scholarly journals Women's experiences with mixed use of wood and gas cookstoves and fuels in rural Lambayeque, Peru

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-140
Author(s):  
Carolina Priscilla Cabrera-Torres ◽  
Maribel Albertina Díaz-Váasquez ◽  
Rosa Jeuna Diaz-Manchay ◽  
Victoria Sattler ◽  
Roseline Jean-Louis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Mixed Use ◽  
Cooking Fuels ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
Clean Cookstoves ◽  
Gas Stoves

Introduction: Despite program efforts to encourage use of clean cookstoves and fuels to mitigate climate change, many communities continue to use wood-fueled open fires. Objectives: Describe experiences of participants with mixed use of cooking and fuel technologies (e.g. open fires and chimney stoves using wood and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves) in rural Lambayeque, Peru in 2018. Material and methods: Fifteen participants were interviewed using a qualitative exploratory research design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Four categories emerged: decisions about acquiring cooking fuels are primarily based on cost; plastic trash is used to light wood-burning stoves; decisions to use gas over wood are based on quick food cooking time; and benefits and health problems are recognized, but mixed use of fuels persist. Conclusion: Use of both traditional wood cookstoves and plastic trash to ignite fires were used frequently because both are free or cheap. The environmental impact of cutting down trees isn't considered important, but interviewees did notice detriments to their wellbeing. Although gas stoves are used and benefits were mentioned, use of traditional stoves persists. We recommend that policy makers in Peru begin to address barriers to full adoption of new clean cooking technologies and consider governmental subsidies to meet families' spending priorities.

scholarly journals Dynamics informing xenophobia and leadership response in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Champion M. Masikane ◽  
Magda L. Hewitt ◽  
Joyce Toendepi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Research Purpose ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Protracted Conflict ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Black President ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: The research addressed the issue of leadership response to xenophobia in South Africa that has a unique characteristic of being ‘black on black’.Research purpose: The research purpose was to assess the dynamics informing xenophobia in South Africa, leadership responses and systemic lessons thereon.Motivation for the study: The first black president, the late Nelson Mandela, put in place a Constitution that has an intent to protect all stakeholders in a non-racist, non-sexist and without discrimination based on colour or creed. This pleasantness and warm welcome attracted a large influx of immigrants from across the continent and South Asia who come as international students, skilled professionals and economic refugees. This migratory pattern has led to protracted conflict between immigrants from Africa and indigenous black South Africans.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative, exploratory research that drew data from the semi-structured interviews was carried out. Seven participants were purposefully sampled based on their involvement with the xenophobic affairs in their line of work. Content analysis augmented the primary data.Main findings: The findings of this research showed that xenophobia is a consequence of the socio-economic environment in South Africa and that the leadership response shaped the public opinion on the phenomenon.Practical/managerial implications: The research informed all South Africans, policy-makers and leadership in government on the consequences of xenophobia on the growth and image of the country.Contribution/value-add: This article contributed to the current efforts by leadership in both government and civil society towards addressing the socio-economic issues that fuel xenophobia.

scholarly journals Pay-as-you-go LPG supports sustainable clean cooking in Kenyan informal urban settlement, including during a period of COVID-19 lockdown

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Shupler ◽  
Mark O’Keefe ◽  
Elisa Puzzolo ◽  
Emily Nix ◽  
Rachel Anderson de Cuevas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Household Air Pollution ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Smart Meter ◽  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Spending Patterns ◽  
Cooking Fuels

