Resisting socioeconomic apartheid through tourism microentrepreneurship in Bahía de Banderas — Puerto Vallarta

Despite receiving harsh criticisms from academia, the model of enclave tourism continues to be widely implemented by transnational conglomerates. Accordingly, enclave mass tourism development, materialized in the form of all-inclusive, self-contained resorts, may create apparent socioeconomic apartheid at destinations, through removing locals from tourist spaces where host-guest exchanges are most likely to occur. However, preliminary results from a qualitative study being conducted in Bahía de Banderas — Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, suggest that despite adverse conditions, microentrepreneurs are still able to glean some economic opportunities. Microentrepreneurs must be extremely judicious in how they choose to take advantage of available opportunities; there seems to be a thin line between moderate success on the one hand and total failure on the other, with immediate repercussions in their livelihoods

The Effect of Synergies Between the Informal and Formal Tourism Sectors on Farmers’ Tourism Microentrepreneurial Intentions

Leveraging the popularity of the foodie scene, signature farm tourism is emerging as one of the most promising niches for tourism microentrepreneurs. However, both psychological and structural constraints seem to be holding farmers back in their intention to start offering farm experiences or expanding their existing farm tourism portfolio. We argue that Permatourism-enabled bridging social capital affords farmers sources of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, which enhances entrepreneurial intention. To test our conceptual model, we surveyed 207 farmers in NC and used SEM to examine relationships between constructs. The analysis revealed an adequate model fit and strong significant relationships between bridging social capital and both dimensions of tourism microentrepreneurial self-efficacy. Internal self-efficacy was strongly and significantly associated with entrepreneurial intention, while external self-efficacy was non-significant. We provide meaning to these results through triangulation with qualitative data from five years of participatory action-research with farm tourism microentrepreneurs

Harmful Elements in Estuarine and Coastal Systems

Estuaries and coastal zones are dynamic transitional systems which provide many economic and ecological benefits to humans, but also are an ideal habitat for other organisms as well. These areas are becoming contaminated by various anthropogenic activities due to a quick economic growth and urbanization. This chapter explores the sources, chemical speciation, sediment accumulation and removal mechanisms of the harmful elements in estuarine and coastal seawaters. It also describes the effects of toxic elements on aquatic flora and fauna. Finally, the toxic element pollution of the Venice Lagoon, a transitional water body located in the northeastern part of Italy, is discussed as a case study, by presenting the procedures adopted to measure the extent of the pollution, the impacts on organisms and the restoration activities

Facilitating Student Participation in Service Learning and Applied Research-based Partnerships: Developing the Capacity of a Next Generation of Professional Partners

Presenters, including university faculty and a community partner, will describe strategies for developing students’ capacity for work in community-university partnerships, particularly via community-based applied research, program evaluation, consultation, advocacy, and service. The community partner directs a children’s intermediary organization with which university faculty (and others) have partnered, one that has provided valuable practicum training for students and has played an instrumental role in community initiatives. The university faculty teach graduate and undergraduate courses; two co-direct a community psychology research lab involved in efforts with public education, mental health, child welfare, and public housing programs, while another’s lab focuses on community development and the promotion of health and well-being. The presenters will discuss several community initiatives, the partnerships involved in the efforts, and the roles and opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in these partnerships. Presenters will describe: (1) a partnership involving multiple agencies, a challenged school, and university faculty and students, designed to implement a coordinated approach to address the comprehensive needs of families; (2) a pilot data-based evaluation and coaching effort to support a new model of service delivery in public housing; (3) a multi-component partnership intended to reduce disparities in child welfare; and (4) an interdisciplinary partnership between a university and city government to identify and promote community assets. They will also detail learning objectives, student roles, the nature of the training experiences, and the specific competencies developed. The respective roles of faculty and community partners in creating these opportunities (whether via faculty research labs or program curricula), supporting and mentoring students, and providing developmentally-appropriate supervision and guidance to students of varying experience levels will be discussed. Additionally, presenters will highlight ‘lessons learned’ in these training experiences, noting specific strengths and benefits, elements that have been less successful, and actionable strategies that may be generalizable to other sites

Geochemistry of rainfall at Stromboli volcano (Aeolian Islands): isotopic model and plume-rain interaction

The chemical and isotopic compositions of the precipitation at Stromboli Island, Italy, were investigated between October 2003 and October 2005. We employed a rain gauge network designed to cover the range in exposures and elevations of the volcanic edifice. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios vary greatly on a seasonal basis and correlate with air temperature. Deuterium excess values show a positive correlation with altitude. No direct contribution of volcanogenic H or O is evident in the isotopic composition of the rainwater. The chemical composition of the rainwater is principally controlled by the sea aerosol contribution at the coastal sites, whereas it is significantly influenced by volcanic activity near the summit vents. Interaction with volcanic acid gases is indicated by the pH, which is usually 1–2 units lower near the craters than at the coastal sites. The S/Cl, Cl/F, and S/F molar ratios in rainwater 1.5 km from the craters are consistent with those measured in the volcanic plume using other methods (diffusive tubes and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). Rising of undegassed magmas changes these molar ratios because of the differential degassing of sulphur, chlorine, and fluorine from the magma. We therefore propose that the chemical composition of precipitation, within 1.5 km of the craters, provides additional information that is useful for monitoring volcanic activity at Stromboli Island. Moreover, this paper presents estimates of the fluxes of F, Cl, S, Na, K, Ca, and Mg to the soil that could be useful for geochemical studies on groundwater