Members Of Social Groups Research Articles

Correlates of flood preparedness in urban households: Evidence from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana

The annual floods in cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. For coastal cities double flood burden from storms and sea level rise are phenomenal and in response, data is gradually emerging on the exposure of urban areas and households’ adaptation of which population determinants are mostly omitted. This paper uses a household survey of flood experiences, analyzed with the Tobit model to understand the social and demographic factors that drive households' preparedness for floods in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area in Ghana. Findings show that the age and income of the household head and planned adaptation significantly increased the likelihood of households’ preparedness for floods. While community access to financial assistance reduced the likelihood of household preparedness, membership in social support groups and the availability of community-level social amenities and shelters increased the likelihood of household preparedness by 0.81 units (p<0.05), 1.72 units (p<0.01) and 1.33 units (p<0.01) respectively. Therefore, enhanced education and awareness of flood risks are major factors of flood disaster risk reduction amidst neighborhood networks towards scaling the relevance of anticipatory flood contingency planning in coastal urban planning and management and a recipe for mainstreaming the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Political Awareness and the Identity-to-Politics Link in Public Opinion

Members of different social groups often hold distinctive political attitudes. Research shows substantial divides based on characteristics like religion, race, gender, and sexuality, suggesting a straightforward identity-to-politics link. But making that link requires some knowledge and understanding of politics, which not everyone has. As a result, I show, political awareness often moderates the link between social identity and political views. Among the least engaged, identity is only weakly related to politics, and the differences between groups are muted. As awareness increases, the connection between group membership and political attitudes tightens, and the magnitude of identity gaps grows. The substantive impact of awareness varies across groups, and there are notable exceptions to these findings. In general though, the identity-to-politics link—and thus many of the divisions attributed to demographic characteristics—is conditional on political awareness.

Intra-Group Epistemic Injustice

ABSTRACT When an agent suffers in their capacity as a knower, they are a victim of epistemic injustice. Varieties of epistemic injustices have been theorised. A salient feature across these theories is that perpetrators and victims of epistemic injustice belong to different social groups. In this paper, I argue for a form of epistemic injustice that could occur between members of the same social group. This is a form of epistemic injustice where the knower is first a victim of historical and continuing oppression. Secondly, they internalise and appreciate the systems that harm them as a knower. This is possible because the victim subscribes to perniciously formed epistemic systems. This form of epistemic injustice is a valuable explanatory tool for non-standard and obscure instances of epistemic injustice where the victim a) accepts and appreciates the injustice they experience and b) is even the seeming perpetrator of the injustice against themselves.

Disadvantaged-Group Members’ Experiences of Life Transitions: The Positive Impact of Social Connectedness and Group Memberships

Whether life transitions are anticipated or unforeseen, they can be challenging to navigate because the change process involves a period of uncertainty and adjustment. Specifically, transitions often require social identity change, whereby individuals leave one or more social groups behind and join one or more groups in the new environment. Such changes can be especially hard when individuals belong to a disadvantaged group (e.g., a low-income or racial- or ethnic-minority group) because they also have to contend with the additional hurdle of systemic inequality. Yet members of disadvantaged groups also have resources to navigate social identity change during life transitions—resources that facilitate and support successful social identity change. We review our research with immigrants and university students to show how individuals’ social connectedness with groups can facilitate positive outcomes during life transitions, including social integration, psychological well-being, positive beliefs about the self, and successful academic performance. In particular, we consider individuals’ group memberships prior to the transition and the new identities they adopt in the new context as key determinants of successful identity change. We conclude with implications for policy and practice.

Queer Aging: Older Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults' Visions of Late Life.

Diversity in aging has received increased attention in recent years in the field of gerontology. However, older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people have largely been missing from these conversations. In this study, I examine older LGB people's subjective views on the aging process, focusing specifically on visions of late life. Life story interviews were conducted with 60 LGB individuals over the age of 55 who reside in the Southeastern and Midwestern portions of the United States. Inductive coding (e.g., line-by-line, focused) and analyses were conducted. Four major themes emerged from the data: (1) financial distress linked to past events of homophobic discrimination, (2) anxieties regarding staying in paid care settings, (3) desires to age in place or "in community" with other lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, and (4) a prioritization of quality of life over longevity via plans to pursue assisted suicide. The findings of this study suggest that views of aging and visions of late life are tied to social group membership, highlighting the need for gerontologists to further consider cumulative inequality processes. The study also offers evidence of queer aging, wherein queer culture, history, and experience produce distinct meanings of aging.

