Community Life Research Articles

“I wish I knew more than my 15-year-old”: Mother and early adolescent reflections on information communication technologies

ABSTRACT This qualitative exploratory study used thematic and dyadic analyses to examine the perceptions of nine White mother-early adolescent dyads regarding information communication technology (ICT) use. Using a general thematic analysis, three major themes presented in the data. Mother and early adolescents focused on ideas for good use of ICT, suggestions for parent education, and ideas about safety including a request for trust from early adolescent participants. Data were also analyzed using a dyadic technique to examine overlaps and differences in mother-early adolescent perceptions. The discussion is presented using a symbolic interactionist lens to explore shared and differing meanings related to ICT use between mothers and early adolescents. Suggestions for community and family life educators are included.

Predicting wheat yield gap and its determinants combining remote sensing, machine learning, and survey approaches in rainfed Mediterranean regions of Morocco

Wheat plays a crucial role in Morocco’s food security, economic stability, and livelihoods of farming communities. Assessing key vegetation indices (as yield predictors), along with understanding potential yield, yield gap, and major determinants for this gap at regional and national scales, is vital for improving food security with resilience in variable climatic conditions. Analysing the yield gap and its causes during drought and optimal weather conditions can reduce crop failure risks and enhance productivity specially in variable rainfed production systems. This study aimed to develop scalable methodology to predict field- and landscape-level yield and yield gaps for wheat and their underlying causes examplifying Morocco’s rainfed production environment combining remote sensing, machine learning, and ground information. By analysing six vegetation indices (EVI2, CGVI, MSR, NDVI, OSAVI, and RVI) derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery (10 m resolution) over three successive growing seasons (2018–2019, 2019–2020, and 2020–2021), the study employed advanced vegetation index models for accurate prediction of wheat yields and yield gaps at plot and on a larger regional scale within the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region. To identify the determinants of yield gap, climate and soil datasets were merged with crop management information and the random forest model was fine-tuned and assessed for each season and cumulatively. The findings highlighted that RVI, GCVI, and NDVI vegetation indices were particularly effective in predicting wheat yields, showing the highest R2 and the lowest prediction errors (RMSE). Such predictive methodologies are crucial for policymakers to proactively plan and mitigate risk minimization and adaption plans at regional and national levels. The models predicted rainfed potential yields of 5.99, 1.53, and 4.66 t ha−1, with corresponding yield gap of 3.38, 0.73, and 1.58 t ha−1 for the seasons of 2018/2019 (favorable); 2019/2020 (drought) and 2020/2021 (favorable), respectively. Across three periods, critical factors determining yield include soil moisture, total rainfall during the crop growing period, evapotranspiration, and soil texture and carbon content. To minimize drought risks and maximize benefits during variable rainfall conditions, it is essential to implement pre-season drought forecasts, customize seeding dates based on soil moisture, adopt technologies that enhance soil moisture retention, and utilize climate-adapted farming practices in the semi-arid and arid rainfed regions.

Gaushala Safety – Automation of Cattle Livestock

Automation of Cattle Livestock is a ground-breaking initiative aimed at transforming cattle care and management. In a nation where cattle play a pivotal role in rural economies, the absence of accessible veterinary care, delayed vaccinations, and disease outbreaks pose significant threats to cattle health and the livelihoods of dependent communities. This project offers a comprehensive solution by harnessing cutting-edge technology. It includes a robust cattle information management system, utilizing speech recognition for data input to accommodate diverse user literacy levels..The core feature is an intelligent vaccination scheduler, creating personalized vaccination plans based on individual cattle profiles, and sending timely reminders to owners. Additionally, it employs advanced image processing to detect early signs of disease. The project ensures accessibility through voice-enabled interaction and simplifies the registration of new cattle and along with that it includes the cattle tracker and shed cleaning. By enhancing cattle health, increasing accessibility, and promoting sustainable cattle rearing, Automation of Cattle Livestock seeks to empower farmers, protect livestock, and drive rural community development. This project represents a pioneering step toward a brighter future for both cattle and their caretakers in India.

