Small Village Research Articles

Management of the complex problems caused by urbanizing wild animals by authorities and local governments

Nowadays, it is more often a problem that wild animals appear on the territory of municipalities and usually cause alarm among the residents. However, these animals usually do not only enter the territory of one settlement, but also "visit" the settlements in each other's catchment area, in accordance with the structure of the Hungarian small village settlement. We consider it necessary to have a professional signaling system connecting several settlements, even at the district level, which can be used to send an immediate signal to the affected settlements in case of wildlife detection in the territory of local government, so that they can take the necessary preliminary - professional protection - measures. In this way, municipalities can prepare professionally for the appearance of wild animals. With this signaling system, unexpected appearances and unprofessional "reception" of the wild animals could be avoided. The Act of CL, 2016 on the general administrative procedure (Ákr.) as a framework legislation leaves many procedural issues open, which are filled with content by individual sectoral legislation. A question may arise as to whether the Ákr. so to what extent can it be considered a flexible law, to what extent and where does it allow deviations from its rules? Can we find the Ákr. among its provisions, those where it would be worthwhile to introduce norms allowing for further deviations, especially in those life situations where the delay in implementation could even endanger the public interest? And this thought also leads to the center of our research, the question of immediate enforceability. Because in this respect, it cannot be said that Ákr. flexible legislation, partly due to the exhaustive list, and partly due to the exclusion of consideration. We focus our research on this problem and on the conflicts caused by wild animals, which are increasingly prominent nowadays.

The typology of countryside architectonical forms in South-Moravia, a region of Czechia

This article focuses on the typology of countryside architectonical forms in the region of South-Moravia in southeastern Czechia and on the expression of village identity through architecture in case study villages. Original folk architecture has been altered by new types of constructions built in rural areas since the 1950s, followed by a more recent wave of new architectural forms that have developed since the 1990s. The number of architectural types in case study villages was predominantly calculated using the panoramic sceneries on mapy.cz. The coefficients of countryside identity were allocated to architectural types based on basic folk house features. The value of countryside identity is higher in smaller villages except for suburbanized settlements of the regional capital of Brno.

The Situation of Public Employment in Small Villages in Hungary

The author started to deal with the public employment programme as an instrument of active employment policy in Hungary in the last 9 years. She perceived that the people living in disadvantaged settlements have limited labour market opportunities. In this research, the focus will be on small villages with less than 500 inhabitants in Hungary. In these settlements, the municipality is very often the only employer and there are almost no job opportunities available other than public employment. In small villages, the distorted demographic age structure, low educational attainment, low-income levels, inadequate infrastructure, physical distance from the cities, multi-generational unemployment, and often a high proportion of Roma inhabitants, make an already difficult and peripheral situation and employment difficult. The paper aims to analyse public employment programmes at a deeper level according to their role in the development of small villages and to identify good practices and successful public employment programmes in social cooperatives implemented by municipalities. The results of a questionnaire survey on the use of public employment will be presented as a commonly used employment solution in peripheral areas.

Geoinformatics of Spring Water Quality in Small Village

Geoinformatics is spatial information based on characteristics and analysis regarding spatial data. Water is the main component of human life with clean water, especially drinking water found from various sources, including spring water. Water quality is a global standard as a chemical, physical, and biological parameter. The study aims to determine the potential spring water based on spatial analysis of water quality standards for potential use. The method used to determine the potential utilization of springs using geographic information system analysis. Data is based on the difference in height, slope, and distance from springs to settlements and discharge. Water quality samples are analyzed using mobile and laboratory tests. The result found that physical parameters from five locations, Sirah Citanggulun, Cikerebek, Cijati, Cijati 2, and Galumpit, have good quality to meet the utilization requirements, especially for water designation class. Chemically parameters, water quality, is relatively good based on several parameters such as pH, Nitrite, dissolved iron, and zinc, which do not exceed the required quality standard threshold. The biological parameters, five samples are contaminated by bacteria Escherichia coli and total coliform. Regarding the literature review, this research found that biological contaminants are unsuitable for drinking water, but it is still good to become another used. The research concluded that the spring water in a small village could become potential uses for drinking water based on the parameter of water quality for daily use, especially for drinking water, regarding biological parameters that spring water must be boiled to drink.

