Sufficiency planning: A model of planning in an era of polycrisis

Explorations of the structure-agency dialectic as a tool for framing equity in science education

Introduction It must be pointed at the very start that the terms used to define the debate between social constructionists and critical realists are often misleading. They seem to imply that the differences between the two sides have to do with whether such phenomena as social structures are real or mere fictions in the minds of social scientists. In fact, the actual debate is concerned less with the ‘reality’ of structures than with how real social structures are constructed and what exactly they do, what kind of impact they have on social stability and change. If we take, for instance, the exchange of views between Rom Harre and Bob Carter in a symposium published in the European Journal of Social Theory , it is not only the critical realist Carter who believes in the real existence of structures; Harre also states emphatically that social structures, although discursively constructed, are the real products of acting agents. They both, therefore, start by accepting, ontologically speaking, the real existence of structures. They differ, however, on the way in which real structures impact on social action and interaction. For Carter (following Bhaskar, 1978, 1989; Archer, 2000), social structures have ‘causal powers’, whereas for Harre only human agents have such powers. Social structures can in themselves cause nothing: At the end of the day I hope to show that such referents [i.e. referents of social structure expressions] are not the kind of entities that could be causally efficacious. […]

To describe leisure participation in adolescents with congenital heart defects (CHD) and identify factors associated with intensity of participation. Eighty adolescents with CHD were recruited (39 males, 41 females; mean age [SD] 15y 8mo [1y 8mo] range 11y 5mo-19y 11mo) of whom 78 completed the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) outcome measure of leisure participation. The measure has five subscales: recreational, active-physical, social, skill-based, and self-improvement. Associations between the CAPE and age, sex, and development were examined. Motor ability (Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition), cognition (Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised), behavior (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and motivation (Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire) were assessed. Participants exhibited impaired motor (43.5%), behavioral (23.7%), and cognitive (29.9%) development. The most intense participation was in social (mean [SD] 3.3 [0.99]) and recreational (2.9 [0.80]) activity types on the CAPE. Male sex (p<0.05) and younger age were associated with greater physical activity (<15y: 1.87; ≥15y: 1.31, p<0.05). Greater engagement in social activities was related to better cognition (r=0.28, p<0.05), higher motor function (r=0.30-0.36, p<0.01), and fewer behavioral difficulties (r=-0.32 to -0.47, p<0.01). Cognitive ability (r=0.27, p<0.05), dexterity and aiming/catching (r=0.27-0.33, p<0.05), and behavior problems (r=0.38-0.49, p=0.001) were correlated with physical activity participation. Persistence in tasks, an aspect of motivation, correlated with physical (r=0.45, p<0.001) and social activity involvement (r=0.28, p<0.05). Ongoing developmental impairments in adolescents with CHD are associated with decreased active-physical and social engagement, putting them at risk of poor physical and mental health. Health promotion strategies should be considered. Adolescents with congenital heart defects (CHD) have limited engagement in active-physical leisure activities. Cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairments are associated with decreased participation in leisure in children with CHD. Female sex and older age are associated with less engagement in leisure. Mastery motivation correlates with participation, suggesting an avenue for intervention.

Micro Social Orders

Social interactions and activities are key components of social recovery following burn injuries. The objective of this study is to determine the predictors of these areas of social recovery. This study provides a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of adult burn survivors. The Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation-192 was administered to 601 burn survivors for the field-testing of the Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation Profile. Survivors aged 18 years and older with injuries ≥5% total BSA or burns to critical areas (hands, feet, face, or genitals) were eligible to participate. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to determine predictors of the Social Activities and Social Interactions scale scores. A total of 599 people completed the Social Interactions and Social Activities scales. Of these, 77% identified as White Non-Hispanic, 55% were female, 55% were unmarried, and 80% had burns to critical areas. Participants had a mean age of 45 years, a mean time since burn injury of 15 years, and a mean burn size of 41% total BSA. Younger age (P < .01) and being married/living with a significant other (P ≤ .01) were associated with higher Social Activities and Social Interactions scale scores. Individual item responses reveal that survivors had lower scores on items related to participating in outdoor activities (30.4%) or feeling uncomfortable with their appearance (32.4% report dressing to avoid stares). Social interactions and activities are long-term challenges for burn survivors. It is important for clinicians to identify patients who may struggle with social recovery in order to focus on future community-based interventions.

