Intersectional approach of everyday geography

Hour-by-hour variations in spatial distribution of gender, age and social class within cities remain poorly explored and combined in the segregation literature mainly centered on home places from a single social dimension. Taking advantage of 49 mobility surveys compiled together (385,000 respondents and 1,711,000 trips) and covering 60% of France's population, we consider variations in hourly populations of 2,572 districts after disaggregating population across gender, age and education level. We first isolate five district hourly profiles (two 'daytime attractive', two 'nighttime attractive' and one more 'stable') with very unequal distributions according to urban gradient but also to social groups. We then explore the intersectional forms of these everyday geographies. Taking as reference the dominant groups (men, middle-age and high educated people) known as concentrating hegemonic power and capital, we analyze specifically whether district hourly profiles of dominant groups diverge from those of the others groups. It is especially in the areas exhibiting strong increase or strong decrease of ambient population during the day that district hourly profiles not only combine the largest dissimilarities all together across gender, age and education level but are also widely more synchronous between dominant groups than between non-dominant groups (women, elderly and low educated people). These intersectional patterns shed new light on areas where peers are synchronously located over the 24-hour period and thus potentially in better position to interact and to defend their common interests.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures + Appendi

Quartiers et effets de quartier. Analyse de la variabilité de la taille des quartiers perçus dans l'agglomération parisienne

International audienceThe present paper aims to discuss standardized and rigid approaches to neighborhood existing in the literature on neighborhood effects. Investigating the perceived neighborhoods of 650 inhabitants of the Paris metropolitan area (« Santé, Inégalités et Ruptures Sociales » survey), we first analyze the variability in size of perceived neighborhoods according to the urban and social characteristics of residential areas, but also according to the sociodemographic profiles of inhabitants and their neighborhood experiences. As perceived neighborhoods are found to be five times larger in Paris than in small suburban municipalities and four times larger in rich than in poor areas, we aim to underline errors in estimation and interpretation of neighborhood effects which may emerge in studies when they consider « constant size neighborhoods » (e.g. administrative units or circular areas) and neglect the different capacities that populations have in experiencing their neighbourhood of residence.Cet article propose de discuter des approches rigides et standardisées du quartier qui prévalent dans les études sur les « effets de quartier ». En étudiant les zones que plus de 650 habitants de l'agglomération parisienne (enquête SIRS « Santé, Inégalités et Ruptures Sociales ») définissent comme étant leur quartier de résidence, il s’agit d’abord d’analyser comment la taille des quartiers perçus varie selon la morphologie urbaine et sociale des espaces résidentiels mais aussi selon le profil sociodémographique des habitants et leurs rapports au quartier. Après avoir constaté que les habitants de Paris intra-muros et des espaces socialement favorisés perçoivent leur quartier comme une zone sensiblement plus étendue que les autres habitants, l’idée est de souligner les erreurs de quantification et d'interprétation des effets de quartier auxquels s’exposent les études lorsqu’elles considèrent les quartiers comme des unités spatiales de taille constante (mailles administratives ou zones circulaires) et négligent ainsi les capacités différenciées des populations à s'approprier leur quartier de résidence

Comments on Melis et al. The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2015, 12, 14898-14915.

In a recent paper by Melis and colleagues [1], exposure to certain built environment characteristics-urban density and accessibility to public transit-is found to be related to mental health, even more so among women, the elderly, and the residentially stable (interactions between built environment and individual characteristics in relation to mental health have unfortunately not been tested statistically, which could have strengthened their demonstration).[...]

Résultats préliminaires de la fouille des kourganes de Yangi-rabat et Akdzhar-tépé dans la région de Samarkand (Ouzbékistan)

Depuis 2007, la MAFOuz de Sogdiane a élargi ses recherches aux populations nomades contemporaines de la période hellénistique établies à la périphérie de la plaine irriguée de Samarkand. Dans ce cadre, huit kourganes ont été fouillés. Cet article expose les principales caractéristiques structurelles de ces tombes.Since 2007, the MAFOuz of Sogdiana expanded its research to nomads, contemporary of the Hellenistic period, established on the outskirts of the irrigated plain of Samarkand. Eight kurgans were excavated. This article describes the main structural features of these graves

The added value of accounting for activity space when examining the association between tobacco retailer availability and smoking among young adults

Background: Despite a declining prevalence in many countries, smoking rates remain consistently high among young adults. Targeting contextual influences on smoking, such as the availability of tobacco retailers, is one promising avenue of intervention. Most studies have focused on residential or school neighbourhoods without accounting for other settings where individuals spend time, i.e., their activity space. We investigated the association between tobacco retailer availability in the residential neighbourhood and in the activity space and smoking status. Methods: Cross-sectional baseline data from 1,994 young adults (age 18-25) participating in the Interdisciplinary Study of Inequalities in Smoking (Montreal, Canada, 2011-2012) were analyzed. Residential and activity locations served to derive two measures of tobacco retailer availability: counts within 500-meter buffers and proximity to the nearest retailer. Prevalence ratios for the association between each tobacco retailer measure and smoking status were estimated using log-binomial regression. Results: Participants encountering high numbers of tobacco retailers in their residential neighbourhood, and both medium and high retailer counts in their activity space, were more likely to smoke compared to those exposed to fewer retailers. While residential proximity was not associated with smoking, we found 36% and 42% higher smoking prevalences among participants conducting activities within medium and high proximity to tobacco retailers compared to those conducting activities further from such outlets. Conclusion: This study adds to the sparse literature on contextual correlates of smoking among young adults, and illustrates the added value of considering individuals’ activity space in contextual studies of smoking

