Sexuality and power on South African game farms; reflections on positionality and emotions in ethnographic research

Abstract: The taboo around researchers’ sexualities and sexual experiences in ethnographic field work persists. We found that our sexuality, alongside physical and emotional experiences, were pivotal to how we shaped research relations and processes. This evokes questions around how we reflect on our positionalities and the knowledge we generate. We argue that ethnographic accounts are strengthened by inclusive reflexivity, that acknowledges sex and sexuality. This article presents empirical material from field experiences on South African game farms. These spaces tend to represent a particular image of wilderness, constructed according to patriarchal and racist hierarchies, which heighten contestations over belonging. As such they become spaces of violence, seduction, and power, and we found ourselves (neither minds nor bodies) unable to detach from these spatial and emotional dynamics. Our strategies for ‘being in the field’ came to evolve around negotiations of power, sex and complicity. The emotional dynamics made us feel confused, bewildered and sometimes scared. We seek to share our experiences and feelings, and to contribute to discussion on the role of sexuality in ethnographic research, and the epistemological, methodological and practical advantages of reflecting on the ways we engage in the field

Power and politics in stakeholder engagement : farm dweller (in-)visibility and conversions to game farming in South Africa

Abstract: In this contribution we discuss tensions inherent in multi-stakeholder approaches addressing conflicts over natural resources as well as the involvement of stakeholders in research. The article is built on knowledge generated by extensive research on the impacts of conversions of private farms to game farms in South Africa, where significant increases in farm conversions have been observed since the 1990s. The studies had a particular focus on the consequences for farm dwellers, one of the most marginalised groups in the South African countryside. The research findings challenge the dominant narrative that game farming offers a ‘win-win’ situation for nature conservation as well as rural development. Based on data from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, we extended the narrow technical and economic framing of the narrative to include the socio-political meanings of the conversions. In this article we reflect on a series of multi-stakeholder workshops that we organized, partly as a requirement of the funding agency. The aims of the workshops were to disseminate our research findings amongst the stakeholder groups and explore ways to mitigate negative impacts of the conversions. We discuss how we organized the engagement process in ways that sought to address the power differences between game farmers, the State and farm dwellers. The main challenge appeared to be that farm dwellers were not recognized as stakeholders. This ‘invisibility’ has multiple reasons; in particular the historical and current trajectories of land dispossession. It is also linked to the specific institutional and personal relations in the two provinces, resulting in different uses of the workshop spaces. By considering the complexities of stakeholder relations in the farm conversion context, we gained a deeper understanding of the politics of land and belonging in the still unequal post-apartheid rural landscape. Based on the experiences from the research as well as the workshops, we take a critical stance regarding mainstream notions of stakeholder engagement and resilience building. We argue that if we fail to consider power relations and politics explicitly in these processes, we risk neglecting important conflicts and reproducing the invisibility of marginalized stakeholders

Using soil function evaluation in multi-criteria decision analysis for sustainability appraisal of remediation alternatives

Soil contamination is one of the major threats constraining proper functioning of the soil and thus provision of ecosystem services. Remedial actions typically only address the chemical soil quality by reducing total contaminant concentrations to acceptable levels guided by land use. However, emerging regulatory requirements on soil protection demand a holistic view on soil assessment in remediation projects thus accounting for a variety of soil functions. Such a view would require not only that the contamination concentrations are assessed and attended to, but also that other aspects are taking into account, thus addressing also physical and biological as well as other chemical soil quality indicators (SQIs). This study outlines how soil function assessment can be a part of a holistic sustainability appraisal of remediation alternatives using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The paper presents a method for practitioners for evaluating the effects of remediation alternatives on selected ecological soil functions using a suggested minimum data set (MDS) containing physical, biological and chemical SQIs. The measured SQls are transformed into sub-scores by the use of scoring curves, which allows interpretation and the integration of soil quality data into the MCDA framework. The method is demonstrated at a study site (Marieberg, Sweden) and the results give an example of how soil analyses using the suggested MDS can be used for soil function assessment and subsequent input to the MCDA framework

Market Integration of HVDC Lines: Cost Savings from Loss Allocation and Redispatching

