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Energy poverty (EP) is a crucial socio-economic problem in current society, as it deprives people of a basic standard of living and quality of life. In general, EP is linked to various factors, but it is primarily associated with high energy costs, low household income, and inefficient building structures. Due to the recent energy crisis in Europe, the importance of these factors has escalated. Bearing in mind the above remarks, the REVERTER EU-funded LIFE project will develop and test nine roadmaps in four European countries (Brezovo—Bulgaria; Athens Urban area—Greece; Riga—Latvia; and Coimbra—Portugal) to alleviate EP by addressing the poor energy efficiency of dwellings. To directly observe real-life scenarios in designated pilot regions, questionnaire surveys were conducted, involving approximately 300 households in each pilot area. This paper presents and evaluates the outcomes of the survey conducted in the central region of Portugal. The findings allow for a deeper comprehension of the factors that impact energy poverty in Portugal, spanning socio-economic aspects, housing characteristics, mechanical systems, energy expenses, and behaviors, as well as the awareness of available support initiatives. Drawing from the survey's insights, novel strategies are suggested to alleviate energy poverty, with a primary emphasis on crafting tailored, efficient policies that address the genuine requirements of households and individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, there have been few studies on the promotion of wood usage using social scientific methods. In this study, we investigated the association of consumers’ attributes and values with their preferences for wood and the intention to use wood products, focusing on naturalistic/urbanistic values, which are considered useful in the field of architectural environment studies. The t-tests, analyses of variance, and multiple regression analyses were conducted using the participants’ attributes, childhood and current residential area, as well as naturalistic/urbanistic values as independent and explanatory variables. In addition, we employed their preferences for wood and the intention to use wood products（building materials, furniture, tableware and accessories）as dependent and objective variables. The results suggested that,（1）people with more naturalistic values have a higher preference for wood and a higher intention to use wood products,（2）age and gender are partially related to the preference for wood and the intention to use wood products, and（3）people whose childhood residence was in an urban suburb area showed a lower intention to use building materials, furnitur [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1899, one of Charles Booth's investigators, George Arkell, visited Deptford to revise the classifications provided on Booth's Descriptive Map of London Poverty 1889. Arkell was more shocked and offended by Baildon Street than any other street he visited in Deptford. He was scathing in his comments and assessment of the street, and decided that it should remain coloured black, meaning 'Lowest class. Vicious, semi-criminal'—an assessment that Booth agreed with. This article takes issue with Booth's assessment of Baildon Street and, in particular, with George Arkell's comments and the picture he painted of the lives and living conditions of those who resided there. The article shows that Baildon Street was not a chaotic place of social transience, nor was it a place systemically rife with prostitution, crime, violence, and child neglect. It also reveals the surprising ideas and factors that influenced Arkell in his investigative work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article relates the experience of a doctoral thesis in economics conducted with three cooperatives using an original approach: a full participatory action research supported by reasoning inspired by pragmatist philosophy. Associating researchers and actors, action research (AR) proves to be relevant to respond to contemporary issues of social innovation and ecological transition, through the coproduction of dual knowledge (scientific and practical). In the present case, its implementation by a researcher-employee-member of a cooperative invites us to study its epistemological and methodological dimensions. Which research approach should be developed to produce new scientifi- cally proven knowledge while supporting cooperative actions? This article is a reflective account of experimentations, and aims to provide tools for the implementation of participatory AR in the social and solidarity economy by actor researchers and researcher practitioners, by analyzing its contributions and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent invasion of Carassius gibelio (commonly known as Prussian carp or Gibel carp) in freshwater environments in central Canada threatens native North American aquatic species and ecosystems. Accurate distribution information is essential for targeting control efforts but is challenging given the resources necessary to continually sample the species' potential distribution. We investigated the extent to which reports by recreational anglers—key resource users—could be used in a citizen science program to generate species distribution information, and factors affecting the accuracy of reporting for C. gibelio. Comparing the location of angler reports to the known distribution of C. gibelio generated by professional biological sampling across the region revealed that anglers can be a powerful resource for tracking an invasive species' distribution; 88% of the C. gibelio angler reports aligned with invaded watersheds (HUC‐8 [hydrological unit code 8], the second finest watershed unit) identified by professional biological sampling. For every report of C. gibelio received in a HUC‐8 area, the probability that area was invaded increased by more than 10 times (odds ratio = 10.26, ±95% CI: 4.4–29.7). Anglers' fish identification abilities were positively related to likelihood of reporting Carassius spp. (odds ratio = 2.52, ±95% CI:1.51–4.45). Anglers that fished more frequently were also more likely to have reported C. gibelio accurately (odds ratio = 1.00, ±95% CI: 0.99–1.01), although the mechanism behind this relationship is unclear. Our results suggest programs that engage recreational anglers in reporting could provide a cost‐effective alternative or complimentary tool for traditional Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) population tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brick kilns add enormous quantities of organic pollutants to the air that can cause serious health issues, especially in developing countries; poor air quality is associated with community health problems, yet receives no attention in Northern Pakistan. The present study, therefore, assessed the chemical composition and investigated the impacts of air pollution from brick kilns on public health. A field-based investigation of air pollutants, i.e., PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, CO2, CO, NO, NO2, H2S, and NH3 using mobile scientific instruments was conducted in selected study area locations. Social surveys were conducted to investigate the impacts of air pollution on community health. The results reveal the highest concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, i.e., 3377, 2305, and 3567.67 µg/m3, respectively, in specific locations. Particulate matter concentrations in sampling points exceeded the permissible limits of the Pakistan National Environmental Quality Standard and, therefore, may risk the local population's health. The highest mean value of CO2 was 529 mg/L, and other parameters, such as CO, NO, NO2, H2S, and NH3 were within the normal range. The social survey's findings reveal that particulate matter was directly associated with respiratory diseases such as asthma, which was reported in all age groups selected for sampling. The study concluded by implementing air pollution reduction measures in brick kiln industries to