scholarly journals Educational Differences in Cycling: Evidence from German Cities

Sociology ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 003803852110633
Author(s):  
Ansgar Hudde

Cycling is an environmentally sustainable social practice that contributes to liveable cities and provides affordable and healthy transport. People with lower education could particularly benefit from cycling, as they tend to fare worse regarding finances and health. However, in bivariate analyses, those with lower education cycle less. This article discusses the social meaning of cycling and investigates whether the education–cycling association holds after accounting for (1) confounders and (2) factors that determine decision leeway between different transport modes. I analyse approximately 80,000 short-distance trips (0.5–7.5 km) reported by 28,000 working-age individuals from cities in Germany using multilevel linear probability regression models. Results support that higher education systematically and substantially increases the propensity to cycle. This education gap implies major untapped potential for environmental sustainability, that current pro-cycling policies in cities disproportionally favour the highly educated and that cycling patterns contribute to inequalities in finances and health.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Murat Yucesahin ◽  
Tuğba Adalı ◽  
A Sinan Türkyılmaz

Compared to its past structure, Turkey is now a country with low levels of fertility and mortality. This junction that Turkey now has reached is associated with a number of risks, such as an ageing population, and a decreasing working-age population. The antinatalist policy era of Turkey was followed by a period of maintenance, yet the recent demographic changes formed the basis of a pronatalist population policy from the government’s view. This study discusses the link between demographic change and population policies in Turkey. It further aims to position Turkey spatially in relation to selected countries that are in various stages of their demographic transitions with different population policies, using a multidimensional scaling approach with data on 25 selected countries from the UN. The analysis is based on a 34-year period, 1975-2009, so as to better demonstrate Turkey’s international position on a social map, past and present. Our findings suggest that Turkey’s position on the social map shifted towards developed countries over time in terms of demographic indicators and population policies. 


Author(s):  
Indriyati Kamil ◽  
Oekan S Abdoellah ◽  
Herlina Agustin ◽  
Iriana Bakti

This article highlights the dynamics of geothermal energy in the Kamojang nature reserve in Indonesia. A nature reserve is a conservation area that must be protected and preserved, because it has unique flora and fauna, and rare ecosystems whose existence is threatened with extinction. After going through a long study process by an integrated team, the government finally made a policy to change the function of the nature reserve into a Nature Tourism Park. Changes in policy changes to the function of nature reserves cause pros and cons in the community, and cause conflicts between government and environmental activists. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that cause changes in the function of nature reserves into natural tourism parks in the Kamojang conservation area of Indonesia, as well as to identify appropriate communication models in the management of geothermal energy through communication and environmentally sustainable approaches. Research findings show that the factors that cause changes in the function of nature reserves into tourist parks include; the interests of geothermal energy to meet national energy needs and electricity infrastructure, accommodate the needs of surrounding communities that utilize water resources in conservation areas, and restore ecosystems. The communication model for geothermal energy management that we propose at the same time is also a novelty namely; ecopopulism approach, negotiation approach, collaboration, and equating meaning and orientation to environmental sustainability. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Geothermal Energy, Nature Reserves, Conservation Policies, Communication Models and Sustainable Development.


Author(s):  
Elisabeth Schimpfössl

The opening chapter explores the paradox of a Russian bourgeoisie emerging out of the Soviet elite. It deals with the ways in which these individuals navigated the years of post-Soviet social transformation. Many of the characters in this book were born into socially privileged, highly educated, nonmoneyed Soviet elite. Some used their science vocations and leadership positions in the Komsomol to launch their business careers, exploiting their insider status to gain access to the corridors of power and to foreign-currency bank accounts. While it did help in the climate of the 1990s to be aggressive, wily, and not overly principled, it was more important to have privileged social origins. The new rich used the social assets they had to hand, were quick to recognize which parts of their expertise and skill sets were of no further value in the turmoil, and realigned their resources accordingly.


Author(s):  
Marc J. Stern

Social science theory for environmental sustainability: A practical guide makes social science theory accessible and usable to anyone interested in working toward environmental sustainability at any scale. Environmental problems are, first and foremost, people problems. Without better understandings of the people involved, solutions are often hard to come by. This book answers calls for demonstrating the value of theories from the social sciences for solving these types of problems and provides strategies to facilitate their use. It contains concise summaries of over thirty social science theories and demonstrates how to use them in diverse contexts associated with environmental conflict, conservation, natural resource management, and other environmental sustainability challenges. The practical applications of the theories include persuasive communication, conflict resolution, collaboration, negotiation, enhancing organizational effectiveness, working across cultures, generating collective impact, and building more resilient governance of social-ecological systems. Examples throughout the book and detailed vignettes illustrate how to combine multiple social science theories to develop effective strategies for environmental problem solving. The final chapter draws out key principles for enhancing these efforts. The book will serve as a key reference for environmental professionals, business people, students, scientists, public officials, government employees, aid workers, or any concerned citizen who wants to be better equipped to navigate the social complexities of environmental challenges and make a meaningful impact on any environmental issue.


