Opportunity Space Research Articles

Participatory Approaches to Communal Gathering Design in Homeless Shelter Villages

People experience each other and their shared environments through communal spaces. Often, these shared spaces allow residents of neighbourhoods to affiliate a sense of identity and placemaking and foster socio-economic relations. Homelessness, exacerbated by growing socio-economic inequality in cities, manifests itself in external, public, and frequently hostile urban settings. Although architectural investigations seek solutions to provide basic shelter to persons experiencing displacement, their community spaces often remain largely overlooked. This paper underscores the need for more effective community spaces, in addition to basic shelter, in homeless re-housing projects. It investigates social and structural paradigms to create spaces of opportunity that provide a safe space for community interaction, fostering social relations and even employment opportunities while recognising social challenges such as reticence among shelter residents due to mistrust, fear of theft and more. Beyond social challenges, the research investigates some challenges related to the employment of more inclusive and participatory design processes and the development of low-cost, adaptable and durable architectural solutions that are safe and effective but do not require a building permit. Working along with a non-profit housing organisation in Seattle, Washington, a team of university students and instructors revealed through this study a necessity for multifaceted approaches towards the design and construction of communal spaces that can be built inexpensively and within code requirements on a variety of sites with more significant community member input. The outcome of this research is a catalogue of shelter systems - a ‘recipe book’ called “Recipes of Hope”- with tectonic elements - called ‘ingredients’- categorised as structure or skin that can be combined by non-profit developers, builders and residents to create safe, sociable, and structurally efficient communal gathering places, that emanate an environment of joy and hope.

Strategies for Approaching One Hundred Percent Dense Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes

Creating thick electrodes with low porosity can dramatically increase the available energy in a single cell and decrease the number of electrode stacks needed in a full battery, which results in higher energy, lower cost, and easier to manufacture batteries. However, existing electrode architectures cannot simultaneously achieve thick electrodes with high active material volume fractions and good power. These particle-based architectures rely on electrolyte transport within the pores of the cathode to fully lithiate active material particles during discharge. As cathode solid volume fractions approach 100%, batteries experience electrolyte depletion which leads to inaccessible cathode reaction sites (see Fig. 1A). The additional theoretical capacity that comes from increased cathode density, therefore, is impractical if that energy cannot be fully extracted.We combine experiments and simulations of high density and high thickness cathodes to understand the transport and performance trade-offs of LIBs as the cathode solid volume fraction approaches 100%, which we use to reveal the cathode properties needed to achieve high performance at high relative density and thickness. We use one- and two-dimensional simulations to compare the discharge performance of two cathode architectures, a traditional particle-based architecture and a continuous cathode architecture created via electrodeposition. In addition, a model with spaced diffusion-barriers explores the design space between these two architectures and elucidates the influence of increasing solid-diffusion length on discharge performance. We show that there is a large opportunity space for improved energy density at high relative densities by using new electrode manufacturing techniques to create continuous diffusion pathways and high diffusivities. Increasing the solid diffusion length from 4.78 µm to 55 µm in cathodes with high diffusivity leads to an increase in areal capacity (from 1.6 mAh/cm2 to 4.8 mAh/cm2) for a 110 µm thick, 95% dense LCO cathode discharged at a 1C rate.We also apply concepts and designs from these models to simulate the discharge performance of thick, high-density lithium-ion batteries with solid electrolytes to motivate even higher energy battery architectures. When discharged at a 1C rate, solid-state batteries with traditional particle-based composite cathodes (110 µm thick) cannot extract any energy at volume fractions above 94%, while batteries with high-diffusivity continuous cathodes and no solid electrolyte in the cathode region can achieve 3.8 mAh/cm2 at 95% solid volume fraction. These new cathode architectures which contain no electrolyte in the cathode region can significantly improve the gravimetric energy density of solid-state lithium-ion batteries.This work uses a comparative analysis of cathode architectures to explore the interdependent impact of solid volume fraction, solid-diffusivity, cathode thickness, and discharge rate on lithium-ion battery areal capacity. We should how a combination of high diffusivity and continuous solid-state diffusion pathways provides an exciting path for realizing ultra-dense and thick cathodes with high energy density. Figure 1

Humble PIE: this is just the beginning

Purpose This study aims to share reflections on psychologically informed practice and research that has taken place within Opportunity Nottingham and in collaboration with local hostels and agencies. This study conveys a call to action to all stakeholders not to be complacent, but to use learning from Fulfilling Lives as a foundation for future developments. Design/methodology/approach This study will use the psychologically informed environments (PIEs) 2.0 elements to structure points of learning from working within Opportunity Nottingham, drawing on wider literature as appropriate. This will allow focus on core areas of interest for all stakeholders and illustrate how the PIE elements can be embedded in thinking. Findings Research-informed reflections from a Fulfilling Lives Clinical Psychologist will be offered across the domains of: psychological awareness; staff training and support; learning and enquiry; spaces of opportunity; and rules, roles and responsiveness. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this will be the first paper to use PIE domains to structure a reflective account of learning from a Fulfilling Lives project, contextualised within broader literature.

