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Online peer assessment is widely recognized as a method to enhance teacher training. However, studies have revealed that differences in social network prestige impact overall learning effectiveness and experience. The study examines the influence of social network prestige on learning outcomes and engagement. A total of 457 participants enrolled in online teacher training courses were categorized into high- and low-prestige groups based on their prestige in online peer assessments. The quality of instructional design, emotional attitudes toward peer review, posted commenting behavior, and posted comment quality between the two groups were compared. The findings indicate that learners with high prestige demonstrated superior instructional design abilities following peer review, exhibiting more sophisticated cognitive structures. Additionally, the learners with high prestige displayed more positive emotional and behavioral engagement, as well as higher-quality cognitive engagement during peer assessment activities. Based on these insights, recommendations are proposed to foster efficient and equitable online collaborative learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies face difficulties when attempting to implement corporate sustainability (CS), especially linking operational activities to their overall sustainability strategy remains a main challenge. The present study applies a single‐case study approach to contribute to literature on CS implementation and to provide a framework for the deployment of CS strategies. The company under study is a medium‐sized company that has set sustainability targets using a typical management system for strategy deployment, namely hoshin kanri. The data collected is derived from company documents, observations, and 12 semi‐structured interviews with department managers and employees, and qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis. The results illustrate that clear definition of sustainability, measurability of sustainability targets, employee involvement, and motivation, and prioritization of long‐term sustainability objectives are necessary prerequisites for successful CS strategy deployment. Challenges relate to lack of time capacity (workload), specific industry‐context, and the difficulty of social impact assessment. Finally, a framework for CS implementation is proposed which incorporates stakeholder, systems, and dynamic capabilities perspectives. This research contributes to the literature linking CS strategy to practice, illustrating the related prerequisites and challenges in implementation, and provides a practical approach towards the deployment of CS strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No long-term solution can evaluate the social and environmental requirements of communities near industries, especially in developing countries. The global landscape of technology, innovation, and industry has undergone significant transformation since the start of the Industrial Revolution, which has significantly altered the traditional socioeconomic structure of society, especially in urban regions. Industrialization has had positive and negative effects on society and the environment, which has left an enduring impact that includes improved employment prospects and economic growth. However, it brings adverse impacts, such as more pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, health risks, and changes in local communities and lifestyles. Threfore, efficient instruments and remedies must be used to mitigate the adverse effects of industrial activity and advances. Livability and environmental impact evaluations have become crucial tools for transforming the social and ecological spheres. Creating air pollution concentration models, particularly for industrial plumes, is a research need that is unresolved by the current environmental impact assessment (EIA) guidelines and procedures. Industries present severe risks to the population and ecosystems, because of the rapid changes in their mechanisms. In addition, no standardized method exists for assessing communities close to urban industrial clusters that encircle industrial development regions in the EIA and social impact assessment (SIA) evaluations. The national building codes (NBCs), urban and regional development plans formulation and implementation (URDPFI), and model building bylaws ignore this discrepancy. Several organizations have developed substitute models, such as California puff (CALPUFF) model from the USEPA and California Department of Pollution Monitoring, which outline risk assessment techniques for different models. Cambridge University's Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling System-Urban (ADMS), from Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants, stands out as a widely used tool for evaluating pollution dispersion. Given the complexity of industrial emissions from several sources within a cluster of firms, a new strategy to lessen the effects of industrial plumes on the populations that live close to these zones is desperately needed. This means that communities must be categorized geographically according to different building heights and unique building regulations, which consider factors such as wind direction, atmospheric conditions, and separation from the sources of the emissions. This study used a cross-sectional methodology for a literature review of different issues that are due to the industrial plume rise heights in different domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban agriculture is often associated with sustainable agricultural practices. However, the variety of systems qualifying as urban agriculture and the limited information available about their sustainability question this direct relationship. To better understand differences in intra-urban agriculture systems and their sustainability, this paper proposed an holistic classification of urban agricultural systems and collected knowledge about the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of these systems. Such a classification is important to evaluate sustainability claims on urban agricultural systems, anticipate potential sustainability trade-offs between urban agricultural systems and propose preventive measures to address these, and ultimately guide the sustainable deployment of these systems. Compared with existing classifications, the novel classification scheme proposed here accounts for technological, social and economic characteristics of urban agriculture systems to better distinguish between all systems. It was built on 91 scientific papers. The economic intensity of production was, for example, an important characteristic to coherently group urban agriculture systems. The intensity of cooperation between all actors was another characteristic emphasized for certain urban agriculture systems. One end