Abstracts

Doris C. C. K. Kowaltowski (1), Luciana Szymanski (2), Vanessa Gomes da Silva (1), Daniel de Carvalho Moreira Moreira (1), Ariovaldo Denis Granja (1), Regina Coeli Ruschel (1), Elisa A. D. Muianga (1), Douglas Lopes de Souza (1), Marcelle Engler Bridi (1), Carolina Asensio Oliva (1)
(1) University of Campinas-UNICAMP, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Design, (2) Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Faculty of Psychology

Paper presentation

Theme: Research methods and data analysis

Abstract

Applied social science research investigating the environment/people relationship uses tools and methods to observe, question, and engage people in and about specific built environments. Stakeholders involved in producing, refurbishing, and upgrading these environments are often part of such studies. Visual research methods are preferred to overcome language barriers and the different levels of familiarity of participants with the investigation topic. Surveys, interviews of various kinds, and post-occupancy evaluations (POE) are often part of such research to underpin or complement visual methods. Mental maps, stated choice experiments, attribute constellations, diamond ranking, floor plan evaluation, and comparisons, and semantic scale image evaluation are typical methods found in the literature. A number of these visual research methods are discussed in this paper, and the challenges, difficulties, and opportunities related to their application in environmental design and psychology studies are presented. The Living Lab (LL) concept is an important procedure to create shared understanding, discover hidden agendas, mitigate conflict, validate innovations collaboratively, support decision-making processes in participatory processes. The LL concept is increasingly used to promote sustainability, particularly in urban planning and social housing refurbishment, through the engagement of various stakeholders around a common issue. Many topics addressed in such LLs are not only complex but also abstract. The topics of climate change, environmental vulnerability due to Covid-19, possible and even necessary environmental and changes in lifestyle responses should be part of LL engagements. These topics must be approached in creative ways. Triggering questions are necessary to start and focus debates and make participants aware of their role in resolving problems associated with these topics. In the LL, context-specific methods may be applied in the form of Boundary Objects. Visual methods or tools may include Virtual and Augmented Reality, games, models physical and digital with possible walkthroughs, and the participation of cartoonists to transform topics of discussion into diagrams and illustrations. Also, engagement conversations apply methods and interpretive approaches such as in-depth and reflexive interviews as well as traditional brainstorming and focus group techniques. Each method, tool, and approach needs structuring, specific materials, and application protocols, including ethical concerns. During the pandemic, this type of research has been greatly affected. Direct contact with participants is not possible and digital means of access are used to promote engagement, adding new research challenges. How to reach participants with poor access to the internet, how to conduct adequate group debates, how to observe behavior, how to increase the perception of specific issues, how to read body language, how to come to decisions, and how to analyze meeting results are the questions that emerge. Some challenges are technical depending on equipment and software; others demand new ways of thinking and presenting ideas in visual languages to be shared online. This paper contributes to this debate with procedures adapted for the new research pandemic environment. Contributions come from recent publications and the authors’ experience through a social innovation partnership project in four countries (Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK). The specific contexts play an essential role in using and adapting the right tools as well as interpreting research results to create new knowledge and contribute to the resolutions of new problems related to sustainable lifestyles and supportive environments, particularly in social housing in times of the pandemic.

Keywords

Visual research methods, interpretive approaches, Living Lab procedures, social housing

Dan Qiang, Lingzhu Zhang, Hengjia Li
College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University

Paper presentation

Theme: Research methods and data analysis

Abstract

Transit-oriented development(TOD) has been an important way to support urban regeneration and economic growth. To identify its influences around neighbor areas, various theories are developed to explain connected factors. The “5D” indicators proposed by Cervero et al. are proved to be effective in researches of the relationship between built environments and TOD performances. However, there is a clear gap for discussing TOD performance with “5D” indicators in empirical cases. This paper measured TOD performance with the metro flow of 234 stations in metropolises Shanghai to better reveal its effectiveness. Using multi-sourced urban data and Python script to reflect density, diversity, design, distance to transit and destination accessibility of each station. This research chose Population and Location Based Services(LBS) data representing the density, Points of Interests(POIs) representing function diversity and the quality of street views for design dimension, while distance to transit was defined as the average topological distance from all the other stations to the analyzed station in metro network and the accessibility of street network around each station calculated on sDNA represented destination accessibility. Then, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to calculate impacts of the five indicators before a quantitative method and combined scores were proposed to compare each station’s TOD performance. Moreover, the stations were classified into three categories with specific attributes according to their final degree, and suggestions were offered aimed at each type’s exploitation. After that, the metro flow data of 2019 was collected to verify the correlation between five separate indicators, comparing with its connection with combined TOD performance. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of metro flows, TOD performances and built environment s have been shown, which can support future railway planning and surrounding regeneration practice to make better urban space.

References

[1] CERVERO R, KOCKELMAN K. Travel demand and the 3Ds: Density, diversity, and design[J]. Transportation research part D: Transport and environment, 1997, 2(3): 199–219. [2] EWING R, CERVERO R. Travel and the built environment: a synthesis[J]. Transportation research record, 2001, 1780(1): 87–114. [3] CERVERO R, SARMIENTO O L, JACOBY E, et al. Influences of built environments on walking and cycling: lessons from Bogotá[J]. International journal of sustainable transportation, 2009, 3(4): 203–226. [4] WEY W-M, ZHANG H, CHANG Y-J. Alternative transit-oriented development evaluation in sustainable built environment planning[J]. Habitat International, 2016, 55: 109–123. [5] ZHOU J, YANG Y, GU P, et al. Can TODness improve (expected) performances of TODs? An exploration facilitated by non-traditional data[J]. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2019, 74: 28–47.

Keywords

TOD performance; Multi-source urban data; 5D indicators; Built-environment; Metro flow; Shanghai

Thomas R. Brooks The College of Idaho

Paper presentation

Theme: Research methods and data analysis

Abstract Introduction: Time spent in greenspace is believed to provide mental health benefits. Past research has specified what some of these benefits are, including the attention restoration (Ohly et al., 2016), mood (Kondo et al., 2020), and improvements in cognition (Schertz & Berman, 2019), but details as to why can be challenging to study. A more complete understanding of how greenspace aids mental health could do more than help individuals, especially during pandemic. In many locales, stay-at-home orders made allowances for walking in public parks, since these areas allow for minimizing virus transmission risk. With other options for leisure unavailable, these resources saw increased use in many communities. Further, the pandemic caused people around the world to experience distress, anxiety, and other difficulties, while limiting access to mental health care. With this increased demand for greenspace, increased need for mental health support, and greenspace’s resilience against pandemic lockdowns, the post-COVID era has the potential to be a golden age for public interest in and funding for greenspace. However, one key factor in framing greenspace as a public health resource will be understanding what greenspace’s benefits are, and how they work. Theoretical background: Attempts to bring greenspace into a laboratory (e.g., using media), while informative, risk eliminating the multisensory features of time spent outdoors. Similarly, assessing how these benefits unfold in real time without disrupting them poses challenges. One solution is to use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)(Beute, de Kort, & IJsselsteijn, 2018). EMA can support a range of analyses on emotional valence data in human-environment interaction (Isenhower et al., 2012). With these issues in mind, our experiment aimed to replicate past findings that time spent in greenspace supported mood and explore the time-dependent change in these effects. Methods: Participants (n=18) were randomly assigned to an indoor or outdoor condition. In the indoor condition, participants walked on a treadmill holding the EMA device, which prompted the participants every 60 seconds by vibrating. When prompted, participants classed their current thought as positive or negative using the device. In the outdoor condition, participants walked on a marked route through a college campus. Participants walked for 30 minutes. Results: Participants in the outdoor condition reported more positive thoughts than those in the indoor condition and this difference approached significance (t(13.98) = -1.90, p = 0.079). We additionally conducted a Growth Curve Analysis, which is similar to regression, but uses time as a factor (Singer & Willet, 2003). We calculated the running total of mood reports for each individual (Positive = 1; Negative = -1). The model (Cumulative Mood = Condition x Time) showed a significant main effect for time (t = 3.58, df = 523) and no significant main effect for Condition (t = 0.78), indicating that the trajectories changed over time, but no overall difference between the two conditions. However, a significant interaction term (t = 4.92, df = 523) indicated that the difference between the two conditions developed over time. A plot of these trajectories shows the nature of this change [Figure available]. The trajectories show a clear separation, with those in the outdoor condition showing a more positive trajectory. We can further see that this effect obtained immediately, and that the trajectories only began to converge during the last several minutes of the study. Discussion: The convergence of the trajectories at the end of the study may have suppressed main effects. This may suggest that the mood effect is short lived, or that participants in the outdoor condition were unhappy to see their walk coming to an end, and those in the indoor condition were pleased to be finished. A longer duration version of this study (currently underway) aims to disambiguate this. Regardless, the experimental data are proof of concept of the applicability of EMA measures, together with time series analysis, for specifying under what circumstances greenspaces are salubrious, and what the mechanisms are behind these effects. Such understanding could prove important in securing public and government support for the allocation of more resources toward public greenspace, and providing the associated benefits for individuals, communities, and our environment. References References Beute, F., De Kort, Y., & IJsselsteijn, W. (2016). Restoration in its natural context: How ecological momentary assessment can advance restoration research. International journal of environmental research and public health, 13(4), 420. Isenhower, R. W., Frank, T. D., Kay, B. A., & Carello, C. (2012). Capturing and quantifying the dynamics of valenced emotions and valenced events on the organism-environment System. Nonlinear Dynamics-Psychology and Life Sciences, 16(4), 397. Kondo, M. C., Triguero-Mas, M., Donaire-Gonzalez, D., Seto, E., Valentín, A., Hurst, G., … & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2020). Momentary mood response to natural outdoor environments in four European cities. Environment international, 134, 105237. Madhav, N., Oppenheim, B., Gallivan, M., Mulembakani, P., Rubin, E., & Wolfe, N. (2017). Pandemics: risks, impacts, and mitigation. Ohly, H., White, M. P., Wheeler, B. W., Bethel, A., Ukoumunne, O. C., Nikolaou, V., & Garside, R. (2016). Attention Restoration Theory: A systematic review of the attention restoration potential of exposure to natural environments. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 19(7), 305-343. Schertz, K. E., & Berman, M. G. (2019). Understanding nature and its cognitive benefits. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(5), 496-502. Singer, J. D., & Willett, J. B. (2003). Applied longitudinal data analysis: Modeling change and event occurrence. Oxford University Press. Keywords EMA, mood, greenspace, experimental methodology, walking, mental health

