scholarly journals Overcoming Language Barriers Through an Interactive Platform for Public Engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 262
Author(s):  
Mariana Coanca

The article discusses the framework for a city visioning platform which can offer a public participation in energy-related actions and support the social acceptance of energy transition. The platform has a dual feature: a. the interactivity of the platform is based on crowd-sourcing tools, open linked data approach, trend mining and scenario building tools to address the gaps in urban planning for energy supply, traffic management and governance practices that have been criticized for being exclusive, top-down and short sighted; b. the platform will act as an intercultural & linguistic mediator by offering the opportunity to the community to interact with people from different cultures in all European languages, stimulation of interest and critical thinking, the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogues and projects, capitalizing on the skills and creativity of the participants.

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-164
Author(s):  
Sheikh J. Ayub ◽  
Asif R. Raina

There is no doubt in saying that ancient Indian society was predominantly patriarchal in nature. The woman lived in an awful state and was lumped with shudras. The most inhuman practice was that of Sati which had gained social acceptance across the length and breadth of the society.  But unlike the ancient Indian society, the society of Kashmir was almost free from all these elements which all time remained the core issues of Indian society. Sati system in India continued till British rule while as one finds just some literary references regarding sati in Kashmir.  Even both the societies were religiously Hindu, both were ruled by Hindu dynasties and most importantly both were patriarchal in nature but both societies experienced different cultures. We argue that neither patriarchy nor religion can fully explain the subjugation of women. For instance, a woman in Kashmir enjoyed most of the social, political and economic rights than their counterparts in ancient India. Secondly, we argue that the caste system was not that rigid in Kashmir as it was in ancient India; hence caste mobilization was a usual affair in Kashmir and not in India. Thirdly, that the composite culture of Kashmir called Kashmiriyat has always been more inclusive, more accommodative than religious cultures. That is where a large difference is created between the two societies.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothee Baur ◽  
Philip Emmerich ◽  
Manuel Johann Baumann ◽  
Marcel Weil

Abstract Background The widespread use of sustainable energy technologies is a key element in the transformation of the energy system from fossil-based to zero-carbon. In line with this, technology acceptance is of great importance as resistance from the public can slow down or hinder the construction of energy technology projects. The current study assesses the social acceptance of three energy technologies relevant for the German energy transition: stationary battery storage, biofuel production plants and hydrogen fuel station. Methods An online survey was conducted to examine the public’s general and local acceptance of energy technologies. Explored factors included general and local acceptance, public concerns, trust in relevant stakeholders and attitudes towards financial support. Results The results indicate that general acceptance for all technologies is slightly higher than local acceptance. In addition, we discuss which public concerns exist with regard to the respective technologies and how they are more strongly associated with local than general acceptance. Further, we show that trust in stakeholders and attitudes towards financial support is relatively high across the technologies discussed. Conclusions Taken together, the study provides evidence for the existence of a “general–local” gap, despite measuring general and local acceptance at the same level of specificity using a public sample. In addition, the collected data can provide stakeholders with an overview of worries that might need to be addressed when planning to implement a certain energy project.


Author(s):  
Gary Goertz ◽  
James Mahoney

Some in the social sciences argue that the same logic applies to both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This book demonstrates that these two paradigms constitute different cultures, each internally coherent yet marked by contrasting norms, practices, and toolkits. The book identifies and discusses major differences between these two traditions that touch nearly every aspect of social science research, including design, goals, causal effects and models, concepts and measurement, data analysis, and case selection. Although focused on the differences between qualitative and quantitative research, the book also seeks to promote toleration, exchange, and learning by enabling scholars to think beyond their own culture and see an alternative scientific worldview. The book is written in an easily accessible style and features a host of real-world examples to illustrate methodological points.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4312
Author(s):  
Marzena Smol

Circular economy (CE) is an economic model, in which raw materials remain in circulation as long as possible and the generation of waste is minimized. In the fertilizer sector, waste rich in nutrients should be directed to agriculture purposes. This paper presents an analysis of recommended directions for the use of nutrient-rich waste in fertilizer sector and an evaluation of possible interest in this kind of fertilizer by a selected group of end-users (nurseries). The scope of research includes the state-of-the-art analysis on circular aspects and recommended directions in the CE implementation in the fertilizer sector (with focus on sewage-based waste), and survey analysis on the potential interest of nurseries in the use of waste-based fertilizers in Poland. There are more and more recommendations for the use of waste for agriculture purposes at European and national levels. The waste-based products have to meet certain requirements in order to put such products on the marker. Nurserymen are interested in contributing to the process of transformation towards the CE model in Poland; however, they are not fully convinced due to a lack of experience in the use of waste-based products and a lack of social acceptance and health risk in this regard. Further actions to build the social acceptance of waste-based fertilizers, and the education of end-users themselves in their application is required.


