scholarly journals The Social Production of Food Waste at the Retail-Consumption Interface

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 3834 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Audet ◽  
Éliane Brisebois
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
World Food ◽  
Social Production ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Symbolic Processes

A major problem throughout the world, food waste is an issue that must be addressed not only by all actors in the agri-food chain but also without a silo mentality. To examine this problem, this article considers the interfaces between the stages of the agri-food chain, by emphasizing the interconnectivity of the different links in the chain, and focusing on the interface between retail distribution and consumption. We show that food waste is socially produced through the interactions and practices of the different actors within food systems. The study presented in this article results from a collaboration research project with two organizations involved in the food waste debate. The data analyzed are derived from an online survey of 1026 Quebec consumers and from 14 semi-directed interviews with retail distribution merchants in the Montreal area, Canada. By identifying, describing and analyzing the consumption and commercial and logistical management practices that contribute to food waste, our analysis demonstrates the existence of four symbolic processes that generate food waste at the retail–consumption interface: the economization of waste, the construction of edibility, the construction of freshness, and the moralization of waste. We argue that these processes should be considered when designing solutions to food waste.

The Social Production of Building form: Theory and Research

1984 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
A D King
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
The Political ◽  
Social Production ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Form Theory ◽  
Building Form ◽  
The Relationship

In this paper, the relation of theory to empirical research in the broad area indicated by the title is examined. The relevance, and, in cases, the adequacy, is discussed of existing theory for ‘making sense’ of specific empirical data on one item, or segment, of the built environment, namely, the specialised dwelling form of the bungalow, which, in both name and single-storey form, as vacation house or suburban dwelling, has been introduced to many market economies around the world. After a brief consideration of the historical and cross-cultural approaches to the study of the built environment and its neglect in the new urban studies, a series of questions generated by the data and contextualised within specific theoretical spheres are addressed. These include: the relation of building form to economy, society, and culture; culture and the political economy of building form; the social production of specialised dwelling forms; the relationship between per capita income, tenure, and dwelling form, and between dwelling and settlement forms; urban and building form and the world system; counterurbanisation and the world economy; and the political economy of global urbanisation. It is concluded that, for the adequate conceptualisation of the built environment, the use of theory must be eclectic and prepared to draw on different disciplines.

scholarly journals The State of Social Media in Canada 2017

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatoliy Gruzd ◽  
Jenna Jacobson ◽  
Philip Mai ◽  
Elizabeth Dubois
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
P 16 ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Media Platform

Today, billions of people around the world are turning to social media to socialize, conduct business, keep up with the news, as well as discover, discuss, and share information. The significance of this global adoption of a relatively new communication and information technology cannot be overlooked. As a country, Canada has one of the most connected populations in the world. For many Canadians, social media is now a part of their daily routine. Our survey results show that an overwhelming majority of online Canadian adults (94%) have an account on at least one social media platform. This makes it critical for policy makers, researchers, and others to have a better grasp of what social media platforms Canadians are using to connect and converse with one another. This report provides a snapshot of the social media usage trends and patterns amongst online Canadian adults based on an online survey of 1,500 participants (see Methods on p. 16 for more details).

The impact of COVID-19 on the world food system

2020 ◽  
pp. 66-72
Author(s):  
N. Shurakova
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
World Food ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The World ◽  
Agricultural Imports ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Food

The article examines the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the world food system (WFS) through the prism of economic and social aspects. It is revealed that the paralysis of world trade caused by the coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on the WFS and threatens global food security. It is proved that in order to prevent a food crisis in the foreseeable future, it is necessary to restructure food systems at the national and global levels, ensure their stability and continuity of operation. Some measures are proposed to prevent trade barriers, protect food supply chains and expand access to food. It is concluded that there is a need to expand domestic «food sovereignty», especially in countries that depend on agricultural imports and are involved in the global food trade system.

The Architecture Industry and Typical Icons

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Sklair
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Production ◽  
Artistic Creativity ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Image Building ◽  
The Media ◽  
Architecture Firms

This chapter aims to fill in the substance of the first component of the corporate fraction of the transnational capitalist class (TCC) in architecture and urban design, the major architecture firms. While the starchitects and signature architects who produce unique architectural icons have attracted most media attention, they are a very small group within the profession. Here, the focus is on the much larger group of architecture firms producing the successful typical icons that are transforming cities all round the world in the era of capitalist globalization. Infrastructure is an increasingly large part of this, and I introduce the idea of celebrity infrastructure to highlight how bridges, transportation hubs, and waterside developments are mobilized as the Icon Project strives to turn them into consumerist spaces. Here the focus is more on the projects than the firms. As we saw in the previous chapter, contrary to the claims of many architecture critics and theorists, iconicity is not simply a creation of the media or corporate publicists. Architects play a significant part in the social production of iconic architecture, making some of them active participants in the Icon Project. As Dion Kooijman (2000: 829) argues, ‘architecture can form a true part of the “image building” by PR and marketing departments’. Behind the general discussion of the ways in which the four fractions of the TCC serve the interests of capitalist globalization through creating and promoting iconic architecture is the idea that, as well as the symbolism and aesthetics of iconic buildings and spaces, there is something else going on of great significance. Two pioneering studies, Blau (1984) and Gutman (1988), researched architecture as an industry in the United States. Judith Blau focused more on architects themselves, reporting a key finding that 98 per cent of respondents (she surveyed 400 architects in New York) said that architects were distinct from other professionals in terms of the ‘mystique of artistic creativity’ (Blau 1984: 49), but that most architects never realize this goal. This was seen to be a problem for architecture, particularly in capitalist societies.

