Conceptualising climate change in rural Australia : community perceptions, attitudes and (in) actions

Public engagement and support is essential for ensuring adaptation to climate change. The first step in achieving engagement is documenting how the general public currently perceive and understand climate change issues, specifically the importance they place on this global problem and identifying any unique challenges for individual communities. For rural communities, which rely heavily on local agriculture industries, climate change brings both potential impacts and opportunities. Yet, to date, our knowledge about how rural residents conceptualise climate change is limited. Thus, this research explores how the broader rural community – not only farmers – conceptualise climate change and responsive activities, focussing on documenting the understandings and risk perceptions of local residents from two small Australian rural communities. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted in communities in the Eden/Gippsland region on the border of New South Wales and Victoria, and the North-East of Tasmania. There are conflicting views on how climate change is conceptualised, the degree of concern and need for action, the role of local industry, who will 'win' and 'lose', and the willingness of rural communities to adapt. In particular, residents who believed in anthropogenic or human-induced factors described the changing climate as evidence of 'climate change', whereas those who were more sceptical termed it 'weather variability', suggesting that there is a divide in rural Australia that, unless urgently addressed, will hinder local and national policy responses to this global issue. Engaging these communities in the 21st century climate change debate will require a significant change in terminology and communication strategies.

Rural community perceptions and involvement in conservation: case studies from the Fiji Islands and Southwestern Portugal

Dissertação de mest., Gestão da Água e da Costa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2010

Community perceptions of four protected areas in the Northern portion of the Cerrado hotspot, Brazil

Establishing effective networks of protected areas (PAS) is one of the major goals of conservation strategies worldwide. However, the success of PAS in promoting biodiversity conservation depends on their integration to local and regional contexts, reducing and mitigating human impacts originating from buffer zones. Community perceptions affect interactions between residents and PAS, and thereby conservation effectiveness. Research at Tocantins state (northern Brazilian Cerrado), aimed to analyse local community perceptions of four PAs, discussing how different factors may influence these. Perceptions were assessed through standardized interviews applied to PA employees and 275 local inhabitants. There was modest community participation in PA establishment and management. Residents were aware of the PAS` existence, but were unfamiliar with their goals. Length of residency and occupation of inhabitants influenced their PA perceptions, shaping different people-park relations in each of the four studied PAs. Involvement of local residents in PA planning and management represents a central strategy to strengthen local support for PAS over the long term. In those areas that still have settlements inside their boundaries, community relocation should follow a careful participatory process to avoid significant changes in local perceptions and attitudes towards these PAS, crucial for conserving Brazilian biodiversity.

Changing community perceptions of 'place'

In May 2002 the Australian Department of Defence announced its intention to divest the Defence land at Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. At the same time nominations were invited for membership of the Community Reference Group (CRG) established as part of the Portsea Defence Land Master Planning Project. The author actively participated in this voluntary advisory group which provided input on matters of interest to the community relating to the project, provided a medium for information sharing and addressed the sometimes competing needs of different stakeholder groups (such as government, business and residents). A major role of the CRG was to provide a focus for community input on aspects of technical issues, particularly in relation to the planning for the future use of the site, flora and fauna issues, infrastructure provision, traffic and access management, heritage and archaeology, and the integration of the site with both the natural environment and existing community facilities, including the township of Portsea. The author's professional background in art and architectural history, in teaching and in research specifically in heritage related areas; her record of community work both in hands on work and in leadership positions, in Melbourne and on the Nepean Peninsula, enabled her to make a significant and useful contribution to the CRG in contributing to the understanding of the rich, diverse, multilayered cultural and natural heritage of the entire site.

Using this specific example, this paper examines the process of participating in Australian society through engaging communities - engaging women. It examines the invitation to participate, the nomination and selection process, the brief given to the community reference group, the development of the consultative process over the six months of deliberations, and the important role that women played in the project. It looks at what can be learned from the experience: how women in particular led the way in changing perceptions of place within the local community, and consequently in the broader framework of the project. It examines the success of the outcomes both in terms of the specific task of writing the Master Plan for the Portsea Defence site and of the process of community participation: the dynamic inter-relationships in the group; between the group and the consultants; between the group and the Department of Defence and between the group and the Federal Government. It comments reflectively and critically on the effectiveness of the whole process.

A chaos theory interpretation of community perceptions of Australian forest policy

This paper proposes a methodology for measuring community values towards Australian forest policy using chaos theory. The use of chaos theory within social sciences has been restricted due to chaos-based analysis requiring time-continuous data. Using scale-based data, iconographs are suggested as a method of dynamically representing community values for forestry at a higher phase plane. In addition, the method also provides opportunity for control of chaos by policy makers in altering community attitudes.

