Perspective Of Citizens Research Articles

Co-creating and evaluating the potential of digital neighborhood platforms for healthcare and social professionals.

Background: The governmental Caring Neighborhoods initiative in Flanders (Belgium) is a driver for the exploration of collaboration between informal actors (citizens, families, neighbors, informal caregivers, ...) and professional actors (healthcare, social care, housing, culture, ...). Several neighborhoods advance a digital neighbourhood platform as a means of communication, participation, and matchmaking between people who want and offer neighborly support. Healthcare and social professionals often meet people who could use neighborly support. In this project, we explore the potential to integrate digital neighbourhood platforms in daily practices together with these professionals.
 Target group: Healthcare and social professionals.
 Involved and engaged stakeholders: Citizens, families, neighbors, informal caregivers, housing, culture, ...
 Intervention: The researchers become active partners in the development of five caring neighborhoods, co-creating and evaluating the potential of the platforms through the participation in project meetings, work groups, partner meetings, workshops, steering committees, ... Content analysis is performed to distinguish themes and patterns in the data, answering the realist evaluation question: what works for who, in which circumstances?
 Results: The potential of the digital neighbourhood platforms depends on the functionality of the platform, the fit with the neighbourhood needs and context, the pre-existing collaborative dynamics in the neighbourhood, and the willingness and capability of professionals to integrate the platform into daily practices. Platforms have different goals (e.g. sharing economy vs. social community) and functions (e.g. neighborly support matchmaking and/or communication). Platforms have a limited potential for vulnerable citizens, groups and neighborhoods. 'Offline' community organizing, both informally and professionally, remains important in any case, but especially for the most vulnerable. Several caring neighbourhood projects are experimenting with hybrid combinations of 'online' and 'offline' community organizing and neighborly help, but both knowledge and skills as well as collaborative processes have to be further developed to better address the individual and community needs and for professionals to integrate the platforms in daily practices.
 Lessons for international audience:
 - The potential and limitations of digital neighbourhood platforms are tied to the needs and contexts of different neighborhoods, and to the pre-existing informal and professional networks and their ongoing collaborative dynamic.
 - A co-creative, participative research methodology helps to shed light on the intricate differences between different neighborhoods, caring neighbourhood projects, and their respective dynamics.
 Next steps: The lessons learned are translated into accessible information and services for local governments, healthcare and social care. Future research should further look into the potential of digital neighbourhood platforms in the context of caring neighborhoods from the citizen perspective.

Management of Public Sector Strategies in Dealing with the Use of Public Service Applications for People in Bangladesh

The digital revolution has had a profound impact on public service delivery worldwide, and Bangladesh is no exception. In recent years, the government of Bangladesh has made significant strides in embracing technology to improve citizen-government interactions through public service applications. These applications offer a wide range of services, from tax payments and utility bill settlements to healthcare and education resources, making governance more accessible and citizen-centric. However, the effective management of public service applications poses several challenges, including technical issues, administrative hurdles, user-related concerns, and legal and regulatory complexities. This thesis explores the management of public sector strategies in dealing with the use of public service applications in Bangladesh. A mixed-methods research design is adopted, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. A literature review provides an overview of the current landscape of public service applications in the country and highlights best practices from other nations. Primary data is collected through surveys and interviews, which capture citizen perspectives and experiences, as well as insights from government officials and technology experts. The findings indicate that public service applications have a positive impact on governance, enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and transparency. However, challenges such as limited digital infrastructure, cybersecurity concerns, bureaucratic resistance, and digital literacy gaps need to be addressed. Strategies for effective management are proposed, including improving technical infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity measures, promoting user education, streamlining administrative processes, and fostering collaboration with the private sector and NGOs. Furthermore, the importance of data privacy policies, multilingual applications, and continuous user feedback for enhancing citizen trust and inclusivity is emphasized.

Understanding good governance: voices of rural people in South-Western Nigeria

Scholars and policymakers widely acknowledge the critical role of good governance in rural development and poverty reduction. Unfortunately, decades of good governance reforms have not reduced poverty in Nigeria. But what is good governance? The problem is that the working definition and popularized principles of good governance do not actually emanate from the poor. Moreover, there is a lack of contextualization of the concept of good governance within the Nigerian context. Rather, donors’ institutional understanding is universalized through the imposition of a good governance agenda. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the concept of good governance through the lens of rural communities in south-west Nigeria. Understanding good governance from the viewpoint of local citizens, who are the recipients of governance reforms, is vital for effective targeted reform. The study is based on the premise that communities possess a deep understanding of their own social circumstances and possess the capacity to express their unique insights. Employing Participatory Action Research (PAR) and qualitative methods like semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, the research engaged a purposively selected sample from three rural communities in south-west Nigeria. The findings revealed that, for these communities, good governance primarily involves the government's ability to meet basic needs and provide welfare-enhancing infrastructure. Conversely, bad governance is characterized by declining welfare, economic hardship, and inadequate infrastructure. Interestingly, participants did not prioritize reforms like regular elections or anti-corruption measures as core attributes of good governance, although they did not oppose these aspects. This study underscores the need to incorporate the perspectives of local citizens in defining good governance, allowing for homegrown solutions that might offer quicker and cost-effective strategies for development.

