|
|
- Book Review Essay ''Social mixing as state-led gentrification?''
Abstract: Book Review Essay ''Social mixing as state-led gentrification?''
M. Rosol
Soc. Geogr., 7, 47-49, doi:10.5194/sg-7-47-2012, 2012
PubDate: 2012-12-04T19:24:07+01:00
DOI: 10.5194/sg-7-47-2012
- Community development and social actor theories: a case study in
Montréal (Canada)
Abstract: Community development and social actor theories: a case study in Montréal (Canada)
G. Sénécal
Soc. Geogr., 7, 37-46, doi:10.5194/sg-7-37-2012, 2012
Research focusing on community development processes isincreasingly making use of the notion of actor. Actors are engaged in asystem of actions. A range of sociological theories has given rise to thevarious stances adopted by social actors, including the theatrical actor, thestrategic actor, the actor-network, or the reflexive actor. We review thesetheories in an attempt to define an analytical framework by employing whatwe call a bricolage methodology. The aim is to gain insight on theinteractions that bind together the various stakeholders by function (actingand the actors' roles) in the fields of action (the scenes of interaction andreal interventions) and on effects (the results of these actions). We thenpropose to apply our analytical framework to a case study on the process ofdeveloping an action plan in the Villeray district of Montréal (Québec,Canada).
PubDate: 2012-08-31T19:24:07+02:00
DOI: 10.5194/sg-7-37-2012
- The Night Light Development Index (NLDI): a spatially explicit measure of
human development from satellite data
Abstract: The Night Light Development Index (NLDI): a spatially explicit measure of human development from satellite data
C. D. Elvidge, K. E. Baugh, S. J. Anderson, P. C. Sutton, and T. Ghosh
Soc. Geogr., 7, 23-35, doi:10.5194/sg-7-23-2012, 2012
We have developed a satellite data derived ''Night Light Development Index''(NLDI) as a simple, objective, spatially explicit and globally availableempirical measurement of human development derived solely from nighttimesatellite imagery and population density. There is increasing recognitionthat the distribution of wealth and income amongst the population in anation or region correlates strongly with both the overall happiness of thatpopulation and the environmental quality of that nation or region. Measuringthe distribution of wealth and income at national and regional scales is aninteresting and challenging problem. Gini coefficients derived from Lorenzcurves are a well-established method of measuring income distribution.Nonetheless, there are many shortcomings of the Gini coefficient as ameasure of income or wealth distribution. Gini coefficients are typicallycalculated using national level data on the distribution of income throughthe population. Such data are not available for many countries and theresults are generally limited to single values representing entirecountries. In this paper we develop an index for the co-distribution ofnocturnal light and people that is derived without the use of monetarymeasures of wealth and is capable of providing a spatial depiction ofdifferences in development within countries.
PubDate: 2012-07-23T19:24:07+02:00
DOI: 10.5194/sg-7-23-2012
- Just passing through: the risky mobilities of hazardous materials
transport
Abstract: Just passing through: the risky mobilities of hazardous materials transport
J. Cidell
Soc. Geogr., 7, 13-22, doi:10.5194/sg-7-13-2012, 2012
The scientific construction of risk is usually based on the probability ofan event occurring in a specific location from a specific hazard. Hazardouswaste transport is an example of a risk source that is fixed in neither timenor space, with materials traveling through the landscape. Residents livingalong fixed transportation routes likely to experience an increase in theamount and potency of hazardous materials traveling through theircommunities draw on distant places and spaces in order to define the riskthey face as they try to make absent places and materials present. However,because those places and spaces are distant and absent, regulatory officialscan resist their inclusion by arguing that only what is on site matters.This site of struggle over sources and construction of risks can best beunderstood through Law and Mol's spatiality of fire space. Using two NorthAmerican case studies, this paper draws on the concepts of fire space andmobilities to explain the nature of the risk that mobile materials pose,including the disconnect between citizens' objections to increased hazardousmaterials transport and the environmental review and regulatory processesmeant to prevent catastrophes from occurring.
PubDate: 2012-05-25T19:24:07+02:00
DOI: 10.5194/sg-7-13-2012
- Investigating community behaviour after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake: a
case study of Kawaguchi, Japan
Abstract: Investigating community behaviour after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake: a case study of Kawaguchi, Japan
M. Gismondi
Soc. Geogr., 7, 1-12, doi:10.5194/sg-7-1-2012, 2012
Every year, earthquakes cause economic and human losses around the globe. InJapan, a great deal of attention has focused on improving the safety ofstructures and individuals in the last decade. The introduction here ofseveral new related policies, together with continuous discussion of suchpolicies, has raised the level of environmental security nationwide. Despitethis significant effort, individual preparedness and awareness are stilllacking, especially in rural areas, where technological advancements andpolicy applications often arrive late. In this paper, Kawaguchi in NiigataPrefecture, Japan was chosen as study area because of both the major damageexperienced during the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake and the particularly dynamicsocio-cultural activities of the community. Using interviews andquestionnaires to collect information, this study aims to investigate thecauses of local variations in community behaviour after the earthquake.Geographic location as well as everyday social relationships, socialinteractions and organisation are considered the main causes of thedifferences in community organisation during the recovery process. Thisstudy highlights the necessity for more localised emergency education inorder to promote longer-lasting awareness and preparation in rural areas.
PubDate: 2012-03-02T19:24:07+01:00
DOI: 10.5194/sg-7-1-2012
|
Open Access journal
