Social Engineers Research Articles

THE BIRTH OF TRANSNATIONAL U.S. PHILANTHROPY FROM THE SPIRIT OF WAR: ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPISTS IN WORLD WAR I

World War I significantly impacted U.S. society and politics long before the United States officially entered into the war's frontlines in 1917. Even as historians have begun to pay closer attention to this process, they have until now largely failed to notice a particular group of colorful and highly emblematic public elite actors: charitable foundation philanthropists. With the soon-to-be globally active Rockefeller Foundation a cohort of ambitious U.S. progressives and social engineers—later ardent supporters of global science funding during the interwar years and beyond—utilized their war experiences to shape the wartime philanthropic agenda. This article focuses on the Foundation officers’ profiles and the beginnings of their more concerted engagements during World War I in order to show how, in their mindsets and tactics, Rockefeller philanthropists disregarded American neutrality. From the outbreak of the war in 1914, they mobilized themselves to the point of pleading for and entering into direct commitments at home and abroad, especially in the European war zone. With the official entry of the United States into war in early April 1917, Rockefeller officials and collaborators became openly “combat” philanthropists, resolutely assisting the moral stabilization efforts of the U.S. military and conducting support campaigns to bolster, most notably, the American alliance with France. The incubation and infancy period of Rockefeller philanthropy as a subsequently ubiquitous phenomenon of the American twentieth century is inseparable from the impact of the Great War.

MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY: THE SOLUTION OF QUESTIONS OF FORMATION OF A CIVIC STAND IN

For the world community UNESCO has developed international standards of media information literacy, which have been adopted by all UNESCO member countries. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan was the first to deal with these issues 10 years ago. The group of scientists of the Kazakh National University named by al-Farabi is working on studying this issue. Most of the scientific works on media education are aimed at justifying the need for media education in modern society and its value. The purpose of the article is the development of methodological materials on the formation of literacy in the field of media and information literacy for training target groups and informing the public. The authors of this article apply the methodology of comparative historical research, the methodology and technique of sociological research, the systemic and structural-functional approach in combination with comparative historical method and statistical data analysis, as well as the study of official documents characterizing the policy of international community and Kazakhstan. Also, content analysis and qualitative documents analysis, as well as comparative research methods, were used. As a result of the research, it was concluded that any conceptual design, scientific paradigm suffers to some extent with idealization and the conceptual approach of UNESCO discussion formed the basis for this review, causing positive expectations. However, media is not always socially-oriented tool. It is clear that in this scenario, it is not necessary to rely solely on the consciousness of journalists and self-censorship of editors. However, understanding the principal approaches of UNESCO and following the recommendations developed can control risks and contribute to the development of a full-fledged civil society. Practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of using its results in the field of media, psychology, pedagogy, culture, history, journalists, political scientists, social engineers, teachers, students and post-graduate students of universities. The results of the research can be integrated into the educational and upbringing processes. It is necessary to train target groups for the further dissemination and training of media and information literacy and to address the issues of forming a civic position in Kazakhstan.

Storying energy consumption: Collective video storytelling in energy efficiency social marketing

Despite calls for more socio-technical research on energy, there is little practical advice to how narratives collected through qualitative research may be melded with technical knowledge from the physical sciences such as engineering and then applied in energy efficiency social action strategies. This is despite established knowledge in the environmental management literature about domestic energy use regarding the utility of social practice theory and narrative framings that socialise everyday consumption. Storytelling is positioned in this paper both as a focus for socio-technical energy research, and as one potential practical tool that can arguably enhance energy efficiency interventions. We draw upon the literature on everyday social practices, and storytelling, to present our framework called ‘collective video storytelling’ that combines scientific and lay knowledge about domestic energy use to offer a practical tool for energy efficiency management. Collective video storytelling is discussed in the context of Energy+Illawarra, a 3-year cross-disciplinary collaboration between social marketers, human geographers, and engineers to target energy behavioural change within older low-income households in regional NSW, Australia.