Traffic Circle—An Example of Sustainable Home Zone Design

A significant number of new metered parking systems have been introduced in recent years by the local authorities of various spa towns in Poland in connection with home zone conversion projects. The traffic signs posted in these locations were limited to the beginning and end of the demarcated parking area. Traffic circle (TC) is an example of a traffic calming measure (TCM) used in home zones to slow down the traffic (case study—home zone in a small spa village). This article presents the results of a study investigating the speed reductions obtained within a home zone and a traffic circle used as traffic calming measure. The indispensable speed surveys were carried out in relation to this study in two periods: in summer when the streets are crowded with tourists and in September with little pedestrian traffic. Two research hypotheses were formulated as part of the speed data analysis to verify the slowing effect of the traffic circle and the relevance of the traffic circle’s design parameters and location, road function and the surrounding streetscape. For each hypothesis, statistical analyses were carried out using two nonparametric tests: two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and median test. The third research hypothesis formulated in this study was related to sustainable development factors related to fuel consumption and traffic-related air pollution, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. This hypothesis was verified by estimating the amount of air pollution in the home zone under analysis in three different situations (scenarios): in summer with the travel speed reduced by pedestrian traffic to ca. 8–10 km/h, in September with a small number of pedestrians and 20–25 km/h resulting speed between traffic circles, reduced at the traffic circle, and in a theoretical 30 km/h zone with 25–30 km/h assumed speed between traffic circles, dropping at the traffic circle. These analyses confirmed the appropriateness of the traffic circle as a home zone traffic calming measure, as long as its design is based on a detailed analysis of the relevant factors, including location, road function and the surrounding streetscape.

Availability of medical care and social support from the perspective of women with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Aim This article describes the situation of women with breast cancer during the pandemic. The study assessed the accessibility of oncological care, experienced stress, and use of social support. Subject and methods The study involved 158 women with breast cancer who lived in Poland. Purposive sampling was used. The research method was a diagnostic poll, and the research tool was a survey questionnaire designed by the authors of this study. Results The results showed that the pandemic was an additional aggravating factor for the participants, was associated with difficulties accessing medical care, and generated anxiety related to potential hospitalization and the resulting limited contact with loved ones. All participants were concerned that they might be unable to continue treatment. Family situation did not affect the level of stress, but was associated with seeking social support. Participants living alone sought support outside their families more often. The use of psychological care differed depending on place of residence: participants living in large cities used it more often than participants living in medium-sized and small cities and villages. Conclusion Breast cancer is a highly aggravating factor that was further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marie-Justine Vauthier: vita di un’anarchica tra impegno e solitudine

Marie Vauthier is an anarchist, the only woman from Aosta Valley who took part in the Spanish civil war. Born in a small mountain village, she soon emigrated to France, first to Paris and then to Toulouse, where she came into contact with anarchist and anti-fascist ideas. It was in Toulouse that she was part of a transnational anarchist network. She devoted herself intensively to political engagement and always showed great solidarity. Disappointed by defeat in the war, she shut herself away in solitude, in a world that did not belong to her.

Study of Problems Related to Pedestrian Bridges in Bulgaria

Pedestrian bridges due to specific features of the traffic on them have different parameters of structural behaviour and proportions in comparison with road and railway bridges. The lower traffic intensity leads to the possibility of realisation of slender structures with complex geometry. In accordance with Bulgarian national regulations the importance category of the bridge structures is related only with the road passing or under the structure. In Bulgaria there are large number of pedestrian bridges with relatively large spans up to 260m on small village roads and forest roads. Due to their low category in accordance with national regulations the process of control in their design, execution and maintenance is realised by the relevant municipalities. In the case of large spans suspension and cable-stayed superstructures are often used but the technical staff in the municipalities is frequently with no enough expert level in the complex behaviour of such type of structures. In the paper some common structural deficiencies, illustrated on analysis of particular pedestrian bridges in exploitation are discussed.