Missing persons and infrastructures of search and identification

People go missing all over the world, but the reasons for disappearances are enormously diverse. Some people are intentionally disappeared by the state: totalitarian and military governments as well as various paramilitary and criminal organizations have used enforced disappearances as a tactic to control the population and create submissive citizens or subjects though fear and insecurity. Both civilians and soldiers disappear invariably in the chaotic circumstances of war and armed conflict. Some people disappear in natural catastrophes or fatal accidents; some disappear of their own free will. Whatever the reason for disappearance, it disturbs the everyday flow of life in families and communities, and in many places, it creates anomalies for modern state bureaucracies. Unaccounted-for absences give rise to search practices, but the circumstances of search are radically different in different places and different contexts of disappearance. One way to approach these differences is to analyse the infrastructures of search in each site. I am especially interested in the entanglement of the local with the global, and of the spatial reach of search infrastructures . Moreover, I consider the significance of the material affordances of some infrastructural forms, especially of the DNA as the key tool for identification. I make some observations on how the entanglements of local and transnational investment and the material affordances of the techniques allow some of the disappeared to be found and identified, while others stay more ‘disappearable’ (Laakkonen 2022).

A Symphony of Three Thousand Voices. Interview with Sumita Ghose, Founder of the Social Enterprise rangSutra

“People of Impact” is the name of the column where we publish inspiring stories about people who have made significant changes in the lives of communities, regions, and even countries. In this issue, we want to introduce you to Sumita Ghose, an Indian woman entrepreneur whose social business unites artisan investors and collaborates with the world’s largest corporations. Sumita has been honored with the highest award granted by the President of India for her contributions to women’s rights and empowerment.

Technologies to embrace the sun: solarpunk-based project as an exploration for a just energy transition

The national implementation of electricity generation projects directly threatens the livelihoods of local and Indigenous communities in Latin America. Therefore, it is crucial to search for solutions to energy supply considering local needs and cosmologies. This article focuses on micro-energy production in rural settlements on the Colombian Caribbean coast. The aim is to provide insights into the relationship between energy, technology, and ancestrality through the lens of solarpunk storytelling. To explore this theme, we present the «tech to embrace the sun» initiative as a case study to co-design and imagine desirable futures by the local community of Selvatorium, in La Guajira. The results consist of the development of seven future ancestral stories co-written by community members and guests, two guides to build two prototypes, and a fanzine. The project concludes with empirical and theoretical insights for development studies about sustainable energy futures.

Attitudes toward code-switching among bilingual Jordanians: a comparative study

Abstract This study employs a quantitative analytical descriptive approach to explore the attitudes of two Jordanian communities toward code-switching (CS). The first community lives in the United States (a migrant community), while the second community resides in Jordan (a native community). Data were collected using an online questionnaire and the attitudes of these two communities were compared with respect to their sense of identity, religion, communication efficiency, and audience design. The study also examines the influence of self-perceived language proficiency, the direction of CS, and gender on the positivity or negativity of individuals’ attitudes toward CS. The study pays particular attention to the use of CS as a polite or impolite behavior in different contexts. The findings of this study indicate that both groups have relatively similar attitudes toward CS in terms of communication efficiency, topic, audience design, and politeness. However, the migrant community has an overall more positive attitude toward CS in terms of religion and sense of identity, particularly when language proficiency is taken into account.

Social Cohesion of Kampong Lorong Buangkok: Community Amidst Singaporean Industrialization

This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive examination of the Malay community living in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last village in Singapore's Hougang area. This community is intriguing due to its preservation of customs, traditions, and a simplified economic system amidst Singapore's rapid industrial development. The study utilizes in-depth interviews with current residents of Kampong Lorong Buangkok and reveals their steadfast commitment to upholding Malay traditions as a social foundation. Residents persist in maintaining a traditional economy designed to promote unity and support productive community life. This economic system functions to enhance social unity, assisting the residents in coping with Singapore's high cost of living. The robust social cohesion within the community has enabled Kampong Lorong Buangkok to persist despite political tensions and the encroaching pressures of rapid Singaporean industrialization that jeopardize the village's survival.