Левые партии в современном политическом процессе Европы

The article examines the role of European left parties in the politics of their countries and the European Union. The author of the article examines the main types of European left parties, their program goals and the electorate. Modern left-wing European parties in terms of ideological orientation are mostly representatives of social democrats, the Greens, democratic socialists and communists, which roughly corresponds to the left-wing party coalitions existing in the European Parliament, with the exception of communists of the Marxist-Leninist type popular mainly outside the EU. Based on the analysis of successes and defeats in elections in different countries, the author examines the reasons for the popularity or unpopularity of left-wing parties and their specific types among certain categories of the electorate, taking into account their age or membership in a particular social group, as well as their regional affiliation. It is noted that the Social Democrats are most popular in Western Europe, the Greens in Northern and Central Europe, and the Democratic Socialists in Southern Europe. In turn, in Eastern Europe, left-wing parties continue to be associated with communist ones. These regional political preferences of the leftist electorate largely reflect the differences in the perception of leftist ideas among residents of different regions of Europe. In this regard, the author also emphasizes different role of the left parties in the political process of different regions, whether it is the promotion of globalist ideas by the Greens in Western and Central Europe, or the reaction to economic crises in Southern Europe by democratic socialists. The author also notes the borrowing of elements of the programs of the left parties from each other in order to preserve the electorate. The impetus for this process, as a rule, is various political and economic crises, when the inability of the left parties in the ruling position to cope with the situation forces them to move to qualitatively new ideological positions, which the author of the article shows by the example of the radicalization of the Social Democrats in Western Europe or the socialist democratization of communists in Eastern Europe after the defeat in the Cold War.

The Influence of Communication Participants on Adoption of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) Vaccine among Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Pastoralists in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of communication participants on adoption of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) Vaccine among Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) pastoralists in Kenya.&#x0D; Methodology: The study population was pastoralists in Narok South Sub-county. Sample size was 468 respondents inclusive of qualitative and quantitative samples where 440 responded to questionnaire, 24 in focus group discussions, and 4 in key informant interviews. Cross-sectional research design entailing collection of qualitative and quantitative data was used to assess association between variables. Multi stage, purposive, simple random, systematic and stratified sampling techniques were then employed to come up with respondents. Data derived from 468 respondents was analyzed using statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 20.0 and presented using regression coefficients and ANOVA.&#x0D; Findings: All respondents engaged in discussions with others before vaccinating cattle against CBPP. This is because as members of social groups, they interacted with each other through networks, a dominant mechanism for diffusion. Within parameters of experts, veterinary officers and agro-veterinary sales people were influential. In the community, family and neighbours were equally influential and among peers were elders and herders. These influencers were effective because of their attributes and social qualities; trustworthiness and credibility, accessibility, knowledgeability, government authority, advised on many issues, related easily with others and were friendly.&#x0D; Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Some people have influence over others in CBPP vaccine adoption among ASAL pastoralists. Governments, veterinary researchers, and communication experts need to leverage on them to encourage diffuse of the vaccine. These influencers could also be trained on some basic aspects of disease reporting, control and eradication.

The process of becoming 'we' in an intergroup conflict context: How enhancing intergroup moral similarities leads to common-ingroup identity.

Research on common-ingroup identity has mainly focused on consequences and potential benefits of inclusive social categorizations. However, very little is yet known about processes and conditions that could facilitate such inclusive social categorizations. In this paper, with four studies (N=582) set in a post-conflict context of Bosnia and Herzegovina and with members of two ethnic groups (Bosniaks and Serbs), we have demonstrated how perceptions of intergroup moral similarity can act as an important precursor of common-ingroup identity at the national level. We report both cross-sectional as well as experimental evidence demonstrating how perceptions of intergroup moral similarity boost common-ingroup identifications in socially relevant context using members of real adversary social groups. Moreover, we show that learning about outgroups' morally admirable behaviours can facilitate inclusive social categorizations.

