The production and consumption of history : a discourse on heritage and nostalgia in the 1990s : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University

The dialectic of history as an ideology and history as a commodity can underpin a discourse on the production and consumption of history as heritage and nostalgia in the 1990s. History as an ideology is erased from the dominant space of representation, by history as a commodiy; therefore, history as an ideology needs to be discussed separately from history as a commodity even though they are not independent categories; this is because they are mutually constitutive of each other. The processes and structures that underwrite this dialectic, Capitalism and Modernity, produce different outcomes in different places and at different times; outcomes such as the cabinets of curiosity during early modernity, modernist and postmodernist museums, heritage sites such as country houses, a shopping mall and a disneyfied theme park arranged around a historic locale and the gentrification of some parts of the inner City of London. These objects of history are produced, reproduced and consumed by social actors in different places and at different times. The production and consumption of history as an object does not explain why these particular outcomes exist in the places and the times that they do. These outcomes need to be explained, and can be explained, by using a dialectical methodology. Such an explanation would look at the underlying processes and structures of Capitalism and modernity

How Do We Come to Know? Exploring Maple Syrup Production and Climate Change in Near North Ontario

This paper reports on a pilot project exploring the impacts of climate change on maple syrup production in understudied near north, Ontario spaces. Maple syrup is produced by settler, Métis and First Nations communities for commercial distribution and as part of a mixed subsistence economy. The focus on maple syrup is opportune, since syrup production and sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum) are extremely susceptible to climate change and the biophysical and social impacts of climate change on maple syrup production in the near north of Ontario have yet to be understood. Given that the process of developing research is under-reported and that this project has had the opportunity to undertake a funded development process, this paper describes and assesses our process of ‘coming to know’, which has been guided by the following objectives: 1) to undertake an exploratory investigation of the nature of available data about long-term syrup production and climate change in both settler and Indigenous communities, 2) to include and valorize marginalized Indigenous voices and ecologies, 3) to focus on collecting climate change data from understudied near north spaces, 4) to assess the availability and quality of ecological and quantitative data in order to enhance locally-relevant understandings of climate change, and 5) to work towards the development of a cross-cultural and transdisciplinary methodological framework within which to accomplish the first four objectives. We approach these objectives across disciplinary boundaries and cultural perspectives, and with growing relationships with community partners. We describe the rich sources of information found through the pilot study and discuss highlights of our on-going process of developing our research project

Russian Federation - The myth of monopoly : a new view of industrial structure in Russia

Discussion of economic reform in the Russian Federation is colored by the conventional view of Russia's industrial structure. Both in Russia and in the West, Russian industry is characterized as very large enterprises operating in highly concentrated industries. The authors challenge the conventional view. They assess Russian industrial concentration by comparing the Russian industrial structure (as revealed in the 1989 Soviet Census of Industry) with that in the United States and other countries. They find that very large firms are more prevalent in the United States than in Russia. This empirical fact suggests that planners economized on the costs of central economic coordination not by building unusually large enterprises, but by not building very small enterprises. Their most important finding: that there is little aggregate or industry concentration at the national level in Russia. Monopolies and oligopolies actually account for only a small share of national employment and production. Instead, barriers to competition in Russia arise as a result of highly segmented product markets. In large part, this segmentation can be viewed as a legacy of central planning. Under the prior regime, enterprises were highly isolated, divided alone both ministerial and geographical lines. Presently, these barriers are reinforced by some features of the transitional environment that continue to undermine the efficient distribution of goods. The authors conclude that the traditional policy remedies appropriate for problems of concentration (such as antitrust policy and import competition) may be ill-advised or inadequate for addressing problems of imperfect competition in the Russian economy. They argue instead that improving the distribution system and other market infrastructure that supports trade and facilitating the entry of new firms should be the most critical elements of competition policy in Russia.Microfinance,Small Scale Enterprise,Private Participation in Infrastructure,Banks&Banking Reform,Water and Industry

Case of Nigeria-Acquired Human African Trypanosomiasis in United Kingdom, 2016.

Human African trypanosomiasis has not been reported in Nigeria since 2012. Nevertheless, limitations of current surveillance programs mean that undetected infections may persist. We report a recent case of stage 2 trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense acquired in Nigeria and imported into the United Kingdom

Health care costs associated with prolonged sitting and inactivity

Background Physical inactivity and prolonged sitting are associated with negative health outcomes. Purpose To examine the health-related costs of prolonged sitting and inactivity in middle-aged women. Methods Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health participants (born 1946-1951) answered questions about time spent sitting, walking, and in moderate and vigorous leisure activities in 2001 (n=6108); 2004 (n=5902); 2007 (n=5754); and 2010 (n=5535) surveys. Sitting time was categorized as low (0-4); moderate (5-7); and high (≥8 hours/day). Physical activity was categorized as inactive

