scholarly journals Explorative healthy aging approaches fostering social innovation: thematizing life course narratives of older women participating in a documentary film

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susie Riva-Mossman ◽  
Henk Verloo
Keyword(s):  
Older Women ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Relational Networks ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Learning Processes

The transformative process of investigating life stories and their impact on healthy aging has only recently been explored. The relationship between hope and individual healthy aging strategies is still an under-researched area. This study contributes to filling the knowledgeability gap. The authors examine senior stories of hope and the experience of self-determination and well-being. The study documents the social learning processes of older people as they narratively search for solutions and imagine a hopeful future of healthy aging. A group of four older women participated in a semi-structured filmed interview, questioned by an academic expert. Healthy aging emerged as an important concern among all participants, confirming the need to actively learn how to age well. This exploratory research brought forth thematic clusters, orienting shared value solutions to demographic change. Qualitative research methods reinforce lifelong, collaborative learning processes that not only produce scientific literature, but also put in place relational networks that can grow and endure over time, generating social innovation. The film documented the role of hope and resilience in healthy aging.

scholarly journals Experimental studies illuminate the cultural transmission of percussive technologies in Homo and Pan

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1682) ◽  
pp. 20140359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Whiten
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Tool Use ◽  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Cognitive Context ◽  
The Social ◽  
Special Power ◽  
Social Learning Processes

The complexity of Stone Age tool-making is assumed to have relied upon cultural transmission, but direct evidence is lacking. This paper reviews evidence bearing on this question provided through five related empirical perspectives. Controlled experimental studies offer special power in identifying and dissecting social learning into its diverse component forms, such as imitation and emulation. The first approach focuses on experimental studies that have discriminated social learning processes in nut-cracking by chimpanzees. Second come experiments that have identified and dissected the processes of cultural transmission involved in a variety of other force-based forms of chimpanzee tool use. A third perspective is provided by field studies that have revealed a range of forms of forceful, targeted tool use by chimpanzees, that set percussion in its broader cognitive context. Fourth are experimental studies of the development of flint knapping to make functional sharp flakes by bonobos, implicating and defining the social learning and innovation involved. Finally, new and substantial experiments compare what different social learning processes, from observational learning to teaching, afford good quality human flake and biface manufacture. Together these complementary approaches begin to delineate the social learning processes necessary to percussive technologies within the Pan – Homo clade.

scholarly journals The scope and limits of overimitation in the transmission of artefact culture

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1567) ◽  
pp. 1158-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek E. Lyons ◽  
Diana H. Damrosch ◽  
Jennifer K. Lin ◽  
Deanna M. Macris ◽  
Frank C. Keil
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Novel Object ◽  
Causal Understanding ◽  
Learning Function ◽  
Intentional Actions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Learning Processes ◽  
Unfamiliar Object

Children are generally masterful imitators, both rational and flexible in their reproduction of others' actions. After observing an adult operating an unfamiliar object, however, young children will frequently overimitate , reproducing not only the actions that were causally necessary but also those that were clearly superfluous. Why does overimitation occur? We argue that when children observe an adult intentionally acting on a novel object, they may automatically encode all of the adult's actions as causally meaningful. This process of automatic causal encoding (ACE) would generally guide children to accurate beliefs about even highly opaque objects. In situations where some of an adult's intentional actions were unnecessary, however, it would also lead to persistent overimitation. Here, we undertake a thorough examination of the ACE hypothesis, reviewing prior evidence and offering three new experiments to further test the theory. We show that children will persist in overimitating even when doing so is costly (underscoring the involuntary nature of the effect), but also that the effect is constrained by intentionality in a manner consistent with its posited learning function. Overimitation may illuminate not only the structure of children's causal understanding, but also the social learning processes that support our species' artefact-centric culture.