Learning from a Disaster: Improving Nuclear Safety and Security after Fukushima ed. by Edward D. Blandford, Scott D. Sagan

Reviewed by: Learning from a Disaster: Improving Nuclear Safety and Security after Fukushima ed. by Edward D. Blandford, Scott D. Sagan Takuji Okamoto (bio) Learning from a Disaster: Improving Nuclear Safety and Security after Fukushima. Edited by Edward D. Blandford and Scott D. Sagan. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2016. Pp. 232. $27.95. Except one environmental historian, the contributors to this collection of articles are social scientists and engineers, and all chapters, including the one by the only historian, mainly analyze contemporary factors that caused and probably worsened the disaster in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March 2011. Historians, nevertheless, will find the topics discussed here relevant to their interests. Those who regard the unprecedented tsunami as the cause of the Fukushima nuclear failure might think that it could not have been prevented anyway. They might even accept the inadequate seawall heights of the nuclear plant as the result of reasonable statistical risk analysis concerning the historical tsunamis. However, after seeing Nobumasa Akiyama (Chapter 4) argue that poor crisis leadership in the government and the power company [End Page 192] prevented appropriate decision-making right after the earthquake and tsunami, one might start wondering whether the disaster could not have been handled in a somewhat better manner, though stopping it from developing at all might seem inconceivable. It might not have been so bad as it actually was. Toshihiro Higuchi (Chapter 5) criticizes the Tokyo government’s over-reliance on numerical standards for radiation protection that confused and troubled the evacuating population. Both Kaoru Naito (Chapter 3) and Kazuto Suzuki (Chapter 6) point to the possible effectiveness of the synergy between nuclear security and safety efforts, represented by the so-called B.5.b measures developed after 9/11 in the United States, which were somehow not adopted by the Japanese. Phillip Y. Lipsy, Kenji E. Kushida, and Trevor Incerti (Chapter 7) conclude that in Japan, the largest power companies’ nuclear plants were more vulnerable to tsunami and flooding than those of the smaller businesses, implicitly blaming the power industry’s regional monopoly system. Furthermore, Edward D. Blandford and Michael M. May (Chapter 8) summarize that in addition to being part of the background of the failure, “lack of transparency before the accident made the political consequences of the accident more severe than they might otherwise had been” (p. 195). And finally, according to Gregory D. Wyss (Chapter 2), even the siting and design of the Fukushima Daiichi and its inadequate seawall heights were the results of the Design Basis philosophy that the Japanese government and nuclear industry had been invoking. With a different Design Basis philosophy, the flooding could have been prevented on 11 March 2011, as was observed at the Onagawa plant, which underwent a tsunami as high as the one that struck Fukushima Daiichi (Kushida, Chapter 1). After these examinations of the factors that caused and worsened the disaster, the authors naturally look to the future and suggest ways to improve worldwide nuclear safety and security. The social scientists’ and engineers’ analyses of the Fukushima disaster will give historians precious insight on where they should seek its historical root causes. Besides topics that have been discussed well since the Fukushima nuclear failure, some other issues still remain untouched. They include, for example, apparent disregard of security matters in the nuclear industry, lack of concern with crisis management in the government, and historical development of the use of Design Basis. Though these may no longer seem to be closely related to the interests in the Fukushima disaster, they can open up new possibilities for historical study of technology in general, which would not have been very obvious to historians but for such contemporary analyses as this book presents. [End Page 193] Takuji Okamoto Takuji Okamoto is professor of history of science at the University of Tokyo. His interest is in the history of physics in the United States, the development of operationalism of P. W. Bridgman, and the cultural and political implications of science and technology in modern Japan. Copyright © 2018 Society for the History of Technology