Review of “A Story to Save Your Life: Communication and Culture in Migrants’ Search for Asylum”

Asylum applicants in the United States must credibly demonstrate that their persecution was on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Their stories are perhaps the most crucial component of their cases. In A Story to Save Your Life, Sarah C. Bishop analyzes the relationship between communication and asylum outcomes. Bishop’s central premise is that “Having a viable story is not enough, nor is being able to write it down—one must also be able to tell it” (10). Asylum applicants must convey their stories in legally meaningful and legible ways. This is easier said than done; applicants may not know how to fit their narratives into complex legal standards, and trauma may prevent them from recalling information in a consistent, chronological manner. To complicate matters further, US law states that while asylum applicants have the right to legal counsel, it must be at their own expense. Without legal representation, many applicants fail to include testimony that is crucial for their cases.

Effects of Indigenous Farming Practices on Maize Production in Ondo State, Nigeria

A lot of indigenous knowledge had been lost through the deaths of elderly persons since there is no formal documentation of such knowledge. Old pests and diseases are beginning to resurface due to cropping patterns and adverse climate change impacts. It is in view of this that the study examine the effects of indigenous farming practices on maize production in Ondo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 maize farmers in the study area. Data was collected using validated questionnaire and were analyzed using means, frequencies, percentages, chi-square and Pearson product moment correlation. Findings from the study revealed that majority (80.8 percent) of the farmers were males, (86.7 percent) above 50 years of age, (87.5 percent) married, (87.5 percent) had formal education, (64.2 percent) were Christians, (25.8) followed by Muslim and (10 percent) traditionalist. A large percentage (75.8 percent) received information on indigenous control methods from their parents and grandparents. The result from the study revealed that there was a significant association between marital status (χ² = 10.06, p &lt; 0.04), religion (χ² = 8.05, p &lt; 0.02), membership of social group (χ² = 14.31, p &lt; 0.00) and the perceived effects of indigenous farming practices of the respondents. Similarly, findings revealed that there was a significant association between income (r = 0.45, p 0.05), farm size (r = 0.13, p 0.05), farming experience (r = 0.11, p 0.05) of the respondents and the perceived effects of indigenous farming practices. There was no significant relationship between extension visitation (χ² = 0.04, p 0.62) and farmers use of indigenous knowledge. There was no significant relationship between indigenous farming practices (r = 0.04, p 0.65) and farmers production practices.

Reduced social risk-taking in depression.

Evolutionary models of depression posit that depressed mood represents an adaptive response to unacceptably low social status, motivating the inhibition of social risk-taking in favor of submissive behaviors which reduce the likelihood of social exclusion. We tested the hypothesis of reduced social risk taking using a novel adaptation of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 27) and never-depressed comparison participants (n = 35). The BART requires participants to pump up virtual balloons. The more the balloon is pumped up, the more money a participant gains on that trial. However, more pumps also increase the risk the balloon will burst such that all money is lost. Prior to performing the BART, participants took part in a team induction in small groups in order to prime social-group membership. Participants then completed two conditions of the BART: an Individual condition where they risked only their own money, and a Social condition, where they risked the money of their social group. The groups did not differ in their performance in the individual condition (Cohen's d = 0.07). However, the MDD group risked fewer pumps in the Social condition than the never-depressed group (d = 0.57). The study supports the notion of an aversion to social risk-taking in depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Replacing the Persecution Condition for Refugeehood

In this article, earlier versions of which were presented at the IVR World Congress in 2019 and in graduate student workshops at the University of Pennsylvania, the author offers a critical look at the existing definition of a refugee in international law, in particular, in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The Convention recognizes a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion as a condition for a person to be granted refugee status. However, this leaves significant gaps in the protection of persons fleeing indiscriminate or generalized violence or harm, although such people today constitute a significant proportion of those forced to move from their country of nationality. The author emphasizes that within some regions and countries there are legal instruments capable of bridging these gaps (the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention on the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, as well as temporary protection in the EU and the US), but the UN Convention continues to be deficient in this regard.&#x0D; The author proposes to correct these shortcomings by applying the “needs-first” approach, which understands refugees as all displaced persons fleeing sufficiently serious threats. The author presents her own definition of a refugee as “any person with a well-founded fear that their fundamental human rights are urgently threatened; who would have no recourse to their home government, even if appropriate international assistance were available; and whose interests can only or best satisfied by means of refugee – that is, by means of protection from a political authority that is not their own, usually in the form of asylum within the territory of that country.”&#x0D; The author acknowledges that her proposed “needs-first” approach is not without its drawbacks, and the main challenge in its implementation is to avoid becoming a purely humanitarian measure and to preserve the political identity of the individuals who are fleeing the threat to countries not of their nationality.