ABSTRACTApproximately 2.8 billion people rely on polluting cooking fuels (e.g. wood, kerosene), exposing them to health-damaging household air pollution. A key access barrier to clean cooking fuels (e.g. liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) is affordability. By enabling households to pay in small increments, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) LPG could help promote clean cooking, and support continued LPG use through periods of economic downturn. We investigate the ability of PAYG LPG to sustain access to clean cooking from January 2018-June 2020, including during COVID-19 lockdown (March-June 2020) in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. We utilize novel PAYG LPG smart meter data to document cooking/spending patterns from 426 PAYG LPG customers and semi-structured interviews among a subset of seven households. Objective cooking pattern comparisons are made to those cooking with full 6kg cylinder LPG and polluting fuel users from 23 households in peri-urban Eldoret in western Kenya, using stove monitoring data. Customers’ average PAYG LPG consumption was 0.97 kg/capita/month (11.6 kg/capita/year) prior to COVID-19 lockdown. Despite adverse economic impacts of the lockdown, 95% of households continued using PAYG LPG, and consumption increased to 1.22 kg/capita/month (March-June 2020). Daily cooking events using PAYG LPG increased by 60% (1.07 events/day (pre-lockdown) to 1.72 events/day (lockdown)). In contrast, among seven households purchasing full 6kg cylinder LPG in Eldoret, average days/month using LPG declined by 75% (17 to four days) during COVID-19 lockdown. Median PAYG LPG payment frequency doubled (from every 8 days to every 4 days) during lockdown, while average payment amount was nearly halved (336 Kenyan Shillings (KSh)/US$3.08 to 179 KSh/US$1.64).Interviewed customers reported numerous benefits of PAYG LPG beyond fuel affordability, including safety, time savings, cylinder delivery and user-friendliness. PAYG LPG helped sustain clean cooking during COVID-19 lockdown, possibly averting increases in polluting cooking fuel use and associated household air pollution exposures.Graphical AbstractHighlightsFirst study to report long-term cooking/spending patterns using PAYG LPG smart meter data95% of 301 active PAYG LPG customers in February 2020 continued to use the fuel during COVID-19 lockdownDaily cooking events using PAYG LPG increased by 60% during COVID-19 lockdownMedian payment frequency increased 50%, while single payment amount decreased 50% during lockdownThree-quarters of PAYG LPG households in this study were first time LPG users

Management of Records in Adapted Buildings as Records Centres in Zimbabwe

Mousaion ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson Mutsagondo ◽  
Getrude Maduyu ◽  
Godfrey Tsvuura
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Personal Observation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Professional Management ◽  
The Government

This paper discusses the challenges of records management that arise from the use of adapted buildings as records centres in Zimbabwe, despite the advantages of using such buildings. A qualitative research approach was used as well as a case study research design. Data were collected from seven officers of the Gweru Records Centre through semi-structured interviews. Personal observation was used to triangulate findings from interviews. It was found that the use of adapted buildings as records centres was a cheaper and quicker way of establishing records centres throughout the country. However, a number of preservation, security and management challenges cropped up as the conditions of the buildings and the environment of the adapted buildings were not conducive to the proper and professional management of records. This study is important in that it explores the prospects and challenges of using adapted buildings as records centres in Zimbabwe, an area that has not been researched by many authors. This provokes archival authorities and the government to seriously consider establishing purpose-built records and archival centres.

scholarly journals Smart Cities in Turkey: Approaches, Advances and Applications with Greater Consideration for Future Urban Transport Development

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Bıyık
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Future Vision

The smart city transport concept is viewed as a future vision aiming to undertake investigations on the urban planning process and to construct policy-pathways for achieving future targets. Therefore, this paper sets out three visions for the year 2035 which bring about a radical change in the level of green transport systems (often called walking, cycling, and public transport) in Turkish urban areas. A participatory visioning technique was structured according to a three-stage technique: (i) Extensive online comprehensive survey, in which potential transport measures were researched for their relevance in promoting smart transport systems in future Turkish urban areas; (ii) semi-structured interviews, where transport strategy suggestions were developed in the context of the possible imaginary urban areas and their associated contextual description of the imaginary urban areas for each vision; (iii) participatory workshops, where an innovative method was developed to explore various creative future choices and alternatives. Overall, this paper indicates that the content of the future smart transport visions was reasonable, but such visions need a considerable degree of consensus and radical approaches for tackling them. The findings offer invaluable insights to researchers inquiring about the smart transport field, and policy-makers considering applying those into practice in their local urban areas.

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.

scholarly journals Rethinking success, integrity, and culture in research (part 1) — a multi-actor qualitative study on success in science

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noémie Aubert Bonn ◽  
Wim Pinxten
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Research Integrity ◽  
Current Paper ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Students