Look before you LIEEP

PurposeThis paper aims to present a discursive and evaluative analysis of Energy + Illawarra, an Australian Government Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP) funded interdisciplinary social marketing energy efficiency programme. Energy + Illawarra was a community programme working with low-income older people in Australia and involving social marketers, human geographers and engineers. The paper aims to identify how ecological systems theory can inform social marketing, and what practicalities there may be in doing so. The paper also aims to assess whether a social marketing programme that draws on ecological systems theory can have a positive impact on people’s thermal comfort.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the paper uses critical discursive analysis to examine the use of various elements of a social marketing energy efficiency programme in relation to the different levels of ecological systems theory. Second, a longitudinal cohort survey study design is used to evaluate the programme’s influence on people’s perceptions of thermal comfort and satisfaction with thermal comfort in their homes.FindingsThe study found that ecological systems theory could be an effective framework for social marketing programmes. The evaluation study found that the intervention had a positive impact on participant’s perceptions of thermal comfort, satisfaction with thermal comfort and attitudes towards energy efficiency. However, the paper identifies some potential tensions in using ecological systems theory and suggests that issues of power, representation, agenda setting, the need for reflexive practice and consideration of unintended consequences are important considerations in social marketing programmes.Originality/valueThe work presented here suggests that multi-level social marketing programmes that draw on ecological systems theory can make a useful contribution to social change as demonstrated by the evaluation survey finding positive impacts on thermal comfort and attitudes of participants. However, issues of power, representation, agenda setting, the need for reflexive practice and consideration of unintended consequences should be considered in social marketing programmes.

An empirical study on the susceptibility to social engineering in social networking sites: the case of Facebook

Research suggests that social engineering attacks pose a significant security risk, with social networking sites (SNSs) being the most common source of these attacks. Recent studies showed that social engineers could succeed even among those organizations that identify themselves as being aware of social engineering techniques. Although organizations recognize the serious risks of social engineering, there is little understanding and control of such threats. This may be partly due to the complexity of human behaviors in failing to recognize attackers in SNSs. Due to the vital role that impersonation plays in influencing users to fall victim to social engineering deception, this paper aims to investigate the impact of source characteristics on users’ susceptibility to social engineering victimization on Facebook. In doing so, we identify source credibility dimensions in terms of social engineering on Facebook, Facebook-based source characteristics that influence users to judge an attacker as per these dimensions, and mediation effects that these dimensions play between Facebook-based source characteristics and susceptibility to social engineering victimization.

Transdisciplinary Technological Futures. An Ethnographic Research Dialogue between Social Scientists and Engineers

This paper suggests that transdisciplinarity is rising as a powerful epistemic strategy for research in technology-related fields such as engineering. Though this topic has been approached from a philosophical perspective, we know little about the actual shape that transdisciplinarity might take in research and action. How is transdisciplinarity operationalized in research and professional practice? As a case study, we report an assessment study of communication modes and content used by engineering students in a special project-course, Robotics for Theater, focused on the planning and construction of a robot from scratch, to support theatric production as actor and prop. Our assessment tools were based on ethnographic research and included questionnaires, journals, and students’ expressions of their views on the communication and learning processes. Analysis of the case study of the Robotics for Theater project revealed that: 1. Resource mobilization was fostered by the role of the advisor as information facilitator and “weak tie” in the network, and also by the frequent informal contacts among the students in the team. 2. Innovation was fostered by intra-team trust. The strong friendship and teaming experience of the group were critical for effective team dynamics. 3. Probably due to time constraints, the field of theater did not become a fundamental reference of the project, contrary to plans. 4. Time constraints and technical difficulties in implementation inhibited progress. 5. Informal meetings were crucial in the progression of design and implementation.

On the anatomy of social engineering attacks—A literature‐based dissection of successful attacks

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore the extent to which persuasion principles are used in successful social engineering attacks. Seventy‐four scenarios were extracted from 4 books on social engineering (written by social engineers) and analysed. Each scenario was split into attack steps, containing single interactions between offender and target. For each attack step, persuasion principles were identified. The main findings are that (a) persuasion principles are often used in social engineering attacks, (b) authority (1 of the 6 persuasion principles) is used considerably more often than others, and (c) single‐principle attack steps occur more often than multiple‐principle ones. The social engineers identified in the scenarios more often used persuasion principles compared to other social influences. The scenario analysis illustrates how to exploit the human element in security. The findings support the view that security mechanisms should include not only technical but also social countermeasures.

