Protected areas (PA) are effective means for protecting biodiversity, but less is known about their effect on the social-ecological system (SES). Using a semi-experimental approach and a descriptive ...case study based evaluation, we analyzed the effect of a PA in the Yucatan Peninsula on land-cover and household resource management strategies in time and space (before and after the PA establishment; inside and outside its limits). To assess the changes of land-use practices in the areas surrounding the communities inside and outside the PA, and their change over time (from 2003 to 2015), we used remote sensing analysis and semi-structured interviews. Our results show that after the PA was established, the forest increased and agricultural plots decreased inside and to a lesser extent outside the PA. However, fires reduced the area of old-growth forest and increased young secondary forest, highlighting the system’s vulnerability to uncommon events. Resource management strategies were also affected: while inside the PA households tended toward specializing on tourism, outside the PA household strategies implied a diversification of productive activities. Overall, the establishment of the PA proved to be an effective tool to promote forest recovery and prevent deforestation in the regions surrounding the communities both inside and outside the PA.
In Nepal, rural water systems (RWS) are classified by practitioners as single-use domestic water systems (SUS) or multiple-use water systems (MUS). In the rural hills of Nepal, subsistence farming ...communities typically use RWS to support income-generating productive activities that can enhance rural livelihoods. However, there is limited research on the extent of existing productive activity and the factors enabling these activities. This paper examines the extent of water-related productive activities and the factors driving these activities based on a study, undertaken between October 2017 to June 2018, of 202 households served from five single-use domestic water systems and five multiple use water systems in the mid-hills of Nepal. The research found that a majority (94%) of these households engaged in two or more productive activities including growing vegetables and horticulture crops, raising livestock, and producing biogas and Rakshi (locally-produced alcohol), regardless of the system design, i.e., SUS vs. MUS. Around 90% of the households were engaged in productive activities that contributed to over 10% of their mean annual household income ($4,375). Since the SUS vs. MUS classification was not found to be a significant determinant of the extent of productive activity, the households were reclassified as having high or low levels of productive activity based on the quantity of water used for these activities and the associated earned income. A multinomial logistic regression model was developed to measure the relative significance of various predictors of high productive activity households. Five dominant predictors were identified: households that farm as a primary occupation, use productive technologies, are motivated to pursue productive activities, have received water-related productive activity training, and have received external support related to productive activities. Whereas MUS are designed for productive activity, nearly every household in SUS communities was involved in productive activities making them ‘de-facto’ MUS. These results challenge the current approach to rural water provision that views SUS and MUS as functionally different services.
The current study aims to examine correlates of successful aging in the context of midlife, by examining its relationship to generativity, or providing for the next generation (Erikson in Dimensions ...of a new identity: the 1973 Jefferson lectures in the humanities, W. W. Norton & Co., Oxford,
1974
). This research identifies productive activities (e.g., paid work, sports and recreation) and spiritual commitment as potential moderators of the generativity–successful aging relationship, since engagement in these activities has been suggested to benefit health. Furthermore, we examine how these interactions differ for a sample of 237 middle-aged women (mean age = 61), depending on race. Results indicate that, whereas generativity and successful aging are related for the overall sample, this relationship is moderated by sports and recreation activities, and to a lesser extent, spiritual commitment. Importantly, spiritual commitment is associated with a positive relationship between generativity and successful aging, while sports and recreation is associated with a negative one. When viewed by race, spiritual commitment, and sports and recreation activities moderate the relationship specifically for White women, while paid work does so for Black women. This research highlights the importance of examining different pathways between generativity and aging successfully.
Fine particles (PM2.5) can penetrate buildings through ventilation and air conditioning systems, exposing indoors workers to pollution levels similar to those prevailing outdoors. This letter ...investigates the immediate influence of fine particle pollution on the productive activity of local government bureaucracies, linking novel data on the daily output of local governments in municipalities of the Athens metropolitan area, Greece, to PM2.5 levels recorded nearby. To address biases introduced by omitted variables and measurement error, I use the plausibly exogenous variation introduced by the basin's horizontal ventilation, instrumenting PM2.5 levels with local wind strength. Estimates suggest a statistically and quantitatively significant negative effect from PM2.5 on the output of public administrations. Increasing PM2.5 levels by 1% decreases the activity proxy by around 0.25%. Results point to the influence PM2.5 can have on activities that are mentally but not physically demanding and suggest that costs from PM2.5 will increase with the share of global income produced by office workers.
El artículo tiene como objetivo identificar algunos efectos de actividades humanas productivas de tipo extractivo y servicios recreativos —presentes en coberturas de la tierra— sobre la calidad del ...agua de la cuenca hidrográfica del río Dagua, localizada al suroccidente del departamento del Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Metodológicamente, el artículo integra información cuantitativa y cualitativa a través de seis fases: primero, definición de puntos de monitoreo de parámetros fisicoquímicos del agua y de aforo de caudales, así como áreas de trabajo para el cálculo de coberturas de la tierra; segundo, registro de parámetros fisicoquímicos del agua; tercero, construcción de índices síntesis de los parámetros fisicoquímicos; cuarto, identificación mediante trabajo en campo e información secundaria de actividades productivas de tipo extractivo y de servicios más representativas en la cuenca y, cálculo de porcentajes de coberturas de la tierra mediante información espacial a escala 1:100.000; quinto, evaluación de los efectos de las actividades productivas presentes en coberturas de la tierra sobre la calidad del agua mediante la técnica de panel de expertos; sexto, integración de los resultados de todas las fases. Entre los principales resultados de la investigación, se evidenció que la baja calidad ambiental del agua está asociada con actividades extractivas como la ganadería extensiva en ladera, la agricultura tecnificada, la minería extractiva (material de arrastre) sí mismo, que las actividades de servicios asociadas a la oferta de viviendas campestres para recreación y esparcimiento afectan la calidad y disponibilidad del agua en la cuenca.