#Mixedcouples on TikTok: Performative Hybridization and Identity in the Face of Discrimination

Spanish-Moroccan mixed couples exemplify a case of cultural hybridization that reflects the colonial past between these two countries. In this context, social media is a space of opportunity and risk to face discrimination and othering. In this article, we draw upon postcolonial theory and Internet studies to consider TikTok affordances as tools that are relevant to understand how cultural, national, and religious identities are shaped and presented in digital spaces. In this sense, this study constitutes the first exploratory analysis of Moroccan-Spanish mixed couples’ (self)representations and identity construction as reflected by their TikTok content. The memetic and intersectional aspects of the mixed-couple identity emerge as central in the convergent nature of the platform and their lived experiences. Through an initial analysis of 8,653 TikTok videos, we identified 6 creator accounts with more than 10K followers to conduct a deeper multimodal content and discourse analysis of 146 videos. This enabled us to explore how these creators portray their hybrid identity through short, vertical videos harnessing TikTok’s vernaculars and affordances. The results enable us to propose the concept of performative hybridization, which involves discursive markers within these couples’ TikTok content that reflect a fluid integration of two cultures, while the pervading visual and narrative components reflect the dominance of one set of identity traits over the other. In this case, Moroccan culture is more prevalent.

National and transnational non-state actors: Strategic dimensions and regional security threats to CPEC

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a ‘flagship Project’ of China’s wide-ranging and most advanced scheme of development initiated under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The project ranges from investment to infrastructure development in various sectors with an investment of $62 billion in Pakistan. However, the existential fact is that this project is not only restricted to economic growth and trade linkages. It has more strategic dimensions and arguably a strategic instrument in the hand of the Chinese to exponentially increase its influence from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. It is, undoubtedly, rapidly changing the regional apparatus in general and South Asia in Particular. This change on one side is creating space for multiple opportunities not only for Pakistan but at the same time offering bounties to regional countries, but on the other hand security threats and asymmetrical propaganda is on the rise against the CPEC. The most significant aspect which is being neglected in this scenario is the ever-increasing activities of non-state actors which are operating surreptitiously in Pakistan as well as its neighborhood. The presence of ISIS, Baloch insurgency, and TTP are a potential threat and their close nexus and support from inside and outside the country have substantially been proofed. Thus, the current research is divided into two parts. The first part argues that the CPEC project is no doubt a security-oriented, geopolitically, and strategically driven endeavor but predominantly linked with economic growth and regional connectivity. The second part deals with the potential threats to the CPEC posed by the national and transnational non-state actors.

PANDANGAN ISLAM TERHADAP KEPEMIMPINAN PEREMPUAN: KAJIAN FEMINISME ISLAM

Women are the most unique creatures. Discourse on the uniqueness of women always attract discussed in various perspectives. Various discourses that emerged about women always actual. One of the unique aspects of women who alwayswarmly discussed was the importance of the role of women in public areas. As well as the Political Parties Law and the Election Law which mandated quota of 30 percent representation of women, both in management and in the competition of political parties into Parliament. Opportunities in the political contest warmed back the conversation between the functions, roles and responsibilities of women in the area of “domestic” with activities in the “public domain”. How can a Muslim should react to it? This research will discuss how womens studies in Qualitative and leadership according to Islamic perspective. So the absence of the crux and the dilemma for Muslim women (Muslimah) in the world take part in the public or politics. Results of the study explained that Islam gives a very high appreciation of women. Al-Qur’an laden with symbols and massages about women. In fact there are two suras that provide specific appreciation of the position and status of women, is surah Al-Nisa and surah Al-Thalaq. Al-Qur’an put women equal to men as caliph and the servant of God in this earth. Differences in the nature of women and men to make women more protected so that they are not abused and that they can fully carry out their duties while maintaining it s dentitiy as a Muslim woman. Thus, in the context of Indonesia, opportunities that are open and public space for opportunities should certainly be welcomed by women, by preparing themselves, not just a figure complementary to men, but as partners and relationships that have reliable quality, because a woman was appointed as the leader due to his ability that has competencies and criteria as leaders expected

Key Question for Literacy Co‐Teachers: What Possibilities Do We Have Together?

