scholarly journals Flooding Hazard and Vulnerability. An Interdisciplinary Experimental Approach for the Study of the 2016 West Virginia Floods

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Angela Caretta ◽  
Rodrigo Fernandez ◽  
Nicolas Zegre ◽  
Jamie Shinn
Keyword(s):  
West Virginia ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Flooding Hazard ◽  
Biophysical Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Extreme Flooding ◽  
Water Justice

The hydrosocial (HS) and social-hydro (SH) frameworks each attempt to understand the complexity of water and society, but they have emerged from historically disparate fields with distinctly different goals as well as methodological and epistemological standpoints. This paper encapsulates the shared experiences of two human geographers and two hydrologists studying hazard and vulnerability in two communities impacted by extreme flooding in West Virginia in 2016. We add to the limited examples of scientists working across epistemologies to improve the understanding of water-societal relations. In so doing, we also contribute to broader discussions of water justice. We outline an experimental approach connecting hydrosocial and social-hydro frameworks to study flood hazard and vulnerability. Within our conceptualization, we set forth that while social and hydrological factors can be presented as purely anthropogenic or geophysical, respectively, their intersection is the crux to investigate. The relationships between variables of both major categories can help us understand how the social and biophysical systems are interrelated. We depart from 21 semi structured interviews and a secondary analysis of local biophysical factors to develop a model that could show the relations between social and biophysical factors. Linking these factors is crucial step toward integration of SH and HS approaches to create a more comprehensive understanding of water-human relations. These studies can inform policymakers by highlighting where negative connections can be remedied and positive connections can be fostered to emphasize water justice.

scholarly journals PRECARITIZATION AND LABOR SELF-FULFILLMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE:

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliya Kh. Bulatova ◽  
Liliya R. Nizamova
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Russian Society ◽  
Present Stage ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Labor Practices ◽  
The Social ◽  
Economic Transformations ◽  
Labor Structure

Evaluation of the current transformations of the social and labor structure of society is one of the central topics in sociological knowledge. At the present stage, all social structures and institutions are becoming more flexible, mobile and changeable, characterized by instability and insecurity. Labor practices, professional trajectories and careers of young people also become unstable. The attention of an increasing number of scientists is attracted to non-linear youth employment strategies that contribute to the formation of a new “group” in the social structure of modern Russian society - the precariat. This article presents the results of a study of precarization in the youth environment as a consequence of the socio-economic transformations of recent decades. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with unstable busy young people of Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia), as well as a secondary analysis of sociological and statistical data, factors, motives and consequences of young people choosing precarious employment are considered. It is shown that precarious forms of employment are considered by young people as a temporary measure, consent to such work leaves the possibility to easily and simply refuse it if it does not fit, and the decision on unstable employment without social guarantees can be either forced or voluntary.

scholarly journals Accountability through Environmental and Social Reporting by Wind Energy Sector Companies in Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6375 ◽  
Author(s):  
José A. Moseñe Fierro ◽  
M. Victoria Sanagustín-Fons ◽  
César Álvarez Alonso
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Environmental Disclosure ◽  
The Social ◽  
Energy Companies

At present, energy transition is a crucial phenomenon that is at the very heart of governmental policies. There are a huge number of stakeholders involved in the change, but among these, the main socioeconomic actors that affect environmental and social impacts are energy companies. In this research, we analyze their institutionalized role in the Spanish wind energy sector, in the framework of the ecological movement. We consult the special views, opinions and motivations given by managers responsible for Institutional Relations in the main wind energy companies in Spain, and their perceptions of environmental reporting. We therefore tackle aspects related to the drivers of the social and environmental disclosure of environmental and social information. Research has been carried out based on documentary secondary analysis, and the use of a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews has revealed tendencies and pressures in the sector. Results suggest that the social context and public opinion pressure organizations to reveal environmental and social information. We also put forward how information is conveyed to the society through accountability practices, and the different institutionalized ways in which this is achieved.

“We Speak the Truth!”