Social Cooperation within Virtual Worlds. Old Social Phenomena Emerging in New Environments

The world we live in is expanding its borders by letting the “virtual” become part of our lives. Digitisation equally pervades the public and the private sectors and transforms interactions between individuals, and between individuals and the state. For instance, the UK government is now in the process of digitising a whole range of processes and interactions with its citizens, through the Governmental Digital Service (GDS).In this article we aim to prove that virtual worlds provide a playground for social engineers, legal researchers and philosophers, for two reasons. Firstly, virtual worlds offer confirmations of social theories of cooperation – they illustrate that cooperation among individuals emerges spontanuously where there are no established forms of governance and decision. Secondly, virtual worlds offer sandboxes where the peculiarities of online interaction can be observed.

Research on the Vital Non-Technical Factor in Telecommunications Fraud: Social Engineering

Technical factors such as pseudo base station technology, VoIP technology, Caller ID spoofing technologies are usually considered to be the key problems in telecommunications fraud. In this paper, from thousands of telecommunications fraud cases we found that social engineering attack is the vital non-technical factor behind telecommunications fraud. From appeal to authority, appeal to greed and appeal to vanity, and so on, telecommunications fraudsters (also are social engineers) usually exploit human weakness so as to influence the person to take an action that may or may not be in their best interest. And, we found the three main procedures of social engineering attacks in telecommunications fraud. Also, we provided suggestions to prevent social engineering attacks.

The Flawed "Tools of Empire": Clive Dewey, Steamboats on the Indus.

The Flawed "Tools of Empire"Clive Dewey, Steamboats on the Indus Michael Adas (bio) Despite the deceptively modest range of historical processes and geographical coverage suggested by its title, Clive Dewey's Steamboats on the Indus: The Limits of Western Technological Superiority in South Asia (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Pp. 360. $130) is a book of importance not only for social scientists and engineers interested in the history of science and technology, but for scholars and practitioners engaged in the study of South Asia, Western colonialism, and cross-cultural transfers. From the first paragraphs it is clear this is a work that is the product of decades, perhaps a career, of meticulous and thoroughgoing research, primarily in often difficult-to-access (and make sense of) archival and primary sources in India, Pakistan, and Great Britain. At times the detail can be overwhelming, but Dewey writes well and laces his narrative with insightful observations and broader arguments that build to cogent critiques and correctives to prevalent interpretations regarding the impact of innovative technologies. He specifically focuses on dominant assumptions about the ways in which the advantages of industrialization made possible the rise of the West and its colonization of much of the rest of the world. The prodigious effort that went into Dewey's magnum opus and the well-grounded, provocative arguments that his labors yield very likely account for the skills and expense that went into making what is a visually splendid book. The text is complemented by ample illustrations—from technical drawings to Anglo-Indian watercolors—that enable the reader to visualize the complex relationships between machines and boats and the often-insurmountable difficulties of navigating the many branches of the Indus River system. [End Page 578] Although Dewey includes consideration of bridges, ferries, and related subjects, his main focus is on the mid-nineteenth-century introduction of coal-fueled steamboats by the British and the effects of that process on the diverse array of sail-driven "country" boats, built and operated by local Indian craftsmen and crews. Since that competition is central to the broader arguments that are previewed in his subtitle stressing "The Limits of Western Superiority in South Asia," I will focus my review on the ways in which his core comparisons challenge widely held assumptions about how technology is transferred across cultures and the impact of industrial techniques and modes of transportation and communication on "traditional" societies. Dewey begins with an engaging discussion of the formidable challenges posed by those who sought to open the Indus River system to navigation of any kind. Rather than a single main channel, the Indus is a web of several major tributaries and smaller streams. In its lower reaches where centuries of silt accumulation have formed a vast alluvial plain, its many outlets are shallow and thus prone to shifting the course of their flow to the sea frequently. The gorges and rapids in the upper spans of the river pose very different problems for navigators, and treacherous curves and daunting shifts in depth according to the rhythms of the monsoon seasons impede travel over the whole length of the Indus system. As Dewey argues in the core chapters of the study that follows, though heralded as marvels of industrial engineering in the early and mid-nineteenth century, steamships were perhaps the least suitable vessels for travel or transport on the Indus River. They were hampered by a multitude of problems, from the bulk and weight of their steam engines that caused them to run aground in the ubiquitous shallows and impeded travel upstream in the rainy season when water levels were highest, to their shallow-drafts which caused them to careen through the channels, often colliding with the riverbanks. The daunting obstacles to penetration from the sea that the Indus posed for naval forces were in part responsible for the delayed British interest in bringing the Sind and the Punjab into their Indian Empire, which had been expanding in the subcontinent since the middle of the eighteenth century. Early-nineteenth-century conflicts with the local kingdoms, particularly those controlled by the Sikhs, and growing threats from Afghan peoples in the interior, compelled ever-greater British involvement...

