scholarly journals A mixed methods approach to the social assessment of transport infrastructure projects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Lucas ◽  
Ian Philips ◽  
Ersilia Verlinghieri
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Local People ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
Social Assessment ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Social

AbstractIn this paper, we propose a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative approach to capture fully the measurable and less tangible social impacts of transport projects on local people and communities. The approach was used to assess the potential social impacts of a strategic road by-pass project case study in a deprived region of Wales in the UK. The project specifically aimed to stimulate local economic growth and regeneration in the local areas it serves. In a ‘before and after’ case study, we combined fine-grained, GIS-based spatial analysis of secondary datasets with qualitative participative exercises with the local residents of the five communities living adjacent to the road, and interviews with professional local stakeholders. This mixed methods approach significantly enhanced understanding of both the social benefits and disbenefits of the road project. It helped to reveal local concerns that would not otherwise have been apparent from secondary dataset analysis alone. The qualitative studies were also successful in bringing to the table new ‘hard to reach’ voices that had not been heard through the formal consultation and public engagement process. The study revealed that the social benefits accruing to local people from the project could have been significantly enhanced, whilst a number of its locally occurring negative social impacts could have been avoided had social assessment been employed earlier in the decision processes concerning its routing and design. Recommendations to improve the practice and uptake of social assessments at the option appraisal, project design mitigation and post evaluation stages of transport projects are included in the paper.

Ideological Inversion and the (De)legitimation of Neoliberalism in Chile

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismael Puga
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Economic Order ◽  
Window Of Opportunity ◽  
Panel Surveys ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Strategic Adaptation ◽  
The Social

Using a mixed-methods approach based on discussion focus groups and panel surveys of the Longitudinal Social Study of Chile, this chapter demonstrates that Chilean’s neoliberal economic order is not legitimized by the vast majority of the population. Instead, the author argues that social norms are in serious conflict with the prevailing socioeconomic order. Within Chilean society, both citizens and social analysts are prone to agree with the existence of a “neoliberal consensus” due to the strategic adaptation of social practices that take place within a socioeconomic order that most individuals accept as a given. As a consequence, a “fantasy consensus” emerges in Chilean society in order to stabilize the social economic order, thus avoiding collective mobilization and social change. In this scenario, the protest waves that Chilean society has faced since 2011 offer additional proof that the “fantasy consensus” has experienced serious fissures, thus opening a window of opportunity to delegitimize Chile’s neoliberal order in the country.

scholarly journals Assessing the Social Impact of Mental Health Service Accessibility by a Nonprofit Social Enterprise: A Mixed--methods Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Turpin ◽  
Micheal Shier ◽  
Kate Scowen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Service Accessibility ◽  
The Social

The following study sought to examine the social impact of a social enterprise mental health services model by assessing its impact on service accessibility and mental health stigma.  A novel approach to case study – a mixed methods design was developed by collecting data from service users, counsellors, and community members of a social enterprise in Toronto, Ontario, using qualitative interviews and the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) survey.  Findings show how the social enterprise increases service access and challenges mental health stigma by engaging in a variety of activities, including providing low--cost counselling, diversifying services, offering a positive and safe non--clinical environment, and engaging with the public directly by utilizing a storefront model. As a result of data triangulation analysis, common themes and discrepancies between respondent groups are identified and discussed. No significant relationships were found between mental health stigma and community member demographic characteristics. Insights on replication of this social impact assessment model are discussed.

scholarly journals Assessing senior perspectives' towards ride for free public transportation: a case study in Oakville, Ontario

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mah
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
Independent Mobility ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Transit Use ◽  
Transportation Program

This research investigated the Ride for Free Public Transportation program for seniors in Oakville, Canada. Using a mixed-methods approach, participants were surveyed (n=131) to understand their travel behaviour, and interviewed (n=16) to understand their perspectives towards taking public transportation. While 63% of seniors said that the Ride for Free Transit Program did not impact their travel behaviour, 37% said that it increased their public transit use. The most popular reason for seniors to use public transportation was taking it by themselves. Some interview respondents said that they used public transportation because they would not have to ask others for rides or they did not have access to a car. Seniors suggested that more education of how to use the bus and transfer could increase senior ridership. This research may aid other municipalities considering similar programs, which could help to sustain the independent mobility of seniors.

scholarly journals Who Are the Gentrifiers and How Do They Change Central City Neighbourhoods? Privatization, Commodification, and Gentrification in Bucharest

Geografie ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liviu Chelcea ◽  
Raluca Popescu ◽  
Darie Cristea
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Census Tract ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Central City ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Data Field

Our understanding of gentrification outside of the Anglo-Saxon core is relatively undeveloped. In order to contribute to a more de-centered approach, we ask who are the gentrifiers and how do they change central city neighbourhoods in a post-socialist context? The answers are explored through a mixed-methods approach, using both quantitative and qualitative data: construction permits analysis, census tract data, field trips, and interviews with tenants, former owners, and real estate agents. Findings indicate that gentrifiers vary in nature. They include state tenants, former owners, marginal gentrifiers, political capitalists, and institutional investors. Through their actions, central neighbourhoods have gained younger, more educated, and smaller households. Beyond this case study, we emphasize the usefulness of rent gap theories, the need to study displaced households, and the potential of property rights to enrich theories of gentrification.

