Knowledge Of Citizens Research Articles

Marcel Poete: pioneer of 'l'urbanisme' and defender of 'l'histoire des villes'

Marcel Poete (Doubs 1866-Paris 1950) was an historian, an archivist and a librarian. Throughout his life, he was interested in the evolution of the urban plan, studying especially the morphological transformations of Paris. This article analyses Poete's work, trying to understand which are the sources of his thought, as well as the reasons for his limited practical success among the planning pioneers. The first part is devoted to the recent historiography on Poete; the central part of the paper to his personal engagement on the themes of the citizen's knowledge of their city and of Civic Art, also through his teaching activity and the Exhibitions on Paris organized at the Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris; the last part, passing through the huge collection of his manuscript notes, identifies his cultural references.

Effects of the News Media Environment on Citizen Knowledge of State Politics and Government

This multivariate analysis shows that residents in and near Richmond, Virginia, where the state capital is located, are significantly more knowledgeable about state politics than are residents living elsewhere in the state, especially in the northern Virginia – Washington, D.C. metro area. A newspaper content analysis demonstrates that Richmond-area residents are exposed to far more news of state politics and government than are residents of northern Virginia. The study suggests that the media environment is highly important in providing the opportunity for citizens to learn about politics.

Peilen naar de politieke kennis van de Belgische burgers

The available studies and opinion polls are examined for indications of the degree and the content of political knowledge of the Belgian citizens. Political knowledge differs strikingly depending on the components of decision making : political parties, office bolders and their competence, power relations, institutional settings, pressure groups, corporatism and policy measures. Proceeding from personification to content and from more important to less important aspects, the knowledge declines noticeably. A marked portion of the populationshows a lack of even the most elementary knowledge.

Clinical decision making: sine qua non of the curriculum.

Send the patient to radiology or not? MRI or arthrography for the TMJ? E-speed or D-speed film? Panoramic plus bitewings or a full-mouth series? CT or tomography for implants? Is it apical osteitis or periapical cemental dysplasia? Is it inflammation or malignancy? These are just a few of the many questions and decisions that we encounter every day in clinical radiology. By and large, the basic science and traditional clinical curricula prepare us to ask the questions and understand the issues at hand, but leave us ill prepared to answer and address them. Unfortunately, clinical practice is often based on rote memorization of 'recipes' learned in school or residency, or on intuition, heuristics and folklore. This no longer need be. Practitioners now have an alternative, our own 'basic science' clinical decision making. For many, clinical decision making conjures up flow diagrams and algorithms; diagnostic efficacy; riskbenefit and cost-effectiveness analyses; technology assessment; and decision analysis. Clinical decision making uses all of these tools, but is not defined by them. Decision making blends mathematics, biostatistics, epidemiology and the 'scientific method' into a rational, systematic and defensible method of making decisions about health policy and individual patient care. In health care we have many choices. This is especially true in radiology, where the choices are often high-tech and costly. Dr Samuel O. Thier, then President of the Institute of Medicine of the US National Academy of Science, addressed this issue at the 68th Annual Session of the American Association of Dental Schools'. He said, 'Practices are built by accretion rather than by assessment. We no longer know which of the available choices in a given circumstance is best relative to the others. We only know whether something works or does not. That is an unacceptable situation for any of the professions, and particularly unacceptable in health services where costs keep rising. If we cannot determine what is useful and what is appropriate, then it is unlikely that we will make wise choices about what we wish to do.' One of the important concepts of clinical decision making is that 'we' includes the patient. Patients manifest disease differently, have different risk thresholds, and value infirmity and mortality differently. The best choice for one patient with a given problem may not be the best for another with the identical problem; the patients are different. Clinical decision making recognizes that there are often several correct answers, and which is most correct changes with changing information or circumstances. The many successes of reductionist, mechanistic basic sciences (for example, specific antibiotics for specific microbial infections, and the identification of a specific gene alteration for sickle cell anaemia) may lead one to believe that there is a single path for solving all problems or answering all questions. Not so. Just as Newtonian physics was superseded by quantum mechanics, deterministic pathobiology will be replaced in many instances by probabilistic clinical decision making. None the less, decision making is not a panacea. Formal clinical decision making is limited in many instances by the lack of appropriate databases. This point was emphasized repeatedly during the 'Clinical Decision-Making in Dentistrt symposium recently held in Seattle, Washington. A unifying theme of the various presentations was that the current status of formal clinical decision making, especially decision analysis, may be summarized as 'The medium is the message'. Even when the numerical analysis is impossible to perform, the statement of the problem in formal decision-making terms (for example, a decision tree) involves a thinking process that is itself likely to improve the decision. Fortunately, the databases in radiology, while still incomplete, are better than what is available in other dental disciplines. This means quantitative, probabilistic clinical decision making can be, and should be, incorporated into the everyday practice of clinical radiology. This may be a struggle since, as John Allan Paulos notes, 'Innumeracy, an inability to deal comfortably with the fundamental notions of number and chance, plagues far too many otherwise knowledgeable citizens'>, And what of our otherwise knowledgeable students and practitioners? Increases in quantity and sophistication of knowledge have outstripped our ability to keep up, and require changes in how we teach our students and practice our profession. Dr Derek Bok,