Editorial: Learn, by listening to the child in neoliberal schools

This Special Issue for the Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies emerged out of a disappointed search for literature on the experiences of neoliberal education as spoken by children and youth. While there is no shortage of work on the reverberations of market ideology within the structures, policies, and practices of schooling in the United States, an overwhelming majority of this is discussed through the reflective hindsight of the adult. Thus, we as editors, purposefully designed this issue to address the marginalization of a constituency who we believe can illuminate the state of schooling in ways that we as adults cannot. In this introduction, we put the child and youth in question by interrogating commonly held beliefs that regard such as natural,determined and predictable life stages defined by colloquial uptakes and developmental theories. With the aim of understanding these concepts as social productions, we present the following nine articles as examples of how children and youth are reclaiming discursive spaces both in and out of school sites, providing adult teachers, teacher educators, and policy-makers with experiential grounds upon which to rethink how neoliberal practices impact them as individual beings

Nutrigenetic testing for personalized nutrition : an evaluation of public perceptions, attitudes, and concerns in a population of French Canadians

Background/aims: This study aimed to evaluate attitudes, perceptions and concerns about nutrigenetic testing for personalized nutrition in the general population of the province of Quebec, in Canada. Methods: A total of 1425 individuals from the province of Quebec fully completed a 37 question online survey on nutrigenetics and were included in analyses. Chi-square tests were used to test for associations between categorical variables. Results: The majority of participants (93.3%) considered dietitians as the best professionals to give personalized dietary advice based on nutrigenetic testing. The main reported advantage for nutrigenetic testing was “health” (23.5%), followed by “disease prevention” (22.2%). Among disadvantages, “no disadvantage” (24.4%), followed by “diet restriction” (12.9%) were mostly reported. The two major concerns raised were the accessibility to genetic testing by telemarketing companies and spammers (51.8%), and solicitation by companies using the personal genetic data to sell products (48.6%). Conclusions: French Canadians generally have a positive attitude towards nutrigenetics and find many benefits to its use. They rose up possible confidentiality issues associated with the management or property of genetic test results. However education about confidentiality issues is still considerably needed. These findings overall suggest that the population is interested by a more extensive use of nutrigenetics in health management

Current knowledge and interest of French Canadians regarding nutrigenetics

Objective: The purpose of this study was to draw a global portrait of the current knowledge and interest regarding nutrigenetics in a population of French Canadians from the province of Quebec (Canada). Methods: A total of 2238 residents from the province of Quebec, Canada, were recruited via social networks and from the Laval University employees/students lists to participate to a 37-question online survey on nutrigenetics. Results: Most participants were not familiar with the term “nutrigenetics” (82.7%). Participants with good genetic literacy (26.8%) were less interested in nutrigenetic testing (p<0.0001). The vast majority of participants (90.7%) reported to be willing to follow a personalized diet based on nutrigenetic testing, especially if they came to know themselves as carriers of a polymorphism increasing the risk of certain diseases. Participants had higher interest in testing related to metabolic response to macronutrients (types of sugars, fats and proteins) than to micronutrients or other nutrients related to food intolerance. Conclusions: The attitude of French Canadians about nutrigenetics are very consistent with results from other survey published in the literature. Although few individuals are familiar with nutrigenetics, public’s attitude towards nutrigenetics is globally favourable

Trajectoires résidentielles, construction des espaces de vie et ancrage dans le périurbain. Enquête au nord de l’agglomération parisienne

International audienceThis article focuses on the links between residential trajectories, building living spaces, and territorial anchoring in suburban areas. It follows recent studies that qualify certain homogenizing representations of suburban residents. It uses the results of a survey conducted in the suburban area north of the greater Paris region. This survey consisted of around one hundred interviews with households of varied social positions, concerning their residential and biographical history, their practices, and representations of their living space. Beyond the image of the dual income family leaving the dense city to buy a house in an improved living environment, the article reflects the diversity of the types of inhabitants’ residential trajectories and of the logic explaining their residential choice. It not only stresses that the living spaces of suburban inhabitants are characterized by proximity to, and the use of, local resources, but, in addition, points out that previous places of residence are also resource sites for individuals, indicating a “multi-polarization” of practices and a “multi-anchoring” of individuals.Cet article aborde les liens entre trajectoires résidentielles, construction des espaces de vie et ancrage territorial dans les espaces périurbains. Il s’inscrit dans la lignée de travaux récents qui nuancent certaines représentations tendant à homogénéiser les habitants du périurbain. Il exploite les résultats d’une enquête menée dans le périurbain au nord de l’agglomération parisienne, qui a consisté en une centaine d’entretiens avec des ménages aux positions sociales variées, portant sur leurs parcours résidentiel et biographique, leurs pratiques et représentations de leur espace de vie. Au-delà de la figure du couple bi-actif qui quitte la ville dense pour acheter une maison dans un cadre de vie valorisé, l’article rend compte de la diversité des types de trajectoires résidentielles de ces habitants et des logiques expliquant leur choix résidentiel. Il souligne également que les espaces de vie des habitants du périurbain sont caractérisés par la proximité et le recours aux ressources locales, mais que les lieux de résidences antérieures constituent des lieux de ressources pour les individus, ce qui induit une « multipolarisation » des pratiques et un « multi-ancrage »

Le Mobiliscope, un outil de géovisualisation des rythmes quotidiens des métropoles

International audienc