scholarly journals Connecting into the Social Sustainability Effects of Infrastructure through China’s Digital Silk Road: Issues, Indices, and Indications

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12739
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc F. Blanchard ◽  
Bas Hooijmaaijers
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
The Social ◽  
Heated Debate ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Original Scheme ◽  
Analytical Tools

There is a heated debate about the social-sustainability implications of infrastructure. We engage this debate by delving into China’s Digital Silk Road (DSR), an important component of China’s infrastructure-centric Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Optimists and pessimists have offered strong views about the DSR’s social-sustainability implications. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of analytical tools and in-depth studies which can be used to judge their competing arguments. In this article, we address these problems in two ways. First, we advance an original scheme for operationalizing social sustainability. Second, we use our framework to systematically analyze the DSR’s social-sustainability effects in Ethiopia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Hungary. Our research indicates that much of the positive and negative commentary about the DSR’s social-sustainability implications is problematic. None of our cases show significant year-to-year changes in political or quality-of-life social-sustainability benchmarks. Indeed, our analysis indicates that analysts must pay close attention to the political and economic context to understand the social-sustainability patterns associated with DSR infrastructure. Finally, it suggests that the social-sustainability implications of DSR infrastructure are dependent on its scale and nature. These findings have ramifications for broader debates about the socioeconomic impact of infrastructure.

HERITAGE IN THE LIVED ENVIRONMENT OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND THE GULF REGION

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph John Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Spatial Features ◽  
Gulf Countries ◽  
The Social ◽  
Islamic Values

This paper examines how the architectural, social, and cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries may contribute to better development of this region’s lived environment. Modern urbanism has largely neglected heritage in architectural design and in social and private spaces, creating inauthentic places that foster a hunger for belongingness in the UAE’s built environment. The paper reviews recent urban developments in the UAE and the Gulf Region, and identifies elements of local heritage that can be incorporated into contemporary planning and design. It proposes that adapting vernacular architectural heritage to the modern built environment should not be the principal goal for heritage-informed design. Instead we may examine the social processes underlying the traditional lived environment, and aim for social sustainability based on the lifeways and preferences of local peoples, especially in kinship and Islamic values. Among the most promising precedents for modern social sustainability are social and spatial features at the scale of the neighborhood in traditional Islamic settlements. Interviews with local Emiratis will also recommend elements of traditional knowledge to modern settings. 

scholarly journals Social sustainability: from accessibility to inclusive design

2020 ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Alessandro Greco
Keyword(s):  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Cultural Environment ◽  
Historical Buildings ◽  
Urban Sector ◽  
Cultural Approach ◽  
Natural Energy ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University

Usually, articles and books about sustainability in building (and urban) sector are focused on environment, reuse, energy saving, solar and natural energy but the “social” sustainability is not considered as one topic for architects and engineers. But these professionals have to improve the quality of the life of the Human Being and to realize environments in which People can realize themselves safely and independently. The researches at the University of Pavia are focused on solutions to make inclusive the historical buildings and sites, looking for solutions that, at different scale, could be inserted respecting the history and the cultural environment but also improving the chance to visit and live according with the contemporary needs. The article shows the cultural approach and the method applied and some solutions that make clear this philosophy, with the awareness that each historic building and site is a unicum that needs answers that pay attention to the location, the history, the cultural and social background, the real needs and the aim of the complete project.

SNA as an Integrative Framework

2020 ◽  
pp. 187-210
Author(s):  
Alice Airola
Keyword(s):  
Organized Crime ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The Social ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Over Time

Since the second half of the year 1900, when the concept of organized crime became a matter of scientific interest, the inherent complex nature of this social phenomenon has been reflected in a multitude of definitions, methods, and analytical tools. Today, the time of integrating the huge body of knowledge, accumulated over time, has come. This chapter identifies a new and promising integrative tool in the social network analysis (SNA). In this regard, three main themes will be discussed: Why is an integrated approach to the study of organized crime necessary? How could SNA assist the researcher in structuring and implementing an effective integrative approach? and, In which ways could SNA resolve issues linked to the integrative approach, and, vice versa, to what extent a systematic integrative approach could improve the quality of SNA applied to organized crime?

scholarly journals Evaluation of the environmental and social sustainability policy of a mass tourism resort: A narrative account

