Month: September 2024

Relationship Between Identity Affirmation, Autonomy and Successful Aging in Chilean Urban Mapuche Indigenous Older Adults

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Abstract

Despite increased interest in the topic, the global rise in life expectancy has not been associated with better aging. This is influenced by the quality of life at the different stages of the life cycle in older adults. Less attention is paid to aging in urban indigenous older adults who, as in other Latin American contexts, have built their identity facing historically diverse cultural, social and political difficulties associated with an old age with greater vulnerability. Using a quantitative, crosssectional and correlational methodology, this study sought to evaluate direct relationships between identity affirmation, autonomy and successful aging in a sample of 355 urban Mapuche indigenous older adults. The results showed that identity affirmation and autonomy are associated with successful aging. These findings offer empirical and theoretical support for the formulation of social policies such as the implementation of favorable conditions for successful aging and well-being of urban indigenous older adults.

The agency of greenwashing

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Abstract

As climate change increasingly challenges business models, the disclosure of firm environmental performance casts growing attention by corporate stakeholders. This creates wider opportunities and incentives for greenwash behaviors. We propose a novel set of measures to capture greenwashing and we investigate the association between greenwashing and corporate governance features that traditionally mitigate agency problems. We show that board characteristics are variously associated with the apparent degree of corporate greenwashing. Firms with more independent directors tend to greenwash more, the presence of female board directors seems to have a positive impact on the degree of greenwashing, while the effect of board size on greenwashing remains ambiguous. Importantly, we find that greenwashing reduces firm value.

The Predictability Limit of Oceanic Mesoscale Eddy Tracks in the South China Sea

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Abstract

Employing the nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent (NLLE) technique, this study assesses the quantitative predictability limit of oceanic mesoscale eddy (OME) tracks utilizing three eddy datasets for both annual and seasonal means. Our findings reveal a discernible predictability limit of approximately 39 days for cyclonic eddies (CEs) and 44 days for anticyclonic eddies (AEs) within the South China Sea (SCS). The predictability limit is related to the OME properties and seasons. The long-lived, large-amplitude, and large-radius OMEs tend to have a higher predictability limit. The predictability limit of AE (CE) tracks is highest in autumn (winter) with 52 (53) days and lowest in spring (summer) with 40 (30) days. The spatial distribution of the predictability limit of OME tracks also has seasonal variations, further finding that the area of higher predictability limits often overlaps with periodic OMEs. Additionally, the predictability limit of periodic OME tracks is about 49 days for both CEs and AEs, which is 5–10 days higher than the mean values. Usually, in the SCS, OMEs characterized by high predictability limit values exhibit more extended and smoother trajectories and often move along the northern slope of the SCS.

Centennial Changes of Salt Marsh Area in Coastal Georgia (USA) Related to Large-Scale Sediment Dynamics by River, Waves, and Tides

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Abstract

Marsh lateral expansion and retreat are often attributed to sediment availability, but a causal link is difficult to establish. To shed light on this problem, we analyzed changes in salt marsh area along the ~ 200-km-long Georgia coast (USA) from the 1850s to 2010s in relation to total suspended sediment (TSS) and to proxies for river sediment input and local sediment resuspension. Marsh area is characterized by large gains and losses (up to 200 m2/m/yr), but relatively small net change (-50 to 50 m2/m/yr or -0.1 to 0.1%/yr). This has resulted in a general loss of marsh area, except close to the mouths of major rivers, where there is net gain. Net expansion rates decreased in the Savannah Estuary but increased in the Altamaha Estuary from the 1850s–1930s period to the 1930s–2010s period, which are consistent with observed decreases and likely increases in sediment discharge in the two estuaries, respectively. To explain the spatial patterns in the 1930s–2010s marsh area change, we estimated TSS from satellite measurements (2003 to 2020). Along the northern part of the Georgia coast, net marsh gain is positively correlated to the average TSS within the estuarine region. However, this correlation breaks down in more southern areas (Cumberland Sound). Coast-wide, there is a better correlation between TSS associated with new input from the rivers, estimated as the TSS difference between high-discharge (Jan–Mar) and low-discharge (Sept–Nov) months. To identify the effect of wave resuspension in the nearshore, we consider the TSS difference between high-wave, low-discharge (Sept–Nov) and low-wave, low-discharge periods (Jun–Aug). Wave resuspension is relatively uniform along the coast and does not explain spatial patterns of marsh area change. Sediment input from the nearshore is likely contributing to the estuarine sediment budget in Georgia, but it is not sufficient to prevent marsh lateral retreat. To identify the role of tidal resuspension and advection, we consider differences in TSS between low and high tide. This differential is relatively constant along most of the coast, but it is much lower in the southern part of the coast, suggesting a lower tidal action in this region. Sediment resuspended by tides is likely originating from internal recycling (i.e., erosion) within the estuary, and thus does not contribute to marsh lateral expansion. The proposed approach to partition TSS is a general demonstration and could be applied to other coastal regions.

