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• 101. [Article] Last Mile Asset Monitoring: Low Cost Rapid Deployment Asset Monitoring

  Installation and utilization of residential distribution transformers has not changed substantially over a long period of time. Utilities typically size their transformers based on a formula that takes ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Last Mile Asset Monitoring: Low Cost Rapid Deployment Asset Monitoring Author: Zumr, Zdenek Year: 2014 Installation and utilization of residential distribution transformers has not changed substantially over a long period of time. Utilities typically size their transformers based on a formula that takes into account broadly what types and how many dwellings will be connected. Most new residential dwellings feature 200 Amp service per household with an anticipated energy demand of under 20,000 kWh per year. Average electrical energy consumption varies from state to state but averages to 11,280 kWh per year. Energy demand is expected to fall into a typical residential load curve that shows increased demand early in the morning, then decreasing during the day and another peak early to late evening. Distribution transformers are sized at the limit of the combined evening peak with the assumption that the transformer has enough thermal mass to absorb short overloads that may occur when concurrent loading situations among multiple dwellings arise. The assumption that concurrent loading is of short duration and the transformer can cool off during the night time has been validated over the years and has become standard practice. This has worked well when dwelling loads follow an averaging scheme and low level of coincidence. With the arrival of electric vehicles (EV's) this assumption has to be reevaluated. The acquisition of an electric vehicle in a household can drive up energy demand by over 4000 kWh per year. Potentially problematic is the increased capacity of battery packs and the resulting proliferation of Level 2 chargers. The additional load of a single Level 2 charger concurring with the combined evening peak load will push even conservatively sized distribution transformers over their nameplate rating for a substantial amount of time. Additionally, unlike common household appliances of similar power requirements such as ovens or water heaters, a Level 2 battery charger will run at peak power consumption for several hours, and the current drawn by the EVs has very high levels of harmonic distortion. The excessive loading and harmonic profile can potentially result in damaging heat build-up resulting in asset degradation. In this thesis I present a device and method that monitors pole mounted distribution transformers for overheating, collect and wirelessly upload data and initiate commands to chargers to change output levels from Level 2 to Level 1 or shut down EV charging altogether until the transformer returns into safe operational range. Title: Last Mile Asset Monitoring: Low Cost Rapid Deployment Asset Monitoring Author: Zumr, Zdenek Year: 2014 Installation and utilization of residential distribution transformers has not changed substantially over a long period of time. Utilities typically size their transformers based on a formula that takes into account broadly what types and how many dwellings will be connected. Most new residential dwellings feature 200 Amp service per household with an anticipated energy demand of under 20,000 kWh per year. Average electrical energy consumption varies from state to state but averages to 11,280 kWh per year. Energy demand is expected to fall into a typical residential load curve that shows increased demand early in the morning, then decreasing during the day and another peak early to late evening. Distribution transformers are sized at the limit of the combined evening peak with the assumption that the transformer has enough thermal mass to absorb short overloads that may occur when concurrent loading situations among multiple dwellings arise. The assumption that concurrent loading is of short duration and the transformer can cool off during the night time has been validated over the years and has become standard practice. This has worked well when dwelling loads follow an averaging scheme and low level of coincidence. With the arrival of electric vehicles (EV's) this assumption has to be reevaluated. The acquisition of an electric vehicle in a household can drive up energy demand by over 4000 kWh per year. Potentially problematic is the increased capacity of battery packs and the resulting proliferation of Level 2 chargers. The additional load of a single Level 2 charger concurring with the combined evening peak load will push even conservatively sized distribution transformers over their nameplate rating for a substantial amount of time. Additionally, unlike common household appliances of similar power requirements such as ovens or water heaters, a Level 2 battery charger will run at peak power consumption for several hours, and the current drawn by the EVs has very high levels of harmonic distortion. The excessive loading and harmonic profile can potentially result in damaging heat build-up resulting in asset degradation. In this thesis I present a device and method that monitors pole mounted distribution transformers for overheating, collect and wirelessly upload data and initiate commands to chargers to change output levels from Level 2 to Level 1 or shut down EV charging altogether until the transformer returns into safe operational range. Close

