To shame or not to shame—that is the sanitation question

The Community‐Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme aims to end open defecation through facilitating activities that evoke a sense of shame, shock and disgust. The programme's initial success and low‐cost design has seen it become hegemonic in donor‐supported rural sanitation. However, the theoretical basis of the use of shame has not been critically evaluated. Supporters claim that shame helps form and maintain social relationships, yet contemporary psychosocial literature highlights that it is a volatile and often harmful emotion, particularly in conditions of poverty. Using a case study of Cambodia, which rejected the coercive elements of shame in CLTS, we explore the problems of shame and limits of local ownership of development.     

Investors’ characteristics and the business climate as drivers of backward linkages in Vietnam

This paper analyses the factors determining the establishment of backward linkages and their key features once established. To carry out our analysis, we exploit an original survey conducted in 2011 on roughly 1500 investors based in Vietnam. We show that some characteristics of the investor firm, including size, productivity, experience and autonomy in decision-making, affect the capacity of linkages to create a larger network of local suppliers. In addition, we show that it is the provision of a good investment climate, and more importantly of key business support services, that mainly influences the capacity of investors to trigger knowledge and other key resources’ transfer to their local suppliers.     

‘My Child is Anxious Because We Might Get Deported’: Brief Therapy from MRI with an Immigrant Family in the United States

As we go to press in a COVID-19 world, the topic of anxiety is foremost on our minds. While each situation has to be considered in its own context, how to manage different anxieties has common denominators. There is currently a sharp increase in forced migration around the globe so mental health professionals must develop effective skills, like the ability to adapt services to different contexts and cultures, to manage the needs of immigrant people. Problem-Solving Brief Therapy, as developed at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, is a systemic model of therapy, which aims at promoting change in the complaint the presenting client (the ‘talker’) cares about. The model’s roots in Constructivism foster integrating the clients’ beliefs and values into therapy to allow the therapists to adapt to the clients’ particular needs. This paper is the analysis of a single case where the therapist worked with an immigrant family because their child suffered from severe anxiety related to the parents’ threatened deportation. The paper focuses on premises and strategies that allowed minimising cultural barriers between therapists and family members, thus facilitating a strong therapeutic alliance conducive to improvement.     

现代海南岛社会变迁及其特征分析

社会变迁是在不断创新、继承与发展的过程中逐步地发生演变的,而且涉及到社会发展的各个方面。从现代海南的社会人口、经济和政治三大方面,研究了海南社会各个时期的演变过程,同时对海南社会变迁的主要特征进行了分析。     

Process evaluation of the ‘Singapore Physical Activity and Nutrition Study’

IntroductionThe Singapore Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (SPANS) aimed to improve the physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviours of Singaporean women aged 50 years and over. The SPANS program consisted of PA classes, nutrition workshops, telephone dietary counselling, health booklets, a health calendar and program ambassadors. This study aimed to assess and understand the implementation of the program strategies and gain insight into process evaluation components to inform future programs.MethodsThe evaluation was guided by a process evaluation framework and collected data via questionnaires (n = 209), program ambassador documentation and exit interviews with program completers (n = 13) and non-completers (n = 12).ResultsIn total, 295 participants completed the program (response rate = 84 %). Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the overall program (99.5 %) and program activities (96.7 %), and also rated program ambassadors highly. Participation rates were highest for telephone dietary counselling sessions. The main reason for not attending program activities was having a ‘busy schedule’ (n = 158). Participants cited a need for improved recreational centre facilities and increased flexibility around program delivery.ConclusionsThe process evaluation showed that the program strategies were implemented as planned and were deemed suitable for supporting behaviour change among Singaporean women aged 50 years and over. The program reached and involved the majority of participants throughout the six months. The combination of practical educational resources and supportive program ambassadors were key strategies that facilitated positive PA and dietary behaviours. However, there needs to be some flexibility in the delivery of programs. The findings of this research may inform other programs in the region.     

Unquestioned Answers or Unanswered Questions: Beliefs About Science Guide Responses to Uncertainty in Climate Change Risk Communication

In two experimental studies we investigated the effect of beliefs about the nature and purpose of science (classical vs. Kuhnian models of science) on responses to uncertainty in scientific messages about climate change risk. The results revealed a significant interaction between both measured (Study 1) and manipulated (Study 2) beliefs about science and the level of communicated uncertainty on willingness to act in line with the message. Specifically, messages that communicated high uncertainty were more persuasive for participants who shared an understanding of science as debate than for those who believed that science is a search for absolute truth. In addition, participants who had a concept of science as debate were more motivated by higher (rather than lower) uncertainty in climate change messages. The results suggest that achieving alignment between the general public's beliefs about science and the style of the scientific messages is crucial for successful risk communication in science. Accordingly, rather than uncertainty always undermining the effectiveness of science communication, uncertainty can enhance message effects when it fits the audience's understanding of what science is.     

“美孚黎”民居建筑的变迁——基于海南省西方村的田野考察

西方村是海南省一个美孚黎族聚居村落。新中国成立后的60年中,西方村的民居建筑经历茅草房、金字形屋、砖瓦房、平顶房的变迁。变迁过程中黎族民居建筑的现代元素不断渗入,政府主导与民众自发建造共同推动了民居建筑的演变,完成了从传统到现代的变迁。     

Approaching Error-Free Customer Satisfaction Through Process Change and Feedback Systems

Employee-based errors result in quality defects that can often impact customer satisfaction. This study examined the effects of a process change and feedback system intervention on error rates of 3 teams of retail furniture distribution warehouse workers. Archival records of error codes were analyzed and aggregated as the measure of quality. The intervention consisted of a process change where teams of 5 employees who had previously been assigned a specific role within the process were cross-trained to know and help with other team members' functions. Additionally, these teams were given performance feedback on an immediate, daily, and weekly basis. Team A reduced mean errors from 7.47 errors per week during baseline to 3.53 errors per week during the intervention phase. Team B experienced a reduction in mean number of weekly errors from a baseline of 11.39 errors per week to 3.82 errors per week during the intervention phase. Team C did not experience significant error rate reduction.     

略论解放战争时期我党的土地政策

本在综合大量资料的基础上，简要分析了1945—1949年共产党所倡导和推行的减租减息政策、平分土地政策等内容，从历史的角度探讨了20世纪上丰叶中国3余年土地政策的历史演变。这是研究中国土地政策发展史的组成部分，它有助于土地政策科学体系的建立与完善。     

国际航空环境法的演进与发展

国际航空环境法经历了从无到有, 从标准或技术措施到兼采运行措施和市场措施, 从关注噪声和地面空气质量到关注全球气候变化, 从关注航空减排与减噪到关注航空环境治理中的可持续燃料开发、融资、适应等衍生问题的演进历程。国际航空环境法今后可能面临更大挑战和发展困境, 但体系会更趋完整, 基本理念会逐渐清晰, 法律效力会不断加强。