Financial Inclusion through Decentralized Finance: A Citizen Perspective

DeFi, a blockchain-based innovation, eliminates traditional financial intermediaries, offering direct peer-to-peer financial transactions and access to a wide array of financial services including lending, borrowing, insurance, and investment opportunities. This paper delves into how DeFi democratizes access to financial resources, particularly for the underserved and unbanked populations worldwide, by reducing transaction costs, enhancing transparency, and providing secure and equitable access to financial services. Through a citizen-centric lens, this article contributes to the ongoing dialogue on leveraging DeFi for global financial inclusion, suggesting pathways for integrating DeFi into the broader financial ecosystem in a manner that maximizes its inclusivity and benefits for all citizens.

Kritik Terhadap Perubahan RUU KUHP: Perspektif Hukum Pidana dan Hak Warga Negara

The proposed changes to the Draft Law on the Criminal Code (RUU KUHP) have attracted widespread attention from various parties. This research aims to examine and criticize these changes, especially from the perspective of criminal law and citizens' rights. This study uses qualitative research with a library approach in obtaining data for research results. The research results show that there are many problems related to changes to the Criminal Code Bill, which include the addition and deletion of several articles. The ambiguity of legal concepts, the possibility of abuse of power, and the consequences for individual freedom are the main focus of criticism. Changes may also affect citizens' rights and the judicial process.

Economic effects for citizens and the government of a country-level tobacco endgame strategy: a modelling study

BackgroundAotearoa-New Zealand (A/NZ) was the first country to pass a comprehensive commercial tobacco endgame strategy into law. Key components include the denicotinisation of smoked tobacco products and a major reduction...

Balancing tourism and conservation: analysing the sustainability of tourism in the city of Naples through citizen perspectives

AbstractThis research aims to assess how residents perceive the impact of tourism on different dimensions, including the economy, environment, culture, society, and politics. Tourism plays a key role in stimulating a city’s economy. Nevertheless, it also presents challenges for residents, influencing their quality of life and mobility. Recently, the city of Naples (South of Italy) has emerged as a favorite destination for tourists in search of art, history, and landscapes. By gathering insights from the community through the administration of a questionnaire, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted effects of tourism development in Naples. A theoretical model was estimated using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to validate the formulated hypotheses regarding the relationship between six factors used to measure residents’ perception of tourism. Results provide a valuable resource for public administrations, helping them adopt effective strategies to address the impact of tourism on residents and mitigate its negative effects.

Reply to critique of the paper, ‘investigating the attitude and perspectives of Indian citizens toward COVID-19 vaccines: A text analytics study’

I have recently received a comment paper on my previous published paper in July 2023 of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR). The paper is titled Critique of the paper, "Investigating the Attitudes and Perspectives of Indian Citizens toward COVID-19 Vaccines: A Text Analytics Study". In that paper, few comments were asked by the authors. Therefore, I have attempted to make suitable reply to their comments on various aspects such as data selection and the methodologies employed. Also, the current study provides justifications for the comments raised by the authors in that paper.

The Dilemma of Dual Citizenship Plan in Indonesia: An Overview of Politics and Human Rights

The development of globalization has had an impact on the perspectives of Indonesian citizens, especially diaspora groups who wish to apply a dual citizenship legal status, because it is considered to have a positive impact on their lives. Pressure from diaspora groups has received various rejections from nationalist groups who view the implementation of dual citizenship as a potential threat to security and political instability in Indonesia. The method used in this study is a library method that uses various previous studies as a research data base. This study uses the political theory of citizenship initiated by Stokke, that citizenship has four dimensions, namely legal status, rights, membership, and participation related to the plan to implement dual citizenship in Indonesia, especially from a political and human rights perspective. The results of the study show that empirically dual citizenship prioritizes aspects of human rights, especially state protection for diaspora groups and returning the rights of citizens who were exiled due to politics in the New Order era. However, the application of dual citizenship also requires special studies, especially regarding political rights, because it involves various fundamental issues within the Indonesian state, such as getting the opportunity to vote and be elected in general elections. The basic problem is also related to the clarity of the ideology of dual citizenship, because only Indonesia implements Pancasila as the state ideology. The conclusion of the research results shows that political and human rights views have become a debate used by groups that oppose or support the plan to implement dual citizenship in Indonesia.

