Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Uphill Battle Of Environmental Technologies: Analysis Of Local Discourses On The Acceptance And Resistance Of Green Bin Programs, Carrie Warring

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Many Canadian municipalities have been looking for alternative sustainable waste management solutions since landfill capacity has been decreasing and siting new facilities often results in vehement local opposition. In Ontario, there is no provincial mandate for organic waste diversion targets, where most large-sized municipalities have implemented a Green Bin program while other jurisdictions of varying size still have not. This paper uses discourse analysis to explore predominant and counter discourses that have resulted in Guelph sustaining a Green Bin program, while London has not implemented a Green Bin. Manuscript one explores the interaction of provincial and local municipal discourses in …

Examining Climate Change-Health Nexus In Ghana, Lucia Kafui Hussey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Climate change is one of today’s most pressing global issues with its physical, biological and social impacts widely recognized. One area of concern is its potential health consequences. The postulated health effects from climate change are far-reaching that climate change induced health risks are signaled as the most pressing problems to public health in the 21^st century. Although developing countries such as Ghana had been suggested as a vulnerable hotspot for the health consequences of climate change, there is a paucity of empirical research on climate change and its health linkages in the country.

The purpose of this dissertation …

The Differentiation Of Smallholder Farming And Household Food Responsibilities In Northern Ghana, Siera Vercillo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the most urgent problems facing sub-Saharan Africa is that many people lack access to safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, particularly in semi-arid regions such as northern Ghana. An important indication of this problem within Ghana is that stunting rates due to prolonged undernourishment are significantly higher in the northern regions than in other parts of the country, despite claims of an overall increase in the availability of food. Broadly, this dissertation employs qualitative case study research in the Northern Region (interviews N=109 and 12 focus groups) to describe the changes in access to resources, roles and …

Developing And Testing A Novel Intervention To Reduce Household Food Waste, Paul Van Der Werf

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The amount of food wasted is a topic of societal and academic interest. As academic research in this area is nascent, there are significant knowledge gaps, which this dissertation seeks to narrow, pertaining to: (1) the measurement of food waste; (2) the human behaviors that lead to wasting of food; and (3) the development of efficacious food waste reduction interventions.

A systematic literature review of 55 food waste estimates showed that on average 114.3 kg/capita/year is wasted from consumption (i.e., household) and 198.9 kg/capita/year across the entire food supply chain. There is considerable uncertainty with this data because of the …

From Accessibility And Exposure To Engagement: A Multi-Scalar Approach To Measuring Environmental Determinants Of Children’S Health Using Geographic Information Systems, Martin Healy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A growing body of research suggests that increasing the accessibility to health-related environmental features and increasing exposure to and engagement in outdoor environments leads to positive benefits for the overall health and well-being of children. Additionally, research over the last twenty-five years has documented a decline in the time children spend outdoors. Outdoor activity in children is associated with increased levels of physical fitness, and cognitive well-being. Despite acknowledging this connection, problems occur for researchers when attempting to identify the child’s location and to measure whether a child has made use of an accessible health-related facility, or where, when and …

Internationalization Of Higher Education Within Canada’S Migration Management Framework: Supply Side Of International Student Migration, Alexandra Bozheva

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation offers an integrative look into the supply side of international student migration (ISM) in Canada. Within its scope, supply side of ISM is understood as a space of interactions of the two key involved domains: education industry and migration management.

Drawing from previous empirical and theoretical works, this thesis investigates a set of research questions, starting with: (1) how the institutional domain structures the international student enrolment, and (2) how the pursuit of education suppliers’ collective agenda can influence policies defining ISM. With the neoliberal transformations of the late 1970s in education funding, Canadian higher education institutions (HEIs) …

Space-Time Analysis Of Breast Cancer In Middlesex County Between 2003 And 2013, Jenny T. Tjhin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women in Canada and the incidence rate continues to increase despite improved screening programs and advanced cancer treatments. Some studies have linked breast cancer with risk factors such as genetics, the age of first menstruation, parity, and environmental exposures. This study investigated the spatial distribution of breast cancer cases between 2003 and 2013 in Middlesex County using geospatial techniques. Point data were analyzed with SaTScan and aggregated data were observed at two geographical units, census sub-divisions and dissemination areas using Moran’s Index to detect clusters. Both analyses showed consistency in the cluster locations …

Comparing Geospatial Approaches To Delineating Children’S Interactions With Their Physical Environments: A Case Study Of Children In Rural Northwestern Ontario, Katherine L. Schieman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Researchers from a variety of disciplines have produced a large body of evidence indicating that the environment a child lives in can profoundly impact their overall health in a multitude of ways. Among this growing body of literature, there is a wide diversity of methodologies and general inconsistency in how the physical environment is conceptualized and delineated. The primary purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how the physical (natural and built) environment is conceptualized in children’s health studies and to quantify how children engage with their environment. Using a multi-tool protocol, 128 children in grades …

Does It Work? Examining The Effectiveness Of Place Branding In Local Economic Development, Evan P. Cleave

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

For cities in advanced economies, the past three decades have been characterized by a steady increase in the use of place branding, with it becoming an integral part local economic development policy. In the context of this study, place branding goes beyond the traditional understanding of logos and slogans, and instead is understood to be the culmination of intentional and unintentional actions by cities that help create and attenuate the network of connections of the place held in the mind of target audiences.

