Grassroots Research Articles

Harriett Wilson, Audrey Harvey and Margaret Wynn: poverty, research and social action in 1950–1970s Britain

ABSTRACT The foundation of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in 1965 is seen as a pivotal moment in the history of British welfare policy heralding a new wave of pressure group activism. Many histories of the organisation focus on the expertise of two of their founder members, Brian Abel-Smith and Peter Towsend. But in foregrounding the role of these academic experts in the early history of CPAG the wider ecosystem of professionals, academics, politicians and activists involved has been overshadowed. This insight this article will argue that contributions to welfare policy and practice can be subsumed in organisational histories, particularly work that is local, smaller scale and practical. Often though not exclusively, women have undertaken such grassroots research and activism. Such work can, and does, contribute to the success of voluntary groups as well as feed into wider intellectual and policy currents. This paper will explore one such case study of this: the crucial but under-documented work of three women campaigners Harriett Wilson, Audrey Harvey and Margaret Wynn. It will illustrate how by combining both intellectually rigorous social research and practical social action they were important both in the formation of CPAG and sociological thinking and practice more broadly.

Reproductive health care seeking behavior in Bangladesh: Asystematic literature review.

Maternal health, in terms of pregnancy and childbirth, is an important aspect of women's reproductive health and remains a public health concern in underdeveloped countries of the world. Reproductive health care seeking behavior (RHSB), in both men and women in society, is influenced by a variety of social and environmental factors that needs to be summarized. This review aims to enhance understanding and perception of services in relation to RHSBs in several domains such as antenatal care (ANC), delivery care, postnatal care (PNC), and family planning (FP) services, for married women of reproductive age in Bangladesh. In major databases, for example, Medline, Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest and Google Scholar following keywords, timeline set as 2010 up to December 30, 2022. Articles that included discussion on married women of reproductive age, and their type of care seeking behavior for reproductive health. A systematic literature search was carried out and expected outcome was health care seeking behavior in the aspects of ANC, delivery care, PNC, and FP services. A data extraction form and quality appraisal form were used for data on RHSB of married women of the reproductive age group in Bangladesh and associated factors. A total of 245 articles were retrieved from databases; stepwise screening was done and finally 23 full-text articles were included for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used based on the included articles for narrative synthesis. In the selected articles, 17 (73.91%) were cross-sectional studies and more than half discussed both urban and rural women. Ante- and postnatal visits have proven to have positively influenced overall RHSB, as seen in Bangladesh. Grass root level workers play a major role in upgrading RHSB in women. Many factors limit rural access to mother and child health services including distance of the health facility and cost of the health service. In particular, education level, women's autonomy in family decision making and distance from health service can be considered as factors influencing RHSBs in Bangladesh. Exposure to mass media and TV watching are likely to positively impact RHSB patterns for women in Bangladesh.

The modern and the Monster: heritage activism in the post-socialist city between performance and performativity

ABSTRACT This paper explores the role of urban grassroot movements in the social configuration of contentious heritage and multiple temporalities and political articulations of heritage defense activism. Using the case study method, the paper traces the genealogy of one urban movement in defense of socialist modernist heritage in contemporary Montenegro, shedding light on the process of slow political recognition as opposed to the wide and rampant repertoire of urban contention and socio-cultural appropriation. Focusing on the events following the announcement of the construction of the 12-floor skyscraper (colloquially dubbed “the Monster”) in the immediate proximity of the iconic modernist Hotel Podgorica, the paper theorizes the capacity of urban activism in the contemporary post-socialist city to activate heritage dynamics and leverage urban knowledge as a tool of cultural control. Relying on a multi-method approach including participatory observations, interviews, urban and critical discourse analysis, and the archival research, this paper provides a multi-perspectival analysis of the complex interactions between contentious heritage, grassroot movements and political performativity in the post-socialist city. The results shed light on the evolving role of citizenship in urban development, signaling a paradigm shift towards engaged architecture and emancipatory urban activism as mechanisms for mitigating institutional inefficiencies and political performativity.

Design of the System of an Assemblable Channel Slope Weeder

If the grass roots of the water conveyance channel slope dig into the soil, it may cause the soil structure to loosen, and then increase the risk of slope landslide. The operation of manual cleaning weeds is dangerous due to the large slope of the channel. In this context, the design of a channel slope weeder that can adapt to different slopes is very important for the protection of the water channel slope. The weeder concept vehicle designed in this paper is mainly composed of four parts: drive car, frame mechanism, track mechanism and weeder mechanism. At the same time, the structure is analyzed by finite element method, and the stability and safety are analyzed by strength. The reference is provided for the design of the algal removal vehicle on the channel slope.

