Micro-level Study Research Articles

Delineation of groundwater potential zones using MIF and AHP models: A micro-level study on Suri Sadar Sub-Division, Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

This study involves the demarcation of Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZ), which has been produced by Multi-Influencing Factors (MIF) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the aid of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS). Eleven influencing factors, viz.- aquifer thickness, geology, rainfall, lineament density, soil texture, slope, elevation, pond density, drainage density, NDVI, and land use and land cover were used to delineate GWPZ maps. GWPZ map prepared by the MIF technique classified into low, medium, and high, covering 44.05, 32.82, and 23.13% of the test area. Contrary to this, the GWPZ map obtained by the AHP technique classified into the same categories, low, medium, and high, covering 41.41, 34.32, and 24.28% of the test area. Using Kappa statistics, accuracy assessment of the GWPZ maps has been done for both the MIF technique and AHP technique with the agreement value of 0.754 and 0.702. In this study it has been found that groundwater potentiality is not satisfactory in the northwestern part of the test region. Therefore, to use it wisely, we may encourage the use of pond irrigation, river lifting, rain water harvesting.

Land use land cover change detection and monitoring of urban growth using remote sensing and GIS techniques: a micro-level study

Accurate information on the rate of land-use pattern changes and urban expansion is essential for the sustainable development and management of natural resources. The rapid urban growth is a major challenge for local government and urban planners in small cities of India due to an insufficient database and inadequate analysis of chaotic urban expansion. The present paper has evaluated the land use/land cover change (LULCC) dynamics of the Barrackpore Subdivision area, India using remote sensing data and utilized the urban growth. Multi-temporal Landsat images with the maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) method were applied to generate the land use land cover maps. The spatiotemporal changes were performed by the “from-to” change matrix identifier to study land transformation. LULCC matrix demonstrated that vegetation cover, agricultural/cropland, wetland, and water bodies have decreased area under 23%, 7%, 6%, 1.7%, while the area under built-up and fallow lands have increased by 32.2% and 6.3% during 1972–2016. The results also revealed marked variation in the growth of built-up areas. The positive correlation between population and built-up land growth indicated that the impact of population pressure has contributed to faster growth of built-up land in the study area. The study calls for policies for proper land use management and sustainable urban development.

Women and information communication technology micro-level study in rural Kerala

Information Communication Technology [ICT] concentrates on these three aspects-Information, Communication and Technology. The paper is based on a study which covered various aspects of the Users of ICT Gadgets, in terms of their socio-economic profile, pattern of utilization of ICT tools, purpose for which the ICT tools used and also the constraints experienced by SC and ST women in Use of ICT tools. The micro level study was undertaken in two villages of Kollam district in Kerala. These two villages are identified based on the concentration of SC and ST population in the Kollam district, Anchal Block and Two Villages-Kulathupuzha and Thinkalkarikakom are identified and purposively chosen for the study. The researcher has used a structured interview schedule, and also Focus Group Discussion with women. In this paper, outcome of the Focus Group Discussion and Case studies are presented and discussed.

The acceptance of mLearning amongst the suburban college students: A micro-level study in North 24 Pargana of West Bengla

The revolution of mobile phones is not merely limited to calling or texting; it has reached almost every sphere of humankind. In this 21st century, studies have claimed that mobile phones' accessibility is comparatively higher than the toilet. Nearly 6 billion people worldwide now are accessing a working mobile handset (UNESCO, 2014). The ubiquitous use of mobile phones brings mobility to its users and helps them accept this ICT based technology worldwide. This new technology of communication also has a remarkable contribution to the educational sector. Its real-time communication makes learning effortless and congenial to the potential learners. This study will explore mobile-based learning technology among the higher education aspirants of suburban colleges in North 24parganas of West Bengal. Suburban students are not getting the same facilitates as metro city students. Besides that, suburban culture and social taboos sometimes make problems to use or access mobile phones by students. However, this will not be focused on the comparison between metro city students and suburban students. Moreover, this study will focus on the usage of mobile phones among suburban college students and to what extent these students are comfortable with the mobile learning method. M-learning or mobile-based learning is "learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices" (M-Learning: Revision History - Wikipedia, 2020). The benefits of mLearning not only accepted by the students and educational institutions also the Indian higher education departments now have concentrated on this technology for its mass availability, user-friendly access, instantaneous sharing capacity, personalized uses, and Running connectivity. In the future, the limitations and barriers of learning can be overcome through mLearning technology.

