Social Economic Integration Research Articles

Promoting active ageing: The positive impact of older people’s participation in Urban Gardens

Abstract Background The socio-health and economic consequences of the progressive population ageing constitute a global challenge for public health, which is committed to the promotion of active and healthy ageing as a strategy to mitigate these consequences. The European project U-GARDEN has evaluated from a comprehensive and innovative approach the impact of urban gardens on the promotion of active ageing through the participation of older people in urban agriculture. Methods A qualitative methodology was designed and implemented in order to analyse the information provided by people over 65 years of age, who actively participated in urban gardens, from a personal and subjective perspective through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The benefits obtained from participation in urban gardens were analysed, considering the different dimensions that make up the paradigm of active ageing: physical, psychological, economic, health, behavioural and personal impact. A total of 20 interviews were used to reach the saturation point. Results Qualitative analysis showed multiple benefits of active and healthy aging. Participants reported increased physical activity and psychosocial improvements such as higher personal satisfaction, reduced stress, and enhanced self-esteem, strengthening community connections and fostering a sense of belonging. Economically, they reported savings on food costs and increased food security. Overall, respondents noted improvements in general health and quality of life, highlighting urban gardening as valuable for well-being and social-economic integration. Conclusions The findings reported in the framework of the U-GARDEN project support the importance of implementing innovative strategies that encourage participation in urban gardens as a tool to improve the overall wellbeing and health of older people, effectively addressing some of the main challenges of ageing such as loneliness unwanted frailty and disability. Key messages • The U-GARDEN project is an example of good practice in the use of urban gardens as a platform for promoting active and healthy ageing. • The promotion of green spaces through the establishment of urban gardens should be considered by health and political authorities for their ability to promote the general well-being of society.

Social-Economic Integration of Kazakh Migrants in Turkey

The research aims to describe the social and economic integration of Kazakh migrants in Turkey. Amongst the objectives of this scientific work are research on Kazakh migration into Turkey in the first half of the twentieth century and the determination of reasons and prerequisites for such a process. The primary methods of this research are historical and logical analysis, induction and deduction, and synthesis. The article covers the Kazakh migration to Turkey, the integration process of Kazakhs into Turkey, and the reasons, prerequisites, and factors that led to the migration of Kazakhs from East Turkistan.

ФОРМУВАННЯ ПІДПРИЄМНИЦЬКОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ У ПРОЦЕСІ ПРАКТИКО-ОРІЄНТОВАНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ СТУДЕНТІВ: ОСОБИСТІСНО-ДІЯЛЬНІСНИЙ АСПЕКТ

In the article the theoretical aspects of application of personality-activity approach in the process of professional training for the formation of entrepreneurial competence in synergy with the development of professional creativity of the students – future economists are highlighted. The content and structure of entrepreneurial competence (entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial attitudes) are presented. The components of entrepreneurial competence of future economists are revealed: personal, organizational, commercial, innovative, communication.The importance of personal-activity approach for social-economic integration and formation of entrepreneurial competence of students is substantiated. The content of the personal component of professional training in terms of expanding the student’s activity and independence, forming of his professionally significant personality traits, readiness for action, performance and responsibility, the formation of professional subjectivity, self-determination and self-development are highlighted. The author emphasizes the possibilities of a personal approach aimed not only at revealing, disclosing and taking into account personality traits important for professional activity, but also for the transformation of the person himself, which takes place through the prism of hierarchical levels of cognition in the model of dynamic learning.The essence of realization of activity component of vocational training for the purpose of ensuring self-expression and creation of preconditions for socio-economic integration of future specialists - economists is revealed.The content of entrepreneurial creativity is analyzed. The possibilities for forming the entrepreneurial competence of integrated training and professional design in two directions are presented: creation of a quasi-professional product and training of models of entrepreneurial behavior, professionally significant qualities and skills in the process of professional training of students.

Cross-Strait Relations in 2017: Political Confrontation and Social Economic Integration

Political confrontation and social economic integration co-existed between mainland China and Taiwan in 2017. While Taipei continued to consolidate Taiwan’s de facto independence through desinicisation in various fields, Beijing gradually exerted pressure in the political, international, jurisdictional and military fields on Taipei. The Chinese central and local governments have also improved policies to attract more Taiwanese capital and people and cultivate a sense of belonging among Taiwanese in mainland China.

A Critical Reflection on Urban Spatial Planning Practices and Outcomes in Post-Apartheid South Africa

The spatial planning and policy framework and associated implementing tools in South Africa have undergone fundamental changes since the onset of the democratic era in 1994. The effectiveness and influence of urban spatial planning on restructuring South African cities are however increasingly being questioned and there remains a surprising paucity of empirical evidence to evaluate the impact of these plans. Seven key challenges are identified as impacting on the effectiveness of urban spatial planning in the democratic era. The responses to these challenges as reflected by the urban spatial plans of a cross-section of cities indicate moderate levels of progress with improving the horizontal and vertical alignment of spatial planning processes and with the integration of sustainability principles into spatial planning. Some limited improvement was noted with the understanding of the urban space economy and the alignment of infrastructure development and capital investment with spatial planning. However, very little progress is evident with the principle of physical and social economic integration of cities, considering the informal sector in mainstream spatial planning processes, and with the use of appropriate indicators and quantified targets to monitor the implementation and impact of spatial plans. The application of innovative spatial and statistical techniques will not only greatly enhance the understanding of these issues, but will also provide the basis for formulating appropriate and robust indicators and targets to monitor the impact of spatial plans.

