Drug Users: A Case Study

The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate how ethnographic research can generate unique insights into the situated meaning of illicit drug use within bounded play spaces of pleasure and excess. The case study draws on three summers of participant observation with British tourists on the Balearic island of Ibiza, a holiday resort culturally defined by narratives of hedonism, drugs and dance music. The chapter discusses three principal aspects of the ethnographic research. First, a step-by-step outline of the methodological framework is provided. Second, key findings on the pleasures of drug use are discussed, demonstrating how ethnography can generate unique insights into this area of study. Third, future directions for ethnographic research in relation to drug users are proposed.

1 Island archaeology, identity and resilience in Menorca through the Roman Epoch

The ancient Talayotic Culture of Menorca can be best distinguished from that of Mallorca through peculiarities in its monumental architecture. This paper examines the social significance of Menorca’s megalithic structures, known as ‘taulas’. The construction of such visible monuments within the island’s cultural landscape at a time when foreign relations were increasing is significant in that it could suggest a conscious desire for differentiation from Mallorca, its larger and nearest Balearic Island neighbor. This article proposes that these monuments might have functioned as a source of social resilience for indigenous Menorcans, fostering and enabling the persistence of a distinct identity throughout the Roman epoch when the presence of Roman military personnel on the island further intensified foreign cultural interactions. Active engagement in identity curation might also have provided a sense of sovereignty within the broader ‘globalizing’ hegemony of the Roman Empire. The apparent latitude with which this seems to have been carried out also calls into question broadly accepted narratives regarding the Roman presence in Menorca.

Reduced Antioxidant Response of the Fan Mussel Pinna nobilis Related to the Presence of Haplosporidium pinnae

The endemic fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) in the Mediterranean Sea is at high risk of disappearance due to massive mortality events. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant response of P. nobilis collected in the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean) before and after the mass mortality event. Individuals collected before (between 2011 and 2012) and after (between 2016 and 2017) the event were analyzed by histological, molecular, and biochemical methods to compare pathogenic loads and biochemical responses. All the individuals collected during 2016–2017 presented symptoms of the disease and were positive for Haplosporidium pinnae, while acid-fast bacteria or/and Gram-negative bacteria were detected in some individuals of both sampling periods. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase in the gills were significantly lower in P. nobilis affected with the parasite compared to those in the asymptomatic ones, while levels of malondialdehyde, as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, were higher in infected individuals. When analyzing the differential effects of H. pinnae and Mycobacterium sp. on P. nobilis, it was observed that significant effects on biomarkers were only observed in the presence of H. pinnae. Co-infection of P. nobilis by H. pinnae with other pathogens such as Mycobacterium sp. constitutes a serious problem due to its high mortality rate in the Balearic Island waters. This concerning situation for P. nobilis is favored by a reduction in antioxidant defenses related to H. pinnae infection that induces oxidative stress and cell damage.

Active labour market policies in economies based on tourism: The Balearic Island experience

<p>Balearic Islands are a European-leading destination but the economic specialization in<br />tourism activities produce dysfunctionalities in the labour market such as seasonality, a high<br />demand of human resources in a short period, low level of educational attainment and underemployment.<br />As counterpart, Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) are a set of interventions<br />aimed to enhance human capital and to smooth career transitions. The aim of this paper is<br />to shed light on these issues. Results suggest that Balearic Islands Employment Service (SOIB)<br />is focused on counselling and training while other policies are not properly developed.</p>

Taxing tourism: the effects of an accommodation tax on turism demand in the Balearic Island (Spain)

Los impuestos turísticos se han convertido en una alternativa sencilla por parte de la administración pública a la hora de obtener ingresos extra para la financiación de inversiones, infraestructuras y servicios sociales. Sin embargo, dado que el turismo representa una fuente primaria de riqueza y de empleo para muchos destinos, resulta importante no instaurar impuestos excesivos en el sector. Con motivo del reciente establecimiento de un impuesto turístico en las Islas Baleares (España), una de los destinos líderes del Mediterráneo, el objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar el efecto precio que sobre las llegadas de turistas tendrá esta implantación. Para ello, se efectúa una revisión de las metodologías para analizar el efecto precio sobre la demanda turística y las aplicaciones empíricas que se han tomado como casos de estudio las Islas Baleares y España. Los resultados muestran que el impuesto turístico actualmente implantado se espera que suponga una reducción de entre el 0,4 por 100 y el 0,8 por 100 de la demanda total, medida en términos de estancias.