protect the environment and community health. In addition, the region's environmental protection agency needs to play an active role in proper checking and integrated management to improve air quality and protect the community from air hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure to meet global biodiversity targets clearly indicates the need for biodiversity management and conservation efforts to be more effective, and this in turn requires better understanding of the current barriers to success. Islands are known as biodiversity hotspots but nowhere has biodiversity loss been so acute as in island ecosystems. To identify the barriers to effective island ecosystem conservation, we conducted 32 semistructured interviews with conservation and management practitioners from island nations in the Western Indian Ocean region. Practitioners described 33 barriers to meeting their objectives under 12 overarching topics and suggested 14 solutions to these. Most barriers described by interviewees existed at organization level (55%), followed by national (24%) and site/project level (21%). Of the 33 barriers described by practitioners, the most commonly associated cause was limited capacity (23.5%), followed by lack of government coordination and limited resources (both 21.6%), lack of incentives (11.8%), poor leadership (11.7%), and finally interpersonal issues interfering with progress (9.8%). Most solutions centered around bridging capacity gaps. By defining these barriers, we can bring them forward for discussion and allocate resources and efforts to bridging them. Only by doing so can we increase the effectiveness of our management efforts and maximize our chances of achieving global biodiversity targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) promises a competitive transportation alternative to the private car such that mobility services are combined as packages and offered to users on demand. As this new mobility concept gains attention globally, many cities are eager to try it. This is a feasibility study to understand users' preferences, potential demand and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for MaaS in suburban areas. Data were collected from 560 residents and analyzed with their travel behavior and personal characteristics. A logistic regression model was used to account for the acceptability of MaaS, choice behavior and WTP predictors. The results show that over 60% of residents would not use MaaS; however, 30% agreed to use MaaS and are willing to pay for it. This indicates that there may be a market for MaaS in Shiga, the study area. This study provides insights into the implementation of MaaS and spurs further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores a birth control survey conducted by the Japanese government between 1945–1960, and analyses how this research, both as scientific practice and knowledge, resonated with government efforts to manage the population during post-war reconstruction. Focusing on Shinozaki Nobuo, a Ministry of Health and Welfare 'technical bureaucrat' (gijutsu kanryō or gikan) specializing in population issues, this article depicts how human agency participated in the at times precarious relationship between policy and practice. It also explores how the epistemological framework inscribed in the resulting scientific knowledge harmonized with the economic and political rationale supporting post-war reconstruction. This article contributes to the study of modern Japan by highlighting the critical, yet thus far underexamined role that population science and technical bureaucrats played in Japanese statecraft. At the same time, it demonstrates that the interaction between state governance of population and the creation of scientific knowledge about the populace was fundamentally complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep is a reversible state that sustains physiological and psychological processes in humans. As well established, individual-level factors, such as stress, smoking, drugs, and caffeine intake, reduce sleep duration and quality. However, studies of the effect of environmental risk factors, such as artificial light at night (ALAN) and noise, on sleep have been infrequent. Using records obtained from the 2017 Social Survey of Israel and combined with ALAN satellite data and various proxies for traffic noise, the present study aimed to determine how the combination of ALAN and traffic noise impact sleep duration and quality in urban areas. The increase of road density at the place of residence reduces average sleep duration by ~4.5% (~18 min.) and increases the frequency of reported sleep difficulties by ~3.5%, all other factors held equal. Similarly, an increase in ALAN exposure reduces average sleep duration by ~3% (~12 min) and increases the frequency of reported sleep difficulties by ~11%. The study also reveals a significant interaction between the two environmental risk factors in question, with the adverse impact of ALAN on sleep quality especially pronounced in high noise exposure areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional economic development describes the total social and economic activities in a given time and space. An objective understanding of the real regional economy is beneficial for healthy, sustainable societal development. Generally speaking, the understanding of the regional economy is mainly based on social surveying, which incurs time and energy costs and lacks objectivity. Therefore, this study proposes a seamless economical feature extraction method using the advantages of Landsat time series based on the morphologic changes of the earth's surface caused by regional economic development. First, the land-use/cover changes of the earth's surface were collected using Landsat time series; second, the correlations between land-use types and regional economic indices were analyzed and the optimal sensitive factors were selected. Third, a regional economic development model was constructed from the perspective of the land-use/cover change observed by remote sensing technology. Finally, the accuracy was evaluated in order to assess the validity and applicability of the model. The Zhoushan Islands of China were chosen as the research area for the verification experiment. From the results, the construction land is the most significant sensitive factor that correlates closely with various economic indices, and its correlation coefficients R with gross domestic product (GDP), value-added of primary industry (VPI), value-added of secondary industry (VSI), and value-added of tertiary industry (VTI) were 0.9591, 0.9390, 0.9546, and 0.9573, respectively. The regional economic development model constructed is simple, clear, and highly accurate; the determination coefficient R2 was 0.9884. This study opens up unique opportunities for the objective, seamless understanding of regional economic development from the perspective of land-use/cover change using Landsat time series, as well as the correction of economic survey data, both with a high degree of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station resulted in 170,000 evacuees, and 10 years on their number still exceeds 40,000. The Japanese government set the standards of compensation that it ordered TEPCO to pay evacuees. However, many evacuees are dissatisfied with the compensation amount and by the absence of a government apology, with some 15,000 people filing 28 lawsuits against TEPCO and the government. Based on the statements submitted to the court and on our questionnaires, this paper seeks to establish a "life document" of 171 evacuees from 54 households who filed a complaint with the Kyoto District Court. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large carnivores often impact human livelihoods and well‐being. Previous research has mostly focused on the negative impacts of large carnivores on human well‐being but has rarely considered the positive aspects of living with large carnivores. In particular, we know very little on people's direct experiences with large carnivores like personal encounters and on people's awareness and tolerance toward their exposure to large carnivores. Here, we focus on the wolf (Canis lupus), and report on a phone survey in Germany. We examined whether encounters with wolves were positive or negative experiences and quantified people's awareness and tolerance related to their exposure to wolves. We found that the majority of people reported positive experiences when encountering wolves, regardless of whether wolves were encountered in the wild within Germany, in the wild abroad, or in captivity. The frequency of encounters did not affect the probability to report positive, neutral, or negative experiences. Moreover, people in Germany expressed a high tolerance of living in close vicinity to wolves. These findings are novel and important because they highlight the positive aspects of living in proximity with large carnivores in human‐dominated landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide insights into pack composition and den site parameters of the Himalayan wolf Canis (lupus) himalayensis based on observations of free-ranging wolves in three study areas in Nepal. We combine this with a social survey of the local Buddhist communities regarding human–carnivore conflict, to draw inferences for conservation practice in the Nepalese Himalayas. We recorded eight wolf packs (with an average composition of two adults and three pups), and found five home sites in high-altitude shrubland patches within alpine grasslands at 4,270–4,940 m altitude. There was a spatial–temporal overlap of wolf home sites and livestock herding during spring and summer, which facilitated human–wolf conflict. The litters of three out of five wolf packs found in Dolpa during 2016 were killed by local people in the same year. In Nepal compensation is offered for depredation by snow leopards Panthera uncia , with associated lowering of negative attitudes, but not for depredation by wolves. We recommend the implementation of financial and educational conservation schemes for all conflict-causing carnivores across the Himalayan regions of Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Previous studies have shown the existence of social inequalities in disability in many European countries. However, it is not clear what factors are associated with these inequalities. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of behavioral factors, work-related factors and living conditions to educational inequalities in disability. Methods We pooled data from the seventh wave of the European Social Survey (2014) which included self-reported disability measured with the Global Activity Limitations Indicator for 19 European countries. We used multivariate logistic regression to determine the contributions of behavioral factors, work-related and living conditions to educational inequalities in disability among respondents aged 30–79. Results We found that adjusting simultaneously for three groups of determinants (behavioral, work-related and living conditions) reduces the greatest proportion of inequalities in disability in both men and women, in a range >70%. Each group of determinants contributes substantially to explain inequalities in disability. Conclusions Inequalities in disability are a major challenge for public health in most European countries. Our findings suggest that these inequalities can be reduced by diminishing inequalities in exposure to well-known health determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how exposure and information affect public attitudes towards returning large carnivores in Europe is critical for human-carnivore coexistence, especially for developing efficient and de-escalating communication strategies. The ongoing recolonization of wolves (Canis lupus) in Germany provides a unique opportunity to test the role of different information sources and trust on people's attitudes towards wolves. We conducted a phone survey (n = 1250) and compared country-wide attitudes towards wolves with attitudes in a specific region where wolves initially recolonized and have been present since 2000. In particular, we investigate the relationship between information sources, trust and people's attitudes while accounting for factors like knowledge, exposure and socio-cultural determinants of respondents. We found significant differences in attitudes and knowledge about wolves as well as in the use and frequency of information sources between the two population samples. Higher knowledge, information from books and films, science-based information, and higher trust in information sources related positively with positive attitudes towards wolves. Comparatively, information from press or TV news was associated with more negative attitudes. Providing science-based information to the public and building trust in information is likely to be one measure, among others, to dampen extreme attitudes and improve people's appreciation of costs and benefits of human-carnivore coexistence. Management of conflictual situations emerging from large carnivore recolonization in Europe and beyond should consider incorporating assessments of people's use of and trust in information in addition to existing tools to pave new ways for constructive human-carnivore coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) algorithms steer agent decisions in agent-based models (ABMs), serving as a vehicle for implementing behaviour changes during simulation runs. However, when training an ML algorithm, obtaining large sets of micro-level human behaviour data is often problematic. Information on human behaviour is often collected via surveys of relatively small sample sizes. This paper presents a methodology for training a learning algorithm to guide agent behaviour in a spatial ABM using a limited survey data sample. We apply different implementation strategies using survey data and Bayesian networks (BNs). By being grounded in probabilistic directed graphical models, BNs stand out among other learning algorithms in that they can be based on expert knowledge and/or known datasets. This paper presents four alternative implementations of data-driven BNs to support agent decisions in a spatial ABM. We differentiate between training BNs prior to, or during the simulation runs, using only survey data or a combination of survey data and expert knowledge. The four different implementations are then illustrated using a spatial ABM of cholera diffusion for Kumasi, Ghana. The results indicate that a balance between expert knowledge and survey data provides the best control over the learning process of the agents and produces the most realistic agent behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Developing sustainable transportation systems in a city can be substantially assisted by promoting environmentally friendly transportation modes such as walking, cycling, and public transit rather than private cars. Strategies for promoting these desirable transportation modes can be effectively identified based on a sound understanding of how citizens choose a travel mode. In this study, we sought to enhance this understanding by exploring factors associated with commute mode choice utilizing data from a general social survey in Seoul, South Korea. Based on the data, parametric and non-parametric statistical models based on classification tree and multilevel logistic regression approaches, respectively, were developed as a way to capture influential factors associated with the mode choice decision. The models illustrate that commuters' socio-demographic characteristics such as income, occupation, gender, and residence duration tend to significantly influence mode choice. In addition, they showed that respondents' attitudes and behaviors, including the amount of time spent on the internet and self-assessed social status, can be strongly associated with mode choice. This study is also meaningful in that it demonstrates the potential applicability of general social survey data for investigating travel behavior considering various factors that are rarely included in general transportation surveys. Highlights • Commuters' mode choice behavior was investigated based on a social survey. • The analysis showed a high level of car dependency for high-income commuters. • Models showed that spatial heterogeneity exists for choosing active modes. • There are preferred commute modes depending on travel time range. • Negative perceptions about health encourage commuters to use active travel modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metrics have become all pervasive in global health today. Instead of highlighting their advantages or shortcomings, this article builds on Hacking’s notion of historical ontology and explores their political, conceptual and material conditions of possibility. Drawing on research on the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in Developing Countries, one of the largest international efforts to address the non-communicable disease epidemic in the global South, the article starts by introducing the notion of epidemiological reason - a thought style associated with modern epidemiology that undergirds the metrics permeating the global health field and which is made of a multiplicity of elements, from the ethical imperative to save lives to the social-scientific technique of the survey and the concept of global population. The article then goes on to explore the genealogy of this thought style, arguing that three epistemological ruptures have been critical to its development: the reconfiguration of power articulated around a biopolitics of population in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the twentieth-century shift in medical thought marked by the emergence of surveillance medicine and the idea of lifestyle; and the re-organisation of world health informed by globalisation theories at the start of the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As English skills are being increasingly perceived as valuable human capital, an awareness of inequitable access to the acquisition of this ‘profitable’ language has developed. Although this allegedly unequal access, which can be referred to as the ‘English divide’, is a matter of concern to applied linguists, little research has been conducted on the historical transformation (or maintenance) of the English divide within a specific society. Therefore, this paper examines a historical change in the English divide in Japan as a highly industrialised country through statistical analysis of a large, population-based sample. Results revealed that, with Japan attaining various socioeconomic developments such as reduced income gaps and improvements in educational conditions, some forms of the English divide originating from material gaps have gradually decreased. In contrast, other forms of the English divide that are led by cultural disparities have not decreased at all. Based on these findings, I discuss the inevitable difficulties of tackling the English divide and suggest some possible solutions for creating substantive, rather than formal, equality in English language education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A continuous and increasing crisis that present-day China is facing is environmental degradation. The cultivation of citizens who have environmentally friendly behaviours has been deemed as a fundamental way to solve environmental crises. However, the main focus of environmentalism studies has been urban residents, whereas rare research attention was put on rural Chinese. This paper focuses on environmentally significant behaviours in rural China and aims to clarify the practice of five environmentally significant behaviours and two motivations underlying these behaviours. In total, 508 rural residents in 51 villages of Ningyang county were interviewed. Analytical results derived from survey data showed that environmentally significant behaviours are widely conducted in rural areas. However, these behaviours are mainly motivated by economic gains rather than environmental considerations. In addition, based on the norm-activation theory and considering the influences of demographic factors, the formation of environmentally motivated behaviours were quantitatively analysed. Analytical results indicated that the more people worried about environmental deterioration, the more likely they were to form environmentally motivated behaviours, and people who ascribe the most important environmental responsibility to the government are less likely to form environmentally motivated behaviours. Increasing people's anxiety towards the environment, decreasing people's dependency on the government in protecting the environment, and using females, the elderly, and people with low income and education levels as the main targets of environmental education are suggested to promote environmentally motivated behaviours in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science is often assumed to increase public science engagement; however, little is known about who is likely to volunteer and the implications for greater societal impact. This study segments 1,145 potential volunteers into six groups according to their current engagement in science (EiS). Results show groups with high levels of EiS are significantly more interested in volunteering and more likely to participate in various research roles than those with lower EiS scores. While citizen science benefits some in science and society, its use as a strategy to bring about positive shifts in public science engagement needs to be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silvoarable agroforestry integrates the use of trees and arable crops on the same area of land, and such systems can be supported by national governments under the European Union's (EU) Rural Development Regulations (2014-2020). In order to improve the understanding of farmers' perceptions of such systems, detailed face-to-face interviews were completed with 15 farmers in Bedfordshire, England. Most of these farmers thought that silvoarable systems would not be profitable on their farms and that benefits would tend to be environmental or social rather than economic. Most farmers also thought that management and use of machinery would become more difficult. They felt that the tree component could potentially disrupt field operations and drainage and expressed concerns over the uncertain and long-term nature of timber revenue and the effect of intercrop yield reductions on crop revenue. Even so, 20% of the farmers stated they would use silvoarable systems if convinced that they were more profitable than conventional arable farming. A further 20% said they would farm the intercrop area belonging to someone else, if the rent was reduced to compensate for crop yield reductions. These results suggest that for most arable farmers, an economic advantage over current practice needs to exist before silvoarable systems are likely to be adopted. However, a minority might rent the crop component of a silvoarable system from another party or implement a full system for perceived environmental or social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a panhellenic social survey regarding environmental subjects in Greece. It is a well-known fact that Greece is suffering from an economic crisis among other European Union countries. This crisis coincides with the time that Greece is supposed to take measures for Environmental Protection that should aim both at Energy Saving and at energy production from Renewable Sources. The specific research presented here investigates how people's attitudes and views towards the environmental subjects and the use of renewable energy sources are affected by the economic crisis, and a rather dystopian future. Also, we investigated how serious are the environmental issues considered to be when people feel that their everyday way of life is threatened. This is researched through analysing the data gathered through questionnaires for the survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local squares function as open spaces where people can conduct many activities and where many social events take place. While squares in Iran have