Consumerscapes y la lógica cultural en lugares de consumo

This paper sketches a consumer-centric approach of urban retailing, broadening the conceptual framework of the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) developed by Eric Arnould for stores to the shopping districts. We intend to show why consumerscapes matter for understanding the cultural dimension of urban retailscapes and the role they play in the consumers’ daily-lives. In this context we briefly describe the CCT and its potential for the assessment of shopping places as fields of resources. The discussion will be conducted both in a theoretical and empirical way, supported by a case study analyzing consumers’ perceptions of Colinas do Cruzeiro, a quarter situated in the outskirts of Lisbon.En este artículo se presenta una aproximación al comercio urbano centrada en el consumidor, ampliando el marco conceptual de la Teoría de la Cultura del Consumo (TCC), desarrollada por Eric Arnould para las tiendas para las áreas comerciales de la ciudad. La intención es de demostrar por qué la percepción de los paisajes de los consumidores es importante en la comprensión de la dimensión cultural de los lugares de compras, así como su papel en la vida cotidiana. En este contexto, se describe brevemente la TCC y su potencial para la evaluación de los espacios comerciales como fuentes de recursos. La discusión será tanto teórica como empírica, apoyándose para el efecto en las percepciones del barrio de las Colinas do Cruzeiro, ubicado en los suburbios de Lisboa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Consumerscapes and the resilience assessment of urban retail systems

Despite the plethora of studies on the behavior and values of consumers, research in the social sciences tends to sideline the role of the cultural dimension of consumption in the assessment of vitality and resilience of urban retail systems. However, given the tendency for retailers to make consumers a key element in their strategies, the cultural approach seems to be a valuable alternative to firm-centric analysis. This paper seeks to face this challenge mobilizing the lens of Consumer Culture Theory (CCT). The aim is to show why consumerscapes matter in the assessment of urban retail resilience. According to Arnould (2005), CCT allows us to capture the motivating social and cultural contexts of retail patronage and purchasing behaviors and the myriad of motivating factors behind the retail purchase decision. People have a variety of projects that they tend to realize through shopping practices and consumption, and retailers offer the range of resources they need to accomplish such projects. Bearing these ideas in mind, we suggest that in order to assess the resilience of urban retailing we need to know the extent to which the different shopping districts provide consumers with the range of resources they want so as to fulfill their projects, and how retailers and public authorities can, in the long term, sustain or improve the levels of consumer satisfaction. These ideas are discussed both in a theoretical and empirical way supported by the data collected from consumer surveys carried out in three neighborhood shopping districts in Greater Lisbon.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Human Brain in Numbers: A Linearly Scaled-up Primate Brain

The human brain has often been viewed as outstanding among mammalian brains: the most cognitively able, the largest-than-expected from body size, endowed with an overdeveloped cerebral cortex that represents over 80% of brain mass, and purportedly containing 100 billion neurons and 10× more glial cells. Such uniqueness was seemingly necessary to justify the superior cognitive abilities of humans over larger-brained mammals such as elephants and whales. However, our recent studies using a novel method to determine the cellular composition of the brain of humans and other primates as well as of rodents and insectivores show that, since different cellular scaling rules apply to the brains within these orders, brain size can no longer be considered a proxy for the number of neurons in the brain. These studies also showed that the human brain is not exceptional in its cellular composition, as it was found to contain as many neuronal and non-neuronal cells as would be expected of a primate brain of its size. Additionally, the so-called overdeveloped human cerebral cortex holds only 19% of all brain neurons, a fraction that is similar to that found in other mammals. In what regards absolute numbers of neurons, however, the human brain does have two advantages compared to other mammalian brains: compared to rodents, and probably to whales and elephants as well, it is built according to the very economical, space-saving scaling rules that apply to other primates; and, among economically built primate brains, it is the largest, hence containing the most neurons. These findings argue in favor of a view of cognitive abilities that is centered on absolute numbers of neurons, rather than on body size or encephalization, and call for a re-examination of several concepts related to the exceptionality of the human brain