Legal Education and Its Outcomes: Digging Deeper into the Successes and Failures of India's National Law Schools

Law is often claimed to be the world’s oldest ‘profession’, and due to this legacy, legal education systems have always grappled with the dichotomy between professional and liberal training. In India, this debate has been particularly under the limelight in the last twenty-five years, since the inception of the National Law School experiment – a model that was meant to impart socially relevant education and produce social engineers. Keeping in mind the worldwide expansion of the legal profession and its interaction with neo-liberal forces, this project seeks to investigate the successes and failures of this model, based on the perceptions of key stakeholder groups, namely faculty, employers and students. It first explored the discourse on the establishment of the first National Law School, in order to understand the rationale for this move and the vision that it embodied. This provided the foundation for the primary part of the project – a qualitative analysis of the performance of this model on various parameters, as perceived by students, faculty and employers, at NLSIU and NALSAR. These two schools were chosen for their reputation, but more importantly, for their ability to provide evidence spanning at least a decade of existence. Finally, the data was linked with the findings from the discourse to understand how success is perceived in this context, by graduates as well as by the institutions. The results corroborated previous literature in greater detail, but also revealed some further information. They confirmed, first, that the National Law Schools were meant to be professional schools, producing professional lawyers – the liberal part of the education was important, but still secondary. In fact, there appeared to be a strong emphasis on the specific outcomes that graduates of these schools were meant to pursue – the Bar and the bench. But despite the strength of their mission, it was found that these schools could not resist the forces of liberalisation and globalisation. Secondly, stakeholders unanimously felt that these schools are suffering from several issues which need to be addressed. Poor quality of faculty and curriculum, and lack of adequate practical training were identified as the biggest of these. It was also found that many of these factors have together increased the corporatisation of outcomes at these schools. Finally, while the legal profession has expanded significantly, it appeared that the institutional vision of the National Law Schools has stagnated, resulting in a mismatch between expectation and reality. Fortunately, simple solutions to address many of these problems did emerge. However, many of these are only likely to provide short-term relief and all stakeholders expressed a dire need for rethinking in the long term.

Lessons learned from SONOPA (SOcial Networks for Older adults to Promote an Active life)

This paper describes the development and testing of an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solution that combines state-of-the- art sensor technology with a social network application to empower elders to stay active, autonomous and socially connected and consequently support and unburden family caregivers. From a very early development phase both social scientists and engineers worked together to ensure a holistic approach to the development of the technology. To get a better insight into the needs, wishes and requirements of potential user groups, a qualitative approach was used to collect data among elderly and their caregivers from three European countries, namely Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. For the development of the technology, very low-resolution (900-pixel) visual sensors and Passive InfraRed (PIR) sensors were used and installed in a couple of homes of elderly to enable the monitoring and the analysis of the in-home activities of the elderly. In our application, automated analysis of both in-home activities and social network activities are fused to recommend new social connections and personalized activities to the elderly in order to stimulate social and physical activity. Additionally, algorithms for behavioral change analysis on the sensor data follow the health status of the elderly, such as the detection of disturbed sleep and eat patterns. From the qualitative studies interesting findings arose such as elderly mentioning safety and mobility benefits and the increased peace of mind while privacy issues, the lack of human touch and an unfelt need for support formed potential barriers towards adoption of AAL technologies.