of the classification scheme describes ground-based open, socially motivated urban agriculture systems with high cooperation intensity and low production intensity. The other end of the classification scheme describes building-integrated quasi-closed systems with high production intensity. In between, we find: building-integrated conditioned systems, ground-based conditioned systems, and building-integrated open systems. Mapping sustainability claims from literature in the classification scheme supported its definition along the three characteristics. For example, urban farming was associated with job creation, food safety, water savings, and higher yields while urban gardening with educational potentials, biodiversity improvements, and lower yields. Their display in the classification scheme was therefore supported. To further support the use of the proposed scheme, additional quantitative research to better understand and quantify the sustainability of urban agriculture systems is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work assessments are ubiquitous in daily practice, containing justifications for interventions and decisions. This article seeks to bring to the fore the extensive influence of the social work team in shaping the document and the resulting decisions. Assessments are not solely the work of the allocated social worker, supported person, and linked professionals; rather, they also represent collective actions involving multiple authors within the social work team. Drawing upon ethnographic data from a local authority adult social work team in Scotland between December 2019 and January 2021, this article explores the social life of the social work assessment. The findings outline the following themes: 1) team engineering; 2) the reader; 3) writing and rewriting; and 4) story building. The article builds a nuanced understanding of social work assessment work and provides new insight into the level and significance of team interactions within the assessment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how social entrepreneurs construct impact arguments as they begin to assess social impact. We examined the experiences of 68 social entrepreneurs in Chile and discovered that the construction of arguments for the purpose of thinking about and experiencing impact is different than the arguments constructed to establish dialogues around it. We explain this dual argument construction as arguments for worth and arguments for legitimacy. We expand scholarship on argumentation by clarifying social entrepreneurs' efforts to pursue adherence facing competing demands and reinforcing their willingness and ability to engage with social impact assessment. We advance the understanding of social impact assessment in social entrepreneurship across three areas: tensions, accountability and performance and extend Nicholls' general theory by explaining what precedes the discursive space where the assessment of social impact reconciles facticity and validity to establish materiality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evictions as a social phenomenon have several negative impacts on the community, such as not only losing their homes but also affecting jobs, daily livelihoods, children's schools, women and social impacts such as losing long-established kinships. Evictions on a large scale accompanied by inappropriate relocation programs will cause economic and socio-cultural impoverishment for the community, which also leaves a traumatic impact. In the legal aspect, evictions can also result in violations of the basic rights of their own citizens. The purpose of this study is to develop a psychological measurement tool in assessing assertive behavior in eviction victims in DKI Jakarta. The measuring instrument was developed based on Jakubowski and Lange's (1978) assertiveness construct. After testing its validity and reliability, this assertiveness measuring instrument has a high reliability and validity coefficient because it is close to 1. In testing the validity, only a few statement items are invalid, and there are some items that are discarded because they do not have a standard t-value of 1.96, as well as a loading factor that also does not exceed the expected value. This is possible because the dimensions in assertiveness are indeed dimensions that really measure individual assertiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a comprehensive Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) and Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (S-CBA) conducted as part of a research project, studying biofuel production for the maritime and aviation sectors, from various types of non-food waste biomasses. The inclusion of social considerations complements and expands on the environmental and economic ones. The importance of social group criteria was determined through expert questionnaires, leading to the identification of social impacts groups and social criteria from stakeholders across participating countries. The results successfully identified and quantified social impacts, and align with those reported in similar cases in relevant literature. Social Cost-Benefits, monetarizing social factors, demonstrated several social benefits, including reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions. However, it also highlighted social costs, such as Economic Costs associated with the initial investment. The study revealed critical social hotspots within the impact categories, making significant strides in understanding the social impacts of biofuel production, providing valuable insights for decision-makers, and contributing to the broader goal of sustainable and socially responsible biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Future of Social Sciences is the property of Future of Social Sciences Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article explores the experiences of three county health departments in promoting equal access to COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved and rural areas in Arizona. Topics discussed include the population and geography of Arizona, the state government's public health measures as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and lessons learned from these experiences.