Traditional environmental knowledge and community perceptions in sustaining the forest environment : case study of Minahasa ethnic community in the surrounding of Lake Tondano, North Sulawesi - Indonesia

The idea of sustainable development is distinct from the idea of restoring or conserving nature. This concept is embedded in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992) which Indonesia and several countries around the world have signed. Sustainable development seeks to interlace humans and nature, while restoration (especially at the large scale) often allows nature to be addressed separately, sometimes out of remorse for the damage caused by humans. In terms of attaining sustainable natural resource development, the opportunities offered by traditional ecological knowledge documentation are considered essential in enabling the achievement of sustainability because most of these Indigenous and/or local communities are situated in areas where many species have been historically cultivated and used in a sustainable way for thousands of years. The skill and techniques of these local communities can provide valuable information for the global community to evaluate current environmental policies. Such research and evaluation is often robustly and best undertaken through ethnoecological methodological paradigms. This paper examines the traditional environment knowledge of the Minahasan ethnic community, who live in the surrounds of Lake Tondano in the North Sulawesi, together with the Minahasan conscious and unconscious actions in conserving their forest ecology in addition to their knowledge of culture about forest protection in the region. In particular, contemporary use of traditional environmental knowledge is examined in terms of its relevance to in traditional resource management and land use planning, as avenues to better curate and manage natural resources through informed regional planning strategies and mechanisms.

Using strategic philanthropy to improve heritage tourist sites on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey : community perceptions of changing quality of life and of the sponsoring organization

This paper examines the “Respect for History” project on Turkey's Gallipoli Peninsula sponsored by a Turkish oil company, OPET. The project sought to enhance and protect the cultural and historical experiences of tourists visiting Gallipoli, and to bring direct and indirect benefits to local communities through enhancing tourism-related business opportunities and improving community infrastructure. This research investigates the project's impact on residents’ perceived social and economic wellbeing, using a quality of life framework, and also ascertains residents’ views of the sponsoring firm. The context illustrates key differences between pure philanthropy and strategic philanthropy; the latter defined as doing good by purposefully achieving corporate and civic benefits. The role of strategic philanthropy as a sustainable tourism development tool, and its impact on tourism governance, are considered. Data were collected from 674 residents on the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula in areas impacted by OPET's investment program. The results, using structural equation modelling (SEM), identify that respondents generally believe that both their economic and social quality of life have improved. This, in turn, has positively influenced respondents’ views of the sponsoring organization. The concept of strategic philanthropy appears valuable as a private sector, non-tourism, sustainable tourism development tool in some circumstances.

‘It would be okay if they came through the proper channels’: community perceptions and attitudes toward asylum seekers in Australia

Australia's humanitarian programme contributes to UNHCR's global resettlement programme and enhances Australia's international humanitarian reputation. However, as the recent tragedy on Christmas Island has shown, the arrival of asylum seekers by boat continues to stimulate debate, discussion and reaction from the Australian public and the Australian media. In this study, we used a mixed methods community survey to understand community perceptions and attitudes relating to asylum seekers. We found that while personal contact with asylum seekers was important when forming opinions about this group of immigrants, for the majority of respondents, attitudes and opinions towards asylum seekers were more influenced by the interplay between traditional Australian values and norms, the way that these norms appeared to be threatened by asylum seekers, and the way that these threats were reinforced both in media and political rhetoric.

Tourism dependence and host community perceptions: notes on the social exchange theory

This article examines the opinions of the local population on the south coast of the Spanish province of Alicante regarding the development of tourism in recent years, analysing their perception of the benefits of tourism using the social exchange theory. This study is presented in two stages. The qualitative stage, which is based on in-depth interviews and focus groups, acts as a guide for the second stage, which consists of a survey conducted with the resident Spanish population. It was found that people linked to the tourist sector through their work view tourism as the driving force behind the economic and social development of their towns, although they are more critical than others of the model that has been established. They defend the development process that has taken place, but feel that overcrowding brings their towns to a standstill and needs to be resolved.

Community perceptions of adequate levels and reasons for skin protection

In this study the authors addressed whether or not community members use relevant risk factors to determine an appropriate level of skin protection behavior in the prevention of skin cancer. The authors conducted a postal survey with a community sample of 3,600 Queensland residents that they randomly selected from the Commonwealth electoral roll. The predictors of perceptions of doing enough skin protection included intrapersonal, social, and attitudinal influences. People protected themselves from the sun primarily out of a desire for future good health and on other occasions did not protect themselves from the sun because they were not out there long enough to get burnt. The predictors of perceptions of doing enough skin protection indicated that participants were aware of relevant risk factors. The main reasons that people protect themselves from the sun suggest that they are acting on many health promotion messages. However, skin cancer prevention programs need to move beyond increasing awareness and knowledge of the disease to providing a supportive environment and enhancing individual skills. Health promotion campaigns could reinforce appropriate risk assessment and shape an individual's decision about how much sun protection is needed.

Community perceptions of suspicious pigmented skin lesions: are they accurate when compared to general practitioners?