The dynamic interactive influence of community identity, being accepted by others, and life satisfaction among relocated residents for poverty alleviation in China

In China, the ultimate goal of the relocation for poverty alleviation (RPA) policy is to ensure that the relocated poor smoothly relocate, stably resettle, and become wealthier. With the completion of smooth relocation, the next crucial task is to guarantee that residents relocated for poverty alleviation (RRPA) maintain stability. Given that RRPA's life satisfaction affects their willingness and behavior to stabilize their placement. This study aims to explore whether being accepted by others and community identity are related to RRPA life satisfaction, and whether these three variables have a mutual impact over time. Based on the social identity and need to belong theories, a model of the interactive influence of being acceptance accepted by others, community identity, and life satisfaction was constructed. Using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM), 383 RRPA datasets were analyzed. The results showed that being accepted by others significantly predicted life satisfaction for RRPA. Being accepted by others and community identity, as well as community identity and life satisfaction, can predict each other on cross-lagged paths. This suggests that resorting to community identity as an intermediate variable, being accepted by others and life satisfaction may form a virtuous cycle over time.

Religious Reformation and Ethical Transformation in the Hatata of Zera Yaeqob and Welda Heywat

Abstract The Hatatas of Zera Yaeqob and Welda Heywat are seen as the precursors of a written Ethiopian philosophy. Commentators on these texts such as Claude Sumner and Teodros Kiros argue that, one is able to locate the Cartesian mode of subjectivity in the Hatatas. Against this, this paper argues that the form of subjectivity found in the Hatatas of Zera Yaeqob and Welda Heywat is not fully demythologized and dwells in the background of religious authority, and therefore should not be identified with the Cartesian conception of the human subject. Alternatively, I argue that the goal of the Hatatas is attaining religious reformation. The form of subjectivity found in the Hatatas is founded on communal life and religious experience. The paper concludes that the Hatatas of Zera Yaeqob and Welda Heywat should be read as a call for religious renewal and ethical transformation.

An aquaculture risk model to understand the causes and consequences of Atlantic Salmon mass mortality events: A review

AbstractMass mortality events (MMEs) are defined as the death of large numbers of fish over a short period of time. These events can result in catastrophic losses to the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry and the local economy. However, they are challenging to understand because of their relative infrequency and the high number of potential factors involved. As a result, the causes and consequences of MMEs in Atlantic salmon aquaculture are not well understood. In this study, we developed a structural network of causal risk factors for MMEs for aquaculture and the communities that depend on Atlantic salmon aquaculture. Using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) technique, we analysed the causes of Atlantic salmon mass mortalities due to environmental (abiotic), biological (biotic) and nutritional risk factors. The consequences of MMEs were also assessed for the occupational health and safety of aquaculture workers and their implications for the livelihoods of local communities. This structural network deepens our understanding of MMEs and points to management actions and interventions that can help mitigate mass mortalities. MMEs are typically not the result of a single risk factor but are caused by the systematic interaction of risk factors related to the environment, fish diseases, feeding/nutrition and cage‐site management. Results also indicate that considerations of health and safety risk, through pre‐ and post‐event risk assessments, may help to minimize workplace injuries and eliminate potential risks of human fatalities. Company and government‐assisted socio‐economic measures could help mitigate post‐mass mortality impacts. Appropriate and timely management actions may help reduce MMEs at Atlantic salmon cage sites and minimize the physical and social vulnerabilities of workers and local communities.