Modernizing the animal science curriculum: is change needed?

To identify an animal science curriculum is difficult because it is a "moving target" due to changing needs and demands of our society and, more specifically, to changes in the backgrounds and interests of students. Therefore, animal science curriculums not only should change, but must change, if they are to succeed. With new technological innovations and discoveries that either modify, supplement, or change basic concepts and approaches, it is paramount that changes in courses as well as in the curriculum conform. Because of the applied nature of animal science and because of the many unknowns yet to be discovered, the curriculum should be under continual scrutiny. However, we must not fix something when it is not broken. For all practical purposes, a curriculum reflects a philosophy of what subjects should be included to complete a plan of study. After a philosophy has been established the base curriculum will seldom change significantly. When it does, it will be the result of a change in people's philosophies rather than a reflection of industry needs or student interests. Teachers should not forget how to teach most effectively the material and must never lose sight of their goal of molding students into knowledgeable, wise, and responsible citizens in our society.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Family Planning Program Effort Has Increased During the 1980s, with East Asia Ranked Highest

A capsule of family planning (FP) program activity in East Asia South Asia sub-Saharan Africa Middle East/north Africa and Latin America in 1982 and 1989 is presented based on a cross sectional study conducted by Mauldin and Ross. Activity increased >50% over 7 years. East Asia ranked the highest at 64% followed by South Asia at 52% Latin America at 54% sub-Saharan Africa at 36% and Middle East at 33%. Africa increased from 15% but was still low in program effort. Program effort was scored (0-4) on policy and stage setting activities service and service-related activities record keeping and availability of contraceptives. Scores were converted to a 100-point scale. Response rate was 433 respondents (FP government officials donor agency staff knowledgeable citizens and foreigners) out of 100 countries in 1982 and 359 out of 98 countries in 1989. Countries included those developing ones with a population of >1 million. Specific country analysis showed China with the highest program effort score of 84 or 101 out of 120. Gabon Kuwait Libya and Saudi Arabia had scores of 0. Scores were high for Tunisia (68) and Egypt (65) even though the region was very low. The average score among countries was 29 in 1982 and 44 in 1989. Effort was further grouped into strong (67+) moderate (46-66) weak (21-45) or very weak (0-20). Countries with strong scores in 1989 increased from 23 to 42 those with weak scores decreased from 65 to 46. Strong scoring countries constitute 64% of developing country populations (14 countries including China India and Mexico). Moderate scores of 29 countries (including Ghana Lebanon and the Philippines) contribute 15% of the developing worlds population. 38 weak scoring countries (most sub-Saharan countries) contain 17% of the population. 17 countries had weak or no programs and contain 4% of the population including Iraq Kuwait Laos and Malawi. Gains were made in all 4 categories but sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest score on availability. Social setting was also ranked and compared to FP effort. Only Bangladesh had a low social setting score and strong FP effort. FP effort and the effect on fertility and social setting are also discussed. For example total fertility rates (TFRs) declined by 6% in countries with weak programs 24% with moderate programs and 34% with strong programs. TFR declined the most in countries with the highest social setting. It is concluded from statistical analysis that modern contraceptive method are a necessary condition for fertility decline.

