Gender differences in expressed satisfaction with care from adult children among older rural Yoruba

This paper examines the role of gender in the types of assistance received and the satisfaction expressed with the assistance by 30 older males and 30 older females in two rural Yoruba communities of Nigeria. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews. Results indicate that both groups receive instrumental and non-instrumental support from adult children and that females are more frequently satisfied with the assistance. Both sexes report greater satisfaction with assistance received from daughters than from sons. Older females satisfaction with assistance from children was also associated with a positive evaluation of old age, whereas no such association was found for the males. The paper concludes, in accordance with earlier authors, the centrality of adult females in elder care and the important role of supportive adult children to older womens' feelings of generativity and ego integrity

Letter to Philander Chase

E. Bickersteth updates Philander Chase on his new life in an agricultural village, where he keeps happy with his publications. He has sent a copy of one of his publications enclosed in the letter and hopes that he will meet with Chase again.https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/2034/thumbnail.jp

Ageing and national development in Nigeria: Costly assumptions and challenges for the future

The Nigeria ageing population is becoming increasingly visible with its attendant challenges. This article attempts to set the tone for a pragmatic discourse on “costly assumptions” being made on the issue in Nigeria and its attendant challenges. This is with a view of linking the ageing agenda to a broader developmental framework. The paper adopted a reflective theoretical viewpoint with desk review of evidence and secondary data.  The paper identified critical areas of costly assumptions and challenges as it relates to the Nigerian ageing population including the changing family structure and roles for the elderly; the high burden on children; physical health-care and medical needs; poor finances and income; and the need for public intervention. The concluding remark reiterated the need to assess and recognize the reality of the social changes and the effect of these changes on the elderly, now and in the future.

Gender and Age Differences in Safety-Oriented Personality Style or Phobicentric Psychopathology (SOPS/PCP)

This study investigates differences in gender and age in the Safety-Oriented Personality Style or Phobicentric Psychopathology (SOPS/PCP). Comparisons are made with Neuroticism in the Big 5 or Five Factor Model to further distinguish it from SOPS/PCP. The results show similarity in age but not gender differences between the two constructs. Also, the location of the participants (Canada or USA) was not significant. The study is an initial step in accumulating basic facts about SOPS/PCP

Promoting Psychological Wellbeing across the Life Span: Prospects and Challenges in Nigeria

Psychological wellbeing consists of two philosophical perspectives: hedonic and eudaimonic viewpoints. These paradigms are developed and changes overtime across life span subject to life course experiences influenced by the individual’s live experience. More importantly early years’ experience moderate individuals’ psychological wellbeing as being positive or negative with attendant consequences. Understanding psychological wellbeing across developmental life course provides useful insights for life adjustment as individual, families and groups to navigate life turbulence

Public alms solicitation among the Yoruba elderly in Nigeria

This paper reports on a pilot study of 108 Yoruba elderly persons engaged in public solicitation for alms in three major towns in south-western Nigeria. Data were collected through taped in-depth interviews of the elderly subjects on or near the locations in which they were soliciting alms. The aim of the study was to understand the circumstances which led to this choice of occupation. Specifically explored were the extent of the subjects' social embeddedness in their communities, their reasons for soliciting alms, and their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of this means of livelihood. It was found that the majority of the elderly beggars were those who for personal and health-related reasons "fell through " the informal traditional social safety net and for whom society provides no formal alternatives. These findings are used to draw attention to the increasing frailty of the extended family system in coping with the old-age demands in an increasingly urbanized and heterogeneous Nigerian society. The authors conclude that the need for formal social welfare services for poor, urban elderly persons is an imperative of equitable social developmen

The influence of mass tourism and hygroscopic inertia in relative humidity fluctuations of museums located in historical buildings

The preservation of artefacts in museum collections is profoundly affected by fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. This work presents the results of an experimental laboratorial study, conducted in a flow chamber to demonstrate the enormous potential of hygroscopic materials in stabilizing interior relative humidity. In order to assess the risk of mass tourism and hygroscopic inertia of finishing materials, associated with the hygrothermal behavior of museums, an analysis of several numerical scenarios, with a different number of visitors per hour, and finishing materials, in order to quantify the risks associated with the fluctuations of relative humidity. The results of sensitivity studies performed are presented for the case of a museum in Porto

Food systems for sustainable development: Proposals for a profound four-part transformation

Evidence shows the importance of food systems for sustainable development: they are at the nexus that links food security, nutrition, and human health, the viability of ecosystems, climate change, and social justice. However, agricultural policies tend to focus on food supply, and sometimes, on mechanisms to address negative externalities. We propose an alternative. Our starting point is that agriculture and food systems' policies should be aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This calls for deep changes in comparison with the paradigms that prevailed when steering the agricultural change in the XXth century. We identify the comprehensive food systems transformation that is needed. It has four parts: first, food systems should enable all people to benefit from nutritious and healthy food. Second, they should reflect sustainable agricultural production and food value chains. Third, they should mitigate climate change and build resilience. Fourth, they should encourage a renaissance of rural territories. The implementation of the transformation relies on (i) suitable metrics to aid decision-making, (ii) synergy of policies through convergence of local and global priorities, and (iii) enhancement of development approaches that focus on territories. We build on the work of the “Milano Group,” an informal group of experts convened by the UN Secretary General in Milan in 2015. Backed by a literature review, what emerges is a strategic narrative linking climate, agriculture and food, and calling for a deep transformation of food systems at scale. This is critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The narrative highlights the needed consistency between global actions for sustainable development and numerous local-level innovations. It emphasizes the challenge of designing differentiated paths for food systems transformation responding to local and national expectations. Scientific and operational challenges are associated with the alignment and arbitration of local action within the context of global priorities

Socially Just Triple-Wins? A Framework for Evaluating the Social Justice Implications of Climate Compatible Development

Climate compatible development (CCD) aims to help people improve their lives in the face of climate threats without exacerbating these threats for current and future generations. It is proving an attractive concept to both academics and practitioners. However, the social justice implications of CCD have not yet been comprehensively explored and an absence of adequate evaluation frameworks has led to multiple, legitimate cross-scalar social justice claims being marginalised. This article develops a framework to guide holistic social justice evaluation of CCD initiatives across levels and scales. Underpinning this framework is a social justice approach that embraces particularism, pluralism and procedural justice. Drawing on existing research, the framework is used to explore the implications of the Clean Development Mechanism for recognition, participation and distribution in the Least Developed Countries. Findings show that achieving social justice through CCD is not a given; rather, the social justice implications of CCD differ within and between levels and scales. We conclude by suggesting ways in which our framework can be applied to augment knowledge on CCD. Understanding the processes through which social justices and injustices are created is integral to considerations of whether and how CCD should be used to underpin a new development landscape