scholarly journals Between concepts and experiences: understandings of climate change in southern Ecuador

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 745-756
Author(s):  
Verónica Iniguez-Gallardo ◽  
Ian Bride ◽  
Joseph Tzanopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Global South ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
Industrialised Countries ◽  
Rural Dwellers ◽  
Firsthand Experience

For decades, researchers have worried about people’s understanding of climate change. Although this understanding varies by cultural context, most studies so far have taken place in industrialised countries. Few studies have explored understandings of climate change in the global South. Through standardised questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted in southern Ecuador, this article explores differences between urban and rural dwellers and compares these with farmers’ understandings of the causes, consequences and risks. We found urban and rural dwellers hold a similar understanding to that found in other nations, but articulated in ways that reflect their particular realities. Despite reporting firsthand experience of the agricultural effects of climate change, when prompted, farmers do not link climate change to their own experience. It is thus important to go beyond judging knowledge as correct or incorrect, and instead, incorporate local realities in the climate narrative.

scholarly journals Place Attachment and Sustainable Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maiss Razem
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Place Attachment ◽  
Global South ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sustainable Communities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The North ◽  
Urban Planning And Design ◽  
The Face

As cities in the developing nations are becoming urbanised at an accelerated pace and intensity, urban planners, design practitioners and policymakers conjoin efforts to satisfy the emergent needs. The design and construction of a sustainable built environment offers adaptive amelioration to the risks of climate change, which ostensibly affects the global South more than the North. Therefore, for developing cities to become sustainably urbanised and planned, socio-economic factors in addition to environmentally devised technological innovations should be comprehensively conceived, to become more consciously assimilated in urban planning and design of residential neighbourhoods in the global South. One of these social factors is place attachment, which has been gaining traction in the last three decades due to the role it plays in understanding the implications of human–place bonding on predicting behaviours, which in turn prepares communities to become resilient and sustainable in the face of possible risks, ranging from climate change displacement to environmental depletion of resources, economic constraints and social tensions. This paper explores the link between place attachment and the creation of more sustainable communities that are civically engaged and environmentally conscientious. As the dynamics of place attachment differ from one context to another, the study employs qualitative methods to mine the place attachment values of several residents of a neighbourhood in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. Through semi-structured interviews with a representative section of the residential communities and photographic documentation, the study analyses the findings from affective and cognitive perspectives, and evaluates their contribution to achieving sustainability. Based on the findings, the research proposes an agenda for future research directions in place attachment studies, providing empirical insight from the context of Jordan.

scholarly journals Conservation Debates: People’s Perceptions and Values towards a Privately Protected Area in Southern Ecuador

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
Verónica Iñiguez-Gallardo ◽  
Fabián Reyes-Bueno ◽  
Olga Peñaranda
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Land Tenure System

The perceptions and values that local communities have towards protected areas are of great value for the improvement of these territories’ management. Such perceptions and values are often absent in the conservation planning process, particularly in those privately protected areas that are established in areas where the land tenure system is based not only on ownership but also on customary uses. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and members of communities surrounding a privately protected area in southern Ecuador, we identify that the level of collaboration with the managers, the distance to the protected area, the percentage of untitled land, and the dependence on the resources (customary uses) are among the variables affecting these perceptions and values. Positive perceptions towards protected areas and naturalistic values are developed among those who collaborate with the protected area managers, whereas negative perceptions, and a mix of naturalistic and biospheric values are developed among those who have a sense of a lack of attention to social needs although supporting nature conservation at the same time. The evidence presented shows the importance of matching local peoples’ expectations with conservation goals during the establishment of a protected area.

scholarly journals Analysis of the early mother-child relationship in schizophrenic patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402199118
Author(s):  
Marziyeh Khoshgoftar ◽  
Anahita Khodabakhshi-Koolaee ◽  
Mohammad Reza Sheikhi
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
New Information ◽  
Data Saturation ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Mother Child Relationship

Background and Aim: The mother as the first caregiver plays a significant role in the formation of the child’s behavior, growth, and communication. The present study aimed to analyze the early mother-child relationship in schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. The participants were male patients with schizophrenia who were hospitalized in Qazvin Bahman Psychiatric Hospital from March to September 2020 with an age range of over 18 years. Given the objective of the study, the data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The participants were selected using purposive sampling and the sampling procedure continued until data saturation as the point when no new information is observed in the data. Accordingly, the data were saturated after interviewing 15 participants. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. Results: The analysis of the data revealed four main themes including ambivalent attachment to the mother, feelings of constant fear and worry, a sense of constant care for the mother, and a cold and emotionless relationship with the child. Conclusion: The present study suggested that schizophrenia is a disorder that affects the mother-child relationship, and does the term “schizophrenic mothers” need to be reconsidered? However, the result of this research has been done according to the nature and cultural context of Iranian society.

