Die System Justification Theory: eine psychologische Erklärung für Widerstand gegen Veränderung

Die vorliegende Bachelorarbeit gibt einen Überblick über die Konzeption der System Justification Theory–eine Theorie, die besagt, dass Benachteiligte den Status quo eines Systems rechtfertigen und bekräftigen, auch auf Kosten von Eigen-und Gruppeninteressen.Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, im Rahmen einer konzeptuellen Klärung die Theorie von anderen verwandten Theorien abzugrenzen, Gemeinsamkeiten und wichtige Unterscheidungsmerkmale zu identifizieren. Die theoretischen Aspekte –Hypothesen und Annahmen –werden strukturiert aufgearbeitet und mit exemplarischen Studienergebnissen veranschaulicht. Zudem wird die Relevanz der System Justification Theory für die kommunikationswissenschaftliche Forschung anhand dervier ForschungsbereicheWahlentscheidungen, Leugnung des Klimawandels, Rassismus und Sexismusverdeutlicht. Abschließend wird die Theorie einer kritischen Betrachtung unterzogen, aus der Hinweise für zukünftige Forschungsbereiche abgeleitet werden.This bachelor thesis gives an overview of the conception of System Justification Theory -a theory that states that disadvantaged people justify the status quo of a system, even at the expense of their own and group interests. The aim of this thesis is to provide conceptual clarification to differentiate the theory from other related theories, such as Social Identity Theory or Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and to identify commonalities and important distinctive features. The theoretical aspects -hypotheses and assumptions -are processed in a structured way and illustrated with exemplary study results. In addition, the relevance of System Justification Theory for research in communication science will be illustrated based onfour research areas: voting decisions, denial of climate change, racism and sexism.Finally, the theory is subjected to a critical examination, from which indications for future research areas are derived

Magt og afmagt i individets liv

Magt forstås ofte som noget, nogen har i en given situation eller i et bestemt tidsrum, eksempelvis en person eller en bestemt klasse. Spørgsmålet om autonomi og frihed læner sig her op ad magtbegrebet på sådan en måde, at magt ofte drejer sig om, hvor meget magt eller afmagt det enkelte individ har i forhold til sin livssituation. I forbindelse med mennesker, der har oplevet trauma, taler man ofte om, at det for det enkelte menneske handler om at søge at generobre følelsen af magt i sit eget liv. Men hvad enten man taler om en magtfølelse eller magt i det hele taget, er det så overhovedet muligt at erhverve sig denne? Hos Michel Foucault beskrives magt som en ‘usynlig force’, der er aktiv i en kontrol af individet, idet vi aldrig vil kunne gøre os fuldt ud bevidste om magtens mekanismer og indvirkninger på vores liv. Denne artikel kaster lys over Foucaults magtforståelse og søger at belyse, hvilke muligheder vi som mennesker har for at forandre vores eksisterende livsgrundlag, hvor går grænserne for vores autonomi, og hvor meget indflydelse har vi reelt på vores eget liv

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), any opportunities for the Alaotra wetlands and livelihoods?

Species invasions are one of the world’s most severe conservation threats. The invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the most troublesome plants in the world. It appears in over 50 tropical and subtropical countries. This plant species causes several ecological and socioeconomic problems affecting ecosystems and local livelihoods. The water hyacinth occurs in the Alaotra wetlands encompassing the largest lake of Madagascar. The Alaotra region is renowned as Madagascar’s bread basket as it is the biggest rice and inland fish producer. The current study collected socioeconomic data from the Alaotra wetland stakeholders within three locations around Lake Alaotra to contextualize local livelihoods and to identify the drivers and barriers for the utilization of this plant. Methods of control seem to be unrealistic due to institutional and financial limitations in Madagascar. Using the plant as fertilizer, animal fodder or for handicrafts seems to represent a feasible alternative to improve the livelihood of the local population. However, local concerns about livelihood security may hinder acceptance of such new alternatives. Providing information as well as financial and technical support to local stakeholders may help encourage the use of the water hyacinth in the Alaotra region

An alternative for agriculture at Lake Alaotra, Madagascar: organic fertilizer and soil amendment from the invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