Kinuyo Shimizu, Kaname Yanagisawa
Chiba University

Paper presentation

Theme: Research methods and data analysis

Abstract

According to a survey by the Japanese government (2016), elementary and junior high school teachers work more than eleven hour a day on average, and the amount of work they bring back home with them shows no signs of decreasing. Therefore, we conducted this study with the aim of improving the working environment for teachers and creating a place where everuone can work healthily. In this study, we focused on the staff room, which has not changed much while the educational system has been changing, and tried to understand the current status of the entire office space. A total of 108 schools were selected for the study by collecting articles on staff rooms and their planning and referring to the “school amenity” literature. The survey was conducted in six areas: staff room, principal’s office, conference room, consultation room, break space, and teacher’s corner, to investigate the layout, actual maintenance, and issues. The results of the basic survey are shown below. The most common type of staff room was a single room type called an integrated staff room, and desks were arranged in an island shape in most schools. In addition, there were 28 schools for which the staff room area could be determined from the literature. The area per staff member is small compared to that of a typical office, and each office space needs to be expanded. The principal’s office was found in all schools as far as we could survey. Some schools have integrated it with the staff room in an attempt to eliminate the barrier between the principal and teachers. As for the conference room, there were 13 schools that did not have one, and all of them were schools that adopted the special classroom method of education. On the other hand, there are schools where staff meetings are held in the staff room, so the necessity of such a room is questionable. Some schools had more than 10 consultation rooms, some had counter-style consultation rooms, and some had open consultation rooms without walls. There were also some consultation rooms that were open without walls. Since this is an important space to change the way teachers work, it is necessary to install it as soon as possible. As with the rest area, the number of teachers’ corners is low. Some schools have walls, some have movable fixtures, and some have alcoves where teachers can use the space. In addition, we were able to visit four schools while the COVID-19 made it difficult to visit the sites. We were able to see the installation of rest areas that were not visible on the drawings, and by directly listening to the voices of the teachers, we were able to clarify the lack of storage space and the existence of rooms that were not being used as intended by the designers. There are three major findings from the above survey. Firstly, the functions of the staff room have become multifunctional. In Japan, it is common to set up one large room as an integrated staff room and have all staff work in that space. Secondly, there is a lack of adequate rest areas. In Japan, there is a tendency not to take a break while working, and break areas are often small and located out of sight in the staff room. Thirdly, the number of office-like staff rooms is increasing. The third is the increasing number of office-like staff rooms, including those with free address system and café-like furniture in schools that are considered advanced examples. As educational policies continue to change, staff rooms should be set up in a different way according to the way education is conducted, the size of the school, and the number of teachers.

References

Maiko, Sugawara (2012) “Work Space Planning On Primary Schools Considering Duties Of Teachers” J. Archit. Plann., AIJ, Vol.77 No. 672, 319-325, Feb. /Naoko, Fujiwara and Terukazu, Takeshita (2008) “A Study On The Teacher’s Room In Junior-high-school Buildings From The View Point Of Characteristics Of Activities Of Teachers” J. Archit. Plann., AIJ, Vol.73 No.632, 2041-2048 /Naoko, Fujiwara and Terukazu, Takeshita (2010) “A Study On The Teacher’s Room In Junior-high-school Buildings From The View Point Of Space Alteration Of Teachers’ Space” J. Archit. Plann., AIJ, Vol.75 No.657, 2547-2554 /Naoko, Fujiwara (2012) “The Formation And Function Of The Teachers’ Room And Principal’s Office In Japanese School Buildings” J. Archit. Plann., AIJ, Vol.77 No.674, 759-766

Keywords

Teacher’s Room Work Style Reform Education Facilities Elimination Of Overwork Furniture Layout

Heba Tallah Ibrahim (1), Deniz Hasirci (2)
(1) Design Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts And Design, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey, (2) Dept. of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey

Paper presentation

Theme: Other

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the increasing population of citizens over 65 years old worldwide, it is essential to create smart interiors for all people regardless of age, disability, or ability. According to data from World Population Prospects, the 2019 Revision; by 2050, one person in six people will be over age 65, representing 16% of the world population. Research states that interior design has an essential role in improving the daily lives of the elderly and supports them to communicate, interact, and remain living independently in their homes (Demiris and Hensel, 2008). Smart homes supported with mobile technological devices and smart systems to enable automation are effective in terms of independent living. The technology could impact the elderly to remain active, independent, and healthy (Peek et al., 2016). This research examines the use of technological devices in the home for the elderly and their probable contributions to improve the daily lives of the elderly. Research aim/ objective: This study aims to clarify the elderly opinion and acceptance of integrating more technology into their lives, especially through and after the pandemic, to maintain independence. Keywords: Interior design for elderly, Independent living, Technological devices, Smart homes. Theoretical background: This research focuses on design for the rapidly aging population and how home design can support the elderly to live independently. Moreover, this research examines the behavior of the elderly and attempts to gather knowledge about the relation between design for the elderly and smart interiors to assist their lives. Therefore, a theoretical framework is used in this study, including elderly needs, design for elderly requirements, and contemporary innovative technology for elderly assistance. The theoretical framework is followed up by an interview and a logbook as instruments for the elderly to record their daily activities and explore the possibility of establishing design guidelines for the future. Methodology: This study method focuses on understanding the elderly behaviors and mindsets in merging technology in their homes and with the research problem by interviewing the elderly as a target group (aged 65+) in Izmir, Turkey, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 20 elderly volunteers who filled out interview questions and a logbook template that focused on their daily routines, how they used their homes, which aspects they had difficulty in, and how they used technological devices for their own well-being. Findings and results: The findings showed that a small percentage of the elderly had background information about the smart home concept in general. Still, the vast majority of the participants did not have any idea about it. Most of the elderly were happy to learn more about smart homes and how they operated as well as their impact on supporting their independence. The factor they mostly accepted in terms of using technological devices and the smart home concept was the ‘health’ factor. Most participants mentioned that the innovative technologies would support their sense of ‘safety in monitoring their health on an ongoing basis. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was found that the elderly have a high probability of accepting the concept of smart homes, despite their being previously unaware of the existence of these innovative technologies that would support their independence. After conducting the previous studies and analyzing the results of this research, it was concluded that the technological devices could positively impact the elderly lives in their homes and encourage them to remain independent. Depending on the findings, most of the participating elderly in this research showed their interest in learning more about new technologies after learning more about their positive effect on their daily lives. There is great value in supporting independent living for the elderly at home. It had gained even more significance when human assistance became scarce during the COVID-19 pandemic as they were not allowed to have face-to-face contact with their relatives in most countries that limit infection risk (Shah et al., 2020). The pandemic has brought unpredictable challenges, especially for the elderly’s lives and well-being (Adhikari et al., 2020), which clarified the role of technological devices in supporting elderly independence without the need for human assistance to limit the risk and support their safety (Chee, 2020). The global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has helped increase awareness of the role of smart technologies in well-being and independent living for the elderly, as well as saving lives (Khasnabis et al., 2020). With the development of technology each day, confinement into our homes, and the elderly population growing globally, it is clear that there is much more research needed in this area.

References

Adhikari, S. P., Meng, S., Wu, Y. J., Mao, Y. P., Ye, R. X., Wang, Q. Z., Sun, C., Sylvia, S., Rozelle, S., Raat, H., and Zhou, H. (2020). Epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, prevention and control of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the early outbreak period: a scoping review. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, Vol. 9(1). Alagar, V. (2019) Fundamental Issues in the Design of Smart Home for Elderly Healthcare, Electronic Proceedings of the 2019 6th International Conference on Systems and Informatics (ICSAI). pp. 621-625. Available at: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9010084. Basarudin, N., Yeon, A., Yusoff, Z., Dahlan, N. and Mahdzir, N. (2018). Smart Home Assisted Living for Elderly: The Needs for Regulations, The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, (6), pp. 7-13. Berlo, V. (2002) Smart home technology: Have older people paved the way? Journal of Gerontechnology, Vol. 2(1), pp. 77-87. Chee, S. Y. (2020). COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lived Experiences of Older Adults in Aged Care Homes. Millennial Asia, Vol. 11(3), pp. 299–317. Demiris, G., and Hensel, B. K. (2008). Technologies for an aging society: a systematic review of “smart home” applications. Yearbook of medical informatics, pp.33–40. Khasnabis, C., Holloway, C., and MacLachlan, M. (2020). The Digital and Assistive Technologies for Ageing initiative: learning from the GATE initiative. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Vol. 1(3), pp. 94-95. Peek, M., Wouters, M., Luijkx, G. and Vrijhoef, M. (2016) What it Takes to Successfully Implement Technology for Aging in Place: Focus Groups with Stakeholders. Journal of Medical Internet Research, Vol. 18(5), e98. Shah, A. U. M., Safri, S. N. A., Thevadas, R., Noordin, N. K., Rahman, A. A., Sekawi, Z., and Sultan, M. T. H. (2020). COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia: Actions taken by the Malaysian government. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 97, pp.108–116.