A Study on the Governance Model of Village Credit Bank in Rural Governance — Taking Youxiqiao Village as an Example

Rural governance is an important component of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and is a key link in achieving the strategy of rural revitalization. The paper takes Youxiqiao Village as an example and adopts a case analysis method to study the operational mechanism and action logic of the "Villager Credit Bank" governance model in rural governance. Research has shown that the governance model of "Village Credit Bank" has three major characteristics: standardized content, procedural process, and reward and punishment methods. It can play an important role in rural governance, including (1) stimulating the enthusiasm of villagers, (2) strengthening the role of grassroots organizations, (3) promoting the orderly implementation of village projects, and (4) enriching grassroots governance methods, which can provide reference for the governance of other villages.

Biomass of Shoots and Roots of Multicomponent Grasslands and Their Impact on Soil Carbon Accumulation in Arenosol Rich in Stones

To prevent the degradation of light-textured soils, it is advisable to use them for grasslands. These soil management systems help with the faster accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), thereby improving the soil’s properties and reducing carbon emissions from agricultural land. In this experiment, we studied the distribution of multi-component perennial grass roots in the Arenosol profile and their impact on SOC sequestration in temperate climate zones. Our research aimed to identify differences in root biomass at depths of 0–15 cm, 15–30 cm, and 30–50 cm and to assess their correlation with SOC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the soil. The roots, shoots, and soil samples of fertilized and unfertilized grasslands were collected at the flowering stage and after the final grass harvest two years in a row. Our findings revealed that, in sandy loam Arenosol rich in stones, 12.4–15.9 Mg ha−1 of root biomass was accumulated at 0–50 cm of soil depth. The application of NPK fertilizers did not significantly affect grass root biomass, but significantly affected shoot biomass. Most roots (84–88%) were concentrated in the 0–15 cm layer. On average, 5.10–6.62 Mg ha−1 of organic carbon (OC) was stored in the roots of perennial grasses within 0–50 cm of soil depth. We found that the SOC content in the 0–50 cm soil layer correlated more strongly (r = 0.62, p < 0.001) with C accumulated in the roots of the corresponding layer than with shoot biomass (r = 0.41, p = 0.04). However, a significant correlation was found between DOC and shoot biomass (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) and between DOC and the biomass of residues (r = 0.71, p < 0.001), explaining the significant increase in DOC in the 30–50 cm soil layer and indicating the leaching of mobile soil organic matter (SOM) substances from the above-ground biomass using fertilizers.

Contesting the Kemalist State: The Land Question and the Grass Root Civic Activity in the 1920–1930s Turkey

Contesting the Kemalist State: The Land Question and the Grass Root Civic Activity in the 1920–1930s Turkey

Participatory Climate Action: Reflections on Community Diversity and the Role of External Experts

Academics have often contributed to designing, running, and evaluating participatory events with publics on climate action. Whilst climate assemblies are perhaps the most well-known of such events, there is also a proliferation of smaller and more local projects suggesting scope for reflection on the role of academic researchers in this evolving space. We deploy an experimental methodology that blends personal reflections with group discussion amongst the authors to help unpack the lessons learned from a project led by the local council, where we facilitated the involvement of local people in decision-making around climate action. Reflecting on our individual and academic positionalities, we question the extent to which we are well placed to build, maintain, and sustain trust, which requires spending time in place, continuity, and ceding power. As “outsiders” with “elite connotations,” our role as actors in this space is open for discussion. Indeed, our involvement could be perceived as a missed opportunity to retain more money and knowledge locally by ceding more responsibility to grassroots organisations. Our experience also suggests that framing public participation in terms of design and facilitation deficit is somewhat misleading. It is not just a process that needs to be attuned to diverse communities, but an ongoing relationship that needs certain enabling conditions to flourish, including conducive funding frameworks and a willingness to address incumbent power differentials between state and non-state actors.