Sociological social psychological theories emphasize that patterns in social interaction are linked inextricably to social structure. To date, however, most studies have focused on frequencies of various social acts that constitute interaction; little attention has been given to patterns related to time. In a brief overview we describe how existing social psychological knowledge regarding the link between structure and action can be extended to predict durations of social acts by group members. In particular, we theorize how three social structures-status structure, authority structure, and sentiment structure-may govern the durations of social acts and their relations to perceptions of social influence. The incorporation of act duration suggests how combinations of social structures either increase or decrease the efficiency with which social influence is exercised. We offer an initial test of arguments generated by our theoretical framework on data from experimental groups. Our results suggest that the effects of these social structures on duration patterns are generally consistent with our claims, but subtle. We discuss the implications of these findings and directions for further research on time in social interaction.

Critical Realism (CR) is a philosophical approach to social science research, social action, and social change activism. It provides a framework for social scientists whose value commitments leads them to view the construction of social phenomenon in critical ways, which identify the often hidden oppressive elements in social structures. This understanding of a ‘new’ reality underlies the advocacy of change strategies, and the initiation of dialogue between members of disadvantaged and oppressed groups through the process of ‘morphogenesis’ This model of dialogues enabling change and the ‘unmasking of alienation’ stem from the work of Roy Bhaskar, and has been developed by Margaret Archer and other European scholars. An important feature of CR has been the application by the emergence of shared understanding, by social scientists from different value traditions (e.g. Christianity, Secular Humanism, and Islam). The JOCRISE in taking CR understandings of oppressive social forces into new fields, and with fresh CR models, is welcomed. In appraising the new model from JOCRISE, we offer both Cartesian dualism, and Popper’s World 3 model as elements of a new, dynamic focus on social change advocacy.

With lots of sensors built in, mobile phones become a pervasive platform for seamlessly sensing of human behaviors. In this paper, we investigate how to use location data and communication records collected from mobile phones to obtain human social interaction features and activity patterns. Social Interaction features refer to the temporal and spatial interactive information, and activity patterns include movement patterns. Meanwhile, the similarities and differences of human behaviors at different ages, as well as distinct occupations are analyzed. The results indicate that different population has a diversity of social interaction and activity patterns, and human social behaviors are highly associated with age and occupation. Furthermore, we make a correlation analysis about social temporal interaction, social spatial interaction and social activity, which lead us to conclude that the three elements are interrelated among young people but not middle-ages. Our work could be a cornerstone for research of personalized psychological health assistance based on mobile phone data.KeywordsSocial behaviormobile phone datapervasive computinghealth computing

Using critical realism in nursing and health research: promise and challenges

Tovertafel® is a VR-based serious game for dementia care (SGDC) that aims to stimulate residents affected by dementia in nursing homes, promote social and cognitive skills and reduce apathy. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of using Tovertafel® on apathy, social interaction and social activity of people with dementia (PWD) in long-term inpatient care in Germany. In this monocentric intervention study, 25 residents of an inpatient long-term care facility with moderate or severe dementia had two weekly applications of Tovertafel® over a period of 8 weeks. Effects on the residents' social interaction and activity were recorded before (T1), during (T2) and 1 h after (T3) each intervention using the Engagement of a Person with Dementia Scale (EPWDS). The degree of apathy was assessed using the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES). Effects of Tovertafel® were examined using a simple repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Thirteen residents with moderate (52%) and 12 residents with severe dementia (48%) were included. Results showed that residents' apathy changed over the course of the trial and was partially reduced. ANOVA revealed significant changes in the positive expression of social participation in the overall group between individual observation times (p < 0.001; T1: MW = 2.67, SD = 1.352; T2: MW = 3.66, SD = 1.365; T3: MW = 3.10, SD = 1.300) and a significantly lower negative expression of social participation at T2 (MW = 1.09, SD = 0.358) than at T1 (MW = 1.19, SD = 0.579; p = 0.028). There was a significantly higher positive expression of behavioral involvement in the overall group at T3 (MW = 1.17, SD = 0.552) than at T1 (p = 0.003) or T2 (p = 0.045). Analyses did not find any significant interaction between observation times and degree of dementia. Results of the study show that the use of Tovertafel® over a period of 2 months had significant effects on apathy, social activity and social interaction in people with moderate or severe dementia. Symptoms of apathy could be reduced and social interaction and activity increased. However, due to limitations of the study design and special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, findings might be overestimated and must be interpreted with care. Further research is necessary.

