How much for your kidney? The rise of the global transplant tourism industry

The term 'Transplant Tourism' is becoming commonly used to describe any form of travel that serves in the attainment of new organs; this practice is utterly condemned by the medical community and the World Health Organisation. Medical Tourism involves tourists travelling to, 'obtain medical, dental and surgical care while simultaneously being holidaymakers' (Connell, 2006, p. 1094). British Medical Journal (2008) highlights that Medical Tourism is a billion dollar industry, where companies advertise health services and attract patients for a fraction of the price they would have paid at home (Turner, 2008a). However, the typically legitimate Medical Tourism industry's reputation is being tarnished by its association with Transplant Tourism. Human organs used in transplantation can be obtained in two ways: live organ donation or cadaveric organ procurement (Lamb, 1990). In general, recipients prefer having living donor transplants over deceased ones, as the former offer them a better chance of survival (Steinberg, 2004). There is a worldwide struggle to meet the demand for organs; the gap between supply and demand has stimulated global organ trade and transplant tourism. Transplant Tourism has been overlooked within tourism literature and hoping to begin a debate, this note investigates the concept of Transplant Tourism, outlining why it cannot, in general, be considered a legitimate part of the Medical Tourism industry

Geopolitical Imaginaries of the Space Shuttle Mission Patches

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Commercial hospitality : a vehicle for the sustainable empowerment of Nepali women

To illustrate how commercial hospitality has catalysed sustainable social change in Nepal through empowering women. Utilising a new framework, developed by combining existing theories, empowerment of women Tea House owners/ managers is assessed. Within a critical feminist paradigm, primary research consisting of interviews and participant observation was undertaken in Nepal over a three month period in the central region of Nepal. Involvement in the hospitality industry improved the livelihoods of the women Tea House owners/ managers, it also has the potential to facilitate sustainable empowerment for future generations, providing them with education, choice, control and opportunities. Although steps were taken to limit rhetorical issues, language barriers could have influenced the findings of the interviews. To fully investigate the potential for hospitality to act as a vehicle for the sustainable empowerment of women, it is suggested that this study be replicated again in another region or that a detailed ethnographic study be carried out. Demonstrates how the commercial hospitality industry can be a force for good; women working in the industry are agents of change, actively improving their levels of empowerment in their immediate environment. The commercial hospitality industry has pioneered the empowerment of women and this could lay the foundation for the further emancipation of women. To date, there has been limited research into the relationship between involvement in the commercial hospitality sector and the empowerment of women; this paper begins to fill this gap by investigating a tourist region of Nepal

The geology of the area east of Pofadder with emphasis on shearing associated with the Pofadder lineament, North West Cape

Bibliography: pages 110-117.To the east of Pofadder in Bushmanland, N.W. Cape, an area of some 3600 km² has been geologically mapped. Emphasis has been placed on the role of shearing in the deformation history of the area. The study area occurs within the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex and consists of gneisses, schists and quartzites. These rocks are overlain to the south by the Dwyka Formation of the Karoo Sequence. The rocks of the Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex have undergone polyphase deformation and have been mapped according to their fabric and composition. The Bushmanland Group consists of supracrustal rocks and the following lithologies have been mapped: quartzite (granular and glassy varieties), muscovite-quartz schist, calc-silicate gneiss, quartzo-feldspathic rocks (quartzo-feldspathic gneiss, leucogneiss and leptite), para-amphibolite gneiss and pelitic gneiss. Pre-tectonic intrusive rocks consist of the Nouzees Gabbronorite Suite, a mafic granulite, amphibolite and alkali-feldspar granitic gneisses. Syn to post-tectonic intrusive rocks include a granodiorite-tonalite suite, diorite, pegmatite and vein quartz. Dolerite is post-tectonic, most likely of Karoo age and occurs as sills and remnant hillocks. Non-diamondiferous kirnberlite pipes occur in the west and their emplacement appears to have been structurally controlled, being situated along the Nouzees shear zone

History, Sociology, Modernity : How Connect?

