THE SPATIO-TEMPORAL SYNCHRONIZATION OF PERIODIC MARKET-PLACES: A RE-EXAMINATION

Analyses of the locational and temporal spacing of periodic market-places have provided only partial confirmation of the hypothesis 'proximity in space implies separation in time.' The patterns, which are observed in almost all empirical studies, are explained here in terms of a simple avoidance rule constrained by the geometry of periodic market-place systems. The results of a series of simulations suggest that the constraints of geometry are such that only simple avoidance rules can be applied, and any more sophisticated rationale is therefore questionable.
Les études portant sur le degré de séparation spatiale et temporelle des places de marché périodique ne confirment que partiellement l' hypothése que proximité spatiale implique séparation dans le temps. Les effets observés dans presque toutes les études empiriques sont éxpliqués ici en terme d' une simple loi d' évitement, sous les contraintes de la géometrie du système des marchés périodiques. Les resultats d'une série d' analyses de simulations suggerent l' existence de contraintes géometriques telles que seules de simples lois d' evitement semblent opérationnelles. Ainsi, toute autre explication plus compliqué est remise en question.     

POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF GLOBAL SEA-LEVEL RISE ON CANADIAN COASTS

The sea-level rise that may result from global climate change is placed within the context of past and present sea-level changes on Canadian coasts. To assess future impact, a dimensionless index of sensitivity is determined. Coasts with low, moderate, and high sensitivity constitute 67%, 30%, and 3% of the total coastline, respectively. The most sensitive regions are: (1) several parts of the Maritime Provinces; (2) two areas of the British Columbia coast; and (3) a large part of the Beaufort Sea coast. Impacts in four regions - Bay of Fundy, Beaufort Sea, Fraser Delta, and Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia - are discussed in detail. It is argued that the societal response to changes in sea level should favour retreat and accommodation strategies.
Il est possible que les changements climatiques globaux provoqueront une élévation du niveau de la mer. Nous examinons ce scénario dans le contexte des changements passés et présents du niveau de la mer sur les côtes canadiennes. Pour évaluer l'impact de l'élévation prévue un indice non dimensionnel de vulnérabilité est déterminé. Les côtes à la vulnérabilité basse, modérée et élevée constituent, respectivement, 67%, 30%, et 3% de tout le littoral. Les régions les plus vulnérables sont: (1) plusieurs régions dans les provinces maritimes; (2) deux zones sur la côte de la Colombie britannique; et (3) la plupart de la côte de la mer de Beaufort. Nous discutons en détail les impacts dans quatre régions, soit la baie Fundy, la mer Beaufort, la delta du Fraser et la rivage dit 'Eastern Shore' de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Nous estimons que la réponse sociale aux changements du niveau de la mer devrait favoriser des stratégies de retraite et d'accommodement.     

FIRST NATIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A CONTINGENCY PERSPECTIVE

In the first part of this paper, the economic development objectives, strategies, and structures adopted by First Nations of Canada are examined, and seven significant characteristics are identified. In the second, current theories on economic development are considered, and a contingency perspective is proposed that addresses First Nations economic development within the global economic system. In the third part, the forestry-related development activities of a particular group of First Nations -the Meadow Lake Tribal Council - and its joint venture with a major pulp firm Millar Western, Ltd., are described, and the relevance of the proposed contingency perspective is considered. The paper concludes with comments about the potential for the contingency perspective as a theoretical framework for the economic development activities of the First Nations in Canada in a post-Fordist economy.     

‘We have so many challenges’: Small-scale mining,Covid-19 and constant interruptions in West Africa

Currently, the impacts of Covid-19 are receiving significant global attention. This also applies to the extractive industries, where this global crisis is directing the gaze of policymakers, donors and academics alike. Covid-19 is seen as having far-reaching and disruptive consequences, especially in the case of artisanal and small-scale mining. While the authors consider this attention important, their work on artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana – and West Africa more broadly – reveals that for many miners, Covid-19 is ‘just’ another interruption to their lives and lifeworlds which are chronically affected by interruptions of different scales, magnitudes and temporalities. As anthropologists have shown, foregrounding this structural condition – which is emblematic for the lives of many people, especially in the Global South – is key to questioning, understanding and contextualizing the current moment of ‘global’ crisis and must be an element of any policy and research emerging from it.