Author(s):  
Stefan Schröder

This chapter addresses secular humanism in Europe and the way it is “lived” by and within its major institutions and organizations. It examines how national and international secular humanist bodies founded after World War II took up, cultivated, and transformed free-religious, free-thought, ethical, atheist, and rationalist roots from nineteenth century Europe and adjusted them to changing social, cultural, and political environments. Giving examples from some selected national contexts, the development of a nonreligious Humanism in Europe exemplifies what Wohlrab-Sahr and Burchardt call “Multiple Secularities”: different local or national trajectories produced a variety of cultures of secularity and, thus, different understandings of secular humanism. Apart from this cultural historization, the chapter reconstructs two transnational, ideal types of secular humanism, the social practice type, and the secularist pressure group type. These types share similar worldviews and values, but have to be distinguished in terms of organizational forms, practices, and especially policy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 183449092199329
Author(s):  
Tulips Yiwen Wang ◽  
Allan B. I. Bernardo

The present investigation explored Chinese people's attitudes toward the social practice of going “through the back door” or zouhoumen. Zouhoumen is an informal approach to achieve one’s goal through personal connections (called guanxi). We propose that Chinese people distinguish between different acts of zouhoumen and propose at least two types that differ in terms of social cognitive aspects, and that the two types evoke different perceptions of fairness that shape attitudes towards zouhoumen. Two experiments (total N = 414) provided evidence for the differentiation between facilitative zouhoumen and expropriative zouhoumen and also explore the role of type of guanxi in attitudes towards the two types of zouhoumen. Both experiments indicated that facilitative zouhoumen was less unacceptable than expropriative zouhoumen, but there were no marked differences in attitudes between zouhoumen involving expressive or instrumental guanxi. The results support a more nuanced theoretical account of a pervasive social phenomenon in Chinese society that we assume is adaptive responses to features of Chinese historical socioeconomic context.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110102
Author(s):  
Chau-kiu Cheung

Summary Despite the common basis of cognitive theory for cognitive counseling and social competence development, no research has charted the effectiveness of the counseling in raising social competence in young female residents of the residential service. To examine the effectiveness, this study analyzed data gleaned from monthly surveys of young female residents and their social workers regarding the latter’s daily life cognitive counseling. The data consisted of 391 cases pairing the female residents and social workers in Hong Kong over 33 months. Findings The cases afforded a cross-lagged analysis showing the raising of the girl’s social competence by the worker’s cognitive counseling earlier in the previous month. In substantiating this raising, the analysis also indicated that earlier social competence did not affect the counseling. Applications The findings imply the worth of promoting the social worker’s daily life cognitive counseling to advance girl residents’ social competence. Such counseling is particularly helpful to girls with lower education, who are lower in social competence.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2677
Author(s):  
Anastasios Bastounis ◽  
John Buckell ◽  
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce ◽  
Brian Cook ◽  
Sarah King ◽  
...  

Food production is a major contributor to environmental damage. More environmentally sustainable foods could incur higher costs for consumers. In this review, we explore whether consumers are willing to pay (WTP) more for foods with environmental sustainability labels (‘ecolabels’). Six electronic databases were searched for experiments on consumers’ willingness to pay for ecolabelled food. Monetary values were converted to Purchasing Power Parity dollars and adjusted for country-specific inflation. Studies were meta-analysed and effect sizes with confidence intervals were calculated for the whole sample and for pre-specified subgroups defined as meat-dairy, seafood, and fruits-vegetables-nuts. Meta-regressions tested the role of label attributes and demographic characteristics on participants’ WTP. Forty-three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) with 41,777 participants were eligible for inclusion. Thirty-five DCEs (n = 35,725) had usable data for the meta-analysis. Participants were willing to pay a premium of 3.79 PPP$/kg (95%CI 2.7, 4.89, p ≤ 0.001) for ecolabelled foods. WTP was higher for organic labels compared to other labels. Women and people with lower levels of education expressed higher WTP. Ecolabels may increase consumers’ willingness to pay more for environmentally sustainable products and could be part of a strategy to encourage a transition to more sustainable diets.


2000 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 257-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Kirk ◽  
George Williams ◽  
A. Caseldine ◽  
J. Crowther ◽  
I. Darke ◽  
...  

Excavations at the Glandy Cross monumental complex during 1991 and 1992 formed part of an integrated programme of evaluation, rescue, and research by Dyfed Archaeological Trust (DAT). Enclosures, pit circles, standing stones, and cairns were excavated and their environs systematically surveyed. Radiocarbon dates show the monumental complex to have been constructed between c. 2190–1530 cal BC. However, the earliest activity at the site may date to c. 4470–4230 cal BC. A defended enclosure was constructed on the peripheries of the complex c. 830–510 cal BC.The 1991–92 excavation results are presented along with a summary of survey, salvage, and research spanning the period 1981 to 1992. This new data set is tentatively interpreted in terms of historical process and the social practice of monumental construction. A brief commentary on heritage management at Glandy Cross is also presented.A note on authorship: one of the authors (George Williams) directed the Glandy Cross excavations during 1991–92 and prepared an initial draft of the project report. Following his retirement from DAT a project editor (Trevor Kirk) was commissioned by Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments to guide the project towards publication. This paper was largely penned by the project editor, though the excavation and survey data were produced by George Williams and his fieldwork team. The excavation and survey archives are held at the offices of DAT.


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