis. The results indicate that pure proximity to these four services is not necessarily correlated to socioeconomic status. While the paper does uncover some correlations, such as a relationship between school quality and socioeconomic status, the majority of the findings negate the author's hypothesis and show that, in Phoenix and Chicago, there is not much discrepancy between neighborhoods and the extent to which they are able to access vital government-funded services.
ContributorsNorbury, Adam Charles (Author) / Simon, Alan (Thesis director) / Simon, Phil (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Expectation for college attendance in the United States continues to rise as more jobs require degrees. This study aims to determine how parental expectations affect high school students in their decision to attend college. By examining parental expectations that were placed on current college students prior to and during the application period, we can determine the positive and negative outcomes of these expectations as well as the atmosphere they are creating. To test the hypothesis, an online survey was distributed to current ASU and Barrett, Honors College students regarding their experience with college applications and their parents' influence on their collegiate attendance. A qualitative analysis of the data was conducted in tandem with an analysis of several case studies to determine the results. These data show that parental expectations are having a significant impact on the enrollment of high school students in college programs. With parents placing these expectations on their children, collegiate enrollment will continue to increase. Further studies will be necessary to determine the specific influences these expectations are placing on students.
ContributorsJohnson, Benjamin Howard (Co-author) / Scheller, Sara (Co-author) / Kappes, Janelle (Thesis director) / Fairbanks, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Much of the community in Rocky Point, Mexico, faces chronic poverty and limited economic development. However, using an asset-based community development model, a local non-profit organization is working to empower the people to take the community's development into their own hands. 1MISSION, through its community-driven projects and programs, is helping bring sustainable and meaningful development to Rocky Point.
ContributorsHubert, Sara (Author) / Datta, Manjira (Thesis director) / Mendez, Jose (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
The Solar Mamas Program, created by the Indian-based non-profit Barefoot College, brings illiterate and semi-literate older women from rural communities around the world to India for a six-month training on solar engineering and entrepreneurship. The Barefoot enterprise is unique in that it contrasts the typical flow of humanitarian aid and implements a South-South development dynamic. Belize is one country that Barefoot selects potential Solar Mamas from with help from its ground partner, Plenty Belize. This ethnographic study aims to identify and assess the direct and indirect impacts the solar project has created in traditional Mayan life in the Toledo District. Interviews were conducted in Santa Elena and Jalacte, which are two villages with and without solar electrification, respectively. The study observed positive impacts on various aspects of health, education, and economics, as well as gender relations. Although relatively successful in its mission, constructive feedback was provided to all actors in the solar project with the aim of enhancing the Solar Mamas’ experience and effectiveness as a “new class of leaders” in their communities, as well as to ensure the continued success that solar electrification has had in the Mayan communities.
ContributorsLaufer, Grant (Co-author) / Gonzalez, Olivia (Co-author) / Bascon, Glenn Ivan (Co-author) / Carrese, Susan (Thesis director) / Ellsworth, Kevin (Committee member) / Paris, Rodrigo (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This paper looks at factors that drive economic growth and show the correlation between economic growth and economic development and how important economic growth is for a developing country because when there is economic growth then the country has potential to develop. This paper continues to explain why there is economic growth in some countries and not in others with specifically focusing on the effects of having a blessed resource endowment. Having an abundance of resources should be a comparative advantage, however as seen in Latin America, South East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa that this surprisingly does not lead to high levels of economic growth. This phenomenon is referred to as the Resource Curse and can be fully explained through assumptions derived from the macroeconomic Heckscher-Ohlin model as well as recent trends in emerging economies. Leading to the conclusion that developing countries abundant in resources are very susceptible to the Resource Curse through the increase inequality that ultimately stunts development. Literature suggests that one of the only solutions to overcoming the Resource Curse is the strengthening the effectiveness of the policies in place, which is a subsequent effect of having quality institutions.
Focusing on how to improve institutions there needs to be consideration of the fact that institutions have rent seeking behaviors because both local governments and foreign investors want to acquire a greater share of the production and the benefits. In attempt to find some solution of how countries can overcome the Resource Curse without having to totally reconstruct the political system the goal should be to be to focus on actions from the private sector. The private sector tends to magnify rent seeking behavior and to solidify any solution I performed interviews from industry leaders who have been working in economic development for the past decades. The purpose was to understand what companies are doing now to ensure sustainable development and how that has changed over the past decades.
In the end, the private industry is focusing on regulations that standardize polices for companies pursuing foreign direct investment requiring them to also focus on local economic growth and development. This requires foreign investors to understand the local culture, environment, and institutions leading to overall better choices for long term profitably, thus fulfilling their rent seeking tendencies. One of the biggest proven solutions is the Social License to Operate which is essentially an agreement created by the private investor that requires the local community to be informed and holds the investor accountable. In the end, if the private sector can positively impact a community whilst maintaining their own agenda then a country can overcome the Resource Curse.
Focusing on how to improve institutions there needs to be consideration of the fact that institutions have rent seeking behaviors because both local governments and foreign investors want to acquire a greater share of the production and the benefits. In attempt to find some solution of how countries can overcome the Resource Curse without having to totally reconstruct the political system the goal should be to be to focus on actions from the private sector. The private sector tends to magnify rent seeking behavior and to solidify any solution I performed interviews from industry leaders who have been working in economic development for the past decades. The purpose was to understand what companies are doing now to ensure sustainable development and how that has changed over the past decades.
In the end, the private industry is focusing on regulations that standardize polices for companies pursuing foreign direct investment requiring them to also focus on local economic growth and development. This requires foreign investors to understand the local culture, environment, and institutions leading to overall better choices for long term profitably, thus fulfilling their rent seeking tendencies. One of the biggest proven solutions is the Social License to Operate which is essentially an agreement created by the private investor that requires the local community to be informed and holds the investor accountable. In the end, if the private sector can positively impact a community whilst maintaining their own agenda then a country can overcome the Resource Curse.
ContributorsCortez, Sarah A (Author) / Mueller, Valerie (Thesis director) / Sheriff, Glenn (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The following honors thesis analyzes the history of advertising in the state of Arizona since the late 19th century and its overall impact on economic development. Advertising is defined as the action of calling something to the attention of the public, especially by paid announcements; and economic development is defined as the process whereby simple economies are transformed into modern industrial economies. This paper will analyze the influence of key people, events, locations, and publications on consumer behavior and discuss how they contributed to tourism in the state and, subsequently, economic growth. By speaking to experts on Arizona history, economic development and tourism as well as analyzing a variety of historical multimedia, I will discuss how advertising methods evolved over time and how they contributed to increased interest and growth within the state.
ContributorsTatom, Julia Kathryn (Co-author) / Tatom, Julia (Co-author) / Eaton, Dr. John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Dr. Michael (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05