In the Nordic region, many interconnectors are formed by HVDC links, as Scandinavia, Continental Europe and the Baltic region are non-synchronous AC systems. This paper presents two cost benefit analyses on the utilization of HVDC interconnectors in the Nordic countries: in the first we investigate the utilization of HVDC interconnectors for reserve procurement and, in the second, we assess the implementation of implicit grid losses on HVDC interconnectors in the day-ahead market. The first analysis is motivated by real events in 2018 where the inertia of the Nordic system dropped below a critical level and the most critical generating unit, a nuclear power plant in Sweden, was redispatched to guarantee the security of the system. In order to guarantee system security while reducing the costs of preventive actions, in summer 2020 new frequency products were introduced in the Nordic system: the Fast Frequency Reserves (FFR). HVDC lines, however, can perform similar tasks at lower costs. In our analysis, we are, thus, investigating the cost savings of using HVDC lines for frequency support using their Emergency Power Control (EPC) functionality, instead of redispatching or FFR. The second analysis is based on the proposition of Nordic Transmission System Operators (TSOs) to introduce linear HVDC loss factors in the market clearing. With our analysis, we show that linear loss factors can unfairly penalize one HVDC line over the other, and this can reduce social benefits and jeopardize revenues of merchant HVDC lines. In this regard, we propose piecewise-linear loss factors: a simple-to-implement but highly-effective solution. Moreover, we demonstrate how the introduction of HVDC loss factors is a partial solution, since it disproportionally increases the AC losses. Our results show that the additional inclusion of AC loss factors can eliminate this problem.Comment: Submitted to "CIGRE Centennial Exhibition 2021" on December 15, 2020. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1910.05607, arXiv:2001.0066

History of Orthodontic Treatment, Treatment Needs and Influencing Factors in Adolescents in Croatia

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the orthodontic treatment needs of adolescents in Zagreb, Croatia, in relation to their orthodontic treatment history, caries experience and socio-demographic parameters. Methods: The study sample comprised 1,289 adolescents from 12 randomly selected public schools in Zagreb, Croatia. The subjects were 15-18 years old (mean age 16.3±1.4), and 51% of them were girls. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), the sum of the numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT index), and a questionnaire (covering socio-demographic issues, oral health-related attitudes and behaviours) were employed in this study. The data was analyzed by means of Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and multiple logistic regression models. Results: The DMFT score was higher in adolescents with no orthodontic history (5.2±3.7) than in those who were under orthodontic treatment at the time of the research (4.5±3.2; p=0.043). More than 60% of the adolescents have never undergone any orthodontic treatment, around 24% previously undergone treatment and 15% were under treatment at the time of the research. Overall, 85% of the adolescents' orthodontic appliances were removable, and the girls were more often under orthodontic treatment. One fifth of the studied population had severe or very severe malocclusion. Adolescents with previous orthodontic treatment were more often interested in better teeth alignment, changes in their teeth positioning and continuing orthodontic treatment. Multiple logistic regression model demonstrated that previously treated adolescents, in comparison with their untreated peers, were on average older (p=0.002), were less satisfied with the appearance of their teeth (p=0.001), they had higher malocclusion severity (p=0.046), and fewer dental caries (p<0.001), changed toothbrushes more often (p=0.012), and their mothers attained higher education (p<0.001). Conclusions: Although many adolescents received orthodontic treatment, the severity of their malocclusion was still somewhat high, and they were more often dissatisfied with their treatment outcome. Mothers' educational level was found to be the most important socio-demographic predictor for children's involvement in orthodontic treatment. The caries experience increased in comparison with the Croatian national survey data from 1999

Starting the conversation: land issues and critical conservation studies in post-colonial Africa

This thematic issue brings together the scholarly fields of critical conservation studies and African land issues, a relationship largely unexplored to date. The alienation of land for conservation purposes, introduced to Africa under colonial rule and still taking place today, has fundamental impacts on the politics of land and land use, and is contested in contemporary nation-states - including those that are attempting to implement land restitution and reform. The contributors explore these issues in a range of African contexts. Three key themes are identified: the problematic constructions of ‘community’ by outside agencies; spatial exclusion and the silencing of local voices; and the neoliberalisation of conservation spaces. In contributing to new perspectives on these themes, this thematic issue shows how discourses and practices of conservation, increasingly shaped by neoliberalism, currently impact on land ownership, access and use. It further highlights some important historical continuities. These trends can be observed in transfrontier conservation areas, on state-owned land used for conservation and ‘green’ initiatives, but also on private land where conservation is increasingly turned to commercial purposes.International Bibliography of Social Science