had a historical role in urban life, in recent years they have lost their place as social nodes of neighborhoods. They are losing their sustainability due to diminishing social roles in residential neighborhoods. The primary aim of this research was to investigate social sustainability dimensions in the squares of Narmak neighborhood located in the east of the metropolitan city of Tehran. The research method was descriptive, and 140 questions in seven dimensions were asked from 378 respondents aged 12+, who were selected randomly in 2018. The results showed that social sustainability variables differ in all five types of squares, particularly in terms of sense of place. However, equality was ranked on average as low in all types of squares. This study concluded that social sustainability in residential squares is very sensitive to a rapid urbanization process that has imposed mass apartment blocks, traffic flow, and lack of place identity. As a result, the process has led to social unsafety, low urban security, and weak maintenance of squares, particularly larger squares, as well as the transformation of their role as residential squares to mostly traffic squares and parking spaces. Additionally, this study concluded that small squares are socially more sustainable than larger ones because respondents felt that small squares were safer, more secure, and full of a sense of place. Urban policy-makers can use the results of the present study to evaluate the effects of their executive strategies on urban livability, social sustainability, and the satisfaction of residents. • This study aimed to investigate social sustainability dimensions in squares. • Residential squares social sustainability is sensitive to urbanization process. • Social sustainability differs in all types of squares in terms of sense of place. • Small squares are socially more sustainable than larger ones. • Equality was ranked as low in all types of squares averagely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the Shinkansen railway network in Japan has continued since 1964; however, associated noise and vibration have seriously affected communities located beside the lines. The Kyushu Shinkansen Line (KSL) was opened in 2011 and a second temporary conventional railway line (STL) was operated in 2012. The purpose of this study was to compare community responses to railway noise and vibration before and after the opening of these two lines. Socio-acoustic surveys were performed in Kumamoto from 2009 to 2012, where the conventional and Shinkansen lines are adjacent. The noise and vibration exposures were increased slightly after the opening of the KSL but decreased slightly after the opening of the STL. When multiple logistic regression analysis was applied using highly annoyed/annoyed as the dependent variable and using day–evening–night sound level ( L den ) and a dummy variable of before or after the opening of the KSL as independent variables, high annoyance was not changed significantly but moderate annoyance decreased significantly following the opening. There was no significant difference in either high or moderate annoyance between the periods before and after the opening of the STL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationwide anti-Japanese demonstrations have erupted in China periodically in recent years. This study investigates what factors make university students more motivated to participate in anti-Japanese demonstrations. We collected original data on 1,458 university students in Beijing in June 2014, inquiring about both actual and possible future participation. We find that students are more willing to participate in future demonstrations (1) when they believe that anti-Japanese demonstrations benefit China's diplomacy (instrumentality), and (2) when they have prior demonstrators in their social networks (diffusion). However, when it comes to actual participation, only diffusion plays a significant role while instrumentality does not. While students claim that they are motivated by beliefs that demonstrations will matter for China's diplomacy, they actually turn out only when networks operate. In addition, membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not affect prospective participation but deters actual participation. The CCP actually discourages participation in recent anti-Japanese demonstrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the nineteenth century, the survey of people’s way of life were the basic method to study big cities. Even though the surveys were motivated by social awareness, the result was mainly analyzed by scientific, political and economical interests, and often was devided from the cultural and psychological research of urban phenomena. However, as it is obvious that these are closely integrated, the method and idea of the urban survey reflect the bilateral relationship between perceiving and conceiving urban space. This study will explain how urban surveys transformed and reflected the ideas and interests in urban space and its study in Japan from the end of the nineteenth century to the 1980s. Especially in examining a research named “Modernology” by a Japanese architect Wajiro Kon from 1925 to 1930, and the works of later Japanese architects inspiered by “Modernology” after 1960s, this study will explain how they tried to create urban studies with cultural identity by conducting surveys and integrating with international theories. “Modernology”described the emerging urban space and people’s way of life in Tokyo, and was often recognized as a method of popular culture. However, Modernology represented critical aspects of social space and encouraged people to be more engaged with it. While modernist architects distanced from urban realities to solve its problems scientifically, Modernology was often recognized as their counter part. When we recognize its primal objectives and influence on later generation in seeking the social ethos in the dialectical progress with the bilateral approaches between surveying and planning, we can understand the alternative aspect of Japanese urban studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the labor market for information professionals in 2015 is analyzed with a focus on the graduates of library and information science (LIS). For those who were qualified from 2009 through 2014, statistical data from the Spanish Statistics National Institute (INE) report on employment were used. Also the labor market evolution between 2009 and 2015 for information professionals with university degrees was analyzed using data from the Spanish State Public Employment Service (SEPE). Finally, information was obtained through a questionnaire sent to LIS graduates in the 2014-15 academic year. The results are shown in tables and figures along with comments that complete the situation analysis. The three sources of information show signs of a troubled but improving labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study is to validate the Pulvers silhouette showcard as a measure of weight status in a population in the African region. This tool is particularly beneficial when scarce resources do not allow for direct anthropometric measurements due to limited survey time or lack of measurement technology in face-to-face general-purpose surveys or in mailed, online, or mobile device-based surveys. