ASSETS TO MOVE WATERSHED COUNCILS FROM ASSESSMENT TO ACTION1

ABSTRACT: Oregon watershed council leaders, members, and government supporters are working to improve watershed health. To identify the institutional assets that are most helpful in taking action, we assemble the lessons learned from several synthesis studies. The institutional assets fall into seven categories — leadership, vision, trust, social networks, capital, power, and local and technical knowledge. Scientific knowledge, leadership, vision, and social networks are the assets most widely recognized and available. Power, trust, and capital are challenges that must be met for actions to be successful. Most people affected by watershed council actions can appeal to more powerful interests to get these actions changed. Trust, particularly of scientific recommendations and government, is lacking. This distrust limits opportunities for watershed council actions.     

从社会排斥的视角分析中国公众环境权益的缺失

社会排斥是近年来社会学研究中的重要概念。本文在对社会排斥内涵进行简要述评的基础上．探讨将这一独特视角用于公众环境权益诠释的可能性，并具体分析中国公众在环境权益实现过程中所面临的社会文化排斥、社会体制排斥、自我认同排斥等社会排斥现象及其三者之间的关系。公众在环境权益实现中所遇到的社会排斥包括两个方面：一是由消极排斥到积极排斥再到消极排斥的作用与反作用过程；二是自为排斥与自在排斥相互交错融合的过程。消除各种社会排斥的可行对策是：建立公众参与环境制度．促进环境NGO发展，强化环保执法能力．推动环保机制从政府主导型向社会制衡型转变。     

Understanding socio-cultural dimensions of environmental decision-making: A knowledge governance approach

Sociological critiques of scientific research processes and their application have developed nuanced understandings of the social, cultural and political forces shaping relationships between science and decision-making. Simultaneously, environmental researchers have sought to construct more engaged, dynamic modes of conducting research to facilitate the application of science in decision-making and action. To date, however, there are relatively few theoretically-oriented approaches that have been able to draw productive connections between the sociological critique and the practical applications that can aid in navigating this complex and diverse milieu. In this article, we propose that the concept of “knowledge governance” can bring together targeted inquiry into the socio-political context in which environmental science is situated, alongside analysis of specific interventions that change knowledge-to-action relationships. Drawing together Jasanoff’s (2005) concept of civic epistemology with Cash et al.’s (2003) knowledge systems for sustainability approach, this knowledge governance inquiry framework offers an integrative lens through which to critically reflect on knowledge-based processes, and incorporate that deeper understanding into intervention efforts. We briefly illustrate its application with reference to a pilot project examining conservation decision-making in the Western Pacific island nation of Palau.     

WATER RESOURCES AS SOCIAL PROBLEMS1

ABSTRACT. Evidence from 1969 studies in Virginia and Ohio suggests that neither community leaders nor the general public are likely to define water related problems as major problem areas. An examination of the components of a social problem tends to indicate that water problems have not moved beyond a level of minimal public concern. When respondents were willing to describe existing or potential water problems, perceptions as well as possible solutions were described in abstract rather than action-oriented terms. It is suggested that efforts to eliminate water resource problems are not likely to be effective until public concern moves to motivational and behavioral levels.     

The Lost Creek Fire: managing social relations under disaster conditions

This paper examines some of the social processes associated with disaster conditions. Utilising an asset‐based perspective of community capacity, it focuses on four types of normative systems to interpret the ability of communities to manage disasters through market‐, bureaucratic‐, associative‐, and communal‐based norms. Drawing on experience of a wildfire in the Crowsnest Pass region of southwest Alberta, Canada, in 2003, the tensions and compatibilities among these normative systems are evaluated through interviews with 30 community leaders. The results confirm the contributions of all types of social capital to resiliency, the necessity for rapid use of place‐based knowledge, and the importance of communication among all types and levels of agents. In addition, they point to the value of identifying and managing potential conflicts among the normative systems as a means to maximising their contributions. The integration of local networks and groups into the more general disaster response minimised the impacts on health and property.     

Organizational identification: Extending our understanding of social identities through social networks

Although organizational identification is founded on social identity and symbolic interactionist theories, current theories emphasize a social identity whereby organizational members categorize themselves and others based on roles and membership in an organization or work unit. In contrast symbolic interactionism, which resides in interpersonal relationships, is rarely theorized or empirically assessed in studies of organizational identification. We use survey data collected at an academic institution to explore how the strength and structure of an individual's social network both directly influences organizational identification as well as moderates the relation between social identity, or categorical, antecedents and organizational identification. Our results show that the size of an individual's network as well as the interaction between relationship strength and prestige better explain organizational identification than do antecedents based solely on categorization and social comparison processes. Thus networks of relationships, which have been a foundational but much neglected premise and process for organizational identification, are brought back into a theory of organizational identification. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

德国废物管理立法的制度特色与启示

自然资源的过度消耗和废物排放引起环境退化与污染。资源节约利用和有效的废物管理是循环经济的应有之意。德罾建立了以绿点计划为代表的较为完善的废物回收、循环利用系统。废物再生利用率居世界首位，积累了发展循环经济的有益经验。德国废物管理立法主要有以下制度特色和环境政策蕴涵：“与环境相协调”的环境政策导向，延伸生产者责任，政府与民间社会分工合作的废物管理体制，生产者责任组织的成功运作。立法设定包装物回收、循环利用的目标和时间表，一次性饮料包装的强制性押金制度。     

人力资本投资软环境研究:基于社会保障制度和劳动力市场分割的视角

社会保障制度和人力资本投资的关系是近年来劳动经济学中新出现的一个课题,相关研究尚不多见。以我国养老保险的“统帐结合”模式为例,分析了社会保障对人力资本投资的影响,同时结合我国劳动力市场现状,对劳动力市场分割状态下“统帐结合”模式与人力资本投资的关系进行了分析。结果表明,增加“统帐结合”模式中个人账户的比例,将激励个人进行较多的人力资本投资,但劳动力市场分割的存在削弱了这种激励作用。因此,建议：适当增加“统帐结合”模式中个人承担的比例;建立覆盖全国的社会保障体系;加快劳动力市场建设。逐步消除劳动力市场分割状态,促进全国统一的、自由竞争的劳动力市场的形成。     

Promoting Sustainability with Ecological,Economic and Social Dimensions in Developing Countries

Abstract

Sustainable development is one of the most important ideas, and goals of our time. It is defined as “development which meets the needs and aspirations of the current generation and develops safe and sound society for future generation”. Achieving sustainable development thus involves a vigorous and urgent debate on different dimensions. The different dimensions of sustainability as a framework involve all issues such as science, technology, economic growth and development, health, education, finance investment and trade, politics, natural disasters, population growth and terrorism, etc. No single dimension is responsible to develop sustainable society. This article mainly described the integrated relationship among the three dimensions of sustainability.