Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Rule-Based Governance Mechanisms In An Era Of Scientism, Maki Hatanaka

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

With neoliberal reforms and economic globalization, much of the regulation of food and agriculture is shifting from the state to the private sphere. Building on Busch’s work on science, the state, and the market, this paper examines the ways in which the governance of food and agriculture has become increasingly scientized with the use of third-party certification (TPC). TPC is a rule-based governance mechanism that consists of technical rules and procedures, which are based on scientific norms and practices. Using longitudinal research on an organic shrimp project in Indonesia, this paper examines the practices of TPC. Specifically, the focus is …

Constructing Credibility: Using Technoscience To Legitimate Strategies In Agrifood Governance, Carmen Bain, Elizabeth Ransom, Michelle R. Worosz

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Agrifood scholars working within a political economy framework increasingly draw upon the concept of governance to analyze the regulation of global agricultural and food systems. An important limitation of this approach is that it fails to explain how governance strategies are legitimated. Drawing on three diverse cases that span three continents, our paper examines how standards makers appeal to technoscientific norms and values to establish both credibility for their standards and their authority in constructing them. These cases explore the development and implementation of a standard requiring complete elimination of a tart cherry insect pest in the United States; the …

Food, The Environment, And Democracy: A Case Study Of The Marine Conservation Movement's Shift From State-Centered To Market-Based Approaches, Jason Konefal

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper examines the shift by the marine conservation movement from state-centered to market-based strategies and its implications for the democratization of food and agriculture. Using two theoretical frameworks form social movement theory – the opportunities approach and resource mobilization theory – three factors are identified as driving the shift by marine conservation organizations to market-based strategies. First, limited success using state-centered strategies created the impetus for marine conservation organizations to seek out alternative strategies. Second, changes in food and agriculture created opportunities for market based strategies. Specifically, the emergence of retailers as leader actors, the development of an economy …

Technoscience In Agriculture: Reflections On The Contributions Of The Msu School Of Sociology Of Food And Agriculture, Keiko Tanaka, Arunsa Juska

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper argues that one of the most important contributions of the MSU School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience (MSU-SAGT) was its focus on previously less explored and analyzed roles of technoscience in agriculture.The notion of technoscience was derived from the broader field of Science and Technology Studies, especially from Actor Network Theory.Studies conducted under Lawrence Busch’s direction conceptualized this notion to indicate networks/collectives of human and nonhuman actors implicated in production, distribution and consumption of food. While these studies analyzed the role of technoscience in transforming agriculture, they also examined ethical issues (e.g.,social justice and democracy)that arise from the …

An Interview With Dr. Lawrence Busch Of The Michigan State University School Of Agrifood Governance And Technoscience, Jason Konefal, Maki Hatanaka

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

An Interview with Dr. Lawrence Busch of the Michigan State University School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience

Science, Standards, And Power: New Food Safety Governance In California, Diana Stuart

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In 2006, an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with California spinach resulted in widespread illness across the United States. The magnitude of the outbreak and the resulting media attention demanded a change in the governance of leafy green produce. Drawing from more than 130 personal interviews, this paper critically examines how powerful players in the produce industry organized a strategic approach to governing leafy greens production in California. Networks are used to explore the evolution of new industry-led food safety standards and how they directly conflicted with and overpowered environmental agendas. This paper highlights serious concerns regarding participation and …

A Note On The Economy Of Qualities: Attributing Production Practices To Agricultural Practices, B. James Deaton, Lawrence Busch, Warren J. Samuels, Paul B. Thompson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Agricultural products are valued for many attributes including those that describe production practices. These production attributes are established through public and private efforts to promulgate standards and labels that differentiate products based on labor treatment, environmental impact, animal welfare, and other practices that occur during production. Organizations, like third-party certifiers, coordinate information and give credence to products in a way that enables consumers to differentiate products by production practices. Libertarian and utilitarian arguments may be used in the normative debate surrounding the appropriate role of government in sponsoring standards and labels that inform consumers about the modes of production.

