Driving factors and the implications of work choices of rural laborers in ecologically vulnerable areas in North China

Using rural survey data for the year 2009,we provide evidence of work choices of rural laborers in ecologically vulnerable areas in North China,and model these choices as a function of characteristics of individuals,households,and land endowments.The findings reveal large differences between males and females,and between non-farm employment and part-time farming engagement Land scarcity is still an important driving factor in non-farming participation of rural laborers in the study area;and in the current case of land productivity and the total amount of land,there are still surplus rural labor forces in the study area.Diversification of livelihood reduces the pressure on land,thus facilitating ecosystem conservation.So,the paper concludes with the argument that establishing coordination mechanisms among non-farm employment of rural laborers,agricultural production,and restoration of ecosystems are essential for mitigating the conflicts of ecological security,agricultural production,and rural development in mis area.     

Determinants on Rural-Urban Labor Migration in China: Empirical Analysis on the Effect of Rural Cooperate Medical Insurance based on Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Data

Abstract

This paper studies factors influencing rural-urban labor migration in China, particularly the implementation of rural cooperative medical insurance (RCMI) in the year 2003. With the support of data analysis from the year 2000, 2004 and 2006, clear linear correlations are found between gender, income, health condition and rural-urban labor flow, whereas the impact of education and employment status are more complicated. More importantly, results from regression show that the establishment of RCMI in countryside of China not only inhibits rural residents from seeking employment outside the village, but also pulls back rural people who have already worked in cities. When regional dimension is concerned, the pure composite effect of RCMI on rural labor flow is less significant in coastal areas with better economic performance and medical service.     

Policy options to promote Chinese new energy vehicles consumption

Inspired by the green revolution, new energy vehicles (NEVs) provide a fresh, alternative mode of transportation for Chinese consumers that reduce their reliance on traditional, gasoline/diesel-based cars. However, despite strong government support for NEVs in China, the level of uptake by consumers remains slow. Using Shanghai as a case study, this article provides a much-needed insight into local consumers’ motivations to invest in NEVs through a survey of 100 Shanghai residents. Results indicate that current NEV promotion policies do not have a significant impact on the cognitive trade-off of NEV consumption under the “Integrated Consumer Behavior Model,” mainly due to inconvenient charging facilities, technical concerns regarding battery, higher prices, and wait-and-see attitudes regarding the pilot policy environment. Drawing on experiences from Sweden and New Zealand, this research serves to enhance knowledge on consumer attitudes towards NEVs and assist policy makers in developing more effective green consumption promotion campaigns in the future.     

Engaged Communication Scholarship for Environmental Justice: A Research Agenda

ABSTRACT

As a discipline of crisis and care, environmental communication needs to address questions of environmental justice. This article argues that the most appropriate approach to studying environmental justice communication is engaged scholarship, in which academics collaborate with community partners, advocates, and others to conduct research. The article reviews prior engaged communication scholarship on environmental justice, and proposes four streams of future research, focused on news and information, deliberation and participation, campaigns and movements, and education and literacy.     

Typifying conservation practitioners’ views on the role of education

Education is an established tool to enhance human–environment relationships, despite the lack of empirical evidence to support its use. We used theories of change to unpack assumptions about the role of education in conservation. We interviewed practitioners from 15 conservation organizations in Madagascar to typify implicit pathways of change and assess whether emerging pathways echo theoretical advances. Five pathways were drivers of change: increasing knowledge, changing emotional connection and changing traditional cultural practices, fostering leaders, diversifying outcomes, and influencing community and society. These pathways reflect existing sociopsychological theories on learning and behavioral change. Most interviewees’ organizations had a predominant pathway that was often combined with elements from other pathways. Most pathways lacked culturally grounded approaches. Our research reveals assumptions about the role of education in conservation and indicates that organizations had different ideas of how change happens. The diversity of practices reflects the complexity of factors that influence behavior. Whether this diversity is driven by local sociocultural context, interaction with other conservation approaches, or contingencies remains unclear. Yet, typifying the pathways of change and reflecting on them is the first step towards comprehensive evaluation of when and which pathways and interactions to promote.     

新旅游资源观视角下旅游资源研究框架

旅游资源是旅游活动的基本要素,决定着旅游资源开发利用的综合效益。旅游资源与国家重大战略的关系日益密切,树立新旅游资源观是对区域发展实践的再认识和再实践,能够为旅游资源研究提出新的课题。梳理与总结传统旅游资源观视角下旅游资源研究成果的发展脉络,研究发现：（1）旅游资源研究内容不断丰富,研究方向日益多元,在开展基础研究的同时,积极为服务国家重大战略和区域经济社会发展做出重要贡献,一定程度上实现了“理论指导实践”与“实践完善理论”的良性互动局面。（2）新旅游资源观是指在科学技术进步、价值观念变革、旅游需求提升、人均收入提高等背景下,人们对不同来源、不同结构、不同层次的旅游资源进行整合、配置、重组和优化的动态过程,表现为人们的思维认知对旅游资源性状改变的一种能动响应。新旅游资源观是对传统旅游资源观的根本突破,呈现出新旅游资源价值观、新旅游资源利用观、新旅游资源发展观、新旅游资源效益观和新旅游资源空间观等特征。（3）从旅游资源价值转化、旅游资源可持续利用、旅游资源融合发展、旅游资源区域效益、旅游资源空间重构等方面构建新旅游资源观视角下的“五维一体”的旅游资源研究内容体系,强化旅游资源的跨区域聚合、竞合与融合,揭示跨区域旅游资源开发利用的相互作用机理。（4）面对新旅游资源观视角下旅游资源开发利用过程中出现的新问题和新课题,多学科交叉融合与新方法引进是开展旅游资源开发利用综合性、动态性、区域性和系统性研究的必然趋势。     