Livelihood vulnerability of coastal communities in context of the climate change: A index-based assessment

The livelihoods of coastal communities in Bangladesh are being significantly impacted by climate change and natural hazards, primarily due to their heavy reliance on climate-sensitive natural resources. This study assesses the vulnerability of coastal communities in Bangladesh using two approaches: the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and the LVI-IPCC approach. Primary data obtained from household surveys were used to calculate the vulnerability indices, avoiding reliance on secondary data and climate models. The results show that Dhulasar and Dalbuganj unions are extremely vulnerable, with livelihood strategies, water, natural hazards and climate variability, and health being the major contributing factors. The exposure to natural hazards and climate variability is highest in Dhulasar and Dalbuganj, while Lata Chapli union exhibits the lowest adaptive capacity. Interestingly, the LVI and LVI-IPCC approaches yield opposite results, with Dalbuganj being extremely vulnerable and Lata Chapli being the least vulnerable. Exposure to natural hazards and climate variability, sensitivity to health, food and nutrition, water, and land, and adaptive capacity in terms of socio-demographic factors and livelihood strategies were found to influence vulnerability. The study suggests that policy measures should focus on reducing sensitivity, improving adaptive capacity, and addressing the specific needs of marginalized groups in coastal communities. Enhancing socio-demographic profiles, social networks, and diversification of livelihood activities are recommended for reducing vulnerability. Further research is needed to better understand and address the impacts of climate variability and change on coastal livelihood systems.

Escarpments within Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows increase habitat heterogeneity and structural complexity enhancing fish diversity and biomass

Seagrass meadows provide important ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, coastal protection from erosion, and sustained biodiversity and fisheries thereby improving the wellbeing and livelihoods of coastal communities. The erosion of millenary deposits of intertwined roots and rhizomes of Posidonia results in the formation of three-dimensional structures named escarpments that constitute a biogenic reef habitat. However, the natural history of seagrass escarpments including their formation processes and their role as habitat for reef fauna and flora remains poorly understood. This research located and characterized Posidonia oceanica escarpments in Menorca (Balearic Islands) and compared structural complexity and fish assemblages among seagrass escarpments, seagrass meadows, rocky substrates and bare sand with emphasis on its role as habitat and shelter for typical rocky fish. Fish abundance and biomass were similar between seagrass escarpments and rocky substrates (P > 0.05), but significantly lower in seagrass meadows (P < 0.001). The large number of caves found along seagrass escarpments provide shelter to fish, including species only associated to rocky substrates. Seagrass meadows form a rather homogenous habitat within their canopy, but the presence of seagrass escarpments enhances habitat heterogeneity and structural complexity along with fish abundance and biomass at the seascape level. This study enhances understanding on the ecological importance of seagrass escarpments.

Insights into National Park Governance based on Global Research Trends: A Lesson for Indonesia

National park governance is urgent in preserving the broadness of biodiversity, nature conservation, and supporting the lives of local communities, demanding a sustainable approach based on global knowledge. This research uses bibliometric analysis to get an idea of global research trends on national park governance and take lessons that can be used in Indonesia. This study maximizes the bibliometric analysis approach with Scopus data sources. Analysis tools are also maximized, namely Nvivo 12 Plus and Vosviewer. The main findings of this research indicate that, through global research trends, national park governance needs to be studied in future research. The tendency of use of the term in biodiversity, nature conservation, conservation management, environmental management, and community participation proved this. Understanding this issue helps create possible governance means more effectively and sustainably, which can be an idea for Indonesia. Findings from global research also provide lessons for Indonesia: They tend to encourage adopting the principle, such as adaptive and collaborative governance in addressing these complex challenges. It can flow on the resolution of conflicts, the involvement of local communities, conservation goals, protection for the environment, the empowerment of indigenous communities, policy changes for and participatory bureaucracy, and satisfying local needs and conservation.

