“Se querem que façamos algo pela floresta tem que nos pagar”: As lógicas da participação dos camponeses nos Comités de Gestão dos Recursos Naturais nos distritos de Palma e Mocimboa da Praia em 2009: Relatório do trabalho de campo em Namiune, Nkonga e 5º Congresso, Maputo, Dezembro de 2010

Our study considers the natural resources of the Miombo forests in Cabo Delgado from a broad ecosystems perspective. Thus, our view goes beyond the disciplinary approaches of forestry, agronomy, biology or zoology, and also of the social sciences, namely anthropology, history, sociology, political science or economics. The present study aims to establish a dialogue and create synergies between Miti Ltd. – the logging company and owner of the forest concessions – as well as government and state structures at the various levels and the communities – through the Committees on Natural Resources – in order to promote the sustainable use of resources and ecosystems. The research methodology we used can broadly be described as moderated transdisciplinary interaction for action-research based on the approach known as Learning for Sustainability (LforS, http://www.cde.unibe.ch/Pages/Project/2/14/Learning-for-Sustainability-Extension-Approach.aspx). The research methods used include: LforS seminars; field work; forests observations focusing, among others, on ecosystems, trees, wildlife, and burned areas; visits to farms; and interviews. We conducted both collective interviews and individual interviews, including with key informants. The main results indicate that members of the Committee on Natural Resources have a dual attitude: their statements defend the paradigm of sustainable use of natural resources as well as their own immediate monetary gain. They are willing to apply the values, concepts and theories of sustainable development that underpin the establishment of Committees on Natural Resources if they are paid for their work or if they can derive direct benefits from it, i.e. if they can earn a salary or allowance. If this does not happen, however, they are willing to allow actors to engage in illegal hunting or logging activities. This dual attitude also exists in relation to forestry operators. If the concession workers pay the committee members in cash or provide goods, they can run their business even if they violate the law. Natural forest regeneration in Nkonga and Namiune already shows the impact of such use. Although there are many saplings that could basically ensure continuous regeneration under sustainable management, repeated burning is damaging the young trees, deforming them and killing a great number of them. Campaigns against uncontrolled fires are ineffective because the administrative and political authorities have a dual attitude as well and are also part of the group that uses resources to their own profit and benefit. There are institutional structures within the administration, populations, and communities to perform regulating functions, create and implement rules, punish offenders, and oversee resource use. However, they feel that since they are not paid for performing these functions, they do not have to do so. This attitude shows a lack of awareness, but also indicates a situation where everyone seeks to derive maximum benefits from existing resource use patterns. Anything goes.

Entrepreneurship in a Hub-and-Spoke Industrial District: Firm Survey Evidence from Seattle's Technology Industry

Mayer H. Entrepreneurship in a hub-and-spoke industrial district: firm survey evidence from Seattle's technology industry, Regional Studies. The paper investigates entrepreneurial dynamics in a hub-and-spoke industrial district. Using data on the genealogy of high-technology firms in Seattle, Washington State, the study examines the ways in which entrepreneurial firms relate to their parent firms and the role of agglomeration economies. The results illustrate that entrepreneurship is an important vehicle for the diversification of such a district. When compared, hub-related spinoffs such as those founded by former Microsoft employees do not differ much from other start-ups. The differences between Microsoft spinoffs and start-ups are very limited; both diversify the regional economy by entering new markets when compared with their parents.

'Dime cómo hablas y te diré dónde vives'. Percepción lingüística y representaciones geosociales en la ciudad de Lima

Esta contribución se inscribe dentro de un proyecto de investigación en marcha desde enero de 2012 que tiene por objetivo analizar la percepción de las hablas limeñas y las actitudes frente a éstas que tienen los hablantes de la capital del Perú, en directa relación con las representaciones geosociales que manejan de su ciudad, para lo cual partimos del concepto de estilos de interacción. Al hablar de representaciones geosociales queremos hacer hincapié en el hecho de que nuestra investigación no gira en torno a datos efectivos, empíricamente comprobables mediante censos y estudios socioeconómicos sobre la composición sociodemográfica de Lima Metropolitana y sus distritos, sino que se centra en los mapas sociales que forman y perfilan sus habitantes como consecuencia de sus experiencias individuales y de percepciones colectivas sociohistórica y culturalmente motivadas. Subrayemos entonces que el enfoque teórico de este estudio es constructivista, a partir del cual se analizará cómo los hablantes de Lima, en tanto que actores sociales, moldean su espacio urbano mediante las percepciones de la lengua y en interacción dinámica con “el otro” . Dentro de este marco, en el presente estudio nos ocupamos específicamente de la manera como es percibida por jóvenes limeñas la forma de hablar de otras limeñas jóvenes cuyos padres proceden de la Sierra peruana: ¿qué rasgos actúan como indicadores socio-étnicos y dónde, sobre la base de dichas percepciones, son “localizadas” en los mapas mentales de las entrevistadas estas “nuevas” limeñas? Estas preguntas son relevantes en relación con las hablas limeñas porque dada la situación de la ciudad de Lima, cuya población ha crecido fuertemente debido a la emigración de habitantes originarios de otras regiones del país, un estudio sobre las percepciones, representaciones y actitudes que tienen las jóvenes limeñas puede dar luces acerca de la existencia de nuevas variedades fruto del contacto interdialectal en Lima, de su reconocimiento y de su aceptabilidad sociolingüística por parte de los hablantes.