Challenges during installation and maintenance of water delivery infrastructure: a citizen perspective

The installation and maintenance of water infrastructure in South African cities poses a challenge to communities, municipalities, and installation contractors, who face problems such as inadequate access to homes, traffic jams, inadequately barricaded trenches, leaking water pipes, water supply cut-offs, vandalism, and theft of water. The research problem, therefore, involves an inadequate understanding of what drives these problems and how to mitigate them through better management. The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges of managing water infrastructure as perceived by the citizens of a South African municipality. The study was a descriptive and cross-sectional survey, with data collected, via a literature derived, emailed questionnaire, from a self-selected non-probability sample of 402 City of Tshwane residents. Analysis, via SPSS Version 27, used descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that both the municipality and the contractors contributed to the challenges experienced by citizens, with maintenance challenges being more serious than installation challenges. Municipal and political challenges were the main drivers, with political ownership of construction companies and political interference being the biggest problems. The findings contributed to a better understanding of the challenges inhibiting effective installation and maintenance of water infrastructure, and are important to the municipality, and the community at large, because they contribute to a better understanding of service delivery from the citizens’ perspectives.

The Exploration of Commercial Paths of Urban Cultural Heritage

Due to the development of cities in modern China, improper protection of urban heritage has caused a lot of damage. Although the protection of urban heritage has been strengthened after the introduction of new regulations, in many cases due to improper operation or insufficient strength due to various reasons, the process of urban heritage protection is very difficult. Urban cultural heritage is also a unique feature of a certain area, which often attracts many foreign tourists. Therefore, the major merchants decided to develop their products based on the city's cultural heritage in order to attract more customers. From the standpoint of ordinary people, the citizen's perspective examines the purpose, process and results of urban heritage protection, respects the important position of citizens in urban heritage protection, fully considers the needs and feelings of the public, and tastes the public participation in the relevant links of heritage protection. Urban heritage protection from the perspective of citizens aims to integrate urban heritage into daily life, place emotional memories, maintain urban characteristics, and improve the quality of citizens. This article will discuss the protection of urban heritage by analyzing the public, to propose a commercial path for urban cultural heritage.

A brief analysis of the dilemma China’s housing market encountered- the formation process of the domestic housing market and what course to follow

This paper aims to discuss the dramatic impact of the pandemic on China’s housing industry and the underlying problems of the industry. Many seemingly strange circumstances happened in China, such as the continuously growing housing bubble and the housing prices that have not fallen in the recent decade. This paper uses the statistics collected by the authoritative data collection organization, the banks, and the housing agencies in Shanghai and the previous economics theory to briefly analyze China’s housing industry’s current situation and drawbacks and help explain the dilemmas as mentioned earlier. China’s housing market has its particularity, which makes it distinct from the markets in Western countries. This makes it hard to mechanically apply the old crisis theories to China’s market. Consequently, the actual situation, such as the government’s policy, must be taken into consideration- for example, in big cities, parking space prices rose even faster than housing prices. Different from ordinary economic analysis, the paper was written from the perspective of an ordinary citizen who had witnessed the growth of China’s housing market. For this reason, financial aspects and other aspects, such as the people’s livelihood and other industries, were considered. China’s housing bubble was gradually formed for many historical reasons, and its elimination will also take a long time. However, with our government and our people’s cooperation and coordination, it can be made sure that our market will be on the right track one day.

Safe City: A Study of Channels for Public Warnings for Emergency Communication in Finland, Germany, and Greece

Public warning systems are an essential element of safe cities. However, the functionality of neither traditional nor digital emergency warnings is understood well enough from the perspective of citizens. This study examines smart city development from the perspective of safety by exploring citizens’ viewpoints. It investigates people’s perceptions of the ways in which they obtain warnings and information about emergencies involving health risks. Data were collected in the form of focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews in Finland, Germany, and Greece. The results suggest that people place a lot of trust in their social network, receiving text messages, and their ability to use web-based search engines in order to obtain public warnings. The study discusses the challenges identified by citizens in the use of conventional radio and television transmissions and sirens for public warnings. Based on the results, citizens demonstrate informed ignorance about existing mobile emergency applications. Our results imply that it is not sufficient to build emergency communication infrastructure: the development of smart, safe cities requires continuous work and the integration of both hard and soft infrastructure-oriented strategies, i.e., technological infrastructure development including digitalisation and education, advancement of knowledge, and participation of people. Both strategic aspects are essential to enable people to take advantage of novel digital applications in emergency situations.