• 102. [Article] Intrastate Armed Conflict and Peacebuilding in Nepal: An Assessment of the Political and Economic Agency of Women

  The proliferation of intrastate armed conflicts has been one of the significant threats to global peace, security, and governance. Such conflicts may trigger resource exploitation, environmental degradation, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Intrastate Armed Conflict and Peacebuilding in Nepal: An Assessment of the Political and Economic Agency of Women Author: Luintel, Gyanu Gautam Year: 2016 The proliferation of intrastate armed conflicts has been one of the significant threats to global peace, security, and governance. Such conflicts may trigger resource exploitation, environmental degradation, human rights violations, human and drug trafficking, and terrorism. Women may suffer disproportionately from armed conflicts due to their unequal social status. While they endure the same effects of the conflict as the rest of the population, they also become targets of gender-based violence. However, women can also be active agents of armed conflict and perpetrate violence. Therefore, political and scientific communities at the national and international levels are now increasingly interested in developing a better understanding of the role of women in, and effect on them from, armed conflict. A better understanding of the roles of women in conflict would help to prevent conflicts and promote peace. Following in-depth interviews with civil society members who witnessed the decade-long armed conflict between Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and the Government of Nepal (GoN) (1996-2006) and thereafter the peacebuildng process, I assess the political and economic agency of women particularly in terms of their role in, and impact on them from, the armed conflict and peacebuilding processes. My research revealed that a large number of women, particularly those from rural areas, members of socially oppressed groups, poor and productive age (i.e., 14 - 45 years) - participated in the armed conflict as combatants, political cadres, motivators, and members of the cultural troupe in CPN-M, despite deeply entrenched patriarchal values in Nepali society. The GoN also recruited women in combatant roles who took part in the armed conflict. Women joined the armed conflict voluntarily, involuntarily, or as a survival strategy. Women who did not participate directly in the armed conflict were affected in many different ways. They were required to perform multiple tasks and unconventional roles at both household and community levels, particularly due to the absence or shortage of men in rural areas as they were killed, disappeared, or displaced. At the household level, women performed the role of household head- both politically and economically. However, in most cases the economic agency of women was negatively affected. At the community level, women's role as peacebuilders, members of community based organizations and civil society organizations either increased or decreased depending on the situation. Despite active participation of women in formal and informal peacebuilding processes at different levels, they were excluded from most of the high level formal peace processes. However, they were able to address some of the women's issues (e.g., access to parental property, inclusion in the state governance mechanism) at the constitutional level. The armed conflict changed gender relations to some extent, and some women acquired new status, skills and power by assuming new responsibilities. However, these changes were gained at the cost of grave violations of human rights and gender-based violence committed by the warring sides. Also, the gains made by women were short-lived and their situation often returned to status quo in the post-conflict period. Title: Intrastate Armed Conflict and Peacebuilding in Nepal: An Assessment of the Political and Economic Agency of Women Author: Luintel, Gyanu Gautam Year: 2016 The proliferation of intrastate armed conflicts has been one of the significant threats to global peace, security, and governance. Such conflicts may trigger resource exploitation, environmental degradation, human rights violations, human and drug trafficking, and terrorism. Women may suffer disproportionately from armed conflicts due to their unequal social status. While they endure the same effects of the conflict as the rest of the population, they also become targets of gender-based violence. However, women can also be active agents of armed conflict and perpetrate violence. Therefore, political and scientific communities at the national and international levels are now increasingly interested in developing a better understanding of the role of women in, and effect on them from, armed conflict. A better understanding of the roles of women in conflict would help to prevent conflicts and promote peace. Following in-depth interviews with civil society members who witnessed the decade-long armed conflict between Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and the Government of Nepal (GoN) (1996-2006) and thereafter the peacebuildng process, I assess the political and economic agency of women particularly in terms of their role in, and impact on them from, the armed conflict and peacebuilding processes. My research revealed that a large number of women, particularly those from rural areas, members of socially oppressed groups, poor and productive age (i.e., 14 - 45 years) - participated in the armed conflict as combatants, political cadres, motivators, and members of the cultural troupe in CPN-M, despite deeply entrenched patriarchal values in Nepali society. The GoN also recruited women in combatant roles who took part in the armed conflict. Women joined the armed conflict voluntarily, involuntarily, or as a survival strategy. Women who did not participate directly in the armed conflict were affected in many different ways. They were required to perform multiple tasks and unconventional roles at both household and community levels, particularly due to the absence or shortage of men in rural areas as they were killed, disappeared, or displaced. At the household level, women performed the role of household head- both politically and economically. However, in most cases the economic agency of women was negatively affected. At the community level, women's role as peacebuilders, members of community based organizations and civil society organizations either increased or decreased depending on the situation. Despite active participation of women in formal and informal peacebuilding processes at different levels, they were excluded from most of the high level formal peace processes. However, they were able to address some of the women's issues (e.g., access to parental property, inclusion in the state governance mechanism) at the constitutional level. The armed conflict changed gender relations to some extent, and some women acquired new status, skills and power by assuming new responsibilities. However, these changes were gained at the cost of grave violations of human rights and gender-based violence committed by the warring sides. Also, the gains made by women were short-lived and their situation often returned to status quo in the post-conflict period. Close

