Community associations of chalk grassland leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha): conclusions for habitat conservation

Due to their confinement to specific hostplants or restricted habitat types, Auchenorrhyncha have the potential to make suitable biological indicators to measure the quality of chalk grassland under different management practices for nature conservation. The Auchenorrhyncha data from a study designed to identify the factors influencing the invertebrate diversity of chalk grasslands in southern England was used to evaluate the potential use of this group of insects as biological indicators. Between 1998 and 2002 altogether 81 chalk grassland sites were sampled. Vegetation structure and composition were recorded, and Auchenorrhyncha were sampled at each site on three occasions in each of two seasons using a ‘Vortis’ suction sampler. Auchenorrhyncha assemblages were then linked to the different grassland plant communities occurring on chalk soils according to the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Altogether 96 Auchenorrhyncha species were recorded during the study. Using data on the frequency and dominance of species, as is commonly done for plant communities, it was possible to identify the preferential and differential species of distinct Auchenorrhyncha assemblages. Significant differences between the Auchenorrhyncha assemblages associated with the various chalk grassland plant communities of the NVC were observed down to a level of sub-communities. We conclude that data on Auchenorrhyncha assemblages can provide valuable information for the setting of conservation management priorities, where data on floristic composition alone may not be sufficient, providing additional information on aspects of vegetation structure and condition.

Beyond the primary influences of parents and peers on very young adolescent alcohol use: Evidence of independent community associations

This study examined the extent to which young adolescent alcohol use was related to alcohol-related norms and law enforcement of underage alcohol use, after accounting for known strong parent and peer correlates. Our sample consisted of 7,674 students (X̅ age = 12 years) from 30 Australian communities. Two-level (individuals nested within communities) binary logistic regression was used to examine relationships between recent alcohol use (last 30 days) and perceived community norms about alcohol use, perceived law enforcement of underage alcohol use, parent alcohol use, parent permissiveness of adolescent alcohol use, peer alcohol use, and demographic factors. Results indicated that community norms and perceived law enforcement of alcohol use were associated with alcohol use and this association was independent of parent and peer factors. After accounting for proximal social correlates, community factors were significantly associated with alcohol use among very young adolescents.

Renewable Energies and Community Associations: Providing Homeowners with Renewable Energy Options

As energy costs increase in Colorado more homeowners will need renewable energies to provide electricity, heating and cooling for their homes. Renewable energy technology and energy efficient measures have been available for decades but Homeowner Associations (HOA) has not permitted this technology into communities primarily because of aesthetics. In April 2008, House Bill 1270 was signed into law that gives homeowners the right to make their homes more energy efficient and install renewable energy generation devices. The purpose of this capstone is to enable HOAs with information on available technology and design guideline options that can be integrated into communities and thus encourage, instead of hinder, the use of renewable energy and energy efficient measures.

Organizational challenges of community associations:applying nonprofit research to real-world problems

Can voluntary and nonprofit research be helpful for local community associations (CAs) seeking to respond to organizational challenges and problems? This paper builds on a study of an organizational crisis in an English CA to explore this question. The events which precipitated and prolonged the crisis seemed inexplicable to outside observers. Yet the study found that much of what occurred could be explained in the light of earlier theories and research. The paper concludes that voluntary and nonprofit scholarship, as well as generic organizational theories, has the potential to be helpful for community association members and activists in anticipating and responding to organizational problems. But scholars need to do more to disseminate existing research findings; to make them accessible and to adapt them to the distinctive needs and real world problems of community associations.

Incorporated associations

Non-profit community groups such as sporting clubs, charities, interest groups and community associations can be formally incorporated and recognised by the law. More than 21,000 associations are already incorporated in Queensland. The governing legislation is the Associations Incorporate Act 1981 (Qld) (the Act) and the Associations Incorporate regulation 1999 (Qld) (The Regulation). The Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General is responsible for administering this Act and incorporating associations and does so through the Office of Fair Trading. This chapter covers some of the basic concepts and procedures for incorporating an association under the Act. The Act and the Regulation are usually amended at least once a year, and current materials are available on the Queensland Government legislation website.

Community governance in rural Victoria: Rethinking grassroots democracy?