AbstractCo‐teaching offers a unique opportunity space for literacy instruction; however, this opportunity is rarely optimized and the result on students' literacy growth is often unimpressive. We propose that co‐teaching is only a structural intervention, but it can become a powerful pedagogical intervention if teachers approach co‐teaching as an opportunity space to try out effective pedagogical practices that lead to student literacy growth. Studying, through mixed methods, the practices of literacy co‐teachers in early elementary, we identified important trends connected to student growth. We concluded that shared responsibility was a feature of highly effective pairs. Next, through interviews, we captured nuances of how effective dyads formed working relationships, planned together, communicated, reflected on instruction together, and organized resources. From such findings, we propose a model of change for how co‐teaching may lead to student growth—via positive co‐teaching relationships and continual shared reflection of instructional practice. Mirroring highly effective co‐teachers' approach, we provide a series of reflective co‐teaching guides to support other pairs of co‐teachers. These guides lead reading teachers throughout a school year and continually return to the essential question of: What can we do together that I cannot do alone?

“Wives Wishing to Join Their Husbands”: Colonial Forgery, Gender Legibility, and Labor Migration in West Africa

AbstractEuropean mobilizations of Africans for labor relied on the forgery that Africans can be harnessed into modern units of capitalist production only when organized into households led by wage-earning men supported by domesticated women. Between the 1930s and 1950s, Nigerian male labor migrants to Fernando Po and Gabon, as well as their wives, advanced diverse forgeries in response to the legibility protocols that European states used to control African migrants. Nigerian men used colonial documentation of their status as husbands to claim women’s bodies. Nigerian women used colonial documentation as wives and mothers to mask autonomy, illicit mobility, child trafficking, and sex work. This article develops a historical theory of forgery to explain how colonial legibility protocols and African manipulations of colonial documents constituted gendering practices. It focuses on the diverse documentary strategies women developed to evade colonial surveillance, including photographs to manufacture kinship and colonial court records to generate identities as temporary wives and fictive mothers. As European agents and African men strove to exploit women’s economic and sexual capacities, women used documentary and social forgeries to exploit fissures in colonial rule and create autonomous spaces of mobility and economic opportunity.

Energy futures as societal futures: Co-evolutionary scenarios linking futures of society and decarbonized energy systems in Switzerland 2050

There is consensus that the global energy system will have to change substantially in the next decades to reach carbon neutrality. However, there are many visions of future energy systems and possible pathways leading to the corresponding futures. Sciences build scenarios describing possible low-carbon energy futures based primarily on techno-economic models, partially reducing uncertainty for informed policies. However, social scientists have argued that these models miss the social dimension in illustrating the energy transition, especially calling for understanding actors and opportunity spaces. And yet, other scholars go beyond looking at social dimensions within energy futures and try to capture the broader societal environment in backcasting or storytelling scenarios. This paper offers a new approach in capturing the future energy system as part of a co-evolutionary societal system. Complementing the methodological toolbox, we use Formative Scenario Analysis to develop four types of scenarios for the energy system within Switzerland in 2050. We demonstrate that scenarios achieving the political goals set by the Paris Agreement include substantial changes in all socio-political dimensions considered in the analysis. In terms of policy making, this indicates that the future low-carbon energy system can only be achieved by addressing many different fields in the societal sphere.

Crafting Spaces for Good Water Governance in Pakistan

AbstractThe most significant investment in improved water governance for Pakistan in recent decades—irrigation management transfer under the PIDA Act of 1997—ended with repeal in 2019 in the province of Punjab. Before embarking on the next major experiment, we wish to examine what the opportunity space for improvement in Pakistan’s water governance is. We develop a conceptual model that maps the roles of hydrology, infrastructure, management, governance, and learning in shaping water supply. We are motivated by the overarching question of where the best opportunities to improve water governance in Pakistan lie, and suggest in our analysis that the hydraulic constraints of the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) that have previously been the basis for consideration of scale in water (irrigation) governance are inappropriate. Our key recommendation is instead to identify the key “problemsheds” for the IBIS as a vehicle for identifying scales of intervention and communities of common water interest (possibly at village, union, or tehsil administrative levels) that can allow irrigators to transcend the rigid hydraulic user groupings that irrigation channels impose, and contribute more meaningfully to good local water governance.