• 103. [Article] Designing and Piloting a Program to Provide Water Filters and Improved Cookstoves in Rwanda

  Background: In environmental health interventions addressing water and indoor air quality, multiple determinants contribute to adoption. These may include technology selection, technology distribution ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Designing and Piloting a Program to Provide Water Filters and Improved Cookstoves in Rwanda Author: Barstow, Christina K., Ngabo, Fidele, Rosa, Ghislaine, Majorin, Fiona, Boisson, Sophie, Clasen, Thomas, Thomas, Evan A. Year: 2014 Background: In environmental health interventions addressing water and indoor air quality, multiple determinants contribute to adoption. These may include technology selection, technology distribution and education methods, community engagement with behavior change, and duration and magnitude of implementer engagement. In Rwanda, while the country has the fastest annual reduction in child mortality in the world, the population is still exposed to a disease burden associated with environmental health challenges. Rwanda relies both on direct donor funding and coordination of programs managed by international non-profits and health sector businesses working on these challenges. Methods and Findings: This paper describes the design, implementation and outcomes of a pilot program in 1,943 households across 15 villages in the western province of Rwanda to distribute and monitor the use of household water filters and improved cookstoves. Three key program design criteria include a.) an investment in behavior change messaging and monitoring through community health workers, b.) free distributions to encourage community-wide engagement, and c.) a private-public partnership incentivized by a business model designed to encourage ‘‘pay for performance’’. Over a 5- month period of rigorous monitoring, reported uptake was maintained at greater than 90% for both technologies, although exclusive use of the stove was reported in only 28.5% of households and reported water volume was 1.27 liters per person per day. On-going qualitative monitoring suggest maintenance of comparable adoption rates through at least 16 months after the intervention. Conclusion: High uptake and sustained adoption of a water filter and improved cookstove was measured over a five-month period with indications of continued comparable adoption 16 months after the intervention. The design attributes applied by the implementers may be sufficient in a longer term. In particular, sustained and comprehensive engagement by the program implementer is enabled by a pay-for-performance business model that rewards sustained behavior change. Title: Designing and Piloting a Program to Provide Water Filters and Improved Cookstoves in Rwanda Author: Barstow, Christina K., Ngabo, Fidele, Rosa, Ghislaine, Majorin, Fiona, Boisson, Sophie, Clasen, Thomas, Thomas, Evan A. Year: 2014 Background: In environmental health interventions addressing water and indoor air quality, multiple determinants contribute to adoption. These may include technology selection, technology distribution and education methods, community engagement with behavior change, and duration and magnitude of implementer engagement. In Rwanda, while the country has the fastest annual reduction in child mortality in the world, the population is still exposed to a disease burden associated with environmental health challenges. Rwanda relies both on direct donor funding and coordination of programs managed by international non-profits and health sector businesses working on these challenges. Methods and Findings: This paper describes the design, implementation and outcomes of a pilot program in 1,943 households across 15 villages in the western province of Rwanda to distribute and monitor the use of household water filters and improved cookstoves. Three key program design criteria include a.) an investment in behavior change messaging and monitoring through community health workers, b.) free distributions to encourage community-wide engagement, and c.) a private-public partnership incentivized by a business model designed to encourage ‘‘pay for performance’’. Over a 5- month period of rigorous monitoring, reported uptake was maintained at greater than 90% for both technologies, although exclusive use of the stove was reported in only 28.5% of households and reported water volume was 1.27 liters per person per day. On-going qualitative monitoring suggest maintenance of comparable adoption rates through at least 16 months after the intervention. Conclusion: High uptake and sustained adoption of a water filter and improved cookstove was measured over a five-month period with indications of continued comparable adoption 16 months after the intervention. The design attributes applied by the implementers may be sufficient in a longer term. In particular, sustained and comprehensive engagement by the program implementer is enabled by a pay-for-performance business model that rewards sustained behavior change. Close