Keywords

Design for elderly, Independent living, Technological devices, Smart homes.

Isabel Lema-Blanco, Ricardo García-Mira, Jesús Miguel Muñoz-Cantero University of A Coruña

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community participation

Abstract Governments, scientists and environmental organizations worldwide have stressed the need to decrease humanity’s environmental impact, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, to adapt our society to global warming and other social and environmental challenges that should be globally faced. Consequently, green consumption has come to centre the interest for research on climate action and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles. In this context, the use of behavioural models to better understand the social and psychological dimensions that interact with people’s consumption patterns has gained increasing interest, and a vast majority of studies have focused on the consideration of individual factors to explain decisions regarding the purchase or consumption of green products. However, there is a growing interest in social innovations which take place in the civil society arena, and formulate bottom-up innovative solutions for sustainable development at the local scale (Seyfang & Smith, 2007). This study focus on the social and psychological dimensions that interplay in people’s patterns of consumption, studying the factors driving collective forms of food consumption in the context of grassroots social innovations (Zoll et al., 2017). Following a qualitative approach, a multi-method design was used, which combined three data-collection techniques: participatory observation, document analysis and 26 in-depth interviews with participants in eight local food co-ops located in the Galician region (Spain). The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the different human motivations, aspirations and desires underlying conscious and responsible consumption behaviour, and the individual and collective factors that influence the processes for behavioural change at the individual and society-wide levels. First, self-oriented motivations are particularly significant for green consumption. Findings show strong linkages between health concern, environmental awareness, and the desire of sustaining healthy diets based on the high quality of seasonal organically produced groceries. Environmental awareness was found to be an essential motive across all the participants, which appears also associated with altruistic and socially oriented values (e.g., animal welfare, fair trade). Besides, feelings of connectedness with the rural territory motivates the desire of protecting these specific environments by supporting organic and local agriculture and primary sector of the economy. In terms of motivations for people to engage in collective forms of consumption (e.g., being a member of a Food Co-op), the participants in this study report three types of motivations: a) the accessibility and affordability to organic and fair-trade groceries; b) socio-political goals; and c) the satisfaction of social needs. The desire of joining a consumption initiative is preceded by the identification of these organizations as the most suitable space for satisfying their needs of consumption. Interviewees explicit a desire for autonomy and control over their purchasing decisions, becoming independent of global corporations and supermarkets. Galician food activists share social and political ambitions and conceive food coops as grassroots movements with the capacity to change the dominant social paradigms challenging the unsustainable practices that characterize the dominant system of food production and distribution. Consumption is interpreted as “a political act”, a new way of engaging in political activism, appealing to large structural changes such as the democratization of the economy. A limited sample of participants expressed that under the decision of joining a consumption initiative relies on the desire to socialize with like-minded people, expanding their social network or friendships, or to experiment a sense of belonging, which lead to the desire to engage in collective projects who share common values, goals and environmental concerns. Also, some of them point their common ambition to change the relationships between consumers and producers, fostering mutual respect, proximity, and empathy, recognizing, and dignifying the work of the farmer/producer. In conclusion, the results confirm that awareness of the environmental, social, and economic consequences of consumption is a direct antecedent for conscious and responsible consumer behaviour (Suárez et al., 2020). Interestingly, the decision to join a consumer’s initiative appears to be the outcome of a reflexive process on personal wellbeing linked also to environmental and social and political ambitions, which are materialized in cooperative forms of economy. Further, environmental awareness or social-political goals are not sufficient for people to tackle a process of personal change. They also need to experience the desire to “put into practice” new consumption models that promote sustainable transitions. References Seyfang, G., & Smith, A. (2007). Grassroots innovations for sustainable development: Towards a new research and policy agenda. Environmental politics, 16(4), 584-603. Zoll, F., Specht, K., Opitz, I., Siebert, R., Piorr, A., & Zasada, I. (2018). Individual choice or collective action? Exploring consumer motives for participating in alternative food networks. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 42(1), 101-110. Suárez, E., Hernández, B., Gil-Giménez, D., & Corral-Verdugo, V. (2020). Determinants of Frugal Behavior: The Influences of Consciousness for Sustainable Consumption, Materialism, and the Consideration of Future Consequences. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 3279. Buerke, A., Straatmann, T., Lin-Hi, N., & Müller, K. (2017). Consumer awareness and sustainability-focused value orientation as motivating factors of responsible consumer behavior. Review of Managerial Science, 11(4), 959-991. Keywords Consumer motivation, Food Co-ops, Conscious and responsible food consumption, alternative food movement, grassroots social innovations

Yubin Xu, Bin Li, Hua Li
Tongji university

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community participation

Abstract

China has seen a rising trend of urbanization in recent years, with the rural area facing the greatest transitions away from its historical and cultural roots. Numerous traditional Chinese villages faced the destruction of their architectural heritage sites in the 1960s and 1970s during the backdrop of socialism, and many remaining heritage sites were subjected to “constructive” destruction. Among all the built heritage, temples in rural communities are spiritual symbols in local people’s minds, which help unite the public and empower the community. However, the heritage conservation in China nowadays is still a “top-down” approach where local people could hardly participate in the process of decision-making. The success of preserving and managing cultural heritage highly relies on local communities. This article aims to demonstrate how inspiring residents to participate in the process of heritage conservation brings a positive impact to the health of public life in the rural community. Action Research was proposed by Lewin in 1946, aiming to “carry out in a spiral process, each step consists of a cycle of planning”. Participatory Action Research, which is developed on the basis of Action Research, emphasizes the equal dialogue between researchers and respondents. While the production of knowledge is both the method and the purpose, which indicates the transformation from a standardized, “top-down” paradigm of “things” to a diversified, ” bottom-up” paradigm of “people”. Participatory action research (PAR) also reflects a circular and non-linear way of process. It includes the process of social learning and researchers need to organize the whole process. At present, the research on community participation in China is mainly focused on the urban environment. Although some literatures have proposed that rural communities’ needs should be paid attention to in rural development, the efficacy of participatory action research in the process of rural heritage conservation in China needs to be verified by specific cases. Based on participatory action research, this paper takes a traditional village as an example, and uses methods such as questionnaire, interview, mapping and charrette to analyze the role transformation, participation methods in the process of heritage conservation, aiming to improve the quality of life of locals and enhance the awareness to participate in public affairs, explore new ways for architectural heritage conservation. Based on the results of the previous research in 2019, an in-situ workshop was conducted at Guandi Antient Temple in May, 2020. The workshop was set at the hall of Guandi Temple, so that locals could present the settings that occurred in the history through storytelling. Ordinary citizens, community officials and researchers had relatively equal opportunities for communication and social learning, meanwhile understanding the value of architectural heritage in the community. In the participatory action research planned and organized by the researcher, the researcher and locals participated in the decision-making process and made consent of the regeneration strategies of Guandi Temple. The paper points out that the researcher becomes the organizer and coordinator of the process; Instead of passively accepting the scheme, the locals are active participants and advisors. The researchers and the locals cooperate accordingly to form a more balanced coordination mechanism. The following conclusions are drawn: 1) The locals’ needs: the locals’ spiritual and functional requirements for the Guandi Temple reflects the continuity of the traditional culture of the rural community in traditional villages; 2) The efficacy of the research method: the locals can intuitively perceive the environment, and through the exhibition of restoration maps and planning schemes, the evaluations and suggestions of locals are collected, which would enhance their awareness of participation in the public affairs of community; 3) Theoretical value: through an equal way of participation of the researchers and the locals, the living value of the architectural heritage can be discovered. The research process reflects the transactional relationship between people and the environment, as well as the comprehensive and dynamic design methodology.

References

Khanlou, N. , & Peter, E. . (2005). Participatory action research: considerations for ethical review. Social Science & Medicine, 60(10), 2333-2340. Leeuwis, C. (2000). Reconceptualizing participation for sustainable rural development: towards a negotiation approach. Development and Change, 31. Chambers, R. (1994). Paradigm shifts and the practice of participatory research and development. Chen Y. (2015). From Desolation to Dream Home — To try out the social implication of “participation” from the operation “Micro-space” in Houbi village, Taiwan. World Architecture, 2015(2): 27-28. Susman, G. I., & Evered, R. D. (1978). An assessment of the scientific merits of action research. Administrative science quarterly, 582-603. LI B. (2008). Theory of environment-behavior and its development in Environment-behavior studies[J]. Architectural Journal, (02): 30-33. LI B. (2017). Environment-behavior theories and design methodology[J]. Journal of Human Settlements in West China, (03): 1-6.