In the context of a globally increasing human population coupled with continuous environmental degradation, eco-friendly agricultural innovations are essential to reduce poverty and food insecurity in the world. This is particularly evident in developing countries where nature conservation and agricultural production remain in conflict. We investigated the effectiveness of using a locally free natural resource, the invasive plant species water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), as a source for organic fertilizer and soil amendment (composts, green manure and ash) at Lake Alaotra, one of the most important agricultural areas of Madagascar. Five different products were produced under the local conditions of Lake Alaotra. In addition, we conducted a growth experiment with Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) to evaluate the effectiveness of the water hyacinth products in comparison to the mineral fertilizer NPK—nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium—and to cow dung. The results of our study show that it was easily possible to produce water hyacinth fertilizer/soil amendment under the remote conditions of Lake Alaotra. In addition, our results show that a higher biomass gain of Chinese cabbage treated with water hyacinth composts was achieved compared to NPK and cow dung. A higher biomass gain was mainly obtained due to an improvement of soil structure after compost addition. Water hyacinth green manure and ash showed low performance. Besides, applying composts was cheaper than buying NPK or cow dung. Our results show that water hyacinth can serve as a fertilizer and soil amendment and could help to improve agriculture at Lake Alaotra. RésuméDans un contexte d’accroissement mondial de la population humaine couplé d’une dégradation continue de l’environnement, les innovations agriculturales respectueuses de l’environnement sont essentielles pour réduire la pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire mondiale. Cette situation est particulièrement évidente au niveau des pays en voie de développement où la conservation de la nature et la production agricole sont en constant conflit. Nous avons étudié l’efficacité de l’usage d’une ressource naturelle locale, la plante envahissante jacinthe d’eau (Eichhornia crassipes) comme source de fertilisant organique (composts, engrais vert et cendre) au niveau du Lac Alaotra, une des plus importantes zones agricoles de Madagascar. Cinq types de fertilisants ont été produits à partir de la jacinthe d’eau selon les conditions locales du Lac Alaotra. De plus, nous avons conduit une expérience avec le chou de chine (Brassica rapa, ssp. chinensis) pour évaluer les performances des fertilisants de la jacinthe d’eau en comparaison avec les fertilisants locaux NPK (11% d’azote, 22% de phosphore et 16% de potassium) et le fumier de bétail. Nos résultats montrent que la production de fertilisants à partir de la jacinthe d’eau et son usage pour l’amendement du sol sont possibles et faciles à réaliser dans les conditions locales. De plus, un gain de biomasse important a été observé avec les choux traités avec les composts de jacinthe d’eau en comparaison avec le NPK et le fumier de bétail. L’important gain de biomasse est certainement dû à l’amélioration de la structure du sol après l’application du compost. L’engrais vert et les cendres de jacinthe d’eau ont montré cependant de maigres performances. De plus, l’utilisation du compost est moins chère par rapport à celle du NPK et du fumier de bétail. Nos résultats montrent que la jacinthe d’eau peut être appliquée en tant que fertilisant et pour l’amendement du sol, et par conséquent peut contribuer à l’amélioration de l’agriculture au niveau du Lac Alaotra

Cognitive function in soccer athletes determined by sleep disruption and self-reported health, yet not by decision-reinvestment

BackgroundSleep disruption (SD) increases sympathetic activity and cortisol secretion, and delays cognitive functions such as reaction-time (RT). Sympathetic activity of disturbed sleepers, is similar to those of so-called decision-reinvesters. Decision-reinvestment refers to traits in individuals with greater tendency to ruminate and reinvest in their decisions, with significant decrease in both motor-control and cognitive performance. Decision-making quality is a crucial attribute to athletic performance which relies on RT. Consequently, SD affects pitch-performance negatively, particularly in decision-reinvesters. This observational pilot-study examined the relationship between SD and cognitive function, perceived health, as well as reinvestment strategies. The hypothesis was that athletes with lower SD perceive their health better, report lower stress levels, perform better in cognitive tasks, and show lower tendency for decision-reinvestment.MethodsTwenty-one football player recorded their sleep with fit-trackers for 7 nights. Participants self-reported their mental and physical health, decision-reinvestment strategy, sleep behaviour, and perceived stress levels. Athletes then performed a set of cognitive tests to examine memory function (Backwards Corsi), selective attention (STROOP), and cognitive flexibility (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, WCST). Normality was tested with a Shapiro-Wilk test, and analysed with a Pearson's or Spearman's correlation test.ResultsSignificant correlation appeared between extended sleep-interruptions and Backwards Corsi RT, r = 0.66, p = 0.010, as further in total sleep time and wellbeing r = 0.50, p = 0.029. A negative correlation exist in regard of pain scores and Backwards Corsi scores r = −0.57, p = 0.110. Physical health correlated with error-rates in the WCST, r = 0.69, p ≤ 0.001. Also, reinvestment negatively correlated with physical health, r = −0.80, p ≤ 0.001.ConclusionWellbeing relies on total sleep-time. Athletes with extended sleep-interruptions are slower in recalling memory, and those with greater reported pain have lower memory scores. Participants who rate physical health greater, have more error-rates in the WCST; indicating that cognitive flexibility is enhanced in individuals with inferior perceived health. However, individuals with lower physical health scores also have greater tendency to ruminate and reinvest in decisions, suggesting interrelation between reinvestment and physical health

Lake Alaotra wetlands: how long can Madagascar's most important rice and fish production region withstand the anthropogenic pressure?