• 104. [Article] Improving Vehicle Trip Generation Estimations for Urban Contexts: A Method Using Household Travel Surveys to Adjust ITE Trip Generation Rates

  The purpose of this research is to develop and test a widely available, ready-to-use method for adjusting the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip generation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Improving Vehicle Trip Generation Estimations for Urban Contexts: A Method Using Household Travel Surveys to Adjust ITE Trip Generation Rates Author: Currans, Kristina Marie Year: 2013 The purpose of this research is to develop and test a widely available, ready-to-use method for adjusting the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context using regional household travel survey data. The ITE Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by different land uses or establishment, providing a method for data collection and vehicle trip estimation based on the size of the development (e.g. gross square footage, number of employees, number of dwelling units). These estimates are used in traffic impact analysis to assess the amount of impact the development will have on nearby transportation facilities and, the corresponding charges for mitigating the development's negative impacts, with roadway expansions, added turning bays, additional parking or traffic signalization, for example. The Handbook is often criticized, however, for its inability to account for variations in travel modes across urban contexts. For more than fifty years, ITE has collected suburban, vehicle-oriented data on trip generation for automobiles only. Despite the provision of warnings against application in urban areas, local governments continue to require the use of the ITE Handbook across all area-types. By over predicting vehicle traffic to developments in urban developments, developments may be overcharged to mitigate these developments locating in urban environments despite the lower automobile mode shares, discouraging infill development or densification. When ITE's Trip Generation Handbook overestimates the vehicle impact of a development, facilities are also overbuilt for the automobile traffic and diminishing the use of alternative modes. When ITE's TGH underestimates this impact, adjacent facilities may become oversaturated with traffic, pushing cars onto smaller facilities nearby. Currently, there is momentum amongst practitioners to improve these estimation techniques in urban contexts to help support smart growth and better plan for multiple modes. This research developed and tested a method to adjust ITE's Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for changes in transportation mode shares in more urban contexts using information from household travel surveys. Mode share adjustments provide direct reductions to ITE's Handbook vehicle trip estimations. Household travel survey (HTS) data from three regions were collected: Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Baltimore, Maryland. These data were used to estimate the automobile mode share rates across urban context using three different adjustment methodologies: (A) a descriptive table of mode shares across activity density ranges, (B) a binary logistic regression that includes a built environment description of urban context with the best predictive power, and (C) a binary logistic regression that includes a built environment description of urban context with high predictive power and land use policy-sensitivity. Each of these three methods for estimating the automobile mode share across urban context were estimated for each of nine land use categories, resulting in nine descriptive tables (Adjustment A) and eighteen regressions (Adjustments B and C). Additionally, a linear regression was estimated to predict vehicle occupancy rates across urban contexts for each of nine land use categories. 195 independently collected establishment-level vehicle trip generation data were collected in accordance with the ITE Handbook to validate and compare the performance of the three adjustment methods and estimations from the Handbook. Six land use categories (out of the nine estimated) were able to be tested. Out of all of the land uses tested and verified, ITE's Trip Generation Handbook appeared to have more accurate estimations for land uses that included residential condominiums/townhouses (LUC 230), supermarkets (LUC 850) and quality (sit-down) restaurants (LUC 931). Moderate or small improvements were observed when applying urban context adjustments to mid-rise apartments (LUC 223), high-turnover (sit-down) restaurants (LUC 932). The most substantial improvements occurred at high-rise apartments (LUC 222) and condominiums/townhouses (LUC 232), shopping centers (LUC 820), or coffee/donut (LUC 936) or bread/donut/bagel shops (LUC 939) without drive-through windows. The three methods proposed to estimate automobile mode share provides improvements to the Handbook rates for most infill developments in urban environments. For the land uses analyzed, it appeared a descriptive table of mode shares across activity density provided results with comparable improvements to the results from the more sophisticated binary logistic model estimations. Additional independently collected establishment-level data collections representing more land uses, time periods and time of days