Predictive Analysis for Inventory Management of Coconut Warehouse (Case Study: Banio Lahewa)

Inventory management plays a pivotal role in the coconut farming business, directly influencing sales and income. An essential component of this management is warehousing, which not only affect revenue but also involves suppliers in the coconut storage process. Warehousing management and technology are two elements that can help companies operate more effectively and efficiently. This research focuses on efforts to improve warehouse management efficiency in the agricultural sector, particularly at Banio Lahewa, a company that operates as a coconut supplier in a small village with limited resources. Currently, the company still records data manually and lacks a real-time system to monitor demand patterns, stock rotation, and restocking frequency in the warehouse. This situation is caused by uncertainty about the products entering the warehouse, leading to the company’s focus being more limited to daily operational issues rather than future planning. To address this challenge, this research uses future event prediction methods, specifically forecasting by applying two neural network models: the Feed Forward Neural Network and the Long Short Term Memory. The implementation of this system is expected to provide new insights to the company, enabling them to be more adaptive in efficiently managing warehouse systems. With an understanding of patterns and predictions of future events, it is expected that the company can be more prepared and responsive to changes in customer demand and able to expand products more quickly. The results of this research are expected to make a positive contribution to the company, helping them optimize warehouse management and become more adaptive to market dynamics.

The Living Inheritance and Moving Progress of Contemporary Cantonese Opera from the Perspective of Communication

Between July 3 and July 28, 2023, Television Broadcasts Limited released the Hong Kong drama Unchained Medley, which used a small village in the countryside and Cantonese Opera as the backdrop for the drama. It tells a tragic and touching story of human-ghost love between pop musician Ivan Zhang and the female ghost Wan Lau Fong (Cantonese transliteration is used). Artistic elements in Unchained Medley - Cantonese Opera is an ancient form of traditional Chinese theater, a local performing art that employs Cantonese as the language of performance, singing, acting, reciting and traditional folk music, along with distinctive stage costumes and abstract forms. When reviewing Chinese and English papers published between 2019 and 2023, research on the analysis of Cantonese opera primarily focused on the transformation of performance forms and the creation of Cantonese opera repertoire content. However, there needs to be more in living inheritance with Cantonese Opera. This paper utilizes James W. Careys The Ritual View of Communication as a theoretical framework. The article mainly adopts methods such as literature review, case studies, and comparative analysis to elucidate the significance and complex dilemmas surrounding the vibrant communications of Cantonese opera in the post-COVID world. It then consolidates and summarizes research experiences related to the protection and universal transmission of Cantonese opera in every aspect, laying the foundation for the in-depth development of Cantonese opera research.

Noaiwia

This article focuses on the linguistic landscape of Noaiwia, one of thirteen villages located on Nguna Island off the north coast of Efate, Vanuatu. It contributes to the understanding of the linguistic landscape of a small village in a previously undocumented rural setting in the understudied islands of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Using a corpus of photographs and detailed qualitative interpretation of the visual and verbal signs found around the village, the analysis first highlights the near absence of the island’s indigenous language in the public space. An analysis of the signage found at the school further suggests the exclusive presence and high status of the English language. A contrastive analysis also shows a different linguistic landscape from the one found in Vanuatu’s capital city Port Vila. Finally, the article looks at the presence of the Chinese language on a water tank, a reflection of China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road programme in the Pacific. The results are discussed in relation to the status of indigenous languages and Bislama, the islands’ lingua franca, language policy in education in Vanuatu, and language ideology in a globalised world.

Small villages and their sanitary infrastructure—an unnoticed influence on water quantity and a threat to water quality in headwater catchments

In rural catchments, villages often feature their own, separate urban water infrastructure, including combined sewer overflows (CSOs) or wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). These point sources affect the water quantity and quality of the receiving low order streams. However, the extent of this impact is rarely monitored. We installed discharge and water quality measurements at the outlet of two small, neighbouring headwater catchments, one that includes a village, a WWTP, and two CSOs, while the other is predominantly influenced by agricultural activities. We also deployed electrical conductivity (EC) loggers at the CSOs to accurately detect discharge times. Discharge from the WWTP and CSOs led to higher peak flows and runoff coefficients during events. Less dilution of EC and increasing ammonium-N (NH4 − N) and ortho-phosphorus (oPO4 − P) concentrations indicate a significant contribution of poorly treated wastewater from the WWTP. During CSO events, water volumes and nutrient loads were clearly elevated, although concentrations were diluted, except for nitrite-N (NO2 − N) and particulate phosphorus (PP). Baseflow nitrate-N (NO3 − N) concentrations were diluted by the WWTP effluent, which led to considerably lower concentrations compared to the more agriculturally influenced stream. Concentrations of oPO4 − P, NH4 − N, and NO2 − N, which are most likely to originate from the WWTP, vary throughout the year but are always elevated. Our study shows the major and variable impact rural settlements can have on stream hydrology and water quality. Point sources should be monitored more closely to better understand the interaction of natural catchment responses and effects caused by sanitary infrastructure.