Keywords

Participatory action research; Rural community participation; Built heritage; Regeneration; Ancient temple

Amanda Ferreira Garcia (1), Rodrigo Karini Leitzke (1), Maureen Roux Cordeiro (1), Rodrigo Edson Castro Avila (2), Adriana Portella (1), Eduardo Grala da Cunha (1)
(1) Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, (2) Estacio University Centre of Amazon, Brazil

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community participation

Abstract

This study analyzes the thermal performance of temporary accommodations of Venezuelan refugees in Brazil when living in refugee camps in Roraima (Brazilian federal state). 5,642,960 million Venezuelans have fled their country (R4V, April 2021), with 1,742,927 million living in Colombia and 261,441 in Brazil (R4V, April 2021). Colombian and Brazilian government responses to this through granting special stay permits in Colombia and the Welcomed Operation in Brazil. UNHCR supports 14 shelters in Roraima, Brazil, hosting more than 4,600 refugees and migrants from Venezuela in these spaces. Almost half of this sum is made up of children, and indigenous people are also a significant proportion. About 1,031 people live in UNHCR-supported shelters. The objective of this study is to analyze the thermal conditions of the ‘Better Shelter’ project installed in refugee camps in Roraima, Brazil, based on user’s perception and computer simulations considering the climatic conditions of the northern border of Brazil. The focus is to answer the following research question: standard projects for temporary shelters for refugees can be used in different locations, or should we think of shelters that can be adapted to the climate of each region? The ‘Better Shelter’ project is a temporary accommodation, the result of collaboration between UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) and the IKEA Foundation. Started in 2010 and widely disseminated throughout the world in 2015, the shelter was created with the intention of being a practical, cheap, and temporary alternative for the homeless refugees. It is made up of universal modules with a capacity of five people, it is formed by a slight metallic structure of support and covered with polystyrene canvas, and it has a useful life of three years. The problem occurs when such a structure, though as a temporary dwelling, ends up becoming a permanent dwelling due to the lack of public policies to accommodate the refugee population. Therefore, it is important to analyze the degree of user’s satisfaction with this accommodation from the thermal point of view since it is installed in Brazilian regions with high temperatures throughout the year. This study applied 10 unstructured interviews to people living in ‘Better Shelter’ in the state of Roraima, Brazil. The interviews aimed to understand the user satisfaction with the shelter considering issues of thermal comfort. Then, five thermal simulations of the ‘Better Shelter’ were performed in the computer program ‘Energy Plus’. ‘Energy Plus’ is a computer program developed for thermal load simulation and energy analysis of buildings and their systems. The first simulation performed was of the original shelter, and the other four simulations were with the insertion of proposals for the mitigation of the high internal temperatures of the shelter. These results were analyzed together with the interviewee’s responses to understand the conditions of user satisfaction and possible improvements that could be made to the shelters. The results indicate that the internal conditions of ‘Better Shelter’ in Roraima in Brazil reach 90% thermal discomfort according to users’ perceptions, registering internal temperatures above 35°Celsius and conditions of high humidity, even with attempts to simulate intervention such as building shading. Users reported that they prefer to sleep outside than inside the shelter due to the heat and during the day they also perform all their activities outside the shelter. The study indicates that to reduce the extreme heat conditions of the shelter, a broad maximization of ventilation must be considered, that is, a significant intervention in the standard project that is inefficient when considering its function of protection and reception of refugees on the border northern Brazil. It is not possible to apply standard designs as ways to welcome a population without considering the climatic conditions where the shelters are inserted. Adaptations are necessary, either with ventilation strategies and/or alteration of materials that can bring thermal comfort to users, aiming at their well-being.

References

RV4. Regional Platform for Interagency Coordination. https://r4v.info/es/situations/platform

Keywords

Thermal performance; user satisfaction; Better Shelter; refugees.

Zulmira Áurea Cruz Bomfim, Nara Maria Forte Diogo, Andie de Castro Lima
Universidade Federal do Ceará

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community participation

Abstract

Over the years, Brazilian indigenous populations have defended territories threatened by the greed of the agricultural market and religious groups, as well as by state violence. Currently, the context of the covid-19 pandemic increases the chronic social injustice that was already affecting their survival. The federal bill 490, from 2007, which aims to prevent indigenous peoples from the legal recognition of their lands, has demanded even more mobilization. This discussion has taken place through the university extension project called “Ancestralidades”, built together with the Psychology courses of the Federal University of Ceará in Fortaleza and Sobral and affiliated to the Environmental Psychology Research Laboratory (Locus). The project takes place in dialogue with the undergraduate courses of Federal University of Ceará for indigenous people that are linked to Kuaba’s department (which means “knowledge place”). The theoretical framework of the project is based on social psychology in its interfaces with the environment and with critical and contextualized human development. The methodology used in the project is based on Paulo Freire’s dialogic perspective, as well as on the biocentric perspective of respect for life. Fortnightly virtual meetings are held in which members of the most diverse ethnic groups in Ceará, their leaders and their families can meet to discuss topics of interest to them in the form of a conversation circle. The project presents results that dialogue with sustainability in a more comprehensive way, as described by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): social support during the covid-19 pandemic, the deepening of discussions about ancestry, the acceptance of mourning for the losses provoked by covid-19, understanding of the territory and its importance for native peoples. We conclude that a space for dialogue between different peoples is an important mechanism for strengthening the original peoples of Ceará, who, like the indigenous peoples of Brazil, are under threat. Mitigating the impacts of these threats and promoting the protagonism and autonomy of native peoples demonstrates the importance of discussing the SDGs.

References

ACOSTA, A. El Buen Vivir en el camino del post-desarrollo: una lectura desde la Constitución de Montecristi. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Policy Paper: 9 octubre 2010. ADELCO, Centro de Documentação Indígena. Disponível em: <https://adelco.org.br/centro-documentacao/>. CEARÁ, Conselho de Educação do Ceará (2003). Resolução n° 382/2003. Disponível em: <https://www.cee.ce.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2011/08/RES-0382-2003.pdf>. DE ARAÚJO, L. F. et al. Aspectos sócio-históricos e psicológicos da velhice. Mneme-revista de humanidades , v. 6, n. 13, 2010. FREIRE, P. Pedagogia da libertação em Paulo Freire. Editora Paz e Terra, 2018. GUIMARÃES, D. S. A psicologia e a questão indígena no Brasil. In: CONSELHO REGIONAL DE PSICOLOGIA DE SÃO PAULO. Povos indígenas e psicologia: A procura do Bem Viver. São Paulo: CRP SP, 2016. p.178-188. FEITOSA, M.Z; BOMFIM, Z.A.C. Povos originários em contextos de desigualdade social: Afetividade e bem viver como modos de (re)existência ético-política. Psicologia Política. vol. 20. n.49. pp. 719-734. 2020 QUIJANO, A. “Colonialidad del poder y clasificación social”. In: DE SOUSA SANTOS, Boaventura; PAULA, Meneses Maria. Epistemologias do sul. Cortez Editora, 2014. RABELO, D. F.; NERI, A. L. A complexidade emocional dos relacionamentos intergeracionais e a saúde. RABELO, D. F.; NERI, A. L. A complexidade emocional dos relacionamentos intergeracionais e a saúde mental dos idosos. Pensando famílias , v. 18, n. 1, p. 138-153, 2014. VIGOTSKI, L. S. A formação social da mente. 6.ed. São Paulo: Editora Martins Fontes, 1998.

Keywords

Indigenous people, way of life and sustainability

Kabisch Sigrun, Pößneck Janine
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community participation

Abstract

In times of Covid-19, there are strong constraints in community participation. They have to be critically reflected as they hinder sustainable neighbourhood development. In order to transform neighbourhoods into more sustainable, resilient and liveable environments, energy retrofit and age-appropriate renovation of the existing rental housing stock are indispensable. The entire process is particularly challenging in times of Covid-19 due to social and physical distancing. Residents cannot meet in their community and with representatives of the housing companies or other decision-makers involved. A common preparation and exchange about the planned retrofit measures and their effects are difficult to realize or impossible at all. In addition, increasing rents are a consequence of the retrofit investments. Low-income households in particular are afraid that they will not be able to pay higher rents because of income restrictions caused by Covid-19 measures. This situation can be considered as a dilemma. To deal with, intensive community participation from the very beginning of the retrofit process is essential in order to remove uncertainty and doubts. The focus of this contribution is on environmental justice at neighbourhood level. Methods To address this topic with regard to identifying conflicts and finding appropriate solutions, on-site empirical investigations are necessary. It is essential to get in close contact with the residents’ community as well as landlords in order to get to know their intensions, expectations and perceptions. This requires a sensitive approach including personal contacts which are an important basis for building trust between the researcher and all actors involved. Being aware of this, the recent conditions during the Covid-19-pandemic limit the implementation of the respective empirical research design. Communication is restricted to phone calls, video conferences and email exchange while it should be noted that not everyone has access to it. In consequence, creating deep trust is impossible. Co-design and cooperation within Living Lab environments are unfeasible. Thus, the project insights are based on limited empirical data. Combined with already existing knowledge, they will be used for creating scenarios that describe possible futures of sustainable neighbourhood development. Based on that, research hypotheses will be further adapted. Hypotheses H1: Constraints in community participation run the risk that landlords use the Covid-19 situation to pursue their upgrading targets without considering the interests, doubts and fears of the residents. H2: Constraints in community participation run the risk that upgrading measures will be restricted to the lowest level that does not meet the needs of the residents. H3: Constraints in community participation run the risk that the voices of the residents are too silent to fight against growing social inequality and loss of social cohesion at neighbourhood level. Final words This contribution for the symposium presents experiences from research activities in times of Covid-19. Scientists are forced to rethink forms of participation and on-site engagement. The raised hypotheses can be considered as first results. However, they call for attention and examination with regard to the described research topic. Furthermore, inadequate community participation has long-term consequences, affecting the post-Covid era too.

