Suchergebnisse

La consommation durable, responsable ou citoyenne, est un sujet qui, au cours des dix dernières années, a gagné en intérêt alors que la nécessité de modifier les modes de consommation actuels, plus particulièrement dans les pays industrialisés, est reconnue comme un objectif essentiel dans la poursuite d'un développement durable. C'est ainsi que de nombreux citoyens et groupes d'intérêt manifestent ouvertement leur mécontentement et leur insatisfaction quant aux manières de faire et de penser le monde matériel. Or, une analyse approfondie de l'idée de « consommation durable » invite non seulement à revisiter la viabilité et la définition du modèle économique actuel basé sur l'économie de marché, mais aussi à questionner les modes de production et de distribution ainsi que le processus de conception. L'émergence du consommateur responsable se présente comme une réalité porteuse dans une démarche d'opérationnalisation du développement durable. Il convient donc de décrire ce nouveau phénomène, puis d'envisager les conditions d'implication active de ces citoyens informés pour enfin évaluer les répercussions potentielles sur le processus de conception des produits et services.

AbstractThrough active involvement in UNESCO's ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage) programme, China has developed its own framework to support traditional making practices. To examine the 'characteristics' of heritage crafts preservation in China, we undertook empirical research in the Yellow River basin. Our research involved in-depth observations and key informant interviews with a range of highly accomplished craftspeople who have inherited their particular expertise from their family and have been officially designated ICH Inheritors. Through our qualitative research with inheritors, a businessperson and a government official, we identified various support mechanisms employed by the Chinese government that aim to protect traditional culture while also recognising outstanding individuals. We also found that ICH Inheritors play an important role in raising cultural awareness and enhancing cultural confidence through their creative activities and making practices, craft businesses and transfer of expertise. Based on the findings, potential areas where designers may collaborate with inheritors were identified.

Through active involvement in UNESCO ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage) programme, China has developed its own framework to support traditional making practices. To examine the characteristics of heritage crafts preservation in China, we undertook empirical research in the Yellow River basin. Our research involved in-depth observations and key informant interviews with a range of highly accomplished craftspeople who have inherited their particular expertise from their family and have been officially designated ICH Inheritors. Through our qualitative research with inheritors, a businessperson and a government official, we identified various support mechanisms employed by the Chinese government that aim to protect traditional culture while also recognising outstanding individuals. We also found that ICH Inheritors play an important role in raising cultural awareness and enhancing cultural confidence through their creative activities and making practices, craft businesses and transfer of expertise. Based on the findings, potential areas where designers may collaborate with inheritors were identified.

In most education systems, students with an immigrant background perform worse academically compared to native students. However, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), differences emerge in the opposite direction and the national-expatriate gap in academic competence is equivalent to almost three years of schooling. This gap is a concern in the UAE, where national students mainly attend public schools and expatriates, mostly private schools. To investigate the competence gap between national and expatriate students, we estimate group differences and conduct linear regression analysis using data from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment. Results show that the gap varies by emirate and country of origin and is greater among boys, better-off students and in private schools. Between 33% and 47% of this gap is explained by school type, whether public or private. We offer recommendations; however, in a country characterized by 85% expatriates and a maturing education policy, challenges remain, but may serve to pave the way for other high expatriate nations in development.

AbstractThis paper presents an account of field research and its findings from an international knowledge exchange project entitled Design Ecologies: Sustaining ethno-cultural significance of products through urban ecologies of creative practice, jointly funded by the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Beijing. The contribution of this paper is to effectively communicate the processes, mechanisms and benefits of an academic knowledge exchange programme. In this case, six exchange visits were carried out, three to China by the British team and three to the UK by the Chinese team. These visits offered opportunities for both teams to gain insights into a variety of heritage sites and craft practices, as well as to the wider policy landscapes in each country. We found that the use of certain terms, like 'creative industries', to refer to traditional craft practices and other heritage related activities can be problematic as they tend to emphasise their instrumental rather than their intrinsic value. The Chinese team found the importance and significance of volunteers within the UK's cultural heritage landscape to be very different from that of China, which does not have a history of volunteering. On the other hand, China supports its Intangible Cultural Heritage through adoption of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, hereafter referred to as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) programme or UNESCO convention (UNESCO 2019b; Cominelli and Greffe 2012); in contrast, the UK has not ratified the UNESCO convention. The China team commented on the UK's approach to heritage that keeps a sense of 'living' heritage, e.g. The English Lake District is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre in which people still live and work. In China, such areas are often depopulated to preserve the heritage and focus on tourism. The British team identified opportunities for design contributions in the visualisation of interrelated and interdependent "ecosystems" of design and production, as observed in Jingdezhen Ceramics Factory. Also, at Taoxichuan Creative Zone design was already being used effectively for the design of artefacts, points of sale, branding and packaging. There is much potential for this to be explored and developed further with different case studies in the UK and China. A shared understanding was developed from the knowledge exchange visits and visit reports created by each of the respective teams. These led to a set of conclusions, insights and themes. Finally, this project has already paved the way for a further Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) research project entitled Located Making, in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and Ningxia University.

The drive for improved regulatory systems and the establishment of a more effective regulatory framework in South Africa has been evident for the past two decades but despite political intentions and legislative revisions success has been limited to date. Efforts to address the increasing volume of applications that have been received have to date failed and resources have been stretched to capacity resulting in the development of a significant backlog and extended timelines for product registration. The promulgation of the recently amended Medicines and Related Substance Act of 1965 triggered the establishment of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) as a separate juristic person outside of the National Department of Health to replace the former medicine regulatory authority the Medicines Control Council (MCC). The aim of this review is to provide the historical context supporting the new regulatory environment in South Africa and the transition from the MCC to SAHPRA. Key recommendations to SAHPRA to ensure the full potential of the new regulatory environment in South Africa include: establishing a quality management system to safeguard accountability, consistency and transparency and to streamline the implementation of good review practices including quality decision-making practices and benefit-risk assessment; the measurement and monitoring of regulatory performance, targets for overall approval time and key review milestones to instill a culture of accurate metrics collection and measurement of key performance indicators and their continuous improvement and the employment of a risk-based approach to the evaluation of medical products and codify the use of facilitated regulatory pathways in policy and culture. The application of a risk-based approach to regulatory review commensurate with a product's risk to patients will facilitate the application of increased resources for pharmacovigilance activities and to support the reliance and recognition of reference agencies.

Compensatory Green Beliefs (CGBs) refer to beliefs that the negative effects of energy-inefficient or unsustainable behaviors (e.g., flying abroad on holiday) can be compensated for by engaging in energy-efficient or sustainable practices (e.g., using public transport). The present research developed and validated a scale to measure endorsement of CGBs. This scale formed part of an online survey, which investigated the relationship between endorsement of CGBs and how people think and behave in relation to energy and environmental issues. Factor analysis confirmed the reliability of a 16-item, single-factor scale measuring CGBs. Endorsement of CGBs was found to correlate negatively with measures of proecological behavior, environmental values, "green" identity, concern with climate change, age, and education level. These findings offer an insight into the possible cognitive antecedents of "rebound effects" that are known to limit the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable behavior.