Social capital dimensions and individual happiness in Indonesia: The micro-level study

The Easterlin Paradox triggers the use of happiness as a measure of Wellbeing. The welfare can be measured by monetary measurement and comprehensive to subjective measurement, one of which is social capital. This study shows the influence of social capital on the level of individual happiness in Indonesia. The study uses the 2007 and 2014 Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) data. Using the Logit Regression Panel, the results show a positive influence on social capital, which contains trust, social networks, and sanctions and norms on several dimensions on the level of individual happiness. We also found that individual happiness levels are based on age, marital status, income level, education level, health status. Therefore, we need programs that prioritize community participation to increase informal social interaction and the need for effective programs to accelerate community income.

Public Irrigation and Well-being of Women: A Tale of Two Villages in North-east Karnataka, India

This article explores how public irrigation mediates the well-being of women through a study of two villages in north-east Karnataka with contrasting natures of access to irrigation. It shows that public irrigation plays an “instrumental role” in the well-being of women. Here, the well-being of women is defined in terms of four dimensions that include survival, education, health and self-awareness. The village that has access to public-funded canal irrigation exhibits relatively better performance in terms of well-being of women compared to the village with non-canal irrigation. These outcomes are explained in terms of access to irrigation and distribution of land. This micro-level study shows the need to focus on public expenditure in rural infrastructure projects, including irrigation, to mitigate gender inequities.

Detection of microalgae single-cell antioxidant and electrochemical potentials by gold microelectrode and Raman micro-spectroscopy combined with chemometrics

Microalgae single-cell electrochemical characteristics are playing an important key role in its industrial application and functionality. This study conducted a single-cell electrochemical study to explain the influence mechanism of intracellular phenolic and flavonoid contents of microalgae on its surface electric charge. In the method, four microalgae species, Arthrospira platensis (AP), Chlorella vulgaris (CV), Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT), and Scenedesmus obliquus (SO), were studied through single-cell electrochemical current (SCC), single-cell micro-Raman spectrometry (SCMR), and other physicochemical methods. Also, they were correlated with the chemical analytical methods. In the results, PT and AP phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities were significantly high compared to CV and SO. On the other hand, SO had the highest SCC compared to AP and PT. Also, SCMR at 1514 cm−1 was negatively correlated with antioxidant activity by nitric oxide (r2 = -0.80). In conclusion, single-cell current measurement by gold microelectrode can verify the antioxidant activity of the different microalgae species. Besides, this work provides a simple micro-level study of the single-cell phytochemicals to better explain their exact functional impacts compared to the methods of macro-analyses that use millions of cells, which reduces their sensitivity. In which, it can be applied in the real-time functionality evaluation during microalgae cultivation.

The dynamics of the Egyptian social contract: How the political changes affected the poor

Abstract How have the uprisings in 2011 and 2013 affected deprived communities in Egypt? Adopting a social contract approach, this longitudinal study tracks the same individuals in Manshiet Nasser and Menia over a ten-year period (2006–2015) articulating their wellbeing priorities, unfulfilled aspirations, problems and perceptions on the social contract over time. This grounded micro-level study argues that the uprisings; which were meant to end the old social contract that traded off political rights with socio-economic benefits; have in fact post-2013 led to a new bargain that forgoes both sets of rights in exchange for political stability. The analysis shows the persistence of the same wellbeing priorities, problems and unfulfilled aspirations, esp. in employment, income generation, housing and education. This indicates the repeated failure of the state to enact a new social contract that addresses these needs. The burden of the post-revolutionary economic crises fell mainly on the poor, especially female headed households in urban areas and young informal workers – both suffering from high inflation and unemployment. Paradoxically, whilst the January 2011 uprising called for a new social contract promoting ‘bread, freedom and social justice’, it led post-2013 to a more exclusionary one. Blaming the uprisings for the political turmoil and economic crises, deprived communities were therefore willing to accept a new social contract that not only denies their basic political rights but also undermines the socio-economic benefits - guaranteed under the old populist social contract. They thus tolerated the state’s failure to fulfil these socio-economic rights in exchange for political stability. The sustainability of the current social contract however remains questionable. Politically, the uprisings had a contradictory effect as they raised political awareness; but undermined feelings of citizenship and led to radicalisation when the democratic transition failed. The new social contract thus not only failed to address the ‘revolution of rising expectations’ after the uprisings, but also jeopardizes long-term political stability in Egypt. Forging a sustainable more inclusive social contract thus remains a major challenge the current regime needs to address.