Socio Economic Factors Contributing to Riparian Ecosystem Degradation along Kaiti River in Makueni County

The degradation of riparian ecosystems threatens the livelihoods of communities that depend on these socio-ecological systems (SES) for their well-being. This is because; riparian ecosystems provide ecosystem services like fodder, timber, soil development, water regulation and habitat for wildlife. The riparian ecosystem in Kenya's Eastern Semi-Arid Region is one of the affected zones and information is required to understand the causes therein. This case study focussed on the Kaiti River in Makueni County to analyse the socio-economic factors leading to its riparian degradation. Data was collected between September 2018 to March 2019 using questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and photographs. To analyse the data, SPSS version 26 interface with regression and correlation analysis was used to analyse the causes of riparian ecosystem degradation along the river. Crop farming was found to be a leading cause of degradation (R-Square =0.849, F (1, 99) =9.4495, p-value=0.0003<0.05) showing that farming accounts for 84.9% of the variations in degradation of River Kaiti riparian ecosystem. A calculated beta value implied that a unit raise in crop farming would lead to a rise in the degradation of the River Kaiti riparian ecosystem by 0.782 (p-value=0.001<0.05). The results of the study also revealed that livestock farming (R-Square =0.615, β=0.211, p-value =0.002≤0.05), lack of riparian conservation awareness (R-Square =0.573, β=-0.757, p-value= 0.002<0.05) and Commercial sand harvesting R-Square=0.659, β=0.205, p value=0.000<0.05) significantly contribute to River Kaiti riparian ecosystem degradation. Other causes significantly contributing to degradation (R-Square =0.520, β=0.212, p-value=0.001≤0.05,) were poor natural resource governance, poverty, poor infrastructure, climate change and land use changes. The study concludes that awareness creation and control of human activity in the Kaiti riparian zone would significantly reduce riparian ecosystem degradation. A multi-stakeholder approach whereby the community takes centre stage in monitoring and implementing riparian conservation measures is recommended.

Impact of marine debris on coral reef ecosystem of Palk Bay, Indian Ocean

Abstract Coral reef ecosystems are highly sensitive to pollution from marine debris, especially if the regions are noted for tourism and fishing. Palk Bay on the south east coast of India is a famous tourist and fishing region, where the marine debris accumulation poses a great threat to the coastal ecosystem. In this study during 2018–2020, the marine debris distribution and their interactions with coral reefs of Palk Bay were monitored from five stations. Derelict fishing gears (DFGs), including ropes (51 ± 2%) and fishing lines (43 ± 2.5%), were the dominant debris forms recorded. Among the reef‐forming corals, Acropora sp. colonies experienced maximum physical injury and mortality from DFG entanglement. Plastic materials and anchors caused considerable physical damage and tissue loss in Porites sp, without any mortality. Manual debris removal as a potential debris management method was assessed by regularly removing the accumulated debris from the test reef locations of all five stations, whereas the control reef locations were left undisturbed. Test reef locations showed a significant increase in live coral cover and coral recruit density in 2020, against that in 2018, compared with the control locations. Continuous accumulation and interaction of marine debris with the coral colonies of control reef locations resulted in significant reduction of live coral cover and coral recruit density at the control reef locations. This study illustrates the impact of unsustainable fishing and other anthropogenic activities such as tourism and waste disposal on coral reef ecosystems like Palk Bay. The findings of this study demonstrates that manual removal of debris is an important strategy for marine debris management in coral reef ecosystem. Considering the importance of coral reefs in the livelihood of the coastal communities, it is important to tackle the marine debris issue through regular debris removal with stakeholder participation, awareness campaigns and strict legal and management measures.

“We are Always in Self-Isolation”: Navigating COVID-19 as a Young Person in Canada with Cystic Fibrosis

The pandemic disproportionately influenced marginalized communities in North America. However, the social and spatial inequalities impacting marginalized rare genetic disease communities – such as those living with cystic fibrosis – have not been heard in mainstream pandemic narratives. Sensitized by the social determinants of health, this qualitative study explored the experiences of 12 youth with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) during the pandemic. Content analysis revealed four themes. Youth with CF experienced changes across physical spaces, faced pandemic anxiety, and struggled with access to digital and medical spaces. Youth also reflected on being “used to” life-long physical distancing as a result of CF. Our findings show the complexity of environments for youth with CF during the pandemic while demonstrating how Covid-19 shaped the lives of rare disease communities. Our findings also illustrate spatial and social inequities among marginalized, rare genetic disease communities.