Patrick J. Carr And Maria J. Kefalas, Hollowing Out The Middle: The Rural Brain Drain And What It Means For America, Peter A. Kindle

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Review of Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What It Means for America, by Patrick J. Carr and Maria J. Kefalas

Governance, Globalization, And The State, Alessandro Bonanno

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Sustainably Performed: Reconciling Global Value Chain Governance And Performativity, Allison Loconto

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Merging theories of performativity with Global Value Chains (GVC) analysis, I explore how standards are used within GVCs to govern interactions among actors and to perform a multiplicity of ‘sustainabilities.’ Specifically, this paper presents four case studies of certified tea production in Tanzania (i.e., the Ethical Tea Partnership, Fairtrade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance) to reveal how visions of sustainability are enacted by different actors in each certified value chain. This analysis reveals that, while the Rainforest Alliance and Ethical Tea Partnership ‘sustainabilities’ are ‘generically’ performed,the Fairtrade andOrganic ‘sustainabilities’ are ‘effective’ in enacting multiple versions of sustainability that have facilitated changes …

Estimates Of Population Age Groups (Ages Under 18 Yrs., 18-64 Yrs., And 65 Yrs. And Over) For Oregon And Its Counties, July 1, 2010, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Risa Proehl

Oregon Population Estimates and Reports

Estimates of population age groups for Oregon and its counties.

The Michigan State University School Of Agrifood Governance And Technoscience: Democracy, Justice, And Sustainability In An Age Of Scientism, Marketism, And Statism, Jason Konefal, Maki Hatanaka

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In this article, we introduce the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience. Centered on the work of Dr. Lawrence Busch, the MSU School examines how science, the market, and the state function in food and agriculture, and possibilities to make these institutions more democratic, equitable, and just. Research by the MSU School consists of four specific foci: (1) actor-network theory and commodity studies, (2) standards, (3) third-party certification and tripartite standards regimes, and (4) supermarkets and supply chain management. We review each of these areas and discuss how the research in each contributes to democratizing science, …

A Role For Ethical Analysis In Social Research On Agrifood And Environmental Standards, Kyle Powys White, Paul B. Thompson

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Lawrence Busch claims that, although some philosophers may recognize the ethical import of standards, they do not endeavor to understand how people justify standards in social reality. The argument in this paper is that the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Agrifood Governance and Technoscience should actually be understood as fleshing out a more important role for ethicists. This argument is explored through an analysis of the MSU School’s research on standards, a reassessment of J.O. Urmson’s “On Grading,” and a review of major ethical theories, from utilitarianism to discourse ethics. The conclusion is that, though standards may be used …

Standards, Law, And Governance, Lawrence Busch

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The last several centuries have been marked first by a tendency toward the use of standards to standardize, and then by the use of standards to differentiate. Both have been built on the legal edifice of the state. More recently, in response to the rapid rise of neoliberalism, standardized differentiation has increased in scope and has become part of a larger Tripartite Standards Regime (TSR) consisting of standards, certifications, and accreditations. Over the last half century, the TSR has grown to cover nearly every aspect of social life. In many ways this new form of governance replaces and transmutes positive …

Gregory S. Alexander And Eduardo M Penalver, Property And Community, Charles C. Geisler

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Review of Property and Community, by Gregory S. Alexander and Eduardo M. Peñalver (eds.)

Iron Men Manned Wooden Ships! Vs. Iron Ships Manned By Wooden Men? Socio-Psychological Impacts On Seafarers Due To Accidents/Incidents, Vivek Menon

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Oil Spill Contingency Management, Its Financial Arrangement And Implications In The South Asian Region, Agampodi Jagath Mendis. Gunasekara

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Air Emissions : The Effects On The Shipping Industry And Ports : Implications For The Port Of Singapore, Ling Ling Jolyn Tay

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Possibilities The North Aegean Candarli Port Of Being A Regional Hub Port In The Mediterranean Sea Region, Hasan Tarcan

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 1, 2010 To December 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database decreased by 1.17% over the last quarter. The database now contains 6,534 records.
• Results show an average of 836 visits per month, with an average of 2,081 pages viewed per month.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported nineteen volunteer events in a variety of ways. These events utilized 1,225 volunteers whom contributed 6,921 hours of service.
• Volunteer fall training has been completed with 61 volunteers attending 3 trainings.
• Fall training has been completed.
• Spring training scheduling is underway.
• Volunteer Orientation Training Automation is scheduled to be completed in February.
• One hundred and thirty-four people …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• Updated Site Steward documentation
• Held recognition event at Lake Mead
• Program funding extended through 12/1/2013
• Cultural Site Stewardship Program (CSSP) began assigning stewards to the Desert Wildlife Refuge (DWR) and to other remote sites along the Nevada’s border southwest of Searchlight.
• A select team of ten stewards will continue documenting abandoned mines and neighboring cultural sites in mountains along the Colorado River.

