Suchergebnisse

Earth System Modelling is a modern approach for studying the complexity of the world and has become integral to the environmental and climate change discourse. It has enabled the possibility of research into areas previously unreachable and has led to the discovery of some of the most complex phenomena on the planet such as Chaos Theory. The exponential growth of computer capabilities has led to an impressive advance in the recognition of complexity and uncertainty. It has also opened up the path for a new scientific paradigm, post normal science. Decisions increasingly have to be made within this framework. Incomplete or poorly understood information provided by models is, despite modelling uncertainties, increasingly dictating the frontiers and interface of science and politics. Modelling, like any tool, has its advantages and disadvantages. This paper critically evaluates, through a comprehensive literature review, some of the benefits, limitations and controversies that surround models and questions their utilisation in the scientific quest for "truth" within the climate change debate. It also looks into the future of climate modelling and post normal science based decision making for a sustainable world. ; Earth System Modelling is a modern approach for studying the complexity of the world and has become integral to the environmental and climate change discourse. It has enabled the possibility of research into areas previously unreachable and has led to the discovery of some of the most complex phenomena on the planet such as Chaos Theory. The exponential growth of computer capabilities has led to an impressive advance in the recognition of complexity and uncertainty. It has also opened up the path for a new scientific paradigm, post normal science. Decisions increasingly have to be made within this framework. Incomplete or poorly understood information provided by models is, despite modelling uncertainties, increasingly dictating the frontiers and interface of science and politics. Modelling, like any tool, has its advantages and disadvantages. This paper critically evaluates, through a comprehensive literature review, some of the benefits, limitations and controversies that surround models and questions their utilisation in the scientific quest for "truth" within the climate change debate. It also looks into the future of climate modelling and post normal science based decision making for a sustainable world.

It is often claimed that participation empowers local actors and that an inclusive decision-making process is crucial for rural development. We aim to investigate how formal and informal rules are set in local decision-making processes and how those rules may impact the actual level of participation by local actors. In a comparative case study, the rules-in-use for the planning of community projects in Thailand are examined. For our analysis, we use the Institutional Analysis and Development framework, which allows for more precise analysis of the impact of the rules. Fifty-three villages are served by four selected Tambon Administrative Organisations (TAO) which are either known for success in achieving participation or ranked as problematic in implementing the decentralization and local participation goals of the Thai government. The study is based on 60 semi-structured interviews with TAO staff, a survey of village leaders in 50 villages and a household survey of 104 villagers. We scrutinize seven types of rules and show some particular differences in terms of the impact from the rules-in-use. In the TAOs ranked as less participatory, the attendance rate in the meetings is found to be lower (boundary rule), villagers are informed about a meeting with a shorter notice (information rule) and more villagers mention that elites interfere in the project selection process (aggregation rule). A high level of fuzziness appeared in the position and authority rules. Further, we obtained information on the particular deontic logic, showing generally a high share of de facto may-statements in the implementation of the rules. We conclude that if the policy goal is enhancing participation, rule-setting offers good scope for intervention. From a practical perspective, information on administrative procedures has to be made more accessible and public administrators should receive procedural training.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Population and Development))--National Institute of Development Administration, 2008 ; [preview](https://repository.nida.ac.th/bitstream/662723737/371/7/nida-diss-b158763.pdf.jpg)

"Priming in Political Judgment and Decision Making" published on by Oxford University Press.

For consolidation of democracies, political scientists recognize the normative ideal that civil society should be given an enhanced role in political decision-making. Analysis of such role is very central to the study of political science and especially for democratic theory. To assess such role, one needs to understand civil society organizations' interactions with the larger political system and its actors, their activeness in policy making processes and impact of all these over policy outcomes. This article first examines the content and methods of the literature on the impacts of the European Union (EU) process over the transformation of civil society realm in Turkey. The article points to lack of empirical research within this literature on the civil society organizations' characteristics of involvement to decision making processes. In this respect, the article reveals the convenience of the methodological approaches of the literature on interest group influence and demonstrates how the literature on Turkish civil society can benefit from these contributions. The article draws attention to the need for future studies to empirically assess the characteristics and transformation of Turkish civil society's participation to the decision-making processes.