Social Innovation, Power, and Marginalization

2019 ◽  
pp. 32-49
Author(s):  
Risto Heiskala
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Michael Mann ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Sources ◽  
Point Of Departure

The neo-Weberian theoretical model, which Michael Mann presents in his The Sources of Social Power, reduces the multitude of relations of interaction in social networks to ideological, economic, military, and political sources of social power. Taking Mann’s IEMP model as its point of departure this chapter makes an attempt to develop such an approach in the theory of innovation, which would go beyond the ordinary dichotomy between technological and social innovation, recognizing instead that there are several types of innovation and there is a social aspect to all of them. By integrating Mann’s approach to the Social Grid model (Beckert 2010), the capabilities approach to well-being (Sen 1999; Nussbaum 2000) and to an extension of the IEMP model to a NACEMP model, which also includes nature (N), artefacts (A), and the whole culture (C) as sources of power, a new approach to power, innovations, and marginalization is outlined.

scholarly journals Friendships Forged in Fitness: An Ethnographic Exploration of Older Women’s Social Experiences in Water Aerobics

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 470-470
Author(s):  
Britteny Howell ◽  
Samantha Wanner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Supports ◽  
Thick Description ◽  
Fitness Centers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Water Based

Abstract Research shows that participants, especially older women, are more likely to adhere to a fitness program when they have social supports. Gerontology research also demonstrates that the social relationships forged by older women at community and fitness centers can be long-lasting and provide a variety of supportive functions. Older adults respond well to pool- or water-based aerobic exercises that are safe on the joints and provide a comfortable environment away from the intimidating nature of the gym. Therefore, water-based classes provided at community fitness centers are well positioned to provide ample social opportunities to further reinforce continued physical activity for older women, resulting in health and quality-of-life improvements. This project is a 5-month ethnographic exploration of the social relationships created and maintained in the context of water-based fitness classes (water aerobics) at a local community center (YMCA) that is attended by a culturally diverse group of older adults. The friendships forged by women in the pool at the YMCA provide a variety of social supports that help to maintain healthy aging outcomes among participants. Drawing on components of Activity Theory and Social Support Theory, this presentation utilizes participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires (N=35) to provide an anthropological “thick description” of the important role that fitness center friendships can form in the social lives of older women in the U.S.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Correlates of Healthy Aging Among Older Cambodians

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 398-399
Author(s):  
Kakada Kuy ◽  
Yuekang Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Financial Conditions ◽  
The Social

Abstract Healthy aging is one of the most critical goals to attain on the World Health Organization’s global aging agenda for developing countries. However, healthy aging has not been widely studied among the many older adults living in those nations. For example, most of the Cambodia’s economically deprived older adults earn less than a dollar a day, while little scientific evidence is known about their healthy aging situation and their support system. Our study aimed to examine socioeconomic correlates of healthy aging among older Cambodians in three provinces. Data of a sample of older Cambodians ages 60 and above (N=210) from 12 districts were collected. Healthy aging was measured using the Healthy Ageing Index developed based on a Southeast Asian context. We measured social support using the Social Network and Social Support scale. Financial conditions were measured by an index derived from subjective and objective measurements. Multilevel mixed-effects models showed that better social supports from friends and family members, better financial conditions and education were associated with improved health aging among older Cambodians. Supports from friends had a stronger relationship than supports from family members. As one of the first studies examine the social determinants of health among older Cambodians, this study adds to the literature by substantiating the important roles of financial conditions and social support in determining their health and well-being. Findings point to the importance of improving living standard and maintaining social support of the older population in the country.

scholarly journals Social Innovation for Agricultural Development: A Study of System of Rice Intensification in Bihar, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-118
Author(s):  
Vikas Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Context ◽  
System Of Rice Intensification ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rice Intensification ◽  
The Impact

The social innovation inclines to an emphasis on ‘systems and processes of change in social relations’ and ‘innovation is a new idea, product or process that addresses social and environmental challenges and their needs’. It is newly growing up as a field of practice that is done by people. It has occurred from the broader field of innovation studies. In this article, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been taken as a case of social innovation, which helps to increase the productivity of rice and enhance the income of the farmers. The literature related to SRI suggested that the technique is sustainable and innovative because of the less use of inputs and changes in some set of principles (i.e., planting, fertilizer, water and seeds) whereas increasing output in terms of production and productivity of the crop. In this sense, aim of the article is to evaluate the impact of the SRI technique within the framework of social innovation in Patna district, Bihar, India. In a wider context, the question is not about whether it is intensifying or not, rather emphasis should be on how farmers deal with changing environmental and socio-economic factors. Moreover, there is a need to delve deeper into implantation strategies in the local context and evaluate their impact in terms of opportunities and constraints during adaptation. In addition to this, an exploratory research design was followed to study SRI. Criterion and expert sampling were employed to select the farmers, and data were collected by a personal interview method with the help of a structured schedule. However, the data indicate the production and productivity of paddy are increased through SRI, but variation exists among different blocks of the district. It is clearly evident from the data that nearly 42 per cent of farmers from all blocks have witnessed an increase in food sufficiency. In the case of income due to the sale of excess produce is 57 per cent.