Social impacts of a short-distance relocation process and new ways of working

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Christersson ◽  
Christopher Heywood ◽  
Peggie Rothe
Keyword(s):  
Short Distance ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Employee Perceptions ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
The Social ◽  
Organizational Relocation

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.

BUILDING THE SOCIAL CAPITAL IN RURAL AREAS’ SMES WOMEN COOPERATIVE, GARGALIANI, SOUTH-WEST PELOPONNESOS

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonidas Papakonstantinidis
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local People ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
South West ◽  
The Social ◽  
Development Procedure

The purpose of this paper is to prove that the rationalization of the “Integrated Endogenous Local Development” should be proved to be a valuable policy mean, under the proposed methodological procedure of Sensitizing Local People, through the “animation procedure”, toward developing their own skills, capacities and therefore their place, that are asked by the local SMEs Sensitization may be proved to be the fundamental methodological tool, for building the social capital at local level, by making valuable local people’s “intrinsic inclinations”-a “term” which is stronger than “capacities”- under a new value system, and human communication. ”Sensitization” - as the upper limit of the sensitization procedure- is been approached, step by step, especially: Establishing the “bottom-up approach” in planning the development procedure at local level, Establishing the “animation procedure” among local people, Analysing local people “intrinsic inclinations” in context with a “system value”, Creating a “team psychology” among local people, Encouraging local people in finding and adopting the local “Flag Theme”. The proposed procedure may be useful, especially in small, less developed and isolated rural areas. A case-study “Women Cooperative, Gargaliani, South-West Peloponnesos”, is referred as a typical case of the development procedure, based on local people (women) animation in Greece.

Total Sustainable Evaluation for Road Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 137-148
Author(s):  
Norhan Sayed ◽  
Mohamed Abdel Hamid ◽  
Karim El-Dash
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation System ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
The Social ◽  
Project Construction ◽  
Sustainable Evaluation ◽  
Road Projects

Quality of Infrastructure became indispensable to the innovation-driven development. Poor infrastructure quality means more extra costs for operation and maintenance, in addition to un-studied impacts on the surrounding environment and society. To eliminate the bad impacts and the extra costs, sustainability must be applied in all infrastructure projects. Sustainability represents one of the latest degree subjects that have various trials to connect the social science with the engineering and the environmental science with the future technology. The objective of this research is to provide an integrated sustainable evaluation system (ISES) for quantifying all impacts of road projects. The proposed evaluation system took into consideration the different phases of project including construction phase and operational phase. The different impacts of road projects were divided into three main classifications; the project economic costs to include costs of project construction and operation; the environmental impacts; and the social impacts. Furthermore, a real case study was discussed to validate the research methodology, where it was concluded that the environmental and social impacts have the main impact on project decision and according to the ISES value, the case study road has a sustainable impact on the surrounding environment and society.

scholarly journals Benefits of Outdoor Sports in Blue Spaces. The Case of School Nautical Activities in Viana do Castelo

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8470
Author(s):  
Míriam Rocher ◽  
Bruno Silva ◽  
Gonçalo Cruz ◽  
Renato Bentes ◽  
Josep Lloret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
School Age ◽  
Outdoor Sports ◽  
The Social

Participating in outdoor sports in blue spaces is recognized to produce a range of significant social benefits. This case study empirically analyzes the social benefits associated with the School Nautical Activities project carried out in Viana do Castelo (Portugal) in school-age children and adolescents. It consisted of a 4 year program in which scholars took part in nautical activities (surfing, rowing, sailing, and canoeing) in blue spaces once a week during a semester as a part of their physical education course. The methods used for data collection were as follows: (1) a survey answered by 595 participants in the program and (2) five focus groups (FG): two FGs with participants (seven on each FG), two FGs with their parents (eight participants each), and one FG with the physical education teachers (five participants). Interviews were transcribed and qualitative analysis with NVivo software was developed. Results revealed clear evidence on the social benefits for school-age children and adolescents associated with participation in outdoor activities in blue spaces both in the overall health and in all the following analyzed categories: mental health and well-being, education, active citizenship, social behavior, and environmental awareness. More than 40% state that their overall health is much better now (13.4%) or somewhat better now (29.9%) due to their participation in the program. Thus, this article provides support for the anecdotal recognition of the benefits for school-age children and adolescents from participating in sports in the outdoors and especially in blue spaces.

Death in a multicultural society

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Tay
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Multicultural Society ◽  
Context Specificity ◽  
Religious Identities ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Metaphor Use

Abstract Obituaries are a tractable source of metaphorical depictions of death, which in turn offer unique insights into the near-universality versus culture and context-specificity of metaphors. In multicultural settings, they can shed further light on the underexplored question of how metaphor use interacts with linguistic and religious identities. This paper is a case study of newspaper obituaries (N = 337) in the multicultural and multilingual context of Singapore. It uses a mixed-methods approach to uncover the types of death-related metaphors across languages and religions, their near-universal and culture-specific aspects, and significant associations between religion and metaphor use/non-use (χ² (2, N = 337) = 84.54, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.501, Log (BF10) = 47.14), language and metaphor use/non-use (χ² (1, N = 337) = 71.2, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.46, Log (BF10) = 42.25), and religion and language of the deceased (χ² (2, N = 337) = 48.11, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.378, Log (BF10) = 19.7). The findings extend prevailing discussion from the substantive contents of metaphors to the intra-societal pragmatics of their use, connecting metaphor explicitly with the construction of religious and linguistic identities.

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