How do I want the city council to spend our budget? Conceiving MaaS from a citizen's perspective … (as well as biking infrastructure and public transport)

While several governmental and research efforts are set upon mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), most of them are driven by individual travel behavior and potential usage. However, considering only individuals’ preferences carries the risk of neglecting societal benefits going beyond individual travel behavior. This study addresses the valuation of different features of MaaS-services from a social desirability perspective as compared to social investments in biking infrastructure and in public transport, and aims at eliciting trade-offs between different features of such projects. This analysis is conducted on the basis of Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE). In PVE-experiments, individuals select their preferred portfolio of government projects given a constrained public budget and societal preferences for (the impacts of) government projects can be determined based on these choices.The results show that the population of Rotterdam exhibits a willingness to allocate public resources to all types of investment projects considered in the analysis. However, the willingness to allocate resources to bike infrastructure projects and public transport seems to be higher than the willingness to dedicate resources to MaaS subsidies. Within the different types of MaaS subsidies considered, subsidies aimed at sustainability exhibit a larger social valuation. Strong negative synergies among similar projects exist, signalizing that individuals prefer diversifying the use of public resources across different types of investment projects.

Administrative Burden in Citizen–State Interactions: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract Based on a systematic review of 119 articles and working papers, we provide an overview of how administrative burdens in citizen–state interactions have been studied since the inception of the research agenda in 2012. We develop a new and comprehensive model of how key concepts in the framework are related, assess the evidence of the causal relationships proposed by the model, and discuss where more evidence is needed. Empirical research supports conventional claims that burdens are consequential, distributive, and constructed. However, the literature has moved further by (1) demonstrating that factors such as frontline service delivery and government communication influence experiences of burdens; (2) highlighting how factors beyond ideology influence constructions of burdens; (3) introducing the burden tolerance concept; (4) illustrating that experiences of burden influence policymakers’ and members of the publics’ burden tolerance. Based on the review, we propose an agenda for future administrative burden research. We call for studies linking experiences of burden to outcomes such as democratic behavior and take-up, and for studies connecting policymakers’ burden tolerance to actual state actions. Moreover, we argue that future studies should use qualitative methods to further explore the nature of burdens from the perspective of citizens, rely on experimental methods to establish causal links between state actions and experiences of burden, and compare burdens across contexts. Further, empirical studies should examine the tradeoffs between legitimacy and experiences of burden, and how actors outside the citizen–state interaction may influence experiences of administrative burden.

‘There’s a lot less time on small talk’: Rural patient perspectives on shifting to technology-enabled healthcare in Canada during COVID-19

The objective of this qualitative research study was to explore system, provider, and patient level factors from the perspective of rural-living citizens in Canada and how these factors influenced their telehealth experiences. Participants were recruited in follow-up to an online survey which asked for interest in participation in focus groups to talk about telehealth experiences. Twenty-two rural citizens participated in one of five focus groups. The qualitative data from the focus groups were thematically analyzed. The overarching theme that described rural participants’ experiences of telehealth during the pandemic was navigating the shifting care model. Two main themes were constructed from the data: shifts in the patient-provider relationship and mismatch between the telehealth requirements and provider and system support. Relational shifts involved a transactional or business-like relationship with their providers, that was reflected in changes in etiquette practices, personalization of care, and communication dynamics. Mismatch in telehealth system requirements and support was reflected in shifting personal and infrastructure technology requirements, blurred boundaries of health data access and privacy, and shifting appointment logistics. Continued use and expansion of technology-enabled healthcare must consider patient perspectives.

Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities: A Multifaceted Study on the Experiences of Senior Citizen Migrants in Urban Areas of Punjab, Pakistan

This comprehensive research explores the urban experiences of elderly migrants in Punjab, Pakistan, providing insights into the obstacles and possibilities they face. The study employs a comprehensive approach to investigate various aspects of the mobility of elderly individuals, taking into account social, economic, and cultural factors. Its objective is to uncover the challenges that seniors encounter when adjusting to urban life while acknowledging the potential benefits and opportunities associated with their relocation. This is achieved by examining the perspectives of senior citizens. The research utilized qualitative research design and case study methodology for data collection. The results reveal that senior citizen migrants in urban Punjab face significant obstacles, including social isolation, limited healthcare access, and financial difficulties. Navigating unfamiliar urban environments, these individuals often face with social isolation, leading to a sense of alienation. The challenges are compounded by restricted access to high-quality healthcare, impacting their overall well-being. Furthermore, in urban settings, traditional support systems may weaken, potentially affecting financial stability and exacerbating economic constraints. The insights from the study can guide the development of policies and interventions aimed at improving the welfare of this demographic in urban areas.