Keywords

Constraints in community participation, energy retrofit, sustainable neighbourhood development, trust building, dilemma

Isabel Lema-Blanco, Ricardo García-Mira, Jesús Miguel Muñoz Cantero
University of A Coruña

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community particaipation

Abstract

Green consumption has become the focus of research on climate action and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles (García-Mira & Dumitru, 2017). However, changing people’s lifestyles involves profound transformations in individual behaviour as well as in market and institutions and research should also put the focus on the interlinkages among individuals, the social groups they are involved in, and the cultural and physical contexts of consumption and lifestyles. Several authors (Kastner & Matthies, 2014) have highlighted the need to empower people, and educate and motivate consumers to be able to seek new opportunities for sustainable behaviour. Further, recent studies in behavioural spillover (Nash et al., 2017) offer potential pathways to foster more sustainable lifestyles, for instance, whether performance of one behaviour influences willingness to engage in a second (desirable) behaviour, although the mechanisms behind spillover effects are not still well understood (Frezza et al., 2019). The purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of the role that conscious consumption initiatives play in promoting green lifestyles, investigating the social learning processes nurtured within these organizations and its relevance for the adoption of new climate-relevant behaviours. Following a qualitative approach, a multi-method design was used, which combined three data-collection techniques: participatory observation, document analysis and 26 in-depth interviews with members and ex-members of eight local food coops located in the Galician region (Spain). Interviews explored first the barriers and drivers for sustainable consumption in households, and to what extent engagement in collective forms of consumption fosters further adoption of green lifestyles. The results identified different barriers that explain people’s resistance towards a more coherent change in their lifestyles. Galician food coops practitioners are well-educated people who share pro-environmental values. However, structural, cultural and psychological barriers have been found as barriers for the adoption of low-carbon behaviours. Second, the findings of the study show that Galician responsible consumption initiatives function as spaces for collective experimentation that favour social learning processes in the individual sphere and in the collective sphere of the participants, transforming shared meanings, competences and structures. Involvement in these sustainable social innovations foster cognitive, relational and skill-related changes in participants. Peer-to-peer learning processes that increase perceived competence and self-efficacy become crucial dimensions for practitioners to further experience with sustainable lifestyles. Moreover, collective food consumption appears to encourage conscious consumption behaviour such sustaining as vegan or vegetarian diets as well as in other domains in the private sphere, such as reducing energy use in households, low-carbon mobility or frugality lifestyles. This effect appears to be related to the (social) learning processes nurtured within these organizations. Galician food co-ops enhance practitioners’ environmental awareness, changing their mindsets and worldviews as well as increasing their critical thinking capacity and their desire of being more coherent in their daily practices, being more favourable disposed toward sustainable lifestyles. One remarkable finding is that Galician food co-ops actively promote engagement in a diversity of alternatives in the third sector of economy -such as energy cooperatives, credit cooperatives and ethical finances- as well as political activism. These results contrast with other studies that have not found ‘spillover’ attitudes or behaviour changes in practitioners involved in Community Supported Agriculture (Russell & Zepeda, 2008). This might indicate that behavioural changes depend on the specific relational dynamics nurtured in the Galician food innovations, which may activate essential mechanisms of pro-environmental identity that function as drivers for positive behavioural spillover to occur. In conclusion, the study highlights the relevance of the social learning processes that emerge within the conscious consumption initiatives that constitute innovative formulas for environmental participation, which appear to foster positive spillover to everyday practice in a variety of lifestyle domains.

References

Frezza, M., Whitmarsh, L., Schäfer, M., & Schrader, U. (2019). Spillover effects of sustainable consumption: combining identity process theory and theories of practice. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 15(1), 15-30. García Mira, R. & Dumitru, A. (coords.) (2016). Green Lifestyles, Alternative Models and Upscaling Regional Sustainability. GLAMURS Final Report. A Coruña: Instituto Xoan Vicente Viqueira. URL: http://www.people-environment-udc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/revista_glamurs_bj.pdf Kastner, I., & Matthies, E. (2014). Motivation and impact. Implications of a twofold perspective on sustainable consumption for intervention programs and evaluation designs. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 23(3), 175-183. Russell, W. S., & Zepeda, L. (2008). The adaptive consumer: shifting attitudes, behavior change and CSA membership renewal. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 136-148.

Keywords

Sustainable consumption, social learning processes, behavioural spillover, green lifestyles, grassroots social innovations

Fernando Bruna, Maria Alló
Research Group on Competition and Development (C&D) and ECOBAS, Department of Economics, Universidade da Coruña, Spain

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and community participation

Abstract

Introduction Public concern for climate change reached the top before the COVID-19 pandemic appeared (Hepburn et al., 2020). This process was parallel to the strong political impulse that resulted in the European Green Deal, an ambitious package of measures accompanied by a roadmap of key policies, with the goal of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. However, some environmental policies have been delayed because of the pandemic. At this respect, Botzen et al. (2021) suggest that the level of public concern about climate may decrease due to pressing economic and health circumstances. At present, it is time to implement policies for a green economic recovery and the design of those policies should be based on a better understanding of the motivations and characteristics of citizens´ sensitivity to climate change. Theoretical background As pointed by Botzen et al. (2021), climate change policies might suffer from the so called “not in my term of office” bias, because these decisions may imply scarce rewards from voters for policy makers. Therefore, the success of this policies crucially depends on achieving social consensus about the need of these policies, in terms of engagement and support (Bord et al. 2000). In order to design effective policies to deal with climate change, we need to understand the main determinants of sensitivity to the issue of climate change. Previous studies (Ziegler, 2007; Poortinga et al., 2019; Fairbrother et al. 2019; Bouman et al., 2020) have focused on a few characteristics of individuals. The aim of this paper is to expand the analysis of the determinants of climate concern, personal responsibility, and support for green taxes, focusing on the role of human values. Methods Using the European Social Survey (ESS), we focus on Schwartz´s (1992) scale of ten basic human values: security, conformity, tradition, benevolence, universalism, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, and power. We separate universalism into the biospheric value care for nature and other aspects of universalism. We also study the role of additional factors, such as income, political orientation, or trust in politicians. We estimate models by OLS and weighted OLS with standard errors clustered by country. Results Regarding socioeconomic characteristics, our preliminary results are in line with previous literature. Thus, for example, elderly people, individuals with a right-wing political orientation or those with lower income levels show a lower level of concern, responsibility, and willingness to support an increase of taxes on fossil fuels. Conversely, females or individuals with tertiary education are more concerned and prone to against climate change. In addition, we also find that values are important. Apart from the strong impact of biospheric values, security reduces the support to taxes, universalism increases worry and responsibility, stimulation increases responsibility and power reduces worry and responsibility. Conclusions It is useful to disaggregate Schwartz´s four higher dimensions into 10 basic values and sometimes it is necessary to use the particular items of the survey. The 10 basic human values of Schwartz’s scale are relevant to explain our three indicators of sensitivity to climate change Apart from the strong positive effects of care for nature, worry and responsibility are mainly explained by conformity (-), universalism (+), stimulation (+) and power (-). Being in favor of taxes is mainly explained by security (-), tradition (-) and benevolence (-). Theses results may help to design communication policies directed to specific profiles of Europeans.

References

Adger, WN., Barnett, J., Brown, K., Marshall, N., O’Brien, K. 2012. Cultural dimensions of climate change impacts and adaptation. Nature Climate Change, 3, 112-117. Bord, R.J., O’Connor, R.E., Fisher, A. 2000. In what sense does the public need to understand global climate change?. Public Understanding of Science, 9(3), 205–218. https://doi.org/ 10.1088/0963-6625/9/3/301 Botzen, W., Duijndam, S., van Beukering, P. 2021. Lessons for climate policy from behavioral biases towards COVID-19 and climate change risks. World Development, 137, 105214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105214 Bouman, T., Verschoor, M., Albers, C., Böhm, G., Fisher, S.D., Poortinga, W., Whitmarsh, Lorraine., Steg, L. 2020. When worry about climate change leads to climate action. How values, worry and personal responsibility relate to various climate actions. Global Environmental Change, 62, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102061 Fairbrother, M., Johansson Sevä, I., & Kulin, J. (2019). Political trust and the relationship between climate change beliefs and support for fossil fuel taxes: Evidence from a survey of 23 European countries. Global Environmental Change, 59, 102003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.102003 Hepburn, C., O’Callaghan, B., Stern, N., Stiglitz, J., Zenghelis, D. 2020. Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change? Oxford Economic Review of Economic Policy, 36(1), S359-S381. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/graa015 Poortinga, W., Whitmarshb, L., Stegc, L., Böhmd, G., Fisher, S. 2019. Climate change perceptions and their individual-level determinants: A cross-European analysis- Global Environmental Change, 55, 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.01.007 Schwartz, S. H. 1992. Universals in the Content and Structure of Values: Theoretical Advances and Empirical Tests in 20 Countries. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 25, 1–65. Academic Press. Ziegler, A. 2007. Political orientation, environmental values and climate change beliefs and attitudes: an empirical cross country analysis. Energy Economics, 63, 144-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2017.01.022

Keywords

Climate change, concern, personal responsibility, taxes, human values, environmental policies

