Prelude: A Sense of Place

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor J. Fitzmaurice ◽  
Brian J. Gareau
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Sense Of Place ◽  
Food System ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Commodity Chains ◽  
Farming Practice ◽  
Organic Products ◽  
New Type ◽  
Pass Through

The conventionalization of the organic sector has led many to be skeptical about the possibility of organic in and of itself promoting a meaningfully sustainable alternative to the modern agricultural paradigm. However, the bifurcation of the organic market into both mainstream and alternative spheres provides places within the food system where investigating the work involved in creating new economic and social relations of farming practice makes sense. We may very well have come to an era in which most organic products pass through the same types of industrial commodity chains as organic initially set out to challenge. But more and more people desire a new type of economy, one that fosters social connection, meaning, and new relationships of exchange (...

scholarly journals Management cycle of food security of a territory: assessment of application of geoecological knowledge

2021 ◽  
pp. 31-41
Author(s):  
С.А. РОДОМАНСКАЯ
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Food System ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Functional Model ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Management Cycle

Актуальность данных исследований обусловлена недостаточной проработанностью механизма управления процессами в сфере обеспечения продовольственной безопасности территории, что значительно снижает эффективность их регулирования и приводит к нерациональному использованию ресурсов (природных, трудовых и др.), возникновению негативных последствий и угроз. В рамках данных исследований разработан управленческий цикл продовольственной безопасности территории в виде структурно-функциональной модели, которая, наряду с субъектным и объектным блоками, состоит из комплекса взаимосвязанных подсистем. Оценку регионального уровня продовольственной безопасности предполагается проводить с помощью общепринятых критериев и показателей самообеспеченности, независимости (зависимости), достаточности, доступности и качества продукции. Основу метода моделирования в цикле составляет неотъемлемая его часть – наличие условий проверки, что не только способствует изучению сложившейся ситуации в продовольственной системе, но и позволяет спрогнозировать развитие этой системы при заданных условиях в кратко-, средне- и долгосрочной перспективе. В статье определено основное содержание, смысл и функциональное назначение подсистем, которые в совокупности создают все предпосылки для проведения системного мониторинга, выработки управленческих решений, определения текущей ситуации в обеспечении продовольственной безопасности и возможной координации действий в сфере ее обеспечения. Разработанный цикл имеет практическую значимость при выборе взаимоприемлемых мер и действий по устранению или смягчению критических ситуаций в сфере продовольственной безопасности. В данном цикле для каждой подсистемы определена специфика географических знаний, объединенных пространственным аспектом исследования. В заключение отмечается, что логическая взаимосвязь подсистем в цикле позволила получить целостное представление о потребностях управления продовольственной системой территории в геоэкологических знаниях, которые имеют экспертное и предметное значение. The relevance of these studies is due to the insufficient elaboration of the mechanism for managing food processes in the field of ensuring food security of the territory, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of their regulation and, in turn, leads to the irrational use of resources (natural, labor, etc.) and the emergence of negative consequences and threats. Within the framework of these studies, a management cycle of food security of the territory has been developed in the form of a structural and functional model, which, along with the subject and object blocks, consists of a complex of interconnected subsystems. As a method for assessing conditions, the use of modeling and foresight methods, an integral assessment of the level of food security and methods of strategic planning, in particular the situational method of SWOT analysis, is proposed. The assessment of the level of food security at the regional level is supposed to be carried out using generally accepted criteria and indicators of self-sufficiency, independence (dependence), sufficiency, availability and quality of products. The basis of the modeling method in the cycle is its integral part – the presence of conditions for checking the situation, which contributes not only to the study of the current situation in the food system, but also makes it possible to predict the development of this system under given conditions in the short, medium and long term. The article defines the main content, meaning and functional purpose of the subsystems, which together create all the prerequisites for conducting system monitoring, developing management decisions to enhance food security resulting from the iterative food process, to determine the current situation in ensuring food security and possible coordination of actions in the sphere of ensuring food security. The developed cycle is of practical importance in choosing mutually acceptable measures and actions to eliminate or mitigate critical situations in the field of food security or to enhance food security. In this cycle, for each subsystem, the specificity of geographical knowledge of natural-social relations, united by the spatial aspect of the study, is determined. In conclusion, it is noted that the logical interconnection of subsystems in the cycle made it possible to obtain a holistic idea of ​​the needs of managing the food system of the territory in geoecological knowledge, which have expert and substantive significance.