A Survey of Natural Resource and National Parks Knowledge and Attitudes of Dominican Republic Citizens

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study was to ascertain the current level of ecological knowledge and attitudes of citizens of the Dominican Republic regarding national parks and natural resources. A cluster random sample of five regions was drawn, and a 49-item instrument was administered by face-to-face interviews to approximately 2,900 respondents located in 68 communities. We found a significant difference between sex of the respondents and knowledge about existence of national parks in the Dominican Republic. More than 84% of those interviewed had not visited a national park nor participated in environmental education-interpretive activities. The overall level of ecological knowledge was determined to be very low. The attitudes toward national parks and natural resources seemed to be negative.

Regional civic organizations

The 94th National Conference on Government, held last November in Charlotte, North Carolina, included a workshop on regional civic organizations and citizen associations. Such a meeting seemed particularly appropriate in view of the League's longtime commitment to 1) enhancing citizen knowledge of and involvement in their local institutions and 2) promoting cross-sector, collaborative approaches to problem solving. The proliferation and growth of these regional civic organizations (RCOs) parallels the rise of the strategic, regional partnerships examined in this issue. It was clear from discussions at the Conference that the League should take formal steps to “get the word out” on these RCOs and the impact they are having across the country. In partnership with other nonprofits, the League will begin to generate profiles on the many organizations and associations that have arrived on the civic scene in recent years, track their progress, and make available profiles on their activities and programs. In keeping with the notion that organizations around the nation are well served through the sharing and exchange of information, this Regional Civic Organizations department has been established to report on the efforts of these creative and responsive groups. We launch this new department with an essay by Curtis Johnson, executive director of the Citizens League of Minneapolis/ St. Paul, which documents the rebirth of RCOs as a robust, independent and resourceful force in intercommunity problem solving. As this essay and others to fill this space in the future will show, the new RCOs are conscious of their interjurisdictional role, conscientious about their need for inclusiveness with independence, and aware of the potential of their networks of information, people, and resources to make a tangible difference.

Citizen Knowledge and Choices on the Complex Issue of Nuclear Energy

The rise of a new set of complex and highly consequential issues has generated a heated debate about the place of the citizen in the decision-making process. This article examines how citizens choose one policy option over another on nuclear energy and whether informed citizens use a decision calculus fundamentally different from that of the uninformed. Knowledgeable citizens, we find, rely heavily on ideology, which also colors their cost-benefit calculations, while the unknowledgeable draw on their generalized outlooks toward technology and the cues provided by groups involved in the nuclear energy controversy.

On Television Viewing and Citizens' Political Attitudes, Activity and Knowledge: Another Look at the Impact of Media on Politics

On Television Viewing and Citizens' Political Attitudes, Activity and Knowledge: Another Look at the Impact of Media on Politics

A better business understanding program

The American economic system is founded and dependent on an citizenry for effective functioning. Our economic system and knowledgeable citizenry form a vital and interlocking network. Numerous questions evolve from this interdependency. How does the citizenry become informed? How do people learn about their economic environment? What insures that this understanding, once established, will be maintained? Historically, economic learning was an inevitable counterpart of living. This fact is no longer true. Now, it is necessary to look beyond personal experience for economic knowledge. Correctly designed and implemented economic education programs in schools are imperative if we desire an informed citizenry. American society has witnessed innumerable changes during the past two centuries. Westward expansion, sectionalism, and industrialization have shaped the economic development of the United States. Early in American history, economic education evolved from life's experiences. In 1870, 90 percent of all Americans engaged in agriculture. Farmers knew the impact of economic principles. Plows, scythes, and horses were a part of farmers' existence. When harvests yielded over-abundant crops selling prices dropped. The law of supply and demand actually affected lives. In essence, economic theory and practice fused in agrarian society. Growth and development of the United States economy took its toll on citizen exposure to the market place. The United States began to establish its own factories and to manufacture goods. The impersonality of industry, mechanization, and specialization replaced first-hand economic learning for many persons. This trend continued with the business boom and the late nineteenth century Industrial Revolution. Economic growth during this period was unprecedented. Production of goods in 1900 was seven times that of 1865. Economic learning directly from life was no longer given. Citizen knowledge of economic principles, ideas, and concepts declined. Lack of economic awareness and understanding has been documented. Economic illiteracy contributes to adult functional incompetency. A study enti-