Metaphors and cultural narratives on adaptive responses to severe adversity: A field study among the Indigenous Pitaguary community in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iara Meili ◽  
Eva Heim ◽  
Ana C Pelosi ◽  
Andreas Maercker
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Growth ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Core ◽  
Recovery Processes ◽  
Context Specific

The expressions resilience and posttraumatic growth represent metaphorical concepts that are typically found in Euro-American contexts. Metaphors of severe adversity or trauma and the expressions of overcoming it vary across cultures—a lacuna, which has not been given much attention in the literature so far. This study aimed to explore the metaphorical concepts that the Indigenous Pitaguary community in Brazil uses to talk about adaptive and positive responses to severe adversity and to relate them to their socio-cultural context. We carried out 14 semi-structured interviews during field research over a one-month period of fieldwork. The data were explored with systematic metaphor analysis. The core metaphors included images of battle, unity, spirituality, journeys, balance, time, sight, transformation, and development. These metaphors were related to context-specific cultural narratives that underlie the Pitaguary ontological perspective on collectivity, nature, and cosmology. The results suggest that metaphors and cultural narratives can reveal important aspects of a culture’s collective mindset. To have a contextualized understanding of expressive nuances is an essential asset to adapt interventions to specific cultures and promote culture-specific healing and recovery processes.

scholarly journals Zero Carbon Building Practices in Aotearoa New Zealand

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4455
Author(s):  
Thao Thi Phuong Bui ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson ◽  
Niluka Domingo ◽  
Casimir MacGregor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Zero Carbon

In the light of climate change, the drive for zero carbon buildings is known as one response to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Within New Zealand, research on climate change mitigation and environmental impacts of buildings has received renewed attention. However, there has been no detailed investigation of zero carbon building practices. This paper undertakes an exploratory study through the use of semi-structured interviews with government representatives and construction industry experts to examine how the New Zealand construction industry plans and implements zero carbon buildings. The results show that New Zealand’s construction industry is in the early stage of transiting to a net-zero carbon built environment. Key actions to date are focused on devising a way for the industry to develop and deliver zero carbon building projects. Central and local governments play a leading role in driving zero carbon initiatives. Leading construction firms intend to maximise the carbon reduction in building projects by developing a roadmap to achieve the carbon target by 2050 and rethinking the way of designing and constructing buildings. The research results provide an insight into the initial practices and policy implications for the uptake of zero carbon buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand.

scholarly journals Power, the Pacific Islands, and the Prestige Press: A Case Study of How Climate Reporting is Influenced by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Summits

2021 ◽  
pp. 194016122110180
Author(s):  
Meghan M. Shea ◽  
James Painter ◽  
Shannon Osaka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Emotional Appeals ◽  
Issue Attention ◽  
Quantitative Results

While studies have investigated UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings as drivers of climate change reporting as well as the geopolitical role of Pacific Islands in these international forums, little research examines the intersection: how media coverage of Pacific Islands and climate change (PICC) may be influenced by, or may influence, UNFCCC meetings. We analyze two decades of reporting on PICC in American, British, and Australian newspapers—looking at both volume and content of coverage—and expand the quantitative results with semi-structured interviews with journalists and Pacific stakeholders. Issue attention on PICC increases and the content changes significantly in the periods around UNFCCC meetings, with shifts from language about vulnerability outside of UNFCCC periods to language about agency and solutions. We explore the implications of these differences in coverage for both agenda setting and the amplification of emotional appeals in UNFCCC contexts.