scholarly journals LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT AND STRUGGLE FOR PENSION IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-153
Author(s):  
Samson Adewumi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
State Government ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Management Effectiveness ◽  
Security Measure ◽  
The Social ◽  
Active Service ◽  
Economic Balance

Commenting on the significance of pension as a social security measure for cushioning the economic demands that comes with retirement, there are pockets of evidence advancing the commentaries that pension aid in striking an economic balance between the periods of retirement and active service. This statement captures the importance of pension as an essential social security measure. This paper assesses life after retirement and the struggle for pension in Osun State, Nigeria. Previous studies have largely focus on pension policies and reforms, with a scare attention on life after retirement experiences and struggle for pension in Nigeria. The exploratory research design was applied to advance the limit of knowledge on pension and retirement discourse with a total of 28 pensioners selected for interviews through the snowball and convenient recruitment strategies. The Social Contract Theory was utilized to understand major assumptions raised in the study. Findings reveal a number of life after retirement challenges for pensioners including inability to access medical treatment, difficulty in providing for families due to non-payment of pension and strenuous pension verification exercise among others. It was equally shown that the social security responsibilities of the Osun State government towards the welfare of pensioners in the state have been hijacked with political propaganda, while pensioners are left to go through untold hardship. The study recommends for the constitution of a separate pension budget for pension management effectiveness in the state. Lastly, it is recommended that the Osun State government be committed to the well-being of pensioners by avoiding all forms of politicking with the welfare of those who have served the state in various capacities during their active years.

Optimal Fiscal Policy – Factors for the Formation of the Optimal Economic and Social Models

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
George Abuselidze
Keyword(s):  
Fiscal Policy ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
National Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Research Database ◽  
National Statistics ◽  
The Social ◽  
Empirical Material

Objective - The purpose of this paper is to develop the optimal economic and social model for the modern stage and analyze the Social Progress Index in Georgia. The research is based on the paradigm that "what we analyze, this determines the decisions we make". Consequently, emphasis is placed on issues that significantly affect human well-being. Methodology/Technique - In this top-down study, the empirical material is collected from official documents and public statements made by centrally placed politicians and administrators in Georgia as well as research conducted by international organizations in Georgia. The research database used is the legislative and normative acts adopted by the government of Georgia in the modern day, in particular: the National Statistics Office of Georgia, the Economic Development and Finance Ministries, the Georgian National Statistics Office, the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee and other related departments. Findings - This study shows that the formation of the optimal economic and social organization model of a country is particularly dependent on the selection and implementation of the most appropriate fiscal policy. The philosophy of social security is one of the greatest achievements of modern civilization. The present work is dedicated to the progress of human development – specifically, welfare issues. This provides the model for creating the optimal social security system of a population, with the following social system parameters: distribution of national income to the population and their families and addressing the issues of financing social security needs. Based on the study of the social experiences of social reform and the social indicators of the European Union, the alternate concept of prosperity and perfection is developed. These topics are the focus of the present work. Novelty - The empirical material contained within focuses on the period after 2005, when some important changes in political leadership took place. In 2003, Saakashvili became President of Georgia, Ivanishvili was elected as Prime Minister in 2012 and Kvirikashvili took over this position in 2015. During this time, there was also a shift in government social policy at a central level. The collection of empirical data for this study ends in 2017, giving a total study period of 12 years. Type of Paper: Empirical. Keywords: Fiscal Policy; Welfare; Social Security; Social Innovation; Household; Employment. JEL Classification: E24, E62, H31, H55, H61, R2, R51.

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