Resource-based Projects Research Articles

Mapping Danger

Natural resource-based projects represent an important sector in Canada’s economy, where the energy, mining, and forestry industries accounted for 17% of Canada’s gross domestic product in 2018 (Natural Resources Canada, 2019). Many projects are located on or near Indigenous lands, disproportionately impacting Indigenous peoples (Gibson et al., 2017). The negative environmental impacts of resource-based projects are well documented (Koutouki et al., 2018; Westman & Joly, 2019); however, the social consequences are often overlooked. Recently, numerous non-profit organizations have documented a connection between resource-based projects and increased numbers of violent offences against Indigenous women (Amnesty International, 2016b; Bond & Quinlan, 2018; Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, 2021;), but few academic articles have addressed this issue. Therefore, a non-systematic scoping review was conducted on available grey literature, news articles, and academic literature to examine key concepts and themes. This review demonstrates that colonization has placed Indigenous women in Canada at higher risk of violence. The introduction of resource-based projects exacerbates this issue through three key processes: the presence of “man camps,” economic changes, and changing family dynamics. In combination with an inadequate criminal justice system, the resulting violence against Indigenous women can be categorized into three overlapping groups: domestic violence, workplace violence, and sexual violence. An economic map was developed to illustrate the locations of resource-based projects associated with this issue (see Figure 1). This paper suggests potential solutions including addressing toxic workplace culture, updating policies and protocols, ensuring meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples, and increasing government protections.

Introduction

There is a developmental value in each crisis. Crises are a part of every society, economy, system… They are experienced by the individuals at the various stages of their lives. Most clearly, the path of life is defined in the relation to the biographical perspective. On one hand, it is perceived as the institutionalization of the course of life (M. Kohli 1985), and on the other, as an autonomous, resource-based project and individual construction of one’s own development path. From the perspective of late modernity the ways of overcoming difficulties and life crises have changed their sense and meaning. The biography has lost the character of a socially determined construct to its diverse, mobile, subjectifying form. It is because of education and migration processes as well as the cultural changes and development of new technologies. The opportunities to go beyond the frames of social environment are the hallmarks of progress and modernity and at the same time make human life highly uncertain and vulnerable to the developmental crises. The subjectification of the biography most fully expressed in the concept of ‘self-governance’ by M. Foucault (2000) brings with it many difficulties and pitfalls. This probably explains the phenomenon of increasing social differences, deepening dysfunctionality of institutions, weaknesses of systematic solutions and insufficient theories in social practice. This area brings many challenges to social policy, social pedagogy and social work. The current issue of our journal is dedicated to the reflection on such topics.

Promises, Promises: The Unbuilt Petroleum Environment in Murmansk

The Arctic as a booming oil and gas province has been a predominant geopolitical representation of the region. However, the shale gas revolution in the United States and the drop in oil prices since late 2014 has reduced the viability of many high-cost Arctic oil and gas prospects. Little scholarly attention has been paid to the consequences of pursued but unrealized natural resource-based projects. This article brings literature from geography and science and technology studies into conversation to map out a preliminary research agenda for understanding how these “shelved futures” are still likely to matter in Arctic communities and policymaking. This conceptual argument is bolstered with a short exploratory case study of Murmansk, Russia. The qualitative-interview based case study illustrates two ways in which the Shtokman gas project retained regional significance, even three years after the project was suspended. Specifically, these are 1) a comparatively negative assessment of the broader socio-economic prospects of the region, and 2) expanded and possibly changed understandings on the part of the different stakeholders (business, government, civil society/the public) about their own and others’ potential roles. The semi-structured interviews with stakeholders primarily focused on recollections of petroleum companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, as these efforts were a concrete harbinger of the much-trumpeted oil and gas future.(Published: January 2017)Citation: E.W. Rowe. “Promises, promises: The unbuilt petroleum environment in Murmansk.” Arctic Review on Law and Politics, Vol. 8, 2017, pp. 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v8.504

Reinforcing information literacy development through a subject-focused resource-based project