Place branding is now viewed by local policymakers as a necessary undertaking to respond to local issues …

The Changing Spaces Of Racialized Contestation In Brampton, Ontario; A Multimedia Analysis, Stuart Emberg Mchenry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Demographic changes, most notably changes in ethnic composition, can have major implications for the successful functioning of a community. Brampton, Ontario, is an example of one of these changing communities. Using two media sources: one traditional—the local newspaper—and the other emergent—online news—this thesis answers several key questions: is demographic change from a predominantly European-descent population in 1991 to today’s majority ‘visible minority’ population related to changes in the manifestations of racialized incidents in Brampton as reported in The Brampton Guardian? Has the emergence of online news impacted the geographic scope and nature of racialized incidents?

Content analysis of one-hundred …

Active And Safe Routes To School: Evaluating School Travel Planning To Support Children's Active Travel, Adrian Nicholas Buttazzoni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most Canadian children are not achieving their daily recommended physical activity (PA) levels despite the many emotional, psychological, and physical benefits of PA. Walking or wheeling to/from school, or active school travel (AST), is a viable method for improving children’s daily participation in PA. In Canada, the Active and Safe Routes to School initiative promotes AST through its comprehensive School Travel Planning (STP) program. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, broadly, this thesis investigates the i) implementation and ii) effectiveness of a regional, two-year STP program supporting AST. This thesis includes a systematic review of AST intervention models implemented in North America, …

Health Perceptions Of Hepatitis B Virus (Hbv) Transmission In The Upper West Region Of Ghana, Florence Wullo Anfaara

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis sought to examine factors influencing Hepatitis B transmission and voluntary screening in the Upper West Region (UWR) of Ghana. It analyzed a cross-sectional data collected on household heads (n=1374), and health facility (n=42) in four districts using multinomial logit regression and hierarchical multilevel regressions. Overall, only a quarter (25%) of respondents possessed correct knowledge of HBV transmission, while disparities in HBV knowledge was explained by both individual and health facility level factors. Further, the analysis showed that approximately 28% of respondents reported ever testing for HBV. For instance, although the source of healthcare influenced HBV testing, traders (RRR=0.29, …

Examining Geographic Variation In Children's Perceived Barriers To Physical Activity And The Implications On Behaviour, Leah Gabrielle Taylor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Low levels of physical activity among Canadian children has become a national public health issue. Recent research has suggested that children’s physical activity levels are associated with their perceptions of their everyday environments. A better understanding of the formation of these perceptions within different contexts is needed to explain the extent of the relationship. Using a multi-tool quantitative protocol, this thesis examines geographic variation in socio-ecological factors influencing children’s perceptions of barriers to PA, and the extent to which perceptions mediate the relationship of the environment and PA. Results indicate that perceptions form within contexts, and have an influence on …

Ontario's Small Non-Community Drinking Water Systems: How To Ensure Provision Of Safe Drinking, Mehmet Fatih Sekercioglu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Waterborne disease outbreaks associated with drinking water systems occur in Canada and elsewhere. Previous research has shown that the small non-community drinking water system (SDWS) users are at increased risk of becoming ill compared to the community drinking water system users. Although public awareness surrounding access to safe drinking water has been increased considerably since the Walkerton tragedy in 2000, the provision of safe drinking water in Ontario’s SDWSs is relatively understudied. Furthermore, a key initiative to safeguard drinking water sources in Ontario, the planning for source water protection, does not include SDWSs.

Our research consists of three manuscripts addressing …

Paddling The Biigtig: A Case Study Of Environmental Repossession Through Canoeing, Kathleen Mikraszewicz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Indigenous communities globally are initiating inspiring ways to practice self-determination over land and cultural practices. For the past few years, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Pic River First Nation) has undertaken canoe trips through its traditional territory along the Biigtig (Pic River). The purpose of the 2017 journey was to rename places (i.e. mountains, rivers, portages) along the route in Nishnaabemoen (Ojibway language) as a means of enacting self-determination in their territory. Supported by volunteers, five youth were hired as Traditional Knowledge Gatherers to complete this unique journey. This thesis qualitatively examined perceptions among canoe journey participants (n=9). Building upon the concept of …

"You Can't Just Take A Piece Of Land From The University And Build A Garden On It": A Case Study Of The Indigenous Food And Medicine Garden At Western University, Laura J. Peach

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Indigenization efforts at Canadian Universities are growing, yet the meanings and tensions associated with these spaces have not been well documented. This thesis draws from a case study of the Indigenous Food and Medicine Garden at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada to investigate its origins, uses and meanings. This thesis utilized an Indigenous-Guided research methodology to conduct in-depth interviews (n=17) of key stakeholders, including Garden founders and users. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and categorized using thematic analysis. Results indicated that a web of relations between all interviewees best represents the creation story of the Garden. Further, assertion of …

The Creative Destruction Of Place In An Ontario Heritage Conservation District, Wes Kinghorn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Woodfield is a neighbourhood in the historic core of London, Ontario, Canada that contains two designated Heritage Conservation Districts (HCDs). This thesis considers the impacts of HCD designation on sense of place, and whether the HCD plans support or challenge the physical and community aspects of place that are valued by the interviewed residents. This research is grounded in the geographical literature related to the concepts of place, gentrification and creative destruction.

Four objectives guided this research: to identify explicit and implicit references to sense of place, and the power dynamics within the HCD plans; to depth interview residents of …

Water Governance In The Lerma-Chapala Basin Of Mexico: A Shift From State-Centred To A Multi-Stakeholder Approach?, Luis F. Silva Jimenez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a framework for assessing water governance by consolidating and refining disparate principles of water governance in the existing research literature. The developed framework is then applied in a case study of the Lerma Chapala basin in Mexico to assess the state of water governance, and identify accomplishments and constraints in the implementation of an effective water governance system. The study conducts a content analysis of primary data collected through semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders in the basin (N=51) and secondary data from national water policy documents (N=18).

Overall, the study identified one …