An analysis of the prevalence of the West Nile Virus in relation to health resilience along the Gulf of Mexico

As the Earth’s climate changes, coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to the natural hazards that are driven by these processes, particularly in regards to the health of these communities. It has been shown that disease patterns can change in response to our environment, putting the health resilience of communities at risk. This study looks at the relationship between natural exposure and traditional resilience index variables in the context of the spread of West Nile Virus along the Gulf of Mexico. Through analysis of 534 counties, the West Nile Virus for 2001-2012 was analyzed as an incidence and incidence rate at three levels of urban and rural classification (metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural) as well as for the entire study area. Regression analysis found that models incorporating both natural and society indicators were more successful at explaining a population’s vulnerability to the West Nile Virus. It was seen that short-term climate variability and economic indicators were important measures of a community’s health resilience in the context of the prevalence of the West Nile Virus. Socio-economic characteristics proved to be more explanatory in rural environments while natural characteristics explained more variance in metropolitan and micropolitan environments. Increasing temperatures were found to increase the spread of the West Nile Virus, particularly in urban areas. This study is a tangible analysis of health resilience in the context of both the human and natural environments across different levels of human infrastructure on a large spatial scale

The Inner Process of Collective Interpretation in Qualitative Research

Interpretative research assumes the collective nature of knowledge production and enhances the development of intersubjectivity. However, the question of how to generate collective and intersubjective knowledge within a research group has barely been addressed. This paper describes in detail the strategies that our research group developed during the process of collective interpretation that we performed during an exploratory study, as part of a research project on learning of active citizenship. Based on specific examples from our study, we uncover the strategies used to respond to the different degrees of convergence and divergence identified. Finally, we provide with some reflection on the difficulties and benefits of this collective process

Ciudadanía y transformación social en la sociedad mediatizada.

La práctica de la ciudadanía encuentra en los medios tanto limitaciones como un espacio de posibilidades para la participación y el cambio. La falta de crítica ante la ingente cantidad de información deriva en un riesgo de adoctrinamiento y en la dificultad de construir imágenes alternativas. Nuestra reflexión, a partir del análisis de los discursos de informantes con amplia trayectoria en participación ciudadana, advierte de estos riesgos a la vez que señala otros usos que pueden aproximarnos hacia una ciudadanía crítica, participativa y orientada a la transformación social. Los ejemplos que recogemos —radio comunitaria y vídeo participativo— reflejan su valor como proceso y su interés por implicar a las personas y grupos como productores de información, facilitando experiencias de apropiación de los medios. Ésta debiera ser la orientación para el desarrollo de una educación mediática necesaria para el aprendizaje y la práctica de la ciudadanía.La pràctica de la ciutadania troba als mitjans tant limitacions com un espai de possibilitats per a la participació i el canvi. La falta de crítica davant la ingent quantitat d’informació deriva en un risc d’adoctrinament i en la dificultat de construir imatges alternatives. La nostra reflexió, des de l’anàlisi dels discursos d’informants amb una gran trajectòria en participació ciutadana, adverteix d’aquests riscos, alhora que assenyala altres usos que poden aproximar-nos a una ciutadania crítica, participativa i orientada a la transformació social. Els exemples recollits —ràdio comunitària i vídeo participatiu— reflecteixen el valor com a procés i l’interès per a implicar-hi les persones i els grups com a productors d’informació. Es faciliten experiències d’apropiació dels mitjans. Aquesta hauria de ser l’orientació per al desenvolupament d’una educació mediàtica necessària per a l’aprenentatge i la pràctica de la ciutadania.The media can be considered either as barriers or as potential spaces for participation and exchange where citizenship practices are concerned. The lack of criticism of the massive amounts of information gives rise to a risk of indoctrination and is an obstacle to building alternatives. Our reflection, based on an analysis of the discourses of citizens with a wide experience in participation, warns of these risks and shows other ways the media can be used to help develop a critical, participative and transformative citizenship. The examples we describe–community radio and participatory video–involve people and groups in producing their own information. This should be the way forward to develop the critical media education needed for citizenship learning and practice

Latino Political Engagement : a Qualitative Analysis of Voter Information Seeking, Political Opinions, and Intended Voting Behaviors

This study analyzes how media coverage and interpersonal communication affect U.S. born Latinos and Latino immigrants in their evaluation of political issues and candidates. It employs the agenda-function of the media and the two-step flow of communication theory as primary evaluation frameworks. The researcher conducted in- depth interviews with U.S. born Latinos and Latino immigrants who have voted in at least one election to establish themes in terms of media consumption, language of media coverage and interpersonal communication. Respondents were divided into two tiers according to their level of political activity: more politically active and less politically active. Such aspects were analyzed in order to establish their influence on the respondents' perceptions about political issues and candidates, especially during a political campaign. The researcher found that the Internet and social media served as primary sources of information for respondents. More politically active respondents were likely to seek out information from various media sources online about political issues and candidates. These respondents were also likely to share information found online with friends and family members on social media. Less politically active respondents were likely to rely on the information posted by friends and family members on social media to learn about political issues and candidates. They only actively searched for information related to specific issues that they considered salient, such as immigration or immigration reform. Such findings suggested that the two-step flow of communication theory prominently applied to how study respondents learned about political issues and candidates. Agenda setting's influence on respondents was limited to more politically active respondents conducted their online searches for political information.Mass Communication