Author(s):  
Giménez‐Bertomeu ◽  
Domenech‐López ◽  
Mateo‐Pérez ◽  
de‐Alfonseti‐Hartmann

This study examines the social exclusion characteristics of a sample of users of primary care social services in two local entities in Spain. The objective of this study was to identify the intensity and scope of social exclusion in an exploratory way and to look at the typology of existing exclusionary situations to inform policy making and professional practice. Data from 1009 users were collected by primary care social services professionals, completing the Social Exclusion Scale of the University of Alicante (SES-UA). The dimensions with the greatest levels of social exclusion in the study population were those related to work/employment, income and education and training. The dimensions with an intermediate level of exclusion were those related to housing and social isolation. Social acceptance, family and social conflict and health were the dimensions with the lowest levels of exclusion. The analysis also showed the existence of five significantly different groups, that showed five different life trajectories along the continuum between social exclusion and social inclusion. The results show the importance and utility of developing professional and policy intervention protocols based on research evidence, with the objective of improving the quality of life of the users.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Chen Xiangyue ◽  
Lu Junyu ◽  
He Rui ◽  
Zhang Ru

As a bridge of scientific and technological communication between China and other countries, sci-tech translation is of great significance in promoting the social development of China in the current situation. Europeanization, particularly in sci-tech translation, refers to the general name of new expressions and sentence patterns emerged under the influence of European languages, especially English. From the perspective of Skopos theory and its core element (paying attention to the target addressees), this paper attempts to analyze Europeanization in sci-tech translation and to predict its future development and application, so that translators could get a better understanding of its present situation and prospect, and thus produce more idiomatic and faithful translations that achieve communicative goals better. This will finally contribute to the development of both theoretical research and practice of sci-tech translation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 240-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yona Leyser ◽  
Antoinette Heinze ◽  
Gaylen Kapperman

Little research is available on families of children with visual impairments. The authors examined stress and coping in a sample of 130 families (experimental group) of visually impaired children who responded to a parent questionnaire and the Family Environment Scale (FES). A control group of 78 parents responded to FES only. Findings revealed that the experimental group experienced various stressors such as future concerns, financial concerns, concerns about services, and concerns about the social acceptance of the child. These families were less involved in intellectual and cultural activities and used less structure and organization than did the controls. In coping, many families used various formal and informal sources of support as well as personal coping strategies. Implications for practitioners and social service providers are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862098712
Author(s):  
Carlo Sica

The dire need for an energy transition to mitigate and reverse global warming is inspiring scholars to reexamine political influences on technological systems. The multi-level perspective of the socio-technical transitions framework acknowledges how technological systems are affected by the social and political landscapes where they are built. Energy landscapes literatures elaborate on the socio-technical transitions framework by explaining how the boundaries of landscapes are negotiated in the context of energy transitions. Energy scholars have found that negotiations over the form and purpose of energy landscapes frequently skew in favor of capital accumulation instead of social reproduction. Studies of landscapes in human geography and labor history have shown how the power imbalance energy scholars observed can be corrected by workers and their communities struggling against business owners and the state. Using archival data, I show how U.S. natural gas legislation in the postwar period was intended to limit coalminers’ demands for landscapes of social reproduction. This point matters because the vulnerabilities of industrial capitalism to energy worker organization could be exploited to push for a just and sustainable energy transition like the Green New Deal.


2010 ◽  
pp. 92-112
Author(s):  
Franco Prina

The socio-legal perspective on the alcohol legislation, including the norms concerned with the relationship between individuals and alcoholic drinks, helps answering some essentials questions: what was/is the "social construction" of the alcohol problem in different eras and different cultures and, consequently, which objectives are deemed to be worthy of pursuit through the creation or amendment of legislation? Which social actors have the ability, in a given period of time, to inscribe the relevance of innovative alcohol legislation on the political agenda and what kind of dialectic is used among those who champion points of view, competences and above all, different interests? Which interests and values would appear to meet with legislatory protection time after time? What tools, of the ample range available, are chosen to achieve the aims set out? To what extent is legislation implemented (or not implemented), and why? Which aspects of the implementation process prove to be most significant, i.e. define the actual content of the legislation "in force", and are therefore tangibly experienced by the law's end target? How much of an impact does legislation have on behavior which is subject to regulation or on problems which stem from such behavior?


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