Indeks razvitiya obshchestva potrebleniya: teoreticheskoe obosnovanie i pervichnaya validizatsiya pokazatelya

The article considers a range of issues in the analysis of the consumer society in order to develop an index that characterizes states in terms of the degree of their consumerization. The authors suggest the staging of social changes in the development of the consumer society, the possibility of comparing societies on a scale that reflects this staging, and the presence of distinctive features determined by the mechanism of transition to this type of society. The article explains the role of individual demand, the quantitative increase in the possibilities of which is reflected in its qualitative structure, which determines the growth of the non-material demand, the potential of which far exceeds any possible demand for material goods. Based on the review of studies and statistical data, the authors confirm the central role of branding in the consumer society and develop the consumerization index (IC) as a natural logarithm of the product of the average per capita number of registered trademarks (T) and average per capita consumer spending (S) of households (IC=ln(ST)). The index reflects the space of consumption opportunities for the average individual in a particular society. According to the authors calculations, the lowest values of the index are observed in the poor countries of Asia and Africa, where the consumer society is obviously undeveloped, while the maximum values of the index - in the regions that can be considered a reference in terms of consumption. The authors assessed the convergent and discriminant validity of the index on the indicators of the information society development, economic, political and cultural globalization, and the connections it generates correspond to theoretical expectations. Thus, the constructed index can be considered a valid indicator and can be used in empirical cross-country comparisons based on the concept of the consumer society.

Advancing Sustainable Development Goals with localised nature-based solutions: Opportunity spaces in the Lahn river landscape, Germany

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are recognized as promising actions to alleviate societal challenges and achieve the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One scientific challenge to implement NBS in practice is to locate areas suitable for an effective implementation of NBS (opportunity spaces). Opportunity spaces either already host NBS that need to be safeguarded or restored, or provide the socio-ecological conditions for establishing new NBS. Complex methods have been proposed to model potential locations of selected NBS, but they are often too data and resource intensive to be applied in practice for landscape planning. The aim of this article is to put forward a pragmatic method for identifying NBS opportunity spaces that contribute to advance multiple SDGs, and to test its application in a participatory, extended peer-review process in the Lahn river landscape, Germany. Our method includes: (i) synthesizing a generic catalogue of NBS in river landscapes, (ii) estimating the potential of NBS to achieve simultaneously Lahn development goals (LDGs) and SDGs, and (iii) applying key spatial indicators and best available data to explore opportunity spaces for selected NBS. The generic catalogue provides a systematic overview of 650 individual NBS for river landscapes and their respective potentials for addressing LDGs and SDGs. The NBS Renaturalising floodplains through land use changes, Revitalising historic floodplains, and Creating buffer strips are those actions contributing to the greatest number of local SDGs (locally adapted SDGs that include LDGs). Results of the spatial analysis in the Lahn river landscape showed about 4739 ha of areas where NBS were already in place and need to be safeguarded and additional 1323 ha with opportunities for further NBS creation. The proposed method presents a robust and transferable approach that facilitates spatial mapping of NBS to local SDGs for planning practitioners facing time and resource constraints.

Crime in the AEC-industry: Opportunity space for the quality assurer

The literature recognizes criminal behavior in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry as a growing problem that needs to be addressed. The purpose of this study is to identify the opportunity space a quality assurer (QA) has to commit work-related crime within Norwegian construction projects. The analysis focuses on the role in general and not individuals. Despite this, the methodological basis is based on a specific case. The project chosen can be representative of other Norwegian building and construction projects, and the insight are relevant to other contexts. The primary data is obtained through nine semi-structured in-depth interviews with key figures within the industry. Furthermore, a literature search has been carried out to identify knowledge gaps. The results identifies an opportunity space in a number of processes in which the QA is responsible. The QA has significant influence within projects and has the opportunity to manipulate the QA-systems to his advantage. Furthermore, there is little experience amongst the interviewees with this opportunity being exploited. The results from this study and published data support that a third-party control, distancing of bonuses and stricter sanctions will be the most effective measures. However, there are few comprehensive reviews of this research field to date. It seems that little research has been published on the topic of what opportunity space there is for a QA within AEC-industry. The article will help to identify discrepancies, knowledge gaps, deficiencies in routines, systems, controls and etc. Furthermore, the article can be used to improve the overall quality assurance.