乡村振兴背景下县域农业农村创新发展评价及空间格局——以甘肃省为例

实施农业农村现代化创新发展措施,将有效促使乡村振兴战略长远推进,形成我国农业农村创新发展的新局面。基于甘肃省86个县域研究单元,从创新投入、创新保障、创新效果三个维度构建了包含28个二级指标的农业农村创新发展评价指标体系,就农村地区创新发展水平进行综合评价。结果表明：（1）甘肃省农业农村整体创新发展得分呈上升趋势,但增长幅度较为缓慢。综合创新能力得分较高的县（区）主要集中在河西地区东部,得分较低的县（区）主要集中在南部民族地区。河西地区创新保障和创新效果水平处于全省前列,南部民族地区创新投入水平较低。（2）全省农业农村创新发展在东西方向上表现为西高东低,2013年以后逐渐表现出“两头高、中间低”趋势;在南北方向上表现北高南低;在东南—西北方向上呈现出西北高、东南低;在西南—东北方向上呈现出东北高、西南低。创新发展指数方向特征未发生明显变化,在空间上具有一定的锁定性。（3）创新发展热点区域集中在河西地区张掖市、武威市及金昌市,冷点区域集中分布在南部民族地区;极冷点区和极热点区数量减少,县域农业农村创新发展差距在减小。（4）多元资本投入、农业经济发展、自然地理条件及资源禀赋、农业基础设施配置、农业发展政策等通过内外因素结合创新发展供需两侧作用于甘肃省农业农村创新发展时空演化。     

农村外出务工人员承包地处置方式的区域差异与影响因素——基于社会融入视角

我国农村外出务工人员保有相当规模的承包地,如何高效集约利用是农业现代化的基础。利用流动人口卫生计生动态监测数据,在分析省域承包地处置方式差异的基础上,以其社会融入水平为切入点,分析其承包地处置决策的影响因素。研究发现：（1）粮食主产区承包地流转已具一定规模,但撂荒在全国也有相当比例,显性撂荒呈“西南高、东北低”的空间格局,农村外出务工人员承包地处置方式的集聚特征与其流动目的地社会融入水平存在一定程度的关联性;（2）社会融入水平的提升会显著降低农村外出务工人员的自耕意愿,易于形成亲朋耕种、流转等承包地处置决策,但是,撂荒的概率也会随之增加;（3）地方土地流转政策尚不足以将农村外出务工人员转移经营权的意愿完全转化为亲朋耕种、流转等行为,依然有较高概率显性或隐性撂荒。针对这些问题,流出地与流动目的地的政策应统筹考虑。一方面提升社会服务水平,降低农村外出务工人员生计风险;另一方面应积极引导其将承包地流转,避免撂荒造成耕地资源浪费。     

普适道路还是隐形门槛?不同类型乡村旅游发展路径的外源因素

在乡村振兴新时代,审慎选择适宜的乡村旅游发展道路成为重要的实践和学术问题。以全国乡村旅游重点村为例,基于“起点—动力”假说,利用地理分析方法探讨不同类型乡村旅游发展路径的外源因素。研究发现：（1）全国乡村旅游发展东南热、西北冷,形成京津和长三角两大热点区。景区依附型、文化遗产型、新型三农型空间分布差异显著。（2）高程、地貌、水系、生态地理分区、陆地生态系统类型、中心城市和交通干道是影响不同类型乡村旅游发展路径的自然基础与地理区位外源因素。（3）不同类型乡村旅游发展路径的社会经济外源因素不同：景区依附型为高级景区数量和公路客运量;文化遗产型为国家传统村落数量、A级景区数量和公路客运量;新型三农型为地区第三产业产值、人均可支配收入、旅游人次、公路客运量、城镇化率和政府政策。乡村旅游并不是普适道路,资源赋存决定不同的旅游发展路径,并需要不同的隐性外源因素支持方能持续发展。     

人群应急疏散模型构建及疏散效率分析研究*

为更系统地分析社会网络内预警传播对人群疏散效率影响,以江苏德桥仓储有限公司“4·22”较大火灾事故为背景,构建人群应急疏散模型,模拟不同预警策略应用下社会预警传播及人群疏散动态过程,分析不同情景动态演化特征。研究结果表明:高效预警策略确保多数人被预警、疏散的同时,会造成人群集聚性疏散,引发严重交通拥堵,需采取有效方法降低交通实时承载量,保障疏散速度,进一步提升疏散效率。研究结果可为完善应急疏散方案提供借鉴。