Special Issue on 'The State of Scottish History: Past, Present and Future'Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Protecting the past for the public good: archaeology and Australian heritage law

Archaeological remains have long been recognised as fragile evidence of the past, which require protection. Legal protection for archaeological heritage has existed in Australia for more than thirty years but there has been little analysis of the aims and effectiveness of that legislation by the archaeological profession. Much Australian heritage legislation was developed in a period where the dominant paradigm in archaeological theory and practice held that archaeology was an objective science. Australian legislative frameworks continue to strongly reflect this scientific paradigm and contemporary archaeological heritage management practice is in turn driven by these legislative requirements. This thesis examines whether archaeological heritage legislation is fulfilling its original intent. Analysis of legislative development in this thesis reveals that legislators viewed archaeological heritage as having a wide societal value, not solely or principally for the archaeological community. Archaeological heritage protection is considered within the broader philosophy of environmental conservation. As an environmental issue, it is suggested that a ‘public good’ conservation paradigm is closer to the original intent of archaeological heritage legislation, rather than the “scientific” paradigm which underlies much Australian legislation. Through investigation of the developmental history of Australian heritage legislation it is possible to observe how current practice has diverged from the original intent of the legislation, with New South Wales and Victoria serving as case studies. Further analysis is undertaken of the limited number of Australian court cases which have involved substantial archaeological issues to determine the court’s attitude to archaeological heritage protection. Situating archaeological heritage protective legislation within the field of environmental law allows the examination of alternate modes of protecting archaeological heritage and creates opportunities for ‘public good’ conservation outcomes. This shift of focus to ‘public good’ conservation as an alternative to narrowly-conceived scientific outcomes better aligns with current public policy directions including the sustainability principles, as they have developed in Australia, as well as indigenous rights of self-determination. The thesis suggests areas for legal reforms which direct future archaeological heritage management practice to consider the ‘public good’ values for archaeological heritage protection

Rural geographies in the wake of non‐representational theories

This paper draws on research conducted as part of a PhD studentship funded, jointly, by the University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute and draws on work directly from the related PhD thesis. I would like to thank Lorna Philip and Mags Currie for comments on various drafts of this paper as well as for their support during the research. I am grateful to Dan Swanton for his guidance that supported this research. I would like to thank the organisers, session chairs and audiences at the Meanings of the Rural conference in Aveiro (2015) and the New Voices in Rural Geography session at the American Association of Geographers Conference in Boston (2017), as well as to the support of the European Society for Rural Sociology. Ideas in this paper were particularly developed at the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) annual international conference where I was able to present in ‘Non-representational geographies: practices, pedagogies and writing’ session in London (2017) and learn from the associated panel discussion. I would like to thank the audiences, fellow presenters and panellists of this session in particular. Finally, to Lily Cartwright for her keen eye and support in the final editing of this paper.Peer reviewedPostprin

Geographies of the rural and the Covid-19 pandemic

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Love motels : oriental phenomenon or emergent sector?

This study explores the 'Love Motel' concept by examining the changing attitude of consumers in Taiwan. This will increase knowledge of the sector and define love motels. The literature review charts the development of Taiwanese love motels from a duel origin; American Motels and Japanese 'Love Hotels.' This is followed by an empirical qualitative study consisting of a two-stage collection strategy: focus groups of hospitality and tourism professionals to gather a wide range of opinions on the subject area followed by semi-structured interviews with consumers. The findings split into three interrelated areas: growth of Taiwanese love motels due to more liberal attitudes towards sexual practice; a change in the public perception of motels due to increased standards and an increased satisfaction with the personal consumption experience; these hotels are designed for couples. The empirical element of this study is an exploration of consumer experience in Taiwanese love hotels. Due to the sensitive nature of some of the data that was gathered a qualitative approach has been adopted. The sexual associations with this product appear almost coincidental. If the love motel product is considered in its purest form it is simply a hotel product that provides complete anonymity for its guests. Therefore, despite its application in South East Asia, this hospitality concept has potential to be applied in a variety of guises. The phenomenon of 'Love Hotels' is absent from hospitality management literature; this paper begins to fill that gap by beginning a discussion on this possibly controversial sector

'Valuing place in doctors’ decisions to work in remote and rural locations

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