Social acceptance is a challenging aspect that affects the development of geothermal energy and such issues have been reported in many countries, such as Germany, Japan, Greece, and Kenya. In this study, we discuss the barriers to social acceptance and associated risks faced by geothermal energy developers in East Africa. We have conducted semi-structured interviews with international organizations (38.5%), public companies (38.5%), and private companies (23.1%). The interviews were qualitatively analysed using inductive content analysis. The key barriers identified by respondents were the lack of political, market, and community awareness; lack of local political support; lack of public funding; human resource shortages; involuntary resettlement; local cultural aspects; employment issues; and demographic change. The lack of awareness of geothermal energy affects public and private funding, and leads to negative risk perception by communities. Risks, such as air, soil, and water pollution, land acquisition, social exclusion, resource risks, and drilling and project costs, were considered important by our respondents. In this study, we emphasize the need for the following: raising awareness regarding geothermal energy; training professionals; implementing strong surface studies to reduce the risks associated with the exploration stage; and conducting environmental and social impact assessment reports to mitigate negative risks to local communities, while also ensuring their engagement and raising their awareness about the negative risks of geothermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations in international development projects, especially those funded by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC). Their social safeguard policies were adopted because of neglect of social impacts by projects. Although development assistance goals have shifted from economic growth towards poverty reduction and shared prosperity, mitigating adverse impacts of projects does not necessarily address the multiple dimensions of poverty or the Sustainable Development Goals. 'Do no harm' has limited ability to achieve social development objectives. Instead, a significant contribution to international development could come by embedding community investment in the environmental and social frameworks of international financial institutions, and social impact assessment and international development practise. This would ensure that projects contribute to improving the lives of project affected peoples. We propose changes to the IFC Performance Standards that could be implemented by other multilateral development banks and in the Equator Principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy concept has grown in popularity in recent decades as a potential method to offset the waste produced by the linear economy model. In this study, the authors proposed an update to the ReSOLVE framework that includes social impacts and uses decision variables based on the ECOGRAI methodology to facilitate a system‐wide analysis to support sustainable decision‐making. After the updated framework was outlined, it was employed in a theoretical case study to evaluate the current state of the poultry industry and determine hotspots where circular economy metrics could be implemented to benefit affected stakeholders. While the poultry sector was used as a case study, the proposed framework can be applied with modified indicators in other agricultural sectors. This work demonstrated that decision makers can improve the agriculture sector's high social and environmental impact by applying a framework that integrates ReSOLVE circular economy principles and social impact assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite challenging economic conditions, municipalities have justified the utilization of public subsidies to build or renovate multipurpose sports facilities due to the lack of modern features and the aging of existing facilities. To secure public support for the utilization of public subsidies, promises are often made about the transformative potential of events and teams for the community. The current study aims to examine the relationship between residents' perceived social impact and their behavioral intentions regarding a newly developed multipurpose sports facility. The survey instrument was administered to assess residents' perceived social impacts related to the multipurpose sports facility as well as their behavioral attributes. The findings revealed that perceived social impacts such as community development and economic benefits significantly influenced the attendance of future sports and entertainment events as well as word-of-mouth on sports and entertainment events. Respondents' level of involvement and attendance in sports and entertainment events were significant predictors of positive behavioral intentions and word-of-mouth. Lastly, certain demographic variables indicated significant relationships with behavioral attributes. This study highlights the importance of understanding residents' perceived social impact concerning their behavioral attributes. The findings can be used by policymakers and administrators to plan and execute the facility development using public subsidies, aiming to reduce social conflicts and enhance social cohesion among residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty (EP) has emerged as a major challenge to achieving sustainable development goals, and its significance in social development has increased over time. This paper aims to analyze the spatial autocorrelation between EP and social factors on a global scale. Utilizing the panel data of 116 countries from 2012 to 2019, the Bivariate local Moran index, a representative spatial econometrics tool, has been employed to examine temporal changes and spatial differences of transboundary synergy and tradeoff relations between EP and social factors. The results indicate that EP has synergy relationships with social factors, including life expectancy at birth, access to immunization, CO2 emission, and forest area, and tradeoff relationship with social factors, such as infant mortality rate, prevalence of undernourishment, forest rents, and gender inequality. Significant spatial differences have been observed that clusters of high‐income countries, particularly those in the Global North, tend to have better energy access and are surrounded by areas with favorable social conditions, and clusters of lower‐income countries, especially those in South Africa and Southeast Asia, have lower energy access and are surrounded by areas with more severe social conditions. The robustness analysis has been conducted to verify the reliability of the results. The spatial imbalance of findings offers robust evidence by emphasizing the importance of key areas, such as Southeast Asia and South Africa, that should be prioritized to take essential policy measures to address the EP and social issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test the usefulness of the 'Social Framework for Projects' and its eight categories (people, community, culture, livelihoods, infrastructure, housing, environment, and land) by examining the social impacts arising from siting the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg in the village of Grünheide, Germany. By creating thousands of jobs, this electric automobile manufacturing plant has brought economic development to a previously disadvantaged region. New roads, cycle paths, and improved train and bus connections have increased accessibility between