Distributed leadership in improvement processes from participatory action research

El presente estudio parte de la idea de escuela incluida, como centro educativo inclusivo, intercultural y vinculado a su territorio como agente de cambio. A partir de las características de este modelo escolar, nos planteamos los procesos de mejora desde una perspectiva comunitaria y participativa, por lo que trabajamos de forma colaborativa con dos escuelas, una en la Comunidad Valenciana y otra en la Comunidad de Madrid, que han iniciado un proceso de investigación acción participativa para problematizar sus prácticas curriculares y reformularlas entre todos los colectivos de la comunidad educativa, a través de dinámicas de Diagnóstico Social Participativo. El objetivo es documentar este proceso para aprender sobre las estrategias y capacidad de liderazgo distribuido que se desarrollan, sacar conclusiones para el propio contexto y abrir nuevos interrogantes que permitan continuar con el proceso siempre inconcluso de mejora desde la inclusión y la participación democrática. Los primeros resultados apuntan la necesidad de escuchar todas las voces y generar espacios y tiempos de reflexión y debate. El sentido de pertenencia y la conciencia de comunidad son esenciales para el desarrollo de un liderazgo distribuido. El proceso de IAP es muy complejo y a menudo contradictorioThis study is based on the idea of included school, as an inclusive, intercultural educational centre that is linked to the territory as an agent of change. Based on the characteristics of this school model, we consider improvement processes from a communitarian and participatory perspective. Consequently, we work with two schools collaboratively, one in the Valencian Community and the other in the Community of Madrid. Both of them have started a process of participatory action research to problematize its curricular practices and reformulate them working together the whole educational community, through dynamics of Participatory Social Diagnosis. The aim is to document this process in order to learn about the strategies of distributed leadership that are developed, drawing conclusions for the school context and open new questions that allow us to continue with the always unending process of improvement from inclusion and democratic participation. The first results point out the need to listen to all voices and generate spaces and times for reflection and debate. The sense of belonging and community awareness are essential for the development of distributed leadership. The IAP process is very complex and often contradictory in natur

Participative and transformational citizenship analysis of discourses and learning proposals

Se parte de considerar la ciudadanía como un concepto dinámico y relacional: una práctica orientada al desarrollo de capacidades y poderes colectivos para la creatividad, la acción y la transformación social. Desde esta perspectiva, realizamos un estudio basado en entrevistas en profundidad a 14 informantes, cuya finalidad es explorar los discursos y procesos a través de los que se define y pone en juego la ciudadanía. El análisis del contenido de las entrevistas nos permite profundizar en sus opiniones y experiencias en torno a los significados y el aprendizaje de la ciudadanía. Los resultados que presentamos en este trabajo se centran en este último aspecto: cómo se aprende, a través de qué referentes, cuáles son las motivaciones para actuar y cómo se educa. Asimismo, se ofrecen algunas propuestas tendentes a facilitar una educación ciudadana comprometida con el cambio socialOur article deals with citizenship as a dynamic and relational concept: as a practice that points to the development of collective skills and powers to promote creativity, action and social transformation. From this approach, we have carried out a research based on in-depth interviews to 14 participants, with the aim of exploring the discourses and processes by means of which citizenship is defined and put into action. Our analysis deepens in the participants opinions about citizenship meanings and learning. The results showed in this paper focus on how it is learnt, by means of which referents, which the motivations are, and how it is trained. Likewise, we offer some proposals to promote a citizenship education aiming to social change

El enfoque intercultural en la formación del profesorado. Dilemas y propuestas

La formación del profesorado en educación intercultural implica que el profesor se forma mediante un currículo que adopta un enfoque intercultural en sus objetivos, procesos y contenidos. Nos preguntamos acerca de en qué medida esto es así en nuestro contexto. Se proponen, a manera de dilemas, algunas cuestiones en relación con cómo llevar a cabo una formación del profesorado desde una perspectiva intercultural: a) un enfoque intercultural en educación vs formación en educación intercultural; b) formación en centros y redes vs formación individual y en grupo; c) revisión de creencias y prácticas vs entrenamiento en técnicas y metodologías. Finalmente se describen las propuestas de formación acordes con el enfoque intercultural en las que las autoras están actualmente implicadas.Teacher training on intercultural education implies that a teacher receives initial and continuous training by means of a curricula that takes the intercultural perspective on its objectives, processes and contents. We wonder to what extent this is true in our context, both in initial and continuous teacher training iniciatives. Some dilemmas are formulated regarding how to develop teacher training from an intercultural approach: a) intercultural approach in education vs training on intercultural education; b) training in school centres and teacher training networks vs individual or grupal teacher training; revision of beliefs and practices vs training in skills and methods. Finally we describe some teacher training initiatives according to the intercultural approach we are involved in