Interdisciplinary Approaches to Determine the Social Impacts of Biotechnology

Author(s):  
Pei-Fen Chang
Author(s):  
Hans Ottosson ◽  
Emma Hirschi ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Eric Dahlin

In this paper we present a starting point for designing for and/or assessing the social impact of engineered products. The starting point is a set of tables comprising products, their general functional characteristics, and the accompanying social impacts. We have constructed these tables by first extracting a set of social impact categories from the literature, then 65 products were qualitatively reviewed to find their social impact. The resulting product impact tables can be used at either the beginning of the product development process to decide what social impact to design for and discover product functions that lead to it, or later to qualitatively assess the social impact of a product being designed and/or to assess the impact of an existing product.


Author(s):  
Phillip D. Stevenson ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Kenneth M. Bryden ◽  
Nordica A. MacCarty

More than ever before, engineers are creating products for developing countries. One of the purposes of these products is to improve the consumer’s quality of life. Currently, there is no established method of measuring the social impact of these types of products. As a result, engineers have used their own metrics to assess their product’s impact, if at all. Some of the common metrics used include products sold and revenue, which measure the financial success of a product without recognizing the social successes or failures it might have. In this paper we introduce a potential metric, the Product Impact Metric (PIM), which quantifies the impact a product has on impoverished individuals — especially those living in developing countries. It measures social impact broadly in five dimensions: health, education, standard of living, employment quality, and security. The PIM is inspired by the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) created by the United Nations Development Programme. The MPI measures how the depth of poverty within a nation changes year after year, and the PIM measures how an individual’s quality of life changes after being affected by an engineered product. The Product Impact Metric can be used to predict social impacts (using personas that represent real individuals) or measure social impacts (using specific data from products introduced into the market).


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Merrild Hansen ◽  
Frank Vanclay ◽  
Peter Croal ◽  
Anna-Sofie Hurup Skjervedal

2021 ◽  
Vol 129 ◽  
pp. 01008
Author(s):  
Ghenadie Ciobanu ◽  
Raluca Florentina Cretu ◽  
Mihai Dinu ◽  
Florin Dobre

Research background: How will the world change after the pandemic? What will be the trends of the global economy after the pandemic in the conditions of digital transformations and the impact of other cutting-edge technologies that will change both the global paradigms of the world economy and the global financial and monetary architecture? It is a problem both globally and in each country. Purpose of the article: In this article we aim to examine the processes of transformation of the financial architecture worldwide in the current conditions of financial-monetary globalization, but also of the revolutionary transformations of digitalization and cybersecurity of national, regional, and global financial systems. Research method: We start from the historical approach of the world financial and monetary phenomenon in correlation with the social evolutions. Another method of research is longitudinal: the study of the world financial and monetary phenomenon in time in the context of building the new paradigm of development at the global level with the transition of building paradigms at the national level. In this context, the statistical method and the method of collecting statistical information are also necessary. Findings & Value added: In the conditions when many countries face various serious problems of social, demographic, mass population migration, imbalances in labor markets, declining quality of life, the new international financial-monetary paradigms, but also regional and national ones demand to be correlated by promoting current policies and building economic, financial-monetary and social systems that correspond to solving these socio-economic problem.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Christersson ◽  
Christopher Heywood ◽  
Peggie Rothe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social impacts of short-distance office relocation that also involved a new way of working, as perceived by employees during a relocation process. Relocation is any process of moving business premises and can consist of (often) significant change in locality, building change, workplace change and ways of working. This case study was not influenced by the effect of locality change making it hence a short-distance relocation. Design/methodology/approach The social impacts are analysed based on the perceptions of approximately 15 per cent (nine employees) of the case organization across the relocation process – two months before, one week before and four months after the move. The qualitative data collection is conducted by semi-structured interviews, supplemented by diaries and participatory action research. Findings Before the relocation, the subject organization’s old premises were considered inadequate. Still, employees had concerns during the process about the new open office environment including the adoption of new ways of working. Some employees did experience resistance towards the change, although the amount of engagement possibilities was deemed sufficient and engagement recognized as an important part of the process. After the relocation, adaptation was considered easier than originally anticipated and experiences of improved inter-team collaboration were reported by most while others experienced just the opposite, pointing out to emerging individual differences. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study arise mainly from the ability to statistically generalize on the basis of a single case study which this paper represents. Furthermore, since the last interviews were made four months after the move, all post-occupancy implications were possibly not yet fully experienced. Originality/value The paper provides information on the social impacts of organizational relocation process, as it identifies individual employee perceptions during a relocation process where locality change is minimal. Moreover, the threefold research approach across the relocation process enables the appearance of possible time-dependent development of adaptation to change in employee perceptions and these perceptions to be analysed in more detail.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jay Coakley

This article is organized around the idea that a person can be a part of kinesiology without being in kinesiology. Trained as a sociologist and never having a faculty appointment outside of a sociology department, I am an outsider in kinesiology. However, my participation in kinesiology and relationships with scholars in kinesiology departments have fostered my professional growth and my appreciation of interdisciplinary approaches to studying sports, physical activities, and the moving human body. The knowledge produced by scholars in kinesiology subdisciplines has provided a framework for situating and assessing my research, teaching, and professional service as a sociologist. The latter half of this article focuses on changes in higher education and how they are likely to negatively impact the social sciences and humanities subdisciplines in kinesiology. The survival of these subdisciplines will depend, in part, on how leaders in the field respond to the question, Kinesiology for whom?


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