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-80
Author(s):  
Sari Hanafi
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Science ◽  
The Political ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
The Social ◽  
Academic Qualifications

This study investigates the preachers and their Friday sermons in Lebanon, raising the following questions: What are the profiles of preachers in Lebanon and their academic qualifications? What are the topics evoked in their sermons? In instances where they diagnosis and analyze the political and the social, what kind of arguments are used to persuade their audiences? What kind of contact do they have with the social sciences? It draws on forty-two semi-structured interviews with preachers and content analysis of 210 preachers’ Friday sermons, all conducted between 2012 and 2015 among Sunni and Shia mosques. Drawing from Max Weber’s typology, the analysis of Friday sermons shows that most of the preachers represent both the saint and the traditional, but rarely the scholar. While they are dealing extensively with political and social phenomena, rarely do they have knowledge of social science

WORK-BASED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGES OF LEARNERS, WORKPLACES AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Roosipõld ◽  
Krista Loogma ◽  
Mare Kurvits ◽  
Kristina Murtazin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Constructivist Learning Theory ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Restaurant Management ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University ◽  
Social Constructivist Learning

In recent years, providing higher education in the form of work-based learning has become more important in the higher education (HE) policy and practice almost in all EU countries. Work-based learning (WBL) in HE should support the development of competences of self-guided learners and adjust the university education better to the needs of the workplace. The study is based on two pilot projects of WBL in HE in Estonia: Tourism and Restaurant Management professional HE programme and the master’s programme in Business Information Technology. The model of integrative pedagogy, based on the social-constructivist learning theory, is taken as a theoretical foundation for the study. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with the target groups. The data analysis used a horizontal analysis to find cross-cutting themes and identify patterns of actions and connections. It appears, that the challenge for HE is to create better cooperation among stakeholders; the challenge for workplaces is connected with better involvement of students; the challenge for students is to take more initiative and responsibility in communication with workplaces.

Resilience and Support Networks for University Students with Disabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
María Leonila García Cedeño ◽  
Anicia Katherine Tarazona Meza ◽  
Robert Gonzalo Cedeño Mejía
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
University Students ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Support Networks ◽  
Pearson Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
Student Resilience

Resilience is a phenomenon that can be studied in catastrophic situations but also in everyday matters such as disability, this being an alternative way of working in the environment that requires the adaptation of the social networks that contain and support people with this condition. The research was conducted at the Technical University of Manabí applied to the population of students with disabilities. The paper presents an analysis of support networks and their relationship with student resilience. The results related to the application of the Saavedra-Villalta test are shown, which allowed to correlate the level of resilience of the sample studied with the support networks. An analysis linked to the interpretation of the Pearson correlation coefficient is presented. The result obtained is presented by applying semi-structured interviews to a sample of 48 disabled students.

Transition from Childcare Institutions to Adulthood for Youth: Through the Lens of Identity and Gender

2020 ◽  
pp. 234930032098055
Author(s):  
Garima Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Factor ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Youth ◽  
Youth Identity ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Gender

This article explores the transition of youth from childcare institutions as young adults through the lens of youth identity and gender. The research revolves around rethinking the delicate boundaries of adolescence and adulthood for the ‘institutionalised’ youth that is already on the edge of the society. This research tries to understand and decode the experiences of youth, who have lived in the childcare institutions. The childcare institutions reinforce the gender roles through its practices and structure, enabling gaps and challenges for both male and female youth outside the childcare institutions. There is an absence of a strong mechanism, enabling the smooth transition of youth from childcare institutions to adulthood. This results in unprepared young adults for an unplanned transition, fostering several challenges on them as they exit the childcare system. This is a qualitative study. The research includes both male and female youth who have lived in childcare institutions situated in Delhi. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with the youth. This study finds that youth leaving the childcare institutions are at higher risks of having negative adult outcomes in life. While there is an absolute absence of any body or mechanism to help the youth transit smoothly, childcare institutions reinforce the inferiority and exclusion on a child during the stay period, creating a foundation for youth to perceive the social factor outside the institutions.

Perceived barriers and contributors to sense of purpose in life in retirement community residents

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Nathan A. Lewis ◽  
Naomi Reesor ◽  
Patrick L. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Retirement Community ◽  
Retirement Communities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
The Social ◽  
Continuing Care Retirement Communities ◽  
Retirement Facilities

Abstract Despite the growing use of retirement communities and ageing care facilities, little is known about how residing in retirement residences may impact aspects of older adult wellbeing. Living in these communities may hold particular influence on residents’ sense of purpose, if they feel limited in their opportunities for individual action, or could serve to promote purposefulness depending on the social connections available. The current study sought to explore contributing factors as well as barriers to purpose in older adults living in three continuing care retirement communities. Using brief semi-structured interviews, 18 older adults were asked to describe their purpose in life, community-related activities and any perceived challenges limiting their ability to pursue this purpose. Thematic analysis was used to examine themes common across interviews. Interviews presented a mixed picture of the nature of purposefulness in retirement facilities. Residents espoused several benefits of community living such as social and leisure opportunities, while also noting several obstacles to their purpose, including health concerns and the belief that purpose in life was not relevant for older adults. These findings provide insight into how older adults can derive a sense of purpose from activities within their retirement community and how facilities can better tailor programmes to promote purposefulness and support personally valued roles for residents.