Does Irrigation Mediate Inclusiveness in Education? A Study of Two Villages in Hyderabad and Karnataka

This study basically tries to understand how far sources of irrigation mediate development outcomes relating to education. This micro-level study based on a comparative study of both canal-irrigated and non-canal-irrigated villages in the Hyderabad–Karnataka region shows that public irrigation plays a major role in achieving inclusiveness in education, especially higher education. Unlike a non-canal-irrigated village, in a canal-irrigated village, along with ‘ dominant castes, a few Scheduled Castes (SCs) also have access to higher education. The access to ‘quality education’, in terms of private institutions and English medium schools, is also inclusive in canal-irrigated villages. On the other hand, access to education is limited to big landowners in a non-canal-irrigated village. However, a gender-wise analysis shows that the above inclusiveness in canal-irrigated villages regarding access to education has failed to reach women. Such outcomes in education are explained in terms of landownership pattern, private investment in irrigation and gendered access to education.

Original

Nowadays Self-Help Group or SHG plays a vital role not only in social transformation and upliftment of rural women but also in social-economic betterment of them. The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact assessment in the socio-economic status of rural women through Self Help Groups with the help of a micro-level study of two C. D. blocks namely Dhaniakhali and Polba-Dadpur in Hooghly district. 40572 SHGs are consisting of 394897 members in 18 C. D. blocks of Hooghly district. Among the blocks, Daniakhali and Polba-Dadpur were selected for the study, of which 28 groups are chosen randomly. From these selected groups 108 members have been selected to conduct the primary survey. Personal interviews were conducted to find out the major purposes of the study i.e. to examine the role of SHG in developing the socio-economic status of rural women and to analyse the impact of SHGs in decision making. The study is mainly based on primary data and simple per cent calculation is used for analysing the data. The major analytical tool employed for the study is tabular analysis to facilitate easy interpretation. Map of the study area is prepared through ArcGIS 10.5 software. The present study explains a detailed socio-economic profile of the SHG members in the study area.

Geo-hydrological inferences through morphometric aspects of the Himalayan glacial-fed river: a case study of the Madhyamaheshwar River basin

Morphometric parameters are usually prerequisites for the assessment of hydrological facets of a basin. Quantitative evaluation of a drainage basin further helps in the micro-level study of its physiographic characteristics. In this study, an attempt has been made to determine the detailed aspects of morphometric characteristics of the Madhyamaheshwar River basin, a watershed of the Mandakini River that constitutes a part of the Alaknanda River. There are a large number of drainage systems which have their source in the Himalaya. This study was performed using the hydrology tool in geographic information system (GIS) environment. Evaluation of linear, aerial, and relief morphometric parameters was achieved through digital delineation and drainage analysis to provide hydrological insights. A detailed morphometric analysis obtained in this study enlightens distinctive morphometric settings of stream within the drainage system like stream behaviour, the interrelation between connected streams, system’s inputs and outputs of matter, and energy. The geometric structure of the basin is ideal for flood velocity assessment backing significantly to stream energy and erosive patterns. Such geometric forms are ideal for increasing flood velocities, which contribute greatly to the available stream energy, and erosion and transportation capacities. Features such as hydrogeology have been evaluated to anticipate the drainage characteristics of the river. This study is also vital regarding the understandings of the subsurface lithology of the basin and sustainable management of the river resources.