Amelia Fraga-Mosquera, Ricardo García-Mira
University of A Coruña

Paper presentation

Theme: Other

Abstract

I. Introduction Environmental psychology has long been interested in the effect of different environments on the health of users (Gifford, 2007). The work environment has also started to be studied as a promoter or hinderer of health and to a part of support of green lifestyles (García Mira, 2017). Shift work is a particularly type of work schedule that has been studied as one of the work contexts in which several health problems occur; that may concern to physical and mental wellbeing (Figueiro & White, 2013; Gameno, 2010) and work to family balance (Costa, 2016; Vera-Martinez & Martín, 2009). How people structure their everyday life, how they make decisions regarding their work and leisure life have important consequences for sustainable lifestyles. II. STUDY Aims This study aims to explore workers´ perception of characteristics on the work environment that most affect their QoL within the context of shift work as a part of promoters or hinderer of green lifestyles. We will answer the questions “What are the QoL barriers from the shift-worker’s perception?” and “What are the dimensions that defined de shift-workers´ QoL? Method Participants We used a multimethod approach consisting of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Firstly, collected data is the result of 3 different focus groups we arranged in the most important cities of the province of A Coruña (GaliciaSpain). The sample included 19 shift workers. Atlas.ti was used to analyse this qualitative data. At the second part of the study we developed a specific questionnaire from focus group data collected, we applied it in a factory located in Ferrolterra region (n=115). The SPSS was used to analyse the data. III. Results Results obtained through the qualitative data analysis show relevant dimensions to take into account because could characterize a healthy organization promoting healthy workers. As we have pointed out previously (Fraga, 2014), 15 dimensions were derived from our analysis with 3 focus groups; considering the shift workers´ point of view. The second part of the study identified 8 dimensions, from the previous ones, classified in 3 factors. Factor 2, named “hourly organization”, contribute to explain the labour satisfaction in a 35,6%. IV. Discussion In light of the results, we can answer the previously established research questions. Firstly, “What are the QoL barriers from the shift-worker’s perception?” We obtained 13 potential QoL barriers, six of them are directly related to the work environment and the other seven refers to their life outside work. Secondly, “What are the dimensions that defined de shift-workers´ QoL? We identified 8 dimensions classified in 3 factors. Factor 2, the biggest one, contribute to explain the labour satisfaction in a 35,6%. Shift workers time poverty affects people´s civic engagement, physical health and family involvement with implications for sustainability. The conclusions in this study will be used to formulate recommendations to improve working environments and the shift worker´ daily life; to provide trade unions with information that will support them in their efforts to achieve better workplace environments and to support corporate social responsibility policies in organizations.

References

Costa, G. (2016) Introduction to problems of shift work. In: Iskra-Golec I., Barnes-Farrell J., Bohle P. (eds.) Social and Family Issues in Shift Work and Non Standard Working Hours. Springer, Cham García Mira, R. (coord.) (2017). Green Lifestyles, Alternative Models, and Upscaling Regional Sustainability. Informe Final del Proyecto GLAMURS. En http://glamurs.eu/downloads/ final-report/ Figueiro, M. G. & White, R. D. (2013). Health consequences of shift work and implications for structural design. Journal of Prinationalogy, 33, 17-23. Fraga, A., Díaz-Ayude, A. & García-Mira, R. (2014). Healthy workers and healthy workplaces: Psychosocial evaluation in organizational environments. In García-Mira, A & Dumitru, A. (Eds.), Urban Sustainability. Innovative spaces, vulnerabilities and opportunities (pp. 99-113). A Coruña: Deputación Provincial da Coruña. Gameno, C. (2010). Análisis económico de los determinantes del estrés laboral en España. Estadística Española, 52 (175), 393-417. Gifford, R. (2007). Environmental Psychology. Principles and Practice. Canada: Optimal Books. Vera-Martínez, J. J. & Martín M.P. (2009). Conciliación de la vida familiar y laboral: Estrategias de afrontamiento y reparto de las obligaciones familiares en parejas de doble ingreso. Anales de Psicología, 25 (1) 142-149. Wilson, M.G., Dejoy, D.M., Vandenberg, R.J., Richardson, H.A. & Mcgrath, A.L. (2004). Work characteristics and employee health and well-being: test of a model of healthy work organization. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(4), 565-588.

Keywords

Environmental perception; healthy organizations; workplace quality of life; shift work.

Fernando González Laxe, Ricardo Garcia Mira
University of A Coruna

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability: a transition towards clean energies

Abstract

The energy transition processes are seen as one of the most outstanding dynamics of this decade. They constitute one of the goals designed both by international institutions and by national governments themselves. It seeks to promote the use of renewable energies and replace the energy matrix based on fossil fuels. These transformations cover not only technical and technological issues, but also show different proposals regarding the generation, management and consumption models of energy, as well as their transversal effects. This work focuses on considering energy transition models (from above and below) and their effects on an economic space that based its growth on the exploitation of a coal-fired power plant, through the case of As Pontes (Northwest of Spain). The direct, indirect and induced effects derived from a shutdown of the thermal power plant are calculated and the repercussions in terms of employment and on the economic activities present in the environment are measured. And it ends by establishing the basic requirements and conditions of how to compensate and make amends in case of the application of the principles of a just energy transition.

Keywords

Energy, just transition, employment, transitions

Khang Nguyen, Ryo Murata
Department of Architecture and Building Engineering – School of Environment and Society – Tokyo Institute of Technology

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability: strategies for urban transformation

Abstract

Reducing heat islands, providing wet areas for water retention, protecting biodiversity, and most recently promoting urban food production, green in towers has many years of tradition of offering positive effects to the network of public spaces in compact cities. Many successful designs of green infrastructure worldwide influence the guideline of production cities green space in Asia, especially Tokyo. According to the requirement of Sustainable Development Goals, Tokyo Metropolitan Governance has implemented an evaluation scheme of green infrastructure, the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES), to promote the creation of quality green space belong to high-rise buildings or urban complex of mix-used. However, other critics concerned such infrastructures as the only adoption of global standard and relied on transport network development but ignoring the user attachment to the urban commonness of community identity of ordinary practices. To evaluate their spatial qualities, this study develops on previous work on the Spatial Qualities in selected case studies belong to the classification of SEGES, identified as Rooftop Garden in mix-used building settings. The precedent method combines different data collections to gather information from 118 samples of users. These samples were collected under two weather conditions at several rooftop gardens classified by SEGES in central Tokyo. Firstly, using multiple tools like observation, questionnaire, rendering, simulation, the study combined four sets of parameters. By finding the patterns of each combination, the variations of Settings were illustrated. Secondly, these variations patterns were interpreted as parameters of Experience. The results show the tendency of Experience indulged by settings as distinguished between intangible and tangible aspects. Thirdly, by combining Setting and Experience, the findings showed the variations of Qualities of the rooftop garden under the influence of the weather. Besides, a literature review on Tokyo green space confirms the idea that the social practice of common users still follows the traditional way of experiencing the spatial deepness and envisioning opportunities for informal appropriation. These practices are emphasized by the appropriation of spatial affordances, despite the homogenous production of public space with more mobility, connectivity, giant green space, and interactive usage. Hence, this current research wants to insist on this idea through an interdisciplinary approach on the uncertain effects of weather and how the design planning maintains a certain quality of public spaces for urban dwellers. An analysis of the spatial affordance patterns in rooftop gardens in different gathering areas like garden area, lawn space, and rest area will uncover the tendency of spatial sequences. This investigation on the relationship between people-space-environment will shed light on the mechanism of variations of Space Affordance. The finding expects to define the user centered approach as an important factor in the research of climate change uncertainty for the transformation of the public space of compact cities like Tokyo. Also, regarding the design of public space integrated green space, the results are expected to contribute to the transformations of urban structures and facilitate the conversation between different professionals during the discussion on sustainable development. Furthermore, it will contribute to enhancing user’s relationship to the natural environment in compact urban structures while caring about inhabitants’ well-being by rooting on the importance of green space regarding the current situation of pandemics and the implementation of SDGs. As our lifestyles in the cities are changing toward a new normal, and urban regeneration is gradually transforming to be more flexible, mobile, and sustainable, the design of spatial affordance in contemporary public space in Tokyo needs new attention toward the user. This initiative will give opportunities to urban dwellers to engage in social practice as preserving the identity of community resilience while adopting the global vision of sustainability.

References

1)UN Global Compact Cities Program provide ten principles to help cities reach the SDGs requirements, available at citiesprogramme.org (access on 2020.10.25) 2)Kishii T., Takami K., Deguchi A., Nakai Y.: 58 Public Spaces in Tokyo, Cooperative Design for New Urban Infrastructure, Shinkenchiku Special Edition, Urban Design Center Japan, 2020.10 3)Dimmer, C. et al: Tokyo’s Uncontested Corporate Commons, Privately Owned Public Space, The International Perspective, 25:1, pp.42-47, The Journal of Sustainable urban regeneration, 2013 4)Hidenobu J.: Tokyo: A Spatial Anthropology, Berkley: University of California Press, 1995 (in Japanese) 陣内秀信『東京の空間人類学』筑摩書房 1985 5)Jonas, M. & Rahman, H.: Tokyo Void: Possibilities in Absence, Jovis Publisher, 2014 6) Heide I.: Situated Urban Rituals: Rethinking the Meaning and Practice of Micro Culture in Cities in East Asia, GIS journal, Vol.2, pp.41-58, 2016.03 7) Thiel, P.: People, Path, Purposes: Notations for a Participatory Envirotecture, University of Washington Press, 1997 8) Ashihara, Y.: Exterior Design in Architecture, Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp.10-11, 1970 9) Gehl, J.: Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987 10) Gibson, J.J.: The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception, Hillsdale, N.J., Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1979 11) Gherri, B.: Early-stage Environmental Modeling: Tools and Strategies for Climate Based Design, Wilen: Advanced Building Skins Gmbh, The 12th International Conference on Advanced Building Skins, Bern, Switzerland, pp.176-185, 2017.10 12) Sousa, J-PM et al: Empirical Analysis of Three Wind Simulation Tools to Support Urban Planning in Early Stages of Design, Blucher Design Proceddings: XIX Congresso da Sociedade Ibero-americana de Grática Digital (SIGRADI), Florianópolis, Brasil, Vol.2, No.3, pp.363-370, 2015.11 12)Variation of Spatial Qualities Experienced in Rooftop Garden of Mix-Used Building in Tokyo, Journal of Architecture and Planning, vol.85, 771, May 2020

