Bruinkoolwinning en landschapsherstel: een landschapskroniek

In de Lausitz, in het oosten van Duitsland, ruim honderd kilometer ten zuiden van Berlijn bevinden zich bruinkoolmijnen. Het integreren van landschapsnarratie met het landschappelijk en ecologisch benaderen van landschapsherstel als uitgangspunt voor het ontwerpen aan voormalige bruinkoolmijnen in de Lausitz. Dat is de inzet van de masterstudie, waarover in dit artikel verslag wordt gedaa

A method to impregnate wet soil samples, producing high-quality thin sections.

[120.031]Mineral soils with different moisture content and texture were impregnated successfully by the method described. The water present in the soil sample is replaced by acetone and the acetone-saturated sample is impregnated by FitzPatrick's method (1970) (using acetone as thinner of the polyester resin Synolith 544). Shrinkage is minimal and the thin sections are of high quality. It should be possible to correlate thin section data obtained by this method with physical data obtained from undisturbed material. Micromorphologically, a better understanding of the plasmic fabrics should be possible. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Understanding the Philosophical Positions of Classical and Neo Pragmatists for Mixed Methods Research

Pragmatism is the most popular philosophy/paradigm in the international field of mixed methods research (MMR). This article therefore introduces, describes, and contrasts the philosophies of the most well known pragmatists, including the three most important classical pragmatists (Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewey) and two neopragmatists (Richard Rorty and Susan Haack). It is shown that Rorty and James fit well with qualitatively driven MMR (i. e., MMR where the qualitative component of the study is primary); Peirce fits well with quantitatively driven MMR (i. e., MMR where the quantitative component is primary); and Dewey fits well with MMR that attempts to treat qualitative and quantitative research/philosophy equally (i. e., equal-status mixed methods research). Importantly, it is shown here that pragmatism offers a way out of many philosophy of science quagmires facing social researchers and it offers a promising philosophy for mixed methods research practice

Can product information steer towards sustainable and healthy food choices? A pilot study in an online supermarket:A pilot study in an online supermarket

Sustainable dietary choices have become increasingly important because of the current environmental threats the world is facing. Nonetheless, consumers find it difficult to assess a product’s sustainability and therefore make better choices. This pilot study tested whether explanatory product information about sustainability increased sustainable purchases in an online supermarket and whether additional health information increased message effectiveness. Perceived consumer effectiveness (i.e., the perception of the degree to which individual actions can contribute to environmental problems) and green skepticism were hypothesized to mediate the effect of message type, and environmental attitudes were included as the moderator. An experiment using a one-factor design was conducted among 101 participants who were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: sustainability claim only, explanatory sustainability claim, and explanatory sustainability and health claim. Analyses showed that an explanatory sustainability claim (regardless of whether this claim was accompanied by a health claim) led to fewer sustainable purchases through perceived consumer effectiveness but only for those with low environmental attitudes. No effects were found for the addition of a health claim. The results from this pilot provide insight for future studies that aim to examine how online supermarkets should communicate to increase sustainable purchases

Toshisada Nishida (1941–2011): Chimpanzee Rapport

Frans de Waal pays tribute to pioneering primatologist Toshisada Nishida, who transformed our understanding of chimpanzee behavior and culture and galvanized efforts to ensure their conservation

Becoming politically discontented: Anti-establishment careers of Dutch nonvoters and PVV voters

Popular political discontent has become increasingly salient in western countries in recent decades, as can be witnessed by the rise of populist anti-establishment parties, nonvoting and increasing distrust in politics. However, these phenomena have predominantly been treated as ‘democracy’s deviants’, neglecting the perspectives of the people concerned. Taking an inductive approach, this article examines how ordinary citizens come to turn away from established politics. Drawing on in-depth interviews with politically discontented Dutch nonvoters and PVV voters, the article develops a three-stage ‘anti-establishment career’ – ‘introduction’, ‘validation’ and ‘consolidation’ – through which their conceptions of politics gradually change. This deviant career model takes into account the dynamics and agency involved in the process, in contrast to conceptions of discontented citizens as utterly passive and anomic. The article concludes by arguing for more cultural-sociological sensitivity in the use of concepts referring to social-political action