Lpo 94 och Lgr 11 - en jämförelse från formulering till realisering

    Syftet var att studera kursplanerna i ämnet Idrott och hälsa samt göra en i jämförelse mellan Lgr 11 och Lpo 94. Det genomfördes även en undersökning för att se vad verksamma lärare i idrott och hälsa har fått för konsekvenser efter att Lgr 11 infördes. I studien studeras vad de verksamma lärarna ser för för- och nackdelar med Lgr 11. Frågorna som ställde var; ”Vad skiljer Lgr11 från Lpo94?” ”Hur ser verksamma lärare i idrott och hälsa på Lgr 11 i jämförelse med Lpo 94 ?” Studien har genomförts med hjälp av en textanalys av kursplanerna i skolämnet Idrott och hälsa utifrån Lgr 11 och Lpo 94 samt intervjuer. Intervjuerna har genomförts hos sex verksamma lärare i Idrott och hälsa på olika grundskolor i västra Sverige. Materialet har sedan sammanställts var för sig och därefter har de diskuterats. Resultatet från studien visar på att ämnet idrott och hälsa har blivit mer teoretiskt, de verksamma lärarna anser att ämnet är brett och tufft för eleverna att nå de betyg de strävar efter. Att lyfta detta problemområde har varit en viktig fråga då lärarutbildningen till störst del har behandlat Lpo 94 och undervisningen nu mera sker efter Lgr 11. Detta är viktigt då man inte vill falla tillbaka på gamla kunskaper som speglar Lpo 94

vad som motiverar elever i årskurs 8

Att utföra fysisk aktivitet har funnits sedan långt bak i tiden. Motiven till varför har varit varierade beroende på tidsepok och motionär. Därför var syftet med den här undersökningen att ta reda på vad det är som motiverar elever i årskurs 8 till att utföra fysisk aktivitet på fritiden. Förutom att undersöka vilka motiven var ville vi även se om det förekom några skillnader mellan flickor och pojkar. Resultatet framtogs genom en kvantitativ metod som bestod enkätundersökning. Resultatet av undersökningen blev att pojkarnas svar var det som överraskade oss genom att ange roligt som det allra främsta motivet för att utföra fysisk aktivitet på fritiden medan flickorna överaskade oss med att i större skala än pojkarna ange prestation som motiv. Utöver detta stämde elevernas svar väl överens med vad tidigare forskning kommit fram till då kropp, hälsa och det sociala också var starka motiv. För att se utformningen av frågeformuläret ligger detta som bilaga. Tanken med undersökningen var även att kunna använda resultatet i vår kommande profession som lärare i Idrott och hälsa. Det är viktigt att vara medveten om hur ungdomar tänker kring fysisk aktivitet, vad som är viktigast för dem. Det är viktigt som lärare att ha förståelse för sina elever och genom det här resultatet ska vi kunna planera och genomföra lektioner som både uppfyller kursplanen men även elevernas intressen

Female Empowerment and HIV : Fighting Gender Roles and a Deadly Disease

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of female empowerment and NGOs in HIV-prevention. A case study from Babati, northern Tanzania, is presented as part of my investigation and will affiliate theory with reality. Further the study is based on feminist and postcolonial theory as well as gender perspectives on HIV and AIDS. A persons gender determines how vulnerable that person is to HIV and related consequences; I will claim that HIV and AIDS threaten women to a greater extent then men and that women’s abilities to empowerment are negatively affected as well. I will also claim that female empowerment is a necessary mean to prevent HIV and that this involves a more profound change than solely equal distribution of resources. My study will show how female subordination permeates all societal structures and how this is perceived by NGOs and others in Babati when addressing the HIV- pandemic and its effect on women. I will describe the grass-root actions taken by the NGOs to deal with this and what obstacles they encounter

Frozen in Time : Conservation, conflicts and constructs of 'nature' and 'culture' in the eMakhosini-Ophathe Heritage Park.

Game reserves and other forms of protected areas are growing in South Africa and particularly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. There is an experienced increase in the demand of wildlife production and nature tourism and game reserves are thought to be profitable and ideal for combining biodiversity conservation and tourism. People living in or adjacent to these areas however often contest the establishment of such, and reconciliation sometimes seems unattainable. This study investigates a current case in KwaZulu-Natal where local people dispute the development of the eMakhosini-Ophathe Heritage Park and as a result the completion of the park is delayed. The objectives of this study were to place the park in contexts relevant to the current conflicts, to identify the stakeholders and their perceptions and further to explain these. The underlying vision of the park was also investigated and this was co-analysed with the stakeholder analysis. The results showed a general negative view on park management but differing views on the park itself. This is explained with the notable difference on how stakeholders are affected by the park: some will benefit economically and some are supposed to relocate. Negative views on park management stem essentially from lack of trust and transparency and there are doubts in management’s capacity to develop and run the park. The vision of the park embodies a very static view of nature, culture and people; and when transformed into practice conflicts arise.Farm Dwellers the Forgotten People? Consequences of Conversions to Private Wildlife Production in KwaZulu-Natal (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa