Geography and values in higher education: 1

Abstract

The recent debate on relevance and social responsibility in geography has directed our attention to the nature and limitations of empirical knowledge, and the ethical foundations which underlie our various professional roles. Instability within human ecosystems is the result of a deficient world view which has caused knowledge to become detached from traditional humanistic values. Man's survival now depends upon the adoption of an environmental ethic, formulations of which have much in common with a distinct humanistic tradition in geography. This must be revived if excesses of empiricism are to be controlled and geography is to realise its potential in the field of environmental education.     

时尚社会：价值观的冲突与转换

当代社会正在演化为时尚化社会。时尚社会有着时尚的价值观,这种价值观把时尚价值看作最高的价值,是对只考虑主体的需要、不考虑客体的利益的传统价值观的极度张扬。由于时尚价值在时尚社会里被过度追逐,带来了严重的生态问题和社会问题。贯彻落实科学发展观,促进人与自然的和谐和人与人的和谐,必须转换传统的价值观,确立一种既考虑主体的需要又考虑客体的利益的和谐价值观。     

The significance of values: heritage value typologies re-examined

A critical discussion of value typologies for heritage conservation and management is offered, from the perspective of objects and urban conservation, in light of a review of published literature on heritage values. It is suggested that value typologies are often designed and implemented without understanding the implicit consequences of the inclusion and omission of ‘values’. It is also suggested that typologies often fail to prompt the necessary questions to develop satisfactorily detailed understandings of heritage significance, resulting in decisions being based on implicit, rather than explicit, value assessments in practice. Mindful of the problems associated with ‘universalising’ context specific typologies, a broad framework for assessing and communicating significance is proposed. In order to encourage holistic approaches, the framework is designed to combat the false dichotomies of cultural/natural and tangible/intangible heritage; it is hoped this will make the framework widely applicable. Without downplaying the necessity of diverse participation in assessing significance, the framework is designed to identify aspects of weakness and preference in cases where adequate consultation is not possible.     

How should tourism education values be transformed after 2020?

Abstract

Values and axiology are necessary components for successful and meaningful tourism education and research. They especially need to be revisited in considering the future of higher education in a COVID-19 world. If transformation means to bring about a substantial change in a positive direction, then the COVID-19 pandemic might be a blessing in disguise for tourism higher education, as a substantial change has been due for quite some time. The transformative powers that education offers are seen in the individual through the internal and external transformations of learners. Higher education holds the promise of transforming society, but it is widely criticized for being too enmeshed in neoliberal values, which weakens it ability to productively equip students with capacities to transform the society they are entering. Education, both generally and more specifically tied to tourism higher education, requires a stronger awareness of lived values and aspirational values to transform how education is carried out. These include, for example, an emphasis on wellbeing indicators over revenue and tourist arrival numbers. All humans act and plan for their futures according to their lived values, but such values are hardly ever overtly acknowledged in research or in daily parlance. The COVID-19 pandemic is stirring up a new search for these lived values in a context where past formulas are failing on a global scale.     

Direct democracy and intergenerational conflicts in ageing societies

To evaluate the potential effects of population ageing on the outcomes of direct democracy, we analyze the effect of age on voting decisions in public referendums. In a case study of the Stuttgart 21 referendum on one of the largest infrastructure projects in Germany, we find that support for the project decreased significantly in age. A quantitative review of the relevant literature affirms that similar lifecycle patterns appear to be the norm in referendums on projects that require initial expenditures and pay off in the long run. Population ageing, thus, presents a potential threat to investment-like reform projects.     

Using online narratives to explore participant experiences in a residential environmental education program

Field-based, residential environmental education programs are immersive, science-rich learning experiences that aim to achieve educational, personal growth, and behavioral outcomes. Evaluations of such programs typically use pre- and post-surveys or interviews and, in some cases, participant observation. Understanding how participants respond to, and make meaning of, their experiences in the moment is an understudied facet that could improve program outcomes; thus, this study explored participant narratives of their experience through online journaling, or ‘blogging'. We piloted the blogging activity with students during their participation in a four-to-five-day program and conducted follow-up retrospective evaluation upon students' return to the classroom. Our findings demonstrate that connection to place, personal growth, and identity were critical aspects of the participant experience; these aspects may be conditioned by participants' previous nature experiences, as well as access to nature. We reflect on the utility of blogging in assessing intermediary and ultimate programmatic outcomes.     

Separatist states and post–Soviet conflicts

This article examines why the conflicts in Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union have not been resolved in the last ten years, whereas a peace agreement has been reached in Tajikistan. The analysis centres on the role of the self–declared separatist states that have emerged in the midst of the post–Soviet states: the Pridnestrovyan Moldovan Republic inside Moldovan borders, the Republic of South Ossetia and the republic of Abkhazia within Georgian borders, and the Nagorno–Karabakh Republic of Azerbaijan. The argument is divided into four parts, starting first with a brief discussion of the reasons that allowed a fragile peace to arise in Tajikistan. The article then defines the concept of a de facto state, that is, a state without international recognition but with empirical existence. The main part of the article examines the range of forces, internal to the de facto states as well as external to them, that weave together to sustain the current status quo of non–resolution.     

利益格局变迁与非直接利益冲突

利益冲突是引起现代社会冲突的两种基本因素之一,阶级意识（阶级认同）是阶级社会中从阶级矛盾到阶级冲突行为发生的关键环节。在现代社会,社会公平感是现代社会冲突行为发生的主要中介变量。当今中国群体性事件增多,折射出非直接利益冲突的特点,反映出利益相对剥夺感群体由对物质利益分配的不满转向对社会公平公正价值理念的怀疑,这将会直接削弱统治的“合法性”基础。     

略论孔子教育思想的现代价值

孔子作为我国古代卓越的教育家,其教育思想理论及方法影响了一代又一代的人。今天,我国急需大批创新型人才,而所固有的那种教学模式及方法已不能适应现代化发展的需要。回顾历史,重新研读孔子的教育思想及方法,对于我们今后的教育发展应该是有积极意义的。     

Colouring special needs: Locating whiteness in NIMBY conflicts

In this paper I examine the importance of 'race' and racialization in conflicts over the siting of human service facilities. Little consideration has been given to the way in which racialization shapes community reactions to client groups, and the idea that NIMBY reactions facilitate the reproduction of white privilege. I explore these issues using a case study of community opposition to 'special needs' housing in San Pedro, California. Analysis demonstrates that some facility opponents racialized client groups in an attempt to defend the socio-spatial privileges of whiteness. Opponents also used a romanticized and 'whitened' construction of community to mark 'special needs' clients out of place. However, other community members used European ethnic identities to mark the whiteness of middle-class opponents. The case study provides insight into the racialization of need, and the way in which whiteness is struggled over within specific social contexts. It also contributes to an understanding of how claims to European ethnicity may be used to veil and/or challenge white privilege. Dans cet article, j'examine l'importance de la 'race' dans les conflits reliés à l'emplacement de bâtiments affectés à la distribution de services sociaux. Même si les concepts de race contribuent à determiner les réactions des communautés face aux bénéficiaires de services sociaux, leur rôle à cet égard a été peu étudié, de même que la façon dont ces réactions facilitent le maintien des privileges réservés aux blancs. J'explore ces questions par le biais d'une étude de cas à San Pedro, Californie, où une communauté locale s'est opposée à l'établissement d'une maison de traitement. L'analyse démontre comment certains opposants ont attribué des stéréotypes raciaux aux bénéficiaires afin de défendre des privilèges socio-géographiques blancs. Les opposants ont aussi fait appel à une conception romantique de communauté blanche dans le but de marginaliser les bénéficiaires de services sociaux. Toutefois, d'autres membres de la communauté ont pour leur part invoqué des concepts d'identité ethnique pour souligner les antécédents raciaux blancs des opposants, ceux-ci faisant également partie de la classe moyenne. Cette étude pose un regard utile sur les processus par lesquels des idées de race sont imputés à des concepts de besoin, et sur la façon dont ces idées sont contestées dans certains contextes sociaux. De plus, l'étude met en lumière comments des concepts Européens d'ethnicité peuvent servir à dissimuler et/ou maintenir le privilège racial blanc. En este papel examino la importancia de la 'raza' y racialización en conflictos sobre la ubicación de facilidades de servicio humano. Ha sido muy poco considerado el modo en que la racialización moldea la reacción de una comunidad a los grupos de clientes y la idea de que reacciones NIMBY facilitan la reproducción del privilegio para gente de raza blanca. Yo analizo estos temas haciendo uso de un estudio que trata la resistencia de una comunidad a la provisión de viviendas para personas de 'necesidades especiales' en San Pedro, California. El análisis demuestra que algunos de los adversarios 'racializaron' los grupos de clientes en un intento de defender los privilegios socio-espaciales de la comunidad blanca. Los adversarios también emplearon una romantizada y 'blanqueada' construcción de lo que es comunidad, así marcando los clientes de necesidades especiales fuera de su sitio. Sin embargo, otros miembros de la comunidad utilizaron identidades étnicas europeas para marcar la 'blancura' de adversarios de la clase media. Por este estudio se adquiere una nueva percepción de la racialización de necesidad, y la manera en que se sigue resistiendo el concepto de blancura dentro de contextos sociales específicos. También contribuye a nuestra comprensión de cómo las reclamaciones a raíces étnicas europeas pueden ser aplicados para velar y/o desafiar el privilegio blanco.     

Climate and energy security policies and measures: synergies and conflicts

Concerns about climate and energy security are leading to increased government intervention in the energy sector, in particular as they relate to the choice of energy supply options. While many of these options will improve both energy and climate security, many measures will benefit one while harming the other. This raises an important question for governments and energy planners: how can conflicts between climate and energy security be resolved? This article outlines some of the barriers and problems that may arise as governments and companies try to address climate and energy security concerns simultaneously in various energy supply areas. It concludes by arguing against choosing one objective over the other, and by outlining steps that can be taken to help resolve conflicts between the two agendas.     

浅谈对中学生进行思想政治教育的价值

长期以来,学校在对中学生进行思想政治教育工作上重视不够,存在着思想政治教育有名无实、教育过程以知识代替思想等不良现状,导致部分中学生社会公德意识、责任意识淡薄,自律能力较差,心理障碍问题凸现,价值观、人生观模糊不清,是非、善恶、美丑不明。学校应该重视对中学生进行思想政治教育工作,坚守其首要地位,通过采取切实可行的措施,改善对中学生的思想政治教育工作。     

Land acquisition induced conflicts in suburban China: a procedural perspective

Protests and opposition to land acquisition from displaced peasants for fair compensation occur on a daily basis in China and have become the most prominent social problem in rural parts of the country. Employing a procedural perspective on conflict, this paper aims to uncover the complexities and tensions that are triggered in the process by drawing on a case of a land confiscation in Jining City, a medium‐size city in Shandong Province, China. Our research shows that conflicts exist at various scales: both between the local governments and rural households and between the village officials and villagers. The paper argues that ambiguity in de jure and de facto land acquisition procedures has resulted in both an escalation of conflict and increasing inequality in the outcomes and benefits of the process. We discuss and conclude that the differences between de jure and de facto procedures in the process of land acquisition are a significant institutional barrier in the resolution of conflict in this important issue for rural China.