Utilizing social media for community risk communication in megacities: analysing the impact of WeChat group information interaction and perception on communication satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai

BackgroundAgainst the backdrop of the global public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed significant disparities in the supply and demand of risk information related to public health crises, posing severe challenges to risk governance in megacities. Shanghai, China, introduced community WeChat groups for community communication, effectively facilitating the dissemination and response of grassroots information and providing a new path for interactive governance in the community.MethodsThis study collected 1006 questionnaires from residents of 350 communities in Shanghai through an online survey between June 10 and July 10, 2022. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the impact of different participants (including the community, core residents, and the combined community and core residents) on community risk communication, perceived communication quality, and dissemination themes related to COVID-19 on community communication satisfaction. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 core residents from different types of communities, focusing on the specific methods of risk communication through community WeChat groups and their ability to disseminate information, respond to, and solve problems.ResultsPerceived information coverage and perceived response efficiency are significantly positively correlated with communication satisfaction. Notably, the speed of community information response has the greatest impact on communication satisfaction. Regarding COVID-19-related information dissemination themes, “community outbreaks, supplies, nucleic acids, outbreak prevention measures, and scientific content” all have a significant impact on communication effectiveness, with “nucleic acid testing information” having the greatest impact. Although the statistical data indicate that the participation of core residents in risk communication does not significantly affect communication satisfaction, it seems to be related to the size of the community, and the interview results further validate this conclusion.ConclusionIn the future, grassroots communities should consider the affordances of social media, recognize the significant correlation between risk communication and grassroots trust, and formulate more detailed and targeted risk communication strategies. In particular, incorporating core residents into “semiformal” grassroots organizations can improve community service quality, thereby enhancing community resilience in the face of public health emergencies.

Contributions of Different Perennial Grass Species and Their Roots’ Characteristics to Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation

Growing perennial grasses is often cited as one of the possible and most affordable solutions for mitigating climate change. This practice is also recommended for sustainable soil management in agriculture. Our experiment involved timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and their mixture; tall oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and their mixture, with the aim of diversifying the annual rotation; and periodical, twice-per-season cultivated plots in the same area (the bare soil fallow). Soil samples were collected in late October after plant vegetation’s first, second, and third growth years from three field replicates at the soil layers 0–0.1 m, 0.1–0.2 m, and 0.2–0.3 m and plant roots—at the beginning of November in the second cultivation year. After three years, the SOC content increased in all the study areas occupied by plants, regardless of their species composition, while it decreased in fallow plots. Grass roots were characterized by the highest C/N ratio (38.2 and 45.5). The roots of the red clover–timothy grass mixture also reached a C/N ratio greater than 30. Based on our research, choosing a combination of at least two plants, such as legumes and grasses, is possibly more effective for enriching the soil with carbon compounds in a short period.

Thinking about the Russian war on Ukraine and the future of peace history

AbstractMy contribution will explore how the Russian war on Ukraine could impact the evolution of peace history as a field. Drawing on various proposals to end the conflict, it will explain why peace historians should continue to do the work that they normally do such as describing grassroots activism against the war and how Ukrainians have used nonviolent tactics to resist the Russian occupation. But it will also explain why the war reinforces the need to spend more time exploring how the diverse peoples of the world have understood legitimate civic ordering and the acceptable use of violence at specific moments in time—a task necessary to undermine the historical falsehoods that Russians have used to justify their aggression against Ukraine. Finally, my contribution will grapple with the relationship between peace and military history, explaining why peace historians need to become more comfortable addressing what a country like Ukraine needs to do on the battlefield to survive as a nation and build a more just and peaceful world.

Women’s campaigning, petitioning, and grassroots activism, 1945–1997

ABSTRACT Petitioning provided a flexible repertoire for women’s political activity in the decades after 1945. Petitioning was a popular, widespread practice: aside from voting, signing a petition was one of the few political activities that engaged a majority of women. Building on a long tradition of British women as active petitioners, petitioning was used by a variety of different groups—local action groups, voluntary associations, political parties, pressure groups, and radical social movements, including those associated with the Women’s Liberation Movement. Connecting formal and informal politics, petitioning was a relatively cheap, accessible form of political activity that enabled activism. In particular, the practices associated with name-signing created informal, temporary political spaces for women. Petitioning also provided a mechanism for representation and making representative claims to authority on behalf of women. The media-friendly spectacle of presenting petitions to authority was useful for attracting publicity as a range of activists, including conservative moral campaigners like Mary Whitehouse realised. The flexibility of petitioning explain its popularity as a form of political participation for women, particularly in facilitating local, informal activity.

Humanitarian activist citizens: the emergence of a ‘victim’ political subjectivity in Colombia

ABSTRACT This article develops the concept of ‘humanitarian activist citizenship’ to analyse the political work of grassroots organisations representing groups and individuals displaced during Colombia’s civil conflict. In Colombia, the armed conflict has led to the forced migration of around 8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In response, self-identified IDPs and other victims of violence have formed organisations and staged protests to claim collective rights. This article emerges out of a narrative analysis of interviews conducted with members of IDP grassroots organisations in Bogotá between 2017 and 2018. Building on insights from the ‘acts of citizenship’ literature, it argues that the political work of these organisations must be understood as a form of ‘humanitarian activist citizenship’, through which groups and individuals victimised by violence in Colombia mobilise humanitarian policies and discourses to redefine the relations that exist between them and the state.