A small global village: the effects of collectivist, tight and Confucian cultures on the spread of COVID-19

While previous studies have emphasised several important factors associated with the spread of COVID-19 and strategies to reduce transmission, few studies have focused on the social and cultural factors that may influence its spread. This study analyses the spread of COVID-19 from a cross-country/region cultural perspective and finds that countries and regions with a collectivistic, Confucian or tight (restrictive) culture experience a lower spread rate of COVID-19. The results are robust to controlling for several factors, including population, age structure, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, previous SARS occurrence, smoking prevalence, and religion. A one standard deviation increase in the collectivism score is associated with a 1.38% reduction of the weekly growth rate of COVID-19 cases. More importantly, the effect of culture on the spread of COVID-19 becomes stronger during national or regional lockdowns. Corroborating these main results, supporting analyses find a significant effect of culture on national and regional COVID-19 death rates. These findings suggest that to manage the ongoing surges in COVID-19 outbreaks, governments should implement public health policies that emphasise the ideas of common interest, personal responsibility and strong cultural norms, and sense of community, as this pandemic has revealed that people all live together in a small global village.Why did Korea, Japan & Taiwan have so few deaths? I see face-covering and the Confucian idea of common good as key. –Michael Levitt, the Nobel Prize Laureate (2020)

Modern pillories: Overdue debts of the poor

AbstractWe model the consequences of the soft budget constraint in the context of retail borrowers. While János Kornai formulated the term of “soft budget constraint” mainly for organizations (firms, banks, municipalities, NGOs, etc.), we show that it can be applied to individual borrowers as well. We derive the feasibility conditions for private and public debt relief programs in a utilitarian framework and find that lenders have no interest in offering payment reductions if non-performing borrowers are few, have small debts, and are difficult to reach – precisely the characteristics of the poor. In this situation, poor debtors serve better as deterrents, similarly if we put them into a pillory. We calibrate the model parameters to survey data on poor households struggling with overdue debts in small villages in a disadvantaged rural region in Hungary. We find that in normal economic circumstances, private debt relief programs are not feasible. State intervention can be justified by positive externalities and moral considerations.

Cechy charakterystyczne i parametryzacje dochodzącego promieniowania fotosyntetycznie czynnego w środkowym basenie Biebrzy = Characteristics and parametrisations of the photosynthetically active radiation incoming in the Middle Biebrza Basin

The availability of light is one of the most important factors that determine the photosynthesis process. Wave bands of solar radiation from 400 to 700 nm are called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) because of their ability to stimulate the process of photosynthesis. The limited data availability and the regional and local PAR dependence cause the need for independent research, especially in areas of high natural value. The main goal of the work is to characterize the incoming photosynthetically active radiation in the Middle Biebrza Basin on the basis of a 9-year measurement series (2013-2021) from the Kopytkowo site (53°35'30.8”N, 22°53'32.4"E). The analysis was carried out for both instantaneous values and daily totals. In addition to the basic statistical characteristics, attention was paid to radiation on clear days and to the relationship between the PAR values on the Earth's surface and at the top of the atmosphere. Due to the limited availability of empirical data, simple parameterizations of PAR radiation were proposed for use in environmental studies. The research was carried out in the north-eastern part of Poland on the outskirts of Biebrza National Park in the Middle Biebrza Basin (Fig. 1). The area can be characterised as natural, almost unchanged, and uninhabited wetlands overgrown by swamp vegetation. The measurement site is located around 350 m north of the small village Kopytkowo with only a handful of permanent residents. The PQS1 PAR Quantum Sensor by Kipp & Zonen mounted at height 2.7 m a.g.l. was used to collect data (Fig. 2). The sensor is part of the eddy-covariance system that measures the exchange of greenhouse gases between the ecosystem and the atmosphere. Data were sampled every 10 seconds and then stored in datalogger (CR500) as 5-minute averages. The results are shown as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) with micromole per square metre per second (µmol∙m⁻²∙s⁻¹) as unit and were collected in Central European Time (CET).