Analyzing incentives and barriers to electric vehicle adoption in the United States

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Abstract

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is influenced by a range of incentives and barriers. EVs offer benefits such as reduced emissions and lower costs but face challenges in gaining widespread acceptance. Government subsidies, tax credits, and EV charging infrastructure have played a pivotal role in driving EV adoption, making them more financially attractive and convenient. However, barriers such as high upfront costs, limited driving range, insufficient charging infrastructure, and consumer concerns about battery life and availability have hindered broader uptake. This study presents a novel approach that considers both incentives and barriers to summarize the factors influencing EV development in the US. Through a comprehensive literature review, we explore the various barriers and incentives that affect EV deployment. Using an advanced fishbone diagram, we categorize the factors into economic and market, technical, policy, and social categories, providing a better understanding of their interrelationships. We discuss critical incentives and barriers within each category, offering a detailed analysis of their impact on EV adoption. Additionally, we present the results of a quantitative analysis of selected factors by examining their correlations with EV sales. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the incentives and barriers to EV development in the US, assisting policymakers and stakeholders in developing effective strategies and initiatives for promoting EV adoption and achieving a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Can de-risking avert supply chain precarity in the face of China-U.S. geopolitical tensions? From sanctions to semiconductor resilience and national security

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Abstract

As a main driver of geoeconomic power, technological supremacy is at stake in the current zero-sum tech war between the U.S. and China. Semiconductor chips have become an emerging geopolitical frontier in the rivalry of the two powers. Since the confrontation has intensified, the U.S. seeks to weaponise its dominant position in the global semiconductor value chain (GSVC). Some industrial policy-driven geostrategic approaches inform the race to reduce the GSVC vulnerabilities. The tit for tat nature of sanctions risks making multilateralism decline and further undermining the effectiveness of the global governance regime. Shifts in rising economic competition highlight the constraints on collective action. It remains critical as to whether the international economic and legal system can survive the current fractured geopolitics, and whether the new thinking on global governance could be viable for a non-zero-sum game.

Towards decolonising higher education: a case study from a UK university

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Abstract

This article presents initiatives undertaken by the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (GHSM) at King’s College London (KCL), exploring avenues to decolonise higher education institutions (HEI). HEI must integrate anti-racism agendas, challenge the European-centric academic knowledge domination, and dismantle power asymmetries. During the academic year 2021, GHSM executed (1) a gap analysis of undergraduate modules, (2) a course on decolonising research methods taught by global scholars to 40 Global South and North university students who completed pre- and post-course surveys, and (3) semi-structured interviews with 11 academics, and a focus group with four students exploring decolonising HEI; findings were thematically analysed. (1) Gap analysis revealed a tokenistic use of Black and minority ethnic and women authors across modules’ readings. (2) The post-course survey showed that 68% strongly agreed the course enhanced their decolonisation knowledge. (3) The thematic analysis identified themes: (1) Decolonisation is about challenging colonial legacies, racism, and knowledge production norms. (2) Decolonisation is about care, inclusivity, and compensation. (3) A decolonised curriculum should embed an anti-racism agenda, reflexive pedagogies, and life experiences involving students and communities. (4) HEI are colonial, exclusionary constructs that should shift to transformative and collaborative ways of thinking and knowing. (5) To decolonise research, we must rethink the hierarchy of knowledge production and dissemination and the politics of North-South research collaborations. Decolonising HEI must be placed within a human rights framework. HEI should integrate anti-racism agendas, give prominence to indigenous and marginalised histories and ways of knowing, and create a non-hierarchical educational environment, with students leading the decolonisation process.