Children with autism spectrum disorders often have particular hardships in participating in joint activities with an adult. This makes interventions more problematic and draws back the achievement of ...planned educa¬tional goals. At the early stages of speech therapy, the important goal of individual sessions with the majority of children with autism spectrum disorders is not speech development in itself but developing motivation for joint activities. To ensure successful interaction between an educator and a child, different techniques can be used, including those that are not typical for speech therapy sessions, for example, sculpturing as a preferred activity with enjoyable sensory input. The article describes tips for developing rapport with children with autistic disorders, and a strategy for involving them in joint activities and further development of their speech.
Дети с расстройствами аутистического спектра часто имеют выраженные трудности в совместной продуктивной деятельности со взрослыми. Это затрудняет коррекционную работу и делает труднодостижимыми ее планируемые результаты. Важной задачей индивидуальных занятий логопеда с большинством детей с аутистическими расстройствами на начальных этапах является не столько развитие речи, сколько формирование у них мотивации к совместной деятельности. Для налаживания взаимодействия педагога и ребенка можно использовать различные нетрадиционные для логопедических занятий приемы, например, как любимую деятельность, — лепку, в основе которой лежат приятные сенсорные ощущения. Описаны приемы установления контакта с детьми, имеющими аутистические расстройства, стратегия работы по вовлечению их на основе лепки в совместную деятельность и по дальнейшему развитию речи.
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Ziel des Beitrags ist, sowohl das tatsächliche als auch das potenzielle bürgerschaftliche Engagement von unter 55- bis 70-Jährigen anhand einer 2-dimensionalen Typologie ...(ausgeübtes Engagement sowie Absicht zu einer Aufnahme bzw. Ausweitung eines bestehenden Engagements) zu beschreiben und die Einflussfaktoren zu identifizieren.
Daten und Methode
Aus dem Datensatz der Studie „Transitions and Old Age Potential“ (TOP) wird ein Sample mit 4421 Männern und Frauen der Geburtskohorten 1942–1958 verwendet. Aufbauend auf einer engagementbezogenen Typologie (internes, ausgeschöpftes und externes Potenzial sowie definitiv Nichtengagierte) zeigt ein multinomiales Regressionsmodell die Prädiktoren für die Gruppenzugehörigkeit.
Ergebnisse
Mehr als die Hälfte des Samples lässt sich dem internen oder externen Potenzial zuordnen. Engagierte ohne Ausweitungsabsicht und potenziell Engagierte sind sich bezüglich ihrer Ressourcenausstattung und sozialen Faktoren ähnlicher als potenziell Engagierte und definitiv Nichtengagierte. Die Gruppe der potenziell Engagierten übt im Vergleich zu den definitiv Nichtengagierten häufiger andere informelle Tätigkeiten (z. B. Pflege oder Kinderbetreuung) aus.
Schlussfolgerung
Definitiv nichtengagierte Personen weisen gegenüber (potenziell) Engagierten unterschiedliche soziale Nachteile auf (v. a. in Bezug auf Bildung und Gesundheit). Bürgerschaftliches Engagement scheint mit anderen informellen Tätigkeiten wie z. B. Pflege oder Kinderbetreuung nicht in starkem Konflikt zu stehen, sofern diese mit geringer oder mittlerer Intensität ausgeübt werden.
We investigated how older adults’ perceptions of societal expectations for active aging, or activation demands (e.g., to stay fit and to contribute to the public good), relate to their involvement in ...paid work and formal volunteering and psychological adjustment. We used two waves of survey data on young-old Germans (aged 56–75, NT1 = 1,508, NT2 = 602). With the exception of several items on perceived activation demands, paid work and volunteering were not significant longitudinal predictors of such demands. In females, perceived activation demands increased the likelihood to work for pay a year later. Finally, among nonworking individuals, perceived activation demands predicted a better physical self-concept and a higher positive affect, whereas among nonvolunteers, such demands predicted fewer depressive symptoms a year later. We conclude that the policy debate on active aging may benefit some older German adults but is of little consequence for most of them.
Social inclusion is an explicit goal of legislation, policies, and supports for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in many countries. However, evidence outlining the dimensions ...of social inclusion is still limited. How we understand social inclusion defines how it is measured. This study aims to better understand the concept and indicators of social inclusion. Retrospective analyses were conducted on 1,341 adults with intellectual disabilities residing in institutional and community‐based settings who were assessed with the “interRAI Intellectual Disability” instrument. Objective and subjective items in the instrument related to five domains of social inclusion (i.e., relationships, leisure, productive activities, accommodations, and informal support). The results highlighted the heterogeneity within domains, and by the nature of the indicator. Overall, percentages varied between 3.0% and 96.4% depending on which indicator was used; variability also existed in rates achieved using objective and subjective indicators. Acceptable‐to‐good levels of internal consistency were reported for three of the five domains; low correlations were found to exist between some, but not all, domains. The results of this study demonstrate that without an understanding of what social inclusion means for both general and vulnerable populations, it is not clear what is being measured, or how it should be measured. A clear definition of inclusion and its measurement is needed for decision‐makers and service providers to define the nature of their responsibilities, set actions, and assess their effectiveness in achieving inclusion.
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