Making Law Possible

Making Law Possible

Functionality and usability features of ubiquitous mobile technologies: the acceptance of interactive travel apps

研究目的客户越来越多地使用移动应用程序 (apps) 来比较旅行和酒店服务的价格, 并购买他们的行程、旅游和住宿。 本研究探讨了影响个人对旅行应用程序有用性看法的关键因素, 并阐明了预测个人使用这些应用程序的倾向的因果路径。研究设计/方法/途径本研究从 1,320 名流行社交媒体团体的成员作为研究参与者收集了定量数据。 通过基于复合材料的偏最小二乘法 (PLS) 方法对它们进行了分析。研究发现结果证实, 信息质量、来源可信度和旅游应用程序的功能显着影响个人对其有用性的看法以及他们未来继续使用它们的意图。 它们还表明, 信息技术采用模型 (ITAM) 中存在非常显着的间接影响。实际意义这项研究表明, 旅游服务提供商可以提高其移动应用程序的质量和功能, 以提高消费者对这些无处不在的技术的实用价值的看法。理论意义本研究将来自信息采用模型 (IAM) 的信息质量和来源可信度因素与从电子服务质量 (eSERVQUAL) 中提取的功能结构相结合。 本研究检查了它们对技术接受模型 (TAM) 的感知有用性和行为意图的影响。研究原创性这一贡献提高了人们对在 IAM 和/或 TAM“可用性”因素之外加入功能结构的重要性的认识, 以更好地了解个人利用在线内容和/或采用交互式创新的倾向。 在这种情况下, 这意味着旅游应用程序的某些功能特性（包括响应能力和技术能力）可以触发用户习惯性地增加对这些移动技术的参与。

EVACUACIONES DE EMERGENCIA CON PRESENCIA DE GRUPOS SOCIALES

In this work we study how the presence of social groups affects emergency evacuations. This investigation was carried out in the context of the Social Force Model (SFM). We added an attractive force to the SFM, which accounts for the affective feelings that the members of social groups share (colleagues, friends, couples, etc.). We calibrated this force using experimental data, in order to simulate emergency evacuations. We observe that the evacuation time is considerably worsened when attractive feelings are taken into account. Therefore, we conclude that this kind of collective behavior should be included in pedestrian dynamics models.

INFLUENCE OF SOME SELECTED PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INFORMATION SOURCES ON FOOD SAFETY PRACTICES OF LOCUST BEAN PROCESSORS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF OYO STATE, NIGERIA

As a developing nation, Nigeria struggles with significant challenges related to fostering a strong food safety culture. Shockingly, Nigeria witnesses a staggering annual toll of over 200,000 deaths attributed to foodborne illnesses. Moreover, many rural and suburban areas in the country are severely underserved when it comes to basic facilities and essential awareness or education regarding the critical importance of cultivating a strong food safety culture. The study investigated the influence of selected socioeconomic characteristics and information sources on food safety practices of locust bean processors in selected rural communities of Oyo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling method was utilized to choose respondents from three LGAs in Oyo State. A random selection of communities known for locust bean processing within each LGA and a total selection of 158 processors was carried out. Data were collected using interview schedule. The result revealed that the mean age of processors was 44 years. The mean years of processing experience were about 17years. The findings revealed a significant relationship between the level of education (p =0.037), frequency of processing (p=0.001), membership of social group (p=0.007), years of processing experience (p=0.002)and food safety practices. Radio (p= 0.011), sanitary officer (p= 0.001), family (p= 0.004), market groups (p= 0.001), and cooperative society (p=0.001) had significant relation with food safety practice respectively. The findings show that personal characteristics like years of processing, education level, and frequency of processing had impacted the unsafe practices of the processors. Likewise, information sources such as family, market groups and cooperative groups were found to influence food safety practices. The findings of the study can therefore be used to provide intervention in training education and provision of up to up to date information, leading to improved food safety practices among Locust bean processors.