The development of local community associations in small rural towns in Victoria has engendered a sense of local self-governing that can be described as a shift from government to governance. This ‘more flexible’ approach extends beyond government, and the place of its agencies, to a greater sharing of power between the state, the market and civil society via new network and partnership structures. The question arises whether  community networks and partnerships bring with them a new sense of  democracy as well. The paper begins with a discussion of governance, its  relationship to two democratic frameworks - liberal minimalism (or representative governance) and associationalism - and the implications for democracy in community governance. Focusing on three internal factors (accountability of the leadership, inclusiveness and the scope of  responsibility), and two external factors (relationships to the state and types of relationships with other groups), the paper then explores the ways that community governance has been adopted in rural Victoria using in-depth interviews and a survey of community groups in 35 small rural towns. The ensuing discussion argues that while these community associations may be involved in forms of associational democracy, there is still some doubt about the inclusiveness of their membership and the extent to which their advocacy represents all sections of their communities. The paper then  concludes by suggesting that representative and associational forms of democracy need not be seen as opposites but as a more enhanced form of local governance.

Breastfeeding beliefs and practices of African women living in Brisbane and Perth, Australia

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of breastfeeding among refugee women from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo living in two major capital cities in Australia. Participants were recruited from their relevant community associations and via a snowballing technique. Thirty-one women took part in either individual interviews or facilitated group discussions to explore their experiences of breastfeeding in their home country and in Australia. Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: cultural breastfeeding beliefs and practices; stigma and shame around breastfeeding in public; ambivalence towards breastfeeding and breastfeeding support. Women who originated from these four African countries highlighted a significant desire for breastfeeding and an understanding that it was the best method for feeding their infants. Their breastfeeding practices in Australia were a combination of practices maintained from their countries of origin and those adopted according to Australian cultural norms. They exemplified the complexity of breastfeeding behaviour and the relationship between infant feeding with economic status and the perceived social norms of the host country. The results illustrate the need for policy makers and health professionals to take into consideration the environmental, social and cultural contexts of the women who are purportedly targeted for the promotion of breastfeeding.

Status of the biodiversity of St. Martin's Island, Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

A total of 234 species of fish have been recorded from the St Martin Island. Of which, 98 species are coral associated. The total number of recorded mollusc and crab species stands at 187 and 7 species respectively. A total of 66 coral species were recorded, of which 19 are fossil corals, 36 living corals and the rest are under 6 families of subclass Octocorallia (soft corals). A total of 14 species of algae have been recorded from the St. Martin's Island. There is an estimated amount of 1500 MT red sea weed biomass available around the St. Martin's Island. The island contains some of the most unique, benthic community associations in Bangladesh, not found anywhere else in the South Asian region. The unique marine communities have very high scientific value for research and monitoring and there are only a few examples worldwide, where coral-algal communities dominate rocky reefs. The economy of the island is based on fishing. It is estimated that, about 1650 MT of fish are caught annually. Over-exploitation of renewable marine and coastal resources (e.g., rocky reef fisheries, coral and shell extraction; removal of coastal vegetation from inter-tidal and sub-tidal habitats) is a major threat to this ecosystem. Destructive fishing practices, mainly the use of rock-weighted gill nets over the inshore boulder reefs is of prime aggravates. Proper implementation of the rules and regulation for Ecologically Critical Areas (ECA's), alternative livelihood for the local people and further research should be immediately taken for sustainable utilization and to save the rich biodiversity of the only coral island in Bangladesh.

Anti-apathy approaches in representative democracies: e-governance and web 2.0-facilitating citizen involvement?

Apathetic citizens disenchanted with conventional channels of participation in democratic processes are a predicament for mature representative democracies, as it reflects in the depleting voter turnouts in elections and participation in community associations. Recognising the reverberations of this apathy on governance, economies ostensibly search for anti apathy approaches. Recently E-governance using the pervasive power of the internet/Web 2.0, during the election has been instrumental for democratic engagement. We considered Australia and France, applying a historiographical view exploring the pre-election scenarios, attempting to evaluate the use of the Internet/Web 2.0 as valid benchmarking anti-apathy approaches of e-governance, to facilitate citizen participation.

Are rural health professionals also social entrepreneurs?