Community responses (n = 925, response rate = 71%) of a series of eight photographs of pigmented skin lesions were compared against those of general practitioners (n = 114, response rate = 77%), considered to be the most relevant gold standard. The eight photographs included three melanomas, two potentially malignant lesions and three benign pigmented lesions. Over the pool of lesions examined, the average probability that community members thought a lesion was likely to be skin cancer (0.68 [99% CI = 0.66-0.69]) was higher (p < 0.0001) than that of the comparison general practitioners 0.58 [99% CI = 0.55-0.62]. This reflects a general (but not consistent) inflated propensity to over-diagnose among community members. The average probability that respondents indicated they would seek medical advice for a lesion was 0.71 [99% CI = 0.70-0.73]. As expected, this was strongly associated with their perceptions of the skin lesion. These results suggest that the community can play a valuable role in assessing the need for medical evaluation of pigmented skin lesions. (c) 2004 International Society for Preventive Oncology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Historical analysis of two contemporary issues at the International Community School of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: Local -hired and overseas -hired teacher relationships. Community perceptions of the U.S. Embassy at ICSA

This study was a qualitative investigation to ascertain and describe two of the current issues at the International Community School of Abidjan, examine their historical bases, and analyze their impact on the school environment.^ Two issues emerged during the inquiry phase of this study: (1) the relationship between local-hired and overseas-hired teachers in light of the January 1994 devaluation which polarized the staff by negating a four-year salary scale that established equity, (2) the school community's wide variance in the perceived power that the U.S. Embassy has on school operations based on its role as ICSA's founding sponsor.^ A multiple studies approach was used in gathering data. An extensive examination of the school's archives was used to reconstruct an historical overview of ICSA. An initial questionnaire was distributed to teachers and administrators at an educational conference to determine the scope of the 1994 devaluation of the West and Central African CFA and its impact on school personnel in West African American-sponsored overseas schools (ASOS). Personal interviews were conducted with the school staff, administration, school board members, and relevant historical participants to determine the principal issues at ICSA at that time. The researcher, an overseas-hired teacher, also used participant observations to collect data. Findings based on these sources were used to analyze the two issues from an historical perspective and to form conclusions.^ Findings in this study pertaining to the events induced by the French and African governments' decision to implement a currency devaluation in January 1994 were presented in ex post-facto chronological narrative form to describe the events which transpired, describe the perception of school personnel involved in these events, examine the final resolution and interpret these events within a historical framework for analysis.^ The topic of the U.S. Embassy and its role at ICSA emerged inductively from open-ended personal interviews conducted over the course of a year. Contradictory perspectives were examined and researched for accuracy and cause. The results of this inquiry presented the U.S. Embassy role at ICSA from a two-sided perspective, examined the historical role of the Embassy, and presented means by which the role and responsibility of the U.S. Embassy could best be communicated to the school community.^ The final chapter provides specific actions for mediation of problems stemming from these issues, implications for administrators and teachers currently involved in overseas schools or considering the possibility, and suggestions for future inquiries.^ Examination of a two-tier salary scale for local-hired and overseas-hired teachers generated the following recommendations: movement towards a single salary scale when feasible, clearly stated personnel policies and full disclosure of benefits, a uniform certification standard, professional development programs and awareness of the impact of this issue on staff morale.^ Divergent perceptions and attitudes toward the role of the U.S. Embassy produced these recommendations: a view towards limiting the number of Americans on ASOS school boards, open school board meetings, selection of Embassy Administrative Officers who can educate school communities on the exact role of the Embassy, educating parents through the outreach activities that communicate American educational philosophy and involve all segments of the international community, and a firm effort on the part of the ASOS to establish the school's autonomy from special interests. ^

Community perceptions of collaborative processes for managing freshwater resources

Six of New Zealand’s 16 regional councils are trialling collaborative planning as a means of addressing complex challenges in freshwater management. Although some work has been undertaken to evaluate similarities and differences across those processes, the success or failure rests with the public’s acceptance of the processes and their outcomes. This is the first study to evaluate public perceptions of freshwater management in regions with collaborative processes. We surveyed 450 respondents in Hawke’s Bay, Northland, and Waikato, some of whom live in catchments in which collaborative processes are under way and some of whom do not. In addition to assessing awareness of the collaborative planning processes, the survey measured perceptions regarding the regional council’s management of freshwater resources, the extent of agreement regarding freshwater management among various interests, the fairness of freshwater management, and the extent to which respondents believe that their interests and concerns are included in freshwater management. We hypothesized that relative to respondents in parts of the region in which traditional processes are in places, respondents in catchments with collaborative management of freshwater resources would have more positive perceptions of management, agreement, fairness, and interests, even if there is low awareness that a collaborative planning process is under way. Survey results indicate that knowledge of collaborative processes is generally low and that living in catchments with collaborative processes does not impact respondents’ perceptions of management, agreement, fairness, or interests in Northland or Waikato. However, relative to Hawke’s Bay respondents living outside of the collaborative catchment, respondents living inside the collaborative catchment believe that the regional council’s freshwater management is better and fairer. Moreover, Hawke’s Bay residents living inside the collaborative catchment perceive less conflict over freshwater management than Hawke’s Bay respondents living outside the collaborative catchment. Further research is needed to identify the reasons for this regional variation.