Locating the locale of local food: The importance of context, space and social relations

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 563-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brídín E. Carroll ◽  
Frances Fahy
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

AbstractLocalization is one process/outcome that is proffered as key to the ‘grand challenges’ that currently face the food system. Consumers are attributed much agency in this potential transformation, being encouraged from all levels of society to exert their consumer muscle by buying local food. However, due to the social construction of scale it cannot be said that ‘local food’ is a definite entity and consumers understand the term ‘local food’ differently depending on their geographic and social context. As such, the research upon which this paper is based aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of how consumers in the particular spatial and social contexts of urban and rural Ireland understood the concept of ‘local food’. A specific objective was to test the theory that these consumers may have fallen into the ‘local trap’ by unquestioningly associating food from a spatially proximate place with positive characteristics. A three-phase mixed methodology was undertaken with a sample of consumers dwelling in urban and rural areas in both Dublin and Galway, Ireland: 1000 householders were surveyed; 6 focus group discussions took place; and 28 semi-structured interviews were carried out. The results presented in this paper indicate that for most participants in this study, spatial proximity is the main parameter against which the ‘localness’ of food is measured. Also, it was found that participants held multiple meanings of local food and there was a degree of fluidity in their understandings of the term. The results from the case study regions highlight how participants’ understandings of local food changed depending on the food in question and its availability. However, the paper also indicates that as consumers move from one place to another, the meaning of local food becomes highly elastic. The meaning is stretched or contracted according to the perceived availability of food, greater or lesser connections to the local producer community and the relative geographic size of participants’ locations. Our analysis of findings from all three phases of this research revealed a difference in understandings of local food among participants resident in urban and rural areas: participants dwelling in rural areas were more likely than those in urban areas to define local food according to narrower spatial limits. The paper concludes with an overview of the practical and theoretical significance of these results in addressing the current dearth of research exploring the meaning of local food for consumers and suggests avenues for future research.

scholarly journals THEORETICAL MODEL AND DESIGN OF A NOVEL STATIC POLARIZATION WIND IMAGING INTERFEROMETER (NSPWII)

2020 ◽  
Vol V-1-2020 ◽  
pp. 383-388
Author(s):  
C. Zhang ◽  
T. Yan ◽  
T. Mu ◽  
Y. He
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Wind Field ◽  
Michelson Interferometer ◽  
Atmospheric Temperature ◽  
Imaging Interferometer ◽  
New Type ◽  
Field Velocity ◽  
Static Polarization ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Light Beams

Abstract. Polarization array based polarization Michelson wind field detection interferometer is a new type of interferometer for detecting atmospheric temperature and wind field velocity. We proposed a theoretical model and design of the novel static polarization wind imaging interferometer (NSPWII). It consists of a group of polarizers and waveplates, a polarization beamsplitter, a field widened Michelson interferometer, a pyramid prism, and a polarization array. Based on the principle of polarization interference, a polarization array composed of four polarizers with 45° polarization directions differences is directly in front of the detector, and four modulated light beams from the pyramid prism pass through the four polarizers. Then, interferograms with four different intensity are imaged on the detector simultaneously, which further provides the atmospheric temperature and wind field velocity. The advantages of this instrument are static (no moving parts), achromatic, and temperature compensated. It is capable of measuring the upper atmospheric wind field in real time with a high precision.

scholarly journals What Does It Mean to Age in Place as an Older Homeless Woman? Facing an Altered Sense of Place, Belonging, and Identity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 52-53
Author(s):  
Judith Gonyea ◽  
Kelly Melekis
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Sense Of Place ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Place Identity ◽  
Homeless Women ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Age In Place

Abstract The emergence of “aging in place” as social policy in the U.S and globally reflects a deepening understanding that a home is more than a physical domicile, it also represents a source of personal and social identity and offers one a sense of place and belonging. In this qualitative study we explore the question, What does “aging in place” mean to older homeless women navigating the shelter system and streets? Using a phenomenological approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with fifteen chronically homeless women in their fifties using the shelter system. Our analysis process was inductive and iterative with the culminating phases being the generation and interpretation of themes. Our analysis revealed the links between place, sense of belonging, and identity. To be displaced from a physical home can present challenges to defining one’s very existence. Specific themes emerging from the women’s narratives included the ways in which shelter and street life impacted their sense of personal control, privacy, security, health, and comfort as well as underscored that shelters are dehumanizing places that further diminish one’s sense of self and self-worth. The interviewed women sought to construct a positive sense of self through speaking about their past, present, and future roles as well as identities gained through social relations and place identity connections. Based on the findings, we suggest strategies by which shelters might better respond to unique needs of older women, including adopting ways that do not further disempower or stigmatize them but rather promote pathways out of homelessness.

scholarly journals The role of e-commerce in the urban food system under COVID-19: lessons from China