Socialization and Assistance in the Registration of the Legality of the P-IRT Business for Local MSME Leading Products in Ciburial Village, Bandung Regency

This article aims to show that there is an increase in the knowledge and awareness of MSMEs in legalizing leading micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) Ciburial Village through community service activities (CSA) through socialization and assistance in Ciburial Village. Based on the initial survey conducted by the team in Ciburial Village, information was obtained that quite a lot of SMEs in Ciburial Village have the potential to have high competitiveness. However, one of the problems faced by MSMEs is the lack of interest and awareness of the actors in registering their businesses legally. The implementation methods used include field surveys, socialization, mentoring, questionnaire distribution, different tests, documentation, and preparation of the final report. The results of the PKM activity show that there are differences in knowledge and awareness before and after the activity. This difference is indicated by the different test results where Sig. (2-Mean Std. tailed) <0.05. Meanwhile, the increase in awareness is shown by the increase in the registration of home industry food license (P-IRT) MSMEs in Ciburial Village.
 Keywords: MSMEs, business legality, business management

What do participants participate in? Insights from the community of Peccioli

ABSTRACT This research is part of a broader study investigating citizen participation in public decisions affecting the present and future of the community of Peccioli, a small village in Tuscany (Italy), through repeated surveys on a random sample of the citizens, and within participatory processes promoted by the local administration. The paper investigates how citizens who participate in one of these processes take part in political, associative and cultural life, and through which channels. The investigation is carried out in a small community, while the vast majority of studies on participation mechanisms so far have concentrated on large urban areas. This contribution presents the findings of a study carried out in 2022 through surveying a random sample of these Peccioli citizens (n = 144). Unlike studies of participatory processes reported in the literature, our study did not rely on the involvement of other public institutions or organized groups but considered ordinary citizens regardless of their potential affiliations. Our research found, firstly, that the respondents were strongly involved in political, social and cultural activities, to a higher extent than reported at national level. Secondly, as expected, their participation in socio-cultural activities was higher than in political activities. Thirdly, even in a small village like Peccioli, the vast majority of participants used a variety of media, particularly digital media, to stay informed and up to date on current affairs.

Häuser am Hardangerfjord als Orte deutsch-norwegischer Kulturkontakte: Bertha Rohlsen, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff und Bess Mensendieck in Lofthus

Abstract Due to its impressive nature and culture, the Hardanger region was a well-known and popular destination for Germans at the beginning of the 20th century. In the small village of Lofthus, art collector Bertha Rohlsen and gymnastics pioneer Bess Mensendieck even moved into their own summer homes. The expressionist painter Karl Schmidt-Rottluff was also a guest there and created images of the North that broke with traditional ways of seeing. This article examines the cultural contacts between people and landscape as well as the different kinds of cultural transfers that were made possible by the experience of space.

Romsdalens topografiske magi

Abstract In the summer of 1935 Ernst Jünger stayed for seven weeks in the small village Eidsbygda in the Romsdal-region on the west coast of Norway. In the book Myrdun (Lat. Eriophorum) he published letters elaborating on the local culture, but also transcended his observations into the realms of mythology and the unseen. In the novel Besuch auf Godenholm (A visit to Godenholm) Jünger further explores the realms of the human mind, alluding to Nordic culture, but also by means of a hallucinating trip to counteract the cultural despair in the aftermath of the Second World War. The article explores Jüngers transformation of a factual landscape into literature of different genres and modes of expression. Jüngers picture of Romsdal is also compared to the notion made by the Nobel laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson who was raised in Romsdal.

Challenges in rural Hungary in the post-pandemic period

The social problems of marginalised rural areas have intensified and transformed in recent years, particularly in the context of pandemic and economic crisis. In the countries of the Central and Eastern European region integration of marginalized areas is a major challenge. Unlike in the West, segregation and ghettoisation are problems of small rural settlements far from prosperous centres. In Hungarian countryside, the life of small villages, which are located far from economic centres and lack institutions, continues to be characterised by negative migration trends. In this article, we present the situation of seven small villages in southern Baranya, which are covered by the programme to help the 300 most disadvantageous Hungarian settlements to integration, in the light of the perception of problems of the population living there. Our survey aimed to explore the difficulties related to the pandemic and everyday life at local level. The assessment of subjective perceptions provided an opportunity to structure the disadvantaged rural population from a specific perspective and to analyse the problems of the characteristics of each group.