Grünheide and Berlin, and within the region. However, construction of the Tesla Gigafactory has also had many negative impacts, including destruction of forests and loss of wildlife habitat, concerns about pollution and loss of groundwater, construction nuisance and annoyance, and anger about how the project was approved. Although many potential negative social impacts – e.g. project-induced in-migration (influx) and increased demand on services – have been minimised by facilitating commuting from Berlin, many protest actions against the project have occurred. Overall, we found that the Social Framework for Projects was an effective tool for considering the social impacts of projects. Although the Social Framework was originally designed for use in a developing country context, it can also be used in advanced industrial nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of foreign experience in assessing the effectiveness of police activities and the analysis of the possibility of its application in Ukraine. In particular, the author examines the foreign experience of evaluating the effectiveness of police activities in such countries as Austria, Great Britain, Estonia, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, the USA, France, and the possibility of its implementation in Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to evaluation methods that combine quantitative and qualitative indicators of police performance. The authors point out the importance of internal and external control, with a significant role for public control, which is ensured through surveys, reporting and other forms of interaction with the public. The experience of foreign countries also includes the use of statistical reports on crime, such as in the United States and Austria, which allow not only to assess the work of the police but also to increase the level of trust in law enforcement agencies. It is concluded that the introduction of a point-based performance evaluation system should be applied to the personal assessment of each police officer. Based on the study, we conclude that in all foreign countries analyzed by us, today much attention is paid to the assessment of the effectiveness of police activities, which is due to the social purpose of its activities, but, given the existing legal system, organizational and legal framework for the activities of police units, and the adopted system of their management, the criteria for such assessment differ. In addition, we have found that certain forms of police performance evaluation, such as public opinion polls and annual reports on police performance, are common to both national and most foreign police systems. As a result of summarizing foreign experience in assessing the effectiveness of police activities, the author suggests using the following positive issues, namely: introduction of the above-mentioned US experience in Ukraine, since such 'Crime Maps' are available; use of the positive experience of the HM Inspectorate for Constabulary (UK) in the activities of the newly established Department of the Main Inspectorate and Human Rights of the National Police of Ukraine, in particular, in assessing the quality of police services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background The benefits of adopting mixed methods have been widely recognized in evaluation studies. However, such an methodological approach is also criticized for its lack of rigorous epistemological concerns, or simply as a-paradigmic. Therefore, in using mixed methods, how knowledge’s truth value can possibly contribute to program betterment remains uncertain. Purpose This paper aims to provide an example of how the use of a mixed methods approach in a community program can lead to reflections on its epistemological values and possibly result in program improvements. Setting The evaluation took place in the longest cultural walk trail in urban Hong Kong. Intervention The evaluation method employed a combination of impact assessment, participant’s photovoice, and multiple meetings with the program managers. Research design A mixed methods design. Data collection & analysis Relevant statistical and thematic analyses were conducted. Findings The data obtained from the mixed methods approach, along with its underlying epistemological foundations, revealed a unique experience for the participants, encompassing both cognitive evaluation and emotional appreciation of the program. Based on these findings, relevant suggestions were made to enhance the program.

We assess how investors' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sustainable investments responds to the social impact of those investments, using a framed field experiment. While investors have a substantial WTP for sustainable investments, they do not pay significantly more for more impact. This also holds for dedicated impact investors. When investors compare several sustainable investments, their WTP responds to relative, but not to absolute, levels of impact. Regardless of investments' impact, investors experience positive emotions when choosing sustainable investments. Our findings suggest that the WTP for sustainable investments is primarily driven by an emotional, rather than a calculative, valuation of impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is indispensable for young farmers to remain in agriculture and/or to sustain farm holding operations. In this study, the impact of the Young Farmer Support Program (YFSP) implemented in Turkey is tried to be define by the counterfactual impact assessment methodology in holdings with livestock such as cattle, sheep/goat. The study was conducted throughout Turkey, the questionnaire with the farmers was completed at the end of 2018. The data obtained intended for the YFSP, which was used in 2016, was taken as basis for the impact assessment. Considering the distribution and number of project subjects from each region, the provinces that would represent the region in terms of its differences were purposefully selected and sample selection was made. The focus is on two important outputs, machine equipment purchased value per livestock unit (LSU) and average income value of cattle and sheep/goat sold per LSU in the last three years which are important in the study. As explanatory variables, age, gender, marriage, educational status, number of family members, non-agricultural income, etc. are employed in the models. According to the two important indicators, Average Treatment Effect (ATE) and Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET), it is revealed that YFSP has positive effects on the dependent variables examined in cattle and sheep/goat farms. This knowledge and accumulation of experience can be transferred to other main components of rural development programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-basin water transfers are implemented to counter the uneven