This paper reports on recent research the aim of which was to study, model and simulate the information flow at the conceptual and schematic stages of building design. The development of a generic model of the conceptual and schematic design process for buildings is described. This model...

Agrarian policy discussions have traditionally centred on how such policy can be formulated so as to galvanise agricultural production (the 'reversing of the terms of trade bias against agriculture' of the Neo-liberals being one obvious facet of this approach) or to reduce rural inequalities (as...

Agriculture plays a significant role in the economies of Central America and the Caribbean as a source of employment and export revenue. The role of agriculture in the region is nothing new, yet the nature of the relationship has changed in the past century, particulary when one considers the...

This paper examines the neo-liberal development strategies adopted by Central America and the Caribbean during the 1980s and 1990s. The historical pattern of CAC trade and a general discussion on trade liberalization are coupled with 3 specific case studies - Costa Rica, Guatemala and Jamaica -...

This paper aims to identify the likely winners and losers in the biotechnological revolution by firstly reviewing the history of GM technology and identifies the scientific risks to the consumer and environment, arising from the cultivation of GM crops and the consumers perceptions thereof.

In addressing why some people work after state pension aage, this paper draws upon recent qualitative research to argue tht work decisions reflect long-standing dispositions and priorities, and are critically informed by opportunity structures. drawing upon a typolgy distinguishing between...

Economics has evolved into a highly technical academic discipline. Considerable weight is placed on the ability of academic economists to be familiar and skilled in the use of mathematical and statistical techniques. This is how academic economists tend to be judged by their peers. As a...

The Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot, a two-year trial designed to test three alternative interventions in the United Kingdom, aimed to increase the return-to-work rate of those out of work sick for six weeks or more. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a health...

The analysis of the distributional impact of fiscal policy proposals often requires information on household expenditures and incomes. It is unusual to have one data source with information on both and this problem is generally overcome with statistical matching of independent data sources. In...

In this paper we explore the responses of a group of long-term unemployed men to chronic labour market insecurity and ‘active’ labour market policies promoting individual responsibility for employability. We draw from an evaluation of a recent pilot scheme: the UK Employment Retention and...