Identity and Externalities toward Sustainability

Author(s):  
Paola Francesca Spadaro ◽  
Gianvito D’Aprile ◽  
Maria Beatrice Ligorio ◽  
Neil Schwartz

Two focus group discussions involving 14 entrepreneurs and 106 questionnaires administered to employees were analyzed to explore various parameters of externalities, such as: (1) how externality is conceived; (2) the interplay between a sense of community and a re-definition and negotiation of identity; (3) the role of technology; the sense of belonging, and (4) the propensity to collaborate. Data are analyzed through both thematic discourse analysis and quantitative frequencies analysis. Results show that entrepreneurs hold a multidimensional definition of externality, meditated by their professional and private experience. Ultimately, the reflection on externalities sustains a sense of innovation connected to multi-membership and to re-negotiation of the sense of identity. Within this framework, technology is conceived as a tool supporting the appropriation and sharing of externalities.

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claris Riungu ◽  
Harro Maat ◽  
Marrit Van Den Berg

This paper examines the learning process by which farmers come to a decision to use newly introduced seeds which were promoted through demonstration plots in midwestern and eastern regions of Uganda. Framed as social and material interactions, we investigated the learning process of the demonstration plots using data from focus group discussions, interviews and a survey amongst 983 individuals. The results reveal several constraints that impede learning, resulting in an overall low awareness and adoption of the introduced seeds. Some of the most prominent constraints resulted from the selection of location and demonstration plot host, the distance of agro-dealers, at district headquarters, limited interactions amongst farmers and irregular involvement of farmers in the demonstrations. Moreover, the prominent role of agro-dealers at field days suggests that informing farmers about where to buy seeds was considered more important than explaining farmers how to grow these seeds profitably. This commercial focus of field days and demonstrations plots had negative consequences for the social learning. This paper contributes to the learning and adoption literature by showing that interactions amongst actors can improve or reduce the balance between didactic, social and environmental learning.


2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Leone ◽  
Graziana Curigliano

Our study deals with the meaning of history in the process of construction of one’s self, particularly focusing on the role of historical identity, defined as the psychological awareness of family and cultural inheritance, received by the group in which individuals happen to be born. Since it is determined by the time and place of birth, historical identity may not be chosen, it may only be recognised as more or less meaningful. A psychological confrontation with one’s historical identity — no matter whether it is accepted or refused — is always a specific feature of the construction of one’s self. Starting from these assumptions, we conducted a number of focus group discussions among Italian participants. In order to highlight the evaluative dimensions of discourses, texts were submitted to the APPRAISAL system. All focus group discussions confirmed the difficulties in facing Italy’s collective responsibilities during WWII, suggesting that the protective function of historical identity is still at work down the generations; but they also show a less frequent use of affective resources by the younger generation, indicating a slow progress towards mature in-group reconciliation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-118
Author(s):  
Z. Ghorashi ◽  
◽  
E. Merghati Khoe ◽  

Objective: In Iran, sexual understandings are strongly determined by religious teaching among women in particular. The aim of this study was to determine the role of religion on Iranian women’s sexual practice evolution. our purpose was to detect women’s individual conceptualization of Islamic Shiite principles and their practice upon these conceptualizations. Design and Method: In this qualitative study, 52 married women in their reproductive age were interviewed (n=4) and participated in eight focus group discussions. They were selected from public health centers in Rafsanjan. Emerged data from the interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Findings are categorized in three major themes: “unconditional obedience”, ”inconsistency between obedience and virtue”, “misunderstandings”. Conclusions: Religious teaching has a basic and comprehensive role in sexual behavior construction and sexual health of women. However, occasional inconsistency between believes, learning and sexual expectations, practices and situations would lead to jeopardize the psychological and somatic health of women. Misunderstandings have essential role in making such problems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-242
Author(s):  
Nahid Bayat Bodaghi ◽  
Loh Sau Cheong ◽  
A. N. Zainab ◽  
Mehdi Riahikia

An academic library is a spiritual home to support users in their pursuit of lifelong learning. This study approaches the issues from the visually impaired students’ (VIPs) perspective towards librarians’ support. This study was conducted by using the qualitative approach. Data was collected through interviews and focus group discussions. For trustworthiness of data, member checking and audit from experts are also used. The participants of the study remarked that the librarians’ friendly behaviour provided them a sense of being accepted, valued, cared for, respected, and welcomed which fostered the creation of their sense of belonging.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismaiza Busti ◽  
◽  
Mahyudin Ritonga ◽  
Ahmad Lahmi ◽  
◽  
...  

The Head of Madrasah has a role in various matters related to improving the quality of both human resources and infrastructure in each madrasah he leads, teachers as human resources elements in madrasahs need strategic steps taken by the head of madrasah to improve their professionalism, this research aims to explore how the role of madarasah head in improving teacher competence in MTs Istiqamah Talu Talamau Subdistrict. Research is designed with an explorative qualitative approach, namely a study that aims to find the role performed by the head of madrasah through the search of various sources, the source of this research is madrasah supervisors, teachers in MTs Istiqamah and madarasah heads as a form of confirmation, to obtain data from the specified sources, in this research used observation techniques, interviews, documentation studies and focus group discussions, data analysis used is descriptive qualitative. The result of the research is that the head of madrasah plays a role in increasing the professionalism of teachers in the form of informative, coordinate, consultative and informative.