Managing Brand of Cross-Border Tourist Destinations: Case Study Cross-Border Cooperation Karlovac County (CRO) – Southeast Slovenia (SLO)

Evaluation of strengthening interregional cooperation of the countries in the area of the European Union shows the potential of forming joint tourist brands of two, or more cross-border areas. Tourist resources on parts of Croatian-Slovenian border represent a research challenge. Economic contribution in this case is seen in potentially efficient tourism branding of the continental part of Croatia. Future perspective of the development of bordering area of the Karlovac County (CRO) and Southeast Slovenia (SLO) is in mutual branding of evaluated tourist resources with the aim of creating a recognizable cross-border tourist product. Thus it creates a model, which encourages faster and more efficient social-economic integration. The creation of joint tourist brand of the bordering areas helps to create competitiveness and higher differentiation of comprehensive tourist product in the global tourist market. The vision which is based on long-term aims of managing a recognizable tourist brand helps the overall economical development of the area. The branding of bordering areas introduces a cluster concept, which is a useful platform in creating an efficient marketing strategy of bordering areas by presenting themselves together in the global market.

Dundee: A Scottish City Study

DUNDEE: A SCOTTISH CITY STUDY* S. J. Jones University College, Dundee: University of St. Andrews Dundee is an old Royal Burgh of Scotland, which ultimately played its part in the rapid development of industrial life in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Like most British cities with a similar history, it presents, therefore, the marked contrast between the compact settlement of pre-nineteenth-century days and^ the constant expansion of city limits and buildings in the more recent phase. The contrast can be seen in the map showing the city's growth, Figure 1. In terms of initial growth, therefore, site values concern the old settlement alone, and the larger area within the present city limits is a part of the immediate environment. For this reason, the term "Dundee region" will be used here for the area which has, up to the present, been incorporated within the contemporary city limits, and will not be used in the general sense of wider regional associations . This distinction can be seen in the geologic and topographic maps, Figures 2 and 3 ; and apart from its importance in the assessment of the early city, it carries a further significance in the fact that the spread of the city organization over the expanded industrial area of the nineteenth century and later brings with it a social-economic integration that gives the city a specific regional character. The growth of the city region has been largely the product of its possible relationships with other areas, both near and far, and in the final analysis it represents a concentration, or segregation, within a world economic and social fabric. Site and Region The potential human significance of the large estuaries of the Tay and the Forth in relation to the regular east coast of Scotland and to the Midland Valley is clear even from an atlas map. The use of such potentialities is shown by the emergence, on the south bank of the Forth, of Edinburgh and Leith, and of Stirling as the bridge point; on the Tay, Dundee and Perth represent essentially the same pattern. It is not surprising, therefore, that during medieval times, when trade with Europe favored an east-coast site, Dundee rose to be the second city of Scotland. The Tay estuary (Fig. 4) narrows toward its mouth, where river and tidal current have had to cut through a band of basalt and andésite, giving rise to the headlands of Broughty Ferry on the north and Tayport on the south. Seaward from these narrows are the sand dune areas, partly developed on the 25-foot raised beach of Barry Links to the north and Tents Muir on the south. These culminate in sandspits, Gaa Spit and Abertay Spit respectively. These spits, while they offer difficulties to navigation, provided a further line of protection to the anchorages of the Tay. The natural channel of the Tay is near the south shore; the north shore is an area of deposition. This fact, as will be seen, made the possible silting-up of the harbor a constant menace. The geologic and topographic features of the region are shown in Figures 2 and 3 [l]. Essentially it is a quite typical segment of the Midland Valley of Scotland. The main elements in its solid geology are the Old Red Sandstone and intrusive igneous rocks of lower Old Red Sandstone age. To the east, there is a considerable extent of contemporary lavas. The highest lands are in the west, where heights between 500 and 600 feet are reached in Dundee Law and in the northwest of the city. Some of the higher ground is correlated with exposures of the igneous intrusive rocks, as in the ridge that culminates in Balgay Hill and the Law. Drainage is principally toward the southeast. The other element in the physical environment is the cover of glacial deposits. The Law is covered with glacial drift almost to the top of its northwestern face [2], and the whole physical landscape has glacial characteristics. * Limitations oi space have made necessary a drastic abridgment of Mr. Jones's original manuscript .—Ed. 1948of Pacific Coast Geographers11 The outline of the old city is shown in both Figures 2...