Review of Research on Sex Roles: Implications for Social Studies Research

Abstract This article reviews sex role research which has implications for social studies practice and research. Many achievement differences appear related to what students believe is the proper role for their sex, not to ability. Teacher expectations and teacher-student interactions appear to contribute to sex differences in academic interest and achievement. Males outperform females on tests of social studies and citizenship knowledge. Both male and female students in the U. S. are less supportive of women's rights than are students in other democratic nations. While many studies have found bias against women in textbooks and tests and an under-representation of females in educational administration, the effects of those conditions on students have not been demonstrated. Instruction designed to reduce sex role stereotyping has had mixed results.

Voters and Party Systems: A Review of the Recent Literature

TRADITIONALLY both popular and scholarly writers, when commenting upon mass political behavior, generally assumed that voters were basically rational and, at least in the broad sense, knowledgeable citizens who thoughtfully cast their ballots after weighing the nature of the issues and the character of the candidates. Given the sheer massiveness of the media coverage of political campaigns, the energy and vocal level of the candidates, and the care with which platform planks were formulated, it seemed inconceivable that voters could avoid getting caught up in election campaigns. Thus, when a group of sociologists from Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research decided to employ a panel interview technique to study the process whereby the voters in Erie County, Ohio, made up their minds during the 1940 presidential campaign, they focused their effort on evaluating the role played by the communications media in

Analysis of Spatial Voting Patterns: An Approach in Political Socialization

Abstract Passage of the 26th Amendment gave young adults the right to vote. Along with this privilege, new voters assumed responsibility for conducting themselves as knowledgeable citizens concerning issues, candidates, and the electoral process. This study attempts to further student understanding of the electoral process by presenting a method for analyzing spatial voting patterns. The spatial emphasis adds another dimension to the temporal and behavioral - structural approaches in studying the American electoral system. Inclusion of spatial analysis of voting patterns increases understanding and political socialization of young people.

Paul Sillitoe, Alan Bicker & Johan Pottier. Participating in development: approaches to indigenous knowledge. ASA Monographs No 39. London: Routledge, 2002.

It has long been recognised that the top-down, science-centred approach of development has failed to deliver its promises. The bottom-up participatory approach, advocated a couple of decades ago, has also not yielded the desired results. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) research forms one of the latest development models, which aims to address local needs more effectively. This volume, a collection of papers presented at the ASA conference 2000, is an attempt by anthropologis ts to contribute to the debate and carve their own niche in the process. Two broad themes (and various other interrelated sub themes) provide the common thread to a richly diverse volume. Firstly, what is IK, and what forms does its relationship with science take? Secondly, what are the possible methodologies that can be used to foster meaningful dialogue between, and encourage the integration of, the different knowledge systems in the development process? The first chapter is introductory and Sillitoe analyses the main themes dealt with in the volume. The term IK – also known as local knowledge, citizen knowledge, traditional knowledge, folk science, people’s knowledge, each with subtle differences, formulated within their own contexts – has, in the 20 th century, been ‘muted, rejected and subsequently discovered and celebrated’ (237). The term has nevertheless provoked criticism because IK is seen as static, unchanging, and bounded, whereas in practice it is ever changing and dynamic. Paul Sillitoe defines it as ‘a unique formulation of knowledge coming from a range of sources rooted in local cultures, a dynamic and ever changing pastiche of past ‘tradition’ and present invention with a view to the future’ (113). The contributors argue that development cannot be meaningful unless IK is integrated into the development process. However, historically, IK has been, and largely continues to be seen as inferior to science. The volume explores ways of addressing this power imbalance, integrating the two knowledge systems and what the anthropologist’s role in this process might be. It also critically analyses the ethical issues, disciplinary demands and other dilemmas faced by anthropologists. Key to this, is that anyone writing and engaging critically in action research has to deal with the crisis of representation. Who can write with authority about whom, and who owns the final product, (i.e. the ethnography) with respect to intellectual property rights? This is made more complex as participatory research is also informed by