Keywords

Spatial affordance, urban public space, weather variation, rooftop garden, Tokyo

Flávia Canastra, José Antonio Cortés-Vázquez, Laura Lagos, Jaime Fagúndez
Facultad de Ciencias/CICA – Universidade da Coruña

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and landscapes

Abstract

Land abandonment is one of the most significant land changes in Europe since the 19th century. Europe’s landscapes have been shaped by natural processes and human activities for several millennia, and semi-natural habitats maintained by such activities are considered of conservation interest. When combined with the lack of herbivores, it can lead to a high fuel accumulation, giving place to severe wildfires which cause damage on ecosystems and release large quantities of CO2. One example of these semi-natural habitats are heathlands which in some regions like Galicia depend on the preservation of a traditional grazing system with semi-wild ponies. These animals are considered semi-wild, because even though they have owners, they roam free in the mountains with very little, if any, needs for human intervention in a system that goes as old as collective memory can recall. And so, the abandonment of the lands, the lack of economic benefits and the general trend of intensification of land use searching for some economic profit (like conversion to improved pastures or eucalyptus plantations) have caused the loss of most of this grazing system and, therefore, threatened the conservation of heathlands, now dependent on conservation management intervention. Under the GrazeLIFE project (LIFE18 PRE NL 002) and wiith the overarching goal of identifying the specific barriers to the preservation of semi-wild pony grazing and the most significant ecological and social benefits that they generate, we interviewed twenty people like pony owners, landowners and experts from different sectors, such as afforestation, tourism and conservation NGOs, from two areas of Galicia (Serra da Groba and Serra do Xistral). Our methodology consisted in combining the interviews with an understanding of the ecological services (like biodiversity, carbon storage and fire risk) of the wild ponies grazing in comparison with other land use models as afforestation, extensive livestock on improved pastures and abandonment. We found that emotional attachment and tradition are the main reasons for pony ownership in Galicia. In addition, although direct economic incentives are almost inexistent, pony grazing provides ecosystem services with associated positive externalities, that encourage pony ownership. Ponies roaming free help maintain and open the landscape as they feed on gorse, and do it requiring little to no care. This is associated with reduced fire risk, avoiding the use of mechanical cleaning of the lands and the respective costs. People give a high value to the reduction of fire risk that ponies perform which is perceived as one of the main ecosystem services in Serra da Groba. Another positive externality is that pony grazing prevents shrub encroachment in pastures for cattle, improving its condition and increasing the CAP payments (upgrading the Pasture Admissibility Coefficients), and this is important in Serra do Xistral, where cattle farming is the main activity. However, in relation with the biodiversity that this system supports we found that local people have no awareness of it. Regarding some threats to this system, we found that, even though this wild pony tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, it is nowadays jepordised by depopulation and deagrarianization. In Groba, there is a perception that the eucalyptus forestry is a competition for pony grazing by reducing the available rangeland. Yet, in both locations, non-dense pine forestry is perceived as compatible. In Xistral wolf predation is also perceived as a threat. Regulations, like the demand for microchips in ponies, has created administrative charges for owners. In Groba, since owners are not professional farmers, they perceive this as a bureaucratic burden that they can only deal with in their free time. In Xistral, where most owners are professional farmers, ponies and cattle are at a conflict with CAP funding, as adult ponies score as much as cows to calculate the livestock load of a farm. We concluded that this system has a strong cultural bond with local rural communities and a strong social importance. This model should be supported economically and with specific regulations to prevent further losses and promoting and conserving its ecological and cultural values. Ponies’ rangelands are different types of heathlands that provide high rates of ecosystem services: higher biodiversity, large amounts of carbon storage and lower fire risk, when compared to the other land use models and requires little care.

Keywords

Horses, land abandonment, land use models, public perceptions, sustainability

Bettina Steible (1), Ana García Juanatey (2, 3)
(1) Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), (2) CEI International Affairs, (3) Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

Paper presentation

Theme: Sustainability and social justice

Abstract

This piece of research arises from a sense of urgency in relation to the current climate emergency. Despite evidence that sustainability and the climate action gap should be priorities at the forefront of any agenda, it has proven difficult to persuade the general population to join the fight for urgent climate action. It is therefore necessary to build this social consensus, mobilizing all relevant knowledge about how we should communicate about climate change and about how to build the most effective types of narratives for each social group. Hence, it is crucial to go beyond the already converted – that includes the ecologist movement and a greater number of young people – and convince other social groups of the urgency of the challenge and the need to act without delay.Nonetheless, as this crisis has been approached primarily from the standpoint of environmental sciences and technologies, and is mainly based on fear and doom and gloom despite evidence, it can have a demobilizing effect on large sectors of the population (Hall 2014; Kelsey 2016). Against this background, this paper aims to build hope-based narratives about climate change through the use of other narratives derived from human rights and equality-based movements.The underpinning is that human rights and equality-based narratives may contribute to translate the justified fear of a grim future into meaningful and hopeful action, helping to put the issue of justice in the centre of the debate, indeed offering a horizon of equality and justice as a result of their struggles. Thus, capitalizing on the existing research that attempts to link human rights with the environment, this paper will explore the connections between the agendas of environmental movements and those of human rights and equality-related social movements, in order to construct and propose human rights-based narratives capable of stimulating urgent climate action.

References

-Hall, C. (2014). Beyond gloom and doom or hope and possibility. In Culture, Politics and Climate Change: How Information Shapes Our Common Future (pp. 23-38). Routledge London. -Kelsey, E. (2016). Propagating collective hope in the midst of environmental doom and gloom. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education (CJEE), 21, 23-40.

Keywords

Climate change, alternative narratives, human rights, climate action

Cintia Okamura (1), Jacques Lolive (2), Francis Chateauraynaud (3), Cyprien Tasset (4)
(1) CETESB – Environmental Agency of São Paulo State, Brazil, (2) CNRS – National Center for Scientific Research (France), (3) EHESS – School of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (France), (4) VetAgro Sup (France)

Special session

Abstract

The Anthropocene is a global phenomenon that manifests the planetary character of the huge ecological transformations resulting from human actions. Since the eventuality of climate change has prevailed, the Anthropocene is often seen as the time of predict catastrophes, whether it be the astonishing acceleration of climate change, the collapse of biodiversity or the increasing development of pandemics. It seems that the development of these crises and their impressive capacity to destruction is based on the amnesia of anthropic environments, that is on the relationships of coexistence, dependence and attachment that get together human communities, their companies and their metropolis with local ecosystems. This is why the central issue of the Anthropocene is habitability, which makes it possible to maintain the conditions of existence and subsistence for a human community but also for other living beings without them the human community cannot survive. There are four challenges that must be overcome to be able to operate in the Anthropocene. The first challenge is the catastrophe: how do you manage to act in a disaster situation? How to restore a “sense of the possible” in these anxiety-provoking moments marked by this catastrophic prospect? To do this, it is necessary to provide feedback to better understand the mechanisms of catastrophes, but also to analyze the rhetorical processes and the forms of argumentation that underlie visions of the future. This is what Francis Chateauraynaud proposes, who will oppose the haunting speeches of the collapse with a pragmatic look at the organization of these different visions of the future. The second challenge is the territories: at what scale can we act? The Anthropocene is a global phenomenon but it is also a diverse phenomenon, which affects very differently, through its effects on their living environment, populations across the globe. It is therefore necessary to re-territorialize the climatic problem and the other problems of the Anthropocene but these new territories, subsistence territories or bioregions, will be project territories which will “bring together” human populations and other living beings around a common project of preservation of habitability. Jacques Lolive will present some elements of analysis concerning the reterritorialization of the Anthropocene in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The third challenge is these living beings: with who are we going to act with? The problem of their survival still encounters a lot of indifference by humans, it is the ecological crisis is a crisis of sensitivity which feeds on an impoverishment or even an extinction of our experience with Nature. To defend the habitability of the Earth in the face of the ecological crisis, it would be necessary to find the paths of attention to living beings, to become “biosensitive”. Combine environmental education with artistic methods to arouse indignation face the destruction of the biodiversity and also the wonder at the spectacle of living things. Engaging with publics beyond the framework of sustainability might be a fourth challenge of the Anthropocene. Along with this concept, a corpus of catastrophist heterodox vulgarization in environmental sciences has been gaining attraction for a few years. In France, it has for example taken the form of « collapsology ». Its success reactivates classical questions relative to climate change communication, including the effects of fear on transformative practices. On the basis of an inquiry conducted among French catastrophist communities, Cyprien Tasse raises other questions. How does one toggle into radical skepticism regarding the perspectives for a sustainable development? To whom does this happen? And to what does it lead, in terms of lifestyle, civic commitment, and practices? Shall we give up on catastrophists, or are there areas of convergence between this growing radicalized public, and movements in favor of sustainability?

