An analysis of the emergence of the farmal in the Netherlands between the period of 1850 and 1950. The work details the emergence of industrialised, banked and householder farms in the Netherlands...Show moreAn analysis of the emergence of the farmal in the Netherlands between the period of 1850 and 1950. The work details the emergence of industrialised, banked and householder farms in the Netherlands and shows how there is no correspondence between the farmal farm and the communal farm.Show less
Although Guinea has great economic potential on paper due to its mineral resources and enormous water reserves, it has not yet been able to develop this potential and even lags behind other African...Show moreAlthough Guinea has great economic potential on paper due to its mineral resources and enormous water reserves, it has not yet been able to develop this potential and even lags behind other African countries with no or significantly fewer natural resources in terms of economic development. In examining the mechanisms behind the resource bauxite and operations in Guinea directly, several obstacles were discovered that are or may be responsible for Guinea's low profitability. Contrary to prevailing assumptions in the resource curse debate, Guinea's economic problems appear to depend not only on institutional quality, corruption, and economic mismanagement, but also on the unequal power relations of the Guinean government vis-à-vis foreign mining companies and powerful states. This thesis examines potential constraints for Guinea arising from the aluminum value chain, as well as those, arising directly from bauxite operations in Guinea. For this purpose, the operations of three major bauxite companies in Guinea were studied in detail: CBG (Compagnie des Bauxite des Guinée), headquartered in the USA, Great Britain and the Channel Islands as well as SMB, headquartered in China and CBK, headquartered in Russia. The mechanisms behind the aluminum value chain, bauxite mining, and its importance to Guinea were examined through a qualitative secondary analysis.Show less
Bitcoin, since its birth in 2009, has been subject to large debates on multiple dimensions, especially on the question whether it embodies a viable monetary alternative to fiat currencies. Previous...Show moreBitcoin, since its birth in 2009, has been subject to large debates on multiple dimensions, especially on the question whether it embodies a viable monetary alternative to fiat currencies. Previous research has suggested that in countries dealing with severe inflation, Bitcoin can indeed have helpful monetary implications. This thesis is concerned partly with finding out the exact relationship between inflation and Bitcoin usage via regression analysis, as empirical support for the notion that they are positively associated is currently lacking. Additionally, a case study considering Argentina is conducted to gain a deeper understanding about the possible correlation between inflation and Bitcoin usage. Argentina is an example of a country under enormous inflationary pressure, and the literature indicates that Bitcoin is being used here to evade value losses from depreciation of the domestic currency. Two ways can be deduced from theory about the exact way Bitcoin fulfills this role, involving either its “store of value” or its “vehicle currency” function. Via a survey design combined with a content analysis, there is aimed to identify which role is more significant in the Argentinian context. Finally, there is reflected on the findings in the light of preceding theory, and implications are discussed for a range of different actors.Show less