geographical distribution of natural water sources. This paper's novelty consists of providing a system-dynamics framework to evaluate inter-basin water transfers based on integrated water governance. The Big Karun Basin, Iran, has long been of interest to water managers due to its discharge potential. It houses several water-transfer projects that are under operation or under study for possible future implementation. This study implements system dynamics modeling (SDM) in the Big Karun Basin considering existing inter-basin water transfers. This study's results estimate an average annual 8 to 10 billion cubic meters of water are transferred from the Karun River to the Persian Gulf. Part of this flow can be used to meet some of the water demands in Iran's central and eastern basins subject to social and environmental assessment of impacts. SDM modeling was also implemented accounting for the existing water transfers plus the under-study water transfers. This study's results indicate the firm energy from hydropower produced by the Big Karun Basin system would decrease by 28% relative to existing water transfer conditions. This issue raises concerns given the Big Karun Basin contribution to electricity production Iran. The water supply to several sectors would be marginally impacted by future water tranfers, yet water quality would be compromised in some instances. Therefore, the Big Karun Basin water system was simulated considering inter-basin water governance based on hedging rules for the under-study water transfers. Results indicate the minimum drinking and industrial demands could be met. In addition, the firm energy from hydropower produced by the Big Karun Basin system would decline by 12% relative to existing water-transfer conditions and the vulnerability of the water system would decline in terms of required quality for downstream demands and water users in comparison with the full-transfer water condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the growing influence of technology on our social lives and argues that social research is now predominantly conducted in digital formats. It emphasizes the importance of applying social theories and ethics to digital social research, as well as the significance of research questions, data collection, and data analysis. The article acknowledges the challenges and benefits of conducting research in the digital era, including the concept of the digital divide. It covers various topics such as the emergence of new digital entities, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital research, and methodological approaches in digital social research. The text also addresses the risks associated with digital spaces, such as online propaganda and misinformation, and explores the role of digital social research in healthcare, education, and policy-making. It underscores the necessity of robust and ethical research methodologies in the digital age. [Extracted from the article]

Concerning the forthcoming implementation of the Disposable Plastic Tableware Regulation in Hong Kong, the Social Impact Assessment approach can help decision-makers and government agencies predict and forecast the potential impacts of the regulation before its actual implementation. This study aims to 1) identify the potential impacts of the Regulation of Disposable Plastic Tableware in Hong Kong, in multiple aspects and through the eyes of multiple stakeholders; 2) analyze the interlinked relationships among these potential impacts; and 3) generate mitigation measures and monitoring plans to minimize the adverse impacts. Two rounds of questionnaires were collected from 11 experts using the Delphi method, followed by a community survey used to reach a wider population. The survey gathered opinions from 507 restaurant owners and 500 members of the general public. A cross-impact analysis was then conducted to analyze the complex interactions of impacts within and across different impact categories. These analyses inform the development of mitigation strategies and plans to monitor and prevent potential adverse impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the use of environmental and social impact assessments for road projects, severe social impacts continue to occur. We discuss the social impacts associated with the construction, upgrading, widening and/or rehabilitation of roads in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to a literature review, we analysed 10 road projects in Uganda by examining project planning documents, and undertaking in-depth interviews, group interviews and field visits. While there were some benefits from these road projects, especially dust reduction where roads became sealed, the significant land acquisition necessary for these linear projects has led to physical displacement, economic displacement, and disruption to the livelihoods of local people. Other issues included: inadequate community engagement; delayed payment of compensation and inadequate compensation; gender-based violence; poor road construction practice causing community safety concerns; project-induced in-migration or influx; sexual harassment; impacts on children; and issues around sex work. The lack of local community acceptance (social licence to operate) of the projects resulted in construction delays and increased costs. For more acceptable road projects, better community engagement, improved planning and management, and adequate funding for resettlement and compensation are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social impact assessment is a field of applied social research that is now over 50 years old. With its ongoing evolution in practice and thinking, social impact assessment is a valued part of project development and will continue to be so. Over time, there has been a shift in understanding, from social impact assessment being a regulatory tool to now being the process of managing social issues throughout the life of a project. The range of issues considered has become much wider, now also including human rights. More than a tool or approach, social impact assessment is a discourse, a body of scholars and practitioners, a paradigm, and a philosophy about development and the rights of affected communities. The proper consideration of social impacts is now expected by all project stakeholders and is a requirement of international standards and project financing. There is now recognition of the need for projects to gain and maintain social acceptance, or a social license to operate and grow. Key current issues include: human rights; doing good rather than just doing no harm; benefit-sharing arrangements; Indigenous-led social impact assessment and community-based social impact assessment; and gender, LGBTQI+, two-spirit people, and intersectionality. Social impact assessment is increasingly being used to assist communities in negotiating Impact and Benefit Agreements (or Community Development Agreements). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the intrinsic and natural connection between sociology and social impact assessment, the latter often does not hold a prominent place in the academic theory and practice of sociology. This monograph aims to justify and reclaim the rightful position of social impact assessment within the sociological discipline, through the contributions of some of the most renowned international experts in this field. This introductory article reflects on the necessary mutual contribution between sociology and social impact assessment, which, through their epistemological, methodological and axiological dialogues, establish an applied working space aimed at providing solutions for real-world problems. Sociology and social impact assessment must join forces to become agents not only of knowledge production but also of improvement of the living conditions of those in situations of social vulnerability, being this an urgent task in the face of contemporary global changes and growing inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among many by-products of Web 2.0 come the wide range of potential image and text datasets within social media and content sharing platforms that speak of how people live, what they do, and what they care about. These datasets are imperfect and biased in many ways, but those flaws make them complementary to data derived from conventional social science methods and thus potentially useful for triangulation in complex decision-making contexts. Yet the online environment is highly mutable, and so the datasets are less reliable than censuses or other standard data types leveraged in social impact assessment. Over the past decade, we have innovated numerous methods for deploying Instagram datasets in investigating management or development alternatives. This article synthesizes work from three Canadian decision contexts – hydroelectric dam construction or removal; dyke realignment or wetland restoration; and integrating renewable energy into vineyard landscapes – to illustrate some of the methods we have applied to social impact assessment questions using Instagram that may be transferrable to other social media platforms and contexts: thematic (manual coding, machine vision, natural language processing/sentiment analysis, statistical analysis), spatial (hotspot mapping, cultural ecosystem modeling), and visual (word clouds, saliency mapping, collage). We conclude with a set of cautions and next steps for the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating renewable energy deployment is imperative to address the climate crisis, yet projects commonly face community resistance and local cancellation. Accordingly, interest has risen in social impact assessments (SIAs) to evaluate social viability and strengthen management. However, mainstream approaches overlook upstream political economy dynamics that shape projects and drive opposition. Analyzing renewable developments in Mexico reveals how international negotiations and national policies produce rushed, large-scale projects in marginalized territories, igniting rural social struggles. While SIA practices can be enhanced, upstream policies constrain their scope to reshape misaligned projects and performance to address complex sociocultural contexts. This prompts questioning why vulnerable regions bear concentrated impacts and the need to explore alternative development pathways, despite SIAs implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable improvements in social impact assessment practice, the shortfalls and neglected status of social impact assessment persist. Integrated impact assessments have been suggested to address some of these shortcomings. Due to its transdisciplinary nature, disaster risk assessment has been identified as an emerging area that could assist social impact assessment in managing social changes and risks and improving community resilience. Emerging research from South Africa and abroad have shown that social impact assessment–disaster risk assessment integration offers opportunities for streamlining and improved practice across four areas, that is, theoretical discourses, legislative and statutory provisions, practitioner perspectives and combined methodologies. The resulting streamlined social impact assessment and disaster risk assessment will be more suitable for 21st-century challenges, allowing for enriched social impact assessment practice, contributions to social sustainability and strengthening of the social resilience of at-risk communities. From observations of the South African context, we suggest that streamlined social impact assessment and disaster risk assessment will optimally address the challenges of developing sustainably and enhancing the resilience of at-risk societies in the 21st century in South Africa, the global south and also the rest of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularisation of the Social Licence to Operate in measuring the acceptance of mining projects has stimulated the development of critical studies that question how the practical use of this management model has favoured the reduction of risks for the business without generating gains for the community. We propose in this article that the integration of Social Impact Assessment in Social Licence to Operate contributes to deepening the understanding of the social acceptance of mineral projects, especially in contexts of vulnerability. The objective of this research is to discuss the social acceptance of mining projects integrating the results of Social Licence to Operate and Social Impact Assessment approaches applied in a mineral project in the Brazilian Amazon. The methodological procedures of this research included document analysis, survey application, and interviews. The results show that Social Impact Assessment, by enabling the understanding of the local context and social impacts, serves as a complementary instrument to Social Licence to Operate measurement models. By giving voice to the local community, the use of Social Impact Assessment shows means that could effectively contribute to local development, based on actions involving the company and local government in order to act in the most sensitive areas that impact the community, such as its economic, social, environmental, and cultural challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Impact Assessment's incorporation into neoliberal management systems did not enhance their capacity to actually respond to social impacts. Efforts to integrate 'social' and 'environmental' assessments largely assumed that Social Impact Assessment rightfully belonged to key practitioners (professionals, academics, and corporate and government decision-makers). This article advocates rethinking ontological foundations for a different sort of Social Impact Assessment. It starts from an understanding