Abstract Background Success shapes the lives and careers of scientists. But success in science is difficult to define, let alone to translate in indicators that can be used for assessment. In the past few years, several groups expressed their dissatisfaction with the indicators currently used for assessing researchers. But given the lack of agreement on what should constitute success in science, most propositions remain unanswered. This paper aims to complement our understanding of success in science and to document areas of tension and conflict in research assessments. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with policy makers, funders, institution leaders, editors or publishers, research integrity office members, research integrity community members, laboratory technicians, researchers, research students, and former-researchers who changed career to inquire on the topics of success, integrity, and responsibilities in science. We used the Flemish biomedical landscape as a baseline to be able to grasp the views of interacting and complementary actors in a system setting. Results Given the breadth of our results, we divided our findings in a two-paper series, with the current paper focusing on what defines and determines success in science. Respondents depicted success as a multi-factorial, context-dependent, and mutable construct. Success appeared to be an interaction between characteristics from the researcher (Who), research outputs (What), processes (How), and luck. Interviewees noted that current research assessments overvalued outputs but largely ignored the processes deemed essential for research quality and integrity. Interviewees suggested that science needs a diversity of indicators that are transparent, robust, and valid, and that also allow a balanced and diverse view of success; that assessment of scientists should not blindly depend on metrics but also value human input; and that quality should be valued over quantity. Conclusions The objective of research assessments may be to encourage good researchers, to benefit society, or simply to advance science. Yet we show that current assessments fall short on each of these objectives. Open and transparent inter-actor dialogue is needed to understand what research assessments aim for and how they can best achieve their objective. Study Registration osf.io/33v3m.

Impact of the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices on Brazilian Public Homeopathy Services

Homeopathy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Lemonica ◽  
Karina Pavao Patricio
Keyword(s):  
Research Study ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Unified Health System ◽  
East Region ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health Demands ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Homeopathy has been experiencing a period of expansion in Brazil due to its practical relevance in the face of new global and national health demands, culminating in the launch in 2006 of the National Policy for Integrative and Complementary Practices (NPICP) by the Ministry of Health of Brazil, which standardized and regularized the position of homeopathy within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Aims To understand the impact of the guidelines proposed by the NPICP on homeopathy services in the SUS, specifically in the south-east region of Brazil, according to the perceptions of their managers. Methods This is a descriptive, exploratory research study with a qualitative approach, conducted in homeopathy services in the south-east region of Brazil, through semi-structured interviews and with data processed using content analysis. Results The data show the importance of the NPICP in regulating and offering homeopathy in the services studied. However, the NPICP's objective of promoting and fully developing integrative and complementary practices has not been achieved because it has failed to translate strategies into actions. Conclusions Though important to the development of homeopathy services in any given location, policies stated in the NPICP were revealed to have limited impact on the implementation and development of new services. Without further legislation, training programs and appropriate budget allocation, new services will be unable to thrive and their users unable to benefit from a more comprehensive approach to healthcare.

UNIVERSITIES AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Iañez Domínguez ◽  
Raúl Alvarez Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research Promotion ◽  
Organisational Structures ◽  
Spanish Universities ◽  
Just Society ◽  
Conducting Research

When it comes to human development, justice, and sustainability, universities should play a driving role, given their specific assigned task of providing specialist education and conducting research. They should also educate and promote the values of solidarity and commitment towards a more egalitarian and just society. This involves making a firm commitment to social change, which many Spanish universities have done by cooperating to foster the development of more impoverished countries. To this end, they have developed structures through which they can undertake different actions. The research presented in this paper was conducted as a direct result of the authors’ interest in finding out more about the specific actions carried out by Andalusian universities. The research conducted was qualitative, using in-depth semi-structured interviews with key informants (development cooperation officers and senior policy-makers within each institution) from Andalusia’s ten public universities. All universities incorporate an area for development cooperation within their organisational structures, and they have staffing and funding for the organisation and development of actions, although the panorama is diverse and heterogeneous. The actions carried out encompass academic training and education, research, promotion and awareness, university volunteering schemes, and cooperation out in the field.

The Role of Women in Improving Access to Food at the Household Level in Mandeni Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-155
Author(s):  
Nondumiso Thabisile Mpanza ◽  
Mfaniseni Wiseman Mbatha
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Home Gardens ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
Access To Food

This paper censoriously assesses the role of women in improving access to food at the household level. The role of women is essential in the production of food as caretakers of household food security. However, their role is not well recognised, more especially in policymaking and resource allocation. This study was conducted through a qualitative approach with an exploratory research design. The participants were sampled with convenience sampling and interviewed with semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was employed as a tool for data analysis. The study adopted feminisation of poverty as a primary theory of this paper. Certain aspects of the study reveal that women have been struggling to access food from the diversity of retail vents that are obtainable in town because of low income and limitations of transport service. This is a constraint to women who depend on the off-farm sources of income because their household’s livelihood depends on purchasing food from retail vents. Those who rely on home gardens were experiencing low productivity and the unsustainability of their gardens. This has been caused by water scarcity and climate change. Therefore, women must be provided with training that seeks to develop their skills on how to make effective use of home gardens so that food security can be ensured.

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