are necessary to determine how ITE's Handbook performs in other circumstances, including assessing the transferability of the vehicle trip end rates or mode share reductions across regions. Title: Improving Vehicle Trip Generation Estimations for Urban Contexts: A Method Using Household Travel Surveys to Adjust ITE Trip Generation Rates Author: Currans, Kristina Marie Year: 2013 The purpose of this research is to develop and test a widely available, ready-to-use method for adjusting the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context using regional household travel survey data. The ITE Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by different land uses or establishment, providing a method for data collection and vehicle trip estimation based on the size of the development (e.g. gross square footage, number of employees, number of dwelling units). These estimates are used in traffic impact analysis to assess the amount of impact the development will have on nearby transportation facilities and, the corresponding charges for mitigating the development's negative impacts, with roadway expansions, added turning bays, additional parking or traffic signalization, for example. The Handbook is often criticized, however, for its inability to account for variations in travel modes across urban contexts. For more than fifty years, ITE has collected suburban, vehicle-oriented data on trip generation for automobiles only. Despite the provision of warnings against application in urban areas, local governments continue to require the use of the ITE Handbook across all area-types. By over predicting vehicle traffic to developments in urban developments, developments may be overcharged to mitigate these developments locating in urban environments despite the lower automobile mode shares, discouraging infill development or densification. When ITE's Trip Generation Handbook overestimates the vehicle impact of a development, facilities are also overbuilt for the automobile traffic and diminishing the use of alternative modes. When ITE's TGH underestimates this impact, adjacent facilities may become oversaturated with traffic, pushing cars onto smaller facilities nearby. Currently, there is momentum amongst practitioners to improve these estimation techniques in urban contexts to help support smart growth and better plan for multiple modes. This research developed and tested a method to adjust ITE's Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for changes in transportation mode shares in more urban contexts using information from household travel surveys. Mode share adjustments provide direct reductions to ITE's Handbook vehicle trip estimations. Household travel survey (HTS) data from three regions were collected: Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Baltimore, Maryland. These data were used to estimate the automobile mode share rates across urban context using three different adjustment methodologies: (A) a descriptive table of mode shares across activity density ranges, (B) a binary logistic regression that includes a built environment description of urban context with the best predictive power, and (C) a binary logistic regression that includes a built environment description of urban context with high predictive power and land use policy-sensitivity. Each of these three methods for estimating the automobile mode share across urban context were estimated for each of nine land use categories, resulting in nine descriptive tables (Adjustment A) and eighteen regressions (Adjustments B and C). Additionally, a linear regression was estimated to predict vehicle occupancy rates across urban contexts for each of nine land use categories. 195 independently collected establishment-level vehicle trip generation data were collected in accordance with the ITE Handbook to validate and compare the performance of the three adjustment methods and estimations from the Handbook. Six land use categories (out of the nine estimated) were able to be tested. Out of all of the land uses tested and verified, ITE's Trip Generation Handbook appeared to have more accurate estimations for land uses that included residential condominiums/townhouses (LUC 230), supermarkets (LUC 850) and quality (sit-down) restaurants (LUC 931). Moderate or small improvements were observed when applying urban context adjustments to mid-rise apartments (LUC 223), high-turnover (sit-down) restaurants (LUC 932). The most substantial improvements occurred at high-rise apartments (LUC 222) and condominiums/townhouses (LUC 232), shopping centers (LUC 820), or coffee/donut (LUC 936) or bread/donut/bagel shops (LUC 939) without drive-through windows. The three methods proposed to estimate automobile mode share provides improvements to the Handbook rates for most infill developments in urban environments. For the land uses analyzed, it appeared a descriptive table of mode shares across activity density provided results with comparable improvements to the results from the more sophisticated binary logistic model estimations. Additional independently collected establishment-level data collections representing more land uses, time periods and time of days are necessary to determine how ITE's Handbook performs in other circumstances, including assessing the transferability of the vehicle trip end rates or mode share reductions across regions. Close