This paper discusses the findings of research investigating the implementation of a resource-based school history project in Malaysian secondary schools. It seeks to understand how the project contributes towards students’ information literacy development. The study took place in selected secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 23 students and 5 teachers from four schools participated in the study, employing (a) student focus group interviews, (b) teacher individual interviews, (c) observation, and (d) document analysis as the data collection techniques. In general, although the history project is considered a “research” project by teachers and students, it is found to be a cursory information-gathering and information-compilation type of assignment, which is fully guided by the project guidelines or instructions. While teachers employ a mixture of teaching approaches in the project instruction, the efforts are concentrated on subject matter-related issues such as subject content and project instructions fulfillment. The larger learning experience such as information literacy and learning skills development, as well as research and report writing enhancement, appear to be overlooked in the instructions. The findings also show that (a) information literacy is loosely defined, (b) the “information gathering and information compilation” of the project task is of a superficial nature, and (c) inadequate guidance from teachers has resulted in low information literacy development among students. This study highlights the critical need to address information literacy in the education system, design resource-based assignments with a clear information literacy focus, and the importance of support from teachers for successful development. It provides a foundation for further research on the development of information literacy-focused resource-based school project assignments.

Delivering community benefits acts as insurance for the survival of small protected areas such as the Abe Bailey Nature Reserve, South Africa

The Abe Bailey Nature Reserve (ABNR) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa is largely unknown and offers little to attract visitors. The biological integrity of the ABNR is challenged by the urban poverty in Khutsong, the reserve’s immediate neighbour. Relations between Khutsong and the nature reserve had been hostile for decades as a result of the ‘fortress’ style of conservation protection used for the ABNR. However, this situation provided the Gauteng Directorate of Nature Conservation with an opportunity to experiment with identifying and transferring benefits to the community, as well as establishing an effective buffer zone between the nature reserve and the informal settlements of Khutsong. Following an initial rapid rural appraisal and ongoing liaison through specifically appointed project managers, an outreach programme containing two natural resource-based projects was developed. As a result, better relations were established between the ABNR and its neighbouring community for the first time since the nature reserve was established in 1977. This acted as ‘insurance’ during violent public protests and vandalism in the Khutsong border demarcation dispute (2005–2007), but may not be enough to secure the nature reserve into the future. Conservation implications: Small protected areas may not be effective in ensuring their biological integrity in the long term, but working cooperatively with existing and future neighbours is an essential strategy to optimise conservation activities in small reserves such as the ABNR.

The resource-based project cooperation model in the strategic alliance with neural network

The resource-based project cooperation model in the strategic alliance with neural network

Macro-engineering: An Australian perspective

Australia is a large land mass with a small population. It has a history of macroproject development, implemented by the necessity to establish its communications, product development, and trade. The concept of the modern, highly intensive macroproject first impacted in 1964 with the development of iron ore deposits of the West Coast, closely followed by the development of the coal deposits of the East in the 1970s. So far, Australia's macroproject programs have not produced failure, but lessons have been learned concerning the prudent application of limited recourse financing, the need for appropriate legal structuring, the complexities of government participation in private enterprise, and the manipulation of resource-based projects for reasons of national infrastructure development. The vast improvement in labor productivity and the emphasis on tight national economic management in Australia in the light of the currently depressed international commodity markets is discussed.

The Evaluation of a Media Resource-based Learning Project and its Modification of Traditional Classroom procedures

Dr Moore's report took the form of a case-study of a resource-based project in the teaching of introductory French at Sir George Williams (now Concordia) University, Montreal. Commencing in 1970, the project involved close collaboration between the Department of French and the university's Centre for Instructional Technology. Arising from cutbacks in the academic staff and increasing numbers of students enrolling for the French course, an instructional strategy was developed whereby the traditional pattern of three lecture periods plus a one-hour session in the language laboratory was replaced by a resource-based system designed to enable students to work more or less on their own. The resources included video and audiotapes to be used in the laboratory on an individual study access basis, and a specially prepared workbook with a self-correctional marking key so as to complement oral proficiency with written grammatical exercises. In addition a course text was selected for use in conjunction with the audi...