2012 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Swart ◽  
André C. Horn
Keyword(s):  
Social Sustainability ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Community Members ◽  
North West ◽  
Ecological Capacity ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
The North ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sustainability Policy

The recordation of the life stories of individuals residing in the community of Ledig, who have been dependent on the Sun City Resort situated in the Pilanesberg area in the North West Province of South Africa for their quality of life for more than 20 years, provided the basis for the evaluation of the environmental and social sustainability of this micro-cosmos on a multidisciplinary level. This study focused on the hermeneutical arch of narrative theory within the framework of human geography and sustainability science. The natural environment was evaluated for the role it plays in the sustainability of the livelihoods of the Ledig community members as well as the institutional life of the Sun City Resort. The results of this study suggested that the environmental policy for the Sun City Resort, formalised in 2004, has been guiding the Sun City Resort to contribute positively to the sustainability of the area. The study also demonstrated that a focus on the next generation of potential employees and the environmental education of all the communities were crucial to ensure the resilience of the social and ecological capacity of the area.

scholarly journals Quality of life among cancer patients approaching healthcare facilities in United Arab Emirates

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2677
Author(s):  
Omar Jarrah ◽  
Halah S. Al Maatooq ◽  
Dana A. Hamadeh ◽  
Majed Al Ghoul ◽  
Salma M. El Shawish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Social Domain ◽  
Environmental Domain ◽  
The Social ◽  
Medical University

Background: The main aim of the study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients and healthy adults according to different domains.Methods: The study was conducted in Gulf medical university, Tawam hospital, Al Ain and Thumbay hospital, Ajman from March 2018 until January 2019. In addition, our study was a cross sectional study that included 250 cancer patients and 250 healthy adults. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and a self-administered questionnaire were used. The research was conducted in Tawam hospital, Gulf medical university and Thumbay hospitals/clinics over a period of 9 months. SPSS version 24 was used for analysis. F test and t test were used to assess the difference between mean QOL levels in various groups.Results: The highest mean score for healthy subjects accounts for the social domain followed by physical, then psychological and the lowest is the environmental domain with values of (73.9, 70.7, 70.3 and 68.9 respectively). While the highest mean score of QOL for cancer patients was related to psychological domain followed by environmental, then social and lastly the lowest domain is associated with physical accounting for values of (66.6, 66.5, 66.2 and 60.6 accordingly). Over all the mean scores regarding all the domains of healthy adults with is higher than in cancer patients.Conclusions: Healthy adults had higher mean QOL score levels than cancer patients. Moreover, cancer patients have a 1.65-fold risk of having poor QOL. It has been concluded that the highest mean score for healthy subjects accounts for the social domain (73.9) followed by physical (70.7), then psychological (70.3) and the lowest is the environmental domain (68.9).

scholarly journals Quality of life of dentists

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 111-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheela B. Abraham ◽  
Aline Mazen Alsakka Amini ◽  
Noha Ehab Khorshed ◽  
Manal Awad
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACT Objective: An important determinant of job satisfaction and life fulfillment is the quality of life (QOL) of the individuals working in a particular field. Currently, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is limited research pertaining to the QOL of dentists. The main objective of this study was to assess QOL of dentists in the UAE. Materials and Methods: The World Health Organization (WHO) QOL-BREF questionnaire (the World Health Organization abbreviated instrument for QOL assessment), which assesses QOL in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains, was found to be a suitable instrument for use. A total of 290 questionnaires were distributed to general dental practitioners and specialists working in the private sector. The response rate was 46%. The completed questionnaires were coded and analyzed using the SPSS IBM software version 21. Results: QOL of specialists was significantly better than general practitioners (GPs) on all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF (P < 0.05). Married dentists had better QOL than singles on the social and environmental domains. Furthermore, specialists reported significantly better QOL compared to GPs after adjustment for sex, age, and marital status (P < 0.05) in the psychosocial and environmental domains. Conclusions: Among dentists who work in the UAE, QOL can be affected by several factors, one of them being whether dentist is a GP or a specialist.

scholarly journals Quality of life perspectives for different social groups in a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure

2021 ◽  
pp. 146879762110387
Author(s):  
Jaeyeon Choe ◽  
Michael O’ Regan ◽  
Albert Kimbu ◽  
Niels Frederik Lund ◽  
Adele Ladkin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
World Centre ◽  
Depth Interviews