Necesidad de un Consenso de Buenas Prácticas para la Identificación de las personas muertas en el mar, en nuestra frontera

The Spanish Association of Anthropology and Forensic Odontology, organized its XII Conference through the University of Granada, under the topic “Identification at the Border”. Professionals from different disciplines, as well as members of social groups and people who have crossed the border discussed the complex forensic medical, judicial, social and humanitarian problem involved in the large number of people who have died at sea, who arrive at our coasts and are never identified. The main causes for the lack of efficiency in the identification process in this context were analyzed; these include the limited usefulness of the methods recognized in international protocols (Dactyloscopy, Odontology, DNA), given the impossibility of obtaining antemortem data with which to compare, the rejection of other methods and scientific evidence to guide and support the investigation process, the limited credibility given to the testimonies of companions and witnesses of shipwrecks, as well as the impossibility of sharing data between different institutions and groups involved that would facilitate identification. Therefore, our purpose is to create a consensus of good practices that will allow us to overcome these deficiencies and establish a working protocol whose main goal is the positive identification of persons who have died at sea.

Оценка качества жизни у неоперированных больных молодого возраста после перенесенного субарахноидального кровоизлияния

Introduction. Currently, to determine the level of social and economic well-being of individual members of society or social groups, the concept of “quality of life” is increasingly being used which is proposed to be considered as the degree of comfort of an individual, both within himself and within his society. This allows you to identify factors that either improve life or worsen it. That is why the study of quality of life, as an integral characteristic of the physical, psychological, emotional and social state of a patient, based on his subjective perception, is stated on three components: multidimensionality, which allows to differentially determine the impact of disease and treatment on the patient’s condition; variability in time depending on the patient’s condition; participation of a patient in the assessment of his condition, which is the most valuable indicator of his general state. Aim. Assessment of the quality of life in non-operated young patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Materials and methods. The study included 165 patients with SAH (76 men, 89 women; mean age 48.82 ± 5.29 years). All patients underwent a comprehensive examination, which included the collection of complaints and anamnestic data with the identification of vascular risk factors, computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography, lumbar puncture, transcranial dopplerography, ultrasound examination of the main vessels of the head and neck, heart and abdominal organs. The vegetative state was assessed according to the A.M. Vein’s Questionnaire of Autonomic Disorders, general and mental fatigue – according to the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), cognitive ability – using a test battery, psycho-emotional status – according to the Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, depressive disorders – according to the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Quality of life was assessed using the Nottingham Health Profile. Results. The decrease in the quality of life as a result of SAH in young people depended on the level of stigmatization and was determined by the severity of psycho-vegetative disorders, symptomatic general and mental fatigue, state and trait anxiety, depressive disorders and cognitive impairments. Conclusion. It is the integral assessment of quality of life that is the fundamental vector in the prospective observation of the examined patients, and, despite the absence of focal neurological symptoms and signs in most patients, there is a need to refer them to rehabilitation programs.

Learning through Play

The text presents an overview of educational programmes held with the exhibition project Toys – Childhood Forever. The programmes were held for different groups of museum visitors: kindergarten groups, elementary and secondary school students, university students, old-age pensioners, members of vulnerable social groups, adult individual visitors and families. The key elements of learning are interactions through play and emotional engagement as essential factors of museum experience.

Status of Climate Smart Small Ruminant Production Practices in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examined the status of climate smart small ruminant production practices in Kwara State, Nigeria. About 105 small ruminant breeders were selected for the study. The data were analysed the use of frequency count, percentage, mean score, Binary Logistic Regression and Pearson product moment correlation. The result revealed that about 60% of the breeders were females and the mean years of experience in small ruminant production was 7 years. The result of most of the frequently used climate smart small ruminant production practices of the respondents showed that provision of medication to sick animals and cultivation of crops along with rearing of animals (90.5%), feeding with supplementary feeds, isolation of sick animals and vaccination of animals (92.4%); provision of shade through Planting of trees to reduce heat stress (93.3%); feeding with crop residues and building and maintenance of pens (96.2%) and grazing on pasture/grassland (97.1%). About 90.5% of the breeders have high status on the use of climate smart small ruminant production practices. Disease outbreak and high mortality (mean=2.07) was the highest ranked factors affecting the small ruminant breeders. The result of Binary Logistic Regression showed that educational level (B=3.985), membership of social group (B=6.083), access to extension services (B= 13.941) and years of experience (B= -0.544) were the determinant factors of the use of climate smart small ruminants production practices. This study therefore recommends that breeders should be provided with veterinary services and extension services.