that the social domain is always and inescapably connected across scales from the microbial, through the global to the cosmological. Building from experience working with Indigenous peoples, it recognizes that although ontological separation of social, environmental and other categories of impact assessment may well facilitate project approval, it also renders industrial systems deaf and blind to many of the most pressing risks facing coupled human and natural systems at multiple scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social impact assessment as a concept and practice is generally framed as a process for delivering socially equitable outcomes, and in particular, a vehicle for improving the lives of society's most vulnerable and marginalised people. For example, the International Association for Impact Assessment 2015 guidance document makes the normative statement that projects should benefit local communities and be a 'force for positive social change and beneficial social development'. Yet most guidance provides little prescription for what this looks like in practice. More recently, the New South Wales 2021 guideline includes distributive equity as a principle for social impact assessment, but its application is yet to be tested. This article discusses key dimensions of equity concepts, drawing on international social impact assessment guidance documents, academic literature on equity, fairness and justice, and case studies in Australia. We elaborate process/procedural/participative and outcome/distributive dimensions of equity. We further argue that, to reflect the International Association for Impact Assessment position, social impact assessment needs to defend its normative purpose of advancing equity, rather than simply 'considering' equity impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social impact assessment can greatly contribute to sustainable regional and urban planning. However, social impact assessment is used primarily in the context of pre-determined projects, while social impact assessment's role in informing regional and urban plans before projects are even conceived is under-estimated. Moreover, a narrow understanding of the social impacts of projects leads social impact assessment practitioners to consider such impacts as being the outcomes only of the technical characteristics and risks of projects and their implementation, rather than also of broader social, cultural and political-institutional processes. In this article, we reflect on these gaps in social impact assessment. We expand the conceptualization of the social impacts of projects to better consider how social impacts are also influenced by the social dimensions of risk and resilience, and by the knowledge processes and governance strategies that inform and regulate projects. We conceptualize these processes and strategies and design new conceptual models to derive the social impacts of projects. Finally, we reflect on the strategic role social impact assessment can have in enabling social learning and sustainability transformation in localities (i.e. community resilience) and across multiple governance levels (i.e. social resilience). With this article, we contribute to building a key role for social impact assessment in disaster risk reduction, climate action and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key point: Social determinants of health interactively influence sinonasal cancer care and prognosis.Housing‐transportation and socioeconomic status showed the largest associations with disparities.The social vulnerability index can reveal the social determinants of sinonasal cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Heart failure is a complex pathological condition. Modern surgical treatment methods for advanced heart failure include heart transplantation (HTX) and mechanical circulatory support. The most common form of long-term mechanical support of the circulatory system is mechanical support of the left ventricle (LVAD). The use of HTX and LVAD comes with many bio-psychological and social problems for patients and their caregivers. Patients with an LVAD often experience significant changes in quality of life, and living with an LVAD affects many areas of the patient's and family's daily life. Social support plays a key role in the life of a patient and their family to provide the best care and improve quality of life. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life and social support of a patient with mechanical circulatory support and their caregiver. Material and methods: The study was conducted among patients after implantation of long-term mechanical circulatory support and their caregivers - 54 dyads of patients and their caregivers. A diagnostic survey method was used, along with standardised questionnaires: the Berlin Social Support Scale for assessing social support, SF-12 for assessing quality of life, and 7 demographic questions. Results: The results showed that the caregivers of patients with implanted mechanical circulatory system support rated their quality of life much higher than did the patients. The perceived available instrumental support was dominant among patients and caregivers. There was no correlation between the quality of life and social support among respondents. Demographic and social data impacted the assessment of social support among caregivers but did not impact the evaluation among patients with LVAD. The time since the implantation of mechanical circulatory support worsens the quality of life in the mental category in patients with LVAD and their caregivers. Conclusions: The quality of life of patients was low compared to population studies. The passage of time after LVAD implantation deteriorated the quality of life in the mental domain. To improve the quality of life in the mental domain, psychological support for patients and their caregivers is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Waste management is still an important challenge in urban areas, including Cirebon City, Indonesia, because of its significant environmental and social impacts. This study explores community legal awareness regarding waste management practices in Cirebon, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach and community participation. Through qualitative research involving interviews and participant observation with 50 stakeholders, including community leaders, environmental NGOs, sanitation workers, and residents, this research identifies the main factors influencing legal awareness and proposes strategies to increase community involvement. Findings show a gap between knowledge and action, highlighting infrastructure deficiencies and low community participation. These recommendations emphasize the need for improved policy frameworks, improved infrastructure, targeted education, and collaborative governance to encourage sustainable waste management and environmental