While the quality of life (QoL) concept in tourism research has gained momentum, scholarly work has focused on host QoL and tourist-host relations, rather than exploring and analysing the perception, interpretation and understanding of QoL among different social groups in a given tourist destination. Macao is a densely populated tourism destination and designated World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, where local residents and migrants work and cohabit side by side. By broadening the scope of research through in-depth interviews, our research findings highlight how different social groups in Macao experience QoL differently. While all groups perceive positive economic impacts and appreciate career opportunities from tourism development, the analysis raises questions as to the QoL of residents and migrants, and the social sustainability of Macao. The study recommends that authorities embed a social sustainability focus in deliberations, policies and investment so as to achieve its goal of World Centre of Tourism and Leisure status, not only for tourists, but also for those who live and work there.

Epistemic and relational conflicts in sharing identical vs. complementary information during cooperative learning

2002 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Darnon ◽  
Céline Buchs ◽  
Fabrizio Butera
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Complementary Information ◽  
Relational Conflict ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University

When interacting on a learning task, which is typical of several academic situations, individuals may experience two different motives: Understanding the problem, or showing their competences. When a conflict (confrontation of divergent propositions) emerges from this interaction, it can be solved either in an epistemic way (focused on the task) or in a relational way (focused on the social comparison of competences). The latter is believed to be detrimental for learning. Moreover, research on cooperative learning shows that when they share identical information, partners are led to compare to each other, and are less encouraged to cooperate than when they share complementary information. An epistemic vs. relational conflict vs. no conflict was provoked in dyads composed by a participant and a confederate, working either on identical or on complementary information (N = 122). Results showed that, if relational and epistemic conflicts both entailed more perceived interactions and divergence than the control group, only relational conflict entailed more perceived comparison activities and a less positive relationship than the control group. Epistemic conflict resulted in a more positive perceived relationship than the control group. As far as performance is concerned, relational conflict led to a worse learning than epistemic conflict, and - after a delay - than the control group. An interaction between the two variables on delayed performance showed that epistemic and relational conflicts were different only when working with complementary information. This study shows the importance of the quality of relationship when sharing information during cooperative learning, a crucial factor to be taken into account when planning educational settings at the university.

A Futures Study on the Quality Of Life from the Point Of View of Iranian Youth

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Sina Saeedy ◽  
Mojtaba Amiri ◽  
Mohammad Mahdi Zolfagharzadeh ◽  
Mohammad Rahim Eyvazi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University

Quality of life and satisfaction with life as tightly interconnected concepts have become of much importance in the urbanism era. No doubt, it is one of the most important goals of every human society to enhance a citizen’s quality of life and to increase their satisfaction with life. However, there are many signs which demonstrate the low level of life satisfaction of Iranian citizens especially among the youth. Thus, considering the temporal concept of life satisfaction, this research aims to make a futures study in this field. Therefore, using a mixed model and employing research methods from futures studies, life satisfaction among the students of the University of Tehran were measured and their views on this subject investigated. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed together in order to test the hypotheses and to address the research questions on the youth discontentment with quality of life. Findings showed that the level of life satisfaction among students is relatively low and their image of the future is not positive and not optimistic. These views were elicited and discussed in the social, economic, political, environmental and technological perspectives. Keywords:  futures studies, quality of life, satisfaction with life, youth

Different Resources, Different Conflicts? The Subnational Political Economy of Armed Conflict and Crime in Colombia

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Conflict Behavior ◽  
Drug Trade ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
Sustainable Peace ◽  
The Social ◽  
Scholarly Attention

This book explores some of the risks associated with sustainable peace in Colombia. The book intentionally steers away from the emphasis on the drug trade as the main resource fueling Colombian conflicts and violence, a topic that has dominated scholarly attention. Instead, it focuses on the links that have been configured over decades of armed conflict between legal resources (such as bananas, coffee, coal, flowers, gold, ferronickel, emeralds, and oil), conflict dynamics, and crime in several regions of Colombia. The book thus contributes to a growing trend in the academic literature focusing on the subnational level of armed conflict behavior. It also illustrates how the social and economic context of these resources can operate as deterrents or as drivers of violence. The book thus provides important lessons for policymakers and scholars alike: Just as resources have been linked to outbreaks and transformations of violence, peacebuilding too needs to take into account their impacts, legacies, and potential

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document