RECYCLING OF OIL USED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HANDMADE LIQUID SOAP AS AN EXPERIMENTAL ACTIVITY IN CHEMISTRY

This article aims to carry out a reflective analysis on the production process of homemade liquid soap from the waste of cooking oil generated. Every day, it becomes more evident to the population how much the commitment we must have with the care of the environment is necessary, as there are a number of problems that oppose the existence of a healthy environment, among these are those arising from the practices of everyday life such as the poor disposal of cooking oil after use, whose final destination, in most cases, are sink drains, causing their clogging, the gullets of large urban centers, damaging the bodies of water and causing in environmental problems such as pollution of the aquatic environment and economic losses such as the increase in the cost of processes in effluent treatment plants. Through this practical-experimental activity, it is understood that teaching Chemistry through experimentation develops logical reasoning, stimulates thinking, creativity and the ability to resolve situations related to the content, which will be linked to the reality of everyday life there. students, from a formative and citizen perspective. In addition, making use of an approach that involves current issues and content of general interest, it helps the student to understand Chemistry in its daily applications, awakening him to value the sciences and motivating him to search for new knowledge.

Learning through participation processes

Abstract. The Site Selection Act (StandAG) defines the selection of a repository as a learning process (lernendes Verfahren) in § 1. Learning is also an essential aspect of transdisciplinary (td) research projects – apart from capacity and network building in addition to supporting change. Transdisciplinarity means that different academic disciplines (interdisciplinary) work together with practitioners (e.g. citizens, NGOs and government officials) to integrate the knowledge, interests and values from various sources to solve a real-world problem (Klein et al., 2001). Joint working involves a functional dynamic collaboration of disciplines and societal actors, starting with problem framing (co-design) through problem analysis and exploring the impact at the end (co-production). Learning can take place during all phases of the research process and at all levels (i.e. from the individual to the institution). Moreover, how and what is learnt is specific to the project context, topic (e.g. renewable energy) and coincidence of different knowledge types (system, transformation and target knowledge). The Transdisciplinarity Lab (TdLab) carries out the accompanying research in TRANSENS. TRANSENS is one of the few td research projects found internationally in the field of nuclear waste management. The TdLab analyses, amongst other things, the learning that stems from participation activities. Therefore, we would like to identify the manifold learning experiences of stakeholder integration during the site selection procedure, on the one hand, and of td research projects, on the other hand. Taking into account the perspectives of citizens, practitioners and scientists, this interactive workshop seeks to accomplish the following (see Fig. 1): make visible the learning areas from participation processes in the “real world” (practice; e.g. site selection process) and under “laboratory conditions” (research projects; e.g. TRANSENS), identify the transferability of learning areas from science to practice (including limitations), determine useful learning areas from research projects for practice, and identify knowledge gaps in the “real world” for research projects in the future. From the interactive workshop, we expect the identification of key learning areas, their specific relevance for nuclear waste management and the identification of topics for future research.

How to successfully implement population health management: a scoping review

BackgroundDespite international examples, it is unclear for multisector initiatives which want to sustainably improve the health of a population how to implement Population Health Management (PHM) and where to start. Hence, the main purpose of this research is to explore current literature about the implementation of PHM and organising existing knowledge to better understand what needs to happen on which level to achieve which outcome.MethodsA scoping review was performed within scientific literature. The data was structured using Context-Mechanism-Outcome, the Rainbow model of integrated care and six elements of PHM as theoretical concepts.ResultsThe literature search generated 531 articles, of which 11 were included. Structuring the data according to these three concepts provided a framework that shows the skewed distribution of items that influence the implementation of PHM. It highlights that there is a clear focus on normative integration on the organisational level in ‘accountable regional organisation’. There is less focus on the normative integration of ‘cross domain business model’, ‘integrated data infrastructure’, and ‘population health data analytics’, and overall the perspective of citizen and professionals, indicating possible gaps of consideration.ConclusionsA first step is taken towards a practical guide to implement PHM by illustrating the depth of the complexity and showing the partial interrelatedness of the items. Comparing the results with existing literature, the analysis showed certain gaps that are not addressed in practice, but should be according to other frameworks. If initiators follow the current path in literature, they may be missing out on some important components to achieve proper implementation of PHM.