Young refugees’ feelings of belonging? Encounters with rural Denmark and northern Norway

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how young refugees settled in rural Norway and Denmark experience their new places of residence. We find inspiration in the idea of ‘contradictions of space’ (Kinkaid [2020]. “Re-encountering Lefebvre: Toward a Critical Phenomenology of Social Space.” Society and Space 38 (1): 167–186.) in exploring how young refugees navigate issues in rural life from housing, education, work and social life to their material surroundings, including the weather. Which experiences result in feelings of meaning and orientation, and which spur feelings of disorientation and contradiction? The empirical material is based on fieldwork and qualitative interviews with young refugees and local volunteers in rural Norway and Denmark. Despite several differences between rural areas in the two countries, young refugees’ experiences from within show many similarities and common experiences between them. The harsh weather, empty streets, lack of familiarity with the more formal community life in rural areas, long distances from sites of education, etc. create feelings of disorientation and contradiction, while socializing with other refugees provides feelings of community and belonging. Taken together, the two aspects drive their decisions to stay in or leave the rural area.

The gendered costs of stigma: How experiences of conflict‐related sexual violence affect civic engagement for women and men

AbstractA common understanding emphasizes the destructive effects of conflict‐related sexual violence (CRSV) on social cohesion and community life. Stressing the agency of survivors, we present an alternative argument. Our theory predicts that survivors seek to counteract the stigma attached to CRSV by contributing to the community in the form of civic engagement. Drawing on three original surveys from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, and Sri Lanka and relying on list experiments to reduce underreporting bias, we find that survivors of CRSV indeed show increased levels of civic engagement. This civic effect is consistent across the three contexts and very likely causal. We also rule out an alternative mechanism based on posttraumatic growth and dispel concerns that increased civic engagement comes at the expense of decreased intergroup relations. However, looking at sex differences, our results are more sobering. While in line with our prediction, they do not support the optimistic notion that survivors' mobilization results in female empowerment and the closing of existing gender gaps in civic behavior. Our findings have important implications for our understanding of CRSV, the legacy of violent conflict, and the gendered nature of politics.

Promoting Ecosystem Conservation and Food Security through Sustainable Harvesting of Edible Caterpillars in Kanchibiya District, Zambia

Insects play a vital role in enhancing food security and improving the livelihoods of rural communities. This study focused on the identification of caterpillar harvesting practices in Zambia, particularly in Chief Kopa’s village, Kanchibiya District, Muchinga Province, where the caterpillars of Gynisa maja and Gonimbrasia belina play a crucial role in food security. A mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing face-to-face interviews and self-administered questionnaires to capture both qualitative and quantitative insights. Quantitative data, including caterpillar harvesting amounts and correlations with tree destruction, underwent statistical analyses, including ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's HSD tests. The Chi-square test explored gender distribution across research sites. Qualitative data from open-ended questions during interviews underwent thematic analysis. The study sampled 100 respondents from six areas, and the results revealed significant differences in caterpillar harvesting amounts among villages. Post-hoc tests identified specific pairwise differences. The findings indicated that traditional harvesting methods persisted, with limited adherence to rules. A significant positive correlation was observed between caterpillar harvesting practices and evolving trends such as increased harvesting intensity, changes in harvesting methods, and environmental impact and tree destruction (p=0.001, r=0.917). The study contributed valuable insights into past caterpillar harvesting practices, proposing conservation strategies for enhanced food security and sustainability. The study proposes a multifaceted approach to balance ecosystem conservation with food security in Kanhaiya District, emphasizing the importance of sustainable caterpillar harvesting. Recommendations include developing community-based sustainable harvesting guidelines, such as rotational zones and harvest limits, alongside education programs to raise ecological awareness. It advocates for diversifying livelihoods and food sources to lessen dependence on caterpillars, ensuring gender-inclusive participation in these initiatives. Monitoring and further research are essential to adapt strategies effectively. These measures aim to preserve the ecosystem, ensuring the caterpillar's role in food security and offering socioeconomic benefits by fostering community resilience and reducing food insecurity vulnerabilities