Suchergebnisse

The existence of punishment opportunities has been shown to cause efficiency in some public goods experiments to increase considerably. In this paper we ask whether punishment also has a downside in terms of process dissatisfaction. We conduct an experiment to study the conjecture that an environment with strong punishment possibilities may lead to higher material payoffs but lower subjective well-being, in comparison with weaker punishment or no punishment possibilities at all. The more general motivation for our study stems from the notion that people's subjective well-being may be affected by the institutional environment they find themselves in. Our findings show that harsher punishment possibilities lead to significantly higher well-being, controlling for earnings and other relevant variables. These results complement the evidence on the neural basis of altruistic punishment reported in de Quervain et al. (2004).

The Environment of Human Settlements: Human Well-Being in Cities, Volume 1 contains the proceedings of the Conference on the Environment of Human Settlements: Human Well-Being in Cities, held in Brussels, Belgium, in April 1976. The papers focus on the environmental implications of human settlements, with emphasis on the well-being of people living in cities. This volume is comprised of 31 chapters organized around four themes: modern technology for cities of today; decision-making for human well-being in cities (including political, legal and economic considerations); urban and land-use plann

Perhaps we are never done with thought, nor should be. If this is indeed the case, then Kant may have been right after all in supposing that folks will never lose interest in metaphysics, in thought thinking thought. But what of academics? Where would we find these days a comprehensive treatment of pure reason, of the epochs of its origins and accomplishments, that is not just another collection of interpretations of "source" texts in translation?This study introduces philosophy students and professionals to the "logotectonic" method of conception as developed by Heribert Boeder, a pupil of Ma

The presence of a large number of cell phone towers on the roofs of buildings inside cities raises several questions about whether the radiated electromagnetic frequency (EMF) and power spectrum density (PSD) affect the population even if the towers were installed based on the exiting conditions and standards in the cities. This paper aims to answer all these ambiguous questions by measuring the emitted EMF from the local towers built in a small city of Al-Kut in Iraq. This study was set to investigate the health impact of EMF radiation from the cell phone towers and determine how this EMF effects on the human immunity to diseases. The practical measurements were obtained using the EMF meter and the global positioning system (GPS) and employing the geographical information system (GIS). In this paper, two study groups were selected. The first one lived in the area with three installed towers at distance of 50–100 m between them. The second group resided in the area where towers were installed outside its borders at distances of more than 500 m. The results show that the first group suffers from a health problem much more than the second one. In addition, a high percentage of residences were the most educated, but the less knowledgeable people about EMF radiation impacts at long-term exposure, a fact that can be attributed to the academic curriculum deficiency. Therefore, the study has recommended integrating environmental concepts in the governmental institutions and organizations for all mature persons, irrespective of their academic qualification, to increase people's awareness about this topic.

The presence of a large number of cell phone towers on the roofs of buildings inside cities raises several questions about whether the radiated electromagnetic frequency (EMF) and power spectrum density (PSD) affect the population even if the towers were installed based on the exiting conditions and standards in the cities. This paper aims to answer all these ambiguous questions by measuring the emitted EMF from the local towers built in a small city of Al-Kut in Iraq. This study was set to investigate the health impact of EMF radiation from the cell phone towers and determine how this EMF effects on the human immunity to diseases. The practical measurements were obtained using the EMF meter and the global positioning system (GPS) and employing the geographical information system (GIS). In this paper, two study groups were selected. The first one lived in the area with three installed towers at distance of 50–100 m between them. The second group resided in the area where towers were installed outside its borders at distances of more than 500 m. The results show that the first group suffers from a health problem much more than the second one. In addition, a high percentage of residences were the most educated, but the less knowledgeable people about EMF radiation impacts at long-term exposure, a fact that can be attributed to the academic curriculum deficiency. Therefore, the study has recommended integrating environmental concepts in the governmental institutions and organizations for all mature persons, irrespective of their academic qualification, to increase people's awareness about this topic.

This first report of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment describes the conceptual framework that is being used in the MA. It is not a formal assessment of the literature, but rather a scientifically informed presentation of the choices made by the assessment team in structuring the analysis and framing the issues. The conceptual framework elaborated in this report describes the approach and assumptions that will underlie the analysis conducted in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The framework was developed through interactions among the experts involved in the MA as well as stakeholders who will use its findings. It represents one means of examining the linkages between ecosystems and human well-being that is both scientifically credible and relevant to decision-makers. This framework for analysis and decision-making should be of use to a wide array of individuals and institutions in government, the private sector, and civil society that seek to incorporate considerations of ecosystem services in their assessments, plans, and actions.

This paper explores personal assistance – a practice considered crucial for supporting the independence and social inclusion of disabled people. The starting point of the analysis is the presumption that the significance of personal assistance goes well beyond welfare, touching upon existential-ontological issues. In order to uncover these issues, a phenomenological approach is used. The aim is to highlight the understanding of human being which is mediated by an internationally prominent model of personal assistance, to wit, the one promoted by the European Independent Living advocates, as described by Adolf Ratzka (2004a). It is argued that despite its liberal-individualist assertions the scheme described by Ratzka presupposes a distributed, relational understanding of human being. A case study of recent disability-related activism in Bulgaria is developed in order to further substantiate this claim. In conceptual terms, then, the paper adds a fresh perspective to the debates on individualist vs. collectivist approaches to disability equality. This perspective is informed by the phenomenological insights of Martin Heidegger and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. In policy terms the paper argues for the necessity of promoting and supporting disabled people's self-organizing, most importantly peer support and advocacy activities.