• 105. [Article] Household Food Security and Food Sovereignty : Framing the Future of Hunger and Agriculture

  Globally, agriculture is both threatened by and contributing to the converging, interlinked problems of hunger, malnutrition, climate change, resource competition, and the degradation of natural resources ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Household Food Security and Food Sovereignty : Framing the Future of Hunger and Agriculture Author: Wilson, Andrea Year: 2015 Globally, agriculture is both threatened by and contributing to the converging, interlinked problems of hunger, malnutrition, climate change, resource competition, and the degradation of natural resources critical to food production, including the health and resilience of agroecosystems. Sustainable solutions to hunger will maximize the multifunctional potential of agriculture to address a multi-faceted crisis. Realizing this potential depends on the resolution of a political struggle over contrasting food system models, rooted in contrary visions of what it means to resolve hunger. This paper analyzes the logics and claims embedded in the "food frames" employed by the World Bank and peasant organization Vía Campesina to define their respective visions of food security and the food system best suited to achieve it. This analysis reveals that these frames express dramatically different conceptions of the causes of hunger, the roles of corporations and peasant producers, and the social functions of agriculture. I argue that these conceptual foundations are directly related both to the food system models the organizations propose, and to the relative ability of each model to address the related problems of hunger, the empowerment of food producers, and environmental crisis. These foundations also express themselves in different futures for the social role of agriculture, and the lives of its participants: choosing a path for resolving hunger is a political act. Title: Household Food Security and Food Sovereignty : Framing the Future of Hunger and Agriculture Author: Wilson, Andrea Year: 2015 Globally, agriculture is both threatened by and contributing to the converging, interlinked problems of hunger, malnutrition, climate change, resource competition, and the degradation of natural resources critical to food production, including the health and resilience of agroecosystems. Sustainable solutions to hunger will maximize the multifunctional potential of agriculture to address a multi-faceted crisis. Realizing this potential depends on the resolution of a political struggle over contrasting food system models, rooted in contrary visions of what it means to resolve hunger. This paper analyzes the logics and claims embedded in the "food frames" employed by the World Bank and peasant organization Vía Campesina to define their respective visions of food security and the food system best suited to achieve it. This analysis reveals that these frames express dramatically different conceptions of the causes of hunger, the roles of corporations and peasant producers, and the social functions of agriculture. I argue that these conceptual foundations are directly related both to the food system models the organizations propose, and to the relative ability of each model to address the related problems of hunger, the empowerment of food producers, and environmental crisis. These foundations also express themselves in different futures for the social role of agriculture, and the lives of its participants: choosing a path for resolving hunger is a political act. Close

• 106. [Article] Economic Development and Nostalgic Tourism in Southern Mexico

  Nostalgia tourism is very important for the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. In San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca, a community in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, nostalgia tourism, along with remittances, strengthens ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Economic Development and Nostalgic Tourism in Southern Mexico Author: López Salinas, Anabel, Buckley, Rachel Elizabeth, Reyes Morales, Rafael Gabriel Year: 2016 Nostalgia tourism is very important for the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. In San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca, a community in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, nostalgia tourism, along with remittances, strengthens economic activities, consumption, and household well-being. However, the annual average stay of visitors to the region is low and not enough to sustain local development. Results from an interview with thirty people from Coixtlahuaca, but residing outside of the community at the time of the interview, show that there is a need to invest in services that help to retain nostalgia tourists as well as increase national and international tourism, which will increase the economic benefit to the community. Title: Economic Development and Nostalgic Tourism in Southern Mexico Author: López Salinas, Anabel, Buckley, Rachel Elizabeth, Reyes Morales, Rafael Gabriel Year: 2016 Nostalgia tourism is very important for the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. In San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca, a community in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, nostalgia tourism, along with remittances, strengthens economic activities, consumption, and household well-being. However, the annual average stay of visitors to the region is low and not enough to sustain local development. Results from an interview with thirty people from Coixtlahuaca, but residing outside of the community at the time of the interview, show that there is a need to invest in services that help to retain nostalgia tourists as well as increase national and international tourism, which will increase the economic benefit to the community. Close