health in Cirebon. The research results show that low legal awareness among the people of Cirebon City affects the effectiveness of waste management, with main problems such as a lack of active participation in waste management programs and a low understanding of the legal consequences of irresponsible behavior in waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Religación: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades is the property of Religacion: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Guillermo de Ockham is the property of Revista Cientifica Guillermo de Ockham, Universidad de San Buenaventura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As the youngest of the three sub-fields within sustainability assessment, development of social impact assessment lags behind life cycle and techno-economic assessments. This is manifested in comparatively lacking methodological maturity. The calculation of impact indicator results, achieved through the use of characterisation models, is a prime example of the field's immaturity. This research initially identifies current methodologies observed within social impact assessment. This reveals that impact pathway characterisation models, analogous to those seen in life cycle assessment, have primarily been neglected; instead, research has been focused on less reproducible and more subjective reference scale approaches. Redressing this balance, a set of seven UNEP and SETAC indicators are evaluated, developing novel impact pathway-based characterisation models. Focussing on the effects of stimulating and de-stimulating factors on indicators, identifying hotspots where negative social impacts are likely to arise. The presented methodologies are tailored to applications involving the assessment of potential carbon dioxide utilisation (CDU) value chains. This focus results in open access characterisation models that are indiscriminate of technology readiness level, requiring no primary process data. Data from the World Bank and its partner organisations are utilised, generating complete results across all indicators for 129 countries. Development of these quantifiable characterisation models delivers significant value in the standardisation of assessment procedure and facilitates inter-assessment comparability, a benefit to stakeholders ranging from practitioners to commissioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Social media (SM), with its addictive nature and the accompanying psychosocial challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression, is the primary factor exacerbating mental health problems and adversely impacting individuals' wellbeing. Our study's goal was to determine how SM affects employees' psychosocial behaviours and assess the various factors that contributed to the employee's excessive use of SM. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational analysis was conducted. Using a relevant questionnaire on employees, the study was assessed to establish the relationship or association between SM addiction and psychosocial disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress. 200 people with a minimum age of 24 were enrolled in the study. The questionnaire contained the social networking addiction scale (SNAS) and the depression, anxiety, and stress-21 (DASS-21) scales; the data were statistically assessed. Results: The association between SM addiction and psychosocial behaviours has been examined using statistical tools including descriptive statistics and the Chi-square analysis. SM addiction has a strong, statistically significant correlation with depression (p = 0.001), stress (p = 0.001), and anxiety (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study discovered a connection between SM use and depression, stress, and anxiety among working employees, raising questions regarding worries about overuse and addiction to SM. Various factors influencing excessive usage included revealed that employees also majorly over used SM for entertainment, boredom avoidance, constant knowledge sharing, and relationship-building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in Canada identified the ‘Emerging Asocial Society’ as a Future Global Challenge Area. This ‘asociality’—our collective lack of engagement and disconnection; the pandemic of loneliness—is escalating. And while perceived as worsening, it is not new, and had been identified as a concern in the latter half of the mid-twentieth century. Because this phenomenon also coincides with a significant shift in built form / neighbourhood configuration patterns during the post-War era, a possible link between asociality and urban design is difficult to ignore. Based on the hypothesis that urban form contributes to growing disengagement, this scoping study documents recent research examining the relationship between urban form and social outcomes in Canada. The intent is two-fold: First, to document the extent and nature of social outcome-based urban form research in Canadian municipalities, and second, to examine the research as a body of work. This review reveals an overall lack of Canadian-specific studies on this topic, and what is available lacks geographic and methodological diversity. Though limited by these two aspects, and despite most articles not examining third spaces specifically, the research points to the important role ‘third spaces’ play in creating social connectivity. Nuanced information about organizing urban form around third spaces also emerges, providing insight into opportunities at different urban scales. Further, viewing the research through this ‘third space’ lens reveals gaps in knowledge and therefore helps identify future research opportunities capable of influencing residential development policy in municipalities across Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the ethical implications of private large language models (PLLMs) through the lens of stakeholder theory. Private LLMs, tailored for specific organizational needs, present unique privacy and data protection challenges. We examine the historical development of LLMs and their impact on stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and society. Our proposed framework balances stakeholder interests with ethical considerations, offering a comprehensive approach to the ethical development and deployment of PLLMs. This framework emphasizes transparency, accountability, and sustainable practices to ensure long-term value creation. Future research directions include developing regulatory frameworks, conducting detailed social impact assessments, and exploring strategies for effective human-AI collaboration. This study contributes to academic discourse by providing a multifaceted approach to managing the ethical challenges posed by PLLMs, fostering best practices, and mitigating potential conflicts among stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]