Opportunity Space for Work-related Crime from Procurement to Production

This study examines the opportunity space for work-related crime from procurement to production in the Norwegian construction industry through the optic of sixteen measures. This study was initiated by literature review about work-related crime in construction industry. Further, the method consists of a case-specific document study and interviews. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives working within two contractors. Research on the measures in context of the Norwegian construction industry is scarce. The results provide a perception of the contractor’s routine regarding the measures. A majority of the measures are used in both procurement and production phase. However, use of them differ, in both companies and phases. This creates an opportunity space to the measures. The main reason for the opportunity space is lack of control and discontinuity of responsibility. The transition between phases is essential to keep control and continuity. There should be more research on counteracting measures in the Norwegian context. There is need for industry efforts to improve barriers to avoid crime. The study shows an opportunity space for work-related crime in transition from procurement to production. Thus, more research on the transition between the phases is needed. This study provides assessment of the implemented measures.

Mindfully Navigating the Wind and Water: Defining the Currents of Metaphors that Interfere with Excellence in Mathematics Education

We bring to the forefront of educational thought a specific attitude toward the COVID-19 crisis that harnesses the symbolism of wind and water to navigate the cultural storm interfering upon our mathematical and pedagogical craft. The purpose of our paper is to open up space for opportunities in mathematics education using integral mindfulness as the rudder to readjust our bearings. More specifically, through conceptual analyses and making explicit the currents of change, disorder, and technology, we can apply discernment to these metaphors that intersect our pedagogy to re-align efforts and attitudes toward an integrated (aperspectival) culture of mathematics education. Through shared responsibility during these tumultuous times, we can once again strive toward the pursuit of excellence in mathematics education.

(Re)Envisioning Reading Research through Multicultural Learners’ Life Literacies: Finding Voice in Our Practices by Harnessing Spaces of Opportunity Grounded in Culturally Innovative Literacy Practices

(Re)Envisioning Reading Research through Multicultural Learners’ Life Literacies: Finding Voice in Our Practices by Harnessing Spaces of Opportunity Grounded in Culturally Innovative Literacy Practices

NEW TRENDS IN MODERN EDUCATION

Today, it is beyond doubt that in the academic community the system of higher education must undergo fundamental changes. What caused this problem? Recently there has been a complete redrawing of the Soviet education system due to the transition to the Bologna format. There are many questions, but the answer is the same: the world is changing very quickly, what is relevant today, will sink into oblivion tomorrow. The competencies of modern university graduates must correspond to tomorrow's labor market demand. But not only the labor market is changing, so is the political situation. The Minister of Education of Russia, Valery Falkov, said that the Bologna process should be treated as a passed stage. The future system of higher education should become unique in all respects, the main priority of which can only be the interests of the Russian national economy, which in turn will create the maximum space of opportunities for each student. What will the education system of tomorrow look like? The author of the article makes an attempt to analyze possible trends in the future education of higher education.

Constructing a Mobility Index for Assessing Human Opportunity Spaces

Constructing a Mobility Index for Assessing Human Opportunity Spaces

Platform ecology: A user‐centric and relational conceptualization of online platforms

AbstractOnline platforms provide a technological infrastructure allowing social actors to enact and utilize networks with a global reach. They play important roles as intermediaries and algorithm‐based curators of social interaction. This paper addresses two knowledge gaps: First, while a growing number of empirical studies has deepened our insights into the social dynamics characterizing single platforms, little is known about the multiple ways in which users or user groups combine diverse online offers according to their preferences. Second, the empirical focus has mainly been on online interaction. However, in everyday practices, the online is always situated in offline practices. It is thus necessary to understand the complex interdependencies of online and offline spheres. This paper therefore aims to develop an ecological heuristic that positions the user(s) and their practices center stage in the analysis and to elucidate the on/offline opportunity spaces and the affordances and constraints they provide for user agency.

Theories and methods in higher education research – a space of opportunities

ABSTRACT The issue of theories and methods in higher education research has been discussed for some time now. Earlier accounts have been mostly critical. Though we share this criticism, we also see promising perspectives. Higher education research can be seen as a space of opportunities, which is particularly well suited for allowing fruitful interactions with other research areas and society at large. Such interactions can lead to theory development and methodological advancements that might have an impact not only in higher education research, but in other research areas as well as society. The example of early organisation theory shows that such broader impact is possible. At the end of the introduction, current and future perspectives are mentioned.