THE REPRODUCTION OF GENDER RELATIONS OVER SPACE: A MODEL APPLIED TO THE CASE OF CHARTERED SURVEYORS

Chartered surveyors are one of the main groups of property professions in Britain involved in all aspects of land use and development: but only five percent are women. This paper discusses the dimensions of a conceptual model, expressed as a diagram, developed to demonstrate the role of surveyors in the reproduction over space of social relations: in this case the imprint of gender relations on the built environment through the development process. In seeking to trace empirically the transmission paths, it is concluded that one is dealing with a complex network of processes in which gender and class cannot be easily separated, but inter-react to produce the end product.     

Kisar and the Archaeology of Small Islands in the Wallacean Archipelago

The occupation of small islands presents particular challenges for people largely related to limited terrestrial resources and susceptibility to natural disasters. Nevertheless, the challenges and risks inherent in maintaining stable populations on small islands can be offset or overcome through the use of maritime technologies and exchange networks. The archaeology of Here Sorot Entapa rockshelter (HSE) on Kisar Island in the Wallacean Archipelago provides an unparalleled record for examining these issues in Southeast Asia. Kisar is the smallest of the Wallacean islands known to have a Pleistocene occupation record, and one of the smallest permanently inhabited today. Our results indicate that Here Sorot Entapa was first occupied in the terminal Pleistocene by people with advanced maritime technology who made extensive use of local marine resources and engaged in social connections with other islands through an obsidian exchange network. As a result, populations appear to have been maintained on the island for approximately 6,000 years. In the early Holocene occupation at HSE ceased for unknown reasons, and the site was not reoccupied until the mid-Holocene, during which time a major change in the lithic resources can be observed and the exchange network appears to have ceased.     

Late Prehistoric High-Altitude Hunter-Gatherer Residential Occupations in the Argentine Southern Andes

Test excavations were conducted at Risco de los Indios (RDLI), a site at 2480 masl with 29 residential features and a well-developed midden containing abundant floral, faunal, lithic, and ceramic materials. Analyses indicate the site was intensively used ca. 500 cal b.p. as a residential base for groups focused on hunting guanaco, supplemented by locally-available wild flora and fauna as well as domestic beans transported from the lowlands. Ceramic and obsidian artifacts indicate these groups were highly mobile and in contact with groups on the eastern and western margins of the Andes. These patterns compare favorably to those seen in the region’s other high altitude villages. It appears that the development of these patterns began with population increase and economic intensification in the lowlands ca. 2000 cal b.p. and that the move to slightly lower elevation settings like RDLI may have been conditioned by the onset of the Little Ice Age.     

Analysis of the spatial distribution of geochemical signatures for the identification of prehistoric settlement patterns in ADE and TMA sites in the lower Amazon Basin

The Archeological Dark Earth (ADE) and Terra Mulata (TMA) anthrosols found at Juruti, on the lower Amazon River, extend over a wide area located within the local ferralsol domain. The ADE soils are dark in color and contain large quantities of fragmented ceramics, while the TMA soils are also relatively dark, but lack ceramics. Multi-element chemical analyses of soil samples of ADE and TMA from the A2 horizon (depths of 10–20 cm) indicated that the ADE soils are characterized by higher concentrations of P₂O₅, CaO, K₂O, MgO, Cu, Mn, and Zn, while the TMAs have median levels of these compounds, and the ferralsols have much lower concentrations. These chemical elements make up the geochemical signature of these anthrosols, whereas Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, Cr, Sr, La, Li, Ni, Pb, V, Y, and Zr characterize the geochemical signature of the ferralsols, which was identified partially in the ADEs and TMAs. The isoline maps of these two geochemical associations permitted the delimitation of the different areas and the identification of the ADEs as sites of long-term human occupancy, and the TMA as an area of temporary occupation associated with agricultural activities. Seven villages were delimited within the study area, and were separated by corridors of ferralsols. These settlements were established on the riverbank, with the more temporary cultivated areas behind them, running almost parallel to the river. The identification of functional patterns based on geochemical associations, the abundance of ceramic material, and concentrations of organic matter, indicated that an area of more than 350 ha was occupied.     

Jaka Tarub,a Javanese culture hero?

The origin of the Jaka Tarub story in oral tradition shows how Javanese culture deals with encounters and fissues in its civilisation. Drawing on a north Javanese kentrungan performance recorded in the 1980s the article shows how these Islamic storytellers have skilfully blended ancient myths and folktales with local history and non-Javanese Islamic legends. As a rich source of information on local language, manners and customs, these oral tales may also help to answer questions on the relationship between Javanese and other cultures. Investigation of this genre is urgent since the art of storytelling is rapidly fading under the pressure of modernisation.     

Addressing sustainability challenges in micro-municipalities: Insights from the study of Quebec's smallest municipalities

Many empirical studies on large municipalities, ranging from thousands to millions of inhabitants, have helped shape the knowledge of sustainability management in developed countries. However, issues and approaches specific to micro-municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants have been relatively less covered. In this context, this study presents an empirical content analysis of sustainability-related instruments used in the 487 smallest municipalities of Quebec. A total of 1,962 instrumental documents were identified, and their characteristics (e.g., accountability-based vs. informative-based approach) and scope (e.g., land-use planning and pollution reduction) were assessed. The results are threefold. First, informative-based instruments (e.g., flyers and project presentations) are generally preferred to those with accountability mechanisms (e.g., policies and plans). Second, 90% of the municipalities address sustainability issues, but in pieces and parsimoniously rather than comprehensively; hence, initiatives vary significantly from one municipality to another. Third, because of their mandatory nature, initiatives such as sorted waste collection and pro-environmental zoning are common among municipalities. In contrast, non-mandatory services such as transportation planning have only a few adopters. These findings have policy implications for urban sustainability management in micro-municipal organizations.