scholarly journals The Role of Social Networks During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Real-Life Social Distancing Vs Virtual Interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Donata Tania Vergura ◽  
Beatrice Luceri ◽  
Cristina Zerbini
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Emotional Instability ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World

Online social networks have become one of the most widely used sources of information in the world and also an important part of our daily life. A huge boost to their spreading came with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing and lockdown orders due to COVID-19 health emergency grew more pervasive, individuals began to spend more time online and to use social networks (SNs) to keep up to date regarding the spread of pandemic and also to maintain communication with friends and family and reduce isolation. Given these evidences, the present study aims to investigate the social supporting role of SNs during the pandemic emergency. Specifically, it intends to analyze (a) the use of SNs as a means of interaction in the face of the social containment imposed by the COVID-19 spreading, and (b) the factors (homophily, trust, loneliness, and emotional instability) that affect such use. An online survey with a sample of 194 Italian people was conducted. Structural equation modelling was used to estimate the model proposed. Results revealed that sense of belonging to SNs had a strong impact on search for social support and is, in turn, positively influenced by trust in SNs and homophily. Emotional instability also increased the search for social support. The study contributes both theoretically and empirically to the understanding of the role of SNs in influencing individual behavior. As the use of SNs continues to spread around the world, understanding why consumers rely in SNs and what gratifications they receive from them is undoubtedly of interest for both academics and practitioners.

scholarly journals The Influence of Media Exposure on Anxiety and Working Memory during Lockdown Period in Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9279
Author(s):  
Rosa Angela Fabio ◽  
Rossella Suriano
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
The Media ◽  
Compensation Hypothesis

The rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic has caused anxiety around the world. During lockdown, the media became a point of reference for people seeking information. However, little is known on the relationships between anxiety resulting from persistent media exposure to coronavirus-related programs and the effects produced on working memory. In this work, a total of 101 Italian citizens (53.7% female) aged between 18 and 45 years old, who were from 14 provinces in Italy, participated in an online survey. Participants were presented with media exposure and anxiety questionnaires and they were instructed to carry out working memory tasks (visual and auditory n-back). The results showed that media exposure is related to anxiety. It was also found that high levels of anxiety have a negative influence on the performance of both visual and auditory working memory tasks in terms of increased reaction times of responses and decreased accuracy. The results were critically discussed in the light of the Social Compensation Hypothesis.

scholarly journals Food Waste along the Food Chain in Romania: An Impact Analysis

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2280
Author(s):  
Oana M. Dumitru ◽  
Corneliu S. Iorga ◽  
Gabriel Mustatea
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
National Level ◽  
The World ◽  
Socio Economic Impact ◽  
Quantitative Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Development Methods

Food waste is a hot topic around the world due to the significant environmental challenge it poses. The study aims to assess the impact of food waste on the food chain at the national level. The data were obtained from quantitative impact studies, carried out in a project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Sustainable Development, “Methods to reduce food waste on the agri-food chain, at national level, to prevent and reduce socio-economic impact, until 2030”. A total of 852 companies were interviewed, with a turnover of almost 6.5 billion euro and a number of over 69 thousand employees, including 273 primary production enterprises, 270 food processing units, 171 distribution/retail units, and 138 HoReCa units.

scholarly journals ANTHROPOLOGICAL CRISIS IN THE RISK SOCIETY: PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
O M Lomako
Keyword(s):  
Risk Society ◽  
Methodological Principle ◽  
Social Production ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Risk Research ◽  
Philosophical Consideration ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Modern Era

The article is devoted to the philosophical consideration of anthropological crisis in the risk society in his historical transformation. The research is aimed to anthropological analysis of the risk society in order to identify its new features in the modern era. As a methodological principle of research, the author defines the distinction between anthropological and cosmological approaches in philosophy. It is about their complex relationships and contradictions in the development of the civilizational process. The anthropological crisis becomes apparent when society becomes a “society of risk” in the modern era. The article reveals the cause of the anthropological crisis in the risk society: the social production of wealth becomes the production of risks. In the XXI century there is a “world society of risk” (Ulrich Beck), which is associated with the process of globalization. The risk research methodology suggests the need to anticipate unpredictable. The main difficulty in risk analysis is that the risk is between certainty and uncertainty, between rational and irrational. Two main trends - the reflexivity of the unknown and the cosmopolitan moment - point to a global change in the society in the 21st century, whose priority is security. In the historical and social philosophical perspective, security is understood as a concept that encompasses integrity, inviolability, inviolability with respect to corporeality, life and property. In the context of the modern anthropological crisis, security has become the main value concept of the social political language. The logic of uniqueness gives way to the logic of ambiguity, which finds its expression in the connection of the risk society with the cosmopolitism. The “cosmopolitan moment” of the world risk society presupposes recognition of the uniqueness of the Other as an opportunity to overcome the anthropological crisis.

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