Strategy for adapting to climate change and conserving biodiversity in the Bangladesh Sundarbans

The Bangladesh Sundarbans region is a difficult place to live and the region will become increasingly inhospitable over time. Sea level rise, cyclonic storms, and embankment failures are constant hazards and the biodiversity of the mangrove forest is being reduced. In addition, increased waterlogging and soil and water salinization pose serious threats to agriculture, a livelihood option for a majority of residents. Research was undertaken to answer the following question: what strategy could the Government of Bangladesh consider in order to enhance the security of inhabitants of the Bangladesh “Sundarbans Impact Zone (SIZ)” and conserve the biodiversity of the Sundarbans mangrove forest? The proposed strategy, which was based on data and analyses from a team of social and natural scientists and engineers, includes two central elements: incentives to encourage migration out of the SIZ successfully and measures to reduce dangers from natural hazards for inhabitants who choose to remain. In addition, the strategy includes measures to conserve biodiversity and actions to strengthen government agencies operating in the Sundarbans so that other elements of the strategy can be implemented effectively.

The Dark Side of Social Engineering

Hackers can be anyone – in the grocery store, in your workplace, or they might even live next door. The reason they can be so discreet is because of social engineering, or human manipulation to gain what they desire. By plying on the human need for trust and acceptance, social engineers utilize influence tactics to gain information and access, which can be devastating for financial losses, stolen intellectual property, and an irreparable reputation. This can affect not only the individual person but also businesses and corporations.

Embroidering engineering: a case of embodied learning and design of a tangible user interface

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we reflect upon the process that frames a particular MSc final capstone project which connects communities of craft women embroiderers and an interdisciplinary team of social scientists and engineers in Colombia. We argue that capstone projects framed by participatory methodologies are characterized by embodied learning processes which in turn are shaped by a tension between that which is learnt by engineers in contact with craft communities and that which is required by engineering schools to certify the skills of engineers in the making. Methodologically, the case study is based on an ethnography of the design process and complemented by an analysis of how capstone projects are narrated by engineers in dialogue with social scientists. Through the case study, we show the different negotiations and contradictions that shape this process and the implications they have for engineering education and final capstone projects in particular.

Water Reuse: Understanding Public Perception and Participation

Non-potable and potable (principally in-direct potable) water reuse initiatives in the United States have faced increasing public opposition. Several high-profile initiatives have been halted after several years of planning and tremendous expenditures. To understand why the public holds the perceptions they do and what public participation options exist to address water reuse more constructively, a multidisciplinary analysis was undertaken by a team of social scientists, engineers, and water professionals. Through a comprehensive literature review, three in-depth case studies, and a 2-day interactive symposium this framework was developed for water professionals. The framework summarizes five underlying principles that contribute to shaping public perception and acts as a guide for water professionals in their selection of public outreach, education, and participation activities. Adhering to the principles outlined in this report contributes to building public confidence and trust, which in turn helps water utilities engage constructively with the public on challenging, contentious issues. The five principles are: Manage information for all Maintain individual motivation and demonstrate organizational commitment Promote communication and public dialog Ensure fair and sound decision making and decisions Build and maintain trust However, no checklist of “to-do's” exists for establishing public confidence and trust. Quite the opposite, this research suggests that a one-size-fits-all model cannot work because the most appropriate ways to achieve the principles can vary from case to case. Thus, the framework includes an analytical structure to assess the community in which a water reuse initiative is underway. Using diagnostic questions and analytical techniques, a comprehensive picture of the community can be generated and monitored over time. Through application of the diagnostic tools and a commitment to the principles outlined above, water professionals can build the public confidence and trust they need to engage with the public on difficult water reuse issues. ISBN: 9781843396697 (Print) ISBN: 9781780403236 (eBook)