The Noise Receiver, the Citizen

Urban man, immersed in everyday noise, receives little benefit from the science and technology of acoustics. He is low man in the noise source-transmission path-receiver system. Yet there is extensive know-how for noise control in industry and aerospace. In contrast, urban man continues to suffer, unabated and magnified, the same disabling noises of two generations ago. Today in addition, his environment is blighted by the inadequately muffled noises of aviation. Uniform guidelines are needed. Faced with this indisputable evidence of neglect, urban man must become responsible for his own protection. Citizens for a Quieter City has been formed to create an awareness of the need for the control of city noises and of the means available for noise control. It has a formal structure and draws upon a wide spectrum of experience and support, including that of humanist scientists and technologists. It is concluded that a knowledgeable citizen's noise abatement organization is a necessity. CQC has already proven productive, and extensive planning for the future is underway. A quieter everyday environment is possible, reasonable—and long overdue.

Seton-Watson and the Treaty of London

IWHEN a biography is written on the late Professor Robert W. Seton-Watson, no doubt the most knowledgeable British private citizen on the affairs of south-central Europe just prior to World War I, a substantial chapter will necessarily be devoted to his tenacious, resourceful, and indefatigable wartime crusade on behalf of the Czechoslovaks, the Rumanians, and the Southern Slavs whom he knew so well and admired with lively, though not uncritical, affection.' The correspondence with his friends printed here illustrates at once that concern and his success in accumulating information on the secret Treaty of London

Series of Fundamental Knowledge for Modern Citizens

Series of Fundamental Knowledge for Modern Citizens

The Teaching of Science and Mathematics in Extraschool Education

THE DIVIDING LINE between nonschool educational agencies and the school as it interacts with the whole community in its integrated program is not definite, and the selection of areas for this review is, therefore, arbitrary. Reports and studies dealing with student needs are included; so are studies dealing with certain educative agencies, namely, newspapers, magazines, and books; radio; motion pictures; and clubs. Several listings of educational agencies outside of school are available. Rugg (53) reviewed Non-School Educational Agencies and gave an extensive list together with a statement of the types of education judged to result from their activities. Gruenberg (19) listed agencies more specifically related to science. Thirty-four agencies are revealed in Mathewson's study of the means of meeting professional needs. These include books, magazines, government agencies, libraries, newspapers, and the radio. His study indicated considerable dissatisfaction with present functioning of these agencies. The need for greater utilization of extraschool opportunities has been apparent for some time. In 1924, Harap (22) mentioned the wide discrepancy between knowledge and practices of citizens and approved standards for commodities. Misconceptions still exist among citizens (21, 31). Aldrich (1) summarized research in the area and indicated a need for more consumer health education, for the removal of misleading advertising, and for increased participation by pupils in community life. That pupils are participating widely in out-of-school activities, such as helping to choose household supplies and selecting camp sites, was reported by Relyea (50) who used a loose technic in her study. Bye (8) offered an extensive list of objectives for community study. Rubin (52) suggested that the medical examinations of children and home visits by the visiting nurse should educate parents. Extraschool agencies and experiences have been used for motivational purposes more than for instructional purposes, according to a statement by Breslich (6). Heaton and Koopman (25) established, as a category important for college students, one that involves such science materials as soils, minerals, plants, animals, and ecological relationships. Understandings in such a category would clearly be dependent upon community study.