Suchergebnisse

Ongoing problems achieving local population acceptance of coastal flood strategies threaten their implementation. A lack of meaningful engagement by all elements of potentially affected populations is seen as instrumental in this problem. This research assumes that multiple discourses exist on involvement with flood management, but that most are not engaged in decision-making. The aim is therefore to identify, and develop an approach for engaging with, all discourses related to flood management decision-making. Q methodology and follow-up interviews were used to identify both discourses and issues with current engagement strategies related to involvement in flood management in a case study population, controlled to allow for potential bias subject to the validity of the information deficit model, based in the Alde and Ore Estuary, Suffolk, UK. The five discourses included people who are knowledgeable; politically aware; sceptical and pragmatic; sceptical and locally attuned; and engaged or disengaged; in their perspectives on flood management. A workshop was subsequently held to identify engagement strategies that could engage with all discourses. Involvement of participants representing the range of existing discourses is argued to be necessary to lead to effective recommendations for more inclusive engagement approaches.

Ongoing problems achieving local population acceptance of coastal flood strategies threaten their implementation. A lack of meaningful engagement by all elements of potentially affected populations is seen as instrumental in this problem. This research assumes that multiple discourses exist on involvement with flood management, but that most are not engaged in decision-making. The aim is therefore to identify, and develop an approach for engaging with, all discourses related to flood management decision-making. Q methodology and follow-up interviews were used to identify both discourses and issues with current engagement strategies related to involvement in flood management in a case study population, controlled to allow for potential bias subject to the validity of the information deficit model, based in the Alde and Ore Estuary, Suffolk, UK. The five discourses included people who are knowledgeable; politically aware; sceptical and pragmatic; sceptical and locally attuned; and engaged or disengaged; in their perspectives on flood management. A workshop was subsequently held to identify engagement strategies that could engage with all discourses. Involvement of participants representing the range of existing discourses is argued to be necessary to lead to effective recommendations for more inclusive engagement approaches

Mystery Shopping as a research methodology in the domain of applied research
Jacqueline Smith & Karlijn Uijtewaal
The article introduces the qualitative research method of Mystery Shopping in the domain of applied research. To that end, its principles and applications are addressed. Next the methodological steps to be taken are outlined and procedures to be followed are presented. Finally, ethical issues regarding the use of Mystery Shopping are discussed.

Purpose.The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the cultural meanings that shape the breast cancer screening behavior of older African-American women.Design.Qualitative research methods elicited social and cultural themes related to breast cancer screening.Setting.Focus group interviews were conducted in the natural settings (churches, etc.) of older African-American women.Subjects.Interviews were conducted with 132 members from 14 social networks of older African-American women.Measures.A focus group guide asked about 1) perceived risk of breast cancer, 2) behavioral intentions about breast cancer screening, 3) health seeking behavior, and 4) social support.Results.For older African-American women: other health concerns are of more concern than breast cancer; age is generally not recognized as a risk factor for breast cancer; fear of finding breast cancer and its social consequences are salient barriers to mammography; they tend to rely on breast self-exam rather than mammography to detect a breast problem; cost may be more an issue of competing priorities than cost per se; the tradition is to go to doctors for a problem, not prevention; and women in their own social networks are important sources of social support for health concerns.Conclusions.These data offer explanations for mammography screening in older African-American women and emphasize the strength of naturally existing sources of social support for designing interventions to increase breast cancer screening.

Fears concerning US nuclear weapons capability; possible impact on international stability.