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongdong Guo ◽  
Yehong Liu ◽  
Xinjie Shi ◽  
Kevin Z. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food System ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary Model ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate e-commerce as a new means to ensure that the urban demand for food can be met during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Because a number of COVID-19 e-commerce models have emerged, this paper discusses whether and (if so) why and how e-commerce can ensure the food supply for urban residents if social distancing becomes a norm and the transport and logistics systems are hindered.Design/methodology/approachThis study used qualitative research methods following the lack of empirical data. The authors referred to relevant literature, statistical data and official reports and comprehensively described the importance of e-commerce in ensuring the safety of food supply to Chinese urban residents under the impact of the epidemic. Corresponding to the traditional case study, this study presented a Chinese case on ensuring food supply through e-commerce during an epidemic.FindingsThe authors found that three e-commerce models played a substantial role in preventing the spread of the epidemic and ensuring the food supply for urban residents. The nationwide e-commerce platforms under market leadership played their roles by relying on the sound infrastructure of large cities and its logistics system was vulnerable to the epidemic. In the worst-affected areas, particularly in closed and isolated communities, the local e-commerce model was the primary model, supplemented by the unofficial e-commerce model based on social relations. Through online booking, centralized procurement and community distribution, the risk of cross infection could be effectively reduced and the food demand could be effectively satisfied. The theoretical explanation further verifies that, apart from e-commerce, a governance system that integrates the government, e-commerce platform, community streets and the unofficial guanxi also impels the success of these models.Originality/valueLessons from China are drawn for other countries struggling to deliver food to those in need under COVID-19. The study not only provides a solution that will ensure constant food supply to urban residents under the COVID-19 epidemic but also provides some reference for the maintenance of the food system of urban residents under the impact of a globalization-related crisis in future.

Community Supported Agriculture, Human Capital, and Community Health

2022 ◽  
pp. 152483992110705
Author(s):  
Celina L. Martinez ◽  
Daisy Rosero ◽  
Tammy Thomas ◽  
Francisco Soto Mas
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Food Justice ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Development Education

Community supported agriculture (CSA) strengthens the local food system (LFS) and plays a critical role in promoting human capital (HC) and addressing social determinants of health (SDH). Most CSAs develop relationships that build a sense of community, and engage in activities that facilitate access to food and economic opportunities. CSAs may also contribute to personal development, education and income, working experience, and knowledge. CSA principles align with the principles of HC, specifically the pursuit of economic development. While research on the connection between CSA and HC has broadly focused on the economic aspect, the human development dimension has remained at the conceptual level. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential HC contributions by CSA and the implications for health outcomes in central/northern New Mexico. Primary and secondary data were collected through a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire and an internet search. Purposive sampling was used to select 13 CSAs. Eight (61.5%) responded and reported activities that address HC and SDH such as training, job creation, education, access to healthy food, food security, health education and disease management, social connections, and food justice. Given the potential impact, public health must contribute to CSA by generating evidence on its health and social benefits, training practitioners on supporting local food program, and promoting policy that stimulates the local economy, fosters social relations and food justice, and empowers community members. This study calls for research and practice to take a multilevel perspective on the contribution of LFSs to equity and wellbeing.

scholarly journals Rome, a Policy without Politics: The Participatory Process for a Metropolitan Scale Food Policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giampiero Mazzocchi ◽  
Davide Marino
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Participatory Process ◽  
Study Case ◽  
The One ◽  
The City ◽  
Further Development

In light of the challenges that all cities face today, food is offered as a prism through which to read and intervene on various areas that affect the quality of life of the population: circular economy, urban metabolism, social relations, economies, and food quality. In the Roman context, in recent years, numerous initiatives have revitalized the debate on food and brought the discussion to the center of the interest of an ever-increasing number of citizens. However, these experiences appear unrelated and there is a lack of coordination and political coherence. Faced with this evidence, starting from a territorial analysis, this contribution analyzes the process that led a local group of stakeholders to formulate a proposal for a food policy for the city of Rome. The proposal contains a series of possible actions that aim, on the one hand, to recompose the relations between the city and its territory, with a view to re-localization and re-territorialization of agro-food productions and, on the other hand, to reconnect the economic and social relations that the industrialization of food chains has compromised. The network analysis of the bottom-up process, which mainly investigates networking and negotiation skills between various interests, is carried out and related to a careful analysis of the food system in the Roman context. Furthermore, an overview of the state of the art of urban food policies in Italy has been provided to better contextualize the study case. The findings show actors and topics involved in the process, identifying further development towards a more comprehensive participatory process for a systemic food strategy at the metropolitan level.

Consumption as Production

2018 ◽  
pp. 268-280
Author(s):  
Ulises A. Mejias ◽  
Nick Couldry
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Sharp Separation ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Consumption Data ◽  
New Type ◽  
Central Argument

This chapter examines the capitalist relations that are formed when we consume our own social lives via the production of digital data. The central argument is that participation in a digitized social domain is exploitative, since it entails new forms of commodified self-consumption. We argue that datafication or social quantification represents an expansionary phase of capitalism that we call data colonialism. Through it, we enter into specific social relations that normalize dispossession, and that subsume the once sharp separation between a bounded production process and an open-ended space of consumption into a larger process of continuous production/consumption. Data colonialism is thus a form of extraction and appropriation that seeks to colonize new domains of existence for capitalism, transforming quantified social life into a new type of resource that can be mined and processed by corporations.

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