The Role of Universities in Social Reconstruction

The theory of social reconstruction is one of the intended theories in the major of educational philosophy that have had significant influence on the education and training and the academic centers in the west. Based on this theory, the human beings transform into the social engineers that are able to program the evolution route and use the science and technology in the case of achieving the optimum goals. Thus, the academic centers should be question-centered and be aware of the society’s matters. This means that they should identify the crises of a society and equip the students for facing these crises by means of utilizing the social reconstruction role. In this regard, the present study investigates the current crises of the society. Then, it suggests 21 roles that the universities, the main centers for reconstructing the society, have to implement in order for resolving these crises; 1- identifying, training, and guiding the new reference groups in the direction of society’s optimum values; 2- refining and rebuilding the past values and according them with new valuable creations in society; 3- restructuring the Islamic patterns and texts; 4- strengthening the sense of attachment to national and bias sovereignty; 5- Reconstruction of Cultural Coexistence between different Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Groups in 7- restructuring the coexistence culture between different ethnic groups, religions, and languages; 8- developing and training the life skills appropriate to the effects caused by industrialization and trans-industrialization; 6- strengthening the free-thinking tables 9- recruiting needed human source in the age of information and technology; 10- establishing software in the modern world media; 11- institutionalizing the respect for laws and regulation among adolescents; 12- strengthening religious and valuable norms and redefining them; 13- strengthening the viewpoint of rural life versus creation of negative attitudes toward urban life; 14- preparing a comprehensive rural life program; 15- changing the adolescents’ attitudes towards occupation; 16- training entrepreneuring; 17- admitting and introducing elite graduates for scientific and administrative bodies; 18- strengthening domestic self-esteem in world scenes; 19- strengthening the culture of consumption of natural resources especially water resources; 20- creating and strengthening the culture of resistive economy among students; and 21- creating environmental attitudes among students. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s6p271

Diagramming social practice theory: An interdisciplinary experiment exploring practices as networks

Achieving a transition to a low-carbon energy system is now widely recognised as a key challenge facing humanity. To date, the vast majority of research addressing this challenge has been conducted within the disciplines of science, engineering and economics utilising quantitative and modelling techniques. However, there is growing awareness that meeting energy challenges requires fundamentally sociotechnical solutions and that the social sciences have an important role to play. This is an interdisciplinary challenge but, to date, there remain very few explorations of, or reflections on, interdisciplinary energy research in practice. This paper seeks to change that by reporting on an interdisciplinary experiment to build new models of energy demand on the basis of cutting-edge social science understandings. The process encouraged the social scientists to communicate their ideas more simply, whilst allowing engineers to think critically about the embedded assumptions in their models in relation to society and social change. To do this, the paper uses a particular set of theoretical approaches to energy use behaviour known collectively as social practice theory – and explores the potential of more quantitative forms of network analysis to provide a formal framework by means of which to diagram and visualise practices. The aim of this is to gain insight into the relationships between the elements of a practice, so increasing the ultimate understanding of how practices operate. Graphs of practice networks are populated based on new empirical data drawn from a survey of different types (or variants) of laundry practice. The resulting practice networks are analysed to reveal characteristics of elements and variants of practice, such as which elements could be considered core to the practice, or how elements between variants overlap, or can be shared. This promises insights into energy intensity, flexibility and the rootedness of practices (i.e. how entrenched/established they are) and so opens up new questions and possibilities for intervention. The novelty of this approach is that it allows practice data to be represented graphically using a quantitative format without being overly reductive. Its usefulness is that it is readily applied to large datasets, provides the capacity to interpret social practices in new ways and serves to open up potential links with energy modelling. More broadly, a significant dimension of novelty has been the interdisciplinary approach, radically different to that normally seen in energy research. This paper is relevant to a broad audience of social scientists and engineers interested in integrating social practices with energy engineering.

Models of Social Entrepreneurship: Empirical Evidence from Mexico

This paper seeks to improve the understanding of social entrepreneurship models based on empirical evidence from Mexico, where social entrepreneurship is currently booming. It aims to supplement existing typologies of social entrepreneurship models. To that end, building on typology it begins by providing a new framework classifying the three types of social entrepreneurship. A comparative case study of 10 Mexican social enterprises is then elaborated using that framework. Findings suggest that these distinct typologies are evolving in a dynamic manner determined by the resources and ambitions of social entrepreneurs. Starting either as social bricoleurs or as social constructionists, social entrepreneurs aspire to become social engineers. Moreover, social constructionists usually present hybrid business models.