Humanitarian activist citizens: the emergence of a ‘victim’ political subjectivity in Colombia

ABSTRACT This article develops the concept of ‘humanitarian activist citizenship’ to analyse the political work of grassroots organisations representing groups and individuals displaced during Colombia’s civil conflict. In Colombia, the armed conflict has led to the forced migration of around 8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In response, self-identified IDPs and other victims of violence have formed organisations and staged protests to claim collective rights. This article emerges out of a narrative analysis of interviews conducted with members of IDP grassroots organisations in Bogotá between 2017 and 2018. Building on insights from the ‘acts of citizenship’ literature, it argues that the political work of these organisations must be understood as a form of ‘humanitarian activist citizenship’, through which groups and individuals victimised by violence in Colombia mobilise humanitarian policies and discourses to redefine the relations that exist between them and the state.

Community, belonging and acceptance; is this the antidote to shame and societal discrimination? An exploration of LGBTQ+ individuals’ attendance at pride and their mental health

ABSTRACT LGBTQ+ minorities are disproportionately exposed to stigma, discrimination and social prejudice compared with cisgender and heterosexual peers, which can result in experiences of shame and isolation for LGBTQ+ individuals. Pride marches began as a reaction to this systemic and institutional discrimination of gender and sexual diversity and provides hope and community. This exploratory study aimed to investigate what Pride events mean to LGBTQ+ individuals and what potential impact these spaces have on the mental health and wellbeing of the community. Participants (N = 52) were recruited opportunistically at 7 Pride events across the North East of England, and invited to share their narratives and experiences using a creative and interactive research board. Qualitative content analysis revealed three main themes: ‘pride is much more than a celebration’, ‘community healing’ and ‘this is me’. 12 subthemes were further identified in the analysis. The themes provide a unique understanding of how LGBTQ+ spaces and events impact individuals mental health and wellbeing. This evidence supports the importance of interventions and support at a grass roots and community level, fostering engagement and increasing empowerment within already existing LGBTQ+ groups.

Community water debts in Colombia: Financialisation from below?

Drawing on the recent experience of community water finance in Colombia, this paper contributes to a diversification of the literature on the financialisation of water and the commons governance by focusing on the perspective of grassroots organisations. It highlights the inclusion and exclusion mechanisms of water access in the rural Colombian context. As water communities continue to seek autonomy from state agencies and private providers and to affirm their own management model, the paper examines the ambivalent effects of finance and the use of the credit as a political instrument. In a context of public policies that pressurise communities to adopt water management and financing strategies based on profitability and efficiency, the paper considers how access to credit from local financial institutions contributes to this quest for autonomy. It highlights how the effects of these new financial practices are starting to bring about social change within communities, such as the redefinition of leaders’ roles, or the transformation of relations with the state. The paper concludes by demonstrating how, in adopting entrepreneurial forms of management, the community water organisations assume the risks associated with the market-based model and thus expose themselves to significant change.

Grassroots organizing for food systems change in the San Joaquin Valley, California

California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is the wealthi­est agricultural region in the United States, yet it has among the highest rates of concentrated pov­erty and food insecurity in the nation. Despite a growing movement to change the food system nationwide and around the world, wealth and health disparities linked to the dominant agricul­tural industry in the SJV are growing. This study draws upon critical philanthropy scholarship to understand the opportunities and limitations of grant funding for the food justice movement. This qualitative research contributes a regional case study of grassroots organizing to change the food system from within a region dominated by industrial agriculture. To understand the challenges and potential for change from the perspectives of SJV grassroots organizers, this research draws on semi-structured interviews with 14 SJV organizers working for food systems change. Interviews were thematically analyzed and complemented with a review of activities across all identified organiza­tions’ websites to provide a snapshot of the food justice movement across the SJV. Particular atten­tion is paid to how funding structures may influ­ence organizing activity and discourse. The findings demonstrate how grantmaking influences the dominant narrative in the SJV and shapes organizing priorities and activities. I argue that philanthropic funding may divert the food justice movement away from directly challenging powerful political and economic interests. This study advances a critical conversation in food movement scholarship to change the conditions under which structural inequality is growing.