Coordinated Scaling of Cortical and Cerebellar Numbers of Neurons

While larger brains possess concertedly larger cerebral cortices and cerebella, the relative size of the cerebral cortex increases with brain size, but relative cerebellar size does not. In the absence of data on numbers of neurons in these structures, this discrepancy has been used to dispute the hypothesis that the cerebral cortex and cerebellum function and have evolved in concert and to support a trend towards neocorticalization in evolution. However, the rationale for interpreting changes in absolute and relative size of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum relies on the assumption that they reflect absolute and relative numbers of neurons in these structures across all species – an assumption that our recent studies have shown to be flawed. Here I show for the first time that the numbers of neurons in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum are directly correlated across 19 mammalian species of four different orders, including humans, and increase concertedly in a similar fashion both within and across the orders Eulipotyphla (Insectivora), Rodentia, Scandentia and Primata, such that on average a ratio of 3.6 neurons in the cerebellum to every neuron in the cerebral cortex is maintained across species. This coordinated scaling of cortical and cerebellar numbers of neurons provides direct evidence in favor of concerted function, scaling and evolution of these brain structures, and suggests that the common notion that equates cognitive advancement with neocortical expansion should be revisited to consider in its stead the coordinated scaling of neocortex and cerebellum as a functional ensemble

Modelling long-term worker´s compensation : an application to a general insurance company

Mestrado em Ciências ActuariaisThis paper resumes the main findings from modeling life underwriting risks to which Worker´s Compensation is exposed. Models presented aim to shorten the path between ad hoc procedures in place and the new capital requirements foreseen by Solvency II. The legal framework of this line of business is primarily explained as it is determinant for modeling purposes. We then provide a discussion about risk models in use, major options, assumptions and other relevant issues that were regarded when modeling this line of business

The social intervention in the context of natural, technological and social hazards

A evolução epistemológica da teoria do risco, nas suas perspectivas físico-natural, tecnológica e social será objectivo principal deste artigo. Neste cenário merece destaque a posição de charneira da geografia permitindo centralizar o contexto social do risco nas suas interacções com os fenómenos naturais, tecnológicos e ambientais, bem como a afirmação da interdependência “do social” como factor e tipo de risco. Serão discutidos determinados aspectos metodológicos do risco, desde a sua percepção e o seu grau de vulnerabilidade, à sua manifestação e representação social, amplificação e atenuação, até à sua prevenção e mitigação, por via da contingência, destacando-se a intervenção ao nível da educação social. A transversalidade do tema riscos não pode nem deve prescindir da intervenção social, e esta deve ser crítica ao nível das políticas de combate aos riscos que se impõem à sociedade

Medidas de satisfação e motivação para o lazer em adolescentes: um estudo de validação

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia (área de especialização em Psicologia Clinica)O lazer tem assumido um papel fundamental na vida dos indivíduos, exercendo sobre estes uma grande influência, nomeadamente num período de transição como a adolescência. Uma maior satisfação e motivação para o lazer estão associadas a um desenvolvimento positivo, assim como a uma maior satisfação com a vida e bem-estar psicológico. O objetivo deste estudo foi validar e avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da ESL - Escala de Satisfação no Lazer (Beard & Ragheb, 1980) e a EML - Escala de Motivação para o Lazer (Beard & Ragheb, 1983) para os adolescentes portugueses. Um total de 786 adolescentes participou deste estudo. Ambos os instrumentos apresentaram bons níveis de consistência interna e validade. A análise fatorial confirmatória apresentou valores aceitáveis e confirmaram a estrutura fatorial da ESL (Beard & Ragheb, 1980) e da EML (Beard & Ragheb, 1983). Concluiu-se ainda que o adolescente em Portugal se encontra bastante motivado e satisfeito com as suas experiências de lazer.Leisure has been assuming a fundamental role in the lives of individuals, acting a major influence on them, particularly in a period of transition as adolescence. Greater satisfaction and leisure motivation are associated with positive development, as well as greater life satisfaction and psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the LSS-Leisure Satisfaction Scale (Beard & Ragheb, 1980) and the LMS-Leisure Motivation Scale (Beard & Ragheb, 1983) towards the portuguese adolescents. A total of 786 adolescents participated in this study. Both instruments showed good levels of internal consistency and validity. The confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable values and confirmed the factorial structure of the LSS (Beard & Ragheb, 1980) and the LMS (Beard & Ragheb, 1983). It was also concluded that the Portuguese adolescents is very motivated and satisfied with their leisure experiences