This paper argues that critical realism is one of the main theoretical orientations of the social sciences in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Critical realism aims to study the transcendental conditions of cognition, and it assumes that reality exists independently of our perceptive abilities. Furthermore, it assumes that reality is ontologically stratified wherein one can distinguish three ontological domains: empirical, actual, and real. In terms of social science, critical realism, therefore, posits that social structures have a real ontological basis independent of researchers’ empirical observations. This paper also emphasizes the role of Roy Bhaskar in the development of the philosophy of critical realism. It is worth noting that he developed his research in the field of social sciences on the basis of the model of dialectical critical realism. This model is not a solution developed within the social sciences, but a philosophical approach that proposes how knowledge about people and social structures can be developed, interpreted and described.

Evaluating the impact of mass housings' in-between spaces' spatial configuration on users' social interaction

Assessment of social frailty is crucial; however, definitions and assessment methods lack standardization. This review examined social frailty in community-dwelling older adults, highlighted trends in the definitions and assessment items used to date, and identified issues in assessing social frailty. The PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched for articles related to social frailty published up to 2022, and 95 articles were included in this review. The Bunt classification was used to assess the trends in items considered indicative of social frailty. Existing rating scales for social frailty were used in 82% of studies, and cut-off values were defined in 62% of studies. Factors such as the level of education; social interaction (weekly outings); and feelings of abandonment, emptiness, and lack of social integration (absence of a partner and non-participation in social organizations or activities) were evaluated less frequently. This study revealed that subjective feelings, including the fulfillment of social needs and participation in social activities, are less commonly considered in the assessment of social frailty.

This study examines how changes in cognition over time are related to participation in social activities and the extent of social networks. Data are drawn from a population-based, longitudinal study that began in 1989 among elderly Taiwanese. An over-dispersed Poisson model is used to regress the number of failed cognitive tasks (0-5) in 1996, 1999, and 2000 on prior measures of cognitive impairment, social activities, social networks, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics. The analysis sample comprises 2387 individuals, who contribute a total of 4603 observations across three survey intervals (1993-96, 1996-99, 1999-2000). After adjusting for prior cognitive impairment, baseline health status, and sociodemographic factors, respondents who participated in one or two social activities failed 13% fewer cognitive tasks (P < 0.01) than those with no social activities; those who engaged in three or more activities failed 33% fewer cognitive tasks (P < 0.001). In contrast, none of the social network measures was related to cognitive impairment. Despite a social structure where elderly persons often live with their children and social interaction is likely to be more family-centered than in western countries, data from Taiwan suggest that participation in social activities outside the family may have a bigger impact on cognitive function than social contacts with family or non-relatives.

Planning theory and practice has evolved from a concern with “scientific efficiency” in the mid‐1800s to a recent emphasis on rationalized decision‐making. The period between has seen a continuing shift in focus including the “city beautiful” movement of the late 19th century, the pragmatists/technicians of the 1920s, the national resources concerns of the 1930s and 1940s, and the rational planning movement of the past three decades. The rational planning model (RPM) is a 5 step process that involves setting goals, defining alternatives, comparing alternatives, making a choice, and implementing the selected alternative. The RPM has three major problems, however: limited knowledge; the community welfare function; and implementation. Failures because of these problems have led to various attempts to modify the RPM. Although there is no single, best theory of planning, the planning function continues to play an important role and to evolve in response to continually changing societal needs.