Facilitators, challenges and usefulness of an asthma educational programme

2020 ◽  
pp. 001789692098162
Author(s):  
Muhammad Naeem ◽  
Hamad Ghalib Dailah
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Educational Programme ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Breathing Techniques ◽  
Educational Programmes ◽  
Asthma Patients ◽  
Programme Content

Background: This study explored the role of hospitals, specialised doctors and staff in developing patient awareness, participation and motivation concerning asthma control. It also looked at the challenges that undermine the value of asthma educational programmes, especially in an Arab cultural context. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 30 asthma patients who had been living with asthma for a long period of time. Results: Findings highlight how an asthma educational programme can increase patient knowledge about the causes of asthma. Following the programme, patients had a better understanding of levels of medication, breathing techniques and rest and relaxation. Awareness of support from health professionals for managing depression and frustration also increased. However, some patients felt that the asthma educational programme content and delivery was not very interactive and was too lengthy. Conclusion: Findings can help policy makers, researchers, hospitals, doctors and the national Ministry of Health improve the content of future asthma educational programmes. They can also inform the development of a research framework to extend understanding of relevant issues in an Arabian context.

Listening to Bedouin fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Manor-Binyamini
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Cultural Perspectives ◽  
Children With Asd

Although children across the world experience autism spectrum disorder (ASD), most research on ASD has been conducted using Western cultural perspectives and has focused primarily on mothers, leaving significant gaps in the literature. This study aimed to address these gaps by exploring the experiences of fathers raising children with ASD in a Bedouin community. To this end, a sample of 19 fathers of children (aged 6–15 years) with ASD living in recognized and unrecognized Bedouin settlements in the Negev participated in ethnographic, semi-structured interviews designed to investigate their experiences with raising a child with ASD in their community. Two major themes emerged: the challenges that Bedouin fathers of children with ASD face, and the influence of socio-demographic and cultural characteristics on their experience. Findings reflect the complex experiences of fathers raising children with ASD in the Bedouin community, stemming from their socio-cultural context and the limited knowledge and support services that are available in the community for these children. This article concludes with recommendations on how to enhance professional sensitivity and provide more culturally tailored services for parents of children with ASD.

Gender inequality in the work environment: a study of private research organizations in India

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namrata Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ideal Woman

Purpose Since liberalization in the 1990s, India has witnessed a growth in the number of educated middle-class women in professions. However, there are few women in leadership positions and decision-making bodies. While the earlier notion of the ideal woman as homemaker has been replaced by one which idealizes women of substance, a woman’s role in the family continues to be pivotal and is even viewed as central in defining Indian culture. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how and to what extent gender inequalities are reproduced in the organizations employing educated professionals. Design/methodology/approach Based on the perspective that gender is socially constructed, this paper analyzes gender inequality in Indian organizations through semi-structured interviews of men and women scientists in two private pharmaceutical laboratories. Findings The findings show reproduction of a gendered normative order through two types of norms and practices: one, norms and practices that favor men and second, socio-cultural norms that devalue women in public spaces which help to maintain masculinity in the workplace. Although these practices might be found elsewhere in the world, the manner in which they are enacted reflects national cultural norms. Originality/value The paper highlights how various norms and practices enacted in the specific Indian socio-cultural context construct and maintain masculinity at workplace depriving opportunities to professional women which affect their rise to leadership positions.

Contrasting Perspectives Regarding Climate Risks and Adaptation Strategies in the New York Metropolitan Area after Superstorm Sandy

2014 ◽  
Vol 01 (01) ◽  
pp. 1450005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Miller ◽  
Griffin Kidd ◽  
Franco Montalto ◽  
Patrick Gurian ◽  
Cortney Worrall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New York ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Superstorm Sandy ◽  
Climate Risks ◽  
York Metropolitan Area

The purpose of this study was to examine stakeholder perceptions of climate change and local adaptation strategies in the New York City area. A side-by-side comparison of expert and resident opinions provided a clear picture of the region's climate change attitude in the year following Superstorm Sandy. Semi-structured interviews with regional environmental experts provided material for a structured survey, which was then distributed to 100 experts and 250 residents in coastal NY and northern NJ counties. In the survey both stakeholder groups were asked to choose the top three climate threats to the NYC region and rate adaptation and mitigation strategies on a 1–5 Likert scale regarding their ability to protect the region and their cost-effectiveness. Results show that experts and residents agree that sea level rise, coastal flooding and storm surge, and an increased frequency and intensity of extreme events pose the greatest threats to NYC over the next 25 years. While both groups showed a preference for long-term planning over immediate action, experts and residents could not agree on which specific strategies would best serve the region. The aftermath of Superstorm Sandy had a strong impact on both the expert and resident opinions and efforts to monitor stakeholder opinions continue.

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