• 107. [Article] Who Gender-Bends and Why? A Qualitative Study of World of Warcraft

  According to a 2009 study, 68% of American households played video games (Entertainment Software Association). With this number continually on the rise, video games and their cultures are in need of further ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Who Gender-Bends and Why? A Qualitative Study of World of Warcraft Author: Gregory, Clairellyn Rose Year: 2011 According to a 2009 study, 68% of American households played video games (Entertainment Software Association). With this number continually on the rise, video games and their cultures are in need of further scholarly exploration. A video game of particular interest is a massive online game known as World of Warcraft, drawing over twelve million players worldwide (Blizzard Entertainment, 2010). With a cyberspace-based culture, World of Warcraft exposes its players to phenomenon that are unique to it, and thereby not easily understood through the same measures and evaluations offered by society at large. One such phenomena is that of gender, or more specifically the bending of gender by which players assume characters of the opposite gender. Although a common practice in video games like World of Warcraft, its motivations have yet to receive adequately scholarly attention. The present study seeks to explore the process of gender selection in the massive online game World of Warcraft through qualitative methods utilizing interviews, texts, and field notes. The data is then analyzed using Kellner's (2003) methods of critical analysis of media and Langian's (1975) work on thematization. Title: Who Gender-Bends and Why? A Qualitative Study of World of Warcraft Author: Gregory, Clairellyn Rose Year: 2011 According to a 2009 study, 68% of American households played video games (Entertainment Software Association). With this number continually on the rise, video games and their cultures are in need of further scholarly exploration. A video game of particular interest is a massive online game known as World of Warcraft, drawing over twelve million players worldwide (Blizzard Entertainment, 2010). With a cyberspace-based culture, World of Warcraft exposes its players to phenomenon that are unique to it, and thereby not easily understood through the same measures and evaluations offered by society at large. One such phenomena is that of gender, or more specifically the bending of gender by which players assume characters of the opposite gender. Although a common practice in video games like World of Warcraft, its motivations have yet to receive adequately scholarly attention. The present study seeks to explore the process of gender selection in the massive online game World of Warcraft through qualitative methods utilizing interviews, texts, and field notes. The data is then analyzed using Kellner's (2003) methods of critical analysis of media and Langian's (1975) work on thematization. Close

• 108. [Article] Household Travel/Activity Decisions: Who wants to Travel?

  Researchers are using activity-based survey data to better understand the nature of the derived demand for travel. However, a strong theoretical construct for derived demand has yet to be developed. In ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Household Travel/Activity Decisions: Who wants to Travel? Author: Lawson, Catherine T. Year: 1998 Researchers are using activity-based survey data to better understand the nature of the derived demand for travel. However, a strong theoretical construct for derived demand has yet to be developed. In order to understand the ramifications of considering travel as a derived demand, it is necessary to review some of the basic tenets of economics. Some activities require travel (i.e. shopping or picking up children from daycare), while others are conducted entirely within the confines of the home. There is a set of activities that can be conducted either in or out of the home. A need to travel arises out of the choice to conduct one of these activities out of the home. This study uses a microeconomic framework to examine the decision to travel, using “new home economics” and related home production approaches. Title: Household Travel/Activity Decisions: Who wants to Travel? Author: Lawson, Catherine T. Year: 1998 Researchers are using activity-based survey data to better understand the nature of the derived demand for travel. However, a strong theoretical construct for derived demand has yet to be developed. In order to understand the ramifications of considering travel as a derived demand, it is necessary to review some of the basic tenets of economics. Some activities require travel (i.e. shopping or picking up children from daycare), while others are conducted entirely within the confines of the home. There is a set of activities that can be conducted either in or out of the home. A need to travel arises out of the choice to conduct one of these activities out of the home. This study uses a microeconomic framework to examine the decision to travel, using “new home economics” and related home production approaches. Close

• 109. [Article] Promoting Sustainable Travel Modes for Commute Tours: A Comparison of the Effects of Home and Work Locations and Employer-Provided Incentives