‘I can’t believe you said that!’: Social media, democracy and the public good

ABSTRACT Following Elon Musk's acquisition of the Twitter in 2022, the platform has been characterized by an uptick in the trolling and disinformation that are critical tools for illiberal and undemocratic political movements. In The Politics of Small Things, Jeffrey Goldfarb emphasises the importance, not simply of the public sphere, but of the potential and transformative power of the conversations that occur there. Clearly, free speech, as it occurs on social media, may or may not promote democracy. This leads us to what Goldfarb did not predict: that the same technology that helped grassroots movements overthrow authoritarianism would put the politics of small things to the purpose of undemocratic politics. Goldfarb was correct that public conversation leads to action and power. What we all missed, however, was that social media could turn a central tool of democracy, free and fair elections, to bringing about an undemocratic world.

Biocrusts intensify grassland evapotranspiration through increasing evaporation and reducing transpiration in a semi-arid ecosystem

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are living ground covers that result from intimate associations between soil particles and organisms, which can modify soil properties and support fundamental ecosystem functions in drylands. Despite numerous studies concerning effects of biocrusts on soil hydrological processes, their impacts on grassland evapotranspiration have remained unanswered. By using micro-lysimeters, we conducted in-situ monitoring of evapotranspiration of bare soil vs. cyanobacterial-moss mixed biocrusts, gramineous grass vs. gramineous grass with biocrusts, and leguminous grass vs. leguminous grass with biocrusts over two months in a semi-arid ecosystem. Results suggested that compared to the bare soil, the biocrusts significantly increased soil evaporation rate by 20.9 %. Underneath gramineous and leguminous grasses, the biocrusts increased the average evapotranspiration rate by 9.4 % and 13.4 %. The evaporation of biocrusts contributed 8.1–10.6 % to the average evapotranspiration rate and 8.2–12.6 % to the cumulative evapotranspiration amount. Additionally, the biocrusts increased soil moisture by 12.5 % and decreased temperature by 3.4 % at 10 cm depth compared to the bare soil. However, the biocrusts beneath grasses led to a reduction in soil moisture by 10.0 % and 20.0 %, while causing an increase in temperature by 9.9 % and 2.9 %, respectively. Enhanced evaporation of the biocrusts could be mainly attributed to their higher water retention ability in comparison to the bare soil. Meanwhile, beneath grasses, the biocrusts decreased soil water content in deeper layers, potentially limited grass transpiration by reducing water availability for grass roots. Based on these results, we concluded that the biocrusts intensify grassland evapotranspiration through increasing soil evaporation and reducing grass transpiration. Our findings highlight that biocrusts play a crucial role in modulating surface water fluxes, potentially exert remarkable effects on dryland vascular plants development and ecosystem stability.

Biocrusts intensify grassland evapotranspiration through increasing evaporation and reducing transpiration in a semi-arid ecosystem

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are living ground covers that result from intimate associations between soil particles and organisms, which can modify soil properties and support fundamental ecosystem functions in drylands. Despite numerous studies concerning effects of biocrusts on soil hydrological processes, their impacts on grassland evapotranspiration have remained unanswered. By using micro-lysimeters, we conducted in-situ monitoring of evapotranspiration of bare soil vs. cyanobacterial-moss mixed biocrusts, gramineous grass vs. gramineous grass with biocrusts, and leguminous grass vs. leguminous grass with biocrusts over two months in a semi-arid ecosystem. Results suggested that compared to the bare soil, the biocrusts significantly increased soil evaporation rate by 20.9 %. Underneath gramineous and leguminous grasses, the biocrusts increased the average evapotranspiration rate by 9.4 % and 13.4 %. The evaporation of biocrusts contributed 8.1–10.6 % to the average evapotranspiration rate and 8.2–12.6 % to the cumulative evapotranspiration amount. Additionally, the biocrusts increased soil moisture by 12.5 % and decreased temperature by 3.4 % at 10 cm depth compared to the bare soil. However, the biocrusts beneath grasses led to a reduction in soil moisture by 10.0 % and 20.0 %, while causing an increase in temperature by 9.9 % and 2.9 %, respectively. Enhanced evaporation of the biocrusts could be mainly attributed to their higher water retention ability in comparison to the bare soil. Meanwhile, beneath grasses, the biocrusts decreased soil water content in deeper layers, potentially limited grass transpiration by reducing water availability for grass roots. Based on these results we concluded that the biocrusts intensify grassland evapotranspiration through increasing soil evaporation and reducing grass transpiration. Our findings highlight that biocrusts play a crucial role in modulating surface water fluxes, potentially exert remarkable effects on dryland vascular plants development and ecosystem stability.