Author(s):  
Maria Grazia Lo Cricchio ◽  
Alida Lo Coco ◽  
Sonia Ingoglia ◽  
Francesca Liga ◽  
Rodan Di Maria ◽  
...  

Focus groups were used in order to develop a new measure of adolescents' emotional autonomy from parents. The procedure started from an in depth analysis of the literature concerning the construct and a definition of the dimensions which characterize it. Following our idea of the construct, we developed a list of 60 items, getting some of them from existing instruments. Twenty-four adolescents participated in the focus group discussions about the adequacy of the items to measure emotional autonomy. Following their feedbacks a second version of the list with 59 items was presented in a focus group with experts in the field of developmental and clinical psychology, who were called to judge the ability of each item to evaluate the construct. Resulting from the indications emerged in this discussion, a final version of the scale with 66 items was developed and called UNIPA Adolescent Emotional Autonomy Inventory.


Author(s):  
Judith Howard ◽  
Lyra L’Estrange ◽  
Meegan Brown

Abstract It is not unusual for school counsellors to be involved in trauma-aware education practice; however, their role is not uniformly defined in the literature nor consistently applied in professional settings. Trauma-aware education is relatively new but rapidly growing in Australia and beyond. It involves supporting students in a neuroscience-informed manner to address the impacts of complex trauma on their capacities to feel safe, to relate, to emotionally regulate, and to learn. Twenty-six school counsellors completed questionnaires, and eight of those joined focus group discussions to explore the role of school counsellors in trauma-aware practice in Queensland, Australia. Drawing on the voices of practitioners, the present report discusses categories of practice that are prioritised by school counsellors and recommends supports to effectively undertake trauma-aware practice in school settings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 101053952110653
Author(s):  
Yvette van der Eijk ◽  
Lavinia Lin ◽  
Lydia Gan ◽  
Odelia Teo ◽  
Mythily Subramaniam ◽  
...  

Over half of the cigarettes sold in Singapore contain added flavors such as menthol. We conducted nine focus group discussions (n = 46) with young (age 20-25) current smokers in Singapore to understand the role of flavors in smoking initiation. We found that flavors triggered the curiosity to experiment with tobacco and e-cigarette products and played an important role in the formation of early cigarette preferences. Menthol-flavored cigarettes were the most appealing to participants due to their smoothness and cooling sensation, described as pleasant against Singapore’s hot and humid climate. While some participants believed that flavored and nonflavored cigarettes were equally harmful, others believed that flavored variants had a lower nicotine content and were therefore less harmful, or that the added chemicals in flavored cigarettes could result in higher toxicant exposures. Thus, among young people in Singapore, flavors appear to play an important role in smoking initiation and there appear to be various misperceptions regarding their harmfulness.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1671
Author(s):  
Caecilia Tri Wahyanti ◽  
Ocky Sundari Rahardjo ◽  
Yustina Erti P. Dewi

This article analyses the English skills of front-desk staff on the accommodation business, particularly Listening, Spoken Interaction and Spoken Production skills. It is based on a qualitative descriptive research conducted in a medium-sized city in Central Java, Indonesia. The data are collected using self-assessment based on CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) Can-do statements, and crossed-checked in interviews and focus-group discussions. The research found diverse levels of Listening, Spoken Interaction and Spoken Production skills of front-desk staff, mostly A2 (Waystage Basic User), B1 (Threshold Independent User), and C2 (Mastery Proficient User). Besides, the results show that respondents are split in terms of consistency in perceiving their listening and spoken skills. It is also found that both hotel guests and front-desk staff use mobile translating applications to assist spoken communication, encouraging further studies to explore the role of mobile translating application in promoting the success of communication in accommodation business.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Kinuthia, Jane Wanjiku ◽  
Wathika Lucy Njeri ◽  
Mwai Wamaitha Loise ◽  
Yakobo, J. K. Mutiti

<p>This paper which focuses on language use within the formal discursive process of negotiating and legalising marriage in the domain of ‘<em>Ruracio</em>’ or bride wealth payment amongst the <em>Agikuyu</em> of Kenya was conceived on the premise that language is a significant phenomenon in the production and maintenance of social relations of power. The focus is on language elements that are both linguistic and non-linguistic and their influence on the concepts of gender and power as brought out through the data collected for this study. Data, consisting of five recorded discourses from sampled negotiation sessions and five focus group discussions from Kiambu County Kenya, was translated, transcribed and analysed with a view of examining how people use language to accomplish social acts. The findings are that language use, linguistic or non-linguistic, demonstrates that <em>Gikuyu</em> marriage negotiation discursive domain is male dominated, it constructs roles and identities and also defines how people can have power over others to a level that they control their behavior. It is hoped that the findings will be useful to all language users in this domain as well as contributing to knowledge in discourse analysis. </p>


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