  By using data from the 2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey, conducted in the Portland, OR, metropolitan area, the authors conduct tour-based analyses of commute mode choice and apply them to evaluate ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Promoting Sustainable Travel Modes for Commute Tours: A Comparison of the Effects of Home and Work Locations and Employer-Provided Incentives Author: Dong, Hongwei, ma, Liang, Broach, Joseph Year: 2016 By using data from the 2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey, conducted in the Portland, OR, metropolitan area, the authors conduct tour-based analyses of commute mode choice and apply them to evaluate and compare the effects of three sets of variables: the built environment at home, the built environment at workplace, and employer-provided financial incentives. The analysis results suggested that compared to the built environment at home, the built environment at workplace showed more additional explanatory power, illustrating the importance of including work-location-related variables in the models that simulate commute mode choice and trip chaining. Furthermore, we found that employer-provided financial incentives, in particular, parking fees at workplaces and the provision of subsidized transit passes, could also be very efficient policy levers to encourage commuters to use more sustainable commute modes, especially public transit. While the model results clearly show that the effects of many variables vary by tour complexity, we did not find strong evidence to the hypothesis that trip chaining creates a barrier to shifting commuters' travel mode from auto to nonauto modes. Title: Promoting Sustainable Travel Modes for Commute Tours: A Comparison of the Effects of Home and Work Locations and Employer-Provided Incentives Author: Dong, Hongwei, ma, Liang, Broach, Joseph Year: 2016 By using data from the 2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey, conducted in the Portland, OR, metropolitan area, the authors conduct tour-based analyses of commute mode choice and apply them to evaluate and compare the effects of three sets of variables: the built environment at home, the built environment at workplace, and employer-provided financial incentives. The analysis results suggested that compared to the built environment at home, the built environment at workplace showed more additional explanatory power, illustrating the importance of including work-location-related variables in the models that simulate commute mode choice and trip chaining. Furthermore, we found that employer-provided financial incentives, in particular, parking fees at workplaces and the provision of subsidized transit passes, could also be very efficient policy levers to encourage commuters to use more sustainable commute modes, especially public transit. While the model results clearly show that the effects of many variables vary by tour complexity, we did not find strong evidence to the hypothesis that trip chaining creates a barrier to shifting commuters' travel mode from auto to nonauto modes. Close

• 110. [Article] Binti: Daughter of Arab America

  In a fifth grade class a television sits propped on a metal stand. On the screen, images of smoke billow from two tall towers, the clip of planes formerly crashing into them repeat over and over again. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Binti: Daughter of Arab America Author: Belhaj, Melika Valentine Year: 2016 In a fifth grade class a television sits propped on a metal stand. On the screen, images of smoke billow from two tall towers, the clip of planes formerly crashing into them repeat over and over again. A young child sits in the back row of the room. She draws on her desk. War on Terror reads the banner at the bottom of the screen; words that do not describe the culture to which she belongs. She invites friends to her home for djej emshermel, stewed chicken with lemon and olives, for kefta made of ground lamb and tomato sauce, foods of her father's homeland. Foods of a place she longs to know. Her father calls her binti, daughter, my girl. "Binti: Daughter of Arab America" explores personal stories of a multicultural household in which a North African Arab man marries a white American woman and together they raise two children in a post-9/11 world. In a hand designed and printed book the author illustrates her Arab Muslim America through storytelling, poetry, and prose. Title: Binti: Daughter of Arab America Author: Belhaj, Melika Valentine Year: 2016 In a fifth grade class a television sits propped on a metal stand. On the screen, images of smoke billow from two tall towers, the clip of planes formerly crashing into them repeat over and over again. A young child sits in the back row of the room. She draws on her desk. War on Terror reads the banner at the bottom of the screen; words that do not describe the culture to which she belongs. She invites friends to her home for djej emshermel, stewed chicken with lemon and olives, for kefta made of ground lamb and tomato sauce, foods of her father's homeland. Foods of a place she longs to know. Her father calls her binti, daughter, my girl. "Binti: Daughter of Arab America" explores personal stories of a multicultural household in which a North African Arab man marries a white American woman and together they raise two children in a post-9/11 world. In a hand designed and printed book the author illustrates her Arab Muslim America through storytelling, poetry, and prose. Close