A Rejoinder to Forman on AHP,with Emphasis on the Requirements of Composite Ratio Scales*

In an earlier paper [11], the problems of rank reversals and invalid composite priorities in AHP were addressed by modifications to the AHP procedure. That solution was subsequently criticized [5]. In this paper, we rebut these criticisms, and we show how rank reversals in AHP can arise merely from the process of normalizing local priorities.     

Local perceptions of socio-ecological drivers and effects of coastal armoring: the case of Moorea,French Polynesia

Population and Environment - This paper presents a transdisciplinary study focusing on the socio-ecological mechanisms at play in the alteration of Moorea’s (French Polynesia) coastline....     

“Allah will decide my life and death”: Religion and spirituality among populations at risk for HIV in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

We examined the influence of religion and spirituality on HIV risk contexts through in-depth interviews with men who have sex with men (n = 10) and female commercial sex workers (n = 10) in Malaysia. Using a grounded theory approach, five themes emerged from the interviews: (a) religion encourages caring for health, (b) health is influenced by a higher power, (c) prayer is a conduit to health assistance, (d) stigma is compounded by religion but it does not limit one’s spirituality, and (e) religion is not but should be incorporated into HIV campaigns. Incorporation of spirituality in service provision and addressing stigma is warranted.     

研究生德育实施方法和途径探析

探讨研究生德育新的方法和途径,即:形成良好的德育的生态文化,达到自我教育的目的;让德育走向生活,满足研究生的高级道德需要;加强传统文化教育,塑造研究生的现代人文精神;利用网络信息技术,实现研究生德育方法和现代化。     

澳門青少牟網絡使用與依賴研究

本研究調查了澳門1208名10-21歲在校中小學生互聯網的使用情況及網絡依賴程度,考察了網絡使用及網絡依賴在性別、年級等方面的差異。結果表明:(1)打遊戲、下載及瀏覽成人網站等網絡使用行為存在性別差異,男生在這三項網絡使用行為上所花的時間均顯著多於女生。(2)網絡依賴程度存在性別差異,男性的網絡依賴程度高於女性。(3)網絡依賴組與無依賴組在網絡聊天、打遊戲、影視音樂、下載及瀏覽成人網站等使用上均存在顯著差異,依賴組在這五項上所花的時間均顯著高於無依賴組;依賴組與無依賴組在收發郵件、信息瀏覽及學習知識上無顯著差異。(4)不同網絡依賴程度青少年所喜歡的遊戲類型存在顯著差異。     

Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Millennium Development Goal 3: A Case Study of Married Women in Ghana

This paper assesses women’s empowerment in Ghana in the light of the Millennium Development Goal 3. Data for the study were drawn from the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey with an analytic sample of 1,876 married women aged 15–49. Using binary logistic regression in determining the factors that influence women empowerment, this paper examines the relationship between wealth and women’s involvement in household decision-making in the context of healthcare, large household purchases, daily house hold purchases and mobility. The findings show that wealthier married women were significantly more likely to be involved in decision-making on their own healthcare (OR = 2.14, p ≤ 0.001). Also, age, tertiary education and employment significantly shaped the involvement of married women in household decision-making in Ghana. Surprisingly, married women in the Upper East region (the second poorest) were significantly more likely to be involved in three measures of decision-making except for decisions on large household purchases relative to those in the Greater Accra region (the capital). Policies oriented towards an increase in accessibility to tertiary education, employment equity and the creation of income generating activities for women would enhance women’s empowerment in Ghana.     

Conundrum of Sexual Decision Making in Marital Relationships: Safer-Sex Knowledge,Behavior, and Attitudes of Married Women in Zambia

Recent research suggests that Zambian women face an increasing risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) within marital relationships. Married women's perceived ability to negotiate safer sex or adopt self-efficacy practices is recognized as critical in preventing new infections within marriage. Yet women's self-efficacy practices, such as requesting condom use or refusing sex within marriage, are influenced by individual and context-specific factors. Using the 2007 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey data from 4,306 married women, this article examines the association between married women's perceived ability to negotiate safer sex and a range of attitudinal, knowledge, and sociodemographic variables. Results from complementary log-log regression models reveal that married women who have factual knowledge about HIV transmission and prevention, as well as those who have been tested for their HIV serostatus, were more likely to report they can request that their husbands use a condom. Rural married women were more likely to report they can refuse their husbands sex compared to woman in urban areas. Likewise, married women who agree that a wife is justified in refusing her husband sex if he sleeps with other women were more likely to report they can negotiate safer sex compared to women who disagree. These findings suggest that married women are able to negotiate safer sex if they have correct factual knowledge about HIV transmission and are aware of their rights within marital relations.