 

Jacques Lolive (1), Cintia Okamura (2)
(1) CNRS (France), (2) CETESB (Brazil)

Special session

Abstract

Anthropocene means that some anthropogenic processes destroy our natural environment and threaten the future of human communities as a whole. How to fight against these global changes? International action has been privileged so far, as evidenced by global climate governance (IPCC) and biodiversity governance (IPBES). However, if the Anthropocene is a global phenomenon, it is also a diverse phenomenon that affects very differently, through its effects on their living environment, the populations of the world. To be able to act effectively, problem management must be territorialized. An awareness is emerging to develop a territorialized public action in favors of technological and economic solutions to solve the problems of the biophysical environment but negligence the social, aesthetic, cultural and ethical dimensions that explain and feeds the choices related to environmental challenges. To overcome this limitation, the action should also rely on the environmental humanities analyze of complex interrelationships between human activity and the environment, in the broadest sense. This is the objective of the research project led by CETESB, the governmental agency, responsible for the environment of São Paulo State, with CNRS support, which aims to define an action program so the metropolis can cope with the local consequences of the Anthropocene crises. Our project will mobilize the environmental humanities to analyze the territorialization of crises from the point of view of the inhabitants and their living environments (or anthropogenic environments) and to experiment with participatory methods to prevent these crises and prepare the population for their arrival. To face these challenges, the adoption of a pragmatist research posture will be relevant because pragmatism is a theory that analyzes social phenomena by considering them as collective experiences, but it is also a method of social transformation which is defined by the development of knowledge in the course of action according to an abductive reasoning, that is to say by project experimentation methods which links intuition, anticipation and adjustment of the action by retroactivity. Our main hypothesis is the development of crises and their impressive capacity for destruction are based on the amnesia of anthropogenic environments, these relations of coexistence, dependency and attachment that connect human communities and their activities to local ecosystems. The central issue of the Anthropocene would be habitability, which allows maintaining the conditions of existence and subsistence for a human community but also for other living beings without which it could not survive. We will analyze the transformations of anthropogenic environments and their perception by the inhabitants to understand the territorialization of crises and we will experiment project territories to mitigate them. These specific territories, the bioregions, will bring together heterogeneous populations of human beings with other living beings around a common project, maintaining the habitability of their livelihoods. This general problematic must include Brazilian specificities. The enormous social inequalities explain why Brazilian populations seem less concerned than of those rich countries by future disasters. The precarious population of the peripheries lives in extremely violent places where the limits between life and death are tenuous, where “surviving in adversity” is a daily challenge, so fear of disaster is not enough springboard for changing behavior. So the social and environmental dimensions of the impacts of the crises will have to be taken into consideration. The environmental crises that are coming will be exacerbated by these social inequalities. The prospect of a water crisis associated with climate change is are taking on alarming proportions with the explosion of irregular occupations in reservoir protection areas. The peripheries of the metropolis would become uninhabitable with the combined development of heat islands, chemical contamination and health risks. Phases of the future research program include: • understand the contribution of local human activities to the development of Anthropocene crises and how these crises in turn transform anthropogenic environments and threaten the habitability of São Paulo (academic research) • experimenting with public awareness methods and a territorialized action program, a bioregion, to transform these problematic situations (action-research) • use this knowledge to define public policies for the anthropogenic environments that enhance them (institutional innovation) promote the creation of a culture of anthropogenic environment among populations exposed to crises because it maintains their living and subsistence conditions (education).

References

BERQUE, Augustin (2000) Écoumène. Introduction à l’étude des milieux humains. Paris, Belin DEWEY, John (1998) The Public and Its Problems. [1927]. The Essential Dewey, vol. 1: Pragmatism, Education, Democracy. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 281-292. JACOBI, Pedro Roberto BUJAK Nicolas Luis et SOUZA, Alexandre do Nascimento « Pénurie hydrique et crise de gouvernance dans la Région métropolitaine de São Paulo », Brésil(s) [En ligne], 13 | 2018, mis en ligne le 31 mai 2018, consulté le 08 mars 2021. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/bresils/2506 LATOUR Bruno (2020) Onde aterrar? Como se orientar politicamente no Antropocene? Trad. Marcela Vieira. Rio de Janeiro, Bazar do Tempo. LEWIN, Kurt (1946) Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, vol. 2, no4, p. 34-36 MORIZOT, Baptiste (2019) Manières d’être vivant. Arles, Actes Sud. SERRES, Michel (1994), Contrato Natural. Trad. Serafim Ferreira. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget. STIEGLER, Barbara (2019) Il faut s’adapter. Sur un nouvel impératif politique. Paris, NRF Essais, Gallimard.

Keywords

Anthropocene, territorialization, pragmatism, habitability, bioregion

Chateauraynaud Francis, Robin Dianoux
EHESS, Paris

Special session

Abstract

Many public discourses are based on the opposition between a technoprogressive version and a catastrophist version of the global challenges that weigh on contemporary societies. The detailed analysis of many critical processes provides a more complex picture. The sociology of environmental controversies restores both the plurality of actors, involved in different discursive coalitions, and the non-linear interplay of social, spatial and temporal scales, generating divergences and fragmentations of all kinds. Surveys conducted in close proximity to the actors reveal a wide variety of processes of bifurcation, displacement or rupture. In order to draw the diversity of ways of assuming the incommensurability or irreducibility of experiences in the environments, we have proposed the notion of counter-anthropocene. The talk will provide concrete illustrations from different fields – conflicts in agriculture, controversies on polluted environments, competing interpretations of the causes of disasters or pandemics, contested scenarios on energy systems etc.

References

F. Chateauraynaud, “Environmental Issues between Regulation and Conflict. Pragmatic Views on Ecological Controversies”, Paris/Freiburg, Document GSPR, 2015. F. Chateauraynaud, “Towards a new matrix of risks: learning from multi-scale controversies”, in European Environment Agency, Report of the EEA Scientific Committee Seminar on emerging Systemic Risks, Copenhagen, 24 February 2016. F. Chateauraynaud, “Social theory and the logic of inquiry. Some pragmatic arguments for convergence of critical and reconstructive approaches”, Chapter in Alain Caillé, Frédéric Vandenberghe (Eds), For a New Classic Sociology A Proposition, followed by a Debate, Taylor&Francis, 2020.

Keywords

Sociology, pragmatism, anthropocene, irreversibility, complexity, critical processes, controversy, political ecology, catastrophism, visions of the future

SCyprien Tasset
Vetagro Sup

Special session

Abstract

[introduction] Along with the concept of the Anthropocene, a corpus of catastrophist heterodox vulgarisation in environmental sciences has been gaining attraction for a few years. In Britain, it has for example taken the form of the controversial « Deep Adaptation » forum, and in France (though currently being edited in the USA), of « collapsology », a series of essays undertaking to demonstrate the likeliness of a near-term « collapse » of the « thermo-industrial civilization ». Despite accurate criticisms (including F. Chateauraynaud’s), « collapsology » has been followed by a substantial audience. Therefore, striving towards a more detailed view of the fraction of the public engaging with this variety of catastrophism might be relevant to climate change communication. [Theoretical background] Our theoretical background lies in two main areas. First, a familiarity with the debates in social sciences about the Anthropocene (Moore, Latour, Bonneuil & Fressoz, Malm, Tsing, Scranton, Danowski & Viveiros de Castro…), with a particular emphasis on tracing the genealogy of the scientific components of catastrophist arguments. Secondly, works in the sociology of climate change communication, such as Comby (2015) or works in the sociology of the ecological movement on catastrophism (Schneider-Mayerson, 2015 ; Chamel, 2018 ; Semal, 2019), which developped empirical approaches of social phenomena similar or very close to those on which we inquired. We articulate these two main bodies of literature with the help of a pragmatist sociology of technological alarms (Chateauraynaud & Debaz, 2017), itself inheriting from Dewey a hopeful concern for the ability of publics to get hold of complex issues. [Methods] Building on this background, we conducted an ethnographic study of French catastrophist communities from the mid 2010s to 2020, consisting in direct observation, in-depht interviews, an online survey, and the capture of online material. [results] It allows us an overview of the social composition of the core of the most engaged catastrophists, and of trajectories which are typical among them. Many of these trajectories involve past sequences of adhering to discourses of sustainable development, until, often after biographical discontinuities, the actors toggled into a more pessimistic view of environmental issues, often inspired from the classic Limits to Growth report, and cristallising on the concept of a near term « collapse ». [conclusion] At a moment when conversations about political ecology are often tripping over the difficulty to simultaneously engage with various fractions of the public, and when the perspective of sustainable development is losing credibility to the eyes of may, getting an empirically-based view of the trajectories of publics intensely engaging with various and sometimes radical versions of the environmental concern might enhance the quality of the public debate, and may be of interest for professionals involved in this debate.

References

Bonneuil et Fressoz (2014) L’événement anthropocène, Paris, Seuil. Francis Chateauraynaud and Josquin Debaz, Aux bords de l’irréversible (Paris: Pétra, 2017). Comby, Jean‐Baptiste (2015) La Question climatique. Genèse et dépolitisation d’un problème public, Marseille, Agone. Danowski & Viveiros de Castro (2017) The Ends of the World, Polity. Bruno Latour, Facing Gaia. Eight Lectures on the New Climatic Regime. (Cambridge: Polity, 2017) Moore, J. W. 2016. Anthropocene or Capitalocene? Nature, History, and the Crisis of Capitalism. Oakland: PM Press. Schneider-Mayerson, Matthew (2015) Peak-oil. Apocalyptic Environmentalism and Libertarian Political Culture, Chicago, University of Chicago Press. Anna Tsing, The Mushroom at the End of the World. On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins, Princeton University Press

Keywords

Anthropocene; publics; catastrophist communities, social trajectories.