The role of interactive learning in innovation capability building in multinational subsidiaries: A micro-level study of biotechnology in Brazil

Although multinational enterprises (MNEs) from advanced economies have increasingly internationalised their innovation activities, including R&D, into emerging economies, we have an incomplete understanding of how subsidiaries in these contexts create the technological capabilities to innovate. Based on a single-case qualitative study of a Brazilian subsidiary of a large biotechnology MNE (1989-2016), we found that: (1) the subsidiary's technological capability-building, from production-based to advanced levels (including R&D for applied research), reflects the effectiveness with which it implemented interactive learning strategies through the use of ‘science, technology and innovation’ (STI) and ‘doing, using and interacting’ (DUI) learning mechanisms to tap into three types of knowledge sources: within the subsidiary, the MNE corporate network, and other host sectoral system organisations; (2) the effectiveness of these strategies related to the combined and complementary use of various STI/DUI learning mechanisms over time, which supported the technological capability-building process and, ultimately, the implementation of innovation activities with increased value and novelty. By using a comprehensive and integrative approach to interactive learning, examining how such learning affects the subsidiary's accumulation of innovation capability ‘levels’ and adopting a micro-level perspective in a host emerging economy, we contribute to furthering the understanding of knowledge-seeking strategies and innovation in MNE-subsidiaries, from the standpoint of biotechnology. We also provide a basis for deepening the analysis of interactive learning in subsidiaries in other industries and other emerging economies.

A critical approach to active learning

This micro-level study conducted on tow Bangladeshi colleges intended to explore how far learners have engaged actively in the process of learning and teaching. This article (1) examines the nature and character of active learning and (2) elucidates the present approach of learning in practice in the higher education of Bangladesh at the college level affiliated with National University, Bangladesh. The investigation completed by applying the mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches, though it is primarily focused on qualitative analysis. Data collected based on two cases. In addition, four FGD sessions have arranged with teachers and students and two of them with the teacher and rest two with the students. In this case study, we come across that student-teacher engagement in learning is very low. There are few scopes for reaching students' behavior, motivation levels in the learning situation. Absenteeism is very high in the students as well as in the teacher. Both the learners and instructors involved in learning for a short period of time. Their staying in the institution for short is a barrier to a high level of engagement in teaching-learning. As a consequence, they do not become the anytime, anywhere learner thereby not lifelong learners

Water crisis in the Eastern Hindu Kush: a micro-level study of community-based irrigation water management in the mountain village Kushum, Pakistan

Water crisis in the Eastern Hindu Kush: a micro-level study of community-based irrigation water management in the mountain village Kushum, Pakistan

Income inequality, remittances and economic wellbeing in rural Pakistan: linkages and empirical evidence

This paper uses data from a rural household survey in 2008 of 600 sample households to describe the sources of income and its contribution to inequality in Pakistan. Interestingly, transfer income from remittances from within and outside the country is the highest source of income for rural households. This is followed by other sources of income from agricultural, nonfarm, livestock and rental incomes. Income distributions by these sources are calculated by quintiles. Furthermore, decomposition of overall inequality (measured by Gini coefficient) is calculated by sources of income and by provinces and districts. Partial correlation coefficients between Gini coefficients and sources of income are calculated by districts. Finally, a regression model is estimated to determine the nature and magnitude of the effects of relative income levels (measured as economic wellbeing) of households on the shares of remittances in their total household income. The household economic wellbeing contributes significantly and positively to the shares of remittances in the total household income. In general, different sources of income contribute differently to inequality with strong distributional implications. In particular, the contribution of remittances, among others, can be singled out as a major source of income and reduction in income inequality. Our results show that there is a unidirectional causality running from economic wellbeing to remittances and from remittances to income inequality. One of the limitations of our study is the static perspective of the dataset that do not consider changes over time. Second, it is a micro-level study that does not consider changes at a broader perspective. We suggest that similar studies should also be conducted in other regions, for different time periods and at a broader scale or macro-level to develop the subject. Last, it would be nice to look at the consumption and wealth-stock side of economic wellbeing, an issue we do not tackle because of data reasons.