Wicked learning : reflecting on learning to be drier

In this final, collaborative paper in the Learning to be drier edition, we reflect on and draw together some of the key threads from the diverse narratives in our four site papers from across the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Our paper title, Wicked learning, draws on a recent body literature (Rittel & Webber 1973) about messy or 'wicked problems' as characterised by Dietz and Stern (1998). It picks up on our identification of the difficulty and enormity of the learning challenges being faced by communities, associated, at best, with a decade of record dry years (drought) and severely over-committed rivers. At worst, drought is occurring in combination with and as a precursor to recent, progressive drying of the Basin associated with climate change. Our research is suggestive of a need for much more learning across all segments of the adult community about '... the big picture, including the interrelationships among the full range of causal factors ...' (Australian Public Service Commission, APSC 2007: 1) underlying the presenting problem of drying. We conclude that solutions to the messy or wicked problem of drying in an interconnected Basin will lie in the social domain. This will include building a wider knowledge and acceptance of the problems and likely future risks across the Basin including all parts of communities. The problem of drying as well as its causes and solutions are multidimensional, and will involve comprehensive learning about all five key characteristics of other 'wicked' policy problems identified in previous research in the environmental arena. The narratives that we have heard identify the extreme difficulty in all four sites of rational and learned responses to being drier as the problem has unfolded. All narratives about being drier that we have heard involve a recognition of a combination of the five characteristics common to wicked problems: multidimensionality, scientific uncertainty, value conflict and uncertainty, mistrust as well as urgency. All narratives identify the importance of social learning: to be productive, to be efficient, to survive, to live with uncertainty, to be sustainable and to share. Combating the extent and effects of drying, causality aside, will require new forms of learning through new community, social and learning spaces, apart from and in addition to new technological and scientific learning

Plant exudates may stabilize or weaken soil depending on species, origin and time

We hypothesized that plant exudates could either gel or disperse soil depending on their chemical characteristics. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Optic) and maize (Zea mays L.cv. Freya) root exudates were collected using an aerated hydroponic method and compared to chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seed exudate, a commonly used root exudate analogue. Sandy loam soil passed through a 500-μm mesh was treated with each exudate at a concentrationof 4.6 mg exudate g-1 dry soil. Two sets of soil samples were prepared, One set of treated soil samples was maintained at 4oC to suppress microbial processes. To characterize the effect of decomposition, the second set of samples was incubated at 16C for 2 weeks at – 30 kPa matric potential. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of the exudates found that barley had the largest organic acid content and chia the largest content of sugars (polysaccharide-derived or free), and maize was in between barley and chia. Yield stress of amended soil samples was measured by an oscillatory strain sweep test with a cone plate rheometer. When microbial decomposition was suppressed at 4oC, yield stress increased 20-fold for chia seed exudate and two-fold for maize root exudate compared to the control, whereas for barley root exudate it decreased to half. The yield stress after 2 weeks of incubation compared to soil with suppressed microbial decomposition increased by 85% for barley root exudate, but for chia and maize it decreased to by 87% and 54%, respectively. Barley root exudation might therefore disperse soil and this could facilitate nutrient release. The maize root and chia seed exudates gelled soil, which could create a more stable soil structure around roots or seeds

When Is Transition Over?

The transition process in which a country moves from a planned economy to a market economy offers a unique opportunity for economists and policymakers to observe and understand the effects of major institutional, legal, and political changes on economic systems. But one feature of the process that has not been considered until now is when is the process over? When has a transition progressed far enough to ensure that a market system will survive and mature? Are there institutional, economic, and political standards that countries reach that measure the level of transition attained or, indeed, show that they have completed transition?https://research.upjohn.org/up_press/1190/thumbnail.jp

An Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model for a Japanese University English-language Program

The focus of this study is the development and implementation of the Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model for use as part of an English curriculum reform project at a four-year university in Japan. Three questions were addressed in this study: (a) what model components were necessary for use in a Japanese university setting; (b) what survey instruments would work with such a model; and (c) what needs would the stakeholders in the project report? The site for the study was a mid-sized private, four-year university in Japan. Set as an instrumental case study (Stake, 1998), multiple methods and sources were employed. Stakeholders in the project included university students (n = 1533), teaching staff (n = 33), university administrators and staff (n = 5), and domain experts (n = 7). Data collection included the use of questionnaires, unstructured and semi-structured interviews, and systems and materials analyses. Questionnaires were developed and analyzed using Rasch analysis. The Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model was assessed using a modified version of the Checklist for Judging the Adequacy of an Evaluation Design (Sanders & Nafziger, 1985). Implementation of a full iteration of the Model indicated that use of the Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model could guide the development and evaluation of the English language program. As part of the study, valid survey instruments that can continue to aid the assessment of needs for and evaluation of the courses were developed. Data from multiple sources indicated a difference in the perception of needs between stakeholders. The processes followed through the development and application of the Iterative Needs Assessment/Evaluation Model served to incorporate these different perceptions into a cohesive language program curriculum.CITE/Language Art

Exploring the Performance of the Financial Service Cooperative Industry in Grenada

The 2008 financial crisis impacted the Caribbean financial sector with declining liquidity and profitability, and return on assets falling to 0.7% from 2.6%. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that credit union executives in Grenada used to consistently maintain profitability. The targeted study population consisted of four credit union executives responsible for operations, administration, and regulations in the financial service cooperative industry in Grenada. The social influence of power theory was the conceptual framework that grounded this study. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and document (annual reports and cooperative society laws) review. Data analysis involved the thematic approach, using word frequency, coding, and text search to identify underlying themes. Themes that emerged from the study included risk management, investment policies, and the influence of executives decisions\u27 on consistent profitability. Study findings may contribute to positive social change by helping credit union executives maintain profitability, resulting in the potential to benefit local communities by supporting projects that improve the quality of life