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Republic of Seychelles with a sample of 1240 adults. We compared self-reported body sizes measured by Pulvers' silhouette showcards to four measurements of body size and adiposity: body mass index (BMI), body fat percent measured, waist circumference, and waist to height ratio. The accuracy of silhouettes as an obesity indicator was examined using sex-specific receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis and the reliability of this tool to detect socioeconomic gradients in obesity was compared to BMI-based measurements. Results: Our study supports silhouette body size showcards as a valid and reliable survey tool to measure self-reported body size and adiposity in an African population. The mean correlation coefficients of self-reported silhouettes with measured BMI were 0.80 in men and 0.81 in women (P < 0.001). The silhouette showcards also showed high accuracy for detecting obesity as per a BMI ≥ 30 (Area under curve, AUC: 0.91/0.89, SE: 0.01), which was comparable to other measured adiposity indicators: fat percent (AUC: 0.94/0.94, SE: 0.01), waist circumference (AUC: 0.95/0.94, SE: 0.01), and waist to height ratio (AUC: 0.95/0.94, SE: 0.01) amongst men and women, respectively. The use of silhouettes in detecting obesity differences among different socioeconomic groups resulted in similar magnitude, direction, and significance of association between obesity and socioeconomic status as when using measured BMI. Conclusions: This study highlights the validity and reliability of silhouettes as a survey tool for measuring obesity in a population in the African region. The ease of use and cost-effectiveness of this tool makes it an attractive alternative to measured BMI in the design of non-face-to-face online- or mobile device-based surveys as well as in-person general-purpose surveys of obesity in social sciences, where limited resources do not allow for direct anthropometric measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recreational and tourism industry may have a great impact on sustainable development of the country. One of the important aspects of tourism and recreation development is the arrangement of the physical environment. In this article we share some results of the pilot social survey conducted in three agglomerations of Kazakhstan in order to identify the existing conditions of short-term vacation. The results of the survey could be used to enhance current architectural and planning practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, cultural consensus theory (CCT) models have been extensively applied across research domains to explore shared cultural knowledge and beliefs. These models are parameterized in terms of person-specific cognitive parameters such as abilities and guessing biases as well as item difficulties. Although psychometric test theory is also formalized in terms of abilities and item difficulties, a quality that clearly sets CCT models apart from other test theory models is their specification to operate on data in which the answer key is latent. In doing so, CCT models specify the answer key as parameters of the model, and also involved with this specification are procedures to verify the integrity of the answer key that is estimated. In this article, the authors develop the following methods to propagate the application of these CCT models in the field of social surveys: (1) by extending the underlying cognitive model to be able to account for uncertainty in decision making (“don’t know” responses), (2) by allowing covariate information to be entered in the analysis, and (3) by deriving statistical inference in the hierarchical Bayesian framework. The proposed model is fit to data describing knowledge on science and on aging to demonstrate the novel findings that can be achieved by the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shanghai is a megacity located in a hazard-prone region, but one in which local residents have not actively engaged in disaster risk management. This paper aims to identify factors of perception that influence residents' propensity to adopt risk-mitigating measures. It presents results of a structured questionnaire survey administered to Shanghai residents. Results show that risk-mitigating measures are deemed to be important if people: (1) have frequently experienced extreme weather; (2) believe that extreme weather events are severe in Shanghai; and (3) are concerned about other public risks confronting international society, such as energy security and terrorism. It is important to note that the third point has resulted in greater impacts than the other two factors. A cultural explanation is offered in this paper. Public risk awareness emanates from a generic concern over the security of the human world. This generic concern acts as a socio-cultural backdrop that contextualises the ways in which individuals respond to natural hazards. The significance of this factor indicates the need for broadening the analytical scope of risk perception research in China. These findings are useful for local policymakers, emergency managers and community and aid organisations seeking to develop creative strategies for risk education and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Income is predictive of many health outcomes and is therefore an important potential confounder to control for in studies. However it is often missing or poorly measured in epidemiological studies because of its complexity and sensitivity. This paper presents and validates an alternative approach to the survey collection of reported income through the estimation of a synthetic wage measure based on occupation. Methods A synthetic measure of weekly wage was calculated using a multilevel random effects model of wage predicted by a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) fitted in data from the UK Labour Force Survey (years 2001-2010)a. The estimates were validated and tested by comparing them to reported income and then contrasting estimated and reported income's association with measures of health in the Scottish Health Survey (SHS) 2003 and wave one (2009) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). Results The synthetic estimates provided independent and additional explanatory power within models containing other traditional proxies for socio-economic position such as social class and small area based measures of socio-economic position. The estimates behaved very similarly to 'real', reported measures of both household and individual income when modelling a measure of 'general health'. Conclusions The findings suggest that occupation based synthetic estimates of wage are as effective in capturing the underlying relationship between income and health as survey reported income. The paper argues that the direct survey measurement of income in every study may not actually be necessary or indeed optimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, the political attitudes and political participation of young people in Hong Kong were seldom considered to be social issues. Recently, however, the increased involvement of Hong Kong youth in political activities has attracted public attention. Drawing on data from various social surveys conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, this paper explores the views of young people in Hong Kong regarding current socio-economic-political developments, democratization, their political aspirations, and their actual political behaviour and make a comparison with earlier generations. Through statistical analysis, this paper offers solid explanations for the recent phenomenon of increased political engagement among Hong Kong youth, which will broaden our understanding of their political ideals and the socio-political environment of Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study is to understand how activists in Chile are using the Internet and social media to learn about large-scale environmental projects and to make their voices heard in this new scenario via Facebook groups on the subject, by watching videos on YouTube, and posting their opinions on these issues. Through a survey that represents the Chilean population of online users, the study provides a view of these activists, explaining the differences and similarities among those who use social media for such purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recycled water for household laundry can be regarded as a promising strategy to alleviate the current demand on scarce water supplies. Public acceptability becomes fairly important to ensure the successful establishment and development of this new end use. To address the issue, this study conducted social surveys in two locations of Australia, Port Macquarie and Melbourne, where respondents were asked 17 questions. The regression models provide conclusions about which characteristics are more likely to lead to the acceptance of recycled water from society. Three attitudinal variables (RWAlterDW, Attitude and Cost) and three psychological variables (Odour, Reading and SmallUnit) were found to be the key driving forces behind domestic water reuse behaviour. These findings could drive the future research direction to achieve better public perception of this new end use of recycled water. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses some of the methodological issues in the measurement of ethnicity in the social survey. Measurement encounters two sets of interrelated problems: those of the definition and nature of ethnicity as a social phenomenon and its individual subjective experience and those of the derivation of valid and reliable categories. Commonly used single-item measures fail to capture many ethnic groups and may be of limited value. Extending categories in these will capture more groups, but can be unwieldy and produce small cell counts, whereas multiple measures can be more successful, but are practically less viable in general surveys. We conclude that whilst these difficulties are probably insurmountable, a strategy that is sensitive to the presence of ethnic groups in particular localities is a way forward, but this should also be part of a more sociologically nuanced approach to the collection of ethnic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood insurance can reduce potentially disastrous economic losses to households. As climatic uncertainties grow, governments have increasingly found the social costs of non-insurance prohibitive. Attempts to improve insurance coverage could benefit from a characterisation of the insured and uninsured households. The dominant view holds that the insured household is more risk aware and more likely to consider the costs of insurance to be affordable. In a survey of residents of Brisbane, Australia, however, the risk and income effects were found to be not significant. Instead, perception of social response predicted insurance status. The likelihood of insuring against flooding increases if individuals expect the same action from other people or affirmation from family members or friends. Adoption of flood insurance is associated with perceived social expectations. Flood managers, policymakers and insurers should address these social determinants head-on in order to improve insurance coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coastal community vulnerability index (CCVI) was constructed to evaluate the vulnerability of coastal communities (Buhangin, Pingit, Reserva, Sabang, and Zabali) in the municipality of Baler, Aurora, Philippines. This index was composed of weighted averages of seven vulnerability factors namely geographical, economic and livelihood, food security, environmental, policy and institutional, demographic, and capital good. Factor values were computed based on scores that described range of conditions that influence communities' susceptibility to hazard effects. Among the factors evaluated, economic and livelihood, policy and institutional and food security contributed to CCVI across communities. Only small variations on CCVI values (i.e., 0.47-0.53) were observed as factor values cancelled out one another during combination process. Overall, Sabang received the highest CCVI, which was contributed mainly by geographical and demographic factors. This technique to determine factors that influenced communities' vulnerability can provide information for local governments in enhancing policies on risk mitigation and adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many findings of previous research have supported the predictions of the emancipation theory of trust (Yamagishi, 2011) in experimental settings. Although the key concept of the theory is social uncertainty, few studies of the concept have been conducted in natural settings. In the present study, we operationally defined social uncertainty by comparing kin and nonkin relationships. We analyzed survey data representative of the Japanese population and compared the exchange of social support between kin and nonkin. The prediction was that commitment helps respondents construct cooperative nonkin relationships more than it does kin relationships, and general trust helps only resource-rich respondents to do so. The results supported the predictions. The study found significant interactions with relationship type × commitment and relationship type × household income × general trust. The patterns of mean score for social support exchanged were consistent with the predictions. High trusters with low household income exchanged more support independent of the relationship type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities are facing increasing social heterogeneity and organization complexity consequently to land use changes, demographic dynamics and globalization processes. Members of the communities should have a direct perception of their own territories, recognizing any positive or negative change that may occur. A better knowledge of these processes may be achieved by investigating local community awareness and perspectives. A research was carried out in a rural and mountainous area of Central Italy with the following aims: (i) to highlight demographic dynamics and land use changes that affected the area during the last decades; (ii) to assess local communities' perceptions and awareness of their own territories; (iii) to verify and validate a research methodology by evaluating the resilience of socio-ecological systems. The study area involved four municipalities that were analyzed considering the historical changes of demographic data and land-use system. A questionnaire was submitted to a sample of local population. The questionnaire was aimed to investigate the following issues: (i) level and quality of participation and communication within the community life; (ii) awareness of environmental resources of the territories; (iii) socio-cultural opportunities and expectations of future changes within the communities. In each municipality, different behaviors and needs emerged according to the age of the inhabitants. In spite of that, awareness of social, cultural and environmental constraints/potentialities emerged in all the communities. Communication capability seems a key factor to reinforce both the social capital and the resilience of the territories. Thus, sharing of experience and knowledge could play a major role in developing an efficient governance of the occurring territorial changes. Finally, the study highlights that serious efforts should be spent especially to satisfy expectations of young people concerning the territorial development. This latter seems a prerequisite for the maintenance of the system resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To cope with data limitations and to provide insight into the dynamics of LUCC for local stakeholders in the Municipality of Koper, Slovenia, we constructed an ABM (loosely defined) that integrates utility theory, logistic regression, and cellular automaton-like rules to represent the decision-making strategies of different agents. The model is used to evaluate the impact of LUCC on human well-being, as represented by the provision of highly productive agricultural soil, the extent of noise pollution, and quality-of-life measurements. Results for the Municipality of Koper show that, under a range of model assumptions, (1) high quality agricultural soils are disproportionately affected by urban growth, (2) aggregate resident quality of life increases non-linearly with a change in development density, (3) some drivers of residential settlement produce non-linear preference responses, and (4) clustering industrial development had a beneficial impact on human well-being. Additional novel contributions include the incorporation of noise pollution feedbacks and an approach to empirically inform agent preferences using a conjoint analysis of social survey