Implementing the Innovation Agenda: A Study of Change at a Research Funding Agency

With the rise of an innovation agenda in science policy, previous studies have identified a shift in how the state delegates responsibility to funding agencies in order to change the behaviour of the scientific community. This paper contributes to this literature through a micro-level study of how one of Canada’s largest research funding agencies, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), has changed resource allocation for research over 25 years. Our study foregrounds research funding agencies as key sites for examining the reconfiguration of the relationship between the state and science, as expressed in programmatic and resource allocation decisions. Through analysis of an original dataset compiled from NSERC’s funding and documentary data, we demonstrate the relationship between the introduction of innovation objectives in funding instruments, the adoption of new delegation modes to guide resource allocation, and changes in funding among research fields over time. Our study empirically demonstrates the cumulative effect of programmatic and funding decisions in a major agency, going beyond previous accounts of more general trends at the national level.

Value chain analysis of Lakadong turmeric in Meghalaya: A micro-level study

Value chain analysis of Lakadong turmeric in Meghalaya: A micro-level study

Value chain analysis of Lakadong turmeric in Meghalaya: a micro-level study

Value chain analysis of Lakadong turmeric in Meghalaya: a micro-level study

Confusion and Making Sense of Menstruation: A Micro-level Study of Village Khagawal, Chandauli District, Uttar Pradesh

Menstruation is a natural process which has significant and irrevocable changes on a woman’s life. Navigating the entire process is no small feat, and the added confusion in the age of information overload often complicates the situation rather than simplifying it. In India, discourses surrounding menstruation are still restricted to sanitary napkins while overlooking menstrual disorders, understanding and examining the agencies responsible for it. Many a time, ancient pearls of wisdom are being dismissed as taboos without apprehending its deeper sciences which helped women in traversing the entire process since time immemorial. This research is an attempt to view menstruation holistically by giving importance to a woman’s personal experiences and to find out how menstruation is integrated into the local culture. To accomplish the research, we conducted a questionnaire survey amongst 40 females aged 13-49 years and three focus group discussions to explore the coping mechanisms, the grass-root problems the rural girls and women face during menstruation in village Khagawal located in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh. The findings revealed that rudimentary information concerning menstruation was present amongst the respondents— the respondents are aware of the traditional knowledge and ways but completely ignorant regarding the scientific roots of the practices. Some facets of hygiene need to be addressed.

Micro-level coastal vulnerability assessment in relation to post-Aila landscape alteration at the fragile coastal stretch of the Sagar Island, India

After the Aila cyclone on May 25, 2009, the fragile coastal environment of the Sagar Island is facing harsh impacts associated with coastal erosion, landscape degradation and alarming socioeconomic pressure. The present micro-level study focuses on the shoreline dynamics and associated landscape alteration rate of different land use/land cover patterns over 2.24 km2 area, along about 3 km coastline at low-lying (1.45 m) fragile land-shorefront stretch of the Sagar Island, India using multi-temporal satellite images of pre-Aila (2006) and post-Aila (2010 and 2017) periods. The embankment and shoreline shifting trends and predicted positions are estimated through the digital shoreline analysis system (DSAS) considering multiple shoreline/embankment positions over the period of 2006 to 2017. About 0.64 km2 area of productive land is exposed to marine action due to the rapid rate of shoreline retreat (28.48 m/y) within the decade. The coastal vulnerability index (CVI) is estimated after considering the 14 parameters from physical and socioeconomic variables. The result reveals that the shorefront zones (3 and 5) are highly vulnerable with CVI of 1 and 0.494 than the interior zones (2 and 4). The estimated vulnerability divulges that in the near future, the entire area will ruin due to high rate of land erosion with triggered effects of the local sea level rise (SLR) and associated hazards. The adopted multi-criterion CVI estimation method can also be applied over a large area in the other coastal stretch of the tropical regions.