scholarly journals Urban Animals—Domestic, Stray, and Wild: Notes from a Bear Repopulation Project in the Alps

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 576-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mubi Brighenti ◽  
Andrea Pavoni

Abstract This piece explores “domesticity” as a social territory defined by its relationship with the conceptual and ecological space of “the wild,” and asks whether these spaces stand in opposition to each other or more subtle relations of co-implication are at play. As we look into the domestic and the wild, a conceptual map of notions emerges, including the public, the common, the civilized, and the barbarian. The paper suggests the domestic and the wild constitute two semiotic-ecological domains constantly stretching into each other without any stable or even clear boundary line, and it elaborates on a series of corollaries for studying non-human animals in urban contexts. As an illustrative case study, we follow the story of Daniza, a wild brown bear introduced in the Brenta Natural Park on the Italian Alps in the 2000s. Declared a “dangerous animal,” Daniza was accidentally, and controversially, killed by the public authorities in 2014.

Author(s):  
Dániel Honfi ◽  
John Leander ◽  
Ivar Björnsson ◽  
Oskar Larsson Ivanov

<p>In this contribution a practical and rational decision-making approach is presented to be applied for common bridges typically managed by public authorities. The authors have developed a model with the intention to be applicable for practical cases for common bridges in the daily work of bride operators responsible for a large number of assets, yet still maintain the principles of more generic frameworks based on probabilistic decision-theory.</p><p>Three main attributes of the verification of sufficiency of structural performance are considered, namely: 1) the level of sophistication of modelling performance, 2) the degree of verification and acceptance criteria in terms of dealing with uncertainties and consequences, 3) the extent of information is obtained and incorporated in the verification.</p><p>The simplicity of the approach is demonstrated through an illustrative case study inspired by practical condition assessment decision problems. It is argued that in practical cases it may be desirable to utilize less advanced methods owing to constraints in resources or lack of reliable data (e.g. based on structural health monitoring or other on-site measurement techniques).</p>


1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Massey

THIS ARTICLE COMPARES THE US AND BRITISH EXPERIENCE OF privatization policies. In both countries there is no ‘proof’ that privatization has led to any empirically measurable benefit, or that the new structures are necessarily more consumer-oriented. First the perceived need for change in the public sector is explored, outlining the dynamic provided by the New Right. Next the importance of managerial and professional power to this process of change is explained, before the role of privatization as a ‘cutting edge’ used by liberal/conservative governments (that is governments conventionally labelled as conservative, but which have adopted ideologically liberal policies) is discussed. The paper concludes with an illustrative case study of the privatization of the British Electricity Supply Industry.


1997 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta Lees

Different critical positions have emerged around the restructuring of space in postmodernity. I consider two sets of literature: the sceptical thesis (theses) of the ‘ageographia’ in Sorkin's edited collection Variations on a Theme Park and Foucault's affirmative thesis (theses) of the ‘heterotopia‘. These authors' works relate to a number of themes relevant to this paper: democratic public space, public space (comparing Canada and the USA) and its demise, spatial utopias, and the public library as public space and as ‘other’ space. Vancouver's newest civic landmark, the Vancouver Public Library, provides an illustrative case study with both ageographic and heterotopic qualities.


Author(s):  
Andrea Felicetti

Resilient socioeconomic unsustainability poses a threat to democracy whose importance has yet to be fully acknowledged. As the prospect of sustainability transition wanes, so does perceived legitimacy of institutions. This further limits representative institutions’ ability to take action, making democratic deepening all the more urgent. I investigate this argument through an illustrative case study, the 2017 People’s Climate March. In a context of resilient unsustainability, protesters have little expectation that institutions might address the ecological crisis and this view is likely to spread. New ways of thinking about this problem and a new research agenda are needed.


Relay Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 80-99
Author(s):  
Naoya Shibata

Although teaching reflection diaries (TRDs) are prevalent tools for teacher training, TRDs are rarely used in Japanese secondary educational settings. In order to delve into the effects of TRDs on teaching development, this illustrative case study was conducted with two female teachers (one novice, and one experienced) at a Japanese private senior high school. The research findings demonstrated that both in-service teachers perceived TRDs as beneficial tools for understanding their strengths and weaknesses. TRDs and class observations illustrated that the novice teacher raised their self-confidence in teaching and gradually changed their teaching activities. On the other hand, the experienced teacher held firm teaching beliefs based on their successful teaching experiences and were sometimes less willing to experiment with different approaches. However, they changed their teaching approaches when they lost balance between their class preparation and other duties. Accordingly, although teachers’ firm beliefs and successful experiences may sometimes become possible hindrances from using TRDs effectively, TRDs can be useful tools to train and help teachers realise their strengths and weaknesses.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 322-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roderick J. Brodie ◽  
Maureen Benson-Rea

Purpose A new conceptualization of the process of country of origin (COO) branding based on fresh theoretical foundations is developed. This paper aims to provide a strategic perspective that integrates extant views of COO branding, based on identity and image, with a relational perspective based on a process approach to developing collective brand meaning. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature on COO branding and geographical indicators is undertaken, together with a review of contemporary research on branding. Our framework conceptualizes COO branding as an integrating process that aligns a network of relationships to co-create collective meaning for the brand’s value propositions. Findings An illustrative case study provides empirical evidence to support the new theoretical framework. Research limitations/implications Issues for further research include exploring and refining the theoretical framework in other research contexts and investigating broader issues about how COO branding influences self and collective interests in business relationships and industry networks. Practical implications Adopting a broadened perspective of COO branding enables managers to understand how identity and image are integrated with their business relationships in the context of developing collective brand meaning. Providing a sustained strategic advantage for all network actors, an integrated COO branding process extends beyond developing a distinctive identity and image. Originality/value Accepted consumer, product, firm and place level perspectives of COO branding are challenged by developing and verifying a new integrated conceptualization of branding.


2021 ◽  
pp. 102452942110154
Author(s):  
Mattia Tassinari

An industrial strategy emerges from possibilities for structural change, that depend on material constraints and opportunities afforded by economic structure, the distribution of power in society and the institutional arrangements organized at the political level. Building on a structural political economy perspective, this article develops a structure–power–institutions conceptual framework to describe how economic structure, the distribution of power, and institutions interact through a ‘circular process,’ which is useful for analysing the historical transformation of industrial strategy. In this framework, an industrial strategy refers to the institutional arrangements through which the government manages emerging conflicts or agreements between different powers and influences structural change. As an illustrative case study, the structure–power–institutions framework is applied to analyse the historical transformation of US industrial strategy from the era of Alexander Hamilton to that of Donald Trump.


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