data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ecosystem service concept has emphasized the role of people within socio-ecological systems (SESs). In this paper, we review and discuss alternative ways of representing people, their behaviour and decision-making processes in SES models using an agent-based modelling (ABM) approach. We also explore how ABM can be empirically grounded using information from social survey. The capacity for ABM to be generalized beyond case studies represents a crucial next step in modelling SESs, although this comes with considerable intellectual challenges. We propose the notion of human functional types, as an analogy of plant functional types, to support the expansion (scaling) of ABM to larger areas. The expansion of scope also implies the need to represent institutional agents in SES models in order to account for alternative governance structures and policy feedbacks. Further development in the coupling of human-environment systems would contribute considerably to better application and use of the ecosystem service concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between transportation noise and the level of annoyance attributed to a certain noise source are well established in adults. Little is known about the noise annoyance in children. The authors assessed the reported annoyance due to different noise sources of 8- to 14-year-old children in a representative population and compared the results with existing data on adults. The primary focus was on road traffic noise because of its pervasiveness. From all over Germany, 1,048 children were randomly selected. They completed a questionnaire regarding living conditions, including noise annoyance from different noise sources such as road traffic noise. The percentage of children’s homes located on busy roads was 16.5%, and approximately half of the children (47.7%) had their bedroom facing the street. Among the 8- to 10-year-olds, 7.3% were annoyed by road traffic noise during daytime (“yes” on a dichotomous annoyance scale). Among the 11- to 14-year-olds, 16.4% were at least “slightly” annoyed by road traffic noise during daytime (sum of the upper four categories of a 5-point annoyance scale). Compared with regularly reported representative data on adults, the relative frequency of children annoyed by road traffic noise at home was considerably lower. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To establish the basis for implementation of a producer education program, a social assessment of the willingness and barriers to adoption of a measure of feed efficiency in beef cattle [residual feed intake (RFI)] was conducted. A 35-question mailed survey was sent to 1,888 producers acquired from the stratified random sample of the Idaho Cattle Association member list (n = 488), Red Angus Association of America member list (n 2,208), and Red Angus Association of America bull buyer list (n = 5,325). The adjusted response rate for the survey was 49.9%. Of the survey respondents, 58.7% were commercial cow/calf producers and 41.3% were seedstock producers or operated a combination seedstock/commercial operation. Commercial operations had an average of 223 ± 17 cows and 13 ± 3 bulls, whereas seedstock herds (including combination herds) had slightly fewer cows (206 ± 24) and more bulls (23 ± 6). Both commercial and seedstock operators indicated that calving ease/birth weight was the most important trait used to evaluate genetic merit of breeding bulls. Only 3.8 and 4.8% of commercial and seedstock producers indicated that feed efficiency was the most important characteristic used for bull selection. Binary logistic regression models were used to predict willingness of seedstock producers to begin collecting data for the calculation of RFI on their bulls, or to predict willingness of commercial producers to begin selecting bulls based on RFI data. In response, 49.1% of commercial producers and 43.6% of seedstock producers indicated they were willing to adopt RFI as a measure of feed efficiency. These data indicate that feed efficiency was one of the traits that producers consider important; those who perceive feed efficiency as important tended to be actively involved in data collection on their herds, underpinning the notion that objective assessment was valued and used by some. Additional data collection in a future social assessment will continue to elaborate the proportion of producers who perceive feed efficiency as an increasingly important decision and management tool for beef production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity conservation issues are often contentious and complex. Polarized debates on the effectiveness of protected areas and role of people inside them, charismatic species as conservation foci, and on specific policy initiatives are common among Indian and global conservationists. We surveyed Indian conservationists about the conservation effectiveness of protected areas and charismatic species, as well as status of conservation and research efforts. We expected differences among people based on professional affiliation, and educational background. We examined participants’ opinions on conservation policies like Project Tiger and Elephant, the Forest Rights Act, and the Tiger Task Force Report. Participants ranked Indian research efforts as average, and identified a bias towards terrestrial species and ecosystems. Ninety-percent of participants considered reserves to be effective, many (61%) participants felt that the situation of people living inside reserves is unsustainable, and many (76%) felt the use of force to protect reserves from illegal human activities is acceptable. Classification and regression tree models for these questions suggested that non-academics were more likely than academics to agree with these positions. On the success of Project Tiger and Elephant, older participants were more likely to think these initiatives were a success. Many (63%) participants felt the Forest Rights Act needed revision, particularly if they had doctoral degrees. Sixty-two percent of participants did not think Tiger Task Force was effective. Overall, participants’ professional affiliation, age, and academic degree were important predictors of participants attitudes towards conservation initiatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we look at the history of social survey development in Japanese sociology. First, the history of social research in Japan before World War II is explored. Second, the introduction of survey research to Japan during the American occupation after World War II is examined, and third, the present state and roles of social survey research in Japanese sociology is discussed. Social research was introduced as an administrative tool for the government. Sociology and social research were developed under British empiricism and American pragmatism, but Japanese academia has been based on a metaphysical approach. Social research introduced as a practical tool long had difficulty in being accepted by Japanese academia. For this reason, most sociologists in universities did not use social survey research for practical purposes, but pursued qualitative methodologies for analyzing data to gain academic prestige even after Social Stratification and Mobility (SSM) and Sabro Yasuda's research projects spread social survey methods in the field of Japanese sociology. Such academics did not think that findings acquired through qualitative case studies had to be confirmed through quantitative data to serve a practical purpose, nor did they believe that quantitative data could be better understood when examined along side qualitative data. Social survey methods have been opposed by those who have favored case-study analysis methods in Japanese sociology. Needless to say, this opposition is fruitless. I propose that professional sociologists in Japanese universities should use social survey research for practical problems more frequently. This is the best way to establish sociology and social research as a science in Japanese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]