All Human Rights Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal Than Others: The Extraordinary Rendition Of A Terror Suspect In Italy, The Nato Sofa, And Human Rights, Chris Jenks, Eric Talbot Jensen

Faculty Scholarship

On November 4, 2009, an Italian court found a group of Italian military intelligence agents, operatives from the Central Intelligence Agency and a U.S. Air Force (USAF) officer guilty of the 2003 kidnapping of terror suspect Abu Omar. Thrown in a van on the streets of Milan, the abduction took Abu Omar from Italy to Egypt, where he was allegedly tortured and interrogated about his role in recruiting fighters for extremist Islamic causes, including the insurgency in Iraq. This essay posits that lost amidst politically charged rhetoric about Bush administration impunity and the “war on terror” is that the Italian …

Down, But Not Out: An Ethnographic Study Of Women Who Struggled With And Overcame Methamphetamine Addiction, Jodi Nettleton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women suffer methamphetamine (meth) addiction at a rate much higher than rates for addiction to other drugs. Female meth users are susceptible and predisposed to gender-related risks: high rates of unprotected vaginal and anal sex, sex-work, and sexual coercion. Precursors for addiction (e.g., abuse, body dysphasia) put females in a difficult position for recovery and highlight the need for gender-specific research and treatment.

Methamphetamine (a synthetically derived stimulant) creates psychological and physical dependency that affects every neuron of the brain and damages the body immediately. Women ingest meth for initial effects that allay social pressures: feeling euphoric, connecting with others …

African American Athletes And The Negotiation Of Public Spaces: An Examination Of Athletic Capital And African American Perceptions Of Success, Keona Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the culture of sport among African American male football players as well as African American perspectives on sport and success. A case study of six African American, Division 1 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) collegiate student athletes was conducted along with seventeen supplemental interviews with community members, parents, coaches and former athletes and fans. The participants answered questions that explored education, success, identity construction, ethnicity and sport. Archival data was also reviewed framing the discussion on football in Florida, links between education and sport participation and African American male academic achievement. While many perspectives varied, there were collective …

Epidemiological Study Of Contributing Factors In The Development Of Peptic Ulcer And Gastric Cancer Initiated By Helicobacter Pylori Infection In India, Rahul Suresh Mhaskar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a significant risk factor for peptic ulcer (PU) and gastric cancer (GC). Apart from the virulent CagA genotype of H. pylori environmental and dietary factors influence disease outcomes. There have been no studies addressing these factors in Western India. Hence, we conducted a case control study enrolling PU, GC patients and controls at Pune, India.

Methods: Risk factors for PU and H. pylori infection were assessed in participant interview. H. pylori status was assessed from stool by monoclonal antigen detection. To understand treatment effect, we followed 100 H. pylori positive patients.

Results: We …

Guatemalan Workers In Iowa Reunite With Family Members They Left Behind, Carol Hoverman

Postville Project Documents

Catholic News Service article from Dec. 29, 2010: More than two dozen Guatemalans were reunited in December with their family members, eight former Agriprocessors workers whom they had not seen in years.

Connecting Children And Families: Expectations And Experiences Of Professional Foster Parents, Samantha A. Goodrich

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Dmitri Shalin Interview With Sherri Cavan About Erving Goffman Entitled "Remembering Goffman", Dmitri N. Shalin, Sherri Cavan

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Letter from Dmitri Shalin

The Potential Relationship Between The Traits Associated With Left Brain Or Right Brain Dominant Tendencies And The Characteristics Of Leaders Or Managers, Alex Keto

Theses and Graduate Projects

The debate over whether the characteristics of leadership and management are unique characteristics or whether they are one-in-the-same characteristics continues today. In the past, traditionally, the best managers within a company were promoted to roles of leadership and many times these new leaders failed. There is growing support for the concept that the characteristics of highly effective leaders and managers are unique. A review of these characteristics reveals a potential relationship between the characteristics of exceptional managers and the traits that have been associated with left brain dominant tendencies. The characteristics of exceptional leaders relate to the traits that have …

Ddasaccident710, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

According to investigation report and the observation of accident point, the accident occurred in un-cleared area within the minefield. The deminer was returning back from the rest area to resume the work in his clearance lane, he entered into the minefield, stepped on PMN2 anti-personnel mine and accident happened. The worksite was well prepared and the area was clearly marked in accordance to the [Demining group] SOPs. The deminer did not consider and use the clear access lane to proceed to his working area while he was well aware about the cleared/un-cleared parts of the minefield. He was not stopped …