Research in Social Sciences

An investigation of consumer attitude towards anti-plastic bag consumption in Cambodia

Sambath PHOU, Chanveasna UK, Chenda SOM, Veasna SOU — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the present era, plastic bags have emerged as the predominant catalyst for global warming due to their protracted decomposition process. Although it has adverse environmental impacts, it is a frequently used commodity by customers. Furthermore, Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is steadily increasing the quantity of plastics consumed daily. This study aims to examine consumer attitudes towards anti-plastic bag behavior in Cambodia, considering the significant number of plastic bags used on a daily basis. The study employed seven factors, including environmental knowledge, environmental concern, attitude towards using plastic bags, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, and anti-plastic bag behavior, to examine consumer behavior about plastic consumption. Furthermore, this study employed quantitative research methodologies, specifically utilizing a cross-sectional study design to gather the data. We conducted this study with a sample size of 206 participants who responded to an online and paper survey. This study's findings suggest that environmental concern, attitude towards using plastic bags, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence behavioral intention. However, it is worth noting that there is a negative association between environmental knowledge and behavioral intention. Environmental knowledge, behavioral intention, and perceived behavioral control all have a significant impact on people's behavior in avoiding plastic bags.

Currency power as a medium: Revisiting international cost transfer mechanisms in the U.S. subprime crisis

Bo Pang — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper endeavors to meticulously examine the disparities in developmental trajectories between industrialized and emerging economies, employing the nuanced concept of cost transfer within the theoretical framework of the "core-periphery" paradigm. We propose an intricate conceptual model to delve into the mechanisms through which economic crises are systematically shifted from the developed core to the peripheral developing regions, with particular emphasis on the pivotal roles of monetary hegemony and geopolitical dominance. Utilizing the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis as a seminal case study, we scrutinize the intricate dynamics of cost transfer, elucidating how the developed nations leverage their monetary supremacy and geopolitical prowess, often bolstered by military might and neo-liberal ideologies, to facilitate the offloading of inflationary pressures and commodity price hikes onto developing nations, notably China. Our findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on the entrenched inequalities between the Global North and South, emphasizing the asymmetrical power relations that underpin the process of cost transfer. Furthermore, this study enhances the research framework of cost-transfer theory and offers insights into the development of inequalities between developed and developing countries, aiding in the formulation of response strategies for developing countries facing cost transfer and mitigating the adverse impacts of cost transfers, thereby fostering more equitable and sustainable development trajectories.