Social entrepreneurs formally or informally generate community associations and networking that produces social outcomes. Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new and poorly understood concept. Policy promotes generating community activity, particularly in rural areas, for health and social benefits and ‘community resilience’. Rural health professionals might be well placed to generate community activity due to their status and networks. This exploratory study, conducted in rural Tasmania and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland considered whether rural health professionals act as social entrepreneurs. We investigated activities generated and processes of production. Thirty-eight interviews were conducted with general practitioners, community nurses, primary healthcare managers and allied health professionals living and working rurally. Interviewees were self-selecting responders to an invitation for rural health professionals who were ‘formally or informally generating community associations or networking that produced social outcomes’. We found that rural health professionals initiated many community activities with social outcomes, most related to health. Their identification of opportunities related to knowledge of health needs and examples of initiatives seen elsewhere. Health professionals described ready access to useful people and financial resources. In building activities, health professionals could simultaneously utilise skills and knowledge from professional, community member and personal dimensions. Outcomes included social and health benefits, personal ‘buzz’ and community capacity. Health professionals' actions could be described as social entrepreneurship: identifying opportunities, utilising resources and making ‘deals’. They also align with community development. Health professionals use contextual knowledge to envisage and grow activities, indicating that, as social entrepreneurs, they do not explicitly choose a social mission, rather they act within their known world-view. Policymakers could consider ways to engage rural health professionals as social entrepreneurs, in helping to produce resilient communities.

Bancos comunitários de desenvolvimento: um estudo sobre a implementação dos bancos comunitários ligados ao movimento de moradia no município de São Paulo

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar três bancos comunitários de desenvolvimento (BCDs) paulistanos, ligados ao movimento de moradia, em seus primeiros meses de existência (de junho de 2009 a dezembro de 2011), tendo-se por base a perspectiva dos atores envolvidos. A partir de 2004, iniciou-se um processo de disseminação dos bancos comunitários conduzidos pelas lideranças criadoras da primeira instituição desse tipo no país, o Banco Palmas, fundado em 1998, em Fortaleza (CE), e pela Secretaria Nacional de Economia Solidária (SENAES). Existem poucos estudos sobre os bancos comunitários disseminados e poucas informações sobre as contingências existentes no processo de adoção desses bancos. O presente trabalho pretende contribuir suprindo essa lacuna. O trabalho conclui que, no caso dos três bancos comunitários paulistanos, ligados ao movimento de moradia, há contingências em dois níveis de implementação. O primeiro nível é caracterizado pela relação entre os coordenadores de associações comunitárias de construção, as quais dão suporte ao banco, os gerentes, os analistas de crédito e os caixas dos bancos, e os moradores dos conjuntos habitacionais onde os bancos estão inseridos. Nesse nível de implementação as contingências são: o confronto entre a agenda da associação comunitária de construção e do banco comunitário, a realização de atividades pelos trabalhadores e gerentes dos bancos cujo foco não é o banco comunitário e a intensidade do trabalho do agente de crédito. No segundo nível de implementação, caracterizado pela relação entre as ações indutoras da adoção dos bancos comunitários e os coordenadores de associação, os gerentes, analistas de crédito e caixas dos bancos, foram identificadas as seguintes contingências: o conjunto de obstáculos existente com o gestor da rede de correspondentes e o conjunto de obstáculos gerados por problemas ocorridos no modelo de indução vertical. As estratégias adotadas pelos bancos estudados para contraporem-se a tais contingências referem-se à busca de parcerias com uma instituição geograficamente mais próxima, parceria esta não consolidada até o fim do período analisado, para obtenção de recursos e gerenciamento da rede de correspondente, e à espera por recursos adicionais, baseado no modelo de indução vertical.

Capital social e igreja católica :expressões e práticas no sertão do Seridó

It historizes and it analyzes the social capital in the area Seridó. The traditions associative seridoenses are reconstructed starting from the dimensions: economical, social, religious person and politics. In them it is possible to notice actions that form the social capital of the area. The country of Seridó present an associative tradition based on the mutual help, in the trust and reciprocity that she remount there are decades in your history. The relationship among the Catholic Church, that historically it is present in the area, and rural communities, through your community associations, it is the backdrop where you/they are the responsible associative elements for the tear of the regional social fabric: in him (the backdrop) he/she is the responsible social capital for the work of the rural community organizations. The Catholic Church, through your social action and the Program of Combat to the Rural Poverty, of Rio Grande do Norte is the league that sustains the actions collective seridoenses

Gestão das Fundações e responsabilidade social

Pós-graduação em Serviço Social - FCHS

Associaçoes comunitárias do meio rural : Um estudo de caso no centro oeste de Minas Gerais

This paper examines the association in a rural mining town in Brazil. The results belong to a master dissertationin Rural Extension on membership organizations and public policies for rural areas aiming to identify the roles performed by membership organizations, the reasons that explained their formation and their relationship with policy making for rural areas in the case studied. It is a case study, for which interviews were conducted with representatives of the organizations in order to deepen into the issues related to their historical, the roles they play and how and whether they participate in development project proposals. The results revealed anup-down process of formation of rural organizations, being created as bargaining tools for achieving collective benefits, reproducing dependency relationships