Towards decolonising higher education: a case study from a UK university

Latest Results

Abstract

This article presents initiatives undertaken by the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (GHSM) at King’s College London (KCL), exploring avenues to decolonise higher education institutions (HEI). HEI must integrate anti-racism agendas, challenge the European-centric academic knowledge domination, and dismantle power asymmetries. During the academic year 2021, GHSM executed (1) a gap analysis of undergraduate modules, (2) a course on decolonising research methods taught by global scholars to 40 Global South and North university students who completed pre- and post-course surveys, and (3) semi-structured interviews with 11 academics, and a focus group with four students exploring decolonising HEI; findings were thematically analysed. (1) Gap analysis revealed a tokenistic use of Black and minority ethnic and women authors across modules’ readings. (2) The post-course survey showed that 68% strongly agreed the course enhanced their decolonisation knowledge. (3) The thematic analysis identified themes: (1) Decolonisation is about challenging colonial legacies, racism, and knowledge production norms. (2) Decolonisation is about care, inclusivity, and compensation. (3) A decolonised curriculum should embed an anti-racism agenda, reflexive pedagogies, and life experiences involving students and communities. (4) HEI are colonial, exclusionary constructs that should shift to transformative and collaborative ways of thinking and knowing. (5) To decolonise research, we must rethink the hierarchy of knowledge production and dissemination and the politics of North-South research collaborations. Decolonising HEI must be placed within a human rights framework. HEI should integrate anti-racism agendas, give prominence to indigenous and marginalised histories and ways of knowing, and create a non-hierarchical educational environment, with students leading the decolonisation process.

“My Neighbor, My Friend": The Relevance of Support, Closeness, and History of Relations in Neighborhood Friendship

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Abstract

Friendship is a common and essential social relationship in daily life. Various works of literature have described friendship including how it is experienced in various contexts, yet limited studies have focused on the neighborhood context. This study aimed to investigate the relevance of neighborhood friendship and the characteristics of friendship that make it still relevant, especially in Indonesia. This study was conducted in two phases: 1) an online survey with an open-ended questionnaire and 2) in-depth interviews. A total of 222 participants completed the questionnaire and among those, 15 participants were interviewed to further understand the relevance of neighborhood friendship based on the emerging themes from the open-ended responses. This study found that neighborhood friendship is still relevant despite physical distance. Those relevancies are perceived in the three main characteristics of friendship: support, closeness, and history of relations. This study also found that the essence of friendship is not only discussed in a romantic view which highlights intimacy and closeness, but also in an instrumental view. However, support as an instrumental process may indicate the expressions of closeness, especially in close friendships. Furthermore, this study also suggests that although proximity characterized by physical interaction is crucial in the formation and maintenance of neighborhood friendship, physical distance and social mobility did not dissolve the relationship, due to the history of relations. In the neighborhood context, the history of relations bond people to a certain place and the social relationship formed in that particular place, stimulating certain feelings of belonging which encourage the maintenance of neighborhood friendship.

Resistance Meaning-Making Process in a Brazilian Coco Music Group

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Abstract

This study addresses an investigation about how music and its elements (musical instruments) of a coco music group plays out in the cultural resistance process in remnants of a quilombola community. To that end, a survey was performed in the Castainho quilombola community, located in the rural area of the municipality of Garanhuns, belonging to the Agreste region of Pernambuco, Brazil, through a local coco music group named Castelo Branco. By adopting the theoretical-methodological assumptions of semiotic cultural psychology, a case study was conducted in line with the idiographic science, using combined research techniques to construct data, which would check the relevance of rituals and daily activities for the conservation of local customs through musical manifestation, with a special focus on the use of musical instruments and the lyrics of their songs. The research seeks to understand the identity elements of a quilombo, considering music as a point of preservation and strengthening of the maintenance of its culture.