scholarly journals Disability, Human Resources and Behavioral Economics: The Labour Inclusion Case of Ilunion Hotels of the Costa del Sol (Spain)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7932
Author(s):  
Marco Antonio Cruz-Morato ◽  
Carmen Dueñas-Zambrana ◽  
Josefa García-Mestanza
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Economics ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Social

The situation of labour inclusion of people with disabilities in Spain is still too negative, in spite of the different efforts carried out by public and private sector. Previous research points to social discrimination as one of the main causes of the situation. Ilunion Hotels is one of the most important hotel companies in Spain focused on labour inclusion of people with disabilities. The objective of this paper is to explore the social inclusion case of Ilunion Hotels of the Costa del Sol, the actions that they have developed to improve the labour integration of this collective, based on a behavioral economics theoretical model (with a high relevance of the influence of social stigma, stress theories and coping to stress responses). We look into the specific situation of two of the three hotels developed as Special Employment Centres (sheltered employment contexts defined by Spanish legislation) and the possible impact of their Support Units for Professional Activity. Case study methodology is considered the most appropriate, according to the research objective, supported by semi-structured interviews with the hotel managers. The results show that, although Special Employment Centres are effective in improving labour integration in the short term and could contribute to change the long-term social perspectives about workers with disabilities, they could be also reinforcing the social stigma existing in the ordinary market.

scholarly journals Telling Our Stories: Resilience during Resettlement for African Skilled Migrants in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3954
Author(s):  
Lillian Mwanri ◽  
Leticia Anderson ◽  
Kathomi Gatwiri
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
African Migrants ◽  
Cultural Expectations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Resilience Factors

Background: Emigration to Australia by people from Africa has grown steadily in the past two decades, with skilled migration an increasingly significant component of migration streams. Challenges to resettlement in Australia by African migrants have been identified, including difficulties securing employment, experiences of racism, discrimination and social isolation. These challenges can negatively impact resettlement outcomes, including health and wellbeing. There has been limited research that has examined protective and resilience factors that help highly skilled African migrants mitigate the aforementioned challenges in Australia. This paper discusses how individual and community resilience factors supported successful resettlement Africans in Australia. The paper is contextualised within a larger study which sought to investigate how belonging and identity inform Afrodiasporic experiences of Africans in Australia. Methods: A qualitative inquiry was conducted with twenty-seven (n = 27) skilled African migrants based in South Australia, using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Participants were not directly questioned about ‘resilience,’ but were encouraged to reflect critically on how they navigated the transition to living in Australia, and to identify factors that facilitated a successful resettlement. Results: The study findings revealed a mixture of settlement experiences for participants. Resettlement challenges were observed as barriers to fully meeting expectations of emigration. However, there were significant protective factors reported that supported resilience, including participants’ capacities for excellence and willingness to work hard; the social capital vested in community and family support networks; and African religious and cultural values and traditions. Many participants emphasised their pride in their contributions to Australian society as well as their desire to contribute to changing narratives of what it means to be African in Australia. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that despite challenges, skilled African migrants’ resilience, ambition and determination were significant enablers to a healthy resettlement in Australia, contributing effectively to social, economic and cultural expectations, and subsequently meeting most of their own migration intentions. These findings suggest that resilience factors identified in the study are key elements of integration.

scholarly journals Governance Effectiveness: The Interaction of Ethno-Racial Diversity and Social Capital

2021 ◽  
pp. 089976402097769
Author(s):  
Christopher Fredette ◽  
Ruth Sessler Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
Complex Activity ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Governance Effectiveness ◽  
Group Compositions ◽  
The Relationship

This research examines the relationship among Board Diversity, Social Capital, and Governance Effectiveness by asking, “does board ethno-racial diversity moderate the relationship between Social Capital and Governance Effectiveness, and if so, how?” Exploring the direct and interacting effects of demographic diversity and Social Capital, and their relation to governing-group effectiveness using a two-sample field survey design, we illustrate whether heterogeneous or homogeneous group compositions amplify or attenuate Governance Effectiveness, and to what degree. Primary analyses find no support for Board Diversity moderating the Social Capital-Governance Effectiveness relationship, with secondary analysis revealing a more complex interaction for Governance Effectiveness, albeit inconsistently, across samples. Our investigation points to the value of social resources in understanding governance as an inherently socially complex activity or capability, predicated on truce or mutual agreement and shaped by the composition and connections of boards.

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