The Alaotra wetlands represent the biggest lake and wetland complex in Madagascar and are home of several endemic species. The region constitutes the largest rice production area and inland fishery of Madagascar. Rice and fish are the main local sources of income. While the population has increased fivefold during the last 40 years, the growing need for resources is continuously increasing the pressure on the wetland system. In this study, vegetation and water parameters were collected within three sites differing by level of degradation in order to evaluate the current ecological state of the wetland. The results show that high levels of ongoing anthropogenic disturbance are favoring the formation of a new plant community in the fringe area of the marsh belt. This area is now dominated by invasive species such as the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) which shows a mean coverage up to 53% and water ferns (Salvinia spp.) with a mean coverage up to 31 .4%. Lake water levels were very low and decreased during the dry season to a mean level of only 3 cm in the littoral zone. Signs of eutrophication like hypoxia (mean saturation of only 22%), increased phosphate concentrations (1 .1 8 mg L-1 ) and black colored, foul smelling water were observed. Under a likely scenario of growing anthropogenic pressures, it remains unclear what the current trends will bring for the wetland’s future

Environmental education in its infancy at Lake Alaotra, Madagascar

Madagascar is renowned for its unique biodiversity but also for the continuous degradation of its natural environment and its high poverty rate. In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental education has been assigned a key role. In the lake Alaotra region, Madagascar’s most important rice and inland fish production area, primary schools are the sole formal education for the majority of the population. In order to gain an overview on the education of ‘tomorrow’s’ resource users, this study assessed the general state of the school system and of environmental education in particular. The focus was on understanding local definitions of environmental education, its application and local perceptions of environmental problems. Over 50 in - depth interviews were conducted using the Funnel approach with teachers from 18 public primary schools. The interviews were supplemented with focus groups and a participatory problem analysis workshop. Teachers in the Alaotra region provided a different definition of environmental education than the United Nations. Their focus is on social aspects rather than the actual problems of the natural environment, which represents a different point of view than non - governmental organizations (NGOs) from abroad, who are the main promoters of environmental education in the area. This indicates that education for sustainable development might be more suitable in the region than the currently promoted environmental education. When developing educational programs, it is important to include the teachers in the development processes to ensure inclusion of local views and needs. This will increase the probability that such programs are locally meaningful and useful. RÉSUMÉSi Madagascar est réputée pour sa biodiversité unique, elle l’est aussi pour la dégradation de son environnement naturel et son taux de pauvreté élevé. L’éducation à l’environnement est un élément important dans l’accès au développement durable. Dans la région Alaotra qui est le principal producteur de riz et de poissons d’eau douce de Madagascar, l’éducation est dispensée presqu’exclusivement par les écoles primaires pour la majorité de la population limitrophe du lac Alaotra. Pour comprendre globalement l’éducation des futurs utilisateurs des ressources, l’étude a évalué la situation qui prévaut dans le système scolaire en général et celui de l’éducation environnementale en particulier. Les travaux se sont concentrés sur les définitions locales de l’éducation environnementale, sa mise en œuvre et les per­ceptions locales des problèmes environnementaux. Plus de 50 interviews détaillées ont été réalisées avec des enseignants de 18 écoles primaires sous méthode Funnel. Les interviews ont été complétées par des groupes de discussion et un atelier participatif portant sur l’analyse du problème. Les enseignants de la région de l’Alaotra ont énoncé une définition différente de l’éducation environnementale que celle proposée par les Nations Unies. Leur priorité porte davantage sur les aspects sociaux que sur les problèmes de l’environnement naturel lui-même, divergeant ainsi du point de vue des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) étrangères, qui sont actuellement les principaux promoteurs de l’éducation environnementale dans la région. Il apparait ainsi que l’éducation portant sur le développement durable pourrait être plus appropriée que l’éducation environnementale. Lors de l’élaboration des programmes éducatifs, il est donc important d’inclure des enseignants pour veiller à ce que les visions et besoins locaux soient considérés, ce qui donnera plus de chances aux dits programmes de prendre du sens et de servir leur dessein.